❝ THE PAST ALWAYS HAUNTS US ❞
( KEEPERS OF THE STONES )
v. whatever it takes
chapter five

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WASHINGTON D.C., A MONTH AFTER SLOANE'S CRASH

" I can't do this. " Sloane blurted, hands covering her mouth as she sat in the passenger's seat, across from Tony; he didn't usually drive, especially not on long trips like the one from Malibu to Virginia, but this was a more private matter and didn't feel like dragging Happy into it. " I can't, we have to leave, I-I can't - "

" Woah, calm down, Sloane. " He told her, holding his palms up, turning slightly in his seat to face her; they had only been sitting in Cesar Martinez's driveway (her driveway) for five minutes, and Sloane could already feel the panic building in her chest. Tony could see the signs of a panic attack nearing, since he had plenty experience with them, and tried to keep it from happening.

" Sloane, it's going to be okay, " He said in a reassuring tone, laying one hand on the steering wheel, tapping his fingers against it unnervingly, the other he used to gesture towards the nice house sitting in front of them, " Look, worst case scenario is that he an alcoholic. Well, he could also be dead, but highly unlikely so my point still stands. "

She gave him a dry look, one that just read "are you actually serious right now?", and Tony could only return with a slight grin, shrugging. Sloane did, however, manage to calm her nerves, taking in a deep breath as she tried to relax. Her husband hadn't heard from her for nearly a year, since the Chitauri invasion had ruined the communication system on her spaceship, and, according to the news broadcasts Tony had shown her, most of the world thought she was dead.

She didn't really care about the rest of the world right now, though. She cared about how Caesar would react.

" Okay, " Sloane announced, pressing her palms against the dashboard, seeming to still be stalling, only to unlock her door and glance over at Tony, " I can do this. "

Tony nodded in agreement, and the two of them got out of the car, the driveway of gravel underneath their feet clanking together with every step they took. The closer they got to the house, the more afraid Sloane became. The first bad sign had been the fact that they were even at this house at all; Sloane had gone to what she remembered as her old home, but found a elderly couple there instead. Then, Tony tracked Caesar down with suspiciously good hacking skills, and it led them here, to a neat, expensive looking house in D.C.

Her hands were shaking, just noticeable enough for Tony to feel it when her hand brushed his as they approached the front door. He could understand why she was so nervous, but he also didn't know how to comfort her without repeating the same things over and over again. He sounded more like a paid therapist than a friend.

" Maybe. . . " Sloane quietly started, almost whispering, and Tony then felt her hand in his as she gripped it tightly, like she might fall over without his support; he instantly found her eyes, watching as she continued, " Maybe we should look through a window first. "

Tony didn't realize that she was suggesting this to him, as he figured she probably wanted to do this alone, but when he noticed that she was waiting for his confirmation, he quickly nodded, opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as Sloane began walking around the house, pulling him gently along with her.

Sloane would admit, they looked like they could possibly be criminals, peering through a window on the side of the house, like robbers waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Through the surprisingly clean (since when did Caesar clean?) window, Sloane and Tony could both see a man with deeply tanned skin and sandy colored hair, sitting on a nice couch in the living room, feet outstretched on the coffee table in front of him.

" That's him. " Sloane's voice was so quiet, Tony almost didn't acknowledge it, not knowing if she was telling him the obvious or if she was trying to reassure herself.

Tony was going to suggest that they go ring the doorbell now, so that he doesn't catch them staring through his window like stalkers and get the wrong idea and maybe, just maybe, call the police. But then, as he shifted his feet to stand, not finding the crouching position exactly comfortable, Sloane's hand shot out and grabbed his arm, pulling him back down with her.

" Wait. " Was all she spoke, still in that soft and nearly nonexistent voice. Tony did, finding himself back in the bent position.

And, not a moment later, Tony saw why she told him to stop. Coming from a door near the other end of the room, a tall red headed woman walked in, wearing a nice, baby blue dress, carrying a big bowl of popcorn. Tony felt Sloane tense beside him, her grip on his arm tightening the slightest bit, causing him to look over at her, eyebrows creased as she continued to watch, which only made the reality worse.

The woman handed Cesar the bowl, and he sat it in between them, and it was just barely enough for them to see her very round stomach, and Sloane was assuming that it had been the result of her being gone for a year.

Sloane felt a sharp pain in her chest, and fell back off her feet, sitting down on the dry grass outside the house. She released Tony's arm, and buried her head in her hands. She didn't blame Cesar, everyone had thought she was dead. Still, she felt that he could've at least waited until it was confirmed to move on. It made a small part of her cower in doubt, at the thought that he might not have even waited until then, that he and this women had been together ever since Sloane had first went up into space. She didn't know, and now, she decided, she never would.

Tony didn't know what to do, and found himself feeling that way quite a bit around Sloane. Usually, it had been for rather good reasons, like how she would compliment something he was working on his lab, and he, the charismatic Tony Stark, would be stumbling over his words to try and impress her further. Or the time he accidentally set off one of his suits when he turned to look at her passing by him, rushing to give a compliment when she caught him.

Tony Stark did not get flustered like a jittery school boy, he was cool, calm, and collected. Charismatic and attractive, he had always been told, he didn't have to get nervous, and he certainly didn't develop crushes.

Until now.

So, Tony did the only thing he could do, because silence was no longer an option when he could hear her sobbing into her hands; as awkward as it had been, he placed a hand on her back, trying to be as comforting as he could. He didn't have much experience.

Sloane had almost forgot he was there until she felt the light weight of his hand, and quickly rose her head, wiping away any stray tears with her palm. She inhaled deeply, and clasped her hands together in front of her, hanging between her knees. Tony could feel her ribs rising and falling with every breath she took, and, in that moment, felt like he couldn't move. Like his hand could somehow crush her bones if he pressed too hard.

" Okay. " She suddenly said, making Tony's almond colored eyes snap to hers; the woman met his weary eyes, ones that held many fears and lonely moments, and managed to fit a ghost of a smile on her face. " I'm ready to go. . . "

Tony noticed her hesitation, her voice dropping off at the end of her sentence, and pulled his hand from her, letting it fall to his side as he began to stand. He outstretched the same hand to her, eyes watching her face, trying to anticipate her next words.

" I'm ready to go home. " She repeated, finishing this time, taking his hand and, with his help, pulled herself to her feet.

Her words sunk into Tony's head as they slowly, and silently, made their way back to the car. She had only known Tony for a month, only lived with him for a month, and she was referring to his home (or him, possibly?) as home. Maybe he was just being naïve, thinking that she'd already developed feelings for him, and that she had only used a poor choice of words. She had literally just found out that her husband truly thought she was dead, and he had moved on already.

Yeah, Tony told himself, you're insane.

The two of them climbed into the car wordlessly, and sat there for a moment. Tony hated silence, it made him feel awkward, and he hated feeling awkward. But Sloane enjoyed it, it gave her time to think. She could feel Tony's eyes drift to her, but she just changed her direction of sight out the window, pretending to be admiring the nice garden in the yard. She was waiting for him to say something, or nothing at all, and to pull out of the driveway, leaving him to think about what to do about her. Surely he wouldn't let a stranger live with him (even though he already had).

Yeah, Sloane too, had thought, you're insane.

" You can stay at my place as long as you need. " He finally said, and, when she turned around to meet his gaze, he added, with a hint of his usual cocky tone, " As long as you want. "

She didn't say anything, she didn't even give him a nod or a smile. She simply turned back around, resting her arm on the door, propping her head up with her hand. Sloane knew as soon as they were back at the Stark residence, she would most likely be hit with the reality of what she had just saw, and would spend the next few days in the guest room, crying and wondering how she could change it.

So she decided to thank him now.

" Thanks. " She whispered under her breath, feeling as though if she was any louder that her voice would crack, just as her insides felt; shattered into thousands of pieces; again, as they began driving down the road, a long trip to the airport, and an even longer flight back to Malibu ahead of them, she felt Tony's eyes on her again before they quickly diverted to the road.

" Yeah, " He answered, tapping a finger on the wheel as he tried (and failed) to bite back the smallest of smiles. " don't mention it. "

Maybe, he thought, you aren't so crazy, Stark.

◌ ◌ ◌

QUEENS, PRESENT DAY

Sloane had been driving down so many streets for so long that she had started to lose count. She didn't even know which street she was on, but she knew she had passed Midtown High twice, and still, no sign of Vero. She was starting to get worried, but she wasn't sure if it was anxiety about losing Vero without even finding him, or for Tony who had gone with Bruce and the weird wizard dude. They had made it seem very urgent that he go with them, without explaining exactly why, and he unknown was one of the scariest things to Sloane.

After driving around for a few more minutes, Sloane saw a long, bright yellow bus labeled "MIDTOWN HIGH SCHOOL" pull out of the the school parking lot, and begin heading down the road. She guessed that Vero wasn't on the bus, since he said he was in trouble, and she assumed that a field trip didn't constitute as trouble; still, she followed the big vehicle, hoping that it would lead her down a new path she hadn't discovered.

Being correct (as usual, she'd like to point out), Sloane was driving close behind the bus when she saw a tall, lanky teen with midnight-colored hair, a pair of equally dark goggles laid on his head. He was carrying a woman, her arm draped over his shoulder, neither of them looked too good. Sloane, upon seeing this, immediately pressed the brakes, and fortunately, all the traffic around the school was going the opposite way, allowing her to pull an illegal U-turn and drive up to the sidewalk. She parked in a spot that was probably also illegal, but at this point she didn't think Tony would mind a ticket as long as she returned with his son as well.

The brunette hurriedly opened the car door, clambering out and slamming it shut before running over to the sidewalk. Vero looked relieved to see her, audibly sighing as he took another step towards her; his lip was busted, dry blood lining his bottom lip, and his hair was a ruffled mess. Still, he looked ten times better than the unconscious girl on his side.

" What, Dad was too busy? " Vero questioned, half joking, half disappointed; Sloane gave him a look that said "actually, yes" and moved towards him, wiping the blood from his lip, making him cringe instinctively. " Aw, c'mon, seriously? "

" What the hell happened to you? " She demanded, momentarily ignoring the woman; Vero wasn't sure if she meant his lack of presence for the past two years, or literally what had happened to his face. He had decided on the second before she even asked the question, using her motherly gestures as evidence enough.

" Viking girl here has yet to wake up, and some assholes thought I was kidnapping her, since we just happened to be walking past that nightclub down the street, and tried to jump me. Well, they kind of jumped me, I got out of it pretty okay, but I had to punch a few of them while explaining that I was actually helping her. " Sloane had dearly missed Vero's eccentric ramblings, " So, I guess they weren't really assholes because they thought I was the bad guy. "

" God, I missed you, kid. " Sloane responded, a wide grin on her face when she pulled him into a tight hug, again, somehow oblivious to the girl on his shoulder.

" Yeah, I, uh, missed you, too. " He replied stiffly, using his free arm to return the hug before quickly pointing out, " Not that I don't enjoy your hugs, - and it's definitely not because you smell bad or anything, because you smell like vanilla - but I've kind of got an unconscious girl from outer space attached to the hip, so. . . "

" Right. " Sloane agreed almost as fast as he had said it, releasing him and moving to his side, slinging the girl's other arm over her own shoulders, taking the weight off of Vero's before adding, " Also, you smell like gasoline, in case you were wondering. "

" Funny, I'm pretty sure I've heard you tell my dad the same thing. " He reminisced, shrugging lightly before rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension in them, " Guess it's the Stark's natural scent. "

Sloane rolled her eyes but couldn't help but grin at the teenager; just having him around for a few minutes brightened her day. She couldn't wait to see Tony's reaction, but she also knew that she couldn't focus on that right now, because she was holding an unconscious girl that apparently fell from space.

" I don't think this looks legal, but, " Sloane insisted, dragging herself and the woman into a nearby alleyway, in between a small convenience store and a flower shop, sitting the woman against he brick wall, trying to make sure there was as little trash as possible, " we should probably wake her up and figure out why she's here. How long did you say she's been like this? "

" Ever since I found her, so maybe an hour? " Vero suggested, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black jumpsuit, which seemed like something an inventor or engineer would wear; something Vero would wear.

Sloane took in the new information, but it didn't really help. She wasn't a doctor, or anything remotely close. She understood technology and space and stars, she didn't understand the human body one bit. And, no, she didn't understand non-human bodies, either. She finally got a good look at the woman since arriving. Most of her mousy brown hair was done in intricate braids, but was knotted in the places it wasn't, there was dried, dark crimson blood on her pale face, along with smeared black paint along her eyes. Further down her body, she wore clothes like what Vero had called her, a Viking. Or, for more relative references, something like Thor's attire, only more worn out and dirty. The woman had a rough looking wound in her thigh, wide bruise marks around her neck, and, most disturbingly, a hole cut out of her palm.

" So, how do we wake her up? " Vero asked, and Sloane didn't want to reply with "I don't know", so she did the first thing that came to mind.

She slapped the woman right in the face.

Vero seemed unfazed, and, when the woman didn't wake, only stirring slightly, mouth barely moving as she mumbled inaudible words, he urged, " You've gotta do it harder than that, Sloane, that was a love tap. "

Shooting him a glare, Sloane still took his advice and, inhaling sharply, raised her fist this time. As she swung her arm, the woman's electric blue eyes shot open, and she caught the former's wrist mid-swing. She seemed to lock eyes with Sloane, ready to move in a swift motion, but Vero anticipated it and already had his palm up, silver blaster equipment covering up to his forearm.

" Let her go, or I shoot you right here. " Vero declared, his voice unshaken as the woman stared up at him, the two of them watched each other with the same intensity until he added smoothly, " And, trust me, I never miss. "

With that simple threat, the woman let go of Sloane's wrist, the latter rising to her feet. Glancing up at the duo towering over her, Helena raised an eyebrow questioningly as she held up a palm, using the other to push herself up.

" Where am I? How did I get here? " She asked as she stood, eyes darting around at the busy street, full of cars, the tall building scattered about, and the light blue sky above; the woman turned around to face Vero and Sloane, who shared a look before the former spoke.

" You're on Earth, in New York, to be specific. " He explained, making the woman's eyebrows scrunch together, " And, honestly, I don't know how you got here. I saw you falling through my telescope and found you in an alleyway. "

She was going to ask what a telescope was, but pushed that question back for later, as a sudden realization hit her, eyes going wide as she snapped her eyes to the sky once again.

" I remember, Thanos is coming. He's destroyed all that's left of Xandar, and he killed the remaining Asgardians. " She alerted them, the alarm in her voice concerning; the mention of Asgardians made Vero and Sloane both worried.

" All of the Asgardians are dead? " Vero questioned, and Helena glanced over at him, a devastating look of pain filling her cerulean eyes.

" He killed Loki, as well as Heimdall. . " Her words became quiet as she trailed off, eyes moving nervously between the two in front of her, " I don't recall it all, I was in and out of it, but he destroyed their ship. I can see the bodies still, littered on the ground. The only one that could still be alive is- "

" Thor. " Sloane said, and it took Helena by surprise, because she seemed so sure of it, her tone unlike that of a question, and the fact that the Midgard woman even knew Thor threw her off.

" Yes. . . He is strong, but Thanos, he's stronger. The Hulk, you know him? " When the two nodded, Sloane especially intrigued, since she had just seen the aforementioned man, Helena continued, " Even he could not last long against the Mad Titan. "

" Banner- Hulk- is still alive, I just saw him an hour ago. " Sloane pointed out, earning a shocked look from Vero; he hadn't seen the man he had once referred to as Uncle Banner in years.

" Only because Heimdall sacrificed himself to send him here. " She briefly declared, eyes drifting to the sky once again, a sad look on her face as she added, " He did the same for me, that's how I got here. He knew that we only have one possibility of defeating Thanos. "

" And, what would that be, exactly? " Sloane questioned for both her and Vero, and the two watched Helena's face for an answer; she seemed appalled that they would ask that.

" We must find the other Keepers, of course. " She stated in a tone that suggested it was an obvious answer; Vero understood what she meant, and suddenly felt a knot growing in his stomach. He didn't like being the center of attention, even though his constant ramblings would say otherwise, and being one of six people that are supposed to save the world didn't sit well with him.

" Okay, well, you've got one here, " He replied, the memory of Ultron revealing his status as a Keeper to him playing over in his head, " you wouldn't happen to know where the others are, would you? "

" Unfortunately, no. " Helena answered grimly, a frown on her face as she eyed Vero up and down, wondering what helpful traits he had, why the spirit of Zakynthos Callus had chosen him. " I do know that they are all on Mid-Earth, for now, at least. "

Sloane had zoned out of their conversation a minute or so ago, when she heard distant yelling and alarms going off. She stepped out of the alleyway, seeing people struggling to climb out of their cars, stuck in backed up traffic, others running through the streets. She didn't understand the panic until she turned around, seeing an enormous spaceship in the shape of a ring approaching, slowly but steadily. It's sole wheel was it's entire being, and was spinning rapidly, crushing everything in it's path on the street.

Upon hearing Helena say that the other Keepers were on Earth, she snapped out of the trance, eyes still stuck on the ring.

" I think he knows that, too. " She told them, catching both Vero and Helena's attention with this. They didn't waste a moment scrambling to her side, their eyes finding the disaster as quickly as they looked.

" What do we do? " Vero asked, not exactly caring who answered, just hoping to come up with a plan before it was too late; he could also see Sloane tensing up, chest beginning to heave quicker, and wanted to prevent her from having a panic attack, especially since they would need her.

" It's not Thanos. " Helena suddenly said, and Sloane glanced over at her, asking her what she meant, and the former explained as she gave them both a glance, " He's still looking for the Infinity Stones, and, judging by the fact that he has yet to attack either of you, he doesn't know where they are. Thanos would not go on a scavenger hunt himself, he'd send his children, if you will. "

" So, not Thanos, but still bad. " Sloane spoke, letting Helena know that is what she got from her words, and the other, younger woman gave a slight nod.

" Not Thanos, but still very bad. " She corrected, and Sloane sucked in a deep breath before gripping Vero's arm, gesturing to the car parked near the sidewalk.

" We need to get to Tony, he's with Bruce and some guy that seems to know a bit about Thanos. " She announced, eyes finding Helena's as she added, " They can help us. "

As Sloane went to go to the car, Helena's hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pulling her back rather forcefully, earning a slight glare before she states, " I believe you, and trust me, I'd really like some help, but we don't have time right now.

" They're here. "

Sloane's eyebrows furrowed together, and she glanced over her shoulder, following Helena's eyes to see the wheel just yards away from them, a light blue beam projecting on to the street. Helena didn't even bother to come up with a plan, and Vero was starting to understand that she didn't do plans.

" Wait, you said they're very bad, " Vero pointed out, unintentionally mocking her Asgardian accent, pale blue eyes wide in what could be seen as fear or worry, " what if we can't beat them alone? "

" We can't, not without any of our Stones, " She agreed, and her choice of words made Sloane's eyes find her quickly, a questioning look on her face as Helena continued, " But I will not let them destroy another planet, I will kill them before they steal another Stone from one of us. "

" Wait- " Sloane tried to stop her from running out into the street, and Helena only turned around to insist her actions were right once again.

" I will do whatever it takes to keep Thanos from winning. "

Sloane wasn't going to argue with that, she only stole a short look at Vero before giving Helena one of determination as she said, " I'd just like to know your name before we kick some alien ass together. "

Helena seemed pleased with her comment, as a small grin slipped onto her face, and she answered with, " Helena Eerikadottir. "

" I'll ask Thor to spell it when we have to write it on your grave. " Vero mumbled under his breath as the Asgardian ran off into the street; Sloane gave him a dry look before following the woman, leaving Vero to sigh by himself. " Hell, he'll have to write it himself. "

" Of course, the pesky Asgardian thief would be alive. " A man- could you call him a man? - with pale, purple skin pulled taut across his noseless face spoke, his voice eery and unsettling; Vero had joined the two women just as the odd looking alien and his partner, a creature bigger than the Hulk appeared through the beam of light.

" Tell me, " His feathery words were laced with poison, and Vero could see Helena's jaw clench as she gritted her teeth before he even said it, " how does it feel to be the last of your kind, and be the cause of it all? "

Neither Vero or Sloane truly understood what he meant, and neither of them could blame her when she fed right into his trap.

" Their blood is on Thanos' hands, like many others. My spirit is a Keeper, my body an Asgardian, but I did not kill my people. " Helena shouted at him, the anger building in her veins almost making the aching in her thigh and hand go numb, " If you were smart, you would know that I do not need the Stone to kill you. "

With that, she sprinted at him, completely ignoring the giant monster at his side. Helena was brave, but Sloane didn't know if that made her stupid or fearless. Or both. Because it was obvious to both Sloane and Vero that the stranger was playing with her, and waited until she got just close enough to strangle him before retaliating.

" No, maybe not. " He suggested, and, with a flick of his fingers, a nearby car was flung into the air, colliding with Helena, sending her flying back into the concrete street; Sloane and Vero had to part ways to avoid the carnage. " But, you do need a clear head, which is something you obviously do not hold. "

" Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing on this planet? " Sloane demanded, noticing that Vero held his fists up, the silver suit quickly molding to his body, ready to fight if given a signal.

" Apologies, my name is Ebony Maw, this is Black Dwarf, " He introduced, waving his long, skinny fingers towards the creature beside him; " We are a part of Thanos' Black Order, and we have come to retrieve the rest of the Infinity Stones, as well as destroy the Keepers.

" Which means that we must kill you, as well as the Asgardian. " Ebony Maw stated firmly, holding his hand up, fingertips touching, as he added, " Hopefully, you humans will not be as troublesome. "

Again, Sloane was taken back by his words. He and Helena had both seemed to refer to her as a Keeper, but she had no knowledge of this. She only knew of the Keepers because Vero had told her he was one, after it being revealed to him from Ultron. She couldn't be a Keeper, she had never seen an Infinity Stone in her life.

" No, I don't think so, Voldemort. " Vero commented, knowing that Peter would appreciate the jab more than anyone else there; he raised his palms, hearing the noise of energy building up before he let it go, blasting a strong beam at Ebony Maw and the Black Dwarf.

Black Dwarf roared in anger just as Maw snapped his fingers, causing the blast to turn back around, heading straight for Vero. The teenager's eyes went wide, and he held his arms up, crossed in front of his face to brace for the hit. The blast sent him skidding across the street, just as Helena managed to crawl out from under the car, rising to her feet, holding her left arm tightly, a scowl on her face.

" Space Keeper, what are you waiting for? " Helena yelled loudly, causing Sloane to glance back at her with a narrowed expression, " Do not be afraid, you are stronger than them! "

" I don't know what you're talking about! " Sloane exclaimed, barely glancing back at Maw and Black Dwarf before adding, " I'm not the Space Keeper, I don't even know what the hell that means! "

" It means you protect the universe! So do. . your. . job! " Helena called out, taking a breaking in between every word as she broke a piece of piping off the bottom of the car, throwing it like a javelin at Ebony Maw, who simply twisted it with his telekinesis, throwing it back at her.

" I-I can't! " Sloane cried out, feeling her chest tighten, and an oncoming panic attack growing just as Helena dodged the piece of metal flying at her. Vero had finally recovered from the blast, the armor on his forearms charred and blackened.

Both he and Helena moved to attack again, but Ebony Maw managed to gather enough metal piping laying around in the debris to force it around the three of them. The pipes twisted and bent around their bodies uncomfortably, causing them all to fall to the ground. Maw waved a hand, and Black Dwarf approached the trio alongside him. Maw brought the three of them together, so that they were laying in a row in front of them.

" It's a shame, " Maw stated, but it was unclear which of the Keepers he was speaking to, or if he was referring to them all. " you could've been something. . . great. "

And then, one by one, Black Dwarf took one good kick to their skulls, knocking them out. Maw lifted a finger after, making the three unconscious bodies rise; he turned and looked at Black Dwarf before saying,

" Now, we must find the girl in the necklace. "

◌ ◌ ◌

note.

finally getting into the action! This is a bit of a longer chapter, I know, but I actually really love this chapter! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reads this book because it's almost at 3k reads and 400 votes! I cannot thank you all enough!

anyways, time for the usual questions! What did you think about this chapter? Do you have a favorite Keeper yet? What do you like/dislike about the characters? What about the interactions? Any brotps or otps you feel brewing? What do you think about Sloane being unaware of (and seemingly refusing to accept) that she's a Keeper?

and, as always, any other feedback or comments you have are appreciated!

until next time,