Big Time
“I can explain,” Steve sweats as T’Challa’s guards draw closer.
T’Challa, who is experiencing a large variety of emotions, motions the guards to step back. He takes a few calming breaths that have everyone on their toes with anxiety.
“My father always encouraged me to act rationally,” T’Challa starts. “And while watching that video makes me want to toss you out on your ass, I am sure there are details missing, therefore I will grant you time to explain.”
Steve melts in relief.
“Direct them to the conference room in an hour, I need to gather my thoughts,” T’Challa mutters to the guards, walking swiftly out the room.
As he leaves, the guards turn their hard faces towards the Rogues and shove them into the hall towards their room.
When the door closes, everyone turns to Steve who looks out the window guiltily.
“Explain,” Natasha grunts.
Steve turns to face her, but drops his gaze to his feet when he sees her boiling face. “Well…”
“Steve,” She started slowly. “We both learned about how Tony’s parents died when we went to the underground Hydra Lab.”
“Yeah, well Zola didn’t tell us it was Bucky,” Steve said softly.
Natasha scoffed. “We knew it was Hydra and then we found out the Winter Soldier was their biggest weapon.”
“That doesn’t mean-” Steve starts, curling into himself.
“Steve, you and I had a long conversation about this a year and a half ago and when I told you I was going to tell Tony that we have some suspicion that the Winter Soldier or at least Hydra killed his parents, you said ‘no, I will tell him’. You promised me you would tell him, Steve.”
“Well I-”
“Don’t even lie to me. We all watched that video of James telling Tony. It was obvious Tony didn’t know about any of that. He still thought his parents had died from a car crash,” Natasha said angrily.
“And then their killer was the one to tell him,” Scott said softly from the back. “I don’t want to be here, I can’t be here. I gotta- I gotta-” Scott backed out of the room.
“Coward,” Wanda snarled at the door. “I don’t care. Stark deserved it. I have to look at my parents’ murderer every day too, it is time for him to suffer the same.”
Natasha was prepared to yell at Wanda, but her heart skipped slightly at the red that tinged the witch’s fingers.
“Why would you lie to us, man?” Clint said, from where he stood still in shock. “James killed his parents.”
Steve huffed. “He still attacked us!” Steve put his hands in his hair, beyond frustrated.
“James killed his parents. That’s so fucked up. And you said he shot off James’ arm on purpose. You lied,” Clint recapped, his eyes glazing over as he tried to comprehend the information.
“He didn’t lie,” Wanda growled. “Steve never lies.”
“Fuck that. I don’t know what to believe anymore. I should have just stayed out of this mess,” Clint yelled.
“You should have,” Natasha said lowly, giving Clint the side-eye. “And you.” James looks up when he feels everyone’s eyes on him. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
James’ breath catches in his throat. “I didn’t want to hurt him. I swear.”
Before he could add anything else, they hear a quick knock before T’Challa is entering the room.
“The UN is summoning you,” T’Challa says emotionlessly.
“We are not leaving-” Steve starts.
“And I told them you will be there in an hour,” T’Challa finishes, narrowing his eyes.
All the color drains out of Steve’s face. “But you said we could stay,” he shouts, upset.
“I no longer wish to be tied in with your drama, Captain. Dr. Stark has been extremely kind to Wakanda and we do not wish to act against him,” T’Challa says.
“Of course you choose Stark!” Wanda growls.
“I am choosing what is right.” T’Challa looks upon them meaningfully, letting his words sink in. “The jet is ready, please leave Wakanda.”
Steve storms past the King out the door, Wanda following behind him like an angry puppy. Clint leaves silently, Natasha follows with a nod towards the King. James pauses before leaving.
“Thank you, for everything,” James says softly. “And I am sorry.”
T’Challa walks closer to the sullen super-soldier. “You are your own man now James Barnes. You must choose your actions and not let others choose them for you. You now must choose between friendship and doing the right thing,” he says wisely.
James holds his gaze before nodding. T’Challa watches on as the hunched man leaves the building.
______________________
Rhodey, who was sitting next to Pepper, was on the phone with several different lawyers while the former CEO went through the process of trying to start up Friday.
Because they were so into their tasks, neither noticed as Tony started gasping for air in his sleep. He woke up seconds later when the lack of air started making his lungs burn.
He looked over at the pair on the other side of the room but couldn’t call out. He tried to sit up but his body wouldn’t obey- he was as weak as a kitten.
Tears pricked in the corner of his eyes, half from the burning and half from the patheticness of the whole situation. He was the one who spent time rewiring the annoying oxygen monitor while his friends went to lunch to make it quiet and now he was paying for it. Right as his eyes were starting to close, his wrist spasmed and smacked the television remote onto the floor, creating a large bang.
Rhodey and Pepper turned to look but jumped up when they saw Tony’s quickly blueing face.
Rhodey ran to Tony’s bedside, turning on the oxygen tank that was sitting on the side table and shoving the mask over Tony’s face. Pepper ran into the hall to shout for a doctor.
Rhodey frowned as his friend continued to struggle to breathe. “Tones, deep breaths,” he encouraged loudly.
Tony wheezed in response, his eyes opened lazily.
Dr. Cho quickly flew in and it only took a second for her to diagnose Tony before pulling the top part of the bed up. As soon as Tony was upright, he started coughing and taking large breaths.
Tony’s body heaved as it struggled to take in the large multitude of air.
“Breathe,” Dr. Cho said softly, looking into Tony’s eyes. She placed her stethoscope over his chest and listened for a few quiet seconds.
It only took about a minute until Tony was limp against the bed, closing his eyes in exhaustion.
“What happened?” Pepper asked, hand on her forehead.
“Sleep apnea, his airway closed when he laid down,” Dr. Cho explained, frowning at the silent oxygen monitor.
Her and Rhodey put more pillows behind Tony’s back so that he was sitting upright.
“Are you okay, Tones?” Rhodey asked softly when he saw a tear leak from Tony’s eye.
Tony shook his head, squeezing his eyes tighter. “I can’t live like this,” he whispered raspily.
“Tones,” Rhodey sighed.
“I can’t. He’s taken everything. I don’t want to do this anymore,” Tony cried.
“The cradle worked, Tony. You won’t be like this forever,” Dr. Cho said softly.
Tony’s eyes stayed closed as tears leaked silently. “I want to end this,” he whispered.
“Tony you can’t-” Pepper said.
“Not this,” Tony sighed. “The team, the Avengers. I can’t do it. I keep trying, but they take everything.”
“Then we will call them out,” Pepper says, stepping forward.
Tony looks questioningly at her.
“The UN wants you to come speak, so speak. Show the world what the Rogues did to you and how they treat you. Let them pay for their actions,” Pepper says.
“I can’t let the world see me like this,” Tony huffs.
“They need to see, Tony. They need proof that they cannot trust the Rogues,” Rhodey says.
“We already released the security footage of the fight. We can go through Friday’s logs and pull more videos-” Pepper started.
“I can provide medical records and-” Dr. Cho added.
“You already, WHAT?” Tony asked, eyes wide.
“We had to show them what Steve did, Tones,” Rhodey said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Tony sighs, staring out the window as he gathered his thoughts. “When do the UN want to meet?”
“Tonight,” Pepper says.
“No!” Both Dr. Cho and Tony say at the same time.
“He is not healed enough to be out and about right now. He just had surgery!” Dr. Cho says.
“I understand, but the meeting is tonight and we can’t risk the Rogues showing up. We can’t allow them to change the story or get the UN on their side. I would never risk Tony’s health if it wasn’t for a good reason,” Pepper says.
Dr. Cho thinks about it. “Fine, but there will be rules. He can be there for no more than three hours. Also, I want to come with you.”
“That’s fine!” Pepper smiles.
Tony frowns, playing with the sheets but nods to the room.
__________________________
Scott sat in the back of the jet, sharing a corner with James.
“What do you think they are going to do to us?” Scott whispered, hugging himself.
“I don’t know,”James mumbled.
“I mean, I didn’t hurt Stark. Captain America hurt Stark. Do you think Captain America is going to tell them that we helped him hurt Stark?” Scott rambled.
“I don’t know,” James mumbled, turning away.
“I have a daughter. And we just got pardoned. What if this time they want to lock me away forever? I can't be locked away! What am I going to tell them?” Scott cried.
“I don’t know!” James said louder. “I kind of have my own problems to deal with right now.”
“Sorry, man,” Scott says sheepishly.
James huffs. “It’s fine.”
Scott stares at him for several beats.
James rolls his eyes. “What?”
“Why didn’t you tell us the truth?” Scott finally asks.
James sighs, turning away from Scott slightly. “Steve was my best friend.”
“Was?” Scott raises an eyebrow.
“I thought this was Steve but it isn’t. This isn’t my Stevie. I just want things to be back to normal. I don’t know what I'm doing here,” James sighs.
Scott stares silently at the man’s grief.
It was harder to feel any sympathy for someone when you might get sent to prison in a few hours because of them.
______________________
“Come on, Tones. Just for today,” Rhodey sighed.
“No,” Tony pouted.
Dr. Cho, Rhodey, and Sam were trying to get him into the electric wheelchair that sat next to the bed.
The wheelchair was large and clunky. It was all black with a thick cushion and headrest, even featuring a controller so Tony can drive himself.
They had been trying to convince him to get in it for 10 minutes now. “It’s humiliating,” Tony whined.
“Okay Tony.” Rhodey put a hand on his hip and used the other to pinch his eyes. “How can we make it less humiliating?”
Tony thought for several seconds. “Get me a custom red and gold one,” he smirked.
“I thought you didn’t want to attract any attention?” Sam asked.
“Well, this press conference is going to be live broadcasted, does secrecy even matter after all this?” Tony sighed.
“Fine, but we are going to be late. Get in this one and I'll have the red one here tomorrow,” Rhodey said.
Tony huffed but nodded.
Rhodey and Sam took that as their que and moved forward. Dr. Cho instructed them how to safely remove Tony from the bed and carry him over to the chair when his legs couldn’t hold him at all.
Despite the formal conference they were going to, Tony wore a comfortable dress shirt and sweats. The sweats were mainly because he still was using a catheter to pee.
Dr. Cho attached an IV to his arm, with a splint since he was known to rip them out when he got angry, and put an oxygen cannula under his nose that connected to the tank on the back of the chair. Pepper tucked a blanket on his lap while Sam helped Rhodey put on his shoes.
Already Tony was shaking and sweating from exhaustion.
“Are you okay, Tones?” Rhodey said when he noticed Tony’s silence.
Tony nodded, eyes closing against his quickly-forming headache. “Can I get some water?”
Happy ran over with a bottle in hand. He unscrewed the cap and brought it up to the billionaire’s mouth when said man’s hands were shaking too much.
“How do you feel?” Dr. Cho asked.
“Not good,” Tony sighed. “Let’s just go.”
The group frowns, hesitating, but they finally sigh and gather their things. Rhodey shows Tony how to use the joystick by his hand and soon they were on their way.
________________________
There was a whisper that spread through the assembly hall as Steve and the Rogues walked in. The moderator stood and directed them to the seats on the left side of the stage.
“We are still waiting on Dr. Stark to arrive, feel free to talk amongst yourselves,” the moderator whispered to the group.
Steve stopped the man before he walked away. “Is this like, court? Like is there going to be a jury and all that?”
The moderator frowned. “No, well we hope not. Because you all operate under the United Nations, we prefer to solve our issues within the house. This is mainly because there are different circumstances between crimes of a human and crimes of a super soldier or hero. In addition, we would rather not have the public involved as not to create panic. However, if you dislike the outcome of this conference, you may appeal to a court. All of this was written in the Sokovia Accords,” the moderator explained.
Steve frowned but released the man’s arm. “Fuck,” he heard Clint say.
Steve eyed the microphones situated in front of them. “Let’s just stay quiet until Stark gets here.”
About half an hour later, the hall went silent as said man rolled in. The Rogues could not help their looks of shock at the state of the billionaire.
Tony looked incredibly worn-down. His big electric wheelchair whistled loudly as he wheeled down the aisle of the hall. His hair was greasy, although most of it was shoved under a warm beanie. His face was covered in bruises that were still a dull purple, he had several tubes crossing over his form, including one to help him breathe, and his abdomen was encased in a brace making his posture noticeably stiff.
“Dr. Stark, welcome,” the moderator said, leading them to the front of the hall and to the seats on the right. Dr. Cho sat in the front row off the stage, along with Happy and Pepper. The man coughed, embarrassed, as Tony waited for him to remove one of the chairs so he could maneuver his wheelchair next to Rhodey.
“Hello everyone,” the moderator announced after returning to his seat. “First I would like to introduce the United Nations Council Members. We have representatives from five countries: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our non-permanent members who have been elected by the General Assembly for their two-year term are representing Germany, Italy, and Austria.”
The representatives stood and nodded to the crowd.
“Now I would like to introduce the Rogues.” Steve’s group frowned at the name. “Steve Rogers, known as Captain America, Natasha Romanoff, known as Black Widow, Clint Barton, known as Hawkeye, Wanda Maximoff, known as Scarlet Witch, Scott Lang, known as Ant Man, and James Barnes. Let it be noted that James Barnes has not yet signed the Sokovia Accords as his status as a hero is still under-discussion.”
The representatives nodded and wrote down the information. They all turned to the right side of the stage.
“I would also like to introduce Anthony Stark, known as Iron Man, James Rhodes, known as War Machine or Iron Patriot, Samuel Wilson, known as the Falcon, and Vision. Welcome all,” the moderator said.
Tony half listened as the moderator told the assembly hall the background of the meeting. His eyes couldn’t help but wander to the other side of the room where the Rogues sat uncomfortably. Several of them were avoiding anyone’s gaze, looking down at their laps or around the hall. But suddenly, his eyes locked with Wanda’s.
Tony hadn’t had the chance to interact with Wanda since the Rogues moved in, which he was grateful for. He was still scared of the witch, to be honest, and knew she still held him accountable for her parents’ death, probably her brother's as well.
The witch’s gaze seemed to bore into Tony’s soul and he had physical trouble looking away. He didn’t even notice Rhodey tapping his arm to get his focus as he felt the witch’s power seep into his mind.
Anger. He could feel her anger seize his heart and grasp his brain. She was upset at him but even more upset at him on Steve’s behalf. He could feel the ties of loyalty that went deeper than even Tony’s own loyalty for his ex-friend. And as the red power overtook his thoughts, everything went black.
Rhodey frowned at Tony’s distracted look as the moderator talked to the hall. He tapped his friend to get his attention, but Tony didn’t budge. He tried whispering, but still his head stayed turned towards the Rogues. Rhodey followed his gaze, leading to Wanda’s bright red eyes. Before he could even react, Tony started seizing violently.
Screams tore from Tony’s mouth as his body shook and clenched, fighting off an invisible monster. Rhodey rushed to remove the seatbelt and lower Tony to the floor. Sam moved all the hard chairs out the way as Dr. Cho ran onto the stage. Tony’s mouth dripped blood as he bit into his tongue, his screams bouncing throughout the hall.
The representatives shouted, running to the back of the room and pouring out the doors. Scott followed them. The rogues stood and watched, shock evident on their faces, but made no move to help. Finally, it was Vision who was able to subdue Wanda, causing her to collapse like a puppet, and was caught by Steve.
Tony’s body stopped its wild movements and went still as he heaved for breath. He trembled in Rhodey’s arms and whimpered loudly.
“It’s okay, Tones, stay with me,” Rhodey said softly, as tears leaked from Tony’s eyes.
“I already called an ambulance,” Dr. Cho said, kneeling next to them. She picked up the oxygen cannula that lay discarded on the ground and placed it back onto Tony’s face.
Tony’s breaths evened out and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as the red magic retreated from his mind.
Steve, who had stayed in the same position during this whole encounter, had only one thought: they had fucked up big time.