4.
'A day had passed, four days to go to get back to the normal size,' Tony thought while he was fixing the electric circuit board.
Iron Man didn't show up for one day and the press was already bubbling with noise. Though the Avengers were still shuttling in New York finishing their missions (No matter big or small), though they had defeated a few outer-space creatures that got lost to earth (You know, no matter it's AIM, Doctor Doom, Hydra from years ago or aliens and gods, all of them loved to make a mess with the portal gate. That's why New York was full of aliens who got lost.), the news of 'Iron Man having a row with the Avengers' had already been spread all over the web and newspapers.
"Actually it's not really a big deal, why do all of them sound like we're dying soon and we need Iron Man to save us?" Hawkeyes was reading a tabloid which he bought from a newspapers stall when he went back, since the stall also sold biscuits in the shape of chicks.
It was rare for the Avengers to gather in Tony's studio after dealing with missions. Normally they would gather in the living room chatting or do their own work. Although Tony kept using the loudspeaker to order them to go to somewhere else on earth, not his studio anyway and tried his best to drive them out of his studio, they didn't care at all.
"I told you everyone loves me, look! Iron Man can't be absent from the sky of New York for even just an hour," Tony gave up yelling to the Avengers, so he turned around to look at the 3D-projections and clicking it at the same time.
Soon, Mark No.6 suit, which had been retired for a while, popped out of the storage compartment, while Tony wasn't in there at all, kicking its legs, walking and flying (with a fancy gyration and a vertical reversal), making a few moves of attack.
"Wow! Remote-controlled Iron Man!" Hawkeyes blew a whistle: "Tony! Make it spirals!"
"With pleasure," the proud child immediately made Mark No.6 spiraled on the roof, it flew in circle before landing back on the ground next to the table.
"How fascinating! So we are going on a mission with this remote-controlled one tomorrow?" Hawkeyes approached and tapped Mark No.6, with a 'I wanna jump on it so badly' face.
"Yeah, but it needs some modification," Tony perked. He didn't even mind when Hawkeyes prepared to jump on the suit, he tempted: "Jump Cupid, I'll let Mark No.6 take you for a spin if you dare to jump on it."
"Oh! I can even make a back flip. You know, I've practiced that a lot in the circus!" Hawkeyes really jumped and sat on the shoulder of Mark No.6 at once. Tony laughed and started controlling to suit, the red and golden suit moved nimbly like Tony was in there. Hawkeyed stood on its shoulder and made a back flip when it was diving.
"Good job! Fly Birdie!" it made everyone excited, they clapped and blew whistles, Banner even threw a coin at them, and the brilliant circus vaudevillian Clint Barton caught it at once, he even bowed to thank them.
"Bravo! Jump! Clint Jump!" Tony laughed and waved his arms: "Mark No.6's gonna catch you!"
"Then here I come!: Hawkeyes approximated the distance between him and the roof and jumped upwards when Mark No.6 dived again, after flipping for a circle, he stepped on the roof as a support and jumped down. Mark No.6, like had been rehearsing for ages, flew towards Hawkeyes smoothly and let him landed on its back perfectly and steadily. Hawkeyes raised both his arms, like a proud actor who had just completed a fabulous act, received the applause from his audience.
"Hey this is fun, Tony!" Jumping down from Mark No.6's back, Hawkeyes was still grinning.
"It's performing perfectly while being controlled it from a short distance, how about long-distance one?" Banner approached in high spirits and started mumbling with Tony, entering the world of charms at once.
"There're performances like this in Midgard? What's a circus?" Thor asked Hawkeyes enthusiastically, the latter explained to him excitedly, but who the hell knows how much of it was the truth and how much was just bullshit?
"I'm tired," Natasha finished her cup of lemon juice (when did she bring it in?) and said quietly. The pretty agent yawned without interrupting anyone and stood up elegantly like a kitten then stretched her body.
"Goodnight, Natasha," Steve smiled at he and nodded.
"Goodnight Steve," Natasha replied with a gentle smile then she walked on the stairs quietly, her slim body soon disappeared from the room.
Steve turned around and saw little Tony, who hadn't slept for almost a day but still looked energetic though apparently a bit absent-minded. So Steve stood up and went straight to Tony and Banner.
"Steve?" Banner stopped discussing with Tony and stared at Steve curiously, didn't know why he came close.
"Bruce, I think Tony needs to go to bed," Steve said firmly.
"Huh? What? No, I've just came up with an idea, I gotta test it!" Tony protested.
"No, you should sleep," Steve insisted.
"You didn't care about this! Why are you being "mum" now? Bossy people are hateful, Steve!" Tony gave a mean retort. Banner tapped Tony's shoulder to remind him to keep quiet.
"I didn't care about that because you were an adult," Steve crossed his arms, started to sound threatening.
Hawkeyes and Thor seemed to notice the weird atmosphere, so they stopped their off-topic discussion and turned around to peek. Banner stealthily slid backwards, away from the centre of the explosion.
"Then you shouldn't begin it now, I know you're captain, leader, but you don't have to supervise my personal life," Tony sneered. He had the face of a five-year-old, but the look on his face, the taunt and the mock, resembled an adult.
"If you didn't cause any troubles, or was willing to be good and wait for the week to pass, I won't take notice at all," Steve sounded monotone and stiff, like he was compressing his anger: "But Tony, you're having a five-year-old's body, that's not what a five-year-old does."
"Then what else should I do? Wearing light blue clothes, playing stupidly with lego? I didn't do that when I was really five!" Tony sneered and taunted, laughing grimly: "Or you simply wanna promotes your friendship, kindness, benevolence, in a way of taking care a five-year-old kid with mind of a thirty something? Do you wanna say that you're being bossy for my own good? Because I'm a kid?"
"…Tony, I won't say trash like it's for your own good," Steve's voice became even deeper. Banner slid back even faster as he saw Steve clenched his fist. Tony slid a step backwards too, alertly looking at the fist which was almost larger than his head. The noise of Mark No.6 moving around was very clear in the quiet studio.
But Steve did nothing.
"Tony," Steve's stiff voice said slowly, impossible to know what he was thinking: "I've read books, asked Jarvis and worked with Banner. Based on your current health data and developed a formula to calculate the amount of sleeps and nutrients you'll need if you want to work day and night and fight – no matter remote controlled or with a kiddy suit – like you were."
"I'm not thanking you," Tony said obstinately.
"I don't need you to thank me, I'm just asking you to follow," Steve raised his eyebrow: "This isn't just about you, Tony. I want you to be clear that, we are on the go all the time, and I, as the leader of the group, have to ensure that all my group mates are sober and with full combat effectiveness but not just a moving target. Do you understand?"
Tony looked away and muttered at Mark No.6.
"So are you going to sleep now?" Steve adjusted his posture, he looked calm and nice: "And, you want to wash yourself or you need my help?"
"Have you ever bathed a kid?" Tony asked doubtfully.
"No, but Jarvis has demonstrated a few times for me. If you want, I'll be very careful. After all a five-year-old shouldn't enter the bathroom without an adult's supervision," Steve reached his arms to Tony and kneeled: "Now, up?"
"…have you bought new undies for me? I don't want Winnie-the-pooh," Tony walked closer and held Steve unwillingly then complained.
"Bought white ones, sir," Jarvis answered.
"Thank you, Jarvis. Gentlemen, goodnight," Steve stood up after ensuring Tony was in his arms and he nodded towards Hawkeyes, Thor and Banner. Tony was writhing in his arms and his shirt was also covered with gasoline. He held Tony in his arms and left.
"…Wow, did you guys hear his speech?" Hawkeyes breathed out cautiously after Steve was nowhere to be seen.
"It's so convincing when honest people lie, I nearly believed in him…" Banner looked like a rabbit in shock, staring into the wall absent-mindedly.
"So Steve didn't discuss the plan with you?" Thor asked.
"He didn't!?" Hawkeyes jumped.
"Captain had planned to plan but the plan wasn't set up at all, so technically, it wasn't totally a lie." said Jarvis.
"I'm calling Captain the master of falsehood from now on," Hawkeyes said in revere.
"Maybe he can win an Oscar," Banner followed.
"He's nearly a better liar than Loki!" Thor sighed.
But nobody cared what he said.
The lies Captain told:
1 – He didn't have a plan
2 – He didn't ask Jarvis how to bath a kid
So instead of washing Tony, he just waited outside the bathroom. He waited outside because he was worried that Tony would drown himself in the tub when he was bathing.
I love the cute Hawkeyes in this fanfic, don't you :)?