MAGIC TRICKS [PETER PARKER]

THIRTY-THREE

"NADIA? BRUCE, SHE'S WAKING UP."

Weakly, Nadia forced her eyes open and light flooded her vision. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the black spots from her eyes, until they focused on the people in front of her. "W-Where am I?"

Bruce touched her hand comfortingly. "You're in the compound, Nadia. Everything's okay." Tony was on her other side, perched in a wheelchair next to her IV's, his own planted on the other side. Rhodey was next to him. Steve and Natasha stood at the end of the bed, their arms crossed in silence.

"What happened?" she asked numbly, scowling. "You blacked out. What were you thinking? And what were you all thinking, taking her back to space?" Tony chastised. Rhodey sent her a look. "I told you."

It all slowly pieces together in her head; she remembered going to space, Captain Marvel leading them, attacking Thanos, Thor cutting off his head and—

"The stones." Her eyes snapped open, flying directly to Steve and Natasha. "The stones, tell me you found the stones?" No one made a move. Her heart sunk farther into her chest, digging a hole between her lungs. "You didn't find them?"

"They're gone. Thanos destroyed them," Steve said sadly, his arms coming to rest at his sides. Nadia couldn't believe it. "Well... What do we do now? I mean, there has to be another way... There has to be..."

They were silent, and like that, the rug was ripped from underneath her feet. Her lips trembled and she clenched her fists together, tears gathering in her eyes until they fell over her lashline. They were gone. Truly, forever, gone.

They were supposed to be heroes, how could they give up so easily? How could all of the hope they had just get wrenched away, with the snap of someone's fingers?

Someone touched her hand. "Nadia..." Her eyes opened, and Bruce stumbled back, his hand dropping to his side. White energy swirled from her hands, and her irises had turned the same glowing white. The lights in the room started to flicker, startling the people inside. "Calm down, kid, okay? Calm down," Tony coerced.

Nadia's eyes were wide, panicky, and she cried, "I-I don't know what's happening— I can't stop it-"

Glass shattered as the lightbulbs burst; Steve dove over Natasha, protecting their eyes from the falling glass. Nadia's entire body was enveloped with the energy, her hands shaking with the power. Rhodey pulled Tony from the girl, shouting at Bruce, "Do something!"

Fumbling with the syringe, Banner hastily pierced the skin of Nadia's forearm with the needle, injecting a sedative into her bloodstream. Her eyelids fluttered until they shut and her body relaxed almost immediately, collapsing on the bed.