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Chapter Text

He turned, had his back to her for what was seconds before a sense of dread spread from the tip of his toes all the way up till it reach his head.

Alarm bells had already began to ring in his so very clever brain having witnessed the guardians of the galaxy members each turn into ash along with Dr Strange.

He should have know, he should have kept her close by. He, he should never have hoped for that one thing, for her to stay safe. He should have realised he never got what he wanted.

Hearing her voice trembling with confusion was a stark contrast to her usual babbling and non stop speaking. Something he knew he took for granted.

"Mr stark-" just hearing her say his name like that would usually cause him to correct her but, the tone in which she used had him turning to look at her straight away.

"I don't feel so good." Head titled sideways, it was like she couldn't or didn't want to comprehend what was happing to her, what was about to happen to her.

"You'll be alright." The words tasted like venom on his tongue. How else was he supposed to confront this girl, this child when they both knew they couldn't stop what was about to happen.

Looking at her slowly raising arms, she could feel the individual shift of the tiny cells that made up her entire body. Feel them slowly break apart and try to piece themselves back together only to realise they couldn't.

"I don't- I don't know what's happening-" voice trailing off at the end due to the truth she didn't want to admit to herself, Petra all but fell into the arms of Tony.

Tony himself was quick to latch onto her. He didn't wanted to lie and say he was doing it for her and her alone but he could, because he knew it was for him as well. Holding onto the the most loved thing he has.

Arms wrapped under her mentors, her Fathers arms she begged and pleaded for him, the world, the universe to keep her with the only family she had left.

"I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go"

Pulling her as close as he could get her, it was as if he hoped that by latching onto her, by physically keeping her rooted to his chest, the damn universe would forget about destroying her.

Only the universe never listens.

"Sir please. Please I don't wanna go. Dad please I don't wanna go."

Feeling her legs begin to desolve around them, Tony lowed his girl slowly to the ground. Every plea was like another knife to his already wounded heart.

The single plea for him, for her dad which he hoped that when she did eventually call him that, it would bring the warmth only she could bring him. Only this time it brought nothing but pain.

Petra knew, she could finally amit what was about to happen. She was going to die here on this planted, millions of miles away from home. From
her people. And she could admit she was terrified.

But, looking up at the face of her mentor, her farther. She knew she would not be forgotten as the most loved person she has was with her, was going to be with her till sh wasn't with him. And goodness did that scare her.

Face tilted to the stars, she relaxed everything in her body as she could feel the final separation of everything inside her.

Rolling her head to face Tony, she had to tell him. Tell him how much she loved him, cared for him, needed him.

Making eye contact with him she spoke her last words as tears rolled delicately down her cheeks as if they themselves knew how fragile she was at that moment.

"I'm sorry Dad".

Tony could do nothing but watch as his little girl finally faded away as if she was never there.

It's ironic Tony thought, how some are born into this world screaming to be heard, to be loved but her. Petra Parker. He knew she didn't need to make herself be loved when she had it already.

Born in tears, he watched as his daughter died in them.

Chapter Text

In all honesty, Steve didn't know why he thought Tony would be gone. He didn't know why he entertained the idea but after watching loved ones disappear he had to fear the worst.

So when he saw the ship head towards them on the Wakandan borders he and everyone else had their guns trained on the ship, ready to wipe it out at any given moment.

Standing side by side with Bucky, he moved his arm just a little to the side so they touched. He had to make sure he was there. As if he knew what Steve was doing, Bucky just shuffled that little closed whilst his eyes remained on the ship that had just landed.

Time felt like it had come to a stand still at two figures appeared out of the opened door. One a blue women who everyone collectively knew wasn't of this world.

The other one, the other one emerged behind her. One hand firmly holding his side. Even bruised and bloody, the face of Tony Stark stood staring at them was like a miracle.

The silence stretched on for what felt like eternity before a figure further back advanced towards Tony. After making eye contact with the person Tony felt himself move as fast as his insured body could take him straight into the arms of Rhodey.

Arms shaking and lungs expanding too quickly, Tony clung onto his friend for dear life, grateful that he had him here at the moment when he'd lost her.

Thinking about Petra made Tony pull back and take a look around the group of people wanting to see how many of them had been taken as well.

It was easy to tell, Vision, Wanda, Sam, Natasha and T'Challa were among the ones he could easily tell were gone.

Looking past Rhodey, he could see Steve a step in front of Bucky as if he had began to walk towards him but thought better of it.

Seeing them together caused a surge of anger to hit Tony's otherwise numb emotions so quickly it surprised him. Obviously the good old Captain would get to keep his loved on whilst his daughter was gone.

"Tony-" Steve breathed his name as if it was a prayer. "I'm glad you're alive."

Shooting Steve a look, the most Tony could do was nod, not even bothering to reply as he didn't know what to say. I mean what could he say, 'oh yeah I'm glad you're alive but I'm silently wishig you're best friend had been one of the ones killed like Petra was'. Somehow, Tony knew that wouldn't sit well.

A young girl stepped forward, head held high but he could see, she had lost someone as well.

"My name is Queen Shuri. And we have work to do." And with that, she had turned around and walked away the others following her.

Glancing back at Nebula, he signalled he with a nod of his head to follow the others.

Glancing around the room he found himself in, he placed his hands in his trouser pocket only to feel what felt like a necklace in his pocket.

Pulling it out he examine the piece. A circle in the shape of a spider and the chain made obviously out of web fluid. An unexpected watery laugh excaped him and cut of the conversations the others were having.

Steve was unsurprising the one who spoke up, voice disapproving. A tone Tony was used to from him.

"God Tony. You're really laughing at a time like this. What could possibly be funny?"

Eyes narrowed towards him caused Tony's back to straighten. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to talk about her. It was hard as it is just thinking about her but talking he didn't know if he could.

"My daughter snuck it into my pocket-" watching the confusion cross everyone's faces except Rhodey whose eyes became eatery once he realised who it came from had Tony pausing just long enough for everyone to notice.

Looking back at the necklace, he spoke whilst running his thumb over the intricate designed spider that had the colours of his IronMan suit woven through out.

"Before she turned to dust. I'm laughting Steve because whilst I held her as she dissolved, turned to dust she used her final strength to make sure I had a piece of her with me."

He didn't even realise he had advanced on his former teammate until he felt the shift in the air, everyone obviously expecting him to attack.

"If I may-" Shuri began holding her hand open for the necklace which Tony reluctantly handed over to her. "This isn't a normal necklace"

Not explaining herself, she pressed the centre of the spider whilst placing it on the table that was standing in the centre of the room.

Tony watched fascinated as one by one the eight legs all moved positions before the body of the spider lit up and a life size hologram of Petra appeared.

Hands quickly covering his mouth, Tony could feel the tears he'd tried to keep at bay spill out whilst he kept his focus souly on the hologram whilst the others alternated between looking at him and back to the necklace trying to figure out who the girl who couldn't have been much older than Shuri was.

"Okay. Firstly I'd just like to say I'm dead. There's not point in sugar coating it. And if I'm dead that means my dads brilliant mind is working in overdrive to punish itself for not saving me. My name is Petra, Petra Parker and I'm hoping at some point if I make it, I'd become Petra stark. I'm spiderman"

A shockwave rippled around the room as this girl who had not only announced herself as Tony's daughter, but as spiderman spoke.

Tony could feel the warmth slowly building inside of him tinge with sadness as he watched his baby say her goodbyes.

"I don't know if you're going to be watching this straight after my death but dad,-" the look she shot through an obvious camera she must have recorded this on, made him feel like she was actually there.

"Please don't blame yourself. And I know you will because I know you. I know that you like your lab to be a chaotic organisation as you know where everything is even when you have to hope and pray you don't touch anything dangerous."

Her laugh rang through Tony's ears as he slowly lowered herself to the ground fully aware of the others watching what Petra had to say but staying quiet.

Even Nebula who only wanted to start with a plan to stop Thanos sat beside Tony wanting to understand why this girl was so important to him.

"I know you have never once like my cooking but you'd pretend to eat it whilst forcing Rhodey to eat his-" at this Rhodey shot a faux hurt look at Tony (who was begin to grin) which didn't work well with his smile.

"I can't believe you made me eat that Tones"

"We always used to have Friday order a take out once we knew everyone was asleep. I know that every time you used to wake up from a bad dream I used to sneak into your room and pretend I had a bad dream just to sleep in your bed so you knew I was safe and you could actually sleep."

At this, the smile Petra was on her face matched the sadness Tony felt in his heart. His baby had done that for him and he'd never known.

"I know that you don't realise how much you actually mean to me.-" if the tears weren't there before, they defiantly was now as Tony didn't even bother to wipe them away as he could see his daughter begin to break down. The only difference between the two was Tony could be comforted.

"Before you I had Aunt May, and I loved her with everything in me but when she died you was there. You was there when I laughed and cried and screamed at the world, at how unfair it was. You never let me drown."

Tony could see she was looking at something of to the side as her face dropped momentarily before she schooled her features. He guessed she didn't have enough time to say everything she wanted.

"If I die dad I want you to know that I died loving you. That I spent the short amount of time I had you as a father loving you. I remember as a little girl I looked at you and saw the sun. But when I met you, when I really got to know you. I realised you shone like the moon. A brightness not everyone appreciated but was bright none the less."

Petras words were becoming more choked up and everyone in the room could feel their hearts break for the young girl who had to grow up to quickly.

"It's weird you know to be speaking to a camera about how wonderful and brilliant you are because I know that at the end of this you're still going to hate yourself so I'm just going to keep it sort and sweet."

Tony braced himself for her goodbye. Braced himself for the end which he wished never came as he knew that once this video ended, she would be gone as well.

"Papà-" as soon as the Italian word was spoken, Tony began to openly sob, only the arms of whoever decided to hold him kept him up.

He sobbed for his little girl who swore she would learn Italian not even for him as she didn't like it spoke her finals words for him and him alone.

"Troverai un modo, papà. Ho fiducia in te. Lo credo in noi."

As soon as those words were spoken, she disappeared from view the light coming from the necklace the only indication any of it was real.

Breaking from the circle of arms he realised was Steves, he stood up and dusted his trousers of before face the others.

Face red from tears and voice rough, Tony never looked stronger.

"There was an idea. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to fight the battles we never could. It was called the avengers initiative. And it times we came together."

Looking at the others, Tony could see the hope rise.

"For Petra,

For Loki,

For Natasha,

For T'Challa

For Sam,

For the others,

And for the world."

Giving the room another glance, Tony spoke once more but this time in Italian, finishing his daughters last sentence with the familiar words.

"Sono orgoglioso di te principessa. Sono fiero di noi."

With the words spoken Tony felt like they could do this.

What none of them were expecting, was a familiar voice to play though the necklace and into the room.

Not knowing that Tony's word were a trigger.

"Good evening sir. I think it's time we're got the youn Miss back"

Tony spoke the word with such awe and hope it's brought more of his broken heart back together."

"Jarvis".