[ It had taken everything in him after the blast of lightning that rained down from the sky, from the one whose brother had already failed his father, in order to try and climb back to his feet. Tony had been flung far enough away from the energy that he survived, clothes smoking and arc reactor sputtering in a way that caused his face to twist in pain. He calls his suit out from implants, mottled silver cresting over exposed skin as his vision clears.
In enough time to see the Asgardian bury an axe in his father's chest. His horror is muted only by what the Titan spits out at the much shorter man, snapping his fingers in a blinding flash that renders the gauntlet into smoking scrap. Tony's hesitation vanishes as the wounded man calls on a portal, and he uses the nanites that pour out of his skin to mold at his command into repulsors that drag the Titan the rest of the way through.
It closes and Tony slumps, weakness finally getting the better of him. He hears one of the others demand to know Thanos' location with a weak and hurried where is he, and laughs, settling back on his knees. ]
[ It had been a jolt to see Tony on the battlefield - not just for him, but for everyone in the team. The blow was worse, though, when they realized that he wasn’t here to help them; he was here to help Thanos. Thanos, who had killed Vision. Thanos, who had made Bucky and so many others - oh god, how many others? - disappear with just snapping his fingers. Steve had known it was a long shot, but he had been ready to keep fighting, try to do anything to get some leverage back, but before he could even get up Thanos was gone.
Thanos was gone, because Tony had helped him escape, and Steve feels like the air is knocked out of him.
But then Tony speaks, and Thor’s temper gets the better of him as he storms over to him, demanding to know where he is. The question seems to echo in the now silent field as everyone is too stunned to process what’s actually happening. Because Tony is laughing, and he looks off, and— ]
No. No, we need to— [ Thor hauls Tony up with one hand, the other holding tightly onto the ax as if he’s ready to take off the second Tony gives them a location, but judging by Tony’s face his guess is that it won’t be so easy. ]
[ Tony is healing, more rapidly now that the nanites are reforming and regrouping to do their jobs. He'd done it partially as a way to be better, but also to help himself when he'd first came to Thanos. When he first rebelled. They're self-replicating. Self-repairing. Not just armor he calls up if he wants or weapons, but his augmented body and tissues.
The arc reactor in his chest stops sputtering with it's pale blue glow, and brightens once more. Just in time for Thor to haul him up. There's a high-pitched whir of power pouring into the reactor, and it blasts out with enough force to throw the Asgardian free of him. Tony skids back, regaining himself in a crouch, and calling on a blade to form around one hand. It digs into the ground and stops his backward motion.
He pulls it free of the dirt, eyes narrowing on the others, especially the captain. His voice is a sneer when he speaks again: ]
[ Watching the transformation feels like Thanos himself has punched him in the gut, knocking the air out of him all over again. What is he doing? He’s…
He’s fighting Thor. At first it’s as if he’s watching it all in slow motion, the way he blasts Thor back, and then Tony is landing on the ground with such precision that for a moment he doesn’t know what to do. His suit is changing as if on command, and…God, what happened to him?
Picking up the shield, he approaches him before he can continue his attack on Thor (if that’s his plan). The sneer is something he tries to actively ignore, and he keeps his own voice firm. ]
Tony. We don’t want to hurt you. We just want to know where he is.
[ Tony is on his own. His father is too wounded to come back for him yet. He knows he will, but he doesn't know when. He will do whatever is necessary to ensure Thanos is protected. He's been betrayed too much by lesser creatures.
Thor is still getting up and the Captain is closer. His plan is to leave. At least try to make it to one of the landing ships and see if there is anything salvageable to use to escape capture. Barring that, he'll make them suffer for as long as he's able. ]
You don't know me so stop trying. [ Once, they did, but Tony doesn't remember that now. Capture bonding. His mind did what it had to in order to survive. ] Good, makes it easier to hurt you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
IW SPOILERS ( beautiful souls torn apart. )
In enough time to see the Asgardian bury an axe in his father's chest. His horror is muted only by what the Titan spits out at the much shorter man, snapping his fingers in a blinding flash that renders the gauntlet into smoking scrap. Tony's hesitation vanishes as the wounded man calls on a portal, and he uses the nanites that pour out of his skin to mold at his command into repulsors that drag the Titan the rest of the way through.
It closes and Tony slumps, weakness finally getting the better of him. He hears one of the others demand to know Thanos' location with a weak and hurried where is he, and laughs, settling back on his knees. ]
It doesn't matter. You've failed.
no subject
Thanos was gone, because Tony had helped him escape, and Steve feels like the air is knocked out of him.
But then Tony speaks, and Thor’s temper gets the better of him as he storms over to him, demanding to know where he is. The question seems to echo in the now silent field as everyone is too stunned to process what’s actually happening. Because Tony is laughing, and he looks off, and— ]
No. No, we need to— [ Thor hauls Tony up with one hand, the other holding tightly onto the ax as if he’s ready to take off the second Tony gives them a location, but judging by Tony’s face his guess is that it won’t be so easy. ]
Tony. We need to know where he is.
no subject
The arc reactor in his chest stops sputtering with it's pale blue glow, and brightens once more. Just in time for Thor to haul him up. There's a high-pitched whir of power pouring into the reactor, and it blasts out with enough force to throw the Asgardian free of him. Tony skids back, regaining himself in a crouch, and calling on a blade to form around one hand. It digs into the ground and stops his backward motion.
He pulls it free of the dirt, eyes narrowing on the others, especially the captain. His voice is a sneer when he speaks again: ]
No.
no subject
He’s fighting Thor. At first it’s as if he’s watching it all in slow motion, the way he blasts Thor back, and then Tony is landing on the ground with such precision that for a moment he doesn’t know what to do. His suit is changing as if on command, and…God, what happened to him?
Picking up the shield, he approaches him before he can continue his attack on Thor (if that’s his plan). The sneer is something he tries to actively ignore, and he keeps his own voice firm. ]
Tony. We don’t want to hurt you. We just want to know where he is.
no subject
Thor is still getting up and the Captain is closer. His plan is to leave. At least try to make it to one of the landing ships and see if there is anything salvageable to use to escape capture. Barring that, he'll make them suffer for as long as he's able. ]
You don't know me so stop trying. [ Once, they did, but Tony doesn't remember that now. Capture bonding. His mind did what it had to in order to survive. ] Good, makes it easier to hurt you.
Cause the only thing you'll get from me is pain.