Chapter 2
“Urgh. Well that was fun,” was the very first thing he managed to choke out, he had been drowning in endless hallucinations and death for what he felt like centuries, “Let’s never do that again.”
“To be fair, it’s not like you’ve given us a chance to do anything else wise.” Natasha argued, patting his back roughly so he coughed out any remaining water he swallowed accidentally, “You practically threw yourself out of your armor straight into that pond immediately after she offered us that deal.”
“We had no time to react to what happened.” Steve added.
“True.” He shrugged, “If it makes you guys feel a bit better, I might reconsider twice before throwing myself into some freaky mysterious magical pond next time.”
“You’re an idiot Stark.” Clint remarked.
Their day had been normal, until Thor went missing suddenly and turned out to be kidnapped by a fellow Asgardian. A fellow Asgardian who had been crazily in love with him and couldn't take no for an answer. When they found and went to confront her, she only agreed to give him back if one of them jumped into the magic pond she created and feel the pain she felt.
He found the idea of Thor getting himself kidnapped by a crazy pursuer hilarious and how rather than being all evil and cold blooded as he had originally expected, the kidnapper, who called herself the enchantress turned out to be rather a romantic drama queen instead, even funnier. If it weren't for him being more worried about Thor's safety, instead of jumping into that goddamn pond without thinking, he'd be straight out laughing out loud on her idea of making someone die over and over again so they could feel how heartbroken she was being rejected.
Where did she get that idea from anyway? Dying over and over again certainly was something completely different than being heartbroken. She did say that she felt like she had died a million times. It was still different though.
Anyway.
Tony pushed himself up from the ground with Bruce beside him supporting him standing straight. “At least we got Thor back in one piece right?” He glanced around looking for the big guy only to be smacked hard on the back so suddenly he felt the urge to cough out his entire set of lungs.
“Thank you Anthony. For risking your own safety without any doubt to save me,” Thor crushed Tony tightly with a huge bear hug to show his gratitude while the shorter man choked out a breathless plea, protesting.
“Sure. Thor? B-buddy. Can’t b-breathe.” The rest of the team sighed at the reckless fool in front of them.
＿
“How is it that you’re not dead yet?” Clint asked curiously later that evening when all of them were chilling in the living room, while Natasha smacked him immediately with a cushion to shut him up. Tony eyed him with confusion. “You know, Amora sorta broadcasted the whole thing to us. The whole hundred ways of Tony Stark dying in parallel universes thing?” Natasha smacked him again, this time harder and with the remote.
“Oh,” He replied. “Huh.”
Tony fell into thoughtful silence. He wondered how much they had seen. What they have seen actually, that made them ask this question. He himself didn’t quite remember all of it though, he was dying too many times back in that pond he couldn’t really remember the exact details of all the deaths he had experienced.
“Why do you ask?” He was quite curiously, “I mean I’m not even surprised at how I could’ve died so easily throughout my life.” There were just too many things that could’ve happened and killed him. Life’s complicated like that.
Apparently they did see enough that particularly bothered them, Tony thought, since they all fell into thoughtful silence as well. Steve looked as if he had just saw the death of a puppy. Bruce just looked...sad at something. While Natasha looked as if she’s just about ready to murder someone and Clint just kept staring at him in disbelief. The only one who was as confused as he was was Thor, who Tony assumed didn’t get to enjoy the show. Not like he’d like it if he saw it.
The silence was getting really awkward.
“Um, sheer dumb luck and pure stubbornness?” Tony offered after some thoughtful thinking. “Maybe? I don’t know.” he added when nobody was laughing.
“Nay, Anthony. I believe it’s because you are a survivor. A true warrior.” Thor beamed with pride, patting Tony on the shoulders. Tony returned a smile.
The others just couldn’t help but agree with the god.