Over The Edge. | Steve Rogers.

twenty three.

Issac stared out of the large windshield on the ship as they hovered in space. They'd manage to repair the ship and charge up enough fuel to fly for about two days before all hope was lost. They'd been hovering for about twenty days after that now. They were out of food. They were running out of oxygen, while Nebula may not need that Tony, and even Issac, still did. He'd make an attempt to teleport them back to Earth but being so far away it was too risky.

At least space was peaceful, quiet, beautiful even. Endless streaks of bright light and colors, stars, planets in the distance. He was viewing what scientists and NASA may never view for another fifty years, and not just through pictures or a telescope. He was actually seeing it. If tomorrow was his last morning alive, at least he'd cherish his final moments. His only regret is that he couldn't share this moment with Steve.

He frowned, thinking about Steve. Was Steve even still there? If he was, what was he doing now? Did he try to fight Thanos? Probably, knowing Steve. But would he worry? Would he mourn, once he realized Issac was never coming back? Would he keep going or would it finally break him? He rubbed his face, sighing tiredly. He couldn't think about this. It would break him if he did.

He glanced over at Tony briefly, watching as he recorded another one of his messages to Pepper through his helmet. He'd lost a lot of weight. He looked weak and sick. The battle had taken a lot out of him, more than it had of Issac and Nebula. Even if they didn't run out of oxygen tomorrow, there was no telling how much longer Tony would be able to go on without proper nutrition.

He sighed, turning away from him again. It was painful to watch Tony slowly deteriorate like this. He looked out at space once again, wincing as it suddenly began to get brighter. For a moment, he worried that a nearby star had exploded and they were about to be burnt alive in the most painful way possible, alone, lost in space forever. His eyes began to adjust to the light and he squinted, sitting up in his seat.

"Uh...guys?" He called out hoarsely, voice rough from disuse. "You're gonna wanna see this." he mumbled, staring at the figure hovering in front of the ship.

She seemed to study them for a moment, unaffected by the atmosphere in space even without a protective suit and helmet.

And then she smiled.

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Issac had never been happier to see his shitty little home planet known as Earth. The Avengers compound never looked so welcoming and felt so much like home as it did right now. Issac watched as the woman began slowly lowering the ship to the ground, moving to put his arm under Tony's shoulders and hoist him up from his seat.

"Come on old man, let's go. We're home now." He mumbled, helping him towards the exit as they touched ground.

"Who are you calling old?" Tony retorted weakly as the hatch opened. Nebula came forward and the two of them helped Tony down the stairs, one by one. Hovering dead in space suddenly made gravity a strange, foreign concept to his weak body. Even Issac himself felt a bit shaky as they finally reached the ground.

Pepper was the first one to run over, nearly knocking Tony off his feet as she pulled him close.

"Oh my god." she whispered, pulling back to check him over for any brutal mutations or injuries before hugging him once again. Tony put his arm around her, hugging her back weakly.

Issac stepped away, watching as Tony's body finally, after nearly a month, relaxed into her embrace. His shoulders sagged in relief and he closed his eyes, not to force his body into sleeping, but to merely take in the moment and her presence once again. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, reaching up to wipe away her tears.