Act II

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and before he could blink, he was getting ready for work again.

"There's been a new development, a meteor has crashed right in the heart of Hatchetfield. Starlight Theatre suffered the brunt of the damage, with a large crater left in the-"

Tony flicked off the television, cutting the reporter off mid-sentence, it wasn't important anyway.

Fastening his tie, he walked out of the door.

Into hell.

LA DEE DAH DAY (Tony is the one who looks like he's about to cry)

"This is ridiculous!" Rhodey paced around the table, angry waves practically pouring off of him, as he vented to a disinterested Clint, and a distracted Sharon, who was pouring sugar into a pot of coffee.

"I get my daughter for one week a month, and she wants to spend the whole time with her girlfriend! Liz! So I say, bring Liz along, we'll all go see the show, and would you believe it, that night a giant meteor crashes into the theatre! Mama Mia!"

He stopped to turn over to Sharon, who had poured nearly the whole container into the pot.

He paused "Uhm, Sharon? You got enough c-coffee in the sugar?" SHaron raised her head, as if she had only just realized Rhodey was talking to her and looked down at the pot.

"Oh! My bad, I'll go make another pot." She laughed awkwardly, and turned to empty out the coffee pot. "Coffee in the suger, Rhodes you're a riot." Still slightly unnerved, turned to the door, which was slammed open with a large crash. There stood Tony, hair wind blown and face covered with sweat.

Tony stood up straight, his posture rigid, before he approached his co-workers.

"It wouldn't happen to be some kind of… I don't know, Canadian holiday? Like, I don't know, International music day?"

Rhodey furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't think so, why?" That seemed to set Tony off, as an almost manic look appeared in his eyes.

"It's nothing, I just-" He paused, and fiddled with his hands. "-saw some people dancing, and-and singing, all choreographed an-and it kind of fr-"

"Like a flash mob?" Clint interrupted. Tony perked up, "Yeah, that must be it!"

With a renewed sense of safety he walked over to the counter, where Sharon was brewing another pot. Upon closer inspection she seemed to be...crying?

"Sharon are you okay?" She jolted up, and looked around nervously before her eyes settled on Tony.

"Yeah... " She spoke. Tony thought she was finished talking and begun to turn away when she spoke again.

"It's just-" She sighed and put the coffee pot down.

"I was waiting for my husband, Steve to get home, he said he'd be back late last night."

Clint snorted, "He didn't get home at all last night." Feeling the others critical stares however, he mended his statement, "Not that I would know...I wasn't there."

Sharon coughed before she continued, "So, Steve got home around two or three o'clock this morning, and...he was singing! Now, my Steve isn't a bad singer, just a little flat, but-" She paused and sniffled, before continuing.

"But, this morning, he sounded like and angel." Tony whipped his head up and looked at Sharon through narrowed eyes, "Do you remember... what he was singing?"

Sharon turned, confused, to look at Tony. "It was just a silly little tune, like, uhm, La dee dah-"

"Da day?" Tony finished her sentence for her, and knew he said the right thing when her eyes widened.

"Oh no…" This was bad, very very bad. Something was wrong just wha-"

The P.A system crackled to life. " to 's office. to Mr.-"

Tony paused, "Shoot! I forgot to hand in my weekly report! is going to lose it!"

Clint laughed from his seat at the table as Tony walked out of the staff room. "You're screwed, man!"

WHAT DO YOU WANT PAUL

Tony dry heaved on the sidewalk outside of the building.

"I'm hallucinating! I have to be! Better yet-" He took his keys to his car out of his wallet. "-I'm still dreaming! I need to wake up! I know, coffee! A nice cup of black coffee! No cream, no sugar, nothing!" Tony was crying, while laughing, which probably looked ridiculous to any onlookers, however, the streets were strangely deserted.

Ignoring this fact, he headed to Beanies.

Tony burst through the front door, a loud ring from the bell showing his strength. Walking op to the front counter, he slammed his hand on the table.

"HELLO!" he screamed. Throat raw, and hoarse, most likely from the screaming that had happened mere minutes ago.

"Black coffee, I'm your coffee ga-"

"NO." Not him.Tony thought, his thoughts pounded in his head. Not him too.

Bucky startled and placed down the coffee press.

With a bewildered look he replied."Okay, okay-wait! I remember, you're Tony, right? The guy who doesn't like musicals." he said with a sense of finality. Proud of his memory.

He pushed aside the happy pang he got, he remembered my name, and focused on the more important things.

Tony gripped his shoulders from across the counter, a no-doubt uncomfortable position for the both of them. "Bucky! I need to tell you something!" He paused.

"It might not sound scary. But, if you think about the implications, it is. Please tell me you'll think about the implications!"

"Alright! Okay…" Bucky looked slightly terrified, eyes wide, and his brows furrowed cautiously.

"Now, I'm going to tell you something." Hatchetfield is turning into a musical.

"-And it might not sound scary, but if you think about the implications." By this point Bucky was struggling to release Tony's hold on him, cautiously shaking his arms, staring at Tony with wide eyes.

"Promise me you'll think about the implications." Nervous chuckles were spilling unintentionally from his throat.

"I think-" his hands flew in nervous gestures, giving Bucky the chance to leave, he immediately taking a step back, but not leaving the conversation.

"-The world is turning into a musical." He finished, Bucky would believe him, Bucky would have to believe him.

Bucky stood, unblinking, unmoving, before he finally was shocked out of his trance.

"Okay, Tony, maybe you should sit dow-"

"Bucky!"

Bucky let a flash of relief flicker through his expressions before he turned to Tony.

"Oh, no, ugh, Tony I got to do this stupid tip song!" It was not stupid, Bucky was thrilled that he had time to think this over.

CUP OF ROASTED COFFEE

Bucky stared from his spot where he was kneeling on the floor, looking over petrified to Tony.

"-Why are they singing?" The voice sounded so broken, so… terrified that Tony couldn't just leave him, even if he was still partly upset that Bucky hadn't believed him. However, it's not exactly an easy thing to swallow.

"We have to run, Bucky! Now!"

"Hey , how do you-"

"How do you-"

"How do you do-"

"We'll make a double for you!"