Because I could not stop for Death; he kindly stopped for me.

by WillJ

Summary:

This is Tony Stark, saying no.

Notes:

Any political statements made within this story do NOT reflect the opinions of this author.

Clint strode into the room like he had won something. Perhaps he had, after all, the Accords Committee had contacted them, via T’Challa, and were interested in making some concessions.

Though it took them three years, they still had caved...just like Steve had sworn to them when they had landed in Wakanda so many years ago.

What made it so delicious was the fact that they had been proven right and that complete fuck up--Tony Stark--had been proven so hilariously wrong! And Steve had insisted that Stark be at the signing, so that they could rub his nose in his shit…

His eyes fell on Stark’s bearded face, and he couldn’t control the vicious smirk that played on his face. Things were going to change once they were back.

Oh, times be a-changing!

 

“No,” Tony spoke calmly, barely raising his voice or diverting his attention from his phone. At the silence, he glanced up, a feigned look of confusion on his face. “Do you need me to speak it in a different language? Maybe Russian?” A not-so-subtle jab at Captain Spangle-pants murderous BFF. Unconcerned, he watched Rogers' face darken.

“If I don’t have access and/or override codes to your lab, I’m not signing.” Steve’s voice was just as calm, but his temper showed in his snapping blue eyes.

“Yeah, we just wanna make sure you’re not creating any more Ultrons.” Clint leaned back in his chair, the picture of unconcerned nonchalance. However, the malicious sparkle in his eyes told a different story.

At Steve’s statement, Tony’s brows rose. Then he stood up, buttoning his jacket. “Well, I guess that’s that, then,” he said in a much more chipper voice.

In the charged silence that filled the room, more than one set of eyes blinked confusedly at him. “Honey-bear, you ready to blow this popsicle joint? I last visited this awesome restaurant last time I was in London's West End.”

Rhodey and Tony both ignored the ScAvenger’s look of uncertainty. It wasn’t their problem or concern...not anymore. “Don’t know why we had to come in the first place for these fuckin’ assholes,” Rhodey muttered, his tone unusually vicious.

His movements as he got to his feet looked easy and entirely natural. It left the others gaping as they had remembered hearing the Air Force colonel’s injury had been permanent, that he would never walk again.

Another lie.

Steve looked patently disappointed at another example of Stark keeping things to himself.

“Dr. Stark, you promised,” Ross snapped harshly, his grey-blue eyes colder than the Baltic Sea in winter.

Tony glanced at the short blonde. There was no sympathy on either his face or eyes. “And I told you that when any one of them started talking bullshit that I was walking. I told you what I considered non-negotiable. Demanding access to my lab and having the override codes to the Compound’s computer system is something I’m not even going to entertain. They’re lucky I’m not laughing.”

Natasha sighed like a parent thoroughly weary of dealing with their fractious child. “Tony, is your ego seriously that big that you can’t even compromise? It’s petty that you don’t want us to even be comfortable in the Compound?”

Slowly, Tony turned to her, his brows raised. “And what does having the override codes to FRIDAY and access to my lab have to do with my ego? Exactly how does this make me petty? Was that what you called me?”

An imperceptible frown pulled lightly at Natasha’s brows. Her eyes were calculating, watching Stark. He was not acting in his usual, placating manner. Her statement should have induced panic in him to concede to her demands.

“Because you are a fuck-up.” Wanda’s voice was harsh and vicious. She couldn’t remain silent any longer. “And we do not trust you not to do something foolish.” She looked arrogantly sure of herself.

“And you’re still a little bitch,” Tony retorted calmly, his eyes contemptuously amused. “But what else is new?”

Wanda’s jaw dropped, her eyes rounding in shock before they narrowed in sudden rage. Her powers manifested, wrapping around her like snakes.

“Tony!” Steve shot to his feet, allowing his anger to bleed to his face as he glared at the unconcern on Stark’s face. “She’s just a kid! Apologize!”

Rhodey barked out a harsh laugh. “That’ll be a cold day in hell,” he remarked with savage finality.

Tony jerked his thumb towards Rhodey. “Yeah, what he said.” Then he looked at the discomforted Accords members. “Are we done yet? Mmmm’k, bye.”

Turning a look of disinterest on the ScAvengers, he said to them, “Hope you find a place to stay because you are not staying in the Compound until you sign the Accords along with all the Amendments.” Sardonic amusement filled his face. “After all, you’re the ones who requested the changes.” With that, he and Rhodey calmly strode from the room, discussing which restaurant had the best pizza.

Ross turned his cold, intimidating gaze on the others. His fury was evident. All they had to do was shut the fuck up.

Steve was the first to break the silence. “Are you going to let him walk out, just like that?” His voice was incredulous. It was clear he was wrestling with control of his temper, judging by the hands clenching and unclenching at his side. Then he folded his brawny arms over his chest and jutted out his chin determinedly. “We’re not signing until I, as the leader of the Avengers, have complete access to Stark’s lab and the override codes to the Compound.” Sitting down, his eyes dared the Committee.

“Then you,” Ross’s lip curled, the look in his eyes making plain his feelings on the subject, “and your associates will be retired. Should you decide to defy us and choose to ‘help’ your fellow man, you will be promptly arrested, tried for any damage resulting from your engagement.” His expression suddenly mirrored a nasty delight. “Furthermore, you are under the mistaken assumption that you will lead the Avengers. You will not. Allow me to be frank, Mr. Rogers, it will be a cold day in Hell before you ever lead the Avengers again.”

Steve paled, then flushed with fury at his bluff being called. Ross smiled thinly at the arrogant upstart, as he privately called the man. Coolly, he slid a thick binder to the super soldier. “Perhaps this time, you might care to read the Accords before assuming you know what they say.”

Scott’s head had been in his copy of the Accords the minute he had sat down. He had begun reading while they had been in Wakanda. T’Challa had even procured a lawyer to explain some of the more legalese terms.

A binder was on the table in front of every chair. But Scott wasn’t paying attention. He had stopped paying attention to these idiots a long time ago.

Suddenly, a binder came sliding across the table to Ross.

“I’ve signed, now what?” Scott’s voice was quiet and resigned. Three years ago, it had been exciting to help the Avengers then get to hang out in Wakanda. But that had worn out fast. And he couldn’t go home. Further, he knew Maggie would not allow him to see his baby girl...not now, maybe not ever. Plus, he fucked the good thing he had with Hope.

Ross accepted Lang’s signed document and gestured for the man to follow. Without a backwards look at his erstwhile companions, the former convict followed.

 

In the end, the Rogues signed the document with visible disdain. Ross stopped giving a shit a long time ago. All he cared about was making sure the invisible leash around their necks was unyielding and virtually unbreakable.

He wanted no excuses when he used the leashes to hang them.

 

It only took three weeks for everything to go to hell.

With careful steps, Wanda crossed the floor, her expression intent. Perched on a tall shelving unit, Clint simply watched her, his expression sour. “This is not a good idea,” he cautioned the young woman, to which Wanda waved a hand irritably at him.

“You wish to pay him back for interfering with your family, yes? This way, you will get your revenge,” she replied, turning a vicious look on him. Her red eyes gave her face a more horrifying expression.

Clint sighed but reluctantly nodded. He was only here because there was no place for him to go anymore. The farm and family he had so desperately loved and protected were gone. Vanished. None of his contacts were able to find even a trace of them. It was as if they had merely existed as a fragment of his mind.

In the lab, DUM-E and U were playing a game. A ball was involved in the game, though FRIDAY had no idea what the game was, but it brought happiness to her brothers.

Suddenly, DUM-E slammed into U, who then slammed into a workbench. It took several seconds before FRIDAY was able to connect her brothers’ antics to Ms. Maximoff’s doing.

“Ms. Maximoff, you will cease whatever you are doing.” Though feminine, the voice thundered in the air.

With a wave of her hand, Wanda sent one of the bots crashing into the wall. A thin, shrill beeping of distress was ripped from the bot. “Or what?” Wanda inquired disinterestedly, her face drawn with concentration as her powers rippled through the floor. “What will you do?”

Moving shakily, its servos straining DUM-E soon stood over its fallen ‘brother’. Then it simply stood there, without moving. Rather than further harm its brother, it had turned itself off.

Clint looked up interestedly and, noting a ventilation shaft, he handily pulled the cover off and slipped inside.

He didn’t notice the slight click as a section of the ceiling shifted, revealing a round barrel. A soundless wave of force spat from the barrel once. The first shot struck Wanda in the back, startling the young woman into a sharp cry. It also stopped what she was doing. She whirled around to face her attacker.

FRIDAY adjusted the power readings and fired again. This second wave of force was enough to completely lift Wanda off her feet with a scream of pain. Now it was her turn to be slammed into a wall. The third shot, with the precision of a computer, hammered Wanda deeply into the wall. For a few seconds, she hung there, moaning in pain, before gravity set in. She crumpled limply to the floor.

Clint, hearing Wanda scream, made haste to reverse course back to the empty room they had been in. Which was a good thing, as Tony, once word of the Rogues' return reached his ears, had installed certain...safeguards in his area of the Compound.

Wanda encountered one such safeguard; Clint unknowingly almost encountered the second. On this side of the Compound, all the vents now possessed a practically invisible fine, electrical mesh that was designed to do quite a bit of damage to human flesh and nervous system.

Tony was done playing around.

 

Several hours later, Tony stepped into the Common Area. His face was eerily blank.

A recovered Wanda lazed about on the couch. She smirked at him, her eyes amused. Making her eyes wide and innocent, she asked, “What’s wrong, Stark? You look like someone died?” Secure in the fact that Steve would always protect her, Wanda couldn’t resist taunting Stark. She just wished that red-headed bitch of his had been in the lab too.

It was the alarmed look that Clint shot her that let Natasha know that whatever happened, Clint had known about it. Maybe even involved. She felt her stomach drop.

Natasha kept her breathing slow and controlled. She already knew it was too late the moment Stark had stepped into the Compound.

Tony had come to the end of his patience. She had finally done her own research into one Tony Stark. All the things that hadn’t made sense to her, she figured out why. Whoever had provided intel on Tony Stark had done a piss poor job. Deliberately, she thought.

And her first thought had been of Fury.

Steve became alarmed at the queer look Tony was giving Wanda. He immediately jumped to her defense, instinctively dropping the distance inducing ‘Stark’ for the warmer familiarity of ‘Tony’. “Tony, she's just a kid; I’m sure she didn’t know what she was doing.”

“She tried to kill my kids.” The instant those words were spoken, Nat froze before she slowly turned to look at her best friend and partner. Clint tried to meet her eyes but couldn’t. Instead, his jaw tightened mulishly.

“You fucking idiots…” With those three simple, yet explosive words, Natasha got up and walked away. Symbolically and literally, she was done. She had long since become disenchanted with Steve and his merry band of ‘Yes’ men; plus, she hated how he constantly coddled that spoiled brat.

She had figuratively burned her bridges with Stark; maybe it was for old times' sake, but he had warned her of Ross, of the target on her back. And rather than take his warning for what it was, she had tried to be petty. Accusing him of having an ego.

As an apology, she had crept into Wakanda (those women were good; she hadn’t even seen them coming). And there, she had used all her skills to get them to at least consider the Accords. All her efforts had led them to this point, to this disaster.

Even after she had warned them not to fuck with Stark. None of them were at his level. They were laughable so very not at his level. They were like toddlers, thinking they could take on anything.

Things were too volatile for the kind of dick measuring contest Steve liked to indulge in. He was such a moron. She had tried to remind them that it wasn’t the size that mattered, it was what you did with it.

Stark wrote the book while they struggled with the Intro. And these dumb fucks thought they were in his class.

Watching her walk away, Clint swallowed hard, feeling an incalculable loss.

“They did nothing to you, they were...innocent.” Tony’s voice was flat and emotionless.

Wanda sneered, springing to her feet with eyes bleeding red. “My parents were innocent!”

The building trembled.

“Oh, shit,” Sam whispered, looking alarmed. “Steve….” he said in a warning voice.

“Tony, she’s just a kid,” he spoke soothingly as he edged closer.

“Then she’s about to get a spanking, then put in Time Out.” Tony’s voice was still flat. “Level Four.”

Suddenly, Wanda began screaming, clapping her hands over her ears. Her face was a rictus of agonizing pain. She dropped to her knees, finally curling into a helpless ball.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Steve shouted over the young woman’s screams. He rushed at Tony, as if to do what he didn’t know. He just wanted Tony to stop hurting Wanda.

Tony’s eyes snapped to him. “Five.”

Like Wanda, Steve clamped his hands over his ears. He slowly bowed. A tortured groan spilled from his mouth before, like Wanda, he dropped to his knees. Blood seeped from between his fingers.

Clint and Sam wore stunned looks before anger set in. Clint jumped to his feet, his face darkening with fury. “For fuck’s sake, she’s just a kid!” Sam nodded, his hands clenched at his side. However, neither moved to attack. If Stark could bring even Steve to his knees, they shuddered to think of what he could do to them.

“FRIDAY, cease.” Tony, his point made, looked at the remaining two Rogues still on their feet. “Kids need discipline, something she has been sadly lacking with your group,” he replied with a chilling evenness. “My boys are learning bots. Which means, they are constantly learning and evolving...much like any child.”

For the first time, they had a hint of Tony’s incandescent fury. It blazed in his eyes. “How would you like it if Wanda had a bone to pick with you and did the same thing to your kids? Now this memory of her torturing them for ‘kicks and giggles’ is forever in their memory banks!”

Clint tried not to wince. Tony wasn’t finished.

“And if you think I will allow that bitch to hurt anything or anyone that I consider mine,” Tony paused, seeing Steve slowly, painfully standing to look at him, he gave them all a savage smile, “then think again. Next time, I’ll kill her.” With that, he turned and walked from the room, his pace unhurried.

He had nothing to fear from them.

Clint and Sam rushed to help a quietly moaning Wanda to the couch. She was bleeding from her nose, ears, and eyes.

Steve’s head turned towards where Tony had vanished. His eyes burned with thwarted fury. This was far from over.

 

“Dr. Stark, Mr. Rogers has informed us that you viciously attacked Ms Maximoff with some kind of device that caused her extreme pain. Do you have anything to say about these charges?”

Ross was sitting back, allowing another member to take charge. His eyes were veiled, but he was watching the others and Stark’s reactions. Or at least he tried to read Dr. Stark’s reactions.

Ever since what the media deemed the ‘Avengers Civil War, ’ the man had undergone some kind of transformation. There was now a cold, ruthless edge to his persona that had never been seen before. He idly wondered if Stark had purposefully presented an amiable front all these years.

“Yup. Did it, done it and probably will do it again if she pulls this shit again in my house,” Tony replied calmly. His reply caused a susurrous of unease to ripple among the Council members. They eyed the man askance.

Sitting forward, his fingers steepled against his lips, Ross shot a look at Stark. His interest was piqued. So, Tony Stark was finally done playing. Gone was the genial, harmless host. It was also telling that Natasha Romanova walked out. That woman was a survivor from the word go.

Steve stood, his arm around Wanda’s shoulders, comforting the girl. There was a look of great regret and sorrow on his face. “Don’t you see? Stark is out for revenge, unjustly blaming Wanda for some imagined slights or problems. She’s just a kid and more likely didn’t know or understand what she was doing.”

Ross didn’t bother to contain his disgust. Abruptly, he sat forward, pinning a razor-sharp gaze on Rogers. “So you wish this Council to disbelieve the evidence of Ms. Maximoff using her powers violently on Dr. Stark’s property? In the lab, you were expressively denied entrance?”

“But she didn’t go into his lab.” Steve thought Sam was clever for bringing that piece of evidence up.

“Though factually correct, that does not change the fact that she used her powers in an exceptionally violent manner against delicate, sensitive property in Dr. Stark’s lab! Imagine for a minute that what she viciously smashed about was something lethal? Would you still be arguing she’s ‘just a kid’ if she blew your companions to kingdom come? Or would you attempt to blame Dr. Stark?” He studied the sudden look of discomfit on the super soldier's face with sharp, acute eyes. Ross smirked, his eyes cold and hard. “I rather thought so.”

Dismissing the outraged look on the girl’s face and Rogers, he turned to Dr. Stark. “Dr. Stark, what are the practical applications of this device? I don’t believe you developed it just for Ms. Maximoff?”

Shrugging, Tony responded cavalierly. “I kinda did.” His tone was amused. “Both Vision and Dr. Strange helped.” He ignored Wanda’s outraged gasp at the idea that Vision would ever help Stark hurt her.

Again, Steve interrupted. “And that’s another thing, what has he done to Vision? We haven’t seen him since we got back.” He looked accusingly at Tony. “No telling what Stark may have done to him.”

Tony simply sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Stark must have done something to him, Viz would want to talk to me...speak to me!” Wanda claimed passionately.

Ross’s brow arched, a sardonic expression on his face. “I’m sure Mr. Shade would want to see and talk with the woman who viciously assaulted him, violently driving him through eighteen concrete floors in the Compound.” He paused before adding coolly, “Mr. Shade has been seeing a therapist who advised him, upon word of your return, that it would be best to stay away until he’s better able to handle himself against you.” He looked with faux kindness at her. “You see, in domestic violence situations like this, we generally issue restraining orders against the attacker.” He paused a beat. “That would be you, just in case you were wondering.”

Wanda dropped heavily back to her seat, a stunned look on her face.

Likewise, Steve and the others had equally stunned looks on their faces. Steve sputtered to life, an incredulous expression on his face. “Surely you’re going to do something!” he exclaimed, his voice rising.

“Of course we’re going to do something.” Ross had an irritated expression on his face. “And if you would sit down and shut up, you’ll see what we plan to do.”

With that, he turned back to Tony. “Now, Dr. Stark, what are the more practical applications of this device? Do you only have it in one room, or is this something FRIDAY does?”

Tony’s eyes lit up with absolute hilarity, catching where Ross was going. It became even more hilarious at the sight of the perplexity on Steve’s face.

He coughed sharply, struggling to control his need to flail about. “No, right now, I only have it in the common areas because that’s where most people gather, but I was planning on installing it in all the main rooms. And yes, FRIDAY controls the sound.”

“Hmm, I think you should install it in all the rooms.”

A weird sound came from Steve’s mouth when he heard Ross.

Of course, Steve didn’t just roll over. He tried his best to fight, but Stark released several videos of him and his bots' interactions.

The internet was charmed by U and DUM-E. Their innocent ridiculousness, their earnest helpfulness, and their joyful innocence. It was generally felt that, for all that they were mechanical, there was a charming humanity in how they interacted with Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, and Colonel Rhodes. They were like a pair of adorable but clumsy children.

After giving the world time to fall in love with the pair, Tony released the final video.

That of Wanda Maximoff attacking them.

People found themselves glued to their seats, tears in their eyes as they listened to the bots' high-pitched beeping. The beeping sounded too frantic, a shade too shrill to just be mere sounds.

It sounded too much like the helpless screams of children, crying for their parents, for someone to save them.

And that Steve Rogers defended that monster? The one that attacked those ‘poor, helpless kids’? In their eyes, the real ‘children’ were DUM-E and U.

When the video of Wanda attacking the bots was played, Steve felt the wind of public opinion change. And not for the better.

The legend of Captain America would be forever tarnished.

 

Steve, Clint, Sam, and Wanda (Strange bound her powers to turn back on her whenever she used them maliciously) found their usefulness decreasing. They weren’t being sent out on missions as much. Worse, more people began joining the team. People who had no problems interacting with Stark.

Clea, Dr. Strange’s wife(?) or girlfriend, suddenly appeared. She was calm, distant, yet always in control of herself. She could do things Wanda didn’t even think about. And she did it so effortlessly.

Captain Marvel also joined the team. She was faster, stronger than Steve. Plus, she could fly. More importantly, she had leadership experience. And she brought her goddaughter with her, Monica Rambeau, who was also some kind of energy user.

Both women were deadly in armed or unarmed combat. Steve tried to spar with them, just to see where their abilities were at. Monica, he found, he could take…as long as she didn’t use her powers. But that other dame? She hit like a runaway freight train. And that was without her powers.

He refused to acknowledge what was subtly becoming a reality. The Avengers brand simply kept growing.

And Steve’s brand of superheroing was no longer ‘effective’.

 

Six months after the incident, Clint and Sam announced their retirement. They moved on.

Sam went back home to help run his family’s fishing business. Times were tough. It was a struggle. But no other superhero team was interested in what he could bring to the table.

Ultimately, Clint went back to being a mercenary.

He simply kept moving from one mercenary job to another, each one a little more dangerous than the last. He was fully aware he was spiraling…badly at that, but found he couldn’t stop. His family had been his anchor, something he fought to come home to. Without them, why fight the inevitable?

He lasted for three years before he got careless, leaning just a little too far out.

Clint Francis Barton’s body was left where it lay. Unmourned and forgotten.

 

Steve and Wanda were quietly removed from the Avengers’ roster. Something about it no longer being a good fit.

But the pair were determined not to give up. They were heroes, dammit! And no Tony Stark was going to prevent them from sticking up for the ‘little guy’.

This lasted all of one year.

Unfortunately, bolstered by the success of their first two self-imposed missions, they tried for a third.

They were only two people, and even worse, Wanda no longer had full access to her powers. She had some powers, but not enough.

Not nearly enough.

Over the years that she was in the Avengers, Wanda had flat out refused to learn the self-defense moves Natasha attempted to impart to her. It was with a wicked smile that she arrogantly stated, ‘As long as I have my powers, I would never be without defense’. Unfortunately, Steve indulgently backed her up.

So Wanda never learned the one crucial element of a superhero life: how to throw a punch.

And she would rue the day that she hadn’t learned simple self-defense.

A simple mission, a robbery in progress, became a deadly one.

By the time Steve noticed Wanda was down (and not getting up), he himself was surrounded. They came at him with everything they had.

He didn’t have his shield and could only hide behind a car as bullets whizzed past him. He could only wince, each time a bullet tore into Wanda’s flesh.

The poor thing.

He couldn’t leave her, but what else could he do? Thankfully, around the time he heard sirens, thick webbing suddenly enveloped the gang of robbers. Two figures came into view, both crawling down the wall. Soon the pair leapt to the ground then sprinted to the number of fallen bodies on the ground.

“Good thing you got here in time, son,” Steve said, exhaling in relief. He straightened his hunched posture, striding over to join the arachnid-themed duo. Before he could get too close, the woman whirled and emitted something from her palms.

Whatever it was, he instantly felt sick and dizzy. Then he crumpled to the ground.

 

When Steve finally came too, he was shackled to a bed. That just happened to be bolted to the floor. And with his feet and hands out of commission, he could only rage impotently. He had broken his Pardons and as such, he would be put on trial. When he was found guilty of Negligent Homicide along with a host of other charges, he raged impotently at everyone. Especially Tony Stark. Who was vacationing in Italy with several others at a Tuscany villa.

Steve Rogers was sentenced to 30 years in an enhanced prison. He would become eligible for parole in 10 years. Some watched with satisfaction as the sentence was passed down; others simply watched without passing judgement.

 

Wanda lived, somewhat. She had taken several bullets. Unfortunately, one of the bullets impacted her spine, rendering her a paraplegic. She also had a broken jaw along with a broken arm.

Gone was the pretty, yet intense young woman from five years ago. Now, her face was thin and sallow, with lines of dissatisfaction etched on her face. She looked 15 years older, hunched in her wheelchair and staring listlessly out the window.

However, one day, a pretty new blonde nurse came into her room. She had a faint, Russian accent. But she had a beautiful smile.

Wanda was asked her name, date of birth and her brother’s name. It was only a few seconds after she answered the last question that the oddness made her attempt to turn around. By then, it was too late.

The blonde woman’s smile vanished, her eyes were cold and hard as she cleaned her blade. Then she silently left the hospital and vanished from the city.

HYDRA had trained the Maximoff twins in the use of their powers. Pietro ran for miles, increasingly faster; while the doctors trained his sister in the use of her powers. There were…accidents.

Some of those accidents had family members who remembered them, who loved them.

And they all wanted revenge.

Though they pooled their money together, it still wasn’t quite enough. Until two anonymous donations hit their account. Plus, the hired killer told them that they would receive a ‘friends and family discount’.

Notes:

I'm unsure about the ending (like I am with every ending LOL!).

As usual, I welcome any and all comments.