I Am Soul - Spider-Man / Peter Parker [2]

Chapter Three - Only One To Blame

Soul Realm

Maria sat upon the floor, the water around having rippled when she did but it now lay still around her. Maria's eyes drifted to the water before her as she reached forward and gentle nudged the liquid with her fingertips. She watched as the perfect circular waves formed and expanded before disappearing once more. However, she was very aware that much like the water she had someone watching her move.

Lifting her gaze without moving her head Maria connected eyes with the Keeper. The Keeper had not moved from his post, he hovered a metre in front of her, staring at her, waiting for her to move, her to speak. Maria had to give the man his due he seemed to have the world's greatest patience; he had been waiting before her for a long time.

A part of Maria still couldn't believe that before her floated her uncle's first nightmare. Steve had told her the story many times (of course on her demand) about how Johann Schmidt removed a face mask to show his skull beneath with only a thin layer of red skin on top of the bone hence the name Red Skull. The Nazi whom was killed by the tesseract with a simple touch - it turned out the stones had chosen the Red Skull to be the guide, the Keeper to the Soul Stone. The cruel irony in that he helped others to gain the prize that he would never receive himself. However it seems in over 70 years the man had learned patience and silence still resigned between them.

Someone had to talk. There was nothing else to do.

"How long has It been?" Maria asked with the same arrogance her father portrayed to his enemies. She knew he knew what she was asking.

"Five seconds" the Keeper replied causing Maria to nod and look away from him, turning to the endless red hazed horizon. "Five hours." Maria's head snapped back around as the Keeper continued to talk. One moment he said five seconds then hours, what was going on? Reaching for her wrist with her other hand, Maria lifted it up to see her watch having a fit, it showed one time and then suddenly jumped hours ahead then minutes behind and then seconds ahead - the hands of the clock were unable to decide where to stop for more than a second. "Five years." Maria lowered her wrist and stared intently at the Keeper, she had to stay calm.

"That makes no sense" Maria replied with a flick of her hands.

"In the Soul Realm time does not work the way you think" the Keeper answered, floating closer towards her. As he grew closer, Maria felt her unease increase. Not wanting to seem beneath him, Maria stood to her feet, water dripping to the ground out of her clothing that was then bone dry - Maria hated the water in the Realm it was so darn confusing. "The Soul Realm is out of time, out of earth's reality. Time does not matter here." Maria had no idea what that meant for herself or anyone for that matter. "Your past, your present and your future all live in tandem here, they have all happened, are happening and yet are waiting to happen."

As the Keeper finished, he moved his hand out towards the large area beside them. Maria moved her eyes to view the area. She hadn't expected to see anything but suddenly the air began to shimmer and shift. Something was happening. The effect was happening all around her, Maria lifted her hands out in a defensive manner, preparing herself for whatever was occurring.

Suddenly the haze of the Soul Realm disappeared and Maria found herself back on earth, in a room she remembered very well. She was stood in the Avengers new compound in the main office. However, what was in the room made her gasp in utter shock. It was her family. Or at least some of them.

Natasha was sat at the desk whilst four sets of panelled holograms were before her on the other side. Maria didn't know all of them well. She recognised Okoye from Wakanda, Rocket and Nebula from her research on the Power Stone (the Guardians of the Galaxy had been the last people to fight for the stone), there was also Rhodes and a woman with short blonde hair who Maria couldn't quite place. However, something was wrong. Each and every one of their faces looked worn and haggard. They looked as if nothing was bright in the world anymore.

"Why are they sad?" Maria asked in confusion. The image before her she knew was not from her present or past so it had to be the future after her death. Natasha's hair also testified to such a thought, her blonde bob had grown out into shoulder length hair that was returning to its natural red. The red ran into the blonde at the tips. Maria frowned at the sight, how long had passed since the fight with Thanos?

"They cannot change what has happened" the Keeper answered cryptically.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Maria asked sighing heavily at the reply.

"They were unable to beat Thanos. The snap that occurred was never undone" the Keeper said staring intently at Maria whose face dropped at such a confession. She snapped her head to look towards the Keeper.

"I left them instructions" Maria said, "Instructions to undo what he did, did it not work?"

"Instructions they never received" the Keeper admitted.

"What?!"

"They have not found your message" he continued to Maria's horror. Her eyes darting around before settling back to her aunt. The look of absolute devastation in her eyes - Natasha had clearly never gotten over the loss. Maria didn't know what to do or think.

"But..." Maria was speechless.

"They have lived in a world of pain for five years" the Keeper revealed with not an ounce of emotion, however, the words hit Maria like a freight train. Five years! That was a long time. They had lived in a world where Thanos had won, where half of all life had been wiped out. People had been forced to live on without their loved ones for five years. Maria had never intended for that to happen. One of the biggest issues with her not telling people the truth was in the event of her death she had to hope things happened, hope someone received her message about entering her room, hope someone entered her room. Maria curled her hands into a fist - she should have told someone.

"Five years?" Maria muttered in despair. "How? How is that even possible? I had contingencies!" Maria felt tears building in her eyes. She had never meant for them to suffer; it was all her fault. Had she just told someone in person they would have known and would have followed through with her plan. As a tear ran down her cheek, the image around her faded. She made the mistake and everyone else had paid the price. She was the only one to blame ... and she was the only one who could fix it.