The Life of Veronica Stark

Chapter 31

Veronica's POV:

Helpless thought continue to run through my mind. "Roni? Roni, hey, calm down, breath. Please, just breath." James tells me. "I-I can't. I-" Then something else register in my mind. "You called me Roni. I haven't heard that name in a long time." I say.

"Why. I mean, you are Roni. It's the person you've always strived to be." He tells me. "I'm not that person anymore." I say. "To me you are. Does that count for something. It does to me. I'm also pretty sure that everyone else here would agree with me.

"I can't do it James, I couldn't without the stone and I can't do it now." I say. "Roni, you're strong, stronger than anyone else here. Even without your powers you could destroy Thanos. If you truly believe you cannot do it, then portal out of here. I can't have you hurt." He says.

My heart is thumping. I can't just leave everyone here. "But, if you can believe in yourself the way I believe in you then you'll stay and fight for what you believe in." He says. I stare at him for a moment before coming to my conclusion. I will not leave my family.

If we lose, we'll do it together, just like I should have been there for the others who lost last time. I will not let anything or anyone else hurt my family. I will stay and fight for the ones I love. 'Hello Veronica.' I internally gasp. 'Dahlia?' I call back in my head.

'Yes dear. You have thirty seconds, do with it what you wish.' With that the voice is gone, but I know she'll be back. "Roni, are you ok?" James asks me. Without answering I pull him into a kiss. My heart leaps for joy.

My arms are around his neck and his hands are on my waist as he kisses back. I finally pull away. "I'll be ok." I tell him. He looks at me confused. Then I use my control over air to push him a couple of yard away right before a blinding white light comes down and engulfs me.

I open my eyes and I am standing in white. I get deja vu from the first time we met. Then Dahlia appears in all her glory. "Hello Veronica." She says. I rush towards her and hug her. She seems taken aback. "I'm so sorry, I failed you." I say. "What are you talking about?" She asks me.

"I couldn't defeat Thanos." I say. "Well now we have a second chance." She says. "We do. I won't mess it up this time. I want all of it. No holding back." I say. "Are you sure? it means almost certain death for you." She says. "But it means possible life for the rest of the universe." I reason.

"Well, if you're sure..." "I am." I state firmly. "Ok then, good luck Veronica Stark." With that everything goes black.

3rd POV:

The Avengers stare heartbroken at the column of white light that just engulfed the youngest Stark. When it suddenly disappears they all gasp. There stands Roni, glowing white with power, eye glowing as well. she is in what appears to be a white ethereal body suit. She looks powerful.

Roni stares dead at Thanos and slowly walks towards him. Thanos looks in awe at the girl. "Not possible, no host is strong enough." Thanos growls out. He is right. Already Roni can feel physical body crumbling underneath the power. Dahlia is what is keeping her alive.

Thanos has been searching the universe far and wide for the Cosmic Infinity Stone and here it is, inside this already powerful girl who already almost killed him on her own, without the stone. He's terrified.

But now he has the gauntlet and the first thing he is going to do is get the girl to give up the final stone. Then Roni speaks, but its dual tone, over run by Dahlia's voice. "This host is selfless. She was willing to give her life for the life of everyone else."

With that Dahlia raises her right hand towards the space ships the are on the ground, hoards of aliens still crawling forth. A white beam of energy shoots forth, one by one, destroying all the ships as well as any alien close to them. Once they're destroyed she trains her arm on Thanos.

Then, letting out a powerful scream, Dahlia and Roni together send all their combined magic at Thanos who shields himself using all six of the other Infinity Stones, but they're not enough. He grunts with the force. He knows he cannot beat her.

The gauntlet starts cracking under the force of the power hitting it. It won't last much longer. Right before it gives out however, Carol Danvers takes Thanos distraction as a means to get the gauntlet, not realizing that if she gets close enough Roni will force Dahlia to stop.

Roni refuses to hurt one of the good guys. Once she too close Roni forcefully pulls Dahlia back, causing the power from the gauntlet to hit her directly in the chest. All of Roni's family cry out for her, but she gets back up, but it's too late. Tony is now fighting Thanos.

Suddenly he gets knocked away. "I am inevitable" Thanos says, snapping his fingers, but nothing happens. Roni starts confused until Tony raises his now Infinity Stone clad hand. "And I. Am. Iron Man." With that Tony Stark snaps his fingers.

Once the blinding light fades Thanos and his army slowly dusts away. Roni isn't paying attention to that however, she's rushing towards her brother who is laying on the ground, gasping for breath. She's too far away however.

Pepper is kneeling in front of Tony, telling him he can rest now. When he lets out his final breath Roni finally reaches him. "No. Tony, no!" She cries, but them something happens. 'It's time Veronica.' She tells the sobbing girl. 'What? NO!'

'It is time for me to move on, I will say your farewell though.' With that Veronica Stark collapses next to her brother. "RONI!" James cries out, rushing to her side, but he's too late, she's not breathing.

Steve, Wanda, and Pepper are there too, not wanting to accept that they just lost both Stark siblings. Everyone kneels in honor of Roni and Tony Stark.