Chapter Eight

"It is amusing how special you thinking you are, truly it is,"

Steve stared at the man in front of him open-mouthed, clearly completely stunned and shocked at the way that this was going. Needless to say, it was not the way that he had expected at all.

"You think that you are something unique and special, everything special about you came in that formula, you yourself are nothing important and amazing, if it were not for that formula you would be not even a name on military records for the war, you would have been no one at all, a footnote on some medical record about you dying a young, probably miserable death,"

"Hey, I…" Steve tried to move and then remembered that his arms were chained to the table sitting between him and the man opposite him.

"And what you are because of the formula isn't really even that special anymore, how many mutants are there out there that can punch hard and run fast, they were born with their talents, not given them in a laboratory experiment. You think that you are something so special and should be respected for it when in reality, you're nothing different to Deadpool, the only difference being you turned out pretty. You still both signed up for experiments that you had no clue what you would turn out to be, and how you would be used,"

"Look, I didn't ask you here for you to…" Steve started to say but the man held his hand up.

"No, you asked me here to today because you still think that you are something important, something special, you still think that you are going to get out of here with a smack on the wrist, that Tony will help you," Yon-Rogg sneered at Steve Rogers, his expression saying everything about what he thought of this man.

"If none of that is true, why are you here?" Steve managed to smile a little, despite the thundering of his heart. The alien in front of him tilted his head, his unnaturally green eyes intent and searing as he looked at Steve...and found him wanting.

"I am here because you need to stop trying to contact Tony to assuage your guilt, and because you need to let go of the illusion that you have any way of fixing what you broke between you and Tony, because you need to understand that there are those that care for Tony and love him and we are not going to stand by and let you hurt him any more than you already have," Yon-Rogg paused before he speared Steve with his next look. "I am here because I love Tony Stark with everything that I am, and I need to tell you exactly what I think of you, because it is the only outlet that I have for my anger towards you, because Tony would not be happy if I rip you into tiny little pieces and see if your fucking serum can heal that!"

"I…"

"I did extensive research into you and your relationship with Tony while I was watching him cling onto life and fight for it after you tried to kill him,"

"I didn't try to…" Steve tried to say but the other was on a roll it seemed.

"I have also done my research since we got back, both through FRIDAY, and the others, and I realised, you're jealous. It is understandable of course, who wouldn't be," Yon-Rogg shrugged.

"Jealous, jealous of what, I am not jealous!" Steve frowned.

"Of Tony, of course, and the fact that he is ten times the man that you will ever be. As I said the only thing that is special about you is your strength, speed and healing, things that many, many people possess nowadays, and it wasn't even something that you were born with, it is something that was given to you by scientists, by Tony's father. Tony, he is something special, something unique, there are billions of people on this planet, and there is no one like him,"

Steve watched as the other smiled fondly as he spoke of Tony.

"Even without Iron Man, Tony was always going to be an amazing person, he was always going to be remembered in the history books for who he is and for his talents, for his amazing mind and creations, he was never ever going to be an obscure footnote, his name is going to be like Einstein, Newton, Galileo, spoken and remembered for what they created, what they figured out, for how they advance humankind into the future. Iron Man, he is just a plus. Something that Tony created himself, with his own skill, talent and knowledge to help people, everything that Iron Man is has come from Tony, Iron Man is 100% Tony Stark. Captain America? He is maybe 15% Steve Rogers, and that is being generous,"

"How dare…"

"It must have burned you up, you thought you at least had the fact that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for this superhero gig, but Tony wasn't, and then he risked his life getting the helicarrier going again, he risked his life flying that nuke out, and you realised, Tony Stark was EVERYTHING that you weren't, everything that you would never be. And now, you're going to be a footnote to Tony, the 'hero' that tried to kill him and turned him into a villain, scientists are going to study you, poke at your brain and your blood to try and work out if the serum running through it caused your complete and utter lack of morals and your bloodthirstiness, Erskine gave two people that formula, and both of them turned out to be murderers, two for two."

"No...no…" Steve felt sick.

"I do apologise, attempted murderer, for Tony, those civilians that you killed in trying to save your best friend, they might have something else to say,"

"I didn't…"

"When it comes down to it, you're nothing special, Steve Rogers, you're a blunt weapon who tries to punch their way out of everything, where Tony Stark thinks a hundred ways around it, Tony Stark has brought the world peace, he is the hero you always dreamt of being, and who we both know you will never be. You are lesser than Tony in every way,"

"I am Captain America," Steve gulped.

"You are strong and heal quickly," Yon-Rogg reared back and punched the table, splitting it in half easily. He held his hand up so Steve could watch the wounded knuckles sluggishly bleeding blue blood healing. "There are many of us in the world, there is only one Tony Stark," He smirked.

"I…"

"Stay away from Tony, no more messages, no more little notes from your lawyer, no more. If Tony wants to hear whatever pathetic apology you think you have the right to feed him, he knows where you are. But he isn't going to forgive you, and he definitely isn't going to help you, he has no need for you," Yon-Rogg shrugged lazily before opening the door and leaving the room, leaving Captain America sitting behind him, stunned.

When he stepped out into the monitoring room Rhodey, Peter and Harley all stared back at him wide-eyed.

Tony looked at him with a furious glare.

"Hello," Yon-Rogg said walking into the lab.

Tony glared for a beat longer before huffing angrily and turned back to carry on hammering at the metal he had under his hand.

"Go on then!" Tony snapped.

"What?"

"Where were you?"

"I was at the prison Rogers is being held at," Yon-Rogg blinked when Tony spun to look at him confused.

"You didn't….evade or lie," Tony frowned dropping the hammer onto the table.

"No...why would I?" Yon-Rogg tilted his head.

"Because you know I will be angry about it?" Tony asked rather than stated.

"Yes, and I did before I went. I decided to go, and so I should face your wrath," Yon-Rogg shrugged crossing his arms.

"I don't need protecting!" Tony glowered.

"I know that," Yon-Rogg agreed, clearly throwing Tony off course with the answer, "you are the last person that I would think needs protecting and for me to intervene on their behalf because they can not cope. Even when I rescued you, you did most of the work, all I did was supply the blood, you fought to live, fought to carry on and refused to be beaten,"

"Why did you go then?" Tony asked confused.

"For myself," Yon-Rogg said softly, dangerously, pushing himself away from the worktable he had leant against and stalked towards Tony. "Because I am furious at him and what he did and who he is, and because I am not allowed to tear him apart, I wanted to make myself feel better by telling him exactly what I felt about him,"

"Oh...and are you feeling better now you have beaten your chest?" Tony licked his lips as he intently watched the other getting closer and closer to him.

"Not really, I want to hurt him still, I wish to beat into his head the truth of who and what he is, because I think he will never, ever truly understand how insignificant he is compared to others," the Kree stepped right up to Tony and then carried on when the Genius stepped back, keeping moving until Tony was pressed against the worktable behind him, staring up into green eyes that looked like they held a storm.

"Wha…"

"You're like a sun, we orbit you and are constantly pulled towards you, wanting to bathe ourselves in your light if only for a short amount of time because you help us bloom and flourish and we all want to just be close to you. Rogers hates it because he desperately wants to pretend that he is the sun, when he knows that he is nothing close to it," Yon-Rogg said softly, reaching up to tenderly brush Tony's cheek.

"You are…" Tony started to clearly argue but was cut off when gentle, unsure lips brushed his own, testingly and questioningly. He could do something more than press up into the kiss, reaching up for the man that had come to mean so much to him so quickly, the man that his soul and heart seemed to know as though they had spent a lifetime together before.

"I am nothing more than a planet in your orbit, lucky enough to be gifted with your presence and your light, and that is more than enough for me, it always will be as long as I may stay here, by your side," Yon-Rogg murmured against Tony's shiny lips.

"I...I think that you have how special I am wrong, but I don't want you to go anywhere," Tony whispered.

"Perhaps all suns think that they are merely just another star in the sky. I am going nowhere for as long as you will have me. And I will never lie to you Tony, even if I think that the truth is something that will hurt you," Yon-Rogg shook his head running his fingers through Tony's hair.

"Yon?"

"Hmm?" The Kree smiled.

"Kiss me again?" Tony grinned going up onto his toes and pulled his love back to him.

"Faster," Yon-Rogg smiled when Tony's eyes narrowed and the hint of a challenge flared in them. He was able to dodge Tony's hits, but only just, Tony had been skilled in fighting before he had gained Kree strength and speed, now he was breathtaking when he fought, still learning and adjusting to his new strength and skills, but adjusting quickly.

Not that Yon-Rogg expected anything less of course.

"Not bad," The Kree smirked when they stopped.

"Not bad! Not bad! I will show you not bad!" Tony huffed.

"Your version of flirting worries me, not that I am surprised with him," Carol snorted as she walked passed nodding to Yon-Rogg.

The elder Kree shot her a dry glare while Tony's cheeks flushed a delightful red that made Yon-Rogg a little less annoyed at her.

"You are still healing after our fight yesterday, so no, you won't, not today. Besides, I am training Peter next, and you have time with Harley," Yon-Rogg smiled at Tony.

"Ugh, I feel fine!" Tony huffed, definitely not pouting.

"Indulge me," Yon-Rogg requested gently.

"Oi, mum, dad! Stop flirting and hurry up!" Harley shouted across the training room, sending Hope and Pepper into laughter.

"I had better be Mum in that scenario Kid! I am way more nurturing!" Tony shouted.

"Amen to that," Carol snorted.

"I was perfectly nurturing with you!" Yon-Rogg scowled.

"Ah-ha!" Carol snickered.

"I was! How wasn't I?!" Yon-Rogg stomped after her annoyed.

"Bye!" Tony threw up his hands at his retreating lover.

"Aww, I love you mum," Harley smiled throwing his arms around Tony's neck. He shrieked in laughter when Tony pounced on him and started tickling his sides.

"Harley!" Peter laughingly dived into action firing a couple of webs at Tony.

"Oh no, you don't!" Pepper fired her repulsers at the webs and managed to knock them off course.

"Oh, it is on!" Scott smoothly doubled in size and reached for Pepper, for Yon-Rogg to use his Gauntlets and left him off his feet. Peter fired his webs at Yon-Rogg, but Hope shrunk herself and jumped through the gaps in the webs shrinking them just as she was through them so the Kree barely felt them.

Half an hour later when Fury walked into the training room to get them for supper he stared around the room with mild horror, dodging a falling piece of wood, and stepping over a lump of webbing.

Really he was a glorified babysitter.

"Get your asses moving!" The one-eyed agent bellowed. There were a few grumbles and choice words - Harley - before the new Avengers filtered into the living room, suited and booted to their very best. They all looked every inch the hero that they were.

Some of them were in civilian clothes considering their identities were already known, or they didn't care to be confirming suspicions, Tony, Rhodey, Hope, Hank, Janet, Vision, Jess and Luke were in this group.

Others were wearing their superhero costumes to ensure their secret was kept. Pepper, Peter, Scott and Matt were all covered up. Scott's only reason was Cassie and her mum and stepdad, determined to limit the risk to them.

Yon-Rogg and Carol stood in their Kree uniform, Carol's in the colours that she had become well known for, wearing with pride the uniform that was only hers. And Yon-Rogg was standing there in his Kree uniform, something that he had admitted he had barely worn since Carol had sent him away from Earth. Now he was wearing it, and he was wearing it with pride, in the colours of the original emerald green and with the new addition of gold.

Fury rolled his eye at the soppy Kree who scowled back and turned to content himself with the happy blush on Tony's face as he kept looking at the uniform.

"Well, I will see you guys when you get back," Harley sighed.

"Why, you not coming?" Tony smirked, squeezing Yon-Rogg's hand before letting it go and walking over to where Harley was standing trying not to pout and sulk.

"You're Iron Man, and I have been training in your armour," Harley shrugged.

"Iron Man is taken," Tony nodded, before reaching forward and clipping a housing unit to Harley's shirt, tapping it and releasing nanobots to encase Harley fully in his own blue and red suit.

Those watching gasped or murmured in appreciation, no one but Tony, the boys and Yon-Rogg had seen the release of the Nanos before.

"What…" Harley gasped, looking at the suit stunned, it was definitely not the one that they had worked on together for Iron Man.

"Iron Man is taken, Iron Mechanic is not," Tony offered nervously.

"I can...I can really join up as well?" Harley asked softly, sounding unsure enough that everyone turned and pointedly didn't listen, except for Yon-Rogg and Peter who quickly made their way to the two.

"You have proven yourself in training, you will be on the same level as Peter, only going out when we tell you, not during school hours unle…."

"Unless it is is the end of the world and we're going to die anyway," Peter and Harley recited laughingly.

"Cheeky buggers," Tony huffed.

"You have earned this," Yon-Rogg patted Harley's shoulder. "You are a strong warrior, and I will be proud to carry on training you, and fight by your side,"

"I made this for you, and only you, this is your first armour. I wouldn't have done that if I did not think you're ready," Tony smiled.

Harley hesitated for a second before he tapped the housing unit and brought back the Nanos before wrapping his arms around the two of them and squeezed them tightly into a hug.

"Get in here webhead," Harley huffed grabbing Peter and tugging him into the hug as well.

Over the heads of the boys and Tony fussing over them, Carol winked at Yon-Rogg. Happy that her friend had finally found the place where he belonged.

Though she did nearly wet herself laughing when Yon-Rogg yelped and dived behind Tony, complaining loudly, when Goose brushed against their legs to join in the hug, focussing on the Kree's legs.

"...and so I would like to introduce you to, the new Avengers!" Tony stepped back and held his hands out with all the showmanship that he possessed, and the crowd went wild.

Reporters were shouting for them, shouting questions to the group as a whole and to individuals. People were shouting out questions wanting to know their powers, what they were, how they got them, what they could do.

Yon-Rogg was of desperate interest to them, everyone wanting to know about him saving Tony, what it meant that he was Kree, why he was here, where his home was, how long he was here for, what his powers were, what could he do, were he and Carol related, how did he feel for Tony, did he know Tony before.

They were already obsessed with the new Avengers, and they could see the great potential that the new group had, the vast differences of all 17 of them blending well together.

Natasha looked down at the papers in her hands, the one that she had been allowed to have and read. She knew why now, her guards were being cruel.

She was being allowed a glimpse of what she could have been part of, where she could have belonged if she had not made the wrong choices.

If she had not placed her bet on the wrong horse.

She wasn't there, she wasn't standing by Tony's side. She was in prison, likely for the rest of her life considering different parties had heard that not only was she in prison, but she had had the protection of Shield and the Avengers removed from her, and there was no chance that they would be swooping in, besides the lawyer that Tony had offered to her and the others.

With the lawyer, she might breathe free air when she was 99.

Setting the paper down on the table in front of her, her eyes couldn't leave the photo that lay there, taunting her.

Tony looked good. He looked healthy, happy, cared for. Something that they had never given him, never been able to give him because of their preconceived notions about him, because of who they were sure he was, and because of their quickness to point the finger and blame him, all of them expecting him to be more than human because he was Tony Stark, while shouting about how their one faults were due to their humanity.

They had never allowed him to be a human.

They had never allowed him to be flawed, to be tired, to make mistakes, they had flayed him for daring to be less than perfect. Blaming him for daring to be less than the great Tony Stark. And then accusing him of being nothing but that.

Now their actions had led to him to not being fully human anymore, he had needed another race to stop in to help him survive them.

And he looked good for it.

She was not sure which was the worst torture.

That she could have been there, with Tony, but had allowed her prejudice against him to turn her away from him at the last minute and now she would never stand with him again.

Or that he was looking so good with them out of his life.

Hands swirled with an angry, vision red glow as they tightened around the paper they were holding, tightening and tightening until the paper ripped apart in two jagged sections, the picture of the New Avengers torn, but Tony Stark was still standing there, who, alive and winning, succeeding, the darling of the world again!

Magic struck out, hitting walls and furniture, dropping bricks and chunks of wood and plaster down upon the bodies of the family that had sat against the wall and note moved until they died several days ago, not by choice of course.

Screwing up the papers the owner of the magic hissed angrily as the house came down around her head, her magic forming a dome to protect her.

Tony Stark would not be allowed to carry on living, he would not be allowed to carry on winning, coming out of situations when he was in the wrong looking like the hero he had never been. She would not allow it.

She would do what Captain America had been too weak, too pathetic, too stupid to finish.

She was going to kill Tony Stark.