Chapter Text
It’s been three straight days since Tony’s gotten sleep. That’s not important though.
Shhh.
It’s what he tells Friday, anyhow. He’s pretty sure Pepper would have something else to say to that. He doesn’t talk with her though, because she’s fucking left again. She’s gone to somewhere in the US, or maybe Europe. Hell, it’s might be Asia or Africa.
Tony’s not really sure at this point.
He gets the feeling that Pepper doesn’t really want to see him anymore.
That doesn’t bother him though. To be fair, he doesn’t really want to see himself anymore. And it’s not like he could ever deal with his manic schedules.
It’s been two and a half days since Bruce’s fever finally broke (it’s still not normal, but normal for a green rage monster is all that he’s getting), and two and half days since Natasha’s decided that she now lives in the tower.
Does Tony get a say in this?
No.
At least Natasha is helping find Bruce.
Oh yeah, and two and half days since Bruce decided to leave the safety of the tower.
Romanov spends her time surfing through any government files that Tony hacks into, finding anything that Bruce would be emotionally attached to. Friday does the same, but with more facts and less with emotion.
(Tony doesn’t think about the fact the JARVIS could’ve done both. He definitely does no such thing.)
Along with hacking into top secret files, Tony finds out a few key things.
One: SHIELD still basically exists, but he basically already knew this. Call it a hunch.
Two: Agent is still alive. Tony is not surprised about this. He keeps it from Pepper though, because she already has enough to deal with, and reverse grieving is not really good for the soul.
(Cap would know.)
Three: Director Fucking Ross is still out and about, fucking around with things he shouldn’t be fucking with. Tony hopes to God that Ross is enough of an idiot to not find Bruce before he does.
Four: There’s a special group of people working for Ross, whose names match a certain memory stick that Natasha gave him.
They have a mutual interest. Doctor Robert Bruce Banner.
The secret group wants him for his powers, and Ross wants him because Ross is a fucking bastard.
The group is run by a woman named Silvia Dagny. She has a PhD in physical science and materialistic science. From what Tony can tell, her right hand woman is a radiation therapist.
Stark doesn’t need to have any other information to know who they’re after.
Silvia seems to have a never ending supply of people that’ll hold a gun, so he figures that she has some sort of endless money supply going in.
Which is where Ross comes in. He’s probably using government money to fund her.
Now that’s something taxpayers should complain about.
As Tony stretches his tight muscles, he looks around his ever growing lab. He’s pretty sure he should get some rest, because the walls are basically glowing.
Some part of his mind tells him that he should probably be getting help from Cap and his people, but he shuts that down immediately. Captain Righteous doesn’t need to be bothered by this. Natasha wants to get Clint in to help, but Tony immediately shot down that idea. It’s not that he hates Clint.
He doesn’t. Really.
They just don’t agree on the same things. Easy enough to understand, right?
God, he needs a drink.
“Boss, I believe I’ve found Doctor Banner-”
“Show me, baby girl,”
Instantly, a holographic map of Manhattan appears before his eyes. Friday zooms in to a library a few miles from the tower.
Ever the nerd.
“Alright Fri, pull up the mark 68, we’re going to our local library.”
There’s a millisecond of a pause before Friday answers, “Boss, I don’t think that’s wise-”
“Friday, if there’s one thing I don’t want to hear, it’s your ‘I don’t think that’s wise’ attitude. We’re leaving, asap.”
“Mark 68 has not yet been completed, perhaps 67 would be safer-”
Taking of his jacket and interrupting, Tony answers, “Gotta break it in one way or another,”
If Friday could sigh, Tony’s sure she would do so now.
“Go tell Natasha where I am.” He instructs, and sets off to the library.
Sure enough, after about a second of scanning, Bruce’s heat signature is found. He’s in the non-fiction section, 541.3, to be exact. Hands shaking and clothes destroyed, Bruce has six books on radiation around him in a circle, flipping through the pages of a seperate one in his hand.
Tony flips the face plate up and crouches down as if talking to a small child. “Bruce?”
Before the scientist can answer, a voice from behind pipes up. “Iron Man? Iron Man!”
With a resigned sigh, Tony turns around and says, “Hey kid,” The kid looks like he’s about to explode with joy. God, kids and their enthusiasm. “Do you want to help out a superhero?” The boy vigorously nods. “Okay, can you make sure that no one comes to this section? You can tell them that it’s what Iron Man said, okay?”
“Yeah!” He says, and scurries away after one last glance.
“Hey, Brucie?” He asks, turning back to his friend. “Think you can help me here? Give me a bit of information? It’s been a couple days since you’ve disappeared, where were you during that time?”
Bruce stops mid page turn, before swallowing and finishing it. Tony sighs in defeat. Actually, it might be a yawn. The sleep has maybe possibly possibly caught up with him. Maybe. Probably not.
Tony sits crossed legged next to him, and glances at the books around him in a circle. All of them have to do with radiation. Most of the pages are flipped to some form of radiation sickness or poisoning. Tony can’t say he’s surprised.
He doesn’t know what to say to this, but Bruce talks first, making it slightly easier for him.
Without looking up, Bruce says, “I don’t know if I want to die,” Tony opens his mouth to question him, but Bruce beats him. “But I don’t really think I want to live either. And, and now that there’s a way, now that there’s finally a way for me to die, I don’t know whether or not I should celebrate or find a cure. You know?”
Tony wants to shake his head and tell Bruce that it shouldn’t be a choice. He should just be figuring out a way to get healthy again.
But Tony won’t lie that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind when he was poisoned with Palladium.
A piece of his mind was always there asking if it was worth it. Rhodey would have trouble getting on with his life, but he’d eventually be able to. Maybe without Tony he’d actually be able to settle down and get a wife and family. Pepper would get over it, even if it took some time. Jarvis, the only other person who actually cared about him was dead. JARVIS would get over it too. He’s programmed to, Tony’s sure of it. Happy might have also taken some time, but it’d be okay. New York would forgive him. ‘Natalie’ would also get over it. That’s basically everyone who had ever cared for him.
What a fun list.
Tony shakes his head as if to physically rid the thoughts in his brain and refocuses to Bruce. “How about you come back to the Tower? I can help you there, Bruce.”
Still looking at a page, Bruce ponders, “But do I want help?”
“Boss-”
“Not now, Fri,” Tony angrily hisses.
“Boss-!”
“Mute.” Tony says, and inches closer to Bruce. “C’mon, buddy, we can figure things out in the tower. Ross can’t get us there,”
He ignores Bruce’s flinch when the General’s name is mentioned.
“If he finds me, it won’t do any good. I’ll die before he can get any good information from me.” Bruce plainly states, and calmly switches the book on his lap for one of the ones on the ground.
“I’m not willing to take that chance, Bruce,” Tony says, and takes a glance at what Bruce was looking at. More radiation sickness. “He’s fucking dissected you, and there’s no way in hell that he’ll get his hands on you again. So just come back with me to the tower. You can take the books, okay? I’ll buy the whole goddamn library for you. Just come back.”
Bruce slowly blinks and turns a page. “That seems like an awful lot of work. I don’t mind staying at the library. The people are nice here. Like in Gujrat. I miss it there.” He says wistfully.
“Brucie Bear, c’mon. Please we can talk about this later, okay? I promise. You just gotta come with me. We’ll sort everything out when you’re safe, okay?” Tony ejects himself from the suit and scooches closer to the scientist. “Whadda you say?”
This time Bruce looks up from a book and says, “Tony, what actually happened in Germany?”
Tony gives a mad cackle and grits out, “We can go over that too, when we get to my tower. I promise, alright? Just come with me,” Tony knows how desperate he sounds. He doesn’t want to force Bruce, but pretty soon he’s not going to have a choice.
“Boss-”
Tony kicks the faceplate and it makes a ‘ding!’ when it collides with the metal bookshelves in the library, but Friday keeps talking.
“Boss, Ross knows your location, he is currently surrounding the Lincoln National Libr-”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” Tony yells, punching the ground.
Bruce looks up at Tony, right into his eyes. “Tony. It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”
But the other man shakes his head. “No, no, God Bruce, it is far from ‘okay’. In no way is this okay! Ross is going to fuck us both over, mainly you, and the goddamn freaks that he’s working with will get you!”
“Who?”
Tony sighs.
Right. Bruce doesn’t know about who made the non-Hulk proof virus. “Ross is working with this woman from hell who’s basically doing this long term experiment on you. She’s the one who made the virus.”
Bruce stares at him for a few more moments before resigning, “Oh.”
Tony turns towards his face plate. “Friday, call Rhod- No, actually, don’t do that. Contact Romanov, and for the love of God don’t let Pepper know about this. Her blood pressure’s already through the roof.”
“Sure, Boss,” Friday says, and Tony lets his head fall in his hands.
Not a few seconds later did he hear the oh so wonderful voice of General Ross.
He gives a spite filled laugh and says, “Two for one! It’s like another Christmas!”
Tony fully turns his back to Ross and looks at Bruce.
Anxiety is written all over his face, and he can see the veins along his neck turn green.
Bruce looks up at him with defeated eyes and sets his book down. ‘I’m sorry.’ He mouths to Tony, and takes off the ratty suit jacket that he basically lives in. He pushes it into Tony’s hands, and the engineer can see Bruce’s cuticles turn green as well.
Evidently, Ross sees it too, because he commands, “Tranqs, Johnson, tranq him!”
Tony hears a fumbling with a gun, and he flicks his wrist to get his armor on. The right guantly moves a bit, but someone shoots it, and Tony immediately goes to his anxious filled one-liners. “A bit trigger happy, are we?”
“Shove it, Stark.” Ross bites. “If you put that armor on, we won’t spare Doctor Banner any mercies.”
Tony appreciates the threat, but if the armor’s not on him now, it’s not going on unless he manually gets it on. Damn work in progress. All he wanted to do was calm down Bruce, but in hindsight, taking off his armor was not the best choice.
The engineer hears Bruce give a Hulk growl, and Ross yells, “Tranq him!”
The Hulk might be the only way out of this situation, and Tony will do anything to make sure Bruce gets out safe. So when the dart flies from the gun, Tony doesn’t think twice to shield Bruce.
His shoulder instantly feels the dart imbed itself in it, and then again a bit under, and once more in his neck, for, he’s not sure, good measure?
Tony feels the effects of the tranquilizers almost immediately, and his brain helpfully supplies the information that these were meant for Bruce. It would’ve put Bruce to sleep, but maybe more than sleep for a normal human.
Bruce screams out “Tony!” And by the end it’s the Hulk yelling it, radioactive saliva flying everywhere.
Ross is also screaming something at his soldiers, but Tony’s brain feels like mush, and hey, the dirty floor of the library doesn’t sound so bad anymore. Tony would love to stay awake, but it’s been days , and he’s just exhausted. Granted, he didn’t mean to not open up his eyes again after a blink, but now that they’re closed, it’s just, it’s just so nice.
Just a quick nap.
Real quick.
Won’t hurt anyone.
After all, everyone’s always trying to get him to sleep, right?
Right.
Goodnight.