//------------------------------// // Chapter 65 – After All This Time // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 65 Earth Upstate New York New Avengers Facility 7:46 p.m. The Milano slowly touched down on the empty launch pad near the impressive facility, the engines slowly but surely dying and the inhabitants within the ship hardly faring any better. Gamora sat in her designated chair, staring aimlessly, hopelessly straight out of the ship’s windshield. Earth’s sun slowly began to set on the horizon, golden and orange rays burning the heavens alongside the fires of the alien invasion. Within the forest the Milano flew upon, a lone facility rested in the heart of it, the exact coordinates Tony Stark had given them to follow. Silence was a trait Gamora usually carried with her, but the others… silence was hardly ever an issue. Peter Quill, Drax, Mantis, Rocket, and even Groot could not seem to find their voices, the unnerving, anguish-filled quiet affecting all of them. There was not really an issue during takeoff, but it only grew more prominent on the journey to Earth, to finding the New Avengers Facility, to eventually finding sanctuary and only then it didn’t even end. It only grew worse. There was a blinding issue that all of them knew yet none were able to speak of it, not even Drax. Nor Quill. He kept his eyes focused solely on driving and never once turned to Gamora. Because he wanted her to say it. They all did. For seconds on end, nearly reaching a minute, no one moved a muscle. The Milano sat quietly on the Avengers landing pad as the sun slowly faded and the darkness of the night sky began to arrive. Equus’ shadow and surface hung ominously in the distance, resting on the water’s surface. Gamora slowly turned around, meeting her sister’s eyes. Even Nebula remained silent, shoulder pressed against the ship’s wall, arms crossed, and refusing to speak. Waiting for Gamora to do that for her. To break the seal and respond to what everyone was thinking about. And she did. “Quill… everyone… please, just… you have to understand.” The Milano creaked, but other than that not a sound in response. Until… “We understand plenty,” Drax growled, refusing to look up at Gamora from his lower seating. Gamora gazed down below, staring at Drax with a hurt expression. She turned her head back to Rocket and Groot, the two of them refusing to meet her stare. Nebula closed her eyes and dropped her head. Mantis stared at her hands. No one else left. No one but… “Quill…” Peter shook his head, staring out the opposite window on his right. Gamora opened her mouth to continue, but Quill beat her to it, almost snarling, “Any more secrets you want to keep from me?” That was it. She tried to remain collected. She tried to stay calm. She did everything in her power to reach that apology that had been building and burning inside of her since the Badlands. She let it out. She let it all out. “I’m sorry!” Gamora practically screamed, ripping her harness away and jumping out of her seat. She turned to everyone, but glared mostly at Quill. “Okay?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! I’m sorry, but if any of you knew about the Soul Stone then Thanos wouldn’t have hesitated in torturing every single one of you to get that information! And then he would have killed you all anyway! You think I would have wanted that?!” Everyone stared at her. Awestruck. Even Peter’s anger seemed to cool momentarily, his furrowed brow and weak jawline falling as he gazed up at her. Gamora retreated into the back of the Milano, walked briskly past her sister, and nearly collapsed in the center of the ship. She remained standing, remained strong through it all, through all the flushing emotion and pain ripping her apart inside and out. She raised a hand to cover her eyes, her face, her mouth, anything to shield the tears. Her silent cries turned into weeping, which soon reached Quill and the others. Sighing mentally—as well as kicking himself in the ass for making his girlfriend cry—Peter got out of his seat and trailed Gamora. As he stood mere feet behind her, he hesitated. Lifting a hand, he paused. And laying it on her shoulder, he froze when he felt her shiver. Gamora barely moved to his touch. Even she surprised herself when she said it. “I didn’t… want to lose another family.” Mantis gasped. Peter’s jaw slightly fell, and for good reason. That was the first time Gamora ever used the “F-word” to address them. Family. Gamora’s breathing seemed to falter, her mind finally realizing what she had said, and… it was right. She didn’t turn away from it. She acknowledged it, accepted it, and believed in every bit of it. Turning around, facing Peter, Nebula, Drax, Mantis, Groot, and Rocket, Gamora saw them all staring silently at her. She blinked, a single tear rolling down her cheek to see them. Her family. It felt so right to finally see that. So much so that it didn’t hurt when she said, “I’m sorry for lying… for all these years about something this important. From here on out… no more secrets.” “No more secrets,” Peter replied almost instantly, Gamora slowly turning to his warm smile. “No more secrets,” Drax muttered, smiling softly towards his fellow Guardian. To his family. “No more secrets,” Mantis said, trying to smile. “No more secrets,” Rocket grumbled, almost hesitating to. Almost like he had several secrets. He did. “I am Groot,” Groot answered. They could all assume what he meant. “No more secrets,” Nebula whispered. Her head fell once again, watching as Quill closed the distance and met her sister’s lips. The two were always emotional with each other. They all were. It was sickening. Absolutely sickening. Nothing but a sickening… family. Nebula’s lower jaw trembled, the cyborg forcing her eyes closed at that thought. Peter broke the kiss, Gamora almost completely transfixed in it. As her eyes fluttered open, she met Peter’s smile. Her heart soared when she heard him say, “I love you more than anything.” Gamora’s breath stuttered, but she smiled and returned it. “I love you too.” They hugged. The remaining Guardians got out of their seats and joined in on the group hug, Groot practically dragging Rocket out of his chair. When they all came together, Gamora took that as a genuine apology accepted. Nebula stared at them, seeing Mantis smile her way, waving her towards them. Nebula slowly shook her head, sending a glare that could kill her where she stood. Mantis flinched. She didn’t stare for much longer afterwards. Not much was said after that. A hurdle they overcame was a lot less hard when they were together. All that left were current events and issues to deal with, some they once more wouldn’t be alone in facing. The Guardians of the Galaxy—Nebula included—stepped out of the Milano, the ship’s ramp falling down and impacting the solid concrete of the landing pad. When they stepped forth onto the planet’s surface, Peter Quill took a brief second to… simply breathe it all in. Had it not been for the smoke burning the sunset and filling his lungs, he probably would have breathed in the lush smells of the nearby forest, or the green grass surrounding the entire facility, or even the water reflecting the alien world to his far left. Everything he had missed for thirty years… all plagued by the stench of the alien invasion. His home burned and there was only so much Star-Lord could do. He never wanted to return home to Earth because it was the place his mother died. So many painful and pitiful memories… but also so many wonderful and beautiful ones. It was the world his mother grew up in, the world he was born to. If he could see that—not the war, the pain of the past—then maybe he could breathe it all again. Peter Quill breathed in… and out. “There he is!” Rocket called out, already breaking off from the rest of Guardians and moving towards the front doors of the New Avengers Facility. Peter watched him take off, him and Groot, as they approached the front doors and Tony Stark stepping out of them. And he did not look well. After having just finished speaking with Twilight via hologram, Stark came to realize he had more than just a few new faces in the New Avengers Facility. Aside from Rhodes, Parker, and Thor, the Defenders made themselves at home trying to patch themselves up. With help from Homer. of course, who would no doubt inform Stark of when Twilight and the girls were going to make the jump to Earth. She never told him when they were coming, just that they were coming. More crap to deal with alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy joining in and hunkering down, waiting for the next call from Doctor Strange to get ready for the next fight. The next fight for the fate of the very universe. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his plan was shaky. Off-putting. Even Stark himself tried to argue with the logic behind his own plan. Leave Vision practically unprotected in Canterlot while they get ready for wherever Thanos may appear next. Be that for the Time Stone, wherever the Soul Stone was—hopefully Gamora would explain like she did privately with Strange earlier—or even the Mind Stone. Wherever he turned to first, they would be ready. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting the rest of the Avengers back together. Stark didn’t even know how he was going to go through with that, considering his complete lack and disability of communication with Rogers. Another bridge to cross. Another hurdle to leap. Something to worry about later. He forced his eyes down below to the approaching raccoon and talking tree. The rest of the Guardians followed behind them, Stark’s eyes trailing upwards to see the massive starship resting in the vacant—or now non-vacant—landing pad. His brow furrowed at that, Rocket already answering the question before he could even form it. “All right, we didn’t bail on you! Just like we said, okay?” Rocket began. Tony was a sweating, bemused form of a human being at the moment, not to be messed with and definitely not in the mood for jokes. Rocket caught on fairly quick. He pointed a claw towards the Milano. “You see, that Strange guy dropped us off where we parked the ship in pony land. We felt it would be safer in our hands and not theirs.” “I thought ponies had hooves,” Drax whispered to Nebula. “Don’t talk to me,” Nebula whispered weakly back. “Sooo… we decided to drop it off here for free parking,” Rocket finished, Gamora bending down and flicking his ear. Rocket cursed at that, rubbing furiously at his ear as he hissed at Gamora. Tony turned from Rocket and the Guardians and off towards the Milano resting where the Avengers Quinjet would usually be parked. Unfortunately, the Quinjet was stolen by a certain Captain America two years ago in an eventful brawl at a German airport. “It’s not like anyone’s using it,” Stark finally said, the Guardians all facing him. “All right, everyone inside and get yourselves patched up. We got plenty of medical supplies if you need them. And Gamora…” Stark gripped his bandaged abdomen, his left palm resting over the bloody wound on his left side. With all eyes on him, mainly Gamora’s, Stark pressed on, meeting her eyes and saying what needed to be said. “We’re gonna need to know where that Soul Stone is.” To his surprise, he saw her nod almost instantly. “No more secrets,” Gamora replied. “Guess we’re not the only ones who heard about the free parking,” Peter Quill interjected, breaking the conversation and Stark’s train of thought. His eyes led the many others to the far right, to where the alien world rested over the water’s surface and where the unidentified ship was quickly coming into view. Quickly breaking out of its camouflage and entering within New Avengers Facility airspace. Tony Stark took the first steps forward. First limps to be exact, as his body still hadn’t full recovered since the Badlands. His mind was still teetering, and the sight of the gargantuan jet slowly descending upon the only remaining landing pad within the facility did not help in that regard. As noted earlier, the ship was massive in both size and length. He thought it was a cargo plane at first, maybe Happy, but quickly tossed that idea aside. Happy was in the safehouse. Pepper was in the safehouse. They were safe. So who the hell was parking their giant-ass ship on his property? The jet, black in color, almost completely blending in with the approaching night sky, finally came to a soft and safe landing. Resting directly opposite to the Milano, the massive jet faced away from the facility, its ramp turned towards Stark and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The engines died and the silence of the forest came shortly, only masked by the distant sounds of destruction and chaos filling the city of New York. Even without an alien warship hanging over it, the aftermath left New York in shambles, unruly, unjust, and uncontrolled. Stark couldn’t focus on that. He had to focus forward. Because when the ramp of the jet fell and touched the landing pad… Tony breathed in sharply, his chest expanding beyond that of natural. He didn’t know if what he was seeing was real or not, or if he was losing his mind or if life and death didn’t even hold any meaning any longer. The longer he stared the more he struggled to believe, his eyes refusing to meet what was there—who was there. He blinked hard, a warmth in his eyes, a wetness building when he finally came to terms with the face of reality itself. Stepping down the ramp and onto the landing pad, right off the concrete and onto the grass where Tony shakily stood, Phil Coulson walked towards him. Not only him… but everyone. Steve Rogers. Natasha Romanoff. Sam Wilson. Wanda Maximoff. And two new faces. Tony gazed in disbelief, watching nearly the rest of the Avengers finally step forth and come home. But that wasn’t what took his breath away. That wasn’t what started to make him show tears. Of everything he ever lost, ever built, ever known, there was one man who was there since the beginning, being that single spark that connected the fuse and brought them all together in the first place. The man who brought Stark off his high horse and led him down to humanity and humility, ultimately becoming something greater. It was all because of him. It was always him. It was always Phil Coulson. Someone who was supposed to be dead was smiling right at him, mere feet away. God, Stark hated that smile, but seeing it again after six years made him start tearing up even worse. “Coulson…” Stark whispered, his breathing ragged, shaking, almost unbearable to control. Coulson smiled. That same one. “Hey there, Iron Man.” He was real. He was there. He was alive. Tony breathed out. He didn’t know if he was smiling or crying, so he tried to fake both and turned instead to the one he had been both dreading and hoping to reach for days. Now he was home, standing just behind Phil with his hands on his belt, like he always used to do. Despite the beard, the tattered uniform, and lack of a shield… it was still the same Captain America behind it all. “Steve…” Steve Rogers just stared, nodding once. Just once was all that was needed. New Avengers Facility, Living Room 7:51 p.m. The room wasn’t silent anymore when Stark walked in. Not just because it was Tony Stark and the Guardians of the Galaxy that trailed him, but because they weren’t the only ones. Right behind Stark and the Guardians, in stepped just a few individuals that took almost everyone’s breath away. Steve Rogers and his Secret Avengers for Peter Parker, Rhodes, Thor, and the Defenders. And Phil Coulson for Rhodes and the Odinson brothers. Nothing could stop the God of Thunder as he shot up from the lone chair in the living room and practically crushed Phil in his arms with a powerful hug. Not a word. None could be formed. Just disbelief and warm greetings shared amongst the masses. As Phil chuckled lightly and patted Thor’s back, the remainder of the two teams finally came together. James Rhodes led the opposite side, the exoskeleton armor attached to his waist and legs allowing him to press forward with his hand leading and meeting Steve’s. He was out of his heavily-damaged War Machine armor, minor cuts and bruises painting his arms and face. Meeting Natasha with a hug and a smile, James set the groundwork for the many others that followed. The many others. Peter Parker was one of them, walking up to Steve Rogers almost shakily in his Iron Spider suit, face unveiled, unsure of how Captain America would react to the kid who gave him a bit of a scuffle in Leipzig. Luckily, and thankfully, Steve only smiled when Peter introduced himself—first as Spider-Man and then as Peter. He met the young man’s hand with a firm shake, a smile seen through the beard. Then, individually, Peter met each of the remaining Avengers. First was the Black Widow herself, then the Falcon, and finally Wanda Maximoff. All a bit awkward considering their history, but they all pushed it behind them one way or another. It didn’t take long for Daisy Johnson and Melinda May to get involved, joining the congregation and meeting the remaining Avengers who stood with Stark, as well as the other heroes who chose to follow. The Defenders; Matthew Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand all arose from the chairs and couches where they were tending to their own wounds to introduce themselves, some very reluctant to do so but realizing they would have to eventually. One of those people was Jessica, the Private Eye hardly shaking a hand, offering a greeting, or even introducing herself. The most she did was nod her head their way as Matt, Luke, and Danny shook hands with the others. Matt especially, gladly shaking Steve and Sam’s hands once again, the two men glad to see Murdock still alive and well. As well as he could be. The other was Frank Castle, who never even made an effort to rise from the chair at the complete opposite of the living room, as far away from the group as possible. He was focused solely on the large gash on his bicep and sewing it back up. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy seemed reluctant to open up to so many new and strange faces. Uncertain ones. Unknown ones. They didn’t even need to make the first move when Steve Rogers stepped forth and offered his gloved-hand to Quill, Star-Lord meeting his grip with a firm handshake. The Secret Avengers and the few agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their acquaintance with the Guardians shortly, not really having the opportunity to do so outside. It had been nearly two years since the team had been separated. Two long, painful, and anxious years of worrying, fearing, and hiding. But no more. The time for hostilities and divide had come to an end. The time for a united front was near. At least, that’s what the majority would have hoped for. That’s what the majority seemed to see when they smiled, laughed, hugged, and came back together after so long. No time for grudges. No time for politics. No time for law. Only action. As for Tony Stark, there always seemed to be something off for him. Whether it be the curse of knowledge that he and no one else held—though he tended to even question that considering his previous encounter with the Titan who had been torturing him. Whether it be the constant oversight of the situation, of the outcome, of the endgame, Tony Stark always had a plan. He always found a way. But for that moment, that brief warmth of comradery and coming together shared amongst the two teams, Stark found himself taking the backseat in the situation, remaining uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal for the first time in forever. He found that sullen silence plaguing, eating away at him like shards of metal cutting closer to his heart. Only he heard the silence. He remained, like Castle, out of the group but within earshot. After finally breaking the hug with Phil, Thor gripped the man’s shoulders, complete disbelief in his eye as he breathed heavily, slowly, almost completely out of breath. He said, “Son of Coul, to what witchcraft has brought you back to us?” Phil chuckled lightly, missing that nickname that Thor and Lady Sif would give him from time to time. “Nothing to it, big guy. No magic, no sorcery… just science doing the work. And alien blood.” “Yes, you cannot forget that,” Thor laughed, slapping Phil’s shoulder. He rested his mighty palm there, gripping Phil and holding him there, ensuring that he was still real, and not a ghost like all the others that plagued Thor. “You should have fought by our side at times prior!” Phil shrugged, sighing, “It was protocol to be discreet, but we did offer a helping hand here and there. Who do you think sent the whereabouts of Loki’s staff in the hands of HYDRA?” Now that got a few heads turning, specifically the original four Avengers in the room. Tony, Natasha, Thor, and even Steve fully faced Coulson when he said that, eyes widened, surprise heavily indented in their expressions. Steve asked, “That was you?” Phil just smiled. “Helping hand here and there.” “Is that so?” The voice came to Phil like a cold, piercing dagger straight through his back and into his heart, causing his blood to freeze. He gasped quietly, his heart practically freezing on the spot. Facing the origin of the voice accordingly, turning away from Thor and instead facing his far left, Phil Coulson was met with a sight he never thought he would come across again. He least expected him to be locked up in some Asgardian prison cell for the rest of his life, if what Fury told him back then was true. Yet there he stood, the God of Mischief himself. Loki smiled at Coulson. Phil’s own smile slowly deteriorated. The original four Avengers could feel the tension in the room cut like a scepter through flesh, unyielding and unforgiving memories of six years prior flushing into every single one of them. As for Daisy and May, they had only heard stories, but even they could tell when Loki himself was standing right in front of them. Daisy clenched her fist, May taking a dangerous step forward, both women ready to defend the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in case Loki decided to finish what he started. Thankfully, no hostility arose, Loki simply saying, “How do you do, Coulson?” It came as a shock, for Phil and everyone alike. Shaking off the unease, Phil nodded. “Just fine, Loki,” he replied. “And you?” “I wish I could be the same,” Loki said. To everyone’s continued shock and awe, they watched as Loki offered his hand. He actually did. “No hard feelings?” Tony watched it all with incredulous eyes, Steve as well. Natasha and Thor held their breath, Odinson staring at his brother and looking through his eyes for any signs of deceit, for any other wicked trick up his sleeve. He couldn’t see anything, though he never really could even when he still had two eyes. A breath of fresh air filled the room when Phil met his hand and shook it. “You’re lucky my heart’s still pumping.” Loki’s smirk grew even wider. “We all die eventually.” Even though he was staring at Phil, he winked right at her. Right at Daisy. She didn’t know why, but that wink sent a cold chill right down her spine. No. No, she knew exactly why. She just didn’t want to admit it. Instead, she tried to focus on sending a horrific and threatening glare towards the God of Mischief, of which came out pretty damn pathetic when Loki simply smiled her way before he made his hasty retreat. Before the unnerving and awkward silence could settle in, James cleared his throat, several heads in the room turning his way. Slapping his fist into his palm, Rhodes sighed, “You guys… really look like crap.” Obviously addressing Steve and his team, Sam Wilson just chuckled. “Well the hotels weren’t exactly 5-star.” “I-I think you look great.” Now it was Natasha’s turn to gasp at that voice. Turning accordingly, facing the darkness of the hallways near the living room, Natasha and the rest of her team gazed into it. Then they watched, with bated breath, as Bruce Banner entered the room from one of the many shadow-filled corridors. He nervously parted past Frank Castle, and maybe his shirt was a size too big alongside his pants, but it was still the Banner they knew and loved. “Yeah… yeah, I’m back.” The Banner Natasha knew and… “Hi Bruce,” she said, voice soft and welcoming. He stared nowhere else except where she stood. For a time, he dreamt of the moment when he was reunited with his old team, his old friends, with… her. Maybe it was a time when he was still trapped inside the Hulk’s body, forced to watch as he engaged in gladiatorial combat for months. But after coming back out, after finally realizing that he was there, he was home, and finally reunited with his friends and… her… Bruce realized that he didn’t know what to feel. So, he played with his palms, nodded once to her, and said, “Nat…” To the point where Natasha’s own smile wouldn’t be enough to hide the growing wetness in her eyes, Falcon eased the tension in the room, offering a much-needed: “This is awkward.” Thor scoffed at the growing silence, turning from one side of the room to the other. One team to the next. From Tony Stark to Steve Rogers. He said, “I was not born yesterday, my friends. Why do you all appear at odds with each other? I thought we were a team, yet you all appear—” “Divided,” Steve finished for him, even if it technically wasn’t the word Thor had thought of. It fit better, though. Much better than what Thor had in mind to describe the tension. Turning to Steve, Thor’s smile slowly began to fall apart when he gazed into Rogers’ expression. A moment of tense silence. Sickening silence. “What happened?” Banner asked. Steve’s head fell, as did Natasha’s and Sam’s. Wanda’s hand rose up to cover her mouth, her eyes slowly falling to the floor. James Rhodes, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, and Frank Castle all sighed and looked away. Thor and Bruce looked from one Avenger to the next, eventually finding themselves turning… to him. Tony Stark rubbed his face and goatee, sweat glistening off his face as he was clearly struggling with his bandages and wounds. The silence built higher and higher, Stark realizing no one would say anything for quite some time. Breathing in and forcing the pain to subside, Stark said, “Couple years back… the government got involved with the Avengers’ business. Real bad stuff happened. Real bad stuff with… the ponies.” Thor and Bruce were dead silent. Tony continued. “People got hurt. Government blamed us, signed the Sokovian Accords, and forced us to work for them or retire.” Thor frowned, shaking his head. “Well, surely you told your government how important the Avengers—!” “It’s not that easy, Thor,” Steve interrupted, the God of Thunder turning to him, eye wide. Then he turned back to Stark, he and Banner, and gazed at him with eyes wide and horrified when he finally said. With his arms crossed, hair a mess of sweat, soot, and blood, Stark finally said, “The Avengers broke up.” Thor took in that moment, let that reality enter and influence him, change him, make him understand the plight of the humans and finally see their circumstances. Perhaps that was why Stark was so apprehensive about talking about Steve Rogers for the longest time. Bad blood had been spilt between them, and no one made any effort to clean up the stains. At least, not until now. “Well, we need everyone here now,” Bruce exclaimed. “Where’s Clint?” He looked about through the living room, almost expecting Barton to be hiding in some shadowy corner. Unfortunately, even the Hawk wasn’t spying on them from afar that time. Natasha stood with her arms crossed, her breath hard when she said, “After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a… deal. It was too tough on their families. They’re on house arrest.” Bruce stared at her. “Who’s Scott?” “Ant-Man,” Steve instantly replied, hand resting on the nearest counter. “There’s an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?” Bruce asked. “And a Black Widow,” Parker joked in hopes to lighten the mood. He turned to Natasha for support, Romanoff only staring at him bemused. “And a Mantis,” Quill offered. “I’m Mantis!” Mantis exclaimed, smiling wide and awkward. It definitely was awkward, the silence in the room and the heads shifting towards the Guardians being evidence of that. “Oh, by the way, these are a few friends of mine,” Thor said, offering his hand to the Guardians of the Galaxy. “Star-Friend-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rabbit, Mantis, and Tree.” Definitely not satisfied—though not surprised—that Thor had gotten half of their names wrong again, the Guardians begrudgingly waved to the rest of the room, to the ones they still hadn’t personally met, mainly Phil and his agents. Nebula didn’t even move, as Thor hadn’t even mention her. She wondered if he even realized she was there. She didn’t make it obvious. “I am Groot,” the adolescent Groot said with a wave. Phil furrowed his brow at that. Daisy’s jaw fell, almost in disbelief to what she was staring at: a living, walking, talking tree. Melinda May tried to keep her infamous hardened expression, but even she struggled when she witnessed the sentient tree and raccoon. She had seen a lot of shit in her time within S.H.I.E.L.D., but they definitely took the cake. Then there was Steve, the only one willing to rest his own hand over his heart, and although uncertain at first, finally said, “I am Steve Rogers.” Just as awkward saying it as it had sounded. Banner didn’t have time for another moment of quiet. Time to get everyone up to speed. He picked up right after Steve dropped his hand, saying, “Okay, look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe, and he is not gonna stop until he has all six Infinity Stones. Including…” He stared at Wanda. “Vision’s Stone.” “Thanos?” Steve asked. “The one who wiped out half my people,” Thor responded, stepping forward to Rogers. “The one who will not stop until he has acquired the Infinity Stones. He already has three of them. The Time Stone is safe with Strange and his wizards. The Vision is safe with the Mind Stone in Canterlot. And as for the Soul Stone—” “Canterlot?” Wanda finally asked, still quite shaken on that revelation about Thanos and the Mind Stone. When no one spoke for some time, not even Banner, the Maximoff slowly put the pieces together by herself. Breathing through clenched teeth, chest quickly beginning to rise and fall, she snarled, “You left him alone on an alien planet?” “It’s not like he’s far,” Tony piped up, Wanda turning her red-filled irises his way. “Equus is right over our heads, and the princesses got a shield over the city.” “That planet is Equus?” Natasha asked, nearly breathless at that revelation. Just like she was ignored, though several from Steve’s team felt the same impact of that reveal, Wanda just shook her head. “We have to go back for him,” Wanda stated, already starting off a brisk pace towards the basement, where the portal to Equus remained. “Whoa, no can do!” Parker exclaimed, jumping in front of the Scarlet Witch and blocking her path. Almost crumbling under her fiery glare, Peter stood his ground and said, “We got a plan! It’s gonna work out!” “What plan?” Sam asked, turning from Stark and then to Rhodes. “What’s the kid talking about?” James slowly nodded in consideration to their confusion, realizing quickly that Tony was pretty much fed up with talking at that point. So, he said, “We have… somewhat of a plan.” “What percentage of a plan do we really have?” Drax asked. “Those aliens that attacked us wanted Vision’s Stone!” Wanda interrupted, screamed, almost cried. “We need to protect him, not let someone else do that for us!” Then the heartfelt reunion, what was meant to be just that, devolved into a shouting match on several different fronts. Logic over emotion. Hope over fear. Safety over love. The Guardians and the Defenders mostly remained out of it and left the Avengers to deal with their own issues amongst themselves, soon every member within getting involved and trying to prove their plan, their idea, their hope for a successful outcome was superior. It was all becoming so familiar. That’s why Tony Stark broke away while they argued amongst themselves. Straight into the darkest hallway. Steve followed right behind him. Watching him make the turn left into the armory, Steve slowly made his approach, almost apprehensive to the idea of facing Tony alone, with no one else present. The thought always occurred to him prior, what he would say, how he would mend the gash that had been torn between them. Maybe he would. Maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe he should start. Stepping into the lime green light filling the armory, the only light available hovering just over the nearest workbench, Steve Rogers leaned against the door’s entrance. He gazed straight ahead, watching as Tony proceeded to peal apart the bandages around his waist. Stark paused almost instantly the moment he saw Rogers in the left corner of his vision, his hands falling to the workbench and a sigh leaving his nostrils. Steve dropped his eyes, let his hands rest on his belt. “The guys really missed you,” Tony murmured, Steve’s head rising up at that remark. He watched as Stark proceeded to peel off the flickering Arc Reactor from his chest. Surprisingly enough, it was simply attached to his black wife-beater, so it came off with ease. Stark still grunted as if it was organically attached. As if it was still a part of him. “Don’t act like we didn’t miss you, too,” Steve said, trying to lighten the mood with a smile to go with it. To ease the tension between them. Stark didn’t catch on. Or he did and he was already tired of Steve’s presence. “Did you, though?” he barked, turning his swivel chair over to face Rogers. Steve’s smile slowly fell, only worsening with every word that followed. “Or are we here for just… work, because you need an extra body or two for whatever the hell you got planned. For whenever it goes to hell.” “We—!” Steve paused, controlling his rising anger. He forced himself to remain calm, knowing there was more on the line that desperately needed him to be. “We do. There’s a war coming to Wakanda and we’re not enough to face it. That’s why we came home. That’s why we came to you.” “To get the band back together,” Stark muttered, applying the new Arc Reactor over his chest. “We gonna play for a sold-out crowd?” Steve nodded, hands on his belt. “The Chitauri are back.” Stark slammed his palm on his workbench, causing Steve to flinch and tighten himself in response. Pointing a shaking finger right at Rogers, Stark exclaimed, “Yeah, and didn’t I say exactly what was coming and still all of you wanted to do your own goddamn thing?” “There’s no time for this, Stark!” Steve said, voice rising higher and higher, almost reaching the breaking point. He hoped the others arguing would be louder than them. “The Chitauri want something in Wakanda, and they’ll tear apart the entire city, maybe even the nation to get it!” Tony scoffed, facing away to finish his work. Steve sighed. It was just like Stark to blow off what needed their attention, something Tony just didn't understand. Leaning his back against the door frame, Steve began again. “I know it’s hard. It was hard for all of us. But now’s not a time for fighting amongst ourselves. You and I both know that the world… and the universe depend on it.” Steve’s words seemed to fall on deaf ears, Rogers turning accordingly to see Stark fixing himself up. First by lifting his wife-beater and untying the bloody bandages. When the bandages came off, the laceration came forth, as dark red and deep and even more terrible than Rogers imagined it would be. Whatever had pierced him, it must have been a large blade of some sort, the cut going through his back and into the left side of his abdomen. Spraying more medical suture spray over the wound, Stark exhaled shakily through clenched teeth, laying the medical device back on the workbench. He finished it off with a shot of whiskey to numb the pain, laying the empty shot glass alongside his tools and the shattered Arc Reactor of the Mark 50. Steve watched as he leaned back in his chair, applying fresh bandages over the wound. He didn’t even bother with the blood that leaked. “What happened?” Steve asked. Tony stared at him, breathing through his bloody, parted lips. Then he opened his mouth. “Sir.” The familiar voice came from behind, Steve stepping aside to allow the hovering drone into the armory. Stark gazed at the large, floating eyeball of the drone. “Yeah, what is it, Homer?” Tony asked. The AI narrowed its robotic iris. “You wanted me to inform you when the portal was activated.” Steve’s mouth fell and he stopped breathing. “Our guests?” Stark asked, already knowing the outcome. Already unsure of it. Already conflicted. But ready nonetheless. “Twilight Sparkle and her friends are here, sir.” Then Steve breathed again.