The third Maximoff

Chapter 27

"For one of you. For the other... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul." The man stated. You nodded and moved to sit on a rock and think about your options while your brother paced back and fourth. About ten minutes later Pietro finally spoke up.

"How's it going?" Pietro question the man to get no response in return. "Jesus...Maybe he's making this shit up." He turned to you while you sat in deep thought.

"No. I don't think so." You stated.

"Why, cause he knows our fathers name?" Pietro scoffed.

"Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence." You reminded him of the notes you took.

"Yeah."

"Whatever it takes." You stood with determination.

"Whatever it takes." He repeated.

"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead, including Wanda." You started talking.

"Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be." Pietro said.

"I guess we do." He held your hand as your eyes drifted to the edge of the cliff.

"I'm starting to think– we mean different people here, y/n." He started to worry for what thoughts you had in your head.

"For the last five years I've been trying to do one thing: Get to right here. That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back. Bringing Wanda back" you told him without him even having to ask.

"Oh, don't you get all decent on me now." Pietro commented back, keeping a close hold on your hand as if he's afraid you will disappear if he lets go.

"What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life, you idiot." You snapped at him.

"Yeah, well, I don't want you to, because your my sister and I'm supposed to protect you"

"I can protect myself" you reminded.

"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" He pulled you in for a hug. "Okay. You win." He pulled back with a kiss to your forehead. "We'll race to the bottom" he told you and got ready to run.

"Pietro" you warned with fear. "I won't beat you"

"That's the point" he smirked at you. "Ready? Set, go" he sped to the edge and jumped off while you ran to the edge, watching your brother fall making you the last person in your family to be alive. Dropping to your knees, tears streamed down your face.

"No!" The anger and sadness was all too much for you to hold in. Closing your eyes the tears did not stop and a burst of energy came from you. Waking up again your were surrounded by a pool of water and held open your hand to see the orange stone glowing in your palm. "Pietro" you whispered his name in a choked out sob.

You silently stood to your feet and pressed the button on your wrist to return you back home where the other Avengers would be.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asked looking around, proud of the plan.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhode seemed shocked at the plan working. Everyone pauses as they noticed a person missing until all eyes fell on you who was staring at the ground.

"Y/n, where's Pietro?" Clint asked you gently. Tears flow once more but silently this time as you manage to whisper out.

"He beat me to the bottom"

"I'm sorry kid" Natasha pulled you in for a hug, not knowing what you meant but still assuming the worst. Steve waved off some of the others who you weren't as close with just to give you some space and comfort.

"What?" Clint questioned with confusion. "you're acting like he's dead. Why are we acting like he's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring him back, isn't that right?" Clint started to rant. Natasha held you close to her in a hug to help you keep calm during her friends rant. "So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together."

"We can't get him back." You choked out.

"Wha– what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't." You continued to explain with sadness.

"I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive don't you think?" Thor stepped in to back up Clint.

"Yeah, look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But he still isn't here, is he?" You snapped at the god.

"No, that's my point–"

"It can't– be undone. Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and talk to him!" You snapped even more harshly, breaking out of Natashas grip to poke him in the chest. Your anger melts into pain as you grew quiet suddenly, leaving the others with confusion. "It was supposed to be me. He sacrificed his life for that goddamn stone and my own life. He bet his life on it to protect me and bring Wanda back."

"He's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to." Natasha reminded everyone.

"We will." Steve assured me.

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Question of the day: what were your reactions to Pietros death in this chapter?