Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart

((Well I feel like a right jackass. I come back on here wanting to rp some more and then I vanish immediately once again. Here’s hoping yall aren’t furious at me…. Hai again, sorry I’ve been gone!))

“Alumina,” Wanda began softly, her voice trembling slightly, “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you, too. I understand your pain, your sense of betrayal. I felt it deeply when he was taken away from Wakanda, and that connection—knowing he was gone—it was like a part of me was ripped away.”

She placed her hand over Alumina’s, feeling the warmth of their combined energies. “You’re right. Vision is still a part of us, in our hearts and our memories. We owe him that much. I felt him in that last moment, and that bond... it’s something that can’t be broken easily.”

Wanda’s eyes met Alumina’s, her expression fierce with determination. “We will find a way to honor him, to either bring him back or ensure that no one ever misuses him again. I won’t let his memory be tainted or his sacrifice be in vain. We owe him that much—and we owe ourselves that much.”

Tears welled in Wanda’s eyes as well, mingling with Alumina’s. “Thank you for understanding, for sharing this with me. It means more than you know. Together, we’ll see this through, no matter how difficult it becomes.”

“After The Blip, Vision’s body was just… left there in Wakanda before being taken back to America. I tried to get the Wakandans to keep him, as his body is made mostly of Vibranium which is native to their country and I thought he’d be safer there. Unfortunately I was outvoted. The remaining Avengers and I were doing our best to try to keep the world from falling apart, and we assumed his body was safe. However, a government agency called SWORD currently has his body in their possession. I don’t have all the details, I don’t know what they’re doing with him, but I do know it’s not pretty. They’re examining him as if he’s a weapon and not a person.” Alumina pulled out her phone and pulled up the picture she’d received from her inside man.

“Thank you,” Wanda said quietly, her voice tinged with gratitude. The subtle lowering of Alumina’s mental shields allowed her a glimpse into the situation—something she appreciated more than words could convey.

As she absorbed the information, Wanda’s heart tightened at the thought of Vision.

Wanda looked at Alumina with a mixture of sadness and resolve. “I understand why you didn’t want to tell Pietro directly. It’s a lot to process, and I appreciate you letting me find out this way. I need to see him, to understand what’s been done and how we can… if we can, find a way to help him.”

Her voice carried a quiet determination, reflecting both the pain of her loss and the hope that she could make a difference. “If you have any more information, or if there’s anything else I should know, please tell me. I’m ready to face whatever comes next.”

“After The Blip, Vision’s body was just… left there in Wakanda before being taken back to America. I tried to get the Wakandans to keep him, as his body is made mostly of Vibranium which is native to their country and I thought he’d be safer there. Unfortunately I was outvoted. The remaining Avengers and I were doing our best to try to keep the world from falling apart, and we assumed his body was safe. However, a government agency called SWORD currently has his body in their possession. I don’t have all the details, I don’t know what they’re doing with him, but I do know it’s not pretty. They’re examining him as if he’s a weapon and not a person.” Alumina pulled out her phone and pulled up the picture she’d received from her inside man.

“Hey, Wanda,” Pietro said softly, his voice full of empathy. “I’m glad to see you’re helping out. I know this is all overwhelming, but we’re here for you. We’re all in this together.”

Wanda looked up, her face tired but softening at the sight of Alumina and Pietro. She managed a small smile, though the weight of everything that had happened was clear in her eyes.

“Alumina… Pietro,” Wanda greeted them, her voice a mix of gratitude and sadness. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot, especially right now.”

She glanced at Pietro, a flicker of surprise and relief crossing her face. “I didn’t expect to see you... I thought—”

Wanda’s voice faltered as she tried to find the right words. “I’m still processing everything. Vision's gone... it’s been so hard. But knowing you’re both here, that you’re real, it helps more than I can say.”

“You did good, Aly. You did real good.” Tony said as he came up behind the pair, patting her on the shoulder. She simply cut him a glare with a hard expression and he rolled his eyes, “You’re never gonna forgive me for using the gauntlet myself are you?”

He squeezed her hand again, offering her a reassuring smile. “If knowing that you felt something helps Wanda, then it’s worth sharing with her. It’s important that she knows she’s not alone in this. We all have these connections, and sometimes they mean more than we realize.”

As Tony approached and made his comment, Pietro’s gaze shifted, taking in the tension between Tony and Alumina. He could see the genuine concern in Tony’s eyes, despite the harsh words.

“Tony,” Pietro said, his tone even but firm, “I get that you made the call you thought was right. But we’re all feeling the weight of these choices. Just... be careful with what you choose to do next. It’s not just about the battle; it’s about the people we care about and the lives we impact.”

He turned back to Alumina, gently brushing a stray tear from her cheek. “You did amazing, Aly. Your strength and compassion are what we need right now. And we’ll get through this together. Wanda needs us, and we need each other.”

Many people were injured in battle, even more so were killed. Alumina sadly couldn’t bring back the dead but she did what she could to heal the injured. She also helped work on the cleanup of the debris with the rest of the survivors, and that was when she saw Wanda amongst the crowd.

As they moved through the crowd and approached Wanda, Pietro took a deep breath, his own emotions a turbulent mix of concern and love. He glanced at Wanda, seeing the strain and pain etched into her features. He knew how much Vision had meant to her, and the weight of that loss was something he could only begin to understand.

“Wanda… she’s struggling,” Pietro said softly, his voice tinged with sadness. “She’s hurting a lot, more than any of us could really know. But she’s strong, and she’s trying to hold it together. She doesn’t know where Vision’s body is right now, and I haven’t had the chance to tell her.”

He looked at Alumina, his expression earnest. “I know you want to help her, and you can be a light for her in this darkness. But be gentle with her. She’s been through so much, and I’m not sure she’s ready for more news yet.”

“You did good, Aly. You did real good.” Tony said as he came up behind the pair, patting her on the shoulder. She simply cut him a glare with a hard expression and he rolled his eyes, “You’re never gonna forgive me for using the gauntlet myself are you?”

“Hey I hate to interrupt the moment here, but there’s a lot of people who need healing and Aly you’re one of the only people who can do that.” Steve’s voice broke through her tears and Alumina nodded with a sniffle.

“Can’t Strange and the other magicians do that too?” She asked with a weak laugh, still not leaving Pietro’s chest.

“Surprisingly not as well as you.” Steve insisted and Alumina growled in annoyance, clinging even tighter to Pietro.

“Only if Pietro comes with me.” She replied.

“Hey, breathe, okay? It’s a lot to take in. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I promise I’ll tell you everything.” He gently pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, his own filled with unwavering love and reassurance. “Wanda is back too. We’re both here. I don’t know all the details of what happened, but I’m here now, and that’s what matters.”

He glanced toward Steve, understanding the urgency of the situation. “I know you’re needed, my love, and I hate to see you upset. But you’re right, we need you. I’ll be right by your side, every step of the way. I’m not going to let you go.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, his grip firm but gentle as he guided her to move. “Let’s take care of everyone, together. You heal the others, and I’ll be there with you, making sure nothing happens to you. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

Many people were injured in battle, even more so were killed. Alumina sadly couldn’t bring back the dead but she did what she could to heal the injured. She also helped work on the cleanup of the debris with the rest of the survivors, and that was when she saw Wanda amongst the crowd.

“Someone better take pictures of this.” Tony teasingly whispered to Pepper who playfully elbowed him.

Alumina slowly looked up, her glowing eyes nearly blinded with tears as she met his gaze. She was almost vibrating with how badly she was trembling, the emotions getting the best of her as she couldn’t take it any longer.

“PIETRO!” She nearly screamed his name, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing aggressively into his chest. Her energy flooded his veins as she held him close, barely able to stand upright without him.

He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the familiar scent that he had missed so much. His voice was a soothing murmur against her ear, trying to be the anchor she needed in this sea of emotions.

“Shh, it’s okay, my love. I’m here. I’m right here.”

He gently stroked her back, his touch tender and reassuring. “I’ve missed you so much. I can’t believe I’m finally holding you again. Everything’s going to be alright now.”

"There was a time I believed we would never see each other again. But now.. I'm home." Pietro’s heart was swelling with a mix of joy and relief, his own eyes moist as he felt her energy coursing through him. He held her tighter, as if to promise that he would never let her go again. “I’m not going anywhere. We’re together again, and we’ll face everything side by side. I’m here, and I love you more than you can imagine.”

“Hey I hate to interrupt the moment here, but there’s a lot of people who need healing and Aly you’re one of the only people who can do that.” Steve’s voice broke through her tears and Alumina nodded with a sniffle.

“Can’t Strange and the other magicians do that too?” She asked with a weak laugh, still not leaving Pietro’s chest.

“Surprisingly not as well as you.” Steve insisted and Alumina growled in annoyance, clinging even tighter to Pietro.

“Only if Pietro comes with me.” She replied.

Five years was a long time without the love of your life. Alumina thought she had known pain. She thought the 23 days after the snap where she had no idea if Tony was alive or not was the worst part of it, but the five long years without Pietro Maximoff slowly drove her insane. Alumina and Pietro had just finally come to terms with their feelings for each other, Alumina had just told him she loved him for the first time, and Thanos ripped him from her. Rebuilding her life after The Snap was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

So when there was finally an option presented to fix it and bring everyone back, Alumina was beyond willing to help. But an unexpected consequence of time travel brought Thanos to earth earlier than before. And Bruce seemed to have sacrificed his arm for nothing. So when Alumina stepped up to fight to the death alongside the rest of the Avengers, she didn’t even think about who was coming back once everyone else started showing back up. All that she knew was that they were going to win and that they finally succeeded in bringing back those who vanished in The Snap.

And when the battle was finally over, when Thanos and his army faded away from existence, when Alumina was done healing Tony and also screaming at him for almost getting himself killed, she finally took a breath to realize what they had all done together.

And then she heard it. The sound of rushing footsteps and wind whipping behind her. Her glow brightened unconsciously as she didn’t even want to turn around in fear that this was a dream.

“This isn’t real… this isn’t real, I’m dead, this is a dream, he’s not actually here… he can’t be…” She whispered to herself, terrified to turn around as she didn’t want to break her heart all over again.

He saw her standing there, her shoulders trembling slightly. He took another step, moving into her line of sight, and slowly extended his hand toward her, palm open and inviting. His voice was soft, almost reverent, as if afraid to shatter the fragile moment between them.

“Look at me, my love. I know it feels like a dream, but it’s not. I’m here, and I’m real. I can’t bear to see you like this, afraid to hope, afraid to believe.”

His gaze was steady, filled with the same intensity and warmth she’d known so well. “Please, just turn around. Let me hold you. I’ve missed you more than words can say.”

He held his hand out, his eyes locked onto hers, his heart aching for the touch that had been stolen from them. Every movement was deliberate, filled with the care of someone who had been given a second chance and wasn’t going to waste it.

“Someone better take pictures of this.” Tony teasingly whispered to Pepper who playfully elbowed him.

Alumina slowly looked up, her glowing eyes nearly blinded with tears as she met his gaze. She was almost vibrating with how badly she was trembling, the emotions getting the best of her as she couldn’t take it any longer.

“PIETRO!” She nearly screamed his name, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing aggressively into his chest. Her energy flooded his veins as she held him close, barely able to stand upright without him.