Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 72 - A Hero Returned

The liquid was rippling like a river, almost jumping up and down in the glass. At first, she just narrowed her eyes in suspicion at it, but when a loud rumble reached her ears, she perked up and pushed herself up on her feet. 

As fast as her legs would allow, she rushed outside with Natasha close behind her, ready to catch her if she fell. Keira still wasn't as steady on her feet as she would've liked.

Natasha and Keira weren't the only ones that had noticed the strange rumbles as the remaining members of the Avengers joined them out on the big lawn. They all came to a halt and watched how the glowing woman gently lowered the dead spaceship to the ground. And Keira couldn't help but feel a spark of hope coming to life in her chest.

If she wasn't much mistaken, this was no other but Carol Danvers, the new asset that Natasha had mentioned. And it looked like Carol had fulfilled her promise and found Tony, which couldn't have been easy since she had the entirety of space to search through.

Pepper, who had arrived at the compound a few days after the news of Tony's disappearance, stood closest to the ship. Her back was rigid, like a statue as she prayed that her husband would stumble out of the spaceship, still alive and not dusted. She was still frozen when the ramp of the spaceship finally lowered to the ground, and instead, it was Steve that rushed forwards.

Steve wrapped his arm around the malnourished and weak Tony, taking him from the grasp of the blue woman that must be Nebula.

Keira could barely believe her eyes. Tony was as white as a sheet, his cheekbones almost piercing his skin. She couldn't find a trace of his former grandeur, none of the familiar sarcasm or confidence was there.

It was a miracle he was even breathing.

Tony was panting heavily, the short walk down the ramp had taken a lot of his energy so he gratefully leaned on Steve. "Couldn't stop him." Tony muttered under his breath. He had no hope that things had gone any differently on Earth since he had watched Peter disintegrate into thin air.

"Neither could I." Steve admitted quietly. None of his efforts had made the slightest difference against the titan. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if the team had been united, maybe they would've stood a chance?

Had they not been separated, maybe they could've won.

"Hang on." Tony whispered softly, turning to look Steve in the eye. His face was painted with sorrow as he said the next few words. "I lost the kid." It was almost as if he had expected Steve to look back at him with disappointment for having lost Peter, the kid he loved like a son, which was why he was taken aback when Steve's expression mirrored his own.

"Tony, we lost."

Tony swallowed hard, nodding faintly at the defeated expression on Steve's face. "Is, uh..?" He didn't even have the strength to finish the dreaded question, but he didn't have to before Pepper was by his side. "Oh, good."

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god." Pepper cried, hugging Tony as tightly as she dared. Burying her face against his shoulder, she sobbed quietly as the man kissed her on the cheek, reassuring her that he was okay. Along with Steve's help, Pepper guided Tony back to the compound. She had gotten the love of her life back.

Keira however, had not.

But she didn't feel any resentment. If there was one couple that would always survive the odds, it was Tony and Pepper. And she would happily grant them that happiness without hesitation.

Keira watched as Rocket, the little raccoon-like creature stepped up to the ship and settled down beside Nebula. The two of them joined hands, silently mourning their loss. Rocket had explained that he too, was part of a team. But judging from the fact that only Nebula had been on the ship, the rest of the team had faded into dust, along with fifty percent of all living creatures.