Barnes let Tony take the computer, but it was clear he wasn't happy about it--not that he was ever happy, as far as Sam could tell, and who could blame him? But Sam had the feeling that the existence of the computer scared him, a feeling that mostly came from watching how Natasha shifted when Barnes snarled, "I don't care what you think you can get out of it, Stark, you're not messing with Steve's head."
"I'm planning to fix Steve's head, if it's all the same to you," Tony replied. "For that matter, we might be able to fix yours."
"I'll slit my own throat first," Barnes said flatly. Beside Sam, Natasha let out a tiny breath.
"Let him waste his time," she said, in an offhand tone that made Barnes and Tony break out of their staring match in surprise. "Techs don't believe anything until they beat their heads against the wall for a while. He'll figure it out eventually."
And OK, Sam wouldn't have taken that tack--it wouldn't have occurred to him, honestly--but it seemed to work. He figured assigning Tony to a category that didn't make big decisions was probably better for everyone's continued use of all their limbs, too. Still, there was a long pause before Barnes said, "Fine."
He stalked out of the room. Sam didn't realize he was considering following until Natasha murmured, "Clint will make sure he doesn't get too far."
"Isn't flouncing a little adolescent for a ninety-year-old?" Tony said, turning to the rolling table that the computer and ruined monitor sat on.
"Tony, you're a moron," Natasha said. "Be glad he still thinks you're useful enough to not kill for threatening Steve like that."
Tony threw her a sideways, startled look and then horror flashed across his face, so fast Sam almost wasn't sure he'd seen it, but Tony wasn't actually a completely self-centered asshole, he just pretended to be because it was easier. "We need to go back to New York, I have better stuff there," he said, in a jovial tone that was really cold rage. "These people are just smart enough to be worth killing."
Sam blinked and revised his opinion of Tony Stark from willing to kill if attacked to actually dangerous.
*
The bed in the guest suite of the Avengers Tower--Sam wanted to laugh his ass off about that but didn't have the energy--was too soft and Sam didn't give a damn; he fell into it fully dressed, barely coherent enough to get his shoes off first.
Re: FILL: Lie Down on the Wire 11/?
"I'm planning to fix Steve's head, if it's all the same to you," Tony replied. "For that matter, we might be able to fix yours."
"I'll slit my own throat first," Barnes said flatly. Beside Sam, Natasha let out a tiny breath.
"Let him waste his time," she said, in an offhand tone that made Barnes and Tony break out of their staring match in surprise. "Techs don't believe anything until they beat their heads against the wall for a while. He'll figure it out eventually."
And OK, Sam wouldn't have taken that tack--it wouldn't have occurred to him, honestly--but it seemed to work. He figured assigning Tony to a category that didn't make big decisions was probably better for everyone's continued use of all their limbs, too. Still, there was a long pause before Barnes said, "Fine."
He stalked out of the room. Sam didn't realize he was considering following until Natasha murmured, "Clint will make sure he doesn't get too far."
"Isn't flouncing a little adolescent for a ninety-year-old?" Tony said, turning to the rolling table that the computer and ruined monitor sat on.
"Tony, you're a moron," Natasha said. "Be glad he still thinks you're useful enough to not kill for threatening Steve like that."
Tony threw her a sideways, startled look and then horror flashed across his face, so fast Sam almost wasn't sure he'd seen it, but Tony wasn't actually a completely self-centered asshole, he just pretended to be because it was easier. "We need to go back to New York, I have better stuff there," he said, in a jovial tone that was really cold rage. "These people are just smart enough to be worth killing."
Sam blinked and revised his opinion of Tony Stark from willing to kill if attacked to actually dangerous.
*
The bed in the guest suite of the Avengers Tower--Sam wanted to laugh his ass off about that but didn't have the energy--was too soft and Sam didn't give a damn; he fell into it fully dressed, barely coherent enough to get his shoes off first.