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Chapter 38 – Epilogue: The Day After
The city had stopped burning, but the smoke lingered.
Reporters filled the streets, broadcasting to a world that had watched New York nearly fall. Among them was Mary Jane Watson, microphone trembling only slightly in her hand as she faced the camera.
> "It's been three days since the invasion. The Avengers fought back with the help of allies—known and unknown—and our world survived. But survival came at a cost."
The camera swung across the street. Buildings stood tall again, repaired by a mysterious red light, but scars remained. A cracked window here. A burned corner there. Holes in people's lives that no magic could patch.
Some faces in the crowd smiled, hopeful. Others were etched with grief.
An older woman clutched a photograph to her chest. "Iron Man saved my daughter. I'll never forget it."
A teenager muttered bitterly, "My dad never came home. Why did Guardian bring some people back, but not him? He was a good man."
Then a man stepped forward, anger boiling in his voice. "That Guardian…he played favorites. Why stop halfway? Why let the rest of us suffer?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled. But another voice cut through, strong and steady:
"Because he's not a god. He's just a boy who risked his life for us. If you're alive today, thank him instead of cursing him."
The argument sparked, defenders and critics clashing. Mary Jane held her mic steady, catching it all.
---
High above, in a dark room, Nick Fury watched the live broadcast with the World Council.
"The people are divided," one councilor said sharply. "Some see the Avengers as saviors. Others want them held accountable. So—where are they?"
Fury's one eye narrowed. "I think they earned a break. Let them have it."
"And the Tesseract?"
"Where it should be," Fury said flatly. "Far away from us."
"You can't make those decisions alone, Director."
Fury gave a faint smirk. "I didn't. I just didn't argue with the god who did."
A silence stretched.
"You know what this means?" the councilman pressed.
"Yes," Fury said. "The world will know. Every world will know this planet is not to be messed with."
Then came the final question. "What about the Guardian? Who is he? Where is he?"
Fury paused, then spoke quietly. "We don't know. But we do know this: he's an ally. A powerful one. And when the time comes…he'll show up."
---
Beneath the city, Adrian jolted awake in his hidden base. Every muscle screamed, every breath burned. He staggered to the mirror.
At first glance, he looked whole. No broken bones, no torn flesh. But then he saw it—dark veins, black as ink, running from his chest up toward his jaw, pulsing faintly like poisoned roots.
His stomach dropped. He knew this would come. Using Cataclysm twice without recharge had left its mark.
In the kitchen, Natalie was humming, spatula in hand, when she turned and froze.
"Adrian—your face!"
The Kwamis fluttered around him, voices overlapping. "It's temporary. His body will heal with time."
Plagg floated lazily, his tone more serious than usual. "Unless he keeps using the Miraculous. Then it'll get worse. A lot worse."
Natalie rushed to Adrian's side, holding his face in both hands, ignoring the veins. "No more. Not until you're healed. Promise me."
Adrian forced a small smile. "Two or three months…right?"
She nodded, her shoulders loosening in relief.
---
Elsewhere, Peter Parker slipped into his Queens apartment. Aunt May was waiting at the kitchen table, hands folded, eyes red from sleepless nights.
The moment she saw him, she broke. "Peter… I thought I lost you."
He dropped his bag, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "Not a chance, May. Not while I've still got you."
---
Sam Alexander swaggered into a S.H.I.E.L.D. briefing room, bandages peeking beneath his uniform. Agents and technicians turned their heads, whispering about the boy who took down a mothership.
Sam smirked, leaning against the wall. "So, uh…anyone gonna buy me a medal? Or do I have to design my own?"
The room chuckled. Coulson raised an eyebrow. "Kid, you destroyed the Chitauri command ship with holes in your stomach and leg. And you survived. That's more than a medal."
"Legendary," Sam corrected with mock offense.
Danny Rand—bandaged and pale but recovering—shook his head. "Just don't let it go to your head."
Sam grinned, soaking it in. But when he glanced at his hands, still shaking faintly, the smile faltered for a heartbeat. He shoved them into his pockets and straightened. Brave face. Always.
---
At a quiet cemetery, Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner stood together, watching a casket lowered into the earth.
Bruce's voice was low. "Did he…have anyone left? Any last words?"
Natasha's eyes softened. "His mother passed a few years ago. His last words were…" She exhaled, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "'Mama raised no bitch.'"
Bruce blinked, then let out a startled snort. It cracked into laughter, wet and shaky. Natasha's lips curved faintly too.
"Not funny," Bruce muttered, wiping his eyes.
"Then why are you laughing?" Natasha asked softly.
"…Pollen," Bruce answered. His eyes stayed wet.
---
Elsewhere still—
Tony Stark worked late, eyes glued to holograms of schematics. His suit fragments hovered around him, redesigned, reforged. A hushed mutter escaped him:
"If one kid can burn a mothership, then Earth needs more than me in a tin can. We need something bigger."
Thor, solemn, stood with Loki in chains. The Tesseract pulsed in his hand.
"We go home," Thor rumbled. Loki smirked even in defeat, but said nothing.
Clint Barton repaired his bowstring in silence on a rooftop. He didn't join the others, just watched the city breathe again, alone.
And Natasha, after the funeral, lit a candle in a church corner. For herself. For the ones she couldn't save.
---
And through it all, New York buzzed back to life.
Some healed. Some mourned. Some doubted. Some believed.
But everyone knew: the world had changed forever.
In his base, Adrian leaned back against the couch, Natalie fussing over him, Kwamis bickering softly like siblings in the air. The black veins throbbed beneath his skin, a reminder of the price he paid.
He closed his eyes. The war was over. For now.
But shadows were already moving. And peace…was never built to last.
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✨ End of Chapter 38 ✨
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