Chapter Text
-Meanwhile Abroad the Sanctuary II-
“The Stone is on Vormir” Gamora regretfully tells their father as looks into Nebula’s one functioning eye
Nebula watches, levitated in the cradle barely being held together as she catches her breathe after she felt the Power Stone attack the circuitry that has replaced so much of who she is, Thanos leads Gamora away from her.
“Put her back together,” the Dark Lord instructs the Chitauri technician, “Now that we have what we need we can scramble her memory archives and get the more useful Nebula back.”
Nebula’s breathe hitches at the idea of losing who she is and how far she has come from befor- “No!” she looks up to see Gamora, pulling away from Thanos and sprinting at the technician. “Don’t you touch her, don’t touch my Sister”
Gamora isn’t fast enough though, Thanos snatches her arm, clenches his fist to activate the Space Stone and a storm cloud covers both of them as they leave the ship instantly. As the cloud clears a single tear slides from Nebula remaining organic eye.
-Fifteen Minutes Later-
The technician has nearly completed putting her back together, however it has done enough that she can fight back, she disconnects her mechanical eye and waits for the tech to move to fix it. When it steps close she lashes out, twisting it around before breaking its neck, she flips out of the levitation cradle and stumbles towards the computer terminal forcing her bionic muscles to tighten and realign her remaining limbs. Already transmitting a message to the Guardians. “Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Vormir, and make it quick.”
-Back on the Doughnut Ship Heading towards the Avengers Compound-
“We aren’t slowing down and we’re headed straight for the Lake Next to the Compound!”
“Shit.” Tony curses before rounding on Strange, “Can you make one of your portals and get us down there safely?”
The wizards regretfully shakes his head, “I cant while we are moving this fast,” Already thinking for another solution, “I can bring up a field to protect us, make sure we survive the landing.”
“Alright do that.” Tony instructs before turning to Peter, who looks like he's about to panic. “Hey Pete, we’re going to be fine, I need you to web our feet to the ground so we don’t go flying on impact.”
Peter nods already feeling reassured at his mentors words “Alright got it.” Quickly getting to work on his task.
Double tapping the side of his glasses, “Friday, you there.”
“Sure am Boss, it’s good to have you back.” Friday replies, “I have two message logged to be delivered upon your re-connection, the first from Miss Potts and the second from May Parker, I have lowered the volume on the later to account for shouting.”
“Yeah” Tony cringes “May’s gonna be pissed I took Spider Baby here on a field trip off world.” He smirked to himself when he hears Peter mutter “Spider-Man” behind him.
“Alright Fri, I need you to prep a quinjet to launch and pick us up from the lake when we crash.”
“Already on it Boss.”
Tony Nods “Alright good, Hey Dumbledore!” he shouts to Strange seeing Peter has finished his job and is now covering his mouth to contain his laughter, “Hows that spell coming along we got about 20 seconds before impact”
“Just finished it” Strange says and separates his a glowing ball of runes expands from there to surround the three of them, he turns to Tony. “Have fun talking to yourself, Doc Brown.”
Peter fails to contain his laugh this time when he see Tony’s shocked expression
“Well played Strange, well playe--” he is cut off by the impact with the water, his suit already rising to protect him as Peter’s does the same, unfortunately, he gets knocked forward and blanks out briefly.
Peter leans over to steady his mentor and himself after the impact with a hand on his shoulder, “Damn.” He says under his breath, “He’s out cold.”
“Tsh - Can’t be helped unfortunately, I’m almost surprised it's just him, my money was on all of us getting knocked out.”
“Alright let’s get out of here before we get flooded in.” Looking around Peter notices the hole that they sealed before looks like it's on the right angle to lead outside of the ship above water, he reaches for Tony’s helmet and disables it using his thumb print, taking the glasses he put them on, “Hey Friday, you still there?”
“Yes Mr Parker, Glad to see you are alright”
“Can you direct the Nanites that Mr Stark Used to seal the breach in the hole back to the suit, we need a way out.”
“Of course right away, I would advise you hurry the ship is slowly sinking and said hole will soon be underwater, in approximately 30 seconds ” her voice to the point but still remaining affectionate. The nanites on the wall fall away and start heading towards Tony as they merge with his suit. “The quinjet Boss asked for is currently floating 20 metres from your exit point you’ll have to make a short swim to reach it”
Peter slings Mr Stark's arm over his shoulder and makes his way over there “C’mon.” He calls over his shoulder to Strange who is silently impressed with how the kid is handling this situation, he nods and follows along behind Peter who has reached the wall and proceeded to walk straight up it Stark dangling behind. When they have both made it to the top “Hey Mr Doctor, you think you can portal us over there” he asks pointing to the quinjet that is hovering over the lake with the rear ramp open to them.
“It's just Doctor kid.” He admonishes “and yes I can.” He raises his hands, one turning in a circular motion and a portal grows in front of him once it’s big enough he draws his hands back towards himself, Peter and Tony and they appear inside the quinjet.
“That was so cool!” Peter says to himself as he walks Stark over to the seats on the left hand side, “Friday run a scan on Mr Stark, check and make sure everything is okay.” he continues on to the quinjets cockpit, “and divert the controls to manual.”
“You know how to fly this thing?” Strange questions.
“Yeah,” Peter answers, smiling fondly at the memory. “Mr Stark taught me last year, said I couldn’t legally drive a car but this I can.”
Strange huffs at that ‘ Yeah that's real responsible. ’
“Alright Friday, what’s our welcoming committee looking like?” Peter asks the AI as they begin their approach on the compound.
“Would you like the Good news, bad news or the really bad news first Mr Parker?”
“Let’s start with the good.”
“Pepper Potts, May Parker and Harold Hogan are on the landing deck awaiting your arrival.”
“Alright that’s good and bad news?” Peter smiles to himself, relieved, that he gets to see May.
“They are and I surmise this “Pissed about you not going to Moma, but happy you’re back” would you like me to draft an apology letter.”
The color drains and the smile slips from his face, “Alright and the really bad news?” he questions wearily wondering what could be worse.
“Secretary Ross, and several Soldiers are on approach with assault rifles I believe wants to arrest Stephen Strange as he has not yet signed the Sokovia Accords, and question Boss as to the current location of one Steve Rogers and his associates.”
Paling even further. “Alright yeah that's definitely the worst of it. What are our options.”
“Indeed Mr Parker, for now I would suggest land- Boss is waking up, all seems normal from my scans.” Friday quickly informs him.
“Take the wheel Friday.” Peter says and rushes to his mentors side still wearing the AR Glasses, “Hey Mr Stark, how’re you feeling?”
“I’m all good underoos, little fuzzy, what happened?”
“Ah lets see we crashed, Me and Friday opened up the hole in the ship and Doctor Strange portaled us here, we’re about to land at the compound, Aunt May, Miss Potts and Happy are waiting for us there now.”
Tony looks up and sees Peter watching him wearing his glasses, he manages to hide the double take he does when the sight reminds him of himself, he expects to feel regretful or scared at the sight of the kid, but it’s all overshadowed by the pride he feels, “Ha nice glasses kid, remind me to get you a pair sometime.”
Peter ducks his head at the praise blushing lightly, “Hey Friday, update Mr Stark on what we’re up against.” he asks before handing the glasses over to Tony carefully “Alright, I’m going to go land us.” Peter rushes back to the front of the ship’s controls
“Gotta admit I underestimated that kid” Strange says to his right. “Really took charge while you were out cold, call me impressed.”
“Yeah he’s good like that.” Tony smirked knowing the kids enhanced hearing picked up the praise. “Fri, what are we dealing with?”
“Secretary Ross is on sight and is headed toward the landing deck as per the ‘Glowing Red Light’ protocol I am Slowing his progress. He has warrants to arrest Stephen Strange and Question you, Boss” There is an amusement in her voice that tells him Ross is getting annoyed at the AI.
Tony looks up at the sound of the quinjet landing, “Alright I guess I’ll call him for once, Friday?”
“Right away boss Initiating call now”
“Thank you Dear”
The ringer plays three times before there is an answer, “Stark” Ross voice clearly aggravated, Tony can’t help but push his buttons even further.
“Really you make me wait three ring when I know you want to talk to me I’m Ross I thought we were friends.”
“Stark cut the shit, I know Rogers and the others were here I want to know where they went, and don’t even get me started on the guy from your little street fight with the E.T this morning.” Ross snaps back angrily.
“Yeah, woe as I hate to admit it, you’re right, we've got bigger things to worry about.” The jet has now landed and the ramp is lowering to allow access, May Parker Rushes in ignoring him and heading to check over Peter. His voice has changed to deadly serious, “Those guys that showed up in New York were sent by the same guy that sent Loki, names Thanos, has some grand plan about universal genocide. According to Banner he already killed Thor and half of what’s left of the Asgardians to get the tesseract and he decimated a planet named Xandar to get the Power Stone.”
There is silence on the other line for a moment, “You can’t be serious are you.” Ross sounds disbelieving, “If this is someway of buying yourself time it won’t work.”
“Unfortunately it’s not” Tony replies through gritted teeth.
“Well then if that’s the case we need to get Roger’s back here and arrange a security meeting with the UN to decide how we approach this---” Ross smug attitude is enough for Tony
“Friday end call.”
“Stark don’t you dare, there’ll be consequences for thi---” Ross voice get cut off.
Tony reaches to squeeze his left wrist to calm himself down but someone else’s hands close around it first, he looks up at Pepper and starts to calm down even more, he smiles properly at her, “Hey Pep.”
She can see the Panic in his eyes and knows it’s not the time berate him on going to space, “Hey there, space-man.” She sees the panic leave his eyes and his breathe settle out, she surges forward to hug him whispering in his ear. “Don’t do that again okay, at least say goodbye before you go be a hero.”
He nods turning to Happy “You all good hap, didn’t worry too much about me did you.”
“Nah” He scoffs but it's clear that he was worried, “How’s the Kid doing? How’d he do out there in the big leagues?”
“Peter?” Tony asks as Happy nods, “Yeah, He did brilliantly.”
Up in the cockpit May is frantically checking over Peter to make sure he is okay, “Ma- May Stop, I’m perfectly fine, okay we had one fight while I was away and it went fine.” Peter attempts to calm her down.
“What the Hell Peter! What happened to looking out for the little guy, you know I accepted you being a teenage hero in our neighborhood, hell i would of been okay with Brooklyn as well, but Space! Really Peter!” She’s stopped checking to make sure that he is okay and grabbed him in a bone crushing hug.
“I know I’m sorry but I got beamed up and when Mr Stark caught up to me it was too late to turn around and deployed my parachute I freaked out and cause of how high up I was I just attached myself to the ship, I’m glad I was there though, Mr Stark needed the back up” Peter spoke in the hopes to make May understand.
“Yeah I know your a hero you’ve gotta do these things, but I won’t stop worrying till I know you’re safe.”
“Boss.” Friday’s Voice plays overhead, “Secretary Ross is two doors away from the landing pad I would suggest departure immediately, he is using blasting charges to get through the doors faster.”
“Shit” Tony curses under his breath “alright, they’ll be able to track us for to long if we take the quinjet, Strange can you Portal us somewhere safe, so we can work out where to go next”
“Yeah I’ll take us back to the New York Sanctum, get some weapons while we’re there” he draws up another and they all move to step through it as the doors get blasted out and Ross steps face bright red and side arm drawn, only to see the remains of the portal close behind them.
-The New York Sanctum-
Wong was busy working with some of the some of the disciples, instructing them on how to prepare their groups of apprentices should they come under attack when he feels a surge of magic behind him, turning quickly he along with the other disciples channel Tao Mandalas into their hand. However they relax when Strange steps through the portal, followed by Iron Man and the others.
“Wong, good to see everything didn’t go to shit while I was gone” Stephen address them with his usual sarcasm, Wong however knows his friend is pleased to be back home.
“Yes Stephen, despite everything we don’t rely solely on you being here.” Wong deadpans back.
Meanwhile behind them Tony is talking with Pepper, Peter, Happy and May. “Alright Pep don’t suppose you know where Rogers and the others have run off to do you.”
“Wakanda,” Pulling up her tablet and dragging the image to create a hologram, “I destroyed all the footage recorded at the compound while they were there but kept a copy in case you got back and needed to know.” as the footage starts to play “Rhodey went with them as back up but Vision looks like he’s injured but isn’t able to repair the damage, they were in a skirmish in Scotland before the came to the compound. I think they are planning on holding off there in case Thanos’s forces arrive and working on removing the stone without killing vision.”
Tony Nods his thanks watching the footage of the leaving seeing Cap look up at the camera as he’s the last to board the quinjet. “Alright based on when they left they should arrive in about two and a half hours that gives us some time before we head out and meet them there should be able to beat them there with Magic Hands over there's portals.”
Peter speaks up from next to May, “Alright you want me to go get anything from your penthouse before we go by the sounds of it Ross isn’t after me so I should be fine to make the run there.”
May snaps her head towards Peter as he says this, “Excuse me, what do you mean by ‘We go’ you aren’t going off to fight a war.” May’s face is shaken with fear at the idea.
“May, I have to go if I don’t and I could have helped and Thanos still wins it won't matter whether I stayed or went.” May still looks freaked out but accepts that she can’t stop him.
Reluctantly, she sighs, “Alright, but you have to promise me that you’ll stay safe.” looking him dead in the eyes he nods, her heart aches that he won’t say it out loud, she turns to Tony about to ask him to keep Peter safe however…
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep our Kid safe” He looks her in the eye making a promise that she knows he’ll keep Peter as safe as possible. Stepping around in front of Peter raising his arm and knighting him, although he can’t look him in the eye “Alright, kid. You're an Avenger now.”
Several emotions cross Peter’s face, pride, delight, satisfaction, before settling on a steely determination, that reassures the adults of the group that he’s capable.
Strange walks over to the group and asks, “Alright, we know where we’re going yet?”
“Wakanda” Tony tells the Wizard “Can you portal us there the others will arrive in a little over two hour, they have Vision with them.”
“Wong can you start that,” he calls to the man, “Long distance portals need more than one person to generate so they stay stable. I’ve given them instructions to prepare for a battle, I’ll be able to call them all to us if anything goes wrong.”
“That’s good we need all the help we can get.” Tony says tapping his glasses twice and relaying instructions to Veronica to prepare for orbit re-entry.
Wong meanwhile has created the portal and is now sustaining it with the help of some of the apprentices, Tony and Peter proceed to say their goodbyes to Pepper, May and Happy.
-Vormir-
Thanos and Gamora are scaling the mountain as they pass under an archway of stone, however they both still as a cloaked figure appears.
“Welcome, Thanos, son of A'lars. Gamora, daughter of Thanos.” the figure address them from a height advantage, neither of them are at all intimidated by it.
“You know us?” Thanos questions.
“It is my curse to know all who journey here.”
“Where's the Soul Stone?”
“I will take you to it, but I must warn you that it’s kin will not work past this arch, and that to acquire the stone, it extracts a terrible price.” the creature warns
“Then it will be Payed.” Thanos says as he steps under the arch the light of three stones lining his gauntlet begins to dim.
“We all think that at first however” as they approach the figure his terribly grim red skull comes into view under the hood with what looks like the remains of a uniform underneath, “Most are unable to pay it, and those that can usually can’t bring themselves to do it.”
Gamora subtly grabs a handful over dirt that feels more like ash off of one of the rocks they pass.
As they follow the Stonekeeper up what is left of the mountain towards a temple with twin spires on either side, Thanos notices the Stones have begun to dim further the closer they get to the top. “What is this place? Why does it affect the Stones like this?”
“This place Collector, is the epicenter of creation we’re the Stones were born, and where they were unleashed, the stones openly reject being here because they were confined for so long, then they were everywhere, it’s almost like a bad memory for them, I imagine they don’t like seeing their Kin in chains.”
They Have now reached the top of the mountain and are now walking across the engraved floor of the temple, ending in a sheer drop over the cliff side. The Stonekeeper speaks as Thanos peers over the edge “What you seek lies before you, as does what you fear most.”
“What are you talking about?” Thanos questions the Stonekeeper Confused by the puzzle
“Much like the other stones sacrificed it so they could be free, to claim the Soul Stone you must pay the same price.”
“What does it require”
Gamora is inching close to Thanos, eyes locked on the blade he gave her as a child, she knows this is her chance he can’t use the stones while here.
“In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love. A soul...For a soul you might say.”
Gamora freezes in her approach of the Mad Titan, she begins to laugh at him, “All my life, I dreamed of a day...A moment when you would get what you deserve. And I was always so disappointed. But now...You kill and torture...And you call it mercy. The universe has judged you. You asked it for a prize, and it told you no. You failed. And do you wanna know why? Because you love nothing. No one.” She looks up to see Thanos’s face lone tear falling from either side, “Really? Tears?” she mocks him.
“My dear,” She turns to the Stonekeeper who has addressed her. “The tears aren’t for him.”
-Vormir’s Orbit-
Nebula stepped out of the pod that she had stolen from Thanos’s ship and into the Benatar, she quickly takes stock of the situation before Quill is pacing back in for but as she enters the ship he stills and turns toward her “Thanos has Gamora.”
“I know,” She grits out trying desperately to control her anger “Scan the planet for life signs, it’s only them down there we need to hurry.”
Upon hearing this Quill bolts for the Controls already starting to, scan the planet, she looks over to Drax who is coiled like a spring ready to unleash his anger, Mantis sits next to him arm rested on his shoulder keeping his emotions restrained for the time being, but even she looks upset.
Nebula moves to the front with Quill who has started up the engine and is now headed for where on the planet the only two life signs come from. “I take it the soul stones down there?” he asks, Nebula doesn’t think she has ever heard him so serious, even when they were up against Ego.
“According to Gamora, yes” Nebula answers. “I don’t know whether she was lying to buy herself time or not, if it’s either we need to hurry”
-The Temple of the Soul Stone-Vormir-
“The tears aren’t for him.”
Realization hits her, she gasps, “No,” Shaking her head at Thanos “This isn’t Love.” she knows what she has to do as she sees the look of resolution cross Thanos’s eyes.
“I ignored my destiny once. I cannot do that again. Even for you.” Thanos says bitter resignation tinging his voice.
She surges forward throwing her handful of dust into Thanos’s eyes momentarily blinding him as she grabs the knife from his belt, triggers it and sinks the blade into her own stomach, “Gah..” she grunts sinking to her knees, grimly smiling. She looks up at her Father, but her gaze go right past him to the Benatar that has landed just behind them. Peter and the other’s are running straight towards them.
Thanos has recovered from the dust follows her gaze to see the Guardians upon them, “That boyfriend of yours really is trouble” moving to place Gamora between himself and them, glancing at the Stonekeeper, “Will this do?”
A pause then, “No.” the voice was apathetic, but slightly curious.
“Get away from her asshole” Peter’s voice draws Gamora’s attention as she is starting to fade out, “I swear to God if you touch her I’ll make you wish that you died with the rest of your kind.”
“You know, I really do like him,” Thanos praises eyes on the ground, wrapping his hand around Gamora’s forearm. Speaking up “You know, I taught my Daughter’s many things, chief of which was how to survive.” He pauses, “I’m sorry little one” his voice laced with more raw sadness than she has ever heard “Just try a little bit longer.”
Gamora looks up at Peter, seeing him as everything else fades away “Peter...” there’s a lot of things conveyed in that one word, eyes locked with him, a confession, a declaration and a goodbye.
And then she's thrown backwards.