Heroes

A Sky Full of Stars

"Did we get 'em all?" Was the first thing Bruce asked when they all reappeared on the platform in the Avengers Facility.

"You mean to tell me this actually worked?" Clint asked in disbelief with a huge smile on his face.

Tony could not hold it in anymore and collapsed to his knees, staring straight ahead of him. The hand that held the stone felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

"Tony?" Bruce's voice broke through the drumming in his ears. "Where's Rhodes?"

Eventually he raised his tear filled eyes to Steve and Banner's, though no words came out of his mouth. Bruce dropped to his knee and punched the ground in frustration. Why couldn't they, for once, all come home?

Tony flinched at the weight on his shoulder, he looked over to see his wife's tear filled eyes. Natasha didn't say anything as she knelt down next to him and pulled him into her embrace. Tony's arms instantly wrapped around her waist and he cried into her chest, and Natasha simply handed the brief case over to Clint and used her, now free, hand to run her fingers through his hair.

She had been through the feeling of loss very few times. The closest she ever came to feeling like Tony was feeling now was when she did not know Tony's fate five years ago, as well as when Fury lay 'dead' on the operating table...and if she was completely honest with herself, when she thought Tony wasn't coming back through the worm hole in New York in 2012.

So she didn't say anything and just let her husband cry his pain out.

—

Two hours later, when Tony finally calmed down enough to have a complete thought. The original six Avengers sat on pier outside of the Avengers Facility. Tony sat on the couch that was there, his eyes glazed over as he stared out at the lake.

Natasha sat next to him, curled into his side, silent tears streaming down her face. She held her husband's hand, rubbing a soothing pattern with her thumb. The red head could not wrap her head around the fact that Rhodey was gone. The man who had been with her when Hammer held them captive, giving her hope that they would get out of it. The man who, much to her stress level, took her son on air plane rides. The man who was not shy to have a tea party with her daughter and Miss. Cuddles.

"Do we know if he had any family?" Clint asked, softly.

"Yeah, us." Steve said after Tony shook his head, since both of Rhodey's parents had already passed.

"What?" Thor asked, angrily.

"Huh?" Clint asked.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Thor asked.

"I just asked him a question." Clint defended, keeping his voice soft for Tony's sake.

"Yeah, no, you're acting like he's dead." Thor explained. "Why are we acting like he's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring him back. Isn't that right? So, stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together."

"Can't get him back." Tony croaked out in a broken tone.

"What...What's he...?" Thor stuttered. "W-Wh-What?"

"It can't be undone." Tony repeated. "It can't." He turned his tear-filled gaze on the God of Thunder.

Thor laughed in denial.

"I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being, okay? We're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive don't you think?" Thor tried.

"Yeah, look, I know I'm way outside my pay grade here...despite being to space THREE times." Tony hissed. "But he still isn't here is he?"

"No, that's my point..." Thor began.