SO MUCH GOING ON! AHHH!
But really, everything I type – just consider it canon, okay? I know I screwed around with Spider Man's background and that makes him different. Whatever I type, just...pretend it's true. Quick notes so no flames: Peter = shy nerd, Spider Man = super badass. Don't flame about how I play any characters, I will seriously just giggle at you.
I am setting up a sequel WAY into the future. Like, September/Late October future. This universe isn't dying any time soon, I can tell when I'm creating a fanon world of my own to play in.
So not to be confused: Rhodey's role has been split in half and he has been given a new one.
And the Oracle building is the one Rhodey and Tony fell into where they fought Vanko and sparred
PS: Thank you all for the birthday wishes, it made me super happy
The New York air was stale but it still tasted like rain, and every breath was precious. Rain was good. On weekends when the university was closed, rain meant a bath.
Peter heaved his twin gallon jugs into the ally, looking around once more for thugs. He carried them over to the fourth boarded up window on the right side, the only open entrance to the abandoned house he squatted in. He removed the three loose boards he'd set there, easing them inside one by one while casting his eyes around again. He'd never been caught before but he never let his guard down. This was New York after all and this was his only place to crash at for the moment. He braced himself on the ledge and launched himself inside, landing on a bad board. It creaked dangerously and threatened to give beneath his feet but it managed to hold. He put the boards back in place, hopefully setting the illusion it was condemned.
Peter grabbed the jugs and lugged them across the room and down the hall to the bathroom, wincing at the tang of bleach that still clung to the place. The last time he'd been here he'd finally scrubbed the grime out of the shower stall. That same bottle of bleach was hidden in the only clean cabinet in the hall along with a few towels and a bar of soap. Anything else and he'd be afraid to attract other homeless scavengers. He stripped all his clothes off and folded them neatly, exchanging them for his biggest towel and the soap. He took those and the jugs and carried them into the dark bathroom, setting his load on the ledge and stepping into the stall. He grit his teeth and picked up one of the jugs, pushing off the lid and ducking his head.
Jaw clenched so tight it hurt he poured the clear rain water over his head. He shuddered, goosebumps breaking out over his pale skin. He grabbed the soap and started grating it across his arms and torso, fingers starting to tremble from the cold. The building was already chilly and he was risking his health a little here, but he needed to look presentable tomorrow morning for school. The dirt from the city had crept into the lines of his hands and the threads of his hair, he was sure he smelled.
As he poured more water over his head, he could only think of one thing.
If my parents were alive I wouldn't be doing this.
If Peter's parents were still alive he'd be living back in his house, warm and clean all the time. He couldn't remember their faces but he could still recall the cinnamon scent of his dad's favorite after shave, and if he closed his eyes he could almost hear his mother humming and feel the push of her fingers through his hair. It had been more than ten years since their death and every year he lost a little more of them. He had started keeping journals when he was twelve but even by then the memories had started to fade, those little notebooks were still tucked in one of his few backpacks. Just brief sentences in small letters, as detailed as he could make them. He'd gained a lot of time to write about them since the other kids considered him either a know-it-all or a freak.
Thankfully his parents had left him behind one precious thing, his mind. He'd been dubbed a genius since before he could remember, catching on with reading and math before he could ride a tricycle. He was good at learning and being smart, it was the only thing he'd been able to succeed at besides surviving. He'd run away from every foster home they'd ever placed him in, all his living relatives had been dead or unwilling to take him in.
Peter ran away at least once every year but he'd never missed a day of school, only going back long enough to get relocated to a new one. The day he'd graduated high school (freshly seventeen years old), he'd run away for good. Finding himself outcasted by his peers and abandoned by the system, he decided a life on the street was better than no life at all.
Somehow he'd worked himself into the Empire State University's science scholarship program, making it just a bit after his eighteenth birthday. He hadn't been there for more than two months before they'd taken that trip, the one that had changed his life. It had been one little outing that Gwen had wanted him to go to, one she was forced to go to, a public exhibition demonstrating the safe handling of a nuclear laboratory waste materials. They'd showed a demonstration for a particle accelerator, and the spider they'd used had gotten away and...well, bitten him.
And that had added a whole new element to his life. It had given him these strange powers he'd never heard of, spider-like and terrifying. He could climb walls by force of will, he could run faster and longer than ever before. He'd been practicing backflips and lifting cars in abandoned lots, he could take a punch and heal from it in minutes, and he didn't get sick as often. He could just sense danger now, and he could react to it quicker than he could really think.
Peter had thought about using these powers to help with money but that sounded more selfish than pickpocketing. These powers were a gift but now was not the time to use them. So he kept them under wraps and waited for when it was safe to bring them out.
He freelanced at the Daily Bugle, wall-crawling really came in handy for those city-wide pictures they were always looking for. The money was weak but every dollar was a blessing to his growling stomach.
Speaking of food...his belly made a gargled sound, showing how hungry he still was.
Peter spilled the rest of the jug over his body, letting loose a little whine.
If his parents were here, he'd be warm and safe right now.
But they weren't, he was by himself and no one in this world gave a damn about him. He was alone and he was all he'd ever have.
Peter grabbed the next jug, flicking the top off with his thumb.
And until he got a real job with real money, this was what he had to do to stay clean and presentable.
Peter would just have to make the best of it. He needed something to cheer him up, but what? The Expo was still going on, he could head down there tonight and check out some of the displays. If Mr. Stark knew how to do anything it was put on a good party, and it would lift his spirits a little. He had a handful of twenties left from his last batch of pictures, he could get something to eat and maybe a new jacket to replace the ratty one he had now.
The boy smiled through the slice of chilly water, content with his plan.
xXx
Tony was sitting on the table with Steve's beautifully thick waist between his thighs, his soldier's plush lips dancing up and down his neck. He smiled to himself and pulled him closer, imagining how good they'd feel on his cock. And now they had all the time in the world to get to know each other, physically as well as mentally. There was still so much Steve didn't know about his life, even more that the soldier didn't know about his own.
At the moment they were having a little celebration of their own, the new reactor still had a few hours before it'd be ready to put into action.
All the time in the world...
"DUM-E, can we get this all cleaned?" Tony called at the robot, waving at the floor "You're killing me. You know I like a clean-"
"Excuse me, sir. Incoming call from a blocked number."
"Huh" Tony pulled away a bit "Reinstated phone privileges?"
"Must be Coulson" Steve offered, going back to nibbling on the man's neck.
"Lovely" Tony flicked his fingers at the screen, tilting his head back to get a glimpse of the call going through "Coulson. How's the land of enchantment?"
"Hey, Tony" the voice on the other end was thick with accent and rough like gravel "How you doing?"
The two slowly pulled away, Steve's whisper in his ear, "I thought he was dead."
Tony put a thumb to the soldier's lips, silencing him.
There was a low chuckle, "I double-cycle."
Tony swallowed back his fear, "What?"
"You told me double-cycle is more power. Good advice."
"You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy" Tony patted Steve's shoulder, moving him out of the way so he could silently hop down to the floor and then into his chair.
"You too" Vanko replied, sounding pleased with himself.
Tony leaned forward and hit the mute button for their side, "Trace it."
"Sir."
The screens shifted from palladium levels and tests to a picture of the globe, JARVIS running full power tracing the call down to the exact vacation.
"Now..." Vanko began "The true history of the Stark name will be written."
"JARVIS, where is he?" there was a note of panic in his voice.
"Accessing the Oracle grid. Eastern seaboard."
JARVIS did the best he could, locking onto the weak signal.
Vanko was still gloating, "What your father did to my family over forty years...I will do to you in forty minutes."
"Sounds good, let's get together and has it out" Tony muttered, fingers itching to help but knowing his AI was doing everything he could for it.
"Tri-state area. Manhattan and outlying barrows."
"I hope you're ready" Vanko drawled "By 'ze way...is your pretty soldier boy still around?"
They both froze, Steve's hands clenched into fists.
"I'll fix that soon enough."
There was a click and then the dial tone, the man had hung up. The screen flashes red for a moment, the highlighted area still stuck around New York.
"Call trace incomplete."
Steve could see the panic on his lover's face, he was sure it was on his own, "He's here in New York."
The genius started look between all the screens, scowling, "He's alive, that sneaky son-of-a-bitch. He couldn't have gotten out alone..."
A set of dark and light eyes shifted to the last screen, the one that showed the highlights of the Stark Expo. There was a big thing about Hammer presenting tonight, the title In Defense of Peace catching their attention. They looked at one another, then at the new reactor. Tony stood up and ripped the reactor off it's stand, handing it to the soldier.
Steve reluctantly accepted it, "What do you want me to do with it?"
"Depends" Tony nodded at the device, taking a few deep breaths and shaking the tremor out of his hands "How many good luck kisses do you have left?"
Steve realized what this meant, "We're really going to do this?"
"I want you to stick it in before I lose my nerve, then go put 'Captain America' on" the genius clenched his jaw, he could feel the warning bells in the back of his mind going crazy "We're going to go stop that motherfucker, you and me. You've got your CTB?"
Steve raised his wrist, showing off the gleam of silver there.
"Okay" he reached up and turned the reactor, disconnecting it completely and setting it on the table "Do it now."
Steve kept their eyes locked as he pressed one last kiss onto the device, mouthing a prayer for strength against it before dragging the genius closer. He carefully eased it inside, Tony's hand coming up to blanket his own so they could lock it in place.
"Sir!" JARVIS sounded concerned.
"You want to run some tests, run 'em" Tony commanded, fingers still locked with the soldier's "And assemble the suit why you're at it. Put it together, now!"
"Sir, we are unclear of the effects-"
"I don't want to hear it JARVIS!" Tony barked, the glow starting to grow beneath their hands "Steve, go. Go put on your suit. I don't know what's going to happen-"
"Shut up" Steve's eyes were locked on the reactor, it was positively thrumming "How does it feel?"
Tony was gasping, "It feels like new batteries."
The light was going stronger, the genius started coughing for breath. He didn't look to be in pain. It was a heady mix of stunned and wondrous, the reactor casting off a power neither had felt before. That was a lie, Steve could remember the same awe filling him when he saw the tezzeract up close for the first time.
Steve let go, starting to back away and covering his eyes, "Tony?"
" 'M fine" Tony grunted, teeth bared for a moment before he started sputtering "It tastes like coconut."
The man coughed harshly, grimacing, "And metal."
Blue light swamped the soldier's vision, filling the room until it blinded them both.
xXx
"That son-of-a-bitch" Pepper kept mumbling under her breath "That son-of-a-bitch."
Natalie laid her hand over the older woman's, eyes never leaving the display. There was nothing she could say to ease Pepper's rage, at least not yet.
"How fast do you think I could claw out his eyes?" Pepper whispered in the younger woman's ear, eyes still locked on Hammer's smug face.
"Would it help if I said you look stunning tonight?" Natalie replied just as lowly, getting the other to smile.
"I'm glad you're here" the CEO squeezed her hand just a bit tighter "With Tony going off the deep end, I thought I'd be doing this alone."
"I am nothing if not useful" Natalie sat back in her seat, trying not to frown as she remembered her true purpose here. Not for the first time she wished 'Natalie' was real and that she was here to support her boss, that she wasn't an agent who had a job to do. She savored Pepper's hand in her own, wondering how long until the woman she'd come to care about wouldn't want to touch her. Once Pepper knew exactly what she was, this delicate illusion would shatter.
"This technology is revolutionary" Hammer gestured grandly, it made Pepper sick to her stomach "No longer must man face the fear of war! No longer must lives be lost to defend peace. And here, representing the US Airforce, is none other than the infamous Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes!"
"What?" Pepper hissed through her teeth.
Rhodes appeared on the stage through a rise-up panel in the floor, looking sharp in his dress blues and not too happy about being there. He and Hammer shook hands, one smile more genuine.
"His superiors had something to do with this" Natalie assured her "You know how close the military and Hammer Industries have become since Stark pulled out of the weapons business."
"That's Stark technology in those stupid drones" Pepper spat, still keeping her voice low.
"He won't get away with this" there was promise in Natalie's eyes.
"For America and it's allies" Hammer saluted the colonel "It's Hammer Industries, reporting for-"
There was a flash light in the dark sky and a low roar like turbulence filled the air, the sound welcoming to Pepper's ears. She turned in her seat to see Mark VI coming at the stadium full force, with something attached to it. It swept into the stadium, hovering high above them for just a moment. The load it carried fell, landing smoothing at the end of the stage.
It was a man.
That man had an iconic shield strapped to his back, lights catching off it's surface brilliantly.
An older man in the crowd stood up, pointing and calling, "It's Captain America!"
Iron Man landed beside him, both standing tall and proud center stage. The crowd got to it's feet and started cheering at the sight of their hero, some starting to recognize the familiar coloring of the other and clapping twice as hard.
"We've got trouble" Tony walked towards his friend, putting his arm around his shoulders and waving toward the crowd.
The captain moved to his other side, smiling at the crowd through his cowl, "It's not good, Colonel."
"Tony, there are civilians present" Rhodes tried to smile it off but he was faltering "I'm here under orders, I don't like it anymore than you do. Let's not do this right now."
"All these people are in danger, we need to get them out of here" Tony kept his voice low, ducking his head closer when Hammer went by them in an effort to take back the crowd "I need you to trust me for the next five minutes or so."
"Yeah, I tried that" Rhodes scowled "I got knocked around your house, remember?"
"Things are different now" Steve promised, shucking his shield off his back "We think he's working with Vanko."
Rhodey's brow furrowed, "Vanko's alive?"
"We just found out" Steve assured him, patting his shoulder "We need to catch you up."
Iron Man approached Hammer with intent, "Where's Vanko?"
"Who?" Hammer played dumb.
"Where are you hiding him?" Steve approached, voice laced with steel.
"Whoa, buddy, who is this?" Hammer looked the captain up and down "Did you get yourself a sidekick? He's nice."
Steve seized the worm by the collar, scowling, "Sidekick this."
With one firm shove, Hammer went flying and skimmed across the floor right in front of the crowd.
"I'm rubbing off on you, Cap" Tony turned back to the colonel "Did you see anything suspicious at Hammer Industries?"
"Not that I noticed" Rhodey looked frustrated "I should've known he was in with someone. These drones are nowhere near what he could make. He said he had a new prize dog, some new ideas. I thought he was just being a jackass."
"Not surprised" Steve caught sight of the drones as they raised their arms "Uh, fellas..."
"Vanko must be controlling them" Tony growled "You're the leader, Cap, what's the plan?"
Steve didn't even hesitate, "Iron Man will take those boys to the skies. I'll cover ground control because this crowd is lost. I don't think all the drones will fly, I'll minimize their destruction as best I can. Rhodes, I want you to find Pepper and Natasha-"
"Natasha? Who's that?"
"Natalie, whatever" Steve sliced his hand through the air "Find them, make sure Pepper stays safe, help Natalie if she'll let you. I'll feel better knowing she has back up. This will be over before the military gets involved, understood?"
Tony fired up his stabilizers, "I love it when you talk dirty."
Steve just pointed up, glaring.
"On it, boss."
Tony launched, taking his leave of the stadium.
Rhodes picked up the ear piece that had fallen off of Hammer, putting the mic in place, "People, I need your attention! You need to evacuate the area. Do not panic!"
"Colonel!"
Steve grabbed the man only seconds before the shooting started, covering their heads with his shield to block the bullets. The blows took out the glass ceiling, shards raining down on the screaming crowd. They ran for their lives, thankfully not stomping over one another. The bullets only stopped long enough for about ten suits to deploy, chasing after Iron Man.
"Rats" Steve cursed, pulling the colonel out of the way as another dozen suits started off on foot off the stage and into the crowd "I told you this crowd was gone. I'm going to try and take out as many as I can, it's the best way to help them now. Can you handle yourself?"
"I got this" Rhodey promised, taking the man's hand in a firm shake "Take care of yourself, captain."
"Will do."
xXx
Pepper got backstage and made an angry beeline for Hammer's center station, finding strength in the firm click of heels behind her. She'd seen what Natalie could do, she trusted her to have her back. Rhodes appeared at her side in stride, giving her a nod.
"We can't handle anymore emergencies" Pepper shot curtly "We don't need you here."
"Well, I am here" Rhodey countered "And believe it or not, Captain America sent me. I want to shut Hammer down just as much as you do."
The CEO flashed him a brief smile, "Let's hope so."
"He's locked us out of the main frame" one of the lackies reported.
Hammer scrubbed a palm across his face, clearly frustrated.
"Who's locked you out of the main frame?" Pepper demanded.
"No, no" Hammer held up his hands "Go away. Just go away. I've got this handled."
"Have you now?" she snapped.
"It doesn't look like it to me" Rhodey glowered, the two approaching security guys backed off.
"Yes I do" Hammer defended himself "In fact, if your guy hadn't showed up this wouldn't be happening. So please, now, go away! Thank you."
Rhodey took a step forward but the CEO placed her hand on her chest, shaking her head.
Pepper shared a glance with her assistant, nodding, "Nat, if you'd please..."
"My pleasure" it was Natasha, not Natalie, who went up behind Hammer and twisted his arm up behind his back. She slammed him face-first into the desk, shattering his glasses and making him groan.
Rhodey whistled lowly, "Damn!"
"Tell me who's behind this" Natasha demanded, gripping him tight by the collar and the arm when he didn't answer "Who's behind this?"
"I-Ivan. Ivan...Ivan Vanko" Hammer confessed breathlessly.
"Where is he?"
"He's at my facility."
The moment she got her answer she let him go, going back to Pepper's side.
"I have to go" Natasha stated, giving no room for argument.
And just like that, Natalie Rushman was dead.
Pepper glared, "We're talking about this later. I don't know what's going on-"
"You will" Natasha promised "Soon. But right now I have to do this."
"Go on, then" Pepper nodded over her shoulder "Go find this guy and take him out. I've seen your moves, Nat, you'll be fine."
"You haven't seen all my moves yet."
"What-?"
Natasha cupped the woman's jaw and brought her down for a kiss, cool and sweet like the promise of rain. Pepper's hands went the red haired woman's hips, pulling her closer and kissing back. It only lasted a few moments but it meant something. A promise. Not of rain, but of love. A promise for the truth, a promise of more time...a promise they both intended to keep.
Rhodey cleared his throat as the two pulled away, pointedly not looking.
"I've got this end covered" Pepper smiled, smoothing down her hair and taking a step back "Don't let me down."
"Never."
"Not to interrupt" Rhodes said smoothly "But I'm coming with you."
Natasha cocked her head, "Why?"
"Because Captain fucking America told me to be useful" Rhodey unbuttoned his jacket, flashing the guns he had strapped to him "And I'm more than willing to get my hands dirty."
"Fine" the woman replied, an amused edge to her tone "Try to keep up, Flyboy."
And just like that Natasha turned on her heels and left, everything about her different than it had been only an hour ago. Rhodey followed behind her, turning around and getting Pepper's attention. He pointed between the two of them, mouthing 'Damn girl', and raised an eyebrow. Pepper nodded and waved him off, he did a quick victory fist pump before giving her the thumbs up.
Pepper pulled out her phone, dialing quickly, "Hello? I need NYPD, please. Command central. I need them down here right away."
"No, no, no, honey" Hammer was ruffled and bleary but he was still grasping for control "Don't call the authorities."
Pepper put her palm over the phone, glaring down the rat, "Step aside, Hammer. Step aside."
He moved, she leaned over one of the lackies' shoulders.
"Tell me everything you know."
xXx
Steve was managing. He wasn't winning, but he wasn't exactly losing either. He'd taken out two of the drones so far and had taken the attention off the crowd, though he could see Tony flying around out of the corner of his eye. His lover was doing his best but there were so many. The things could take a hit too. Steve had tricked one of them into blowing a hole into another drone, the second he had climbed up it's back and jammed his shield between it's head and neck to pop it off. He'd reached inside and ripped out everything he could, eventually getting it to shut off.
Steve was quickly realizing he didn't have enough fire power to fight these things. He could punch through their armor but it took more than two shots and his knuckles had already healed twice now. He needed something more.
One of the drones was firing nearby, he raced over to catch a glimpse of the target.
There was a boy hiding behind a statue, apparently he'd caught the drone's attention by the way it was firing on him. The boy couldn't even be nineteen, hair as dark as his eyes and his slim form fitted into some clothes that were too big on him and torn in patches. Steve was about to intervene when the teen performed an act he'd never seen a civilian do.
The brunette climbed up the statue on the balls of his feet and the tips of his fingers, launching himself off it with impressive height. He landed just behind the still-firing drone, turning and scaling the robot just as easily as he had the stone. The boy held on tight as the drone thrashed and tried to grab at him. But the boy was swift to duck the grasping hands, pulling out what looked like a hand-held tazer. The boy aimed carefully before shocking him right in the back of the head, the drone stuttered to a stop.
It was temporary, the robot's fingers were already starting to twitch at it's side as it recovered. The boy acted quickly, digging his fingers beneath the bot's head unit and ripping it off. Steve's jaw dropped, the strength it would've taken a normal human to do that was baffling. The boy reached in and dug around, face scrunched up as he looked for something particular. With a click, the reactor in the drone's chest faded out and the robot collapsed in a heap of metal.
The boy jumped off and landed smoothly, looking pleased with himself.
"Hey!" Steve called, jogging over to the other man "Son, that was amazing. What did you do?"
The boy gaped at him for a few seconds, ducking his head awkwardly and scratching at the back of his neck, "I-I disengaged the main power source. It's in their chest...just...you know, beneath the reactor. It's an arc reactor in there, isn't it?"
Steve nodded, "What's your name?"
"Peter" the kid glanced up at him from beneath chocolate spun lashes "Are you...are you seriously Captain America? I thought he was dead."
"Yeah, well, I'm back" Steve shook his shield to prove a point "See? I've got the shield and everything."
The boy actually broke a smile, "Heroes never really die, I guess."
"Something like that" Steve smiled back, looking up in time to see one of the droids Tony had taken out plummeting towards them. The boy seemed to sense it the moment he did, looking up and gaping. Before either could move, Steve grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and pulled him close. He knelt and tucked Peter under his body as best he could, throwing the shield over him. He made sure to keep the boy's head protected on impact, the shield vibrating but not giving an inch with his grip tight on the handles.
Peter instinctively clung to the hero, feeling safe in the strong grip.
The droid semi-exploded above their heads, spilling across the ground all around them. Once Steve was sure it was safe he lowered his shield, pulling the boy gently to his feet.
"Are you alright?" Steve inquired, looking the boy over.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Peter looked around wildly "How many are there?"
"Too many" the soldier saw more coming at them "You need to get out of here. It's going to get worse before it gets better."
Peter nodded, "Uh, yeah, I'll just...yeah."
"You did good work here, son" Steve patted the boy on the shoulder, watching him almost glow with the praise "I don't know what that was, but it was effective. But these things are dangerous and you're a bit too young to be doing freelance super hero work."
Realization seemed to bloom across the boy's face, like an idea struck him he'd never had before.
"No, I guess not" Peter smiled again, cheeks flushed "Not in this condition."
"Good" Steve whipped his shield into a defense position "I've got this covered. You find somewhere safe and hunker down."
Peter nodded, "Good luck, Captain."
The soldier smiled behind the rim of the shield, "Thanks, kid. I'll do my best."
Steve watched the boy run off with a speed that belied his body. That boy was made of some pretty sturdy stuff. But he didn't have time to linger on thoughts of Peter when one of the Marine Droids slammed into him. It started raining bullets down upon him but he kept his shield up, lashing out when he could. The thing reached down and grabbed him by the arm, he thrust upward and managed to snap the limb off it's hinges.
Dropping his shield for only a moment, Steve grabbed the thing by it's chest and leg and heaved it over his head. He threw it into another drone, knocking them both down with the force. He was panting when he picked back up his only defense, making a run for it.
"I can't do this" he huffed, bringing his wrist up to his eyes and desperately trying to remember how to activate the device there. He ducked between two stands, sliding beneath the counter of one and hiding for the moment. He slid his finger along the bracelet, it lit up beneath his touch and glowed faintly.
"Uh, JARVIS?" Steve tried, hoping to get some sort of response.
"Voice input recognized" JARVIS chirped from the device "How is the ground force holding up, Captain?"
"I'm afraid I'm going to need some help" Steve admitted "Can you get me the CAP-100 suit?"
"I'm sending it to you now, Captain. It's design is similar to the Mark V. Do you recall that procedure?"
The super hero nodded, then realized the AI couldn't see him, "I'll figure it out, JARVIS. Thank you. How's Tony doing?"
"I'm afraid he is in great need of his soldier, sir."
Steve's lips quirked in a smile, "Then let's get me in the sky, JARVIS. How long until the suit arrives?"
"Two minutes and counting."
"Thanks again."
"My pleasure, sir" it sounded like JARVIS was smirking "You'll do better than you think."
Steve smiled at the vote of confidence.
xXx
"We we arrive, I need you to mind the perimeter" Natasha instructed, taking down her hair before stripping off her black dress in the back seat of the car "Rhodes and I will go inside, eliminate any hostiles, and take down the target."
Happy and Rhodes nodded, eyes drifting to the mirror at the same time to catch a glimpse of pale chest before the driver had to swerve to avoid a car.
"We're going for minimum death of the guards" Natasha flipped onto her back, shedding her stockings "And watch the road."
"Yes, ma'm" they chimed, eyes pointedly straight ahead.
Rhodes cleared his throat, "So...how's the boxing coming, Happy?"
"Pretty good" the man replied quickly.
Rhodey started to remove his jacket, "Yep."
"Uh-huh" Happy looked confused "What are you...?"
"You ever tried fighting in dress blues?" the colonel loosened his tie and dropped it to the floor.
"Yeah, and they itch" came from the back seat.
The two men bit their lip and tried not to laugh.
xXx
Steve could hear the drones taking out other structures, he hoped the terrified screams were of the survivors. He popped up only long enough to get tothe nearest building, the steps steep. He took them two at a time, bullets dancing behind his heels. He took refuge behind a column, ducking out of their sights long enough to get away around the building.
The soldier wasn't catching his breath for more than a few seconds before there was a low roar like an Iron Man suit, a bright gleam in the sky followed by a trail of smoke. He cringed and stepped back, his CTB blinking rapidly. What he assumed was his suit stopped and hovered over the ground in front of him for a few moments, rockets dieing suddenly to let it plunk on the cement. It stayed upright, shaped like a dull bullet and colored the same as his suit. Silver and blue, sleek.
Steve looked it over cautiously, wondering how this was going to work. He recognized what looked to be a foot pedal at the base, just like the kick-start of the Mark V. He set his shield on the ground before he approached, taking a few quick calming breaths before he kicked down on the pedal. The suit whirred to life, glowing at the top before blooming like a flower. He remembered how Tony reaching inside putting it on his chest, he grabbed the two silver handles sticking out and pushed in. He pulled it up to his chest, holding his breath now.
The CAP-100 was a masterpiece, knowing just what to do with only that simple command. It crawled and formed over his body like snake skin, clenching tight but not too much. His legs were covered first, the metal locking tight along his muscles. His arms were threaded into the plates, each digit encased almost delicately. Steve was too scared to move, he felt like he was being trapped. He couldn't stop his jaw from clenching shut when the helmet started to close around his head, strapped across his chin first before the head plate locked into place.
For just a moment he was wrapped in total darkness, he took a ragged breath.
"JARVIS?"
And then the world lit up again, blue lights that reminded him of Tony's lab falling all across the landscape. It was like being inside a computerized sniper rifle, only with more radar and internet access. The inside of the suit started to cool with air filtration, his next breath easier.
"Welcome to the CAP-100, Master Rogers. I trust it is to your liking?"
"I...uh, well, I don't really know yet" Steve started to move, slow at first "I don't know how to do this, JARVIS. Tony and I never had a simulation run."
"Trust me. You look stunning."
"Well thanks" Steve smiled, starting to rotate his arms and pick ups his legs "It's not very heavy."
"The suit reacts to your body movements, Captain. There's no reason to be afraid."
"I'm not-"
"I monitor all your vital signs, sir. There's no reason to lie to me."
"Okay, you win" Steve tried a jump, it was easy to get his normal height "This is swell, JARVIS. Are you running the whole thing?"
"I am at your disposal, sir."
"Good to know" the screen in front of his eyes started zooming and targeting an approaching wave of Navy bots that seemed to be aiming for him and his suit "Vanko recognizes the reactor in my chest, doesn't he?"
"It seems so, sir. I suggest grabbing your shield before we take flight."
Steve turned and leaned down, snatching his shield off the ground and holding it up, "Where do I put it?"
"On your back" JARVIS replied almost sarcastically. Steve scrunched up his nose and did as the AI said, surprised to find some of the plates on the suit fluttered open long enough to hook into the handles. A single thin bar of metal slid from his ribs and over the shield, slithering into an open slot on his shoulder until it was held in place. That thing wasn't coming off.
"That's amazing" Steve turned back around to find the Navy bots almost in his face, he panicked "Ah! Autopilot!"
"I've got you, sir."
Without his consent the arms locked down, wrists held out for stabilization and feet stuck together. In seconds he was launched into the air, his eyes clenched shut like a kid on a roller coaster. JARVIS seemed to know what he was doing, getting him up and out of danger. It felt like he was free flying, like the suit didn't exist. It was vulnerable and thrilling all at once.
They were still moving when JARVIS spoke again, "You can open your eyes now, sir, I'm taking you to Master Stark."
Steve pried his eyes open, looking around to find himself still blasting through the air. He was breathless and soon enough laughter started to bubble up in him, the position becoming familiar enough for him to want to do it on his own.
"I think I'm ready to do it on my own."
"Are you sure, captain?"
"As ready as I'll ever be" Steve felt his body go lax, but he snapped back into position before he could falter too much. It wasn't tiring at all, it felt almost natural (as natural as flying could be to a human.) He spun in the air, dipping and weaving to get the feel of it. Yeah, like a plane, he could do this.
"Show me all the weapons this thing has, scroll them on the left side if you could."
Steve gaped at the list, seeing everything from the stabilizers' blasts to rockets buried in his shoulder blades. There were silver shields made of some pretty strong stuff collapsed and hidden under his forearms, and from what he could read they were voice commanded. There was a brief simulation played out in front of his eyes, they were each about as big as his shield and fast to come out.
Oh! And they spun...and were detachable. Flying blade shields. Neat.
"Show me Iron Man."
"Coming on your screen now."
Steve's screen came to life, showing his enemies in red and Tony in a vivid gold.
"Put your best stompers on, JARVIS, it's show time."
"Indeed."
xXx
Happy stopped the car smoothly in front of the Hammer Industries building, the other two got out.
"It's not fair!" Happy barked out the window "I can fight too!"
"Happy" Rhodes ducked his head into the side window, smiling indulgently "We value you as a person and a driver. Now sit in this car and call me if something happens out here. You need to be ready to go on a dime, you got me?"
The driver pursed his lips but nodded, agreeing, "You two stay safe."
Rhodey flashed him a thumbs up before heading over to the agent's side, the woman was trying to trick the security system into believing she was a staff member. It wasn't working.
"You need some help?" he inquired.
"Listen, Rhodes, I'm a proffessional" Natasha growled at him, swiping the card again "You can stay in the car with Happy or you can shut up and let me work."
After a few moments she scowled, "The door's bolted. He has the building on lockdown."
"You know what that means" Rhodey pulled out his gun, aiming carefully "We get to do this the hard way."
He shot in a pattern, taking out the series of locks he knew were keeping the door barred. He gave it a good kick, the door swung wide open.
"Ladies first" Rhodey gestured inside, she flashed him a smirk before proceeding.
"Remember, go for non-lethal" she warned him again, then muttered something low in Russian "There was a time when I was sure I'd never say that."
"They're just underlings" Rhodey assured her, spotting a thick guard coming their way "I'll take care of your leftovers."
Instead of answering, Natasha dodged around the guard and went after the two in the hall. Rhodey whipped out his collapsable steel baton before the man could think twice, dropping down to take out the man's knees with one quick strike. Another across the head and the man was out, the strength behind it enough to knock him for a loop.
Rhodey stood with grace, swirling the baton between his fingers. He always kept the device tucked into his side pocket for just these occasions, a handy thing to have when you didn't want to kill. He could if needed, but these boys looked sturdy enough to take quite a few hits. It was no small feat to take a blow from the baton. He caught sight of the agent taking down a man with a swift jump and a hard landing, he rushed to help when he saw two more coming down the hall. She seemed to know he was there and slid between the guard's legs, taking out the legs of the man behind him before knocking him out.
Rhodey dodged a punch and dislocated the man's elbow, driving the base of the baton upside the man's head before driving the length across his knees. The guard went down with a groan. The colonel followed behind the agent, their steps quick.
"So...you and Pepper?" Rhodey inquired lightly.
"Oh, this is so not the time" Natasha said under her breath "We're on a mission here."
"She's amazing" Rhodey offered, keeping his voice down as they skimmed along the wall "She's smart, too. Not to mention smoking hot."
The woman whipped her head around to glare at him, he smirked.
"So do you 'like-like' her?" the colonel teased mercilessly "Does she 'like-like' you? I could pass her a note at homeroom and ask, if you want."
"Remind me to throttle you later" Natasha peeked around the corner "There's two coming fast, two more behind them. I'll smoke the first set and slide past them, think you can take them?"
He nodded tightly, "No problem"
Natasha snapped two disks from her belt and tossed them, smoke billowing and giving them their opening. They were quickly, Natasha skimming past the confused guards to charge at the others. While Rhodey took a punch and shattered the kneecaps of two very unfortunate men, the woman was cutting through them ease. She was like water, constantly moving and fluidly graceful.
"Have you two gone on a date yet?" Rhodey called, moving quick to put the guard charging up behind her in a choke hold.
"Not exactly!"
Natasha kicked off the wall and caught a guard between her legs, swinging him down hard and crushing off his hair. He hit the floor with a solid thud, body limp.
"You should" Rhodey took an elbow to the stomach, he sucked it up and jammed his baton tighter across the man's windpipe.
"She..." he wheezed, struggling to get back his breath "She needs something good in her life right now."
"I'm not exactly a good thing" Natasha flipped a charging guard over her shoulder, using his momentum to send him skidding a few feet "If you haven't noticed."
"She'll get over it" Rhodey whipped the baton across the man's head, the colonel shoved the unconscious man aside to deliver a swift heel-kick to the solar plexus of the guard on the floor. Another kick across the head and he was out of it, groaning lowly and bleary eyed.
"She deserves better" Natasha took a moment to catch her breath, spotting the approaching guard with a can of pepper spray in his hand. She took him at a full run, throwing another disk out in front of her that flashed smoke and light right in his face. The man reeled back, throwing a blind punch. She trapped his arm and twisted it hard, cracking bones beneath her skilled touch.
"She deserves someone who loves her!" Rhodey knelt and dropped the baton in one smooth motion, whipping out his pistol and aiming very carefully. He fired two shots, catching the guard down the hall through the hand and in the foot. The man, as planned, started freaking out at the sight of a hole in his hand. He collapsed against the wall, body shaking as it went into the shock of being shot.
"She'll find someone else" Natasha promised, knocking the guard's head against the floor once before releasing him. She took the pepper spray from him, the team standing smoothly and heading toward one another.
"What if you're it?" Rhodey's brow furrowed, dead serious "I've never seen her kiss someone like that. The way she is with you, how easy you two are together...maybe you're the best she'll ever have."
Natasha's expression was cool as she raised the pepper spray, the colonel panicked for just a moment before he realized it was aimed over his shoulder. She sprayed the guard creeping up on them right in the face, his cry of surprise and agony echoed through the hall as he fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. She tossed the can aside, cocking her head.
"We can't have everything we want" Natasha replied, a note of hurt in her voice. She turned to walk away but the man grabbed her wrist, the touch light enough not to trigger an aggressive response.
"What about what we need?"
Natasha closed her eyes for a moment, seeing nothing but Pepper's sweet smile.
"Come on" the agent broke the clasp "Vanko's still here. I have a job to finish."
Rhodey nodded, "In more ways than one."
xXx
Peter ran on quick feet through the Expo, trying to steer clear of the robots but they were fast. He knew at least two were close by, his sixth sense was going crazy with danger. His head was still dizzy with the fact that Captain America had saved him. The man had been handsome past the cowl and freaking huge, just as broad as those old films and posters had portrayed him to be. Every year in history class for every kid in the US, the teacher would kickass the lesson on World War 2 with a bit about Captain America.
Brave, true, strong...hell, he'd even had the shield.
Peter couldn't really put a pinpoint on it, but he'd felt safe with the man. He'd never let anyone grab him like that, he could've gotten away but he'd let the man protect him. It had almost felt second nature to him. For a moment he thought it was a physical attraction and that made his cheeks burn, to be attracted to a super hero was a thing for school girls. But the more he thought about it the more he realized it was more a warm-feeling, a hero-worship mixed with a father fig-
No!
Peter stopped in his tracks, digging the heels of his sneakers into the ground. He didn't need to start thinking about that right now. He could take care of himself. He was independent and strong, damn it, he didn't need to look up to anyone.
Someone grabbed him from behind, dragging him between the two buildings behind him. The lights from the Expo cut out in the dark of the alley, a hard body pressed tight up behind him as he was dragged backwards to a fire escape. Hands dug into his shirt and across his hip, the man tugging him behind the thick steel ladder until they were hidden.
The man held him tight but didn't hurt him, the only reason he didn't try and take him down.
"What the hell are you doing?" Peter spat, getting a hand clamped over his mouth for his trouble. His words were muffled against a smooth leather palm, the man's hands covered in fingerless gloves that strapped across the wrists. Biting wouldn't work then, but he could break the man's wrists.
The man let go of his hip long enough to reach behind him and do something, the clear gasp he heard suggested the man removed a mask or something.
"Shut your pretty mouth and listen for a sec, will ya?" the man spoke into his ear, the hand returning to his jean line to hold him in place "Those robots aren't stupid. That thing you took down sent a picture of your face to it's buddies."
Peter heard the heavy clunk of the drones outside, he turned his head just enough to see the mouth of the alley. It was broad and held those rockets across it's shoulders, head piece glowing as it scanned the area.
"They're looking for you" the man had a hint of worry in his tone "Two of them have broken off and have been on your ass for the past half mile. I thought you were a genius or something?"
Peter went to turn and glare at the man, but he was held still, "Don't think about it, brat."
So the man didn't want him looking at his face? Was he a criminal or something? And how the hell did he know whether he was smart or not? A hundred questions whizzed through his mind, he unconsciously leaned back into the man's overly warm body. The man didn't stop him but his attention was clearly on the drones still scanning out there.
"Are you shaking?" lips brushed along the line of his neck, the hand on his mouth softening it's grip "I'm not going to hurt you, dumbass. I'm kind of saving your butt right now, so calm down."
Peter's eyes fell to the hand on his face, brow scrunching up when he saw a raw looking scar spidering across the skin beneath the glove. The wound that had made that must've been incredibly painful.
"You need to get out of the Expo and back to your little hovel" the man held him still when the teen tried to surge forward, he gave a scolding hiss "Fuck, not right now. They're still out there."
Peter said something behind his hand, eyes narrowed.
"Yes, I know where you live. No, I'm not going to sneak in at night and steal your liver" the man tried to sound assuring but the sarcasm evened it out "Chill out, I've known for months."
"Months?" Peter squeaked behind his hand, starting to squirm to get away.
The drone stomped over to the alley, the head gear glowing brightly before it started to scan for the one who had destroyed one of their own. The man grabbed the teen and ducked down with him, moving so he covered him completely. Peter was never so happy to be slim, the man's broad chest covered past his back. He saw the lights flicker behind them, the drone's scanner analyzing what it was seeing in the alley.
After a few moments, the two drones took off into the sky.
"About time" the man abruptly let him go and stood, Peter looked up in time to see him pulling up a simple black mask. The material covered his neck, over his jaw, his mouth, his nose, all the way up to stop just below his eyeline. The man's jacket hood was pulled low down his forehead, his face and hair completely covered up.
Those eyes though...they were dark, full of life and pain.
Peter slowly stood, keeping his eyes on the man's eyes.
The man raised an eyebrow, "You should be running now, Pete."
The teen swallowed down a swell of fear, "You know my name too?"
The man rolled his eyes, "Can we just assume I know everything? It makes conversation easier."
Peter took a step back, unsure if he wanted to bolt or attack the guy, "So you're not trying to kill me, right?"
The man looked down at his watch, eyes squinting for a moment before crinkling at the edges to show a smile, "Not at the moment, hot stuff. Now get going, I suspect Big Red and Captain Crazy Ass are going to have this whole mess buckled down in about an hour. No need to be around for the messy aftermath, right?"
Peter nodded slowly, taking another step, "And you're going to stick around?"
"Hey, what can I say?" the man shrugged "Some guys wanna watch the world burn, some guys hang around to roast marshmallows."
The brunette faltered, "Uhm...you don't have those, do you?"
Before he was even done talking the man had dug into his bag and produced a bag of large marshmallow, shaking them pointedly.
Peter gaped far too long before he picked his jaw up, "You're insane and I'm leaving. Please don't sneak into my place and kill me."
"No worries" the man made a shoo-ing motion with his other hand "Now get. Let the big boys handle this one."
Peter let his gaze linger, mouth opening as if to make a remark...but he could find nothing to make this situation any better. He turned and ran down the alley, throwing a look over his shoulder before jumping up onto one of the walls. He climbed quickly, obviously deciding the roof would be the safest place for now.
The man turned around, digging a marshmallow out of the bag before stuff the whole thing away in his bag beside his guns. He didn't have his regular outfit with him tonight but this mask and jacket would do. He pulled down the black material and popped the treat into his mouth, chewing happily.
"Cute kid" he cast his eyes up to the roof, catching a glimpse of the pert ass as it disappeared over the roof line "Really nice ass. Kinda dumb for a genius."
He slipped his mask back in place, stepping out of the alley into the chaos of the Expo.
He still had a job to do.
xXx
Tony had been trying to knock out these drones for what seemed like forever but the bastards kept coming out of nowhere. The screens showed him one in particular that seemed to be smarter than the rest, it was certainly better armed. It was faster and stronger and it had him in it's sights, rockets dancing past him to prove him right.
One of the drones was catching up, inches from him. It reached out, it could grab his leg if it tried.
A silver disk sliced clean through the drone's head, and in seconds the disk came back to cut into the reactor in it's chest.
The drone dropped through the sky like a dead fly, disappearing.
Tony's screen lit up in the corner, a 3-D silver star swiveling as an avatar, "Looks like you could use some help."
The genius smiled brightly when he saw the suit he had built for his lover lower to his side, looking more brilliant than he had ever hoped, "Captain."
"Mr. Stark."
"JARVIS, you're holding out on me" Tony accused.
"I thought you'd like the surprise, sir."
"Most of the drones left are in the sky now" Steve reported "They're all locked on you. There must be more than a dozen back there."
"I took out a good mess of them" the genius replied "You're going to need to follow my lead up here, Cap. JARVIS, keep Steve on my six or my three. Make sure he doesn't get hurt."
"Master Rogers seems to pilot fine without me."
"You're doing it by yourself?" Tony couldn't help but be surprised "Wow."
"Don't sound so shocked, I'm a soldier and a hero remember?" Steve teased, dropping from his sight long enough to shoot from his gauntlets and take down one of the drones.
"Impressive, Cap" Tony saw the globe ahead of them, the one that had been the nucleus of the Expo board "Stay sharp. We're going to thin the heard out a little."
"I'm right behind you."
Tony smirked, "That's just where I like you. Get ready to get wet."
Iron Man dropped down and the captain followed him loyally, stopping inches from in-land decorative pond before blasting the length of it.
"JARVIS?" Tony barely spoke before the display was up, showing him the route to follow to navigate through the globe unharmed.
"You're not seriously doing this?" Steve sounded worried, his screen showing him the same.
"Take a deep breath" the iron hero started to advise, but then thought of his soldier faltering even an inch "JARVIS, take control of his suit for the next few seconds."
In the CAP-100, the soldier was starting to freak out.
"Oh gosh" Steve felt the suit lock up and he was thankful, if it had been up to him he would've peeled off "Tony!"
"Hold on to your stripes, babe!"
Steve clenched his eyes shut and let it happen, swallowing down his screams as he was pushed back and was forced to kick off something that felt like metal. He pried his eyes open long enough to see himself hurtled at the iron frame of the globe. He managed to squeeze through and his relieved cry was more high-pitched than he would've liked to admit. They flew fast and swift away from the globe, the explosions from the drones smashing into the globe bright in the night sky.
They stopped just by the Oracle building, looking back at the globe with matching grins.
"Thanks, JARVIS" Steve dropped just a fraction when the autopilot "That was...exhiliarting."
"You screamed like a girl" Tony teased "Are you okay in there?"
"Fine" Steve caught his breath, looking down at the ground and cringing "I'm not really scared of heights, but this is pushing it."
"You're too cute, you know that?"
"How many left?" Steve inquired, ignoring the flashing red light at the top of his screen "We should check the ground, get in touch with Natasha."
Tony saw it a moment too late, "Steve!"
The captain was tackled out of mid-air by the heavy super drone that had given him cause to worry earlier. Steve startled yell rang in his ears as the CAP-100 was driven down to Earth, crashing through the Oracle dome's windowed surface and out of sight. With a snarl Tony blasted after them, eyes smoldering with rage and determination.
No one knocked his soldier out of the sky.
When Tony got down there Steve was pinned by one large metal hand, the drone's hidden machine gun emerging from it's back. Tony landed just as the thing started to shoot, raining bullets down onto the CAP-100. Steve was trying but it didn't seem like the suit couldn't convey the soldier's strength. He knew the man was strong but he couldn't shake the drone. Steve must've been disoriented, armor getting eaten at by the thick pellets.
Tony shot a blast from his stabilizer, the drone reared back on impact but didn't dislodge. Another blast sent the thing flying backward, skimming across the ground and tearing up the grass.
"You still okay, princess?" Tony teased, wincing when he realized how that sounded. He could hear Steve's growl through the comm link. The soldier got to his feet and propelled himself toward the drone, tackling it back to the ground when it tried to stand. The first round of bullets went past his hand before he blasted it, disabling the device.
Steve started punching at the drone's chest, ignoring the way it tried to smash in his shoulders. He rolled with each blow, barely feeling the impacts as concentrated on destroying the arc reactor. He couldn't quite get through. An idea struck him.
"JARVIS, expose my fist if you can" Steve commanded, smirking when the suit fluttered open around his wrist to expose his gloved fist. He slammed it down with all his strength, breaking through the drone's chest. He didn't go through the reactor but hit it at the angle, he dug further to find the wires. He knew Tony's old reactor connected that way, he was hoping for the same thing.
Steve was so focused on disconnecting the reactor he didn't notice the way the device lit up, and before he knew it he was blasted in the chest. The force sent him flying straight up, then straight down.
Tony watched his lover fall hard and stay down, limp, his helmet dark. He blasted the drone in the reactor, destroying it's power and effectively killing it.
"Steve!"
JARVIS started running the captain's vitals across his screen, he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the man was just stunned and out for a seconds to recover. He had done the same at the track when he'd taken the shrapnel to the shoulder. The vitals disappeared to be replaced by a small blank screen, showing a signal wired directly into his frequency.
"Put us both through."
The screen flickered to life, Natasha's face peered back.
"Vanko's not here" Natasha reported, looking annoyed "Pepper's detaining Hammer right now. How are you boys?"
"Fine. Cap's a little stunned but we're dealing. where are you?" Tony asked, brow furrowed.
"Inside Hammer Industries, of course" she grinned on screen "You're not doubting my skills, are you Mr. Stark?"
Rhodey's face appeared beside hers, he looked smug, "I took out half, don't let her take all the credit."
"Look at you two, the dynamic duo" Tony needled, watching the agent's gaze narrow threateningly.
"Good job on your new chest piece" Natasha's eyes danced across what he assumed was her screen, a smile sneaking across her face "I'm reading a higher output in power and your vitals all look promising."
"Yes, for the moment I'm not dying" the genius bit the inside of his cheek, reluctant to admit it "Thanks...to you."
Natasha seemed caught off guard, a flash of surprise appearing across her face, "No problem."
"Yeah, yeah, we'll pass around the gift baskets later" Rhodey's brow was furrowed "The captain doesn't look too hot right now."
"He's just dizzy" Tony looked to the soldier, wincing when he saw the man hadn't moved "I'll get him going, don't worry."
"Good" the colonel sighed in relief "Then we won't have to bury anyone. I seriously thought your battery was going to die before we could settle things, man."
Tony was about to initiate the apology, ready to explain his behavior, when another window popped up and a voice cut through them all.
"What do you mean you're dying?!" Pepper snapped.
"Uh, Pep, is that you?" Tony laughed nervously "Hey, no. No, I'm not dying. Not anymore."
"What's gong on?"
"I was going to tell you" Tony tried to explain "I didn't want to alarm you-"
"You didn't tell me?" Pepper sounded hurt but livid "You really were dying?"
"You didn't let me-"
"Why didn't you tell me that?!"
"I was going to make you an omelet and tell you!" Tony shouted over her.
"Hey, you two, save it" Natasha cut them off "You've got incoming, Tony. Looks like the fight is coming to you."
"Nat?" Pepper's voice softened "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Natasha promised.
"Rhodey?" the CEO inquired.
"We're both fine, Pep" Rhodey assured her.
"Hey, Pep" Tony interjected.
"You're a bastard!" Pepper scolded hotly "Are you at least okay now?"
"I'm fine now" the man replied calmly, trying to soothe her "Don't be mad-"
"I am mad" she spat.
"I will formally apologize when I'm not fending off a Hammerrhoid attack!" Tony got sharper, that passion between them always riling him up.
"Fine" Pepper replied curtly.
"We could've been in Venice" the man offered.
"Oh please" the CEO scoffed.
Tony cut them all out, flipping up his faceplate. He walked over to his soldier, the CAP-100's helmet was still dark and he was flat on his back. The iron hero knelt down and gently tapped the other's helmet, watching the lights flicker over the eyes.
"Babe?" Tony called softly "Come on, pretty boy, I need you up. We've got company coming."
The CAP-100 lit up, a groan coming from within. JARVIS scanned the suit before his eyes, it had taken a beating. There were finger indents along the shoulders from that big drone.
Tony slapped the side of the helmet, "You okay in there?"
Steve's face plate flipped up, revealing his fluttering eyes and flushed cheeks. He looked around slowly, taking in his surroundings. He smiled weakly, dropping his head back into the dirt.
"I'm going to be seeing this place in my dreams. Gosh, it's pretty..."
"How hard did you fall, Cap?" Tony moved the man's helmet back and forth, peering into his face as he ran scans "JARVIS says your fine but you look a little pale."
"You know, I heal pretty quick" the soldier informed him"But this has been a long day."
"Tell me about it" Tony put his hand over the reactor in the suit "I think I'll make another core like mine and put it in your suit. It'll help."
"Yeah, you're a cheat" Steve tried to lift his arms, flexing his fingers to make sure it all worked "You're running on fresh batteries. I haven't even had dinner."
"Poor old man" Tony stood "Don't you worry, Papaw, we'll have you in front of the TV with your tea and your stories in no time. But we've got the rest of the drones closing in and fast."
The soldier sighed harshly, "Have I ever told you that your sex appeal increases tenfold when you're in your suit?"
"Oh yeah, you're loopy" Tony offered his hand, the soldier took it and stood up.
Steve stretched, making sure every bit of him worked, "You're the darb in a suit, Tony, but I think I'll stay on the ground when I can."
"Uh, thanks?" Tony didn't really know what a 'darb' was, making a mental note to Google that later "You don't like the suit?"
"I love it" Steve assured him "We'll work on it later, okay? Together this time."
"Good deal" Tony slapped his shoulder, getting the soldier to smile a little stronger "We've got these drones dropping any second. What's the game plan, captain?"
Steve looked around again, starting toward top of the mini-river they were standing in, "We're going to take the higher ground. I'll take the hill up here."
Tony started to walk away, "You go up top, I'll draw them in"
"Whoa!" Steve held up his hands, stopping in his tracks "You can't stay down here, this is the worst place to be."
"You've got a spot, where's mine?"
"This right here" Steve gestured at the area around them, the valley "This is no man's land. This is where you go to die."
Glass shattered behind him, he sighed hard and shut his eyes in exasperation.
"They're here?"
"Oh yeah."
"Rats" Steve turned to see more of them dropping in heavy and solid, landing in all the highest points around them. They were making a circle, trapping the two men in. Stupid strategic bastards. The soldier's eyes caught on the rain of cherry blossoms scattering across them all, an obscene contrast of machine and nature. Oh yeah, he had loads of new sketch ideas.
The heroes flipped down their faceplates, and just like that it was on.
Steve kept his eyes on his enemies, trusting Iron Man to take care of himself. He unfolded his remaining silver shield and blocked what damage he could while he used the rapid-fire gun on the gauntlet of his other arm. He watched the bullets cut through the drones and grinned behind his mask, enjoying the feeling of being Captain America again. He could feel the bullets bouncing off his shield on his back, giving him extra cover. One got too close and he spun the shield, taking off the drone's head in one slice. The next cut went across his chest, destroying it.
Tony was in front of him suddenly, shooting from the wrist and taking down three bots at once with a specialized weapon.
"Did you see that?"
"Yeah, nice" Steve grunted, punching through the chest of a Marine drone before kicking it on it's ass "Don't get cocky."
After another minute or so, just when Steve was getting blinded by muzzle-flare, Tony's frustrated growl echoed in his ears.
"Get down!"
Steve obeyed in an instant, dropping to his hands and knees. He looked up in time to see twin red beams swirling over his head, cutting through everything in their path. Just like that every drone was cut in half, great hunks of metal bodies collapsing into the grass and water. Their enemies reduced to scrap heap in seconds.
Steve stood, looking around with his mouth agape like a fish, "Uh, maybe next time...you should lead with that."
"Sorry, Cap, I can only use it once" Tony held up his fists, the canisters ejecting themselves "Still experimental."
"Thank goodness that's over" Steve put a finger to his ear, then dropped it when he realized he wasn't wearing a comm piece but an entire helmet "Natasha, are you there?"
"Yeah" her voice came through clearly "Pepper's out of the park and the police have Hammer. You're almost out of the woods."
Tony gave a protesting whine under his breath, "What do you mean almost? What else is there?"
"There's another drone heading your way" Natasha replied "This one looks different. It's energy signature is significantly higher than the other's. Brace yourselves."
"Natasha?" Steve was surprised to see the red head on his screen "You're alright. Where's Rhodey?"
"Later" Tony urged, looking around while JARVIS tried to get a lock on the approaching threat "Where's he coming from?"
The suit coming in was loud and bright, making an entrance through one of the broken slots of the dome's ceiling. Natasha disappeared from their screen, giving them a clear view of the droid. It was larger than the others, twice as thick as the others and bigger than even the mega-drone they had taken out. The thing landed and looked at them, it's helmet collapsing and falling back to reveal none other than Vanko.
"Good to be back" the man drawled, grinning "Looks like you fixed your heart, Stark. Allow me to rectify that."
"You're a monster and a thief, Vanko!" Steve spat accusingly, pointing his stabilizer at the man "And we're not going to let you walk out of here."
Vanko scowled, bringing in his arms to release something before throwing them out. Those all-too-familiar extensions appeared, crackling with electricity and more dangerous than before.
"If you could not annoy the tentacle man, that would be great" Tony snarked, eyeing the man warily while he locked on to it's most vulnerable spots "We got this."
Tony fired from his shoulder, prompting the Russian to slip back on his helmet and attack. He struck between them, sending the two men apart. Steve ducked and rolled, coming up on his knees and firing on all pistons from his gauntlets. He was amazed how much ammo the suit held. Tony tried an air strike but was cut down, knocking him against some rocks.
Steve let up his rounds for the few seconds it took to extend his silver shield, revving it up at a quick pace before launching it at Vanko in hopes to cover his lover for a few moments.
Vanko wasn't one to be slowed down, he dodged with an easy lean.
Tony surged forward and was knocked across the dome, crashing through trees and fixtures before disappearing from sight. Steve got up to help but couldn't stop the electrified extension from wrapping itself around his neck and under his arm. He tried to pull at it but the contact burned him even through his suit, sending warning bells all across his screen.
"Tony!" he hoped the other hero was coming back, he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. Vanko's laugh was amplified from beneath his suit, and with a click the captain found himself reeled in like a fish. He flew through the air and crashed against the other suit, a huge arm clamping along his lower back. The other extension coiled across his legs, sending shocks through the CAP-100 that seared his inner-suit almost to the point of danger.
"The little soldier boy got his own suit!" Vanko was amused, amplifying the charge to make the captain scream "If I kill you, who will be left to weep at your funerals?"
"Son-of-a-bitch" Steve growled breathlessly, arching under the electrical surge.
A pulse blast across Vanko's back forced the man to release one of the extensions to whip at Iron Man, catching the man around the neck as well. They struggled but Vanko had them pinned tight, increasing the power every second to send sparks dancing across their suits in swarms.
"What now?" Steve grunted. Dread was welling up in his chest, he was almost out of tricks and Vanko was firing on all cylinders. He pulled with all his strength but these things were sapping his power, his skin threatening to sizzle. How the hell were they going to get out of this one?
"Workin' on it" Tony was busy watching his suit break down around him, JARVIS showing him just how screwed he actually was. He felt an idea coming, just on the tip of his tongue...
A shot rang out, Vanko froze. The extensions fizzled out and fell from the heroes necks limply, coiling up like snakes on the ground. The suit powered down to it's basic station, the Russian swaying on his feet. Tony was about to attack when Vanko swayed on his feet, falling back and landing with a heavy thud. The two watched their foe stay still, just as limp as Steve had been when he'd passed out. They slowly inched closer, flipping their faceplates up to get a better look.
There was a round bullet hole right in the eye socket of the suit, backlash blood spatter staining the torn metal.
"You're welcome!" a voice called.
The two turned and aimed, looking for the source of the noise. There, by a broken panel, was a man waving at them. He was clad in black and seemed to have a sniper gun with him, still braced on the frame where he had taken the shot.
"Who the hell is that?!" Tony gestured wildly "Hey! Hey, you!"
"Oh no" the man's voice was lower now, sounding cheeky. With the grace of a person trained for this sort of thing, the man shimmied down the remaining windows and they watched his shadow drift all the way down to the ground.
"Did he just...?" Steve winced "You know what? I'm grateful. I'm done being confused and outmatched today."
"New feeling?"
"Yeah, and I don't like it."
"Second that" Tony went to Vanko's corpse and knelt down, digging his fingers into the plates of his chest and prying them back.
"What are you doing?"
"These are my reactors" Tony spat, working his fingers around the rim of the reactor and pulling "I'm not leaving this place until I've dissected every last one of these fuckers."
The arc reactor locked in tighter and turned red, starting to flash after a few seconds.
"Shit" Tony stood, eyes wide as he swept them over the other drones and their new red chest pieces "These things are rigged to blow. Fly!"
Steve watched his lover's helmet lock in place, the man taking off before he could even pick his jaw up. The captain reacted slower than he would've liked to admit, settling his own faceplate and blasting up after the genius.
"We need to get far and high, these things are everywhere!" Tony yelled through the comm.
"I'm right behind you!"
Then they started to explode, sending waves of energy and heat up into the air. It shook the two heroes, their paths wavering dangerously as they were caught in the backlash. Steve's stabilizers gave out, dropping him unceremoniously onto a roof top. He skidded and flipped, metal and concrete creating sparks before he managed to stop himself on the edge.
Tony landed beside him, "We really should've run a few flight tests on that thing first."
"That's it! I can't take this anymore!" Steve griped "JARVIS! Get me out of this thing!"
The suit broke itself up around him, the helmet plates falling apart and disappearing into the chest piece. He squirmed and pushed at it, forcing it off him as soon as possible. It was messy and uncoordinated, but the CAP-100 managed to get itself back to it's capsule form with the exception of one captain's leg.
"I've done some stupid things in my life, but this is definitely tops" Steve physically pried his limb out of the metal, growling at it while it retracted "I've had your dad drop me from hundreds of feet up into unknown enemy territory with missiles going off, and this is still the stupidest thing that has ever happened!"
Tony's helmet sparked and broke apart on him, he pried it off, "What about me? You think this is easy for me?"
"I'm tired of this crap with you risking everything and everyone, jumping into things alone and just hoping it will all work out!" Steve picked his shield up off the ground, casting one last glare at the CAP-100 "We could've lost everyone in this! Between Vanko, Hammer, and that sniper guy – this could've been it, Tony!"
"I think I did pretty good" Tony gestured at the Expo "Sure, the place is on fire-"
"We're making rules!" the soldier cut him off, swiping his hands as if to physically stop him from hearing the excuses "We're making rules and guidelines and structure, because I'm not doing this again. You're not alone anymore and I'm not going to have you acting like it. We're a team, partners, and I can't go through this again. I've almost watched you die more than once today. Do you know what that does to me?"
Tony looked back to the man, "Steve..."
"No, I'm dead serious, and you're going to listen for once" Steve got closer, heat in his eyes "I told you I'd yell at you later and I meant it! You broke my trust again. How the hell am I supposed to count on you when you hide things like your reactor failing from me? You promised you'd stop lying and you lied about that! You are the worst kind of person, Anthony Stark!"
"I love you" Tony blurted out loudly, causing them both to freeze and stare like startled rabbits.
Steve managed to rasp in a breath, "What?"
"I've always...kind-of-sort-of loved you" Tony wet his lips, the confession started spilling from his lips like champagne bottled up too tight then popped "I've been in love with you ever since I realized that those shields on my sheets meant more than safety. I dreamed red-white-and-blue. I still do. It's in my blood, you're under my skin, and in my mind. There wasn't one day that went by where I didn't think about Captain America. There's still not a day that goes by where I don't think about you..."
Tony scratched a hand through his hair, face scrunched up, "Steve, seriously, you're filling up my brain. I can't work some mornings because it's just you rolling around up there. Your eyes and your ass and your smile, and that stupid way you pick the sunniest place on the couch to sketch...the way you tremble when you come...fuck, the way you blush when I flirt and smile when I'm stupid. I love it! I love it all."
The iron hero took in a great breath, his babble still going at full blast, "And don't tell me you love me, because right now it'd be a lie. You're mad at my for lying and being an ass and I understand that. I get it. This was just something I needed to do myself and want you to know I'm seriously sorry for it. I just want you to be happy and sometimes I forget how to do it. I forget...how to be human. But you help me remember and that's...good, I guess."
Tony finally managed to look the man in the eyes again, throat drying up, "Just tell me you'll stay with me and that'll be enough."
Steve grabbed the other by the front plate of his suit, dragging him forward until their noses brushed. Half-lidded azure eyes cut through to Tony's soul, forcing a whimper from his mouth as he bared naked and open to the soldier. Their kiss was like lightning striking sand, hot and sudden. Steve practically devoured him, slick tongue stealing his own and forcing him to take the assault. The brunette keened and pressed closer, reaching up and letting his metal fingers curl across the man's thick arm.
The lights from the explosions danced across them, highlighting the weary slump in their shoulders and the joy in their eyes when they broke away.
"Anthony Stark" Steve spoke softly, chest tight with the overbearing love he felt for this man "You are sharpest, most damaged person I've ever met."
Tony bit the side of his lip, "But not beyond repair, right?"
"You don't need repaired" the soldier lifted a hand and buried his gloved fingers in dark hair, bumping their foreheads "You just need a band-aid or two."
Tony laughed brokenly, eyes wet with tears that were threatening to fall from the sudden rush of relief, "Are you offering to play doctor, Captain?"
"Mmm" Steve closed his eyes, tightening his grip to ground himself in the man's presence "Only if you ask nicely, Mr. Stark."
"I told you I can beg very nicely."
Steve covered his mouth in a kiss, both grinning too hard to get more than a press of lips before they started laughing.
There was still so much to do, but for right now this was enough.
That was a lot of stuff going on. I'm going to read back over it a few times today and fix any mistakes left in there, but I really wanted to just get it out there so I could start on the next chapter.
Next chapter: Lemon, apologies, a missing assistant, the Avengers Initiative, and the identity of the unknown man.
Hope you enjoyed it, dropping a review REALLY really helps me write faster. And I know it was a few days before I posted this, but it's 32 pages, what more can you want what that kind of climax?
QUICK APOLOGY:
I'm sorry for the extra pairings, and I promise in the future to give Stony their due. I've had a few people comment about it and I feel awful. More Stony feels, check, got it