theatrical-muse: Injured.
"...nnection with home base has been unsuccessful. Third time rebooting systems will initiate in three..."
Tony knows the exact words that are coming; he knows by heart the protocol that Jarvis will follow, but he finds himself blanking out as his AI's voice echoes in the suit. Something seems to be interfering with his concentration, though; there seems to be a sort of static noise (from the suit? maybe Jarvis would fix it once the system rebooted) and a ringing that he can't get rid of.
He just has to focus on Jarvis.
Just focus on Jarvis.
Focus.
"Young Mister Stark, hold still."
Tony had been too busy trying to avoid Jarvis as he cradled his arm to him, trying to keep the blood hidden by covering it up with a washcloth from the lab, but the sound of such formalities being used in his direction coming from his butler's mouth just makes him stop in his tracks. "Tony," he hears himself complain, suddenly going perfectly still, but Jarvis doesn't say anything to correct himself. This makes him frown at Jarvis, who is not even looking at him. "Jarvis. It's Tony. You said you weren't going to call me that."
"Ah, yes," Jarvis responds quietly, taking advantage of the boy going still so he can pick him up carefully and sit him on the kitchen counter. Young Tony Stark may be smarter than many grown men, but he's still four years old and small enough to sit on the tall countertop without worrying that he'd immediately jump off. "Now," he murmurs as he carefully peels back the towel that Tony is using to guard his arm with. "Tell me what happened."
No matter how young he may be, Tony doesn't focus on the pain. He just focuses on the facts, and he rattles them off without a second thought. "I was working on one of the engines. I tried lowering a piece with the crane I was using to carry it, because it was too heavy, but it released too quickly. I tried catching it..."
This makes him finally pause, and his breath hitches as Jarvis tries to move his arm. No matter how much he'd like to keep focusing on the facts, suddenly the pain makes him wince. It's strong enough to make his eyes sting, even if he doesn't quiet understand why, and the confusion along with the pain makes his eyes sting even more. "...I couldn't catch it," he finishes instead, but his voice sounds small in the enormous kitchen. He looks up to look at Jarvis, almost unconsciously ready to prove that he wasn't a baby, that he was old enough to withstand the pain without feeling as vulnerable and young as he suddenly felt, but Jarvis' expression made it obvious that he didn't want or need him to put up that show.
"It's all right, Young Mister Stark," he reassures him quietly, so soothingly that for a moment Tony forgets all about the pain and even forgets to correct him. "It'll be all right."
When Tony opens his eyes, he half expects to be back in the kitchen in Long Island. He expects to see Jarvis, he expects...
"Sir," the AI version of Jarvis says, and if he didn't know any better Tony would almost swear there's some concern in his voice. "Sir. Did you hear the analysis report?"
"Wh..." Focus, he commands to himself. Focus. Facts. Facts. Maybe facts would help him ignore that his whole left side feels as if it's burning. Maybe facts would erase the ringing in his ears that he still can't get rid of.
Focus.
"Hit me," Tony answers after a moment, trying to focus on his surroundings. Focus. Focus on the abandoned building he's in, on the rubble he seems to be cradled in. Focus, he tells himself, because he's in the suit. He had been in a mission, hadn't he? He remembers explosions, gunfire - maybe that's why his ears are still ringing? - and suddenly everything had gone blank. And now he's here, but he has no idea where here is.
Rubble. There's rubble.
But there's no enemy fire close by, which is the only thing that helps him feel somewhat relieved.
Tony tries to move then, but before he can sit up completely there are stars dancing in his eyes and his whole body feels as if it's on fire.
"Fifth attempt at rebooting the system has been unsuccessful," he half hears Jarvis say, he tries so hard to focus on, but before the AI can finish talking his voice becomes distorted as it dwindles into silence. The silence is so strong, suddenly so powerful that it makes the ringing in his ears even louder, and Tony doesn't know what to say or do. His breath catches as he sits up, but he's not sure if it's the pain or the sudden realization that his suit had been damaged more than he had expected.
Maybe that's where all the rubble had come from.
"Jarvis," Tony says to himself before speaking once more, this time louder. "JARVIS."
He isn't sure which one he wants to hear more - his AI or the memory of his butler, but all he knows is that neither one respond. That's his last thought before the world dissolves into darkness.
Tony knows the exact words that are coming; he knows by heart the protocol that Jarvis will follow, but he finds himself blanking out as his AI's voice echoes in the suit. Something seems to be interfering with his concentration, though; there seems to be a sort of static noise (from the suit? maybe Jarvis would fix it once the system rebooted) and a ringing that he can't get rid of.
He just has to focus on Jarvis.
Just focus on Jarvis.
Focus.
"Young Mister Stark, hold still."
Tony had been too busy trying to avoid Jarvis as he cradled his arm to him, trying to keep the blood hidden by covering it up with a washcloth from the lab, but the sound of such formalities being used in his direction coming from his butler's mouth just makes him stop in his tracks. "Tony," he hears himself complain, suddenly going perfectly still, but Jarvis doesn't say anything to correct himself. This makes him frown at Jarvis, who is not even looking at him. "Jarvis. It's Tony. You said you weren't going to call me that."
"Ah, yes," Jarvis responds quietly, taking advantage of the boy going still so he can pick him up carefully and sit him on the kitchen counter. Young Tony Stark may be smarter than many grown men, but he's still four years old and small enough to sit on the tall countertop without worrying that he'd immediately jump off. "Now," he murmurs as he carefully peels back the towel that Tony is using to guard his arm with. "Tell me what happened."
No matter how young he may be, Tony doesn't focus on the pain. He just focuses on the facts, and he rattles them off without a second thought. "I was working on one of the engines. I tried lowering a piece with the crane I was using to carry it, because it was too heavy, but it released too quickly. I tried catching it..."
This makes him finally pause, and his breath hitches as Jarvis tries to move his arm. No matter how much he'd like to keep focusing on the facts, suddenly the pain makes him wince. It's strong enough to make his eyes sting, even if he doesn't quiet understand why, and the confusion along with the pain makes his eyes sting even more. "...I couldn't catch it," he finishes instead, but his voice sounds small in the enormous kitchen. He looks up to look at Jarvis, almost unconsciously ready to prove that he wasn't a baby, that he was old enough to withstand the pain without feeling as vulnerable and young as he suddenly felt, but Jarvis' expression made it obvious that he didn't want or need him to put up that show.
"It's all right, Young Mister Stark," he reassures him quietly, so soothingly that for a moment Tony forgets all about the pain and even forgets to correct him. "It'll be all right."
When Tony opens his eyes, he half expects to be back in the kitchen in Long Island. He expects to see Jarvis, he expects...
"Sir," the AI version of Jarvis says, and if he didn't know any better Tony would almost swear there's some concern in his voice. "Sir. Did you hear the analysis report?"
"Wh..." Focus, he commands to himself. Focus. Facts. Facts. Maybe facts would help him ignore that his whole left side feels as if it's burning. Maybe facts would erase the ringing in his ears that he still can't get rid of.
Focus.
"Hit me," Tony answers after a moment, trying to focus on his surroundings. Focus. Focus on the abandoned building he's in, on the rubble he seems to be cradled in. Focus, he tells himself, because he's in the suit. He had been in a mission, hadn't he? He remembers explosions, gunfire - maybe that's why his ears are still ringing? - and suddenly everything had gone blank. And now he's here, but he has no idea where here is.
Rubble. There's rubble.
But there's no enemy fire close by, which is the only thing that helps him feel somewhat relieved.
Tony tries to move then, but before he can sit up completely there are stars dancing in his eyes and his whole body feels as if it's on fire.
"Fifth attempt at rebooting the system has been unsuccessful," he half hears Jarvis say, he tries so hard to focus on, but before the AI can finish talking his voice becomes distorted as it dwindles into silence. The silence is so strong, suddenly so powerful that it makes the ringing in his ears even louder, and Tony doesn't know what to say or do. His breath catches as he sits up, but he's not sure if it's the pain or the sudden realization that his suit had been damaged more than he had expected.
Maybe that's where all the rubble had come from.
"Jarvis," Tony says to himself before speaking once more, this time louder. "JARVIS."
He isn't sure which one he wants to hear more - his AI or the memory of his butler, but all he knows is that neither one respond. That's his last thought before the world dissolves into darkness.