And, apparently, so did everyone else.

It wasn't long after Tony had flown them back to the beach house that the place swarmed with inquiring reporters and papparazzis, looking to get an interview with the house's new tennant, Dr. Banner. Thankfully, Tony still remembered the passcode to perform a house-wide lock-out, and upon relaying the order, JARVIS had promptly slammed shut over a hundred two-inch thick metal plates over the exterior to keep the pesky (and increasingly violent) persons out.

Bruce adjusted the icepack against his temple with a soft sigh. His head was still pounding from the ordeal he'd gone through, but it was lessening already. He opened an eye to glimpse at the ghost who was watching worriedly from the coffee table on which he was seated cross-legged. "Maybe we should let them in, they might know something about you, give us another lead…" he said.

Tony shook his head. "No go, big guy. You got pretty banged up out there and you need time to recover," he insisted. A second later a smirk warped his face. "Besides, they'll still be there. Trust me."

Bruce chuckled. He supposed Tony was right about that, but he was a little surprised by the other man's patience, considering Tony had been everything but patient before. "Well, we could at least search the news channels in the meantime. The sound of the TV isn't going to bother me."

"You sure?" Tony asked.

He nodded, appreciative of the concern. "Yeah." Dr. Banner reached forward and picked up the remote control sitting beside Tony. With a poke of the power switch, several projection screens flickered to life in front of them, each one flipping to a different channel. Just a little more elaborate than the 15" cathode ray tube he'd had back in Kolkata. It had gotten, what? Eight channels with bunny ears attached? Bruce flipped through until he'd found a promising looking news station that was currently airing footage from the downtown disaster. He turned up the volume.

"-in what was clearly an outer space attack." A woman narrated. "Fifteen minutes into the assault, Malibu's own Iron Man arrived on scene-"

Tony leaned forward in his seat, wide-eyed. A shaky camera zoomed in on the bilgesnipe stampaging in the street, only to jerk skyward. It took a moment to focus, and whatever civilian had taken the footage had trouble keeping it in the frame, but the red-and-gold armor shot through the air like a bullet, plume of cloudy smoke trailing out behind it. Beneath the video-feed, the ticker rolled by information on projected casualties and damage reports that were still incoming.

"That's us!" Tony grinned a mile wide, pointing to the screen as it flashed to another reel, this one of the suit deploying the round of charges that had led the creatures away from the city. He bounced on the tabletop, clapping his hands ecstatically. "Look at that! Oh man, we were awesome! I mean, I never doubted we were, but still."

Bruce couldn't help it that the smile was catching. He adjusted the glasses on his nose. "Yeah, we kind of were."

"Not kind of," Tony sought to correct, "We were most definitely awesome. And I'm not gonna stop sayin' it-"

Bruce shh'd him, waving his hand at the ghost to be quiet so they could listen in to what was now displaying on the television.

"-however, many are asking, who was it really who came to save the day? Sources indicate that Mr. Stark's Malibu dreamhome, where many of his famous 'Iron Man' suits were kept-"

Tony snapped his fingers. "Of course! Stark! How could I forget that?" he exclaimed, slapping his own forehead in a 'no duh!' fashion.

"-was recently purchased by one David Banner-"

Bruce felt his adam's apple bob roughly in his throat as a very old photo of him (from his days working on his Ph.D at Harvard) popped up. There went all of his cover.

"Oh ho, who's that handsome devil?" Tony jabbed- "I'd really like to meet him!" He really ought to be taking this more seriously.

"-attempts to get in contact with Dr. Banner have thus far been unsuccessful."

He heard some muffled pounding coming from the kitchen window that was currently plated. They were persistent alright. Bruce frowned and flipped the station. This one had a male reporter covering the story.

"-but many are saying it is impossible that this could have been our hero. After suffering an unexpected crash landing three months ago, Tony Stark, aged 43, was admitted into St. Matthew's Hospital-"

Both of their eyes widened then, gaping at the screen. A heavily bandaged Tony was being wheeled out of an ambulance, doctors and nurses running about as reporters swarmed, flashing photos and extending boom mics.

The ghost put a hand to his head. "Oh, God, Bruce… I remember it…" He shook his head from side to side, a slightly horrified look on his features as he grasped at the memory. "I… I didn't run a diagnostic before take-off… I was on my way home, or… or somewhere…" He shut his eyes tightly and he cupped a hand over the center of his chest.

Bruce reached out to put a consoling hand on his shoulder, the gesture phasing through his form only somewhat.

Tony shook his head roughly. "I'm fine." He looked back up to the television. "Shit. Turn it off."

Dr. Banner did as requested the lifted the remote to flick it off.

"-Mr. Stark has been in critical condition-"

Both of them were silent a long moment. This was troubling news as much as it was good news.

"Well, we know who I am and we know where I am," Tony said with summoned bravado.

Bruce nodded and stood. "We should go to the hospital."

Tony jumped up as if to restrain him- not that he could. "Whoa, you sure? I don't want you to over-burden yourself on my account-"

The physicist chuckled. "I'm fine. I'm feeling a lot better actually." He walked over and tossed the icepack into the sink. Tony's eyebrows both raised, noticing the large bruise that had been formerly purpling the other man's forehead had vanished, as if he had never suffered the blow at all. "The gamma radiation in my blood that turns me into the Hulk also accelerates the regenerative process," Dr. Banner explained. "So my injuries don't last long. And I can't get sick either."

The ghost mouthed a 'Wow.' "That is bad-ass," he grinned. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So then, shall we go?"

"Yeah," Bruce paused, dragging his tongue along the inside of his lip, "though I don't know how exactly we're going to get out."

Tony hooked his thumb with a smirk. "I've got at least one exit those vultures don't know about."

They made it out to the hospital just a few minutes later. From the moment they stepped through the automatic doors, Tony's eyes were flitting all around as he turned about in little circles, taking the place and the people inside it in. "I think I remember coming here for an arm I broke once…" he wondered aloud, touching his elbow as if the limb were in a sling. "They have a nice staff anyway. Very attentive. Easy on the eyes…" The apparitional playboy made a wolf-whistle at one of the bustier passing nurses.

Dr. Banner rolled his eyes with an amused chuckle and approached the front desk. "Hi, yeah, I was wondering if Anthony Stark was still undergoing care here?"

The secretary gave him a loathing stare. "Are you another reporter?"

"No, no," Bruce assured, waving his hands out in front of him. "I'm just… I'm just a friend," he explained. The ghost beside him smiled softly upon delivery of the words. Dr. Banner adjusted his glasses. "I was wondering if I could have a visitation?"

The woman scrutinzed him a moment more, as if detemining he was telling the truth. "Hold on a moment, let me talk to someone," she replied. She picked up the phone beside her and depressed one of the buttons. Bruce took to wringing his hands, while Tony anxiously nibbed his lower lip and bounced on his heels beside him. Finally the secretary put down the phone. "I'm going to have to ask you to go to the third-floor nurses' station."

"Oh, alright," the physicist agreed, a little surprised but he wouldn't question it. He and spirit moved for the elevator.

When they got there, Tony drew in a gasp. "Oh my God! Rhodey!"

"Someone you recognize?" Bruce leaned in to inquire quietly.

Tony nodded exuberantly. "Yeah! He's a colonel in the Marines. He and I go way back; Stark Industries has been supplying the U.S. forces since forever. Kinda surprised he's here though…"

The aforementioned man was striding towards him; Bruce straightened up as he approached. "Dr. Banner?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Bruce confirmed, extending a hand.

The colonel took it firmly. "James Rhodes, serviceman for the United States Marines."

"Nice to meet you," Bruce was sure to nod as he took his hand away.

"You were inquiring about Tony Stark?" His brown eyes were hard, but slightly glossy.

Dr. Banner briefly exchanged glances with the ghost beside him. "Yeah, that's right."

"A lot of people have been," Rhodes said sternly; Bruce had to conclude that the reason the decorated armyman was here was to keep the rabble from reaching the world famous innovator and scientist and stirring up a lot of unnecessary dust. "Before you can be allowed to proceed, I need to know your relationship with him."

Tony snapped his fingers quickly. "Tell him you're my lab partner. He won't be able to let you through unless he knows we're involved professionally."

Bruce straightened his spectacles. "We worked together on projects."

Rhodey's forehead crinkled, though not in an aggressive manner. "What do you mean?"

"You know," Bruce motioned awkwardly, "associates. Colleages-"

"I know what you mean," Rhodes interrupted. He let out a difficult sigh. "I just… I have a hard time believing that."

"Why?" Bruce and Tony simultaneously inquired, though of the two of them, of course Rhodey could only hear Bruce.

The serviceman stood looking somewhat forlorn. "Tony's whole life was his work. I don't know of a single person he ever trusted to work with him."

All three men stood silent a long moment, the sentiment sinking in. Bruce glanced over at Tony who was looking somewhat vulnerable, his arms hugged about his middle and avoiding eye-contact. Tony rubbed his goatee and didn't say a word. Had the other scientist always worked alone? Bruce wondered. What had kept him from finding someone to work with? Surely he could have gotten just about anyone. From what Bruce had seen these past couple weeks, Tony was eager for companionship and someone who understood him on an intellectual level. There were questions buzzing through his head, but Bruce kept them to himself for the moment, offering an explanation to the colonel. "It was a fairly recent contract. We'd just been getting started."

"Why didn't you come sooner?"

"I… I was away for awhile on a business trip," Bruce reached up to rub the back of his neck.

Rhodes nodded and turned about-face. "Alright. Well he's this way." The two of them followed him down the hall.

The colonel excused himself for Dr. Banner's privacy once they arrived at the room where Tony was being kept under intensive care. Bruce reached for the door handle, pausing with his hand on it to exchange glances with the ghost beside him, making sure he was ready for what they might encounter on the other side. Tony gave a firm nod, and with held breath, they stepped inside.

It was definitely one of the nicer rooms the hospital had to offer to patients. It was clean and well-maintained. Natural light flooded in from the two large panel windows, the blinds drawn up to let sunlight in rather than depending only upon the fluorescents overhead. Spacious, with ample furnishings- a couple of armchairs for visitors to sit comfortably, a large flatscreen television mounted on the wall, and a large table which had been covered in countless gifts from grieving admirers… flowers, candies, balloons, well-wishing cards. And lying in the hospital bed was the spitting image of the phantom standing beside him… Tony Stark. His eyes were shut, mouth closed, arms rested to either side of his body in peaceful, undisturbed slumber.

"It's you…" Bruce breathed out almost disbelievingly. He walked forward, stopping at the edge of the bed. He stared a moment longer at his friend's physical embodiment before glancing at the respirator and instruments to which he was hooked up, watching the line of his pulse go by on the monitor in short upward spikes. "You're alive… just like Coulson said. But…" he faltered.

"But what?" Tony asked worriedly, going around to the other side. He gripped the bed rails in his phantom fingers anxiously.

The physicist shook his head- he didn't know how to tell his friend this. "You're alive but… you're in a coma, Tony."

"Well… so?" the ghost shrugged, "That's way better than dead, right? I mean, we can just wake me up."

Bruce wet his lips, wringing his hands. "The news station said you were admitted three months ago. If you're still here after all this time… that's a persistent coma."

Tony blinked. He looked down at himself. "But… everything's healing up from the accident…" he spoke like he didn't want to believe it, "I don't see any scars… Can't we do something…?" There was a pleading tone in his voice.

Bruce reached up to rub the back of his head. "We can try," he said, trying not to lose hope despite what the logic of his mind was telling him. Science couldn't explain the presence of the ghost in front of him, so maybe, by some kind of miracle, the man could be woken from his coma as well. Dr. Banner pursed his lips. "Maybe we just need to reunite your spirit and corporeal forms…" he wondered aloud, meshing his fingers in gesture.

Tony snapped his fingers. "Great! Fantastic idea!" he proclaimed to the suggestion. He propped his tongue in the corner of his mouth and hopped into the bed. He laid down in the same configuration as his physical form, wriggling himself into it as if to get comfy.

The heart rate monitor beside him began to speed up; Bruce's eyebrows lifted and eyes widened. "Tony, I think it's working!" he relayed excitedly.

"Really?" the ghost sat up in sudden elation, only to find that he was sitting in his prone clone. "Damnit," he groused, throwing himself onto his back once more to try again.

"Really focus," the physicist urged, "like you did on me when you made me move those two times. Grab on and don't let go."

"I'm tryyying!" Tony whined through grit teeth, clenching his eyes shut and trying to recreate the sensation he'd felt controlling the other scientist. He sat up again a few seconds later in a huff. "It's not working. It's like… it's like I'm no longer connected to this body," Tony tried to explain with exasperation. His eyes widened suddenly, mouth falling open when he spied a glance over at the gifts on the windowsill. "Bruce!" The apparation leapt to his feet and the other man's eyebrow tweaked in confusion. "Bruce, this is it! This is my arc reactor! That I was telling you about?" he pointed to a glass box on the sill. "Er… or accusing you of stealing, rather." He gave a sheepish cough.

Dr. Banner came over to get a closer look. Inside the trophy box was an apparatus very similar to the unit he'd seen embedded in chestplate of the Mach VI suit he'd been flying around in just a couple hours prior. Cylindrical, metal. Electromagnetic coils were wound around the inside to create a path for the nuclear energy to travel in a circle. The device was fixed to a small pedestal which had been engraved with wording. "What does…?" he began to question.

"Kind of a long story," Tony answered. "But it goes in the cavity in my chest… here, see…" He pulled up his band tee and exposed his torso unabashedly for the other man to take a look.

Understanding began to light up behind the doctor's eyes. "Wait, but if…" He strode back over to the Tony on the bed, pulling away his nightgown to look underneath; the engineer peered over his shoulder. The socket was empty just like the ghost's, devoid of the reactor- in its place was an electrical wiring hook-up which led to a car battery sitting on one of the rolling equipment tables.

"Well no wonder I'm not waking up," the spirit scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I mean, hello, no duh!" He tilted his head momentarily. "I guess the one I had in me at the time of the crash must've gotten irrepairably damaged…" he looked back at the trophy, "that one, well, it's version 1.0. I built that thing in a cave while I was being held hostage."

Bruce frowned and went to grab the trophy on the sill. "You think we just need to… re-install this?" he asked uncertainly.

The ghost bobbed his head. "Well it couldn't hurt. Sure better than running on a twelve volt clunker." He kicked his phantom foot through the large battery.

Nipping at the inside of his lip, Dr. Banner first removed the glass casing surrounding the reactor, setting it aside. He curled and uncurled his fingers once before taking ahold of the device, plucking it out, being very careful with each and every one of his movements. He went over to the comatose man and removed the wires currently powering his friend's body loose and inserted the cylinder into the casing. A ninety-degree twist was all it took to click it into place- it lit up vibrant blue for just a few fleeting instants before giving a spluttering flicker and going dead again. He frowned.

Beside him the ghost gave a little gasping breath, clutching his front. His mouth twisted and he curled his hand into a fist, striking it against his chest as he coughed.

"You felt that…?" Bruce questioned.

"Y-yeah…" Tony nodded with a stammer. "B-but the reactor… it's not… functional any more. It's all used up."

The physicist was nodding but his brain was elsewhere. If he could make a new one, or modify the one in the suit, maybe it would be enough to jolt his friend's body back to consciousness… "It has told us one thing though," he determined. "You're still connected to your body. We can still figure this ou-" He was interrupted by the door opening again, and he hurriedly turned round to block the view of the bed from the threshold.

"Dr. Banner?" Rhodey spoke, "I'm sorry, but I have an appointment and I can't leave you here unattended."

"I, um… can I have a couple more minutes, if it's not too much trouble?" Bruce requested. He motioned lamely with his arm. "I'm saying goodbye."

The colonel looked at the floor supplicatory. "Yeah, of course." He shut the door again. Bruce turned back to remove the inoperative reactor.

"Ugh… poor guy looks miserable…" Tony mumbled remorsefully as he watched the physicist re-wire the chest cavity on his physical duplicate. He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and sighed, looking back at the table of gifts. "Seems like I've worried a lot of people… and all because I was being stupid and reckless. Like usual."

Dr. Banner placed the reactor back on its pedestal and put the glass back over it. He wet his lips. "This really is absolutely incredible technology…" he murmured aloud, hoping to get his friend's mind off things. He turned the reactor about in its case to view it from all angles, still admiring its many intricacies. It was just so… tiny for a nuclear reactor. It was almost unthinkable that it really worked.

The ghost chuckled, mouth twisting into a little smile. "Pep must have brought it over. It's funny, I told her just to scrap it, but instead she had this done to it so I could keep it as a momento."

Bruce didn't know who 'Pep' was, but he hummed as he drug his thumb across the enscription 'Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart'. "She must have seen something special inside you." He glanced up to catch eyes with his phantom friend.

"Eh, I've never really been the sentimental type; it's just been collecting dust," the ghost scuffed the soles of his shoes on the linoleum self-consciously- the words seemed a bold-faced lie even as he continued to try to hide them. "It did save my life once before though." He rubbed the back of his neck, brown eyes verging on tears. "Too bad it couldn't again…"

The physicist swallowed, even more determined to attempt recreating a new model for the ghost of a man beside him. "We should probably get back to the lab," he advised, not wanting the colonel to have to ask him to leave more than once.

Tony shook his head harshly, as if coming out of deep thought. "Oh. Oh right, yeah. The lab…" He blinked again. "I dunno, maybe you should go on without me. I mean, I'll wanna be here in case…" he seemed to search a moment for a suitable excuse, "in case I wake up, or something."

The choice startled the other man. "Are you sure you don't want to come back with me? It's your lab…" Bruce emphasized. He couldn't hardly conceptualize Tony not following along on his heels everywhere.

Tony's expression metamorphisized into a charming, reassuring smile. "Nah. You go on. You've got lots of your own research to catch up on. Thanks for helping me out, big guy. It was fun." He extended his hand for a handshake.

Uncertainly Bruce stepped forward and reached to take his friend's hand in his own, despite the impossibility. For a fleeting instant it almost felt like their hands stuck… like the grasp had been real… Tony retracted his hand and turned on his heel to hide the confliction splayed across his face, giving a quick sniff through his nostrils. Bruce opened his mouth.

Rhodes entered the room once more. "Dr. Banner, I have to escort you out now."

The nuclear physicist sighed. "Goodbye, Tony," he spoke to the apparation. He grabbed the trophy off the gift table.

Tony turned back around as he heard the door shut. He shut his eyes. "Bye, Bruce…" he whispered.