Steve would be lying if he said he wasn't unnerved by the sudden voice reverberating around the Quinjet, with no visible source present.
He watched as Clint quickly got up and walked over to the cupboard, opened it, pressed a finger to his mouth and quietly shut it again, before the strange voice spoke again.
"You know, I can see why people often say it's too cliche for super heroes to have children. They get in the way- and they make such an easy target." Steve's eyes, along with everyone else in the jet, strayed towards the cupboard.
"And now you've gone and lost him. I don't know. You can save the world from a villainous God, but you can't look after a child? It's actually rather pathetic." Steve was so confused at this it made his head hurt. They thought they had lost Tony? But he was in the jet, with them. He wasn't roaming the streets of New York still.
"We're landing. Brace yourselves." Natasha called as they touched down, the blue fog suddenly clearing as the wheels hit the Helicarrier Quinjet bay.
Securing their headsets, they made their way over to the cupboard again, opened it, and looked down at Tony.
"What aren't you telling us?" Natasha asked.
"I've told you everything you wanted to know. It's not my fault you're all to thick." Clint snorted.
"This kid is definitely Tony." Natasha glared at him.
"Tony, do you know who was just speaking to us?" Tony bit his lip.
"I don't know his name.. But I've met him." Everyone exchanged perplexed looks.
"And?" Tony's eyes turned to Steve.
"He said you should have put me on the bottom step when he told you to.." Steve sighed. What was with this bottom step? And when had he ever spoken to this man before? "Apparently I knocked him unconscious once too. But I don't remember." Tony added slowly, trying to remember what the strange man had said to him.
"Tony, you need to stay here. Okay?" Pepper said, bending down and hugging him.
"Where are you going?" He asked, looking back at her.
"I'm going to see if anyone needs any help." She looked round at Natasha who nodded. Tony pulled a face before curling back up into the blankets. Pepper smiled and they all braces themselves as the set foot into the heart of the battle.
Bodies. That's what Tony saw. Robot bodies. Human bodies. Blood. Mechanical parts. He stepped carefully over a fallen Shield Agent, stifling the urge to be sick when the copper stench of blood filled his nostrils.
He wanted to find Loki. But he also wanted to help Pepper. But from what he could tell, they were on two different sides. So life just became a whole lot more confusing. Either way- he wanted to help. They'd been crazy to think he'd just stay put in the jet. That's what babies did, and he was seven years old!
Tony jumped as he heard a strangled yelp followed by wry, hollow, vindictive laughter. Craning his head to turn around, he saw a man wearing a long, lilac cape, with thick, black boots and his head was obscured in a yellow mask. Tony couldn't help but feel he'd seen the man before. He had his hand aloft and holding someone by the throat as he pushed them against the wall. The poor victim grappling madly, but not doing much good in the art of freeing themselves. Tony did a double take when he realised it was Pepper.
"Let her go!" Someone else yelled, and Tony recognised it as Steve. He saw the red and blue blur of the shield as it collided the the caped mans head, but it had no affect. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all.
"But that isn't fun." The man replied, chucking slightly as he watched Pepper struggle. Tony watched on helplessly.
"Let her go!"
The man almost dropped Pepper as he turned to face Tony.
"Tony?!" Steve said incredulously, almost dropping his own fierce stance.
"I said: Let. Her. Go." Tony growled, clenching his tiny fists into balls as he grew redder in the face.
"Okay." The man shrugged and dropped Pepper, who was gently rubbing rubbing her throat, but with the other hand she was waving madly at Tony to get out.
The man started to advance on Tony, who stumbled backwards over some rumble, tripping and falling over a disassembled robot.
"Get away from him!" Steve yelled, leaving Pepper and running after the man.
"You called?" Loki appeared next to Pepper, looking down the corridor, past Steve, ignoring Tony, and straight at the man.
"Loki!" Tony yelled desperately. The man picked up Tony, and walking briskly over towards Loki, swiftly punching Steve in the face as he attempted to wrestle him to the ground.
"Let's vanish." The man yelled, and Loki nodded, giving a curt nod to Steve and Pepper, before vanishing with the mysterious man, and Tony.
Tony woke up feeling groggy. His eyelids were encased in a thick sleep that stopped him from opening them with force through simply opening them himself. He felt different.
He attempted to feel his surroundings, but was slightly surprised to find his hands behind his back and tied to a chair.
Managing to peel his eyes open, he gazed into the darkly lit room. In front of him, stood a mirror. He peered into it, and nearly fell backwards still on the chair. He was an adult again.
What do you think? Adult Tony! Yay or nay?