The battlefield raged on, but Kaori had found her rhythm. Every flap of her colossal wings, every lash of her claws, tore through the Chitauri like paper. She was no longer overwhelmed—she was alive, burning with power she had once hidden. Fighting beside the Avengers felt like a dream, but deep inside, she knew this story had an ending.
And then she remembered it.
The scene.
The one she had watched over and over again on her PlayStation and in late-night movie marathons: Tony Stark carrying the nuclear missile into the portal. She had cried every time—even knowing he survived. But this time wasn't a movie. This was happening right in front of her.
"Cap! The missile is airborne!" Nick Fury's voice crackled through the comms, echoing across the chaos.
Kaori's monstrous head snapped upward. Sure enough, slicing through the sky was a gleaming warhead, heading straight for Manhattan.
"No…" she whispered, though her Diablo form made the word escape as a guttural growl.
Iron Man didn't hesitate. He shot upward, thrusters blazing, intercepting the missile. His hands clamped around it as he forced its trajectory skyward, straining his suit to the limit.
"Stark, you're not gonna make it!" Cap shouted.
"Just keep the skies clear down there," Tony's voice came, cocky but trembling beneath the bravado.
Kaori's chest tightened. She knew what came next. The portal. The missile. The fall.
Without thinking, she roared and launched herself after him. Her wings sliced through the air, pushing her faster, faster—past broken buildings, past alien gliders, higher and higher. She could see him struggling, every ounce of his strength forcing the missile upward.
"Wait! Let me help!" she bellowed, but the wind tore her words away.
Tony didn't look back. He didn't even know she was trying.
Then, together, they pierced the edge of the portal.
---
Inside the other side of the sky was chaos incarnate. The alien mothership loomed massive and terrible, its metallic skin writhing with strange, living energy. Thousands of Chitauri ships swarmed around it like bees to a hive. The missile glowed bright as Tony pushed it straight into the heart of the leviathan ship.
Kaori's eyes burned from the sheer light.
And then it hit.
The explosion ripped through space with impossible force, a chain reaction racing along the mothership's body. One by one, the Chitauri ships began to falter, their engines dying, their forms crashing lifelessly. Even the warriors below in New York would soon drop like broken dolls.
But amidst the blinding destruction, Kaori saw him—Iron Man, tumbling backward, the force of the blast sending him spinning helplessly toward the closing portal.
"No!"
She folded her wings and dove. Faster, faster, the portal shrinking, closing like an eye shutting forever. If it closed before he fell through… he'd never return.
Her monstrous claws stretched forward. She could almost touch him.
Almost.
And then—
The world twisted.
---
Kaori slammed into the ground back in New York, the impact cracking the pavement beneath her. She scrambled to her feet, her wings folding tightly as she scanned the sky. The portal was closing, the last glow of alien fire fading into nothingness.
And then—
A small shape tumbled through.
Iron Man.
He fell like a stone, silent, lifeless, smoke trailing from his suit. The Avengers cried out, Captain America rushing forward, Thor leaping to try and catch him—
But Kaori was faster.
She shed her Diablo form mid-leap, her massive body collapsing into her small human self. Her arms stretched out, and against all odds, she caught him. The sheer weight nearly broke her bones, but her transformation granted her just enough strength. They both slammed into the ground, rolling across the street until they came to a stop.
Kaori's chest heaved as she looked down at his still body. For a moment, he didn't move. His helmet was dark, his breathing silent.
"No, no, no…" Kaori whispered, tears stinging her eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn't forget this wasn't just a movie anymore. What if he really didn't wake up this time?
The Avengers circled around them, silent, watching.
And then, with a weak hiss of air, the suit's systems flickered. Iron Man groaned softly.
Kaori gasped, half laughing, half crying. She stumbled back as Hulk let out a triumphant roar, lifting Tony like a ragdoll and shaking him awake. The team cheered, the weight of the battle finally lifting.
Kaori wiped her face, her heart pounding. She had lived through the moment she had always feared. She had caught him. She had changed it—even if just a little.
But as she stared at Tony Stark, still dazed but alive, a strange thought crept into her mind.
If I can change the ending of one story… what else can I change?
The question haunted her as the sounds of victory rose across the ruined city.