It had been four months since that horrible mission. Four long, grueling months of Tony laying on a hospital bed on a ventilator and two weeks since Fury gave him his own secret mission. It ate him alive to know that he was the one left to make this choice.
Tony didn't have any living family left, or if he did, none of them ever visited or talked with him, nor did he ever talk about them. So the decision ended up falling down to the next closest. Pepper couldn't bring herself to make the call so she bequeathed it onto Fury, who in turn pushed it onto Steve.
He figured it out by elimination how Nick picked him. Steve knew he didn't pick Thor because he's the son of Odin, he's a god and viewed Tony, along with the rest of them, as a puny, weak humans. After a while Thor changed his opinion on most of his teammates, except for Tony. On top of that, he and Tony started off on the wrong foot and Tony never really got over it, nor did he let Thor forget it. Go figure!
He didn't choose Bruce because he knew Bruce. Bruce was a man full of anger because of what he thought he really was (although everyone know it was nothing but a lie) and would base his decision on angry deduction rather than on a rash, level head.
Steve knew he didn't pick Natasha because, even though she was trained to be a Russian assassin, with no feelings for anything, he knew their past together. He knew the feelings she has or had for him may still be there. He concluded that her feelings would cloud her, otherwise, excellent judgement.
As for Clint, well, he was Clint. No need for explanation on that one.
That left Steve. Level headed, smart, quick-witted, and knew Tony to a point. Nick new they weren't the best of friends. He knew they started off as a team a little bit rocky, but could see they worked past it and held no anonymity towards each other. He knew Steve would base his decision on reasoning rather than feeling.
It was a decision Steve wishes Fury hadn't made. He just hoped he wouldn't live to regret it.
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Authors Note: on stating why he didn't choose Natasha, going by the comics, Natasha and Tony were actually an item at some point within them. Also, on Clint, I love Clint and think he needs more credit than he gets, but I used that as more "comedic" effect.
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Here Comes Goodbye (A Stony Fanfiction)
FanfictionSteve hated Tony, at least that's what Steve always thought. He always thought Tony was too pompous, arrogant, self centered, and that he was too much of a playboy. He KNEW he hated Tony, that was until he was left to make a biggest and hardest deci...
