open arms, mcu ✓

twenty nine

chapter twenty nine
╰  ( endgame )

💫 ━━ PAISLEY is drawing on a used and torn piece of paper. It's all she could find on the ship she was stuck on; of course, there's probably more hidden around somewhere but she isn't allowed to wonder out of anyone's sight. Her right hand clutches a red marker that's nearly dried up, but she smiles anyways as she draws stuck figure people and writes the names of her family underneath them.

Tony, Pepper, Steve, Nat, Clint, Bruce, Vision, Nebula, Peter, Ryder, Wanda, Dad.

The only difference between the people she's drawn, is that three out of the twelve have faces. It's like she can't remember what the others look like, or maybe it's because she's gone in space, and they're somewhere else where she can't see them.

"Paisley?" Nebula hands Paisley the red marker she must have dropped. It's in half, which makes Tony glance at her with worries eyes. "You dropped your marker ..."

Paisley stays quiet, her gaze darting between her uncle and the robot lady she calls her aunt. She nods and takes the broken marker, placing it on the metal table and lets whatever ink is left spill out and she the metal.

Tony hums, picking up a small metal triangle he found in the rubble around  the ship a couple days ago. "Do you wanna help me teach Nebula how to play?"

Paisley nods and shuffles her seat closer towards Nebula so she's across from Tony. She places her fists on the table, pointer fingers touching and her thumbs upwards. She holds her hands in the position as Tony readied the small metal triangle with a tip against the table and another tip underneath his finger. He flicks it, the metal moving quickly and perfectly going through the makeshift goal that was Paisleys fingers.

"Boom!" Tony happily exclaimed.

💫 ━━ TONY glances towards the young girl that leans against his legs. She fiddles with her fingers and avoids looking up at the older mans scared and tired face. Although Tony notices that the young girl doesn't look happy nor does she look sad, he can't help but feel an ache for who she used to be before everyone had disintegrated into dust.

Tonys hand reaches forward to turn on the helmet, tapping a button and tilting his head. A blue light scans the room before it settles on Tony and Paisley; recording them. "Is this thing on?"

When he sees a small flash, he knows that it's recording him and Paisley. He's a little nervous, he looks so weak and malnourished, he doesn't want this to be the last time people see him.

"Hey, Miss Potts." Tony sighs. "Pep. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear-jerker. I don't know if you're ever going to see these. I don't even know if you're - if you're still - oh god, I hope so. Today is day twenty one," Paisley taps Tony on the leg, she holds up both hand, two finger up on each.

"Paisley says twenty two. You know, if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into a void of space, I'd say I'm feeling better today. The infection's run its course, Thanks to the blue meanie back there. And the super duper granola bar Paisley gave me, such a sweetheart. Some fuel cells were cracked during battle, but we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge to buy ourselves about 48 hours of time. But it's now dead in the water. We're 1000 light years from the nearest 7-11." Tony laughed and so did Paisley. Oh how they would both kill for a sugary drink that they could just down. "Oxygen will run out tomorrow. And that'll be it."

The air is sad, because they all know they tell die soon. There will be no air to breathe, and it'll just be them, in a forever sleep.

"And Pep, I — I know I said no more surprises, but I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like ... well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, if you grovel for a couple of weeks, and then move on with enormous guilt." Tony feels even more weak, he can feel Paisley pit his hands on his leg, practically steadying him. "I should probably lie down. Please know that ... when I drift off, I will think about you. Because it's always you."

Tony isn't ready to turn off the video. He wants to keep talking, to tell Pepper to watch out for Ryder and Peter if they ever return. For him to tell Wanda that Paisley will die being hugged by him. That no matter what happens, there will always be a light.

"Oh.. And I want you to tell Wanda if she's still there that Paisley didn't hurt. She's been happy here I think. She won't talk, but she watched everyone she could ever love leave her, I don't blame her. She taught me how to braid, which came in handy when her hair was so greasy." Paisley nudges Tony, who winces but smiles at her. "I'll take care of her, until the second I can't anymore. She's loved, her uncle Tony will always love her. She's love here Wanda, but she misses you. She's picked up drawing, all over the walls and on whatever paper we can't find. It's always of stick people, and sunshines and happiness. It makes our days a little better."

Paisley turns off the camera once Tony falls asleep besides her. She fetches Nebula, who carry's Tony into one of the seats where it's much more comfortable than the metal floor. Paisley doesn't sleep when Nebula comes and sits beside her. She just watches the stars around her.

She wants to believe that each star is someone they lost. That everyone is still around her, even in what she believes to be her last moments alive.

And just as she closes her eyes, a bright light shines in front of her. Carol Danvers is there to rescue them and bring them all back to earth.

       Paisley and everyone are saved.

💫 ━━ PAISLEY doesn't say anything as she grabs ahold of Natasha and Steve's hand. They were so glad to see her alive that they had momentarily forgotten about how Paisley had been gone for almost a whole month.

"Pais? Slow down, we gotta get you checked out." Natasha says as she follows behind the young girl. She's quick on her feet, and for a tired and seeming weak little girl, Paisley doesn't let Natasha pull her back. "Paisley."

Paisley enters a small room where someone lays on a bed, sleeping. She drags Natasha and Steve far into the room, so they can see who's on the bed. "Paisley..." Steve sighs, because he thinks this is some freaky kind of magic Paisley is using. He thinks that it was her way of coping with what has happened.

"Help him." Paisley speaks for the first time in twenty three days. Her voice is scratchy and sounds like nothing good. "Help my dad."

On the table, unconscious, lays Pietro Maximoff. Who was presumed dead, is not very much alive with a heartbeat and a rise of his chest that everyone can see.