*This chapter will be long. May get into the feels a little.*
Zariah opened her eyes after she teleported, a rush of air hit her as she fell over to her hands and knees attempting to take in air slowly, she may be a goddess but traveling at a high speed; while heading up to space was a lot to handle. She got up to look around for Strange, hoping Maw didn't get a hold the Time Stone yet. The goddess looked around and she could see hints of red and gold; Tony, she slowly made her way to him as she can see Peter in front of him. As sense of relief hit her as Tony turned to see her; shocked and concerned she was there. "No.... Not you too." He said to her.
Tony's face then turns to anger as he stepped towards her; "What are you doing here?!!?!? You shouldn't be here! Thor would kill me!" Zariah scoffed slightly at him; not because Thor may not be alive but because Tony was actually was angry she was there "Well considering I almost died, I was lucky I teleported which was a new power I discovered..." Tony stopped as his face change again "You... teleported?"
All Zariah did was nod, her attention turned to Peter "Now why is he here? He's just a kid." Tony turned back to Peter "I'm sorry Mr. Stark, Zariah; it was such a long way down and I just thought about you on the way..." Peter said addressing them both. Strange's cloak found it's way to the goddess as it rested on her shoulders; which was strange to her itself but she didn't shrug it off. It must be exhausted dealing with everyone's bullshit she thought.
"Well, I kind of stuck to the side of the ship after I fell from Z and this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way, so if anything, it's kind of your fault that I'm here." Peter continued. All three; Tony, Zariah and even the cloak looked at Peter sharply, as if he lost his mind.
"What did you just say?" Tony asked as his voice went dad mode pretty face, his expression turned slightly grim. Peter threw his hands up in defense "I take that back!" he said hastily "And now I'm here in space."
"Yeah right where we don't want you to be" Zariah piped up as Tony looked at her "You shouldn't be either." Tony said to the goddess as she gave him a "really?" look.
A sharp pang of hurt hit Peter's face as Tony continued to scold him "This isn't Coney Island. This isn't a fieldtrip. It's a one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend like you thought this through. You couldn't have possibly thought this through." Tony continued. "No... I did think this through." Peter argued. Zariah went to say something as Tony quickly stopped her "And you..... I would think you had more common sense then just barreling into this. What would Thor say? What would Lok--?" Tony stopped realizing what he was going to say.
Zariah held back the tears as her face turned to slight anger "I have common sense. And IF they were alive, they would have respected my decision, especially if it was means to stop Thanos from wiping out half the universe." She retorted. It hurt her that he mentioned them... especially Loki. She didn't know if he was alive or dead. Ebony Maw made it certain she knew he was dead but she wouldn't believe it.
"Z... I'm sorry..." Tony said softly as he put a hand on her shoulder. All the goddess did was nod as their attention turned back to Peter who had a face of panic "Oh great I freaked him out..." she said softly as Peter shook his head crazy "I'm not freaking out... I just.... Half the universe?! Who's Thanos?" he stammered a little. "We will talk about it later." Tony said as they walked to eth edge of the platform they were on looking down where they could see Ebony Maw interrogating Strange. He could be seen floating above the ground, face down, surrounded by glass like needles which were about almost 3 feet long. Zariah could feel the cloak hug her as if it was anxious, she placed a hand on her opposite shoulder on instinct to comfort it in a way.
Tony and Zariah both took a deep breath "Okay we need to do something" Peter looked on as he chimed in "Okay, did you ever see this really old movie, Alien?" The two adults look at him like he was crazy as he shrugged it off and started explaining a plan to him which they both agreed. Zariah looked at Tony "I'll be with you.." Tony simply shook his head "No.. if you can teleport, you can get Strange away without him getting severely hurt. I need you to do that for me. I'll be fine Z. I promise." Zariah was worried, she's lost so much and it would break her heart if she lost Tony and even Peter. All she could do was nod at him as she disappeared with Peter, ready to execute the plan.
"Painful aren't they? They were originally designed for microsurgery... and any one of them..." Maw stopped and turned seeing Tony standing there "could end your friend's life in an instant" he finished. Tony shrugged a bit "I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more of a professional courtesy." Tony quipped. "You've saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine." Maw responded. "Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies." In an instant, Tony raised a hand and blasted a huge hole behind Maw. Immediately everything, including Zariah, Peter and Strange, were being sucked towards the opening.
Zariah felt the cloak let go of her as it made it's way to Strange, wrapping itself around his arm but he slipped, Peter then shoots a web strand at Strange with one hand and holds onto a piece of the ship with the other "Z!!!!" he called out for the goddess who teleported next to Strange grabbing him, she was attempting to teleport but the pull from the hole was too strong, now Strange and her were being pulled, Strange held onto her with one arm as he reached to grab something and her doing the same "PETER!" she called out for him as the web that was holding Strange broke.
Before they reached the hole, he shot another web, this time sticking to both of them as eight metal spider-like legs shot out from the back of Peter's suit, bracing against the wall around the hole to stop the two of them being sucked out "YESSSSS! Wait what are those?!" Peter yelled as the legs bent and leaped more back into the ship carrying the two with him. Tony then immediately goes to seal up the ship as everyone fell back to the ground.
"I never want to do that again...." Zariah said softly as she got up then helping Strange up. The cloak quickly hopped back on Strange, wrapping itself around him then a piece of it patted Zariah on the cheek; forcing her to smile. "That's odd..." Strange said looking at her then the cloak. She shrugged slightly. Zariah turned and looked out the window and could see Ebony Maw floating, very dead, outside the window; a sense of relief hit her but then slight panic because they are in space now.
"We've gotta turn this ship around." Strange said as he walked towards Tony with Zariah behind him "Yeah. Now he wants to run. GREAT PLAN" Tony said as she sighed a bit, she has a feeling Tony is going to be... well Tony. "I want to protect the stone." Strange replied; gesturing to the Time stone which was still, thankfully, hanging around his neck. "And I want to thank me now. Go ahead, I'm listening" Tony snapped. Zariah stood there and went to open her mouth to calm Tony down but he wasn't having it "DO. NOT. SAY. A. WORD." He knew she would calm him pretty fast. She put her hands up defensively.
"Thank you for what? Nearly blasting me in space?" Strange scoffed as he turned to Zariah "And what were you going to do? Walk me away from the damn hole." She looked at him like he had three heads "Excuse me, I- "she was cut off by Tony "She was going to teleport you away from it, but obviously, the pull was too strong. It happens." He defended her which she gave him a slight nod for as he continued "And who saved your magical ass? Me." Tony stated.
"I seriously don't know how you fit in that helmet." Strange said. Tony quickly retorted back "Admit it. You should have ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused."
"And you think you being up here alone would justify it as well?" Zariah said; getting fed up with the two bickering. Tony turned to her "I told you not one word. Do not get involved." She stepped towards him in anger, gesturing to her and Peter "NEW FLASH TONY! We are involved, whether you like it or not." His face softened a bit, knowing that he couldn't fight her.
"Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you." Strange said and Zariah turned her attention to him, stepping forward "I don't work for him. But I am an Avenger and it's our job to stop shit like this from happening." Strange scoffed at her response.
"And due to that fact, we're now in a flying donut, billions of miles away from Earth with no backup." Tony shot back at Strange. Peter decided to chime in "I'm backup." He said innocently raising his hand. Zariah looked at him not even angry one bit but a look with sympathy "No, you unfortunately are a stowaway Peter." She said softly as Tony cut her off "So are you! Now hush, the adults are talking." He said gesturing to him and Strange.
She looked back at him with a "WTF" look "Uh, I don't see adults, I see two boys that are bickering back and forth. Instead of figuring out what the hell we need to do with the issue on hand"
"I'm sorry, I am confused as to the situation here. I would have thought she would be your kid but she's an Asgardian which would be impossible but him... is he your ward or something?" Strange asked, pointing to Peter.
"No... I'm Peter, by the way." He said putting a hand out to Strange. "Doctor Strange." He replied. "Oh, we are using made up names? Um, I'm Spider-Man." Peter told him as Zariah and Tony walked away.
Zariah examined the controls as Tony looked on as well "It's on autopilot. It's self-correcting its course." She said softly as Tony nodded. "Can you control it? Fly us home?" Strange asked as he joined the two. "Stark?" he said to Tony as Tony not moving from the view "Yeah I heard you. I'm thinking...I'm not so sure we should." Zariah looked at Tony in shock when he said that. "Under no circumstance can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos. I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here" Strange quickly said.
Tony fed up; turned to Strange "No. It's you who doesn't understand. Thanos has been inside my head for six years...Since he sent an army to New York and now he's back! And I don't know what to do. So, I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on out turf or his but you saw what they did, what he can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So, I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?" Zariah looked down, knowing Tony still blamed Loki a little bit for the situation.
"Alright, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand.... if it comes to saving you or the kid or the Time Stone... I will not hesitate to let either of you die. I can't, because the fate of the universe depends on it." Strange said finally then turning to Zariah "You... cannot let yourself get captured by him either. Do you understand me goddess?" She looked at him with a stern look as Tony had a confused one "What does he mean?" Zariah took a deep breath "I don't think he wants me... I'm not that powerful Strange..." she said scoffing a bit.
"Listen to me..." He continued as she went to walk away from him "You are very important in all this Zariah." She stopped turning slightly to him "Why... What is so special about a broken princess from a broken realm.." Strange looked at her oddly "Your father never told you?" he asked, unknowing what happened. Her breath hitched a bit as there were tears on the verge of falling "He died.... In front of me... Hela... killed him. Which means my home... Alfheim; which by the way is where I'm from, not Asgard; is destroyed." Zariah quipped bitterly with tears in her eyes. Tony didn't know any of this, him and Peter watched quietly not saying a word.
Strange stepped forward to her with a sad look, he really didn't know and he didn't mean to bring it up "Listen to me please... You have the power to control the stones themselves. Thanos knew this since you were born. That's why he killed your mother."
Zariah's face grimaced as she looked down then back up "That's not true. My father said that she died while being born. Due to my ability to take and give energy, I was a baby and couldn't control it." She shook her head slightly. Strange sighed as he placed his hands on her shoulders "Far from the truth my dear, you have an important destiny; since you were born and you have been on the correct path the whole time. But you cannot let Thanos get a hold of you, he will kill you if he cannot use you. And when he does go to kill you, he will take your powers." He said as he took a deep breath "Loki knew this... So did Thor... I told them this when they came looking for Odin." As he finished, Zariah was stunned. Why didn't Thor tell her? Why didn't Loki?
"Why.... Didn't they tell me?" she said in almost a whisper as a tear fell down her face. She didn't want this destiny.... At all... Tony could see her struggling as her purple aura started to emit from her arms "Z.... calm down" Tony said quietly after finally speaking, and in an instant she did which gave him a sense of relief. "They wanted to protect you. That's why. You are precious in every way to this universe." Strange finally said giving her a small smile. Zariah took a deep breath and nodded.
"Nice. Good. We're straight." Tony said, before walking back over to Peter, tapping his shoulders as if knighting him "Alright kid, you're an Avenger now."
2800 words
*that was fun haha*