Please Please Please [Bucky Barnes]

10

Everyone went to the Avengers Compound. Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and Rhodes walking out looking at something, the Benatar carried by Carol Danvers as she lands the spacecraft. The landing gears deploy as they touch down. The entry hatch opens, and Tony and Nebula walk out, Tony being supported by Nebula. Steve runs to Tony to help him stand up. Tony grips Steve's arm as he joins him.

Tony speaks out, "Couldn't stop him."

Steve answered, "Neither could I."

"lost the kid."

"Tony, we lost."

"Is, uh...?"

Pepper runs out, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"

She and Tony embrace. He glances over her shoulder to see Mandy standing afar. She gave him a small smile before it dropped back into a frown. Her heart was aching, Bucky was gone.

"It's okay," Tony said to Pepper as he hugged her tighter.

Rocket sits down with Nebula and takes her hand, both silently mourning their losses.

They all head inside the Avengers Compound. The heroes are sitting in a living room area. Tony is sitting at a table, getting blood for healing. A holographic casualty report lists the names and faces of those lost to the Decimation.

"Tt's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth."

"World governments are in pieces. 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."

Tony asks, "Where is he now? Where?"

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

Thor looked sad sitting on a bench, seemingly deep in thought.

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

Rocket answered, "Oh, he's pissed. 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 literaly thought you were a Build-A-Bear," Tony said.

Mandy for a second smiled but she felt wrong to feel happy at the moment.

"Maybe I am," rocket replied.

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

"Who told you that? 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. He's unbeatable."

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?"

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

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

"And I needed you. As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?," he said and stands, pushing things off the table with a clatter. Everyone winces at the noise. "I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling all youse -"

Tony goes for Steve. Rhodey quickly comes in front of him, trying to stop him.

Rhodey speaks, "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?"

"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."

"Can everyone stop fighting," Mandy spoke rubbing her temples as she felt a headache coming.

Rhodey replied, "You made your point. Just sit down."

"Okay..."

"Okay?"

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

"Tony, you're sick."

"We need you. You're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules!" Tony said walking right 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."

Steve looks affected by Tony's words. The old friends just gaze at each other. After a moment, Tony rips his Arc Reactor from his chest and shoves it into Steve's hand.

"Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide."

Tony falls to the ground. Steve is by his side and everyone is starting to gather. Mandy walks forward, kneeing to the ground next to her brother.

"Tony!"

"I'm fine."

Tony falls into a heap, unconscious.

"Fuck," Mandy swore. "That's enough! I lost Bucky, I'm not losing my brother too," she shouts looking at Steve as she lifts Tony up, leading him back into bed.

Pepper sat by his side. Mandy on the other side.

"I've heard a lot about you," pepper said giving Mandy a smile. She was holding Tony's hand.

"I'm sorry I haven't heard anything about you but it's nice to meet you," she said nicely.

"Bruce gave him a sedative. He's gonna probably be out for the rest of the day," Rhodey said.

"You guys take care of him. And I'll bring him a Xorrian Elixir when I come back," Carol said as she left.

"Where are you going?" Natasha asked her.

"To kill Thanos."

Steve and Natasha share a look before walking after her. Mandy decided to stay out of the fight and stay by her brother and Pepper.

"His all I have left now. I forgive him for locking me up," she said looking down at her hands.

"You know if you have nowhere to stay you can come stay with us, I'm sure Tony would like that," pepper said giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'll probably take that offer. Thank you."