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       #Post#: 1764--------------------------------------------------
       You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 7, 2013, 6:40 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [size=12pt][center]"--rumors of Stark rebuilding his armor after
       his defeat of the Mandarin--"
       "--the rest of the Avengers have yet to make appearances--"
       * * *
       "--only a year after the Battle of New York, aliens strike
       again--"
       "--these so called "Dark Elves," the safety of the world is
       brought into light once again--"
       "--how many different worlds are after us--"
       * * *
       "That... doesn't look like one of your suits."
       "I'm working on something big, Pep. Wanna help me name him?"
       * * *
       [i]"--world-wide defense system--"
       "--speculation arises--"
       "--how much trust should we be putting into Stark's "alien
       watchdogs"--"
       * * *
       "--crime rates dropping exponentially--"
       "--confidence and support increasing in the defense program--"
       "--tech deemed reliable and durable--"
       * * *
       "--attle--"
       "--failure of--"
       "--TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY--"
       * * * * *
       "--thousands dead after the explosions that--"
       "--mourns the loss of Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.--"
       "--Tony Stark has yet to comment--"
       "--being called the "Age of Ultron"--"
       "Where do we go from here?"[/i]
       * * *
       "And you, Hill? Would you have made the same decision?"
       "No, Councilman. Heroes fight. Stark took the coward's way out."
       "You believe there was another alternative?"
       "I believe there is always an alternative to killing civilians."
       "...Send in Stark."
       * * *
       "I don't understand why you want me."
       "You made the call. It was a good one."
       "You're the only ones who think so."
       "In order to preserve our nations we have to make tough
       decisions. You proved you were willing to make those decisions.
       Will you accept?"
       "What's wrong with Hill? What's wrong with Rogers?"
       "The Executive Director and the Commander are second choices. We
       want you. Will you accept?"
       [/center]
       #Post#: 1769--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 9, 2013, 9:20 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• T O N Y •}
       [shadow=#999999,left]"We create our own demons."[/shadow]
       [size=10pt]"Would you quit dicking around and answer me? Is
       there a fail-safe or not, Stark?"
       He's panicking. He knows he's panicking, elbow-deep in the guts
       of an Ultron unit and fumbling around with sweaty palms, trying
       to think, trying to distance himself from the screams and
       explosions around him. He doesn't know how much longer he can
       stay here. "I can't-- there's no way, unless we--"
       "We what?! You really think you can afford to take your time
       here?"
       "I can detonate them," Tony says quietly, "All of them, if I can
       get into the mainframe, if I can trick them--"
       "Well? Are you gonna do it or not?"
       "People would die--"
       "People are dying now, Stark, in case you haven't noticed. Make
       the call."
       "You're Director."
       "And you're the one who started all this. Make. The. Call."
       And it's a hesitation Tony can't afford, the two second that he
       uses to think it over. But what else can he do? He has to --
       there's no way, he tells himself. No way to save them all. "Get
       back," Tony says in the comm link, quietly, and then with more
       force, "Get back, retreat. Get away from the Ultrons. I'm
       detonating them."
       "Stark!" Maria barks in his ear, and Tony flinches at how
       shocked she sounds. "Are you insane? We can't--" a blaring
       sound, loud as a gunshot, interrupts her sentence, and for a
       moment Tony fears she's dead, too, but a second later he hears
       her cursing up a storm.
       "It's happening," Tony says, though his voice is shaking. "You
       have five seconds." He can't wait any longer -- they'll find him
       if he does. "Starting now."
       There's a clamor from the comms, voices Tony recognizes, worked
       with, screaming for help, screaming for more time, screaming at
       Tony. Tony gets up and takes off, his boots sputtering before
       they start, and he counts off the time in his head, going full
       speed, just hoping that he's far enough away -- and like a
       silver bullet, one hits him in the side, and he goes flying.
       He can't remember much after that. He knows JARVIS was trying to
       talking to him, telling him he needed medical attention, and
       then, in the shocking silence that had followed the explosions,
       there had been a quiet voice in his ear, in everyone's ear, some
       young agent who was never prepared for any of this, saying,
       "Director down, I repeat, Director Fury is down..."
       Tony Stark opens his eyes and tries to forget.
       It's been ten days. He hadn't thought it could get any worse,
       hadn't thought he could see any worse, but he's seen the
       undisguised disgust in people's eyes and he's seen bodies and
       body parts all over the street; he's seen Maria's scowl and he's
       seen Happy walking out on him; seen Rhodey with a real frown on
       his face, Phil's conviction as he'd said "As far as you know,
       I'll be in Tahiti," and he's seen tears run down Pepper's face,
       unbidden and horrified and angry. At him. It's all been at him,
       and even the harsh glare of the sun, throwing the streets into
       gory, ruined contrast, seems to be determined to burn him even
       through the window.
       He knows what it feels like to have people hate him. He just
       didn't know what it felt like to have everybody hate him.
       Bruce forgives him -- he's the only one who forgives him,
       because he values the people in his life more than anything, and
       Tony thinks maybe he's experienced how fleeting the tolerance of
       other people can be, when they start to see you as a monster.
       They can't talk much anymore, because Tony's in an office that
       feels too big for how small he feels, and Bruce is in the lab,
       doing what Tony wishes he could, but a tiny smile in the hallway
       does him more good than he could have imagined.
       He breathes in, and breathes out, staring at the massive amount
       of paperwork that sits on his desk -- otherwise empty, except
       for a laptop that looks like it could survive being dropped off
       of... well, whatever's left. He doesn't think he's ever wanted
       to do anything less in his life, and he knows that Maria hates
       him for it. She doesn't think he deserves this position; though,
       neither does he, nor anybody else. He'd been wheeled in with
       fresh bits of metal stuck in him, feeling stuck in the past and
       irreparably scarred with the blue glow back in his chest
       (because history repeats itself, and maybe Tony should've seen
       all this coming), and he'd been offered the job. He accepted,
       because he doesn't think they would've taken a refusal. He
       accepted, because he didn't know what else to do. He accepted,
       because when you've messed up so badly, there's really no use
       trying to hide it.
       Tony turns around and wishes the view outside were any better
       than the paperwork, but the only comfort he can draw from the
       ruined city is that he can't see the bodies from this high
       up.[/center]
       #Post#: 1772--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: MagicNightStar Date: October 12, 2013, 1:00 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• S T E V E •}
       [shadow=#B6B6B4,left]"I'm loyal to nothing... except the
       Dream."[/shadow][/center]
       [center]The past few days have been rough. Ultron, Fury, Stark.
       It's been more difficult than he could have ever imagined, and
       yet, he's said hardly a word about it to anyone. Then again, no
       one has really been saying much. No one had really known what to
       say. The last time he ever really talked about what had happened
       had been at Fury's funeral, and even then he couldn't even get
       everything off his chest. He feels dizzy and exhausted every
       morning he gets up, and he feels disgusted when he looks in the
       mirror. Something could have been done. Something could have
       stopped all of this from happening, but instead, everything went
       to hell.
       Now he walks, or more marches down the halls, hands clenched
       into fists by his side, ignoring the glances he receives. For
       the first time in his life, he felt like every little thing had
       been going right, but then, in a flash, it was all gone. He had
       found a place where he felt safe, friends he thought he could
       trust, and a man he could look up to like a father. Nothing felt
       right anymore, not with the bodies in the streets and the crying
       children and the dark and dreary atmosphere. It was like the war
       all over again, and all of it had been caused by one man -- Tony
       Stark.
       From day one he knew that there was something wrong with Stark,
       something that set him apart from the others, yet everyone
       worshiped at his feet and put his face on every paper. His face
       still was on every paper too, and he thought that the truth and
       cold words were finally going to be printed about how foolish
       and arrogant and incompetent Stark was, but instead he became
       Director. After Fury, the job should have went to Maria, or him,
       but no, it went to Stark, the man who caused all the havoc and
       heartbreak and trauma in the first place just because he made a
       damn call he should have made to start with.
       Steve's had enough, to say the least, and if the Council thinks
       that he's just going to stand there quietly and go along with
       all of this, then they have another thing coming. Fury never
       would have agreed to this, and Steve as sure as hell wasn't.
       He's sick of all this nonsense and destruction and he wants to
       put an end to it, and Stark's the b*stard who started it.
       When he reaches his destination, he doesn't wait a single second
       before he's forcefully opening the door, causing it to hit the
       wall as it flies open, and marches up to the desk that once
       belonged to a man so dear to him, anger flaring within his eyes,
       a stare that could kill as he glares at the man who took almost
       everything away from him.
       "How dare you," Steve hisses at Tony, fist slamming down onto
       his desk. "How dare you sit where he sat after all you have
       done! How dare you sit here and do nothing when you are the
       cause of all the bodies on the streets and the destroyed homes
       and families! How dare you accept the job of the man you
       murdered when you are obviously incapable of making any good
       decision on your own!" he yells viciously, fists so tight he
       could almost feels his nails cutting into his own skin. It's too
       much to handle, too much that has been left unsaid. Steve's
       anger has been building up for the past few weeks to the point
       to where there's nothing left but loathing. "You have no right
       to sit here and call yourself our leader when all you have done
       is ruin [b]everything! You should have stopped this from the
       very beginning. You should have said no when the Council asked
       you to take a job you are in no way right for. You should have
       been the one that died![/b] Steve stops there, breathing
       heavily, doing everything he can to keep himself from strangling
       Stark right where he sat at that exact moment. He's still not
       done, still not even close to saying everything he wants to say,
       but he wants to hear what Tony has to say for himself and in his
       defense because Steve would love nothing more than to have more
       reasons to hate him.[/center]
       #Post#: 1775--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 12, 2013, 8:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• T O N Y •}
       [shadow=#999999,left]"We create our own demons."[/shadow]
       [size=10pt]The door bangs open like a gunshot, and though he
       wishes he didn't, Tony flinches, turning around to stare at
       Steve -- Commander Rogers now, he's sure -- as he storms inside,
       murder in his eyes. For a moment, Tony genuinely thinks that the
       Commander is going to attack him, and he tenses, knowing he's
       not had to time to build any new suits, knowing he'd be
       practically defenseless if a super-soldier decided to attack
       him, but relaxing when Steve slows when he approaches the desk.
       Part of him, the very large part that has learned to loathe
       every part of himself, almost wishes Steve was here to kill him.
       That would make things easier, wouldn't it? One less person for
       everyone to hate. But maybe that's all that's holding the world
       together right now.
       Though Steve doesn't try to kill him, he still look as if he'd
       like to, spitting harsh words from the very start. And Tony
       knows he's right -- he doesn't have the right to sit here, he's
       not half of what Fury was -- but he still bristles, jaw
       clenching and eyes hardening while Rogers yells at him, the
       flame in his eyes fierce enough to burn Tony where he sits. "You
       should have been the one that died!" Rogers bellows, undisguised
       hatred in his eyes. Tony wishes he could cringe away from that,
       but he forces himself not to -- after all, it will be just
       another thing to get used to.
       Tony stands, and he's practiced long enough to know what it
       takes to look like you're not broken. Here and now, he is
       defiant. He's mad. He's been disrespected, and he cares. He
       thinks himself worthy to be called a human being. "Are you
       done?" he asks, a quiet fury raging just beneath the calm. And
       he knows it would make sense to be mad, he knows he plays the
       part convincingly enough, but every second he pretends feels
       like it's sapping away years of his life.[/center]
       #Post#: 1778--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: MagicNightStar Date: October 14, 2013, 3:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• S T E V E •}
       [shadow=#B6B6B4,left]"I'm loyal to nothing... except the
       Dream."[/shadow][/center]
       [center]Steve knows Tony's mad, probably even fuming. That would
       make sense, perfect sense, but all Steve can see written on his
       face is calm which he knows is fake, and that eats away at him
       even more. All Stark even does is pretend, he even pretends to
       keep himself from defending himself, and it's not what Steve
       wants. He wants reaction, to see what Tony's feeling, to know if
       he resents this and agrees with Steve, or to see the anger and
       hatred that might lie beneath. However, there's nothing. Nothing
       Steve can feed off of or get a read on, and he's sick of it, all
       the faking.
       Furiously, Steve throws some of Tony's papers to the floor,
       sliding them off the desk with his hand and shouting, "Stop
       pretending like there's nothing wrong! Stop pretending like you
       can see what's going on around you and in the streets! Stop and
       look at what you've--" Steve cuts himself off, shaking his head
       and banging his fist onto the table again, frustrated. He knows
       Tony's too stubborn. He knows that nothing was going to hardly
       change no matter what he says. He should be done here and just
       give up and throw in the towel. Quit the Avengers like some of
       the others were probably debating about. Steve's still surprised
       Thor hasn't left for Asgard. Jane was more than likely the main
       thing that was keeping him here.
       Steve takes a few deep breaths, bowing his head and closing his
       eyes for awhile before looking back up to meet eyes with Tony,
       the SHIELD logo all over him from his Director's uniform. He
       speaks again, this time his voice a little more soft, but still
       vicious, "Fury was the man who held us together, who kept us
       fighting. Do you really except me to believe that now you can be
       that man? I will never follow you Stark. You are nothing but a
       coward behind a mask." Steve waits then, glaring at Tony, gaze
       sharp like a knife, clenching his fists again, waiting, watching
       for anything because Tony has to say something or Steve will go
       insane. The man's hardly said anything on the matter since
       Fury's funeral, and Steve couldn't live with him acting this
       way. [/center]
       #Post#: 1779--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 14, 2013, 10:26 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• T O N Y •}
       [shadow=#999999,left]"We create our own demons."[/shadow]
       [size=10pt]Tony can see the frustration in Steve's eyes -- can
       see parts of his control shatter as he snaps, and shoves a stack
       of paperwork off the desk, sending sheets windmilling and
       tumbling and fluttering to the ground, so Tony has no hope of
       ever reorganizing him. It almost gives him a sense of
       satisfaction. But Steve still yelling at him, and for a moment
       Tony wants to do as Steve tells him, he wants to stop, he wants
       to look, but he knows that's a bad idea, because if he stops now
       he'll lose whatever he has left. Steve continues, adding in a
       quieter voice, that's somehow more intimidating, more things to
       the list of why Tony's unfit for this job, why he shouldn't be
       here, why he's unworthy, calling him a coward.
       Yes, Tony wants to say, I am. Because he doesn't want the job.
       He doesn't want people hating him. He doesn't want to have to
       make anymore calls like he did, and he doesn't want to continue
       like this. But these are things he can't say -- because he's
       Tony Stark, because he's Iron Man. Or he's supposed to be. He's
       also supposed to mad. He has the power to kick Steve out of
       SHIELD. He could be ruling with an iron first right now. People
       are supposed to respect him.
       (Hell, Tony can't even respect that part of him, and he honestly
       doesn't expect anybody else to.)
       "Do you think you're the first person to be angry at me?" Tony
       asks, demands, really, and he's surprised at how easy it is to
       pull this off. It's what Steve wants, right? He wants Tony to
       get angry -- wants some part of him, the infuriating composure,
       to snap. "You think you're being original, coming in here to
       yell at me?" He makes himself move, rounds the desk and gets too
       close to Steve, getting in his space. He has to look up, which
       diminishes the effect a little, but he still conveys a scowl
       well enough. "You're just another kid throwing a tantrum,
       Rogers. I don't care if you don't like me, and if you honestly
       think that your kicking and screaming is gonna get me to run and
       hide then you need to reexamine your strategy." He could
       apologize. He could try and make this right, even if it wouldn't
       work. But he's a coward -- Rogers has told him, Hill's told him,
       Coulson's told him, and he knows that the people who don't say
       it to his face are certainly thinking it. It's easier this way,
       isn't it? If he gets bad enough -- if he's irredeemable --
       they'll have to be rid of him. They'll replace him with somebody
       who actually knows what they're doing. Isn't this the better
       way? "Thought you were supposed to be good at that kind of
       stuff, Commander," he sneers, and half of him probably really
       wants to be punched in the face, actually. "Bottom line is, you
       can pout all you want, but unless you plan on doing something
       about it I'm still your Director."[/center]
       #Post#: 1783--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: MagicNightStar Date: October 15, 2013, 3:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• S T E V E •}
       [shadow=#B6B6B4,left]"I'm loyal to nothing... except the
       Dream."[/shadow][/center]
       [center]Steve feels some satisfaction when Tony finally starts
       showing some emotion, demanding answers, getting up and moving
       to where he was standing right in front of him, heat radiating
       between them as Steve stared down at Stark. However, Steve
       really starts to focus when Tony accuses him of throwing a
       tantrum to get him to run and hide, and Steve scoffs at that,
       letting Stark go on to talk about reexamining strategies and how
       he's going to be Steve's Director unless he plans to do
       something about it. Actually, Steve's already planned talking to
       the Council to try and persuade them otherwise, but he knows
       that will only end with him being thrown from SHIELD because
       there's no way he'd be able to keep his composure around people
       who Steve is convinced are idiots. The fools already tried to
       nuke New York, and now they have to stand by and do nothing
       while the Council makes the man who killed Fury Director? Well,
       at least it's a Council thing to do, putting murders in charge
       who can hardly even dress themselves each morning.
       Steve grits his teeth together, staring Tony down like a hawk.
       He knows there's a better way to handle all of this,a more calm,
       more collected and civilized way, but Steve's through being
       polite to Stark. It's time he heard the cold, hard truth, so he
       goes on. "I'm not trying to make you hide, Stark, you're already
       doing that very well on you're own. I'm trying to get you out
       there so you can do your damn job, because it is your job now,"
       he growls, but his voice is becoming more calm. "This has
       nothing to do with me anymore, Stark, so stop cowering behind
       your desk and do something about all of this." Steve takes a
       step closer to Stark, almost towering over him. "If you're going
       to be the Director then be the damn Director unless you're going
       to get someone else like Pepper to do it for you as always." He
       smirks at that, so close to Tony it felt as though if they got
       any closer, they'd burst into flames. "You're never going to
       earn anyone's respect unless you get up off your lazy ass,
       Stark, and do something right for once in your life."
       Once that is said, Steve steps back a little, turns, and leaves,
       making his strides long so he can get to the door faster,
       slamming it behind him. It's moments like these in which he
       wishes he could still get drunk, then again, he has already made
       enough stupid decisions in his life, and right now he just needs
       to go to a more quiet area or talk to Sharon and calm down
       because that-- that could have gone so much worse, and no matter
       how much he despises Stark, he plans on keeping his job. The
       Avengers were still all he really has, and he couldn't loose
       them, especially since they're growing. The Avengers were his
       family... minus a few members. Well, just one in
       particular.[/center]
       #Post#: 1787--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 17, 2013, 7:51 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• T O N Y •}
       [shadow=#999999,left]"We create our own demons."[/shadow]
       [size=10pt]The door slams, and Tony flinches, a bit numb to
       sensation. He had been fine -- or, he'd told himself that he
       was, until Steve mentioned Pepper. And he knew the remark was
       supposed to hit him somewhere else, but nothing could have cut
       as deep as just the thought of Pepper did at the moment. Because
       Pepper was -- still is -- his world, and it's only been five
       days since she left him, and the wound still hurts like it's
       fresh. He can't be angry about what Steve said, partly because
       it's all true, and partly because nothing he had said hurts him
       as badly as the thought of Pepper does, her face wrenched into
       anger and disgust, maybe even hate, those terrible sobs wrecking
       her voice.
       Bruce knows what happened, he's the only one that knows what
       happened, because it's been three years, and he can read Tony
       know, he knows when something's wrong, he knows what to ask. So
       Tony had told him -- told him how Pepper left, how she screamed
       at him, slapped him, choked on her words when she told him that
       she never wanted to see him again. And Tony had told him about
       afterwards, too; Happy quitting, Rhodey walking out like he's
       never been more disappointed. They had all had that same look of
       disgust on their faces, and Tony doesn't know what that means
       for him anymore -- if the people he's known for years, known far
       before the Avengers, hate him now, who else is there?
       Steve's words shouldn't matter, because he's already thought
       them about himself a thousand time's over. But somehow, they
       make him feel even more lonely -- and Tony knows that his only
       company for a while is going to be the paperwork on the floor,
       scattered about like his own aimless thoughts.[/center]
       #Post#: 1791--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: MagicNightStar Date: October 18, 2013, 3:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• S T E V E •}
       [shadow=#B6B6B4,left]"I'm loyal to nothing... except the
       Dream."[/shadow][/center]
       [center]Steve storms through the halls, an imaginary weight upon
       his shoulders that he can't explain. Does he feel bad for what
       he said to Tony, or is it something else? Surely it has to be
       something else, because Steve told told Tony the truth and what
       he needed to hear, and there's nothing wrong with being honest
       in a situation like this. Besides, Steve's said... far more
       worse things to Tony and came out feeling perfectly fine. Maybe
       it has something to do with Fury. Ever since his friend died,
       Steve felt a little cut-off from everyone and different, staring
       off into space, feeling like there's a huge hole in his chest
       that can't be replaced. Fury had helped him into this new time
       and world, teaching him new things and always giving him the
       respect and encouragement he deserved, and now he's just...
       gone.
       Steve looks up and sees Sharon walking slow down the other end
       of the hall, SHIELD uniform on, clipboard in her hands. He
       approaches her and she looks up, smiling slightly as their eyes
       met. "I need to talk to you," he says, voice low. She frowns and
       glances down at the paper on her clipboard before looking back
       up at him, concern in her eyes. She nods, not saying a word as
       she gently takes his arm and leads him into an empty room,
       shutting the door behind him and letting him go.
       "What's wrong?" she asks, setting her clipboard down and leaning
       against the desk, watching Steve's every move.
       Steve laughs a little darkly, taking a step closer to her.
       "Would you believe me if I said everything?"
       "You know I would," Sharon replies, always quick to answer. She
       looks down at her feet and then back at Steve, pushing her
       blonde hair behind her ears. "You haven't been yourself lately,
       Steve, and I'm sure everyone has noticed. You've been this way
       ever since Fury died. I know he meant a lot to you, Steve, he
       meant a lot to all of us, but it's time you--"
       "--Moved on," Steve finishes for her, turning his head away.
       "You know I'm very good at moving on, but this time's different.
       Stark's different. He started all this mess when I knew right
       from the start it should have been stopped!" His voice was
       rising now, and Sharon's brow furrowed.
       "Stark's a selfish fool. He's not fit for the job of Director,
       and we're not the only ones who think this." Sharon pushes
       herself away from the desk, moving over to Steve and wrapping
       her arms around his torso. "There's nothing we can do about
       this, Steve. The Council chose Stark, probably because they know
       the destruction he can cause, and all we can do is try to gather
       up more people against him."
       Steve turns back to look at Sharon, frowning with dislike. "I'm
       not trying to start another war, Sharon. As much as I distrust
       and dislike Stark, if he's going to leave, it needs to be of his
       own doing."
       "He's too much of an idiot to do that," Sharon says quietly and
       placing her head against his chest. Steve sighs, wrapping his
       arms around her in return and placing his chin on the top of her
       head, running a hand through her hair. Sometimes it was hard for
       them to agree with one another, but if there was one thing they
       could agree on, it's that Stark's not fit for his job and
       something needs to be done about it. However, none of this was
       really why he wanted to talk to Sharon in the first place, but
       she was warm and although they weren't exactly having a 'happy'
       moment, it's still a nice one, and Steve hates ruining moments.
       "Hey, can I tell you something?" he murmurs, staring out the
       window at the dark world.
       "Yes?"
       "The truth is is that I feel mostly responsible for all of
       this."
       Sharon pulls back a little at that, starring at him in
       disbelief. Steve pulls her back close again, though, sighing
       again. "I mean it. Right from the start I could see that this
       Ultron thing was a bad idea, and I could tell that Fury had his
       doubts too, and all it would've took was for me to tell him the
       truth and he would have called the operation off," he admits,
       wanting to try to get more off his chest today in hopes of
       feeling... something. Better, perhaps? "Those things were taking
       our jobs, Sharon, trying to create peace, but even I know that
       that will never happen during this lifetime. There's too much
       corruption in the world, even in us, and I should've known that
       Ultron was going to see that. I could've stopped it before it
       began."
       Sharon pulls her head back, wordlessly kissing his neck, sadness
       in her eyes and something else Steve couldn't read, as always.
       She never seemed to let Steve get a good read on her. "It's not
       your fault, Steve," she whispers gently, brushing some hair out
       of his face. "No one could've predicted all of this happening,
       not even you. Besides, it's too late now, and it's time we all
       started moving on and start focusing on what's at hand. Forget
       Stark, it's obvious that everyone has something to hold against
       him right now. You're not alone, and it's all going to work out
       in the end."
       Steve manages a smile, cupping one side of her face and stroking
       her cheek softly. She was right in the end, as usual, and Steve,
       as usual, takes her words to heart and decides to think about
       them often because, really, he needed those words from her. "I
       love you," he murmurs, kissing her slowly.[/center]
       #Post#: 1795--------------------------------------------------
       Re: You Turn the World Around
       By: TinyGoliath Date: October 19, 2013, 2:43 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [center]{• T O N Y •}
       [shadow=#999999,left]"We create our own demons."[/shadow]
       [size=10pt]Tuesday, May 12th
       Tony knows that SHIELD can't recover all the Ultron tech at
       once, but he wishes that it weren't so easy to put in the wrong
       hands -- he'd much rather be dealing with civilians trying to
       rob a bank instead of Hydra, who, after the detonation of the
       Ultrons, seems to be more determined than ever to kick up some
       dust. And Tony is trying, he's trying to keep himself together,
       but he's tired -- he's tired of the endless list of bag guys he
       has to fight and he's tired of being Director and he just
       doesn't know how to look like he cares anymore.
       He sends another goon flying, and, though it does nothing to
       relieve his frustration, they're disarmed, at least. Hydra seems
       to be picking up whatever pieces of Ultron are left, grabbing
       the parts from units that were already offline when the rest of
       them detonated. He's helping out Spider-Man, scaring off any
       strays or sneaks that try to tackle him from behind. Not too far
       away, Black Widow is fighting off a group by herself, that
       scary, intimidating fire in her eyes as she uses ones of their
       weapons like she's known how all her life.
       "Can we get some help over to Black Widow?" Tony says into the
       comm, trying to watch both fights at once. He blasts away
       another opponent that's getting too close to Peter, but keeps an
       eye on Natasha. She's doing fine on her own, but the group
       around her is only getting bigger, and they're closing in.
       "That won't be necessary, Director." She says the word like it's
       being forced, unwillingly, out of her mouth. She swipes the feet
       out from under three goons and shoots another back in one fluid
       motion. "I can take care of myself."
       And if that's what Natasha says, then Tony needs to believe her.
       He needs to focus on protecting Peter, teaching him the ropes,
       do as he's been told. Peter has promise, but he needs some
       practice. Natasha is skilled, she's fine, she doesn't need him.
       That's what he tells himself, anyways. He just wishes he could
       stop glancing over at her every five seconds.
       She's getting tired, says the voice in Tony's mind. She's
       outnumbered -- in over her head. And it appears that way, it
       really does. The crowd around her is thinning, but not fast
       enough, and she's been part of the Avengers since the beginning,
       and Tony knows she hates him but he can't lose her too, he's
       can't. So it only takes a tiny push. As worried as he is, it
       only takes losing sight of her for half a moment, that pushes
       him to go help.
       "Back in a flash, Pete," he says, trying to sound more relaxed
       than he is, and takes off, landing a square kick to a Hydra
       member's head as he sets foot back on the ground. Right as his
       feet touch, however, Natasha springs up, shoving at least five
       men off of her, unbidden fury in her eyes.
       "I told you I was fine!" she snaps at him, taking a step
       forward.
       "I was-- you didn't look fine," he argues, but he's already
       backing up, because he needs to get back to Peter, now. He was
       trying to help, and he just -- he just wants people to like him
       again.[/center]
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