#don't even try to tell me that the nuke ending was the best option

[screamsofanoutlawbrain]

the server should've been named memory-smp or some other name that ties into the story or the three canonical lives gimmick cause it definitely wasn't (nor should be treated like) a dream.

There was more to the server than dream, more content creators that made stories (and lots of them didn't get to fully start or end) and acted them out for thousands to see, and most of the fans loved and adored the stories, dream's charcter barely has a story other than being the villain, the other characters carried the story lots more than dreams character.

The lore of the dsmp was definitely left unfinished in the end, lots of stories didn't get to end (like the eggpire's collapse or puffy's past or jack and nikis revenge), lots didn't even get to have much story outside of being apart of something big (philza, schlatt, niki and lots of others) or barely got a start before it all ended (aimsey, boomer, tina, micheal, eryn, seapeeykay), and some stories that got an unsatisfying end (the nuke ending for clingy duo), but there were some stories that are loved (lmanburg as a whole, the sbi's characters, tubbo's and ranboo's marriage arc, eggpire's prime, the tales of the smp), and those stories definitely won't be forgotten by the fans.

It's really sad that the dsmp is just boxed into being just dreams thing and some other people too, when in reality it is a creation of many peoples making just with dreams name slapped on it.

people need to stop being so toxic about the dsmp. i get it isn’t everyone’s thing but it isn’t this super evil minecraft server of groomers. that was one guy and the allegations came out at the end of the dream smp’s lifespan. also, despite being in the title, dream hardly played on the server and never streamed or recorded his gameplay. he was basically just there for promo!! the vast majority of dream smp fans weren’t dream stans, they were there for the dozens of other creators playing on the server. in fact, there has even been beef between dream smp fans and dream stans!! anyways, it’s just a roleplay series, and i don’t see people sending death threats to fans of streamed dnd campaigns.

[sergeanttomycaptain]

I don't understand people bringing up Lagos too much because if Steve and the rest of the Avengers weren't on that mission even more people would have died. No regular force would be able to stop hydra. Did he miss the bomb? Yes. Would other people miss it too? Yes. Did Wanda try her best to move it away so no one gets hurt? Also yes. For me the movie invalidated accords as soon as the Ross mentioned the destruction the Avengers "caused" as if the governments plan wasn't to nuke the entire city of New York which would cause total destruction and would kill all of the new york population. Only one there who should've answered to the law was tony for sokovia but somehow he's the one who suffered no consequences.

The framing of circumstance is everything. Opposition wants to make doing nothing sound like the better option, when doing nothing almost certainly would have gotten many more people killed. It's like, holy crud, if you guys would rather have Hydra as your overlords, you can say so. This particular group of idiots just figured you might want to have a choice in the matter. Are they perfect? No. Did they ever claim to be? Absolutely not. Does that still keep them up at night? Yes it does.

Few things tick me off more than Rhodey telling Steve it was dangerously arrogant of him to say all the Accords does is shift the blame, because Steve was right: it did. I'd personally rather trust a group who's first priority is the safety of civilians than a group of unknown and untrusted politicians at the end of an attack dog's leash, particularly in this scenario where they are the only two options available. There was no third option. Technically speaking, there wasn't even a second option. It was "Do this or leave. This is happening with or without your consent." There was no effort made in trying to harmonize their collective goals. It's just an "us vs them" mentality.

Ahh yes, I love it when new management begins their hostage takeover with a trust exercise. A trust exercise that reeks of I am in no way trustworthy. You'd think that, when it comes to the accountability in protecting the world and stopping bad things from happening to innocent people, trust would be the first thing on the list. But it never was about accountability, was it?

[professorspork]

Hot take, perhaps, but if/when Penny 3.0 happens I don't think she should have Floating Array, etherial or otherwise. It's just too bound up with her self-image as a Weapon instead of a Person. If Penny gets a sword, it needs to be a sword she can put down.

This is-- a fascinating take! I’m not sure I agree with it, but I think there’s some meaty ideas here worth unpacking. And I do think we agree on the fundamental premise (i.e. Penny’s autonomy needs to be foregrounded above all).

You assert that Penny’s current problem is that she sees herself as a Weapon and not a Person, and I don’t think that’s exactly the case. 

One of the things I admire most about Penny is is that when people try and tell her who (or, insultingly, what) she is, she quietly but assertively refutes them. Though early on her conviction in her own personhood was somewhat shaky, when her friends encouraged her she took it to heart. After Ruby “I Love You And Your Beautiful Soul” Rose told her that she was real and Winter “Everyone’s Feelings Are Valid Except For Mine” Schnee told her that her opinions mattered, she got-- really quite bullish about this. To illustrate:

Random citizen: It's Ironwood's robot! Robyn: [suspicious] Penny. Penny: I-- I didn't! [7.06, A Night Off]

Vine: I thought you were supposed to protect the people, not hurt them. Penny: I would never hurt anyone. Elm: Well Winter’s in critical condition, because of you. Harriet: And you repaid her by stealing the power that should have been hers. Penny: But taking the Maiden power was the only way to stop-- [8.03, Strings]

Cinder: You’re just a tool to be used! Penny: You do not know what you are talking about. ... Cinder: I don’t serve anyone. And you wouldn’t either, if you weren't built that way. Penny: That is not… I choose to fight for people who care about me. [8.05, Amity]

Which isn’t to say Penny isn’t prone to self-doubt, because she absolutely is, or that Penny doesn’t have a self-sacrifice streak a mile wide, because she absolutely does. But Penny wouldn’t have that reflexive, Janet-saying-“Not-a-girl”-style reaction to people telling her she’s nothing but a weapon unless she genuinely thought they were wrong. She’s not defensive, in these moments, even though she’s defending herself. She’s certain.

Maybe this is me splitting hairs with your argument, but I don’t think Penny’s issue is that she sees herself as a weapon. It’s that she sees herself as a hero. Not just a soldier, but THE soldier. The Protector of Mantle. She’s not Winter; she’s not most comfortable when she’s got orders she can hide behind so she can reassure herself she’s doing the right thing because someone else already did that math. She’s-- she’s Spider-Man. She feels a tremendous responsibility to save everyone she can, because that’s what you do. And yes that’s also, literally, what she was built for, so I can see where the argument is coming from, but I think it matters that the argument’s being made about someone from Remnant.

And on Remnant, your weapon is an extension of who you are.

We’ve never, as far as I can remember, seen anyone straight up switch their weapon. Ironwood made the nuke attachment for his pistols, but it’s still Due Process underneath. Maria only carries one of her two canes, now, but she didn’t make any design changes. Same with Yang and (lefty) Ember Celica. Jaune gave Crocea Mors substantial upgrades, but it’s fundamentally the same weapon; Blake chose to solder Gambol Shroud back together rather than replace it... and if anyone had an argument that using the same weapon might be too traumatic, it would be her. I mean, hell, the Messrs Oz have been using the same staff for millennia.

Weapons aren’t something you turn your back on. I don’t think it’s something that would occur to people. It would be like-- like turning off your Aura. That’s you. 

Unless, of course, you’re Cinder.

Cinder gave up on Midnight after the Beacon arc, and we’ve never seen it since. She relies exclusively on Maiden weapons instead-- some of which she molds into forms quite similar to her old swords or bow, but still. She tossed it aside. This follows the logic of the show: Cinder discarded the weapons, and with them the person she used to be, when she found it all to be lacking. Instead, she embraces what she sees as a higher form of power.

I don’t think Penny would think of Floating Array that way; as a sign of her failure. Nor do I think she’d see it as the prophesy/burden your take implies.

Granted, Watts used a sword from Floating Array in order to get access to her code and install the virus; it ended up being the vector for a huge breach of autonomy and violation of consent. But so was Tyrian using Harbinger to murder Clover, and Qrow’s still using it.

And granted, Penny didn’t choose Floating Array in the same way most people chose or designed their own weapons. She was born with it; activated combat-ready. But then, that’s not so different from Jaune inheriting Crocea Mors, is it? It might not be what either of them would have selected or been most suited for if they’d had the chance to say for themselves at the start, but... well, we’re far from the start, now. And Penny does choose Floating Array, when it matters. When she conjures weapons in her new, self-created body, she instinctively reaches for what she knows, what’s familiar. Her father’s providence. So for me, the moment you’re alluding to... it’s already happened. The whole point of leveraging Ambrosius’ limitations in the way they did is that Penny is separated from the parts of her that can be weaponized-- she watches her synthetic body eat itself, consumed by its own self-destructive urges. It doesn’t get much more metaphor-made-literal than that!

What remains, then, is Penny. And Penny uses Floating Array.

If Penny comes back and doesn’t resume the Winter Maidenhood (which I think is... low on the list of options, given Winter’s desperation and the likelihood that Maiden transference shenanigans are going to be a part of the vehicle that allows Penny to return in the first place), then she won’t have a choice. Either because that will mean she’s back in a 3.0 robot body (in which case it’s the same lack of choice she always had; Pietro wouldn’t give her an unfamiliar weapon after all that) or because she’s a Regular Normal Flesh Gal now and unless her Semblance is telekinesis (which it may be!!! we don’t know!!!) a weapon like Floating Array just isn’t on the table. But all of that, as I’ve already laid out, has to contend with so many unknown factors. How she comes back, and in what form, and at which time.

If Penny does end up designing a wholly new weapon, to me that would signal total transformation, given the rules and themes of the world. And that... well, it depends on the execution, I suppose, but I think I’d find that a little alarming. That she’d choose to have so little of her old self in her new form. But on the other hand, maybe I’m dead wrong there! That could also be read as yet another gorgeous act of creation by the Maiden best suited to it; it could be Penny choosing to yes-and herself into doubling down on her identity. She could be SO MUCH of a person that she, and she alone, gets to make a new weapon for her new self. I’m not against any of that! 

But even if that’s the case, I still think we’d see the hard light version of Floating Array again, especially if we have a Maidenbowl Redux. Even if I were to concede to your point that it’s too bound up in her self-image issues, that doesn’t imply to me that she’d have to move beyond it. If she’s to contend with herself, if she’s to decide she’s a person and not a weapon as you lay out, she’s going to put all of herself in the effort. As the speech goes, it’s a part of her. Even if it’s just a part, that’s still... a part. And this show has never been about severing yourself from your broken bits; it’s been about embracing them tenderly and letting them actually heal.

...also, Floating Array is *checks notes* cool. 

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 34

THE ROAD SO FAR

To the notable few people reading this. I hope you enjoy! Cheers!

High and Dry

"Alex"

MacTavish Residence, Glasgow, Scotland

Alex joined the commotion going on in the living room while he was on his way to get Samantha a cup of coffee before she woke up. The group consisted of Soap, Price, Jack and France facing a laptop.

He peeked for a while and saw Ghost, Roach and Maxine on the other end of the video call. He had no idea why they'd have to do that but proceeded to listen.

"So uh… we didn't find a single body on the ship. It's possible the waves already washed them somewhere. Guess I'll have to check on local news for more information. But what we do have are coordinates to a Site Hotel Bravo?" Ghost asked and the name didn't ring any bells.

Price and Jack's heads turned after hearing it and they slowly speculated before replying.

"I'll see what I can find." Price replied as their feed slowly lagged due to internet failure. Francine looked like she wanted to say anything to Max but the call ended abruptly.

"How could she just leave without telling me?" Francine complained while storming off.

"Maybe she had her reasons?" Soap followed her trying to calm her raging emotion. Alex nodded to Jack and Price who nodded back and went to the office. He felt like words weren't necessary to tell him that they'll be planning on their next move.

With everyone else gone, Alex made his way back to their room where Samantha was already awake and brushing her hair in front of the mirror.

Setting the cup of coffee by the drawer, a smile escaped his lips as their eyes met through the reflection, where she saw Alex slowly approach her and hug her back as they slowly swung sideways.

"Good Morning, Gorgeous." Alex muttered and kissed her on the cheek while Samantha giggled at the ticklish feeling of his moustache.

"Good Morning to you too, Handsome" she replied while her hands looked for him and intertwined them tightly.

"Any plans today?" She mused, tilting her head enough to meet his lips as they kissed intimately. 

"Hmm. Your best friend somehow made it to London today…" he murmured after their kiss, as Samantha's eyes opened wide.

"Hm?" was all she could say as their heads parted farther.

"My best guess is that they went back to the ship. Probably to look for Alexandra… or what remains of her." he continued as Samantha showed a worried look.

"Roach is with her…" he added once more in an attempt to not make her worry.

"I see what you are doing, 3-1." She mused. Alex's eyes widened to the sound of her using his code, he somehow found it… sexy.

"So we're using code names now?" He turned to Samantha who sat on the bed, the worry on her face was still obvious.

"Hey now." Alex called, smiling at the moment their eyes met.

"She'll be alright. She's got two strong soldiers around her. Don't worry." 

"I guess you're right…" she sighed in resignation as Alex leaned in closer for a hug. The said hug meant to assure her that everything will be alright.

Alex spent most of the day with Samantha, judging on how busy Jack and Price were, he assumed they're going to be back on the field again, and that means that she'd be left all alone and worried.

They caught Soap and France doing the same too, but since they're both soldiers, they won't be separating from each other. 

"I like to believe something's already going on with them." Samantha leaned in to Alex at the sofa, as the two watched Soap and France arguing at each other in the kitchen. It looked like they were seeing who gets to assemble a pistol first, but the bickering was longer than the actual game.

"Yeah? You should've seen them kiss back at the Gulag. That was uhh… a sight to behold?" Alex chuckled.

"Ohh they already did? I knew it. Even back at the infirmary, I could feel the both of them trying to vibe." Samantha mused and laughed and just after that statement. The two competitors already found themselves in a concerning situation. Soap was already on her back, his hands helped guide France's on the pistol, their faces were so close to each other, one slight turn could already be a potential time to kiss.

And that they did, Alex and Samantha saw France ask a question to which Soap answered by slowly tilting his head to her face. What happened next was that their eyes both closed and their lips met slowly at first then progressed into a more intimate session.

Samantha covered Alex's eyes and giggled as Alex did the same, laughing so hard that they were lying on the sofa.

After that, Price and Jack quickly announced that they'll be visiting Shepherd in Afghanistan. The two couples exchanged looks, where Samantha frowned as she realized that Alex would once again be placed in danger.

AFGHANISTAN

Alex didn't expect that they're going to visit Shepherd with full gear. It looked like Price and Jack made some negotiations to make this possible considering how the weapons looked expensive. Maybe earning favors was a good thing after all.

The rest of the team easily regrouped in Scotland, where Maxine and Samantha kind of got the whole MacTavish Estate to themselves. It's the safest idea aside from sending her back to her Dad.

Now, the rest of the squad is flying discreetly above Afghan borders on their way to Site Hotel Bravo. Intel suggests it's a hidden cave network which housed Shepherd's Elite troops called the Shadow Company, which the group already acquainted with back in London.

The plan is to stop Shepherd from finishing his EMP Nuke and attempt to destroy any trace of it from being rebuilt again. If possible, they could also use this opportunity to get intel on Nero.

"Da. There it is. The exact location of your coordinates." Nikolai announced over the comms. The rest of the team looked down on a barren canyon, no sign of anything that said "Camp". 

"For a military base, this one looks pretty empty." Roach commented.

"Well, if intel's correct then whatever is below that would be the one we're looking for." Ghost said, putting on his new and improved mask.

"Prepare for dropoff." Price signaled as everyone quickly attached themselves to the hook, as they descended after Price's signal.

"Let's get evil!" He cheered as his foot landed on the ground, dust quickly blowing on the wind.

They all raised their suppressed weapons and hid on the nearest covers.

"Sandstorms brewing up. We'll use them for cover." Price announced as he and Jack crouched forward, hooking to a rappel slid down the ropes, as they stealthily took down two guards by the elevated area.

As soon as the coast was clear, the group now gathered by the entrance of the cave and began to split up.

Alex and Jack were to locate and plant charges on the Nuke, permanently erasing such weaponry off the face of the Earth. Soap, France and Ghost's task was to locate any intel regarding Nero while Price and Roach will try to find Shepherd and beat the truth out of him.

"All-righty, kiddo. Let's get a move on." Jack nodded as Alex followed his former CO inside the cave. The scenery turned darker as the rest of the team split up to cover more ground.

"It's almost pitch black in here…" Jack whispered as he toggled his flashlight.

"You're not using a flashlight? Can you see in the dark, Alex?" He asked with amusement in his voice.

"Not really. But I eat a lot of carrots." He joked, turning on his lights and pushing forward to the dark tunnel. As expected, Jack wouldn't get the joke. Alex knew that some things would never change.

"You hear that?" Alex mumbled as sounds of footsteps echoed on the narrow walls, causing the two to lean close to the wall and turn off their lights. With his eyes beamed on the light at the end of the tunnel. People in lab coats shuffled across the halls, making their path correct.

"This is the right way." Alex affirmed as they slowly pushed their way to the Lab in stealth.

Jack followed, guarding Alex's six, as they reached the main hall of the laboratory. 

"This is Echo Three One, we already made it to the lab. Proceeding to locate the Nuke and plant the charges." Alex informed as they took cover behind corners, eyeing out for possible hostiles.

"Copy that three one, we're still on the lookout for Shepherd." Price reported.

"Uh.. Ghost kinda left us alone. He said he was going to cover our six but he's gone. This place is huge, we're still on the lookout for possible intel rooms." Soap muttered as Alex and Jack maneuvered the Laboratory as stealthily as possible.

When a small group of babbling scientists were heard from the halls, Alex and Jack quickly hid in the nearest room they could find, accidentally stumbling on the blueprints of the nuke.

The whole wall was filled with blue paper depicting an almost scale model of a rocketship. If this was the nuke Shepherd wanted, it was obvious why he desperately needed the money.

Jack's camera shuttered as he took a photo of the thing to report back to Price.

"So, how do we get rid of this?" he asked.

"More importantly, how is our charge going to set off that huge thing?" Alex asked and looked at the blueprints carefully.

"The engine." They both said, as they traced the engine.

"It's their final piece of the puzzle." Jack theorized.

"And we're lucky enough they haven't placed the thing yet." Alex continued.

The further they traversed into the lab, the more crowded it got. It was expected as they were building a huge EMP rocket nuke, and it was getting harder for Alex and Jack to advance further. Right now, their best option was to lock themselves in a comfort room.

"We need a diversion." Alex planned as Jack leaned by the sink, checking out his greying beard in the mirror.

"We'll wait for the others to alert the whole base." he replied. It was a risky move, but it would work. If they were to create their distraction in the lab, everyone would go here and make it much harder to set the charge.

"This is Echo Three One does anyone copy?" Alex's tone was annoyed.

"I guess they jammed this place up, kid. We're on our own." He said calmly as Alex clicked his tongue. Jack was right, they just have to wait.

But the anticipation of not knowing anything outside was worrying him. What if the nuke was already launched? What if the team already did their plans and they're still inside the damn comfort room?

Alex's mind was clouded with thoughts of failing. He was not used to this way of thinking, but ever since he met Samantha once again, he became more concerned of the safety of the group, more specifically, his safety. Back then, he was fine with sustaining injuries and being reckless, but now he wanted to get home from missions in one piece. Losing his leg was the last line he was willing to draw.

Then, the alarm systems blared, it was requesting every scientist to report to the bunker.

"See? All you need to have is a little faith." Jack smiled and readied his weapon, leaning closely by the door.

"After you kid, I always got your back." He said as Alex slowly flicked the lock open, his hand grabbed the door knob and slowly pushed it open.

Next Chapter : Red

Notification Squad my Beloved

@bumblingbee1 @enderio @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @whimsywispsblog @ricinbach

[emberkeelty]

[First post: Char siting in a bar with a glass of alcohol and watching Garma's funeral.

Second post: Screenshot of commentary in the tags. "This scene is the biggest smoking gun that Char actually cared about Garma even if only a little. It always strikes me how 'because he was a spoiled kid/a brat' is a lot more personal than 'blame this on the misfortune of your birth'."]

That's an extremely good point and helps me solidify something I'd been thinking about the question of "why is Char," mainly in the context of CCA, by showing how it traces all the way back to the first big "why is Char" moment in the saga.

Basically, I think that Char often has two separate and minimally related sets of reasons for the things he does. One of them is a directing force, a rationale that points him down a particular path, and the other is a driving force, a motivation that pushes him forward. Crucially, I don't think either set of reasons invalidates the other. He wouldn't be the person he is and do the things he does without both.

Char's reason for infiltrating the Zeon military and getting in close to Garma is bad blood between his family and the Zabis. That's why he understands killing Garma as the thing he "should" do. In that sense, it's something he had to do because of the misfortunes of birth. But what gives him the motivation to actually go through with it is more personal. Garma's thoughtless comments about their different family situations. Garma telling Icelina he can't wait for the war to end so he can settle down to a domestic life with a family (something Char can never have) and if all else fails he'll deny his father and refuse his name to run away with her (something he's never offered to do for Char, and that Char can never trust him enough to ask him for). In that sense, the reason Garma is dead is because he was a spoiled kid.

In CCA, he has a whole tangle of political and philosophical reasons for trying to nuke the Earth. Mirai and Amuro aren't wrong when they call him an idealist or an intellectual. He believes enough in that being the best available option to choose it as the thing he "should" do. But he doesn't believe in it enough to NOT sabotage himself by going well out of his way to give Amuro the best possible shot at killing him. Getting to engage with Amuro again is the only thing he actually wants enough for him to go through with the thing he's decided he's supposed to be doing. That's why even official materials have said that Amuro is his true motivation.

Even though he's a bit more aimless in Z, and also so much less extreme that he doesn't necessarily require the same amount of explanation, his actions there can also be viewed through this lens. The AEUG is probably the best idea he's ever had (not a high bar) but it's also something that lets him escape from the soul-crushing tedium of Axis, show off his piloting skills, and hang out with cool military men instead of trying and miserably failing to "settle down". Amuro isn't wrong that he has some genuine goodness in him, but Beltorchika isn't wrong that he's a person who doesn't know how to live without war.

Regret but shouldn’t admit.

He’s already going so far, can’t stop now.

So he says just “Because he was a brat”.

[hellie98]

I am gonna show this to anyone who thinks it's strange to hate Steve Rogers. I am sorry but he is more reckless than Tony and doesn't care about collateral damage as long as it is for the "Greater Good". He always blames Tony for everything saying that he is in the wrong, often when Tony isn't and he is. I mean ' you broke up the avengers when you signed', he didn't, he wanted them to be accountable for the destruction they left behind. A 117 countries thought that yes the avengers are heroes but that doesn't give them the right to operate in our country and endanger our citizens and destroy our infrastructure, especially without permission and knowledge of local governments and wanted to control that. Steve could've argued, could've negotiated a deal that was comfortable for all parties but he didn't; he just declared them to be in the wrong and decided the law didn't apply to him. I am sorry, the nerve and ego to say you know better than 117 countries combined. Do you know how hard it is to get countries to agree? Almost impossible but on this 117 did. In Avengers he claims Tony isn't a team player or a hero but a narcissist. Sorry but did Steve sacrifice his life to get rid of the nuke,no, he decided to close the portal risking Tony's life. I am sorry but who isn't a team player. Tony gave the Avenger money, weapons and a home and he is not a team player, hell he doesn't even try to take the leadership position like Steve does. And don't get me started on Ultron. Ultron was a program Tony created to put an armour around the world, to make sure that something like the Battle of New York never happened again. The creation of the murderous version of Ultron is another thing but I'll spare everyone my rant about that. Tony wanted to protect Earth, ease the Avengers' workload, give them a back-up. You know what Steve said, we didn't need that, all we need is us. The Avengers are six people at the moment, 2 enhanced a demi-god who won't always be on Earth and 3 regular people. How could you justify not wanting extra protection? I mean Tony said they would lose and Steve agreed but said if we fail we do that together. I am sorry but you want to risk Earth and its population for what? The glory of being the last defence or being the best option? I mean it makes no sense. Like Cap is furious when Tony does something without the team's approval but it somehow doesn't apply to him. Also ultron was an idea that became a reality because of the mind stone, it's not like Tony actually implemented it without telling people, he was still working out whether it would work before bringing it up. And in the end when the battle needed to be fought Cap wasn't there, he was miles away and they lost, bad, but Tony had to be on his own on a planet miles away having just lost the kid he clearly loves. Also he got impaled. Where was Steve then? And Steve has the nerve to try and command Tony when he is back on Earth to say let's keep fighting knowing that it's impossible and Tony is just done because he knew this would happen and wanted to prepare but Steve said no for the Gods know why. If Ultron had worked, then the Avenger could've gone to Titan and fought Thanos as a team while Ultron protected Earth against Thanos' minions. Together they could've defeated Thanos before he ever got the last stones he needed. Together they could've prevented the snap but thanks to Steve and his attitude they were seperated and lost. And in the end Tony died rectifying that mistake, Nat as well when it shouldn't have happened. Tony died, Scott didn't get to see his daughter grow up but Steve lived and got to abandon the mess he made and live the life he always dreamed off. Never taking into account that Peggy moved on, got married and had kids. Like she literally tells him, I had a good life, the only thing I regret is that you didn't get a good life as well. And this is the end of my rant not because I don't have any arguements left but because I haven't eaten all day and it is ten pm here so I am starving.

As some people seem to not understand or distorting what Tony did in Civil War, here's a little reminder

---- Protecting people ----

Tony is presenting the September Foundation, his program to help school and give scholarships to students.

Just afterwards, a mother comes to him in the backstages to tell him that they killed her son during a battle, that she blames him and that he only fight for himself.

(And she says that to him, the one who has always done everything to protect people and not hurt anyone.)

People's safety has always been Tony's first priority. He's been trying to prevent that for years with organizations he created like Domage Control or the Stark Relief Foundation. And when he fights he always think of people first, he always evacuates places and created the Iron Legion for that too.

-- Tony is hurt, broken, that's one of the worst things you can say to him, he who already blames himself for everything.

He researches the boy and feels responsible for his death.

Then there is the Sokovia Accords. (Tony didn't create them). 117 countries have come together to ratify them. All these people agree on the same thing.

"Rhodey: A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "No, that's cool. We got it."

Tony listens to the countries, listens to the people and recognizes the problem. He knows people suffers and dies because of them and he can't stand this.

He returns to the Avengers facility where Ross shows them a video of all their fights and the collateral damage.

-- He's stressed and feels so bad about it, we can see him holding the chair and his hand tightly with anxiety during the screening

He tries to make everyone understand that it's necessary to make compromises for the well-being and life of others.

He himself doesn't like Ross. We can see it in The Consultant and in some mcu comics.

But the safety of the people is more important.

It's so important for him, and he fears that the Avengers don't understand him and don't listen to him (as often).

And he's shocked when Natasha do.

---- Protecting the Avengers ----

STEVE AND BUCKY

When later Steve goes outside the law to capture Bucky, Tony is the one who keep him out of jail and protect him.

As well as to Bucky to whom he offers medical care in the United States rather than prison.

He just want to keep everyone together, united and safe.

He talk to Steve, proposes to him to modify the Accords to make them as convenient as possible for everyone. And does everything to convince him to avoid the fights (until exhauntion).

WANDA

At this moment Steve was close to signing but refused when he learned that Wanda was confined. And later Wanda accuse him of having "locked her in her room."

But first of all it was not a room but an entire facility with everything you could need in it.

"Tony: It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people.."

And he didn't lock her up, he did this to protect her. Not only to protect her from jail, but also to protect her from the blame that she might receive, knowing too well the pain that it could cause.

And he made sure to ask Vision to stay with her, because he noticed that she likes him.

And when the battle starts he thinks about Wanda first and he prioritized to rescue her out of this mess.

"Tony: All right, there's two of the parking deck. One of them's Maximoff. I'm gonna grab her."

PETER

He had already spotted potential in Peter before. And when he meets him, he shows interest in him, he tries to find out who he is, and if Peter is a good person, before recruiting him.

"Tony: So you wanna look out for the little guy? You wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?"

He trust him and believes in him when no one does.

"Tony: Do you know that I was the only one who believed in you? Everyone else said I was crazy to recruit a 14-year-old kid."

Peter was already Spider-Man and Tony just gave him more protection with a new suit. He brings him into fight because he thought Captain wouldn't hurt him, and he still hoped they wouldn't have to fight at all at this moment.

+ he worries about him and asks him to stays safe.

"Peter: Hey, Mr. Stark, what should I do?" "Tony: What we discussed. Keep your distance. Web 'em up."

He watches over him and soon as something happens to him, Tony runs to him and asks him to go straight home to his aunt now.

"Tony: You did a good job. Stay down. [...] You're going home or I'll call Aunt May! You're done!"

---- Trying to stop the fights ----

Bucky managed to get away. Team Cap is officially outlawed, people have been hurt, and Tony blames himself.

He thinks it's his fault, because he didn't take his armor with him, because he was still hoping that things would just work out calmly.

Then Ross adds that if things had happened differently they are dead people who would be alive now. And he tells him that he will send his armed men to stop Steve and his team by force.

Tony is afraid that things will get worse, that the Avengers will split up, that more people will get hurt, he's afraid for his friends. He sees that what he's been trying to prevent all along is happenning.

He intervenes right away and asks Ross to go at the airport himself with Nat, hoping to still be able to change Steve's mind, to fix things, stop the fights, and protect everyone, instead of going after the TeamCap with Ross's "boys and bullets."

-- He looks exhausted and overwhelmed in this scene.

But when Natasha asks him how he is, he says that everything is fine. "Always."

He's always the one who suffers the most but he always takes everything on his shoulders and acts like he's okay. Because he doesn't want to disturb, because he's afraid to bother people with his problems and emotions. He keep everything for himself.

He goes to the airport telling himself that there is still hope. That Steve will understand that it's better to stay together as a team, as a family. That together they can face anything but that doing things on his own outside the law will only give people more reason to distrust them and see them as a threat.

He doesn't want them to have to live like this.

+ During the fight Tony is careful not to hurt anyone. He blows up things at a long distance of Clint and Wanda but never touch them. But them, they don't hesitate to dump dozens of cars on him and break his arm in the process.

At the end, Rhodey has an accident and is paralyze, and Tony blames himself again.

---- Blame for trying to protect everyone ----

So, since the beginning, all Tony has done is try to avoid collateral damage and keep everyone safe. He does everything to keep the Avengers together, help them, protect them and avoid the fights.

When Team Cap goes against the law, ignores 117 countries, and tears the team apart.

> But who does everyone blame for this (including Steve himself)? Tony.

> Ant-Man who doesn't even know him judges him right away

"Tony Stark: Who's speaking?" "Scott Lang: It's your conscience. We don't talk a lot these days."

And says that when Tony is the one who questions himself the most and blames himself for everything.

> Natasha betrays him and blames him for everything that has happened when he is the one who try everything to prevent this from happening.

"Natasha Romanoff: Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one goddamn second?"

When he realizes what's going on, even after all that's happened, if Rhodey is paralyzed and if he has a broken arm, he wants to go help Steve. So Tony goes to the Raft, also to see how they are all doing.

Tony is not the one who created this prison, he didn't think it would look like this at all.

Tony even worries about their treatment even though we never believe him to be sincere.

"Tony: They feed you yet?" "Sam: You're the good cop now?"

-- I mean look at his face, he's hurting and he didn't want this.

But they blame him again.

"Tony: Give me a break, Barton. I had no idea they'll put you here. Come on."

> Clint blames him for putting them there when it's just the consequences of HIS choice. He has a family and children, but he himself chose to go with Team Cap, to go outside the law.

"Tony: Alright, you're all grown up, you got a wife and kids. I don't understand, why didn't you think about them before you chose the wrong side?"

"Clint: You gotta watch your back with this guy. There's a chance he's gonna break it."

And he dares to blame him for what happened to Rhodey when he knows that Tony is obviously already blaming himself.

> Steve and Sam decided not to reveal the truth to Tony in the beginning. But he still blame this on Tony.

"Tony: I was wrong." "Sam: That's a first"

(Tony has always been the first to put everything on his shoulders so I will never understand this reaction)

---- Helping Steve ----

He goes to help Steve.

-- He seems so happy to be there and that they are together again, I want to cry

When he watches Zemo's video he doesn't understand and then realizes that he is about to witness the death of his parents before his eyes.

"Tony: I know that road. What is this?"

He understands that they did not die in a car accident as he always believed but that they were murdered. And by the man standing right next to him.

But on top of that, he learns that one of his best friends whom he trusted knew the truth for years but had never told him anything.

(Who dared to blame Tony in Avengers 2 saying that he doesn't like it when his teammates hide things from him)

And even when Tony asks him to his face if he knew about it all this time, Steve tells him straight to his face that he didn't before confessing the truth to Tony.

And after destroying him psychologically, instead of simply apologizing, they attack him very, very violently. They don't hesitate to rip off his arc reactor with hatred, Steve hits him several times with such anger and is close to kill him. Tony really thinks his "friend" is going to kill him right now.

(Tony didn't want to kill them or they would be dead. + He still has power in his hands but does not use it even at the last moment.)

When Steve leaves, Tony asks him for his shield back because he is disappointed in who Steve really is. He's not the man he thought he was, he is not the man Tony has heard about all his life. It was his father who created his shield. And Steve doesn't deserve it.

And he's left alone in Siberia, with a non-functional armor.

---- Going home -----

He goes to the Avengers compound for the first time after he fought with the Steve and see it empty because everyone has now left.

Ever since he was little, everyone around him always ends up leaving, abandoning or betraying him. And he thinks it's his fault, that he doesn't deserve them to stay.

+ When he get out of the cars he has an anti-stress ball in his hand, to stop injury and stress 😭

He stays by Rhodey's side throughout his rehabilitation, worries about him, makes things to help and support him.

And Steve's "apology" letter to him is not an apology at all. I always found his way of speaking in it arrogant.

---- After -----

And even after the trauma and all the sufferings he's been through, after seeing his parents get murdered, after everything they did to him, he still create things for them, he does everything to prepare everyone for the next attack, he makes them new technologies, new shield, new armor, he takes steve's phone everywhere with him, he gets a new arc reactor..

"After everything that's happened.. How can I not feel guilty? I got distracted, didn't focus on the real threat that's coming. I'll have to figure out how I can do it alone" - (Tony in the Civil War comic)

All Tony has ever done is take care of the people around him and everywhere. He has always treated the Avengers as his family and always gives everything for others without ever receiving anything in return.

He deserves better, so much better.

---

#BringBackTonyStarktolife