Los Angeles

(( pHOENIX YOU JUST FUCKING CROSSED A LINE.
OH MY LIVING FUCK AHAHAHAHAHAHA. ))'


"I've heard."
Pitch snapped this reply, obviously still up in arms over some matter from before. Perhaps being called just a bad dream, or something along those lines?
He hardly remembered.

"Let's settle this, shall we? I'm sick of you.."

((THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE I HAD TO TAKE IT
JESUS NOW I'M CRYING))

Tony rolled his shoulders. "Bring it on, ghostie. Let's get this over with. I'd like to be home in time for dinner."

(( FU.CKING.SHIT.
GOD. I'M. MY SIDES HURT SO FUCKING BAD THIS.
GOD.
NO/.
FUCK THIS IS WORSE THAN ODINSLEEP. ))


Ghostie?
Pitch's jaw clenched and he gave a reverberating snarl. His scythe was his new weapon of choice, appearing within his right hand.
As if showing off, he spun it within his fingers for a short time, the black blade lengthening and glistening with each fearling that added to it.

"Your move, Tony Stark..."

((jESUS TAKE THE WHEEL))

Tony considered his options for a moment. Facts and figures flew before his eyes, courtesy of JARVIS, but there were significantly fewer in the face of this new enemy.

That scythe could be dangerous. It would be best to keep his distance.

Tony feigned right, then swung his left fist up to fire a small missile towards Pitch.

(( JESUS CANNOT SAVE US NOW. ))


The best Pitch could do at such a quick fire was swing the giant blade, and hope for the best.
Of course, the thing exploded when it came into contact with the sand;
the blade itself blew apart and Pitch was knocked back a little, holding desperately to the reins of his Nightmare for stability as she herself took a bit of damage from the explosion, spooking at the thing itself.

The man cursed in an ancient tongue before swinging the blade around again, ignoring the brokenness it seemed to take on, now.
In itself, it seemed a harmless motion used just to intimidate, but one could see if they looked close enough that the nightmare sand seemed to be whisping more than naturally, a dark fearling clinging to the blade before releasing and being flung toward Tony.

((WHAT ABOUT LOKI, CAN LOKI SAVE US?))

"Shit, JARVIS, dive-!"

Tony banked, falling headfirst a few hundred yards in an effort to escape its path. He had no idea if it was following - all he knew was that he couldn't let himself be touched by anything to do with Nightmare Sand again, not after the last time.

(( NO CUZ HE'S BUSY ON HIS HONEYMOON WITH THAT HORSE. JEEZ HOW U FORGET ))


The spindly black creature seemed to vanish into nothingness as it flew without a purpose, the sun eating it to nothing.

Glad for the distraction, Pitch urged Onyx forward, into her own dive after Tony, cocking the scythe back and sneering after the Iron Man.
"And here I thought you were a hero, Tony. You're acting like a coward!"

(( http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4tr4nfGiE1r1lliu.gif
THERE ARE NO GODS LEFT))

Tony bristled, his pride poking at him and urging him to turn back.

So he did.

He turned in midair, his back facing the ground. "You wanna go?" he spat. Using the thrusters on his feet, Tony surged back up to meet Pitch, this time simply aiming to tackle him.

(( Odin is sleeping pleeze calla gain l8tur.
hey loki u havin fun on honeymoon. ))


Tony's attempt seemed evenly met.
In a burst of nightmare sand, Pitch met the iron suit with a bone breaking force, his eyes wild with hungry insanity.


A great grin spread over his thin lips, flashing in his hungry madness as a hand clamped around a shoulder, desperate to hold on, to perhaps induce as much fear as he could.

(( https://i.imgur.com/yEhHP.gif
"It is not for your ears, my dear."))

Tony felt a shiver tremble through him again, but this time he had the sense of mind to place a palm over Pitch's chest. The circle on his hand hummed quietly as it heated up, ready to fire at any moment.

"Check."

(( come here so we can have a honeymoon too. -winkwink-
im so sorry ))


For a fraction of a moment, Pitch seemed genuinely scared. Scared that this was, in actuality, an attack. Something that could very well hurt him; and bad.

But he brushed it aside and gave a hiss.
His body seemed to tense, though his robe became inky, sticky like tar.
Nightmare Sand mixed with the black substance, and seemed to leak down his hands, onto the armor.

"Check yourself," He sneered.

(("There is only room for two this time, I'm afraid, Cynder. *Loki winks again*"
I died hours ago, Jesus Christ.))

"I'm afraid we are stuck to him, sir," JARVIS informed Tony.

"Looks like we're at a stalemate," Tony commented. He would do it if he had to, but he'd rather not kill Pitch.

(( don't make me go get Hulk u little shit.
me too. ))

"Just a little,"
Pitch snorted, "At least until the nightmare sand leaks into that damned suit of yours. And then I'm free to go.."

(("You're going to attempt to bring into my honeymoon by threatening me?
... I like the way you think."))

"What, and you don't think I'll fire in my panic?" Tony challenged. "And I'd still walk away in one piece. I snapped out of it earlier."

(( I like threatening. c: ))


"Don't you get the point of immortal, Tony?"
The man gave a smirk, equally challenging, "My body would merely restart. Physical damage does not rid the world of fear. And anyway, what if I let in one of my oh-too-eager Fearlings, mm?"

(("Goodness. It's not often you find someone like that..."))

Tony had nothing to worry about, like Pepper said. JARVIS would take over again if Tony was incapable. His rational mind knew this, but it didn't stop a flicker of fear from going through him.

"Whatever happens, I doubt either of us are going to die here. I might not be immortal, but I'm not helpless."

(( the muses are attacking again
Oh not at all~ That's why it's often to hard to find people who can stay sane around me~ Constant threatening tends to ward people away. ))


Another flash of fear.
Pitch's heart seemed to beat a little harder at it, and he inhaled it deeply, feeding desperately from it.

He hated being in such close quarters, but this was to the point of no return.
"I quite agree... you're not helpless. And I suppose that's what I got wrong about you. Why not call it a truce... for now?"

((Only this time I got attacked by Loki
"I'd be hard pressed to find threatening boring."))

Tony was wary, but really, he just wanted to go back to Stark Tower and forget this whole thing. "Sure, but no foul play."

(( watch as I'll get attacked by thor pretty soon.
Yeah well-
"bROTHA. YOU HAVE RETURNED TO ME." ))

"Oh of course not... I'm a man of my word..."

Pitch smiled warmly, though his eyes remained upset.
"... as long as you keep yours?"

(("*Grimace* No, I merely came here to these girls... A more accurate statement would be 'I found you'."))

Tony snorted. "I'm not the most trustworthy guy, but I don't break promises."

(( "*sQUEEZE HUG* COME, LET US FEAST FOR YOUR RETURN. "
fuck and I gotta run. Tag again. ))


"Fine..."

Pitch's hand retracted, the material turning to it's normal blackness, no longer sticky or liquidated.
He was sick of fighting. Sick of everything, in fact.

But he'd keep an eye on Stark.

(("*Sighhhhhhhhhhhh* Brother, I have better things to do than feast."))

Tony let his arm fall. He flew backwards a few metres to a safer distance, one that allowed him more room to move.

He lifted a hand, silently offering it for Pitch to shake.

(( "bUT DO YOU NOT REMEMBER ALL THE TIMES WE HAVE HAD FEASTING AND HAVING FUN? FATHER WOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOU, BROTHA. :CCCC" ))


Pitch supported himself in the open air only by black sand, that shifted and curled under his feet.
He hated being at a stalemate. And if it weren't for this damnable situation, and how weak the sunlight was making him, he would have well enough just backstabbed the other man.

But then again, he didn't think he could take that suit on in this weather.

At the gesture of Tony's hand, Pitch glanced down to it, winced, and then took it, giving a curt shake.

(("You think he'd be proud of me? *Snarls*))

Tony nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line behind his mask. "See you 'round, then," he said, letting his arm fall back to his side.

He sincerely hoped that Pitch wouldn't trouble him as he had when Tony was younger. He'd had enough of that for a lifetime, and now that there was more for him to work off of...

A shiver ran down his spine at the very thought.

(( *laughs* "AHAHAH. nO. HE'D PROBABLY ODINSLEEP. BUT STILL. I LOVE YOU, MY BROTHA. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE." *puppy dog eyes* ))


"I suppose I will," The Nightmare King responded smoothly, his voice a harsh hiss of dissatisfaction.
He hated backing down from a fight like this. But all the same, he had work to do, and this damnable sunlight was doing him no good.


The black under him swirled and shifted violently, curling up his legs, his hips, his torso.
And vanished with a puff of smoke, and a last goodbye.
"See you in your dreams."