Hello All! I am back. I mention to get this out last week, but it didn't. So i am sorry for the delay.
But let me know what you think! I love reviews
Chapter 4:
Screw it
With heavy a heavy heart, Tony took a deep breath, as he sluggishly headed to his bedroom. The idea of sleep didn't seem appealing, but he was running on fumes, having spent hours making sure FRIDAY was in top shape, and not, it was torture to keep his eyes open. It was a struggle to do much of anything, which included the journey to his bed. They say the lack of sleep was like being drunk; Tony could confirm this tidbit, feeling like death itself. It was like his body was protesting him, striking out in every turn. If he didn't get some sleep or at least rest, he was going to faint (or possibly die- SSHH) and smack his head off something on the way down, which wasn't good for anyone. Ayo would call him an idiot, and Rhodes would lecture him, which wasn't something he could deal with. Those two would be a scary team.
Exhaling slowly, Tony stepped onto the elevator and immediately fell against the elevator wall with a loud thump. He could fall sleep standing up, even while his body loudly protested. His bones ached. It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world, but he had slept in worse places and had awoken to some horrible back pain. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to. He supposed he could've slept in the lab on the lumpy pullout instead of risking falling asleep in the elevator, but Pepper drew him. He hadn't seen the woman since she stormed out in an angry huff, something that still hunted Tony to his core. He only learned she was back due to JARVIS. She didn't even come down to lab to say hi or goodnight.
The genius wasn't sure if that was a sign of their impending doom, but in any timelines, they had their problems, fighting over his inability to give up the Iron Man suit—something he didn't think he would ever be able to do. Admittedly, this time was different; he was different. He was better, though worse in some ways. He had seen- experienced a future that would give anyone nightmares. With a heart pounding in his chest, he hoped to stop the future from happening, but it was too late for him. It still happened to him, and unfortunately, he wasn't sure if this new person could be loved. "FRIDAY," he uttered, as he forced himself to speak. "Take me to the penthouse."
"Be my pleasure, Boss," the AI Replied. "Though I might add, it might be wise to eat something."
JARVIS wasn't far behind. "What Mr. Stark needs is rest. He would most likely fall asleep in his food and drown."
"Going to sleep on an empty stomach would keep him up longer and prevent the Boss from getting a good night rest."
If Tony wasn't struggling to stay on his feet, he would laugh at the two AIs, who had been going back and forth since FRIDAY awoke. There was something funny about while at the same time annoying. Was this what it was like having children? Make you laugh and mad at the same time? "Children, let's not fight. Daddy's too sleepy for this." Letting out the breath he was holding, he opened his eyes. "Let's make a deal. Hmm?" He pleaded as his eyes shut uncontrollably. It took everything he had to reopen them; it was like fighting a rushing river. "I'll sleep for a few hours and then eat. Make you both happy." His eyes were threatening to close again, and he would like nothing more to just give in, but he wouldn't be able to sleep for long. He would be Lucky to get three hours of sleep before a nightmare jolted him awake.
"Yes, Boss."
"Very well, Sir"
The elevator—like all things in Avengers Tower—ran smoothly, and Tony could barely feel it jump as it shot up several floors to the top of the tower. There weren't that many floors between his lab and his penthouse, but the elevator climbed the few floors in no time, though it felt like an eternity to the sleepy genius, as his nerves got the better of him. They were acting like a jumper to a car, shocking his body alive- though not in a good way. It was like there was bugs under his skin trying to break free. He wasn't sure why he was like this, considering he was going to sleep next to Pepper, sweet Pepper. She was his light, his path, even when they were fighting. She was his everything. But again, he was different now. He was broken. Could he still say that about her? Were they still meant to be?
With a heavy mind, he stepped—bolted more like it- out of the elevator, not waiting for the doors to fully open. Like someone had broke a dam, he was suddenly hit with this pressure, and it was everywhere. Not long after that, a wave of dizziness fell upon him, making his knees weak. Was the room moving? The floor felt unsteady beneath him, like he was on sand. God, what was this feeling? Was this a panic attack coming on? It didn't feel like the last one he had, but he supposed they weren't all the same. There wasn't a pattern to them.
If his AIs were talking to him, Tony didn't know, paying very little attention to them, as he headed toward his bedroom. His mind was on Pepper, who he hoped would calm him before he went into full panic attack. When he stepped in, he could feel his heart slow a beat, spotting Pepper's sleeping form. He didn't know how long she had been sleeping, but she was out like a log, wrapped tightly in an expensive, fluffy comforter. If you asked the Tony, it was stupidity overprice for a freak blanket, but he supposed he didn't get vote when he spent billions on Iron Man suits.
He shook that thought out of his head, while forcing his mind back to her sleeping form. The idea that she didn't tell him she was back haunted him. Was she still mad at him? He wouldn't blame her if she was, considering how he had been acting lately. He was like a different man; no, he was a different man. Let's not go there, he told himself as he crossed to the bed. Hesitating for a second, he pulled the blanket back and slid in next to her. Pepper stirred a bit as the comforter was pulled from her, but she did not wake, even he rolled to his side and wrapped his arm around her.
It was like kind of magic as he felt instant relief. With the last of his strength, Tony forced his eyes open as he stared at the back of Pepper's head for a few long seconds, counting each strand of hair. He never did say it enough that she was beautiful, that she was amazing, and that one thing he wished he did more. That was something he could make up for now, which would be his last thought before he fell sleep.
*O*O*
"You could've saved us."
"Why didn't you do more?"
"Mr. Stark, I don't feel so well."
"I hope they remember you, Stark."
"Tony!"
It felt like a million degrees, sending heavy shakes throughout Tony's body; though at the same time, he couldn't move. It was light his body was pin and he struggled under the weight, until something shifted next to him. He felt light and heavy at the same time. Feeling like someone was sitting on his chest, Tony didn't try to move and slowly opened his eyes to come face to face with a worried Pepper. "Hey, Pep," he croaked, feeling the sun on his face from the window. He may had awakened to a nightmare, but he had slept till the morning
There were no tears in her eyes, but Pepper was sporting a very worried and concerned look, which didn't fit her beautiful face. "Hey, Tony." A heavy smile creeped onto her face as it sounded like she had eaten a toad. "You okay?"
That was a load question. "Yes," he said, trying to pack up that one word with as much emotions as he could.
"You finally took a break I see?" she asked, putting a gentle hand on his arm.
Fighting through the ache in his back, Tony pushed himself up. It was these moments that he felt old. "I couldn't pass up sleeping next to you," He replied with a smile.
Her expression dropped for a second, staring at him. "You had a nightmare. Want to talk about it?"
Tony could see the worry in her eyes, the fear blooming underneath it, which he couldn't fault her on. The last nightmare he had ended with him screaming for his death and hitting her –Thank god, the bruise was gone. For him, he had lost on Titan and Peter had turned to dust in his arms, which was one of the most painful memories of his life. It was no wonder he wanted to die. For her, she went to bed after a long day at work and woke up to a man bloodcurdling screaming. For her, it didn't make sense. "Nothing major," he replied, as he leaned forward to give her a kiss.
Sitting perfectly still, Pepper didn't lean to him, her eyes dropping to his hand. As best as Tony tried to hide it, his hand was tremoring. "Tony," she replied, her voice breaking. "Your hand."
As if he was bitten, the genius quickly withdrew it and hid it behind his back. "Want something to eat?" he asked, barely holding back the tremor in his voice. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he open up to her? But how did he talk to Pepper about Peter's Death? She didn't even know the boy, didn't know how important he was to Tony. She didn't know how the boy touched Tony's heart, taking a permanent spot. "I'm starving."
Pepper, forcing herself to take a deep breath, put on a smile. "Okay."
"I make some pretty wicked eggs." Tony smiled as he got to his feet. This felt off, but he pushed through it. He wasn't ready to dive into the pain just yet. He also wasn't ready to talk about Peter's death.
*O*O*
Tony kept peeping up at Pepper from his plate, as he poked at the cooling eggs. He was playing with it more than anything, but considering how long it sit in front of him, he wasn't to eat it. Plus, he was too anxious to eat, and the silence only made it worse. He had tried small talk, but she wasn't having it. She just gave short answers to every question he asked and shot him a look. It had been awkward to say the least, as he had no idea what to say. He could talk off someone's ears, but this was Pepper. He didn't have small talk with her, and from his understanding, that wasn't something you did with the love of your life. "I'm sorry," he uttered, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't know what you want me to say."
Pepper flashed her eyes up at him, almost looking betrayed. "This all goes back to that nightmare you had a few days ago. Can you tell me what got you so shaken?" There was not ounce of anger in her voice; she seemed more sad than anything.
"I failed," he said faintly, as he looked down at his food. "I didn't do enough to save the most important person to me." As he said those words, a deep depression sunk through him down to his bones, drowning him. He forced back the tears as he thought about Peter, sweet innocent Peter. He really said that, didn't he? This was all about Peter. It was always about Peter as that kid was always at the front of his mind "I lost."
Reaching a firm hand forward, Pepper laced her hand into Tony's and squeezed. "You didn't fail. I'm right here, and I'm safe. Nothing's going to happen." A small smile started to break through to her smile, warmth emitting from her.
Of course, Tony thought, as guilty started to form. She assumed it was her, and in another timeline, she would've been correct, well until Peter warmed his way into Tony's heart. The kid had stripped that from her, and it had been taken from her sooner than expected, not that she expected it. Did that make him a bad person that he didn't want to correct her? Or maybe, this was just his guilt eating him? Weren't you supposed to love your child more? But Peter isn't yours, he yelled at himself. "I love you," he uttered. Okay, it wasn't like he was lying. He was always worried about her.
"I love you too." She replied as she squeezed his hand once more. "You just have to let me in, Tony. You just need to let me carry this burden with you."
Tony gently pulled his hand back, as his smile died. Doubt started to creep back in. It was no secret that she disliked him being Iron Man, and though she said she would carry it with him, he didn't know if he believed her. "And you be okay with me going off? Like when I went off to get Klaue?"
Pepper's expression darkened a bit. "What are you getting at?"
This wasn't what Tony wanted. This wasn't what he needed. So why was he starting a fight with her? She just admitted that she was here for him, ready to support him. Plus, Thanos was coming, ready to rip the world apart, and here he was fighting with Pepper. What was he doing? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Let's not fight," he replied, all too quietly. With panic on the horizon, he reached forward.
This time, it was Pepper who pulled back. "Don't do that," she hissed, looking completely heartbroken. "We both know what you mean by that, Tony. Just be honest with me. If you can't do that, then what are we doing?"
God, why did he have to open his mouth? Why?! What was wrong with him? Okay, he knew the answer to that. It wasn't just Pepper he had this issue with. Rhodey and his relationship was taking a dive as well lately. He didn't know if he was scared or just stupid. "Pepper, please. I'm drowning here. Please just...just…" His voice died in his throat.
Pepper's expression seemed to have it all: love, anger, pity, fear, annoyance, concern. "Then tell me what's going on." Tony opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. With a huff, she pushed her seat back and got to her feet. "I have a company to run. When you are ready to speak, let me know."
"Pepper," Tony called, his voice returning. He turned and reached out to her, trying to get her to stop, but the red head paid no attention to his hand as she headed out the door. "Pepper, please." In what could've been regret, Pepper slowed and glanced back at Tony for second before shaking her head and leaving. She paid no little attention to Ayo, who hovered in the doorway, besides to give her a cold look.
"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, barely giving Ayo a glance. His mind was in pieces and it was grueling to think. This was the second time that Pepper left during one of their 'conversions'. Fight was a better word, though that wasn't the point. Fighting over what to call this wouldn't change what it was: it was a shit show. Tony wasn't sure who to blame, but he knew he was causing most of his problems. He just wasn't sure how to fix his relationship with Pepper, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. No, that wasn't true. He wanted to fix his relationship with Pepper, but Peter's life hung in the balance! That was more important. How would he worry about his love life when Thanos was coming for them?
With a deep sigh, Ayo pushed off the wall and crossed to the table where Tony was sitting. "Just long enough to hear you're an idiot. And here I thought, you had game, but I guess not." She gave him a look before snatching his plate.
"Hey!" Tony protested. "I was eating that." No, that was a lie. He only took one or two bits, while staring at Pepper. He was starving but his stomach was in knots.
Ayo gave him a look before taking a bite. It was like she was in a commercial, taking long lingering bites. She was savoring every bite, even if it was a cold plate of eggs. She was mocking him. "Were you?" she asked, taking another bite.
"That isn't very nice," Tony replied, getting to his feet and crossing to the coffee machine. It would only be his second cup of the day, but there would more in his future. He supposed he should try to eat something no matter how small it was, but his stomach was doing back flips. A cereal bar was probably his best bit.
"Never said, I was nice," Ayo stated with a shrug. "And I'm hungry."
Tony rolled his eyes as he took a bit of the cereal bar. It wasn't as filling as the eggs would have been, but it would do. The bar would probably go down better. "There're two AIs in this building. I'm pretty sure one of the two could've assisted you with anything that you needed."
"Two, Stark? One not good enough for your ego?" She asked, giving him a look.
"I quite agree," JARVIS added. "I am capable in assisting Ms. Ayo with every anything that she needs."
"There is nothing wrong with a helping hand," chirped FRIDAY.
Ayo, taking her last bite of Tony's eggs, turned to the genius; with a look that screamed 'wow,' her eyebrow rose. "Take after their creator?" she hummed.
On any other day, Tony might've found the weird Freud between the AI's funny, but he was too emotionally drained to feel much of anything. "Well, I'm a hoot," he replied, as he finished his cereal bar. "But we can talk about that later. We have a secret base to build."
"I'm just waiting on you, Pretty boy." Picking up Pepper's plate, Ayo crossed to the sink and turned the water on. She didn't wash the two plates, but she ran the water over them.
That was the second time he had been called boy in the last few days, and it was odd. He didn't like it. "If you think I'm a boy, you got issues," he replied with a force smile. He pushed off the counter and headed toward the door. "You coming? Or you going to wash the dishes, which you don't have to do? I have staff to do that."
"I was raised correctly, not by nannies," She replied, as she set the plates down. "And where are we heading?"
Ayo wasn't going to make this easy. "You act like that was a bonus. Sometimes I just wanted my parents, even my asshole of a father," he replied, hasty. The words came out faster than he could process what he said, but there was no taking it back. "Anyhow," he added, changing his tone to something more cheerful. "I got an idea of where we can look. Our best bet is my father off the computer records in upstate New York, and I know where they're located."
There was a hint of something behind her eyes, but it was gone in a flash. "Let's go."
*O*O*
Ayo, looking like she had smelled something funky, glanced around, taking in every inch of the quinjet. "I expected more," she uttered, walking to the front of the craft.
"Are we comparing dick sizes?" he asked, as he followed her. Though he did not expect trouble, the Iron Man suit was loaded onto the small jet.
"There is nothing to compare it to," came Ayo's response. "Wakandan jets are superior." She shrugged, as if it was insulting to deny it. There was a level of smugness there that Tony didn't see, especially when comparing it to his tech. it was an odd.
Tony sat in the pilot seat with a smile. Flying had always been a source of comfort to the genius, and this was time was no different. It wasn't the same as the Iron Man suit, but it still gave him a thrill. It was freeing, and with JARVIS as his copilot, nothing that could go wrong. "You got nothing on me," he replied, adding his own smugness to the table. "I got some ideas in here." He pointed to his head.
"Like two fighting AIs?" she replied, sitting a seat as well.
They wouldn't be fighting for too much longer, as Tony was going to 'sit' them both down and lecture them. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, though it still did throw him through a loop. How did two AIs fight? "Oh, it isn't that bad," He replied, turning on the quinjet.
"Is that why you restricted FRIDAY to the tower?"
Tony let out a deep sigh, annoyed at how Ayo was reading this. He didn't load FRIDAY into the jet, because he wanted to make sure she was operating at 100% before he opened the world to her. Yes, it did give him a chance to 'talk' with JARVIS. Though, if everything was fine, he wouldn't need a talk with JARVIS. "Hey, JARVIS my boy, are we really for take off?"
"Yes, Sir." Replied a cheerful JARVIS. "It is my pleasure to be your copilot today."
Ayo shot Tony look, which the genius didn't like too well. "And JARVIS," Tony added, "you know I'll never replace you, Buddy, right? I built FRIDAY, not because you failed or that I want to replace you. I never want to replace you. I'm just…" Tony drifted off for a second, as one of his hands lingered on the navigation controls. "…The idea of loosing you freaks me out." There wasn't a lie. "You're my buddy. You've seen me through everything. You've seen me at my worse. FRIDAY is not replacing you. She's there because without you, I'm lost." He was completely honest, though he did leave out how comforted he felt by FRIDAY being there. Both of these AI were family to him, and he would be damned if he lost either one of them. "You can't replace the sky."
"Understand, Sir." JARVIS replied. "And rest assure, I will not leave you. It is an honor to serve you."
Ayo let out a snort. "Oh, I'm so glad you two made up," she said, rolling her eyes. "Now, get a room."
"There is probably porn like that." Tony chuckled, cursing himself with that pretty picture.
Shaking her head, Ayo let out a sigh. "And now you need to make up with Colonel Rhodes."
This woman brought up Jim more times than Tony could count, and it left Tony confused. What was her aim? Did Ayo want Rhodes in their secret club? "Why? Want to hold hands with Rhodey?" he asked.
If her eyes were lasers, he would be dead. "I just see how important he's to you," she replied, sitting back in her chair. In her hands, she held a tablet—a Stark tablet that she couldn't help but complain about. "You should tell him. Probably do you well. Less Stress. Do wonders for an old man like you."
At times, Ayo left Tony pondering whether she believed him or not about being from future. Some days, it felt like she did, while other days it felt like she was judging him. But, did it matter? With T'Chaka on his side, Ayo would follow him to the end of the line… Ha, you see what he did there? But what she wanted? What was she playing? Trying to get him to talk to Jim wasn't apart of her mission; she had to be doing it for different reasons. But why did she care? But Tony did have to give it to her: she was right. He should let Jim in as there was no one else he trusted more. He wasn't even sure why he wasn't. "Geez, I'm getting no love from you."
"I like Colonel Rhodes," she announced. "He's reminds me of Okoye. His loyalty is impressive."
That was definitely not what he expected to her hear from her. "Sounds like I should pay matchmaker."
Ayo's eyes narrowed at him. "Don't make me run you though with my spear." she threatened.
Though there was a part of him that didn't doubt she would and could do it, he could only let out a cackle. "Do you hear that, JARVIS? She's threating me."
"I do not hear that, Sir. I must need my hard drive update," Came JARVIS reply.
"Ha. Ha," Tony mocked. "I feel so loved."
*O*O*
Landing in the future site of the Avenger's compound was nostalgic, and Tony couldn't help but flash back to some of the most cherished memories he had. Not every memory he had of the Avengers was bad; some were quite enjoyable. Those were the days that they felt like a family, though now it felt like a lie. Though it started out for media's enjoyment—something they went go crazy on-, their 'family' movie nights were some of his favorite times. The team may have had to drag him out of the lab, but he enjoyed going. Though he complained (playingly so), he enjoyed creating and giving the team new toys to play with. He enjoyed watching their face light up.
That was not to say that he didn't have bad memories of this place. He remembered having to pull Vision out of the hole that Wanda put him in. He remembered the fights he and S-Rogers got into over the accords. Yes, looking back at it, he could see that Rogers had a point, and with hindsight, there were things Tony should've pushed back on; however, that didn't make Rogers right. The Captain was too focused on Barnes to see that he was becoming his worse fear. He- No, Nope. Tony mustn't let himself go down that path or else he would be lost in his anger.
Taking a deep breath, he waved to the Stark Industry guards, who patrolled the mostly empty compound. Being secluded in upstate New York, there was only a 5-man team guarding the large complex. If Tony thought about it, he probably should hire a few more. This place housed some very important and secret items that Tony didn't want to reach the light of day. There were probably things here that Tony didn't even know about, hidden by his father. There were things that Howard stole and hidden here. Things people would love to get their hands on.
That was one reason why Hank Pym sent in that bug guy—what was his name again?- in. Tony didn't blame Pym for wanting his tech back, considering Tony would've done the same. Plus, it didn't sit well with him that his father had hidden some Pym's items here. If his father was here to ask, he would've made up some lie about protecting the world from unstable tech, but Tony would call bullshit. There was a rivalry between Hank and Howard that Tony couldn't even begin to understand. He supposed their ego had to do with it, fighting to be the best, but there was something else.
Maybe, he should make peace with Pym. He didn't need to continue the hatred between the Stark and Pym family, though that was hard said than done. Pym wouldn't trust him on his surname alone, but Tony could start by returning the items Howard had taken. In the long run, Tony supposed it could help, which meant that was another thing he would need to add to the list. It wouldn't the at the top, as Barnes was currently the most important thing. However, it was important.
"You okay, Stark?"
Tony changed his direction with a shake of his head. "Just thinking," he replied with a deep sigh.
"Well, don't hurt yourself." came Ayo replied.
Why did everyone say that when he said he was thinking? "You should feel honored. This is the future site of Avenger's headquarters!"
Ayo gave him a look, before glancing around. It looked peaceful with a small lake a few yards away. "We don't have time for memory lane. Why don't you just show the way to these records?" she replied, sharply.
"Anything paper related will be in this building," Tony answered, not enjoying the thought of have to go through boxes and boxes of paperwork. He kind have wished he had the foresight to have computerized the files, though that made them hackable. With what he had planned, that would've automatically taken anything from those files off the list. There was a reason why he needed something off the books. Buy why did it have to be so taxing?
*O*O*
If there was a hell, Tony was sure that this was it, as he was neck deep in files, searching endlessly through them for one specific piece of information. He could feel his sanity dissipate with each new file, and to make matters worse, it was doing horrible things to his hands, which felt like sandpaper at this point. It was no wonder why everyone switched to digital, because this was the work of the devil. Between his dry ass hands and paper cuts, he was sure this was where villains were sent to die. God, why did his hands hurt this much? Who would've thought paper cuts hurt this much? He was stabbed by Thanos for crying out loud, but yet, he was done in by paper cuts. Maybe, it was the combination of dry hands and- No, No. That did not matter. No matter what it was, Tony was annoyed.
Granted, he could be irritated for another reason. There was no denying the frustration that was budding up inside of him, ready to burst. There was nothing more infuriating than spending countless minutes on a simple task, when you had other more imperative things to do. It did things to the mind. For example, his mind was yelling at him, screaming that he was spending too much time here. SHIELD was going explode before he found the thing what he wanted… not that he knew what he was looking for. Did his father or the SSR keep a list of hidden bases? Considering the bases were hidden, it should be stupid to list them on document that could be stolen, but how else was he going to find them? Plus, how could he confirm that the base was not on Hydra's radar? He supposed-
"Stop thinking so hard, Stark," Ayo yelled over the endless stack of boxes.
Tony glanced up from the box in front of him and shot a glare at Ayo. He was too grumpy for this. "I never overthink."
"The question is when don't you overthink," She replied. Her form was mostly hidden by the stacks of boxes that littered the aisle. Having been at this for hours, there were hundreds of boxes shattered about, each looking like a dog had been through them. Nether of them had been all too interested in putting them back, though that would've been wise.
With a huff, Tony shoved the box aside—harder than intended-, sending it airborne for several feet. Papers went flying, though he paid little attention to it. Anger had set in. He had a world to save, but he was here. He was here getting paper cuts. He was here looking at nonsense crap that no longer held anything importance in the present day. Half of this crap could probably be destroyed as it was outdated by years, and the other half would no longer gather a flicker of an eye with the world that they lived in. Hello, aliens invaded New York. Freaken Aliens. Nothing surprised the general public anymore. Tony wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
Back at the metal rack, he pulled another heavy box; this one had an SSR logo on it. It was probably a good thing that his father horded SSR files, as Tony had more hope in finding something in these SSR box than his father's own files. "Thanks, Dad," he said, rolling his eyes. Aunt Peggy probably wanted to skin Howard alive for it. "Here to another," he uttered, mainly to himself. He was sure this one would not be the last, as it felt like an endless loop.
Tony, without an ounce of grace, dropped the box on the table and ripped through the contents. There was a part of him, yelling at himself, that he should slow down, but he had been here for far too long for that, and he wanted to leave. He had to leave. He had a world to save. He had a future to save. He had a son—No, he had Peter to save. He didn't have time for this, but that was his weakness. He was never patient, which was why Rogers and he fought all the time. He didn't have plans. He just did. And this, this was torture.
Ignoring the hissing of his stomach—his last meal a cereal bar, which did not fill him up-, he quickly scanned through the files he pulled out. On any normal day, he would be interested in reading about the SSR, especially anything Peggy related, but not now. "Get ahold of yourself," he scorned. He didn't have time for this pity party, especial- Wait. What? Unsure of what he had just read, he reread it. There was that word again: Ragtag. Judging by the content that was used, it was a location. That much Tony could tell, and if he had to judge, it was somewhere along the Virginia and D.C. line, which he wasn't thrived about. Too close to SHIELD headquarters; however, if he could find this place, it could work to hide Barnes. Why didn't these files list a location? Damn it.
"Ayo." He shouted. The genius was on his feet and crossed to the Wakandan before he knew what he was doing. His frustration started to die and turn into something—excitement?- else, which sped up his steps. In two large steps, Ayo was fully revealed to him; she was hovering over a few reports, face down, and she waved her wrist over the files in a downward movement. What was that on her wrist? It was glowing. Surprised by his excitement, Ayo was slow to move, and his excitement turned to curiosity as she yanked her arm back. "What's that pretty thing? Can I see?"
"Nothing," she said, a little too quickly. "What you find?"
For a second, Tony played with the idea of pushing her, but he decided against it a second later. Ayo didn't trust him, not yet, so pushing her wouldn't do any good. He had to be smart, and if he was careful and gave her time, she would trust him. Maybe, she would show him then. "I think I have something," he replied, showing her the file.
Narrowing her eyes, Ayo took it from him and scanned it carefully. She didn't say anything at first, as she turned back to the file in front of her. It was an SSR file as well. "Ragtag," she uttered. "It's mentioned here as well. It could be what we want. We just have to find it."
"And make sure SHIELD doesn't know about it," Tony replied. How lucky would they be if this location wasn't on SHIELD radar? Was that even possible? SSR became SHIELD, giving birth to it in some odd fashion.
"And how will we do that?"
This may not have been his brightest moments. "I'm going to hack SHIELD." He said, smiling.
Rolling her eyes, Ayo got to her feet. "You act like that's the easiest thing. I'm sure they have safeguards for that, especially against you."
Why was he everyone's go to? Geez. "They can try, but they can't keep me out," he smiled. "I just need a door." He did it before and could do it again. He wished he left that door open, as that would've made this easier, but he was a dumbass. He could say that now as he knew the future. It wasn't like he knew back than that Hydra existed. If anyone should've known, it should've been Fury, but it was in the Director's blind spot. A part of Tony wanted to alert the man to the decay growing within his agency, but another part of him didn't trust him. Yes, Fury was fighting for the side of good, but Tony wasn't sure if he could trust his methods. Hydra did grow underneath him.
"And why would Tony Stark go willingly to SHIELD. You're going to need a reason."
Tony had a reason. In his timeline (the old timeline), he had received several invites from SHIELD to do a few upgrades for them. Being the ass that he was (probably a good thing considering), he had turned them down. Today, he just would not turn it down. "They can't turn this face down."
Ayo let out a heavy sigh. "If you get us killed, I'm killing you."
"In case you don't… or even if we do, let's get a cheeseburger before we go." Tony replied with a smile.
*O*O*
They should've cleaned up before they left, but Tony was too much in a hurry to will himself to stay for a second longer. That was a problem for another day. After gather all the SSR files that contained the word Ragtag, they headed out. The idea of heading into SHIELD this soon didn't sit well with Tony, but he had to be sure Ragtag was off Hydra's radar… granted, this could be for nothing. There was no telling if this former SSR site was still standing. He was just going to have to risk it. Besides, if he got in trouble, he was pretty sure he just had to say, 'hail Hydra,' and he would be golden. The thing about working in secret was that no one knew who their ally was.
Tony could admit this plan was hasty as the quinjet landed at SHIELD HQ, though there was no turning back now. He knew Ayo was not pleased by this turn of events, but she followed him off the jet without any problems. He didn't know if he liked it either, because her remarks were unsettling. When did he become reliant on her? No, he wasn't fully reliant on her to the point that he couldn't function, but he knew it could get to that point. He didn't know if it was because she followed him without hesitation or if it was because she knew the truth. Whatever it was, it could get dangerous. That was what got him in trouble with Rogers and the rest of Avengers. He got too comfortable.
With a harsh sigh, Tony walked toward the now opening hanger door, and like he was going to some fancy event, he put on his 'I'm Tony Stark and I don't care' Mask. It wasn't even a minute later that he was thankful for this mask, as Natasha Romanoff was standing just outside the jet with a confused and bored look on her face. Tony didn't know if he should take that as a good sign, not that he could trust anything the spy said. She was a liar. He knew he was being too harsh on her, judging her on actions that she hadn't taken yet, but she was a spy. She would always be a spy, and that would never change. She wasn't someone you could trust. Again, he was judging her on a future that may never come, but he couldn't unremember what she did.
She betrayed him worse than Rogers ever had… Okay, maybe just in a different way. From the beginning, Tony knew what Rogers wanted, knew what side the Captain was on. Tony knew what Rogers wanted. On the other hand, Romanoff pretended to be on his side, pretended to care. She just said whatever she thought he wanted, and that hurt more than anything. It was a game to her, and he lost. It made Tony wonder if she ever considered him as anything more than an Asset, something she could use. He knew he shouldn't be angry as he shouldn't expect a tiger to change his strips, but still. "Hello, Romanoff," he uttered, stepping onto the helipad. "Didn't realize I was getting a welcome party."
"Stark," Natasha greeted, a light smile on her face. "What can I say? We weren't expecting you to drop by. To what do we owe this honor? And who is your friend."
"They call me Ayo," Ayo replied, her accent suddenly gone. If Tony didn't know any better, he would've thought she was American. "I'm Mr. Stark's personal guard."
"And she's pretty scary, if I don't say so myself," he replied, rolling with the flow.
"No Happy?" Natasha asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"Nope."
The reformed assassin narrowed her eyes, sizing up the woman. "Here to see, Fury?" Natasha asked.
Tony waved at her. "Taking Fury up one of his offers. Maybe, it'll get him off my back for a while."
If the look in Romanoff's eyes was to judge, she didn't believe him. "I'll take you to him. He'll probably want you in and out, Stark. No telling the trouble you'll get yourself into in here."
There was a smart comment at the tip of his tongue, and it was a battle to keep it down. It was like trying to stop a tank with only a handgun, but just one look at Natasha's face kept his mouth shut. Again, he shouldn't blame this Romanoff for the sins of another, but that was all he could see. Why couldn't she be his friend, his ally? Was that her plan the entire time? To betray him? Or did she just change her mind? "Lead the way."
"You're quiet today, Stark. You sick?" the Spy asked, noticing his silence.
He was horrible at this acting normal thing, wasn't he? "Just tired."
Ayo gave him a hard look before closing the distance between them. She put a gentle hand on his elbow and guided him to her. "Be careful, Stark," she whispered, softly. "You're telegraphing everything."
Tony gave her a look before shrugging off her hand. "It's fine," he breathed, ignoring the look from Romanoff.
*O*O*
The plan was simply: Tony distracted, while Ayo broke into SHIELD mainframe. At first, Tony had argued that he should be the one to do it, considering he was a genius and all, but Ayo shot that idea down, after reminding him of who he was. There was no way that he wasn't noticed. He was Tony Stark, and there was no way that Iron Man wasn't stopped for a question or a flirty smile. And as if fate was teasing with him, a woman who looked barely old enough to drink jumped in front of him with one of those smiles. Ayo—yes, the traitor that she was—was laughing at him, though trying to hide it, as the girl looked like a child on Christmas morning.
Tony should be used to people throwing themselves at him; again, he was the famous Iron Man, but it threw him off. Maybe, it was Ayo, who looked all too smug when the young woman approached him. Maybe, it was where he was. Hydra was everywhere, waiting to drag you into an alley to kill you. Or maybe, it was the heavy weight that had settled in his chest when Thanos won. It was hard to be cheery, when you knew the half the universe was going to die. He may be Iron Man, but he didn't see himself as a hero. A hero did not lose. A hero did not fail. Stop it, he yelled at himself. He needed to stop being so…so… Okay, he didn't know what this was.
"And when you did that thing! It was life changing!" the young woman squealed, speaking as if he knew what she was referring to. "And when you dove, it was amazing."
Tony knew there were a several SHIELD agents who were fans, though Hydra being SHIELD added a whole new level to it. Most were not like this. "You're a shield agent?" he found himself asking.
"Not trained one," Natasha uttered, giving the woman a look.
"No, no!" The young woman uttered, her voice jumping to ear breaking levels. "I'm a consultant." She forced her voice down a bit as she added, "And you're the famous Black Widow. The stories I heard about you are just as amazing."
Tony shook his heads, playing hurt. "Geez, now I'm chop liver."
Before anyone could respond, another young woman—they were recruiting young, weren't they?—came rushing toward them. "Skye!" she uttered, looking completely bewildered and scared. "What are you doing?" Her eyes were large as she faced the three of them. "Forgive us, Sir. She didn't mean anything by it."
"Jemma," Skye uttered. "I was just-"
"Sorry!" Jemma uttered, interrupting her friend. Her face was all shade of red as she avoided eye contact. "Let's go." She said as she pulled—dragged more like it—Skye away, spouting off apologies every other second.
"I supposed you changed your recruiting requirements?" he asked, not expecting the spy to answer. Tony eyed the two ladies for a second before he turned to Natasha. The sooner he got far away from the spy the better. "Take me to your leader," he replied, miming all the aliens that he had watched.
Rolling her eyes, Romanoff gave him a hard look before turning to Ayo. "I think it's better if you stay here."
For a few seconds, Ayo did not move, almost like she was daring the red head to move her, but she moved aside 30 seconds later. It was better for the plan if she didn't tag along with him. "Very well, but not one hair on him out of place," she warned, her American Accent convincing.
Tony wasn't sure if Ayo was being honest or if she was putting on a show, but he enjoyed the look in Natasha's eyes.
*O*O*
Looking impatient, Tony kept glancing down at his phone, which would've been alarming for anyone else, but he was a genius. Him looking at his phone was abnormal, especially with the number of projects that he had going at any given time. Plus, his girlfriend was the CEO of his company, who may to call him at any time. It would be odd if he wasn't looking at his phone. See normal. God, why was this so exhausting? When did acting like himself become a mask? Wait, when did it become an act? Why couldn't he be normal? Why couldn't he remember how it felt to be normal?
Natasha turned suddenly, taking a few steps to him. She was, once more, studying each inch of him as if he was laid opened to her. "So, what you're looking at?"
"Nunya bidness," Tony replied, barely giving her a glance. Even if he trusted her, he couldn't tell her. You couldn't tell a SHIELD agent that he was hacking SHIELD while in a SHIELD office. "Where's Fury?"
"He's coming. He can't drop everything at the drop of a hat for you, Stark." She replied. At this point in the timeline, they weren't friend. They just saved the world together once or twice; they didn't become close until after the Fall of SHIELD when everyone moved into the tower, if they could call her that.
Tony glanced down at his phone again, waiting for the text from Ayo stating that she was done. It would be his clue to leave. Something he couldn't wait for, dying to get out of here; it felt like he was standing on pins and needles waiting for the message. This was when doubt started to form, growing with each passing second. Yes, Ayo said she had it. No, she didn't tell Tony how, but he trusted her—a new thing for him. It was just his mind paying games with him. If she said she was going to do it, she would. She most likely had some kind of Wakandan device. "And here I'm offering my services," he said acting hurt.
"You're up to something," she countered. Her voice wasn't friendly, but it wasn't cold either.
When he made his plan—if you could call it that-, he didn't expect to come face to face with Natasha. He wasn't expecting her to take him apart piece by piece. "My Dear, I'm always up to something. I'm a Stark after all."
"Isn't that the truth?" came a voice, drawing their attention.
There went any hope of telling Fury that his house had rats, as Tony turned to see Alexander Pierce stepping into the room. He would be lying if he said he wasn't flushed with anger. This man was leading a Hydra's SHIELD, destroying life everywhere he turned because they wanted to, and Tony wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, suit or no suit. No one would blame him if they knew, but with no one knowing Pierce was a snake, it would not turn out well. He would end up in some hell hole. "I was expecting Fury."
The expression on Pierce's face changed, though he still held a light smile. "He is aware of your presence, but he could not be pulled away. I agreed to meet you instead. It's an honor. Between Captain American and Iron Man, I'm feeling apart of the team." As he reached the genius, he held his hand out to shake.
Out of habit, Tony almost took it, but that thought was gone in a second. If he took the hand, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from slugging him. If they knew the kind of man Pierce was, people would be cheering Tony's resolve. Why was there no one to see this? Tony Stark was controlling himself! Just look at this! Why were there people here so he could he brag about this? "But would that give me anything special?" he asked, ignoring the hand Pierce was offering. "Because if not, no deal."
There was a twitch in Pierce's right eye, but he did not comment as he withdrew his hand. "Agent Romanoff, Can I have a moment alone with Mr. Stark?"
Natasha glanced at Tony for a second, her eyes calculating. "Yes, Sir," She answered as she turned to the door.
Just like that, Tony was alone with one of the heads of Hydra. It took everything within him not call up the suit and beating his man silly. Just think of all the lives Tony could save, but it would not be everyone. He would save more lives by playing the long game, but it strung. By turning his back right now, he just felt like a failure again.
"I was surprised you came to SHIELD, Mr. Stark." Pierce was the first to speak, his eyes lingering on the door Natasha exited through. "Never thought you were Fury's biggest fan, but here you are, willing to assist in one of his many projects." The look on Secretary's face was quite telling. He was testing Tony, trying to see where Tony's allegiances were. Did Pierce think he could turn him?
Tony didn't respond right away, searching for the correct way to respond without sounding like he wanted to punch the man. Knowing that Pierce was a double agent changed everything, it changed how he would've normally answered. "I supposed he has his reasons. I can't find myself liking his ways."
"And yet, you are here."
Yes, I was here to tell Fury you're Hydra, you fucker. Okay, that wasn't completely true; mostly, he wanted to break into SHIELD's mainframe, but he thought about it. "I don't have to trust Fury," he replied. "Besides, he reports to someone just like everyone."
Pierce nodded and hummed. "That he does."
Tony stared at the Secretary for a second. Was he really trying get him to join Hydra? Did that man think that was possible? Sure, Hydra already took over half of SHIELD, but his father helped to take down Hydra. Tony saved the President for crying out loud. He was no way in hell joining Hydra. "I didn't become Iron Man for the shits and giggles." He paused for a second. "Okay, maybe just a little bit," he said with a light smile. "I became Iron Man to help people. To do that, it doesn't matter who's in charge."
"Loyalty to the cause, not people."
Praying for his phone to beep, Tony forced himself to look at the traitor with a grin. "Some might say I'm loyal only to myself." Barton popped to mind, and against his will, those memories forced their way forward. Anger rushed through him, as everything came bubbling up. It wasn't the goal to placate Pierce. It just pissed him off that they—Team Rogers- even believed that. Could they not see everything that he did? Could they not see what he struggled with daily?
"And is Fury one of them?"
Before Tony could answer, his phone went off—went off loudly-, and it drew his attention immediately. Shit, why is the volume up, he cursed. Unable to show any kind of emotion, he glanced down at the phone only for a second. His hand at his side, he dug his nails into his palm as he tried to stop the expression from growing in his face. It was Ayo. "Oh, that was Pepper. I got to. You know how it goes when the girlfriend calls. Or in your case girlfriends?"
"Oh, you think too much of me if you think I can handle more than one lady." The look was back on Pierce's face as he stared down Tony. "But I'm glad we had this chat."
Tony smiled as he breathed through his nose. "I'll just try to reach out to Fury at a later day for those projects." He gave the Secretary the peace sign. "Peace." He headed toward the door before Pierce could stop him.
"Don't be a stranger, Stark!" Pierce yelled as Tony reached the door. "We should have dinner next time."
*O*O*
As soon as elevator's doors opened to reveal the lobby, Tony's eyes scanned the floor for Ayo. He didn't see the woman at first, but she was at his side in seconds. With a gentle hand on his arm, she guided him toward the front doors—not that he needed her to. He wanted out of here as fast as possible. Maybe, she saw something on him that Tony didn't know was there. After his talk with Pierce, he felt dirty and needed to take 5 showers to clean himself. "So how did you get to the server room?" he whispered at her.
Ayo's eye twitched, not sparing a second to glare at him. "Not here," she replied, harshly. Her accent still missing.
Feeling like a child scorned, Tony gave her a goofy smile. She was right, but he was dying to know. No, he wasn't jealous that she got to hack into SHIELD—which he totally wanted to do, but he wanted to know how. She hacked in less than 15 minutes with…only a cellphone? Being the genius that he was, he was dying to know how, so he could do better. Was there a genius under that head of Ayo's? Now, that was exciting, and he meant that. He would always be up for a sharing of the minds.
The sun was painfully blinding as they stepped out of the building. Note to self, remake holographic sunglasses, he thought, not recalling exactly when he made them. He may have them already, but if he didn't, he was totally remaking them. With his head in the clouds, the walked to the guinjet went by in a flash. As the hanger door opened—which felt like a lifetime-, Tony was immediately pissed off. "JARVIS, what is this?!" he hissed.
"I am sorry, Sir. My programing was overwritten." Came the AI's reply.
That was the second time that that happened, which was time times to many. It would not happen again. "Well, we'll need to fix that," he replied, as he stared down Natasha Romanoff, who had made herself comfortable in the pilot's seat. "But first, I need you to exit the jet."
Natasha was sitting in the chair sideways, her legs dangling over the arm rest. Her right arm was draped over the back, while the other held the tablet Ayo was looking at earlier. "Why don't you tell me about whatever you're up to, Stark?"
The idea that Natasha could read him so easily annoyed the genius more. "I'm always up to something. You have to be more specific," he replied, his voice cold. "But again, leave."
Kicking her legs over, she swung herself forward, and with smile, she stood. "I'll once you tell me what's going on. I'm not an idiot. I can tell when you're into something you aren't supposed to be. You're acting differently."
"He told you to leave." Ayo took a step forward, her eyes cold. "Move or I'll move you." Though her voice was still carrying an America accent, she sounded just as deadly as she did when standing by T'Challa.
Natasha looked between the two before her eyes settled on Tony, barely paying any attention to Ayo. "I thought were teammates, Tony." She paused for second, a word hesitating on her lips. "I might even call us F-"
"Don't you fucken dare!" he hissed, interrupted her. The idea that she would call him a teammate yet alone a friend offended him to his core. The word pissed him off; there was no way in hell that they were remotely that. He wouldn't trust her to clean his floors, as she would bug the entire building. "We're not friends. I wouldn't even call us teammates. I wouldn't call us crap!" And when was they on the first name basics? As far as Tony was considered, she should not be calling him Tony like they were friends.
"You haven't forgiven me for that, Tony?" she asked, giving him an eye roll. "Seems petty."
Tony knew that he shouldn't judge her for actions that may or may not happen in this timeline, but it just kept playing in his head on loop. Besides, she was probably going to do it again as she was Roger's friend, not his. "Fuck off." He hissed, his control snapping.
"This seems like an overreaction if you ask me," Natasha replied, giving him a heavy look.
Yes, Tony knew this was an overreaction, something he was not proud of. He knew he needed to take a step back and breathe. God, he wanted to. He could feel Peter in the back of his mind, telling him to calm down. Telling him that everything was going to be okay. It'll be okay, Mr. Stark. He could even hear it now, but Tony just keep seeing Natasha's betrayal in his head, and he was filled with questions/doubts. Was she ever not playing with him? That was his problem, hoping for something that never existed. Did he want friends this bad? "No one asked you. Now get out."
Ayo took a step forward, keeping a close eye on Tony. Her hand was gripping at the item on her hip, as if she was ready to pull out a gun. "He has asked you to leave. Please do so at once."
If the spy was worried about Ayo, she did not show it. She was barely giving Ayo the time of day. "I'll leave when Tony tells me what he's up to." Natasha replied, her eyes drilling into them. "Something smells."
It had better be worth it to hack into SHIELD, as Natasha wasn't going to back down. She was a dog with a bone. She wasn't Hydra, but it would be just as bad if she knew what Tony was was planning. She would not trust him to handle this his way and would force her way in to take over. Tony would lose everything, and he refused to lose Peter because someone refused to trust him. "If you don't leave, I am." He snapped, turning to his suit which stepped into light.
Natasha, her expression changing only for a second, gave the suit a once over. "Got bored of gold and red? That isn't like you. What's going on Tony?" she asked, her voice dropping the demanding tone. It was like she was seeing the entire situation differently. Was she worried about him just because of the color of his suit?
"I decided I need more choices in my life." He replied, sharply, as he looked over the Iron Man suit. With panic starting to creep up his back and into his bones, he ignored both Ayo and Natasha as they called to him. All the sudden, everything seemed to sink and fall away, and he was drowning in quicksand. Feeling urge to bolt, he shot toward his suit and hid himself inside of it. He could slightly feel normal again, almost whole again, as the suit closed around him like a mother's warm embrace. "JARVIS, let's go." He ordered.
Not caring to the damaged he was leaving behind, he blasted off into the sky, as his anger slipped in and took him over completely. Even though Natasha was at the front of his mind, there was only one person he blamed for this. Stupid, Fucken Strange. Everything was Strange's fault, forcing Tony into this shit show. Where the hell was he in all of this? Who the hell did he think he was to get off scot-free? He did not get to sit pretty while Tony was drowning.
Stupid Fucken Wizard. He deserved a punch just as much as Pierce, and he was going to get it.
Author note:
I hoped you again this chapter! Now, we are get to wonder what Tony is going to do in his anger. Hopefully, he won't kill a certain Non Wizard let. But hopefully, he will tell Rhodes the truth before he explodes
With DR. Strange, I feel like that movie had to happen in a cause of a few years. At least 2. The Amount of surgeries that he on his hands, that would have taken time to do and heal. Also, it probably would have taken just as long for him to use Magic. Think about it. He struggled with it in the beginning, thinking he would never get it. So if he got in within a month, I don't think he would have been so frustrated, right? It had to taken him longer. Or am I just overthinking this.
Anyhow,
I'm leave this here. This does not mean anything, so don't get your panties in a brunch. I'm just keeping track of them as I like to see what you think. I'm not truly focusing on the pairing right now, anyhow. IT IS GOING TO BE A SLOW BURN. I'll warn you not I am not against any pairing- well, there are some pairing I roll my eyes at like (Thor/Loki or Peter/Tony- which is not happening no matter what), so I am sorry if somewhere in the future, the pairing annoys you.
I will also admit that Loki/Tony isn't going as i wasn't really going to include Loki in the story, but if you look below, i added it, because it was mentioned in the comments. So again, this means nothing. Just for me.
This is what I have.
Pepper/Tony- 25
Stephen/Tony- 26
T'Challa/Tony-6
Steve/Tony- 4
Loki/Tony- 4
Tony/Thor- 1
Rhodey/Jim- 2
Bucky/Tony- 1
Ayo/Tony- 1
Then a couple of People mentioned this
Ayo/Rhodey-2
And I got to admit, i am not against Ayo/Rhodey. LOL
Until next time