Hey All!
I am sorry for the delay. This COVID19 crap has been getting to my head. When you lose your gym time (the gym was almost like therapy for me), it misses with my head. Depression is real, so please take care of yourself.
Anyhow, here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 16:
The Unspoken Threat
Tony was itching to get back to Barnes, to check in on the brainwashed assassin, but escaping the tower would be next to impossible for the next few days, especially with the world going to hell. Not that he wasn't going to try. He couldn't stay away from Barnes for long, even in a fiery hailstorm. Yes, that was exactly what this was: A hailstorm. It was coming from all sides. JARVIS (Tony didn't trust FRIDAY to do so yet) had been fielding calls all day from an array of places. One of those places being the US Government, not that Tony could blame them. The entire world had learned that a secret terrorist organization, which had lived in the shadows for years, was mere seconds from taking over the world. He could understand why people- why the government- were freaked. He could understand why this was the only thing playing on several stations at the same time. This would be hot news for weeks with people discussing how this happened. Playing Monday morning quarterback with each one of the Avengers.
Having lived through this already (even criticized for not being there the last time), Tony had no interest in reliving this shit show or being blamed for it either. This was why he put the experienced JARVIS in charge with FRIDAY learning from him to deal with it. Both FRIDAY and JARVIS were equipped with a learning curve, but FRIDAY, still a 'baby,' couldn't handle the media with the skill that JARVIS had, the experience he had. This would create two intimidating AIs. What the point of having two AIs if they couldn't field calls and the media shit show?
After a quick scan of FRIDAY and JARVIS's notes—ignoring most of it-, Tony made his way to the medbay to check on Ayo, Natasha and Steve. Both Ayo and Natasha, no matter the painful injuries, protested the very idea of being stuck in a hospital bed, but they were out voted. Okoye gave Ayo the Wakandan death glare for even asking. T'Challa wasn't as vocal, but the look he shot her said it all. It was both playful and serious and make Tony jealous he could never master the look. It also didn't help that there were two overprotective AIs who wouldn't hesitate to lock them in.
With a smile that spread across his face, Sam, much like he was in the previous timeline, sniggered in the corner like a young child as he made jokes about Skynet and killer AIs taking over the world. The topic made Tony's skin crawled, like a hundred spiders were walking across his skin. It was depressing how many jokes were off the table once the Ultron happened. It also made certain movies hard to watch, an annihilation of popular culture if you ask him. Life was boring without these pop references, and Tony needed all the jokes and movie in the world to deal with these people. No, He didn't have issues.
Okay, maybe a few.
Tony, even with the faces in front of him, would deny to he was blue in the face that he had issues. Well, besides to himself, but that was a realization for another time. For now, those movies triggered something inside of him, chilling him to the bone. He wouldn't say that he was triggered by them, balling up in a corner, but they didn't have any joy to them. How could you laugh at killer robots and the 'joys' of Skynet when you had faced an eviler version of that? There were several eyes roll among the group from those jokes, while Tony held back a pained groan. The glares could melt ice. Sam, being the less injured, was the most hated person in the tower at the moment (not counting T'Challa and Okoye), and a harsh bitterness was in the air. Granted, not all of their anger was directed at Sam, most was misdirected.
Steve, currently the best patient, was still out cold in a bed in the corner of the room, his stats on the monitors beside him. A few concerns were voiced among the group, but his brain functions, consistently monitored by JARVIS, were normal, super soldier normal, and his heartbeat was strong, again super soldier strong. All his vitals were good, even considering he was all banged up. It was just a matter of time before the good old Captain opened his pretty blue eyes and smiled his white teethy grin. A smile that Tony wanted to punch. No. Tony. Bad, Tony, he chastised himself.
Fury, still grumpy, and T'Challa were a few floors up chatting. Tony put 'chatting' in air quotes because Fury was doing all the talking, grilling the Prince on everything under the sun from his suit to Wakanda. Even a super bad wouldn't cause Fury to let up, as he demanded answers—not that T'Challa would tell Fury anything valuable, only briefing Fury on the need to know (Tony was laughing. Oh, the tables had turned), and even when T'Challa gave no answers, he did it with a big smile on his face.
With a deep sigh, Tony turned his focus to his tablet. He had yet to lay eyes on Rhodey—not without giving T'Challa an ear full—but they provided him with a direct link to Rhodey's medbed, which gave him minute by minute updates. That helped his anxieties; however, Tony still wanted to bring him back to the tower. It took a few minutes for T'Challa to change his mind, but in the end, they agreed the best place for Rhodey was right where he was. With a sterned Okoye, wishing death on all that pissed her, behind her, Ayo explained what occurred when the tower went dark. It was clinical, keeping it down to the facts. No emotions. Tony had wanted to push, to ask if she was okay, but Okoye shut him down clicker than he could open his mouth. Ayo, while keeping her composure, plowed through it. The Tower was taken offline from the inside.
Tony should've realized that he had moles in his companies. He should've checked his own house. He knew it was a possibility on some level as Hydra had infiltrated every level of government. Why would his company be any differently? He just didn't think his carefully vetted Stark Tower employees would've been Hydra. He had already vetted these employees with a fine toothcomb, already burned by Fury with Natasha. He wasn't going to let it happen again, and yet, Hydra hid within his company. It would not happen again.
Once in, they were able to disconnect tower from the reactor, not gracefully he might add. With the reactor down, they set off an advance EMP, which knocked out the backup generator, a generator that Tony put in via Pepper's request. A generator that Tony thought was pointless. With the power down and a cellphone jammer in place, the tower became a prison, trapping everyone within. With the power down, a highly trained group of Hydra agents descended onto the top floor and worked their way down.
Rhodey had tried to go for the suit, but without power and without way to call for the suit, it was trapped behind a wall of hard, bullet glass. Rhodey had tried to break into the case, ramming a chair into it several times. After a few failed attempts, he grabbed whatever make shifted weapons he could find, and he and Ayo formed a plan of attack. However, even if Ayo was at full strength, they had no chance. Hydra had brought along a super Soldier, and neither Rhodey or Ayo were any match for the Hydra team.
When they were unable to locate Barnes, Rumlow- yes, that fucker- gave the order to take Rhodey and Ayo. Ayo wasn't clear onto what Hydra did to her and Rhodey, being vague on purpose, but Tony had eyes and a mind. He would put two and two together. Hydra tortured them for hours, demanding answers. Demanding the location of James Barnes. They also wanted to know how they learned of Barnes' existence. However, Ayo and Rhodey wouldn't break, even under the relentless torture. They should be dead. Rhodey would've bleed out if T'Challa hadn't located them.
Tony's blood pressure soared at the thought of Rhodey bleeding out on some table. It made-
"You have a call from Miss Potts," JARVIS annoyed drily, interrupting Tony's train of thought.
With a deep breath, Tony shook those angry thoughts out his head. He mustn't allow his anger to take him over. "Not now." He waved. The genius couldn't recall the last time he chatted with his fiancée—no, girlfriend. She hadn't agreed to be his wife yet…. At this rate, there was no chance she would say yes. She wouldn't be his girlfriend much longer if he kept this up.
"If I may, this will not end well for you, Sir."
Maybe, it was JARVIS's dry tones, but it earned a grin. "I'm Tony Stark. There is nothing I can't handle." He would just add it to the pile of things he screwed up.
"Famous last word, Boss?" FRIDAY chirped.
Tony laughed. Wasn't that the truth? "Screw it." This may not be the best time and probably create more problems for him, but he wasn't staying here. "JARVIS, get the suit ready. Daddy got places to be."
"Sir?"
"Boss?"
Tony waved them off as if that were an answer and headed to the landing deck. His body still ached, his booted leg still sore, but he was becoming fairly good at ignoring pain. It was second nature. He was the master of hiding from his problems.
*O*O*
It wasn't long before the team started to wonder where he and bombard him, both JARVIS and FRIDAY fielding calls. There were a few calls from his lawyers, which he didn't return. He didn't any of them, ignoring any and all messages. Steve and the Scooby gang dealt with Fury and the U.S. Government the last time; they didn't need him this time. Sure, Hydra still existed, and they had no idea what happened to Cap and if they should be worried, but he had to check on Barnes. He doubted that Hydra would arrange a counter attack so soon.
From the intel they received from Wakanda and the press coverage, Hydra wasn't making any moves any time soon besides licking their wounds. Two of the five Winter Soldiers were dead, and Barnes was out of their reach; Hydra was running low on assets. They still had the Staff, which they may or may not have used to create the Maximoff twins already. Ignoring the cold shiver that ran down his spine, Tony was going with the idea that the Twins had their power; though, he doubted they had any mastery over their powers at this stage. On the other hand, it was probably a good thing Wanda Maximoff had her powers, being as powerful as she was. They needed everyone for Thanos. He just needed to make sure that she wasn't a loose cannon this time around. However, that was a worry for another time. Hydra was on the back burner for the next 24 hours.
Tony's minds in the clouds, the Iron Man suit gently touched down in the 'Playhouse', the hanger door closing quickly above him. Impatiently and irritably, Tony stepped out of the suit and immediately greeted by a sober looking Agent Koenig. The Agent was always hard to read, his expressions never betraying what bubbled beneath, but there was something off. Koenig may hold a smile on his face, but that didn't mean he was happy. And here he was now, an odd smile on his face. There was also a tablet in his hands, the screen lit. "Agent," he greeted.
"There isn't any change in Barnes." He paused, eyeing the dark bruises on Tony. "I could've emailed you a report," Koenig replied, forgoing the greeting.
"You know I like to be hands on," Tony said, as he limped toward the Agent. The pain meds had completely worn off, and his leg was killing him.
Koenig's eyebrow went up, his eyes narrowing in on his leg. "That I do."
Tony painted on a smile, patting Koenig on the shoulder as he passed. Hesitating, he lingered at the door for a second and, with narrowing eyes, glanced back over his shoulder. "With everything happening, are you going to tell Fury about our little project?"
Turning around, Koenig's eyes dropped down tablet, his finger scrolling through a report. "I'm not going to lie to Director Fury."
Everyone would learn of Barnes existence; it was inevitable, but Tony wanted to hold on off until Barnes could at least speak in full sentences in English. "So how long do I-"
"You misunderstand," Koenig stated sternly, cutting him off. "What I mean is I won't tell him, but I also won't lie to the Director, the big cheese. I'll only tell him if he asks, but I don't think the Director is going to be 'Hey, do you have James Barnes?'" He added a small chuckle.
Tony would take that. He shouldn't have expected anything else from the loyal agent. Besides, only he had the balls to yell to the Pirates, everyone else just melted under his cold stare. "Got any plums?" he asked, an idea suddenly popping in his head.
A look of confusion passed over Koenig's face. "Um, I believe so."
Tony nodded as he disappeared into base. "Good."
*O*O*
Plums in hand, Tony crossed to the barrier separating Barnes from the rest of the world. He stared at the man in some sort of an attempt to read him, but that was pretty much useless. Even on his best day, he wouldn't be able to read him. He didn't know much about the Brainwashed Winter Soldier, besides what was in the history books and that he was Steve's childhood best friend. However, he knew the guy had a soft spot for plus. The plums may not have any effect on Barnes, but Tony was willing to give them a try. "Hey Buddy. I got something for you."
Barnes was once more sitting on the bed, his eyes glued to the screen in front of him. FRIDAY, who was having an animated phase, was playing another one, a Disney classic. Well, maybe not too much of a classic, but Up could make a grown man cry—not that was anything wrong with tears. It was perfectly acceptable to cry. Tony had cried during this movie, even after the third watching. It was a good movie, though it did nothing to the man of steel. He just stared.
"Excellent movie." Tony said nodding to the projection. "But no popcorn or anything?"
"He hadn't moved from that spot for days," Koenig interjected from the door, ignoring the popcorn crack. "And he hadn't touched any food I put in front of him. Bit worrisome when we compare the massive calorie count Captain Roger eats daily."
Tony's eyes zoomed in on Barnes' hollow face. The idea that he wasn't eat didn't sit well with Tony, knowing quite well how much food Steve needed to stuff into his mouth to be a 'normal' person. Tony had no idea how Steve paid for the food he ate. In the tower, Tony paid for it, feeding the entire team without a second thought, but Steve wasn't always in the tower, living on his own from time to time. The food alone had to being bankrupting him unless SHIELD had invented some cheap high calorie bars.
Rogers could skip a meal for a few days without feeling the effects, but the long-termed effects were dangerous. Steve hadn't had to do that yet in this timeline, but Tony had seen it once in his—well, his old timeline. He didn't know what Barnes' super solder formula was, but he assumed they were similar. If that was the case, Barnes needed to eat something. "Well, let's see if he'll take a plum." Koenig didn't respond verbally, but Tony did receive an eyeroll. "Fri, open sesame."
"Be careful, Boss."
"Careful is my middle name!" Tony cheered as a small opening appeared in the forcefield. He didn't wait for a response and crossed to the front of Barnes, stopping a good six feet from him. Nerves on fire and unsure of how to proceed, he awkwardly stared at the silent Winter Soldier, who hadn't flinched or moved an inch. Tony rocked back and forth on his heels, the emptiness in Barnes' eyes making him uncomfortable. How the hell do they get Bucky out of this? Or did Bucky still exist in this? "Hey, Buddy," He started slowly.
Barnes was still as a statue.
"I got plums." Tony grinned, holding out his hands and showing Barnes the plums. He could only juggle three at a time, but if these plums worked, he would be buying a shit ton for him, and he meant it. "I heard you like plums." That got a reaction out of Barnes, though it wasn't a major change. Tony would've missed it if he wasn't staring at the man's face. The corner of his eyes moved ever so quickly, faster than a blink. "Want to try one?" he asked as he cautiously stepped forward. He kept his eyes on Barnes as an emotionally tearful scene in Up played on the wall behind him. Not even Ellie's intense death got the Winter Soldier to blink. "You're sure you don't want it?" he asked, as he held out the juicy plum. He rotated it in his hand a few times. "It's yummy. You'll love it."
"Я Актив. Я ничего не могу любить."
"I am the Asset. I cannot love anything." Friday translated.
Tony took a deep breath as he pondered those words. This was over his paygrade, and he needed to speak to T'Challa about a therapist. "You're not an asset. Not a weapon. You're a person with your own thoughts and feelings."
Barnes looked up at him, his expression bare.
Their last conversation—if you could call it that— dramatically replayed in his head. Not wanting to push his luck, Tony changed the subject. "So, this plum. Taste it."
"Это приказ?" he replied drily.
"Is this an order?" FRIDAY translated.
Tony should count himself lucky. This was most that Barnes had spoken ever, and he had to play this carefully. If he said the wrong thing, the man would shut down. He was sure that, while giving ordered was what Barnes expected and used to, it wouldn't help in the long run. On the other hand, giving a brainwashed man too many choices was a disaster waiting to happen. Only simple choices for now, ones that didn't have outlasting consequences. Eating a plum was one of those choices. "No, I just want to know if you want a plum."
Barnes' eyes dropped to the purple fruit, the gears spinning behind his eyes. "Я ничего не хочу"
FRIDAY's voiced followed shortly. "I don't want anything."
Okay, a change of tactic needed. "Food is essential to life. Without it, humans—us—" he pointed to his and Barnes' chest, "would die. That wouldn't be good, now would it?" He paused. "When was the last time you ate?"
Barnes shifted, his eyes dropping to the fruit. No Russian words followed, just coldly glowering. Neither Tony nor Koenig dared to move as if they were watching a baby fawn, who was frightened of everything and everyone. Tony locked his shoulders as he prepared to be hit, his eyes drifting back to Koenig. Their eyes locked for a second before Tony glanced back to Barnes. It couldn't only be described as tense. Nails digging into your skin tense. How long was they supposed to wait? Patience was never Tony's strong suit, especially now. It was-
Barnes abruptly stood, drawing a severe flinch from Tony, who painfully forced himself to remain still. There was nothing threatening about his movements, but Barnes' height was terrifying on its own. He towered over Tony. That metal arm—even if it was a wet dream—could rip his head right off his shoulder in no seconds flat, and considering their last interaction, Tony had a reason to be jumpy. He couldn't help but imagine how painful it would be, for each tendon, vein and muscle to snap and rip clean off. Once forgotten pain flooded him, coldly reminding how sensitive the neck was. Without experiencing it, he may never know how painful it was, but the very idea almost made him black out.
A gentle feather touch on Tony's palms snapped him back to reality. Blinking a few times, his senses refocused on the fingers on his hand, and he became deadly aware of how close a brainwashed killer was. Every muscle in his body locked up tightly in the hopes of stopping his flight reflexives. Running wouldn't do any good, even if Tony wasn't injured. His ankle felt like crap; it felt like someone ran him over with a road roller. He was too tired and too injured to defend himself. Even if Koenig was standing with an icer ready to deploy, Barnes was too close, and Tony was too slow to act. All and all, this was bad idea.
But then, Tony, eyes saucers, was hit with a frosty realization as he stared into Barnes' face, his hazel eyes. He wasn't sure what caused him to have this realization, but there was something about Barnes' eyes that drew Tony's focus. There was this scared innate human essence in him, not a craze murderer who had taken countless lives across the earth. It couldn't be said it was Bucky just yet, but it was something to work with. Tony took a deep breath in an attempt to settle his nerves. However, there was a dark flipside to this that he couldn't ignore.
Barnes' fingers wrapped firmly around one plum, his eyes sharply glued to Tony's face. If Tony didn't know better, he would say Barnes was trying to seduce him, but he venomously denied that since Barnes wasn't in the right mind space to even know what it meant. Granted, (if Tony forced himself to think about it—that dark side) the ability to seduce was an essential part of the assassin manual. That was one way to get close to someone, one way to extract info from a target: sex. Which meant Barnes had sex with targets, and since Barnes was brainwashed, it wasn't consensual. If it wasn't consensual, it was rape. And rape… that was a huge can of worms that Tony wasn't prepared to deal with.
With a quick shake of the head, Tony watched as Barnes brought the plum to his lips. With a big bite, he sunk his teeth deep into the plum. Keeping it close his lips, he chewed ever so slowly, his eyes still on Tony. When finished, he took another big bite until it was gone. Letting the core drop to the ground—something that annoyed FRIDAY, "What? Are we animals?"-, he reached for the second plum. He had the same look in his eyes as he finished the second one, dropping the core in the same way.
It was unnerving to have those hazel eyes focused on him. "Good?" Tony asked.
Barnes' attention drifted to Koenig for a second, his eyes narrowing, before returning to Tony. With an intense dry stare, he took a step back. "Yes," he spoke slowly, as he stepped back to the bed.
The English shocked Tony but he wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth. "Good," he stated slowly, stepping back very slowly. He would take that as win. He, however, would not be turning his back on the man even if he was gentle with the plum. He ignored the plum cores and headed toward the opening in the barrier. "I'll make sure you've all the plums you want." Barnes nodded but didn't respond, but Tony took it as a good sign. Not being attacked was a good sign too.
*O*O*
Tony let out an exhausted sigh as he reviewed the feeds from Barnes' room. Koenig wasn't wrong: Barnes didn't move from that spot (until the plums) no matter what FRIDAY played. Even grating Disney songs couldn't get him to move. Unnaturally unsettling was what popped into Tony's mind as he stared at the human Statue, but the plums were a start. "I guess this is something."
"When was the last time you slept?" Koenig asked, standing in the doorway.
"Why do people keep asking me that?" Tony asked, rolling his eyes. He had no interest in sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes, something horrible happened. The last time, Ayo and Rhodes were kid—adult—napped. "And who has time to sleep? Hydra just tried to take over the world."
"I'm aware." Koenig had been going through reports (both from the News and from Wakanda) all day. Being a SHIELD agent, he had been keeping a close eye on his colleagues and ensuring their safety and working closely with Wakanda. He was making sure that all of SHEILD'S regulations were being processed—not that there was much of a SHIELD anymore—and all agents protected.
"How are you coping with that?"
Koenig shot Tony a look that the genius couldn't begin to take apart. "I'm fully capable in doing my job, a job that is crucial." He shot back, clearly insulted. "And I sleep."
"I do sleep!"
"When was the last time you slept?"
Tony realized he had a problem; well, he had quite a few. He knew he had to deal with them. He just didn't have time to cry it out and then rebuild whatever was left of him. "Not too long ago," Tony waved off.
"Barnes isn't going anywhere. Hydra had been revealed. Ayo and Rhodes are alive. No one had died."
"Yet." He echoed. There were so many unknowns and so many questions. Rogers, who had yet to wake, had received a beating, and being a brilliant strategist that he wasn't, there wasn't a long list of people who could do that level of damage. It wasn't a big jump to super soldier, which meant Hydra awaken a third one. Maybe, more. If that was the case, Tony needed to verify that Steve had taken him out, not that he expected the Good Captain to kill someone in cold blood; however, they had limited choices. These Winter Soldiers had to be taken out with extreme prejudices.
"That word: yet. It can be added to anything. I haven't eaten yet. I hadn't showered yet. I hadn't died yet. You hadn't died yet. It's dangerous to think in those terms."
In a deadly serious tone, Tony turned and spoke, "We're at war."
Koenig, stunned, took a deep breath. "With who, Stark? Hydra is running." Exhaling, he shook his head and added, "But that aside, you need to rest. An Iron Man at half strength isn't a help for anyone."
Tony closed his eyes and slowly took a deep breath, allowing his pain to wash over him. His legs, even the one out of the boot, ached. When he exhaled, his chest was protesting against his ribs and he doubled over for a second before retaining his balance. His eyelids were heavy: a battle to stay awake. It could've been fear keeping him up. "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
"Stark, you won't do anyone any good if you work yourself into the ground." Koenig leveled Tony with a powerful look. "Why are you doing this? Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Who or what are you trying to save? You say we are at war, but with who? Hydra?" He held the tablet close to his chest. "Think about that enemy? Can you afford not to sleep? You have a team. Rely on them."
There was no counter argument, and he racked his brain for one. Maybe, he was too tired to think, or maybe, Koenig had a point. "I'm assuming this place have beds or whatnots." He waved his right hand in the air.
"Yes, Boss. I can direct you one." FRIDAY replied, immediately. She almost sounded excited.
"We have quite a few here. I'll even assign you a quarters. I'm sure you will surely use it." Koenig added.
Tony would object, but Koenig was correct. With Barnes here, he would be visiting often, and it made sense for him to have a bed here. "Fine, but I'm stealing one of these labs too." He gave Koenig a big smile while he followed FRIDAY'S directions to the room. Koenig might've muttered something under his breath, but Tony paid no attention. He just marked as a win.
*O*O*
A day passed before Tony stepped foot into the Tower, having slept longer than he expected. He didn't mean to sleep for that long, but neither FRIDAY nor Koenig were going to wake him up. He wished they had as his inbox was filled to the brink with messages and missed calls. Pepper's voice echoed in his ears, angrier and angrier in each message. There was a message from Ayo, a single message. Tony guessed it was because FRIDAY filled her in on his location and she approved of him sleeping. No matter the timeline FRIDAY loved to tell on him.
At least, JARVIS had given him the honest 411 on what had transpired in his absence: a hell storm, and he now had to clean it up. An angry Fury was pacing back and forward, demanding answers from the A.I.s. Ayo was no longer in the tower, having gone back with T'Challa to Wakanda. She would return in an unclosed time, hopefully with Rhodes. T'Challa had wanted to remain to speak with Tony directly, but his father summoned him regarding an important issue—an issue that he wouldn't share with the group. Tony may have a working relationship with King T'Chaka, but T'Chaka was far from telling him Wakanda secrets, not that Tony wanted them.
Natasha, who had been summoned in his absence, was on her way back from giving congress a piece of her mind; though, in this timeline, she was sandwiched by two high powered Stark Lawyers. Additionally, there was an army of Lawyers just behind the scenes, each with a glare that could level a mountain. Tony hadn't call in the reinforcement, the idea escaping him; it was Pepper, the amazing Pepper, who sent them in. Considering they hadn't spoken since their last fight, that stung a bit.
Steve had awakened several times but never for long, only keeping consciousness for a few minutes at a time. When he did wake, he greeted Sam with a smile, listening to one Sam's favorite songs. JARVIS had mentioned the artist, but Tony didn't care enough to retain the name. Though, he could admit that the artist was good, but this wasn't his kind of jam.
Yet, knowing all of this would not save him from the third degree. As soon as Fury spotted him, he was on him like a dog on a bone, even with a limp. "I see you decided to honor us with your presence."
"I can say the same about you," Tony shot back as he tried to pick up his speed. With the heavy boot on his foot, anything faster than a slow jog would send him tumbling to the ground. "A dead man Walking."
Fury, following behind Tony, let out a huff. "Even death won't stop me. We, what is left of SHIELD, have been data-mining HYDRA's files. Looks Like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship, gone into hiding. I'm heading to Europe tonight. Don't worry I'm not asking you to join."
"You should speak with T'Challa about this. Wakanda had already done some leg work on this."
"While you disappeared, T'Challa and I had a little chat, and I must say that I don't appreciate you bringing in a third party into my problems." Fury shot back.
Stepping into the elevator, Tony gave Fury a sour look. It was amazing that this man was even on his feet considering his injuries. "Well, maybe, you should've kept a closer eye on your house."
"Maybe, if you were a team player." Fury heaty countered. "You had every chance to inform me. Instead, you went to Wakanda, a third world country; though, I'm starting to rethink that third world country part."
Tony shot Fury a warning glance, watching the crow feet in the corner of his eyes. On a normal day and pre-time travel, he might've been willing to keep up this argument, but it was pointless now. It wouldn't change anything, and he was already inclined to blast Fury. A good thing about the tower's elevator was that they were fast and already on the desired floor in mere seconds. As soon as there was enough space to get through the doors, Tony squeeze through, almost facing planting, his boot catching the metal door. If it wasn't for a table that Pepper brought- one he had complained about endlessly-, he would've landed on his bruised face. Fury, his eyes rolling, swore as he followed close behind Tony.
*O*O*
Steve was spotting a half smile when Tony entered the medical wing. Sam was by his side, chatting about the music that filled the air. Judging by the feeble grin on Steve's face, he wasn't retaining anything, just smiling and nodding. Tony blamed it on the several gunshot wounds that lined Steve's body, which zapped the man's strength and left him on empty. No one had a long attention span when they neared bleed out.
"How're you doing, Blondie?" Tony asked. A forced smile stretched across his face. Fury trailed in behind him, hot on this tail, an irritated scowl on his face.
"Oh, look who's back," Sam announced, leaning forward in the chair.
Steve, his neck stiffed, turned his head to face Tony. It wasn't exactly a smile that graced his face when he spotted the resident genius, but it wasn't a frown. "Tony," he greeted. Steve was exhausted.
"How is our favorite Super soldier doing?" Tony asked, his cheeks hurting. He could ask FRIDAY or review the touch screen monitors next the bed, but he wanted to honor some sort of privacy.
"I think we can all agree on that," Sam muttered, his eyes hazily focusing on Steve's form.
FRIDAY, who didn't get the memo or the fact he wanted Steve to answer, Spoke, "The Captain is doing well. His heart-"
"FRIDAY," Tony interrupted sternly. "I was asking our good Captain." Noticing his tone, he mixed some soft tones into his words. "I apologize, Cap. She's just a baby. Forgive her. How are you?"
After a quick headshake, Sam snorted. "A baby that could kill us all."
Steve turned his head and gifted Sam with a weak smile. "Sam." There was a slight playful chastising tone in his voice.
"I do not take offense, Cap." FRIDAY replied. "It is true: JARVIS and I could end you all either quickly or slowly." There was a scary pause. "You are in no danger."
Sam's eyes drifted up before turning his head and whispering over. "Because that makes me so comfortable."
"Well, considering Hydra exists and wants to kill us, having two guard dogs isn't a bad thing." Tony stated. Somethings NEVER CHANGED. He thought. Sam was never a fan of AIs that could think for themselves, and considering Ultron, Tony couldn't fault him completely.
Fury stepped forward, drawing Tony's attention. "We need to talk about that." He leaned against a desk near the door. His breath shallow and heavy, exhausted from chasing Tony. Fury should be in the bed next to Steve.
"I supposed there's a lot of things we need to discuss." Sam replied, his voice sharper than before. His eyes dropped to Steve, who hadn't provided any info yet either. "On all sides."
Tony knew that was directed at him, but he wasn't in any mood to take it from Sam. This Sam didn't know him enough to judge him. "First. What happened, Rogers?" he asked.
Steve's eyes shot up the ceiling, narrowing, as if he were struggling to recall. It was a good few minutes before he opened his mouth to speak, and when he did, his voice was painfully dry. With the removal of Barnes, Tony wasn't expecting Steve to be so emotional. He didn't expect him to be peachy, but something happened for this reaction. So far from Steve's perspective, everything proceeded according to the plan until the final chip. Before Steve could install it, he was hauled back and thrown several feet. A third super soldier, covered in blood from heads to toe and armed with an Wakandan spear, had appeared, and this one was more vicious than the others. He enjoyed the blood, enjoyed the battle.
From the bug they planted in SHIELD, they were only able to find limited info on the mainframe regarding HYDRA. But what they did find, Josef was the most blood thirsty of the group, and the others followed his orders like a god. They were lucky enough that two of the five were eliminated, but that was where their luck ran out. According to Steve—not that his recollection could be trusted after the level of head trauma he received-, Josef was still alive when the helicarrier dropped from the sky. Sam was in denial that a man could survive, especially when Steve had to be saved. Even Fury was skeptical, but if Barnes survived that fall in the last timeline, Josef could survive in this one, and the idea of Josef loose in this world didn't sit well with Tony.
"You really think he survived that?" Sam asked.
Tony gave a once over to Steve, eyeing each bandage. "Just look at our Good Captain. If he was anyone else, do you think he would've survived?"
"No," Steve answered, groaning slightly. He was look remarkably better than the night before. Though the tiredness in his voice couldn't be shook, his wounds were already healing. This was all without pain medicine as it never stayed in his system for long.
"So, to play it safe, JARVIS will hunt for this bastard with extreme prejudice." Tony spoke.
"Be my pleasure, Sir." JARVIS responded with a sadistic tone.
Sam's eyes flickered up to the ceiling. "This place is nuts," he mumbled.
Fury rolled his eyes. "That aside, we got business to discuss, Stark."
Tony let out a harsh sigh. "There isn't anything to talk about. Since I don't trust anyone, I make sure I know everything. You should know. How many bugs and plants have you installed in this tower and at Stark industries?" No, he was not bitter. "You have your secrets and I have mine."
"That isn't good enough." Fury replied, hotly.
"It's all I can give you." Tony wasn't sure if he could tell him anything, as there was no telling how much the timeline might have changed. "Right now, we have to deal with Hydra."
Fury sneered, clearly more he wanted to say. Instead, he turned to Sam. "How about you, Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities. Would you like to join me?"
It took Sam less than a few second to answer. "I'm more of a soldier than a spy." He paused, glancing at Steve. "I think I'm where I need to be."
Steve gave Sam a weak smile as he reached a hand out to him. Tony rolled his eyes as Steve whispered to Sam. Whatever it was, Tony wasn't interested. He wasn't interested in anything else besides hiding himself in his lab and continuing on his path to defeat Thanos. As much as that nap helped, he couldn't help but overthink everything he was doing and had to do. He knew this stress wasn't good, but shit, he couldn't stop or slow down. Seeing his colleagues, his teammates, his friends turn to ash would forever be burned into his mind. He was sure some doctor would say he had PSTD, and they were probably right, but he would just add it to the list. And move on.
*O*O*
Before going to lab, Tony stopped in the kitchen. After FRIDAY inquired (which was putting it lightly) about the last time he had eaten, he figured it would be wise or else both JARVIS and FRIDAY would come after him. It wasn't a joke. They had already threatened to send the suits on him. Well, 1.5 suits. For reasons Tony still couldn't understand, he destroyed his army of armors, and with him so focused on stopping Thanos, it hadn't given him much time to create another army, which was what he needed.
"Boss, Miss Pepper and Agent Romanoff have returned." FRIDAY announced.
"I would note that Miss Pepper is quite livid." JARVIS added.
"What else is new?" he mumbled to himself. He went back to his sandwich, a bit sad looking if you asked him. Just meat and cheese stuck between two pieces of white bread. You would think with two A.I.s there would be a never-ending surplus of food, but atlas, there was not. He wasn't sure whose fault that was, but FRIDAY was now mass ordering food.
"At least you're eating," Pepper spoke loudly, her face red with anger. Smoke and flames were practically pouring out from her ears. "That's something."
Tony stared at Pepper's face, eyeing every twitch. His mind wandered and his eyes softened under her incensed glare. How did it get to this? How did he hurt their relationship this much? He had seen her angry before, had experienced her rage countless times, but this was different. Even after their many breaks up, the genius never felt like this. Like someone had stepped on his heart repeatedly with heels, but he was a different person now, had experienced things his past self could never dream of. "Hey," he uttered, all other words lost to him.
"Is that all you got to say?" Pepper countered, as she folded her arms across her chest. Her finely painted nails were wrapped around a tablet, her finger tips white.
Natasha stood uncomfortably behind her in the door frame, her coat hanging over her cross arms. Even with her limp, she was jumpy, already to bolt. "I should go," she finally spoke.
Pepper spun, her eyes large. "Stay!" she yelled, her hoarse voice filling the entire room. "At least you know what the hell is happening. You can tell me the truth." She turned her leveling glare back onto Tony. "Unlike my boyfriend. He knew about Hydra infiltrating SHIELD before the shit the fan and he neglected to give me a head up." She took a deep breath. "You consistently expect me to clean your mess without any concern. I had it!"
"Pepper," Natasha spoke, her voice suddenly firm. It was the voice she put on for congress.
"Hush it!" Pepper snapped. "I won't stand for this. We're supposed to be a team. Not-"
"I don't tell you stuff," Tony snapped, his hands waving in the air. His sandwich, still in hand, flew apart with the meat and cheese flying everywhere. Natasha's eyes followed the meat and cheese as it flew across the room. "Because you don't want to know. You hate everything to do with Iron Man and I'm tired of fighting." A dam broke inside his head and his anger flooded him. "I am tired of it."
"Don't." If it was possible, Pepper's face got redder, cherry red. "Look at yourself. You're killing yourself!" She stomped her right foot, her fist balling at her side. She looked conflicted, her words building in her throat. She shook her head, her words abandoned and her expression cold.
"So be it!" Tony yelled. "My life is meaningless in the grand scheme of it all."
Pepper looked like she had been slapped. "It isn't to me. Let someone else fight"
Natasha, keeping a narrowing stare on Tony, took a wobbly step forward. "Pepper, you can't—"
"No," Pepper yelled. "I refuse to be the bad guy! I won't let you turn it around on me." Her eyes were shining, tears forming. "You don't get to fault me for caring."
That wasn't why he was faulting her. "That-"
"Sir," JARVIS interrupted.
"Not now, J," Tony snapped.
"Sir," the AI protested strongly.
"Not now, JARVIS," Pepper yelled, her nice heels tapping vigorously.
This did not stop the AI. "This is vital."
Tony breathed through the nose, his eyes zoomed in on the angry stress lines on Pepper's face. "What?" It came out harsher than even Tony expected.
"I am unable to locate Doctor Strange." JARVIS answered.
Tony clocked the name recognition in Natasha's eyes. "What?"
"I lost the signal from his car."
"Shit," Tony cursed, dropping his sandwich or what was left of it. At this point, it was just a piece torn bread. "Give me his last coordinates." He headed toward the door, ignoring the expressions on both ladies' faces. Nothing could happen Stephen Strange.
Pepper's silence only lasted a second as Tony walked past her. "Who's Doctor Strange?"
That was a million-dollar question that Tony couldn't begin to explain. He didn't even know how to explain it. He didn't know when. He didn't know how, but Strange was going to be hit by a world-shattering event that would steal the use of his hands and send him into the hands of some robs freaks. This could be that; yet, this could be Hydra. Fucken Hydra. Strange was on Hydra's hitlist, and this could be Hydra. Hydra could have him. Shit. Shit. Shit. "I got to go."
"Tony, don't walk away," she threatened.
Tony froze, his mind in shock. Unable to process her threat, not with a threat to Strange in the air. "Pepper."
"Tony."
His eyes bounced to Natasha for a second before returning to Pepper. "I can't." Both the anger and the fact Strange was vital to the timeline drove him forward. Tony wasn't going to listen to Pepper just to appease her anymore. His heart may be breaking, but he couldn't stay.
"If you leave." She started. The threaten—though unsaid- was heavy in the air.
"I can't." Tony spoke, softly before disappearing through the doors.
Author note:
First off, I was greatly sadden by the death of Chadwick Boseman. I have no words. I will just say I am keeping all those effected by his death in my thoughts.
With Pepper/Tony, is this the end? 0_0 During this, I did not want to make her the bad guy. Sure, she isn't my favorite character, but she doesn't deserve to be anyone's bad guy. Some people can't handle being the cop's wife or in this case, a superhero's girlfriend.
With Strange, I played with the timeline of that movie in my head. The issue I have is that it doesn't make sense for it all to happen under six months (or whatever they say it is). He went through multiple surgeries on his hands. There was no way they did it back to back. They would have to let it heal before doing a next one as they would want to see if it worked. Then we have the time where he wondered around, looking for answers. Then once he accepted by the Ancient One, he struggled. I can't be sure how long he struggled. It had to been longer than the other recruits considering how frustrated he was getting. So in my head, I am thinking it took around two years or at least a year and a half. Anyway, I will be playing with that timeline.
Until next time, my peeps.