Tony came home to an empty compound. He threw his keys down and collapsed on the couch, drained. His side where he got shot was throbbing and he'd love to just down a handful of pills but he was too exhausted to go searching for a bottle.

He lazily picked up the remote and turned on the television- he immediately regretted it. The news showed the damage of the Barton's farm with a large headline 'Barton Family Dead'. Tony stood, his body subconsciously bringing him closer to the screen.

He almost gasped when Ross appeared on screen at a press conference. The sneaky man gave his condolences but soon his motives became clear.

"Sir! Who do you think did this?" A reporter shouted.

Ross took off his glasses in a show of innocence and grief. "I have no idea who killed this beautiful family...but I just wish they were better protected...which could have happened, if Mr. Barton had signed the Accords," Ross said.

A thousand more hands shot up. "Sir, are you blaming Clint Barton for his family's death?"

Ross pretended to look offended. "Of course not. I would never insinuate such a thing. I was pointing out how the Accords are supposed to prevent things like this. I can only hope the families of the other Rogue Avengers are safe and protected," Ross said sadly, but Tony could see the cunning in his eyes.

Far away, a group who were pinning down a grief-filled archer, froze at the words. It was most obviously a threat.

"I have to go," Sam said firmly. Steve grabbed him by the arm as he tried to walk out.

"You can't leave," Steve said, staring Sam in the eyes.

"Me too, I have to check on my daughter," Scott said, standing too.

"No! No one is leaving," Steve said sternly. "It's a trap, I just know it."

"Like hell it is! I gotta check on my family!" Sam said, forcing himself out of Steve's grip.

The supersoldier glared but was silent as Sam stormed out. Scott stood nervously, glancing between Captain America, Wanda's glowing and the door before slowly sitting down. "I'm sure Cassy's fine," he squeaked.

Steve nodded in approval.

Tony sat in the compound, going over the last few hours with a bottle of wine next to him. Just as Tony had decided to take the jet to confront Ross, Nick Fury burst through the door. "I saw the news," he said.

"It's not true," Tony said firmly.

Nick froze. "What?"

"The Barton's aren't dead. I got them out in time," Tony informed.

"So that means-"

"Ross is lying," Tony growled.

"But why?" Nick said.

"What do you mean 'why'? I don't care why. I'm going to out him like the lying bastard he is," Tony huffed.

Nick scoffed. "Well you can't do that."

Tony froze from where he was walking to the door. "Why can't I?"

"Because then Ross will know not only did you save them, but that you knew where they lived the whole time," Nick pointed out.

Tony stumbled back and collapsed on the couch. "Shit."

"Where are they?" Nick asked, sitting on the couch.

"Safe." Tony said, and Nick rolled his eyes at the lack of information. "But I went back to the farm yesterday."

Nick leaned forward in his seat.

"Hydra."

"Hydra?"

"Hydra," Tony scoffed. "Ross hired Hydra to kill the Barton family. They didn't even come to take them as hostages, they started shooting at the house as soon as they landed."

"This was a power play," Nick realized. "Ross wanted to use the Bartons' deaths to show the power of the Accords. Blame the deaths on the Rogues."

"No," Tony said, standing. "This was bigger than that." Nick stood, watching the different emotions cross over Tony's face. "He knows the Rogues will want to protect their families. This was a way of drawing them out. He wants the Rogues to come to him." Tony's last sentence died off as he ran to the elevator.

Tony dashed to Wanda's room, searching through the various drawers for a phone he had hid so long ago. He grabbed it, pulling it open, and pressing the call button without thought. "They're safe! They're safe!" He panted.

There was silence on the other line until..."Tony?"

"They're safe. Your families are safe," Tony said, body shaking. "Don't go to Ross, don't check on them, your families-"

"Wait, Tony?" He heard Steve's voice asked, confused. "Sam already left to check on his sister. Tony I think we should talk about-"

"Fuck!" Tony shouted, closing the phone.

It took a few seconds before everything came rushing back to him. The phone burned in his hand and he sent it sailing across the room. His knees collapsed as Steve's familiar voice repeated in his head, slightly huskier than he remembered it. He didn't even realize he was vomiting on the carpet until he felt Nick's hands on his shoulder holding him up. "Let it all out, you're okay," Nick said softly. It was then Tony realized tears were coming from his eyes. Angry tears. Frustrated tears. Nostalgic tears. He didn't know. Vaguely, he heard the phone ringing insistently from across the room. He threw up again.

Tony wiped his mouth and used Nick and the wall to help himself stand. "We need to find Sam before Ross gets to him."

"I think you should sit back down and take a rest," Nick said wearily, supporting the man.

"No," Tony said firmly. "If I stay any second longer in this room I think i'm going to die." He felt like ants were crawling up and down his arms, biting him, as if Wanda's magic could feel his presence and was threatening him to leave. It might have been his mind playing tricks, but he had a genuine fear of the witch and did not want to take any chances.

"Tony-" Nick sighed.

Tony shivered the exasperation in his voice reminding him of his best friend. "No." He stood up shakily and made his way to his private jet.

Nick had frowned at the empty hanger, noticing all but one of Tony's jets missing, but didn't comment on it.

Tony didn't realize Nick had followed him until he had finished putting in the coordinates and collapsed in the luxury seats.

The one-eyed man sat across from Tony on the jet and stared at him silently. "You look pale."

"Yeah, what's new," Tony snarked.

"I'm worried about you."

"Well don't be. I just want to get this shit over with and then I can go live the rest of my life in peace."

"Alone?"

"Alone." Tony curled up in the large chair, careful of his throbbing side, and closed his eyes.

Nick sighed and placed a blanket over Tony before turning on his phone to check the latest news on Ross.

Nick woke Tony when the plane landed. The genius looked even paler than when they took off. "You okay?"

"We here?" Tony asked instead, rubbing his eyes.

Nick nodded and Tony stood and walked to the front of the plane where all of his computers were. Nick followed him silently.

Tony tapped into the camera near Sarah's apartment. There had been no sign of Sam for the last few days, so he was still probably making his way over.

Tony hacked into the airport's files and although he couldn't find a ticket for anyone with Sam's name or anything close to it, he did find a gate with a private jet from Africa due to land in less than an hour. Tony shut everything down and called a car to pick the pair up. In the back of his mind he was panicking about his finances, but he figured that was a problem he could deal with later.

They made it to the airport in record time. Tony and Nick even had a few minutes to pick up an extra hoodie, hat, and sunglasses to disguise themselves. But they made sure to be waiting in position as Sam landed.

They barely waited for the man to step off the jet before they were pushing him back inside and locking the door. Nick and Tony moved just in time to dodge a gunshot. "There's more where that came from," Sam snarled at the threat.

Tony and Nick pulled off their hat and sunglasses and put their hands in the air. Sam narrowed his eyes and continued to point the gun at Tony. "We come in peace," Tony said sarcastically.

"What do you want? How did you find me? And why should I not shoot you right here?" Sam growled.

"That's a lot of questions, how about we sit down and-"

"Now, Stark!"

"Listen, I know you saw the news with Ross and the Barton family-"

"Yeah, you probably helped kill them, Stark."

"Can you let me talk?" Tony huffed. "The Bartons are not dead. I got them off the farm in time."

Sam's gun lowered slightly as he stared in confusion. "Why would you do that? And how do I know you're not lying?"

Tony sighed at the distrust. He tried to tell himself it was because he hadn't known the man as long as the others, but the distrust still stung. "For the same reason I came here to stop you from seeing your sister. Ross is after you guys and I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Suddenly the gun was up in Tony's face again and the darker man smirked mockingly. "You don't want anyone to get hurt, huh? I was at the airport, remember?"

"Then you remember that I was there to stop you guys, not hurt you. I didn't plan to hurt anyone, Sam. I brought a kid with me for god's sake! We just wanted to stop you guys before things got worse."

"Well you did a great job at that," Sam said sarcastically.

A picture of his best friend laying limp in a large crater in the Earth filled his mind. "Yeah, I know," he said, resigned.

"Listen," Nick said loudly, speaking up. "We aren't here to argue with you. The fact is, if you get off this plane, Ross will find you. As soon as you show your face on any security camera, he will find you. And if he finds you, then he finds your sister. And you don't want that. And honestly, we don't want that."

Sam was quiet as he thought over Fury's words. He turned a skeptical eye to Tony again. "How do I know you guys aren't lying and won't just sell me out?"

Tony pressed his hands hard into his eyes. "I give up. I give up. If you think i'm that fucking horrible, than there's no way to convince you otherwise. All I try to do is help but i'm always the fucking villian. Always." Tony made his way outside of the jet, leaving Sam and Fury. He had enough of the distrust. His head was pounding, his side was throbbing, and he was just done.

Sam finally had his gun down and was looking slightly guilty.

Nick just stared at him. "He really is trying to help. If you think a petty grudge is worth more than your family's safety, than that's on you." Nick walked away, leaving the jet.

His search for Tony lasted about a minute before he found the genius passed out on the tarmac, gripping his side in pain. "Tony? Tony!"

He shook the genius, but his eyes only fluttered before closing again. Nick moved the man's hands away from his side and ripped open his shirt. There was a bandage on his side but it looked old and had dots of red peppered on it. He peeled it away and stared in shock at the swollen, yellow wound covered in pus. "Fuck, Tony."

Nick pulled the genius into his arms and stumbled back to Sam's jet. Sam opened the door just as Nick came up and moved back to let the frantic man inside. "I want to apologize-" Sam started.

"There'll be time for that later, can you get me a first aid kit?" Nick said, laying Tony down onto a couch and pulling off his shirt. Sam nodded and ran off. "Tony?" Nick called as the genius' eyes fluttered open.

"Wha' 'appened?" Tony slurred.

"I don't know what happened! Why didn't you tell me you were injured? This looks like a bullet wound, Tony." Nick said frustratedly, inspecting the area.

Tony winced as Nick pressed around the sides. "Gettin' the Bartons," he said vaguely.

"Fuck Tony. You let it get infected. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I got it," Tony hummed, his eyes falling closed again.

"You don't got it," Nick huffed to himself.

Sam returned with the first aid kit and Nick immediately dived into it. Sam watched silently before he finally spoke up. "You won't tell anyone where...you know...where I cam from right?"

"Tony has known you guys were in Wakanda since the day you guys set the quinjet's coordinates there," Nick said, not looking up from where he was trying to clean Tony's wound.

"He knew the whole time?" Sam said in shock.

"Yep."

Sam had a lot to think about.