3.)
"Calling Pepper Potts."
She didn't answer.
Of course she didn't answer.
There was a nuclear weapon on his back and his was about to fly through a magical portal into space.
What reason did she have to answer?
He was already shifting his weight through the suit, curving a better path to the portal. He was going to die. He knew it. He closed his eyes and could hear Yinsen cheering him on, telling him he was doing the right thing.
He could see Bruce's eyes, wide with shock and slight fear at Tony's reluctance to be afraid of the Hulk.
He could feel the hatred in Fury's eye when he found out the secrets he'd been keeping.
But when he opened them again, he saw the Hulk, watching as he flew on past and…
Good God, what was that look? Could a green rage monster actually look like that? It wasn't possible. He looked… sad. Upset. Anything except angry or pleased.
Someone was going to miss him.
And that was made Tony decide to try and make it back.
4 .)
There was an issue.
This was Avengers Tower; of course there was an issue.
Only this time it was something much worse than Thor eating almost everything, or Bruce getting irritated so much that his eyes turn green and he has to lock himself away in the Green Room for a few hours.
Steve had walked into Bruce and Tony's lab, looking for the doctor. Clint was upstairs, wanting to show him a new way he'd come up with to get him his pants after he'd Hulked.
What he found wasn't Doctor Banner.
Wires were strung about the room, connected to an array of small devices that looked like older versions of Tony's Arc Reactor. There were only three, and they weren't lit, but the wiring connected to them filled about half the room. He carefully knocked on the door once again, receiving no response. He felt like he should leave. This wasn't right; this was Tony's personal space.
"Tony?"
Since when did he care about Tony's personal space?
His eyes finally adjusted to the dark tint of the room, and he noticed something he hadn't before.
A low blue glow. It was hidden by something… which turned out to be Tony.
"Tony? What are you doing?"
The billionaire had taken out his Reactor.
"You know…" Tony smiled at the device, "If you were Bruce, you'd be yelling at me by now."
"What are you doing? Tony, put that back in. You're going to… Tony, you'll die. Put it back."
He shook his head, "I'm not sure it's worth it this time."
This time? He'd done this before?
Steve grabbed Tony by the shoulder, but the playboy didn't flinch. He just stood there, dull eyes staring at the glowing Reactor. Slowly, those eyes lidded shut and he began to cough slightly.
"Tony! JARVIS, call Bruce! Get him down here, now!"
No response came from the AI.
"Tony, Tony, put it back in."
He would do it himself, but he knew he would mess it up. This was a delicate device and if he put it in wrong, he could screw up everything.
"Sometimes…" Tony chuckled, "I just like to take it out…" a cough broke his sentence, "and wonder if it's worth it to put it back."
"Of course it's worth it, Tony. We need you. Without you we would fall apart. JARVIS!"
"Turned him off…"
Steve's eyes widened in fear. He shot to the door and shouted out names as loud as he could. God, why couldn't he be Thor? The god could easily shout for someone without ever actually shouting.
Tony was smiling… Jesus Christ, why the hell was he smiling?!
"Anthony Edward Stark, if you die on me, I swear, I am going to give every last nickel you have to S.H.I.E.L.D. and I'll sell JARVIS to a small college in Russia."
But Tony couldn't hear him. Not anymore. His senses were shutting down.
That's when bruce made his way in.
"Steve, what's all the sho- damn it, Tony…" he strode over and snatched the glowing blue device from the billionaire's hand, turning him around and flopping him over the desk. Immediately, he replaced the Reactor and pushed into it, activating it. It made a rather loud whirring noise, carefully pushing away at the shrapnel in Tony's chest.
The billionaire gasped, his eyes shooting open and landing on Bruce.
"… 's gonna put 't back…" he grumbled.
"Of course you were, Tony."
"Cap 'stracted me…"
Bruce shook his head, "You're going to sleep, and when you wake up, you're getting in your suit and joining me In the Green Room."
Steve paused, "What? Doctor Banner, are you-"
"I'm not going to kill him, Steve. It's a precaution." Bruce smiled, "I'm going to yell at him."
"Oh…" Steve smiled, "Mind if I watch?"
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