What Are the Odds? (Stony Au)

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two:

~~~~~

Hours passed.

Then hours turned into days, and days into weeks. No sign of Vision, no sign of Cap. Pietro was long gone; Bucky barely hanging onto life.

Slowly but surely, everyone besides those three were sent back with the following day, all the doing of their team Captain. Hope was alive for the three days after the battle. Rescue teams and missing persons searches came in suit, but there was nothing to be found. No inhumans, no Alveus, no nothing.

"What are the odds now?"

Tony would ask the question everyday. Everyday their chances of survival decreased, until Bruce finally told him that the chances of them actually surviving were little to none.

Tony locked himself in the lab on December 11th.

He exited on December 12th.

It was almost surreal. A large cloak of sadness had hung over the tower for days, everyone was quiet, no one said anything to the other. But not on December 12th.

"Guys, what the hell are we doing?" Tony finally called a meeting, "Why are we acting like they're dead?"

"Because they are! We've searched for days, Tony," Bruce sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You have to let them go."

No one objected the scientist, he had a point.

"Bruce is right," Natasha sighed, "It happens, we just have to grow. Make sure their sacrifice wasn't for nothing."

"If Bruce's theory is correct, then Natasha's right. I wanted Alveus' goddamned head," Clint spoke up.

"Seriously? We're assuming that they're dead just like that?" Tony looked at them incredulously, "I for one think that's bullshit. Thor, wasn't the last time we thought someone was dead, it was you after Thanos attacked Asguard? You look just fine to me."

"That's right."

"And Clint, SHIELD thought that you had taken Natasha out, and here she is, isn't she?" Tony continued.

"Yup."

"None of them gave you on us, so listen to me," Tony grabbed their attention before sighing, "Maybe you believe their alive, maybe you don't. Either way, we owe it to them not to lose hope."

Sam sighed, "Even if we believe they're alive, we were banned from interfering with the investigation. We can't do anything."

"We could get things back to order," Peggy spoke up, half of them forgetting they were still there, "The lawn is a mess, our fault. The tower is only halfway decorated. You know, Christmas was Steve's favorite holiday."

"You heard her, we-," Tony paused, "Uhh, we get things back in order. The police have got this, so we better be ready."

"This is bullshit," Howard scoffed underneath his breath.

"Do you have a better idea?" Tony waited before going to leave, "No? Good. We've got a house to decorate, and Bruce and I have a project to figure out. Vamoose! Sam, you're in charge."

"Me?"

"Yeah," Tony stopped to smile, "It's what Cap would have wanted."

And it was. The house was reluctant at first, but they finally got back into the swing of things. The lights outside finished much faster with Sam's help, they even got featured in the newspaper.

Even though Wanda didn't have Pietro's speed to help her, Clint's kindness went a long way in decorating the inside. Not to mention Howard's reluctant help along the way. Soon, red and gold decorations covered the whole house.