Dawn of New Change

PREVIOUSLY ON: Dawn of New Change

Last chapter was kind of a filler, looking at the after effects of the Avengers from their fight against Ultron and the Enhanced. They were nerfed and Tony has to deal with the guilt that comes with his son caught in the crossfire of whatever mind manipulation ploy Wanda Maximoff filled his head with.

Clint takes them all to his safe house though. 

When the quinjet had landed, hours of flying later, everyone had time to adjust themselves back to some semblance of normalcy. Taeyong had taken a nap and woke up feeling more refreshed than before, but he still stuck close to Tony, hand in his father's as they both walked out of the quinjet and towards some old looking "Circus?" Taeyong asked, throat croaky as he squinted through the morning sun.

"To jest?" Thor asked, handing the younger teen a bottle of water. Tony shot the God a thankful look, and Thor returned it with a nod, any animosity between them gone.

Taeyong nodded, "exactly," he coughed slightly and handed the bottle back to Thor. Taeyong turned to look behind them, finding Steve walking at the back of the group, face set into a hard line. Taeyong sent the man a little wave, smiling softly when Steve blinked back into reality, waving awkwardly back.

"Taeyong, how are you feeling?" Tony asked.

"Creeped out," he said, giving a nod. "Clint, where are we?"

"My old circus," the man simply answered, shouldering on a tired Natasha, who leant heavily on him. Clint walked confidently forward with his eyes sharp and stride quick. The circus itself was pretty run down, on a large piece of land that stretched across acres of just fields and some abandoned warehouses and buildings.

There was a giant tent in the traditional red and white colours standing grandly at the centre of the circus. Around it were caravans and small abandoned game stations. There was even the base of what Taeyong assumed to be a ferris wheel. But it was long gone and instead they walked past all the dull circus games. Taeyong spotted a small booth that had the words 'Candy Floss only 25¢' painted across its banner. It was in faded pinks and blues with stripes around the entire base, a small and probably workable candy floss machine still sitting on the stand.

He extended his hand out to Thor again, taking the water bottle and sipping on it slowly as his eyes flitted over everything. There was a small section that was squared off with dug up dirt, some cones and a tightrope just two feet off the ground. A little booth that had those card figurines you had to shoot down and another booth with a kiddy pool and some mouldy looking rubber ducks with hooks screwed into their heads. A couple of plastic fishing rods scattered around the dried up inflatable pool.

They continued walking until they got inside of the tent, Clint held the draping fabric open for them all to enter. He gave Taeyong a little wink as the younger teen walked past and Taeyong, although tired, sent back a hesitant smile.

The tent was grand even on the inside, there were rows of benches and other miscellaneous seating around the edge of it. A border painted in blues and yellows to keep a distance between the audience and the acts and inside two long poles with a tightrope that seemed to stretch on as Taeyong gazed up at them. There were giant bouncy balls with stars painted on them and spirals. A couple of flyers and posters with traditional looking clowns printed on and Taeyong stopped his dad, picking one up.

Tony made a questioning grunt but Taeyong folded up the poster and pocketed it, following the others as they walked to the back of the tent. This opened up to more acres of the land and what appeared to some forest. Taeyong hadn't realised they had been walking for that long, but now that thought about it, his legs were aching and his stomach was in knots.

"I'm kind of... hungry," he said, brows furrowed.

"Yeah?" Clint asked, placing a gentle hand over Bruce's shoulder. "Well, we'll fix you up some grub, don't worry."

"We?" Steve asked.

"Oi yer little minx!" came a rowdy voice. Taeyong's eyes widened and he squeezed his dad's hand, watching as a large, golden retriever started to bark happily and run out of a nice looking, green and white house. Taeyong hadn't even realised that there was a house there, slightly covered by the large forest trees and other shrubs surrounding it. The dog was yipping and barking with vigour as it bounded over to them.

Taeyong gasped, grinning immediately as Clint bellowed a hearty laugh and bent down to give the dog some much loved ear scratches. "You have a dog?!" Taeyong exclaimed, letting go of his dad's hand and practically falling down to his knees to also pet the happy creature.

"Taeyong, this is Lucky. Lucky, Taeyong," Clint introduced.

"Oh what happened to his eye?" Taeyong cupped the dog's face, looking over the dog's left eyes which had closed up.

"Attacked, I'll tell you all about it later, first things first though-" Clint grunted, standing up and waving at the house. Taeyong fell back to sit down properly, crossing his legs and ruffling up Lucky's fur, burying his face in the dog's neck.

"Oh my god, you're so fluffy," he whispered, hugging the dog close. Taeyong's wrist bumped into something and he looked up to find a vest on Lucky's body. Lucky, to Taeyong's surprise, was a service dog. "Oh, are you on duty?" he asked, tilting his face away when Lucky started to lick at him. "Clint, I'm going to steal your dog," he laughed, trying to push Lucky away.

"You'll have to steal it from the both of us then," came an unfamiliar voice.

Taeyong looked up and had to squint through the sunlight. He took the stranger's hand, feeling at some sort of peace standing in the presence of someone that also looked a little like Clint. His hair was a big longer and he definitely had less cuts and bruises than Clint but they had the same eyes. Taeyon grinned, noticing that they both also smiled in a similar manner. "I'm Barney, this one's big brother," he said, clapping Clint on the back. "Come on in everyone," he whistled and Lucky bounded over, running back into the house.

Taeyong looked back at his dad, noting Tony's quizzical look and bounded over, feeling lighter than he had in a while. He grabbed his dad's hand and pulled him along to the house. The house itself was a pretty picture, it had different vegetables growing at the front and looked like it was big enough for Barney to live his life in.

"I didn't know Clint had a brother," Taeyong said, walking in behind Clint and Barney.

"This was the first thing I asked Fury to keep on the down low," Clint explained, letting Barney wander into the house whilst he guided everyone towards a decently sized living room. Taeyong sat down on the sofa beside Lucky and set to stroking the dogs head, which lay fittingly on his lap. "Him, this life, it's never been on the S.H.I.E.L.D. files and I'd like to keep it that way," he said, eyeing everyone in the room.

"It's nice," Tony said after a while.

"It is," Bruce spoke up, gazing outside. This was the first time he had spoken since he turned back. "But uh... why the circus?"

"You were from there right?" Taeyong asked. He frowned, trying to think about what he had read in Clint's, apparently, scarce S.H.I.E.L.D. files. "That's where you learnt how to shoot and why you're so dexterous, right?"

"Correct," Clint nodded, stretching his arms out and groaning. "Look, this is the safest place I know of. Fury and the Heads of S.H.I.E.L.D. only know about it and now you guys too. I don't want Barney too involved-"

"That sucks," came Barney's voice as he walked in carrying a six-pack. He set the pack on the table and gestured vaguely for whoever wanted it. Tony immediately pulled out a bottle, handing one to Natasha and another Thor. Taeyong looked away, feeling something ugly crawl at the pit in his stomach. Conveniently, Lucky perked up and started to lick at his face again. "I know who you guys are and I've just seen the news. Sorry about what happened over there by the way Doctor Banner," Barney went over to sit heavily in an armchair. "You guys can stay as long as you like. I've got two spare bedrooms though and this living room for space. There's also the caravans, they look like utter shit on the outside but I've remodelled them so don't worry-"

Clint scoffed and Barney smirked. "Okay, so Clint's remodelled them." Barney tapped on his knee and gave them all a wink. "First things first though, shower. I've got two upstairs so take your pick and I'll get started on supper in an hour."

"Can we have a snack first?" Tony asked, completely comfortable in this setting whilst pointing the tip of his bottle in Taeyong's direction.

Barney shrugged, looking over at Taeyong, "I've got some Chips Ahoy somewhere, will that suffice for now?"

"Chips? Ahoy?" Taeyong tilted his head, looking back at his dad.

Clint looked horrified for a second, "you've never...? Stark, what the hell?"

Tony didn't even look ashamed, he simply shrugged. "What? They've got all sorts of artificial, preservative crap. Homemade cookies, straight from the oven, are better."

"Maybe," Barney snorted, already getting up. "But we need to teach the kid that some foods are just life."

"Huh?" Taeyong tilted his head.

"You'll understand."

***

Taeyong did not bloody understand because he bit into a Twinkie and immediately shivered. "Why is it... wet?" he whispered, looking down at the half-bitten, artificial cake, cream, snack... thing.

"Ahh Twinkie, good choice," Natasha said, walking past Taeyong and shoving her bag on the nearest chair. Taeyong looked back at her and then at his sad, pathetic excuse of a Twinkie and handed it over. Natasha arched an amused brow, the very corner of her lips lifting upwards as she took the damp piece of somewhat edible food and bit straight into it. Taeyong tried to school his expression, but his nose instinctively scrunched up and Natasha chuckled, still eating it.

"Hey Aunt Tasha?" Taeyong said, walking further into the room. It was Barney's spare bedroom, on the first floor because sometimes it was hard for him to walk up and down the stairs. Taeyong had learnt that he had been part of the army and other cool things about the circus when Barney led him towards the nearest bathroom.

"Aunt?" She mused, looking at Taeyong with a soft smile.

"Hmm," Taeyong nodded confidently, "I don't know... feels natural." He jumped up on the bed, testing the spring as he bounced slightly. "Can I- Am I allowed to ask what you saw?"

"You're gonna want to explain your self a bit more Yong-ah. What do you mean?" Natasha helped him down and sat on the bed, still biting into the Twinkie.

"The Maximoff girl," Taeyong whispered, fiddling with his fingers. He looked down at his lap and flattened the grey pyjamas shorts that Barney gave him because all his pants were too long. "She got Bruce and he turned into Hulk so much faster than I had ever seen." Taeyong gulped. "He thrashed around... he was so scared and then he was the Hulk and she got me too. I just- I was curious about what she made you see?"

Natasha was quiet for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing in softly. "You've read my file?"

"No," Taeyong responded in kind, giving her a little shrug when she gave him a surprised look. "I don't know, you've always been so secretive and I didn't want to lose your trust."

Natasha scoffed playfully, bumping shoulders with Taeyong, "you are very mature for your age."

"Yeah... I get that a lot."

"Did you know that I was recruited by Clint? That's how I first joint S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yeah, that I knew."

Natasha nodded, looking directly at Taeyong. "I saw my past. Back in the Soviet Union-"

Taeyong furrowed his brow, "Soviet Union? Like... Russia?"

Natasha gave a humourless laugh, "back when we were called the Soviet Union. I was born there, you know I am Russian, no?" Taeyong gave a shrug and Natasha tutted a little but continued. "I was part of the Black Widow program, you know this?" At his nod, she relaxed a little. "I don't like to remember a lot about it. Times were different then, I was recruited a little after World War Two... I was... trained. I was a ballerina and a soldier, the Black Widow.

"Wanda," Natasha said slowly. "Showed me the day I became the Black Widow. I was experimented on." Taeyong pouted, looking back at Natasha with worry. She smiled sadly, hand reaching up to ruffle his hair. "The Soviet's had their own Super-Soldier serum and I was their best candidate. I remember being wheeled into that room, awake for the procedure."

"Nat..."

"I am fine now," Natasha said, giving Taeyong a more confident smile. "It's a part of my past that I have come to terms with but Wanda... she didn't just make me see that."

Taeyong nodded quickly, "she made you relive it."

"...Taeyong, what did she show you?"

Taeyong bit the bottom of his lip, fingers scratching at his nail bed. "She showed my mum... but I was her. I was in my mum's place?" he tilted his head and tried to come to terms with it. "Dad he- Dad was there too and he just... disappointed I guess," Taeyong shrugged.

"Your father," Natasha said, leaning close and looking directly into Taeyong's eyes. "Loves you very much and no matter what you did, he would want the best for you. He would save you a thousand times."

Taeyong felt his throat dry up and he nodded quickly, trying to breath through his nose and clear the heaviness in his chest. "I know, I know, I know... I just- I don't-" think I'm alright. I think there's something wrong with me. "Thank you," he settled on.

Natasha smiled, "of course. "

Taeyong leant forward and hugged her, resting his head on Natasha's shoulder. He didn't say anything about the tense of her shoulder, but he sighed when she relaxed and held him close. "Love you Tasha," he whispered. He didn't say anything when she hugged him tighter.

***

Barney's house, in the middle of a deserted circus town, was still in need of general day-to-day upkeep. Which meant, Tony and Steve were outside, discussing the next stages of their somewhat foiled plan, whilst also chopping up wood.

Tony was grunting, feeling a slight twang in his back as he continued to chop the wood in front of him. He hadn't fully recovered from getting the shit beaten out of him by Ultron and the Hulk, but he had other things to worry about. Namely Taeyong, who seemed to be doing much better inside, after having taken a shower and gotten some food in him.

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked, looking back at Steve whilst he tried to stretch his spine a little. Steve shook his head, having just told him that Thor took off, flying off after his little 'vision' from Wanda to go and find answers. He didn't even stay for that shower Barney promised everyone. Tony was confused, but at least he knew one thing, with Thor had gone it meant that they were currently one man down.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things," Steve said, walking to get another piece of wood, whilst he squinted through the sun, looking back at Barney's house. "I was kind hoping Thor would be the exception."

"Yeah," Tony winced, rolling his shoulders back and grabbing another piece of wood. "Give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him." Tony looked down at the wood Steve split with one swing and nodded slowly, impressed.

"'Earth's Mightiest heroes.' Pulled us apart like cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away alright?" Tony tilted his head.

"Is that a problem?"

Tony smirked, "I don't trust a guy without a dark side." I need you to be flawed, just be human. Show me, you're one of us. "Call me old fashioned."

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet."

Tony let go of his axe and walked over to Steve, "you know Ultron's trying to tear us apart right?"

"Well, I guess you'd know," Steve frowned, looking down at Tony. "Whether you'd tell us is the better question."

"Banner and I were doing research," Tony quipped, feeling his defences rise.

"That would affect the team," Steve said, putting his own axe down.

"That would end the team!" Tony stressed, watching Steve walk over to grab another log. "Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the 'Why We Fight?' So that we can end the fight? So we get to go home!"

Steve ripped the piece with his bare hand and grunted, turning back to Tony. "Some of us can't go home!" He shouted and Tony just watched him. Steve was breathing harshly through his nose but he eventually through the log pieces away. "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die... every time."

Tony looked away, biting back another retort because he was right, right? There was no threat, there was just them taking down another HYDRA facility, getting Loki's sceptre and winning. Tony felt a familiar flutter curl around the bottom of his ribs, before tightening; guilt. There was no war, before he made one.

"Um dad?" Taeyong called, breaking both of them up. Tony turned to face his son who was dressed in clothes that Barney owned because there hadn't been spared from the quinjet. Taeyong looked so small and frail in the clothing but he had a large smile and his eyes were much more brighter than before.

Tony felt himself automatically smiling back, "yeah bud?"

"One of the booths?" Taeyong squinted, pointing towards the giant tent and then turning back to Tony. "There's this miniature carousel thing and I think we can probably start her up. Need a mechanic... do you think- could we?"

"Sure buddy," Tony said, walking over to his son and wrapping a casual arm around his shoulder. "Don't steal from my pile!" Tony called over his shoulder.

Taeyong led him over to the tent and walked through the quiet and slightly creepy circus show towards where the booth was. It was a little bit away from the rest of the clownery but Tony didn't mind, his eyes scanning over the carousel before a figure emerged from behind it. Tony furrowed his brows, "Is that-"

"Yeah," Taeyong shrugged, jostling his arm. "He wanted a dramatic entrance." Tony snorted, letting Taeyong run ahead and actually start to fiddle around with the carousel mechanics whilst Tony walked towards the familiar figure.

"Fury," he greeted.

"Tony... best let your son bring that contraption to life, over you," he said, walking forwards.

Tony scoffed, looking at Taeyong who had practically disappeared inside the central controls. "He's also Ultron's creator. Maria Hill called you, right?"

"Artificial intelligence. You never even hesitated."

"Look, it's been a really long day," Tony said, leaning against one of the small horse sculptures. "Like Eugene O'Neill long, so how's about we skip to the part where you're useful."

Fury gave a miniscule smile, "look me in the eye and tell me you're going to shut him down."

Tony felt his defences flare up again. "You're not the director of me."

"I'm not the director of anybody." Fury shrugged, sitting down on the edges of the booth. "I'm just a very old man, who cares very much about you."

"I'm always here Tony," Obadiah said, clapping him on the shoulder and turning back to the cue of photographers lined up, smiling.

"I- I understand son," Howard nodded, rubbing his eyes and turning away from Tony, looking back at Maria who was walking over from their beach house.

Tony felt himself gulp, trying to school his expression. "And I'm the man who killed the Avengers... I saw it. I didn't tell the team. How could I?" Tony kicked at the ground. "I saw them all dead, Nick. I felt it. The whole world, too. Because of me. I wasn't ready," he said, trying to breathe slowly. "I didn't do all I could."

"Maximoff girl, she's working you, Stark." Nick said. "She's playing on your fear."

"I wasn't tricked," Tony shook his head, "I was shown. Wasn't a nightmare, it was my legacy. The end of the path I started us on."

Fury sighed, "you come up with some pretty impressive inventions, Tony." Tony shook his head. "But war? It isn't one of them."

"I watched my friends die. You'd think that'd be as bad as it gets, right?" Tony scoffed, "nope. Wasn't the worst part."

"The worst part is that you didn't." Nick stared back at Tony and they were both left in silence.

"Aha!" came Taeyong's cheerful voice, before he scrambled back out of the central controls and grinned up at the machine. A mechanical and jarring sound of 'jovial' music came from somewhere and Tony had to quickly step away as the horses started to move. Taeyong quickly raced and climbed on one, looking back at his dad and Fury with a wide grin. "What d'ya think?"

"Brilliant bud!" Tony smiled.

"He's gonna be our future, you know?" Nick said, standing beside Tony.

The man nodded, "he's my legacy."

***

Taeyong found that sitting in a lowly lit dining room with a bowl full of really nice meat and carrot stew (like, really... what was Barney's obsession with carrots?), and then all the Avengers in regular clothing (not really, Barney owned a lot of Batman t-shirts??) with Nick Fury also at the head of the table (this is not so surprising) was a fucking picture to paint. There was a very deep, integral part of Taeyong that wanted to just photograph this image in his mind forever, like a bloody renaissance painting.

He was stroking Lucky's hair, the dog's head finding his way on Taeyong's lap once again. Taeyong was not complaining at all. He was slightly distracted with the dog to really care too much about the conversation at hand though.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time," Fury said. "My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with. I don't think it was just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked.

"Oh, he's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans, though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asked, fingers threading themselves through Taeyong hair, which he now realised he should probably cut at some point.

"Yes he is," Fury pursed his lips together. "He's not making any headway.

Tony gave a displeased sort of scoff, "I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."

Fury smirked, "well, I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that."

Taeyong looked up.

"Nexus?" Steve frowned.

Bruce spoke up this time. "It's the world Internet hub in Oslo. Er... Ev-every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on Earth."

"So, what'd they say?" Barney asked, starting to gather everyone's finished bowls.

Fury shrugged, "he's fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly being changed."

"By whom?" Tony asked.

"Parties unknown."

Natasha frowned, "do we have an ally?"

"Ultron's got an enemy," Fury said. "That's not the same thing. Still need to pay folding money to know who it is."

Tony sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I might need to visit Oslo. Find our unknown."

Natasha shook her head, "well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that."

Fury chuckled, "I do. I have you," he said, looking around at the table. Taeyong gave him a small smile. "Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere. Ears, everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream up. And here we all are, back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world." Taeyong gave Barney a small smile, mouthing thank you when he took his bowl away.

"Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission and whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction," Fury said. "All this, laid in a grave. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

Taeyong gave a low hum, "Steve doesn't like that kind of talk."

Steve gave a helpless smile, "You know what, Stark?" Taeyong smirked back.

"So, what does he want?" Fury questioned everyone.

Steve answered, "to become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies," Tony added. "The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it."

"When you three programmed him to protect the human race," Natasha said, "you amazingly failed." Taeyong gave a weak shrug.

"They don't need to be protected," Bruce said softly, everyone turned to face him.

"Sorry," Clint leant forward, fiddling with his ear implants. "What was that?"

"They need to evolve," Bruce explained, looking back up at the group. He then turned to face Tony and Taeyong, "Ultron's going to evolve."

"How?" Fury questioned.

Bruce was quiet for a moment but Taeyong sat up, garnering Lucky's attention. He looked back at Bruce and they both understood then.

"Has anybody been in contact with Helen Cho?"

NEXT TIME ON: Dawn of New Change

"It's you dad," Taeyong said. "It's what you do... you sure you haven't programmed anything to keep Ultron out? Even a fail safe?" He let go and took a step away from the monitor.

Tony furrowed his brows, hands already in his pockets. "I couldn't, not at the Tower when he blocked us. It'd have to be..." Tony tilted his head towards the screen and he closed his eyes. "The first line of defence."

Taeyong's jaw fell open, "Jarvis?"