Vormir.

"And you're aware, kid, that this place has killed some of our friends, right?" Rocket's voice was wary as he turned to look back at Quill, the memory of Gamora still fond in his mind. "So you don't go messing around with the floaty, red guy. This is serious shit, capeesh?"

Stevie nodded solemnly and stepped off of The Milano, the purple glow of the planet surrounding her. Rocket followed behind, as well as Groot, all of them silent. "You've been here before?"

"Once." The raccoon replied, "came to visit with the whole gang when all of the Thanos shit had blown over."

"And the stone... It does what, exactly?"

"Kills people. Civilisations. Half of man kind. Sucks out their souls and stuff." He sighed, placing his gun into its holster as they began the climb to the top of the cliff. "What do you want with this place, kid?"

"I'm interested, is all. If I can't see my father, then I may as well come and see Nat and Gamora, eh?" Her feet dragged against the pebbly floor, causing a scratchy noise to ring in her ears.

"You on the hunt for your pops or something? I've been there, done that. Didn't work out. He was a piece of shit."

"I am Groot!"

Rocket rolled his eyes, "yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn't speak badly of my old man. They all turn out to be jerks, though. Quill's dad tried to kill him. Thor's dad banished him. Gamora's dad killed her. Man, what assholes."

"Would you ever have a kid, Rocket?"

"Nah. They're nasty shits, kids are. Wouldn't want 'em to live in this crappy universe, anyway."

"Hey! Remember who you're talking to." She clapped a hand over the back of his head, causing him to shove her away as he rubbed where she'd hit. "But I guess you're right. If I had a kid and she ended up like my sister, I'd leave her on the doorstep down the street."

Rocket sighed, "your sister deserves more than that. She may be bitchy and whiny, but she's gone through all the same things you have. Family is important."

"She's hardly family." Argued Stevie, "bullies me every day and she doesn't even realise it."

"She's jealous."

"She's a piece of shit."

"You ever thought that maybe it's because she envies you? You haven't had your dad go to see his friends and come back dead- or, well, not come back at all."

The group continued the walk in silence as she pondered on the thought. There was nothing that Stevie wanted more (other than to meet her father) than for her sister to accept her, and maybe to be nice to her every once in a while. But she knew that Rocket was right, despite the fact that he was a grumpy old rodent with a talking tree best friend.

"You're quite wise for a rat, you know that?"

"I take pride in it," replied the raccoon, "sometimes a little too much pride."

The blinding purple aura that the planet seemed to be subconsciously emitting was slowly glowing brighter, almost as if their presence had been made aware to whoever lurked at the top of the cliff. "Stevie, daughter of Anthony." A ghostly voice ricocheted around the trio, "Groot, son of Groot. Rocket, son of The Planet Halfwood."

"We don't want the stone, Voldemort." Rocket hissed, "just visiting again."

Red Skull floated ominously away, vanishing into a black cloud of dusty particles. Stevie immediately began to stroll towards the edge of the cliff, her strides long and quick as though she were in a rush. She stopped abruptly once her toes were hanging over the side, peering down with sad eyes. At the bottom – perhaps a hundred or so meters down – a pattern of deep and vibrant reds was splattered across the silvery stone.

"All these lives for a glowing rock," she muttered, "humans are disgusting."

"It's not just any rock, Stark. Without that thing, half of all existing life wouldn't... well it wouldn't exist."

"I know." She sighed, "sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if the avengers hadn't reversed the snap... My old man would be here. He would've handed me the MIT letter himself. But, then again, Peter wouldn't be here. I don't know what I'd do without him. He's like the sibling I never had."

"I am Groot!" You have a sibling.

"Right, not sibling. Brother."

There was an airy silence as Rocket slowly wandered forwards until he was stood beside Stevie at the edge, staring off into the horizon, deep in thought. "You know, kid. You're gonna have to stop dwelling on this shit one day. He's gone, alright? He's not here. The longer that you trick yourself into thinking that he will come back, the harder it'll be to finally accept that he won't."

Stevie scoffed.

"You have daddy issues, I get it. But we all do. It's something that just happens in life, something that, although it may be painful, is a common thing. Your pops died a hero. It'll stay that way for the rest of history."

"Stupid raccoon with your stupid wise words and your stupid common sense." She muttered, "and my stupid father with his stupid sacrifice and my stupid sister with her stupid attitude and her stupid boyfriend and s-stupid MJ with her s-stupid kindness and h-her..." 

By now, Stevie had pools of tears bottled in her eyes, sliding down her face and dripping off of the edge, falling to the bottom of the canyon with a silent splash. She let out a heart-wrenching sob, her knees wobbling as she leaned ever-so-slightly away from the safety of the ground and towards the open drop.

Her eyes slammed shut as she swayed gently in the wind, small snowflakes drifting into her hair. "And my stupid life with its stupid pain." Her eyes flickered open, throwing her off balance.

She slipped.