The Valiant (The Seventh Avenger)

Chapter 25

Tony announced that the Avengers Facility had finished construction so we decided to visit there to check it out. Clint was already gone due to the fact that Laura had gone into labor, Bruce is still missing but Fury told me that something had crashed near Fiji but he wasn't so sure if it was him. Thor was also leaving today to look for the Infinity Stones and I offered to go but Tony is making me stay so I can finish my education. 

I rode with Tony to the facility in complete silence. It felt weird that this was going to be our new home for the Avengers and a new home for me in a few months. After I graduate from Middle School I will be becoming an Avenger a full time. My friends think that I will be going to a different high school that is closer to my home. Tony already set everything up for me and Wanda to have a tutor. She's a year older than me but we will be at the same level when we start. 

We get out of the car once it reaches the garage and meet up with Steve and Thor to say goodbye to them. I'm going to remain at the Avengers Tower so I can finish up school. We begin to walk down to the open area so Thor wouldn't be able to destroy anything. 

"The rules have changed," Steve says. 

"We're dealing with something new," Tony continues. 

"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence," Steve says. 

"A machine," I say. "So it doesn't technically count." 

"Right, it's not like a person lifting the hammer," Tony says before Steve continues. 

"Different rules for us." 

"Nice guy, artificial." 

"He can keep the hammer, he can keep the mind stone," Thor says. "It's safe with the Vision. And in these days safe is in short supply." 

"What if you put the hammer in an elevator?" I ask. 

"It would still go up," Tony says. 

"Elevator's not worthy," Steve finishes. 

"I'm gonna miss these little talks of ours," Thor pats Tony be the shoulder. 

"Not if you don't leave," I say. 

"I have no choice, the Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. It's not a coincidence," we walk out onto the grass as a group of soldiers pass by us. "Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us and once these pieces are all in position..." 

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony says. 

"Do you think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asks.

"I do," Thos says stepping away from us. "Besides these two," he points at me and Tony, "there are nothing that can't be explained." He nods to the three of us before lifting his hammer in the air and being taken by the Rainbow Bridge. 

We all look down at the ground to see designs burnt into the grass. 

"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance," Tony says. "I'm going to miss him though, and you're going to miss me. There's going to be a lot of manful tears." Tony points at the garage and presses a button on his keys, his car starts and beeps as I see it pull out of its spot and slowly make its way towards us. 

"I will miss you, Tony," Steve says, "and you Grace."

"Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I shout take a page out of Barton's book. Maybe build a farm for Pepper, hope nobody blows it up."

"The simple life," Steve says. 

"You'll get there one day," Tony puts on his glasses and looks between the two of us. I just shrug. 

"I don't know. Family, stability. The guy who wanted that went into the ice seventy years ago, a different one came out." Tony makes his way to the car signaling for me to say goodbye to Steve. I hug him before making my way to the passenger seat. We were all going to see each other again tomorrow for Pietro's funeral but I knew this would be the last happy time we'd see each other for a while. 

"You alright?" Tony asks him. 

"I'm home," Steve simply says as we hear soldiers shout in the distance. Tony climbs in the car as I do and closes the door. He takes a deep breath before taking control of the wheel and driving back towards the Avengers Tower.