A/N: Chapters will get longer, and more likely than not, there will be at least one major time skip ! Most of the Avengers will be present at some point, especially Bruce ! First time writing for a few of these characters, so constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated ! C: Hope you're all having rad days .

I was lightheaded, but I'd never felt so heavy.

My bones weighed me down—my skin, my limbs, even my bruises were a burden.

I slid down the cell wall, and slowly to the floor, until my hair was a dark mast beneath me and the cold cement cut through the pervasive ache.

Mend their bones or mend your own.

The sentence curled around me, and I could almost taste it through the crimson slick of iron.

I messed up, I knew it now. Complacency had been slowly killing me, and I'd opted for heroics to take me in one go. Except I'd been wrong. Funny, I was blinder back when I could see through both eyes.

There was shouting, then, as my vision grew thin around the edges. I dragged my fingertips across my face, drew halfhearted circles around my eyes. My vision cleared steadily, and my focus grew almost too sharp.

I let my hands fall, the backs of them smacking against the hard floor, gold on grey. I braced myself as the door burst open and the pounding of boots and the scrape of metal consumed me.

"We've got another one!" A coarse voice shouted back, back to the parade of men with guns pointed all around, ready to loose lead confetti.

I stared blankly up at the figure looming over me, trying to pinpoint what wasn't quite right. His arm. His arm glinted in the light.

He bent, and I tensed, swallowing and wishing for the seven hundred and thirty fourth time that I'd said no.

"Hey. Hey, you're safe now." His features didn't scream 'bedside manner'—all carved lines, too rough to be very pretty. His mouth quirked. It looked like it entertained smirks more than smiles. He glanced back at his men, making a decision.

"I'm gonna move you, ok? We're going to take you someplace safe, someplace with a doctor."

I smiled wanly, turning away so that the purple and blue of my cheek could find consolation in the chill plane beneath me. "Nowhere's safe, and I am the doctor."