Tony knew, what he had to do. He pulled out the old phone and pressed the green button, before he could regret.
"Hello." It wasn't Steve's voice. It was Bucky's. James Buchanan Barnes. His parent's murderer. The guy who took everything away.
"Who is this?" Bucky's voice asked. "You see, Steve told me to watch over this. It seemed important to him."
Tony cleared his voice and shoved the anger aside. This is not about you, Tony, this is about the universe.
"Hello, Barnes," he said in his most firm voice. Silence.
"Listen, I don't want to say a single word to either of you, but earth is being destroyed. The Avengers Tower as fast as possible."
He hung up.
It would have been hard to talk to Steve. Partly because of the anger. But mostly because it hurt. Mental and physical pain. Every time he'd considered, he'd automatically clenched his stomach with his hand and collapsed. Jarvis had every time told him to seek assistance from a therapist. "Anxiety attack", the AI had said. It was anxiety attacks. But it was also the consequences from the fight. When Steve knocked his shield through the suit, something messed up in the arc reactor and it had been misfunctioning ever since. Tony didn't know what was wrong, he had been unable to figure it out this far. But it hurt. Sometimes it just sent waves of sticking pain through his body.
It would have been hard to talk to Steve indeed. But it had been harder to talk to the man, who'd taken Steve away.
Tony went to a conference room and collapsed on a chair. He'd called Steve in the morning and felt miserable since. It was evening know. Steve would arrive in a couple of days, probably. Tony had plenty of time to gather himself. He unbuttoned the shirt and stared at the blue light, that met his eyes. Just like before he'd fixed it the first time, there were black lines from the reactor. It created a pattern of wired in his skin.
He rubbed his chest as if he could rub away the pain. But he had to give up. Tony buried his head in his hands. He was too tired. Too weak. At this state, he was no help to humanity. He was no savior. He was a burden.
When Steve arrived, Tony would not be needed anymore. The thought should be frightening, but it wasn't. It was relieving. The pressure would end. The pain would stop.
End meant peace.
Steve entered The Avengers Tower. When he'd returned in the morning, Bucky had looked sad. Broken. He had told Steve about the fall from Tony, and they had left Wakanda short after. If Steve knew Tony well enough, the billionaire probably didn't expect to come the same day. But Steve had a point to prove to Tony. He had to show, that he was still there.
Bucky walked beside Stee as Jarvis guided them to the conference room, where Tony was currently located. They turned around the corner and Steve froze. His legs just wouldn't move. He had been nervous about seeing Tony again. But this, this was not nerves. Steve felt panic.
Tony was not okay.
The billion- - the man - was sitting alone in the conference room. The walls where of glass, but Tony seemed to believe that he was alone in the tower. He was breathing heavily and rubbing his bare chest. Steve could't see if tony was injured. The shirt was in the way. But something was definitely wrong, and Tony was in pain.
Suddenly Tony stopped the movement and buried his head in his hands with a paining outburst.
Steve was able to move again and started to walk to Tony with Bucky just behind him. As he entered the room, Tony looked up. There were tears in his eyes. But he just looked away blinking and sighed. Tony suddenly seemed aware of his exposed chest and immediately covered it with the shirt, which he quickly buttoned.
"Tony," Steve said and regretted in the moment the words left his mouth. He sounded cynical, kold, not-caring.
"Steve."
Tony sounded more than tired. He sounded like, he'd given up. Then he spotted Bucky and chuckled humorlessly.
"Can't seem to leave your friends for a second, Steve," Tony said. "Except for me."
Bucky stepped forwards but Steve's hand stopped him. Steve looked at Tony, starting to explain. But Tony was looking at Steve's hand on Bucky's chest. He shakes his head, not believing, what he saw.
Steve chose this murderer over me.
No, Tony, "the murderer" needs Steve.
So do I.
Tony exited the room.
No, Steve thought, you are not leaving.
He grabbed Tony's arm, as the billionaire stormed past him. But as he tried to pull Tony back, Tony just collapsed with a paining cry and crunched the shirt between his fingers. Just over his chest.
What happened to Tony's chest?
Steve kneeled beside Tony and unbuttoned the shirt once again. And the stopped breathing. Tony's chest was one huge drawing of black lines.
"Jarvis, call and ambulance," Steve gasped.
"Captain, I am afraid, medical assistance will not help mr. Stark." Jarvis sounded almost apologizing, though it was impossible for it to have any feelings. "Mr. Stark's arc reactor is damaged and cannot be fixed."
"What?! How is that?" Steve was panicking. Tony was dying.
"I am afraid, it is a battle injury. His suit was heavily harmed."
"When did that happen?" Steve asked frowning. "I haven't heard of any missions lately?"
Jarvis didn't answer immediately.
"I believe these injures are from the fight in Siberia."
No.
It had never been the intend to harm him. Only to make sure, Tony was put out of action. And now Tony was dying because of him.