PART ELEVEN
Reunite

Tony woke with a jolt. Someone's hand was on his neck, feeling for his pulse.

"What-" he started, eyes open wide and looking around him. He was back in his bed, and Bruce was checking his heart rate. "I'm alive…" he breathed, blinking a few times.

Bruce nodded and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You're fine. I know this doesn't mean much coming from me, but I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Tony shut his eyes and just breathed in an out for a few moments. "…Do I want to know what happened?"

Bruce winced. "No."

Tony's heart sank. "But, I… um."

"I should tell you," Bruce said, though Tony saw it troubled him to be the bearer of bad news. He wondered what could be so awful, to make a brainwashed Bruce Banner look so genuinely sad.

Tony felt sympathetic, despite his best efforts. Maybe the drug had messed with his emotions. He should be looking out for number one alone, right now, but no matter how he tried he couldn't stop caring about Bruce. Even after all this, he considered Bruce a friend. He wished things could've been different, and he liked to think that even though Bruce was changed, he felt that way, too.

"Tell me."

Bruce showed him the respect of looking him in the eyes as he spoke. "Loki removed the device in your chest."

Tony froze. Adrenaline spiked through him and he felt his breath catch. He was surprised that he found words a few seconds later. "The arc reactor? …But I'd be dead. I told you, there's shrapnel near my heart and the reactor was the only thing stopping it from killing me."

Bruce's glowing blue gaze flashed with realization and fear, then evened out to a look of understanding. "Loki also took out the shrapnel. I was there, I saw everything."

Tony sat up suddenly, realizing he wasn't strapped down as usual, and found himself feeling stronger and lighter. How was it possible? He put a hand to his heart, grasping through his shirt. Then he whipped the shirt off, startling Bruce, and stood up and ran to his bedroom's full-body mirror.

Bruce stood up slowly and watched him, looking pained. He searched for the right words to say as Tony Stark touched rough engineer's fingers to his new hairless, unblemished chest, pushing lightly at his sternum—the sternum that shouldn't exist, by any means. But it was real, and his chest felt just like it did years ago, before the arc reactor was embedded in him.

When he didn't turn around or say anything after a minute, Bruce became more worried. "Tony…"

"…Sh..shut up," came the soft command. Tony's voice was broken, catching in his throat. The man stood still for long moments, then leaned against the mirror, his head down. Bruce saw his shoulders trembling.

"Tony, I…"

"Shut the fuck up, and get out of my room."

"Please, I wa-"

"I said get out."

Tony never raised his voice. Bruce waited a few more seconds before leaving.

The Avengers were assembled in Tony Stark's living room, having a light meal and some drinks as the sun set across the remains of New York City.

Even before the war, Stark Tower was kept well-stocked with food and supplies. And, thanks to Loki's pre-planned sources, they didn't have to worry about replenishing the store rooms for a while.

"How is he?" Steve asked as Bruce stepped out of the elevator on the main floor.

Bruce just shook his head and went to sit down. Natasha walked over from where Clint was mixing cocktails at Tony's bar, and offered Bruce a vodka and tonic. Bruce waved it away.

"You look green. I mean, you look ill," Steve said with a frown. "Did it go that badly?"

"Yeah, it did," Bruce said simply, sitting down and running a hand through his hair. "I should go back and check on him soon, in case…"

"In case he tries to hurt himself," Natasha finished bluntly.

Steve's frown deepened.

"Come on, he wouldn't do that," Clint reassured as he joined them on the couches in front of the fireplace. "But I agree that he shouldn't be alone right now."

Steve nodded. "I know this sounds kind of rotten, but wouldn't it be better if Loki just changed him now?"

"It would put him out of his misery," Natasha said.

"Thanks for your input," Bruce told her with a half-hearted glare. She just shrugged.

"I could go get him," Steve offered.

"No, maybe… let's not. We've invaded his privacy so much this past week, he might need to be alone. There's nothing around there for him to harm himself with. But I'm not the best judge of these situations."

Clint glanced at Natasha. "Well, we'll see," Clint said, getting a little uncomfortable with the emotional talk. "Stark has free range of the Tower now… except his workshops. Maybe he'll get bored enough to join us on his own."

"Oh, I doubt that," Loki said as he exited the elevator. Bruce tried not to be startled by how Loki could apparently hear them talking from several floors away.

The Avengers stood and bowed as their master approached.

"No need to stand on ceremony," Loki said, motioning for them to sit back down.

Bruce stayed standing. "Should I retrieve him, my lord?"

"No," Loki said, looking thoughtful. "I will see to him later."

Bruce nodded and sat down again.

"May I join you?" Loki asked, then made himself a plate of food and sat down amongst them. He was in casual robes that were almost like normal clothes, and his scepter was absent. The group was silent at first. Watching Loki eat was a strange experience. Apparently gods needed regular food, too, but Loki usually took meals at odd times in his room or out on the balcony. They'd never seen him acting this human, and he'd never shown interest in spending any time with them, even though the Avengers had been enjoying snacks and dinners together for the past few days as the war quietly drew to a close.

Loki appeared to be comfortable, though, and luckily Clint broke the awkward silence.

"Do you have another mission for us, my lord?"

"Not yet, although I may summon you soon. The planet is nearly taken, and the Chitauri will be regrouping outside of the city for the next two days. I do not foresee any disruptions, but this is a delicate time when we must all be on guard."

"Yes, my lord. We'll be ready." Clint and Natasha nodded, then smiled at each other.

"Captain," Loki turned to Steve, "What would you say to accompanying Thor and myself on a small excursion to investigate the Tower's power source tonight?"

"Yes, my lord, but isn't it underwater?"

"It is, but do not worry on that. I am a skilled sorcerer, as you have no doubt observed. Displacing some water will not prove challenging."

Steve looked hesitant as he imagined Loki parting the murky waters of New York Harbor, so Steve could stand on the grimy sea floor and poke at some confusing gizmo that Stark made. "I'm really not that good with technology, my lord," Steve admitted.

Loki saw his uncertainty and chuckled. "Fear not. I shall do the errand while you stand guard with Thor."

Steve visibly relaxed.

"And for me, my lord?" Bruce asked.

Loki turned to him, surprised. "So eager for an assignment, doctor?"

Bruce shrugged. "I'd like to be of use, my lord."

"Very well. Guard the tower, as you have been doing. You may see to Stark at your leisure. I do not plan to have him join us quite yet, but I may prefer your assistance with that decision. Report his progress to me occasionally, and make certain he wears his new robes."

"Yes, my lord."

Bruce left right away. He was hungry and a little tired from the past night's events, but food and rest could wait. Maybe Tony would eat something with him later.

He took the elevator to the fifth floor of the penthouse, and walked to Tony's bedroom.

"Tony, it's me," he said, knocking on the door a few times. When there was no answer, he waited several seconds then knocked again. "Can I please come in?"

Silence.

Bruce waited ten more seconds, then, "I'm coming in."

Tony wasn't in his room, and Bruce also checked the bathroom. It was dark and empty.

On a hunch, Bruce took the elevator to the bottom floor of the penthouse, where there were hallways and stairs leading to Tony Stark's various workshops. But Loki had locked and barred all of them, so Tony couldn't have gone far.

Sure enough, Bruce exited the elevator and only had to walk a short distance down the hall before he ran into Tony. The man was lying on the floor outside the locked door to his main shop, curled into a ball and seemingly asleep.

Bruce knelt down next to him. "Tony-"

In a flash, Tony Stark sprang up and tackled Bruce to the floor, pinning his body and bringing a large piece of broken glass up against his neck.

"What do you want from me now? What else are you planning to take from me!?"

Tony was hysterical, and Bruce knew that if that piece of glass started to cut into him, it'd be very hard to keep the Other Guy calm.

"T..Tony, please, be careful-"

"No! I want to see it. Come on," Tony urged. His eyes were wild and brimmed with tears, his expression a dangerous mix of pain and anger.

"I.. can't," Bruce started. "Don't do it, Tony, please," he implored, trying to keep calm as he felt the familiar hum in the back of his mind that signaled the Other Guy's restlessness. "Don't do it," he said again to both Tony and himself.

"No, I'll… I'll hurt you if I have to," Tony whispered, and Bruce shut his eyes tight as the glass cut into just the surface of his skin.

"Don't-"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Tony yelled, shaking with anger. "You don't get a say in this! You… you owe me. Now get angry, damn it, come on!"

Bruce's breath caught. He thought for sure that the Other Guy would have broken through by now… but miraculously, something was stopping him.

"I.. can't…" Bruce managed through gritted teeth, and suddenly he knew it was the truth. For some reason, The Hulk stayed dormant, and Bruce could be physically hurt. This was a new development. Ironically, the scepter's influence had allowed him to be more human than he'd ever been since the Hulk was created.

"You're lying," Tony spat, trembling. The man was totally unstable, at the end of his rope, and Bruce understood that he wanted the Hulk to kill him. "You owe me, you traitor, so let him out."

"Tony I…"

"Do it!"

"…I can't. Please, stop, I really can't..."

Tony stayed still for a few long moments, reluctant to give up his chance of assisted suicide. Bruce was relieved as Tony slowly gave up and the glass was removed.

But then Tony turned it on himself.

"Tony, NO!" Bruce exclaimed as Tony made a motion to slit his arm open with the sharp tool, but Bruce grabbed his hands just in time. They rolled, grappling, and finally the glass shard fell out of Tony's grasp. Bruce scrambled to push it further away, then landed a hard enough punch on Tony's stomach to daze him. Bruce then stood and crushed the shard to useless pieces under his bare foot, wincing in pain as he did so.

"Kghh," Tony coughed and rolled over. "Shit, you idiot… Why did you stop me?" He sat up slowly, leaning against the wall.

Bruce turned to him and knelt down, pain clear in his expression, startling Tony a little. "You're my friend, I won't let you hurt yourself." The familiar hand rested on his shoulder again, but Tony pushed it away.

"Fuck off. You have orders to be my 'friend'."

"No, Tony. You know I'm still me. I still… care."

"Then how could you let him do that to me? How can you just stand by?"

Tears began to flow freely down Tony's face, but Bruce wasn't embarrassed. He hated to see the formerly strong, cocky, confident man in such a state, but he didn't look away.

"I had no choice."

"There's always a choice!" Tony slammed a fist down on the floor. "You let him do this!"

Bruce glanced away. "…I may have."

Tony looked shocked. "What, so you admit it? You didn't give your all? How can you stoop any lower?"

Bruce leveled a glare at him. "And how low is suicide, Tony? Is that really how you want such a great life to end?"

"Oh, look who's talking!" Tony hissed, and tried not to see the pain flare in Bruce's blue-glowing eyes. There was a moment of tense silence between them.

"That's not fair, Tony. You know what I meant. You're… you're better than this."

"Yeah? Well, we're on the same boat, now. It's not fair—Loki took everything, right? Then I'm ruined, I'm nothing anymore! I'm just…"

"…Just a man? Just human? Some of us would like nothing more than that."

"Don't give me that. I know he'll… I know I'm going to be changed into one of you. Sooner or later…" Tony put his head in his hands. "Christ. Maybe it's better that way."

Bruce's scepter-wrung heart rang with sympathy and care for Tony. He hated to see the man give up so profoundly. He knew Tony was more than this, and Bruce couldn't explain it, but he felt connected to the man in a way that felt almost as strong as the connection he had formed with Loki. But this was different… Loki was his master, while Tony Stark felt more like an equal… a partner. Bruce felt like a part of him had been missing all this time, until the scepter's light had illuminated that cavity and Tony had started to fill it.

"Maybe. But don't think like that. It hasn't happened yet. You're still capable of great things… You can make it through."

"Through being changed? How? I won't be me anymore, right? It's… it's the end of the world. It's over. Loki won."

"He did win, but it's not over. We're still here."

"I don't want to be here."

"You'd really rather be dead? …Think about it, Tony. You're smart."

"But what could we do? What could we possibly do now?"

"We stay together. Stay with me," he encouraged, tentatively holding onto Tony's shoulders. He was surprised and pleased when the younger man not only accepted the gesture, but leaned forward against him. Bruce held Tony against him until the man's shoulders stopped shaking.