A Dad of Ir⎊n Will || Marvel

elëven

It takes longer than Tony expects to call everyone back to the compound, but it happens. It's felt like forever since he first got back and he's more or less back to how he was before. Figuring out the problem has given his confidence back and he's not quite crying on command anymore. Pepper's another story. With the way her emotions are running away from her he would have thought they switched places but she's just stressed about figuring out the company once 84% of their investors and workers come back from nothing.

Everyone but Clint makes it back. They come into the conference room still upset and scared like they hadn't even tried to figure this out since they've all split up and it puts Tony's teeth on edge. Harley is on his left, a hand on his forearm, and Nebula makes a b-line for his other side, placing a cool metal hand on his shoulder. He smiles and nods at her. She drops her hand, nodding back.

"You said you had a plan, Stark," says Carol and Tony really wants to kick her ass back to space, but then Rhodey walks in and he can feel the breaths come easier again.

"Nice of you to join us, Honeybear," he teases because it's what he does when he's uncomfortable or nervous or anxious or anything else really.

"Had to get the armor off, dear," Rhodey responds and Tony can see the flash of sorrow in his friends face. The fact that he knows that he's late and he's used to it because he can't unsuit as fast as he used to. He can't walk as fast as he used to. The braces creak loudly in Tony's head. Rhodey sits on the other side of where Harley is and reaches a hand up to pat at Tony's bicep.

"Should've called. I could have helped you strip down to the basics." He says it as a joke but he knows his tone falls flat. Rhodey snorts out a laugh anyway.

"I don't doubt it."

"That's gross," Harley puts in. "Stop flirting and tell them your plan."

"If you weren't in the way kid, I could do both," Tony says with one of his old wicked grins.

"There are planets dying out there, Stark." Carol says like she wants to start barking orders. "I don't have time for this."

"You snap at him one more time and you're answering to me," says a voice. Tony shouldn't be as surprised as he is that it's Natasha speaking up for him.

She's been fluttering around the compound trying to find ways to be helpful. She's in contact with the government and what's left of Fury and Maria's crew. She's taken up ballet again, her flats strung up on the back of her chair. She's seen him on his death bed more than once. And she hadn't betrayed him the same way Steve had. At the end of the day she still signed the accords. She still believed in him. Still cared about him.

He sends her a grateful look and he knows that she catches it before she blushes and looks away. Fighting for him is her way of apologizing and he knows that. He accepts that.

"So," starts Tony when he sees that Carol had nothing else to say. She's starting to realize that this was once a team, a family, and no matter of what's come between them they'll trust each other before they ever trust her regardless of Thor's approval. Tony smirks. "As we all know, the stones started as energy. They were forced into ingots by the forces of space and different gravitational pulls. Now, if we can pinpoint their location in the quantum realm then we'll be able to collect that energy. The tech will still work for that, but we don't quite have the power to individually force them into something that small and concentrated. But if we could transfer them to a vessel in order to hone and control all that energy—"

"A vessel?" Natasha asks turning back to look at him. "You mean like Vision?"

"Well you're close, but no. Thanks for playing."

"He means me," Nebula says, getting up from her seat to stand next to Tony with her arms crossed. She reaches her arm back out squeezing his shoulder gently because she knows why they're here. She's more than grateful that he'll trust her with this. "We've discussed it."

"What do you mean you've discussed it?" Steve asks and it doesn't bring Tony any joy to see the pain but hope in his eyes at the prospects of getting Sam back. Getting Barnes back. "Discussed what? What exactly is the plan here?"

"We siphon the stones energy into Nebula. If I build her another hand or an arm maybe," he says the last part more to himself. He shakes the thought and keeps talking. "She'll be able to put it on and reverse everything then we can just send the energy right back." Tony's simplified the plan a lot. He doesn't feel like arguing. Not when it's all figured out and all that's left to do is build the damn thing. He still has to implement a way to make the energy extraction device into something small enough and he has to start modeling a hand (maybe an arm) like Nebula's but stronger. Vibranium will probably work. When he first asked her to help him, he had meant with the construction since she knew the most about conductive metals and the power of the stones between the two of them, but she'd insisted on doing more. When she asked to be the vessel he refused vehemently, he wasn't about to lose another kid, but she was determined. Nothing was going to stop her. He's ready to dismiss the group when Steve speaks up again.

"You saw what those things did to Thanos. And you're ready to just give your life up for this?"

Nebula looks him directly in his eyes. She didn't grow up on earth. She couldn't give a damn what Captain America should stand for. What she does know is that he's hurt the only person other than her sister who's ever given a damn about her. Tony never thought he'd make it back and yet he'd still talked to her like he was. Like he'd take her with him if she wanted. Like he wanted to protect her. Like a father. Like a friend. Like an equal. And now this Captain is trying to take her choice away too. Make her feel like a child. Like she's not good enough to serve his measly planet. She stretches her left arm out and let's it separate. Each facet of metal popping out until the wire frame of her skeleton shows beneath it all. 

"I'm 96.73% varied metal. I have 2 hearts. I have been pushed to the brink of death with only my father's power to keep me alive. Using the stones will not kill me, only fry a few circuits. I do not know you, Captain Rogers, and it will do you well to not act as though you know me." She looks around the room before letting the metal slink back into place around the frame. "Any more questions?"

-§-

hey futher muckers

May 29th was Tony's birthday
what'd yall do?
i rewatched all the iron man movies + avengers 1

you know actual pretty good mcu films
yep, im still bitter, and what about it

1) i dont know how much of nebula is actually made of metal nor what type of metal
2) the two heart thing is a shout out to time lords for obvious reasons
3) nebula was actually on the brink of death in the comics, her skin was peeling and she was barely existing. it was gross (thanos is an asshole)

anywayyyys,
nebula aint putting up with cap's bullshit

i dont make the rules

lemme know what you all think about this chappie. ive rewrote it twice. i couldn't figure out where to end it, and then nebula walked in

i hope you all enjoyed

love y'all 3000

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋