Okay, this has come out terribly late. I worked a lot over Christmas and even got another job. So… Basically all I've done is work. Then I forgot my FF password, yadda yadda… So, very sorry for the incredibly long hiatus. Thanks for sticking around this long.

Sail

XVII

Ready

To Steve, the oddest thing in the world was watching Tony suit up again. Watching the metallic folds of armor encase the genius and wrap across him like a complex security sheet. He, himself, simply pushed on his specially made suit, flexed his fingertips in his gloves and left the cowl down for now.

But Tony was something different, right from the beginning.

He smiled as he left the faceplate up, metallic red sheen blushing across the surface of an older version of his prior suit (that SHIELD probably still had and didn't understand. Steve mused himself at that fact.) But here he was, Tony Stark – Iron Man – Standing by his side with his mind intact… Well. Sort of. But it was enough.

"Alright, Steve…" He turned his head to him. Steve knew he looked tired, this whole thing with SHIELD and Tony and himself being the center of it. "… You know if we don't win, we're probably gonna be labeled prisoners, right?"

Steve let that thought mull over. Imagining them both being taken in, watching Tony go through this whole ordeal again.

No.

This wouldn't happen.

He wasn't alone this time, and he never would be again.

"Are you kidding?" The Captain found a smirk tugging on his features. "I can't let you go to prison. You could barely hold a mug for the passed month. How do expect to keep hold of your own soap?"

Tony's grin dropped. A look of bewildered surprise rushing across those aging features of his that sent Steve to let out an almost child-like laughter.

"…Okay," Tony muttered, diverting his eyes forwards. "So, maybe you can pull a few good jokes now. But you're prettier, so I can almost guarantee that you'd be the one hypothetically dropping the soap."

Steve found his chest light. Having to joke with Tony after so long. For the briefest of seconds, he forgot that they were at war with his friends. Forgot that Tony had almost mentally died. Forgot that they were Captain America and Iron Man. They were just two men, who had fought tooth and nail for each other.

One more bout to go.

"So, what's the plan?"

Steve shuffled at Tony's question. He came off his very brief high of just enjoying the time with Tony. He supposed that would come back sooner or later, but not after sorting things with Natasha and Clint… If they could. Rebuilding SHIELD from the ground up.

"Their security systems are too much for us. I don't know them and I presume you don't. So we can't do a head on attack."

Tony nodded, flicking up his hand with a holographic image of the hellicarrier – Fury's favorite hiding place. "Right," Tony muttered, picking apart the blue prints. "They bumped up security after Clint managed to get in. So, we can't even sneak around without downloading their security systems, which would be damn near impossible with our time limit…"

"So, we do it the old Trojan horse way," Steve muttered, rubbing his chin. "We let them think they've won. Sneak around the back."

"I doubt a big wooden horse is gonna get us in there, Cap."

"No, definitely not. But you will."

This whole mess was Stark's fault.

Fury found himself pacing at the news Natasha had just reported him with. Both agents were now being held under protective custody until they dealt with their newest problem. Tony and Steve. And Steve now knew everything.

His leather screeched when he turned his head. It had been three hours since they'd found out. They were planning something.

Something big.

"Director," Maria called out, fingering the keys at her personal terminal. Fury moved over without question, Hill was his second in command, if she had something - it was important. "… We have an incoming transmission from Steve Rogers sir. Flight inbound at vector 43."

"…Patch him through."

On screen, the good Captain's features rolled in. He looked tired, distressed even… And bruised. His hair was messy, he looked like he just fought the world war all over again. "Sir," he said with slight exasperation.

"…Rogers? What's going on?" Fury knew he knew. He knew Fury knew he knew. So what was the point of this? Was this another, different global threat? He couldn't deal with this right now. Not with their first and last line of defense jumbled.

"…You're right," he said simply swallowing the red on his lip. "The super soldier program. I've been thinking it over, and you're right." He rubbed his forehead, wiping some grime from there. "…Tony didn't… I mean, he doesn't see it my way."

Fury's eye widened. Was this for real? Steve Rogers believed in what they were doing? He wasn't buying it. "… You expect me to believe that?" Steve rolled his eyes, rubbing his hand over his own. Flying a jet, covered in dirt and caked in his own blood. He certainly didn't look okay, or even comfortable.

"Sir, I just… I want to make sure everyone I love is protected. I don't believe in your methods, but… I've got the armor with Stark's stolen data in." He looked at the camera briefly, watching Fury almost as carefully as he was. "…It wasn't easy."

"You expect me to think you fought Stark for it?" Fury didn't believe it. And he wouldn't until he had the data in his hands, and even then it would be difficult. "It could be another virus."

"No sir," Steve replied, now wiping red from his lip. "I managed to lock down Tony's armor with an EMP blast. I don't know how to take his armor off, but he's in there. There isn't much time." He looked back, almost to see if he was checking on his cargo. "…Sir, he's gonna wake up angry and I'd rather not be flying a jet when he does."

Fury considered his options. If this was true, he couldn't turn it down. If he did have Stark and was playing for his team now… This whole mess could be fixed within an hour.

"Sir, he looks pretty beaten up," Hill's eyes removed from the console, looking to the director with a slender perked brow. She bought it. But it was Fury's job not to be.

"…Alright, Rogers. You have authorized entry." He paused, watching relief flood across the soldiers face. "You're coming into protective custody and Stark is our problem to deal with."

He watched now. Watching every detail Steve could give him. He watched Steve's eyes narrow, fingers tense and chest puff out. "Sir—Stark's been through enough. We should just hold him until we've made the soldier serum. I'll hold him in custody myself after that."

Protective, still. So that hadn't changed. Believable.

"…We'll hold him in protective custody. That's all."

Steve let his chest fall. Nodding once and cutting the communication. He looked back to his cargo, which stood simply with his arms folded. Lips pursed and brow raised. "…I'm not playing poker with you again."

Steve gave a short, breathy laugh and twisted the controls, landing at the vector points issued to him. "Did it go through?" He asked simply.

"Virus is all set."

Steve couldn't believe it. He moved his hand to his jaw, still rubbing across the wounds prior. The plan was simple. Rough Steve up a bit, Steve then handing Tony over... Only they wouldn't get him. The open channel needed to opened from their side, setting in a newer virus. They had a 4 minute window until it was detected. And even that was a rough estimate. But the virus would only be active for 2 minutes, giving them a very small window of opportunity. But even then, a window was a window.

"Why did you punch me really hard?" Steve mumbled, hiding his nervous tendency with a quick jitter of his knee. This was going to be either a very quick fight, or an even quicker defeat.

But this was all they got.

"You can be an ass sometimes," Tony shrugged, eyeing the virus' journey.

"What, I can be an ass?" Steve almost looked bewildered. If Tony had just told him his plan from the start, they could have maybe avoided this whole mess in the first place. He pushed that out of his mind for a while. They had a job to do.

But Tony was still the ass.

Fury wasn't stupid. He issued every available agent to point guns at the approaching craft. They even had an EMP and the drug they used on Stark in grenades to use if they had to. If Stark and Rogers thought they could just drive in here without any resistance.

They had another thing coming.

The craft landed without any real trouble. A smooth glide from the handy work of Steve Rogers. He'd commend the Captain for moving against him, but this explanation all added up. Time for Stark and Rogers to have their fight, to subdue him and to come here. Three hours for it.

Clever.

The craft opened, Agents moving forwards with guns aimed towards it. The first wave – And Fury knew this – would be wiped out with the combined efforts of Stark and Rogers. But he issued them forwards anyway.

A horrible screeching sound came next, causing everyone to tense. But not Fury. He watched, waited. Safely behind a few rows of agents. Steve was the first to come out, raising his hands and staggering out, like he'd just come out from a fight anyway.

"Rogers," Fury muttered, perking his brow to him and watching the man move into the waves of agents. "You understand if we detain you, don't you?"

"Yes sir,"

"And Stark?"

He watched now, watched the good Captain's mouth upturn. Fury's eye narrowed. He opened his mouth, about ready to shout 'fire' and then…

Power shut down. Every single light switched out of the encased hangar resulting in heavy darkness to coat the entire way. Before Fury could issue their emergency power, he heard skin slapping skin, huffed groans.

Bullets flared, sending spits of light to fall across it. Agents confused, people fumbling for their weapons or flashlights. The brief millisecond of light showed Steve taking down agents like they were bowling pins. Swift punches followed by heavy kicks.

No one knew what to do, and before they had a chance to understand they were downed.

"Hill!" Fury shouted amongst the yelling and panic. "Hill! Get our reserve power online!"

"Negative!" Her voice shouted over the waves of the others. "Nothings responding!"

"Stark." Fury said angrily.

And as if he was summoned, heavy metal footsteps began to silence everyone within the room. A slow, emitting charge coming from the glowing eyes in the dark. Looking directly to Fury.

He would be afraid if he knew what would be coming next.

"Guess you didn't pay your bills, Fury." The voice was horse, laced with metal and promise. As Fury reached for his gun, a glowing circle emitted from the dark, sending the world to move in slow motion.

Something hit Fury's chest. He found himself dropping with a heavy thud and his whole body in paralytic pain.

Stun rounds.

That bastard.

Stark didn't stop at him. He began to fire to the agents, to everyone he could muster as Steve carried on his assault, he guessed. The lights from guns and repulsors flickered as Fury tried to move his body. But the more he moved… The more it hurt.

It felt like hours until something bright hit him. He could hear groans, fitting men on the floor with their leather clad boots tapping against the floor.

Back up power was online.

"Powers back," Tony's voice came from the other. "Virus has used up all it could. Rampant spikes have been eliminated."

"Now what?" Steve muttered, breathless. "Fury?"

"Fury."

Steve stepped passed the agents. Some falling about the place whilst they tried to fight the stun rounds Tony had hit them with – Poor bastards. Their target lay sprawled out on the floor, long black coat falling across his back like leathery black wings Steve once saw in an old biblical movie.

His eye was wide, and watching him. It swore revenge in every sense of the word. Steve found it unnerving. But Tony… He was Tony. He moved forwards with the same fearless ambition he always had, leaning down and grabbing the dark angels collar.

"This ends, now." He said calmly, picking the good director up like a ragdoll. "You leave Steve alone, and you resign. You hand the reigns over to me. Someone who won't exploit this organization for what it's worth."

Steve watched as Tony made the demands. He didn't expect Fury to give it all over so easily. And he didn't. He laughed, watching the man with a slight pained breath. "When you work in this business, Stark, you have to do what I do."

Steve figured that was as close to an apology that Tony would get. He just wanted this whole mess to be over. He moved forwards, breathing trying to regulate through his words. "Look, Fury. This super soldier program won't work. You made a mistake. I don't trust you. This team won't work with you in charge."

"So, what? You think it's as easy as me handing this over to you?" His eye drifted passed Tony. Steve saw it. He was looking at something, and that was never a good sign. His head whirled around, looking at Maria Hill - standing there, with a gun of some sort. Nothing he'd ever seen before. "…Do you think we didn't take precautions against you, Stark?"

Tony, if he pulled a face behind the mask, would have shown an expression of knowing, Steve would have guessed. Because, in that moment, Tony dropped Fury like a sack of potatoes. Steve went to shove the Iron Man out of the way, take whatever the hit was for him… But Tony whirled around, brought Steve to his chest and curled around him protectively.

The gun let out a noise that Steve hadn't heard before. Something that echoed and sent two metallic pings against it. It was like a Taser, but nothing else exploded. Nothing made a rippling sound. Did they seriously hit Tony with a Taser?

Then he heard it. Choking sounds from behind the mask. His brows knitted upwards, flickering from one luminous eye to the next. "…Tony?" he said simply. "Tony they're just bullets, they won't harm your armor… Right, Tony?"

The metal man dropped to his knees and Steve did it with him. His heart began to panic. It was just a gun, right? Just a gun. So why… Why was Tony down like this?

"Tony?"

He moved his hands to him. Lifting them to Tony's helmet and pulling it off him with some heavy effort. Everything else didn't matter. The agents coming to, where they were, what kind of trouble they were in.

"…Should…Should have known," he whispered, his face now showing. The metallic tone in his voice was gone and, Steve watched as blood dripped from his lips. "…They…"

"…What have you done?" Steve whirled around to Fury, who stood now, the stun blast wearing off.

"…What the hell have you done!?"