A/N: So I decided to take part in my own challenge. The Skittles Challenge on the Avengers Challenge Forum that I run, to be exact. And, yes, that was blatant advertisement right there. Anyway, my pairing is Iron Man/Captain America and I hope you all enjoy this!
Steve wasn't a stranger to battles.
As a soldier in World War Two, he was required not to be squeemish. He was required not to flinch when he was in danger or yield when the enemy was too strong. Too stand in the path of fire and not flee from incoming attacks; be they from guns or from powers that, at the time, couldn't be explained. If he did, it could cost his entire platoon their lives.
Now, years later, he was a member of the Avengers. And still, in battle, he couldn't falter. If he did, someone else would get hurt. One of his team-mates, who were more like family to him than anything else, might take the hit. They might not make it. And Steve didn't want that.
That was why he didn't want to dodge the laser that Shirav, their newest enemy, fired at him. But his shield had been lost somehow earlier in the fight and, if it hit him, it could very well knock him out of the battle.
So he ducked it.
And it missed him.
For a moment, Steve thought that they were all in the clear. But he glanced over his shoulder when he came out of the roll and, as the smoke cleared from the impact zone, realized that it hadn't missed after all. It was just aimed at a different target than he'd originally thought.
It only took a moment for Steve to realize that it had pierced through Tony's suit. To see the blood trickling down the ragged hole in the other mans armor. To watch as Tony teetered backwards, his metal suit sparking, and hit the ground.
And, in that brief moment, all Steve could see was red.