Journey Back To You // Spider-Man [Book 3]

eleven {Arya's POV}

"DAD!" I screamed and I stumbled to my feet. 

Tony looked at me with fear in his eyes before he averted his eyes to Thanos, who wore a smug look on his face. Thanos pressed the blade further into Tony's body and he stumbled back. He sunk to the floor and groaned as Thanos started to move the blade upward. 

"Stop! Please!" I cried, but Thanos ignored me. 

"You have my respects, Stark," he said. "When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive." He pulled the blade back and tossed it on the ground. Blood dripped from the corner of Tony's mouth and I felt my stomach turn. I tried reaching him, but every time I took a step, my legs gave out and I fell onto the rubble around me. 

Thanos raised his fist and the four Infinity Stones on his knuckles started to glow. "No!" I exclaimed as he closed his fist. 

"Stop," Strange's voice sounded. Thanos turned his way. "Spare his life," he said. "And I will give you the Stone." 

My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to speak, yet I didn't know what to say. It was the Stone or my father. That was not a choice I was willing to make. 

"No tricks," Thanos said and Strange shook his head. 

"Don't!" Tony choked.

Strange raised his hand and the Time Stone appeared out of nowhere. It had been hidden all this time. With a flick of his wrist, he ordered it to float over to Thanos. The Titan held it up and examined it proudly before he added it to the rest. The five Stones on the Gauntlet all glowed brightly. Thanos grinned smugly. "One to go." 

Suddenly, a rain of bullets targeted the Gauntlet, but no damage was done. Thanos looked up with slight confusion. Quill flew toward the Titan but before he could reach his destination, Thanos stepped through a portal and disappeared. 

Quill landed harshly on the ground and jumped up. "Where is he?!" he shouted, raising the gun. 

I had collected my strength and I got up, rushing to my father's side. He closed the wound with nanoparticles before he looked up at me. I let out a sob before I tightly hugged him. One of his arms wrapped around my body and I ignored the throbbing pain that came from my ribs. 

"I was so scared," I shivered and I felt him nod against my chest. 

"I know, kid. I know," he said quietly. 

He pulled back from the hug and a solemn smile lingered on his lips as he mumbled, "You called me 'Dad'." 

Another sob escaped my lips as I embraced my father one more time. 

Tony then turned to Strange. "Why did you do that?" he asked, despair clearly present in his voice. 

Strange sighed softly. "We're in the endgame now." 

"Ry?" I looked up at the familiar voice. It was Peter and he looked beyond worried. 

I nodded softly and got up. "I'm fine... I'm f-f..." My voice wore off as I broke out in a set of choking sobs. Peter rushed forward and I fell in his arms. I buried my face in his shoulder as my chest heaved. Each breath I took required me the greatest strength. 

"You're okay, you're okay. Look at me." He pulled back and cupped my face. His eyes were red and I knew mine were swollen and pooled with tears. "You're okay," he repeated. His voice was merely a whisper. I nodded softly and he pressed a loving kiss to my forehead. 

I wiped away the tears and turned back to Tony. "Can you stand?" I asked and he nodded, reaching out his hand to me. I took it firmly in mine and helped him up. He leaned on me and I had to resist the urge to groan at the excruciating pain in my body.

The air grew overcast, dark clouds gathering over our heads. I frowned as I heard thunder in the distance. My blood ran cold as a lightning strike hit the ground a couple of miles away from us. "Ry, is that you?" Peter asked. 

I shook my head. "I'm not doing anything," I mumbled, looking around in fear. 

"Something's happening," Mantis commented as the remains of our group joined us again. 

The next second, Mantis' body crumbled to dust and was taken away in the wind. 

We all froze. No one dared to move a muscle, afraid of what was to come. 

Quill stared at the space where she had just been. No one said anything but I felt Tony's arm tighten around my shoulders. My eye fell on Drax. His hand withered away, the rest of his body following. Right before he disappeared, he muttered, "Quill...?" 

Quill looked at us in terror. I already saw the dust appearing. "Steady, Quill," Tony said softly. 

"Oh, man..." Quill breathed and then, Star-Lord was gone. 

"Tony..." Strange's deep voice sent shivers down my back and I turned around. "There was no other way." A gust of wind took the ashes of Doctor Strange away from us. 

"Arya?" I heard behind me and my heart dropped. In utter fear, I turned around and I saw that my biggest nightmare was coming true. 

Peter had his arms wrapped around himself as he was gasping for air. "I don't... I don't feel so good..." he stammered. He stumbled on his feet as he stared at his hands in horror.

I carefully stepped forward. "You're okay. You're not leaving me. C'mon," I said, my voice cracking. 

He took a step forward but was not strong enough and fell forward. I was right in time to catch him before he hit the ground. "I don't know- I don't know what's happening," he started to repeat as he clutched to my body. "I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go." 

I buried my face in his hair. "P-Peter, listen to me. You're not-" I swallowed thickly. "You're not leaving me. Just stay with me." 

My knees buckled under his weight and I sunk to the floor, cradling a shaking Peter Parker in my arms. His head was in the crook of my neck and I shut my eyes. "I don't wanna go. Please," he whispered. 

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here," I said, allowing the tears to escape my eyes. 

I felt his hand on my cheek and I sat up. "I'm sorry..." he mumbled and then...

He was gone.

With a heavy heart, I opened my eyes and saw my hands were stained with black dust. My whole body was shaking violently as I started to hyperventilate. "No, no, no, no... Come back, Pete. Don't leave me. Just come back," I rambled as hot tears streamed down my face. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I didn't have to look up to know who it was. I fell into his chest as I let out every emotion I felt. "He's not coming back, kid. He's gone," Tony said and I heard the pain in his voice. It hurt him as much as it hurt me that Peter was gone. The two had had a father-son relationship from the moment they met.

I clenched my fists as I felt the familiar tingling in my fingertips and fought back the electricity that flowed through my veins. My head started to pound and I pushed myself away from my father. I allowed the lightning that was bottled up inside of me to come out. 

The largest lightning bolt that I could remember ever creating shot out of my hands and hit a distant building. It came crashing down immediately and a large cloud of smoke came in my direction. The wind cooled my tear-stained cheeks but it wasn't nearly enough to calm the raging anger that surged through my body. My blood boiled as the image of my boyfriend fading away was plastered behind my eyelids. 

I clasped my hands over my mouth as my breathing became shallow and uneven. I sunk to the floor, my knees scraping against the harsh stone. Choking sobs were leaving my body but they soon left nothing but a gaping void.