Chapter Text
Sometimes, karma was truly a bitch.
Tony recognized this soon after working on the scepter, which had been so gracefully gifted to him after the finding of it in a HYRDA base. He had spent many hours with JARVIS and Bruce using it to try to create a program that would correspond with the AI they discovered nesting inside. A program that would soon be called Ultron.
Thor had given him just a few days to work with the scepter before he would be returning the device to Asgard, but in the past couple of hours, oddities had begun to occur. And not the great kind, at that. Small portals had opened themselves up in the city of New York, all with relatively high elevations and away from the public, to the Avengers’ relief.
That was probably when Tony should have handed the scepter over to Thor with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ letter attached, but his stubbornness apparently hindered his thinking process. According to JARVIS, the portals seemed to be doors to another dimension, but whenever anybody got too close—namely, Thor—they would let out a burst of energy to keep others away. Thankfully, the effect seemed to reciprocate on the other side.
The energy signature of the portals matched that of the scepter, which had also started releasing enormous amounts of energy soon after Tony got ahold of it—another sign of impending doom. Bruce had given up working with Tony entirely, while also trying to convince Tony to leave it alone which, again, was karma attempting to send him a red flag. However, Tony wouldn’t have any of it, as he saw the scepter as the only opportunity to get the Ultron Program working.
And now, Bruce just finally realized that Tony wouldn’t give up easily, so he rushed out the door of his lab to find the other Avengers. Ugh. Tony watched him go with a steady glare, feeling betrayal worming its way into his stomach. Well, if he didn’t think world peace was worth a few risks, then he could miss all of rewards and attention. It was Tony’s idea, anyways.
His feelings were sour, but Tony couldn’t really get himself to believe the thoughts. He’d found early on that it was just better to force hurt into anger; it was much more manageable. And unhealthy, according to Pepper. But, she didn’t live in a tower full of superheroes, so what did she know?
A lot. She knew a lot.
Any spiteful thoughts about Bruce were washed away once the team scuttled into the lab. Steve walked in, followed by Bruce, Thor, Natasha, and Clint; karma’s last warning. Each of them stared at Tony expectantly, like they thought Tony would give it up from simply peer pressure. Well, they were wrong quite often.
“We can’t keep it, Stark!” Steve yelled at him, fists clenched with frustration, always so eager to punch his problems away.
“The Captain speaks the truth,” Thor said, authority radiating from his figure. “It will cause nothing but harm. It is only safe within the walls of Asgard.”
Tony felt irritation grip his chest yet again. Everything was such a mess. They were blind to how much the scepter could help the world, but what else should he have expected? They simply couldn’t see the potential of a system for total peace, or a form of protection against the beasts residing outside of their solar system. Tony hated to go against the entirety of the Avengers, but it seemed they just didn’t understand. It wasn’t like they ever understood before, but they had never been an actual obstacle in the past.
“This could be the key to world peace,” Tony argued, even though his words felt empty. “If I can get Ultron to work, then we’d never have to worry about another war! Alien invasions would be a thing of the past!”
“It’s opening portals across New York, Tony!” Bruce shouted back at him, eyes tinged slightly green with exasperation. His only partner, turned against him. Tony tried to ignore the stinging in his chest.
”We could fix that,” Tony urged, mustering up whatever determination was left in him. “I just need you on my side, Brucie.” Bruce took in several deep breaths, hands running through his hair.
“At first, I thought maybe. But now that it’s releasing this strange energy signature, I can’t. We need it gone.”
Tony squeezed the bridge of his nose with a sigh, which was arguably petulant. He would never admit that it hurt, seeing them all like this. Against him, like he was the enemy. If only they could see the potential like Tony did, but Tony’s hopes never went anywhere. He didn’t know why he thought this would be any different, that they would be any different.
He was just so tired of fighting everyone.
Just as Tony was about to persist, JARVIS spoke urgently from the ceiling, sounding alarmed. “Sir, the energy being released from the scepter is increasing in strength. I am afraid we must dispose of it soon, or it could cause a substantial explosion inside of the tower.” Well, shit.
”Then that is what we will do,” Thor declared, striding towards the scepter. His head was held high as if he assumed that nobody would dare cross his path. Once Tony noticed Thor making purposeful steps towards the scepter, he jumped in front of him in protest. Nope, not once chance. He wasn’t letting them take this away from him.
Thor’s eyes widened as Tony leaned ahead of him, hand reaching out to snatch the scepter. “Nope, sorry, buddy. Finders keepers.”
”Tony, wait!” Clint called as Tony grabbed the scepter, pulling it to his chest, fueled by resentment alone.
In that moment, a glimmering burst of blue light beamed from the scepter, blinding each of the Avengers. They all turned away and pulled their hands to their eyes, but not before they heard an agonized scream rip itself out of Tony’s throat. The second Tony placed his hand on the scepter, a spike of fiery pain raced down his spine. The feeling then began to permeate his body, the intensity increasing with each ferocious bolt. He let out a wretched screech when he felt something inside of him shift, his vision going completely blank. Tony collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap, his consciousness falling away before his shoulder even hit the ground.
It was so terribly cliché, Tony couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it coming sooner.
When Tony’s consciousness returned to him, he immediately felt something different, foreign, and wrong. He was lying on his stomach, chin resting on the cool floor. It wasn’t the weirdest position he’d woken up in, but was unceremonious nonetheless.
Tony could hear the terrified gasps of his teammates surprisingly well, which caught him off guard. His hearing had been marginally damaged from being in such close proximity to weapons and loud music, but it was as if that damage had never occurred. A dull ache also pervaded his form, the feeling worsening when he attempted to open his eyes.
Once Tony managed to peel open his eyelids, he did not get what he’d anticipated. His vision was awfully clear. It was in fact so clear, he could see every feature of his friends’ frightened faces. Woah, who knew Cap could open his eyes so wide.
The hell? he thought perturbedly, blinking a few times in an effort to see normally again. It wasn’t as if he didn’t appreciate his heightened sense of sight, but it was a quality that he’d have to get used to. Jesus, this was like the strangest hangover ever. His thoughts felt as sluggish as his limbs. But that was when another thought approached the forefront of his mind. Am I a supersoldier now? Is that really how it works?
“Tony?” Bruce asked hesitantly, his stance positioned as if he was ready to run at any moment. The rest of the Avengers shared similar demeanors. “Are you... feeling okay?”
“Did you seriously just ask him that?” Clint hissed from Bruce’s left. “Look at him! Of course he doesn’t feel okay!”
At that, Tony only felt more confusion. Sure, he felt a little unusual, maybe a bit unfamiliar, but that didn’t explain why his friends were so afraid. They didn’t even seem like they gave two shits about him ten seconds ago. But that was when he tried speak to up. Tony’s response cut itself short when an odd, incoherent sound left his mouth. It was almost like a growl. Tony furrowed his brows and tried again, the same sound leaving his lips. His tongue ran through the roof of his mouth experimentally, bringing the fact that he lacked teeth to his attention.
What the actual hell, Tony thought, his mind beginning to race with equally awful possibilities. He tried to get to his feet, but those felt off, too. He looked down to examine what was wrong with his faulty limbs, letting out a startled cry when he didn’t see his familiar appendages. Instead, he saw two black, scaly arms beneath him, each one holding four claws. Actual claws.
Tony let out a frightened hiss, trying to stumble to his feet. Those, apparently, he had four of now, none of which he knew how to control. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.
“Tony, calm down,” Bruce tried, knowing that the attempt was futile. Tony continued to scrabble to his paws, his team watching with held breaths. Tony shakily stood on his four legs, staring with terror at his teammates. He couldn’t even remember why he’d been so angry at them. He distantly acknowledged the tattered remains of his clothing on the floor.
Tony then tried to maneuver his jaw in order to form words, but to no avail. This was the biggest nope situation he’d been in yet; even worse than floating in creeping abyss of space. He hadn’t been covered in scales while in space.
“The scepter has stabilized and portals have vanished,” JARVIS informed slowly through the speakers, sounding just as horrified and astonished as everyone else.
Tony flinched when JARVIS spoke. He seemed so much louder than before. Tony drew in a cautious breath, feeling shocked when a load of scents assaulted his nose. He scrunched his eyes from the sudden mass of smells, disliking the ability to taste the air.
“Friend,” Thor began carefully. “Perhaps it would be best to sit.”
Tony, despite his enhanced hearing, could barely pay attention to Thor’s words. He could only focus on not panicking and keeping his breathing steady. His trembling worsened when he attempted to take a step forward, the new feeling of being on four legs sending him waves of vertigo. Yeah, there was no competition. This was his worst shenanigan yet.
Tony froze when he felt another thing drag behind him. His heart sank when the most logical explanation made itself present in his mind. Reluctantly checking his musings, he tried to twist around, mouth gaping when he saw not only a tail, but two more strange, winglike limbs hanging from his shoulders. This is not happening to me.
He shifted his gaze back to the Avengers, unable to stare at himself any longer. Tony could admit that he was beginning to feel a little queasy, but he couldn’t get himself to lie back down. He also found himself struggling to bear the intent stares of his teammates, eyeing desperately for the nearest exit. They’d never looked so intimidating before.
Once Tony began backing away, a few of the Avengers took a step forwards, each wearing expressions just as astounded as his.
“Tony, just wait,” Natasha eased, hands held out in a calming gesture. Tony tensed when she slowly made his way towards him, breathing quickening as he recoiled. She wasn’t exactly a relaxing figure to him.
“We can fix this,” Steve reassured, although his tone was doubtful. He eyed Bruce for support, but Bruce only stared at Tony helplessly.
Tony then twisted around, darting backwards, racing as quickly as he could towards the lab’s exit. He staggered unsteadily, paws dragging clumsily on the floor as he tried to make sense of his new body. He streaked out the door, nearly tripping quite a few times, ignoring the desperate calls of his teammates. He was thankful that they weren’t confident enough to pursue him. His tail and wings dragged uncomfortably across the floor, forcing Tony to use his unfamiliar muscles and pull the appendages up.
When the elevator came into sight, Tony crashed inside, thankful that JARVIS had already opened the doors. That, he had programmed into him. It was confined and cramped within the walls, his wings pressed tightly to his back so that he could fit.
Tony distantly heard the elevator carry himself upwards, letting out a sigh of relief when the doors slid open to reveal the hallway connected to his room. He stumbled out of the elevator, making his way unsteadily to his door. When he reached his door, he pawed at the door handle with agitation, accidentally tearing it off in the process.
Tony stared at the hole left in the door, suddenly worried about how Pepper might react to the damage. It definitely shouldn’t have been his first concern at the time. He then let out a low whine, nosing the door open and crawling inside. He was startled by how bright the room appeared, despite the lights being off. Tony was unable to resist the urge to climb atop his bed and hide in the covers, burying his head in the fabric.
I am so fucked.
Tony lost track of how long he lay on his bed, trembling with rapid breaths. He was sure that he was going into shock, but who could blame him? A very not possible, very unwelcome magical thing had happened to him today, so it wasn’t his fault if he felt a bit panicked. Magic had the tendency to make him a little on edge.
JARVIS spoke to Tony periodically from the ceiling, alerting him of the Avengers’ whereabouts and actions. Tony listened absently from his tense position on the bed, hating the feeling of his foreign wings splayed out around him. His tail twitched unconsciously behind him, displaying his dissatisfaction. I can fix this, he assured, trying to slow his frantic breathing. I’ve got a lab, an AI, and a raging, green science buddy. If anyone can fix this, it’s me.
The thought of his fellow Avenger made Tony’s anxiety heighten. He knew that he’d have to face the team eventually, but he was rather comforted by the thought of never leaving his bed again. Ever. He loathed the idea of confessing that he actually felt sorry about the negative thoughts he’d had about the team earlier, especially since their concerns were right. God, he was such an idiot.
“I should of let Thor take the scepter,” he sighed, grimacing when a guttural growl left his throat. However, he still continued. “But nope, I’ve always got to mess with the glowy, alien technology and hope that it’ll turn into something. This is what I get.” Tony paused, taking into account that it did turn into something, but then cursed himself for ever letting that thought enter his mind.
“Are in need of anything, sir?” JARVIS inquired from above, probably wondering if Tony was trying to speak to him. Tony shook his head in response, suddenly triggering a powerful curiosity to see what he looked like. His previous brief examination left him disgusted, but now, his scientific side was getting the best of him. Again.
“The Avengers wish to speak with you,” JARVIS informed him, sounding expectant. Tony snorted stubbornly, covering his head with his paws like a difficult child. He knew that he was being ridiculous, but it was his damn tower. He could hide in his room if he’d like.
Tony heard the sound of the elevator doors opening before JARVIS alerted him of the Avengers’ presence. “They are on their way now,” JARVIS unhelpfully provided, drawing a glare from Tony. When the sound of footsteps and hushed voices grew louder, Tony let out an internal groan and mentally prepared himself for the confrontation. He didn’t know why they wanted to talk. Well, he sort of did. But it wasn’t like he could speak or anything.
“Tony?” Steve asked from the other side of the door, smartly choosing to ignore the broken remains of the door handle on the floor. “Can we come in?”
Tony let out a growl, which was supposed to be a no, but Steve took it as a yes. He pushed the door open cautiously, peeking inside to make sure Tony wouldn’t pounce on him. Tony gave him a look that said, Seriously?
“It’s sure dark in here, man,” Clint observed, being the second one to inch into the room. Tony had actually forgotten the lights weren’t on, with his new super vision and all. He could honestly get used to it. Bruce and Natasha followed, Thor being noticeably absent from the group. Bruce must have noticed his questioning gaze, as he explained Thor’s disappearance.
“Thor went to return the scepter to Asgard. He thought it’d be best to get it away from here.”
Wait, what?
“He did what?!” Tony shouted, or bellowed, jumping from his bed. The team reacted promptly, rearing a few feet. They all broke into defensive positions, Clint and Natasha both hovering their hands over the guns secretly holstered on their hips. Tony chose to ignore that particular detail, as he was too preoccupied with denial to ponder over it.
“I knew you’d be mad,” Bruce said carefully, guessing accurately what Tony said despite not understanding him. “But it was necessary. We can’t have that technology here anymore.”
Tony just stared at him, outraged. He suddenly realized that he had teeth again, although they were sharper than he recalled. Not only was Tony loathe towards Bruce, but he was angry that JARVIS kept this information from him. Did they not realize that the scepter was needed to reverse this mess? How did they expect to transform him back without it?
“Tony, look what it did to you. What if it were to happen again?” Natasha reasoned. Tony bristled, hissing at her in warning, daring her to continue. He felt his tail lashing wrathfully behind him, knocking against the bed with repetitive thumps.
Tony couldn’t believe that they intruded in his room just to deliver this news. They didn’t have the right to do that. Tony felt the growing urge to kick them out of the tower and give them some time to think about their actions, all while trying to find money and a place to live. Maybe his previous ideas about them were correct after all.
That's not true, Tony thought ashamedly. They care. They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t.
Feeling cornered and a bit hostile, Tony abruptly headed towards the door, eyes narrowed disdainfully. Steve, the Avenger standing in front of it, narrowly avoided getting shoved by Tony. While heading out the door frame and towards the elevator, Tony caught an exasperated sigh.
“You can’t just keep running from us!” Clint yelled, knocking the door out of his way.
I can and I will, Tony retorted silently, waiting for the elevator doors to open. It was unusual for JARVIS to take this long, and Tony was beginning to grow impatient.
“Sir, I would advise that you listen to your team,” JARVIS recommended. Tony felt a sour rush of betrayal fill his stomach. Even JARVIS wasn’t on his side, the ungrateful, traitorous AI.
Tony snarled, flipping back around to face his team. He was genuinely pissed now; not just because his team was acting like they’ve never encountered an actual problem before, but also because he was being treated like a delicate child that was having a temper issue. Tony was about to let them know that much in a mess of guttural growls and roars, but his plan ended abruptly when his eyes landed on the barrel of a gun.
Tony felt his livid attitude ebb away and be replaced by a deep shock. The air in his lungs was beginning to feel jagged and sharp. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Did they really think that he would hurt them, and that they needed to threaten him in order to get him under control? Tony’s eyes drifted up to meet Clint’s, his side pressing against the cool elevator doors.
Where is JARVIS? Tony thought, panicked, but still disbelieving. His eyelids peeled back further when Clint tapped the trigger of the gun, whatever breath that had been left in his lungs exiting forcefully. He wouldn’t, couldn’t, shoot him. Right?
Despite his will to continue living, Tony bared his teeth, raising his head in defiance. There was absolutely no way Clint was going to shoot him. He trusted him, goddamnit. But still, Tony could admit that he felt doubt, especially once Clint pulled the trigger. A click sounded. Tony dropped to the floor in an attempt to dodge, but froze when a strange texture touched his side. What, huh—
A stream of water splattered onto Tony’s scales, running down his side and onto the floor. Tony stifled a gasp, whirling his head back over to the team when Clint started giggling. He stood back up when the enraged shouts of his teammates followed, Steve’s being the most prominent. They must’ve been too shocked to intervene. Or so Tony hoped.
“Why would you do that?” Steve yelled, hand gripping Clint’s shaking shoulders. Clint was laughing so hard that he nearly fell over, arm under his stomach to support himself. Natasha rushed over to his side and delivered a punch, causing a grunt to interrupt Clint’s laughter.
“We thought you were going to kill him!” Bruce said, sounding out of breath. His skin rippled subtly, and Tony hoped that he wouldn’t have to repair another floor of the tower anytime soon.
“Oh come on, it’s fine,” Clint huffed, rising back up. “I would never shoot him! Look, it’s just a water gun, but disguised. That makes it the coolest prank device of all time.”
“Or the scariest!” Steve rebuked through gritted teeth. “Don’t you think he’s been through enough today?”
“He’s alright.” Clint turned towards Tony, moving the spotlight back onto him, to Tony’s discomfort. “Right, Tony?”
Tony blinked, unsettled and unsure about what to do. He was probably supposed to be pissed, but his body was still under the oh god I’m going to die spell to do much more than stand there. But now that Tony’s brain was beginning to return to normal function, he wondered why he didn’t do more to stop the attack other than look threatening. After all, his strength likely rivaled Steve’s now, if the doorknob was anything to go by.
His loathing fueling his movements, Tony a few steps forwards, keeping his eyes locked on Clint as he lowered his head. Then, to the approval of the team, Tony leaped onto Clint, crushing the disguised water gun under a paw. Clint let out a sorrowful cry, an arm stretched out towards the remains of the water gun.
Tony drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs to their fullest. He doubted that the team—especially Steve—would approve of any physical damage, so Tony instead roared directly into Clint’s face, making sure to empty his chest of any and all air. Clint spluttered and coughed, covering his mouth and nose with a hand once Tony pulled back. Tony had a dog bark at his face once. He knew it wasn’t pleasant.
It was the team’s turn to laugh, as each of them were almost doubled over in a fit of hilarity. Even Natasha smiled, which was a rare sight, and Tony felt some form of accomplishment from the reaction. He would ask JARVIS to store the footage later, perhaps as blackmail. Tony even let out a strange series of warbles, which did not go unnoticed by the team.
“Dude,” Clint choked, sitting up. “Your breath smells awful.”
I’m glad, Tony thought, satisfied that Clint took discomfort from the experience. It was what he got for pulling a gun, real or fake, onto Tony and making him think that he was actually going to die. Not by a terrorist group, or shrapnel in the heart, but by his teammate’s own gun. He was going to get him back for that later, though. The tension of the air had vanished, leaving very few traces behind. It was amazing what they could do to each other and still forgive themselves. Sort of. Tony was seriously going to get Clint back, though.
“Now that this is aside, we can start making some progress in reversing this,” Bruce announced, observing Tony in a way that made him squirm. After all, he didn’t exactly know what he looked like yet. “Are you ready?”
Tony nodded, the thought of working on something to reverse the transformation making his heart race with excitement. Like many of his problems, Tony had pushed the whole physical transformation thing to the back of his mind, and while it was not quite healthy, it was a lot easier way to deal with it. His former curiosity about what exactly he was now also returned, and Tony wanted nothing more than to make himself back home at his lab.
“Then let’s go,” Bruce grinned, sensing Tony’s anticipation like they never even fought. The elevator doors opened promptly, which made Tony realize that JARVIS had likely been in on the joke. It didn’t make him feel much better, and Tony made a mental note to add some code later that would make JARVIS inform him of these things.
Getting back into the elevator and down to the lab was a hassle. His wings were flattened uncomfortably against his back, his tail tucked underneath his legs. Bruce had ended up taking the stairs because he failed to find room with Tony in the elevator. Tony had felt a bit guilty when Bruce smiled sheepishly, but was glad that he didn’t try to squeeze in.
Once they were both down in the lab, Tony could feel his heart pound with exuberance. He walked idly into the lab, expecting Bruce’s absence. It was still quite strange to walk on four legs, but Tony could admit that he was getting the hang of it.
Bruce entered the lab, his face already lit with ideas. Tony bounded over to him, unsure about how to express his curiosity over his appearance. The whole speaking barrier was going to be quite the trouble. He stood in front of Bruce and dropped to his haunches, ready to start a show that would hopefully present his ideas clearly.
Bruce watched Tony’s wild paw gestures with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He brought his hands to his sides and shook his head, trying to make sense of Tony’s paws. “I’m sorry, Tony, but I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
Tony huffed, viewing down at his stubby paws in irritation. How was he supposed to express his thoughts, especially when he couldn’t do any of the work himself? He stared at the sharp ends of his claws, narrowing his eyes as if he could perhaps transform them back with a glare. If only he could—
Holy shit.
Tony raced over to a screen resting above a lab table, almost landing face first from his haste. He tapped on the glass, attitude brightening when JARVIS, his savior, caught on to what he was trying to do. JARVIS brought up a blank text sheet and a keyboard, Tony letting out a sigh of relief when the screen registered his claw taps.
Hey, Bruce, he typed, moving out of the way. Bruce read the text in an instant, a smile appearing on his face.
“Tony, you’re a genius!” he laughed, looking at the Tony and back to the screen.
Tony, in spite of having no idea how he looked, put on his best smirk. He deleted the previous text and added, I know, Brucie Bear. But it’s nice that you agree. His typing, albeit slow, was a great improvement to strange gestures.
Now that they had established a form of communication, Tony stated how he wanted to see what he looked like. Bruce was about to describe his appearance to him, but Tony shook his head pointed to the screen. JARVIS then activated a camera sitting above the screen and connected it to the device, attracting Tony’s attention.
Tony reeled back from the screen, flinching when the form in front of him did also. He couldn’t believe that what he was looking at was him now. His face was black like the rest of him, with muddy, brown eyes and a flattened head. The scales that lay atop his head glimmered in the light. If he squinted, he sort of looked like a lizard. He wasn’t very happy about it, though.
With all of his twitching, Tony noticed that he had a couple new flaps above his head. Now that he was aware of their presence, he realized that he could also control them, like the rest of the new muscles he’d discovered. With a startled jerk, he raised them off of his head before lowering them again. Then, he lifted just one at a time, turning to Bruce swiftly. Can you believe this?
“You’re honestly reacting better than I thought you would,” Bruce admitted with an awkward chuckle.
Tony snorted, wondering how Bruce could have such little faith in him. He swiveled back towards the screen and took a few steps back, regarding the rest of his body in awe. He bared his teeth, his wings rising off of his shoulders. I might actually stand a chance against Captain Spangles now. Tony liked that he had sort of a vicious look to him—when he had teeth, that was. He wasn’t exactly sure why they went away at first, but when Tony put enough focus into it, he suddenly realized that he could retract them again.
Both Bruce and Tony gaped at his empty mouth, wondering where all of his teeth went. He unsheathed them again, intrigued, clicking them together before drawing them back in once more. He repeated the cycle a few times, musing over what kind of muscles he needed in order to do that. I am so pranking the team with this.
Pulling him from him trance, Bruce approached Tony. “I think that you look kind of like a dragon. You know, with the wings and tail and scales.” Tony blinked, then nodded his head in agreement. Well, it was better than being turned into a seal or some other animal. And at least Bruce didn’t think he looked like a lizard. He had to count the few eggs he had, here.
Tony didn’t have quite so many at the moment.