Chapter 1 –
"FRIDAY, how's our plan going?" Tony asked as he flew the Mark 46 armour straight to the coordinates Sam had given him before he'd left the Raft. He wasn't looking forward to running around in a frozen HYDRA base in the middle of Siberia, even with the fully functional heating-system in the Iron Man suit, but this was where someone decided to leave the frozen Winter Soldier corp. so to the middle of Siberia he and his Animal were flying.
"Operation "Airing all dirty Thunderbritches" has been completed. President Ellis has ordered General Ross to be removed from his post as Secretary of the State until an investigation can determine whether the information is true or not. The public is reacting as expected with some of them crying out that Ross was a patriot and everything being said about him are lies and the others are saying that Ross is a traitor to the country and should be locked away with the key melted down," FRIDAY reported, her Irish lilt sounding in Tony's ears. "So far, no one's suspected us as the ones to release everything on Ross but they're too focused on the information at the moment to care about where it came from, I suspect," she informed him. "Not that they'll ever figure out where it came from, Boss," she added reassuringly.
"Not with you in charge, Baby Girl," Tony said, allowing some affection to leak into his tone despite the irritation and hurt he was feeling towards the teammate he was currently flying towards to help. Shaking his head to clear it of those thoughts, Tony focused on the next thing he wanted to address. "Talk to us about where we're heading, FRI," he requested.
"The coordinates Wilson gave you lead to a HYDRA base, Boss," FRIDAY told him. Tony didn't think he was imagining the slight sharpness to her tone when she said Wilson's name but he didn't comment on it. She was a learning A.I. after all and if she was feeling pissed at Wilson for some reason, he wasn't going to intervene unless necessary. "I found as much information as I could in the SHIELD files Rogers and Romanoff dumped on the internet about this base. From all indications, it's abandoned and has been for years, Boss. I have confirmed that it was the base used for some sort of experimentation. As excellent at notetaking as HYDRA was, I couldn't find much more information on this base, Boss," his A.I. said apologetically.
"Thanks, FRI baby," Tony said, making sure his A.I. didn't think he was upset with her. He could see – thanks to the HUD in his suit – the darkened structure of a building up ahead. "Elio, can you sense them?" Tony asked, habitually glancing at the red and gold pod flying beside him.
"I can sense three Animals ahead of us but I only know Timothy. One of the other two feels like Barnes' Animal but I don't recognise the third one at all," his Animal told him. "I can also sense Illoh behind us so T'Challa is still with us," he added before Tony could ask.
"Good. Would hate for his majesty to miss this," Tony muttered through their bond. He couldn't help but feel another flash of irritation but this time it was directed at T'Challa, though perhaps unfairly.
It was caused by how quickly T'Challa's attitude towards Barnes had changed when Tony had gotten into his face and made him listen to the evidence that proved that the psychologist the UN had sent to evaluate Barnes, Doctor Theo Broussard, had been killed by the same person who'd impersonated Barnes during the UN bombing that claimed T'Chaka's life. It was like a switch had been flipped in the Wakandan prince and suddenly he was insisting that he accompany Tony to the Siberian base so that he could apologise to Barnes and offer him help in repayment for his accusations and the whole trying to kill him thing T'Challa had going there. In all honesty, Tony wasn't even entirely sure why he was annoyed with the sudden flip in T'Challa's attitude but right now, half beat to hell thanks to Wilson, Lang, Barnes, and Rogers back at the Leipzig/Halle Airport and being several hours behind Rogers and Barnes as they went up against five additional Winter Soldiers Rogers had decided not to tell Tony about or ask him for help to deal with, he wasn't too concerned about doing much internal reflecting to figure it out. That could wait until he was either calmer or not feeling like he could punch out a super soldier or two, the broken bones he'd get doing so be damned.
"I would definitely appreciate it if you didn't try and beat a super soldier with your bare hands. The sympathy pain alone would suck," Elio said dryly enough that Tony was reminded of Jarvis for a moment.
"I'll think about it," Tony said, an edge of teasing in his voice. He could feel Elio roll his eyes at him but before he could take the banter any further, FRIDAY flashed a warning on his HUD. "Alright, Elio. Time to rock and roll," Tony warned just before he touched down outside of the Siberian bunker. "Did you hear that, Your Pantherness?" Tony asked just as Elio's pod touched down next to him.
"My paws are going to be frozen," Elio complained as the pod landed beside Tony, FRIDAY instructing the repulsors to manoeuvre the pod built specially for his Animal to travel in to set him down gently.
"You can take it up with HYDRA," Tony commented just before his communicator crackled lightly.
"I heard, Mr. Stark," T'Challa's voice said through their communications units. "I will be touching my quinjet down in a few minutes, as per your request."
"Thanks," Tony said, eyes flicking to his stolen quinjet where it was currently sitting, next to the Caterpillar truck that whoever was bonded to the unknown Animal had obviously driven to this base, its hanger bay wide open. "You can park yours next to mine, though you may want to secure it behind you so certain super soldiers don't develop the same sticky fingers they got when they saw mine," he said. Perhaps the comment was a little uncalled for but Tony couldn't find it in himself to care in the slightest.
The Iron Man pilot thought he heard a slight huff of amusement come through his communication piece but he was distracted by Elio stepping out of the pod. The dingo immediately shook himself, removing any lingering lethargy or muscle fatigue brought on by being stuck in the pod from the moment they'd left the jet after visiting the Raft until now. The pod now empty, FRIDAY had it collapse in on itself and attach to the back of the Iron Man armour so it couldn't be taken and so it would provide additional protection to Tony's back. His Animal scowled at the snow and ice coating the landscape and building before he sniffed deeply.
"I can smell Rogers and Barnes, as well as both of their Animals so they're all definitely inside. There're another two scents I don't know that have entered the base but they smell a little older than the others. Any other scent that was here has been lost to time and the climate," Elio reported before he glanced up at Tony, his brown eyes twinkling slightly. "And if you're worried about sticky fingers, perhaps you should have FRIDAY lock our quinjet up so no one can get back in it without your say so," he suggested, an equal amount of seriousness and amusement in his voice.
"I know that you're joking somewhat but that's not a bad idea," Tony said before speaking directly to FRIDAY. "Lock the missing quinjet up, Baby Girl. Only me or Elio gets to go inside unless I say otherwise," he instructed.
"Consider it done, Boss," came FRIDAY's immediate response.
Tony didn't wait to check that FRIDAY had followed his instruction, trusting her to do so and thanking her as he started making his way towards the entrance of the HYDRA base. Elio trotted next to him as they made their way inside. It wasn't as though Tony had expected to find everyone around the first corridor but it would've certainly been appreciated if they were. He heard Elio scoff in his mind and spared a moment to roll his eyes at his Animal before he fired up his boot repulsors and flew through the corridor, leaving Elio to race alongside him as they made their way through the slight maze that was the abandoned HYDRA base. They were soon upon an unsteady looking elevator that Tony didn't bother with using. Rather, he scooped Elio up and blew the elevator doors open. No point in trying to hide since the Animals would've sensed Elio as quickly as the dingo had sensed them.
They didn't go through the top of the elevator car but instead went through the doors on the floor above where the elevator had stopped. Elio was relaying information to Tony on where the Animals were while FRIDAY was feeding him what information she had on the bunker's layout. They finally came across a set of heavy double doors that FRIDAY said would lead to a corridor with a set of stairs and where she believed the missing super soldiers and their Animals currently were. Elio confirmed that Steve's sandhill crane was very close and with two beings he trusted most in this world telling him the same thing, Tony wasted no time in placing Elio out of danger before he blasted the doors open with a couple of high-powered repulsor blasts.
Both Steve and Barnes were waiting on the other side of the doors, Steve with his shield raised protectively in front of himself and Barnes, who was waiting just behind Steve with a mini machine gun pointed straight at Tony. Both Timothy and the snow leopard that had been at the airport with them were standing defensively next to their humans. Elio rushed ahead of Tony, teeth bared mainly at Barnes and his Animal more than Steve or his bonded partner.
Tony eyed the machine gun with an unimpressed look. He recognised it as one of Natasha's guns from the quinjet, which made sense since he didn't think Steve would've taken the time to stop off anywhere just to take his bestie gun shopping. He flipped up the Iron Man faceplate and raised an unimpressed brow at the pair. "You all seem a little defensive," he commented casually, ignoring the urge to itch at the dried blood on his face and in his beard from the minor cuts he'd suffered during their scuffle at the airport.
Barnes didn't relax at all, though there was a flicker of what Tony thought was surprise at his casualness, but Steve did, though he never lowered the shield. "It's been a long day," Steve said, eyes flicking from Tony and Elio to behind them before repeating the actions, like he was expecting an ambush or attack.
"Yes, well, that's on you," Tony said bluntly. "You had the chance to make all the shit you lot did in Bucharest legal but no, you had to throw that all out the window with your tantrum when you found out Wanda was laying low back in the compound," Tony said, not bothering to hide the irritation he felt at the memory of that scene.
Barnes twitched at what Tony said, making Tony wonder if Steve had even told his best friend about the deal he'd managed to get for them but Steve's response distracted him from asking. "You know why we couldn't take that deal, Tony," Steve chided. "Ross would've –"
"Ross has been dealt with," Tony cut him off with no hesitation or guilt. Steve's shocked face would've made him laugh if he couldn't still feel that edge of hurt caused by Steve's lack of trust in him. "Did you really think that I would work beside the same General Thaddeus Ross who has made it his personal goal to imprison or at the very least confine the Hulk and Bruce? Both of whom I count as friends?" Tony asked bitingly.
Steve had the decency to look a little chagrined but Tony could see the stubborn set to his jaw that told him Steve wasn't quite ready to admit he'd been wrong. "What else were we supposed to think when you walked in with him, spouting that stuff about the Accords, Tony?" Steve asked.
"Uh, maybe that I'd have some kind of plan or that four-odd years of friendship might count for something?" Tony suggested with no small amount of hurt in his voice, though he hoped his usual snark covered it enough that it wasn't noticeable.
That got a bigger reaction from Steve, who looked at Tony with apologetic eyes. Even Timothy was looking ashamed of the actions taken by his human. "I'm sorry, Tony. You're right," Steve said, voice soft. He still didn't relax his hold on his shield or lower it, which had Tony curious and a bit on guard but then Steve continued speaking. "Why are you here, Tony?"
Tony shrugged a metal shoulder nonchalantly. "Well, after someone with some seriously good hacking skills released all of Ross' dirty laundry on the internet, making sure the president received a copy as well as plenty of the more prominent news stations in the US and a few choice ones in other countries just in case someone gets the bright idea of trying to sweep it all under the rug, I contacted the Accords Council, who then contacted Siberia nationals and gave us permission to investigate these coordinates so we're here to help," Tony said. "FRIDAY found evidence that Doctor Theo Broussard had been killed before he could see the winter delight there," Tony gestured to Barnes, who shifted his gun slightly, "and she also has evidence that whoever killed the good doctor was also likely responsible for the Vienna bombing," Tony added. Steve looked delighted while Barnes looked mildly suspicious. Tony pretended like he didn't care or notice their reactions. "Before you can ask, I got the coordinates from Sam when I went to speak with him and Lang," he said.
"Sam and Scott, are they okay?" Steve asked immediately, his shield lowering as though wanting it out of the way of Tony's answers.
"They're fine," Tony said, flapping a hand dismissively. "With Ross being investigated for, well, everything, they'll be moved from the Raft into a holding facility within the nearest UN country until something can be worked out," he added.
"They were only helping me, Tony," Steve said, frowning a little. "They shouldn't be locked up."
"They broke laws while helping you, Captain," Tony said, raising an unimpressed brow. "Avenger or not, if you break a law, you have to face the consequences for it."
Steve went to say something in response but was cut off by Barnes. "Stevie, no offence to your other friends, but we've got something a bit more important to deal with here," he pointed out, his blue eyes looking at Steve, though his gun stayed aimed at Tony, who kind of wanted to tell Barnes that his gun wouldn't do him much good against titanium alloy.
"The Manchurian Candidate is right," Tony said before Steve could respond. "We got five more Winter Soldiers to deal with and we should probably do that sooner rather than later so chop chop," Tony said, though he didn't make any moves to go forward since getting shot would scratch up the paint job even more than it was.
Steve seemed torn for a moment but thankfully, in Tony's mind at least, he seemed to realise that he and Barnes were right. The snow leopard, dingo, and sandhill crane seemed to relax a little when Steve nodded. "Do you have anyway of figuring out where they are?" he asked Tony.
Tony's response was to snap down his faceplate and re-engage his HUD, letting FRIDAY know to start a scan for heat signatures. "I've got heat signatures," Tony said, gesturing in the direction his scan had picked them up in.
"How many?" Steve asked, his grip on his shield tightening as he faced the direction Tony had gestured.
"Just one bonded pair," Tony said, sounding a little confused about it. "Elio, you picking up on any additional Animals?" he asked his dingo, doing so aloud so the others could hear the question.
"No, there's no other Animals except the one I sensed before," the dingo answered quickly. "Well, expect for Illoh but they're staying back to act as backup, as per yours and the UN's request."
Tony's confusion didn't abate with his Animal's answer and judging from Steve's face and the small twitch Barnes gave, their Animals had given them a similar answer, at least about the unknown Animal. He was sure Timothy and the snow leopard could sense Illoh but he decided not to give Rogers or Barnes the chance to ask about her. "Hey, Winter Wonder," Tony said, getting Barnes' reluctant attention and a disapproving frown from Steve which Tony promptly ignored, "were you the only Winter Soldier candidate who got to keep their Animal by any chance?" Tony asked.
Barnes didn't answer immediately but when he did, it confirmed what Tony had thought. "From what I can remember about the other Winter Soldiers, they had their Animals still."
Tony let out an annoyed huff. "This dickhead has had hours to defrost these soldiers and I'm gonna assume it doesn't take as long to defrost a super soldier from cryo as it does a bit of steak so why aren't the Animals sensing more than one Animal they don't know? For that matter, why aren't we currently fighting off five – possibly six – Winter Soldiers?" Tony said, glancing at Barnes.
That comment got Steve's attention and not in a good way, if the multiple expressions crossing his face said anything. "Bucky wouldn't join them," Steve said defensively.
"Rogers, please tell me that at some stage between you two running off hand in hand after the Broussard impersonator triggered the Winter Soldier and arriving here, you not only realised that Barnes could and likely will be triggered again by said impersonator but that you came up with a plan to ensure that that doesn't come to pass?" Tony asked, feeling like he already knew the answer.
Steve flushed before admirably fighting that flush off. "I won't give whoever it is we're looking for the chance to mess with Bucky's mind again," he said stubbornly.
"That was reassuring," Tony deadpanned. "Let's just go and deal with whoever this is before our Animals freeze or we find out if there's a limit to your serum when it comes to cold temperatures," Tony muttered, leading the way down the corridor since he was the only one who could track the person by their heat signature.
Steve, Barnes, Timothy, and the snow leopard who Tony still didn't have a name for thankfully followed him and Elio as he led them into a vast chamber at the end of the corridor. At first, all his heat-scanner noticed were five large, extremely cold spots on his scanner until he noticed the warm oranges and reds that must've belonged to the bonded pair he picked up earlier. When they entered the chamber, yellow mist billowed from one wall, spilling over the side of the five dark spots on Tony's HUD and reaching for their feet and paws. All three Animals baulked at the mist, though the snow leopard seemed to freeze for a different reason to Elio and Timothy. It didn't take Tony long to figure out that she was likely affected by the sight of the yellow mist because it would've been what she saw when – assuming she wasn't frozen alongside him – Barnes was defrosted so the Winter Soldier could be sent on a mission.
Tony raised his right hand, his repulsor powering up. However, he lowered it, the repulsor powering down, as Tony saw what the yellowed mist showed. Five massive cryotubes stood bolted to the wall with one human and one Animal in each and one obvious bullet wound in each head. The lack of blood around the wound told Tony that these five bonded pairs were shot before they got the chance to even start defrosting. "What the fuck?" Tony couldn't help but ask as he took in the sight. Wasn't the reason Steve and Barnes rushed here at the expense of just about everyone because these ten were supposed to be defrosted and set upon the world?
"If it's any comfort," an accented voice that caused Barnes to stiffen slightly, as did his leopard, spoke, "they died in their sleep." The voice came from a man in his early thirties with brunette hair and a neutral expression on his face. Tony presumed this was Helmut Zemo but what worried him was that he couldn't see an Animal with him behind the thick glass of a control room. "What? Did you really think I wanted more of you?" he asked, a hint of a sneer on his face as he looked at Barnes, who was staring at one of the corpses.
"What the hell?" escaped Barnes' lips. His snow leopard gently brushed up against him slightly, offering a small show of comfort.
"I am grateful to them though," Zemo said, eyes flicking to the dead men and Animals. "They brought you all here to me," he said, the hint of a victorious smile on his face now. Tony wasn't sure who moved first but the three of them and their Animals had started moving slowly closer to the control room the man was hiding inside of. Steve seemed unable to hold himself back from throwing the shield at the glass but to the surprise of only Steve, the shield collided with the glass and returned to him without so much as cracking it. "Please, Captain. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets," he informed them, shifting a little behind the control panel.
Tony left his faceplate down and let FRIDAY do her own examinations as he did some of his own. "I reckon I can beat that, Zemo," he said confidently, deciding to use Zemo's name to show that he knew who he was. FRIDAY provided him the information needed to confirm that he could indeed destroy the glass separating them from the person who had killed T'Chaka and Broussard. "Make sure Illoh keeps T'Challa in check. We need him to confess to his crimes if we can," Tony silently instructed Elio, who'd taken up position on Tony's left.
"Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time," Zemo conceded, nodding slightly to Tony just as Elio confirmed that Illoh would pass the reminder on to T'Challa, and not looking at all phased at the fact that Tony knew who he was. "But then you'd never know why you came here," he said, as though that would be more important to Tony than taking him down.
"It's not like he's wrong. You've never been able to leave something unanswered," Elio pointed out.
"Whose side are you on?" Tony hissed through their bond just as Steve, nearly shouting, asked, "you killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?!"
Tony swore he saw T'Challa moving silently in the shadows, with Illoh just as hidden as her human but his attention was grabbed by Zemo saying, "I thought about nothing else for the past year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here," the man seemed to contemplate something, his head tilting slightly as he studied Rogers with no small amount of fascination, "I just realised that there's a bit of green in your blue eyes. It's so nice to find a flaw," he told them.
"You're Sokovian," Steve said, having placed the accent. "Is that what this is about?" he asked. He was still standing slightly in front of Timothy and Barnes, his shield held protectively in front of him while the snow leopard stood off to Barnes' right.
"Sokovia was a failed state long before you all blew it to hell," Zemo said dismissively. "No, I'm here because I made a promise to someone," he told them.
Tony glanced over to Steve to see him studying Zemo carefully. "You lost someone?" Steve asked.
Zemo clicked his tongue, his face fallen as he near whispered, "I lost everyone." Tony felt a pang of sympathy for Zemo but it was destroyed by the hardened look in his eyes when he looked back up at them. "And now, so will you," he snarled, pressing something in front of him.
Tony shifted to move his arms up, palms facing Zemo to use his repulsors against the man as he readied for a fight. Steve raised his shield, though he shifted his hold on it so he could throw it if needed and Barnes lifted his gun minutely but Zemo didn't do anything more. Instead, one of the ancient-looking monitors lit up with what Tony identified as a possible surveillance tape. He felt a spark of fear from Elio and glanced at his dingo. "Tony, whatever happens, you need to stay calm," Elio pleaded with his human. "You have to promise me that you'll stay calm."
Tony almost didn't hear his dingo as Zemo said, "an empire that's toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumples from within? That's dead… forever."
Tony could feel Elio watching him desperately but he couldn't tear his eyes from the screen in front of him. He lifted the faceplate so he could see the black-and-white grainy footage himself. At the moment, it was frozen to show a snow-covered, secluded road and a time stamp, which was a date that Tony had drunken himself into many an alcohol-filled stupor during the years that followed. "I know that road," he said, his voice shaking a little more than he would've liked as he stared at the white numbers that read 12/16/1991. "What's going on?" he asked no one in particular but he couldn't help but glance at Steve, who was watching the frozen tape with an expression that Tony couldn't read.
The sound of an old car and motorbike brought Tony's attention back to the screen. A black car appeared on the road and Tony felt his breath catch. The last time he'd seen that car, it was at a scrap yard, crushed and crumpled, waiting for Tony's permission to have it scrapped. But now here he was, watching this car drive along the familiar road only to suddenly veer into a tree. The sound of screeching metal crumpling in on itself until it resembled what Tony had seen at the scrap yard caused him to flinch but he couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched a motorbike rumble on the snow-covered road and someone who looked almost exactly like the Winter Soldier who stood on Tony's right got off the bike. Tony could feel Elio press almost suffocatingly on their bond as he watched the Winter Soldier stalk to the driver's side of the car, where a prone Howard Stark lay looking up at the sky with what could only be blood oozing down his face.
Before the emotionless man managed to reach Howard, Tony saw a form he recognised leap from the broken back window and barely managed to bite back a gasp as he watched his father's cheetah, Elliot, leap at the Winter Soldier's throat. He didn't manage to hide the gasp when the same snow leopard not five metres from him came out of seemingly nowhere on the tape and tackled Elliot. Tony could barely make out who was who as the two big cats fought viciously just off to the side. Howard was flinching from the obvious sympathy pain and his own but the Winter Soldier might as well as not been bonded to the snow leopard with the lack of reactions he gave to the pain his Animal had to have been in.
"Help my wife, please." Tony couldn't stop the flinch when he heard his father's voice plead with the Winter Soldier. He could feel the hot pricking of tears forming as his father's injured voice sounded one more time after the Winter Soldier pulled him up by his hair. "Sergeant Barnes?"
"Tony, I know this hurts but please, please focus as much as you can on my voice," Elio pleaded as he watched and felt his human's reaction to the sight of his father's face being caved in by the metal fist of the Winter Soldier.
"Howard!" The sound of Maria Stark's faint cries for her husband had Tony ignoring Elio as he choked on a sob as the sounds of punches landing on the video could still be heard. "Howard!" His mother's cries came again and this time, Tony closed his eyes, desperately trying to bury his grief. The emotions brought up by his B.A.R.F. presentation were being compounded on by everything he was feeling right now.
"Tony, I am so sorry," Elio apologised softly just as Tony opened his eyes in time to see the Winter Soldier drag Howard's beaten and bloodied body through the snow, his father obviously dead as the Winter Soldier moved to the driver's side of the car and manipulated his father's corpse back into the driver's seat before closing the door as much as he could.
The snow leopard was dragging the bloodied corpse of Elliot, leaving it at the Winter Soldier's feet much like a cat leaving a dead bird at the feet of its owner. The Winter Soldier glanced at the body before he grabbed Elliot's body by the scruff of his neck and threw him back into the backseat of the car. The assassin and snow leopard went to move around the car when a flurry of white appeared, beak opened as she hissed at the pair. Tony felt a flash of pride as he watched his mother's swan, Cecelia, attack the Winter Soldier and the snow leopard as viciously as she could manage but, despite the desire to protect her human, the fight ended quickly when the snow leopard batted her out of the air and closed its jaw around Cecelia's graceful neck. Much like he'd done to Elliot, the Winter Soldier picked up Cecelia's body once his Animal released it and carelessly threw it onto the backseat. A soft, yet heart-wrenching wail sounded from Maria, signalling the exact moment Cecelia succumbed to her injuries.
"Mum," Tony whispered softly as he watched the Winter Soldier stalk over to the passenger side of the car where his disorientated and hurt mother was sitting, unable to defend herself. Tony could see blood trickling its way down her face as she looked around, obviously dazed but in so much pain.
Another sob caught in Tony's throat as he watched the Winter Soldier's metal hand wrap itself around his mother's fragile throat and started squeezing the life out of her. Her choked gasps and scared, strangled cries tore into Tony's heart. Elio was now pressing physically against him, Tony barely registering the feeling as FRIDAY's sensors picked up the added pressure against his left leg. He wished he could tear his eyes off the screen as his mother's life was slowly stolen from her, the metal hand squeezing mercilessly until Maria's life was gone. Tony felt like he couldn't breathe as he watched the Winter Soldier look at his kills, likely making sure they were dead, before he moved to the boot, forced it open and took a briefcase out of it. Once he had it in hand, he and his Animal moved back towards the motorbike. The snow leopard glanced at the camera and a moment later, so did the Winter Soldier. Tony didn't bother holding back his flinch as the gunshot rang out on the video, the Winter Soldier's bullet destroying the camera but not before Tony saw his face and confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt that the person who had murdered his parents and their Animals was indeed James Buchannan Barnes, AKA the Winter Soldier and Captain America's bestest friend in the whole wide world.
Elio was now pressed against the front of Tony's armoured legs, preventing him from lunging at Barnes, who was looking heartbroken and resigned, though Tony couldn't find it in himself to care in that moment. Steve was standing in between Tony and Barnes, protecting the latter bodily from the former and that's when Tony looked him in the face for the first time since the video had started. What Tony saw on Steve's face was determination – to protect his friend from Tony, the Stark heir realised numbly – but a complete lack of surprise. Wasn't Howard Steve's friend? Wasn't Howard the man that Steve had spoken so fondly of when the man out of time was reminiscing near Tony? Why wasn't he reacting to the video?
It didn't take long for Tony to realise why Steve wasn't horrified or even saddened by the video's contents. "Did you know?" Tony asked, his voice shaking violently with anger and grief.
"Tony, don't do this to yourself," Elio pleaded but Tony ignored him.
"I didn't know it was him," Steve said, not moving an inch from his protective stance in front of Barnes, who was standing there with his gun aimed at Tony, though Tony dully realised it had been lowered a little.
Tony barely held back a disbelieving scoff at Steve's answer since it sure as fuck looked like Barnes shooting out the camera at the end there. "Don't bullshit me, Rogers," Tony snarled, sliding his leg back to stabilise himself for when he either launched at Rogers to punch him out or blasted his repulsors at one of the super soldiers in front of him. "Did you know?" he asked one more time, his tone sharp and demanding.
This time, in the face of Tony's grief and fury, it seemed as though Steve couldn't lie anymore. "Yes."
The simple word was enough for Tony's anger and hurt to be shoved down and replaced by one single feeling: the molten desire for revenge. Elio was now standing on his back paws, his front on Tony's chest plate as he tried to stop his human from throwing the punch he so desperately desired to land on Rogers' jaw, his instincts telling him that his human wouldn't come out on top of this fight despite the walking, weaponised tank his armour was. "Tony, I'm begging you. Leave them to T'Challa to deal with. Illoh has promised me that he won't do anything more than take them into custody and offer Barnes legal representation," Elio begged unashamedly.
Tony could see the way Steve's jaw clenched, the way his grip on his shield tightened, preparing himself to fight him and that betrayal he'd been trying to shove away came rushing back. He could see out of the corner of his eye Zemo watching them with an avid delight. Part of him tried to reign in his emotions so he didn't give Zemo the reaction he obviously wanted but the bigger part of him was telling him to beat Steve as badly as the Winter Soldier had beaten his father. But there was something niggling at his mind, something he needed to know to decide whether the missiles in his suit should be used on the super soldiers in front of him or the glass separating him from Zemo.
"How long have you known?" Tony asked, his brown eyes flashing angrily as he glared at his teammate.
"Tony –" Steve started to say but was cut off by the ferocious glare from Tony and the snarl from Elio. Looking like it physically pained him to do so, Steve said, "ever since SHIELD fell."
Tony reeled back like Steve had physically struck him. "That – that was two years ago!" Tony exclaimed, hurt and disbelief replacing the anger in his eyes for a moment. Even Elio was taken aback by the news, the dingo's snarl letting up for a moment due to the shock. The revelation that Steve had been lying to them about something as massive as Tony's parents' deaths for half the time they'd known each other caused them both to almost take a physical step back.
Just as Tony decided that maybe a missile aimed at the super soldiers wouldn't go amiss, a sudden shout of "brother!" got their attention. Tony's first look was to Zemo, assuming he was the only other person in the bunker who might've had a brother, knowing T'Challa only had a sister but Zemo looked as shocked by the shout as Tony was. There was another shout, this one from someone who sounded older than the first person, of "Alphonse, move! Get out of his way!" that had Tony realising there were two younger-sounding men somewhere nearby and it sounded like they needed help.
Growling to himself, Tony glared at the two soldiers. "Stay here or fuck off. I don't care but know that if you run, I won't be putting my neck on the line for you again," he snarled, feeling an almost feral pleasure when Steve flinched at the anger in his voice. "T'Challa, secure Zemo and his Animal. I'm gonna make sure whoever those two are don't get themselves hurt," he said, glancing over his shoulder to where the Black Panther and his black jaguar were standing.
"Be careful, Mr. Stark," T'Challa said before he and Illoh headed through a door to the side of the control panel, obviously hoping it would lead them into the room Zemo was still inside of.
Tony barely acknowledged T'Challa's words as he glared one more time at the four in front of him before he gestured for Elio to go up ahead. The faceplate snapped down just as Tony flew after Elio, leaving Rogers, Barnes, and their Animals behind. "FRIDAY, what have we got?" Tony asked his A.I., speaking to her for the first time since entering the chamber with the cryotubes.
"I'm not sure, Boss," FRIDAY said, a touch of hesitation in her voice as though worried what Tony's reaction would be to the news. "I have an unknown energy reading from up ahead, as well as several heat signatures. The closest thing I can compare the energy to is Wanda's magic but, Boss, the similarities aren't exactly numerous," she told him.
Tony nodded unnecessarily as he and Elio turned a corner. "Thanks, Baby Girl," Tony said. "Keep an eye on the energy reading. Tell me if it spikes in either direction and see if you can get me any more information on the heat signatures you picked up," he instructed.
"You got it, Boss," FRIDAY chirped immediately.
Tony, despite the heavy feeling of betrayal he hadn't felt since Obadiah and his black heron, Sally, couldn't help but grin slightly at his A.I. and her eagerness to help. He and Elio rounded another corner, having only been on the move for only long enough to have the conversation with FRIDAY, when they found themselves coming to a stop brought on from sheer shock. In front of them was a man dressed in immaculate dark blue robes and a rich red cape, his back to them, as he held one hand in front of him, a gold energy in the form of a rope wrapped around his hand. Tony's eyes followed the energy rope and he found himself looking at what he could only assume was a portal edged in gold sparks. The gold rope continued through the portal and that's when Tony saw the two who'd been calling to each other. The sound of rushing wind was so loud that Tony almost winced against it but it only took him a moment to surmise that it was coming from the portal itself since there was no breeze blowing through the base and the few trees he could spot on the blondes' side weren't moving either.
The first one he saw had his right arm was wrapped in the gold energy rope wielded by the robed man. There was a stubborn, determined expression on his face as he dug in his heels to stop himself from being pulled through the portal that was mere inches away from him. A golden wolf was latched onto his right leg and a leopard of some description was clinging to his left arm, their body weight aiding the young blond-haired person in staying on his side of the portal. A second blond-haired person, who had to be closely related to the first, was off to the side, watching everything with widened and scared eyes. It was obvious he was trying to find a way to help the other but didn't know how and Tony could understand his struggle since he had no clue what the hell was going on right now either.
"Hey!" Tony called loud enough to be heard over the portal, one repulsor aimed at the robed man and one aimed at the two blond-haired people, not willing to take any chances. The robed man didn't give any sign that he'd heard Tony but, judging from the warning hoot that sounded from it, the great horned owl perched on a broken slab of wall nearby definitely did. "What the hell is going on here?!" Tony demanded. He had no clue what the man could say that would make Tony think of anything other than 'kidnapping' but he almost wanted the man to try. He also wanted to know how the fuck the man was opening a portal and wielding an energy rope like that but he could leave that to be secondary.
The man didn't respond so Tony powered up the repulsor aimed at him further only to cut it off in surprise when Elio said, "Tony, I think you should leave this alone. Something tells me that what he's doing is vitally important to your safety."
"How is kidnapping someone else important to my safety, Elio?!" Tony demanded, looking at his dingo incredulously.
Said dingo gave him an apologetic look but held his ground. "I don't know but I'm sure he'll explain why soon," Elio said, glancing at the robed man.
Tony wanted to interrogate his Animal further, as well as completely ignore Elio and stop the kidnapping in progress from happening but he didn't get the chance to do either when the blonde being held by the two Animals and energy rope looked off to his right with a relieved expression just before a lioness launched herself through the portal and at the robed man. Before she could land a blow, though, the robed man waved his hand at her and a glowing, transparent, gold box formed over the lioness, trapping her inside of it.
Tony watched the appearance and subsequent trapping of the third Animal with widened eyes. "Seriously, what the fuck is going on here?" he asked but this time, Elio didn't offer him a response as they continued watching the scene in front of them play out.
Meanwhile in Amestris…
Ed watched as Ayala and Chester trotted ahead of himself and Alphonse. The citizens of Central paid them no mind, leaving them alone except for offering pleasantries as they passed the Fullmetal Alchemist, his brother, and their Animals. They were back from Creta and Xing for Elysia's 13th birthday and Ed's 22nd birthday, as well as Ed's yearly check in with Grumman and Mustang. They'd had the birthday celebrations – with Elysia insisting she and Ed share the party that was thrown (though she had a separate one with her school friends) – a few days ago and now they were on their way from the train station, where they'd seen Winry, Pinako, Den, and Michella off so they could join Mustang and Nala in a meeting with Grumman and Jessie.
They rounded the last corner before the base and Ed was quick to spot the distant forms of Nala and Mustang waiting for them at the front entrance a few dozen metres away. He grinned at Nala's warm brush against their bond but couldn't stop himself from saying, "surprised he's there on time," to Alphonse, who immediately rolled his eyes.
"I may have threatened him into being here on time," Nala said smugly. Ed could just imagine the look Mustang was giving his lioness right now.
"Stop it, the both of you," Al scolded, speaking aloud to his brother and through his and Nala's bond.
"Nah," Ed said. "He's gone an entire year without me making sure his head doesn't get too big. Would you really subject Nala to another year of that if I don't knock him down a peg or two now?" Ed asked his brother.
Al gave him a very flat look that had Ayala and Chester sniggering in Ed's mind. "You should be behaving yourself this trip," Al chided.
"That sounds so boring though. Why would I wanna do that?" Ed asked, his voice confused as though he couldn't figure out why Alphonse would suggest that.
Al let out a long-suffering sigh that had Ed snorting in amusement. "Stop teasing your brother," Ayala scolded, deciding to come to Al's defence before the youngest Elric decided to try and kill her human.
"Ayala, how could you betray me like that?" Ed gasped dramatically, earning three eyerolls in tandem.
There was a huff of laughter following Ed's dramatics from Nala but before Ed or anyone else could continue this little bantering session, a sudden surge of energy had the four of them coming to an immediate halt and facing the area where the surge came from. Ed could feel Nala immediately go on high alert and knew she was relaying what Ed was sensing to her human. Both Ed and Al adopted a lax version of their fighting stances, not wanting to tip off any nearby civilians that there might be something dangerous happening when they couldn't even be sure if it was dangerous. Both Ayala and Chester put themselves on their human's right said, with Chester standing in between both Ed and Al as they waited to see what would happen.
"Roy wants to know what's – " Nala started asking but was cut off by Ed unintentionally quietening their bond when the sound of rushing wind could be heard despite the fact that there was not even a breeze right now.
A sudden spray of golden sparks appeared not even a metre in front of them, the sound of rushing wind increasing to almost-deafening levels, causing their metaphorical and the Animals' literal hackles to rise. To Ed's astonishment – and the astonishment of the Animals with him – the golden spray of sparks started circling, creating a circle that grew until it was bigger than Ed and Al were tall. A blast of frigid air hit Ed, Al, and the Animals, causing them to shudder at the temperature change. The whatever-it-was edged in the golden sparks now showed them a tall man dressed in dark blue robes and a rich red cape standing in an icy building, a slightly apologetic expression on his otherwise serious face and left hand raised, a large, rectangular, golden ring that was worn on two fingers. His right hand had no ring on it but there was a spool of what looked like rope that was made from a gold energy.
Before Ed, Al, or the Animals could do anything, the man's eyes scanned the four of them before landing on Ed. "I am sorry about this," his prim voice said. Ed noted the apologetic look in his eyes but could see no sign of regret.
"For-?" Ed went to ask only to raise his right arm defensively in front of his body when the gold, glowing rope suddenly launched at him. "What the fuck?" Ed asked, more to himself than anyone else as the gold rope wrapped itself around his automail arm in a way that should've been impossible before the man started pulling.
"Brother!" Alphonse cried out as Ed was tugged forward several centimetres before the eldest Elric was able to dig his heels in.
Afraid that the man might try something to Al, Ed shoved him with his left hand, shouting, "Alphonse, move! Get out of his way!"
Al went stumbling slightly before rightening himself. "Hang on, Ed," Al said as he crouched, clapping as he did so. He sent a stone hand through the glowing circle but the man waved a hand and released an energy blast that destroyed the stone hand. "Damnit!" Al swore.
"Ayala, Chester," Ed said through their bond as he felt himself being slowly dragged forward. He could sense Nala rapidly coming for him and knew Mustang wouldn't be far behind her. "I need you two to act like anchors. He's still dragging me forward," Ed told them.
"You got it. Just keep fighting," Ayala ordered before she wrapped her front paws around his right leg and added her not-inconsiderable weight to his.
"Ed, I can't hang onto you tight enough without hurting you," Chester told him, fidgeting where he was standing as his desire to help Ed was being fought with his desire not to hurt him.
"Chester, I appreciate it but I would much rather have a few scratches and holes in my arm then be wherever that arsehole is trying to take me," Ed informed him as he and Ayala found themselves being dragged forward just a little bit more. The man on the other side of the portal didn't seem happy that Ed was fighting against him but he also looked somewhat understanding, though that didn't stop him from putting a bit more obvious effort into kidnapping Ed.
Ed's words seemed to be all Chester needed to leap into action and dig his claws into Ed's flesh arm. Ed grimaced as Chester's sharp claws dug themselves into his flesh, tearing into it painfully but he didn't dare try and pull his arm out of Chester's claws. Chester's added weight was enough to hold Ed and Ayala still for now but Ed knew it wouldn't be long before the man tried harder again which meant he really needed to produce some strategy to get himself and the Animals out of this mess.
The stranger almost didn't have to when Ed, Chester, and Ayala all startled at the appearance of a strange red and gold flying humanoid and a dingo. As a result of their shock, Ed – and the Animals – were dragged forward another few centimetres before they dug themselves back in. Ed could see Al off to his left, trying to figure out a way to help him and the Animals without his attack being stopped like it had been before. A sudden, "hey!" was shouted, coming from the humanoid with bright blue eyes and their hands raised, palms out and with one palm aimed at the stranger and one aimed at Ed, Al, and the Animals. Ed noticed the bright blue circles in the humanoid's palms that glowed brighter but he didn't let himself linger on it since he had more urgent things to deal with right now. "What the hell is going on here?!" the humanoid demanded, barely loud enough to be heard of the roar of the portal, making Ed want to laugh hysterically since he was asking himself the exact same question.
Movement on the right of the portal caught Ed's attention and he noticed a great horned owl sitting on a broken wall for the first time. Loathe to do so, Ed was about to ask Chester to pass on his suggestion to kidnap or somehow trap the owl, who must've been the kidnapper's Animal when he heard Nala shout, "I'm here! Hang on!," causing Ed to look to his right with relief as he spotted the lioness sprinting the last few metres between them.
Nala didn't hesitate when she reached Ed's side and launched herself through the circle edged with gold the moment she could. Mustang was only a few feet behind her and was by Ed's side just in time to see Nala's attack fail when the man encased her in a gold, transparent box that he summoned out of nowhere with a wave of his hand. "What the hell?" Mustang gasped, raising his right hand to snap, though his eyes were on his trapped Animal, who was now yowling angrily at the stranger. The humanoid behind the stranger muttered something along the same lines as Mustang but no one seemed able to answer either of them.
"Dammit," Ed growled as he and the two Animals were dragged forward a little further. He felt Ayala and Chester tighten their grips on him and he was very thankful that Ayala's claws weren't quite as sharp as Chester's were, though that didn't make the feeling of her blunter claws pressing into his leg any more comfortable.
"Has he made any demands? Given a reason why he's trying to kidnap you?" Mustang asked.
"No and not one that's he's given me but let's assume that he's like all the others and is fucked in the head," Ed snapped, putting more weight into his heels and shifting his centre of gravity to try and make himself more difficult to move. "Al's already tried to attack him but he stopped it with some kind of energy blast," Ed reported.
"'Energy blast'?" Mustang repeated and Ed could hear the frown in his voice.
"We got the report that you've gotten yourself in some trouble. The team is on their way," Soren's voice sounded in Ed's head before Ed could respond to Mustang.
The knowledge that Hawkeye would soon be there and likely have more luck taking this stranger down, if not out completely, than they had made Ed almost sag with relief. "Thanks for the heads up," he said to the owl before he turned his attention to Mustang. "Yes, energy blast. Don't ask me what it was because it definitely wasn't alchemy but it stopped Al's attack by destroying it. Maybe you'll have better luck getting an attack to land since there's nothing technically physical to stop," Ed suggested. He saw Mustang's eyes flick to his trapped Animal, who was still snarling and yowling to show her displeasure at being trapped. "Al will try to get Nala out," Ed told him, speaking loudly enough for Al to hear him.
"I'll get her," Al swore, crouching to try and do just that.
Mustang didn't argue any further, just gave Al a nod before he snapped, unleashing a stream of fire that rushed past Ed's right and missing him by mere centimetres. Ed would've snapped at Mustang about how close that attack came to him a few years ago but these days, he could appreciate the amount of control that went into that transmutation. He watched, hopeful and a little vindictive, as the flames Mustang produced roared straight at the would-be kidnapper's face. His hopes at being released from the gold energy rope because the stranger was too busy trying to put the flames on his face out were dashed when the man waved his hand once more and brushed the flames aside as if they were nothing. They dissipated against a pile of snow in the room on the other side of the circle, causing the snow to melt and hiss as it turned into water and vapour.
"Damn it!" Al hissed suddenly as he pulled back from his transmutation. "I can't get to her! Whatever the hell he's doing and however he did it, the energy goes as far down as I'm comfortable trying to transmute to. I can't bury under the barriers, not without possibly destabilising the area and putting Nala at risk!" he said, sounding irritated but looking apologetically at Mustang. "I'll keep trying though. Something has to work," he growled, getting ready to clap again.
"Alphonse," Mustang said, getting the younger blonde's attention, "perhaps we should combine an attack," he suggested.
Ed could feel his muscles starting to ache from how strained they were with how much effort he was putting into trying not to be kidnapped. His left arm was burning as Chester's claws kept their grip in his flesh, causing warm blood to run down his arm and drip onto the ground. "Whatever the two of you are thinking of doing, do it quickly," Ed ground out, his teeth gritted together. "I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to keep this up, even with Ayala's and Chester's help," he admitted far easier than he would've in front of Mustang six years ago.
"The problem is that he's shown that he has no issues deflecting an attack while keeping a hold on Brother," Alphonse pointed out.
"So we need something to act as a distraction to keep him busy – and his Animal if we can manage it – while we attack," Mustang said, eyeing up the great horned owl still sitting on the broken slab of wall on the other side of the portal. "Perhaps even something to prevent the onlookers from intervening," Mustang added, nodding towards the red-and-gold humanoid, the dingo, and the newcomers who'd just rounded the corner and were standing some distance from the humanoid.
"If you two have a plan in mind, I think I can create a distraction," Ed said, though he wasn't entirely sure how he'd pull it off quite yet. "We just gotta hold him off until Hawkeye and the team get here," Ed reminded them.
Mustang gave him a nod, though Ed could see the concerned look in his eyes. "They shouldn't be much longer," he told Ed. To anyone else, it would've sounded exactly as it was meant to: a commanding officer informing his subordinate of their team's arrival but Ed, Al, and the Animals could hear the reassuring and encouraging notes in his voice.
"I know. I'm the one who can talk to their Animals, remember?" Ed said as cockily as he could manage. The first few beads of sweat were starting to make their way from his brow and down his face and his flesh limbs were starting to tremble now.
"Keep hanging in there, Ed. We'll have this sorted in no time," Ayala said encouragingly, tightening her hold on his leg.
"We've got a plan, Ed," Mustang said as he and Al got into position on Ed's left. "We're ready when you are."
Ed gave him a nod and took in a deep breath as he thought about what he could do. Golden eyes darted at the scene through the golden-edged circle and a decision was made. If he threw up earthen walls in front of the stranger and his owl and the other group standing away from him, he would not only block their view but it would prevent the kidnapper from seeing Mustang and Al's attack until it was too late. Even if he blasted the wall apart, Al and Mustang's attack should hit him before he could ready a second attack. With his owl unable to see, it wouldn't be able to warn him of the attack with any specifics to help him dodge it either.
Plan decided, Ed caught Al and Mustang's eyes and gave them another nod, this one telling them that he had a plan and to be ready. They shifted slightly and Ed turned his attention to the two Animals doing their best to hold him in place. "Both of you; let me go and get out of our way," he instructed them, speaking through their bond.
"On your count," Chester said while Ayala growled lightly in agreement.
"3, 2, 1!" came the countdown from Ed and both Animals immediately let go of him, a bit painfully in Chester's case.
There would be a single moment that Ed knew he would need to adjust to the loss of the weight of the two Animals before he could crouch smoothly and perform the transmutation he had in mind. It was just a single moment where he'd be vulnerable but he hadn't once expected that the stranger would be able to react so quickly to the Animals moving that he'd be able to take advantage of that single moment. But take advantage is exactly what the robed man did. He yanked viciously on the gold energy rope the moment Chester and Ayala had released Ed, too quickly even for Ayala to predict so she could latch back onto Ed's leg.
"Brother!" "Ed!" "Fullmetal!" The shouts from Al, Ayala, Chester, Nala, and Mustang sounded as Ed went sprawling, landing heavily next to the transparent, gold cage holding Nala captive. He landed roughly on his right side but still managed to jar his left arm, making every wound caused by Chester's claws remind him painfully that they were there.
Ed didn't even get the chance to react to his landing when the kidnapper waved his hand and the box that had been holding Nala inside of it expanded to include Ed. "Ed!" Nala gasped in his mind, rushing to his side immediately and pressing against him as she alternated in checking him over and continuing her displeased and threatening yowls at the kidnapper. "Ed, are you alright?" she asked, eyes flicking to his bloodied arm.
"I'm fine," Ed told her, getting to his knees and pressing a hand on the see-through gold wall, only to growl when he felt no give. "Are you okay?" he asked her in turn even as he clapped, the familiar ringing of his clap echoing loudly in the stone-walled bunker they were in. He was forced to abandon his transmutation when his alchemic energy collided with the gold energy of the box and nearly blinded them, as well as threatened to rebound on Ed.
"I'm not harmed but I would love to get out of here," Nala admitted as she moved to stand protectively between Ed and his kidnapper, ready to come to his defence if and when the kidnapper lowered the wall that separated them from him, though it wouldn't be any time soon considering Al and Mustang were throwing as many attacks at the kidnapper as possible. Fireballs and streams of flames mixed with launched boulders and stone spikes were all met with the same, almost dismissive waves of the kidnapper's hands or energy blasts that destroyed or stopped the attacks with ease.
"You and me both," Ed told her as he glared at the caped man, who was focused still on Amestris' side of the circle rather than him, which is what Ed would've expected considering the transmutations Al and Mustang were still launching. To Ed's irritation, the kidnapper was successfully blocking or destroying each attack aimed at him.
A noise to his left had Ed looking that way to find Ayala sliding to a stop next to him, having slipped through the attacks to get to him. Before he could yell at her for being so reckless, she rapidly said, "try and use alchemy through our bond now that I'm on your side of that circle. See if that makes a difference to the result."
Blinking slightly at how much merit the idea had, Ed went to do what she said when he heard Mustang tell his brother to, "wait here with Chester for the team. I'll try and get your brother and Nala out of there." A glance over confirmed that Mustang was crossing through the sparking circle, hand still raised to snap threateningly at the caped stranger as he moved towards the trapped Ed and Nala.
"Mustang, st-!" the words didn't even manage to leave Ed's mouth when the sparks edging the circle suddenly glowed brightly before rapidly shrinking. "Al! Ches!" Ed shouted, banging on the transparent wall, which – to Ed and Nala's complete shock – seemingly gave way under Ed's fist.
Ed scrambled to his feet, ignoring his left arm as he did so, but he didn't even get two steps when the golden sparks closed in on each other and disappeared entirely, trapping him, Mustang, Nala, and Ayala on this side of it. "Brother!" "Ed!" the calls from Alphonse and Chester cut off abruptly when the golden circle finished closing.
Then, amidst the horror of being separated from his brother and Chester by means he had no idea about, Ed realised something else that wrenched the breath out of his lungs just as Mustang, Nala, and Ayala surrounded him. Mustang had taken up Nala's previous role of separating Ed from the stranger who – now they were closer to him and could make out these details– had black hair turning grey up the sides and a gold necklace in the broad shape of an eye around his neck. Ed reached blindly out for something to ground him and felt his left hand gripping the familiar material of an Amestrian military jacket. "Ed?" Mustang murmured, speaking low enough to not give away the fact that Ed might be vulnerable right now to potential enemies.
"Mustang," Ed gasped, still holding onto his jacket as Nala and Ayala pressed against both Ed and Mustang's legs, comforting Ed while adding their snarls to Mustang's defensive position. "My bonds…" he trailed off, his breath still catching in his throat and feeling like he couldn't draw in a full breath as he tried to work through what the hell was happening to him.
Before Mustang could make the decision as to whether he should leave their protection in the paws of Nala and Ayala so he could try and help his subordinate or to demand answers from the kidnapper and the other strangers behind him when the caped man beat him to speaking first. "I believe an apology for the way I went about this is well in order," the man said, his voice with an edge of authority and a tone that told Mustang that he wasn't quite used to apologising for his actions, "however perhaps it would be more prudent to first do introductions then an explanation for my actions," he commented.
Mustang felt Ed's grip tighten on his jacket before Ayala's slight weight against his left leg disappeared so Ed could step around Mustang completely. The flame alchemist looked down to find his subordinate's golden eyes blazing with a fury he hadn't seen since Promised Day but he could also see the fear and grief in his eyes, despite Ed's obvious attempts at hiding it. "An explanation would be pretty fucking wonderful right about now," Ed snarled, eye flashing dangerously enough that Mustang found himself gripping Ed's right upper arm lightly to prevent the blonde from putting that fist through anyone's face.
The caped stranger didn't seem that phased by Ed's fury but at least two of the people and the four Animals beyond the robed man certainly were. However, the kidnapper merely inclined his head at Ed before saying, "my name is Doctor Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme." The red-and-gold humanoid visibly reacted to the man's title and Ed had no clue what to make of that. "And I brought you here so that you could aide us in saving both our worlds from a tyrant who has made it his life's mission to wipe out half of the universe."
A/N - Hello, my friends, and happy holidays! 'Tis I, your favourite FullmetalBitch, here with a new crossover for you! Let's welcome back the Spirit Animal characters for a new story and say hello to our new AU characters I've borrowed from Marvel! As you could probably tell, I'm messing with the Marvel timeline just a little. The events of Dr. Strange will be happening about a year or so earlier than it does in canon but any other changes to canon will be mentioned in the story.
So I've had this chapter written for months but decided to post it because, ngl, kinda need to read people's opinions and comments regarding this story to give me some motivation to get back into writing this story. I've got 19 chapters written and ready to be posted but I lost my mojo for writing (thought it might've just been for this story but I tried starting a new one and I've made minimal progress on it so...) and it's kinda stalled. Honestly, I might've had this story completely finished by now if I hadn't burned out or whatever but alas, that's not the case. So! Comments would be loved forever and may help me get back into the swing of writing!
As always, chapters will be posted every Sunday, Qld Australia time but you lucky ducks are getting this one a few days earlier because I had the urge to get this story started so I can hopefully get some opinions on it. That just means you'll only have to wait like 5 days before the next chapter instead of a whole week! See you then!