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[ Alternate, huh? ]

Doesn't yours work off the physioneural output from your heart?

[ ooc: marvel totally made up this word, so they basically mean like the electric energy produced by the heart that fires through the nervous system or whatever. ]

Okay, so...what are you talking about, then?

[Which is possibly a question he should have asked much sooner. Trust any Steve to be able to goad him into a fight he didn't even realize he was having.]

Uh, no.

[Tony blinks once, because. What?]

It works from a-- you know what, hang on.

[And he walks over to where his suit is parked and carefully pulls the glowing arc reactor out of it's chest. He holds it up as he walks back over.]

This. It's an arc reactor.

I'm talking about SHIELD trying to have people detained and imprisoned for not signing on to give personal information before they were legally allowed to demand it. And they shouldn't have been allowed to at all.

[Steve knows on some level that he's not mad at this man. He's just mad. But it's hard to come out with what he wants to say when all he feels like doing is yelling.]

It's not you. But a world like that? I will fight it. Maybe the way he saw it there was enough of a reason to fight back.

If you really want to know I was marvelling at your ability to maintain a friendship.

... That's it? [ Maybe that sounds harsh, but Steve is completely astonished by how small it is. His power source takes up most of his chest. And the amount of scar tissue to get it all to fit— ]

It's not connected at all to you. [ Daaaang. ] The future's looking pretty bright.

That's very noble of you, Stark. If I can help.. you know.. let me know. It's not really my area of expertise.

Actually, that brings about something I'd been meaning to ask you.

Wait, what, SHIELD? Why would they?

[This is just getting more and more confusing. The SHIELD Tony knows is a spy agency, why would they be detaining anyone?

He shakes his head like he's trying to clear it.]

I kind of feel like we're having two different conversations.

[Tony huffs out something that might be a laugh.]

It used to be. [He taps absently at his own sternum, in case it isn't clear.]

[...ah.]

Probably helps that I was paying him for a large portion of it.

[Tony's surprise certainly throws Steve off. He did realize on some level they were dealing with separate issues, but he didn't consider just how different their situations were.

Carrying a chip tends to do that.]

Maybe you should tell me what exactly went on between you and Captain America.

Yeah, of course.

[Frankly, he'll take all the help he can get. By the second part makes him raise an eyebrow.]

What's up?

[Tony pauses, then lets out a long breath. He really does not want to rehash this whole thing again, but for the sake of not having yet another argument...]

It's called the Sokovia Accords. [He shifts restlessly, not quite looking at Steve has he talks.] It's...the idea was for some level of accountability. That a lot of countries were looking at this group of primarily American fighters who would turn up, do a shit load of damage, and then vanish again. People were scared.

[And maybe the Accords didn't actually fix any of that, but god Tony had wanted it to. Wanted it too much, possibly.]

But it would have meant answering to the UN, waiting for permission to deal with a situation, things like that.

[Steve gives Tony a long, serious look, and then sighs. It's a heavy exhale that is audible and as much a grumble as a breath. His arms are crossed in front of him, but some of the tight posture does go slack. Steve is tired of all of this. Tired in a way he can't seem to properly express.]

International politics is always difficult to navigate. I can see the concerns that would raise. Being outsiders moving in will scare a lot of people. But official sanction wouldn't necessarily stop being from being scared or hurt.

Eventually, you might be giving up more than you realized.

[At least discussing Tony's Avengers makes it easier for him. Steve doesn't come off quite so harsh.]

Did you talk about it?

I have a wager with a friend. They think they’re beyond romance, I think they don’t know what they’re talking about. You’re charming, when you want to be, and you have some similar interests.

I thought they might enjoy an evening with you.

In what universe does money buy friendship?

Of course it doesn't stop anything, but people get a lot less worked up when they think there's at least someone you'd have to answer to.

[Was it really so strange, to want to make people feel safer? It had seemed to make so much sense, at the time.]

Yeah, we talked. But they wanted everyone to sign immediately and then everything else went to hell. And. [He shrugged.] Just kept getting worse.

Makes it easier to want to stick around.

[There's a long pause.]

Are you asking me to go on a blind date with someone?

You aren't going to make the public feel better by pretending to be something you aren't.

[Surprisingly, Steve doesn't sound angry or belligerent this time. He understands, or thinks he understands, where Tony is coming from.]

If people are really frightened of what you are, then you shouldn't hide behind concessions and other names just because they know them better. Sometimes they have to see the part that scares them to realize that it's there to help.

[Of course, he'd thrown down the mask and publicly broken off from both SHIELD and the Avengers, taking on a whole load of issues alone, but that's Steve's way.]

I don't think you were wrong to want to work with them.

[Hey, look who managed to find real opinions beyond anger?]

But I think if they were that desperate for an immediate signature than maybe it was more about them than it was about you or the people you were all trying to protect. People tend to react too quickly when they are afraid.

Hey, Mr. Stark! I know you're probably super busy and all, but if you have any time set aside Iiiii — Kinda burned my suit a little bit and might need some... repairs...? I mean, I'd totally do it all on my own, but this thing is like worth a bajillion dollars, and I'm fifteen. So it's kind of a little out of my comfort zone. It's nothing super bad, just on the arm! And one leg. And a little on the mask. But nothing super serious. Yeah. Um. This is Peter, by the... You already know that, but just in case you have, like, middle-men here, too. I don't know. Thanks!

No? You'll definitely be able to see.

Burned how?

[That is not a good lead-in, Peter.]

They wanted immediate signatures because Ross is an asshole.

[That just comes out tired. He'd known exactly who he was dealing with, he'd just hoped that he could get around the worst of Ross' bad habits. That will show him.]

I know it wasn't great. But it was something we could have worked with, made better. The other options coming down the pipe...were not as malleable. This was supposed to head the worse options off.

[Tony just sighs. He's never actually sure how much Thor doesn't get and how much is him fucking with everyone.]

Do I get to know who this mystery suitor is?

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