After Infinity War

Part 44

SHURI

I stand beside Peter, my hand on his shoulder, as others come to join us. Natasha comes up first, kneeling the other side of Tony but not touching him. Clint follows behind her, both hands on her shoulders. Bruce takes a moment to come out of the Hulk but when he does he falls at Tony's feet and is the first one to start crying. Thor walks up behind Bruce and stops a few steps back.
'We need to tell Pepper.' Thor says, breaking the silence.
'Oh God.' Natasha says, bringing a hand to her mouth.
'I'll tell her.' Thor says after a moment.
'There's no way to do it.' Clint says.
'He can't...he's not...' Bruce says.
'This was always the outcome.' Dr.Strange says from my right, 'This was the only way we could have won. We had one chance to win this and it always ended with Tony...with Tony dying.'
'Clint, your wife and child are waiting, and I need either you or Natasha to come so they answer the door.'
'Yeah. Yeah, and I need to get my sons, they'll be at home. They won't know what to do.' Clint says, turning away from Tony.
'I can get them.' Dr.Strange says.
'That'd be great. Just tell them I sent you and say the word Yo-Yo. It's the safe word we have.' He says.
'I'll be a minute.' Dr.Strange says, opening his portal and stepping through.
Thor puts one hand on Clint's shoulder and after a brief hesitation, goes to pick up Tony.
Peter stops Thor from lifting him up, clinging to Tony's body.
'Peter...' I say, trying to comfort him.
'I didn't get to....I didn't get to say goodbye to my dad, alright?' He says through tears, 'I didn't get to say goodbye to my parents or to my uncle and I just...I need to say goodbye. I just need a minute.' I let my hand fall to my side and Thor kneels beside Peter.
'I lost my brother.' Thor says in a gentle voice, crossing his legs to sit beside Peter who refuses to look away from Tony. 'Multiple times. He'd die and suddenly he'd be back again. Each time he did that I always believed he'd come back. Or at least that I'd see him again. You see, my world has this other life, where people can live a peaceful existence and nothing more or less.' He rests his hand on Peter's arm, 'Say goodbye if that is what you need, to your parents, to your uncle, to Tony. Say goodbye, but know that there is a world where you will see them again.'
Peter shuts his eyes and leans into Tony for a couple more seconds. 'I hate this.' He says, 'I hate it.'
'With time it'll hurt less. It'll always hurt, but right now, this feeling that makes out you can't live, it'll go. I promise you Peter.' Thor says, slowly taking Peter's arms off of Tony and picking Tony's body up.
Clint had opened the Ironman suit up so it was Tony's body being carried.
Peter didn't resist as Thor started to carry Tony away, just leaned into my legs and stared ahead. As Thor passes by everyone stared and stayed silent. Those who had not been at the centre of the fighting, my brother, the Wakandan warriors, stopped as they saw Tony's body and those who came from Wakanda dropped to one knee and crossed their arms, a sign of utmost respect.
Clint followed behind, leaving us to deal with the surrounding remnants of the fight and the prospect of how to bring the world back to how it was.