The morning came bright and crisp, with the sun shining through the windows onto the floor where they were all sleeping together. They'd thought about splitting up and going to different rooms, but everyone was hesitant with the day they'd had. Instead, they'd slept next to each other on the living room floor.
Tony was in the kitchen now, looking out the window onto the street. The wind had picked up again today, blowing leaves from the trees. They'd have to find warmer clothes soon.
He, Rhodey, Clint, and Natasha were set to head out on a food run in about an hour. Tony had asked to leave sooner, but the others had discovered that the plumbing was still working in this house, and were taking turns in the shower. The water tower in this town must have still been full.
Tony turned when he heard a noise from the doorway, and saw May walking in. She was looking much better than yesterday, probably thanks to last night's dinner and a good rest.
She picked up a cup and filled it with water from the sink before leaning up against the counter. "Morning," she said. "You're not gonna take a shower?"
Tony shrugged. "I'll take one later. There's no use if we're just going to be covered in walker blood again."
"True enough," May replied.
"You look better," Tony commented. "How are you feeling?"
May gave a thin smile. "Still not my best," she said. "But a lot better. Thanks."
Tony nodded.
"It's been hard," she continued with a sigh, "To be sick. I feel like a real burden."
Tony frowned, shook his head. "It's not like you can help it."
"I know. But I can't help feeling guilty about it, either. Hopefully I'll start being more useful again soon."
"I'm sure you will."
They sat in silence for a moment, May sipping her water. It only felt slightly awkward.
Tony was about to say something and leave the room to find Pepper, but he stopped when May said, "Thanks, by the way."
"For what?" he asked.
"For helping with Peter," she replied.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Uh, you're welcome?" he said. "I mean, I don't feel like I've done much."
She shrugged. "From where I'm looking, you have. Helping doesn't have to mean anything big. Sometimes support looks like a lot of smaller things."
"Okay," Tony said hesitantly. He wasn't fully comfortable with the praise.
"You're good with him," she continued. "And I think he looks up to you."
For some reason he recoiled at that. "He shouldn't," he said sharply. "I'm not that kind of man."
"It's not something you can really control," May replied, looking a bit amused. "I'd take it as a compliment."
"I'm not a good person," Tony argued. "I don't want - he shouldn't be thinking that."
May frowned then. "We all have to do bad things nowadays. That doesn't mean we're not good people."
He shook his head. "That's not what I meant."
"I think it is." She pushed off the counter and walked to the door. "And if it counts, I don't think you're a bad man. We wouldn't be here with you if you were."
With that, she walked out, not giving Tony the chance to say anything else.
Tony crossed his arms and bit his lip, looking down at the ground. He wasn't sure what to think about what May had just said. He liked the kid, sure. But he didn't want to be a role model. Peter shouldn't be looking at what he did and thinking he was doing anything right. After all, he'd done so many things wrong in his life.
He sighed and pushed the thoughts away. It wouldn't do him any good to ponder it. At least he wasn't the only role model in Peter's life. He had May - a woman who might not have been physically powerful, but was up there with Pepper as one of the strongest people he'd ever met. As long as Peter had her, he'd be okay.
With that thought, he left the kitchen as well, hoping to find Pepper before he left with the others for the run.
Natasha had a soft smile on her face as she rubbed her hair dry with a towel. She hadn't been this clean in weeks, and it felt so good. She hoped that they were able to stay at this house for a while longer - and she didn't see any reason why they couldn't at the moment. Time would tell, though, whether this place was defensible or not.
Clint stepped around the corner into the living room, his own hair damp and his arrows over his shoulder. He looked ready to leave.
"Tony's getting antsy," he said with an eyeroll. "Can you be ready to leave soon?"
She nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just let me get my stuff together."
Clint collapsed onto the couch. "Take your time, honestly. It's hilarious seeing Tony worked up."
Nat chuckled. "You're incorrigible."
"Yup," he replied happily. "Please kill me if I ever start being reasonable and boring."
"Same here. I couldn't live with the shame."
Clint was looking at his bow now, checking it for wear. "Do you know what kind of ammo you have left?"
She sighed and crossed her arms. "Not as much as I'd like. We should keep an eye out for that today. Although I doubt we'll find much in this town."
Clint quirked an eyebrow. "What, in rural New England? There were as many redneck gun toters out here as there were in Alabama. I'm sure we'll find something."
"Okay, if you say so," Nat replied with a chuckle.
"I do say so. I spent enough time travelling around here as a kid, and met a fair share of those rednecks."
She shook her head. "I'm sure you did. After all, who else goes to see the circus besides rednecks?"
Clint looked at her in mock offence. "Excuse me, the circus is a high class affair, ma'am. Don't you go bashing it."
"Then how come I've never seen it?" she countered.
Clint cocked his head. "Maybe because you're not high class."
Nat shrugged. "Touche." She gave a chuckle. "I'm gonna go get my things together. Don't get eaten by a lion while I'm gone, circus boy."
Tony found Pepper bathroom, getting ready to take a shower.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Pepper said, laughing. "What, do you just walk in on anybody?"
"Uh, yeah," Tony replied. "It's kind of my thing, if you didn't know."
"Huh. I thought you were a weirdo. It's good to have that confirmed." She raised her eyebrows. "Now, what - are you getting in with me?"
"Sounds nice," Tony said. "But we're about to leave. Food run."
Pepper nodded. "Right."
"I just wanted to say goodbye before we left. You know, in case I die or anything like that."
"I love how optimistic you are."
Tony shrugged. "Another one of my finer qualities, of which I have many."
"Yeah, okay," Pepper replied, amused. "Well, I'm about to clean off a few weeks of dirt, so if you'll excuse me…"
He chuckled. "See you later, Pep."
"Have fun," she replied, slipping off her pants.
"Without you?" Tony said. "Impossible."
Pepper rolled her eyes with a smile. "Oh, shut up you. And get out of here."
He gave her one last teasing smile before doing just as she said.
Unfortunately for them, the main streets of this town were not as empty as those of the last. No people in sight, but there were dozens of walkers roaming around once they got past the edge of the neighborhood.
They picked their way carefully, weapons held high as they ran from one alley to the next, trying to avoid main roads. Whenever a walker crossed their path, they cut it down.
Speaking of which, Clint saw a walker stepping in front of them now. At the sound of their footsteps, the walker turned. It used to be a young woman, by the looks of it, with long brown hair. Probably pretty before she'd started decomposing.
Natasha planted a boot in the creature's chest, knocking it down before shoving her knife into its skull.
It didn't help to think of walkers as people. You could mourn who they used to be, but it was important to never forget what they had become. It had been hard, in the beginning, to make that adjustment. And Clint had even killed lots of people before this evil virus had swept through the world. He hadn't made a habit of killing innocent people, though. He had known where to draw the line, damn what his superiors had told him. But now mercy was impossible - when those who used to be innocent were now going after your flesh.
They pressed their backs up against a brick wall, and Rhodey peeked his head around the corner to take a look at the next street.
He spun back, his face firm. "It's not looking good," he hissed. "I see a convenience store, but there's a whole swarm of them out on the street. I'm not sure we can get past."
"Let me have a look," Clint said.
Rhodey nodded, and they traded places.
But sure enough, when Clint took a look for himself, it didn't look achievable. There were about 30 walkers out in front of the convenience store, milling about and groaning.
He bit his lip and thought for a moment, trying to see a way around. "We could try going around the back," he suggested to the others. "Maybe wrap around the block."
Natasha shrugged. "I guess it's worth a shot."
"Sure," Tony said. "I wouldn't keep your hopes up, though."
"I never do," Clint replied, an eyebrow raised. "Now let's go."
And with that they turned and raced back down the alley, footsteps tapping on the concrete.
Pepper had her hair wrapped in a towel, and had changed into a pair of clothes she'd found in the closet. It was a little unsettling that the owner of the sweater she wore was probably dead (or at least half dead), but it was soft and cozy, and in it she felt more human than she had in quite a while.
She wasn't sure how long they'd get to camp out in this house, but she hoped they could stay for a while. It was rare that they found someplace like this - defensible, but that felt like a home. And there was running water here. That was a luxury in itself.
It would have to come down to whether or not there was food. If there wasn't, they'd have to be moving on. She hoped Tony and the others were successful in town that day.
It was almost scary how normal this situation was at this point. And that she actually felt relaxed in it.
They were staying in a stranger's house, with no resources - and at the moment, no food. And out on the streets, undead people were wandering around eating people. There was no government, no community - and the only people she could imagine trusting were the ones in their little group.
Yet she didn't blink an eye. How things had changed in just a few months.
Pepper stepped into the living room, pulling the towel off her head and draping it over a chair.
May was sitting on the couch, leaning back and reading a book.
Pepper took a seat next to her. "What are you reading?" she asked.
May looked up at her, and gave her a small smile. "Hey, Pepper." She turned the book to show off the cover. "It's The Silver Chair. I found it on the bookshelf over there. It was one of my favorites when I was a kid."
"That's a Narnia book, right?" Pepper said, leaning back into the cushions. "I don't think I ever read that one."
May nodded. "It's the fourth in the series, I think." She quirked her lips. "To be honest, I haven't read the other ones. I've only read this one."
"Oh, really?" Pepper chuckled. "Started in the middle, did you?"
May shrugged. "I never do seem to get into things the normal way," she joked. "My life with Peter started in the middle, too."
"How old was he?" Pepped asked her. "When you adopted him?"
"Oh… five? Yeah, he was five."
"I bet that was a handful," she said.
May laughed. "Yeah, it was something. Peter was a pretty good kid, though. He still is. We were lucky that way."
Pepper smiled. "I can see that. And I can see where he gets it from," she added.
"I can't really take much of the credit," May replied, waving her hand. "You'd have to thank my husband for that one."
Pepper caught her eye. "I'm… I'm sorry. That you lost him. I couldn't imagine - I mean, if I lost Tony…" she shook her head, lost for words.
May just nodded, looking down at the book in her lap. "It hasn't been easy. I guess it's lucky running for your life doesn't give you much time to grieve. If I stopped to think about it too long I think I'd go insane."
Pepper hesitated for a moment before she said, "How has Peter been? With all of it?"
May sighed. "He's stronger than me, that's for sure," she replied. "I just hope he'll be alright, after I'm gone."
Pepper frowned at that, a little alarmed. "What do you mean? You're not dying. Don't you feel better?"
"Yeah, I do. That's not what I meant."
"What are you saying, then?" she asked, leaning towards May.
"I just…" May bit her lip. "I think it's inevitable, you know? I'm - I'm not the kind of person who survives something like this."
Pepper struggled for words. "You… you can't talk like that, though. It can't be good to think that way. You can't… give up."
"I'm holding on for Peter," May said, her voice tight. "If I didn't have him, I think I'd already be gone." She swallowed. "But I know I can't keep going forever. I'm not made for this."
Pepper reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "You have us, now," she said, looking straight into May's eyes. "Okay? You can lean on us. We'll keep you both safe. Both of you."
May gave her a shaky smile. "Thank you, Pepper. Sorry I'm so depressing."
Pepper smiled back. "Well, you have pretty good reason. Just… don't think you're alone in this. Because you're not."
May nodded, and Pepper pulled back. "I'll leave you to your book," Pepper said.
"Could you," May added as Pepper stood from the couch. "Could you find Peter? He told me he was going to explore the house, but I haven't seen him for a while now."
"Sure," Pepper said. "I'll bring him back and maybe we can play a round of Monopoly. How's that?"
"That's good."
"Okay. I'll be back with him in a minute."
Pepper walked out of the room, throwing May one last glance over her shoulder as she passed through the door. May was looking down at her book again, fingering one of the pages. But somehow, Pepper didn't think she was reading.
"Shit," Clint cursed, looking over at the back door to the convenience store. There were still a few too many walkers crowding the way for it to be comfortable.
Tony was studying the scene to his left. "I think we can make it," he said, casting Clint a glance.
"What are you, stupid?" Rhodey hissed. "There's gotta be ten of them right there."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and , we can take 'em."
"Natasha, what are you thinking?" Clint asked.
She was biting her lip, her knife held fast in her hand. She looked between the walkers, Clint, and back again. "We can do it," Nat said finally. "It'll be worth it, too. We know that where there are walkers, people don't like to look. There's more chance there'll be food in there."
Clint sighed. "Alright," he agreed. "Let's do it."
"Y'all are crazy," Rhodey said with a shake of his head. "Why do I still stick around again?"
"Because you're just as crazy as we are," Tony shot back, eyebrow raised. "Now, let's go. Follow me."
Tony shot off from the alley, and Clint and the others weren't far behind. At the sound of their approaching footsteps, the walkers turned towards them, their eyes hooded and vacant.
They cut into the crowd, knives slashing, arrows whizzing and bat flying. The walkers fell to the ground around them. At one point Clint grabbed an arrow from the skull of one he'd just shot, and stabbed another with it. He saw Natasha twisting and fighting beside him, with Tony in front and Rhodey behind.
Eventually, they stood among the bodies, lungs heaving, with a clear path to the door.
Clint twisted the handle, and mercifully it was unlocked. He threw the door open, ready for something to be on the other side, but there was nothing there. Just the shadows from inside the store.
It was cool inside, and dust particles shifted through the air as they made their way inside, looking down the aisles for any lurking walkers.
Clint could see all the way down one aisle to the front of the store, where light was illuminating it through the windows. He could see the swarm of walkers out there, wandering in circles, each drawn to the sounds of the others.
But it didn't look like the place had been infiltrated. There were no open windows or doors that he could see. They'd have to keep their eyes open, but it seemed like the place was secure.
"Grab what you can," Clint said softly. "Rhodey, watch the door."
Rhodey nodded and stood facing the exit, looking around to make sure their way out stayed clear.
Clint, Natasha and Tony raced around, pushing food into the bags they'd brought. Clint found tins of soup, boxes of pasta, and even a bag of chips. Canned peaches and bagged trail mix were in the next aisle over.
If none of this stuff was spoiled, they could be set for a while. His mouth almost watered with the thought of eating some of these treats. The beans they'd had for dinner the day before were enough to tide them over, but his stomach was rumbling again.
Clint was so lost in thought that he almost dropped the bag in shock when a crashing sound filled the quiet space.
His head snapped up, and he saw with alarm that the front window had been busted in. The walkers out front must have noticed they were inside, and pressed against the window until it gave in. Now they were spilling inside.
Clint raced to the back of the store, the bag held tight in his fist. "Run, run!" he hissed to the others. They raced after him towards Rhodey and the door.
Rhodey held the door open for them, and they ran out into the open air. There were other walkers wrapping around the back now, too, drawn to the sound.
Clint's eyes darted around, searching for an exit.
"There!" Natasha said, pointing off to the right. There was an open path next to the dumpsters. Without a second thought, they ran for it, cutting down any walkers that managed to get in their way.
They burst into the next street, which was mercifully more empty of walkers, but their footsteps didn't slow. They didn't stop running until they were three more blocks down.
Finally, Clint thought they were far enough, and he held up a hand for them to slow down. They just walked now, their breaths coming fast and short, sweat trickling down their brows despite the chill wind.
Of course, that's when a pair of men walked quickly around the next corner, stopping short when they saw the group.
Clint and the others paused, and Clint drew his bow. "Don't come closer," he snapped.
They lost their food the first time around. That wouldn't be happening again, damn it. They weren't going to take any chances.
One of the men, a guy with dark brown hair, raised up a gun, but the other just raised his hands. It looked like he didn't have a firearm.
"Whoa, whoa," the man with his hands up said, his eyes wide. "Hold on. We're not looking for trouble."
"You better not be," Tony growled.
The man looked over his shoulder, and back again. He looked tense. "We have to move from here," he said. "Just let us pass. We don't want anything from you."
"What's going on?" Rhodey said, frowning and attempting to see what was behind the pair.
"What's going on," the man said stiffly, "Is that there's a whole herd of the dead headed this way. They're right behind us."
"What?"
Both men were stepping forwards now. "We need to move. And you can either move with us, or get swept up. It's your choice."
The man with the gun had yet to speak, but his aim shifted as he stepped forwards. Clint thought he was going to put the gun down, but instead was shocked to see his finger go to the trigger.
And before he could react, the sound of the weapon firing exploded through the street.
Pepper found Peter upstairs in one of the bedrooms. He was looking through the closet, picking up toys. When she walked up to him, he had a LEGO piece in his hand.
"Hey, Peter," she said.
He looked up at her. "Hi," he replied, wrapping his hand around the LEGO. "What's up?"
"Your aunt's looking for you," she said. "And I was thinking we could play a round of Monopoly while we wait. What do you think?"
Peter pushed himself to his feet. "Oh, sorry. I kind of got caught up in all this stuff. I guess I lost track of time."
"No worries," Pepper said, helping him up. "I think she's just bored, really," she joked. "She's started reading an old kids book."
Peter chuckled at that. "May loves reading. She used to say she wanted to write a book, actually, but she never had time with her job."
"What did she do for a living?" Pepper asked him.
"She was a nurse. A good one, too."
"I'm sure she was," Pepper said, leading him to the door.
Peter cast her a glance as they walked. "What did you used to do?"
Pepper chuckled to herself. "Well," she said. "Most of the time I worked as the head of a company - one that Tony started. But I also did a lot of work that wasn't technically my job. I was kind of a workaholic," she told him, smirking a little.
Peter nodded. "That sounds pretty cool, though. I wonder…" he paused before continuing, "I wonder what I would have done. If the world didn't… you know."
"What did you want to do?" Pepper asked.
Peter shrugged. "I don't really know. I just loved building things, and working with computers. So, probably something with that, I guess."
Pepper smiled at him. "Sounds like you would have fit in well at Stark Industries."
"Is that your company?"
"Yup," Pepper said. "And if the world ever figures itself out, I'm sure you could get a job there."
Peter smiled at her. "Thanks, Pepper. I don't think that's gonna happen, though."
"You never know," she reminded him.
"I guess," he replied noncommittally.
They reached the stairs and started heading down.
"Anyway," Pepper continued, pushing past the bit of awkward silence that had risen. "Monopoly awaits. Let's get that game going."
"Sounds good," Peter said happily. "I'll grab the box."
Clint spun when he heard the sound of a body dropping behind him.
But despite his expectations, he didn't see one of his friends bleeding out on the ground. Instead, a walker that had crept up on them was down, a neat hole through its forehead.
Clint's gaze snapped back towards the men, his bow down by his side.
"Jesus Christ!" Tony swore. "Warn us next time, will you?"
The guy with the gun just raised his eyebrows at them and lowered his weapon.
And that's when Clint saw it, and his eyes widened.
The guys hadn't been messing around when they said it was coming - the herd . They came around the corner, at least a dozen walkers at first, but he could see the shadows of many more behind them.
"Run," Natasha said quietly beside him. "I think we should run."
"Go!" Tony yelled. "This way!"
They were running again, this time with the pair of men following them down the street, and a swarm of walkers behind them.
But they didn't get far. Tony stuttered to a stop at the front as they turned a corner to see another group of walkers.
"Back!" said Natasha. "Quick!"
They spun around, but they only saw more walkers. More than they could take on their own. It seemed like wherever they tried to go, there was something in the way.
Clint spotted a storefront. It looked like a bar, but through the windows it at least looked clear of walkers. "In here!" he said, pushing open the door and gesturing the others inside. When the last of them were in, he slipped inside and pulled the door closed. "Pass me that chair!" he said quickly to Natasha.
Nat grabbed a chair from the nearest table and brought it over to him.
Clint took it and shoved it up underneath the doorknob in an attempt to keep the door closed to the walkers.
Tony and Rhodey were searching the back of the bar, looking for the back room. Tony called out that he'd found the door, and they all wove through the tables to get to it. Clint was the last in again, and he closed the door behind them.
Clint heard the door burst open in the front room, and rushed to look around the back room for options.
One of the men they'd met, the one without the gun, pulled open the back door and looked outside into the alleyway. Then he turned back around and said, "I see a way out. Let's go!"
Clint was about to say they should be careful when he heard the sounds of walkers scratching on the door to the back room. There was no time to be careful. Instead, he ran after the others into the open air.
The walkers hadn't found their way back there yet, apparently, probably because it was being blocked by the row of buildings in front. The way was clear.
So from there they sprinted for their lives, fleeing from the horde of walkers behind them.
It took a while, but they eventually made it back to the row of houses where they'd camped out the night before. They paused on the corner, chests heaving.
"Jesus, that was close," Tony gasped, one hand over his stomach and the other gripping hard to the strap of the bag over his shoulder.
Clint looked at the two men they'd run into, who were both fighting for breath beside them. He wasn't sure what to tell them. He was hesitant to invite them into the house - they didn't know who these people were, and it was dangerous to trust strangers. They couldn't risk losing the food they'd found.
On the other hand, though, his gut was telling him that they could be trusted. And his gut didn't often lie - he'd learned that the hard way. Plus, they were obviously well practiced at getting around walkers, and the guy with the gun was a good shot.
Still catching his breath, Clint stepped over to the two of them, looking them over. They looked back warily.
"Looks like we've gotta get out of town," Clint said to them. "You two need a ride?"
They looked between each other, but before either could say anything, Tony spoke up.
"Hold on, there," he said, walking up to Clint with his hand up. "We don't know these guys. They could be murderers or something."
"If they were," Natasha said, "I think they would have tried to shoot us down when we stopped them in the street."
"I don't know," Tony said. "This could be a huge mistake."
The man without the gun spoke up, his voice level. "I think we can help each other out here," he said. "You want to get out of town? Well, we know the way."
"What do you mean?" Clint asked.
"There's walkers blocking almost every road out," the man said. "The herd we saw is only part of a bigger group."
"Holy shit," Rhodey said under his breath.
"Yeah," the man said. "It's not pretty."
"But there is a way out?" Natasha asked.
The man nodded. "We can show you."
Tony nodded towards the other man; the one with the gun. "And what's he got to say?" he asked. "Mr. Sound of Silence?"
"You've got food and weapons," the guy responded in a low voice. "And we know the way. That sounds like a good deal to me."
Clint turned around and looked between everyone. He met each person's eyes - first Nat, then Rhodey, and finally Tony.
When each of them had nodded their agreement, Clint faced the two men again. "Alright," he said. "It's a deal. But if we see anything strange from you two, it's off."
"Right back at you," the man with dark hair said.
"Yeah," Tony said dryly. "Wonderful. I love teaming up with people you have to threaten."
"Ignore him," Rhodey said. "He gets cranky."
Tony predictably let out a sound of objection. "That's rich, coming from you."
" Anyway ," Clint said, casting a glare at Tony and Rhodey, "There's a few other people in our group. They're in that house there. But I'm thinking we should move quick. I don't like the sound of being trapped in this town."
"Alright," the man with lighter hair said, taking a breath. "Well… the name's Steve. And this here is Bucky."
Clint looked between the two men. He hoped he'd made the right choice here. But he just nodded and said to them, "Welcome to the team."
A/N: Enter Cap and Bucky, stage right!
I'm not sure how this chapter turned out, so let me know how I did! I'm so excited to get these two into the story, though. But watch out - there's troubled waters ahead!