Flame

Chapter 37

It's been 23 days I think since Thanos came to earth. 23 days since we lost. Tony is still missing but Carol is out looking for him and I hope she finds him and fast.

I walk out of the gym and head up the stairs towards my room, but as I pass the bathroom I notice Steve, holding a blade, having just shaved off his beard. "You clean up nicely Cap" I say as I lean on the door and smile at him and he soon returns the gesture while walking over to me. As Steve stands I front of me, I run my hand through his hair before pulling him in for a hug which he gladly accepts. Pulling away from the hug, Steve leans in for a kiss but before our lips can meet however a shake echos through the building making us jump apart.

Steve, Nat, Bruce, me and James walking out side looking up ant the sky as some kind of ship is being carried by Carol, and I hope Tony is inside. As soon as she lands the spacecraft, the entry hatch opens, and Tony and some robot/ person walk out, Tony being supported by them. Steve runs to Tony to help him stand up and Tony grips Steve's arm as he joins him.

"I couldn't stop him." Tony tells Steve as Pepper and I run over to them

"Neither could I." Steve sighs

" I lost the kid." Tony says and my mind flashes to Peter, he didn't deserve that, none of them did

"Tony, we lost." Steve says

"Is ummm..." Tony struggles to say

"We are right here Tony" I say walking forward and hugging him for dear life. "I thought you were dead" I mumble into his shoulder before pulling away and kissing his cheek before standing to the side so Pepper can see him

"Oh my God!" Pepper says as she embraces Tony and I walk backwards to wrap my arm around Steve

"It's okay." Tony replies with a slight smile

"It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth." Rhodey says as we gather inside with Tony on a drip, giving him protein and stuff

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did... exactly what he said he was going to do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent, of all living creatures." I explain as I lean over the hologram we have up and I look over at Tony

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

"We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through." Steve explains as he sighs clearly still annoyed

"What's wrong with him?" Tony asks as he looks over at Thor who's sitting on the bench lost in thought

"Yeah, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but there's a lot of that's goin' around, ain't there?" Rocket replies as he walk so over near Tony

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear." Tony says to Rocket making me smile

"Maybe I am." Rocket replies

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep Space scans, satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him." Steve speaks us getting the topic back on track

"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 stone. That's what happened. There was no fight." Tony explains pissed off

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?" Steve questions, staying calm

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

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

"And I needed you" Tony snaps making the memories of the accords flash through my mind "As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?" Tony continues as he stands, pushing things off the table with a clatter making us all wince at the noise. "I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling you, Cap." Tony says as he suddenly goes for Steve but Rhodey jumps in the way Tom stop him

"Tony, Tony, Tony, stop!" Rhodey warns him

"Otherwise what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedom or not- that's what we needed!" Tony continues, getting angrier by the second

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

"I said, "we'll lose". You said, "We'll do that together too." And guess what, cap? We lost. 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, right?" Tony continues

"Okay, you made your point. Just sit down, ok? please?" I ask Tony gently, trying to get him to calm down

"Nah, nah, nah." Tony says looking at me as he pushes Rhodey away "Here's my point."

"Sit down!" Rhodey warns

"She's great, by the way. We need you. You're new blood." Tony exclaims as he walks past Carol and points at her

"Tony!" I warn him as I step forwards, towards him

"Bunch of tired old mills! I got nothing for you, cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no plan, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar. "Tony hisses at Steve who looks affected by those words. After a moment, Tony suddenly 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 says before he falls to the ground and I run over to him

"Tony!" Rhodey shouts as he gather around hi

"I'm fine. I..." Tony says before he falls into a heap, unconscious.