Well, Tony hadn't been lying when he said 'All of them'. Bruce reasoned as he pressed his head against the small airplane window. He felt absolutely sick to his stomach again, he attributed it to air-sickness as a default as he looked around the plane. Tony was drinking as he, Thor and Steve played cards and Natasha and Clint were chatting it up near the back, so nothing was out of the ordinary there.

Bruce was submerged in his memories again as he closed his eyes for some much needed sleep. He could almost hear his older twin brother's childish voice.

'Hey Robbie? What if one day...we stopped taking our medicine?'

Eight year old Bruce had rolled over in the bed and looked at his twin, his brother's eyes were alight with the same thrill and excitement that Bruce saw in them the first time they climbed the oak tree in their backyard.

'But we'd die, Rudy.'

Bruce had whispered, horror filling his childish voice and Rudy had looked at their ceiling with a sigh, reaching up his hand as if he could touch it. Touch something so far away and out of reach to his small hand.

'I'd die first. You'd die later. Besides...the doctors say I'll die in my twenties at the latest, so what's the point of dragging it out?'

Rudy had sighed, letting his outstretched hand fall flat and land unceremoniously on their fire truck printed comforter. Bruce had reached out a small hand and tugged Rudy's right hand up again. So both Bruce's hand and Rudy's were held up together.

'So? The doctors say I'll die in my mid-thirties, but by then you will have passed your twenty year deadline! You'd be able to die with me!'

Bruce had insisted, cheerfully and Rudy had yanked his hand away instantly, curling up in the comforter and turning away from his twin. When he wasn't facing his brother, Rudy let the bitter tears pour down his round childhood cheeks.

'I'll fall down before you Bruce, and you won't be able to pick me back up again!'

Rudy cried, the muffled words thick with emotion and unshed tears. It was unfair, unbelievably unfair. Bruce bit his bottom lip at his twin's words and scooted over to snake his hand in Rudy's and tug it aloft with all his eight year old might. His twin rolled over to stare wide eyed at the way Bruce held his hand high.

'I'll never let you fall, Rudy! I'll always be there to catch you!'

Bruce had proclaimed with all his might, puffing his tiny chest out as he vowed. Rudy had laughed at his twin's antics and both of them fell asleep in each others twig-like arms. Now, a twenty-nine year old Bruce was on his way to say goodbye. He'd failed...all he'd needed to do was make sure that he kept Rudy alive for six more years, then they could die together. They'd been so close to making it to thirty and now...it was over, he'd failed. Rudy had fallen and there was nobody there to catch him.

He snuck another look at his team, how was he supposed to tell them about his CF? 'Hey guys, guess what? I'm drowning very slowly and will probably be dead by the time I'm thirty five, if I live past thirty five, its a miracle and all I have to look forward to is being on an oxygen tank and getting a lung transplant. Oh, and when my doctor says fifty in relation to me it's in the 'sometimes they live to be even fifty!' sense.' How was he supposed to fit that into a daily conversation? He didn't want to be babied or coddled, he'd been dying since the day he was born goddammit! It wouldn't change a thing. He'd still be dying! Rudy would still be dying! And it would still be fucking unfair!

Bruce took a series of deep breaths to calm himself and the Other Guy who had started pushing at his consciousness. Then he almost jumped out of his skin when Tony sat down beside him, he blinked at the genius in confusion and surprise but Tony just gave a small smile.

"So..who in your family are we going to be meeting?"

He asked and Bruce stiffened slightly, but the rest of the Avengers moved over as to hear Bruce's answer.

"Well, at the hospital you'll probably meet my older brother, Teo, my older sister, Tatiana, my uncle, Tío Antonio and aunt, Tía Rosa. In a way you'll meet Rudy, that's my twin brother's name."

Bruce sighed, softly. He couldn't help but picture his twin's face the last time he saw it, the young man's cheeks were slightly sunken but his warm brown eyes were wide and alight with life and humor. He'd punched Bruce's shoulder and teased him about still being younger than him. Bruce had smiled back and answered with his usual answer of 'Only by eleven minutes, Rudy!' His older twin had laughed so hard that Bruce could almost ignore the familiar sound of air whistling in his lungs.

"If you don't mind us asking...what is he dying from?"

Steve whispered, softly and Bruce just shrugged his shoulders.

"Cystic Fibrosis."

He said bluntly, and before Steve or Thor or anyone else could open their mouth to ask what it was, Bruce whipped around and snapped loudly.

"It means drowning! He's been drowning slowly since the day we were born! His own body is making itself die!"

Bruce screeched, then his hands shot up to cover his mouth and he turned back around to look out the window, whispering an 'I'm sorry' as he stopped looking at them. Why did he keep hurting them! He keeps failing everyone! Bruce shoved down the tears that rose to his eyes with an iron fist of willpower.

"It's okay to be upset, Bruce. It's natural."

Steve whispered as he reached towards the physicist but then thought better of it and let his hand fall down limply.

"You're alright."

He added and Bruce's eyes widened at another memory.

'You're alright, Bruce! You're okay!'

Bruce had always helped Rudy with his lung infections and there was the occasional times they got them together, but the first time Bruce got one by himself was when they were thirteen. Bruce had sat rigid upright in bed and started gasping wetly and clutching at his chest, frantically. Rudy had been at his side in an instant, grabbing for a medicine-filled inhaler to hold him off until he could get Tatiana or Teo. Their father wouldn't care and he would just tell Bruce to man-up and leave him alone.

Rudy shoved in inhaler in his brother's mouth and made the terrified boy look him in the eyes. They breathed in sync as they both tried to settle Bruce's breath.

"Keep breathing, Brucie."

Rudy had ordered and a terrified Bruce had obeyed his older twin, as Rudy pulled Bruce into his chest and began pounding on his chest to loosen the mucus that was undoubtably packed in there.

"Ru...dy!"

Bruce gasped as he coughed and hacked loudly. Rudy glared at him as he screamed for their older brother and sister.

"Hush, Bruce! TATIANA! TEO! HELP! BRUCE CAN'T BREATHE!"

Rudy screeched loudly, as he held Bruce tightly and rocked him slowly as he gasped for breath, that he just couldn't get. Bruce had never been more terrified in his life. He'd thought he was going to die then and there. He passed out moments later, to Rudy shrieking loudly.

"HELP! BRUCE! STAY AWAKE!"