Inception part 2: Iron on Metal
I'm sorry, sir. Another dead end.
Iron Man came to rest on a dingy rooftop, somewhere in a small town at the edge of Seattle. "You are really starting to sound like a broken record, Jarvis. Can't you find another song?" Tony had been looking for Bruce ever since he disappeared. He had been in Switzerland when the news reached him that he'd escaped. Or rather the other guy had taken him for a joy ride through the whole U. S. of A. nonstop for a week. Tony'd left a thousand investors still sipping gourmet coffee and flown back but it was too late. Bruce and the Hulk were gone, not one trace of them.
A month later, he was still looking. Pepper was getting on his case about this but he was a stubborn man. Bruce was his friend, one of the few he had, and if he was beating himself up somewhere because his girlfriend was....was dead, then Tony needed to at least be there for him. He honestly wasn't sure what he'd say when he found him, but one thing at a time. Tony was used to winging it anyway.
"Okay, lets go over that range of warehouses in the back, boost the scanners up to maximum. Don't give me any lip, Jarvis, I am not going home empty handed today." He took off, flying as slowly as he dared through the low rent district. He hated that little voice that kept popping up to tell him this was a waste of time. Bruce was probably in another country altogether. Or trying to off himself again. Or...
Sir, I'm picking up a faint trace of radiation from the second floor of that abandoned apartment complex.
Ten minutes later, Tony was forcing the door open, his helmet retracting so he could see the room. His jaw set, hoping that he wasn't seeing this for what it was.
Bruce was sprawled out on the dingy bed, a case of drugs at his side and a needle in his arm. A really big needle. A really big empty needle. Tony didn't even move for a moment or two. "...Jarvis."
He is alive, however he appears to be in a medicated coma. Tony let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and quickly moved to Bruce's side to pull out that syringe. He didn't know what Bruce had shot himself up with, he could only hope it was reversible. That Bruce wouldn't be a vegetable for the rest of his unnatural life. "Jarvis, scan all the paperwork in here and the drugs, send someone to pick them up." He gathered the 98 pound scientist into his arms, the helmet sliding back into place. "I'm only going to say this once, Bruce. Don't go green on me yet."
The flight back to Stark Tower was tense but uneventful. Tony had a medical setup waiting for him and Bruce when they got there. Doctors and nurses going to work on him to find out what had happened. Considering what was known about dreamsharing and what Tony could dig up from Shield that was classified, it wasn't too hard for him to figure out what Bruce had done. He was still in REM sleep and didn't show any signs of waking.
When the doctors couldn't find a way to wake him after a day, Tony took matters into his own hands. It was just the way he did things. Starting where people said "Impossible!" and making it happen. He shooed out all but two of the medical personnel for this, knowing he was risking their lives as well as his own if he pulled this off. Another medical bed was procured next to Bruce, Tony preparing to jump into whatever dreamscape he had come up with. Considering it was the Hulk in there too, Tony hoped this wasn't going to be as painful a trip as he thought it might be. With Pepper looking on nervously, Tony gave her a mock salute before going under....
Iron Man came to rest on a dingy rooftop, somewhere in a small town at the edge of Seattle. "You are really starting to sound like a broken record, Jarvis. Can't you find another song?" Tony had been looking for Bruce ever since he disappeared. He had been in Switzerland when the news reached him that he'd escaped. Or rather the other guy had taken him for a joy ride through the whole U. S. of A. nonstop for a week. Tony'd left a thousand investors still sipping gourmet coffee and flown back but it was too late. Bruce and the Hulk were gone, not one trace of them.
A month later, he was still looking. Pepper was getting on his case about this but he was a stubborn man. Bruce was his friend, one of the few he had, and if he was beating himself up somewhere because his girlfriend was....was dead, then Tony needed to at least be there for him. He honestly wasn't sure what he'd say when he found him, but one thing at a time. Tony was used to winging it anyway.
"Okay, lets go over that range of warehouses in the back, boost the scanners up to maximum. Don't give me any lip, Jarvis, I am not going home empty handed today." He took off, flying as slowly as he dared through the low rent district. He hated that little voice that kept popping up to tell him this was a waste of time. Bruce was probably in another country altogether. Or trying to off himself again. Or...
Sir, I'm picking up a faint trace of radiation from the second floor of that abandoned apartment complex.
Ten minutes later, Tony was forcing the door open, his helmet retracting so he could see the room. His jaw set, hoping that he wasn't seeing this for what it was.
Bruce was sprawled out on the dingy bed, a case of drugs at his side and a needle in his arm. A really big needle. A really big empty needle. Tony didn't even move for a moment or two. "...Jarvis."
He is alive, however he appears to be in a medicated coma. Tony let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and quickly moved to Bruce's side to pull out that syringe. He didn't know what Bruce had shot himself up with, he could only hope it was reversible. That Bruce wouldn't be a vegetable for the rest of his unnatural life. "Jarvis, scan all the paperwork in here and the drugs, send someone to pick them up." He gathered the 98 pound scientist into his arms, the helmet sliding back into place. "I'm only going to say this once, Bruce. Don't go green on me yet."
The flight back to Stark Tower was tense but uneventful. Tony had a medical setup waiting for him and Bruce when they got there. Doctors and nurses going to work on him to find out what had happened. Considering what was known about dreamsharing and what Tony could dig up from Shield that was classified, it wasn't too hard for him to figure out what Bruce had done. He was still in REM sleep and didn't show any signs of waking.
When the doctors couldn't find a way to wake him after a day, Tony took matters into his own hands. It was just the way he did things. Starting where people said "Impossible!" and making it happen. He shooed out all but two of the medical personnel for this, knowing he was risking their lives as well as his own if he pulled this off. Another medical bed was procured next to Bruce, Tony preparing to jump into whatever dreamscape he had come up with. Considering it was the Hulk in there too, Tony hoped this wasn't going to be as painful a trip as he thought it might be. With Pepper looking on nervously, Tony gave her a mock salute before going under....