Within a week's time, they'd reached Elizabeth, New Jersey and Clint had fallen ill. A few days back, a few undead had cornered him, Natasha and Steve and in a haste to get away, his ankle had been cut up by some rusty metal shingles. They'd cleaned up the cut as best they could, Donald tending to it but infection had set in. Natasha hadn't moved from his bedside since and Steve could sympathize with what she was probably feeling, after all Clint was her partner and losing him would be like Steve losing Bucky.
When they planned the raid, though, she was the first one to volunteer. Steve, as one of their best fighters, was an obvious choice and although Jane was a great shot, she had to stay and help Donald keep Clint stable. It fell to Steve, Natasha and Tony to raid every pharmacy within a ten mile radius in search for anything that could help Clint.
After three days of raiding pharmacies and finding nothing but a few ibuprofen, 3 boxes worth of bandages and something that looked to be for cramps, they were tired and cranky. Tony was quieter than Steve had ever seen and Natasha was the most unfocused she'd ever been.
It was on the fourth day that they arrived at one pharmacy, finding it locked up tight. It didn't look like it had ever been raided. Tony, ever the patient soul, broke a window and after clearing all the glass away, boosted himself up and through the window.
From outside, they could hear Tony's voice yelling something and immediately, Natasha and Steve jumped into action. When they reached Tony, guns and knives at the ready, he was talking to a man. A man who was pressing a gun into his own temple. Tony was trying to reason with the man, hands raised in a placating manner.
"Why? The whole world's gone to hell and there's not a goddamn thing anyone can do about it," the man yelled, a maniacal look in his eye.
"You're a scientist, right? So you know that every virus has a cure or at least some way to defend against it. I know what it's like to feel you have nothing to live for, that it'd be better to stop fighting but that doesn't mean you don't give up. Giving up means letting them win. Come with me to New York, we could work on the cure together," Tony replied, looking for all the world broken. The other man just looked at him, tears streaming down his face.
"I don't want... I can't... I'm not strong enough," he cried, hand trembling on the trigger.
"You won't be alone. You'll have others to hold you up when you can't do it yourself," Tony's eyes flickered first at Natasha then towards Steve. The man pressed the gun harder into his temple and Steve reached out to stop him but Natasha pulled him back, shaking her head.
Suddenly the man collapsed to his knees, the gun clattering to the floor. No one moved. They granted him a few seconds to collect himself and then Natasha moved towards him. She crouched in front of him, silently watching until he looked up.
"Our friend is injured and the wound is infected. Is there anything here that could help us?" she asked, voice low and urgent.
He looked at her wide-eyed for a second before he nodded, getting up and moving around the room murmuring. Steve moved to Tony's side, watching the man move around the room. It seemed bizarre to think he'd been considering suicide only minutes earlier.
"You did good," Steve intoned softly. Tony glanced up at him.
"Thanks," he replied and they left it at that.
A few days later, Clint's ankle had healed up with both Donald and Bruce tending to it. Tony had hot-wired a car and they'd siphoned enough gas to get them to New York.
The city wasn't any better off than any other place they'd seen so far. Desolate gray wasteland filled with the undead. Tony's mansion was. .. well a mansion. lt was a huge gated red brick building off Fifth Avenue and Tony wasn't very pleased to see it. The mansion drudged up too many bad memories from his childhood.
They'd only just walked into the house when a red blur attacked Tony. Tony had a second of momentary panic, thinking 'oh god I just came to die in my own home' when he recognized the exact shade of red hair and the perfume.
"Pepper. My Pepper-pot, l thought you'd be at the tower," Tony buried his face into her hair, inhaling the familiar smell of strawberries. He could hear Pepper crying.
"I thought you were dead," she sobbed. Tony pulled back, mock outrage on his face.
"Pepper! Don't say such blasphemous things. You need a little more than a few undead to get rid of me," he smirked, glad when she laughed through the tears. Behind her, he noticed someone else.
"Agent Agent! What are you doing here?" Coulson smiled that same indulgent smile.
"Stark. Nice to see you again. I was speaking with Ms. Pott when the outbreak reached Stark Tower," he explained, sighing when Tony made an indignant noise.
"Such hideousness in my tower. How dare they?" he said, crossing his arms and sticking his nose up in the air.
"Stark Tower? Isn't that the ugly tower... downtown?" Steve asked, trailing off when Tony turned to glare at him. Next to him, Darcy laughed.
"Phil. Where's Director Fury?" Clint and Natasha stepped from the back, moving to Coulson's side. Coulson smiled at them genuinely, clasping Clint's hand and nodding to Tasha.
"The Director has been compromised."
Behind him, Clint and Natasha shared a look and nodded.
"Everyone, welcome everyone to my humble home. You can find your own room, trust me, there's enough. If you need anything, Jarv-" Tony paused, head cocked.
"Hey Jarvis, you awake?" he called out into the air. A few in the group looked at him as if he were on drugs, he ignored them. The air around them remained silent and still. Tony's face fell, Pepper coming forward to rest a hand on his shoulder.
"We couldn't find the backup generators to restart the power," she murmured to him and a strange glint came over Tony's eyes and passed.
The house was huge and Tony felt a bit smug seeing the awe on many faces in the group. Everyone had chosen rooms on the second floor, wanting to stay together. Jane and Donald had taken one together, everyone else picking out their own. Dinner wasn't very fancy, canned soup and some stale crackers. They'd need to go on a raid and stock up on food. All through dinner, Tony felt Steve's eyes on him and he did his best to ignore it. He talked to Pepper and Bruce. The one time Tony had looked over at Steve, he'd been hunched over his soup, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. He seemed lonely too. Darcy, Donald and Jane were huddled together in one corner of the table. The agents on another and Bruce and Pepper with Tony. Steve had no one and Tony felt a bit guilty.
He'd been avoiding Steve for the last 2 weeks because Tony Stark wasn't one to show weakness. To any one. And Steve...Steve had definitely seen him at a weak point. Tony knew he wouldn't tell anyone, that much he was sure of. Steve wasn't the type to gossip but even so Tony felt the irrational urge to avoid all contact with him. It was what Starks did after all, cut and run.
After dinner, Tony rooted through a closet full of junk until finally he found the board games he'd played as a child. There was a deck of cards, Candyland and Monopoly. Natasha and Clint wanted to play poker so Tony dealt out the cards. Over on the other table, Darcy was losing sorely at Monopoly and trying to distract Jane. Tony, himself, was losing spectacularly.
"This is unfair! You guys are spies, you have the best poker faces in the world and no tells! I object to this unfairness," Tony declared, throwing his cards on the table and pouting. Natasha smirked at him and Clint grinned.
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of hell, Stark," Clint replied.
"Shut up, birdbrain" Tony grumbled, picking up his cards once more. It was a nice atmosphere, everyone warm and happy and safe. Tony had the overwhelming fear that he'd wake up and he'd be alone. After so many months on his own, Tony never wanted to be alone again.
NOTE: Hello lovely people! I apologize for updating so late. Now I know the group seemed to reach New York pretty quick but from Philadelphia (when Tony first crossed paths with Natasha, Clint and Steve) to NY, it isn't really that far away even if you are on foot much of the time. These four chapters easily spanned a good 2 weeks or so. Just wanted to clarify this.
I hope you guys enjoyed. Until next time.