Chapter 31 - Appointment With Doom


Kate slept hard, but she still woke up when it was time for breakfast, because someone had come into her room, and she wasn't far enough out from dealing with Hydra to not be instantly on the alert when that happened.

Thankfully, it was just a robot delivering her something to wear, but now that she was awake, she was hungry - and aware that it was morning. And she was curious to see what Doom thought would suit her.

Surprisingly, she was actually pleased with the dress. It wasn't sexy or figure-hugging. It was nicely-trimmed, though, and it was a deep purple, almost black. It had sleeves only to the ends of her shoulders but a high neck and back that clasped together with a small gem. The rest of it fell off her figure down to the floor, and it came with a gorgeous scarf.

"Okay, this isn't awful," Kate said, though it was a bit much for a breakfast, in her opinion.

She poked her head out of her room and saw that Billy was headed down the hall, so she called out to him. "Hey, give me two seconds to get dressed, and I'll come with you."

Billy spun around and then grinned. "I thought you were sleeping for a week."

"I was, and then I got real clothes, and there might be coffee," Kate said. She ducked back into the room, admiring the dress, and then came to meet Billy and take his arm. "Hello, Jeeves. I like that you've got your cape back."

Billy smirked and looked down at the suit he was wearing, which did have a cape of sorts, though it wasn't as grand as he was used to. "You look great too."

"Feels like a statement. We should go ask Doom what the statement is."

With that, the two of them headed down to the dining hall, where Doom was wearing his finest as well. And Kate couldn't help but point that out.

"Bit much for breakfast, right?"

"We are expecting guests. They will also be instrumental in my plans, and therefore I expect you to be on your best behavior. No outbursts of any kind."

Kate and Billy shared a look. "That kind of depends on the guests," Billy pointed out.

"It does not," Doom replied firmly. "You are old enough to know how to control yourself."

"Yeah, but if it's someone like Vojteck again…" Kate pointed out.

"Not exactly," Doom said.

"That's helpful, thanks," Kate said and sat down at her place, immediately reaching for a mug of coffee and breathing in the steam. And, for the moment, she and Billy were quiet - curious enough to go along with it for the moment.

And they didn't get into more than their coffee before a robotic servant came in to announce their visitors - Misters Stark and Howlett.

Kate and Billy glanced at each other across the table, both of them obviously asking the other if they'd heard right, but then, no, that really was Tony, and that really was James walking into the hall.

"You really need to update your notes," Tony said half under his breath. "You like to throw around titles, and you have doctors here."

"My favorite doctor," Billy stage whispered to Kate - loud enough everyone else could hear.

James barely glanced their way with a ghost of a smile that slipped away almost as quickly as it had appeared. He frowned toward the two of them and Kate could clock the instant that James went from a little apprehensive of the situation to barely restrained and livid, but Tony was in fine form as he kept James moving forward with him. "Oh. Hey kids. Wondered where you'd wandered off to." His tone was casual, but there was no denying how anxious and stressed he clearly was.

"Took a wrong turn. Is May okay?" Kate asked.

"Suffering from a bruised ego, but fine," Tony answered as he and James took a seat. While Tony unbuttoned his jacket and gladly dipped into the coffee very much the same way Kate had, James was a bit more reserved with a locked-jaw expression that was unmistakable. It took him a moment to push that back and he tried to cover how angry he was by shifting to snooty… it was understated, but Kate got the show all the same as he leaned over his cup to blatantly take a deep breath, then barely scrunched up his nose before he pushed it away with the finest near violently unimpressed expression Kate had seen him use. .

"What are you guys doing here?" Billy asked. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"We had a standing appointment," Tony replied. "This … wasn't on the docket, but it seems this needs to be addressed all the same." He turned toward Doom with a glare. "Why do you have two of my team members?"

"They came to my castle for vastly different reasons," Doom said.

Noh settled into the space beside James and gave him a significant look. "He's trying to build something to breach dimensions. It's rudimentary, truly terrible compared to what my people have done, but he does have the beginnings of, at the very least, a crude hammer that will allow him to open a hole to a neighboring dimension for a short time. The technology only seems to work with a marriage of magic and frankly embarrassingly basic physics knowledge."

James glanced toward Kate just long enough to catch her gaze before he did his best to look nonchalant as he barely turned Noh's way to let him know he was listening to him, then minutely nodded once. He really didn't need Victor Von Doom to know he was seeing people on the other side while he was trying to not over react to the scents he'd picked up already.

Tony rested his chin on his hand. "I would love to hear that story."

"And in turn, you must tell me about your team's recent run-in with the King of Hell himself," Doom replied, leaning forward just slightly enough that only Kate caught it.

"He stand you up?" Tony drawled out. "Because we don't have his number. And if you have it, we have unfinished business with the guy."

"Yes, that's what I understand from the young prince," Doom said.

"Then you know that we don't have a way to find him. What else could you need to know about it?"

"I understand your team stumbled into a spell that pulls souls from the other side," Doom said. "And the level of power involved could aid me in my own pursuits."

"Who said we did anything like that?" Tony asked. "And what are these pursuits?"

"That would be your boyfriend," Akihiro said to James, sitting beside Noh to the point that he'd half pulled Noh into his lap. "Doom did some kind of truth spell, and Billy told him everything."

James glanced toward Billy for just an instant before he caught up to his own bored expression that he was trying so hard to keep up. The fact that Daken was dropping bombs like that when he couldn't respond to them was just … obnoxious.

"If Mephisto can be pulled from his plane, I can end his existence - I just need your help with the transdimensional barriers of the trap I've set for him," Doom continued.

"You could just go to him," Tony said dryly.

"I think not," Doom said simply.

James finally spoke up in a tight tone. "We dealt with a different dimension than the one you're looking for. It was actually Hell, not Hell adjacent. Different demon. Different plane. The experiment isn't repeatable."

Doom pressed his fingers together. "Yes, I had wondered," he said. "And yet, there is another avenue that also interests me. The alien that became War - he came here from another dimension-"

"Absolutely not," Noh said because Doom could finish speaking, a hiss in his tone that had Akihiro grinning.

"Everything Noh-Varr had brought with him was beyond salvage," Tony said with an aggressive edge to his tone before James could get into the glare he had started up. "The wreckage was destroyed along with everything else that survived the crash. And even if it hadn't, there's no way in hell I'd let you or anyone else pick over that kid or anything connected to him like a vulture."

"Now, that's not true," Doom said. "There's still an interdimensional energy signature with your team."

"Not ours to trade," James said firmly.

"If it helps," Kate said, "it's literally just a mood ring but for Kree."

"If I didn't know that was a lie to redirect his attention, I'd be offended," Noh said, his nose scrunched up. "A mood ring. Honestly."

"It could be a socket wrench and he'd want it for the tie to the other dimension," Tony said, turning her way. "But the fact is, even if we did have it to share, and even if I didn't think there was no reason to ever hand over that kind of tech to a terrorist, that language isn't translatable."

Doom watched Tony for some time and then sat back. "And still," he said, "it's worth exploring whether the power that could literally tear a soul from the next life can tear Mephisto from his. Come and see the trap I've set; you would benefit from his destruction too."

"Oh, I'm always interested in the destruction of evil beings," Tony said half under his breath as he got up. He gave James's shoulder a squeeze before he dropped his voice low. "Behave and watch your back. Be right with you, kid." The other three shared a look, unsure if they were supposed to follow or stay where they were.

"If he punches an accidental hole into this plane, I'll kill him in a second flat," Noh hissed.

Akihiro was smirking wider before he pulled Noh over to wrap him up from behind. "Look at my little brother. Do you think he'll just watch while that happens? He's going to try to be stupid and heroic like the rest of the family."

"Yes, of course, but I'd like to put my claws in him," Noh said, though he had relaxed slightly into Akihiro.

"Hard to manage from this side," Akihiro said with a smile. "You'll have to watch instead."

"I suppose."

Several Doom bots filed into place to watch the others as Doom and Tony left, but Billy ignored them to get up and close the distance between him and James and kiss him hard.

"Can't say I'm always the one to get in trouble," James said as he pulled Billy into a tight hug. Even though he'd only been missing for a matter of a couple days, Billy looked spent and haggard, and James was not pleased. Especially when he knew what Kate had been through by scent alone.

"Okay, in my defense, Kate was in trouble first. I was trying to rescue her."

"Oh, yeah, that tracks. Kate is second place trouble magnet," James agreed as he did what he could to just keep a hold on him as he looked toward Kate.

"I won't even argue that," Kate said, also looking tired - and still slightly splattered in blood where her skin showed. "The data is against me."

At that, James let go of Billy to reach for Kate too. "You okay? I know you can't be, but you wouldn't believe the stupid texts I got from faux Billy."

Kate shook her head and shrugged off his hand. "No, but I'm a little better now," she admitted. "I need a shower in the worst way. I kinda got blood on me yesterday, but I was too tired to wash up."

"Yeah, I caught that, too. What's the whole story?" James asked with the slightest growl lacing his tone. "Am I hunting?"

"I killed him. Doom bots burned his body, too. No Hand resurrections to bring him back, unfortunately," Kate said with a tight smile. "I'm kind of on the upswing, actually. It's Billy who's still in active danger. I've been demoted to bait."

"You started out that way too," Billy teased her.

"Seeing as both of you look like warmed over crap and are playing dress up with Victor Von Doom, I'm going to disagree with that," James said, frowning deeper at her reactions. "You're both still in active danger and probably need medical intervention."

"Yeah, but he's right. I was in trouble with Doom and Vojteck, and now I'm just in trouble with Doom." Kate's facade wavered. "Not sure I killed the right… never mind."

"Gonna say yes, you did, but he was a trainee super villain at best," James said. "I won't give him that kind of credit - but I'm sure he screwed with your head. So…" he turned to Billy. "If you were planning to wish someone into this plane, make it him so I can kill him all over again. Nice and slow."

Billy bit his lip and shifted slightly. "So, um, I don't actually make the wishes anymore. Doom's got my powers."

"How's that work out?" James asked, brushing Billy's lapels out of the way to frown at the lack of inhibitor. "Implant? Or something in the Strange and your mom realm?"

"Yeah, some weird rune circle that sucks the magic right out of me. Every time I feel like I've got a spark, back in I go, courtesy of a Doom Bot."

James smirked in an effort to try and lighten the mood - especially when Kate looked so … off. "What's it take to give you a spark?"

Billy grinned and stole a long kiss. "Darn, still empty. We might have to try again."

"Maybe I just don't do anything for you," James teased.

"You absolutely do," Billy said and kissed him all over again.

"I'll just be over here being a third wheel; don't mind me," Kate teased them both, glad to have the focus off of her. But she was very hungry, so she wasn't truly complaining as she refilled her coffee.

Billy grinned and put his hands on James's chest. "Relax, Kate, it's not like we don't have to listen to you and Nate-"

Before Billy could finish, there was a clatter, and both James and Billy looked over to see that Kate had gone fully slack, dropping the mug of coffee she'd been holding in the process.

James swore and darted over to check her over, pulling her halfway upright as he tried to see what the cause was. "What the hell…Katie, come on. I don't know what did it. Snap out of it."

"Wait, wait, check her neck," Billy said. "Vojteck - or Doom, I'm not sure - there's some kind of magic something or other…" He was wringing his hands, obviously worried too.

James frowned, but barely pulled back the side of her collar. "There are bruises from needles," James said. "And a very ugly, cheap-looking chain."

"There's a pendant - it's got some kind of rune on it," Billy said. "I don't know what it does…"

James gave him a dry look. "I'm not going for that when she's like this."

"I know. I was just… thinking out loud?"

James grumbled to himself, then took off his jacket to roll up for Kate to use as a pillow when they had nothing to do for her. "Come here and help me," he said quietly, then slipped his bracelet for the armor into Billy's pocket where the guards couldn't see. If he found it, he'd know how to use it. They'd been over it before - and Billy needed to get out of there sooner than later.

It wasn't long, thankfully, before Kate started to stir again. "Sorry," she said. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"You have nothing to apologize for," James said, looking worried as he crouched next to her. "What can we do?"

"Yeah, I'm still-" Kate closed her eyes and shook her head. "I know what's happening, and I can't stop it."

"Tell me what you can," James said, shifting to get more comfortable. "And if you can't, we'll work around it."

"It's… like an off switch, I guess," she said, making a face. "Voj used it when I tried to stab him the first time, and it's very, very frustrating."

"I hate everything about that explanation," James said.

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan either," Kate said.

James looked more angry the longer he thought about it, and when Kate pushed herself upright the three of them took seats close to each other.

"If the body was burned, that would explain why Pietro found no trace of Hydra here," Noh said, nodding toward a space nearby.

"You want a more reliable source on what he's up to, I can scout," Pietro said appearing seemingly from nowhere to James. "Might even be able to screw up whatever his evil plans are. I know a lot of that stuff - and what I don't know, Wanda can translate. She's got that one room hexed? So …"

James listened to Pietro rambling - sounding so much like Tommy that he was sure Billy would have been knocked silent at the rant. But, after a little while, once he'd considered his options, James nodded to himself.

"Penny for your thoughts," Billy said quietly.

"You're gorgeous and that cape doesn't suit you."

"I hear that," Billy said without missing a beat. "But your suit is so nice to look at."

"My suit's too tight," James argued. "And the tie is trying to kill me."

"Yeah, no, you don't get to talk about tight-fitting clothes. I had Hydra dresses, James," Kate said.

"That is entirely unacceptable. Tell me that you think this one isn't entirely horrible," he said. "Or that you were at least dressing yourself. The color isn't … anyhow."

"It's way more comfortable," Kate agreed. She covered her eyes with one hand; it was apparent she wasn't comfortable with how much James knew, but she wasn't going to lie to him either.

"Sorry, Katie." James tried to redirect her. "What … does a Hydra dress look like anyhow? All I can picture is evil prom dress from the 80's with too much fluff and too tight for words. You know … like the one Dani had that sent her dad into orbit?"

"Okay, yesterday's murder dress, for example, was basically a little black dress but with a green, see-through drape over the top," she said, doing her best impression of a fashion snob.

"Green is not a Kate-color," James teased lightly, not even bothering to hide how worried for her he was.

"I'd actually look good in green if it was, you know, the right shade and shape." She gave him a tight smile. "I'm okay, James."

"What do I know about color anyhow?" James said as he shook his head 'no'. "You can pull off whatever you say you can."

"You know that's right." She grabbed the jam to spread it on her toast. "It's okay. I'll be okay, anyway. I'll let Rachel fix the off switch and the other one, and I'll probably have to talk to someone about when it's okay to kill people or whatever."

"What's the other one?" James asked, once again sounding cautious.

Kate narrowed her eyes as she tried to find a way to explain it without using the phrase that would set her off. "Sort of like the 'ready, aim' before the 'fire', if that makes sense?" she offered at last.

James drew in a breath and held it for almost too long. "Alright, I'm definitely staying."

"Ah, no, I don't think we need a repeat of the three of us trapped in a castle, ya know? It's already too similar."

"Wasn't a castle last time," James argued, settling in to his decision. "Totally different."

"She has a point," Billy said. "I'm here because she's here, you're wanting to stay because we're here…"

"That's not why, but go on." James leaned over for a quick kiss.

"So, what's going on?" Billy asked. "You're here, Grandpa Tony's here, we can just… go, right?"

"Ideally, sure, but I doubt it'll be that easy," James admitted. He glanced toward the Doombots. "Tony had an invite to talk to Doom, and we had a little space in our schedule."

"I mean, the thing is, I'm not actually opposed to Tony helping this guy kill a demon, but I'd like to not be part of it, you know?" Billy said. He gestured to Kate. "And she's only here to get me here and then kill Hydra for Doom, apparently."

"I'm very good at that," Kate said, and it wasn't clear from her tone that she was joking.

"Me too," James said. "So you can go home and I can take over for you, right? If it's just killing Hydra, I would love to."

"Yeah, I'll tag you in," Kate agreed, resting her head against her hand as, with her stomach filled, she started to feel tired again after so long without sleep. She wasn't feeling well, either; James could scent some of what she'd been drugged with and it wasn't without some side effects she'd be feeling for a few days.

As soon as Kate's eyes closed for a moment, James reached over to top off her coffee. He watched her until she drank more - and then looked toward the door when it opened and Doom and Tony came in, deep in conversation. And from what James could hear, Tony was giving him decent advice, too.

"What's going on here?" Tony asked when they came to a stop.

Kate gestured toward the two of them. "I'm third-wheeling, Tony. We need to go home."

"That's alright. The last time you were two wheeling, you ended up with a third anyhow."

"And you love your god grandbaby, so you can't even complain," Kate shot back with one hand on her hip.

"Who's complaining?" Tony said with both hands held out, then he spun toward Doom. "She has a point, though. I helped you tweak your machine, so there's no reason to keep them here."

Doom nodded thoughtfully. "A gesture of goodwill in return makes sense," he agreed. "You can take one of them home."

"Kate," James said before Tony had a chance to weigh it out or attempt to look like he was thinking it over. "Take Kate."

"Hey, wait a minute," Kate said, even though, to her shock, Billy was already nodding his agreement. "Wait a minute. Billy's getting his powers drained away and you're not taking him?"

"No," James said. "I also said I was staying. So… tell my brother I said hello."

"The hell - that's a trade, not a gesture of goodwill prisoner release," Tony pointed out.

"The two are unrelated," James argued as he sat back watching Kate.

"And the offer has already been accepted," Doom pointed out. He turned to Tony. "I think the return of your goddaughter is more than a token of goodwill."

"Yeah, but that's my kid," Tony argued. "You know, the one being an idiot? And I'm kind of the other kid's grandfather."

"He gets it honestly," Kate said dryly.

James sighed and let go of Billy to cross the span to talk to Tony. "This isn't even a hard call," he said - not bothering to hide his conversation from Doom. "She needs medical and aside from that, the little boot licker got into her head before she killed him. She's got an off-switch, Tony."

"She's got a what."

"One little phrase and she turned into 97% noodle," James replied dryly. "She needs to get out of here now. Billy just needs a pillow, and I'm sure some of the questions Dr. Doom wants answered are ones you can't cover."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "I don't like this."

"Dad. Come on - it's Kate."

Tony dropped his shoulders. "Okay. But I'm coming back," he said, stepping over to yank James into a bear hug. "You're my kid."

"I know. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know, you're always fine," Tony said before he held out his hand to Kate.

Kate glanced toward James and mouthed "what the futz"... but then she clocked his expression. It was the same one she'd seen him wearing when Magneto showed up with his magnetic burrito.

"Go tell Tommy he's on deck for the throne and watch how fast I'm back in Genosha," Billy teased Kate as he gave her a goodbye hug that lasted only a second before Kate pulled away from him.

"Okay, this is true," Kate laughed - if only because if any one of them acknowledged how much they were flashing back to the last time the three of them had dealt with this kind of thing, they were in danger of falling apart. "Have fun with Doom. Try not to get, like, permanently depowered. I know how horrible it is to not have pooooooowers."

"Oh, shut up, Kate."

"Love you too."

Billy and James watched Tony head off with Kate before Billy reached out to lace his fingers through James's. "So, you made the right call," Billy said, squeezing James's hand. "I'd've told you to take her too. You should've seen her at dinner last night."

"I don't think it was really an option to do anything else," James said, then looked up toward Doom, who was very obviously listening to them.

"Now that you've gotten that out of your systems," Doom said and held out his hand - though it was a Doombot who stepped toward James. "You'll hand over the technology you brought into my home. For safekeeping."

"I thought it wouldn't work here anyhow," James said, though he didn't make a move to hand anything over.

Doom sighed. "The bracelet on your right wrist, the device in your left pocket, and the two communicators on your belt." When James simply glared, Doom sighed again, and his hand lit up, removing the devices himself with a spell that kept James in place.

"You can't be surprised that I don't follow commands," James said once Doom had all that he'd listed off and several tracers that had been sewn into his clothes. "And it won't do you any good to try and dig into it. There are measures against anyone that doesn't have my DNA."

"And I said it was simply for safekeeping," Doom said simply.

"You were never going to let Billy go. So why did you agree to let me stay here with him?" James asked - because he wasn't sure on the motives there, and it felt too easy.

Doom got to his feet and gestured for them to follow him, already speaking so that they would need to walk with him to get the answer. "First of all, Doctor Howlett," he said, "your expertise may yet aid me."

"Tony's the one that gets off on the doctor thing. James is fine," he said.

"Furthermore," Doom said, ignoring James, "while I have need for Prince William's power, there is no point in antagonizing Genosha by taking his sanity in the process."

"Little too cold here to pull off pool boy."

"That's the fun part, though," Billy couldn't help but tease James.

"The cold and snow don't bother me, it's you I'm thinking of, sweetheart."

"Oh no, the need for snuggles… ahhhhh…."

"The flirting is cute, but we all know he's not letting you stay here to have sex," Noh said, and Daken chuckled in his ear.

James smirked as he squeezed Billy's hand. At least mildly entertained by Noh's commentary, but was still half focused on Doom, who was still leading them deeper into the castle. "I don't know what else I'm being kept here with you for."

Doom let the two of them flirt as he led the way, eventually coming to a stop in a part of the castle that had clearly been prepared for Mephisto's capture. The place was covered in runes and glowed with magic - and there was a huge machine in the middle, whirring with power that didn't draw from the magic around it.

James and Billy both took a long moment to stare at everything around them, bit by bit - and while Billy was focused on the magic work in place, James gravitated toward the machine with a more interested frown. "I skipped runework 101," James said - more to Pietro than anyone, though only those on the other side knew that. "What does it … ah … explain it, please."

Doom's tone shifted to a pleased one as he showed James the different magic involved in that room. And, impressively, each bit of magic built on the next. There were basic holding spells, obviously, but each layer of runes and magic and spells added another trap, another reinforcement that would make it hard for Mephisto to break free. But even with all that, the device in the center of the room was a failsafe, a mechanical trap that would spring if Mephisto started to get free. The last spell would suck all magic out of the room for a few moments - long enough for the trap to spring itself.

James listened without interrupting, letting Doom say all that he would before he turned toward Doom with a more open look. "What do you want to do with him once you get him?" he gestured around them at what was clearly the parts Doom was most proud of. "This looks like a magical torture chamber by the way you describe it."

"Holding him long enough to kill him does involve an element of torture from the effort involved," Doom agreed.

James nodded. "What did he do?"

"Enough."

"Okay. See, the thing is, I like to know why I'm getting wrapped up in murder plots. Especially ones that involve torture. It's not a no, I just... What did he do?"

"The short version is that my mother made a deal with him that he twisted, damning her soul to his realm," Doom said after a long moment.

James tipped his head as he thought it over. "Yeah, alright. That's a good enough reason."

Doom stepped back and gestured outward. "I asked for Stark's help in the final adjustments to the machine that will allow me to draw his life force and not just his magic - it will kill him, but I don't want the device to overload before that happens."

"Yeah, I could do that. But why don't you just take his head off?" James asked.

"James." Doom turned to look at him. "I have tried every conceivable approach, and he continues to return. I need to rewrite his reality - using Prince William's power."

"Won't that warp your reality too?" James challenged. "Price to be paid and all. I know that much. What do you lose with a spell like that?"

"It's not my magic, not my price."

"So you want Billy to pay for your spell." James's tone was flat. "I don't think it works that way."

"That is not the primary purpose of this endeavor, but yes," Doom said - and, knowing that James was furious with him - held out a hand, casting a wordless spell that held James in place.

"The bravery on you is just … entirely underwhelming," James pointed out. "I can't believe you let that Hydra moron do what he did to her under your roof. That's aiding and abetting as far as I'm concerned."

"I didn't allow you to stay here to be burdened by your moral arguments," Doom said, turning on his heel - with James involuntarily following, floating an inch off the floor.

"No morals. Got it."

Doom waved his hand. "Believe what you will," he said.

"I'm just repeating back to you the rules you're laying out and the distance you'll go using innocent people as leverage. Not arguing what you've already said and done."

Doom ignored James from there, simply walking ahead, and Billy bit his lip and rushed to catch up to them.

"That is what you got kicked out of school for, right?" James had to say - just because he was so irked and had no other recourse. "Pretending like ethics was below you."

Doom stopped, which was the only indication he gave that he was furious, before he snapped his fingers, and James found himself in the same cell where Kate had been kept - though Doom was smart enough to have added a spell the showed itself around James's hands, which glowed golden and wouldn't allow him to use his claws.

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Von Jackass." James's attitude was only souring the longer this went on - and he hadn't actually been left behind for more than a few hours at that point. He could move around, even if he couldn't use his claws - and he wanted to, so badly. He'd already reached the point where the tickling almost itch to let them loose had tipped past the reluctance to tear up his hands. So he paced - quick, not many steps in any direction for the space he was in. But when he stopped and took stock around him, he closed his eyes to shake off the irritation that went with recognizing an overly familiar scent in the wrong space.

All things considered, James wasn't surprised to have caught Kate's scent - but when he realized how thick Vojteck's scent was on top of that - he had to take a few steps back to get a better grip on himself. He had suspected as much, but now he knew for sure that Doom had let this happen. Kate was paying for it. Billy was paying for it, and now, James was bound and determined that Doom was going to get that stupid mask shoved straight up his ass.

He was alone for several minutes before Noh poked his head in - without the other two that James had been seeing. "We're watching Doom and Billy; do you want me here or should Pietro run to Wanda to tell her what's happening?"

"That," James said as softly as he could, sure that Doom was recording everything.

"Alright. I'm going to talk to some of the others on my side, ask about Mephisto. I'll be back full of advice, I'm sure." He paused. "And, ah, I'll make sure Akihiro and I aren't on this side for a little while. You're right; I do have a type."

James chuckled to himself as he pulled at his tie to undo it, shaking his head lightly. "This should be new," he said as he looked around the cell. "I don't think I've been picked up in a suit before. Different type even if it looks the same."

Noh chuckled. "Yes, well. Mia's fire and your good looks. I think I'm enjoying myself." He got to his feet again. "Be safe. I'll be back soon, hopefully with more information about this demon or whatever he calls himself."

James watched him for a moment before the sound of the doombot on the other side of the bars irritated him enough to draw his attention - and before Noh could zip off, James darted one hand through the bars to tear its head off and wrench as much of it into the cell as he could lever.

"Gods, that will never stop being hot," Noh said, laughing before he disappeared.


Kate slipped into the copilot spot in the jet beside Tony, watching him carefully. She could tell he was as tense as a bowstring, and she didn't want to give him another heart attack. But she still had to ask, "Did you guys really not know we were there?"

"Didn't think Doom would team up with Hydra for anything. Ever."

"Oh, he slipped me a dagger and let me go nuts getting rid of Hydra for him," Kate said. "I think he just needed Vojteck to get Billy to him, since the guy knew Billy intimately."

"So. How bad did it get? I can get Rachel on the line."

Kate took a deep breath and let it out. "He knew Doom didn't want him there, so he did a speedrun of the last time," she said, stretching her fingers out in front of her and looking out the window instead of at Tony.

"Oh, great," Tony said heavily. "Sorry, kiddo. I'd ask America to get her here, but Miss America is on another mission."

"That's okay," Kate said. She swallowed. "Rachel would be helpful, but at least I actually know what the problems are. He didn't have time to hide them from me."

"Or would you rather have Nate fix it?" Tony asked with a smile.

"No," Kate said faster than she meant to, and then blushed. "No, um, Nate will want to- it's just that-"

"I get it. He can take care of you after. Go for the redhead first."

"Yeah," Kate said and let the conversation drift off. The last thing she wanted to do was tell her godfather that Vojteck had been holding her, spooning her, touching her while he pulled brainwashing tricks, and she didn't want her husband to comfort her that same way when it was so recent. And he'd want to. And she didn't know how to approach that conversation. "Really, Tony, I'll be okay. I killed him and everything."

"Sure, sure," Tony said, frowning deeper than he meant to. "I know. You're pretty hardcore - but listen, Kate - this isn't okay. None of it is. I know you're strong as hell, but you don't have to let it all roll off your back."

Kate sat up straighter for a second, just long enough to hear what followed "listen, Kate." And then, as soon as he said it wasn't okay, she let out a quiet sob - and simply fell apart right there in the cockpit, burying her head in her hands and taking her breath in heaving gasps.

Tony did a quick double take, swore under his breath and barked at his AI to step in with auto pilot. "Woah, woah, woah - hold on. Wait. Katie- what happened? What did I do?"

Kate turned into Tony's shoulder as soon as he got closer and kept on crying, though she was trying to get herself back under control. "It's not okay," she said, which was about as much as she could get out while she was crying that hard and not quite past the more or less blanket permission he'd accidentally given her to come apart.

"Sweetheart …"

Kate held onto his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck. "God, Tony, none of this has been okay. It hasn't stopped, and I was already sleep-deprived and second-guessing everything and if this is what it's always gonna be like for David - and it hasn't been okay for a long time and I don't know if I'm cut out for this," she said, all of the words coming out at once. And then, as soon as she said it, she let out an almost-hysterical, disbelieving laugh. "Okay, we're going to have to work on wording, Tony, because I think you just accidentally gave my anxieties permission to be true."

Tony cringed. "Not what I intended."

"No, I know," Kate promised. She finally released her grip on him, though she was still hiccoughing every other breath. "Just… don't tell me to listen, or whatever you say next is an order. And you said it's not okay…" She winced with one shoulder up to her ear. "I told you: I know what the problem is; he didn't get to hide it."

"Then do you want to text her or should I?"

"Oh, um, I'll do it," Kate said. "But I need your phone."

"What else is new/" Tony teased before he handed her the phone.

Kate wiped her eyes again as she sent Rachel a text with a quick explanation of the two commands Vojteck had managed to put in before she swallowed and glanced up at Tony. "Sorry I fell apart on you," she said as she handed him back the phone.

"Nuh-uh. You don't need to apologize for that. Ever."

"Yeah, but it was literally a floodgate of, like, teen mom, superhero, Summers drama…"

"That last one is a clincher."

"Yeah, it kinda is," Kate said. She pulled him over into another hug. "Can you just… just tell me it's going to be okay, please? Because I'm starting to think Scott had the right idea hiding away, and that's freaking me out."

"First of all, no. That's not you to hide away. And secondly - the important stuff will be alright."

"Yeah. Thanks, Tony," Kate said and snuggled in again, happy to let the autopilot bring them home for as long as it could.


Billy was incredibly upset at this latest turn of events. He'd been counting on having his sweetheart close by - not … locked up in a dungeon who knows where. He really shouldn't have been surprised though. James' temper had been getting more and more easy for people to set off -particularly people that screwed with those he loved.

As soon as James had disappeared, Billy had protested - of course. But it hadn't done him a bit of good, and before Billy could make his case to get his fiance back, Doom had arranged for him to be escorted back to his suite. He was worried and stressed out and he just … he needed to try to relax, if that was even remotely possible.

He was surprised by how quiet everything felt, even though he hadn't actually had Kate or James close to him most of the time he'd been stuck there. But having Kate across the hall and relatively safe had been a big help, and he'd been hoping for some snuggles from James. And with neither of those things, he was right back to feeling trapped and helpless.

He wasn't used to either of those feelings. It had only really happened a few times. But it felt like those "rare" moments were happening with increasing frequency, and he absolutely hated that.

He actually had plenty of amenities in his room - Doom was still mostly treating him like visiting royalty when he wasn't literally stealing his magic - so he was able to change into some warm pajamas. Which didn't at all match up to having his favorite heater, but it was what it was.

He threw his jacket onto the bed but missed, because it was heavier than he had expected it to be. It hit the ground with a light thunk, and Billy's eyebrows shot up when he realized something was in it.

He smiled to himself and crouched down to pick up the jacket and examine it. And when he found the bracelet inside, he almost laughed. "James, you sneaky, handsome devil," he muttered, climbing into his bed to play with the bracelet. He didn't want to use it and leave James behind, but at the very least, it was nice to play with and remind himself that he had people coming to get him.

He turned it a few times over and even tried pressing a few buttons, but… nothing happened. Not immediately.

"Well, Doom's got all sorts of stuff going on. James probably knows how to get around it," Billy said. He put the bracelet on and then slipped into some pajamas, playing with it long into the night before he finally fell asleep.