Collision Course {Marvel} ||1||

17. The Honorary Avenger

"Can anybody copy?" Natasha continued through the earpiece. "I can shut it down."

It was like Natasha had heard me from the top of Stark Tower. I looked at Thor and Cap in hope.

"Do it!" Cap ordered.

"No, wait," came a new voice, Stark's.

"Stark, these things are still coming."

"I got a nuke coming in. It's going to blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it."

Remembering the argument that happened only hours earlier, I remembered a nuke being mentioned. I knew it was something highly dangerous and deadly. But why would S.H.I.E.L.D. decide to use one? Whoever gave the authority to do that clearly had no faith in us. The nuke was their way of saying you can't do your job; we've got to end this ourselves. This said person—or group of people—was willing to wipe out everyone, not just the Chitauri.

I saw the look on Cap's face; an expression that told me what Stark was attempting to do was going to come at a price. Whatever hope I had was replaced with dread.

"Stark, you know that's a one-way trip," Cap said solemnly.

He got no reply.

In the distance, the familiar cries of Chitauri started up again. My heart leaped against my ribs. I hated how fast I understood these deadly concepts right now, in the midst of battle. The Avengers, the world, would lose Iron Man.

We watched the skies, waiting for Stark to fly overhead with the nuke that would end this battle. I could hear him coming for us, for the portal. I swallowed, already picturing the awful moment in my head. I was sure what I thought and what would happen would be equally terrible to witness.

Sure enough, Stark came thundering through the air, the nuke held just above his head. Thor, Cap, and I all watched and turned as Stark made a straight shot up for the portal. Once it swallowed him whole, I could already feel the tears in the corner of my eyes. Though I barely knew Stark, any casualty in this mess hurt me.

We waited with bated breath. Meanwhile, more Chitauri were about ready to pick another battle with us. None of them fired their weapons. I guess I have enough in me for another round.

But I didn't need to prepare for another fight with the aliens. They all simultaneously collapsed to the ground on which they stood, like a switch was flipped in their bodies. Whatever Stark hit with the nuke took them out, as though they were robots all connected to the same power source.

I couldn't get relief out of the sight like I wanted to. I still feared for Stark, who was still on the wrong side of the portal.

"Close it," Cap murmured.

I looked at him, wide-eyed. I wanted the portal closed as much as the next person, but while Stark was still in there? He was basically condemning the man to death in space! But he did say it was a one-way trip. Stark knew what he was getting himself into.

With a heavy heart, I watched as the portal began to shrink. I would wait until it closed entirely before I burst into tears. The hole became smaller and smaller, the power stream from the device was thinning, almost nonexistent.

But just as the portal was almost gone for good, something was spat back out. It wasn't an enemy, but an ally.

An ally in a red and gold suit of armor.