A/N

Same goes for this one as the last one, ANGST OFF THE WALLS.

This time, it's Maya and Peter, again, a collaboration, and with Shipsrlife2.

Neither Multiverse 418 or 419

***

"I've never liked gym class." Maya said once she and Peter saw the height of the mountain they had to climb.

"I know. But we have to do it." Peter said, taking Maya's hand and dragging her along.

"I'll bet this would have been easier for Olivia. She teleports everywhere." Maya grumbled as she started walking up the path.

"Wasn't there that one time when she teleported into the kitchen for one of those ginger cookies Steve baked? She took about four and teleported away." Peter recalled.

"Oh right! Do you think she gave half to Loki?" Maya asked.

"For once, I'm doubtful. She's obsessed with those cookies. I think she actually snarled when Clint tried to take one of hers." Peter said.

"Weird." Maya said. They climbed for a few more minutes. "How much longer till we reach the summit?"

"Welcome Peter, Son of Richard. Maya, Daughter of Michael." A voice said. Maya instinctually snapped into a karate pose while Peter readied his web-shooters.

"Who said that?" Peter asked.

"You could consider me a guide." The hooded figure told them.

"How do you know us?" Maya asked.

"It is my curse to know all who seek the Soul Stone." The figure said.

"Oh, okay, that's not creepy at all." Peter muttered.

"So you can take us to the Stone? That's convenient." Maya said.

"If only it were that easy." The figure said, Maya now able to get a look at his face.

"Shit. Peter, I think that's that Nazi guy Steve fought back in the Fourties." Maya whispered.

"Red Skull? Oh sh-" Peter started, but cut himself off when Red Skull led them to the edge of the cliff. It was carved in an intricate pattern, clean lines cut from the side of the cliff.

"What's this?" Maya asked.

"The price. The Soul holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom about it." Red Skull explained.

"Great, now the Stones are sentient. So we just have to climb back down there to get it?" Peter asked.

"We climbed all that way for nothing?" Maya groaned.

"To ensure that whoever possesses it understands it's power, the Stone demands a sacrifice. You must lose that which you love. A Soul for a Soul." Red Skull said ominously.

"A Soul for a Soul? Like, a person's soul?" Peter asked. Red Skull nodded once.

"Oh, oh no..." Maya whispered.

"So... One of us has to die?" Peter asked. "Can you imagine if two people who hated each other came here? The sacrifice wouldn't work."

"But then one dies and the other gets the stone, meaning they actually did love each other, at least deep down." Maya said.

"Maya, this isn't the time for sappy fanfiction ideas. You're gonna have to throw me off the cliff." Peter said.

"What? No, you're not getting thrown off the cliff. You're gonna survive, I'll jump." Maya said.

"Maya please, I don't want you to die. I can't bear the thought of living without you." Peter said.

"I can't either." Maya whispered. There was a minute where only the wind could be heard. Maya and Peter shared a look. They wrapped each other in a tight hug, a few tears falling down their faces. Peter turned a little and pressed a short kiss to Maya's temple. During this, Maya slowly removed Peter's webshooters from his wrists. When they separated, Peter didn't notice Maya she put the shooters on her own wrists.

"Love you, Spider Boy." She said, before making the hand motion to send a stream of webs from her hands. They attached to Peter's wrist, sticking him to a nearby rock formation.

"Maya, wait!" Peter started as Maya took a running start to the edge. Just as she dropped over the edge, Peter managed to detach himself from the rock. He picked up his web shooters and attached them to his wrists. Aiming over the edge, Peter sent a stream of webs to catch Maya.

The thing was, the few seconds delay was a few seconds too long to wait.

Maya hit the ground just as Peter's web attached to her torso. It formed a sort of blanket over her that slowly turned red from the blood that was slightly flowing. Her limbs were bent at awkward angles, almost sickening to look at.

Peter could barely believe his eyes. He was too late. He tried to pull Maya's body up, but she looked limp when she was raised a few feet from the ground, like whiplash from the fall broke her back as Peter caught her with the webbing. He couldn't look at her like that. He detached the line from his wrist, Maya's body once again falling to the ground with a thump.

A bright white light suddenly burst forth, blinding Peter for a few seconds. It at least helped so he wouldn't have to look at her broken body for another moment. A minute later, Peter found himself in a shallow pool of water. It was like a river, but with no water creatures or anything of the sort.

In fact, Peter didn't even feel wet as he sat up. More like he was in a vat of very thin fabric. He felt something in his left palm. Opening his hand, he saw a stone about the size of his palm, glowing a bright orange color.

A Soul for a Soul was the mantra that was repeating itself in his mind. Maya's Soul for the Soul Stone.

Peter rolled the Stone in his hand with his right finger, tears falling down his face to drip into the pool of water below.

***

The ground felt soft. Softer than stone. Maya felt a shock of pain as her back hit the ground below. Then she felt nothingness. Her vision was black and the wind felt knocked out of her.

Until she could take a deep breath, the ground feeling different, almost like grass.

That's weird. Where am I? Maya thought. Opening her eyes, she stared up at a beautiful blue sky with a few fluffy clouds dotting it. Sitting up, Maya saw she was on a lush green field. Around her, she saw a beautiful city made of gold and other metals. In the center of it all was a magnificent palace, also made of gold. It was a sort of triangular shape made of pillars of increasing height.

Maya stood up, looking all around her. There seemed to be no end to the beauty.

That's when a woman's ethereal voice could be heard.

"Maya, daughter of Tamera Adams and Michael Adams. You have made a sacrifice for a greater good to save countless others. You sacrificed your life and, for the time being, relinquished your love for a noble reason. You are worthy to enter Valhalla for your acts." The voice said.

Valhalla? The realm of the honorable dead the Asgardians were always talking about? It's real? She thought.

"Make your way to the house to the East under the three large oak trees. There is someone there who wishes to see you." The voice said.

"Who would possibly be here for me?" Maya asked, starting for the direction the voice told her to go. She searched for a few minutes before finding a small but comfortable house below the trees described. Uncertainly, she knocked on the door.

She was kind of shocked to see her cousin opening the door.

"Ethan?" She asked.

"Maya? What are you doing here?" Ethan asked her.

"I should ask you the same thing! You died! They said it was a plane crash. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you crashed into an enemy base so you could save your team still in the air." Maya said.

"Maya, that's all true. Didn't you realize you're dead, too? Valhalla is a realm of dead people." Ethan said, almost enunciating the last sentence.

"I know that, my best friends were from Asgard! You met them, remember? When I introduced you to Peter?" Maya said.

"I remember them, May, one of your friends from Asgard blew up New York City, remember?" Ethan said.

"One, that wasn't his fault, you know this, and two, technically he's from Jotunheim." Maya said.

"Who cares about any of this, how did you get here?" Ethan asked.

"I threw myself off a cliff to get a special Stone so the half of the universe that died could be saved. A sacrifice so Peter could live." Maya said.

"I always knew that boy was a good one." Ethan said.

"You literally threatened to snap his spine in half if he hurt me." Maya said, rolling her eyes.

"And he didn't hurt you, so my job was complete." Ethan said. A brief silence was held before Maya ran into a hug with her closest cousin.

"I missed you." She said.

"I did, too." Ethan replied.

"Hey, do you by chance know if someone named Iri is here? Or Aemon?" Maya asked.

"I think they live in the palace with the late Queen of Asgard, Frigga, which I think makes little sense cause all the other Asgardian soldiers live in their own homes. Why?" Ethan asked.

"They're Olivia's parents." Maya said. "She's married to Loki, maybe that elevated their status?"

"The Asgardian you're friends with?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah! They died just after she was born." Maya said.

"They take walks around the city sometimes, maybe we can find them at some point, a little expedition we can go on?" Ethan suggested.

"I'd like that." Maya said.

"You should come in. I made grilled cheese." Ethan said.

"I love grilled cheese." Maya said brightly.

"You're such a child." Ethan said.

"I know!" Maya replied.