Nephilim

14

Jack's P.O.V.- Present Day

We arrive back in Wakanda in maybe a day. It's hard to tell time in space, but I think it was a day. Anyway, when we got back to Wakanda, Vision and Wanda were standing there, looking rather anxious. I trail to the back of the group, linking arms with Kirstin, "They don't seem very happy to see us."

"Their probably nervous to see Tony again after two years. I mean, wait till they find out that they aren't war criminals anymore. Haven't been since three months after they left. The Accords were altered too, thanks to Sam and Dean." I stop walking as Steve, who was standing in front of us, comes to a standstill.

"Or they have bad news." He mutters quietly, before moving forward again. Kirstin snorts quietly, her voice loud and full of snark.

"Wow, Steve. Ever the optimist."

"You're one to talk." I rebuke, a small smile on my face. We step into the morning sunlight, squinting at the drastic change for the dark lighting in the remodeled helicarrier. My smile grows wider as I tilt my head back and let the sunshine over my slightly pale skin, the warmth a welcomed companion. It's amazing to think that someone I'm related to created all these amazing things around us. All the beauty in the world, all the pain that comes with it. But I've been told that pain makes the world seem more beautiful. Not in the beginning, but at the end of it. When the pain fades and you see the beauty you saw before the pain began. Of course, It still looks beautiful when you in pain, but nobody ever seems to notice it. All they have to do is look around, get lost in it for a while, and maybe it would help. At least, I'm hoping it helps.

A whistle comes from somewhere in front of us, "For a one-year-old, your pretty sassy."

"Says a teenager whose dating said one year old. That could technically be considered cradle-robbing, Mase." Kirstin's voice is lighter than it was before, not as weighed down by pain. She seems a little bit better than she did before we left. Or she could be acting. She's really good at it.

I snicker as I open my eyes, Mason's 'hurt' expression being broken by the obvious amusement in his eyes, and the beautiful smile on his face. Human's are so complex, so fragile, yet so powerful and strong in every sense of the word. They process these emotions that angels can't grasp, most angels not being able to process them for some reason. Human's deal with threats like this all the time and, even when some of them crack under the pressure, build themselves up while knowing these awful things. They are the real beauty in this world, especially Mason. Nobody should ever think different.

"Now, now, technically him dating me is barely legal. I'm eighteen while he looks and acts like a twenty-year-old." Mason slings his arm over Kirstin's shoulder, smoothly sliding between us as he grips my hand. He shifts so Kirstin and he is facing me before pulling me toward him, a wide smile gracing his face still, bigger than before. He has to bend down just slightly, he's a few inches taller than me.

He carefully places his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes, "Hey there handsome. How was space?"

I smile, pulling him into a small kiss. That turns into a few small kisses before pulling back with a large grin on my face and an amazing feeling in my chest, "There were a lot of stars. It was kinda dark. Guess what?"

"You punched the raccoon?" He jokes, pulling away slightly as Kirstin fake gags. I chuckle at the noise, and the obvious joke, noticing the sad smile on her face but acting like I don't see it. She looks at all of the couples in our group like that and hates it when we point it out.

"No. I'm like the people from Star Wars now! I traveled through the galaxy." The giddy feeling grows stronger when he laughs bending to kiss my cheek as we move to join the group of somewhat happy superheroes.

"What's the plan now? I mean, we're all made up and happy to see each other, but we're still war criminals. And we still have those powerful stones inside." Sam's voice had changed from a joking one to the obvious voice of reason at the moment. The slight smiles on the groups face faded, the nervous energy still obvious in Wanda and Vision, who no longer has the stone in his head.

"You guys haven't been informed?" Kirstin asks, looking at Tony, who wore a slightly guilty expression, "I thought I told you to text him?"

"Hey, you don't tell me anything. I am the adult in this relationship, thank you. I tell you what to do, not the other way around."

"Whatever, Tony." She gives him a blank look before muttering under her breath slightly. I laugh again, deciding that I wanted to tell the group before my giddy feeling and excitement of being with Mason and just getting back from space wear off.

"You guys aren't considered criminals anymore if you sign on to the Men of Letters. They're like a... buffer, between the people who work for them and the government. Ketch and Mary run the British one and Cas, Sam, Dean, and... Sam, Nat, and Bobby run the America branch." I look over at the couple who was joining the group after my falter, hoping Sam or Nat would pick up where I left off.

"Yeah. It's a secret agency really, we rebuilt the American one using the resources from the rebooted British sector. That one had been shut down for.. reasons, but Mom and Ketch have really turned the place around, Charlie had been a real help. Anyway, we found out that the Men of Letters had connections in the government, and that Tony was struggling to figure another way around the Accords and having to be directly connected to the government." Sam smoothly transitions into the conversation, as though he had been there the whole time.

"Long story short, Bobby, Mary, Charlie, and Ketch pulled strings and got us amnesty, and a way to go back and be heroes again. Unless you are willing to retire, either way, you're free to go home. The press release of this information was released three months ago." Natasha adds to the conversation pulling Kirstin from Mason and wrapping her arms around her, saying something quietly about some people and her needing to talk.

"Not only are you scary, smart, and beautiful, but you're motherly too? Is there anything you can't do?" Tony jokes as Kirstin pulls away from the hug, an eye roll waiting for him as she's being tugged toward him, "She's my niece, you can't have her."

"Is it okay if I speak to them alone real quick. I need to discuss something about their brother." Wanda speaks gesturing to Sam and Tony. The group dispersed quickly leaving behind Kirstin, Nat, the two aforementioned men, Wanda, Vision, Mason and I.

"What's there to talk about, Wanda? He's dead. They're dead. It's pretty self-explanatory." Tony snaps, quickly seeming to try and shut down the conversation. Guess this family is more alike than originally thought.

"We went to collect the bodies, so you guys could bury them, or whatever he had planned to do if he passed. We know there were bodies, we were awake when we were picked up by the medical team, even if Kirstin wasn't." Wanda begins, stepping forward slightly. Kirstin glances around the group eyes blank even as a smile appears on her face, a not-so-obviously forced joke smoothly leaving her lips,

"Passing out in a battle, not one of my finest moments."

"Please do take note that the aliens had already retreated at this time before we tell you the rest." Vision pauses waiting for a nod from Tony before continuing, "The force field was placed back intact after they were fully exterminated from the perimeter."

"Vision, will you stop stalling and just tell us what the hell you need to tell us. Now is not the time to drag on a conversation about our recently deceased brother."

"The bodies are gone. They disappeared without a trace."