#I at least have the arc reactor done

[sinestrosmind]

behold the plots for my biggest ref sheet yet

and of course it's Flame lmao

[bloodyshadow1]

Not gonna lie, I am really like A-Train and Ashley's odd friendship this season. Like Ashley has always skirted the line of ass kisser to sympathetic person trapped in a hellish environment. While A-train's redemption arc has been one of my favorite parts of the Boys as a whole, but especially this season. Maeve was my favorite character and with her gone, I wasn't sure how I'd feel but A-Train filled the void in a lot of ways.

And it's surprising given how they've interacted in the past, especially season 3 where Ashley calls him out on his shit self-centered Hypocrisy, but I think he's a better person for it by the end and part of the reason they can change.

I'm glad it wasn't turned into a secret romantic relationship, it's made very clear that neither of them find the other attractive, at least not enough to view them as a sexual or romantic prospect. It's just a bond forged by two people who are trapped in hell that they're both terrified people who have done a lot of bad things, but are trapped with monsters willing to do far worse.

It's not even a friendship really because they still dont' really like each other or enjoy each other's company, but despite everything, they care . They sort of start with the' if you tell, I'll tell' mutually assured destruction thing and that evolves into covering for each other and making sure the other is alive.

In ep 7 though it really shows that they've come to care about each other against their will. Ashley is having a breakdown and drunk and wants A-Train to get them out of there. She offers to platonically run away with him away from Vought and just be free and happy away from the tower. A-Train isn't nice, but he basically does what he can to keep her grounded and not do something stupid because of guilt, fear, and booze, something she surely needs. And by the end A-Train had already outed himself as the mole, Noir was out of the building but nothing the boys did really hurt him, he could have told Homelander by then and A-Train knew that. Yet he still went back to the tower to try and get her out of there, something he didn't have to do. Ashley didn't even have anything over him since he outed himself as the mole, I've seen half a dozen reactors terrified that Homelander was already outside of Ashley's door when A-train tried to get her to leave. yet he still went back for her. Ashley for her part, even though she doesn't agree to leave with him, reminds him about his tracker chip, if he didn't get rid of that he would have been killed.

Now I haven't seen ep 8, I know some spoilers, but nothing much on these two so maybe it's been a set up to come crashing down. But for the last 7 eps it's been endearing to see the two of them being forced to build a relationship over blackmail and mutual fear.

[gunsandspaceships]

Tony's surgeries in the cave: Part 3. Second Surgery

Why the second surgery was necessary: Part 1, Arrhythmia, Reactor, Part 2

What was done:

Removal of the electromagnet.

Sternectomy - partial removal of Tony's sternum.

Removal of some chest and abdominal muscles (some partially, some completely).

Removal of parts of at least 4 ribs on both sides together with parts of attached muscles.

Yinsen may or may not have removed the thymus.

Tony's heart was slightly shifted back in his chest cavity.

Implantation of pacemaker-ICD electrodes running from the bottom of the reactor housing to the heart (This could be done either directly through the chest cavity outside the heart, or through the subclavian vein into the heart).

Removal of parts of Tony's lungs/lungs moved to the sides.

Displacement of blood vessels in Tony's chest.

Displacement or removal of lymph nodes in the chest. In case of removal - replacement with an artificial system connected to the reactor housing.

Implantation of the titanium reactor housing, its attachment to the parts of the sternum that were not removed.

Connecting the housing to the ribs using rib clamps.

Attaching the reactor with the pacemaker to the housing.

Suturing muscles and tendons to the reactor using surgical/biological mesh.

Closing the wound with polyester cuff around the housing where it meets the skin.

Suturing the sternectomy incision.

How do we know this actually happened?

In addition to the reasons stated in Part 1:

After the first surgery, we don't see the reactor housing in Tony's chest. The electromagnet is bolted to the sternum and, unlike the reactor, cannot simply be temporarily removed from the chest.

As you can see below, unlike the electromagnet, the reactor housing is complex, clean, made of titanium and designed specifically for the arc reactor.

Remember about internal organs - you can't just make a hole and put anything in there, no matter how deep it is. You'll need to remove or displace something.

In the scenes below we can see a fresh sternectomy scar after the reactor was implanted. The scar looks different every time, and sometimes it disappears completely thanks to makeup artists. There is not a single scene with this scar before the reactor.

As I mentioned in The Cave timeline (March 1 - April 12), several weeks passed between the successive scenes: Tony finished working on the reactor and showed Yinsen the armor blueprint > the security camera scene and the backgammon scene.

The two weeks between the first surgery and Tony waking up would not have been enough time to recover from the trauma of the reactor implantation. Tony instantly jumps to his feet and is able to raise his arms above his head and hold a car battery - nope, that's absolutely unrealistic.

The Ten Rings would not allow them not to work, but we see them playing board games. Post-op recovery explains it.

[sonicasura]

Let's be honest with ourselves that Transformers Earthspark has its issues. It isn't uncommon for the series to have a few messy iterations throughout the years. However those at least have something going for them.

Bayverse is a junk pile yet there's a lot of material you can build off on and some pretty interesting concepts. RiD15 is an awful sequel to Prime but does decently well as a standalone although there are much needed changes to be had. Earthspark... Well, it's just there.

I can be lenient with the plot holes and poor pacing as Nickelodeon is notorious for interfering with any show that isn't SpongeBob to the point of cancellation. The issues truly land on the characters themselves. I'm gonna try to simplify it without devolving into a rant like the previous draft.

Edit: Gonna add some further edits as I wrote this in the middle of the night. Plus my simplified version skipped some key details.

Robby. Somehow they made a human character I actually dislike instead of be neutral about. In the official Transformers wiki, he's labeled as a big brother who cares for his siblings but his actions so far say otherwise. Robby literally ran away in the first episode because they moved then decided to try and hide the Terrans from his parents.

Yet he rarely gets enough consequences for his actions. I think we don't just need less Emberstone saves not just because of plot armor but force actual character growth on him. Like a life changing to one of his siblings as consequences for his actions and strained relationship until he gets his head outta his ass.

Edit: Yes, I know Robby is a teenager but that isn't a decent enough excuse for his behavior. Seen the trope about big brothers who do act closed off or at some points rude but they haven't done shit that put their family in serious danger. No, I didn't try to purposely forget the times he was injured badly.

There honestly needs to be less of those and his consequences be adjusted to it affects someone else badly. *

Next issue is lacking confrontation with Optimus choices alongside the obvious misplaced trust in the 13 Primes. Quintus Prime literally emotionally manipulated and scarred Mo through a fake bad ending reality because she doubted herself. No good person would do that, much less an actual ally. Even moreso on a child.

I seen this shit in Trollhunters but at least Jim, the main character, was a teenager. (It still was wrong though.) We also got remember that Liege Maximo and Megatronus/The Fallen are Primes. Yet somehow it is best to trust them.

Don't get me started with some of Optimus' choices when it comes to GHOST. He probably did it to protect his Autobots but what about the Decepticons who are locked away? Why are there so little of his companions with him especially since Bumblebee had fucking went into hiding before the show began.

There needs to be tension between Optimus with his Autobots. Someone is bound to snap and Bumblebee would have the biggest impact. The man clearly isn't okay as he's doing things that even Megatron admits ain't like him.

Mandroid needs to be written differently. He has the making of a sympathetic villain but oh boy. First off it is clear that his depiction is ableist aligned since the reason he doesn't like Cybertronians is because he lost his arm. Major thing to change right there.

Give him a narrative where his interest been genuine but slowly declines as the Autobot/Decepticon war increases the number of destroyed lives. Let him become a victim to this than just 'I lost my arm so death alongside experimentation to all Cybertronians'. Also don't make Mandroid ignore the obvious fact that the Transformers parts he puts into his body is slowly poisoning and instead come up with ways to fight the infection. Kinda like in Ironman 2 where Tony's arc reactor began to do the same thing.

Edit: Mandroid's negative views on Cybertronians are about the war and he's aware of the Energon poisoning. It is just that it is poorly portrayed to the point you rarely see it over his Arachnamechs/his ruined life.

Have the man present various evidence of destruction the war caused by both sides at the Malto children or anonymously spread such info around town to sew discontent with the townsfolk. 'These are the people who you consider heroes. Who you see as family and friends. Or should these tragedies be forgotten?'

Do a Baxter Stockman where you frequently see him try to fix the Energon poisoning than just simple dialogue. Even have testing on organic subjects to see how they react and find ways to counter it. Don't keep these key points as simple dialogue. *

I don't think Karen needs much changes either. 'But her taking over Cybertron doesn't make sense!' It actually does for one reason: hubris. Have you ever seen what happens when you give a control freak power? Their behavior becomes more erratic as they begin to think they deserve more. She is xenophobic in nature so imprisoning Decepticons and ordering around the Autobots is a drug to her.

Karen wants to treat them like slaves so the next step in her mind is Cybertron. Her death is well deserved and well played. Just like Icarus, the bitch flew too close to the sun.

I think the last major issue, other than out of character racist Shockwave, is the Terrans. No offense but they need a bit less screentime so the rest of the cast can shine. We barely see Alex and there's unclarified issues involving Bumblebee with Arcee if he's uncomfortable around her.

I also want their flaws to be at the forefront. Thrash is the only one who gotten such character development from his encounter with Swindle. We need more of that! Like Hashtag's overreliance on the Internet biting her back as she is forced to use real world skills.

Edit: I accidentally put in Terrans when I really meant Twitch. The screentime for everyone needs to be balanced mainly for the Malto family. Alex alongside the three younger Terrans rarely get involved or their characters further build upon. Twitch needs to get benched more.

Also the Dad Number 2 should really be addressed. Wheeljack was clearly uncomfortable when it been brought up. Plus it is way too fast to even consider such ideas unless you plan to have it addressed properly. Like 'Kid. We barely know each other yet somehow I became a father figure in an instant? It's best not to do that until you truly certain "Dad Number 2" doesn't mean harm or feels comfortable with it.' *

Earthspark clearly has potential but these problems need to be handled better. Addong the deleted scenes help add some clarification but canon needs to present it. We are supposed to get a second season so hopefully some of these are addressed.

[frankthesnek]

Hello can I get soft kiss 7 for Stony?

Okay, okay so all the other kiss prompt fills have been soft and fluffy and cute. This one gave me angst vibes. I hope thats okay 💕

Come Home Again

Rated G

Prompt: sharing a kiss after not seeing eachother for an extended period of time

750 words

The room was dark when Tony opened his eyes, a dull depthless darkness that was a far cry different from the mystical and star spotted blackness he'd been surrounded by in space.

Right… he was back.

Thinking was normally an easy task for Tony, but recalling the events that led him here was difficult and physically taxing. He remembered landing, remembered clinging to Nebula and limping down the ramp, remembered—

“Steve?” The word was horse and croaking as it left his lips. Steve's hands on his arm and shoulder, too tight and almost painful on his depleted worn out body, the solid heat at his side as Steve had helped him inside—that he remembered, but in a too good to be true dreamy way he wasn't sure he should believe.

“Tony?"

The sound of his name was startling, and Tony flinched harshly before sluggishly turning his head to find Steve sitting off to the side of his bed. His face was shadowed, the plains and angles of it illuminated gently by the subtle glow of the nano tech arc. Why did Steve have it?

“I'm sorry for pushing you like that,” Steve's words were hollow, his eyes downcast to the reactor.

Oh.

Tony closed his eyes against the returning memory. Steve’s questions, his own lunatic ramblings as he fell apart. They had ended on fighting so long ago and wound up the same way this time around. The cold of Siberia seemed better than the chemical fresh chill of the medical bay. He had been left alone and cold and broken hearted back then, but at least his spirit had still been intact. It felt like now he'd lost even that.

“It's fine,” Tony mumbled back softly, opening his eyes to find Steve now looking at him. The reactor's light was obscured by Steve's large palm curling around it, the duller lighting making his face look dark and sad.

“It was selfish,” the other man countered. “I shouldn't have—”

“No. No, no, nonono,” the word tumbled out of Tony in a weak and droning mantra, forcing Steve into silence. Tony went quiet too. Breathing and collecting his thoughts, chasing them like scared animals hiding in the fog of his brain. So much had happened, so much had gone wrong. He didn't want this with Steve. Couldn't handle it—not now. Later, later, there would be time for talking and healing and explanations. All the things they had destroyed and that had been lost between them—it wouldn't, couldn't be forgotten but right now, none of it mattered.

“I don't want to argue. I don't want to fight. I'm done fighting. We lost. We lost so much,” the words were fucking bitter—sharp and painful in his too tight dry throat.

“Tony,” Steve stood and moved to the edge of the bed, placing the reactor on the sheets. Its calming blue a bright contrast to the bland white of them.

“I don't care right now about all of our fuck ups—not yours, not mine. Steve, I just wanna come home.” Tony didn't realize the words had brought him to tears until Steve's palm settled over his cheek. Cupping gently like so many times in the past. Tony turned his face into the contact. “I wanna go home,” softer this time, the words spoken into the battle calloused skin of Steve's palm.

“You are home, honey,” Steve said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You’re home.”

When Steve leaned down over him, the moment felt too long and drawn out. The few seconds it took for Steve's lips to meet his a back breaking straw on top of all the time they had been apart—all the touches they had robbed themselves of.

Tony pressed back simply, not having the energy for more than the firm contact of a couple grounding pecks. Steve lingered, like he always did. His soft mouth brushed tenderly along Tony's jaw, and he felt his stubble catch against the supple softness of the other man's lips.

“You're home now. Get some rest,” Steve whispered into his cheek.

Tony closed his eyes again, barely registering the dip and shift in the bed, already fading back into exhausted sleep. It was only when he heard the steady thump under his ear that he realized Steve had laid down with him; had shifted them so Tony was curled atop him, head pillowed on Steve's powerful chest.

He was home. It was a broken home—cracked picture frames, and unmade beds, and cobweb filled closets—but the foundation was still there. Strong and sturdy, and everything he needed.

[vintagexherry]

New idea, probably a bad one (1)

IronMan!Nathan Bateman x Reader

//Iron Man AU,None, not proof read

A/N: that was hell of a writer's block and this is all I came up with?

□■□■

Nathan Bateman are many things.

Rich (ridiculously so)

Philosophical (in his own way)

Smart (even if his head seems to lose a few screws)

And last but not least.

Stubborn.

Ridiculously so.

"I am employed to assist your technological work, not babysit you." You said, trying hard to bite back a groan as you grip your tablet in one hand and clench a fist on the other.

The bright, flourescent lights of the man's workshop give you a throbbing headache, and you can't help but wish you didn't take up the promotion offer.

Speaking of the man...

Nathan spins his chair to face you, his eyes carrying bags that make him look like he needs a vacation (which you offered and didn't work), yet his body is up and going working on a new piece of tech as if his previous one didn't try to kill him.

"Well.... Shouldn't have taken that promotion offer." He scoffs and spins back to continue twisting and turning his screwdriver.

And you hold back to throwing your tablet at the back of his head.

One year ago, you worked under BlueBook company as a simple IT specialist. That was until you got called to suddenly work with as an supporting assistant to Nathan Bateman himself. The CEO, The Boss.

And the man who almost got killed.

You remember seeing it the news. Nathan Bateman and his Turing test winner, Caleb. Found injured at his isolated mansion.

Stabbed and the other one traumatized.

Not much was revealed in the news, and it left billions of people questioning what could have stabbed Nathan and what is Caleb ranting about a female robot killer.

As Nathan heals up in the hospital, the police tried to investigate his house but alas, couldn't get far due to security measures and those goddamn card you have to scan for every room you need to get in.

Months after that, Nathan healed up, Caleb is in therapy, and you are promoted to be his little assistant.

Were you excited?

Maybe

Did you get suspicious once the job offer also need you to sign an NDA?

Maybe.

You tried not to question it. All eyes are still on Nathan after the incident, and an NDA is the least they could do to protect him from the public.

But you could at least get a warning that your new boss is a asshole.

"Yeah I went through your work, your smart, I need that."

He said as he unwraps his boxing wraps and drinks water as he stares you down.

"Oh uh... Thanks sir...?"

"Nuh uh, none of that. Just Nathan."

"Alright... Nathan..."

Working with him wasn't the easiest at first, especially since he's still recovering both mentally and physically. But your determined to make this job at least worth while.

There were hiccups along the way but you swallowed it down like a champ and went along with it.

Little by little, working with Nathan got easier.

yet still a fucking headache

"When your done complaining, get me a coffee."

"No"

He spins his chair again.

"No?"

"No."

Nathan stares at you for awhile.

Then sighs.

"If this is about my bedtime, I didn't hire a nanny"

"Exactly, yet what Im doing could be similar to that right now."

Before he could snark back, you cut him off.

"It's five in the morning and your running on caffeine and tweaking that blue thing."

"It-"

"I know, I know. The Arc Reactor....But Nathan... Your body is still healing and you need to focus on that right now before making a new one."

"You don't get it. That shit is out there parading as a human and who knows, manipulating and killing the shit out of others."

Ah yes.

That 'shit'

After several months working under him, he finally revealed things to you in one drunken night.

The next morning, you talked to him about it, and he visibly winced. You assure him that you won't tell a soul (under NDA and your own willingness) about the things he had said and offered help. His slightly relaxed but agreed.

But right now, he's being the most uncooperative little shit right now.

"Yes. Ava is out, doing god knows what god knows who, but I've been monitoring every news outlet right there and even went far to check any suspicious airplane passenger to see if she went out of the country. Im doing my part to help you, so god help me you atleast go to sleep!" You huff as you raise your voice a bit.

Nathan stares at you, visibly contemplating if he should listen to you or not.

Yes, you do your part to help

but that little Ava shit is still out there.

He should rename her to little shit.

You stare back at Nathan, watching his facial features change bit to bit.

"Fine." After a few moments, he finally spoke. "You owe me."

"Yea, yea, I'll get you your favourite whiskey for dinner." You said, trying to hold back a smile as you watch him drop his tools and stand up and walk past you to the elevator.

As you watch him get it, you let out a sigh.

Finally he listened.

You turn back to his work table, seeing the Arc Reactor laying down on the table. You remember the happiness both you Nathan felt after figuring the perfect material to build that thing for.

You look around the workshop and see several part of metal, some look like an arm and some a leg.

You can't help but feel fond about the moments the both of you went through to get this much progress.

You sighed once more and turned around to close the lights and head to the elevator.

The both of you procured old and new ideas together, even if their bad.

------

A/N: yea im back might make part 2

[bluef00t]

thoughts on the ironhide storyline?

Knights of the Golden Circle: the Atomic Robo arc so peak that it's singled out in the site preview blurb.

Well, I'm assuming you mean that, and there isn't an Ironhide RSA I missed. (I'd read it! I prefer the spinoff genre characters to the real-person teams, which may defeat the purpose of the title Real Science Adventures, but whatever.)

"Thoughts." That's vague. Well, I love the bonkers set-up. There are other arcs that can absolutely only be done once (Ghost of Station X, Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur, Vengeful Dead), but only this one has the quality of Brian + Scott leaning in like "Okay. We know. We swore that causality is sacred and there will be NO time shenanigans, and that's STILL true. But just this once we're going to bend our own rule slightly, because we really, really, really want our robot to get to be a cowboy. Thanks for understanding."

The art's fantastic. I'm glad this one made it under the wire for the era of pencil-lined Robo volumes because the subtle textures really complete the grungy dusty look. The colors, too. Robo's electric blue and vril's crystalline pink stand out like alien intrusions in the sepia-toned world. Mwah.

My first time reading, I felt like it was a cop-out on the stable time loop to make Ironhide real in his own right. But since then my opinion has reversed! It cultivates a real air of Old West legend for Robo to be preceded by whispers of a reputation so shrouded in mystery that he doesn't even know it. I now actually think it should've taken Robo until maybe his dozenth public superhuman feat to realize I May Be Contributing To The Legend Somewhat.

Robo's initial interest in Ironhide strikes me as a riff on kids latching onto representation in comics. Especially when characters "like you" are stereotyped or absent, so you imprint on someone who isn't supposed to be like you, but represents your personal experience way more. But I'm probably projecting there.

Paradoxically to my RSA opinions, I like historical cameos in Robo proper. Holliday + Reeves + Robo are a really fun trio. Helsie is a fine "final boss", but I'm glad more time was spent on Caldwell's gang to get our fill of saloon shootouts and train chases first.

As an aside—pulps have a tendency to pick a villain from an "anti-American" political group with little thought put toward their underlying ideologies. (Which is how you get "our blonde superhuman can out-punch the Nazi ubermensch, so there" and incoherent Soviet/Nazi team-ups.) I point this out to say that the writing in Robo is generally better than that. It may tiptoe around historical politics a little (Helsingard is a Nazi collaborator, the Knights used to be Confederates), but the pulpy cyborg plot keeps at least one throughline: these were people in the human trafficking business for power and profit. And of the legends of the old west, Bass Reeves would have some very strong convictions about that.

Honestly a weakness here is that the story gives you a lot of hints in place of explanations and just trusts you'll work it out. Like the FIFTEEN YEAR timeskip. I only NOW, writing this, realized that the dates on the wall (which make no sense as "where am I in history?" guesses) are probably reactor lifespan calculations.

It's a better problem to have than agonizing infodumps or actual plot holes, but in some cases I liked my initial assumptions better than the real answers! Like, I first thought he was using his own heart to power his gadgets, and that's what was killing him so fast. Would've been metal if true. (I guess he did rebuild himself to make that possible later.)

Well, even minus that. It's a tasty cowboy trope for the protagonist to know they're already dying (or I've just listened to Streets of Laredo too many times) and a great time travel trope for the ending to be a foregone conclusion and our protagonist to still fight like hell to the bitter end. Yesssss.

In a way, this is already how readers experience the historical stories, trying to piece together the cost for this preordained victory with scraps of historical knowledge and faith that it will all make sense eventually. But this time Robo's in on it, too.

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - October 15th

 Hi, all! I hope you had a spectacular week. Here’s everything I read this week--enjoy and be sure to leave comments and kudos for your writers! 

~*~ 

love and war by meidui

“Who the hell are you?” Tony demands as Steve stands up and instinctively gets between them, taking him in: Tony’s armour, but in his colours. His shield, but with Tony’s arc reactor in place of his star.

“I’m from Earth-TRN634,” he says. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to stop your Civil War.”

Shakedown by Sineala

The problem is, Captain America won't stop shivering.

Need A Hand? by KandiSheek

An unfortunate hand injury means that Steve can't jerk off for the foreseeable future. Tony is all too happy to lend a hand.

your kind of heaven's (been to hell and back) by complicationstoo 

Contrary to popular belief, Tony hasn’t done this before. He knows his own reputation, has enough self-awareness to recognize that not one single person would be surprised to find out he was doing this tonight, but all of them would be surprised to hear it was the first time. When you build a persona around being the charming playboy, paying for sex doesn’t seem too far off.

It’s definitely not the other guy’s first time being paid for it, though. There’s an easy energy about him as he casually looks around the penthouse between sips of the scotch in his hand. Tony wonders if he’s even drinking it at all, though, because the line of liquid never seems to go down no matter how many times he brings the glass to his lips. Either way he’s good at faking the nonchalance.

believe me by complicationstoo 

“So this is definitely one of the strangest situations I’ve ever been in,” Tony says, plopping down on the hard tile floor.

“One of?” Steve asks with raised eyebrows. “It’s troubling that you can’t lie to me right now, and yet you still aren’t saying it’s the worst.”

“Because it isn’t the worst,” Tony says simply, the honesty spilling out of him so easily even though he hates the way it feels on his tongue. “I wouldn’t even call it one of the worst. Doesn’t even crack the top five on that one, and please, don’t ask, because that’s a list I don’t want to say and you don’t want to hear. But strangest? It’s up there for sure.”

made your mark on me by complicationstoo 

It’s a Thursday, the first time that Tony walks into Steve’s tattoo parlor. Steve is behind the counter, passing the time between appointments by filling his sketchbook with new designs and reworks of older ones. He glances up at the chime on the door and has a welcome greeting on the tip of his tongue that dies at the sight of him.

He’s young, and if Steve had to guess he’s probably never been in a tattoo parlor before today, if the nervous look is anything to go by. His hair is dark and messy, falling in every direction as he takes a knitted hat off of his head and stuffs it in his pocket, while wide brown eyes look around at the designs on the walls.

How to Give the Best Blowjob He's Ever Had by BlossomsintheMist

Steve wants to give Tony as good a blowjob as Tony always gives him. Tony gives him some pointers.

in retrospect by welcoming_disaster 

Fresh out of the ice, Eve Rogers isn't happy about being stuck onto the Ultimates' roster; the team, in her view, is a shameless PR grab with no real talent. Her teammate, Tonya Stark, might change that.

The Fall and the Rise by Sineala

After the Great Society incursion, the Illuminati refuse to destroy another world. When the next incursion looms, they go to await their deaths in peace. Tony ends up on the doorstep of the last man who ever wanted to see him. At least he's going to die at Steve's side.

The Spark That Started the Fire by Sineala 

It started with two men. But it ended with two men, too.

(Or: A quiet evening on Battleworld, in which there are desert islands, campfires, apologies, and proposals. Also nudity.)

Bustin' a Cap by LonghornLetters

Steve and Tony have been together for a minute. Bucky and Rhodey have...concerns.

Body of Work by LonghornLetters 

NFL quarterback Steve Rogers has been invited to appear in ESPN's Body Issue. It's true, you know, every body has a story!

Those Secrets We Hold Dear by KandiSheek

Tony has been on suppressants for as long as he can remember. So when his body goes into an unexpected heat, he's more than a little unprepared. Especially because the person responsible for his body going haywire is halfway across the world and not on speaking terms with him.

It doesn't help that most of the world assumes that Tony is an alpha.

There is No Place Like Home for the Holidays by Lenalena

Steve is the first to come home to the tower after S.H.I.E.L.D. goes down. Then Natasha and Clint arrive. Tony doesn't mind, really, he's got the space. Except it's December and they insist on doing Christmassy shit. Who the hell has time for that?!?

Christmas 5 - Tony 0

be my best friend (until we grow old) by complicationstoo 

Everything about Steve Rogers is unexpected. How he enters Tony’s life like a cannonball. How he lingers there like he belongs.

It isn’t much of a surprise, though, to fall in love with him.

A companion fic to this is how you fall in love.

in restless silence and waking dreams by Areiton 

Tony trails his fingers over the ice, shivering at the cold that leeches into his hand, and stares at the man his father loved more than him, the man he’s loved and hated his entire life, the man who died to save the world and end the war. 

He sighs and says, softly. “You poor bastard.” 

one true thing by welcoming_disaster

Captain America, Tony has long learned, lives by a set of internal rules so convoluted and esoteric that he himself sometimes gets lost in them.

in my head by brucewaynery

Tony tells Steve about solipsism, the theory that everything is merely a figment of your own imagination, and Steve lets something slip.

for 'college roommates' on iron man bingo

now I worship a celestial sun by haemodye

The thing that gets Tony the most is how long it takes him to notice.

Not Steve, or even the other Avengers, but Tony himself. It takes Tony almost two whole weeks to figure out that he’s unable to disobey a direct order from Steve, which just- what the hell is that? What happened to the days when he flew off the handle, unable to play well with others, a notorious wild card?

“God, don’t tell me I’m getting old and predictable,” he says, rubbing a hand over his forehead. And then, “Fuck.”

  A mostly-comedic farce involving: 1 obedience spell, 2 pining Avengers, 1 long-suffering Sorcerer Supreme, and 1 single, extravagant Saint Patrick's Day float.

[im-a-wonderling]

What a Sham ~ Tony Stark

I’ve never written for Tony Stark before this, so it was a fun exercise, even if I don’t love how it turned out :)

Summary: Y/N is getting fed up with being Tony Stark’s assistant. (Takes place during Iron Man 2)

Word count: 3.5k

Warnings: none?

Sometimes, being Tony Stark’s personal assistant was only slightly preferable to getting shot and just as painful. 

At least with a gunshot wound, one was allowed time to rest and recover. 

When I walked into Mr. Stark’s office on a regular Saturday afternoon to see not one, not two, but three women dressed in lingerie crowded around my boss, I could only cringe and avert my eyes.

I’d been in his office not fifteen minutes ago, which was when he’d told me he wanted a grand party at his house tonight. The only person in Tony Stark’s office then had been Tony Stark. How on earth had he managed to get three women in his office and out of most of their clothes in less than fifteen minutes?

It was like some perverse magic trick. 

I cleared my throat. 

When none of the four looked over at me, I tried again, louder.

No response.

Running out of patience, I rapped loudly on the door with my right hand, not stopping until the women looked over with irritated expressions.

“What is it?” Mr. Stark slurred, his cloudy eyes very obviously trained somewhere indecorous.

“Sir, city hall gave the special license for the party, and the waiters have all been informed of the…Iron Man themed dress code.” He didn’t respond, and I wanted to strangle him. Instead, I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I was almost done for the day. “Is there anything else you need, sir, before I leave for the day?”

“Yes,” Mr. Stark said, getting to his feet and nearly lurching over, his unbuttoned shirt flapping to show off the glowing arc reactor in his chest. “These three lovely ladies need cars to take them home.”

The women all looked insulted, clearly expecting to have the great Tony Stark’s attention for longer. One of them folded her arms.

Mr. Stark attempted to prop himself up on his office chair, but thanks to the wheels on the bottom of the chair, the chair slid away from him, causing him to nearly lose his balance. “Now, now, Jennifer–” he started to say to the woman pouting.

“My name is Courtney,” the woman snapped. 

Mr. Stark looked confused for a moment before turning to the second woman. “Then you’re Jennifer, right?”

The second woman folded her arms. “Wrong.”

Mr. Stark clapped a hand on the third woman’s shoulder. “Jennifer!”

“I’m Alice,” she replied, shrugging off his hand. 

“Then who is Jennifer?” Mr. Stark asked, spreading his arms wide, the motion nearly causing him to fall off his own feet.

All three women scoffed as they started gathering their clothes off the floor. Not one of them bothered to start getting dressed as they stalked towards the door, throwing dirty looks at Mr. Stark as they passed. Courtney, the last to leave, shoved Mr. Stark’s chest with a pitiful amount of force before stalking away. 

Unfortunately, alcohol didn’t like to share with good balance, and at this point, a gust of wind could blow Mr. Stark off his feet.

He flung out his hands to balance himself against the wall. But no wall or piece of furniture was nearby to catch him, and he finally slammed down on the floor. “Y/N.” His voice stumbled around the syllable(s) of my name. “Come help me up.”

I very nearly curled my lip at him. “I’m going to arrange confidentiality agreements for your disgruntled hook-ups.”

My boss waved the statement away. “Someone else can do that.” He held out his hands, like a toddler does when asking to be picked up. 

I debated leaving purely out of spite. Mr. Stark was likely so inebriated, he wouldn’t remember that I left. I could get the ladies out of Mr. Stark’s building and go home to my almost unused Netflix subscription and uneaten ice cream in the freezer. My last day off, I’d ended up taking care of my nieces in the morning and going on a blind date in the evening. 

Not only was the date a total wash, but an introvert could only have so many days without alone time before they became a danger to society. 

Yet I knew I’d have to be heartless to leave my boss looking so pathetic and alone. I grit my teeth, preparing to walk over to him, already annoyed that he’d once again succeeded in getting what he wanted.

But the arc reactor in Mr. Stark’s chest flickered. 

I let out a soft gasp, staring at it.

Ever since Mr. Stark came back from that cave of terrorists, that thing had been keeping him alive. And in all that time, I’d never seen it flicker. If something were wrong with it, Mr. Stark would know, and he would do something about it. Which meant that I would know. I didn’t understand much about science, but alcohol couldn’t have that effect on it…could it? 

I stared at it, but it shined as brightly as ever.

Had I imagined it?

I crossed the room, warily watching the reactor. When I got close, I noticed the odd vein-like dark streaks stretching from the arc reactor. They were so distractingly distinct, that I nearly forgot why I was this close to my boss in the first place until Mr. Stark waved his hand. 

I took hold of it and heaved him up.

I meant to let go of his hand, but his grip only tightened after he got to his feet. For a moment, my heart zipped around in my chest, doing dangerous loopty-loops…until I realized he was just trying to stay upright.

“Is there anything else I can do for you before I clock out today?” I asked, trying to ignore the observation of my boss’s hands dwarfing mine in favor of staring at the technology embedded in his bare chest. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Mr. Stark said, before seeming to lose track of what he was going to say at the end of his ‘whoa’s.

I waited, giving him a moment.

But his eyes just started sweeping back and forth, like they were incapable of lingering anywhere. Perhaps he was trying to find the railroad tracks of his train of thought. 

The reactor still looked normal. 

I pulled my hand out of his, stepping away. “I’ll alert the kitchens to send up some Advil and water before I leave. So you can sober up before your party.” 

The moment my back was turned, fingers clumsily laced themselves through mine, causing me to inhale sharply, stopping, but not turning around.

“Don’t leave me,” Mr. Stark said in a pitifully small voice, making something unpleasant twist in me.

“If you didn’t want to be alone,” I said over my shoulder as nonchalantly as I could, “you shouldn’t have made those ladies leave.”

“I didn’t want them to stay,” he whined, gently tugging on my hand.

I allowed him to spin me, opening my mouth to give him a lecture about boundaries in the office. “Mr. Stark–”

“Stay for the party.” His eyes were clearer now, but I could’ve sworn the strange vein-like streaks on his chest were darker. 

“My shift is already over–”

“I’ll pay you time and a half,” he offered. “Come on, you’re needed. You’re the one that makes these events go off without a hitch. I’ll feel better if you’re there.”

“And I’ll feel better if I’m at home,” I grumbled. “Parties aren’t my scene.”

“Tell you what, if you’re not at the party tonight, I’ll fire you.” Mr. Stark grinned as if he’d just told me he was giving me a birthday present. 

If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have taken them seriously. Or I would’ve filed a complaint with HR. 

But this was Tony Stark. 

Tony Stark was unlike anyone else. 

And if there was ever anyone begging to be judo flipped, it was Tony Stark.

I groaned, wishing I knew how to judo flip people. “Fine.”

“Yay!” He clapped his hands together, looking pleased. “Now how do you feel about wearing an Iron Man costume?”

-

In the end, despite Mr. Stark’s insistence that I was needed at the party, everything was running smoothly. 

As I watched the serving staff from my secluded spot in the corner of the bar, I thanked my lucky stars I’d managed to bypass his desire to have me dressed in a red and gold spandex suit like theirs. I made a mental note to send tips to all the waiters and waitresses for this. 

I glanced at Mr. Stark, who was surrounded by partiers doing every possible variation of drunk dancing there was. Whatever happened with his arc reactor earlier, he seemed more than fine now, but that didn’t stop me from keeping an eye on him. 

Babysitting my boss would never appear on my bucket list, but at this point, not only had Mr. Stark given me a direct order, he also very clearly needed a voice of reason. I wouldn’t put it past the man to do something more impulsive and stupid than my neices, one of whom this past weekend had wrapped the string of a balloon around her neck because she thought it’d be fun. 

“Do you want something to drink?” the bartender asked, loudly to be heard over the music, drawing my attention away from the dance floor.

“Can’t partake, I’m afraid.” I lifted my phone. “Technically on duty.”

“At least I’m not the only one working then,” the bartender said with a smile.

I took a moment to study him.

A jaw strong enough to rival Superman, broad shoulders, nice smile, crooked nose, and a forgivable amount of gel in his hair. I couldn’t recall him having bartended any of Mr. Stark’s parties before, and the party planning had been so frantic on my part that I couldn’t remember where I’d hired the bartender from. 

“What’s your name?” I asked, hoping it would jog my memory. 

The bartender extended his hand, which looked even stronger than his jaw. “I’m Kaleb.” The name didn’t ring any bells.

“Y/N,” I said, putting my hand in his and giving it two strong shakes. 

”You don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself.” Kaleb rested his forearms on the counter and leaned towards me. “Either you’re an Uber, or your boss is here somewhere, which is it?”

I propped my chin on my hand. “I don’t have the car to be an Uber.”

“Personal assistant, then.” Kaleb flashed me a smile that made my heart tremble like leaves in the wind.

“You got it,” I managed to say without looking like an idiot. Maybe this party wouldn’t be an absolute waste of time. “How long have you been bartending?”

“Since before I was legally allowed to drink.” His mouth quirked slightly to the side, and I suddenly was content to sit there and stare at his lips. “What do you normally drink?”

I cocked my head to the side, slowly fluttering my eyelashes at him. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because you can tell a lot about a person by their usual drink.”

Pursing my lips, I considered him for a moment. “I usually drink a french 75,” I finally revealed.

“Ahhhh, the drink a beautiful woman drinks when she wants to forget.”

“So everyone that orders a french 75 is beautiful?”

Kaleb’s eyes sparkled. “No, but I don’t need your drink order to notice that.”

I chuckled, unable to stop myself from teasing my bottom lip between my teeth. 

“So, my dear,” Kaleb said with a grin, “what are you trying to forget?”

I leaned in conspiratorially. “When you have a boss like mine, you want to forget every day.”

Kaleb slid his hand across the bar to lightly grace my pinkie with his pointer finger, a decorous touch appropriate for someone working. “So,” he jut his chin out towards the dance floor, “which of those hooligans do you have the unfortunate pleasure of calling your boss?”

I looked over at the crowd, expecting Mr. Stark to be in the center of attention, like he always was.

But he wasn’t there. 

Kaleb might as well have tossed the bucket of ice over my head. 

Standing up from my chair to get a better vantage point, my eyes searched the room, praying he hadn’t done something humiliating in front of the paparazzi or illegal in front of anyone. 

I didn’t have it in me to face the headache of corralling the press or going to court. Especially not going to court. 

A hand clapped down on my shoulder, and I spun to see Mr. Stark, who’d materialized on the stool next to me. 

“Get my assistant a drink please!” Mr. Stark said to Kaleb, who looked extremely taken aback. Clearly he hadn’t anticipated my boss to be the host of the party. 

“Uhh, of course sir, right away.”

“Y/N!” Mr. Stark shouted, and I was grateful for the loud music mostly drowning out the sound of his voice. “You came!”

“Yes, sir, you told me my attendance was mandatory.” Mr. Stark didn’t answer, leaning forward and resting his head on my shoulder. “How much have you had to drink?” I asked.

“Not enough,” he said decidedly as Kaleb set a glass down in front of him. He still didn’t lift his head from my shoulder. 

“How much longer until you pass out and give me the unmitigated privilege of dragging you off to bed?”

“Maybe another hour or so.” I closed my eyes, trying to steel myself for the next hour. Mr. Stark lifted his head slightly. “Don’t look now,” he said directly into my ear, “but I think the bartender is sneaking a picture of us.”

I opened my eyes to look at Kaleb, who quickly shoved his phone into his pocket and started wiping at an imaginary spill on the counter. 

I slumped in my chair. “Great. By this time tomorrow, all of New York will think your assistant is your newest fling, and I’ll be fending the paparazzi away from myself as well as you.” 

Mr. Stark finally straightened, laughing. “Gotta love fame.” The enthusiasm with which he chugged his drink seemed to suggest the opposite. 

Kaleb gently set a champagne glass in front of me, and I immediately recognized the color of a french 75. Then, he stepped back, trying to seem nonchalant, even though his phone was still visible. It seemed all the sparks between us had died the moment Mr. Stark had come over here. 

“Excuse me,” I muttered to my boss, grabbing the drink and walking away from the bar. I crossed the room, heading for the one place in Mr. Stark’s mansion I actually liked.

The balcony on the top floor. 

I could still feel the bass of the music rattling in my cheekbones, and if I looked down, I’d be able to see the party below me. Instead, I studied the beautiful view of the water, cherishing the moment alone except for the stars. 

“You should be able to ride out the bad press within a week or two,” said a voice from behind me.

Almost alone.

I simply shut my eyes and took a large gulp of my drink. “What a sham,” I muttered.

“What, me?” Mr. Stark asked, leaning against the railing, facing me as he lifted a glass to his lips.

I shook my head. “Love. Some people can just trip and meet their soulmate, and clearly I’m not one of them.”

Mr. Stark tilted his head, reminding me of my lame attempt to flirt with Kaleb, lowering his drink without so much as a sip. “Maybe you just haven’t tripped enough times.”

I scoffed. “I put myself out there, over and over, I’ve seen what the dating market has to offer, and when that didn’t work, I even attempted the atrocities of online dating.” I sighed, staring down at my glass, as if it were a crystal ball that could give me answers. “It seems some people aren’t meant to find anyone.”

For a few moments, the only sound between us was the pounding beat of the DJ’s chosen music, and as more of those moments passed, I started to wonder if Mr. Tony Stark, my demanding boss who couldn’t ever remember to eat breakfast, was starting to empathize with me. 

“So you’re a sad drunk,” Mr. Stark said with a smirk. “Good to know.”

I rolled my eyes, making sure Mr. Stark saw it. “I’m not drunk,” I hissed at him, more than a little irritated by the assumption. “This is my first and only drink of the night, because unlike someone else I know, I know when to stop.” 

Mr. Stark rested his hand on his chest in mock offense. “I know when to stop! I just choose to ignore that knowledge.”

“Of course,” I muttered. “Because the great Tony Stark knows everything.” I didn’t know why I was suddenly allowing my hostility to surpass my professionalism, but Mr. Stark didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he looked delighted. 

“You can stroke my ego any time you like,” he purred. “It certainly beats you drowning your dating sorrows in your drink.”

“Trust me, alcohol is not a necessary precursor to loneliness.”

“Maybe not,” Mr. Stark said, raising his glass, “but it sure makes it easier to handle.” He finished the rest of the drink in one gulp. 

“A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,” I grumbled. Mr. Stark shot me a funny look. “Sorry. My nieces watched Mary Poppins twice on Saturday while I was babysitting.”

Mr. Stark’s lips protruded to form a pout. “But Saturday was your day off. Didn’t you do something for fun?”

“I went on a date, which I hoped would be fun, but apparently my expectations were too high.”

Mr. Stark didn’t respond, and when I glanced at him, his frown had deepened. “You went on a date?” I tried to hold back my surprise. In over a year of working for Mr. Stark, I’d learned that while I dealt with his personal life every day, he didn’t have any interest in mine. 

“Why did you think I was so upset about Kaleb?”

“Kaleb?” Mr. Stark asked, his forehead pinching. “Is that your boyfriend?”

“No, it’s the bartender. The one who took the picture of us?”

My boss stayed quiet, lowering his head. I wanted to believe he was contrite, but I knew him too well to think that. 

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked.

Mr. Stark grunted. “I’m not drunk out of my mind.” 

“That’s not what I was asking.”

“Then what are you asking?” 

“I thought I saw your arc reactor flicker today. In your office.”

While nothing in Mr. Stark’s face changed, I could’ve sworn there was a ripple in the air. 

“D’you know,” Mr. Stark’s eyes were fixated on the people jumping up and down on the dance floor, “that I never feel more alone than I do at these parties?”

“Then why do you throw them?”

He laughed humorlessly. “Because that’s what Tony Stark does.”

“It’s not what Tony Stark has to do.”

My boss snorted. “Tony Stark is a playboy inventor who inherited a billion-dollar company. I’m not sure Tony Stark is qualified to do much except party.” His face would’ve seemed impassive to anyone else, but I knew him too well for that. 

“You’re not just your money,” I argued, surprising even myself. “You’re a genius.”

Mr. Stark’s expression didn’t lift. Obviously he didn’t believe me. 

“The amount of lives you have saved with that suit of yours isn’t insignificant. And you built that suit and power it off of clean energy.”

I thought that would’ve lifted his spirits, but the mention of his arc reactor brought a sour expression onto his face.

“Even if we are just looking at the money,” I said, trying again. “Do you know how much money you donate to charities and people in need? I do, I handle those finances every day.”

That got his attention. My boss turned his back to the party, giving me his complete and utter focus. 

“It’s your narrative,” I said quietly, feeling suddenly shy under his scrutinizing observation. “Change it.”

Mr. Stark eyed me. “You surprise me sometimes, Y/N.” 

The compliment hung in the air, and panic suddenly coursed through me as he seemed to mull over my words. 

“Is that why you demanded I come to the party tonight?” I asked, trying to change the subject. “Because if so, I can afford to be a lot less surprising in future if it means I don’t have to work extra hours.”

“No.” Mr. Stark shook his head, getting to his feet and leaning in. “Don’t change a thing,” he said into my hair. 

And for some reason, as Mr. Stark took his drink back to the dance floor, I felt my face flush. 

It was only after I made it home that I realized he’d never answered my question about his arc reactor.

-

If you enjoyed, please reblog and check out my masterlist for other fun things!

Overall tag list:

@thelastpyle @valiantlytransparentwhispers

[larcenywrites]

If I was Tony’s girlfriend/wife, I’d probably notice what was going on with him prior to or during Iron Man 2 (the palladium poisoning) and I would do my best to encourage Tony to get the surgery done to remove the shrapnel from his chest so he wouldn’t be hurt by the arc reactor that’s both helping and hurting him! 🥺

Not but fr he’s gotta get that shit done asap 😣 I suppose he went so long without because 1) technology wasn’t very advanced it probably felt unsafe/was unsafe, and 2) doing that meant no more reactor in his chest (or at least, no more reason to have it there…) and we all know he has a (literally) unhealthy obsession with all of… that.

[supervengerslock]

Savior of the Future- Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Wish

Stephen Strange x Stark!Reader

A/N: Let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist!

It was over. you stood over Tony’s crumpled form. You had won, but at what cost?

Pepper held him as the arc reactor went out, and everyone began to kneel. A tear slipped down your cheek as you held your brother’s left hand—the one that held the gauntlet—as the light left his eyes.

I wish I could save him. I wish this could have never happened..

A desperate plea to whatever divine entity would listen, to save the brother who raised you, who was the only family you had left.

Your gaze traveled to meet Stephen’s, his blue eyes swimming with tears and the guilt of what he knew would happen, of what he couldn’t tell you so that he could save you.

The ground seemed to sway under your feet. You could see Stephen lurch forward to catch you, but something made you grip tighter onto your brother’s hand—onto the gauntlet.

And then your whole world went black.

You shot up in bed, breathing heavily. You were in your bedroom in the penthouse.It was dark.

You scanned the room for a moment before calling out for the AI.

“FRIDAY, what’s going on?”

“You appear to have had a bad dream. Shall I wake up Boss?”

“No, let him sleep,” she says. “What day is it?”

“It is February 3rd, 2016, 3:41 am.”

You have done it. Somehow, the stones had sent you back in time. Your brother was alive. But there was something about that date that unnerved you. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it.

“FRIDAY, do you have any info on the infinity stones?”

The AI pulls up files on the tesseract and the mind stone—which was currently still in Vision’s forehead. There was nothing on the other stones.

Your door creaked opened and Tony stood in the doorway.

“Muffin, is it really you?” he asks, a bit disoriented.

“Bubba? Do you remember?”

He nods, walking to the side of your bed and pulling you into a tight hug. Your brother—the man who raised you— was alive.

“What do you remember?” you ask, breaking from the hug as tears threatened to spill from your cheeks.

“I remember the wielding stones, and then.. Lights out.”

“You died. You were dead,” you tell him. “And now we’re back here?”

“How did we get back here?” he asks. “Did the stones..”

“It was me,” you answer. “I was holding your hand, the one that held the gauntlet, and I made a wish. I guess the stones answered it.”

“Miss Stark, you have a call from an unknown number,” FRIDAY interrupts.

“Stephen..” you mutter. “Answer it, FRI.”

“Y/N, it’s Wong.”

“Wong? You remember?” you ask.

“Yes. Stephen does as well, but.. Something happened when we appeared back here. You need to get to Metro-General Hospital as soon as possible.”

You and Tony exchanged worried looks before scrambling out of bed. If something happened to Stephen, you’d never forgive yourself for your final thoughts about him in the battle, the anger and hurt. He was your world.

-

You ran into the hospital room about twenty minutes later, Tony on your heels. Stephen was in bad shape, his arms were both raised above his head, held up in casts with at least eleven pins in his hands. The accident. This was the day of the accident. This was why that date sounded familiar.

Wong was nowhere to be seen, but Stephen looked up as you approached his bed.

“Stephy?”

“Sweetheart,” he choked out hoarsely. “You remember?”

You nod, taking the seat by his bed. “Why did the stones send us back to this time?” you ask.

“Why couldn’t they have sent us to a time when you were healed?”

“Wong and I have a theory about that. We think that the Ancient One might be able to help us.”

“How long did it take you to get to Kamar-taj?” you ask Stephen.

“A month or so. Right after I started my physical therapy.”

“Well, you’re coming to the compound until then, and I won’t take no for an answer, Stephen,” you tell him matter-of-factly.

“It’s best to listen to her, Doc,” Tony says. “She’ll get you to rest one way or the other.”

You turn to glare at him and Tony backs towards the door.

“I’ll give you lovebirds some space..” He walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him. You turn your attention to Stephen, who admittedly looked awful.

“Did you wake up here?” you ask. He nods.

“At least I didn’t wake up in that damn car..”

“I love you,” you tell him, reaching out to brush a couple of dark strands out of his face. “We’re gonna win this time, baby.”

Stephen’s gaze traveled to the doorway, and you looked up as Christine Palmer walked slowly into the room.

“I came to check on you,” she says. She looks between you and Stephen, and he remains silent as you glare at his ex.

“Do I know you?” she asks, turning her attention to you.

“I’m Y/N,” you tell her. “Stephen’s girlfriend.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked over to Stephen again, who didn't meet her gaze.

Christine wordlessly left the room and you turned back to Stephen.

“Wanna tell me what that was all about?”

He sighs. “I asked her to go to that conference with me yesterday.”

“So, now she thinks you were trying to cheat on me?” you reply with a chuckle. “My boyfriend, the player.”

“What are we going to do?” Stephen asks. “How are we going to stop him?”

“I have a few ideas,” you reply. “But right now, you need to rest. Though your mind is years ahead, your body just went through a car accident.”

After a bunch of pain meds from the nurses and some threatening on your end, Stephen finally went to sleep. You collapsed in the reclining chair in the corner, the beeping from the machines lulling you to sleep.

“Stone Seeker.” A booming voice called through the darkness.

You opened your eyes. You were in a void, but a figure appeared before you. A man—a being with a large bald head and blue robes floated in front of you.

“Who are you?” you ask.

“I am Uatu, the watcher. I am here to warn you.”

“I know, Thanos is already looking for the stones,” you reply.

“Thanos is a problem,” he says. “But other threats loom on the horizon. You have already set us on a different path.”

“How so?”

“I sense it in Doctor Strange’s mind. He plans not to give up the time stone, but to die for you if he has to.”

“He won’t have to,” you state. “We know where the stones are. We just need to get in contact with a few people.”

“Be warned, Stone Seeker. An unsavory character has returned to the past as well. One who seeks consequences for tampering with the space-time continuum. He will strike when you least expect it.”

Thanos?

“We will be ready.”

[braveclementine]

The Fight

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OC Elizabeth Lightwood. I do not condone any copying of this.

Tony zoomed across the lit New York sky. His mind was filled with a million thoughts at the moment. The fact that Obadiah had hurt Pumpkin, had tried to kill her, was the foremost thought. He felt a deep hatred fuel in his heart, the image of Pumpkin's broken body stuck in his head. The next thought was Pepper. If Obadiah could try and kill Pumpkin, he knew he was not bluffing about killing Pepper. He had to keep her safe for Happy, as well as for himself.

Not to mention the fact that Obadiah was the one to try and kill him in Afghanistan. That really pissed him off. His father had trusted this guy once. And now he was trying to kill his son. Not that he took much stock in who his father did and did not trust. He was always going on and on about Steve Rogers after all. The bloody saint.

Obadiah had to be stopped, he had to be put down. Arrested. And then, after that was done, he needed to first get his newer arc reactor back. And then secondly, he needed to go and see Pumpkin. She had to be okay. Because if she wasn't, Obadiah wasn't going to survive this fight.

"How do you think the Mark I chest piece is going to hold up?" He asked Jarvis.

"The suit's at 48% power and falling, sir. That chest piece was never designed for sustained flight."

"Keep me posted."

He immediately called Pepper next. "Pepper!"

"Tony! Tony are you okay?" Pepper shrieked.

"I'm fine. How are. . . "

"Obadiah, he's gone insane."

"I know. He tried to kill Pumpkin." Tony gritted out. "You need to get out of there."

"He built a suit. And is she okay?"

He came around the curve of the building as he heard Pepper scream through the phone.

"STANE!" He shouted and then collided with the larger, fatter metal robot. They crashed back through the ground into the lab of Stark Industrys. They made their way back up through the ground, into traffic, crashing through a truck and rolling across the highway. He desperately hoped no one died.

"I love this suit!" Stane roared as he picked up an SUV with a mother and four of her kids.

"Put them down!" Tony shouted. He would never have seen them in reality. I mean, he would've seen them as people, but now he was envisioning Pumpkin as a mother with his kids in the car. God he hadn't even met her human side and he was whipped.

"Collateral damage Tony." Stane said.

"Divert power to chest RT." Tony commanded. The power diverted into the pulsator on his chest, blasting Stane's suit backwards. He caught the SUV with difficulty and could hear them screaming inside.

"Power reduced to 19%." Jarvis warned him.

The lady put her foot on the gas and started off with him on the front. "Lady!" He shouted but she didn't stop, running him over so that he was caught underneath the car, dragging him along the road until he lifted the back end and tossed himself out, rolling across the pavement.

Stane was there in seconds by the time he got to his feet, whipping a motorcycle through the air to hit him and he crashed into another- luckily empty- car. Stane picked him up now and roared, "For thirty years I've been holding you up!" He threw Tony to the ground and started to stomp on him. "I built this company from nothing! Nothing is going to stand in my way!"

He threw Tony into the bus. "Least of all, you!"

Tony found himself being blown up into the air as Stane exploded the bus. As he came down, he set the shooters off to keep him afloat.

"Impressive!" Stane shouted. "You've upgraded your armor! I've made some upgrades of my own!"

Stane started to take off from the ground and Jarvis helpfully said, "Sir, it appears that his suit can fly."

"Duly noted. Take me to maximum altitude."

"With only 15% power, the odds of reaching that. . ."

"I know the math! Do it!"

He took off into the atmosphere, straining for the clouds. He knew that Obadiah was on his tail. The machine was clunkier, heavier, and just the slightest bit slower.

"Thirteen percent power, sir."

"Climb!"

"Eleven percent."

"Keep going."

"Seven percent power."

"Just leave it on the screen. Stop telling me!"

"You made a promise to Pumpkin."

"And I'll keep it!"

Suddenly, Obadiah grabbed his suit out of midair. Tony could see that his suit was already frosted over with ice. "You had a great idea, Tony, but my suit is more advanced in every way!"

"How'd you solve the icing problem?" Tony asked frantically.

"Icing problem?" Obadiah asked slowly. Then the power went out in his suit.

"Might want to look into it." Tony gasped, hitting him on the head and breaking off a chunk of the ice. He watched as the suit started to fall back down to Earth.

"Two percent." Jarvis warned and Tony gasped as he attempted to get his control of the suit back. "We are now running on emergency backup power."

He let himself fall at unevenly spaced intervals in order to get back down to Earth. Jarvis was right, he'd make a promise to Pumpkin.

He landed harshly on the roof of Stark Enterprises, sparks flickering from his suit. He got to his feet slowly saying, "Hogan."

"Tony! Oh my God, are you okay?" Peppers voice came streaming through the headphones.

"I'm almost out of power. I've got to get out of this thing. I'll be right there." Tony said. He flipped open the helmet only to feel the vibrations as Stane landed behind him. He quickly flipped the face plate back down as Stane raised a fist and growled, "Nice try."

Tony ducked and went to shoot before realizing that his glove was missing. As he was hit, he flipped in midair and landed in a crouch, nearly flying off the roof. He ran forwards, using only one arm booster to get himself forwards in flight, slamming it across the iron giants face.

Stane grabbed Tony around the middle and started to crush him.

"Weapon status." He choked out.

"Repulsors offline. Missiles offline." Everything was starting to crack and break, red beeping lights coming on to alert him.

"Flares!"

The flares were produced, ricocheting off his armor and Stanes before he was finally let go. Tony used his temporary blindness as a way to get behind a metal box and hide from him.

"Very clever, Tony." Stane said slowly.

"Hogan." He whispered quietly.

"Tony!"

"This isn't working. We're going to have to overload the reactor and blast the roof."

"Well, how are you going to do that?"

"You're going to do it."

He felt terrible putting her in danger. Happy was going to be pissed with him.

"Go to the central console, open up all the circuits. When I get clear of the roof, I'll let you know. You're going to hit the master bypass button. It's going to fry everything up here."

"Okay." Pepper's voice was shaky and he didn't blame her. "I'm going in now."

"Make sure you wait till I clear the roof. I'll buy you some time." He darted around the corner once more as Stane came closer, looking for him slowly, scanning everything.

He crept up behind him and jumped on his back with a shout. Stane growled like an animal. Scanning the suit, he saw something light up and he said, "This looks important." He reached down into the back of the suit and yanked it out, wires sparking when they were disconnected from their circuits.

Stane turned around in circles, arms moving upwards to try and grab Tony. The power had gone out in Stane's suit and he couldn't see well. He threw Tony over his shoulder and Tony landed on the glass ceiling. He could see Pepper below him, working on opening up the circuits as he'd asked.

Suddenly, Obadiah let the Iron giant suit open. "I never had a taste for this sort of thing, but I must admit, I'm deeply enjoying the suit!" He crunched Tony's helmet in his hand and tossed it over the railing so it landed in front of his face.

Tony looked up as Obadiah came closer. "You finally outdid yourself, Tony! You'd have made your father proud!"

This was the man that had almost killed Pumpkin. Tony pushed himself to his feet with difficulty.

"It's ready Tony get off the roof!" Pepper shouted in his ear.

Obadiah pointed his machine gun at him, shooting. The bullets missed, bouncing off Tony's Gard until one hit the glass at his feet. The glass broke and he grabbed the edge so he didn't fall off. He heard Pepper scream below him.

Obadiah shot all of the glass around him out, making it impossible for Tony to find any sure footing, even if he could get himself back on his feet.

"TONY!" Pepper's voice was so far away.

"How ironic, Tony." Obadiah shouted at him. "Trying to rid the world of weapons, you gave it its best one ever!"

"Pepper!"

"And now, I'm going to kill you with it! Tell Pumpkin I said hello."

He shot and the missile hit the wall instead. Obadiah shook his head. "you ripped out my targeting system."

"Time to hit the button!" Tony shouted.

"You told me not to!"

"Hold still you little prick!"

"JUST DO IT!"

"YOU'LL DIE!"

Obadiah shot again and Tony fell once more, hanging below the circle now, holding on by one hand, "PUSH IT!"

He watched Pepper push it and run down the stairs, covering her head with her hands. He caught the edge of the blast and was slammed into the wall, but he was out of the way while it went straight for Obadiah, frying him in his suit as he shouted.

It sent a beacon of energy so powerfully into the sky, electrical radiation coming from it that there was an immediate power outage around the city. Obadiah fell forwards, breaking metal beams as he fell down into the reactor. His suit and body fried the entire thing, a column of fire shooting up through the ceiling and filling the rest of the building.

He hoped Pepper got out in time.

Tony felt his own arc reactor go out, and he closed his eyes. 

[gunsandspaceships]

Tony was disabled and suffered from chronic pain

Tony may not have looked like a disabled person, but not all disabled people need wheelchairs, canes, or hearing aids. Some simply live in constant pain, cannot breathe properly, cannot sleep due to nightmares, or may die without medication or a medical device. All this applies to him.

Tony has suffered from many conditions, many physical and mental traumas. I will describe the most important here (in chronological order), but some things like broken bones, cuts, bruises, etc. happened to him regularly and their impact on his health is unknown.

Blast injuries

You can find details here.

This type of injury has happened to Tony many times, as explosions are not uncommon for superheroes. In his case (he's not an enhanced Homo sapiens, we remember that, right?) they were more harmful than for many others, like Thor, Hulk or Steve.

We can't say exactly how these injuries affected his health, but they couldn't disappear without a trace. What he could have been left with: damaged hearing, vision, brain damage, respiratory system and blood vessels and heart damage, damage to muscles, liver, spleen and intestines.

Shrapnel

And here comes chronic pain, and our first case of overt disability - shrapnel in Tony's chest and most likely right in the heart. Some shrapnel may have remained in other parts of his body, such as his arms and legs, but this was not mentioned in the movies.

Shrapnel can cause harm in two ways:

mechanical (cuts tissue - leads to scarring, puts pressure on nerves and blood vessels, causing pain and ischemia - reduces blood and oxygen flow to parts of the body);

chemical (metal ions can be released from the fragments and travel through the bloodstream, affecting other parts of the body). Many forms of shrapnel contain uranium, which is highly toxic and can lead to health problems, including kidney damage, liver cancer, and bone cancer. It may also cause high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders, and loss of reproductive function.

Other complications may include infections and chronic inflammation around the fragments.

In Tony's case, he received at least three unpleasant gifts from the shrapnel: chronic pain, heart damage, and the constant possibility of death if the medical device that literally keeps him alive stops working or is taken away from him.

So yes, guys, shrapnel is already enough to consider him disabled. But this is just the beginning of the list.

Arrhythmia

Here is a post entirely dedicated to Tony and his arrhythmia.

To summarize: Tony had a severe arrhythmia (most likely Sick Sinus Syndrome) that required a pacemaker and an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) powered by an arc reactor. Possible causes of this condition include the blast injury, electric damage from water torture with an electromagnet in chest, and heart damage.

This is the second case of disability and constant mortal danger for Tony - just like with the shrapnel, without the pacemaker he would have died, and even sooner than without the electromagnet that stops the shrapnel. And let's not forget the risk of sudden death associated with arrhythmias.

What Tony could experience on a daily basis due to his arrhythmia: exercise intolerance (he stopped running and surfing after Afghanistan), exhaustion, shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting (among all the Avengers, Tony lost consciousness most often), lightheadedness or dizziness, heart palpitations. Arrhythmia is a thing that usually gets worse over years.

Reactor

Hard stuff. Here you can see why.

The damage done to Tony's body in order to implant the reactor was enormous. With all things considered, it is not necessarily a deadly trauma, but certainly a debilitating one.

This case is the third obvious disability and the main source of chronic pain that Tony suffered from 2008 to 2014.

What he definitely experienced every minute of those years: pain, exhaustion and depression due to this, discomfort and pressure in the chest, difficulty breathing (for which his suits contained supplemental oxygen), limited upper body mobility and decreased muscle strength, sensitivity to ambient temperature (the metal would conduct the temperature of the environment and could become too hot or too cold. That's why he would prefer to stay in California until his surgery at the end of IM3 and not move to New York yet - because of the cold winters).

Potential complications that required Tony to constantly monitor his health included: collapsed lung, asthma, chest infections, chest trauma, thoracic lymphedema, blood clots.

He would also be prone to respiratory infections, which could easily lead to complications. For example, a common cold would most likely develop into bronchitis and/or pneumonia. That is why it is very dangerous for him to be around sick people.

The device could also pose a real danger if it encounters another strong magnet (no MRI for Tony!).

Tony always had to be on medications to help him breath (oxygen, asthma inhalers when he picks up a virus or his airway gets irritated, nebulizer treatment), antibiotics due to weakened immune system, painkillers as needed, regular beta blockers to reduce risk of arrhythmias and sudden death.

PTSD

In IM3, we were shown Tony suffering from this mental disorder. In CA:CW we also saw him using B.A.R.F. to ease his trauma over the death of his parents. This is one of the factors that makes me think he had complex PTSD since childhood, not just acute PTSD caused by the alien invasion.

The acute PTSD affected his quality of life, depriving him of sleep, causing nightmares, anxiety and panic attacks from 2012 to 2014. Although it couldn't go away just because Tony became a little more confident in himself by the end of the movie. It takes years of treatment to get rid of this condition, and the VA considers it a permanent disability.

Other things that could have long-term effects on his health:

Radiation (cancer, liver failure, infertility, and thickening and scarring of lung, liver, and kidney tissue)

Heavy metal poisoning (palladium is carcinogenic, may damage bone marrow, kidneys and liver)

Repeated concussions (one possible consequence is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which often begins years or even decades after the last brain injury)

Use of B.A.R.F. (could be the cause of the migraine he experienced at the beginning of CA:CW)

Left arm/shoulder injury

Penetrating trauma (it is unknown whether Carol actually brought Tony the Xorrian elixir to cure him as she promised)

Conclusion: before the attack that changed his life forever, Tony was a healthy, strong man who ran canyons and surfed. Thanks to his health and high exercise tolerance, he was able to survive many serious and even critical injuries. However, he was not an enhanced super soldier, and the injuries that did not kill him left him physically weaker and with disabilities that could not help but affect his well-being. He became immunocompromised, could no longer endure strenuous exercise without his high-tech prosthesis, take a proper deep breath. He also became smaller due to loss of muscle mass (compare IM1 and IM3).

Tony also suffered from chronic pain due to the damage to his chest and the presence of shrapnel.

PTSD gives him another type of disability that affects his mental functions. Unlike the damage from the reactor and shrapnel, this damage was not fully healed in 2014 and remained with him until the end, although the symptoms subsided.

[nativestarwrites]

Answer the questions and tag five fanfiction authors you know!

Thanks for the tag @jamietarttsnorthernattitude!

1. How many fandoms have you written in?

Ten, I think? Although it's mostly Macgyver and Ted Lasso, the rest are more dabbles.

2. How many years have you been writing fanfiction?

Consistently? Since 2019, but I first posted something to ff.net in 2007.

3. Do you read or write more fanfiction?

At the moment writing, if I had more time I'd read more but I'm not a very fast writer and I have so many stories I want to get finished right now...

4. What is one way you've improved as a writer?

Structuring plots and wrangling longer more involved plot lines.

5. What's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

The viability of mini arc reactors? As in Iron Man. This was for a Macgyver AU that I haven't posted. I wanted to keep it as much realism as I could, so it was interesting to see where science stood on the topic.

6. What's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

All comments are very much appreciated! Anything that makes me feel less like I'm shouting into a void, but my most favourite ones have to be the lengthier ones, where people share their thoughts, what made them gasp or cry or laugh or suprised them and if its a longer fic sometimes speculate on where it might be going. Those really feed an author.

7. What's the most fringe trope/topic you write about?

That's hard, what's fringe these days? Some people would consider hurt/comfort fringe. Gen fic definitely feels fringe given the drastic difference in interaction compared to those with ships. My most fringe fic is probably the Ted Lasso Apocalypse AU, not many people would expect that from a comedy football show. And that includes me!

8. What is the hardest type of story for you to write?

Anything longer than 1000 words? Nothing is easy but at least under 1k it's short and easier to edit. The hardest ones are probably where I have most of a plot, but not quite enough to string it together coherently. Like when you have this one perfect scene in your head, and then you need to construct the rest of the stroy around it.

9. What is the easiest type?

I'm always ready to write a bit of angst.

10. Where do you do your writing? What platform? When?

On my sofa at the end of the day mostly. It's a mix between Libre Writer and Scrivener but I tend to lean more towards Scrivener these days because it's such a great way to keep notes and ideas all organised in one place.

11. What is something you've been too nervous/intimidated to write, but would love to write one day?

I'd like to try a completely different genre to what I usually write someday, maybe horror or a murder mystery? But I have no idea where I'd even start with that so I'm definitely intimidated by that thought!

12. What made you choose your username?

I thought it would be neat to have a username connected with astronomy in some way and I loved that we have a star in our own backyard, the sun is our native star. I'd been listening to Moby's We're All Made of Stars at the time so that might have had an influence too, plus I'm also a physics nerd and the fact that everything was once made in a star is very very cool.

Not sure who hasn't done this yet, I think I've seen a lot of mutuals tagged but if you want to play I'm gonna tag @rosieblogstufff @impossiblepluto @appalachianapologies and else who would like to play!

[pentacass]

I know it’s not your canon for your OCs; but how different do you think things would be if Ves *was* the Outlander? How would Lana have dealt with that loss and how would Ves have dealt with everything? I’m so fascinated by the thought of it

^ ask equivalent of throwing my brain into a blender loll thanks for the ask!! <3 Short answer:

Long answer:

Things will be much bloodier. And, unfortunately, post-KotET Ves will not become a better person (or heal, at least) as she does in canon.

Let's do this based on my fic: where Ves meets Lana much earlier in the timeline, because I'm not sure Ves is able to fall in love so quickly, and with so much happening between SoR - KotET.

With this, things will be simultaneously much better and much worse for Lana when Ves is thrown into carbonite. Better because their bond already exists, and she knows for certain that Ves is still alive. Worse because her search spans five long years, which makes her question her own sanity in darker moments, wondering if she isn't just deluding herself with an imagined presence. When the carbonite poisoning sets in, Lana will feel so much more pressure to find her soon, before losing her forever.

Finding Ves will be a huge relief, and after Ves becomes the Commander, I'd wager things couldn't be better for Lana. The Commander, her hope, and her love are one - her direction is clear, loyalty unquestioned. Ves is hers to follow unto death.

There will be angst about pushing her love to the forefront of danger of course, but that's a given for any Outlander who romances Lana. I just find this interesting because it contrasts with Lana's actions in my fic, where she chooses not to turn to Ves, instead following some Force-led belief to find the Jedi Knight who would be Outlander. This creates tension within Lana: that she'd placed a saviour's mantle on her friend's shoulders, in order to protect her love from facing the same risks.

So Lana will have things easier, in a sense, for this AU :p Same for Ves too, up til the end of KotET. After, however... *sharpens knife*

Waking from carbonite after five years will not faze her badly - she'd seen and done much weirder shit. Being thrown right into a race to save the galaxy won't slow her down either - she'd won the struggle from slave to Dark Lord. She can and will ascend further onto the Eternal Throne.

What will drive her is the need to take revenge on Arcann and, more importantly, to relieve the pain Lana had endured through the five-year search.

With Darth Avriss at the helm, the Alliance takes a much darker path - enemies are executed without hesitation, allies kept on a tight leash. No regard is given to Zakuulan lives - she lets the reactor explode, and cripples Zakuul with Kaliyo's bombs.

When the time comes, she'll kill Senya for protecting her son, slay Arcann with the galaxy as witness, and end Vaylin without remorse. She will claim the throne as Empress, to Lana's delight.

She'd have an easier time with Valkorion squatting in her head, having been through it before. But Valk's presence does disturb her - she can feel faint ripples of the power he keeps hidden beneath the surface. He isn't under her control, and she knows he's a snake lying in the grass, waiting to pounce. So she doesn't take any of his offers, only falling prey to it that first time to save Lana. (Who proceeds to kick her ass about it.)

She doesn't kill Theron during the Nathema arc, knowing Lana would be upset by it, deep down.

But here's the kicker for Ves, post-Alliance. In this timeline, she hadn't suffered through Zakuul's invasion, watching her own power fray, confronted by the ephemerality of everything she'd built in the Empire. Her spirit hadn't been broken by her own struggle against a superior force. Her belief in the Sith Empire and her own power is still intact, and she is determined to get it all back.

Her Alliance joins the Empire. She wrests back her own seat on the Dark Council, and reclaims the title of Darth Avriss in full. She is restored to her former glory, power at her fingertips, love at her side, and yet, yet.

The core struggle of Vestra's character is this - she is someone who was meant to walk in the light, but was stolen by the dark. She was born with a heart that loves unabashedly, that will fight hard to right wrongs. Even as a slave, with hope dimmed in her eyes, she worked with her parents to care for the others, protecting slaves younger and weaker than her.

Then the Sith came and broke her, rebuilt her, taught her to view the world through blood-smeared eyes. She took to her new life and flourished, yes; but she is also prone to vicious self-hate if she looks into the eyes of her reflection for too long, to moments in the dark with a knife's point held to her own chest, to drowning herself with spice and sex to escape her reality.

When she returns to the Empire, with an Alliance purged of those who'd be willing to help her (my JK and JC), she cuts off all possibility of climbing out of this cycle of self-hate and destruction.

Lana would still be happy with her, in all her power-drunk, strutting glory. But Ves, Ves, Ves. I'm sorry. You will die thinking that with your passing, the galaxy will be made a better place.

[therese-lokidottir]

The Avengers: Earth Mightiest Heroes series watch

The Casket of Ancient Winters written by Paula Giacoppo

The episode begins with a group of men led by a hooded man traveling to a cavern located in the icy north. Upon reaching the cave, they discover that it contains frozen vikings and an ancient artifact called the Casket of Ancient Winters. Soon after their arrival, Amora and Skurge arrive to meet with the mysterious man, who is later revealed to be Malekith the Accursed. He betrays their agreement to give them the casket and instead unleashes its full power covering the entire world in winter.

It's a warm, sunny day in New York, and Hawkeye, Wasp, and Hulk are enjoying the weather. They are hesitant to leave and help Iron Man, Thor, and Black Panther, who are engaged in a battle against Radioactive Man. Radioactive Man tries to drain power from the Stark Industries building's Arc Reactor but is stopped by Iron Man and Thor. Thor subdues him with water. Meanwhile, snow starts falling over New York City, which Thor recognizes as magic caused by the Casket's power. The artifact was hidden on Earth by Odin long ago.

During a conversation, Tony confronts Thor about the damage caused by a magical artifact, pointing out that it is just as dangerous as human science. T'Challa then suggests that the Casket is located in Norway, despite Stark's earlier inability to identify any patterns in the magic's effects. The Avengers find themselves in a dire situation as the frigid landscape becomes increasingly treacherous. To make matters worse, monstrous creatures made of ice begin to emerge from the snow, threatening their safety. However, with the aid of the Fantastic Four and the Ultron bots, Captain America and the other Avengers can push back against the monsters.

Iron Man, Thor, and Panther journey to Norway to tackle the root of their problems. Iron Man and Thor bicker over the magic and technology.

The trio battles Malekith, who freezes Thor and aims to make Midgard a new home for the dark elves. He unleashes his hounds on Panther and Iron Man, then uses the Casket's power to become unstoppable. Panther tells Thor and Iron Man to combine magic and science to defeat Malekith.

Thor strikes Iron Man's armor with lightning, thus supercharging it. This enables Iron Man to overpower the dark elf and emerge victorious. With the dark elf defeated, the team can proceed to close the Casket, which in turn banishes all the spirits and ice monsters back to where they came from.

Iron Man and Thor manage to settle their differences, but they are suddenly attacked by Amora and Skurge who take the Casket. Thor tries to return to Asgard and warn his father Odin and the other gods of the Enchantress' treachery, but he finds that the path is sealed and he is unable to go back.

I mostly liked this episode alright but the conflict between Tony and Thor was way too rushed. Like, both characters have a reason to be annoyed but the fact it is only now just brought up this episode and revolved this episode make it seem hardly worth it. It feels like something that should be an arc for the two.

Malekith was also pretty lame in my opinion. I feel like so far EMH has done a pretty good job with having at the very least charismatic villains but Malekith was just kind of annoying. Maybe that's just disappointment from me hopping for more Amora this episode.

T'Challa gets to be a bit of a sassy bitch and I'm personally all for that. Him being the peacemaker between Thor and Tony does work.

Seeing a little bit of the fantastic four was fun. I like the reminder that it Marvel New York and all the heroes just live here.

Also one of the mooks at the being presumably just dies. There's so much death in this show but they're not to use realistic gun sounds and so hilariously misguided by the censors.