Life Dies In The End

Chapter 57

After Tony left my mind raced and didn't stop. Not even while I was weeding my garden, or reading. Tony's words stayed in my head. Tony's words echoed through my mind for hours and into the next day. He had figured out how to go back in time. He had figured out how to get a hold of the stones.

Despite not wanting to have any hope, I did. What if it worked? What if it really did work? This could be the chance Strange was talking about. Maybe we weren't supposed to beat Thanos before he snapped, but after he snapped.

Could this really be it? Could this be our chance to get everyone back? We could get Coulson and Fury back. We could get Clint's family back. We could get Loki back. I could get my brother back, if this worked.

Having hope didn't mean I wasn't still skeptical. There was a seed of doubt and a seed of hope both fighting inside me. I couldn't choose which one to believe. One side wanted to just let this pass and not think about it again, but the other half wanted to go help. Wanted to believe I could have everything.

The only thing both sides could agree on is that they both wanted my brother back. I needed Loki back. He was my brother and I failed him. Now I had a chance to fix that unlike all my other losses.

What would Loki do if he was in my shoes? What would he do if Thor or I were to be the one who was taken? Would he take this chance or would he never think about it again? I cursed softly as I glanced up at the sky, from my spot sitting on my roof.

Brother, what would you do? Would you allow yourself to hope, once again? Would you try to save us? You would, wouldn't you? I mean we're family, I owe it to you and Thor, to save you. I need to. The past five years have been hell, granted there were the good days, but they would've been so much better with you, brother. I've gotta try, don't I? This is the best chance we've had for years. I'm gonna do everything in my power brother, I promise I'll bring you home to us. Just hold out a little longer.

Bastard meowed, pulling me from my thoughts. I sighed as Bastard stood next to the food bowl. Rising to my feet and poured some cat food in the bowl, gaining a purr of contemptment. Then I added more food to the bowl. Bastard knew when to stop eating, and this would last Bastard the next day. After that Bastard could go hunting, like it normally does.

I grabbed my keys from the table and headed outside to my bike. I'd go check it out for a day, and if I didn't like how it was going I'd come back home. I'd probably end up staying. I had a brother and friends to save.

I revved my bike, giving it life, as I kicked up the kick stand. If I ignored the speed limit, I could make it to the compound before they time traveled, at least I hoped I could. I started down the roads at top speeds, swerving in and out of cars as I moved.

The compound came into view within a few hours of riding. I turned into the driveway and followed it down to where the compound was. My eyes locked on a figure standing outside the doors. They turned to face me as I came closer. I quickly recognised the person. Clint. They must be rounding up the team for this.

I skidded to a stop as I looked to Clint who had changed drastically. His arms were covered in tattoos. His hair was shaved into a mohawk. Most of all his body language had changed. Once he was a man with morals, now they seemed to be gone, to a degree.

"Stark said you weren't coming." Clint spoke, his voice laced in anger towards me.

He had a right to be angry. I had left our friendship, seemingly without a second thought. Now he had lost his family and was alone, in ways I could barely begin to understand. Even in his anger, I could see the broken man underneath. Clint was different than the last I saw him, around 8 years ago now. I had changed too, he and I were completely new people since the last we saw of each other.

"I had second thoughts." I answered as I kicked down the kickstand and removed my keys, I went to say more but was cut off before I could.

"Don't ask me if I'm okay." Clint locked eyes with me.

"I wasn't going to." I got off my bike and looked back towards Clint. "No one's okay anymore."

"You seem perfectly fine." Clint scoffed, his anger still pointed towards me.

"I'm not." I leaned against a pillar outside the doors. "A lot of things have happened, Clint."

My words seemed to snap something in Clint as he scoffed once again and anger filled his body language. Clint had changed almost enough for him to be unrecognizable, but I could still see my old friend in there, buried in grief.

"Care to enlighten me, Jay." Clint's voice was harsh as he looked towards me. "You left. You could've stopped this, if you hadn't been so self absorbed and ran like a coward. We could've used your help, but you only disappeared out of fear of the truth being told to the world. You didn't trust us. Why should we trust you now, Jay?"

I shoved my hands into my pockets, understanding each and everyone of Clint's points. Maybe, if I stayed things could've changed differently. Maybe, if I wasn't afraid of what might've happened, it could've been different.

I picked up on something in his words. He called me Jay. The others hadn't told him yet. He had a right to know, he was the only one that didn't know. Maybe telling him the truth could begin to mend the friendship between us. I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning on and stepped towards Clint.

"I know you're mad." Clint crossed his arms at my words. "I left for a reason that I thought was good enough. I was going to come back, hell, I thought about it for nearly everyday since I left." I paused as I sighed. "But some family problems came up and I lost myself in it."

"There's more people like you and you still didn't help us?" Clint snapped, as he twisted my words.

"No, there's no one like me out there." I tried to keep my voice calm as I spoke. "I'm Asgardian, my family lives longer than most people." Clint was silent taking it in as I paused for a moment. "I had a sister, a father, mother, and brother. Three of which died in the past three years and the last one, I missed the funeral." I glanced towards Clint who was still processing. "I only have my one brother, and I want to get my second one back. That's why I'm here."

"You and I have a lot in common." Clint spoke softly, his fight stopping. "You lost your family. You lost yourself. You and me, we aren't so different."

"Well," I looked towards Clint not really seeing it, but paused I meet his eyes, he looked at me with a glint of hope and I didn't want to be the one to break that. "We're gonna get our families back."

"We'll do it," Clint nodded and smiled briefly, his trust in me restored. "Together."

~~Hi, Fallen_Angel here. Have a good day and be good people.~~