I Thought You Were Different: Part 5

Sacrifices

"Vision, is it you?" Tony asked one more time, as if he needed further reassurances to allow himself to accept it, holding his firm stare on the android. After all that had happened, there was no way that he was about to let anything be a risk to any member of his family, especially now that he had them back; Tony had been protective before, but that was simply a practice run compared to his determination now.

"I know no other me, Mr. Stark," Vision answered cautiously, "so for me to answer that I would be any version other than that of myself would be impossible to provide."

"Yep, it's definitely you."

You weren't nearly as composed as your father, but you didn't show it outwardly; there was no need to incite a panic. Brooklyn woke fully and pushed herself up and away from your grip, but you barely noticed. Your stare was fixed on Anthony, your eyes filled with a pain that he didn't want to face, but he did his best to hold his attention steady as he looked back. It was terrifying to you that you couldn't feel him in your mind when he was merely inches away, so close that you could touch him, and yet there was nothing.

"Mom," he whispered, his expression unnervingly calm, "it's okay. This was our decision."

~~~

Stephen had been studying Wade for the better part of the day, completely unaware of what you and your family were doing only a few floors away, while Bruce worked at his side and helped gather any information that Strange needed. They were fully enthralled in why Wilson had become so enraged, even though now he wasn't showing any signs of that feeling continuing. He had been oddly, completely calm since he woke, conversing with the two doctors as if nothing had happened. He had almost no recollection of the event with you that had played out on his front lawn.

"This is too familiar," Bruce said quietly to Stephen, the two of them finally releasing Wade's restraints, "it's just like (Y/N) and the kids when Thanos-"

"But Thanos is dead," Stephen argued.

"We're sure of that, right? Wade?"

"Oh, I made him nice and dead," he nodded eagerly. "Ripped that puckered head right off his wrinkled ball sack of a neck. I'm still trying to get his nasty brain goo out of the handle on my blade. Gave him one last spear through the eye just to drive my point home."

"And the Order is gone as well?"

"All the ones who showed up to the party."

"How many was that, if I may ask," Stephen pressed, feeling suddenly uneasy as he waited.

Wade sat up and stretched his newly freed arms up over his head with a load groan, dropping his hands heavily into his lap to count out the members of the Black Order on his fingers. "One...two...three...four? Were there four?"

"There were."

"Cool. Then four."

Bruce tried to hold in his laugh, "cool. I'm glad that you're so assured." He held out a hand for Wade to take as he hopped down from the exam table, purely out of habit and chuckling at himself for the faux pas. "You don't need a hand, sorry," he muttered under his breath.

"Aw, Brucie, if you want me to hold your hand, just ask."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Wade landed on his feet with a solid thump, clapping his hands together eagerly and looking to each man for answers that he already knew they didn't have. "So, new buds, what did we learn here today? Has the evil been exorcized?"