A Place In This World (Beginnings and Goodbyes, #1) {Completed}

the sky falls from heaven above

Dad speeds along the dusty, abandoned streets, all the while talking about home improvement projects. It seems my lucky survival has convinced him enough that retirement for him is possible, but it could also be to distract me from us running out of time to get on a Lifeboat before everything comes crashing down. To humor him, Natasha puts in some of her input, but my eyes are focused straight ahead, and to be honest, my attention on what my father is saying stopped being coherent five minutes ago.

My mind wanders to the Maximoff twins, how they might not make it alongside Cap to the nearest Lifeboat, how we might not make it, and my thoughts loop back around to how I left things back home. I'll hug my mom next time. If I get a chance, I'll hug Joaquin too even if it leaves us blushing messes.

Dad takes a sharp turn near a crumbling corner of the street at the very edge of the floating city, and a remaining Lifeboat comes into view up ahead on one of the few halved bridges left.

"You guys always eat in the kitchen anyway," Nat is saying, unfazed by the quick jerk of the car. I cling to the back of their seats to remain upright. I glance between the two, and wonder if they're losing it due to the thinning oxygen.

"No one eats in a dining room anymore," Dad says, and slams on the brakes. The car skids to a stop near the Lifeboat. Roaring cuts through the wind, signaling Hulk's nearby presence, and Natasha turns her head, worry tightening her face, towards the sound. Dad opens the door and hauls his seat forward for me, but I jump over the side of the car. Natasha exits the vehicle, the door slamming after her. Her eyes scan the remaining buildings of the city.

"We don't have a lot of time," Dad says, clearly understanding what Natasha is thinking.

"So get your asses on the boat," Natasha shoots back as she rounds the vehicle.

I grab her sleeve. "What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you." She pats my cheek. "I just gotta take care of something real quick."

I nod, and she runs off towards the sounds of the monster, smoke and falling ashes swallowing her silhouette whole. Dad takes my hand and we step onto the Lifeboat together. Crossing the threshold sends a bucket of nerves deep into my gut. I turn to gaze back out at the city, my eyes peeled for Natasha's returning form. Steve is nearby. I can hear his voice, and I look to my right to find him among some of the frightened civilians, reassuring them as best as he can. So, he's made it out fine, and this settles some of my anxiety.

But I keep vigilant for Natasha, and I gaze out, ignoring Dad behind me demanding I sit beside him and get strapped in. He must already be if he seems so insistent that I do it too. I scan and scan, hoping a shock of red hair draws my attention. Somewhere to my left, someone is muttering in accented English, right beside herself with worry and grief. She has lost a boy, a boy she isn't sure is dead or alive just beyond this square in front of me now. That's when I detect movement, a little arm waving desperately in the air.

I sprint off without thinking, no thinking at all really. A few people shout after me, and I almost stop in my tracks, almost turn around to see if anyone else sees what I see, but I don't want to risk losing this little kid. Not when I'm flying over debris and uneven ground and dodging things on fire. What's a few hundred yards when I still have time to get both of us onboard without too much hassle? No one is getting left behind, and if anyone has a problem with that, then they can watch me reunite this child with his family.

I slide to my knees when I reach the sink hole the boy is stuck down in, and his dust covered face peers up at me with relieved tears in his eyes. He's clinging to the side with one hand to keep himself high enough to be seen, the hand cut and scraped, the nails broken.