Tony Stark - Veiled Haze
Tony Stark - Veiled Haze
The Quinjet hums beneath me, vibrations shivering up my spine. My ears strain for news from Loki, but all that fills them is the buzz of the engines and the murmurs of my teammates. I glance over at Amelie, her eyes shining with concern. She's always been too soft for this line of work. Don't know what she sees in Loki – well, maybe I do, he's got those piercing green eyes.
"Tony, are you feeling okay?" Amelie asks, her brow furrowed.
I go to answer before I remember she's not here. Bruce is staring at me, waiting for a reply.
"Fine," I snap, sharper than intended. "Just tired."
"Maybe you should get some rest." He suggests gently, but I brush him off. I don't need rest; I need to focus. There's a haze around my thoughts, like trying to see through fogged glass. But it's normal. Just stress. I'm only human, after all.
"Hey, Stark." Steve calls from across the Quinjet, his voice laced with poorly veiled concern. "You sure everything's alright?"
"Of course, Cap." I reply, forcing a smirk onto my face. "Just can't wait for our little God of Mischief to come through for us."
"Your sarcasm isn't as sharp as usual." Natasha states dryly, her gaze unwavering. "And you seem... distant."
"Okay, enough with the therapy session!" I bark, frustration bubbling inside me. "I said I'm fine, and I meant it!"
"Tony, we're just worried about you." Bruce interjects, his kind eyes filled with concern. "A lot has happened recently. If something's wrong, or you need a break, you can tell us."
"Nothing's wrong!" I insist, irritation gnawing at my insides. “I can’t exactly take a holiday right now.” Why can't they leave me alone? All I want is to hear from Loki, to know that our plan is working, and that we're one step closer to victory.
"Guys, maybe we should back off." Clint suggests, his voice hushed. "Let Tony have some space."
"Thank you!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up in the air. "Finally, someone gets it! So glad it's the archer who comes to my rescue."
The Quinjet falls silent, tension thick in the air. My mind races with fragmented thoughts, pieces of a puzzle that refuse to fit together. The fog in my head grows heavier, pressing down on me like a lead blanket. And yet, somehow, I convince myself it's normal.
The cold metal of the screwdriver twists in my hand as I fiddle with a small device, my fingers numb and clumsy. It's almost as if I'm watching someone else manipulate the tool, rather than controlling it myself.
"Are we sure it was wise to send Loki off like that?" Steve asks quietly, his brow furrowed with concern. "He might be in danger."
"Look, he's more than capable of handling himself." I retort, irritation bubbling beneath my skin. "Besides, we need a way in."
"He does have a point." Natasha agrees, her voice measured. "Loki has proven time and time again that he's resourceful."
"Resourceful or not, there's no denying the risk." Bucky chimes in, arms crossed over his chest. "We're supposed to have each other's backs."
"Since when did you start caring about Loki's well-being?" I snap, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
"Since he became one of us." Bucky says calmly.
I roll my eyes, returning my attention to the stubborn piece of tech refusing to cooperate. The conversation around me fades into the background, muffled by the dense fog choking my mind. I fight against it, attempting to clear my head, but it only seems to grow thicker.
"Hello?" The God's voice rings out, clear as crystal despite the static of the radio. I frown, there shouldn't be any problems with the signal.
There isn't. The static is in my head.
"Finally!" I exclaim. "What took you so long?"
"Patience, Stark." Loki chastises, his tone dripping with disdain. “They want me to tell you that I've found a way for you to enter their base undetected."
I leaned forward, gripping the edge of the console as if it could anchor me to reality. The fog in my mind began to dissipate – replaced by a sudden clarity. "We're going in." I declared.
"Wait, Tony." Natasha said cautiously. "This Is obviously a setup."
"Of course it's a setup." I retorted, eyes narrowing. "But we don't have a choice. We can't let this opportunity pass. We have to take the risk."
"He’s right." Clint chimed in, nocking an arrow onto his bowstring. "We won't get another shot at this."
I glance over at Thor, who had been unusually quiet for what felt like an eternity. "Your silence is deafening, big guy." He stared off into the distance, his eyes clouded with concern. "Come on, Thor, you okay?" I pressed, noticing the tension in his jaw. "You'll want to go in and fight, right? That's what you do best!"
"Indeed." Thor replied, his voice heavy with weariness. "But Tony, there's more at stake here than ever before. For me."
"Hey, I get it." I say, trying to lighten the mood a bit. How did I become the comforting one? Wasn't that usually Pepper's job? "We've faced worse odds before. Remember that time with the giant alien squid thing? That was fun."
"Ah, yes." Thor chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly. "But this... this feels different."
"Because it is." I admitted, rubbing my face tiredly. "But we've got each other's backs, right Barnes?" I turned to Bucky, his brows furrowed. "...and we'll figure it out. We always do."
"Indeed." Thor responded, his tone lacking some of its usual warmth.
"Damn straight!" I declared, cracking a smirk.
The Quinjet's engines hummed beneath me, the familiar vibrations soothing my nerves as I headed to the cockpit. As I adjusted the controls, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. This was it – we were on the right track.
"Alright, team." I announced. "We're heading straight for the enemy base. Let's get ready to kick some ass."