Piper sat next to Pepper, glaring at the former Avengers as she messed with the ring on her necklace. The ones that had betrayed her mentor.
Captain America- Steve he had insisted- told them how they faced an army of evil space aliens in Wakanda three weeks ago. He told them how he went one on one with Thanos, an evil purple alien. Only to be knocked out seconds into the fight.
Next thing he knew half of everyone around them was turning into dust. And she knew it was happening worldwide.
She closed her eyes taking in a deep breathe.
Stopping a car who's driver had disappeared seconds before it could hit the little girl who was desperately calling out for her mom.
Swinging like a mad woman to get to May.
'May!' she had called wrapping her arms around her.
'It's alright' She had promised. 'We're al-' May turning into dust in her arms
Swinging day and night to get to Avengers Compound.
She had jumped over the gate, or tried to. She hadn't jumped high enough and ended up hitting her foot against the top and sent her sprawling against the ground.
She pushed herself up and stumbled inside even as her vision blurred before collapsing in a short haired Thor's arms.
She woke up two days later and Mr. Stark and Peter still weren't back. After she had woken up she had listened to their stories of what happened.
She had walked to the large windows looking up to the afternoon sky. "Where is he?"
"Tony?" Rhodey had asked. "We're not-"
"Not Mr. Stark." She cut off. She was still trying to call him Tony like he always insisted. "Thanos. Where is he?"
"Why?" Steve had asked confused.
"I'm going to kill him." She said turning to face them.
There was a moment of silence before the raccoon thing, Rocket chuckled.
"What?" She snapped facing the man? Animal? Creature?
"All of us here are older, smarter and have more training than you." Rocket leaned forward. "What makes you think you'll fare better?"
"All that training and years you had in advance did squat." Piper countered as she looked at the adults in the room who had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm younger than most of you. I'm smarter than some of you." Rhodey nodded at her encouragingly. "I'm faster and stronger than some of you." She looked to Natasha. "I'm willing to compromise and work with others." She looked at Steve. "And I'll aim for the head." She looked at Thor.
Thor stood up abruptly and walked up to her. She fought the urge to step back and look away. Instead she stood taller and looked the man in the eyes. Even as he lifted his arm up to the side of them.
She shot her hand out as her Spidey Sense went off, catching the weapon before Thor could. She couldn't help but smirk at his momentary shock.
That day she earned the respect of Thor, Rocket, and maybe Natasha.
But May... How was she going to tell Peter there last family was gone? Pepper promised she and Tony would take care of them, and she appreciated that.
But May was the last tie to their parents. The last person who had clear, un-blurred memories of them. She fought back her tears as she felt that empty pit in her chest growing. It was like loosing her parents and Ben all over again.
She shot up as her spidey sense went off. Something's about to happen.
"Piper?" Pepper asked as Piper saw the cup of water began to shake.
"Something's-" She cut off as she saw a space craft fly pass the window. "Here."
"That's my ship!" Rocket yelled sounding the happiest she's ever heard.
They all rushed out. Steve, Natasha and Rhodey ran out first. Her, Pepper and Rocket close behind.
A glowing female figure landed on the ground a little ways off as the doors opened revealing a blue cyborg helping Mr. Stark out the craft.
"Couldn't stop him..." She heard him say shakily as Steve helped him, Rocket going to the blue woman.
"Neither could I." Steve said as if it were some sort of comfort.
"I lost the kid."
She froze as Pepper walked forward embracing him. Lost him? That had to mean Peter was... She was the Last Parker.
"Tony, we lost."
I lost everything, in a literal snap of the fingers.
A distant part of her wanted to be mad at Mr. Stark, but the second she saw his face she knew it mirrored her own. The second Pepper moved she launched herself as him unable to hold back her tears.
"I'm sorry." He said as he embraced her. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't-"
"Don't leave me." She begged between sobs. "My parents. Ben. May's gone. Don't go too. Don't leave me too!"
"It's alright, sweetie." He said cupping the back of her head as she sobbed harder. "It's alright. I'm not going anywhere."
After a moment they separated and he wiped the tears from her eyes. "Help me get inside. You can tell me what happened."
As soon as Mr. Stark got in a wheelchair with an IV and had some food, he insisted on hearing what happened to her, ignoring the rest of the team.
"I was at school when we evacuated because of another alien invasion." Piper explained. "I tried calling Peter, but it went straight to voicemail, so I called Ned and he said he went after the space donut.
"I tried following, I really did, but my teacher was watching us like hawks. I wasn't able to leave until I got an escort back home."
"They are supposed to take care of you." Tony pointed out.
"I know. Barely teach yet they can't take their eyes off us during the end of the world." Piper said boredly. "Anyways by the time I got home the ship was long gone. I called Pepper and she said she was still figuring things out but would call first chance she got. Then half of everyone..."
It was like they were glass. A crack slowly spread out over their skin before they shattered to the ground in a pile of dust.
"I didn't know where else to go." She said looking back to Tony. "So I had Karen direct me here."
"It was the right move." He assured before Steve and Thor launched into their stories.
She didn't know if she would've been able to handle what Thor went through. His parents. His world. His brother. His people.
"Where is he now?" Tony asked picking at his food.
"We don't know." Steve replied. "He just opened a portal and walked through."
Tony looked over the room, spotting Thor in the corner. "What's wrong with him?"
"He's pissed." Piper explained gently. "Thinks he failed."
"Which of course he did," Rocket said bluntly. "But there's a lot of that goin' around, ain't there?"
Tony being Tony replied, "Honestly, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear."
"Maybe I am." Rocket, being so much like Tony, took in stride.
"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now." Natasha explained. "Deep space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing."
"Tony you fought him." Steve tried.
"Who told you that?" Tony looked toward the soldier in a voice she recognized as his angry speech voice. "Didn't fight him. No. He wiped my face with a planet while a Bleecker Street magician gave away the stone." She imagined Peter terrified yet excited to be there, and ready to prove himself. "That's what happened. There was no fight."
"Okay..." Steve said slowly. "Did he give you any clues. Any coordinates, anything?"
Was he serious? Piper thought looking at him exasperated. Did he really think Tony would know or care about that right now? He just lost someone he cared about and almost died trying to get home.
"Steve-" She scolded.
"I saw this coming a few years back." Tony continued. "I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming."
What was he talking about? He never told her or Peter about any sort of vision. She looked at Rhodey who shook his head as he moved closer to him.
"Tony." Steve tried again. "I'm gonna need you to focus."
"And I needed you." He snapped as he stood, a strange mix of vulnerability and reinforced defenses mixed in his gaze. "As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late, buddy."
"Sorry-"
"And I believe I remember telling-" He glanced at Bruce ripping off his IV as Rhodey tried to usher him to the wheelchair.
"Tony, Tony-"
"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.' Well guess what, Cap? We lost. You weren't there. But that's But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers? We're the Avengers? Not the Pre-vengers?"
She felt her eyes water. She has seen Tony give everything into whatever he does. Pepper often told her that was one of her favorite and most hated things about him. He would give everything until there was nothing left of him. And when the Rouges left, they took so much of him.
"Okay you made your point." Rhodey tried getting him into the wheelchair. "Just sit down."
"No." Tony snapped.
"Mr. Stark please!" She tried inching closer, only stopping when Rhodey held up a hand.
"We need you." He addressed Carol. "You're new blood. Bunch of tired old mills... I got nothing for you, Cap. I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options... Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust, you liar... Here, take this." He thrust his nano -chamber into Steve's chest. "You find him and-" He cut off as he stumbled.
"Mr. Stark."
"I'm fine." He tried as he swayed again. "I'm-"
Finally he collapsed onto the ground.
"Tony-" She called out as she rushed to his side.
"He's alright." Bruce said kneeling next to them. "Just exhausted. Let's get him to bed."
Piper nodded, freezing as Steve knelt on the other side of them.
"Get away from him!" Piper hissed, Steve blinked jumping back. She looked back towards Tony. "Come on." She cooed as she scooped up the older man, being as gentle as she could. "I got you."
She laid him on the bed, Pepper sitting next to him as Bruce gave him a sedative. He needed to rest somewhat peacefully.
Even without her enhanced hearing, she could hear the others discussing a plan. And so could Pepper.
"Go." Pepper said.
"What?" Piper blinked up to her.
"Tony is done fighting." Pepper said. "This... I think this was the last straw for him. But if there's a chance to save everyone..." She cupped Piper's cheek. "Do this for everyone who can't."
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Then come home to us. If things look bad you take any ship you find and come home."
The two embraced. "I'm coming home. I promise."
"I know. Now go before they leave."
Piper walked out of the room in time to see Thor's giant axe- Storm breaker he had called it- fly past Carol's head and into his hands. "I like this one."
"Let's go get this son of a bitch." Steve said.
"Language." Piper playfully scolded. "And I'm going with you."
"Piper-"
"You need all the help you can get." Piper cut Rhodey off. "I'm 16, almost 17. I can make my own decisions. I can avenge my brother. And Pepper said I could."
"Great." Rocket said boredly. "We're going in 10 minutes."
Piper rushed over to her room, pausing as she took in the Spider- Man uniform. It was Peter who had originally designed the outfit.
We'll have colors like Captain America! She remembered him saying as he put on their homemade uniform for the first time. That way people will know we are a hero like he was.
"You don't have to do this." She stood holding her mask when Natasha spoke from her door.
"I do." Piper looked to the older woman. "For my brother I'll do anything."
Natasha smiled encouragingly at her. "When we get back, if you want, I'll be glad to train you and your brother."
"I may just take you up on that." Piper smiled politely as she followed the older woman out.
Piper silently gaped at the inside of the space craft. She took a deep breath as the doors closed, everyone buckling as she closed her eyes, and fiddled with her necklace.
"Don't go." She begged, holding onto her Dad's leg. "Please don't go."
"Don't worry, baby." He said as he bent to her level, his face now a blur. "We'll be back before you know it."
"Promise?"
She thinks he smiled at her as he slid the ring off his finger. "Don't worry. Here." He said as he slid the ring onto a chain. "You keep this. Whenever you feel alone just remember," He slid the chain onto her. "I'll always be with you."
Their plane crashed over the Atlantic, and their bodies never found.
"Okay." Rocket asked from the pilot seat, glancing back at them. "Who here hasn't been to space?"
Her hand shot up. Steve, Natasha and Rhodey slowly lifted their own.
Rocket made an annoyed sound. "You better not throw up on my ship."
She chuckled as they exited the atmosphere. She stared at the multitude of stars.
One day I'm going to be a Jedi. Peter said excitedly. Like Luke Skywalker. You can be Leia! And we'll travel the stars saving people.
"You'd love this, Pete." She whispered to herself.
"Approaching jump in 3.." She clutched onto her arm rests. "2.. 1."
It was like being pulled through a vacuum, colors swirling around them, before they were finally spat out in front of another planet.
It looked like Earth, but at the same time not.
"I'll head down for recon." Carol said, disappearing before anyone could stop her.
This will work. She told herself as Steve and Natasha talked to each other. You'll get them back.
And if you don't? A dark voice asked.
Piper looked down at her feet. Then I have nothing left.
"No satellites," Carol reported. "No ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him."
They easily snuck onto the planet and found a small shack in the middle of nowhere. She saw the giant, purple man walk into the shack.
"You sure you can do this?" Rhodey asked gently.
"As I'll ever be." Piper waited for the others to go in like they planned.
She walked in after Thor had cut off Thanos arm with gauntlet. Rocket picked up the glove, revealing no stones.
"Where are they?" Piper asked yanking off her mask.
"Understand child." Thanos spoke gently even as he was restrained. "The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation."
"You murdered trillions!" Bruce yelled, pushing the Titan onto the ground with his armor.
"You should be grateful."
"Where are the stones?" Steve demanded.
"Gone. Reduced to atoms. I used the stones to destroy the stones."
No. She took a deep breathe as she looked away. If that's true she wouldn't be able to save Peter or May.
"It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable."
She looked to him with a sneer. He spoke like a God who's judgement was final. Like a Grim Reaper or the Boogey Man.
"We have to tear this place apart." Steve said earnestly. "He has to be lying.
"My father is many things." Nebula said mechanically. "A liar is not one of them."
"Thank you, Daughter." He actually sounded proud of her. Like he loved her. No one capable of love would be able to do this. He doesn't deserve to be able to be a better person. "Perhaps I treated you too har-"
She yanked Thor's ax from his grasp and sliced Thanos head off with a yell. It wasn't enough. She used the ax to hit it over and over again, before the ax was yanked from her grasp.
And as if that was the only thing holding her up, she fell to her knees sobbing, a hand flying to her mouth as someone knelt next to her.
"It's alright." Natasha whispered to her as she rubbed her back soothingly as she sobbed harder. "It's alright."
"What did you do?" Rocket asked in disbelief.
She looked to him teary eyed. "I did what none of you could. I aimed for the head."
AN:
I present a whole new Eris free story!
And clearly, Piper will be a darker hero than Peter was. I've waited close to two months to post this story, so I hope you enjoy.
Since the movie hasn't come out on DVD and videos are hard to find, I got the dialogue from a mixture of Transcripts Wiki and .uk
As previously mentioned I have another series if you are intrested in reading about my OC Eris. However that story is still in the works so I'll be splitting my time between stories and may not regularly update.
Anyways enjoy and please review.
Thanks, bye!