Assemble
It had taken Stephen by surprise at how quickly and easily he trusted Tony, and how the other man had trusted him in return. Had let him stay at the other man's home.
He had trusted Tony enough on telling him that he was a sorcerer from the future, and the other man had not laughed at him, which he was ever so thankful for. He hasn't told Tony of the existence of Kamar-Taj, but the sorcerer was sure that the genius has an idea of their existence considering he still frequents the place.
He trusted that Tony wouldn't tell it to anyone, nor would he do any harm with the information, but he felt like he was betraying the trust that the ancient one had put in him as well as the rest of the order. He isn't the Sorcerer Supreme here yet. He needs to respect the rules that are from the current time.
So whenever he visits Kamar-Taj or the Sanctums he would need to tell he was going somewhere else. He hated lying to the other man about it, but he doesn't want to expose the Order without the current Sorcerer Supreme's full consent.
It wasn't like he never asked her, he did try asking her. It just that, The Ancient One never gave a straight answer, so he just took it as 'it's not time yet' or something.
Despite the obviousness of him still keeping secrets (He didn't share any details of his past life, only how he got here. He felt too vulnerable for that and he wasn't used to being with others), the engineer still trusted him. He was allowed full access to the engineer's Lab even though it was widely known how secretive Tony can be towards his projects.
Stephen would often visit him at the lab when he isn't with the order or training. He would watch as the engineer worked diligently or he would silently read in the corner. Sometimes - now becoming more often than not - they would try ideas or just talk about everything and nothing. He could see how Tony's genius brain kept up with his knowledge from the future. Stephen would be lying if he said he wasn't transfixed with the engineer's every movement and knowledge.
His heart always beat a little faster when they were bantering, sassing, sarcasm, or simply when they were in close proximity to one another. He could admit to himself that he may have a crush on the genius billionaire, but he could never say it out loud for fear of what Tony might think. It isn't like Tony was making it easy for him either, The playboy genius seem to flirt with him every chance he got and Stephen had to keep the blush from showing on his face.
But it's not like it's anything, really. He is called a playboy for a reason, Tony would flirt with anyone. That's just who he is (Stephen ignored the pang in his heart at the idea). So it didn't mean anything for him to flirt with Stephen, right?
After all who would want to be with him?, He thought darkly as memories of centuries of lifetimes being all alone flashed in his mind.
Stephen shook away his thoughts, that's a thought better be left at a better time alone.
He looked at the screen in front of him as Tony's voice came through the speakers.
"There, that would be the last of it,"
JARVIS' voice confirmed that everything was in working order for them.
"How's it looking out there, Tony?" He asked the brand new Stark Tower lit up with the new energy connecting to it.
"Looks like a Christmas tree.. just, with more me." Tony's voice came through the speakers, replying to him.
Stephen rolled his eyes at Tony's usual antics. He found himself smiling a small fond simile at the brunette.
"Maybe a bit too much you."
"Just admit it doc, you love me" and there it was, another simple flirting. Although he does love him, he won't say a thing.
As Tony landed on the landing pad with the night skies behind him Stephen couldn't help but remember the night when Tony had to wake him up from another nightmare of his. He had felt guilty about it and cast a spell on himself if he decided to sleep so it would make the symptoms of a nightmare unidentifiable.
He had his speculations on why he would have more nightmares now that he came back to the past. One of them was that it was because he was in his past body. His soul may have been used to the pains that it had carried and his future body was also used to it because the burden was slowly gradually increasing. On the other hand, he had just arrived at his past body, whose worse trauma was only the one car accident that happened (he also had his theories on why it had happened earlier than it had).
In other words, his body is simply not ready to be inflicted by the traumas and burden his soul possessed and the way it deals with it was to project it with nightmares, panic attacks, and other common symptoms of PTSD.
He looked inside to prepare some drinks as Tony came in taking off his armor. Tony smiled as they both went to sit on the couch when JARVIS suddenly informed them that his protocol was being overwritten followed by a voice that he had never heard of.
Tony answered the call as a 'life model decoy', but as Tony was about to shut the guy off the very same person who has the voice came into the room through the elevator with a ding. Stephen tensed at the man's appearance and curses himself for letting his guard down.
he recognized the man's aura. The man had just entered a few minutes ago, his wards humming to him the knowledge.
He had thought the mas was simply an SI worker. Since the workers were still coming and going he had thought that it would be wise to free the wards a bit as long as it has no evil intentions towards anyone in the building and the building itself specifically not if it causes harm to either Tony or his friends.
The man in front of him had no such intentions, that much was clear.
"Security breach!" Tony exclaimed beside him, snapping himself off of his thoughts. He then stood up quickly turning to their new companion in the room with his guards up, leaving no room for the other man to get to Tony or any sudden attacks.
"Mr. Stark, this is urgent." the man said. Stephen didn't trust the man as far as he could portal him (and he can portal him to another solar system if he wanted or another dimension).
He didn't like whatever the guy was trying to drag Tony into, so when the shorter man was about to hand Tony something. He took it before Tony was able to finish his sentence, not wanting Tony to take an unknown object (although it looks like a normal laptop) from the guy.
Stephen tried to think about anything that could it mean more than he remembers about the Avengers (he honestly feels stupid for forgetting them). So he spoke, "Is it about the Avengers initiative?"
He could see Tony's eyes widen slightly when he spoke in surprise, it was clear that Tony wasn't expecting him to speak. He liked it when he was unpredictable. after all, knowledge is power - and, well, it's cute to see The playboy genius surprised. It was then that Tony took the laptop from him and Stephen couldn't help but twitch, still not trusting the device. Stephen knew that Tony had a right to look at it and he was a naturally curious person, but still, he couldn't help but get twitchy to move, act, or something.
He resisted the urge and told himself that Tony was fine, he can protect himself, and besides, Stephen would be here in case something does happen. besides, he didn't remember hearing anything about something happening around this time, right? (God, he hated himself for not checking the news more back then, but then again, he never would have imagined something like this happening)
The engineer walked to a table and said, "The Avengers initiative was scrapped. I thought - and I didn't even qualify." And he started listing the things about 'himself' that were written on the report. Stephen couldn't help the amusement that he failed to hide it, those things that were listed, they don't need a spy to make that, they could just read the news and go around the rumor mill in town and they'll hear it.
It was obvious that they wrote that for Tony to read. A game of mind of sorts. Tony had always seen others' approvals when it came down to it. After all, he never did get one from his father...
"Steph," Tony called him.
He walked towards the other man as he activated the device, it showed videos of a different bunch of superhumans and he could see Tony in an iron man suit. There were writing and details about each one of them, The Avengers.
Damn It, the New York invasion. He needed to stop it somehow, or just - there were too many casualties from it. The hospital was busy with people going in and out, both doctors and nurses trying to save lives. He had to somehow- (and if that ends up helping Tony as a bonus, he wasn't going to complain)
"I - I'll come back later" Stephen hurriedly stuttered, he took the agent out with him, not trusting the man with Tony alone, and left through the elevator for formalities.
Stephen knew the gist of what happened, thanks to his position as the sorcerer supreme, but it wasn't enough to stop it fully. He didn't know what started in the first place, or where it had occurred. He had been... friends with The God of Mischief in the future and had told him behind the scenes what happened and the fact that he was being mind controlled by Thanos, but Loki had not told him the details of when he was being mind controlled. He had not been able to remember it all.
He had left as soon as he had made sure nobody was there to harm Tony. He hadn't contacted or tried to gain the attention of this time's Loki. He had been completely distracted, if people got hurt now, it was going to be all his fault. He knew of- something and didn't use it.
If that agent was already here to ask for Tony's help, it meant that Loki was already here. He didn't have much information on how things happened and if he wanted to track Loki he needed some sort of DNA from him, which he obviously doesn't have.
He curses to himself. He has absolutely zero leads.
...
There was...
He remembered that the ground zero for the portal was here at the tower... so perhaps if he waits, he could stop Loki before he opens the portal somehow.
He just hopes he won't be too late.
Meeting with the rest of the so-called Avengers wasn't really as interesting as he thought it would be, the only thing worth considering is perhaps Doctor Banner and the Asgardian. He wonders if Stephen knows them from the future-not-really-future-anymore of his.
After he assesses them, he agrees with Banner's opinion of them being a ticking time bomb. Even without the whole mind stone thing messing with our heads.
It didn't take long after that for something to happen. The whole hell carrier shook with the attack and everyone got to action. If Tony was honest with himself, they did terribly, Banner's gone, his body felt like crap after being run over, Loki's gone and so is his brother, and people died. People who shouldn't have died, died.
Thinking about how he failed hurts to munch so he simply rants until- that son of a bitch.
He's at the stark tower.
It was about 11 am when he felt them breach his wards. They didn't give the courtesy of entering through the front door, they had simply teleported to the top. If they were not gonna give him the courtesy then might as well return the favor, he opened a portal straight to the rooftop only to be greeted by the God of Mischief himself. He could see another man at the back setting up some sort of machine.
"Give it up Loki! This isn't you!" he tried to reason, he knows that the mind of a sorcerer, especially one that has trained on the art for so long would be more powerful when it comes to mind control.
"You know nothing about me, second-rate sorcerer." he snarled before collecting himself, "Kneel before me and I might not kill you."
Stephen didn't bother answering the other and cast bands of magic to hold him down.
"You really think this can stop me!?" the scepter glows brightly before breaking the bands from Loki.
"The chitauri are coming and nothing's gonna change that!" He charged at Stephen.
"We have a hulk." Stephen countered.
All through it all, Stephen realized that Loki seem to only be using his scepter. He supposed he should count that as his luck, at his current strength, there was no way he could beat Loki if the other were to use his full power.
He tried calling Stephen on his flight to New York. He needed to warn the other to get out of the building.
"Sir, I'm afraid the Doctor can't pick up the call right now. He's already engaging the enemy." JARVIS informs him faithfully.
Damnit, Stephen.
By the time he made it to the tower, Stephen's and Loki's fighting had moved into the tower.
"Tony, you've got to stop the machine at the top of the tower! we can't let a gate open here!" called out the younger while shielding himself with an orange mandala.
"Stephen, I'm not leaving you with him."
"You have to! if that portal were to open, countless lives would be lost."
With a too-long hesitance, Tony went up to stop the machine. "Stop Doctor Selvig."
"You can't stop it it's too late." Tony blasts a beam at the machine only to be thrown back.
"Sir, that's made out of pure energy. We won't be able to destroy it."
A beam of blue light shot into the sky and started to swirl the clouds, it tore open a gate (there wasn't anything else he could call it besides that) to space and creatures started flooding the skies and streets.
The sound of glass breaking signaled the end of Stephen and Loki's fight with the latter escaping to a flying machine.
"Damnit!" He heard Stephen curse. Despite himself and the situation around him, he flew to Stephen first."
"Stephen, are you alright?" He saw the devastated look on the sorcerer's face as the other looked upon the destruction brought by the portal.
"I failed." the other said in a weak voice.
Tony held the taller man's shoulder and look him straight in the eye, "You didn't, Steph. You gave it everything you could."
The sound of his armor breaking through the doors broke through their little moment. It woke both of them that now is not the time for regrets, it's the time for actions.
They took to the streets, Tony grabbed their attention of them while Stephen helped the stranglers. It went on for another minute or two before he got a call of a nuclear bomb heading their way.
Shit, shit, shit. He needs to stop that- he looks up to where the portal is still swirling and he thinks that he may have a plan.
"Sir, would you like to leave a message for the Doctor?"
And it really is a message, because there was no way for him to communicate with Steohen directly right now.
"Yes, J."
He had just got out of the building to see Tony flying a Nuclear bomb upwards. Stephen was already flying towards him as fast as he could before even realizing he was moving. He needed to-
The bomb blew and all the creatures on earth shut down. Stephen crossed the portal and took Tony in a protective spell.
"Shut it down." He heard through Tony's dying com.
So he pleaded, "No, wait. I'm bringing him in. Don't-Don't close it yet." He's freezing. Ah He thinks he might have forgotten to cast a protective spell around himself, but that doesn't matter now, he has Tony, He just needs to get back.
Crossing the portal with the help of the cloak, the black widow shut it off behind them and they landed safely on the ground. They didn't react toward him, too busy looking at the unconscious billionaire. It was silent.
Then the Hulk roared.
Tony woke up, "What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me."
Stephen Ignored his aching freezing body and hugged the man, "My god. Tony, never do that again."
"Never, say never, Steph. Never, say never."
"Guess this is it then?" said Tony. They were going their separate ways again. Thor and Loki went back to Asgard and the others went on their ways.
Loki's going to be trialed at Asgard and although this Loki may not know him, Stephen still owed his Loki this much courtesy. He has told Thor about what he knew of Loki's condition and how he was mind-controlled just like any other victim.
"yeah" answered Steve. Stephen knew it wasn't the end, in fact, this was the beginning, but they needed to rest for now to adjust. He had recommended the captain on seeing a psychologist. Perhaps, one that is used to dealing with long-term coma patients. The other had said he'd consider it and left it at that.
He looked to his side to find Tony still covered in bruises. He supposed they all needed a break.