MARVEL • THE INFINITY WITCH (PETER PARKER X OC)

Dusted

An arrow being knocked into a bow. The archer behind firmly grips it tight as it was aiming towards the target. Clint Barton holding up a few arrows while mentoring his daughter, Lila Barton, on shooting one.

"Okay, hold on. Don't shoot. You see where you're going?" Clint asks the girl

"Mhm." She hums

"Okay, now let's worry about how you get there." Clint corrects his daughter's foot to the proper position, and adjusts her shooting stance. "Here. Can you see?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Mhm." Clint pushes Lila's hair in front of her face while covering her left eye.

"How about now?" Both Lila and Clint giggle, as the camera panels into a long shot showing a target nailed on a tree, and the rest of the Barton family having a picnic in the field.

"Alright. Ready your fingers." She shoots and makes it perfectly

"Nice." Cooper shouts

"Nice throw, kiddo." Laura cheers

"You go." Clint cheers

"Hey, you guys want mayo or mustard, or both?"Laura asks. Lila then proceeds to look at Clint.

"Who wants mayo on a hotdog?" Lila asks

"Probably your brothers." Clint whispers. Clint looks at his wife, Laura. "Uh, two mustard, please! Thanks, mama".

"Mayo or mustard?" Laura asks Nathaniel

"How about ketchup?" He answers

"Ketchup?" Laura asks "I can do ketchup."

"Mind your elbow." Lila releases the arrow and it hits the target directly in the bullseye. "Hahaha! Good job, Hawkeye. Go get your arrow."

"Hey guys! Enough practice, soup's on!" Laura shouts

"Alright, we're coming; we're hungry." Clint looks behind him, but there's no one there, but dust being blown away by the wind. "Lila, let's go." Clint starts to look around "Lila?" Clint starts to move and looks around, and picks up the bow she had. "Honey?" Clint looks around to see Laura and the boys, only they are gone now. He looks seriously panicked and confused as he hurriedly drops the arrows and jogs over to where they were. "Hey, babe! Babe? Babe? Boys? Boys? Laura?"

Somewhere In Space

Nebula and Tony on the ship playing paper football

"Wrra!" Nebula, frustrated, puts her hands in a fighting stance while looking at Tony.

"You don't need to do that. Because uh... you're just holding position." Tony states calmly. Nebula flicks a paper football towards Tony "Oh yeah, that was close." Nebula once again flicks a paper football towards Tony "That's a goal. We're now one apiece."

"I would like to try again." She states. Nebula flicks a paper football towards Tony

"We're tied up. Feel the tension? It's fun." Tony said. Tony poorly flicks a paper football towards Nebula "That was terrible. Now you have a chance to win." Nebula flicks the paper football towards Tony "And... you've won. Congratulations." Tony reaches his hand out to shake Nebula's hand "Fair game. Good sport." Nebula shakes Tony's hand "Have fun?"

"It was fun." We switch to see Iron Man's busted helmet. Tony Stark's hand reaches forward to turn on the helmet. We pan out to see that he's sitting on the floor of a gloomy Benatar. The weight of the recent events of Infinity war evident in Tony's posture. He taps the helmet with a sigh.

"This thing on?" The helmet scans Tony. Tony leans against the wall while taking deep breaths. He looks skinnier and weak with malnutrition. "Hey, Miss Potts... 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 21, uh 22. [Cut to Tony standing at a window to stare out in space, waiting for his impending doom to arrive.] 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 runs its course, Thanks to the blue meanie back there. You'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic. 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. Oxygen will run out tomorrow. And that'll be it. 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. I should probably lie down. I miss Stas and if she ever comes back please tell her that I love her. And please I need Steve or Wanda to have take care of her. But please know that... When I drift off, I will think about her and you. Because it's always you both."

With that, Tony turns the helmet off. He rubs his thumb over the left eye, and then leans down, to what would be his last sleep. Nebula walks over to him, and carries him to Drax's seat, and lies him there. She walks away dejected. A vast bluish nebula illuminates the space surrounding them. Cut to a shot of Tony's face, which for the first time shows age and weakness. There is a light on his face, which grows brighter and brighter until he's forced to open his eyes. The camera pans around to the light source, which is slowly revealed to be Carol Danvers.

A bathroom in the Avengers compound. We see Steve Rogers holding a blade, having just shaved off his beard. He sighs and looks into a side mirror. The mirror suddenly starts shaking, slowly at first, and then severely. Cut to the yard in the Avengers Compound, we see Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, and James Rhodes walking out looking at something, the Benatar carried by Carol Danvers as she lands the spacecraft. The landing gears deploy as they touch down. The entry hatch opens, and Tony and Nebula walk out, Tony being supported by Nebula. Steve runs to Tony to help him stand up. Tony grips Steve's arm as he joins him.

"Couldn't stop him." Tony says

"Neither could I." Steve says

"I lost her and the kid. I lost my daughter. I lost Stas" Tony cries

"Tony, we lost."

" Is, uh...?" Tony struggles to ask about Pepper.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" She and Tony embrace.

"It's okay."