❝Whatever happens, just know that I never stopped trying.❞
. . .in which she must do whatever she can to protect the world and what's left of the ones she loves.
[BOOK THREE]
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★ ★ ★
TWO WEEKS LATER NOVEMBER 22, 2026
★ ★ ★
"This place is awesome!"
"Isn't it?"
"How much do you think Mr. Stark spent on all this?" Peter chuckled as he gazed around at the Avengers' Tower. He'd never been anywhere but the compound, and while renovations were still being made inside the tower, he still thought it was one of the coolest buildings he'd ever seen.
"Several million dollars, probably," Marlena answered him. She stopped at the elevator with Peter and pressed the "up" button. "Could also be a few billion, but who knows?"
"I bet Pepper knows," he replied as the two stepped onto the elevator.
"She definitely does."
Peter's eyes lit up as he noticed the button for floor 83 light up. He wasn't too sure what was on the floor, but he knew whatever it was, it was meant for the Avengers. "So why exactly am I here again? Am I being officially inducted now that I'm alive again? Are you taking me to see my new room? All Mason told me on the phone was that you needed me here."
"I need you here because of Mason," Marlena chuckled and looked over at Peter. "I'll tell you right now, though, I'm not the one to talk to about that whole induction thing. It's probably Steve, but there's no way in hell you aren't gonna be on the team."
"What about you?" Peter asked quietly. "Are you gonna stay on the team? I know you've really been through it. So has Captain Rogers and Bucky and, well, all of you really. I wouldn't blame you for retiring."
Marlena shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. He was asking a good question, and part of her wanted to say no, but there was a bigger part of her that couldn't. Despite how desperately she often longed for a normal life outside the world of avenging, she'd finally figured out it was the one escape she didn't want to make. "We should retire, shouldn't we?" Marlena chuckled. "But I think I might stick around. Maybe I'll be the team psychiatrist."
"Is that really all you'll do?"
"I like to think you know me better than that, Peter Parker," Marlena gave him a reassuring smile. She hadn't forgotten Tony's words either, and they were among the very few reasons she knew she wasn't going anywhere.
"It's just gonna be weird without Mr. Stark around, y'know?" Peter exhaled softly and frowned, while the elevator stopped and opened in front of them.
