Second Chances - Book 1

Chapter 24: Endgame - Part 1

Returning to the compound, Natasha was accompanied by Grace. The terrified girl was undoubtedly relieved to have been found in her hiding spot within the Barton's barn. After watching those so close to her turn into dust... it remained heavily impressionable on the young girl's mind. Even after the loss of her children, Natasha still tried to provide such maternal care.

One evening after tucking Grace into bed with Hugs, Natasha was closing the bedroom door when she felt the vibrations in the air tremble the door within its frame. She turned in the corridor to see Steve emerge freshly shaven from the bathroom, sharing the same concerned expression before they both raced outside, accompanied by Bruce and Rhodey. Pepper had beaten them all outside, holding out all hope Tony might return. 

The Benatar descended slowly, carried by a burning source of light that was soon discovered to be a woman. 

A blue woman helped a very malnourished Tony down the ramp of the ship and onto the grass of the compound's lawn. Steve rushed forward to greet his old friend, steadying the man himself.

"I couldn't stop him."

"Neither could I."

"I lost the kid." Tony's face was wretched with guilt, eyes glistening with tears amongst sunken features.

"Tony.. we lost." 

"Is Pepper-"

The blonde woman rushed forward, Steve giving room for her to envelope Tony in a near bone-crushing hug. Rocket moved to sit beside Nebula, the pair sharing unspoken comfort in one another's presence. 

The group waited until morning, when Tony had eaten and was better rested, to come together and give intel. Natasha and Steve both hoped to somehow come up with any plan to recover all that was lost. As a holographic display routinely displayed the faces of the vanished. Wanda, Shuri, T'Challa, Groot... Tony watched from his wheelchair, an IV connected to his arm.

"World Governments are in pieces, as you can imagine." Natasha began. "But the partsthat still work are trying to takea census. It looks like he did... He did exactly what he said he was going to do..." Her emerald gaze glanced over to the display just as both Vinny and Nessy's pictures appeared. Biting down on her tongue, Natasha tightened her lips and smothered the rush of intense pain that clutched her chest. "Thanos wiped out... 50% of all living creatures." James, Sam, and finally Peter were displayed before Tony looked away. Rhodey decided then was the time to shut off the display.

It gradually came to light that not only Earth had been affected. Carol was clear that the same was happening everywhere else. Thor mulled deep within himself, eyes holding darkness rarely before possessed. Around him, the team continued to chat until the tone started to head south. "We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks. Deep space scans, satellites - we got nothing. Tony, you fought him-"

"Who told you that? I didn't fighthim. No, he wiped my face with a planetwhile a Bleecker Street magiciangave away the store. There was nofight because he's not beatable." Tony spoke with a simmering rage.

"Did he give you anything to go on?Clues, coordinates-" Rather than answering the question, Tony scoffed, mocking a salute whilst simultaneously blowing a raspberry. He then went on a tangent of his own.

"I saw this coming, a few years back.Didn't wanna believe. I thought Iwas dreaming..."

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus." Steve was quickly losing patience, speaking up before an equally as impatient Natasha started to seek answers with fists rather than words.

"And I needed you, as in past tense.That trumps what you need. It'stoo late, buddy. Sorry. You know what Ineed?" Tony ranted, pushing himself up to stand, sending the bowl of soup he had been given to the floor. "I need a shave and a burger, not abowl of soup. And I believe I remember tellingall of you, alive and otherwise,that we needed a suit of armouraround the world, remember that? Whether itimpacted our precious freedoms ornot. That's what we needed." His voice grew louder with each progression.