Dance With the Devil
Summary: Toni Stark had never been oblivious to how the world viewed her and her weapons-making. She was the Merchant of Death, a demoness, the devil himself, or herself. But what happens when she meets the ACTUAL devil? How does it change her life? The fate of the world? Read to find out!
A/N: This is a mixed version of Avengers Assemble, Doctor Strange - The Sorcerer Supreme (2007) cartoon and the MCU with a fem Tony Stark and a special twist for Doctor Stephen Strange. I hope you enjoy!
Toni guessed it all started when she was thirty and just returned from Afghanistan. There was that one party that her company was hosting but she wasn't invited to - can you imagine that? Rude - that she had to crash in order to make an appearance and she met this one devilishly handsome man whom she blamed for turning her world upside down. She personally blamed him because, here she was now, ten years later, aliens, gods, magic and artifacts of infinite power, older than time itself, a part of her everyday life almost as much as robots and science used to be.
She should have denied him that one dance, should have said no and pulled away from him as soon as he started speaking with her. Instead she now held desperately onto the pendant in her all but broken hands, shaky from fatigue, blood loss and her injuries as a purple behemoth stood over her and her teammates, ready to eradicate them from existence. She brought the pendant closer to the almost broken, barely functioning Arc Reactor in her chest, right over her heart, and bit back her tears as she thought of what fate will befall her teammates if this doesn't work, the nightmare come true that she will have to live in.
'Please,' she begged with all her heart and soul in her mind. 'Please, please come. I need you. Please!' But why would he? Toni asked herself as their enemy held up a gloved fist and those accursed Stones shone brightly in preparation for what will be the final blow. She had rejected him so many times in the past, all of his advances. He must have grown tired of her, grown bored. She was nothing special, despite always pretending that she thought the exact opposite of herself. He must have realized that, too, for she hadn't seen or heard from him since their last argument. He had simply given up when he realized how broken she was. He wouldn't waste any more of his time on her. She wasn't worth it.
"Any last words, Stark?" The behemoth asked, calling her by name like he had been doing since the first blow, the first attack, leveling the Infinity Gauntlet with her and her team behind her. They tried to move, to protest, to tell her to get the fuck out of here and avenge us, Stark! But they were too beaten and she had no strength left, even if she were willing to give up on them. She couldn't move beyond bringing that pendant closer, to her trembling lips, a tear finally rolling down her cheek.
"Stephen."
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Toni Stark was uncomfortably aware of the Arc Reactor in her chest, beneath the black fabric of her skin tight, night gown that she had chosen for this occasion, simply because its dark, thick material was the only outfit she had that could cover the glow of the thing that was keeping her alive and keep it out of sight from curious and prying eyes and cameras of the press. She didn't need the world speculating about it or asking any questions, not when she was still so busy making the armor and trying to puzzle out how terrorists like the Ten Rings had gotten their filthy, criminally paws on her weapons.
Seeing that she had been gone for three months due to her kidnapping, and now all these weeks due to making the suit, she was the center of attention more than usual, if that was even possible. Only she felt like the gazes sent her way pricked her like thorns and needles and she was not at all comfortable with them, no matter how well she hid this fact. She held her chin up and strutted through the ballroom like she always did, a glass of whiskey in her hand - she had always preferred a stronger, real drink as opposed to those silly cocktails and all their sweets - as she searched the crowd for her PA and best friend, Pepper Potts. Well, she called her Pepper and it stuck, even though her name was Virginia. She thought she had spotted her in a nice blue, backless dress, speaking with some other women, but this Agent guy from Security Homeland something something something Division or something like that was pestering her for a debrief on her kidnapping - like she was going to go through that again; if his agency hadn't been there when the FBI, CIA and all the other big boys had asked questions, then that's too bad because she ain't repeating herself - and was distracting her. It was a bit annoying, as it was hard enough to glimpse her friend even as tall as she was and wow those heels, but then her view was completely obscured by a chest and a pair of broad shoulders and Toni wanted to scream.
Burning amber eyes shot up to shoot lasers at whoever had blocked her sight of her PA just when she had found her in the crowd, only to be met by calm, serene, if smug and highly amused emerald eyes of a tall, dark and handsome stranger she had never seen before. And he was handsome, hubba hubba hubba. Pale skin, high cheekbones, sharp eyes, some pretty awesome facial hair, dark hair with some early grays that made the man look all the more handsome and elegant, refined like the sweetest of wine, dressed to the nines in a black suit that looked to be of Far Eastern origin and suited him damn well. He was of a lean build but obviously had some muscle underneath that tight suit, broad shoulders expertly accented by his choice. He held himself with arrogance and yet didn't radiate it, like all the people here. How very strange.
He gave a small, half bow as he extended a hand for her to take, eyes twinkling with something a lot like mischief. "May I have this dance, Dr Stark?" His voice was a deep, pleasant baritone but his words were even more surprising than the gentlemanly way he asked them. Toni couldn't help but blink up at him, as she didn't remember the last time anyone had called her 'doctor', despite her three PhDs. She didn't introduce herself as a doctor and didn't rub it in. There were hundreds upon thousands of doctors in the world, all of varying fields but she stood out. She was Toni Stark. She didn't need to be a doctor. Not that anyone would treat her seriously as one, what with her reputation.
Which made it rather curious that this stranger addressed her by her proper title with the proper respect it actually deserved. It was probably what made her accept his offered hand and let him pull her out onto the dance floor, away from Mr Agent. Well, that and the fact that Toni was looking for a way to ditch the guy, anyways. The tall stranger expertly led her through the crowd until they found a space for them to dance and he pulled her close, still all gentlemanly, placing his hands in their proper places while avoiding acting like a pig and coping a feel. Toni might have liked him for just that, but the guy was still smirking down at her and it made her scowl. There was something about his disposition that made her feel like he knew something she didn't and he fount it hilarious. She hated being in the dark.
"I take it you're not exactly enjoying yourself this evening, Dr Stark?" The stranger asked as he masterfully led her through the song, not so much as glancing down at their feet to make sure she won't step on his foot with a hard high heel. She had to admire him for that. Rare few guys actually bothered to learn to dance that well. Or maybe it was simply the case with all the men she had the misfortune to dance with so far, where she was practically the lead, subtle as it may have been.
"What gave it away?" She asked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "My displeased expression or my glare? I would really like to know so I can work on it." She snarked as much as she would any other time she wanted to be left alone - hey, he might have gotten Agent Boring off of her back but that doesn't mean she wanted to be dancing with him in the first place, thank you very much - but, to her surprise, found that it hadn't managed to insult or piss off her companion. Instead he just chuckled and Toni had to ignore how she got goosebumps at the deep sound that vibrated from his chest into hers. They were that close.
"Actually, it was your aura. You gave off the feeling that you'd rather be anywhere else but that you came to be here just to piss someone off." He grinned at her and she had to fight herself from mentally checking all the boxes because he looked even hotter when he smiled like that. Not to mention that he was apparently observant and intelligent enough to figure out that much. No one else would have been able to guess, not even Rhodey and he was practically her older brother, ever since MIT up to now. "Or to kill some time. Maybe a mixture of both."
Damn. He got her there, too. JARVIS was still manufacturing her latest suit, Mark III, and it still wasn't near ready to go. The paint job alone will take a couple of hours and she had been gone barely one. Double damn. Well, at least she had found interesting company, a first at these things, to keep her entertained. "Well, you're not wrong."
"And I get the feeling that, while I seem to have helped you out of an unpleasant situation, you're not all that pleased with my company, either, but you can at least tolerate me." He gave a twirl into the next step and Toni followed him expertly, not missing a beat as she rolled her eyes again, even if she was a little bit, somewhat impressed. But only just a tiny bit.
"What are you, a mind reader?"
(She'll come to regret and hate that joke in just a few years time, even if neither of them had known it that night.)
Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome mystery man just chuckled again, dipping her briefly, perfectly on the smallest of pauses in the music before bringing her up again. "At times, yes. To an extent."
"That's got to be a useful little talent," she probed for the sake of keeping up the conversation, finding him a bit more interesting than when she first saw him. That was already a great improvement in comparison to how easily other guys lost her interest. Especially since she hadn't felt like taking a guy home since she got back from Afghanistan. She still didn't, but something told her that was not what this guy was after. And that was even stranger than this whole conversation.
He just shrugged as they continued dancing, looking casually elegant in the usually not so polite gesture. "Not really. It's tasking so I don't bother using it. There are better things to exert my efforts on than reading the minds of ordinary plebeian people who can't hold my interest for more than a minute at a time. If they're really trying, that is."
She huffed, amazed by his immense ego. It was almost as though meeting her male mirror image. Did Howard have a bastard no one knew about? He'd sure as hell have been happy to learn he had a son somewhere. "Well, I'm not, so why are you here?"
"Because you don't need to try to impress or interest me." The man spun her around his arm and drew her back into him, his chest against her back, their arms crossed at her belly. "You managed to do that by simply walking into the room. You are positively buzzing with energy and your aura is blinding in your brilliance. I simply had to talk to you to see for myself how that big, marvelous brain of yours works. It is so rare an occurrence for me to meet my equal."
"Are you saying that you're some kind of genius?" Toni was skeptical, as she had met maybe one or two people whom she'd call a true genius over the years. She tried not to squirm from his breath on her neck or the way his strong arms all but caged her like this. It was too soon for her to be this close to another human being, the cave and the Ten Rings still too fresh in her mind. She hated this, feeling so weak. Starks are made of iron, damn it! Howard would have been so disappointed in her. Not that he was ever anything but.
The stranger hummed. "Maybe you've heard of me? My name is Doctor Stephen Strange."
"The world class neurosurgeon?" Yes, she had heard of him and was well beyond shocked to be meeting him. The guy had been a top class, world renown surgeon for the last ten years before a freak car accident crushed his hands and he couldn't practice anymore. It had been a miracle he had survived at all. Toni looked down to where his hands still held hers and found the scars, faded more than scars after the surgeries she'd heard about had happened just last year should have been. And his hands didn't shake at all. "I say foul play."
The supposed doctor snorted. "I can assure you that I am who I say I am."
"Oh, no. I don't doubt it." The genius inventor said, waving a hand before returning it to his shoulder. Damn. He probably worked out. Not too bulky, though. Just enough. She never did like those bodybuilders. Probably her leftover distaste for Captain America since he was the son Howard never had. "I meant your hands." She felt him stiffen under her hand and wondered whether she should drop the topic. She figured she might as well continue and, if he's offended, he'll just leave her to her own devices. It's not as if his opinion mattered ... Right? I mean, she literally just met the guy, like, five minutes ago. He couldn't have started to mean anything to her. "I heard about your accident. You look like you could march right back into the operating room."
"Perhaps, but not for quite a long time yet." He replied after a short pause in which they only danced, no words exchanged, eyes diverted. Well, Toni's eyes weren't on her dance partner. When she looked back up at him at his answer, she was startled to realize that he had never looked away from her. His green eyes were intense, showing quite a different sort of interest than she was used to from men. He was curious, she realized with shock. He didn't want to lead her to bed - although that might come along the way at some point, if she allowed it - he was interested in something else. She suddenly felt naked under his gaze and all but breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized that the song was coming to an end. Strange frowned, obviously noticing the same thing but he didn't seem quite as pleased as she was about this fact. He pursed his lips as they did the finishing rounds. "I'll have to wait for a few decades until they forget about me. Might take longer this time around, since all this media has my face all over it and then there's the Internet. But there will be enough to do in the meantime, life to enjoy. No rest for the wicked, right?" He flashed her another charming smile before dipping her when the song ended, startling her enough to cling to him. The smile turned into a smirk as he leaned closer and whispered against her ear. "The devil's work is never ending. But I guess you know, don't you darling? After all," she shivered at his warm breath ghosting over her ear. "You have to fix it."
Toni wrenched herself away from him as soon as the music stopped and the crowd started clapping. She looked up at him, a strange chill going down her spine at the look in his eyes, so old and wise and knowledgeable, so mysterious. He held her gaze evenly and offered her another charming smile, extending a hand for her to take if she was accepting another dance but Tony was shaken enough for one night, thank you very much. She had a heart problem now, due to the reactor, and a reduced lung capacity and she very much needed air right now so she ignored the offered hand and walked away without a goodbye or anything. She heard his chuckle even over the chattering crowd and the new waltz.
"I will see you again soon, Dr Stark. After you've fought with your demons."
She couldn't get to the balcony and its fresh, cool night air fast enough, her chest tight with a growing panic attack until she took several deep gulps of air. The noise from inside was muted now and she was just far out of sight that even those penetrating eyes of her dance partner couldn't reach her. She shivered as a wind picked up but the scent of it surprised her as it reached her nose. It smelled of mountain tops and old books and it calmed her almost as quickly as the smell of grease and motor oil would on any other day. She almost mourned it when the gust of wind passed and the scent went away.
Toni sighed as she leaned against the railing and stared up at the sky, remembering her strange - pun not intended - conversation companion. She hadn't expected to ever meet a guy who could hold her attention after he left her line of sight and yet Stephen managed it quite spectacularly, too, if she may say so. It hadn't happened before, except for ... another doctor, whose kindness and sacrifice caused her to close down the weapons factories of SI. Grief took over her like every other time she thought of Yinsen and Toni pushed off of the railing, needing a drink. An extra dry and extra dirty martini was bound to do the trick. She shivered for a whole different reason when emerald eyes found her as soon as she stepped back into the ballroom but Strange was already entertaining a different lady.
She scowled at him, turned up her nose and made her way over to the bar, making sure to sway her hips as she walked away, as if to taunt him. She felt goosebumps forming again and she just knew he was chuckling at her - rather childish - antics. If she scowled any deeper, her face might get stuck in such a grimace so she instead chose indifference as she ordered her drink.
"Toni Stark," an uncomfortably familiar voice of her (least) favorite reporter greeted her ears and all thoughts of mysterious handsome doctors fled Toni's mind with the following conversation. She didn't think of him at all again, until she discovered Obadiah's betrayal and his last words to her echoed in her head. She thought about him as she crawled across her lab to get to the first Arc Reactor, desperate to live and not waste her life, contradicting Yinsen's last wish by doing so. She thought of him as she felt the same Arc Reactor flicker on and off after the massive EMP blast from the factory Arc Reactor, knowing she won't last until a replacement is installed in her chest. She spent what she thought were her last moments listening to Pepper's and JARVIS' panicking voices in her ear, her thoughts centered on a tall stranger whom she felt might have understood her like no one else, ready to accept death as her world went black.
Several hours later, she woke up in a hospital room to the smell of rouses mixed with that same scent she had smelled on the balcony, feeling like she was on some mountain, far away from the hypocrisy of their every day lives and she just wanted to stay there. Her eyes reluctantly opened when she thought she felt something fluttering on her left hand and she looked down, startled to find the most beautiful butterfly she had ever seen resting on her wrist, lazily flapping its wings, one of which was tickling her hand. The window was open and yet the little creature made no move to escape, even as she flexed her hand. When she made to swat it away, it only flew in a circle around her before landing on her chest, right over the replaced Arc Reactor - JARVIS must have made it, her brilliant, greatest creation. She must have worried him. Curious, Toni offered the little insect her finger and watched it as it climbed up there, contentedly flapping its wings, not at all scared of her. She studied its wings, the most beautiful torque color she had ever seen, enjoying the scent of the fresh mountain air and roses until Pepper, Rhodey and her bodyguard slash driver-whom-she-actually-drives-around-most-of-the-time, Happy, barged into the room with an armful of flowers and other get well gifts. It actually made her look towards the source of the rose smell and was startled to find a bouquet of red and yellow-gold-glitter-covered roses with a single blue blue Hibiscus, surrounded by concentric circles of Forget me Nots and blue Dandelions.
If Toni didn't know any better, she'd think the bouquet was a mimicry of her armor with the Arc Reactor in the middle, but it sounded so preposterous that she didn't want to believe it. Her friends didn't mention it, either, so she ignored it. That is, until she told the world that she was Iron Maiden - they had first mistaken her for Iron Man due to how bulky the armor was - and she received a second bouquet the same as the first one, even a butterfly to join the first. Only this one had a card that said in beautiful cursive We never lose our demons, Dr Stark. We only learn to live above them. -The Devil
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Toni clenched her eyes tightly shut as the glow from the Infinity Gauntlet intensified and the power hurled towards her and her teammates, ready for the end and wishing it could have been different.
Inside her hand, the pendant glowed.