86-She

I look down and I can see one metal arrowhead sticking out of my chest, another is sticking out of my lower abdomen. The tips are covered in bright red blood. My bright red blood. I'm in shock, and I'm in pain, but I still have the wherewithal to pull my sword out slightly and angle it higher. And by angle it higher, I mean I shove it through my sister's fucking heart. I stumble away from Lilith, letting her fall to the ground. She doesn't move. A conversation from over a decade ago suddenly comes to mind.

"Where do you go for? When you..?" I ask Clint, motioning the moment of pulling an arrow back. Clint smiles at me, leaning back in his chair as he takes a sip of coffee. He's currently shirtless-especially since I'm the one who is wearing it.

"If I need to take them out immediately, I got for the heart. Instant kill. If they're really a shitty person all around-the lung and the stomach. I want them to suffer before they die." Clint responds and I nod, taking a sip of my own coffee.

I don't think I ever thought I'd find myself a victim of Clint. Not even with all of the bad things that had happened between us. I never thought he would be the one to kill me. I used to love you with my whole heart and look where it got me.

"Peyton!" Rhodey screams out as my body realizes that it is completely exhausted and spent. My knees buckle and I'm sent tumbling to the ground. Wanda's bright red energy stops me from completely falling, leaving me suspended in the air as she and the others rush to my side. I turn my head slightly and I can see Clint lowering his bow, eyes wide. Clearly, he's no longer under Lilith's control.  God, the pain-

"FRIDAY, scan her. Please." Rhodey commands, his face plate sliding up so he can look at me. My hand shakily moves to touch the tip of the bright red arrowhead in my chest, tears running down my face. Blood covers the tips of my fingers. It's real-completely real.

"The first arrow landed in her left lung, the second went through her stomach. She needs to be taken to the hospital immediately." The AI informs us as I cough hard, the taste of iron filling my mouth. I shake my head, looking at my teammates-my family. I know it's too late for me-I just know. Is this what Tony felt at the end? Just content with your death?

"We won't get there in time." I tell them hoarsely and honestly, tears rolling down my dirty face. My hand reaches out to grab ahold of Rhodey's hand. My remaining brotherly figure grips my hand, as if he's trying to tether me to this world. I'm sorry, Rhodes. I'm so sorry.

"We aren't going to let you die, Peyton." Bucky tells me, also moving to stand closer beside me. I turn my head to look at him, shaking my head slightly. You're so smitten with me, Barnes. I'm sorry I'm making you hurt more.

"You're not letting me do anything. I know I'm not going to make it. Barton never misses. I've been running from death from the beginning and it's time to maybe stop." I say softly, blood now covering my lips. I try to smile at him, tears pouring out of my eyes. Peter moves to stand beside Rhodey, tears rolling down his cheeks. Oh, kid. This poor fucking child.

"Mrs Stark-Rogers, you're going to be okay, okay? Just let us take you to the hospital, please. You'll be okay." The teenager's voice cracks and I turn my attention to him. I give him a watery smile. 

"I don't want to die in the hospital" I tell them hoarsely, struggling to breathe. Not like Steve. Your lung is filling up with blood, dummy. My hand reaches out to grab ahold of Rhodey's hand. My remaining brotherly figure is still holding onto my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Doctor Strange appearing out of a shimmering portal. Bucky carefully lifts me up as Wanda's red power disappears. I shake my head as Bucky carries me through a portal.

"Why can't I just see my babies? I want to see my babies." I wheeze as Bucky carefully lays me onto a hospital bed. I can barely breathe. Did they cut the arrows so I can lay down? Why is everything moving so fast? Nurses and other doctors quickly surrounded the bed, none of them listening to me. Can they hear me? The smell of antiseptics filled my nose, tears rolling down my cheeks. I don't want to die in here, like Steve did. I just want my babies. Where are my babies? I want to see them before I go.

"One arrow landed in her left lung, the other in her stomach." Bruce quickly informs the medics surrounding me as I am wheeled into an operating room. There's so many people.

There's so many noises in my ears that they blur together. It sounds like I'm underwater,

I'm weak. Too weak. I can't even say a word. I can barely breathe. Tears just keep rolling out of my eyes. The pain has numbed-Did they give me pain killers? Am I dying? I need to see my children-I-They need to know I love them. I love them so much. My babies-

My eyes are way too heavy.

My body is too heavy.

I look up and see Steve and Tony standing in the doorway. More tears run down my cheeks as they look at me, lips pressed into thin lines. I blink and Mom and Dad are standing behind Tony, eyes focused on me. Then Natasha appears. A mask is placed over my mouth.

I'm just so tired.

Everything feels heavy.

I turn my head, looking up at the operating light hanging above me. It's too bright. Is that the light they talk about? God, I hope my good deeds outweigh the bad.

Before my eyes close, I just have two people on my mind. Benny and Neddy, Mommy loves you so much.

She's just so tired.

I'm so tired.

-

When my eyes opened again, I was laying on the ground and the sky above me was bright blue. I could hear laughter and the giggles of children. I assumed it was Benny and Morgan playing, chasing after each other. So I sat up, but I was met with a much different sight.

I could see two children chasing after Natasha who is sprinting through this peaceful meadow. Both are boys, one with sandy blonde hair, the other a brunette. Tony was talking with Mom and Dad and-and Auntie Peggy. My family-but, if they're here that means-

"Hey doll." An all too familiar voice says suddenly from behind me. I turn my head and look up, seeing Steve standing there, holding a toddler in his arms. Tears brim in my eyes and he holds out a hand. I take it, letting him help me up. Rogers smiles at me sadly as I slowly realize where I am. Tears roll down my cheeks as the others join us.

"Am I-Am I dead?" I ask, looking at the others. Tony puts his hand on my shoulder, his smile bittersweet.

"No-Not yet. You're in a weird in between area." He explains as I look at each of them, my eyes lingering on the two children. The oldest is eleven years old, I know that and my little brunette is eight years old.

"Your heart stopped when they were trying to fix you up. Your body is incredibly weak." Natasha doesn't sugarcoat anything as I move to kneel in front of my children-my first two children. I reach out to cup each of their cheeks.

"Hi Mommy." My oldest tells me, smiling, "Grandma and Grandpa having been telling me about you-but Auntie Peggy has told me lots more."

It breaks me, shatters my heart. I openly sob, tears streaming down my face. Tony kneels down beside me, pulling me into his arms.

"Hey-Hey-It's okay. I understand what your going through. I had to do it too. It's hard." He tries to soothe me. Steve moves to sit down near us as well, setting our toddler-our lost baby boy-down in his lap.

"Pey, you don't have to stay here with us. All of us-we understand." My husband says truthfully, reaching out to hold my hand. I take it, gripping his hand in mine. The child in his lap looks just like his brothers-my babies.

"I'm just so tired. And-And everything up there-it hurts. I'm alone. I feel so damn alone." I force out. Mom and Dad motions for my oldest boys to go play-which they do- as Natasha also takes a seat.

"You're not alone, Pey. You just don't have us anymore." Tony responds and I look down at the white sundress I'm wearing. I pick at it, tugging at an ivory thread.

"I think it might be time for me. I've been running from this for so long and I'm done doing my little dance with death." I say, looking at Steve and Tony. Steve sighs, looking down at the toddler in his lap.

"We still have two beautiful boys up there, doll, and they need you. I messed everything up and-they need you, darling." Steve pushes, his blue eyes landing on me once more. I sigh, pulling my knees into my chest.

"I'm not a good mom and Pepper is such a good mom-she'd raise them right." I respond, looking at my husband, my brother, and best friend.

"Don't say that. Don't say that." Natasha scolds me and my eyes leave them, moving to look at my oldest children. They're running, smiling, playing with Mom and Dad.

"Pey, please. We will be okay. We will be fine and they need you . Benny and Neddy need their mom. You know how hard it is to grow up without parents." Tony reminds me. I look at him, look at Natasha, my parents, Auntie Peggy, my sons. Finally, my eyes land on Steve, the love of my life.

-

The nurses and doctors move around, trying to fix the Avenger that was currently bleeding out on the operating table. Both Bruce and Strange watched over working medical professionals, making sure they were all doing exactly what they should be doing.

The heart monitor Peyton was hooked up to suddenly stopped beeping repeatedly. Instead it gave out a long beep. Flatlining. One of the nurses quickly started doing chest compressions, trying to restart the hero's heart.  Her body jolted with every movement. Bruce felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt so useless in that room. There wasn't a damn thing he could do.

Outside, Pepper was just arriving. Both she, Morgan, and Happy had been with Strange and Wong, just to make sure is everything was okay and that they were safe. All of the children were under the watchful eye of Happy and Wong. Rhodey stood as soon as he saw her, the other Avengers that were sitting in the private waiting room just looked at her-none of them knowing what to say in this situation

"How is she doing? All you said that she was brought here and that I needed to come as soon as possible." Pepper says, her strawberry blonde eyebrows furrowed together. Rhodey's lips are pressed together.

"Pepper, she was shot. Twice. Once through her lung and the other through her stomach. We brought her here as soon as possible." Rhodey tells her, not hiding any of the details. Tears almost immediately filled her eyes and her mouth opening slightly in shock. Rhodey swallowed hard, rapidly blinked to stop himself from crying.

"No-No you're lying. She's okay. She's fine." Pepper stammered out, shaking her head, "She has to be okay."

The others watched as Pepper started to cry, Rhodey wrapping his arm around her. He rubs her back, trying to soothe her, even though Rhodey is also hurting over this whole situation as well. Neither of them want to say it, but they both might lose their sister today. That thought looms over their heads.

Bucky looked away and to his hands. They still had Peyton's blood on them. He tried not to focus his hearing too much, because he could hear the doctors struggling to bring her back to life. The long beep echoed in his ears. Bucky blinked a few times, not wanting to show too much emotion in front of the others.

A doctor quickly came into the room and all of the attention was on her. She quickly walked over to Pepper, seeing that she was was the only one related to Peyton in anyway. The color drained from Pepper's face and she practically gripped Rhodey's arm for support.

"Mrs. Stark, while we were operating on Mrs. Stark-Rogers, she went into cardiac arrest. We are trying our best to revive Mrs. Stark-Rogers. Do you want us to continue to try to resuscitate her?" The doctor says in a soft and gentle voice. Pepper feels like her own heart stops her chest and she can't help but sob out. She covers mouth and the others are in complete in and utter shock.