Infinite ★ Steve Rogers [6] ✓

Fourteen

"Noted." She said, going back to eating but at a more casual pace this time. "This is so good, Rhodes." She pointed to the food with her fork.

"Glad you like it." He replied, taking a seat at the table. "So when you say you think you know a way to get them back, how do you mean?"

"Well, when we were up on whatever planet we were on, Stephen, my friend who is a sorcerer, used the time stone to look at all the possible ways the fighting could go." She began to explain, opening a bottle of water Nat had given her before she sat down next to her. "When he was done, he had seen fourteen million outcomes. There were a couple more but I can't remember the exact number."

"Fourteen million?!" Bruce exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise at the number.

"Yep. And guess out of fourteen million ways, how many did we apparently win?" The table didn't say anything.  "One. One way that we win out of fourteen million." That revelation hit the team like a tonne of bricks and made all their stomachs drop.

"So, are we in that one way or not?" Natasha asked.

"I think so. Stephen gave the stone to Thanos after he stabbed Tony in the side. He saved Tony's life by doing so, even though he swore an oath to protect the stone with his life. I do remember him saying that he would let any of us die before he gave the stone away, and he said that before he saw the outcomes. So he saved Tony's life by giving Thanos what we were trying to keep from him, and he told me, before he dusted away, that 'it was the only way'. I didn't know what that meant until I figured it out whilst we were lost in space for 22 days or however long it was." She said, then put some pasta into her mouth.

"Tony's important to the one way coming true." Steve realised, and Ashley nodded.

"That's what I think. Tony does something to make us win, even after all we've lost. He creates something, or he comes up with something that get's us to win. It's the only explanation."

"That's why you were so willing to starve yourself." Rhodey realised, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah. So, I'm gonna talk to him. I don't think he'll turn away from seeing if what I think is true, is actually true."

"It might not be that easy. You know what's Tony's like."

"Rhodey, he saw someone that I know he see's as a son, die in front of him and practically in his arms. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't take this possibility and see where it leads." She said, taking another sip of her water.

As soon as Ashley finished her food, she went to Tony's room and showed both him and Pepper that she was awake and okay. The two of then hugged her like they were never going to hug her again, before they sat down and talked. The conversation was going well, until Ashley brought up what she had to the others.

"That's bull!" Tony exclaimed.

"It's not. Tony, he saved your life for a reason and that reason is the one way we win. I firmly believe you do something that allows us to-"

"Okay, stop." Tony cut her off. "Ash, you're thinking way too much into this."

"I'm not."

"You are. Look, Ashley we lost, okay? And we were too late."

"You're really going to not even look at the possibility?"

"You know what, no. I've given too much to this team. So how about you all do something for a change. Ask the man you love to do something."

"Tony-"

"Ash, I love you. I do. You're my best friend. But I'm tired. I'm tired of mopping up everyone's mess. I just want to live a life I should have had if I hadn't been pulled into this crap. So, I'm sorry, but I'm no longer part of your Avenger gang. I can't do it anymore."