Update: 25/12/2021

Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope you all have a great and safe Christmas/holiday. Have fun and enjoy yourselves. But take time to think of those who can't be with you by distance, by illness, unable to travel or those that have past on. But also take time to think about the less fortunate.

Have Great Christmas or Holiday

and

A Happy New Year: And I hope it will be a good one!

And on a personal note to my Nan who passed this year. I'll miss you at Christmas the most. I love you and I hope you have quite the celebration in Heaven with the rest of our family and friends that have gone before you. I hope you know we will be thinking about you and everyone else at Christmas.

Love you guys and this Chapter is just as much for you as it is for everyone.

Author's Note: Sorry everyone for the Two Years and Eleven Months wait. This is the next chapter you have all have waited Two Years, 11 months for.

Now I looked back and noticed some mistakes so I will do my best to edit this soon.

I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter .3.

To the Avengers, Tony looked so damaged. What the hell had happened to him? Who did this? What could they do to help?

Everything bad they had felt about Tony was washed away as they saw how much he had suffered. Besides the obvious physical injuries. He had dark circles under his eyes. Showing he hadn't slept in a long time. He was still shaking a bit and seemed to be asleep or unconscious with a slight moan every now and then.

"What can we do to make him be in less pain?" Bruce asks her softly.

"Pillows under his bad left leg, his right may need one if he is in pain when he wakes up. They would also help and under that arm", Laura tells him pointing at the braced limps and deformed limps.

"Also blankets. Lots of blankets he gets cold really easily now and really to susceptible diseases", May adds checking his pulse again.

T'Challa immediately calls for blankets and pillows. And after a second thought called for his sister.

"What the hell happened Laura?" Clint asks her.

"What the HELL happened to Stark?" Fury asks angrily.

"May, what happened to Mr Stark? Will he be alright?" Peter asks looking at Tony with tears in his eyes, did he miss his chance to apologies?

"Who did this?" Steve asks kneeling down to run his fingers through Tony's hair but was stopped by Laura.

"Be careful he had brain surgery and his head still hurts a lot and causes him trouble. You have to be VERY gentle", Laura warns them.

Their eyes widen.

Brain surgery?

People come with the blankets and pillows. Laura shows them how to gentle manoeuvre his legs into a comfortable position for Tony. And Bruce could feel the heavy metal on his left leg. It went all the way up.

How did this happen?

May gentle puts the blankets over Tony's body and checks his temperature with her hand.

"He doesn't appear to have a fever. But we will have to keep an eye on that closely", May tells them.

"What the HELL happened here?" Shuri asks coming into the room wide-eyed looking at the broken form of Tony Stark.

"Can we wait for Reed and Susan at least before we tell you? As they would be able to help and so would Skye and those she brings. They should be here in 45 minutes or a bit later", Laura says looking exhausted.

"How about you ladies get some clean clothes? While we watch Tony?" T'Challa offers them.
"We can't leave him", Maggie protests.

"Maybe one can stay while the other two change then she can change", Shuri suggests.

The three look at each other and nod.

"I'll stay", Laura says.

Maggie and May were lead away and promised to see Cooper, Lila, Nate and Cassie.
"Are YOU okay Laura?" Clint asks her softly.

Laura sighs and runs a hand through her sooty hair.

"I am thanks to Tony. I'm just tired. Like everyone else. Including Tony", Laura replies, "He has done more then you know for us and basically signed his life away in exchange for yours"

They all looked at each other. What did that mean?

Before they could ask Tony mumbles in his sleep.

"Got…too…earn…for…give…ness", he mutters.

"Earn forgiveness?" Natasha asks.

"He believes he still owes you", Laura says darkly, "And none of you were there to tell him he didn't and it wasn't his fault. Even his BEST friend deserted him!"

Rhodey winces at that looking at Tony made him see that his injuries were not as bad as what Tony's and that Tony hadn't complained about his. It sounded like he just continued on to help them. To somehow earn the forgiveness that he didn't need to ask for.

Maggie and May return and Laura gets up and leaves after tapping something on Tony's good shoulder.

"Aunt May will Tony be alright?" Peter asks her looking guilty.

She sighs, "I won't lie. Tony's injuries have left him permeantly disabled. So he will never be alright again. But he WILL live"

That made them feel more guilty. Tony was permeantly disabled? What about his job? What about Ironman?

Fury and Coulson looked at Earth's best defender and wonder just how bad he truly was and was he even able to help them anymore?

Laura returns as Reed and Susan were shown in.

"Oh Tony", Susan says softly going over to him quickly.

"How has he been?" Reed asks softly.

"Unconscious since he was taken here. He needs it", Laura replies.
"No doubt because of that bastard", Susan says darkly.

"We had to leave Johnny and Ben in New York. Things are going badly there", Reed tells them.

"How bad?" Maggie asks.
"Lets just say I don't envy Pepper, Happy and Daredevil at the moment. They are in the thick of it", Reed reports, "Rand is reporting his company are starting to cop it and Cage has got Hells Kitchen and the Defenders locked down tight"

"Vixen and Spirit have got the Hub on lockdown and an emergency message has been sent out to ALL Mutants, Mutantes, Inhumans and any others with powers and their families to go underground. Unless they can't like us", Susan reports.

"As we are public figures", Reed adds with a sigh.

The Avengers looked shocked was it really that bad?

Suddenly a flash of power comes from the side of the room and a woman, another and a man appear. The first woman had the power coming off her.

The Avengers and SHIELD Agents wanted to go for their weapons and T'Challa's warriors too.

"Be back in a jiff!" the woman exclaims and disappears again.

"Thank God", Laura, Maggie and May mutter seeing them.

"At easy guys. I am Skye and this is Gerald a doctor who knows ALL about Tony to help", Skye replies.

Gerald rushes over to Tony as Susan pulls out her kit to go with his.

A flash happens again and the woman returns with four others and one was familiar.

"There we go all here. All courtesy of your local teleporter! Office hours 9 to 4 every other week!" she jokes.

"Is now really a time for jokes?" Reed asks rolling his eyes.

"Sorry trying to relieve the tension. I am Teleporter by the way. But I can tell you my real name is Sarah. But that is all you are getting", Sarah replies.

"I am Skye one of the top powered people of Halo. I won't tell you my real name as it shouldn't be known yet", Skye replies.

"You know me AC. I am Daisy Johnson aka Quake", Daisy replies.

"I am Razer aka Douglass McGrath", Douglass replies.

"I am Techno and that is all you need to know", Techno replies, "The device Laura?"

Laura hands something to Techno who nods.

"In case you don't know I am Doctor Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic and this is my wife Susan Storm aka the Invisible Woman", Reed tells them.

"Now we would like the story", Skye says, "After Gerald checks Tony is about as fine as he could be"

"What is Halo then?" Coulson asks them, but more importantly he asked Daisy.

"Well AC it is an organization that is made up with those were extraordinary skills. Much like the Avengers Initiative. But this is pure Tony and he has never lied to us and was afraid of us", Daisy replies raising an eyebrow at the SHIELD Agents.

Who all looked guilty.

"So we were born to protect the world. We have numbers that you could never believe", Skye says and then interrupts their next question, "And you NEVER will"

"Trust me she is serious. Tony has drilled into us about secrecy and hidden identities and not making the same mistakes he did", Daisy adds.

"Is has been trying to make up for his 'mistakes' the whole year", Maggie replies, "Even through we told him those 'mistakes' were not mistakes and he didn't need to run himself into the ground because of it"

"He will be fine. Two bruised ribs and a concussion", Gerald tells them.

"Will his head injury make the concussion worse or will the concussion make his neurological problems worse?" Laura asks worried.

"Hard to say at this point. We will need to monitor him closely. And don't be surprised if he is more confused than normal", Gerald replies.

The Avengers and SHIELD Agents wondered what that meant.

"So what is the story?" Steve asks not taking his eyes off Tony.

Laura takes a deep breath, "First off I need to tell you. How DARE YOU LEAVE HIM IN Siberia! He could have died!"

Sam and the others eyes widen.
"Wait YOU left him in Siberia?" Sam asks him.

Steve looks ashamed, "I did. I got tunnel vison and lost sight of what was important. And I will always regret it and hope I can make it up too him"

"To what is helps he forgave you and somehow manages to think it was his fault", Laura grumbles.

Steve's eyes widen, "Why would he think that?"
"Because he has a guilt complex the size of this planet", May replies fondly.

"How badly did he come out of Siberia?" Peter asks them, "He seemed fine when I left"

"He was anything but fine. He didn't get his injuries seen too and fixed for a week. But that time he had pneumonia and his arm started to heal wrong. He had three breaks in it and it needed screws in it and it too was infected. He also had four broken ribs and a broken cheekbone and concussion so he was in the hospital for three weeks fighting it AND still trying to help everyone", Laura tells them.

"Between the fight with Peter. Having a heart to heart with Vision. To stalling Ross. To covering your obvious tracks. To sabotaging the Rafts security and monitors and picking us all up from are homes across the country he was just so busy to get seen too", Maggie adds.

"Maggie, Laura and I had to force him to go", May adds.

That made them feel even guiltier.

"Just so you know the only reason you weren't found went ALL down to Tony's skills", Reed adds, "Because you don't hide as well as you think you do"

"Then he sent B.A.R.F to help Barnes get rid of the triggers after making some modifications", Susan tells them.

"He is helping Bucky?" Steve asks surprised.

"Of course. If you had told him the truth in the beginning he would have processed it better and most of this could have been avoid", Skye pipes up.

Steve never felt more ashamed in his life. Not even with Bucky's situation did he feel this much guilt.

"He was also trying to find a way to bring you all home. Or help get Ross out of office. But he also knew that Ross would be gunning for him sooner rather then later", Maggie tells them.

"He worked on the War Machine Armour to get it ready for you Rhodes and fixing up ALL your equipment so when you needed it, it would be ready. Including your shield Rogers", May replies, "He made modifications to Peter's suit"

"He was going to take that away", Peter states confused.

"Pete he loves you and he was shared you were going to get hurt so he panic and it cost him one more of the most important people in his life", May replies with a sad look.

Peter looked at Tony with tears in his eyes. Mr Stark loved him? But he hardly even knew him!

"How did Stark get this way?" Fury asks still keeping an eye on Tony.

Laura closed her eyes and a tear fell.

"Laura?" Natasha asks.

"Sweetheart?" Clint asks softly.

"He…he promised the kids when we moved in a few things. Like to get their Daddies home or get them to their Daddies. He promised to read them stories at night and tuck them in if they asked and he NEVER missed a bedtime", Laura replies, "He would see to Nate when I just need time to myself to cry or anything else and he was there for every nightmare or bad dream or to hear their fears"

Clint's eyes widen. Tony helped and kept his family together and took them into his family. Did the things Clint never really were able to do with them.

"He let Cooper vent and helped him with his own Archery set. Tony joked the boy was a new Hawkeye in the making. Dubbing him Eagle Eye or Robin Hood", Laura adds, "He also helped the kids with their homework"

"He barely slept. He barely ate", Maggie adds, "He was over working himself to bring you home and to keep us ALL safe"

"And settle Halo in places that would most likely need us", Skye adds.

"And got most of us out of trouble and made it look like it wasn't us who did it", Daisy adds.

"So the things we thought you did and we couldn't find any evidence it was you. Was in fact you?" Melinda asks her.

"Yes and he made sure we were untraceable", Daisy replies.

"He was working on amending the Accords or if he could overturn them and your convictions", Douglass tells them.

"So how did he end up like this?" Fury asks again.

"Clint you owe him everything", Laura tells him with a tear falling.
"What happen?" they ask gently.

"He made a vow to protect the kids and us above even himself. And he paid for it in a huge and terrible price. But he…", Laura choked up.

Everyone had a very, very bad feeling about this.

"It was…it was three months after Siberia. Cooper and Lila had been begging to leave the Compound to visit the mall for the day. They begged and begged to Tony until he just caved. He loves them and couldn't stand to see they unhappy. Tony told me he would take them out for the day…for a day with their Uncle Tony…", Laura says choking up.

May puts a land on her shoulder in support.

"It was such a lovely day. Sun was shinning and everything. It was just supposed to be a trip out as the three of them. Laura had agreed to it and told the kids to do whatever Tony told them to do", Maggie tells them.

"Then…then about two hours in FRIDAY sent an alert to Tony. She had picked up strange energy signals indicating multiple bombs. He didn't have time and didn't even hesitant he…he pulled Coop and Lila to him and used his own unprotected body to shield them just as the bombs exploded...", Laura says tears falling.

Silence rang around the room and many looked at Tony and just realised just how good of man he was and what he had done to get those injuries.

"70 people were killed that day, countless others injured and many lives irrevocably changed. It would have been more if the Fantastic Four and Halo didn't rush to Tony's aid as they had got the emergency message from FRIDAY. And we all rushed to the scene to find them", Reed tells them.

"There were 5 bombs. How they were planted are a mystery and we don't know how they found out Tony was there. We and Tony believe he was targeted", Susan tells them.

"But how would they know?" Rhodey asks.

"We don't know. But many of us are STILL trying to find out", Sarah reports.

"Tony…Tony was just pulled alive after 8 hours still shielding Coop and Lila. Both had been trying to keep him awake. But they failed. They were rushed to the hospital. Cooper and Lila only had minor injuries thanks to Tony. Tony…Tony was more serious and nearly didn't make it through the first hour of surgery", Laura tells them.

Clint had tears falling. He owed Tony everything. Absolutely everything. Where could he start to make amends?

Others were thinking about how this could happen?

Could they have prevented it?
Why hadn't they heard about it?

"How come it wasn't on the news?" T'Challa asks.

"Pepper. She and a member of Halo made a cover story change the security images of Tony to someone else. Only his Doctors knew who he was and they signed NDA's about his identity", Skye replies.

"What were his injuries?" Bruce asks, "Obvious they are ongoing"

"He had a bad head injury, 7 broken ribs one piercing his lung, shattered left arm and leg, broken right leg, fractured pelvis, fracture in his skull, massive internal bleeding, and massive facial damage with burns. He also had a heart attack. His head injury showed a brain bleed and he had to be operated on for it and his brain swelled dangerously. His ear drums were shattered. He was in a coma for three very long months when nobody believed he would survive", Laura replies.

"The doctors believed if he ever woke up he wouldn't be the same and would be unable to be…well him again", May adds.

The Avengers and SHIELD Agents felt sick hearing all of that.

How on earth did Tony survive?

"What was the damage done to his brain?" Steve asks looking at Tony like he might die just then.

"When he woke up he had obvious brain damage. His memory was effected somewhat some things he couldn't recall sometimes and later come back to him. More when he slept like many memories disappearing after he slept. He has a stutter sometimes. He has seizures which he is on medication for. There is also numbness on his left side where most of the burns, fractures and nerve damage was done, from his heart attack. He is blinded in one eye and his other eye is far from perfect so he is now legally blind. And his hearing had been severely damaged, due to the burst eardrums", Laura reports.

"That's why this dog Delta is here. She is his seeing eye dog and his shades can at least make him see a bit more", Sarah replies patting the German Shepherd.
"And THIS is his specially made hearing aid so he CAN hear when it is in", Techno replies holding out the small device that Laura had that was now fixed.

Gerald takes it and gently puts it back in his ear.

"He should be able to hear now when he regains consciousness. But he warned he WILL be very confused as we said he has memory problems and brain damage. So this attack/event might course him to be a bit worse then normal", Gerald tells them.

They ALL felt bad for Tony.

How could he have survived?

How could he have gotten them here?

"So what happened today?" Coulson asks.

Author's Note: What do you think? Please Review:)