Work Text:
Third Person POV
“Sir, something is wrong.”
Tony dodges a hit from Falcon and blasts him back.
“We’re fighting our friend and his lackeys over his murderous ex-boyfriend, J. Of course something’s wrong.”
If JARVIS could sigh, he absolutely would.
“Sir, besides that.”
Rhodey comes flying at Tony and they crash into a plane.
Luckily their suits absorb most of the impact, but they still get the wind knocked out of them.
“Sir, that was unusual.”
Tony scoffs.
“Tic-Tac just threw Rhodey. I think that’s obvious.”
JARVIS is silent for a second but Tony can feel the judgement coming from his AI.
“Sir, my calculations suggest Mr. Lang threw him your way on purpose. His fighting style is…inconsistent.”
Natasha lands next to them, letting out a long sigh.
“I should’ve retired with Clint when he offered.”
“Sir.”
“What, JARVIS?”
“I have analyzed Scott Lang, and his fighting style does not make sense.”
Rhodey frowns, blasting a projectile thrown at them
“What do you mean, JARVIS? He’s fighting for Steve, of course his fighting style makes no sense.”
Tony glances closely at Scott, and then he sees it.
Behind the unusually forceful aggression and silence is a frantic desperation.
“By all accounts, he should not be standing right now. Let alone fighting. He has taken hits that should have incapacitated him, made reckless choices that are inconsistent with his previous strategies.”
Natasha looks closer and frowns.
“He’s not fighting like he believes in Steve’s cause. He’s fighting like losing would be a fate worse than death.”
Realization strikes both men at the same time and Rhodey curses furiously.
Because there’s only one person Scott Lang would put above himself every time. Only one person he would risk everything for.
Cassie Lang.
Suddenly, Scott freezes in the middle of trying to grab Tony.
He shrinks back down to normal size in an instant and throws his helmet off.
Everyone sees the pure terror on his face, and as Tony follows his gaze he feels his heart drop.
Because there, at the edge of the tarmac, is Cassie Lang sandwiched between Steve and Wanda, her whole body surrounded by violent scarlet energy.
“Cassie.”
The five-year-old looks up instantly at her dad’s voice.
“Daddy!”
Scott immediately starts walking to her and Steve raises his shield to her throat threateningly.
Scott freezes and Tony nearly gags because Steve Rogers just threatened to decapitate a child.
“You already threatened my daughter to get me to fight with you. What more do you want from me?”
Wanda laughs meanly.
“Isn’t it obvious? We need a scapegoat. We need someone to take the fall for us.”
Scott’s feature fill with resolve and Tony pales because he knows that look.
“Scott…”
He looks at Tony with sad resignation.
“I have to.”
Rhodey frowns deeply.
“No-“
Scott shakes his head, determination mixing with pain on his face.
“She’s my little girl.”
He turns to Steve and Wanda and drops to his knees instantly.
“I’ll do it.”
Steve raises an eyebrow.
“You’ll do what? You need to say it, Lang.”
Scott stiffens.
“I’ll take the blame for everything. I’ll give up the suit. I’ll go back to prison.”
His voice breaks.
“I’ll disappear from Cassie’s life and never see her again.”
Cassie lets out a sob.
“Dad, no!”
Scott smiles sadly at her.
“It’s gonna be okay, bug. You’re gonna be okay.”
She sniffles.
“Dad…”
Scott looks back at Steve and Wanda, his expression pained but full of resolve.
“I’ll do anything. Just let my daughter go.”
Wanda and Steve look at each other for a moment and panic flashes across Scott’s face.
Not the panic of a hero, though.
The panic of a father. The panic of someone who’s realizing that the person he loves most is still in life-threatening danger.
“Please.”
Everyone blinks and Steve actually steps back in shock because Scott Lang doesn’t beg.
After a moment, Steve nods.
“Wanda, release her.”
Wanda begrudgingly lets her go and she runs to her dad, tears streaming down her face.
“Daddy!”
Scott catches her and she clings to him.
“Daddy I don’t want you to go!”
He winces and hugs her tightly.
“I know, bug.”
Scott gets up and walks to Tony, who nearly winces at the pain on his face.
“Bug, I need you to go with Tony, okay?”
Cassie shakes her head, tears falling faster.
“No! No, I wanna stay with you!”
Scott’s expression falls for a second but he plasters a smile on his face and looks at her.
“Bug, remember what I promised you?”
She sniffles and looks at him.
“That you’d always come back?”
He nods.
“That I’d always come back. And I will, okay? I just need to go away for a little while and I need you to stay with Tony.”
She still won’t budge, and Tony lets out a long dramatic sigh.
“If Cassie did come with me, I was going to make waffles tomorrow for breakfast, but-“
Cassie’s eyes light up and she turns.
“Waffles?!”
Tony forces out a laugh and nods.
“Yep.”
Cassie goes to stand next to him and looks up at her dad hesitantly.
“You’re coming back?”
Tony winces at the pain flashing across Scott’s face, because he knows just as well as Tony that the chances of him coming back are slim to none and he doesn’t want his last words to his daughter to be a lie.
Scott smiles.
“I love you, bug. You’re my favorite person in the world.”
Cassie sniffles.
“I love you too Dad.