the strongest avenger (2)

four

"Painful aren't they?" I hear Maw's voice from below. "They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them..."

He's cut off as Tony and I jump down, behind him. Maw slowly turns, my arms are out, lightning crackling and sparking from my hands and up my arms. Tony next to me with his blasters ready.

"could end your friend's life in an instant." Maw finishes.

"I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend. Saving his life is more of a professional courtesy."

Maw lifts his hand, raising some large chunk of metal behind him. "You've saved nothing." He lifts another one. "Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine."

"Tal's isn't, plus the kid's seen more movies."

Just then Tony shoots a blast at the wall and I send a bolt of lightning that hits Maw in the chest, and sends him through the hole in the wall. I try to keep most of the air from leaving the ship, while Peter and the cape grab Strange as he starts to fly out.

A grunt leaves me as I start to lose my footing and start sliding forward towards the hole.

I yelp as Strange flies out, Peter's webbing keeping him from being lost. His spider legs pop out of the suit as he pulls Strange back.

"Yes! Wait what are those?"

I quickly create two ropes of mist, one attaching to the steering mechanism to keep me from flying out and one on Peter to help bring him back in.

As I pull, Peter's legs slowly help him back up. With a final yank from me and a push from the legs, he flies back.

Tony swiftly goes in and freezes over the hole, using his suit.

Strange grunts as he lands hard on the catwalk. I pull back on my ropes and pause to catch my breath.

I let myself smile as I realize that Maw is dead...

"Why are you smiling?" Tony asks me.

"My torturer is dead. That's reason to celebrate, maybe when we get home we can have a party." I send him a cheeky grin before walking over to Strange and Peter.

"Hey we haven't officially met." Pete says as he approaches the cape. He holds out a hand, but the cape flies away, causing a small laugh to escape my mouth. "Cool."

Tony's suit retracts back into the arc reactor as he shakes his head.

"We gotta turn this ship around." Strange says while getting up.

"No shit Sherlock. I'd rather not live in a flying donut for the rest of my life." I mutter.

"Yeah, now he wants to run. Great plan." Tony says.

"No, I want to protect the stone."

"And I want you to thank me. Now, go ahead. I'm listening."

"For what? Nearly blasting me into space?"

"Who just saved your magical ass? Me."

"Can both of you shut your fucking egotistical asses up before I set you two on fire." I glare at them.

Strange huffs. "I still don't know how you fit your head into that helmet."

"You and me both." I mumble.

"Admit it, you should've ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you, you refused." I internally groan as they continue to ignore me.

"Unlike everyone else in your life I don't work for you."

"And due to that fact, we're now in a flying donut billions of miles from Earth with no backup besides my pissed off daughter."

"I'm backup." Peter says.

I turn and glare at him. "No. You're a stowaway."

"The adults are talking." Tony says to Peter.

"Tal's not an adult." He mutters.

"I'm eighteen, so zip it Parker." I say while running my hand down my neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused as to the relationship here. What is he, your ward?"

"No. I'm Peter, by the way." He sticks his hand out.

"Doctor Strange."

"Oh you're using our made up names. Um...I'm Spiderman, then."

"Idiot."

"This ship is self correcting its course." Strange says as he turns away.

"Things on autopilot."

"Can we control it?"

I sigh and walk over to my boyfriend.

"So, what's his name?"

"It's actually Doctor Strange, well Stephen Strange to be exact."

"Oh."

I look at him. "God, I can't believe you're here right now. Please promise me you won't die."

"I promise Tal. Now you say it."

"I promise." I half whisper it, afraid to jinx myself.

We turn and walk towards the men.

"Can you get us home?" Strange asks.

"Yeah I heard you. I'm thinking I'm not so sure we should."

"Under no circumstances can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos."

"Who's Thanos?" Peter whispers to me.

"The guy that waged war on Hala and the guy I was sold to. He needs the Infinity Stones. The one Strange has, and Vision's stone."

"Oh."

"It's you who doesn't understand, that Thanos has been inside my head for six years. Since he sent an army to New York and now he's back. And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his, but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him. Doctor. Do you concur?"

"Alright Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand, if it comes down to saving you or the kid, or the Time Stone, I will not hesitate to let either of you die." He turns and glances at me. "Maybe for her though."

"Why me?"

"You don't know it yet, but you could save us all."

"Um..." I shy away from his piercing glance.

"Alright, good moral compass." Tony walks over to Pete and I. "Alright kid." He turns his hand to the side and taps one shoulder and then the next. "You're an Avenger now."

I look at my boyfriend, watching a small, proud smile form on his face. I go over and place my hand against his cheek, softly smiling at him.

"Even though you're an idiot sometimes, I'm still proud of you." I lean in and peck his lips real quick before turning and walking away.