Chapter 4: Gamma

First of all I want to apologize that I took so long to update but I had a major writer's block.

But I think that's over for now - or at least I hope so.

Note: I will skip the 11th episode, so this will take place after the "Panther's Quest".


When the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents said they needed the Avengers help Tony and the others were a bit sceptical of what they needed help with. When S.H.I.E.L.D. asks for help it's never a good thing and that for sure.

And oh how Tony wished he had been wrong! A gamma dome with gamma radiated man/monsters inside... just their luck and they had to go inside to clean S.H.I.E.L.D.s mess, just what Tony always wanted to do. He could scratch that from his 'things that I always wanted to do that had to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. list – or more exactly: not!'.

Once inside it went as already predicted like a total disaster. They lost Wasp to the gamma radiation and were beaten badly. If it hadn't been for the Panther, Thor and Dr. Sampson then they wouldn't have made it.

But compared to the 'second wave' as Tony called that situation at the dome was as easy as pie.

When the second wave hit they were totally unprepared and Tony's heart fell like it would burst. The splinters near his heart felt as if they could penetrate his heart any moment while he transformed into a giant stupid... well you could call it a beast and the cables of his arc reactor and armor spread through his whole body while growing in sync with it.

To be honest Tony didn't remember much after that only that he attacked Thor and helped the Leader of all people! He was really grateful that Thor together with the Hulk and Hawkeye achieved it to foil the Leaders plans. He really didn't not want become ever that stupid again and have no control over his body!

When they all were again gamma free - and the Hulk had rejoined the team while he got Hawkeye to join too – they finally went home.

They used one of S.H.I.E.L.D.s planes and T'Challa was flying while Tony played co-pilot. During the flight Tony grew paler by the second and on his forehead formed sweat.

"Are you alright, Stark?"

"Huh?" Tony snapped out of his staring at some point at the window and looked at T'Challa who gave him a concerned look from the corner of his eye. Tony gave him a smile that should support the words he was going to say next: "Yes, of course!"

The king of Wakanda didn't look convinced but still he let the topic fall and Tony was really grateful for that. It took all his strength not to lose consciousness and he still would have to get to his workshop - where J.A.R.V.I.S. could take a complete body scan – without giving a clue to the others that something wasn't alright with him. And with the stare he felt at the back of his head he had already failed the not-giving-anything-away-agenda thanks to T'Challa. If looks could burn through things then Tony's head would have two big holes in it already and he was sure the one giving him that look was none other than Steve Rogers aka Captain America himself! Oh joy! Tony groaned inwardly. Steve could be the worst mother hen if he wanted to be!

While Tony's thoughts wandered how he could keep Steve of his back, T'Challa was already landing the plane at the Avengers Mansion.

As soon as the door of the plane had opened the Hulk together with Hawkeye left said plane to hunt the mansion and the others followed at a slower pace. Tony said in the seat a moment longer before he too left the plane.

His steps were slow and if you looked closely you could also see that they were a bit unsteady. If it wasn't for the armor Tony would have already collapsed on the floor. At times like these he loved his creation even more than he already did even if it could also come closely to kill him if his arc reactor had not enough energy left... but that wasn't something Tony wanted to think about right now! His only goal at the moment was to reach his workshop without being seen by Steve or one of the others.


It seemed like a miracle to Tony that he didn't run into someone of his teammates on the way and when he stepped into his seemingly 'holy chamber' - as Thor had once called it when Tony had told the god of thunder what that room was to Tony – he was greeted by J.A.R.V.I.S. voice. "Good day sir."

Tony was too exhausted to great the AI back and preferred to slump down on an operating table that he had in a corner of his workshop. The AI got the hint and directed the robot dummy to help Tony shed his armor while J.A.R.V.I.S. took scans of Tony's body.

When the AI spoke his voice was laced with concern: "Sir, it seems that I have to inform you that the splinters travelled further near your heart when you were exposed to the gamma radiation!"

That was exactly what Tony thought that had happened; he only felt that much like shit when the splinters travelled further.

"C-Can..." Tony's voice cracked a bit and he tried to form the sentence again with short breaks. "Can you... give me something to... lessen the... pain?"

J.A.R.V.I.S. seemed shocked for a moment since Tony never asked for pain medication! The AI had given up hope long ago to convince Tony to take some if he sustained really bad injuries, so Tony must either feel like death himself to ask for it or he was already so much out of it that he didn't really realise what request he just made. And from the face that Tony made it seemed to be a combination of both. So J.A.R.V.I.S. gave dummy instruction to give Tony the requested medication and sealed of the door so that no one would disturb Tony while he would rest...