I don't remember dozing off but I guess I do because eventually I wake to some turbulence. Pepper's not lying down with me anymore, but I feel her stroking my hair with her hand so I don't give off that I'm awake yet. She's seated on the mattress, my legs over her lap as she scrolls through her Stark phone. I've never been a side sleeper, but I guess I didn't move much since I knocked out.

"We're here," I hear after a few more moments of silence.

It's a cold voice. Monotone. Nebu-whatever, I guess. Maybe it wasn't just turbulence, but a landing that woke me.

"I'll wake him..." Pepper whispers, her voice still protective.

Then she's moving her hand from my hair and down my back, patting me a few times.

"Tony," she whispers, setting down her phone. "Tony, we're here."

"I heard," I mumble and continue staring at the empty doorway in front of me.

My eye stings...the cut on my cheekbone making it swell. The dried tears make my face stick to the pillow, but I pull it off anyway.

"How long have you been awake?" she asks quietly, squeezing my shoulder as I shove myself up into a sitting position.

"Just a few minutes..." I answer roughly and ruffle my hair.

I glance up at her with soft eyes as the weight of everything comes crashing back down on me. Who was left? When we walked off the jet, which of the heroes would be left? The villains? The civilians?

I must've frozen up because she rests her hand on my knee now that my legs have swung over the edge of the mattress and she's looking at me with pain in her eyes. But hey, I'm Iron Man. Gotta man up and be the sarcastic asshole they're all expecting, right? And...if not for me, then for my parents. This is it...the first time we'd meet again since Siberia. She knows it, too.

Pepper fakes a smile, then helps me stand and holds an arm around my waist as I rest my on over her shoulder. Nothing like Tony Stark once again behind escorted out of a jet, right? As if Afghanistan didn't do enough damage...maybe I should've just died there.

And then we're stepping off. I expected a greeting. Or a welcoming party or even security? But nothing. The air is still here, too. It's cloudy. There's no congo line or margarita bar or...whatever the fuck these people do here. Uh, wait, wrong continent, huh?

"Where is everyone?" Pepper wonders aloud, keeping me steady as we come to a stop.

"Gone. Just like the rest," Nebula answers cooly...damn, this chick's got some pent up anger...

Then, we're finally greeted by a voice from the side of the ship that I've wanted to hear more than anything.

"Not all of us."

"Rhodey," Pepper exhales in relief as he rounds the corner in the War Machine suit.

They hug awkwardly as she supports me and then he's taking me in, too.

"You look like hell, buddy," he comments, trying to lighten the mood.

"Never better," I disagree sarcastically and advert his gaze.

"Take us to the others," the robot chick interrupts and struts past us, shoving me in the process.

Rhodey stares after her with his brow ruffled but follows; she doesn't need much showing, rather than an escort so they let her in, I guess.

"Who's the blue girl?" he whispers to Pepper and her lips press together in silent judgement as we proceed after her.

Eventually, we make it down some kind of shuttle and into an underground area that reminds me of the lab at the base, but much more high tech. I guess that's Vibranium for ya... The silence isn't comforting, but it's necessary as I take everything in, mirroring the look of awe also on Pepper's face.

When we do make it down, there's light chatter, and when the doors open to the space, they reveal a set that I swear is right out of Star Wars; a hologram display, much more in depth than Jarvis or Friday could've ever created, is in the air, with whoever's left of the super group huddling around it. Probably their next in depth plan at saving the world, after the first few failed. When we step out, all heads snap our way and I start to panic about who is going to make the first move.

"Look who I found," Rhodey pipes up after an awkward silence spreads around the room and Pepper fakes another smile to thank him for breaking the ice.

"Tony!" I hear Widow say, and then she's stepping out from behind the display with shock plastered over her features.

She approaches us and swiftly takes me into a hug, despite Pepper's grip on my waist.

"It's so good to see you," she tells me against my shoulder, but I know she's really just admitting it's nice to know I didn't turn to dust.

"Bruce!" I hear Pepper celebrate before Widow releases me.

So, Banner's alive. Good.

"Where's the kid?" he asks gently, looking at me after waving awkwardly from the corner.

I blink and avoid his eyes, staring hardly at the windows of the room instead, admiring their purple glow as I try not to think about it.

"You're all right."

"Please, Mr Stark...I don't wanna go..."

Pepper's voice brings me back to reality. "Tony!"

Did I really space out? Probably. I just can't get his voice out of my head.

"You sure you're up for this?" Rhodey asks from my side, but what choice do I have?

I detach myself from Pepper and hobble over to the rest, analyzing the data on the boards instead. "Someone fill me in," I request.

Instead, the doors we just walked through open again, and in walks my worst nightmare. I whip my head around at the sound of footsteps and swallow hard, trying to remind myself to breathe. Don't think about your parents, Stark. Don't.

"Nebula?" a grouchy voice asks with uncertainty, and that's definitely not his.

Nope, it's a small rodent, walking and talking at his side. I blink, eyes wide, making sure I'm not imaging things. The raccoon has his own suit, and he's approaching the robot that came with us with hope in his eyes.

"You're still alive! Where's Quill?"

She looks away, and it's clear he knows because his tail and head both droop at the same time and he shakes his head.

"Steady, Quill," I warn as he feels it start.

"Oh, man..."

"It was a long shot, anyway..." the raccoon replies sadly and then disappears under our feet somewhere.

And now I'm left with...

"Tony."

It was more of a statement than a question. An awkward observation.

His hands are in his pockets when I look at him, the sleeves on his suit rolled up as they always used to be. He's scruffy now, more so than I am...it reminds me of Thor, who is thankfully also with us here, sitting silent against the wall on the floor. His eyes are painfully wanting to say more, but what else is there to say, really? It's been a few years. And my anger has not faded in the slightest...but things change, I guess, in war. He knows that better than anyone.

"Cap," I finally comment back.

Neither one of us, or anyone, for that matter, moves, and we hold each other's gaze for another few seconds before he decides to make the first move and steps heavily toward the displays and myself. His hand reaches my shoulder, patting it once before trailing off as he steps around to the other side of the display.

"Glad to have you with us," he concludes, and that's that.

What, you want some big super brothers reunion? A big hug or a knockout fight? Not gonna happen. Not here. Things are still not okay, even if we pretend they are. But this...this is as close to the end of the world as we've gotten, so there's no time for arguing. We're at truce, for now. Unspoken, but obvious.

Pepper finally steps in, realizing my inner debacle, and takes my hand in hers, squeezing. She loops herself around my torso again, free hand resting over the arc piece as she lays her head on my shoulder for comfort. She must know it's working, because when I exhale slowly and relax my shoulders, she squeezes my hand again.

Widow pulls us all out of our trance as she suddenly steps toward the display, pulling up a particular point on what looks like a map of New York City.

"We've got movement in the lower quadrant," she announces, tapping away and pulling up stats.

My brain is too tired to keep up, though I'm trying. Imagine that, the great Tony Stark not able to focus on codes and science and plans...

"Another invasion?" Rogers asks plainly, his thumbs now looped in his pants in his typical resting Cap stance.

"No," she disagrees, continuing her research somehow. "This one's...friendly."

"I'm sorry, are we all just going to ignore the fact that the raccoon just spoke?" I finally interrupt, my head spinning.

No one answers, though, and I only get a hiss from the little fury creature somewhere near me until Widow speaks up again.

"Watch who you're callin' a raccoon, tough guy!" he spits.

"He did it," Nat breathes, only it isn't the usual 'Thanos did it, he killed everyone' that was becoming all too familiar; it was hopeful.

"Did what?" Sam asks, pushing himself from the wall he was leaning against with Thor.

She looks around wildly. "Fury summoned her. We have help."

"Her?" I repeat.

A smile slightly forms at her lips as she meets Cap's similar expression, and apparently it's a SHIELD thing, because they both seem to know.

"Captain Marvel," he confirms.