The gauntlet was assembled. Time to get everyone together.

"Where is everyone anyway?" Rocket asked, voicing exactly what Tony was thinking.

"I'll go find them," Tony replied.

He went for a stroll around the building. It was just as well that there was so much glass around the place, because it made it easier to track everyone down.

Thor was in the garden, leaning against a tree and tossing his hammer repeatedly, letting it revolve several times before he caught it.

"Come on, Thor, let's go."

"With you in a bit."

Clint was polishing his arrows. His hand slipped and he stabbed his thigh with an arrow, but he didn't seem to notice and kept rubbing the grubby cloth up and down the metal arrow shaft.

"Uh, Clint, you're bleeding."

"Huh? Oh. Oops."

Bruce was by the lake He'd finally tired of throwing things and was skipping stones across the water, watching the ripples come and go.

"Bruce, come on in."

Bruce spun around in surprise at hearing Tony's voice, and promptly fell backwards into the water with a huge splash.

Steve and Rhodey were in the kitchen, making peanut butter sandwiches. There was now a sizable stack of sandwiches. Tony reached forward to grab one, suddenly realising how hungry he was.

"Done with the glove, let's go."

"Yep, coming."

Nebula was with Scott by the quantum tunnel. They both sat in silence, simply staring at the technology. Perhaps they were wondering if it had really happened at all.

"Come on, guys, we're ready to go." Nebula and Scott slowly got to their feet, so Tony left the room and returned to Rocket.

Rocket looked at him questioningly.

"I thought you went to fetch the others," he said pointedly, looking around at the empty room.

"They're coming," Tony said with a sigh.

Rocket raised an eyebrow. "You're not very good at fetching."

"You know, it's not really my area of expertise. Assembling the Avengers is something I generally delegate to the Cap or -"

Tony stopped. He was about to say 'or Nat'. Natasha was the glue of the team, holding it all together when everything had fallen apart. She'd kept going for five years, never giving up, not even when it cost her her life.

Rocket was right - getting everyone together wasn't Tony's forte. Steve assembled them, and Nat held them together. Well, they'd assembled. Now they had to figure out how to stick together without her.

"I miss you, Nat." Tony whispered.

Rocket, the only person within earshot, simply sighed and silently echoed the sentiment.