Rather predictably, it doesn't take long for everything to go to shit.

Sam's lost track of how many bullets he's fired into the skeletal faces of their attackers, or the number of times he's had to swerve to avoid being shot out of the sky, but a deep ache of exhaustion weighs heavily on him as he watches yet another creature fall dead before his eyes. He's covered in the grey of their blood, and a fair amount of red as well from the injured or dying civilians he's tried to help, and the stench of it is enough to make him gag. Destruction surrounds him at every turn; entire city blocks have been reduced to rubble, and though he helps to evacuate as many as he can, he knows it's nowhere near enough.

It doesn't help that beyond their trio, he has very little idea of how anyone else is doing. Their communication was cut out hours ago, and only the sight of Steve and Bucky fighting by his side is enough to reassure him that he isn't the only fighter left. Occasionally, however, he'll spot Iron Man and War Machine flying through the air, trying to contain some unseen threat, and tell-tale lightning seems to follow Thor wherever he goes. Their combined efforts seem to have been enough to contain the chaos to Manhattan Island, although he can't help but wonder if that's by Thanos' design, and as he helps yet another group of terrified families cross the river, he hopes that the army's evacuation efforts will protect as many in the remainder of the city as they can.

A blast which just soars past his head is enough to tell Sam that he's getting careless. He turns, ready to fire, but finds that Bucky's done the job of planting a bullet in the creature's skull for him. He nods in gratitude, before leaning over and planting his hands on his knees, catching his breath as fatigue threatens to crush him. The familiar weight of Bucky's hand on his shoulder is enough to anchor him, and he nods half-truthfully when he's asked if he's okay.

He doubts any of them will be okay after this, but it won't help to say as much out loud.

They both turn at the sound of something running towards them, only to relax when it's Steve's face that emerges from the fog of ash. The man looks as beaten as Sam feels, his face drawn and his hair grey with dust, and even his shield seems to have lost its sheen over the course of their fight.

"I take it you're not bringing good news?" Sam asks, his voice raspy from the effort of the last few hours, and he notices Bucky give a mirthless laugh as if the same question had been running through his mind.

A reluctant shake of the head is his answer. "We've just about managed to contain their army, but…" Steve looks back to where a large, sparking portal is still spilling ships and grotesque flying creatures upon them, albeit less frequently than before. "Thanos has taken hostages. People who couldn't get out in time. He wants us to face him."

Well that's a trap lying in wait if Sam has ever seen one. He tries not to dwell on the fact that Thanos's continued existence means their advanced guard probably isn't enough to beat him.

"What about Vision and Strange? Have we heard from them?"

"Not since we lost the comms," Steve says, the slump of his posture the only indication he gives of his own exhaustion. "I caught up with Tony though, when he came over to check on us. He thinks… he thinks he saw Thanos with the Mind Stone."

"Oh," Sam says, the word sounding dead to his ears. Beside him he hears Bucky swear under his breath and the unmistakeable crash of a metal fist punching a wall.

The moment stretches for an unbearably long time, with seconds feeling like hours. Sam's pretty sure he stops breathing, if the burning in his chest is any indication, and he realises that he can't see beyond the endless grey that surrounds them.

The fact that he's even able to speak surprises him, but the words he says sound as lifeless as he feels. "We're going to him, aren't we?"

"You two don't have to-"

"Bullshit!" Bucky says finally, the fury in his voice barely enough to hide his weariness, and when he looks over to Sam he can tell that they're on the same page. "We're going with you."

"Yeah," Sam agrees, managing a smile despite the direness of their situation and his likely impending demise. He notices that Steve's looking at them both with a mix of pride and frustration, the burden of responsibility not quite enough to extinguish the desire to fight with his friends by his side. "Sorry Cap, you're stuck with us."

There's a beat in which Sam half expects his friend to order them to stay behind, but what they get instead is a resigned nod and a forcefully cheerful "Then, let's go."

The journey to the wasteland that serves as Thanos' meeting place is surprisingly uneventful. What few creatures they encounter are easily defeated, the trio working together like clockwork every time an enemy presents itself, and Sam briefly mourns the fact that they haven't had more of this throughout the years.

Not that that's anything he can dwell on, when arriving at their destination presents them with a crowd of terrified civilians, including far too many children, surrounded by alien guards scuttling around the ruined shells of skyscrapers. Thanos is nowhere in sight, which is a mercy if ever there was one, but there's a strange undercurrent of something dangerous in the air, as if they'll suddenly be pushed back by an unannounced wave of electricity.

As they crouch behind an upturned truck, Sam tries to wipe his mind clean of their extra-terrestrial threat and focuses on the faces of the people in the crowd; the mothers clutching their crying, confused children close with the aim of protecting them at all costs; the elder siblings gently holding the hands of the younger; the police officers and firefighters and soldiers who have moved to the outskirts of the circle to form a human shield. It's them who matter now, who have always mattered, and Sam knows he will endure whatever it takes to protect them.

"I'm going to cause a distraction," Steve whispers under his breath, and both Sam and Bucky look at him with an expression that pretty much calls him a reckless idiot to his face. Annoyingly, their synchronisation only makes him smile. "You two use the opportunity to take out the guards and get as many people out of here as you can. Don't wait up; you get them straight to safety, understand?"

Sam opens his mouth to protest, and Bucky too seems particularly reluctant to obey his friend's request, but there's a sternness in Steve's eyes that stops them. They both know he's right, that their aim has been to prioritise civilians from the start, but that doesn't mean they need to be happy about Steve being reckless in the process.

That said, it's not like he gives them a choice in the matter. His order has barely been uttered before he's running off, disappearing into the skeletal remains of nearby buildings, taking the long route around the waiting horde. Sam and Bucky are left waiting with baited breaths for the inevitable signal that Steve's got himself into trouble as a distraction, and it comes minutes later in the form of gunfire mixed with the harsh metallic blasts from their enemy's weapons.

"That's our cue," Sam says, as the uproar sends several of the alien guards barrelling in Steve's direction, and without hesitation they leap out from their hiding place and start to attack those that remain.

Sam feels himself drift into instinct, where only killing the creatures that attack him matters. He watches, detached, as one drops after another with each pull of the trigger, and only the background noise of Bucky doing the same acts as an indicator that the man is even there. There's perhaps twenty still gathered around the civilians, and Sam counts eight falling at his hand before turning to realise the only one left is seconds away from getting its throat slashed by Bucky. He watches as his friend lashes out with his knife, his expression feral, and the creature finds itself bleeding out on the ground before it even has a chance to raise its weapon.

The bloodlust vanishes as quickly as it arose, and Sam feels the ache in his muscles start to return along with a burn at his side that suggests he's been grazed without realising. He'll live though, and a glance over to Bucky shows that the man has managed to emerge unscathed. They take a split second to cool down before jumping into action, facing the crowd of civilians looking up at them with a mix of awe and terror, and Sam tries to adorn an authoritative manner as he addresses them.

"Let's go," he says to the group of faces, as a few carefully rise to their feet. "We're going to get you out of here. Follow us at all times and whatever you do, stick together. Understand?"

There's the odd 'yes' and widespread nods as more shakily rise to their feet, ready to follow their silently appointed leaders. Sam wanders over to Bucky and notices that the man isn't looking to the crowd, but beyond them, where the distant sounds of fighting can still be heard. It sounds like there's more Avengers with Steve now – Sam thinks he hears the familiar soundtrack of Stark's suits – and he tries to take comfort in the fact that his friend isn't alone.

"I know it sucks, but we need to go," Sam says, as comfortingly as he can manage even though he too itches to join their captain. "He'll be okay."

Bucky looks from Sam back to the distance as if seeing Steve through the maze of buildings, before nodding once and turning his attention to their charges. "We need to move now," he tells them, his tone cutting all bullshit. "It won't be long before they come looking for us."

That seems to rile the civilians into action, and they all obediently follow Sam and Bucky as they make their way along deserted city blocks, constantly on the lookout for threats. Some of the armed soldiers and police-officers surround the group protectively as they move as quickly as they can manage with young children in their care, but thankfully only a few creatures emerge from the shadows on their journey. A young female soldier hands Bucky a spare gun, having noticed that he's run out of ammo, and Sam watches as he smiles at her gratefully.

If nothing else comes out of this, Sam thinks, at least the world will now be able to see his friend as the good man he truly is.

They're halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge when the familiar sounds of the Iron Man suits sound from behind them, and they turn to see Tony and Rhodey land on the tarmac as Wanda gracefully follows in a flash of crimson. They waste no time in joining Sam and Bucky as they transport their charges across the bridge, where they're met by an armed guard who have been helping civilians cross throughout the fight. Sam can't hide his relief as he sees their small gathering returned to safety, and his heart lifts even more when he spots other Avengers approaching the crowd and accompanying them to shelter, but there's a sense of unease buried in his gut as he acknowledges the most notable absence among their group.

"Did you see Steve out there?" he asks Tony, trying not to appear too uneasy when he notices the man's face betraying his own concern.

"Yeah, he was helping us fight Thanos's lackeys," Stark responds, looking back across the river. Curiously, though their attackers are continuing their assault, they don't seem to be extending their territory beyond the water, as if an invisible shield is keeping them at bay. Sam finds little reassurance in that however, especially as Tony's next words sink in.

"He told us to head back. Said you two were evacuating civilians, that he'd go back to find you," Tony looks between Sam and Bucky, as if expecting the third member of their group to appear out of nowhere. "You haven't seen him?"

"Oh Steve, you idiot…" Bucky mutters, breathless as if the implication that has just occurred to Sam has burned its way into his head too.

Steve told them not to wait up; to focus on getting the civilians out of danger. He never planned on re-joining them, regardless of what he told Stark.

He's trying to buy them time.

"I'm going back for him."

Bucky charges back towards the bridge without hesitation, gathering up supplies left behind by some of the battalion in the process, and Sam finds himself numbly following before he's even consciously made the decision to do so.

Before they've even made it halfway across, Sam finds himself blinded by a vibrant green light emanating from the centre of the island, and for several sickening moments he feels the sensation of being pulled backwards and forwards, as if time is locked in an intense battle with itself. Perhaps this is the case; Sam vaguely remembers Doctor Strange discussing his ability to manipulate time should the need arise, and arise it has.

Unfortunately, the sorcerer seems to be locked in a losing battle as every time the buildings start to rebuild from the rubble, a pulling sensation tears through the air and they collapse in a heap once again.

This astral tug of war continues for what feels like hours until the green light is vaporised by a harsh, all-consuming blue.

Sam's never thought of the colour blue as ugly before. Blue is the ocean, and clear skies in Wakanda, and Steve's kind eyes.

In this moment, however, it's a colour he never wants to see again.

He watches as the light consumes the horizon until it obediently stops just before the water, extending towards the grey skies and radiating an intense heat that prickles uncomfortably against Sam's skin even from a distance. It takes all of his strength to hold Bucky back as the man starts to race forward, screaming what might be Steve's name although Sam can hear nothing but the roar of the blast.

He watches as the blue light eventually fades; as the buildings it had consumed crumble into dust like sand in an hourglass, leaving nothing but smoke in its wake.

The silence it leaves behind is deafening. Sam feels nothing but a deep emptiness in his chest and the solid weight of Bucky in his arms. He feels the other man collapse against him, his limbs turned to water, and before Sam can stop himself he falls too, his knees meeting the tarmac of a bridge that now leads to nothing. When sound finally returns to him, it has the same effect as a knife would; he hears Bucky's disbelieving "No, no, no…" and terrified screams from the city behind him and, eventually, Tony barely keeping it together as he calls for help.

"FRIDAY, we need… tell Fury we need backup. We need to search for survivors…"

It takes a while to notice that the portals are gone from the sky; that Thanos has had his fun with this battle and is off to wallow in his victory before striking again. It takes a while for Sam to notice much of anything.

All that pierces through his consciousness is his tight, unrelenting grip on Bucky and an all-too familiar sensation of having his heart torn from his chest.


... Runs and hides

Confession time: when I initially laid out the outline for this story (back when it was 5 chapters and not the 10 it's likely to be) I had a downer/bittersweet ending planned. However, the more I've written, the more I've started to feel it probably wouldn't be appropriate for this story. I promise that as grim as the next chapter gets, the story'll ultimately end on an optimistic note :) (Unless you're into angst, in which case the end of the next chapter might serve as a more preferable end-point).

Thank you so much for sticking with me to this point. The first draft of the next chapter is mostly done, but I've got a busy week coming up so I can't say when the last chapters will be up. I'll definitely aim not to keep you waiting too long though!