Shadow of Hope(Book 2)

Epilogue

(Something to Someone - Dermot Kennedy)

Epilogue

" Alice. Alice, look at me." Tony says as I sit in a ball near where Peter had disappeared. " I know it hurts, but you have to calm down. You have to get us home." He says, but I shook my head.

" I can't." I said, pulling at my hair. A part of me knew Tony was right, but it felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest.

Peter was gone. My best friend was gone. Turned to dust and blown away on the wind like he was nothing. Like he had never existed. 

Oh god, who was going to tell Aunt May. Was Aunt May even still there? And Ned? What about Ned? There were so many people that might be gone. So many lives that might have been ripped away. " I can't." I repeated, as so many thoughts and feelings hit me at once.

" You have to. We dont have a choice, right now. Come on..." Tony said, reaching over to help me up, but I shoved him way." No." I screamed, my voice cracking and he stared at me wide eyed." Alice-"

" You dont get it." I snapped."  If I teleport right now, there is no telling where we might end up, alright. Peter was... Peter was my tether. " I muttered. " My last connection to this world. I could end up sending us somewhere much worse than this." 

" What could be worse than half the population just disappearing?" He asked.

" A lot of things." A voice said, and I looked up as Aria appeared in a swirl of wind and dust. " You." I hissed before getting to my feet and rushing toward her.

" Alice-" She started to say but was cut off as I reached her. 

" No." I snapped, grabbing her by the front of her shirt, but she only stared at me. Emotionless." You knew this would happen." I shouted at her. " You knew, and you said nothing. You did nothing." I screamed.

" It's not my world, Alice." She suddenly shouted back, shoving me off before suddenly appearing several feet away, tears filling her eyes as she shook her head. " It's not my world." She repeated.

" That isn't an excuse." I said. " You could have told me."

" It wouldn't have changed a thing."

" How do you know?"

" Because your world is a mirror, Alice." A second voice said, before Sam stepped from the shadows beside her. " Because it never happened in her world. It was stopped before it could happen."

" That's Impossible." Tony scoffed

" Is it?" Sam questioned. " Why? Because science says so? Alice manipulates the dimensional barriers all the time, and she has even crossed over them into other worlds."

" And she will do so again." Aria stated. " Its time, Alice."

" What?" I questioned.

" Your job here is done. There is nothing left for you here. The connection has been severed."

" What do you mean done? Millions are dying right now?" I demanded. " I can't just leave?"

Aria stared at me a moment, her eyes shifting to Tony who was now frozen in place, like time had stopped around him, before she smiled. " Let me show you something." She said, stepping backwards, and I frowned before rushing after her as a vortex opened up and she stepped through.

I looked around as the vortex closed behind us, my eyes widening in horror at the destruction before us. " What is this?" I asked, and Aria looked at me. " A future prevented in my world, but will come to pass in yours. Look." She motioned toward where several people had gathered, and were beginning to kneel. " A hero will rise from the survivors, Alice." She said, and I frowned before moving forward with Sam trailing behind me.

No one turned as I got closer, making me realize that to them I was little more then a ghost walking amongst them. I could see Steve, Wanda, Clint, and even Bucky. Peter was there to, and at the sight of him I truly believed that maybe there was a shadow of hope. Maybe we could make it through. 

I stopped as I took in the figure before me and I shook my head. " Tony." I muttered, a smile of sorrowful pride on my face.

" They'll be alright, Alice." Aria said.

" But Peter-"

" He'll be okay."

" Can I come back? Will I see him again?" I asked.

" One day. If that's what you want." Aria answered, and I looked away from the boy who had once sat with me while my heart broke. Who had held my hand at my dad's funeral. Who used to sit with me on rooftops just to watch the sun set and would count the stars with me as they appeared one at a time. Peter Parker. The boy who possessed soul that had been once bound to mine.

My best friend.

A tear ran down my face, and I nodded. " Okay." I said.

As Aria took my hand, I cast one last look at the team that had slowly become my family, and I let go.

(This Ends Book 2)