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It was dark on the battlefield. With Thanos gone, people were slowly relaxing, letting the tension flow out of their body.
One woman dressed in traditional wizard attire - as Tony liked to call it - jumped down from her rock and stepped closer to the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Stephen," she whispered. "Iron Man is dying."
Stephen looked at her with sorrow in his eyes. She looked back with determination.
"Sorcerer Supreme, I need your permission to save him."
She grabbed his hand. "Please. He doesn't deserve this."
"You have my permission."
She smiled. "Thank you." Then she turned around and ran over the ruins to the place where Tony Stark was breathing his last breath.
She carefully pushed Pepper out of the way.
"I can save him," she said softly.
"You can?" Everyone looked at her with hope and surprise.
She nodded. "Take him out of his suit and lay him down on the ground."
They did so, and she crouched down on the ground next to him.
"Step away from them," Wong's voice sounded. "It's a dangerous process and it's better if any living souls are not near her."
"Alright," said Pepper, and she pushes Peter away. Rhodey and she followed.
It went silent on the battlefield as everyone started crowding around the golden shield that Wong and Stephen had pulled up to protect everyone.
"Okay," the woman whispered. She put her hands on Tony's chest.
She closed her eyes and started searching for his life energy. It was flickering and slowly fading, but she gripped it close with two hands and reached for the depths of his soul.
She recited an ancient spell, and slowly, colour started leaving her hair. Her head snapped back and her eyes opened, to reveal only a soft white glow.
Peter gripped Pepper's hand and squeezed it so hard he thought he would break it.
The minutes it lasted felt like hours.
Then Tony gasped, and he rolled on his side, coughing. The shields lowered and the woman's head lolled back. She fell on the ground, and Peter was sure he had never seen Doctor Strange move that fast.
Stephen picked the woman up as Tony started getting up.
"Wh-what happened?" He croaked. "Tony! Oh- Tony!" Pepper clasped a hand over her mouth and tears started rolling again.
She ran up to him and the two stared in each other's eyes for a while.
Stephen carried her to a secluded area, where all the other sorcerers gathered around. He placed her on the ground.
"I lend you my strength," he whispered, and he bent down to kiss her forehead before placing his index finger on her lips.
All the others raised their hands and recited his words. A soft golden glow surrounded them, and then the woman got up, coughing.
"Did I- is he alive?" She asked immediately, and Stephen smiled. "He is."
She choked back a sob and flung her arms around his neck.
He stroked her back.
"It's time to get our wounds healed," said Wong. Everyone nodded and started to disperse.
"Y/N," Stephen said softly, and Y/N pulled back to stand on her own feet. She frowned.
"What is it?"
"I know I might be too late to say it..- but--" he sighed and the corner of her mouth curled up.
"I love you."
"Good," she answered, bringing her face closer to his. "Because I do too."