The King: T'Challa.

Chapter 27: The After Affect.

I was in the bathroom in the Avengers compound.  Just standing there, hands on the either side of the sink, staring at the person who was in front of me. She's a stranger. She's no longer the strong agent she once was, nor is she any longer the warrior she believed she was. Now, she was simply broken. The blue of her eyes showing all the pain, hurt and loss she had gone through.  The bags beneath them showing the endless nights of no sleep, haunted by the past. The bruises that laced her body showing the physical beating she had taken. The pain in her chest showing the unbearable pain she felt in her heart. This was me. Emily Cassidy.  I continued to stare at my reflection until the mirror started to suddenly shake, slowly at first, then severely. Something was happening. 

I grabbed my jacket and walked outside to see Steve, Nat and the others walking out too, looking at something. Confused by the whole thing I levelled my line of vision with theirs. What I saw shocked me. There was  ship, a Benatar I believe, being carried by what looked like a woman, a gold like aura surrounding her. Nevertheless she lands the spacecraft, the landing gears deploying as they touched down. I didn't know what I was expecting to happen next but the entry hatch opens, and Tony and a blue skinned woman, who I learned to be Nebula, walked out. Tony obviously being supported by the later. While I still stood there in disbelief, Steve ran up to Tony and helped him to stand up, gripping Steve's are as he joined him.

"Couldn't stop him."

You could hear the heartbreak in Tony's voice as he said it.

"Neither could I." 

The two exchanged some more words before Pepper's voice rang through the crowd.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"

Pepper ran to Tony, embracing him once close enough, him telling her that its all okay. Rocket sat down with Nebula and took her hand, both obviously silently mourning their losses. Amongst all this loss and grief it was nice to see that they still had each other; that we still have each other. 

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One everyone was back inside the compound we situated ourselves in the living room. Tony was sitting at the table, getting blood in order to heal and get his strength back up again. Steve pulled up a holographic casualty report, listing all the names and faces of those who lost to the Decimation. Many of which I knew all to well. T'Challa's face appeared and I couldn't help but look away.

"It's been twenty three days since Thanos came to Earth" Rhodey piped up.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census."

Nat paused momentarily before continuing.

"It looks like he did......he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures."

We all sat in silence as Nat's words sank in. Tony's voice bringing us back to attention.

"Where is he now? Where?"

"We don't know."

I started.

"He just opened a portal and walked through."

I could see Tony's eyes go from meeting mine to something behind me.

"What's wrong with him?"

Its clear that he was referring to the sullen-looking Thor sitting on a bench behind me, deep in thought. Rocket rising to the platform to speak.

"Oh, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?"

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