Tony Stark knows pain. It has followed him since the first time is father raised his hand at his six year- old child and shouted at him about what a failure he was. Bullied at school because no one believed a kid this young could be this smart so it surely was because of his father´s money. His mother was absent and even though she wasn´t cold she just wasn´t interested in interacting with her child.
Jarvis had helped him trough his childhood though. He comforted Tony after every kidnapping when Howard hadn´t paid and praised him when he brought home is good grades. After his death Tony was broken, tried to drown the pain in alcohol and sex.
In College he had Rhodey. Even though Tony kept constantly pushing him away Rhodey had cared, always supportive, always devoted to help him.
Pain was his trusted companion when he had to take over the company, when Stane betrayed him, his nice little torturious holiday with the seven rings the first encounter with his childhood-role-model Captain Righteous , him dying from Palladium Poisoning, when he sacrificed himself for the people who loved to hate him, when he was blamed for everything bad happening, his fallout with his team members, Natasha turning against him during the Civil War, him finding out that the Winter Soldier had murdered his parents while his so called friend hadn´t even bothered to tell him.
Then things seemed to go slowly upwards. The precious little spider that Peter was came swinging into his life, he and Pepper married and he finally got his own family.
But that was a very short illusion. Peter died on Titan and Tony´s world broke entirely.
His friends and family had tried to help him through the years but he had never been one to stay on the ground to wait for the tsunami of agony to drown him, instead he built himself wings and figured out fucking time travel.
He got Peter back and they won the battle against Thanos and his army.
Tony had (again) made the sacrifice play but had to everyone´s surprise miraculously survived.
Maybe the universe would give the genius a little break.
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Everyone had gathered after the battle. The Avengers, the Guardians, Peter, Pepper, Fury and surprisingly Loki were all sitting in the big Common area of the Stark Tower and everyone was hugging, talking, reflecting, eating and drinking. There was no fight going on and Tony who sat on the couch with Peter, who was on a very important mission. He was trying to cuddle his father figure to death.
Everyone had looked surprised when they saw Tony hugging and cuddling some teen out in the field but Pepper and him had explained everything to the others and to Tony´s surprise everyone seemed to approve of the infinite ammount of cuteness these two radiated.
No one ranted about how irresponsible it was of Tony to let a kid fight or how he wasn´t a good father to Peter and Morgan and the genius was very grateful for that.
Then it happened. Pepper had gone to put Morgan to sleep and the Pizza Service had just delivered the food when Mantis reached for a slice of the delicious greasy pizza when the sound of Thor laughing at one of Loki´s ridiculous childhood stories startled Tony. He hated loud noises, it was a trigger, and he hadn´t expected the god´s booming shouts and flinched.
Mantis was startled by his sudden movement, tripped and fell but was saved by his arms.
The "Bug-Alien", how Peter called her normally tried not to initiate physical contact with people, especially humans because she didn´t want to harm their privacy.
But now Tony and her were touching and immediatly she started screaming, sharp and unexpected pain flooding her.
The genius, startled, let her go and she crawled hastily away from him. Tears were running down her cheeks and her hands were trembling.
"Mantis is everything okay?", asked Quill. (Obviously not, Tony thought, tempted to roll his eyes)
The attention turned to him.
"Tony I swear if you hurt her I will kill you!", shouted Rogers and looked at him angrily. (Of course, naturally Tony had messed up, now Tony rolled his eyes)
"I didn´t do shit Rogers. I-...", he said back, calmly.
To Tony´s surprise Barnes intervened:" He really didn´t do anything. He just helped her."
And the the attention in the room shifted again.
Mantis, supported by Gamora had stood up.
"He´s innocent Mr. Rogers. You didn´t know but I am an empath.", she started with a soft shaky voice.
"That means she can feel the emotions of a person if she touches them.", Gamora explained further.
"Buth then why did she scream when she touched Tony ?", Clint asked.
At this moment nearly everyone rolled his eyes. The amount of ignorance and stupidity this question contained...
Mantis ignored him and made a step closer to Tony.
"I´m so sorry. You are in so much pain. I´m sorry. I have never felt anything like this before, it was too-... How are you not broken, I-...", she whispered, nearly sobbing.
Everyone had heard and was staring at him. Tony felt extremely uncomfortable. His emotions were now layed out to the team ,his mask gone. He wanted to step forward and pull Mantis in a hug to comfort her, but he knw that wouldn´t be good idea.
The people around them were whispering or staring, faces mirroring shock or sadness.
Mantis stepped forward again and said her, voice back to normal.
"If you will accept my offer I can help you relieve the pain a little bit. I never thought I would ever meet a person in so much agony that I would decide that this is necessary but I really want to help you Tony. If you let me touch you again I can take away a little bit of it. Please I-... I can´t even believe you are still able to love, to give so much-...", her voice broke and the looked a him almost pleadingly.
Tony was at a loss of words. Then Gamora spoke up.
"Mantis please think about this. You will hurt yourself."
"My race has a codex and I need to help him. This is not okay. Why-..? I don´t even know how this is possible. He´s human Gamora. He shouldn´t even be able to endure such pain. Please let me help!"
Tony was tempted he really was. But he knew he couldn´t do that to Mantis. But then Pepper who was leaning against the door fraim stepped in the circle of people rounded up around Tony and the alien and said: "Mantis this is a big offer and I want to thank you for that. And Tony I beg you: accept it. Please."
The genius hesitated but came closer to Mantis.
"Ok please let go when it´s too much. Promise me."
"I will not be able to do this on my own, Tony. I´m going to need help from a few enhanced people to share the agony."
Tony nearly let out a laugh. Who would do that for him? Ridiculous. Of course Peter immediatly volunteered but Tony just looked at him and sternly said: " Yeah kid, when hell freezes." The genius would never purposely put his Spiderling in pain. Pepper would also want to help but she was fortunetly not enhanced anymore and he couldn´t imagine anyone else wanting to help him genuinly. He gave up on the quick idea of hope he had.
To his utter surprise Wanda stepped forwardd.
"I know we normally dont´t like each other Stark but I think I did you wrong. I judged you and blamed you for things that happened to me just to declare someone as an enemy and I know now that it was wrong. I think this is my way for making up for my deeds at least a bit.", she said with a stern voice and her thick accent.
Clint obviously wanted to argue but Wanda quickly shut him down.
Then Bucky stepped in the circle.
"I also want to help you Tony. Not only as someone who owes you for so many things but also because I like you and I like to think of you as my friend. Also I know that you are too fucking selfless to demand anyone´s help so no discussing."
Tony who had wanted to decline closed his mouth.
Bit by bit Dr. Strange, Gamora, Thor, Vision and Loki stepped in too and Mantis started instructing them to take each others hands.
The (mostly) unenhanced people stood around them an could ony stare.
Breaking the silence Fury said:" That s some weird motherfuckng shit. I´m gonna have looong talk with Stark after this. I mean I´m his godfather after all."
Clint started whispering in shock and Natasha just stared, her eyebrows were twitching though, Fury noticed satisfied.
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After everyone except Tony was holding hands Mantis reached out and gingerly touched Tony´s hand. He gave in and sqeezed her hand when she started to gasp. The other volunteers began mirroring a similar expression of pain and Tony immidiatly felt lighter. The dull pain was slowly making his way out of his conscience. He felt bad for troubling the others but he was reassured by the looks on their faces, through tears they still smiled at him and Tony couldn´t believe what was going on. Suddenly Gamora fell to her knees a scream coming out of her mouth and immediatly Quill joined in to help. After a few moments Tony saw Natasha pushing Steve in too.
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Gamora was flabbergasted really. She had only known Tony for a few days now, but Nebula really seemed to like the man, what had earned him her respect. After seeing him fight and selflessly sacrifice himself though her respect had also turned in sympathy and she now understood what her sister had meant when she told him about Nebula´s and Tony´s time on the spaceship, and mentioned how evryone seemed to do him wrong, judge him and blame the man for their problems.
But after just feeling a fraction of the agony he felt she just wanted to hug him. Tony had let go after a few minutes and she could clearly see how digusted he was that he put them in pain. Everyone had then gone to sleep but she lay in the very comfortable bed, also provided by Stark, and couldn´t sleep.
She could feel Peter Q. shift next to her.
"Hey, you awake?", she heard him whisper.
"Yeah can´t sleep."
"It´s about Stark huh? It´s crazy you know. I never expected that he of all would suffer like this. Of course I noticed that the Rogues especially Rogers were unfair but I googled him and I think everyone is bashing and the things he endured are terrible plus that´s just what the public knows-... Maybe we should try to get to know him. He actually seems like an nice guy."
"You´re actually right. Surprisingly.", she answered and cuddled with him. Still thinking about what happened she drifted to sleep.
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Thor and Loki were sitting on the large balcony attached to Thor´s floor.
" You know brother I think you and Stark are actually very alike.", Thor suddenly blurted out.
"I guess.", Loki answered after thinking about it for a moment.
"I think you two should talk someday. But I warn you: no throwing him out of the window and no stabbing him."
Loki snorted amused but nodded.
"Depends on my mood though."
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Natasha sat in her room and wondered. The events she had experienced today were totally unexpected. She knew he had suffered and she knew she also played her part in all of this but to her absolute surprise and shock she had watched today how he really felt inside. And she felt bad. Natasha Romanov felt bad and regretted her doings and that didn´t occur too often. She genuinely liked Tony and wondered if there might still be a chance for him to forgive her.
She noticed a pen on her desk and reached for it. It was silvern, a gift from Tony. Of course it wasn´t a simple pen. He had put many shnick- shnacks in it like a little blade and a lipstick. Typical Tony, she thought, with a rare smile on her face. Then she started writing.
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