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Sharp, jagged metal pierces through his under-suit and Tony can actually feel those metal fingers tearing through the armor. And Steve, good ol’ Captain America, just stands there and watches, following this thing through with Barnes to the end of the line.
He’s my friend.
So was I…
At least, at the end, Obadiah did Tony the honor of ripping Tony’s heart out with his own hand; Rogers just lets his friend do it for him. Tony has to forcibly swallow down the hysterical scream accompanying that unbidden and unwelcome comparison.
There’s that saying, that an animal is most dangerous when backed into a corner. And despite what Pepper likes to presume about his unnecessary risk-taking antics, Tony is not in fact suicidal. So when backed up against a literal wall, so fucking tired and hurt, Tony still fights back.
It’s petty and cruel and not at all a part of why Tony is fighting in support of the Accords, but it’s really the only thing he can think of that might be shocking enough to stop Barnes.
“Go ahead, Soldier,” Tony sneers with enough forced loathing that, even with the voice modulator, a hint of his condemnation leaks through. “Might as well finish off the rest of the Stark-line.”
Tony can see the immediate effect his words have on Barnes, watches with sickening relief as the soldier’s eyes widen with horror, his metal fingers withdrawing from the deep gouges in Tony’s chest plate.
“I-” Barnes takes an unsteady step back and away, shooting a panicked look back at Rogers. “I wasn’t going to…” He swings his gaze back to Tony, something desperate and beseeching in his eyes. “I didn’t mean…”
Tony pushes himself off the wall with considerable effort, redirecting most of the remaining suit power to his flight boosters, ready to just get away from this, from them. “Sure you didn’t,” Tony allows with just a hint of harsh derision. “But all that unchecked power? That lack of accountability? Usually it just leads to a higher body count, even without you meaning it to.” Tony thoroughly and painfully learned that lesson years ago in a desert cave.
“Sometimes your good intentions just don’t mean shit.”