The Valiant (The Seventh Avenger)

Chapter 99

More and more of the Stone's energy fills me and my body begins to float. I hold his hand open to stop him from snapping his fingers and fear begins to fill his eyes as my body becomes a ball of light. I reach out into his mind and time just stops.

I find myself somewhere new, stars twinkle their way around me and silence filled the air.

"Dance with me," I turn to find Loki reaching his hand out to me. I can't move nor can I breathe, I can't do anything. My flames won't appear at my sides and when I look back up Loki's gone and is replaced by Peter Parker.

"Dance with me," he says, his brown eyes smiling over at me and his hand reaches out towards me, waiting for me to take it. He's wearing the same outfit as he did at that school dance. I shake my head and find my footing, backing up into the endless abyss of darkness.

"This isn't real," I continuously whisper and it soon grows into screams, "This isn't real!"

A chuckle echoed and everything goes dark, I twist and turn trying to find the origin of the noise but can't. But despite all of that, the laugh could not be missed, it was Thanos'.

"You truly are powerful, Agerathea," his voice echoes, "but not as powerful as me."

My eyes open and I find myself still holding the gauntlet but it's closed. Thanos smirks up at me and takes the power stone out of the gauntlet. His fist closes around it and he punches me, the power becomes too much. The light absorbs me and blasts me away from the Mad Titan, a scream scratches its way out of my throat and I tumble over and over until stopping dozens of yards away from him.

I groan and glance up at the scene. Thanos' scorching purple arm places the power stone back in its place and he cries out in pain from the radiation coursing its way through him. A figure runs up to Thanos and latches itself onto the gauntlet.

Tony

Thanos punches and kicks him before whacking him away. I go numb as Thanos readjusts the glove on his hand and raises it up. His gaze flicking between Tony and I and smiles ominously at us.

"I am inevitable," he asserts and smiles wickedly before snapping his fingers. My heart leaps in its chest as I wait for pain like before to erupt inside me but it never comes. Instead, a clank fills the air and I glance at Thanos who gazes fearfully at his gauntlet before returning his gaze back to Tony.

The stones rise into Tony's own backhand, each glowing brighter and brighter than any before. Electricity from the gamma radiation sparks up his arm and he embraces the pain. He stares up at the monster who caused all of this to happen to him. Who inflicted pain and loss and hell unto all of us.

A flash of the vision with the crows appears in my head and fear trickles its way through me. He's one of the crows, the one who had a tint of brown which means Nat was the other one. What if it was representing one or the other? What if they both die from this?

I sprint faster than I ever have towards Tony as he speaks his possible last five words.

"And I am Iron Man."

He snaps his fingers and white, hot pain screeches its way through me. My legs give out and I fall to the ground, reaching my hands out as the floor changes to water and orange light replaces the grey. My suit changed from the white to the black one and as I stand I find myself shorter than I was before. My hand grazes over my hair, which is now in a high ponytail without the braids and I find it is the long, curly, brown hair it was when I was younger.

I look up and find two figures standing in the distance and begin to make my way towards them. Ripples of water surround my feet from each step I take. What if this is just another illusion like the last time? What if this is just another one of his tricks? I stopped a few steps away from Tony and a girl who faces away from me, the two of them talk to each other and I focus my attention on the soul world. So this is where everyone who dusted spent the past five years.

"I love you three-thousand," the girl says before turning around and facing me. She offers a soft smile to me and my breath hitches in my throat. It was the girl from the photo in the vision, she towers over me as she passes and takes my hand for a moment before continuing. It was Morgan, a grown version of her at least. I watch her for a few moments and smile. She is a beautiful, strong girl.

I turn to Tony and he offers a smile that doesn't reach his eyes, instead tears well in them and he opens his arms. I walk up and embrace him, he kisses the top of my head and we break apart for a moment.

I turn back towards Morgan for a moment and find her still walking, but her body begins to vanish.

"I love you, fireball," Tony says and a chuckle escapes my lips from the old nickname. Water burns in my eyes and I let them flow down my cheeks freely for the first time in years. Tony takes me in and gently shushes me. My gaze returns to Morgan who fades away into nothingness and I return it back to Tony, taking a deep breath now that I came down to a decision. I break apart and look up at him, my body shaking in anticipation of what is to come.

"I love you too, dad," he smiles at the last word and I silently pray to my brothers and sisters that this works, "but I have a promise to keep."

Green flames burst to life at my sides and I begin to lift into the air.