Chapter Text
Steve was smiling at her and she traced the shape of it with a finger. His blue eyes gleamed in the darkness, filled with fondness and love, the same way she knew hers were.
Toni also knew she was dreaming. She was all too aware of the fire running through her veins, so hot that it was freezing. But it seemed far away, like it was happening somewhere else. She was safe here, though, in her mind. Because here, Steve was still with her and she didn't want to lose it. The pain in her chest, where she knew he'd struck her with the shield, was dull and muted. It didn't matter, not when he still loved her.
But then the bed was falling away, Steve's eyes hardened, turning green, his features sharpened, his hair becoming longer and darker into black, until Toni was now crouching in front of Loki, who was chained to the wall of a spare room in the Tower.
"They wouldn't want me to be doing this," she warned, as she ran her fingers over the release mechanism of the muzzle. There was a glass of water beside her on the floor and a sandwich in her hand. "But I've never agreed with mistreating captives."
"You have my gratitude, Lady Stark," he rasped, as soon as the muzzle fell away. She didn't undo his shackles, but he smiled tiredly at her anyways.
"No big deal," she mumbled and brought the sandwich to his mouth, watching as he bit into it, gingerly at first and then with eagerness, in spite of being bound.
He let out a relieved sigh when he was done. "I can't remember the last time I've eaten," he said, almost to himself. And there was the proof she'd needed. Why would an egomaniac taking over the world starve himself?
"Who was controlling you?"
He blinked, then his eyes widened as he realized what he had just unknowingly confessed. "Very clever, Lady Stark," he chuckled wryly. His voice was still strained and she gave him the water. "I can see why they call you a queen. The Queen of Death, you were known as, were you not?"
"That's not very accurate any more, I'm more into clean energy nowadays," Toni smiled pseudo-sweetly. "But I'd appreciate it if you could answer my question."
Loki grimaced. "I fear to speak his name," he whispered. "But he will come. Later, rather than soon. But come he will." His brilliant eyes focused on her like lasers. "You have something that will work to your advantage. Find what it is and keep it with you at all times." His gaze softened. "I think it's best if you return to your chambers now, sweet Lady."
She sighed. "You know I'm gonna have to put this back on?"
His only response was a defiant look and a nod, as she locked the muzzle over his jaw.
But as she got up to leave, the room dissipated into smoke, before solidifying again under her back. She couldn't get up. The Winter Soldier was straddling her hips, glaring down at her as his real hand tightened around her throat, while his metal fingers pulled at the arc reactor. She could see Steve standing just behind, looking down at the scene in regret.
"You know this is all your own fault, Toni," he told her sadly. "You could have done more. You could have helped us all and we'd still be together."
"I'm- I'm so- I'm sorry," she tried to say, but the Winter Soldier gave a final squeeze. The momentary oblivion was almost welcome, until she realized she was standing on a battlefield, surrounded by too many bodies. The bodies of the Avengers. She looked up to see the dark sky torn right above her head, alien spaceships and vessels visible through the hole.
Her blood froze when she recognised the vision, courtesy of Wanda. But then she saw something that hadn't been part of that scene at all. I t wasn't just the Avengers lying dead.
Pepper's body was badly mangled, right next to Happy, both intertwined even in death. The War Machine suit was dismantled, and she couldn't even see Rhodey.
"Toni."
Toni spun on her heel and gasped at Stephen's form. He was propped up against a rock, the amulet missing from around his neck, Levi torn and frayed.
"It wasn't your fault," he choked out, blood leaking from his mouth and down from his forehead. "Not your fault."
His eyes closed and Toni stumbled forward. But he was cold and stiff to the touch. He was gone. And that was the last straw. She'd been wrong: even her own mind wasn't a sanctuary.
She clawed towards consciousness with a desperate cry, the burning sensation growing stronger.
Toni had been screaming on and off for three days, briefly interspersed with periods of deathly silence. They'd had to restrain her limbs so she wouldn't tear out the IV and the morphine, not that the latter seemed to be of any help. Extremis burned through it easily.
They thought it was the same this time as well. But then the lights flickered. Once. Twice. Five times. In sync with her cries. Then Christine poked her head out, looking frightened.
Immediately, they were all shuffling in: Harley leading the way, Peter right on his heels, Stephen behind Pepper to make sure she didn't stumble, Happy pushing Rhodey's wheelchair in.
Only Clint was missing- he was helping Everett and Sharon deal with the Lang's protection.
Once inside, they could instantly see something was wrong. Toni was thrashing with her screams, but she seemed stronger and the restraints too weak. There was a light sheen of sweat all over her body. The lights were flickering inside too. The monitors displaying her vitals were going haywire, beeping fast and loud.
"What's happening?!" Pepper demanded in panic.
"We're not sure!" Dr Wu nearly yelled over Toni's voice.
There was a snap of the restraints breaking and a terrifying moment where Toni's hands seemed to claw for something, the tubes in her arm tearing out. Then Peter leapt into action, climbing over her body and closing his knees around her thighs, his hands grabbing her wrists and clamping down.
Toni's struggle became more violent, but Peter held on, his enhanced strength working to his advantage.
Toni's yells worsened and Levi tied herself around her legs. A crash could be heard in the distance, then the very familiar sound of flight repulsors.
"GET DOWN!" Stephen yelled and every single one of them ducked, Happy and he both throwing protective arms over Pepper.
The door burst open and an Iron Woman suit flew in, guns blazing. FRIDAY tried to connect to it, because damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen, didn't they have enough troubles, now malfunctioning suits? Boss's stuff never malfunctioned.
But the suit wasn't responding to her and it threw Peter off Toni easily and began to open up over her body.
"FRIDAY, SHUT IT DOWN!" Rhodey yelled.
"I'm trying, but it isn't answering, something's blocking my signal or-"
The armour closed over Toni and there was silence. Even Toni stopped shouting. Very slowly, the armour seemed to melt.
Everybody watched in horror and awe as it grew thinner and thinner, seeping under Toni's skin like water. The arc reactor in her chest glowed bright and the red and gold suit was no longer visible.
When it was fully gone, Harley asked in a hushed voice, "What now?"
Then Toni's eyes fluttered open.