stormsinafrica | Entries tagged with angst

( You're about to view content that the poster has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

Current Music: 3216

When Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Monica moved out of the tower to live in his childhood home, which had once belonged to his parents, Rhodey made a promise to Ethan and Eva. He assured them that they would be able to spend a couple of weeks there during the summer. After a few years, the time finally came for them to fulfill this promise.

As soon as they arrived, Ethan eagerly ventured into the neighborhood with his cousin Colton, leaving Eva with Aunt Monica since there were no other girls her age to play with. While Monica didn't mind having her niece around, Eva often found herself bored with the grown-up activities they engaged in. Recognizing this, they had a conversation with the boys about including Eva more in their adventures.

Although the boys agreed, they seem to do so somewhat reluctantly. Nevertheless, the morning after their discussion, the boys made plans to explore the neighborhood together again and invited Eva to join them.

"Be careful, kids!" Rhodey called out as the three of them embarked on their bikes.

"We will, Dad!" Colton promised, taking the lead.

They rode down the street and turned onto the next one, prompting Eva to inquire, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" Ethan replied, his voice carrying back to her.

Eva shrugged and followed her brother and cousin.

After a series of twists and turns, the boys stopped in front of an old, abandoned house.

Eva swallowed nervously and surveyed her surroundings. "I... I don't think we should be here, Ethan!"

But Colton and Ethan had already left their bikes at the curb and were motioning for her to follow them.

"Come on, Evie!" Ethan yelled.

Eva still had a feeling they shouldn't be doing this even as she abandoned her bike too, and hurried to catch up with them.

"You know, they say this place is cursed," Ethan told his sister.

"There's no such thing, Ethan!" she said, bravely.

"Oh, yes there is!" Colton interjected, "A whole family got murdered here, three of them kids! Now their spirits are trapped in the house's walls!"

Eva stopped a few feet in front of the door, "I don't want to go in!"

Her brother shrugged, "Okay, suit yourself but exploring this house is what we were planning to do today. If you don't want to come with us, you don't have to."

"Okay, I won't!" she said, and she start back for her bike.

"Just don't tell my Mom or Dad what we're doing!" Colton called out. "And don't go back home!"

"But I don't want to stay here!" Eva exclaimed.

The boys shrugged, "Again, you wanted to tag along with us!"

"Why are you being so mean, Ethan?" Eva asked, her voice trembling.

Ethan didn't answer her for a moment, then said, "I'm not trying to be mean. I just wanted me and Colton to be able to hang out and do what we want without anyone else."

"Yeah, we really didn't want a little scaredy cat tagging along with us to begin with!" Colton added.

Eva stared at them, tears welled up in her eyes, and overflowed. She turned and bolted back to her bike, riding off on it before they could stop her.

"Great!" Ethan grumbled, turning to Colton, "You know she's going back to tell on us!"

"Yeah, if she doesn't get lost first!"

At hearing that, it only took Ethan a second to go get on his bike, and take off after his sister.

Colton rolled his eyes, and got on his own bike, knowing if he did't catch them, they'd both get lost.

"Eva! Wait!" Ethan yelled.

Eva looked back when she heard him, and started pedaling faster, "Leave me alone!"

"Eva, stop!" he yelled, increasing his speed.

"No! I hate you! Leave me alone!" she yelled.

Colton huffed as he increased his speed to catch up with Ethan, "We've got to stop her! She's come up to the intersection!"

Ethan nodded, and pedaled as fast as he could go.

Eva saw him and went faster.

Colton pumped harder and passed Ethan.

Eva saw him and tried to increase the gap between them.

He came up beside her, "Stop!"

"No!"

"Stop now!" he ordered again.

She shook her head.

Colton reached up and grabbed her handle bars.

A car's horn was heard blowing.

Colton turned them both to the side of the road where the both crashed.

The driver of the car got out and ran over to them, "Are you kids okay?"

Eva was crying her eyes out, and Colton was cringing.

"Stay there, and don't move. I'll call 9-1-1!" the driver said.

Ethan arrived at that second, stopping then dropping his bike, and ran over to his sister and cousin.

He knelt beside her, "Evie, what's wrong?"

"My arm hurts really bad!" Eva whimpered, clutching it against herself.

"Let me see—"

"No, don't touch her! Her arm might be broken," the driver said, "I've called an ambulance. They'll take care of her arm." He looked at Colton, "Are you okay?"

Colton nodded, "I think so."

"They can look you over too just to be safe. Do you have a phone or do I need to call your parents?"

"Yeah I've got a phone. In my backpack."

"I think you should get it out and call them. Let them know what's happened, and that you're little sister have to go to the hospital."

Colton nodded, and took off his backpack.

"We're going to be in such big trouble for this!" Ethan said.

"Yeah, I know. Man, do I know!" the other boy agreed as he dialed his aunt.

Current Music: 940 words

innitmarvelous_og

Laura Barton sat alone on the porch of her farmhouse, unable to bear being inside a moment longer today as she could see all her husband's unfinished projects. It had been three long and excruciating weeks since Clint's execution, a shocking event that still seemed surreal yet there was no denying it had been all too real. When the order had been given for the shots to be fired, her world and her heart had been shattered along with his. The pain of losing Clint in such a way was almost unbearable, and she wondered if she would ever find solace again.

As she stared out into the distance really seeing nothing, and lost in her thoughts, the glare of an approaching car captured her attention. She sighed, and prayed that the media had not at last found her family's home as she was sure they'd been looking since before Clint's execution. She thought about going inside the house and locking the door before whoever it was got too close, but then she realized she didn't care. If it were the media, then she'd finally have a chance to tell the world about the man she knew and loved. However, when the car stopped, and the occupant got out, she was surprised to see the familiar face of Pepper Potts Stark.

Why was she here? Pepper of all people was only a few feet away from her, and Laura couldn't understand why she would come to see her. But then when Pepper was only a few feet away, Laura could see that her eyes were both red and weary, mirroring the pain she also felt inside. The truth was, their lives had been forever changed by the actions and the loss of the two men they had loved.

Pepper's voice was laden with sorrow when she said, "Mrs. Barton, I am so very sorry for your loss."

Laura nodded in response, tears shining in her eyes, "Thank you for coming, Mrs. Stark—"

"Pepper. Please call me Pepper."

"Then I am Laura. As I was saying, thank you for coming. I... I don't know how to cope with this."

Pepper gestured as the chair to her asking permission to sit, and Laura nodded.

Pepper's smile was a sad. sympathetic one as she seated herself, "I understand, Laura. I know losing Tony was the hardest thing I've ever faced. When he died... after he died,,, the sun didn't just stop shining. There was no sun for me anymore. And, with Clint..."

Her voice trailed off, the unspoken words left hanging heavily between them. Both of them knew just how far Clint had gone during those Five Years in his quest for revenge. SHIELD's decision to actually honor the world's request to execute him had been unexpected, but it seemed even Fury thought he needed to be held accountable.

"Tony's funeral was beautiful... peaceful," Laura said softly, adding when Pepper raised an eyebrow, "I came to the funeral with Clint and our kids. I think you were in the same fog then as the one I've been in since they... oh our kids. Lila and Cooper are old enough to understand what happened to their father but they still can't understand it., Neither can I! I know what Clint did to all those people was wrong, but he wasn't a monster, Pepper! He wasn't! He just got lost in all his anger and pain and he just lashed out!"

Pepper nodded, "And I regret that we didn't do anything to try to help him." She did too, because maybe if they'd tried to help him, he wouldn't have gone on such a bloody crusade, and he would still be here with his family.

Laura laughed sardonically, "Thank you for saying that, but I know you couldn't have helped him if you'd tried. He still had Nat then. And if she couldn't help him, then any attempt you may have made would've been even more hopeless."

"Even so, I am sorry that we didn't at least try to help him."

"Thank you for saying that."

Pepper nodded her eyes were, filled with kinship as she said, "You know you said you don't know how to explain this to your kids in a way they can finally understand what's happened?"

Laura nodded, "Yes?"

"Oh, Laura, there's no easy way to explain or even understand something like this. I wish there were but even after three months, I am still finding myself struggling what to say to Morgan in the moments when all she wants is her Daddy, and that's very often. She and Tony were so close and I'm not sure she still understands that he will never come home again."

"Then what kind of light can there possibly be, Pepper?" Laura asked, wiping away tear, her voice breaking with grief. "Tell me, what's left for us without him? What's left for my kids and me without Clint there with us?"

Pepper took a deep breath, and when she spoke her voice was one of grief and hope, "There is very little, if I am honest. But the sun has started to come out a little for me. I see the sunlight the most when I am looking into my daughter's eyes. I see so much of Tony in her. I see his spirit and his determination. And I am reminded that even in life's darkest times, there's still a flicker of hope. It might be a tiny one, but it is there. You have a daughter and a son right?"

"A daughter and two sons," Laura corrected.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have remembered."

"No, don't apologize. There's no way you could have. Not with what you were going through at that time."

Pepper nodded, and continued with what she was going to say, "I have Morgan but you were... blessed to have three children with Clint. They're three chances and places to look for signs of him whenever you're really missing him. Clint lives on through them, just like Tony lives on in Morgan."

She sighed, and went on, "I know this is going to sound like a tired, old cliché but with every day that's passing I am learning it's truth. Time heals all wounds. It may not feel like it right now, but eventually the pain will lessen, and you'll find a way to move on."

"Move on? How can you say that, Pepper? Clint is gone, and my kids will never see their father again!"

"I'm not saying you have to forget him, Laura. But you need to try to focus on the good memories and the life and the love you shared with him. You have to keep going, for both you and your kids. I know I don't know you well yet, but I believe you are a strong woman. You would have to be, to have been married to someone who was an agent a long time before he became an Avenger. So I believe you can do this."

"I'm not feeling particularly strong, Pepper. Instead, I feel like a hollowed out shell of who used to be Laura Barton. Everything, everywhere I look I am reminded of him, and I don't how to make the flood turn off."

"It won't, Laura, or at least not entirely. But with time, and taking it day day, you'll start to feel like yourself again. Or as much as you can with someone you loved so much being gone. And, in the meantime, if I am not too much of a stranger to be saying this... but I want to be here for you, if I can. If you want me too. I know the circumstances of our husbands deaths were not quite the same, but we're in the same boat, and I just want you to know you are not alone in this, okay?"

Tears streamed down her face and Laura wiped them before she reached out to take Pepper's hand, "Thank you, Pepper. I really appreciate you reaching out to me like this. We don't really know each other, but I would like to get to know you. It would be nice to have someone to be able to talk to and cry with when one or both of us need it."

A sad smile graced Pepper's lips, "We'll get through this. Together."

Current Music: 1395 words

innitmarvelous_og

When Clint's eyes fluttered open, his surroundings were a distortion of blurred shapes and colors. He felt as though someone were banging on his head with Thor's hammer, with every beat of his heart sending a jolt of pain through his temples. He struggled to make sense in his disoriented state, to find his way through the fog that had wrapped itself around his thoughts.

Little by little, tiny fragments of memories pierced through the fog. He recalled the cold, rigid touch of the metal pole against his back, the din of the SHIELD STRIKE team readying their weapons, and the deafening shots that still echoed in his ears.

"What the..." His voice came out as a raspy murmur, barely heard above the muted ache that pulsed through his body when he made an attempt to sit up. He clenched his teeth, then he yielded to the protesting of his enervated form, his muscles refusing to comply.

With a renewal of determination, he forced his eyes to open once more, striving to understand his surroundings. The room, saturated in sterile white, enlightened his blurred vision. The unforgiving glare from the lights overhead penetrated through his fogginess, magnifying the pounding in his head. As he took a deep breath, the sharp of disinfectants seized his nostrils, flooding his senses and leaving an almost metallic taste in his mouth.

At that moment, a door swung open on the other end of the room, revealing Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD, clad in his customary black attire. Clint's heart, which shouldn't have been beating at all, skipped a beat in his chest. As he watched Fury approach, conflicting emotions swelled within him. This was the man who had betrayed him, the one who had carried out the order for Clint's execution. In the moments leading up to his supposed death by firing squad, Clint had told Fury he had understood why he had to be the one to give the order. But that'd had been a lie. The truth was, he couldn't comprehend how Fury, the Director, could have been the one who ordered his own agents to kill one of their brothers.

Fury's face was as stern as it ever was when he approached Clint, but also he got closer, Clint could also see a tiny bit of kindness. He wasted no time with a preamble but told Clint simply in a low, steady voice, "You're alive now because I arranged for your death to be faked at your execution. There was no way I could let the world take you away from your family forever."

Clint's emotions were a tangled web while his mind raced. All he'd wanted to be with his family again through those five long years they were dead. He'd literally had two weeks with them following Tony's funeral, and then he'd been arrested. He doesn't know how the world learned about what he'd done so quickly because even when he'd been consumed by his rage, he concealed his identity. He doesn't know how the world found out... unless one of the Avengers who had known of his Ronin identity had given the media their anonymous tip.

"How long have I been here, sir? How long since my exe.."

"It's been eighteen hours since you stood in front of the firing squad."

"So the world thinks I'm dead?" Clint asked.

"Yes, they do. We made sure we staged your execution so convincingly that every person who tuned into the broadcast now believes they watched a SHIELD firing squad shoot you through the heart," Fury replied.

"Okay, I'm dead to the world. What now? Am I going to have to spend the rest of my life in some hideout somewhere, where I'll never see my family again? Is that what I've been saved for?" Clint countered, his anger and despair rising with every word.

Fury frowned, as it was his turn to get angry, "You are not listening to me, Barton!"

"I told you he wouldn't be able to listen to you," a new voice contributed.

Clint whipped his head towards the door, "Laura? What the..."

His heart, his perfectly whole not shot through with bullets, heart skipped a beat when he saw his wife standing in the doorway. She looked so weary, her eyes betraying all the anguish and pain she had to endure during this entire ordeal. Her presence was both a comfort and a bewildering mystery.

"Laura, wha... how?" Clint's voice trailed off, as he was unable to form a coherent question.

Laura walked over to his bedside, then instead of answering him with words, she seated herself beside him, and she kissed him like she had in his cell in the SHIELD facility. Fury looked away to allow them a moment of privacy in their reunion, but he finally cleared his throat when Clint's heart rate shot up. Laura pulled away from him but didn't stand up. Instead, she intertwined her fingers with his, and kept her eyes on him as Fury spoke.

"You want to know what is going on, Clint," the older, gruffer man began, "and how it is you're here, not dead, instead of being buried six feet in the ground actually dead?"

Clint nodded, "Yes, sir, I do," Everything had happened so fast that he can't figure out a way the Director had been able to save his life instead of letting the execution actually succeed.

"To begin, I had gotten wind that your identity as Ronin had been exposed a very short time before your arrest. There wasn't enough time to warn you, so I had to settle with ensuring your survival, regardless of whatever happened next or whatever punishment the world deemed to be the right one for your actions.

"Needless to say, convincing the world of your death seemed like the best course of action since they were so thirsty for your blood, and wouldn't settle for anything less. So we orchestrated what the world thought to be your execution to be just that, an execution in which you were shot through the heart by a SHIELD firing squad."

Clint didn't miss he said we, not just him, but he knows it would be pointless to ask who else was involved. Fury would never tell him, and anyway, he could guess that Maria Hill had been one of those involved. In the end it didn't matter, and maybe it was better that he didn't know who else was involved. Instead, he squeezed his wife's hand so she'd look at him.

"You knew?" he asked.

Laura nodded.

"Did you know when you and the kids came to... when you came to see me before the..." Clint couldn't finish the sentence.

Laura nodded once again, "Yes, I knew Nick had arranged to save your life. I knew that you wouldn't actually die when they fired."

He couldn't help but marvel at his wife's acting skills during their goodbye. When he had looked into her eyes during their goodbye, he'd a depth of grief and pain that he'd never seen there before. Laura had looked and acted the part of a woman whose husband was about to be executed and she was helpless to stop it. It'd been over a decade since she'd been an active agent in SHIELD herself, but it seemed it was just like riding a bicycle for her. He marveled until an awful realization dawned on him.

"Lila and Cooper, they... they thought I was going to die."

Tears glistened in Laura's eyes as she nodded, her voice choked with emotion, "Yes, they believed you were going to die, Clint. They're kids and not trained agents. They had to believe you were going to die in order for anyone who might be watching for signs of deception to believe that you were actually executed. Looking my children in the eyes and tell them you were going to die, that they were saying goodbye to you, was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life."

Clint squeezed his eyes shut when he heard this, the weight of the revelation weighing down on him like a ton of bricks. Learning that his oldest two children had suffered such anguish because of the level of deception that had to be used to save his life, hurt him in a way nothing else had before. He hated him too in that moment because Lila and Cooper didn't deserve to know that kind of pain, and now they had, all because of him.

When he felt tears well up in the corner of his closed eyes, Clint squeezed them even more tightly shut. When he spoke, his voice trembled, the words barely finding their way past his lips, "I... I can't... what they've been feeling since... I'm their father, and they were never supposed to know this kind of pain! I was supposed to keep them for it! I will hate myself for putting them through this for the rest of my life!"

Laura reached out and grabbed his chin, turning his face towards hers, "Clint, look at me!"

He opened his eyes, and looked into hers.

"I want you to listen to me, Clint. We can't change what happened or what we had to do to keep you alive. Lila and Cooper, they'll understand all of this, in time. You love them, and they now that. They know how much you love them, and in the end all that will matter is they will have their father with them to still love them."

Fury, who had been silent in the corner, took a step forward to remind them that he was still in the room. "Look, I understand your regrets over the pain you've caused them, but dwelling on the past isn't going to change anything. You've got to find a way to focus on the future because in order for this to work, you've got to have your head completely in the game, Barton."

"In order for what to work, sir?"

"In order for you to have a life with your family."

Clint laughed, without mirth, and when Fury glared at him he said, "A life with my family/ How? I'm supposed to be dead, sir. Dead! The moment I step out of this facility into public, whichever one I'm in, facial recognition will have me made in a split second, and they'll just kill me again. And my kids are not going to live out their lives in SHIELD facilities or safe houses, isolated away from the rest of the world."

"And they're not going to have to do that," Fury in a firm voice, "I will say it again, we have a plan that is going to allow you to be with your family, and you'll all be safe. Unfortunately the plan isn't one that is going to happen over night or even over several nights. It won't be quick because of what we must do to ensure you won't be ID'd the second you step out into public with your family."

"What does that mean exactly?" Clint asked, trying to understand the gravity of the situation.

"What it means is through both surgery and technology we're going to create an entirely new identity for you, that no one on the world is aware of. We are going to give you a completely new face that even the facial recognition scans won't be able to ID you as being Clint Barton. You will have a new name to go with the new face, and a new personal history that you will have memorized frontwards and backwards. Clint Barton is dead in the eyes of the world, and that's exactly how he'll stay. When you are finally ready to step back into the world in general, you'll be someone else completely, and the world will never know you were not, in fact, executed like they wanted you to be."

Laura squeezed his hand in support because she knew what Fury was about to say next would be the most difficult part for her husband to hear.

"Now here is the bad part—"

"You mean besides me being erased from existence, and looking into the mirror to see a stranger staring back?" Clint quipped.

"Clint!" Laura murmured, "This is the only way forward for you to stay alive and be with us at the same time!"

He nodded, and looked at the other man, "Sorry, I know this is going to be a lot of trouble, and already has been. I don't mean to sound ungrateful you did and are doing all of this to keep me alive."

Fury gave a curt nod, then continued, "Fifteen months. Fifteen months is the bare minimum is the estimate as to how long it is going to take to completely change your identity, and get you reintroduced into the world."

"Fifteen months? And I'll have to be away from them the entire time," Clint surmised.

"Correct. I'm sorry that it will take so long after the five years you spent without them but this is a painstaking process, and one we can't afford to make any mistakes on as your life quite literally depends on it. We get one shot to get this right, because if the world learns you didn't die at your execution, then I believe they would simply have you taken out this time. With extreme prejudice."

Extreme prejudice.

Clint knows those two words are just another way of saying that they would come after him without any regard for any innocents that might be around him at the time. His heart sank when in that moment he realized fully the gravity of the situation, and that in order to keep everyone he loves safe, things would have to done this way. They couldn't risk the lives of his wife and children just so he could be with them sooner.

"I understand," Clint finally said aloud, resignation in his voice, "If this is what it takes to keep my family safe, and allow me to be with them, then I will do whatever I have to for it to make it happen." The fifteen months would be a long time, but he could do it because unlike before, he has the hope of knowing they're alive, and well, and that he will be with them again.

"Good," Fury said, nodding in acknowledgement to Clint's commitment to the plan, "We'll start the preparations immediately. I've put together a team of experts who will handle the entire process, from the surgical procedures to the creation of your new identity. When they're done, Clint Barton will truly be dead, and a new man will be in his place."

"How do we know that none of them will tell the world who I really am?" Clint asked, "There's a lot riding on this, sir. and just for me." He looked at his wife, and thought of their children.

"Because I know each of the team members personally, and I know they can be trusted to keep your secret for as long as you live. They will take this with them to their own graves. We need to get started on this ASAP, so I'm afraid you both need to say your farewells now because it is going to be a long time before you're able to see each other again."

"Could we have a—"

Fury walked towards the door, "I'll leave you two alone."

Laura touched his face, her voice steadied as she told him, "We'll be waiting for you, Clint. No matter what name they give you, or the face you are going to have, you are always going to be the man we love."

Clint opened his arms, "Come here, honey. I need to hold you,"

Laura scooted up closer to him, and let him wrap his arms around her as she wrapped her arms around him. They didn't talk, just held onto each other, and finally she laid her head on his chest to listen to the sound of his heart beating.

When the ten minutes were up, Fury returned, but stopped at the door without speaking. There was much they still needed to talk about such as the logistics and the security protocols for the next fifteen months. But looking at them now, he knew what they needed to talk about could wait a little longer, and so he let them have it.

Current Music: 2747

innitmarvelous_og

Morgan was lounging on one end of the couch flipping through some pictures of her parents together while Pepper was on the other end reading a book. She eventually came across a photo of her Dad in his Iron Man armor standing beside her Mom who was in a suit of armor of her own, a suit Morgan knew was called Rescue. Morgan looked at the photo for a long time, then finally said to her mother, "Mom, tell me about the time you and Daddy flew to the moon together please."

Pepper looked up from her book at her daughter and smiled, "Well, it wasn't exactly a real mission, Mo. It was just for fun."

Morgan grinned, and she asked eagerly, "What sort of fun? Did you have to fight aliens? Did you bring back moon rocks?"

Pepper chuckled as she marked her place in her book. and began to remember, "No, Morgan, we didn't fight aliens. We went just to explore the moon and we had fun while we did. Your Dad just had an idea one day to create a modified rocket that could get us there. He spent weeks getting it ready and perfect."

Morgan gasped, "Oh wow! That is too cool, Mom! What did you do there on the moon?"

Laughing as she thought about their adventure, Pepper replied, "Well, we jumped and bounced around for one thing. Even with our suits of armor on we could since the moon's gravity is so much less than it is on Earth. We pretended to be space explorers and your Daddy... even had a Frisbee with him. We spent I don't know how long throwing it back and forth. Tony... your Daddy said it was the best game he'd ever played."

Morgan giggled, "Daddy always loved to play games and make things fun, didn't he?"

Pepper nodded, "Yes, he really did. I'm so glad that we had that time together. It was an adventure I'll always treasure and never forget."

The little girl sighed, feeling sad all of a sudden, "I wish I could have gone with you, Mommy. But maybe someday I can go to the moon too!"

Pepper scooted closer, and hugged her daughter, "Maybe you will someday, sweetheart. The possibilities are endless. Your Daddy always believed that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and don't give up."

"I miss Daddy, but it was nice to hear about the fun you had together. Thanks for telling me about it, Mom."

Pepper kissed her daughter's brow, "Anytime, Mo. Your Daddy and I loved having adventures together, and I love sharing them with you."

Current Music: 441 words

innitmarvelous_og

"Am I under a curse or something?" Wanda Maximoff shouted.

Vision gave her a look of concern, "What do you mean, Wanda?"

She paced the room, not looking at him as she answered, "Only all of my attempts to have a normal life end up in complete disaster! First, I lose my parents, then Pietro dies, and now this." Wanda gestured all around her to indicate the chaos and the destruction she always seemed to leave in her wake.

Vision approached her, and took her hand into his own, "Wanda, I think it's important to remember that we are both powerful beings. Our actions have consequences, which means sometimes those consequences can be dire."

Wanda yanked her hand back from him, shook her head, and started pacing again, "But why does it always have to happen to me? Why can't I just have a happy, normal life like everyone else in the world?"

Vision approached her and he put a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, "I don't have the answer to that question, Wanda. Life can be hard and unfair at times. But I know that together, we can face all of the challenges that come our way.

Wanda looked up at him, and smiled weakly, "Thank you, Viz. I needed to hear that. More than you know."

Vision wrapped his arms around her, and Wanda let herself be comforted by being with him. Together they would face whatever the future brought, curses or not.

Current Music: 248 words

innitmarvelous_og

Today, Clint Barton would meet his end under a relentless barrage of bullets fired by SHIELD's specially commissioned firing squad.

After Clint had been convicted for his merciless acts of murder in the aftermath of Thanos's snap, the world demanded justice. A trial was held, and when the overwhelming evidence of his crimes had been presented to the world, a firestorm of outrage had quickly built up which had ultimately sealed his fate. As an Avenger, Clint's position carried a weight of responsibility, demanding the highest price for the blood he had spilled. SHIELD, being the organization he once served, reluctantly agreed to carry out the public execution within their fortified facility. Every detail of his death would be broadcast live, ensuring the eyes of the entire world would bear witness.

As he lived out his final hours of life, Clint tried not to pace his cell or show any fear about what was going to happen to him today. But the closer he got to the hour of his death the more restless he became. He had not been allowed to see his family after his arrest and he was afraid he would die without the chance ro tell them how much he loved them.

The loudness of the security buzzer on his cell block sounding off made Clint look up through the bars and the other end of the hallway. Through several gates he could see the people he loved the most in all of the universe making their way towards him.

Clint stood up and as he waited for them to reach him, he looked at each of them.

Lila was openly crying, Cooper was trying to be stoic he was faltering, while Nate was too young it seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. The little boy was smiling as though he were walking into McDonald's for a Happy Meal and some time on the playground. Although Laura was plainly relying on her past training as an agent to hide her emotions, Clint had known his wife far too long, and he did not miss her grief with every step she took.

Finally they were at the last gate, and the lead agent of the guards escorting them swipe his keycard to raise the final gate, and Clint's family entered the large cell he'd called home as he awaited execution. The guards stepped into the cell with weapons pointed at him just to be sure he did not try to bolt, and they allowed his family to pass. Clint made sure not to move a muscle as he did not want to give them reason to call off the only visit he would have with his family.

Laura and the kids didn't move forward towards him until the agents withdrew and the gate had been lowered once more. Then Laura flew at him, momentarily knocking him back as she kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Well there wasn't any tomorrow for him as he would be executed in four hours time. He kissed her back until they were both breathless, and then he clung to her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry!"

Laura said nothing in response, instead she just held onto him as she tried to imprint everything she could also him. The impending loss of him hung over heavily in the air like a funeral shroud, but the brief moment in each others arms, there was solace.

Their solitary embrace last a few more moments, then Clint pulled back, and gestured for their children to joint them. Lila, his first child and only daughter reached him first and she wrapped her arms around him, crying softly into his ear, "Oh, Daddy!"

Clint hugged her back, and did his best comfort her. "Shhh, sweetheart. It's okay, it's okay." He kissed her cheek and combed his fingers through her hair for a few minutes.

Cooper was the next to hug his Dad, and Clint heard his breath hitch as the boy buried his face in Clint's neck. All he could do was hold his holding son tightly as he was at a loss for words to say to Cooper. The moment ended when his youngest squeezed in between his brother and Dad. Cooper reluctantly released his Dad and stepped away to allow his little brother his moment.

Clint knelt and wrapped his arms around the little boy, "What's up, squirt?"

Nate pulled and looked at him, "Mommy said we had to come and see you coz you're going away, Daddy, and we needed to say bye to you. Daddy, where are you going? Can I come with you too?"

Nate's innocent questions hurt him so bad, so the only thing Clint could do was pulled the boy against him again, "I'm going on a little trip, Natty. It's somewhere that you and Mommy and Lila and Coop can't come to yet. But one day you all will and when you do, I have everything ready for you guys and we'll be a family again and never be apart again. How's that sound, bud? Sound good?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Nate said excitedly.

After kissing the side of his head, Clint stood up and looked at Lila, "Come here, sweetheart."

In the meantime, Laura herded Cooper and Nate to the other side of the room where she talked to them quietly, mostly an effort to occupy her youngest.

Clint led his daughter over to the bed, and sat down.

Lila stared at him, her bottom lip trembling, "Why, Dad?" Why did you do what you did to all those people? Why did you hurt them like that?"

Cooper's expression contorted with a mix of anger and sadness. "But Dad, we needed you. We needed our hero."

Tears welled up in Clint's eyes as he caressed Cooper's cheek. "I know, Coop, and I let you down. I'm so sorry, son. I wish I could turn back time and undo everything I've done, but I can't. All I can do now is accept the consequences and hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Clint looked into his daughter's eyes, eyes that were so full of pain and confusion. He took a deep breath before he answered her, "Lila honey, I did what I did, because at the time, I was so very angry that you and your Mom and your brothers got erased like you didn't matter, like you were not worthy of living that I just... got even angrier when I realized that the people who actually didn't deserve to like were still here. I went crazy with my grief and anger. Neither of those excuse what I did though, and it wasn't my place to judge those people unworthy. But I did, and I... and I erased them as a result."

He looked away from her, "I made choices, bad choices that hurt people, and I have to face the consequences of what I did. I wish I could change it, make so those people were still here, but I can't. All I can do now is accept the consequences, even if those consequences mean I pay the highest price for what I did."

Lila was trying to process what her father had said to her, but more tears welled up into her eyes, "But Daddy, you've always been a hero. I still don't understand how you could have done those things? I mean I looked up to you!"

Clint took her hands in his own, and his voice trembled when he told her, "I know, Lila, and that is one reason why this hurts so much. I let everyone down, but especially our family. Even heroes sometimes make horrible mistakes. All you can do is try to learn from them always, and understand the consequences that come with them, and never forget the value of life or compassion."

The teen girl sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, "I miss the old you, Daddy. The one who saved people, and fought against the bad people. You did what was right."

"Me too. I miss that version of me too, Li," Clint murmured, his voice remorse-laden, "But I lost my way, and I hurt those people. Now I have to face the consequences of what I've done, and maybe when I do, it'll help people get some of their faith in heroes back."

"I don't want to lose you, Daddy!"

Clint tightened his grip on her hands a little bit, "And I don't want to leave you either, but I have to face what I've done. I know it is a hard thing to ask, but promise me that you'll remember the good times we all had together. That you will remember the lessons I taught you, and you'll carry them in your heart. That you'll do your best to be strong and make the world a better place. I believe in you, honey."

"I promise, Dad." Lila whispered solemnly as tears pour down her face, "I'll make you so proud of me. I love you."

He pulled his daughter into a tight embrace, and he held her for a long moment, "I love you, too, baby. Never ever forget that."

When Clint released her, he looked over where Laura was still talking to Cooper and Nate. His heart ached so badly at the thought he would get to see them grow up that he could almost believe he was having a heart attack. They would have to grow up with their father and it was all because of what he had done. He knew one day they'd realize the truth of why he wasn't here anymore, and he hoped that on that day, they would hate him for leaving them like this. He hoped that they'd forgive him.

Time was beginning to run short, and he caught Laura's eye. He looked at Cooper then back at her, and she nodded. She said something to him, and he got up to come over to where his father and sister were. Clint kissed Lila again, and told her, "I'll always be with you, Lila. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Daddy," she said, hugging him one last time before she went over to her mother and brother.

Cooper arrived, and immediately he went to his father's arms.

Clint held onto Cooper tightly, savoring the weight of his son against him. He could feel Cooper's tremors against him as the teen tried to contain his sobs. Once more, Clint was at a loss for the words to tell Cooper how much he loved him, how far the depths of his love went. He could on;y hold his son with the hopes that somehow Cooper felt in it what he could not say.

Cooper finally pulled away, his red eyes looking into his father's, "How, Dad? How could this be happening? How could you have done all of what... what they said you did? I mean you always protected people before. You didn't hurt them! What happened?" Cooper's voice went on the rise as he asked his questions and he was almost yelling by the end.

Clint looked over in his wife's direction and saw Laura looking over at him. He shook his head, and she went back to comforting Lila. He turned back to his oldest son.

"Because, Coop, even heroes are not infallible. They make mistakes too, and this one was the worst one I could have ever made. I let my grief and anger consume me, and then I let it lead to do things I can't take back. Horrible things."

Cooper looked puzzled by his words, and angry, "I don't get it, Dad! You let what happened to me and Mom and Lila and Nate make you so made that you went out and and killed all those other people? Dad, you doing something like that goes against everything you and Mom have ever tried to teach us!"

The anger in his eyes aimed at him is almost most than he can bear, so much so that Clint must take a deep breath to steady himself before he tries to respond. Regret, so much regret tainted his voice as he told his son, "You're right, Coop. You are so right. Like I said I let my anger and my grief consume me, I let it burn in my heart like a fire until it was raging, and it clouded my judgment. I didn't want to see what I was doing was wrong, so wrong, and I lost sight of the values I hold dear. I lost sight of all the things I ever tried to teach you and your sister and brother."

Blinking back tears, Clint went on, "I failed, Cooper, both a father and as a hero. I let my anger have control and I let it lead me to make choices that are unforgivable. I hurt people, people who maybe deserved judgment for what they did but it wasn't my place to be their jury, judge, or executioner. I can't ever change what I did but I hope that the three of you will learn from my mistakes, and never let your anger lead you to do something like I did."

Cooper's anger start to soften a little, and was replaced by sadness as he thought about what his Dad's words mean, "How do we move on from this, Dad? From what you did and what they're going to do to you because of it?"

Clint put his hands on his son's shoulders, his gaze as steady and sincere as he could make it, "I'm not going to lie, Coop. Moving on won't be easy for any of you. It's going to take time for all of you to heal from this. But try to remember that we all make mistakes, and how you learn from them and how you strive to become better for what you've learned is what defines you. You're strong, Coop, and have the resilience to overcome what I did and from... from my death. You can be the person you want to be. Don't let my actions or my death define your future, son."

The teen looked down, "I don't think I can ever look at you in the same way again, Dad. And I... and I don't know if I can forgive you."

His broke at his son's words, but he understood why Cooper would feel in such a way because of how his actions had affected their family forever. He swallowed a lump, nodded, then said, "I understand, Cooper, because forgiveness is not that can be demanded or even expected. It's can only be earned by being sorry for what you've done, and actions someone takes moving forward. I can't do anything to earn your forgiveness. All I can do is face the consequences of what I did, and hope one day you might find it in your heart to forgive me."

Cooper looked at him again, his eyes searching his father's face. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't hate you, Dad. I'm just so... hurt and disappointed."

The tears Clint had been fighting streamed down his face. He pulled Cooper into another tight embrace, "I'm disappointed in myself too, son. I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can't."

After spending a few more minutes talking to Cooper, he spent some with Nate, talking with the little boy about the things of his world that interested him. He knew he should try to impart some words of wisdom to his youngest but in the end he didn't want to shatter his youngest's innocence as that would come soon enough. So they talked, then Clint hugged and kissed him, and then sent him to sit with his siblings.

Then Laura came over to him, and once more they kissed like there was no tomorrow, before they pulled back, and the sitting together wrapped in each other's arms.

They talked in soft tones, allowing themselves to briefly to escape their present by escaping into the past, remembering their life together. They talked about their children, the dreams they'd accomplished, and the challenges they'd faced as a family. 

Clint gently brushed a stray hair away from Laura's face, looking at her with tenderness. He couldn't help but marvel and be grateful for her strength and resilience. He admired how she had always been there for him and for their children. They'd faced so many battles together, on and off the field, and their love have always grown stronger for it.

"Five minutes!" one of the guards yelled out, shattering their quiet time together.

Clint looked into her eyes, nodded, and after one last kiss, they got up. Together, holding onto one another's hands, they walked back over to their children as it was now at last time for their last goodbyes. 

Clint had no final words for his children beyond telling them how much he loved them. Instead, he just held onto them as tight as he could, and let himself believe time had frozen. Then the sound of the guards coming to take his family back out shattered the peace. His heart shattered as he made himself let go before tany orders were issued to him.

He stood against the wall, and watched as they left clinging to each other. He called out, "I love you all so much! Never forget that! I love you!"

Laura looked into his eyes one last time, and told him, "You were a good husband and loving father, Clint Barton, and we will always remember that! We love you!"

With those words, his family was gone.

Just over an hour later, the same guards returned to take him to the execution chamber, They bound his hands behind him, and led him down a hallway his family thankfully hadn't seen. He was led into a room that on one end a screen had been set up to conceal the firing squad's identities, and on the other a metal pole had been placed into the floor. They led him to the pole where the cuff were briefly unlocked so they could secure his hands behind the pole. Finally the fastened his body to the pole with leather straps before a target was pinned to his shirt over his heart. 

"Oh you're not inspiring a lot of confidence from me if these guys need a visual aid to find their target," he quipped.

The guard said nothing but instead stood to the side, coming to attention as a lone figure entered the room. When Clint turned his head to meet the gaze of the man who had entered, one lone eye gazed back. One eye full of all sorts of emotions with the most prominent being sadness.

"Hello, sir," Clint said quietly. "I'd heard rumors you'd be the one to give the order but I didn't really believe it until just now."

Nick Fury nodded, "I'm sorry it came to this, Clint, that it's me. But since we're the ones who agreed to carry out this... entire thing, I have to be the one who gives the order."

"Of course, sir. I wouldn't expect otherwise."

"Three minutes, Director."

Clint swallowed, and dropped his gaze.

"I will look after them you know... from a distance as I don't imagine she'll want anything to do with me after this," Fury murmured.

Clint knew Laura might eventually forgive Fury for his role in this but he didn't think it was wise to say so. Instead, Clint just nodded, and said, "Thank you, sir. That means more to me than you know."

"One minute until we're broadcasting!"

Fury looked at the guard, who took out a black hood, and approached Clint.

"I don't need that. I'm not afraid of dying," Clint said, moving his head away.

"I'm sorry but you have no choice. It's one of the things that's been insisted on," Nick told him.

"I guess they don't want people to see the life leaving my eyes."

"I  guess not."

Clint sighed, and allowed the guard to slip the hood on.

"Twenty seconds."

"Godspeed, Barton," Fury said before he walked over to the side.

"You too, sir," Clint said.

Clint assumed they were live on the airwaves when he heard the sound of the firing squad enter the room. He listened as they positioned themselves opposite of his position without any verbal commands.

"Do you have any final words?" Fury asked him.

"The only thing I want to say is, I am sorry for how I was like Thanos and I thought I had the right to bring balance to the universe. I didn't and I hurt innocents because of it. I hope those who love me can forgive me one day."

Fury waited a moment to see if he would speak again, and when he didn't he yelled out, "Ready your weapons!"

Clint heard the sound of the guns being readied.

"Aim!"

He swallowed, his heart and breathing quickening.

This was it.

"Fire!"

Deafening shots rang out, and Clint felt the bullets pierce his heart.

Then his head rolled forward, and his body went limp.

A medic on standby went forward, and listened for a heartbeat, then looked at Fury.

"The prisoner is dead."

"Time of death, 10:07PM, December 7th."

Current Music: 3575 words

innitmarvelous_og

Odin and Loki were walking through the halls of the Palace, enjoying the quiet peace that had settled over Asgard.

In the distance from where they are, a group of young maidens are walking together. In the midst of them Loki sees his betrothed is in conversation with another one of the young women. They're laughing together, and Loki is relieved to see her making friends among the Asgardians, for her doesn't want her to be lonely after they've wed.

They are precisely one month away from when they would exchange vows not be all of Asgard but a good portion of it. Eva's family will also be at the ceremony that Odin had agreed to officiate as both the King of Asgard, and as the father of the groom.

Loki had hesitated at the idea of Odin having such a huge role in their wedding, but Eva had thought it would be a good idea as it would help to continue to heal the rift between them.

He'd bowed to her wisdom.

Suddenly, Eva looked in his direction, her face lighting up when she saw him, and she waved.

He returned her wave, and was suddenly aware of the fact Odin was watching him closely.

"Have care, Loki. For while she seems to be strong, vital, and beautiful now, all too soon she will wither, then die. And she will do far sooner than you will."

Loki was taken aback by his words, and then he grew angry, "How can you say such things when we are to soon wed?"

"Mayhap you will not believe me when I say this, but my words are not intended to be cruel. They are a simple reminder of the folly which you are about to enter into with your union with the Midgardian woman. Her people are fragile creatures as they are born, live, and they die after such the blink of an eye for us. It is the way of things concerning them."

"But does a shorter lifespan means she is weak? Eva may not be as powerful as a single warrior of Asgard, but she has qualities that I admire. She is endlessly kind, and an indomitable strength of character that I admire."

With a nod, Odin acknowledged Loki's words, "It is true that that mortals, especially those of Midgard, have some admirable traits. Even so, it is their mortality that makes them weak when compared to us. When compared to them, we have life eternal, and we are far more powerful than they will ever be."

He thought about Odin's words for a moment. He knows there is truth to what Odin said. He knows that mortals are weak in some ways, but that didn't necessarily make them lesser beings than those who dwelt in Asgard. Yet he knows he cannot condemn Odin for perhaps having such thoughts as he himself once thought of humans as being less than the dust on his boot.

"I concede your point, Father," Loki said, "Nevertheless I still see Eva as the remarkable woman she is, despite her mortality."

"I do not doubt that she is a remarkable woman, my son, as she has been able to capture your heart so completely. But you must bear in mind she is also fragile and mortal."

"I will, Father. Now if you will excuse me, I must go seek out Thor."

Odin dismissed him, and as he watched him go, his old battle hardened warrior's heart ached for both of his sons. For they both loved mortal women, and sailed in seas that had a false calm now. He knew that when the two women they loved breathed their last, both of them would find themselves lost in the raging seas of grief, to perhaps perish on the razor sharp rocks of its shores before they returned to shore.

If they ever did.

Odin prayed they would not perish.

Current Music: 654 words

innitmarvelous_og

Ethan seated himself at the small table at the window, then placed a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee in front of his father with care. He hated to admit to himself how fragile his father looked these days, what being wheelchair bound. But at least Ethan could smile at how sharp his Dad's mind still was.

Sharp as ever!!!

"Morning, Dad!" Ethan said with cheer.

"Morning, Ethan," Tony replied, carefully taking a sip of his coffee. "What's for breakfast today?"

"Just some oatmeal. It's good for you," Ethan said with a smile.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Since when did oatmeal become gourmet cuisine?"

"Since you became a health nut a few years back!" Ethan teased, remembering when his father's obsession started and how much it'd increased along with his age.

Tony chuckled, "Touché. So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"You've got a doctor's appointment at eleven. Remember?" Ethan said as he flipped through his Dad's caledar

"Oh, that's right! I remember now! My memory's not what it was once upon a time!" Tony sighed.

Speaking of memory... "Hey, Dad, do you remember that Avengers cereal they used to have when Eva and I were kids?"

Tony's brow furrowed. "Avengers cereal?"

"Yeah, it had all the little marshmallow shapes in it," he said, and laughed, "Eva and I used to fight over who got the Iron Man one after she started eating that kind of cereal too!"

Tony thought about it a second then his face lit up with the memory, "Oh yeah! I remember it now! Your Mother always fussed when I used to give you and your sister that cereal without any fruit in it!"

"Yeah, that's the one!" Ethan said with a smile, but a wisp of sadness overtook him thinking about his late Mom, "It's funny how thing stay with you, you know?" He raised the spoon of oatmeal to his Dad's mouth.

Tony nodded, lost in the memories of those days long past, his dear Pepper gone for several years now. He couldn't help the sadness he felt now because the past was forever in the past. His life had been filled with so much adventure, and excitement then, but now he was in a wheelchair, dependent on hos son and daughter for his daily needs.

At the same time though, he was grateful to his kids for their devoted love and care of him. He might be quite old now, but he still had so much love to give and experience.

"Don't worry, Dad. We'll make sure you get some Iron Man marshmallows in your cereal tomorrow," Ethan said, sensing his father's somber mood.

Tony's face brightened up, "Sounds like a plan."

Current Music: 451 words

innitmarvelous_og

James Rhodes, highly regarded as War Machine to the world, has been so much throughout his years of service. Years ago, he'd been paralyzed from the waist down at the German airport, and while some would have let that be the end of them, he didn't. He had fought back to return to walking, and thanks to a little help from Tony's special apparatus, he had walked again. Yet, with every battle and every victory, that had followed especially after the loss of Tony, it had all started to feel hollow to him.

Rhodey had been thinking about retiring from not only being War Machine, but also from the military. At his age, the constant battles have taken its toll on his body, and he knew he just couldn't keep fighting forever. Tony's death had rocked him down to his very core, and he been questioning if this life was really worth it anymore.

One day, when he was in his quarters of the rebuilt Avengers Compound packing, he heard a familiar voice behind him ask, "Going somewhere?""

He turned around, and saw the holographic version of his late best friend, and a pang of sadness hit him again, "Yeah, I just retired."

The Tony-hologram chuckled, but it was a chuckle without mirth, "You know, I really thought that the two of us would retire together. That we'd be old men, sitting on a beach somewhere exotic, and we'd be downing Mai Tais while we talked about the days we were out here kicking bad guys butts!"

Rhodey couldn't help but smile as he thought about the absurdness of getting to live a quiet, retired life together with Tony. Then the sadness that would never happen now hit him. He sighed, "Yeah, that would have been nice."

"But of course the universe had other plans," Tony-hologram said, flicking a second, "But I'm glad you're retiring, Rhodey. You've done more than enough for the world. It's time you looked after yourself first!"

Rhodes felt a weight lift off of his shoulders, "Thanks... Tony. I'll miss you." Even if you're not the real deal, you're the closest I've got now.

Tony-hologram gave him a warm smile, one of satisfaction and the knowledge that Thanos had been stopped once and for all time. Then the hologram smirked, "I know. But I'm always going to be with you, in some way or another."

With that, Tony-hologram vanished leaving Rhodey alone to finish packing which he did. Once he was finished, he took one last look around the room, then walked out of the door to get started on whatever the rest of his life would be. This might not be the retirement he'd dreamed of, but whatever came next was a new chapter of his life, and he was eager to get it started.

Current Music: 470 words

innitmarvelous_og

It is time, Jarod decided one day as he stood by Sydney's grave. It is time to disappear forever off of the Centre's radar forever now that the man who for all intents and purposes was his father is gone.

As Jarod looked down upon Sydney's final resting place, he finds himself hoping that somehow, someway that the man who knew him better than anyone else, is actually at rest. But whether or not he is at rest, there is nothing Jarod can do to help him. Now the only thing he can do, is to help himself by disappearing forever. 

And it is time to do just that as he'd been playing this cat and mouse game with the Center for almost twenty years now, and he's tired of it.

He begins to walk away from the grave, and stops after a few steps. He looks back at the headstone, and considers. His mentor is gone,  never to be touched by the Centre's evil influence again, but there are others they can still get to. They will too if they think it will make him come back.

No, he decides, it's time. It ends today. They will be okay. This can't go on forever, and he doesn't want it to. He wants to have a normal life for once, or rather as normal as he can make it. So with that in mind, he starts to walk forward again, and this time he does not look back.

Current Music: 248 words

innitmarvelous_og

Sebastian was sitting on the couch in the living room with his father, Steven. His Dad's arm was wrapped around his shoulders and the atmosphere in the room around them was so solemn. Sebastian's great-grandfather Steve Rogers, widely known as Captain America, had recently passed away and his absence hung heavy in their hearts.

"Dad, I miss him," Sebastian said quietly, his voice filled with a mixture of sadness and longing, "I miss Grandpa Steve so much!"

Steven's eyes reflecting his own grief. "I know, son. Your great-grandfather Steve was an incredible man, and we were so very fortunate to have as much time with him that we had."

Sebastian nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'll never forget all  the time I had with him. He taught me a lot, Dad. He was my hero."

Steven gives his son a warm smile, doing this own remembering. "I know, he was mine too. Along with Nonno. Oh, I wish you could have known Nonno too."

"Me too but I am grateful that at least I got to know Grandpa Steve. But I wish I could've had more time with him, Dad."

Steven leaned closer, his eyes filled with understanding. "You know even though he may not be physically here, his spirit lives on in you, Sebastian. I see a lot of him in you."

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm, I do."

Sebastian felt a tear escape, and he swiped it away. But even as sad as he was, his Dad's words stirred up a flicker of hope deep within him. "You really think so, Dad?" he asked one more time.

Steven gave his son an enthusiastic nod. "I really think so Sebastian. I see your determination, your sense of justice, your unwavering belief in doing what's right. I believe all these qualities that you'll carry on Grandpa Steve's legacy in your own way. 

Sebastian's cracked from the mix of gratitude and determination he was feeling. "I'm not going to let fade away, Dad. I'll do everything I can to honor him, along with the legacy of our great-grandparents Tony and Pepper Stark. I want to and I will make a difference, just like they did."

Steven's face lit up with with the pride he could help but feel, "That's my boy. I know you will, Sebastian. You have the intelligence, the heart, and the courage to make a lasting impact on the world."

Current Music: 401 words

innitmarvelous_og

Thanos, the Mighty Titan who thought he had the right to murder half of the universe in order to achieve his perfect vision of it, was now dying. One or two more blows from the two Avengers working together in concert to finish him, would end his threat to the universe forever. 

Together, they moved in on Thanos. His eyes blazed as they came closer to him, and knowing his time was about to be ended, he used his last breath to utter a venomous curse that was heard throughout the entire battlefield.

"Stark, you may have defeated me, but my curse shall follow you till the end of your days," Thanos ranted, spitting his final breaths out before he was ended by them, his voice laced with malice. "You are going to die in unrelenting agony, and your death will not come swiftly. No power in the universe will be able to save you from this fate! Not even its greatest wielders of magic!"

With one final, decisive charge, Iron Man and Captain America lunged at Thanos, their combined might sealing his fate. When he fell where he had uttered his vile curse upon Tony, the battlefield became suddenly quiet except for the heaviness of Steve's breaths.

Tony turned to him, fear gripping him as he saw how Steve was barely staying on his feet. Tony's heart raced as he looked around, desperation evident in his eyes. He grabbed Steve's arm, his grip tight and urgent, "We need to get you to a doctor now!"

 When Steve mustered a weak smile, Tony couldn't help but notice the pallor that had overtaken his features. It was a smile tinged with resignation, "Too late, Tony. It's... it's too late."

"No, it can't be too late! We have a doctor who's become a wizard! Where's Strange? Does anyone know where to find him?"

"Tony, I—" 

With those two words, Steve lost his valiant battle to remain on his feet, his body collapsing to the ground, the weight of the moment heavy upon them all.

Tony knelt down beside Steve, his grip on his friend's arm tightening. The pain etched on Steve's face, tore at his heart. "We're not giving up, Steve. We've been through worse. We'll find a way to fix this."

Steve gave another weak smile, his voice weak. "I appreciate the sentiment, Tony. But you know as well as I do that... this... this is different this time. This fight... it's taken everything out of me."

Tony's eyes searched desperately for a solution, for a way to save the man who had been both his friend, and his antithesis. He looked to Doctor Strange again, pleading for his help. "Strange, you've seen things beyond our understanding. Can't you do something? Anything?"

Doctor Strange, his expression grim, shook his head. "Tony, I understand your desperation, but the injuries Steve has sustained... they're too severe. Even my magic can't solve everything, and has its limits. There's no easy fix for this."

Tony's frustration and his determination. "There has to be something we can do. We can't just let him di... fade away like this."

There was acceptance in Steve's voice, "Tony, we've been through battles that we thought we couldn't win, yet we always found a way. But this... this is where the long road ends for me. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together. But it's time for me to rest."

Tears welled up in Tony's eyes, and he started to protest, further urge Steve to hang on and keep fighting but he never got the chance. He never got the chance because before he could say another word, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson appeared from elsewhere on the battlefield and when they did, Tony knew it was only right that they both get to talk to Steve in his final moments.

Current Music: 641 words

innitmarvelous_og

Before her Daddy died, Morgan had worn pajamas that were her favorite colors, or favorite cartoon characters, or had designs with her favorite things on them. She was a little girl who loved unicorns, fairies, and other things her mother had called whimsical. Morgan didn't know what the word whimsical meant, but she knew it was a good thing.

But after her Daddy died, Morgan still wore the same pajamas to bed each night. This did not change for the first few months after her Daddy's death, and it wouldn't change until one day when she went shopping with Mommy and Aunt Tina. As they were walking through a store, Morgan spotted something in the sleepwear department.

"Mommy, look!" Morgan said with excitement, interrupting her aunt.

Pepper gave her sister an apologetic look, then turned to her daughter and spoke in a gentle tone. "Morgan, sweetie, you interrupted Aunt Tina. It's important to be polite by waiting for your turn to speak."

Morgan looked at her aunt. "I'm sorry, Aunt Tina."

"It's okay, sweetheart," Tina said, smiling kindly at Morgan. "So what did you want to show us?"

"I just saw the neatest pajamas!" Morgan exclaimed, her face lighting up.

"Where are they?" Pepper asked.

Morgan took her hand, and led her back to the sleepwear department. They only had to backtrack a little way, and when they arrived at what she wanted to show her mother, she pointed to the pajamas. "Look at them! Can I get them, Mommy?" Displayed before the three of them was a pair of pajamas that looked like Iron Man's suit.

Tina looked at her older sister, and when she saw the tears in her eyes, she wrapped an arm around her shoulders. In the meantime, Pepper took a quick deep breath and nodded, "Of course you can have them, sweetie."

Morgan squealed with excitement.

Pepper smiled through her tears, happy to see her daughter excited again. "Okay, you need to try them on before we buy them." She took Morgan's hand and guided her towards the changing room.

While Morgan tried on the Iron Man pajamas, Pepper and Tina sat outside the changing room and talked quietly as they waited. Pepper opened up about how difficult it had been to help Morgan cope with her father's death while at the same time she was trying to deal with her own grief. "I just want to make sure she's happy," she concluded.

Tina gave her sister a sympathetic smile. "I know it's tough, Ginny, but you're doing a great job. Morgan is such a wonderful little girl." she said. "And those pajamas are sure to bring a smile to her face."

Pepper nodded, so grateful for her sister's support again. A few moments later, Morgan came out from the changing room, a great big grin.

"Look, Mommy, I'm a superhero!" Morgan said, striking a pose, "Just like my Daddy!"

Pepper laughed despite how much her heart was aching and hugged her daughter tightly. "Yes, you are, my little superhero," she said, feeling a sense of hope and joy in her heart for the first time since Tony's death.

Current Music: 524 words

innitmarvelous_og

T'Challa had just returned from his journey to the ancestral planes, where he had met his father, T'Chaka. He was sitting in his private chambers, staring at art images that represented both Bast and Sekhmet.

"Baba, you know I am not like Shuri, who scoffs at many of our traditional ways. I must admit that for the longest time, I did not truly believe that we are embraced by Bast after we die and we live on on the ancestral plane after we live life here. But now that I have seen you, I know it is, and we do live on. You live on!" T'Challa said out loud, speaking to the empty room.

A voice answered him, but not that of his father. Instead, the voice was that of his mother, Ramonda. "But of course he does, my son," she said, stepping out from the shadows. "Do you think that the bond between parent and child ever truly ends when death claims one of them?"

"Mother, I did not hear you come in," he said, standing up to greet her.

Ramonda gave him a warm smile, "I came to see how you were doing, after your journey to the ancestral planes," she said. "It makes me happy to see that you are in good spirits."

T'Challa returned her smile, "I am more than just in good spirits, Mother. I am overjoyed. I cannot express the relief I feel now that I know that Baba has not passed into nothing and that he lives on."

Ramonda nodded, understanding the depth of her son's emotions. "Your father was a great man, T'Challa. And he is not only to be found on the ancestral plane now but..." She laid her hand over his heart, "He is also here in your heart. For always. He is always with you, my son. You have only to look there if you are in need of him."

Current Music: 322 words

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Storms In Africa... Writing and Graphics Comm

Entries tagged with angst

Navigation

Fill 37 Card 3: Death

Fill 33 Card 2: Haunted Place

Fill 22 Card 3: Sun/Son (Wildcard)

Fill 21 Card 3: Trust the Plan

Fill 18 Card 3: Moon

Fill 9 Card 3: Curse

Fill 25 Card 1: Death

Fill 15 Card 2: Weak/Week

Fill 9 Card 2: Cereal II

Fill 3 Card 2: Retirement

Team Omega E3: Time

Fill 18 Card 1: Great-grandparents

Fill 17 Card 1: Curse

Fill 3 Card 1: Pajama

Fill 2 Card 1: Planes

Profile

July 2023

Links

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags