Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, Iron Man, or the Hulk. I am only borrowing them.

Takes place during season 2 of Buffy. For Marvel it takes before The Avengers.

WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH!

Iron Man aka Tony Stark landed just outside Sunnydale General Hospital and quickly made his way into the hospital suit and all. He was getting strange looks from the staff and looks of admirations from the public. Usually he would have loved the attention he was receiving from the gawking people, but right now he is only focused on getting to the one person he was there to see. Reaching the elevators, he hit the button to call for it. It doesn't take long to reach him and when the door opens, he is glad to see that it is empty. Stepping in he turns and pushes the button for the correct floor. The doors close and it was only a matter of seconds before the doors open to the floor he wanted. He exited the elevator and began to look for the one he was there for.

Buffy had just finished her call in the hallway and had returned to the Critical Care waiting room. She once again took her seat between Giles and Willow. Oz sat on Willow's other side. Xander and Cordelia sat on the couch together. She was grateful that her friends were there to support her as she waited for news on her mother's condition. It had terrified Buffy seeing her mother unresponsive on the floor of the kitchen. She had been so afraid her mother was dead when she hadn't responded to Buffy incessantly calling her name. Once Buffy took a minute to let the panic settle, she called 911 and then called Giles. Giles had been at the school library along with Willow and Oz. Willow had been the one to call Xander and they all met Buffy at the hospital. The sound of clanking footsteps caused everyone to look up in wonder except Buffy who was now wearing a huge smile. The door to the waiting room opened to admit Iron Man. Buffy jumped up and ran over to him. As Buffy got closer, she saw the faceplate lift to see the concerned face of the man inside. Tony Stark opened his arms and caught Buffy as she threw herself at him. The two hugged totally oblivious to the gaping looks of her friends.

"How are you doing? Have you heard anything about your mother?" Tony asked her.

"Better now that you're here, and they haven't told me anything since I called. Which was like five minutes ago? I know you said you'd be here soon, but I didn't think you meant this soon. Did you break the sound barrier to get here?" Buffy teased.

"No, I was already on my way here from Malibu when you called. Jarvis alerted me when you made the 911 called. I suited up and flew out immediately." Tony told her. "Does Bruce know about Joyce?"

"I called him but didn't get an answer. I left a message for him to call you or me back as soon as he got the message."

"I'll have Jarvis keep trying and I'll have the jet waiting for him at the nearest airport."

"I'm glad you're here."

"So am I." Tony told her as they hugged each other tightly again.

With their arms around each other, Buffy and Tony finally took notice of her friends' faces. Both Buffy and Tony chuckled.

"B-Buffy do you know who that is?" Xander asked opening and closing his mouth like a fish as he stutters to get out his question.

"Of course, she knows who I am. I hope she wouldn't hug a random stranger like this." Tony said with a smile as he looked at Buffy.

"No, I wouldn't hug a random stranger like that." Buffy said to Tony. "And you're not exactly a random stranger. I mean your face is everywhere. How did you even get up here like that without attracting all your groupies? Your suit isn't exactly low profile."

"I think most of them were too shocked at seeing me to follow, and keeping a low profile was the last thing on my mind. I was more worried about you and Joyce."

"I know you were. Can you get out of that or do you have to have your machine to take it off?" Buffy asked.

"I can take it off. This is my suitcase armor." Tony told her.

He gave the command and they all watched in awe as the armor began retracting off Tony and became a suitcase sitting at his feet.

"Awesome! Is that the one you used in Monaco?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, but a different model. This is 3.0." Tony told her. He and Buffy finally turned back to her friend to see them gaping even more if that was possible.

"So, guys meet Iron Man A.K.A Tony Stark my brother."

"Your brother?" Cordelia asked. "Your brother is Tony Stark? Do you realize how rich he is?"

"Yes, she realizes how rich we are. After all she is a Stark and she inherited money and the company just like I did." Tony said with a bit of an eye roll.

Before any of the Scoobies could say anything else, a doctor came out carrying a clipboard. The male doctor looked to be in his fifties with brown hair that was just starting to gray. He looked up at the group barely glancing at Tony Stark.

"Who is here for Joyce Summers?"

"I am. I'm her daughter. How is my mother?"

"Your mother is currently suffering from seizures. Has your mother ever suffered from seizures before?"

"No not that I know of." Buffy told the doctor.

"I've got her scheduled for test that will take several hours. I should have the results in the morning."

"Can I see her?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, but only for a few minutes." Buffy followed the doctor to her mother's room.

Buffy returned to the waiting room thirty minutes later feeling tired as the evening's events were taking their toll on her. The Scoobies are still sitting where they were when she left. Tony however was not but Buffy knew he wouldn't be far.

"He stepped out into the hall to take a call." Giles spoke up when he noticed Buffy looking around. "How's your mother?"

"She's nervous about what the test are going to reveal. She was resting when I left. Let me go wrangle Tony and then I'll escort everyone home."

Buffy walked out into the hall just outside the waiting room to see her brother still on the phone talking. His back is to her and he doesn't see her until she taps him on the shoulder. When Tony turns around and sees it's Buffy's he smiles.

"She just came out." Tony speaks into the phone. "It's Bruce."

Tony tells her handing her the phone. She was glad that her Uncle had finally called back. Her mother had wanted to speak to her brother.

"Hey Uncle Bruce…yeah mom's going for testing soon…she wants to talk to you. I'll take the phone to her so you can talk to her."

Buffy motioned for Tony to follow her and the two walked back to Joyce's room. When Buffy and Tony entered Joyce opened her eyes and smiled.

"I thought you were walking the others to their home and then going home."

"I am but Uncle Bruce is on the phone and I thought you might want to talk to him."

At that Joyce's eyes lit up. It had been so long since she had talked to or seen her brother and she missed him dearly. Joyce talked to her brother for about ten minutes before hanging up.

"Thank you. I'm glad I got to talk to him. He said as soon as the plane arrives, he'll be here as soon as possible. Hello Tony."

"Hello Joyce." Tony came up and greeted with a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm so glad you are here, and Buffy doesn't have to be alone tonight. Take care of her."

"You know I will."

Buffy and Tony both said goodnight to Joyce and promised they would be back in the morning. They walked back to the waiting room where Tony picked up the armor suitcase that he had left in Giles care, and then they all left the hospital.

The next morning both Tony and Buffy were up early. Buffy was impressed because she knew her brother didn't do mornings, but he was up and dressed and probably on his second cup of coffee already.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Buffy asked Tony.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I managed four whole hours. Get some breakfast and then we'll go see Joyce."

"I'll eat some cereal and then we can go. I need you to call me in absence at school, so they don't think I'm skipping."

"I can do that." Tony told her.

While Buffy ate her cereal, Tony had Jarvis call the school. Tony gave his name as Anthony Edward and told them Buffy wouldn't be at school today due to her mother being in the hospital. Once Buffy had finished eating, she and Tony were getting ready to leave when one of Tony's cars pulled up. Happy Hogan, Tony's driver, and friend got out from behind the wheel and her Uncle got out from the passenger side.

"Uncle Bruce!" Buffy ran over to her mother's brother and hugged him. "We didn't expect you until tonight."

"I've been commuting since I hung up from you. I wanted to get here as soon as possible. Have you've heard anything else about Joyce?"

"Not since last night. We were just on our way to see her now." Buffy told him.

"Let me put my bag in the house and then we can go."

While Bruce headed for the house Buffy went to greet Happy. Happy hugged her and the two talked as they waited for Bruce and Tony. Bruce came out of the house making sure the door was shut and secure. He and Tony made their way to the car. Buffy got in first scooting toward the middle while Tony got in the back on the driver's side. Bruce got in the back on the passenger side while Happy once again drove.

Buffy, Tony, and Bruce entered the hospital. Since it was still early the halls were mostly empty, so they were able to make their way to Joyce's room quickly. When they stepped off the elevator, they could hear the alarm sounding somewhere on the floor and could see doctors and nurses rushing toward where the alarm was coming from. Buffy and Tony quickly realized the doctors and nurses were headed for Joyce's room. Buffy, Tony, and Bruce hurried down the hall. They reached Joyce's room to see two doctors and two nurses working on Buffy's mother. The monitor in her mother's room beeped a loud solid beep telling everyone that Joyce's heart had stopped. Tony, Buffy, and Bruce watched as the hospital staff worked on resuscitating Joyce. Tony and Bruce held onto Buffy offering comfort while also taking comfort. They watched with bated breaths hoping that Joyce's heart will start beating again soon. After the third time they shocked her mother Buffy began to cry. Bruce gathered Buffy into his arms and hugged her tight as she cried into his chest. Tony put his arms around both of them. The doctor shocked Joyce several more times. Each time waiting to see if she would respond. When Joyce's heart didn't start, the doctor called time of death at 7:32 a.m. Tony looked at Bruce and was glad to see that though he was upset there was no green coming through. Buffy's presence always kept Bruce and the Hulk calm. Once the doctors and nurses cleared out Buffy and Bruce went into Joyce's room while Tony went to find the doctor to find out what happened. The doctor had told Tony that Joyce's test had revealed a brain tumor and that she had been scheduled for surgery at ten. The doctor told Tony that without an autopsy he couldn't be sure what killed Joyce, but he believed that more than likely in was an aneurysm. Tony returned to the hall outside of Joyce's room and made a call. He called Pepper and told her what happened. While talking to Pepper a teary and heartbroken Buffy and Bruce came out of the room. The next few weeks were going to be tough on Buffy and Bruce, and Tony was going to be there for both.