Centuries | Endgame [8]

TWO

CENTURIES | ENDGAME
Chapter Two
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            THE FRIENDLY GAME BETWEEN NEBULA and Tony was put on hold as the Ice Demon resurfaced from the dark hallway. The fake sense of assurance she showed Elizabeth was long gone, but nonethless she smiled at the two with her hand continuing to be wrapped around the charm hanging halfway down her torso.

"Is she asleep?" Exhaustion edged its way into Tony's voice as he leaned back and met Allison's calming stare, the shade holding an unnatural sense of comfort for many, the Guardians knowing that all to well.

Allison's movements were slow as she moved past the table, letting go of the snowflake charm and dragging a heavy box over to the metal table. She nodded slowly as she sat, the light bulb hanging above the trio shinning a spotlight on the faint teartracks down Allison's cheeks and the dark bags beneath her eyes. She shared similarities to Tony's solemn expression that was often forced to see cheerful and optimistic. "She's so exhausted and traumatised... Which I mean we all are but..."

"It's different for her," Nebula finished, her dark eyes drifting up from the game of flick football laid out in front of them. She met the other two's gazes individually, "she's a child."

Allison was surprised to hear sympathy upon Nebula's tone, but brushed it aside as she shared the emotion. She voiced an agreement, "yeah, it's bad... She says she failed but, There's enough blame to go around, huh?" Her voice was heavy with sadness as she folded her arms before she perked up again, wiping away her tears before returning her arms to the prior position. "So, who's winning? You better be, Nebula."

Tony chuckled before flicking one of a triangular piece of aluminum over to Nebula, in which she flinched forward, attempting to grasp the flying object. Her grunt that sounded more ferocious then intended caused the man to flinch back also, feeling a bit afraid of the woman before he relaxed. "You see, you don't have to do that."

His words and Nebula's actions causing a smile to grow onto Allison's face, one that was more real then any other that showed since Thanos shredded the galaxy's population in half. It was just... nice... Seeing them finding something to create into a game or bring fun to the heavy sorrow and disappointment weighing them down. It was all the Ice Demon could hope for... that, and Groot and Rocket being alive back on earth.

"Because, uh... You just hold the position." Tony positioned his fingers to act as a football goal, showing Nebula what to do when he takes his next turn as she tried her shot. She missed. "That was close." Nebula flicked another, the triangular object flicking over and through the makeshift goal. "That's a goal. We are now one apiece."

Nebula seems surprised at first whilst she straightens up, Allison easily noticing how intrigued she was by the game. "I would like to try again," she requested surprisingly politely.

The game continued, Allison sitting silently in the middle with her eyes darting back and fourth to watch goals and misses be performed. She'll be the first to admit that she didn't have a single clue how the game really worked at the start, but as it continued, she picked up on how the point system worked.

"Ooh, tied up," Allison jokingly teased, her voice heavy with exhaustion. She was meant forward, arms folded across the edge of the cold table with her chin on top, head tilting to look at whoever's turn it was or whoever spoke.

Tony let go of a faint laugh. "She's right, we're tied up. Feel the tension? It's fun." Nebula lifted her hands into the position of a standing goal, Tony flicking one of the pieces over the gap, missing horribly. "That was terrible. Now you have a chance to win." Nebula looked confused for a moment but paid no mind for it as she grabbed one of the triangular pieces, lining up her shot. She flicked the small game piece, watching it fly through the goals made by Tony's hands. "And you've one, congratulations. Fair game."

Nebula seemed stunned, her dark eyes seeming to widen ever so slightly as she looks down at Tony's extended hand, confused by the gesture but having some knowledge of it. She shook his hand hesitantly, glancing at Allison who merely smiled with a glimmer of happiness beneath her half closed eyelids.

Tony gave her a slight nod. "You have fun?"

The respect and the feeling of winning was unusual for Nebula, but it gave her an odd feeling in her dark heart that hadn't appeared in her life. Ever. "It was fun," she admitted with similar hesitance, but she relaxed slight seconds after.

Allison reached over and squeezed her shoulder before looking up as Tony rose shakily from his chair, the fatigue causing his movements to be slow and fragile. "Goodnight?" the Ice Demon called out, leaning back and watching as Tony waved his hand, no audible response clear.

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TONY COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR WITH WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A PAINED HUFF OF BREATH SLIPPING FREE FROM HIS LIPS. He stayed still for a moment, rapid breathing circling in the silence before he reached forward, hand grazing the destroyed Iron Man helmet in front of him.

The eyes of the helmet flicked on with a icey blue appearing to signal that it was switched on and listening. "This thing on?" he spoke quietly, tapping the side of it before leaning back as a scanner appeared. A blue line ran over his weak body whilst his rapid breathing fading to slower and deeper breaths. His head leant to the side, eyes scanning the darkness in front of the window for a sign of anything that could offer him a sense of relief or even hope.

Tony sighed heavily. "Hey, Miss Potts... Pep... If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear-jerker," he chuckled weakly, a hand resting over his stomach as a sharp pain attacked him at the first sign of the action. "I don't know if you're ever going to see these. I don't even know if you're... if you're still... Oh god, I hope so..." he ran a shaky hand down his face as he wiped the thought of the possibility away from his head. "Today is day 21, uh 22. You know, if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into a void of space, I'd say I'm feeling better today."

"The infection's run its course, thanks to the blue meanie and frosty the snowman back there," he continued as memories of the past twenty days shuffled through his mind. It vividly reminded him of the constant pain he endured as Allison was forced to freeze the wound sustained from Thanos to prevent further infection. "You'd love them. They're both very practical. Blue meanie's a tiny bit sadistic though," a light smile graced his lips before it dropped as he thought of the broken speedster who had barely spoke since their defeat. "You'd like Elizabeth too, she... Despite everything she'd endured... She's a good kid."

"Some fuel cells were cracked during battle, but we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge to buy ourselves about 48 hours of time." Tony shifted to attempt to become comfortable again as he recalled trying to fix the fuel cells of the Benatar with the combination of help from Allison, Nebula and even Elizabeth. The speedster couldn't work it out though and quit as she started to spiral and blurt out words of self hatred the merged with apologises to the other three. "But it's now dead in the water. We're 1000 light years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow. And that'll be it..."

"...And Pep, I ... I know I said no more surprises, but I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like... well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, if you grovel for a couple of weeks, and then move on with enormous guilt," Tony sunk down against the cold wall of the space ship, rubbing his tired eyes with both hands before reaching forward and picking up the broken Iron Man helmet.

"I should probably lie down. Please know that... when I drift off, I will think about you. Because it's always you." With his final words, he switched off the recording, grazing his thumb over the left eye before guiding his body to lay across the floor, prepared for what he thought to be his final slumer. Tony's only wish was to be given some peace as death welcomed him.

Allison and Nebula found him like that, deciding together silently to move him from the freezing floor. The gently moved him to the front of the benetar in an attempt to supply an easier place to sleep, propping the man up in one of the many seats. Following this were farewells which they believed would be there last before heading to different ends of the Benetar as the mentally tried to prepare for the inevitable factor of death taking them away in a few hours.