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I'm not going anywhere.

[There's no big preamble or small talk. Steve shows up ten minutes later, looking rightfully stressed by the conversation. He takes a seat on his and simply offers his wrist. He wish he could take it off, but go figure that will keep it from working. God he hates this place sometimes.] Read and tell me what you think.

[He's worried he didn't ask or do enough as always.]

[ he leans in and takes steve's wrist, seeming to have exactly 0 qualms about effectively holding his hand for the time it takes him to read back the conversation. ]

I think... we're fucked. [ but that's not productive, is it? he groans when he gets to astoria's last message and shoves the other man's arm away so he can lean over his knees and pinch the bridge of his nose. it doesn't really help, but nothing does these days. ] She really is playing with our lives 'cause she's too arrogant to think she can lose.

[ maybe once upon a time, steve thought the same about tony. he hopes he doesn't anymore, but the thunder suddenly crashing overhead is clue enough that all he's thinking about is murdering astoria violently rn. ]

[Steve can only rest a giant hand on his back to reassure him in some way. He knows what that thunder crash means. He's honestly not up for placating Tony or reminding him that they've got a touchy group on their hands here. He knows already. He's definitely earned the right to be upset.

Steve, on the other hand, is numb. Maybe feeling a little more violated than he did before. He had been upset having his body altered without his consent. How does he feel about what he would perceive to be his soul mixed in with someone else's? It makes him want to throw up. The worst part is? He still isn't sure her intentions are bad because everything is colored by her arrogance.] I don't think you're wrong.

[He sounds the way he feels: helpless. What is he supposed to do with this?]

[ he drops steve's hand but doesn't move away at all, trying to take a deep breath so he doesn't start raining lightning down on the whole circle. ]

You weren't... around for this, but Pepper and I had a villain like this. He thought he could alter humans in his image, but the solution was extremely volatile. I don't know how much was publicized about "The Mandarin Incident" but... I know Rhodey kept a lot of it locked up. Mostly because he kidnapped the president too? It was a mess.

[ tony pushes a hand back through his hair. this is giving him déjà vu in the worst way, and he's not sure he has the energy to do it all over again. ]

The point is, I think we have to kill her. I don't see another way out. [ it might kill them, but he can't be another evil sock puppet. he won't. ]

[He bites down on his lip to keep from interrupting. It isn't that Steve doesn't know about the incident in question. His knowledge begins and ends with it is a thing that happened that no one seemed willing to give a straight answer on. Finally getting a frank answer on it is a bitter pill to swallow especially when he knows he can't fall in line with Tony for this.

He can't know what destroying her would do to them. Steve sucks in a tense breath as he decides he needs to state as much.] Maybe if it were just us I could back that. We both know I'm willing to die to end a threat. I can't kill the others to stop her. I don't think you can either.

[ a loud thunder crack overhead announces tony's upset better than he could at the other man's flippant dismissal of his own life. it's only a second later that he catches up and realizes he'd done the same exact thing. he shakes his head as the weather backs off and he looks down into his lap. ]

So now what? We just keep toeing the line?

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