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Arthur could handle seriousness. That wasn't the problem.
What he couldn't handle was Natasha's seriousness turning into reddened eyes.
If she had just let the tears fall, it might have been easier, like a storm breaking. But she didn't. Instead, the tears clung stubbornly to the edges of her eyes, shimmering but never falling, and just looking at her expression was enough to make him feel the weight of everything she was holding back.
Arthur's chest tightened with a pain he couldn't name.
He let out a helpless sigh. "Maybe… it's not as bad as you think."
"I think…" Natasha drew in a deep breath, forcing down the emotions threatening to spill over. "I think you need to treat yourself better. This isn't just your burden to carry. Look around you, there are so many of us by your side. We're here because of the same ideals, the same vision. We came together because none of us could accomplish this alone. Only together can we do what's impossible for one person."
"I understand," Arthur said with a nod.
"No! You don't understand!" Natasha suddenly shot to her feet, her voice rising in a shout.
Arthur flinched, staring at her cautiously.
Their eyes locked for a tense moment before Natasha shook her head. "I'm sorry… I lost control of my emotions."
Her apology only made the knot in Arthur's chest twist tighter.
He exhaled, his tone firm but weary. "A superhero may be called a hero, but that doesn't mean we should act reckless just to play one. I've said something like this before, to T'Challa."
"And yet you don't live by your own words," Natasha shot back. "I don't have the right to lecture you, not after everything. The fact is, you woke up, and maybe everything is unfolding just as you planned. But still… I want you to think about how we feel when you make these choices. You're our core. You're the center of all of us. At least, to me… if… if…"
Her voice cracked. The tears that had been fighting so long finally slipped free, tracing down her cheeks.
"If I lose you," She whispered, trembling, "I won't be able to move forward. I'll lose my purpose, my ideals… maybe even my future."
Arthur froze, staring blankly at her. His lips pressed into a thin line before he murmured, "I… I can't carry your future."
"I don't need you to carry anything!" Natasha snapped, her eyes blazing as she glared at him. "I just need you to stay alive!"
With that, she spun on her heel and stormed toward the door.
But the moment she flung it open, she found an entire group huddled outside, clearly having been eavesdropping the whole time.
When Natasha appeared, the group scattered like guilty children. Some whistled innocently. Others bent down to tie their shoelaces, though one quickly realized you couldn't tie boots when your combat suit didn't even have laces.
Thankfully, no one noticed. Natasha pushed through the group without another word and disappeared down the hall.
Arthur stood there, caught between embarrassment and frustration, as the members of the Superhero Alliance filed sheepishly inside one by one.
"So… what, you're all here to put me on trial too?" He asked dryly.
They exchanged looks, silent as mourners at a funeral. One by one, they circled around him without saying a word, then quietly slipped back out.
"…What the hell is going on here?" Arthur's face darkened.
Tony, at least, stayed behind in the end. He pulled up a chair by Arthur's bedside.
Arthur gave him a weary grin. "Still the most filial one, huh?"
"…What the hell did you just say?" Tony's smirk of schadenfreude instantly soured, his expression darker than Arthur's.
"I should be the one asking you that." Arthur shot back. "You didn't stay just to critique my sleeping posture, did you?"
He glanced down at his feet. "Do me a favor, pull the blanket off my feet, it's too hot. Just the feet though… don't pull it too far."
Tony obliged, tugging the covers away, then wrinkled his nose. "How long has it been since you washed your feet?"
"About a week, I think." Arthur replied. "Shame, really. I'd been cultivating that aroma for seven whole days… and now you get it for free."
"Being your friend is one of the hardest jobs in the world," Tony muttered. "You know, we constantly have to resist the urge to strangle you."
"Thanks for the compliment!"
"That wasn't a compliment."
They traded a couple more jabs before both lapsed into silence.
Then Tony asked, quietly, "How long will it take?"
"At the fastest, about a week," Arthur said after focusing for a moment. "By then, I should be back to full fighting strength. If something unexpected happens… it might even be sooner."
Like… if the Disassembler actually managed to disassemble Ego, for instance.
Truth be told, Arthur had no confidence this time. This was going to be grueling, possibly the longest and hardest Disassemble he'd ever attempted in his entire life.
Tony nodded slowly. "And your plan?"
"To lie here."
"…You know that's not what I'm asking." Tony's gaze flicked to the door, then back. "Honestly, I've never met a woman like her. She treats you like you're her entire damn world."
"Those are grown-up matters. Kids shouldn't pry," Arthur muttered, shrinking back and fumbling to hide under the blanket, failing miserably.
"You can't just avoid this." Tony's voice grew firmer. "This isn't just about you, it's about her too. You can't keep dragging this out forever. Oh, I get it. You already have a girlfriend, and you don't know what to do, right? Well, I heard something recently, you know? Only kids make choices. Adults always say, 'I want both.'"
Arthur's mouth twitched. "…I think I should sit down with Pepper and have a serious talk. About your marriage."
"That's not the kind of sabotage a respectable elder should be pulling!" Tony glared at him, scandalized.
Another long silence settled over them.
At last, Tony patted Arthur on the shoulder. "Think about it carefully."
Arthur didn't want to think about it at all. Compared to this mess, Tony's whole drama with Bucky felt like child's play. This was his life on the line!
Just as Tony was about to leave, Arthur quickly asked, "Where are we now?"
"You were out cold, so right now we're on Yondu's Raider spaceship," Tony said. "Drifting aimlessly through space. Got any bright ideas?"
"Yeah. Lock in the Sovereign's coordinates."
Arthur's voice hardened. "Sure, stealing their batteries was Rocket's fault, but hunting us down with such single-minded fury? That's bullying. Do they think we don't have any grown-ups at home? Let's head straight to the Sovereign. I intend to… reason with them."
(End of Chapter)