A/N Thank you for the follows and favorites! Please tell me what you thought!
"Tony? Tony? Can you hear me?" Were the first words Tony heard as he regained consciousness.
He flinched back but regretted it when it made his head throb. He managed to rasp out, "Who the hell are you? Where am I?" at the doctor or whoever was there.
"Tony, don't you remember me? I'm Bruce, you are in the Med bay at Stark Tower, you took a pretty bad hit to the head."
Stark Tower? What the hell is he talking about?
"Look if you've brought me here just for money, Howard isn't going to pay anyways, doesn't matter if you hurt and/or threaten me." Tony clarified. The last thing he remembered was he was out in the garden, but this place didn't look anything like it.
It was all sleek and modern, there was no smell of disinfectants if he indeed was in a hospital or what had the man -Bruce?- called it- Med bay-?
Tony kept looking around not realizing the utter shock on the older man's face. He searched for escape routes and saw only the one entry and exit door. Plus he had IV's going into his hand and his body didn't feel quite right, it felt too big and it hurt when it moved.
So Tony came to the conclusion that the man was partly true at least. That didn't mean he still trusted them completely but answered the question Bruce asked, "Tony can you tell me the last thing you remember?"
"Um, all I can remember is a garden and…Rhodey?" He asked rather than stated.
Bruce sighed, "Seems like you have forgotten a lot Tony. We can't have Rhodey here right now, he's on a mission. Would you mind waiting here for a few minutes, while I can look for somebody who'll be able to determine how much you forgot."
Tony simply nodded, "Not like I can leave if I want to."
Bruce grimaced but said gently, "If you need anything just ask JARVIS."
Tony's face scrunched up and a relieved smile crept on his face, "Jarvis, he's here? Where is he?"
A British voice from the ceiling replied, "Hello Sir, it is nice to see you up again."
Tony jumped slightly, "What is that voice?"
Bruce looked at him confused then slowly said, "He's JARVIS, Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, your first AI."
Tony's face brightened for a moment, "I built an AI, huh, but if it has Jarvis' voice then that means…"
Tony trailed off not liking the idea at all but something told him it was true. Bruce smiled at him kindly although still a bit confused, "I'll go now. Ask JARVIS if you need anything."
Bruce left the room puzzled. The other Avengers crowded around him, "He's fine, he's fine," There was a collective sigh of relief, "But he hit his head pretty hard and doesn't remember a long time. I haven't worked out till where he remembers but its bad guys. I don't know anyone right now who he will remember."
The others looked troubled too, right at that moment Nick Fury came in. "Avengers, why have you not reported yet for debrief?"
Steve replied, "We were waiting for a report on Iron Man."
Fury's expression didn't change, "What happened to him?"
Bruce was the one who replied this time, "He got hit pretty hard on the head and is missing a long part from his memory. We're trying to figure out how much he can't remember but so far we have no one who knew him at that age"
Fury's expression got slightly worried which surprised the Avengers who noticed, the Director then asked, "What does he remember last?"
Bruce once again replied, "He said a garden and Rhodey though he didn't sound too sure about that."
Fury rubbed his face with a sigh and headed towards the room. Bruce tried to intercept him but the man just glared at him. Bruce backed off.
Tony was talking to JARVIS when somebody entered, he had been finding what was going on, according to JARVIS it was March 2013, and he was a superhero.
When he glanced up his face showed his relief, "Nick! Oh thank god! Finally someone I know. You really put in that pirate aesthetic didn't you? Gotta say it kind of suits you."
The other Avengers were completely surprised and let out gasps, how the hell did he know Fury but not them?
Tony heard the gasp and turned his head to inspect them, first was a redhead an assassin by the concealed weapon and guarded stance most likely an ex-assassin but definitely an agent, the brown haired man next to her, they seemed close but like partners. Finally the blonde man was…Captain America? Did they find him.
Fury saw the realization dawn in Tony's eyes as he assessed everyone carefully. Tony was about to speak up when Natasha asked, "Hey Tony how you feeling?"
She leant slightly ahead to touch him but he swiftly moved away hissing, "Stay away from me, you're an assassin, aren't you, or at least were."
Natasha backed away surprised. How had Tony deduced that just by looking at her? The others also seemed surprised.
Looking at their expressions Tony said, "I am a genius. Stop acting surprised."
Everyone hastily schooled their expression and Nick had to force back a smirk. He sat down on the chair beside Tony's bed.
His eyes softened as he saw Tony smiling at him and he asked, his voice much softer, ignoring the obvious surprise of the others, "How're you feeling Anthony?"
Tony rolled his eyes at him but winced slightly and said, "Really Nicky?"
Nick ignored the obvious subject change and warned, "Anthony…"
That was all it took,
"Fine, fine, my head hurts, body hurts too, like run over by a truck. Oh, and the huge gap in the memory, nothing serious though."
The other Avengers gaped, Tony never said if he was hurt even if he got fucking stabbed. Yet, he told everything to Fury at just a glance. Nat and Clint exchanged a very confused glance. Steve and Bruce were openly gaping. The two looked like they knew each other for years.
Tony and Fury ignored them completely, "Anthony what was the last thing you remember?"
Tony scrunched up his face, thinking hard, "I can't remember honestly, I think it was the garden at the Manor and Rhodey and Howard were maybe there. I think…it was the vacation I had brought Rhodey home to introduce him to you all, and Howard drank and it had all gone to shit."
Tony sighed at the end. Nick rubbed his back sympathetically, "We still had fun though without that bastard."
Tony smirked at that, "Yeah, it was fun...me and honeybear are still friends right?"
Nick snorted, "It's impossible to separate you two Tonio. And if he had left you, I definitely along with Maria would have murdered him."
Tony nods along, and then his gaze shifts to Steve and something in his eyes hardens, "They found him."
Nick doesn't have to turn to see who he is talking about, in fact he's surprised to see Tony could contain himself for so long, "Yes Anthony they did."
Tony just sighed and bitterly said, "He must have been ecstatic then. Did he try to replace me? And don't lie Nicky, I can always tell when you do."
Nick tried to be as gentle as he could, "Tony…Howard was…he wasn't there."
Tony understood the underlying implication and looked away, in a slightly choked voice he asked, "Mamman?"
Nick effortlessly slipped into Italian, "Scusa Tony, ma se ti aiuta, erano insieme." (Sorry Tony, but if it helps they were together.")
Tony tried to smile, "It's fine Nick, I knew it must have happened by now but…"
Nick smiled softly, "But it doesn't take away the hurt does it?" Tony bitterly shook his head.
Nick brushed a gentle and through his hair, "Sleep Tonio I'll be here."
Tony didn't even question him which warmed the old man's heart, he just lay down and closed his eyes. Nick deduced that he must have been exhausted.
Nick still kept brushing his hands through Tony's brunette gelled curls softly massaging his scalp. Tony leant into his touch just like he would when he was little and Howard had yelled at him.
It wasn't an odd sight when SHIELD had first started to see a young brunette running around either with Director Carter or himself. Tony knew each and every thing in his office having spent a lot of his time there. Most of the times Howard would bring him there to leave him in care of the agents. Maria was as always attending some function or other, Jarvis had to accompany Howard.
Nick hated to see someone so young running around trained agents and handling weapons, but he couldn't do anything about it and tried to keep Tony in his office shielding him from the horrors.
Over time they had grown a little apart but they were still close. Both Nick and Tony had agreed to keep their relation hidden from the others and acted slightly hostile towards each other. But Tony had been really mad towards him at the Helicarrier when he found about Phase 2 and the earful Nick had gotten after everything had calmed down from Tony was something he'd never quite forget.
Despite Tony almost dying a LOT of times over the years (and boy had Nick been mad at the palladium poisoning) they kept up their act and now Nick wondered how Tony was going to react when he found out that the other Avengers knew.
They had let still baffled a long time ago, wanting to give them privacy and clean themselves up. Nick hoped that Tony would get better soon, and that he would be okay. When he next glanced at Tony the man seemed peacefully asleep so Nick cautiously left and went to the conference room where he knew the other Avengers were waiting.
"What the fuck did we just see?" Clint Barton asked as soon as they were out of earshot.