To The Sun [3] Endgame

One

Chapter One:

It had been 22 days. Or 24– or even more than that, but she couldn't care less. It had felt like an entirety, one of just wishing and waiting, followed by frustrated tears and people who felt ever so far away.

Hazel Barnes lay outstretched on her bed, her arms and legs stuck out like a star-fish. Her eyes trained on the plain ceiling, drawing out every face of those who were lost. Once a day the girl would have a good cry, and than carry herself from her room at the Headquarters, march downstairs and demand they do something. Hazel didn't care what they did, but as long as they spent every day and every hour working for a chance to get everyone back.

It hadn't helped that she shouldn't of been here, on earth, surrounded with safety. She should've been stuck on a planet, somewhere far in space with Tony Stark. Yet fate had other plans, and sent her flying through time until she landed at the feet of Steve Rogers in a place she leaned was called Wakanda. She could remember the feeling as her legs failed to work and she sank towards the ground, of fear igniting thinking she was crumbling to dust along with all the others. But instead she watched as Tony Stark leaped for her, trying to keep her there with him. For her to only disappear, and though it wasn't like the rest, she still vanished from his grasp.

Doors slammed from the floor underneath her, which was the main living space. She heard Steve shout, followed by Natasha's strong voice. Those things were normal, as they mostly happened everyday. Doors would always be slammed, and Steve would hush Natasha so loud Hazel could hear them clearly through the vents. Then Steve would go on about her, that he didn't want her to know of all their failed attempts, because it was affecting her just as much as the rest of them.

There were new voices though, not just the tried ones of Steve and Natasha. Hazel pulled herself off of the bed and grunted, wondering if it was worth it, for her to wander downstairs only to come back up and sob once more. She wore sweatpants and a large t-shirt she learned to be her— well she didn't exactly know what Peter Parker was to her, but she wore his shirt nonetheless. She had no idea how it got left in her room, because he had never once she'd a piece of clothing there. But nevertheless there it was, and it felt like he was there with her. Some sense of normal.

Her hair was chopped, reaching her chin. She had dyed it a dark brown, wanting to feel some sort of resemblance to her father. She did look like him then, and she smiled in the mirror with a feeling of home, even if she didn't have one.

Her feet carried her down the long hallway and down the metal stairs, her socked feet nearly slipping on the smooth surfaces. The voices were coming from what they made the meeting room, which essentially was just a large table placed in a giant empty space that used to be a living room. She saw Steve and Natasha first, with a glimpse of a blonde head. A women who she learned was Carol Danvers stood staring forward while Thor sat farther away than everyone else. Rhodey stood with his arms crossed next to a figure sitting in a makeshift wheelchair.

Her heart stopped as her eyes landed on the figure, "Tony?"

All eyes flicked to her, and Steve stepped forward blocking her view of the man she thought had been lost.

"I thought you were sleeping." Steve whispered, "I think you should go back upstairs—"

"And what? Cry for the rest of the day?"

"Hazel?" Tony's voice floated, "Rogers, get out of the damn way."

Steve stepped back, letting the girl walk quickly around the table and pull Tony into a hug. He was awfully pale and skinny, but she supposed those were the usual side effects of being lost in space.

"I though you vanished." His voice was muffled as he held onto her, "I thought I lost you both."

She pulled away, trying not to cry. "I told his Aunt. I had to, I couldn't leave her to wonder what had happened."

"Good." He stared up at her, "And you cut your hair. And it's a different colour."

She nodded, "Long hair is flammable."

Tony looked past her and sent a look towards Steve, who she knew returned one. Hazel stepped away, remembering the hours just after Steve had confided in her about the demi-god Thanos. She had returned to her room and found Peter covered in paint, more so than the walls. Hours later he had slipped a prototype of his webslinger on his wrist and insisted that he could help paint with them. Instead, the web bounced off the wall, landing and sticking the ends of her hair. Peter had been to busy laughing mid apology as it sparked and hissed just before catching flame. Hazel had seriously contemplated throwing him out of her window at the time.

"Are you ok?"

He nodded, "I'm alive."

Hazel pursed her lips, her feet slowly turning around, reading the vide everyone else was giving off. "I guess I'll go back upstairs. I'll let you all finish your superhero business."

She made it all the way to the stairs before she turned again, just to get a reassured glance that what she was seeing was true. That some hope still remained.

"Hazel." Steve's voice cut through, he gave her a small, sad smile. "It's not over yet."

She looked at him, and sighed, determination set on her face. "It hasn't even started."