AVENGE THE FALLEN | AN ENDGAME READER INSERT STORY

WEEKS LATER

Two caskets stood before you. Beyond them, a sea of people. Behind you, the Avengers and your mother, Pepper Potts.

"Steven Grant Rogers is and will always be our Captain America. We trusted him to fight for us in each desperate time of need. And even when we turned our back on him, he never turned his back on us."

Your trembling fingers were all that showed how nervous you were, and how much you were struggling to keep it together. Your voice was strong and booming as you spoke aloud.

"He wasn't just an Avenger, he was a brave U.S soldier. He fought for us in the second world war and truthfully, never stopped. But to me, he was more than that. Steve was my friend." Your voice cracked a little at that, and you cleared your throat and paused.

"Losing him is a great weight in my chest, as well as all of yours." You nodded. Cameras flashed. People wept. "We've lost a beloved hero. But we cannot keep thinking of him as a loss. We need to remember him for what he has taught us. Steve has left a legacy behind.

"No matter the pain inside of us, we need to promise ourselves one thing. That we won't remember him for his death. We need to remember him for his words, his actions, and his undying love for his family, friends, and country. So whatever happens tomorrow, we need to promise ourselves one thing - that we will remain as we truly are. Not as a perfect soldier, but as a good man... or woman." You smiled sadly. People applauded.

Pepper was now standing and walking over to you. You glanced down at the slight round of her stomach. She had no idea she was pregnant when your father had left to fight in space.

She wrapped one thin arm around you. You turned the page.

"This one is going to be a bit harder for me, so I apologize if I pause a bit." You swallowed hard, staring at your handwriting. Pepper squeezed your waist.

"Anthony Edward Stark was known as many things. Billionaire. Genius. Philanthropist. As I may reluctantly add, playboy." A light laugh trickled in the crowd. "Iron Man. A great mechanic. A great friend. A great fiance. But to me, he was just dad.

"My relationship with my father was not something I took for granted. He was not a perfect one, not at all. But he never let me go to bed thinking that he did not love me. I remember him sneaking into my room after he thought I had already fallen asleep and kissing me on the head and telling me about his day, no matter how boring it was. I remember him going missing. I remember him being different when he came back.

"And when I was a young teenager, and he didn't keep me safe enough, I remember how har he took it. I remember... I remember how crushed he was and how he felt like he failed as a father." Tears trickled down your eyes. "I never told him that I didn't blame him. And I wish... I wish I had." You covered your nose as you started to cry. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Pepper was rubbing your back. Rhodes and Bruce approached. You turned towards Rhodes as he whispered, "You don't have to finish this."

"No, I-I do. I do." You wiped your nose and cleared your throat. Rhodes agreed and gave you a lingering kiss on the side of your head.

"I'm sorry," you said again. Pictures were continuously snapped. "I... I am scared of being without him. And I know the public are already starting with their tabloids and headlines that the weight of my father's will is too heavy on my shoulders, but that is not true.

"The heaviness of my heart is not from the responsibility that I have of taking leadership of all my father has created. I am not going to put on the Iron Man suit... I am not going to sell my father's work for cash. The heaviness of my heart is from me being barely an adult and losing the man that I loved more than anyone else. That's my dad. That's my dad."

Pepper was weeping softly. You inhaled deeply and started to pull yourself together. Eyes shut, you remembered your dad.

"Hey, kid."

"What?"

He sighed. "Starting with that attitude already..."

You smiled teasingly. "Because I know that tone. You sending me away, 'cause you gave the Mandarin your address?"

He pointed. "Bingo."

You rolled your eyes and swung your legs out of bed. "Nice try, Dad, but Pepper already told me that I am coming with you all."

"Oh? And where are we three going, exactly?" he asked.

You pulled your suitcase out from behind your door. "If I tell you where, you might tell the public."

"Ouch. You got me there, kiddo. Where did you learn that snark  from? You know what, don't answer that. In fact-"

"Tony?" you heard a scream from downstairs. Pepper. "Tony?!"

You were thrown backwards as a blast destroyed the entire right side of your bedroom wall. Soaring towards your closet door, smoke and debris everywhere, you saw your father flying back.

He was looking at you.

Your powers were something of a nuisance to you then, something that you hid. But your dad sent his suit to cover Pepper, and you took it upon yourself to blast over to the other side of the room, knock out the helicopters attacking your home with you extremely unstable power, and stand over your dad as the debris fell.

And that was what made you an Avenger.

You smiled and inhaled again.

"That was my dad that taught me what it meant to step up and be the hero that the world needs. That was my dad that taught me that... that it was okay to not have everything figured out right away. I mean, I'm a nineteen year old girl that just lost her dad. I'm not going to get it all right - he for sure knew that he wasn't going to, either. So why should I be terrified of being without him? He left me with everything that I will ever need."

You looked back behind you-

Where Peter and Rocket were standing, Rhodes and Bruce on either side of them. Nat, Scott, his girlfriend and your new friend, Hope, Clint, Thor. And now with Wanda, Vision (the Mind stone had been removed and he was still the same guy you loved like a brother), Bucky, Stephen, Wong, and Sam.

You turned back and folded your papers over. "So, like Steve, I ask you not to remember my father for his death. He went far too young - he went far too brutally. And I will miss my father in every second of every day that remains in my life. But my dad left a legacy behind and I know that he would kill me if he knew I passed up the opportunity to say that-" And you smiled now, "That the legacy that my dad left behind is me. It's my team. It's my mom, Pepper, and my half sibling that is due in a few months. The legacy my father has left is all of us. Let us not ignore that honor by mourning. Thank you."

Everyone in the crowd stood and burst into applause. Pictures were taken rapidly, and in the daze of the flash, Pepper gave you a tight squeeze. She told you that she loved you and kissed you on the cheek, then turned you towards your team. 

You dropped on your knee and met Rocket first, because he was right there. He threw his arms around you and gave you a quick hug before clambering up your side and settling on your shoulder. Peter pulled you up off the floor and wrapped his arms around you. He was crying.

Everyone was embracing you. Kissing you. Crying on you. Letting you cry on them. You were lost in a sea of arms holding you, and whether it was Rhodes or Peter or Wanda or Happy - you were  just glad that you felt at home in them.