Annabeth Chase and the Avengers

Chapter 22 [2.0]

Annabeth

Thanos fingers snapped, a clunky, metallic sound, and Annabeth's muscles tensed, ready to feel herself turn into dust.

But it never came.

Lifting her head wearily to look at Thanos, she saw him looking at the Gauntlet in surprise. He turned the Gauntlet over...

The Stones were gone.

Annabeth heard metal clanking behind her, and she turned around to see Tony, his right hand raised, gamma energy coursing from his fingertips, all the way down his arm. "Tony!" Annabeth let out a sob.

Tony gave his niece an encouraging smile. "Tell Morgan and Pepper I love them." Annabeth nodded, tears streaming down her face, and Tony turned to Thanos, a look of hate on his face. "I... am... Iron Man." Tony drew his fingers together, and snapped them.

A glowing ball of energy emanated from Tony, and expanded, before shooting out in all directions. Annabeth felt the energy wash over her, and she was temporarily blinded.

When she had regained her senses, she blinked her watery eyes and stumbled to her feet. Tony was barely breathing, lying across a slab of concrete. Annabeth spun around to look at Thanos, who had a look of submission on his face, and he sat down heavily on a pile of debris.

"Why?" Annabeth croaked. She swept her hand over the barren wasteland Thanos had created.

Thanos said nothing, and merely stared at her blankly.

"Why?!" Annabeth demanded, rage filling her. "Why did you set out to cause the destruction of half the life in the universe? Why break the remaining half of the population? Why did you do it?"

"I thought I did what was right." Thanos murmured.

Annabeth's eyes were rimmed with cold fury. "You were wrong." She snarled. All around her, she saw Chitauri and Outriders disintegrating, and she knew it would eventually come for Thanos, but she wouldn't be satisfied with that.

Taking her sword, she raised it high above her head. Thanos seemed to know what Annabeth was going to do, and he merely lowered his head in acceptance. Letting out a cry, Annabeth brought the blade down into Thanos' spine, and the bone shattered with a satisfying crunch!

Annabeth retracted the blade, and stepped back. Thanos' body hung limply for a moment, before collapsing face-first into the dirt.

As soon as Annabeth had been reassure that Thanos was dead, she rushed over to her uncle. "Tony.." She sobbed. "Don't die."

Tony shook his head. "Sorry kiddo." He managed to gasp out. Annabeth looked all around for her friends, and saw Pepper flying overhead.

"Pepper!" She cried. Pepper looked down, and saw Tony's broken body. Her mask flipped up, as she shot towards the ground. She touched down next to her husband, and cradled his face in her hands.

"Oh, Tony.." Pepper sobbed.

"I love you, Pepper." Tony gasped. "Tell Morgan... I love her 3000. Promise me."

Peter bounded over a mound of debris, and landed in front of his mentor. His mask retracted, revealing the tear-stained face of a heartbroken boy.

"Mr. Stark.. we won." Peter whispered, tears falling down his face even faster. "Please.. don't go."

Tony gave a faint smile and shook his head sadly. "I don't wanna go." He mumbled, his words becoming slurred.

Tony's heartbeat was nearly gone, and Annabeth knew he wouldn't come back. She turned to Pepper, who nodded, tears streaming down her face. Tony gave Annabeth a faint smile. "The Giants-- aren't-" He managed to gasp, before his head rolled back, and his eyes stared up at the sky lifelessly.