Steve rubbed his head tiredly. He had barely gotten any sleep at all in the week he had been in the compound. Still every night Steve would sense someone in the darkness. But that was just a nightmare. Repeatedly telling himself this didn't do much though.
"Steve. You okay man?" Sam glanced at him. Steve nodded.
"Just… a bit tired." Sam nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, the move back here was surprisingly stressful." Sam smiled grimly at him. "I didn't think they would be able to get so many new recruits in just 3 months."
"They haven't gotten that many," Natasha said, not even looking up from some Russian book she had in her lap.
"Seems like a lot," muttered Steve, rubbing his face again.
"Two people isn't that many." Natasha pointed out.
"Seems like a lot," Steve repeated pointedly. She sighed, muttering something in Russian under her breath.
"Excuse me Mr Rogers?" a polite voice questioned. Steve turned and smiled at the professional looking woman.
"Yes? How can I help?" He asked standing up.
"Mr Stark would like to know if you could take your shield back. He doesn't have much use for it and in his words 'never really liked it anyway.'" Steve blinked, not entirely processing the offer. The woman looked expectantly at him as his mind fumbled over the question.
"Sure, thank you." The woman smiled again and handed him a round package. "Hey if you see Tony could you ask if I can speak to him?" The woman nodded, her smile seeming a little less friendly.
"Of course. Also Mr Rogers. Mr Stark didn't seem to find any reason to clean it, so it is still a bit banged up." Steve nodded, relieved this woman was acting kindly towards them, unlike everyone else they had come into contact with over the week.
"Excellent." She turned and left the room. Steve crossed over to the couch the others were seated on.
"That was odd," Natasha observed, her face showing slight signs of suspicion.
"How so?" asked Steve as he began to carefully open the box. Natasha didn't answer, instead continuing to watch him quietly. Steve glanced at Sam who shrugged.
Steve pulled off the tissue paper shielding the disk and jumped back in horror.
"What the hell," muttered Sam looking shocked. "Is that. Blood?" Natasha swiftly stepped forward, trailing her hand along the crusted edge of the shield.
"Yes." she murmured.
"Who's?" asked Sam, looking sickened. Natasha turned her cold eyes on Steve.
"It's Tony's." she didn't ask if she was correct instead speaking in a cold disappointed tone. Steve grimaced as he thought about how similar it was to Tony's tone in his late night visits nightmare's.
"What?" Sam looked possibly more sickened. "Is this from Siberia?"
"Yes," Steve whispered.
"Man," Sam took a single step backwards. "What happened there?"
"You have to tell us Steve." echoed Natasha.
"I-" He gulped, "Me and Tony, we fought. That's all."
"And his blood just happened to get onto the shield when you came out with barely a scratch?"
"Nat-" Steve gulped again, the dark red stains on the shield drilling into his vision.
"You want me to do it?" Natasha raised her eyebrows. "Okay. The positioning of the stains. You hammered the shield into Tony. Presumably into a place wide enough for the stains to cover that area. There is a gap in the centre." She paused her eyes colder than ever. "The Arc Reactor was always the strongest part of the suit."
"You smashed it into…" Sam gaped, taking another step back. "His chest? Man. That's just… man." Sam shook his head, leaving the room in a hurry.
"I didn't…" Steve uttered, his eyes still on the shield. "He was trying to hurt Bucky."
"I know, Steve." Natasha closed her eyes for a second. "But at least he isn't trying to kill him."
"Tony?" Stephen sidled up next to the man on the chair. Tony had his eyes closed but smiled slightly as Stephen methodically slid an arm around him. "Hmm. I didn't know you meditate."
"Of course I don't, I'm not a monk like you." Tony opened his eyes, smiling even more as his eyes shone with teasing.
"Master of the Mystic Arts." corrected Stephen automatically, he sighed regretfully. "Here I was thinking we could connect over meditation."
"Yes, because we connect over so little." Tony leaned his head softly on Stephen's shoulder. "God. I'm tired."
"Have you been sleeping?" Stephen instantly asked. "Or did you suddenly become a ninja who can sneak out of bed at night without waking me up."
"Maybe I've always been a ninja." Tony raised his eyebrows with an expression too serious to actually be so.
"Right. I'd forgotten." Stephen smirked. "Seriously though, have you been sleeping?"
"More or less. This whole thing with the Accords, and the Avengers and the Rogues." Tony grimaced. "It's just exhausting." Stephen was quiet for a second.
"Why did you work to bring them back then?" Stephen had been in total confusion about that.
"We can always use more fighters."
"Yes, but you shouldn't have to bring back people who purposely hurt you to protect everyone else." Stephen's mind wandered to the scars he had seen on Tony's chest, the initial scarring from the first Arc Reactor, and then, partially masked by the new one, a straight line that crossed right over his heart, it made Stephen's blood boil just thinking about it.
"I know." Tony continued to lay his head on Stephen's shoulder, barely reacting.
"But you trust them?" Stephen asked incredulously.
"God no. Never again." Tony finally sat up, making a disgusted face as he did so. "I despise all of them."
"Then… why are they here?"
"Payback," Tony smirked wickedly. He stood up, crossing to a table to begin to fiddle with something.
"Oh really?" Stephen smiled slightly, "How is this 'payback' going to play out?"
"Oh, it's pretty simple really." Tony's eyes flashed slightly.
"How so?" Stephen moved behind Tony, Threading his arms around his waist, Tony leaned into the touch.
"Well, first I mess with them, and then I completely destroy them," Tony said this in a surprisingly calm voice.
"Destroy?" Stephen furrowed his brow hesitantly.
"To put it simply…" Tony sighed, pressing his head back into Stephen, his eyes closed and expression peaceful, "By the time I'm done they will be locked up for life."
"Hmm." Stephen narrowed his eyes slightly deep in thought.
"Hmm?" Tony had opened his eyes and turned to face Stephen.
"Just as long as you don't get hurt."
"You got it mum." teased Tony, smirking as Stephen rolled his eyes.
"Right." He glanced at the time. "Dammit, Wong is expecting me."
"And we can't keep him waiting a little?" Tony leant back against the table, his eyes playful.
"If only." Stephen grimaced. "Wong will have my ass if I'm late again."
"He better not," Tony warned. "Your ass is mine."
"I'll make sure to tell him that." Stephen's lip twitched as he slid on his sling ring and opened a portal back to the Sanctum.
Steve kept on rubbing his hands, the image of the shield still imprinted into his mind and only half listening to Wanda and Clint's conversation. His mind was messing with him, that must be the only explanation. Tony wouldn't do this. He could be a downright asshole sometimes (most of the time) but he wouldn't do this to Steve. His mind must be doing this to him because of the slight guilt he felt because of Siberia.
"Steve?" Wanda asked again. Steve jumped out of his thoughts and looked up at her.
"You back with us?" Clint smirked.
"Sorry what?" Steve rubbed his face in an attempt to refocus.
"Wanda was just wondering if Vision was acting hostile towards her because of Tony," Clint said bitterly. Steve looked at the girl whose eyes, he now noticed, were a little red.
"Maybe." Steve scratched his neck. "Vision still loves you. I guarantee it." Wanda nodded glumly.
"Stark is poisoning him with words." She glared at the floor. "He wouldn't be so mean otherwise!"
"No kiddin, Stark is quite the ass." Clint nodded.
"And he has been acting like we don't exist," Wanda added. Steve nodded, Tony had in fact been ignoring them, sending only occasional looks that always were cold and indifferent.
"He's a petty asshole." Clint joined Wanda in glaring at the floor. "Stark should just get over it already, he was the git in the Accords situation anyway."
"We should talk to him." Steve heard himself say, his mind still refusing to stay on topic. Clint and Wanda agreed.
"Tell him to stop forcing his opinions on Vision," Wanda muttered, wiping her eyes.
"And to get over himself." Clint flexed his hands slightly, which normally would worry Steve but he was having trouble making sense of the motion.
"Right."
The opportunity occurred that same day. They had stayed in the kitchen for the rest of the day, just talking and watching the news. Then in the afternoon, shortly after they had raided the fridge for food, Tony had entered the room, tapping at a StarkPhone. He completely ignored them as he moved towards the, already on, coffee machine.
"Stark," Clint said after about a minute of no speech. He held up one hand in a 'one-second' gesture, still tapping at the phone. Clint made a face that Wanda shared.
"Don't give us that shit, you've been ignoring us." Clint spat at him.
"Just wait," Tony replied calmly. Clint flipped him off which Tony ignored. "Right… what do you want, Barton?"
"Actually we all wanted to talk to you." Steve finally said, once again he had been thrown off by the dark masked look in Tony's eyes.
"What did you do to Vision?" Wanda demanded.
"I did nothing to Vision. But if you're referring to how he isn't all 'lovey' with you then I guess it might have something to do with you throwing him through several floors of the building." Wanda glared at him ferociously which Tony returned without so much as a change in expression.
"You're an ass." Wanda snarled. Tony hummed.
"Yes, we seem to have established that. In fact, Rogers managed to tell me when he had barely heard me say five complete sentences." Steve winced as Tony grabbed the mug and began to leave. "If that's all…" Steve moved after him.
"No, Tony, can we talk?" Tony paused, raising an eyebrow.
"Isn't that what we are doing?"
"I mean without this stupid hostile attitude of yours. I mean talk as friends." He reached forward to place a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder. Before he could react Steve felt his hand grabbed and forced behind him. He let out a shocked cry, feeling the metal on his hand from an Iron Gauntlet.
"Don't even think about touching me, Rogers." Tony snarled, his calm manner turning to threatening in the blink of an eye. Tony pushed Steve away from him, an expression of disgust on his face.
"The hell was that?" demanded Clint, stepping forward.
"Just some self-defence," Tony answered coolly.
All of a sudden the door opened and a teenager stepped into the room, freezing at the scene before him.
"Uh… Mr Stark? You okay?" He asked, eyes flicking nervously back and forth from Tony and Steve.
"Everything's fine Peter, meet me in the lab 'kay?" Tony's voice had taken on the unnerving calm again. Peter rubbed his arm awkwardly.
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." At Tony's confirmation, Peter moved slowly towards the door leading to the labs.
"You're the Spider person." Clint interrupted Peter's journey, making the kid pale slightly and rub his neck awkwardly.
"Head to the lab, Peter," Tony repeated calmly. Peter obeyed, edging out of the room looking worried.
"That is none of your business Barton." snapped Tony.
"Recruiting kids now, Stark?" Clint mocked.
"I thought that policy was adopted ages ago when you joined the team," Tony smirked slightly, his eyes showing traces of worry. "Or maybe they made exceptions for people trying to run away from their families."
Clint snapped, lunging at Tony he yelled a stream of curses. Tony moved with an odd dexterity, he dodged Clint and carefully placed the mug on a nearby table. Clint rolled back to his feet and kicked at Tony's legs, at the same time throwing a punch at him. Tony quickly reacted, grabbing the leg and ducking the punch all the while jerking the leg hard. Clint crashed to the ground, grunting in pain as his shoulder hit the floor. Tony continued holding the leg, putting one foot harshly on Clint's chin.
Wanda moved forward angrily, but Steve glanced at her in warning causing her to stop.
"Don't you fucking dare mess with Peter." Tony hissed. "If you so much as look at him angrily, you're dead."
"Fuck you Stark," Clint retorted, struggling on the ground. "You can't do anything without the government on your back." Tony laughed, it was cold and lacking any positive emotion.
"That's where you're wrong Barton. I have more than enough shit on you. With just a press of a button, I could ruin you. So don't tempt me." He released Clint's leg, sending the rest of him crashing to the ground. He clambered to his feet with surprising elegance for someone clambering.
"If that is all," Tony said crisply. He turned and hesitated slightly as he spotted someone watching from the doorway. It was the person who had been flying in the red cape from the first day. Steve realised. He was looking at Tony, an unreadable expression on his face.