Assembled: Earth's Last Heroes (A Riordanverse and MCU crossover)

Chapter 18: Meg

"Peaches." murmured Meg McCaffrey as she absentmindedly traced patterns in the air. "He was my first friend and he died at the battle of Camp Jupiter."

"I'm...so sorry," said Reyna softly. "It's hard to lose someone you love." She offered Meg some tissues and she accepted them gratefully.

They stood side-by-side, watching the beautiful sunset over Wakanda. Meg had originally wanted to leave as soon as possible, but Thor had insisted they rest for a day before they set off on their next crazy journey. Meg was obviously still worried, but she had to say she was relieved to be able to get some rest. She only had one request: they hold a funeral for her deceased, fruity friend, and obviously the Avengers couldn't not agree. Now she, Reyna and Apollo were here, where Shuri had generously given them a spot in Wakanda's burial ground.

Meg took a deep breath and held out the peach she had prepared to represent Peaches. Apollo helped her dig a hole into the ground, where she planted the peach into the ground. She placed her hands on the fresh soil, channeling her powers, and a magnificent peach tree blossomed. A final and long-lasting reminder of what she had lost.

"We brought something too," came a voice behind her. She turned to find Tony, Steve and the other Avengers silently watching. Tony held a watering can and walked over, sprinkling the soil with water. "It's not regular water. I developed a formula so that the nutrients will enrich the soil make the tree last for much longer than it regularly would, and also make it much stronger and weather-resistant. If anything, I hope that that it can help the memory of your friend last forever."

Meg smiled at them gratefully. "Thank you for everything." She cleared her throat, starting the eulogy she had prepared.

"We called him Peaches, because that was what he loved to say. He may have been a terrible driver, but he had a good heart. He was formidable in battle, and he died fighting bravely. More than anything, he was a brave and loyal friend. He was my first friend. And he would have loved this sunset." She stopped to gather herself. "I loved him, and I realise that he loved me as well. Thank you for saving me over and over again and being my friend when I was alone." she said directly to the peach tree. "I hope he's happy, wherever he is, in the....karpoi afterlife." She laughed shakily.

"Peaches the karpoi

Was a hero and died one

Never forgotten." recited Apollo. chuckling half-heartedly. "Maybe my poetry powers are returning."

The other Avengers bowed their heads solemnly in respect. Thor walked to Meg and pulled her into a hug. "He loved you. That's why he died for you, and that's why you'll never forget him."

Something inside Meg broke and she finally allowed herself to cry, sobbing into Thor's shoulder. After she pulled away, she realised the tears that had fallen wasn't just because she missed her fallen friend, it was also because after all this time, she felt....content. It might have been a feeling she was crazy to be having, given the mess they were in, but it felt like she had finally found somewhere to stay, someone--maybe more than just one--to love.

Like she had found a family.