Pointe Shoes and Spider Webs

55. Encore

"Ugh." Stephen voices his disgust for what's happening in the living room of Avengers Tower. Tony and Stephen were keeping an eye on Peter and Daphne via CCTV while discussing their plan of action. Peter and Daphne had just fallen asleep in each other's arms next to the window. "Teens."
"As if you've never been in love," Tony quips back.
"Don't go there, Stark," Stephen scoffs. "Besides; they're kids. They'll be fed up with each other in less than a year and find the next person who makes their hormones go haywire."
"I take it back. You've never been in love."

Tony puts his feet on his desk and leans back in his chair. Stephen decides this banter is not worth his time right now.
"I need to find this mist." He turns away from Tony and walks to the door. "I'm going to see what it did to her. She probably knows where it went."
"Not sure if you heard their conversation but she doesn't want you near her at the moment." Stark cocks an eyebrow.
"Oh, boohoo." He opens the door and walks through the hallway towards the elevator. "Don't care."

Tony bolts out of his chair to follow him.
"What the hell is up with you?" Stark catches up with Stephen, but has to take big strides to keep up with him.
"That mist is still out there somewhere and it's my duty to protect."
"Oh, and it's not mine?" Stark raises his eyebrows. Stephen calls for the elevator.
"Shut up, Stark. You give yourself responsibility. I have it."
"Ouch." Tony pauses and blinks as they step into the elevator. The doors close agonizingly slowly. Tony coughs. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., deny doctor Stephen Strange access to the penthouse living quarters and stop the elevator."

Stephen clenches his jaw and sends Tony an aggravated look.
"I don't need this elevator to get up there, you know that."
"I just want you to take a second and think, Strange." They both stare at each other. "We know the mist said some things to her. What could it possibly have said that made her so wary of you so suddenly?" He asks the question rhetorically, Stephen realizes. Tony already knows the answer. Stephen looks away and groans.
"She knows what she is."
"Exactly." Stark points at Stephen's chest with both his index fingers. "If you want her to trust you, you should probably not force anything on her right now."

"How else am I supposed to figure out where the mist is?"
"Can't you meditate on it?"
"It's not that simp-"
"Tony, there is an unidentifiable presence in the penthouse living quarters." F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice echoes through the un-moving elevator. Tony and Stephen immediately tense up and Tony orders the elevator to go up at double speed. He takes a breath and shoots a glance at Strange.
"Maybe it is that simple."

...

The silver mist creeps into the penthouse and spots Daphne and Peter, sleeping peacefully against the window. It eases its way to them and tickles at their feet. Peter's senses make him wake up with a jolt, but before he can process what's going on, he's blinded by the mist and immediately lulled back to sleep. Daphne hadn't woken yet and the mist surrounds them both.

Daphne feels hazy. It's like there's a fog in her head. Or the mist... Is it back? She tries to wake up, but it's holding her under. It feels nice, though. Pleasant. It feels the same as when Loki put her to sleep. She can feel Peter's arms still wrapped around her body. It makes her not want to wake up. Her neck and jaw tickle. She's unsure if it's Peter's breathing that she's feeling, or that it's something else. She hears shouts in the distance, but she's somehow un-bothered by them.

"Move away from the kids, now!" Tony orders. Strangely enough, the mist seems to turn to him and Stephen, even though it has no physical form.
"I am not your enemy." Its voice makes Tony's face contort. It's weird and distant. It echoes.
"Then prove it to us by moving away from them." Stephen takes a threatening step forward. Orange magic circles his hands.
"I have nothing to prove," the voice says simply.
"Then tell us what you're doing to them." Tony doesn't pose it as a question. The mist seems to turn its attention back to Daphne and Peter.

"I am keeping the gifted boy asleep. I didn't want him attacking me as I heal her."
"Heal her?" Tony takes a step forward.
"The other one. He was hurting her when I approached her." Tony's eyes shoot to the bruising on her neck and jaw, which seems to be disappearing slowly.
"What did you do to him?" Stephen asks carefully.
"Whatever he did, he brought upon himself. His arm is now silver. For good."
"Daphne mentioned a rule?" Tony shouldn't be milking this as much as he is, but he needs answers. Maybe the silver will tell him more. Maybe they can help David. The mist chuckles softly.
"I may only touch you. You are not to touch me," it says. "My physical form, at least."

"Do you know where the boy went? With the silver arm?" Tony keeps the interrogation going. He needs answers. Stat.
"No."
"What did you tell her that she can't tell us?" Stephen straightens his back.
"If I told you, I would've spelled her for naught, sorcerer. I warned her about you and others alike." The mist starts thinning around the teens and moves towards Strange, who tightens his fists. "The more time you spend around her, the more tempted you will be to use her." Tony glances at Stephen, who noticeably holds his breath. "She will not be ready for a little while. But when she is, you have to stay away from her."
"I decide what I do and don't do." Strange is starting to grow frustrated with the mist.
"Her safety depends on your self-control."
"I have self-control," Stephen hisses.
"For her sake, I hope you do."

The mist turns back to Daphne and Peter and audibly sighs. It sounds weird, coming from something without a body. "I have done all that needed to be done and said all that needed to be said. I will be leaving earth."
"No, you're not done yet." Tony takes a step towards the mist. "Tell us what you told her." The mist laughs softly as it starts to evaporate.
"No."
"Strange, stop it from leaving!" The tension in the room rises rapidly as Strange throws some spells at it. Nothing seems to work.
"I don't know how?!"
"God DAMMIT! F.R.I.D.A.Y., shut all ventilation systems!"
"Done." The computer voice echoes through the empty room. The mist was already gone.

"Shit," Tony says through gritted teeth as he shoots Strange a glare.
"Woah! What happened?!" They both look at Peter who's completely tensed up, staring at the two men with wide eyes. "What the-" Daphne is jolted awake by Peter's sudden movements.
"Wha-?" She blinks a few times and it takes a second for her to realize where she is. Tony immediately rushes towards his kids. Okay, they're not his kids, but they're his kids.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah?" Daphne scoots away from Peter, dragging her chiffon dress along with her.

Peter awkwardly pulls in his legs and stares at Daphne's neck.
"Daph, your-" he interrupts himself and slowly gestures at her neck. She reaches up to her jaw.
"It's not sore anymore," she mumbles as she moves her hand to where David had sucked the hickey. It's gone too. She turns to Tony.
"What the hell happened?"
"The mist came back. Kept Peter asleep. Healed you. Said it's going to leave earth." Tony breaks it down to its bare essentials, purposefully leaving out some details. It's quiet for a second.

"Okay..." Daphne stares ahead, still feeling at her neck. Tony bites the inside of his cheek and sighs defeated. He pats her knee and stands up, offering Daphne his hand and glancing at Peter.
"Let's get you out of that costume, before the mist decides it wants to do another encore."