"Do you really think you're gonna be even half the man your father was?!"

"Don't kid yourself! You're nothing more than a sniveling little brat with too many ideas and too much money!"

"You're such a failure! Look at yourself. Crying. How can you call yourself a Stark when you can't even do a simple task?"

"Shameful..."

Tony woke up with a gasp. The words from his dream still echoed in his brain.

Taunting him. Mocking him.

This wasn't the first time he had a night terror like this. In fact, he had that same dream numerous times before but something about this one time hit him harder than any other. Maybe it was because those other times the voices were faceless, lacking in name or look so he couldn't really place the voice nor did he care to.

Maybe it was because this time, the voice had a face and an identity, his father Howard Stark. Now contrary to popular belief, Howard was a damn good father who cared for his family with his whole heart and soul, even though he was often misguided at times. He would never really say those things. Yet with that knowledge, Tony couldn't help but let his insecurities play out in his sleep where he was defenseless and out of control.

"Fuck," he groaned while wiping the fresh layer of sweat off his forehead. "I need a drink, a strong one. Scratch that, the strongest I can convince Jarvis to get me". Heaving a heavy breath he rose from his bed and proceeded to the door only to stop in disgust. "First, I need to change," he mumbled. Discarding the sweat drenched shirt, he took a quick shower got dressed and exited the room as he originally planned.

His search for the elusive 'strong as all ass' drink lead him to the kitchen. Jarvis refused to give him anything which meant that Tony was on his own. Ignoring the other occupant of the room who had no right to be up at 6am, the strongest thing Tony could find on short notice was the Vodka he had stored away in the bottom of the fridge for 'emergencies' and this was quite the emergency if he'd ever had one.

Tired of Tony's rudeness and lack of a 'good morning', Steve decided to speak up. "Well good morning to you too, Tony," Steve huffed. "Fuck off." was the man's solitary response. Tony really wasn't in the mood for any of Steve's early morning bullshit and took a swing of his drink directly from the bottle.

Steve was caught off guard for a moment but quickly rebutted, "What the hell is your problem?" "Many things but at the moment? You." Brows furrowed, lips tightened Steve stood and approached Tony. "I don't know what the hell's got your panties so tied up in a knot but there's no reason to take your anger out on me. I was just trying to be polite." Scoffing, Tony replied, " It doesn't concern you and it's not your problem." "Tony, it is my problem and my concern because it has to do with you." "Not everything revolves around you Steve, sometimes people just need to be left alone."

Taking his drink, Tony began to storm out of the room only to find himself caught in a Steve patented death grip. "Tony wait-" " Let me go." "Tony please just hear me out." "God damn it Steve let me the fuck go!" "Tony calm-" " What do you want from me, Steve? Do you want me to give you every speck of attention I have? Is that what you want me to do; be like my dad? Give you what you want every time you want it. Is that it!?" Steve gaped at Tony and before he could stop himself he said; "You'll never be like your father."

Realizing what he had just said, he tried to mend the situation but was given no time due to Tony lashing out at him, bruising Steve's face. For someone so in tuned with machines, Tony was surprisingly strong and without the super serum, Steve would be sporting more than just a bruised cheek. In his surprise, Steve let go of Tony's wrist allowing him to lock himself in his room and away from the others.

"Fuck. Tony wait, I'm sorry. Let me in please?" Steve tried to apologize but Tony was still having none of his shit. "Jarvis, could you please open the door so I could talk to Tony?" "I'm afraid not Captain. Master Tony has foreseen this and locked me out of the system lock for his room and there is no override for it," Jarvis' voice echoed down the hall. "Shit, okay." After a few more attempts, he gave up and relocated to the main room where he deposited himself on the couch.

The day continued on as normal; as if this morning's events hadn't even occurred with of course the questioning of Steve's face but it was quickly overlooked. It wasn't until around 2 in the afternoon that the other Avengers noticed that their dearest Sinnomin-bun ( shhhhhhhhh ^^ let it be) hadn't shown up and that Steve hadn't even attempted to drag him from his hidey-hole to eat or at least have some fresh air.

"So Steve, boy, what happened to Tony," asked Clint whose curiosity got the best of him. Sighing deeply, which caught the attention of the rest of the crew, he proceeded, "We got into an argument; I said something I shouldn't have and now he locked himself in his room and refuses to come out." " What did you say?" Nat said butting into the conversation. "That's not important anymore. What matters is that he hasn't eaten anything, he's sealed himself in the room and is currently downing an amount of alcohol that I don't think is safe for even godlike beings."

After hearing the facts, the focus shifted to getting Tony out of his room. Even so Nat watched Steve with cool, calculating eye as said person tried not to make eye contact with her due to the shit storm he would catch from her. After spitballing ideas for a while all of their options were exhausted and their list consisted of… not a damn thing. All out of options they sat still deep in their own thoughts.

"Jarvis," Bruce piped up "Do you know of a way to convince Tony to come out of his room?" "No but I can check on his condition." "Please do." Emptiness filled the air only to be broken by Jarvis' return. "He seems to be in an extreme state of distress. I do believe it would have something to do with the argument from this morning and Tony's nighttime distress." "Nighttime distress?" chimed across the room. "Yes it would seem that he has been waking up at odd hours with elevated heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature."

"Damn it," Nat swore, "There has to be some way to get Tony out of his room and after that, deal with Steve." said person snapped to attention. "Yes." "We'll deal with you after" she finished with a strange and terrifying glint in her eyes. Praying for his life (as he should be) Steve turned back to Jarvis. "Is there anyone that can get get him to come out or at least to let them in? Pepper, Rodney, anyone?"

"I'm afraid not. Both persons are away on important business. However there is one person and I don't believe that she'll be too happy with you Captain when you explain the situation or the circumstances that lead up to it."

Her? Who was this mysterious woman? The only women that they could think of was his mother Martha, who was dead, Pepper who was away on business and Natasha, who was right beside them. "Who exactly is this woman," Clint asked, overflowing with curiosity. " Her name is Galaxy and she's Tony's…"