IV. Chapter 76b: "Our Precious Freedom..."

Rhodey takes a moment of silence, standing in front of, what seems to be, a ray of never ending holographic images of his fallen comrades that turned to dust a couple of weeks ago.



Sarah was among those faces, Sadly, she shouldn't be up there. No one knows exactly what happened to her. They know she vanished 'before' the snap, but that's where all their knowledge pertaining to Sarah's
disappearance, ends.


Though, Steve still has hope that she is alive, somewhere.



"It's been twenty-three days since
Thanos came to Earth," Rhodey says.


"World governments are in pieces," Natasha continues for him, "The parts that are still working are trying to take a census,"



When Tony's eyes look up for the first time the image he sees the image of Peter. He instantly looks away, grabbing the bridge of his nose.



"It looks like thanos did," Natasha pauses, "he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out
fifty percent, of all living creatures,"


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


"We don't know," Steve says with a shrug, "He...He just opened a portal, and walked through,"


Tony sighs, letting his eyes wonder, they focus on Thor, who's sitting alone, looking like he's pondering something. That something being, 'Not going for the head,'


"What's wrong with him?" Tony questions gesturing towards Thor with his chin.


"Oh, he's pissed," Rocket speaks up, "He thinks he failed...Which of
course he did, but there's a lot of that's goin' around, ain't there?"


Tony looked bewildered for a brief moment, "Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear," he says.


"Maybe I am," Rocket says with a sigh.


"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now," Steve say with a shake of his head, "Deep Space scan...and satellites. And we got nothing," he pauses looking up at Tony, who's sitting in a wheelchair across from him, "Tony, you fought him-"


"Fought?!" Tony breaths, Carol and the rest of the people in the room the to face him, "Who told you that?" Tony adds, "We didn't fight him...No," he likes his lips angrily, "he whipped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight, cause-"


"Okay," Steve interrupts says, getting what he's saying.


"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates?, anything"Steve asks


"Uhhh...bbbbffff...I saw this coming a few years back,"He looks to Rhodey, "I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming."


"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus," Steve insists standing up.


"And I 'needed' you," Tony says sending Steve a glare, "As in 'past tense'. That 'trumps' what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry."


Tony sniffs getting to his feet knocking down what ever nicknack were on the table in front of him, "You know what I need?" he questions using the table to keep his balance, "I need to shave. A-a-an-and I believe I remember telling  all of you-" Tony says removing the IV on his arm.


"Tony, Tony!" Rhodes says trying to make him stop,


"Alive," Tony rips off the bandage, "and otherwise what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedom or not- that's what we needed!" Tony yells through his clenched teeth.


"Well, that didn't work out, did it?" Steve Rogers questions.


"I said 'we'll lose'...You said, 'We'll do that together too.'...And guess what, Cap? We lost...You weren't there," Tony ponders for a second before continuing,"But that's what we do, right?...Our best work after the fact?...We're the 'Aaaa'vengers, we're the 'Avengers'. Not the Prevengers," he confirms with Rhodey.


"Okay," Rhodey says, trying to calm him down he wraps his hands around Tony's shoulders.


"Right?" Tony asks nodding his head frantically.


"Okay, you made you're point now sit down, before you say something you'll regret,"


"She's great by the way," Tony says pointing to Carol, who just narrows her eyes, "We need you, you're new blood. Bunch of tired old mills!" He step towards Steve, "I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no plan, no options. Z-Z-Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust...L-l-liar," He finishes feeling so much betrayal right now.


Tony's breathing becomes labored, "Here," Tony says ripping the Arc Reactor from his chest, "take this," shoving it into Steve's hand, "You find him, and you put that on," he lets out a strenuous breath "You hide," Pointing his finger at him, Tony takes a couple steps back before buckling.


Everyone gathers around him, Rhodey calls his name, "Tony!"


"I'm fine..." He says pushing Rhodey away, "Let me..." He stares blankly in one spot. Steve, Carol, Rhodey, Natasha watches him carefully, none of them being fast enough to catch Tony as he passes out.


༻➴༺


"Bruce gave him a sedative, he's gonna be out for the rest of the day," Rhodey informs after stepping out Tony's room.


Steve looks down, nothing but a guilty expression on his face.


"You guys take care of him," Carol speaks up, Steve and Natasha turns to her, "And I'll bring Xorrian Elixir when I come back," with her arms crossed she leaves the room.


"Where are you going ?"Steve  questions.


"To kill Thanos," she says a matter-of-factly.


Steve and Natasha shares a look.


"Hey," Natasha says not letting her get far, "You know, we usually work as a team around here, and between you and I, morale's a little fragile,"


"We realize out there is more of your territory, but this is our fight too," Steve adds.


Rhodey stands in the door frame, pondering, "Do you even know where he is?" Rhodey asks


"I know people who might," Carol shrugs.


"Don't bother," Nebula intrudes.


Carol turns around.


"I can tell you where Thanos is," she replies.

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