[log] I Care [closed]

[thewarningafter]

Characters: Tony Stark and Stephen Strange
Location: building 126
Date: 198 (afternoon/evening)
Summary: Two sad superheroes
Warnings: Depression; probable discussion of House's suicidal tendencies

126: A mostly ruined house--at first it looks as if it won't provide any shelter, but a closer inspection reveals a musty bedroom still seals up properly. There's a mattress to sleep on, but decorations are sparse. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE, TRAVELLING WEST. IF ANY ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED CONTACT @LELRIC ANY TIME" is carved into the wall. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR, CONTACT @LELRIC FOR ANY ASSISTANCE" is written on the wall. "ALPHONSE ELRIC, DAY ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN, CONTACT @LELRIC FOR ANY ASSISTANCE" is written on the wall. "ALFIE SOLOMONS, 1922. Camden Town, London, England, UK, Europe, Earth. Day 184, March 14 or March 15" is carved on the wall.

Comments

[thewarningafter]

[By the time Stephen comes stumbling in through the door, he's almost too far gone with exhaustion to process that it looks like he must have lost his way and ended up in some part of the tunnels without a safe place to shelter for the night. He's blearily surprised when he finds the intact bedroom, and he stands in the doorway for a few seconds, microscope cradled in his arms, and just sort of blinks at its other occupant.]

Tony. Great. Found you.

[definingfuture]

[Tony has made himself a temporary home on one end of the room on the floor. His head raises sharply when he hears someone enter the building and come to the bedroom. But when he sees Stephen, panting and worn in the doorway, he sighs in relief and stands up.]

Are you okay? Sit down. Take a minute.

[He moves forward to help Stephen. Lugging the microscope through the snow couldn't have been easy.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen's reaction is to immediately try to hand the microscope off, stiff hands fumbling at it as he adjusts his hold, almost all of its weight supported painfully on his forearms. He's not even wearing gloves, which seems now like a glaring flaw in this plan that required him to walk around without his hands in his pockets.]

Fine -- I'm fine. Just a little tired.

[definingfuture]

[Tony takes the microscope, quickly picking it up and setting it on the bed. He goes to his pack and pulls out a travel blanket, returning to throw it over Stephen's shoulders.]

Sit down. You need to rest.

[thewarningafter]

Thanks, mom.

[He takes Tony's momentary absence to shrug off his own pack from under his cloak, letting out a sigh of relief as it drops to the floor. He won't even argue beyond the obligatory sarcasm, perfectly okay with the idea of lowering himself to the floor right there by the door.]

You picked a hell of a place to meet.

[definingfuture]

Do you have water? You should drink some.

[His tone might be slightly more nagging after Stephen teases him, or it could just be Tony fussing. He at least seems to have more personality.]

Well, I tried to book us a nice hotel, but wouldn't you know, I lost my wallet.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen gestures vaguely toward his own pack, but doesn't muster the energy just yet to fight with the zipper in order to get out his water bottle. Instead, he shoves his hands under his legs to warm them.]

Should've come to me. I've still got mine. Course, my credit's not the best. Be really embarrassing to have my card declined.

[definingfuture]

I should have. I'll remember that next time.

[Tony gets his own water bottle out and brings it back to Stephen. As cold as it is, he doesn't want the man to be dehydrated.]

Are you going to be all right?

[thewarningafter]

It's just fatigue. I'll be fine in a few minutes.

[More like he'd be fine with a night or two of real sleep, which isn't likely to happen. He'll reluctantly get his hands back out and take the water bottle -- he knows, he knows. He doesn't want to move again, but Tony is right to be concerned about dehydration.]

Brought the microscope. [Beat.] And the cloak. Obviously.

[definingfuture]

Yeah, whatever you say, Doc. Just take it easy for now.

[Tony smiles, but he still looks concerned. All he can offer is the blanket and water, but hopefully that will at least help Stephen as he recovers. Tony crouches down next to him, giving him time to warm up.]

Thank you. I'm glad you met with me. Do you have a place picked out for the microscope?

[thewarningafter]

Not yet.

[Little sips. The water's cold and it'll hit his stomach hard if he's not careful.]

Northeast. That's our path to the center, that's where our tools should be. I'm not going to try lugging it through the ruins on the east side, but I'd like to put it closer to the entrance. It took me half a week to get down here and we just don't have that kind of time.

[definingfuture]

You'll have to pick a sturdy house. Hopefully one with relatively decent space. Some of those buildings barely count. I hope nobody breaks it.

[Just throwing that out there as well. But Stephen is right. They do need to move their tools forward.]

[thewarningafter]

I hope I don't break it.

[He gives a little shake of his head.]

I'll find somewhere. You'll be one of the people to know. I don't exactly want to withhold things from the others, but it might be better if only certain people know where to find it.

[definingfuture]

I agree. We probably shouldn't advertise that too much... Honestly, I think a lot of people won't have much use for it anyway. But I do worry about someone finding it and breaking it.

[Accidentally or otherwise.]

[thewarningafter]

Exactly.

[Good that they're on the same page. Half the water gone, Stephen sets the bottle down to tuck his fingers into his armpits instead.]

Doctor House did try to isolate some of the nanomachines. Couldn't do it with a scalpel.

[definingfuture]

Really? Damn. I guess they're programmed to avoid capture. I'd do that too.

[It's fair, but he's still annoyed.]

If there were a way to disable the signals they receive from the Admin, we might be able to confuse them.

[thewarningafter]

And then what?

[There's no sharpness to the question. He's genuinely curious what Tony intends to do if he manages to isolate any of the nanomachines.]

[definingfuture]

And then I want to see how they're sending the signals. If we can isolate them, then we can try to see if there's a way to get them to send false readings. I just want to know what they are picking up on.

And if we can get them to stop doing that.

[thewarningafter]

If you want to try it yourself, you can be my guest. I have a sterile syringe you can use as a container if you manage it.

[Assuming the cloak agrees to another cut thread -- but then, either man's blood should do just as well.]

[definingfuture]

Okay. I'd like to try it. If we can catch some at least we'll know it's possible.

[Which is an answer, if nothing else.]

Rest and get warmed up for now.

[thewarningafter]

Outside pocket of my bag. I'd appreciate it if you would use the one without a needle.

[Needles are rare and precious, okay? Stephen climbs to his feet, muscles protesting, and relocates himself to the mattress. He's tired, so damn tired that he thinks he might actually sleep tonight.]

[definingfuture]

Of course.

[Tony gets up to fetch the syringe Stephen tells him is there.]

I'm going back to the hospital tomorrow for House.

[thewarningafter]

[Ah. House. Stephen saw that he was alive...and then kind of hung up on him.]

Oh? Why's that?

[definingfuture]

He's in trouble. His death price-you saw all of those conversations, right? He can't make any decisions right now, and there are people trying to use that control to rob him. He's on medication and not a nice guy. But he's vulnerable right now and taking advantage of him- I can't let that happen. I want to get to him first.

[thewarningafter]

...I hung up on him, actually. I haven't looked at it since then.

[He has the decency to look a little guilty over that.]

Can't make any decisions how? Is he just sitting where he woke up right now? He was still acting like himself when I talked to him.

[You know, like a massive dick.]

[definingfuture]

Did you? I don't blame you.

He's holding his own for now, but I think he's lost this one. He told me that he can't refuse any orders and that he has to listen to whatever anyone else says. He's asking them for commands. Directions. What to do next.

I would just let it pass, but he's such a difficult guy that he's definitely got some enemies. He already said someone ordered him to meet them. And he couldn't tell me who it was or what they wanted with him.

[Tony's expression is grim.]

It's not my business, but I don't want to see him get hurt like he is.

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen's eyes slide shut and he lets his head thump back against the wall.]

Shit.

[Tony's moral reasoning is sound, and there's Stephen's own complicity in House's death to needle at him, too. If he'd stuck around this morning instead of bolting as soon as lockdown ended, maybe he would have intercepted House before anyone could give him that kind of order.

He lets out a disgusted sigh as he realizes what this means after his long trek here.]

I'll come with you.

[definingfuture]

[Tony hears the frustration in Stephen's reply. He knows what it means for Stephen, who just arrived lugging that microscope across the snow, and he can't blame the man for being unhappy.]

Are you sure? I would feel better with your help, but if you don't want to get involved with a guy like him...

[thewarningafter]

I'm already involved. I helped him get himself into this mess.

[definingfuture]

[Tony recognizes the sound of guilt.]

It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself for him. He's a guy that tries to be abrasive and push his limits. He's been doing that longer than we've both been here.

If you want to help, I could use the help. I don't know if he'll cooperate once I get there.

[thewarningafter]

I told you, I'm coming. You think he'll have been put under orders to resist?

[definingfuture]

Okay. [He looks relieved, even though he feels guilty for involving Stephen.]

I think there's a chance. Whoever told him to meet them also expects other people to try to stop him.

[thewarningafter]

You get that from House?

[It's a logical conclusion even if it's an assumption.]

What's stopping House from leaving the hospital to meet this person the minute the doors unlock in the morning?

[definingfuture]

I asked him if he could tell me who he was meeting. He said that would be breaking orders. So, yeah, he was trying to tell me he's in trouble.

Nothing yet. We're going to need more help.

[thewarningafter]

Of course.

[So someone reasonably smart.]

You try telling him to lock himself up? He might still have his handcuffs.

[definingfuture]

He has handcuffs? No. I haven't tried that.

[Time to try it. Tony takes a moment with the tablet.]

We don't know what orders he already has. That's going to be the problem.

[thewarningafter]

He had them when he died.

[They'd been what got House through the compulsion to leave the morgue while he still theoretically could.]

We're just going to have to figure it out when we get there.

[definingfuture]

All right. We'll make it work.

[Hopefully without anyone getting hurt in the process. Tony can hope.]

[thewarningafter]

[Stephen nods; sits back on the mattress. He's still cold as hell, hasn't eaten, but it's the exhaustion getting to him most right now.]

I'm going to try to sleep. You should, too.

[definingfuture]

All right. We'll go first thing in the morning. Hopefully House won't struggle.

[Tony is tired, but not as tired as Stephen. And he's hoping to stall House, so he'll stay up a bit longer to make sure that happens. But in the end, he does agree that they both need sleep.]

[thewarningafter]

Hopefully.

[It's early as hell in the evening, but Stephen really needs the rest. He takes a few minutes to settle in, but for once he's able to drift off to sleep right away. For once, too, he won't wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night.]