burning buildings, molten metal
Peter had his mask off and face in his hands, silent tears sliding down his cheeks while Stephen wrapped an arm around the hero's shoulders, his own face tight with repressed grief. He had tried to rewind time and bring her back but it wasn’t working, the explosion was something even time couldn’t reverse.
They all had known hydra was after Toni and iron maiden but she was the only one with the abilities to hack the systems so steve ordered her to go in. But the mainframe was so deep in the compound and she had been injured and the suit damaged when she tried to make her way in. Peter had been her guard while she worked and she had given him the flash drive and said to go. Toni had demanded she be left while everyone got out and a new suit would come in if they cleared the way. At the jet, they had a visual feed provided by Jarvis when everything had gone black.
No one had expected the base to explode.
Least of all an explosion of that size.
They saw something blaze across the sky but when they got there, the only thing they found was smoldering steel. There was nothing. Toni didn’t make it out of the HYDRA base. The team was already on shaky ground with the dislike between Stephen and Steve.
Now, Natasha and Clint were sitting far from everyone, but Natasha could be heard whispering prayers in Russian, her eyes closed, her voice unsteady.
Thor and Steve were standing by the ramp together, Thor looking at the ground. Steve glaring at the base, willing Toni to come out, but Steve’s shoulders were still drawn back and proud.
Fury met them when they landed eyes scanning their faces looking for Toni, his goddaughter, it must have been obvious. Fury’s eye widened and he didn’t speak for a long moment. He looked like he was struggling to keep himself under control. Fury said softly, sadness impossible to miss in his voice. “She didn't make it did she?” They had all stared at the floor and shook their heads. He left soon after that, nobody said a word as they entered the compound.
It was only when they landed that the quiet was broken when someone murmured, “Someone has to tell Rhodes and Potts.” The look on the team’s face said that none of them wanted to break the news to them.
The memory hurt to think about; the desperation in her eyes, the way she had told them to leave with a smile and assurance she’d be fine.
Eventually, Stephen spoke, his voice hoarse and jagged “I'll tell them.” he and Toni had been together for years, he had asked her to marry him only a few months ago after she had adopted Peter, officially.
There were nods and soft agreements before bucky made a jerking gesture and said with a tight voice, “I’m going to go...” he closed his eyes.
“Someone needs to tell Maximoff, I'll do that,” Steve said. He then swallowed thickly.
The words didn’t seem to comfort anyone, it just made Peter dash out the door, racing to his room.
Stephen followed after him and Clint and Natasha were quick to head off together, leaving just steve, thor, and bucky.
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When Potts found out he fell to his knees and sobbed into Happy's shoulder when he knelt next to him and wrapped him in a hug. Rhodes left saying he needed to get some air with tear stains on his face.
When the world found out there were hundreds of condolences sent to the tower, prayers and vigils were held. The world mourned the loss of one of its greatest heroes.
When Wong and the sorcerers found out they offered their support while Wong locked himself in the library. The two had been close friends and constantly debated.
When May Parker found out she held Peter for hours, tears streaming down her face.
When Wanda found out the witch smiled with barely contained glee and a hint of madness. She told Steve it wasn’t his fault and that stark had had it coming.
Jarvis already knew and he barely spoke a word.
Peter stopped eating, unable to keep the food down.
Stephen had a glazed look in his eye and moved like a corpse.
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When the sun rose the next day, the ashes of the hydra base stirred, surrounded by embers lay a woman with the wings and soul phoenix.
Everything about her held a golden sheen, her olive skin, her chocolate windswept hair. her four wings spread, and her feathers gave an experimental ruffle as she shook off the ash revealing them to be a deep red and gold, there was a reason she had chosen those colors. On the ground at her feet lay a burnt and shattered arc reactor. Her eyes burned gold flecked with crimson. As she observed the molten metal at her feet, it began to creep up her torso and form a fitted fabric armor and an intricate mask of flames.
Calling on her powers she tested what her new levels were. Explosions, molten metals, and flames whirled around her, wrapping her in a volatile shield. She had known they had been hunting her, but too bad they didn't know what she was.
Antonia Natasha stark, Toni, iron maiden, merchant of death, billionaire, philanthropist, futurist, and most importantly….. Heartfire, one of the last phoenix mutants and a deadly x-men.
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Charles Xavier had many students but few were as dangerous as heartfire, he had seen the news and she had reached out to him, asking him to let her return to the place she was loved and raised.
When she had first arrived at his doorstep it was pouring rain yet she was dry, engulfed in dancing flames and molten metals, they protected her and had helped her to arrive. She raced through her lessons at blazing speed, growing more beautiful and full of deadly control. When little Antonia stark had first arrived he thought she would be too volatile to let back into the world but she always proved them wrong. When she left for MIT she had hugged him and given him one over her primary feathers, whispering ‘you have both helped me to fly.’
She sent funds to the school and kept in constant contact, she told him about Stephen strange, Peter parker, Phillip potts, happy hogan, James Rhodes, James Barnes, and the imbecile, steve rogers as well as the monster mutant maximoff.
So when heartfire landed on his roof in a fireball of glory he didn’t hesitate to welcome her home.
He would never tell but he knew everyone had missed her, even Wolverine (despite their attempts to mutilate one another to the point where their healing powers couldn’t keep up).
She told him about how hydra was hunting iron maiden and she would be helping the x-men until it was safe for her to reveal herself.
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Jarvis knew that sir was still alive, after all her technopathy had informed him that she had gone ‘poof’ and no longer needed the reactor. But he was still deeply saddened.
His uncles, potts, Rhodes, and hogan were LIVID at hydra and had sworn to burn them from the earth and sear the heads so none could take its place.
His brothers, U, DUM-E, and BUTTERFINGERS, and his adopted brother Peter were all grief-stricken. His brothers had stopped causing chaos, and Peter had stopped eating and constantly woke up in a cold sweat.
His father was barely alive, he was gaunt and pale, he rarely spoke and was a shell of who he used to be.
He was angry Rogers kept denying that it was his fault saying if she could have just listened to orders left she would have been fine. He understood why Barton, Wilson, Romanoff, and Barnes all avoided him sick of listening to him. He didn’t always like them but at least they were respectful.
He knew Thor was trying but there wasn’t much he could do.
But maximoff…...
Maximoff was gloating and celebrating.
Maximoff would suffer
He would burn the witch and rogers once sir returned.