Mistress Death (MCU | Stephen Strange/OC/Tony Stark)

Chapter 1 | Holly Potter

Chapter 1 | Holly Potter

It's been two months since his team leader-slash-coworker-slash-friend had left him sprawled bloodied and bruised in the middle of a freezing Siberian bunker. He'd started wondering if the cracks on the ceiling would be the last thing he'd see when T'Challa found him.

Supposedly, the young king had felt uneasy leaving the bunker in the first place and decided to come back and check, if only to give himself some peace for his mind.

It's been a month since Clint and Lang came back with their signed Accords - which had just been newly-updated to accommodate to the heroes' family's safety - in hand. They were both a family man, they both have their own respective kids. So it was relieving to know that they have their own other priorities in oppose to a star-spangled man.

It's been three weeks since the archer visited him in the Compound's Medical Center to explain his reasons and sincerely apologize - all the while being on the receiving end of one Virginia Potts's glare.

Turns out that Clint had uncharacteristically turned against 117 countries because he'd been too hung up on a clause and what that'd mean to his family, that he didn't even stop to think that they could've made revisions to it.

The referred clause had stated that 'All enhanced individual's names, faces, histories, and addresses must be known to the public to avoid complications.', which definitely had Ross's grubby hands all over it.

It was only because of how regretful and sincere he sounded whilst confessing, that he was forgiven for the reckless knee-jerk reaction. Pepper's glare even let up by the end of the visit. Though it didn't stop her from giving him a speech full of veiled-threats as she walked him out of the door.

It's been a week since he was given the all-clear from the medical staff of the Avengers Compound and was free to go, though not without a very detailed and thorough instructions from both Doctor Wu and Doctor Cho.

And it's been three days since he locked himself in the lab.

["Actually Boss, you've been in the lab for the last seventy-six hours, twenty-six minutes and forty-seven seconds, and counting."] He heard FRIDAY chime from within his mind.

Right, that was also a new thing he discovered when he woke up from his anesthesia-induced slumber.

Apparently, he's a technopath now.

Have been one since sometime during his operation when FRIDAY gave Tony's own modified Extremist to Dr. Wu when she felt the Primary Protocol: Protect Anthony Edward Stark being threatened.

"I really insist for you to rest, Boss."

This time, FRIDAY's mechanical voice originated from the speakers.

Tony merely tilted his head and gave a distracted hum, which soon turned into a frustrated growl as he encountered yet another complication on the brace prototype that he'd been hell-bent on creating.

Undeterred from the lack of response, FRIDAY pressed on, "Boss Lady is very worried that you haven't been eating properly. Colonel Rhodes and Mr. Hogan have also been asking about your well-being. You need to rest, Boss-"

"I know, alright." Tony snapped, though there was no heat in it. Then he sighed, "I know, FRIDAY. But I'm not stopping until I see Rhodey up and about. I know you're worried about me but even if I try closing my eyes, I just- I just can't." His voice cracked at the end as he stared blankly at the half-finished braces.