Undefeated

Chapter One

I remember dying. I was so scared while watching Peter die, knowing that I was going to die the same way. But then he was gone, and the pain I felt from losing him hurt more than the pain I felt from dying.

I wasn't scared anymore when my dad held me in his arms. As I slipped away, I found comfort in looking up at the sky. Peter and I always fantasized about going on missions that involved space. I never would have thought I'd find myself on a different planet without him. It felt surreal to be looking up at the sky from a different planet. It was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes.

When I reopen them, I see darkness. By the time my eyes normally would have adjusted to the darkness, I still can't see anything. I close my eyes, trying to listen for any sound at all. I faintly hear the whisper of voices ahead of me, so I run towards them. As I get closer, I can faintly see light. The whispers get louder, but none of them are recognizable. I start running towards the light, unable to tell how close it is.

I keep running until I find myself right in front of the source of light. It looks like some kind of barrier, continuing on as far as I can see. I press my hand against it, trying to see if there is any way to get through. My hand starts to pass through it, and is met with the feeling of being ripped apart. I fall backwards onto the ground, realizing that my hand felt exactly like it did when I disintegrated.

This has to be some type of portal that will allow me to get back to the real world. I'm not ready to feel the pain of dying again, but I'm willing to if it means that I can get out of here. I push my hand through the barrier, biting back a scream. The portal tries to force me back, but I fight against it. Once I am fully emerged, it feels like I'm underwater.

I continue to push against the resistance, using the pain as motivation. My hand makes it all the way through the other side, and I feel the relief of fresh air and warm sunlight on my skin. I scream as I exit the remainder of the barrier, falling onto the soft green grass.

I take a moment to regain my strength enough to sit up. I scan my surroundings, my eyes landing on Clint's farmhouse. I've been here a few times to visit his family, but why did the portal bring me here now?

I hear a sound coming from the barn, and I stand up. I don't give myself time to think before I run towards it, desperate for someone to tell me what is going on. I stop in the doorway of the barn when I see Clint on the ground. He is in a white and red suit, and he has a mohawk. He groans as he stands up, facing away from me.

"Clint?"

He turns around at the sound of my voice, and his eyes widen when he sees me. "Gracee?"

I walk towards him, but he backs away warily. "Can you please tell me what the hell is going on? I just died on a different planet five minutes ago, and now I'm alive and back on Earth."

"You didn't die five minutes ago," Clint says.

"Was it more like four minutes and fifty nine seconds?" I ask sarcastically.

He takes a deep breath, as if he's preparing me for what he's about to say. "Gracee, it's been five years."

I laugh until I see the look on his face and realize that he's not joking. "Are you serious?"

"I wish I wasn't."

I take a shaky breath and look at the ground as a wave of helplessness washes over me. I've lost five years of my life, and there's nothing I can do about it.

"Is my dad okay?" I don't look up at Clint, knowing that I'll cry if I do.

"He's okay," Clint says sadly.

A beeping sound causes me to look up. Clint looks at his watch, and I walk closer to him.

"It's time," he says.

"Time for what?" I ask.

He looks back up at me. "Time to go five years into the future."

"That totally sounds movie trailer worthy," I say in awe.

His watch starts to beep faster, and I realize that if I don't go with him, I will be left here. My powers take over me, and all of my magic is summoned into one hand. I can't control my hand as it reaches out, grabbing Clint's wrist. I close my eyes as we shrink, disappearing from the barn.

I keep my eyes closed, but I get a glimpse of a rainbow of colors whirling past me before I return back to my normal size, falling into the ground beside Clint. I steady my breathing as I look around, realizing that I am kneeling on a platform in the compound.

Nat runs over to Clint and then stops when she sees me. She looks relativity the same as she did when I last saw her. The only difference is that her hair is much longer and the tips are blonde.

I stand up as she looks at Clint, who nods. When she looks back at me, she looks like she's going to cry. She walks towards me and stops right in front of me. I stay still as she searches my eyes. She smiles and then hugs me tightly, as if she has been waiting a long time to do so. I feel how much she needs this, and I don't want ever want to let go of her.

I see the others standing behind Nat and I, and smile at them. Steve, Rhodey, and Scott are standing by a raccoon that I'm somehow not surprised to see is wearing clothes and standing up on his hind legs. There is also someone who looks like Bruce combined with the Hulk, the blue alien from Titan, and Thor, who has gained weight, and now has dread locks and a beard.

Then I see the person my eyes were searching for this whole time. Tony is staring at me like he has seen a ghost. Nat stops hugging me and I smile at her, before hesitantly walking towards him.

He stays where he is, staring at me as if he's waiting for me to disappear. I feel responsible for the way he is looking at me. I never wanted to hurt him. He sees that I'm about to cry and pulls me into his arms. He doesn't have to say anything for me to know that he missed me. I don't know how long we hug, but when he lets go of me, he wipes the tears from my face. I smile, and then turn around to face everyone else.

"So, what did I miss while I was gone?"