Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Spoilers for the US Avengers trailer and Iron Man 2.

"Big man in a suit of armor…take that away and what are you?"

Tony wasn't completely sure why he was still thinking about the conversation hours after he should have pushed it from his mind. It was a variation of a statement he had been asked many times over the years by reporters and he had always responded in his usual sarcastic, joking fashion.

"Um…let's see. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

But his casual brush-off hadn't lessened the sting of the question that time. Tony Stark was used to having his judgment questioned, to being the object of gossip and on occasion ridicule. However, it had been a long time since he had last been made to feel like a failure.

He admired Steve Rogers as a kid. He listened to his dad talk about the scrawny boy who became the legendary Captain America and was inspired to work harder, to be better, until he wasn't just the son of Howard Stark. He was Anthony Stark, the man who could create virtually anything, practically a superhero in his own right through sheer talent.

Iron Man just made it more real, giving him the physical power to save the world.

So now he was finally able to meet his childhood hero and the man looked at him as if he could see right through him. He felt vulnerable and ashamed, stripped bare as if all his faults were written across his face and his accomplishments meant nothing.

It reminded him of his father.

He hated it.

Iron Man: Yes. Tony Stark: Not recommended.

"Take that away and what are you?"

He's a man. A man who has many faults and has made a lot of mistakes in his life. He's human. But that doesn't make him less of a hero.

It's about time Captain America, Director Fury, and everyone else started to see that.

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