Chapter 2 – Science Triplets

'What the hell happened to you?' Tony asks as Steve enters the workshop; he's been given an override code after he had to get FRIDAY to let him in to carry the inventor up to bed after he fell asleep at his workbench and he'd 'complained' about it for an hour.

'Bucky got me during training,' he replies, fingers going up to gingerly touch the black eye he's sporting. 'I may have said something he wasn't too happy with so he socked me one and I didn't dodge in time.'

'What did you say to Bucky to make him give you a black eye?' Tony's eyes go wide.

Steve sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. 'Well, I may have made some hints about him and Loki and he didn't appreciate it.'

The inventor blinks a couple of times, then bursts out laughing. 'You're not going to tell me are you?'

He grins and walks over to put his arms around the other man. 'Nope, sorry honey. I don't need you getting a black eye as well. What are you working on?'

'Peter's new upgrade,' he admits with a sheepish smile.

'Another one? How many have you done now? The rest of us are going to start feeling left out,' he jokes, pressing a kiss to the side of the man's head as he turns in his arms back to his screen.

'Well,' Tony shifts slightly in his arms and Steve pulls back enough to look at him properly, 'technically I'm using his one as the test run for everyone else.'

'What are you cooking up in that mind of yours now?'

Tony pulls one of the screens closer to them and shows Steve his project. 'It's basically made and waiting for him, but I'm tweaking some of the functions and then I'll give it to him when the time's right. I'm calling it the Iron Spider.'

'Of course you are,' Steve rolls his eyes. 'It looks a lot like his current suit.'

'It is,' he explains, and Steve can't help but grin at the excited tone, 'but it's using the nanotech I've been working on. It can be kept in the spider emblem and then the rest of the suit builds out and around him.'

'Like you've been doing with the other reactors?'

'Exactly like that. Once I've got it right here I'll look at putting it in this one,' he taps the reactor on his chest, 'then I'll have the suit everywhere I go. Eventually I want to make one for everyone.'

'An Iron Man suit for the whole team?' Steve asks.

'Not exactly. I mean not the full suit like I have, otherwise there's not a lot of point in me being here,' the inventor grins and pulls open more files to show Steve. 'I was thinking more along the lines of armour that can be put on in bad situations, but with features to help with some of the more sneaky spy missions-'

'Really Tony? Sneaky spy missions?'

'-and means every member of the team can fly back here if needed.'

'I'm still stuck on the sneaky spy mission description.'

'And you say I have issues with concentrating on the important things,' Tony grumbles.

Steve laughs. 'Sounds like an amazing idea to me, honey,' he reassures him. 'I take it Peter's one is slightly more advanced though.'

'Of course. What kind of a mentor would I be if I didn't give him the best?'

'Mentor?' Steve teases. 'Or person hoping to adopt him?'

'Oh shut it, Rogers,' Tony huffs.

'Boss? Mr Loki is approaching the workshop. Should I let him in?'

'Yeah let him in when he gets here, FRI, we've got a study date.'

'Really?' Steve raises an eyebrow. 'You're using the phrase "study date" when I'm literally right here.'

'Serves you right for your comment just now, you're just lucky I didn't give you another black eye to go with the one Bucky gave you.'

Steve pulls away and presses a kiss to Tony's mouth. 'Just what are you two up to?'

'It may shock you to learn this, babe,' Tony teases, chasing after Steve's lips for another kiss, 'but Loki is just as excited about learning new things as I am. We're putting our heads together until Brucie decides to join us after he's finished with Nat.'

'And discussing what exactly?'

Tony gestures with his arms and spins in his chair to signal his whole workshop. 'Science, Capsicle, science and magic and how they're linked.'

'They're linked?' Steve can't help but be surprised.

'It seems likely, though we'll know more once we've done some more work together. Hopefully it'll be the answer to combating the power of the infinity stones.'

The door opens and Loki enters. 'What happened to you?' he asks.

'Bucky punched him during training,' Tony answers before Steve has chance to.

'What possessed the Winter Warrior to give you a black eye?'

'Long story,' Steve waves him off, 'I'm going to leave you two scholars to it and go find some lunch. Want me to bring something down for you two?'

'Already ate,' Tony shakes his head.

'I am fine, thank you Captain,' Loki replies with a cautious smile. Steve nods to him as he leaves the workshop. He's still not entirely comfortable around the god, but as he looks back and sees the two of them already deep in an animated conversation, pointing to various things on the myriad of screens, he supposes it may only be a matter of time.

'This in incredible!' Tony says looking between his screens and Loki. The trickster simply smiles and comes over to join him.

'What in particular have you found interesting this time?' he asks.

Tony grabs his arm and drags him closer to the screen, pointing at the results from the test they've just run on Loki's teleportation abilities. He's still too tired to be able to travel far, so the workshop is providing the perfect confined space. 'According to these results you are literally taking apart the molecules of your body and reforming them somewhere else. This shouldn't be possible!'

'Perhaps to humans here on Earth,' Loki responds with a chuckle, 'but on Asgard we've been- we had been doing this for longer than I care to try and remember.'

The inventor turns his piercing gaze onto him. 'It's affected you more than you want to let on hasn't it?'

'We're back to your inane ramblings are we? You may need to be more specific, Stark.'

'It's only us here, Reindeer Games, you don't have to play it cool with me. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Tony? We're science buddies now. Just like me and Bruce. I'm talking about Asgard: the fact it's now gone and the people left from it would rather you didn't exist.'

'Until you stop with the ridiculous nicknames I shall call you what I please,' Loki retorts. 'And please don't tell me you are going to take after my brother and try and make me become sentimental. I am used to leaving people and places behind, especially Asgard.'

There's quiet for a few minutes, and Loki is just about to apologise for being snappy when Tony speaks again, eyes firmly focussing on the screens in front of them. 'I grew up in a house on Long Island that was far too big considering it was just me, my parents, and the staff that kept it running. The only things I remember about it from my childhood is it being big and empty and always seemed to be cold; the warmest place was always the kitchen where I could always find Ana and Jarvis, and she'd let me steal bits from whatever she was cooking. Or when Aunt Peggy would take me down there to make cookies. It's not like it's filled with happy childhood memories, and I haven't lived there since my parents died. But I can't bring myself to sell it. So it just sits there, empty and gathering dust, and once a month I pay for someone to make sure the garden doesn't become a jungle. I'm not a sentimental person either, Lokes, but I can't seem to get rid of the house.' Tony looks at him with dark eyes. 'So believe me when I say, if you did find everything that has happened with Asgard difficult, despite not really caring all that much about it, I'd understand.'

Loki doesn't say anything, not really trusting his voice to remain as unaffected as he would like, but nods his thanks. Tony returns it with one of his own and then brings his attention back to the screens.

'So,' he says, apparently forgetting all about their little conversation, 'just how do you manage to take apart every cell in your body and rebuild it?'

Loki grins. 'I believe the phrase you use is: "buckle up". This is going to take a lot of explaining for your tiny Midgardian mind to comprehend.'

'Watch it Reindeer Games,' Tony rolls his eyes, 'don't forget I'm the one who had to teach your brother how to use the appliances, and I imagine I shall be the one to teach you.'

Loki snorts. 'Oh please, comparing my ability to master new skills to Thor's is like comparing your technological skills to the Captain's.'

'Fair point, now back to teleportation!'

The sound of the argument reaches their ears before they even get halfway down the corridor.

'What on earth?' Bruce asks as they get closer.

'My guess is Bucky and Loki have found something else to argue about,' Natasha sighs, 'honestly those two are worse than Steve and Tony ever were. At least with those two it was really obvious silent pining, and only the occasional blow up when the tension got too much. This is just getting ridiculous.'

'Err…excuse me?' Bruce blinks at her and Natasha laughs.

'Oh Bruce please tell me you aren't that oblivious.'

'You think those two like each other?'

'At the very least they want to have naked fun times.'

'Naked fun times?' he repeats with a raised eyebrow. 'I think we've all been spending too much time around Deadpool.'

'Tony's words not mine.'

'Why am I not surprised?' she hears Bruce mutter and they enter the common area to see Loki and Bucky stood near the kitchenette, the trickster with an irritated look on his face and the soldier with his arms crossed. Tony and Steve are sat on the sofa, with Tony basically in Steve's lap, and Rhodes and Sam on two of the chairs.

'What is it this time?' she asks, sitting next to the couple on the sofa and ignoring the bickering pair.

'I don't know, something about a TV show,' Tony waves a hand absent-mindedly, still looking at something on one of his portable screens.

'A TV show?' she raises an eyebrow. 'I didn't realise Bucky had perfected using the TV yet, let alone Loki.'

'Hey! I can operate a TV just fine thank you!' it appears the soldier heard her comment. 'Don't put me in the same category as Steve.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' the blond demands, frowning at his childhood friend.

'Steve when you first got a laptop you tried to search on the internet by talking to it,' Tony sighs.

'In my defence,' the blond is bright red as Sam sniggers from his chair, 'I was going from your technology to everyday stuff and I didn't realise it wasn't as advanced. All I had to do was ask JARVIS a question, then I went to something where I had to type in commands.'

'So basically you're admitting to being high maintenance,' Tony smirks as he looks up from his tablet.

Natasha laughs at the pout on Steve's face. 'He's got you there, Cap. Though I don't know how Tony of all people can call anyone high maintenance.'

'So anyway I'll be putting this project on Nat's bites away and opening up the one for Sam's wings,' the inventor huffs.

'Having experienced them first hand,' Loki says from where he's leaning against the breakfast bar, 'I don't think they need much improvement.'

'Yeah well you might settle for less than perfect, but not everyone does,' Bucky shoots at him.

'I beg your pardon?' Loki's eyes narrow dangerously.

Before Bucky can reply Tony makes a noise of frustration and stands up. 'Right that's it! I can't concentrate with you two going at it like an old married couple. Bruce come on we're taking Loki back down to the workshop where we might actually be able to get some work done before the world ends. Or at least stop this headache from forming.'

'Don't I get a choice in this?' the scientist sighs. 'What if I want to stay here?'

'Because I need a scientific second opinion on some of the findings, and the only second opinion he gives me,' Tony points a finger at the trickster, 'is to tell me-'

'It's magic, Stark,' Loki interrupts with a smirk.

'-in that infuriating tone! So unless you have plans to get Jolly Green to join us come save me from insanity or we've got to listen to these two find a way to argue about what colour the sky is.'

'I'm not about to start arguing over what colour-'

'Point proven,' Tony cuts Bucky off. 'Come on, Brucie, I know you've missed science bro time. Now we've got a triplet!'

'Is he always this infuriating when he's learning something new?' Loki asks Bruce.

The scientist laughs, taking off his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt before standing up with a smile. 'Just wait until he thinks he's about to invent something entirely new. Then he's worse.'

'If you start building another Ultron I'm banning you from the workshop for a week!' Steve shouts after the retreating trio.

'If we hadn't of made Ultron we wouldn't have Vision!' Tony counters as they disappear into the elevator.

'Unfortunately,' Natasha sighs, 'he does have a point.'

'Don't say that where he can hear you,' Steve looks at her over the top of the book he's reading, 'or you'll be in more trouble than he is.'

He turns and sees the pile of rubble. Dread clenches at his heart as he makes his way closer, tears stinging his eyes.

'No,' he manages to get past a torn throat. Just like when Wanda had got into his brain when they faced Ultron the team is lying in a heap, all of them now nothing more than broken bodies. Except this time there's more bodies.

Vision is broken, the mind stone no longer glowing, and all the colour has seeped from his body; Wanda lies next to him, her eyes closed and neck at an abnormal angle, next to her Sam's body is mangled, one of the wings of his suit is broken off and pinning one leg to the ground. Rhodes is nearer the top, blood covering his lower body, with Clint sitting, head falling onto his chest, not that far from him, his bow slipping from numb fingers; just below them is Natasha, her eyes glassy and blood dripping down her head to land on Bruce's blank face, all animation that Tony is so used to seeing in the lab is gone from his friend's face.

Bucky, his metal arm ripped from his body leaving wires exposed to the world, is near the bottom of the pile, hand still reaching towards a gun; Scott, ants crawling over his prone body, lies next to him, eyes closed and blood pouring from the back of his head. Even Fury is there, one eye clouded and staring up at the black expanse above them; Tony is surprised at the feeling of loss as he sees Loki and Thor there as well. The blond's larger than life personality dulled as he appears to have fallen on his hammer, one hand reaching out to lifeless form of his brother, a horrible dark mark across the trickster's throat. T'Challa's normally calm and regal features twisted into pain and horror. Wade's head, normally unable to get silent, is sitting on a pike and Tony has the horrible feeling the man won't be coming back from this.

There's two people missing though.

'T-T-Tony?' at the weak voice Tony feels his throat close up in fear and he spins around.

'Peter!' the teen is desperately trying to hold up a huge slab of concrete, his mask is missing but the rest of his suit is on.

'I can't- I can't hold it,' the teen whimpers. 'Tony, please. Help me.'

'I'm coming,' he promises trying to make his legs move. 'I'm coming, hold on Pete.'

'My legs are trapped,' he says, 'I can't move. I can't hold it much longer. Tony please!'

'Peter!' the teen disappears from view as his strength gives out and the concrete crushes down on him. 'Peter!' his limbs are suddenly free and he rushes towards where the teenager disappeared from sight. 'Come on you damn thing,' he's hitting the arc reactor trying to get the nanotech to come out and form the suit. 'Come on!'

'Tony?' He spins again.

'Steve? Steve! Peter's under here. Help me get him out!'

'Tony,' Steve's voice sounds sad, and finally he's able to see the soldier.

'Oh god no,' he breathes, the soldier is buried in a slab of ice. 'No, Steve! What happened? I'll get you out, I promise.'

'Why didn't you save us?' he repeats those words that have haunted Tony since they first learned of Wanda and Pietro's existence. 'You could have saved us, honey. Why didn't you?'

'Steve I didn't know. I'm coming. I'll save you I promise.'

'It's too late, Tony,' another voice this time, one that has shivers running down his spine. He's paralysed, a pain he's only felt once before flooding his veins. He can do nothing as he watches the soldier disappear into the dark ice.

He can't even beg as the form looms over him, a shadowy hand reaching for his chest. 'You didn't save them, Tony. It really is a shame you ended up like this. All alone. Still you did have one last golden egg.' Then the reactor is pulled from his chest, and he watches as the light is carried away, leaving him in darkness.

'Tony!' he thinks he can hear someone calling for him as the darkness becomes overwhelming. He starts to make out little pinpricks of light in the inky blackness. Almost like stars.

'Tony!'

He chokes back a scream, sitting up and flailing around. He can't move much, something is keeping him in place.

'Tony, honey, breathe for me. Come on, just breathe,' a warm voice at his ear. 'I'm here, I'm right here with you. The reactor's safe. I promise you it's safe. It's right here, under my hand and no one's getting to it. I'm here, honey, I'm right here. Not going to let anything get you.'

'Steve?' he hates how weak his voice sounds.

'Right here, Tony,' the soldier presses a kiss to his forehead as his breathing begins to even out.

'Oh thank god,' he turns in the soldier's arms and holds him close, not trying to stop the tears leaking from his eyes but not daring to admit he's crying.

'Hey, Tony, it's alright,' Steve soothes him, running a hand up and down his back. 'I'm right here. We're at the facility.'

It takes nearly half an hour, but eventually Tony manages to calm down enough to tell Steve about his nightmare.

'It's not all on you to keep us safe, honey,' Steve tells him, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, 'we need to keep each other safe, alright? It's not all on you.'

'I'm scared,' he admits.

'So am I, honey,' Steve sighs, 'so am I. But we'll do this together right?'

Tony smiles and kisses him before nodding. 'Always.'

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry I'm a day late updating, I got back from a camping trip yesterday and just kind of crashed. Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews I'm so glad you're enjoying this series.

I'm doing a double update this week just so we can move the story along a bit quicker, and also to apologise for being a little late so there won't be a sneak peek this chapter I'm afraid.

L x