riverview | video | un: iron.man

[The video flicks on to Tony's tired face, though he actually looks pretty good, considering that he's still mildly sick. He grins at the camera, though, the pleased look of someone who's managed something.]

Hey, so. For anyone still caught with this plague thing, I've got a...well, not a fix. A work around, maybe. A focused EMP seems to deactivate the nanities long enough for some of the symptoms to fade, at least for a little while. It doesn't get rid of the things entirely, but it should give you a nice break from feeling like shit.

I'd like to thank my lovely assistants for working with me on this.

[The camera pans across the workroom to focus on the couch, and the two bodies sprawled on it. The eagle-eyed might recognize one (or both) of them as Bucky Barnes, but the way they're both just kind of slumped in a heap makes it kind of hard to tell. It's not that large a couch.

One of them twitches slightly, and there's a snort as Tony turns the camera back on himself.]

That's it for now. I'm still working on a more permanent solution, but magic is really not my thing. Someone else wants to have a crack at that part, be my guest.

[A sudden crash comes from what seems like the vicinity of that couch, and Tony gives the screen a sardonic look before the feed cuts.]

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[Okay, so maybe putting both of them in the same place wasn't the best idea. But Tony had gotten used to dragging both of them back home with him whenever he spotted them careening around in public, and they'd seemed like good test cases for the idea he'd been working on, and it had made sense at the time.

It had not, however, occurred to him what putting two super assassins in close quarters when they were both off their game would mean.

There's another, louder crash, and Tony sighs. He's honestly not sure if he wants to know, or just live in blissful ignorance.]

Everybody alive?

[Bucky still feels like crap, though less crap than he did a little while ago. His fever has gone down, now he just aches all over and it's left him feeling more than a little testy.

He scowls and shifts uncomfortably.]

Don't you have separate beds?

We haven't finished each other off yet. [Comes the irritable grumble from one Barnes, the springs of the pull-out bed creaking as he shifts. He and the other Bucky are both broad-shouldered and not too keen on touching, which makes mattress real estate precious. He's still cranky and still not back to anything resembling good health, but Tony's stop-gap measures have at least reduced his coughing and his fever to something much more bearable. Something more normal.]

Christ, your feet are cold. [He has no room to talk.]

... Uh.

Are those dudes okay?

[This is just a close-up of a metal finger flipping the bird for a full minute before it cuts out.]

Oh my god, I'm telling everyone that you are both actual children.

[The terrifying Winter Solider(s), ladies and gentlemen. Tony does finally spin in his chair to give them both a look, and yes, the couch does at least seem to be in one piece. For now.]

May I remind you that you're the ones who didn't want to go upstairs.

[Somewhere over his shoulder, Dum-E starts creeping closer the subtlest way he can manage. Is he lured by so many nice shiny arms, or just the brewing chaos? Who knows.]

[Tony sounds just a little distracted. Averting World War III is hard work.]

They're fine. Just dramatic.

[Perhaps it's petty (it's definitely petty), but Bucky moves his feet so they press even more firmly against his other self's leg. It serves him right for taking up the whole mattress.]

I thought you were supposed to be rich, you can't afford an extra sofa down here?

[ listen. Peter is a huge fan of flipping folks off, so he is suitably impressed. Game recognize game.

Then, ]

So you're fine

[Bucky huffs and pulls on the blanket in retaliation. He is not taking up the whole mattress, he's the shorter one here, excuse u. (No he's taking up a pretty good portion of the mattress. He spreads out in his sleep.)]

Why would he have an extra sofa down here? We're the assholes crashing in his space. [He's just trying to be contrary. He rolls over and waves to Dum-E instead, trying to cocoon himself in the blanket.]

Uh... huh.

[ sound more convinced, Quill.

But on to more important matters: ]

You're sure that EMP thing works?

['Fine' is relative. Very relative.] Haven't gone into a coma yet. EMP's staving it off some.

Why do you need two of them?

[ He lets out a quiet, acknowledging hum. ]

How long have you been sick?

[ not that timing seems to really matter. Still, Peter's collecting as many points of data as he can. ]

Couple weeks. Somethin' like that. It progressed slow.

[Dum-E takes that as an invitation to scoot closer, because that's exactly what this situation needs. Tony, for his part, is staying as far away as he can get.

They might have been easier to deal with when they were both really sick. It's a terrible thought to have, but seriously.]

Okay A, it's not like my bank account got to come here with me and B, you are not crashing, you are assisting Science. Be respectful.

Seems to. Those two say it's helping.

[They are actually there for a reason, surprisingly.]

One of them is the control group.

Good work Tony.

[There's no hiding the relief on his face.]

Do you need any help with your...'assistants'?

I think we're okay.

[Almost immediately punctuated by a thud and what sounds like quiet cursing. Tony sighs.]

Tell you what. If they start breaking things, you have my permission to come give them disappointed looks.

[For a while Wanda thinks about not saying anything. Either Tony remembers her or he doesn't, and she can't decide which is worse. She can't even fully untangle the complicated mess of how she feels about him. But there are people who need help, and as usual, that's the deciding factor.]

Do you think I can help?

[People are being forced into comas, she has power over minds...it's not that much of a stretch.]

[Oh, hey. There's an unexpected response. He considers it for a moment before responding.]

Maybe. It seems like part of this thing is actual magic, but I don't see how you can hurt.

The EMP fix is temporary.

The time it takes in between pulses gets shorter each time.

[Ask how she knows this.]

Yeah, I know. Well, I know it's temporary, I didn't know it gets less effective. Hoping that if we can knock out the tech aspect, someone else can try to get rid of the magic.

Yeah, that's what I've been struggling with.

I can sort of... sense? The enchantment on the nanites. But I can't do anything about it. So if there are any ideas in that regard, I might be able to help a little.

[Spoiler: she's not doing well. There's a reason she's texting. It's entirely possible she should have talked to Tony before this point.]

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