bruh if i was a mutant in the marvel universe, you could not PAY ME a million dollars to live in a country with MISTER SINISTER and APOCALYPSE in its official government. girl you got me FUCKED UP.
masterlist — warnings: apocalypse; zombies; angst with no happy ending; description of disease and death.
Summary: When Tony and Y/N decide to change their honeymoon plans, they had no idea that Tony's simple illness was, in fact, a mortal virus never seen before.
It all started with an epidemic. No one knows exactly where, but the virus spread so quickly and out of control that, when they understood the magnitude of this never-before-seen virus, it was already too late. There was no time to research and create an antidote, the speed at which the population was being infected was frightening. The government and some private companies tried to act as protocol dictates in the case of outbreaks of other epidemics, but nothing seemed to stop the number of victims from growing. It is even ironic to think about the possible number of signs during the initial stage that were disregarded.
In human arrogance, they classified coincidences as anything but urgent. And in the ignorance of everyday life, nothing received enough attention when it wasn't something big. People were always racing against capitalist time and too accustomed to movie effects. So, in a way, the end of society began right under everyone's noses. That homeless man who turned pale and his veins stood out in a black tone; or that vegetarian kid who tried to eat a classmate's face during school lunch break. The increase in cases of people having seizures, the sharp pain in the stomach... The signs were there all along, just accumulating and worsening until they finally exploded with no way to stop them.
Newly married, Y/N and Tony had to choose to trade their paradisiacal honeymoon trip to the Brazilian beaches for a comfortable cabin in the countryside, but still close to New York. With Tony suddenly feeling unwell, they preferred to have just two weeks dedicated to rest and full of love before returning to the hectic routine they both had. However, after the fourth day, the fresh autumn air and the extra doses of attention he received from Y/N didn't seem to be really helping.
Tony was getting paler and paler, but he insisted that he didn't feel bad enough to interrupt the trip and go to the hospital. Paleness, shortness of breath, moments of a certain aggressiveness, a strong desire for red meat, brief moments of disorientation. Signs that were completely ignored by the couple, believing that it was not something extremely abnormal because they did not occur at the same time. Maybe it was just the flu or a simple virus. Fools.
From the sixth day onwards, they stopped going on adventures through the forest trails, but continued to be romantic, dedicating their time to other hobbies and bed. Y/N loved being able to cook and pamper her husband, making him guess the ingredients in exchange for a kiss, while Tony dedicated himself to writing poems that could express everything he felt for his beloved. They were building excellent memories there in that cabin despite everything, but with each new day it became harder to ignore Tony's health condition.
The first indication that things were starting to get out of control came on the tenth day, when Y/N found Tony burning with fever. Not long after, the chills came, the increasing pain in his stomach, the constant migraine. Staggering, Tony seemed to have his usual strength only during his fits of anger. But when Y/N finally decided to take Tony - against his will - to the emergency, it was already too late.
A seizure, followed by a strong bout of dry coughing, resulting in blood. Lots of blood. Y/N was completely desperate with an unconscious Tony in her arms, trying in vain to dial the numbers of all the people on her contact list. Since they were avoiding using their cell phones or social media, Y/N was confused when she realized that there were several missed calls from her closest friends and family.
What was going on?
Y/N didn't know how to tell Tony what was happening, it was too surreal and painful. And with each passing minute, her fear grew. Before Tony woke up, Y/N had spent hours researching and reading all the information she could, following a simple profile that was still managing to update data for anyone who was alive or just to record the end of humanity.
And then Y/N saw the distressed messages asking for news and then saying goodbye. Hugging Tony against her body, Y/N read everything in silence while trying to calm down so she could research what the hell had happened. It's an epidemic. Something new that no one had time to understand what it was, something that went beyond all the representations on TV and movie screens. Chaos and destruction had taken over.
Y/N was afraid, the kind of fear that gives you the certainty of the end. Tony had been infected from the beginning, he was dying, and Y/N didn't want to be left behind. Y/N didn't know what to do, but she was sure that no matter what happened to Tony, she would go with him.
What Y/N didn't plan on was for Tony to find out everything on his own. As smart as he was, it didn't even take him half an hour to put the dots together. The confrontation between the two was anything but calm, with emotions on edge and the anguish of the reality they were being forced to face.
Tony promptly decided he would leave. He was sick and there was no cure. He didn't want to be a risk to his wife. They argued for hours, neither of them wanted to give in. What was a heated conversation soon turned into shouting. The couple only stopped the fight when Tony lost his strength, falling onto the couch, his sentence being abruptly cut in half as Y/N ran to help him. They finally decided to stay together and continue looking for some contact for help. That night, they lay in bed hugging each other to sleep, but neither of them could close their eyes, the worry keeping them alert in their own minds.
On the twelfth day, Y/N had no more hope. Everything indicated that the disease had no cure; the latest reports they could find had no idea what it could be. Tony had his first attack, classified as a final stage, during lunch. Y/N was finishing preparing the food when Tony suddenly approached her, his eyes wide and grunting. Y/N didn't have time to react; when she realized it, she was already lying on the floor with Tony on top of her trying to chew her arm. Not knowing what to do, she used her free hand to hit Tony on the top of the head with all the strength and courage she had.
With her husband unconscious, Y/N tried to take care of the wound on his arm with the emergency kit. She tried her best not to cry, but everyone has a limit and that was hers. Devastated, she tried one last time to call for help on her cell phone, only to receive in return the news that it was too late. Crying silently, Y/N finished the bandage and went back to the kitchen, but Tony was no longer there. With her heart pounding in her chest, she ran through the cabin, calling for him, until she saw the front door open.
Y/N found Tony kneeling on the cabin's elegant porch. Approaching him in hurried steps, she threw herself on the ground as well. She pulled Tony into her arms, a mixture of relief and sadness taking over her tears. Y/N left a few kisses on his hair and face, before leaning in to kiss him on the mouth in the most passionate and serene way possible.
"It's my fault." Tony whispered deliriously, his fever rising again, his fingertips indicating the bite wound on Y/N's arm. "You said... That the cabin was a stupid idea."
Y/N sobbed softly, her hands running through Tony's messy hair in an attempt to comfort him, while his body struggled in her lap. "Shh, it's okay." She murmured weakly, her voice breaking in the middle of the sentence due to the intensity of her own crying, her eyes blurred because of the tears she blinked back trying to see Tony's face. "It's going to be okay, my love."
It was a terrible lie, they knew, but in the midst of the overwhelming reality they could only cling to the meager comfort in the words and in the arms of others. They could hear strange sounds approaching the cabin, but they didn't have the strength to leave the porch in search of a last attempt at safety. Survival. Nothing would help, and in his brief minutes of lucidity Tony had already destroyed any thread of hope.
There was no way out, there was no antidote or miracle solution for them. The last radio line had become just a hiss, there was no more update on social media or connection on the cell phone. Despite being miles and miles away, it was possible to see the cloud of smoke taking over the city and the smell of burning was so strong that it reached where they were. Y/N pulled Tony closer to her, pressing her body against his and closing her eyes tightly.
She could feel the second stage of the virus already affecting her own body, perhaps the exhaustion and lack of food shortened the duration of the effect. She was so weak after all... Maybe things could have been different, if they had chosen to stay home, she would have protected Tony better... Maybe... In another life.
“It’s okay. Everything's gonna be okay.”
Y/N mumbled repeatedly, she didn’t know who was shaking anymore, she didn’t have the strength to open her eyes again. A growl of frustration and pain escaped her throat, hearing Tony sob close to her ear. Suddenly, the weight of Tony’s body was on top of hers and Y/N tried to understand what was happening.
Then she heard it, the growls had arrived. Too fast, she thought feverishly, her hands holding Tony with the last energy she could muster at the moment. Too fast, Y/N’s sobs mixed with Tony’s scream of pain. The wooden floor shook with the weight, the boards creaking with the excess and aggressive movements. Y/N lost her breath and didn’t know if it was her or Tony screaming in pain anymore. Too fast, but at the same time she wasn’t sure if the beginning of the end would be eternal.
And then...
Nothing.
comments, likes and reblogs are welcome and appreciated! thank you for reading and supporting my writing 💜
note: english isn’t my first language, and i don't mind if you call me inbox or dm to point out errors or typos. but please be kind!
P.S. This shouldn’t need explaining, but I strongly suspect it will. This is a work of parody, so don’t start pissing and moaning at me for comparing Democrats to villains. Have a laugh, you plebs.
