In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

Clara Blake: Mediator

Tony promised Pepper he would meet her later. I didn't hear much of their conversation, other than the general fight of Pepper not wanting him to leave. He had to, he was telling her, though it was clear that, he didn't necessarily want to—He needed to. Tony had always been trying to get out of the game. Build more suits, build a robot to protect the fight so that we, the Avengers, could go home. And yet, a bigger threat always posed.

Tony, Bruce, Strange, and I stepped through portals and ended back in the Sanctum with Wong. I took a seat on the edge of the staircase.

Tony lingered beside me. He looked down at me, his lips split. He didn't know what to say as much as I didn't. Unspoken words between us left every isolated interaction awkward, but there was no time. Thanos posed a larger threat than our old grudges.

"You might want to sit down for this," I decided to say.

Tony nodded. He looked to the spot beside me, wondering if that would be acceptable, but shook his head slightly to himself, then sat on an antique couch along the wall.

Although Strange, Bruce, Tony, and I knew of the Infinity Stones and had interacted with two on different occasions, Wong was the one with the most knowledge. He donned himself to further explain about the Infinity Stones.

He raised his hands in the air to create a visual to go with the explanation. A section of space appeared in the air with a wave of his hand, and as he spoke, the Infinity Stones appeared to swirl within the space above our heads.

"At the dawn of the Universe, there was nothing. The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurdling across the Virgin Universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence," explained Wong.

"Space, reality, power, soul, mind," continued Strange. As he named the last stone, our stone, he crossed his hands and spread them, opening the Eye of Agamotto. Its light shined upon Tony.

"Tell me his name again," said Tony, glancing at Bruce.

"Thanos," said Bruce instantly, his brow furrowing. "He's a plague. He invades planets, he takes what he wants, he wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York? That's him."

Shock crossed through my head though I didn't show any emotion over it. It felt overpowering. Beyond my own life occurrences, to think that six years ago, Thanos was already stirring up the universe made me feel small. Insignificant. And to think about the sheer planning that went into an event that happened only six years ago brought fear into my heart about what could have happened in those six years. We were powerful if we had everyone, maybe, but grossly unprepared. Thanos' plan was the first time in my life I felt fear for the lives of my friends and the lives of the Universe.

"What's our time like?" wondered Tony, standing. He started to walk mindlessly as he began to use his genius mind to think of a plan, a way out, a new armor.

"No telling. He has the power and space stones, that already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe," said Bruce. He shook his head in worry. "If he gets his hands on all six stones, Tony--"

"He could destroy life on a scale hither to, undreamt of," said Strange.

Tony settled a hand on the rim of a Cauldron near the stairs and started to stretch his legs. He said, "Did you seriously just say 'hither to, undreamt of'?"

"Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?" asked Strange, using his Cloak of Levitation to knock Tony's leg, forcing him to lose balance and fall away from the Cauldron.

"I am going to allow that," said Tony, after a stare-down with Strange. He continued, "If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just stick this one down a garbage disposal?"