(K'un Lun Temple)
On top of a stone table lies Spider-Man's cold and lifeless body. Monks of the Kun Lun temple wrap his body up as Master Yu Ti watches with heavy eyes. Hope, who tries to hold back her tears but is unable to, is next to him at his left. At his right stands Steve Rogers without his mask and with a sorrowful expression. Thor is next to him with both a saddened and angered look. Logan leans at the entrance with a blank face.
When they finish wrapping the young hero's body, the monks give a quick silent prayer and vacate the room.
Yu Ti looks to Captain America and says, "We will preserve his body until the travel arrangements can be made."
"...Thank you," Steve says, not looking at him after a moment of silence.
Yu Ti nods and begins to leave but stops next to Hope. He places his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She looks at him as if asking a question. He looks back as if he doesn't know the answer. He removes his hand and leaves the heroes alone.
The room is filled with a heavy silence. Nobody speaks, all the heroes in the room merely look on at the corpse of the youngest and possibly brightest Avenger they have ever known. Regret, shame, and so many other emotions can be felt through the air.
Finally, the silence is disrupted when Steve's boots echo through the room as he walks toward the corpse. He places a hand on the chest and says solemnly, "You were good enough. More than enough. I just hope you knew that in the end."
Spider-Man's last words are still ringing in his head. The fact that he thought he wasn't good enough made the war veteran's heartbreak. How in the world could Spider-Man possibly think that he wasn't good enough? After everything he's done and accomplished.
'Maybe because you didn't say it enough,' he heard a voice in his head. A voice he heard often and always told him right from wrong.
And was it ever right this time.
He takes his hand off and begins to walk out of the room, past Thor who was still standing in the same spot. He stops at the entrance and says to Wolverine, "We can't waste any more time. We need to finish this."
Hope looks at him aghast, "Waste time? He's dead! How can you think it's a waste of time to mourn him after he just-?!"
"Kid," Logan cut her off calmly before she got too loud, "he's right. We all want to mourn. But we need to finish this. Otherwise that," he gestures to Spider-Man's body, "would have been for nothing."
She looks at him with her mouth wide open and her wide teary eyes. Trying to think of something to say but is rendered speechless. She just storms out, wiping her eyes as she does.
Neither one tried to stop her. Both knew she needed to be alone for now. Steve glances at Logan and begins to give orders, "Gather everyone. Tell them to prepare. I'm gonna talk to Tony."
Logan nods and stops leaning against the doorframe and begins to walk down the steps out into the courtyard.
Steve looks back at the last occupant of the room and asks, "Thor?"
His head still lowered, the thunder god responds, "I'll be out in a moment Captain."
The Avengers leader nods and walks out.
Thor, now left alone in the room, walks forward and kneels before the stone and begins to say a prayer, "May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield," Thor started saying, "May they sing your name with love and fury. So that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. Where the brave shall live forever."
He finishes his prayer and rises from his knees. He looks at the young hero's body with sad eyes, "You gave your life valiantly for ours. Sacrificed yourself to save me and others from the clutches of the enemy. I swear to you, on my honor as the prince of Asgard, I will not let it be in vain."
He begins to walk out as well and stops at the door. He looks up and gives a small smile.
"And wherever you are, may you be at peace."
******
(Unknown Plane of Space)
Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump
Fifteen minutes of continuously banging his head against a stone pillar nearby and Spidey can definitely say he is not dreaming.
Also that he may have lost a couple of IQ points.
"Is the young hatchling finished with his ritual, Uatu?" The Living Tribunal, who really is in front of him and not a figment of his imagination, asked the Watcher.
The ever-present Watcher answers while still looking at Peter, "I believe banging one's head against a hard surface helps humans to come to terms with difficult situations."
Well, he's not entirely wrong on that.
"I'm okay," Spidey says as he raises his hand in a placating manner while his head is still pressed against the pillar, "It's just a lot to take in. So I'm probably gonna need another fifteen minutes, maybe an hour."
And with that said he continues to bang his head.
Thump Thump Thump
"As entertaining as this is, time is of the essence."
Oh yeah, he's not alone with those two. There are, in fact, ten other cosmic beings that Peter recognizes from the Avengers files.
Huh, looking back, he realizes Captain America was in the right in making him read those files.
Anyway, the impatient one, who also enjoyed watching him hurt himself, was Death herself. To her left, his right, the Master of Lies and everyone's least favorite devil, Mephistopheles.
Others were also present, such as Infinity and Eternity, Master Hate and Mistress Love, Master Order and Lord Chaos, The Inbetweener, and of course the ever so popular planet-eating bottomless pit known as Galactus.
Oh boy, is he in it deep.
Well thumping his head against a pillar isn't helping so he might as well start asking questions.
He rubs his head to help the headache he has, whether it's from the situation or the self-abuse he doesn't know, and turns around to face the cosmic beings.
He walks up to Uatu, since he's sure to answer him without belittling him, and asks, "Okay can you clarify a few things for me first."
Uatu nods.
"Great," Spider-Man says. He puts his hands together as he takes a deep breath, "Okay, so this is all real and not a figment of my imagination or something Mysterio cooked up, right?"
Uatu nods and says, "Correct."
"I died and instead of eternal peace I'm brought here?"
"Yes."
"And you said that this is a trial for the earth?"
"I did."
"And that I'm the basis you're all using. So if I don't make a good defense then the earth is gone?"
"Essentially, yes."
"Uh-huh," Spidey says. He clicks his tongue a few times and then says, "Alright well before I go back to banging my head, can you tell me one last thing?"
"Of course."
"Why in the world would you choose me?"
......
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