THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 30

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Somewhere near New York, four weeks later

The time after the blip was pure hell for everyone. An emptiness had settled inside Emilia that no one was able to fill.

The loss of half of humanity and even half of her Avengers family hung like a dark veil over her and the others.

The beautiful land, forests and part of the city of Wakanda were unrecognizable after the attack of Thanos' armies.

The battle had destroyed everything that got in its way.

There was still no news from Tony and his cronies. They could only hope that they were not among Thanos' countless victims.

When Emilia left Wakanda, it was as if she was leaving a piece of herself here, along with the beautiful memories. A piece that was scattered to a thousand winds in a small forest.

Thanos had irrevocably taken it from her with a single snap of his fingers.

At Avengers headquarters, they had been trying to figure out how big the disaster really was.

The governments of the world had been shattered. The areas that still functioned counted their losses. It turned out that Thanos had achieved exactly what he wanted: eliminate 50% of all living beings.

The search for him and especially for Tony and the others was unsuccessful so far. They waited for a sign, for something they could react to.

Pepper had also been at headquarters for two weeks. The fear for Tony was driving her crazy. She needed support just like the others and tried not to give up hope.

One evening they sat together and Pepper told about Tony when he returned from Wakanda a week before the blip.

"I knew something bad was going to happen, but this... He was scared, but you know how he is... or was..."

"We're not giving up, Pepper." Rhodey walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulder as she held back tears.

"Tony's tough. He's not going to let that overgrown Teletubby just snip him away." Even though Rhodey wanted to sound positive, there was also some doubt in his voice.

"I know he's not going to just give up. If there was even the slightest chance, he'll have taken it. Just like he didn't miss your party in Wakanda."

A fleeting smile tugged around her mouth as Pepper recalled it.

"Oh yeah, I'll never forget that night. What luck that he left the stage intact."

At the idea of Tony in the tailored suit wildly belting out an air guitar solo to 'Shoot to thrill' in his croaky voice, Natasha couldn't help but stifle a short laugh.

A melancholy smirk also flitted across the faces of those in attendance that night.

"He said you far outdid the others, though. And, that you had more than two personalities - in a good way." Pepper looked to Emilia, who remembered all too clearly thanks to her photographic memory.

She couldn't manage more than a pained smile. As so often in the past weeks, she would have just started crying again.

And she didn't want to do that. Emilia thought that the tears would have dried up at some point. But it seemed as if she was a living waterfall.

She therefore vehemently swallowed the rising grief.

Again, she had lost a part of her family. And again, she couldn't do enough to stop it.