Invisible | Tony Stark (o.h)

Chapter Six

Keira stood beside Fury on the helicarrier as they drew level with the floating Sokovia. 

Bea was still staying with Laura until Keira finished aiding the Avengers with the defeat of Ultron. 

Natasha's voice came through the comm. "There are worse ways to go. Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"

The Helicarrier finally rose higher than the floating island giving them all a perfect view of where Steve, Natasha, and Aquila in her eagle form stood. 

"Nice, right?" Fury continued. "Pulled her out of the mothballs with a couple of old friends. She's dusty but she'll do."

"Dusty is an understatement," Keira said. "But what's up? Looks like you guys need some help."

"Fury, you son of a bitch," Steve said. 

"Oooh!" Fury said. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

The sides of the Helicarrier opened up, revealing the lifeboats which flew toward the edge of the city. 

Keira quickly jumped onto the floating island only to see Steve, Natasha and Aquila began helping people onto the lifeboats. 

"Avengers, time to work for a living," Tony announced through the comms. "You joining us, Keira?" 

"Sure, just give me a sec."

Keira stood between the rest of the Avengers, her role as an honourary Avenger fulfilled. 

"Is that the best you can do?" Thor shouted at the figure of Ultron. 

"You had to ask," Steve said, turning to Thor. 

"This is the best I can do. This is exactly what I wanted. All of you, against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"

"Well, like the old man said," Tony said, turning to look around at his team. "Together."

Keira steadied herself as Ultron's army ran towards them, her gun held securely in her hands.

All the Avengers and a few honourary members didn't stop after taking down one bot before moving onto the next bot. It was a continuous fight, one that Keira hoped they were winning. 

For once she wasn't thinking about her mother, wasn't thinking about Bea or even thinking about her sadness. She just focused all her energy into this fight, all her emotions were in every punch or bullet that flew from her gun. 

"They are trying to leave the city," Aquila said over her comm. 

"We can't let them, not even one," Tony replied. "Rhodey!"

The fight continued for a few more moments before finally stopping just as Aquila swooped back down.

"We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin. You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you."

"What about the core?" Clint asked Steve. 

"I'll protect it. It's my job." Wanda replied, one of the other honorary members. 

Keira laid her in her hands, trying to convince herself not to close her eyes. 

A little while away she could see Natasha with Aquila's head in her lap, one of the few good things in front of her. 

They had won but at what cost?

The city of Sokovia would never be the same and Pietro was gone. But what would happen if something like that happened in the future? How many of them would not be coming home?

Keira wasn't even an Avenger and she was forced to think about such thoughts, she couldn't imagine what it must be like for Tony or Steve. 

Clint came to sit beside Keira, offering her a small smile as comfort. 

"Do try and sleep, Keira," Clint said quietly. "You need it."

Keira nodded briefly, her eyes closing before she drifted off to sleep. Her worries and concerns were still evident even in her dreams. 

Keira walked down the corridor with Steve, Thor, and Tony as they were discussing Vision's ability to lift Thor's hammer. 

"The rules have changed," Steve said. 

"We're dealing with something new," Tony replied. 

"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence."

"A machine."

"So, it doesn't count."

"No, it's not like a person lifting the hammer." Tony continued to defend.

"Right. Different rules for us."

"Nice, guy, but artificial." 

"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply."

"But if you put the hammer in an elevator."

"It would still go up." Keira finally interjected, humor sounding weird on her tongue after so many weeks of sadness. 

"Elevator's not worthy."

"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours," Thor said, looking at them all.

"Well, not if you don't leave."

"I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stone to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position. . ."

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony interrupted jokingly as Keira rolled her eyes at him. 

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked. 

"I do. Besides this one," Thor said, tapping Tony's chest. "There's nothing that can't be explained." Thor raised his hammer in the air before he disappeared from view. 

"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance," Tony said, grabbing Keira's hand.  "I'm gonna miss him, though. And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."

"I will miss you, Tony, Keira," Steve said, smiling at both of us. 

"Well, it's time for me to tap out."

"And I've got to look after Bea." Keira smiled weakly. "You alright?"

"I'm home," Steve said.

"I don't know why you don't just tell her, Cap." Tony suddenly blurted out, looking towards Steve thoughtfully.

"Quinn?" Steve asked. "I tried I really tried, at Barton's house but I just freeze up."

"What are you so scared of?" Tony questioned. 

"Well, both of you very well the risks that come with the life we've all chosen. Quinn didn't choose that. I couldn't live with myself if she ended up getting hurt because of me. I need to keep her safe and if that means not admitting my actual feelings for her than so be it." Steve confessed, Keira sending him a reassuring smile. 

"If I was you, Cap, I would just do it. Although Quinn isn't an Avenger she can handle herself just fine, the night of the party showed that. Take it from me, you can't keep denying your own happiness forever. And it's clear to anyone just simply by the way you look at her, she's your whole world."

"Thanks, Tony," Steve replied, smiling before taking a step back from the car. "Take care of yourselves."

The silence in the car was deafening, not even the radio was playing. Keira merely stared out the window, her eyes continuously flickering across the scenes that passed. 

"You know we are going to get through this together, right?" Tony asked, grabbing Keira's hand. "I can promise you that."

Keira smiled weakly at him. "Thanks."