Thanks for all the support. I'm kinda afraid of posting this chapter *cowers behind desk* so please don't be mean. And guys, I am very Catholic, so I am not meaning to use the Lord's name in vain, I'm just trying to write the way the characters talk.

Disclaimer- I do not own.

Warnings- Bad language. Ummm…..Ross. Y'all know how he works. AND a very 'Protective- of- Bruce-' Tony!

Chapter 21- Do You Love Me II

"What the hell do you mean he's been kidnapped?" Bruce said forcefully, eyes taking on a slight green tinge. Natasha, noticing the green, pulled him over to the couch, trying to calm him down, but…man, he was tense.

"Someone hacked JARVIS, snuck into the tower, and stole Tony," Clint said bluntly, face stoic. He was angry about the situation too, but it was best to just remain calm. Clint, Bruce, Natasha, and Steve were all in the living room, as Thor was in Asgard.

"Do we have any leads?" Steve asked. Clint and Natasha had been the ones to discover Tony's absence.

"One," Natasha replied quietly, "but I don't know how much it will help us." She pulled out a small dart that had the Stark logo on it. "This was found on the floor in his room. The person who took Tony probably took it from Tony's private store right after invading, then proceeded to use it on him..."

"No."

All eyes went to Bruce. "Tony destroyed all the Stark weapons in the tower, and everywhere else he could. The only possible person that could have these weapons would be…" Bruce trailed off. "Oh my God," he muttered, eyes turning electric green.

Everyone abruptly stood up, waiting for Bruce to change. Bruce had amazing control, so if he was this upset over the situation, it must be worse than they had imagined. They were all waiting for the Hulk to come out. But the change never came. Bruce's fists simply clenched, and slowly, his eyes returned back to their deep brown.

"Do you know who might have taken Tony, Doctor Banner?" Steve asked, unaware that his professionalism was creeping in as the situation got worse. Bruce nodded, fists still clenched.

"Ross."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tony opened his eyes slowly. His head was throbbing painfully, and he figured that he might be hung-over. He looked around. He had no clue where he was. In fact, he had no clue what had happened in the last 24 hours.

His eyes automatically flew to his Arc Reactor. Whenever he was in danger, that usually seemed to be his first response, to make sure it was still there. His hands were tied to the back of the chair, and the entire room was empty, except for a security camera, on which a small red light was blinking. Images flashed in front of Tony's eyes, images of caves, water, burlap sacks covering his head, and the harsh shouts of foreign tongues speaking. Suddenly, panic rose inside of Tony. It wasn't just a little shock either. It was full blown- out terror that made it hard to breathe.

It's okay. You're not *there*. You're not in a cave. You're good. It's gonna be okay. The Arc is still in your chest, and isn't attached to a car battery.

Tony let out a shuddering breath. Soon, the images slowly faded away, and he could clearly see the white room, the room in which he was held captive in. The door opened, and General Ross walked in, uniform on.

"So, the great Tony Stark. You know, practically everyone in the military thought you had PTSD. I hope that being tied to a chair doesn't bring back any unpleasant memories."

Tony glared at the General. Regardless of what anyone else said, Tony could be deadly serious when he wanted to be. "Where is Bruce?"

" Banner? I don't have him. He's probably back at the Tower, worrying over you."

"You're lying. You don't give a sh*t about me. What is your master plan? You didn't just take me for the fun of it."

Ross shrugged. "Well, you don't know that. You know, the army was very …disappointed… when you declared that you had stopped making weapons. Now that I have you here, can I ask you to reconsider?"

"I think we both know the answer to that. And I hope that you remember that when the Afghans held me hostage to build a missile, they thought they were threatening, yet I came out with a suit made in a cave and killed them all. I don't think that threatening me will work at all. Now what is your plan, and what part do I play in all of this?"

Ross looked at Tony. "Isn't that obvious?"

"All I know is that if you touch Bruce, I will personally blast you to pieces," Tony growled. Ross shrugged.

"Kinda hard to do when you're tied up to a chair. And, well, you're forgetting that I still have your weapons."

"How?" Tony asked, more angry than curious.

"Well, we never used all your weapons that we had in stock. And, as much as I hate to admit it, your weapons aren't as advanced as you might think. When you take the combination of weapons and the some of the best scientists on Earth working for you, your weapons aren't that hard to replicate. And as for Banner, well, I can't promise anything. Why do you even care for the monster?"

"Bruce is not a monster!" Tony snarled.

"Whatever you say Stark. But can you imagine? If the army, if we, could create more Hulks, America would be invincible. You were the man that said 'the best weapon is the one you only have to fire once.' The Hulk is that weapon. Here's my theory – if the world can't have numerous Hulks, than there should be none. We will either have lots of Gamma monsters or none. All we need is for Banner to cooperate a little more, to give us more time, more samples-"

"No," Tony harshly interrupted. "Last time you tested on him, you nearly killed him. And you took five times as much blood and tissue than was needed. If you couldn't figure it out then, there is no way you will now, or ever. Bruce's condition was a one-in-a-million chance freak accident. It's not just something you can replicate. And I won't let you hurt him."

Ross shrugged, and started pacing. "I won't force him to come. You know, ever since…my daughter died, I think the only thing Banner cares for now is you, and your little freak team. I won't bring him here. If he has any heart at all, he'll come here- he'll come for you. It's your life or Banner's. I don't really care which, although, I would prefer Banner's, because even if we can't replicate the Hulk, he is the reason Betty's dead, and I am quite a man of revenge."

"Bruce is not the reason's Betty's dead," Tony snarled, about to lose him patience with this pitiful excuse of a human. "You are."

General Ross's eyes were livid as he turned on Tony. "And how so?!"

"That's an easy one. The Abomination killed Betty. You were the one who started the Super Soldier project with Blonsky. If you had just left him alone, the Abomination wouldn't even exist, and your daughter would be alive."

"You Stark are an arrogant bastard, and have no right to speak to me about matters you don't understand. Bruce alone killed Betty, and he will pay for what he did! I am done with this conversation. Banner will be here probably within the day, and I need to have the lab ready." General Ross walked out.

Tony slumped in his chair.

Bruce, don't come. Don't come; it's a trap. Tony prayed that if God had any sense at all, he would relay the telepathic message to Bruce.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0

The team had decided to go to Burger King. It seemed strange considering the situation, but they figured that getting Bruce out of the Tower would calm him down. And besides, Steve was so confused with the world today, he had asked if hamburgers were still made. And well, who was to deny Captain America a cheeseburger?

They were just leaving the table and loading back into the car when Clint pulled Brue aside. The scientist had been looking gloomy the whole meal.

"Bruce, we'll find him, I promise."

"Clint, we know where Ross's base is. Why aren't we out there getting Tony right now?"

"We just need to wait. I think we both know that this is a trap to try to lure you in." Bruce nodded, but was still furious on the inside, despite his impassive expression. He didn't care if it was a trap or not; he would risk anything to get Tony back. And they knew where the base was, and it wasn't too far away. As they were just stepping into the car, Bruce stopped.

"Guys, I'll be right back. I left my coat on my chair," Bruce said, walking back into the restaurant. As soon as he was inside, he walked out the back door into the alley, and sprinted down the opposite road. If the team wasn't going to save Tony, he would.

(Change POV)

It had been two minutes and twenty-seven seconds, not like Clint was counting or anything. Clint tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, knowing that
Bruce should be back by now. Finally Natasha spoke up.

"He shouldn't be taking this long," she said, looking out the car's window. Steve nodded his head in agreement.

Then it all clicked for Clint. "Guys," Clint said slowly, eyes widening, "Bruce didn't bring a coat."