One Snap Away

Leaves from the vine

Falling so slow

Like fragile tiny shells

Drifting in the foam

Little soldier boy

Come marching home

Brave soldier boy

Comes marching home

Rocket Parker (as she prefers to be called) never dreamed that she would be working alongside the Avengers, much less fight a war in space with them.

But life doesn't always go as you plan

(A/N: Okay, in this fanfic, Peter didn't sneak on the ship, Iron Man brought him with him. Rocket (Peter's sister) came along even though they told her not to. But she did)

I'm still questioning how we got the gauntlet off of Thanos's hand...

A cough tour its way from my throat and blood spilled from my lips. Pain blossomed in my chest and I coughed up more blood. The sky was dark, stars littering the sky that was also missing a moon.

I still don't know how Mr. Stark survived that...

I laughed weakly, finding it ironic that I survive fighting cancer only to die saving the universe. The despair and had attacked my heart earlier had ceased, replaced by the peace knowing that I had saved my brother and the other Avengers.

We had landed on Titan two hours earlier, planning to take down Thanos and retrieve the other Infinity Stones. And it had worked for the most part, until Thanos almost killed Mr. Stark, demanding the Time Stone for his life.

And it had worked. He got the stone.

The Snap was worse.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were the first to disappear. Each of them faded to dust, looking at the ruins of the battle sorrowfully before they were gone. Dr. Strange followed sone after, placing a hand on Tony's shoulder before he faded too.

Peter was next. I can still hear his words.

"Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good...?"

I shivered, pain following quickly after my movement. His last words playing in my head like a broken record.

"I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go. Sir please, please I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go..."

I started crying, the pain in his words so vivid and fresh that I started crying all over again.

"I'm sorry..."

My cries turned into wails that I attempted to muffle with the only hand I had.

"Winter!"

"Winter, where are you!"

"WINTER!"

Peter, my mind supplied, He would only call me my real name if it were an emergency. My cries of anguish became sobs of relief. Rushed footsteps came towards my direction and Peter Quill appeared from behind the rocks. His eyes widened in horror at my now non-existent arm and my sobbing figure before he turned and called over his shoulder. "I found her! She's over here!"

More rushed footsteps came towards me and a familiar set of doe-brown eyes looked at me with horror. "Rocket!" My twin brother cried as he rushed to my side. I grinned at him weakly, blood staining my teeth, "We did it Peter. We won."

He shakily grabbed my right hand and held it to his lips, "Yeah Rocket... we did it. Those other Avatar's ain't got nothing on you." She let out a shaky breath, "Did I-" more blood dripped down her lips, "Did I bring everyone back? From the snap?"

"Yeah Rocket," tears were crawling down his cheeks, "Yeah you did."

Then Tony Stark rounded the rock.

His expression of dread turned into one of horror and despair as he continued to stare at me. "H-hey Mr. Stark," I grinned, which probably wasn't the best idea given his horrified expression. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

He turned to Dr. Strange, probably asking him to take them home when another coughing fit hit me in the chest. More blood dribbled down my lips and I turned and whispered to Peter, "Please... hold me..." He didn't hesitant to gently pull me onto his lap, making sure not to touch my wounded arm as he ran his fingers through my hair and rocked us back and forth.

"S-sing me a song...?"

"Of course," he agreed instantly, "Which song?"

"The," more blood fell past my lip," The one song you would sing to me in Italian when I was in the hospital? Please?"

His body shook with contained sobs and his voice was shaky as he began.

"Foglie dalla vite

Cadendo così lentamente

Come fragili conchiglie

Alla deriva nella schiuma

Ragazzino soldato

Vieni a casa a marciare

Ragazzo soldato coraggioso

Viene a casa in marcia"

(Leaves from the vine

Falling so slow

Like fragile tiny shells

Drifting in the foam

Little soldier boy

Come marching home

Brave soldier boy

Comes marching home)

Mr. Stark stopped his conversation with Dr. Strange and stared at us with a heart-broken expression. I cursed myself for forgetting that Mr. Stark speaks Italian. He spun around and pinned Dr. Strange to the rock, "I don't care what it takes, but we are going to get these kids home and we are getting Rocket to a doctor!"

The word 'Doctor' seemed to open a flood gate in my mind and the memories I had subconsciously suppressed for years came rushing back to me in a wave.

"Добро пожаловать в Hydra, Тема."

(Welcome to Hydra, Subject.)

"Держи ее вниз!"

(Hold her down!")

"Вы будете очень хорошим активом для нас, однажды. Возможно, даже лучше, чем Зимний Солдат!"

(You'll be a very good asset for us, one day. Perhaps even better than the Winter Soldier!)

"Отдай ее Зимнему солдату. Он будет ее Хранителем.."

(Give her to the Winter Soldier. He will be her Keeper.)

"Нет," I cried, trying to free myself from Peter's grasp, "Я не актив! Я не буду вашим активом! Ты не можешь заставить меня!"

(I'm not an asset! I won't be your asset! You can't make me!)

"Shh, shh. It's okay, Rocket, it's okay," Peter soothed, picking me bridal style and carrying me towards the portal that Dr. Strange made. What laid beyond was the ruins of a battlefield. Bodies of Aliens laid on the ground and some of the warriors who had fallen in the fight.

I continued to squirm in Peter's grip as a group. I continued crying out, "Я не твой!! Я не твой актив! Я не твой!! Отправь меня домой, я не твой !!"

(I'm not yours!! I'm not your asset! I'm not yours!! Send me home, I'm not yours!!)

"Tony, what's going on," a blond man-Steve Rogers- asked as he came to a stop in front of us. "Rocket used the gauntlet, burnt up her arm and she's coughing up blood, we need help," Tony explained in one breath and I kept shouting, "Я не актив! Отправь меня домой, я не твой! Я не твой актив!"

(I'm not an asset! Send me home, I'm not yours! I'm not your asset!)

Another man came to a stop next to him. His brown hair was covered in dirt and his eyes were icy blue. If I was in my right mind, I would have recognized him as Bucky Barnes, the guys we fought at the airport in Germany.

But I wasn't, so I called him something else.

"Зима !! Зима, помоги мне, пожалуйста! Я хочу домой! Пожалуйста, отпусти меня домой !!"

(Winter!! Winter, help me, please! I wanna go home! Please let me go home!!)

He looked like I smacked him across the face. He staggered backward and I continued pleading, begging him to let me go home. "Bucky, what is it," Steve questioned, his hand on his best friend's should to steady him. Bucky stared at me with wide eyes that held a pained look before they quickly turned cold.

"Хватит плакать."

(Stop crying.)

My tears immediately stopped and I closed my mouths to stop my sobs.

"Вы позволите людям короля Т'Чаллы помочь вам," he continued, his tone still cold, "И вы не будете сопротивляться им ни в каком виде, форме или форме. Понимаешь?"

(You will let King T'Challa's people help you. And you will not resist them in any way, shape or form. Do you understand?)

I sniffled a little and nodded, "Да сэр."

(Yes, Sir.)

His cold look faded away and he nodded to Peter, "Follow me." He wordlessly turned on his heel and walked away, all the other adults following after him. Peter had to run to keep up, "Wait! Where are we going?!" Winter (Bucky?) didn't turn, "We're taking her to Shuri. If anyone can fix Winter up, it's her."

"Don't call me that," I snarled quietly and Bucky (Winter?) glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow, "What should I call you then." More blood dripped past my lips and onto my suit. "Rocket," I said after I got all of the blood out of my mouth, "Call me Rocket."

His lips turned upward in amusement, "Alright. And in turn, you can call me Bucky." My eyes began to feel heavy and I rested my head against Peter's chest, already slipping in unconsciousness. "Bucky," I mumbled, not feeling Peter speed up or how someone told me to stay awake, "I like that."

Little did I know, that would be the last time I see them.

The Sequel should be up soon!!