Tony

"What the fuck did you do?!" Tony yelled over the alarms. He had put the helmet back on and was running towards the exit with James right next to him. Everyone else was close behind, if only because Tony was the only one who knew the way out.

"What makes you think it was me!"

"Because I haven't had the chance to fuck anything up yet!"

James floundered, "I may have run into some trouble when I went to get Banner, sue me!"

"This wouldn't be a problem if you had just let me explode this place!"

"Fine, next time we stage a rescue mission you can take point!"

"I am never doing this again! Kidnappings only for this supervillain!"

They continue to bicker, and Tony did amazingly at ignoring the eyes he could feel on the back of his head and the incredulous looks he and James were receiving. Everyone except Bruce, who had not been as conscious has Tony had originally thought and was currently getting piggy backed by the god of thunder thighs-

(He called next turn)

Everyone except Bruce had a bucket and a half questions and no way to articulate them in this current situation.

"What-"

"Not now, Spangles! Not dying first, interrogation preferably never!"

James glanced back at what Tony assumed to be Rogers' constipated face, "Steve, I promise we will explain later, but Tony is right-" He ducked the energy bullet shot from a previously hidden enemy and returned the shot, hitting the HYDRA agent between the eyes without even glancing that way, "-right now we need to get out of here."

Tony couldn't see his face but-

(It was probably hilarious)

Jarvis better have found a way to get a picture.

"Unfortunately, sir, as much as you seem to believe, I am not completely omniscient."

(Yet.)

Jarvis definitely would have sighed if he had lungs to do so.

Tony needed to get him some lungs.

"Actually, you need to get a therapist."

(The betrayal.)

(True, but hey!)

"You know what? Fuck this." Tony tossed the helmet and shot out a window, "See you on the other side, mortals!" And proceeded to jump out of said window. Sounds of surprise and alarm went ignored as the Ironman armor wrapped around him like a second skin. The first touch made it instantly easier to breathe, his squishy innards no longer exposed like the stripper Tony had been at sixteen.

(Now, that was a good time.)

(Rhodey would beg to differ.)

(Rhodey is a spoil sport.)

Tony landed at the tree line and sent the hidden Iron Legion to do what he wanted to do in the first place. That is. Blow the place sky high.

He was sure the others could make it out relatively unharmed.

86% sure.

About two minutes after the first explosion (72% sure of survival. Still better than him taking a stroll to get ice-cream without the suit) he saw the figures of the Avengers plus James running out of the collapsing building, a halo of fire behind them.

(See how cool that is? They should be thanking him for this moment.)

Maybe a minute after he first sighted the others, they arrived in front of him with various faces of annoyance and stress.

(Except Bruce. He's a real friend.)

(And still pretty dazed by the Hulk drug shit he has in his system. Definitely had a higher dose then even golden child and golder child)

"You promised you'd leave the legion in the lair," James accused.

"Did I?"

A pause, then a glower, "You implied you were going to leave them in the lair."

"Is it later, yet!?" Barton interrupted loudly. And a little hysterically.

(Poor baby.)

(You'd almost feel bad, if it was so funny.)

"Not quite," Tony smirked not that they could see, "Almost, though. Hang on to yourself." That was all the warning he gave before the several legionnaires swooped in and grabbed the confused group.

Tony himself cackled as he took to the skies, "Kidnapping, mother fuckers! Still a villain, fuck you!"

"What!?"

Not even James saw this coming.

. . .

Steve

"I'm going to kill him."

"Bucky?" Steve asked hesitantly. His old friend -who is alive! What- had his arms crossed and a look Steve had only seen on his face a particularly stupid stunt performed by yours truly.

Involuntary eye twitch and all.

With a deep, 'calming' breath, Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose with his metal -metal!?- hand and asked, "What, Steve?" only it didn't really sound like a question.

"Are you, I mean," He flounders to try and come up with something to say. Ironman's -or Tony's? – betrayal was something none of them saw coming but probably should have. All of them, minus Bruce, had been placed in a relatively nice media room on a flouting space craft not unlike the helicarrier but definitely not the same, with no windows or noticeable doors or exits.

Clint and Thor were taking it the best, playing Mario-Kart and throwing popcorn at each other as a distraction.

Natasha and Bucky were taking it the worst, Nat trying to find the exit, her hand a hair trigger away from her weapons. Bucky was leaning against a wall with murder on his face.

Steve didn't know how he felt. On one hand, Bucky! And Ironman is human!? And no wonder they could never find his lair, if it was constantly moving! On the other hand, Bucky had definitely been tortured. And working with Ironman. And avoiding Steve. And who even knows what side Bruce was on at the moment. And Ironman was keeping them prisoner for some possible reason.

Maybe a reason.

"If you're trying to ask if I'm okay, then no. No, I'm not." Bucky answered, "Because someone I consider a close friend is being a CHICKEN," He yelled at the nearest camera, "And refuses to an adult conversation. You hear that!? You're acting like a child, Tony!"

"Um," Steve bit his lip, "No offence, but just how well do you know Iron- Tony? Because this is pretty par the course."

Bucky snorts, and oh, Steve has missed him, "For you, maybe. I'll be the first to admit that Tony is no poster child of mental health, but who here is? He saved me, Steve, when no one else could. Not even you."

"I would have if I'd-"

"No, you would have tried to save the old Bucky. I'm not him, and I couldn't have been him." Bucky admits, looking away and breaking Steve's heart, "I would have made a run for it the first week. Or tried to kill you. Or both. You couldn't have saved me."

"…I'm sorry, Bucky." Steve said after he found his voice, "You're right and I'm sorry, but I- Tony has always been the kind to switch sides mid battle because he got bored. This isn't new. I'm only surprised that I was surprised."

"Yeah, maybe," Bucky admitted absently, "But not anymore, not now. You've known him longer, sure, but I've lived with him. I've watched him break and die and come back, and Ironman may be the kind to turn on a teammate, but Tony would never turn on a friend."

Steve swallowed and looked away. There was so much emotion on his old friend's face.

"He's just throwing a tantrum right now," Bucky continued, a little lighter, "Or having a panic attack because people, or wishing he'd murdered Howard when he had the chance."

Steve looked back, "What does Howard have to do with anything?"

Bucky turned back to the nearest camera, "I'm going to tell them if you don't show your face in five seconds! One!"

"Bucky what-"

"Two!"

Bucky's loud counting caught the attention of the other people in the room and they all turned to watch.

"Three!"

"Bucky, I don't-"

"Four! Fi-"

"Dr. Banner wishes for me to tell you that Sir is 'calling your bluff' but suggests not explaining overly much until 'Tony just acts like a human being for the first time in his and talks to them' for Sir's mental health and his own blood pressure."

"Sir would also like to inform you that both I and Dr. Banner are now traitors to the crown and not to be trusted. And also 'fuck you, if I were a bird, I would be a peacock.'"

The twitch in Bucky's eye was back.

"You know," Steve started, "maybe we should wait for Iron- Tony to explain?"

"He would sooner kiss Justin Hammer than do that of his own free will."

"…Who is Justin Hammer, and why-"

"Wait." Natasha interrupted, "Are you telling me that Ironman, Tony, is Anthony fucking Stark. The reclusive genius not we barely know actually existed that supposedly died over five years ago?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm going to kill him."

"What?" Steve asked, "Why?"

"Because in hindsight it's obvious, and she hates that she didn't figure it out the moment she learned he was human?" Clint offered.

Nat turned on him, "Did you know?"

"I may have guessed after Tall, Dark, and Intimidating here called him Tony."

"And you didn't say anything?" Steve asked.

"Nah."

"When Nat kills you, I'm not stopping her."

"Like you could?"

"I do not understand," Thor, who had been uncharacteristically quiet up until the point, stated unsurely, "Who is Anthony Stark, and why does it matter if he and the man of iron are one and the same?"

"Anthony Stark was the Howard Stark's son, and the CEO of Stark Industries, the number one weapons manufacturer on the planet. He rarely met anyone see his face, and public appearances were already on the decline before he was taken hostage and killed in an explosion in the deserts of Afghanistan." Natasha explained, "Or, assumed killed. I had my theories early on that he had faked his death and moved to one of his many islands to live out the rest of his natural life in solitude, but I threw it out after Ironman showed up and killed Obadiah Stane, Anthony's godfather. I was sure if Anthony was alive, he would have at least gone to the funeral of his last living relative."

"But Ironman killed Stane?" Thor clarified.

"Yes."

"And Anthony is Ironman?"

"…yes."

"Why would he kill his own godfather?"

"Because," They all turned to the new figure standing in a doorway that hadn't been there a few minutes ago, "He tried to kill me."

. . .

And that's a wrap. Kinda. A bit dramatic, but. Anyway, sorry for another cliffhanger, but it felt like a good place to stop. Also, with the recent quarantine (and that is something I never expected to write) I figured now was as good a time as any to set up a Ko Fi account. So, if you enjoyed and are willing why not by me a coffee? It's not necessary, and I won't stop writing, but it would be appreciated and possibly have my anxiety override my procrastination into updating faster. Again, not necessary. But, anyway, here: ko / jenndude5

No spaces or parentheses. Thanks guys, and I look forward to hearing about what you have to say!