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"Daddy, do you think everyone has to die someday?"
"Yes, my precious one, it's the way of life."
"Even you and me?"
"Yes, my darling, one day we'll both be gone."
"What will I do without you? You're my everything."
"Lexi, even when I'm no longer here, I'll always be with you. Nothing, not even death, can keep me from finding a way to be by your side. I promise you that, with all my heart. Whatever it takes."
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THE NIGHT WAS A SHROUD, ENVELOPED IN DEEP DARKNESS AND AN ALMOST TANGIBLE SILENCE. The moon hung low in the night sky, casting a pale, haunting glow over the land. The atmosphere was heavy, thick with sorrow, fear, and a simmering anger that everyone concealed beneath their stoic exteriors.
"They say you can't always win," came the familiar refrain.
And they were right. Utterly, painfully right.
Without unity, there could be no victory against an overwhelming force. People needed to unite, to stand as one. But that didn't happen.
The cost? Lives.
The lives of children, adults, elders. Everyone.
A deafening rumble shattered the eerie silence outside the Avengers base. Steve, Aanya, Bruce, Natasha, and Rhodey rushed into the sprawling green space. Pepper and Lexi were already there, their eyes locked on a spaceship descending from the sky, bathed in a brilliant yellow glow as a woman held the vessel aloft.
Fear gripped Pepper and Lexi, their hearts pounding with dread for Tony's fate.
"Please, God," Pepper whispered, her voice barely a breath.
She clung to Lexi's sleeve, her hands trembling. Lexi fought to stay composed, though inside, she felt like she was crumbling to pieces.
"Mom, you have to stay strong," Lexi murmured, her voice a soft balm as she rubbed Pepper's back.
Everyone held their breath as the woman gently set the spaceship down on the grass, her yellow glow fading. Her gaze met theirs, filled with unspoken sorrow and steely resolve.
Steve sprinted forward as the spaceship landed, rushing to aid Tony and Nebula as they emerged. Tony looked utterly drained, his breath labored, his face ghostly pale. Lexi's heart twisted at the sight.
"Couldn't stop him," Tony muttered to Steve, shaking his head, his steps faltering as he stumbled off the ship.
"Neither could I," Steve replied, his voice thick with grief. They stood there, face-to-face, the weight of their failure pressing down on them like an anchor.
