When lightning always strikes, you know she's not far behind.
Kidnapped at a young age and recused seven years later, Avalyn Stark is forced to try to navigate a new world far from what she remembered. With threats around every corner, she was nev...
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The battlefield was unnervingly still for a moment, as if the world itself was catching its breath after the chaos that had erupted. The dust settled slowly, revealing the scattered remnants of their allies—each of them battered and barely holding on. Mantis gently propped up Quill, Drax and Nebula limped forward, their faces showing the toll the battle had taken.
Avalyn leaned heavily against her father, her body aching from the fight, her mind reeling from the enormity of what had just transpired.
Peter Parker arrived by their side, his voice gentle as he asked, "Are you okay?"
Avalyn gave a weak nod, still leaning on Tony.
"I will be," she managed, her voice soft but strained.
She wasn't sure if she believed it. The weight of the gauntlet, the fight against Thanos—it felt like more than she could bare to think about. Her body throbbed and her brain kept telling her that she needed sleep. She wasn't even sure how long they'd been there.
Then, without warning, Mantis's voice broke through the fragile calm.
"Something's... happening."
Avalyn's eyes snapped to her just in time to see Mantis disintegrate, her body dissolving into ashes before their eyes. It was so sudden, so unnatural. A sharp gasp escaped Avalyn's lips as she stared in horror, her hand gripping tighter onto Tony's suit.
Quill turned, his expression filled with disbelief as Drax began to vanish in the same way.
"Quill?" Drax's voice was quiet, confused, as he dissolved into nothing.
Quill spun back, his face pale, his breath quickening as his eyes found Tony's.
"Steady, Quill," Tony urged, though his own panic was evident in the cracks of his voice.
But it was too late. Quill's figure broke apart, turning to dust in the wind. Avalyn's heart pounded, her mind racing. She blinked far more than usual, as though it would make people reappear before her. She didn't understand what was happening.
Then se heard Strange's voice, calm but somber, as he turned to them.
"Tony, there was no other way," Strange said, his words heavy with meaning.
Then, just as suddenly, he too faded away. Avalyn's chest tightened, her breath coming out shallow as fear gripped her. She looked up at her father, her voice trembling.
"What's happening?"
Peter's voice cut through the panic.
"Mr. Stark? Ava?" Avalyn's eyes widened as she watched Peter stagger toward them, his face pale. "I don't feel so good..."
"No!" Avalyn cried, her voice breaking as she reached out for him. "No! Not you, please, Peter!"
Tony's face was stricken, his fear palpable as he tried to calm Peter, his voice shaking.
"You're all right?" he asked, as if trying to will it into reality.
"I don't know what's..." Peter's voice cracked as his body seemed to give out, his legs wobbling as he collapsed into Avalyn's arms, clinging to her tightly. He buried his face against her, crying. "I don't know what's happening... I don't..."
Avalyn could feel his weight pressing against her, and though her side throbbed with pain, she didn't care. All that mattered was keeping Peter close, keeping him here. Tears blurred her vision as she clutched him back, her heart breaking with each sob he let out.
"I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go," Peter pleaded, his voice a desperate whisper against her chest. "Ava, please... please, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go."
Avalyn shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she held onto him, her fingers grasping at him desperately.
"You're not going anywhere," she whispered, her voice shaky and broken. "You're not."
But the words were futile. It didn't matter how much she wanted to keep him there, she had no control this time. Peter's voice weakened further.
"I'm sorry..." His body trembled once more, and before Avalyn could even process what was happening, he crumbled to dust in her arms.
Avalyn froze, staring at the empty space where Peter had been. His warmth was gone. His weight had vanished. All that remained were the ashes that slipped through her fingers, scattering in the wind.
"No..." Her voice was barely a whisper, broken and hoarse. "No... no..."
Her body gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, her hands shaking as they hit the earth beneath her. Her chest heaved with sobs that felt like they were tearing her apart from the inside. He was right there. And now... now he was gone, just like the others. Like he had never existed.
Tony stared, his heart shattered, watching his daughter break before his eyes. His own disbelief mingled with the numbing horror of what was happening. He could barely breathe, let alone think. Finally, he forced himself forward, collapsing beside Avalyn. His arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her into his chest.
"Ava?" His voice cracked as he called her name, the fear and grief mingling together in every syllable.
Avalyn sobbed into his arms, her hands clutching his suit, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"He was right there, Dad," she cried, her voice choked with anguish. "Where did he go? Where did they all go?"
All she could think about was her mother, who was pregnant, and Pietro. There was so many of her family members back on earth who could have been just like Peter. What was she supposed to do if they were gone too?
Tony held Avalyn tighter, his own tears falling silently. He didn't have an answer. All he could do was hold her and whisper, "I don't know, baby. I don't know."
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