Lost to Arcadia

~ Back then ~ 

“I’m leaving. The court, your fucking project. I’m done.”

Fury titled his head to the side. He wasn’t even looking at Tony, too preoccupied in petting Goose. The Wizened was, on the other side, staring a hole through that man’s skull. He felt betrayed and wanted at least a glance from a man he respected. Or at least used to. Can’t really respect someone you can’t trust.

There was a moment of silence in the office. Goose’s purr was the only sound until the King’s eye blinked and turned to stare at the changeling:

“Why the sudden change of heart? You have worked so hard for the Court already.” The King asked as he ran a finger under the cat’s chin. 

“I agreed to this because I thought you were planning to go attack Arcadia. I thought I was giving you weapons to fight back.”

Fury raised an eyebrow at that. Sure, Fury never said that was his plan but he had asked for armour and weapons from Tony. Artefacts that could be activated with a small dose of wyrd.

“Don’t you feel pride in what you've already made?

“I did. Until you threw my work to trash, asshole.” he hissed at the man, trying to stop himself from yelling. The light in the room flickered as the light in his chest burned brighter for a few seconds. 

Fury let out a sigh, his eye turning even darker.

“Pierce told you it seems. He talks too much.” he muttered with annoyance.

“Well, at least he talks to some of us. Unlike you.” he was nearly yelling at this point.

Finally, Fury lifted his head. The King could see a slight crack in the wyrd's camouflage of the Wizened. He didn’t say anything, just wondered if Tony ever realized that his eyes literally light up in blue with anger. Maybe not. It wasn’t the right place to ask. So, he got up and moved forward, his body going through his desk and chairs in his way. Tony held his head high, not taking a step back, not wanting to let himself be scared by the King. They were face to face now, inches away from each other like cats ready to brawl.

 “Stark." God what an asshole, the wizened thought.  He knew how this name made Tony fell, he knew it was power that hold someone's true name. "I like your work. But what you were making was getting out of hand. Remember what I told you: wyrd feeds on emotions. You’re pouring so much wrath and hate into it it will get out of control and harm, anything or anyone close to it.

“Did you even try what I made though? I did, and you know what Bossman? They’re fine!

“They’re not. But whatever helps you sleep at night.” 

The Wizened wanted to throttle him but held back. This was ridiculous. He only had positive comments on his work. What did this infuriating man know anything about his craft?! As he fumed, Fury snapped his fingers, shadows running up his arm and taking a rectangular shape.

“Pierce thinks we need to go to war, no matter the cost, I think we need to be careful. He says he needs to kill every fake that steals our lives, I try to make my people move forward.”

Tony huffed at that. Moving forward? How do you do that when you have nothing left. It has been one year since he’s been back. He didn’t want to move forward, he was enraged. He wanted to run back to Arcadia, save his friends and rip these monsters apart. Pierce had actually been the one to offer this ‘job’: built weapons for the changelings. And Fury had been on board. Or at least that’s what he had said because behind closed doors he was destroying some of Tony’s work. Keeping it a secret from everyone until Pierce found out and warned Tony about it.

“For a long time, I thought Pierce was right. Maybe to some extent he still is. Maybe a self-destructing war is all we have to destroy Them.  However, most changelings in this Court are not soldiers. I'd rather have you build us tools that would protect us instead of weapons for an army I don't have yet." 

Fury’s voice was never soft. It always had that same bored tone that would grate at Tony’s nerves. Something was not being said. But Tony couldn’t and was not in the mood to read through the line. The Wizened was ready to snap back at him, but the King of the Court just held out his shadowy hand who revealed a folder. 

Information?  When he seemed to hesitate to pick it up Fury raised an eyebrow and started to move it away. Well. Carbonnel snatched it before the king could put it away. He opened it and started to read the notes right there and then. Fury just stared at him as he did so, noticing the blue light under the thin shirt that glowed brighter as the man read the papers.

“What do you think, Stark? Something to protect rather than destroy us.”

Edwin Jarvis’s face, wrinkled with a small smile on its lips, was looking back at him. Tony’s trembling hand touched it softly as if it was the man himself before it went to the address underneath it.

He didn’t contact Pierce back. 

The next day, Anthony Carbonnel got to meet Edwin Jarvis.

~ Present Time ~

The pub was bustling at lunchtime. Valhöll had a little menu for anyone who wanted to take a snack or a little lunch. Most changelings only came here to drink away their past and worries. To be fair, Tony was no stranger to this habit alas that was not his purpose today. Since the place was busy, he wasn’t on the receiving end of glares and whispers from his folks which was a nice change. He could see some humans chatting happily among themselves and sometimes mixing with changelings, unaware that they were in the main buildings of the Court. Tony could see some of his pairs happily talking back but the majority just stayed away, uncomfortable. The mechanic slipped past the crowd to reach the bar, he needed a drink. Or two. He hoped no one would come up to bother him because he really wasn’t in the mood. Luckily, no one wanted to talk to him anyway.

“Tony!” 

Well. Nearly no one.

The Wizened jumped at the loud voice and then felt his ribs being crushed under strong arms. He tried to squirm away from Thor’s… Heavy affection but after three seconds he just let himself go limp. Maybe he’ll think he’s dead and the elemental will let him go.

“It is such a pleasure to see you back so soon! Have you lost weight? You feel lighter than last time…”

Thor lifted Tony a bit higher with a thoughtful frown, unbothered by the squirming man in his hands. The Wizened could hear the snickers and laughter from the people around and tried to shut them up with a glare. Unsurprisingly it didn't work. 

“I’m going to make you a fulfilling lunch my friend." Thor decided with a nod. "With a good glass of mead for the soul and some meat to put on those bones."

“Thanks for the attention but I’m not that-

“OH! And we have a new dessert this week! You’ll see, it is a regal for your tastebuds!” 

He plopped Tony down, who had to catch himself on the barstool unless he crashed onto the ground, before patting his shoulder.

“I’ll be right back! And don’t try to run away, Hawkeye will warn me if you do.”

He motioned at one of the wooden beams of the pub. Sitting on the highest was a sleepy hawk who seemed more inclined to nap than to watch Tony. The Wizened sniffed unconvinced. He didn’t like changelings who stayed in animal form too long. He had bad memories with an octopus changeling who got too friendly with him. He turned back to complain to the barkeeper but alas, he has rushed away to the kitchen. Probably scaring the cooks to death with his booming voice and commands. The mechanic sighed and rubbed his face. If it hadn’t been for the fear of meeting Ms Potts he wouldn’t be hiding here he would be back in his workshop, happily taking in clients and doing his job. 

Now he has to deal with all of this. At least there was alcohol. Plus, when Thor came back with a homemade burger, Tony begrudgingly agreed that it looked and smelled pretty nice. Moreover, after the first bite, he wolf it all down, because it was a really good burger. He tried to ignore the satisfied smile of the Elemental as he finished the last of his crumbs.

“So Tony! How is everything? How's your shop? Although, with how hardworking you are, I know your customers must leave satisfied! 

"I offer quality content unlike many thieves in New York so yeah. I have plenty of regulars who trust me and spread my reputation throughout the city. I guess that a little wyrd here and there goes a long way."

Thor's eyes widened for a second before he let out a booming laugh.

"Only you would actually use wyrd as an everyday tool! Isn't it tiring?

"Heh, you get used to it. Plus it's not as if I have a choice in that matter. I was a mechanic as a human. It was already a part of me when I.. Well, you get me. It's just second nature to me."

The large blond nodded at this and leaned on the wooden bar, his long hair sliding off his shoulders and onto his resting arms. 

"I make sense I guess. I wish I could understand why They changed me the way they did.

"Some people say storms and thunder could be linked to temper but you don't seem to be the type to blow up at people and storm away." Tony tried jokingly. He wondered if Thor ever used his wyrd. After all, elementals can't really use their magic in everyday life.  Thor seemed surprised by his statement, his happy facade cracking for a second before letting out a soft chuckle at the changeling. 

"Well, I do try to keep a happy mood when I'm working. After all, even here, not many of us find the strength to do so. I see it as my duty to stand strong for them.

"Don't waste it for us Thor. Not every one of us deserves it."

He felt some of the clients turn to glare at him as he said that. He didn't bother to spare them a glance as he downed his drink. He felt justified in his feelings, and even put himself in the same lot: he was not a kind man. Pushing away people and leaving as soon as he could to shield himself away. Not matter how much Thor insisted to talk or making him feel welcome. Even the whole situation with Jarvis is just him indulging in a selfish fantasy where he could feel human. No. He didn't deserve the warmth of others. Though he had to admit, when Tony arrived he had appreciated the elemental care and smiles. It made him feel at home. But Valhöll can't and shouldn't be home. It was more like a twisted version of Hotel California. Some danced to remember, some danced to forget. And oh, how many of them tried to forget the outside world in there. 

 He turned his sight back to his plate. Before he could mourn the absence of food, a little plate of mini doughnuts nudged against his arm. He tried to look nonchalant as he pick one up. 

"Cherry and beer, a new recipe. You don't mind tasting it for me?

"If it's not a "regal" like you said, I want my money back.

"Pretty sure he wasn't going to make you pay anyway." a smooth voice noted behind him.

The surprise and the recognition of the voice made the Wizened swallow down the wrong pipe and he started choking on the pastry. Widow's expression didn't move in the slightest but she tilted her head on the side as he struggle to breathe. To those who knew how to read her, they would be able to say that she was amused by the sight. After all, it was quite a scene to see a grown man acting like a fish out of water. Thor took mercy upon him and hit him heavily on the back so he could spit out the murdering doughnut. He gulped down a few lungfuls of air before waggling his finger at the Darkling.

"I-ha- I want-ha- compensation for this near murder! And put those doughnuts in a doggy bag, I'm not eating them where I'm vulnerable. 

"Do not blame your lack of talent in eating on us Carbonnel."

Widow stepped and sat next to him, nodding a thanks at Thor who slid a glass with some red liquid towards her. Tony was 97% sure it was blood. Darklings were creepy enough to do that. The other 3% leaned towards cranberry juice (because that was also a level of creepy in Tony's mind).

"Potts still hasn't found you I guess. 

"I'm not planning on letting her find me. New York is big enough to hide from someone. 

"It's true and yet it isn't. Don't underestimate her, she seemed quite keen on your fake."

Tony flinched at the mention of the... Other him. Two years that thing lived as him before ending his own life. He still didn't understand what had brought it to do so but if it had made a strong bond with Mrs Potts back then he would have to face its ghost. 

"All the more reason to let me in peace here no? Fury must be glad, he has all his pets in one place.

"Fury doesn't see us as pets. Stop being childish. 

"No. I won't, I'm still mad at him. 

"Because your pride couldn't handle a few broken toys?"

Tony raised from his chair but a large hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him from jumping on the redhead. Thor glared down at both of them, his usual smile gone to scold them.

"No fighting. And no mean girls chatter. The mood sour too easily already."

Widow siped her glass and Tony left his stool, ready to leave this place. Not before grabbing the plate with the doughnuts. He would send the plate back to the pub. Maybe.

Broken toys? That was his work Fury destroyed behind his back. It was not him being childish, it was him feeling betrayed.  It was the fact that he didn't ask or didn't even try to talk to him before going behind his back. He wasn't going to forget that easily. Widow was right in one way, Fury didn't see them as pets, he just was their King. That meant he gets to act without caring about the consequences. 

The Wizened was still fuming, determined to walk out to the door when a familiar silhouette caught his attention. Tony slowed down his pace until it reached a stop. Steve Rogers was trying to turn invisible in a booth alongside a window. Alas for him, being a Fairest meant being too noticeable. He was trying, Tony could give him that: the little "Brooklyn" cap, the training pants and the large sweater would with a normal human be a nice camouflage. But it could hide the tall frame or the sharp jawline or the piercing blue eyes that would glance around curiously. 

The blond was alone, surprisingly, with just a glass for company. Most changelings were frowning back, looking at him like some sort of oddity that was out of place. The Wizened hesitated for a couple of seconds. He was leaving after all. Going to leave just to turn back and sit with Steve would break his dramatic exit. Then again... Steve was probably trying to fit into this strange community and no one was taking the time to see him. The Wizened sighed and turned towards him. With a new determination, He went to sit down in front of him, taking the man by surprise.

"Fancy seeing you here! It seems that we are bound to meet each other even when we don't want to!" he exclaimed as he sat in front of the man who jumped slightly caught off guard. "You want a doughnut? You can only pick one, the rest is mine."

"Wh-Tony? I mean, Mr Carbonnel, I didn't think you like coming here.

"Ugh, call me Tony, we're all changelings here. And I don't, but Thor's food is neat so it's a good place to hide." he answered, plopping a pastry in his mouth. 

"From what? Are you in trouble?"

The Fairest seemed genuinely worried and started looking around the room and through the window. As if someone was coming to jump out of the street ready to mug him. Tony found it cute, after all who didn't want the literal sosie of Michaelangelo's David to be concerned about their ol' little self. Especially when that man could easily sweep him off his feet in a very cliché way. Nevertheless, the Wizened didn't want to share his story. Not to Steve who had been allowed to get his life back and couldn't understand what he was going through. Instead, he'd rather ignore for a few more minutes the 'Potts Problem'.

"Don't read too much into it: sometimes it's just relaxing to be around other people like you. That's it.  What about you Rocky? Trying to drown your sorrows in some good wine and get blissfully drunk?

“I can’t get drunk. I tried. And my name is Steve...” the Fairest mumbled tiredly.

“That sucks. Can’t imagine what I would do with my evening if I couldn’t get shitfaced.

"Do you do that often?

"Every Sunday, after all, it's the day the Lord took a nap, didn't he?

"I don't think that's the right phrasing-

"Meh. If you get it it's good enough. 

"Why are truly you here Tony? You only talked to the barkeep, and that was more of a one-sided conversation.

Tony offered him a stolen smile, the ones he used against paparazzi when he was younger, and offered a vague answer.

"As I said, don't read too much into it. All of us tend to end up wandering here." Even when they don't want to.

The Fairest looked like he wanted to push but didn't. He just pulled his glass closer with a sigh. Tony, not one to appreciate awkward silences, bounced back with a new question:

"Where's your doggy-pal? I didn't think I would ever see you without him.

"He has a job and a life a part of being my friend. Plus I thought I wouldn't do any harm to talk to other changelings.

"Well..." Tony glanced at the people surrounding them. "You're not doing a pretty good job at it if I may.

"You may not." the Fairest grumbled, clearly embarrassed by his lack of socializing.

He's shy? No that couldn't be, especially after he saw him confronting him back in his workshop. Still, the Wizened have to admit that it was slightly strange: he has all this handsome marble creature thing going on and he didn't have a crowd of groupies around him? I mean, there is yourself? Which didn't count. Nope.

Was it possible that people were untrusting because he was a Fairest? Tony also had some prejudice against him but that didn't stop him from talking to Steve. Is it because he usually hang out with Bucky and they don't feel like mixing with a human too? (So far only Tony and Fury (and his little spies) knew that bucky was a werewolf and not just a regular human)

"How's the arm going on?"

Ah. Tony's poker face was on point today because he managed to say that it was going well and that it just needed a few tweaks and twerks left. The truth was, he left it a bit behind when he learnt about Potts. He did his research on her and discovered that she was working for Stane Entreprises. Obie's society was a conversion of Stark's Enterprise, not long after 'Tony' died. (To be fair he didn't like to think about it. About how Obie turned his father's legacy, something that was handed to him and taken by someone else. Even if that someone was a part of his family). At least he managed to bounce after the tragedy. But that didn't explain why Potts could have a clue on Tony. So hedged dig back deeper. And by that, he meant hacking and pulling every string and statement on social media to link her to his past life. 

And sadly... She was closer to it than he liked. She had worked for Stark's Enterprise during the time his fake was around. Not just behind the scene, there were a lot of pictures of them together, talking, smiling, seemingly closer and friendlier than a standard employee/boss relationship.

He plucked the glass out of the Fairest's hand with a smirk and took a sip.

"You don't mind? I actually can get drunk and I feel like having a bit of fun. And for God's sake have a doughnut. "

So... About the fun. 

Well, he did have it. At first he was just talking about random stuff with Steve but every time the glass emptied he took another. Then another. The random subjects turned into small debates about baseball, then it turned into Tony talking about wyrd and toaster. Finally it ended on Bucky's order and by then, the Wizened well kept up appearance got a bit dishevelled. He has now managed to lose his shoes (don't ask), was sitting on the ground with other's customer's napkins and was trying to explain to Steve the mechanics of wyrd with the prosthetics. His drawings and calculus were incomprehensible but Steve tried to listen and participate a bit. 

"The carvings and spells will come after I made the entire prosthetics. The wyrds follow the flow of every joint that will then help with the shifting and the morphing.  I can change the prosthetics in one shape to another but it needs to activate itself when he shifts right? That's the issue, I can't seem to understand exactly how the shift works and how to accord it to the arm... Paw. Let's call it Parm. 

"Let's n- you know what, you will do it anyway.

"If the neurology of the living being could sync with my wyrd and therefore engage with the process of shifting then you'd have the perfect prosferics.

"Prosthetic.

"That's what I said. Anyway, it's very frustrating because I'm not a biologist or doctor so I'm probably gonna take me longer than expected. But I can just carve spell on where he is parmputated

"No. I don't think that's a good idea. Give me that drink." Steve took Thor's special 'mead' and set it further away from Tony who let out a sad noise at the action. "I think it's enough for this evening.

"It's not evening! It's mid-afternoon-" he stopped when he saw the streets outside basking in the sunset. He looked back at Steve who had a smug expression on his face. "Well, when you put it like that. BUT it's not nighttime yet, so drinks should still be on the table. 

"Let's just take you home. You live right above your garage right?"

Cold hands gently grasped the Wizened and pulled him upwards. Tony titled into his arms, not really steady on his feet.

"Gonna take me home Rocky?" he slurred with a smirk. "You didn't even buy me a drink.

"You took my drink remember? I think it counts."

Tony let out a "meh" and felt himself being walked out, steady hands on his shoulder and hip. He blinked a few times, felt the cool air of the outside and, without calculus and schemas to keep his mind reeling, he could feel himself slipping further into slumber. But falling asleep in the arms of a stranger? That was a no-no. Quickly he pushed the hands holding him away.

"No." he mumbled. "I'll walk alone. On my own." he stumbled slightly.

He could hear Steve answering but the words jumbled together in his head. A few other voices jumped in, making it even harder for Tony to pick apart the sounds and understand the sentences thrown at him. Geez, it really seemed he exaggerated on the drinks. A soft hand brushed his shoulder and he met the eyeless face of the Widow. He felt himself flinch away from her but her hand held him tight. Her ruby lips moved once more and he was pulled back inside the pub by the Fairest.

"Doooon't... Don't listen to her..." he mumbled. "Don't trust them. Even me. We're all fucked up.

"I'm like you Tony, I don't know any changeling who isn't a little fucked up."

He was put down on something soft. A loud booming voice that could only be Thor's announced he was going to fetch some covers. Carbonnel wanted to get up and tell them not to bother. He was going home after all. He wasn't going to just, fall asleep here. He could hold his liquor better than that. He wans't going to-

The last thing he managed to see, was Steve's hand putting something soft over him. The ring on his finger shining softly in the light of the pub. Only then slumber took him.