Here We Stand (Star Wars/Marvel/Arcane Fanfic)

Chapter 47: What Have We Become?

As the rock engulfed my face, I could still hear everything. I heard a smash, meaning he destroyed the crystals. I then heard Trip shouted out. "No! No!"

I could feel his agony and pain. Finally, I felt the rocks slowly fall from all around me. I glanced over at Trip to see him covered in stone, like the people who had touched the Obelisk.

The entire place began to shake. The rocks around Trip broke, but unlike the rest of us, he was gone. I could him perish through the Force. My heart dropped as tears streamed down my cheeks. I fell to my knees as I let out a cry. The walls began to crumble down around us, but I couldn't tear my gaze from Trip. I could've done something, but instead I was trapped by the rocks. I couldn't explain but I felt different. I wasn't the same Vega...

~April 1st, 2015~

Images of Trip trapped in the rocks before it collapsed all around us. I shouted out in agony, but my own yell was muffled. The black-goo like rocks began to form all around my arms and legs before making its way towards my face.

"No!" I cried out.

I let out a gasp as I opened my eyes, sitting up on my bed. I looked around to find myself on a bed inside a spacious clear box. Not far from me inside the box, I saw Viktor sitting on a bed, his arm was hooked up to a machine, the same as me. Everything then came back to me...We were in Vault D, where Ward once was. Bakshi was also here, but he was taken to the Cage on the Playground. No doubt he'd be taken to Talbot. Skye was quarantined, just like Viktor and me. Meanwhile, Trip was dead, He had been a great friend to not just Viktor and me, but he'd been so good with the kids. They would be devastated, when they discovered what happened to him. At that moment, Coulson approached us. "How are you feeling?"

"...I don't know...But, uh, you know, I keep thinking Trip's gonna come and tease me for being here in a cage, call me a guinea pig or something of the sort..." I trailed off as my voice began to crack. More tears filled my eyes. "But I remember what happened...it follows me in my sleep. I can't forget...I can't believe he's really gone."

"Neither can I." Viktor admitted.

"He shouldn't have been down there..." I mentioned.

"You all went in for a good reason." Coulson reminded me. "To prevent Hydra from starting a cataclysm."

"That's not what he said...He and Viktor were trying to save Skye and me." I retorted.

"He may have saved us all. The Obelisk triggered a massive earthquake. Imagine how much worse it could have been if he hadn't destroyed it. He died a hero." Coulson informed us.

"...I just wish I could've done something." I confessed.

Coulson shook his head. "Don't do that. Don't hurt yourself like that, wondering what could have been. Trip died to save us, there's nothing you could have done."

"Once medical clears you, we'll get you both out of there. You'll be just stuck underground, just like the rest of us." Coulson mentioned.

"How's everyone holding up?" I questioned.

"Just trying to keep busy." Coulson commented. "Everyone deals with it in their own way. When you sign up for this kind of life, you accept that loss will be a part of it..."

"But that doesn't mean you get used to losing one of your own." I mentioned.

In the war, I couldn't never get use to my friends dying. It was unbearable and devastating. Coulson wore a grim look as he nodded. "Especially when it's a good man like Trip. It happens too much. And over time, it makes it harder to let people in. Sometimes, just makes you want to pack up and run."