Galactic Savior | Avengers✔️

✮ 𝟎𝟔𝟎 ✮

we lost

MARLENE watched Steve rush to Tony, helping him stand straight as Rocket went over to Nebula. Marlene let Rhodey hold her steady as Natasha and Vision stepped forward. Tony continued to walk with Steve helping him.

"Couldn't stop him," Tony grunted out, finally making it near Marlene.

"Neither could I," Steve murmured.

Tony looked at Marlene. "I lost the kid."

"Tony, we lost," Marlene whispered back.

"Is, uh...?" Tony began just as Pepper crashed through the group of people.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Pepper yelled, holding onto Tony tightly as tears left her eyes. Tony looked more than relieved, holding her close and letting his own tears fall freely.

Tony rubbed her back softly. "It's okay."

Rocket sat next to Nebula, paw resting on Nebula's hand. She did not move it.

Marlene let Rhodey go help Tony get inside as Vision extended his arm for her to grab. He smiled tentatively as he led her back to the Compound with Steve following. Rocket and Nebula stood and followed the large group into the briefing room. After Rhodey and Pepper had set up Tony on an IV, he was sat down. Once Vision made sure Marlene was stable, Tony reached his hand out to grab hers.

"What happened?" Tony murmured to her, other hand going to grab a brunette strand.

"He did something to my stone," Marlene murmured, eyes falling. "No powers. No strength. No hope."

Tony nodded, letting his hand fall. "No hope," he repeated.

Rhodey waved his hand, extending the hologram of everyone they knew who had been snapped away. Tony's eyes blurred as Peter Parker's image of his smiling face appeared. Marlene gulped as Loki appeared next. Wanda. Sam. Bucky. "It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth," Rhodey murmured, standing straight as Pepper sat next to Tony. Steve walked behind Marlene, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did... he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent, of all living creatures," Natasha said softly, wincing when Marlene's eyes fell in defeat again.

"Where is he now? Where?" Tony asked, sitting up straight.

Steve moved his hand away from Marlene. "We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through."

Tony looked at Thor. "What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, he's pissed," Rocket said. "He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that's going around, ain't there?"

"Yep," Marlene muttered.

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear," Tony said, pointing at Rocket.

Rocket sneered his way. "Maybe I am."

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep Space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him," Steve said as Tony's head snapped to him.

"Who told you that?" Tony asked, voice rising. "I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight."

"It's the same on this end," Marlene said snarkily. "He had everyone restrained and forced me to give him the stones, too. The fight was lost before we had a chance."