In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

Heart & Soul

"Okay, okay," interrupted Steve. "Did he give you any clues? Any coordinates?"

Tony made a fart noise from his mouth. He slouched back in his chair, casually admitting, "I saw this coming a few years back. Had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it, thought I was dreaming."

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus," said Steve.

"And I needed you. As in past tense. And that trumps what you needed. It's too late, buddy. Sorry," he said, though we all knew he truly wasn't apologetic. He stood, slamming his hands on the table, sending the plate of crackers and his drink falling over. "You know know what I need? A shave," he continued. He ripped the IV from his wrist. "You know I remember telling you that what we needed was a pseudo armor around the world remember that? Whether it impacted our precious feedroms or not. That's what we needed."

Steve watched Tony sadly. Softly, he said, "Well, that didn't work out, did it?"

"I said we'd lose. You said we'll do that together too. And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there," snarled Tony, his body trembling with not just malnutrition any longer but rage, remorse. "But that's what we do. Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers. Not the Prevengers-"

Rhodey stepped forward and grabbed Tony, as he was looking wobbly. "Okay," he muttered to him. "You made your point. Just sit."

"No, you know what, here's my point: she's great!" said Tony, pointing to Carol. "We need you, you're new blood." He turned back to Steve, walking right up to him. They stared at each other, each hurting the other with what they had done, what they were doing.

"We're a bunch of tired old mules. I got nothing for you, Cap, nothing. No coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options— zero, zip, nada. No trust. Liar," snapped Tony. He ripped off the nanotech diamond from his chest and palced it in Steve's hand. "Here. Take this. You find Thanos, you put that on, you hide."

Tony dropped unconscious on the floor in front of Steve's feet. I was quick to catch his head with my green energy, stopping him from hitting it against the floor. I dropped him gently onto the floor.

"Do you still have a bed back in Med?" I asked Bruce. When he nodded, I scooped a portal underneath Tony's body and placed him onto a bed in the Medical Bay of the Compound.

Bruce, Pepper, and Rhodey stepped through my portal to be with him.

"We'll give him a sedative, he'll probably be out for the rest of the day," said Bruce.

We nodded. I closed the portal.

"You guys take care of him and I'll bring him a Zhor Elixir when I come back," decided Carol. She turned on her heel and began to leave the Compound.

Natasha, Steve, and I shared a confused look before hustling to follow after her.

"Where are you going?" asked Steve.

Carol turned and stopped. "To kill thanos."

Clara. Hear me.

I stopped in my tracks. I turned from the group to seek quiet. I heard the Stone, it was speaking to me, but it was soft and distant. After a month of radio silence, it reached to me, across the universe. I was desperately trying to hear it.

Clara, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Clara. Hear me. Please.

"What are you talking about? Slow down," I mumbled, placing my hands on my head. I closed my eyes, and they moved across my eyelids in fast beats. I tried to focus. 

Clara. He's going to destroy us. He's going to make it permanent. This is my end. Clara. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

My eyes shot open. "No, where are you? Where are you, tell me where you are, I will save you."