Beyond The Stars (UNDER REVISION)

Mangoes

I listen to the voices bouncing around the room as I stare into my small glass. "What's wrong with him?" I look over at Thor through the glass as Tony brings him up. 

"Oh, he's pissed. Thinks he failed. Which, of course, he did, but, ya know, there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?" Rocket says. 

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear." 

"Maybe I am." 

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him." 

"Who told you that? I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street magician gave away the stone. That's what happened. There was no fight, cause he's unbeatable." 

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?"

Tony blows a raspberry. "I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. Didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming." 

"Tony, I'm going to need you to focus." 

"And I needed you." The room gets tense. "As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?" Tony punches the bowl of food I placed out for him. "I need a shave. And I believe I remember telling all youse-" He starts fiddling with his IV.

"Tony, Tony," Rhodes interjects. 

"Alive and otherwise, that what we needed was a suit of armor around the world. Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not. That's what we needed."

"Well, that didn't work out, did it?"

"I said "We'd lose", you said "We'll do that together too". And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there. But that's what we do, right?" Tony begins stumbling. "Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers. We're the Avengers, not the Pre-Vengers. Right?" 

"Okay, you've made your point. Now sit down." 

"No, no. Here's my point. You know what? She's great by the way. We need you. You're new blood." I get frustrated with Tony's arguing. I heavily set my glass down announcing my departure as I leave outside. 

I take a seat next to Thor. "Hey..." I softly say. He doesn't say anything. Just keeps staring at the ground. I feel tears stinging my eyes because I feel exactly what he feels. We sit in silence, my small hand resting in his large one. Once everyone get's Tony to the med room, I walk back into the kitchen. Remembering I didn't get to eat dinner, I start adding food to a small plate. My eyes trail to the fruit bowl on the counter. My eyes land on the mango sitting in the bowl. 

"And what's this?" Loki asks, sitting across the island. I look up from my homemade pie crust to see him examining a piece of fruit. 

I smile. "That is a mango. It's like an apple." 

He nods with his lips pressed together in an understanding expression. I go back to kneading my dough. "Ugh! That's horrendous," he leans over the garbage bin and spits out the hunk of mango he bit. 

I see he bit into like an apple. "No, no. You're not supposed to eat the peel." I laugh softly. 

"You said it was like an apple." 

"As in it was a fruit. Here," I stick my hand out and he hands me the mango. I grab a knife out of the block and slice the fruit in half, setting aside the half he bit out of. I then add horizontal and vertical lines to the orange flesh of the fruit. I set my knife down and pull a piece off before eating it. "Like that." 

I set the fruit in front of him. I watch as he takes a piece, still unsure about it. He bites into the small cube of mango slowly. Then a small smile covers his face. He meets my eyes with a happy smile. 

I pull myself out of the memory. I look down at the bread knife in one of my hands and the loaf of bread in the other. I let out a soft sob. I drop the knife on the counter and run to the bathroom. I fall to the bathroom floor, sobbing. I tuck my knees into my chest and hide my face in my arms. "Dri, are you okay?" I hear from the other side of the door. Unable to catch my breath, i continue to sob and sniffle. I hear the door open and few moments later, I feel arms wrap around me. I collapse into the person's arms. "Shh, it's okay..." Natasha says softly from above me. 

I sit in my seat on the space ship. We exit the Earth's atmosphere. "Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" 

Nat, Steve, and Rhodey all raise their hands. "Why?" Rhodey asks Thor and I quietly. Carol chuckles. 

"You better not throw up on my ship," Rocket says. 

"Approaching jump in three, two, one!" Everyone who previously raised their hands holds on tightly. We jump and Carol exits the ship. 

"I'm going to head down for recon." 

We all stand out of our seats. I see the dark look on Thor's face. "We're going to beat him, Thor." I grab his hand and force him to look at me. "For Loki." Thor doesn't respond. I press my lips together and let go of his hand. 

"No satellites, no ships, no armies. No ground defenses of any kind. It's just him." 

"And that's enough." 

I walk up to Thanos' hut with Rocket on my shoulder. He hops down when we get inside. So much anger fills me when I see Thanos. "Oh no..." I look down to Rocket to see all the stones are gone. 

"Where are they?" Steve asks. 

Thanos stays quiet. I step forward. "WHERE ARE THEY?" I yell. 

"Answer the question," Carol tightens her lock. 

"The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose beyond temptation," Thanos says. 

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce yells, pushing him down. 

"You should be grateful." 

Bruce punches him. "Where are the stones?" Nat asks, shaking. 

"Gone." 

"You used them two days ago." 

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable." 

I let out a yell as i kick him. My foot collides with his face. "We have to tear this place apart. He has to be lying." 

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them." 

"Ah... Thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly." Thor lets out a yell while he swings his axe. 

I watch a Thanos' head rolls on the ground. "What?' Bruce asks. 

"What did you do?" Rocket repeats. 

"I went for the head." Thor walks out of the hut.