Six stones or nothing

"Well, what are we going to do know?" Steve asks. Scott is pacing again, I notice he does that a lot. "You said that we had one shot. This was our shot. We shot it, it's shot. Six stones are nothing. It was six stones or nothing!" Tony interrupts, "you're repeating yourself, you know that? You're repeating yourself." Scott speaks just as angrily, "you're repeating yourself." They start bickering back in fourth. Tony is the only one still sitting in the car. "Guys-" I try to interrupt but they keep going. I sigh and rub my face, "shut the fuck up for one goddamn second!!!" They close their mouths and look at me, surprised. "All this arguing, no one actually cares! We're here to get everyone back, not prove who ruined everything! Tony, we know you don't want to be here, you have a perfect fucking life, you don't care about everyone that's gone, you don't care about Peter, but we do. I care about Peter. I care about everyone that's gone. No, I don't want to loose you, or Morgan, or Pepper, or Natasha, or anyone that managed to stay in my life! But I... I need everyone else back." Tony tried to stop me, "I do care about-" "No you don't! Not enough at least. Not enough. You don't care like I do. Like Scott does. Like Steve does. Like any of us do! Do you know how many times I've tried to- I've tried to fucking kill myself? How many times I've taken your alcohol when you went looking? How many times I've walked to the bridge and thought about I, only stopping because I had to babysit Morgan the next day, or Natasha was coming over in a few hours. If I don't get everyone back- if we don't get everyone back, then I won't make it either. Nothing you say can change that. So please, at least act like you care." Tony looks hurt, I realize what I said isn't entirely true, he does care about Peter. But I'm still right, not enough. He doesn't care enough, otherwise he would still be arguing with me right now. Everyone is silent for a moment and I wipe my eyes, "sorry. What do we do know?" Steve is the first to speak up, "are there any other options with the teaser act?" Scott takes a step forward, "no. None. We have one particle left, each. That's it. If we use that bye-bye, you're not going home." Steve starts to get angry as well, "yeah, well if we don't try... then no one else is going home either." A second of silence passes before Tony exits the car, "I got tit. There's another way to retake the Tesseract and acquire new particles. Little stroll down memory lane. Military installation, Garden State." I have no idea what he's talking about but apparently Steve does. "When were they both there?" Steve asks. "They were there at a time... I have a vaguely exact idea." "How vague..?" Steve asks. Scott seems just as confused as I am because he looks at me and mouths- 'what are they talking about?' I shrug and he sighs. "I know for a fact they were there, and I know how I know." Tony continues. Steve hesitates and looks around for a second, "Great. Looks like we're improvising." Steve hands Scott the staff, "get this back to the compound." Steve and Tony start typing coordinates into their travel devices. Scott speaks up quick, "whatever you're doing, if it doesn't work, then you're not coming back." Tony, "I know, Cap knows. And we're doing it anyway." Tony looks at me. "What about me?" I ask, taking a step forward. Tony walks over and hesitates before giving me a hug. Steve and Scott both look surprised but stay silent. I hug back. Tony pulls away and takes a step back, "I'm not letting you risk your life- I know you've done it before, but now isn't the time." "Then why are you risking your life?" I shoot back. "Because win Tony Stark." He grins and steps back with Steve. "It's what I do." They suit up. "See you soon." That was the last thing Tony said before they both shrink and disappear. I turn to Scott, "so... should we go home?"       He nods, "yeah guess so. See you there."       We type the coordinates in our devices and I watch Scott disappear just before I do.         I close my eyes, getting a little motion sick while traveling but when I open them again, I'm standing around the aching with the other avengers. Tony and Steve made it. Everyone makes their suits disappear and I see everyone smiling.          Did we do it?          Bruce is the first to speak, "did we get them all?" He asks sounding excited and nervous.         Everyone is smiling when we see Clint fall to his knees. He looks like he'd been crying.         "Did you not get the stone?" I ask then realize who's missing. "Where's Nat?"           Everyone looks over to him. He starts to cry silently again and doesn't speak. Bruce gasps softly and Steve looks like he's about to cry as well.          "Clint, where is Natasha?" I repeat, taking a step forward. Tony steps closer to me.          Clint opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out for a moment. "She- she's g-gone.."         My eyes widen and I take a step back. "I-if... we can go back in time again right? We can go and try again- get her back... right?"           "Someone had to die to get the s-stone. We... fought over who would do it but she- s-she won."         I turn around, looking at Tony, as if he would tell me this is a prank. Or that the great Iron Man could do what he always does and make everything perfect, save lives. Save Natasha's life.           He shakes his head and I feel tears slide down my face. I cry into his chest and he hugs me softly.          I didn't even get to say goodbye.