Mystic

Tony’s soul mate is fucking stupid. This idiot used the name ‘Stephen Strange’ and ‘Dr. Strange’- both of which made sense- but then the final tattoo that liked to appear sometimes was fucking ‘Sorcerer Supreme’. He decided from the moment he saw that embarrassing name he was one hundred percent never, ever going to give two shits about his dumbass soul mate. Or at least not the romantic one- Rhodey was his platonic soul mate and he loved Rhodey dearly, even if he laughed out loud when ‘War Machine’ and ‘Iron Patriot’ appeared on his skin.

Once, when he and Rhodey were still kids, they talked about their tattoos and what they meant- Rhodey had been pretty confused by ‘Iron Man’ in particular but when they compared that with ‘Iron Patriot’ they figured it was something that involved them both. Why else would they both of them end up with names that have ‘iron’ in them? The others Rhodey had made sense given Tony’s profession- something Tony hadn’t ever entirely been comfortable with if he was honest- but it was ‘War Machine’ that threw them both for a loop. Rhodey hadn’t much liked the idea of being used as war propaganda, which is what he thought that was given his intention of joining the military but Tony hadn’t been so sure. When they finally got their answer to what the name meant Tony was more right than Rhodey though neither of them ever could have guessed at the truth.

In the end they moved on to their other names- which had led to Rhodey meeting his soul other mate because Tony happened to have gone to boarding school with Hope van Dyne. They’d been pretty confused about the Wasp thing until Hope clued them in on the Pym particle and she’d been enthused to learn that she got ahold of her mother’s old suit at some point. In hindsight that should have told Tony something about his ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ but it hadn’t.

When Rhodey found out about the Sorcerer though he had laughed, total traitor, as Tony sulked about it. They had come up with theories about that too- most of them revolving around Tony’s soul mate being some kind of weird kink person or a LARPer- but the actual explanation ends up being more boring than all of their theories.

*

Stephen had rolled his eyes so hard when ‘Iron Man’ flitted across his arm for the first time. Well, the first time he could read it. But the other names were interesting too- namely Tony Stark- but Merchant of Death, da Vinci of our time, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, golden avenger, and the half a dozen other names flitted over his skin had him plain confused. In the end he decided to write his soul mate off because Tony Stark was clearly some kind of freak and Stephen hadn’t wanted anything to do with him.

Imagine his surprise years after he made his decision when he happened to be watching a press conference in which Tony revealed himself to be Iron Man. By then half the names Stephen saw on his skin had already been applied to Stark, but this one was the one that caught Stephen’s attention. Iron Man had been the most ridiculous, that and golden avenger, but now it had a real tangible place in the world that wasn’t wholly ridiculous. He had, for some time, toyed with the idea of trying to meet with Stark but then he got into an accident.

Christine, his platonic soul mate and fellow doctor, had done her best but there was only so much she could do when he refused to listen. Stephen had always been reckless, single minded, and determined to do everything his own way and after the accident those traits combined in the worst ways. There was nothing Christine could logically do to combat his obsession with his hands and eventually she had given up hope for him. That was about the time when Stephen hit rock bottom- real rock bottom- and he had found the Sanctum with Tony Stark far from his mind.

*

Rhodey looks sadder than Tony has ever seen him. “At least take me with you,” he says, clinging to Tony’s wrist. He didn’t seem to be aware that he was doing that either. Hope looks shockingly calm about this whole thing- most people who had a soul mate who had another soul mate didn’t take it well. Those soul mates accounted for thirty percent of all homicides globally but neither Rhodey nor Tony were really the jealous type, at least not with each other. There was an understanding between them, something unspoken, that let them both know that they were forever dedicated to one another. Hope also seemed to understand that understanding and she left it be. Tony had to give her props for that, he wasn’t so sure he could manage.

“You aren’t ready to travel,” Tony tells Rhodey, “and you need to continue your physical therapy.” He had selfishly considered bringing Rhodey with him but he had shut that down quickly. Rhodey didn’t need his shit and he needed to recover after falling in part thanks to Tony’s problems but mostly due to fucking Steve’s. Most days Tony wished Barnes didn’t exist and not just because he killed Tony’s parents.

If he never existed half his problems in the last year and a half alone wouldn’t exist- Rhodey wouldn’t be paralyzed, Hope wouldn’t have to deal with all the bullshit Scott caused her, Steve and almost all of the rest of the Avengers wouldn’t be international war criminals, the public might hate Tony less, and maybe Tony’s parents would still be alive. Hell, maybe even T’Challa’s father could have been saved too. But no, Barnes was here and Steve’s soul mate so the idiot did anything he could for him, including breaking so many international laws that Tony didn’t even bother to try and fix that mess. He’s T’Challa’s problem now. Sometimes he thought about the fact that, against all odds he ended up being the one to support the government over Steve. When you broke so many rules the one who thought rules were meant to be broken sides with the law you really had some issues but those issues were no longer Tony’s. He sent Steve’s letter and his phone back to wherever the hell he sent it from and Rhodey still refused to let go of Tony Stank.

Point was after a year and a half in some sort of weird emotional limbo Tony knew he needed something, he just didn’t know what. So he decided that he might travel a little, do something with himself until he figured out what was missing. Leaving Rhodey behind wasn’t going to be easy though.

“Fuck the physical therapy,” Rhodey says, shaking his head. “I’ll be fine, take me with you.”

Hope finally reacts, meeting Tony’s eye and shaking her head ever so slightly. He hadn’t even needed to be told once let alone twice, there was no way he was bringing Rhodey with him on this mess of an adventure. “No. I don’t even know what I’m doing right now; I’m just doing… something. There’s no sense on bringing you on some kind of wild goose chase, Rhodey.”

“Tony, you’re going to get hurt doing something stupid,” Rhodey snaps, “you’re taking me with you!”

Judging from the look on Hope’s face Tony wasn’t the only surprised one in regards to that outburst. “And what are you going to do, Rhodey? You still aren’t used to being in a chair and you can barely walk with the aide of technology let alone without it. No offense but what possible protection could you provide me?” If he were used to the way his body worked than yeah, Tony was positive Rhodey would have something worked out even if he had no idea what. But even with his time to adjust there were still things Rhodey was getting used to at least in part because of his work to try and get the use of his legs back. Had he just stuck to the chair Tony was sure he’d have more control by now but he was determined to recover as fast as possible and he did that by pushing himself. Probably too hard, too.

Rhodey liked to say that Tony was stubborn and that you couldn’t tell him anything but Rhodey was hands down worse. It was funny when they met because both of their parents thought the other was a bad influence. Tony had all these insane ideas and Rhodey liked to ignore rules as much as Tony did even if he tended to pick his battles more than Tony didn’t- it resulted in them doing a lot of stupid stuff. And Rhodey, he was so stubborn he apparently had plans to steal the helicopter he rescued Tony in in Afghanistan against his superior officer’s orders just because he apparently cared about Tony more than literally everything he’s spent his life working towards. Tony knew he was stubborn but he wasn’t sure he was willing to risk everything he worked for with no guarantee of getting it back over a lousy soul mate.

Now he guessed was no exception because Rhodey looked plenty prepared to fight him on this and hard. Hope gives Tony another look and he knows what she’s trying to tell him immediately. If Tony didn’t talk him down she couldn’t. “I’ll figure it out,” Rhodey tells him, “but I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.”

“Why are you being so difficult?” Tony asks, irritated with this. “I don’t need you to come with me, I’ll call when I get… wherever.”

“That isn’t the same and you know it. And I’m not being difficult, I’m just trying to look out for you,” Rhodey tells him.

Tony rubs his temples, “I know that but Rhodey I don’t need you to look out for me all the time. Frankly the last time that happened you broke your back,” he points out.

Better watch your back, he might break it…

Clint’s words go through his head and logically he knows its not his fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault really. Sam happened to be behind Rhodey, Vision happened to be distracted by Wanda, and his attempt to hit Sam happened to go wide and hit Rhodey’s suit. No one meant for that to happen and no one was even supposed to be hurt by that- even Sam given that the shot was meant to turn his wings into little more than some metal to glide him back to the ground without their power, not kill him. The entire situation was a hot mess of decisions that no one predicted or they were circumstantial. Hell, in the end if anyone was really at fault it was Steve for going rogue but even that was beyond flimsy- that and it was a conclusion Clint would never come to. Knowing this did little to ease Tony’s guilt though not that he really elaborated on this to Rhodey either. He had his own problems; he didn’t need Tony making those problems about him.

Rhodey recoils from Tony’s words. “Is that what you think? Seriously? Is that why you’ve been so distant with me?” he asks and Tony rubs his temples again.

“It doesn’t matter, Rhodey, it’s fine,” he lies.

“Yes it does matter because that wasn’t your fault, or anyone’s fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself for something no one could help,” he says.

So he knew. “I don’t, it’s fine,” Tony says again even if it wasn’t true. Only part of that had to do with Rhodey though, the rest had to do with him being… empty. He used to get joy out of inventing, building things. And then he built himself a suit of armor and got his fulfillment out of saving the world, but then he got bad at that and all but retired after the Accords. He no longer had his company- Pepper ran it and very well too, she’d been an excellent choice for CEO- he no longer got the same joy from inventing and lately it felt like a chore, and he felt… lost. When he thought about what made his life worth living his only answer was Rhodey and he couldn’t talk to anyone about it.

Pepper had reasonably asked for time away from him and he wasn’t going to tell Rhodey about these feelings, he’d be even more insistent on joining Tony on this weird adventure than he already was. He and Hope might be close, but not that close, so he was basically alone. He needed space from his normal life if he wanted to see anything change and he had the means to do it so he was going to. As it turned out not being an Avenger saved a lot of money, even if he still funded Peter Parker’s suits. The kid needed to be safe.

“Would you stop blatantly lying to my face, its insulting. You are not fine, something is going on with you and I am not going to let you do whatever it is you’re doing alone,” Rhodey says in a forceful tone. “I thought we already moved past this stupid lone wolf thing.”

Tony rolls his eyes, “I’m not trying to act like a lone wolf or… whatever. I’m trying to… I don’t know, gain perspective. It’s not that I don’t want you around or that I’m trying to act out a bad movie plot and do everything on my own- I just need some time okay. To myself.”

Rhodey considers him for a long moment, “and you’re going to do what, hmm? You don’t do well on your own, never have. You think I don’t know you, that I don’t know how you’ll react when people aren’t there to see what happens next? I do, Tony, and I’m not going to let you go off and fade into obscurity just because the Avengers are dicks.”

Hope lets out a snort that was obviously unintentional if her covering her mouth and clearing her throat was any indication. “Sorry. Its just… Tony doesn’t do obscurity, its not his style. Look, whatever it is he ends up doing it might not be so bad if he was on his own, Rhodey.”

That absolutely isn’t the right thing to say, Tony knows it before Hope even finishes her sentence so he jumps in to save her before Rhodey flames her ass and regrets it in the morning. “You’ve been there for me almost my whole life- definitely in the times that mattered most. I’ve been with you for the last year and a half and it hasn’t done much to help and not because I didn’t want it to. I need time Rhodey, time away from everything.”

“Time away from me,” Rhodey says, hurt.

“Time away from yet another reminder of how I’ve continued to fail over and over and over again no matter how hard I try not to,” Tony corrects. Watch your back, he might break it… Clint’s words go though his head against his will again, like a painful loop that’s been on repeat since he said it. He knows that the statement was stupid and untrue, but it hurt nonetheless.

“None of this,” Rhodey gestures to the chair, “was your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” he repeats.

Tony sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I know that Rhodey, but I still need time by myself.” This wasn’t a decision made on a whim out of the blue- he’s learned his lesson from decisions like that. This was something he’s thought about for the better part of the last six months and now he was going through with it. There was nothing Rhodey could say to stop this from happening.

*

It had taken time, a lot of it, to convince Rhodey that he wasn’t coming with Tony to wherever he decided to go but eventually he manages. When it came to deciding where exactly he was going though it had been all but totally random. He had been toying with the idea of just buying himself a secluded island or something but when he had been scrolling through flights one to Nepal caught his eye.

*

Stephen, as usual, had been reading with his morning tea when he felt something shift. He looks over to Wong but he looks unconcerned as he worked on the morning crossword. “Did you feel that?” he asks. Sure, he was supposed to be the next Sorcerer Supreme but realistically Wong had more experience with magic even if Stephen had more raw talent. If something just happened he would know it.

Wong looks up in confusion though, “I didn’t feel anything. Are you sure that feeling you got wasn’t the sudden realization that putting sugar in your tea is an insult to the tea?” he asks and Stephen rolls his eyes. Typical.

“My tea is fine, thank you. I’m going to check it out though,” he says, sure he felt something. He’s spent a lot of time in this Sanctum; he knew when something was off about it. If he got stuck dealing with another interdimensional being of some kind though he was not going to be happy though. He’s had his fill of those for the next several lifetimes.

He makes his way down the stairs; something stirring further in his gut to let him know that he was right- something had just happened. He feels a slight pressure on his shoulders and notes that the Cloak of Levitation has made its presence known so he steels himself for a fight. Typically the cloak had other interests if he wasn’t in immediate danger.

What he finds at the bottom of the stairs, though, is a short man with yellow tinted sunglasses on looking up at the high ceilings of the Sanctum. “It’s quite pretty,” he says in English because he could basically smell the American on this one. Spend enough time in Nepal and you learn to recognize the tourists just like you could in New York.

The guy whirls around and Stephen almost says something stupid when he recognizes him but manages to keep his mouth shut. Tony Stark gives him a quizzical look, head tilted to the side before he asks, “are wearing a cape?”

Stephen automatically makes an offended noise. “It’s a cloak,” he says in his cloak’s defense.

Tony rolls his eyes, “cape. You look like low rent Asian Thor,” he says and Stephen sputters for a few moments before he’s interrupted by Wong’s laugh.

“I like you already. What brings you here?” he asks, walking past Stephen to Tony.

“I do not look like low rent Thor! Thor only wishes his cape was this cool,” Stephen says, gently patting the cloak on his shoulder.

Tony gives him a triumphant look, “so it is a cape. Ha! And uh, I don’t know. I just felt drawn here I guess. That sounds stupid, but the door was open,” he says.

Wong turns to Stephen, who already realized what just happened and why Wong hadn’t sensed anything. He was the master of this Sanctum so only he could recognize the lost, those that were in need of direction. He shakes his head at Wong, “absolutely not, he said my cloak was a cape.”

“In my defense,” Tony says, “he also said his cloak was a cape.”