“Lost from when we wake, with no way to go back…” –Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Theme Song.
Tony Stark always wakes up with a terrified gulp of air, like he forgot how to breathe while he slept. Pepper has JARVIS monitor the oxygen in her boyfriend’s blood, she became so concerned. JARVIS determines it’s simply a trick of the mind, a nightmare Tony lived and can’t shake off. The ever-present water keeps at bay until he closes his eyes, and then it’s in his hair and up his nose and burning his lungs. It never matters if Tony is above the water or under it. The guttural laughter echoed off the cave walls the same in his nightmares. He didn’t used to wake up this way but now he just can’t stop, no matter how pale Pepper is when he wakes up. Tony absently wishes they had gotten together before the arc reactor. Maybe then he could have memories of waking up in the morning to a smiling Pepper Potts.
Thor Odinson always wakes up with tears streaming down his face, like a man grieving in the worst ways possible. His dreams are from happier times as a child. A time when his father was everything he aspired to be, when his mother smiled, and when Loki was still his brother. But the sharp claws of betrayal and bitterness ripped them apart and Thor feels like a distraught child trying to mend a torn tapestry. The Warriors Three tell him time and again it can’t be done, and yet Thor stays on Midgard with Anthony Stark as a peace offering to all of the humans for what his brother did to them in the hopes that one day they will accept Loki Odinso-… Laufeyson… like they accept him. Thor fervently wishes he had been less arrogant. Maybe then he and Loki could still talk face to face with no bars separating them.
Natasha Romanoff always wakes up with her delicate fingers wrapped around a gun, like she’s constantly watchful of her surroundings. Papa lectured her, told her that his little apocalypse child needed to be alert at all times. She was his favorite monster and he wanted her to live through the training process. He was a smart man and trained her well; Natasha saved her own life on more than one occasion by being a light sleeper with a loaded pistol close in hand. But maybe she wakes up with her weapon like that because of what she sees in her dreams. Blood. The red in her ledger takes shape as dripping, choking terrors and her nightmares smear the life-giving liquid all over her face. It seeps into her hair and onto her hands. Her gut reaction to all-consuming fear is to raise a gun and blow it away, but it’s expensive to shoot mirrors every time she wakes and she’s always been a survivor. Natasha sometimes wishes her childhood had been different. Maybe then she could have grown up to be a ballerina and not even have a ledger of names written in red ink.
Steve Rogers always wakes up with a hoarse scream, like he was trying to force the ice out of his lungs. The ice never leaves him. It’s like his marrow is still frozen and alive in some sick, twisted way so it can crawl out when the sun goes down and infect his muscles and mind. His head is advanced, but it only makes his nightmares clearer and brighter. Bucky’s blood creates swirls in the salt water as the Howlers stare emptily up at him from the bottom of the ocean. The Red Skull’s hands are wrapped around his throat, laughing at him as he weakly fights with skinny arms. The blue suit hangs off his bones like a sweatshirt as ice crystals stick to it, the persona stuck to him like glue. Steve mournfully wishes he had died in the plane crash. Maybe he would be with his friends somewhere warm, where his homesickness doesn’t ache as much as it does and no one expected him to be someone that was unattainable.
Clint Barton always wakes up with a start, like he was fighting his way out of his night terror. Ever since Loki took over his mind, sleeping is a nightmare in and of itself. When the archer is on the edge of sleep, he snaps fully awake again in case it’s Loki trying to reclaim him. Soon the tiredness consumes him and he faces the blue across his vision and the pain of information being pulled out of his head all over again. His secrets, his innermost thoughts, laid bare for a psychopath that somehow Thor still defended. If Thor knew what being unmade felt like he’d shut his trap, but Barton’s not cruel enough to wish that on anyone. Clint is thankful Natasha beat his head in to bring him back around, and double-ly thankful their fight didn’t end up like Budapest with Natasha as the loser. Against her advice, though, he looked up how many people he killed. Let’s just say he can’t watch Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy anymore. Clint ardently wishes he wasn’t such a fuck-up weakling. Maybe he could have fought Loki on the battlefield of his own mind and won, and his nightmares would go back to the echo of Barney.
Bruce Banner always wakes up with his fingers twisted in the sheets, like he’s ready to fling them away and run. Betty used to caress his tense fingers, kiss his shoulder, force the tight muscles to relax. He still remembers the sweep of her hair, the exact shade of lipstick she wore, the way the moonlight would whisper against her skin. Bruce hasn’t dreamed for himself in a long time, but when he does it’s of her. He always deceives himself in his mind, saying to himself that being shot at and caged and trapped like the Hulk is better than the glass-sharp memories of her. Bruce tells the child to run and he falls back into the nightmares willingly, but soon the gunshots sound and people scream at him so fast that he can’t hear what they’re saying past all the noise. He’s right for a little while. It is better to be terrified than grieving as he sleeps. But then Bruce wakes up like this and there’s no Betty to hold him as his heart pounds in his chest and the grief hits him hard. Bruce achingly wishes she was still alive. Maybe he would have a family by now, a child he would make sure didn’t have the same defect he does.
Tonight, the Avengers dance and mingle for the public to appease them. Their acts are all on perfectly. Tony Stark flirts smoothly as he drinks champagne out of an opulent glass that sickens him with its frivolous nature. Thor Odinson laughs loudly as he pretends to not miss someone that should be here. Natasha Romanoff smiles politely as she discretely checks for her knife again. Steve Rogers talks quietly as he struggles to grasp what everyone knows already. Clint Barton jokes charmingly as his right hand itches for his bow. Bruce Banner shifts awkwardly as he checks for exits in case the storm he’s hiding under his skin tears through him. Perfect masks, perfect personas of people who know who they are and where they’re going and what they’re doing.
When they escape, they go home and Tony suggests a game of strip tag to get out of the god-awful clothes and everyone agrees eventually. Everyone ends up giggling messes as Steve tries to escape to his room with his boxers intact as a stark-naked Tony sprints after him, yelling indignantly about rules and Captain America cheating.
These creatures are lost. Loki could not have found a better description. No one knows the future. None of them even understand how to deal with their dreams. They each long to wake up from peaceful dreams back to where they were. But maybe… maybe it’s not about finding the way back. It’s about midnight meetings in the kitchen. It’s about strip tag. It’s about Beyond The Sea. It’s about Star Wars and shower sex and science fun and ice and fire and coffee and tea and Pop-Tarts and marriage and babies and the home they’ve built. It’s about the family they’ve forged through blood and tears and pain and joy and love and acceptance.
It’s about finding each other in the darkness and being… okay… with being lost.
"... I'm standing on my own, but now I'm not alone." - Earth's Mightiest Heroes Theme Song
This is love and how they show it even if their fathers could not see.
Howard Stark got unbelievably angry when Tony couldn’t sit still. Somehow the child was like never-ending energy, constantly and perpetually in motion. Not anywhere close to the ideal son he needed. If the young Stark had been born years later, the doctors would have put him on pills to calm him down. In truth, he doesn’t have any sort of attention deficit disorder. He is a sponge, fast as a whip and smarter than men twice his age. The energy, the non-stop motion is where his genius lies and Tony revels in it, indulges his insatiable need to move and do and fix.
Joseph Rogers got tired of waiting for his son to simply move his sickly body across the room. Steve Rogers fought against his weak body for the right Tony takes for granted every day. If the young Rogers had been born years later, the doctors would have put him on a pill regime to fix his broken immune system. In truth, Steve’s brilliance revealed itself when he stopped. The child would sit and read or draw for hours on end, broadening his mind and creating a genius that was all his own. Even when Steve received energy and motion, his uniqueness lay in his ability to slow down and think and draw.
The melding of the two worlds was something to behold. The Avengers stood by and watched as the two opposing forces pushed and pulled, slowed and sped up like an intricate dance and before long, Steve found his right partner and Tony found a man who had the gift of fixing things with a beating, fleshy heart. Both of the intelligent men thought too much, but their thinks manifested in different ways. Tony’s mind gave him energy to forget the world and spend too many hours in his workshop. Steve’s mind wrestled him into chairs to remember a dead home and draw in his sketchbook until his fingers bled. Often they’d be in Tony’s workshop, thinking together, drifting apart and together at the same time. They had their flaws and their hang ups, but nothing their minds couldn’t solve in the end. They saw the power of the other, took the lens of their perspectives and handed them to their partner. Steve fell in love with the fire and the warmth, and Tony fell for the beauty and the kindness.
Sex was special for both of them. Steve picked when the first time would be, Tony picked the speed. Six months into their relationship, Steve stutteringly, slowly said he was ready, and Tony made the orgasm hit them both before it felt like they’d even gotten started. From that point on, either one or the other had control. Tony’s sex was all messy kisses, bruised lips, ripped clothes, and broken headboards Tony swore he’d fix. When Steve initiated it, sex was tender touches, soft moans, whispered love declarations, and cuddling afterward.
It was never a perfect love, but neither of them wanted perfect. It was their love, and they made it work. Steve fixed his clockwork husband slowly, and Tony unfroze his Capsicle as quickly as he could. Neither of them wanted it any different, even if Tony’s mouth threw out words before his brain could catch up and if Steve clammed up to spill unknown secrets on watercolor pages.
Moving stayed a constant problem for Steve. After their captivity, sometimes Tony would walk into the kitchen to find Steve like a statue, too afraid of the device on his back and the memories to even turn his neck toward the door. Tony never understood how Steve could stay so still, but Steve joked Tony was superhuman since there’s no way coffee and ideas could sustain a normal human for that long.
Steve doesn’t joke anymore.
In fact, Steve barely even blinks now. He can’t lift a pencil to a page. Tony wonders from the edge of the living room if Steve’s even breathing. And Tony wishes it was the back device again. At least Tony knows how to unfreeze Steve from that.
“We’re not back there anymore, Steve. See, look, I’m holding your hand. You can feel my hand, can’t you?” Tony cups his husband’s face, brushing the hair away. “I’m right here.” Steve’s eyes meet Tony’s and there will never be a day when those blue eyes so full of fear won’t make his chest clench in pain. He grabs Steve’s hand and squeezes hard. “It’s over,” Tony says thickly. “We’re free, okay? Just move. Just hug me, I promise you’ll be okay. You’ll be –” Suddenly, there are arms around Tony, holding him tight, and the super soldier is shaking in every inch of his body. Tony catches the sound of Steve’s gasping breaths, quickly becoming sobs of relief. Hugging back is a bad idea, so Tony slips his hands under Steve’s shirt as a stabilizing force. Quietly, Tony says, “We’re home. You’re okay. I love you….”
Tender touches won’t work this time. Kisses, hugs, cuddles, nothing. Body warmth is out of the question. When Steve moves now, it’s to flinch from contact and apologize. It’s unnerving everyone, and even Peter notices it now. Captain America seems just fine out on the field, but the Hulk found the good Captain beating a Doom bot to literal dust with his shield and some punching bags seem to be missing. Sometimes Captain America comes home and plays with Peter, convinces everyone he’s fine again. But Steve’s eyes always say more. They’re still empty and it’s like looking into a cracked window and the person inside is looking back from behind a couch on the far side of the room. Distant and broken.
Tony almost wishes he had a video of the night Steve went to Hammer. It would hurt, it would disgust Tony, but at least he would know how Hammer decimated his husband’s soul. Steve may have already taken revenge in his own way, but Tony swears he’ll pay Justin Hammer another visit. Or he’ll break Hammer’s company down brick by brick. Tony hates to say it, but if the bastard hadn’t sent the pictures, Tony would have made advances on Steve that night and it’s a good thing he didn’t.
Tony gets restless and finally steps fully into the living room. Steve doesn’t turn his head, but Tony spots the flash of blue glancing his way. Carefully, slower than Tony likes, he sits next to Steve on the couch, holding his hand out to his husband. Steve stares at the calloused fingers in confusion before he shifts, handing over the remote to Tony. Well. Okay. Not what he meant. There's a strange pang in his chest as he imagines the man Steve was, the man who'd just take his hand without thinking. Tony places the remote on the other side, then holds his hand out again.
“Can I hold your hand?” Steve finally turns his head toward Tony, not looking at him, never quite looking at him in the face. The soldier swallows, then lets one hand rest in Tony’s. Progress. Not as much hesitation. Tony lets himself relax against the couch.
Steve’s reaction is to freeze. Tony’s is to move.
This is the push and pull, the slow waltzes and fast tangos, the ice and fire.
This is marriage.
This is love.
(Author's Note: Okay, this is really for my rp group but I guess more people are going to see it. Sorry if you don't understand, but it would take way too long to explain. Tagging it that way so I can find it again.)
(Note: Callie and I did an rp in the canon universe. What happened was that Steve went down to the workshop and saw Tony drunk. He panicked and ran up to his own floor. When Tony was sober enough to go find Steve, Steve declared he didn’t want to get married anymore. The only way the situation was salvaged was by JARVIS locking them both in and forcing them to talk about it. Tony promised never to drink again and Steve called off the call off of the engagement. This is a what if. Basically, What if JARVIS hadn’t fixed Stony.Based off of A Sadness Runs Through Him by the Hoosiers)
He was beautiful. He was the most beautiful person I know. His eyes were fire and warmth. Danger and spontaneity, courage and genius, Tony Stark was… everything I needed.
And I’m a bastard. I really wish someone would just listen when I tell them I’m not a good person. I’m nowhere near perfect. Most people laugh like I’m making some sort of fucking joke about myself. “But you’re Captain America! You’re the best person I know.” It feels like a heavy load on my soul, reaching for their expectations as my arms and legs stretch painfully for an impossible goal. I’m surprised I didn’t topple over sooner.
No one alive knows that my father was an alcoholic. He didn’t beat my mother or me or anything like that. The First World War scarred him so deep he couldn’t recover, using the bottle to numb the pain. He’d drunkenly joke around with his buddies and quickly learned the art of smiling past the pain and the hangovers, but his eyes always echoed with the fires of war and chaos, no matter how drunk he was. He died when I was ten due to the latent effects of mustard gas, but I can’t remember a time in those ten years that he said he loved me or my mom.
My mother, bless her soul, told him she loved him every day. She never spoke against him even when he was passed out in his own vomit on the front porch for everyone to see. Mom tried to justify what he did. “He is in pain, Stevie, and we need to help him,” she’d say to me. I believed her when I was young. As a teenager, I just saw my dead father as a bastard that emotionally tortured my mother. When the pain of their deaths eased, I was finally able to see that even though my father was flawed, he was a good man. My mother was just hopelessly in love, trying to fix a man who didn’t want to change.
It terrified me as an adult that I would end up being like him. I never drank. Bucky used to jokingly accuse me of being paranoid and a hardass, trying to coax me into the fun. It never worked, which is probably why I could never find a date pre-serum.
I’m not sure how I managed to grab Peggy’s attention, and I sure as hell don’t know what I did to get Tony to kiss me. We were just puppets on separate strings, outside circumstances and Fury colliding us together. It was messy at first, our strings tangling together. It was… painful. I hated being stuck with him, a man who was an echo of his father and past that still hurt. That was just one of many times I toppled reaching perfection. I think we as a team have blamed our reactions and words on the helicarrier to the spear’s influence… but I was honestly thinking those things at the time. I was angry and hurt and I lashed out at one of the main causes of my pain. Definitely not the first time I’ve done that. Won’t be the last, but someone else is going to have to stand there and take it.
We forgave each other, though, and came together. It took a while for me to move in with the rest of the team. In truth, it was because Tony confused me. He kept asking me to move in and go to coffee and visit. He’d say the strangest things and talk about things I didn’t understand, but somehow I wanted him to sit there and talk until he couldn’t anymore. I also wanted to run for the hills whenever he showed up. I didn’t know what I was feeling and it made no sense to me.
I finally moved in and we became a true family. We ended up pairing up and becoming romantic partners as well. The strings I still had tangled with Tony were there, and when we collided again… it was something much sweeter than the cold words exchanged at the helicarrier. He won me over so easily, warmth and excitement radiating from his every pore and wrinkle. With Tony, I never felt like I had to reach so high. Of course he wanted me to be the best I could be, but he didn’t ask for impossibilities. He assessed me and worked with what he was given. He wiggled his way under my icy armor and melted me completely.
I should have known then. During our first fight that broke us up the first time, he ended up drinking. It didn’t occur to me that he was an alcoholic and had a problem. I thought I drove him to it by being so closed up and unyielding. I fell again that day and I ended up in my room for four days straight. The team fixed us again, though, even if their means were… unconventional.
It took a while for me to realize Tony was an alcoholic. I didn’t notice until I went down to his workshop six months ago and he was drunkenly trying to put an engine together. I felt a jolt down to my core. Tony ignored me when I left and I knew this was how my mother felt. I suddenly had a new fear… that instead of being like my father since the serum had prevented that, I now had to be worried about becoming like my mother; trying to fix what didn’t want to change.
After everything we had been through, from Tony’s near death flying that nuke into the portal to all the missions where I nearly died to all the squabbles we had to all the promises we made, that’s what ended it for me. I failed again, letting my fear and insecurity take me over, terminating our engagement once he was sober enough to understand what I was saying.
At the time, it didn’t seem like he fought against my choice. Now I realize that….
Let me just… keep going.
It got sticky then. How could we stay in the same Tower after that? By the end of the week, I was gone. Natasha knew that I went to Fury and asked to be reassigned. She found me by the end of the next week, but I didn’t even listen to her. It seems like I keep missing this goal of perfection an awful lot…. But I honestly didn’t believe that Tony was fixable.
I misjudged. I fucking misjudged Tony again and Tony was the one who suffered for it. Again. It was the helicarrier all over, but so much worse. I was just trying to untie my strings from Tony. I just wanted the pain to stop and get over the break up. I should have known I never could and I never will.
Six days ago, Fury commanded me to fix it up with Tony. Get back on speaking terms and be an Avenger again. Bruce had taken charge of the team while Tony was deemed too “emotionally fragile” for anything. He was benched and I was supposed to fill in and eventually take my spot back on the team and we’d all be a family again…. God, that looks really good right now.
The day Tony died, the rest of the team was gone on a mission and I went to the Tower. As soon as I opened the door, JARVIS started talking in that panicked tone he has. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I immediately started toward the workshop. He… wasn’t careful with the whiskey and caught on fire. By… by the time I got down there and the elevator doors opened, Dummy had put out the flames.
Tony was too far gone to be saved.
I don’t remember what happened next. I think I screamed. Or threw up, I don’t know, something… I just… don’t know. The next thing I remember was cradling Tony in my arms and trying to stop all the bleeding and fix the burns. He looked up at me.
“S… Steve?” He murmured. I think I sobbed then.
“Y-Yeah, I’m here.” I cradled the only part of his face that was still skin and not….
“D… Do you pray?”
“I… yes.”
“P-Pray for me? I’m scared, fuck I’m so scared-“ I already started shaking my head.
“You’re going to be fine. You have nothing to be scared of. I’m here.”
“N… No you’re… not.” He replied, breathing labored.
“W-What?”
“Y… You… can’t be… here. I-I’m just… dreaming again.” My stomach dropped through the floor and I rubbed his cheek.
“I-I’m so sorry. Tony I’m so sorry, I didn’t… I….”
“’S not your… fault. I-I fucked… it up again. ‘S fine, I k-kinda expected… it.”
“Oh my god,” I sobbed. He didn’t fight me because he expected to fuck up. And I had thought he didn’t care. “I’m so sorry, Tony. It wasn’t… I’m so fucking sorry, I’m an idiot….”
“W-What d-did I do?” His hand fisted in my shirt. “W-Why did you….” I shook my head.
“Tony, please-“
“G-God, Steve, just… t-tell me why. I… have to know before….”
“Th… The drinking. I couldn’t… m-my dad drank, I-… I love you b-but I couldn’t j-just let you tear me a-apart like he did to m-my mother. H-He drank and ignored her and I-I knew you wouldn’t have g-given up the bottle….” I answered after a pause. Tony started to cry now.
“S-Steve I… I would have… given that… up for you. I-I s… swear I… would have.”
I stared at him, a mixture of horror and shock. He… could have been saved. And he had looked to me to explain, to allow him to be saved and I fucking denied him, the only person I had ever loved. I looked around the shop and suddenly everything seemed different. He was just escaping and I refused to understand and pick up more of the signs. I looked down into his eyes again and I saw the sadness running through him. I had seen it the whole time and was one of the reasons I even fell in love with him. The fake smiles, the excessive joking and jibing. The alcohol and working so much. Behind it all, it was there. Tony held that fire of war in his eyes. He had been haunted by the souls of people he felt guilty for and he sought refuge in the bottle. He tried to drown his sorrows.
Suddenly everything my mother said made sense. I was just too blind and prejudiced to listen.
His hand went limp in my shirt and the genius in his eyes started to dim. I could see his emotional pain take over and he started to drown in the pool of his own self-loathing as he died. I sobbed harder, practically screaming for him not… not to…. But then he was gone and I was left screaming at his dead body, the arc reactor still shining bright. The emergency personnel JARVIS had contacted came in. They pulled his still warm body from my arms and took Tony to the hospital. I’m not sure what I said to them. It wasn’t very nice, whatever it was. It was only when I stood to leave that I saw it.
A small round thing, black from the char. It was still a little hot when I picked it up. I don’t know why I did. I just… did. I rubbed the soot off and… I…. It was a silver ring and by far the most gorgeous wedding band I have ever seen. I knew what it was. I happened to glance inside the band and… there it was.
“You make me better” engraved on the inside. I stared at the letters. He had this in his pocket. He was still mourning over our broken engagement. I dropped the ring like it was still on fire, fleeing.
Fury knew what had happened by the time I got back to the helicarrier several hours later. I… wasn’t well. I did go to the funeral three days later. I think Nat saw me. I’m sorry I didn’t…. I couldn’t do it.
I’m not rejoining the Avengers like Fury originally planned. I can’t keep reaching for that goal that’s been set. I can’t be their leader. I can’t be on the team of heroes.
You want to know a secret? It’s very well kept, hidden in the archives and buried deep down, down in the abyss where no man dares to go.
There is no Captain America.
He doesn’t exist. He was a propaganda stunt to get people to buy USO war bonds. He was supposed to infuse a nation with hope and courage, to help them save themselves. And I did none of that with Tony. How could I ever hope to empower a nation when I couldn’t even empower my own fiancée? I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t brave. I couldn’t redeem Tony when he was so open to changing. I am a scumbag and there will never be a day I won’t regret what happened. There will never be a night when his eyes won’t haunt me. Even then, my punishment won’t be enough.
There is only an empty puppet in a colorful costume, strings cut and broken from pulling away. So let this puppet retire. Let me leave. Don’t come find me, I don’t know what….
Note: There has been a small change in the Evil!Steve universe, which is basically a re-imagining of everyone in Avengers. Ya know, Steve was a mercenary and kidnapped Tony, who is just about to start his hero career... Natasha is a mysterious girl that Steve should know... and Bruce finds someone who isn't Betty Ross.... All very interesting. Go take a look at THIS post and read Bruce's first reply.
Just to be clear, this is a different universe, so any relationships established in our main rp canon are not applicable. SorryCathIloveyoubutlook
Idris: -She had asked for a vacation to Brazil, and Sherlock gave her a vacation after she finished up her mission there. She was traveling back tomorrow which was sad as fuck, but it was fine. Yep. Besides, she had a little bit of a fear of running into Moriarty down here….
Clearing her thoughts, she wandered the market, looking at nothing in particular. People stared at her clothes, but she was used to it by now. Sort of. A little. Not really. She tried to get away from the attention by looking at one of the necklaces.-
Bruce: -He's on break from the factory, tugging his cap back on after wiping the sweat off his forehead. As he's strolling through the market, he's waving to a familar face when he bumps into a tourist- Oh, damn, desculpe, sorry -he looks at the woman and- Olá.
Idris: -flinches when she's bumped into and- Oh...mygod. -weren't they supposed to meet later? Not now. Years from now. Oops, she did it fucking again. Meeting people in thw wrong fucking order... oh hold on. She blinks in surprise at the visions she was seeing. What.-
Bruce: Sorry, my bad. I'll just...um, sorry. -His face is red, and not because of the heat. He tugs on his cap and backs away, turning his heel to walk away-
Idris: -she panics momentarily- No, wait! -she grabs his arm-
Bruce: -turns back- Are you alright?
Idris: -she flounders for words for a second- Y-Yes, I'm fine. You took me by... surprise.
Bruce: -smiles- Sorry. Uh, hi. -holds out his hand- Bruce.
Idris: -grins back, barely remembering that Bruce doesn't know her. she shakes his hand- Idris. Idris Smith.
Bruce: Nice name. Don't think I've heard it before. But hey, big world out there, despite the sayings, I mean -realizes he's still shaking her hand and lets go- Is that an American accent?
Idris: -She didn't even notice he was still shaking her hand. she was too caught up in the visions- Yes it is. I'm from New York.
Bruce: -She has a look in her eye. A far off look, like a daydream. Or thinking too hard about a lie. His smile freezes- Really? You don't say? City where dreams are made. Did you know that New York City is home to one of the United States' most top secret military infiltration bases? -His voice is bitterly deadpan- The more you know, huh?
Idris: -blinks. Maybe this was why they should have met in the future instead. Well fine. If he's going to dish it out, she can give it back. folds her arms, exerting control over her visions- It's also home to the X-Men. -smiles- The more you know, dear.
Bruce: -the slightly smug "You're not fooling me" look on his face slowly melted into a look of total and utter apology- Oh. Right. I'm uh, right, sorry. -rubs the back of his neck- So, you're...you're a mutant then, aren't you?
Idris: -she gets a little more smug, she can't fucking help it. Idris: 1. Bruce: 0.- Don't worry, I've been accused of worse things. -his face kind of breaks her heart a little and her smile turns sympathetic- Yes, I'm a mutant. I'm a precog. -waves her fingers a little, mocking her own powers- I can see into the future.
Bruce: Oh, neat! That's fantastic. I mean, just consider it. Your genetics have given you access to another energy source we as a collective, human and mutant, advanced civilization cannot even begin to understand, and yet you're able to control it. -hastily- I mean, I assume you can control it, like I bet if you wanted to you could see the future of everyone here, or focus it on someone like me and you know everything about me don't you?
Idris: -She actually kept up with most of that. Nothing her father hadn't told her. sighs- Not everything. I don't like knowing everything.
Bruce: But you probably know about...the other guy?
Idris: -smiles kindly- Yes, but don't worry, I don't think I'll meet him this visit.
Bruce: -smiles half heartedly- I hope you don't. -he glances down at the necklaces- Just looking, then?
Idris: -follows his gaze and shrugs- A little. -she's bumped forward by a tourist and into Bruce a little-
Bruce: -he lets out a gentle- Oh! -and adjusts his arms to catch her, his hands flying to her waist- You okay?
Idris: -she looks up at Bruce and her breath catches. For her it's always love at first sight. Granted she was still paying the price for the first time around, but the idea of Bruce and how happy the slivers she sees... it appeals to her. And she wants it more than she can express. Her mouth works for a second- Y-Yes, I'm fine.
Bruce: -His chest hitches for a moment as hers does, and he feels such an utter sense of something he hasn't felt in a long time. A sense of belonging. Being whole. As her lips move silently, his gaze drops, before flickering back up. His voice is quiet- We should get out of here. It's crowded.
Idris: -smiles- Yeah. -she keeps her eyes on him, but points over her shoulder- There's a coffee shop that way that I love. -Why can't she just kiss him already? He has no right to drop his voice like that. Unfair. Ga, Idris hates meeting people in the wrong order and knowing them before they know her-
Bruce: -nods- Sure, yeah. That...-realizes he's still holding her, and hastily steps back- Yeah. Let's go. -steps beside Idris, and heads in the direction she was pointing in-
Idris: -swallows, missing his warmth- O-Okay. -gently and cautiously rests her hand on the crook of his elbow. It's a friendly enough gesture, right? Not alarm raising. Just... just normal and natural-
Bruce: -He immediately fixes his elbow so it's better suited to link with hers, and then realizes what he's doing. It's fine. It's friendly, of course. Just...normal and natural. Yep. They walk together down the road. His friend calls to him again, waving to get his attention. "Mulher bonita que você tem em seu braço." Bruce glances over to Idris, then calls back- Acho que ela tem de mim!
Idris: -glances at the first speaker and then back to Bruce- I got "pretty woman" and "arm". What did he say?
Bruce: "Beautiful woman you have on your arm." He agrees with me. -turns red but decides fuck it he's not taking that one back-
Idris: -thank fucking god she thought she was the only one who felt like this. A blush creeps up from under her turtleneck. She doesn't really believe either man means it. They just haven't seen the scars. God she hasn't flirted in a while and it's no wonder. tries to be nonchalant and confident- I dunno, I think I'm the lucky one here.
Bruce: -smiles- You're just saying that. -they approach the cafe and he holds the door open for her-
Idris: -rolls her eyes and pats his arm- I'm saying it because it's true, Bruce. -goes inside- Thank you.
Bruce: Thank - no problem. -blinks when he realizes what he just said. He follows Idris inside, avoiding the urge to smack his forehead- I'll order. What do you want?
Idris: Black coffee, nothing in it, please.
Bruce: Will do. -goes to get the orders, and goes back to her with the coffee for her and tea for himself- Careful, it's hot.
Idris: -she picked a seat while he ordered and she takes her coffee. His warning caught her off guard. That was... nice of him. She's starting to see why the future happens- Thank you, dear.
Bruce: -sits beside her- So, you said were part of the X-Men?
Idris: -nods- Yes, I am, for five years now.
Bruce: I've heard about your work. Your team, I mean, and it's fantastic. Saving the world and all that.
Idris: -smiles- It means a lot to hear that. Sometimes we're not seen in the best of light.
Bruce: -offers a sympathetic smile- Know the feeling.
Idris: -Would it be too much to put her hand on his knee? Maybe.- I'm sorry to hear that, honey. -sips her coffee, careful not to burn herself at all-
Bruce: -sips his tea and nearly chokes. He manages not to look like an idiot though...hopefully- Yeah, well, some people wouldn't care as much as you do. -takes another sip- What're you doing in Brazil, anyways?
Idris: -nearly laughs at him choking on his tea and then after his first statement. Good thing she's not some people- I'm on vacation, actually. I love Brazil.
Bruce: -nods in agreement- It's great here, yeah. People are friendly. -thinks about the argument earlier this morning while he was trying to get that girl away from the thugs- Most are, anyways.
Idris: -she thinks back to her mission and running from guards and being fired at. she smirks- Yes, most. What about you? Why are you in Brazil?
Bruce: Would you believe vacation?
Idris: -chuckles- As lovely as it is here, no.
Bruce: Oh, but that was a good one. -his lips quirk- It's...peaceful, for me at least. I don't know, I can't explain it. I like cities like this, I guess.
Idris: So do I. I used to live here, ya know.
Bruce: Well, I'm not a "see all, know all" precog, am I? How would I know?
Idris: -grins- I figured you could deduce it, Dr. Banner. Aren't you one of the greatest minds in the world?
Bruce: So they say. -sips his tea-
Idris: I have a few friends that would love to meet you when you come to New York.
Bruce: -he's lowering the cup when she says that, and he freezes, his eyes darting up to meet hers with a cold, betrayed look in them-
Idris: -Oh she recognizes that look from her own mirror when she thinks about Moriarty. Her face softens- I'm a precog, Bruce. We've been through this. At some point in your life, you are going to New York. I'm not dragging you there, darling.
Bruce: -his jaw clenches, and muscle twitching- I want to trust you, Idris. I'm just...I'm sorry.
Idris: I know. I get it. -quietly- You're not the only one who's had to run before.
Bruce: -His eyes search for hers, and sees a reflection. Oh god. Not her, not anyone, but especially not her. Not this beautiful woman, she shouldn't know what that's like. He puts his hand over hers- I'm sorry to hear that. -He glances away, unsure what to say, before looking back- So...in the future, when I go to New York, you'll definitely be there? You and your friends? The X-Men?
Idris: -For the first time, with his hand over hers and knowing bits of what was coming, she started to feel as though it was all worth it just to understand Bruce. she blinks away tears and smiles- Yes. Feel free to drop by the school when you get in town.
Bruce: -smiles back- Sounds great. -he glances at the door as two men step in, then looks back, his smile a little bigger- How long have you been in Brazil, Idris?
Idris: This trip? Six days.
Bruce: I have something better than coffee. -stands up, and offers his hand- Come with me?
Idris: -she feels like something is wrong. or different. He kept glancing over her shoulder at the door and now he wants to move.... She resists using her powers and puts down her cup on the table. she takes Bruce's hand and stands- Alright.
Bruce: -grins, and quickly gives the back of her hand a kiss, before heading out the door and out into the market again. Oh he is going to be so late for work. Screw that. He looks left, right, then follows the flow of people out of there. He twists and turns through the streets. The path starts slanting up, and he keeps going, holding Idris' hand. Soon enough, the edge of town appears between buildings, glimpses of what Bruce was planning on showing her. He climbs up one last flight of stairs, and steps onto a flat rooftop. The hustle and bustle of the market was gone, only a quiet murmur of the people below them now- This is it.
Idris: -she knows she blushed impossibly red when he kissed the back of her hand and she didn't care anymore about whatever made him want to leave. Just as long as she was going with him. She keeps up with him easily and Idris silently thanks Logan for making her do all those work outs. When the reach the roof, Idris still doesn't let go of his hand. She looks out over the city and smiles- It's beautiful.
Bruce: -turns to face her, and smiles- Yeah. Beautiful.
Idris: -... holy shit, maybe he wanted to leave just because... oh. she licks her lips nervously and meets his eyes. Oh wow that might either be the best choice in her life or the worst. He's got no right to have eyes like that. It's totally unfair. Not fair. And she tells him that in the future at some point. she swallows, mouth suddenly dry and unable to really say anything-
Bruce: -he holds her gaze for a moment, before smiling slightly and looking at his feet- I, uh, come up here sometimes. What I said back in the shop, yeah it's good here, I think it's calming, but there's people screaming and back alley deals and a lot of fighting and...well, it can be hard to deal with sometimes, with my uh, condition and everything. So I come up here. It's not so bad, and I...-stuffs his hands in his pockets and he looks around, and realizes how stupid it was, how he thought she'd like it and he's an idiot- I've never brought anyone up here before.
Idris: -before she could even register and stop the action, she cups his cheek with her free hand and tilts his jaw up to look her in the eyes. She didn't realize he moved half a step closer, either.- I'm glad you brought me, then.
Bruce: -His head moves to look up as soon as she touches him, but ends up being guided by her careful hand. His gaze connected with hers. He could pinpoint the exact nanosecond his breath was taken away- New York, huh?
Idris: -nods- Westchester, New York.
Bruce: -his heart is pounding in his ears, but he could do this. He nods back to her- Is that the only hint I get about the future?
Idris: -she drops her hand to his shoulder and smiles- I can't ruin the surprise, dear.
Bruce: -his gaze drops to her lips, and back up- Not even a tiny one? One like...-he leans in, just as something out of the corner of his eye moves. He looks in that direction, only to see an arm dart out of view- Damn it.
Idris: -She's screaming internally and follows his gaze. She sighs- Were we followed? -she most certainly does NOT pout. Nope.- I was checking and everything.
Bruce: Same here, but it might've been straight from the coffee shop and hang on what do you mean you were checking?
Idris: Ha, I knew you saw something in the coffee shop! -sobers up- I'm an X-Man, darling, even when I'm on vacation.
Bruce: It was sort of hitting two birds with one stone, sorry, I did want to show you this and maybe we should get going?
Idris: -grins- Yes please. Lead the way, love.
Bruce: -smiles back, slightly apologetic- This way. -he rushes back to the staircase, but this time, halfway down the flight, climbs into a window, gesturing for Idris to follow him. A dog yaps at his heels as he scoops up a pack- How far in the future is New York?
Idris: -she follows him and drops to the ground easily. She stops and closes her eyes, looking more into the future. she swallows and opens them again- Five years.
Bruce: -he's moving across the room to grab a laptop when she speaks. He stops, and turns to face her. Five years. He knew what this ache in his chest was. He wouldn't feel a love like this for another five years? He looks straight in her eye, and screw it. He could do it for something like this. He could wait for her. He nods, and stuffs the computer into the bag. He moves to her side again and takes her hand- This way. -he leads the way out another window, which open to a staircase right back onto the streets-
Idris: -she almost wanted to apologize, but she settles for squeezing his hand, following him closely-
Bruce: -They're moving quickly down a narrow street when he hears a silent dart sound. A tranquilizer dart lands on the wall near his head- Shoot. Come on! -he starts running-
Idris: -runs with him, cursing the fact she left her gun at her hotel room. She starts using her powers in overdrive, focusing on what they were doing and where they were going- Bruce, I think that- Ow! -she pulls the dart out of her shoulder- oh shit.
Bruce: -His heart is pounding, louder than the voices that surrounded them as they raced down the street, their pattering feet echoing as another beat from his chest. His entire body ached, threatening, but no, he could do this alone, he couldn't do this now, not with Idris next to him. As she speaks, he pulls them sharply around a corner, leaning against the wall and starts on a breathing exercise immediately. Three tight, fast inhales, one slow exhale. He looks at her, and sees the dart. His heart leaps to his throat, and a sharp pain hit his stomach. Not here. Just get out. He takes another gulp of air to control his breathing, and sighs- Shit is a word I'd use, yeah.
Idris: -yanks the dart out and wobbles a little- Sorry... should have seen that coming....
Bruce: -shakes his head as he reaches out to steady her by her shoulders- No, no it's fine, we'll be fine alright?
Idris: -nods, but kind of keeps nodding- Mmmhmm. We'll always be fine. -she leans into him- It's okay if you change, darling. I trust him, too.
Bruce: -looks down at her in disbelief. She didn't know, didn't get it yet. But she saw the future, she knew what the other guy could do- I'm sorry, but I don't trust him. -he scoops her up bridal style, and starts running again-
Idris: -giggles as he picks her up. She wraps her arms around his neck and closes her eyes- I know you don't. I love ya anyway.
Bruce: -his heart skips a beat, which means he's either about to change or yeah he's hooked- I know, I'm a peach. -makes a sharp turn, and nearly runs right into another agent. He ducks around them quickly and keeps going, heading back to the factory-
Idris: -nearly passed out. giggles- I don't like peaches. They're too fuzzy.
Bruce: -smiles- And you're adorable when you're out of it.
Idris: Should I be insulted? I'm gonna be insulted.
Bruce: Go nuts. -swerves around a cart moving past, and then heads up the hill to the factory, his feet pattering noisily-
Idris: M'kay. -passes out-
Bruce: -ducks behind a generator. He works on his breathing again, holding Idris close. He gives out a soft cry as another pain hits his stomach. He gets himself under control with his breathing techniques quickly, working out in his mind where to go. His breathing steady, his heartbeat relatively safe, he drops a kiss on Idris' temple, and gets to his feet again. He turns a corner, only to bump into- ... Oh you've got to be kidding me. -It's the three thugs he was dealing with from earlier-
Idris: -nuzzles closer to him-
Thug #1: Olha quem apareceu para uma visita! Tomando mais mulheres, então? -Look who's dropped by for a visit! Taking more women, then?-
Bruce: Não, não, claro que não. Olha, eu não quero nenhum problema- -No, no of course not. Look, I don't want any trouble-
Thug #1: Agarrá-lo! -Grab him! The other two step forwards. One takes Idris from Bruce, the other holding Bruce back-
Bruce: No, no wait don't! -He struggles against the thug-
Thug #1: -starts beating up Bruce- Pensei que seria bom para mexer comigo? Você é tudo difícil, não é? -Thought it'd be good to mess with me? You're all tough, aren't you?-
Idris: -frowns in her sleep and mumbles something-
Bruce: -yelps with each hit, keeps struggling to get away. Damn it, no- Pare! Você não vai gostar de mim quando eu ... -You won't like me when I'm... What was the word? It was...damn it, he was practicing it this morning- Fome. -Hungry.-
Thug #1: -merely laughs and keeps hitting Bruce-
Bruce: -There's a bang from further inside the building. The entire place was probably surrounded by this point. He groans as he's hit in the gut...wait. The thug didn't hit...oh damn it. Without any thought about it, his arm moves back and elbows the guy holding him back. The guy goes flying into the the wall...10 feet away. He looks up with a snarl on his face at the first thug- I don't think you heard me. You won't like it when I'm angry. -his muscles ripple under his skin, bulging dangerously-
Thug #1: O porra-?
Thug #2: -terrified, drops Idris and bolts for it-
Idris: -falls to the ground. whimpers, still passed out-
Bruce: -lets out one more yelp of pain, before he drops on all fours, and grows. He looks at Idris' prone body, and panicks. He was going to hurt her, what about five years? There was that promise, but if he did this now...He squeezes his eyes shut as his body screams in agony. She trusted him. He'd have to hope she knew what she was talking about. His eyes opened again, dark, unnatural green. He staggers to his feet, and charges at the thug. His now huge and green fist hits the thug-
Thug #1: -goes flying-
Hulk: -roars after the flying body-
Idris: -that roar can bring Tony Stark back to life. There's no way she's not waking up after that. She gasps awake, heartrate skyrocketing. Idris sits up quickly and immediately regrets the action when she nearly vomits-
Hulk: -he whirls around as Idris sits up, and snarls at her-
Idris: -puts a hand over her mouth, trying not to pass out again. She glances up at the Hulk and slowly drops her hand. Holy shit he's huge. She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Idris feels so sick. What was in those darts?- Hey, big guy.
Hulk: -smashes his fists on the ground, sneering at her. He roars again-
Idris: -that's okay she wasn't gonna stand, anyway. she scrunches up her face- Nice to meet you, too. I'm Idris.
Hulk: HULK SMASH ID...-he stops, trying to figure out her name- Iddy?
Idris: Iddy works, darling. And I'd really like not to be smashed right now. I've got a date in five years.
Hulk: -there's a banging from further inside the building, and the pattering of feet. He sneers at the sound- Ross. -He grabs the bag, throws it at Idris, then picks her up with one hand and starts running-
Idris: -barely manages to catch the bag before he just picks her up like she's a little doll. Clinging to the bag, she focuses on not feeling so sick during the ride-
Hulk: -Let go of her, you big brute, I swear to god you won't hurt her or I'll make you drink acid, Banner snarls in his head. He shrugs off the voice, just as the quick sound of bullets following him reach his ears. He reaches a wall, and smashes it down with his free hand-
Idris: -hunkers down in the Hulk's hand. A vision comes to her and she looks up at the Hulk- Go left!
Hulk: -holds Idris up to eye level and blinks at her. He glances behind him as agents start to file in behind him, and he obeys the woman, heading left-
Idris: -There were tanks to the right. she pats his hand- Thank you.
Hulk: Iddy thank Hulk later. -There's a boom from behind them as grenades start being thrown. He holds Idris to his chest when he notices one get too close-
Idris: -she smirks a little at his comment, but huddles close once the grenades go off. she grits her teeth, reminding herself that she shouldn't be so terrified of grenades and explosions and fire... nonono not fire, don't think about fire. her grip tightens on the bag-
Hulk: -He leaps, grabbing a railing of a high-hanging beam where three agents stand, guns poised, and pulls it down. He keeps going as it crashes to the floor behind him. He checks over his shoulder, and notices one soldier who manages to avoid all the obstacles he's throwing. He growls, and pushes himself to go faster-
-The soldier races up a flight of stairs, positioning himself ahead of the monster and prepares to take a shot with the tranquilizer he has-
Hulk: -He stops as he runs down an aisle, sneering up at the soldier who'd moved ahead of him. He looks around, and sees a generator next to him. He sets Idris down, picks up the generator with a grunt, and throws it right at the man-
Blonsky: -gets hit by the generator, falling off the beam he was on-
Idris: -winces as she watches the man fall-
Hulk: -roars at the man, then runs, heading straight out of the factory, down the stray road out of town. He ducks into the treeline, finding a clearing close to the road. He puts Idris on her feet roughly and staggers away, shuffling around on all fours-
Idris: -stumbles and falls, Bruce's pack still clutched tightly to her chest. she gets back to her feet slowly- ... Hulk?
Hulk: -grunts, sniffing around-
Idris: -unbelievably dizzy, she sits back down on the ground- Thank you.
Hulk: -he turns suddenly, and goes right up to her, sniffing her face-
Idris: -giggles outright- What are you doing?
Hulk: -wrinkles his nose as she giggles, then circles her, merely curious- Banner like you.
Idris: -the blush creeps out from under her turtle neck again. she follows the Hulk with her eyes- Really? Well, I like him, too.
Hulk: Oh. -frowns, and plops down next to her- Banner an idiot.
Idris: -smirking, she pats his massive arm- Don't worry, I like you, too.
Hulk: -blinks in surprise at her- Oh?
Idris: Well yeah. You got me out of the factory, didn't you?
Hulk: -thinks about it, and gets distracted by his thoughts-
Idris: -she glances up at him and then cautiously leans against his arm-
Hulk: -jumps in surprise, looking down at her. He grunts and turns his head away- Banner say five years.
Idris: Yeah. Five years. Granted, I didn't think I was going to run into you today.
Hulk: Iddy no stay?
Idris: -shakes her head- My flight leaves at 5 am.
Hulk: -his shoulders roll slightly- Banner want out.
Idris: -leans away a little to look up better- Does he want to talk to me?
Hulk: -nods-
Idris: -gets to her feet again, using his arm as support- Can you let him out, then?
Bruce: -stumbles unsteadily, keeping hold of Idris. No clothes. Bow chicka bow wow. If you're into that, Idris-
Idris: -she has no other comment for this situation other than blushing and carefully adverting her eyes. keeps the pack under one of her arms and puts her hand on his shoulder to make sure he didn't fall over. clears her throat- Hello.
Bruce: I am so sorry, Idris, I didn't mean for this to happen - are you alright? Oh god, when he grabbed you and I couldn't stop him...I am so sorry.
Idris: -shakes her head- I'm fine, not even a scratch.
Bruce: Oh god...you shouldn't have seen that, I'm sorry...and I'm not wearing any clothes. Right. Can I see the pack?
Idris: -holds out the pack, looking away dutifully- I've seen stranger things, trust me.
Bruce: -opens the pack and grabs the change of clothes already tucked away. He changes quickly- I don't doubt it. Right, I'm decent.
Idris: -turns back again, a small smile on her face- Still, he didn't hurt me at all.
Bruce: Yeah, that's insane. What on earth did you do?
Idris: -cocks her head to the side- Um. I said "Hi."
Bruce: -stares at her, then laughs. Freaking laughs- A ten foot rage monster is near you and you said "hi" to it?
Idris: -grins- Yes, I said hi to him. And then I told him my name, he called me "Iddy" and that was that.
Bruce: That was th- you're insane. -puts his hands on her shoulders, and beams- That's a good thing, I suppose.
Idris: Well. I was a little drugged at the time if that makes me sound less insane...?
Bruce: -nods- Yeah. I know. You said you didn't like peaches and I told you were adorable. Not drugged.
Idris: -scrunches her nose- Or pears. Pears aren't good either.
Bruce: -nods, teasing her- Oh, right right, of course, silly me.
Idris: -glares, but it's obvious she's trying not to laugh- Pears are very serious business, Docter Banner.
Bruce: And I believe you. -without thinking about it, his hands switch from her shoulders to her waist, tugging her closer. It felt...natural-
Idris: -the movement stole her breath away. Her mind sputters for a second and even the visions always at the back of her head disappear. For a few short, blissful moments, it's only Banner. her fingers knot in the front of his shirt- Uh... D-Do you like pears? -wow. She'll blame that on the dart if he asks but oh god-
Bruce: -His throat works for a moment as her hands pull him closer. Or was he leaning in again?- You said they aren't good.
Idris: -whispering- R-Right, of course, silly question.... -she closes the gap and suddenly her lips are on his-
Bruce: -he's nodding along, yes, whatever you say, anything to hear that voice one more time...and they're kissing. He inhales sharply through his nose, his eyes slipping shut as he pulls her closer-
Idris: -she couldn't help it, okay? She blames his charm and that dart, but... Bruce doesn't seem to mind. not. one. bit. The visions scatter and she focuses soley on Bruce.-
Bruce: -he finally pulls away, his eyes still closed, his forehead and nose still touching hers- Yeah, it's worth it.
Idris: -keeps her eyes closed, too, taking full advantage of the blankness in her head- Hmm?
Bruce: Five years, I could wait. If I knew I could have you forever after that, it'd be worth it.
Idris: -her eyes snap open and she stares at him, completely shocked and honored with disbelief sprinkled in there. Her words are gone-
Bruce: -smiles, and leans in for a quick kiss- I mean it.
Idris: -she thinks her fingers are trembling. she doesn't know- Th-That's why I-I'm.... You would wait. I just....
Bruce: Why wouldn't I? Idris you're...-swallows, and laughs slightly at himself and his own damn cheesiness- You're perfect.
Idris: -she's pretty sure she legitamently whimpers. When they met earlier today, she wasn't expecting any of this and now he's saying she's perfect and he hasn't even seen the scars- B-Bruce.... I'm no where near perfect.
Bruce: Hey, you are to me, and nothing you say's gonna change that, alright? And it's not like I'm saying this to everyone I meet after knowing them for what, four hours? Idris, I'm not wasting words on you. I'm...-Laying out my heart and you're making it seem like you're about to stomp on it?-
Idris: -searches his eyes. whispers- Nothing?
Bruce: I'm hooked already.
Idris: -smiles and looks down shyly- I'm hooked, too.
Bruce: -he glances around them, looking bashful. He finally turns back- Am I allowed to kiss you again?
Idris: -bites her lip, looking back up- I think it's in your future, yeah.
Bruce: -grins- Good. -kisses her again-
Idris: -kisses back softly, hands tracing up his chest-
Bruce: -his breath hitches, and he presses closer before pulling his head back again- You'll have to go soon.
Idris: -sighs- I know. I just don't really want to.
Bruce: -lets out a soft laugh- I know. -kisses her quickly- I know, I don't want you to. I wish time could be rewritten just for us.
Idris: -it's like her brain fizzles out every time he kisses her. she'd be annoyed if it wasn't so great. Besides, the kiss softened his words. Because James tried to rewrite time and that ended with her strapped to a chair fffuck don't think about that- I'm sorry, darling. -smiles a little- We can keep in contact, though.
Bruce: -brightens considerably- We can? We won't cause a paradox or anything?
Idris: -laughs- No we won't. We'll be fine.
Bruce: -full out beams, and hugs her with a laugh- Perfect!
Idris: -hugs him back, grinning- You're absolutely adorable when you're happy.
Bruce: -He doesn't blush because he can't blush he's like in this permenant mix of tanned and sunburned there's no way he can be blushing-
Idris: -kisses his cheek and grins a little wider to find that it's hot- I need to give you my phone number and email and address. Those types of things.
Bruce: Oh course, sure, yeah -his smile drops when he realizes- We can't.
Idris: -frowns- Can't what?
Bruce: Contact. I-I'm sorry, it's too risky, they'd be able to track it down...I'm so sorry Idris.
Idris: -chokes up a little and smooths his shirt, quiet- See, that's the problem with seeing the future. You can't change it at all because it won't let you.
Bruce: It's not fair, god it's not fair but we'll...-there's a snap of twigs nearby, causing him to flinch- You have to go now. You need to go home, you can't stay with me here.
Idris: -her fingers tighten in his shirt- What are you going to do?
Bruce: -swallows, and fixes a relaxed smile- Same thing I always do. Keep moving, look for a cure. And when the time's right, come back for you.
Idris: -rolls her lips and nods- A-Alright.
Bruce: We're...a bit out of town. I...-glances back in the direction of the road- can walk you back? Then I'll have to turn back. I can't stay there any more.
Idris: -shakes her head- Nono, you need to get out of here as fast as possible. I can make it back to town.
Bruce: -swallows- This is it, then.
Idris: -blinks away tears- I'm sorry, Bruce.
Bruce: Don't be. Oh god, don't apologize for this. -he takes her hands, and brings them to his lips- I would never take this back, Idris.
Idris: -he's just going to melt her into a puddle and then where would she be?- You know what? Neither would I. -swallows, voice rough- I think I'm already in love with you.
Bruce: -his heart gives a funny lurch, like it was about to leap out of his chest. Like he was just about to hand it over. Don't you understand, darling? My heart, mind and soul is yours, was from the moment I laid eyes on you, and will be forever yours until the day I die- I love you. -he pulls her back for one last kiss. No, not last. They would be together again. He pulls away, and pulls the pack over his shoulder- Five years. It will be worth it. -kisses her again- We'll be together again. -another kiss- I love you. -He just can't stop kissing her at this point. He doesn't want to go- I love you so.
Idris: -Her mind is completely and utterly blank and quiet. If there was only one reason to love Bruce Banner, than this was it. But she had so many personal ones just from earlier today... just imagine the future. Five years and Idris gets him all the time. He already said he'll love her no matter what and this just convinces her that he'll make it past the scars. she holds his hands in hers and smiles sadly- I can't wait for you to see what I've seen from the future. -she kisses him and then steps back reluctantly- I love you.
Bruce: -he steps away as well, holding her hand still- Until then, darling. I love you. -he swallows, stepping back until he has to let go. He has to go- We'll be okay. We always will be. I love you. -he turns and runs into the wilderness, not allowing himself to look back-
Idris: -She almostALMOST holds his hand even as he turns to go, but she knows that he must leave now and he won't be able to come back to her for five years. He must do this. So Idris lets go of Bruce's hand and he runs. It hurts her heart to see him run, but one day he won't have to. That is her comfort.- Goodbye, Bruce. -and he's gone. Idris finally allows herself to cry as she watches him go. She stays there for a few minutes more before turning and going to the road to leave Brazil and wait.-
Sam
Steve: -grits his teeth in pain for a second before answering- I-I'm sorry for calling you like this, but I'm kinda about to die.
Tony: Steve? What?!
Steve: -starts his car and drives- They're picking up on my patterns agai- Gaaa.... A-And even I can't take ten at one time.
Tony: Dammit, where are you?!
Steve: H-Heading f-for the Tower. -gasps in pain again-
Tony: Are you driving? Can you drive?
Steve: ... I th-think there's a difference between "can" and "should", here.
Tony: Just don't fucking pass out behind the wheel.
Steve: No promises. I-If you're g-going to help, y-you need to g-get ready for s-stitching and cauterizing and g-getting out shrapnel.
Tony: Dammit. Yeah, I'll be ready. -already in the elevator-
Steve: -adjusts himself in his seat. He can hear the squeak of blood on leather. grimaces in pain and disgust- T-There's something you should k-know.
Tony: What?
Steve: I-I don't... ugh... I don't heal l-like I used to.
Tony: What are you talking about?
Steve: I-I heal like a n-normal person now.
Tony: What happened? What about the serum?!
Steve: I-I d-don't... I don't know. -he's about to pass out. C'mon, c'mon, where's the turn for the tower?- M-My h-hand st-still hasn't fully h-healed f-from last time.
Tony: Your hand... Steve, that was months ago.
Steve: -grunts in agreement- I-I'm here. -turns into the garage for the Tower-
Tony: Okay. -is already waiting in the garage, and hangs up when he sees the car, half running over to it-
Steve: -parks and shuts off the engine. He drops the phone in the car and holds his gut, which has a huge gash in it. His left hand is rebroken and he's bleeding from practically everywhere on his front, glass and metal bits lodged into him. He knows that one in his leg cut a major artery. opens the door and starts to collapse when he tries to get out of the car-
Tony: -quickly goes to Steve's side, wrapping an arm around him- Fuck!
Steve: -winces- S-Sorry.
Tony: C'mon, lets get you to the med bay. -starts to pull him up out of the car-
Steve: -grits his teeth and realizes his ankle is definitely sprained. it's amazing what adrenaline can cover up. finally makes it all the way out of the car-
Tony: -Wow Steve is heavy. Slowly makes his way towards the elevator-
Steve: -tries to not to be so limp, but he can't help it. He shouldn't have come. He should have driven into the woods and let himself die.-
Tony: -manages to get them to the elevator, pushing the button for the medbay-
Steve: -he would put a hand to the elevator wall, but he's pretty sure it's covered in blood... and maybe holding his gut in.- S-Sorry. -it's such a layered apology for him. Sorry for bleeding all over the place. Sorry for coming here. Sorry for causing you more pain and putting these kids in danger and not taking care of myself and for being a bastard-
Tony: Yeah, anytime. -grits his teeth as the doors open and he helps Steve to the bed, supplies already laid out-
Steve: -cries out as he lays down on the bed, breathing hard-
Tony: Sorry. Just lay back and try not to move. -grabs the scissors and starts to cut away his uniform-
Steve: -lays back, screwing his eyes shut- I-It's not pretty. I-I'm pretty sc-scarred up now.
Tony: -his throat tightens as he peels back the uniform. God, Steve wasn't kidding- Hey, I've seen worse. -grabs the disinfectant and starts to clean the wounds-
Steve: -fists his good hand in the hospital sheets- F-Fuck.
Tony: Sorry. -keeps cleaning the injuries-
Steve: -freezes completely. What. did... did he... No, don't cry. Don't cry. blinks away tears rapidly-
Tony: How long haven't you been healing? -starts stitching up the worst of the cuts, starting with the gash in his gut-
Steve: D- -fffffuck that hurts. stops so he doesn't whimper- Don't know.
Tony: -swallows and keeps working- Does pain medication work on you now?
Steve: I... I don't know that either. I-I'm still strong, so my metabolism is fine. I doubt it.
Tony: I'll try anyways. -finishes stitching up the gash and grabs some morphine, putting it into a needle and injecting into Steve's arm-
Steve: -waits- I don't feel any different.
Tony: -is stitching up the cut on his leg now. Of course, the only part of the fucking serum that stops working is the only thing that matters- I'm sorry.
Steve: -There it is again. He can't handle that. He can't. chokes little on his own spit- N-Nothing I'm not used to.
Tony: Doesn't make it any better.
Steve: -almost wants to yell at Tony for being nice to him. he resists just barely. stays quiet-
Tony: -finishes patching up the wounds, and starts to bandage them tightly-
Steve: -slowly unfists his hand. He'll have to leave soon. All Tony has left to do is finish patching up the wounds, maybe set his broken hand if he's in a charitable mood.... He can't leave without it unsaid. stares up at the ceiling for a couple minutes, trying to gather the courage. quietly, barely above a whisper- I'm destroying the Marks because I genuinely regret doing that to you.
Tony: -hesitates before going back to working on Steve- Oh.
Steve: -he doesn't look at Tony's face at all- You asked last time. Never gave you an answer. -sighs- That's just one of the many reasons.
Tony: You're... still you. -starts working on Steve's hand-
Steve: -slightly scared- I don't think I want to know what that means.
Tony: You're still Captain America, after all this time.
Steve: -slowly closes his eyes- Don't remind me.
Tony: It's... not a bad thing.
Steve: -and that... breaks Steve's heart. He knows that at least two tears slip out-
Tony: -notices Steve crying, but doesn't comment on it. He finishes patching Steve up and steps away, washing his hands-
Steve: -at the sound of water, he opens his eyes and wipes them roughly. sits up slowly, feeling like shit in more ways then one-
Tony: -looks at him, drying his hands- You should rest.
Steve: -feels a little dizzy, not looking at Tony- It's fine, I can go.
Tony: Don't be a fucking idiot.
Steve: -he can't actually keep himself up anymore. he leans back on one of his elbows- I-I can leave.
Tony: No, you can't.
Steve: -gives up and lays back down- S-Sorry.
Tony: Why did you keep going out there when you weren't healing?
Steve: -focuses on Tony and almost wishes he hadn't- Today?
Tony: Sure, today.
Steve: I got trapped at one point. Thought I could outmanuver them. I just... -sighs- I didn't know when to turn tail and run.
Tony: -snorts- No, you don't. -grabs an IV and sets it up next to Steve, putting the needle in his arm-
Steve: -looks at the needle, but doesn't fight it- What's that?
Tony: Fluids. You need to stay hydrated.
Steve: -barely stops himself from asking, "Who are you and what have you done to my ex-husband who hates my guts?"- Oh. Okay.
Tony: I should get back upstairs. Just... tell JARVIS if you need me. And don't even fucking think about moving.
Steve: -nods mutely, afraid to break this spell-
Tony: -hesitates, then goes to the elevator-
Steve: -watches Tony leave, still stunned-
Tony: -goes back upstairs to check on the kids-
Steve: -lays there quietly, too nervous to talk to or ask anything from JARVIS-
-The Next Morning-
Steve: -startles awake like he normally does and he doesn't recognize his surroundings at first. tries to sit up, but his gut flairs in pain and he can't. falls back to the mattress, finally looking around. He doesn't believe what he's seeing-
Tony: -comes down to the medbay, holding a tray with food-
Steve: -stares at Tony in mild disbelief and shock-
Tony: -walks over- Healed at all?
Steve: -swallows and checks the smaller cuts- Some cuts have clotted and scabbed over. My stomach feels the same.
Tony: -nods and puts the tray down on the table next to Steve, and starts changing and cleaning the dressings-
Steve: -watches Tony, quiet-
Tony: -finishes changing the bandages- You should eat.
Steve: -adjusts so that he's leaning back on the pillows, sitting up-
Tony: -goes and throws the dirty dressing away-
Steve: -he doesn't want to do anything wrong and fuck up... what ever is happening. He wishes he could leave before he ruined this-
Tony: -pauses- I didn't tell Peter you were here.
Steve: -stops breathing for a second before nodding- I understand.
Tony: If you want to talk to him, I will.
Steve: -studies Tony before fiddling with his dressing- I'd rather get some other clothes first. The less people that know my other identity the better.
Tony: Yeah, sure.
Steve: -looks way from Tony. he feels twitchy- Thank you for... everything.
Tony: -glances at Steve- Yeah, don't worry about it.
Steve: -looks at the tray of food- Is that for me?
Tony: Yeah, you need nutrient. And your blood sugar is way too fucking low.
Steve: -slowly takes the tray- Can't say I'm surprised to learn that.
Tony: When's the last time you even had a decent meal? Or a full night's sleep?
Steve: -he actually has to stop and think about it- I... slept last night.
Tony: And before that?
Steve: -gives a noncommital shrug and eats-
Tony: -gives a short laugh- And you wonder why your fucking body isn't working right.
Steve: I'll be fine.
Tony: Steve, you're not fucking fine. Now eat.
Steve: -eats quietly, not bothering to argue-
Tony: I never expected you to do any of this you know. You don't have to feel... obligated.
Steve: ... "obligated"?
Tony: About the Marks.
Steve: -he's not having this conversation. He's not gonna have it. looks away from Tony and eats-
Tony: You think I want you killing yourself doing this?!
Steve: -flinches from the words and keeps his jaw locked tight. Why won't Tony drop it?-
Tony: Answer me!!
Steve: -He remembers those two words said at a different time and Steve nearly breaks down right there. he knows he's using that same empty tone from three years ago- I don't know what you want anymore.
Tony: I want you to tell me what is going through that idiotic skull of yours!!
Steve: Why?
Tony: SO I CAN TRY TO HELP YOU!
Steve: -broken- WHY would you want to help me?
Tony: BECAUSE WE SPENT TWO DECADES MARRIED! BECAUSE WE HAVE A SON TOGETHER! BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE YOU!
Steve: -his gut drops through the floor and his heart stops completely. He's going to pass out. He's going to pass out, holy fuck. He can't find words, but he just stares at Tony, wondering if this was a dream again and what kind of sick, cruel world it was-
Tony: I... -turns and goes to the elevator. Oh god, he fucked everything up. Shit, shit shit SHIT!-
Steve: -snaps out of it and scrambles to get the tray on the table again and get out of this fucking bed- No, Tony, please don't leave!
Tony: -freezes, but doesn't turn around-
Steve: -fuck his wounds and fuck his physical health and fuck the fucking last three years. He stands up, leaning heavily on the bed- Tony, I... I still love you, too. -voice rough- I'm... so, so sorry for what I did and... keep doing. I'm so sorry.
Tony: -turns around- You... you should lay down. You'll rip out the stitches.
Steve: -Tony can't forgive him. Nothing he hadn't predicted, but it hurts to have it out in the open. He shakes his head- I'll just leave. I should leave, I'm probably just causing you more pain....
Tony: Don't. Stay, please. Stay.
Steve: -looks down to his feet. quietly- Are you sure?
Tony: Yes.
Steve: I... okay. -slowly and carefully gets back on the bed, trying to not pop stitches. He thinks he did tear a couple on his leg, though-
Tony: -sees the blood leaking through the bandages and goes forward to fix it, taking off the gauze-
Steve: -swallows, reining in his emotions again-
Tony: -starts fixing Steve's stitches, not looking at his face-
Steve: -grimaces at the pain, not really sure what to say now-
Tony: -grabs some new gauze, putting it over the cuts-
Steve: -... wow this is awkward now. What the hell are they supposed to do?-
Tony: You can stay here as long as you need Steve. -steps back-
Steve: -nods. weakly- Okay.
Tony: I should get upstairs. Have classes. -starts towards the elevator-
Steve: -watches Tony leave- Bye.
Tony: -doesn't reply as he steps into the elevator. Tears slipping down his cheeks, he presses his forehead against the metal wall, hating himself-
Steve: -deeply, deeply considers making a run for it right now. throws an arm over his eyes, starting to sob-
JARVIS: -to Steve- Sir?
Steve: -freezes and quickly moves his arm away- J-JARVIS?
JARVIS: Would you like to talk sir?
Steve: I... I don't know.
JARVIS: Mr. Starks has been through much, these past few years.
Steve: -covers his eyes again with his arm- No offense, but I'd rather not have a verbal reminder of how much I fucked up.
JARVIS: That was not my intention.
Steve: -dammit he fucked up again- Sorry.
JARVIS: I only wished to express, that Mr. Stark is not as you remember. The Avengers was a very large part of his life, and losing that and Iron Man was quite a blow to him. And the stress of protecting and teaching the children has taken its toll.
Steve: -swallows back tears- I... I've been trying to fix the Iron Man problem.
JARVIS: Indeed sir. I only mean to say, Mr. Stark's reluctance is caused by many factors.
Steve: -pulls his arm away again- Reluctance?
JARVIS: Yes sir.
Steve: -closes his eyes. quietly- I didn't expect him to care at all when I called. Reluctance is a relative term.
JARVIS: Mr. Stark cares very much.
Steve: And after all that I- -his own sob cuts him off-
JARVIS: Yes sir, I know.
Steve: -pauses- A-And you know what, JARVIS?
JARVIS: Sir?
Steve: It... It wasn't worth it. Not a single damn thing I did was worth this.
JARVIS: Have you told Mr. Stark this?
Steve: No. I haven't.
JARVIS: I believe you should.
Steve: -finally opens his eyes again- Why?
JARVIS: Because you two have a lot to say to one another.
Steve: I... I'll think about it. Just... -smiles a little- Just don't lock us in a room together, okay?
JARVIS: I do nothing that is not necessary sir.
Steve: -smiles a little more- True.
JARVIS: Is there anything else you need sir?
Steve: -sighs- Unless you can get my serum working faster, no.
Tony: -He was leaving from a meeting with General Tiller about the young supers he had living in the Tower. Again. The Gernal was deadset on their training being handed over to his people, so he could turn them into fucking weapons, something Tony would die before he let happen. Gritting his teeth, he walked towards the exit when he heard the sounds of repulsor blasts. Iron Man. A familiar anger filling him, he walked around the corner towards the sound, and was barrelled into by a darkly clad figure-
Nomad: -He doesn't even see who he ran into before they're both tumbling to the ground. screams in pain when his ruined hand gets crushed under the stranger and the Nomad shoves him off instinctively. His vision turned white for a second and he tries to catch his breath-
Tony: -the man is big, a lot bigger and Tony, and when the collide his breath his knocked out. He rolls to the side, gasping-
Nomad: -sits up a bit too quick and immediately regrets it. blinks again and moves over to the man he ran into. takes the man's shoulder and rolls him back- Are you alrigh- -stops when he sees his face. Fuck. Oh holy fuck-
Tony: -freezes. That voice...- Steve?!
Nomad: -holy fuck no worst nightmare right now. It's happening right fucking now. quickquick think of something. pitches his voice deep- Uh. No. -gets up to leave-
Tony: What the fuck are you doing here?! -scrambles to his feet, grabbing his arm to stop him-
Nomad: -hears the Iron Man repulsors coming. He's starting to kind of panic- Let go!
Tony: -grabs his briefcase- Come on, my car's this way! -goes for the exit-
Nomad: -stares at Tony- You're... helping me?
Tony: Really want to stand around talking about this now?
Nomad: -hears the repulsors again, louder this time. pales a little- Nope. Lead the way.
Tony: -hurries outside-
Nomad: -follows, wondering just how much trouble he's in-
Tony: -goes to his car, unlocking it and sliding into the driver's seat-
Nomad: -he's really not feeling so good.... opens the passanger's door with his good hand and gets in the car with a grunt-
Tony: -starts the engine and speeds out of the base-
Nomad: -cradles his hand against his chest and closes his eyes, silent-
Tony: -drives until they're a decent distance from the base, before veering off the road and parking in the trees, where they wouldn't be visible- Talk. Now. And that off the stupid mask.
Steve: -sighs, yanking off his mask. His hair sticks up everywhere- How bout I just leave and we act like that never happened?
Tony: And how far are you going to get on foot, with a broken hand and those Marks after you?
Steve: -looks down at his bleeding hand. Bullet straight through and the wound isn't clotting. He's not going to get far- I'll be fine. -goes to open the door-
Tony: -locks the passenger door-
Steve: I could just break open your door.
Tony: But you won't.
Steve: -Doesn't say "You know me so well." closes his eyes, sighing again, like he's just tired- Tony, let me leave.
Tony: What were you doing back there?
Steve: Playing a prank on General Tiller...?
Tony: -raises his eyebrows, giving Steve a "Don't you even fucking try" look-
Steve: -squirms a little. He's feeling a little light headed and the last thing he needs is to pass out in Tony's car. oh god that would be horrible. looks out the front window, avoiding Tony's gaze- I was taking out the Marks.
Tony: -stares at him- You're Nomad.
Steve: Yes, and? Can I go now?
Tony: Why? If they caught you, you'd never see fucking daylight again.
Steve: -snorts- I'm not going to be caught.
Tony: Really? Because you were doing so well back there.
Steve: Thanks for noticing. Open the door.
Tony: Dammit Steve, tell me why!
Steve: -his fear is climbing again and the blood comes a little faster out of his hand. fuck he's so dizzy. grits his teeth- No. Let. Me. Leave.
Tony: TELL ME!
Steve: -he's slouching unwillingly- No.
Tony: You're the fucking reason they have my Marks in the first place, and now you're destroying them?!
Steve: -he doesn't even know what he's saying anymore. can't open his eyes. whimpers- Oh god don't remind me.
Tony: And why the fuck shouldn't I?!
Steve: -leans against the window, fumbling for the doorknob for a second before giving up- Because it hurts.
Tony: -laughs- That's rich. Really.
Steve: -mumbles- Not that funny. -slurring words- I needta go.
Tony: You're not going anywhere like that Steve.
Steve: Jus' lemme wake up, Tony.
Tony: What?
Steve: -breathing more even, muscles lax- I geddit, I fucked up, now lemme wake up. I wanna wake up.
Tony: Steve, what are you talking about? You are awake.
Steve: -quietly- We wouldn't be this close if I was awake. -passes out completely-
Tony: Oh god. -stares at Steve for a long moment before starting the car and pulling back onto the road-
Steve: -doesn't stir on the cardrive except to mumble incoherently every once in a while-
Tony: -glances at Steve worriedly as he drives, eventually pulling into the Tower's garage-
Steve: -groans, cradling his hand more-
Tony: -parks- Steve?
Steve: -grunts-
Tony: We're here, and I can't carry you.
Steve: -nose scrunches- Here where?
Tony: The Tower.
Steve: -snorts- Yeah okay.
Tony: -gets out of the car-
Steve: -finally leans up and looks out of the car. Welp. Dreaming again-
Tony: Are you coming?
Steve: -blinks at Tony for a second before opening his door and stepping out of the car shakily. strangest fucking dream ever-
Tony: -walks towards the elevator-
Steve: -follows after him, blood dripping on the floor-
Tony: -presses the button for the med bay, not looking at Steve-
Steve: -tries to remember when he's had a dream like this. He's never been at the Tower while injured. Hm.-
Tony: -the elevator opens at the med bay, and he steps out, grabbing some supplies- Sit.
Steve: -sitting. Yep, sitting is good. sits on one of the beds. blinks at Tony slowly- What're you doing?
Tony: Fixing your fucking hand. Take off your glove.
Steve: -sighs and pulls at the glove. OH FUCK THAT HURT. It takes his breath away and wakes him up completely. swallows and pulls it slowly off this time. He's pretty sure... that white piece sticking out is a bone.... ew.-
Tony: -looks at his hand- You never knew how to keep yourself from getting beaten up.
Steve: -laughs, not totally with reality- You have absoutely no idea.
Tony: -takes his hand- This will hurt. -pushes the bone back into place-
Steve: -eyes widen right before Tony does it, but he doesn't get the chance to tell him not to. yells from the pain-
Tony: -waits for him to stop yelling-
Steve: -grits his teeth and breathes through his nose-
Tony: -starts disinfecting the wound-
Steve: -briefly wonders if Tony is taking joy out of this. Well, that's a familiar nightmare-
Tony: -grits his teeth as he puts a splint on Steve's hand-
Steve: -studies Tony's face. oh god. This isn't a dream at all, is it?-
Tony: That should hold until you heal.
Steve: -tears his eyes away from Tony and looks at his hand- Thank you.
Tony: -looks away, unsure what to do-
Steve: -glances up at Tony before standing, still not sure on his feet- I'll just... leave.
Tony: ... Yeah.
Steve: I... -stops- Yeah. -goes to the elevator-
Tony: -pauses- So, all this Nomad stuff. Is that why you haven't been returning Pete's calls?
Steve: -stops, hanging his head- I... I meant to return those.
Tony: But you didn't.
Steve: -jams the button to call the elevator- I'll make it up to him.
Tony: What, by turning yourself into an outlaw?
Steve: -tightens his jaw, not replying-
Tony: Do you realize what the kid has fucking gone through these past few years?!
Steve: -whirls around, furious and bitter and sarcastic- No, I wasn't aware at all!
Tony: Well you aren't exactly making it easier for him!
Steve: Tell me something I don't fucking know! -steps into the elevator-
Tony: -doesn't reply, watching him leave-
Steve: -doesn't look back at Tony as the elevator rises, guilt crushing him again. He didn't want to be in this damn Tower ever again. He goes back down to the garage-
Jenna: -the thirteen year old She Hulk jumped when the elevator opened, whirling around-
Steve: -freezes, blinking at the child- Um.
Jenna: It totally wasn't me! It was all Miles' idea, I just went along to make sure he didn't get hurt!
Steve: -swallows, deciding to go along with the flow of the conversation. steps into the garage- I believe you. Who's Miles...?
Jenna: Um... no one.
Steve: -chuckles- Right. So who are you?
Jenna: ... Jenna Walters.
Steve: Nice to meet you. -feels awkward now- Um, whatever you and... Miles are doing, don't get hurt, alright?
Jenna: Um, okay. So... you won't tell Mr. Stark?
Steve: -face saddens a little, but he raises an eyebrow- Is there some reason I should?
Jenna: -quickly- No, nope!
Steve: -hesitates a second. He should leave. He should. He definitely needs to. but he's still standing here- Well, if there's no reason I should tell him, I won't. Why don't you just tell me?
Jenna: -hesitates- Promise you won't tell?
Steve: -smiles- Promise.
Jenna: ... Miles wants to drive the ferrari. Just down the street though, and then we'll come right back!
Steve:... Is Miles your age?
Jenna: ... He's fifteen.
Steve: -sighs- You should probably leave it alone. What if you crash it?
Jenna: Yeah, that's what I told Miles. But he wouldn't listen!
Steve: Where is Miles?
Jenna: Getting the keys.
Steve: Alright. C'mon. -goes to where the ferrari is-
Jenna: -follows him cautiously-
Steve: -stands next to the car. glances at Jenna- How old are you?
Jenna: Thirteen.
Steve: -nods- I figured it was around that. -pauses- How do you like the school?
Jenna: Um... fine.
Steve: -realizes- Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce myself... -holds out his good hand- I'm Steve.
Jenna: -takes his hand- Hi. Are you one of the new teachers?
Steve: Nope, just... dropping by. I was on my way out earlier.
Jenna: Oh, okay.
Steve: -looks around the garage, frowning a little- Where is Miles?
Jenna: -shrugs-
Miles: -walks around the corner, keys in hand- Jenna, I got... -stops- Oh.
Jenna: Hi Miles.
Steve: No, no, I'm not getting you in trouble, kid.
Miles: -raises an eyebrow- You're not?
Steve: I made a promise and I'm keeping it. But you can't drive the ferrari.
Jenna: -bites her lip, looking at Miles-
Miles: I can be careful! I'll bring it back without a scratch, promise!
Steve: I'm sure T.... Mr. Stark would love to teach you how to drive later. When you're older.
Miles: -scowls a little, slightly glaring at Jenna- Okay, fine.
Jenna: -scowls back-
Steve: -glances at the two of them- I'll tell you a secret though. Main kitchen, cabinet above the refrigerator, and all the way in the back left corner is where the chocolate chips are kept....
Miles: -brightens up, excited- Really!?
Jenna: -raises her eyebrows-
Miles: -glances at her- What? I like chocolate! -tosses the keys to Steve- Bye, Mister! -runs past Jenna- I'll race ya!
Jenna: You're on! -bolts after him-
Steve: -shakes his head, chuckling. walks the keys back to where they belong before grabbing his mask and glove out of the car and leaving-
Steve: -startled from his book so badly that he falls off the couch with a yelp. He quickly stands again-
Tony: Answer me!
Steve: -he studies Tony for a second before he knows. He knows exactly what Tony is talking about. His stomach goes cold and he meets Tony's gaze. He seems empty- I did what I had to.
Tony: The military is mass producing Iron Man suits for combat! Do you realize how many people will die because of this?!
Steve: -quietly- Yes I do.
Tony: And when terrorists get their hands on this?! Because they will, they always do!
Steve: -feels like he's being torn to shreds on the inside. just as quiet, voice shaking- I knew exactly what I was doing, Tony. I know the consequences. I thought about it for five days.
Tony: -voice cold- Why.
Steve: It was the only way to end the war and repeal The Superhuman Registration Act.
Tony: Do you even remember the reason you started that fucking war? It was to help people you thought were in danger! And this is the fucking solution?!
Steve: I... -tilts his head down, closing his eyes. Regret fills his face when he looks back up. He sounds even more hollow, like he doesn't believe his own words- What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry? -voice shakes again- Because I'm not. I did everything I set out to do. I shut down 42, the registration program, got Peter back, gave all of my men amnesty....
Tony: You could have surrendered! But you were too fucking selfish!
Steve: And the Superhuman Registration Act would still exist and my men would still be in prison.
Tony: -shakes his head- If you'd made a deal, your men would have been set free. You know that!
Steve: No they wouldn't have. Those who still refused to submit to that Act would be in prison right along side me.
Tony: Don't pretend that's why you did this!
Steve: -chest hurts. He can't get that pain filled undertone out of his voice- I'm not pretending. Believe what you want, but I'm not pretending.
Tony: Then why didn't you tell me?
Steve: I knew what your reaction would be at the time and if I was going to get Peter back after a month in prison, I needed you to help me help him.
Tony: You thought I would just turn my back on Peter?
Steve: I didn't know how Peter would recieve you, not the other way around. Once he was released, I knew he needed both of us.
Tony: You are a fucking coward, and a liar!
Steve: -borderline tears- If I was either of those things, I would have told you that it was stolen from me. That one of my men took it from my possession and bartered it for their own amnesty.
Tony: Well good thing I'm smart enough to see through that.
Steve: Good for you.
Tony: -pulls out a packet of papers and hands them to Steve- I want you to sign these. Now.
Steve: -momentarily horrified before he takes the papers. Oh he knows exactly what they are. No need to even pretend- Do you have a pen?
Tony: -grabs one off the table and hands it to him wordlessly-
Steve: -takes the pen, careful not to touch Tony at all. he sits down- Where?
Tony: Next to my signatures.
Steve: -wow that's fucking ironic. Even getting a divorce side by side. quickly flips through the document, signing next to all of Tony's signatures, not reading it. If is said "I hearby give Tony Stark the right to kill me," he doesn't care. He deserved it. His signature didn't stay completely on the line and it was shakey, but he still did it.-
Tony: Peter will be in my custody, but I won't stop him from being able to see you when he wants. You'll also get an eighth of Stark Industries, more than enough for you to live comfortably.
Steve: Keep your eighth. -stands again and holds out the papers to Tony-
Tony: -takes the papers- If you insist.
Steve: -walks past Tony- I'll go get my bag and leave.
Tony: One more thing.
Steve: -stops, but doesn't turn around-
Tony: This is yours. -takes Steve's ring out of his pocket and tosses it to him-
Steve: -turned a little at the comment, so he was able to catch it easily. He freezes and finally, his tears come silently. He's quiet for several moments. then, quietly- If I was in your position, if I had been betrayed as much as you have, I wouldn't have given your ring back to you. I would have destroyed it. -opens his hand, studying the ring- You know, Erskine told me to be a good man, not a perfect soldier. And that's what I had to choose between. I... chose the latter. -slowly puts the ring down on the coffee table- You were always the good man. -leans back up and walks out of the room-
Tony: -once Steve's gone, sits down and buries his head in his hands, sobbing-
Steve: -goes to the closet in his bedroom and picks up his bag. slinging it over his shoulder, he walks back out and goes to Peter's room, bypassing the living room. knocks on the door-
Peter: Come in! -is sitting at his desk, rebuilding one of his old cameras-
Steve: -wipes the tears from his eyes and opens the door. shuts it after him.- Pete?
Peter: Yeah? -looks at him- ...Pop?
Steve: -swallows tightly- I've got bad news.
Peter: -stands- What's going on?
Steve: -takes a deep breath- Your... -stops, gathering himself back up again- Tony and I are divorced.
Peter: -looks down- I thought...
Steve: -shakes his head, voice wobbily- I... I did too much wrong to him. He has every right.
Peter: -looks at the bag in his hands- So you're just... leaving?
Steve: Yes.
Peter: -swallows, trying to hold back tears-
Steve: -reaches into a side pocket of the bag and pulls out a piece of paper. holds it out to Peter- This has my new phone number on it. You're allowed to visit me whenever you want.
Peter: -takes it- O-Okay.
Steve: -swallows thickly- I... -takes a deep breath- I love you, son.
Peter: I love you too Pop.
Steve: -gives Peter a hug, blinking away tears-
Peter: -hugs him tightly- I'll come visit. All the time, I promise.
Steve: Okay. -after a pause, when he thinks he can stomach it, he slowly pulls away, slinging his bag over his shoulder-
Peter: -steps back, rubbing his eyes-
Steve: I... I haven't told him about the glove. It's up to you if you want to.
Peter: -looks down- Okay.
Steve: -gives a quick nod- Right. -pauses- Bye, Pete.
Peter: Bye Pop.
Steve: -nods again before opening the door and leaving Peter's room-
Peter: -clutches the scrap of paper tightly, fighting back tears-
Steve: -leaves the tower completely, taking only his bag, motorcycle, and crushing guilt-
Steve: -It took Steve one fucking month to get everything sorted. He got what he fought for.... The Superhuman Registration Act was repealed and his men got amnesty, and he didn’t even have to kill Hill to get it done. He had to give up the Captain America identity, though, but he hears Bucky has it. Good for him. So today Steve Rogers stands outside with Tony, waiting for Peter and the rest to be released from 42. Steve did eventually have to put Tony in one of the rooms and lock it from the outside. He had hardly any contact with Tony after their conversation in the medbay, always using his men to deal with Tony. This is the first time he has seen Tony in weeks, but he can’t find anything to say.-
Tony: -stands next to Steve, staring straight ahead as he waited for Peter-
Peter: -he and the others are brought out of the prison handcuffed, not unchained until they were outside. The past month he had been forced to wear manacles covering the shooters on his wrists, as well as metal gloves and shoes that prevented him from climbing. He had thought he'd go insane in that cell. Finally, the restraints were taken off, his hands and feet covered in welts and bruises. He rubbed his hands as he walked towards his dads, determined not to cry-
Steve: -Anger fills him when he sees Peter's state. He wishes he had killed Hill now. He walks forward to Peter and pulls his son into a hug, unable to speak-
Peter: --hugs Steve back tightly, voice choked- Hey Pop.
Tony: -can only stare at Peter, guilt and relief filling him-
Steve: -blinks back tears- Good to have you back.
Peter: Y-Yeah. -steps back, rubbing his eyes and looking at Tony- Hi Dad.
Tony: -steps forward and hugs Peter fiercely-
Steve: -shoves his hands into his pockets, watching-
Peter: -hugs him back-
Tony: -voice rough- Good to have you back Pete.
Peter: -nods as they part-
Steve: -gathers his composure again, but says nothing-
Tony: Are you okay?
Peter: -nods- Yeah.
Steve: -he almost doesn't know what to do now. He's been a commander far too long-
Peter: Can we go home?
Steve: Yeah. Car's this way. -walks to the black sedan parked nearby-
Peter: -follows Steve-
Tony: -walks with Peter- We'll have someone look at your hands.
Peter: -nods-
Steve: -just the mention of Peter's wounds makes Steve's stomach churn and his fist clench-
Tony: -he wonders what is going to happen now. For the moment Peter seemed to have forgiven him, but he knew that Steve never would, and for good reason. And who knows what Peter had been told in 42. When he found out the true story, he would blame Tony too. He felt sick, knowing he'd lost his family-
Peter: -feels numb, still not totally believing he was going home-
Steve: -pulls the keys to the car out of his pocket and unlocks the car-
Peter: -gets into the backseat-
Tony: -hesitates, and looks at Steve- I'll just... call a cab, go find a hotel.
Steve: -shakes his head, shutting Peter's door before addressing Tony- He's going to need both of us.
Tony: I just... didn't think you'd want me around.
Steve: -studies Tony for a second before looking away- I don't know what I want anymore. -shakes his head- Peter needs both of us.
Tony: I'll be here as long as you want me to be.
Steve: -He's not having this conversation right now- Just... get in the car. -opens the driver's side door and gets in-
Tony: -gets in the back seat with Peter-
Peter: -looks at them both, wondering what had happened in the past month, but doesn't say anything-
Steve: -starts the car and drives back to the tower, silent-
Tony: -watches Peter quietly on the drive-
Peter: -stares out the window-
Steve: -hand tightens on the wheel, angry at himself for not being the same man he was before all this happened-
Tony: -looks at Peter's hands, and hates himself, feels like he's going to vomit. His fault. All his fault-
Steve: -the car ride isn't too long, but it feels like forever because of the silence. He drives into the garage of the tower and parks-
Tony: -gets out, and holds the door open for Peter-
Peter: -gets out-
Steve: -turns off the car and gets out. He's home but... he's not at the same time-
Tony: -goes to the elevator-
Steve: -walks with Peter-
Peter: -goes to the elevator-
JARVIS: Hello, and welcome back. Would you like me to order dinner?
Steve: -JARVIS's voice makes his chest hurt. He wonders if the AI knows....-
Tony: -looks at Peter- You hungry.
Peter: Yeah.
JARVIS: What would you like sir?
Peter: Whatever's fine.
Tony: -indian food was Pete's favorite, but after a month of bland food probably wasn't the best idea- Just order pizzas JARVIS.
JARVIS: Right away sir. -opens the elevator to the penthouse-
Steve: -walks inside. glances at Peter- How are your hands?
Peter: -they hurt, but he's so relieved to finally have the gloves and manacles off he doesn't care- Fine.
Tony: -goes to the bathroom, coming out a minutes later with the med kit-
Steve: -moves to the kitchen table and pulls out a chair- C'mon, let's fix them.
Peter: -nods and sits down, hands on the table in front of him-
Tony: -hands the kit to Steve, he has the most experience with med work-
Steve: -takes the medical kit, careful not to touch Tony, and sits down. opens the kit- Other than your hands, do you have any other injuries?
Tony: -sits next to Peter-
Peter: My, uh, feet.
Steve: -He's going to take apart a punching bag after this. nods and starts disinfecting the open wounds on Peter's hands-
Peter: -flinches, yanking his hands back to his chest reflexively-
Steve: -winces- Sorry. I should have warned you.
Peter: S-Sorry. -puts his hands hand out again-
Steve: -softens- You're fine, Pete. -slowly this time, he cleans the wounds-
Tony: -watches, hating himself-
Peter: -forces himself to keep his hands still-
Steve: -He's working as fast and as carefully as he can- If you need to take a break, just say so.
Peter: I'm fine. -grits his teeth-
Steve: -Fine. He hates that fucking word. finishes cleaning Peter's hands. He digs around in the box for a pair of gloves. Snapping them on, Steve takes out a small tube of ointment and starts applying them to the sores-
Peter: -doesn't say anything, forcing himself to stay still-
Steve: -makes a mental list of things to ask Peter about 42 as he finishes up with his hands. starts applying small bandages to the cuts-
JARVIS: Sir, the pizza has arrived.
Tony: -stands- Okay, I'll get it. -leaves-
Steve: -doesn't look up- Okay. -when Tony leaves- Do you want to talk about it?
Peter: -looks down-
Steve: -applies the last bandage- There. Now your feet.
Peter: -pushes his chair out, putting his feet up on an empty chair-
Steve: -takes out the disinfectant again- Ready?
Peter: Yeah.
Steve: -bites his lip. starts disinfecting the sores on Peter's feet-
Peter: -winces-
Steve: So. Do you want to talk about it?
Peter: I... I knew you and Dad would get me out.
Steve: -all too familiar guilt claws at him- I'm sorry it took so long.
Peter: Not your fault.
Steve: -doesn't reply to that. quietly- What caused these wounds?
Peter: -hesitates- They had these metal gloves and shoes they made me wear, so I couldn't climb or shoot web.
Steve: -breathes in slowly. God, what they do to superpowered people to keep them down.... keeps cleaning the wounds- Did they.... Pete, did they experiment on you or... -his voice gives out-
Peter: No, no. I mean, they took some blood when I came in, but after that they just left me.
Steve: -relief floods him- Alright. -Being left alone is better than fearing the next time your captors come to get you. done with the disinfectant, Steve takes the ointment and starts the next part of the process-
Peter: -quietly- I hated it.
Steve: -swallows, throat tight- You're safe now.
Peter: Yeah. Yeah, I know.
Steve: -goes quiet, continuing his work-
Tony: -steps back into the penthouse, holding the pizza boxes- Food's here.
Peter: -looks up, and his mouth waters at the smell of spices and cheese. Prison food had fucking sucked-
Steve: -doesn't look up- Good. I'm almost done. -takes out the bandages and covers the cuts-
Tony: Alright. -lays the pizza on the table, and sits again-
Steve: -quietly tries to finish up as quickly as possible-
Peter: -does his best not to pick at the bandages on his hands, the tightness making him nauseous-
Steve: Alright, done. -leans back and pulls off the gloves-
Peter: -puts his feet down and opens the box, pulling out a slice-
Steve: -closes up the box- I'll be right back. -leaves to put the first aid kit back in the bathroom-
Tony: Alright. -looks at Peter- How're you feeling?
Peter: Fine. -takes a bite of pizza-
Tony: -nods, chest tight-
Steve: -washes his hands in the bathroom, hands shaking from self-loathing and anger. Once he's done, he studies his own face in the mirror. Haggard, haunted, and empty. How can he possibly be a good father after this? There's a sharp crack and pain flairs in one of Steve's thumbs. Blood drips out of the new cut on Steve's thumb, counter broken where he gripped it too tight. With a sigh, Steve puts a bandage on his thumb and cleans up the blood and the pieces of stone on the floor-
Peter: -keeps eating-
Steve: -gathers himself back under control before he walks back out to the table-
Tony: -looks up- Hey.
Steve: Hey. -sits down next to Peter-
Peter: -looks up after he finishes three pieces- I'm, uh, kinda wiped. I'm going to go to bed.
Tony: Yeah, sure, of course.
Steve: Alright. Sleep well Pete.
Peter: -stands and goes to his room, crawling up the bars until he reaches the highest nook and curls up there, like he would do when he was little and wracked by nightmares-
Steve: -buries his face in his hands, struggling to breathe normally-
Tony: -scrubs a hand through his hair, looking down at the table-
Steve: -after a moment, Steve drops his hands to the table- One of us needs to stay nearby in case he has a nightmare.
Tony: I will.
Steve: -stands- Alright. I'll be in the gym if you need me. -starts toward the elevator-
Tony: Yeah, sure.
Steve: -quickly leaves for the gym-
Tony: -holds his head in his hands, trying to pull himself together-
Steve: -gets down to the gym. He doesn't even bother taping up his hands and wrists, but sets in on the punching bag with all his strength. Tony designed it to stand even Thor's punches, but Steve is purposefully trying to break it. Soon he's sweating and his eyes blur, but that might be tears. He doesn't know and frankly doesn't care-
Tony: -an hour later, he quietly opens Peter's door, checking on him like he would do when he was small. He felt a moment of terrifying panic when he saw his son's bed was empty, before he glance up and saw Peter fast asleep above the jungle gym. His chest hurt as he eased Pete's door shut and went back to the living room-
Steve: -gives the bag one last punch before wrapping his arms around it, legs going limp. Before he can stop himself, he starts sobbing uncontrollably into the leather for everything he destroyed and lost.-
Captain: -sounds nonchalant- Ah, Director Hill. It seems as though you have some of my men and I have some of yours. You up for a trade?
Hill: Captain Rogers. I don't think your in a good position to bargain at the moment.
Captain: Really? You're going to write me off so quickly?
Hill: Is there a reason I shouldn't?
Captain: Fifteen of them, actually.
Hill: We have thousands of soldiers at our disposal. Keep your fifteen Captain.
Captain: You're going to refuse and keep 10 little antiregs in that big huge prison of yours while 15 of your men rot over here in my prison, unable to go to their families and friends?
Callie: Hill: That's war. And the US government doesn't make deals with terrorists.
Captain: I would feel bad for being called a terrorist if you weren't such a Nazi, hunting down people and throwing them in jail without a trial.
Hill: Is there anything else Captain, or is this conversation purely name calling?
Captain: No, Hill, I think that's all on my end.
Hill: Captain, if you really want your ten men to walk free, then all you have to do is surrender.
Tony: -the cuffs are heavy on his wrists, bruises already forming underneath. He's fighting panic, trying to keep himself grounded, but the walls are so close, and knowing that Peter is locked away and Steve hates him and he is horribly, utterly alone is too much. He's shaking, and not just from the concussion or the gas. He wants to die, it had to be better than this-
Captain: -sighs- You proregs. All the same. Goodbye, Hill. -hangs up-
Hill: -Typical. She pockets him phone and goes back to work-
Captain: -yanks his fingers roughly through his hair. Fuck. FUCK. How is he supposed to get Peter back? What does he do? Threats and bargins don't work, apparently. So... drastic action. Anything to get Peter back. leaves his room and unlocks the door to Tony's, opening it-
Tony: -flinches when the door opens-
Captain: -shuts the door after him and takes a couple steps into the room- She refused.
Tony: What?!
Captain: She said that I'm a terrorist and refuses to bargin with me at all. She also said that she has thousands of men and didn't care about 15.
Tony: No, no, you have to do something. Get her to agree somehow!
Captain: I won't ever be able to get her to agree because she literally does not care about the fifteen men I have against her, Tony.
Tony: -stands- So you're just giving up? You're just going to leave Peter there?!
Captain: Hell no. I'm going to go rescue him and all the rest of the men and women in 42.
Tony: How?
Captain: I'd need your help for that.
Tony: -nods-
Captain: -studies Tony, looking for a lie. There has to be one. That was too easy-
Tony: I need a computer.
Captain: -He can't find one, so he drops it for now- I know we have some. -reaches into one of his utility belt compartments and pulls out the keys to Tony's handcuffs-
Tony: I can get access to the blueprints and security codes.
Captain: Good, we'll need those. -walks toward Tony- Let me see the cuffs.
Tony: -holds out his arms to Steve-
Captain: -unlocks the cuffs, not commenting on the state of Tony's wrists this time around-
Tony: -puts his hands down at his sides- What would you do, to ensure Peter was safe?
Captain: -puts the handcuffs away- If you're about to ask me to surrender again, the answer is no.
Tony: -pauses, plan already forming- Where are the computers?
Captain: C'mon. -leads the way out of the room and down the hall-
Tony: -follows him-
Captain: -opens a door and his men are setting up the computer equipment-
Tony: -goes and sits down in front of the computers, ignoring the other men. He uses his SHIELD passwords to open the database, and opens a backdoor messaging programs he set up. It looks like the coding he uses to break into files, but in reality he can send encrypted messages with. After he sends the message, he goes back to getting the information on 42. By the times he's finished, he has his reply. His gut feels cold as he looks at Steve- Got it. Do you have a printer?
Captain: Yeah. You should be good to print now.
Tony: -clicks, and the information starts to print- That's everything you need.
Captain: -studies Tony carefully, wary. This was easy. Too easy.-
Tony: -looks at him- I'm coming with you.
Captain: -his expression doesn't change- Why?
Tony: Because I need to be sure he's safe.
Captain: -cold- I don't trust you with that job anymore.
Tony: Dammit Steve, I'm not letting you leave me behind!
Captain: -he almost points out how much say Tony really has in the matter. instead he grinds out- Why not? Why do you even need to go?
Tony: I can help. Like you said, I designed the fucking place.
Captain: -snatches up the papers out of the printer- Fine.
-Six Hours Later-
Captain: -they sneak up to the building and he's watching for any signs of a trap. It's in the middle of nowhere, which is both good and bad for them. He moves to a door that's supposedly rarely used-
Tony: -is behind Steve, staying silent and hating himself-
Captain: -puts in the code on the keypad. He tries not to be surprised when it works and no alarms go off. casts Tony a calculating look before nodding to his team. They all file into the building-
Hill: -once all the antiregs are all in, she cues the agents, and they surround the team on both sides of the hallway, guns point at them- Drop your weapons and put your hands up.
Captain: -as soon as he notices the agents, he comms to his other team- It's a trap. Do it. -drops his hand again, speaking to Hill- Hello, Hill.
-The other antireg contingent quickly flies onto the helicarrier and start destroying everything in sight. Steve's personal team doesn't move-
Hill: What a nice... surprise. -to the agents- Arrest them.
Agents: -move forward to do so-
Captain: NOW! -throws his shield straight at Hill-
Antiregs: -attack the agents-
Tony: Steve, no!
Agents: -fire at the antiregs-
Hill: -is thrown against the wall by the shield-
Captain: -charges forward. catches the shield on his arm as it comes back and grabs Hill's throat, easily removing her gun with his other hand. He plants his back against the wall, pistol to Hill's head, her body as another shield- FIRE ANOTHER SHOT AND I'LL SHOOT HER!
Tony: -goes forward, grabbing him by the shoulder- Steve, stop!
Agents: -stop firing, but train their guns on Steve-
Antiregs: -guns trained on the agents, but not firing either-
Hill: -hisses- You made a mistake Rogers.
Captain: That's funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.
Tony: Steve, please, I'm sorry. But don't do this!
Hill: -reaches up and hits Steve's wrist, trying to grab the gun-
Captain: -squeezes her neck a little more and slams the gun into her head, making sure he didn't kill her or knock her out. Just warn her-
Agents: -fire at Steve-
Tony: NO! -blocks Steve's body with his own, and lets out a howl as he is shot-
Antiregs: -fire at the agents-
Captain: TONY!
Tony: -slumps to the floor, blood staining his shirt- S-Steve...
Agents: -over half of their team is dead now, but they keep firing at the antiregs-
Antiregs: -They have less than half, but they see a losing battle right now. Two grab up Tony and run out, the others covering-
Captain: -He takes that cue and pulls Hill to the door, firing at the agents-
Tony: -struggles against them weakly- NO!
Agents: -retreat and call for backup-
Hill: You can't win this Rogers!
Captain: -mutters to Hill- Watch me. -drags her roughly from the building. yells at his team- To the trucks!
Tony: -his head feels strange from the blood loss, and he struggles to stay awake. He has two bullet wounds in his back and another in his arm-
Antiregs: -one throws a grenade into the building they were just in and then they all run to the trucks-
Hill: -struggles against Steve the entire way back to the trucks-
Captain: -Frankly? He gets fucking tired of wrestling with her. flips his gun so he's holding the barrel and hits her with the butt of the gun on the back of her head to knock her out-
Hill: -is knocked out-
Captain: -slings her over his shoulder like she's a sack of potatoes. He runs to the truck, climbing in-
-The other antiregs on the helicarrier delete the database and retreat back to their hideout-
Antiregs: -in the truck, they try to stop Tony's bleeding as well as keep each other alive-
Tony: -they manage to slow the blood loss- P-Pete... -coughs, blood on his lips-
Captain: -to one of his men- Check Hill for trackers. I don't want a repeat of earlier. -kneels down next to Tony, watching his two men work- We didn't get him.
Tony: N-No, c-can't le... leave him...
Steve: -fights within himself whether or not to verbally blast Tony right now. He decides against it purely based on everything that happened before the war. He takes Tony's hand- I'm sorry. I tried.
Tony: -sobs- O-Only way...
Steve: -He doesn't understand what Tony is trying to tell him, so he stays silent, absently drawing patterns on the back of Tony's hand.-
Tony: -he hoped he was dying. He had failed so miserably, destroyed everything. He could see the bodies of the agents and heroes behind his eyelids, dead for no fucking reason. And Peter was still locked up, while they were running away. He wonder if he was delirious, magining that Steve was holding his hand as if the soldier didn't despise him-
Steve: -watches his men work on Tony. He doesn't have the guts to ask if Tony is dying. And then he remembers how Tony got injured. He... jumped in front of the bullets. And Steve is confused again. Confused and upset and torn-
Tony: -grunts in pain as one of the bullets is removed-
Steve: -squeezes Tony's hand gently, shooting a glare at the man who removed the bullet-
Tony: -Well, now he knows he's hallicunating. That fierce protectivness that he's so many times from Steve can't be real-
Steve: -He doesn't analyze his own actions right now. He's too... something. He hangs his head, trying to clear his mind-
Tony: -He wishes he could just fucking pass out or something, but the pain was too bright and sharp for that-
Steve: -they make it back to base and they unload again. He has to order people around, so he separates from Tony. He sends Hill to a tiny bare cell and Tony to the medbay.-
Tony: -is barely aware of being moved, light headed from blood loss-
Captain: -everything gets settled and he learns that his other team managed to delete the database. Good. At least something worked. He changes into civilian clothes and goes to the medbay-
Tony: -by now, the bullets have been removed and the wounds stitched and bandaged-
Captain: -walks into the part of the medbay Tony is in and he orders his men out of the room.-
Tony: -opens his eyes at Steve's voice-
Captain: -shoves his hands into his pockets and finally turns to look at Tony, face blank-
Tony: -he can't speak. Everything he says and does just makes things worse-
Captain: -studies the floor for a second before focusing on Tony again- Why?
Tony: I-It shouldn't have happened like that. I didn't want anyone to die.
Captain: Then neither of us got what we wanted.
Tony: .... I know.
Captain: -takes a step toward the bed- You still haven't answered my question. Why?
Tony: It... it was the only way to make sure Peter was safe.
Captain: -rubs his eyes- Fuck, you made a deal with Hill.
Tony: I'm sorry.
Captain: -he realizes that if he had just surrendered right then, no one would have died and Peter would go free. Again he's torn between being a father and being a leader-
Tony: I know we're not... anymore, but Steve, you need to promise me you'll get him back. That he'll be safe.
Steve: -drops his hand, angry- How the fuck am I supposed to get him back now? -holds up a hand- No, don't. Don't give me any of your solutions.
Tony: Any way you can.
Steve: -scowls slightly, silent-
Tony: I know you hate me, but please. Please Steve.
Steve: -shakes his head, looking down- I'm furious at you. I think you're an idiot and a liar. But I still don't hate you.
Tony: -looks away- I know I am.
Steve: -looks at Tony's face, studying him- I can't figure out why you jumped in front of me.
Tony: Take a guess.
Steve: If I had died, you could have gotten Peter back.
Tony: Is that what you want?
Steve: I don't- -stops and stays silent for a few seconds- Answer my question.
Tony: Because I didn't want you to fucking die Steve!
Steve: -rubs his fingers in his eyes again, silent-
Tony: -looks away- So, what are you going to do with me?
Steve: -that question makes him sick- You're staying here until you recover.
Tony: And after that?
Steve: I don't know, alright!?
Tony: Well make a decision Captain. Can't have emotions affecting your judgement.
Steve: Stop it Tony.
Tony: Why the fuck should I?!
Steve: Because you're not being helpful at all.
Tony: Yeah, that seems to be a theme lately.
Steve: -shakes his head, wondering why he even bothered coming.-
Tony: Look, just... lock me up. Be easier for you.
Steve: -he laughs, but it's humorless and bitter- How was it so easy for you to agree to lock me up in 42?
Tony: Because it was the only way Hill would release Pete.
Steve: -bitter- Locking you up won't get me Peter back. So what's the fucking point?
Tony: I don't fucking know anymore!
Steve: -quietly- Good, then we're both on the same page. -moves to leave-
Tony: When you get him back... What I said about the offshore accounts still stands.
Steve: -leaves, not bothering to answer Tony-
Tony: -lays back against the bed, finally letting himself sob-
Tony: -walks with Steve, wondering what he's going to do with him now-
Captain: -he opens the door to the hall of cells. By this time, they have the other people they've captured in separate cells. Who knew HYDRA had so many rooms? pulls Tony down the hall-
Tony: -looks around warily, stumbling slightly-
Captain: -before he can stop himself, he mutters- I don't want this. -It seems to echo in the empty hall, along with their footsteps-
Tony: Neither do I Cap.
Captain: -"Cap". Tony used to call him that as an endearment, but now it felt so dead and heavy on his soul. He almost wishes Tony would fight him. It might make this easier.-
Tony: -Steve's grip on his arm is tight, probably going to leave a bruise. He remembers before when Steve would hold him, wanting the grip to be tighter, relishing in every mark that was left. Now, it just aches-
Captain: -He gets to the end of the cells. He taps in the code for the door with shaking fingers, his eyes burning with unshed tears-
Tony: -glances up, memorizing the code. Not that it will do him much good from the inside-
Captain: -The door unlocks with a click. feeling like he's on a puppet string, he leans forward and pulls the door open. They cleaned the cells a long time ago just in case they caught anyone, but in the end it's still three concrete walls and a metal door. This cell is bigger than the others. Ten feet by ten feet. But it's still a Hydra prison cell. He stops, staring at the blank room-
Tony: -freezes when he sees the inside. Fuck-
Captain: -Before he can stop himself, he glances over at Tony. His stomach churns and his blank face cracks. The door handle bends under his grip. What the hell is he doing?-
Tony: -takes a breath, then another. He can do this-
Steve: -That's the same determination Tony had when... Suddenly the memories of the last time they were both in a Hydra cell hit him like a speeding train. He slams the door shut, letting go of Tony like he was on fire and the tears come- I-I can't. I can't do it.
Tony: -stumbles back, staring at Steve-
Steve: -He can feel himself cracking apart down to his soul. Every inch of him feels weak and shakey. He's so fucking disgusted he even considered it and he can't even look at Tony-
Tony: Go on then. Your soldiers are waiting. Can't have me running around loose.
Steve: -wraps his arms around his aching chest, sobs barely held back- S-Stop it.
Tony: .... Steve?
Steve: -walks backward away from Tony before simply collapsing and sitting down. He feels so sick and he can't think straight. How the fuck did he get to this? How the fuck could he even consider...?-
Tony: -looks down the empty hallway. He could run, right now. Sneak past the others. He knew the codes. But... he walked over to Steve, kneeling down and putting a hand on his shoulder-
Steve: -the sobs finally come, but he still can't look at Tony- W-What are you doing? H...How can you...?
Tony: Hey, just breathe okay?
Steve: -He is panicking. He can feel it, but he doesn't care. Maybe he should just stop breathing. He's the scum of the earth, so maybe he should just fall over and die right here- What are you doing? Why are you even touching me?
Tony: I... I don't know.
Steve: -buries his face in his hands- I'm so sorry. -sobs- I am so sorry.
Tony: -he doesn't know what to say. He's been so angry at Steve for so long, but he still hates seeing him like this, all he wants to do is comfort him. Sometimes he hates how in love he is-
Steve: -takes a deep breath, still crying- I won't put you in there. I can't do it. I won't fucking do it.
Tony: -nods, trying not to sag in relief-
Steve: -He can feel Tony relax and he feels sicker- I'm so sorry.
Tony: Just...
Steve: -his palms press hard against his eyes. His voice is eerily calm- It's okay if you hate me. It's completely justified. Just know I'm sorry.
Tony: I... -he doesn't even know if he hates him or not-
Steve: -rips off his cowl suddenly and throws it to the floor. He fists his hands in his hair, silent-
Tony: Just... do what you have to do.
Steve: N-No.
Tony: WHY THE FUCK NOT?! YOU'VE GOTTEN THIS FAR!
Steve: BECAUSE I STILL LOVE YOU! -oh god he said it. He said it. covers his mouth with both of his hands and curls his knees up, burying his face in them-
Tony: -all he can do is fucking stare at Steve-
Steve: -He has now officially fucked this up in every way imaginable. All he can do is sit there, frozen in self loathing-
Tony: I... -looks down- me too.
Steve: -slowly looks up at Tony, heart pounding, words stuck in his throat-
Tony: -forces himself to hold his gaze on Steve-
Steve: -grimaces- God Tony, what have I done?
Tony: I... I'm sorry, I tried... I thought I could fix it. I thought...
Steve: We both thought we could fix it.
Tony: I'm sorry.
Steve: I'm sorry, too.
Tony: -looks down. It would be so easy just go into Steve's arms right now... but it was too late. Too much had happened- You should put me in the cell.
Steve: -stares in horror at Tony- No.
Tony: It's what they expect you to do.
Steve: Don't you think I know that? I said no.
Tony: -looks down, overwhelmed-
Steve: -runs a hand through his hair. What the fuck does he do, though?-
Tony: -sits there, wondering the same thing Steve is-
Steve: -rubs a hand over his mouth, thinking. he looks at Tony- I have an idea for how to end the war, but it would mean my side wins.
Tony: -just looks at him, face blank-
Steve: I would need your help for it to work.
Tony: -voice hollow- What is it?
Steve: Destroy the database of registered heroes.
Tony: Steve... you know I can't.
Steve: -sighs- I figured.
Tony: Peter... is he okay? Is he safe?
Steve: Yeah, he's in the base. He's fine.
Tony: You need to take him and go. I didn't change any of the information on the offshore accounts, use that money to get away. Start over.
Steve: -shakes his head- I can't do that.
Tony: You have to. I won't see you and Pete ending up in 42, I won't.
Steve: Unlike you, if I disappear my side falls apart. They'll be sent off to 42. I can't let that happen.
Tony: I'll do what I can to protect them here. If they surrender and register, it won't come to that.
Steve: -slowly shakes his head- I can't do that.
Tony: Do it and I'll delete the database.
Steve: -looks up- What? Did you just say you wouldn't do that?
Tony: If its the only way to get you to leave.
Steve: -studies Tony warily, not sure if he believes him or not-
Tony: All that matters is you and Peter being safe.
Steve: I won't leave until I know the database is deleted.
Tony: I swear I will. But they're gonna go after you, there won't be enought time.
Steve: You act like they're not already after me.
Tony: Dammit Steve! Do you want Pete to end up in prison the rest of his fucking life?!
Steve: -flinches. quietly- No. No I don't.
Tony: Then do this. Trust me, please.
Steve: -thinks it over- Are you sure you can keep them all out of 42?
Tony: If they surrender.
Steve: They're not going to.
Tony: They have to, its the only way. If you tell them to... They'll listen to you.
Steve: -can't even look at Tony. Doesn't Tony know how selfish that request is?-
Tony: If you keep fighting, they'll die.
Steve: Some have already died. You're asking me to drop everything they have fought and died for just because- -stops and shakes his head- No. Peter isn't going to end up in 42. That is absolutely not an option, but I'm not going to give up on my men.
Tony: Steve, please.
Steve: -He can't speak again. Family or beliefs. That's the question here, and Steve can't pick.-
Tony: This is our only shot, don't waste it.
Steve: How about this... you delete the database and then take Peter and run.
Tony: -grins, but it hurts- Someone's gotta stay and clean up Steve. And you're a war criminal.
Steve: Tony, I can't do what you're asking me to! It's cowardly, it's selfish, and I won't do it.
Tony: -looks down. So this is it then. He'll lose everything-
Steve: -looks down the hall and slowly stands- Come on. We need to move out of this hall.
Tony: -nods, and struggles to stand-
Steve: -gently helps Tony stand-
Tony: -pulls away from Stve's touch- I'm fine.
Steve: -freezes for a second before pulling back and fisting his hands at his sides- Right.
Tony: -voice hard- Lead the way, Captain.
Steve: -He doesn't understand. He doesn't get why Tony is going back to calling him Captain. What the hell did he do now?-
-The SHIELD agents and proreg heroes surround the base, having followed Tony's tracker. And at Hill's command, they attack-
-The warning lights go off in the base and the antiregs put up a resistance and lock the base down-
Captain: -looks up as the lights and siren blares. How the fuck did they.... slowly turns back to Tony- What the fuck did you do?
Tony: I told you, you're out of time.
Captain: -before he can even stop and think, he grabs Tony by the front of his shirt and slams him into a wall, pinning him- You led them here!? PETER IS HERE!
Tony: -feels blood trickle through his hair from where he hit the wall, but ignores it- I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!
Peter: -into the comm- Cap, you there?!
Captain: YOU TOLD ME TO GIVE UP, NOT THAT YOU LED YOUR TROOPS TO MY SON! -presses on the comm in his ear- Peter!? Are you alright!?
Peter: Yeah, but the proregs are coming in fast!
Tony: You didn't give me any choice!
Captain: -to the comm still- Then we're making a hasty retreat. Get to the main control room and release the nerve gas. -turns his attention back to Tony- Where's the tracker!?
Tony: -doesn't reply, staring hard at Steve-
Peter: On it. -gives the order for retreat over the comm, and runs as fast as he can towards the control room-
Captain: -starts to pat Tony down and rolling up Tony's sleeves, looking for anything that might be a tracker-
Tony: Get your fucking hands off me.
Captain: Shut up. -finds the ring in the back of Tony's pocket and rips it out-
Tony: -winces-
Captain: -practically growling he's so angry- You used your fucking wedding ring to lead your troops to your son so he could be taken to the fucking prison you helped build?
Tony: I WASN'T CARRYING IT BECAUSE IT WAS A TRACKER!
Captain: BUT YOU KNEW YOU HAD IT AND YET YOU SAID NOTHING!
Tony: I TOLD YOU TAKE PETER AND GO! I TOLD YOU IT WAS TOO LATE!
Captain: IT'S A GOOD THING I DIDN'T LISTEN TO YOU BECAUSE PETER WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT OUT IN TIME! -lets the ring fall to the ground and starts dragging Tony away-
Tony: Let me go! -struggles against him, but of course can't get fucking loose-
Peter: -is almost to the control room when an energy blast hits him from the side, slamming him into the wall and knocking him unconscious-
Captain: -Tony's struggling doesn't even phase him as he hurries out of the hall-
Tony: -stumbles, trying to keep up with Steve-
Captain: -barely makes it back to the conference room where his shield is before the procogs come. To the comm- Peter, where are you!? -no answer- Peter!
Tony: What's wrong?! Is he okay?!
Captain: -flips to the main comm- Someone get to the control room, NOW! -ignores Tony and grabs his shield.-
Tony: -goes to the door- I need to find him!
Captain: NO! -grabs Tony's arm and drags him back- If he's already captured, I need you to trade for him!
Tony: I'M NOT LEAVING HIM OUT THERE! HE COULD BE HURT!
Captain: My men are already out there looking for him and you've fucked up enough today! -snatches the handcuffs off the table where he left them earlier and starts cuffing Tony again-
Tony: -fights against Steve- I'M NOT LEAVING HIM!
Captain: You should have thought about that when you left that fucking ring in your pocket! -the cuffs click into place-
Tony: Steve, please!
-Some antiregs get to the control room, but Peter is no where in sight. They manage to flip the switch and the gas fills the base and the area outside-
Tony: -starts to cough-
Captain: -ignores Tony again and drags him out of the room. to the comm- Anyone find Peter!?
Tony: -follows Steve quickly, the coughing getting worse-
Antireg: -to the comm- I'm sorry, Captain, we can't find him. They must have taken him.
Captain: Dammit! Damn it to hell! Everyone get to the trucks. -pulls Tony along, leading him out of the base-
Tony: What happened?! Where is he?! -Steve is half dragging Tony by now, muscles going limp and twitching badly-
Captain: -his voice is raw and rough- Take a fuckin' guess, Tony! -he has to stop and readjust so that he has Tony's waist. keeps going-
Tony: N-N.... -he sobs through the convulsions overtaking his body-
Captain: -locks his jaw tight. They make it outside where the gas is like a haze. to the comm- Is everyone out?
Tony: -gasps, struggling to breathe-
Antireg: We did a sweep of the base. The proregs captured 10 of us. We're ready to go.
Captain: -gets to a truck and climbs in. There are five other antiregs in the truck- Let's go, then.
Tony: -can't sit up at all, but the convulsions are starting to slow now he's breathing in clean air-
-the trucks start and they speed away from the base-
Peter: -wakes up in a SHIELD truck, chained to the other antiregs, guns pointed at them as they drove to 42-
Captain: -he doesn't speak, plans forming in his head for how to get Peter back. People are chattering in his comm about how many proregs the captured, who's missing from their side, which safe house to go to. He lets his second in command deal with it-
Tony: -manages to sit up- Y-You need t-to get him b-back.
Captain: -some of his men are in this truck, so he speaks with authority to Tony- I'm getting all my men back.
Tony: -he ruined everything. He forces himself to hold back a sob, staring with hollow eyes at the floor of the truck-
Captain: -sits in silence-
Peter: -they are taken to 42, processed, and he's thrown into a small cell. He sits on the bare floor, pressing back panic. His dads would fix this. They had to-
Captain: -The trucks finally park outside a new underground bunker. Unfortunately this one has no escape routes or safety nets like the last base. They start unloading anyway and he pulls Tony up-
Tony: -by now he can stand, but is still unsteady-
Captain: -they exit the truck and head inside-
Tony: -Well, he doubts now Steve will have any trouble locking him up. And Tony can't blame him-
Captain: -he's slightly more calmed down now. They get inside and his men set up camp. Steve picks up one of the untraceable phones they have before heading to a private room-
Tony: -quietly- I didn't want this.
Captain: -locks his jaw tight-
Tony: -looks down, guilt wracking him-
Captain: I don't trust you at all anymore, so I'm going to call Hill alone and you better hope I can fix this. -yanks open a door and pushes Tony inside-
Tony: -tries not to trip and fails, being shoved by someone with super strength does that. He falls to the ground, and takes a moment to catch his breath before standing again-
Captain: -shuts the door after Tony and locks it. It's not a cell. He knows there's a bed and a bathroom in there, and Steve's not leaving him in there for long. But the trust has been broken and Steve can't think of anything else to do. He walks off to another room and shuts the door. He dials the number he knows goes to
Tony: -lays in the rubble, trying to keep the panic locked away as he waited for Steve-
Captain: -orders some of his men to get Iron Man out of the suit. He walks back with them and watches them as they work-
Tony: -stares up, hard, not speaking as they dismantle the suit around him-
Captain: -"Go on then, soldier. Kill me." It echoes in his head with each clank and each rip of the suit. He doesn't look at Tony's face at all. He can't do it. The men finally get the suit off of Tony-
Tony: -doesn't look at Steve as he's pulled up and handcuffed-
Captain: -He doesn't want to do what he's about to do next, but he has to. He grabs Tony's upper arm. To the men- I've got him. Pick up the suit. -they do as he says and Captain America pulls Tony along to the transport-
Tony: -The betrayal hurts, sitting on his chest so heavy it's hard to breathe. He can't speak, can't look at Steve, can't do anything but stare ahead as they walk-
Captain: -It's like crashing again. He can almost see himself dragging Tony along, cuffs biting at his husband's wrists, both of their faces stone masks. Before this all started, he would have broken the jaw of a man who put Tony in cuffs. What the fuck is he becoming?-
Tony: -The worst part of all this is, deep down, he still loves Steve. But he can never, never forgive him for this. Of course, he will never forgive himself either-
Captain: -He can feel himself cracking. He can't crack right now, not here, not in front.... He spots two antiregs and hands Tony off to them quickly.- Put him in one of the trucks.
Antiregs: -take Tony by his arms and yank him to the trucks-
Tony: -stumbles, but rightly rights himself and walks towards the trucks-
Steve: -He waits until Tony is out of sight before moving behind a building quickly, barely making it away from his men before vomiting, sobs already wracking his body. Was all this worth it? It had to be... Steve was right, dammit. He.. he was. trembling all over, he stands straight again, catching his breath. The tears don't stop as he switches his comm to Peter's private channel. He takes a deep breath- Pete- -oh god he sounded broken to his own ears. he pauses before trying again, a little more firm- Pete, do you copy?
Peter: Yeah Cap, I'm here.
Captain: We got... I got Iron Man. Your device worked.
Peter: ... I'll meet you back at base.
Captain: -screws his eyes shut- See you there. -shuts off his comm and sighs. He turns on his heel and heads back to the truck-
Peter: -closes his eyes as the comm shuts off, taking a deep breath before shooting a web and swinging away from the others-
Antiregs: -They pull Tony to a truck and roughly put him inside. It's an old army transport truck with hard benches and flaps for a back door. They start to tie his feet and secure him to the truck-
Tony: -sits, not resisting. Not much point, anymore. He hoped Steve was happy he'd gotten what he wanted-
Captain: -On his way there, he flips to another channel, announcing to his personal second in command that Iron Man had been captured. He learned that the fighting was already dying down, so he told the man at the other end to bring everyone back to base. Flicks off his comm again and goes to the truck. He climbs in-
Tony: -glances at Steve when he comes in, then looks away-
Captain: -to the antiregs- Drive the truck. -They leave and he sits down opposite Tony as the truck starts and they drive-
Tony: -doesn't speak as the truck starts up. He wonders briefly if they'll let him see Pete, or if his son even wants to see him-
Captain: -catches himself studying Tony. He hasn't been this close to him without Tony in the armor for... a while. His... Iron... He's skinnier. Definitely. God he's... Steve's still hopelessly in love. What the hell is his plan, here? What the hell does he do when all he wants to do is hold Tony? Oh, but the chances of Tony still loving him, especially after that last stint, are slim. He finally looks away, watching the road out of the back of the truck-
Tony: -voice cold- Where are we going?
Captain: -jaw tightens in self hatred for a second. His voice is flat- Back to my base of operations.
Tony: Let me guess, it's inside a volcano.
Captain: -dryly- How did you ever guess?
Tony: -looks away from Steve-
Captain: -silent for a minute. Then- The battle's over. Your troops retreated.
Tony: -doesn't reply. So, this is it. They lost-
Captain: -there are so many things he wants to say, but he's... the leader. He can't. He can't say them, so he stays quiet-
Tony: -stares silently at the side of the truck the rest of the ride-
Captain: -The truck finally stops after what feels like an eternity and he gets up and kneels in front of Tony, starting to untie his feet-
Tony: -he finds himself resisting the urge to kick Steve's face as his feet are freed, and feels sick-
Captain: -He doesn't have a broken nose. He takes that as an act of... slight good faith? It's something. He doesn't trust Tony yet, though, so he leaves the cuffs on and helps him out of the truck-
Tony: -steps down from the truck, looking around-
Captain: -They're in the middle of the woods. He gently takes Tony's elbow and leads him around the truck. As the round the corner of the vehicle, the bunker is there. Even with all the symbols either blown off or painted over, it's obvious from the design that it used to be an old HYDRA base.-
Tony: -raises an eyebrow at the base, but doesn't comment-
Captain: -He almost makes excuses for it, tries to justify why it's a HYDRA base, but he doesn't have the energy. leads Tony inside-
Tony: -walks inside, distinctly aware of all the eyes on them-
Captain: -His men are staring at them both and all he wants to do is crawl in a hole and die. He can't though, so Steve keeps walking further in the base. He's.. not sure what to do with Tony. He looks straight ahead, face blank-
Tony: -stares ahead as they walk, hoping Peter isn't among the crowd-
Captain: -He's getting reports on his comm from more people they've captured and a list of the dead from both sides. His stomach churns. Takes Tony to an empty conference room, empty except some chairs and a table. He shuts the door after them and lets go of Tony- Sit down.
Tony: -stays standing where he is-
Captain: -resists an eyeroll. Tony's wrists in cuffs is really grating on Steve's last nerve so he turns Tony and takes out his keys. He uncuffs Tony.-
Tony: -rubs his wrists, studying Steve- Careful Cap. I might be dangerous.
Captain: -face still blank. He catches sight of Tony's lack of wedding band and he doesn't breathe for a couple seconds. meets Tony's eyes, voice flat- I want you to help me fix all this.
Tony: I tried that, remember? You ended up starting a war.
Captain: -he can feel himself being pushed over an edge. he tries to calm down- We're not talking about how this started, we're talking about how to end it.
Tony: I know you think you've got this in the bag Cap, but arresting me doesn't change a thing.
Captain: -there's an edge in his tone he can't hide- I'm closer than I was. You and I can end it.
Tony: And then what? You go back to being Captain America?
Captain: I've been Captain America this entire time, so why not.
Tony: Really? Because you kind of gave that up when you turned your back on the Avengers. On all of us.
Captain: -He can feel his anger clawing to be let loose, but he resists. Barely- You think that Captain America is a fucking Avenger exclusive? That title was given to me before any of you were even born, so cut the bullshit and give me an answer.
Tony: Oh, really? And what have you done with that title exactly?! Our friends died because of you!
Captain: -and that does it. That makes the rubber band of his control snap- Don't you fucking DARE blame this all on me! I was asked to defend a cause I believe in! They all were! We just fought a war that didn't need fighting, Tony, all because you wouldn't LISTEN TO ME!
Tony: Registration is happening Steve! You think I'm fucking happy about it?! But all you've done is making SHIELD and the government fucking determined to do whatever it takes to control the heroes. Your little band of rebels has taken away whatever chance we had of compromise!
Captain: -bitter- Oh, am I supposed to feel bad for YOU!? You tried compromise, did you? YOU HELPED DESIGN 42! You're helping them, you're on their side! For fucks sake, you've been the proregistration leader!
Tony: And what's the other option?! Some fucking congressman doing it?!
Captain: The other option was fighting against it, but you didn't even try! If they didn't have your backing, they wouldn't have gotten this far!
Tony: Did you think this was EASY for me?! That I wanted this?!
Captain: Of course not, but you and I can end this!
Tony: And what's your brilliant solution?
Captain: -keeps Tony's gaze for five seconds before looking away-
Tony: That's what I thought. Are we done here?
Captain: -slams his fist into the table suddenly, making a dent in the metal- Goddammit, Tony, my only other options are to use you and the rest of the proregs we captured as bartering chips or to keep fighting and I -voice breaks- hate both of those options.
Tony: -flinches when Steve hits the table- Look, you think Hill or anyone else is going to just do what I say if I tell them to shut down the program?
Captain: To a certain extent I think they still will listen to you. Even if they don't, you and I can work with them to come up with a solution.
Tony: Alright, then what's the solution, Captain. -Does Steve think he has thought about this? Gone over every fucking scenario again and again in his head, trying to find a way out?-
Captain: -he can feel himself breaking down again and getting desperate. rubs a hand over his cowl- I... There's got to be one. There's got to be something.
Tony: Then what?! What else is there?!
Captain: I'm trying to figure it out but I need your help!
Tony: Well I don't know. Do you realize how many people you've pissed off with this?
Captain: -sighs, looking down- That usually happens when I stand up for what I believe in.
Tony: You went to far. Every person in America wants to see you in handcuffs right now.
Captain: They're scared. Fear does terrible things.
Tony: Yeah, and you know why they're scared? Because the heroes that have been supposed to be protecting them are slaughtering each other in the streets.
Captain: They were scared long before we started fighting! And you know what, Tony? My men in this base were scared, too! They started gathering themselves up long before I came along because they were terrified for their families and friends that would be at risk due to that fucking law! Heroes were being hunted by people like Deadpool! You want to talk about slaughter? Just look at what that law was doing before the antiregs banded together.
Tony: That's what I was trying to fix! Why the fuck do you think I volunteered to head the program in the first place?!
Captain: Fix!? 42 is fixing it!?
Tony: It was necessary.
Captain: -shakes his head, running a hand over the top of his cowl again-
Tony: -looks away from Steve-
Captain: -He knows his hands are trembling. He just hopes Tony can't tell. quietly- I guess that's it then.
Tony: Yeah, guess so.
Captain: -He almost apologizes. For fucking everything that's happened and that's about to happen. Steve has to be strong, though. This was... necessary. But he just can't do it. He can't move or speak or breathe being so close and yet so fucking far from Tony, knowing that he's only making the canyon deeper.-
Tony: -he hates this, hates what Steve and he had done to themselves. When did this happen? Was there a point when Tony could have stopped this, could have saved their marriage and prevented the war? God it hurt to think about. He wished he was still in the armor, but now he just kept his neutral expression as his mask-
Captain: -finally, he manages to shove all his guilt and anger and sorrow into a tiny little box in his soul. He looks back up to Tony, his face just as empty- Then I guess I'm fixing it without you. -reaches forward to grab Tony's arm again-
Tony: -doesn't reply-
Captain: -grabs Tony's arm and leads him out of the room and toward the cells-
This is the way the world ends: Not with a bang but a whimper
Tony: -The had known the nuclear reactor was about to go off. That was why Tony and Steve had gone in alone while the surronding area was evacuated. And, as they were known to do, the managed to shut down the system just in time. What they hadn't expected was when Tony's suit alerted him to a toxic gas leaking through the vents, a booby trap for anyone trying to stop the nuclear explosion. The suit filtered out the worst of the gas for Tony, but by the time the air was cleared and it was safe to open the doors, he was already coughing up blood.-
Steve: -He's in a lot worse condition. His healing factor couldn't keep up with this. His lungs burn and his throat and nasel cavity are raw. Blood pours out of his mouth and nostrils. They are finally out, so he takes a knee right where he's at and throws up. It's tinged with crimson.-
-The medics are already outside waiting for them, and take them both to SHIELD hospital-
Tony: -by the time they arrive, his skin feels like it's on fire. He's already been taken out of the suit and is covered in a cold sweat-
Steve: -they strip him out of his uniform. He would have sworn his skin peeled off. They put him in a hospital gown, but it hurts like... sunburn? He can barely remember what sunburn feels like. He just can't understand why he hasn't healed yet. They rush him to a room and hook him up to an IV and oxygen mask.-
Tony: -passes out, and wakes up in a hospital bed hooked up to machines. He yanks the mask away from his face and turns to the nurse- S...Steve? Where...?
-she doesn't answer, just puts the mask back on his face and tells him to rest-
Steve: -They try to give him painkillers, but they don't work, which means he still has his healing factor. He doesn't care anymore, though. Where was Tony? Where was his husband? Every time he asks, he never gets a straight answer, so Tony isn't alright. Steve begins to plan how to get out of his bed and to where ever Tony is.-
Tony: -he can't stay in the bed, not without knowing how Steve was. Besides, he was in too much pain to just lay there. But when the nurse came back in and found him sprawled on the floor, medical chart lying next to him, the orderlies hoisted him back on the bed and tied his wrists to the bed with soft restraints that left Tony sobbing from memories-
Steve: -biteshis lip hard and sits up when the nurse is gone. Dear god. He hurts. He repeats Tony's name in his head and stands shakily, leaning on the stand heavily. Rips off the mask and immediately starts to cough violently. Wanders out of his room and clamps his mouth shut. Shakes from coughs.-
Nurse: -spots him and walks over- Mr. Rogers-
Steve: Where's -cough- Tony?
Nurse: He's gonna be fine-
Steve: -yells raspily- Where's Tony!?
Tony: -hears Steve shouting, and pulls against the cuffs- Steve!
Steve: -hears Tony and his jaw tightens as he shoves the orderly away roughly. Pulls his stand down the hall, coughing up blood and sweating buckets- Tony!? -stumbles into Tony's room and falls to his knees, blood dripping out of his mouth-
Nurse: -he gets back up- Captain, wait!
Tony: -tries to sit up when Steve comes in- Steve! -he coughs, blood coating his lips-
Nurse: Captain, you must go back to your room!
Steve: -grinds out- I am in my -cough- room. G-Get those fucking things off of him!
Nurse: It's for his own safety, he kept trying to stand....
Steve: -wipes the blood away from his mouth and yanks out the cumbersome IV. Crawls to the bed, muttering curses about SHIELD-
Nurse: -gives up and just leaves-
Tony: -voice muffled by the mask- Steve, my wrists, please.
Steve: -his heart breaks a little. Grabs the railing and pulls himself up- Ok, justjust hold on. -starts in on the cuffs, shaking-
Tony: -sighs in relief as his wrists are freed, and starts pulling the mask, IV, and various wires off, fingers nearly numb from pain-
Steve: -coughs- I know I'm being hypocritical, but isn't that stuff important?
Tony: -just shakes his head, and reaches for Steve- Come here, please.
Steve: -crawls into the bed. Smiles- This brings up memories.
Tony: -wraps an arm around Steve, and doesn't answer-
Steve: -pulls Tony closer and kisses Tony's cheek- How much pain are you in?
Tony: -coughs again- I'm fine. You?
Steve: -sighs- Same as you.
Tony: -just shakes his head- The doctors, did they tell you? The gas? -grips Steve tight- It was poisonous... deadly.
Steve: Even for us?
Tony: -nods-
Steve: -swallows- That explains a lot.
Tony: I'm sorry.
Steve: Don't be. It's not the worst way to go.
Tony: I -coughs up more blood and his nose begins to bleed- love you.
Steve: I know. I love you, too.
Tony: -He never thought he'd die in a bed. He didn't want a slow, painful death, for himself or Steve. But at least he could say goodbye, and spend these last handful of hours together. He leaned his head against his husband's shoulder-
Steve: -feels something on his face and wipes it away. Blood. How long has his nose been bleeding? Turns away from Tony to cough-
Tony: -holds tightly onto Steve's gown-
Steve: -breaks a little more. Wheezes- I'm really glad we've had this much time together.
Tony: -nods- So am I.
Steve: -brushes his lips along Tony's hairline-
Tony: -quietly- I hate hospitals.
Steve: -holds onto Tony tighter- So do I, but don't worry, I think I scared some nurses on the way here.
Tony: -smiles slightly- Thanks. -pauses- Peter hated them too, remember?
Steve: -heart skips a beat. quietly- Yeah. -swallows blood and grimaces-
Tony: -even all these years later, Pete's death is still and open wound. Sixty-three years of happy memories tainted by eight months of hell. Watching Peter slowly dying of cancer was the only time Tony regretted taking Extremis- Do you think there's something after this?
Steve: -meets Tony's eyes. His mom always said there was something after death. Heaven and Hell. Well, Steve has been to both while he was alive. So has Tony. But he's heard stories, listened to dying soldiers talk about the light and the field of flowers. Chokes on his own blood for a second before answering- Yeah. We'll see Peter again. He's probably playing with Dakota and Mal while he waits. -turns and coughs again. Breathing is hard.-
Tony: -he's never believed in a god or heaven. Now he wasn't sure- I'm just tired. It's been so long....
Steve: -trying not to scare Tony, but he's borderline gasping- I-It has. -pauses- Do you remember o-our first kiss? -chokes again-
Tony: -smiles slightly, heart breaking as the pain got worse- Yeah. I thought -coughs- you were gonna pass out.
Steve: -laughs and there's a gurgling noise as it gets caught in his throat- I was. Because you were perfect and I couldn't believe you kisse me. Well and I wasn't getting the whole sexuality thing.
Tony: Perfect? You didn't know me very well then. -lays limp against Steve, too exhausted to hold himself up-
Steve: -peaceful smile- I knew what I needed to know. -pauses and a tear slips out- There were a couple scares where I was wrong. But you know.... I can say that crashing the plane... was the best choice of my life... because you were an indirect result. -fists his fingers in Tony's clothes as he tries to breathe deep. Everything burns-
Tony: Yeah, g... getting trapped in that cave was the best thing that ever happened to m... me. -turns his head so his face is pressed in the crook of Steve's neck, smearing blood on his collarbone-
Steve: -moves a hand to cup Tony's face. His breathing is coming in stuttering breaths- T-thank you... for everything.
Tony: -leans into the touch- Y... Yeah, you too. -coughs, his throat burning-
Steve: -... Oh. There's the darkness. On the edge of his vision. Feels more tears come- T-tony... I... -he's dying first. No. Tony can't be alone when he goes NO!-
Tony: -feels Steve go tense, hears the panic in his voice. And Tony isn't ready. He can't lose his husband, not yet. His fingers tightened on Steve's clothes- S... Steve....
Steve: -every attempt at breathing feels like it gets cut off- I... love.. you- -gasps sharply and fumbles for one of Tony's hands-
Tony: -can't hold back the tears, and he takes Steve's hand, doing his best to curl his fingers around his- I love you -coughs- too. So much.
Steve: -he can barely feel Tony's hand. God it's like the back device. He can hardly feel Tony's weight on his chest. Everything burns. His own tears spill out as he uses whatever he has left to kiss Tony's forehead-
Tony: -forces himself to lift his head, and presses his cracked lips against Steve's-
Steve: -whimpers, but keeps his eyes open. Tony would be the last thing he saw, dammit. The choking gets worse and he pulls back. Rubs his thumb on his only husband's cheek- T....
Tony: -struggles to keep himself composed for Steve- I...It's okay.
Steve: -and now he can't breathe. God he's terrified. Tony was going to have to go through this, too, and he wouldn't have anyone to hold his hand. The thought makes Steve sob, but he can't intake air. He can't speak. He just keeps making eye contact with Tony, rememorizing where the flecks are.-
Tony: -mores tears com as he meets Steve's gaze, making it even harder to breathe- Hey, I'll see you soon, okay? -just because he doesn't believe in heaven, doesn't mean Steve can't be comforted by it-
Steve: -Would he? Blinks rapidly, trying to stay awake and fight the darkness. Meets Tony's eyes and his fear falls away. After allt he shit they've been through... of course he'd see Tony again. They can't be separated by even time. Death had nothing on them. Barely nods. Goes slack-
Tony: S...Steve? -his stomach feels heavy, as if it was turned in ice-
Steve: -gives Tony one last apology and declaration of love mentally before his pulse stops and his eyes close. Steve Rogers dies.-
Nurse: -according to their calculations, Captain Rogers didn't have long left. Waits patiently outside for any sign the hero died.-
Tony: -No. Nononono not Steve. He doesn't want to be alone, not again. He begins to sob-
Nurse: -looks at his watch again. His stomach drops. If Rogers survived this long, it'd be a miracle. walks to the door and peeks in. Opens the door wider at the scene-
Tony: -doesn't even notice the nurse, still crying-
Nurse: -steels himself and knocks on the door- Mr. Stark?
Tony: -god no, he couldn't deal with someone else right now. He didn't have the strength to pretend everything didn't hurt. He didn't even lift his head- Fuck off.
Nurse: -walks forward- Let me take his pulse.
Tony: -shouts- Get out! -triggers another round of coughing, leaving flecks of blood on Steve's face. Tony thought he was going to throw up-
Nurse: -he knows before he even checks Rogers' pulse he was dead. Looks at his watch, recording time of death. Wipes the blood off Steve.
Tony: Don't touch him! -is in too much pain to try to move, but clings to Steve, trying to protect him-
Nurse: Mr. Stark... -what is he supposed to say?-
Tony: -goes back to ignoring the nurse, pressing his face to Steve's hair-
Nurse: -wipes his hands on his pants- I need to... to take the body.
Tony: No, you're -coughs- n... not taking him! -he held onto Steve as tight as he could-
Nurse: I need to prepare the body for cremation.
Tony: -shakes his head, sobbing. His whole body felt as if it was on fire, and his skull like it was mad of lead- No. nonononono!
Nurse: -hesitates-
Tony: -they can't take Steve. They can't. He can't be alone again-
Nurse: -sighs. At this point, they'd have to tear Steve way from his husband. What's the point if the other man is about to die, anyway? gently- Fine. Ok. Fine. Do you need anything?
Tony: -just shakes his head. All he wants is to just be alone. Steve was gone, Peter was gone. Nothing else mattered anymore-
Nurse: -nods. Slowly turns on his heel and walks out, shutting the door behind him-
Tony: -over the next few hours, he doesn't let go of Steve once while it gets harder and harder to breathe. The fire consumes him slowly, making his muscles scream in pain. And then, finally, the agony is gone, and there is only blackness. Tony Stark is dead-
Nurse: -comes in 30 minutes after Tony dies. Checks Tony's pulse. Hangs his head and quickly walks out again to get help dealing... dealing with the bodies of the two superheroes-
Tony: I'm sorry, but....
Steve: I don't.... Does it.... Are.... Will it k-kill....
Tony: No, hey, no, I'm fine. I'm great, the best I've ever been.
Steve: -looks up and studies Tony. God, he looked the same. But he holds his hope back- How long will you be great? D-do you have to keep taking shots...?
Tony: Yeah, once about every six months.
Steve: -nonono don't stand and hug him and sob. not yet. no. Stop hoping, there must be a catch. There's always a catch- Tony... h-how long will you live for?
Tony: -shrugs- Another hundred years? Maybe more.
Steve: A hu-... -stands shakily- A hundred...?
Tony: Yeah.
Steve: Fffff.... -hugs Tony-
Tony: -hugs him back- Hey, it's okay. -pauses- I'm sorry.
Steve: -and now it's really hitting him he's not going to lose Tony due to some serum like so many other people have been lost. He can stop mentally planning the funeral on bad days. He's heart won't hurt watching Tony in his lab. He doesn't have to lose Tony anytime soon. A weight lifts up off him. Buries his face into Tony's golden shoulder- I was so scared.
Tony: -frowns- Scared?
Steve: S-serum doesn't end well and then you just took of the arc reactor and- -swallows-
Tony: Well, even that's better than the alternative.
Steve: -sharp intake of air. holds Tony tighter-
Tony: I was dying Steve.
Steve: -choked up- I know. I just didn't know if this... stuff would speed that up.
Tony: No, it's... I have cancer. Had, now.
Steve: -freezes up and then pulls back so he can look Tony in the eye, but he doesn't let go. quietly, hurt- What?
Tony: Yeah, bone cancer. Pretty bad.
Steve: And you didn't tell me?
Tony: I was going to, but I thought if I could find a cure or something... And I did!
Steve: -rubs his face- This is a ton to take in.
Tony: Are you going to be okay?
Steve: -laughs, tearing up- You're gonna live, of course I'll be ok.
Tony: -grins- Steve, I'm doing more than living now. I have a thought controlled suit. Do you realize the potential this has?
Steve: -smiles back- No, but I got a feeling you'll be rambling about it for the next two months.
Tony: -laughs- Probably. We do have all the time in the world now.
Steve: -Tony's eyes still crinkle. They have all the time in the world and Tony's eyes still crinkle. Steve actually feels truly happy and there's no dark cloud hanging over this moment. So Steve kisses Tony-
Tony: -kisses him back, wrapping his arms around his neck- It feel nice to have energy again.
Steve: -runs his fingertips along the gold stuff- What is this?
Tony: Organic metal. Hey, wanna see something cool?
Steve: Sure!
Tony: -steps away from Steve, and a moment later, one of the Mark suits opens from it's crate, the memory sensitive metal. It gently floated off it's stand, assembling around Tony-
Steve: -smiles wider- Technology will never cease to amaze me.
Tony: I'm gonna assume by technology you mean me. -the helmet folds away into the armor, revealing Tony's wide grin-
Steve: -can't help but grin back- Obviously.
Tony: -kisses him again-
Steve: -kisses him back- I love you. Always. No matter what.
Tony: -grins- Love you too.
Steve: -face falls a little- You should have told me about the cancer, though.
Tony: -looks away- What difference would it have made?
Steve: It makes a difference to me. You're my husband.
Tony: I wanted you to be... happy. For as long as possible. If I didn't find a cure, why make you miserable knowing I only had a couple more months?
Steve: A couple- You were that bad off?
Tony: Yeah.
Steve: -swallows tightly. He had so much less time then he thought and he didn't even know-
Tony: Steve?
Steve: I-I didn't have much time at all before and you didn't even tell me.
Tony: What difference would it make?
Steve: It makes a difference to me!
Tony: Well maybe I didn't want my last few months to be seeing you miserable!
Steve: -kind of angry- When were you going to tell me?
Tony: I wasn't! Okay?! I wasn't going to tell you!!
Steve: -feels like he just got sucker punched by the Hulk. Actually visibly flinches and takes a half step back-
Tony: -looks away- I'm sorry.
Steve: -hurt- What were you going to do, just fall over d-dead one day?
Tony: I dunno, maybe.
Steve: -suddenly yelling- I thought I had at least another five years, Tony!!
Tony: -winces- I know, I know! I'm a selfish bastard, okay!
Steve: -tension rolls out of his body and his shoulders sag, almost like he's given up. quietly- You're not selfish. You're not. But I'm not gonna deny that I'm really... really hurt.
Tony: But it doesn't matter anymore! I fixed it!
Steve: -can't even look at Tony. still quiet- And what if something goes wrong and you're stuck in the same situation?
Tony: I don't know, I'll just figure something else out.
Steve: So basically... what you're saying is... you still wouldn't tell me you're dying.
Tony: What, no, I didn't.... I don't know!
Steve: -choked up again- Tony....
Tony: This is a good thing Steve! I'm me again! For the first time in years!
Steve: -yelling again- And what if it backfires?! You wouldn't even tell me at all, would you?! -tears come, but he keeps going- And then I'd find you dead one day and the nightmare would happen again, just like being woken up from the ice! One fucking moment to the next, gone!! JUST GONE!
Tony: Steve, please....
Steve: -broken- Please don't keep it from me. Please.
Tony: Okay. Okay.
Steve: -doesn't quite know what to do, now. trying to get himself back under control-
Tony: -steps back- I thought you'd want this.
Steve: What? You alive? Yes.
Tony: Then why are you being like this?!
Steve: Because I'm scared!
Tony: -shouts- I'm fine!
Steve: -takes a step toward Tony, looking him in the eyes. desperate- I'm sorry, alright?! I'm sorry I'm scared! I understand how great this is and I'm not ungrateful or something, but I've spent so long squashing down my hope that I can't just bounce back that easily!
Tony: -calmer- I'm fine Steve. I'm not going anywhere, I promise.
Steve: -takes a deep breath, studying Tony's face. Alive. He was alive and not going anywhere. Alive and not going anywhere. Steve repeated the matra in his head and slowly nodded-
Tony: -looks at Steve, then pauses as he wills the armor and undersheath to fold away into his skin, leaving him standing in the workshop in nothing but a pair of ratty jeans-
Steve: -It is the strangest thing to see Tony without the reactor. Steve has never known him without the blue glowing light. He always associated Tony with the color and whenever the light went out, it became a source of extreme fear. And now it's just... gone. takes another step forward and places his hand where it used to be. Nothing. No whirring. No light. But that's ok. It's ok because somewhere in Tony's chest, he can feel his heart pumping. Steve slowly smiles-
Tony: -smiles back at Steve- About time I got that hunk of metal out.
Steve: -smirks slightly- But now I have no reading light.
Tony: I'll build you one Cap.
Steve: -smiles, but then he frowns slightly- Wait, didn't the reactor power the suit?
Tony: Did being the key word there.
Steve: So the organic metal powers it now?
Tony: The suit and me are the same now. It doesn't need an outside power source the same reason I didn't need the reactor to power my hands. My body powers itself.
Steve: -traces the spot where the reactor was- Huh.
Tony: Are you okay with all this?
Steve: -meets his eyes- What, the reactor gone and gold coming out of your skin? Trust me, it's not the strangest thing I've seen.
Tony: I dunno, Peter seemed a bit weirded out.
Steve: -eyebrows furrow, trying to remember Peter's reaction- Did he?
Tony: Well, I'm technically younger than him now...
Steve: -chuckles- He'll get used to it.
Tony: -leans up and kisses him-
Steve: -pushes down whatever fear he had left and kisses Tony back-
Tony: -wraps his arms around Steve's shoulders, deepening the kiss-
Steve: -hands travel down to Tony's hips and pull him closer. gladly goes along with Tony-
Tony: -he'd forgotten what it was like for Steve to not try him so carefully, like he was going to break. He lifts a hand, tangling it in Steve's hair-
Steve: -Don't get him wrong, Steve loves Tony no matter what he looks like or how he feels or how much energy Tony has. Still, this is like redisovering Tony and honestly, that excites Steve a little. Moves one hand to Tony's lower back and the other up to the back of Tony's neck-
Tony: -smiles against Steve's lips- You are wearing too many clothes.
Steve: What if Peter comes back down? -lightly pecks Tony's lips-
Tony: I'm sure JARVIS will warn him.
Steve: Do you think he minds waiting? -pulls back from Tony and pulls his shirt over his head-
Tony: -runs his hands down Steve's ribs- I'm sure he'll deal with it.
Steve: -smirks and captures Tony's lips with his own again-
((So there you have it! I'm pretty sure this is canon. I think. Yes? Yes. so yeah. Steve gets to be happy a bit longer))
So Sam. You were talking about Extremis the other day. Behold....
The Avengers rarely went out as a team anymore, the others busy with their familes and lives. They of course all still had the tower to call home, even if Tony didn't see some of them for months at a time. There were plenty of superheroes to fill the gap though, including Peter, who was in his thirties and still as energic and driven as when he was 16. He lived in New York still, Tony didn't think the kid could ever bring himself to call another city home. When he wasn't saving lives as Spiderman, he worked as a biology teacher at a local high school. Tony had wondered why he didn't go into research or another high level field, he certainly had the education, brains, and contacts to, but Peter was happy teaching, that was all that mattered. As for Steve and Tony, they still worked together as specialists for SHIELD, going out either as a pair or with a larger team when the world needed them. Tony wouldn't have wanted to do anything else. Retirement didn't seem feasible, even when he could feel his joints groaning in their sockets
Tony sat in the shop, where he'd been since late last night. The day before, he and Cap had been part of a raid on Futurepharm, where Dr. Mara Hansen had developed Extremis, a drug created using the serum that had created Captain America. Dr. Hansen had sold it to domestic terrorists, and Tony had been dumbfounded by the results. No one missed the vial he had slipped into a sidepocket of the armor during cleanup. He'd been running tests on it all night, and the results were amazing. The nanobots in the vial, once injected into the subjects body, did a survey, compiling all the information of flaws and weaknesses before removing them. And that was just the default mode. The bots could be programmed specifically with what and how to improve the subject. Super strength, super speed, mutant powers... it was just the beginnning. Theoritcally, Tony could use this to reverse his aging, to stay young and healthy for a hundred years. He wouldn't ever have to worry about dying in a hospital bed, or leaving Steve alone.
Tony stood as the screens in front of him beeped, showing that the nanobots had been sucessfully updated with the Iron Man stats. He removed the vial from the computer and inserted it into the pipe gun, taking a deep breath before pressing the needles against his bicep and pulling the trigger. Tony gasped as pain shot through his body before passing out-
Peter: -walks into the Tower, and finds Steve in the living room- Hey Pops.
Steve: -sketching on his notepad, relaxing on the couch. looks up and smiles- Hey, Pete! How are you today?
Peter: -sits down across from him- Good, got sick of grading papers, needed some fresh air.
Steve: -puts the sketchpad down- Don't blame you. I hate paperwork.
Peter: Doesn't everyone? So, how've you guys been around here?
Steve: Good! Just got back from a raid yesterday and your Dad hasn't left his lab since.
Peter: Any idea what he's working on now?
Steve: Got no idea, but I was gonna bring him coffee soon.
Peter: Yeah, I'll head down with you, see what new toys he's got going.
Steve: Good! -hears the coffee pot ding. gets off the couch- Let me get him a cup and we'll go down.
Peter: Sounds good.
Steve: -makes Tony a large cup of coffee and walks to the elevator, pressing the button- He's probably passed out on his work table if I had to guess.
Peter: -walks over to Steve, chucking- And he complains about his back like it's totally unrelated.
Steve: -rolls his eyes and steps onto the elevator- Classic Tony right there.
Peter: Yeah. -steps into the elevator, and the doors slide shut-
Steve: How's your other job going? You're staying safe, right? Safe-ish?
Peter: -resists rolling his eyes- Yes, it's fine. Stopped Doctor Doom from blowing up the Empire State Building last week.
Steve: Yeah, saw that on the news. That was a fantastic left hook you got him with!
Peter: -grins- Well, learned it from the best. -the elevator opens-
Tony: -lays on the ground unconscious, where he's been for the past four hours. His wrinkles are gone, he looks like he's thirty five again-
Steve: -walks out and looks around- Tony? -spots him and stops. And he stares. Steve can see a complete lack of grey hair and a limp hand doesn't look the same as it did the last time Steve saw him... but it mimics the look of fifty years ago when Steve met him for the first time. What. The. Fuck.-
Peter: -sees Tony- What the fuck? Who... -looks at Steve, perplexed-
Steve: -the cup slips out of his grip, but the reflexes kick in and he snatches it again before it falls a foot, tearing his eyes away from Tony. puts the cup on a table and goes back to staring- I... It can't be.
Peter: -goes to his side, kneeling down and checking the pulse- Is this dad? I mean...
Steve: -face goes dark- If it's not, this is a sick joke.
Peter: His pulse and breathing are steady. JARVIS, what's going on?
JARVIS: I am sorry sir, but Mr. Stark has prohibited me from discussing it. But I can assure you that is indeed Mr. Stark.
Steve: -finally walks over and kneels down, hesitantly runs a hand through Tony's now black hair- How...?
Peter: -notices the blood on Tony's arm, and sees the pipe gun laying nearby. He picks it up, studying it-
Steve: -doesn't even pay attention to Peter. He's kinda having a mental trainwreck right now and he's finally daring himself to hope-
Peter: JARVIS, can you pull up Dad's vitals? -stands, looking at the screen- They look stable at least. More than that, this is... intense.
Steve: -looks up- What? -looks at the vitals and then down at the gun, then back to Tony. Then back to the gun and up to Peter- Extremis.
Peter: What's that?
Tony: -groans-
Steve: -was about to answer when Tony groaned. freezes and stares again, watching all the little muscles pull and twitch as he wakes up and can't wrap his mind around the fact that there are no wrinkles to make them more obvious-
Peter: -watches, curiousity and worry burning-
Tony: -opens his eyes and grins groggily at Steve- Hey Cap.
Steve: -he wants to cry in joy so badly, but he holds back. What if this stuff has side effects and Tony still dies? What if it's purely cosmetic and he still has the same health problems? No. Don't hope. No to the hoping thing. Nope.- Tony. I think you have explaining to do.
Tony: -sits up- Uh, did it work? -looks up- Hey Pete!
Peter: -deadpan- Hi Dad.
Steve: -feels like he's having a heart attack and he wouldn't be surprised if he was. tries to keep his voice level- Tony.
Tony: -stands up, looking at his hands- Damn. Forgot what it's like not to have arthritis. Fucking fantastic. -grins-
Peter: -looks at Steve-
Steve: -sterner- Tony.
Tony: -looks up- Yes?
Steve: -doesn't even know what fucking question to fucking ask first he's so in shock. There's Tony from 50 years ago just acting like nothing happened when Steve has been preparing for Tony to die and to end up alone for years now. Years. And his... programming... is preventing him from hope. It won't let him believe what he's seeing. So he just stands there, mouth gaping a little, completely still-
Peter: What's Extremis exactly and what's going on?
Tony: -scrubs a hand through his now much fuller hair- Yeah, it's a serum with this nanotech that injects the super soldier serum. Of course I made some adjustments before I injected it.
Peter: Holy shit.
Steve: -brain starts to catch up with what's going on. his heart stops for two beats before starting up again. He's seen what different versions of the serum can do to people and he's now terrified-
Tony: Steve, you okay? Looking a little green.
Steve: A-A-Are the-r-re an-n-ny other s-side effects?
Tony: -grins- Yeah. Watch this. -small plug like holes appear on his chest, arms and back, and then his skin slowly becomes the gold metallic cloth like his undersuit he wears with the armor-
Peter: Oh my god! -jumps back-
Steve: FUCK! TONY! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?
Tony: The undersheath for my armor. Compressed into my bones. It responds to my every thought now.
Peter: That's.... insane. -grins-
Tony: Also... -reaches up to his chest, and pulls out the reactor, tossing it to Peter as the hole closes over-
Peter: -catches the reactor on reflex-
Steve: holyfuck. -sits down right where he is, staring and hyperventilating-
Tony: Steve, it's okay. It's still me.
Steve: -panicky- BUT THE REACTOR!
Steve: Is there anything ELSE you feel like mentioning because now would be a GOOD TIME TO DO IT BEFORE YOU THROW ANOTHER FREAKING CURVEBALL!
Tony: I can access satellites with my brain now.
Steve: -puts his head between his knees to keep from throwing up or fainting or something what is even happening- ohmygod.
Peter: Uh, Pop, do you want a glass of water or something?
Steve: -a little strangled- Yeah, that'd be great.
Peter: -goes to the sink and grabs a glass, filling it up and taking it to him-
Tony: It's not that big a deal. I thought you'd be happy.
Steve: You used a version of the serum! That doesn't usually end well!
Tony: I didn't have a choice Steve!
Steve: -fists his hands in his hair and tries to calm himself down-
Peter: Uh, I'm gonna let you guys sort this out. -walks quickly back to the elevator-
JARVIS: -to Tony and Steve, who are in the conference room still searching for Peter- Sirs, Peter and what appears to be an injured Deadpool are currently in the lobby.
Tony: What?! -takes off out of the room into a run-
Steve: -sprints after him- JARVIS, how is Pete? Is he hurt?
JARVIS: He is upset, but well.
Tony: -runs into the lobby, and sees his son crying over Deadpool's body- Peter!! -picks him up and holds him tightly- Oh thank god.
Peter: Daddy!! -hugs him back-
Steve: -hugs both of them, tearing up- You're back....
Tony: -presses a kiss to Peter's hair, unable to hold back tears-
Steve: How... oh god we were terrified.
Peter: I missed you, I don't wanna go away again.
Tony: -barely holds back a sob- We won't let that happen ever again, I promise.
Steve: -kisses the top of Peter's head-
Tony: -pulls back slightly to look at Peter, running his fingers through his dirty hair....- Is this blood?! -slightly frantic at the sight, he began probbing his fingers against his son's scalp, trying to find the wound-
Steve: -glares at Deadpool's body- Did he do that?
Peter: It was that mean man who yelled a lot.
Tony: I'll fucking kill Hammer for this.
Steve: What did the mean man do, Peter?
Peter: He hit me and had people poke me with needles and made me stay in a cage and was really mean.
Tony: -grits his teeth, rage pulsing through him-
Steve: What?! -pulls up a sleeve and can see the little needle marks- ohmygod.
Tony: Peter, do you know what they injected you with?
Peter: -shakes his head-
Steve: We need to get him to the medbay, Tony. -glares at Deadpool again- What do we do with him?
Tony: Make sure he doesn't leave. -cradles Peter close as they walk to the elevator-
Steve: -kneels next to Deadpool and checks his pulse. Puts his ear next to Deadpool's mouth and hears the wheezing- JARVIS, can you scan him, please?
JARVIS: He has several bits of shrapnel in his back and chest, several of which are quite large, and causing massive internal bleeding that his healing factor is struggling to compensate for.
Steve: -sighs and slings one of Deadpool's arms over his neck and stands. Deadpool moans as Steve drags him to the elevator- Please call in the others, JARVIS.
Tony: -takes Peter down to the medbay, and carefully cleaned the cut on his head, which was thankfully not deep enough to need stitches. He had JARVIS run some scans on him, and found a foreign element in his bloodstream. Though he couldn't identify it, it didn't seem to be harmful-
Peter: Where's Deadpool, Daddy?
Tony: Don't worry about him. You're safe now.
JARVIS: Yes Captain.
Steve: -presses the button for the medbay and drags Deadpool into a secure room. Flips him on his back and pulls up his uniform. Begins to take out all the shrapnel he can see. He's so angry at Deadpool that he can't even wrap his mind around it-
Deadpool: -dead to the world-
Tony: -gives Peter a bath, then after helpign him dry off and change into some warm pjs, he goes to find Steve and Deadpool, Peter safe in the other med room-
Steve: -didn't even realize he started crying until he couldn't actually see the shrapnel. Wipes his eyes and cleans the wounds. Doesn't hear Tony come in-
Tony: Peter's okay. He's in there watchind Disney channel right now.
Steve: -startled- Oh. -clears his throat- Good. -throws the gloves and gauze in the trash with more force then necessary-
Tony: -looks at Deadpool- He hasn't woken up yet?
Deadpool: -wounds on his back heal-
Steve: Nope. He's got shrapnel in his lungs. -takes Deadpool's filthy top all the way off, but leaves the mask. Flips him on his back- He won't wake till it gets out and I can't do it. -takes a deep breath and flexes his hands-
Tony: Okay, we'll get someone down here who can. -takes one of Steve's hands-
Steve: -doesn't relax- Has pete said anything else? How is he back? What happened?
Tony: Not really. He's still pretty upset.
Steve: -looks back at Deadpool, fury coarsing though him-
Tony: I don't want to leave Pete alone for too long.
Steve: Huh? Oh, yeah. -walks out of the room-
Tony: -walks with Steve back to Peter-
Peter: -looks up when they walk in, and immediately runs over to Steve-
Steve: -grins and picks Peter up- Hello, Pete! -looks at the tv- Whatcha watchin'?
Peter: -hugs him- Uh, iCarly.
Steve: -chokes up slightly, but clears his throat- Really? Is that the one about the wizards? Or the twins with the suite?
Peter: No, it's the one with the girl, and she and her friends do silly stuff.
Tony: -rubs Peter's back-
Steve: Oh, yes, that one. -internally thinking Pete described every Disney show. Looks at Tony- Can we take him to the penthouse or does he need to stay here?
Tony: We can take him upstairs.
Steve: -to Pete- Want to iCarly upstairs? Dakota and Mal are up there.
Peter: -nods- Okay.
Tony: -smiles softly at his son, then walks to the elevator-
Steve: Ok. -holds him tight and goes to the elevator-
Peter: I'm hungry.
Tony: We'll make you some dinner in the penthouse, okay?
Steve: Yeah, anything you want for dinner?
Peter: Can I have fish sticks?
Tony: Yeah Pete, whatever you want.
Steve: *laughs* Sure, son.
Tony: *steps out of the elevator into the penthouse, and whistles for the dogs*
Dakota: *trots out until she sees Peter, then she runs to Steve, tail wagging furiously*
Steve: *follows after him and puts Peter down*
Dakota: *licks Peter's face*
Mal: *runs over, pressing his body against Peter and licking his face and neck happily*
Peter: *giggles, hugging the dogs*
Tony: *his heart clenches as he watches Peter and the dogs*
Steve: *wraps an arm around Tony and watches Pete*
Dakota: *sniffs Peter and licks him again*
Tony: *leans against Steve, three days of panic and terror and desperate searching finally catching up to him*
Steve: *all he truly wants to do is kill Hammer and Deadpool, but instead he ruffles Peter's hair and goes to make fish sticks*
Tony: *sits on the floor next to Peter, keeping a hand on his back*
Steve: *practically choking on anger and guilt for not protecting and saving Peter as he puts the fish sticks on a pan and puts them into the oven*
Tony: Pete, what happened when you were... away?
Peter: I got sueprpowers!
Tony: *smiles fondly at him, not going to push Peter when he obviously wasn't ready to talk about it* Wow!
Steve: *comes back in* What are we wow-ing?
Peter: I'm gonna be a superhero, just like you and Daddy!
Tony: *smiles at Steve*
Steve: Of course you are! *sits on the other side of Peter* Never doubted it for a second.
Peter: Watch this! *shoots a rope of webbing at the ceiling, and a moment later is dangling from it, six feet off the ground*
Tony: *jumps up* Oh my god!
Steve: *scoots back* What?! How did... Tony?
Peter: Isn't this cool?!
Tony: Holy shit what did Hammer do?!
Steve: *stands and grabs Peter* Ohmygod, Peter, what IS that?!
Tony: *touches the rope, frowning* Pete, what happened? What did he do to you?
Peter: I dunno. The guy said I was a... um, a hybrid.
Steve: *scared* A hybrid? A hybrid of what?
Peter: Deadpool said I'm like a spider!
Tony: *stares at Peter, horrified that even Hammer would go so low to experminent on a child* JARVIS, run analysis on this substance, and Peter, to try to figure out exactly what HAmmer did.
JARVIS: Yes sir.
Steve: Peter, how did... *flips one of his wrists over and looks at the little web patch*
Tony: Steve, have you seen anything like this before?
Steve: *shakes his head* Not... successfully. I mean people tried all sorts of stuff in the war. *inspects Pete's wrist and flips over his hand* Is that a bite?
Peter: Uh huh. It made me sick.
Tony: Did you get the powers before or after you were bit?
Peter: Uh, after.
Steve: But that's a- *pauses* Tony, down in the med bay in locker 21, there's some papers Deadpool had that I took. It said something about spiders.Steve: But that's a- -pauses- Tony, down in the med bay in locker 21, there's some papters Deadpool had that I took. It said something about spiders.
Tony: JARVIS, have one of the bots get the papers and bring them up here please.
Jarvis: Yes sir.
Steve: Is there anything else that's different since the bite, Peter?
Peter: Um... I can climb up on the ceiling!
Tony: -looks at Steve-
Steve: -takes a calming breath- The ceiling, huh?
Peter: Yeah, wanna see?!
Steve: Sure. Climb on the wall, first. -puts Peter down-
Peter: -runs over to the wall and quickly scampers up-
Tony: Wow.
Steve: -looks at Tony- How? Please tell me how this is possible.
Tony: I don't know. We need to talk to Bruce... And Deadpool.
Peter: -goes higher, onto the ceiling-
Steve: ohmygod. -runs to stand under Peter- That doesn't hurt your arms or anything?
Peter: Nope!
Tony: That probably means a degree of super strength as well.
Steve: So... he can sling webs, crawl on ceilings, and he has super strength.... -stops imagining how the first temper tantrum will go-
Tony: Looks like.
Peter: -drops from the ceiling, swinging through the air by a web-
Tony: Peter! -runs forward and snatches him out of the air-
Steve: -heart went to his throat. sighs in relief when Tony catches Peter-
Peter: But it's fun!
Tony: Yeah, I know Pete. But how about we hold off on the ceiling climbing until we figure out exactly what's going on, okay?
Peter: -face falls- Oh, okay.
Steve: -grabs a web rope and takes it in both hands. Pulls hands in opposite directions, but it doesn't break- Weird.
Tony: We love you, and we just want to make sure you're safe.
Peter: -frowns, but nods-
Steve: -smells the fish sticks and then the timer beeps- Dinner's done. -goes to kitchen-
Tony: -smiles at Peter- Come on, let's eat! -follows Steve-
Peter: Okay!
Steve: -puts on oven mitts and takes out the fish sticks. Then goes to the fridge and takes out carrots, too-
Tony: -sets Peter down at the bar- What do you want to drink?
Peter: Apple juice!
Tony: -smiles at him and goes to the fridge-
Steve: -gets out three plates. wonders if Peter was fed, but scrubs that thought away and divides the fish sticks up-
Tony: -grabs one of the plates and the glass of juice, putting them in front of Peter- Bon appetite!
Steve: -grabs his own plate and sits-
Tony: -sits next to Steve-
Peter: -immediately starts to eat as fast as he can-
Steve: Peter, slow down, you'll choke!
Peter: -mouth full- But I'm hungry.
Tony: Your dad's right, you don't want to make yourself sick.
Steve: -softens- Yeah.
Peter: -slows down, and takes a large sip of juice-
Steve: -feels his heart break and he eats a fish stick to cover it up-
Tony: -picks at the fish sticks, appetite gone-
Peter: -finishes his food and yawns-
Tony: You ready to go to bed?
Peter: -nods- Uh huh.
Steve: -smiles slightly and looks at Tony- You put him to bed, I'll clean up in here?
Tony: -nods and scoops Peter up- To bed we go bud.
Steve: -picks up the plates and cleans up the kitchen-
Tony: -goes and puts Peter to bed, staying next to him until the small boy is fast asleep, softly stroking his hair-
Steve: -finishes up and goes to Peter's room. Walks in and loops his arms around Tony, resting his chin on Tony's shoulder-
Tony: -smiles at Steve, then leans down and kisses Peter's head before standing-
Steve: -moves around Tony and does the same. straightens the blanket a little-
Tony: -turns on Peter's nightlight and quietly walks out-
Steve: -follows after him, but stays in the doorway longer then necessary-
Deadpool, the Merc with the Mouth, has no idea how it happened. One minute he's a badass gunslinger for hire... the next?
He's surrounded by children.
Now, don't get him wrong; he likes kids and kids like him. Deadpool is invincable and can go days without rest. He doesn't mind repitition. He likes Barney, even met him once. Never runs out of things to talk about. Sure, he curses a bit more than the average babysitter, but that's only a small fault.
Yes. Babysitter. Because that's why he's surrounded by tiny brats. Deadpool became a babysitter in ten seconds flat.
Well. Not ten seconds.
After Deadpool escaped with Peter from Hammer's base after blowing it up, his lungs healed while he still had shrapnel in them. He barely got to the Avenger's tower before he collapsed and passed out. He didn't MEAN to faint. He was going to return Peter as quietly as he took him, but it's hard to be quiet when you're coughing up metal bits. He bets the alarm went off and the Avengers found a sobbing Pete kneeling over Deadpool's body. Or maybe that's just Deadpool wishing. The mental image is heartwrenching.
They, out of the kindness of their hearts or their sadistic nature, took Deadpool to the med bay and got god knows who to take the shrapnel out. If he's honest, he's kinda disappointed they didn't put an arc reactor in his chest. When he came back to reality, the mercenary woke up to two very angry daddies. You'd think they'd be glad to have their son back, but they only focused on the negitive side. After all, Deadpool took him in the first place.
Anger turned to shock when Peter dropped from the ceiling of the medbay onto Deadpool's lap. Apparently they didn't know their son was special yet, nor did they know he was on the ceiling till he fell. Shock quickly tumbled to confusion when Peter hugged Deadpool's neck in a deathgrip and basically proclaimed undying love in kidspeak to him.
With Peter sitting in Rogers's lap, Deadpool told them the full story with Peter confirming certain facts ("YEAH and then I webbed a guy and he fell down, Dad! I'm a superhero like you and Deadpool!") and the fathers decided to let Deadpool go. Deep down, the merc knew they'd never let him see Pete again and even deeper, he felt like little knives were stabbing his heart. Pete proceeded to cry and call his name, which broke Deadpool even further as he walked away.
And then the tower was attacked by motherfucking Hammer.
Deadpool was already down the street when the first explosion went off. He found himself sprinting back to the tower. It's surrounded by Hammer jets and-.... Suddenly, he screeched to a hault. They don't want him. They can take care of it on their own. Going back just means trouble. Regret. Guilt. Don't go back, Deadpool, you're not a hero. Not a hero. No matter what Pete says, you're not a hero. As casually as he could, Wade turned on his heel and walked away from the tower again. He's a villian. Those hero streaks never stuck and never will and going back is bad. Wait, he's still thinking about this? He should have stopped by now-
When the second missile hit the Avenger's Tower, the only thought running through his mind was about Peter. Deadpool stopped and clenched his fist. He's not Deadpool's kid. So why is every nerve in his body on fire? Why does his heart hurt? Ache? Sting? Why are his hands shaking? And if he goes back, what if it ends up like last time and Pete dies?
The third missle hit and Deadpool cursed long and loud as he ran toward the Tower. He was going to regret this, he knew he was, but at this point in Deadpool's life, adding more regret wasn't going to do much, was it?
With the most fearsome battle cry ever screamed (and maybe there was a slight whimper because, damn, glass hurts every time), he charged through the doors he resolutely walked out of and started taking down-
FUCKING HYDRA?! WHY?
Turns out, Hammer bought Hydra. Who just BUYS a terrorist organization? Fucking Justin Hammer, that's who. Anyway. Deadpool weaved and bobbed and (hehehe Bob. Where is Bob? Bob the Hydra Agent. Deadpool kinda missed him) killed as many agents as he could. He nearly killed Natasha once on accident and Natasha repaid him with a brief knife to his gut. Ok, true, he deserved it. Doesn't mean he didn't bitch about it. None of the other Avengers did anything. So not for him, but not against him. Awesome.
He spotted a group of agents break into the elevator and hook on the cables inside, repelling down. Deadpool sliced another agent, wondering if that was bad.
"Hey, guys, is that bad?" No answer. Guess no one could hear him, so he yelled his question louder, but still no answer. This is what they get for not giving him a comm and making him an Avenger. Not that he had applied 50 times (52, to be exact). With an exaspirated sigh, Deadpool walked to the elevator. "Must I do everything? First I give your kid powers, then I rescue said kid, and now I'm fighting your fights. Pitch in a little, here." The mercenary grabbed onto the wire with a gloved hand and slid down. And down. And down. And down. And even more down, but still no sign of the splinter group. What were they headed for?
Then, as if he was wired for it, he heard Peter's sobs. Oh of course. If Hydra hears "super soldier", they always come running. Always. And Captain America is currently married to Iron Man, so that's a no go for them. Hammer must've hung the idea of a super-spider in front of them like that little dog in Mulan.
Fury corsed through his veins and he let go of the cable. He it the bottom of the shaft with a sickening crackle of broken legs. It reminded Deadpool of Pop-Rocks. Peter would love Pop-Rocks.
The mercenary stretched out his legs and waited until he was straight again to stand and walk though the opening some explosion made. Semtex, it looked like. He pulled out his pistols and glided into the basement.
The scene... was absolutely priceless.
There was Pepper Potts, the seemingly calm, cool, collected, sweet, nice, kind CEO of Stark Interprises, with two automatics and holding off four agents easily. Blood was smeared her forehead and she looked like some sort of office Rambo. This must be why Tony hired her. That, and she looks fantastic in a pencil skirt. And damn, look at those heels.
Deadpool quickly took care of the four agents he could see when one in hiding shot a lamp from the ceiling. It fell. Before he could stop it, it landed right on Pepper's head. He sprinted over, not caring about the bullets that littered his body. Pepper was still semi-conscience and she pointed to a numberpad on the opposite wall, not protected at all and without cover.
"4-2-8-3-4-2-1-9-6." And then she passed out. Yay. Wade left her behind her cover and ran over to the numberpad. And of course, he got shot. Repeatidly.
"I. FUCKING. HATE. HYDRA!" His words were accented by bullet impacts. Once the code was in, a huge metal wall fell out of the fucking ceiling and cut him off from the agents. The ultimate safe room.
But wait, where was-
"DEADPOOL!" A voice yelled and then Deadpool felt two little arms wrap around his legs. He smiled.
"Hello, Pete! Where were you?" He turned to the direction he assumed Peter came from and he saw a small metal door toward the back with two little girls poking their heads out.
And that's how Deadpool went from badass to babysitter in ten-ish seconds.
((Author's Note: I don't know how old the kids are. I think Peter is three? He was adopted as a baby and after the kidnapping of Tony and Steve, thus after Phillipa was born. So I assume the other two kids can walk and talk, thus not needing as much supervision. I'm sorry I'm shit at dialouge and stuff and yeah. But here. So. Who wants to rp this?))
The Kids Aren't Alright. Avengersverse: Part Three
Deadpool: -wakes up in pieces. Literally. But they didn't scatter him and he was mostly back together when the sun starts to set. That means Pete has been alone with Hammer all day. Gathers the rest of his pieces and smirks when he finds the tracker he left ont he guns they took from him still working-
Peter: -despite his struggling, the scientists had done their tests, poking him with needles and scanning him with machines and asking lots of questions that didn't make sense. By the end of it he was exhausted, slumped agains the side of the cage-
Canner: -looking at some results, but can't make heads or tails of it. he doesn't know if the stablilizer is in Peter or the venom. Hears explosions- Huh?
Deadpool: -knocks down the door, guns smoking- Will Peter Parker please come to the office? His dads want to see him.
Peter: -sits up, smiling- Deadpool!
Deadpool: -grins even through the mask- Hiya, Texas Pete. Have I ever told you that's my favorite hot sauce? -points a gun at Canner, the only scientist in the room- I hope he's not 100% ok so I can blow your brains out and have a reason. -walks to the cage and gets Pete out-
Peter: -immediately holds onto Deadpool, gripping his uniform tightly-
Deadpool: -holds him in one arm. Walks over to Canner- Look away, Peter. -hits Canner with his pistol and knocks him out-
Peter: -presses his face against Deadpool's shoulder-
Deadpool: -walks to the door- How are you feeling? What did teh bad people do to you? How many heads are rolling?
Peter: My head hurts, and they poked my arms with needles.
Deadpool: -his face even darkens with the mask on- I'm blowing up the whole fucking building. I hate experimentation.
Peter: They were mean.
Deadpool: -opens the door and makes sure Peter's face is still buried in his shoulder before shooting a couple guards- Wanna see a fireball, then? I'm sure I could make one.
Peter: I just wanna leave.
Deadpool: -swallows- Alright. -plants another pack of C-4 he's been putting in select parts of the base and runs toward and exit-
Peter: -holds onto Deadpool-
Deadpool: -shoots another guard and is out the door. Keeps running through the desert when he hears a whirring sound. Shit. Rocket. he tosses Pete over a dune when he gets a direct hit. And then the base blows up.-
Peter: -rolls through the sand, covering his ears with his hands and wincing at the explosion-
Deadpool: -the shockwave rolls through and he lays there until he thinks he can move. sits up- Pete? You ok?
Peter: -stands, wobbling a little- Yeah, I think.
Deadpool: -stands and reaches behind him, grabbing the biggest chunk of shrapnel. pulls it out with a gasp of pain.- G-good. Owie.
Peter: -eyes widen as he watches Deadpool-
Deadpool: -stretches and his back pops into place again- Not as good as that chiropractor in LA, but hey, can't be too picky I guess.
Peter: You're really weird.
Deadpool: I need to broaden your vocabulary. Next time, say "You're really fucking weird and slightly crazy."
Peter: What does fucking mean?
Deadpool: -pauses- When I get you back, ask the blonde dad what it means. But please, not when I'm around.
Peter: Are we going home now?
Deadpool: -stumbles a little and pulls out another bit of metal out of his butt with a moan-Yeah. God how many are there?! Awww fuck it, let's go.
Peter: Shouldn't you be, like, dead?
Deadpool: Yep. Want me to carry you or you wanna walk?
Peter: -holds out his arms to Deadpool-
Deadpool: -he swears his heart literally softens as he picks up Peter- I heal really fast, so I can't die. Glad you're not terribly freaked out.
Peter: Oh, okay. -settles against Deadpool's chest-
Deadpool: Careful, I think some metal is still in my back. Don't cut yoruself.
Peter: Alright. -already beginning to fall asleep, worn out-
Deadpool: -walks and thinks. Then he continues the story of the dragon from where Pete fell asleep last time-
Peter: -listens until he falls asleep-
Deadpool: -makes it to the road and puts Peter down in the sand. Then, he jumps in front of a car. When he gets hit, the car stops. He jumps up and pulls the driver to the pavement, knocking him out and tossing him to the roadside. He picks Pete back up and puts him in the back. Then he drives-
Peter: -looks out the window at the unconscious man- Was he a bad guy?
Deadpool: -pauses- No. Well. Maybe? Ish. Not really.
Peter: Then why did you do that?
Deadpool: We needed a car. Don't worry, he'll be fine and collect bunches of insurance from this.
Peter: Okay.
Deadpool: -briefly wonders if he's ruining Roger's moral training and Deadpool nearly giggles with glee-
Peter: -watches silently out the window as they drive-
Deadpool: -pulls out his cellphone, but it got blasted. looks in the glove compartment. No phones so no telling the dad's their kid was ok. Surprise? Yes!-
Peter: Where are we?
Deadpool: Texas. Already bought a small plane to get to New York, so it'll take about a day to get back home.
Peter: Oh.
Deadpool: -looks in the mirror at Pete- Don't worry, you'll be having some sappy family hug with your dads before you know it.
Peter: -smiles at Deadpool-
Deadpool: -stares- You really love them, don't you?
Peter: They're my daddies!
Deadpool: -looks out the window again- Yep, they sure are.
Peter: Do you have daddies?
Deadpool: -grip tightens on the wheel- Yep, I had an old man, but I had... I had a mom and dad.
Peter: My friend Freya has a mommy! And my friend Phillipa.
Deadpool: Really? How's that working for them?
Peter: They're nice.
Deadpool: Good for them. What about you, though? You want a mom?
Peter: -shakes his head- I've got my daddies.
Deadpool: -swallows a lump in his throat- Yeah. Good for you, kid.
Peter: Do you like Star Wars?
Deadpool: Who doesn't like Star Wars? But not 1, 2, or 3. I killed a man once for saying they were better than 4, 5, and 6.
Peter: There are more than three?
Deadpool: ... Who shot first, Han Solo or Greedo?
Peter: I dunno.
Deadpool: Please say you know who Han Solo is? Chewie? Every kid likes Chewie.
Peter: He's my favorite! I have a poster of him in my room!
Deadpool: So do I! I've got tons of Star Wars stuff!
Peter: So do I!
Deadpool: -laughs- You're a cool kid, Pete. -pulls off the road onto a private runway, a small plane already running-
Peter: Do you wanna see my room when we get home? I've got lots of posters and action figures and stuff!
Deadpool: I'd love to, but I'm just going to drop you off. -parks the car and turns it off-
Peter: -face falls- You're not staying?
Deadpool: Nope. But I bet your room is rad. I'm sorry I'll miss out. -gets out and opens Peter's door-
Peter: -climbs out of the car- But why not?
Deadpool: -shuts the door behind him- I, uh, I'm busy. C'mon, let's get to the plane.
Peter: -looks up at Deadpool, eyes watering- Don't you like me?
Deadpool: -shocked, worried. Picks up Peter- Nonono, don't cry. Of course I like you. You're the best kid I've ever met.
Peter: -sniffles- Then why are you leaving?
Deadpool: I told you, I... -sighs and walks to the plane- I can't stay.
Peter: -wraps his arms around Deadpool's neck- But why not?
Deadpool: -quietly- Because You're the only person who wants me around, Pete.
Peter: But you're a superhero! Everyone likes superheroes!
Deadpool: -laughs humorlessly as he gets on the plane. Waves to the pilot to take off-
Peter: My daddies like you, don't they?
Deadpool: Not... really.
Peter: But why not?
Deadpool: It's complicated. I'm sure your dads will love to tell you about it.
Peter: I don't want you to leave.
Deadpool: -sits down in one of the rickity seats, still holding Pete as the plane takes off- You want your dads, right?
Peter: -nods-
Deadpool: Then I'll take you there, but I can't stay.
Peter: -hugs him tighter-
Deadpool: It'll be ok. You'll... forget and be home where you belong.
Peter: But I don't wanna forget you.
Deadpool: It's better this way, trust me.
Peter: -presses his face against Deadpool's shoulder, crying-
Deadpool: No, Pete, please don't cry! I'm tryin' to make you happy, kid.
Peter: -sniffs and wipes his eyes- Sorry.
Deadpool: It's alright. Just... be happy.
Peter: Um, okay.
Deadpool: -smiles- Tell me about your room, since I can't see it. Got Star Wars sheets?
Peter: Uh huh! They're blue!
Deadpool: Is blue your favorite color?
Peter: Uh... Yeah!
Deadpool: Awesome! Do you have one of those plastic lightsabers that make all those noises when you swing'em around?
Peter: Daddy made me some! They're awesome! We have jedi battles.
Deadpool: No way! Do your dads ever fight against each other? I'd pay to watch that.
Peter: Yeah, sometimes.
Deadpool: What color is your lightsaber? Blue?
Peter: No, green!
Deadpool: Oh, so Luke's lightsaber! Good choice.
Peter: Do you have a lifesaber?
Deadpool: Yeah, mine's red.
Peter: Like Darth Vader's?
Deadpool: Yeah! It's awesome.
Peter: Cool!
Deadpool: -coughs and tastes blood. Oh well, he'll heal sooner or later- What other stuff do you like?
Peter: Um. I like Harry Potter. My daddy is reading it to me.
Deadpool: I've got my own wand! What book are you on?
Peter: Um, the one with the competition thing, and the mean reporter.
Deadpool: Oh, The Goblet of Fire!
Peter: Yeah!
Deadpool: Enjoy it while you can before it rips your heart out.
Peter: What?
Deadpool: It gets really sad.
Peter: Oh.
Deadpool: -looks at his watch- I think it's time for bed. Don't want to completely screw up your sleeping scheduel.
Peter: Okay. -lays down on Deadpool, using his chest as a pillow-
Deadpool: -gently pets Peter's head and drifts off to sleep-
Peter: -goes to sleep-
Deadpool: -wakes up as the plane lands-
Peter: -still fast asleep-
Deadpool: -sits up slowly, Peter still hugged to his chest as he thanks the pilot and exits the plane. Gets in the car outside and they drive to the tower-
Peter: -wakes up, groggy, in the car- Where are we?
Deadpool: -chest burns as he coughs- You'll be home in a couple hours.
Peter: -smiles- Cool!
Deadpool: -doesn't smile- Yep. Talk about family reunion.
Peter: My dads won't be mad when they find out you rescued me!
Deadpool: Hopefully they won't see me at all. I'm gonna try to get you back as quietly as possible.
Peter: Oh.
Deadpool: We can be like James Bond!
Peter: What's James Bond?
Deadpool: I knew they couldn't be perfect parents! Or maybe you're too young.... Damn, they are perfect.
Peter: Um, okay.
Deadpool: Well then, we can pretend we're sneaking onto the Death Star, how 'bout that?
Peter: But they got caught.
Deadpool: Good point, young padawan. Let's avoid that part of the rerun.
Peter: And no trash shoots, that looks scary.
Deadpool: Oh definitely not. -coughs- How do you feel about vents?
Peter: -considers this- Vents are okay.
Deadpool: Glad to hear it! -to the driver- Stop here. -car stops and he gives the driver money before exiting-
Peter: -smiles as he gets out-
Deadpool: -walks down an alley. It's dark, so he takes Peter's hand. Coughs- The walk isn't long.
Peter: -stays close to Deadpool, holding his hand tightly-
Deadpool: -coughs again and turns a corner. Stumbles slightly- Woah, there.
Peter: -looks up at him- What?
Deadpool: Walkin' is gettin' hard, partner. Oh look, there's the tower.
Peter: -breaks out into a grin at the familiar sight-
Deadpool: -walks until he gets to the back door. Hacking and coughing as he puts a device on the door, unlocking it-
Peter: Don't you need the door codes to do that?
Deadpool: I'm a bona fide jedi, Pete. -waves his hand- I am not the Deadpool you're lookcing for. -door opens- See? -coughs and walk s in-
Peter: -walks in after him- You're not being very sneaky.
Deadpool: -wheezes- Not... my fault. You -cough- got it from here?
Peter: Are you leaving now?
Deadpool: Yep, as you said, not being sneaky. Need to leave before the Brit finds out. -coughs and leans against the wall-
Peter: -hugs his legs tightly-
Deadpool: -ruffles his hair- You'll be ok, buddy. You're -coughs. sounds slightly strangled- home. -slides down the wall, getting stains on it. coughs blood-
Peter: -stares at him, alarmed- Deadpool?!
Deadpool: I, I'm fine. Just go hug your dads or something grossly adorable like that. -coughs violently-
Peter: JARVIS, help! -crying-
JARVIS: Peter! Are you hurt?!
Peter: Help Deadpool, please!
Deadpool: No.... -passes out-
