(A/N) Can I just say that I wasn't even planning on posting this fanfic I just decided I might as well even though I didn't xpect anything to come from it. But it has really taken a life of its own and I want to thank those of you who like it and reviewed it. P.S. I am a fanfic writer not a doctor so don't expect me to be accurate on medical stuff.

With every step up his body ached in protest. Tony had to admit that hammering the floor after getting thrown around by those things yesterday was probably not the smartest thing he had ever done. Every single bruise and cut he had gotten the previous day had been on fire ever since he lifted the hammer up and over his head.

After they had taken Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters and the leftover shuarma was put in the fridge Tony had made the slow descent to his workshop. Having Jarvis pull his suit off he finally got to see the extent of the damage he had gotten over fighting with the Chitauri. He was surprised to find that a piece of armor had broken off into and cut his abdomen most likely from when the meaner side of Bruce saved him from pancaking into the sidewalk. The wound itself was shallow enough to not have much attention from anyone more skilled than himself with a bottle of scotch and a needle.

He was all ready to head up and get the sleep he deserved but his mind kept wandering back to the wormhole. Seeing all of those things went against everything that he believed in. And when he.. and his eyes closed. Tony didn't want to close his eyes ever again.

Getting to the main floor Tony threw his game face on before opening the door to see a woman about thirty years old wearing faded jeans and a t-shirt. When she saw him her eyes widened. ". I didn't actually think that you would answer the door." She looked almost sorry.

"Well I did." He gave her his most charming smile while making a mental note to get the security systems running again. "Look usually I have Pepper to be the one to tell you but we're not currently taking visitors at the moment."

"Would you just shut up?" She said looking stressed. "Just stop talking."

"I try not to say this often but I'm really not understanding what's going on and I'm just going to close the door now." Tony started to close the door when she pulled out a gun and shot him once square in the chest knocking him off his balance but not enough to make him fall to the ground. Instead his hand clamped over the middle of his chest while the other kept its grip on the door to keep himself standing.

"I said stop talking." She cried holding the gun with a shaky hand. The barrel of the gun leveled to his head. "I'm so sorry. Please close your eyes."

Before she could click the trigger there was a sharp noise in the air and an arrow knocked the gun out of her hand. Tony felt arms grab him under the shoulders and pull him away from the women while Steve pinned her not so gently on the wall.

"Tony?" He heard a voice say. Everything was starting to blur as he felt someone try to pull his hand from his chest. "Tony I need to see the wound. I need you to move your hand."

I can't do that I need to stop the bleeding, that was the only thought that went through Tony's mind. It was in vain though when his hand was pulled away even as he tried to keep it in place. Who ever pulled it away kept their grip on his shaking hand, he couldn't place why it was shaking other considering he wasn't in any pain other than the way he heart was beating abnormally.

"Shit." Said a voice above him. Tony lifted his head up just enough so that he could see his chest. There was no blood pooling and dripping off the sides instead there was a small puff of steam floating up from the Arc Reactor that laid shattered in his chest.

Reality suddenly snapped back into focus for Tony and he was painfully aware of the scared eyes of the Avengers starring at the dead Reactor. He let out a small scream of fear at the sight of his steaming chest.

"Tony you're going to be fine." Bruce told him holding a finger to his neck checking the pulse that was erratic at best. "Just try to stay calm."

Screw calm. Tony pushed himself up from the floor against the firm yet gentle hands of his friends with surprising strength and started stumbling to his workshop. He didn't make it very far before collapsing again. Silently he cursed at himself for being so weak and at the pain in his chest that spread like disease.

"Come on Stark." Natasha said with shocking amounts of tenderness. "Tell me what you need."

"Workshop." Was all he strangled out while trying to pull himself to the elevator. He could careless about how pathetic it must have looked he just didn't want to die. Not again. Again he didn't get far because a order was given and a pair of strong arms were keeping him from moving. A distinctly british voice rang in overhead and one of the people around him ran off.

The world started to get faded again and Tony realized just how tired he was for the first time. He followed the part of his mind that told him he it was alright to close his eyes and sleep instead of the part that told him to do literally anything else. He was even only barely aware of something hard hitting his face. Part of him was surprised it didn't hurt since the force was enough to make his head loll but the other part just let sleep take him.