The Avengers Whump & Bromance Anthology

The Vibranium Coffin

Whumptober 2020

PenPatronus

They were supposed to sneak through the forest in the middle of the night and take out the arms dealer's base quickly and quietly. But, somewhere along the way they tripped an alarm and when they emerged from the tree line, the bad guys were waiting for them. A dozen spotlights landed on the Avengers, and a hundred guns started firing. Strange and Wanda got their shields up. Cap ordered the group to advance with Iron Man, Hulk, Vision, and Parker going high down the middle; Nat, Strange, and Steve going left; and Clint, Wanda, and Thor going right. The Avengers took two steps forward – and then the mission was abruptly called off. Called off, because one of their big guns went down fast.

Tony was in the middle of saying, "Is that a fucking catapult?" when the catapult propelled a shower of liquid silver all over the Iron Man suit. The liquid coated the suit and solidified within seconds, taking the exact shape of a human body. Unfortunately, it wasn't silver – it was liquid Vibranium. Tony dropped from the sky like a dead bird.

Cap got to him first with Doctor Strange shielding them. "Stark!" Steve rolled the suit over onto its back, stunned that the Vibranium had gone from a liquid to a solid so quickly. The metal actually felt cool to the touch. "Tony, can you hear me?"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Stark's voice was heard over the coms. "What the – What the hell did they hit me with? I can't move!"

Steve looked up at the third floor of the base and saw that the bad guys were reloading the catapult. If it had paralyzed the Iron Man suit, who knows what it would do to a human body. "Avengers, fall back!" he yelled. "Get to the Quinjet!"

No one hesitated to follow Steve's order. They regrouped at the jet and Clint took off. Hulk, sensing that Tony was in danger and knowing that they needed Banner more than him, shrunk back into Bruce. "Weaponized liquid Vibranium," Banner said, shaking his head. "If that had hit any of us, it would've burnt us dead in seconds, considering how high you'd have to heat the metal to get it to that state."

"Guys," said Tony, "not that you need to be in a hurry or anything, but this stuff completely sealed me in, and this isn't one of my waterproof ones. The suit only has a limited supply of air. If you don't crack me open soon, I'm going to suffocate."

"Oh, god," Steve whispered.

Everyone was standing around the silver Iron Man on the floor. "What do we do?" Natasha asked the obvious question. "That's Vibranium! We can't break it!"

Peter was wringing his hands and shifting back and forth on his feet. "W-We just have to heat it up to the temperature it was before when it was liquid and it'll just, well, fall off him, right?"

Bruce shook his head. "We try that, and we'll fricassee Tony in the process. Maybe… Maybe the Hulk can crack it open."

"He'll snap me in half like a gingerbread man!" Tony pointed out.

Wanda suddenly knelt beside Bruce. "I was able to move some of the Vibranium that Ultron was made of. Maybe my powers can somehow, I don't know, leech between the molecules and pull it apart."

Bruce got excited. "Do it gently," he warned. "And just pull apart the Vibranium, not Tony."

"Yes, please," Stark said.

Wanda placed her hands on the Vibranium Iron Man suit and enveloped it in red light. After a minute she shook her head, and the light disappeared. "I must have been using my telekinesis," she mourned, apologetic.

Tony spoke again. "Anytime now, gang."

Doctor Strange knelt. "Let me try a few spells," he said. He summoned symbols of golden light and wrapped Stark in magic. No effect. He gave Steve an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

"Kid, I'm sorry," Tony said, speaking to Peter. "I'm sorry, kid."

Peter sniffed. "W-We'll save you, Sir, just hold on."

Vision spoke up. "Your mention of Ultron reminded me, Wanda. When we fought outside the church in Sokovia, Thor, Stark and I all hit Ultron all at once with our energy. It melted the Vibranium, but just a little."

"Starting to feel dizzy, guys," said Tony, his voice a little quieter.

"If we can get a little crack in it, perhaps I can break it apart," said Thor.

"Or Hulk could," said Banner. "He's stronger."

"Really, fellas, I'm running out of time here." Tony coughed. His breath hitched, and then he started gasping.

Steve pivoted towards the cockpit. "Land this thing, Clint!" Barton obeyed, putting it down in a clearing of the same forest they'd been in. Steve carried Tony outside and propped him up against a tree. "Stark, you ok? You ready?"

It was FRIDAY who answered. "Mr. Stark is unconscious," she reported.

Nat had dislodged a repulsor from the emergency Iron Man suit Tony kept in the Quinjet. Steve took it and, together he, Thor, and Vision launched their energy and lightning beams into Tony's chest. The Vibranium around Tony must have been thinner than Ultron's casing, because it started cracking right away. "Stop!" Steve yelled when he saw the red and gold of the Iron Man suit. "Stop or we'll burn him, too!"

Cap dropped the gauntlet and darted forward. Every ounce of strength was needed to pull the Iron Man suit apart. He ripped open everything above the knees, then caught Tony when he tumbled forward. Gently, Cap placed him on the ground, careful to put his head in his lap. Tony's lungs were working, but only barely. Barton appeared. He had defibrillator, the first aid kit, and a tank of oxygen. Immediately, Bruce put an oxygen mask to Tony's face and turned it on. Everyone waited.

"Come on, Tony," Steve whispered.

"Mr. Stark, talk to us!" Peter begged.

Tony woke up wide-eyed, gasping. "Ohhh," he groaned, "oh, that was awful." Peter threw himself across his mentor's chest and hugged him tight. "It's ok, kid." Tony patted his back. "It's ok." His eyes went to Vision, Thor, and Cap. "Thanks, guys." He looked at Nat, Clint, and Bruce, and then at everyone else. "Thanks all of you."

Steve took Tony's arm. "Can you stand?"

Tony removed the oxygen mask. "I think."

Steve lifted him up and pulled his arm across his shoulders. "You, uh, have a bit of a sunburn. Singed you a bit."

"Is the goatee all right?"

"Um…"

Tony's eyes widened to their limits. "What about the eyebrows?"

"Um…"

"THE HAIR?"

"Um…"

The End