ㅤ𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐃, Tony Stark couldn't help but grin widely as he finally got out of the hospital. Although he knew that he'll be stuck in another boring place again, he knows that he should just enjoy looking at the outside world.
But of course, there was paparazzi.
They swarmed around him like a herd of zombies fighting for a part of a single human being. They asked him millions of questions, which he tried to answer as fast and as subtle as he could.
Then finally after a whirlwind of questions, he got into his car and had J.A.R.V.I.S. drive instead of himself because he might injure his hand again, according to Dr. I-Hate-Tony-Stark, a.k.a. Dr. Martin.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., can you play Nirvana's In Utero?" Tony asked his A.I. "I feel the need to listen to Cobain right now."
"Certainly, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"Oh and make sure it's shuffled."
"Yes, sir."
Then All Apologies played. Tony couldn't help but drum his fingers on his lap and sing the lyrics while nodding his head to the beat.
'What else should I be
All apologies
What else should I say
Everyone is gay
What else should I write
I don't have the right
What else should I be
All apologies'
Now Tony was full-on singing, as if he's singing in his own concert. Even J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn't help but give a little chuckle to his creator, who was currently acting like an idiot.
'I wish I was like you
Easily amused
Find my nest of salt
Everything is my fault
I'll take all the blame
Aqua seafoam shame
Sunburn with freezer burn
Choking on the ashes of her enemy'
Swinging his head back and forth like a rocker as he pretended to be holding an electric guitar while singing, Tony looked like he was having the time of his life.
Still singing the song, he took out his phone and clicked a few buttons before asking his A.I., "Jay, where's the nearest rehab center?"
"A few miles away from the Avengers Tower, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. But as he said the word 'Avengers', Tony immediately felt like the world crumpled. He really missed those guys; his friends, or as he calls them, his best friends. He remembered saying to the captain that he was going to lay low for a while. But it all went downhill when Pepper broke up with him when he felt like he wanted to comfort of being around the Avengers again.
He sighed when he saw that he was already in the tower's garage, J.A.R.V.I.S. already parking his matte, black Lamborghini Aventador. He slowly lifted up the door of his car and got out. He walked inside the elevator and pressed the floor to the penthouse.
When he got there, Tony couldn't help but look around as if he's new to the place. He couldn't help but reminisce about the times when him and his team spent hours there. A smile slowly crept up to his face as he walked towards the bar to get some scotch. But before he could get there, a screen pulled up and he jumped in fright.
"Tony!" Steve's face showed on the screen with a grin spread across his face. "J.A.R.V.I.S. alerted us that you were back home."
"Is that Stark?" Someone said from the background. Tony grinned as he heard the Black Widow's voice.
"Hey Nat, Steve," he greeted the two with a grin while Natasha was slowly walking towards where the camera was situated.
"Hey Tony!" Natasha greeted. "How are you?"
"I'm good, especially since I've finally got out of that hellhole," he replied. "You?"
"Everyone's doing fine, still training hard," Steve answered instead of Natasha, who nodded in agreement. "You should see them in action. You would've been proud."
"I know I would," Tony said while nodding. Then he saw that Natasha was signaling something to Steve, who nodded and left the room.
"Um, Tony?" Natasha said, almost nervously.
"Yes?" He asked, confused.
"H-have you heard anything from...B-Bruce?" Natasha stuttered looking down.
Tony couldn't help feel heartbroken. He remembered now that Natasha and Bruce obviously have something going on. And now he thinks that he knows he doesn't have a chance with Bruce who has a thing with the master assassin.
"I-I...no I'm sorry," Tony stuttered, looking aghast. "I haven't heard anything from him. I haven't got any calls, texts, nothing. It's like he was wiped off of America."
With that, Natasha's eyes widen. "Wiped off of America! You're a genius, Tony! He's not in America anymore, like when he was hiding in Calcutta!"
Tony gasped slightly in realization. "Right! Why haven't I thought of that sooner?!" Then Tony quickly said to his A.I., "Jay, get the security footage from every single country there is. Put it on facial recognition. Look for Bruce, please."
"Of course, sir," the A.I. replied before a screen pulled up in front of Tony, with Natasha watching through the web camera.
After a few minutes, a footage pulled up and J.A.R.V.I.S. said, "Sir, he's in Maihama, Japan."
With that, Natasha jumped up and said, "I'm going to tell the others. We're going to Japan. All of us."
Tony nodded in agreement. "We'll ride a private plane, he might recognize the quinjet. Jay, ready my plane. We're going after Bruce."
After two hours, Natasha, Steve, Wanda, Sam, basically everyone in the Avengers arrived in the tower, all dressed formally.
"What are we doing here?" Wanda, or Scarlet Witch, asked with her accent prominent.
"We're going after Bruce," Tony replied, walking up to them with sunglasses on his face. "We found him. He's in Japan."
"The big, green one?"
"Yes, Wanda," Natasha rolled his eyes. "The big, green one."
"No need to be sarcastic, Widow," Tony said. "We're going after Bruce. We've finally found him and we should all be jumping for joy with rainbows shooting out of our ears."
When they got to the plane, they all got in one by one, Tony first then Natasha last, who said, "We'll hopefully come back with him aboard."
"Nat, don't worry," Steve stated. "We'll all be there. We'll be enough to convince Bruce to come back. He needs to see that we all need him, especially you."
Tony held back a grimace when he heard the last sentence. But since Wanda can read minds, she saw what Bruce actually meant to Tony. So she decided that when the others fall asleep, she would talk to him.
"Wait, who's driving the plane?" Sam, or the Falcon asked.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony simply replied with a shrug.
"Oh."
Then finally, everyone fell asleep.
Wanda stood up from her seat and walked over to Tony, placing a hand on his shoulder, which he jumped at.
"A little warning next time, maybe?" He sarcastically asked the woman in front of him, who rolled his eyes.
"Look, Stark," Wanda started, "I know we're not close and I still don't like you, but I know about your feelings towards Bruce."
Tony stood up straighter and looked livid. "Don't you dare tell anyone about it."
"I won't," Wanda promised. "I'm not that kind of person. But I'm willing to help you with your problem. I may not look like it, but--"
"How can you help me with my feelings?" Tony cut her off. "I don't think you can help me with something like that."
"I can help you conceal it, remove it," Wands shrugged. "It's your choice."
Tony slumped down to his chair, deep in thought. If I remove my feelings for Bruce...no, I won't. I'd just--
"Conceal it? Okay," Wanda cut his thoughts off, which earned her a glare but she just shrugged. "What kind of concealment? Emotionless or with another emotion instead?"
"Just another emotion, anything instead of love and hate," Tony shrugged. "Maybe just...just what best friends think of each other instead."
"I can do that," Wanda smiled before placing her fingers on Tony's temple before something red seemed to get inside his head. Tony sucked in a breath, looking like he's about to hyperventilate.
"Calm down, Stark," Wanda smirked. "It won't hurt...too much." Tony's eyes widen and Wanda let out a laugh. "Just kidding." Tony glared at her again. "Okay, done." She removed her fingers from Tony's temple and asked, "How does it feel?"
"Normal," Tony replied, shaking his head slightly as he felt a little nauseous. "It's working, I think. I don't feel the love much anymore."
Wanda's eyes widen. "You love him?"
Tony blushed. "Yeah, well..."
Wanda chuckled. "I'll leave you to your feelings, Stark. I need to sleep." Then she stood up from the chair across Tony─the one she was sitting on during the 'operation'─but before she reached her chair, Tony said something that made her smile a little.
"Call me Tony!"
She turned around and gave him a grin before finally sitting down on her chair. She closed her eyes and felt herself fall asleep. Tony did the same, putting his legs on the chairs that Wanda was previously sitting on.
But what they didn't know was that Natasha was wide awake, listening to their conversation. And she heard everything.
Word Count: 1,540