Metallic Hearts {Metallic Charms Book #2}

Chapter 3: Shock

Chapter 3: Shock

~~~~~~~~~~~{Third Person}~~~~~~~~~~~

Tony Stark sat in the cold plastic chair at six thirty AM, holding Noel Barton's hand and staring at her face. This was the first time he'd seen Noel in three weeks since he'd been kicked off the hellicarrier. 

Three weeks, yet she'd barely changed at all. She still had long, wavy brown hair, rosy cheeks and the most peaceful face he'd ever seen. The only difference now, was that she was cold. From what he could tell, by listening in on doctor's conversations that he really wasn't supposed to be hearing; her core body temperature was dropping rapidly and no one knew why.  

Not even Bruce knew.

"Wake up." Tony whispered desperately. "If not for me, then at least for Clint, or Steve, or Bruce, or Tasha -or even Fury."  

No change.

"I've tried that." Someone said from behind him, Tony knew exactly who it was. The unmistakable voice of Captain Steve Rogers. 

"What are you doing here?" Tony asked snappily, without turning his head.  

"Same thing you are." Steve shrugged leaning against the wall.  

"Well, she's getting worse so, so say your goodbyes now." Tony said maliciously.

There was a long pause before Steve answered, "You really think that, don't you?"  

Tony didn't say anything.  

"You really think she's going to die." Steve breathed.

"No one knows anything, Rogers. Not even Banner knows what's going to happen." Tony felt like weeping. The one time he felt like he'd finally found someone he could relate too, someone he could spend more than one night with, she was taken away from him because of some stupid science experiment.

Steve walked around to the other side of the bed and kneeled down so he could look into Tony's eyes. "She's strong, Tony. She'll get through this."  

"And what if she doesn't?" Tony asked, "Then we go on acting as if nothing ever happened? We replace her like you replaced Peggy?"  

Steve snapped, "Sky is not a replacement for Peggy, Stark. And she is definitely not a replacement for Noel. Sky is here because she needs us, and we need her. I need her."  

Tony closed his eyes tightly, trying to shut out the world and wishing that Steve would just go away.

"We all miss her Tony." Steve said gently.  

"Is this what it felt like?" Tony asked, his voice strained.  

Steve frowned, "Like what felt like?"  

"When you woke up and found out you lost Peggy -is this what it felt like?" Tony asked, looking everywhere but into Steve's eyes.  

Steve sighed and nodded, "Yeah."

A few moments after the heart to heart, Sky opened the door after knocking quietly.  

"Steve?"  

"Hey." Steve smiled and found himself feeling happy just by catching a glimpse of Sky. "What are you doing here?"  

"Natasha told me you'd be here." Sky shrugged and noticed Noel. "What happened?"  

"Uh," Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Sky, this is Noel Barton."  

Sky's mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe it, this was the girl she'd been sent to kill all those years ago. The girl who had gotten her into so much trouble.  

Sky stepped into the room and closed the door. "What happened to her?"  

"She got hit with an arrow during the fight against Loki about a month ago. She hasn't woken up." Steve explained.  

"She's been experimented on. Dr. Banner thinks that's why she won't wake up, her body doesn't know how to cope anymore." Tony chimed in.  

"Wow." Sky breathed. That was intense, no wonder everyone had been a little cold towards her. "So I'm her replacement? That's why no one likes me?"  

"No!" Steve exclaimed, "You're not her replacement. And you and Tasha seem to be getting along great."  

"Yeah, but Clint still hates me." Sky rolled her eyes.  

"You don't like him either." Tony pointed out and Sky didn't say anything in response.

* * *

Dr. Banner stepped into the room at about three PM. Sky and Steve were in the gym and Tony had been sent back to Stark Industries again. The doctor sighed and got to work. He was behind in tests.  

Bruce wheeled Noel to the MRI scanner and gave her a CT scan as well before taking her back to the room, taking some more blood and checking her wound.

Every time he'd inspected her wound on the left side of her torso where the arrow had been removed, it had been as open and any looking as the first time he'd seen it but today was different. 

It was gone.

Bruce took away her bandage completely and there was nothing there at all. No scratch, no blood, no scar. Nothing. He frowned in confusion and hooked her back up to the heart rate monitor and IV drip.  

With the viles of blood in hand and test results emailed to himself, he headed out of the room just as all hell broke loose.

* * *  

Authors Note: Hey! So, chapter 3 :) yay. And now, we are getting somewhere! Interesting stuff is happening!  

What did you guys think of the Tony & Steve moment at the start? I almost cried while writing it.  

Why do you think all hell has broken loose?

Anyways, next upload will be tomorrow!  

Until next time, comment, vote, like!  

*huggles* arielleblack