VIDEO POST - BACKDATED TO SUNDAY 9/25

[liverletdie]

[ At some point, mid-evening on Sunday, during the height of the battle, the network for most users flickered to life -- the system-wide announcement was simply Iron Man -- although at some point, his helmet had peeled back, a few stray strands of the Symbiote-infused suit wavered and flickered back and forth, like something alive, chrome moving as if it were a real thing.

And Stark stood there, the camera obviously wasn’t a comm -- but one of those handy cameras that one of the De Chima ambassadors had set up, and right next to him is Spider-Man, hunched over on the ground, both suit and man looking distinctly the worse for wear. ]

You know what we need, imports?

We need to stop hiding. We need to stop pretending that we’re something other than what we are -- we’re humans, each and every one of us. We pretend like we’re better than the people down there, just discovering their potential. Like we’re enlightened. Like we don’t have our own problems.

[ He wraps a hand around Spider-Man’s bicep and hauls him to his feet, a slight, sardonic grin on his face. Spider-Man, for his part, doesn’t look like he’d be able to stay there without being held up. He's not even looking at the camera. ]

I’ve always been one for the public knowledge of who we are. We should be held accountable for our actions -- yes, yes, even me. I know this isn’t popular right now, I know it isn’t.

[ Spider-Man makes a dismissive noise, barely audible over the camera microphone. ]

There’s no reason to be rude.

See, the thing is... you accuse… me... of talking outta my--

[ He plants his heels and pivots in Iron Man’s grip, shooting out web-lines from both wrists towards a target off camera. Spider-Man heaves, there's an earsplitting squeal, a briefly seen blur of dark, and an almighty CRUNCH before the camera goes dark.

It stays dark for another 45 seconds.

When the broadcast resumes, it shows the same scene from a different angle. More than that has changed: the wreckage of a car burns merrily in the background, an Iron Man-shaped imprint molded into the chassis. The man himself looks no worse for wear. Spider-Man, even more battered, looks barely conscious, only able to scrabble feebly at the gauntleted hand that holds him by the throat, a good foot off the ground. ]

I was going to say -- before I was rudely interrupted, that I forgive all of you, because you can’t help it, not really. My friend here, however, he can help it. And he chose to ignore that.

What I don’t forgive is trying to undo all the work we did together.

[ He reaches under Spider-Man's chin -- batting aside the other man’s last-ditch attempt to defend himself -- grabs the mask, and pulls. The face underneath is bruised, bloody, and not quite present, but recognizable to anyone who saw the network post on Wednesday. ]

Peter here’s a great example. We go through all this trouble, a public unmasking back home, media, everything, and what does he do?

Somehow, he undoes all of it. It took coming back here for me to remember what he’d even done. You think I’ve got the problem? Imports, we all have a problem, and it’s as deep as our very culture.

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[shutterbugged]

[ Everything is very blurry for Peter right now, both in the most immediate physical sense and the psychological. That's probably why he starts laughing. ]

You know that literally--[ he gasps for breath ]--the only person who might've cared about this got ported out last year, right?

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[liverletdie]

[ When the camera was off, he let him go, almost dismissively, and when Peter struggled to stay up, Tony was strong, straight-backed, and he offered him a sharp, confident grin. ]

You care.

That's all that matters.

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[exceptfebruary]

[ It's not every day you find out a hero's secret identity. It's very rare where Julian is from. And Spider-Man in particular has been very, very annoying. While secret identities were never something Julian was particularly concerned about, there is something very satisfying at the discomfort done to an enemy.

There's just one problem. ]

Are we supposed to know who that is?

not here

[shutterbugged]

[ JULIAN THAT POST WAS A WEEK AGO, COME ON ]

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[liverletdie]

Well, if you paid attention to the network, you would.

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[notyourfathersosborn]

[Normie's clothes are visibly rippling, the tendrils of "cloth" switching back and forth from white to black.]

Get your hands off my roommate, Stark.

[And don't think he didn't notice what your suit was doing, but Peter's well-being is far more important right now.]

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[liverletdie]

Or what?

[ A scoff. ]

You're going to... fight me? [ He lifted an eyebrow, honestly curious what he'd do here. ]

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[helpline]

[ The Doctor looks like he's seen better days. Most notably, his hair's sticking up in a way that's almost comically mad scientist, he's covered in soot, and he's so disappointed. ]

But I like Spider-Man!

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[liverletdie]

And now you can't?

[ omg doctor please ]

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[daughteroftheoriginal]

[She's up on a rooftop when the communicator comes to life, tucked away against her side. There's too much going on, and at some point she lost track of Tony between all the powered natives in the fight and the armor he has running autonomously.

Against any better decision that could possibly be made, still paying as much attention to her Spider-sense as she can, she pulls it out and watches in growing horror until Tony finally yanks the mask off.

The secret identity doesn't matter anymore. Not really. Maybe if she was thinking clearer she wouldn't be doing this, but.

She hits the video, and pulls her own mask off before speaking.]

He gave you a chance. I gave you a chance. So many people did. I can't believe anyone believed in you.

There's no way you haven't heard it. 'With great power, there must also come great responsibility'? You just blew it big time.

It's on, Stark.

[She launches off the roof just before cutting the video off.]

video/action will be in the log

[liverletdie]

[ Really, he just laughed ] Oh yeah, I'm sure.

You all certainly weren't willing to give my plan a chance, so sometimes...drastic times call for drastic measures.

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[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Jacob is basically tuning out Stark's smug speeches by this point- nothing he could say about the future could justify what he's done with Extremis. But when the mask comes off, the reaction is as shocked as it is immediate.]

Peter?

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[liverletdie]

[ He doesn't care, he's still gonna be an asshole anyway. ]

Surprised?

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[incogneto]

[ Wow what a fucking shocker right.

Erik might not understand what a huge deal this is, but he knew Peter wanted to keep it a secret. He doesn't know why, and he doesn't think it should be, but that's not his place, and it's not Tony's. Does he want everyone to stand together where they can? Of course. Is it harder for anyone who can't pass as a native? Yes.

But to do this... ]

Are you out of your mind?

[ A pause. ]

You did this twice?

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[liverletdie]

Actually, the first time was Peter's call. He agreed to the suggestion, let me call the press, and everything.

[ He wrapped an arm around the very beaten Peter, and shook him, not unlike what a parent would do with a petulant child. ]

Then when things got hard, he undid it somehow -- even deleted my data. Instead of living with the consequences of his actions, he opted to change those actions, and delete people's memories without their consent.

[ Well, he agreed to it, but he forgot that part. ]

[action]

[timecapture]

No!

[Max isn't one for cape work. For one, she's not the sort of girl to go around brawling - and for another, she's just not into spandex. But she likes Peter, and though she's not terribly familiar with Spider-Man, she doesn't like seeing him unmasked. It's a choice he made, and it's not anyone else's to unmake, and here Tony is, being his asshole self and doing just that.

So she does the only thing she can think of, and reaches her hand forward for a rewind. Maybe she can warn Peter about it before it happens.]

[action]

[liverletdie]

[ That's not happening -- somehow, she's close, and while pictures he can handle -- she can take all the pictures she wants, that won't do.

So it's fast, he pat Peter's cheek patronizing, before he let him go. ] Don't move, Pete -- we still got places to go --

[ And then he's off -- a quick blast of rockets, and he's standing over her, metal suit in the way, before he slapped her hand away. ]

Ah ah.

I've seen you hanging around -- you didn't think I'd do my research? [ Hack systems, figure out what she could do?

He's a planner. ]

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[snoobs]

[ She was never human, therefore always better than these humans as far as she's concerned. While she hasn't been paying close attention to what's been happening, she's seen and heard enough on the network to understand what Tony's been up to.

What a shame, she was starting to like him, too. ]

Are we still human? These powers make us something more, don't they?

[ Not that humans deserve these abilities in her opinion. ]

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[liverletdie]

Perhaps Superhuman, but still, the super doesn't make us immune to our faults and flaws, does it?

[ Maybe she'll like the real one better ]

[mischiefsmith]

Humans? Really, you should speak for yourself, granted I don't really hide behind a mask.

[That doesn't mean Loki won't raise his eyebrows at Tony, not sure what to do with him.]

Not sure how I feel, I've been defeated by you do-gooder types before and to see one that is up to my speed? Should I be upset that you've been hiding your true capacity for so long or satisfied?

[liverletdie]

Oh please, up to your speed?

[ A raised eyebrow. ]

I'm nothing like you, Loki. I'm changing the world for the better.

text; anon

[nastygram]

ok but
are you going to track all of us down and beat the shit out of us until we agree with you

or is this like a hateboner for one dude thing, everyone else will be convinced by the ~power~ of your big ole speeches

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[liverletdie]

If I have to explain it to you, then you probably don't need to know the answer.

You didn't get that there was history here?

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[darwinatrix]

Stark.

What the hell do you think you're doing?

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[liverletdie]

Taking care of the things that nobody else is willing to do -- obviously.

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[pummelgranite]

Not human, actually.


Also, are you sure this isn't a sex thing? It's really looking like a sex thing. Like an eww-please-don't-make-people-look-at-it sex thing. Or like... a complicated boyfriend feelings thing?

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[liverletdie]

[ The way he looks grossed out probably says enough. ]

Gross! Peter's like a son to me.