AN: this is a sad fic! No comfort at the end. Also other pairings are highly implied but not focused on.

Tony has never liked Soulmarks. There is no rhyme, no reason, no science behind them. How can they just show up on the body? Why the last words your supposed Soulmate says and not the first. It just makes no sense. And the addition of proof that magic exists, via Thor and his brother don't help because Point Break's words are scratched out and gray and his Soulmate is still alive and kicking or more accurately stabby. So no, Tony does not get Soulmarks, does not get why people obsess over them and fawn over them. They have no structure, the words appear on random places on the body, most commonly on the wrist, but he knows some with them in more obvious spots. Like Pepper, hers is on her cheek for all to see and use against her. His is under his arm, in his armpit, romantic right? Sometimes the words appear in the handwriting of the Soulmate, this is the most common in fact, otherwise it's in perfect size twelve Times New Roman font. Then there are the colors of the words, his are dark green with a purple outline, most are black unless the Soulmate is dead. So in conclusion, Soulmarks suck and his sucks the most. Others have romantic words scrawled across their skins, he has his name. Just one word, in tight neat green letters outlined in purple under his armpit.

The Soulmark that he tries so hard to forget about comes in when he is sixteen. The random timing of Soulmarks is another strike against them in Tony's book. However, Tony likes to use it as a way to know if the stupid, as Pepper and Rhodey like to call them, stunt of his will be the last one he pulls. The late coming, one word Mark is something he clings to in caves with Yinsen. Something that settle his nerves even with shrapnel in his chest. When he betrayed by Stone, because he refuses to call the man by affectionate name now, or any other dangerous situation, like drag racing, it's his Holy Grail. So long as he doesn't hear that one word, his name, he knows he will be fine, his Soulmate will be fine. Pepper the brilliant, wonderful, beautiful, smart, and clearly too good for him woman that is at his side has instructions not to say just his name no matter what. Though with Pepper it's never really instructions just something he really, really wants her to do. And she does so long as he does the same for her and the words on her cheek, the words she hides with makeup.

Because of their closeness most of the world thinks they that they, Pepper and he, are a couple. And in some ways they are. They live together, Pepper has her own floor in the Tower and a room at the Malibu house should she ever decide to get rid of her own house. She spends most of her time with Tony so it only makes sense. They sleep together, platonically and sexually, seeking physical comfort. But they aren't "exclusive" they don't swear to only be each other's and never look at another person in desire. It's about sticking together in a world that paints a target on people's backs if they get so high, it's about security. The tabloids like to spit out the occasional article claiming that Happy and Rhodey are involved some how. Happy laughs these off. He doesn't see either of them that way. Rhodey smiles tightly and ignores the press, he sometimes joins them. Life in the military can be hard and lonely. He's desperately seeking the one who belongs to words scrawled on the back of his knee, but fears he will never find them. And despite all that everything was fine.

Until their relatively small world of five; Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, Jarvis and himself, started to expand. Agent comes first. Pepper keeps trying to insist that his name is Phil Coulson. Which is silly as his name is clearly Agent. Tony likes Agent, even with Agent's almost stuff personality when working but Tony sees underneath that, so he gives Agent a hard time. He rags on him and Agent rags back in his polite manner. They work in an odd, off balanced way. Fury comes with Agent and even nice, kind, 'I give everyone a chance' Pepper doesn't like the super spy that is Nick Fury. His secrets have secrets and it puts them on edge. Then there is Natalie, Natasha, whatever name she chooses to go by. He has mixed feelings about her. Pepper does too. On one hand she's kickass, on the other she lied to him. She spied on him. So when he thinks about her he feels hurt, anger, betrayal along with awe and maybe a small amount of lust. After all of them comes Agent #2, or as Pepper likes to call her Maria. Maria who is Fury's right hand man. Maria who even Natal-Natasha respects... Okay, so Tony isn't a big fan of Agent #2 and he knows it is childish for not liking her just because Pepper does. Just because Pepper is slowly pulling away. Just because it's easy to see that Pepper is falling in love with Agent #2 and they could be Soulmates. Has he mentioned that he isn't a big fan of those? Because he's not.

By the time the Battle of New York rolls around Tony had heard of but not met Clint Barton and Thor, he also comes to the horrifying conclusion that Agent is just as big of a fan or bigger of Captain America as his father was. but he doesn't hold it against Agent like he does his father. Then there is Bruce. Doctor Robert Bruce Banner. Gamma Radiation expert who disappeared for years, who became Big Green when he saved a life. The man he helped a true monster hunt. He's seen pictures of them all of course. Agent likes to leave files at the Tower and pretend that Tony hacked SHEILD. But seeing them in person is different. It probably doesn't help that he waltzed into his first meeting picking on Agent #2 and slipping a bug into the mainframe. Thor's muscles are huge, but deceptively so, Steve doesn't look like the god his father often painted him as and Bruce... Bruce is, if Tony is being one hundred percent honest, fucking adorable; which is stupid. Bruce is a grown ass man, there shouldn't be anything adorable about the salt and pepper curly hair he wants to run his fingers through, or the brown eyes that dart around, constantly looking for a way out, or that purple shirt, which is actually fucking hot, and no he didn't have Jarvis get a still of the security tapes to send to Pepper; he's a playboy not a pervert. Okay that is a lie but he didn't send them to her because he enjoyed how Bruce looked, it was because he wanted to make sure Pepper was okay with him inviting Bruce to stay. And that may be a half lie.

The whole thing with Loki and the Chitauri is a mess but he, er they, end up winning. His world expands and shrinks. The loss of Agent is a harsh one and they nearly lose Barton with it. The fact that the Birdbrain and Agent were Soulmates almost throws him but it explains Agent's disinterest in the Cellist. And they fact that Thor and Loki were Soulmates as well confused all the humans. The Asgardian prince's Mark is scratched out and ugly and painful. Maria moves in on the down low, she thinks so at least but Pepper was glowing when it happened and Tony is a genius. For the rest of the Avengers it takes some charm and promises to get themo move in: Natasha and Clint want to share a floor, they can't stand to be alone right now. Tony makes sure to have a separate floor just encase that changes and they need space. Bruce wants a cage built for Big Green, Tony makes it more like a room than a cage, and Thor just wants a balcony for easy flying. Steve refused for the longest time but Tony persisted, despite Flagboy saying he didn't want to encroach. So when Steve shows up, sad and lost, ear held by an angry and equally lost Agent #2 Tony is man enough not to laugh. He does however gloat at the shock and awe on Steve's face when the Capsicle sees his floor complete with a small art studio. He doesn't like thinking how two... No three strays get taken in. Sam Wilson and the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier, who has ridiculous puppy dog eyes that are brown just like a certain someone he can't say no too. Steve promises that Bucky is more Bucky than Winter Soldier and that Wilson and Jarvis can help keep an eye on him. He folds and throws his hands up in the air when Natasha waltzes in with someone that Thor calls Darcy. A strategic retreat is required for that.

It's almost not fair, seeing at least three love struck people wherever he goes in his home. Especially since Bruce seems to be happily oblivious to Tony's plans to woo him. And no Pepper, giving Bruce four labs in the Tower and half the lab in Malibu is not wooing! But other than that life is good.

Then a journalist comes, wants to interview the Avengers. Swears they won't ask invasive questions, that they are willing to do whatever is needed to make the heroes feel safe. They understand anonymity, they say. And really that should have been a warning. Tony should have know. But everyone agreed to it so he let it slide. And nothing came from his paranoia at first. Just a few pings that could have just been SHEILD appearing in Jarvis' network, in the security network. But Tony waves it off, if the three spies/assassins that are even more paranoid than him see nothing wrong with it there must not be anything to see. He still adds a few new layers of firewall just in case and forgets about it. Because by this time he's taken Bruce on two small dates. Two wonderful dates where he got to see Bruce smile. Not just the tiny, unsure, shy smile but a full blown crooked smile that Tony wanted to kiss of that tan face. And gods the twinkle in Bruce's fucking eyes made him feel drunk. Then there is that sweet, sweet blush and the feel of calloused hands brushing his. Perfection in it's simplicity. By what Tony calls the fourth date, a week together in Malibu, Tony is sure that Bruce is his Soulmate and he swears off dangerous things. But on that date the Tower goes dark for a few minutes. Pepper doesn't think it's a big enough deal to interrupt. She'll later say that it was the beginning of the end.

As shit started to hit the fan rapidly after that. It's General Ross. The fucking bastard with a hard on the size of Texas for Bruce. He got lucky with some Hammer Tech. Which is insulting, very insulting! He leads them on a wild goose chase, gets Bruce alone and takes him. The the mustachioed asshole video calls them to gloat! All Tony can see is Bruce. Sweet Bruce who was coming out of his shell. Bruce who even Bucky liked. Bruce who looks so ill with tubes and wires and machines hooked up to him. There is a sickly green liquid being pumped into Bruce and the effort that it takes Bruce to lift his head fills Tony with rage. He's on autopilot, barely hearing the one whispered, lisped word that Bruce breathes out. In the back of his mind it registers, it laughs at him. But he pays no mind to that swearing, promising to find Bruce, to save him. The exact words escape him but they don't matter, Bruce does.

The speed that Jarvis delivers the location of Ross is amazing but Tony knows it's because Jarvis is angry in a way only a sentient AI can be. The Avengers assemble quickly, efficiently, deadly, ready for a hunt and to get their friend back. Steve doesn't even hesitate with fighting the soldiers under Ross' command that try to stop them when they reach their destination. And it's almost poetic how the soldiers stumble and freeze when they realize they've pissed off their Idol. It's almost easy gain access to the base, too easy and to make things worse they split up. One by one hunting for their Bruce. It's pure luck, good or bad, that it is Tony who finds Bruce. The room is white, the floors, the walls, the bed, the clothes, Bruce's skin, it's all fucking white. White and bright and sickly green that glows. Tony throws up, lifting up his face plate has he starts to heave. The stomachs acid burns and he blames that for his tears. Bruce has only been gone a week and he already looks dead. But the machines hooked up to him tell Tony otherwise. And that is probably the only thing that keeps Tony from breaking down.

Bruce is all Tony can focus on in that room, his heart returning to it's proper place when Bruce's eyes flutter open. Eyes so brown and glazed slip and slither around the room, focusing on nothing. Tony wants to say something, anything but the words catch in his throat like a piece of apple. They lodge there, chocking him, muting him as he rushes single mindedly to Bruce's side. The words he so desperately want to say come out as sounds, almost animalistic as his hands reach out to touch. This close to Bruce, Tony can see a new color, dark red staining white. And really Tony should have known better than to zone in on one thing. To forget about the danger still lurking. So the sharp almost electrical shock that knocks him to his knees stuns him. The air is knocked out of his lungs and no matter how much he gasps he can't bring air into his lungs. Thunder sounds in his ears, he is going to complain to Thor for this, and he is roughly flipped onto his back. Bile rises in his throat, catching there just like his words and he gags to the amusement of Ross. Ross who is monologuing like a true villain. It would be annoying if Tony could hear anything over the thunder claps, shrill whistles and pounding knocks in his mind. Dimmily, his eyesight is tunneling and focusing on Bruce, he sees Ross pull out a gun. Sees the fat man aim it at his head. He tries to move, truly he does but his body won't listen and he just wants to sleep curled up next to Bruce. For this to be a nightmare.

It's probably a blessing that he doesn't hear the gun go off or hear Bruce's pain filled scream. That he doesn't feel the bullet pierce his skull. That he misses seeing Bruce's back arch as he screams like a horse with a broken leg, high pitched and chilling. The red and gold letters on Bruce's palm glowing and burning like a hot poker. Ross just laughs at Bruce's pain. After all he just killed Iron Man and broken the Hulk.

Be it poetic, ironic or just plain Justic, Ross doesn't see Black Widow creep into the room. He's taunting Bruce, gesturing at Tony's body and aiming half hearted kicks at the downed Avenger. She uses his distraction to jab Ross in the back, to bring him to his knees. He shivers at the feel of cold metal on the back of his head and she waits for Bruce to look at her, not Tony, not Ross, her, before pulling the trigger. Then with gentle touches she unhooked Bruce from the machines. Trying to lead him out of the room is useless so she drags Ross' body away from Tony's and stands guard as Bruce collapses next to his Soulmate.

"You can't leave me... You have to save me remember? You said you were going to come save me."