Born Of The Same Impulse
Summary: Barely five minutes into the past and Tony has already taken care of Ultron, thus prevented Sokovia, thus – hopefully – made sure that the Civil War would never happen. All things considered, he was doing pretty well!
Then he just had to look up his fellow superhero turned time traveller on the internet.
Star Surgeon Involved In Car Crash, Condition Unknown
Chapter 21
"What are you doing?" Tony dropped down next to him, throwing his feet up onto the coffee table.
Stephen barely looked up from the article. "Take a wild guess."
"Hilarious. What are you reading?"
Stephen turned back to the cover page briefly. "It's a research article made available to the public recently. A European doctor developed a new technique for spinal anesthesia."
"Oh?" Tony peered at the writing over Stephen's shoulder. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you were a surgeon, not an anesthesiologist."
"True," Stephen admitted. "I still like to be up to date."
Tony hummed.
Stephen reached the end of the page and sighed, setting aside the article. He'd only finished about half of it. "I can hear you thinking."
Tony hesitated. "I just remembered something Christine said."
"What would that be?"
"About teaching." Tony paused. "You looked like you were having fun back there."
What an understatement. Tony had almost needed to drag Stephen away from the science fair at Peter's school. "The students were clearly passionate about what they were doing," Stephen said, thinking of the dedication and enthusiasm that had filled the students' projects. "It's something I can work with."
"It wasn't just this time, though. You liked all the other conventions, too. And now this." Tony nodded towards the article still lying in Stephen's lap. "You clearly still care about this stuff."
"I spent a decade studying medicine to become a surgeon," Stephen said. "That's not something you simply stop caring about."
Tony looked at him expectantly. "And?"
Stephen sighed. "I've been thinking about it," he admitted.
"Why the reluctance?"
"I'm not sure I could pull it off. Balancing both parts of my life – magic and medicine. I don't know if it would work out."
Back during his time as a surgeon, almost all of Stephen's time had been taken up by his work. Countless hours of overtime and stepping in for sick colleagues: his job hadn't allowed him much free time.
"You could make it work," Tony insisted. "The Ancient One's still Sorceress Supreme, right? And you could take a part-time-job."
Stephen didn't know whether he ought to feel thankful or annoyed about the fact that the more time he spent talking about it, the more tempting the prospect became.
Living with others was a concept Stephen still struggled with. As such, it took him far longer than necessary to realize that there were more than two people he could ask for advice.
"Before my powers, I'd never done anything other than practice medicine," Stephen said, summoning lightning whips that Natasha dodged effortlessly.
She didn't sound winded in the slightest when she answered. "People say it's never too late to try new things." She flipped over Stephen's attack and aimed her widow bites at his feet.
He summoned a shield, stepped backwards into a portal and reappeared at the other end of the room. "I'm not known for my people skills," he said, raising his voice to carry over the distance. "I'm more likely to make students cry than teach them anything."
Natasha shrugged, rising up from her crouch. "It'll motivate them to study."
"Or scare them out of the medical profession entirely."
"I'd call it weeding out unsuited candidates."
"Remind me again why I chose you to ask for advice?" Stephen split his form into two and charged at her with the help of his Cloak.
Natasha threw a couple punches before determining the fake and dispelling it with a charge of electricity. "I needed a sparring partner and you were available."
"Clearly I need to raise my standards about who I intend to spend my afternoon with."
A portal swallowed up Natasha's shower of projectiles and redirected it at her. She dodged. "Did you ask that teacher of yours what she thinks of it?"
Stephen's lips pinched. "She already gave me her blessing."
Natasha paused, and Stephen accepted the break. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"I suppose."
Natasha hummed, walked to one side of the room and procured a water bottle from somewhere. She grabbed another and held it out for Stephen to take. "Do you want to hear what I think?"
Stephen accepted the water bottle. "I suppose," he muttered.
"You're afraid of change," Natasha said. "Your life was turned on its head once before, and you're scared of taking a step forward because it might make it happen all over again."
Stephen thought that the comparison was quite harsh. Dipping his toe back into the medical field hardly counted as 'turning his life on its head'.
"You want someone to give you a reason not to go for it," Natasha continued. "But so far nobody's obliging. And that's making you nervous."
Stephen pressed his lips together in neither denial nor agreement. "And your advice?"
Natasha shrugged. "Go for it. You can always step back if it doesn't turn out like you imagined. Though I doubt it." She looked at him, giving a lopsided smile. "Take it from someone who's had their life turned around several times over."
Natasha was right about one thing. No decision he would or wouldn't make would be permanent like his accident. He could stick his head back in – dip back into the profession he loved – and see how it turned out. Realizing that he couldn't manage to balance the two parts of his life – while regretful – wouldn't be the end of the world.
Thor's arrival on Earth was marked with lightning strikes and a thunderstorm so large, it swallowed up the entirety of New York in a pitch-black duffel of clouds.
His arrival at the tower was marked with the stench of blood and an unmoving figure in his arms, wrapped up in the crimson of Thor's cloak.
(The storm wouldn't subside for days. Neither, incidentally, would Thor's mood.)
"Help him," Thor said, the words pitched in a plea and colored in desperation none of them had ever wanted to hear coming out of Thor's mouth. "Please."
They took one look at Thor and did the only thing that they could do – press down their reservations (their caution, their fear), ignore that it was Loki who was back on Earth and in the city he'd once tried to destroy, and help.
Later, once Loki lay in the infirmary (unconscious, injured, but alive) and under JARVIS' watchful eyes, they dragged Thor into the living room for answers.
"What happened?" Tony asked, ignoring Thor's clothes (sans cape) dripping raindrops onto his carpet.
Thor refused to take a seat, preferring to hover at the exit closest to the infirmary.
They'd barely convinced him to let Loki out of his sight. Even after JARVIS promised to send him updates as soon as they occurred, he'd only agreed once one of them – Vision – had stayed to keep an eye on his brother.
"We were attacked." Thor rubbed at his cheek impatiently, wiping away a trail of blood. There was more on his shoulder and on one of his legs. He'd refused to let anybody take a closer look. "He wasn't– I thought– We'd stopped on a planet for information and to replenish our supplies."
"And?" Tony prompted when Thor fell back into silence.
The original six were all there. Wanda sat perched stiffly on one of the armchairs and snuck glances at Stephen like she wasn't sure about being included in the conversation. Sam had taken Pietro along on Bucky-watch.
"A local knew about one of the stones," Thor said tonelessly.
"Were they telling the truth?" Bruce asked quietly.
"They were." Thor's lips twisted into a joyless smile. "We were not alone in our knowledge."
The air around Tony felt cold.
Steve's eyes widened in alarm. "Someone else was after the stones?"
Thor nodded curtly.
It was too early. It was far, far too early. They were supposed to have years left to prepare before Thanos appeared on the board – years until he got his hands on the Gauntlet, and years until he gathered the stones for his grand quest.
"Who attacked you?" Tony asked on the wild chance that someone unrelated had ambushed Thor. He ignored the shrill ringing in his ears and the prickle of Stephen's eyes on his skin.
"We have only heard rumors of him," Thor admitted, his eyes dull and aimed at nothing. "He is one of the people attempting to gather the stones."
"'He'?" Clint asked.
"His name is Thanos."
Tony's eyes fell shut. The ringing in his ears swelled and threatened to drown out everything else.
"He did not make an appearance himself," Thor continued. "It was one of his henchmen who confronted us."
"Just one?"
"One was plenty."
There was a pause in which the team took in the implication of one person taking on both Thor and his brother.
"Which one of them was it?" Tony asked, unsure whether sound actually left his throat. His words must have come out toneless and numb – Stephen tried to tell him something through his expression alone, but Tony couldn't concentrate.
"He could move objects with his mind," Thor answered. "No mere parlor tricks – the planet around us shifted to do his bidding."
No wonder they'd arrived in the condition they did. They hadn't merely had a run-in with one of Thanos' lackeys, they'd had one with the most dangerous of them all.
They ought to count themselves lucky they'd returned at all.
"Do you think they will be after you?" Steve asked.
Thor inclined his head gravely. "We held onto the stone. They will stop at nothing to reclaim it."
"I don't understand." Wanda clutched the fabric of her jacket tightly. "What stones? Who is after you?"
"My apologies," Thor said, raising his head and looking at Wanda properly for the first time. "I do not believe we have met."
"It's Wanda. Maximoff. I, uh... I know you from TV."
"... Right," Steve said. "The last time you were at the tower, she was... kind of locked up."
"She's one of the twins we fought and captured in Sokovia," Natasha added helpfully.
"We're good now, though."
"I see." Thor nodded along as though he'd gotten all the explanation he needed. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"... Likewise," Wanda said.
Thor continued as though their conversation wasn't unusual in the slightest. "The infinity stones are powerful artifacts. We have discovered their presence on Midgard, and we've been looking for the remaining ones."
"'We'," Wanda repeated, "as in you, and...?"
"My brother." Thor's gaze clouded over. "He has committed crimes in the past, but I trust him. Not with my life, nor with Midgard, perhaps. But enough to have him accompany me on my quest."
His eyes twitched towards the infirmary, and JARVIS took it as his cue to say, "So far there has been no change in Mr. Odinson's condition. He has not woken, nor have his vital signs changed for the worse."
Thor's lips twitched weakly and he gave a nod. "Thank you."
Tony breathed through the tight feeling in his chest. The ringing in his ears had dimmed, but he felt light-headed like there wasn't enough oxygen in the room. "If Maw went after you, then there'll be more on the way."
"We still have time." Steve squared his shoulders, his brows drawing a narrow line. "Thor fought them once, which means we won't have to go in completely blind. We can prepare."
"If we are to expect an invasion," Stephen said, "We will need to involve my order."
Steve nodded. "We'll be glad to have them at our side." He turned and looked at Thor. "How much did you see? Tell us everything you remember."
Thor didn't answer.
Tony raised his head – he felt better: less like he was going to start hyperventilating at any moment – and realized that Thor was frowning at him.
Next to Thor sat Natasha, her expression unreadable.
"Who is Maw?" Thor asked.
Tony felt his heart skip a beat.
Thor shifted from one foot to the other, his body aching from his untreated injuries. They were as minor as a stab wound cauterized through lightning could be and was less important than delivering the news of Thanos' crusade. He'd caught glimpses of what the titan left behind on his path to conquest. Decimated people and ruined planets – a trail of ashes following in his wake.
Loki hadn't wanted to come. Odin's ultimatum – helping Thor on his quest or returning to the dungeons – had forced his hand. And this is where it had led him.
Thor closed his eyes and focused on breathing. His brother had told him not to take the risk. He'd told him to wait. Told him not to waste their one and only opportunity carelessly. And Thor? He hadn't listened, just like he never did when it mattered.
He breathed, again, basking in the warmth and familiarity of the tower. Thor knew that its safety was an illusion, but he couldn't help but feel better among his brothers and sisters in arms.
He felt powerless on his own. With his team, they might just stand a chance.
"If Maw went after you," Tony said, "then there'll be more on the way."
Thor's brows dropped into a puzzled frown. Tony liked to leap ahead sometimes, spurred on by connections and associations only he could follow. Thor – still unfamiliar with Midgardian culture – often found himself struggling to keep up.
"Who is Maw?" Thor asked once the opportunity arose, expecting an eye-roll and an indulgent explanation involving a piece of entertainment Thor had not heard off.
Instead of halting in his tracks and stringing him along with a humorous quip, Tony's face lost its color. "What?"
"You called him Maw," Natasha said quietly. "Thor's attacker. You said his name was Maw."
"I never learned his name," Thor said. "Is this a reference to one of your movies?"
Tony opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"Are you well?" Thor asked, frowning and reaching a hand out towards his friend.
"Tony?" Steve asked, mirroring Thor's concern and taking a step forward.
Tony's ashen face looked close to emotionless. Thor had never seen him looking like this before. Tony darted a glance at his friend – another addition to the team Thor did not know half as well as he'd like – and something seemed to pass between them. "... There's something you need to know."
He paused. What he wanted to tell them did not seem to be passing his lips easily.
"It's not a reference. I... know Maw. And Thanos. There are others of his followers, but... Yeah."
Thor could not seem to decide whether to chuckle or to furrow his brows. He stole a glance at his team and found no amusement at a joke that had gone over Thor's head. He attempted to puzzle out Tony's words and turn them into something that made more sense than what he'd heard.
"You couldn't," Thor said. "I've only just returned."
"Yeah, well. I didn't learn it from you, buddy."
That didn't make any sense. Other than him, Thor's friends had no contact with other worlds. They'd never before left Midgard. If Thor hadn't brought the news of the infinity stones, they would have never–
Thor faltered. He would not have cared to investigate the scepter had Tony not examined it first. He would not have returned to Asgard in search of answers, had Tony not questioned the tesseract's origin and power. Had Tony not pointed him in the direction he had, Thor would not have left on his quest to find the stones.
"How did you know?" Thor asked, wishing for an explanation that would make him feel silly about the direction his mind was taking him.
Tony's eyes fell shut. His right hand was clutching his left wrist, kneading it so forcefully to leave bruises. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while," he said. "I just... I, I thought… It wasn't supposed to be relevant until much later. It's far, far too early."
It was impossible for Tony to have learned it from Thor. It was impossible for him to have learned it in the wake of their mission. It was impossible for him to know at all – unless he'd known more than Thor from the start.
"I've been meaning to tell you since–"
"What else do you know?" Thor asked, interrupting Tony. "Why have you not shared it?"
"What? I– I was going to, I just... I didn't think it was relevant until– Look, it's supposed to be years until any of this happens. I don't know why we're so off-schedule, but this wasn't the plan!"
"Tony," Steve said, brows furrowed in both confusion and concern. "You're not making any sense. What wasn't supposed to happen?"
Thor was no longer listening to Tony's rambly, nonsensical explanations. A lump formed in his throat. He thought of his quest – a mission so vague and bare of information, he would have gone in blind had it not been for his brother.
If he'd had more information – if he'd known in the slightest who it was they were up against – perhaps Loki would not be lying in the infirmary. Perhaps Thor would not have taken him along at all.
Thor's injuries ached, and it was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his chest.
"Did you know?" Thor asked, his voice low. "When you saw me off on my search for the stones, did you know of Thanos? Of the threat he poses?"
Tony's eyes flickered up. The flash of guilt inside of them made a confession redundant.
Thor's expression tightened.
"There was supposed to be time." Tony repeated the words as though they were anything other than utterly meaningless.
Thor clenched his fist, thinking of the battle they'd stumbled into underprepared and escaped only narrowly. It had almost cost him Loki's life in exchange for a pebble.
"Thor," Tony said, holding up his hands in a gesture that managed only to aggravate Thor's mood.
He took the power stone from his pocket and tossed it at Tony's feet. He felt a spark of vengeful satisfaction when it made Tony leap back in alarm.
The stone gleamed angrily beneath the tower's artificial lights.
"Thor!" Steve called, tearing his eyes away from the stone and taking a step forward.
Thor turned his back, deciding that he would rather sit at his brother's unresponsive side than attempt to figure out the turmoil of emotion in his chest. He'd come to experience many new sensations since visiting Midgard and joining his team. Betrayal, however, was new.
A/N: The response to this fic has been... really disappointing as of late. Especially compared to the number of people who are reading/following it.
Please take the time to let me know what you think. Writing is only half as fun when you feel like you're doing it only for yourself. :)