Chapter Text
The bloodsucking leeches... the journalists from major newspapers are currently broadcasting worldwide predicting on how the famous Tony Stark would celebrate his 47th birthday, instead of covering real news. They have been flocking around areas he is seen in to get answers which included forming a crowd around a stage where the CEO of Stark Industries set up a conference posthaste to make the reporters settle down. Pepper Potts did not let it her frustration show through her facade of a smile as she went up the stage while reporters shouting out questions and cameras flashing every second.
“Ms. Potts how is Mr. Stark celebrating his 47th birthday this following month? Is his birthday party going to be held in his mansion or a more secluded place? Will his friends be in attendance on the event or is he does he plans on being around celebrities from all over the world?”
“Mr. Stark has informed me that he is going to have a private party with close friends.” The redhead responded with poise not giving away any signs that she obviously lied.
It did not satisfy the media one bit for one of the reporters spoke out.
“So, does that mean the Rouge Avengers will be attending as well? Since they are technically Tony’s companions.”
Pepper was blown from the question from the mention of the good-for-nothing team for a moment before she holds herself and answered back.
“Even though the current location of the Rogue Avengers is not known at the moment, we are unhappy to report that they won’t be making an appearance soon so we would assume they can make their own decisions into coming to Tony’s birthday if they like, if not it’s their choice and theirs alone. That’s all the questions for today thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here.” Pepper elaborated as she started to
Pepper walks off the stage and into the crowd of reporters making her way to the car where Happy was holding the door wide open. He holds her hand as she got settled in the car. He closed the door walks to the driver's side got on and took off. Pepper visibly relaxed as she let out a sigh.
“Rough day huh?” Happy calmly asked as he drove away.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Pepper nodded to herself as she looked out the window thinking how she could cheer up her ex-flame Tony.
Tony’s birthday party is the one to witness for millions of wealthy people, anyone who is anyone would be invited, have expensive liquor, and entertainment included with fireworks. But this year the billionaire decided to keep it to himself and ignore the media in favor in working on his suit mark XLVI by taking it apart to replace all of the damaged parts which included the power source, the main Arc Reactor, and making upgrades as he goes to his beloved suit.
It was hard for Tony to think about the past events he been scolding himself for being selfish and childish for attacking Steve and Bucky. He’s been working on his suit for a couple days down the lab and thought that if he was focused on fixing his armor then he would not have those thoughts run him by like his nightmares. But as always, he still thought the events that lead from the Avengers being broken up into two opposing teams to the abandoned Hydra Siberian Facility.
He relieved the night in his sleep when the mini reactor could only keep him stable but did not protect from the piercing cold going through his armor and towards his skin. Was this how Steve felt like when he was under the ice? All alone in a spacious room away from civilization without any way or form of communication with the outside world. Well the only difference is Steve forced the plane down willingly and went unconscious upon impact. Tony on the other hand was forced down and conscious throughout everything and hoped that he wouldn’t be getting frostbite anytime soon. The serum prevented frostbite to get to Steve, but Tony was no Captain America.
-Flashback-
Tony rolled to onto his left side as he watched as Captain America went to help up his best friend since childhood Bucky and escort themselves out.
“That shield doesn’t belong to you. You don’t deserve it! My father made that shield!” Tony shouted. Captain America paused and with a moment’s hesitation he drops the shield and continued his current path with Bucky at his side. Tony looked at the scene with disbelief and turned away to spit out blood. He then gets in a sitting position and his eyes filled with the utter look of betrayal.
Tony wondered if anyone was looking for him, well his fault for not sending a message of his location to the Avengers that were in his side of the fight. He should really program FRIDAY with that capability now if she hasn’t done so already. What happened to T’Challa? He probably went after that asshole Zemo guy but got to hand it to him at least he unveiled what really happened to his parents that night. But he also separated the Avengers so kudos to his grand master plan being successful.
Tony forced himself to stand up and slowly walks towards the fallen shield. He stared at it for a while, debating if he should take it or leave it where it lies. He grabbed the scratched vibranium shield taking note the five vertical scratches coming down the shield; the King of Wakanda claws, which were indeed made from vibranium, were the cause of the damage.
Tearing his gaze away from the shield as he began walking towards the exit to get away from the place. He looked back at the abandoned facility then stares at the sky and determines he can make it to a town that although is not close by fifty miles is still is something. He strolled away huddling the shield close to him to block the piercing cold wind from furthering damage the exposed arc reactor. He had a new objective that was not as simple as it sounds… survive in the frozen tundra. The sun set after a couple of hours walking the rest of his time he spent navigating using the stars as his guide and the full moon to light up the way. Tony knows he was going to get some bed rest since he been exposed to the cold for a while and his mini arc reactor has been giving small amounts of warmth to keep him from getting frostbite. Tony eventually got to the small village with sheer luck and immediately sees a payphone. He dialed what’s left of his friends luckily the first number he dials picks up the phone.
“Hello? I’m sorry but it appears to you may have dialed the wrong number by mistake.” a familiar polite voice answered.
“Vision, thank god you answered look I didn’t want to bother you or anything but I need you to pick me up in Siberia. I would have asked Natasha but she kind of turned on us on the last second. T’Challa is getting justice for the death of his father. Spider-Man is not old enough to do anything without a license let alone drive the quinjet and I don’t want him risking himself trying to get to my coordinates, and my best friend is paralyzed from the waist down… So, any chance you could umm get down here please.” Tony asked with a strained voice from been exposed to the cold for too long and waited for a response.
He got a response alright a response to his heart that felt like it could have exploded out of his chest mind you for someone touched his shoulder and he whipped around only to see the friendly android standing along beside him.
“Shall we get going Mr. Stark?” Vision chuckled as Tony tried to take deep breathes to calm down the beats of his heart.
“Yes.” Tony crocked out as Vision gathered him in his arms and flew towards the direction of their first home, the Avengers Tower.
After a few days of bed rest, eating healthy, taking his vitamins and loads of medicine Tony felt good as new aside from his injuries he was now relieved from the burden of being sick. To add insult to injury Steve sent the FedEx box that contained the poor excuse of an apology and a flip phone. But it was worth it the time when he received it for the sassy old mailman called him ‘Tony Stank’ which caused Rhodey to laugh and mock Tony with the new banter.
All the letter contained was a sob story of Steve’s past, the way he sucked ass on ‘sparring’ Tony from the truth, especially how plain the concern of his well-being sounded. But the part that got to him is when Steve mentioned the word family and promising if Tony ever needs them or himself they would be there. Tony honestly thought in the beginning they were broken family needing fixing and now all that work to get them together went through the drain. What Steve doesn’t know or maybe he does, depending on how naive he is, that he would never call for their help anytime soon. But what was most concerning part being that Steve did not write that he would call Tony if they need assistance. It was the killer punchline, the perfect murder of their friendship.
-End of Flashback-
By the time, Pepper enters the lab Tony already finished repairing his armor to be durable in future fights and was currently making finishing touches to the arc reactor that now has an increase in power storage and usage. Packed with a distress signal to warn the rest of the Avengers of his last location before FRIDAY shuts down.
“Are you still upset that we broke up? Tony I really do care about you and your well-being but I can’t be romantically with you anymore because it hurts both of us. I know you want to protect everyone but a few times you get overboard but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate everything you have done for us.” Pepper said as she walked closer to Tony.
“Even though it hurt me I respect your decision Pepper I know I can be quite a handful.” Tony smiled as he continued to work on his finishing touches on his suit.
“Go eat and sleep after you finish your suit because lord knows you might as well be here for a month give or take.” Pepper gently grabs his shoulder and gives it a tight squeeze to let him know she is here for him. She quickly dismissed herself but not before grilling Tony of his bad behaviors.
“Ok thank you mom.” chuckled Tony as he dodges a screw aimed for his head. Pepper leaves the lab as he finished his suit.
“Alrighty FRIDAY you know the drill.” Tony smirks as the AI turns up the speaker to full volume as ‘Back in Black by AC/DC’ plays in the background. The suit flies where he stood and opened for Tony to get inside. Once inside he was happy with the positive feedback from his suit scan that it was in tip top shape. He the decides to go out and fly his suit out for a test-drive to see if can do more improvements to his suit. He flew out from the Avengers Tower to go fly around New York. Tony lowered himself more to ground the same level as a second story house by the buildings.
“FRI put a little bit more power onto the thrusters and oomph!” exclaimed Tony as he felt pressure pushing him down for a moment. Someone or most likely something used the Iron Man suit as a stepping stone. Tony looks around for the perpetrator when he sees it.
“What the hell is that, FRI?” Tony gasped out as he saw the creature staring at him probably debating if he should destroy him like the cars that were crushed courtesy of the beast.
The beast was a black four-legged salamander covered in weird designs that glowed orange in the dark and eyes that glowed red like a stoplight. It also has sharp claws that could slice a person in half and fangs like a snake.
“Species: Unknown.” Simply responded his AI like it was no big deal.
“Are you kidding me? It looks like an overgrown salamander what do you mean it’s unknown? FRIDAY search if any laboratories in New York have been experimenting on salamanders because I personally want to give them a piece of my mind.” Tony snarled as the beast slowly walks around him looking ready to pounce in any second.
The beast grabbed the wreckage of a random car and threw it at Iron Man which he in turn covers his face to block. Tony shoots his repulsor beam at the beast which ends up cutting the salamander’s tail off. The beast’s roars and flees into an alley that is connected to another street. Tony was about to scan the missing limb when all the sudden. Poof! The tail vanished in a puff of smoke with no trace of it being there in the first place. Tony is flabbergasted that the tail simply disappeared like a magic trick. He has never seen a ferocious ugly monster other than the Leviathan that served as warships for the Chitauri. As for how Tony knows what those things were called, Thor wanted to educate his ‘brothers and sisters’ of the foes they have fought in New York.
“You know for a man who goes saves the world and can’t stop a beast, you’re doing an awful job at it and should be put in your permanent record.” chuckled an amused husky voice.
“Who the heck are you and what is that thing?” Tony asks slowly.
“Let’s just say I’m a guy who does not want this demonic beast to wonder off and cause destruction upon its path.” explained the handsome stranger as he summoned a tracking spell where it identified where the beast is located.
“Touché.” uttered Tony as he kept a safe distance from the uniquely dressed stranger when realization hit.
“What did you just say demonic!? What is that supposed to mean?” Tony sputtered out as he stared at the stranger wide-eyed.
“We better catch him before he has a taste of flesh and destroys everything in its path.” Quickly responded the man as he began to run off towards the direction of the beast location.
“H-hey wait up!” exclaimed Tony as he put powered his thrusters to go after the man and the beast or he should say the beauty and the beast. The man being the beauty and the beast being well the beast. A few minutes they found the monstrosity stuck with the only exit being the entrance which the stranger and Tony have blocked off. But the beast was smart and did the only thing it can do now.
“That thing can crawl walls?!” Tony exasperates as he watches the big amphibian crawling on the side of the building.
“You know I should have gotten used to seeing things crawling on any surface.” Tony smugly mumbled clearly thinking of a certain spiderling.
The stranger conjures a whip of fire pulls it back, like a wet t-shirt wrapped around itself getting its momentum to strike, and let’s go from one arm and the other guides the end to the right leg as it latches around the Beast’s leg. Then the stranger uses his strength to pull the creature down to ground level for a more easier approach. But the beast still hanged on to the building that is until Iron Man uses the hand mounted laser, using the power from the Arc Reactor, amputates both legs which also disappears in a puff of smoke. The beast falls and the stranger quickly blasted energy through it as the final blow then it finally reached impact on the ground. They beast was slain where it lies its skin peels off and the bones deteriorates from the face of Earth. Again, in a puff of smoke with no sign of a beast crawling around New York weird thing was no one was around but the good thing was that no civilians were in harm’s way.
“Not bad we make a pretty good team don’t you think?” Tony smiled at the stranger.
“Aren’t you supposed to be planning your birthday party?” questions the stranger as he scans the perimeter.
“Well what's the fun in that if the main attraction was right here.” Tony counters by referring to the beast.
“Oh, and for your information I don’t plan on doing anything at all for my birthday, I don’t have many friends.” Tony mumbled out the last part.
“I see, very well then I would leave you to your own devices.” The stranger flatly replied awkwardly.
“Will I ever see you again?” Tony questioned for some reason wanted to get to know the stranger.
“No.” quickly replied the stranger.
“Oh, ok I mean you are a busy man and all, but you can totally drop by the Avengers Tower if you’ll like. Not many people come to visit that are considered family or close to it.” Tony whispered out.
The stranger hands him a card that materialized out of nowhere.
“What’s this? Your business card?” Tony jokes his hand twitching by his side was now grabbing a hold on the card. Tony does not like being handed things but he feels like he trusts this guy.
“It’s the address where I am currently located at. I been sort of busy as of late but if I have time I can visit you and no need to tell me where you live it’s obvious. If you ever wish to pay me a visit, please drop by whether for emergencies or not at all. I don’t have many friends either so if you need someone to talk to I’ll be happy to hear you. I’m a great listener or so I been told.” The stranger offered out his promise.
With that the stranger grabs his Sling Ring from his belt and traced his right hand in a circular motion while concentrating on his destination and successfully opened a fiery portal to his desired location and left without a word. Meanwhile Tony is left gawking at the closing portal with astonishment. He missed the way the stranger was looking at him in the corner of his eye with a smirk painted on his face.
“Shoot I forgot to ask for his name again stupid, stupid!” agitated Tony for being distracted. He then looks at the card that was given to him.
‘177 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012’
Then he looks at the back of the card which reads ‘Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.’
“This is quite Strange indeed. I been referring to him as a stranger and all I had to do was to get rid of the second r.” Tony grins at his poor attempt at a pun.
“FRI, get me everything that you can find on this Dr. Strange.” snickered out Tony as he flew away from the scene and towards his new destination the Avengers Tower.
“Sure, thing boss.” FRIDAY chirped as she started on her hunt for everything and anything that has and had to do with Stephen Strange.