Tony and Pepper were out of the Stark mansion because they were on date night.

A Jaguar Revision XK pulled up outside the house.

Anastasia "Ana" Romanoff got out of the car, closing the door, looking around, walking toward the mansion.

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Ana walked through the living room of the mansion, looking around. "Jax." She walked toward the stairs. "Oh, Jax?"

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Jax was in the garage, doing exercises, wearing Ana walk downstairs, jumping down, turning around. "Oh, my. Isn't it Miss Anastasia Romanoff? You've been a busy girl, fighting Hydra and telling the government to kiss her ass."

Ana walked closer. "Actually, that was Tatiana."

"Well, you and your mother had no problem following your sister's lead," Jax told her. 

"I might have been a bit too busy for you, but now that all of my covers are blown and I don't have a mission in mind..." Ana trailed off.

"Here you are," Jax finished.

Ana smiled a small smile. "Here I am. And you look exhausted. Worse than most S.H.I.E.L.D agents I've seen. You okay?"

Jax sighed. "Let me guess." He turned away. "You've spoken to my dad."

"Guilty," Ana answered.

"I swear, he gossips worse than an old lady," Jax told her.

"Only when it comes to his concerns for you," Ana told him. 

Jax turned to face her. "So, Dad thought that if he and Rhodey and Pepper can't get through to me, that you can?" 

Ana stopped in front of Jax, looking him over. "Well, he does know how... persuasive I can be."

Jax nodded sarcastically. "Mm. Well, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine."

"Really?" Ana asked skeptically.

"Totally and completely," Jax told her, leaning closer to kiss her hello.

Ana turned her head away, unconvinced, looking up at the ceiling, pacing around Jax. "Jarvis, what's Jax's sleeping schedule?"

Jarvis: "As of the past week, he doesn't have one. Before that, it was spotty. Three hours in a week." 

"And eating?" Ana asked.

Jarvis: "Jackson doesn't seem to have the appetite that he used to. He rarely eats anymore, and when he does, it's small amounts."

"Heart rate, body functions normal with sleep deprivation?" Ana asked.

Jarvis: "Yes, ma'am."

"Would you diagnosis Mr. Jackson Stark here with a case of PTSD after what happened in New York?" Ana asked.

Jax turned to face Ana.

Jarvis: "Absolutely."

Ana turned to face Jax. "Totally and completely fine, huh?"

Jax sighed. "All right, you caught me. I admit it. I'm a piping hot mess. It's been going on for a while. I haven't said anything. Nothing's been the same since New York."

"Oh, really?" Ana asked sarcastically. "I didn't notice that at all. 

"You experience some things, and they're over, you still can't explain them," Jax told her. "Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I'm just a man in a can. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker. I..." He sighed, sitting down. "I don't know anymore."

Ana walked closer. "You're a lot more than what you think you are. You didn't just save us in New York, Jax. You didn't just save Manhattan. You saved the world. And going through that portal and seeing things that we couldn't see... Of course it's gonna mess with your head. I'm here to make sure that it doesn't mess up your life. Starting with helping you get some sleep." Jax smiled a small smile, leaning closer to kiss Ana. Ana put a finger to his lips. "And you're not gonna get anything else until you get some rest."

"Oh, come on," Jax told her. "That's not..."

"I'm gonna be with you," Ana told him.

Jax nodded. "Better."

Ana smiled a small smile.

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It was that night.

Jax and Ana were in his bed, clothed and under the covers. 

Jax was having a nightmare about what went down in New York.

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Flashback - WC Avengers 

Chapter "We Fight You"

Ana, in her Arachne suit, and Jax, in his Gold Strike suit, were down on the ground.

Ana was holding the crossbow and a bag of arrows over her shoulder.

Jax stood behind her, taking her by the waist from behind gently. He flew into the sky, taking Ana to one of the roofs, setting her down, flying away.

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Chitauri flew closer to Ana on the roof, shooting at the roof around her, setting off explosions.

Ana ran away toward the edge of the roof, turning around to shoot one in the head with the crossbow, jumping off the roof. "Jax!"

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In the street where the Chitauri were firing at Tony an Jax and they were firing back, Jax looked up to see Ana falling from the roof through the air.

Jax shot all of the Chitauri with laser light, killing them. He flew toward Ana, catching her from the air, flying away with her in his arms.

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Jax flew toward the portal in the sky with the missile.

Ana, on her roof, watched worriedly.

Jax flew through the portal up to space with the missile. He was flying higher into the darkness with the missile, having trouble breathing. 

The suit started to freeze up.

Jax was starting to fall unconscious. He fell away from the missile, back toward the portal underneath him.

The missile hit against the Chitauri ship in space, exploding, taking it out.

The portal started to close.

Jax fell out of the portal into the sky.

The portal closed behind him just as the explosion from the missile reached it.

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Now

Jax was still trapped in the nightmare.

Ana was awake, noticing. She traced a hand along his arm to settle him down and calm the nightmare, drawing him out.

Jax slowly opened his eyes, tired and disoriented. "Ana?"

"Yeah," Ana answered in a low voice. "It's all right. You're not there anymore. You're here. And you're a hero. Tinker with that."

Jax smiled a small smile.

Ana kissed him gently. 

They settled back in to get some sleep.

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The Mandarin was sending another message on TV. "True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese. They sound Chinese. But they're actually an American invention. Which is why they're hollow, full of lies and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knockoff. The Chinese Theatre. Mr. President, I know this must be getting frustrating. But this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming. Your graduation."

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Happy the driver had been injured in a bombing and a fight with one of Aldrich Killian's men, Savin.

Tony was in Happy's hospital room.

Happy was unconscious.

A nurse checked on him.

"Hi," Tony told her. 

"Hi," the nurse told him.

Tony nodded to the TV. "Do you mind leaving that on?"

"Sure," the nurse answered.

Tony stood. "Sunday nights. PBS. 'Downton Abbey'. That's his show. He thinks it's elegant. One more thing. Make sure everyone wears their badges. He's a stickler for that sort of thing. Plus, my guys won't let anyone in without them."

Tony walked out, leaving.

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Reports were flooding outside the hospital.

"We're awaiting the arrival of Tony Stark," a woman told them. "We're hoping he'll give us the reaction--his reaction to the latest attack." Tony walked outside. The reports clamored around him. "Mr. Stark, hi there. Our sources are telling us that all signs are pointing to another Mandarin attack. Anything else you can tell us?"

"Hey, Mr. Stark," a male reporter told him. "When is somebody gonna kill this guy?" Tony stopped at his car, turning to the reporter. "I'm just saying."

"Is that what you want?" Tony asked. "Here's a little holiday greeting I've been wanting to send to the Mandarin. I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark, and I'm not afraid of you. I know you're a coward. So I've decided..." He pulled off his sunglasses. "That you just died, pal. I'm gonna come get the body. There's no politics here. It's just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon, it's just you and me. And on the off chance you're a man, here's my home address. 10880 Malibu Point. 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked." He took the camera from the male reporter. "That's what you wanted, right?" He threw the camera against the brick wall, breaking it. Reports gasped. Tony looked at the male reporter. "Bill me."

The reports started to clamor again.

Tony got into the car, driving away, leaving.