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Rhodey POV
He woke up slowly, swimming from the blissful dark. He didn't know why it was dark, he didn't remember much.
It was foggy, which was what pushed him to remember.
Then it all came back. Not in spits and spats, not gradually. Not like people say. It was all there.
The Accords.
Tony's exhaustion.
The Airport.
The way he could see what they were headed to.
The Fight.
Then something he had never expected.
To Fall.
He remembered falling for what felt like an eternity, but also fast enough he couldn't breathe. He knew how high he was. He knew his chances. Before he even opened his eyes he performed small tests and the numbness that settled in when he finished.
He always knew this could be in his future.
He still didn't expect it.
He finally opened his eyes and the first this that came to him was -
Where's Tones?
He could not explain it, but dread hit him.
Nurses and doctors came and tried to talk to him but the only question he was interested in right now was where was his brother. Tony would have dragged his half mangled corpse to his bedside. That he wasn't there was much more important than discussing that he'd never walk again. He got that, he'd deal with it later, right now it was not a priority and they didn't understand it until he eventually snapped.
"Get. Me. A. Phone."
Eventually they conceded and he paused for a second because who could he call. Tony had put Pepper and Happy on code pink. The Avengers were what caused this mess. FRIDAY.
"Colonel Rhodes!"
"FRIDAY girl, what's happened. Where is Tony?"
"I don't know!"
What?!?
"What do you mean Fry, where did you have him last? How long has it been?"
"That's the problem. Boss was heading to Captain America to face a potential threat. Due to current circumstances, we decided to scrub the mission data preemptively, with my consent. This would have been fine normally."
"But because he hasn't come back you can't link with the suit?"
"No, I can't find the connection and because we obscured the mission it's made it impossible for me to track the days as it had to be foolproof to anyone accessing the data.."
"Goddammit Tones. Wait, where is Vision. He should know how long it's been."
"After the Airport Vision stepped back and requested no contact unless an emergency."
He scrubbed his hand over his face before he nearly yelled that this is an emergency. But that wouldn't be fair. FRIDAY was so young, expecting her to be like JARVIS was cruel. Especially given the blocks Tony had agreed to have put on her. JARVIS would have been able to track the days Tony had been gone. JARVIS would have ignored Tony and tracked him anyway.
"Contact Vision now. Where did Tony get the location from?"
"Sam Wilson spoke to Boss at the Raft, I have Audio."
"The Raft? What the fuck is The Raft, never mind. Tony first. Play it
" I'll tell you… But you have to go alone… And as a friend. "
" Easy. "
"Tony you fucking walnut."
He listened to the rest and got what he needed.
"FRIDAY, you got hold of Vision yet."
"Yes, he's on the way now."
"Scratch that FRIDAY, send him to these coordinates and send a fully loaded Med-Quinjet. The new ones Tones was working on, tell him to hurry. No way would Tony leave you hanging this long Fry, not unless he was unable to get to you."
"Do you think he's okay?"
"I hope so Fry, now, let's get me out of this bed because I will see him come in."
"I don't think that's wise…"
"What's going to happen Fry, my legs will get more paralysed? I promise I'll take it easy."
"Can.. Can I stay talking to you till we find Boss.. I've been alone and I don't even know how long for…"
"Oh course small Fry. You can keep me company whilst we worry together?"
"Thank you Colonel Rhodes."
He glanced at his legs, willing them to move and only feeling that strange pins and needles feeling in his back.
"I don't think that's me anymore."
"You'll always be Colonel Rhodes to me."
"Colonel Rhodes..?"
"Yes Friday?"
He was still in the stupid bed. Waiting.
"Vision has arrived onsight. Boss is… He's not in good shape."
"But he's alive?"
If he was alive that was what was important. Tension he'd been carrying since he had woken up to a hospital not plagued by Tony Stark loosened slightly.
Then the photos started coming in from Vision.
Then he understood why FRIDAY had wavered.
Now he felt worse than he had before somehow.
The suit was a mess, the chest caught his eye and where was the faceplate? What did that damage? Anything to not see Tony's face as it broke something in him. If FRIDAY hadn't told him that he was alive, he'd think Tony was dead. He looked utterly frozen, he was bruised and bloody, ice was frozen and practically burnt into his face. The following pictures didn't help either.
Getting him out of the suit had been a series in horrific images as it came apart. Severe hypothermia, frostbite were obvious, there were black bruises from whatever fight had left him here. His chest… It was mincemeat. What could cause that?
“Colonel, Vision took some pictures around where Boss was found, whilst they were loaded him. "
"Okaaay? "
She didn't answer and he was slightly puzzled, expecting all of her attention to be on Tony. But a picture of a metal arm came up and his mind was screaming. No. But there it was. The shield that represented so much, to so many people. It fit perfectly in his mind to the damage on the suit. To the damage in his brother's chest.
"Because of the level of bosses injuries they're going to have to stop in Helsinki. His sternum has been shattered and several of his ribs broken as well as his collarbone. There's more too."
"Fucking hell."
"Projections for the multiple surgeries and injuries are not favourable. Amputations are heavily likely."
Shit. Tony would never want this. But he can't let Tony die, not like this. He brought up the file he was looking for and was just grateful Tony hadn't erased it after his surgery.
"FRIDAY. Start formulating what is required Extremis MK 3.7, Override Sierra November Uniform Golf 1 9 8 8."
"I am sending Vision and Dr Cho relevant information, we will have to be back at the compound for administration. I assume you want to organise transport for your medical care to?"
"You got it girl. Make sure Vision stays with him, we need to keep this out of the press"
"Sure thing Colonel!"
Day 1
"4 times. He died 4 times on the operating table and each time was just as terrifying and all I could do was watch. Thinking about the time I had spent away whilst he was out there…"
"It's okay Vis, I know this is new to you, he's still with us."
"But he's so still."
That turned his attention back to his brother. They had a mix of medical staff buzzing around, for the severity of Tony's injuries, the compound was just not that well staffed right now. So some had been outsourced.
He really was so still.
Against medical advice they'd turned down the amputations the previous hospital has recommended. Dr Cho however had pushed for them to agree for his left hand to be removed. It was in bad enough shade that she said the only way Extremis could help it was by growing it from scratch. Even using the cradle there was nothing that she believed Extremis could work on and just leaving it was potentially detrimental.
So Tony lay, cleaned up, bandaged missing his left hand.
They didn't know what to do about his eyes, he was definitely blind. That they knew, his right eye had fared better, but he would still be blind. He privately prayed Extremis would help.
The first time Tony used this slowed down, diluted version of Extremis was to ensure he stayed alive during the surgery to remove the shrapnel. He deactivated it the second it was over, even though it could have shortened his healing time.
He hoped leaving it active would heal the horrendous amount of damage.
Dr Cho and Dr Wu finally brought it in, no one spoke. Everyone looked grim. He squeezed Vision's hand as they injected the orange liquid. Vision couldn't take his eyes of Tony.
Nothing spectacular happened. He didn't know why he thought it would. It wasn't like he hadn't used this before.
"And now we wait."
Day 2
"Any change?"
"No."
"Colonel you need to take a break."
"I can't leave him. I can't let him wake up alone."
Even though Dr Wu said Tones had slipped into a coma.
Even though he was slipping away.
"Just for a little while. I'll come with you. FRIDAY will watch him.
"Colonel. A nurse just took a picture of Boss and sent it to another party before I could catch it!"
"What the fuck. FIND THEM!"
He knew he shouldn't have left his side.
Day 3
The pictures hit the press and things sprialed from there.
There was nothing he could do to contain it or catch it.
Tony probably would have known what to do.
Now Pepper had entered the building, she'd found the picture 10 minutes before he'd called her and to say she was mad would be the biggest understatement of the year.
She swept into the room, like a storm and he just sat. No way was he moving from his vigil again.
"James Rupert Rhodes! How could you let me find out like that! And you idiot, I could have been here for you too!"
"Oh."
"Don't get me wrong. When you look better I'm still hitting you with my shoes."
It was the first time he'd laughed since he'd woken up.
Tony gained 2 new people to hold vigil as he slept.
He was far too still.
Day 4
"It's okay Pepper, I'll keep you both updated, Tony would understand."
"I want to stay, but between the picture and the Accords... Tony would want that."
"Good, I'll keep you updated. The second there is a change you can come straight here."
It was handy, he thought to himself as she left. He rolled back over to the bed with surprising ease. It was shocking how intuitive it was. Although if another person asked him if he had a licence for the chair, he was going to flip.
He tugged the blanket down, he and the doctors kept him covered from his neck down when the orange glow picked up. It had started in his right arm where the injection side was, a dull orange light that followed the pattern of his Veins it was spreading.
With it being active this long it was doing… Something. They didn't know what, but it was still stable. If it changed Tony somehow, he wanted it to be on his terms when people found out.
That wasn't the real reason though.
Tony didn't have many people.
Tony also didn't want Extremis.
If only he knew, then Tony still had the others. He would forgive Vision, he knows that Tony thinks of him like a son even though he hadn't said the words.
He'd carry this alone to ensure Tony still had people after.
Day 5
"The orange has spread quite significantly."
It had, but he was still mad. Dr Wu had just told them that while parts of Tony body seemed to be healing, he was slipping away. His brain activity had decreased.
They were worried he would never wake up.
Dr Cho had put all of her energy into making a new ribcage for him, they temporary struts that had been put in place in Helsinki were causing problems since they injected Tony with Extremis, it was like the body was refusing anything that was not its own. They'd been running tests for something that wouldn't be rejected.
He dropped his head into his hands. He was so tired.
Tired enough that he let vision help him into the second bed that they'd moved to at ones room.
Day 6
"Extremis is helping, but it isn't enough. It's as if he reached his limit and is just unable to keep going."
"If you think that Dr Cho, why are you still working on his ribcage?"
She gave him a wan smile before brushing Tony's hair from his face.
"He wouldn't give up."
"Colonel Rhodes. MamaBear Protocol is in effect."
"Uh FRIDAY? What's that?"
Vision floated over to him with a tablet and suddenly every one of Tony's private servers opened up to him. The first thing was a bunch of potential names for New Avengers, because Tony could never stop planning. His eyebrows jumped as he just started shifting through things.
"Colonel Rhodes, may I draw your attention to this file that I'm supposed to erase when MamaBear Protocol goes into effect, but I'm running a little slow right now and as the new person in control, you can order me to leave it."
Confused but immediately interested, he closed down everything else and brought up the file FRIDAY was indicating. It took him a few seconds of scanning the contents before he realised what this was.
" FRIDAY, don't delete this file! "
" Sure thing Colonel Rhodes."
"You been waiting to tell me about this small Fry?"
"Counting down the seconds Colonel. Would you like me to start synthesising the requirements for ExtremelyExtremis?"
“Sure thing Fry."
Dr Cho started flicking through things looking slightly more enthusiastic.
" Well do the surgery for his ribcage and prep the way for this tomorrow morning?"
He nodded. He wanted it to happen NOW. But he could wait. He wondered what would happen, the dull glow had spread more, this new version of Extremis might worsen it. The cradle closed up around him and he returned to watching.
Day 7
"Surgery went well I assume?"
"Sure did Vis, was worried you were going to be late."
"Ross has been angered by the escape of the others from the Raft, I've been checking on people under Sirs Family Defence Sentinel file. I would not miss something so important however."
"I know Vis."
"I'm no longer conflicted."
He startled, he had not expected that. The Androids feelings for the witch survived a 22 story blasting through concrete.
"Ross informed me that there were deaths caused by the break out."
"Fuck. How many? How?"
"So far 9 have died."
"So far?"
"6 of them were suicides.
He rubbed his hand over his face, he hadn't thought much about the break out. Maybe he should. Tony would want to help them.
He would do what Tony would do.
"Small Fry, start finding information on this for me, Tony would want to help the families."
Vision smiled at him, they'd become quite close this last week, each others rock. He felt the android squeeze his shoulder as Dr Wu walked in with a different vial. This one was much different from the first, the colour was more metallic, gold. It shimmered and it looked like drinks with that weird shimmery stuff in.
He didn't know what he expected to happen, the orange that had now spread through his body started getting brighter. Brighter until it turned almost white. Then he noticed that it wasn't white, it was tinged with blue.
Everyone just watched in shock for a few seconds until Tony's body bowed up and he started seizing.
"What's happening?!"
No one answered him.
Probably because no one knew.
He watched helplessly from his chair until one of the doctors hissed in pain. Pulling back a red palm. The others jumped back too, he couldn't even see Tony now, he was just a bright, bright blue light that was painful to look at.
Day 8
He'd woken up to another suicide and Tony still looked like a damned arc reactor.
He got spots in his eyes if he looked at him too long.
Dr Cho was very annoyed. He hadn't realised how close she and Tony were, but it was very clear they were friends.
He glanced down and started out organising what would be needed for funeral number 10.
Vision not feeling conflicted about Wanda was no longer shocking. Within 30 seconds of the others leaving the raft 4 guards had shot themselves, joining the 2 that had died in the fight. 2 more guards had committed suicide in the following days. This morning, another had been found, having hanged himself in the night even though he'd been released from the psychiatric ward. Which meant he'd planned it and now everyone was back on watch.
He didn't know how Tony did this. Speaking to family members who had lost someone because of the Avengers.
Tony was still a glowing, silent presence next to him.
They weren't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. None of their scans got through. They couldn't touch him without burning whatever touched his skin.
He scrubbed his hand over his face again and got back to work.
That was when he remembered the Family Defense Sentinel that he hadn't even known existed. He pulled it up and found so many names, anyone even vaguely related to the Avengers, all of the family members were on this list. That was also when he found CERBERUS.
He hadn't known Tony had made another AI. He was surprised because he remembered Tony telling him how Steve had banned him from creating AIs.
Meeting CERBERUS had caused a vicious spike of pride, the AI was quiet, he was to remain hidden and protect the people on the list, as Mamabear was in effect, he could speak to him. He spent a few hours just talking to the fledgling AI. Listening to him and FRIDAY talk.
"Come on Tones, wake up. Your kids are amazing and need you."
Day 9
He woke up and knew something was different instantly. The room was no longer flooded with bright, bright blue light that was almost painful to see around.
Dr Cho, Dr Wu and Vision surrounded Tony and he immediately slid into his chair to join them.
It hadn't gone, but it wasn't blinding anymore he could also make out a humanoid shape now and the glow was decreasing. It was around midday when the glow seemed to finally sink back into Tony. He and Dr Wu witnessed it and seeing Dr Wu rendered speechless in shock was going to be something Tony would enjoy.
Although he was pretty stunned too.
For one, he was healed. His limbs were now covered in a fine lace like white scarring. His chest had also scarred over. They looked years old instead of injuries that had happened just over a week ago. But that wasn't the stunning fact. It was the fact that Tony looked like he had in his 20s. His hair didn't have a trace of gray.
Dr Wu moved to do his checks but yelped and pulled his hands back in shock.
"What happened?"
"It was like an electrical shock."
He glanced back to Tony. If they still couldn't touch him then he needed to wake up soon. He already looked too thin. He couldn't bear it if they went through all this and he starved to death if he electrocuted them when they went to touch him.
He returned to his work, one eye on Tony the whole time as he set things up for the 4 new funerals. 14 dead from their little jailbreak. He didn't know what was worse, speaking to the families of the dead… or of the living.
There were some who seemed fine, but two of the suicides had seemed fine before they were left alone. 7 people were completely catatonic. The witch had ripped into 64 guards on duty during the break. With ease. He had to wonder about that, it couldn't be something she just knew how to do.
Which was how he spent the entire day looking into Hydra and their enhanced.
Which was how he found the video.
Of the witch getting her fingers into Tony's mind.
Remembering back to how things were then. To how things were after. As he was setting up all these funerals? God, he could have lost Tony back then.
It was 7pm when he got a call from Pepper. About Harley and Tara, about their mother dying, about Tony being their guardian but social services had not believed the documentation.
It was 7.30 and Pepper had gotten 3 people fired and two kids were coming to him, two kids that had just lost a parent. That probably had seen the picture of Tony in a coma and heard Pepper's official report.
Two kids were coming and Tony remained perfectly still.
Day 10
Harley looked tired.
Tara looked hopeful.
Watching them intently stare at Tony was agonising. He had to explain Extremis because how else do you explain the fact that anyone who touches Tony gets electrocuted.
Fuck..
Lucky he isn't still glowing really.
They liked Vision. Which is good, because even though he knows he should be the one showing them their rooms, he can't leave. Something will happen if he does, because that's what happens.
Plus, he wants to be with his best friend whilst he can.
He's alone when Tony's breathing picks up.
The machines are around him, but none are connected for obvious reasons. Generally he's just grateful that his nightgown survived Tony turning into a glow worm and then becoming sparky. Staring at a buck naked Tony would not have made this increasingly weird situation better.
He rolls over to see if he is potentially going wake up, before he got a word in, Tony sat bolt up, clawing at his face. Fuck, he knew they should have found a way to remove the bandags. He eventually rips them off and then he's too stunned to talk.
His eyes. Or rather. Eye.
Tony is looking right at him but he doesn't think he's seeing him.
There's a second where no one moved, then his right eye. The potentially normal one flashes bright gold and he's screaming again, worse than he's ever heard. It sounds like agony, or something past it and not for the first time, he's left wondering.
'What have I done?'
'Will he ever forgive me?'
Tony abruptly stops and he's left swaying in place, medical professionals around him look lost and Tony stares right at him for what feels like an hour but is more like 30 seconds.
He's not exactly sure what happened next, but EVERY piece of tech in this room, and in 4 rooms in every direction, thank God they're at the compound and no sick people were in those rooms, because everything explodes. Tvs, monitors, people's phones. Thankfully no one is badly injured, just a super superficial cuts. Tony just blinked amongst the chaos and explosions.
Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.
This time though, he isn't ' still.'
He's twitching and moving and every movement loosens something inside him.
Tony was alive.