I'M COMING TO END IT

It  takes  him  a  moment  for  the  words  to  register;  he’s  never  considered  himself  the  type  for  saving  the  world,  even  though  he  supposes  that  the  Avengers  have  done  it  quite  a  few  times  now.    A  civic  duty  or  whatever  the  papers  want  to  call  it,  because  they’re  enhanced  heroes  in  their  own  right.      Except  for  him;  he’s  a  genius  inside  of  an  alloy  suit,  but  that’s  about  it.      Still,  he  feels  the  residual  effects  of  that  fight,  that  twisting  in  his  heart  and  the  sheer  panic  that  rises  when  he  thinks  about  how  close  he  was  to  death.      With  the  wormhole  he  had  embraced  it,  there  hadn’t  been  pain;  but  with  the  gauntlet,  there  had  been  mind  numbing  pain  and  consequences.      He  subconsciously  moves  his  left  shoulder,  still  feels  the  clicking  and  tender  muscles  that  are  on  their  way  to  healing.      A  few  more  sessions  in  Helen  Cho’s  Cradle  and  it  should  be  back  to  functioning  order.      That’s  the  hope,  anyway.      He’s  started  to  look  into  Extremis  work  again  as  well,  but  he  still  hasn’t  figured  it  all  out  completely.      Doesn’t  know  if  he  ever  will.      “  Yeah,  guess  that’s  just  what  Avengers  do.      That  means  you  too,  you’re  one  of  us  now.  ”      It’s  hard  to  believe  that  it  had  started  out  with  just  six  of  them  and  has  grown  into  something  so  much  more.      

A  quiet  snort  leaves  his  throat  then;  no,  he  can’t  imagine  that  watching  tv  is  that  much  fun  when  you  can  do  what  Carol  can.      Part  of  him  had  debated  not  recruiting  her  for  the  Avengers,  but  that  seemed  painfully  cruel  not  to  do  so,  especially  after  everything  that  she  had  done.      “  You’re  free  to  fly  around  to  your  hearts  desire.      Hopefully  things  are  going  to  be  peaceful  around  here  for  a  bit.  ”      It’s  a  long  shot  and  they  all  know  that,  but  it  doesn’t  stop  the  offer  from  extending  itself    ——    she  doesn’t  have  to  stay  if  she  doesn’t  want  to.

                                        "    hey ,  technically ,  i'm  the  original .     but  thanks .     i  appreciate  it .   "     she's  not  serious  about  the  first  part  of  her  comment ,  if  her  chuckle  is  anything  to  go  by    ____     hadn't  even  considered  herself  part  of  the  team  until  steve  had  asked  her  to  be ,  saying  that  it  had  been  a  decision  taken  with  all  the  members'  agreement .     avengers .     was  it  supposed  to  be  some  kind  of  tribute  to  what  she  had  done  ?     or  just  an  homage  to  the  time  that  created  the  idea ,  the  dangerous  and  terrible  need  for  something  more  than  riffles  and  bombs .     (    people ,  capable  to  save  the  world .    )     fury  had  refused  to  answer ,  and  carol  had  not  asked  a  second  time .

                                        "  i'm  probably  going  to  take  you  up  on  that  offer ,  in  a  month  or  two .  "     ___     until  i  admit  defeat ,  she  doesn't  say .     all of  them  had  lives  here ,  people  to  get  back  to  and  families  to  take  care  of .     carol  had  sacrificed  hers  to  help  the  universe    &&    the  girl ,  half - star  half - human ,  was  not  convinced  she  still  knew  how  to  be  close  to  anyone  anymore .     she  had  thought  that  staying  on  earth  would  help .     that  she  would  make  friends ,  and  go  to  bars ,  and  have  a  somewhat  normal  life  while  fighting  crimes .     but  everything  is  duller  than  she  expected :     even  criminals  have  stopped  being  evil .     she  goes  to  bars ,  and  stays  there  for  hours ,  looking  at  the  world  as  if  she  was  not  completely  part  of  it .  

  No end, no beginning…one might think her half a torso, half-armed – till those reaping claws fan and furl. Without boundaries they double the length of her glamour, rivaled only by her teeth in sharpness! She cocks her head, pins her lips back to mimic a flat smile, and guides radio waves in from left to right. They might tickle. “W-we've…” her mouth cannot create that shape. She tries, dips her head back as if it’ll grant her more range, and fails to create sound. Those same wavelengths oscillate, “…Carol."

  She shines! Collects the light that abandons Darkness altogether. Scantly she is ensnared by it…like an unfortunate bathyanthias drawn to the angler’s lure.