You can't believe that you were heading back towards the place that started all of this mess.
The Young Masters own private bathroom.
The long walk felt endless, awkward and quiet. Chronostasis mostly helping to support most of his Lord's weight as said Lord continued carrying you within his arms. You were squished against his hard and wet chest, if you tried to squirm away or ask to be let go the birdman's possessive grip would wrap around you tighter, then a low warning rumbling growl would vibrate deep from within his chest as he continued to stagger, heave and shudder violently. He refused to let go. After the third time. You simply gave up. Which confused you more. Perhaps, he's mistaking me for someone else? You thought. Then again, you had seen him around other servants and nobility. If it wasn't his father, sister or Chrono, then he didn't like anyone else to touch him, let alone within hugging distance.
Your face grew a deeper shade of red when you noticed Inko's and Mitsuki's faces everything your view. Oh no. The pair of greenette and blonde women kept their heads bowed, but you saw their eyes widen in shock. They will be hounding me later, I know it. You wished to turn invisible to save yourself from further embarrassment.
"The bath is ready, Lord Chronostasis." Mitsuki said simply.
"Good." The fully masked tengu nodded as you three pass. "Help her undress and sanitize before guiding her into the bath."
"Yes, Lord Chronostasis." Mitsuki and Inko both said without hesitation as they slowly rose to their feet and followed behind.
Sanitize?! You and the older woman had all shared a bath thousands of times at this point. Seen every naked inch and joked around together while playing and splashing about, but you had always washed yourself. You didn't need help. "Lord Chrono, I don't understand." You spoke, fighting not to become a stuttering, stammering and blushing mess as the tengu lord reluctantly set you down gentle onto your feet.
Both Overhaul's and Chronostasis' backs were to you. You couldn't see their expressions, only their wings and backs. What disturbed you was the simple sight of the young master's black shirt stretched taut over his broad shoulders and back, followed by the display of his large black obsidian wings. The power radiating powerful arms sent shivers through you as the brunette straightened his posture as if he could feel you staring. "Rinse and wash before stepping into the bath." The young lord said simply as he stepped forward and heading behind his own changing screen.
Mitsuki and Inko gently guided you to the screen closest to you three.
"Come along," Inko whispered beneath her breath gently, giving you that adorable sheepish smile she shared with her son. "It's best to do as the master wishes."
"Think of it as a spa day and a mixed bath." Mitsuki added, helping you untie your uniform.
You wanted to argue. You really did. However, you knew they were right. "At least, I'm not getting undressed in front of strangers, right?" You grinned.
"That's the spirit honey." Inko laughed softly.
You three giggled, unaware that both tengu men were listening.
Gorgeous moodboard created by @ashsblurbs thank you so much! 💖
********
“It was just a nightmare, little guy,” Steve murmured. “You know how those tend to be.”
“Oh, yeah,” Peter whispered, and Tony winced. At only sixteen, the poor kid had already been through enough nightmare-inducing traumas for three lifetimes.
Yet another rung in the skyscraping ladder of Tony’s guilt.
“All right then, little guy, off you go,” said Steve. He planted a quick kiss to Peter’s forehead, then guided him down the hall to his room, one hand holding Tony’s and his other resting protectively on Peter’s shoulder. Tony’s hands were still shaking as they tucked him in, and he had to force himself to smile as he kissed his son goodnight for the second time.
“Goodnight, bud,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I scared you.”
“You didn't scare me, Dad,” Peter said, rather petulantly. “I’m just… glad you’re okay.”
Tony nodded as he stepped back, allowing Steve to take his turn. His throat tightened as he heard the two of them softly whispering, with Steve reassuring Peter several times that he would make sure Tony was okay.
The kid was worried about him, and it was all his fault.
I need to be doing more.
As soon as they exited Peter’s room, Steve took Tony’s hand, trying to guide him back down the hall to their bedroom.
“No, honey,” Tony said as he tried to work his hand loose. “I need to get to the lab.”
But Steve didn't even break stride as he shook his head, his grip on Tony’s hand tightening. “No, you don't. Not tonight.”
“Not tonight? What the hell do you mean—?”
“I mean not tonight!” Steve said through clenched teeth. He huffed out a sharp breath as he walked Tony into their bedroom, not giving him another opportunity to protest. “JARVIS, please soundproof the room.”
“What—?”
“Very well, Captain,” said JARVIS.
“You are not seriously thinking about—” Tony started, only to be cut off by Steve’s fingers pressing against his lips.
“No, I am not,” Steve said firmly. “But what I am thinking about is that I need you to tell me exactly what’s going on here, and I need you to tell me right now.” He stepped back, raking his fingers through his mussed-up hair. “Tony… it is so hard for me to see you like this, to see you so stressed out, and always beating yourself up for everything that's happened, and things that haven't even happened… and not know how to help you. And you say that I can read you mind, and yes, I think I sometimes can because I know you so well and I love you so much, but I can’t—I can’t read this. And Tony, I can’t remember things that I can’t read, and—and if I can't remember, that means—”
“That means you can’t anticipate, and if you can't anticipate, you can’t plan,” Tony finished.
Steve’s head snapped back, his blue eyes glassy as he nodded.
“Yes,” he said softly. “And if I can’t plan, then…”
He trailed off, not finishing his thought, but Tony didn't need him too. He already knew what Steve was getting at. And it made sense, he supposed. Not only did Steve come from a time where the father of the house was supposed to have all of the answers—or if he didn't, he was supposed to fake it, like Howard—he also was a world-renowned military strategist. During the war, it was Steve’s strategic missions with the Howling Commandos that were responsible for taking out the entire Nazi deep science division, even sacrificing himself in order to thwart Johann Schmidt’s carefully laid plans.
Or at least, most of the Nazi deep science division, as the entire world became painfully aware of with the reveal of Project Insight.
But that was an argument for another night.
“Please, sweetheart,” Steve pleaded as he gripped Tony’s elbows. “Can’t we please just go back to bed?”
The full chapter will post on Monday, October 19th 😊
Just a preview of what I have in the works for Chapter 8! I hope you all enjoy this sneak peak! Hopefully the finished product will come soon!!
Allura cursed loudly, fist slamming down onto the control center when static was her only reply. Minutes had passed since she had lost complete contact with her allies down below, startled voices and cries of battle being the last sounds to reach her ears before contact had ceased. Knowing that she could not remain in the dark about her companions’ well being for long, the Altean leader had turned her attention back to the heat scans of the area deep below her, trying to figure out exactly what was going on without contact. Allura wished for all that was holy in the universe that the cameras in the lower regions worked better. The moment that the lights had come on, the cameras had fizzled in and out allowing only a minor glimpse here and there of the small battle that was ensuing.
The heat readings weren’t of any help either. Blurs of red cluttered the screen, blending together so fiercely that Allura could barely tell which shape was friend and which was foe (minus Pidge who was obviously the smallest red blob bobbing about the screen). Uttering another curse Allura turned from the controls, screens vanishing in her absence, heading back towards the elevator that had taken the others down earlier. Those were her friends down there fighting. She would not just stand by and let whatever those things were that had invaded their home attack anymore of her family!
Grabbing a blaster from its case, Allura rounded the corner to where the elevator awaited her, hand slamming into the control panel to activate it and bring it to her. Surprise crossed her features, though, when the panel did not respond. Instead it gave out a minor beep! as wording flashed across it to advise that the elevator was in use...and malfunctioning.
Allura frowned, “Never a good sign.”
Making sure that the blaster was attached securely to her side, Allura pressed the panel again in hopes of accessing the controls to see what was causing the malfunction. She prayed that it was some minor detail, something easy to fix so that she would be able to quickly join her companions. It seemed like an eternity before the screen came back with its reports, a deep frown crossing Allura’s features when her eyes caught sight of the words dislocated lift hydraulics come across the screen in bold Altean lettering. While the royal knew that a large portion of the ship was indeed in need of repair, the lifts that connected the multiple floors of the ship were one thing that she had personally made sure worked properly. No, this wasn’t some mere malfunction caused by the unuse of an aging spacecraft.
This was sabotage.
Allura tried again to get the doors to open for her, angered when the panel flashed at her again stating that she did not have the proper authority and to wait until maintenance crew arrived to resolve the problem. Said maintenance crew, however, were currently down in the lower regions of the castle fighting against mystery creatures, and Allura would not be one to sit and twiddle her thumbs when there would be something she could do to help. Taking a deep breath to center herself, Allura closed her eyes momentarily, focused on shifting the size of her body to meet a standard that would be more adequate for what she was about to do. Seconds later, Allura’s eyes reopened and with as much might as she could muster she pushed her fists into the closed doors of the elevator, pulling apart of the locked sliding doors, a grin crossing her features as the safety lock snapped and the doors began to open easier with a whine of metal.
“Oh hush,” Allura chastised the doors as she completed pushing them open far enough where she would be able to step through, “I’ll have Hunk or Coran fix that once this is all said and done….”
Morphing back to her regular size, Allura held onto the side of the opened doors to steady herself before peering down into the elevator shaft. Darkness greeted her along with the stale air which wafted upwards to escape through the new opening. After a few moments, her eyes managed to adjust and she caught sight of sparks coming from a large mass down below. It was just close enough to see despite the blackness that shrouded it, yet far enough away that it would be out of her reach if she attempted to try and reach out to touch it. It was detached all right: the mechanisms which had been created to help the elevator glide seamlessly along its passageway had been broken in places, sparks from where the metal had been ripped into igniting the darkness like erratic fireflies in the night.
Hand grasping tighter to the doorframe, Allura leaned further into the darkness, trying to see if she could catch sight of any additional damage from a different angle. As she leaned, she heard it; the soft sound of claws on metal echoing through the blackness. One of those things was in the elevator shaft….but why? Had it been trying to block the others from having a way back up? Was it trying to keep her friends captives in the belly of the castle?
Static rung in her ears as Allura’s communication earrings illuminated, nearly causing her to lose her grasp and tumble down into the blackness below. Catching her breath (and her grip) Allura pulled herself back to stand straight in the open doorway, ears perking slightly when a familiar voice came through.
“Guys? Guys if you can hear me, I need help. NOW. I think one of those things is in the shaft….!” the message came through before static took over once again.
Keith! Allura recognized the red paladin’s voice immediately.
She had to get to that elevator! But how? If she jumped, she could make it easily, though with the current state of the elevator her added weight could cause it to fully detach. There had to be a way...of course! Allura pushed herself back, typing a command into the elevator’s panel. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? After the command was completely typed in, Allura moved back to the doors, leaning inside once again as a small emergency compartment opened right beside it on the inside wall, revealing a large coil of metal rope and a harness.
Many times in her youth Allura had loved to watch the repairmen working in the elevator shafts, imagining that they were acrobats in some divine circus act meant just for her. She knew better now, though she was grateful for the fond memory that helped her to achieve her goal in finding a way down to the elevator. Once she had secured the harness properly, Allura took a deep breath and readied herself for the climb down into the dark pit of the elevator shaft but froze before her descent could even begin.
The screeching of claws on metal that had sounded earlier came again, the familiar sounds of metal doors being pried open all to familiar to the Altean royal as it was a feat she had just achieved minutes before. Voices came from within the elevator, Allura’s heard jumping as something slammed against the elevator walls, causing the cylindrical pod to creak and groan at the force. After that it stilled. Allura held her breath, leaning forward more to try and get a better idea of what was going on, expecting to hear more screeches.
Silence greeted her. No screams. No movement. Just silence and darkness. Allura swallowed the dry lump in her throat, taking a deep breath as she slowly moved from the doorway into the dark, feet planted firmly on the cool metal of the walls. She felt the air from beneath push against her cheeks as step by step she wall-walked towards her goal. The harness held tight against her, the sound of the aged metal rope uncoiling behind her doing very little to ease the rising tension in her mind.
The low purr which echoed from the dark surrounding her stopped Allura in her tracks, hand reaching back to grasp the rope that held her. The low hum resonated through her, bumps rising on her skin beneath her suit. Below her the elevator creaked and swayed, the broken mechanisms struggling to keep it attached to the wall groaning as they continued to do their best to hold everything together. Then she saw them, eyes as red as freshly spilt blood emerging from the elevator. It was one of those...things, and it wasn’t alone. Held protectively in its arms as though it was holding some elaborate prize, Allura could barely make out Lance’s familiar silhouette pressed limply against the larger body.
A loud groan of metal echoed about her as the elevator shifted again. The thing was getting ready to leap, she could tell by the way it moved in the dark. While she was no engineer, Allura knew very well that if the thing jumped hard enough, it would cause enough stress on the already damaged mechanisms to completely dislodge the elevator from the safety latches on the walls and send it crashing down below. She couldn’t let that happen with Keith still inside the elevator, but she couldn’t let this stranger monster take Lance either. There was no way she could save both.
She would have to make a choice: the red paladin or the blue paladin.
The sound of snapping metal jerked Allura back to her senses; the creature had leapt away from the elevator just as she had thought it would do. Sucking in a breath she let go of the rope, pushing herself off the wall with all her might to dive down into the darkness without another thought.
