More Than Just a Tin Can
Author: threeninefour
A/N: I've just recently re-read Tony Stark fanfictions, and I really think there isn't enough competent!Tony or BAMF!Tony out there, so I'll write a couple to satiate my thirst, and hopefully yours too.
Summary: No one expected him to be a second Bruce, if not better. Part of In Which Tony Stark is More than a Genius, Billionaire, Playboy and Philanthropist Series. Post Avengers. Doctor!Tony
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters used, mentioned, or operated on. They belong to Marvel.
"Anymore coffee for anyone?"
The owner asks, after getting over the surprise and shock of the Avengers in her shawarma shop. All six of them were slouched against the chair, with Thor's hammer placed on the napkins, Natasha's guns lazily holstered onto her waist, Steve's shield on the table holding some fries, Clint's bow and arrows slung over his chair, Bruce half naked in his half-torn pants and Tony with his faceplate up. They were obviously battered and exhausted, and even without looking at their worn out state, the lack of Tony's annoyingly continuous chatter provided anyone enough proof.
Clint reached forward for another bite of his shawarma, but froze suddenly and groaned. He touched his back and when he pulled away, his fingers were slicked with blood. Adrenaline had run out and he could feel the pain.
His groan and the sickeningly familiar smell of blood jolted everyone alert, and Natasha quickly checked his wound. "A little too deep for anyone's liking, but I don't think anything important was damaged."
"Right. Nope, no more coffee," Tony answered the owner. "Let's all return to the tower."
"Isn't it destroyed by the Chitauri and my brother, Man of Iron?" Thor asked.
"Part of it, yes. But, the Stark Tower, I mean, the Avengers Tower, has eighty-nine floors above ground. We can manage with a couple destroyed," Tony waved his hand as a gesture of nonchalance, but abruptly stopped.
"Oh crap. I have to fix the windows which were bulletproof Stark reinforced glass because Reindeer Games decided to throw me out the window!" Tony groaned aloud.
"What? You were thrown out of your window? By Loki?" Clint asked.
"No big deal there, none at all, considering I was almost Stark-pancake on the sidewalk and I fell approximately eight hundred and eighty-five feet."
Tony then stood up, took out a wad of cash from nowhere and without bothering to count, handed it to the owner. "Thanks for the shawarma, lady."
They were all almost out of the shop when Tony turned back and asked, "On second thought, give me the most expensive alcohol you have here."
"Welcome to the underground infirmary of the Tower!"
Tony, now stripped of the suit and in his black compression shirt, announced loudly when the elevator doors slid open.
"JARVIS? All machines up and running, please. Lights and air-conditioning too."
"Yes, Sir. Shall I notice Director Fury of the Avengers' current location, Sir? As the Director is currently threatening for it," JARVIS' British voice was heard from the ceiling.
"Make him wait for a while. We don't normally get a moment without him spying on our locations," Tony replied, ignoring the protests of the Captain.
"Stark-"
"My house, my rules," Tony turned and cut in. "We need to patch everyone up, and I'm sure all of us here would like some peace time without a certain one eyed director breathing down our necks."
All the other Avengers nodded and Steve could only comply.
"With that done, let's get you all jolly and well! Birdbrain, over there, on the table. Brucie, help me out. Everyone else, take whatever supplies you need and help each other," Tony instructed.
After everyone was doing whatever that needed to be cleaned and taken care of, Tony cut away the fabric surrounding Clint's wound. "I have to pull the cloth that clotted together with the dried blood, Barton. Sure you don't need any anaesthesia?"
"Affirmative. Just give me some Tylenol or Advil."
"Here you go," Bruce handed him what he requested for and a glass of water.
"I'm going to get the cloth out, Barton," Tony warned, and when he received a nod, he swiftly pulled and used sterilised tweezers to get the remaining fabric out. Barton hissed softly in response.
"There you go. Now let's clean it up and stitch it up," Tony said. "Congratulations, you'll have a nice scar when this heals, Birdbrain!"
Handing over the sutures and staples to Bruce, Tony asked the crew, "How's everyone doing?"
Thor only had a couple of bruises and cuts, and Steve was stitching up Natasha's arm for her.
"Nat's okay, the cut isn't too deep, Thor's fine, with a couple of ice packs and rest he'll be fit as a fiddle," Steve answered, sweat dripping down his clammy face.
"Yeah, I can see that, but you yourself look like shit, no offense."
"I'm okay, Tony-" Without finishing his sentence, Steve's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the ground, only to be held up by Natasha.
"What the hell? Rogers? Rogers!" Tony rushed to his side and lightly shook him. Receiving no response, he quickly checked Steve's pupils and found them slightly dilated.
Pulse weak, slight drop in temperature… "He's going into shock!" Tony shouted, and checked his body for any wounds. He found it at Steve's right side, and quickly cut the suit away.
"What?" Bruce's shocked voice was heard, and he moved to come to Steve's side.
"No, Bruce, you stay there and finish stitching Barton up. Thor? Help me carry Steve up, thanks, buddy. Natashalie? Up for some surgery?
Natasha nodded grimly and followed Tony to the end of the room. Tony placed his handprint on the wall, and seemingly non-existent doors slid open.
"Thor, place Steve on the operating table, and apply some pressure on the wound. Natasha, please hook him up on the heart monitor and general anaesthesia," Tony ordered, and moved to the sink to wash his hands with antiseptic, wearing the blue surgery gown and mask. (A/N: I know Bruce is more suitable and appropriate to handle the anesthesia, but why not let Natasha do it?)
Bruce then entered the surgery room, and when Tony was preparing the sterilised surgery instruments and gauze, Natasha asked, "You're doing the surgery?"
Tony turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Nope, I'm not. I'm just dressing up for Halloween. Surgeon wear is a common Halloween costume, didn't you know?
Natasha stood there with her usual nonplussed expression and gave no response.
"Yes, I'm doing it. Excuse me, but contrary to public knowledge, I am not only useful in the suit."
Big man in a suit of armour. Take that away and what are you?
"I'm actually fully qualified for the job, earning several doctorate degrees and a Doctor of Medicine and I served a year or so as a surgeon under the Army. You should be calling me Dr. Stark, for the record."
"…" There was a silent pause for about five seconds, before Natasha reacted.
"Let's start then, Dr. Stark."
"Bruce? Get yourself sterilised," Tony said, and put on the surgical mask. "Natashalie, you too. Thank you, Break Point, you can go patch yourself up now."
After Thor left and both Natasha and Bruce were properly sterilized and in their right attire, Tony started, "Get your hands ready with the suction and retractors. It seems like Cap has an open vein."
After a couple of hours (A/N: I don't actually know how long this type of surgery will take, seeing as I'm far away from being a surgeon or a doctor. Though, I am a certified First Aider. Sorry for the discrepancy!) of extracting shrapnel, sewing up of blood vessel, and stitching of the Captain's side, Tony, Bruce and Natasha finally exited the surgery room. Steve was in one of the patient rooms, sedated until the anesthesia runs out. Knowing Steve's healing metabolism, he will be up and awake in an hour or so.
"How's Cap?" Clint came into view out of his suit and in Tony's cotton shirt and pants.
"I see you've invited yourself to my closet." Tony ignored his question and raised an eyebrow.
"He's fine. Just some shrapnel and a blood vessel. Nothing we can't manage," Natasha replied and rolled her eyes at Tony.
"Good, I still have my supply of good old American breakfast every morning!" Clint grinned and joked, subtly thanking them and hiding his relief. "Thanks, Bruce. If not, you'll have to cook breakfast for me every day."
"Uh, it was actually Tony who did the surgery," Bruce commented.
"Yeah, thank-Wait, what?" Clint's eyes suddenly went very wide, and Tony was sure they could not go any wider without tearing. "Tony? Stark? The guy in the tin can? You mean, he did the surgery?"
"What? Don't act so surprised, Legolas. I am perfectly qualified to do the surgery. Genius here, after all. Entered MIT at the age of fifteen."
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner, Tony?" Natasha asked.
"I figured I had too many abilities. Was afraid you all won't be able to keep track of them all if I added this in," Tony suddenly turned and started keeping the sutures and needles. His tone was a little too proud, showing everyone that he was lying through his teeth.
Natasha, sensing the sudden change of demeanor, dropped the question and busied herself with cleaning her guns.
Thor took the lift up to take a shower, and Bruce helped with cleaning up.
"Damn it!"
A cry suddenly came from Tony, and the scissors he was holding dropped to the floor. He leaned against the table, one hand holding on to the table edge and the other clutching his arc reactor.
"Tony? What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I suddenly felt a bump," Tony replied and quickly limped to another wall. He placed his hand on the wall and another seemingly non-existent door slid open, revealing a room lit with light blue hues. Various heart monitors were seen around the room, along with a couple other machines Natasha had no idea of what they were.
Bruce quickly led Tony to the chair in the middle of the room; Tony stripped off his shirt and placed the electrodes on his body. Bruce took a look around the room, and pointed to one of the machines Natasha did not recognise and asked, "Tony, why do you need to generate red blood cells?"
"Ah, well, this baby here," Tony tapped his faintly glowing arc reactor, and continued, "takes up about one fifth of my chest space. My heart was moved, muscles torn, and my lungs operate at three quarters of their normal capacity. I need some extra oxygen in my system."
Bruce looked a little nauseous after listening to Tony's explanation, and meekly nodded. Dummy then moved near and handed Tony an identical arc reactor.
"Natasha, c'mere, show me your hands."
"You better don't try anything funny, if not you're not leaving here without a broken wrist and a bruised dick at the very least." Natasha threatened, but moved forward and held her hands forward.
Tony took her hands into his, and turned them over, like he was inspecting what grade her hands were, and whether he approved of them or not. "Almost as small as Pepper's. Okay." Tony then released her hands, and unscrewed the arc reactor from his chest.
"I need you to reach in, lift the metal slowly and out, don't let the wires touch the sides, and-" Natasha was already with her hand halfway down the hollow shell, when she touched something gooey.
"What the hell is inside this thing, Stark?" She refrained from a grimace.
"-and there's some substances produced from the reactor down there."
Natasha continued to reach in, and was positively disgusted when she saw that her wrist was almost fully in Tony's chest. She finally touched the metal and proceeded to slowly lift it up, and stopped when it was halfway out.
"Now, use your other hand," Tony instructed and handed her the arc reactor Dummy gave him. "Hold this, and you swiftly remove the whole metal with the magnet at the end of it, and replace the new one in as fast as you can."
Natasha nodded and pulled, hard, and when her hand came out with the metal and a magnet dangling from the wires, the heart machine started beeping.
"Tony? Your heart rate's dropping!" Bruce shouted, and quickly checked the machine for any disconnected wire.
"Yes, 'm afraid that's a side effect of taking the magnet out, now Natasha please insert the new reactor in-" The new reactor was clicked in place and Tony visibly relaxed, "-and that's done! Great job, Natasha, you faired better than Pepper. I suppose cardiac arrest is a permanent side effect of changing reactors, but electric shocks aren't."
"And I'm not going to even ask," Clint had entered the room, and the sight of Tony on the char shirtless, Natasha with a gooey metal plate in her hands, and Bruce looking eternally revolted greeted him.
Tony grinned at him, and removed the electrodes off his chest. He took the magnet that was dripping discharge from the reactor out of Natasha's hands, and placed them on a nearby table.
"Thank you for your help, Miss Rushman. Your work here is done," Tony said formally, addressing Natasha in her undercover P.A. name.
Natasha smiled thinly back at him, and replied, "Not a problem at all, Dr. Stark. I'll be outside if you need me."
We are here if you need us, Tony. You don't have to hide.
Seeing Tony's sad smile and slightly bright eyes, Natasha was sure that her message got across, crystal clear.
A/N: And that's a wrap! My first Avengers or Marvel fanfiction, it was not as easy as HP, but it was definitely easier than Arrow. Hope you liked it! (And if any of my other readers are reading this, Clandestine's next chapter is in the works!) I'm a shipper of IronWidow friendship, and anything Tony centric. If you had came across any of these, including competent!Tony (from mutants to assassins to asguardians), I'd be very grateful to you if you drop a PM or just write it in a review!
Next in the series: Assassin!Tony