Author Note: Don't ask me from where did that came from. Maybe because I love Downey and Ruffalo together. Blame their cuteness. In this story, Tony and Bruce are both born in 1975. This is a Zodiac/Avengers crossover story in case you didn't saw it before. If you hadn't seen the movie Zodiac yet, I suggest you to do so. Is an amazing movie.

Disclaimer: If I owed any of this (aside from the idea) I would have met with Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr and never let them go.

SAN FRANSISCO, CALIFORNIA

MARCH 3,1975

The rain was pouring gently over the houses and car hoods in San Fransisco. It did so since a few days ago, it was nothing new for the peoples that lived there. The weather had turned against them, that was for sure but the life continued anyways. It always did, isn't it? It was it's curse and it had to be followed.

Inspector David Toschi sat in his car, his clothes dry and warm on his skin as he chewed on the animals biscuits he held in a hand. He had been sent to a stake out in the port. It was the most boring case he had ever gotten, the most boring murderer and the most boring storyline. In fact, everything had been boring after the Zodiac case. It was boring even to sleep and to eat. Even to stay with his wife and speak as he used to do before. His thoughts had been interrupted by the front passagear door closing with a loud thump.

The man that got inside the car was dripping wet, his brown hair was hanging on his face as if he was a homeless alcoholic even if he wasn't. Well, alcoholic he was but he wasn't homeless. He had a house even if he didn't had a family and he only invented one. That knew Toschi too well. He knew the man that got into the car next to him was nothing but a loner smart, damn smart but also damn stubborn, reporter. He knew him too well. They could easily be called best friends even if they didn't showed it too often.

'Raisins? They're completely dry and no, they are not out of term, yet.' Avery broke the silence and widened his eyes into a fake innocent attempt to offer the inspector a few raisins from his bag.

'Paul,' Toschi began and rolled his eyes into an exasperated attempt. 'you really have nothing to do home? I mean, read a book or something. Or go out with that cartoonist of yours, share your raisins with him. I'm trying to do my job here.' He sighed, taking another biscuit and glaring at Avery. 'And could you stop dripping all over the place?'

Avery let out a sigh, grabbing a dirty towel from the back seat and drying his hair and face with it. 'The T.V. is off and the 'cartoonist',' he quoted the word with two fingers. 'is out on a date. And, what could be more exciting, dear David, than sitting with me, in a car at a boring stake out?' the sarcasm was obvious in his voice as was his loneliness. He hated being alone and that was the only thing that kept Toschi from not throwing him out of the car.

'And your raisins.' Toschi added with an arched eyebrow at the reporter who looked surprised. Avery held up a finger, as if he just found the world's greatest creation. Like if he found America once again.

'And your animal biscuits.' He finally said with a dead voice that made Toschi chuckle. 'See, if I wasn't here, who would make you laugh?' Avery raised his eyebrows but Toschi just shook his head.

The hours passed easily. They discussed different things, mostly personal. Toschi found out for the first time that Avery was married in the past but his wife was killed in a car crash and that ever since he never tried to make a relationship. Of course, he did had occasional sex but he never put his soul into the relationships he had with random women. He actually found the relationship with the alcohol easier than any other one. He wanted to remain faithful to his dead wife until he died.

'Hear that?' Avery suddenly asked, moving his ear to the car window and just then a shadow passed in front of his eyes. 'Our killer,' he added and jumped out of the car without waiting for Toschi. The inspector only shook his head and loaded his revolver before he jumped out of the car and ran out after Avery.

The man shadow moved somewhere behind a few containers and out of the sight of both, the reporter and the inspector. 'Fuck.' Avery cursed under his breath and he turned around a few times, holding the back of his head in his hands. If he only moved faster and jump on the killer maybe they'll have caught him.

The thing Avery didn't realized was that a small, almost invisible in the shower like pouring rain, red dot was pointed at the inspector shoulder. He was too nervous to notice that anyways. He was too angry with himself to pay attention to details. Then he heard it, the safety of a gun being pulled. A gun that wasn't of Toschi and that made him look at the inspector. He then saw the red dot on his shoulder, on line with his heart and his eyes widened.

'David!' Avery screamed and ran toward the inspector. The world seemed to stop in place for him. He could see the bullet stopping somewhere in the air as well and he thought it was his moment.

Without even thinking, Avery jumped in front of the inspector, but before he could pull them down, he felt something break his shoulder. He felt something painful get into his tender flesh and skin and he saw the blood exploding from the source of the pain. He was Toschi's terrified deer eyes and his lips moving into something he couldn't hear. He heard only the thump with which he fell on top of the inspector and the rain pouring on his clothes.

'Paul!' he heard a terrified scream and two hands being placed on his arm. The same hands that pushed him away a lot of times. The same hands that also grabbed the phone a thousand times when he made prank calls on him. 'Paul, don't you dare to die on me. You heard me?!' the screams continued as he felt himself being shaken.

Toschi knew that Avery took the bullet from him with his back. That meant the bullet must have already destroyed his lung and from the way the blood was pouring and mixing with the rain, his doubts were right. Without hesitating, Toschi took out his phone and dialed the 911 emergency number. He heard the line open and his mouth opened to speak when he felt a sharp pain in his back and he felt his mouth fill up with a liquid. The liquid was sweet and he could have sworn that he remembered that taste from the victims he saw over the years. Or the moments when he was beaten hard and his mouth bleeded.

His phone dropped to side as he slowly fell next to the reporter. His deer-like eyes found the reporter's wide, almond ones and both of them understood the message between the looks. They were going to die. What a ridiculous death. The Zodiac didn't got to kill them but an idiot did get that chance. A single, bloody hand reached out toward the inspector and he immediately grabbed it. He felt the pain fade slowly and from his friend's facial expression, he felt the same.

'Inspector,' Avery choked out and a line of blood began to form from his lips and down to his beard covered jaw. 'Friendships…Friendships never die, inspector. I'll see you in Hell.' He managed to choke out once again before his almond eyes dropped closed.

'Yes, reporter,' Toschi murmured with a loud and painful cough. 'I'll see you in Hell.' He added before he felt a final hit of pain and his eyes closed. Their chest slowly stopped moving in sync as their clothes got even more drenched from the powerful rain.

LONG ISLANDS, NEW YORK

MARCH 3, 1975

'Once more push, Mrs. Stark.' The doctor called out and was soon followed by a woman painful scream that was also followed by a loud baby cry. The doctor held up the child, strands of dark brown hair already visible on his tiny head while the nurse wiped the blood off him. 'Congratulations, you have a perfectly healthy son.' The doctor informed and handed the child to his mother.

Maria stared at her son for a moment and noticed his dark, almond colored eyes. 'Welcome to the world, Anthony.'

MEANWHILE

'Push!' The blonde doctor shouted and the woman gave one more powerful push with a loud scream that was suddenly cut by a baby cry. The woman fell flat on her back and closed her eyes as she draw in deep and steady breathes in attempt to calm her pounding heart and the pain she had on her lower half.

'Congratulations, Mrs. Banner, you have a perfectly healthy baby boy.' The doctor said before he let her take the child from his arms. He had a few dark brown strands hair on his tiny and now soft scalp. The woman soothed a finger over his cheek and closed her eyes for a moment.

'Welcome home, Robert.' She whispered to her now calm son.

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