Thanos snaps his fingers.
A shockwave rolls over the Earth, stretching far and wide in every direction. It feels like a gentle breeze.
I look up at Loki.
"What just happened?" I ask him breathlessly, choking on the words. Tears roll down my cheeks. I can't look anywhere but at his eyes.
"I think we just lost." He replies, full of sorrow and anguish.
I let out a sob, pulling myself into his chest and burying my cheek against him. His arms circle me tighter than they ever have before.
"I love you." I cry. All around me, figures begin to turn to ash. The sight is enough to make nausea rise to the surface. I push it down.
I know it's selfish, but please not Loki. Please let this happen to me and not Loki.
"I love you." He whispers back, resting his head on the top of mine. I pull away to look into his eyes again.
To my complete, utter, absolute horror, the green of his eyes begins to cloud...to fade away. First his hands, then his arms, then his body, and finally that beautiful mind and face of his. All ash. All gone.
He disappears right from within my arms.
I clutch at my chest, feeling like my heart might get ripped out of me from the pain. I frantically look around for my friends. My family. Where is Dylan? What about my mom? Oh God, my mom.
I see Dylan in the distance, on his knees and covered in blood. Cap is nearby huddled over Nat and Bruce. His eyes meet mine. I've never seen Cap so terrified.
"Cap?" I choke out, throat dry. I need guidance. I need to know what to do.
He shakes his head. There will be no guidance from Cap right now, he's just as devastated and confused as I am.
To my left I see Rhodey and Sam standing with Rocket from the Guardians. Rocket clutches at the ground where his friends once stood.
I frantically scan the crowd. I don't see any other familiar faces.
Except for one.
Thanos.
Fire explodes inside of me, and my blood feels like it's boiling from the heat that fills me. My lips curl back and my fists clench in red, hot fury.
He sits on his throne with a smile. A real and true smile. He is pleased that he just murdered half of the universe, and half of everyone I love.
I walk towards him slowly, feeling my feet slam into the ground with every step forward. He looks amused as he sees me coming.
I want to kill him. I want to rip his smile off of his face and watch him die.
With each step I take, I count everyone I lost in my head. One by one. Each name only adds to my rage. My heartbreak. My thirst for revenge.
Doctor Strange.
A powerful man. He saved so many lives. His didn't deserve to be stolen from him. I take a step.
Peter Parker.
A child. A good heart. A tragic loss. I take a step.
The Guardians.
They helped us without asking for anything in return. The universe lost a powerful group of protectors. I take a step.
Vision.
He died in vain. He died for us to lose. I take a step.
Wanda.
She was barely older than me. And she was kind. She didn't deserve this. I take a step.
Thor.
The most wholly positive soul I knew. A true light in a dark world. A friend. I take a step.
Clint.
He was a mentor to me. He has children left behind. He was loved by all. I take a step.
Loki.
My love. My life. My heart is broken. I take a step.
Tony.
He saw something worth saving in me. He's the greatest man I've ever known. He's a father to me. I love him. I lost him. I take a step.
Seething with rage, I face Thanos sitting on his throne. I rise into the air above him, feeling all of the power in the world flow into me.
My eyes glow silver and purple. My skin glows red hot from all of the energy pooling inside of me.
I look at his face and an unimaginable fury takes over me. I barely have control of my actions when I lock my gaze on the gauntlet. I will have it.
With nothing but my mind, I begin to melt the gauntlet right off of his filthy hand. The metal heats against his skin, bending to my will, and he screams as it burns his hand. The gauntlet drips off of his now blistering skin, floating in the air towards me.
"No! What are you doing, witch?" He screams at me, desperately trying to paw at the stones floating towards me in the air.
I smirk at him, showing my teeth. It looks more like a snarl.
I tighten my fists. The flowing metal of the gauntlet reforms itself onto my hand under my control. The stones glide towards me, sliding into place.
The Infinity gauntlet reforms itself onto my hand. It's made of the same substance as me. Before I know it, the gauntlet fuses with my skin and is absorbed into me. The stones settle into their places along my knuckles.
I slam back down onto the ground, bringing down my fist. Thanos flies onto his back. He scrambles back up, looking scared for probably the first time in his life.
"You can't undo this. I just saved the universe, you small minded child. Do not plunge it back into damnation!" He barks at me.
"The only one damned here is you." I growl.
I bring my hand up, Infinity stones glittering in the sun, and the coward flinches.
"Oh, no. I'm not going to kill you yet. First I'm going to make you watch in agony as all of your hard work is undone. As your legacy is reduced to nothing. As you lose." I snap at him.
I wave the gauntlet, raising him into the air and suspending his body so he can watch as I destroy his dreams.
I hold out my palm and send out a beam of power that blasts the remaining half of Thanos' minions into oblivion. I wipe the wolf beasts, dead and alive, out of existence.
Then I turn back to Thanos, and I stare into his eyes with what can only be described as pure hatred.
"You tried to take everything from me." I thunder, voice shaking with rage, "I'm taking it back."
"I underestimated you, little metal girl." He says, his voice surprisingly calm. The nickname doesn't feel like it's meant to be an insult.
"No, I overestimated you." I growl back. My skin still feels like it's on fire, as hot and vicious power flows through my veins.
I call to the metal in the gauntlet. I call to the Infinity stones. I will them to do as I wish.
I look right into the eyes of Thanos as I hover the gauntlet right in front of his face, taunting him. The anger in his eyes betrays his false calm exterior. Good. I want him to feel the pain of defeat and loss as I have.
"Don't." Thanos pleads, locked into place in the air, voice barely a whisper. I smile at him.
Then...
I snap my fingers.
Another wave of energy spreads out from me in all directions. I turn around in awe as little pockets of dust soar through the air. They slowly reform into people on the ground. It's working.
Tears of relief prick behind my eyes as I float down to the ground, feeling the anger in my heart fizzle out as it is replaced with pure joy.
Familiar faces spring up out of the dust all around me. Thor. Clint. Wanda. Everyone gasps back into existence, frantically checking to make sure this is all real.
Natasha runs over to Clint the moment his silhouette reforms from the ashes, clinging onto her lost friend.
Rocket cries tears of joy as his friends, the Guardians, all reappear one by one.
My eyes search the crowd for someone in particular. Then I see him. Loki blinks back into existence in front of me, and a crazy grin spreads across my face as my feet carry me towards him.
I leap into his arms and he grabs under my legs, spinning me around as my joyous laughter fills the air. I kiss him, thankful that this man is once again alive. I never want to lose him again. The agony quite literally turned me red with anger.
I grab his face in my hands, running my thumbs over his smooth skin. He smiles gleefully, trying to absorb every inch of my face. I kiss him again, and warmth spreads through me.
"I hate living in a universe where you don't exist." I tell him as we break the kiss, leaning my forehead against his.
He nods against my head, unable to form the right words but I feel what he means all the same as he clings to me. I love you too, Loki.
He slides me down him so I'm on my own feet and he looks around. He catches Thor's eye, and the brothers both break out into silly grins. Thor runs over and they pull each other into a rare but warm embrace.
"You die too often." Thor jokingly tells Loki.
"I always seem to bounce back though, don't I?" Loki replies and they laugh. Thor sees me and pulls me into the embrace as well, kissing the top of my head.
"Did either of you survive the snap?" Loki asks, because I guess none of them know what happened.
Thor shakes his head.
"I did." I tell them.
"Well what happened? How are we back?" Thor asks me. I sheepishly raise my right hand, which is now covered with the Infinity stones themselves.
Loki's mouth slides open in shock.
"You..." Is all he can get out.
"Yeah, I did." I reply and the corners of his mouth lift into a smile.
"You fools!" A voice from behind me bellows, and all of us turn to see Thanos seething with anger as he watches all of our silly reunions.
The steel returns to my blood. I summon Thanos to me with the gauntlet, and his body is dragged forwards. I had almost forgotten about him entirely when I saw Loki.
"The only fool is you. You lost, Thanos. This is what defeat looks like." I clench my fist and drag him closer to me so I can sneer in his face, "This is what defeat feels like."
"The universe was healed. You have brought back ruin." Thanos says in despair. He truly believes the lies he spouts.
"I have brought justice. And peace." I tell him proudly, unwavering in my stance.
"There is no peace in this life." He replies, and I hear the deep sadness of a man truly alone. I'm not a good enough person to pity him or to spare him. He brought himself here.
"Then I sincerely hope you find some in death." I answer. And that's that. I will hear no more of what he has to say.
I raise the gauntlet to Thanos, and then I blast him out of existence too. I'm pretty sure he flinches before I do it. A final, mortal flaw. He floats to dust.
I should feel closure or relief, or something other than sadness right now. But I can't, because my work still isn't finished yet.
I turn from where Thanos once stood and walk back towards the compound. The crowd parts for me, silently watching the girl with the gauntlet walk by. Nobody says anything.
I make my way to Rhodey, who still stands vigilant over Tony's body, which now lays on the ground without his armor. Rhodey moves aside for me. I kneel beside Tony, feeling tears sting behind my eyes yet again. The tears fall when my gaze lands on the gaping hole in his chest.
"Hold on, Tony." I whisper, kissing his forehead. He's still warm under my touch.
I stand back up. The other Avengers have gathered around me, with Cap right beside me. He grabs my left hand, squeezing tight. He loves Tony as much as I do.
I raise my right hand, Infinity stones gleaming under the setting sun, and I close my fist. The green gem activates and the Time stone flashes to life. I focus all of my attention on Tony's body and slowly turn my palm in a circle counterclockwise.
I turn back Tony's time. Nothing happens at first, and my heart sinks at the thought that this might not work. I look up in frantic fear by I meet Doctor Strange's eyes. He nods encouragingly, so I keep going.
Nothing again, but then I get far enough back to when the spear went through him. My hand edges back just a bit further, and Tony's wound shuts from front to back as quickly as it must have come.
He flies up into a sitting position, gasping.
I fall to my knees in cool, sweet relief.
"Peter!" He screams, frantically looking around. The last thing he remembers is trying to save Peter from the spear.
"It's okay, Mr. Stark. I'm okay." Peter rushes over and kneels in front of Tony, who exhales a sigh of relief and brings his hand to his chest. He jumps when he realizes his armor is gone and everyone is now huddled around him, but he ignores the confusion and pulls Peter into him.
I laugh, smiling through my sobs of joy. I got Tony back.
Tony hears the sound and lets go of Peter, meeting my eyes. He smiles. His eyes flash to the Infinity stones adorning my hand, but he doesn't ask any questions. He pieces together what must have happened instantly.
"Oh, come here, kid." He says, and I rush into his arms.
"You died." I cry into his shoulder, feeling so much like a child in her father's arms.
"I'm back now, thanks to you. You saved me this time, kid." He rubs my back comfortingly.
"Don't do that to me again. I can't lose another father." I pull back to look in his eyes as I say this. His eyes widen in shock as I call him my father, but the emotion is soon replaced with happy tears stinging his own eyes.
He takes my face in his hands, "I am so proud and honored that you would call me that, and that you're my girl, Cassidy."
I smile, hugging him again. I stand up again to help Tony to his feet, and Cap runs over to help me get him standing.
Tony reaches out a hand for Cap to shake, but Cap ignores it and pulls him in for a hug. They both needed that. Tony laughs, patting Cap on the back.
I slip back beside Loki, lacing my fingers with his and leaning my head on his shoulder.
"So, what'd I miss?" Tony asks as they break away from one another, and we all join in on the laughter.