Veronica Barnes: Trained to Kill

XXXIX.

Date: 09/20/2023
Location: The Avengers Compound, Manhattan

Veronica's breath hitched in her chest as she ran forward alongside her team, charging toward the enemy army. The ground rumbled and shook, Scott Lang now a giant towering over everyone in sight on the remains of the Avengers Compound, now a battlefield for the fate of the universe. Ships from Wakanda flew overhead, Tony flying along beside them with Pepper at his side. 

Thor roared as he ran, Thanos giving the motion to his army to charge at them. Veronica turned to her right and looked over at Peter for a moment as he gave her a nod before shooting his webs in the air and swinging up into the sky. As the groups began to collide, Veronica pointed her gun forward into the Chitauri, firing away as fast as possible. Scott punched the Chitauri's sip in the face, sending it down against the ground, wiping out enemy soldiers here and there as Veronica quickly reloaded her gun and emptied another round into the crowd.

Light beams flew above her, Pepper and Tony fighting with their backs to one another in the air at a high vantage point. Veronica turned to look to the left of her where Thor and Steve stood, switching their hammer and axe out to one another before moving forward. She felt a small hand hit her leg and looked down at Rocket, holding another round of bullets in hand.

"Get to shootin', would ya?" he asked, shaking his head as he turned to face forward, himself, Veronica, and Bucky in position as they fired past the good guys and into the bad guys. 

Her eyes scanned around as she walked away from the loud noises and over to a more secluded area where she watched Tony get thrown to the ground. Without thinking, she ran forward towards him, yelling his name as she ran towards his body on the ground with one of Thanos's army members standing over him with a dual-bladed sword. 

Just as she was about to reach him, she felt something cold latch onto her hand, and before she could look down to see what it was, she was being hoisted into the air. An arm wrapped tightly around her waist as they swung through the air for a moment, then landing on the ground. She hadn't realized that her eyes were closed the whole time, but when she felt the solidness of the hold she was in, she slowly opened her eyes and all realization kicked in. Her arm was wrapped tightly around the neck of Peter as he held an arm around her waist, her legs wrapped tightly around his body as well as they stood there staring into each other's eyes. 

"I'm getting a feeling of deja vu, but that might just be me," he spoke quietly as she kept herself there, staring at him in shock. She knew he was back, she had seen him swinging through the air during the fight and she watched him come back, but being able to touch him again, and feel him again, made it all feel truly real. 

Without thinking she smashed her lips on his, still holding her gun in one hand as the other was clutching desperately onto the back of his neck before the two's lips fell apart, her legs unravelling from around his waist and finding contact with the ground so she could hug him tighter, her head on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

The sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind, making the two jump apart from each other, Peter falling to the ground. "Not sure if you realized kid, but we're in a fight to save the universe right now, so being distracted might not be the best idea..." Tony's voice stopped as he looked from Veronica's face down to Peter's on the ground as he clambered to his feet. "Kid?" 

"Holy cow, you will not believe what's been going on," Peter spoke as he walked forward to Tony and grabbing his arm as Tony stumbled back. "Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? And I must've passed out because I woke up and you were gone. But, Doctor Strange was there, right? And he was like 'It's been five years. Come on, they need us.' And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time..."