After a few more minutes Richards arrived with the Fantasticar. Carol had somehow expected to see a sign of disgust on his face, they were, after all standing in an alley reeking of urine and stale water. She and Steve were soldiers and weren't queasy about the seedy underbelly of a city like New York, but Richards probably had never set foot into the dirty part of human society. But much to her surprise Reed didn't even flinch as he had to step over a rather large heap of garbage.

„We have to get Tony out of that bar," began Cap, „we should try and contain this situation for his sake."

Carol looked through the window again and at this very moment saw how one of the customers filmed an interaction between Tony and the Barkeeper with his smartphone. „It's already too late for that. Pictures of Iron Man hitting rock bottom are going to be on YouTube in a few seconds!" Behind her Reed pulled out a small device and pushed a few buttons.

„No, they won't. I've induced a dead spot, it will last about 20 minutes."

„Not good enough! Erase the footage!" commanded Cap.

Carol registered for the first time that Reed had an annoyed look on his face – who would've guessed that the cool-headed scientist could lose his even temper?

„Captain, do you think that is wise? I understand your need to protect Tony, but there might be ramifications if I violate someone's private sphere by hacking their phone. Don't you think it would be wiser if we tried talking to the people present here directly?"

Steve looked annoyed yet again, Carol noticed with a certain amount of apprehension.

„Richards, you don't understand. This isn't just about Tony. If pictures of the benefactor and one of the powerhouses as well as the political and PR liaison of the Avengers spinning out of control get out to the public, the Avengers have a disaster on their hands. Especially as everyone knows Tony's history of alcohol abuse and what it last led to. We cannot, I repeat, we cannot risk that. Talking won't get us the security we need."

Reed clenched his lips, looking rather angry, Carol thought. He probably wasn't used to receiving orders.

„All due respect, Steve, but I want to talk to the people first."

Steve snorted. „And with your famed social skills and powers of persuasion, you'll get them to give you their phones so we can make sure nothing's on there anymore?"

Reed crossed his arms. They rather looked like two angry cockerels facing off, Carol thought.

„Is this supposed to be ironic?"

Cap snorted again. „Whatever made you think that, Reed?"

„Well, Sue says that..."

„Guys", Carol interrupted. She had approached the window again.

„... don't have great social..."

„GUYS! Come here, right now!"

The two men stopped and headed over to Carol who was standing in front of the window. Inside the bar things had taken a turn for the worse. Tony had gotten up from his stool and said something unintelligibly to the other customers, from the look on their faces they didn't seem to like it.

„We have to act now, before everything gets out of hand!" bellowed Cap. „Tony is still wearing his armour, he could do something stupid and hurt someone!" But before Steve could spring into action, the door to the bar opened and a rather roughed up Tony was thrown into the gutter. „Iron Man my ass!" yelled a rather obese man wearing a Yankee T-Shirt.

The two Avengers as well as Reed were too surprised to act at first. Carol finally knelt down besides Tony, who was lying face down on the concrete. Carefully she turned him around and cursed under her breath was she saw that Tony had a rather deep cut on his forehead.

„Tony, what happened?"

Tony looked at her without comprehension at first, eyes dazed, a little blood trickling down into his eyes. Then he seemed to recognise her and cursed quietly under his breath.

„Tony?", she repeated, raising her hand to swipe the blood off his forehead. He flinched and tried to turn his head away. Carol frowned; Tony wasn't usually that edgy around her. Then again, he also usually wasn't drunk out of his mind, so there was that.

„Let's face it, Honey, this isn't the worst state you've seen me in. And much as I like being caressed by your tender hands –„

He suddenly braced one hand on the floor, half-turned and dry heaved. Carol turned to Steve and Reed, who both looked on helplessly. When he had gotten himself together again, Tony slowly turned back to the three of them. Recognising Cap, he seemed to flinch once more, then made a visible effort to get himself under control.

„Cap, old boy, to what do I owe the honour of your presence? Felt like giving someone the disapproving Captain-America-is-disappointed-in-you stink eye again? Always a delight to see it."

He really was surprisingly eloquent for his state, Carol thought. She turned to Cap to see his reaction. To her amazement he was looking rather calm.

„Tony, you need help."

Tony clenched his lips and averted his eyes.

„No, Cap, what I need is for you to leave me alone."

„How dare you?" Cap almost whispered before starting to yell. „How dare you to throw everything away? You have everything and you just throw it away! YOU THROW IT AWAY AGAIN! Have you forgotten what happened to you last time?!"

Before Cap could continue his rant Tony vomited. Steve took a step back and looked at his friend with pity. Carol wanted to give him his chance to react before she stepped in; she directed her gaze towards Tony – only to discover that Reed had her beat to it. Right then it dawned on her that she had underestimated Reed's resilience and affection for Tony. He knelt beside his friend and cleaned his face with a handkerchief. Reed didn't even flinch when Tony started to cry, he just pulled out another handkerchief from his utility belt and tenderly wiped his tears away. He obviously didn't mind the rather awkward situation and even put his arm around Tony's shoulders to hold him.

So that was why Tony actually considered Richards a friend − he was certainly a cold-hearted know-it-all, but in this instance Reed showed that he was indeed capable of giving support when it was really needed. Carol thought back to the times of the Civil War – times she would rather forget – and thought about how Reed had been one of the very few to actually loyally stand beside Tony then.

She crouched down beside Reed and Tony. Tony still seemed rather lost in a state of abject, drunken misery, face screwed up with tears, while Reed had started murmuring „there, there" under his breath. Carol was suddenly forcibly reminded of the fact that Reed was a father and had probably done his fair share of comforting and wiping vomit away (before, she would always have assumed that only Sue took care of such problems). Steve still stood a little away, evidently unsure of what to do, which was somehow understandable considering the fact that it was him who had sent Tony into his state of misery. Carol couldn't help but bristle a bit at Steve's helplessness, though.

Gradually, Tony seemed to calm down a little. And all of a sudden, he started struggling against Reed's arms around his shoulder. Reed looked confused, and Tony pulled himself free with more focused force than she would have credited him with right now. Reed stared.

Tony made a visible effort to get himself together. „Listen, this isn't about you, but I can't do this." There was a haunted look in his eyes.

„Can't do what, Tony?", Reed asked, voice gentle.

„This." Tony gesticulated at them. „I have to go."

Cap took a step closer again and sighed. „Tony, I am sorry. I shouldn't... have yelled at you. But you have to come with us. We can help you."

Tony laughed bitterly. „Help me? I am afraid you are out of your depth here, Cap."

He made to get up, hands braced on the dirty wall behind him. Carol hastened to his side, stabilising him. „Tony, please be reasonable. You're in no state to go anywhere, let alone pilot the suit."

Reed piped in. „And remember the interdimensional transistor project we're working on in my lab? I need your help on that, I have some new specs I'd like to show you."

Tony looked at him incredulously. „Reed, I really don't care."

Reed looked a mixture between confused and disappointed that would have been funny any other day. „But..."

„No but, Reed. I am leaving."

„Tony, I can't let you fly off in your state."

Tony looked at Cap stubbornly.

„Try to stop me, then."

He looked down to locate his helmet. At that precise moment, Cap's shield hit his head and he went down like a stone. Carol and Reed stared. „What the hell..." began Carol, but Steve interrupted her.

„We can't let him go away, my apartment is nearby. We'll take him there..."

„With all due respect, Captain, you may have induced a concussion..."

„With all due respect, Doctor, I'm doing this since 1941..."

„You're doing what since then? Knocking out your allies?" Reed coldly asked.

Carol had had enough; she shook her head, then just grabbed Tony and took off.

Captain Marvel landed mere seconds later on Steve's balcony. She entered the code to unlock the door and gently put Tony on Steve's bed.

Carol looked around in the flat and was mildly surprised to see that the usually neat apartment was a little messy. Perhaps Steve had left in a hurry? Then her sight fell on a book lying on the bedside table. Carol looked around, there was still no sign of Steve and Reed, she took the book in hand and discovered that it was a book about quantum physics for beginners. Why on earth would Steve read something like that? She put it back and tried to get the armour off Tony's body, but she quickly realised that there was a lockdown in place that made it impossible to remove the suit without resorting to brutal force. Carol sighted and decided that she needed a cup of coffee, and went to the kitchen.

While the coffee machine was pouring out coffee Steve and Reed arrived, both of them looked a little bit embarrassed. Steve looked down and started, „Carol, I'm sorry..."

„Not relevant right now, Steve. I put Tony on your bed, but I couldn't get the armour off him, there's a lockdown in place. Anything you two can do about that?"

„Yes...", Cap started, while Reed said „I have the release codes." They stared at one another.

„You have the release codes? ", Steve said incredulously.

„Yes, Tony gave them to me", Reed said, a little awkwardly, apparently not knowing what the problem was.

Steve hesitated, but then said, „Ok, I have them too, let's get him out of his armour."

The three of them went to the bedroom. Tony was still unconscious, looking very pale. Reed started to bend over him, but stopped when he saw Steve taking Tony's hand. For a moment, he just stood like that, then he quietly uttered:

„Armour override code Steve Rogers, 334-8263-87469-521."

The hatches on the side of the armour released and a black-and-blue-undersuit was revealed that Carol didn't recall having seen before. She started taking the armour parts and carefully placing them on a chair by the bed, and a moment later, Reed and Steve were by her side helping her.

When they were done, they stood there looking down at Tony's still figure. After a moment of silence, Carol sighed, went into the bathroom and got the first-aid kit.

When she got back, Reed had the helmet in his hands, fiddling with it, apparently reviewing some footage, while Cap still stood by the bed and stared down at Tony. He still cradled Tony's hand. Carol sat down on the other side of the bed and started carefully wiping Tony's forehead with a warm, wet towel. Right over the crust of blood from the cut, a rather impressive bruise was starting to form. The more blood she cleaned away, the bigger it looked. Cap grimaced. Carol looked up, right into his eyes.

„Carol, I had to do it."

„You didn't have to do it that way."

„What other way was there?"

„We could have found one, Steve. It isn't your position to be the leader that decides for all of us without asking us first!" Carol could feel herself getting mad and tried to keep it under control, a tantrum wouldn't help anyone.

Steve seemed a bit shaken. „But Carol, how could -"

„Ahhhh!", came from the other side of the room. Carol and Steve both turned. Reed looked up, eyes shining. „What an elegant solution!"

Steve and Carol stared. Reed looked a little awkward but went on explaining enthusiastically, „Tony has erased the footage on the phones of the customers in the bar using a randomised algorithm!"

„Which means? ", Cap asked, yet again looking a little pissed.

Reed looked confused. „Well, it's just a rather beautiful mathematical solution to the data-problem we've been grappling with."

Carol turned back to Tony, while Reed and Steve still looked at one another. She started disinfecting the cut. Tony stirred a little, but still didn't come around.

„Well, Steve", Reed said after a very tense pause, „I see you're trying to get into quantum physics?"

When Steve didn't answer, he continued: „I just gave Franklin the introduction you're using, Valeria is of course way more advanced, but don't give up if things seem hard to understand at first, I am sure I could get Valeria to give you a lesson, if you like."

Even more testy silence. Suddenly, Tony groaned. They all turned their attention towards the man lying on the bed.

Tony slowly opened his eyes and murmured: „What happened?" Carol looked at Steve, who shifted from one foot to another, visibly uncomfortable.

„I'm sorry, Tony, I just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't do anything ill-considered," said Cap. Tony stared at Steve, visibly agitated.

„So you incapacitated me? HOW DARE YOU?" He yelled. Steve clenched his jaw but didn't answer. Reed stepped in.

„Tony, calm down..." But as soon as he realised who was talking to him, Tony got quiet. Carol registered that he raised his right hand slightly, as if he wanted to ward off Richards. She knew Tony well enough to recognize that he was scared. Immediately she stepped between Reed and Tony.

„Give him some space!"

„But..." started Reed, clearly confused... and hurt? By Superman's shorts – did she actually manage to hurt the inhuman Reed Richards?

„You heard her, Richards, move it – you've done enough!" hissed Tony.

„What's wrong, Tony? You've never called me..." Strangely enough Carol felt sorry for Reed, he looked utterly lost.

Tony didn't react, instead he looked at Carol pleadingly. „Please, Carol, can you..."

Carol swallowed. She didn't know what was going on, but it was obvious that Tony was in serious distress. She turned to Reed once more.

„Reed, I have to ask you to leave the room for a moment. You too, Steve. I need a word with Tony in private."

Reed looked miserable, but nodded, while Cap looked downright mutinous. „Steve, this is not negotiable." With a last look over his shoulder, Cap left and closed the door behind him. Carol looked down at Tony, who had started chewing on his lower lip and seemed to be thinking.

„Ok, Tony, now, would you please tell me what is going on?"

He looked up, a strange expression of longing on his face. „Carol, I'm not..." He shook his head slightly and paused. „... well", he resumed after a moment.

Carol gave him a faint smile. „That I noticed, right around the time you vomited in that alley."

Tony smiled sadly. „I'm a mess, aren't I."

Carol sat down on the bed beside him and put her arm around him. „A little."

Tony's eyes looked suspiciously wet, then he sighed. „Sweetheart, could we continue this discussion of my multiple failings as a human being later? I'm afraid it's going to be rather long, with my impressive list of defects, and I don't feel too marvellous."

Now it was Carol's turn to smile sadly. „Of course, Tony. But will you promise me you'll stay here, with us, and let us help you?"

Tony tensed under her arm. „Us meaning you, Steve and Richards?"

Carol looked directly into his eyes. „Why do you keep on calling him Richards?"

Tony averted his gaze. „Why did you let Steve knock me out?"

„Don't change the topic, Tony. And you know Steve, sometimes there's no ‚letting' him do anything, because he simply doesn't give you the time to react."

Tony still didn't look up, but fiddled with the duvet.

„It's... nothing. He's just a stretchy motherfucker and at times he freaks me out."

Now he looked at her, batting his lashes and giving her a lopsided grin. Carol didn't believe a word he said. But she saw how wet Tony's eyes still were, how tired he looked, how fragile his smile was, and decided to let it go. For the moment at least. She sighed yet again.

„Ok. Now sleep, ok, and we'll discuss everything when you wake up."

She loosened her arm, and Tony seemed to resist for a moment, wanting to hold onto her. But then he relaxed and let himself sink back down into the bed. But when she turned to leave, he made a little sound at the back of his throat. She looked at him. There seemed to be an internal struggle, then he said: „Please... stay?"

Something twisted inside of her. What the hell had happened to Tony for him to be so afraid? She gave him another rather pained smile and sat down beside the bed.

„Of course, Tony."

After what felt like way too long, Tony finally relaxed, his breathing evening out. Very quietly, Carol left the room, closing the door soundlessly.

Steve was nervously pacing up and down in the kitchen. „And?", he asked immediately upon her entry.

„He's asleep now. Where's Reed?"

Steve clenched his jaw. „He murmured something about having just the right inoculation at the Baxter building and left. He should be back shortly."

Carol sat down at the table, feeling emotionally drained. „Ok. Steve, you are out of control."

He stared. „What?"

Carol looked at him sharply. „You really have no idea as to how to deal with an alcoholic, do you?"

Steve fidgeted under her gaze. Then he seemed to make a decision, took the chair opposite her and ran his hands through his hair.

„Truth is, I have too much of an idea, and nothing helped."

„What?", Carol asked blankly.

Steve grimaced. „Carol, my... my Dad was an alcoholic. I saw his slow decline... helpless... in the end beating up my mum..."

He heaved. The confession had obviously cost him a lot of strength. Carol was shocked.

„Steve, I had no idea..."

He smiled sadly. They both sat in silence for a while. Only after a few minutes did she dare break it.

„But Steve, Tony isn't your Dad. He would never..."

Steve sighed once more. „I know, Carol, it's just that..."

Suddenly they heard a muffled sound coming from Tony's room. They looked at one another, then both got up in one swift movement, practically flying to the door.

The sight that presented itself was more than confusing. Tony sat in the farthest corner of the bed, clutching his arm and looking utterly horrified. Bent over him was Reed, who had obviously entered the apartment during their discussion, going directly to the bedroom. He held an empty syringe in one hand, and gesticulated wildly with both arms, apparently in a misguided attempt at calming Tony down. Tony for his part was breathing raggedly − it almost sounded like sobbing.

„Reed, WHAT THE HELL?!"

He turned towards them, eyes wild. „I... I just... Tony was so out of it... This should sober him up within a few minutes..."

„ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?" shouted Carol and within a fraction of a second she had him pinned against the wall. „Tony was and is clearly terrified of you, Reed! And you think it's a good idea to inoculate him while he is sleeping?!"

„I... but he seemed so confused and kept calling me Richards... I had to purge the alcohol..."

Carol let go of him and turned towards Tony. Steve sat beside him and patted his shoulder. He seemed distressed. „It's alright, Tony."

Carol directed her attention once again towards Reed. „You're supposed to be smart, Reed, why on earth did you do that? You're not even a medical doctor – and don't you dare mention your HC in biology!"

Richards averted his gaze and said softly: „Tony is my friend, He is the only one apart from my family who actually talks to me, I just..." He didn't finish the sentence.

Carol suddenly realised that the man in front of her was scared. At the beginning she had suspected that something else had gone wrong on the space mission, and that that was the reason why Tony Stark, who was a billionaire, playboy, genius and friggin' Iron Man was scared of Reed Richards, a nerdy, awkward bookworm who had even had mercy on Galactus. But Reed wasn't scared that some kind of secret was about to be unveiled, no, he was afraid to lose his only real friend – and then something broke inside him and he ran off and cooked up some drug to get the Tony he knew back.

„I understand, but this is not about you. It's about Tony. We have to support him in any way possible, even if that means that you've got to leave him alone, Reed."

The scientist nodded and withdrew into the farthest corner of the bedroom. Carol went to Tony, who was covered in sweat. She gently stroked his cheek. „Hey," she said quietly. Tony just stared at Cap, who now stood next to the bed.

„Steve, please don't leave me, I'm lost without you."

„I won't, don't worry." Steve seemed rather shaken by Tony's seemingly incoherent plea. But Tony just kept on staring at him as if he were a ghost. Then, a pained whimper escaped his lips and he started shaking violently.

„Oh God." Carol gripped him by the shoulders and tried looking into his eyes, but they had rolled up into his head. He was covered in cold sweat all over and non-responsive. Carol felt his pulse. It was racing.

„Steve, he is going into a catatonic state! Get the med kit!"

Almost before she had finished her sentence, Steve was back at the bedside with the kit, having obviously thought of the same thing before she had to utter her command. He was searching through the kit wildly, looking for something, scattering bottles around them. When he had found what he was looking for, he prepared a syringe with trembling hands.

Carol was trying to hold Tony still to keep him from hurting himself.

„Hold him, I need access to his neck", Steve pressed out between clenched lips.

Carol tried to, but Tony was thrashing wildly and she was afraid of hurting him with her superhuman strength.

„Reed, help me!", she grid out. When she turned, she saw Reed by the bed, hands clasped over his mouth, eyes wider than she had ever seen. „NOW, genius!"

Reed extended his arms – stretchy motherfucker indeed – and wrapped one unnaturally long arm around Tony's upper body, constraining his shoulders, while placing one enlarged hand on his forehead, bending his head back and bracing his neck to Cap. Cap took this window of opportunity and rammed the syringe into Tony's neck, emptying it.

For a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen. But then, Tony's struggling suddenly lessened; his violent shaking subsided, his pulse slowed, and Reed carefully lowered him back down to the bed. There was a collective sigh of relief as the three of them looked at one another.

But Reed's look quickly changed to one of puzzlement. „But I took into account the after-effects of Extremis and everything, why didn't it..."

„Because you miscalculated?" Asked Steve aggressively, but Reed didn't even bother to answer, instead he started to revise the formula on a portable holoprojector, shifting chemical compositions around.

„Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Cap grabbed Reed's collar, his face only centimetres away from Richards'. Carol sighed, damn these over-inflated male egos! She wanted to separate the two men, perhaps they needed to be knocked out too, but before she could intervene Reed had already wrapped himself around Steve. It was so skilfully done that Cap couldn't move anymore − Carol was surprised at Reed's prowess, and apparently so was Steve. His face distorted in anger and he visibly struggled to free himself.

„That's enough from you, Captain! I've tolerated your aggressive behaviour, but I won't let you manhandle me like a third-class villain. You may not like me, but you will treat me with respect. And you will treat Tony with respect! And for your information: I didn't miscalculate. There is something going on with Tony, and we are going to uncover it. Stand down for Tony's sake and let me do my work." With these words he released Steve.

„He is actually right," said Carol, „and you know it – Reed may be as sensitive as the Hulk, but he does not make this kind of mistakes! And one other thing, who's to say that it wasn't your knock-out which caused Tony's episode?"

Cap frowned and gritted his teeth. But then he seemed to deflate all of a sudden; something sad and insecure crept into his eyes. Quietly, he conceded.

„Okay."