Miss America

Chapter Nine

You and Steve walk into the room with the empty cell container and find Tony sat slightly above it, not saying a word. 

"Was he married?" Steve asks quietly. 

"No. There was a uh...cellist, I think." Tony replies, only half in the room still. 

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man." You say gently, leaning against the wall. 

"He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?" Steve leans next to you, you're both looking at Tony.

"For taking on Loki alone."

"He was doing his job." Steve replies. 

"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have..."

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony." You look at him softly, sadly. 

"Right. How did that work for him?" You feel a sting as he says it, looking away. 

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" Steve queries. 

"WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS!" He swirls round angrily "I am not marching to Fury's fife!"

"Hell, Tony, neither are we" You give him a 'calm down look'.  "He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does." You fold your arms and Tony calms a little. 

"She's right, and right now we've got to put that aside and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list . . ."

But Steve trails off as he's interrupted by Tony who's staring at the bloodstained walls. "He made it personal."

"That's not the point." Steve sighs a little.

"That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart?" You start to see Tony's line of thought. 

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience." Tony walks and thinks aloud. 

"Right, I caught his act at Stuttgart." Steve says unironically. 

"Yeah, but that was just the preview?" Tony nods at you. "Which means we're heading for opening night?" 

"Exactly, Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered..." You look at Tony as he pauses, all thinking the same thing you follow Tony as he walks out.  "Sonofabitch!" 

. . . . 

After Tony fills you in with his thoughts, you and Steve suit up before going to find Natasha. As you open the door, both battle ready Natasha looks at you, unprepared for the sight. 

"Time to go." Steve says she frowns. 

"Go where?"

"We'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"  Barton walks out of the restroom. Looks at Steve.

"I can." Steve looks at Natasha and she nods her head to confirm Barton's onside once more.

"You got a suit?" You look at Clint thoughtfully. 

"Yeah." He confirms. 

"Then suit up." You smile at them both before you and Steve head off. Finally Natasha and Clint catch up to you and you all head to the Quinjet. A young SHEILD pilot comes out of the ramp to block you away.