I am so sorry...

It was never meant to be this way.

It just happened.

Feels.

"Hey Pops…" Michelle whispers resting her head on her dad's hand.

"Hey Micky, what brings you around?" He whispers around the oxygen tubes that run down the sides of his mouth. His voice rough with age; like his mouth was constantly dry, reminded her of why she always made him read her stories before bed; a strange mix of Sci-Fi and fantasy, when she was a child.

"What happened the day dad died?" She whispers into his hand; too afraid to meet her fathers eyes.

His years of drinking had caught up to him in his depression. His metal heart was failing, when Bruce went; all knowledge of the arc reactor went with him, her father couldn't stand the idea of living so long without Bruce. Her father had become broken, nearly a shell of his former self. Things had never been the same after that.

"It was a horrible day… we had just learned about a terrorist plan to gas all the newly opened mutant schools…" He whispers; staring of into space as he remembered.

"Michelle!" Tony called inside the collapsing building. "Bruce!"

"Pops!" Michelle's voice echoed down the hall. Tony picked up speed not stopping till he came upon the horrible sight of Hulk holding up the entire hallway to save the survivors of the mutant bomb that went off in their school. Now it was up to him, Bruce and Michelle to get the kids out before the fire destroyed the building.

Michelle; in her silver and blue iron woman suit, held two young boy's in her arms while twenty others clung to each other around the Hulks legs. Behind her a group of teenagers were holding most of the others. One boy had sprouted multiple arms and was holding at least six of the children himself.

"Alright kiddys everyone out, GO GO GO!" Tony yelled as he herded the kids out of the building.

"Wheres dad?!" Michelle called over the roar of the fire. Tony turned and ran back inside, Hulk still stood there holding the hallway together.

"Hey buddy we got to go!"

"Baby." Hulk says glancing behind himself. Tony walks around and sees a small girl clutching Hulks leg with her tiny hands.

"Hey there princess, we have to go so I need you to take my hand." He says reaching out. The girl runs over to him and latches herself to his torso; he scoops her up and holds her to his chest to shield her from anything that might hurt her.

"Banner says metal man and baby leave first, Hulk agrees."

"What, why?!" Tony calls over the sound of something collapsing.

"Building going to explode."

"How do you know?" Tony asks surprised.

"Banner says so."

"Wha-"

"Bruce and Hulk love you."

"NO!"

The next thing Tony knew he was being thrown out the window; someone caught him midair and people were calling for him and asking about Bruce.

"Where's dad?!" Michelle asked sharply as she ran up to him pulling the child from his arms.

He wasn't aware of any of it; his sole focus was captured by the flaming building as the next explosion rocked the ground. People fell to their knees and the building was gone in a flash of pure white light.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Michelle's voice broke the silence as she screamed shaking his shoulders.

"Gone… he's gone…" he whispered, unable to truly comprehend his own words. It isn't until much later when the shock has worn off and he's sitting in the hospital on suicide watch; after Steve found him passed out on the bathroom floor, that he lets himself crack and sobs into Steve's chest.

"I never blamed you, not once, I would never blame you." She whispers; finally able to look her father in the eyes she's not shocked to see him crying.

"I know, I'm sorry I became so detached after that, I didn't want to hurt you I just didn't know how to go on without him." He says watching her with a sad look. "He loved you so much, I know he's proud of you." He whispers running his hand through her hair. "I'm proud of you."