Crumbling {𝟞} | Marvel √

eleven

"And so, as Christmas morning began, my journey had reached its end. You start with something pure, something exciting. Then, come the mistakes. The compromises. We create our own demons."

"As promised, I got Pepper fixed. But then I thought to myself, "Why stop there?" Of course, there are people who say progress is dangerous, but I'll bet none of those idiots ever had to live with a chestful of shrapnel. And now, neither will I. Let me tell you, that was the best sleep I'd had in years."

In Tennessee, one day when Harley walked into the shack, the entire place had been redecorated and filled with all kinds of gadgets, and with two notes on the table.

"Potato Gun Mark II,
- The Mechanic."

"I do hope I do see you again,
- Emma."

———

In Malibu, Tony stood on the grounds of his once house, holding the Arc Reactor. He threw it into the ocean, before looking down next to him, Emma by his side. She looked up at him with pride in her eyes.

"So, if I were to wrap this up, tie it with a bow, or whatever....I guess I'd say my armour, it was never a distraction or a hobby. It was a cocoon. And now, I'm a changed man."

Tony and Emma headed back to his bright red sports car, as Emma looked at him in wonder. "So, what now?" Emma asked and Tony looked at her. "Where do we go from here?"

"How about New York?" Tony asked and Emma eyed him, with a confused smile. "Be closer to that friend of yours." Emma smiled big before they both got into the car, and Tony looked into his mirror.

"You can take away my house, all my tricks, and toys. One thing you can't take away...I am Iron Man."

————————————

"You know, and thank you by the way. For listening. Plus, something about just getting it off my chest, and putting it out there in the atmosphere, instead of holding this in...I mean, this is what gets people sick, you know. Wow, I had no idea you were such a good listener."

Tony was in the Avengers Tower in New York, laying in a recliner, talking to someone nearby. "To be able to share all my intimate thoughts and experiences with someone, it just cuts the weight of it in half. You know, it's like a snake swallowing its own tail. Everything comes full circle," Tony explained, and just by him, sitting on a couch, was Bruce Banner, dead asleep. "And the fact that you've been able to- help me process-"

Tony stopped and looked over as Bruce was suddenly awake, rubbing his eyes. "Are you with me?" Tony asked.

"Sorry...I was, yeah. We were at, uh-" Banner started.

"Are you actively napping?" Tony asked and Banner started stammering.

"I was...I...I drifted," Banner said.

"Where did I lose you?" Tony asked and Banner just stared at him for a while.

"Elevator in Switzerland," Banner said and Tony just stared at him, blankly.

"So, you heard none of it?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm not that kind of doctor. I'm not a therapist. It's not my training," Banner said.

"So?" Tony asked.

"I don't have the-" Banner started.

"What? The time?" Tony asked.

"Temperament," Banner said.

"You know what? Now that I think about it- Oh! God, my original wound. 1983, all right?" Tony said and Banner rubbed his face again.

"Yes," he muttered before he lifted his head back.

"I'm fourteen years old, I still have a nanny. That was weird," Tony said.