Their flight was tense, no one had dared to speak, Everett and Sharon were both in the front, Shay was piloting while Everett furiously typed on his phone. Probably keeping the waiting parties up to date on their situation. The return trip should have taken about three hours but Sharon had been flying them at a slower pace (likely to give herself more time to prepare for her questioning) and they were coming up on hour three with still over a thousand miles before they would reach New York, no doubt Everett was trying to ease the worries of their arrival with the UN or the WSC or whoever he was texting.

Judging by the looks on all of their faces, none of them were eager to get home. Shay kept chewing at her nails and biting her lip, Ross's jaw was clenched so tightly that Tony swore he could see the outline of his teeth. Tony himself felt as though he had a bit of a constipated look on his face, his mind as trying to process everything that had happened (like Maximoff's power shutting down his suit) and everything that was about to happen.

T'Challa had not spoken a word since entering the jet, he had ignored the more comfortable seating to sit alone on one of the side benches that ran the length of the jet. Tony had been giving him some space, some time alone to gather his thoughts but the silence was driving him crazy. The only sounds heard were the steady hum of the Quin's engines and an annoying drip from the onboard shower that he'd never got around to fixing.

Tony looked back to where T'Challa was seated and sighed quietly, he wasn't good in these kind of situations, never had been, he always felt like he would say the wrong thing but looking at T'Challa he felt like the man was holding on by a thread. He should probably at least try to give him a pep talk.

"Hey, Tony?" He turned back to see Everett standing beside him, "Sorry, I called you a couple times but I guess you didn't hear me."

"Sorry, I.. Sorry Ross, just thinking."

"It's ok, we all are. Sharon's nervous as Hell, even with our testimonies she's afraid things will go south for her." He looked back at the flight deck, "I just wanted to let you know Rhodes and the others landed half an hour ago, the UN and ICC are already collaborating, Rhodes says they're really speeding this along. There's a bail hearing in about two hours for all of them."

"I can't believe after everything that's happened bail is even an option!" Tony spat.

"Calm down, you know everyone has the right to a fair trial. And who in their right mind would try to bail them out? Who could even afford it? I'm guessing their bail would be well into the millions."

"Anything is possible...Maybe Dr Doom! He seems like the kind of person that would do something that stupid, doesn't he? Hell, he and Steve would get along great!"

"That's not funny Tones!"

"Well aside from me, he's the only one rich enough to swing it.."

"Dear God, don't jinx us.. Let's hope not.." He huffed, "The UN is doing everything by the book here Tony, everything. From what I got from Rhodes, they're already in and being processed, Rogers, Romanoff and Barton have been appointed with public defenders since none of them can afford a lawyer. Maximoff's case is unsure right now until Strange comes back from... Wherever." He cleared his throat, "And Barton actually tried to hire legal help using, get this, a Stark Industries credit card.."

"You've got to be kidding me.." Tony facepalmed.

"Swear to God.. Pepper showed up and blew a gasket according to Jim, and now they're adding theft charges to Barton's list of crimes since the card was for your company and not one you personally gave him."

"How the Hell did he even get that..? Has he lost his mind!" Tony asked.

"I have no idea. You'll have to ask Rhodes, according to him Pepper was granted access to speak with Barton about it but he pissed her off so badly she went at him with her shoe.."

Tony winced, "Ooooh, the Gucci boots with the needle heels?"

"Uhh. I have no-"

"She got me once with those, took two weeks for my leg to heal."

Ross just stared, "Anyway, they had to haul her out before she clocked him and got handed assault charges, she honestly didn't seem bothered by that prospect. Oh, and Murdock has offered his firm to represent Sam and Scott, Sam accepted gratefully and Scott declined."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he and Hope had a long, long talk on the way back and even called up Hank. Whatever was said, Hank agreed to pay his legal fees and his lawyer is on the way to New York." Ross shrugged.

"I gotta admit, I didn't see that happening."

Ross huffed, "Yeah, no one did. Rhodes is pretty worried about Sam, said he's in a zombie-like state right now, he just keeps staring at the walls and crying. Foggy Nelson came to speak with him, he will be representing Sam at his hearing. Romanoff is just sitting, she didn't even spare a word for her PD and Rogers told his PD to leave and is apparently trying to figure a way out of his cuffs.."

"He doesn't quit, does he?"

"Nope. They're all being heavily monitored in their holding cells, the Council members are considering having their hearings at their cells to prevent possible escape attempts. Oh, and Barton has already been handed his divorce papers, had a bitch fit and blames you for it. I believe Rhodes said he was screaming something about you stealing his wife.."

"..." Tony cast his eyes to the heavens.

"Yeah.." Ross deadpanned. "When Murdock brought up his "relationship" with Wanda he went nuts, denied any involvement with her, demanded to see Laura and tried to pry off a piece of his cell with his teeth since the cuffs are still on and climb out. He has since been sedated."

Tony rolled his eyes, "That's probably for the best. He'll just dig himself deeper the more he talks. I honestly don't understand why he hates me so much, it can't all be about Ultron. There has to be something else.."

"I wouldn't worry about it. He's more than likely going away for a long time and you won't have to deal with whatever that is anymore." Ross paused, "I also came to tell you the UN wants us to get a move on, they're waiting for him, he needs to be processed in with the rest." he gestured to T'Challa.

"Yeah.. I should probably check and see if he's ok." Tony said.

"Yeah, Sharon's putting the hammer down, we're going to be landing in about thirty minutes." He looked Tony over, "You know you won't be allowed to stay with him right? Or Sharon? When we get there. Only their lawyers can be with them now. If you try they might arrest you."

"I know.. It's just.. This whole situation sucks ass for everybody.."

"Yes, it really, really does. But I think it will turn out ok for him."

"What makes you say that?" Tony squinted.

Ross shrugged, "Just a hunch. I'm going back with Sharon now, T'Challa isn't the only one who needs a pep talk. Thirty minutes!" he reminded Tony as he walked away.

Tony sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He hated flying back and forth between all these time zones. It was easier in his suit at breakneck speeds but slower flights were torture for him. It was why he hated flying commercial. He rose, thankful that Extremis had restored his body to the point where his back no longer cracked as he stood, and went over to sit next to T'Challa.

"You uh, you doing ok?" Tony asked.

T'Challa side eyed him with the look. The patented Pepper Potts 'are you kidding me' look. Was everyone Tony was acquainted with capable of pulling that off?

"Yep," Tony popped the p, "Gotcha, don't ask stupid questions.." He leaned back against the cold walls of the jet.

"My chest is hurting…" T'Challa whispered, Tony tensed. "Wakanda has the best medical technology in the world yet Shuri could not undo the damage Romanoff caused me.. I also feel like I may be sick but I know not if it is from my anxiousness or if I'm still suffering after effects of Romanoff's drug.."

"How's your breathing? Is it still ok?"

T'Challa looked pained, "...No… I fear I may have caused myself greater harm when I was blown out my window. I inhaled a large amount of water from landing in the pond. My chest feels.. Wet, if that makes sense.. And heavy.."

"Why didn't you mention this in Wakanda? Bruce and Shuri could have helped!"

"Tony, if they could have helped fix this then they would. I fear I may need more of Banner's serum and breathing treatments but I don't know if I will be granted that courtesy given my circumstances."

Tony's eyes popped, "Of course you will get medical attention, they're not going to just toss you away in a cell and let you rot T'Challa. It's your right as a human being.. Even Rogers would be given medical treatment should he need it.. Hey Ross!" he called.

"What?!"

"T'Challa is gonna need medical when we land. Can you inform the UN! And tell Banner to head for the tower and bring more of the purple goo he concocted! And something for his breathing!"

"Will do! Fifteen minutes to touchdown, go ahead and strap in!"

"Are we going directly to the UN Headquarters?" T'Challa asked.

"Mmmhmm," Tony nodded. "We have permission to land directly on the grounds. Well, the roof. We land, you'll go and get checked, then they'll do the booking and whatnot then in a couple hours the bail hearings are set. You however will go through a few rounds of questioning first, before you're actually, you know, booked or whatever... The prosecution is already moving forward with their evidence, Friday's given everything from my side that I had, Shuri sent what she had from your suit as well. I'm not gonna get your hopes up there, because most likely none of you will be granted bail."

"I wasn't expecting any…"

"Entering New York airspace! One minute to touchdown!" Ross called.

"That is the quickest thirty minutes I have ever seen in my life." Tony muttered.

"Could you..? Will you be allowed to stay with me..?"

Tony sighed, "They may grant me permission during medical, but everything else, no. Don't worry," there was a slight bump as the jet landed, "Matt will be with you the entire time, so will Everett from what I can gather."

"What..? Where will I be held until my trial..?"

"Honestly I don't know. The holding cells they have here weren't built to hold superhumans so I'm guessing you and Rogers will be moved elsewhere. Maybe one of SHIELD's old facilities or maybe even Strange's magic city. I mean if it can hold Maximoff then supers shouldn't be a problem."

The loading ramp of the jet was lowered, revealing around two dozen heavily armed Soldiers. T'Challa swallowed audibly as all eyes and weapons raised in his direction. Ross was quick to step forward and blocked T'Challa from their view. Sharon came to stand beside him, her hands cuffed in front of her.

"I don't want to do this, I trust you not to pull a runner but I have to cuff you before we leave this jet," Ross stated.

"I understand.." T'Challa eyed the soldiers nervously.

"Can you walk on your own power?" Ross asked quietly as he slipped the cuffs on.

"I'm honestly not sure. I feel ill.."

"Ok, Tony get on his side for support. There's a room ready and Bruce is on his way to the tower to get what he needs."

"Huh?" Tony had been staring intently at the armed soldiers, many of them looked a little too eager to be there for his liking. He didn't want to leave T'Challa alone with them for any length of time. They were giving him a bad vibe.

"Help him up," Ross whispered. "Trust me, it's going to look a hell of a lot better if he has Iron Man on his side. And in these situations having someone like you vouch for him makes a world of difference. Plus, a little moral support never hurts, even if it's for only a few extra minutes."

Tony nodded and he and Ross helped T'Challa to his feet, where he swayed momentarily and bit into his fist to stave off nausea.

"You alright?" Tony asked as he slid an arm around T'Challa's waist to help guide him down the ramp. As soon as they reached the bottom several of the guards moved forward making a grab for the Wakandan.

"Whoa there fellas, I'm pretty sure Iron Man can handle escorting a very sick man. Why don't you all back up a bit and point us to this infirmary or whatever." Tony scoffed at them.

"Mr Stark, sir, we have orders to escort the prisoner to-"

"Yeah, I know, you have your orders and I get that you're just doing your job, but he is very ill and there's no way in Hell I'm just handing him over to you. Call the Council, the Accords committee, clear it with whoever! But I'm not leaving his side until Dr Banner has cleared him!"

"Done!" Ross slipped his phone back in his pocket, "Tony you're cleared to escort him to the Medbay and remain until Banner comes back. Then you have to go for a round of questioning."

"..."

"What?" Ross asked.

"How did you..? Are you warping time or something! I barely said a sentence! I didn't even get to do my rant!"

"I've always been a fast texter, plus I'd already ran it by the WSC I was just waiting for a response. Come on, Banner should be on his way back, Miss Potts had Mr Hogan drive him."

Tony pursed his lips, "She put Banner… In a car… With Happy at the wheel!" Tony rubbed his temple, "And people question my sanity.."

He gripped T'Challa by the elbow and led them slowly toward the roof door, Ross and Shay beside them, their grumpy looking entourage hot on their heels. Tony nearly laughed when they came to the elevators which were only big enough to hold about 6 people. The head douche in charge tried to make them take the stairs which T'Challa could in no way manage and did send Tony into an epic rant about illness and assholes and Ross having to come to the aid of the soldiers who decided it would be everyone's best interest if they met them via stairs in the medbay while Tony and T'Challa rode down alone in the elevator.

T'Challa curled up on the bed as soon as they entered, drained of his previous energy from the fight in Wakanda. Tony brought him a bedpan should he feel like he need it, he did soon after. He only managed to stay about a half hour with him as Banner rushed in with an actual Doctors bag filled with his concocted antidote and special canisters of oxygen for the Prince.

Tony was escorted by Ross to a conference room where his lawyers and the attorneys for the UN were waiting. Ross informed him that the group of irritable soldiers that had met them on the roof were of international origins, several of them were Romanian. That explained their angry glares, Tony thought. He didn't get a chance to check in on T'Challa again as he spent the next nine hours being relentlessly questioned. As a result he didn't make it back to the tower until nearly eleven that night, Ross and Banner were both not answering their phones and the UN couldn't tell him anything about T'Challa at the moment in case there may be a conflict of interest.

He strolled through the doors of his penthouse at half past eleven, sleepy, starved and Extremis buzzing in his head. He also strolled right into the chaos of Laura, all her kids, Peter, Ned, MJ and for some unimaginable reason, a man in a red and black suit, complete with mask. The man on the news last week who terrorized a NY highway.. Deadpool...

Popcorn, candies, soda and confetti were everywhere. Lila was being chased around by Deadpool, who was brandishing a stuffed unicorn with a glittery horn and rainbow hair. As they came zooming past Tony, Deadpool came to an abrupt stop. The eyes of his mask squinted, then popped wide as he grabbed his face and squealed.

Peter, who had been on the couch talking to Laura looked around, "Hi Mr. Stark!"

Laura looked back and smiled, "Hi Tony! Welcome back! How did everything go? Oh, I hope you don't mind, Peter said it shouldn't be a problem, this is Wade Wilson, a friend of mine. We invited him over for a movie. I had no idea he was back in New York and the kids have missed him! He saved Clint once in Bed-Stuy and kind of adopted himself into our family." Laura smiled.

Tony's brain however was going into overdrive, back to his conversation with Peter a few days ago.

Tony held a finger to his lips, Laura looked confused. He pointed at Peter, "Wade? You're friend Wade? The same Wade we discussed a few days ago Wade!?"

"Uummmm.."

"Relax Daddy Stark!" Wade slung an arm around his shoulder, "Petey-pie is just my friend! I mean, do you realize how much hate the author got for that chapter! Readers freaking out, horrible name calling, Jesus can't people just relax it's a fucking story for fuck's sake!"

Tony gave him the fish stare, then looked at Peter, "What the Hell is he talking about!?"

Peter just shrugged, "I dunno, he does that alot. Says we're in a fiction or something, I just kinda roll with it." Laura was smirking at them while the kids had retreated back to their movie.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm too damn tired for this," he muttered.

He turned to Wade, "If you make one, and I do mean one, wrong move, if you so much as breathe wrong in their direction I will end you…"

Wade jumped up and down, giddy, "Ooooh, I just got threatened by Iron Man! Fine by me Daddy Warbucks! Do your worst, I can take it!" He hopped back to the couch where they were watching The Proposal.

Tony sighed, "I can't deal with this right now.. Just don't destroy my living room, I'm going to bed, Peter if the world ends could you handle it please?"

"Sure thing Mr. Stark!"

"Good night Tony!" Laura called.

"Night Uncle Tony," the kids called.

"I love you.." Wade whispered.

Tony rolled his eyes and went back to the elevator, when the doors opened he was surprised to see Everett Ross inside.

"What the-?"

"Can I bother you for a room? I'm not up to flying back to DC just to fly back tomorrow." Ross looked dead on his feet, "I also have news.."

"Is it good?" Tony scrunched his face as he went into the elevator, doors closing quickly.

"Rogers will be held at Kamar-Taj alongside Maximoff until their trials. He tried numerous times to escape today so the SC decided that he and Maximoff should remain in Strange's magic stasis until next week, he also declined a plea deal. Romanoff, Barton and Wilson will be held at Ryker's Island until theirs. Romanoff will be in solitary, Wilson too, Barton however will be in the psych ward."

"What!" Tony sputtered.

"He's apparently having some kind of mental breakdown, he went into hysterics during his questioning and SC called in a psych eval. He's already been transported thanks to Dr Strange. He'll be heavily monitored and mostly confined to a straight jacket until he is deemed fit for trial."

"Jesus…"

"Lang is back in California, he will stand trial there, he'll likely serve his original prison sentence since he violated his parole."

"Probably for the best.."

"Sharon is currently not being held, she is however suspended from active duty with the CIA til further notice."

"Where is she now?"

"She's uh, on her way here.. She just had a few loose ends to tie up."

"What about T'Challa..?"

Ross huffed, "Oh his is the best by far!"

Tony froze, "How bad?!"

"Well he was going to be held at Rykers with the rest but Banner hulked out-"

"Shit!"

"-at that suggestion. Apparently T'Challa is in poor medical condition and needs to be closely monitored for several days. Arguments ensued, Banner hulked, and T'Challa is now confined to a hospital bed down in your medbay with an anklet that can't be removed." Ross smiled, "He's confined to the med floor until his trial date, I'd wait til morning to check on him though, he's sleeping right now and they had to insert a chest tube to drain fluid from his lungs."

Tony let out a whoop of laughter, "You're serious! He's here! Not in jail!"

"Yes, here til next week. Now I'm honestly about to pass out so please show me where to go! Then go rest yourself, you look like you need it!"

Tony wrapped him in a huge hug, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Ross laughed, "Banner's the one you should thank, he hulked, scared the shit out of everybody!"

Tony didn't fully believe him, he felt like Ross had something to do with T'Challa's current placement but he wouldn't press the matter.

He was definitely sending the man on a luxurious vacation now..