In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

The End of His Path

Armed with nothing but my sorrow and my determination to fix the ruin Thanos had caused, I stepped through a portal and returned to the place I would soon call my home.

Agamotto's home took the shape of a singular room, with darkened wisps cascading in a circular pattern upwards to form the walls. I walked along what felt like solid ground, but was indeed just swirling wisps of darkness. With the steps I took, no sound was created, but the dark underneath my shoe flickered white.

I suppose my home doubled as a stationary healing center; the longer I spent home, I felt the bones in my wrists begin to reset. I raised my hand to my face and watched the skin graft in my hand, from the same array of bullets that killed our Speedster, grow back with my own cells. I no longer felt like I was thirty years old, bruised or broken. My body felt powered. My heart couldn't say the same.

I refused to call for him. He knew I was searching for him; he brought me to our home because he felt my yearn for him. I walked, waiting for him to show himself to me, and the hallway recreated itself as I waited, having me walk in a circle.

At last, I heard him behind me: "Clara..."

I stopped. The ground beneath my feet glowed white. I turned my head first, then my body, and I saw his figure. Instantly, I felt my eyebrows scrunch together. His wistful white figure was flickering, fading. He didn't stand tall, but instead his shoulders were hunched, his hand over his stomach. His head was lowered in what I assumed to be shame.

My desire to confront him lessened when I saw how poorly he held himself. I was tempted to release the rage shaking within my chest, if only to help him, but I could never forget the trauma that lived within my heart and my head in seeing my family, my friends, my allies turn to dust. I could never forget his refusal to help me save half the universe.

"I know what you're going to say," he began, before I had the chance to speak. He spoke soft and slow, his voice wavering, because he knew he was wrong. "Thanos did an unspeakable crime to humanity. I cannot and will not deny it. But his actions, regardless of what they were, did not harm the Time Stone. I had no reason to interfere, and I could not allow you to have my full power to ruin what was meant to happen."

I watched him exist with a clenched jaw and a blank expression on my face. I was not shocked to hear he knew of Thanos' plan. From the moment he denied inhabitants of the universe aid, when he possessed a power and ability to do so, I was not surprised with any confessions from him. It only succeeded in further evidence that it was time for me to take his place.

"Fate may have chosen you for this, but you are undeserving of my title. Your humanity will leave you a broken timeline, ruin. I have to be finished in allowing my love for you blind me. I protected the Time Stone from you through Thanos. I am not at the strength to continue. But, please, Clara Blake, you need to rethink this," he managed to choke out. He was wobbling in his place. "You aren't deserving of it. You know it belongs with me."

"I do not," I said immediately. "I won't ever believe the safest place for that Stone is somewhere other than with Strange and I. You bring shame by staying in the shadows, and I won't allow it any longer. Empathy is the best quality for someone with power and I intend to see that through. The Time Stone and I were meant to be together. It's past time I follow my destiny."

A white illumination of a path appeared, leading from myself to my future. Agamotto watched my feet approach him until we were inches away from each other. I brought forth my hand.

"We can fight, or you can submit," I told him clearly.

He shook his head until it was lowered. "You are not ready."