Maya Stark

Chapter 39: Pain and loss

Before I had another second to process anything, I'm being surrounded by purple, lifting above the ground by Thanos. It takes a second for the pain to hit me and I lock my jaw to keep from screaming out, biting my lip, hard. Shouldn't this be killing me? Is it killing me slowly? I don't like either of those options. I try to take steady breaths. I could feel the tears burning my cheeks.

'You both have my respect, Stark,' Thanos said. My dad was watching me, horrified and helpless. 'When I'm done, half of the humanity will still be alive. I hope they remember at least one of you.'

The pain intensifies and I let out a strangled scream. My whole body feels like it's on fire, being burned from the inside out. Everything was tense and I could barely breath, my eyes clenched closed. I remember this feeling though. Flashbacks from when Wanda messed with my mind all those years ago plauge my brain, making me scream louder. It was more of a screech at this point, and I couldn't breathe. I can feel the fear and pain consuming me and I find myself wishing that he would kill me faster.

'Stop!' came Strange's voice somewhere behind me. The pain subsides just a little and I take in a deep breath of air, my lungs and throat screaming. 'Spare their lives...and I will give you the stone.' A part of me wanted to scream no at him, but I was still in a lot of pain and was unable to.

'No tricks,' Thanos said.

Strange must have shaken his head because Thanos trained the gauntlet at Strange, moving it away from me. I fall to the floor, stomach first. Tears cloud my vision as I cough harshly, gasping for air. My throat was dry from screaming and my nose was bleeding. I watched the purple disappear from my skin.

'Don't...!' dad manages. I manage to glance behind me as Strange reaches up and the Time stone appears in his hand.

He opens his hand and the stone flies over to Thanos's bare hand. I watch, terrified, as Thanos takes the stone and drops it into the thumb setting, the energy pulse making him wince. 'One to go,' he said. Then I hear Quill screaming, coming in firing with both guns at Thanos. Thanos simply uses a stone to leave through a portal.

Quill flies through where Thanos had been, and crashes. He stands up and looks around. 'Where is he?' Nobody answered. 'Did we just lose?'

I cough painfully again, wiping blood from my nose. My throat still felt raw, but I was breathing easier. My lungs no longer burned but I felt exhausted. Physically and mentally.

'Why would you do that?' dad asked Strange.

Strange pauses before saying, 'We're in the end game now.'

I was too tired to react. I shivered as I remembered the pain I was just in. My screams wouldn't leave my ears. I struggled to sit up, leaning my back against the rock my dad was sitting on. He was stitching up his knife wound as best he could.

Peter appeared at my side, and I wondered slightly when he got there. He knelt next to me, concern lacing in his eyes.

'Hey,' he said softly. 'Are you okay, Maya?'

I smiled smally at him, exhausted, and nodded. My throat still felt raw, and I wasn't going to talk unless I had to. He offered me his hand and I took it hesitantly as he helped me up. My legs were wobbly, and I felt weak. I put a lot of my weight on him and wiped more blood off. I use the hand that wasn't gripping onto Peter's to remove my necklace from under my suit to play with. I needed a reminder, though after almost being crushed by a moon, I didn't know what I felt. Peter squeezes my hand and I balance on my own so that he can go over to help my dad up. The rest of the team joins us.

'Something's happening,' Mantis said as I was walking over to Peter and dad. I stop and look over to her and see her fading to dust. Peter walks backwards so he's standing next to me. Drax disappears and Quill turns to my dad, looking terrified. I feel Peter grip my hand and I grip right back.

'Steady, Quill,' dad said as Quill disappears.

'Tony, there was no other way,' Strange said as he too disappears.

Peter grips my hand tighter, and I look over to him. His expression was dazed and terrified, face pale. 'Parker?' My voice was low and hoarse from the screaming.

'Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good,' he said, stumbling toward my dad, bringing me with him.

'You're all right?' dad said, voice shaky, making it come out as a question. Peter collapses and I manage to catch him, lowering him to the ground while he still grips my hands. My eyes fill with more tears.

'I don't wanna go, Maya,' he said.

'You're fine,' I said, voice shaking. 'It's going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay, Peter. I promise. You promised.'

He smiled at me slightly as he begins to turn to dust. Tears fall freely from my face. I get a flashback of my birthday. Us sitting on the roof as I named off the constellations. That stupid Spider-Man plushie that I still have in my room. Those nights my dad doesn't technically know about, where we would sneak out and fly around the city just because. Studying turning into watching movies. Hating him when we first met. I thought about the eye-contact held for just a little bit too long. The subtle brushes against the shoulder, or always sitting next to each other. Peter squeezes my hand one last time before he completely turns to dust, and I'm left holding onto nothing. I choke back a sob and I put my hand over the dust.

'I love you,' I whisper, just to the air.

That's when it hits me. This weird feeling in my gut. I look at my hand to see purple swirling through my veins. I was too distracted to notice before. I look up at my dad and try for a smile. His face instantly fell.

'No,' he said, bending down next to me, his voice breaking. 'No, kid, you're staying.' Tears rolled down both our cheeks.

'My powers...' I said, showing him my hands. 'They're the only thing keeping me here. It won't work much longer.'

'Kid, please...I can't...' my dad stuttered.

I start to cry harder, borderline sobbing. 'I'm sorry, dad. I'm so sorry. I—I can't hold it off much longer. I...I'm sorry. For everything I've ever done. For any trouble I caused. I—I didn't mean to...I didn't want to...' I was crying too hard now, my body shaking.

'Shh,' he said, pulling me into a hug. 'It's okay, Maya. It's okay. I'm so proud of you, kid. I'm so, so, so, proud. You've come so far, you know that? You've come so far since that 13-year-old who couldn't control her powers.'

I laugh a little through the tears 'Tell everyone who's left I said goodbye, okay?' I grip my dad tighter with one arm and my necklace even harder. 'Tell Pepper...Tell her I was looking at the moon.'

'I will, Maya, I promise,' dad said in a shaky voice. 'I love you, kid.'

'I love you more,' I said, calming down slightly, my body no longer shaking.

'I love you most.'

I will my powers down and clutch my dad again. Soon, everything goes black...