In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

Goodbye, Earth

I took Steve back to Earth. I said my goodbyes to him, Bruce, Wanda, Sam, Bucky, and my dear Kona. Steve decided he would live out the rest of his days in our old home with Kona. They were going to be okay.

Clint had left to his family. The Guardians took Thor back to space. Rhodey was grieving and helping return life to normal with Pepper and Morgan. Peter had gone back to school. T'Challa returned to rule Wakanda. Strange and Wong remained guarding the New York Sanctum, worry-free of the Time Stone.

I used a portal to the Compound to see if anyone was left there. I only found Fury, Maria, and Carol remaining in the Conference Room.

Maria raised her head, being the first one to see my appearance. "What brings you here?"

"Just saying my last goodbyes," I said.

"Headed back to the stars?" wondered Fury.

"That I am," I agreed. I surveyed the three of them. "What about all of you?"

"I could use a vacation," admitted Fury.

I smiled. "I'm sure."

Carol tipped her head. "I just might be able to arrange that."

For the first time in my life, I heard Fury laugh. I tried to hide my shock. He seemed different with Carol, as if they were old friends, living carefree of a thing in the world.

"Um," I said, still shocked I heard the sound of joy. "Uh, Carol. Are you going back to the stars? I could use a guide."

"I'm usually a solo flier," she admitted. She smirked. "Emphasis on flier."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't think I can fly? I can fly. Watch me. I got it."

Carol raised her eyebrow. She said her goodbyes to Fury and Maria, as did I, and then she followed me through a portal to the front lawn. I turned my back from her as I walked a short distance away from her, my eyes wide, the only thought in my head being: please fly. Just fly. You can fly. Probably.

I turned to face her. I lit up my fists with green energy and shook out each foot, illuminating them as well. I shook my shoulders nervously and closed my eyes to focus. I thought of Tony. I modeled how he put his hands palms down to the floor, I jutted them down softly, and I felt my feet hover from the ground. My eyes flew open to confirm I was hovering. I squealed, then realized I squealed, and I quickly cleared my throat.

Carol laughed. "So you can hover. C'mon, kid, show me you can fly!"

I struggled to hover. I was hovering off to one side, then tried to correct it with a soft burst from my opposite hand, only to end up further from my original starting point. I huffed a frustrated sigh and threw my hands down, propelling my body into the sky. I tried not to scream as I soared into the sky, with little ability over my position.

I soon figured I could adjust my flight by use of energy bursts from my hands and my feet. I managed to come back towards the ground, to fly an unsteady circle around Carol, then lower myself to the ground until my feet could touch and slow me down by running to a stop. I exhaled a heavy sigh; I was pretty sure I hadn't breathed the entire time I was in flight. I was barely even sure I could call that flying— it seemed more falling with style.

Carol shrugged. "I suppose I'll take you under my wing. It's insufferable to watch you try to fly."

"Oh, shut up," I laughed with her. She grinned. "Really? You'll show me the universe?"

"I will," she agreed, shaking my hand. "Let's get going then. Race ya!"

I quickly threw my hands to the ground and shot up into the sky. I kept my head up to the blue sky, I threw my arms above my head into the sky, and I was mumbling, "Faster, faster!" to excel my speed. I thought I was beating her, as I didn't see her near me, but I turned my head slightly to look and saw her beside me, flying with her arms behind her head. She was flying effortlessly.

I huffed and lowered my arms from above my head. I managed to keep propelling upwards by use of my feet.

"You'll get there. I'll teach you how to master the flight thing. I learned mine by falling to my death, which I do not recommend, so you're already off to a better start," she admitted.

I smiled and nodded. She extended her hand to me. I grabbed it and she carefully kept guiding me upwards and out of the Earth's atmosphere as I tried to understand the force exertion from my hands and feet to fly.

When we exited the atmosphere, she let go of my hand. I floated by gravity alone, for a moment, under her instruction to feel the difference in momentum without use of my powers. Once I learned to hover, in the different gravity, she clapped proudly.

Carol looked to her left and right. "Which way you thinking?"

"I want to see it all," I said.

Carol grinned and nodded. "We'll start this way, then," she said, waving me along.

I paused to look down at my home planet. The last time I had seen it was with Peter, as we were stranded on Ebony Maw's ship. I smiled fondly down at my beautiful blue planet.

I thought about the thirty four years I had spent on Earth, exploring it. I thought of the friendships I made, the life I lived, the people I loved and the people I lost along the way. I smiled down at the planet I called home and the people I was leaving behind and I rejoiced in the time I spent there. They would be okay.

I twisted my wedding ring around my finger as I thought of my love. Maybe one day I would stop wearing it. But today wasn't close to that day.

So, I turned, meeting Carol's eye, who noded at me knowingly. She had once had to say goodbye, too.

I raised my hands above my head to fly with her, ready beyond belief to start exploring the universe, protecting where I could, and helping where it was necessary. I was never going to forget who Clara Blake was, nor who Clara Rogers was, but I was ready to become what I had always been meant to be: Agamotto, Watcher of Time, Protector of Space, and Hero of the Universe.

The End