revivalproject | Rage Caries You Away

Tommy looks up just in time to see Tony hit the ground. And he pushes to his feet. At least he hears Tony's voice. That's... something. If he can just get the guy away, to the hospital or something...

"Fuck," he groans as he pushes to his feet and starts stumbling to Tony and Billy. Of course he can't get closer with the barrier in the way, but that doesn't stop him from pounding on it. "Don't do this, Billy. Please. Please stop. You don't want to hurt anyone. You're not me."

That assault felt like being hit by a train right now, his whole body sensitive and bruised, pathetically fragile without his armor, but Tony survived it, too. He dropped onto his back again before Billy had to force him, breathing a humourless laugh for his own resilience and tonguing at the blood at the corner of his mouth, one hand barely up to try to get Billy to give him a minute so they could at least make this a fair fight now that he was numb. Fair wasn't part of the program, though. The push into the ground knocked the wind out of him, his smile turning quickly to a grimace, and he had to gather himself quickly to make a grab for Billy's leg to drag him off balance before any more bruises got bruises.

Half a kilometer is half a kilometer. And while there are many people who will argue that half a kilometer isn't that much of a noteworthy distance to cover, Jon will readily remind them that it is still a distance and that not every person enjoys covering distances in a hurry.

Jon certainly doesn't. And he is adequately out of breath upon getting at least within sight of the mess he has been dragged away from.

And it's not a good sight. At least for everyone that remotely cared for one, maybe two of these people involved. Maybe all three even? For someone that feeds on fear, on the other hand, it's a glorious sight. There is... A lot.

Unfortunately, Jon considers himself to be part of both groups and as a result finds himself delightfully terrified. Or terribly delighted? Or... It's complicated.

At any rate, he does try to call out to the trio, call out for them to just stop fighting. But all the Archivist manages to produce at this point is a pathetic little croak. Who thought it is a great idea to run all the way back here? Half a kilometer, remember?

Tommy's plea seems to fall on deaf ears, fists balling up, and as Tony grabs his leg Billy lashes out, hand pushing through the air as he falls back to direct a bolt of electricity straight towards Stark.

There's no attempt to curb the voltage, just raw power, thrown haphazardly towards one of his heroes in a fit of rage.

"No!" Tommy shouts, slamming on the barrier. "Billy no!"

No one can handle that much power to the chest. Oh god, no.

It would have been nice to know why. Tony didn't know if it would change anything, that alien sky still benignly blue above him, these kids who had grown up out of his sight still making his chest ache with fretful tenderness as they threw themselves face-first into too much responsibility; Tony could hear Tommy shouting and wanted so badly to turn to him and tell him it was going to be fine, he was sorry he had to see this. But Tony's eyes squeezed closed, hands clutching numbly at his chest where he knew his heart had seized, a useless rock as every nerve of him lit up in protest and made his back arch in a rending shock of pain even as he felt the sensation burn out of his fingers, up his legs, vision already gone. It was the same every time, Tony wasn't scared necessarily, he had done this enough times to think instead for a second, almost enough to make him smile, that he might have at least been in love. And he had died enough times for the terror to hit like a hammer strike in his last second; he knew where he was going.

He is still too far away when the sudden flash of power lights up the scene, words are shouted, fears flare up - And vanish.

Jon's own cry as he skitters to a breathless halt still meters away is a noise he finds himself deaf to, but he is perfectly aware of its anguish as it rips through him at the reality taking shape still too far away for him to reach. He's aware of the way it tries to choke him while transforming from a painful wail of denial into a desperate roar as his eyes burn with what he assumes to be tears.

But any tears remain unseen behind the now bright green glowing glare that tears itself from Tony's broken form as the Archivist takes the last couple of steps forward and his eyes set on Billy, unforgiving and in stark contrast to the man's trembling hands and unsteady stance.

Jon wants to say something, wants to shout something, but words are beyond him. His gaze, however, pierces straight into Billy's mind. Forcing its way inside ruthlessly and without restraint, commanding the mutant to freeze as he digs viciously for the answer to the question he can't physically ask - why?

He freezes in an instant, mind offering little resistance, and the barrier that holds Tommy back falls away with a wince as Jon pushes his way inside. There's anger. So much anger, but no proper source for any of it, and beneath it all a horrified Billy who can do nothing to stop his actions, fear almost rivaling rage.

Did he just kill Tony??? Is Tommy all right? Where's Teddy?? Why is he DOING this??

And under all of it that damn ITCH, burrowing deeper and deeper.

Tommy falls forward when the barrier fails, and there's another cry of pain as he catches himself on his injured arm. Nope, not alright. But definitely better than Tony. For a moment his eyes flash to Billy. Then to Jon, who has clearly returned. But with the glowing of Jon's eyes and his shout... Yeah, he's got a theory. One he'll deal with in a second. But the first, and most important thing, is Tony. Because there is no way in hell he is letting his little brother be a murderer.

There is no way in hell Billy is going to be a murderer of Tony Fucking Stark, who was the same asshole who had been so quickly judgemental of magic. Tommy won't allow it. His fingers press against Tony's neck, searching for a pulse. One he can't find.

"No. Nonononononononononononono," Tommy mumbles as a mantra. Save Tony, then Billy, then punt that asshole with the glowy green eyes out of here. Just... steps. He can fix it all.

"Why did you have to get involved?" Tommy hisses at Stark, putting his hands against the man's chest to start compressions. "If I have to do mouth to mouth, you fucking owe me a damn car when we get home, Stark. And we're getting home because you're going to fix this planet so I can take my innocent brother home."

Only marginally aware of Tommy's actions, Jon's attention remains fixed on Billy and he takes one, two steps closer without thinking about it. He's much more aware of the boy's anger. His fear. The senseless wrath that drags Billy's confusion and guilt in its wake.

But confusion and emotions aren't answers. Not the answers he needs, anyway.

So he presses on until he finds the irritation. Compared to the rage it almost seems harmless... Almost.

This is bound to do a number on his and Billy's mind, Jon is already aware of that much somewhere in his own mind. Yet he tracks down the itch, moving closer unsteadily while reaching a hand absentmindedly towards Billy's neck. Towards the origin of the irritation - The sting.

His fingers brush against something that doesn't belong there, pulsating in sync with Billy's rage. Without thinking about his actions, the Archivist tries to grab it and twist it out of the boy's neck.

He makes feeble attempts to push Jon out, but his mental defenses have always been next to non existent.

The rage spikes sharply and suddenly as the source is found and twisted, fighting to hold on, and Billy's not sure if the screaming is in his head or he's actually making those sounds, but with the parasite finally pulled free it stops, leaving guilt and horror to flood in in it's place, eyes wide with shock, still frozen in place.

The scream draws Tommy's attention from Tony and back to Jon and Billy. Not, of course, that is he doing anything resembling letting off on his CPR work here. He's got to save Tony after all.

"I swear to fuck, Jon, if you're hurting him, I'm killing you the second Tony's awake. I don't care that I can't destabilize your molecules. My fists are enough to turn you to fucking paste!"

Yeah, violent talk in front of Billy, and he doesn't want Billy to ever thing he's capable of it. But... But sometimes you have to say it.

The Archivist doesn't notice the scream, neither does he hear Tommy's words. But the moment the insect is pulled free, his focus leaves Billy and the mutant as well as his mind is released in an instant. His eyes instead lock onto the bug between his fingers and for a quiet moment the Archivist stares at the creature which squirms briefly, then bursts into bits.

It is then that Jon pulls himself away entirely, stumbling away from Billy with a sharp inhale, eyes reverting back to normal and quickly finding the body of Tony along with Tommy struggling to reanimate the man.

The sight makes Jon's blood freeze and he more falls forward than move on any controlled sort of way, muttering something frantic and nonsensical while dropping to his knees near Tony's feet, scrambling forward from there and for a moment clutching a hand that just shouldn't be this still!

"Tony- Tony!" Jon's voice is slowly gaining in volume. Mentally sore as he may feel from dealing with Billy, his own rising panic at this next part of the disaster keeps him moving. And as he leaves Tony's hand, not without some reluctance, and moves further up, grasping Tony's arm, shoulder, neck. Hand lingering there not unlike Tommy's had and Jon casts the mutant a desperate look before his eyes fall down to Tommy's hands pressing down on Tony's heart.

His heart. This infuriating man's stupid heart... The thought drives an unseen spear through Jon's own heart and for another moment he loses his voice again, choking back a plea as his eyes finally jump from Tommy's hands to Tony's face. Which is, just like his hands, much too quiet... Too free of anything.

The hand from Tony's neck moves up to the man's cheek, the other settles against the other side of his face and the stillness is nothing but painful to see and this time the stinging in Jon's eyes is not from their sinister glow, the tightness in his chest not from the resonance of eldritch magic.

"Don't do this- Don't do this to me, Tony. Please! I beg you. Don't--" Somehow he is aware that he is not going to get any response. So the hand slips away from the side of Tony's face and reaches back down to grasp his hand yet again, his hold as desperate as the tear-stricken look Jon directs back up at Billy, now back in control of himself "Billy... please. I'm begging you- Help him!"

Billy pants, eyes wide with horror at what he's done, chest tight, and he shakes his head almost reflexively at Jon's pleading.

"I can't- I ca-...what did I do???" He's very close to losing himself to panic and guilt, but that begging eventually breaks through, and he crawls reluctantly forwards.

His eyes flit up to meet Tommy's, words sticking in his throat. "Tommy- I- I didn't- mean...god nnn- o-okay. He- he needs-" A trembling hand move to light on Tony's chest before drawing away again, as though he's scared to make him MORE dead.

"Stop sounding like a distressed fucking lover losing his man," Tommy sneers at Jon. "Back up. Give Billy room."

Then he looks at his brother, his good hand moving to press Billy's hand more firmly against Tony's chest.

"He saved my life, B. He tried to save yours. So man up and do it. Just a bit of lightning. Or magic. Anything. Just do it. Don't be like me. Don't have a fucking man's life on your hands."

It's the first time he's ever confirmed such a thing to his brother. That he's killed someone. That he probably did belong in that Juvie. And in this moment, he doesn't fear that revelation as much as he fears his brother and fears what will happen to him it Tony died.

"You didn't mean for this to happen. You were controlled and crazed, like Mom when Ant-Man and Hawkeye and Vision died. Except unlike her, you can fix it. Right now. No fucking around with time or alternate universes, or people rebuilding someone. You can fix this, right now. So do it!"

Tommy's words are harsh and sting in a way they shouldn't be stinging, their truth wielded by the mutant's lethal tone making Jon flinch and look away with a grimace, forcing his attention on Tony's face in order to not having to look at either of the twins.

Muttering a few still desperate apologies and pleas, Jon follows Tommy's demand to make room for Billy, yet can't get himself to let go of Tony's hand - Or move away too much. Simply because he can't bring himself to do so. And how could he?

His hand still shakes, but he doesn't try to pull away again, blinking a bit numbly at Tommy's revelation, but he nods, trying to something the strength to put things right.

"You have to let go...Please" he warns Jon softly, gaze flitting to that enduring grip, waiting until Tony's body is clear before applying a more careful and directed dosage of electricity to his heart. He ducks his head to Stark's chest to try and hear if it's worked, before delivering a second attempt.

"...He need a shot of adrenaline-" he stammers, finally remembering back to his training, and after a few muttered words he holds a magicked needle, looking shakily to his companions to see if either of them would volunteer to administer.

Well, at least Tommy isn't even remotely afraid of needles not used on him. He snatches the thing out of his brother's hand and immediately slams it right into Tony's chest. What, he knows where the heart is, and depresses the plunger. Enjoy that.

"If he doesn't wake up, give him another jolt."

It would have been nice to know why the fuck. Even at Tommy's speed, he barely had the chance to get his hand clear before Tony was grabbing at his chest, eyes wide with a rattling, panicked breath, his heart slamming against his ribs approximately forty thousand times in the space of it and making Tony bolt upright to try to let it the fuck out. That did the opposite of help, his heart still beating at him frantically and every cramped muscle feeling like it tore under the effort, so hyperaware of his nervous system that he thought he could feel the blood spreading under his skin for every bruise that covered his back. Just as abruptly, Tony turned to shove at Billy blindly to give him some space as he retched, only to spit more of the blood from his bitten tongue then collapse, exhausted and sweating and still vibrating with the wild hammering of his heart, against whatever part of Billy was there to take him. He finally managed to slap an uncooperative hand around the needle that someone had jabbed into his electrical burn and try to fling it away in disgust, a whole new panic brewing somewhere at the base of his spine, it felt like, about what destructive spiral that was going to send him down.

Jon hasn't let go of Tony's hand too easily and its loss being followed by having to watch the man get shocked and impaled... It's dreadful. Even more so that due to Jon feeling entirely helpless during the entire debacle.

He flinches at the needle being pushed into Tony's head and nearly jumps out of his skin, certain his own heart has just stopped the moment Tony jumps back to life. For the first few moments all he can do is hold his breath and stare, daring whatever is going on to not have this be another nightmare.

But it's not. It's not! Billy has done it! He brought Tony back- And the man's brand new flare of panic bursts into life along with him.

"T-Tony!" That's all Jon initially manages as he lunges forward again, now entirely unwilling to let himself be told to move away again. He has a hand on Tony's arm again in an instant, the other on his back now, pulling him up and close in a clumsy attempt to steady Tony despite his own still ongoing frenzy "It's okay- y-you're okay. Please be okay-- C-calm down. Just-- Just calm down, p-please..."

Oh god! Oh thank god. Billy lets out a broken breath of relief as Tony spring back to life, even as he spits up beside him, and every bit of him wants to crawl off into a hole and hide now that it's done.

But there's still work to do.

"He just had a shot of adrenaline to the heart. It's gonna take him a minute," Billy excuses to Jon. "I need to-...I have to heal everyone. I have to find Teddy..."

"Take Tony to the hospital. See Altair, if he'll see the guy. He's a good healer," Tommy says, pushing to his feet. For a moment he looks at his brother. And then, just like that, he's gone, bolting off. Because the last thing he can handle right now is being here.

There are too many bodies crowded around him, Tony wasn't getting enough air to keep up with the pounding of his heart, but none of his limbs felt properly attached and Tony could only protest feebly as Jon tugged at him and dragged over the burn that had exploded out of his back, skin shifting sickly, flexing his hands clumsily to try to get any feeling back into them so he could be sure he still had any before he could tell Jon to stop doing that. He gladly collapsed again as soon as he was able, though, protest draining out of him, useless arms looped and spasming around Jon's waist, face pressed against his hip where Tony thought he might chew through the bone to work out this chattering tension of his jaw, and only barely managed to mutter in a hoarse voice before Tommy was speeding off in a breeze, "What the fuck are you people doing here?"

It's easy for Jon to feel helpless in this situation. He can't focus on anything while frantically trying to keep some hold on Tony, offer some sort of reassurance and try to calm both of them. His eyes dart briefly up to Belly, then Tommy, who is gone again in a heartbeat.

Down to Tony's harsh, yet weak uttering.

Tommy is right. He needs to get to the hospital. Altair may not be willing to see him, but they have supplies there and people have managed to deal with this sort of thing without magic. As long as he can keep himself going and just get Tony there- Which he won't be able to do by himself, Jon knows as much. He couldn't carry Tony anywhere even if he weren't struggling to get up himself.

"P-please, Billy..." He looks back up towards the mutant "Help me-- Help me get him to the hospital first. I.... I can't... not alone...." Which only once more proves how useless he is at trying to run the hospital by himself. Though he can't lament on that now. They have to get Tony there. Make sure he gets what he needs and rests...

"Tommy-!" But he's gone, and Billy feels torn about about a thousand different directions, cursing under his breath and nodding.

He has to take care of Tony and Jon first. And stop Teddy before he hurts himself or someone else.

"I'll help you-" he promises softly, willing that panic to subside long enough for him to do what he needs to do. "Don't worry."

He places a hand on each of them, not strictly necessary, but easier to keep tabs on them, chanting under his breath, and it takes a bit more time to build the energy needed before a light envelops them and they will abruptly find themselves in the hospital.

Rage Caries You Away

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