The tension in the air was incredibly thick and massive, Hazel felt everyone's eyes boring into her.
"Didn't think about that, did you, Thanos?," She mocked, standing up despite the pain. "What are you gonna do with half a stone?,"
"You promised me the stone, not half of it," Thanos looked at Strange, then back to Iron Man "And half of the stone wasn't the deal,"
"Hazel, give him the stone!," Stephen yelled firmly, making her whip her head towards him. He had a firm look on his face, but so did she.
"Tony, you're an incredible person, but no. I swore an oath to protect the time stone with my life, and that's what I'm going to do." She straightened herself up with the upmost intensity.
"Listen to me-,"
"So you'd rather have me die than him?," Hazel interrupted Stephen. She turned to him and urged herself to not break down. "I told you, remember? The stone's a part of me. If I lose it, then what do you think might happen?,"
"I-I don't- don't make this hard for me!" He seethed "you know that-"
"Stop." Thanos lifted his hand and everyone turned to him. He looked to Hazel and walked closer to her, inches away. "You've displayed so many admirable traits today, you almost remind me of someone. That's why I'm going to keep you, take you with me,"
"What?! No!," Hazel's face twisted in absolute disgust and horror, then stepped back. "I-,"
"You're not taking her anywhere," Stephen stepped in front of Hazel before she could even speak. His fists and jaw were clenched with the look of murder in his eyes. "I promised you the stone and that's it! You don't get to take her as a rebound after you've murdered your daughter for power. She's off limits!,"
"And this is coming from someone who'd rather see her die than Stark," he scoffed "you don't have the right-,"
"-but I do." She said from behind Strange with a look of determination. "I trust you." She put a hand on Strange's shoulder and Thanos watched them, melting with envy.
Hazel turned the amulet into the staff, and stared at it in its glory. She felt the feeling of the wood in her hands one last time and picked up the emerald around the stone. She pressed it against her forehead and crushed it with her hands, revealing the other half of the stone.
Watching the stone fly away to his gauntlet was like watching a part of her given away. It was mortifying, to say the least, and she let a tear fall from her eye.
As soon as the stone made contact with the other, a feeling punched her in the face. Hazel instantly fell on the floor, pressure around her skull and the rest of her bones surging. It was like all her bones were breaking themselves, and every single nerve in her body was aching. Her eyes glowed green for one last time, and so did her body.
"Hazel!," Stephen cried and knelt beside her, not knowing what to do. He could only watch to see what would happen, because to his luck, he didn't see this in the future. "Hazel, please, I-I'm so sorry,"
He tried to shake her to see what would happen, but it only made the pain worse for her. It was almost like she was glitching, blinking on and off. Stephen didn't know what to do; it was hen that he felt powerless. The only thing he could do was hold her in his arms- he felt like a monster.
"Wait! S-stop, give-," He lost everyone ounce of self control but was stopped when he felt a pinch on his leg. Hazel grabbed onto it as if to stop him, and slowly returned back into normal.
"No," Hazel said "don't. I trust you." She looked at Stephens and a huge weight was lifted off of his body.
"One to go." He smiled smugly, making Quill wake up and scream in rage. He fired his guns at him, the alien not even responding. "And you're coming with me,"
Hazel's gut twisted at his words and he grabbed her arm. He made a portal away and held her tight.
"No! Stephen, help!," Hazel cried at the top of her lungs, using the counter spell like it was her mantra.
Stephen grabbed onto her arm and pulled for dear life. Then, so did the cloak. Spider-Man joined in and soon, the rest did, too. Everyone was thrown back with a huge force, dust blinding their vision.
Stephen frantically looked around for Hazel, and felt a hug wave of relief seeing that they were able to pull her away. "Hazel!"
He grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her as she cried in horror. She pushed him away with a strong force and gasped for air. It was like the world was spinning and there wasn't enough air for her. The only thought running through her mind was that she was going to die.
"Hey, hey, kid, you're here. You're fine, you're gonna be fine," Tony immediately recognized the scenario and stepped in front of her.
"Hazel, look at me." Stephen stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Take deep breaths. You'll be okay, take your time."
The girl took in slow and deep breaths, then felt herself slowly relax. "I-I thought he was gonna- what if he-,"
"-he didn't. You're here." Stephen cut her off and sat back down in exhaustion.
"Did we just lose?" Quill asked in realization, everyone's faces filling with panic. Tony looked at the two in sadness.
"Why did you do that?," He inquired in disappointment.
"We're in the endgame now." Stephen said. His voice was intense and filled with knowledge and wisdom.
Everyone started to gather themselves. The guardians propped themselves up while Spider-Man was helping Tony to stand up.
However, before they could even speak, Mantis started to hyperventilate.
"Something...is...happening." Mantis looks down on her hands and slowly disintegrates into ash. Horror filled everyone's eyes as they realized Thanos had won.
"Quill?" Drax stared at him as he slowly dissolved
"Aw, man!," quill cried and was soon next. Panic filled Hazel when she realized she could be next, or worse, Stephen.
"Mr Stark? I don't feel so good."
Hazel immediately ran for Stephen in horror, like a duckling to its mother. "I'm so sorry Stephen, I'm so sorry,"
"Don't be sorry, Haze, Haze, Hazel! Listen to me," He looked her in the eyes and his was brimming with tears. "I'm-I never really got to tell you this but I think that now is the time. Hazel, I love you. I want you to keep on trying, please. I need you to keep on fighting and to keep believing,"
"Stephen stop acting like you're dying," She cried in frustration, but realized his leg was turning into dust.
"Tony, there was no other way," Stephen said to him and tried to keep himself alive through a spell.
"Stephen, please don't leave me! Stephen!" She cried and clutched onto him, hugging him as if maybe it could hold him together.
"Remember everything I taught you." He whispered in her ear "remember,"
"I love you too, I love you, Stephen, I love you," She stuttered just before he disintegrated into ash.
If there was something to describe what she was feeling, it was shock. Pure and utter shock. Her stomach was on the floor, along with her jaw as tears poured freely from her eyes. Hazel scrambled for the pile of ashes on the floor, forgetting every bit of pain in her body.
"Please, please, Stephen, please come back," Her voice was filled with complete desperation as she gathered the ashes in her arms, hugging them. "Stephen, please! Please come back!"
She kept his ashes in her arms with defensiveness, because in her mind, Stephen could do anything. He is the Master of the Mystic Arts! This could be a trick to fool Thanos, and plus, he's always ready. Surely, he saw this coming and had a backup plan ready.
"Hazel, Hazel, stop." Tony grabbed onto her shoulder and watched her in pity.
"No, stop, this could be a trick! I know, it sounds stupid but I'm telling you, he's the master! He could come back!-"
"He's gone!" Tony grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Look around you, Hazel! Everyone's dead!"
She gazed at the planet and realized it was only the three of them left, Nebula standing beside Tony.
"Stephen's dead." Tony sniffed.
There were no words for her to say, she only let out a broken scream and let her tears fall freely from her eyes. The pain she was feeling was so intense, that it was physically stinging her.
"You'll be okay, I know, kid. I know." Tony gave her a gentle hug as she continued to sob in his shoulder.
Then, her eyes widened at an epiphany.
"Fuck, Tony, Nebula!" She gasped and pushed Tony away in shock.
"What?,"
"Thanos, he took my ring with me!," she put a hand over her mouth. "My sling ring, it's gone!"