Lab Beneath Stark Industries, Sunday Afternoon

[imafuturist]

The War Machine armor had taken a significant enough hit in a fight that Rhodey wasn't able to patch it up on his own. Which was annoying on a few levels for Tony. One, that Rhodey could have gotten hurt. Another that Tony should have been there to help him.

Tony made a face, rereading the assessment of the damage for a third time before starting to get some tools together.

"JARVIS, has the lab in East Village been touched?"

"No, sir. Shall I inform Lieutenant colonel Rhodes of your plan?"

Tony grinned up at the ceiling. "You know me so well, sweetheart. Tell him I'll be there within the hour. Help him shake any tails if you'd be so kind."

[Expecting one, but open before!]

Comments

[imafuturist]

Awww yeah. All the guilt over that.

"I have people who actually use the term arch-nemesis in my life," Tony replied dryly. "I almost miss my life before Iron Man."

Almost. But not really.

[shapethecentury]

"Almost?"

Yes. Had to question that. No judgment, though.

[imafuturist]

"I was... I wasn't the type of person you'd want to know," Tony replied, quiet but firm in this assessment of himself. "I was willfully blind to the harm I was doing to people."

[shapethecentury]

"Huh."

Well, Bucky wasn't about to challenge him on that point – he knew he couldn't know one way or the other, for one thing. So he left it at that, a noise of acknowledgement.

And prodded gingerly at the dressing on his arm, before looking up again.

"Can I put the shirt back on now, nurse?"

[imafuturist]

"I'll even see if I can find a lollipop for you since you've been so good," Tony replied, shaking his head and putting away the medical supplies. "Keep it clean and dry. I can change the bandage for you if you need."

Or they could be normal people and go to the clinic.

[shapethecentury]

"... Doesn't the island have a place that does that?" Bucky asked as he reached for his shirt.

He still had a little while of acting like a normal person left ahead of him.

[imafuturist]

"Probably." Tony wrinkled his nose at that. "I hate doctors and hospitals. Avoid them whenever I can."

[shapethecentury]

"Well, I'm not you, Mr. Stark." The shirt went back on. Yeah, sure, the sleeve had drying blood on it, but he wasn't going to walk around shirtless right now, either. (Sorry, ladies.) "But thanks."

[imafuturist]

"I think I might have a spare shirt around here," Tony offered, looking around to see what awful band t-shirt he might have stashed here years ago. "Might even fit you."

WHY DID HE ONLY KNOW TALL PEOPLE WITH SHOULDERS?

[shapethecentury]

"You don't have to," Bucky replied, but he still stopped buttoning his shirt for now.

Look, the blood wasn't his idea of a good time.

[imafuturist]

Tony shot him a look like it clearly some huge imposition. "It might have some engine grease stains on it," he warned, finding where he'd stashed his change of clothing there.

It was a Queen shirt that looked well worn.

[shapethecentury]

"This one has blood," Bucky retorted, shaking his head. "At least engine grease didn't come out of anyone's body."

[imafuturist]

...that was true. Although, maybe Ultron?

"Correct," Tony granted him. "It just came from the armor."

[shapethecentury]

"That's enough unlike a body for me."

He held out a hand for the shirt.

[imafuturist]

"Agreed," Tony said, nodding and holding it out to him. "Keep it if you like it. I have plenty."

The fancy suits, on the other hand... short order.

[shapethecentury]

"Thanks."

He took the shirt, and pulled it on. Looked positively modern, didn't he? He also had no idea which queen the shirt was referring to.

"This isn't really what I expected from this trip."

[imafuturist]

"It's not what I expected either. I expected a trip to get pizza and... repairing Rhodey's armor." And less blood. Way less blood.

[shapethecentury]

"And not so many lizard people?" Bucky filled in.

[imafuturist]

There was a dearth of lizard people in this plan," Tony assured him. "Oddly enough."

[shapethecentury]

"Maybe that's a flaw you need to fix for next time, huh?"

That was pretty dry. Brooklyn bred sass.

[imafuturist]

"Lizard people in the East Village will definitely go into the plan next time," Tony said with a quick grin. "That sort of thing never happens in Manhattan."

[shapethecentury]

Bucky snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Just get me back to Fandom in one piece, pal."

[imafuturist]

"Now? Otherwise, you can stick around for Rhodey."

Who could never know that Tony was in more shit now.

[shapethecentury]

A shrug.

"At this point? I don't know if I care."

He was pretty sure things wouldn't turn as exciting as they had before, again. Pretty sure. (He had no way of knowing, so he was going by some twisted law of averages.)

[imafuturist]

Tony glanced up as an alarm went off.

"Lieutenant colonel Rhodes has arrived, sir," JARVIS chimed in.

"Lead him down, sweetheart."