ETERNITY. peter parker [2]

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nikki waited for Steve outside the elevator, wearing a suit from a police guard she knocked out unconscious. She thought that Steve and the guys from Hydra were supposed to have a huge fight but she was surprised they didn't. Steve walked out of the elevator doors a confident smirk plastered on his face as he handed the case containing the scepter to Nikki, who took it from his hands and removed her uniform.

"So, why wasn't there a fight?" Nikki asked, walking with Steve away from the elevator. Steve just shook his head, a small smile on his face as the two of them walked out.

"Dad, reports on the cube?" Nikki asked after she had noticed Tony hasn't been saying anything for a few minutes. "Dad—" she was about to talk again until she felt a hand, more specifically, Steve's, stop her from her tracks. As she slowly looked up, she saw the one thing she didn't expect to see.

Steve. From the past.

"You've got to be shitting me." Nikki spoke out loud as the two Steve's stared at each other.

"I have eyes on Loki and this unknown girl, maybe an accomplice. 14th floor." The younger Steve said. Nikki sighed, walking a few steps towards the man. "Steve. It's me. Nikki. I won't hurt you, and he doesn't want to either." she pointed to older Steve. "But if you get in our way, I will hurt you."

The masked Steve charged towards Nikki, slamming his shield in her face. The girl let out a loud yelp as she fell down the glass, landing on the floor with a loud thud. This wasn't the first time she was hit on the face by Steve's shield, but the pain still stung.

She used her blasts to make herself float level to level where the two Steve's were. The whole fighting scene was entertaining, but Nikki wanted this whole thing to get over with. Her eyes turned into a deep shade of red as she flung the younger Steve into the wall, knocking him out unconscious.

"I didn't need help." Steve said, his voice raspy. "Sure looked like you didn't." Nikki replied sarcastically as she made her way out of the scene.

"Come on." Nikki said, making the iron suit wrap around her body, taking Steve in her arms and making him float to where Tony and Scott were situated. They landed where they first were, seeing Tony and Scott seating near an abandoned car.

"Hey Dad." Nikki said, dropping Steve down. "Might want to burn some calories, big guy." she teased, walking back to her father and Scott, before noticing the gloomy looks that were evident in their faces.

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked, now worried when she noticed that Tony wasn't holding the cube. Scott looked at Tony in anger, before facing Nikki. "He lost the cube!"

"Hey, hey, hey." Tony shushed Scott, before turning to look at the pair. "I lost the cube." he repeated calmly.

Nikki started to prance around the small area they were in. The stone was gone. They didn't do it. It's over. It's fucking over. She won't get Peter back. The plan didn't—

"Hey." Tony stood beside his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll think of something." he assured. Nikki looked at him rhetorically, a sarcastic smile over her features. "Alright, we'll just randomly get Pim particles and the stone somewhere in New York. Great. This is it. We're over."

"We had one shot. This is our shot. We shot it. It's shot. Six stones or nothing. Six stones or nothing." Scott rambled like a lost child.

"You're repeating yourself, you know that? You're repeating yourself." Tony told him, ignoring what he just said.

"Oh my god." Nikki kept repeating to herself as she separated from the group. "Oh my god, ph my god, oh my god." Nikki couldn't breathe. This was it. The plan didn't work. It was useless. She couldn't breathe. She slowly made her way towards one of the cars, leaning herself into it as she put her knees unto her head. It hurt to breathe. She wouldn't stop gasping for air, she couldn't breathe.

The negative thoughts were accelerating inside her head. Nikki wanted then to slow down so that she could breathe, but they won't. Her breathes were now coming out like gasps, and she felt as if she was about to black out. Her vision disfigured, as if she were looking through a fish-eye lens. It felt like pins and needles were prickling throughout her body, and her hands were shaking as she was sobbing into her knees.

"Alright, it's a plan." Tony nodded, before looking behind him to find his daughter. "Shit." he whispered as he couldn't find her anywhere. Tony quickly adjusted his settings to look where she was, finally finding her on one of the cars.

She was having a full blown anxiety attack.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, sitting down next to her. "Hey, Nikki. Just listen to me alright? Breathe. Just breathe." he said, hugging her. "Steve and I have a plan set already, okay? This is going to work. I promise you." he whispered. Nikki started to calm down when Tony had said those words.

"That's right. BreAthe, just breathe." Tony comforted her. After a few minuets, she was alright, still a bit shaken up. "You and Scott are going back while Steve and I get the cube, okay?" he questioned. Nikki nodded, walking next to Scott.

"Steve and I are going to get the stone, okay? Love you." Tony told Nikki before pressing the button on her. Scott and the younger girl traveled through the quantum realm for a few seconds before they finally landed on the platform, with Tony holding the box that contained the stone.

She let out a huge smile before looking around to do a quick head check.  As she scanned everyone, she started to worry as one particular person went missing.

"Where's Natasha?"