Hello All,
I am sorry it took me so long to get this out. I got distracted by fanfiction. So it is all your guys' fault.
Anyhow, here you go! Let me know what you think.
I would like to state that someone made a banner for my story and I feel special.
/works/21159263
It was created by TouchoftheWind and posted on Archive of our own.
thank you!
Chapter 10:
Trust is required
Tony's heart was still pounding in his chest from Barnes' assault on the Agent, even though an hour had passed. Somehow—paying no attention to Tony's panic-, Koenig was able to get Barnes to release him. Maybe, it was his cools tones and soft eyes that got the former Winter Soldier to stand down. It sure wasn't Rhodey and his gun pointing at Barnes' head as the man paid no attention to it, not that it would do any good. Barnes was pretty much was unstoppable, but yet, he stopped. He dropped his hands letting Koenig land on his ass with no warning. No one moved for a while, just staring at each other with a calculated look, unsure of what to make of the situation.
After a few moments of absolute silence, Barnes stiffy turned and sat on the bed and stared forward unblinking. The group in a state of shock stared at the silent man for a few seconds. It was a full minute before anyone made any movement toward Barnes or any attempts to speak to the man. No amount of chatter could get a reaction from the Winter Soldier. He was a statue. Tony supposed he was waiting for the code words from that famous red book, a red book that no one where it was. Granted, there was a chance that the book would be useless. However, Tony knew he got better with time. Considering the whole fact that he had tried to murder the man—something he felt horrible about by the way-, Tony wasn't aware how 'Bucky' the man was, but with how close the Brooklyn Boys were in the old timeline, he knew Bucky there was in some form. There was a reason why Rogers had gone to hell and back.
At seeing this, Tony called them out of the cell and enacted the one-way mirror on the forcefield. They could see Barnes, while Barnes saw an open field leading out to a bright blue ocean. FRIDAY, being the protective AI that she was, was broadcasting the sounds of the ocean. She added some birds and random other things in for the fun of it. She seemed to be having fun providing entertainment for the brainwashed Assassin. Tony didn't know if he should find this funny, but he was kind of scared.
"So, what's the plan? Keep him in your basement, Stark?" Natasha asked, her eyes drilling into Barnes' head.
Tony stared at her, studying the side of her face. There was something off about her. Something in her eyes, but he waved it off. He didn't have time for that. "Yep, right next to the ice cream. Koenig gets to pick the favor," Tony replied, winking. He closed his eyes, willing the mind-numbing pain that wouldn't go away away. "We just need to jog his memories, remind him of who he is."
Natasha turned, shooting Tony with a frosty look. "You don't think Steve would be good for that? His best friend?" She said as if he was the stupidest man ever.
Rhodey glanced at Barnes, his hand twitching at his side. "I hate to ask this, but is Romanoff right? Rogers is probably the best person to get through to him."
"As much as I enjoy Ice Cream, I agree with those two," Koenig added. "We don't know what Hydra did to him, but Captain American could be the key to unlocking his memory."
Tony should expect this from Natasha, the nonstop pestering about reading in Steve, but he didn't expect it from the others, especially Rhodey. At this point, he was running out of ways to say no, but he wasn't quite ready to say yes. "Let's get a full psych eval first. We will discuss Rogers later." Running on fumes, Tony couldn't think clearly enough to deal with this fight, and there was a headache forming at the back of his head. It was like someone had placed a bag over his head and slapped him, and considering his eye was twitching, he was sure everyone could tell.
Ayo's eyes jumped to each of their faces before settling on Tony's. "We can speak about this later. Right now, Barnes is settled, and we are exhausted with our tempers showing. We should let Barnes go accustomed to his new surroundings before we do anything." She stepped to the barrier, her eyes taking in the man. Barnes had not moved, not even when FRIDAY changed the scene for him. It was a field of flowers. "Barnes is a warrior, who has only known pain. He needs to trust us or trust us as much as he can. Rogers may only cause him to doubt us."
"And how do we do that?" Rhodey asked, his expression controlled.
"Barnes only knows pain. He needs to learn he is safe here without the risk of torture. Koenig is going in the right direction. He didn't react, keeping his cool." Ayo answered.
Koenig picked his head up at the sound of his name. "And knowing Hydra—because what else would a Nazi group do to their brainwashed prisoners-, they undoubtedly rewarded him with pain. If he even looked at them funny, he probably got whipped. He'll be expecting it from us. Waiting for it, so Ayo could be right." he said, ignoring the pointed look from the Woman. "If we go in now, he will be drive by that fear."
Natasha snorted before schooling her face—or attempting to. "I doubt it. That man doesn't fear anything." There was conflict on her face, hiding something.
Tony, glad that someone had his back, took a good look at Barnes, still a statue. He wouldn't even think the man was alive if it wasn't for his chest moving ever so slowly. What could that man be thinking? Was he thinking? Did Hydra allow him to think? "I don't believe that's true. He just shows it differently," he countered, a strange feeling bubbling up inside of him. Protective? Pity?
"Okay," Rhodey interjected with a deep exhale. "I say we do what Ayo says. Let the man settle in and come back later."
Koenig nodded. "FRIDAY and I will look after Barnes, attend to his needs. I'm pretty sure that FRIDAY already has a movie lineup for the man." FRIDAY—Maybe due to her age?—was treating the man like a child she must mother.
Tony let out a harsh sigh. Why did it feel like Koenig was trying to steal FRIDAY from him? He created FRIDAY for himself in his panic to regain something. "That may be a tad too soon," he replied. "Though… Disney movies might be what he needs. Maybe, he needs to watch UP." He was not ashamed to admit that he shed a tear while watching it.
"Oh, good movie," Koenig exclaimed.
"Added to the top of the list," FRIDAY added.
Ayo let out a harsh sigh. "Let the man rest before you shove Disney movies down his throat. Just make sure he has food and water. We will come back later." Her eyes went to Natasha, who was still not happy. "Right now, we need to get Stark home before Miss Potts kills him."
Tony would laugh at that statement, but it was no denying that Pepper was going to kill him, especially when he came home looking like he did. "I feel like she will kill you. For a bodyguard, you suck."
Ayo gave a him a nasty look. "I am backing you, Stark. Do not make me kill you." She looked murderous but there was a hint of a smile hiding in her exhaustion. A warmth that Tony still found shocking.
Rhodey looked one part annoyed and two parts amused. "Please do."
Eye twitching, Tony replied, "geez. I need better friends."
From there, the banter only increased, which pissed off Natasha. She was simmering in the corner, her eye twitching. Her hands were balled at her side, as she turned back to Barnes. She stared at him, mistrust visible in her entire body. It was clear that she had more to say, but she kept her mouth shut. With a deep breath, Natasha's body relaxed. There was logic in Ayo's words, and even if Natasha didn't want to, she could see it. Everyone could see it. Now was not the time to descend on Barnes, who would most likely react with negatively again.
*O*O*
There was no denying the dread that flowed Tony as he stepped into the tower. The rest of the gang (Natasha, Ayo and Rhodey) followed behind him, though Rhodey was more his shadow. Tony had to fight the urge to twist around and slug him or pull him in for a kiss, considering how close Rhodey was. However, he supposed his best friend had a reason. Tony, still looking and felling like shit, struggled down the steps leading into the lounge. Rhodey, the protective friend that he was, attempted to assist the genius, but Tony vigorously waved him off—or tried to wave him off. The brace on his right arm made it pointless and sent pain up his arm. Yet, it kept Rhodey at bay.
"Sir," JARVIS interjected. "Miss Potts is on her away. She has been alerted to your arrival."
"I will add, Boss, she is not pleased," FRIDAY chirped.
Tony groaned loudly, though not loud enough to block out Ayo's eye roll. He could hear it a mile away. "Enough out of you!" He said, nailing her with a dirty scowl. "Why—" He stopped in his tracks noticing a certain redhead stomping toward him.
JARVIS was correct, and it took all of 3 seconds for Tony to see it. Pepper, in six inched heels, trudged like a soldier crossing the battlefield with frustration and anger plastered across her face. However, it died the second she laid eyes on Tony. Her eyes went large with concern, taking in Tony's battered form. For a few good seconds, she just gaped at him, her mouth wide open. "Tony!" she voiced, loudly, as she crossed the room in amazing speed considering the heels.
"Pepper," he squeezed out her grasp as her hands went everywhere: his face, his neck, his arms, his wrist, etc. In his confusion, he jumped back, trying to get out of her gasps. It was two parts: one-part shock and one-part pain. Every place she touched felt like a bee sting, though Tony couldn't help but wonder if it was mental. Whatever it was, he didn't enjoy Pepper's hands on him. "I'm fine," he said, catching her wrists and gently pushed her off him.
Fury flickered back into Pepper's eyes as she glanced at Ayo and Natasha, who were just as battered as Tony. Ayo kept up her neutral stare, while Natasha was apologetic. Pepper pulled her arms back, Tony letting go easily. "What the hell is going on?" she hissed heatedly. When Tony didn't answer, she turned his glare to Natasha. "What's going on? Someone tell me something."
Natasha's eyes drilled into the back of Tony's head. "You want to tell her, Stark?" she asked. "Or shall I?"
Like with the rest of the Avengers, Tony had no real reason not to tell Pepper besides his irrational fear. If he told her now, he didn't think he would be able to get back up. He had to keep certain things locked away in his head. Denial was his friend… He paused, taking a deep breath. He loved Pepper. She was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. (Wait, when did she come one of instead of the most important?) He truly did love her, but there was something else there. With her fighting everything that he stood for, something unsettled him. He didn't have time for it or the fights. Granted, he didn't have time to deal with his own grief. "Iron Man stuff," he answered with a shrug.
Wrong answer.
Pepper's expression morphed into pure anger, her eyes going large and her cheeks puffing up. "Really?! That's what you're going to say? You been gone for two days? Two days! And that's all you can say to me?!" She snapped, her voice reaching unreal levels. Her breathing became heavy.
Tony let out a harsh sigh, his pain going on the back burner, with his own angry growing. He should care. He knew he should, but he couldn't get it out of him, even when he tried to force it. "Do you really want to know? Because I don't think you do." He, an unknown resentment blooming, wasn't willing to show his stomach. He wasn't backing down, not with Peter's life hanging in front of him.
Ayo glanced toward Rhodey and Natasha, her eyes softening. "We should give these some space."
Pepper turned to her, nailing Ayo with a deadly glare. "No, why don't you stay. It seems you, a woman who I'd known for less than month, know more than I do about my own boyfriend." She glared at him, tears threating to fall. "What am I doing here? Tell me. What am I missing?!" She took a step back, her eyes focusing on his darkening black eye. She studied him for a few minutes, watching the muscles in his face twitch. "It's like you're a different person!"
Tony's heart dropped, feeling like a bucket of cold water was thrown on him. He was a different person. You didn't go what he went through and not come out a different person. He watched his son—PETER IS NOT YOUR SON, he yelled at himself—die. And he failed to save him. He should tell her this. He should scream this from the roof top, because at this rate, he was doing to explode.
Rhodey took a step forward, sensing the impending doom. "Pepper," he called. "This isn't like that."
Pepper turned her glare to Rhodey, her anger raining down on him. "Then tell me what it is? I'm getting shut out left and right. He told the three of you, but not me?!" She paused, as if she was waiting for someone to jump in. "He isn't sleeping, spending hours locked in his lap. This all started because he awoke up, pleading to die! To die." At this point, tears were pouring down her face. "Then all of the sudden, he's throwing himself into work, and he isn't talking to anyone. When you showed up, I felt relieved as I expected you to help! But here you are, disappearing with him."
Ayo was aware of Tony's nightmares, though she did not know the full extent. Natasha, on the other hand, knew nothing, and she had lasers at the back of his head. Her anger at the Steve/Bucky thing died with something intense replacing it. She didn't speak, but her eyes drilled into him, taking him apart piece by piece. It was unnerving, and god, he didn't want her to know that. His nightmares were his own.
"Pepper, I am helping." Rhodey exclaimed, loudly.
"Are you? Look at him!" Pepper yelled, gesturing at Tony. "Look at them." She waved at Ayo and Natasha, giving each of them a scowl. "Tell me how this is helping? All I hear is lies. Everyone is either lying or keeping things from me."
"It isn't like that," Tony tried to argue, thought that was exactly what it was.
Pepper looked unimpressed and unconvinced, but mostly, she looked defeated. "Then what is this?" she hissed, waving to a hologram that JARVIS brought up. On it was articles retaining to the Science Camp/Internship that Tony had set up so he could get close to Peter. "Were you going to tell me this?" She glared. "Let me answer that. No, you weren't like everything else." She waved her hand, scrolling through the countless articles on it. This internship was spreading like wildfire, the Media calling it the experience of a lifetime. A chance to learn from one of the brightest minds of the century. Schools were even helping student fill out the applications like they were applying for colleges.
"Can we do this later?" Tony asked, well aware this was the worst thing he could possibly say.
"Tell me where you were." Pepper demanded.
Tony stared at Pepper, his heart pounding in his chest. He could still feel Natasha staring at him, Her stare burning a hole in pain. "Saving the world."
Pepper breathed through her nose, her fist flexing. "Do you love me?"
Both Ayo and Natasha remained still, while there was a sharp intake from Rhodey. It was nothing compared to Tony choking on air. "You know I do," he replied, his voice cracking. Even he knew that sounded dreadful and not the answer Pepper wanted.
"You're obviously okay," she replied, bitterly. She paused for a second. "I'm…going to my mothers." With that, she turned, not giving Tony a chance to respond.
Ayo stepped to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to let her go?" she asked, her eyes following Pepper as she headed toward the door.
Tony didn't want to let Pepper walk out; he really didn't, but he was too frustrated to stop her. He was also too exhausted to fight. "I'm going to bed." The rest of the gang may have said something, but Tony paid no attention as he limped to his room. He doubted sleep would find him, but he would try.
*O*O*
The mystical sleep did not come easily for Tony, but he was able to get a few hours of it before waking in a cold sweat. It wasn't the best sleep he had ever had, but it wasn't soaked to the bone sleep and it put some fuel in the tank. It gave him the energy to what he needed to do before they headed back to the Playhouse to deal with Barnes. Tony wished he knew a good therapist that they could call on. He doubted Bruce would volunteer to speak to Barnes, already annoyed that Tony tried to use him as such. Granted, was there anyone trained to deal with the hot mess that was Barnes? He was sure Barnes would break any therapist.
"Lights, JARVIS," Tony ordered as he kicked his feet over the edge. The bed was made before he came tumbling in and buried himself in, but now, it was a complete mess. The blankets were tangled and twisted, and Tony found himself chained to the bed in the heavy blankets. The pillows were thrown over the floors like a war zone or a child pretending the floor was lava. The light flickered through thick shades, blinding Tony for a few seconds.
"Sleep well, Sir?"
"I say the Boss would benefit from several more hours of sleep." FRIDAY interjected.
"I'm fine," he said, black spots dancing in his vision. He kicked off the blanket or attempted to at least. Attempted was being nice, because he pretty much hit himself in the face as he tried to pull himself free. He managed not to smack himself, but the force of it still send him flying. With one bad leg and one bad arm, there was no stopping himself and he rolled off the bed with a loud thump. "Ouch," he groaned, hitting his knee on the way down.
"Graceful, Stark." Came a dry voice from the doorway.
Tony let out another painful groan as he rolled to his back and sat up. "Romanoff," he moaned before cursing his AIs for not alerting him. "What is good with having two AIs if they don't alert me to spiders?"
"Are you okay?" she asked, leaning against the door.
He stared at the SHIELD agent, almost shocked to see her concern. Natasha had always kept thing close to the vests. Considering her hellish backstory, Tony did not blame her, but it was even with people she liked, which was a bit frustrating, so it was strange to see it on her now. It was also puzzling, as he wasn't aware that they were close enough for this. "I think I like angry Natasha better."
Natasha snorted. "I can be angry and concerned at the same time." She paused. "I think that's the first time you said my name." Her face was clear of any contusions, but there was a bruise just peaking up from the collar of her suit. She was hiding her bruise side, overcompensating. With the hit to her ribs, she was favoring one side, leaning toward the other side. She tried to hide it.
"I'm a last name kind of guy," he replied, as he attempted to push himself up, which failed spectacularly. Pain shot through his right hand to his shoulder.
"You need help, Tony?" she asked, pushing off the frame.
He had to give it to her: she was trying. "Why are you here?" he asked.
"What's going on with you? At first, I thought you were being stupid, regarding Steve, but this is more. This isn't just about Steve. You're keeping everyone away." Natasha stepped to him. For a second, she hovered over him before she sat down beside him. "Are you dying again?"
Tony impassively stared at Natasha. "I am not dying." Granted, he really didn't know if he was drying, considering how much he had already changed the timeline. Maybe, he was dying.
Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. "So, you're being a dick just to be a dick?"
"My dick is awesome." Tony replied, kicking the remaining sheets off him. He let out a loud, awkward groan when his bruised ankle hit the ground.
"Is that why Pepper's going to her mother's?" She asked with a 'hm'. She glanced at Tony. "Tell me what's going on in that head. You want me to keep Barnes secret from Rogers, but you aren't giving me anything. I know something is up. Everyone knows something is up."
The harsh sigh escaped Tony's lips before he could stop it. "Everything is fine." Natasha didn't respond, returning her glance toward the wall from front of them. Tony did the same, and for a while, the two just stared at the wall with not one of them saying anything. The genius would not admit it, but he felt himself relax during this weird staring contest. With the world on his shoulder, it was nice to sit and do nothing. It had only been a few weeks since he found himself in the past and he had been going nonstop, pushing himself to limits that he didn't know existed. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
Without moving his head, his eyes flickered to Natasha's face before returning to the wall. His eyes traveled to the painting on the wall. He hated the painting, granted that could be because he was an engineer and not an art douche. He couldn't and didn't care to tell the difference between a child painting and some- enter a random artist that Tony couldn't remember. It was funny considering all of the art he had, but it was Pepper who had brought it. It was her that demanded this piece be hanged. He thought it was fugle, Fucken Ugly. He wanted to hang one of his Iron Man fan art, but Pepper shot that down like everything else Iron Man related.
Tony out a heavy, loud sigh. He was tired of fighting over stupid things. Why did it matter what kind of art hung on the wall? He was tired of arguing with Pepper on things that did not matter. Granted, she did have a point he supposed. Just look at him now, he looked and felt like shit. If Peter ever came home like this, he would act the same way. Tony would lock Peter in his room and never let him out- wait, when did Peter start living with him? Stop it, he told himself. Regardless, he had no time for Pepper's frustration when the world was in danger…. Then again, she didn't know this.
"I don't know if I like you this silent. I feel there should be a red alarm," She said, interrupting Tony's thoughts and breaking the silence first. She crossed her legs and leaning back against the bed. "So, tell me how you learned about Hydra and Barnes. If I can't tell Steve or Fury, you owe me that much. Plus, how did you return the Vibranium to Wakanda?"
Tony turned to her, staring at the side of her face. He just stared, while pondering this woman's motive. Did she really want to help? Plus, how did he answer that question? With everything floating around in his head, he never considered what he would be telling people—besides the truth. For some odd reason, he couldn't, which was strange. It wasn't like the Avengers wouldn't believe him. "Just look at that face. You can do TV commercials."
A sad smile cracked on her face. "I see why Pepper is frustrated."
With a deep sigh, Tony once more tried to get to his feet. Using the bed and his good arm, he pushed himself up. Sensing his struggle, Natasha shifted to her side and placed her hand under his arm and helped him up. "I got this," he replied, though he did not shake her off.
Natasha snorted but continued to assist the man. She, following him, got to her feet as well. "Why are you so hardheaded?"
Once on his feet, Tony stumbled a few feet before regaining his balance. He glanced back at Natasha, his expression falling a bit. Don't get Tony wrong. He wanted to be friend with his Avengers teammate. He yearned for it, desired it more than he realized, and for a while, he had it. At least, he thought he had it, but he learned quickly he didn't. That hurt more than he comprehended. Even now as he looked at Natasha, he wanted it. Wanted her friendship. Was that wrong? "Just tired, Nat," he replied, giving her the truth.
"You wouldn't be so tired if you let people in. You're not alone." Natasha replied, her voice unnervingly soft.
Before Tony could reply, Ayo stepped into the doorway, her eyes scanning the room and narrowing at the closeness between Natasha and Tony. "Is everything okay?"
Natasha rolled her eyes. "I am not going to kill him." She let out a huff.
Ayo glared at Natasha before turning to Tony. "You should get off your feet. We do not need you to fall on your face."
Tony grinned as he limped to Ayo. "I will down in the lab."
"I know you well enough to know that is a lie," Ayo replied, her accent heavy.
"I agree with this one." Natasha nodded her head to Ayo. "Do you think that is wise?" She asked.
He looked between Ayo and Natasha, forcing a dirty smirk to his face. "You know the last time I had to two beautiful women in my room-"
Ayo gave him a deadly glare. "Do not finish that statement."
Tony's famous grin took up half his face. "Well, then off I go! To the lab." He raised his arms high and marched out of the room. He ignored the looks the ladies were giving him. There was no doubt that he looked like a fool with each lift of the leg, which almost sent him to the ground in a tangled mess. However, he was already committed to it, and there was no going back.
*O*O*
Tony pulled up his list, which looked like chicken scratch. He probably should've typed up the list instead of using a stylus, but those were for rookies. And he wasn't changing it now. So, for the last hour, he had been updating the list, checking things off. After it was all done, he stared at it. The list had started out as seriously, still was, but there was a childish spin to it that he could not deny.
1) Peter (And family)—Plus the kid's friends?
2) FRIDAY – Just created more work.
3) The Civil War
a) Sokovia Accords
b) James Fucken Barnes- Off the board. Still broken
c) T'Chaka- If the man listened to my warning
4) Ultron – Did the act of saying I won't create Ultron stop it?
a. The Scepter AKA the Mind Stone.
b. Vibranium
c. Maximoff twins—Not my fault! Need to track them down.
5) The Fall of SHIELD- Working on it
a. Fucken Hydra—Still working on it
b. James Fucken Barnes
6) Stephen Strange—Still need a good punching
7) Hank Pym- Again, not my fault. Thanks, Dear old Dad.
8) Helen Cho—Find Thor and dangle him in front of her?
9) Fucken Infinity Stones
a. Mind -Stupid Hydra
b. Soul-No clue
c. Time-Stupid Wizards
d. Power-No clue
e. Reality-No Clue
f. Space-Thor
Letting out a deep sigh, Tony pushed the tablet away and slowly got to his feet. He had so many questions and no answers, which frustrated him. He was stuck on an impossible task. Like taking photographs of invisible objects. Like imagining that the number one didn't exist. His brain was stuck, spinning for answers. "Daddy's off," He said, getting to his feet. He winked in pain, banging his bad foot on the chair.
"Sir, it would be best to remain in the tower." JARVIS replied.
"I second that, Boss," FRIDAY added.
Tony ignore them and slowly made his way down to his personal garage. He didn't have wide selection of cars as he had in Malibu, which if he remembered correctly were at the bottom of the unforgiving ocean. It may have been years for him (mere months in this timeline) but he was still bitter about losing his babies. He may love his suits, flying high in the sky, but he loved driving down an open road with the roof down and the wind in his hair. His cars were his babies, something he enjoyed working on. They were his stress reliever.
He limped to one of his Audi before remembering it was a stick and stopping. Usually, he had no issue driving a stick, but with his left leg in a heavy brace, he would not be able to shift gears, which could ruin the transmission and the engine. He refused to destroy one of his beauties. Twisting—and tweaking his ankle in the process-, he turned to another car, one that was an automatic. He didn't own a lot of automatics, but he had one—mostly for Happy to drive. It was a life savior right about now. He jumped into the drive seat, flipped down the visor for the keys and started the engineer. It hummed spiritedly under his hands, and a smile appeared on Tony's face. He slapped the shifter back—his wrist yelling at him—and pressed his foot against the petal.
*O*O*
Tony had only seen the Wizards' secret New York office once, but he was sure he could find it. Magic, though it tried to hide, was impossible to hide. There was a way about it that was undescribed and unmistakable. Sure, he was in a fight of his life the first the only time he had seen the building, but how hard would it be? He just needed to a building that could screamed Harry Potter. He didn't have to search the entire city. Even with fighting Thanos's creepy children, he knew it was on Bleecker Street and the last house on the block.
After limping down the street—ignoring the looks he was receiving—, he was 75% sure he was standing in front of the right building. From the other cookie cutter houses on the block, this one was different, and the more he stared at it the more he was convinced it was the right place. It had a strange circular window near the top—did it always have that window? Seriously, where did window come from? Did anyone else see this? They mustn't because they walked by like it was nothing. It was almost like they weren't seeing it. Well, I supposed that explains it, he thought, now 100% sure this was the place. Things didn't magically appear unless it was… well, magic. God, he hated magic.
Limping, he walked up the dark stone steps and toward the heavy brown door. On the stone brick to the right of the door, numbers 177A were engraved. He hesitated for a second, panicking as everything in him protested the thought of walking into a mystical house that could very well eat him. Before he could knock, the door swung opened and he was hit by this weird overwhelming—there was no words to describe. It was like he was hit by an invisible wall of cold air. "Stupid Magic door," he muttered, as he peeped inside. "Stupid magic crap." It screamed 'you're going to die in here.'
This was the part in horror movies where the hero went deeper into the house after being warned not to and without a weapon. And you know what Tony was doing? He was walking right into it without a second stupid. Once he was in, the door quickly shamed closed behind him, sending him a foot into the air and his heart into a horserace. "Mother Fucker," he cursed, loudly. His voice echoed, ringing loudly through the weirdly structure home—which seemed to go off in all directions.
Tony grimaced, flinching at the sounds that roared back at him in tenfold. None of the sounds that echoed back sounded anything like he had heard him before. To make matters worse, he kept seeing things out of the corner of his eyes, shadow dancing oddly. He could've sworn he saw tentacles in the corner of his eyes, but it was gone when he turned. Great, he was in a real-life haunted house. Being a Superhero, he would deny the itch under his skin as fear crept it way up his arm. He hated magic. "Strange, your house is strange." He mumbled to himself.
His hand balling at his side, he made his way to the steps; however, before he could take a full step, a bright yellow fuzzed through the air and exploded in front of him. It remaindered him of a firework fired off directly in front of him and burned just the same as it touched his skin. Both by the force and his shock, Tony landed on his already swore ass. "What the hell?" He yelled as he followed the path to the shooter. At the top of the massive steps was a black man in robes, looking much like Strange's odd wardrobes. "You are not Wong." Sure, he knew it wouldn't be Strange, considering the man had his ego in hospital stubs at the moment. He was expecting Wong, not that that was much better. He barely really knew the man.
The man narrowed his eyes. "I am Daniel Drumm, Master of the New York Sanctum. What is your purpose here?"
"I am Tony Stark-"
Drumm harshly cut him off with a look at that kill. "I am aware of who you are, Stark, even with a bruised face. Why are you here?" he asked, his voice was anything but friendly. He was in a defensive pose.
Geez, Tony thought as his phone chirmed. He knew who it was without looking, but he ignored it. He could deal with their overprotectiveness later. "You know if you don't want visitors, you should tell the house. It let me in. So…"
Astonishingly, the Wizard relaxed his pose, but he kept his eyes trained on Tony. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to see the Ancient One. Is she available?" Tony asked with a stupid grin. His eyes dropped to Drumm's thick arms and his eyes just widened. Shit, he thought. Why do Wizards need arm like that? Does Strange get arms like this? He forced his eyes up.
Drumm narrowed his eyes, insulted that Tony even asked. "She does not have time for someone like you. Do you even know who she is?"
"Yea, yea. She's the Sorcerer Supreme. I know, but I'm sure she'll want to see me. I might be destroying the future as we know it," he said with a shrug and a wave. "I'm sure she would like to know that."
The man's focus raised as something flashed in front of him: A fire message. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning back to Tony. "Remain here," he ordered, his voice cold and demanding. "Do not touch anything."
"Afraid that I would break something?"
"No exactly, Stark."
Tony would've responded 'Will it bite me?', but he pretty sure that something in this place would in fact bite him. That was the trouble with magic: it could bite you even with no mouth. "Yea, yea," he waved. He folded his arms across his chest with a gentle smile as he watched Drumm turn away. An itch formed under his skin, as he unconsciously started to count the magical artifacts in the room. No, he didn't want to pull his hair out.
*O*O*
Drumm didn't know Tony that well, so he couldn't be faulted, but once the man was out of sight, it took less than 60 seconds for Tony to disobey him. Maybe, it was the shadows that came out of a horror movie, but he couldn't stand still. He had no idea of where he was going, but if anyone yelled at him, he would blame the house. It wasn't his fault the house let him in. It wasn't his fault that his house led him up the steps and down a hallway. It was the house's fault. You got it? The damn house's fault and those weird ass shadows.
Tony, out of breath and sore, climbed the final staircase (How many staircases did this place have?) and found himself in the attic and in front of that odd window he saw outside. He paused at the angled circular window and stared out. Some may not agree, but the city was beautiful. It didn't matter if it was here or his tower, though his tower had a better view. He could stare at the city all day, though that wasn't why he was here. He turned from the window, taking in the room.
His first thought was 'Shit, this place is huge' as he took in the entire attic. His second thought was 'this place is weird', which gave Tony the creeps. He had no idea what these magical items did, but just look at that thing on the wall. It looked like a full body trap, and there was no doubt that it was delightful, considering it was here. He hated to see that thing into action. "Probably should get out of here," he spoke to himself. He didn't know Drumm from a hole in a wall, and he had no idea of the man's patient level. He could be in that body trap if he wasn't careful.
When the genius turned from the torture device, he noticed the famous red cloak hovering in a glass case. Without even processing he was doing it, Tony moved to the cloak. There was no support for the cloak and like the name suggested, it was levitating, moving ever so slowly in air. He pondered how sentience it was. Did it—Was it a it? Well, it didn't have penis or anything, so it couldn't be male or female. But did it see itself as a it? Did the cloak liked to be referred as a it? Heck, Tony often referred to his car as a 'She.' Maybe the cloak saw itself as a him? Or her? Who knows! Poor Cloak. It was just misunderstood. But the Cloak seemed deeply attached to Strange. Tony would've counted that as weird, but he didn't have room to talk considering how attached he was to FRIDAY and JARVIS.
Tony's fingers danced along the glass as he stared at the red Cloak. He reached for the latch and pushed the case opened. He wasn't sure what he expected—it to reach out and killing him? —but nothing happened. It just hovered. Tony rolled his eyes at the Cloak, annoyed at himself. "It isn't going to kill you," he mumbled to himself. He stared at the red cloak, eyeing the patch work and the gold hardware at the top of the fabric. It was a beautiful. There was no denying that, even when it freaked Tony out. "Who am I kidding?" Against his better judgement, he reached out to the cloak. His heart pounded in his chest, as he touched the soft cloak.
Again, he expected it to jump out and strangle him, but the Cloak did not. It just floated-wait, was it vibrating? What the heck? His first thought was to pull away, but he didn't. He continued to pet the cloak, a smile threating to pop onto his face. "This isn't bad." Tony had no idea of how or why it felt warm to the touch, but it did. He was suddenly hit with an image of Strange, a smirking image of the Doctor. It both amused and annoyed the Genius as no one had that right to be so cocky, unless it was him. He was only one allowed to be so cocky. Shaking out that image, he tried to pull away, but a tug on his arm prevented him. it wasn't a painful tug in any form, but it was unyielding.
His heart shot through him as he turned back. His eyes went huge, noticing the Cloak had come alive and was petting him back. What the hell? The entire cloak hadn't move, just the edge twisted around Tony and was gently rubbering his braced hand in a cyclical motion. Even though it felt amazing and strange, there was this panic that was piercing through Tony like a whirlwind. "You got to buy me dinner first," he spoke, uneasy. The cloak twisted it collar at Tony as if to say something. It was a bit comical to see it wave its collar at him; it reminded the genius of a smile.
Tony, fear leaving him and awe replacing it, just stared at the cloak for a few seconds. This was why magic gave him a headache. How was this possible? Who decided they wanted a sentient cape? How was a cloak talking to him? Well, trying to talk to him. This was not logical. "Yea, sure. Whatever you say," he agreed, not sure what he had consented to. It probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, to agree to whatever a magical cloak had waved, but what was the worst thing that could happen. Besides, it hadn't killed Strange—Yet-, so why would it kill him? And shot him, it looked adorable as it waved itself at him. "I feel like that should be illegal. Like puppy dog eyes." Tony paused, just staring. The edge of the collar flicked up at the end. "Are you smiling? How is-"
"Did I not say, 'Do not touch?'"
Stepping—or attempting to as the cloak refused to let him go- away, Tony twisted around. "Oh, you and you," He said, seeing Drumm and the Ancient One at the top of the steps. "Not my fault!" He protested, pointing to the cloak. "All his or its or her. I don't know. I don't judge." He turned fully to the Cloak. "You can decide what you want to be." He patted the fabric gently. "No, don't give me that look." The cloak, finally releasing Tony, waved one of its corners at him as 'No' motion. "No, be good." Tony gave the cloak one last smile. What the hell was happening to him?
A smile appeared on the Ancient One's face. "I expect nothing else from the Famous Tony Stark." As she stepped toward Tony, she looked impressive in her robes. Blue robes this time, but they were still ugly. How comfortable is that?
Cloak returned to his motionless state in the case, almost like it was giving Tony the silent treatment. Now, I'm getting the sink eye from a cloak. A cloak! He rolled his eyes at it. "I feel like that is an insult."
"You can leave us, Master Drumm." The Ancient One ordered, turning to Master. Drumm didn't want to leave; it was written on his face, but he left. She turned back to Tony, eyeing his back for a few second. She studied his posture, eyeing how he faced the cloak. "The Cloak of Levitation is a fickle thing. You should take it as a compliment." She stated, looking past Tony toward the now stilled cloak. "But more importantly, why are you here, Mr. Stark."
Tony took a step back from the glass case. "Well, I don't have a crystal ball. You do," he joked. "You mind firing it up?"
The Ancient One stepped to Tony, her hand reaching for the opened case. The Cloak, knowing what she was doing, waved enthusiastically one last time as she closed the case. "I am the Sorcerer Supreme. I cannot and will not be at your beck and call." She stared at him, nailing him with an unimpressed look.
"The world is coming to the end. I assume you would like to help." He said. His phone chirmed again. "Unless I am wrong?"
The Wizard, apathetic, replied. "I am not the one messing around with the timeline, Mr. Stark. You are."
Tony nodded at the Cloak. "I feel it's more helpful than you are."
Her eyes flickered to the Cloak before turning back to Tony. "I'm not sure what you want from me. You chose this course on your own."
Tony's eye twitched. This was not his doing. He wasn't the one who send it himself into the past; it was Strange, and Harry Potter wasn't even here to fix this, so it was up to Dumbledore to clean the mess. "Did I? You should ask yourself that question. How did I get here? I know for one I don't have that power. Only person around was Strange and that Time Stone." He had no idea where the stone was now, besides in the Magicians' procession. He wished he could destroy it, though that was an impossible even if he knew how. He doubted they would hand it over.
"You believe it was Dr. Strange?" She inquired.
Who else could it have been? He doubted Thanos would have sent him back. "You don't?"
The Ancient One looked over Tony's shoulder, staring at into space head above his head. "There is so much that we do not yet understand or know about magic. There are things I do not know. While I do believe it is possible for Dr. Strange to do so, I do not believe it would be him."
That threw Tony. "Agree to disagree. Either way, I say you help me."
A small dangerous smile flashed across her face as she shook her head. "You have no idea of who you speak to, Stark. Do you want me to show you?" She brought up her hand. "I have universes to guard. Spells to protect. I do not have time for you."
There was loud echoing 'no' in his head that shocked Tony. "Geez, no love." He took a step back pretending to stretch, but his heart was pounding. "Then, how about we just blow up the time stone."
The Ancient One gave him a stare that clearly screamed no. "I find it harder to resist not sticking you somewhere for a while and forgetting about you. I can-" There was a loud, angry knock on the case, drawing both of their attention. Surprising them both, the Cloak was moving again. This time—after getting their attention—was gesturing an indignant 'no' at them in an angry motion.
"It doesn't agree with you," Tony said, nodding his head to the Cloak. Right now, it reminded Tony as an angry mother with her hands on her hips yelling at her child.
Her eyes flickered to the Cloak. "It's bias," she said, with a deep sigh.
"Bias?" Tony asked, his eye raised.
"You will learn soon enough."
Tony turned to the Cloak who had calmed down. He stared at the thing, watching the fabric change its shape. The collar was once more turned up, like it was smiling. How the hell was it smiling at him? "I feel like you enjoy this."
"I can admit that." A smile worked its way on to her face. "Now, Mr. Stark, let's get you home." She waved her hand toward the steps. "I am sure your friends are worried." Not even two seconds later, his phone pinged once more.
His eyes flickered to her face, grimacing. "Dumbledore," he drawn out. "I still need your help to save the world!"
The Ancient let out a heavy sigh. "You are testing my patience, Mr. Stark."
Tony glanced around the room, eyeing each of the magical items in the room. "Are you not worried about Thanos?" he asked, as it haunted every night.
"You misunderstand. It is not that I do not care. Thanos is a threat to us all, but my interference will not help you, Mr. Stark." She paused, glancing at the now stilled Cloak. "You have already changed the tides. Saving Barnes has already changed the future, though you still have a battle ahead of you. You simply need to continue down this path."
His eyes went large; his heart pounded in his chest. "What?"
"Do I need to repeat myself?" she asked, her eyebrow rose.
"No." he replied, shakily.
Her eyes softened. "In order to beat Thanos, you must fight as one. Rebuild the Avengers, Mr. Stark. That is the only help I can give you."
Tony opened his mouth to respond before he was cut off by an irritated voice at the steps. "Ancient One, your presence is required." Drumm was trailing a few feet behind the newcomer.
The genius turned, eyes catching Wong at the top of the steps. "Oh, Wong. Hi." He greeted. He didn't know the man, only meeting him once. However, Wong did earn an invite to his wedding.
Wong narrowed his eyes at Tony before looking to the Ancient One. "I was not aware that you knew Iron Man. Or that he knew of my existence." There was a hint of bewilderment in his voice.
"Don't worry. I am not going to expose your cult, McGonagall," Tony wave.
"We are not a cult," Wong replied, insulted by the word. "We are-"
Ancient One moved her hand, a gold starting to spark in front of her like a line of fireworks. "I believe this is Mr. Stark's clue to leave." Before Tony could react, a full portal opened beneath his feet and he fell like a bag of bricks through it. He groaned loudly on impact, landing on his back. "I wish you luck, Mr. Stark," she smiled as she looked down through the portal that had opened.
When Tony dropped, he hadn't fall far, plummeting a few feet, but it still hurt when he awkwardly and uncomfortably landed in the driver seat of his car. He was bend in a 90-degree angle as his feet landed on top of the dash. He tried to push himself up, but every attempted just resulted with him collapsing in his starting position. He was anything but graceful as he tried to take his feet off the dash. "What the hell?!" he cursed looking up.
"Just keep moving forward on your path. Rebuild the Avengers," She replied. With that, she closed the portal, leaving a very annoyed Stark behind.
He cursed in his car as he struggled for an additional few minutes. "Stupid Wizards," he mumbled as he looked back to the door of the 'house'. He was tempted to storm back in and demanded answers. However, he doubted it would get him anywhere, and he was sure Wong would curse him if he stepped back into the Sanctum. Being a man of science, he could not have that. He refused to belief in curses, but he wasn't willing to take the chance on it.
With a deep breath, Tony forced himself to calm down. It wasn't like he didn't get something. The Ancient One did confirm that he was on the right path, which did provide him with some relief. He needed to focus on that. He would test his luck with the Ancient One at a later date. Besides, his ankle was hurting now more than ever after hitting the dash. He wanted nothing else than get some ice on it. Plus, his phone kept going off.
*O*O*
Tony's eye was twitching as he pulled the car into his personal garage. FRIDAY and JARVIS both made a fuss about him disappearing for 30 minutes. It took him a few seconds to realize that the Sanctum must've blocked but his signal, which just annoyed him. Science was better than Magic, and he was going to prove it. After getting over his annoyance, he reinsured the two AIs that he was fine. They were like young child crying out for their parent. When did I get all of these children? He grumbled as he stepped out of his car.
He stumbled, almost falling on his face. His limp was heavier than before, and he was finding himself using more energy to keep up right. "Where are the others?" he asked, hobbling to the elevator.
"They are in the lounge, Sir." JARVIS answered. "Are you okay, Sir?"
"Yea," he replied. He needed to lay down as well as a Drink. "Did Peter Parker ever apply to our science Camp?"
"Yes. In in his excitement, it seemed that Mr. Parker had submitted several applications. I assume he thinks it will improve his chances." JARVIS answered.
Tony let out a deep sigh before a smile appeared on his face. "Well, he's getting approved no matter what." He said, leaning against the elevator wall. "But I supposed we still have to pick 4 others?" The other four, Tony couldn't care less, but he supposed he should pick four smart ones. He could probably pick Peter's friend Ted, though he hadn't had any conversion with the kid. He had no idea if the boy was smart, but judging by Peter's word, the kid was intelligent.
"Yes, we would, Sir."
"How many were submitted, J?" Tony asked, the elevator shooting up. He knew it had to be a lot, considering the stink Pepper had made about it.
"We are up to 54,643 applications."
Tony's eyes went large. "Shit," he uttered, now understanding why Pepper was angry. This had grown much larger than he ever expected. But should he be this surprised?
"That was Miss Potts' response when she learned of this." JARVIS answered. "She was not pleased."
He would have to deal with that mess later. He let out a sigh as the elevator came to a stop. It was an eternality, watching the doors open. His nerves were killing him. The only thing keeping his head on straight was the Ancient One's words: 'Rebuild the Avengers.' Tony already knew he would have to rebuild the Avengers, but he had been avoiding that. Avoiding the pain, but he couldn't avoid it anymore. He had to rebuild the Avengers, and he was going to do it right this time.
The doors opened completely, and Tony just stared. In order to do it right, he needed to make sure the Avengers trusted each other. That was why the team failed before. No one fully trusted the other, keeping secrets. Steve didn't trust Tony with the truth. He didn't trust that Tony knew what he was going regarding the accords. He didn't trust him at all. But why? Did he do something to make Steve feel like that? Granted, it could be said about Tony as well. He didn't trust Steve, keeping him at arms' length. He did trust Natasha, who in turned trusted Steve more than she trusted him. From there, it went downhill. This was where the Avengers failed. A team could not stand without trust, and the world, the universe, needed the Avengers.
Taking a deep breath, Tony hobbled out. He closed his eyes for a second, forcing himself to remain calmed. He knew what he had to do, even if his stomach rolled at the mere thought of it. To earn trust, he must show trust. He would need to let the Avengers in. "Harder said than done." He muttered, as he forced himself forward. He limped, picking up his speed. He could hear the voices before he could see them. His heart skipped a beat.
"Oh, look who came back." Natasha's voice rang through the air as Tony hobbled around the corner.
"And look who still is still here," he replied back, before noticing the other folks in the room. Rhodey was in the corner with a beer in his hand, staring at everyone with a scowl. Ayo, sporting an angry grimace, was sharping a knife at the bar. Her eyes flickered to Tony before darting across the room. "Ah, I see we have guest. You should've called ahead. Ayo doesn't like guests," he said, following Ayo's glance. On the other side of the room sat Steve Rogers and Clint Barton, each looking like someone had stolen their panties. "Looks like the gang is back together." He said.
"And you look like shit, Stark," Clint said, his eyes flickering to Natasha and Ayo. "What did the three of you do?" He had a small arrow in his hand, picking his nails.
"Are you three okay?" Steve followed up, with concern heavy on his face. "What's going on with?"
Barnes flashed before Tony's eyes. He could admit this wasn't how he built trust, but it was a freaken struggle. Was telling the truth here the best thing for Barnes? Not his fault he was jumpy. In his defense, he was also thrown back in time and Hydra was probably waiting to jump him at every corner. He did reveal the Iron Man suit to some evil super Soldiers. "Yea, we are peachy," he said, crossing to the bar. He needed a drink for this shit.
Neither Steve nor Clint looked like they believed that. "So, why don't you tell us what's going on? No one is speaking." Clint started. "I feel betrayed, Nat. Betrayed! I thought we had something special." He said playing hurt with his hands on his heart.
Tony reached for the whiskey and poured himself a drink. He stared at the mirrored backsplash, ignoring Ayo's eyes drilling into him. He downed the glass before reaching for another. "Stark," Ayo warned, her tones soft. Tony ignored her once more and pulled himself another drink. Like before, he downed it.
Steve got to his feet at that point, disappointment formed on his face. "Stark," he called, noticing the genius reaching toward the bottle again.
With a deep sigh, Tony turned around and faced the two. Here it is, he thought, bitterness creeping in. He couldn't help but wonder if Steve knew he was going this. Did he mean to be an ass? Or did he think he was helping out. Granted, Tony probably shouldn't be drinking, especially when he had been taking pain meds. "I'm fine, Cap." Clint let out a groan, which drew Tony's attention. Just like everyone else, there was no trust between them. "Okay, over there, Barton? Is your wife not giving you any love?" Wait…shit, he thought, as it was out before he could stop himself.
There was a hot look in Clint's eyes before he masked it. Natasha's eyes drilled into him. "Just tell us what's going on?" he replied with a question.
Rhodey took a step forward. "Nothing is going on."
"Oh, nothing is going on? Gone for days. Returned with bruises. Stark looks like shit—Yes, Stark, you look like shit." Clint said, nailing Tony with a look of utter disbelief. "So, tell us."
Steve let his Famous 'Captain America' stare fall from his face. "Tony, we are a team. Tell us what's going on."
Tony felt Natasha's eyes on him. "Fine. Hydra's back. Sorry, Cap, you died for nothing." The look on Steve's look was exactly how Tony expected it to be: disbelief, shock, anger, pained, heartbroken. Tony felt for the man. To know realize you died for nothing? There was probably no worse feeling then that. Tony felt bad for the man. He felt bad for all of them. "But don't worry I got them."
The end for now.
Let me know what you think.
Also, who do you think I should pick for the 4 other students for that internship? I can't seem to make up my mind.
Onto next time.