Ágnostos

Chapter 19

Peter

I walked through Althea's room. Shuri had shown me where she had been staying the last few months. Truthfully, I did yell at her to bring me. Later I'll feel bad about it but not for a while.

Above her bed were pictures. I smiled softly at all the ones of her and me which were the majority of the photos. There were some of her and Shuri, her and Harley, her Harley and Shuri. Some of her and the man with the metal arm, her and Tony....

My eyes landed on one of her, Tony and I. My heart clenched as I reached for it, feeling the grief consume me like a tidal wave. I slumped on her bed, holding the picture close to my chest. The sobs that followed racked my body and left me helpless to my own self.

I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and didn't care who's they were — I wrapped my arms around them, recognizing the smell of burnt wood and pine as Harley.

It had only been a few hours since I lost the Starks — since the world lost the Starks. It hadn't made news yet as only we involved knew of the death. Steve said he wanted to figure what really happened with Thanos before they made the events of the fight public.

"S-She can't be... be de-dead," I hiccuped, clutching tightly onto Harley's shirt. "She said... she promised she-she'd come back!"

Harley rubbed my back. I could tell by the way his sniffles and by the wet tears that fell on my shoulder, that he, too, was crying. The two of cried for a few minutes before I had nothing left to cry and I pulled out of the embrace with one of the only people I had left. I wiped my eyes as he did the same and it was then that I saw the most beautiful purple flower I'd ever seen — and it was floating in through the window, glowing.

Sniffing, I looked to Harley who was also staring at the strange flower. I reached out my hands, cupping the flower in both hands. As the flower came into contact with my hand, I felt overcome with the sense finding.... home. Not only that, but I could almost smell Althea.

Of course that could be the fact that I am in her room and in her bed but it was stronger than that. As if Althea was right in front of me. Something about the flower was telling me that Althea wasn't dead, and that she was thinking of me.

"She's not dead," I said. "Althea isn't dead."

****

Althea

I hit the ground with a hard thud. It's been six months since the fight with Thanos and six months of intensive warrior training to get me ready for my inevitable destruction of Thanos, as Bia put it.

Groaning, I tossed my sword to the ground. I ripped the pony tale out of my hair to put up any fly aways. Even after six months, I couldn't seem to defeat Bellona. We did the training stages. Stage one I had to defeat Idun then went on to Freya for stage two. I was now on stage three, Bellona, and I had been stuck on the Goddess of War for three months! How they expected me to defeat Nike, (the goddess of victory!) I wasn't sure, but I had grown extremely aggravated.

All I wanted was to see Peter and Harley. I wanted kiss Peter and lay in his arms under the stars. I wanted to dance to the soft music on his phone and laugh about nothing. I wanted Peter.

"You're not paying enough attention," Bellona said, extending her hand out to me.

I grumbled as I stood to my feet without her help. "I need a break."

"We can't afford to take a break, Thanos should be on the move in search for the infinity stones and we need you to defeat Nike before you can begin your own quest for searching for hosts for the Gems of Harmony!"

"I've been working tirelessly for months! I just need the night," I argued.

The last six months had been non-stop training and diplomatic meetings and honing into my powers. I now had complete control of my siphoning as well as telekinetic abilities and other powers I haven't yet tapped into. Basically, I could do just about anything with practice by siphoning the power from the ground below me. But that prompted the endless training and I tended to loose my own energy after using so much. I felt like I would fade out before we even got to the fight with Thanos.

"Bia said you can't stop until —"

"Well Bia may have given birth to me," I spat. "But she will never be my mother. Now I am you're queen and I demand one night of rest!"

The ground below us began to shake along with my nerves. My necklace burned against my chest — something that had been happening a lot recently. I clenched the necklace, the ground ceasing to shake.

"I'm sorry Bellona," I said. "I'm just overworked is all."

Bellona bowed her head. "As you wish, my queen."

I huffed, thankful that I got through to her. I put my weapons away before making my way to my chambers. Once inside, I slammed the door shut letting out a breath of strangled air.

I made my way to my vanity counter, taking the necklace off and examining the scarred burn mark. Running my hands over my face I let out a scream before shooting my hand at the mirror, glass shattering everywhere.

I hated acting as Queen. I hated being here on Fraygard and I hated having all this responsibility thrown on my shoulders.

Looking into my reflection in the shattered mirror, I felt disgusted at how unrecognizable I was. In hindsight — I didn't really look different at all. And maybe that's what disgusted me.

Inwardly I was completely different — and still continuously changing. Yet outwardly I still looked like that seventeen-year-old who hadn't even left the comforts of her house (minus some baby fat in the cheeks and adding on major muscles).

I grabbed the knife on my vanity table, grabbing a chunk of my hair and sliding the knife across my long black locks.

A/n I have tried cutting my own hair in my rage and depression and I tell you, it does not work like this AT ALL and I cant imagine it ever working out any better with a sword but whatever it's a fanfic and she's a goddess and there are centaurs so anything can happen 😂

Also, I finally have inspo for this fic so yay!!! I missed writing this omg I missed Althea and father!Tony.

On another note — I'm working on a Thor fic connected to this one and that will be where Nona comes into play. I'm just lazy and writing like 20 other stories lmaooooo don't bite off more than you can chew my dudes

Anyway happy readings! (Despite this being all angst lmaoooo)