When The War Dies Down

Chapter 20

AN: Basically, freshly served angst on a silver platter.
- -

"Tony?" Bruce asked, when Tony woke up, nearly seven hours later.

"Peter?"

Bruce didn't respond, and everything hit Tony like a wave. They had lost. He had lost. Peter was gone.

"Tones." Rhodey came in with a cup of water and a piece of toast.

"Neb?"

"She's okay. She will be at least. A little weak, but she's better." Rhodey nodded, and Tony could tell the blatant lie from him.

"I'm sorry Rhodey. She wouldn't take the food-she kept giving it to me..." Tony's voice faded as Rhodey nodded.

"I know. She told me."

"Rhodey I'm sorry."

"I know Tones. I know." Rhodey said, and sat down on the hospital bed.

- -

Tony had just been promoted-if you could call it that-to a wheelchair. Because they didn't currently have any other one, they used Rhodey's. All about improvising they supposed.

He was sitting at the Compound kitchen as his former teammates gathered around him.

"Peter?" Natasha asked softly.

Tony's eyes gave away nothing. Some would describe them as dead. Others would fight that they always looked dead. But no, this time, they really were dead. He was in no way ready for this conversation, and he sure as heck wasn't having it with her. He shook his head but his mouth didn't comply.

"Gone. D-died in-in front of me."

"You took him to space?" Steve asked him, disapproval practically dripping from his voice.

"Shut up Rogers you know nothing." Tony tried to say, but it came out weak rather than anything.

"May I ask why he was in space?"

"If you must Natasha, he stuck himself on that ship to save Strange, and he was running out of oxygen. I chased after him. Hours later, we're stuck out on Thanos' home planet. Good enough?"

"Guys, we can talk later. Give him space." Bruce shooed them away, but the two stood their ground.

"Tony." Steve said.

Tony lifted his head with a new fire in his eyes. "You both deserve to say nothing! You left! I had him hanging on to me, begging me. You-you don't know what that-that's like. He begged me Nat. He was begging me to-to live. I couldn't pro-protect him."

A tear ran down Natasha's face, and Steve rubbed her back.

"Did Thanos give you any clues? Whereabouts? Coordinates?"

"Yeah, I'm not doing this" Tony stood up, and proceeded to try to walk.

Natasha gently grabbed his shoulders and sat him back down. "We're going to need you to focus. We need to find Thanos."

"Take your hands off him before I shot you point blank in the head." Rhodey growled, Bruce next to him turning green. Natasha let go.

"Oh you needed me?" Tony's voice sounded almost entertained. "Just like I needed you guys?" Tony literally laughed in her face, "I said we'd lose. You said," Tony pointed at Steve in front of him, "We'd do that together too. Guess what Cap? We lost, and you weren't there."
He took a breath, and then steadied himself by holding onto the table. "But that's what we do right? And if you expect me to help you right after, then I've got nothing for you. I've got no coordinates, no strategies, no options. Zip, zero, nada. No trust, LIAR!"