To The Sun [3] Endgame

Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen:

"I don't wanna go." A voice pleaded, "I don't wanna go, please not yet."

Hazel woke with a start, voices echoed off invisible walls. She pulled herself up, hands stained red from the ground. She scrambled onto her feet, eyes widening as they landed on a group of figures not to far away. And upon further inspection, she saw herself, or a younger version, kneeling next to a frightened Peter with a very distressed looking Tony Stark.

"Hey— hey, Peter." The younger Hazel sobbed, "It's going to be ok— you're gonna be fine."

Hazel's heart ached, knowing what was coming. She took a shaky breath, panic seeping into her. She closed her eyes, telling herself that this wasn't real, but when they opened again, Peter crumbled to dust with the wind.

Shouting echoed behind her, and she turned to see a familiar street. She watched as an image of her raced towards a house, trying not to cry. She remembered that day vividly, of when she went to go confront her foster father about everything. Hazel ran into the house, yelling and crying, only for her to go and push him away, to show him that she didn't believe him but only for the man to fly threw the air without a touch. Of the face he made at her, suddenly telling her that she wasn't his daughter.

The scene faded, and muffled screams sounded. Bucky was strapped to a chair, a mouth guard stuck in his mouth. People in white coats swarmed around him, while one gripped a dark red book in their hands. Hazel watched mortified as the more the man spoke, the more Bucky tried to resist but in the end, he fell still.

It shifted to a scene on a street, in the middle of the night. It showed a women walking on a sidewalk, copper hair glistening underneath a street lamp. A man approached her slowly, and she stopped looking around. Her grey eyes flashed as a car drove by, leaving her be. She sighed, shaking her head. The figure disappeared and she carried on, turning onto the next street only for her to stumble into a man.

Bucky stood in front of her, and she smiled up at him. Beaming she said, "Bucky? I thought you were away at work?"

Bucky stared down at her, no recognition in his eyes as Hazel watched him slip a gun from his pocket. "Honey, are you feeling alright?" The women wasn't paying attention to his hands, but was looking at his odd apparel. Hazel knew it was his Hydra uniform, but the women did not. "Bucky?"

He closed his eyes, as if he was fighting the power that controlled him. He lost, raising the gun quickly and pulling the trigger. The women collapsed onto the sidewalk, unmoving. Bucky knelt down, closing her wide eyes. "Rose." Was all he mumbled before the scene crumbled away.

Hazel wiped her eyes, the information clicking in place. That women—Rose— had to be her mother. Same copper hair, same grey eyes. Hazel could see the resemblance, all wiped away as her father killed her mother.

"What the hell?" She mumbled, a new scene appearing with thick fog and a hazy red glow. She saw Clint hanging off the edge of it, holding Natasha by her arm. She was saying something to him, something she couldn't hear.

Nothing was making sense. Hazel hadn't been there for three of these moments, and yet here she was, watching them as if she had been. Hazel didn't need to see the rest to know what happened, but it didn't stop the tears that began falling down her face, or her running over as if she could help. The moment her feet left the ground, Natasha let go of Clint and went falling down until she hit the rocky ground far, far below.

"Hazel?"

She whirled around to see a figure running towards her, she rubbed her eyes as Peter slowly came into view.

"Peter?"

She sobbed, running towards him, praying that this was real. He had a small smile on his young face, "Hazel!" He yelled.

"Oh my god." She whispered, he was really there. She reached out a hand, but just as she would've grasp him, he vanished as if he hadn't there.

"No!" She yelled, stomping her feet like a child. "No, no, no! What is going on?!"

She spun in circles, looking for something or someone that was real. With all the hazy visions gone away, she could still see that she was where she had been when Thanos had tossed her. But she was alone, nobody was there fighting, it was all quiet.

"We meet again, Child."

Hazel froze, heart dropping. Just ahead of her a giant figure appeared limping towards her, a grim expression on his face.

"Thanos." She whispered, staring up at him. His head was a very pale purple against the rest of him, and that's when she saw the jagged line across his throat.

"Where am I?" Hazel regained her composure and wiped her wet eyes, "Take me me back, now!"

"I'm afraid I can't, young one."

Hazel pursed her lips, anger bubbling up within her. "Take. Me. Back."

Thanos stopped in front of her, taking a knee as he stared at her. "I cannot."

"Where the hell am I?"

"Trapped." He sighed, "Between the soul and time stones."

Hazel's brows furrowed, "What does that mean?"

Thanos closed his eyes, "He knows about you Hazel Barnes, and all the power you wield."

Recognition flickered, "I am not a damn key."

"Yes. You were the key to eliminating half the universe, but you refused to join us." He opened his eyes, "You have the power to destroy us, to kill him. He knows, child, about your powers, about your connection to the stones."

"What connection to the stones? People keep saying that but won't tell me shit! I'm sick of playing your game. Now, take me back!" Her hands balled into fists, "My family needs help."

He shook his head, "Not until the changes are made."

"What changes!"

He sighed, but she could tell he was growing annoyed with her and all her questions. But she didn't care, he was still the enemy, and one that should've been long dead.

"The reason that you had no chance against me the first time. Think."

Hazel had no idea what he was talking about, or what the hell is was referring to.

"16." He finally said, "An age where everything changed, when your powers ignited the day that your father unthawed from that ice in Wakanda and tested his own skills. An age where you had no idea how to wield such powers, making you weak."

She pursed her lips, staring at him. She looked down at herself, noticing the haze of green and gold emitting itself from her skin. Her eyes widened, "I'm trapped in the soul stone while the time stone takes me back to 16?"

"Stripping you of your knowledge and the training of your gifts, yes."

Hazel fell silent, wanting to run back to the fight and finish him off once and for all.

"I can beat you. I can kill you, can't I?" She rambled, "That's why he's done this, he's scared."

Thanos chuckled, "Yes. But when you leave here you'll be as useless as the rest. You already look as you did on that planet, young and weak. Watching the boy disappear, pathetic tears rolling down your face—"

His image flickered, and Hazel stepped back. "I hope you're burning in hell." She spat as he vanished and she felt the world around her tip, dragging her down an empty abyss until everything turned black.