When I come to again, I gasp as my eyes shoot open. Everything is just so fucking heavy, to the point that it hurts. The blast from the explosion must've absolutely decimated the base because under me, the ground is wet. There's a lot of things on me and I think I can hear my brother and husband calling out for me. My hands press against the slab of concrete on top of me as I try ready myself, knowing that using my powers for something like this is going to definitely tire me. I let myself breathe for a moment before using my telekinesis to lift up the debris that was on be enough for me to slip out. I climb through the rubble until I see two familiar, albeit dirty faces. Steve and Tony were both there to immediately help me up. I looked at my brother, warm blood dripping down my face. I felt filthy and just disgusting and I'm sure I looked like it too. Tony still smiled at me, trying to sort of comfort me. There was a dull throbbing in my head, most likely a concussion. We moved to stand beside Thor, watching Thanos. I had to blink a few times to make my vision actually okay.
"What has he been doing?" I ask, looking at my teammates even though I can see that he is just siting there. That motherfucker.
"He's just sitting there." Steve responds, "Like he's waiting for something." Thunder booms and lighting cracks as Thor calls both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker into his hands. Oh, he brought that back with him? I didn't know we could do that.
"Let's kill him properly this time." Thor says very seriously and I stand up straight. I turn to look at my husband and my brother as I zip my suit up fully. The dark red suit is already dirty, but I don't mind it because I know it's about to get much dirtier.
"What do we say to the God of Death?" Tony asks and I smile at the Game of Thrones reference. We have been watching that damn show since it came out and the reference makes slightly happy. There's a knot in my stomach and I don't exactly want to do this. Part of me would much rather run away and go make sure Benjamin is okay. But I can't do that. I can't. If I could fight while I was pregnant, I can fight now.
"Not today." I say with a smirk before kissing Tony on the cheek. I turn to Steve who kisses me carefully. Thank God I left his mother's ring at home in Brooklyn as well as his dog tags. I wouldn't want those to get damaged at all. We let the moment fade away before we walk towards Thanos. Fire erupts on my hands and I lose my smile. My face becomes much more serious.
"You could not live with your own failure." Thanos tells us as soon as we reach him. His words don't stop us as he continues, "Where did that bring you? Back to me. I thought by eliminating half the lives, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. As long as they're those that remember what was there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."
"Yup, we're all kinds of stubborn." Tony responds. My training as an agent reminds me to look around, to see other threats, but there's just one that has my attention. The big ugly one right in front of us.
"I'm thankful because now I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom and then, with the stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life that knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe." Thanos informs us as we all ready ourselves. My body covers in flame as I beckon the darkness to come forward. I roll my neck as the dark power surges through me. The dark whispers start up again.
"Born out of blood." Steve states and Thanos almost smiles. Oh I hate this alien in front of us. He took so much away from me, from my family, from the galaxy. I wanted to make him pay. He's going to pay.
"They'll never know because you'll be gone." Thanos responds. I scream, as does Thor, before we all launch our attacks on him. I throw fireball after fireball at him. I pick up slabs of concrete, throwing them at him. He uses his large double edged sword to slice at my arm, which makes me shout in pain. The flame disappears for a second so I can look at the bloody wound before I look up at him, red eyes glowing.
"You'll pay for that, you bitch." I growl before launching my flaming covered body at him again. I block hits that are aimed towards my brother and husband until Thanos simply picks me up, his large hand wrapping around my neck. The flames disappear and I kick my legs, clawing at my hands. He grins at me before throwing me against some concrete. I gasp for breathe. I stand up only to see my husband, Steven Grant Rogers, throw Mjolnir. I blink as it hits Thanos and flies back to his hand. As Thor lays on the ground, I fly past him so I can hit Thanos hard right after Steve hits him with the hammer. The purple alien hits the ground hard and I look at my husband with a smirk on my face.
"The hammer's hot." I tell him and Steve chuckles. We are both very dirty from the battle and the debris that had previously fallen on us. Steve throws his shield at Thanos and I reach up and grab it. I throw it just right so it hits Thanos hard in the face. I catch it when flies back, sliding it onto my arm.
"You fighting Thanos with the shield, that's hot." Steve responds cheekily and I grin before using my telekinesis to lift Thanos up and bring him back down hard. Steve calls lighting down into Mjolnir and strikes it down on Thanos. Oh yeah, definitely hot. I throw him back his shield as we both hit Thanos over and over. Thanos grabs me again to throw me just as he stabs Steve. I don't cry out in anguish over my love getting hurt. I simply just cover my hand in white flames and grab onto the hand that's holding me, causing the Titan to drop me hard. Thanos's arm is sizzling and burned, but it doesn't completely stop him. I quickly get up as he throws Steve and hits that beautiful shield that my father created, breaking it in half. I look at Thanos, breathing hard as I fall onto my knees. You have to get up. Get up.
"You would've made a fun daughter." The Titan tells me, just like he did that day when I first fought against him. There's a smile on his face, but there's also one on mine. I chuckle darkly, looking up at him. I lift up the ground he stands on, forcing him into the air and throwing him once more before I move to get Steve. I run toward my husband and I slide on the ground, kneeling beside him.
"Hey, you gotta get up old man." I tell him as Thanos makes his way towards us. There's a huge gash in his left arm, just as bad as mine. I look at Steve once more, "Come on, baby, get up."
"Violence. Slaughter. It was never personal." Thanos speaks as I help Steve up. We watch as ships crash into the earth and thousands and thousands of aliens walk to stand before us. I want grab onto my husband's hand, but I can't, not now. Be strong, be tough.
"Steve, I love you. Just know that." I tell him, my eyes out on the worsening battlefield. Out of the corner of my eye, he nods his head, tightening his shield to use as a tourniquet. He cries out in pain. This might be it for us, for me. I guess it's a heroic way to go, defending the Earth. I wonder if my adoptive parents would be proud with my life.
Steve's going to lie to you in three, two, one...
"I love you too." My husband responds tiredly as I turn my head towards him. Steve nods and we walk forward. I don't know where Tony is, or Thor, or the others so it's seemingly Steve and I against all of us. Benjamin, I love you so much. I hope you know that. Your daddy and I both love you so much. My depressing thoughts fade away as the comms in our ear suddenly come to life. My eyes widen ever so slightly when a too familiar voice starts speaking.
"Cap....on your left." Sam speaks in our ears and Steve and I both turn our head. Through a portal, out walks T'Challa, Shuri, and Okoye and Sam flies out. Dozens of glowing shimmering portals appear and more and more people walk out. I want to cry, I honestly do. There's Peter Parker-and Doctor Strange-I'm guessing those are the Guardians of the Galaxy. Thousands walk out of the portals. I swallow hard, knowing that I can't give up now. I almost shit my pants when a purple Iron Man suit lands in front of Peter, knowing that really only one person can be in said suit. Soon enough, my team-our team is around Steve and I. There's a ridiculous smile on my face. I kiss my husband's cheek happily before lighting my body on fire.
It should be noted now that there has been many times in which I've stood on a battlefield, three at least-New York City, Sokovia, Wakanda. They all were so different from each other and somehow, the stakes have only got higher and higher. Every time I've stood on a battlefield, I've been in a different position in my life. In New York, I was extremely independent, an heiress and an agent. I drank like a fish and had more sexual partners than most. I only cared about myself and my brother with some room for Natasha and maybe Clint. In Sokovia, I was in love but I was incredibly betrayed. I had just found out that I was the other woman so I wasn't the best mentally. Wakanda was extremely different. I was married and pregnant and I knew I had to fight for the future of my child. I fought as much as I could. Now? Now I'm a mother and I'm still married. And I wasn't going to go down without a fight.
"Avengers!" Steve calls out, calling Mjolnir back into his hand as Thor and Tony land beside us, "Assemble." We all sort of scream and fly alongside my brother and my sister in law into battle. I zoom past them, throwing fireball after fireball onto the aliens, burning them to a crisp. I land beside Sam, who is firing his guns away, helping him out. I burn through disgusting aliens, leaving their charred bodies in a heap on the floor.
"Hey momma, how are you?" He shouts out over the noise of battle. We stand back to back, killing as many aliens as possible. The scent of death was thick in the air.
"I could be better. I had the baby!" I yell back, throwing aliens aside with a wave of my hand. Sam laughs, obviously happy to see me.
"I would hope so. Sam Jr.?" He guess and I grin, shaking my head. God, it felt good to have him back, it really did. I wish I could give him a huge hug but there's killing to be done.
"No. Benjamin. Benny for short!" I shout at him before flying off, going where I need to go. I'm almost too involved in the battle when I see a relay happening with the Gauntlet and my eyes widen when I see Peter with it. Oh I definitely didn't want the kid getting hurt. I'll take everyone out if that kid gets hurt.
"Petey bird, you need help?" I ask over the comms but I quickly see a mess developing. There was too much going on, way too much. I couldn't focus.
"I'm sorry did you call Parker "Petey bird?" Tony asks over the comms and I roll my eyes. I set fire to what looks almost like a dragon.
"It's okay, Mrs Stark-Rogers. I like it!" Peter screams as he swings through the air. I smile and I suddenly realize why Tony took this kid in. He truly is something else. In that moment, I realize that it might be a good idea to stay away from the Gauntlet, especially with how excited the whispers got whenever I grew near it. They wanted me to use it again so it definitely is better if I just stayed away from it. You know you want it. You should use it again. Use it.
"Hang on, I got you kid." Pepper says and I grabs him as I fly around Peter, clearing up the skies as he lands on the back of a...Pegasus? Oh. Okay. I guess that was a thing now. I look down and I see that Bucky has gotten himself into a pickle so I fly down, covering him with my body as I burn everything around us, turning aliens into ash. Bucky doesn't even get a chance to respond before I salute him and fly off. I lift rocks with my hands, launching them at everyone who isn't on our side in between the onslaught of fireballs. None of these fuckers are going to take my family from me, not again.
I land in front of the rest of the women, smirking. My blonde hair is messily pulled up as I walk in front of the women. I definitely was going to need a shower after all of this mess. Maybe seven. Seven showers before I even look at Benjamin. I don't want him to see his mother like this, no matter how badass I might look. I push away the thoughts of my son and I instead focus once more on the task at hand. I. All my hands together, turning around to look at my female troops. Valkyrie smiles and winks at me. I blush and smile, giggling ever so slightly.
"Alright ladies, I don't know if I need to tell you this, but let's go out there and kill these fuckers before they can kill you. Got it? Great. Go team." I tell them all with a smile of my face. I gotta say, I do love being surrounded by such beautiful women, even if it's because we are going to kill a gigantic army. Single me would have been thriving. I fly off, a fiery beacon against the dark sky. Unluckily for me, that attracts the attention of one of those large Chitauri ships. I zip through the air, trying to think of something before I turn around and open my mouth, letting a steam of fire slip out. The white hot fire consumes the large beast. I'm pretty amazed by how well that worked out. I looked down and I see my brother struggling with Thanos, who is wearing the gauntlet. Shit shit shit.
I try to help with Thanos as much as I can, launching fireball after fireball at him, trying to kill him before he can do anything with the gauntlet he has on. I hit him and hit him before he grabs me by my foot and throws me into something hard. Pain erupts all over my body and I swear I heard a few bones crack. I should probably stay down, but Tony gets back up, so I have to as well. I cry out as I stand, coughing up some blood. There was a sharp pain whenever I breathed. I'm so weak, my powers practically drained. I try to move forward, closer to my brother, but I can't. I feel dead on my feet.
"I am...inevitable." Thanos tells us grimly as he smiles at the both of us. There's nothing I can really do as he moves to snap his fingers. I prepare myself for the destruction Thanos wanted, but it never comes. Thanos is shocked and he looks at the Nano Gauntlet and I'm shocked to see that there isn't any stones. I hear a noise and I force myself to move forward. Tony has them-No no no no. My brother is struggling under the power and I can't shout-I can't do anything. Oh my God, oh my God.
"I am...Iron Man." Tony forces out before he snaps his fingers. The white light is almost blinding but as soon as it clears, I run towards my brother, who is now struggling to stand. I catch him before he falls, my eyes looking at his injuries. His arm is badly, disgusting charred, as is his face. I look down that whole half of his body is very burned. I lean him up against a piece of concrete, helping him sit down. There's tears in my eyes because his eyes aren't focusing on anything. I carefully hold his face, forcing him to look at me. Tony smiles at me, well as much as he can smile in his state.
"Hey, can you hear me? You're okay, alright? You're going to be okay." I tell him as I look at him, trying to keep him with the land of the living. Rhodey lands beside us, his hand carefully touching Tony's hair. Peter soon arrives as well. The webslinger moves to sit down next to me. The kid is a mess, hiccuping through his tears as he realizes what has happened.
"Mr Stark? H-Hey, Mr Stark. Can you hear me? It's Peter. Hey, we won. Mr. Stark, we won, Mr Stark. We did it, Mr Stark. You did it. I'm sorry." Peter says in between his crying. Pepper rests her hand on his shoulder, moving him aside so she can sit beside me. My sister in law looks at me for a moment before looking at her husband.
"Hey." Pepper says softly and Tony seems to finally notice she is there. He mumbles something, holding Pepper's hand to his arc reactor. I'm trying not cry anymore, but I can't exactly help it. That's my brother, the only family I have and I can't stand to seem him like this. Is this how he felt when he saw me bleeding out after what Ultron did to me?
"Friday?" I ask, sniffling softly. The tears mix with the blood and grime on my face. I put my hand on his undamaged shoulder, trying to soothe my brother in anyway I can.
"Vitals are low." The AI responds and Tony sort of shrugs at us. Pepper looks at me and I know what that look is saying. Rhodey rests his hand on my back. I nod, letting Pepper know that I'm okay with her decision. It's not like I have much of a choice.
"Tony, look at me. We're gonna be okay. You can rest now." Pepper tells him softly, smiling slightly. I sniffle and I look at my brother. I smile at him too.
"It's okay, Tony. It's okay." I say softly, forcing it out because he's not going to make it. He knows it and we know it, so Tony lets go. When my brother stops breathing, his arc reactor shuts off, his eyes not closing, my heart breaks-it shatters in my chest. I reach forward and carefully shut his eyes for the last time. I carefully take the Infinity Stone covered gauntlet off of his hand, throwing it behind me. That's when I start crying, carefully pulling my brother's body close. I kiss his forehead, trying not to notice the smell of burnt flesh. It's like it's just the two of us, like it was in the beginning. Just the two of us. The Last Starks, Tones and Pey. I want to go back to those days, to when the most of our worries was Justin Hammer making a shitty version of Tony's suit or Justin Hammer attempting to hit on me. Not when aliens rained down from the sky. Pepper is still beside me, her hand on my back. Her hand is rubbing my back, trying to soothe me. Pepper kisses Tony's forehead as well as she starts crying as well.
"You're okay, you're okay. Okay? You're going to be okay." I tell him through my tears, even though he's long gone. I just cry and hold onto my brother. He's cold and he's stiff. He's dead. Tony Stark is dead. My brother is dead.
-
I had three broken ribs, a lot of blood loss, a lot of damage to my arm, a concussion, some internal bleeding, a cut on my head, gash in my leg I didn't notice. I was a fucking mess, so I just let the doctors and nurses work on me. I had no reason to fight them. All of it gets done in a regular hospital because we have no other choice. The base is gone, completely and utterly destroyed. All of the Avengers to go to the same hospital, but I don't really notice. I just sit there and go through the motions. I should be in immense pain, but only my heart hurts. I just stare at the window, watching the rain fall over New York City. The others, my teammates, tiptoe around me. Steve had to drag me away kicking and screaming from my brother's body. I didn't want to leave him, but the coroner had to take him away. I wish he could take me away too.
My husband sits beside me, but he doesn't really comfort me. I think he's only there because the others expect him to be by my side in time like this. I doubt he notices when I leave to shower, to scrub away the violence and death of today. Happy brings Benjamin and Morgan to the Tower, which is where we all go after we are all cleared from the hospital. I immediately take my son into my arms as soon as I see him, not even caring about the stitches and how they get pulled when I kneel to his level or when I wrap my arms around him. I just hold onto my son as tightly as possible. I'm glad to be here with him, I just wish my brother could be here as well. I pull away to look at him, my hand carefully cupping his soft little cheek. I know Steve is standing beside me now. He had showered and changed as well. I'm glad he did because Benjamin doesn't need to see his father like that.
"Mommy, you okay?" Benjamin asks, his small green eyes full of concern. There's a soreness in my throat as my emotions well up again. I just kiss his forehead before I stand up with Rhodey's help. My friend gives me a smile of sympathy. Steve comes up beside me, picking up Benjamin. I want to smile at the sight of my son and my husband together, but I can't. I have to turn away. Instead, I go help Pepper with what has to be the hardest thing to do as a parent. I follow Pepper and Morgan into what used to be Pepper and Tony's bedroom when they lived in the tower. We all sit on the bed and Pepper and I look at Morgan. My niece is smart, just like her father was. Was. She notices quickly that something is wrong.
"Mommy, where's daddy?" She asks, looking at Pepper. My sister in law freezes like a deer in the headlights and she looks at me for some help. I realize quickly that I can't just sit here and be depressed as much as I would like to. I need to step up. So I lowered myself to the ground so I could look at her in the eyes. It's what Aunt Peggy did to me when she told me that my parents were dead. I sigh as I look at my niece, not ready to shatter her little world.
"Morgan, when we were fighting today, your daddy saved the world but he passed away. You understand what that means right?" I say softly, putting my emotions at bay in order to break this soul crushing news to my young niece. Morgan's eyebrows knit together as tears well up in her eyes. Pepper has tears rolling down her cheeks and I'm no different.
"He...he died?" She asks, her voice cracking. I nod slowly, wiping away her tears with my thumb.
"Yes. It's okay to be sad, okay? I'm sad and your mommy is sad too. Your daddy loved you so much." I tell her and Morgan nods, sniffling. Pepper wraps her arm around her child.
"He loved you too, Auntie Pey. A lot." Morgan responds and I look away, wiping away my tears. I nod and smile at Morgan. I pull her and Pepper in for a hug, holding them both close. I ignore the pain my body is in and just hold them, because that's all I can offer them.