Tony Stark is characteristically hyperverbal. (the_iron_man) wrote in avengers_logs, @ 2020-06-09 15:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | -complete, steve rogers, tony stark |
Who: Steve & Tony
What: updating Steve on some recent events
When: post-Plum Island, after the log with Dr. Strange
Tony had no warning that Steve had disappeared, or that another Steve had shown up. He was diligently engrossed in wiring components for an upgrade in the top floor lab in the Tower, AC/DC blaring at ear bleeding levels. He was within view of the security doors, a see through affair that had a keypad and scanner to allow entry. Of course, any of the Tower's inhabitants could get in if they were already on a pre-screened list, and if Tony was working on site that day. And that included Steve, if he wanted to visit. He took a bit to catch up, figure out everything, but the moment he caught his breath he went to find Tony. He was still digesting everything when he got directed to the lab. He didn't really need the directions, he could hear the music. Practically in his bones. Normally it wasn't his favorite thing but he was fresh off Tony's funeral and it was one of the best things he's ever heard. He let himself into the lab, arms folding over his chest, he wasn't prepared to be so happy to see him. And it took him a minute, soaking it in for a moment. Tony spun around in the chair and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He hadn't seen Steve in the lab for a while, and the music was so loud that he didn't hear anyone enter. Not good. Could have been attacked by ninjas.... His mouth moved and it was a safe guess that he said 'mute' since the music soon turned off. "Hey, Cap. What's up?" he asked, casually. It didn't seem like he got the memo about there being a new Steve again. Not yet. Surprise. "If anyone can catch me up on what I'm walking into here, it's you." He said thoughtfully, seeing Tony alive was good. He liked that he had more time. He didn't realize that Tony didn't know he had just arrived, this was going to be an awkward few minutes. This was awkward. Tony sat up a little straighter, his eyes a little wider as he processed this information. Then, as it settled into a realization, he opened his mouth and blurted out, "...sonuvabitch." He suddenly stood, sending the rolling chair sliding off to one side. "Ok. I've done this so many times before. We're good. We got this. On a scale of one to ten, how weirded out are you? Dunno about you but I'm cranked to eleven." He waited for it to sink in. Then watched as it did, one brow raising at Tony's language but he didn't say anything. Sometimes even he understood the need for it. This was one of those moments. He watched the chair roll off before looking at Tony again. "How many times has a version of me been here?" He asked, blinking a bit. "It ranks up there with some of the weirdest things I've ever lived through." Probably top three. Tony counted on one hand and by the time he ran out of fingers he waved it off. Suffice it to say, "Enough. It doesn't matter. I'm glad to see you here, each time." As proof of that, Tony struck a pose with both arms held out while he announced, "Not dead. The total amount of really weird crap we've gone through? Being alive makes it worth it. Want some coffee? I was just about to get some when I turned around and got the Cap stare." Which was equal parts serious and somber, which seemed par for the course with Steves. He started to walk over to a complicated looking series of glass tubes and machinery, known as the Javabot. Giver of liquid sustenance. He moved his head in an almost invisible motion, amused, and a little weirded out by the fact there had been so many. "I'm glad to see you, too." He admitted without hesitation. "Alive is good." He couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice, though, at the posturing. It solidified how real this was, he believed it was real of course before that, but this was the proof he really needed. Tony being Tony was reassuring. "I had to see you to fully believe it." "I'll take some, sure." He couldn't help but let a faint smirk cross his face at the Cap Stare comment. It was a very serious, sombre thing. But it was a little less severe. "Yeah, a lot of people want to see it, and then I train wreck it. That regret is real. Kind of like a hangover. Which I don't think you've ever had, have you? Bummer." Tony gave Friday an order for two coffees and the beans were roasted right at that moment, ground up, and brewed into cups that Tony set down underneath the pour spouts. "I'm guessing you got a visit from the welcome wagon. Minus the welcome part." He pulled a face at that, like that thought was going to give him a migraine. "I can tell you what we're up against, right now. We kicked some giant monster ass. New Asgard has been labeled terrorists after Thor crapped out a super storm over New York. Which was and wasn't his fault, since the Doc wouldn't open a portal to get Loki back, after he was taken into custody. Trying to do a good deed with the kid. Backfired. Now Ross is gloating." Tony rolled his eyes and ended that eyeroll looking over at Steve. "That's just this year," he clarified. "Let me know if you can't wrap your brain around something, and I'll try to pretzel it up some more." "I have not had one, no." That was said with a shrug of a shoulder, he didn't see the appeal. He'd seen enough of it to know he was glad he couldn't have one. He ran his fingers through his hair, “I think I am glad for that.” "I did. It wasn't too bad, actually." But then again, Steve made whatever he was handed work. Strange was no different in that regard - he might be a pain for most people but Steve wasn’t as phased by his behavior. He was just being who he was. Then he genuinely got a pained look on his face as he tried to follow all of that. "So Loki and the kid tried to break into a weapons facility… got caught, and Thor lost his temper because of it…” which he understood because he was similar - if anything happened to Bucky he tended to get a little determined - “Which got New Asgard labeled terrorists. And somewhere giant monsters fit in.” he looked thoughtful. “Tell me - how are we on Loki?” he asked carefully, the man was a handful on the best of days and a migraine on the worst. He figured Loki was on his own side, so before he could make sense of what they were doing about that, he needed to know. The only reason that was a bummer was due to a massive hangover once being a badge of honor, the world's worst trophy after waging a party war the night before. Sure, Tony used to be a card carrying member of living life in the fast lane. Ever since Pepper and Morgan, he couldn't imagine going back to that sort of life unless he wanted to kick the bucket in under 12 months. "Pretty much in a nutshell, yeah. Legal team's on it, but from what I heard from Wanda? They keep moving him around and next up it was to some sort of rehabilitation center. Pretty sure his wife wants to punch a few holes through walls to get to him, and maybe punch him for his shenanigans." Tony shrugged, holding a cup of coffee out to Steve. He was already giving his own a tentative sip. There was one more headache bomb he needed to drop on Steve. "Uhh...there's shady stuff going on, too. And it's probably a HYDRA resurgence. Just so you know, we're hit on all fronts. Clint's not with us, either. If you need team gossip, I'm your info hub. Happy to spill the tea, and I'll try to keep the salt to a sprinkle." Sometimes he liked doing that, just to see how confused Steve would get. He nodded a bit. "Well if you need me, you've got me." He had broken people out of the Raft, he could manage any other facility. Then his brain caught up with Tony's words. "Wait. Loki is married? To who?" He blinked, then felt a pang of jealousy. Everyone got their happy endings but he got cheated out of his again. He didn't let it show though. "HYDRA." He let out a slow breath. "Because of course. Never boring, is it Tony?" He asked, brow lifted. Tony confused Steve by breathing some days. He took the coffee and took a long sip, savoring it for what it was: really good coffee. "Nope, never a dull moment. We always need you, Cap," Tony said, and he wasn't one to admit defeat, but...the thought of leaving Pepper, Morgan, or Darcy was not one he wanted to entertain. "I need you. I can't run this shit show by myself." He took another drink of the coffee, an aromatic blend of fair trade Mokha beans from Yemen. Only the best for a coffee snob. "About Loki, yeah, he hooked up with Asgard's resident Valkyrie. She's running things in New Asgard, since Thor's having a moment. Sif's got her back, and Jane's probably trying to get Thor to stop moping." That was the lightest way Tony could put it. He could only imagine what Jane was having to deal with, on top of becoming a terrorist overnight. "The HYDRA thing is like they slithered back in, when we thought they were gone. Guess that whole cut off one head thing is true. Go fig." He shrugged a shoulder sharply, raising his eyebrows as he took another sip. It was utterly casual on the surface, but Tony felt a knot of stress eating an ulcer in his stomach lining. And no way in hell was he going to admit his recent heart attack. "I'm here. You've got me and I'll help you run this circus, sounds like you need the assist." He would not cave to early and use the phrase shitshow. Not yet. He hadn't been here long enough to relax enough. Steve didn't care where the beans came from. Or what. He just needed that sweet caffeine that did nothing for him but offer good flavor. Sometimes the Serum sucked. "That's something to digest." He admitted after a moment, he never thought that would be something he heard about. He'd help them, too, if Tony was helping Loki it meant he could too. Even if he was cautious about it. "That is not unexpected out of them." He sighed and looked Tony over, "you actually look stressed." He pointed out, he was used to Tony being like a hyper active, hyper talkative squirrel. He just couldn't figure out what was bothering him. "What, no language warning? Wow. You're still processing. I forgive you." He was joking, but it was like the air went out of his balloon. He wasn't being hyperactive because he was hitting that phase where he just wanted to lock himself in a garage for a year and focus on builds. He couldn't do that, not when there was too much going on. He didn't know the meaning of quit, just as much as Steve didn't. As far as he knew, at least. "It's a lot to process, and I've been here the longest besides Strange," Tony said, side stepping any health issues. He'd let Steve give him the disappointed stare later on if he found out. "It's not all bad here. I'm alive. Morgan's here. So that played out the same. Darcy, Jane's intern, ended up being my kid from a one night stand, forever ago. So I'm a family man. By all acounts? Pretty lucky." He wasn't aware if he was rubbing Steve's nose in it, as much as he was anxiously prattling about what was going on in the hopes of sidestepping anything more personal. "What about you," he asked, "after I died over there? What'd you end up doing?" He gave Tony a look, but he just shook his head at him. There was a hint of a smirk though. Just a hint. Steve wasn't fully a stick in the mud. Steve didn't know the meaning of the word quit. He'd work himself to the bone, heal up and go back to it while his fingers put themselves back together. He and Tony were a lot alike that way. His smile was a touch off. "I'm happy for you, Tony. You deserve to have them. Darcy is a surprise but not a bad one." He noted, before finishing his cup of coffee. "I returned the stones from where we got them in the timelines and stayed back with Peggy." A tiny, itty bitty, wince. It didn't take a clue stick upside the head to see that something more was going on with Steve too. He arched an eyebrow and it right back down when he listened to Steve admitting that, and saw that wince. "Hey, nope." Tony held up one hand, to nip that in the bud. "Remember me thinking about getting a farm for Pepper? You had an opportunity to be with Peg, and you took it. Your job was done. You did your part saving the world, more than once. Your part over there was done and this...." What WAS this, Tony wondered, as his voice trailed off. There was no going back for him, there was nothing to go back to. You couldn't go back to somewhere, where you were dead. "...this is just a detour," Tony settled on, reaching out and giving Steve's shoulder a quick pat. It was only fair to let the guy know what he was working with too. "I had a little heart attack at a senate hearing, early this year. Bruce shot me full of nanobots. I'm good as new-ish." Steve was also bad at hiding everything he felt. He was sometimes too earnest, too honest. It often showed on his face. He gave Tony a pensive smile. "But I'm here and not there and I didn't.." he trailed off, he hadn't gotten to really enjoy it. Not really, it hadn't been that long. "It didn't matter - it sounds like I'm where I'm needed." Stuff it down, focus on the problem at hand. It was the past, and lingering there did nothing for anyone. His eyes narrowed, that worried look crossing his face. "Good as newish is not good as new, Tony. Stress is bad for hearts that have had heart attacks." Full on disapproving face. "You're working hard as ever, I would bet. Guess I really am needed here." "I got this," Tony said. "You shared! I shared back. No judgment, no guilt trips. It's just a thing. That I got handled." What with the way Steve was giving him that stare of disapproval (which wasn't a new thing anyway), Tony thought it was better not to tell him his new plans any time soon. He was finalizing those details around everything else going on. "I'm taking breaks," Tony tried to tack on, in his defense. "Anyway, I'm here where I'm needed too. So don't start giving me The Look if I'm working on stuff. I'm sticking to the lab and home for the most part." Which was true. Except for recent events, involving giant monsters and the feds. "I'll send you a file dump on everything. Video feeds. SHIELD files on what's going on. You can read it after you catch up with Bucky and Sam. Or whenever." He hoped that was enough evasive maneuvers and talking to get him out of trouble. He didn't believe him. He know him well enough to know that Tony would always be Tony. As addicted to his work as Steve was to his own. He set the cup down, finally, arms folding back over his chest. He weighed the options before giving Tony a break on the stare. He knew the man had something going on. He always did. He'd just wait to find out if he was saving him from himself or running with the plan. Metaphorically or literally. It was a fifty fifty. "I have a feeling that's a lot of information to read, and watch." Though the sound of his voice said he was looking forward to it. He was looking forward to seeing Bucky and Sam and Nat… he didn't mind too much that he was here. "I'll let you get back to work. I just needed to come say hello." Tony was safe, for now. Tony was sure that Natasha would be happy to see Steve, and get to the bottom of what he was dealing with in ways that Tony couldn't do. Ending up here had to bother Steve, if he left behind Peggy and his own time all over again. Even the thought of leaving behind his own family made him feel vaguely ill. "I'm here pretty much every day. Stop in, okay?" he said, putting down his own cup and patting a hand down on Steve's shoulder. "Oh, right. You've got an apartment here. One bedroom. Floor thirty-eight, room eleven. I don't think any other Steve has used it yet, so it's all yours." Steve was present, for now. And that was enough to set him at ease a bit more than before. |