twenty-two

3.9K 109 12
                                    

After introductions were made and Quill apologizing profusely to the ice-powered girl they made their way out of the crashed Q-ship.

"The hell happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place." With every step, Beth took she could feel herself floating off the ground slightly. Mantis smiled bouncing in front of her, Beth joining her in jumping around. 

"Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us, we'll use it." Her dad nodded to himself, "alright, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one." Tony turned around to see his daughter bouncing around with an alien, "Beth, feet on the ground. Over here, please." 

Beth huffed landing on the ground next to them, "it's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely, don't want to dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet."

Drax yawned beside them causing Tony's head to whip towards him, "are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?" Drax turned to face them his hands on his hips as he spoke, "I stopped listening after you said, 'we need a plan.'" Tony turned back towards Quill, "okay, Mr. Clean's on his own page." 

Quill squinted at them, "see, 'not winging it' isn't really what they do?" Beth motioned towards Drax and Mantis, "uh, what exactly is it that they do?" 

"Kick names, take ass."

Drax nodded in agreement, "yeah, that's right."

Peter and Beth both looked back to Tony who let out a long sigh while looking down. "Alright, just get over here. Please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?" Quill nodded while rolling his eyes, "'Mr. Lord', Star-Lord is fine."

Drax and Mantis moved over towards them, "we gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude..." Star-Lord cut him off, "dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means." 

Beth let out a long sigh shutting her eyes, "we're all gonna die." Quill gave her a look, "all right, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan and that way it might be really good." Drax nodded, "tell him about the dance-off to save the universe."

Beth tested the words in her mouth, "dance-off... to save the universe. I don't think those words are supposed to go together." Tony agreed with his daughter, "what dance-off?" 

Quill shook his head stuttering, "it's nothing."

Peter spoke up, "like in 'Footloose' the movie?"

Quills eyes sparkled as he perked up, "exactly like Footloose, is it still the greatest movie of all time?" Peter looked towards Tony and Beth, "it never was." Quill squinted his eyes at the teen while tilting his head. Tony turned around taking both of the kids under his arms. 

"Don't encourage this, alright. We're getting no help with, Flash Gordon over here?" Beth's head turned around as Quill approached them, "by the way that's a compliment." Tony stopped walking as they all turned back towards him. Quill wore a cocky smirk on his face. "Don't forget. I'm half human so that 50% of me that's stupid. That's 100% you."

Tony made a face while shaking his head subtly, "your math is blowing my mind."

Mantis looked away from the two bickering adults. Her eyes locking onto Doctor Strange, "um, excuse me. But does your friend often do that?" Beth small smile dropped as she looked towards the wizard who was floating slightly above the ground a couple of feet away. His head was whipping back and forth, a green aura around him.

"Strange, we all right?" Tony called out to him as they all moved closer. Just as they stood in front of him, Strange dropped onto the ground with a cry. Tony gripped onto his arm, kneeling down next to him. "You're back, you're alright." Strange looked up towards them, "hi." Peter moved forwards, "hey, what was that?"

"I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all possible outcomes of the coming conflict." An unsettling silence fell over all of them, "how many did you see?" Quill broke the silence, "fourteen million six hundred and five." Tony asked the question they were all thinking, "how many did we win?" 

"One."

-❆-

Peter and Beth both sat on top of one of the buildings as they all were in position, waiting for Thanos to show up. Peter looked down towards the ground as Beth sat curled up, "one reality where we win." Peter's head turned towards her, moving so he was in front of her he took her hands in his. 

"Don't think about that right now?" Beth's icy blue eyes stared into his, "how can I not? I can't lose you, or my parents, or MJ. I wouldn't know what to do." Peter shook his head in denial, "you won't." Beth gave him a sad smile, "you don't know that." 

Peter moved so he was sitting next to her, her head on his shoulder while he rested his head on top of hers. "Yeah, well, what I do know is that no matter where I am. I will find my way back to you because I'm gonna be the one that always fights to get back to you. I promise." Beth lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him, "I love you." Peter smiled placing a soft kiss on her forehead, "always."

Peter's head perked up as his senses heightened, his mask formed over his face. Beth looked down towards the ground floor and saw a blue and grey cloud-like portal opening up. Her mask froze onto her face, Peter crawled over beside her. Beth had to hold back a gasp as the purple titan emerged from the portal. Even from where they were hiding, Thanos still looked like a giant. Peter gave her a worried glance as they stared at Thanos.

He's here.

Frostbite ❆ Peter ParkerWhere stories live. Discover now