"So, you hooked up this 'Arc Reactor' to my ship?" Rocket was intrigued, the Arc Reactor was a source of power he had never seen before. Something he had yet to get his claws on. It was just about mid-day, Tony had a bowl of cereal in front of him, a simple black t-shirt on and dark blue jeans. It was good to be home, the empty of space not taunting him every hour, finally able to see day and night. But it wasn't the home he remembered, so much was missing.

"Couple of years ago if someone had told me I would be sitting here, eating cereal while talking to a raccoon about advanced mechanics." Tony scooped up some cereal onto his silver spoon. "I don't think I would have believed them." He finished, placing the spoon in his mouth. For weeks Tony ate in rations, trying to make the food and water supplies on the ship last. He had noted his loss of weight, his muscles having slightly sunken in. He was alive and for now he was grateful.

"How did you make it compatible?" Rocket continued to question, wanting answers.

"A lot of rewiring and tricking the systems." Tony continued to consume the food in front of him.

"That must have taken you..."

"Weeks." Tony interrupted. He remembered the weeks where long, each day blurring into the next. The night of space never ending, an endless unforgiving void. The sweet sound of the engine roaring into life, the thrusters bursting with energy was the best thing Tony had ever heard.

"Drax, Quill… did they?" Rocket for once struggled to say something, the fate of his friends something deep down he knew, the obvious answer he knew Tony was going to give.

"Like everyone else." Tony returned the spoon to the smooth white bowl. Rocket nodded in acknowledgement, his desire for revenge just growing. Tony pushed his bowl away a few inches, no longer having an appetite.

"Tony, Rocket." Steve entered the room, standing shoulders back with confidence as usual. His light blue shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbow. "We need you." Steve approached Tony, offering his hand, you couldn't miss Tony's eyes roll. Reluctantly he took his hand and was helped out of his chair but refused any more assistance. Steve just stayed close, keeping a close eye on his friend. Rocket trailed behind following them out the room without a word.

All eyes were on Tony and Rocket, everyone standing around a small table, all but Tony who sat in a black leather desk chair and Rocket who stood on the corner of the table itself.

"You've got to be kidding." Tony leaned back in his chair, locking eyes with Steve. Natasha folded her arms, Thor still remained silent and at a distance.

"Tony, we can't just sit around, not when there's a chance." Steve then said, noticing Bruce watching Tony closely.

"What makes you think things are going to go differently this time?" Tony was aggressive in tone. "What makes you think that we can fix anything?" Tony leaned forward, as if wanting to stand but quickly rested his elbow on the arm of the chair to balance himself.

"I know where he might be." Nebula then admitted, Thor's interest was suddenly caught something sparking in his eyes. The tension between Steve and Tony settling.

"Where?" Everyone turned around to see a shoulder length blond haired woman, a woman some recognised. Carol Danvers seemed determined as ever, her suit complimenting her muscular form, the red, dark blue and gold standing out in the mostly white and grey room.

"Who the hell is this?" Tony's anger had not yet subsided.

"Tony meet Carol Danvers." Natasha introduced the two, but there was no shake of the hand, no smile presented to each other. "Last thing Fury did was contact her." She added, still not unfolding her arms, the roots of her blonde hair growing red. Tony unexpectedly chuckled, letting his hand brush against his forehead for a few seconds.

"Well your late, it's over." Tony smiled at her, Carol's face remained still the only emotion in her eyes.

"It's not over." Rocket taped his little fingers on a panel on the side of the table, bringing a 3D projection of earth in the middle of the table. "Every time the stones have been used, there has been an energy signature." Rocket began, everyone listening closely. "Using the large cosmic scale energy signature that happened on earth when Thanos… When Thanos won." It was still hard to admit it, the projection from the earth showing the wave of energy erupt from the planet. "We can use the energy signature to track the stones." Looks were exchanged around, hope seemingly spreading.

"Tony I'm going to ask you again." Steve spoke up. "Will you help Rocket repair the Milano?" Finally, Tony pulled himself up out of his chair, balancing himself with both hands on the table.

"I'll do it. Not because I believe in you, not because I believe that we will win." Tony adjusted his hands on the table, looking down at them before looking back up. Bruce had edged closer, worried for his friend. "But because I have nothing left." Tony told him, told all who were listening. He turned his attention to the panel on the table, his fingers got to work tapping away, his eyes fully focused. The image of the earth vanished, replaced with a world that was not familiar.

"That's it." Nebula couldn't believe it, a planet Thanos had spoken off in odd comments was where he now hid. Carol turned on the spot, ready to leave. Rhodey clasped her arm making her turn back round, his metal legs keeping him firmly in place.

"Where are you going?" He asked, still not letting go.

"To kill Thanos." She was blunt, and quick with her reply.

"We fix the ship and we go together, you need us, and we need you." Steve gave the order, Rhodey letting go to see if she would run. To everyone's surprise she did not move.

"You've got a day, and then I'm gone." Steve nodded, accepting her terms. Not really having a choice.

"Fantastic." Tony sighed slowly sitting himself back down.

"No, no, no, what are you doing?" Rocket questioned angrily, Tony was sat on the floor of the ship, ripping up metal panels to get to the wiring underneath.

"The Arc Reactor won't last another jump, it will burn out." As he spoke he retrieved the Arc Reactor, pulling it free of wires. "I'm assuming you're going to get this ship running without it." Rocket marched over snatching the reactor from Tony.

"How does a Terran manage to create something like this?" Rocket spoke as if he was questioning himself, not the creator of the device that sat beside him. Tony reached over and snatched it back.

"Well I'm full of surprises."

"You can say that again." Steve entered the ship, he smiled at Tony still not believing his friend was in front of him. Tony pocketed the arc reactor and went to get onto his feet, Steve took his arm with no prompt. He still held Tony's arm once he was standing keeping the genius balanced.

"How's the progress?" Steve looked around, the ships innards having been pulled out, wires all over. Rocket was busy twisting wires together a few feet away, Steve however was sure he was listening, his little brown ear twitching when they spoke.

"Good." Tony was short and sweet, it was clear that he had something else on his mind, something he needed to talk about. Without protest from Tony, Steve still held his arm. There were a few moments of silence Tony not looking the captain in the eye.

"Tony?" Steve prompted, seeing on his lips he needed to speak.

"I lost the kid Cap, I lost the kid." Tony was tearing up, still not able to look up. Steve took a deep breath.

"We can bring him back, we can bring them all back." He was confident with each word.

"Strange said there was only one future, one way to defeat Thanos." Something clicked in Steve's mind, thoughts working together.

"Then Strange had a reason for giving up the time stone." Hope swelled within. Tony finally snatched his arm away, catching the captain off guard. Tony continued not to meet his gaze.

"The only reason I'm doing this, is because I have nothing left." Tony repeated what he had told Steve before, which he still stands by. "We're out of second chances Steve." Tony turned his back on Steve, ready to return to his work.

"Then why help?" The question stopped Tony in his tracts, he turned and inevitably made eye contact.

"Because you're my friend." No sarcasm, no joke laced in his tone. Tony then left Steve standing alone, having headed deeper into the ship. The captain reflected on the words, hearing them again in his head.

As Steve left the ship Natasha stood waiting for him, night had now taken the area, the white moon replacing the suns place in the sky. It was cold, the night unforgiving. She stood before him, her attire black, leather jacket zipped up to fight the Icy breeze.

"I'm going to find Barton." Natasha wasn't asking for Steve's permission, she was going with or without his blessing. In the past she would have left without a trace, not a soul would have seen her leave, heard her breath. However, things had changed, she had changed. People cared for her and she genuinely cared for the people around her. Steve looked towards the wind, thinking a moment before turning back.

"Tony and Rocket have till tomorrow afternoon, if the ship is not ready Danvers will leave without us." Steve approached Natasha, the wind pushing her short hair against one side of her face. "Find Barton be back on time." The conversation was over as quickly as it began, Steve passing Natasha walking back towards the building. Natasha put her hands in her pockets, studying the space ship right in front of her, she had been through a lot, been trained and conditioned for so much. But nothing, nothing she had learnt in her past had prepared her for the world she was going to be thrown into and discovery of how big the universe really was. With determination she passed the ship not looking back, now ready to complete the mission she had set herself, that Steve had encouraged her to go on.

Rocket followed Tony into the engine room, he hadn't been their long but Tony in the matter of minutes already had it in parts, placed around him like pieces to a puzzle. A very difficult puzzle.

"You said the engine has electric cells yes?" Tony asked, digging his hand down into the engine's carcass. Black oil was brushed along his hand and arm, his fingers almost jet black.

"Yep." Rocket watched the human at work. "I once thought all Terran's whereas brain dead as Quill." He then confessed, Tony looked at the raccoon but didn't stop working. Problem solving and keeping his hands busy stopped his mind from wondering, stopped his mind finding unwanted thoughts.

"It's always a pleasure to prove someone wrong." Tony voice was partly strained as he tugged at something deep in the engine. With a pained grunt he pulled what he wanted free. In his hand his hand he held a burnt and charred piece of metal, he studied it for a second, twisting it in his fingers. He then tossed it at Rocket, forcing him to catch it in his small paws.

"Would that be one of your electric cells?" Tony knew he was right, he always knew when he was right. Rocket smirked before tossing it back at the other genius in the room, knowing that Tony didn't need him to answer.

"You got replacements?" Tony then asked, plunging his hand back into the large engine, working blind letting his mind figure out what he was feeling, what parts he was searching for.

"Quill buys cheap no wonder the bloody thing burnt out, there should be a spare lying around." The Raccoon moaned, however with each mention of Quill his heart grew heavy, he missed the idiot more than he thought he ever would.

"Hope you've got a few." One by one Tony pulled out scorched electric cells, hardly resembling what they use to be, now only blackened melted metal.

"For fuck sake." Rocket grumbled under his breath, not missing Quill that much at that particular moment in time.

Authors Notes

Another chapter for you, I'm really enjoying writing this story and I hope you are enjoying reading it. As always would to love to know what you think. See you soon.