The darkness cleared suddenly and the team found themselves back in Howard's lab which littered with new gadgets and weapon plans but weirdly devoid of both Tony and Howard.
Of all the experiences they had been shown in the last memory, one in particular bothered Bucky and it nagged at him like an itch he couldn't scratch. The image of Stark's red eyes as he marched towards the scepter had burned itself into his brain. He couldn't just let it go. He needed to talk to the others about this.
Glancing at the others, Bucky spoke, "Being, can you pause the memory a second?"
The memory flashed gold and stilled.
"Bucky what's wrong?" Puzzled at Bucky's reasoning, Steve turned to his friend.
"That last memory was a bit of an overload but for me something just clicked."
Everyone's eyes went to Bucky then, he let the soldier briefly take control. The difference was staggering; Bucky's posture straightened, his eyes turning icy as all the warmth fell from his face, his hansome features became harsh, his stance slipped into Winter's just before he was about to attack.
"You messed with Stark's mind in that Base." Wanda couldn't help but startle as Winter's sharp, cold tone addressed her. "Would he have created Ultron if you didn't do that?"
Wanda wasn't speaking to the man she knew at the moment. Even with her powers, that murderous gaze reminded her of the things the other side of him was capable of doing so she wouldn't even think of lying here or back in the real world.
"No."
He turned away from her before addressing Steve next to him.
"OK, Rogers what did it feel like to have her in your mind?"
"Buck how is that relevant?" Steve asked softly, he had confided in Bucky about what Wanda had made him see after Bucky had a particularly bad nightmare about his time as the Winter Soldier.
He didn't like talking about it but he knew Bucky would have a good reason for bringing it up.
Bucky retook control, turning his tone amiable but stern like what he often used with Steve when they were both younger and ordinary, when he would tell Steve off for getting into fights with bullies twice his size.
"Stevie just roll with me on this."
For the rest of this talk Bucky and the Soldier agreed to merge due to their similar feelings about Stark and the team.
Certainly, it was weird for the others to look at, he appeared normal for the most part other than the underlying vibe of aggression shown by the presence of Soldat lurking in his grey eyes.
Giving his friend a small smile, Steve then look a deep breath in as his expression became melancholic.
"I felt violated. It was like my mind rebelled against me. As most of you know," He looked up at his teammates and friends sensing varying degrees of sympathy and understanding from all of them, the most coming from those who had been victims of Wanda's power before." I found adjusting difficult when I first woke up from the ice. Everyone I knew was dead or had changed; they lived full lives without me. Your vision took me back there," he coughed through a crack in his voice, "and it reminded me of everything I lost."
Wanda's face dropped as she remembered what she showed him.
"Steve, I'm so sorry." Breathed Wanda, her voice dripped with regret. She truly meant that. Steve especially was nice and supportive to her after everything. "If I could take it back I would."
Bucky scowled at her as Winter took over.
"Is that true for everyone? Even Stark?"
Honestly she could say that wasn't true for Stark. Why should I be sorry for him?
"Stark murdered her parents, she doesn't have to-" Defensively, Clint began to argue as he subconsciously moved between her and Bucky.
Winter snorted at this display of protectiveness from Clint. How funny. He moves to her defense much like Rogers is restraining himself from doing. Can you see how hypocritical you've been Captain? Expecting Stark to help me and apologize whereas with Wanda you aren't even expecting her to show remorse for what she's done. Is that why you are restraining yourself?
"Shut up!" Snapped Rhodes to Clint, "Don't comment on things you don't understand. Bucky continue."
Stunned, Clint's mouth snapped shut.
Bucky made Soladat suppress a smile at Clint's dumbfounded expression aimed at Rhodes as he continued seriously.
"Now imagine you had created a murder bot because of it, having to deal with the guilt and the unintended deaths on top of that. Did he get any support from any of you afterward?"
"I had left at that time," Bruce's expression became downcast and repentant, "I couldn't deal with my own guilt, Johannesburg and Ultron. Part of me blamed Tony, Ultron was his idea. He tried calling once but I-uh didn't pick up."
"Tony left too," Rhodes spoke up then," he focused on the relief funds for Sokovia and Johannesburg; he took the fallout, the whole blame, all of it. He became withdrawn for several months after. No one offered support that I know of. I figured that if Tony wanted to talk he would come to me."
"Do you not see how unfair this is? From what I've seen so far it's like there is one rule for Stark and another for the rest of us." Bucky implored. Were he and Winter the only ones who saw this?
"That's not true, man you weren't there-" Clint protested.
"I've got a lot of sympathy and support from you all because of what Hydra did to me which for the record felt similarly invasive but worse in comparison to what I have heard about Wanda's powers. I'm grateful for how understanding you all were for me. However, what I don't get is that you all sympathized and confided in each other about the visions eventually after Ultron but none of you thought to help Stark."
"We didn't think he was affected by her too-" Natasha argued.
"I trained you Natalia. How disappointing one of my best students could've missed it." Winter snarled back. Remembering those times, her argument withered and died on her tongue.
"He's right. We were supposed to be his friends, we should've noticed. Tony wouldn't have acted that recklessly without the pretty extreme motive. Why didn't I see it before?" Rhodes berated himself as his ghostly form paced the lab.
Everyone quietened either deep in self-recrimination, revelation or shock.
"I think we are ready resume Illuminate." Thor boomed after several moments, once he thought on what his silver armed comrade had said he couldn't help but agree.
"I don't like being handed things."
Adult Tony's voice echoed around the empty lab; the scene flashed as if a camera flash had just gone off.
"Mr Stark?" Peter asked feeling thoroughly freaked out.
"I believe the Illuminate has given this memory or memories a particular focus. That is why we are hearing this statement from Sir. We are not hearing him speaking to us now." Vision clarified sensing Peter's unease.
Simultaneously, they all turned when the door was flung open with a surprising force.
This Tony seemed about 5 bouncing around his father and asking him rapid fire questions.
"Hey Dad what are we working on today?"
"Dad can I make a watch? Or a Phone? I can think of ten ways to make that one better already." He pointed to the one on the desk that resembled a brick. "Or a shield? Y'know like the one Captain America has that'd be so cool."
"Well at least we know Tony has always fanboy-ed over Caps shield." Clint joked as he watched the young Tony in front of him vibrate with excitement at the prospect. It was easy to forget his animosity at Stark when the child version was here and not the current version. This Tony was acting a lot like Cooper when he found out his dad was an Avenger. ("Wow dad! How do you shoot like that? Can you teach me? We saw the fight on TV!") At least until the Civil War ended, Clint's smile fell slightly. When they had been first pardoned as soon as he saw his family after those two years; Laura had slapped him, Lila cried and hugged him, Nathaniel didn't know who he was and Cooper now treated him with a cold indifference or anger. It had been 3 months since he had got back and not much has changed. They all loved Uncle Tony though. Shaking his head away from those dark and bitter thoughts, he forcibly refocused on the smaller Tony in front of him.
Bruce smiled as he looked at his younger science Bro. Thank god he hasn't lost that enthusiasm.
"Not now Anthony. You are going to help me make a new model of the SJ Prosper." Howard gestured to a plan on the table before moving across the other side of the room to grab the appropriate tools.
"Dad this is a chemical weapon." Young Tony sounded very disapproving as he scowled at the weapon plan.
"So what?" Howard mockingly hissed back. "Didn't I tell you what SI did? Why do you have a problem now?"
Although he had his back to the Avengers they could all see Howard's back had tensed and his fists had clenched around the corner of the table.
At his aggressive body language, a few of the Avengers moved between Tony and Howard despite consciously knowing they couldn't do anything for Tony now if Howard were to hit him.
Then Howard consciously loosened his back grabbing the chemicals, metal and tools, placing them in front of Tony.
"Whether you approve or not is of no importance to me. You will make weapons even after I die. Obadiah will ensure this." Wanda's eyes widened. Stark didn't want to make weapons? Howard'stone changed to something deeper and sadder as he looked at the signed Captain America poster and the map on the other side of the room. "I'm doing this to make sure Young American Soldiers are safe and secure with Stark weaponry so that they don't need to die or sacrifice themselves needlessly. Do you get that Anthony?"
"Howard." Steve muttered as he regarded his old friend sadly, Bucky did the same. They all knew he was referring to them both.
Howard turned to face his son who nodded at him expression and thoughts unusually somber and sympathetic as he handed his dad the metal and the welding torch.
After a few moments, he shoved the blisteringly hot welding torch back into Tony's unsuspecting hands; they drooped slightly as the phantom sensation of burning flitted across the Avengers palms.
"Drop it Man of Iron." Thor urged the younger version of his friend but his friend didn't heed the advice and instead walked calmly to the table and placed it there. Despite the ghostly taste of iron in all their mouths, implying that he bit the side of his mouth hard enough to draw blood to keep from crying out.
"Hand me the clear acid in the tube next to you."
Gingerly, Tony passed it over and watched as Howard poured some into a small compartment of the weapon and thrust it back into Tony's small hands.
Some of the acid splashed Tony's wrist over the side.
This time he couldn't keep himself silent but quickly stifled the cry of pain trying to force itself upwards.
Stark men are made of Iron get a hold of yourself.
He moved quickly over the sink, grabbing the towel and patting it down quickly.
Do I hold it under water? That helps normal burns.
Not chemical burns. I think that makes them worse don't do it.
All the Avengers grimaced slightly as they felt the muted pain running up their wrist and as they saw the skin on Tony's bubble and blister.
"Anthony!"
"Y...yes?"
"Hand me the reactant metal container on the table."
Tony moved over to the table and placed the container near the weapon watching as Howard used Tongs to secure several parts of the metal and the acid tubes in place.
Explaining how the new Prosper worked Howard had eyes only for his weapon as he explained how it would only work if the switch on the side was flipped. The dial on the side could be twisted to control the amount of acid exposed to the metal and therefore the amount of chemical released.
They could tell that Tony was trying hard to pay attention to Howard's explanation but finding it difficult to due to the pain radiating from both his hands.
Admiring the finished work, Howard waved his son away.
Tony scampered up the stairs making sure to avoid Jarvis on his way out.
As the years went on the team saw more cuts, bruises, acid burns, cold burns, normal burns and scars being added to Tony's hands the same way and becoming more enraged about it. Tony managed to frequently and convincingly lie about getting accidentally injured down there to both Jarvis's and his mother Maria by pretending to be clumsy around them too.
"Why doesn't he just stop going down there?" Steve asked the others sounding lost as he watched a teenage Tony grab something Howard handed to him that shattered in his palm. Distantly, they noted the pain but they were focused on the question at hand.
"That could be the only way he learns something." Natasha stated. "Think of it this way. He has a love of learning, in particular science where can he get it to a level that challenges him? The only man alive that rivals his intellect is that of his father. Being in that lab with Howard would be the only thing that would challenge him. So he sticks out the pain to keep the pleasure of learning science with Howard."
"It makes sense." Rhodes agreed staring sadly at Tony sitting by himself in the lab, picking glass out of his hand and aiming the shards at a nearby bin.
"We're being transported somewhere else." Vision informed them all as the tornado whisked around them before clearing suddenly.
Their eyes darted around the great marble hall with two towering pillars and an archway, across the two pillars they noticed a huge banner printed with the words ' In memorial of Howard and Maria Stark' black ribbon held the banner up either side. Ebony streamers and flowers wrapped in black draped a few of the tables on the far side and the bar. They knew mentally Tony took a note of where the bar was so he could give himself some Dutch courage if the night became too difficult.
"Where are we?" Sam mused, staring around at the exquisite surroundings before him.
"Maria Stark Foundation ball, the first one since her unfortunate passing two weeks prior to this." Vision noted. Feeling very guilty Bucky felt his insides shrivel and looked to the floor.
"Where's Stark?" Scott asked.
Amused, Rhodes snorted. "Do you really need to ask?"
Scanning the elaborately decorated hall, Scott immediately saw Stark surrounded by the biggest pile well-meaning aristocrats, in the centre of the hall, feeling strangely suffocated and overwhelmed.
"I thought he was in his element at these things." Wanda commented sounding perplexed.
"His parents have just died and this gala is a bit like someone is rubbing it in his face every five minutes. Forgive him for not being on top form." Rhodes retorted. He remembered this day. Tony had asked him to go as well but his mum organised a family get together at the same time so he couldn't make it. He did support Tony as best he could at the time though.
"Stop it and watch Stark already. I've got a feeling something bad is going to happen pretty soon." Steve scolded them both in his Captain America voice, Rhodes was about to bite something at him but Natasha directed their attention across the room.
Sure enough, an old well-dressed lady handed Tony a champagne glass but when Tony noticed he blanched, making his grip on the glass falter; it shattered on the floor.
Pain, being cut, burnt, bruised. ("How long do I have to hold this Dad?" "Just a few more sec-")
Tony came back to himself with a jolt and Mask helped him recover quickly realising that the (now dripping) lady along with half the room was looking at him in concern.
Oh great now they think I'm crazy.
"I'm so sorry Madame; Madre always did say was a butterfingers. I was a menace when I was younger let me tell you. Actually stay there, I'll get you some paper towels to dry your dress."
The Avengers trailed him as he travelled to the bathroom.
His thoughts heavily contrasted the convincing but fake, embarrassed smile on his lips.
All of a sudden, they were whisked into Tony's mindscape a view to what was happening outside displayed on the front wall.
I am not a wimp. I am a Stark dammit. Snarled Angry Tony at the two other versions of himself, who eyed him warily as he moved away from them; he prowled the perimeter of the room.
What the fuck was that? Pincushion asked Mask who opened his mouth then closed it again, shaking his head and turning away, sitting at the lab table oddly quiet.
"It was a Flashback." Sam supplied, staring at the three Tony's with an unreadable expression.
I'll tell you what that was. That was a fucking flashback. Irritated, Angry Tony turned prodding Pincushion in the chest next to the small collection of knifes that were situated already there. I thought we weren't going to let him affect us anymore.
I know. Pincushion yelled back. Howard has no influence on me... I just forgot myself.
At this Mask let out a fake laugh and banged his head against the table in exasperation as Angry Tony analysed Pincushion's face.
I better think of an excuse for people not handing me things.Pincushion adopted an introspective edgy expression as he looked at his two counterparts for ideas.
How about just a simple I don't like being handed things fits in with the asshole mask perfectly right?Angry Tony suggested before snorting as Mask sat up at this appearing affronted.
Ugh fine. You know me, I just live to be difficult. Performing a mock seated bow Mask smirked cheekily at Pincushion.
No one would even suspect a thing.
Smiling reassuringly at Pincushion, Angry Tony patted him on the shoulder and stalked across the other side of the lab to join Mask in editing the file on Anthony Edward Stark. Consulting a thick volume, Angry Tony had plucked from one of the locked shelves, they were deep in conversation with each other as they discarded and manipulated the file.
Pincushion let out a real slightly sad smile as he made himself return to the lady offering her copious amounts of paper towels.
No one suspected a thing or even guessed.
Not even Earth's mightiest heroes.
The Tornado twisted around them once more, the colours becoming gradually darker before becoming completely black.
