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Chapter Text

Infinity was a funny word. It implied the possibility of the endless tick of time to expand and create a ripple through the very existence, and through the void, surely enough, there had to be one timeline.

That's what Strange had promised them when he raised his finger up infront of Tony's face, amidst all the chaos. But now, sitting there, alone and isolated in the darkness of space, no amount of brilliance could ever be enough to fathom what just happened.

Neurons struggled to connect and pin-point exactly what it was that was happening. All Stark remembered seeing was a bright flash of light, as Captain Marvel captured his ship, holding it in her hands, as she brought it back into Earth's atmosphere.

He didn't know who she was at first, but a small part of him hoped that the woman was an assailant, most likely sent by Thanos to finish the job. Afterall, Tony Stark was too dangerous of a man to keep alive. Not when he had come to close to stopping the Titan, before everything went...

No. Stark shook his head. There were certain things even he wouldn't allow himself to think about. 

"Tony?"

Through the creeping darkness, a humming of electronic sparks, and gadgets, something found it's way through it all. It wasn't what he wanted, infact, it was the exact opposite.

"I told you, buddy. I couldn't stop him. He wiped my face with a planet, while the Bleacker Street magician gave away the stone". His voice croaked ever so slightly, but nevertheless, Tony didn't allow Captain America to come near him.

"We lost".

The lights came at the flick of a nearby switch, and suddenly, Stark was back in his lab. All the while, a worried Steve Rodgers was behind him, waiting on his every word.

"I know that Stark." Blue eyes trailed from the ceiling of the lab, noticing each small imperfection in the structure of the usually well kept facility, and it was only then clear to the soldier just how haunted the man was.

"Then go away", He turned around, and Rodgers finally saw it. He was a fighter, but even he recognised that look. Hanging onto every word Stark said, Cap could see that same look of fear and dread he saw back when he was still fighting in the war.

It wasn't something uncommon among soldiers to develop PTSD after seeing their comrades die by the hundreds, one after the other. But this time, something was different.

This time, the person who had this look was none other than the Genius Playboy. This wasn't just any other person. This was Tony Stark. So Cap was surprised when he first confronted the man about the situation.

"This is the part where you make some sort of joke?" Was what Cap could only force himself to say, but even then, the words felt unvaguly uncomfortable in his throat. 

And it wasn't just the dead look in Tony's eyes. It was something else.

"Cap. You came here to find out how to stop Thanos. Am I right?"

He nodded. Blue eyes met dark ones, and the tension was palpable in the room. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to have ended out like this.

"Whatever Thanos, might hav-" He stopped when Tony stood up, and an uncomfortable sound, like the cracking of bones could be heard. That was how long Stark had been sitting there in that chair.

Taking his time, Stark winced as each step pained him with each movement. But eventually, his body became accustomed to the pain, and even he relented, letting out a deep sigh, as he came to rest near Cap, using the Super Soldier as a crutch, and gripping onto his arm in support.

"I've got you-" Cap tried to say, but it didn't matter. Not when Stark held him by his shoulder and used it as a pillar to look him in the eyes, conveying every ounce of grieve he had left inside of him to finally put an end to the conversation once and for all.

"I lost the kid".

"I'm sorr-"

Stark kept his eyes on him the whole time, and while he didn't let go of his grip on his shoulder, Cap could feel the man loosen his hold slightly, and shake his head at him.

"I asked you what if we lost? And you said, 'We'd do that together'. Now look where that got us?"

Being a soldier meant keeping your eyes on the task at hand, Steve knew that. But that didn't mean he didn't have emotions. And while his heart went out for Stark, it was still their responsibility to stop Thanos.

There was no other way. They needed him.

"You can let yourself out".

But how could they do that when Stark was consumed with grief? Cap didn't know, and of right then and there, he allowed the man to be right once again, as he always was.

Being a genius was an exhaustive task. One where the reality of understanding just how punitive and miniscule their importance was in the grand scheme of things, but still, the magician had made an excellent point.

Even if there was only one possibility of The Avengers winning the fight against Thanos, then surely they had to try right?

Cap didn't know, and while Stark was the key to their success, the Billionaire was too haunted by grief to see this.

"I mean it, Rogers. You know where the door is". Tony hadn't raised his voice the entire conversation. But only then, Cap heard what was a hint of something almost akin to anger. But Stark had no strength left in him to push further.

It was like every ounce of him had given up, and in such a way that even his voice had no force behind it. Infact, it was an inaudible shift, but it was still there.

"This isn't over Stark". Cap dropped his shoulders and turned his eyes down to the ground of the lab, noticing the wires and making sure not to trip over them as he turned back around, and headed to the door.

"I mean it, Stark. I'll be back later to check up on you". Was all Steve said before he left, and for a small minute, just a brief moment where Tony allowed himself to take in the situation, the Billionaire almost thought he could hear a semblance of sympathy in his voice.

But then he shut the door after Cap left, making due sure to lock it.

He didn't want him coming back. Stark had already told him, Thanos won. Nothing they did worked. He couldn't keep telling him the same thing over and over again.

"Jarvis, heighten security around the lab. No one gets in or out".

"Not even Ms. Pepper, Sir?"

Tony sighed and accepted defeat. He knew that he couldn't just keep pushing away everyone he loved, but what other choice did he have when all else was lost.

"Even her. No one gets in." He said, and closed himself from the outside world. He couldn't, no he wouldn't. He wouldn't let the love of his life see him like this. She deserved better.

"He's still in there, isn't he?"

Rhodey was silent, but Natasha Romanoff wasn't. The assassin wanted answers on the situation, and while the Super Soldier had been the leader of the Avengers, Thanos had found a way to drastically alter their teams chemistry in such a way that no one knew what to do.

It felt like an endless abyss surrounding the Universe. It was hard to describe, but it felt like when Thanos had snapped half of the Population away, it wasn't just the people he had erased from existence.

No, the Universe felt hollow. Empty. Like all the hope that dwelled within it had been swallowed by an all encompassing black hole. One where light was swallowed and all dreams died, only leaving the cold fear of reality to settle in what was a shocking realisation that The Avengers had indeed failed.

That was what Thanos was, and while at first, Earth's mightiest heroes were able to stop him. Now, the true reality of just how formidable of a force he was really sold just how much of a threat he really was.

Gone, reduced to atoms of dust and forgotten in the void, only being remembered in the grief echoing throughout the Universe, and on each planet, Earth wasn't any different. It collapsed just like all the others.

Families ripped apart from each other in the blink of an eye, and entire countries helpless other than to watch as entire cities were left empty and desolate. Not a single shred of hope remained.

That was Thanos. That was what he had managed to do. Whatever little hope remained in the Cosmos was encapsulated in the heart of a man named Steve Rodgers.

The Super Soldier knew Stark was the key to winning all of this. But as he walked out of the lab, Agent Romanoff came to him, accompanied by Hawkeye, both looking for answers.

He sighed, "I tried talking to him".

"Talking is not enough", This time it was Natasha's turn to chime in. And what she had to say didn't make much of a difference to the atmosphere of the room.

"It's been twenty three days since Thanos came to Earth, and World Government's are in pieces. And Thanos is nowhere to be found".

The heaviness of knowing that the salvation of all mankind and the Cosmos depended on whether on not Cap could get through to a man as stubborn as Stark didn't do much to raise their hopes. As we had already established, Thanos had already stolen that from existence when he snapped his fingers.

"But he'll help us, right?" Rhodey finally let out his thoughts, as the severity of the situation finally rested itself on his shoulders and took its toll. He had to know.

They all had to know. Or at least, the few of them that remained...

Calling it heaviness was an understatement. It was a palpable tension that weighed in the air, resting against every person in the room, and for what felt like an eternity, Cap finally answered.

"He just needs some..."

"Don't say it", What? What was that? This wasn't Natasha speaking, neither was it Hawkeye. This time, it was someone new.

Someone they hadn't expected to remain, and for the first time since she brought Stark back from his ship, Captain Marvel spoke.

"I may be the new girl here, but I feel like it's worth a shot". She folded her arms, and stepped closer to him, eyes focusing on him, but Cap didn't share her conviction.

"It's not what it seems". Cap said, but he didn't deny what she said, "We need to wait until he gets better".

"Doing anything but brute force won't solve the problem. Stark needs-" He was about to continue, but the others walked closer, and his conviction fell short and he sighed.

"Look", His eyes slowly panned out from Captain Marvel, to Rhodey, and Natasha and even all the way to Thor, who sat outside on the ledge of the building, quietly watching the situation unfold.

"We need a plan of attack". He tried to reason, but again, Captain Marvel wouldn't have it.

"You have me," She said, raising her arm into the air, and clenching her fist, allowing her hand to slowly vibrate as the molecules of her being slowly gave off a distinct light, as the power of the very cosmos radiated a certain glow, one that spoke louder than the silence that came from the room.

She was the strongest member there. Everyone knew it, but that wasn't enough. Bravery wasn't a reward when it came to Thanos. They couldn't just go in guns blazing, no. They actually needed a plan. Some sort of strategy on how to locate Thanos, and as of right now, they couldn't find him.

Not on Earth, not on Titan. Not anywhere throughout the known Universe, and the only person who had the knowledge to track him since he disappeared through that portal after their fight, was noneother than Tony Stark.

"It's too late".

Everyone turned their heads to the main entrance of the building, and Stark was standing in front of them all. His body was not what it used to be. The stress of his battle could be seen clear in the way his beard was grey and the way his eyes were creased and worn down. He was nothing like the confident man who always had a sarcastic comeback for every situation.

No, this was different. So much so, that even Thor had entered back into the building, closing the glass door behind him as he positioned himself with the others, standing to attention as he waited for what he thought would be good news, only it wasn't.

"Well, Stark?" The God of Thunder was as equally traumatised from the events of the snap, and he knew it. He wasn't the same since his fight with Thanos. He had lost a brother, and even without Asgard to back him up, he still had hope of retribution.

There had to be a way to find him. Even if he wasn't on Titan, surely there was a way to locate him. Even if it was a small chance, they had to take it.

"Stark, you better have good news". His voice was frayed and heavy, but his eyes were determined on getting the genius to answer him. But what he hadn't expected was for the former Playboy to walk up to the group, cane in hand with an inserted IV drip connected to his left arm, almost as if his very life hung on it by a thread.

That was how much of an impact Thanos had on Earth's mightest heroes, and seeing the only man who had any chance of helping them track down the only last hope of bringing back everyone who had been snapped out of existence, something didn't feel right.

"You weren't there, Rodgers". Stark didn't bother trying to acknowledge the Asgardian who had just returned back from the outside World, his only focus was Cap, and even then, his answer wasn't something any of them had been expecting.

"We lost. I told you that we lost. Now everyone get out". He shook them off, and Thor wanted to hear more, and he moved closer to Stark, but Cap raised his hand, holding him back.

"I need a shave. That's all I can do. Cause I've got nothing for you Cap. I've got no co-ordinates, no clues. No strategies, no options. Nothing. Zero".

"No trust. Liar. That's what I have for you". Stark ended the sentence, scrambling whatever little brilliance was left of his mind and whatever little hope they had to find Thanos was completely disintegrated into atoms, and disappeared into the abyss. It wasn't a snap, but it certainly felt like it.

"We can't do this". He said, this time, his breathing was heavy and his eyes darted around the room almost in disbelief, "We failed. We lost. And I lost the kid".

Chapter Text

The atmosphere smelled of heavy metal, and there was an uneasiness in the lab of Tony Stark. He hadn't left the facility for the longest of time, and the only source of light was nothing than the machines blurring in the background, shadowing all else in a low humming.

"Tony?" He recognised that voice, but he wouldn't believe it.

"Tony it's me." She repeated again, and stepped forward, coming into the light. Pepper held a tray of food in hand, and looked at the man she had loved with an expression of curiosity, as if she was wondering if he would accept the food she had brought.

"It's breakfast". She said, and walked closer to him, settling down the tray on the table next to his next project, or at least, what was supposed to be his next project.

But after Thanos, all else had been forgotten, and she sighed, closing her eyes, taking in the moment to breathe and take him in.

"You know, I've missed you." Pepper didn't know what else to say, but it only felt right to start at where her heart was.

"I know you just got back, and I'm glad to have you here with me. But there's nothing more that you can do". She said, and ran a hand through her hair, and forced herself to make eye contact with him.

"Please, Tony. If you can't do anything else but work, at least eat first".

Stark hated it, but he knew that she was right. But how was he supposed to eat when the grief of losing someone he once considered family was weighing down against him, suffocating him.

And dare he say it, Tony perhaps even saw Peter as a kid. Not just a kid, but his kid. An extension of himself and now he was gone, but not forgotten.

He had to keep working, maybe then his conscious would feel lighter, but truth be told, no such thing came. Whether the found Thanos or not, there would always be something that Tony could never be able to shake.

"It's all my fault". He had sworn to protect him, and now he felt responsible for Peter's death. There had to be a way to fix all of this, right?

His grief wouldn't allow him to eat. It felt like a tight rope was fastened around his stomach, forcing his appetite to subside.

All he could do was turn his eyes away from Pepper, and looked back to his work.

His wife gave him an understanding nod of her head, and placed her hand on Tony's shoulder.

"I don't know what you're going through", she said, and closed her eyes, almost forcing herself to keep going, no matter how hard it was. Pepper was determined to make sure Tony knew that this wasn't his fault.

"Tony, you're allowed to grief. That's all right, but just remember. We mourn and then we pick ourselves up afterwards".

"Please", She begged, and leaned down slightly towards his face, "Try to eat something. If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me".

He was wordless, but all the same, Stark nodded his head without further thought, and said, "I love you".

"I know Tony", Pepper swallowed an invisible lump, and kissed his forehead, "I just wish that you loved yourself enough to recognise that it's okay to cry".

"But you're not allowed to punish yourself for something you had no control over". And with that, she left the lab, leaving him alone just like he had wanted, except for the company of his breakfast.

Stark felt something well up inside of himself. It felt like his body was on fire, and his head throbbed and ached. Whether it was because he hadn't eaten for days since he last came back, or perhaps it was his body finally giving way to the pain he faced.

Whatever it was, Tony didn't know and he wouldn't give himself the time to process just what exactly it was that was hurting him so much. 

He pushed the tray back to the far edge of the desk, and even though his body lacked the strength to keep going, Stark forced himself to keep working.

They had to find a way to locate Thanos. His body was tired but he had to keep going, even if it was a small chance, they had to take it. He had to take it. And nothing could distract him.

Not even his body giving up from stress, Tony wouldn't let it stop him. The pain combined with the hunger gave him a headache, and made him feel dizzy.

But he wouldn't stop. Stark pulled up his left arm, and tried to eye the IV bag, it was halfway full so he supposed that was enough. There was plenty of nutrients in the drip, and he figured that he didn't need the food Pepper had brought him.

Tony forgot all else and allowed everything to become an after thought. He wasn't done working. He wouldn't stop now. No, he couldn't. He had to keep working and that's exactly what he did.

Minutes turned into hours, and the genius lost track of time, only pausing when the morning sun turned orange, and dusk became near.

Even if it was the afternoon, Tony still kept working. Everything forgotten, he was actually making good progress, but then something disturbed all of that.

The sound of an automated voice disrupted his flow state and an automated voice could be heard, as Jarvis spoke. "Sir, there is an unauthorised personnel near the entrance of the lab."

"Pepper, I told you", Stark loved her, but he wouldn't humour his partner again. No, his work was too important, "I'll get to it when I'm done working. You hear that, Pep?"

Only, it wasn't her. No, there was a distinct clicking sound of boots slamming against the floor of the lab, and someone came through, but it wasn't who he had expected.

The footsteps were too fast, and daringly too confident to be Pepper. Tony didn't know who it was, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned back around to get a better look.

"Nebula, right?" Stark had spent nearly twenty three days floating in the absolute abyss, the void of space. Thousands of light years away from Earth with no other companion other than the former Luphomoid assassin, and you'd think that nearly dying together would be enough for him to have formed some sort of kindred attachment with the alien, but no.

That wasn't the case.

She might have been a daughter of Thanos, but she certainly didn't have any of his ambitions, and it was clear in the way she walked and moved through Tony's lab.

Like a pirhana swimming through uncharted waters, Nebula was dangerous but also hesitant. She didn't know where she was, only that she was looking for the man who had showed her compassion during the loneliest time of her existence.

Trapped on that ship, the mass of gravity encapsulating their ship, like a fish caught in a snare, they were stuck floating through space, only there was no clear way of ever making it back.

Something about the whole ordeal had scared her, and while she once thought herself incapable of experiencing emotions other than anger and frustration, the Luphamoid had grown a soft spot for Tony Stark.

That was why she was there. That was the sole reason for why she came to him. Flashes of machine lighting illuminated the path past her shadow, as she walked and searched through the lab, smelling the air and letting it guide her to where the scientist was.

It didn't take as long as she had expected to find him, but Stark certainly wasn't too pleased to see her. Afterall, for him, all he wanted was peace and silence. But for her, she had a different objective in mind.

"You reak of loneliness", Was all she said, as she turned her head, black eyes staring at the chair facing away from her.

For the first time since he arrived back on Earth, Tony laughed. It was a fleeting thing, but he laughed all the same before spinning his chair back around to stare at her, though his chair snagged and caught on the line of his IV bag, almost pulling it out, and causing him pain.

He winced, "You're here".

Nebula didn't wait for him to keep talking and walked closer to Stark, stepping over the many electrical wires strewn across the lab, and caught up to him, eyeing the plastic tubing of the IV bag.

"What this?" Tony eyed the bag, and then looked back at her, and flung his hand in the air dismissively, "Nah, don't mind this. It's just something to get my body the nutrients it lost while we were floating in outter space."

"Remember that?" He tried to joke, but Nebula wasn't buying his sarcasm and for a moment, he was unsure of how to act, but instead she did something that he hadn't been expecting.

Without saying a word, Nebula leaned down on her knees, and took hold of Tony's arm.

"Hey, be careful-"

He stopped when he noticed exactly what it was that she was doing. Blue fingers worked carefully and skillfully, undoing the tangled mess of the drip line of the IV bag and straightened the tube back out. When she was done, Nebula held out her hand and opened up her palm, waiting for Tony to take it.

The Philanthropist was reluctant, and something within him wanted to refuse, but somehow through some sheer force, Tony felt obligated to follow her lead, and pushed his hand outwards towards her.

Tony struggled against the pain caused by the IV, but eventually, he managed to reach out to the alien and took her hand. Physical touch was never his strong suit, and it showed in the way his face tightened awkwardly when Nebula raised it in the air, carefully twisting it for inspection.

She kept working on the IV line, and even turned back around to the table, taking a syringe in hand, and looked for an opening in the bag, one where the plastic cover of the sealed drip line had an outer protective layer for safe insertion, and tapped her finger against the glass syringe before finally injecting the medicine into the solution of the bag.

Tony gritted his teeth and grimaced in pain before Nebula finally let go of his hand, allowing him to gently set it back down on his lap. She took a step back, and looked him up and down, almost as if he was a toy, and she was his owner inspecting him for any flaws.

He felt unnerved by her stare, and his eyes were darting everywhere other than looking into her own. They were so dark, and lifeless, but the Luphomoid didn't act like it. Instead, the corners of her eyes tighened as she finished inspecting him.

"You haven't eaten." She said. There was no hint of emotion in her voice, and she sat back on top of the desk Tony was working on.

"You're a great detective, you know that?" There wasn't any humour in what she had said, but regardless, Stark still found a way to be sarcastic, even when his hunger made his vision dizzy, and threatened to give him fainting spells.

Nebula doubled down and and continued staring him down, "You're not as funny as you think you are. Tony, you need to eat. All living beings require sustenance". She said, and this time, there was absolute resolution within her voice.

"Well Cap thinks I'm funny". Stark wanted to say, but he was too weak to fight any more, so he just quietly muttered it under his breath and gave up the fight. Allowing his facade to break, showing the frown lines on his forehead.

"What is that?" She pointed nearby, and Tony turned his head and stared at the forgotten food tray Pepper had left for him earlier that morning.

"Oh that. It's just-"

Nebula shifted her weight on the table, and stood up, moving her hand closer to Tony, just barely pushing past the touchboard of his computer, gripping the silver tray with one hand and bringing it back towards her.

"I'm done with that. You can have the rest of it". He coughed slightly, and took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus back to work.

The Avengers wanted him back, but Tony had nothing left to give. But through it all, even when his last bit of strenghth was gone, there was only one thing keeping him going.

Or rather, it was one person. That person, despite being gone was still the reason why the Engineer had returned back to his lab. He owed it to the kid to finish what was left of his work. Tony was going to power through it, no matter what it took.

But that didn't mean that everything was suddenly okay. There was a hole left in the heart of the Avengers, and as much as Tony wanted to isolate himself away from everybody else, he just couldn't. Cap was right, the team needed him. The world needed him. The kid needed him.

There was something about interacting with the others that Tony despised. They acted as if everything was alright, even when it wasn't. He understood that it was for morale, but still, he wanted some time alone to himself. He still needed time to process what had happened.

Nebula didn't seem to understand this. Or perhaps she did? He didn't know, but what Tony was sure about was that the Luphomoid assassin was standing in front of him, black eyes staring at him, and arms pushing out the tray towards him, expectantly.

It was so funny, he thought. The Luphomoid had starry black eyes with no intention towards them. But something about the way Nebula looked at him, there was something there behind her eyes. They showed no emotion, but they still perfectly managed to convey the blue alien's thoughts.

"Eat".

"No, I said I'm good-"

"Eat". Nebula repeated and walked closer to him, placing the tray down on his desk. She folded her arms across her chest. "If you do not eat, then I will be forced to-"

"Forced to what? What are you going to do?" Tony dared her to ask, and for a moment, he felt the much needed strength of the adrenaline coursing through his veins, giving him the courage to stare back at Nebula.

She didn't blink, and just kept staring at him. It unnerved him how dauntingly still she was, but Tony wouldn't back down. He kept his eyes on her, and  and analysed each micro- feature of the technology that made up the different parts of her face.

There was something unnerving about the way Nebula was built, but it inspired an odd fascination within him.

He got closer, and eyed the ridges of her metallic face, and as he tried to grab the side of her face to inspect the technology, she took hold of his hand and that was when he shuddered.

"Look, I told you, I'm not eating. What more do you want from me?"

A cold chill sent him over the edge, and Tony hated the feeling of vulnerability in that situation. He may have been back from space, but still, he's body had not recovered just yet. Even with his suit, he still didn't have enough strenght to fight back. At least, not yet. So what was he supposed to do?

Nebula's black eyes darted down to the tray, and her hand was still tight around his own arm. She leaned down, taking the utensil in her hand and scrambled a few bits of egg onto the spoon, taking the time to make sure every bit of food could be forced onto the spoon and gestured for him to come closer.

"You will eat. It does not matter how much you struggle to resist. Eventually, you will eat all the same".

Tony sighed, and relented, shaking his head. "Fine. But just a few bites. Then will you leave?"

Nebula didn't answer, instead she just brought the spoon closer to him, and waited on him to open his mouth.

"I'm guessing that's a no". He sighed and leaned in closer, taking the first bite. It felt nice. The eggs were overly spiced, and the oil in the food was too much, but in the end, compared to the dry food he was forced to eat during his time stranded in space, he supposed that it wasn't that bad.

Stark swallowed, and Nebula still kept looking at him expectantly, and she wouldn't let go of his hand until he finally said something.

Her grip wasn't too painful, but it was firm enough to stop him from fighting back.

"You can let go now". He said, eying the clenched hand holding onto his other, keeping him from multi-tasking. At the very edge of his mind, Tony had hoped that he could at least work while eating, but the Luphomoid didn't relent one bit.

"I will only let go once you've finished eating. Nothing else takes more priority than for you to finish your meal. Now eat". Nebula went back to the tray, this time taking spoonfuls of the apple sauce pudding and gestured it to his face.

"Geez", He shook his head, "Never heard of free-will before?" But he still tilted his head forward and continued to allow her to feed him.

It was a strange taste, to go from eating eggs to pudding. But he wasn't about to say anything. Not when Nebula seemed so hell-bent on him finishing his meal.

Though calling it a meal was being generous. Tony got a closer look at the food, and a part of him remembered how Pepper had brought him breakfast earlier, but he had refused it. And now here he was, eating eggs, toast, and applesauce for lunch.

How ridiculous? He shook his head, but still, he powered through it and wasted no time devouring the meal as his forced, 'Caretaker' continued to feed him.

"Let me try some of the toast."

He didn't think she heard him correctly, because Nebula didn't pause, she only kept on feeding him the eggs until there was nothing else left on the plate. Tony relented to this new shift in power, and while the feeling of obliging to this woman.

No. This alien, who had marched into his lab, and started forcing him to eat against his will, even going so far as to feed him. Something felt degrading about the whole thing, but Tony just wanted it to be over so he could keep working. He needed to finish his work.

No matter what it took.

"You're eating too fast."

What? She peaked his curiosity, and Tony now had to take a small pause between the last bite, and stared at her with a look of astonishment, and perhaps bewilderment.

"Are you serious? You wanted me to eat. What more do you want?" He said, and gasped out in exasperation.

He felt like an impatient child, being forcefully fed against their desires, and even when he listened, somehow Nebula still found a way to criticize him.

"You will choke. Slow down on your breathing, and eat properly. The food is not going anywhere, and neither am I, not until you finish eating". She said, and waited on him to answer, putting the spoon down on the tray, but all the while she kept her grip strong on his arm.

Sigh after sigh, Stark didn't think he could handle all of this. First it was his own team mates forcing him to help on a project he wanted no part in, and then everyone started treating him like he could suddenly pull a miracle out of his ass and find Thanos.

He was tired. God, Tony Stark was tired. He had given up on everything, but the people closest to him wouldn't let go. He just wanted to close his eyes and never wake up, but somehow, through some obstacle, he just could never catch a break.

It was like the Universe absolutely refused to let him give up.

"We're done". Her voice was controlled and precise in a way that clearly showed that she wasn't human, but for a moment when Tony snapped out of his trance, letting his thoughts go, did he realise that the tray was empty, and that the toast was gone.

Had he really eaten all of that?

He didn't remember ever touching the toast, but Nebula didn't waste time, because as soon as she saw that the plate was empty, she picked up the tray with one hand, and finally let go of his arm.

"I will be back," She said, and turned back around, walking towards the entrance way of the lab.

"Until then, try not to get yourself killed". Nebula left the room, the sound of her boots clicking against the floor being the last sign of her presence before she disappeared behind the door.

She was gone. Tony knew that she was gone, and for that, he couldn't be more grateful. He turned back around in his chair, turning back to face his work, and it was only then did he touch his face, rubbing the stress away.

Wait. He felt crumbs at the corners of his lips, and when he went to touch at his mouth, he pulled his hand back in shock as he saw what looked to be bread crumbs on his fingers.

"Huh?" Stark let out a confused breath. He really did eat the toast. He was just too distracted to notice.

Nebula had actually managed to get him to finish his breakfast, despite it being so late in the afternoon. Was he really that zoned-out during the whole thing?

Perhaps he needed a break, but that could wait. Right now, The Avengers needed him. That was why he was here to begin with. Now that the food out of the way, he was free to continue working on a way to locate Thanos.

"Still," Tony said, shaking his head, "You could've let me eat by myself". Though even he knew that he was lying to himself. His appetite was non-existent since he came back to Earth.

A part of him felt grateful to Nebula, had she not forced him to eat, Tony would've starved. Not that he cared, but still, he wanted to say thank you to the blue alien. But in the end, his pride wouldn't allow him to say it..

Chapter Text

"Tony, are you going to rest? Or am I going to have to knock you unconscious before you agree to let me take you back to bed?" Pepper may have loved him, but she hated the genius' stubborn determination.

"One minute, Pep". He held up his hand, and pointed his index finger to the air, "I'm almost there. I know I can get this right I just need to focus".

Tony Stark had a complicated relationship with the ideal of sleep. It was never something he liked. There was always more to do. He would always push through, even until his body gave up, he never stopped trying.

"Tony, you need to rest". Pepper was close to slapping him, and if it wasn't for the fact that he had almost died on Titan, then surely she would have ended him right there and then.

She was running out of patience, and the love of her life was slowly pushing her to the edge, one where Pepper was rethinking her decision to have agreed to let him get back to work.

"Tony, we had an agreement". She said, and stared at the back of the chair Stark was sitting in.

His back was still facing away from her, but something didn't feel right. Days had passed and he still wasn't done on his, 'little', project.

What was it called again? Pepper scratched at the back of her head for answers, and it finally came. "Time heist".

Was that what it was called? She didn't know, but seeing the title written on the display monitor of Tony's holographic TouchPad made her feel unsettled.

"So that's what you're working on". She said and kept walking towards him, placing her arm on the back of his chair, and forcefully spinning him back around so that Tony was facing her.

He sighed, "I said, I would join you in bed after I was done. Key emphasis on the after". His voice was strained, and Pepper didn't know whether it was because of anger, or because of exhaustion.

Regardless of what it was, one thing was clear, Tony hadn't stopped working for almost three days now. The man was running off of coffee, and hopes and dreams. But that wasn't enough. At least, not for Pepper.

"Tony, when I agreed to let you get back to work, it was on the condition that you would take a break when the time came". She said, and her eyes narrowed as she focused in on the man in front of her.

His IV bag was no longer there, and it was removed because the genius was finally eating again. It wasn't by his own choice, but even if it meant that the others had to force him to eat, it was better than nothing.

But now, that only left the issue of sleep. Pepper looked at her spouse and recognised the look in his eyes. His usually well kept hair was sticking out in odd angles, and his face was pale, and his eyes were sunken in as dark circles had formed, giving way to his lack of sleep.

"You're pushing yourself too far. You need to rest".

She was right. Tony knew it. But he couldn't stop. No, he wouldn't. Thanos was so close to their reality. His scans had indicated a massive power surge that was similar to the one that was recorded the first time Thanos snapped half of the Universe away.

He needed to rest, but the fear in him kept him awake, working on a solution. It pained him in such a way that he forced himself awake. Thanos was close. Close enough for Stark to locate him, but the signal was thousands of light years away. By the time it reached Earth, it would already be too late.

That was why he kept working. That was why he kept pushing himself. There were answers that laid hidden in the stars, and only he was smart enough to find them. Sleep be dammed, if there was any semblance of hope, a small chance to find Thanos, then perhaps they could reverse all of this.

Maybe then, he could finally stop blaming himself for Peter's...

"No", Stark shook his head, "I can't stop". He said, and Pepper let out a deep sigh, almost like she couldn't believe him.

"You won't stop? Not even for me?"

There eyes met, and Pepper had a small hope that her love would be enough to get him off, and back to bed. Surely, he needed the rest. His body was stressed and it showed in the weight loss. It wasn't a comfortable sight for her to see.

"Pepper, I love you. But honey, I can't sleep without decoding this signal." Tony knew damn well that if he didn't track the signal down, and locate it to the source, then there was never going to be another chance at finding Thanos.

Surely, that took more importance than sleep right?

Well his partner didn't seem to think so, and she sighed. "I know you mean well, Tony. But you can't just push through it. You need to rest. You may call yourself Iron Man, but at the end of the day you're still a man".

She left him like that. Placing a kiss on his forehead, Pepper ignored the taste of sweat on her lips and walked away.

"I'll be in bed if you ever decide that you want to take a break".

"Pepper, if only you knew", He muttered quietly under his breath, but she was already gone.

Tony was in pain, and there was nothing he wanted more than to close his eyes and let sleep take him, and he even welcomed that darkness where his mind would finally turn itself off, and allow him the peace he never had during the day.

But the nightmares. The voice of the kid he had failed to protect. It was his fault. He needed to fix this. Tony wouldn't stop until he got the kid back. He would either die trying, or he would succeed. Whichever the outcome, depended on if he could track down the signal from the last time Thanos used the Infinity Stones.

"Jarvis, bring up the schematics of the Titan Solar System".

Just like that, Tony pushed aside all thoughts of sleep, and started again, this time focusing on his computer, as the graphics display spoke, "Which one, Sir?"

"The Schematics of Titan, where the last pre-recorded energy surge was located". Tony adjusted his chair, and peered forward. He could do this, he just needed enough time.

"Bringing it up now, Sir". The AI answered, and the display changed again, this time, forming an elaborate outline of a disk shaped vacuum, one where planets had three moons, and radiation surging through their core.

"There we go". Stark smiled quietly to himself. He had finally found the last known location. Now, he just had to find a way to relay it's position to his satellite.

"Good. Now polorise the signal, and increase the frequency of the Beta particles".

This was working. He was actually decoding the signal. Stark smiled to himself, and felt proud. It had taken time, but he was almost there. Thanos' last location was found. Now all he had to do was bring the signal back to Earth.

That was the hard part. For the signal to travel thousands of light years from Titan's Solar system, and back to Earth. That was going to take an immense amount of power. Something his technology was capable of, but first, he needed to recalibrate the power flux capacitor to allow for this input of energy to be generated.

The lights surged, and they flickered on and off, completely turning off, encapsulating the lab in darkness. A few moments passed, where Tony was alone with no beacon to guide him. And for a moment, he thought that he had blown the system, but then the display went off, and back on again.

"System transfer complete".

"Huh?" Tony didn't know what to say, and he laughed in disbelief. It had actually worked. The lights of the lab turned back on and illuminated everything once more.

"It worked". He said it again, and an unsteady hand came to rest on his chin, almost in thought.

"It actually worked. I did it". Why did he say it like he didn't believe it? Surely this was what he was hoping for, right?

The former Playboy didn't know, but in truth, a small part of him, the logical part that wasn't driven by emotion, the real Tony Stark, the one who placed intellect over reckless humanity, that part of him he thought had been lost since the kid...

He sighed, he never expected it to work. He didn't know it at the time, but his grief had been the sole contributor to his research. It was the reason why Tony never allowed himself a moment to rest.

It made him frightened and unnerved. It didn't feel like anxiety. It was more akin to dread, only it was a tight knot which bound his throat, almost like a noose, and he felt trapped. Forced to work until he found a way to track Thanos.

And now that he finally found it, finally found the signal, finally brought the interstellar co-ordinates back to Earth, and to his system, Tony realised only then that he hadn't been working because he wanted to.

No, Stark felt like a gun had been held against his head the whole time, forcing him to keep working. And while at first he couldn't determine just what exactly was the cause of this, he now knew.

The only gun against his head was the one formed by his grief, and the only bullets that laid in the chamber was guilt. And the only person who held it there, was none other than himself.

Tony laughed bitterly to himself, "I need a drink". He said, only this time, there was no hesitation to continue working. No, that would come tomorrow.

For now, Stark would rest. But as he took the first step, his body collapsed. An audible, 'thud', sound could be heard, as his eyes rolled back into his head, and his breath stopped suddenly. Leaving him laying there, next to the door. It was only a few feet, but Tony's body didn't get the chance to make it.

He had refused to rest, so now, his body was forcing him to sleep. Even if it meant fainting, his body shut itself down, and the genius became unconscious.

But it didn't matter. He had done it. Tony had decoded the signal. The Avengers could finally track down Thanos. It was the only thing that rang out in Stark's mind. Even as he lost consciousness, the thought had already burned itself into his mind.

They could stop Thanos. They could bring everyone back. He could see the kid again...

The darkness of his mind felt similar to the feeling of drifting in outter space. In space, there were trillions of stars, all flashing a distinct light, but none of it could ever be enough to illuminate the Universe completely. And the same was true with Tony's mind.

At first, there was darkness. But then, there was a subtle shift in the back of his mind, almost as if his brain was processing a new sensory change, only Tony didn't know what it was. It felt close, yet so far away. It cradled him, and made him feel safe.

Stark didn't know why, but for the life of him, he swore that the warmth surrounding him felt familiar. His mind was too tired to connect the dots, but he recognised it as someone he knew.

Cherry Blossom with hints of citrus. That was what he smelled, and it overpowered everything else around him. The aroma was fragrant and sweet, just like someone he knew. It reminded him of...

"Pepper?"

"Mhh hmm", A soft , almost theatrical humming could be heard. Pepper's voice was soothing, and sounded instrumental as she she softly whispered, "Are you alright?"

"I told you that you needed to rest". There was no anger in her voice, only gentle understanding. It wasn't something Tony had expected.

"I know."

They weren't in the lab anymore, no. Stark was confused on how they had moved to their bedroom, but Pepper quickly dismissed it.

"When I found you on the floor of your lab, passed out, I knew what I had to do". She said, and let out a heavy sigh, and looked down at Tony.

His head was resting in her lap, and Pepper held him on her lap, gently cradling his head, with her hand running through his matted hair, "Tony, you don't know how much It broke my heart to see you like that".

He didn't know what to say. Stark hesitated, and swallowed. "You brought me back to your room?"

"Our room". She said, voice firm and eyes narrowed. "It's our room, Tony. I know that it's been a while since you last visited here, but clearly you need to take a break from the lab".

And she was right. Even as he laid there, there were only thoughts of going back to his lab and continuing his work, but Pepper read through this.

"Tony, don't make that face". She slapped him. There wasn't enough force behind it to hurt, but certainly hard enough to pull him out of his thoughts.

"I know what you're thinking and I'll he dammed if I let you get back to work. Not after what happened". Pepper was close to yelling, but she tried her best to not make too much of a ruckus. Afterall, her spouse had just fainted from exhaustion, she didn't want to make too much of a noise abou-

"No", She paused, and shook her head. Tony fainting was the last straw. She didn't care what happened next, she wasn't going to lose him.

"You're not going back to your lab. I won't let you". She held him even tighter, and Pepper was practically suffocating him with how tight she was holding him.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm not letting you go". She repeated.

He had tracked down Thanos. It didn't matter that he fell unconscious. It made no difference. Tony Stark was one step closer to bringing the kid back.

He would rest, but only for today. At least until Pepper calmed down. But for now, he would allow himself the privilege of being cradled. Then tomorrow, he would show the team his findings. They were going to find him.

He was going to get Peter back.

Chapter Text

"Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good."

Something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, but Peter's spider-sense was telling him to run, only he couldn't.

"Mr Stark", He repeated, something was wrong. Very wrong. Every cell in his body was telling him it was too late. Parker didn't know what was happening.

"Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good". Peter ran up to him. There was a certain look on his mentor's face. One that spoke volumes over the sound of the silence.

First it was Mantis, and then Drax. One by one, each member of their team slowly started turning a dark terracotta brown, as the colour drained from their form, slowly being replaced with a stained grey as their lifeless forms turned to dust.

"Steady Quill." Stark told him, but the man simply sighed and vanished into the air, turning into dust that resembled ashes.

The grounds of Titan was littered with what looked like soot, only it wasn't. The texture resembled dirt, but it was finer. Like sand, one by one the last of them were slowly disappearing through the hands of the Cosmos.

"Tony", The voice came from the Sorcerer Supreme, and Stark turned his head around to stare at the magician. In his final moments of life, Strange said, "There was no other way". Before he vanished as well.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Tony felt like he was dreaming, only it wasn't possible for him to wake up, because this was infact reality. His reality, which soon turned into a nightmare when Peter's voice broke through the spell of dissonance and forced Tony back to where he was.

He looked at the kid, something was wrong. They both knew it. "Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good". Parker repeated, and through slurred speech and fazed words, Tony understood what was happening.

"You're alright." Only he wasn't. Tony was lying. He knew what was next, and even as Peter struggled, walking up to him in panic, Stark still tried to comfort the boy.

No, no no! This wasn't possible. This shouldn't have been happening. Strange said there was a chance where they won. In all the worlds, in all of the Universe, a silent tremor shook the very fabric of space and time.

Trillions were decimated at the snap of a finger, and all at once, the futility of trying to fight it emerged itself. There was nothing that they could do. There was nothing Peter could do.

"Mr. Stark, please" He begged, and held onto the man as his mind screamed at him to run away, but he couldn't. No where in the Universe could Peter run to that would save him from being decimated by the Stones' power.

Thanos had won, and Peter's spider-sense acted as a bell, ringing out in a final last ditch attempt to save the poor boy's life, only there was nothing more that could be done.

"Mr. Stark, please. I don't" Peter was stammering, and his voice shook with the fear that he was next. "Please, Mr. Stark, I don't want to go".

"I don't want to go". It was time, Tony held onto him as tight as he could, but Peter fell and he was forced onto ground where he laid, staring up into Stark's eyes.

There were so many emotions in his eyes. Fear, dread, and then finally acceptance. Peter's final words broke his heart, "I'm sorry". His suit was slowly turning brown, before an eventual coating of brown which soon turned into a burned colour as his remains became dark ashes scattered with the wind.

"Mr. Stark..." Like a banshee, but quieter, Peter's last words echoed quietly though the air and into Tony's mind, torturing him through his everlasting nightmare.

Tony was asleep, and through the silence of the night, his mind played images of his brief time in Titan. At first, he had tried to repress the memory, but his subconscious wouldn't let him forget. It was burned into his memory, and it played out over and over again like a broken record.

Something happened, there was a sort of loneliness Tony felt, as all his comrades vanished, their very existence being eradicated through the delicate fabric of reality.

The only person who remained was none other than Nebula. The blue alien shared his confusion, as well as his grief. But the Luphomoid managed to keep it together. The same couldn't be said for Tony Stark.

He felt robbed. Thanos was a thief, and he had stolen the kid from right under him. Tony felt sick to his stomach, and the palpable weight of the situation made him lose his breath, as he struggled to breath.

Tony didn't know if he was going to be next, but he prepared for it, and stared down at his hands. Nothing happened. No matter how long he waited, nothing came. He was safe. But he had lost the kid.

An ineffable sadness, one where ice filled his blood, and made him scared to move. Tony didn't know what to do. There was so much going on, and then in another second there was nothing. All gone. Reduced to atoms, and scattered to the wind. The phenomenon occurred all over the globe, and across the Universe.

He wasn't alone in his suffering. Rhodey had lost Sam, and Cap was powerless and could do nothing more than watch as Bucky said his name for the last time, the words, "Steve" echoing in the silence left by his presence was hard.

Wakanda had lost a king, Tony wasn't alone in his suffering. Everyone was grieving, but that still didn't make it right.

Angry. That's what he felt. Even as he was dreaming, his blood pressure increased, and his face tightened. Tony wasn't just angry. There was a second emotion that hid itself behind the frustration. It was confusion.

Why hadn't he disappeared yet? Why did everyone he cared about become dust while he remained alive? That was a question Stark couldn't answer.

Tony was supposed to be the one who always knew what to do, but in that moment, he had nothing left to give. It made him angry to realise how powerless he was, but something was wrong.

He was in pain. It felt like a gaping wound was pieced into his chest, and the left side of the cavity felt cold and heavy. It wasn't the arc reactor that was causing him so much pain. No, it was his conscious. Tony felt responsible for the kids death.

It didn't matter that the blip was random. It was still something that he himself had gotten Peter involved in. It wasn't a child's place to fight on a war and he knew it. This was all his fault.

But he was going to fix it, right? The walls of his mind unravelled, and the memory became dark. There was a brief moment of lucidity that took place before he woke up. One where Tony placed his hand to the left side of his chest, unconsciously trying to soothe the pain that radiated from the area.

Grief was a strange thing, even in his sleep, Tony's mind was active, still trying to process key events that were suppressed and pushed back to the darkest crevice of his mind.

Stark knew he was dreaming. It didn't change anything, but it brought him some comfort to know that the pulling sensation, the heaviness in his chest that absolutely refused to settle down. It was all a trick of his mind. 

Stark laid there in bed, the distinct feeling of a another body pressing down against his own, and he instantly recognised Pepper's perfume. It smelled nice, but that wasn't where his priority was.

He felt warmth unlike any other, and while he still wanted to stay there in her arms for a little while longer, Tony had no time to rest. He had to show his team what he found. It was time to get out of bed.

"Morning honey." His spouse wasn't asleep like he thought. That was going to be a problem.

"Morning Pep". He said, and slowly closed his eyes, tightening the muscles of his face, almost as if he wanted to say something, but kept it under wraps. 

One day. Tony had collapsed for one day, and sure it was out of exhaustion and stress, and perhaps a combination of hunger and fatigue, but nonetheless. It was now over. He was strong enough. He could get back to work.

"Pepper". He said, slowly and carefully. Tony knew what her reaction would be, and he braced for it. "I need to get up. The lab..."

"I need to go to the lab". Stark repeated, and the arms around him tightened, almost trapping him, and keeping him in place with her hand forcing his head down onto her chest. She wouldn't let him go.

"No". Was all she said, and closed her eyes again, ignoring his request. Tony be dammed, Pepper wasn't going to let him kill himself over his work. No, she loved him too much to ever let him go.

"Honey, I love you, but I need to work". It was strange. With anyone else, Tony would've just brushed them off, but not Pepper. No, the woman meant too much to him. He needed to get back to work, he had to show the rest of The Avengers the decoded signal.

"Tony". Pepper let out a deep breath, and her forehead creased with lines. She wasn't happy about his work. It took him collapsing just for the genius to stop working. That scared her because she didn't know whether or not if she should let him continue with his work, because she wasn't sure if he would return to her alive.

She sighed, and opened her eyes, looking at him in a way that showed her concern, "Tony, I'm worried about you".

"Well I'm fin-"

"No." She shook her head. "Don't do that. Don't act like you didn't just pass out from sheer exhaustion."

"Tony, you say one thing, but you're body says another. You keep pushing yourself, what exactly do you have to prove?"

That it wasn't his fault. That he could finally rest without the crushing guilt of losing someone so young in a battle they shouldn't have been a part of.

He never should have gotten Peter involved in the first place. Tony should have done better. He should have protected him.

Crying wouldn't bring him back. That was what Pepper didn't understand. It was an uncomfortable situation to be in. Responsibility was something he realised too late. The kid idolised him, but Stark wanted Peter to be better.

Better than what? Better than him. Peter deserved to live long enough to see himself become a better man than he was. That's why he owed it to him to finish what he had started.

Pepper knew that there was no point in arguing. Tony was stubborn, but he knew what he was doing. Regardless, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. It hurt in a way that almost foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen.

"You promised me that you would take a break". She said, tired, stressed and anxious. She didn't want to lose him.

Stark answered her back, though there was a palpable hesitation, one that could be heard through his voice as he swallowed and tried to clear the dryness in his throat, "I'm fine, Pep. It was a fluke. These things happen, okay?"

Despite being the one who was grieving, Tony was now the one comforting his wife, but Pepper didn't buy it. Something felt wrong about the whole thing. A part of her was screaming at her not to let him go.

What was she going to tell Morgan? That her Daddy died doing something stupid?

"Tony, please". Pepper felt angry and frustrated with him. "Just once in your life, can you put yourself first?" She narrowed her eyes, and looked at him in defeat.

There was nothing else that she could do. Once Tony made up his mind, he became stubborn in all that he did. He never knew when to quit. And at first, that was what she had wanted. For him to pick himself back up.

But he could barely stand, let alone walk properly. This wasn't the right time for him to be jumping back into the firing line. Now was the time for him to rest. She hated him for being so...

So selfish. Didn't he care about her? About Morgan?

Their little girl still needed a father.

Tony almost didn't come back from Titan. Twenty three days she had prayed for him to come back. And when she had finally lost all hope, that was when he came back to her. It wasn't fair. Pepper wasn't willing to go through it again.

"Tony". She sighed. It wasn't anger anymore. It wasn't even frustration. At that point, it was straight up disappointment.

"You're going to choose your work over your own life, huh?" She said, and let out a soft sigh, almost like her very will to live was stolen from her in that one breath.

Tony didn't know what to say. Pepper was right, but not exaclty. Thanos needed to be stopped, but after what happened last time, from The Avengers fighting him on Wakanda, and then eventually battling it out on Titan, they were helpless to stop him.

Thanos was a monster, but this wasn't a story where the villain was broken. No, Thanos was just pure evil. His motives weren't twisted, or corrupted. He knew exactly what he was doing. Gamora had been proof of that, and he sacrificed the only person he loved more than anything else.

That was what made him more than just a villain. It truly cemented his character. There wasn't a line he wasn't willing to cross. That alone gave him a superior advantage over The Avengers. 

His lack of morality was a perturbing thing to witness. But that was what made him so formidable. Competing with someone who was ready to throw everything away at the near sight of victory was dangerous. Thanos had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

For The Avengers, a moment of hesitation, no matter how small it was could spell certain death. There wasn't enough time. They had to act now. It was now or never.

They couldn't affor-

"No". He shook his head. He couldn't afford to waste time. Stark turned back to Pepper and raised his head off her chest. His team needed him, "Honey, I'm sorry. But I can't argue with you, not about this".

He had to get him back. Peter wasn't his kid, but he was still a kid all the same. Stark was going to get him back. It didn't matter the cost.

"Before you go", She stopped him just as he was about to get up, there was a gentle tone in her voice, almost like she was begging him to listen.

"Tony don't make us part of a historical cliché. I swear on everything I love, If you make me a widow, I'll never forgive you." She said, but a part of her hoped that he would at the very least reconsider what she had to say.

He stopped mid-step, and turned around. For a moment, Pepper thought that she had finally gotten through to him. But then, he leaned down to her height, placing a kiss on the lips of her cupid's bow.

"Go, before I change my mind".

Stark didn't say anything, but it was clear in the way he walked, that he was tense. Every muscle in his body felt ridged and stiff. It hurt to move, and before he left through the doorway, Tony made sure to take his cane with him.

It was just a precaution. He didn't need it anymore, but it was just in case he lost strength again. While he was better, and he owed Pepper for that, but his body still refused for him to move comfortably 

Even as he moved through the small distance of the hall into the elevator, Tony never hesitated. He knew that this was just the beginning. His body was breaking, but his mind was strong. Not as strong as it used to be, but still, nonetheless, there was an element of genius that dwelled within the fortitude of his head.

Getting it out, and manifesting it out into the physical world was another story. A much harder concept to grasp and understand, and while the other Avengers struggled to piece together what Tony was saying, at the very least, he had an ally in the situation.

An amalgamation of both brawn and intellect, 'Professor hulk', as he now called himself was there to point at the image of Planet 0259-S.

An unsteady rythym of hearts beating rapidly against their chests, as everyone scrambled to their feet, eyes locked in on the interstellar planet. "Tony, is this what I think it is?"

"That's right, Cap". He nodded. This was in fact it. It wasn't what they were expecting, but this was the last known location where the signal had been traced from. And by the looks of it, there was enough radiation emitted by the Stones to give a sign of an earlier presence. 

"Thanos used the gauntlet less than 5 hours ago. Our scanners picked up excessive readings of accelerated gamma particles of the Infinity Stones."

One by one, each Avenger turned their heads up to the screen, viewing the monitor with a parallel narrative. On one hand, they had hope and on the other, they were afraid. This was really it, huh?

Natasha stared at Clint, and Tony looked at Cap, Banner and the new addition to their team, Ant-man exchanged looks while Rhodey and Nebula were quiet.

But behind it all, Carol Danvers sat back, watching everything unfold. Everyone on the team could feel it. It wasn't something tangible, but it could still be felt either way.

"Is anyone going to say it?" The table was quiet, no one was willing to speak up. They were given hope, but the fear of losing it all made them keep quiet.

At first, they had thought it a fool's erand. Something they never comprehended, but the way that Stark managed to figure it out in a matter of days. He accomplished something that truly solidified his worth to the team.

Tony was different. That much was true, but he wasn't broken. He may have been grieving, but he still found a way to return back to the light. Now it was his turn to hold up the torch so that the others could find their way back. He took it as his responsibility to finish what they had started.

As much as they were afraid, the seed of fear was nothing compared to the relief of knowing there was a way forward.

Fear was a funny thing. It was like poison, given enough time exposed to it, and eventually the person became immune. That was the mentality of Tony Stark. 

"We've found him. Thanos is on a planet called, 0259-S."

He had been so afraid, so wrapped up in his grief that his body had shut down. It betrayed him as the venom known as doubt, loss, unrelenting blame tore his body and his mind apart, unraveling it before his team mates.

But now, for the first time since their fight in civil war, Captain America and Tony shared a look, one that said they were in tune with what the other was saying. And now it was Cap's turn to say what everyone else was thinking.

"Avengers, let's get this son of a bitc-"

"Cap, language".

The atmosphere of the room shifted, and everyone felt lighter. They were laughing like old times, and perhaps on another day, they would have supposed that the dust was finally starting to settle.

They could lie to themselves all they wanted, but one thing was clear. Things would never be the same, not until they found Thanos. At first, it was a big if, but now it was possible.

Tony had opened the door of opportunity for them, and now it was up to them to step foot in it. One step at a time, they were going to pass through it and they were going to walk into their final battle, and this time they weren't going to lose.

Failure wasn't an option. They were going to set the stage in their favour. No matter how menial it was, The Avengers needed everyone they could find. They were taking the fight to Thanos.

"Stark? What do you say?"

They couldn't do this without him and Rodgers stood up, extending his arm out towards him, motioning for Tony to take his hand. "Will you fight with us?"

He looked worse for wear, but it was there. Everyone could see it. Tony's eyes burned with a certain fire that words could not describe. It was a drastic contrast to the frail posture, and even though he was balancing on a cane, The Avengers knew something was different.

Tony held himself up in a way that drew attention in the room. His shoulders were straight, and his head was held high. Everyone in the room could see the conviction in his eyes as he took Cap's hand.

"Avengers". A brief pause was taken but the way in which his words were executed perfectly conveyed how powerful that moment was for them. "Assemble".

Chapter Text

They had hope. It was miniscule, but it was there. It wasn't something tangible, but it was beating in their chests. As long as they were still alive, The Avengers had a way forward. That was the mentality that drove them into the ambush.

Thanos wasn't a match for them. No, the Titan had already lost. His hand severed, and held down, pinned to the ground by Captain Marvel, there was something brewing in the air. Something powerful.

It wasn't just the radiation being emitted through the power surge of the gauntlet which Thanos had used, two days ago. No, it was something else.

The air around them was tight, almost impossible to fully take in. It felt like a suffocating force was resting against their chests, strangling them. But they wouldn't let it win.

The candle of hope was still burning, and it absolutely refused to be extinguished. There was a force unlike any other that they were facing, and it fought to make itself known to the group.

"God no". They prayed, but when Rocket turned the severed hand of the mad Titan, the candle was blown out, leaving The Avengers in the dark as their last source of hope was gone.

"What did you do?" This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go. They had planned this out meticulously. One by one, the gears in their heads started turning, trying to figure out if Thanos was lying.

This had to be a trick. There was no way that this was what they traveled so many light years for. It felt underwhelming, and rushed. The Avengers arrived full force, but apparently Thanos was prepared.

Natasha was the first to speak, eying the charred metal of the gauntlet, "Where are the Stones?"

It hurt. She was an assassin, trained all her life to master her emotions. Black widow wasn't supposed to get too attached to the mission.

Mixing emotions with business didn't go well together, but as of right then and there, she couldn't help herself. Because this time, business was personal.

"Where are the Stones?" She repeated, and her eyes felt moist, almost like she was on the point of breaking, but she held herself together.

It was hard, but Natasha had to force herself to believe that the plan would work. This was the only option. It just had to work, there was no other way. 

Arms around his neck, Captain Marvel squeezed his neck, tightening her hold over Thanos, "Answer the question". She said, but the situation was getting the better of her.

Carol wanted nothing more than to snap his neck, but the only thing that kept her in check was his compliance.

"Gone." He said, and in just one word, there was so much emotion behind it. There wasn't grief, or sadness. There was only a deep satisfaction in knowing that he was unstoppable.

"You used the Stones two days ago". Rhodey said, coming through and holding onto his arm, the one that hadn't been severed. But at that point, the fight was already futile.

"There has to be another way. Come on", Rhodey may have worn the War Machine suit, which provided him with much protection in his fight, but it didn't do much of anything to protect his heart. That was where he held all hopes of the plan succeding.

Thanos had to be lying. There was no other way.

Foot steps came and Captain America walked in, eyes locked in on Thanos. His team already had the Titan beaten, now it was only a matter of retrieving the stones...

"No", Cap stopped mid-step. His face tightened, and he turned to look down at the floor, seeing the eviscerated metal of the gauntlet.

Something was attached to it, purple flesh and bone stuck out at an odd angle, and he recognised that Thanos was powerless.

Only it didn't make the situation any easier. Infact, now that he truly thought about it, their victory was too easy.

After all that happened, Thanos wasn't one to go out without a fight. Something about it didn't make sense.

And he was right. As Cap got closer, the boots of his winter costume almost tripped over the gauntlet, but Rodgers stopped himself. The urge to crush it under his feet was tempting, but the mission maintained priority.

"No". Steve said, leaning down and carefully lowering his shield as he picked up the gauntlet, or rather, what was left of it.

His face tightened, and he swallowed the last remnants of hope that was left in that moment. The gauntlet was beyond repair, and what was worse was that there looked to be something missing. Six somethings.

"Where are the Stones?" Everyone cleared a path for Captain America as he neared the former warrior. "Where are they?" He repeated, but Thanos wouldn't budge.

There was a frightning look of satisfaction on the Titan's face. It was unnerving because they had him cornered and trapped. They could have easily killed him right there and then, and it was clear that Thanos was wounded. But he kept smiling all the same.

This seemed to agitate them all the more, especially Thor. The Asgardian raised his axe, prompting Stormfront above the Titan's head, aiming for a preemptive strike, but Cap stopped him.

"No". He said, it took Rodgers every ounce of will-power he had to give the order. "It can't end like this". They couldn't do anything, not until they found the missing Power Stones.

"Where are they?" It wasn't a question. It was a command. Steve's voice was forced, and strained. The Avengers weren't expecting this.

Thanos while still being held down, and after having lost his arm mere moments ago. He didn't seem fazed. Captain Marvel forced him down to the floor, and onto his knees. That was when Rodgers saw it.

The look in his eyes. It was dead, cold and empty. It took him a moment to figure out what it was, but eventually Cap recognised that look.

Thanos didn't care whether he lived or died. Because in the end, the Titan knew that he had already won. Even if it meant this was his final moments of life, he had already accomplished his purpose. That alone was something he was willing to take with him to his grave.

"Gone". He said, and the Super Soldier stepped closer, getting a better look at the Thanos. Half of his face had clear burn marks and was heavily scarred.

"What did you do?" Cap said, forcing the air out his throat as he struggled to breath.

It was like his body absolutely refused to co-operate with him. His lungs felt cold, and even with oxygen filling his chest, it did nothing but weigh him down.

Captured and wounded, Thanos couldn't fight back, but he didn't need to. He had already won. There was no reason to be afraid. "The Stones served no purpose, other than temptation".

He spoke with sheer conviction, "I used the Stones to destroy the Stones. It almost killed me". He said, grunting out forcefully as Captain Marvel tightened her hold over his neck, almost twisting it to the point of snapping.

The energy around her changed from yellow to a dark violet blue and then became hotter and burned brighter as Carol forced herself to emit dangerous amounts of radiation.

"You're lying". She said, through gritted teeth and increased the intensity of the energy she was giving off, and hurting Thanos that little bit more. It didn't matter to her that he was in a weakened state. She wanted the truth.

"Even if it means burning it out of you, eventually you will tell me the truth".

Cap took a reflexive step backwards as the air felt tense and became unbearably hot. Rhodey and Widow also moved away from the scorching heat, and the others watched from a far diatance as Captain Marvel became something akin to a miniture sun.

"Stop". A voice came, but it wasn't from why they had expected. But Carol still slowed down on her powers and allowed the radiation to settle, even if only for a minute, just until Nebula finished what she had to say.

"My father is many things. But a liar is not one of them".Hatred, that was what emanated through her voice.

But a small part of her, one where she still refused to believe that the person in front of her, who she had once thought of as a father could be lying.

"No", She shook her head. Thanos was telling the truth, and it showed in the way his eyes lit up as he stared into her soul.

Something about the interaction was strange, all her life the Nebula always played second fiddle to Gamora, but now that her sister was out of the way, she was finally at the center of her father's attention.

"Thank you daughter. Perhaps I judged you too har-"

Only it didn't last.

A forceful grunt was heard, and a preemptive strike was made at Thano's throat, before slicing and decapitating him. The sound of a heavy, 'thud', was heard as the head thumbled to the floor.

All eyes were on Thor, everyone hadn't been expecting him to be the one to land the finishing blow, but here he was. He did it.

Rocket was the first to speak, only his voice was shaken, as if in disbelief, "What did you do?"

Thanos couldn't be dead. Not like that. It was too easy, there had to be another way.

Breath heavy, and chest heaving, Thor looked like he didn't know what he had just done. "I went for the head".

There was no satisfaction on his victory. Even calling it a, 'victory', was being generous. The Asgardian walked away, feeling defeated and tired. 

How long had he dreamt of this moment?

Thor didn't know, but this was supposed to be where he proved himself, where he made up for his mistake in Wakanda. 

He had the chance to wound the Titan, but he struck his chest instead of his head. That was what had been haunting him for the longest time.

But in that moment, where he finally had his revenge, it felt meaningless. Loki was still dead. Asgard wasn't resurrected. Nothing had changed. It hurt in such a way that he almost hoped that he had been the one on the receiving end of the blip.

The Avengers didn't know what to do, and Cap signalled to Stark through his earpiece, "Tony, did you see that?"

There was no answer. Not just from the rest of the team around him, but also from the intercoms. There was dead silence.

"Tony, are you there?"

Words could not describe just how monumental that moment was for them. Piece by piece, each person picked up their jaw from the floor and tried to steady themselves as they walked out of the farm.

There was a ship ready to take them back into the atmosphere, but first they had to make sure that their main strategist knew what was happening.

"Tony?" Cap kept repeating, but the genius was silent. Behind the glass monitor of the ship, Stark was watching the whole thing through an interstellar com-link.

He didn't know what to say, or even what to do. This was their last chance. If not this, then their only other option would be the time heist.

No plans, no schematics, nothing. That was what the time heist was. Just empty dreams, and hopes and prayers. There was no other choice. It wasn't possible, but Tony was going to have to find a way to make it possible.

"Cap, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Stark". Everything was ruined. Thanos had proved himself right. He really was inevitable. Steve refused to acknowledge this. There had to be another way.

"Stark, tell me that you have good news?"

They could fix this, right?

Tony didn't know. He thought he had everything figured out, but Thanos had the upper hand. The Titan was just always one step ahead of them.

"The time heist. It's our last chance". 

Thor lead the way out the farm, and the others followed, though there was hesitation. But eventually, the rest of The Avengers followed, Nebula being the last of them to leave.

She waited until almost everyone was gone. The only person who was left was Steve Rodgers and a decapitated corpse. They shared a look, and while It was a heavy topic, Nebula had to know.

"Do you think he deserved it?"

The Super Soldier's greatest weapon was his compassion. But even he couldn't muster up the strength to answer her.

Nebula's eyes had a reflective shine to them, "I know the objective of the mission was to retrieve the stones, but..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Something about the whole situation made her swallow back her words.

The way that it happened. There was a point where hope just wasn't an option anymore.

"Nebula, I know that this is hard".

Tony could hear everything through the com-link, and even he could feel the frustration of the situation, but remained quiet, listening to the conversation as Cap walked up to Nebula, bridging the distance between them.

He stopped several paces away from her, Thanos' body being the only thing keeping him from stepping closer to her. He didn't know what to say. The others were waiting on them back in the ship, but Steve couldn't just leave without her.

"Nebula". This was their last option. It wasn't supposed to have ended out like this. None of them had the strength to defeat Thanos. That was why they relied so heavily on Stark's plan.

But what they hadn't accounted for was that the Titan was two steps ahead of them the whole time.

Even in death, Thanos had won. The inevitable feeling of failure was strong, and it weighed her down. She had nothing left to give. Hope just wasn't an option anymore.

"Come on". Rodgers said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away, but she wouldn't budge. "Nebula we need to leave".

She felt like stone. Her body was cemented where she stood, staring down at the head of the man she once considered a father.

Nebula knew what grief had done to Stark. She saw it first hand, and it felt compelling to give in as well, afterall, misery did love company.

But she couldn't. Not when they had come so far. She couldn't give up now.

The blue alien sighed heavily, and bent down to the severed head, holding her breath as she outstreched her hand towards the lifeless corpse.

Two fingers covered Thanos' eyes, and closed the chapter of the book known as her father. Only a lifeless husk of a monster remained.

It hurt, but she had to cut the ties of the Black order. She was an Avenger now.

Standing up wasn't an easy task. It felt like every ounce of will-power had been ripped from her, but Cap held up his hand, motioning for her to take it.

"Nebula, listen to me". He knew what she was feeling, but he wouldn't let her give in to despair. Cap had to try and he raised his voice, making sure that he was staring into her eyes.

There was something there, behind the blue pupils, Nebula saw a distinct emotion in his eyes.

It wasn't pity, it was understanding. She worried if he would judge her for feeling sympathy for the fallen Titan, but no such thing happened.

"Stand up. We can't leave without you. You're a part of The Avengers now. There is no giving up". He said, but this time, he leaned down on one knee and took her hand.

"You can be a part of the the Avengers, but you're gonna have to fight".

"Against what?" She didn't know what to do, but Nebula still allowed Cap to lift her up onto her feet.

"That voice. The one that tells you that all hope is gone, and that there's nothing more to do". He paused, and looked her in the eye. The light shining through the wall of the farm reflected off his eyes, making them seem brighter as optimism shone through them.

"You're going to have to fight against it. It's what being an Avenger means. It's about not giving up hope". He said, and as long as she was willing to fight, then Cap would gladly have her fighting by his side.

Chapter Text

Genius was a funny concept. Intellect was another. The two seemed so alike, and yet there was a distinct difference between the two.

Innovation was another thing as well. These were all components that when combined together created an immaculate order of structure, where entire civilizations were built, and lead the way to creative freedom.

While It wasn't too uncommon of an occurance for a planet to meet all of these requirements, the exact conditions for a species to develop enough intelligence and perhaps even the moral capacity to evolve, there would always be a problem.

With enough time, reality eventually caved in and exposed the defects left behind by a rudimentary system of error. One where each individual being possessed their own free-will. This would be the great undoing of many planets, and humanity wasn't the exception.

The fight over resources eventually took over all scientific exploits and at the peak of the species' evoloution, comradery was forgotten in favour of a common law of survival of the fittest. 

A retrograde of morality often involved the highest beings capable of sentient intelligence reverting back to their primal state of individuality. Having a collective goal to work towards became impossible when majority of the planet fought for only the best of what left.

There was only so far that a billion year aged rock floating in the vacuum of space could handle. It took eons for bacteria to grow and develop enough to establish an atmosphere suitable to host life, and the Earth was severely lacking in the resources it needed for the remaining World Government to rebuild what was left of it.

"Thanos might have been right." Tony Stark thought, rummaging through his lab, working, trying to salvage whatever will-power he had to focus on the trying task at hand.

It was their only hope.

"Fantasy". He said, shaking his head and throwing his hands down on his desk, clenching them into a tight fist.

This whole thing was frustrating. He had nothing to go on other than a theory.

"Scott, you idiot". This was his idea.

Tony hated having others in his lab, Banner being the exception. There were few who met the criteria. Intelligence was a gift, and few had the right requirements to handle his technology. Much less interfere with his work.

But Scott Lang had been insistent that this could work. "Horse shit".

Stark felt himself getting agitated, and stressed. This wasn't good for him, the former Playboy could feel his blood pressure skyrocket at the mere mention of his name.

This wasn't practical. Time travel didn't exist. Nothing was the same since they returned from Titan||, better known as Planet 0259-S.

It was a futile endeavor to pretend that everything was alright. Cap's speech about persistence and fighting through it seemed nothing more than a forced effort to raise morale. Only it wasn't working.

The team was divided. The Avengers, what was left of them at least. Few of them remained in the Tower. First it was Thor, and then Banner. One by one, each member slowly disappeared, hobbled off to their own seperate corners, fixated by their own form of grief and personal loss.

It was a different circumstance, when Thanos was alive. But after Thor swung that finishing blow at the Titan's head, nothing was ever the same. Even in death. He had won.

The Stones were destroyed, and so was Thanos. But his legacy was still intact. Trillions were still decimated, and the Universe was still hollow and empty.

"You know what?" Tony took in a deep breath, and ran his hand through his hair. He felt hot, and the stale metallic air of the lab wasn't doing him any favours.

He needed a break.

His head hurt, and there was an invisible ache, almost like a migraine only stronger. It worked it's way at the corner of his temple, slowly spreading into his vision in the form of dark blurry spots.

How long had he been in his lab? Stark didn't know, but he wasn't about to waste another minute couped up in the isolation of machinery, and technological failure.

The engineer wanted a break. No, Tony needed it. He was so close to snapping, but he couldn't damage anything in the lab. The pieces of nano-tech was too important to risk losing.

"Time travel". Stark said to himself, keeping his voice quiet and low as he walked out of the lab, his eyes not meeting the door.

"He said it was possible", He opened the door, placing his hand against the blueprint of the scanner, and the shuttle door locks unlocked themselves.

"Scott, if I ever see you again, it'll be too soon". Tony knew that there was no point in talking to himself, but what else was he supposed to do? 

Almost everyone had gone home. Wherever that might be. Thor was gone, the Asgardian never returned back to the Tower since their last mission. Asguard was gone, so that meant that he couldnt go home, but apparently he still found a way to leave the tower.

All of this was taking its toll on the Billionaire. He could already feel it, Tony was tense and his muscles felt frigid.

Having hope was one thing, but creating it was another topic on it's own. That was what Tony was trying to do. He was alone in the passage way of the tower as he willed himself to keep walking towards the elevator, each step feeling like gravity was weighing down on him.

Cap inspired hope. But Tony? Tony was the one who was supposed to create it.

"Creating hope?" Stark shook his head, and laughed bitterly to himself as he pressed the elevator button for the seventh flour of the building. 

He was hungry. It wasn't something he was used to, but thanks to Nebula, the Engineer had eventually learned to develop an appetite again.

Speaking of which, where was she?

"Right?" Stark snapped his fingers as he remembered that she hadn't been the same either since the return trip from 0259-S. None of them were. It didn't help that the Luphomoid had a former attachment to the decapitated titan.

He sighed, and rubbed at his face. "I need a drink". All of this was too much. There was only so much that he could take.

The elevator doors opened, chiming slightly as the technology of the building rang out, "F.R.I.D.A.Y. turn the lights on" , Stark said, and the AI he had developed to replace Jarvis followed.

"Right away, boss" It was a woman's voice. Though technically, not biological. Computer generated, and programmed, the AI almost reminded him of Pepper.

It was the only companion he had in that moment. Everyone was gone, and Tony was alone in the Kitchen.

The Tower had never felt more empty than in those days following Thanos' death. It wasn't supposed to end up like this. There had to be another way, but Tony couldn't keep lying to himself, even he was losing hope.

The sound of his boots reverberated out through the steps he took walking into the kitchen, and the overhead lights shined brightly as he neared the fridge. "Don't let there be water. Anything but water". Tony said, clenching his jaw in anticipation of what he was about to find.

The engineer needed alcohol, not water. It was an empty promise, the one where Stark vaguely remembered telling Pepper that he would eat more, but right then, there was nothing food would do for him.

He needed something to dull his nerves, and relax his mind. Work wasn't a priority.

Tony paused, looking at the fridge as an unopened bottle of spring water was the first thing he saw.

"Dammit". Bruce had removed every ounce of booze in the fridge. After Thor started going on a drinking spree since their arrival back from killing Thanos, the Asgardian had been pushing his body through everything it could take.

Immortality didn't matter, Thor was already trying to kill himself. Perhaps the booze didn't work, but it felt good. Too good that he overindulged and Banner had been forced to throw everything out, not that it stopped him.

"It wasn't that long", Tony said, closing the fridge and settling on the water bottle. "We had hope. We had a plan. We were so close".

What happened? That was the question that he couldn't answer, and it was pointless to try either way.

There was no booze in the fridge, so his walk onto the kitchen served no purpose. Regardless, Stark drank from the bottle and settled it back down on the counter. It was a pleasant reprieve to be out of the lab, even if only for a moment.

"I need food". Tony shook his head, and looked through the drawers. His earlier intention wasn't on finding something to eat, it was on a break.

But now, the feeling of hunger truly worked on him and he felt his stomach rumble. "Come on, there has to be something". Tony said, pulling open the cupboards and finding a chocolate bar.

"Hersheys". He said, slowly and wearily. Stark never liked that particular brand. But he knew it well because the kid used to always talk about how much he enjoyed them.

At first, he tried to pretend not to give an interest, but it wasn't too long before Tony bought out a factory's supply worth of the candy. All for...

"Peter". There was an uncomfortable weight in his throat. Tony didn't feel hungry anymore.

He sighed, and felt hesitant to move from where he stood. "The kid". Stark eyed the chocolate in his hand, fiddling with it for a moment before finally pressing it down on the table.

Tony had to try again, at least for the kid. His conscious wouldn't allow him to give up. And that was how his night started.

Will-power wasn't enough, this time around Stark relied on something that went against his better judgement. Tony wasn't thinking with his mind, no. What the engineer was doing was far worse.

Tony was putting his heart on the front lines. He was trusting his emotions to guide him to the right place. Where that would lead him, he didn't know. But he had to try.

"For the kid".

If only he was here to see how much of an impact his absence has changed him, Tony didn't know if Peter ever truly knew just how much Stark loved him.

Infact, Tony himself didn't know it until he was ripped from him. "Focus". This was the last chance. This was it.

"No big deal." Joking wouldn't work this time, his nerves felt frayed and tight. It wasn't something common for Tony Stark to feel to unravelled at someone's absence. Infact, usually it brought him peace to be alone.

Except this time, it did the exact opposite. Peter was the exception. The young prodigy was what lead the engineer to take on the project again. It hurt to raise his hopes, but there was nothing else to do but go forth and venture into the unknown.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. bring up the schematics again". Tony said, pressing his fingers on the glass panel of the desk surface, engaging with the AI interface of the monitor.

"Right away, boss".

The lights went out, and it wasn't by mistake. Blue holographic blueprints illuminated the area of the work station, temporarily blinding Stark as the animation was shown.

Something was missing. Tony had tried every possible combination to make the disk into a loop, but time wasn't as linear as he had first thought. Speed was relative to distance, and the higher the velocity of the trajectory of the plane meant something had to change to accommodate for this new circumference.

Tony needed a new shape, one where the loop of time would be able to outstretch far beyond the dimension of what was possible. Doing so required a certain level of engineering and innovation to create such a design one where the speed of light was able to traverse far beyond the 3D plane.

A headache was beginning to form at the corners of his mind, and Tony ignored it. His Cortex was trying to adapt to think in a way that it wasn't used to. Something was about to break, and it would either be his sanity, or it would be his neurons as a new process began.

Neurogenesis. That's what it was. Stark's mind began rearranging old neural networks, as the old structure became obsolete, and a new road was paved. It physically hurt to imagine it, but eventually a new shape was invented.

But to bring it to life, Tony needed the assistance of the AI. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. run one more simulation".

"Just a moment".

He didn't know if this was going to work, it all depended on a theory. "Processing". The simulation was starting, adjusting itself into an animated surface of a hyperspere.

"Yeah, just like that, but factor in spectatorical decomposition" Tony said, leaning back from the desk. His heart was racing, and his fingers itched, there had to be an outcome.

The system crashed, and a defeated sigh was heard. "Yeah, figures". Tony shook his head, it didn't work. But perhaps failure could provide him with the freedom to experiment.

Something else came to mind, something he hadn't considered, "Invert the shape into a Mobius Strip, and render the model by the y³ polytope".

His sweat dropped, and Tony was ready to pack it up for the night. "Okay. That's enough. Shut it dow-"

"Model rendered".

There was no way that this could possibly work. Tony stared at the screen in what was a look of disbelief, only it wasn't. "Alright, what's the catch?"

Tired eyes blinked back tears, and for a moment, the engineer felt himself at his wits end. Stark knew how this worked by now. Given enough time, and enough failures and eventually a person was forced to adapt. The answer couldn't be what he was seeing.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. run a test simulation". Tony said, rubbing his eyes and forcing out a pained sigh.

It wasn't possible. No amount of genius could be enough to solve the quantum theory of time travel. It was a jester's trick. Surely enough sleep deprivation was playing with his mind.

But the screen remained consistent. The Morbius Strip revolved at an interstellar speed, and a paradox was created, one where the intersecting runway of the shape connected and ran smoothly.

"Holy shi-".

It shouldn't have been possible. It couldn't be possible. The answer was too easy. It couldn't be that simple.

"No", Tony shook his head and stepped back, almost tripping over a stuffed animal that was forgotten in his lab

"Okay. Okay". He breathed out heavily. The shock of nearly falling made him regain some of his senses, but his mind was still stuck on the monitor.

"Maybe it's just a mistake".

Why couldn't he believe it? Tony had done it. Or so he thought. But at that point, after so many things went wrong, the genius didn't want to raise his hopes up for nothing.

He lowered his head down to stare at what had made him lose his balance. Leaning down, and picking up the pink stuffed elephant, Stark remembered that Pepper had brought their daughter earlier in the day. Back when she made him promise to eat something.

 For the sake of his family, Tony would try again. He stood up, bringing the toy to his face, and deciding on a course of action, Stark placed it on the top shelf, next to a picture of himself and...

"Peter".

He sighed. For the sake of the kid. His kids, Tony was going to try. But if this actually worked, then he was going to need all the help that he could get. And that started with bringing the remaining Avengers back together.

Chapter Text

When people spoke of lands made of Gold, where myths and Legends came to life, it was Asgard. The City was a beauty to all. A safe haven that fostered peace within the Seven realms.

Creatures from all walks of life, Immortals that spanned through many different Pantheons. Gods and Heroes. Villains and Monsters. Asgard was where fiction met the light of day and became reality.

Power was every living beings birthright. Moreso, those who had the privilege of being forged in the Immortal womb known as Asgard.

It was a beautiful sight, really. Immense beauty, far beyond what was considered normal. There was an intense status, an order of prosperity that enriched the land. So much tradition and abundance of culture.

That was Asgard. Not this pitiful sight infront of them. Banner was the first to frown, confused on what exactly it was that he was seeing. "No", He said, confusion and a pained tone in his voice.

This couldn't be it.

They had a guide with them. It took convincing on their part, but eventually Valkyrie managed to agree to show them to the place.

But their dissappintment was evident. Even as they reached what was now called, "New Asgard". This couldn't be it.

Their guide turned around, motioning her arms to the scene, though it wasn't much. "Alright". She said, dusting off her hands as if being in this place made her filthy. And it might as well have.

Valkyrie wasn't too impressed, but this was it. "This is New Asgard".

Remember the Gold City? Where myths and Legends came alive? New Asgard wasn't it. Far from it.

The musty smell of pollution lingered in the air, and a dark smog of gases clouded the sky. New Asgard was situated in the mortal realm, more specifically Norway.

"I know that it's not that impressive, but it's a start". Valkyrie said, pursing her lips as she took in the City. "Asgard was destroyed during Ragnarok. This is where the last remaining citizens choose to stay".

Rocket had been quiet the whole time, but hearing this made him break his silence. "This is where Thor lives?". He said, surprised, and his tone had a hard edge to it.

This couldn't be it. The warrior had to be joking. "You're lying. There has to be more to it".

"No", Valkyrie said. She had been expecting this, but there was no denying it. She shook her head. "What you see is what you get. Same is true for this place. It's not much, but it's something".

Asgard was gone, so they were forced to relocate the City here. And with how short-notice it was, there was little they could do to factor in the conditions of where they lived.

"It's better than nothing, raccoon". She said, a bitter tone of resentment in her voice. The place might have been a mess, but it was still her home.

She turned around and walked away. Her job was done. Valkyrie had guided them to where they needed to go. Now all they had to do was find Thor.

"Before you go," She turned around and looked back, pausing to take a deep breath. It pained her to think about him.

"Remember that he's not the same ".The line between friendship and romance was blurry, and Valkyrie didn't know where she stood with him but she still cared for him all the same.

She continued. "Tell Thor, I understand what he's going through. And that I want him to get better".

Rocket and Banner exchanged unknowing looks with each other. What was she talking about?

Valkyrie could see confusion well up in their eyes and she could do nothing more than smile softly to herself.

They didn't understand. But they would when they saw him. Her final parting words were, "Don't be too harsh on him when you see him. Thor's not the same you know?"

And with that, she walked away, leaving the pair with more questions than answers.

"Well that was encouraging". Rocket spat out, irritated at the subtle foreshadowing. "Let's just get this over with. Open the door".

It was a meager task, but opening the door felt wrong. Like they were seeing something they weren't meant to see.

Neither of them had any say on the matter.  Tony had instructed them to retrieve the last Avenger needed to complete their team.

With the numbers they had, it almost made up for the missing members. Even with Natasha and Clint, Nebula and Rhodey. Their team still had vacant spots that needed to be filled.

Scott Lang, the new addition to their team was eager but optimism wasn't enough. The Avengers needed more people with experience and that was where Thor came in. He was the missing piece of the puzzle.

Stark had cracked down the code to unraveling time travel. The Time Heist was ridiculous and it made perfect sense considering who came up with the idea, but Scott had rendered the Pym Particles. And Tony had engineered a way forward. It wouldn't fix everything, but it provided a solution to acquiring the destroyed Infinity Stones.

"NoobMaster".

Dear God. What were they seeing?

Thor was screeching profanities on a remote console. His attempt at modern english wasn't impressive, but it highlighted at how the Asgardian had adapted to their World.

He wasn't alone though. Bulky framed, and despite the appearance, a smiling Kronan sat on the couch nearby with a happy look adjacent to Thor, only more sober.

"Oh, hey guys". Being nonchalant was one of Korg's traits. He never even bothered to waste a breath trying to deduce who they were or what they were doing in their home.

"Make yourself at home". He said, voice impassive and non-judgemental. Korg truly didn't seem bothered too much by their presence and it showed it the way he continued on his game, ignoring them like they were never there.

Korg could be ignored. He wasn't their priority. Their eyes were on Thor, who had his focus on an invisible threat. Cursing into his earpiece, The God of Thunder spoke jumbled slurrs of half-hearted attempts at profanity over the microphone of his game.

"No", Rocket said, shaking his head. This couldn't be Thor. This couldn't be their friend.

"This can't be it." He said, a small part of him feeling hesitant, and unsure. He hesitated, but continued taking in the enviroment of the room.

He didn't want to accept it, neither him or Banner did, but as they pushed through the dust and debris of the room, it became impossible not to notice the empty beer cans, and discarded packets of food and takeout strewn haphazardly on the floor and even on the ceiling...

"Guys!" Thor said, shouting and raising his arms. The undesirable smell of the room didn't seem to faze him one bit. It was jarring to the senses and uncomfortable to be around this much filth.

"Where have you been?" He said, walking closer to his friends. He hadn't seen either of them since he left Avengers' Tower. It was nice to have visitors.

As Thor got closer to Banner, an overwhelming stench of alcohol, cheese, and sweat fought to make itself known.

The uncomfortable silence was palpable in the air, and neither onlookers knew what to do. Denial could only get them so far, and this was pushing the bounds of what they thought was possible.

Thor was naked. Or at least, semi-naked. With only an old, perhaps even raggedy pair of worn sweatpants being his only source of clothing. Along with a nightgown. It was a frightning contrast to the clean-shaven and muscled physique The God of Thunder once had.

Overgrown and tangled, his beard looked course and rough. They had come looking for a warrior and the person that was standing in front of them was a shallow vessel of the former warrior Thor used to be.

He was excited, and his stomach rumbled. "Korg look. If it wasn't for the direness of the situation, perhaps his friends would've shared his smile. Instead, they frowned In a look of horror as they took him in. Truly understanding just what Thor had become.

He was different. That much was true. But it didn't matter. Not to him. Not when his friends were back. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted them to do. Thor was elated.

"You guys remember Korg, right?". A blue, almost pale looking, Kronan creature smiled at the mention of his name, and continued back on his game.

Game? Rocket stepped closer to the front of the screen, taking in the sight of what was happening. Thor and, Korg as he was called, were involved in an online Tournament.

"No." He said. "Dear God, no". Rocket had some semblance of dread in his voice, but it was warranted. "What have you done to yourself?"

"What do you mean?" Thor wasn't oblivious. It showed in the way his face dropped, but in a split second, his smile was back. Banner was able to figure it out.

He was forcing it. Thor was forcing himself to smile. It wasn't obvious at first, but now that he finally got a closer look at him. There was no dismissing it. His friend wasn't okay.

Heartache and grief fought back to the surface of Banner's mind, but he couldn't let them win.

"No," Bruce shook his head. This wasn't the time. Right now was the time for him to get back on track, and he cleared his throat, getting ready to speak.

"Listen Thor," He tried to be gentle, but there was a firmness in his voice. The Asgardian didn't seem to get it, and only kept smiling. It wasn't until Banner finished what he had to say, did his smile fade away.

"It's about Thanos".

The way his jaw dropped was a palpable thing. Everyone in the room felt it. Bruce seemed to sense this, and turned his eyes to the former God of Thunder. Something was wrong, he couldn't see the gears turning in Thor's head, but there was a long, almost distant look taking place, one where the Asgardian's eyes narrowed and his face tightened.

"Thor, there's a chance we can bring them back. Everyone Thanos-". Banner didn't know if he should continue, but a firm hand was placed on his shoulder, slowly tightening as Thor became distraught.

"Don't say that name". His voice was strained, and it was then that Korg stood up, walking over to break up the scene.

"We don't say that name". Still, his Kornan friend understood and handed him another beer. One that Thor was more than eager to take.

Banner remembered how he had thrown out all the alcohol from the Avengers Tower, even going so far as to raid Tony's secret stash of booze that the Genius kept hidden away in his room. It all came back to him as he remembered seeing how determined his friend, and team mate had been to drown himself when they got back from the failed mission.

"I killed that guy". Thor said, taking a meager break from the swig he was drinking. But he eventually returned back to the vice, "There's nothing more to do. He's gone".

He kept drinking. Bruce didn't know how long he started, but Rocket apparently had enough of the scene. "You look like melted ice-cream".

Thor laughed, but the way in which the two looked at each other, the look that was exchanged between them. That alone spoke volumes. "You're in a rough spot. I get it."

Did he? Thor didn't know, and quite frankly, he didn't care. "I'm fine".

Asgard was gone. Loki was dead. Most of his people were displaced and their numbers were dwindling and half of the remaining Population was scattered and living in the shadow of a fallen City, but he was fine.

"I'm fine". Thor needed to keep repeating it, maybe then he would believe it.

Bruce and Rocket gave him a look, one that he recognised. It was sympathy, though to him it might as well have been pity. It was all the same and in the end, Thor didn't need it. He was a warrior. He could stand on his own.

Resting his hand on Bruce's shoulder, made him feel less alone, and squeezing it more than was necessary, Thor couldn't force himself to respond to Banner.

Instead, he looked at his friend. "Korg", He said, drawling out his words and swallowing the uneasiness he was feeling. "Why don't you tell these guys who took Thanos' head off? Huh?"

Banner came closer to him, their eyes meeting. "We need you, pal. I know that he scares you-".

Thor interrupted, though his voice was slurred and it was clear the liquor and beers were taking their hold over him.

"No, you don't". His hold over Banner's shoulder tightened even more and now Bruce had to say something.

"Please take your hand off me". There was no anger in his voice, only gentle understanding and it angered Thor even more. Why was his friend so insistent about this?

"Because we need you."

He could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation. There was nothing more that he could do. Well, there was at least one thing he could do, and that was drink.

Thor settled back into the couch, forgetting that everyone was even there. He was simply content to sit there all day drinking his Immortality away, but then something broke through his drunken state.

"There's beer in the ship". Rocket said, crossing his arms and stepping forward, looking at him with a stare that was determined, and yet ever so disappointed.

It broke his heart to know that the only way they could bring Thor back with them was the promise of more alcohol, but it was a start.

Thor might not have known it at the time, but he wasn't alone. Banner needed to get through to him. "Thor, just listen to me okay. You're not no one. You're someone".

He continued, bridging the gap between them, and stepping forward to the couch, sitting next to him with his arm placed on his shoulder.

"I know where you are".

"Where's that?" Thor interrupted. He wasn't in the sober mood to hear a motivational speech right now. He just wanted...

What did he want?

"I don't know". Slurred words spoke, but through the ambient bond of friendship, Thor was willing to listen. At the very least he figured that he could give them a chance.

"Thor, you're my bestfriend."

"Huh?" He hadn't been expecting that. "I thought that was Stark?"

"No", Banner shook his head. Despite having merged with the hulk, it was indeed the scientist. The same man who had been with him through Ragnarok. That was who was talking.

"Remember when I went missing? When I couldn't take back control of the hulk?"

It was difficult to remember. The alcohol made it almost impossible to rake his brain for the memory, especially when he had suppressed everything back. So this took him by surprise.

"You mean back when we first met on that alien planet? Where we were kidnapped and forced to fight?"

"Sakaar".

That was what he was referencing to, but through his drunken haze, the name of the former fighting HomeWorld was forgotten. But it's remnants were clear in the form of the Kronan he had in the room with him.

It was the same place where he had met Korg, his friend who had supported him through his grief. Giving him booze and watching as he ate whatever he thought would make him feel better, only it didn't. Thor only kept spiraling further into his depression, eventually losing himself.

"Exactly", Bruce nodded. Perhaps Korg hadn't been the best influence to his friend, but the rock-like creature had indeed stuck by Thor's side, even when he was at his lowest. For that, he couldn't fault him. "But you can't stay like this".

"Why?". Thor wanted to shake his head, but then his eyes met Rocket's. They were full of understanding, and even though there was sympathy in them. There was something else that was lurking in them, a small glimmer of hope.

"We won't let you". This time, Rocket spoke and there was no trace amounts of the former sarcasm that usually laced his voice. "You're coming with us."

"But why?" Why did they care so much about him?

"During Ragnarok, you fought for me even when I couldn't fight for myself". Banner said, standing up and his eyes shifted to the door before returning back to Thor.

"You fought for me. Made sure I was safe and returned back to Earth. You made sure that I found my way back". This time, Thor didn't hesitate as he settled the beer can down and looked back at Korg.

It was clear on his face, Banner's words had gotten through to him. "I don't know".

"You do". Rocket interrupted, placing his two cents in, "You're heart's in the right place, but your brain's too afraid."

And he was right. Thor sighed, "Fine, but there better be beer on that ship". He said, but he knew that he wasn't going with them because there was alcohol. 

A small part of him refused to acknowledge that there was a small semblance of hope left in him, but it was there all the same. Thor would come back to the Avengers Tower, but even if there was a chance left to salvage everything, he had nothing left to give.

Except for himself, Thor only had himself to give. He wasn't sure if that was enough, but only time would tell when they got there. And as it was, that was the only thing he had left. Time.

Endless amounts of time. Even if this didn't work, at least Thor could return back to drinking his eternity away. Perhaps that was what he needed most. But he didn't know.

Again, only time would tell. Maybe even Stark knew how to solve this, though that didn't seem likely. Thinking was not his strong suit, but even he had to relent. Tony Stark always had a way. Even in the darkest hour, that man always had something up his sleeve.

"You better be right about this, Banner". Thor said, leaving the door, allowing his shoulders to shrug as he felt the tension weigh heavyily against his shoulders.

His heart didn't have room for any more disappointments. Having hope hurt and if this truly was the way to go, then he was going to oblige.

Whether he would be sober, that was asking too much of him. His last words before boarding the ship were, "Where's the beer?"

Chapter Text

Tony Stark was a Billionaire. A Philanthropist. And formerly, a Playboy. There was so much that went into the carefully crafted personality of the man and yet, none of it was as concise as the level of intellect that he possessed.

They all knew it. Sitting around the lab, each one of them looked at him carefully. Nebula, Rocket, Rhodey and Natasha. Scott Lang and Banner. Almost everyone in the group had their heads turned up in attention to the man standing in front of them.

All except for Cap, who was waiting on Stark by the entrance way.

"What do you have for us, Stark?" He said, eyes narrowed in what looked to be determination.

Clearing his throat, this was perhaps the first time Steve had seen Tony look nervous. "It's nothing too drastic".

Saying it didn't change the seriousness on either of their faces, and now it was time for the two leaders to face the group. 

"Wait". Someone was missing. Rodgers and Stark looked at each other, momentarily exchanging thoughts without saying a word.

"Where's Thor?"

Scott Lang was the one to chine in, raising his hand like an obedient school child. The new addition to their team was eager to prove himself, and while Tony already figured that the Pym Particles he had acquired for team was enough, he apparently didn't think so.

"He's kinda.." Ant-man paused, scratching his head as he tried to find a suitable way to get the words out without sounding harsh.

"I-is he... Is he sleeping?"

This was Tony speaking, and his eyes had a certain glint in them as he raised his head to the corner of the room, and glanced at Thor.

Banner shook his head, "I think he's dead".

It was a light-hearted joke, but Deep down Bruce was worried. So was Rocket. Both of them had successfully, if you can call using alcohol to lure an Asgardian back into Avengers Tower successful. Then sure.

Rocket and Banner used the promise of more beer to bring him back onto their team, but now that he was here, Thor didn't seem to quite understand just what exaclty it was that they brought him over for.

A small kick at the back of his chair made him scatter back in thought, as he pulled himself back from his drunken haze, "Huh? What's that?"

It was Cap. The Asgardian was now staring up at Rodgers as he adjusted his glasses so that he could properly make out the gruff silhouette of the soldier. "Thor". His voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm.

"What can you tell us about the Aether?"

The room was big enough to house all of the Avengers, but still, some of the holographic displays managed to peek out, overshining the scene.

Stark's lab had elaborate images of the Infinity Stones blurring in the background, creating a sort of silhouette, truly outshining the situation that they were in.

This was the Endgame, and the Avengers couldn't afford to lose now. "Right, the Aether". Thor stood up, hesitant but he couldn't voice his thoughts.

He wasn't sure if the plan, or even this whole idea was going to work. Everything felt futile, and like a game of chase. Only, he wasn't so sure what they were chasing after.

"The Stones are gone-"

"-We know that" Cap interupted. His voice was strained and so was his patience. Rodgers' job was to keep morale high in the conflict of the room.

"But anything you can contribute," He said, walking away from Thor and pointing to the front of the lab, clearing a path for the Asgardian.

"Anything at all". Steve repeated, as Thor struggled to exit his chair, the effort to stand up was amusing. But right then, it wasn't about him. It was about bringing together whatever little hints and pieces they could gather about the timelines of the Infinity Stones.

One step forward was two steps back. As soon as Thor walked up to the front of the team, everyone knew they wouldn't get far requiring the Aether.

"Right". Thor coughed, rubbing his face. He didn't know where to start. He really could have used a drink right about now.

"It's not a Stone, it's more of a liquid" He continued, tapping the monitor. Focusing was a difficult task and he didn't know why he was in the front speaking.

Everyone didn't have to guess twice. He didn't know what he was doing.

"My Grandfather, many years ago had to hide the Stone from the dark elves..."

"Now Jane". What? Everyone gave him an interesting look. Natasha was stunned and palmed her face against her hand. How had they gotten there? Thor was now talking about his love life.

"Okay", Stark shook his head, stepping forward to the former warrior. "That's enough. You can sit down".

"No. No". Thor refused to be silenced, he had to say what he needed to get off his chest. Even as Tony placed his hands on his shoulder, trying to coax him back to his seat.

"I'm not done. The only thing permanent in life is impermanence".

"Awesome". Stark didn't have the strength for sarcasm, but somehow his words found their way towards something the Asgardian would like. "Second breakfast? Eggs?"

"No. I'd like a Bloody Mary". More alcohol? Great, Stark shook his head.

"Sure thing. Just sit down".

Banner was more worried about Thor than everyone else who seemed to regard him with a tired look. Well, everyone except Scott Lang.

Ant-man had a look of awe at hearing his tales, and his excitement at being included overshadowed this terrible meeting.

"Anyone else?" He said, waiting on another Avenger to continue. But this seemed to be enough for the moment.

"Let's discuss this after lunch". Stark said, closing the discussion. This wasn't helping. Their team was supposed to be the very best of the best. The last remaining heroes left to continue the fight, but none of them were getting anywhere.

Notepads were discarded in favour of food. Trays of Chinese takeout replaced the vacant spots where their ideas were supposed to be. Regardless, there was no progress and food was more than welcome.

"Team". Even through the temptation of a moment's reprieve, of a break. Cap was still determined to make progress.

"We're not done". He said, ignoring his food. Everyone else was allowed to eat, but Rodgers' couldn't allow the clock to beat them. "We still need clues".

Rocket stood up, placing himself at the center of the table. "Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag". And that was how their afternoon was spent.

Careful not to step over the food, Rocket tried to remember the last time he was close to the stone.

"Everyone of us in this room has had an encounter with at least one of the Six Infinity Stones". Cap stood up, forgetting his meal.

He stood at the corner of the table, taking the group's focus. "Whatever you can give us. No matter how small, it'll help up". He said, and now Rocket had to remind himself where he was.

Rodgers was too good at commanding the attention in the room. So much so that it made it abundantly obvious, they were going to finish this discussion. No matter what it took.

Smiling, or what looked like a smile, Rocket turned to the Soldier in admiration. "You're really good at that?"

"At what?"

"Being a leader", Rocket thought quietly to himself before bringing himself back to the table.

"Like I said, Quill stole the Power Stone from Morag-"

Someone interupted, "Is that a person?"

"Morag's a planet". Rocket continued, careful not to step in the food on the dining table. While the team had moved from Stark's lab, the dining suite provided enough comfort for them to continue their discussion, at the cost of eating.

Thankfully, Tony had the brilliance to outfit the surrounding area with artificial monitors, and plasma screens, motioning towards the missing Power Stone.

Being the latest to join the team meant Scott Lang didn't know much about the conversation, and he had to ask. "Who's Morag? Is that a person?"

"No. Morag was a planet. Quill's a person". Rocket said, noticing the naivety of the man trying to talk with a mouthful of noodles. "Oh look it's like a little puppy".

"All happy and everything". So much sarcasm for the new recruit. Rocket even rubbed at Scott's hair in fake affection. 

"You wanna go to space puppy?"

Cap stepped closer, about to interupt Rocket, but Stark held out his arm. This was a frustrating day, and for Tony to continue to watch the scene brought him some small amusement.

"Give it a second". He said, eying the interaction with a small smile. "I wanna see where this goes".

It was getting late. The sun was already starting to turn dark, several clouds overshadowing the sky as the heat began to subside and the afternoon drew away.

"Nebula?" Their new objective was the Soul Stone. Despite working through the odds, the Avengers were making good progress. Somewhat...

Looking down at her notes, Widow was writing whatever could be of use. Her attention was on the Luphamoid's words.

"Thanos found the Soul Stone on..."

"Vormir". Nebula repeated. She stood to attention staring frankly at the display of the monitor as the few others tried to piece together what had occurred.

"Vomir is a Dominion of death". That wasn't a good start to the conversation. Hearing it made them feel uneasy and Natasha had to give up.

"Where's that?" Widow didn't know what to do anymore. This was too much. She was getting a headache and nerves were running high.

Nebula's words didn't help. "It's at the very center of Celestial existence"

"It's where Thanos murdered my sister".

Perhaps now wasn't a good time to mention his fear of dying? Scott Lang didn't know, but he sure as hell wasn't about to volunteer.

"Not it". He said. And if it wasn't for the fact that he had supplied the team with the Pym Particles needed to make this whole plan possible, then surely he would've been kicked out of the meeting room.

No one said anything, but Natasha used her position on the couch to push him off his seat and towards the floor. "Hey!"

"Whoops". She said it a moment too late, and covered her smile.

Standing to attention, Nebula took in the scene and shook her head. Cap had gotten her to join the Avengers, and while she still had a pang of hurt at the loss of a sister, something about watching Widow laugh caused her to smile.

It hurt, but forcing herself to smile felt better than remembering Gamora. "I think I'm finished".

It was enough.

"On to another Stone". Their numbers were dwindling. It was late and the sun was gone. The Tower was housing them in a shared suite.

Rhodey, Clint and Scott had gone to bed. Thor had left to continue drinking and Rocket had left to watch after him. Despite not agreeing with his actions, he still cared for him.

Cap was the forefront of the team, but even he took a step back to accommodate the new member of the Avengers. Rodgers guided Nebula to her new quarters in the Tower, introducing her to where she fit in the group. That left Tony and Natasha and Banner.

Engineer, Assassin and Physicist. Those were the three that were left. Possibly the only ones who still had the will and mental prowess to figure this out.

"Are we making any progress?"

Bruce was lying on the floor and Stark and Widow laid on the table scattered with research papers and empty notes. "Who's idea was this again?"

"Cap's". Tony replied, shaking his head and staring at the ceiling. The overhead lights blinded him and his fatigue was growing every second he was couped up in the room.

"We can't leave. Cap's going to come back". Stark continued, blowing his breath a bit too heavily and closing his eyes.

He needed a break. All of them did. "He's taking the whole thing with Nebula pretty seriously".

This time, it was Natasha who spoke, "Well, she's a new recruit. Figures he'd prioritise her over us".

"Still". Bruce played with his glasses, twiddling them in his large hands. "We could use all the help we could get".

"We're no where closer to locating the Time Stone then when we began".

Resting his head on a cushion, Tony rubbed at his eyes. It was late, and this was becoming an exhaustive task. "Where did Strange live?"

"Torronto?"

"Bleaker street?" The three of them were back on the discussion. Their attention was finally united again. "Wait, what kind of Dr. Was he?"

Tony needed coffee, but it was already late. His sleep schedule was in shambles but Pepper was going to hammer at him if he didn't get some rest.

"Ear-nose-throat meets rabbit from hat". Was the sarcastic reply. He couldn't outrun his wife's anger. It was getting late. Pepper would be expecting him back in their shared bedroom.

As usual, no one else in the room noticed his frayed nerves, and Natasha continued with the next question. "That Time-Stone guy. He lived in New York?".

"No. No.". Stark wasn't sure, but he knew it had to be somewhere close. "Toronto?

"Bleaker and Sullivan? Banner tried to remember, but it was Natasha who had the answer.

"If you pick the right year, there are three Stones in New York".

No way. Banner stood up first. "Are you serious?"

Tony was next and he faced upwards at him. Nodding his head, Stark couldn't figure out the loopholes in her logic. "She's right".

And that's all it took, "Shut the front door". They had a solution. A way to piece together the last known Timelines of the Stones.

Engineer and Physicist eyed Natasha, considering her words. "Did we do it?"

"No. I did it". Widow tried to joke, but the heaviness in the room was too much. She felt tired and drained. "We need to tell Cap". They couldn't rest just yet, Rodgers had to know what they discovered. Their leader needed to know that his team was competent.

"Nat, why don't you get some shut-eye". Bruce stood up, shaking himself as his back cracked, "Tony and I will find Cap. You've done well, but it's getting late. Head to bed".

Stark envied the sleep Widow was about to fall into. They were all tired, but he was one of the few who couldn't rest. "Banner?" He said, now standing up and following the giant out the room.

"Nat". Were the last words the assassin heard from the man, "Good job. Now go to bed". His tone was forceful and adamant.

"I mean it.". Bruce finished. "We'll talk to Cap. But you need to sleep. We all do". He said, ignoring the fact that Tony was about to disobey what he was saying.

To the Engineer, sleep wasn't the end of it. Tony was going to prepare for what was to come. Everything had to be ready.

Chapter Text

It felt like electricity was running through their veins, the excitement was tangible enough that all the original six members of the Avengers could feel it.

With the addition of Scott Lang, Nebula and Rocket, everyone was at an all time high.

"Is this really it?"

Sometimes the greatest strength wasn't the ability to deliver a blow strong enough to shatter concrete, but rather the unwavering will-power to stand in the face of trepidation with a high head.

That's what Cap did. His face was iron-steeled as his resolve was etched onto his face. "You did good work, Stark". He turned, angling his head to the rest of his team, "All of you did". There was a long prolonged silence at his words.

"Cap, how do we proceed?"

First, they needed to build the necessary time machine, and Tony had already established a credible mechanics system available to do just that.

The soldier took in a deep breath, waiting on the rest of the others before him to settle down. Rodgers could see the enthusiasm in their eyes. Nothing like this had ever been done before.

"As a team". He said, one by one each member turned their heads to him. A brazen display of comradery shown on their faces.

For the first time in a long time, there was a way forward. "I know all have our differences".

Nebula stared at Ant-man, still unaware of his importance to his team, but she nodded nonetheless less and let Cap continue. "Most of us here are united not by understanding, or friendship, but by a common enemy".

That was the part where Thor finally sobered up, or at least a small part of his eyes finally gave way to the light of the room and he blinked back tears, as his focus seemed to be on an invisible threat, one long gone but not forgotten.

The Titan who had taken everything from him. Tightening his face, the Asguardian coughed bitterly.

Rodgers was finally stepping to the group, placing himself in the square center of everything, all eyes peering through him and he welcomed it. "Everyone of you here", He said, strengthening himself with his own words.

"Everyone of us, myself included". There it was. Stark stepped forward next to Steve and noticed the particular glimmer on his eyes. It was conviction.

"What's the word, Cap?" Tony trusted him. Whatever may have happened during Civil War didn't matter now. They had a common goal to work towards. They all did.

Smiling, but keeping the bravado of leadership under him, Steve knew what was next. "Our team's done good work. But that's not the end of it".

The sigh that came out was an audible one, but it was warranted and even though Natasha stared at Rhodey who was responsible for the interruption, even the assassin had to give it to the man.

He had a point. They had been at it for so long that their bodies were becoming weary and dreading the idea of more work. There wasn't much strength left in them, but with Cap leading the Avengers, failure wasn't an option. Neither was stopping. Not until they were done.

And it showed in his next words, as his throat bobbed up and down, steeling his resolve into his sentence, "No matter what it takes. No matter what our bodies say. No matter what stands in our way. We owe it to the ones who aren't here today among us to carry on the torch and keep fighting".

At the mention of those missing, Tony himself felt a slow pulling at his chest, as if something was tearing at his heart. Stark didn't need to be a genius to figure out what it was. The kid, his kid.

For Peter. He nodded his head silently, allowing the image of the child to form in his mind, but this time. He held it there. Tony didn't try to push it away like he usually did.

Peter was his motivation, his anchor for why he was still going strong. He was going to get him back. Everyone around him was just as determined to see their loved ones again. "Cap, I'm gonna need you to take a step back". Stark said, gently placing his arm on the Soldier's shoulder, and standing infront of the group.

"Everyone, listen up". Rodgers didn't mind the change in leadership. Right now Tony was their best man on the job. He knew what needed to be done.

"Stark needs help. We all do. And as of right now, most of our resources will be dedicated to helping him finish the last needed pieces of the Time Heist". Even just saying it, Steve couldn't believe that they had gotten that far, but it wasn't surprising given the experts they had with them.

A Physicst specialising in Gamma radiation, and a brilliant Engineer as well as an extra-terrestrial mechanic like Rocket was invaluable. "We need to make the most of this". Tony clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention.

He continued, "We've made good progress. Right now, we're not racing against a clock. We're not fighting against time". He said, noticing his words.

"We can't afford any room for error, so that means we need to use time to our advantage". He said, feeling comfortable for the first time since he discovered the Pym Particles.

He didn't remember the semblance of a good night's rest, but it wasn't important. Stark had been taking advantage of their meet ups to get whatever little sleep he could after the discussions. Right now, the appeal of slumping down into a deep sleep was forgotten and he rubbed at his tired eyes.

"I need Rocket and Banner". He said, turning to stare at the two other intellectuals in the room with him. "You're with me".

"As for the rest of you, Ant-man and Nebula will be in charge of building the secondary housing units for the suits needed to accommodate the Pym Particles". Saying it was easier than actually following through on it.

There was a vast difference in Nebula and Scott Lang's personality, one that caused a conflict between them. On one hand, Ant-man was excited at the prospect at working with the Pym Particles and the blue Luphomoid on the other hand hated the man's guts. She regarded him an idiot.

"Nebula". Stark broke through the spell of the room and the assassin turned away from Scott, though she made sure her intentions towards him were abundantly clear through the final stare she gave him.

"Stark", Nebula liked the scientist. Perhaps even though she wouldn't admit it, she had a feeling of comradery towards him. Afterall, they had spent twenty three days floating through space, it wasn't a suprise that she had formed something akin to attachment towards him.

However, that didn't mean she felt the same towards Ant-man, or any of the Avengers. "What's the matter Stark?"

He wasn't stupid, Tony knew what she was feeling, "Nebula promise me that you'll work with Scott".

Her face was unreadable, but there was clear hesitation in her words, "I don-".

Stark stepped forward, the rest of the group pulled away for him to reach her and their eyes met. There was a pleading look in the man's dark eyes. "Nebula, promise me that you'll willingly agree to work together with Scott".

Wanting to refuse, but the strong look in his eyes made her swallow back her words. She stared at him for a moment longer, before releasing a heavy breath, "Fine. But only for you're sake".

He smiled and if it wasn't for the sleepless nights finally catching up with him, Stark would've continued on, but instead he let that be the end of it.

Cap stood back, watching the scene and looking at his team. Stark was beside him as he stepped back towards him. They shared a knowing look. "This won't be easy, will it?"

"No, but we have to try".

"Stark". Rodgers turned to look at him, "Where do we start?" 

The sound of another beer can opening was the answer to his question. Thor was already drinking again, and it was clear by the look on Tony's face that he was doubting his team's potential.

"Cap, I think you've got this". Coughing, and refusing to acknowledge what he was seeing, Stark turned away towards the doorway.

"Banner, Rocket". He said, barely turning around as his steps synced with his voice. Calm and focused. "You're with me".

There was little leeway for the others. Nebula was the only one to stare back at Tony for the last time, watching him leave with only one thing in mind. "I'm stuck here with an idiot". She said, turning back at Scott.

"Whoa, hey". He raised his arms, as the elevator chimed and the Genius was gone with Banner and Rocket. Now he was alone with his own seperate group.

"It's not my choice". He said, raising his arms, "But we need to work together. Like Stark said".

Reluctant, but settling on the order. Nebula sighed. There was only one last person there that she respected, "Captain". She said, looking at Rodgers, "What's our next move?"

Being a leader meant having to adapt to each person's personality. Knowing every individual and their interest was vital to bringing everyone together.

Cap looked around the room, Natasha, Clint, and Rhodey were an accessory. The lead focus was on Nebula and Scott Lang. The two new addition were an important part to developing the suits. Despite being cat and dog, the two of them were brilliant in their field of mechanics. They could do this, but Rodgers needed to guide them towards the finishing line.

"Both of you, settle down". There was authority in his voice as Cap commanded the attention of the room. "I know you two don't like each other, but right now you're our best in the field of science".

There was a compliment in his words, and Nebula allowed herself to stand higher at the praise. "Thank you".

But Cap wasn't finished, "However, I need you both to work together". He said, focusing in on the alien for a moment. His eyes narrowed as he tried to align himself with her. "Whatever disputes you might have, we need to put it to the side".

Nebula's chest fell, and she looked to the floor for a moment. "Alright". She said at last. She didn't like it, but she was going to play her part.

Rodgers noticed her change and walked to the corner edge of the room, inclining himself closer to the monitors and motioned his hands at the main switch and a schematics of parts and blueprints for rudimentary suits appeared.

"Nebula. Scott". He said, turning back around and the rest of the team followed suit, all staring at the two. "It's your move".

Walking closer to the projector, Nebula was confident. This kind of technology was impressive. Even for an earthling like Stark, the schematics were designed in such a way that it made it abundantly clear what components were needed.

"This looks simple enoug-". She paused looking it through. Though to the others, it wasn't so obvious.

"-What?". Natasha interupted, "Can you please explain for those of us who don't know anything about what we're seeing?"

Rhodey shook his head as well. "Some of us aren't used to alien technology. What exactly are we looking at?"

"It's not alien tec-". She paused and Nebula hesitated, deciding on a new course of action. Cap's earlier words had an effect on her and she took a step back, motioning for Ant-man to make his way forward.

"Scott, would you mind". She said, the briefest emotion of difficulty in her words. "I need you here with me to explain it in more simpler terms for everyone else to understand".

His confusion was clear, and perhaps even awe was visible on the man's face. "Who me?" Scott raised a finger at his face. "Are you serious?".

She was. Nebula had promised Tony that she would get along with the new recruit. Despite his naive nature, Scott Lang did have credentials to his name.

She nodded, "Yes, please step forward. You're as essential to this as I am". There was something in her words that he couldn't make out, but all the same he still met her at the Monitor.

Staring at the system longer than he should have, Scott felt nervous from all the eyes looking behind him. Pinching in the resolution, the projection enhanced itself until the suits became visible at a microscopic level.

It was a rough schematic. Some components were missing, and there was a clear display where the housing units of the suits needed the necessary infrastructure to handle Pym Particles without compromising the sub-atomic structure of the wearer.

He coughed, "Wow. This is impressive". There was an excitement at the system of detail the minimalistic imprint structure provided. "But it not enough. It's lacking in the necessary electromagnetic gaudging required to transverse the sub-atomic frequency".

Hearing it wasn't something expected. Natasha didn't know the man was as intelligent as she had thought. This was surpassing her prior thoughts on him. "You're smarter than you look new guy".

"But we still don't understand what we're dealing with". Hawkeye said, crossing his arms and peering at the scientist with a confused look.

Rhodey intervened. "Yeah, maybe try again. But this time in English".

Sighing, Ant-man was at a loss for words. All of this was easy for him when he looked at it, but to to explain it to the team felt cryptic and gave him a headache.

This was becoming harder than he first thought. "There's an inphasible form of matter that exists at a sub-atomic level. Bypassing it is the key to creating a loop of interlinking reactions".

"Hold on. Stop". Nebula held up her hand. There was a forceful tone in her voice but she stopped herself and locked eyes with him.

"Scott, let me try to explain. Perhaps in simpler terms. One that everyone would be able to understand". She didn't doubt his intelligence anymore, but the rest of their segregated team still needed to know what they were dealing with.

It was impressive to realise that she had misjudged him. Nebula looked at him quietly for a moment, truly taking him in as she allowed herself to break free from the shackles of judgement she had for him earlier and replaced it with understanding.

"Well?" Thor drunkenly asked, "We're still waiting on what to do?"

"Thor". Cap raised his voice, allowing his presence to be felt since he first disappeared in the atmosphere of the room. "Please. Don't interupt. Let them say what they have to say".

Being in his unaware state of mind didn't make this situation any easier. Inebriation was strong and alcohol was heavy in his blood. Despite this, the Asgardian was keen to help.

"I just-"

Rodgers gave him an understanding look. "I promise, I'll give you your chance. But just listen to what they have to say. We'll clue you in at the proper time".

Nodding in appreciation, Nebula continued. "The suits schematics are flawed. They require correction".

Pausing and waiting for anyone to speak up, she looked at them slowly. When nothing came, she went on. "The calculations for the design of the suits to be possible require stable components in order to retain the safety of the wearer".

Rhodey felt uncomfortable at hearing that, "You're basically saying the suits aren't safe? Is that it?"

Nebula kept quiet, but nodded.

Hawkeye wasn't having it, "You're saying the suits could kill us?" He said, eying the schematics with a cautious look, and even stepped back. This didn't feel right.

"No. No. No" Scott shook his head, "Not necessary kill, but if the energy output of the Pym Particles aren't rendered correctly it could theoretically cause an influx of radiating particles bouncing into each othe-"

"In other words". Nebula deduced, "It would be like wearing a nuclear reactor".

Cap finally let Thor have his say as the others took in the Luphamoid's words. While the Asgardian didn't understand much of what was happening, he did have a semblance of where the conversation was going.

"So we just need to make the suits stable enough to not explode?"

Scott nodded, sharing a look with Nebula. Both of them knew that it wouldn't be as easy as said. 

Chapter Text

"Repetition is Strength. Repetition is Strength. Repetition is Strength". The words felt forced as his lungs exhaled deeply, almost painfully.

Tony Stark laid back in his chair, the many days of work finally catching up with him.

"I need a break". He said, quietly shaking his head. Everything was fuzzy and he wasn't sure which way was up anymore.

They had done it. Well, at least attempted to. Whether Scott Lang and Nebula managed to stabilise the subatomic structure of the Pym Particles to allow the suits to function under the intense flux of the Time machine would be another thing.

"Time. Give it time". Forcing himself to repeat it, Tony wanted to try and believe it. Afterall, they had gotten so far and made so much progress.

His body was tired, and his nerves were overworked. Regardless, everything was coming together. Rocket was still back in the lab working with Banner, giving him the few minutes he needed to simply just breathe.

And that's exactly what he did. Forcing his chest to co-operate with him, Stark willed his body to take in an inhale of the air. It was a sobering moment, one which helped bring him back to focus.

"I need a break". The genius once again rubbed at his eyes, creasing his fingers over the sides of his face. Exhaustion was winning over him.

It had been days since he last properly slept. Time was bleeding into each other and details were becoming harder to remember.

It wasn't until a subtle noise, an almost foreshadowing of footsteps encroaching on his space, did he notice it.

"Nebula". He said, breath gasping and exhaustion clear in his tone. There was something about the way he tried to make himself stay awake through the whole ordeal.

He tried as hard as he could, but even in his state, Stark was fleeting into unconsciousness. The only thing his mind was registering was a pulling sensation as the Luphomoid finally got in his clear view, crouching low enough to meet his eyes.

"You haven't been taking good care of yourself". She said, the words weren't as seamless as the way her tone had a hard forceful edge to them.

Clearly she wasn't happy, but Stark merely gave her a fake smile, trying to muster up some of the charisma he once had. "You still playing nice with Scott?"

Remembering her recent struggle with Lang, something about the way the former prejudices Nebula held against Scott seemed to melt away. "He has proven himself to be smarter than he seems". She said, pushing it away for now.

"However". She paused, and took in Tony's frame laying on the chair, barely hanging on. "You on the other hand, don't seem as smart".

"Why's that?"

In her eyes, Tony could've swore that he saw something similar to emotion. Nebula gritted her teeth, annoyed by his foolishness. "How can someone so clever be so stupid?" She tsked.

He had no idea what she was talking about, and perhaps his eyes must have shown it because Nebula continued. "You're smart enough to invent time travel, but you don't know when your body's telling you to rest?"

It sounded more of a statement, than a question. But all the same, her words had their intended impact on the scientist.

"I told you". Stark blinked back, trying to keep himself awake, "It's nothing I can't handle". Though saying it didn't make what she had said any less true.

Tony was tired. His body was tired. Every atom of his being craved a reprieve. A break. An opportunity to rest.

"When was the last time you ate?" Nebula was now standing, but she was keeping her eye on the man.

He looked worse for wear, and as she continued to stare at him. Something felt wrong. Tony had dark circles around his eyes and his hair was matted to his head. Even his words felt slowed and slightly slurred.

"Stark, how many times have we had this conversation?"

In that moment, Tony didn't even try to keep his eyes open. In fact, he didn't need to. There was enough dissapointment in her voice that even with the company of darkness that threatened to take him away to it's slumber, he couldn't do anything but listen to her words.

Slumping back even further, Stark swallowed dryly at his throat and through the darkness, he could hear something moving. Like metal clanging against metal, and the closing of a door.

There was silence. Nebula was gone and he was alone.

There was a small comfort in the darkness of sleep. In knowing that his body would finally get the rest that it needed. But that wasn't to be, as a quick brush of air alerted him and startled him back into consciousness.

There was nothing there, and he released a tense breath. "Get it together Tony. You're okay. You're okay".

"I beg to differ". The doors opened again, and Nebula spoke, this time her eyes were pointedly starring into him. "You're not alright. You are anything, but okay".

She neared him, and in her hand was a platter of food. Still steaming, and a utensil in the other hand. "I won't force you to eat, but I do expect your collaboration".

"Of course". He sighed, trying to properly sit back in his chair, but Nebula stopped him.

"Let me help you". There was a gentleness in her voice, as she set down the tray on his nightstand. "It's the least I can do before we settle you into bed for the night".

Though he allowed her to accommodate his weight, shifting him on the chair so that he was sitting in a comfortable position. There was some resistance in his compliance.

"What do you mean? It's still early. I can get some more work-"

"No". She stopped him. Bringing the plate of food back into view, Nebula resumed her position in front of him, picking up the fork. "You're doing nothing more than sleeping. At least, after you're done with your meal. Now eat".

To say it was an easy night would be a lie. But all the same, Nebula got through it. Something about relieving Stark of his duties as she forced him into bed was odd. Nothing was as confusing for her as was the man's absolute refusal to rest.

She was near the point of slapping him, but thankfully he agreed to lie back down in bed. "You shouldn't fight me for wanting you to rest". She said, giving him one last look before taking away the empty plate in one hand.

"Yeah, I know. Goodnight". Tony was clearly fed up with her constant smothering, and he was more than upset at how the Luphomoid had forced him into bed.

But as soon as his eyes closed, there was only silence. He was asleep. His breathing slowed and his chest heaved up and down steadily.

"So stubborn". Nebula was aware of his hushed breaths, but she still could not believe how someone would refuse to be taken care of.

Though as she neared the door, exiting with the plate. She thought to herself how not so long ago, she had also been the same as Stark.

"It used to be so much easier when I used to only care about myself". She said, turning one last time to stare through the door at the sleeping man.

Surpassing the threshold of the door, Nebula had a plague of doubts in her mind.

Was this really the man she had spent nearly all of twenty one days floating alone, desolate in space with?

Surely her mind was playing a trick on her. Even so, a part of her conscious refused to acknowledge that Tony Stark could be so incompetent at taking good care of himself. "He's more of an idiot than Scott". She muttered softly to herself as she walked the hallway.

"He needs rest and the only thing keeping him going is norepinephrine and cortisol as his body desperately tries not to shut down". She was now contemplating what to do with the man when he woke up.

Turning a corner, Nebula approached the Avengers Lounge. Entering the dining area, the Luphamoid didn't waste a precious second as she emptied the discarded plate into the sink and sprayed it down with water.

"Is everything alright?"

What? What was that? She blinked back in surprise. Who was talking?

"I heard from Rhodey that you visited Stark?" There it was. The strong accented thraws of leadership. Captain America was recognisable even with her back turned, Nebula still knew it was him.

"Indeed". She said, drying her hands and moving back towards the soldier. "He can be quite stubborn. It's almost like he's never had to take care of himself before".

Despite the angry, almost flushed expression of irritation in her voice. There was still some lingering emotion of compassion, perhaps even a deeper level of care. One that was hidden beneath a veil of sarcasm. All the same, it was there.

Cap knew it. "You care about him, don't you?"

They exchanged looks. In the Soldier's eyes, there was understanding and empathy. Nebula blinked back, struggling to keep her gaze. "In some sort of way, I suppose". She said, leaning back against the counter.

"It's not a weakness to show affection, Nebula". Rodgers waved her gruff expression off as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "If anything, compassion should always be our greatest strength".

"I know". She said, pausing and staring at the floor. There was something there. Something in her chest, a flicker of hope. "Will the plan work this time?"

Reluctance was heavy, but Roders had to answer. "I don't know". He said, pulling himself back. After the last time the Avengers planned something like this, it ended in disaster with the former mad Titan.

"He's trying you know?" Her voice was meek, almost timid. It wasn't like Nebula to speak so softly. It was like she was afraid.

She continued, "We've invested so much into this working, but what if it doesn't succeed. It will break him, you know?"

In that moment, Cap knew. Nebula wasn't talking about herself. She was referring to Stark. The brilliant man was pushing himself through the brink of exhaustion to make this possible.

"Will you be there for him?"

Now that was a surprise.

Nebula blinked back. "I don't understan-"

The hours of dawn were setting, and the sky was slowly painted a dark illuminescent black, one reflecting the many twinkling expressions of the Solar System in the form of many white stars outcasted in the background of the glass panes of the dining area.

Rodgers didn't want to say more, instead he gave her a look. "You should get some rest. Stark's not the only one who's been working hard and if we're going to pull this off, we'll need everyone at full strength".

Deciding against her better judgement, Nebula furrowed her forehead, the lines creasing deep within the cyan skin. "No. I want to stay here".

"Doing what?"

"I'll wait." She said, now refusing to look at her leader. "I'll wait for him to wake up. He needs help".

Something about the way she settled her eyes on the floor, refusing to share his gaze told him everything he needed to know.

"Nebula, you're allowed to care about Stark. But you need to remember to focus on yourself as well". There was beratement in his voice, but all the same. It was gentle and mild.

"Be kind to yourself". He said, taking time to focus on her eyes for a moment. "Stark will he fine. But I won't stop you from staying by his side until he wakes up".

A rush of warmth ran up to her cheeks. It was an intangible sensation, but it was noticeable. Steve could recognise it in the way, Nebula's eyes seemed to almost lighten up despite their dark hue.

"Thank you". She said, and Captain America simply nodded back at her, now turning away.

"There's nothing to thank me for. You're a part of our family now". He smiled, waiting a moment for the Luphomoid to nod back before turning around and peering out the threshold of the dining area.

His stamina as a Super Soldier was more than welcome. Cap needed the extra boost. Times were tough and morale was something they couldn't afford to lose.

"Team". He said, looking at the outback of the research facility of the secluded lab. "Tell me we've got good news".

Scott Lang and Nebula had done their part in configuring the rough schematic blueprints of the suits. Most of the missing parts designs for the suits were already in the works. Now it was only left to their team.

"Starks done good on the rudimentary fundamentals of the machine". Rocket said, scratching his head up from underneath the many haulings of the wires and tubings infiltrating the heavy machinery.

"But there's still some key components missing". Banner finished off.

The air was starting to become stale and the already metallic taste of the magnetic fields generated by the machines around them was only exaggerating the poor odour of the lab.

"Are we making good progress?" Rodgers was sure that things were speeding along. They had to. Especially with Stark gone for the night, there was at least some promise of progress.

A ruff, almost course sounding of an eerily human voice coming from the throat of Rocket could be heard. "Where's Stark? I thought he'd want to be here to witness the last steps?"

If only they could hear the heartbeat of the man standing infront of them, arms crossed across his chest and eyes narrowed. 

Steve Rodgers wasn't sure enough to let the remaining few know that Stark had been forcefully coerced into sleep by Nebula. No, that could wait. "He's taking time off".

"Not that we'll need him". He continued, standing more confidently and examining the machinery before him.

"Figures". Rocket scoffed, a hackling sound reverberating across the near empty room. "But all the same, we're just about done. Why don't you have yourself a seat over there and wait until we're ready to test this thing out".

A secluded shadow roamed over the three members. It was a strange ambience of emotions. Banner, and Captain America were just beginning to settle into the rhythmic activity of watching Rocket at work, tightening a few selective hinges and bars on the inner perimeter of the machine.

It was all coming together. Slowly, but with a slight aura of doubt, perhaps even bewilderment. Something like this had never been done before.

"Tony really did it, didn't he?" Hulk, or rather, Banner said. He was also beside Rodgers, but unlike their leader. The Physicist seemed taken aback.

"You know". Banner paused, crossing his arms, mimicking Rodgers. "Sometimes I can't believe that Tony's just human. I mean, with things like these. It's just a wonder how he's mind is able to comprehend things like this".

It was true. Stark was a master at making the impossible happen. It was in his skill-set. Despite that, Tony was still human. Even his body needed rest.

No Super-soldier serum, no gamma radiation, no powers. Yet, somehow Tony Stark was still one of the most valuable assets the Avengers had.

Rodgers sighed, remembering Nebula still holding the tray of food. The Luphomoid was proof enough that no amount of intellect could suffice. Stark was steadfast in his work, but at the end of the day, he was still human.

"I don't know". Cap said, eying the green hues of Banner's radiated form. "He's surpassing his limits. Even so, that's more than what most people can handle".