Author's Note: I cried THE ENTIRE TIME I wrote this.

The Avengers Whump & Bromance Anthology

We're the Avengers

Whumptober 2020

PenPatronus

It happened in slow motion, as such things do.

Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was luck that they all got to the same place on the battlefield at the same time. Or maybe it was because they were all keeping track of Thanos and of each other, hard as that was with the entire universe fighting around them. It was habit, really. How many battles had they been in? They knew where the others were at all times. They recognized the hitches of breaths over the coms that meant that other man needed backup. They recognized when punches got a bit slower or arrows shot slightly askew or lightning went a bit sideways. They recognized when a shield was thrown with less gusto or a roar was less enthusiastic. And they knew the sound Tony made when he was in pain.

Tony was in pain.

The Infinity stones synched up with the Iron Man gauntlet, and the greatest power in the entire universe shot through the suit. For half a second – less than one – the suit absorbed and dissipated some of the energy. It pushed it through Tony's knees and into the ground where it branched like tree roots. But then the remaining energy ricocheted, and erupted in Tony's body. It enveloped the gauntlet and transformed every cell in his body into fire.

Someone grabbed Tony's empty left hand. Tony saw Steve in his peripheral. Their fingers interlaced, and purple and blue energy skittered across their connection and into Steve's body. Together, wordless, the two friends stood up to face Thanos together.

Movement on the right. Thor landed beside Tony and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. Red and yellow energy flowed into his body. Thor faltered for a moment, like he might kneel, but he called on all his strength and remained up.

Rumbling. Bruce dropped into the scene right beside Thor. Without hesitation, he took the god's hand. He roared when the energy again went into his injured right arm.

Clint had never run so fast in his life. He dropped his sword, dropped his bow, dropped his arrows, just so he could get to his teammates a quarter of a second faster. He made it, taking Steve's hand and standing beside him. The blast of energy nearly knocked Clint backward, but Steve held him aloft.

Together, as one team, the five Avengers faced the Titan.

And Clint could swear he felt Natasha's hand in his…

"I am inevitable," Thanos said.

Tony summoned that precious Stark smirk. He raised his hand. He flexed his numb fingers. "And we're," he said, "the… AVENGERS."

SNAP.

Within a minute, Thanos and all his ships and minions and philosophies across the entire universe, turned to ash and disappeared. Everyone left standing on the battlefield turned to look at the Avengers.

The explosion of power had blasted the Avengers out of one another's grips. Steve lost consciousness for a minute, then woke up on his stomach, gasping, having the wind knocked out of him. His right hand felt like it was on fire, and he pushed it into the dirt as if flames needed put out. He tasted blood in his mouth, and spat out a clump of it. The right side of his body felt like one giant bruise. Clint lay on his left. "Barton!" Steve coughed. "Clint!"

Clint's eyes were closed, but he waved his fingers in Cap's direction. "'m ok," Clint mumbled. "'s Tony?"

"Come on." Steve crawled over and the pair helped each other stand up. Clint nearly toppled over. Blessed, he was not, with super soldier serum, he had to be held up by Steve's strength. Bleeding wounds crisscrossed his skin like Lichtenberg figures.

Thor and Banner were on their feet. Bruce's left arm wasn't nearly as damaged as his right, but it was smoking in places. Thor was limping. Both his eyes and his nose were bleeding.

The four Avengers made their way back to the middle, back to Tony.

He'd always been the center.

Stark was standing. He took two steps to his right, three steps to his left, and then collapsed to the ground with his back up against a pile of debris. Thor knelt beside him and yanked the gauntlet, and the Infinity Stones, off Tony's arm. Tony's right hand looked like raw meat. They saw bone.

Steve helped Clint sit down against the same pile of debris. Wanda ran over. "Oh my god," she squealed, "are you ok?" She fell into Clint's arms and the pair hugged. "Clint, where is she? Where's Nat?"

Steve's attention was on Tony. He took off his cowl and used it to put out the small remaining fires in the Iron Man suit. Then he started ripping up parts of his dirty uniform and pressing them against the bleeders on Tony's neck and collarbone. The right side of Stark's face and head was sliced and seared. His ear was gone. But his eyes were open and alert and following Steve's hands as they worked. His breathing was quick, but consistent. Steve put his fingers against the pulse point in Tony's neck and found his heart beating strong.

Tony didn't say anything. He just watched Cap work. Tears built up in Steve's eyes and they wiped away the dirt on his face when they fell. "You did it," he whispered. "You saved the universe."

Tony coughed and cleared his throat. He tried to speak, but only managed a whisper. "We did it. If you guys hadn't… I'd be dead by now."

"That was the most incredible…" Steve shook his head. "You're incredible."

Rhodey landed. The spider kid dropped in. Steve had to hold him back from hugging Tony so that he wouldn't hurt him. Pepper took Steve's spot. She smiled at her husband, then gently kissed his cheek, followed by his chapped lips. "My hero," she told him, eyes watering.

Firetrucks and ambulances wailed in the distance.

More people crowded in. Everyone wanted to see the five men who saved the universe. Bucky and Sam ran over and hugged Steve so hard they lifted him off the ground. T'Challa shook each of their hands. Drax, Scott, Quill, Dr. Strange, Rocket – they all poured in.

Nobody knew who started the clapping, but clap they did. Everyone on the battlefield either clapped or bowed or saluted the Avengers – the men who saved the universe.


Thanks to Steve, Thor, Clint, and Bruce, Tony got another three weeks of life.

His organs got fried. The ones that could be replaced, were, but there was just too much damage to his brain, heart, and lungs. He returned to his bed in their cabin on the lake, knowing he'd never leave there. It was only a matter of time. And during that time, Rhodey, Happy, Steve, Peter, Clint, Thor, and Bruce all but moved in with Pepper and Morgan. They all wanted to be there, to take shifts to be with Tony, to provide any comfort they could, to divide their grief between friends just like the energy of the Stones.

And one morning, around 2am, Tony's breathing changed. Steve was keeping vigil beside his bed. Tony turned his head and looked at him. "Hey, Cap."

"Hey." Steve put his book down and stood. He gave Tony a long look, then knelt, and took his friend's hand. He turned both of his lips inward and bit down on them. "Hey, you."

"I think… I think…" Tony was struggling with breathing, but there was no fear in his eyes.

Steve's nostrils flared. He squeezed Tony's pale, cold hand. "Should I get Pepper?"

"Yeah." He looked so brave. "Yeah, I think so."

"All right." Steve couldn't help it – the tears rose and overflowed in barely two seconds. His heart ached with a grief he'd never known. He nodded his head at Tony, put on the bravest smile he could, and whispered, "I'll see you soon."

Tony called Steve's name right before he went through the door. Cap sniffed and turned around and looked at his friend for the last time. With what very, very little strength he had left, Tony raised his hand, and saluted.

After he retrieved Pepper from Morgan's room, and watched her close the door to their bedroom, Steve walked slowly downstairs. Half of the boys were passed out in their sleeping bags, but Bruce and Clint were teaching Thor how to play poker at the dining room table. All three put their cards down and stared at Steve. Cap collapsed on the bottom step, put his arms on his knees, and wept. It was Thor who approached him, who put his hand on Steve's shoulder, who squeezed Steve back when he stood and went in for an embrace. Steve waved the other two in, and the four remaining Avengers hugged.

The End