A/N: So because I'm super stuck on the very large chapter I'm working on for my other chapter fic, I needed to work out some frustration here. So enjoy another one-shot!

I decided to try a different writing style I've seen some writers on here try, so please review or PM so I can get some feedback if you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. *tears of frustration*

2: Not Everything is Recoverable

Have you ever run so fast that you can't stop? When you get to where you're going, it's difficult to comprehend what you see, your heart is in fits, and breathing forced by a consciousness not yours. You are locked in a perpetual state of fear upon seeing what lies on the ground at your suddenly stopped feet.

Seconds before, none could stop you, and now you cannot even kneel beside the body of someone you call a friend, in their pooling blood, to give comfort.

You share looks, like "Is this happening, is this even possible?"

What have you done?

You ignored their calls, is what you've done. You know this; you were thinking you had time to get to them. You had a few more minutes to drown out their calls for help with punches and bullets to deal with the enemy threatening the city, to save a few more lives- knowing your teammate could hold their own for a moment longer as they'd always been able to.

You don't think it was a grave mistake to believe they could survive this- here they lie, face bruised and ripped, their entire being begging with spasms for help and eyes locked to yours, not being able to look away from the blinding hope you bring.

Crouching down you mutter meaningless things to stall their bloodied, gargled words and into your earpiece you're screaming for someone, anyone. This is not how they will die- this is not how you'll watch them go.

Your fingers lace with theirs, the only time you'd ever hold their hand. They are so proud but in that moment you both have shed pride and those stupid little things that get in peoples way of being people. For now neither of you are Avengers.

The dust around you never settles, rubble constantly falling as the enemy sends in another wave of those things, nameless, faceless monstrosities from another planet, and you have to control yourself from screaming at them to just leave.

You drag your teammate around a jagged piece of fallen concrete, staying their blood from falling with your hand and a ripped piece of their black SHIELD issued suit. Colours blend and waste away, leaving their skin pale against your hands.

"Don't move." You say, hoping that they can understand. The presence of drooping eyelids and small wheezing breaths cluing you in that they may not be able to.

"SHIELD can you hear me!?"

There is only static… and sirens, far off a few blocks from your position.

Your limbs feel so heavy, arms weighed down and shoulders slumped, gazing at them.

Lifeless eyes gaze back, falling short of seeing your face, seeing something in the dusty air between. Unfocused, and for them that is the scariest thought. They are always focused.

Flecks of ash skitter across the ground, the street is dirty, and an unworthy place for them to die. One of your teammates would recall a glorious battle.

Another would say he never remembered; it remained black in his memories.

One of them would mention how he had run out of arrows halfway through and resorted to seldom used guns.

The leader would only remember worrying for his team, guiding them to safety or towards other targets.

You would remember sitting in the street and watching your friend die, hands still soaked in his blood and eyes never ending their desperate search for where the hell his suit had fallen when he'd been ripped out of it.

You know what he would've said afterwards, the man leaving your hands red, something about shawarma and relief efforts for the victims caught in the middle of the streets turned battlefield.

You want to hear him say it, so you keep your hands pressed against his abdomen and head bobbing to keep his eyes on your expressionless face, words pelting through the din for anyone who would listen that you needed help.

You find yourself screaming.

Tony Stark was down and he wasn't getting back up.

A/N: At first I was going to leave this anonymous to whom the two on the team were, but then I decided not to.

Hope you enjoyed! I promise the next one will be kinda happy.

For those reading my multi-chapter, I AM SO SORRY. I promised two chapter updates but life got in the way. Tomorrow you'll have an extra-long chapter though!