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“You should watch Mean Girls,” Natasha said, face completely straight, from where she was leaning in the doorway with Clint. They both had a bottle of water in hand and were dressed in their SHIELD uniforms, clearly getting ready to go spar.
“No, no, no,” Sam said, standing in front of the couch and looking over the seated Steve and Bucky to glare at Natasha. “We have classics to get through. The old men here may have seen Star Wars by now, but I still have a list.” Bucky’s expression turned dark at the ‘old men’ slight, but Steve just rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
“Mean Girls is right up there with Star Wars,” Clint said, his lips turning upward before he even finished. “Really, you guys need to watch it,” he said to the two super soldiers.
Just as Sam went to argue, Bucky piped up. “Mean Girls it is.”
“I just said, not that one, man,” Sam said.
“That’s why we should watch it,” Bucky said, smirking up at Sam closer to a smile than Tony had ever seen him before. Tony didn’t fully understand their rivalry, but it was damn entertaining.
Instead of joining in like he normally would, Tony walked past the group. Today was the first day of Peter’s official internship, or rather his pre-Avengers training, and Tony had to go pick the kid up from the R&D floor.
When Tony found Peter, he was poking around in the box containing the last shipment of… well, of everything: debris from the attack on New York, leftovers from Ultron, confiscated inventions from Toomes, everything. And most of them were things that a teenager should probably not be touching.
“Come on, kid,” Tony said, effectively getting Peter’s attention and drawing him away from the box. “Change of plans. I’m giving you the tour before we head to the lab.”
“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter said as he came over. “I get a tour? Really? Thank you again, sir, for everything. The suit, the tour. I mean, I’m in the Avenger’s Compound, and just woah.” As he finished, Peter mimed an explosion by his head. Tony smirked. If the kid’s mind was blown just from the R&D lobby, then he was going to faint at the sight of the Avengers.
The elevator ride was short, even with Peter’s babbling, but he quieted down as soon as they stepped into the main living area.
“This is where we go for downtime,” Tony said as he walked them towards the couches.
“Oh my god, that’s Captain America,” Tony heard Peter mutter. Of course, his attention went straight for the national treasure. But then he surprised Tony by exclaiming, much louder, “You’re the guy with the arm!”
Bucky’s head whipped up.
Tony didn’t know every move Spider-Man made in Germany, and he wasn’t getting much clue from Bucky’s expressionless stare. They’d fought, but surely, they didn’t hold any grudges. If Tony was expected to get over things, then the others could too.
Sam broke the silence. “Hey, kid. Welcome to the compound.”
“Thanks, Mr. Falcon,” Peter, a smile breaking across his face. “This is so cool.”
Sam laughed, cutting off what Tony was sure would have been another bout of Peter’s rambling. “Sam’s fine. Just don’t go webbing us again.”
“Of course!” Peter said. “Sorry about that. And sorry about taking your shield, Mr. America. Captain. Captain America.”
“You can just call me Steve.”
Peter looked like he might pass out just from the thought. Tony doubted he’d ever actually call them by their first names--he still called Tony Mr. Stark after all--but being told to use their first names must have put him at ease because Peter then felt brave enough to approach Bucky.
“So, what is your arm made of? How’s it work?”
It was quick, but Tony caught Steve’s worried look to Bucky and knew it was time to move their tour along.
“Question and answer time later,” Tony said, putting his hand on Peter’s shoulder and steering him towards the kitchen. “The tour’s moving on.”
“Nice to meet you,” Peter called over his shoulder. “Great movie choice!”
“No, it’s not,” Sam called after them, and Tony had to stop himself from laughing at Peter’s confused face.
In the kitchen, they found Vision and Wanda cooking. From the looks of things, cooking was not one of Vision’s many talents.
“If you get hungry, help yourself to anything,” Tony said as he walked Peter through the kitchen. As he spoke, he stole a bite from the food in front of Vision and then immediately made a face. “Needs salt.”
“I told you,” Wanda said.
Before Vision could answer, Peter spoke up. “Hello, I’m Peter Parker.”
Wanda turned to him, her smile softening. “Hello, Peter. That is a lovely name.”
Peter started to blush and stutter, so Tony graciously helped him out. “Kid, you hungry?” Behind Vision’s back, he mouthed to Peter, ‘Avoid this,’ and pointed to Vision’s food. That got Peter laughing and focused again.
“Uh no thanks, Mr. Stark.”
“Alright, then on we go,” Tony said before leading them out again and back to the elevator. Their next stop was the training floor, where they found Nat and Clint.
“Wow,” Peter said as he watched them move. They were jumping, kicking, and rolling across the mats as they sparred.
“Eventually we’ll bring you here for sparring, but today is lab day. I just wanted to introduce you to the team,” Tony said. Peter watched him intently.
When Clint and Natasha took a break, they walked over to Tony and Peter.
“You joining us?” Clint asked. “Wouldn’t mind trying my hand against the spider-kid.”
“It’s Spider-Man,” Peter mumbled more than said.
“Alright, Spider-Man,” Natasha said, “Let’s see what you can do.”
“No, no,” Tony said as Peter looked up at him in panic. “I need his brain today, you can’t break him yet.”
“Yet?” Peter yelped.
“Aw you’re no fun,” Clint said as he started walking away. Natasha just smirked before she moved to join him.
Then, they made their way to the lab where Bruce was hunched over a desk.
“Brucie,” Tony called out, “I brought us some fresh eyes.”
Bruce looked up and smiled at Peter. “Hello, Peter, welcome to the lab.” The two had met another time, complete with Peter’s obsessing over Bruce’s work and Bruce being surprised Peter actually was interested in him, not the Hulk. It had been a good meeting.
Peter didn’t seem to have heard Bruce as he turned in slow circles around the room to take in every inch of the lab.
“You’re over here,” Tony said, getting Peter to focus on a desk near Bruce. Laid on it was a new version of the Spider-Man suit. He pulled up a holographic display of the suit’s inner workings and walked Peter through using the system. It didn’t take long for Peter to get the hang of it, and soon they were working through upgrades and improvements.
Slowly, Tony backed off so that Peter was the only one working, then he excused himself from the lab. He had some upgrades to make to FRIDAY’s security system, and he needed his personal lab for that.
His lab had its own floor—the last thing he wanted was complaints about his music or to accidentally send a piece of malfunctioning ironman armor through a wall and into one of Bruce’s experiments—and on his way there, Tony stopped by the main living area again.
Steve was still on the couch with Sam, but Bucky was gone and Rhodey had joined them. They’d also switched movies at some point to Die Hard.
“How’d Mean Girls go?” Tony asked as he paused behind the couch.
“It… wasn't my favorite,” Steve said, still trying to be polite even though Clint wasn't in the room. Did he even realize Natasha and Clint had suggested it as a joke?
“Oh no?” Tony asked, feigning surprise.
Sam snorted. “Barnes didn’t even make it to the end.”
“Where is he anyway?” Tony asked.
“Dunno,” Sam said. “Bathroom break?”
“He was here when we started Die Hard.” Rhodey said.
Steve looked worried at that. “Maybe I should go check on him.”
Tony shrugged. “Up to you, Spangles, but he’s a big boy. I’m sure he’s fine.” He didn’t bother to wait and see what Steve decided to do before he left to go to his lab.
His personal lab was quiet, or at least it was until he had FRIDAY start some music. That always helped him relax and get into the zone. He started upgrading the system, and the next thing he knew, it was hours later and the job was done. One push of a button had the upgrade pushing out to every computer in his lab and from there it would spread to the entire compound.
Except before it made it past his lab, there was a flash of light and everything went dark.
When Tony blinked his eyes back into focus, he wasn't in his lab anymore. He was in the living area, standing behind the couch that held Steve and Bucky. Sam was standing in front of them.
“You should watch Mean Girls,” Natasha’s voice came from somewhere to Tony’s right. He turned to find her leaning in the doorway with Clint. Dressed and positioned exactly as they had been that morning.
“No, no, no,” Sam said, just as adamantly as if he hadn’t argued against the same movie that morning. “We have classics to get through,” Same continued. “The old men here may have seen Star Wars by now, but I still have a list.”
Tony blinked. They’d had that same exact conversation just hours before. What was happening?
“Mean Girls is right up there with Star Wars,” Tony said at the same time as Clint.
“What?” Sam asked in some mix of horror and outrage. But Tony was too busy watching Clint’s brow furrow in confusion to care.
“What are you all playing at?” Tony asked as he looked between all of them.
“Stark?” Natasha asked, stepping closer.
“Didn’t this just happen?” Tony asked. “Am I crazy?”
“Yes, definitely,” Rhodey said as he walked into the room. “You’re also forgetting something. The kid’s waiting for you in R&D.”
“The kid?” Tony asked. “I already—whatever.” He’d go down to R&D and when Peter wasn't waiting, he’d ruin their joke.
Except, when he made his way down there, he saw Peter looking into the same box as before.
“True or false,” Tony called out to him, “You’ve been here before.”
Peter jumped to attention. “No, but thank you, Mr. Stark. This is amazing. Avenger’s Compound. Wow.”
Peter was in on it too? Or was there more to it than that? How had Tony moved from the lab to the living room?
Instead of a tour this time, Tony rushed Peter to the lab. Bruce was still at his desk. He greeted Peter in the same way. No one acted as though anything was wrong.
But it was. Everything was wrong.
Tony left Peter with Bruce and rushed to his own lab.
“FRIDAY,” he called as he stepped into the room. “What’s the time and day?”
“Saturday, April 27th. 12:12PM, Boss.”
That couldn't be right. It should have been night by then.
“Run a scan,” Tony ordered. “I want to know if anything weird is happening.”
A moment’s pause and then, “All systems operating as they should be, Boss. What am I looking for?”
“Any weird tech. Anything that could mess with time or my mind.”
“All technology in the compound accounted for and operating efficiently,” FRIDAY said. “My scans also indicate that you are in perfect health.”
Something was going on. What had he been doing when he saw that light? The updates. Maybe he’d made a mistake then.
Tony moved to the console and started the updates, being sure to be careful this time. He triple checked everything before moving on to the next step. And when he clicked the button to push the update out to the rest of the building, Tony winced.
But nothing happened.
There was no flash of light. No change in location. Nothing.
“Upgrade complete,” FRIDAY said.
Huh.
Tony stood and made his way out of the lab. He went back to the living room to find Sam, Steve, and Rhodey watching Die Hard, but no sign of Barnes.
“What’s everyone up to?” he asked the group.
“We’re on Die Hard,” Rhodey said. “Want to join us?”
“Uh no,” Tony said, hardly hearing the question. “You didn’t see anything?”
“What?” Steve asked, turning to face Tony more fully. Did Mr. Red, White, and Blue really have to sound so suspicious of him all the time?
“Nothing, nothing,” Tony said. “Just making sure everything’s normal.”
Rhodey sighed. “What’d you do, Tones?”
“Nothing. Wow, you’re so paranoid,” Tony said as he walked out of the room.
“Tones?” Rhodey called behind him. “Tony?”
On his way to the lab, he found Vision and Wanda stepping out of the elevator. They nodded as they passed him, but he stopped to talk.
“You guys notice anything?”
Vision stared at him like he was trying to calculate something before he finally said, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Anything odd today. Just anything,” Tony said.
They shared a look before Wanda shook her head, then Vision said, “No. Perhaps ask the others.”
“Thanks,” Tony said as he turned away. No luck there, but maybe Bruce had seen something.
In the lab, Peter was leaning over Bruce’s desk, asking him question after question about his work.
“Hey,” Tony said as he walked closer. “Has anything—”
A flash of light.
Then darkness.
Tony kept his eyes closed, just staying in the darkness as he heard Natasha’s voice to his right.
“You should watch Mean Girls.”
“No, no, no,” Sam’s voice answered. “We have classics to get through. The old men here may have seen Star Wars by now, but I still have a list.”
Tony blocked them out. He needed to think.
The updates weren’t the problem, but what else could be causing it?
“Don’t you have to get the kid?” Rhodey’s voice made its way to Tony’s consciousness and his eyes snapped open.
“On my way now,” Tony said before heading out. Forget a tour, he was dropping the kid off with Bruce again while he figured this out.
“Pete, come on,” Tony called as he waved Peter away from the box in R&D. “I need you to hang in the lab for a bit with Bruce. I have to make some calls.”
Peter’s eyes grew wide. “With The Hulk?” he asked.
“Yeah, come on,” Tony said as he rushed them to the lab. If the problem wasn't something he was doing at the compound, then maybe it was something that someone else was doing outside of the compound. He needed to talk to Rhodey.
“Bruce, I brought you an assistant,” Tony said as they entered the lab.
Bruce looked up. “I thought Peter was supposed to be working on his suit today.”
“Then set him up doing that,” Tony said with a wave of his hand. “I need to handle something, so I need you to watch the kid.”
“I don't need a babysitter,” Peter mumbled from somewhere behind him, but Tony ignored it.
“Have him help you, or have FRIDAY walk him through using his station. Whatever. Just keep him busy.”
“Busywork? Really?” Peter asked at the same time Bruce said, “Has something happened?”
“Maybe. I’ll talk to you about it later,” Tony said to Bruce before turning back to Peter. “Be good, kid. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Then he left, a confused, “Mr. Stark?” following him before he heard Bruce’s gentle murmurs.
They were still watching Mean Girls when Tony got back to the living room, and he didn’t waste a moment before he was grabbing Rhodey’s arm and trying to pull him from his seat.
“I’m borrowing you,” he said as a way of explanation.
“What? Hey,” Rhodey objected, but he let himself be led out. They went to Tony’s lab because he knew they would need some privacy and maybe direct access to FRIDAY.
“Want to explain what’s going on?” Rhodey asked once he was let go.
“I’m stuck in a time loop,” Tony said with no preamble.
Rhodey just stared. Tony’s not sure why he expected any other reaction.
“A time loop, Rhodey. Same few hours over and over and over again, and it’s just me. I’m the only one that remembers.”
“Like Groundhog Day?”
“Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, that one episode of Star Trek ,” Tony said as Rhodey lowered himself into a seat. “I’m Bill Murray and Mean Girls is my ‘I Got You Babe.’”
“What?”
Maybe Tony needed to explain a little better, but could anyone really blame him? He was on his third Saturday in a row and hadn’t gotten a lick of slip during any of them.
He forced himself to sit down and explain thoroughly what he’d been through the last couple of days. He told Rhodey about running scans and updating security and still ending up back in the living room after a few hours.
“And you’re sure it wasn't the update?”
Tony shook his head. “Ruled it out already. I was thinking that if it wasn’t me, then maybe there’s another mad scientist out there. I need you to make some calls and ask around.”
Rhodey looked dubious, but he still took out his phone and started to dial. Tony took his out too. It wasn't like Rhodey was his only contact in the government.
But after a lot of calls, threats, and exchanged favors, they still hadn’t found anything. No one was working on anything that could cause a time loop.
Tony sighed as he fell back into his chair. At some point he had started pacing. He wasn't sure when.
“Why wouldn't it affect you?” Rhodey asked, causing Tony’s head to pop back up as he stared at him. “Why are you the only one that can remember?”
That was a good question, and one of the first things Tony wondered too. It was part of why he’d suspected the updates first.
“During the first loop,” Tony began, “I was in here.” He gestured around to his lab, the counters shined innocently, but he knew the piles of projects littered around had the potential to be dangerous. “This room was the first to have the security updated. Maybe that was enough to protect me from the loop. Or maybe whatever is affecting time had a weird reaction to one of my experiments.” He shrugged. “All I know is I was alone when the loop started, and I’m the only one that can remember.”
Rhodey looked thoughtful, and Tony gave him his space to think. He looked around his lab wondering what in the room could be causing the loop, but nothing came to mind.
“So it has to be something in the compound,” Rhodey said, capturing Tony’s attention again. “What’s new around here, Tones? There must be something that was added recently, maybe even today, that could be doing something.”
The answer came instantly. What was the newest addition to the compound? “Barnes.”
Rhodey shrugged. “Then we talk to him.”
What could Bucky have done? Did he bring something into the compound? Was some part of him still brainwashed and trying to sabotage them? Had he messed with something without meaning to?
When they made it back to the living room, it was to see Sam and Steve watching the movie alone.
“Where’s Barnes?” Rhodey asked.
“Dunno,” Sam said as he turned to them. “Bathroom break?”
Steve looked as though he were about to get up. “Maybe I’ll go check on him.”
Tony shook his head and put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, holding him in place. “Don't worry, Cap, I got this.”
“You?” Steve asked, not looking like he believed him at all. Fair enough since they probably expected Tony to take any chance he could to attack Barnes again. But he wouldn't this time. He was still angry, sure, but he’d promised to try to be understanding and work on things. And he would. If Barnes wasn't messing with time.
“I’ll show him how to talk to FRIDAY in case he gets lost,” Tony said as he started to walk away. “The struggles of allowing so many old men into my building. They don’t even know how to use a touch screen. So sad.”
He heard Sam snort as he turned into the hallway. Hopefully that bought him enough time to properly interrogate Bucky. Why did he need to leave so many times during a movie marathon anyway? He should be settling into the compound, not wandering off without explanation.
He was almost to Bucky’s quarters when he realized the super soldier hadn’t even made it all the way there. Bucky was squatting in the hallway, his back to the wall and head in his hands.
That was not what Tony had been expecting to find.
“You okay, Barnes?” Tony asked as he approached him. Barnes sprang up, as though he’d been tense and ready to move at any moment and turned to face Tony.
“I’m fine.”
“Uh huh,” Tony said, not believing him. “Just not liking the movie?”
Bucky looked between Tony and the hallway behind him, but not as though he were thinking of running, more like he was trying to see the living room despite how far away they were. Or maybe he was checking to see if anyone else were with them because his voice was low when he answered.
“It was a little loud.”
He’d left because the movie was loud? Why not just ask to lower it? But then Tony thought back to what was playing: Die Hard. Maybe a movie with shooting and fighting wasn't the best film for a recovering soldier. He winced. He’d been ready to accuse Bucky of deception and the man was just dealing with anxiety. Tony knew how that felt.
“Alright,” Tony said, “I can see that. How about you take a breath, take a minute—maybe five—and then come back? We’ll tell them we’re changing the movie. Have you seen Due Date yet? I’ve heard it’s hilarious. Or Harry Potter? That’s a classic. Must watch.”
With each word, Bucky’s expression grew more and more closed off. Maybe a flippant attitude and an excuse to move past the moment of weakness weren’t what Bucky needed. But before Tony could backtrack, there was a flash of light.
And then darkness.
“You should watch Mean Girls,” Natasha said, right on cue.
“How about Groundhog Day ?” Tony asked, breaking the script. “I’m not a huge fan of time travel, but I’m feeling very Groundhog Day today.”
Steve looked up, a small smile growing on his face. “Are you joining us?”
“No,” Tony said just as Rhodey walked in. “Rhodey, I need a favor.”
“When don't you?”
“I need you to pick the kid up for me,” Tony said, ignoring him. “Take Spiderling to the lab and have Bruce watch him.”
Rhodey didn't look impressed by the favor at all. “You’re supposed to be watching the kid, not pawning him off.”
“I will,” Tony reassured. “I just need to steal Barnes for a few minutes first.”
“Bucky?” Steve asked looking far more concerned than hopeful then. “What do you mean you need to steal him?”
“Not steal—You’ll get him back,” Tony said. “Borrow. I need to borrow Bucky just for a little bit. I want to show him something cool in the lab.”
Steve and Bucky shared a look before Steve started standing. “Maybe I should come.”
Tony rolled his eyes, practically rolled his whole head on his neck just to make sure Steve saw it. “For Pete’s sake. How are we ever going to plan your surprise birthday present? I mean, the fourth of July is right around the corner.”
“Tony.” Steve never appreciated his humor.
Tony sighed, long and loud and long-suffering, before turning to Bucky. “What about you, Buckcicle?” Tony paused to make a face. That didn’t have nearly the same ring to it as Capcicle did. “Do you trust me enough not to ambush you as soon as we’re out of sight?”
Bucky looked him over before waving Steve off. “It’s fine. I’ll go.”
“Great,” Tony said before he led the way out of the room. He called over his shoulder, “Don’t forget the kid, Rhodes!”
Then it was just Tony and Bucky in the hallway. Which was awkward. Why did he think this was a good idea? Oh right, because he was trying to be helpful and nice and extend an olive branch. And maybe because he felt a little guilty about blaming him before.
“So, what’s this about?” Bucky asked, cutting into Tony’s thoughts.
He was about to say something flippant when he remembered their last conversation. Maybe honestly was a better policy.
“I have to upgrade the security settings for the compound. I thought you might want to help.”
Bucky gave him a curious look but didn't add anything else. They walked in silence the rest of the way. Nice and awkward. But Tony hoped that by the end of the day—if it didn’t restart—that things between them might be a little better.
“This is FRIDAY,” Tony said as he pulled up a hologram of FRIDAY’s programing. “We’re going to upgrade her.”
Bucky looked at the image, walking around it as though to study it. Overall, he was taking AIs and future tech much better than Steve did. “How do we do that?”
Tony walked over to a console, motioning for Bucky to follow him. He pulled up the program he’d created for the update and told it to run.
“It’s pretty self-sustaining,” he explained as numbers flew across the screen. “But it needs someone to monitor it as it’s going. Someone needs to look into all the files and check that it’s updating successfully, that no corners are being left unmanned as it were. That’s where I thought an extra set of eyes could come in.”
“Alright,” Bucky said slowly.
So far so good. Tony started showing him what to do. It was simple—all the difficult coding done already—so it should be doable even for Bucky. Once he got the hang of it enough for Tony to back off and let him try, Tony switched tactics.
“I love working in my lab,” he said. “It’s quiet and secluded, and it’s easy to lose yourself in the work. Relaxing, you know?”
“This isn’t relaxing,” Bucky suddenly erupted. He pushed himself away from the desk. “It’s frustrating. It’s just—” Bucky cut off and took a deep breath. “I need a break.”
“Uh sure,” Tony said as he watched him storm out of the lab. Well, that didn't go well. Movies were too loud, quiet work in the lab was frustrating, what did Bucky want?
There’d be time to ponder that later. First, Tony had to finish the update and then check on his intern.
Peter would be fine with Bruce, Tony was sure, so he was unsurprised to find them in the same position as before, with Peter watching Bruce work.
Bruce’s work… Could that be what was causing the time loops?
“Bruce,” Tony called out as he walked over. “What are you working—”
Before he could finish, there was a flash of light and then everything went dark.
“You should watch—”
“Nat,” Tony said, cutting her off. She didn't look happy about that, but he didn't really care. “I need you to do me a favor. You and Clint.”
“Why would we do that?” Clint asked.
“Find Spider-Man in R&D,” Tony said, ignoring his question. “Take him to train with you. The kid could use some help with his punches.”
They exchanged a look. One that Tony read as them agreeing with him but not liking the way he asked. Too bad. He needed some alone time with Bruce.
“Thanks,” he called out before they could say anything and then made his way to the lab.
Bruce was hunched over his work station, just as he had been every other time Tony had come into the lab. What was he working on? Why had Tony never thought to ask?
“Hey, Bruce,” Tony said as casually as he could while pulling a chair over and joining him.
“Tony?” Bruce asked. “I thought you were working with Peter today.”
Tony brushed the question off. “He’s fine. Clint and Nat are training him. So—”
Bruce cut him off, looking at him with wide eyes. “You left him with Clint and Nat?”
“He’s fine,” Tony repeated. “They’re just training him a bit.”
Bruce looked that that made it worse, but Tony had bigger worries. He looked down at the numbers and figures that covered Bruce’s desk.
“What are you working on?”
Bruce was still eyeing him warily, but he didn't object to things too often, and he didn't fight Tony on this. “Actually, I’m analyzing that blood sample that we took from Peter. I thought I could go over it with him if he stopped by the lab today.”
That would explain why he’d been so interested in Bruce’s work when Tony had left him there. Not that Peter wouldn’t listen to Bruce explain just about anything.
But it didn't explain the time loop.
“He’ll like that,” Tony said distractedly. “Is that all? Are you working on anything else?” He didn't wait before reaching out and grabbing the tablet that sat in front of Bruce. There had to be something else that explained everything.
“Not all of us multitask,” Bruce said, but Tony wasn't really listening. He was browsing through all of Bruce’s files. One after another, Tony searched them all, but he was easily able to rule out each one. Nothing in Bruce’s files could explain the time loop.
“You okay?” Bruce asked.
Tony had put the tablet down, sat back, and covered his face with his hands. A very large part of him wanted to scream.
Instead, he scrubbed his hands over his face before letting them fall. “Yeah,” he said, “I’m fine.”
He stood. And he knew Bruce was watching him warily as he left, but he couldn't care. He’d really thought this would be it, but he was back to square one.
Where could he go from there? What other explanation could there be?
Tony let his thoughts wander, thinking of any and all factors that could have caused the time loop, and growing more frustrated with every minute.
Then, in a hallway not far from the living quarters—when and why had Tony walked there?—he found Bucky sitting in the hallway again.
Not surprising since Tony hadn’t done anything to change his timeline.
He sighed and sat next to the former soldier. Unlike Bucky, he wasn’t squatting. Tony sat down right on the floor, stretched his legs out, and leaned back against the wall, letting his head tip back so he could stare up at nothing.
Bucky looked at him but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, he sat down too, mirroring Tony’s pose.
“It’s been a day,” Tony said.
Bucky nodded. After a moment, he added, “It feels like we should be at a bar.” And Tony almost laughed at the image. They really did sound like they should be sitting at a bar with drinks in their hands and getting ready to tell a bartender their troubles.
“Drinks are in the—” lab Tony was about to say, but he remembered how well a trip to the lab went last time. “Never mind. What’s got you down?”
Bucky waved vaguely around. “Everything.”
“Everything,” Tony repeated. “And I just have a problem that I can’t solve.” Understatement of the year, but it wasn't like he was about to pile all of his time loop problems onto Bucky.
He was quiet a moment before he answered. “Need help?”
Did he need help? Yes. Was there anything anyone could do to help him? Probably not.
“Thanks,” Tony said. “But I’ll figure it out.”
Bucky nodded and they lapsed into silence again. It was oddly nice to just sit with someone. It was odd that the person he’d be taking comfort from was a person he’d once been angry enough to try to kill, someone that he hadn’t even tried to muster up goodwill towards until recently.
“It’s a lot.” Bucky’s voice broke the silence and brought Tony’s attention away from his thoughts. “Just all the—” he waved his hand, like he was trying to gesture at whatever he was talking about, “—the everything.” He cut off with a grunt, seemingly frustrated at his inability to find the right words. Tony was about to tell him not to worry about it, that he didn't need to explain if he didn't want to, when Bucky continued. “I’m having some trouble coping with waking up in the twenty-first century.”
“I bet,” Tony said and then felt like an ass. What was he supposed to say though? It wasn't like he could empathize, and every time he’d tried to reach out so far, he’d just made Bucky more upset.
Before he could think of anything else to say, there was a flash of light. Then darkness.
“You should watch—”
CRASH!
All eyes turned to Tony, but he didn't care. He’d throw a dozen more things if he felt like it. Part of him did feel like it.
“What the hell, man?” Sam asked.
What the hell? Tony had been stuck in hell. The same hours over and over again with no sign of stopping. He clenched his fist, but then actively made himself release it. All of him was tense. He was tense, frustrated, angry, ready to scream. But that wouldn't help. He needed to be calm to think of a solution.
He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes. When had he squeezed them shut?
“Sorry,” he said, but his voice sounded wrong. Too rough. Too terse. He shook his head. He wished he could shake it all away: his mood, the day, the nightmare. “I’ve got to go get the kid,” he said because that’s how the day always started. He got Peter, and then he tried to solve the time loop. And then he failed. Over and over and over again.
“I’ll get him,” Vision said before Tony could take a step. When had he joined them? Tony looked around to see that Wanda and Vision had both come from the kitchen, probably because of the noise. Everyone was still staring at him. Great. Fantastic.
He didn't say anything to Vision, but Vision didn't need him to. He’d already started floating out of the room. Tony, on the other hand, moved further into the room. He felt heavy in the same way that Vision looked light and weightless. Every step felt like he had weights tied to his limbs and he was wading through molasses. When he sat, he flopped into an armchair by the couch. He didn't look at the others, just hung his head and buried his face in his hands. He was so tired.
“Are you okay?” Steve asked, voice hesitant, like he wasn't sure speaking was the right move at all, or as if he thought too loud a noise might set Tony off. Maybe it would.
Tony shook his head without lifting it out of his hands. No, he wasn't alright. No, there wasn't anything they could do to help. No. Just no.
He moved his palms enough to uncover his mouth. “I’m in a time loop,” he said. Not that it would matter what he told them.
“Like Groundhog Day?” Sam asked. Of course, his voice was incredulous. Of course, he didn't believe him.
Tony finally raised his head. Steve and Bucky clearly had no idea what Sam was talking about. Tony didn't feel like explaining. It wouldn't help.
“Yeah,” he said as he stood. Then, without another word, he started making his way to his lab.
“Wait, Tony,” Steve’s voice stopped him before he could leave. “Do you think you should be alone?”
He laughed. How much more alone could he get?
“I’m a big boy, Steve. I’ll be fine,” Tony said, and then he left before anyone could try to stop him again.
He didn’t know what he could do in the lab—there wasn't much to do—but he had to try something. So, he ran scans, scan after scan of the building, the streets nearby, the whole damn city. But there was nothing.
Still, he kept at it until he saw a flash of light. And as Tony fell into darkness, he thought, “Fuck it.”
“You should watch Mean Girls.”
“No,” Tony said before Sam could answer. “I have the perfect video for you to watch.”
“You do?” Steve asked, a weird mix of hopeful and cautious.
“I do, Cap,” Tony said, “because we’re at the montage part of my movie. The part where I stop giving a damn and goof off because there’s no consequences.”
“There are always consequences,” Steve said, because he’s Mr. Perfect so of course he had to take the moral high ground. Tony rolled his eyes.
“Don't worry about it,” he said as he joined Steve and Bucky on the couch. “Everyone gather around,” he called out. “Peter told me about some lovely videos they play at his school and I had FRIDAY track them down ages ago. It’s time to share.”
And with that, he introduced the Avengers to recordings Captain America made for high schools all over the nation. Steve hated it. Part of Tony did too, but he needed a laugh and it wasn’t like they’d remember any of it in a few hours anyway.
“FRIDAY, now!” Tony called, surprising the heroes assembled in the living room. Before they could react, there were Iron Man suits flying in from all directions and covering all of them.
Tony laughed.
“Since this is my building, I think you should all be Me-themed,” he said to a very enthusiastic audience. They just didn't appreciate his humor.
But they looked good dressed completely as Iron Man. Well, for the most part. “It’s a shame it blocks America’s Ass,” he mused as he watched Steve. It was even more of a shame that he couldn't see if that made Steve blush through the helmet.
“Hello, spies,” Tony said as he walked by Natasha and Clint. He patted them each on the shoulder, planting a small device on their backs.
He’d been meaning to try his new invention out, and what better test than a prank?
“What? Stark!” being called out behind him let Tony know it worked. He turned to see Natasha and Clint’s SHIELD uniforms changed from black to a bright, colorful tie-dye.
Perfect, he thought as he laughed and walked away.
“I don't know about this.”
“Oh, calm down, Spangles. It’s all just good fun,” Tony said as settled Peter in the chair across from Bucky.
“Yeah, I don't mind,” Bucky said, “unless Pete does.”
Peter looked up at him, startled. “Are you kidding? This is amazing!”
Bucky smiled, one of the first Tony had ever seen him wear.
“See?” Tony asked Steve, “Everyone’s having fun.”
An arm-wrestling match between the kid that could easily lift a truck and the man with the metal arm. Why hadn’t Tony thought of it before?
“Alright, ready?” He asked them and got a nod from both contestants. They were surrounded by the other heroes, all taking sides—and Tony suspected, placing bets. “Start!”
The match didn't last long. There was a few seconds of struggle, their arms moving slightly back and forth as their friends around them cheered them on.
Then, with a grunt of effort, Peter slammed his hand down on top of Bucky’s. There were some more cheers and some groans, but Bucky didn't look discouraged. He offered his flesh hand to Peter to shake.
“Good job, kid,” he said. And as Peter beamed at him, and then at Tony, Tony pulled out a wad of cash to pass to him. He hadn’t been immune to betting himself, and Peter deserved his cut.
For the first time in a few loops, Tony went to where he knew Bucky would be taking some time for himself.
“Barnes, I got you something,” he called out cheerfully as he approached. Bucky’s head snapped up to stare at Tony as he walked down the hallway with a plush bunny that was so large its ears brushed the ceiling.
Bucky looked at him like he was crazy before he jumped up and stomped off.
“Wait! Giant plushies fix everything!” Tony called after him. No reaction.
Why didn't anyone ever appreciate his gifts?
From the start of one loop, Tony decided to watch the monitors in his lab. Maybe if he watched them from beginning to end, he’d see some difference.
He didn't have much hope when he settled into his seat and propped his feet up on the desk. But he’d only been there for a minute when there was a sudden spike in energy.
Tony’s feet slammed back onto the ground.
“FRIDAY, what was that.”
Video footage of the R&D lobby came on screen immediately. It was Peter, putting a round device back into the box.
Peter. Tony hadn’t considered Peter.
He got up and made his way back to the living room but was stopped by Rhodey before he got there.
“Tones,” he said, “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been excited to show the kid around the compound for days, but this morning, instead of going to get him, you ran straight for your lab. Locked yourself away like you could have any other day of the week.”
He’d wanted to start monitoring things right away, so as soon as the loop had started, he’d sprinted for his lab without a word to the others. In hindsight, he could see why that would be alarming.
Time for damage control. He put his hand on Rhodey’s shoulder. “I'm fine. Or I will be. I just need one more trial run, okay?”
“What? Trial for what? What are you testing?”
Oh well, maybe he wasn't so great at comforting, but at least Rhodey wouldn't even remember that he was worried in a few hours.
“Don't worry about it,” Tony said as he started walking away. “Oh and pick the kid up for me. Send him to Bruce in the lab.”
When he got to the living room, Steve, Sam, and Bucky were all still watching Mean Girls. Of course, they were; he’d only been gone a few minutes.
Steve was the first to look up and see him. “Hey, Tony. Are you joining us?”
“Don't mind if I do,” he said as he took the empty arm chair. It wouldn't take long, he knew, for Bucky to excuse himself. They’d told him in other loops that he hadn’t made it through even half of the movie. And he was right. Before the movie ended, Bucky was leaving, and a few minutes after that, Tony did too.
Tony found him in his room, sitting on the end of the bed with the door open and looking just as forlorn and lost as when he’d been in the hallway, and didn't ask before sitting down right next to him.
“You know,” Tony said without preamble, “it took Steve a long time to settle into the future. I don't just mean that he still can’t work a smartphone. It’s that billboards are brighter, buildings are taller, and everyone’s talking about things that make you feel like a fish out of water. More than that, people have changed. For better or worse, we don't act the same as we did in the ‘40s. It’s a lot. A lot of change. I get that.”
Bucky had started by watching him but had looked down at the ground again before Tony had finished. At least he didn't look angry this time.
“I didn't sleep for decades,” Bucky said, voice quiet. “I’m not like Steve. I didn’t just wake up somewhere new. I remember those years now. I remember where I was and what I was doing. It’s not like waking up somewhere new, it’s like waking up from a nightmare and knowing that you lived all of those memories.” Bucky looked up at him then. “I remember who I was, and I don’t want to be that person anymore.”
How hard must that have been to say to Tony, the man who had vilified him for those past actions not too long ago. If they’d had this discussion a week, or even a day, earlier, Tony would probably still be ready to blame Bucky. But he couldn't do that now.
“You aren’t,” Tony said. Wakanda had changed Bucky, even Tony could see that. “You’re fixed now.”
Bucky shook his head and let his gaze settle on some point on the wall in front of them. “Until someone breaks me again,” he said before standing and leaving a dumbstruck Tony behind.
All in all, the conversation hadn’t gone as badly as it could have, and it gave Tony something to think about in his next, and hopefully final, loop.
He didn't bother with words or pit stops this time. Tony raced straight for Peter as soon as the loop started and stopped him from touching anything in the box in R&D.
“Mr. Stark, what--?” Peter asked as Tony grabbed his wrist.
“Best leave that alone, kid,” Tony said before letting Peter go. Nothing was glowing or moving or doing anything that indicated they’d been turned on, so Tony figured he was safe. He’d double check with FRIDAY once he got to the lab.
He led Peter down to the lab, skipping the tour this time, and got him set up at his own work station. Just like in his first run of the day, Tony took his time teaching Peter how to use the system before backing off and letting him work on his suit himself.
“Bruce,” Tony said once Peter was ready. “I have to go take care of something. When you two want a break, mind taking the kid on a tour?”
“A tour?” Peter piped up, clearly excited at the chance to meet more Avengers.
“Yeah, no problem,” Bruce said, waving Tony away.
That was all he needed. Tony made his way to his own lab, where he checked that there hadn’t been an energy spike that morning—there hadn’t. Then he sat down to work on another project. He didn't have much time, but Tony had always worked best under pressure. And in a few hours he was holding a small piece of metal in his hand and was wandering the hallways of the living quarters to find a wayward Bucky Barnes.
It wasn't hard to find him—Tony had made the trek too many times by then—and he sat down with ease next to him, not words wasted on small talk at all.
“I spent a lot of my past not being in control of my actions or completely aware,” Tony said, catching Bucky’s attention. “But it was my choice to drink that much or let myself go to that extent. I can’t imagine how it’d feel to have someone else make my choices.” He paused to open his hand and show his newest invention to Bucky.
It was a small silver ear cuff. It was simple and unassuming. Didn't require piercings or anything that might inconvenience the wearer. Tony held it between his thumb and index finger as he said, “I’ve been thinking. No one should have to live with that fear. So, here you go. Just call this little beauty ‘Peace of Mind.’ Clip it on your ear and no one is going to be able to get in your head again. It emits a low sound that you won’t be able to hear, but it’ll disrupt any brainwashing hypnosis enough to let you think clearly.”
As he finished, Tony held the ear cuff out to Bucky who hesitated before he slowly reached out and took it. Tony didn't want to hear what he said in response. He’d messed up too many times already and didn't want to know if he’d done it again.
So he stood and stretched before saying, “I’m going to go watch the sun set. I haven’t seen the night sky in a while.” How nice would it be to watch time pass, to finally see the day end? He couldn't wait.
Without another word, he walked away and left Bucky to his thoughts.
He knew he’d have to explain the situation to everyone—a time loop wasn't the sort of thing that should be kept secret from your team—but he didn't want to field any questions or doubts. So Tony waited until he was on the roof, until the sun had started to set and he knew for sure that he wasn't going to see a flash of light and blink his eyes open to find himself reliving the morning.
Then, with the setting sun behind him, Tony held up his tablet and recorded a video. He explained what he’d lived through, that he solved it and would make sure it didn't happen again, and that he just needed some time alone for a bit. That he’d talk to them all tomorrow, and he was indescribably happy to be able to say that and actually mean it. He set the recording to play on all the screens in the compound that he knew his friends would be near: the living room, living quarters, laboratories, etc.
He stayed on the roof watching the sunset until the sky was dark enough that he could see the first sign of stars. Odd how you never appreciate a good view until you don't get to see it for weeks. Especially when you start to wonder if you’ll ever see it again at all.
The door opened, drawing Tony’s attention. It was Bucky. Huh. He’d never searched Tony out before. But there he was, silently making his way across the roof and sitting next to Tony. He was wearing the ear cuff.
Tony was about to say ‘nice night’ or something resembling the small talk he’d skipped earlier, when Bucky started talking.
“For decades, I was unfrozen, sent on a mission, then frozen again. No end in sight and no control,” Bucky shifted his gaze from the stars to Tony. “I know what it’s like to be stuck in a loop. It’s frustrating, aggravating, awful.” He paused, stuck on a memory until he gave his head a small shake. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
He must not have messed up this time if Bucky was offering to help him back. And Tony found that he was inclined to let him. He didn't want to talk to the others about what happened, but he didn't mind the idea of a chance to talk to Bucky again, preferably not on the floor of the hallway.
“Thanks,” Tony said before turning his gaze back on the stars and feigning nonchalance. “Have you been to Smorgasburg, yet? Largest open-air food market in the world. They’ve got one in Brooklyn. We’ll go and you can give me a tour of your old neighborhood. It’s got to be better than Steve’s tour: ‘I got beat up there, and there, and there.’”
Bucky’s laugh cut off Tony’s impersonation of Steve. Probably a good thing since he’d been rambling.
“Sounds about right,” he said, still laughing. “So Smorgasburg?”
“Smorgasburg,” Tony said with a nod. “We’ll go next Saturday. It'll be fun.”
“Good,” Bucky said, a small smile on his face as he looked back up at the stars.
“Good,” Tony echoed him. He let himself look at Bucky for a little longer before he looked up to the sky too.
This last day? He’d done things right.