Time To Let Go
Thanos sat on a nearby rock, knowing he lost. His body dusted away.
Tony rushed over to Peter’s aid, hoping somehow, someway Peter wouldn't die.
Peter made his way to a rock and rested his back against it.
He knew he was going to die.
He knew it.
Everyone knew it.
Peter stared off into space, his eyes looking for something to focus on.
Peter’s right arm, neck and part of his face were rocky.
His legs and arms started to feel tingly and then feel nothing.
“Death does not feel so bad.” Peter thought.
Then he saw Tony crouch in front of him.
Tony’s face was streaming with tears.
Both superheroes maintained eye contact, not daring to break it.
Tony brought his arm up to Peter’s left side of his face.
“I’m proud of you kid.” Tony said, smiling sadly.
Peter offered one last sad smile to his mentor.
Peter exhaled.
His whole body went tingly then stopped.
His breath stopped.
His heart stopped.
Peter’s world stopped.
Peter’s eyes were looking but were not seeing.
They will never see anything again.
Ever.
Tony's smile faltered. Tears were uncontrollably washing his face, leaving a wet streak.
With a shaking hand he closed Peter’s eyes.
His trembling hand stopped by the teens chest.
He knew Peter’s heart beat would be missing.
He knew.
He knew.
He knew
But he hoped it somehow found its way back.
He hoped.
He hoped.
He hoped.
He checked.
No sound.
Absolute silence.
Tony sobbed loudly as he hugged the boy’s limp body close to his chest, cradling his head.
“Peter! Peter please. Come back. Please. Peter! Come back!” Tony cried desperately into Peter’s hair.
*************
Captain smiled as the last alien got dusted away. But his smile was quickly wiped clean when (thanks to his super hearing) he heard a pained scream.
Not physically pained.
But mentally.
He ran to that direction when he saw Tony hugging a teenage boy in a superhero suit.
His eyes widened.
That suit was that spider thing suit.
That boy was Queens.
That boy was the superhero he threw his shield at multiple times in Germany.
And there he was. His entire right side of his body was rocky with the six glowing infinity stones on his hand. His body limped in Tony’s arms. His eyes closed. His chest still.
Steve gasped.
Queens was dead.
*************************************************************
Tony continued to sob into the boy's hair, drenching it in tears.
Wanda, Captain Marvel, Captain America, T’Challa, Shuri, Scott, Dr. Strange, nearly all the superheroes were watching Tony trying not to look at the dead body.
Pepper was the first to walk up to the crying man. She put a gentle yet firm hand on his shoulders.
“Tony, honey. You have to let go.” She whispered, making the hair in her face dance.
“He is not dead!” Tony screamed, hugged Peter closer, “He is not dead.” He said quieter, trying to convince himself more than his wife.
She held Tony’s shoulders as they shook when he sobbed.
“Please. Please don’t be dead Pete. I will kill you if you are dead.” Tony whispered so quietly he could not hear himself, “I am giving you five seconds to make one of your stupid pop culture references.”
“Five.”
Silence.
“Four.”
He could hear Peter’s laughter.
“Three.”
He could see Peter’s stupid expression.
“Two”
He could see Peter's warm smile.
“One.”
He could see Peter with the stones.
“Zero.”
“I just wanted to be like you.” His voice rang inside his ears.
“Times up.”
And he let go.