Phoenix

After Math

It's been a day since Thanos wiped out half of the universe. Turns out I was injured the most, the fall from the trees shattered my left leg, and the wound in my shoulder pain has ended up putting my arm in a sling to help the recovery, the bite marks in my arms will most likely turn to more scars but I have to be pushed around in a stupid wheelchair until either my leg heal or shoulder heals so I can walk around on crutches. We have been trying to contact anyone we can moat of them gone. We tracked Fury and Maria's last locations and Steve and Nat came back with a weird pager. After everything, there is so much damage and chaos everywhere the city's destroyed car accidents and crashes into buildings and more after the drivers were what we are calling blipped from existence.

Steve walks past my room and I have to quickly shout. "Steve?" my voice is still damaged and the purple bruises on my neck hardly healing it makes me feel weak and useless. "Hey little fighter, want me to take you down to the kitchen Nat made you some breakfast. I think she is looking at the pager again..."

I nod and I hate the venerable weakness that sits inside me, Thor and I have taken the blame for not being strong enough to stop him, we were the last line of defence. Everyone has been trying to tell me that I gave it everything I could and never stopped fighting even when I shouldn't have been able to keep going but the responsibility of both my dad and sisters death now piles on top of Pietro's. Tony may still be here if I had stayed two years ago but then I wouldn't have Nat. I should have trained harder and better I should have pushed myself.

"It's still soft food, bruce said that it may be a while before you can eat and talk again properly." He tells me as he pushes me down the corridor, and we pass the room with the blond who looks as tired as me I manage to grab the wheel on the left which causes us to stop and she sees us and comes over crouching down next to me.

"Morning how you feeling?" She kisses my lips carefully as if I am made of glass, I lean my forehead against hers.

"Tired, you need to sleep" I croak out again and she nods kissing my head.

"I know but Fury sent out a signal from that pager and I need to know who was on the other end. You need to rest too Tom, so how about you come and meet me after eating something" She tells me and I nod kissing her cheek and she pats Steve on the shoulder before heading back to the computer hologram she was stood in front of. I sigh and Steve pats my shoulder and pushes me into the kitchen and warms up the porridge and adds some soft fruits and makes some Lemon and Tea to help my throat.

He places it on a tray along with some toast and some fruit for Nat knowing I won't leave the kitchen without it. He pushes me back to the room with the tray on my lap and I leave me at the door with a nod and I smile.

"Eat" I almost order but I didn't leave room for an argument and Nat looks over at me with a smile before pulling me up towards the table and sets up the breakfast for us both to eat together.

After a while, we are watching the population counter as it shows us how many people are missing and Steve is leaning over my wheelchair.

"This is a nightmare," Steve says and I run my eyes before Nat speaks. "I have had better nightmares."

"Hey, so that thing just stopped doing whatever the hell it was doing," Rhodes says as he walks into the room all of us turning to look at him. We all make our way to the little cube and Bruce gives us a brief.

"Whatever signal it was sending finally cramped up."

"I thought we bypassed the battery?" Steve interjects

"We did" Rhodes reply's and I rub at my forehead. "it's still plugged in but it just stopped"

"So the message got to whoever was on the other end?" I crack out I'm surprised anyone heard it and everyone turns back to look at me.

"I want to know who's on the other end of that signal," Nat speaks to the others.

I feel someone stand next to me and look up at this woman in a red, blue and gold suit with blond hair. She doesn't look happy as Nat turns and is face to face with her.

"Where's Fury." She speaks and I laugh a little.

"Now we know." I move to stand putting the weight on my good leg and pushing myself from the chair with my good arm. "Fury is gone, like a lot of others. He called you because we needed you, Thomas Barnes and you are?" I ask but it doesn't sound as strong or convincing as I want it to be with regular cracks and strains in my voice standing ahead of the remaining team and Nat moves to stand at my side grabbing me in so I can put my weight on her and also making sure this new blond doesn't try anything I imagine.

"Carol Danvers..."