CAEB - Those Nightmares we hide

by MikeyST

New York changed everything. But they'd never expected this. What Tony brings back through the wormhole sends the team on a journey that will push their delicate relationship to its very limits. Stark's reward for saving the world, is a voyage to gates of hell and they were all being dragged with him. Plenty of hurt and friendship fluff but no slash. Rated for language and violence

25. Chapter 25- Where do we go from here?

Remember Guys a few words of a review will make any writers day.

I hope I split this at the right point… so let's start by seeing how poor Clint is doing.

Trigger warning for some pretty tough mental battles in this bit so proceed with caution.

Chapter 25 – Where do we go from here?

Half an hour later after he'd left Tony to rest, Bruce made his way to the medical wing. He'd spent some time on the roof clearing his head in the fresh air, looking out over the city. Thankfully the destruction in the Bronx hadn't been visible from so far away, he could almost imagine that nothing had happened and that's exactly what he needed.

As he sat with the other Avenger's outside Clint's room the tension was so strong it was suffocating. Clint was out of surgery. They'd brought him not long ago and everyone waiting anxiously for news as the doctors did their tests.

"I'm not going to leave you guys hanging." The doctor left the room and everyone was suddenly on high alert. "He's got some sensation in his legs already. He fractured 3 vertebrae but the damage was only minor. There is still a small amount of swelling round the spinal cord, which is why he felt the loss of sensation and although nothing is certain once the swelling has gone I think Agent Barton could be back to normal within 2-3 months. He has been very, very lucky."

Natasha clamped her hand over her face in pure relief as smiles broke out amongst the other Avengers.

"Can we see him?" Steve asked but Natasha couldn't care less. She pushed past the doctor and was by Clint's side in a heart-beat. When the doctor nodded Steve followed suit with Bruce hanging back a little, conversing with the doctor for a bit more info.

"Hey you." Natasha chirped as Clint smiled seeing them enter. "How are you feeling?"

"I am feeling… which is all that matters." Clint smiled weakly. He was very pale, but there was a glint in his eyes which was incredibly reassuring to everyone in the room.

"Doctor says, it looks good." Bruce said quietly, sitting in the corner.

"Yeah, I've been lucky. What about you guys?"

"Battered and bruised, but all in one piece." Natasha smiled. "But let's just focus on you for now ok?"

"Yeah sure, I am not going to complain." Clint looked around the room, gathering his surroundings. They were in Stark tower, that much was obvious. Best medical facilities they knew. Clint looked to Bruce. "How long till I'm walking then Doc."

"We can start physical therapy in a few days, getting back to normal will take a couple of months."

"Couple of months!" Clint asked incredulously. "Well that's got to come down."

"Clint, don't complain, you couldn't have asked for any better."

"Well you know me Tash, I always ask for better." He smiled softly, though his face was still very pale and he couldn't help but wriggle his toes every few seconds, just to be sure he still could and he wasn't dreaming. Knowing they were in Stark tower made it all the more obvious that there was one person missing from the room and that troubled him.

"Tash, you couldn't get me some soda from the venders, could you?"

"Soda, really, straight after surgery?" Natasha smiled, but got up anyway. Right now, there wasn't anything she would have got for him so she should up, patting him on the shoulder before she left.

Clint waited just long enough for Tash to get out of ear shot. "Tash, Hang on… Tash? Ah, damn."

"You want something else?" Steve asked, standing up eager to help. He avoided wincing as he stood up and he felt the pain of his patched-up injuries. His head spun a little, but he didn't let it show.

"Yeah, just really craving some pie. But it's ok, I'm not that desperate."

"No, it's fine I'll get it." Steve stood up and grabbed his coat. "What type?"

"Lemon meringue if they've got it. Thank you, Steve."

Clint smiled as it was just Bruce left in the room.

"Nicely played." Bruce chuckled nervously. "I'm guessing that means you want to talk to me."

"Yeah, I couldn't eat anything right now." Clint scoffed, noting the slight nausea he felt at the thought of food, especially something so sickly. "What's wrong with him Bruce." He asked sincerely.

"Who?" Bruce played dumb, but highly doubted that tactic would work.

"Come on, be straight with me. You have a lousy poker face and I just want to know if he's ok."

Bruce paused, considering his options.

"His little plan left him more than a bit bashed up Clint, he'd drained his core the suit was running on fumes, he didn't have enough power to fly."

"So, jumping off the roof wasn't the best idea then."

"No."

"Well I'm bloody glad he did."

"We all are."

"If there wasn't enough power to fly…"

"He turned off the safeguard, he used all the power and the reactor…" Bruce's face fell at the memory

"No, he's not…" Clint jerked in panic and groaned instantly at the pain.

"Tony's fine, we got a new one in." Bruce rushed over to him and put a steadying hand on Clint's chest in concern. "Does it still hurt."

"I'm fine Bruce."

"Does it still hurt." Bruce said forcefully.

"No, just when I moved."

"Any loss of sensation?"

"No, Bruce, it was the gravel burn on my shoulders that stung, my back is fine."

"I should let you rest, I'll tell the others to come back later." Bruce turned to leave hastily. Clint was at a critical stage and he shouldn't have been getting him worked up.

"Bruce come on Dude, wait. Sorry I freaked you, I won't move again, just finish with me."

Bruce considered sternly. "Fine, but one more stunt like that and I'm having you sedated for the night."

Clint rolled his eyes but accepted. "Is he still here?"

"Clint, let's just worry about you ok." Bruce was keen to change the topic at this point.

"Please Bruce, he's my friend too."

"Aren't you mad at him?" Bruce asked surprised at the overwhelming concern Clint was showing for someone else when he was the one with a broken spine.

"What for?"

"Clint, you broke your back."

"If he hadn't have caught me I'd be dead, I think I got off lightly and besides, apparently I'm going to be fine."

"You are being incredibly level headed about this. If I'd broken my spine, I'd find someone to blame."

"Yeah, well, been there done that in the past. Shit happens."

Bruce shook his head with overwhelming respect for the archer. "You're pretty awesome Barton you know that?"

"Don't feed my ego, it's big enough as it is." The pair chuckled, but it was clear that Clint hadn't forgotten Bruce hadn't yet answered his question.

"He's upstairs in the penthouse resting."

"How bad is he."

"Oh, he's fine Clint." Bruce said, trying to pass it off.

"Bruce, I can see it in your eyes, something's wrong, something bad has happened hasn't it and I'm not talking about today, it's been happening for while hasn't it."

Natasha came around the corner slowly. She'd clearly been listening for a while. She offered Clint the soda, knowing he'd refuse it and then sat back down by his bedside sipping it herself. "We're not stupid Bruce, we can see something'ss wrong."

"I know you're not stupid and I know how awful I am at keeping secrets, but I made a promise and you can't make me break it."

Bruce was right. They couldn't. But that didn't mean there wasn't another way to find out.

"Can I ask him myself." Natasha asked sincerely.

"He's not going to like it, but I suppose I can't stop you. Let me go check on him, but you should probably come up before Pepper and Rhodey get here."

"They're flying out?"

"Yeah, they should be landing soon."

"Ok. Bruce, thank you."

"Don't thank me yet."

…..

Tony hauled himself to his feet a few minutes after Bruce left. It took a lot of effort, everything he had in fact, but he didn't really notice it any more. He'd had enough of this, in every possible way he was done with this joke of a life.

10minutes ago he had been angry, he'd been furious with the CAEB and with himself… then he'd spent ages deliberating whether or not they were the same thing. He was appalled at the mistake he'd made, just another thing to add to the long list of failures he'd had over the years. He had been filled with hatred, choked full of guilt and self-loathing, it was after all his fault that had happened to Clint and no one would convince him otherwise. They just saw it as an accident and it was… in that it wasn't intentional, but they didn't know everything. They'd hate him if they did.

With Tony being Tony, it wasn't long before he realised that none of these feelings were going to change anything. What had happened, had happened, he screwed up so now he had fix his mess.

He'd looked for a solution to all of this and he'd only found one. It should have frightened him. He should have been sorry, he should have been angry. He should have felt something, but he didn't. He was numb and completely indifferent, no longer caring what happened to him and if he was honest with himself he didn't really care what happened to anyone else anymore. He'd done enough damage and he'd played his part. He wasn't there to save people anymore, he could only hurt them and there was only one way he could stop that.

Tony couldn't remember where he'd got the knife from that he was turning slowly in his fingers. Probably the kitchenette in the corner of the workshop, though he couldn't recall ever having used it before. He let out a melancholy sigh as he let the thoughts swell in his head.

There was a time, it was only a day ago but it felt like years, when he had been convinced he would never stop fighting this. With that aside it was hardly long since he thought he'd never be able to do what he was about to. Death was very final, it had always been a tempting way out for him, since he'd been a child he'd considered it, but there had always been something to stop him. Recently that had been the thought of what his death would do to his few friends, Rhodey, Bruce and of course Pepper. He wouldn't destroy their lives just to escape from his own pain. He'd rather suffer, it's what he deserved anyhow.

But it was different now. He didn't care about hurting them, because he knew what he was doing was for the best, not just for him, or them but the entire planet. He was a danger to them all, because of the CAEB. And there was one very simple way to end it.

As he sat on the edge of the workbench, turning the point of the blade towards his own chest he was reminded that there was always another presence in the room.

"Jarvis."

"Sir."

"Fancy shutting down for a while."

"Sir the inhibitor is detecting worrying changes to your brain chemistry. You have heightened levels of quinolinic acid and adrenaline also, your serotonin levels are abnormally low. Regarding your current behaviour my protocols prevent me from shutting down and suggest I call someone immediately."

"Don't bother, I'm fine."

"If you could put the knife down the knife, Sir, I would be happy to oblige."

Tony sighed and slid onto the computer chair, discarding the knife on the side ceremoniously. He sighed again, deeply, throwing his head back and allowing the chair to spin in a slow circle. He liked the way the ceiling looked, swirling above him. Breathing deeply, he winced as his ribs protested. He picked up the knife again and used it to slice through the tough, annoying fabric that was restraining his arm.

This was stupid. He threw the knife across the workshop and it dug deep into the wall with a satisfying thwack. He wasn't going to do it now, not here. He was too tired now anyway. He stood up and tried to roll his shoulder, testing his movement. It only brought him pain and a wave of nausea that forced him to his knees. He groaned, breaking the Stoney silence in the workshop and restlessly made his way back towards the couch. He needed to sleep, he could barely stand anymore and he didn't want to try to.

There was something warm running down his face. As he dabbed it and saw red on his fingers he swore. Another fucking nosebleed. He snatched a couple of tissues out of the box on his desk and gripped his nose angrily, which only made the bleeding worse. It only took a few seconds to soak through the handful of tissues he had clutched to his face and as he snatched up another he could have sworn he smelt toffee apple.

He looked around confused. He was in his workshop. He knew that. So why did it feel like he was seeing this all for the first time? His arms and legs tingled like an electric current was coursing through him. The lights in the room started pulsing, getting brighter and brighter until his eyes were burning. He felt his muscles tense, his body twitched involuntarily and his throat closed up. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He was choking and that smell was getting stronger. It filled his senses now but it was no longer sweet, it was horrible, like burning rubber. It was so overwhelming he could feel it in his throat and his eyes watered. Thoughts raced through his head. What was happening?

Then he heard footsteps approaching.

….

"Will you wait here?"

Natasha nodded. They'd agreed that Bruce would check on Tony and text her to come in if Tony was in a good enough state to deal with her. Bruce was fairly certain he wasn't going to be.

At least he had good news to bring about Clint, but that didn't change the fact that Tony had been through his worst 'meeting' to date, a battle, an arc reactor failure and an emotional trauma all in the same day. Bruce had never seen someone so exhausted or dejected when he'd left him earlier and he couldn't blame him.

That's why Bruce was very surprised to see Tony on his feet, with his back to Bruce, when he approached the door. The sling was discarded on the floor. Brilliant. The surprise turned into a pang of annoyance, but if Tony was being as ridiculous as normal that had to be a good thing. Right?

"Surprised to see you up." Bruce said cheerfully. "You feeling better?"

Tony didn't react. That was strange. That's when Bruce noticed the strangled gasping noise that was coming from his friend.

Bruce ran towards him. Tony's head began to slowly drop, tucking into towards his chest a few seconds later he began to double over, slowly folding in on himself. He was falling in slow motion, his body giving in. Bruce placed a hand on Tony's back, his heart pounding. He could feel the muscles in Tony's back, they were tense and twitching beneath his t-shirt. The pieces clicked in Bruce's head.

"It's Ok Tony, I've got you. Just relax." Tony's legs finally buckled and his body weight rolled backwards into Bruce's waiting arms. Tony's form stayed tucked and tense as Bruce lowered him to the ground slowly and gently, positioning him on his side. "It's going to be fine, everything is going to be fine." Bruce soothed, his voice perfectly calm and reassuring despite the feeling eating at his insides.

Tony's eyes were blank, staring at one spot as his body twitched slightly, soft squeaks escaping his mouth in place of breaths. "Ok, I gotcha." Bruce looked across the room to the couch that was littered with cushions and blankets as he rubbed slow circles on Tony's back. He was going to need those or Tony was going to get a few more bruises to join the day's collection. But he didn't want to leave him.

"Jarvis. Get Natasha."

"Bruce what's going on?" Natasha appeared but a moment after Bruce's request. He knew this was the last thing that Tony would want, but he may well need an extra pair of hands.

"Tony? Shit!" She exclaimed seeing the mess of brown hair behind Bruce on the floor.

"Grab anything soft and bring it here now." Natasha didn't hesitate, despite her initial shock she leapt into action gathering all the cushions her arms could hold.

She emptied her load onto the floor next to him as Bruce lifted Tony's head. "Slide it under." He demanded softly. Natasha arranged a couple of cushions quickly to support the billionaire's neck.

"Bruce?" Natasha asked her voice uncharacteristically betrayed her fear and confusion. What was wrong with Tony and why did it not seem a shock to Bruce? What had they both been hiding since he'd left?

"He's going into a seizure."

Natasha nodded, breathing out to calm herself and observing the slight and sporadic quivering of Tony's fragile form.

A few seconds later Tony gasped involuntarily. His back arched with painful force and his wrists curled. "Okay Tony, Okay." Bruce soothed, keeping back a little, but hands poised above Tony's writhing frame. His legs began to thrash violently and pained groans filled them both with concern.

"No, No, No Tony don't fight it, just relax. Don't fight it. It's going to be fine." Bruce put a hand on Tony's back to try and keep him on his side, but Tony kept rolling. Bruce gripped him more tightly, fighting against Tony's thrashing to keep him in position. It looked rough, brutal. It was horrible. Natasha felt sick. How on Earth was Bruce keeping so calm when she felt like she was crumbling? This was too much for one day. Far too much.

Half way through there was a crunch and a pop, followed by a string of expletives from Bruce. Natasha wanted to ask what was happening, if she could do anything, but she knew that she just had to wait and be ready for any instruction from the doctor.

It took a few minutes for Tony to start growing still again, but it had felt like hours. As Tony's body grew still Bruce backed off again, giving his friend space. He just kept talking to him, reassuring him, through the whole thing, relief overwhelming him when Tony finally stopped twitching.

"Tony." Bruce asked as the Tony's eyes started to flutter open. The billionaire was glazed with sweat, his face pale, his body trembling slightly in shock. "Tony, you had a seizure." Bruce stated comfortingly. Tony groaned weakly, confusion and panic filling his deep brown eyes.

"Can you hear me?" Bruce met Tony's eyes, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What happened? What's going on?" Tony's voice broke a little and Natasha covered her eyes to hide the tears she was biting back. She'd managed not to cry all day, after Clint, after everything. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cracked and it took her all of 20 seconds to fix it and straighten her face.

"It's ok Tony, you had a seizure. It's going to be fine, I just need you to relax and stay still for me." Jesus Bruce was good at this. Natasha didn't understand why she was reacting like this, it was just a seizure after all. And it was probably to be expected after the arc reactor incident earlier, but God this was a mess. Tony looked a mess. In every possible way he seemed broken and it crushed her inside. As she moved around to see his face, the stain of crusted blood under his nose and staining the front of his shirt made her stomach flip. The red stood out strongly against the pale, greyness of his skin and made her feel nauseous.

"How do you feel?" Bruce asked, allowing Tony time to get some bearing.

"My head hurts." He whined, the confusion and disorientation clear in his voice.

"Ok." Bruce soothed, gently feeling Tony's shoulder. Shit. "Tony I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to do this sooner rather than later."

"What."

"Let's just roll you onto your back a second. You popped your shoulder out again and I need to put it back." Tony groaned in response, allowing Bruce to roll him gently, cradling his head.

"I know, I know, this sucks. But let's just do this and then we'll get you comfy ok?"

Tony nodded woozily and Bruce lifted Tony's arm out slowly to the side, lifting the elbow and rotating his forearm until he felt it slip back in with a crunch. "Sorry." Bruce hissed as Tony's face twisted in pain.

"Ow!" Tony groaned groggily and drew his arm back in towards himself, cradling it, protecting it from further infliction.

Natasha helped Bruce get Tony to the couch and settle him in. His eyes were open, but he wasn't really conscious. It took very little persuasion for him to fall into a deep and restful sleep. That's how Bruce liked to think about it, but really his friend was practically comatose right now.

"Go back to Clint, don't say anything. We'll talk about this later."

"Bruce…" Natasha said, pleadingly

"Please Natasha."

"Ok." She agreed, leaving one wounded for another.

Bruce sighed as Natasha left the room and rubbed his head. He gently wiped the blood off Tony's face and got up wearily, picking up the sling up off the floor. "What the?" It had been cut clean through on the strap. "Tony, you ass." He noticed the knife dug into the wall. What on earth had he been doing?

Bruce bodged the cut strap with some Duct tape he found in one of Tony's draws. That would have to do for now, because he certainly couldn't be arsed to traipse down to the medical bay for another right now.

Arm re-slinged and on the couch Tony looked peaceful. The colour had returned to his cheeks and the blueish tinge from around his mouth had also faded.

"How long did it last Jarvis."

"4 minutes 39 seconds."

"Jarvis get me caffeine." Came a groan from the sofa.

"Tony. How do you feel?"

"Peachy."

"You remember what happened?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Tony, very gingerly, started to pull himself up rejecting Bruce's offer for help. "and I hope to God that I was dreaming the part where I saw a certain Russian red head." There was something a little dark and dangerous in Tony's eyes.

"Tony…"

Tony's eyes rolled in exasperation. "Just brilliant." He got to his feet angrily, swaying a little as he paced, but carrying in regardless.

"Tony please sit down."

"Now she's going to have questions. How much does she know?"

"Just calm down and let me start from the beginning." When Tony just kept pacing nervously Bruce carried on. "Natasha knew something is wrong, from the way you were in that battle and from my lousy poker face. She was always going to notice, It's Natasha. She asked me outright downstairs what was wrong, but I didn't tell her anything. She wanted to talk to you herself and I could hardly stop her. I was going to see how you were and then maybe let her in, but then you collapsed and I needed an extra pair of hands."

"This can't be happening. This seriously can't be happening." Tony yelled and kicked the trash can, propelling crumpled paper and food wrappers all over the room.

"Tony, I'm sorry, I really am, but you were having a seizure, what was I supposed to do?"

"Bruce I'm not upset with you. I know you're doing your best and I appreciate it, it's just…" Tony sighed, He hadn't meant to upset Bruce and the look of hurt in his friend's eye really made him feel guilty. "It's just been a really shit day."

Bruce couldn't argue with that. But perhaps he could ease the load slightly.

"If it helps Tony, Clint is going to be ok. The operation went well, he's got feeling back already. It's not going to be too long till he's up and about."

"Really? He's going to be alright?"

"Yes Tony." Bruce said sincerely.

"Thank God." Tony breathed. Finally sitting back down with the relief. "That helps, that definitely helps."

"Actually, the first thing he did was ask about you."

"What?"

"Yeah. He knows something is off too and he doesn't blame you one bit. He's just worried about you Tony. He misses his friend. Natasha does too."

"Bruce, I can't…" Tony said sadly, shoulders slumped, he looked utterly defeated. He couldn't get past what had happened.

"You can Tony. I'm not going to make you do anything, you know that… but if I can get Steve out of the way, will you go talk to Clint?"

Tony breathed deeply, mulling it over. He missed Clint, but how could he look him in the eye after what had happened. How could he trust either of them with the truth?

"OK." It was time. It's not like he had long left with these meetings accelerating like they were. Today's had been bad and if they carried on like this, it was only a matter of time till they finally did him in. There was always plan B if things went sideways… run back to Malibu and shut the world out. Maybe that sounded petty and childish, but he couldn't care less. "Fine, but not right now."

"I wasn't suggesting now you idiot Now, you're getting back on that couch and getting some sleep."

"Tony!" A familiar high-pitched voice entered the room, accompanied by the familiar click of high heels and flash of red hair. Another welcome and familiar face was not far behind.

"Hey Pep. Rhodey."

Pepper ran forward and pulled Tony into a hug, running her fingers softly through his hair.

"You should be resting." She smiled gently.

Rhodey came closer and clipped him round the back of his head. "You idiot." He scolded, before taking his turn to pull him in for a hug. "Don't do that again."

Suddenly everything was a whole lot better. It was far from rainbows and kittens, but maybe it would be ok.

….

"Tony get your ass in here, I can hear you shuffling about out there."

"Hey feathers." Tony said quietly, stepping into the room from where he'd been hiding in the corridor. Clint smiled broadly behind his tired eyes. Tony still loitered in the doorway, like an animal staying close to his escape route.

It was the middle of the morning, a good 16 hours after Clint had come out of surgery. He'd had company every minute since then, that was apart from the half hour before Tony had walked in.

"Clint, I'm so…"

"Tony don't even go there. Not your fault, whichever way you look at it. We'd have been screwed without you and I'd have been dead."

"But…"

"Tony, just stop. You think this is your fault. If you hadn't have come yesterday, we'd have all been dead and likely half the city. You took those things out, yes you missed one, we wouldn't have got half of them without you. If you hadn't have caught me I'd be dead, yes it wasn't textbook, I got hurt, but rather that than having you all scoop me off the sidewalk."

"But your back…"

"Seriously, my back is going to be fine, I start physical therapy today and could be back walking in a few weeks. And even if it wasn't the case, Buddy, it's better than being dead. It's as simple as that. So, if I hear one more apology I'm going to get mad. Ok?"

"Fair enough." Tony smiled weakly.

"Now, Are you ok?"

Tony looked taken aback. "I'm fine Clint"

"Don't say that, because I can see that you aren't."

"I'm a bit bashed up, broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, but the reactor is sorted there's no lasting damage… I'm fine, just sore."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Clint, I…"

"Tony, you don't have to tell me everything. You want to keep it to yourself that's fine, it's your business, but just stop pretending there's nothing wrong. Just admit it at least, don't lie to me."

Tony nodded as if to confirm it.

"Thank you. Now, you going to talk to me? I know I just said you don't have to… but I'm going to be kind of offended if you don't."

There was a silence in the room for a moment.

"Surely I've proved you can trust me by now. After everything, have I put a foot wrong?"

Tony avoided looking at Clint. He just stared at his feet in contemplation. The silence hung thick in the room as Clint waited patiently for a response. And then Tony got up and went to the door.

"Tony, seriously, come on!" Clint said exasperated.

"I'm coming back Clint, but if I'm going to tell you I don't want to have to repeat myself."

Tony came back a few minutes later with Natasha and Bruce in tow. Once they were all settled Tony began.

"The inhibitor is flawed." He started by covering old ground, and of course for Bruce it was all old ground. "It wasn't done when I put it on and there is no way to fix it without replacing it. That isn't an option for obvious reasons."

Tony took a deep breath and looked to Bruce for reassurance, he got it in spades.

"These 'meetings' are a cover. The project and everything, its legit, but I need a reason to be unavailable at certain times. The flaw in the inhibitor means if it doesn't disengage from time to time it will crush my brainstem and kill me."

"So," Clint asked nervously. "What happens when it disengages."

"It's painful, very painful. I go from being separated from the CAEB to having it all on top of me at once and at the end I have to re-merge with it, which sends out an EM pulse knocking everyone on their asses."

"Hang on…" Natasha said, starting to piece together yesterday's events.

"I'll get to it Tash." Tony stopped her. "I have a room set up at Malibu that contains the pulse. I'd had a meeting a few days before you called Bruce in. I was still weak when I flew out. I thought I had a good half day before the next one, but stress speeds it up. That time I was off coms, I was in the warehouse… busy."

"So, that blast, that took everything out, that was the CAEB, merging again?"

"Yes, I realised if I could draw the craft to me by emitting a high frequency pulse from the suit at the right moment. I thought I could make the most of a bad situation and fry them in the process."

"That was a good plan Stark." Clint nodded, still trying to take in what was happening.

"I'm guessing that's why the Hulk was going crazy looking for you then."

"Yes." Bruce said. "That was unforeseen. Jarvis tried to get in contact with Hulk, to get me back to Tony, but evidently the Hulk was too concerned to let me help by regaining control."

"So, how bad are these… things, what are we calling them?" Clint asked

"We're just referring to them as meetings." Bruce conformed

"They were manageable until today." Tony said, but Bruce butted in.

"They are horrific." Tony glared at Bruce disbelievingly. "I'm sorry Tony but they are. The first one was manageable, after that they had been just horrible."

"So, they are getting worse?"

"Today's was twice as long as much, much worse than the ones before it." Tony admitted, more to Bruce than to the others in the room.

"Could it… Kill you?" Clint asked hesitantly, reading the worry in Bruce's eyes.

There was a silent moment of contemplation before Tony replied.

"Yes." He said simply. "They are going to keep getting worse and eventually, my body, CAEB or no CAEB will not be able to stand it any longer." There was a shocked and awkward silence and Tony looked shiftily at Bruce and then instantly regretted it. Bruce saw it though and turned towards his friend in concern.

"Tony what?" Bruce's voice was dark with worry. Tony never gave stuff away. He felt guilty about something. He hadn't told Bruce everything.

"Jarvis…" Tony started and reconsidered his wording. "My heart rhythm got a bit whacked today, so Jarvis had to give me a shock."

Bruce closed his eyes in shock, blinking a few times. "That's one of the reasons the arc was so low and it failed."

"Lost heart rhythm how?" Bruce asked in horror, seeing in Tony's eyes that that still wasn't the whole story.

"V-fib." Tony admitted.

Breathed sucked in a breath. "How long."

"Not long." Bruce glowered at the lack of specificity. "… I don't know a few seconds, I wasn't really counting."

Clint felt sick, the lines on the ECG tracing faster than before and the quiet beeps cutting into the room. Natasha stared in disbelief. This was worse than anything she'd imagined.

"And that seizure earlier."

"Just an after effect." Bruce answered. "It's usually a nose bleed, but…"

"I obviously pissed off my body enough today for it to try and exorcize my demons."

"Not funny." Natasha said, eyes still full of the trauma of seeing that earlier.

"Sorry." Tony said sincerely.

"How long?" Clint said abruptly. "How long do you have Tony?"

"I honestly have no idea. The next one is in tomorrow, if I make it through that one we should have a better idea."

"If?"

Tony huffed. "Figure of speech." He said defensively. "I should be fine, hopefully yesterday was an anomaly to do with the fight…"

"But it could carry on getting worse." Bruce said despondently."

"Tell me you've got a way to fix this." Clint said, looking between Bruce and the billionaire hopefully.

"I thought I did…" Tony offered, "but, no. I don't think there is a way to fix it this time."

"Then take it off. Whatever the CAEB throws we'll deal with it." Clint said simply.

"That could kill me anyway, Clint. We tried it that way already and no one else is getting hurt because of me."

"Tony, we are not losing you."

"It's me or the planet."

"There's always a way." Natasha said, confidently. They were going to fix this. They weren't going to let Tony and Bruce give up.

"Look, we'll talk about all this later, Tony, you need to rest and so do you Clint. That's enough for today." Bruce stopped them there.

"Before you go… and I'm going to get shouted at for saying this, but, what do you want to do about Steve?" Natasha asked. She was all for respecting Tony's wishes, but Steve being the only one on the team that didn't know what was going on was going to cause problems at some point.

Bruce looked to Tony. He was the only one who could answer this.

"Tell him."

"You sure?" Bruce asked warily.

"Yeah. Captain spangles can't be the only one in the dark."

"Even if it's his fault." Clint snorted.

"Clint, I thought we were over this." Natasha warned.

"Well it is and he pissed me off today so..." Natasha shook her head and ignored their injured hawk.

"I think you've made the right choice Tony, I know things between you and Steve are crap… What I'm saying is, I wouldn't have said anything if you didn't want me to and I still won't if you change your mind. I'm glad you have said what you've said, but think it over. We won't do anything till morning, and if you reconsider it won't go any further." Natasha said sincerely and Bruce smiled at her in surprise.

"You know I won't say anything." Clint said, fatigue creeping into his voice even though he remained scarily cheery considering the trauma he'd just been through.

"Thank you, guys. Really. But you can fill him in, I just don't want to be there when you do."

Tony stood up and stayed still for a moment. He closed his eyes and huffed as he waited for the room to stop spinning. He really needed to rest and although he hated to admit it, even to himself, he felt awful. He just wanted to board his jet, fly home and leave the bad memories behind him, but he knew that he was too weak to do anything right now and as if he could ever escape his memories. He couldn't risk flying now anyway, not until the next meeting had happened. Looks like he was stuck here.

"Tony?" Bruce asked, concerned, as Tony realised he'd lingered a little longer than he'd meant to.

As Tony felt a wave of nausea wash through him and his legs become weak he slowly lowered himself back into the chair.

"I'm just going sit here for a little while." He said levelly, but no one was fooled, he hadn't intended to fool them anyhow. Natasha moved forward like a cat, quickly but quietly and knelt in front of Tony, putting a hand on his chest, careful to avoid the arc reactor as she felt his weight lean into her. His head bobbed slightly but he rolled it back, catching himself and fighting to keep conscious.

"Tony?"

"Fine Brucie, just a little dizzy." Tony had gone unbelievably pale and a sheen of sweat had broken out across his forehead. Bruce lifted Tony's chin and looked into his friend's eyes with deep concern, his pupils were even, and un-dilated, but he could feel a slight tremor through his entire body, which made him anxious.

"Can you smell anything?" Tony wasn't really showing any signs of fitting again, but Bruce was now paranoid.

"Smell anything?" Tony asked frowning tiredly. He just wanted to lay down, not be poked and prodded with all these concerned faces.

"Toffee apple." Bruce said simply, reminding Tony of what he'd smelt the last time.

"No, Bruce, it's not like before. I'm just… exhausted." He admitted, reluctantly.

"Right, bed now." Bruce said firmly. And Tony nodded and started to take put his weight on the armrests and ease himself back to his feet. "Hold on a second." Bruce turned and breezed out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a vial and hypodermic syringe, drawing the liquid up into the barrel.

"Hey, what the hell is that?" Tony looked a little uneasily at his friend.

"Relax Tony, call it a precaution... it's phenobarbital, an anti-convulsant, I don't want any more nasty surprises."

"Fine, whatever." He flopped his arm out lazily as Bruce flicked the tip of the needle before he felt the familiar sharp scratch of it stabbing into his arm. He huffed in annoyance and rubbed his eyes with his other hand.

"Hey buddy? You ok?" Rhodey came into the room, obviously having been called to help.

"Bruce, you lied." Tony whined a little as his eyes slipped slowly closed and his muscles started growing limp.

"What about?" Bruce sat up sharply in concern.

"You just sedated me, didn't you?" Tony didn't sound too pissed

"No Tony, but drowsiness can be a side effect."

"Huh." Tony grunted.

"You awake enough to walk?"

"I suppose." Rhodey sighed a silent 'Thank God', he would not have minded carrying his best friend, but he was tired enough to wonder if he physically could.

"Right, on three."

…

Bruce looked over the figures again and realised something wasn't adding up. The evening was approaching, he could see Tony on the monitors, still asleep on the couch downstairs. Pepper was working and Rhodey had gone out for a run seeing as Tony was out to the world.

Bruce had been staring at the screens for hours now and finally he was starting to piece something together. He'd been trying to figure out why the meeting had advanced so suddenly. He had been convinced that something had gone wrong, but now he was sure.

The whole algorithm had mutated, it was orders of magnitude greater than it had been the last time Tony had shown it to him. He still didn't completely understand it, this was maths on an unworldly level… a Tony Stark level, but he'd worked his way through half the terms, figuring out what they related to and then he had found it. A set of 6 separate terms that were influenced directly by the strength setting of the neutral inhibitor. A few hours later and Bruce was certain. The inhibitor strength had been increased.

He swung round on desk chair, pushing himself across his lab to another computer. He logged into Tony's secure server and pulled up the inhibitor folder. Permissions, operation, activity log… He pulled up the log and it was a long stream of function tests and brain chemistry reading, but there was one obvious stand out. As he'd suspected, the inhibitor function had been changed, and the strength level had been nearly doubled. No wonder the 'meetings' were coming thick and fast, no wonder the meeting had been so severe.

He checked the time and saw it had happened just about when Tony had arrived at the fight. Bruce knew that he himself had permission to change the function, but he didn't know of anyone else and he sure as hell hadn't screwed with it. Had Tony done this himself? And if so why? They'd been as happy as they could have been with settings, it was the best they could have done to control the CAEB and minimise the regularity of the meetings, so why change it at that moment. The timing was everything. Tony hadn't felt he was safe to fight, had he? He'd felt the need to up the inhibitor so the CAEB wouldn't make an appearance.

Bruce put his head in his hands. Was Tony trying to kill himself? Either way at least know he knew the issue he could put the inhibitor back to its original settings and hopefully set the meetings back to how they'd been before.

"Jarvis, who changed the inhibitor settings, the log doesn't list the user."

"The user asked it was omitted from the log."

"Was it Tony?"

"I cannot reveal the information you require Dr. Banner. But I must note that Mr. Stark does not have permission to change the inhibitor settings."

Bruce cocked his head to the side. "What?" Why wouldn't Tony have given himself permission.

"Mr. Stark did not feel that it would be safe for him to have control over the settings for obvious reasons."

"Obvious?"

"Should the CAEB be in control and not Mr. Stark."

"Oh." Tony really had been thorough. He clicked back a few times and opened the permissions folder.

There were 4 names

Bruce Banner

James Rhodes

Pepper Potts

And…

Steve Rogers.

Jarvis can you give me the location of the user when they logged on to change the settings?"

There was a moment's hesitation from the voice in the ceiling before it answered. "The log on was from a mobile device which at the time was in the Bronx, New York."

"No, he didn't." Bruce shook his head, shock rolling over him. "He wouldn't have, not after everything."

The shock turned into anger and the anger burned into rage. How could Steve have done this… again.

But it was far too late for that. Bruce may not have turned green, but he was far from in control when he stormed out of the lab. There was one word plastered in green in his mind.

STEVE

…

Natasha and Steve had finally come re-surfaced from the medical bay after spending the afternoon keeping a very bored Clint company. They were quietly preparing some food in the kitchen. Clint wanted pancakes, typically, but they kept glancing through to Tony, taking care not to wake him. Rhodey and Bruce had deposited him on the couch earlier on request. They'd have prepared to have put him to bed properly but Tony had been insistent.

Natasha had noticed that Tony hadn't so much as flinched since they'd arrived and it was a little disconcerting. She put the pan into the dishwasher as Steve boxed up the pancakes to take down to Clint. Natasha walked stealthily up to Tony's sleeping form and knelt next to him. He was curled up so tightly on his side that she couldn't see the comforting rise and fall of his chest. The quick hover of the back of her hand in front of his face soon put paid to any concerns, she sighed contently when she felt the warmth of his breath tickle her skin. He looked so exhausted, even in the grips of sleep, that she didn't want to wake him just to check he was ok. She decided to settle in the chair next to him, just to keep an eye and picked up a book.

"Hey…" Natasha started cheerily as Bruce entered the room, but as she looked up from her book her stomach dropped. "Bruce?" Concern bit at her voice. The man in question either ignored her, or judging by the green in his eyes, didn't hear her at all. The latter was true. All Bruce could hear was the sound of the blood rushing through his veins, fuelling his rage and homing him in on his target.

Natasha snapped to her feet as Bruce rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Bruce?" Steve looked up from the paper to see the smaller man bearing down on him. Before Steve knew what was happening Bruce had him by the throat. He felt his feet leave the ground and the air leave his lungs as the hand clamped his windpipe shut. Steve's hands scrabbled to his neck in shock and he felt his shoulders slam into the wall accompanied by the sound of cracking plaster.

"Bruce!" Natasha yelled in concern for both parties involved.

"You can't stop can you. You can't stop fucking with people's lives! You have to have control!"

"Bruce what are you talking about."

"So, what?" Bruce roared. "You knew Tony was never going to toe your line so you tried to force him to!"

"B-Bruce." Steve wheezed, going a little pale and clutching Bruce's wrist with both his hands. Bruce slammed his head back into the wall in response, making him see stars.

"Bruce, talk to me, what is this about?" Natasha tried to hide the panic in her voice at the sight of Steve's skin turning blue.

Bruce ripped Steve from the wall still holding him by the throat and dragged him towards the couch. He slammed Steve to the ground next to where the pale form of Tony lay resting. Momentarily out of Bruce's grasp Steve scrambled from the floor and on to his hands and knees, gasping for air. He planted a foot solidly on the floor, but before he could stand a fist clasped into his hair, forcing his head up to look at Tony.

"You did this!" Bruce roared before tearing the gasping Steve off his knees and crushed him back up against the wall. Tony woke up with a start, his face grey and his eyes cloudy until he saw what was going on.

"Bruce please!" Natasha pleaded as Tony got to his feet and grabbed Bruce by the arm forcefully. The green eyes snapped round to look at him.

"Bruce put him down right now!" Tony yelled, eyes dark and unyielding.

"Not unless you can give me one good reason not to knock him into next week!" Bruce growled back

"Because it's not his fault."

"Tony…."

"Bruce, I asked him to do it!" Tony roared.

"What?" Confusion snapped Bruce out of his rage. He let go of Steve and he fell to the floor. Steve gasped and wheezed for air, coughing and spluttering, trembling a little in shock. He felt Natasha's arms around him, soothing and guiding him to his feet. Then there were another pair of hands, larger and stronger, placed firmly on his shoulder. Two dark hazel eyes looked him up and down, checking he was ok. Tony's eyes pierced him, the message clear. 'Are you ok'. Steve nodded, gasping a little at the pain.

"Ok Tash, get him out of here."

"Tony?" Natasha was a little more than confused and even more worried about leaving anyone alone with Bruce in this state. She couldn't help but flash back to the Helicarrier. Natasha didn't scare easily, she could walk into a fight with nothing more than a tingle of nerves, but at that moment she'd been more terrified than she could ever remember being.

"I've got this Tash."

"I'm not going to lose it." Bruce reassured, but Natasha wasn't convinced.

"Oh really, because your eyes looked pretty green a minute ago!"

"Just take Steve to medical and get out of here." Tony said levelly, trying not to project his annoyance into the room at Natasha's unhelpful comment. Finally, she turned her back on them, helping and unsteady Steve to the elevator.

Once the doors slid closed Bruce turned to Tony in confusion. Eyes returned to their usual deep brown, expressing both fear and shock.

"What the hell was that Bruce!"

"What the hell was that? What the hell do you mean?"

"I thought that was fairly obvious." Tony said plainly.

"You asked Steve to up the inhibitor." Bruce said incredulously.

"Yes, I did. I'd spotted he'd been snooping through the files, I could hardly do it myself and I knew what you would say."

"Tony why?"

"Why? Because the CAEB in the middle of New York city is a risk that I'm not willing to take."

"But we were happy with the set-up, there was no risk…"

"There's always a risk. I minimised it."

"But the merge, you knew it would affect things and it happened so early you put yourself in danger!"

"I miscalculated, big time. Yes. I put everyone in danger not just me Bruce and that's why Clint is downstairs in the hospital. I am never going to forgive myself for that, so I do not need any more crap from you!"

"I'm not going to argue fault with you again Tony and I'm not buying this 'minimise risk' crap. We were happy with the inhibitor settings. What changed?"

Tony's jaw went tense and he looked away, the anger in his eyes fading away. There was silence for a long while. Bruce just stood, waiting with folded arms for the other man to speak.

"The other day in the lab." Tony started, walking towards the bar and finding a bottle. "I'd been working on the car and I was typing on my phone, walking backwards and I stepped on the creeper. Of course, I went flying, but I never hit the floor. The CAEB stopped me."

"What?"

"Yeah, it made no sense to me either, until I got back to my feet and realised that if I had fallen, the sharp end of a screwdriver would have stabbed straight through my neck." Tony took a swig of the drink he poured himself and Bruce's brow furrowed, his head rocking back slightly in surprise.

"So, it broke through the inhibitor to save you."

"Yeah." Tony finished his drink and poured another. "And in all honesty, I was fairly grateful for that, until I spent the next 10 minutes on the floor feeling like my brain was being set on fire."

"So, if that happened for one little incident in the shop, then in battle..."

"Exactly, who knows. And yes, it may just have been stopping me getting killed, but what if that means it's getting stronger, what if breaks through the inhibitor?"

"Tony, we can't jump to conclusions like that and why on earth didn't you down the strength after the battle? that last merge was… well you didn't need to go through that."

"It needs to stay like this Bruce."

"Tony, it will kill you!"

"Yes, it will. But kill me, kill the CAEB, problem solved." Tony downed another glass before Bruce snatched the bottle away.

"You have to be kidding me!" Bruce warned. Tony tried to snatch the bottle back but Bruce gave him a dangerous look that made him back off.

"There's only been one solution to this from the start Bruce." Tony shrugged.

"So, you're going to kill yourself." Bruce threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"No, I'm going to let myself die. There is a difference."

"I can't believe you. After everything…"

"Bruce I'll hang on as long as I can, honestly I will. And if we can find another way then brilliant, but we both know that ship has sailed."

"And what about this big thing looming over us, this big battle you see coming huh. You're going to bail and leave us to clear up that mess."

"It's not like I caused it!"

Bruce opened his mouth, but decided not to rise to that. He clawed through his hair in frustration while he reconsidered what to say. "Tony, remember before New York what you said to me? You said that the Hulk saved me for something. I didn't believe you then but you were right and the one thing we haven't considered through this entire thing is maybe the CAEB is saving you for something too. Maybe we need you Tony, to save the world or whatever, and maybe you with the CAEB in tow is the only way to do it."

Tony shook his head, reaching behind the bar for another bottle, this time keeping it out of Bruce's reach. "I've had enough of this Bruce. I want out." He said shrugging his shoulders in indifference.

"Tony, I cannot tell you how much I want this to fix itself and things suck at the moment but there's always a way…"

"No Bruce, I mean I can't face one more single day of this." Tony yelled. "Even if I woke up tomorrow and the CAEB was gone and all this was over, I'm just too tired to carry on. Too tired to keep waiting for the next pile of crap to come my way. I've been screwed with for as long as I can remember and someone is having one hell of a lot of fun with it, so I'm calling it. I won't take any more!" Tony spat.

"Tony." Bruce's chest seared with pain at his friend's words. "Tony, I know how you're feeling, Hell I've been there. But just please, pick a reason any reason and then…"

"Don't tell me it gets better Bruce, because I've spent 30 years believing that and look where it got me."

"Tony please, let me help." Bruce begged. The pain in his eyes made Tony look away and bite down hard. He shook his head, breathing loudly through his clenched teeth until his jaw ached.

"Bruce, you guys have helped. You've helped a lot, but I've passed my point of no return. You are right though; you guys are the closest thing I have to family and I'm not going to leave you in the lurch if the CAEB really is the only solution. Turn down the inhibitor, drag me to the 1-yard line and I'll make the touchdown. But please respect that I have no intention of coming out the other side. As soon as the CAEB has done its bit, consider me under a DNR."

Bruce was struck dumb. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and he had no idea what to do. Tony turned his back, taking his arm out of his sling and his body language changed completely. It was if the conversation had never happened. Tony cocked his head to the side, gazing thoughtfully behind the bar, considering his choice carefully. He grabbed another couple of bottles with a satisfied grunt, swigging from the one he still had in his hand.

"Hmm." He mused, realising he hadn't the hands or pocket space to carry all three he smiled as he slipped the unopened bottles into his sling. "Maybe this thing isn't so annoying after all."

"Tony I'm not going to let you walk away with those."

"You can take it off me Bruce, but I've got 10 more down in the lab, there's the minibar in my room and well, my secret stashes are a secret so I'm not going to tell you where they are."

"Tony." Bruce pleaded.

"Bite me."

"Tony!" Bruce called after him.

"Go make it up with the dear Captain, I've got 30 hours till you'll have to start my heart again and I'm not going to waste it."

…..

"Jarvis, get me a private line to Steve." Tony yelled over the roar of the roar of his repulsors firing him towards the city.

"As you wish sir.

"Stark?"

"Steve, don't interrupt and don't ask questions. I know that you know that you can alter the inhibitor, so I need you to up the strength for me."

"Why?"

"That's a question."

"Tony…"

"Extra CAEB protection. Set it to 150% and don't mention it to Bruce."

"What is going on Stark?"

"Question."

"You can't expect me to…"

"Do it or everyone is in danger. Capisce?"

"Fine. You nearly here?"

"Look up and find out."

Steve was torn from the memory by the sound of a knock on the door

"I think it's my turn to offer a grovelling apology in this sorry saga." Bruce sighed entering the room and sitting down in the corner.

"Yeah well it's nice to see some role reversal." Steve croaked uncomfortably. "It's usually me doing the apologising." He coughed a little, having stretched his vocal chords a little too far.

"Steve…"

"Bruce, you don't have to say anything it's forgotten." Steve reached out for the glass of water and took a tentative sip. "You were protecting Tony."

"I should have got my facts straight."

"Well," Steve smiled," I would have preferred that."

Bruce sighed and sat down. "I freaked Tash out as well didn't I?"

Steve nodded uncomfortably. "I think you did. She went to get some air."

"I'll add it to the list of messes I've made to clear up." Steve couldn't miss the un-usually dejected state of the scientist. Something had happened and it had been hours since the incident upstairs.

"Clint thinks it's hilarious. Captain America knocked on his ass by a scientist." He tried to inject some humour into the conversation, but the result as a failure.

"Well I'm glad someone does."

"You said messes?" Steve squeaked, going back to the water. This was damned inconvenient but with his healing he knew it would only last an hour or two.

"Yeah, Tony's gone on a bender. Thinks getting drunk is a solution to all his problems and this time he sure as hell ain't listening to me."

Steve raised his eyebrow and breathed out. That certainly wasn't good. "Can't really blame him though can we. Can Rhodey help?"

"I think its best we leave him to Jarvis until he's in a better mood."

"Or passed out?"

"Yeah, or that. At least he'd be getting some rest."

Steve nodded. "Did you fix the inhibitor?" He said slowly, voice finding its rhythm.

"Next on the list."

"Go get that sorted, I'm fine, I'm not mad and you have nothing to apologise for."

"You should be resting your voice Steve." Natasha cut in to the conversation.

"Natasha." Bruce breathed.

"Bruce." The pair looked at each other intently. Natasha giving nothing away on her face.

"I think we need a chat."

….

"Natasha, I'm sorry about earlier, I know what it looked like, I really do and yes I was furious, but, I promise you was in control."

Natasha sighed as they wound they're way through the Medical wing towards the elevator.

"Bruce, I want to trust you and you haven't let us down, in fact, you've done quite the opposite, but…" Natasha was unusually flustered. Bruce turned his head to the side, wondering what was really on her mind.

Natasha sighed defeatedly. "I honestly haven't thought about it in a long time, but when you turned, on the Helicarrier; I'm not ashamed to admit that I can't remember having ever been that scared. So today just reminded me of that and I'm still a bit on edge."

Bruce nodded understandingly. That had not been a good moment and he knew how terrifying the hulk was when you were on the wrong end. Only Natasha and Thor had seen that up close and Thor had very little to fear for obvious reasons.

"I'm sorry Natasha, it wasn't my intention to scare you all… well, maybe it was, in a way…" The scientist stuttered and shook his head, trying to stay on track. "I didn't mean to scare you…just Steve. Right or wrong I shouldn't have let my anger take me that far."

Natasha nodded in acceptance. "I know Bruce, but I still don't get what that was all about, care to explain?"

"The reason Tony's meeting was early and worse than normal was because Steve increased the strength on the inhibitor before the battle started."

"Wait, he can do that?"

"Yes, me, him, Rhodey or Pepper have access." Natasha didn't know whether she should be pleased or offended that she wasn't on that list, she kept her thoughts in check as Bruce continued. "I thought he'd done it to control Tony in the battle without thinking of the consequences, again, but apparently Tony asked him to do it."

"I can understand why you got mad Bruce, I really do. Steve's made mistakes, we all have."

"Maybe, but I screwed it up this time. Tony's my best friend, but the Hulk is complicating things, it's nice we both agree on something for a change but it just multiplies anything I'm feeling at the time."

"So, say if you're mad at Steve, because of Tony then the Hulk wants to…"

"Pull his spine out."

"Balanced response."

"Yes, that's the issue. That stunt the other guy pulled at the fight, just running off like that, it can't happen again. So, I'm working it out with him, or trying to. It's like talking down an egotistical and delusional 5-year-old, but one that has a nuke in his pocket."

"Well you have plenty of experience there."

"How?"

"Sounds just like trying to manage Tony to me."

Bruce laughed at that and was glad of the humour. The conversation had been awkward and defensive from the get go.

"Natasha, what happened on the Helicarrier…"

"It's fine Bruce, I'm over it."

"Please let me explain." Bruce implored to the back of the retreating red head. Natasha stopped and turned around. Maybe it would do them both good to hear this. "There is one aspect I still can't quite control, if 'Bruce Banner' gets hurt then I can't stop the Hulk coming out to play and he comes out pissed. I put a gun in my mouth the other guy spits it out… I get thrown through a window and break ribs in the fall, Hulk takes over and tears the hell out of the Helicarrier."

"We better start wrapping you in cotton wool then." She said slipping into Clint's room while Bruce carried on down the corridor.

….

Steve wasn't going to sit in medical with not much more than a sore throat all night. Maybe Stark medical wasn't pressed for beds, but all he wanted was a glass of water and some painkillers, which hardly warranted 24/7 care by a full medical team. He had to admit it had been nice to have a bit of time laying down, with nothing to do. He still ached like a son of a… after the battle, but it was his new injuries that were most distracting. As his fingers gently traced the bruises on his throat he made a mental note to go above and beyond not to piss Bruce off again in future. Knowing he could tap the Hulk's super strength while he was still in Banner form was more than a little disconcerting.

He checked on Clint as he passed his door and was pleasantly surprised to see him asleep, Natasha in the chair alongside him. He'd watched the nurses get more and more frustrated throughout the day. Apparently, Clint was nearly as bad a patient as Tony when none of them were around to watch him.

That was were Steve went next. Tony and the bottle, not a good idea under any circumstances and it was about time someone other than a machine went and checked on him. Natasha had filled him on the inhibitor and the 'meetings' after she'd brought him to the med bay. Steve hadn't been able to take his mind off the engineer since then. The guy was going through hell and it only made him feel worse about everything that had happened since New York. How much more crap could Stark take? He'd misjudged Tony at every step, but now he was going to watch him like a hawk for a very different reason… to make sure he wasn't running himself into the ground.

His conversation with Bruce earlier had concerned him. Something had happened after Steve and Natasha had left. There was something wrong between Tony and Bruce, he heard it in the scientist's voice. Whatever had been said had shaken Bruce, that much was clear, and now he felt the need to leave Tony alone.

Steve could barely remember a time where they had all just got on, maybe there had been a fleeting period, but since then it was a constant loop of people falling out or being awkward, then sorting things out just in time for the next problem to split them apart.

Steve and Tony… Steve and Clint, Natasha and Clint, Tony and, well, all of them…Bruce and Steve and now the one ever-stable relationship, Bruce and Tony, seemed shaky. It made Steve miss simpler times, the world he'd left behind a long time ago and the friend he'd lost.

Thankfully, Steve found the door opened when he scanned himself in. He had fully expected for Tony to have the lab on lockdown, but apparently, he hadn't bothered. As he stepped into the room the lighting was low and it took a second for his eyes to adjust. The smell of alcohol was un-mistakeable and hit him immediately. He sighed when he saw Tony's outline sat in his chair, limp, torso buckled over the bench and snoring softly.

Steve quietly wandered towards him, avoiding the broken glass and spilled liquor on the floor, at least that was one less bottle he'd managed drink. He gave Tony a nudge and got no response. The sling was still round his neck, but it looked complex, so the super soldier decided it would be easier to take it off than try and fix his shoulder back into it. He gently gathered up the Engineer into his arms, taking care not to jostle his shoulder or ribs. He held Tony close to his chest as he picked his way round the various trip hazards littering the floor in the darkness. Stark would kill himself one day if he didn't tidy up, the place was like a mine field.

The billionaire stirred a little as they approached the lift, looking up into Steve's blue eyes as the elevator doors closed. Tony took a moment to recognise who was holding him, mind hazed and intoxicated. Tony groaned drunkenly, there was a stern look of indignation on his face and he swatted an uncoordinated hand at his helper.

" 'm not handbag Ssssteve, put m'down." Tony slurred, barely with it. Steve didn't reply, just carried on.

"You're warm." Tony mumbled, nuzzling his face closer as he shuddered a little in Steve's grasp. Steve pressed the back of his hand to Tony's forehead and frowned at the coolness of his skin.

"And you're pretty cold." Steve had to admit it had been chilly in the lab, and resting on the metal bench would not have helped matters. He took Tony to his room and laid him on the bed, wrapping him snuggly in the bed clothes, hoping that he would warm up soon.

Tony was out for the count, un-moving and expressionless. Steve sat and watched him for a while, taking comfort in the rise and fall of his chest, ignoring the rattle of his rib cage as he breathed. Of course, most people wouldn't have been able to hear it, but Steve could hear a bit more than most people. He could hear the slow pumping of blood through Tony's body, the slight scratching of his hair against the pillow as he breathed and the soft hum of the arc reactor, keeping him alive.

Tony was going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning, Steve realised and knowing Tony, Steve was the last person he'd want to see when he woke up, so it was probably time to go. Besides, Steve was tired. Even super soldiers needed to rest, especially injured ones. He ruffled a hand through Tony's hair as he got up to leave. There was no response from him and it gave him an idea. Steve nipped to the kitchen and returned, silently depositing a few things on Tony's bedside table before heading for his own room.

…

Pepper had, had so much work to catch up on when she'd arrived. She'd put it off as long as she could, but returning to the tower she'd had little excuse to avoid it any longer. She'd worked like a train today, shifting double what she normally would in 12 hours to get back to Tony's side. She'd been surprised to smell the alcohol on Tony's breath as she climbed into bed, but she wasn't upset. If anything could take the edge off and get him to sleep through the night she was grateful for it, God knows he deserved some peace. The next meeting was tomorrow, and if the last one was anything to go by he was going to need all his strength. The thought made Pepper tear up. She would have done anything to save him from what he was going through, but as Bruce had repeated over and over there was nothing that she, or anyone, could do for him. Something in the pit of her stomach told her that everything was going to be ok, she didn't know why and it certainly didn't make any sense knowing the odds, but it was the only comfort she had so she clung onto it.

As she crawled into bed and felt Tony's skin next to hers she frowned at the icy touch. She snuggled up close, allowing her warmth to seep into him and soon they were both cosy and sound asleep.

…

Tony woke up to the soft stroking of fingers through hair and a whisper of goodbye. All he could muster was a hum of contentment at the familiar voice and the pleasant sensation since the blackness refused to desert him. It took a long time for the fog to lift and his head pounded in protest of the previous night's decisions. Bruce would be pissed, he thought. But for once he didn't care. There had been more than a reckless mission of self-destruction to his drinking last night, he needed to be out of it, with the meeting today it was usually this sleep that brought with it the nightmares. He couldn't have dealt with that again, especially after yesterday, their battle was likely to have dredged up even more bad memories to add to the cocktail as if it wasn't already bad enough. At least his plan seemed to have worked and he was incredibly grateful for it. It was more than worth the pain and nausea he would probably be reeling from for the rest of the day. He rubbed his temples as he summed up the courage to open his eyes, praying that the room was still in darkness.

"Morning Sir, a reminder that your meeting is scheduled for 5:35pm."

"Shhh Jarvis."

"There is some aspirin and a glass of water to your left. Captain Rogers left it for you last night." Jarvis said, adjusting the volume very low.

Tony sat up very gently. "Steve left me aspirin?" Tony answered his own question as little flashes of his drunken memory pieced themselves together. "Oh." Not what he had expected, but he took them gratefully.

"J, time?"

"9:32am."

Tony gave a three-fingered salute and spent a little time getting to his feet. He was more than used to this feeling, but it had been a while. He was out of practice with the art of hang over recovery. He clumsily fixed his arm back into his sling. His shoulder was aching like hell, so maybe he would put up with the annoying restraint for a few hours.

Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee. His mind was on a loop, focusing on the one thing that would kickstart his brain and start to blow away the sluggishness that was absorbing him.

There was only one other person in the kitchen and that was Steve. Tony groaned internally, preparing himself for an earful about responsibility and recklessness but instead all he got was a smile.

"Do you feel as bad as you look?" Steve said softly, wary of migraine Tony was likely dealing with.

"Probably worse, not that I've looked in the mirror."

Before Tony could make a beeline for the coffee machine, Steve slid one his way over the counter. Tony frowned at it suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Coffee." Steve said simply, turning his attention back to the pan.

"And that is…"

"Breakfast. Full fry up. Perfect hang over cure."

Tony looked Steve up and down, brow furrowed, eyes squinted and pouting slightly.

"Is it poisoned?" Tony blurted out.

"Tony!" Steve scorned.

"I'm sorry Steve, I just don't trust you when you're being nice."

Steve sighed. "Has it really come to that?" He said with a disappointed smile. Tony shrugged, finally picking up the coffee and downing it in one. Steve plated up and slid it over to Tony. He picked up a fork lazily and it slipped through his fingers, the rattle as it hit the ground reverberated round his skull causing him to hiss sharply and grab his temples.

"That Bad huh?"

"Waiting for the aspirin to kick in." Tony groaned. "Thank you for that by the way."

There was silence in the kitchen for a moment as neither man knew where to go next.

"Steve, thank you and all, but why are you doing all this." Tony said gesturing to the stuff in front of him.

"Call it a peace offering." Steve sighed. "Tony, I don't expect one hangover-cure, breakfast… offering to fix everything that's happened, but this is me realising how badly I've screwed this up and trying to start making some sort of amends for it."

"Natasha filled me in with the inhibitor stuff and I can't imagine how much rubbish you've been dealing with…"

"Steve, I don't need people feeling sorry for me."

"That's not what I'm doing Tony. What I'm doing is trying to make your life a little bit easier. I'm not going to be at your throat, I'm not come down hard on you and I'm sorry I ever did, because you don't need that, you never did. I've misjudged you, gone behind your back and sorry is never going to cover that. I trust you Tony. I trust you to deal with this in whatever way is best, for you. I just want to help ok? Because I'm sorry and you we shouldn't have driven you away."

Steve felt Tony's eyes scrutinise his expression, not unlike when he felt Natasha reading him. The engineers face softened in acceptance and he nodded slowly. "Ok." Tony said, calmly. "I know I'm not faultless in all of this, so let's give it a shot."

"Start afresh?" Steve asked, almost disbelieving that Tony was willing to give this a shot.

"As much as we can." Tony sighed.

Steve waited a moment and asked the question that was burning at the back of his mind. "When is it going to happen." Steve said tentatively.

"The meeting? This evening… about 5:30 give or take."

"That soon?"

"Yeah apparently that's how it's going to be now."

"Do you want the rest of us there."

"Steve, you don't want to see that, none of you do."

"Of course, we don't, but if we can help then we will be there."

"I don't know… but I suppose I can't stop any of you."

Tony would never ask any of them to be there or admit he wanted them to be, and maybe he really was still unsure but he hadn't said no outright, and that would do Steve as an invitation.

…

Bruce had been putting off trying to find Tony all morning. At 10am when he finally decided to start looking, he didn't bother to ask Jarvis and stuck to the most unlikely places first. Finally, he sighed, giving in and going to the workshop. It was a mess, Tony had clearly been there, but he wasn't anymore. The place was a bombsite and that was very unlike Tony, stuff got messy sure, but there was always some sort of system, a method to the madness. This was just pure chaos.

There was the click of the door behind him as Rhodey came in behind him.

"No Tony?"

"No. Been looking for him all morning, but I must admit I haven't been trying too hard."

"Why, what happened?" Rhodey looked at him curiously.

"You didn't know what went down yesterday? Didn't Tony mention it?"

Rhodey rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Ermm, I kind of only got back a few minutes ago. After seeing Tony yesterday, I flipped out, once we got him settled and I went for a run, I didn't come back. I ended up crashing at a friend's yesterday."

"Oh well you missed the party."

"Care to enlighten me?" Rhodey was a little anxious now.

"Well, I found out why Tony's merge had been so early… and so bad. Turns out that Steve had turned up the inhibitor…"

Rhodey's eyes darkened, hands curling into fists so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Stop right there Buddy, been there done that, put Steve in the hospital…"

Rhodey's rage was suddenly overtaken with surprise and intrigue. "What... How?"

"Ok, from the beginning. I found out Steve had changed the inhibitor. I got mad. I found Steve and nearly choked the life out of him."

"You or the Hulk."

"Technically me, but I might have tapped the other guy for some extra strength."

"Jesus."

"Yes, quite. The point is Tony stopped me from going too far and he told me that he'd asked Steve to do it."

"What?"

"Exactly my reaction, but apparently there was an incident a few days ago, before Tony got called in. He tripped in the lab and should have impaled himself on a screwdriver but apparently the CAEB stopped him. It broke through and know he's freaked, though he won't admit it. The reason I've been avoiding him is that he told me he's going to let this kill him. He's given up. Even if we can find a fix he doesn't want to carry on… and I… I don't know what to do anymore, what to say. I don't know if there is anything I can do."

Rhodey sighed deeply, sitting down at the desk and noticing the broken glass. "And what's this?" He pointed to the floor, in absence of any solution to offer.

"He went to get himself drunk and I… I couldn't deal with it so I left him be. I thought you'd find him later…"

"But I wasn't there either and I hadn't told you." Rhodey rolled his eyes. This had been one monumental screw up between them.

"And Pepper was working…"

"So where is Tony now?"

"Sir is in the penthouse. Captain Rogers saw he got safely to bed last night." Jarvis interjected.

"Steve?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Since when where they talking?"

"Since this morning. They seem to have reached some sort of understanding." Jarvis informed them.

"Huh. Well, that's not what I expected." Bruce said slowly.

"We got off lightly here." Rhodey said sternly.

"Huh?" Bruce asked.

"I mean that I know Tony, we were lucky he didn't go on full self-destruct mode last night. I mean we can't both just bail at the same time. We're human, yes. I'm surprised neither of us lost it well before this point, but well…

"In future, let's agree that only one of us is allowed to break down at a time?" Bruce offered.

"Yeah… that." Rhodey nodded.

"Organised breakdowns." Bruce chuckled. "What the hell is wrong with us?"

Rhodey shook his head, a little amused. "God only knows."

….

People had been popping in and out of the penthouse all day. It had been Clint's first day of physical therapy, which had made the morning quite chaotic, especially for Natasha. Everyone wanted to be there to help, but crowding was not an option so there were a lot of questions to make up for it. Apparently, patience wasn't Clint's strong suit, he'd started the day really well and although he knew that progress wasn't going to be instant, but it still frustrated him when it turned out not to be. Tony could relate to that, really relate and was actually pretty desperate for a chat with the birdbrain, but he'd been put on house arrest by, well, everyone with the meeting so close.

He had been allowed down to the lab briefly by Rhodey, but barely long enough to get anything done, which frustrated him. To be honest the longer the day went on the more he could empathise with Clint downstairs. 'Just take it easy', 'I'll get that for you', 'How are you feeling.' The constant mollycoddling was starting to grate and the headache that was creeping in was doing nothing for his mood. It wasn't long past midday and he was already starting to feel it; a slight numbness inside him coupled with a headache that made him feel simultaneously disconnected from and tied down by, his own body. Then there was the smell of food from the kitchen that was making him nauseous.

Bruce was still avoiding him. That was to be expected. Tony had been pretty straight-up with what he'd said yesterday and none of it was pleasant to be honest he wasn't sorry he'd said any of it. He had meant it and it was about time Bruce knew exactly where they stood on the whole thing. Bruce had obviously told Rhodey, his friend had been giving him concerned looks all day and not left him alone for a moment.

When Natasha showed her head again at around 3pm, she looked exhausted in every way possible. Emotionally, physically and mentally she was done. Apparently, Clint had finally worn himself out and was getting some rest, which freed Natasha up to finally crash on the sofa next to Tony. Bruce started cooking in the kitchen. They'd only eaten a few hours ago, but they all looked like they needed it. Tony set off a movie on the screen that helped the atmosphere slowly relax and as Steve sat down on the smaller sofa, fresh from the shower. Tony let his eyes slide closed. He wasn't tired, he told himself, it was just the headache.

When Natasha looked across at Tony as Bruce brought the food through he was dead to the world. She looked at the clock with dread. There wasn't long to go now. Rhodey had been tense all day, constantly checking his watch, always looking at Tony or at Bruce and it was adding to Natasha's stress considerably. She spent all day dealing with Clint at his lowest and knew whatever was coming later was not going to be fun and she didn't know if she could deal with anymore today.

When it hit 4:15 Bruce checked the computer over and over, giving constant looks to Tony who was starting to shift uncomfortably in his sleep every now and again.

"I'm going to go set up. In case it comes early." Bruce huffed, standing up and putting his mug in the sink. The stress lines were etched on his face. Lines that displayed clearly to the room the dread he was feeling.

Rhodey stood up nodding in agreement. "I'll give you a hand." He sighed. "Can one of you wake him up at 5, tell him to come down."

"Sure, Rhodey." Natasha smiled.

….

Electricity crackled in the air. He could almost taste it. His heart beat heavy in his chest. He could hear his breathes, fast and noisy. The air tickled his chest as it left his nose in short hard blasts. He was trying to keep them controlled, but he could feel the burning in his diaphragm. The led weight in his stomach. The searing in his throat as his eyes locked onto the pile of armour he'd left behind. The thin fabric of his undershirt made him feel exposed. The cold leached into the sweat soaked fabric.

Filled with purpose his ignored the shiver that ran through him, disregarded the hairs that stood on end. His muscles howled with adrenaline that coursed through them as he strode forward. Rubble crunched beneath his feet. His breathing quickened. He knew where this would end. But he knew what he had to do.

He looked up for the last time, glancing at the flames that had been flickering in his peripheral. He searched for a familiar face, but there was none to be found. All there was, was ash. Dancing flames. The taste of smoke. Shattered concrete and twisted metal. Blood.

The sounds were muffled. Explosions in near distance, cries for help. Thousands of screaming voices. The terror of a city prickled across his skin, diluted by his own. Focus.

Then there was a face.

"Tony!"

Tony sucked in the air hard as he was pulled away from the street. He gasped hard, his lungs burning, demanding air. What was happening. Then the pain hit, burning through him. He screwed his eyes shut and cried out.

"Tony, Tony, it's okay, you're okay."

Tony allowed his eyes to open. Red hair and blond filled his vision.

"Steve, Tash… What?" He gasped, but his throat was on fire.

"You were having a nightmare Tony." Steve confirmed.

The voice reverberated through his skull as his senses violently sharpened. His brain felt like it was searing in his skull. He grunted sharply and squeezed his temples, doubling over and trying to bury the pain with his head in his lap.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Steve demanded,

Tony cried out again, back arching as the pain bit into him. His breaths came in rasping pants.

"Ah Hell." Tony moaned, his voice trailing off into more gasps of pain.

"What, Tony?" Steve barked, fright eating into his tone.

"It's started, hasn't it?" Natasha asked, no such panic dulling her observations.

Tony strained a nod as he bit down hard, breathing out hard from his nose. Then he was in the air. Two strong familiar arms lifting him from the sofa and the sound of running feet beneath him.

….

"Almost time." Rhodey huffed. The waiting was the worst. Actually, screw that, the meeting was the worst. The waiting, just added to the hateful situation.

"Yep." Bruce breathed tiredly, dropping the P a little. He spun in the chair slowly, glancing at the clock. 4:48pm.

"How bad is this one going to be Bruce?"

"I recalibrated the inhibitor back to what is was before, but I don't know exactly how the merge will react. It could be delayed."

"So, this could be…"

"Potentially worse than even last time."

"Or it could be fine."

"Yes."

The room fell back into silence for a while.

"This sucks." Rhodey huffed, shaking his head and looking at the ceiling.

"Bruce!" Steve's voice shook alarm into the pair of them. They could hear the footsteps but couldn't yet see the first avenger. The agonised yelp that followed Had them both on their feet.

"Tony?" Rhodey called, sweeping the figure out of Steve's arms the second he became visible.

"He had a nightmare and when he woke up, well he was like this." Steve explained quickly.

"Ok, in there, straps on." Bruce didn't need to remind Rhodey, but he felt he had to say something. Take control.

"Bruce, can we do anything."

"No, just wait here, please."

There was a deep and pained scream from the other side of the wall. "Bruce, get in here."

Bruce wasted no more time. Natasha and Steve waited where they were told.

A few minutes past and it all seemed normal. A few soothing hushed voices spilled into the workshop from the other room. Steve rubbed his head nervously and paced. The sight of Tony's trembeling frame and the pain etched on his features refused to leave his head.

"Steve, sit down there's nothing we can do." Natasha reasoned. She was sat on the floor, back up against the wall with her knees raised close to her chest.

Steve sighed looking at her with confusion. How could she be so calm?

But Natasha wasn't calm, she'd just mastered the appearance. Really, she felt like a whole nest of Ants were knowing at her insides. She breathed out deeply, measuredly and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

Steve huffed in frustration and defeat. He sunk down next to Natasha. One eye fixed on the clock and the other on the room beyond the wall.

It was muffled at first, they weren't sure what they were hearing, but each time it grew louder Tony was screaming. Howling at the top of his lungs. The sound was harrowing. Steve snapped to his feet. The noise didn't stop.

"The straps aren't going to hold." Rhodey's voice broke through.

"Hold him." Bruce said calmly as a faint tearing noise was heard.

"I can't he's too strong."

"Steve get in here." Bruce called. Steve didn't hesitate until he reached the door. As he stood and took in the sight, he found himself locked in place. Tony was being pinned down, his body writhing uncontrollable, screeching in pain. Rhodey was practically knelt on Tony's chest trying to keep the smaller man down.

"Steve snap out of it and get over here." Rhodey yelled, voice pained with the struggle of holding his friend.

Steve grabbed both of Tony's arm's squeezing them into his sides and using his thumbs to press Tony's torso back down. He was surprised at the strength of the billionaire as he writhed and quivered beneath him. Rhodey moved down to sit on his legs.

As Steve settled into his job his eyes locked on Tony's face. The Engineer was grey, skin covered in sweat. His face was contorted into a poor display of the true pain he was in. The deep hazel eyes rolled back into his skull, eyelids fluttering from open to closed. He hoped that Tony wasn't truly conscious, that he wouldn't remember this.

"He's in V-fib." Bruce's voice dropped as he looked at the monitors.

"What!" Rhodey barked.

"It's early." Bruce seemed panicked. "Too early."

"How far are we in?"

"64%"

"What are we going to do?"

"Wait a bit, see if it self corrects." Bruce moved in pushing Steve back a little. He took out a pair of scissors."

"He's going to be pissed. He likes that shirt." Rhodey warned.

"Well tough. He can buy a new one." Bruce sliced up the centre of Tony's T-shirt and slapped the pads on, connecting the electrodes to the defibrillator.

"Bruce?" Rhodey asked when the Doctor did nothing for a few moments. Tony's writhing was slowing down, a tinge of blue pushing into his face.

"Giving him a chance." Bruce reminded. There was 30 seconds of silence. "No, he's not bringing it back, stand clear."

Rhodey jumped off Tony's legs. "Steve let go."

Tony's frame shuddered, back arching. Hands returned to hold him as he kept trembling. Steve couldn't remember when he'd stopped screaming, but he'd guessed it wasn't a good thing.

"Bruce, is he back."

"Yes." Bruce frowned, "Just massively tachycardic."

"68%." The voice in the ceiling reminded.

It was a few minutes later, but it felt like hours.

"No, come on Tony." Bruce growled.

"What is it."

"He back in V-fib. We're going to have to fight through this one."

8 shocks later Tony grew still.

"Got him?" Rhodey begged.

"Just."

"He's not breathing." Steve yelped, noticing the lack of movement from the Engineer.

"Shit." Bruce cursed and suddenly the monitors started blaring. "He's flatlining."

"Doctor Banner you must all leave the room immediately. Initiating lockdown." Jarvis stated calmly. Damn that AI.

"No, No, No, not now!" Rhodey wailed.

"99% complete, you have 20 seconds to clear the room."

"What's happening?" Steve asked.

"If we don't get out now we'll get fried like those craft we were fighting." Bruce grabbed them both by the arm, dragging the especially reluctant Rhodey out of the room behind him.

Steve saw that Natasha hadn't moved an inch as they were forced out of the room. The blast door closed and they waited.

"Bruce, we can't just…"

"Rhodey, we've got to wait it out."

"But he wasn't breathing."

"We'll bring him back. He's a fighter. You know he is."

"What's going on?" Natasha asked quietly, her face pale. Steve went over and crouched next to her as Bruce and Rhodes started arguing.

"We had to get out, or we'd have been fried at

"Again, how many times?" Natasha's eyes widened.

"I don't know I lost count." Steve rubbed his hair in fear and frustration.

"Are you ok?" She asked softly.

"No."

There was a clunk as the door started to open. Two men were running towards it at breakneck speed, not giving it the chance to open even half way before they slid underneath.

Steve stood up and wobbled a little.

"Take it easy." Natasha warned, but neither of them intended to. They both walked into the room to see Rhodey, pounded On Tony's lifeless chest.

"Again." Bruce yelled, Rhodey backed off. Tony's back arched. Bruce shook his head. Rhodey resumed compressions.

"And again." Rhodey shuffled back. Tony's back arched again.

"Got him. Thank God, we've got him."

Rhodey rolled onto his back in relief, cupping his face in his hands. Natasha slid down to the ground. Steve sighed in relief, closing his eyes and thanking God.

Bruce went straight to Tony's side. "He's still not breathing."

"Rhodey, tube, not. Let's get him hooked up to the ventilator."

"Bruce?" Natasha asked, getting back to her feet.

"This doesn't usually happen. He's usually comes around afterwards." Rhodey was breathing heavily. Shock and fear running through his system.

It was a matter of minutes before Tony was surrounded by machines and wires. It looked awful. He looked awful. His skin was still grey, the colour refusing to return to his cheeks.

There was the click of heels approaching and a flash of ginger hair. Nobody's face turned as Pepper walked into the room, gasping quietly. They were all too exhausted. Her stomach lurched. The body language of everyone else in the room told her everything she needed to know about what they'd just been through… what Tony had just been through.

"Bruce?" She asked nervously.

"He's stable." He said quietly. "He just needs some help breathing for a while."

"Need's some help breathing?"

"Look it's only been a few minutes, he's improving all the time. He should be fine."

"Bruce, you need a rest." Natasha said forcefully. The man was nearly shaken, he was almost as ashen as Tony.

Concerningly, Bruce didn't argue. He just nodded. "Go get some air, Rhodes, Steve you too." Natasha's voice did not invite argument. So, the room cleared slowly and she and Pepper stayed.

…

Rhodey had taken half an hour before he came back to relieve Natasha. Pepper has refused to leave. Steve had joined Natasha in front of the TV after a while. They hadn't spoken. There wasn't anything to say.

It had been hours since either of them had seen Bruce and neither of them felt like going to see Clint. Finally, the scientist came into the room, he looked a little better, but exhaustion was still written on his features.

"Bruce." Natasha said softly, breathing the long silence. "You ok?"

Bruce smiled tiredly. "Yes, thanks Natasha."

"And Tony?"

"Came around for a minute or two. He's breathing on his own anyway."

"That's great." Steve breathed.

The lift pinged behind them but no one looked around at first.

"Huh, fancy finding you lot here. Neglecting me, already are you?"

"Clint!" Everyone snapped around. "What the hell are you doing up here?" Natasha screeched.

Clint chuckled wheeling the chair effortlessly into the room and parking himself at one end of the big soft.

"Well I would have walked, but I pissed off the nurse and she took my crutches away."

"Clint, it's only been a few days, you really shouldn't be going at it so hard." Bruce said sincerely. Clint just shrugged. "Regardless it's nice to see you up and about." He finished.

"Yeah, you look good Buddy." Steve smiled.

"I know." Clint chimed. "But you lot look grim, what the hell happened." It was true. Every face in that room looked pale and gaunt, their eyes haunted.

"Tony's meeting." Steve found the courage to speak.

Clint's face fell. That had been today. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs recovering."

Clint gulped at the dark look on everyone's faces. "Dare I ask how bad?" he said hesitantly.

"Well he's off the ventilator." Bruce scoffed.

"What? Shit." Clint's jaw dropped open. "Can I go see him?"

"Yeah, sure, any of you can go up just make sure he stays resting."

"Pepper and Rhodey could probably do with being dragged away anyhow, they need a break." Natasha added.

"Guy's I'm sorry but we have more pressing matters. I just finished analysis of all the things we've been fighting over the last few weeks…." Bruce interjected.

"Oh, why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Clint whined forebodingly.

"I've been studying their DNA, and although they were all completely different species they can be no mistake."

"Spit it out Bruce."

"They have all been from the same planet."

There was a stunned silence in the room.

"What does this mean."

"I'm not 100% sure, but think about it. The first creatures, the centipede like things, they were just a pest, then they got poisons, then they got teeth and finally, they got ammunition and incredibly high-tech equipment. It's been getting progressively harder to beat. It's like…"

"Like we're being tested. We've been fighting the warm-up acts." Natasha finished.

"So, something else is coming." Steve asked?

"I can't be sure. I mean, maybe the fighters were the main event, but knowing our luck…"

"So, something big is on its way… and we're three Avengers down." Steve said sullenly.

"Tony might be able to fight. And me, depending how far off the threat is." Clint offered. Steve looked to Bruce for his opinion.

"Yes, well That's very much down to chance and we can't count on it."

"So, where do we go from here?" Clint asked.

"Can we get in touch with Thor?" Natasha asked.

"You have no need Comrades." A familiar deep voice took them all by surprise. A tall, armoured blond stood in the room, a crackle of energy still surrounding him. "I have been sent back by Odin… We are aware of the threat and Asgard will be offering assistance."

"Well it's nice to have some good news today!" Steve exclaimed.

"It's really good to see you man." Clint smiled

"It is good to be here. Heimdall has been watching events since I left, he has kept me updated."

"So, we don't need to fill you in on anything?" Natasha asked for confirmation.

"Indeed, you do not."

"Anything you can give us? What are we up against, how long we have." Steve asked.

"I'm afraid I know little more than you at this time. The planet we are dealing with has much legend surrounding it, but it was all thought to be myth. The final creatures, the pilots to the craft you fought, are thought to be the slaves to a much more powerful race."

"Much more powerful. Brilliant." Clint sighed.

"Asgard's best scholars are working to demystify the lore, so that we may know more."

"So, for now we're in the dark." Natasha said, disappointed.

"Not necessarily, but it will not be easy." Thor said and the other's looked on in intrigue. "It would involve the CAEB."

"No way."

"Bruce, hear him out." Steve held up a hand.

"Stark has been having dreams, no?"

"On and off, not so much since we put on the inhibitor." Bruce said simply, but this was news to the team.

"They are not dreams, they are premonitions."

"Figured as much." Bruce sighed.

"So, what you're saying is that you want to use Tony as an early warning device." Clint asked.

"Guys you know he can't control this stuff. Besides the inhibitor is stopping it, he only gets them the night before or after a meeting."

"He had one earlier." Steve reminded them. "But he didn't get chance to say anything about it. Is it possible he will have another tonight?"

"No, because I'm going to sedate him so he gets some proper rest, you know, so he doesn't die again." Bruce said, anger flashing across his face.

"Bruce, I'm not suggesting anything, just trying to get all the facts right now." Steve defended. He truly had no intention of using Tony, but if he was having these nightmares anyway they may be able to make the most of them. "Would reducing the inhibitor work?"

"Yes, but Tony would never allow it."

"What has he seen so far?" Natasha asked, intrigued.

"I don't know, he's been very vague. Says he just knows something is coming. They used to be every night and they'd progress, he'd see a bit more each time. Once the inhibitor was on however, he's just seen the same thing, over and over."

"Ok, so we have a road to explore while we wait for Thor's people to get back to us. But we'll wait until Tony's well enough before we talk to him. Agreed?" Steve offered.

There was a positive murmur in the room.

"Right, well Tash, get Clint upstairs to see Tony for an hour, then it's back to the medical wing and sleep for you."

"Yes Sir." Clint retorted, but he was in all honesty getting tired.

"I'll take over from Pepper and Rhodey after that and Bruce, go get some sleep, you look whacked."

"I appreciate the offer Steve, but I need to be there."

"No, you don't, he won't be left alone and if something happens Jarvis will get you the second it does." Bruce opened his mouth, but Steve gave him the eyebrow. "No, buts get some shut eye."

"Fine. But wake me for my turn."

"We will. We better set up a rota."

"You staying then Goldilocks?" Clint asked.

"I am indeed."

…

Well guys, I changed my original idea for these last two chapters a bit, because I couldn't make Steve the bad guy any more, I mean, he's not an idiot and I don't want to take him out of character any longer. It was the turn of Clint and Steve to get some of the cruelty I have been so horribly dishing out on Tony for the past 20 chapters. Oh, and Thor's back… the earth is under impending doom. But what else would you expect.

Hope you enjoyed it. It might be while till my next update as exams are looming, so I thought I'd leave you with 30,000 words to fill the gap.