A/N:BECAUSE I WAS ASKED SO NICELY. ;)

Tony walked into his house wearily, sighing as he dropped his bag by the door.

"Hello Mister Stark," Jarvis said, "It has been quite a while."

"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered, shuffling his feet across the room.

He headed to the computer station by the couch and brought up his messages.

"Tony, I hear you're getting out of the hospital today. Call me, Pepper told me what happened."

Rhodey.

Tony closed his eyes and skipped to the next.

"Tony, I'll be over as soon as you get in."

Pepper.

He sighed and skipped to the next.

"Hello Mister Stark, it's Christine Everhart. I…."

Tony laughed, opening his eyes. "Ms. Brown."

He skipped to the next.

"Tony, it's…me."

Tony's heart stopped.

"I just…I wanted to…I…just…um…" Click. The line went dead.

Steve.

Tony's smile widened. This day was looking up after all. The phone rang again and he picked up an ear piece, placing it in his ear.

"Stark, talk to me."

"Tony, it's Pepper. Is there something you're forgetting?" she asked, the tone of voice very familiar to Tony. It was the 'I'm angry at you but there's someone else in the room so I can't yell' voice.

"Um….maybe?" he guessed, honestly clueless.

"Mandarin, Inc? Mr. Borjigin is here, waiting. You were going to discuss his proposal. I spoke to you about this yesterday evening," she spoke through clenched teeth and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'll be there as soon as possible."

"I need you here yesterday."

He hung up the phone and started to rush to his bedroom and stopped.

Borjigin. Where had he heard that name before?

Tony shook his head and set about getting dressed.

"It'll come to me when I least expect it," he mumbled as he threw off his t-shirt.

"It always does," Jarvis added.

Tony quipped back, "Funny, Jarvis. You know I can replace you with a very sexy sounding Australian woman."

"I'd like to see you try, sir."

Tony mumbled, "I will, I swear it this time."

"You always swear it sir, I will rue the day."

He got dressed sans tie and as he headed into the lab to put on his suit, he yelled out, "I swear I will!"

The threat was minimal, though they sent in Thor first to soften up the scene and the others followed shortly after.

The mission was simple enough. Get inside, take everything down, find the source, beat up bad guys, and get out.

Hawkeye volunteered to go, though Nick was wary the others rallied for him and he accompanied Thor, Captain America, Bucky, and Black Widow on the mission to take down a known sect of the organization known to many as "The Hand."

Everyone fought valiantly and succeeded, though their communications with SHIELD were cut off halfway through the infiltration.

Hawkeye leaned against a wall, catching his breath and examining the various cuts and bruises from the ninja clan. He was lucky to be alive, he knew that.

He looked across the lot and saw Captain America touching his ear, hitting it and cursing. Steve didn't like to be without a link, he had realized that early on since joining the team. The soldier looked up and their eyes met. The hardened gaze shook him and the looked away first, cursing his weakness.

Suddenly there was a voice in his ear yelling, "THE HULK HAS ESCAPED! I REPEAT! THE HULK HAS ESCAPED! AVENGERS DO YOU COPY! REPORT!"

All six heroes looked to each other and they quickly assembled, running to the jet while Thor flew off ahead of them.

Clint was shaking and his breath was coming out in gasps, he closed his eyes willing his traitorous body to calm but it continued. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and a soft voice, "Calm yourself, Clint. For Bruce. He needs you."

He opened his eyes and looked at Natasha, shaking his head. "I can't, I….I just," he felt tears on his face and looked up at Steve who was staring at him like he'd grown a second head, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT, HUH?"

Steve blinked his expression troubled and he whispered, "Myself," quiet enough that Clint had to read his lips to make out the word.

Bucky was looking at him as well, more glaring than looking. He leaned in closer to Natasha and felt like sticking out his tongue.

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "It will be okay, Hawkeye."

They landed and he was the first off the jet and running towards the destruction. Nick was in the middle of the fray yelling and when he saw them he yelled, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? I'VE BEEN CALLING FOR THIRTY MINUTES!"

Clint was about to lash out at him when Steve stepped up and said, "Our communication was down when we arrived, which was obviously a pre-emptive for this. What happened?"

Nick ran a hand over his head and growled, "It was out of nowhere. The power went down, the Hulk came out of sedation and he lashed out, yelling. He injured almost twenty, killed two," he explained, he looked at Clint, "He was yelling for you, if you can believe it. Hawkie."

It felt like ice water in his veins and Clint didn't move.

"It had to be an inside job, though I have no idea how it happened. He got out, headed for the trees, and he's just…GONE. No sign. Nothing. Like…."

"Someone took him," Steve finished.

Clint felt the anger ready to pour out and he suddenly threw himself at Steve, yelling, "SEE? THIS WAS WHY! THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU OR TONY, THEY WANTED BRUCE AND YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN! YOU…" he suddenly punched Steve as hard as he could catching him off guard and knocking him down then spit down at his feet, "…I hope you're happy."

He ran off towards the house and Natasha ran after him, then Bucky looked at Steve who was rubbing his jaw and lying there. He nodded and Bucky followed them. Steve and Nick exchanged glances.

Nick swallowed. "There's…more."

"What?" Steve asked, standing.

"Tony's in the hospital. He was poisoned at his office. Some weird freak thing we don't…"

Steve was running before he finished.

Pepper Potts hated hospitals. The sterile, unreal smell always creeped her out and the amount of time she'd spent in hospitals recently didn't exactly help. This time at least she wasn't alone.

James Rhodes had rushed to join her and was sitting on Tony's left while she sat on his right, though only she was holding his hand. They were not in a SHIELD hospital though there were agents outside the door.

Everything had happened so fast she didn't even understand it all. They had been meeting with Mandarin, Inc.'s head Tem Borjigin to discuss a project to bring power to the city of Telehim, a far off village in China that the CEO was particularly interested in. He and Tony had spent hours talking and the two men shook hands before he left. Then suddenly Tony was feeling sick and he sat down, fainting.

She called security to apprehend Mr. Borjigin but the man had vanished into thin air.

The doctors were baffled as to the poison, though they were trying their best to counteract it.

This had been nearly an hour ago.

Pepper felt her eyes growing heavy and she closed them for what felt like a minute when suddenly James's voice woke her up.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! SECURITY!"

She jumped up and saw a distraught Steve Rogers, costume in tatters, trying to get passed James and staring at Tony with tears on his face.

Pepper glared at him.

He looked at her and she gasped at the pain she saw there, and then stopped herself.

He deserved to be in pain after what he'd done to Tony the past two months.

"Please, I just…please. I can help him," he whispered, surprising them both.

James didn't let him go. "How?"

Steve ripped his costume, exposing his arm. "My blood. Please."

Pepper was skeptical. "How would that help?"

"He's dying. PLEASE LET ME!" he pleaded, suddenly down on his knees.

James let him go, stepping back. He looked at Pepper. "Should I get a doctor?"

"Not safe," Steve said breathlessly, "Find a syringe."

She was up and running, pulling open drawers and suddenly found one in a cart by the window. Steve was in front of her in a flash and stuck himself hard with it, drawing blood. He rushed passed them and was in front of Tony, taking his arm softly. She watched him run his hand over Tony's skin like he was made of glass and then suddenly stick the needle in and expel the plunger.

It took less than six seconds and Tony opened his eyes slowly, blinking up at them. He pulled the tube from his throat and coughed, "Jesus, what the hell?"

Pepper was laughing and crying as she threw her arms around him.

"Ow, Pepper. What happened? Last thing I remember is Borjigin leaving and…that BASTARD poisoned me!"

She pulled back and kissed him on the mouth. He pushed her away awkwardly. "Jesus, it's not like I died."

"You almost did," James said.

Tony sighed. "Well, what'd I miss?"

Pepper laughed again and started to say, "St…" but stopped.

He was gone.

Tony frowned. "Pepper?"

She looked at James. "Steve was here. He…he gave you his blood. He…Tony he saved your life."

Tony stared at her in disbelief. "What? How did he…shit, turn on the TV."

She grabbed the remote and did. The first thing they saw was the headline: HULK RAMPAGE.

Tony cursed. "Get me my clothes."

"Tony no! You almost died! There's no way we're…"

He pulled everything off of himself, ignoring the machines beeping. "I DON'T CARE! I'm LEAVING. GIVE ME MY CLOTHES!"

She crossed her arms. "No."

Suddenly James was at Tony's side holding his clothes. He shrugged at her. "The man's gotta go, Pepper. You aren't gonna stop him."

Tony pulled James in for a hug and kissed his forehead. "I knew there was a reason I loved you, Rhodey."

James pushed him off, wiping his head. "Save the kisses for your boyfriend, superhero."

Tony grinned. "I plan to."

Clint didn't leave his room, even when Natasha banged continuously on his door and demanded to be allowed inside. He didn't want to see anyone, though this room didn't feel the same as his old one. Ever since Bruce's first rampage almost two months ago he'd barely slept in it and now it felt wrong.

He tossed and turned, finally not even bothering to pretend he was trying to sleep.

Nick had informed him that they continued to search for Bruce, though he knew they wouldn't find him easily.

He sighed and suddenly there was a knock on his door.

"Barton, it's me."

Clint sat up and walked over, leaning against the door but not opening it. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry. I just…I wanted to tell you that."

He closed his eyes. "Tell Tony that, not me."

"I don't know if I can, not after all of this. I just…I hurt him so badly."

"He loves you something awful, I don't think that's changed," Clint said.

Steve sighed.

"Leave me alone, Steve."

There was silence as his answer and he opened his eyes.

Alone at last.

He was jarred from sleep by the door opening and he blinked at Tony Stark's face.

"Hey there Hawkie, you okay?"

He shook his head.

"Well, I have news for you. I think I know where your man is. Tem Borjigin. Remember him?"

Clint stood. "Yeah."

Tony opened the door. "He just happened to poison me today. So I'd say he's risen in the suspect list. Nick's looking into it now."

Clint threw his arms around Tony, hugging him. "I told you!"

Tony laughed. "I know."

They pulled apart and Tony squeezed his hand before leaving him with, "Sit tight, sugar plum. We'll find him."

"Thanks Tony."

Tony winked. "All in a day's work."

Clint laughed. "Are you okay? Sorry I didn't…"

Tony grinned. "I will be."