p • r • e • s • s • u • r • e

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He nods.

"Okay."

The scientist climbs onto the bed next to him.

"Tony, this is gonna hurt. I'm so sorry."

He wipes off the small module with his shirt, picks some debris out of the chest cavity and slowly slides it in, hearing it click into place. The reactor glows bluish green, making a whirring sound. Tony smiles sadly.

"Y-you d-don't want to se-e this," he says.

"Shh, I'm gonna be here the whole time."

"No, I want-I can be al-lone, I-gonna hurt, a lot. M'serious. Y-you don't wan-want to be h-h-ere, Bruce."

"Tony, shhh. It's ok."

"No, listen-undern-neath the armoire, there's a g-g-gun."

"Tony-"

"Shut up-if it gets b-bad, I need y-you to end m-me."

Bruce's features contort in horror.

"What? No, I can't do that. You'll be okay."

"I n-need you to do thi-s."

He frowns down at his chest.

"Huh. I d-don't think it's...starting uhh-UUUPPPP! NGGKKKKKKK!"

His body seizes up and he writhes in pain as the electricity shocks through his system, gritting his teeth. 

GAAAH!" Bruce squeezes his hand.

"aaAAARHHhhOOWWWWWW, FUCK!"

His breathing slows a little and he looks exhausted, his chest still aching.

He swallows, his mouth dry and whimpers.

"Fuck..."

He's sobbing now, a complete mess. The pain refuses to dissipate.

IwannadieIwannadieIwannadieIwannadieIwannadieIwannadieIwannadie

He tries to catch his breath.

"You okay?"

"It's-ahh-it's like an ass plug for my chest, Jesus, except it's not even fun!"

They both laugh, Tony immediately regretting it as a stabbing pain penetrates deep into his body. Tears leak from his eyes.

"Mmmmmmmmmmithurts."

"I know baby, I know. I'm so sorry."

"Nah, it's my own-" his breath hitches.

"My own faul-GAHAAAHD, SHIT!"

Bruce wraps his arms around him, not sure what else he can do. Tony is alarmingly thin.

"It's gonna be okay."

Tony shakes as the pain racks his frail body, a little blood leaking from his mouth.

He feels like he's breaking.

"Bruce it hurts so bad ohmygod, I wanna die please it hurrrrts. Just a-ask Hulk, it'll-ARGH-it'll be p-painless. Please, just...just squ-ueeze-NN-my n-neck won't-feel-a th-thing."

It's all Bruce can do to keep from crying.

"J-just-gun, undern-neath the-"

He screams and bangs his head against the headboard, grasping and tugging viciously at his necklace in an attempt to strangle himself.

"Stop, Tony..."

The engineer breaks free of Bruce's grasp and collapses on the floor immediately, crawling over to the window and desperately trying to hoist himself up and out of it. He smashes a picture frame and stabs himself with one of the shards again and again, the paper-thin glass just breaking against his stomach. The scientist's heart breaks.