Torn Between Lies

Chapter Ten~I'm Sorry

Steve watches Tony anxiously. Tony lunges towards Bucky, Steve steps between them while I put a hand on one of Tony's shoulders "Tony." 

"Did you know?" asked Tony consumed with grief and tears glistening in his eyes, he turns and looks at Steve. "I didn't know it was him," says Steve.

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?"

Steve takes a breath "Yes."

Tony steps back, his chin jutting upwards twitchy. I look at Steve shocked, Tony reengages the Iron Man helmet. He punches Steve to the floor and deflects gunfire from Bucky, disarming him. he grabs Bucky and flies across the chamber. 

Steve's shield hits Tony, distracting him. Steve barges him backward, Iron Man shoulders him to the floor and shackles his ankles. Bucky punches Iron Man who just lifts him and slams him against a machine. Tony raises a fist but I rush over and twists it. A rocket shoots out of his arm, a fireball explodes. 

Tony, Bucky, and I are thrown down a level as twisted metal falls around them, showering sparks. "Get out of here! He's not gonna stop." I say to Bucky as I hold my waist from pain. As Bucky bolts Tony fires, but misses. Steve lands in front of him. Bucky hits a control panel and the silo-styled door overhead starts to open.

Bucky leaps from platform to platform. With stuttering, jets Tony gives chase, then kicks Bucky and takes aim, but the energy bold rebounds off Steve's shield onto himself. Tony drops like a stone and lands on a lower platform.

Finally gaining my strength I stand and begin to climb from platform to platform, I see Tony's helmet retracts and he shuts one eye, taking aim at the opening hatch. I try to make a shield as he fires, but I was too late. Tony hits the giant hinge which explodes, cutting of Bucky's escape route. 

Tony flies up and grabs him around the neck from behind. Bucky pushes them both from the walkway, Steve jumps into them to deflect their fall. Bucky lands on a platform while Tony and Steve still fall. I hold out my hands weakly, making a shield to break there fall.

I needed to get down there quickly, I wasn't a super soldier, and I had no real armor. I try to make shields for myself as I slowly jump from platform to platform basically just hurting myself more. But if I didn't do anything they would kill each other.

I jump down and run over to see Bucky's metal arm ripped off and Tony flings the shield away then zaps Steve backward, head over heels. Steve rises and Tony blocks his punches then zaps him to his knees, right in front of Bucky who's lying on his back.

"He's my friend," says Steve.

"So was I." start Tony, he punches Steve then throws him back towards the gaps in the wall. "Stay down. Final warning."

Steve struggles to his feet, his face bloody and his gate weary. He raises his fists and stares Tony down. "I can do this all day."

Tony raises his left palm ready to fire. I quickly run over and try to pull his arm back, out of adrenaline Tony spins, kicking me in the ribs. I get shot to the wall and slide down it holding my ribs, something was definitely broken.

Steve grabs Tony and lifts him over his head, then throws him down, punches him and bashes his mask off with his shield before striking down hard on the suit's core. I look over horrified and Tony glowers fearfully at Steve who pants for breath. 

All of us have blood spattered across our faces. Tony then shuts his eyes and slumps down. The shield remains upright, stuck upright in the center of the Iron Man Suit. When Steve struggles up again he takes hold of the shield, gripping the edge and pulling it free. 

He steps away from Tony who rolls painfully onto his side. Bucky and I lie bloody but conscious, Steve reaches out and pulls us to our feet. "That shield doesn't belong to you, You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" shouts Tony.

Steve stops, raises his chin, then drops the shield and we begin to walk out into the snow, after about twenty feet I stop, is this freedom living outside the law as a wanted person, always on the run?

Steve and Bucky look back at me "Illisha." starts Steve.

"Go." I start, the two look confused as if ready to argue back "Steve...I can't keep running from those who I hurt, it's time I pay my debt, I can't leave him." I explain, Bucky goes to say something before Steve cuts him off "Okay, you know what's best for you."

I give him a small smile and hug him goodbye one last time before running back to the compound. Once I make it inside I'm so out of breath I stumble to my hands and knees. 

"You came back?" 

I look to the side seeing Tony sitting against the wall taking heavy breaths. I nod standing shakily and sitting back down next to him holding my side "I can't run anymore Tony. All my life I've been making one mistake after another, of course, one day they would all catch up to me...but you shouldn't have to pay just because I'm unstable. So turn me in Tony, but know I'm so so sorry." I say beginning to cry.

I feel a hand intertwin with my free one "I just didn't want to lose you...and I'm not going to." says Tony, I look at him confused "I don't care what Ross said, I won't stop loving you because of your past, what you've done, who you love. Because I love you for you even if that means some bad shit went down you're not alone and you'll never be."

Tears brimmed his eyes as he spoke and the two of us smile. We embrace each other and I ended up crying into his shoulder. I was being so stupid, I almost left my brother over this whole thing, I couldn't ever be an Absaar again.

I was a Stark and that's all I ever want to be.