Dead Memories

12

Chapter Twelve

Tony had to cut the helmet off his head, it dented that badly. He couldn't even get to it right away, because he could feel the blood dripping down his arm from his shoulder wound, making the inside of his gauntlets wet and disgusting. So he sat around half-naked, wearing nothing but the bottom of his under armour, with the dented helmet still on his head, while the stab wound on his shoulder got stitched and bandaged by the resident doctor of Stark Tower.

And yeah, that shoulder wound. He was stabbed, through his armour. Barnes went and stabbed through his armour... with a knife. His gold titanium alloy suit. Stabbed through. With a knife. He was still trying to wrap his head around this impossibility. Because that's what it was, what it should have been; impossible. And yet, he had eight stitches that proved otherwise.

So after he cut his helmet off his head, and shit his face was bruised like hell underneath it, he took the time to pry the knife fully out of his suit. He would have to repair it and get the blood out... well, maybe it was better if he just made a new right arm for this suit. When the knife was finally out, Tony had an inkling why it went through his armour so smoothly. Because it sure as hell was not the sort of military knife Barnes reportedly used. He considered doing a full scan on the thing, but then he remembered that he had the real-life expert on all things alien; Thor. Plus he couldn't hide from Steve forever.

Barton caught up with him on his way to the elevator, eyeing the bandage on his shoulder.

'Yeah, can you believe this?' Tony asked. 'A knife... right through my suit.'

Barton just pushed the correct floor button and didn't comment on it. Tony turned the knife around in his hand. The handle looked really fancy, black and gold, tiny motives carved into it. It had a thick ring at the very end, with something like runes engraved on it. The blade itself shone with a metallic golden glimmer. Spear point blade, straight and double-edged, it was more of a dagger really, now that Tony thought about it. He really hoped Thor would recognize it, even though Tony could already guess where it came from.

'I hope you and Romanoff are ready to put your heads out,' he said then. 'How deep is Cap's scowl anyway? Cutting remarks level, or is it already at "punch in the face" heights?'

Barton sighed.

'I see your lips moving,' he said. 'But you gotta stop talking at me when I don't have my hearing aid in. I caught maybe five words from all that.'

Barton's face was picturesquely unimpressed. Tony thought about it for a moment then put up his index finger to sign "Where?".

'Forgot to buy batteries,' Barton shrugged. It was Tony's turn to be unimpressed. Barton should let him improve that piece of plastic nonsense, give it a better energy source, improve the effectiveness, but no. He was so done trying to convince him.

The elevator arrived and they both stepped out.

'HELEN, make a note,' Tony spoke out loud. 'I want batteries delivered to Clint here. To his floor, his apartment, I don't know, someone break into his car and hide some in his glove box.'

'That does not sound like an overreaction at all,' HELEN replied with her expected exasperation.

'Really, a new AI?'

Steve, here we go.

'Yes,' Tony answered plainly as he walked into the room where their merry band gathered. 'This is HELEN. Say hi, hun.'