Stuck with You

Avengers Tony and Clint Bromance

Clint is protective of Tony with good reason after Hammer, when Hawkeye gets in trouble will Ironman come to the rescue? Sequel to Invisible Glue and Protective tendencies or as stand-alone. Thanks to ZhaLenn and WolfMirage for requesting and the ideas for this one shot.

It was a few weeks after the whole Hammer and Ross situations and some idiot terrorists decided to bomb a highly regarded international bank, it was placed on the higher up under construction floors and the Avenger's were called in to disable it while getting the citizens away from the blast zone.

This mission had started badly and Tony knew something horrible was going to go down on this mission. Clint had come back from a mission, wounded and his bow and arrows were acting up. Tony was about to fix his weapons, but Fury called in a red alert on a potential bombing and they were rushed out to get clear the area and disable the bomb. Everyone had tried to convince Clint to stay back and rest but him being stubborn as a mule and insisted on suiting up with the rest of them. The Captain grudgingly agreed and the team headed downtown. Tony was keeping a very close eye on Clint as he floated in the air above the landing platform on Avengers tower. He saw every wince and flinch the archer gave when the quinjet moved a certain way and he knew Natasha saw it as well.

Everything was going fine, well as fine as trying to find and disable a bomb whilst clearing out the staff of the bank without telling them there was a bomb. Mass chaos was not what was needed in this moment of time. So Captain, Widow and Hawkeye were on the ground moving the staff out. Keeping Bruce in his grip Tony flew his suit up to an opening on the upper floors and together they set out trying to find the bomb, thanks to JARVIS Tony located the bomb quickly and the 2 science brothers set to work on disabling it. Moments later the green light flickered and died as the bomb was rendered useless.

"Why did that feel too easy?" Tony asked Bruce, his voice distorted by his mask as they flew out of the building to land by where the others were herding the staff of the bank.

"I don't have any idea, maybe it was that easy Ton." Bruce suggested as his feet touched solid ground again, he would never get used to flying.

"No, something else must have gone down. To be able to set a bomb in this bank takes major mind power and they weren't stupid enough only to plant one… Son of a bitch! Captain, Hawkeye, Widow! There is another bomb get out of there!" Tony shouted into his COM link as he fired up his suit again and flew back to the building.

"Clint get out!" He heard Natasha shout as the building started to shake.

"I can't!" Came Clint's panicked response and Tony's blood ran cold as his mind went into overdrive. Tony poured on the speed and shot into the open doors of the bank, with a quick thermal scan. Clint was in the vault. He took a quick left and landed inside the vault to see the door was off its hinges and was resting on Clint's already injured body. A dead man in black was lying nearby in a pool of blood but Clint was all Tony could see and he made a beeline to his fallen friend. Using the suit's power he pulled the heavy door off Clint as the building structure around them started to shake more rapidly and cement started to drop down around them.

"Tony?" Was all Clint could rasp out as he breathed painfully through his broken ribs.

"Hey bud, I'm going to get you out." Tony soothed as he bent down to pick up his friend, who didn't make a move against it and that worried Tony more than anything. That was went the second, larger bomb went off and the ceiling came crashing down around them. Doing the only thing Tony could do, he threw Clint down under a metal table before covering the archer's body with his own.

The remaining 3 Avengers watched in silent horror as the bank crashed down, level-by-level. Bruce was waiting for Tony to rocket out dramatically with Clint in tow. The dust settled and he knew that would never happen.

"Ironman? Hawkeye?... Stark? Barton? Report?.. Tony? Clint? Please respond!" Steve begged in a broken voice over his COM link but all he got was static. Natasha sank to her knees as she stared at the wreckage before her, her shoulders started to shake with unheard sobs.

"Ton… Tony, please answer?" Bruce whispered into his own COM link.

"Little help here." Came Tony's broken whisper of pain tense minutes later.

"TONY!" All 3 Avengers cried out in happiness, even Natasha's as she rose to her feet and hope sparked in her eyes.

"That is my name, but it won't be any longer if you don't get these rocks off us." Tony grunted annoyed. "Brucey I think its time for you to go big and green?"

"Only for you Tony." Bruce agreed, as did the Hulk.

"Barton, is he alright?" Natasha snapped.

"Uh…. He's alive but I don't know how long if he isn't treated soon… So big guy chop, chop." Then the line went dead. Bruce without looking at Steve walked towards the wreckage and let the Hulk take over, but they both had finding Tony and Clint in their minds so they could work together to find them.

"So help is on the way bird-brain." Tony informed the semi-conscious archer that was lying injured below him.

"What did I say about that name?" Clint responded weakly.

"I don't seem to recall, you've said it so many times I just block it out now." Tony answered truthfully.

"Why…" Clint spoke up out of the blue.

"Why what?"

"Why did you fly back in?"

"… You saved me from Hammer Clint."

"So you are paying your debt?"

"No you feather head. I'm here because I didn't want you to die… You guys are my family now and… I don't think I could stand it if any of you got hurt or died and I could have done something to save you."

"Is that why you always take all the damage or do something suicidal like going into a worm hole with a nuke?"

"Maybe…"

"… You guys are my family too don't forget that."

"Are we having a moment here? I feel like it's a moment even if the position we are in suggests something else."

"We were having a moment, but then you had to go into the gutter about it."

"It's what I do."

"I've noticed."

"On the bright side at least if we do die you will have a wonderful voice to send you off."

"Personally I rather have Tasha's."

"Harsh, but don't think I won't tell her."

"Tony, I swear if you do…"

"Threatening really."

"…Thanks Tony… If I was going to be stuck inside a destroyed bank on the verge of death I'm like 90% glad it was with you."

"Hey now! Don't talk like you are going to die!"

"I'm pretty far gone Ton…"

"I'll put a reactor in you if I have to, there is no way you are getting out of this that easily!"

"Good to know you care."

"I hear roaring, the big guy is almost here, just hang on!"

"Goodbye Tony."

"Clint? Barton? Bird Brain? Featherhead? CLINT! CLINT!"

"Ugh…"

"Welcome back Bird Brain."

"Tony?"

"I told you that you weren't get out of this that easily."

Fallenqueen2: So I'm going to leave it there. It's now up to your minds; did Tony put a reactor in Clint to keep him alive? Or is he just alive? Maybe Thor showed up? Who knows the choice is up to you.