The first person to break the silence was Brock. He crossed the room, glass crunching under heel as he moved round the fallen chandelier and towards the bar that had been set up near the back of the room. His movement seemed to break the spell that had held the room still for a solid minute. Tony's helmet slid back, while Sam made a landing and folded in his wings.

On the other side of the room, Bucky approached Wanda, who was leaning wearily against one of the pillars. "Are you okay?"

She nodded but looked away. "Just tired. That was...intense…and scary." She dropped her voice at the end, as if almost afraid of him actually hearing the confession.

"Hey." He smiled and reaching out a hand, tilted her chin up so that her eyes met his. "You did amazing." He leaned in and kissed her, the one hand gently sliding down to the base of her neck, the other hand reaching for hers, their fingers entwining, and he neither noticed nor cared which was his metal hand and which was his flesh.

Across the room, watching, both Tony's and Steve's brows lifted.

"I really wish she wouldn't do that in front of me," muttered Pietro, nearby.

"Hey," said Brock, unholy amusement written clear as day on his face. "Your sister's got a boyfriend. Get used to it."

Pietro scowled, but Clint, coming over to lean heavily against the bar, grinned. Brock had searched through the various bottles by now, and handed Clint a glass of brandy, before pouring one for himself.

Steve had dragged his gaze away from Bucky. As much as he wanted to rush over to him, now was clearly not the time to do so, not while he was kissing someone. So instead he turned his attention to Brock. "Rumlow."

Brock tipped his glass in Steve's direction. "Cap."

"What are you are doing here?" asked Sam, moving to stand beside Steve, and eyeing him suspiciously.

Clint shifted perceptively so that he was between Brock and the others, any glimmer of a smile gone, but his voice remaining easy and calm. "He's a friend. I asked him for help. He came."

"Don't hold it against him," said Brock. There was still the mocking note in his voice, but it sounded a little more forced than before.

"So, uh, I have a question," said Tony, raising a hand. "Actually strike that, I have many questions. Let's start with, when did we all enter the Twilight Zone? What just happened, why are their super powered super soldiers, why are they trying to kill us, where did you guys all come from, and," in a far more conversational tone to Clint, "hey Barton, how are you doing?"

Everything about Clint remained relaxed, except for the hand holding the glass. It tensed. "Good."

"You are not good, you're hurt," snapped Nat, coming over to him. "Sit down on that bar stool and let me look at it."

"I'm not hurt."

"Really?" Tony gestured to his side. "Because typically the blood is supposed to be on the inside."

"It's barely anything."

"I'll be the judge of that, someone get me a first aid kit."

"Nat-"

There was a woosh, and less than five seconds later another, as Pietro came back holding a kit. Nat blinked at him.

Tony did as well. "So, uh who's Speedy Gonzales here?"

Clint cleared his throat, and when he spoke, his voice sounded almost careful. "This is Pietro Maximoff. That's his sister Wanda over there." He nodded to where Wanda was standing with Bucky. The two were now talking together in low voices. But while he gestured towards her, his gaze hadn't left Pietro. Pietro meanwhile had turned to look straight at Tony, and while Tony couldn't for the life of him say what it was exactly, there was no doubt that there was something behind that look; it was hard and steady, and some sixth sense told him to wait it out. Whatever was going through this man's head, it was something to be given respect. Pietro's eyes suddenly flicked back to Clint, then once more to Tony and finally…as if it was an effort, he nodded and said, "Stark."

It wasn't the warmest greeting, but Tony couldn't shake the feeling that it had been a concession. And a big one. One that had cost.

Pietro turned and handed the first aid kit to Nat. She gave him a curious, accessing look, as if she too had caught that there was more to that moment than met the eye, but she took the kit and turned to Clint.

"I said sit."

"Nat."

"Are you going to sit or am I going to make you sit?"

He downed the brandy, and sat. "You know," he said, "Steve over there is bleeding too, you could go fuss over him."

"Steve's got enhanced healing. You don't. Stop complaining."

Over Bucky's shoulder, Wanda caught sight of what was happening. Her eyes opening wide, she hurried over, Bucky following close behind. "Clint, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Nat's just overreacting- ah!" He gave a hiss of pain as Nat applied disinfectant.

"I thought I was overreacting," she said, looking up at him with a smirk that was so distinctly Nat that it made his heart ache.

"Bucky."

Bucky looked round and met Steve's eyes. And suddenly his expression went soft. "…Hey Steve."

"I don't understand…" said Steve. "I've been looking all over for you. How are you suddenly here?"

"Seriously," said Tony, "the list of things I don't understand right now is a mile long, and there has still been zero explanation about what is going on here. Barnes, up on the roof, you said these guys were Hydra?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah. Winter Soldiers."

Sam frowned. "I thought you were the Winter Soldier."

"They made more. Five more."

"Hydra managed to develop a reliable version of the serum?" asked Nat, surprised.

"No." Bucky went very still. "Howard Stark did."

"Oh. So...that's why they sent you after him," said Tony flatly. Bucky gave the impression of withdrawing into himself, compressing himself into as small a space as possible. Tony noticed the girl Wanda slip a hand through his arm.

"You know then." Bucky met Tony's gaze. "Then you also know there's nothing I can do or say to make up for what I've done. I am sorry, but there's no apology in the world I can make that would be enough."

Steve opened his mouth to cut in and then, with what was clearly an effort, shut it again.

The entire room seemed to still, as more than one person held their breath. Tony stared at Barnes with a stare that, had he but known it, was not too dissimilar from the stare Pietro had given him a few minutes ago.

In his mind's eye he saw the video again, the crashed car, Barnes walking round to the passenger side and reaching in for his mother. And then the image was shoved away forcibly by a newer, fresher image. One of Pepper, yards away from him, a gun pointed at her, and the horrifying, desperate realization that he was about to lose her, that he couldn't get to her in time, when out of nowhere it had been Barnes who'd literally dropped from the sky and saved her.

"I know what they did to you," said Tony evenly. "And up there on the roof…you saved Pepper. That's something I can't ever repay. So you know, I'm sketchy on the math, but maybe that cancels out apologies that can't be made? I'm at least willing to find out."

Steve let out an audible sigh and shot Tony a grateful look. Nat, who'd turned back to her work, stepped back. "There. That's should hold you for now."

"Thank you," said Clint. He stood up, and suddenly wondered where on earth they were going to go from here. Get to Fury, deliver the scepter…would Nat be willing to have a moment alone with him? There were things he wanted to say, things he needed to say…

"I hate to break up all these lovely reunions," said Brock, pouring himself a second glass. "It's better than watching a soap. But it does just occur to me, you might want to do something with these soldiers before they all wake back up again. Unless you're dying for a round two."

"Right." Tony surveyed them. "We could take them back to the tower. There's a Hulk proof room even they shouldn't be able to break their way out of, until Fury can come pick them up and take them somewhere. I-"

There was the sound of footsteps over by the entrance and everyone turned.

Thor and Bruce, both dressed in their tuxedoes, had just entered the building and had stopped in shock, mouths gaping, taking in the fallen Soldiers strewn around the room, the debris of the fight, the shattered chandelier, Tony in his suit, Sam in his wings, Steve in his torn and bloodstained tux, his shield still gripped in his hand…

Bruce was the first to pull himself together. "What kind of party was this?"

Tony crossed his arms and said accusatorily: "You two are late."

"Yeah well, things got complicated on Asgard. Turns out Loki was alive and impersonating Odin. So we had to stop him, come back to Earth to find where he'd stashed the real Odin, and did you guys know we have Earth wizard now? Then we had to head back up to Asgard, there was a big family reunion with way more tears all around than you would expect, run by the top graduate of the Jane Foster dealing with crap emotional school. Loki had to go back in a cell for now, Odin had to go into Odin Sleep to recuperate, Thor had to name a regent, it was a whole thing. Frankly I'm impressed we made it to the party at all. Though what you all have done to this party is a whole other question."

"Clint Barton!" Thor boomed out suddenly, causing Bruce to jump. He crossed the room in a few quick strides. Clint just barely had time to tense, before Thor was throwing his arms around him and pulling him into a massive bearlike hug. "It is good to see you my friend."

Bruce stared. "Okay, seriously, what did we miss?"