Frostbite ❆ Peter Parker

thirty-one

Beth struggled to open her eyes. Her head was pounding as her body screamed in agony. Her eyes slowly blinked open as she felt dust falling onto her face. Carol stood above her with a concerned look on her face. Beth's body was covered with burn marks from the power stone. Carol could see how much pain each moment brought the girl. 

Offering her a hand, Beth took it gratefully. Carol helping her to her feet, she kept an arm around the teen as Beth struggled to hold herself up. Beth muttered a soft 'thank you', if it wasn't for Carol, Beth may have died. She was startled as a burst of dust fell from the sky as the leviathan disappeared above them. 

Beth's eyes wandered the destroyed land. One by one, Thanos' army continued to disappear. Just like they had five years ago. The outriders stopped mid-attack as dust crawled up their bodies until they were gone.

Beth limped forward, her weight mostly dependant on Carol. Her blue eyes watching as Ebony Maw disappeared right in front of her. Leaving nothing behind but dust. 

Thanos spun around, watching as each of his warriors vanished. A shocked look rested on the Titan's face as he realized. He lost.

Heavy breaths of air left his mouth as he stumbled over. Holding his head down as he found himself sitting on a pile of rubble as he knew he was defeated. 

One last breath left Thanos' mouth before he was gone.

Beth fought to keep her eyes opened as she stared at the destruction around them. Carol rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as she kept the girl on her two feet. Then she felt Beth's entire tense up as a heartbreaking scream echoed throughout the battlefield. 

There, right in front of her just a couple yards away, was her dad. His right arm all the way up to his face was burned. His eyes no longer holding the look he always had, now only resembling pain. 

Rhodey landed in front of his best friend, his eyes assessing the damage as a solemn look crossed his face. Rhodey crouched down, softly caressing his head as all Tony could do was give him a look that said a million things. 

Peter swung over until he was stood in front of Tony. His chest felt heavy as he saw the state his mentor was in. This couldn't be happening. 

"Mr. Stark? Hey." 

Peter crouched down, his voice trembled as he spoke. "Mr. Stark, can you hear me?" Tony's eyes stared at the emotionally fragile boy in front of him, "it's Peter." 

Tony wanted to fight to stay alive just from the sight of the broken boy in front of him. Peter has lost so many people and now he was losing him, "We won, Mr. Stark. We won." Peter placed his hands softly onto his shoulders, "we won, you did it, sir. You did it."

Pepper laid her hands onto the boy's shoulders lightly as he swayed, about to collapsed. Peter looked down, tears falling from his eyes. This was goodbye. 

"I'm sorry, Tony." 

Peter stood up his hands coming to his face as he sobbed. His heart, breaking inside his chest. Pepper stood back as she saw her sobbing daughter coming over. Carol flew over with Beth in her arms. Before Carol could even touch the ground Beth had fallen out of her grip. Ignoring the pain that erupted in her body as she dragged herself over to her dad. 

"Dad?" His head lolled over to look at her, all he could muster up was a tightlipped smile. Beth's breath was shaky as she lifted her hand up caressing the side of his face, her hand moving to rest on top of his arc reactor. To everyone else, it looked like a sad but sweet gesture but Peter and Tony knew what she was doing.

Beth let out a choked sob as her other hand started freezing over, the area over her heart starting to glow. Peter shook his head trying to step forward to intervene when Rhodey held him back. Peter thrashed in his hold trying to fight his way over, "n-no. Beth, s-stop. Stop it!" 

But his words never reached her ears as she channeled everything in her to do this one thing, it took Tony a while but he figured out what was happening when he saw ice freezing over her face.

Slowly, he raised his left arm placing it over her hand.

"No." 

Beth's eyes widened as the ice started melting off her body, Tony took her hand off his arc reactor and was now holding onto it with all the strength he had left. Beth's hand trembled in Tony's hand. His lips never moved but Beth could almost hear his voice in her head.

'You'll be okay.'

Beth let out another strangled sob, tears freefalling down her face. Pepper crouched down to Beth's right staring at her husband, "hey." Tony turned his head away from his daughter looking at the woman he was in love with, "Pep." Her hand rested over the arc reactor on his chest, Tony moved his and Beth's hand over so it lay on top of Pepper's.

Pepper gulped down some tears, "Friday?" The AI in Tony's suit even had a depressed sound in her voice, "life functions critical." Tony stared at Pepper giving her the best smile he could, his head falling as he struggled to stay with them.

"Tony, look at me." 

He moved his head back to look at Pepper, "we're going to be okay." Tony's head rolled over so he was looking towards Beth before he looked towards the ground to his right.

"You can rest now."

Pepper tried to contain her sobs, silent tears falling down her face. Beth let out a small sob as she stared at the faint light in the center of her dad's suit. And then the once bright light went out. His hand dropping from on top of theirs.

Beth let out a choked sob as she leaned her head on top of where his arc reactor was. Pepper pressed a soft kiss onto her husband's cheek, the sobs now escaping her lips as she brought her head onto Tony's shoulder. Her hand now gripping onto Bethany's as they cried for Tony Stark.

Tony Stark who died to save the Universe.