Pull | Infinity War

Chapter 26: "I don't see another option."

She was beautiful, even unconscious and near death. Her hair, unbound from its ties, fluttered up around her face. Her arms, limp along with the rest of her limbs, pointed up, opposite of the direction she was falling. 

Stephen held his breath as the cloak caught her from below, instantly slowing her descent. He was still breathing unevenly, but at least Iris wasn't going to fall. 

He gathered what strength he still had and created a portal, leading to the planet's surface where Tony, Peter, and the Guardians stood in a circle, all looking up. Stephen assumed they were watching Iris, why hadn't they jumped to rescue her as he had? What if the cloak hadn't caught her? Then what? 

The portal entrance wavered, and Stephen cast the thoughts out of his head. 

He stepped through and onto the ground, where, ten feet away, Iris lay, cloak still wrapped around her unconscious form. 

Then a whisper of Stark's words reached his ear, "-an't believe it worked. God, I hope she's still breathing doc will have my head." He walked forward, along with Peter, and Stephen roared in fury. 

This was Tony's idea, all of it. After all his talk about protecting his friends, this happened. The injustice of it all fuelled Stephen with the strength he needed to conjure a sword. Iris could be, and probably was, dead, and Tony was still acting like a selfish bastard. 

As he rushed forward, Peter yelped and dove to the side. Tony did too or at least tried to. Stephen's sword caught the armor of his arm, and Stark yelled. "Doc, what the hell are you doing?" 

In response, Strange spun and struck again. This time, Tony had his own sword to block the stroke. He looked confused before his mask slid back into place. "Pete, what we talked about-" 

"On it Mister Stark." Stephen didn't have the time, or cared frankly, what Peter was doing. Rage continued to pump adrenaline through his veins as he lashed out at Stark. 

The Guardians stood off to the side, watching the spectacle go down, not sure of what to do. 

A shield in his other hand, Stephen blocked Tony's defending blow and snarled. "Better question Stark: What did you do?" 

"What did I do? I saved our asses!" Stephen scoffed and threw a strike again. 

"You've killed her!" 

"She's not dead! At least I don't think-" Stephen didn't let him finish, instead yelled and struck again. Peter called out to both of them, Stephen almost didn't hear him, but he did the second time. 

"Mister Stark, she's breathing." Strange instantly stopped trying to murder Stark on the spot and rushed past Peter to Iris' side. The cloak wiggled its way out from underneath her and nestled itself back around his shoulders. Its collar brushed his cheek. 

Peter kneeled at her other side, directly across from Stephen. The gauntlet was off, now in possession of the Guardians, still watching with raised eyebrows. 

And sure enough, when Stephen felt for a pulse, he found one. All at once, energy faded instantly and he collapsed next to her, vision blurred. His breathing turned shallow and a sense of vertigo swept over him. Dimly, he heard someone swear and running footsteps. 

How poetic, he thought, how ironic. Iris always used to joke when they were dating that she was going to, "Take you with me if I ever go out because lord knows I'm too much of a drama queen. And I need someone to haunt my sister with." And he'd laughed, agreed, and then slept by her side as her breathing evened out. 

Stephen's eyelids fluttered, and there was more swearing. There was a slap on his cheek, fingers against his neck, feeling for a pulse he hoped. But he barely registered any of it.

In a last-ditch attempt to let Iris know he was right there with her, he reached his hand out, fingers quivering with exhaustion. They found her ice-cold hand and wrapped around it, trying to warm them. 

Stephen squeezed her hand with his own as if saying goodbye as if telling her he was with her 'till the end of the line as if he could give her solace with a single gesture. 

He could have sworn she squeezed back. 

A/N: Aahhhh ow sadness sorry not sorry

Literally writing this bullshit at school because algebra can kiss my ass goodbye

Also, whY do we have 17,000 reads on this whY are you rEADinG my trAsh

Many thanks, honestly, it makes my day to know people like my garbage

Quick side note: Apparently it is against school rules to throw toast across the band room??? I wasn't aware of this?????

Posting this a little early because I gotta go on a dumbass retreat that's going to kill me-

See Y'all on the other side

Stay not dead

~Kelly~