[A/N]: This is a series of random (sometimes connected) one-shots involving Fem!Tony, Antonia Stark.
The Crown
Antonia picked up the artifact Thor had brought back from Norway. "What's all the fuss about this crown?"
Bruce took it from her hands and put it back on the table. "Thor says it's cursed. Be careful with it."
"How could a crown be cursed? What, does it give you a permanent bad hair day?" Toni picked it up again while Bruce's back was turned. She studied it. It didn't seem cursed. It was pretty in a simple way, a circlet of twisted silver with clear, pure crystals reaching upwards. Out of curiosity, she held it up to the light. It sparkled innocently. Something inside her seemed to whisper, It'd look great on you. You always wanted a crown when you where little, and now you have one. Just try it on. She placed the circlet on her head just as Bruce turned back around.
"Toni, no!"
It was too late. Toni glanced at the glass wall of the lab. It did look nice. Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed.
Bruce raced over to her. "Toni! Toni! Antonia Maria Stark!" He shook her shoulder, but received no response. "Jarvis, call the rest of the Avengers!"
"Yes, Doctor Banner." If it was possible for an AI to sound worried, Jarvis did.
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"What happened?" Steve demanded.
"One minute she was holding the crown, looking at it, then her gaze got a bit unfocused and she put it on. Like she was looking at someone, but not actually at them. A second after she put it on, she collapsed." Bruce had lifted Toni onto a table with Steve's help, as he was the first to arrive. Bruce used a light to check her pupils. "She seems to be in a coma. Not natural, of course, but she's in perfect health. No ill effects."
Steve paced. "Where's Thor?"
Natasha spoke up from her place across the room. "He was in New Mexico. He's on his way. Should be here any minute."
Thor burst into the lab. "Antonia has fallen under the crown's curse!"
"Whatcha talking about, Thor?" Clint inquired from a rolling chair.
"The crown effects any maiden who touches it. It convinces them telepathically to put it on their heads, and then they fall into a sleep where the crown shows them horrible things. Fears, worst memories. The curse has never been broken, for any of the maidens. But how long was Antonia touching it? Most maidens succumb to the crown's telepathy immediately."
Bruce shrugged. "Maybe a few minutes? She had picked it up once before, but I put it back down."
"Our Antonia is strong. She may survive this."
"What do you mean 'may'?!" Steve demanded.
"All of the maidens under the curse, their hearts eventually gave out. Antonia is very strong, but everyone has a breaking point. We must find a cure." Thor swept out of the room. "I am heading to Asgard to ask mother if she is familiar with this enchantment. She may be able to help."
Clint stood as well. "I'll go to S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe they can get in contact with Doctor Strange."
Bruce hooked Toni up to a heart monitor and IV. "Come on, Toni. You can beat this."
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It was dark. She couldn't see well. Something was over her head. The cloth was pulled off, and she gasped. The cave. She was back. But that wasn't possible!
"Build us the rocket," the man demanded.
Toni couldn't control her actions, but she heard herself say, "Didn't you hear me the first fifty times? No. Want me to say it in Spanish? No."
He glared at her. "I do not appreciate your tone." He slapped her, and her head snapped to the side with the impact.
"Have you changed your mind?"
She spit at him. "Nope. You know me, ever so stubborn." She tried to make light to hide her fear.
"You will build it. I have every confidence."
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The first day yielded no positive results. Fury was furious that Toni had been compromised 'by her own damn stupidity'. But he was doing everything possible to help, calling in favors and reaching out to old contacts. The atmosphere around the Tower was subdued. Toni was the one who made everything bright and wild. It all felt empty and dull without her.
Steve and Bruce sat with her. Bruce told Steve to go, get some rest, but Steve insisted that as leader of the team, Toni was his responsibility. Eventually, Bruce just let it drop, pulling up a chair on the other side of her. They both dozed off to the steady beeping of her heart monitor.
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Her surroundings had changed. Now she was her suit, flying and carrying something. She saw the yawning blackness of space before her, and she realized that this was the Battle of New York. This scene frequented her nightmares quite often, so she wasn't that surprised.
She flew through the portal, her suit powering down as soon as she was beyond the lip of it. The only thing still running was a small indicator of suit integrity. The lump in her throat grew as the numbers counted down.
90. 78. 63. 51. 47. 30. 17.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see it hit zero. But then she felt a slight tug, like that of gravity. It was her last coherent thought before falling, and passing out.
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Steve and Bruce woke to an irregular beeping. Bruce connected the dots and was on his feet in an instant, checking Toni's vitals. "Her heart rate's spiking. Not dangerous, but she's scared. That crown's getting to her." He glared at the circlet laying on the floor where it had landed when Toni fell.
Steve rubbed his face with both hands. "We need a solution. Eventually, her heart will just give out if this continues."
"There's nothing we can do," Bruce stated. "Just...try to keep her as stable as we can. Jarvis, Toni must have music that soothes her. Can you play some? It might help."
"Of course, Doctor Banner."
Steve was expecting AC/DC, since Toni listened to the band so much, but instead lyrics in a foreign language started up. "Is this Spanish?"
Bruce smiled. "Yeah. Actually, Toni's first language is Spanish. She told me her nanny always spoke it when she was little, so she grew up bilingual."
Steve nodded slightly. "Huh."
Bruce cracked a smile. "We could start a language club when she gets better. I think all of us speak at least two languages, since you know French, don't you?"
"Yes. And Gaelic, my mother was proud of her heritage." Steve looked at Toni's now-furrowed brow. Please be okay.
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Toni was in the middle of a battle. Repulsor beams flew, along with bullets. Somehow, she knew she was protecting Pepper. Something threw her to the side hard, and it took her a second to regain her bearings. When she did, she leapt to her feet, but it was too late. Pepper was in the hands of an enemy. The person was wearing a version of her suit, but equipped with guns and cannons. Weaponized.
The enemy spoke. "Stand down, Stark."
Toni lowered her hands. "Okay, standing down. Don't hurt her." Pepper was Toni's best friend, the only one who cared enough to stand by her even through her bad years.
The enemy stared her down. "I know you. You will distract me, then attack. Better act before you do." Bang.
Pepper yelped horribly, and Toni tasted blood where she'd but her tongue at the noise. She lifted her hand and fired a beam at the enemy, and they collapsed. "Pepper!"
As soon as she was free, Pepper stumbled a few steps, then fell, clutching her stomach. Toni raced over to her, trying desperately to stop the rapidly spreading red blotch on the front of her dress shirt. "No! No, Pep, stay with me!" She activated her comes. "Help! Someone! Pepper's down! HELP ME!"
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Another day gone. No closer to a cure. Toni's condition was declining bit by bit, heart pounding more each hour. Even the music pouring from the speakers didn't help soothe her.
Steve sat next to her as Hey Jude played. "You're strong, Toni. We all know you are. Fight this."
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She stood facing a figure hidden by shadows, but she wasn't afraid. Just confused. Then she spoke, words pouring from her mouth. "I...I care about you. A lot. I know I don't have a good track record with relationships, and I'm the opposite of the right person for you, but I can't help it. I can't even remember when it all changed. One day I hated you, and the next I was just...fond of you. And it grew. I'm so, so sorry if this ruins everything, but I need to tell you. I love you. I love you so much, it hurts. And I need you to know. Please, say something." The last sentence is pleading, she can hear it, but she just confessed her love.
The figure shakes his head. "I don't know what to say, Toni." He steps into the light, and Toni's stomach drops.
Steve. She just told Captain Freaking America she loved him.
"We won't work, Toni. It's a fact. You don't do commitment well, you've admitted it. And commitment is something I need."
"I am committed to this. Have you noticed I haven't gone on a date in three years?! I was stuck on you!"
"I'm sorry, Toni. But it would never work." He walks out of the room, leaving her alone and heartbroken.
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Bruce sighs. "She's spiking again."
"Is there anything we can do?" Steve asked, a but desperately. "She could be dying!"
"All we can do is wait for answers from Asgard."
The pair waited in a room void of motion and silent, save for a gentle cover of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
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Toni stood alone in a room. She saw all four walks, plain and unmarked. No door, no windows. She opened her mouth to call out, then stopped. The walls had moved, she was sure of it. "Hey, someone?"
She wasn't imagining it. The walls inched closer to her. "Someone?! Help!"
The walls were closing in, and she panicked. She hated in closed spaces, especially after Afghanistan. It was the reason the Tower's floor plan was so open and full of glass.
There was no escape; she was going to be crushed. She tried to make herself as small as possible and breathe normally, squeezing her eyes closed. She thought of her team, and how she'd never see them again. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough, she wanted to say. It was what she would've said to them if she saw them again.
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Thor burst into the lab, followed by a light-haired woman in a flowing gown. "Mother is able to help Antonia!" he announced.
Bruce stood. "That's excellent! Bruce Banner, ma'am." He held out a hand.
Thor's mother shook it. "And I am Frigga. I am able to cure your friend, but it will take a bit of time."
Bruce glanced at the heart monitor, registering rapid heartbeats. "Please, just get her well."
Toni's music played on steadily in the background.
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Toni was in another fight. And this time, it was physical. Several people kept her occupied with hand-to-hand combat until she blasted them with repulsor beams. But this last one was putting up quite the fight.
It was dim; she couldn't see their faces. But when she finally caught the fighter off guard and blasted him with a repulsor beam, she saw his face, covered by a helmet. Steve.
He fell backwards, hitting the pavement hard enough that his helmet fell off. Toni said desperately, "Jarvis, lights!" and saw what destruction she'd wreaked.
Steve laid before her, a hole burnt right through him. She sobbed once in shock, falling to her knees. "Steve. Steve, no!" She flicked off her gauntlet to shake him, and felt a hole rip into her heard when she saw the ring resting on her finger. "No, no, no, this can't be happening!" She shook him harder. "Steve!"
He wheezed once. "Still- love- you."
Tears blurred her vision. "What did I do?!"
Steve twitched his hand, as if to touch her, but then he let out a shuddering breath and laid frighteningly still. "Steve! Come back! Come back to me, dammit! I love you!" The last part was sobbed.
Eventually, dread caused Toni to lift her head to survey what other damage she'd done. Her heart nearly stopped as she took in the scene.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were scattered on the ground, Hill among them. Nearest to her were Clint and Natasha, hands still clutching their weapons. "No!"
Toni fell to her knees, letting out an anguished scream. "I'm a monster."
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Frigga looked tired. She'd been at Toni's side for hours, her golden magic weaving around Toni.
The queen stopped for a moment to breath. "I once cured a woman of this curse. This...is more challenging. Antonia's fears are more devastating than most. But I am almost finished." She returned to the problem at hand, brow furrowed in concentration.
The entire team was gathered in the room at this point, in various states of exhaustion and hope.
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Something...was nudging her mind. Trying to communicate with her. At first she resisted, as was natural, but the nudging grew stronger.
"Antonia, this is Lady Frigga. The crown has cursed you to live your greatest fears, but there is a cure. Come to me, child. Your team is worried about you."
Toni hesitated. The information sounded accurate. Hesitantly, she followed the force in her mind as it retreated.
"All will be well soon. Your team awaits you."
Then her eyes opened.
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Frigga opened her eyes. "She is coming."
A second later, Toni's eyes snapped open and she flew upright with a gasp. "What...how long was I out?!"
Bruce hurried over, checking her vitals. "Days. A week, to be exact. We were worried."
"Are you all right? What did you see?"
Toni pushed down where her thoughts went. Professing her love to Steve. Killing Steve, while they were engaged. "The usual. Afghanistan. New York." She shrugged, but the look on her face must've been bad because he didn't press.
"We are all very happy for your safe return, Antonia. Thank you for aiding us, Mother." Thor said.
"It is nothing," Frigga stated, waving a hand. "You are happy here with these people, and happiness is what I want for you. I will help in any way I can."
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Songs for this story
- El Mismo Sol by Alvaro Soler
- Hey Jude by The Beatles
- Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Katharine McPhee
- Don't Stop Believing by Journey
- Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls