Answering To Eternity [DISCONT.]

16 | mortality

"All you need to do is sit right there, Miss Prince." Tony pointed to a reclined black leather chair in the centre of the lab, surrounded by tables swamped with a vast array of equipment and various screens. 

"Tony, this is ridiculous." Bruce protested rather desperately, biting his lip as Diana slowly sat, her dark eyes glaring at him- a silent warning that if he didn't get her out of this situation, she would do it her damn self, and the results wouldn't be pretty. 

Tony moved quickly around the equipment, the screens bordering the leather chair flaring to life with a simple flick of his wrist. "We wouldn't have to be doing this at all if you hadn't gotten so drunk. As much as I don't believe Miss Prince here is some super-soldier from nineteen fourteen, you still said she was and now I have to disprove it." 

Diana shifted in the seat, her eyes moving from Bruce, who looked like he was ready to drop dead any second, to the Captain, who was studying her from the entrance of the room, seemingly deciding if he thought she was 'like him'.  As much as they may be similar, they were not the same. She was given life by Zeus, he was a government experiment to try to increase the strength of soldiers in the war. Both were unique, one of a kind and soldiers in their own rights, but they were different. Of course, drunk Bruce couldn't comprehend that - it was a universal truth that drunk men couldn't comprehend anything, let alone the nuanced situations of such complicated individuals like Steve Rogers and Diana Prince.

"God, I regret it so much." Bruce put his head in his hands. "What're the chances that even after this whole thing is all over the other rich assholes in that room come after her too?" 

"Oh, one hundred percent." Tony shrugged nonchalantly, entirely unbothered by the prospect of a random woman being hunted by the elite because of one man's drunken mistake, "There's no way in hell any of those guys are just letting what you said slide. Miss Prince, I really do recommend you find yourself better friends. Bruce has gone and made you the most sought-after person in high society. Every man at that party and their neighbour will be after you." 

"Because of one man's drunken mistake I'm going to spend the next few years of my life running, hm?" Diana spoke, her eyes darting from Tony to Bruce. Bruce winced, immediately breaking eye-contact with her and looking desperately for something else to turn to. 

Tony continued to shuffle around with equipment, at one point picking up a needle and sterilising it, before placing it beside a white cloth. "Ah, you'll be lucky if you manage to last another day without being picked up by some billionaire's henchmen and turned into a science project." 

"I'd like to see them try." Diana muttered, folding her arms over her chest. No mortal was a match for her, that much was certain. 

"I won't let that happen." Bruce sighed, barely resisting the urge to quiver under Diana's gaze. 

Tony looked pointedly at the other billionaire in the room. "And you're going to do that how?" Although Tony had known for a while that Bruce Wayne masqueraded around Gotham, foiling criminals plans and aiding in international counter-terrorist operations dressed as a bat, of all things, - he doubted that even the famed Batman could keep the power-obsessed wealthy men from taking Diana. They were completely fixated on getting ahead, their sole goal being to be better, more powerful and more advanced than their competitors, and if they thought that snatching one woman and experimenting on her would bring them to greatness, they would have absolutely no reservations about doing it. 

Pure, unbridled wrath was brewing within Diana. There was no other way to put it- she was furious. The suggestion that she would have to spend years in hiding because of one man's mistake was enough to make her go beyond any fury that she had felt in recent years. 

"If Wayne lied then she'll spend the rest of her life running?" Steve spoke for the first time, concern written all over his features - from his furrowed brow to his downturned mouth. 

"Oh, absolutely." Tony confirmed with a nod. "I think we're all set up here, are you ready?" 

Diana huffs, gritting her teeth. "Really, this isn't necessary." 

Tony rolls his eyes at her, waggling the needle in her face. "Look, Diana, not my fault that Mr. Wayne can't handle his liquor. You've gotta be blaming him." 

"Oh, believe me, I am." A bitter chuckle slips past her lips and her eyes narrow, locking onto Bruce's form. 

"This shouldn't hurt too much." Tony says, picking up the needle and rolling Diana's sleeve up, "Just, uh, stay still for me? I'm pretty sure we'll be fine." 

Diana doesn't even look remotely alarmed at the prospect of the needle - it's more the test itself that's setting her on edge. Tony lays the needle against her forearm, pressing it into a vein. It pinches sharply, and remains there for a few moments as the syringe fills with a crimson liquid. She gulps, completely unsettled, as the tube slowly fills with blood. 

It has been a long, long time since Diana has witnessed herself bleed. 

She's transfixed on it, completely and utterly mesmerised - and in an instant it's over. The syringe is full, and Tony withdraws the needle from her arm - a spot of blood blooming over the tiny puncture wound. It feels painfully mortal, despite her knowing with her entire soul that she simply isn't. 

"Well, we're all done." Tony announces happily, "You know, you better be glad I found the vein the first time. That could have gone a hell of a lot wor-"

An ear-splitting crash interrupted them. The very foundations of the building shook. Windows smashed, sending shards of glass raining down into the room, scattering across the floor in a fractured mosaic.