discussion post: could they retire? would they?

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

Between the fact that I'm very much a happily-ever-after type of reader and writer and the fact that I find older (and by older I mean in their 50's) men hot, I've found myself frequently wondering how life would work out for Steve and Tony as they grow older. Which inevitably begs the question:

Could these two men ever actually retire from superheroing?

Eventually--even if the actual time is delayed by moderate healing factors--they are both inevitably going to get too old to do this stuff. They'll start slowing down, they won't heal as well or as quickly, they won't be able to maintain as much muscle mass...it's the natural progress of age for two guys who, despite their bizarre histories, are still human. Experience will make up the gap for awhile, but eventually they'll get to a point where it'll be retire or choose to die in the saddle, so to speak.

So, would they retire? Either of them? What would it take for them to actually give up "active duty" and take on a purely mentorship/advisory role? ('Cause you know that even if they left active duty, they'd never get out of the game 100%.)

I have a scenario in my head that I'm rather fond of, though I don't know how "realistic" it is. *g* Basically, the new breed of Avengers--to whom Steve and Tony are very much mentor/parent types--realize that Steve and Tony really are getting too old for this game and that they're going to get themselves killed if they don't take a step back. But the newer, young Avengers also realize that neither Steve nor Tony will ever take that step back for their own sake.

So they cook up a plan: Tell Steve that they're very worried about Tony, blah blah blah, but they know he'd never even consider retiring if anyone suggested it to him. But if Steve were to tell Tony that he, Steve is retiring, and that he's feeling kind of odd about it, and they've done everything together for decades, and would Tony consider coming with him, just to, you know, keep him company? Then maybe Tony would actually do it. And, of course, Steve has been worrying about Tony, too, and Steve realizes that he is getting older and maybe he does only have a couple of years left in him, and if he has to give up a couple of years to keep Tony safe, well, that's worth it, right?

And then they live happily ever after. *g*

Comments

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

The kind of person Tony and Steve belong to never really retire from their jobs, though they may retire from the active parts (read: the actual fights). It's just who they are. They can't really stop.

Yeah, I do agree. Hence the suggestion of a move to a mentorship/advisory sort of role. I think it would take a serious mental breakdown for either of them to even seriously consider stepping away from the Avengers completely. And maybe not even then, because the both kind of use the Avengers as a stabilizing influence and coping mechanism.

To get Tony and Steve to really retire from active duty it either needs everyone else ganging up on them or one (or both) of them almost dying because of their age (in that case they'd both bully the other into retirement).

Or both. *wry*

Or one of them is wounded in a way that makes going into fights impossible (which is a very difficult thing to achieve in case of Extremis!Tony).

I don't think a physical wound would realistically do it, if only because both Steve and Tony have been paralyzed at different points in canon, and they managed to find a way to go on in those situations. How much worse can you get than that??? I mean, even if they lost limbs, Tony would just make them new ones!

And shame on you! Now I have another plot bunny jumping around my room and I can't even see him clearly!

*laughs* I have no shame! None at all. *g* Your vague bunny can keep my vague bunny company. *g*

[haruka89.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I do agree. (...) coping mechanism.

Well, since you already more or less said what will most probably happen, so I kept with the reason.

Or both. *wry*

Uh, yes. If they're being incredibly stubborn. Which is very likely. *headdesks*

I don't think a physical wound would realistically do it, if only because both Steve and Tony have been paralyzed at different points in canon, and they managed to find a way to go on in those situations. How much worse can you get than that??? I mean, even if they lost limbs, Tony would just make them new ones!

There is that.

I have no shame! None at all.

Obviously. *smirks*

Your vague bunny can keep my vague bunny company. *g*

Do you think that is wise? Who knows what trouble they'd make together? *giggles*

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

Do you think that is wise? Who knows what trouble they'd make together? *giggles*

Bunnies do have a dangerous tendency to breed! *eyes them warily*

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Oh, Steve will be training generations of superheroes, especially in hand to hand combat, until he drops dead. It's like the little old man rule in kung fu flicks -- you'll have your arrogant newbie superheroes come into the Avengers, and the old grey haired man will KICK THEIR ASSES.

All in the name of teaching them to be better heroes, of course.

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I love this mental image. So perfect.