The Prince and the Sol

Chapter 6

ELIZA'S POV

Once we get inside, I'm greeted by Thor, who only gives me a brief hug and goes to sit back down in a corner. Strange. A now-blonde Nat gives me a sisterly kiss on the forehead. Bruce hooks me up with an IV line and gives me some medicine, which I allow him to do. The only thing I demand is to stay on Loki's lap, in his strong arms. After all this time, I can't get close enough to him. When was the last time he held me like this? Almost a month, I think. In the Sanctum, after I almost died. His bits of healing have perked me up a little and a small amount of my own magic has returned, but Steve already made me promise not to heal Tony until I'm back to normal. Loki strokes my tangled hair as the others start to speak.

"It's been twenty-three days since Thanos came to Earth," Rhodey says, setting a plate of crackers and a cup of tea in front of me. I give him a weak but grateful smile. My trembling fingers clutch the mug like a lifeline as I let the warm liquid run through my chilled veins.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did, he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out... fifty percent of all living creatures." Nat's voice cracks a bit, and Bruce puts a hand on her shoulder before moving away. He knows she doesn't want to appear weak in front of everyone else. Holographic photos flash above us. Some I already knew were lost. I swallow back a sob as Stephen and Peter appear on-screen. Then there are new faces, Wanda, Bucky, Scott, and T'Challa affecting me the most. It's okay, Loki's voice whispers in my mind.

"Where is he now?" Tony asks, tearing his eyes away from Peter's image. He gestures to Steve, who is leaning against a table. "Where?"

"We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through," Steve replies, pacing. Tony turns his wheelchair around.

"What's wrong with him?" Tony asks, nodding to the brooding Thor.

"Oh, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that's going around, ain't there?" The raccoon cackles a bit. I squint at him, kind of confused. Later, love, Loki says. I give him a slight nod.

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were Build-A-Bear."

"Maybe I am," it-he? jokes.

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, Eliza, you fought him," Steve says, pushing the conversation forward. I raise my head, not exactly sure I want to talk about this right now. Loki gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Who told you that?" Tony asks. "I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the stone and Eliza was tortured. That's what happened. There was no fight!"

"Okay," Steve says, trying to keep Tony calm. Which probably won't happen.

"He's unbeatable," Tony states bluntly.

"I don't know about that," I start.

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?" Steve looks back and forth between the two of us, desperate. The last few weeks have not been easy on him, either. I send a bit of reassurance his way, which he doesn't like at all. "Eliza, stop using your magic on me. Save your energy for yourself."

"I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming."

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus-"

"And I needed you. As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late, buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?" He scatters items on the table all over the floor. "I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling all you-"

"Tony, Tony. Tony!" Rhodey says, stopping him from going for Steve.

"Alive and otherwise what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not, that's what we needed!" His voice rises with anger and volume. My eyes widen. The Accords killed the Avengers. Friend against friend, they ripped our misfit family apart. I shudder just thinking about my time at the Raft.

"Well, that didn't work out," Steve replies, his patience starting to run thin.

"I said we'd lose. You said, 'We'll do that together too.' And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers, we're the Avengers. Not the Prevengers."

"Okay," Rhodey says, trying to mollify his friend.

"Right?"

"You made your point, Tony," I whisper. "Please sit down."

"Okay..."

"Okay?" Rhodey asks, unsure.

"No. No, here's my point. You know what?"

"Tony, you're sick," Steve pleads.

"She's great, by the way," Tony says, jabbing his finger at the woman who saved us. Carol, I think her name was. She raises her eyebrows.

"Sit down. Sit."

"We need you. You're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules! I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust...liar." He spits the last part right in Steve's face, poor Steve who is clearly trying to not look affected by his old best friend's hateful words. Tony rips the Arc Reactor off of his chest, to the protests of everyone in the room. "Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide."

He falls to the ground and the team crowds around him. "Tony!" I cry, jumping off of Loki's lap and running over to him. I make it a few steps before crumpling on the floor, too weak to do much. Loki immediately rushes to my side, a scared look on his face. "M'fine," I mutter, angry that I can't seem to do anything for myself.

"I'm fine," Tony insists, just like I do. Then he passes out.

At this moment, everyone else seems to realize that Tony isn't the only one on the floor. Nat bends down and helps me up. "Are you okay?"

"No, she's not," Loki says, cutting across the excuses I am about to give. I glare at him, and he smirks in return before turning to Bruce. He's lucky I love him. "She's sick and weak. She needs help, and then rest."

"You're right. Here, someone grab Tony and you can take her," Bruce says, pushing up his glasses. Loki attempts to pick me up but I push myself away from him, staggering back as I do so.

"Stop treating me like I'm a piece of glass!" I say indignantly. I hold back a fit of coughs I feel coming on and try to keep myself steady.

"Take care of yourself and we will," Steve says evenly, his blue eyes meeting mine. "It isn't weak to accept help, you know."

"Steve-"

"He's right," Nat says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You just came back from being abandoned in space. You're sick, hungry, and tired. You need us."

"You always heal us. Let us heal you," Loki says quietly, taking my hand.

"I know, it's just that-" My eyes start to water as I fall into another coughing fit. Each one scratches my throat. Of course, this causes everyone to freak out, the one thing I didn't want to happen. I sink to the ground, gripping the arm of a chair to try to stay standing.

"Eliza!"

"Eliza, are you okay?"

"Love!"

"We're dropping like flies," I wisecrack, trying to get the others to smile. Steve and Loki help me back on my feet. I lean on Loki.

"How about we get you some medicine and some rest?"

I sigh. "That sounds good."

I remember being so emotional during this scene in theaters. What did you think with the addition of Eliza? How do you think the story will unfold from here? Anyone have a favorite character or moment in the series? Leave your thoughts, I love hearing from you!