Once Upon a December

02

AVENGERS COMPOUND

The heroes were sitting in a living room area. Tony was sitting at a table, getting blood for healing. A holographic casualty report listed the names and faces of those lost to the decimation.

Nessa stood apart from everyone, looking at the picture of Bucky whilst blinking back tears.

"It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth," Rhodey said.

"World governments are in pieces," Natasha informed. "The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did... he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent, of all living creatures."

"Where is he now?" Tony asked. "Where?"

"We don't know," Steve replied. "He just opened a portal and walked through."

A sullen-looking Thor was sitting on a bench, seemingly deep in thought.

"What's wrong with him?" Tony wondered.

"Oh, he's pissed," Rocket said. "He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that's going around, ain't there?"

"Honestly, until this exact second, I literally thought you were a Build-A-Bear."

"Maybe I am."

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now," Steve said. "Deep Space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him."

"Who told you that?" Tony asked, surprised. "I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight."

"Okay."

"He's unbeatable."

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?" Nessa asked.

"Pfft! I saw this coming a few years back," Tony said. "I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming."

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

Tony began to seethe. "And I needed you. As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?" Tony stood, pushing things off the table with a clatter. Everyone winced at the noise. "I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling all youse-" He went for Steve.

Rhodey quickly came in front of him, trying to stop him. "Tony, Tony, Tony!"

"Alive and otherwise what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not- that's what we needed!"

"Well, that didn't work out, did it?" Steve shot back.

"I said, "we'd lose". You said, "We'll do that together too." And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers, we're the Avengers. Not the Prevengers."

"Okay," Rhodey said.

"Right?"

"You made your point. Just sit down."

"Okay..."

"Okay?"

"Nah, nah. Here's my point. You know what?"

"Tony, you're sick."

Tony, referring to Carol, said, "She's great, by the way."

"Sit down. Sit."

"We need you. You're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules!" Tony walked up to Steve's face, his voice hushing down to a venomous whisper. "I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar."