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｡･:*:･ﾟCHAPTER SIX ｡･:*:･ﾟ
"aftermath"
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BEING DEAD WAS AN odd sensation. 

 Gray honestly thought that it was not all it was cut out to be.  

 He felt as if he was trapped in a box. One that was suffocating and much too small for his body. He could see nothing but the odd swirling patterns that traced behind his eyelids, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to open them. He could see pictures in his vision, ones of his past; some that he tried to forgot. 

 He thought about what it felt like to be taken in by an Avenger. He thought about the first time he ever saw Tony Stark. He could feel how frightened he had been, seeing a grown man in a huge, red suit approaching him. He remembered how as soon as the man saw him blast an alien from the sky, he exclaimed "well, fuck!" and then reprimanded himself for swearing in front of a child.

 He wondered how he had gotten to this point in his life. There was a hint of irony that laced through his mind as he realized he was one action away from being a normal child. Maybe if his parents didn't lay him down to sleep so early that night, or if they installed some sort of baby monitor in his room, he would have been raised as nothing but a normal teenage boy. 

 But in the end, it didn't matter. Because he was still dead. 

 And then, quite simply, he wasn't. 

 His senses came back one at a time. The first thing he could feel was the sharp sensation of the ground digging in between his shoulder blades, rocks jutting upwards at awkward angles; some getting tangled in his hair. The second thing he comprehended was that he was lying on his back, and there was a breeze rippling through the air that his lungs inhaled greedily. 

 He smelled ash, like he was lying face-down in a fire pit, and when his eyes cracked open, he was met with an orange haze that penetrated his vision and made him blink to see clearly. He discovered that his ribs didn't hurt anymore, and his arms felt like they were never even injured as he sat up, squinting around at the planet that seemed to not have changed since he passed out.

 That's what happened, right? He passed out? 

He sat up, ruffling his hair as he blinked, his eyesight blurry and his mind full of fog. He caught a glimpse of motion from his peripheral vision and looked to the side, only to be greeted with the all-too familiar face of Peter Parker. 

 "Holy crap, Gray!" The boy began, kneeling down next to Grayson. His eyes were wide, and his words came out in a slurred flurry that was almost too difficult to make out in Gray's disoriented state. "You're awake! I just woke up, and saw that we were still on this planet, so the dusty thing must have made us pass out or something, Mr. Stark is gone, but-" 

 "Parker?" Gray's voice was hoarse and quiet, so he cleared his throat as he sat up, resting his weight onto his knees. He felt the soul-crushing weight of relief settle over his shoulders as he exhaled, seeing Peter so alive; so well. Maybe he didn't have to break his promise to Tony. 

 Within his whirlwind of emotion, he reached forward to wrap his arms around Peter's shoulders, pulling him closer to hug him. The boy blinked, obviously confused as he wrapped his arms around the boy's middle, "Oh, um, yeah it's Peter." 

 "You're alive." Gray grinned, grinning widely as he rose to his feet, outstretching his hand to the boy as they rose to their feet. 

 Peter nodded awkwardly, "yeah! So are you!" 

 "So am I, so don't start making out or it would make me very uncomfortable."  

 Gray jumped at the sudden voice, whipping his head around to see Quill staring at them, his expression a mixture of perplexed and arrogant as he walked over, patting his jacket as if to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. "How are we still on this nasty-ass planet? I thought we all died." 

"Some are too strong to die." Drax made himself known, standing next to Mantis and making Gray wonder if they were there the whole time. His eyes darted around, soaking in his surroundings as if they were oxygen. He saw the remaining debris from the fight with Thanos, but some of it had seemed to be worn down, as if with age. The feeling of vertigo was building beneath Gray's eyes, so he rubbed them with his fists. It was as if deja-vu had him in a stronghold... as if he had been in that exact place before, but not for many, many years. 

 Time didn't hold any meaning at this point. Seconds intermingle with days as if there is no true difference separating them. Time was relentless and unyeilding, ticking by without the slightest inclination of halting it's path. Now, Gray couldn't even tell how much time had passed; how many times a clock turned before his eyes had been opened from unwavering darkness. 

 Of course, he didn't say any of that. "How long has it been?"  

 "Five years." Stephan Strange spoke, and his deep voice forced a knife into Gray's gut. The wizard was looking at them all, just as alive as Gray was, and his eyes seemed weary; as if he had lived the past years without them. 

 "Five years?" Gray repeated, his tone the epitome of incredulity as his dark eyes widened and blood flushed through his cheeks. The words didn't make any sense coming from his lips, like they were spoken in a foreign language. How could five years have possible passed? It felt like seconds. It felt like he hadn't even gotten the chance to blink. 

He wracked his mind for something to say, glancing over at Peter; who seemed to be going through a similar thought process. When he still couldn't think of anything, he turned back to Strange. "What the fuck?" 

 "Thanos is back." the wizard continued, "and the odd's aren't in our favor. You have five minutes, and then we're leaving this piece of shit." 

 "Where are we going?" Mantis asked, her eyes wide and her tone laced with concern as she clasped her hands in front of her body. Strange's eyes drifted over her, and his jaw set. A hardset look glinted in his eyes as he glanced towards the sky, the prospect of a one in millions chance of success resonating through his head. 

 "We're going to war." 

 ***

 THE ONLY THING SEPARATING Gray and certain death was a singular step. 

 He could see rubble in all directions. The blackened debris of his former home loomed over him like a storm cloud, a shadow or... well, a specter. 

 He saw an army that was sent to kill his family extend so far he wasn't even certain he could see the end of it. Thanos sure as hell had a lot of bitches, Gray would give him that, but he wasn't too fond on the idea that those bitches wouldn't stop until his entire world was reduced to ashes. He took a step forward, away from Titan and back onto the planet he called home. His mask appeared over his face, the black material covering his eyes, as he held a hand to his earpiece and tentatively called out. "Tony?" 

 He couldn't spot the blinding red of the Iron Man suit, but he did catch sight of Steve Rogers. The man stared at him for a moment, his face battered and bruised from a turmoil Gray wasn't there to witness. For a moment, he thought that he saw a smile tug at the corners of his lips before his attention was diverted elsewhere. 

 It was chanting. The sound pierced through the electricity-ridden air, pulsating throughout the battlefield and actually managing to make a spark of hope ignite in Gray's chest. He saw King T'Challa through the rubble, and behind him was a whole army of soldiers from Wakanda, chanting words in a language that Gray didn't understand as they fell into line. Dozens of portals just like the one Gray emerged from began to appear, more and more people making themselves known. Gray could recognize the winged figure of Sam Wilson, along with the bright red aura of Wanda Maximoff's power. 

 He heard a buzzing in his earpiece, but no eligible words as he stepped closer, his feet hitting the familiar terrain as his eyes caught sight of Thanos and a deep bubbling hatred make his face turn red. He thought that he saw the glint of the Iron Man suit, but before he could be certain, his thoughts were scattered as Steve Rogers rose his voice to be heard, the words were piercing, and made goosebumps rise on Gray's arms. 

 "Avengers!" He yelled, Gray only then realizing that his shield had been cracked, broken down the middle. Gray didn't even know that was possible, and he was so momentarily dumbfounded that he didn't even notice Steve's outstretched arm, until an object flew into it. It fitted in his hand like he was made to reside there, Thor's hammer - Mjolnir - clasped between his fingers. He lowered his voice, speaking through a clenched jaw as he narrowed his eyes to show Thanos just what he was messing with. "Assemble." 

T'Challa yelled, his battle-cry rattling the entire field as he ran forward, the rest of the army following. Gray could feel adrenaline spike his blood, his heart beating fast to make up for his quick movements as he waved his hands, sending a whole group of Thanos's minions flying to the side, smacking into each other and being blasted to smithereens by a hit from Thor's weapon. Gray almost laughed, but wasn't given the chance. 

 He ducked to avoid having his head taken off by a battleaxe, another soldier coming at him from the side and swinging a similar weapon at the boy. He turned, catching the handle of the blade and kicking out his leg, sending the being sprawling away. He spun it around in his hand, throwing it at the other with as much force as he could muster. It caught him in the chest, and with a wave of his hands both of his attackers were sent flying high into the air. 

 Gray rotated his shoulder, staring down at his new alien-soveigner with a satisifed smirk. "Cool." He twirled the axe around, hitting another human-like being in the throat, before ripping it out and turning to run deeper into the fight. 

 He wasn't sure he had a destination in mind, and his eyes were beginning to blur from the strain of trying to look everywhere at once. Suddenly, a loud blast knocked him from his feet, sending him flying in the air, landing forcefully back on the ground. 

 He groaned, rolling onto his back as he spit a chunk of rock from his mouth. His eyes flew open as an alien-like dog creature ran at him, and only barely managed to kick it away. The creature persisted, but before it could get any closer, was picked up and thrown to the side like a rag doll.

 A hand was offered to Gray, "hey, are you alright?" 

 The Moreno boy blinked, not exactly sure what he was looking at. He looked like the Hulk, with the green tint on his skin and a muscular stature... but his face held undeniable features of Bruce Banner. He was pulled to his feet, the sound of an explosion rocking his ears as he cleared his throat. "Um, yeah thanks." 

 "No problem," Bruce-Hulk smiled. Gray's eyebrows furrowed. 

 "Banner? You look... great." 

 "Thanks, kid! It's a combination of both worlds-" The man's voice was cut off as another alien dog lept on him, but the creature was cut down by a swing from Gray's new axe within seconds, and Bruce exhaled, patting his head. "Good job." 

"Moreno!" 

 Gray turned around just in time to see Captain America approach him, still holding Thor's iconic hammer in his hand. He patted the boy on the shoulder one, eyeing the axe he was holding with cautious eyes. "Stark was asking where you were. How did you get that?" 

 "I stole it from an alien." He deadpanned, holding it up with a grin, "do you like it?" 

 "Yeah," Steve shrugged, tossing the hammer and successfully taking out a cool dozen of Thanos' soldiers. "Just don't hurt yourself." 

"No promises," Gray turned around, swiping another dog creature to the side and standing behind Steve as he tossed the hammer, a high voltage blast of electricity coursing throughout the opposing side's army. Gray couldn't help but smile; if only the worthy were able to hold the weapon, he couldn't think of anyone better than Steve Rogers. "Where did you say Tony was?" 

Steve gestured behind them, where dust was billowing from a crater that had been blown in the rocky ground. "Last I saw him he was with Pepper." 

"Pepper," Gray repeated, nodding once as he hefted his axe in his hands. "Got it." 

 "Be careful!" Steve called out, as Gray ducked under an energy blast to take off across the battlefield. 

 The axe in his hand was unnaturally light, and had a blade on either side of the metal shaft. Gray knew he didn't really have a need for a weapon, but he thought that it looked cool, so did it really matter? Gray held one hand out protectively in front of him, casting members of Thanos' army aside. He rammed some into the ground as hard as he could in some instances, and just tossed them in the air in another. He figured that they may be alien, but they couldn't possibly be invincible. 

He thought that he caught sight of the Iron Man suit, but it turned out that his initial observation was incorrect, as it was just Peter Parker who approached him. The boy landed lightly on his feet, and when his mask disappeared Gray saw that his face was flushed red and his eyes were wide. "Holy shit!" He yelled, wincing slightly as another explosion sounded. "This is so crazy, I just got hit in the face by a robot-alien thingy!" 

 Gray almost smiled, but he remembered their surroundings, and instead just nodded. "I stole an axe!" 

 Peter's eyes flitted down to the weapon, a smile breaking across his face. "Cool! Can I feel it?" 

 Gray handed the axe to Peter, who swung it around a few times, before chuckling and handing it back to the Moreno boy. "Sweet! You should totally keep that!" 

 "I'm gonna hang it in my room!" His eyes glanced over to the blackened Avenger's compound, and he winced, "or, uh, the wall of the dumpster I'm gonna have to live in." 

"Once I dropped my backpack in a dumpster, and had to get a new one!" 

"Cool-" Gray's voice was cut off by a static buzz sounding in his ear, the sound at first making him wince as it intermingled with the noise from the explosions blossoming around them. A voice came through, breaking up - but still very much there. 

 It took Gray a few times to make out the words, but when he did he smiled. "Gray?" 

"Tony?" 

"Oh yeah!" Peter piped up, ducking under a blue blast from the ship above and shooting a web at an alien, "Mister Stark said that he wanted to - OH SHIT!" 

The boy was suddenly yanked from the air as the creature he had attached himself to began to move, triggering a sudden and surprised yell from the boy as he was thrown into the air. 

Gray held out his hand to try and draw him back, but before he was even given the chance, a flash of blinding light rocketed past him and slammed into the creature. It dropped Peter, who yelled out a vague thank you as he swung away back into the fight. 

 Gray turned around, but before he could even fully process what he was looking at he was tackled in a hug. For a moment, it was tough an uncomfortable due to the metallic feel of the suit, but then Gray felt a grin slip on his face as he wrapped his arms around the man. 

 He pulled away, seeing tears brimming in Tony Stark's worn eyes as he put a hand on the side of Gray's face. "You're alive." He whispered, his eyes staring at him so intensely it was he was trying to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Gray smiled. 

 "Physically? Yes. Mentally? Debatable." 

"And you're still a dork-" Tony laughed as Gray leaned his head back onto his shoulder, practically choking from how hard the man was embracing him. He could feel his heartbeat calm ever-so slightly, making his lips quirk upwards as he realized that for the first time in - well, apparently five years - he felt safe.

"Has it really been five years?" He asked, his mouth slightly agape as the man nodded. 

"Five years." He repeated, and Gray sent a fleeting glance over his shoulder when a blast from the ship onto narrowly avoided where the two were standing. He turned back to Tony, "Did anything important happen? Did anyone die." 

 A crestfallen look dusted over Tony's face as he kept a hand on Gray's shoulder. "Nat didn't make it." 

 "No." 

 Tony nodded somberly as Gray's hand reached up to cover his mouth. Disbelief was spiking at his mind, his sadness somewhat counteracted by his adrenaline as another explosion rocked the ground. Natasha Romanoff being dead didn't make any sense to the boy. Natasha, Black Widow, literally one of the strongest people Gray has ever met... how could she just die?

"But Pep and I got married, and..." Although Tony's tone was still thick with grief, his eyes lightened slightly as he turned to look Gray in the eye. "We have a baby." 

 "A human baby?" He exclaimed, a smile on his face despite his efforts to keep it hidden. Life and death seem to come in correspondence on this planet. If a life is snuffed out, another is always there to take a first breath; to experience life for the first time. It doesn't make the tumultuous grief of death fade, but it does do something to soothe the pain. 

 Tony chuckled, "No, a robot - yes, obviously a human!" 

 Gray actually jumped when he hugged the man against, his heart hammering in his chest as tears brimmed in his eyes. He wasn't sure if the tears were happy or sad, but in that moment all they did was exist. The prospect of having a sibling was foreign to him... a family that didn't know a life where he wasn't there. "Girl or boy? If it's a boy you better have named him Gray-" 

 "A girl." Tony cut him off. "Her name is Morgan." 

 "A girl." Gray repeated in a breathless voice, before immediately grunting as an alien leaped on him from the side. He had forgotten where he was for a moment, so the surprise knocked the air from his lungs. The axe cluttered from his hand as pressure increased on his chest, but before he could get blown up or stabbed or something, a blast from Tony's repulsors sent the creature flying away. 

 He extended a hand, which Gray gratefully accepted. "We should probably stop just standing here." 

 "Yeah, I agree." 

 "Stay safe, don't get fried." Tony said, pointing a finger at Gray as he nodded. 

 "Will do." 

 He turned and took off, swinging his axe around as he hit an alien directly between the eyes, grunting as he pulled it out, blood splattering across the ground. He shook out his arms, pain thrumming through his veins as if it were a second composition to blood. His head was beginning to hurt as well, the strenuous toll of his power beginning to ebb into his muscles. 

 Okay, he thought, cracking his neck and looking around at the flurry of movement around him. Lay low on the power, hit 'em with the fucking axe.  

 So he did just that. He advanced deeper and deeper into the fight, only pausing at the huge explosion made from one of Thanos' ships collapsing from the air. He almost smiled at that, although his malfunctioning earpiece couldn't pick up all of the activity being said around him. 

 He ducked under an alien's swing, spinning in a circle and slicing two at a time. He dropped the axe, closing his eyes when he felt himself surrounded on all sides and lashed his arms to the side with the yell. The aliens flew away in a wide arc, clearing a path and giving Gray time to curse himself out for breaking his own rules. 

 "Grayson Moreno?" 

 Gray looked to the side, his heart jumping as he spotted a woman staring up at him. Short blonde hair was cropped neatly around her face, yellow energy seeming to surround her on all sides as she gave him a once-over. HIs mouth dropped open when he saw the bronze glove in her arms. Thanos's gauntlet. 

 He didn't know what to say. "Yes." He settled on, but his voice was a higher pitch than usual, so he cleared his throat. "Hi." 

 She almost seemed amused. "Hi." She shoved the gauntlet into his arms, his throat turning dry as he arms sagged from the extra weight. "Hold this for a second, okay?" 

 "Um, okay-" 

 He didn't even get a chance to say anything before she disappeared, flying away in a blaze of light as she darted towards an old van. As if she was trying to clear a path towards it. 

 Gray held out his hand, blasting away any alien that tried to get too close. His arm began to feel as if it were being stabbed into by a million little knives, so he ducked, taking off running to try and avoid the hoard of alien's pursuing him. He could admire that the glowing-lady wanted to clear away the alien's, but she could have at least warned him beforehand. 

 "Fuck off!" He yelled, roundhouse-kicking an alien in the face, elbowing another as his arm held the gauntlet so tightly to his chest that it burned. In a flash, the woman reappeared next to him, snatching the gauntlet back. "Thanks, I had to clear the space by the van, or else this will all be for nothing." 

 Gray had no idea what a van had anything to do with a war, but he didn't want to be blown up, so he just handed the gauntlet back and ducked away as she blasted towards the van. He could see it. It was old and beaten up; definitely not something you'd want to be caught driving. 

 But apparently it was important, as he heard the distinctive sound of Thanos's enraged roar as a javelin was thrown at the van with enough force to send the woman flying back, the gauntlet flying from her hands. 

 Gray cursed, sprinting over to where it had landed. He bent down to grab it again, but before his fingers could touch it, he was hit harshly in the stomach, sending him sprawling to the side. 

 He gasped, his hand reaching up to wrap around his stomach as he looked up to see Thanos trying to regain his possession of the stones. Gray, ignoring the pain in his body, jumped to his feet and sending the gauntlet sliding away. He could only muster up the strength to send it away a few steps, but it was enough for him to crawl over, wrapping his arms around it and holding it to his chest. 

 A sound game from Thanos, too quiet at first to make out. Then, Gray realized with a start that he was laughing. He chuckled, kneeling down to look at the boy, the rubble digging into his knees as he ducked his head.

 He was in a lot of pain. The kind of pain deeper than the surface. It was the kind of pain that was present in your very being, pain that refuses to be ignored. Gray didn't know if it could move his arms anymore, the last jolt of power seeming to be his last. His ribs ached to the point that he felt as if any other movement would cause him to throw up.

 It seemed quieter here, even if it was only yards away from the fight. He stared up at Thanos, his mask melting away from his face to reveal the beaten up skin beneath. Still, he mustered up a scowl, his breath pushing against his clenched teeth as he glared at Thanos. "Fuck off." 

 The Titan chuckled again, kneeling down so they were face to face. Gray could tell that he knew he had won. The only thing inbetween him and what he wants is a beaten up teenager. "Bravery is an admirable trait." 

 Gray coughed, the metallic flavor of blood overriding his senses. He refused to take his eyes off of Thanos, holding the gauntlet tighter still. "Go-" he began, sucking in a breath to try and surpass the pain in his chest. "To hell." 

 Thanos reared his fist back, striking Gray right between the eye and making him fall back. He didn't even feel pain at first, because his eyesight went black and he slumped backwards onto the ground, the gaunlet falling from his limp grip. 

His consciousness washed over him again, a cough forcing it's way past his lips. Blood was running down his face, but he didn't know if it was from his nose or the cut on his forehead. He couldn't see straight, much less think straight, so when he felt a hand cradle his forehead, he thought he was hallucinating. 

 "Gray?" The distorted voice of Pepper Potts said, her pale face flitting in and out of focus as Gray tried to keep his eyes open. "Gray can you see me?" 

 "Pep-" he muttered, the rest of the woman's name dying in his throat as she helped him sit up, placing one hand on his back, the other squeezing his hand as his hair fell messily in front of his eyes. He could spot Thanos mere yards away, seeming to be fighting with the same woman as before. 

 He coughed again, blood turning his lips red. "Did they get it?" 

 Pepper appeared to wince, but Gray didn't even notice as she stroked his hair in a comforting manner. "Yes, you did good. You're fight is done, we can go to a car and get to a safe house." 

 Gray shook his head, his words slurring together slightly, "no, I'm okay-" He tried to speak, but the words came out mumbled together and incomprehensible. He didn't need to see Pepper to picture her rolling her eyes. 

 "Hush, you wanna be alive to meet your sister, right?"

Gray mumbled some words that didn't even make sense to him, closing his eyes for a split second, before opening them as an odd sensation rushed over him. It felt almost like a shockwave, a sharp outburst of electrical wind rushing past them and rustling his hair. He blinked, his eyes focusing just in time to see Thanos crumple to dust before his eyes. 

 Gray wanted to do something. To flip the Titan off or say some sarcastic line, but he couldn't. All of his words died in his throat as before him; his world collapsed. 

 It was Tony. He was slumped against a pile of rubble, burn marks evident all the way from the side of his suit to his face, darkening the skin as he gasped for breath. His face was pale, other than the singed skin, and when he looked Gray's way he felt all of the breath force itself from his lungs, the only sound he could manage a dull choking sound. "Tony-" 

 He moved forward, Pepper too distraught to even try to stop him. He got about three steps before he collapsed, his knees hitting the ground as his hand clasped over his chest, unsure where the pain was coming from. Tears were hitting the ground, but Gray didn't even realize that they were his until he felt the hot sensation drip down onto his hand. 

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening, it wasn't real- 

He felt a hand on his arm, and then around his waist as Pepper leaned down to help him rise to his feet. She kept a firm grip on the boy as they limped forward, and Gray realized with a start that the woman was shaking. She only let go of him when he pushed away from her grasp, falling down as he hand hit Tony's arm. "Tony? Tony it's okay, you're okay, you're okay-" 

 A choked sob pushed it's way past his lips, so he slapped a hand over his mouth. Seconds later, his hand was wet from his tears, so he moved it to touch Tony's shoulder - delicately, as if it could break. 

 Tony's lips moved, the sound so small that Gray could barely even make it out. "Gray." 

 "I'm here," Gray nodded, sniffling and wiping his face. He never truly believed in the prospect that you could actually feel your heart breaking, but right now the pain in his chest felt as if the organ was trying to physically tear itself in two. "I'm here, it's okay." 

 Pepper knelt down beside him, her hair falling to obscure her face as she put a hand on Tony's arc reactor, a soft smile on her face. Gray could feel her arm trembling, and knew that the only reason she was keeping it together was so that he didn't have to. "Hey," she spoke softly, Tony's hand moving to close around hers. 

 "Hey, Pep." 

 The woman sucked in a deep breath, "FRIDAY?" 

The AI's voice came back, seeming just as despondant as the rest. "Life functions critical." 

 That only made Gray sob harder, ducking his head as pain siezed his chest, squeezing his eyes shut as if it could make it easier to breath. He could only vaguely hear Pepper speaking, but looked up when she grabbed his hand. 

 "We're gonna be okay." She said, and Gray mustered up a weak nod, smiling softly despite all the pain it caused. "You can rest now." 

 Gray reached over to grab Tony's free hand, squeezing it tightly in his own as tears cascaded down his face. He heard the dull wheezing of Tony's breathing stop, and his head whipped up. The man's face was relaxed, although his eyes were open and lifeless and his reactor darkened. 

 Gray felt his heart lurch, his hand reaching up to touch the reactor, what once was keeping Tony Stark alive. "No," he whispered, his voice broken and quiet, although it got louder until he was practically yelling, "No, no, no!" 

"It's okay, it's okay-" Pepper turned to embrace him, holding him close to her, so tightly that he couldn't move. His hands weakly clung at the metallic armour of her suit, remember how similar it felt to hugging Tony. He couldn't even form words, as if his heart was the one that ceased to beat. "He's safe now." 

 Gray couldn't speak. He pulled away from Pepper, numbly shrugging away her hands in an attempt to keep him near. He staggered to his feet, blindly walking past the other Avengers crowding around them, all watching him as he limped away.

 He walked until his broken body couldn't take it anymore, crumbling onto the debris of his former home. The home that Tony Stark had built. He breathed air because of the life that Tony Stark gave him. And then, just in a split second, he was just dead. 

 Gray couldn't take it anymore. So he leaned his head back, looking up to the heavens where his former mentor now resided. 

 And he screamed. 

A/N: 

i cried writing this el oh el.

longest chapter i have ever written yee haw.

if you can't tell, i am undergoing severe emotional trauma as of right now.

hehe au revior