HIDDEN ─ marvel

XLIX. The Ultimate Sacrafice

Chapter Forty-Nine
Soroya

Tony falls down to the ground and leans against a piece of debris, looking on the verge of death. Rhodey lands next to him, gently touching his face, the look in his eyes saying everything he needs to.

I grip Bucky's hand as we make our way over to Tony. I feel my eyes water as I stare at the man in front of me. The man who sacrificed his life, a life with his family, to save the universe. I feel my eyes fill with tears as I look at a true hero.

The young boy, with tears streaming down his face, looks at Tony with devastation just like Rhodey's. "Hey, Mr. Stark. Can you hear me? It's Peter. We won, Mr. Stark. We won. You did it, sir, you did it. I'm...I'm sorry, Tony." He sobs just as Pepper lands, pulling the boy away from Tony, kneeling down beside her husband.

Thor, Steve, T'Challa, Carol, and several other Avengers and heroes join around Tony. I lean my head against Bucky's shoulder as the tears come quicker. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and holds me tightly.

Pepper smiles at her husband through her tears. Though I know Tony is in a lot of pain, he smiles back at her.

"Tony...look at me. We're going to be okay. You can rest now."

I see Tony's eyes become glossed over and the hand that was around Pepper's fall to the ground. I can't bring myself to look at the pain in Pepper's eyes as she kisses Tony's cheek, burying her face against his chest, sobbing over the death of her husband.

I glance over at Steve and Thor, who both are crying rather hard. Clint falls to his knees, covering his face with his hands and beginning to sob also. T'Challa sees this and falls down to his knees also, but not out of sorrow, out of respect. Carol glances over to him and does the same, dropping to the ground on her knees. Pretty soon everyone around Tony is dropping to their knees in respect; Nebula, Steve, Thor, Shuri, Okoye, Sam, Alex, Khari. All the Avengers drop down, and after a moment so do Bucky and I. He doesn't let go of me for a second as we sink to our knees. He holds onto me tightly and lets me cry into his shoulder, as we honor the ultimate sacrifice of a true hero.