His Name was Phil
So, after seeing Endgame, I'm certain everyone is left reeling after the fates of some of the characters we've come to know and love over the span of 22 films. This story is a reflection on the aftermath of the death of one of these characters, and a reunion with a character whose lack of film appearances since the original Avengers is deeply felt.
Now, before you read this story, note that this has major spoilers for Avengers: Endgame and one major scene. If you haven't seen the film yet, back the fuck out of this story (I apologize for my bluntness) and go see it as quick as possible. This story will probably mean a lot more after seeing the film for yourself. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and the late great Stan Lee.
When Tony Stark awoke from the final battle against Thanos, he saw nothing but a shining blue void surrounding him.
"Finally... it's over. That big wrinkled Grimace bastard is dead, and everyone's back. But... why does something still feel wrong?" Tony thought to himself as he shakily got to his feet. He quickly put a hand to his chest, feeling his armor was gone, and with it, the arc reactor he was hoping to find.
"Kid? Pepper? S-Steve? Where are you? Where is anybody?" Tony shouted into the nothingness, still uncertain of the gravity of what happened to him.
"Well, Mister Stark, I was hoping I'd get to see you one more time," a mysterious voice called back as someone stepped forward: someone who helped introduce him into a larger world of heroes, in fact. "Just didn't know it would be like this."
"Coulson?" Stark stammered in shock, feeling as if he saw a ghost.
"It's good to finally see you again, Stark," Coulson replied with a smile. "You'd have no idea what sort of things I've seen since the Helicarrier."
"How are you here? Fury told me you died," Tony questioned.
"I don't want to be rude, but haven't you already figured it out yet, sir?" Coulson answered back, trying to slowly break the news to him.
"I'm... dead?" Stark murmured in disbelief, as it all started to come back to him. After all, when Banner tried to use their own Gauntlet to bring back everyone that Thanos had dusted away, the energy it gave off was enough to seriously damage his own arm, and he was told by Thor when they came back from fighting Thanos at his 'Garden' that the Mad Titan's efforts to destroy the Stones themselves was enough to nearly kill the villain. So in his final moments to use the Gauntlet to annihilate Thanos's forces to prevent him from bringing all of life to extinction so he could recreate all of existence to appreciate not what was lost, but what was gained by sacrificed. A noble act, but utterly barbaric for the powerful Titan at the same time.
"Yes," Coulson spoke, frowning for a brief moment before regaining his composure. "But you realize what this all means?"
"What exactly? I'm never going to see my Morgan again, and the kid Peter needs someone to help him come to grips with being Spider-Man. And everyone else too, I-" Tony said as he started to break down.
"Calm down, Tony," Coulson told the genius billionaire philanthropist. "You did the right thing in the end, just like Fury told me once."
"Fury?" Stark asked again.
"He said that he brought me back because I was that important piece to help unite the Avengers, and I was needed to hold my agents together, when SHIELD was starting to fall apart. Now, I think there's more things we should talk about, and there's some people who want to see you too..." Coulson told his friend and fellow hero as the two of them walked further into the afterlife, a new chapter left behind by the sacrifices helping to shape the futures of the heroes and agents that follow in their footsteps.
And that completes this story. I'm sorry it's so short and done in a weird way, but this was resting on my mind ever since I saw Avengers Endgame and since we know that Marvel probably is never going to let a scene like this happen in any of their films or shows, somebody should let it come to be. Anyway, be sure to tell me what you thought with a review, and be sure to favorite this story if you really liked it. Farewell then, true believers and remember: I love you 3000.