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fatecantstopme · 3 years

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Goddess of Thunder

Pairing: Thor x OC

Summary: OC (Mandy) is Clint Barton’s younger sister. Clint introduces her to the team, which includes Thor, God of Thunder. Thor is immediately smitten and spends the next 3 months pursuing her relentlessly until she FINALLY gives in.

Warnings: Thor should come with his own warning label. Smut below the cut (Minors DNI). Unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it, kids). Cursing. Dom!Thor. OC is a sassy bitch.

Clint Barton had been a member of The Avengers for a solid year before he decided it was safe to introduce his younger sister, Mandy to the team. He was always very protective of her, despite the fact that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself...without the aid of a bow and arrow. Clint and Mandy had always been really close growing up, but they went different directions as adults. That is until Mandy convinced Nicky Fury to bring her brother into SHIELD. Mandy had been an agent for a few years and she was damn good at her job and she knew it. Fury always trusted her, so he took her advice and made Clint an agent. Clint of course, went on to become an Avenger, but Mandy preferred her job as it was. As such, she hadn’t actually met the individuals Avengers other than her brother and Natasha. So when Clint told her that he was finally willing to introduce her, she was ecstatic. She’d had a massive crush on Steve Rogers for years. The man was gorgeous and there was no way around that fact.

Tony Stark was having one of his famous parties and all the Avengers would be there. Clint promised to take Mandy and she was so excited. She spent hours in front of her mirror primping and preening in preparation for the big event. Her mind was almost singularly focused on hooking Captain America. She looked absolutely gorgeous in a red strapless gown that showed off her shoulders. She curled her dark hair and paid careful attention to the detail she was adding to her makeup. She wasn’t a vain woman, but even she had to admit she looked damn good.

“Mandy! Are you ready yet?” Clint called from outside her bedroom door. Her brother was not an impatient man, but she’d already taken long enough to make them late.

Mandy slipped on her high heels and took one last look in the mirror. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” She opened the door and Clint’s jaw dropped. “So how do I look?”

“As your brother, I do not want you to go out in this.”

Mandy raised her eyebrow. “Would you like to rephrase that?”

Clint chuckled. “I mean, you look so beautiful right now and I’m absolutely certain I will have to beat men away from you.”

She laughed. “You’re so dramatic. Just don’t get between me and Captain Rogers,” she said with a wink.

Clint rolled his eyes. “You are terrible.”

“But you love me.”

“Obviously.” He kissed her cheek. “Ready?”

Mandy nodded and followed her brother to the car Tony had sent to pick them up. 15 minutes later, they pulled up in front of Tony’s annoyingly large building. “Why do men always insist on putting their names on buildings? It seems excessive.”

Clint laughed. “Excessive is the word I would use to describe Tony.”

He led Mandy into the building and up to the top floor where the party was being held. When the elevator doors opened, she let out a little gasp. ‘Extravagant’ was a more accurate word to describe the scene before her. Everything was beautifully decorated and the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows was incredible. Mandy was really glad she took a little extra time getting ready because every single person in the room was dressed to the nines.

Clint slid his arm through hers. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the team.” He led her to the far side of the room where the various members of the Avengers were gathered. Natasha was the first to notice them and she smiled and waved. This got the attention of the rest of the team and they all turned to look in the Bartons’ direction. Mandy immediately felt slightly intimidated. She’d never met this many famous people all at once. She never really thought of Nat or Clint as “famous” because she’d known them for so long.

When the two of them reached the group, Clint introduced her, “Hey everyone, this is my sister, Mandy. Mandy, this is the team.”

Mandy smiled at everyone and shook a bunch of hands. When she got to Steve, she did her best to control her breathing. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Captain.”

Steve blushed and smiled. “The pleasure is mine, Miss Barton.”

“Oh please, it’s Mandy. But if you want to use titles, it’s Agent Barton.”

“I may have failed to mention that she’s a SHIELD agent,” Clint said.

“Ahh, so it runs in the family, then,” Tony said with a smirk.

“What does?” Mandy asked.

“Being a badass.”

Everyone laughed. “I taught him everything he knows,” Mandy quipped, which only made the rest of them laugh harder. “I’m going to grab myself a drink.”

Mandy made her way across the room to the bar and ordered an Old Fashioned. She was leaning against the bar, her back to the room, when a deep accented voice from behind her spoke, “I do not believe I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance.”

Mandy turned around and came face to face with a broad chest. She looked up into blue eyes, set in an incredibly handsome face that she recognized instantly. “God of Thunder, right?” she asked with a smile, sticking her hand out to shake his hand.

He smiled, “Most just call me Thor.” He took her hand and leaned down to place a chaste kiss to the top of it. “And may I inquire as to your name?”

“Mandy Barton, Human of Earth.”

Thor laughed heartily. “I like this one. Very cheeky,” he said to no one in particular. “Barton, you say? Are you the wife of Clint?”

If she’d been drinking something, she would have likely spit it in his face (on accident of course). “God, no. He’s my brother.”

Thor smiled mischievously. “Good, good.”

The bartender got Mandy’s attention and gave her the drink she’d ordered and handed Thor a much larger cup of a dark amber liquid. He noticed her expression and held up the glass, “Asgardian meed.”

“I’ve heard it’ll put hair on your chest,” she said with a grin.

Thor laughed, “Is that a human ailment? Lack of chest hair?”

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, so she just laughed. “Well, Thor, it’s been a pleasure to meet you. I’m going to go back over to the rest of the team.”

“Perfect! I shall accompany you.”

Thor fell into step beside Mandy. She could tell his brain was moving a mile a minute, but she was completely unaware of what he was thinking. Her attention was diverted as she made eye contact with Steve from across the room. He smiled at her and her heart fluttered.

“I see you found the Asgardian,” Bruce said with a smile as the pair reached the group.

“You sister is quite lovely, Clint,” Thor said as he clapped a heavy hand on Clint’s shoulder. “You must be careful with this one.”

Clint laughed and Steve hummed his agreement. “She’s a handful, for sure.”

The evening continued on in much the same fashion. Mandy spent much of her evening conversing with Thor and Steve, much to her pleasure. When the night was coming to an end, Steve thanked her for the lovely conversation and commented that he hoped to see her again. He walked towards the elevators with Natasha and Bruce in tow. Clint was off having a conversation with Pepper and Tony, which left Mandy and Thor alone.

“It appears we have been abandoned,” Thor commented.

“Still excellent company, though.”

“I am flattered,” Thor remained silent for a moment. “I would love the pleasure of your company again, Mandy Barton.”

Mandy looked up at him in surprise. He was stunning to look at, after all he was a god, but she hadn’t considered him as an option until this moment. “Well, God of Thunder, that would be lovely.”

“Excellent. I would like to take you to dinner.”

Mandy nodded. “I think I can clear some time in my incredibly busy schedule for that,” she said with a smile.

At that moment, Clint walked up to the pair. “Ready to go, sis?”

“Sure.” She turned to Thor, “See you at dinner.” She took Clint’s arm and started to walk away.

“Wait,” Thor called. “We have not set a date. Nor do I know how to find you.”

Mandy looked over her shoulder with a grin, “If you want it, you’ll have to figure that one out on your own.” And with that, she stepped into the elevator and hit the door close button.

Clint looked at her with raised eyebrows, but didn’t say a word. He knew better. He wanted his sister to be happy, but he also felt the strong urge to punch any man who dared to ask her out.

************

It took Thor two weeks to weasel Mandy’s phone number out of Clint. He immediately dialed the number and waited to hear her sultry voice on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Mandy Barton of Earth?”

Her laugh carried through the phone. “I see you managed to get my phone number.”

“It was much work, but it was worth it. Now that I have you on the phone, will you allow me to take you to dinner?”

Mandy was quiet for a moment. “Since you worked so hard, I think you deserve a reward.”

“Dinner Friday night at 7?” Thor asked.

“Come to my place. I’ll cook,” Mandy said as she hung up.

Thor looked at the phone in surprise. “I don’t even know where you live,” he mumbled to himself. This one was turning out to be a lot of work.

*************

Thor spent the rest of the week trying to find Mandy’s address. He eventually cornered a SHIELD agent who happened to work with Mandy and had been to her apartment. The agent gave Thor her address out of fear and he prepared to arrive at her apartment for dinner.

He knocked on her door at 7pm sharp and she answered moments later. He had dressed in a suit as he was unsure what she would expect. Mandy was wearing a pretty simple black dress that fit her curves beautifully.

“Welcome to my very humble home.” Mandy gestured for him to enter.

“Thank you for having me,” Thor responded as he entered her apartment.

“I wasn’t sure if you would find my address in time.”

Thor smiled. “I managed to procure it without too much difficulty. You strike me as worth the effort.”

Mandy grinned, feeling a warmth envelope her body at his words. Or perhaps that was the wine she’d already started drinking. “I managed to get a bottle of Asgardian meed from Tony, so I hope you’re thirsty.”

“I never turn down good meed.”

The evening went much as expected. Flirty banter, delicious food, good drinks, and excellent company. When the night began to come to a close, Mandy considered her options. He didn’t strike her as the type to take her to bed immediately, despite where her head was currently at. Plus, she was still interested in Steve, so she felt it would be unfair to them both. As such, she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek as he left for the evening with the promise of seeing her again.

***************

The following week, Mandy went on a date with Steve Rogers. She was absolutely thrilled for this evening. Steve was a complete gentleman as always and he took her to a lovely restaurant in downtown Brooklyn. The conversation was excellent and he was sweet as pie. Perhaps, she thought to herself, too sweet. Steve was an incredibly attractive man, of that there was no doubt. The problem was, Mandy couldn’t get Thor out of her mind the entire night.

Thankfully, Steve was feeling similarly. “Mandy, this was a lovely night.” He paused. “But I don’t really feel the romantic connection.”

“Oh thank god,” Mandy expressed. “You are just so sweet and lovely and I didn’t want to be rude. I’m glad you feel the same way.”

They parted ways content with remaining good friends.

When Mandy arrived home, she toyed with the idea of texting Thor to see if he was still awake. She started to type out a text, but halfway through decided she didn’t want to give in so easily. He needed to come to her.

***************

The next two months were filled with canceled dates and mislaid plans. Thor was called off on various missions and Mandy had some of her own. Despite both of their efforts, they had only managed to go on that one date.

When Thor returned from his latest mission, he immediately called Mandy. As soon as she picked up the phone, he said “I must see you.”

Mandy was surprised by the urgency in his voice, so she quickly agreed. Less than an hour later and Thor was standing on her doorstep.

When Mandy opened the door to let him in, she could tell he was tense. “Did something happen on the mission?”

Thor shook his head. “I simply missed your presence.”

Mandy smiled softly. “I missed yours.”

It was Thor’s turn to look surprised. “You’ve never been quite so soft before.”

Mandy laughed. “It’s been three months since we first met, Thor. I think we’ve waited long enough.”

Thor’s expression darkened and he took a step towards her. Mandy backed up against the wall and gulped. Thor simply towered over her and his expression alone was enough to dampen her panties. Thor always looked at her affectionately, but this was the first time he’d looked at her hungrily.

“May I kiss you?” he asked, his voice deep and rough.

Mandy seemed to have lost the ability to speak, so she just nodded. The moment his lips met hers, she felt as though all the breath in her lungs had been sucked out. She immediately tangled her fingers in his long hair and desperately tried to pull him closer. Thor obliged, pressing his large, hard body against her small frame. She let out a soft moan against his lips and he deepened the kiss, swallowing any sound she made.

Thor slid his arms under Mandy’s hips as pulled her legs up around his waist. “Where is your bedroom, dear Mandy?”

Mandy pulled away breathlessly and gestured to the hallway. “First door on the left,” she croaked out.

Thor carried her effortlessly to her bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed and removed his shirt. She looked up at him in absolute awe. To say that he was very fit would be a massive understatement. Thor was absolutely ripped, his muscles had muscles. Mandy reached up almost unconsciously and laid her hand against his chest. Thor chuckled and she felt the rumble in the palm of her hand.

“Do you like what you see?”

“I would say you look godly, but I feel like that would be too obvious.”

Thor laughed again and Mandy smiled. His hands began to slide under her shirt and her face softened into relaxation. “Can I remove your shirt?” he asked softly.

“Please.” She sat up just enough to let him remove her shirt. “Thor?”

“Yes, my queen?”

Mandy let out a soft moan at the pet name. Jesus did that sound sexy coming out of this man’s mouth. “You don’t have to ask me...I’m comfortable with this. I want this.”

Thor nodded, “I want to ensure you are comfortable. I do not wish to hurt you.”

Mandy smiled. “I trust you.”

That was all the god of thunder needed to hear. He began removing her clothes with a renewed vigor. He allowed her to assist him in removing his own as well, but when she reached the briefs he was wearing, he stopped her.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not a thing,” Thor replied. “I simply want to enjoy your beautiful body first.”

There was no way she could say “no” to that, so she simply nodded her consent. Thor’s hands began to explore her entirely naked body with almost excruciating slowness. He was making an effort to kiss every square inch of her skin and while it felt incredible, she wanted more. Mandy let out a low whine and tried to press her hips against his.

“Hush,” he whispered against her skin. “Let me take care of you.”

Thor continued kissing her body and teasing her gently. His lips connected with every sensitive spot he could reach. He nipped at her skin, causing her to moan. His beard tickled her skin and felt rough on her sensitive nipples, but she loved it. Thor took his time sucking and licking at her breasts, taking each nipple into his mouth in turn. She again desperately tried to feel friction against her core, but Thor simply held her hips down.

He finally began to make his way down to her legs and she couldn’t wait to feel his beard between her thighs. Much to her dismay, Thor continued down her right leg, all the way down to her foot, then moved over to the left side to make his way back up. By this point, Mandy was panting in anticipation and her core was absolutely dripping. When Thor finally spread her legs, he let out a low groan.

“You look absolutely delicious. I simply must taste you.” Thor dipped his head down and dove right in. The moment his lips pressed against her clit, Mandy let out a long moan. Every movement of his skilled mouth against her made her cry out in pleasure. Each sound she made was like music to his ears.

It didn’t take long for the pressure to start building deep inside her. Thor continued his ministrations, using his hands to hold her hips in place so he could eat to his heart’s content.

“Thor!” she choked out, barely able to contain her pleasure. “I’m gonna cum. Please don’t stop.”

Thor grinned against her pussy and sped up his actions. Within seconds, she was falling over the edge, pleasure washing over her. He continued to lap at her, drinking in all her juices as they flowed onto his tongue. Her thighs tightened around his head and she began to shake. “Too much,” she cried as she tugged on his hair.

After a few more seconds, Thor lifted his head, and Mandy’s head fell back against the pillow. She was quite certain she’d never had an orgasm that good at any point in her life.

She was breathing heavily as he slid up her body to kiss her. She moaned against his lips, tasting herself on his tongue. His gentle hands roamed her body, each touch set her nerve endings aflame. She so desperately wanted to feel his hard length in her mouth, sliding down her throat, choking her, but he had other plans. As she reached for him, he pulled away.

She looked up at him in confusion, but he was smiling. “This is all about you, my queen. Your pleasure is all I care about.”

And damn if that wasn't the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. “Well get to it handsome. I expect at least two more orgasms,” she said with a grin.

Some men may have worried about giving their girl more than one orgasm, but Thor knew he was skilled. He was also remarkably patient, so he was able to hold off his own orgasm for as long as he needed. He gave Mandy a small smile before gripping her hips and flipping her onto her stomach like she weighed nothing more than a doll.

He pulled her hips up and she buried her face in the pillow. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but she was absolutely ready. She heard him remove his briefs and settle back on the bed. A few moments passed and he still hadn’t touched her. “Thor?” she asked tentatively.

Slap! She felt the sting of his palm against her ass, pulling a moan from her throat. “I was admiring the lovely view,” he said in a low voice. His palm whacked against her ass again, hard enough to push her forward on the bed if his other hand hadn’t held her in place. Each smack drew another moan from her and her core tightened around nothing. She began to beg for him to fuck her, but he was on his own schedule.

After a few more minutes of this, he pulled her hips down even closer to him, lining himself up with her entrance. He rubbed the tip of his cock against her slit, collecting her slick before sliding the just the head into her. The feeling of that alone was enough to coax a loud moan from her lips. “More,” she begged.

“You want more, you say?” he murmured, leaning over her body. “I want to hear you beg for it.”

Mandy wasn’t much for begging, but when a god tells you to, how do you say no? “Please Thor, I need you. I want to feel you inside me. Fill me up, please!”

He started to push in slowly, but she pushed herself back against him, pulling him inside of her until he was fully sheathed in her warmth. The moment he bottomed out, they both moaned loudly.

Mandy was panting heavily, so Thor waited a few moments for her to acclimate to his size. Her walls pulsed around his cock and he had to bite his lip to keep from groaning. He began to pump in and out of her, thrusting slowly at first, but then speeding up as her moans increased in volume.

“Your pussy feels incredible. So tight,” he groaned. “Like Valhalla.”

In any other situation, the statement would have made her giggle, but Mandy was already well on her way to orgasm number two. “It feels so good, Thor. Faster.”

Thor immediately sped up and Mandy’s breath caught in her chest as she felt the coil in her belly snap, drowning her in waves of pleasure. She cried out and Thor continued to thrust, pulling her through her orgasm.

When she came down from her high, he quickly flipped her over and continued to pump in and out of her. She was close to tears, the pleasure becoming almost unbearable. He leaned forward and kissed her softly. “You promised me one more, sweet Mandy. I must have it.”

She could only nod and that was all the affirmation the god of thunder needed. He lifted her hips slightly, pulling her legs up so they rested against his chest. This new angle allowed him to get even deeper with each thrust. Mandy shifted slightly and Thor’s cock pressed into her sweet spot, causing her to gasp. “Again!”

Thor picked up his pace, slamming into her with renewed vigor, hitting her g-spot with each thrust. He slid his hand down between their bodies to give her clit some attention. “I’m so close, Thor. Please...”

“Please what?”

“Don’t stop. I...I wanna cum. Need to...” she fell over the edge for the third time, crying out his name like a prayer.

Thor’s thrusts became sloppy and he felt his own orgasm nearing. He had been holding off for as long as he could, but the feeling of her tight walls squeezing his cock made it incredibly difficult.

Mandy could tell he was close. “Cum for me, Thor. I want to feel you cum inside me. Please.”

Her soft, begging tone was something he couldn’t resist. With a few more thrusts, he came inside of her with a shout of her name.

When he finally pulled out of her, he sat back on his knees to look at her. He watched as her juices mixed with his cum slid out of her. She was breathing heavily and entirely fucked out. “You are the most beautiful sight. I so wish you could see yourself,” he said softly.

Mandy laughed. “I’m sure I look terrible, but you, of course, look like a god. A sweaty, sexed out god, but a god nonetheless.”

Thor laughed and leaned forward to kiss her softly. “I will return,” he said against her lips.

He got up and went into the bathroom. He came back a few moments later with a warm washcloth, which he used to clean her up with. She thought it was incredibly sweet, but was too tired to say so. He slid into the bed beside her and pulled her close so her head rested against his chest.

They laid like that in a comfortable silence. Thor stroked her back and kissed the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep. She couldn’t be quite sure, but she thought she heard him say one last thing as she fell into the haze of slumber. “Sleep well, my goddess of thunder.”

#Thor x OC #Thor x original character #Thor #God of Thunder #smut #Thor oneshot #Thor smut #Barton sister #Clint Barton #Tony Stark #Steve Rogers #Natasha Romanoff #Bruce Banner #Thor Odinson

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geenawrites · 3 years

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'Black Widow' and undermining Dramatic Intent (II)

[PART ONE]

The 'Civil War' Effect

4): Elements that could’ve made Black Widow Natasha's personal journey are reduced to quick conversational bites told to Natasha instead of experienced by Natasha and the audience first hand.

The film could've built the story around her family selling her off to the government (on some eugenics mess). It could've set the stage for the subplot regarding her mother’s search for her until she was murdered, and Natasha trying to learn about her past pre-assassin.

For all the moments where we simply see her on her own, a lot of that alone time isn't used to explore how she feels, what she's thinking, or a personal throughline. It's just a montage of her looking gloomy and wearing comfy sweatshirts.

The only time Natasha truly feels like she is the emotional center of the movie is the opening act of the film. There, she’s portrayed by Ever (Gabo) Anderson and not Scarlett Johansson.

And as a film touted-as a vehicle for Johansson, that is bad. But also underlines why Florence Pugh’s Yelena was considered the real protagonist of the movie.

Black Widow could've been about Natasha wanting to reclaim her past from the Red Room (her abductors) because she reunites with her sister and parents (her surrogate family), and needed to finally deal with the consequences of killing Antonia (her ghost).

Instead, Black Widow is really Yelena’s story and emotional journey. Yelena justifies the presence of Alexei and Melina more-so than anything in Natasha’s history. As centered as Natasha was in the prologue, it works more as a establishing point for Yelena versus something like Natasha’s lost family or working with Clint Barton in Budapest.

Yelena being tasked to save the Widows (by the elder Widow who created the mind control cure), killing Dreykov, and destroying the Red Room are immediate issues that directly impact her arc and development as a character. Natasha is largely along for the ride, bringing Yelena where she needs to be in each act.

Natasha isn't as centered in her own her film as she should be. Simply compare the structure of her story to the structure in the Captain America (x2), Ant Man (x2), Thor (x3), and Iron Man (x3) films, and how those narratives focus on Steve Rogers, Scott Lang, Thor Odinson, and Tony Stark. Those films are about their emotional journeys while maintaining a healthy supporting cast that don't overshadow them.

Black Widow in comparison feels more like Captain America: Civil War, which is more of an Avengers film than it is a Captain America story. The emotional center of Civil War is Tony Stark and Zemo. Steve and his cast are simply underpinning Stark and Zemo's arcs. It also tries to introduce a new character (Black Panther) with the exact same story beat (revenge) as Stark and Zemo, and a MCU-wide subplot (Sakovia Accords) that ultimately goes nowhere later on.

The consequences of Civil War "Avengering" a solo film are on display in Black Widow in a big way. It's introducing new characters, and trying to tackle a trilogy's worth of storylines (the Red Room, Budapest, the Widow family, Civil War-fallout).

She doesn't even get a decent postmortem send off. The post credits, wherein Yelena mourns Natasha, is turned into a comedic skit and a teaser for the Hawkeye series. It's not allowed to remain a moment of mourning between two sisters separated by literal death.

As an Executive Producer of the film, I know this was not lost on Johansson. She might be an awful person, but she doesn’t strike me as someone so unaware of her environment that she set the stage to be undermined by her co-star. No, I think, given the timing, Johansson knew this was always going to be about setting up her successor.

Wrong Time, Wrong Place

Choosing to set Black Widow after Civil War was just a poor choice on Marvel’s part. Natasha circa 2016 has more or less come-to-terms with her history as a state-sponsored assassin for both Russia and the United States. Her arc as seen throughout the Avengers and Captain America films has come full circle following the events of The Winter Soldier. Now all she has left going forward is the arc dealing with Thanos' genocide and resurrecting everyone.

There is nothing to mine in terms of personal character drama because, at this point, she has laid it all to rest. It's nothing that torments her akin to Bucky trying to square away with his past as an amnesiac assassin.

All of Natasha’s threads are focused on the break-up of the Avengers. At first, seemed like her arc was going to be about not falling back into bad habits (being mistrustful of everyone). That it was going to deal with how she felt let down by the team (after trying to be the reasonable party among everyone), but the film doesn't really commit.

After that one conversation in Budapest, "getting the Avengers back together" isn't even a focal point. We just get awkward callbacks that tell the audience that Natasha isn't on the same level as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.

Yelena forgiving her family is used to tack on the sudden parallel idea that Natasha has been convinced she can personally bring the Avengers together again as a surrogate family once things work with her Widow Family.

Again, even in her own film, Natasha is playing the sacrificial matriarch of a Boy’s Club (whose event films she features only as a supporting character. Something I think people are only just realizing). That says to me the MCU never valued her beyond her ties to the male Avenger cast.

”You’re such a mom!” becomes a lot less funny in that context.

If this film was immediately set after The Winter Soldier or even Age of Ultron, wherein all of her history and SHIELD’s was leaked for public record, then there might’ve been a chance for an emotionally resonant story arc.

How would a Natasha scrambling to create new covers, and new ways to protect herself, deal with the sudden public attention of the world knowing that she was a foreign assassin that bought her way into the United States and became a celebrity superhero? How would a post-Winter Soldier solo film deal with Natasha’s past in way that she didn't become overshadowed by her own supporting cast?

How would a post-Age of Ultron solo film handle her past as informed by her nightmare (which stuck closer to her history as a trained dancer in the comics) on top of the events of The Winter Soldier?

But even as a post-Civil War narrative, Black Widow should've really cared to explore how Natasha felt about having to revisit her history with the Red Room, on top of being betrayed by Alexei and Melina. Instead of giving all those emotional beats to Yelena, actually show us Natasha confronting them beyond “it wasn’t real!”

How would the story turn out if parent with the biggest hand in the facilitation of her abuse (Alexei) wasn't turned into a flat comic relief character? What if he actually got chance to really consider her grievances, show remorse for his actions, without being turned into a “ha, ha, he’s do dumb (and fat)!” punchline (after setting him up as the total opposite in the prologue)?

Melina could've been an interesting co-antagonist working with Dreykov, but the film skirts past how she is complicit in the harm that her daughters faced (Yelena especially) with a fake Heel Turn moment that only undermined Dreykov as a threat.

And that’s really the problem with Black Widow. The film, or rather Marvel Studios, doesn’t want to really tackle Natasha’s past or pain like they were willing to do with Steve Rogers in The First Avenger, and The Winter Soldier.

Maybe because that would mean approaching the story with the emotional maturity of The Bourne Identity, a PG-13 film that was plenty violent without being excessive. It was also emotionally resonate by dealing with the fact that Jason Bourne was, pre-amnesia, a US assassin that did awful shit.

Instead we get a plot about mind-control, and magic red dust that can break said mind control (that apparently requires invasive surgery of the brain).

Whedon seemed comfortable with getting close to the actual violence that was asked of Natasha (vs. done to) by the Russian government as a kid. The screenplay for Black Widow can talk past Natasha willingly doing awful things, but doesn’t want to confront that by having her or Yelena deal with an army of assassins who are walking down the same path Natasha did, fighting and killing for another government without any sort of mind control.

This is why Natasha's assassination of “Dreykov’s Daughter” (Antonia) as the thing that happened in Budapest also doesn't land. The movie doesn't want to deal with how Natasha learned to live with murdering a child to buy her freedom into America. They make it so that she didn’t kill her, actually, just gave her a bad case of pizza face. She’s not even the one that pulls the trigger, the film suggests that it was Hawkeye.

Her mustache-twirling villain of a father, who somehow survived the explosion and building collapse with zero burns or broken bones, is the one who does all the truly horrible things to his daughter (turning her into a mindless slave).

The Original Sin that Natasha is defined by is swept under the rug in the same way her history as a killer is blurred by the script. It’s akin to rewriting Xena’s history with Callisto as the killer of her family and village, and deciding, “No, Xena didn’t kill them. They all survived with minor burns! Callisto can now forgive Xena!”

Natasha's Antagonist

Dreykov is a weak antagonist/villain because the screenwriting seems determined to accredit the abuse of the Red Room entirely to him instead of making a systemic issue. What started off as a clandestine organization for the KGB throughout most of the MCU is rewritten in Black Widow as the personal playground of a thinly veiled Harvey Weinstein analogue who puppeteers his personal assassins to do bad things, thus rendering them all innocent of their wrongdoings. It makes them "perfect victims" in way.

(Johansson has gone on record saying that this film was influenced by the #MeToo Movement. Well, celebrification of it, anyway)

Dreykov doesn’t challenge Natasha, or her family. There’s never an immediate danger or stakes being driven by Dreykov. He’s not doing something they have to stop “before time runs out”, he doesn’t have anything on any of the characters that could push their actions.

He takes a backseat to the family hijinks, so the journey to finding and destroying the Red Room has no urgency (Natasha being dead already notwithstanding). As the supposed architect of their misery, he’s about as threatening as Mason (Natasha’s Black Best Friend who buys her things while in hiding).

Dreykov fails like the rest of the MCU’s villains (not named Erik Killmonger) because there's no depth to the character. There's no real loyalty to the character as a demonstration of his power or influence. Again, all his victims are blameless in their violent actions. No one with speaking lines or face time (that isn't a G.I Joe grunt) is working with him because they believe in his goals or ideology.

Complicating that matter is that the script never reveals what his goals or ideologies are besides, "I can create chaos with an army of assassins. I am so evil."

It’s wild to me that so many are rushing to defend the implementation of this sloppily written (and miscast) character because, “he works as a villain because he's a human trafficker” and “he mind controlled his own daughter.”

“He does terrible things”, or a character representing awful things that happen in the real world, isn't enough to make an effective villain. If that was all it took, then 90% the MCU’s villains wouldn’t be so forgetabble.

(He’s not real, I shouldn’t be reading posts like, “he doesn’t deserve screentime b/c he’s an awful human being! He earned his lazy death scene.” Girl, what???)

If you’re gonna tackle human/child trafficking as defined by one antagonist, then really make it part of the story. Make it something that Natasha and Yelena are actively trying to stop. Don’t montage it over a bad Nirvana cover and then shift gears into a G.I. Joe scenario in a floating fortress.

If you're gonna make Dreykov the abuser of so many women, then make it crucial to your protagonist's narrative. Don't add a silly Angry Beavers plot where his stinky musk can control a woman's bodily functions because as a weak analogue to "how men police women's bodies".

Because Natasha has no real conflict with Dreykov, confronting him in the climax goes nowhere. Dreykov is Yelena’s antagonist. It's why Yelena gets to kill him instead of Natasha, so it would've made more sense for her to confront him instead.

The film eventually establishes he's no real threat to Natasha because the writing pulled a Xanatos. The character feels like he exists only so Johansson can sass him, and make a callback to the Loki Interrogation scene (a scene that only worked because of the audience misdirection.)

Dreykov could've been an effective villain if he was anything like the Headmistress characters in the Samee-Waid Black Widow series from 2016.

The Headmistress and Anya (the new Headmistress later on) were characters with emotional connections to Natasha and the Widow children she was trying to save. They taught these girls to believe in the totalitarian philosophy of the ruling class. Natasha and the other Widows couldn't live without them until they were able to escape their influence.

The Headmistresses were women, which makes it plain that women are also perpetrators of abuse. It isn’t just something that men do, which is how this script has approached this subject entirely (Captain Marvel did the same thing as well). Abuse being exclusively a male theater of action.

Antonia's death could've been meaningful in regards to Natasha and Dreykov as characters if Dreykov cared that Antonia was murdered by a Red Room assassin. Natasha admitting that she killed his daughter and regretted it would've made a lot more impact than just having him shrug it off because he's so heartless and so evil.

Or, as other people have said, imagine if it was Antonia who was the antagonist gunning after Natasha because of what she did, not only to her, but her father as well.

It would not only render the mind-control plot pointless, it would re-center the focus on Natasha, and force the writers to do something else with Yelena, Alexei, and Melina (assuming they're even necessary in this scenario). Then, Natasha would have a genuinely threatening antagonist because the stakes are personal on both sides.

It would've been a hellva lot more meaningful than using Taskmasker as a plot-twist (after hyping the character up as the controller of the Red Room and Natasha's personal nemesis).

Callisto’s story as a villain resonates because she cared about what she lost, and Xena knew there was no real forgiveness for what she did to her. Imagine if they approached Natasha’s role in Antonia’s death like that.

(But that's probably asking for too much nuance from Disney and Marvel.)

Conclusions

In story that wants to be about the abused reconciling with their past and family, the film effectively robs the abused of their autonomy by going the extra of mile of making them zombies. In the same way the Star Wars sequel trilogy avoided Finn’s history as an indoctrinated and enslaved Stormtrooper, Black Widow doesn’t want to deal with the ramifications of indoctrination.

How people buy into and protect organizations that strip them of their humanity by making them complicit in violent systems. Oh, sure, they’ll nod and wink at it (as they do with Natasha and Melina’s past), but they won’t go any further than that.

Instead of dealing with how a forced hysterectomy effects Natasha physically and emotionally, we get a joke that isn’t any better than Natasha calling herself a monster, or the “time of the month” joke that got rebuked by the director and the cast.

Instead of reflecting on her time with SHIELD and the United States, the United States is portrayed as "the good-guys who gave her a real family” (ignoring even the half-hearted criticism of the US that The Winter Soldier made), while Russia is still out there doing nefarious Cold War Things and ruining people's families. All of which just feeds into uncritical Russian stereotypes and Red Scare that the film’s foundation is built on.

I enjoyed the film, but the more I think about it, the more I realize Black Widow really does nothing except undermine Natasha's darker elements and self-imposed redemption arc (as written by Whedon).

On top of rewriting key elements about the Red Room (the movies being broken as the comics is a true irony), It minimizes Natasha's violent past to make her into a clean, and boring superhero whose solo film thinks lamp-shading sexism is the same as subverting it.

#geenawrites #black widow #natasha romanov #mcu critical #scarlett johansson #ever anderson #writers on tumblr #bw spoilers #black widow spoilers #mcu meta

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captainsimagines · 3 years

Text

To Topple A Giant || Chapter Nine

Summary: You had made it your mission to destroy even the smallest evils. When the opportunity arises to finally take down your own family after years of gaining their trust, you reach for it. And so does Steve, the man who represents a symbol of everything you hate.

Pairing(s): Steve Rogers x Reader || Avengers x Reader

Part 9 of 10 ~ Mini-Series

Warnings: This story contains mature themes and discussions such as extreme canon violence, strong language, emotional angst, mentions of Endgame deaths and recoveries, sexual situations, and emotional/physical abuse. This is purely fanfiction.

Warnings in this Chapter: strong language; use of a derogatory slur/racist language (not said by any main character); mentions of blood and injuries; angst!

Word Count: 11,200+

A/N: One more chapter after this - I should really stop labeling this as a mini-series considering it’s already over 100,000 total words lmao. Thank you for staying with me this long! I love you guys soooo much!!!

Utah Merry Hotel, January 2025, 2:09pm

“I’m being an ol’ sport, why can’t you?” You whine, stomping your feet as you trudged up the stairs to the hotel roof. “It’s our first serious stakeout in forever! I’m pretty sure Wanda shaved her legs for this.”

Steve shoots a flustered and unsettled look over his shoulder. He’s lugging the rifles and extra equipment on both his shoulders so you know he’s truly baffled because to even attempt a look over… well, that required real effort. He doesn’t answer, however; he continues upward.

Bucky and Clint are following close behind. They’re tired, huffing every few steps and grunting while doing so. Finally, Bucky whines and throws himself against the wall dramatically. “Remind me why we couldn’t just get Wanda and Sam to lift us up there?”

Steve readjusts one of the rifle straps while he replies, “Buck, I told you not to skip leg day.”

“I skip ‘everything’ day. I’m just now employed as a superhero, thank you very much. The serum should be enough.”

“Are we even close?” Clint asks and passes Bucky on a few steps. Bucky takes that as a challenge though and hoists himself more steps before giving up again.

You just watch in pure amusement. Makes you really proud that your thighs are stronger than theirs. “Just a few more flights.”

They both groan in unison. Steve has already rounded the next flight, no longer waiting on the three of you. It takes several more minutes until you kick open the roof door Steve had left slightly ajar. It’s cold outside, wind howling with icy droplets whipping through your hair. It’s only fifty stories up but it’s pretty high - you can see the tops of the trees, or branches really. It’s winter in Utah and most of the trees are naked and covered in snow. You hope Bucky and Clint, the dynamic duo no one saw coming, still have good aim in this wind after a year of vacation.

“Alright. Buck - Clint, set up over there. Y/N, you’re over there.”

“Aye Aye, Captain.”

You set up where Steve instructed. You’ve got a simple magnifier and some binoculars - you won’t have to do any shooting today, thank the Gods. Clint’s got his arrows and Bucky’s got his sniper. Steve’s waiting for a signal from Sam if need be - he won’t need to shoot today either.

“Wanda and Sam will let us know when the cars pass the barrier. The tech cannot, under any circumstances, pass through the gate right over there.” Steve points to the giant, black coated metal gate. There’s no one on duty. You made sure to evacuate the area and any staff before. The tech these goons are bringing in is all stolen Stark Tech. And according to Happy, strict instructions are to ‘blow it to Hell’.

“And if it does?” Bucky asks, grinning mischievously at Steve’s pointed look.

“What’d I just say?”

Bucky laughs and puts his hands up in surrender. “Damn, Stevie. Calm thyne tits.” He goes back to fiddling with his rifle. “Blow the tires before they reach the gates but after they pass the barrier. Got it.”

“Peter, you in position?” Steve asks and adjusts his earpiece.

You can hear Peter over your own mic. “Seatbelts look easy enough to break. I’m in position, I can easily pull them from the trucks.”

“Five minutes then.”

You all settle in. The cold has passed through the leather of your boots and your toes are paying the price. It makes you miss the rain of spring and the sprinkles of fall, when everything is drenched rather than frozen and your toes still have mobility. Your jacket is big enough but it scratches your neck every time you lean down to look through the magnifier. As the minutes tick by, you brave the cold and take it off. You’d rather conduct your part efficiently and without the constant distraction.

“It’s almost forty degrees out,” Steve mumbles beside you. He’s looking over the roof balcony and into the trees. He’s squints and refuses your offer of binoculars.

“So I get a sore throat.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “Tony put a heater in all our suits. You should have worn yours.”

“My suit is half nano. It’s excessive for a stakeout.”

He huffs but you ignore him, choosing to look through the rejected binoculars instead. He shuffles, and then there’s a warm weight enveloping your shoulders. It’s his sweater, cotton and baby blue, and he lifts the hood to cover your cheeks and ears. Your stomach flip-flops.

“Uh, thank you,” you say and zip it closed.

Steve shrugs lightly, “Don’t mention it.”

So you don’t. He doesn’t look cold besides or he’s just really good at masking it. It’s quiet now; you can’t really hear the quiet mutters of Clint and Bucky enough to join in and to not mention the jacket is eating at you. You opt for a casual conversation instead while you wait.

“Soooo… how’d your date go last week?”

Steve clears his throat and turns to you, a forced grin on his face. “They, uh, they were sweet.”

“Sweet,” you repeat, nodding at nothing and cursing yourself for creating such an awkward moment. “Going on a second one?”

He sighs and his expression actually turns truthful. “No, don’t see that happening.”

For a second, you’re appalled. Who wouldn’t give Steve a second date? He’s an absolute catch and being a famous superhero wasn’t exactly a dealbreaker for many. Or maybe it was and Steve was blaming his alias once again for no fairytale ending. “Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t want you?”

The words leave your mouth too quickly to reel them back in. Steve’s cheeks turn pinker, both from your words and the chill, and he ducks his head low as he answers. “It’s my fault, really. They were sweet but I wasn’t paying much attention.”

“Mm, on your phone? Daydreaming? Were they a bore?”

Steve chuckles, “I pulled out my phone, like, once to answer a text but I was a proper gentleman!”

The tension is slowly melting and there’s a soft twinkle in his eye as he laughs. It’s been so long since he’s looked at you this way: on his own accord and not on order. “Bucky said they were, and I quote,” you lower your voice and look over at Bucky to make sure he’s distracted. “‘Cute as hell’.”

Steve gives Bucky a warm look. “Eh, it’s fine. Wasn’t the one.”

“The one,” you mock in a deep voice. “Who texted you that it was so important to ignore someone cute as hell?”

Steve hesitates and looks over the balcony as if wishing for an interruption. But the trucks aren’t near yet and Sam hasn’t given the signal. “Uh, it was Peter.”

“Oh, don’t tell him that. He’ll feel incredibly guilty if he ruined your chances at getting laid.”

Steve shoves your shoulder a bit harder than he intended and it makes you stumble back. He quickly catches you by the arm and holds you still, a sheepish smile painting his pink face. He mumbles a quick ‘sorry’, and goes back to lean over the railing. “It’s cool, he knew.”

You fake a surprised gasp, “Even worse!”

“He needed me to stop by the compound and I did. Really, it’s okay,” Steve assures and he’s speaking a little quicker. He fidgets with his thumbs and it looks like he wants to wrap up that portion of the conversation. But he looks over at you and sighs deeply, and he rolls his eyes as his upper lip tilts upward. “Ask.”

“What’d he want?” It makes your belly all warm to know he expects this enthusiasm from you.

“Wanted me around. Buck and Wanda were out getting dinner.”

“Yeah, but like, what for?”

He gives you a knowing smile, like you walked right into that trap. “You made dinner but Peter was too nice to say he didn’t enjoy it, so he texted me knowing I would like it. Knowing I had it before. He didn’t want there to be leftovers because then you’d be sad.”

You step back and shake your head like there’s a fly swarming around. It startles you. “You left your date… during dinner… to come to the compound to eat the dinner I made instead?”

“Don’t think too much about it.”

“How not?”

It’s five minutes when Sam calls it in. You groan in frustration and give Steve a look that says the conversation isn’t over.

There are four armored vehicles and the magnifier illuminates three bodies per car. The targets will be hit starting from the last to keep the explosions out of each driver’s line of sight.

“Target acquired,” Bucky mumbles and clicks off his safety. He closes one eye and settles comfortably as he awaits Steve’s signal.

Clint tugs back an arrow, “Same here, Cap.”

“Wanda, you ready?” Steve’s voice is lower when he’s focused. He looks over at you, your hand up with an index finger raised, and waits. Wanda answers that she’s ready and Sam counts it down. The first truck crosses the barrier, then the next, next, and finally the fourth and you drop your hand in a fast swipe.

“Fire! Go Parker!”

Bucky shoots the back tires of all four vehicles and Clint shoots his arrows to penetrate through the passenger doors. Peter works fast, webs slinging from side to side grabbing one passenger right after the other. Once the trucks are empty, Clint activates the arrows and you all prepare for the explosions. The fourth car catches flame first and Wanda contains the explosion perfectly, balling it up into a weak bundle of light and string. She does the same to the third and second, bundles extinguishing just as quickly as they burst. But the first car swings out of control on manual and the explosion is delayed.

“Clint?”

Clint leans over the balcony and squints, as if it would help. “I don’t know. It’s not going off.” He’s clicking the detonator repeatedly, holding it up for all of you to see.

“Wanda, the truck! The truck! Sam!” You scream as the truck crashes through the gate and hurls closer to the hotel. The commotion is enough for Bucky to pop out from his cover and the four of you watch in horror as the truck still doesn’t stop. Clint has stopped clicking the button, but it’s no use. The truck finally explodes in an outbreak of debris and electricity. The Stark Tech reacts poorly to the strain, electric gusts of smoke fire left and right and rattle the building. It feels like an earthquake, shaking the already weak foundations and old brick. Wanda catches the bottom to better contain it and tries desperately to smother it. But the shaking doesn’t stop and the corners of the roof are collapsing.

Steve leaps to grab and pull you away and just as quickly to catch Clint’s leg before he falls over the edge. Clint is thrown back rather harshly but Steve isn’t thinking about the abuse of strength right now - no, not while Bucky slips and hangs on to a rogue pipe. Steve crawls and latches onto his hand before the pipe gives way. He yells as he tugs Bucky up with only one arm, the other having to hold onto undisturbed brick. He won't let Bucky fall. Not again.

Bucky throws his leg up and over solid ground, and you go to help Steve pull him up. Bucky’s heavy and his metal hand pinches your skin bad but he’s safe. Wanda struggles to contain the electricity but she’s succeeding. The rumbling slows until nothing moves anymore. You collapse back in exhaustion.

“Well, that didn’t go as planned,” Bucky gasps as he rubs his face.

“Is Wanda okay?” You mumble more to yourself and struggle to pull yourself back up. But the sudden weight of your body proves too much for the edge and in a horrible wave, you’re falling through. You practically file your nails as you try to latch onto falling brick.

“No!” You feel the scratch of someone’s fingers along your forearm and soon they’re digging into your skin, and it hurts but you figure it’s better than splitting your skull open. Pebbles of concrete are falling down onto your face and the smoke from the explosion is clogging your nostrils. You hang for a few seconds, like the person can’t believe they actually caught you. Then they begin pulling you up, lifting you to safety, and you claw the rest of the way only to tumble into Steve’s chest, shaking.

He pulls you into his arms but they’re restless, roaming over your shoulders and through your knotted hair clumsily. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” His voice wavers and he’s on the verge of tears, it seems. His waterline is glossy and his lips are quivering. “Answer me.”

“I’m fine, hey. Steve? I’m good.”

He pulls away and his hands hover you like he doesn’t know what else to do with them. “I’m sorry. I should have kept you close. I-” His voice cracks and he swallows hard. “You sure you’re okay?”

Disregarding his words is difficult, especially when you feel a second meaning to them, but you force yourself to do so. It’s been such a long time since you’ve seen him like this. And each time you have, it was never because of anything good. “Y-yeah. I’m good, Rogers.”

Bucky and Clint look at each other, they look at Steve, to you, and back to each other. Finally, Clint breaks the silence and huffs a light chuckle. “Are we really THAT rusty?”

Present Day, 2025, 11:45pm

The Montana skies are clear and free of passenger planes, allowing the Quinjet to swift easily on autopilot. You could never drive this thing and the building anxiety of that reality bubbles each time it makes an unsteady bounce.

Steve’s laying in the makeshift medical wing and though it’s against protocol, he’s on a secure line with Dr. Cho. She takes her time, albeit working as fast as possible too, and her light voice is fairly calm. It settles you to hear her speak this way.

‘I need you to use this disinfectant, Captain Rogers. Do not pour it on all at once… Good, now dig through gently and make sure the pliers are sanitized.’

Steve digs out the bullets himself and bites down on a clean towel. He’s biting down hard enough that his teeth make a squeaking sound against it. It takes every ounce of your willpower to not do it for him. The Montana skies are beautiful, at least. It’s a good distraction.

Steve gives a rather painful yell as he finally plucks the second bullet, cursing as a stream of blood drips onto the table. He’s got such tough skin - miracle or serum - that the bullets didn’t pass all the way through. Dr. Cho moves on to how to properly bandage the wound but Steve begins to tune her out.

Two years mucking through mud and bodies and getting patched up every other day has prepared him for whatever life may throw during this new century. Not much has changed, it seems.

When the line disconnects, Steve can finally just relax. He focuses on the soft rumble of the engine and your steady breaths.

You hold your breath as you settle the Quinjet on the open field, only half of you actually trusting automatic tech. Steve coaches you the whole time too, the little shit, and promises you’ll never be doing that again.

Steve stumbles and teeters and falls on the porch steps with a low groan. You let him fall because you know you’d only fall with him. He catches himself with the hand he’s been pressing over the bandage while the other still holds on to you. You fight the urge to crash down with him and bite your lip as you look up to the night sky.

“C’mon, Rogers,” you swallow down the increasing worry, “We’re almost inside.”

Steve huffs a pained laugh and nods. He grabs your arm again and with his remaining strength, pulls himself up,

The inside of the cabin looks comfier than the outside. You help Steve to the couch closest to the unlit fireplace before going out back to turn on the power. There’s a thin layer of ice in the grass so just in case, you scope out the garage and make sure there are snow supplies. Not that you really know what the hell snow supplies actually look like, but there’s a shovel and you figure that’s as much as your brain is going to piece together.

When you get back inside, Steve’s fumbling with the coffee maker and leaving tiny fingerprints of blood over every surface he touches. You don’t comment on them, just step back and discreetly wipe the counters each time he passes.

“Figured you’d like a pot,” Steve says.

It damn near breaks your heart how small his voice sounds. The fact he’s stumbling around the cabin making sure you’ve got your coffee fix while he’s nursing two bullet wounds damn near snaps it in two.

“Thank you,” you respond and go to lead him back to the couch. He moans quietly when he sits and again as you lay him down. “I hope you don’t think I’m sleeping here,” Steve laughs and tries to hide his wince due the uncomfortable rumble.

You smile and touch your hand to his hot cheek. His body is working overtime fighting off infection and regenerating tissue. His cheeks are a lovely scarlet red and so is the beautiful bulb of his crooked nose. He’s a little shiny, like varnish over light paint strokes, and taking the fever like a champ. “I’ll help you to the bed in a little bit. Let’s get that fever down first.”

Steve sighs, defeated, but nods. He lays his head back on the pillow and once he shuts his eyes, you get to work. The bathroom is stocked with the simple necessities: aloe vera, vapor rub, heating and cold pads, dozens of towels, and painkillers. You pop two painkillers yourself before gathering everything and dropping it on a nearby table in the kitchen. The coffee is about done brewing so you fill up a mug with bottled water and set it in the microwave for two minutes. You dip a chamomile tea bag a few times once the water is heated. There’s no teapot - you’ll apologize to Steve later.

Once Steve’s happily sipping his tea, you start on the medicine. You wet the small towels and lay them over his forehead and bare chest. You rub aloe vera on the other cuts he obtained from hand-to-hand and finally rub the vapor rub in the dip of his neck and just below his nose. Steve gives you this funny smile as you do so, scrunching his nose and wiggling it back and forth.

“Vicks,” you say as you show him the small container. “Heal you right up.”

“I bet,” he laughs. “Stuff smells like what I think liquid morphine would taste.” A laugh bursts from your chest, your first real instance of calm during these last few hours. You ignore his protests and smother more across his chest.

Steve settles deeper into the couch and returns to his tea. He’s got less sweat on his skin now but he’s still red. You go to pour yourself that coffee and return to his side. The nanotech is growing stiffer and scratching your skin but you refuse to get comfortable until Steve’s fever breaks. You’re still covered in Ernesto’s blood, the red now a hellish brown, and you try not to move your face much for risk of feeling the dry pull of it.

“Steve,” you try, but Steve shakes his head and makes sure to meet your gaze before he speaks.

“No. The less I know the better.”

It surprises you, makes you feel more guilty, but you understand. Not telling him the full truth would be beneficial in the long run. Still, your hands hug the mug closer to your chest. “Do you think I did something bad?”

His upper lip tugs upward, “Do you think you did something bad?”

You don’t think for long. There’s not much need to. “No.”

He nods, “But you care what I think?”

“Of course I do. You’re not just my Captain anymore - you’re my friend. I care even when I’m asking you if my eggs need more salt.”

“You trust me enough to correct your cooking?” He teases, but it’s a question disguised as another.

“I trust you enough to tell me if I need more salt. You’re not correcting it.” He laughs and dips deeper into the couch. The bandage is bleeding through, only slightly, so you move to find the first-aid kit.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’ll stop bleeding soon.”

You hum your disagreement. “I’m gonna keep it clean until you’re strong enough to shower.”

“You can always help me shower,” he mumbles into his tea.

Rolling your eyes, you gently nudge his shoulder as you sit back down with the kit. “If you fall, I can’t catch you, you big lug. We’d have to tell everyone we screwed in there because you falling on top of me, injured, is somehow more embarrassing.”

He allows you to remove the soiled bandage and dab around the healing wounds. He’s bruising around the sides, multiple shades of green and yellow already, and the holes are stitched rather poorly. It makes you feel a little better about your own criss-cross work - even Steve sucks at it.

“I’m sorry I had to go and get myself shot,” Steve apologizes and sucks in a deep breath when the towel drags a little too roughly.

“Yeah, what the hell happened there?”

He almost mimics you in the way he shrugs his shoulders and lifts his arms in that ‘well, fuck if I know’ position, pursing his lips and expelling a chuckle. “Had my gun trained on Ernesto. Ernesto had his own on Ramirez. Then Seda came in and Ernesto ordered Ramirez to hand his over to Seda. Played right into Seda’s hands.”

You process the explanation slowly and dab his wound a few more times before unwrapping the clean bandage. “And the damn shield?”

Steve’s embarrassed by that small detail, he’ll admit it, because he truly was blindsided by Seda’s appearance. You were supposed to be holding him down after all. “In my defense! When it’s shrunk down and in your pocket rather than latched onto one’s arm, it’s easily forgettable.”

You clean around the wound softly before placing and taping the new bandage. The conversation settles and you’re both quiet for a long, long minute. He thanks you for cleaning him up by rubbing sweet circles into the knuckles of your right hand. Finally, you can’t take it anymore. It’s like a wave of irrefutable worry and rage, all bunched together with each emotion trying to outweigh the other. That goddamn riptide, sucking you in and keeping your head below water just for the hell of it. Breathing in harshly, you fail to keep yourself from stuttering over your words. “I’m sorry.”

Steve bites back a groan of pain as he leans over to take your cheeks in his palms. The brush of his fingertips lets you know that you’ve already started crying. You don’t much care about the facade anymore. “Doll, listen to me. Listen.”

“I never meant to leave you alone.”

“You never did.”

You bark out a wet laugh, sarcastic. “I should have run faster. I should have killed him all those years ago. I should have never brought you into this.”

“You did what you had to do,” he says, fiercely. He forgets his own strength for a second, only slightly diminished from the healing process, and loosens his tight grip against your cheeks. “You did what you had to do to survive.”

“I wanted to hate you,” you admit. Your bottom lip is trembling and your hands clench together over your thighs. “I wanted to hate you so much. If I did, then you getting hurt or killed on this mission wouldn’t hurt so bad. I hated you for what you did. Because it made me realize that I could never hate you at all.”

“Hey,” he tries, hands now lowering to clutch at your own. “Stop apologizing for having a heart. Stop thinking you’re not worthy of even having one.”

Your face crumbles and Steve realizes for the first time in a long time just how much you’ve been holding in. “Why didn’t you use the stones?”

Steve’s heart clenches at the sound of the crack in your voice. He hasn’t heard that crack since Clint fell to his knees without Natasha by his side. He holds onto you tighter and prepares himself for an admission he never thought he would ever have to give. “Because Peggy told me not to.”

Something confusing happens in the middle of your chest. It clenches with anger but understanding. The answer to your question was always this simple but it looks like it’s tearing Steve apart from the inside-out.

She’s as beautiful as the day he went into the ice. All he has to do is whisper her name so sweetly, delicately, and she turns her head like she’s answering the prayer. First her knees buckle, eyes watering and blotching her vision, and she collapses on the soft grass of her backyard. Steve’s holding her the very next second, repeating that he’s real, he’s here.

“Steve,” Peggy gasps, hands shaking as she brings them to his wet cheeks. She grips and pokes and does everything so comically that Steve laughs a wet laugh when she starts smacking him. “What is going on?”

And he tells her. Everything he can remember: the good, the bad, the wretched. He spills everything, and he spills the most delicate information of their time: he’s alive, just frozen; Bucky’s alive, just hurt; the world is saved, just broken. Whether she believes it or not Steve’s not sure, but he’s so goddamn happy to see her again that he chokes every other word.

“And you? You’re happy?”

His eyebrows come together and he looks at Peggy like she’s speaking another language. She’s got the same red lipstick, same curl in her hair even if it’s longer now, and she’s filling out her dresses more. “Pegs, don’t ask me that.”

She detaches herself slowly from his arms, pausing their dance as she speaks. “Why not? You can’t expect me to accept that you stopped by to see me all willy-nilly after saving the universe.” Her lips twitch into a knowing smile and Steve melts. Her voice is sending him into a spiral, a world he never thought he would see again, and he realizes just how much he loves accents on women - especially this woman.

“I just,” he chokes out, and brushes his index finger down her cheek. “I had to see you again.”

“I get that,” Peggy says and pays no mind that the record player has stopped; she still sways gently with Steve. “But you’ve just mentioned a whole other world you’ve been a part of. You’ve got your best guy back, that Wilson fellow sounds like the life of the party, and this Agent Y/N certainly sounds like she’s been by your side through it all.”

Steve stutters in his step and holds her closer. Her stomach presses against his, and he stops abruptly. He looks down between them and runs his hand from her shoulder, down, to lay across her growing belly. “Pegs.”

She gives him the same wide and proud smile she gave him when he returned with the 107th. She lays her hand over his. “I know.” She laughs and tilts her head lovingly. “I’m happy, too.”

Steve bites his lip to keep from sobbing. He was so stupid for coming to this timeline, for ruining Peggy’s chance at happiness, for interrupting the life he already knew she created for herself. He inputted the wrong year, he suddenly realizes, and steps back arms-length from her. “I’m sorry, I was stupid to come here. I just wanted to see you and then I did, and I… I still love you, Pegs.”

“Oh,” Peggy gasps, bottom lip trembling. “Darling, do not mistake yourself, even for a second, into thinking that I do not love you too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing for having a heart.”

He wants to argue, say he’s stupid a million more times, but he finds himself listening to her gentle words. It’s Peggy, Steve thinks. She’s always been right.

“In this world you live in, you have James?” He nods. She continues, “In this world you live in, you just lost two of your most loved friends?” He nods again. He wipes his face from forehead to chin. “In this world you live in, you have met a woman who has the same stubbornness as you; has the same self-sacrificing streak, who has your heart in such shambles that you dare call her one of your best friends?”

Steve thinks of you and how broken your smile was as you waved him goodbye, hand clenching Sam’s as Steve gathered the stones and Mjolnir. He thinks of the times you’d leap onto his back and demand a ride; the times he’s saved your ass in a firefight; how his sleep has definitely improved ever since he started calming you from nightmares - he hasn’t slept so well since before the war. He nods again.

Her eyes go soft. “Steve,” she starts and Steve knows. He doesn’t want to know. “Don’t abandon the world you’ve built for yourself. Surround yourself with the people you love. Do this for me.”

“There’s so much hate and blood waiting for me when I get back, Pegs. I don’t want to-”

“There is a difference between you not wanting to and you having to.” He drops his head and focuses on the floor. Peggy isn’t done grilling him, however, and he looks back up to grant her the respect. “You must not abandon the world you helped create. I’m not saying this to be mean. I’m saying this because I know you don’t want to.”

“Pegs.”

“I see right through you, Steve. We marched together through mud and blood before. We’ve got two years of fighting side by side under our belts. I’ve seen you at your worst, and you I. I know that face anywhere.”

“I missed you, Pegs,” Steve breathes. She cups his face with her hands and draws their foreheads together.

“The stars weren’t written in our favor. But to know that you’re alive, and that you make it, and that you actually get to live,” she bites back a sob. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“It isn’t my world to begin with.”

“No, you’re a man out of time. But so is James. You won’t abandon him now, will you?”

He chuckles low and their noses touch. “Stop making me feel guilty for wanting to find you, Peggy.”

She presses a soft kiss to the side of his mouth and finally breaks away. “And you won’t abandon that sweet girl who has put up with your nonsense for the last five years, you say?”

Steve shakes his head and meets Peggy’s gaze. “I’m just tired.”

“They are too, I bet.” He turns to the door and to Peggy, and she figures it’s almost time for him to leave. “You have been the archer and the brave, Steve. I’m absolutely certain you’ve been more. You will be more.”

Steve says his final goodbyes and stops to remember the fine details of Peggy’s face. The fifties are treating her well. Steve expected nothing less. Bright lights flash around him and he’s back to the world he wanted to leave, to hide from, and he sees you - and your mouth parts in shock.

“And you listened to her?” you ask.

Steve smiles, although it’s hard for him to remember that conversation. “I came back. I didn’t listen to her when she said to surround myself with people who love me, and who I love in return.”

“No, you made damn sure of that.”

“Hey,” Steve chuckles. “Don’t take smacks at me when you’re down.”

You can’t help but laugh. “Sorry, it’s just too easy sometimes.” Laughing about the two years of missed chances and spoiled friendship was not on your bingo card for this week.

“I don’t know how this is going to play out,” you admit. Steve looks so young with a somber expression: his eyebrow creases gently without wrinkling the rest of his forehead, the side of his mouth tilts downward, and his eyelashes kiss the pink of cheeks. “I decided in the moment. So I’m fuck all out of ideas on how to proceed.”

He nods in understanding. “Guess we just have to look over our shoulders three times instead of two now.”

“Simple like that?” You scrub a hand over your face and curse inwardly when you smudge your lipstick down to your chin. You ignore it. “I know we’re Avengers, but.”

“No buts,” Steve says and moves to sit up. You help him by pushing his shoulders and he accepts your help as you struggle to the bathroom. “You helped the guy and his daughter. I’m sure he’s going to be watching our backs from now on.”

You help Steve strip from his dress pants and shoes and finally remove your suit as well. The graze on your arm is covered in brown, dried blood but the wound isn’t deep. It’ll sting like a sunburn, you know that, but it’s better than being shot through. You watch Steve enter the shower and leave the curtain drawn. His bandage is soaked again but thankfully it’s from the water and not more blood. You grab a spare towel and soak it with water and soap, and rub it across your lips and chin.

“Let me do that,” Steve calls. You strip bare and bring the towel with you into the shower. Steve takes it and scrubs over your face, gently but more rough as he gets to your eyes. It’s an innocent moment of ‘ouch, scrub softer!’ and ‘surprised I didn’t take all your lashes off’. He helps clean your wound as well and once you’re both clean, he bandages you up and you him.

The master bedroom is the only room without electricity so you gather some candles. It’s like the two of you won’t admit you’re currently afraid of the dark or what may lie in it. They illuminate the room in a delicate orange and it’s such a peaceful color to briefly see before falling asleep, head tucked into Steve’s chest and his heartbeat thrumming gently with your breath.

It’s a wonder what a night’s sleep can do. Steve’s wounds are sealed and his fever is gone, but there’s a signature left behind. A pink and white patch of skin as tender as a newborn’s, a memory. Steve pours your coffee and his tea while you trace your fingers over it.

Two hours after eating a small breakfast and securing the perimeter, a soft ding startles you from the random book you’re reading. Steve’s phone shines with a message from Sam. It simply reads: ‘Clear’. Grabbing the phone and walking out onto the porch, you find Steve sitting on one of the steps he tripped over just yesterday. He’s sketching the sky and the trees, taking his time on the lines of the branches, the strokes of the leaves, and the frost over them. He looks up, studies his surroundings, and looks back down to add a detail he previously missed. He sniffs, rubs his nose, and finally notices you leaning against the doorframe.

“Hey,” he says, soft. “Any news?”

You hold up his phone and nod. “Sam says we’re clear to fly in.”

Steve looks back to his drawing. You hesitate before speaking, knowing damn well an all clear means get your ass back as soon as possible. “Finish your drawing. I’ll pack whatever we need to.” Steve’s mouth parts but he shuts it just as quickly. Slowly, he nods.

There isn’t much to pack since you brought nothing but the clothes on your backs. Everything at the hotel was collected before the wedding and should have flown back with Scott and the others. It feels awkward stealing bottled water and processed foods to hoard on the quinjet, but it’s a necessity. Steve meets you at the quinjet doors, shows you his drawing, and volunteers to take the wheel.

“You’re not volunteering. You’re ordering.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “No license, no drive.”

“What are you? A cop?”

“Don’t think for one second I won’t actually hand the wheels over and happily crash while screaming ‘I told you so’.”

Steve steers for the duration of your flight. The next few hours are spent just enjoying each other’s company, speaking of all things and simply catching up. It’s amazing how much you two missed from one another’s lives those two years.

The landing base is clear and it’s Sam who’s waiting for you as the Quinjet manually lands itself. He shoots you a gap-toothed smile and extends his arms, pulling the two of you in at the same time for a strong hug. He’s talking a mile a minute about how successful the mission was, how Fury is over the moon that it’s finally over, how the DEA is thinking of congratulating everyone one by one. It’s enough to distract Steve, who’s just happy to see his best friend again, but it isn’t enough for you. The large metal doors sealing the storage facility from the rest of the compound are thrown open. Bucky stumbles through and practically sprints over to the three of you.

“Get back on the jet,” he orders, already pulling you by the arm. You all look at one another like he’s gone mad but that’s impossible. Bucky’s paranoia isn’t something to take lightly; he’s right nine out of ten times.

“Buck, what-?”

“Rhodes couldn’t hold them. They have warrants, Steve.”

Steve hauls Sam onto the jet as well. “Warrants for who?”

“Get down from the jet without a fight and this will all go smoothly.”

There are about twenty uniformed officers surrounding the jet. They spread out in case anyone decides to run but it seems pointless to even try. Secretary Ross points his gun directly at you, proud and tall and looking just the same as you remember him. Last time you saw him was at Tony’s funeral.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you bite, and raise your hands in cooperation. Ross shakes his head and his expression contorts into one of disgust. There are red beams coming from each gun but your friends are clean - the beams are only pointed at you.

“Agent Y/N Y/LN, you’re under arrest for multiple charges of drug smuggling, trafficking of illegal goods, the murder of Ernesto Vega and Daniel Seda, aiding and abetting drug-lord Omar Ramirez, and for conspiracy against the United States of America. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a federal court of law...”

You drone out half way through. Ross finishes up the speech but no one is listening. Sam is already yelling over your Miranda Rights and Bucky’s frozen in place. Steve’s fighting his way through to Ross, pushing through the muscle until he’s face to face with him. But Ross isn’t fazed. There’s nothing left to do but exit the jet.

Immediately there are handcuffs slapped to your wrists. Two men drag you over to the containment car that’s enforced with so much indestructible material it’s almost insulting. You weren’t enhanced - they were doing this for fun.

“You’ve got it all wrong! Y/N! Y/N!”

You don’t fight. Conspiracy… you’re surprised they didn’t just shoot you dead. Steve’s still yelling, begging to be heard, but you try to block him out. It’s not your first time being arrested but it is your first time being charged with something you didn’t do. As funny as that sounds, it’s terrifying.

“Steve,” you say, and Steve breaks through some more hired muscle so he’s within earshot. “It’s okay.”

His face pulls up in pain, “No, you didn’t do this! They’re not listening!”

One of the officers pushes your head down roughly and tries to shove you in the backseat. You’re still looking at Steve. And those eyes, wounded and vulnerable, haunt him even after the door shuts and the car drives away.

There’s a privilege attached to the mantle of Captain America. Perhaps he was too blind to see it during the war or just too proud he was finally being heard and respected, but now he sees it for what it really is. It’s a mantle this country has never truly associated with the person but with the purpose. Steve was manufactured to help protect this country under government orders and when he defied that purpose, he disgraced the mantle. Seems like some people idolize the role a little too much.

But he’s still Captain America. This reality has continued to clear his name from stunts he pulls and laws he breaks. And once Steve is able to walk away without so much as a scratch, he leaves bodies behind.

Sharon. Sam. Bucky. Wanda. And now you. All people who fought his fight and weren’t granted the quick privilege of that perceived pureness and holiness. He was always ready for combat, he was built for it, but he didn’t really want it.

Did he?

Ripping that star off his chest was one thing. Accepting his new shield cemented his continual legacy as the Star-Spangled Man. He deserved to be in that cell with you. But if he learned anything about how the world works, it’s that cruelty doesn’t just win in the movies. All of his enemies started out friends and if he had to bet, he’d bet the reason they’re labeled as such is partially because of him.

So he sits and listens to everyone’s ideas and plans, vetoing and dismissing one right after the other, his mind doing jumping jacks. He’s both there and not, drowning in the fact that he made it home and you didn’t. He doesn’t know how to sleep without the sound of your snoring anymore.

He sits and listens.

The cell isn’t one you would expect for someone who has been charged for betraying her country. It’s modestly furnished: a black cot in the far right corner with a mini table beside it, a desk with some paper, and a door that leads to the private bathroom. All in all, the room’s size is that of a child’s bedroom; there’s no actual pens and pencils for risk of violent behavior and there’s a bulb camera that moves when you move.

You’ve been trapped in worse.

Countless detectives and investigators have visited already. They all ask the same questions: Why did you do it? Did Captain Rogers know? Who are you, really?

You give the same answers: I didn’t do it. Of course, every single person knows. Who do you think I am?

Every time they leave more discouraged than the one before them, refusing to compare notes with one another in case they were in possession of gold. They all ignore you when you try to ask for Steve and his wellbeing. Their faces contort, they whisper to their partners, and they shake their heads in disappointment. One even goes as far as to threaten you, warning you to keep Captain Roger’s name out of your wetback mouth or else, until he’s escorted from the cell. Not that it really matters - the manipulated ideals of these people will always blur their search for the truth. And when the truth fails to satisfy such greedy manipulations, they choose to create their own.

There is one agent who peaks your interest. He offers you gum when he settles in the chair near the door. His name badge reads ‘Kavert’; it glares in the bright lights overhead and he makes no other attempt at small talk once he gets comfortable and opens his little notepad.

That goddamn notepad, you think. Every single person before has prided themselves over it, scribbling little notes about your tone of voice, body movement, and vague answers. You never give much, Natasha had taught you better, so they always end up writing less than two bullet points before giving up.

But Agent Kavert surprises you by opening up to a blank page, spitting his chewed gum in the middle, and then he shuts it closed. He offers you a real smile, one that doesn’t look practiced or forced. It lets you study him without being so guarded or uncomfortable. He seems young, not really a rookie but it’s obvious he’s spent more time behind a desk than out in the field. His dark hair is short, sprinkled grays near his temples, and his attire screams upper level. His build is lean, his gun is in the holster on his right hip, and a part of you knows he’d put up a hell of a fight if you tried to escape.

“I was gonna comment on what lovely weather we’re having, but I don’t think you get out much.”

You’re startled into a real laugh. Satisfaction washes over his face.

“I think you’re wasting your time, Agent Kavert.”

He grins and moves to proudly pull at his jacket and present his badge. He sets the notebook to the side and leans forward to cup his hands together on his knees.

You squint at him. There’s nothing interesting about you right now: back against the wall as you sit criss-crossed on the cot, sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, hair brushed but a little greasy. Your last shower was two days ago and you figure they’ll let you have one tonight.

“Yeah, you’re right. There’s no point in hoping you’ll tell me anything you haven’t shared yet.”

“Nope.”

He hums low in his throat and tilts his head to the left. Now, he squints at you. “I just don’t get it. How did you do it? Not show up on our radar, I mean?”

It doesn’t seem like he’s calling you guilty or innocent. Already he’s one-hundred percent different from the other agents. “I wasn’t exactly hiding.”

He sits up to lean back in the chair, “Different last name, government and Avenger protection, covering your tracks so carefully even the DEA missed you.”

“You’ve done your homework.”

“Yes, but,” he starts. He acts like he’s having a normal conversation on his front porch. “It still doesn’t make sense. How could Nick Fury miss this? Tony Stark? After the whole Obadiah situation, I expected him to-”

“It’s simple, really. Do you want to know or do you want to keep making assumptions?”

He’s watched the other agents leave by this point. Some couldn’t even make you talk. So he shuts up and waves his hand for you to continue.

“Cool,” you breathe out. “First of all, I’m literally only telling you this because I’ve already been refused a lawyer or some crap like that and I highly doubt this is going to actual court. The publicity would be horrible.”

He bites his lip but you catch the little smile forming. You continue, “And I have nothing to hide. I’m sure my Captain, my teammates, and Fury himself have given their sides. Am I right?”

Agent Kavert adjusts himself in the seat and nods in response. He doesn’t dare interrupt you now.

“Good, then I’ll keep it sweet. They knew who I was. I was recruited to be an inside source, a double agent, and this wedding was the perfect chance to corner those men,” you declare, turning your hands palm up and shrugging your shoulders. “There, happy?”

“Double agent.” Agent Kavert chews over the words, rolling them around on his tongue a few more times. He’s squinting harder and you can see his brain working. The next sound to leave his lips is a heavy sigh and a feeling of immense irritation washes over you. It wasn’t enough. “Are we going to be truthful yet, Agent?”

Chuckling lightly, you rest the back of your skull on the wall. It was wrong to assume he’d be any different from the others. “Of course you don’t believe me. You want more, they all do. I don’t suppose I have anything better to do.”

He claps his hands on his thighs and leans forward again, loud and restless. “Then let’s get started, really: Did you or did you not let Omar Ramirez, Mexican drug-lord involved with Ernesto Vega, your father... imagine that, run away from a crime scene, evade arrest, and possibly leave the country?”

“You expect me to follow all those questions?”

“It’s not the time to be funny.”

“You were enjoying it just a second ago,” you mumble. He raises his eyebrows, still waiting for an answer. “Then let me put it simply: no, I did not.”

“Did you or did you not assassinate Ernesto Vega?”

“I would have remembered such a brilliant kill if it came from my gun.”

“So that’s a no… Daniel Seda?”

“His gun was pointed at my Captain. Yes.”

“Against orders, then?”

Confusion is written all over your face and you make sure the camera knows it too. There are only so many times you can repeat yourself. “Don’t you have Steve’s report? Scott’s?”

“We have to hear the story from you, Agent.”

“But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? You don’t believe me.”

He shrugs and quickly scans you up and down. Even if he doesn’t have the tangible notepad in his hands, he’s getting away with making mental notes. “The story just isn’t piecing together the way it should be. Why would Daniel Seda murder his greatest ally and friend?”

“Our mics have already transcribed that answer for you, sir. I’m sure of it. And I’ve got sources outside of the DEA and Avengers-”

“Like Maribel Rodrigo? Another smuggler who has operated inside the cartel, HYDRA, Madripoor…”

You cut him off, angry. “Not the full story.”

Tone of voice: defensive.

“Then that leads me to my next question.”

“Oh, fun.”

Tone of voice: sarcastic.

He speaks with a tinge of astonishment hidden in every syllable. “Why didn’t you do it? Kill Ernesto, I mean.”

“I was disarmed at the time. The Captain and I both were,” you answer, growing more impatient by the second.

He uses his hands to speak now, finger pointing along an invisible timeline detailing the order of events. “So you admit you were going to kill him if you had your weapon.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.”

Body movement: rigid.

“Or maybe you weren’t. Maybe my boss is right, maybe the FBI is right in thinking that you are a double agent leaning more towards your roots than our boys in blue.” He says this like its scripture; like it’s some holy conspiracy he’s just found evidence for. He wants you to plant words in your mouth and in this discussion so he can pluck the evidence from the ground and water it with fire.

You scoff hard, “I hardly ever wear blue when doing your job for you.”

“Was letting Omar Ramirez escape our job or just yours?”

Telling him the truth would mean losing all credibility, all titles, all trust in your work. You know what you’ve done and you don’t regret it. Ramirez was never the biggest fish and if you spun this right, then he was simply a fish who got his meal and promptly swam away. “You assume I let him go. What evidence tells you that?”

He ignores the question and instead asks another of his. “Why were your relations kept hidden from SHIELD and the FBI?”

“That’s a question for you know who.”

He shakes his head in disappointment. “You’re in a lot of trouble.”

“I bet I am. But this is not some precinct where you can get my team to turn on me so easily. And this is not a situation in which they’re lying for me. I trust that whatever the Captain has said is the answer to all your questions.”

“We’re gonna unravel this case. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

You’re suddenly overcome with a wave of sleepiness. These past two weeks have been exhausting even if you haven’t moved more than five feet from wall to wall. Having to repeat yourself to people who have already written the story for themselves is tiring. “I don’t know why you guys can’t just believe the words of myself and everyone vouching for me. We got you all the evidence. We have given you more names and connections that you’ll ever know what to do with. You don’t need to unravel anything; it’s all there! But because we weren’t able to arrest the one person you wanted, that being Ernesto, you go after me. You have White but I guess he’s not talking. And you’ll believe what you want to believe.”

“I trust my gut.”

“As simple as that, huh?” You sigh deeply and cross your arms over your chest. “You know, there’s a saying the late Agent Carter used to tell all SHIELD agents when they first started out and when they came back from missions. When she retired, it was Fury who then eased our minds.”

Agent Kavert has a harsh line creasing through the middle of his forehead and he looks deeply interested.

“There are three sides to every story,” you recite. “Your side, my side, and the truth.” A gentle shrug of the shoulders feels like all you’re allowed to give him. “I’m not lying to you but I’m not telling you the full truth either. Just my side.”

Agent Kavert shuts his eyes and bounces his left leg. He looks conflicted and unable to formulate a response at all. He’s shaking like he’s at war with himself or with the suits on the other side of the door, but no one has come knocking yet. “Let’s say I believe you. Just for a second.”

You nod.

“Daniel Seda murders Vega at his own daughter’s wedding. We managed to catch Marcus White and because of fault entirely, Omar Ramirez gets away. Because from what I heard, Ramirez was working with you.” He paints the picture rather mundane, but you shoot him a smile that tells him he’s on the right track. “And you and all the other Avengers were blindsided by Ramirez. You gathered all the evidence you were told to gather, worked together and played your cards right, infiltrated one of the most secure estates in the country, and fucked up so badly that you managed to let two of your biggest giants die?”

“I really think you got it spot on.”

He laughs dryly, “But it still doesn’t make sense. Once Vega was gone and Seda survived, where would you have fallen in this tree?”

He wants to retract his question the moment he sees your face fall with such a sincerity he wasn’t ready for. “That’s just it, Agent Kavert. I would have fallen.”

“And the other two? How would business work? Would Daniel Seda have been the head of it now?”

“Your answers are in the evidence we gathered. I know you guys aren’t touching it because you think I’m compromised.”

He stands from the chair and dusts off his jacket. “Your side, my side, and the truth,” he repeats. He goes to open the door but you speak quickly before he can leave.

“They think I infiltrated SHIELD, the Avengers, and am in bed with HYDRA because they’ve been helping Ernesto’s vision all along.” Agent Kavert stops and turns back to you. “I am a double agent whose identity was kept secret to aid this country and not raise suspicions from your part. I have seen a lot of things, have done things I’m not proud of, but I’ve done it all for a reason.”

Agent Kavert looks almost ashamed. Tone of voice: sincere.

“Me and my Captain saved lives, our own as well, and we stopped three of the most notorious drug-lords who have been at large since the eighties. We got your giants for you. And the truth is, I have discovered: through all my pain and experience... that it’s excellent to have a giant’s strength; but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.”

Agent Kavert doesn’t know if you’re talking about Ernesto, the U.S Government, yourself, or him. His eyebrows pinch together and he slowly moves to leave the room.

It’s another week before you’re visited by someone who isn’t bringing you food or extra toilet paper. You’re picking at your cuticles when the vents above your cell begin rattling with the obvious weight of a human being. You sit dumbly on the bed, straining your ears and trying hard not to laugh as each rattle is returned with a muffled curse. The vent on the ceiling right outside your cell drops to the concrete floor.

Ernesto’s men wouldn’t go through all that trouble to kill you James Bond style. They would have just bribed a guard. So it’s a treat when the door swings open quickly and in comes a staggering Clint, keys in one hand and his phone in the other. The screen is illuminated, showcasing what looks to be blueprints. He’s got a bandaid over his left eyebrow and dust all over his clothes.

Your upper lip twitches into a silly smile. “You’re ridiculous if you thought you wouldn’t be heard in those damn vents.”

Clint makes a noise that sounds like he’s saying ‘maaaf’ and he plops down beside you on the cot. It’s absolutely hilarious he traveled in the vents and that the team approved this when in reality, they could have just sent Scott. “Just had to get past the first line of security. Plus, the blueprints said they were wider... I figure we’ve got a good three minutes before they check the cameras.”

It’s not the first time you sit in a cell with a time crunch.

The Raft is nothing special. They have you all separated by rank, meaning you were in the same vicinity as Clint, Sam, and Scott. Wanda was moved to a more secure location and you haven’t seen her since they brought you in.

There isn’t much to do in a place like this. You tried counting how many strands of hair you had but gave up once you counted two hundred; you tried seeing if the others could hear you when you yelled out to them but the cells were soundproof; you even tried filing your nails against the uneven paint on the wall. It’s like they made life in these cells purposefully horrible - like you didn’t save the world a couple times over, c’mon.

The camera fidgets over your head where you’re laying down and after a few seconds, it stops. The red light slowly fades and turns a bright yellow. You move to stand on the bed and reach for it, but a voice startles you from doing so.

“Don’t mess with my magic!”

You topple over the single pillow you were given and fall flat on the bed, scrambling to shield yourself from whoever intruded. “Jesus!”

“Oh, I met him. Strange lad, didn’t deserve what happened to him.”

There’s a moment where you think you must be dreaming. His hair is longer and hits his shoulders and he’s added some blue and yellow to his usual attire. But other than that, he’s alive. Truly, brilliantly, really alive.

“Loki, what the fuck?”

“Right!” Loki claps his hands and extends them outwards, smiling. “Ta-da!”

A few beats pass. You blink a few times just in case you’re hallucinating. Barely a week in containment…

“I’m sorry… I’m still trying to process the fact that you’re still alive!”

He scoffs low and goes to sit at the edge of the bed. “A God never truly dies, darling.”

“Well in Greek mythology-”

“Greek mythology and I have this unsettled beef that’s been going on for about five hundred years. Do not mention Greek mythology to me.”

“Excuse me, right, I should have known that was a sensitive topic.”

Loki swipes his tongue over his bottom lip and expels a laugh. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Your restraint is gone and you lunge forward to envelope him in the tightest hug you’ve ever given anyone. He returns it, sighing into your shoulder and holding you close. You pull away just to stare at him, watching his features as they move ever so slightly. It’s really him.

“I-” Loki tries but stutters. He’s studying you too and he almost looks sad. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Does Thor know?” Loki shakes his head at your question and winces when you smack his shoulder. “Loki, Thor has been grieving you for months!”

“I’m planning on it!” You don’t believe him. He goes to rub his shoulder. “Gods, I forgot you had excellent aim.”

You look back at the camera and find that the yellow light is still glowing, dim. Loki’s magic is blocking footage out or putting footage in, you really don’t know. But it’s allowing you a few moments with the man you thought you’d never see again. “Spontaneous reincarnation aside, what are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?”

“I’m on this planet for five-FIVE minutes, and the television has all these reports about you and everyone fighting each other?”

“Mm, right, right.”

Loki stares at you, amused. “... Care to explain?”

Your face contorts into a hundred different expressions until you finally settle on one of gentle guilt. “The person we were after was a friend of a friend. I made a judgement call and let him go.”

“You went against orders?”

“I went against the law.”

“Even better.”

With an eyebrow cocked, you give him a judging look. “Loki.”

His eyes crinkle from the intensity of his smile and you’ve missed him, you missed him so much. “That’s what I love about you. Barely starting out as an Avenger and you’re already realizing you can do more good in your own way.”

You groan quietly and rest your head on his shoulder. He wraps his arm around your waist and tugs you closer. “I mainly did it for Steve. Wasn’t like it was a big ‘fuck you’ to one-hundred and seventeen nations for the hell of it.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No.”

“Spoken like a true anti-hero.”

“You comparing me to yourself?”

Loki chuckles and runs his fingers through the strands of hair closest to your cheek. “Darling, I’m a God. No one comes close.” He sighs, serious again. “All I’m saying is that it’s refreshing to see the young break the rules.”

“I missed you,” you softly say. You can feel the nudge of his cheek turning upward against your head.

“Always nice to hear.”

Rolling your eyes, you move to meet his gaze. “So, no reason why you came to visit me specifically?”

Loki takes one cautious look at the camera, to outside your cell, and back to you. “I too do things for your lovely Captain.” His smile grows wider.

“What?”

He winks and tilts his head over to the giant metal doors that are starting to pry open. “See you in a minute.”

The alarms begin blazing; there is fog filling the room, and Steve emerges from that fog with a winning smirk.

You look over at Clint, half selfishly wishing he was Loki on another one of his midnight visits, and quickly do away with the thought. “So how’s life without me?”

“Oh, it’s great! The flowers are in bloom, the kitchen isn’t always a mess, and my bow and arrow aren’t misplaced because you wanted to have some fun with it,” he jokes, stretching far enough that his feet dig into your thigh like he’s trying to make more room for himself.

“Not like it’s your only bow and arrow.”

He chuckles and sits up. He does a once over of the room and adjusts the frequency on his hearing aid. “They read you your rights at least?”

You wait to respond until he finishes fixing it. You speak and sign the words slowly, “I don’t think any lawyer in America will want to take this case anyway.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s a career killer.”

Trying to refrain from smiling around Clint was nearly impossible. You look to the door quickly, “Two minutes?”

He shoots up straighter as he watches your hands, “Right! So we’re currently tracking down your sister-”

“My sister?”

“Steve thinks she’s our only hope at clearing your name.”

“Why is that? I told her to get as far away as possible.”

Clint sighs and scratches the skin just above the bandaid. “She stayed in Mexico all those years you were gone. By all accounts, Ernesto adored her. Because of that, her influence might clear your name.”

“But she stayed. All the more reason to believe she was involved as well,” you say, shaking your head.

“She’s barely out of her teens. Everything that happened, happened when she was a minor. She has a first hand account of the abuse Ernesto caused you. And Steve thinks that the Julian fellow might even come clean and admit to the arranged marriage. Shows a pattern of abuse by Ernesto to his own children. Could spin it to make it seem like you had no other choice but to follow his orders.”

You follow his hands slowly, some signs difficult to read but you latch onto the gist of his argument. You groan and lean your head back on the wall with a small thump. “They go against Ernesto and they have targets on their backs. Even my other siblings who are still involved with all of this won’t let it go.”

“Y/N… Ernesto’s dead. You know that.”

“His influence isn’t.”

There’s minimal commotion a few doors down. Clint realizes it’s time to leave. “It might never be. But we don’t get to live in the future.” He stands with another small groan and stretches as he prepares to lift himself back into the vent. “We’re living now, and it’s all any of us can do.”

“Clint?” You also stand and have to wave in his peripheral to get his attention. He turns and knows what you’re about to say even without the hand gestures. “They won’t answer me when I ask.”

His lips pull into a perceptive smile, “He’s okay. Doing what he does best - blaming himself.”

“Oh, okay, good.”

He’s had enough practice reading your lips to notice the sarcasm that drips from them. He hurries to lift himself up. “We’ve got about a million tricks up our sleeve. If Jackeline’s word or the evidence isn’t enough, we’ve always got Fury and his blackmail.”

“Yeah, half the guys who interviewed me look like they cheat on their wives, so.”

He genuinely laughs and jumps high, muttering more to himself than to you. “Up we go…”

The team locates Jackeline just a few days after your run-in with Clint. The building saw a triple rise in security but even then it didn’t prevent undercover agents passing all the checkpoints and sliding notes with your meals. They’d leave the tray, tip their hats, and smile like they knew the cameras wouldn’t suspect a thing.

The first note is from Bucky, with the simple message of ‘I watched a few episodes of The Crown without you… I’m sorry.’

The second comes on the same day at dinner time, this one from Wanda. ‘I think Peter is trying to flirt with your sister.’

The third isn’t slipped through with any meal, but rather through the tiny opening beneath the door. ‘Surprised we did this the legal way this time! See you soon! - Rhodey’

The final one is actually hand delivered when several guards come in to tell you you’re free to go. They’re mumbling amongst themselves, cursing the system and the privileges Avengers always get, when the smallest of the five turns to you and hands you the note. ‘I owe you one. You owe me one. Who’s counting anymore? - Joaquin’

Jackeline had been able to track down Maribel and the two of them, with such accuracy in their stories and their timelines, constructed your defense perfectly. They showed them phone records, all of the recordings from that week, had proof that you never signed a thing, and made several special deals. Jackeline promised to reveal where bodies were buried, where business was dealt with, who else was involved with Ernesto and Seda. Maribel managed to get a message to them from Ramirez, which basically cleared you from the crime they were trying to stick. Ramirez was a damn good liar, you’ll give him that, and it made you the tiniest bit sad that you’d probably never see him again.

The tipping point was when Steve turned himself in. There was no evidence that you did anything, never signed anything, never conspired behind your teammates backs. Fury made sure not to keep a paper or electronic trail. But there was evidence that implicated Steve - the contract. No matter how badly the FBI and CIA tried to make it go away, to absolve Steve from it, he didn’t back down. It was like the story they originally wanted toppled in on itself and it was actually Steve who forced you into all of this - playing your connections and forcing your hand. The contract hadn’t been voided, still hasn’t, and they really couldn’t risk another SHIELD fiasco. So it was destroyed to protect the Stars and Stripes, and in return they promised to let you go if you didn’t tell a soul. The image you’d come to despise, that tacky red, white and blue, is starting to grow on you.

‘Let me think about that and get back to you,’ you had joked. You think they let you go sooner because they feared the truth in your joke.

But there wasn’t anything to think about, ever, still isn’t. Steve pulled another sacrifice play and you wanted to get out as soon as possible to kick his ass.

You leave the prison with the same clothes you had on when you entered. They smell washed and you’re thankful they allowed you to shower before you left. You ignore the looks guards and prisoners aim at you, each trying to somehow get their hits in without actually pulling their punches. This would be a media disaster either way, didn’t matter the outcome of a supposed trial, and PR was most likely struggling to prepare their defense.

You resist the embarrassing urge to run into his arms. He’s standing right outside the gates, leaning back on the passenger side of his rusty old blue pickup, positively glowing underneath the blazing sun. You’re blinded by it, skin thanking the dangerous rays for its first touch in weeks, but it only takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. He still hasn’t shaved and his hair is getting longer, and instead of his usual tucked-in dress shirt, he’s wearing a brown leather jacket over a faded graphic tee that reads AC/DC. It was Tony’s.

You’ve only got the broken burner phone and a hair tie in your possession; it’s what was on you when you were arrested. You drop the burner in a nearby trashcan and head on over to the truck. Steve’s wide smile buckles your knees and it damn near breaks your heart. Even when the two of you weren’t on speaking terms, you still saw each other at least twice a week. Going two weeks without seeing him feels like a lifetime.

Once you're a few feet away, you stop in front of him. There are no immediate words you know to say, so you simply shrug your shoulders and give him a look that asks ‘What now?’

“Home.”

TAGLIST: @dumb-ass-writer @justab-eautifulmess @supraveng @mycosmicparadise @missnighttigress

#captainsimagines #captain america x reader #steve rogers x reader #reader x steve rogers #avengers fanfiction #avengers x reader #steve rogers fanfic #steve rogers fanfiction #marvel masterlist #marvel fanfiction #mob fanfic #reader insert #trigger warnings listed #you x steve rogers

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morose-magnetrix · 2 years

Photo

Darkhold Wasp #1 by Jordie Bellaire (writer and colorist) and Claire Roe (artist)

“I don’t need anyone. I am free.”

This installment in the Darkhold series is far better than what came before (Darkhold: Blade). After reading it, there’s a chilling hollowness in my soul, tinged with feelings of relief. I’ve never been a huge Janet van Dyne fan, just more or less knowing a few of her plot beats, and I hadn’t been really looking forward to this comic - but now, I think it’s easily one of the best comics I’ve read all year.

I love the art style - it has that classic old comic feel to it, with the grainy dots sometimes giving textures to the character’s faces. The colors really enhance the overall atmosphere and vibe, reminding me of those dramatic black and white scenes we’d see in American Horror Story where you just know some terrible tragedy is about to go down. The pacing is excellent, and while you know what’s coming, the fantastic imagery and dialogue keeps you hooked.

My main question is - are we supposed to see Janet van Dyne as the villain in this story?

In Darkhold, we were promised that we’d see twisted, corrupted versions of our heroes. Tony Stark turned the world into Cybermen, Blade became an evil vampire king or something, whereas Janet... gets out of an abusive relationship by killing Pym? I honestly don’t see her actions as evil. He hit her. Did she need to kill him? We know in mainline continuity no, she did not, but this Wasp doesn’t know that. All she knows is her superhero husband hit her. And Janet, pushed to her breaking point, snaps and kills him. She was a victim of domestic abuse and violence, assaulted by a man with strange powers who regularly goes toe to toe with super villains, was written up by his fellow Avengers for excessive force - how can we blame her for killing him? How could we argue that it was anything but self defense?

I think ultimately, this comic would be a brilliant What If...? issue on another path for the Wasp. But as a comic that tells us about the twisted corruption of Janet van Dyne? I just don’t see it. Maybe this comic would’ve benefited from a few more pages to show her descent into evil after this, but I honestly think it ends in the perfect spot. It’s a perfect comic on its own - but just doesn’t make sense if we’re supposed to see her as evil and monstrous for what she does.

Janet van Dyne is still the hero in this story - she’s still a good person. You aren’t evil or monstrous for protecting yourself, ESPECIALLY in situations of domestic abuse and violence.

Verdict: Nine out of ten stingers

#darkhold wasp #cw domestic violence #cw domestic abuse #cw murder #janet van dyne #hank pym #darkhold #jordie bellaire #claire roe

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kaiparker-avengerssmut · 3 years

Text

Our Doll 7//Her

B.Barnes x S.Rogers, B.Barnes x Stark!Reader, S.Rogers x Stark!Reader

Series Synopsis | After the events of the horrific past, y/n Stark, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes have finally admitted their feelings for each other. But is life as an avenger whilst dating two super soldiers any easier than anything y/n’s experienced in the past?

sequel Series to Their Doll

Series Warnings | smut, violence, torture, swearing, threesomes, drug usage/substance abuse

Chapter Summary | there’s more to Tony’s past than there seems

Warnings | violence, swearing

A/n | This is a sequel book/series to my fic Their Doll! This book loosely follows the mcu timeline, starting in CAWS in book one and starting just before AOU in this book. Bucky had been recovered and is safe, and Peter was taken under Tony's wing when he was much younger.

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Tony kicked about the barn, letting his feet drag through the thin scatterings of straw that patched the dusty floor. He blew a dramatic exhale through his mouth, stepping closer to the tractor and reaching a hand out, ready to examine the machine further.

"Do me a favour," Tony's eyes rolled, his shoulders slumping as he turned to the unwanted voice, "try not to bring it to life." Nick finished, hands casually in his pockets as he slouched.

"Miss Barton you little minx." Tony mumbled as he distanced himself slightly from the green tractor. "I get it, Maria Hill called you, right?" Tony said louder, turning his head to face Nick and slipping his hands into his own pockets. Their was a brief silence, and Tony spoke again: "Is she ever not working for you?"

"Artificial Intelligence. You never ever hesitated, did you?" Nick snapped without a stutter, both men walking slightly closer towards each other.

"Look it's been a really long day, so how about we skip to the part where you're actually useful?" Tony sighed, closing the gap between him and the former Director.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you're going to shut him down." Fury demanded calmly, unsettlingly so.

"You're not the director of me." Tony shot back.

"I'm not the director of anybody. Just an old man." Fury elaborated as he perched himself on a bail of hay. Tony tilted his head as they shared a moment of silence, eyes trying to gauge a reaction from the other.

"I saw it." Tony murmured, wiping a hand over his mouth. "I didn't tell the team; how could I? I saw them all dead, nick. I felt it. Whole world too, all because of me." Tony gave a tight smile that didn't touch his eyes as he backed away slightly.

"Maximoff girl? She's working you, Stark." Nick claimed. "Playing on your fear."

"I wasn't tricked I was shown." Tony countered, "it wasn't a nightmare it was my legacy; it was the end of the path I started is on."

"You've come up with some pretty impressive inventions, war is not one of them." Nick sighed as he stood himself up.

"I watched all my friends die, and you'd think that'd be the worst part." Tony said softly, eyes sparkling with guilt.

"The worst part, is that you didn't die too." Silence followed, punctuating the statement effortlessly.

"Actually, it was my daughter. She was there and dead, because of me. My selfishness has made such a terrible father that I'm going to kill her, Nick." Tony spoke after a moment, voice weak.

"And here I was under the impression that you didn't like y/n. Actually, if I had to take a guess I'd say you despise the girl." Tony huffed a deep breath, pinching the bridge of him nose and closing his eyes momentarily.

"I don't hate her. I love her, I'm her father. It's just I screwed it up and I don't know how to fix it." Tony admitted, defeated.

"You seemed pretty close to fixing when you got her back." Nick frowned, referring to their father-daughter relationship when y/n was first recovered from HYDRA last year.

"Yeah, well. You know how I get when I drink." Tony said half-heartedly and Fury gave the billionaire a glare.

"You're telling me you lost a relationship with your missing daughter over a couple of champagne glasses? Uh huh." Nick scoffed and Tony sighed.

"She reminds me of her." Tony blurted.

"Her?" Nick inquired, brow raised.

"I was in love. I had a child. Then she left me." Tony said vaguely and Nick raised the brow higher in a gesture from Tony to continue. Tony sighed again, taking a seat on the hay bail that Nick previously occupied before continuing. "I fell in love with this girl, and she got pregnant. So I proposed; she didn't want bad press and neither did I. She said yes, we eloped and she had the baby. A week after y/n was born, she disappeared and I was left with a baby and no clue what to do with it."

"I thought y/n was adopted?" Fury's brows knit together.

"That's what I told the world. No one knew she was mine by blood and I didn't want to have to explain the situation. So I told the world that I found her in the street and took her in as my own - not that I did a very good job of it." Tony finished finally.

"You should try talking to her. It's not too late." Fury suggested.

"It's been too late for four years now, Nick."

...

A smile crept over y/n's lips as she observed her two boyfriends, a fond warmth in her heart undeniable as she watched Steve and Bucky tangled together on the sofa, Bucky's head resting against Steve's chest as the blonde super soldier carded his long fingers through the brunet's longer locks. Their lips held smiles too, and their legs intertwined as the chatter of the avengers filled the house.

Her heart must've melted when Steve brushed the hair back from Bucky's forehead and placed a lingering kiss against his skin, before Bucky tilted his head up and pressed his lips to Steve's in a leisurely, loving kiss. Nat gagged teasingly and Clint chuckled, wrapping his arm around Laura from where they stood to place a kiss to her temple as the woman settled into his embrace. Nat giggled again as Lyla ran into her arms, settling in her auntie's lap and Tony sauntered in the room, closely followed by Fury. Y/n heard the others greet the two and she shocked herself that the presence of her father didn't make her feel any pang of rage or annoyance. Bruce perched himself on an armchair near Nat as Tony and Fury leant in the doorframe.

She finally had a family.

Y/n was looking on from the kitchen, hands submerged in a sink full of hot and soapy water as she glided the little cloth over the dirty pan. She had just finished making breakfast - her apology to Steve and her thank you to Clint and Laura.

She pulled the coal-black pan out of the water, letting the excess bubbles drip off before placing it on the drying wrack with a clang. She shook the excess water off her hands before wiping them on her shirt and stumbling over to the counter where the plate of food sat waiting.

"Can someone help me with these?" Y/n solicited, picking up two plates and breezing over to the set dining table.

Bucky and Steve looked over, before untangling from each other and tumbled off the sofa, standing and making their way over to help her.

"Breakfast is ready!" Y/n announced as Steve set the last of the plates on the table, pulling out a chair for y/n and she smiled at him fondly before sitting down. Steve slipped into the chair beside her, Bucky on y/n's other side.

"This looks lovely, y/n. Thank you." Laura said warmly as she took her seat beside Clint, who finished getting the kids up into their seats and ready to eat.

"Lovely? She might be giving you a run for your money." Clint jested as Laura shot him a look and Nat laughed.

"I'm still your wife, honey. That could change very easily." Laura jabbed and y/n blushed, muttering a thank you as Steve told her how good everything tasted. Bucky mouth as he chewed a mouthful and Bruce began cutting into his food.

"We need a plan." Nick said, leaning back on his chair - not touching his food. Tony nodded as he wiped his mouth with a tissue and y/n could feel steve sigh from beside her.

"All hands on deck. We need anyone we can get." Tony claimed, leaning his hands on the table as they all continued to eat their food.

"Is Peter fighting?" Y/n spoke through a mouthful of eggs, covering her mouth with her hand. Tony scoffed, shaking his head disappointedly at her.

"Peter's only a kid. So no." Tony frowned, ready to move on.

"I'm only a kid, I'm 19. So I guess I'm just expendable, right?" She retaliated, and y/n could see Steve bury his face in his hands.

"C'mon doll, just leave it alone." Bucky mumbled near her ear but y/n was too focused on her dad to hear him.

"If you're old enough to have two boyfriends at once you're no longer a kid." Tony claimed, and y/n's cheeks heated up as Clint smirked and Nat held back a laugh. Bucky chuckled under his breath and y/n shot him a warning look out the corner of her eye. "Any more questions?"

"My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing." Nick said with an expression clouded with despair.

"What about ultron himself?" Steve asked, Captain voice turned on now. Y/n would be lying if she said the commanding voice didn't send a shiver of arousal dancing down her spine.

"Oh he's easy to track. He's everywhere." Fury brushed off, "the guy is multiplying faster than a catholic rabbit. It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans, though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asked, stuff the last bite of eggs into his mouth.

"Yes he is. But he's not making any headway." Nick frowned, arms crossing over his chest.

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare." Tony scoffed, and Nick turned to face him.

"Well, I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that." Fury deadpanned.

"Nexus?" Bucky frowned.

"It's the world Internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth." Bruce explained.

"So, what did they say?" Y/n inquired, pushing back from her chair to collect the empty plates. Laura quickly stood up beside the girl, helping clear the table whilst the kids ran off to go play.

"He's fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly being changed." Nick said, a lace on confusion in his tone.

"By whom?" Tony asked, passing his plate to Laura who collected it from him before placing a stack of them down by the sink, which was still full of water.

"Parties unknown."

"We have an ally?" Nat murmured.

"Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing." Nick clarified. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is." He added.

"We might need to visit Oslo. Find out unknown." Tony muttered in suggestion.

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kinda hoping when I saw you you'd have more than that."Nat said with a tight smile.

"I do." Nick said, "I have you." Y/n rolled her eyes and Nat scoffed.

...

"They got Nat?" I gasped, an edge of horror rimming my shocked eyes as Bucky gave me a weakly-reassuring smile.

"They got Nat." He confirmed, voice mellow. "We will get her back, though. I promise you." Bucky's eyes were shining with guilt, his hands invading mine as I nodded through a fake smile.

"I'm fine." I passed off. Both of our heads snapped up when we heard Clint shout.

"It's here!" His voice echoed around the room, and we instantly looked at each other with smiles on our faces.

"C'mon. Let's go see if we can help." Bucky smiled, pulling me to my feet and keeping hold of one of my hands as we walked to meet Tony, Bruce and Clint.

Once Clint and Bucky had hauled the metal box that resembled a metal coffin into the room and got it into place, Tony stood over it with a hand on his chin.

"Is there anything more on Nat?" I asked as my dad strolled back into the room. He gave me tight smile and shook his head.

"I haven't heard." I could see the stress in Bruce's face and heard the barely-audible sigh that passed Clint's lips. "But, she's alive. Ultron would be rubbing it in our faces if she wasn't." Tony settled on, Bruce falling into stride with him as they walked towards the box.

"This is sealed tight." Clint explained, jumping down from where he'd been examining the box. Even Bucky couldn't open it - which was rare since he had both the serum and the metal arm going for him.

"We're gonna need to access the program, break it down from within." Bruce said, tapping the shining metal. Tony stared at it for a moment before turning to face me, Clint and Bucky.

"Any chance Natasha might leave any of you a message - old school spy stuff or assassins' codes?" Tony asked, looking listing at Clint.

"There are some nets I can cast." Clint replied, hands moving to rest on his hips as I walked over to where Bruce was intently looking at a screen. I peered over his shoulder, reading the mass of words displayed. "Yeah, I'll find her."

"We could work on tissue degeneration, right?" I mumbled, but Tony and Bucky still heard it.

"Yeah, but we'd need to find a way to fry the operation system Cho has implanted." Bruce agreed. When we turned to face the others Bucky's face was pinched with confusion and my dad looked hesitant.

"Something wrong?" I sassed.

"Well..." he bang, scratching the back of his neck.

"No!" Bruce protested without a beat, looking up from what he was doing.

"You have to trust me." Tony pleaded.

"Yeah, well. You're not exactly easy to trust right now." Bucky scoffed and I hummed in agreement.

"Our ally, the protecting the military's nuclear codes, I found him." Tony said into the room, flicking his phone before Jarvis' make up appeared.

"Jarvis? I frowned.

"Hello, Y/n Stark. Doctors Bannner, Sargent Barnes." Jarvis greeted us.

"Ultron didn't go after Jarvis because he was angry. He attacked him because he was scared about what he could do." Tony said, he's tiring to the golden-yellow flecks. "So Jarvis went underground. Scattered, dumped his memory. But not his protocols. He didn't even know he was in there until I pieced him together." Bruce and Bucky both scoffed and I rolled my eyes.

"So you want to put Jarvis into this thing?" Bruce said and Tony smiled.

"No, I want you to put Jarvis into it." He said blissfully.

"Nuh uh. No way is he doing that." Bucky said, taking a step forwards.

"And what would you know about it?" Tony scoffed.

"I think you might've forgotten that there's two trained assassins in the room." Bucky snarled and I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't do this dad. This is where you messed up in the first place." I pleaded, eyes shining with tears.

"Where I went wrong in the first place was letting them get you, y/n. So let us do this and you'll never need saving again." Tony said, walking over to my and placing a hand on my cheek. I slapped it away, eyes narrowed.

"I don't need saving, and I don't need you to tell me what to do. You're not my dad, not anymore, you're just a coward and a selfish, selfish man who can't even consider others." I challenged. "I just - I don't know what's wrong with you! We've tried, so many times, to get you out of your own troubles but you don't listen! You still can't get out of your old ways!" I shouted, tears biting my eyes. I turned around, hoping to bury myself in Bucky's arms.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Tony raised his voice back as I felt the anger bubble higher. I could feel it, like it would spill over like a tsunami. And it hurt - it hurt so bad, made my head throb like never before.

"I should've turned my back on you ages ago! I should've never given you a second chance." I scoffed, letting Bucky pull me into him. But something caught my eye. "Bruce, what are you doing?"

"He's right, y/n, Ultron had won! We have nothing to lose, but this could be our best shot." Bruce explained, fingers darting over screens and buttons as Tony stepped in to help.

"You need to stop! This thing, it's gonna kill us!" Bucky shouted, ready to step forward when Tony turned around, part of his suit around his arm and blaster ready.

"Back off, Barnes." He snarled.

"Not until you shut it down." Bucky growled, ready to lunge forward when I heard the chargers.

"Bucky!" But it was a second too late, and my boyfriend was already sprawled on the floor, hand clutching his right shoulder. "Oh, you've really pushed it now." I said lowly, dangerously as I turned back to face him, the feeling of bubbling rage overtaking me again.

Tony gasped sharply and Bruce's eyes were wide, but I didn't think much of it as I began to hum that lesser-used tune. Just as my dad began to fall to the floor, head clutch in his hands, the sound of Steve's voice behind me sent a crashing wave of calm.

"Shut it down! Now!"

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ghosthan · 3 years

Note

what would you say are the differences between 616 Tony and MCU Tony? 🤔

Hi anon! Many people have talked about this and I'm certainly not the authority on the topic, but I’ll try my best to explain some of the major differences that I have noticed! Thank you for asking and I’m sorry it took me so long to answer you.

Important to note: neither version of Tony has had a totally consistent characterization. Depending on who you ask and which comics/movies they've consumed, they might give you a different answer here and not be wrong.

616 Tony is even harder to put into one box because his character has been around since Tales of Suspense in the 1950s. That’s a long time. Things have changed over time, under different writers, changing political atmospheres, and outside pop culture influence (including influence from the MCU, unfortunately, in recent years.) You get the picture. So I’ll be making some generalizations and try to be clear about which eras I’m speaking when I make these comparisons, but ultimately, if someone wanted to be contrarian, you could probably refute a lot of what I say here if you cherry pick canon. Which is fair enough! That’s sort of the fun of comics, there’s so much to choose from and something for everyone.

So here are some observations from me, under the ‘read more’.

1. Physical Appearance

This is sort of an easy one, but worth mentioning!

MCU Tony does not look like 616 Tony. RDJ is great, but he would not be most 616 fans’ casting choice on looks alone. MCU Tony is tan, a Malibu man, with brown hair and brown eyes, and RDJ has sort of round facial features (a funny sloped nose, big, round eyes, round forehead, not a particularly sharp or classically “superhero masculine” face.) As you may know, this lends well to certain fanworks and tropes, such as Tony having Bambi eyes.

Or Tiny Tony. He is not actually canonically small, but he's smaller in the MCU than in 616 and from what I can tell, a portion of fandom has latched onto that. He’s a grown man, but RDJ is pretty short, and of slighter build than 616 Tony. RDJ is 5′9, but they make him act in heels, and I believe his canon MCU height is 5′11. Another popular trope I’ve seen is shrinking Tony in fanfic/fanart for a dramatized height difference with Steve, making him weak or fragile; this is fine because everyone has their own taste, but for the official record, he’s a capable, strong guy! Especially in earlier stages of the MCU, in which he’s a bit younger. Tony isn’t just a brain; he carries out his plans with his own two hands! He builds his armor, he remodels his lab, he survives hand to hand combat when he doesn’t have the armor. Muscles!

616 Tony is 6′1 without armor and 6′6 in armor (making him taller than his 616 Steve counterpart in armor and very close to the same height out of armor!) 616 Tony is generally paler with black hair (sometimes the classic blue-black I love so much) and blue eyes, and it obviously depends on the artist, but he has a pretty typically ‘masculine’ face and build. Generally he is drawn with a squared jaw and a high bridged nose (such as in the Extremis storyline, or drawn by Marquez), but again, this varies from artist to artist! Here's some examples of 616 Tonys.

Wait, you might be saying, but I have seen comic panels where Tony has brown hair/brown eyes!

Yep. Due to a combination of forgetfulness, inconsistency, and the MCU bleeding into the general consciousness of the comics, sometimes Tony is randomly depicted in the image of RDJ, or if not in his image, at least visually inspired by the MCU-- hair color and style, eye color, dialogue, etc.

616 fans don’t typically love this; he’s very handsome when drawn this way, of course, (look at him!) But it isn’t really the same character.

Also, MCU Tony has (at least for some of his movies) a reactor built into his chest. While 616 Tony has, at times, been more or less physically connected/dependent to his tech, he doesn’t have the built in reactor (most generally speaking, there are times in comics when he temporarily has the tech built in, but this isn’t really the status quo.)

2. Relationship with parents/ family history

While it is definitely implied in the MCU that Howard was not a good father to Tony, (such as in Iron Man 2 when Tony says “You're talking about a man whose happiest day of his life was shipping me off to boarding school” and “He was cold, calculating, never told me he loved me, never even told me he liked me”), Tony has a different sort of attitude toward Howard in MCU than in 616. It’s kind of weird, and hard to discuss. To me, it seems implied that MCU Howard was emotionally abusive to Tony based on what Tony does say about his childhood, and yet, the films kind of randomly give Howard weird moments of “Well, he tried his best and deep down he loved me the whole time!” forgiveness. MCU has a Howard kink and I'm very cringe-face emoji about it.

For example, Iron Man 2 shows that old film reel of Howard talking about how Tony is the greatest thing he ever created, and in Endgame, when Tony goes back in time, he meets Howard and has a very weird interaction with him in which Howard declares he would do anything for his son, (to his deeply damaged son who is a new father himself.) Yet, for all his talk, it's his actions that speak, and his actions left Tony damaged, traumatized, and emotionally inept at forming healthy relationships. So.

Sorry. I’m a little bitter. I'm just uncomfortable with how they sort of set up an abuse history but then treated it kind of lightly and Howard gets off the hook as "well, he tried his best" without really acknowledging the hurt he caused.

Avengers: Endgame 2019

I won't go super in depth into the abuse stuff because it's a little touchy and could take up a lot of this post. But.

I’m not against any reconciliation and I do appreciate the fact that a lot of times, victims of abuse feel a desire to forgive and reconnect with their abuser-- my issue with the MCU depiction of Tony and Howard is that Tony never really gets the vindication of his abuse being recognized for what it was before he forgives Howard. To me, that’s not forgiveness as kind of... gaslighting himself that it wasn't as bad as he remembered his own experience being, because of a sense of nostalgia and grief. It’s not the same, and I have issues with it.

However, a lot of my opinion is based on subtext and it is just my opinion; with depictions of abuse, different people are going to react differently, and other people may have found these scenes touching and gotten something positive out of them, and that's totally fine too!

It’s also a bit difficult to talk about Tony’s relationship with Howard in 616, for a few reasons: shifting timelines, lots of canon that I have not read all of, and the fact that it really is difficult to sum up such a complicated relationship.

Right off the bat, I’ll address the basics. I used the same scene in another ask, and I think it's frequently cited in any meta regarding Howard, but in Iron Man Vol. 1, we see more into Tony’s childhood and see Howard verbally abusing his family, drunk, at the dinner table.

Iron Man Vol. 1 #285

We get this scene with adult Tony’s retrospective commentary on how his own issues that he blamed himself for were actually a cycle starting with his father, the insecurity and abuse and alcohol, and that he realizes how much this has influenced him. Both MCU Tony and 616 Tony have some form of “stop the cycle of shame” arcs, but I don’t really see how this works narratively in the MCU because Tony makes excuses for Howard and continues to blame himself for a lot of his own personal struggles, whereas I think there’s just a bit more nuance in 616.

But uh. This isn’t totally true, and in recent years, things got real weird. I choose to ignore this chapter of canon, but in the Dan Slott run, Tony Stark: Iron Man, Tony’s whole backstory gets imploded. For one thing, the little of Tony’s childhood it shows in a flashback is uh. Uh. Well, it’s certainly out of character compared with previous 616 material, depicting Tony as an overly confident poor sport.

Basically, Tony is adopted. Tony has an evil brother. Tony’s biological parents make an appearance, as do his ‘classic’ parents, Howard and Maria. It’s just weird. It’s kind of out there. I’m honestly not a huge fan of this and ignore a lot of it, but it is certainly a difference between MCU and 616.

3. Personality

I’m going to be very general. Both Tony’s have an outer self which they present to the public and an inner self, but they’re a bit different. Both Tony’s have struggled with self loathing, but I think MCU Tony’s actual self worth is a bit higher, even just at some points in time. Even if his ego is part of his facade, I think he does believe some amount of the “I’m awesome”, even if just when it applies to his own work/inventions/saving people. Not to say that these moments of fluctuating self esteem make him egotistical, but this combined with his egotistical act and snarky, non-stop sassy dialogue, he’s quite different in general personality from 616 Tony, who is much more reserved.

Some more recent iterations of 616 Tony have been adapted to reflect the snark of the MCU, but he’s not so snarky and he tends to approach things more seriously. This is not a dis on MCU Tony; I think MCU Tony uses false ego and excessive sassy jokes as a means to deflect and control, which I think is very interesting and it’s nice to see this explored more in depth in fic where you get to see the thought process behind the bravado. MCU Tony is a partier, a good times guy, especially during Iron Man 2, in which he really does disregard consequences to have fun (driving his race car, partying drunk in his suit, letting pretty girls play with the armor, shooting off repulsor blasts for fun in a crowded room); I’m not bashing MCU Tony-- I think he had psychologically understandable reasons for behaving this way, the man was dying-- but 616 Tony really doesn’t act this way generally, and I think it’s a personality difference more than a difference of one being “better.”

616 Tony handles his stress differently, and they just have different psychological patterns, I think. I’m coming up kind of blank trying to think of a good comparable 616 arc, (sorry, I’m brain dead) but a less-than-perfect example might be Tony’s brain delete arc; he’s “dying”, like in Iron Man 2 he knows his expiration date, (circumstances are quite a bit different), but he throws himself more into work, into a cause, and as he really fall apart, we see him spiral into self doubt, remorse, fear, and insecurity, sort of falling into himself with lots of manly tears and calling himself pathetic.

(Some things happen in this arc that a lot of people find Gross. I also find these events gross. But. I don’t count the sex in “World’s Most Wanted” as partying to cope with personal mortality, because I think both character involved are in “end of the world” mode, and it’s more seeking intimacy for comfort than partying to numb the hurt. Does this distinction make sense? No? Perfect, moving on.) 616 Tony is generally much more humble.

Whereas MCU Tony, I think, tries to outrun those feelings via parties or making dozens of new suits, or seeking comfort by comforting others! Gifting things to people, building things for people, highly personalized individual living quarters, teaching Nebula games and trying to show her a fun time when they were in peril together.

They have some traits in common, for sure! But canon being inconsistent both in the MCU and in 616, my observations aren’t the rule, because I’m kind of cherry picking and going based on limited memory. But off the top of my head, they’re both extravagant gift givers! Recall Tony gifting Pepper the giant bunny in Iron Man 3, and compare this with Tony carrying a mile high pile of Christmas gifts after shopping with Rumiko in Iron Man Vol. #3.

I would say that while both Tony Starks are considered humanitarians, this is much more fleshed out and supported by canon in 616. Some examples of his philanthropy in the MCU: Tony makes charitable donations of art and money, Tony has an organization which provides disaster relief/cleanup which is referenced in Spider-Man Homecoming, Tony has an MIT grant for students and staff members. But to be honest, a lot of his MCU philanthropy is only mentioned in passing, or is largely handled by other people on his behalf and on his dollar.

In 616, we see Tony using charity almost as a means of therapy: it’s something he does very privately, not in the public eye (at least, not always), and it’s something deeply personal to him. One example that immediately comes to mind is Tony’s home for disadvantaged girls in Iron Man Vol. 3, and we see scenes of Tony basically driving the streets at night, picking up underage prostitutes, feeding them and listening to their stories before bringing them to a home he’s established where he knows all the residents, and provides educational opportunities and protection.

Another more recent example in canon that the Tony fandom loves is that Tony canonically holds babies at an orphanage. Sorry I don’t have panels for all of this, this section got long and I have been working on answering this ask in a very scattered way for a very long time.

Both Tony’s are romantics, I literally could write a whole other post about their canon love life similarities and differences, but I will briefly say that while MCU Tony does the long on and off, and eventual ultimate commitment, to Pepper Potts, 616 Tony is a serial monogamist; he is always falling in love, and he’s definitely not a playboy, but the hero-ing, self loathing, and lifestyle make it very hard for him to keep anyone in his life, and most of his partners fuck his life up and betray him. Needless to say, 616 Tony is not married, and certainly not to Pepper Potts.

Oh, and I guess this is so obvious I almost forgot to include it, but a huge similarity between both iterations of Tony is that they both constantly use their own life as a bargaining chip, and will pretty much die for anything. Or be the bad guy for a good reason (at least, in his own mind... see Civil War, or Hickmanvengers; 616 Tony, especially, does not shy away from making the hard decisions, and this leads to a lot of guilt and tension in his relationships-- often with Steve because 616 Steve/Tony angst fans are well fed, I guess)

Remember that time Tony had Steve’s mind wiped because Tony felt that Steve’s inflexible morality might hinder the Illuminati’s ability to save the world? And it eats Tony up inside and erupts into a homicidal fight when Steve finally gets his memory back? Me too.

Tony Stark as a character is defined by sacrifice, both of his own life but also of his own happiness and reputation and conscience, I think, in a lot of ways, and we see this in many universes. I could go on about Tony’s propensity for sacrifice in the less obvious ways, because I think in terms of heroic sacrifice, Tony has done a lot that other heroes wouldn’t be able to do because of moral inflexibility and conflicting philosophical schools of thought; Tony really is the “whatever it takes” type, and often believes the ends justify the means if he deems a threat worse than the potential wrong that could be done in preventing the threat. We see this a little bit in the MCU in the creation of Ultron, and in Civil War with the Accords. But there’s a whole lot more going on there I don’t want to get into.

4. Alcohol

MCU Tony’s alcoholism is never really explicitly explored. He is shown drinking in Iron Man 1, and in Iron Man 2 he drinks a lot and makes a fool of himself publicly, but MCU Tony doesn’t get any specific narrative arc focused on his drinking, and if I recall correctly, I don’t think he ever refers to his drinking as alcoholism in the movies? Also, while his binge drinking and embarrassing behaviors ostensibly stop after the events of Iron Man 2, he is shown drinking on screen at least one other time after that which I can remember, and it wasn’t a “falling off the wagon” moment, and an alcoholic in recovery such as 616 Tony would not take a drink casually. This article sheds a little light on some decisions made about Tony and alcohol in the MCU.

Alcoholism is a huge part of 616 Tony’s personality, which I went a bit more into depth about in this post, so I won’t repeat myself too much.

5. Their relationships with the Iron Man armor

A few points here: MCU Tony is famous for the “I am Iron Man” line being repeated throughout the franchise after he blows his own secret in the end of the first movie. MCU Tony sees himself as one with Iron Man, and the suit is the tech that enables him to be this version of himself. He sees Tony Stark and Iron Man as inextricable: you cannot separate them, and his identity is public. He, as Tony Stark, is an Avenger.

You may remember MCU Tony’s induction into the Avengers; in Iron Man 2, Nick Fury is forming the Avengers and tasks the Black Widow with going undercover to assess Tony to be a part of a hypothetical initiative. “Iron Man yes, Tony Stark no” and the comments about Tony as a narcissist may be funny, but the fact is, the snark and erratic personality of MCU Tony at the time of the formation of the Avengers in the movies is not at all like the Tony of the comics, at the time of the Avengers being formed.

In 616, things are quite a bit different! Tony invents the Iron man armor to save himself (like in the MCU) and uses it for hero-ing, but in secret. He works very hard to protect his identity as Iron Man, and for a long time, as far as the world is concerned, Iron man is a mystery man piloting armor built by Tony, hired as Tony’s personal body guard, (hence the 616 Steve/Tony fandom’s proclivity for identity porn as a trope!) When the Avengers form, Iron Man is the Avenger, close friends with the Avengers, (particularly Steve!) and Tony Stark is just the benefactor of the Avengers, providing them with a place to live and finances with which to operate.

In the very early days, Tony did not have the “reactor” like in the MCU, but his chest plate did keep him alive, leading to some very dramatic shots of Tony charging up using a wall socket, lamenting the plight of a secret hero.

616 Tony, generally, and especially in some of these earlier comics, was quite reserved, rather serious, and very angsty, (in private of course.) He may be wealthy, but speaking generally, he’s much less ostentatious than MCU Tony, less of a show off, less into flashy things and grand gestures. Of course, this isn’t always true in the comics, and some iterations of Tony are more like this than others, but MCU Tony is showier, sillier, and more of a fun-times guy. Any MCU fan would find those panels quite contrary to the Tony Stark you know:

Iron Man 1

Iron Man 2

I think I would say that while MCU Tony sees himself and the Iron Man identity and the armor as all being inextricably connected, we see a bit more compartmentalization with 616 Tony, who pretends that the armor is a whole separate person for years when his identity was private, and we see instances in older and newer comics, in which Tony is uncomfortable with some aspect of himself as Iron Man (for instance, during the second drinking arc, Tony temporarily swears off being Iron Man entirely, or for another example, when Tony is in a comma and Tony AI exists during Secret Empire, Tony “lives” in the Iron Man suit, and I think this could be interpreted as a meta parallel to Steve during this arc; Steve has had some core aspect of his character inverted, Captain America becoming Captain Hydra, so Tony experiences a similar inversion-- Tony Stark and Iron Man are forcibly merged, in a way that Tony seems deeply uncomfortable with, if his digital drinking relapse is any indication. But I digress; sorry for the tangent.)

Okay this post is inexcusable long, and very, very tangential, and I don’t feel like I’ve really covered everything I wanted to. But it has been sitting in my inbox for too long and if I don’t post it now I never will, so I hope this long, rambling thing has been a little bit helpful to you! Thank you so much for asking, I had a lot of fun rambling about this.

If you want to read a similar post, but well written and organized, with other insights, this post by Sineala answers a similar question!

#Anonymous #han reads comics #han meta #meta #iron man #tony stark #616 tony stark #616 #mcu #long post #han speaks #ask #sorry this definitely gets more incomprehensible as it goes on but i have been writing and rewriting and editing and fretting about this #for so long that if i dont just post it i probably never will and i sunk too many hours into it #to throw it away now 😅#abuse tw #abuse #alcoholism tw #alcoholism

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omegatheunknown · 3 years

Text

AEW Double or Nothing 2021

In which the spirit of WCW is alive in confusing and delightful ways and we are left to parse whether overbooking and extracurriculars are offset by having actually very good wrestling happening at the same time.

- Lessons learned from Revolution on the production side? Maybe just cool it on pyro, though the rappelling adventure in the Stadium Stampede showed some of that now-characteristic 'trust us it'll look better on TV' flair. Hot crowd tends to paper over most woes, and the crowd was pretty hot. My one gripe is that the casino theme is hanging around like yesterday's takeout containers. Nothing wrong with clinging to a theme, I just think it's time for season 2. My suggestion? Under the Sea.

*Pre-Card Serena Deeb (C) v Riho for the NWA Women's Championship (***1/2) - Serena Deeb's star has finally risen. She's a remarkably consistent technician and she can get a match out of anyone at this point. She's working at the level of Mercedes Martinez or Madison Eagles at this point, it's amazing that she was overlooked or considered fit only to be a coach for so long. With the NWA belt she has this new swagger, she's basically everything Tessa Blanchard might bring to the table with none of the downsides (Serena has a lot of friends and seems like a lovely person, even!) - Riho's back and here to stay. Her time in Stardom didn't do much for my evaluation of her, which is that there are many better wrestlers that would be better representatives of the joshi style and she's merely pretty good. - The match was very good. Serena showcased a champion's aggression against a sympathetic Riho, they really work well against each other, Deeb's technical prowess against Riho's flexibility led to a very dynamic finish.

*Main Card Hangman Adam Page v Brian Cage (***1/2) - Here the shenanigans start. Brian Cage is on Team Taz, Team Taz has nothing else much to do tonight, so why wouldn't Team Taz flex their muscles, bait us with HOOK, etc? (Because it would be nice to have some variety in the card in terms of a match where one competitor stands across from another competitor?) - Hangman is (checking notes) yeah, still over as fuck, as befits the Anxious Millennial Cowboy. Cage terrifies me, he's a child's drawing of a body builder. He do be very agile for a man of his immense musculature tho. They match up well, Page is biggish for a flyer, Cage loves to play catch. Nothing much to write home about, other than Hangman's beautiful moonsault to the floor and what was overall a very good curtain jerker. - Okay fine, I am curious about Cage's reluctance to lean on the goons, Starks can't come back soon enough.

The Young Bucks v Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston (***) - I will not be referring to Mox & Eddie as (The) Wild Things because it gives me 'he calls it the wacky line' flashbacks for some reason. - The Bucks have to cheat and abuse Rick Knox's attention span constantly to be on even footing with Mox & Eddie, which is a clever sort of thing that gets washed out by the appearance of LG and Karl Anderson, which again, is cool in a vacuum but was the story of the evening. - Pace was weird - repetitive in eliminating Eddie, then Mox fights back, failed hope spot, Bucks team up, Eddie saves x2/3 in a row. - Mox, unlike Cody (in so many ways,) will probably actually be taking some time off with Renee, which is the kind of thing I would prefer not to know in terms of booking, but they really uh, put him down on the canvas here, and it felt pretty finale-esque.

Casino Battle Royale (n/r, but on the balance pro) - Any changes to the theme of the PPV would likely include changing up the nonsense suit format of these largely joyless slogs. - Obviously anticipating a NJPW talent, or... I dunno, actually -- Lio Rush was a surprise. Got in a quick demonstration of his otherworldly quickness, and you know what, there's probably a fun place for him in AEW. He'll need some friends, of course, feel like Team Taz might fit his temperament. I wonder if he was aware of the Mark Henry news... - Christian does not need to win this kind of match to get a title shot, obviously, but that said it was super lovely to use him to give Jungle Boy the shine. Jungle Boy would be a license to print money if he was even as big as Hangman. - Could register some continued griping about how Penta is not getting his due in AEW but he also literally was dressed as the Joker so I'm low on sympathy on this one particular night.

Anthony Ogogo v Cody Rhodes (*) - I did not like this. It's hard for me to read jingoism as a face move to begin with, and Cody's was egregiously tone deaf and kinda silly yet delivered without a trace of irony because Cody doesn't do irony on purpose, ridiculous neck tattoo aside. - Great argument to be made that Ogogo just isn't experienced enough to be winning matches against Cody. But like, what are we doing here? Cody needs to take some time off, maybe. I thought that's what was happening when he had his mini feud with Penta that really just ended in quick decisive Cody win. I though maybe Cody was being turned when QT and The Factory snapped-- sure, they're a group of impotent player 2s, but Cody is an out of touch elitist with a callous and manipulative streak. Alas, also no. America #1. - Cody is approximately 8 times as tough as Billy Gunn based on his weathering of the one punch man. Match ran a bit long given how little there was to go on. Cody gigged? Quelle surprise. - Cody had the best match on the card like, 3 out of the first 4 AEW events or something, and that was all booking and storytelling. I do hope Cody follows Moxley's lead into a little sabbatical.

Miro (C) v Lance Archer for the TNT Championship (**1/2) - Card's hossiest hoss match, a quick burst reminiscent of a car wreck. Absolutely hit on what it should've hit on but a little slow moving considering it went all of 10 minutes. - I will not complain about Jake the Snake, who I love. And also the gimmick spot, with Miro very astutely yeeting what was definitely a snake in a bag (surely.) back down the tunnel.

Dr Britt Baker, DMD v Hikaru Shida (C) for the AEW Women's Championship (***) - Picked up a lot of steam toward the end but seemed a little toothless (heh) until the last five. - Shida 'deserved' some more time as champion in front of crowds but also it's time to let heel Britt reach her peak, I can't even imagine how obnoxious she can be as the champ, it's going to be great.

Sting & Darby Allin v Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky (***1/2) - Such is the power of STING that I feel like I might be underrating this match... I mean it was an okay match about very simply getting some revenge and the sixty year old man did a very subdued Code Red and a slightly less subdued dive. He's also Sting. They missed an opportunity in calling it the 'Scorpio' Death Drop, but the main takeaway here is you see something like this where it's The Icon and you start to understand why WWE trots out their legends to come out of incredibly still kick ass without bending their knees. - The difference, I guess, is that Sting is absolutely being used to build up Darby Allin, whereas it's not like the fed brought back Goldberg and his attendant aura to pump up... anyone but Goldberg?

Kenny Omega (C) v PAC v Orange Cassidy for the AEW World Championship (****) - Off the top I have to say I'm very sad that the rest of the Galaxy's Greatest Friends were seen only very briefly, nice of them to bring OC's backpack. - Also have to point out that PAC's promo featured one of my favourite jokes, that Kenny must be short for Kenneth as a sort of legal/birth name belonging to a professional wrestler. (See also: Samoa Joseph) - And Mr Cassidy certainly did try in this match, ragdoll sells and all. Kenneth and PAC are absurd talents who bring aerial, power and technical maneuvers in equal measure and OC is not doing any of those on the same level, but he picked his spots, showed his genre savvy and hung in there to the point that he wasn't just the fall guy. - The extracurriculars continue in a match that was already a little overboard for silliness due to asymmetry... I think if you're the Invisible Hand it would've made sense to save up all your tricks for this match, but who am I to question the golden goose? - Sure, Kenny and Don ran the classic heel manager interference spot and taking out the ref in desperation spot but having to take out the ref because PAC wouldn't break the hold is fun, as is the stupid/inspired sense in running the 'smash opponent with the belt' spot four times so as none of your heavy gold prizes feel left out. (I love that AAA Mega Championship, they weren't on TV so we get to see it?) - "Fuck You, Don," indeed.

The Inner Circle v The Pinnacle in 'Stadium Stampede II' (***1/2) - This one had to grow on me for two reasons, first that it's usually pretty unforgivable to co-opt the main event spot from the championship match, and second to law of diminishing returns on dumb gimmick matches. - But grow it did. There's a full on meat locker? Commentary will refer to a cardboard cut-out of Shahid Khan as Tony Khan's father (that's canon now,) and Jericho will lovingly pat it? Konnan happened to be the DJ at whatever night club there is a Jaguar Stadium? Spears surrounds himself dramatically with chairs and his hoisted by his own petard? - Ultimately it comes down to letting Sammy shine. His involvement with the Inner Circle has sometimes come at the cost of being able to showcase that prior to AEW he was an ascendant talent in PWG, on his way to Ricochet level feats of acrobatic excess. Still feel like Sammy could've/should've been the one tossed off the cage a few weeks ago, but even better is being the guy getting the pin in the ring.

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lemonpeter · 4 years

Text

Day 6 - Dry Humping (Peter/Tony)

Sorry this one is getting out a bit late today! As I mentioned with my post yesterday, I decided to totally restart this one because I wasn’t satisfied with it at first. So I had to finish it. Now....I hope you enjoy 🧡

Warnings: age difference, college aged Peter, Tony calling Peter ‘kid’, dry humping, sort of power bottom!Tony, very nff but do I need to say that it’s kinktober

————

God, Tony Stark’s ass.

Peter knew fully well that he was supposed to be focusing on other things. Like his homework he had come to the lab for. Or his suit, which had quickly become Mr. Stark’s priority. Or maybe he could focus on the fact that it was wildly inappropriate for him to be nearly drooling over his mentor’s ass.

But he couldn’t focus on anything other than how absolutely perfect it was.

Framed perfectly by tight jeans, every curve shown off through the thick material, Peter couldn’t help but stare.

He was lucky that he didn’t get caught. Every time Mr. Stark started looking his way, he looked to something else.

He couldn’t get caught. That would be beyond embarrassing. And he would probably be kicked out of the lab forever. Tony would never let him come back. So he kept his thirsty thoughts and wandering eyes to where he wouldn’t be noticed. It was safer that way.

———

Tony noticed. Of course he did. Peter wasn’t sly. He wasn’t careful. Tony could feel the younger man’s eyes on him.

He knew the kid was watching him. And kept eyeing his backside. Was he bothered? Absolutely not.

And he decided to have a bit of fun with him, even.

He sort of arched his back, ass popping out more than it already did. Then he leaned down against the table where he was working on Peter’s suit. His elbows were braced against the table, leaving him in a stretched out position.

He bit his lip to keep from grinning at the soft noise he heard come from Peter. A person didn’t need heightened senses or superpowers to figure out that the kid was turned on.

“Peter,” he said suddenly. “So, how’s school going? Do I sound old? All I know to ask you about is school.” He hummed, ignoring that Peter hadn’t answered at all. “Maybe not school. I’m sure you’re doing great at that...don’t even make me say it.”

Peter cracked a small smile even though his cheeks were flaming red with the sudden conversation that tore him from his thoughts. “It’s just ESU, Mr. Stark. You can say it. It’s just three letters. Like MIT.”

“Don’t even dare to compare the two,” Tony said dramatically. “But yes. That. Im sure you’re doing great.” He stretched out more, pretending to stretch his back. “Sorry. Getting older is hard, kid, I feel like my back is always tense.” He grinned. “You ever get that problem?”

The younger man shook his head a little. “No, sir. I don’t. Unless I just got done with a twelve hour patrol or something. And I don’t do that much.”

Tony hummed. “Unfair. But I guess it makes sense.” He sat up suddenly. “Actually, would you mind rubbing my back real quick? Take some pity on an old man. I’ve been leaning over this table for forever and it’s hell on my spine.”

Peter blinked quickly, looking at him. His brain couldn’t seem to keep up, not taking in anything he was just asked. But that could have been due to how much Mr. Stark had said in such a short amount of time. “Sir?”

“A backrub, Parker. Please. It seems like fair payment for working on your suit, which is why my back hurts.”

“I thought you said your back hurts because you’re old,” Peter mumbled playfully, moving behind his mentor slowly.

Tony laughed. “Oh hush. That’s the one time you decide to listen to me? Step to it, underoos, we need to keep working on this suit so you can go home soon. But I’m not lifting another finger until-“

Peter moved his hands to Tony’s shoulders shyly, cheeks flushed.

“That’s a little high, kid. Unless you need a lesson in basic human anatomy, I think you know where a back is.”

Peter did know anatomy. Which was the issue. Because the back is very very close to the plump flesh that he had been eyeing for the better part of two hours. But his hands slowly dropped, resting on Tony’s back.

“Good.” Tony had been mildly worried that he misread the whole situation. Of course, he hadn’t. “Now, don’t be too gentle, okay? I can handle it. I like it rough.”

That phrase shot straight through Peter, blood quickly surging to his already half-hard dick. Fuck.

“O-okay,” he stuttered, thumbs gently moving to dig into the tight muscle.

Tony relaxed into the touch, smirking to himself when he was absolutely sure that Peter couldn’t see him. He groaned softly at a specific dig of the young man’s thumb into his back. He had meant to have a few well placed noises to get Peter’s attention, maybe get him thinking a little more, but that one had been completely unintentional.

Peter froze at the noise, biting his lip. “Everything okay?” He asked timidly, trying to press his legs together where he was standing. He was so hard, balls thrumming in time with his heartbeat. Some sort of friction or relief was needed. Of course, he couldn’t get much without touching himself and there was no way that he could do that yet.

“All good, Pete,” Tony breathed, pressing back into the touch more. “Don’t worry. That was nice. Keep going.”

The young man nodded slowly, sucking his bottom lip under his teeth and chewing it as he tried to focus. What they were doing was completely innocent. He was thinking wrong and needed to get his mind out of the gutter.

Then Tony was making more noise, the sound that left him barely something other than an outright moan.

Peter shivered, his entire body trembling for a second. He didn’t even realize how he began gravitating closer to Tony again. His hips were only a couple inches from his mentor, the soft swell of his bulge at the front of his jeans almost touching the very place he had been fantasizing about.

And Tony was running low on patience. But wasn’t he always? He arched his back again, leaning back against the table. Which pushed his ass right against the hard-on of the man behind him.

Peter had to quickly bite back a groan at the contact, hands pulling away like Tony had burned him. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Stark,” he stuttered, face burning. He slowly pulled away. “I’ll leave. I’m sorry. You were just wanting me to do this innocent thing and-“

“Hold it right there, Parker,” Tony said lazily, hips swaying slightly. “I’ve known exactly what was going on the entire time. I’ve got a hold on this situation.” He paused for nothing more than the drama. “And I want this.”

There was silence for a moment, which was a real feat given the two people in the room.

Then Peter cleared his throat, slowly moving into the position he had been in before. But he placed his hands on Tony’s hips instead. “So this is okay?”

Tony pressed back a little, smirking when he felt the obvious bulge against him. “Get those jeans out of the way and it will be. And actually-“

He stood up straight one more time, undoing his own and pushing them down to his thighs. The action left him in tight briefs that showcased his assets even better than the pants had. “There. Much better.” He cupped his own cock through the front of the thin fabric, humming in a satisfied way before bending over again. “Now I’m ready.”

Peter stared at him, brain seemingly short circuiting. “You...huh?”

“Peter Parker you’ve been staring at me the entire time we’ve been here. And I’ve caught it before too. Usually I’d question your judgement, but I’m too worked up now to do anything but let you faux fuck me into this table. Got it?”

“Got it,” he said meekly, blush still burning from his ears to his chest. But it was a miracle he could manage the excess blood in his face at all with how hard he was. He awkwardly unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them off quickly, erection straining against his loose boxers.

Tony wiggled a little, trying to be enticing. He grinned when he felt strong hands on his hips again and a huge cock against his ass. “That’s it. Now have at it, honey.”

That was all the further encouragement Peter needed.

He started thrusting quickly, cock fitting perfectly between the cheeks of Tony’s ass even through the two layers of fabric. He groaned at the sight, fighting to keep himself from blowing his load right then.

The older man hummed, helpfully pressing back and grinding against the heavy length. “That’s it,” he praised gently. “I know you’ve been wanting this. I saw how you stared at me. Just couldn’t help your dirty feelings, could you, Pete? How long have you wanted this?”

Peter whined softly, not wanting to answer. Then he slowly started talking as he kept his hips moving at an even pace. “I-I’ve wanted this a long...long time. Too long. Since before I even knew you,” he admitted shyly, breathing hard.

He was embarrassingly close already, balls drawing up tightly as he kept moving and thought about how he was finally getting something - someone - he’d wanted for so long.

Tony hummed, pleased. “I know, baby. You just couldn’t help yourself. Have you touched yourself? Thinking about me?” His tone was teasing, but he obviously wanted an answer.

“Every time,” Peter choked out.

Tony moaned at that, rewarding the answer with a hard grind back. “You’re perfect...such a good boy. Aren’t you, Peter, you want to be my good boy?”

Peter whined softly, the previously swift and even movement of his hips getting rough and choppy. “Wanna be your good boy,” he answered obediently. His cock twitched at the admission, due to how hot he found the words and how close he was to his end.

“I know you do,” his mentor cooed, rubbing against the younger man in a way that made his toes curl with pleasure. Tony knew that he wouldn’t be able to get off from the action, but he was okay with just making Peter cum. That was all he needed for the moment.

Then he got an idea. “Take out your cock, kid.”

Peter moaned loudly. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the command or the highly inappropriate nickname for the occasion. “W-why?”

“I want you to cum on my ass,” Tony stated like it was a well known fact. “So do what I said, Peter. I know you want to.”

Peter nodded quickly, halting his movement to push his boxers down. Then he took his cock in one hand, free hand moving from its place on Tony’s hip to gently cup his balls. He whimpered softly, hips thrusting to fuck into his fist.

“Now cum, Peter,” Tony ordered. He didn’t know that it would work, he told himself that he wouldn’t be disappointed if it didn’t. It wasn’t like they had trained or anything for the young man to be able to finish on command.

But of course, as absolutely perfect as he was, he did.

His cock twitched almost violently in his hand just before his orgasm hit. The first spurt of his cum shot straight onto Tony’s back and he realized in the midst of his high that some more aim was needed. So he aimed himself better, slowly stroking himself through the high as more of the warm cum spurted onto the desired area, soaking Tony’s briefs and making them nearly translucent as they clung to his skin.

Once he rode out the high Peter slowly took his hands off of himself, panting quietly. He looked over the sight of his mentor, biting his lip. “Woah...”

“You’re like a fucking firehose,” Tony mumbled, turning to try and look. “I couldn’t see it unfortunately, but I could feel....jesus, you made a mess of me.” He grinned, looking at the other man. “I wish I could have watched. But you did so good,” he praised again, standing up straight and turning to face him.

Peter watched him, shyly pulling his boxers back up to hide his softening cock. “I did?”

“So good. So good that...” Tony hummed, tapping a finger to his chin. “You’re free tomorrow, right?”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, sir. So yes.”

“Perfect!” He clapped his hands together, ignoring the way that the wet fabric clinging to him was started to bother him. “You’ll come over tomorrow. Because I need more of this. And as good as it was, it wasn’t quite...” he gestured to the remaining tent in his underwear. “Fulfilling for both of us, hmm?”

“Who...who said we had to wait ‘til tomorrow?” Peter offered suddenly, eyes not leaving the bulge.

Tony chuckled, watching him. “Oh, I think I like where your mind is going. Better just spend the night tonight. Let’s claim it’s for research purposes.”

“Research purposes.”

It was going to be a long night.

#bri speaks #starker #peter parker #tony stark #tony x peter #peter parker x tony stark #nff starker #nff #bri does kinktober #kinktober with bri #kinktober 2020

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electra-xt · 3 years

Note

I’ve been following you since around the end of TUA Season 2 and I honestly can’t tell whether you really love Iron Man or really hate Iron Man

Every time you post about Tony Stark I squint at my screen like an old man figuring out the new iPhone his niece just bought him

yes

the answer is that i really love iron man but really hate what a lot of writers do to iron man! i fell HARD in love with everything tony stark when i was 16 and i still find the core emotional premise of tony stark profoundly compelling. in general, i'm drawn to fictional stories of people reckoning with existing power and influence more than i'm drawn to underdogs. and he built his own mechanical heart!!! he literally flies too close to the sun!!! he's motivated by deep sorrow but is also sharp and cynical and perceptive!!! this is my shit!!! for about 2 years i adored everything iron man and i read (and wrote!) metric tons of tony stark fic. i was also a dramatic teenager going through some shit so i would stand in the kitchen with my side-effect-causing nighttime pills in my hand and think to myself, you are running out of both time and options. the device that is keeping you alive is also killing you. so whatever opinions i have about iron man will always come from the place of having at one point deeply loved and found meaning in tony stark as a character! but also, it's been a couple years and that is about the length of time i last in any fandom, so my feelings have shifted and changed over time :)

i have not watched all the mcu movies; i haven't even fully watched all the ones with tony in them. i have read a non-zero amount of comics ranging from 1963 avengers to tony stark: iron man (2018). i ingested so much fanfiction that my veins ran with it. at some point in july 2018 i looked up from the ao3 tabs on my phone and realized i was in a batteries plus store waiting for my mom to be finished buying batteries and i was also at that moment reading a fic about tony and steve growing old and dealing with the changes in their lifestyle and relationship and i was like "oh i'm OBSESSED obsessed here." my favorite mcu movies are iron man and avengers 1. my favorite comics arcs are the second drinking arc from the 80s, ultimates 1 and 2, and every single issue of squirrel girl. my favorite fanfiction is by sineala, isozyme, a user who is clearly a throwaway sock, and this one orphaned fic that haunts my dreams. i wrote two fics set in the ults verse before the tua obsession set in!

unfortunately the marvel canon is so enormous, so male, and so disney-driven that the amount of non-character-focused influences is kind of dizzying and gives me whiplash. i used to stand in target in the pantry aisle and stared at the iron man® raspberry jello on the shelf and think... this is the guy i read 90k word painstakingly developed fics about? this is the guy who canonically pushes people away and drinks to excess and hurts people with his words and pulls all nighters trying to fix the damage he's done to the world but deep down he's powered by guilt that he'll never outrun? and he is on jello? they put him on jello? you can buy tony stark at target and eat him?

because it isn't tony stark the battered rehabilitated hero who is on the jello... and it isn't tony stark the battered rehabilitated hero who is in the recent comics... and by endgame, it wasn't even tony stark the battered rehabilitated hero in the movies, either. the mcu so thoroughly processed tony stark over a decade of profits and focus groups and military funds and robert downey jr.'s increasing power in the direction of the mcu that i feel like the character ended up warping into something i liked a lot less. i don't really mind that he died in endgame, but i'm not a fan of his story with pepper and morgan either. i wish that he had been able to retain some of the bite to his character and i feel like there was SO MUCH potential there that just could not have been used because of their thematic constraints... and also for like 13 years now the tony stark solo comics have been shit because he's the most popular mcu character so they keep bringing on big names to write for iron man and the big name authors are all like "aha! what if i deconstructed iron man?" and everyone who actually likes the character is like no PLEASE don't. it sucks man. plus there's only ever been one woman who wrote an official iron man storyline in anything, and that was a two-issue tie-in to a crossover event. i don't honestly have a lot of faith that anything cool or unusual will be done with iron man for the indefinite future unless they hire new people to write him who have a different perspective and a different agenda than the writers have now.

so it feels like tony stark is wired into a really big machine and i like tony stark and i like parts of the machine but also god i wish he were not in the machine! i don't like the machine! if i am ever in a marvel mood, i will scamper around scavenging fics and relishing good takes that make me happy. and in tribute to my past self, i still own this and i will probably keep it on my bookshelf forever, because sometimes...

deep down...

iron man good

#i love this ask thank you #replies

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tisfan · 4 years

Text

Are We There Yet?

Title: Are we There Yet? Collaborator: @tisfan Link: https://tisfan.tumblr.com/post/630057673957785600/are-we-there-yet Square Filled: 024: Bleeding Edge Main Pairing: Tony Stark/Logan Rating: Teen and Up Major Tags: Kidnapping, Roughed Up Summary: Tony gets kidnapped. Again. You’d really think bad guys would learn better. Word Count 598

For @tonystarkbingo

Waiting for the villain of the day to stop monologuing was completely obnoxious. Tony had to hand it to the guy, once he got on a roll, he was good for at least another ten minutes, which was ten minutes he wasn’t punching Tony in the face, or ribs, or guts. Or, one time for reasons Tony didn’t quite understand, stomping on his foot, which, quite frankly, really fucking hurt.

He might have been tempted to make a few comments about it -- a bad idea and a witty one liner were his specialties, after all -- except that dip-shit villain of the day had gagged him and then stuffed a bag over his head. It did mean Tony didn’t really need to have to pay attention in order to tailor his remarks. He got by with a few eye rolls -- that no one could see -- and a couple of overly dramatic sighs.

Bored now.

Tony groaned again, practically doubling over, his arms pinned painfully behind his back, which made it even worse.

Dude, Tony tried to complain, which came out muffled behind the gag as Moooooooos.

He was reminded of something Logan had told him once, about the mutant healing factor; just because it don’t stay doesn’t mean it don’t hurt.

Next time, Logan got to play bait. Not that Tony could think of any villain dumb enough -- except maybe Magneto -- who would try to grab the Wolverine. Hydra agents pissed themselves just hearing a replay of the sound of those claws coming out.

Shink!

Finally, the van pulled to a halt, and Tony was being dragged out, bag over his head, gag still raw between his teeth.

He was dragged into a building that smelled of mildew and rotting trash, shoved into a chair.

Eeee reeee yeee?

Are we here yet?

Tony blinked as the hood was ripped off and painfully bright lights shone down on him. “So, the great Tony Stark-- not so impressive now.”

Finally.

He didn’t even have to call the armor to him anymore. Bleeding Edge shimmered through his skin, adapting as he needed it. He bit through the gag with teeth suddenly sharper than knives, tore the handcuffs open as nanobots reinforced his arm muscles and closed over his wrists to protect his skin.

“You guys are so, so fucked,” Tony said as the Iron Man armor finished building itself around him. “And that’s if you’re lucky, and I get finished with you before my boyfriend gets here.”

Outside, he could hear the sounds of Logan kicking ass and forgetting about names.

“Guess you’re not lucky.” Tony decided he didn’t want to deal with it today, in favor of getting the fuck out of here. He repulsored the guy in the face, knocking him backward.

“We in a hurry, sweetheart?” Only Logan could make a pet name sound like some sort of animalistic death threat.

“I want to go home and get laid. Did you get what we needed?”

“Buncha dead bad guys, and my boyfriend, so. Yeah.”

“Great, burn it down, and let’s go home.”

“Put your skin back on,” Logan told him. “If I’m rescuin’ the princess, I’m gettin’ a kiss.”

“It doesn’t really work like that,” Tony told him, peeling the mask back and letting the excess nanobots sink into his bloodstream.

“Don’t care.”

Logan pulled Tony’s shoulders down to line up their mouths, and then kissed Tony, biting his lower lip and tugging, just a bit.

“Are we in a hurry?” Tony asked, panting for breath.

“Want to go home and get laid.”

#tonystarkflashbingo #bingo fill #Tony Stark/Logan #kidnapping #bleeding edge armor

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not-close-to-straight · 4 years

Text

Sugar, Sugar (Five)

Drum roll please... we actually mention a brief bit of real plot this chapter. See that? The story won’t just be plotless stuckony shenanigans. There’s Real Things that might eventually happen.

MASTERLIST HERE

*************

“Tony?” Pepper used her keys to open the door to Sweet Peach Bakery and then locked it behind her. No one was on the street at six am, but she wasn’t about to take any chances. “Hey Tony? Where are you?”

“Office!” came the muffled answer, and with a quick stop to grab a still warm croissant off a tray, Pepper hurried her way towards the back of the shop.

“What are you doing here so early?” She asked, and then, “And oh my god this croissant is so good, when did you start making these?”

“Didn’t make them.” Tony’s hair was reaching excessive heights of fluffiness this morning and Pepper had to push the mess down just so she could smoosh a kiss to his forehead. “Had a distributor come by with samples. Croissants that just need to be proofed, pre filled turnovers, all that sort of thing. On one hand, I will never have enough time to make croissants from scratch so this is a good alternative. On the other hand, I actually cried putting pre made, frozen bread into the over this morning to bake.”

“Well, these are delicious, and I think you’re being dramatic and ridiculous.” Pepper perched on the edge of Tony’s desk, poking curiously at a frosting bag full of something chocolate. “What’s this?”

“Guinness and cocoa.” Tony kept scribbling at purchase forms. “The flavor is supposed to get better the longer it sits so I’ve got a timer and I’m tasting once an hour to see if I notice an improvement.”

“Mm-hmm” Pepper raised her eyebrows curiously. “Sounds... delicious and like something I’ll be eating immediately. Oh hey, tell me about your date with Steve and Bucky last night.”

“It wasn’t a date.” Tony said absentmindedly. “And uh, it went an awful lot like this.”

The frosting bag splgrhrhrd-ed when he pushed at it, a blurt of frosting falling thick and creamy all over the desk.

“Tony!” Pepper screeched and Tony retorted, “Hey! You asked how it went, that’s how it went! That sorta noise and everything!”

“TONY!”

“You knew who I was when you decided to love me.”

“Oh for fucks sake--” Pepper swiped a finger through the frosting and sucked it into her mouth. “I’m mad that I’m eating this after you said that, but this is honestly amazing.”

“Good and guinnessy?”

“Enough that I feel like I could get drunk if you hadn’t cooked the alcohol out of it.”

“Well here, I can solve that for.” Tony felt around under his desk and puled a can of beer out, cracked the top and pushed it his favorite Bridezilla. “Drink up.”

“It’s six o clock in the morning, Tony.” Pepper protested, but when he only looked at her, she sighed and took a sip. “You encourage me to do terrible things. Between the beer and the croissants and the cupcakes, I’ll never fit into my wedding dress.”

Tony finally pushed the forms aside and tasted the frosting himself. “My god, this is good. I’m a genius. And don’t worry about your dress. You got a corset back gown for exactly this occasion. Ten pounds cos I won’t stop feeding you isn’t going to ruin anything. You are the most radiant bride at any wedding, in any city, at any size.”

“I love you very much.” Pepper stuffed the last bite of croissant into her mouth and gave him another kiss. “Which brings me to the actual point of my visit.”

“Is this about Rhodey’s bachelor party?”

“It’s about Rhodey’s bachelor party.” she confirmed. “He gave me a list of all the unacceptable activities you’ve threatened him with in the last three months, he also gave me a list of all unacceptable locations for his party, as well as a list of colors he doesn’t want to see...”

The pretty redhead pulled out several pieces of paper from her purse and shuffled through them. “Oh, here’s the color one. It um-- it only has one word on it.”

“Is the word neon?” Tony grinned. “ With a circle around and multiple lines through it?”

“Yes it is.”

“Excellent.”

“Tell me more about your non date.” Pepper put the lists away and went back to eating frosting. “Which one of them railed you and where did it happen. And don’t ruin my frosting by splooging it again, alright? Just once was bad enough.”

“I didn’t actually get railed.” Tony frowned a little. “Dunno if my apron game was off or my leggings weren’t quite thotty enough--” Pepper snorted. “-- or what. But Steve got down on his knees and quite literally sucked my brain out through the hole in my--”

“ANTHONY EDWARD STARK!”

“--in my frosting bag while Bucky got up behind me and tried to fuck me through my pants. And I definitely thought they’d strip me naked and help me ruin my new couches, but after I finished they just sorta...” Tony shrugged. “Kissed me? Kissed each other? Told me they’d see me tonight and then left.”

“Wait wait wait.” Pepper held up her hand to stop his rambling. “So these two amazingly hot men--”

“--like stupidly hot, yeah.”

“-- are into you. The blond gets down on his knees to give you a blow job while the brunette tries to get you pregnant over your pants--”

“-- i love you for phrasing it like that.”

“-- and then when you’re ready to reciprocate, they leave?”

“Yeah.” he frowned a little. “Yeah, I don’t get it. I mean, I showed them my new couches and everything. I wore low rise leggings and my frilliest apron and made that weird noise I make when I finish way more intense than I expected to? All signs pointed to ‘stay here and let me ride you’ and they left.”

“I feel like showing people couches and making weird noises aren’t really valid forms of communication.” she pointed out, and Tony retorted, “I’ve seen you cross your legs in a specific way and Rhodey practically strips right then and there. Don’t talk to me about valid forms of communication.”

“I’m just saying--!” Pepper raised her voice when Tony started laughing. “I’m just saying, maybe instead of provocatively mentioning furniture and using aprons for flirting, you use your words like a damn adult and tell those boys what you want from them!”

“But I don’t want anything from them.” He maintained. “Except to quite literally ride Bucky’s face and see what that mouth do, and also to bent over and broke in half by Steve’s dick. I didn’t even get to see it last night but his old man khaki’s don’t leave a whole lot to the imagination so... yep. I think we’re fine.”

“All that lovely imagery aside.” Tony laughed again when Pepper rubbed at her temples like she had a headache already. “You’ve spent the better part of a month seeing them every single night, the better part of a month talking to me and James about them... would it be the worst to admit that maybe you do want something from them?”

Tony clenched his jaw, and just that quickly every bit of easy going was stripped from their morning together.

“I’m not trying to make you mad, honey.” Pepper softened her voice and reached for Tony’s hand. “But I know you so so well and I know you fall in love really quickly and I also know-- no no no, Tony wait!”

Tony pushed away from the desk and headed back into the bakery and Pepper scrambled after him. “Tony! Just wait a second!”

“You are not allowed to talk to me about how quickly I fall in love.” Tony grabbed the tray of pre made croissants and tossed them in the trash, throwing the pan down with a clang. “You are not allowed to tell me I want more than-- than sex from Steve and Bucky. Cos I don’t. And even if I did--”

“Oh Tony--”

“-- even if I did!” he yelled. “You aren’t allowed to say it because you promised-- after Italy, you promised--”

“Okay stop.” Pepper grabbed his hands before Tony went for a knife to start chopping up fruit. “Tony stop. I’m sorry I said anything, alright? You’re right, I shouldn’t say that and after Italy I promised I wouldn't say anything.”

“But?” Tony challenged. “But? Because I know there’s one. What else are you going to say?”

“...that maybe the fact that you’re so mad right now means I’m probably right?” Pepper finished in a whisper. “But I am sorry for saying anything. Sorry. Don’t be mad at me, you know I love you.”

“... I love you too.” Tony finally relaxed and Pepper leaned in to kiss him gently. “And I’m sorry for getting so mad. I just-- still a little sore, yeah? Still a little sore.”

“I know you are.” She held him close for a long minute. “I won’t tell Rhodey, alright? This whole thing is just between me and you.”

“Thanks.” Tony paused. “I’m doing neon for Rhodey’s bachelor party though. I already ordered three hundred glow sticks, several gallons of shockingly colored body paint and the ugliest fedora’s ever and I’m not returning them.”

“Yep, that’s fair.”

“...all I want from Steve and Bucky is sex.” he said again, softer this time. “It’s sort of gross how much they love each other and I’d never try to get in the way of that. They are so sweet together and I can’t figure out why the hell they’d need to spice up their sex life by adding me but I’m definitely not complaining. The last month has been super fun and honestly after the year I’ve had, fun is all I can handle right now.”

“Okay sweetheart.” Pepper plucked one of the croissants off the top of the pile and took a big bite. “I love you, okay? I’ll call you tonight if you aren’t busy emptying your frosting bag onto Steve’s face.”

“Oh no, it’s Bucky’s turn for that mess.”

Pepper laughed herself right out of the bakery and half way down the street before the giggles finally subsided, and the moment they did, she picked up her phone to call her fiancee.

“Hey baby.”

“It’s been an entire year and it honestly doesn’t occur to Tony that Steve and Bucky are hanging around for any other reason than to spice up their sex life.”

“It’s six thirty in the morning, Pep. Why are we talking about Tony’s sex life?”

“Well I--”

“No actually, that’s not that weird. What’s weird is that you’re talking about Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass at six thirty in the morning. You know my rule. We can talk about Tony but we cannot talk about whatever idiot Tony is banging.”

“Idiots, in this case my love.” Pepper corrected. “And I don’t actually care about them. What I do care about is that Tony is still so damaged that it doesn’t occur to him that he’s good for anything other than something fun for a couple.”

“Well, he tells them he only wants something fun.”

“And you’ve known Tony way too long to think that’s true in any way, shape, or form. Tony falls in love with the people who bring him coffee cos they smile at him. There’s no way he doesn’t desperately want to be in a relationship again.”

“Pep.” Rhodey groaned on the other line. “You weren’t here when Tony first came home from Italy. You know Isabella fucked him up, but you have no idea how deep it goes, alright? If he says he just wants fun with the Tweedles, let him lie to himself and to us and to whoever else he wants to cos Tony needs to at least pretend he’s okay, alright?”

“But--”

“Did you tell him no neon at my bachelor party?”

Pepper pursed her lips. “Yes. Yes I told him, and yes he promised to listen.”

“It’s something involving terrible fedoras, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Man, I hate fedoras.”

****************

“Heya baby-cakes.” Bucky had a super soft smile for his very sleepy boyfriend when Steve finally made it out of bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I have the worst case of blue balls in the world.” Steve stretched and yawned and Bucky watched with no small amount of interest as all that skin lit up in the morning sun. “How is it that Tony got a blow job last night and you got a blow job last night but I did not get a blow job last night?”

“Hmmm.” Bucky waggled his eyebrows and took a big bite of his breakfast. “Seems’ta me if you would’a came in your pants like history has shown ya do, your balls wouldn’t hurt.”

“Seema’ta me you should quit mouth fucking that peach and join me in the shower so I don’t have to jerk off alone like a damn teenager.” Steve retorted. “M’standing here naked Buck. I’m dating you for a reason and it’s not cos you’re brilliant. Get the hell in there.”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Bucky finished slurping at the fruit and tossed the pit away. “You want a blow job or for me to fuck you stupid?”

“Would it kill you to be a little bit romantic?”

“You wanna be romantic or do you want me to get you off? You can’t have it both ways, Stevie. That ain’t the way th’world works.”

“Seriously, why do I love you?” Steve yanked Bucky’s pajama pants down and pulled him into the water. “And not on the same page at all, I was sorta surprised you let me have Tony last night. Figured you’d be all over that.”

“Wanted to watch you and Tony together.” Bucky grunted when Steve pushed the soap into his hands and then all but humped at his thigh impatiently. “Sure was gorgeous. You were sorta suffocating when he finished, but you should’a heard the noises Tony made. Fuckin’ beautiful. And you got all flushed and pretty and greedy with it? Love that, baby. So hot.”

“Fuck fuck fuck.” Steve threw his head back and gasped when Bucky closed a slick palm around him. “Okay but next time with Tony--”

“Stop talking and let me take care of you.” Bucky interrupted, wrapping a strong arm around Steve’s waist and holding him steady. “Or do you still wanna be halfway to dyin’ when we sit down and talk about all the ways I’m gonna juice Tony’s peach the first chance I get?”

“Fuck--” Steve screwed his eyes up tight. “You gonna-- fuck, Bucky. Is that why you were eating a peach this morning? Practicing?”

“Please baby doll.” Bucky drawled, gripping hard at Steve’s ass and working his fingers in exactly where the blond needed them. “I don’t need any practice, you know damn well I can eat a peach for hours.”

....

...later, after Steve had come embarrassingly fast thinking about Bucky eating Tony’s peach for hours-- later, they switched spots under the warm spray so Steve could work shampoo into Bucky’s long hair, scratching at his scalp and smiling fondly when the big brunette basically purred over it.

“You’re a sap.” he informed him, and Bucky tossed back, “Says the guy who’s barely standing after blowing the tip of his dick off. It was a hand job, Stevie. Not even my best work.”

“Fuck off.” Steve said tiredly. “Let’s talk about last night. Did you notice--”

“-- how disappointed Tony looked when we left?” Bucky finished. “Sure did. You don’t think he took it personal, do you? Just feel like maybe a bakery isn’t the right place to get nekkid, you know?”

“Yeah I feel like Tony would regret letting us mess up his bake table.” Steve agreed. “And it’s not like we ran outta there, we stayed and kissed for a while until he wasn’t so loopy.”

“I think it’s alright.” Bucky decided. “Course since he won’t give us his damn phone number we can’t text or nothin’ to make sure his feelings weren’t hurt but we’ll see him tonight.”

“Gonna fuck him tonight?”

“I dunno.” he answered honestly. “Feel like the first time we really hook up should be where there’s a bed, right? Blow jobs behind th’counter are one thing, full on getting humpy with it--” Steve cackled with laughter and Bucky grinned. “-- should be somewhere soft and somewhere where the mess isn’t a health code violation, yeah?”

“Do you think he’s as crazy about us as we are about him?” Steve asked then. “I mean, we went from ‘all we need is each other’ to practically climbing over each other to get to Tony. Think he cares even a little bit?”

“He’s gotta care a little bit.” Bucky ducked back under the water to rinse the suds away. “Don’t think it’s anything serious though. Only been like a month, Stevie. Nothin’ serious can happen in a month.”

“We were in love in a month.”

“No, after a month we’d hit thirty solid days of my dick in your ass.” Bucky countered. “It was at least another month before we even managed a real date, Stevie. That wasn’t love that was-- that was you bein’ way too hot and me not knowin’ the meaning of the words ‘at ease’.”

“Say what you want.” Steve kissed Bucky’s nose gently. “But I know full well you were head over heels in love with me.”

“Lies.” Bucky kissed him right back. “Absolute fuckin’ slander. Take it back right now.”

“Oh honey.” Steve budged closer and kissed him again, sweeping his fingers into Bucky’s hair and holding him close for a long time, brushing his fingers over Bucky’s cheekbones and murmuring soft things when Bucky went real soft against him. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Bucky said gruffly. “Since the first time you let me at your apple.”

“..my butt is an apple?”

“Could bounce a quarter off it baby. Buns of steel but still so so juicy!”

“Damn it, Bucky.”

****************

“Hey guys.” Tony was still working on chocolate and guinness frosting when Bucky and Steve showed up that night. “How’s it going?”

“Stevie’s got blue balls and I’ve been thinkin’ bout your butt all day.” Bucky grabbed onto Tony’s apron strings and yanked him in for a thorough, messy kiss. “How about you?”

“I’ve got to finish this frosting and rewrite my recipe so it doesn’t look like chicken scratch and thennnnnn....” Tony laughed softy when Steve gave him an equally thorough kiss. “.... then I think we should do something about Steve’s blue balls. New couches?”

“Super excited to ruin your new couches, yep.” Bucky eyed the mixing bowl curiously. “Is that something I can eat?”

“It’s something you can smear on my tummy and lick off.” Tony called over Steve’s shoulder as the blond backed him towards the office. “Or on my butt! Or on my-- Ack! Steve! STEVE!”

Laughter from the office and a quiet oof! as they hit the couch and Bucky plucked a big spatula from a nearby box to scoop up a healthy serving of Tony-tummy appropriate frosting.

And then when he heard Steve sigh and groan, his already deep voice doing that velvet thing Bucky loved so much, he paused for a second to listen to Tony’s breathy answer, a happy giggle and a sweet sweet moan that sounded halfway adoring.

.... oh man does Tony sort of love us?

*****************

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