Ágnostos

Chapter 22

Althea

"You have to tap into your powers," Loki said, extending a hand to me. "I can sense there's a strong power in you — a unique power."

"The only powers I have, are from others," I mumbled as I allowed him to pull me to my feet.

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

I waited for the god of mischief to explain himself, but he never did. "What's it?" I finally asked.

"You siphon your powers from other people's powers correct?" he asked.

"More their energies," I responded. "But mother dearest never explains anything to me so."

"Just reach out and feel my energy," Loki said.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Loki you've got to know how weird that sounds."

"Stop being an insufferable teenager and do as I say!" Loki exclaimed.

I sighed, extending my arms to his. Loki smacked my arms down. "Not with your hands Althea...."

"You tell me to feel for your energy but not with my hands?!" I asked. "What do you mean?!"

Loki sighed, shaking his head. "And you're suppose to be the one to save us from Thanos? Look, you have a unique power. Not only do you siphon the energy from others and the soil beneath you, you can manipulate that energy to do whatever you want to!"

"I-I don't understand how this works..." I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Okay, close your eyes Althea," Loki said. I did as he said. "Arms down at your side... good. Now reach out with your soul for the energy you feel."

What he said sounded insane and ridiculous. But I took a deep breath, opened my palms and opened my mind and body to the energy I felt around me. I felt a tingle through my body as light wind hit my face.

"Yes! Now bring that energy to your hands, coming together and forming something new.... you're doing it! Open your eyes!"

I slowly opened my eyes, witnessing the giant golden glowing ball that was now in my hands.

"You see that?" Loki asked. "That is power. Raw, controlled only by you. Power that you created from energy that you felt around you. Power that you can manipulate into anything you want to."

He smirked. "Practice with me a little while longer, and no one will ever be able to stand against you, Althea Biakóri."

"Dope..." I muttered, looking at the ball of power. I smiled as I bounced it between my hands. "What do you think would happen if I just... yeeted it across the room?"

Loki sighed, clearly irritated by my nonsense. "We're all dead..."

***

"Beat that Nike!" I yelled, after the goddess landed on the mat with a hard thud. "Who brought the thunder?!"

"A-the-ahh!" Loki chanted, his hands cupping over his mouth to amplify his voice. He ran over, high-fixing me as Nike stood to her feet.

"Someone's a sore winner," Nike said. "But congratulation, your highness. You may now begin your search for the Gems."

I sighed, my spirits immediately deflating as the goddess walked away, pushing away Bellona's taunts as she did.

"You look bummed for someone who literally just defeated victory," Loki said. "Wait... there seems to be emotions attached to this — let me get your father."

"Loki - it's fine," I said. "I just.... I don't want to spend another second without Peter.... and I know my dad doesn't want to spend another without Pepper but.... as long as I'm here, he will be here with me.... and Pepper will believe he's dead..."

"Lucky for you," Nona's voice sounded from the doorway. "The Gems are on Midgard. You're going home."

***

Peter

I collapsed onto the couch, laying my head on Harley's leg. "Think there's anything we can do?"

"Take a nap," Harley said. "Eat. Take care of ourselves."

I knitted my eyebrows together, peering up at him. "No. That's absurd."

"Yes," he said. "Self care is absurd. Glad we're on the same page."

I sighed, sitting up. "No, we can't just sit around and —"

My sentence was cut off by a bright flash of light invading the tower, to which I shielded my eyes from. There was a crash sound, followed by a groan.

"What the —"

I slowly removed my arm from my eyes, taking in the view in front of me.

Althea.

She looked magnificent. Her hair was shorter than just yesterday and she wore a gorgeously spectacular gown and a crown. She was gorgeous...

"Althea..." I stood to my feet as she looked to me, a smile immediately crossing her features.

"Hey Peter," she said softly.

I jumped over the couch, taking her face in my hands and kissing her, not caring about others in the room.

"Don't mind me... I just, was dead," Tony said. "Nothing to hug me over or anything..."

I pulled from Althea, looking behind her where Tony stood. Alive and well. "Tony...?"

"Hey kid," he said with a smile.

I chuckled, walking over to the man and hugging him.

"Tony... how are you alive?" Steve asked.

"Hello to you too, Capsicle," Tony said, patting him on the shoulder.

"My mother brought him back to life," Althea said. "Along with Loki and Gamora. The only positive thing she's probably ever done."

"Althea," Tony scolded. "If you have nothing nice to say —"

"Keep it to yourself unless you know they can't hear you," Althea finished. "Well she knows I think she's trash so... no harm no foul."

"Wait... you're mother?" Harley asked.

"Yeah... so.... this won't make a lot of sense but, I am a queen of a planet and my "mother," heavy on air quotes, is the goddess of power," Althea explained.

"Hear that?" Tony asked. "I slept with a goddess."

***

A/n

Sorry it's taken so long to update and that this is such a shitty update, but everyone is together again.

Also I really don't know what my plan was with the whole Gems of Harmony thing was and I'm super sorry for the shitty name like wow. I know what I'm doing with them but I also don't at the same time and I think it's stupid now buttttttt what's done is done and I hope this story doesn't suck. Hope you enjoyed!