I'm dreading this chapter.
I sat down comfortably, hoping no one would be like. 'Oh it's an avenger how cool let's talk to her'
No, don't talk to me because I'll freeze your mouth shut.
I looked to my right and noticed a woman yelling. "Costel? We were in the market. Costel?!"
I sighed and got up. "I'll go find him ma'm."
I walked off and towards the market that was very close to the lifeboat.
The area was so dusty that even squinting didn't work. I stopped walking and looked around.
I spotted him by some rubble and dashed over to him, the sooner we get back onto the lifeboat the better.
"Hey Costel." I put my arms out like a mother picking up a baby. "Your family is looking for you, let's go there shall we?"
He had a good sized cut on his forehead. I got worse. He's handling this all very well.
He nodded and reached for me. I picked him up and started walking back to the lifeboats.
Rapid gunfire was heard somewhere, I can see Thor and Dad far off on my right.
The gunfire was going right for them, "WATCH OUT!" I yelled as loud as I could.
They disappeared in the dirt and dust coming up from the bullets hitting the ground, just then I realized it was coming right for me.
Typical.
The boy tightened his hold around me, he was scared probably as much as I am.
I crouched down, putting myself over the boy. I'll take a bullet for a child any day. Like Peggy would do for me.
A strong force basically almost pushed me over. I didn't feel a single bullet hit me.
I glanced up.
Pietro stood right there, countless bullet wounds all over his body.
I felt my heart being ripped from my chest.
I don't care if I knew him only two days, he's an avenger.
I consider him a friend.
"You didn't see that coming." He spoke weakly.
Tears streamed down my face. I stood there holding the boy in my arms, not moving a muscle.
Is this what shock is like? Not being able to move?
He toppled over and hit the ground. His eyes didn't leave mine.
"Kid." Clint ran up to me, taking the boy from my arms.
I blinked and crouched down to Pietro.
"Get up." I shook him. "God, please get up Pietro."
Dad came up and pulled me up. "Hazel, it's okay."
"Get off!" I pushed him away, he let me go and picked up Pietro.
Clint wrapped him around around my shoulder. "Let's go."
You know the numb feeling? I felt it when Phil died, again when Fury died but it was fake.
The feeling that it should've been you?
It never goes away.
I didn't realize that I was sat down back onto the lifeboat.
My brain stopped processing when he hit the ground.
A medic came over to help my countless wounds but I waved him off. "No..I'm fine go help the others."
I stood up. I can't stand being around all of the tears. I can't feel anymore sadness.
Dad was standing two feet away from lifeboat.
"Why wasn't it me." I whispered, he always hears me.
"Please..." I heard his voice breaking. "Don't think that way." He turned to me.
"I can't lose you too." He hugged me.
"Heck no, I'm stuck to you like marshmallow on a smore." I replied. My humor will never fail to prevail in moments like these.
"Can we please not be avengers for a couple of days after this?"
I leaned my head on his shoulder. We got peace finally but not in the way I have hoped.
The ground started to shake. Dad instantly grabbed me and threw us back on the edge of the lifeboat.
The city completely fell down. I pulled myself back in, there's water under us and I still hate it.
I sat down, finally accepting the medic to help me.
All the families were hugging eachother, we didn't get as many casualties as we could have had.
I looked down at Pietro and closed his eyes.
"She'll be okay, I promise." I referred to Wanda.
• • •
A few days later.
Do I wish I wasn't an avenger? Yes
Do I regret being in sokovia? No.
I guess that's the life of a 'hero'
It's literally imbedded in my dna, I only had one taste of that life as a kid.
Peggy gave me a normal childhood but I now know I wasn't meant to have a normal life, Period.
I hummed my own made up song while staring up at the blue sky.
The fresh cut grass feels great. I bet an ant isn't even on site.
"Are you done day dreaming?" I heard the familiar voice.
"Are you done ruining my sense of smell? You smell like dead ostriches." I closed my eyes.
"Okay fine no food for you then."
I stood up and looked at Tony, his orange car was next to him. "Where's the food?"
"In the fridge, along with all the other food you eat."
"Hippity hoppity get off my property lier."
"It's my property."
"I was born first."
"Okay Elsa I get it."
I walked inside, dad was over this place now and I was going to be trained by Natasha.
I'll be able to kick anybody's ass, even Dad's if it came down to it.
Nah I take that back.
I follow Tony inside. Dad's been letting me relax and I'm enjoying it. I'm only a kid after all.
Inside was busy, people were coming from all over to this new base.
I spotted Thor talking to Dad, Tony walked right up to them.
I stood back for a bit, watching some new agents outside struggling to keep up.
Thor, Dad and Tony started walking so I followed.
"The rules have changed." Dad said, I started to focus on the conversation.
"We're dealing with something new."
"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence."
"A machine."
"So it doesn't count."
"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer." Not this again, they won't accept that Vision is better then them.
"Right. Different rules for us."
"Nice guy, but artificial."
"Thank you." Wow they agree on something? Is this the end of times?
"He's still a newborn child and he's already a million times more cooler then you Tony." I snickered.
Tony gave me an offended look.
"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply." Thor finally replied.
"But if you put the hammer in an elevator..." I said, thinking.
"It would still go up." Tony pointed.
"Elevator's not worthy."
"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours." Thor shook my shoulder a bit.
"Well, not if you don't leave." Tony said.
"
I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..." we made a turn outside.
"I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right... yet to fail, nonetheless."
The reminder came into my mind, the voice was so menacing, so dark.
"You good young Rogers?" Thor noticed my uncomfortableness.
"Yeah uh, I just got lightheaded." I smiled for a second.
"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony put on his shades.
"You think you can find out what's coming?"
Thor backed up from us and stood in the grass. "I do. Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained." Thor lifted his hammer, traveling back to Asgard.
"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance."
I looked at the messed up grass. "That was my sky gazing spot." I pouted.
"I'm gonna miss him though. And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears." Tony's car came up beside him as we walked.
"I will miss you, Tony." Dad said.
Tony looked at me.
"Ugh uh yeah I'll miss you too." I rolled my eyes.
Tony gave me a fist bump. This is why he can't connect with the youth.
"Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up."
"I'll make sure to blow it up." I mumbled under my breath.
"The simple life."
"You'll get there one day."
"I don't know, family, stability. The guy who wanted all that went in the ice seventy-five years ago. I think someone else came out." He looked at me. "I got what I need here."
Tony turned to get in his car. "You alright?"
"I'm home."
Tony and Dad said their goodbyes.
"I'll race you back inside." I took off, trying to get a head start but he ran right past me. "On your left."
"DAMN IT!"
• • •
We stopped running when we got inside.
Natasha was staring at the wall.
"You want to keep staring at the wall, or do you want to go to work?" Dad teased, Nat turned around.
"I mean, it's a pretty interesting wall." I shrugged.
"I thought you and Tony were still gazing into each other's eyes. How do we look?"
"Well, we're not the '27 Yankees." Dad handed her a tablet.
"We've got some hitters."
"They're good. They're not a team."
"Let's beat 'em into shape."
Wait do what now?
We walked into room next to us. I walked down the steps but Dad stood by the door with Nat behind him.
Rhodes, Sam, Wanda and Vision all gathered.
"Avengers...."
ASSEMBLE! Oh god we got one chapter left, well technically two counting the post credits but then we got civil war, oh dear lord.