End Game Fix It
Bucky clapped Steve on the shoulder as Sam stood by watching.
“I’m gonna miss you,” Bucky said, swallowing thickly.
“What? Why?”
Steve and Bucky both startled a bit and turned to see Rhodes squinting suspiciously at the pair.
“Uh,” Bucky began.
“Oh. Oh! Oh, FUCK NO,” Rhodes hissed angrily.
Steve cringed, but then stood tall in his usual self-righteous pose.
“Bucky and I are just having a private conversation, Rhodes,” he said pompously.
“Hand the particles over RIGHT NOW,” Rhodes yelled, drawing the attention of several others, including Pepper Stark, holding Morgan as she sniffled quietly against her shoulder.
“Rhodes.”
“How DARE YOU! You drew Tony back into this mess just like you ALWAYS DID, and now you’re gonna stand there, smile with your best assassin pal—who you ONLY got back due to Tony and his time travelling theory—and what . . . go back and get your happily ever after? With Carter, right? Fuck Tony. Fuck Tony’s widow, Pepper, who you had the sheer audacity to stand behind at Tony’s FUNERAL.” Rhodes looked at Bucky Barnes, who everyone ALWAYS felt so sorry for. Everyone was ALWAYS so concerned because he was the one screwed over again and again. Never mind that Rhodes had watched him raise that stolen rifle and point it at Tony for hitting the man that had abused his trust and lied to him FOR YEARS. “FUCK Morgan. Just one more orphaned Stark, huh Barnes. No one gives a fuck about them. Not like you owe them or anything?”
Bucky looked away guiltily.
“If you think you’re gonna use those particles to go back and RIP APART the timeline,” Rhodes began.
“Bruce said it won’t impact anything. Bruce said it was safe,” Steve yelled.
They had moved closer together, standing chest to chest as if they would fight at any moment while the remaining heroes stood around awkwardly.
“It should be ok,” Bruce said uneasily, looking at Steve with pity.
“Then you won’t mind if I take that,” Pepper said, maneuvering in between Rhodes and Steve easily as she snatched the particles from his hand.
“What! No,” Steve said just as Pepper stepped back behind Happy, Rhodes, Peter, and Nebula, who all had their arms crossed and stood before Steve like a brick wall.
“I’d say you owe Tony this, Steve,” Pepper said. “Wouldn’t you?”
“Why should he get this,” Steve yelled angrily, before he stepped back in surprise. Pepper had just hoisted little Morgan Stark up on her hip once more. The little girl stared at Steve with big, teary eyes—her father’s eyes.
“Why doesn’t he want Daddy to come back,” she whispered softly, her little voice hitching.
“How many times did you and your MIGHTY TEAM call him selfish, Captain,” Happy sneered.
“That’s enough,” Pepper said with one more, haughty look at Steve before she set Morgan on her feet, grabbed her hand, and walked away.
Steve turned and walked away, Bucky’s arm around his shoulder.
Rhodes watched until he turned towards the direction Pepper had gone. Steven Strange stood there, smiling serenely with his arm around Peter Parker’s shoulder.
“14,000,605 futures,” he said with a real smile, “and only ONE where we win.”
“The world loses without Tony Stark,” Peter smiled. “Cap can go enjoy life with the Winter Hobo in peace, and get over it.”
“Eh,” Rhodes shrugged. “He’s always got the niece if he gets desperate. What’s the difference?”