𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 | parker²

xl. aster stark: a supernova

When Tony's face appeared above her, Aster suddenly felt like she wanted to cry. "Hey, hey," he whispered. Gently, he propped her up on a pile of debris. By the time he was kneeling in front of her, she realized that he was crying.

"Why did you...?" Tony choked out, hovering his hands over her. Then, retracting them with a wince. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., check her vitals."

A beat of silence passed. "Boss, I am afraid her life functions are critical." 

The searing pain that Aster was feeling because of the stones had since faded away. Instead, her body felt completely numb. It felt like there was a heavy weight sitting on her chest and her vision was beginning to blur, not only because of the tears glossing over her eyes. She opened her mouth, but when she tried to speak, a series of weak coughs interrupted her. By the time she was done, blood lined her lips.

Tony held onto her hand, shuffling closer. "No, no, no. You don't have to talk. We're gonna get you some help. You're gonna be okay."

Just barely, Aster shook her head. She knew what was happening to her.

Death was something that Aster thought she had prepared herself for. In her seventeen years of being alive, she had encountered it many times. She had walked that thin line between life and death, but never had she gotten this close. Never had she truly felt what it meant to be dying.

Leaning forward, Tony pressed his lips to Aster's forehead. She let her eyes slip shut at the feeling. "You can't leave me, Ace," he tearfully whispered against her skin. "You're my little girl, you're not supposed to go first."

Still with her eyes closed, Aster could hear the moment Pepper joined them. Her soothing words were soft against Tony's ear, although her voice shook terribly. When Pepper's lips met Aster's cheek, Aster forced her back eyes open, watching as the strawberry blonde gently pulled Tony back.

Not once did he let go of her hand.

Steve knelt in front of Aster next, tearing his helmet off to look at her. The tears gathering in his eyes made her feel terrible. Reaching forward, he carefully pushed her stray hair back with his hand, just like he had many times when she was younger. His fingers strayed on her braid for a second before he finally whispered, "Not you too, Tiny."

Aster's bottom lip quivered. Two more figures knelt down beside Steve. Gamora had one hand over her mouth, attempting to hide her horror as her other hand reached out to touch her little sister. "...Aster?"

Nebula was by her side, with her lips drawn in a thin line. She recognized the fear on Aster's face. "We're here," she gently promised, rubbing a hand over Aster's battered suit. "He's gone."

"Ast?!"

Aster's bottom lip quivered when she heard Peter's frantic voice. Steve helped Gamora and Nebula shuffle back, making room for the teenager to get close to her.

Peter appeared above her, his chest heaving up and down with labored breaths. There were cuts all over his face and dirt layered on his skin. His hair was unusually messy and Aster wanted to reach out to fix it for him. 

When Peter collapsed to his knees in front of her, Aster watched his expression change. She watched his heart break, right then and there.

"Webs," Aster weakly breathed, just loud enough for him to hear it.

Peter broke out of his momentary stupor at the very moment he heard her voice. He shuffled closer to her, carefully taking her free hand in his. It was then that she realized her entire right arm was charred. There was an indent in each place where the stones had once clung to her skin. "I-I'm here, you're gonna be okay. We're gonna... I'm gonna, I'll—"