The steady beep of the heart monitoring machine grated on Tony's already frayed nerves. He was in his tower, because no way in hell was he going to a hospital. Eventually, Steve had become so worried that he would hurt himself in some irreversible way in his little 'temper tantrum' he had decided to at least make Tony stay here. Captain's orders, he had said. Tony did what he wanted. Except, obviously right now.

After the war was over and Thor informed them of Loki's capture, Steve had turned on Tony. He started all nice and offered to take him to the hospital, which had ignited a suffocating fear.

Loki had done something to him, he could already tell. The second the glowstick of destiny touched his arc reactor, his temperature began to drop. Currently, it was well past hypothermic levels and he knew that. He knew something was horribly wrong, but being poked and prodded at… It was a fate worse than death. Tony refused to become someone's science experiment. This not even going into what would happen if Shield found out.

Clint had told him what it was like at Shield when he was coming out of the mind control thing. He absolutely refused to be treated that way.

The very next thing Tony was conscious of was the very symbol of america drawing a heavy breath and hauling him onto his shoulder, grunting a bit from the weight. He hadn't even agreed!

"R-rogers, i mean it now, i really mean it! Put me down! I am not going to a hospital! I am not-"

"I'm taking you to your tower."

Well, that effectively took most of the fight out of Tony's already battered body. He was still very week, he still felt the ice crawling through his veins and the thrashing he had just done was all he could possibly manage.

"When we have Banner back, he will look you over, got me, Stark?" Steve told him in a stern voice.

The Hulk had long since taken off after apparently catching him during his fall back to planet Earth. God only knew how long it would take Banner to come back this time. It could be anywhere from hours, to weeks. Tony hoped for the later. Maybe it would give him some time to figure out what was happening to him, reverse it as well, if possible.

"Cap, i'll be fine after a nap and a few bandaids. Promise."

Steve rolled his eyes began all but dragging Tony to the tower as his mind screamed not to let anyone touch him. No exams, nothing. Shield couldn't find out.

Cue the machines and their beeping. Machines, most of which he built himself. He eyed them and muttered a soft, "Traitors, Daddy is very disappointed in you."

He has been sitting here for hours, just waiting for the green man to finally give him Banner back. It was obviously useless to try and talk Steve out of just letting him go to his room. All this time without anything to tinker with, nothing to distract him was honestly really bad for his sanity. He couldn't get the glow of the stick from his mind. To make matters worse, every time he closed his eyes, it was as if he was inside some kind of holding cell.

Everything about this situation was wrong. He felt wrong. Everything was wrong with this situation.

Things eventually settled into a pattern. Tony would stare at his hands, noting his slightly blue fingertips and attempt to the best of his ability not to freak out. THe heart monitor would speed up and then he would have to take deep breaths to bring it back down. A few times Rogers ran in to check on him but that stopped after a while. Then the rambling started.

Tony rambled to Jarvis, who barely replied. Another traitor, surely. He told Jarvis way more than he should have and then would ask Jarvis to delete the file, only to be informed he didn't have access to the surveillance files. Just another thing to speed up his heart before he noticed his fingers once again and felt the bone deep chill, the ice water chugging through his veins.

"Sir, Dr. Banner is here." Not asking if he should be let in, if that's what Tony wanted, just allowing the other man in. It made the ice flowing through him clamp down further on his arteries.

The soft eyes of his buddy smiled at him as he took a step inside the room. He gestured his thumb to the ceiling awkwardly "Kind of spoils the surprise, doesn't it?" His eyes are warey, Steve must have talked to him. Greeaaatt.

Tony's glare was as cold as he was and Banner sighed, taking a few uncertain steps inside, hands slowly clasping behind his back, the floor suddenly taking his interest.

A deep sigh penetrated the room, "Bruce, just get on with it. I know why you're here. Steve's worried because he seems to think He's my mother and has some sort of say over anything I do."

An answering sigh sounded as Banner rubbed the back of his neck with one arm, raising his eyes. "He's just worried and from what he said," eyes darted to his blue tipped fingers a moment before continuing, "I understand why. I am worried too."

"Aw shucks, I'm so honored you two took time out of your day for Mr. Tony Stark. Where were you guys when I had that nuke in my hands? Where were you when…" His eyes widened and his mouth seemed to move on it's own, "I was falling through the Void, only to land in the hands of the Mad Titan, whispering words of revenge so sweet in my ear."

A pale hand clamped over his mouth and the look of worry doubled on Banner's face. "Okay, that about does it."

Banner cast his eyes around, looking for for a few items, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, the things a nurse would use for vitals. His worry was not hidden and Tony just looked down and away. He just gave them another reason to worry. Where had that even come from? Who was the Mad Titan?

Tony jerked back when his friend held the thermometer out for him. "Yeah, no. Let's not and say we did, huh, Bruce?"

Banner frowned, "Tony, I'm just performing a simple checkup. Heavens knows you need it right now."

"And I said no. Wasn't there some law that i could refuse care or something?" he tried to tiptoe around the whole situation, pressing against the headboard of the hospital bed, both hands now moving again to cover his mouth. He knew what banner would find.

Banner sighed deeply and glanced around the room. "Oh, I see Jarvis took down your Iron man poster."

Tony's eyes went wide and he instantly turned to look, "He couldn't ha-" and that's how Banner got the thermometer in his mouth. Clever plan really. Tony knew when he had been beat. He turned back around, arms crossed tightly over his chest and glared icily at his 'friend'.

After a few moments, the machine was beeping. Banners brows drew down in confusion and he waved it around in the air. "We have to try this again. It gave me a bad reading."

"Yeah, it's totally wrong. What does it say, something ridiculous like 78 degrees?" Tony couldn't hold back his hysterical laugh. "Maybe we should buy a new one. Say what, you buy a new one and I'll just wait here and be good until you come back. Tomorrow sound good? 'Cause tomorrow sounds amazing to me-"

"Dr. Banner," The traitorous AI started, "The thermometer is working fine. I have tracked a steady decline in Sir's body temperature since the Mark Xll was first deployed. It has dropped 20 degrees in a matter of four hours."

"What?! How is that possible! He should be dead!" in his, now even worse, worry, Banners ears turned a bit green. Looked like extreme emotions of any kind caused a change. Good to note.

Tony groaned and placed his head in his hands sitting up. This wasn't happening. He refused to become a science experiment. Flat out refused. So why was this shit happening? Why was Jarvis betraying him? Why were his fingers turning blue?!

"I have tracked the decline to the point where Mr Loki-"

"Jarvis, mute!" Tony demanded. The AI went silent and Banners eyes returned to Tony's, angry and confused. The thoughts and emotions were as clear as the written word across his face and this made Tony wince ever so slightly. Bruce was smart enough to put two and two together. Oh, when he was done with Jarvis...

"Loki did this?"

Tony sighed deeply and glanced to the side. Great, just great. Well, off to Shield we go.

"Yeah. I'm in my own mind though." He added turning back and pulling his eyes open with his fingers. "See, still brown." Or at least he hoped. Apparently from Bruce's expression, he had gambled correctly.

Banner walked forward and sat down on the edge of Tony's bed. His eyes traveled up and down, taking in his pale complexion, his dark eyes, everything that Tony expected was there. Quickly, Stark hid his face in his hands, rubbing his palm into his right eye. It stung for just a second before he looked back up at Bruce. He hadn't vanished. This was still happening. Bruce's eyes lingered for a moment on his own.

An uncertain hand reached out and his expression asked for permission. Tony sighed his acceptance. It was a funny way of talking, but not altogether ineffective.

Bruce pulled out a small flashlight and clicked it on with his thumb. It was small and compact, the exact thing an actual medical doctor would carry around.

The flashlight was then flicked in his eyes, a look of absolute concentration on his face, before Bruce shifted and pulled his lip between his teeth in a nervous gesture. He saw something.

"Your eyes are fine," he began with, obviously in a placating manner, the calm before the storm, the good news first or whatever, as he put his flashlight back in his pocket. "They are responsive to the light, but you must have broken a blood vessel. The sclera is red."

Tony frowned and pulled his hand up, rubbing the heel of his hand in his eye once again, as if that would fix it.

Banner grabbed his arm and pulled it back, "Don't, you could make it worse."

Tony glared with his one, apparently, red eye. He turned to look over at a screen that was currently turned off, wishing he had a mirror. A nervous cough pulled him back as the red overtook his entire right eye. Bruce couldn't hold his gaze. He clasped his hands in his lap and glanced at the floor.

"Great, so now I'm some kind of human ice cube with a red eye. Great. Just great." he groaned and put his face into his hands, doubling over. Could today get any worse? Oh wait, yes it could.

A moment later Banner's hands were on his arm, attaching the blood pressure cuff and clicking a button. Tony didn't acknowledge the pain, just staring as his blue tipped fingers and feeling the ice in his veins. A sudden zing flitting across and making them twitch slightly as a tingling warmth spread through them for a second.

Once done with the rest of his vitals, Banner pulled back and looked over his friend.

"When are you going to have Shield take me away?" Tony asked quietly.

Banner sighed and pulled off his glasses, rubbing his face. "You know this isn't an easy call for me."

"Yet you're still making it."

"I have to. My job is to keep you safe and healthy," he gestured with his glasses and placed them back on his face.

"Yeah, buddy. I get it."

"Get some sleep, Tony. I have a few unpleasant calls to make."

"Yeah, yeah sure." he sighed closing his eyes as he said this and scootched deeper into the bed covers. What else could he do?

He listened as Banner stood up and took his leave. Thoughts flew through his mind and he had the urge to see Loki and to demand to know what was going on and what the hell was happening to him. Though, maybe he should wear sunglasses, because he didn't want that psycho to know he'd burst a blood vessel over his antics. That seemed to much like giving him a victory.

Tony sighed deeply and slipped to sleep, green energy zinging and arcing from one finger to the other.

I hope this is a good second chapter. I am working hard and I am so glad that people are liking what I'm writing. I just keep getting small plot bunnies and I want to pet and feed them, watch them grow. You know what it's like?

Anyway, review! I love reviews. They make my day and make me feel like I'm accomplishing something here. Thanks guys!