Chapter 24

Things Aren't That Simple

"Leave it to Bruce to run off right away," Tony grumbled.

"He was worried about Clint and Natasha, he doesn't want to lose anyone like how he lost Rick," Steven replied.

"Doesn't seem that concerned about losing us though."

"This is different Tony. You know the three of them were close."

"I always thought they were sleeping together to be honest," Tony answered with that sly smirk on his face.

"I wouldn't have been surprised all things considered," Steve shrugged as they continued down the hallway. "I know you and Bruce were best friends and all but he loves those two like family."

"Heh. usually Bruce hates his family," Tony grumbled. "I just don't like it. This place was built to split us apart. They wanted Bruce alone, away from us."

"What makes you say that?" Steve questioned.

"They took both Clint and Natasha at the same time and made sure to take them first. They haven't tried to split us up," Tony pointed out. "This guy wants to break us apart again, just like what happened last time."

"It won't work," Steve seemed confident as he spoke.

"Yes it will. Look around Steve, no one is stable. If we don't break apart from this then we'll just fall apart after and the world will keep on spinning."

Steve realized what Tony was talking about then, "You… You don't think the team will ever reform?"

"We can't," Tony shook his head, "When this ends, Bruce will run. Clint and Natasha will leave. We'll all just go our separate ways. We won't just suddenly fix everything because we beat some alien who was trying to take over the world or whatever this guy wanted."

"And what if we don't?" Steve questioned, "What if you're wrong and the team is back?"

"Ha, funny," Tony shook his head, "It won't happen Steve. That's not how things work."

"Tony, look at why we're back together," Steve stopped to grab Tony's shoulders forcing the shorter man to look at him. "We all came back together because we were all in trouble. Bruce could have said no to Natasha, but he didn't. They could have all went their own ways after getting Clint, instead they came for the two of us. After getting us out we all could have run in different directions, we ran together."

"Then we watched as Bruce lost one of his best friends. He'll run again and this time he really will be alone," Tony looked at his feet. It was a simple fact, Bruce tended to run but Rick had been the one person who wouldn't leave him. Tony wanted to be that at times, eh wanted Bruce to trust him as he trusted Rick but it didn't seem to fully work.

"No, because we're not going to let him run," Steve smiled. It was that one annoying Captain America smile that was just so hopeful and innocent. "He can walk away but he's not going to run away from us not this time. This time we make the offer."

"Offer?" Tony's eyebrow raised at that.

"We'll offer to let him stay with one of us," Steve shrugged, "whoever he's comfortable around. No more need to run and none of us will force him to do something. If he doesn't want to stay with Clint and Natasha then you offer him somewhere to stay, promise him a place where he can block anyone he wants out but doesn't have to feel like he needs to hide."

"He'll never go for it," Tony shook his head, he knew Bruce.

"He wouldn't back then, we all knew that. However Ross is back after him and who can keep Ross off his trial better than us? Bruce knows it's safer for him and everyone else if he stays nearby or at least in contact with one of us."

"He'll still think it's safer to run," Tony shrugged, "I offered him a place to stay before, I offered him anything he wanted because he was my best friend but he still ran."

"But after all of this? He'll need something stable to hold onto. He won't have Rick anymore and he'll know how dangerous it is to have nothing. He cares about Clint and Natasha and you've seen how shaken the three of them are after all of this. Bruce doesn't want to lose them, that's why he went after them again. He won't give up on all of us again, he'll stay if we make the offer," Steve shrugged lightly.

"Your confidence about the situation bothers me," Tony smirked slightly.

"I am Captain America," Steve grinned and looked down the hallway. "You ready to find the others?"

"Yeah I suppose." Tony wasn't convinced that Bruce wouldn't just run away again and that all of this would fall apart but there was that shred of hope that it could work.

"Let's do this," Steve continued down the hallway trying to find some clue at where the others would be when there was a powerful roar that filled the entire building.

"I do believe we just found out where they are," Steve start running down the hallway with Tony right behind him. He stopped at a door, shield up. He was ready for a fight as he cautiously opened the door.

Then there was Clint's voice, "Can we agree never to speak of this again?"

"Speak of what again?" Steve raised a eyebrow.