If this is death, I want a refund. Wasn't dying supposed to take the pain away? But it wasn't going to happen, it seemed. The pain had vanished, at first. Pietro had known it was too late as he came to a stop, a moment too soon, bullets piercing and settling in the skin. Blood flowed and he could taste it. Had to go for the corny last words, though. It was all his scrabbled brain could think of. Then darkness had descended like a heavy cloud, giving him just the feeling of a stuttering heart and legs giving way before it swallowed him. But there was no tunnel. No great power swept over him. He just felt cold. Like floating in an abyss.
Then the pain came back. Subtle, not nearly as bad as it had been at first, building until he was aware of an agony that filled his chest, spotting his arms and legs. The darkness was all around. Was this death? Was this a punishment? Pietro knew he'd done great wrongs, but he'd done them thinking they were good at the time. He'd only wanted to protect people. To make things better. So now was his reward to float in this empty, dark space, feeling the remnant pain of the wounds that had killed him? Wanda will be disappointed.
Voices. Was that right? So faint. So distant. Pietro wanted to move towards them, but even though he felt the pain, he could see no body of his own. No way to get to them. Must be the other dead, right? Trapped here too. Maybe it was a sort of purgatory and he was meant to be here until his sins had been paid off… but … those voices sounded familiar.
"I can't believe he managed to hang on. That shouldn't be possible."
"Kid's metabolism's incredible. That little bit of healing he managed is why he's still here."
Impossible. They sounded like … Stark? Stark and Rogers. Captain America and Iron Man. Once his enemies. Had they died? Sadness spiked in his heart, adding to the more physical pain.
"You see that, Steve? Looks like he's even stronger than we expected. I think there's a chance, after all."
"It's a small chance."
"Aren't all of us?"
Then the voices faded and Pietro felt loneliness crawling back into the space again, left to wonder whether they had died too, despite everything.
Did I fuck it all up again?