A/N: This is just a friendship story. Not a romance story but I guess if you want to read it that way you can.

Disclaimer: I used the after credits scene from the Hulk movie.

Enjoy :)

Something

Tony was a weapons dealer and a genius. His entire business revolved around his lethal inventions. Each and every invention was designed to kill its target, whether it is a single enemy soldiers or an entire country. There were no miscalculations, no flawed designs. They were efficient killing machines and he their creator.

It was only a matter of time before they came. Of course he would be the obvious choice to bring down a monster, even a so called indestructible one.

"What I'm about to show you is top secret." The General told him. There was no such thing as 'top secret' in Tony's dictionary, at least applied to anyone but himself. Anything he wanted to know was just a few keyboard clicks away. But he decided to humor the man and nodded his head for him to continue. The General pulled out a picture and set in front of Tony.

It was a picture of a man…kind of. It looked like a man but it had to be at least four times as big and extremely muscled. And green. It was caught in mid roar. Its mouth half open and its teeth snarling at no one in particular. Its eyes drew Tony the most. He had never seen so much anger.

"We need a weapon to destroy this monster."

Tony glanced up at the man. "And what makes you think I'll help?"

The General looked at him incredulously. "You make weapons for a living. This monster kills innocent civilians. Why would you refuse?"

"Kidding, Commando." He stared at the photo again. "I'll think of something." Already a weapon design was forming in his mind. It would need a lot of power to get through the nearly invincible skin. The eyes drew him again and he could have sworn he could almost see a slight hint of fear in those bright green orbs. Anger, rage, fear, and…something he couldn't identify. Defeat? No. Anticipation? Maybe. He looked back up and smirked. "Besides, I like a challenge."

"And I can assure you, Mr. Stark, that a challenge you will get."

~0~0~0~

Tony threw the chunks of metal over his shoulder and sighed. The design was complete. It had definitely been a challenge, but he was Tony Stark. Every part was perfect. But somehow he couldn't get his hands to create the deadly weapon. He kept seeing those eyes. Those damned eyes. "Jarvis?"

"Sir?" The AI's voice rung out quiet and comforting as always.

"Bring up any files we can find on this, err, Hulk."

"Of course." Tony glared at his mess as Jarvis quickly sorted through files.

"Sir, it appears that all the files are restricted."

"Well then un-restrict them." He made his way towards his central hologram screen. The files started filling the screen as Jarvis gained access in mere seconds. There were files on the actual research of the serum, individual profiles of each of the researchers, expense notes, and so much more. There were even a few files on the original super soldier that he actively avoided.

"Jarvis, narrow it down to only files on Banner."

The files sorted and condensed until there were noticeably fewer left. The man's full name was Robert Bruce Banner but preferred to be called Bruce. He did not like to be called Hulk, or monster, or murderer. But then again, who would? Though if he was being honest, the first was pretty cool.

The only information about him after the injection was what they could acquire in the short amounts of time he was captured. He did his best to stay out of site. It never took very long for the military to find him, but he always managed to escape. If he was lucky, it was without the green guy making an appearance. Apparently, it only came out when he was extremely stressed or angry. More often than not it was the latter.

Bruce considered the Hulk as something separate and therefore, not himself. They were two beings stuck in one body. Tony found it hard to believe that. If the guy's emotions were the trigger, wouldn't the Hulk just be a kind of amplified interpretation of those emotions? That didn't make him a different person, just a more…expressive version of the original. Plus, if they were different people, why would Bruce feel so guilty over what the Hulk did? Then again, Tony was no scientist, or psychologist.

He grew up in an abusive household. Raised by a father who believed him a monster before he even was even injected and a mother who hid and coward in a corner while his so called father pummeled him with fists and bottles. Tony could relate to a point. He had his own daddy issues, but never anything on this scale. His parents died when he was still young. So did Tony's. But where his parents' deaths were heard about all over the world, there was no information on how Bruce's parents died.

Bruce was also suicidal. Not really a surprise considering everything else. Only a few attempts were recorded, ending a year or so before the experiment, but Tony would bet his beloved Audi that there have been many more attempts since then. Hell, the guy had a pretty good excuse now.

He sighed and swiped the files off the screen. The now blank screen stared back at him.

"Jarvis?"

Sir?"

"I think I'm getting soft."

"Perhaps it can be regarded as excusable considering the subject matter." He could hear the smile in the AI's voice.

He left the mess on the floor and made his way upstairs. He had an appointment at Caesar's Palace. Wouldn't want to miss his own award ceremony, now would he?

~0~0~0~

He never did make the weapon. General Ross was furious, but really, what could he do? He had asked for the plans. Tony didn't have them, at least not written down. His mind was the only safe place for it. Weapons of that magnitude did not belong in the hands of any man.

Then Afghanistan happened and he lost track of everything. His own problems far outweighed those of some stranger he's never met. That didn't mean he forgot him, though. Sometimes, he imagines that he knows some of what the scientist went through, even if his rational mind knows it's probably nothing close to the agony the other man has suffered.

After a while, he looks up the scientist again. The General had gone out and recreated the serum again. This time it was injected into a different man to take out Banner. Things went south from there. The abomination was eventually taken down by the Hulk and Banner dropped off the map again.

It was probably better that way.

Tony entered the dirty bar. He looked out of place in his expensive suit and shoes. Not that he minded really.

"Reload…" The grey-haired General sat at the bar. Did he ever take off the uniform? The General downed the drink and ordered the bartender for another.

Tony walks over to the man. "The smell of stale beer... and defeat. You know, I hate to say "I told you so," but that Super-Soldier project was put on ice for a reason. I've always felt that hardware was much more reliable."

The General glared at him. So, he still hasn't forgiven him for the whole weapon thing. "Stark."

"General."

"You always wear such nice suits." Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Touché. I hear you have an unusual problem." Playing innocent was probably not the greatest way to go. The General leveled another glare at him before glancing down to the barely visible glow beneath the layers of fabric of his suit.

"You should talk!" Tony's own eyes darkened slightly but he kept his voice light and somewhat friendly.

"You should listen." This was the whole reason he came to this rundown corner bar. To get the General off Banner's back. A sort of consolation from planning on killing the man that had already lost everything. "What if I told you we were putting a team together?"

"Who's "we"?" Tony only smiled and took a drink of who knows what. The General's fist turned white as Tony continued to ignore him. He calmly placed the drink down, waved his goodbye, and left without another word. Fury would send someone else to better brief the General.

If he was lucky, Tony would never see him again.

~0~0~0~

When he first entered the room, he had immediately seen Bruce Banner. It was an odd feeling to know almost everything about a person without having met them first. He had ignored the man until Bruce spoke up. Only then did he approach.

"Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled." The scientist was a little hesitant as they shook hands. "And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." The other's hand tightened momentarily around his own in a reflexive motion. Tony didn't freak out. Didn't look at him with any trace of fear or doubt.

Tony saw a million different emotions fly through those oddly familiar eyes before settling on amused irritation. But there was something else there. Something Tony couldn't put his finger on before, but now seemed to shine almost like hope. Something he wouldn't mind coaxing out of the man.

"Thanks." Tony's smile was genuine.

This was going to be the start of something beautiful.

The Incredible Hulk and the Invincible Ironman.

Bruce and Tony.

He liked the sound of that.

A/N: I think there's something to be said about Tony putting Bruce's name before his own.

So whatcha think? Like it? Hate it?

R&R please! We writers have to get better somehow :)