Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Most of these characters are theirs. Just for fun, not for profit.

Warning: This chapter contains parallel events to Avengers: Infinity War, and as such, could be considered spoilers. Some of the events remain the same, but much has been altered. If you have not already seen the movie, proceed with caution.


Infinity War

The sun was setting as the team approached the charred and hollowed out skeleton that used to be a Hydra research facility. There without consent or knowledge of the local population, they had resorted to kidnapping and subterfuge to obtain subjects for their experiments. The jungle had exacted penance for their trespasses. After an earthquake had ruptured their power core and caused the explosion, the local flora had taken back the land. Vines twisted through cracked and crumbling walls, and exotic flowers bloomed cheerfully atop skeletons and melted electronics. The wind was warm, and carried the scent of rich and fertile earth as the sky turned brilliant oranges and vibrant pinks. Bucky tilted his face towards the sunset.

"They kept me stuck in Siberia when this was an option?" he muttered under his breath in Russian. It was kind of astounding how far Hydra's reach had been, truly. They found old facilities in some of the most unexpected places.

"Well, nobody called you the Tropical Soldier," Natasha pointed out in the same language. He shot her a mock-exasperated look, then turned his attention back to their destination. Their trek inland had been marked by chirps and calls of the indigenous fauna, but here the jungle was eerily silent. The facility had been a massive structure. While most of it was scorched and crumbling, a huge, fractured dome rose nearly to the top of the tree line. Support beams criss-crossed through the dimming daylight, occasionally interrupted by panes of glass that hadn't yet shattered. Within the structure, a dark silhouette was perched on some branches that had grown through the structure. As they drew nearer, the shadow stirred, and suddenly expanded as she spread her wings and dove towards them. Letting out a shriek that was eerily close to human, but closer to a bird of prey, she swooped down, talons outstretched. Steve and Sam ducked, falling belly-down on the ground below to avoid the razor-sharp nails. Then, with a rush of her twenty-foot wings, she vanished into the treetops overhead.

"What the hell was that?" Bucky asked out loud. He had gotten an impression of black and white feathers, long sharp nails and a still-human face with dark, terrified eyes.

"Whatever she is, she isn't getting far," Sam replied, pointing. A wire cable glinted in the dim light, leading from the skeletal dome and tracing a path through the trees overhead. "I'll catch up." He took off, keeping low to the ground at first, then soaring up through the trees. The branches were close together in the canopy, making it hard to maneuver, but his attention was focused ahead of him. He noted the frantic flutter of wings as she noticed she was being followed, and the abrupt swerve between a tree and a rocky cliff, then a steep bank under an overhang. He almost didn't make the turns himself. If she had been completely free, she probably would have lost him, but the cable twined through the branches during her unexpected detour. He heard the crackles of branches snapping under the strain of the long tether, and her frustrated screech as she reached the end of it. He flew up the rock face to find her perched on a ledge, eyes wild as she realized she was trapped. He landed and retracted his wings, then crouched down with his hands up, palms towards her.

"It's okay, it's okay," he said, trying to keep his tone soothing as he took a slow step towards her. "I'm not going to hurt you." She was holding her wings as if they were a cloak, covering the rest of her body. The striking black and white feathers continued up her back, and instead of hair she had long, shining plumes. At the moment, they were standing up, making her appear larger. Her face, at least, remained human, with wide, almond-shaped eyes and delicate features. All he could see of her body was one leg, pulled out of her center of balance. Around the ankle, a severe-looking metal cuff was clamped around her ankle. The skin around it was chafed and bleeding, layers of injury that hadn't been given a chance to heal. Sam grimaced slightly. "That looks painful. Will you let me try to take that off, so I can get a closer look?" She looked at him warily. "I might be able to help," he explained.

"Doctor?" she trilled. He shook his head.

"More of a medic," he explained. It wasn't until after he replied that he realized her words had not been in English, though he understood them as if they had been.

"Doctors did this to me," she responded, the statement a warbling shriek. Sam nodded, hands still raised.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he said softly. "They shouldn't have done this to you." Her guarded expression turned disbelieving.

"You… can understand me?" she whistled. Sam sighed and nodded.

"I can. It's… kind of a long story. I can explain later. Right now, I want to get that tether off and get a look at your leg," he replied. "Then, if you like, I can get you away from this place. Either way, you'll be free." Hesitantly, she took a step towards him.

"Go where?" she asked suspiciously. He shrugged.

"We have a… place at sea. Safe from those who would take advantage. We protect each other, work and play together. Nearly everyone aboard has a similar story to yours." She paused, her eyes flickering speculatively over his body, looking for alterations but finding none.

"Do you?" she asked. He grinned broadly at her.

"Let me take a look at that leg, and I'll tell you my whole story," he bargained. She regarded him for a moment, then sidled closer. Sam handily picked the lock holding the shackle closed. As he removed it, the tension on the wire sent it flying backwards, leaves shuddering and branches springing back in its wake. She held very still as Sam dressed her ankle with the supplies from his field kit. He kept talking as he worked, keeping his tone soothing as he sensed her still-unsettled nerves. "After this, you can do whatever you want. You could join us, go back to your family, travel the world… as long as you stay out of trouble…"

"My family is gone," she interrupted him with a low, mournful whistle. "My village thinks I'm a monster. If I go back, they will try to kill me."

"Well, we can't have that." Sam frowned slightly as he carefully cleaned necrotic tissue out of her wounds. He glanced up at her. "What's your name?"

"Ansina," she replied. He grinned.

"Nice to meet you, Ansina," he said. "I'm Sam."


Bucky scanned the dark treetops worriedly. It had been a long time since Sam had disappeared after their target. Rifle at the ready, he peered through the gloom, trying to get a glimpse of movement that would tell him his friend was okay.

"Relax, Buck," Steve said from behind him. "He would have radioed for help if he needed it."

"Unless he can't," Bucky pointed out. "Maybe we should go look for him."

"Give him a few more minutes," Nat suggested. "Sam is actually quite capable."

"Wow, high praise coming from you!" Sam quipped, landing lightly on the ground next to them. Natasha looked somewhat abashed that he had overheard her compliment. A moment later, a slim figure touched down next to him with a rustle of feathers. Her head barely reached his chest, but her wings added to her unique presence. "Everyone, this is Ansina. Ansina, this is Steve, Bucky and Natasha."

"Welcome, Ansina," Steve said, and took a deep breath. Sam held a hand up before he could launch into his usual spiel about joining them.

"I've already filled her in. She wants to come with us," he assured them. She let out a high-pitched keen that trailed off in a warble. Sam nodded. "She says its nice to meet you." Bucky's eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline, but for once he kept his peace.


"It's a great honor just to be asked," Pepper pointed out as she and Tony strolled through the park. Copper trotted eagerly ahead of them, her leash taut in Pepper's hand, but at least she didn't pull so much anymore. "But you should only take it if you're sure you want it."

"I know, I know," Tony grimaced. "It's a bad idea, isn't it? It's a bad idea."

"Well, I have a company to run," Pepper pointed out. "I can't be there to hold your hand all the time."

"True," Tony said meditatively. "And believe it or not, diplomacy may not be my strongest suit." Pepper burst out laughing.

"There's the understatement of the century," she chuckled. For a moment, Tony looked affronted, then shrugged and sighed.

"Then it's settled. I won't take the job. I'll have to tell the President to move on to his next candidate for Secretary of State," he declared.

"I think that would be for the best," Pepper agreed.

"My ambitions lately have been in different directions, anyway," Tony continued. "Some a bit closer to home." Pepper made a noncommittal noise. He stopped and turned to face her. "Last night, I dreamt, we had a kid. So real. We named him after your eccentric uncle. Uh, what was his name?" Pepper raised her eyebrows at him. "Morgan! Morgan, that was it. And it was so real, you know what I mean? Like when you dream you have to pee, and then you wake up, and you really have to pee?" Pepper raised her eyebrows at him.

"So you woke up, and thought we were…"

"Expecting," Tony finished the sentence for her. "Yeah?" She gave him a tolerant smile, then shook her head.

"No," she said unequivocally. "We're not."

"But maybe we could be," Tony suggested. "Look, I know I haven't always been the best boyfriend… fiancé… whatever. But I think I'm getting better. And I think… maybe I'm ready. Maybe we're ready." Pepper regarded him for several moments, and then her face softened.

"Maybe," she agreed. She pressed Copper's leash into Tony's palm. "Tell you what. You take over taking care of Copper. You feed her, you walk her, you take her to training sessions, you pick up her poop. If you can do that, after the wedding, we can discuss it." Tony's eyes widened, and he looked from her to the Golden Retriever and back again. His fingers curled around the nylon leash.

"You don't believe I can do it," he accused. Pepper only smiled.

"Feel free to prove me wrong," she replied. "Here are the bags." She handed him a small roll of plastic bags, and he looked down at them in confusion.

"These are… these are for…"

"The dog's poop, Tony," Pepper said in exasperation, pointing. He turned to see Copper squatting over the grass.

"Ah… oh." Tony considered the fragrant brown pile, then shrugged. "I can do this." Tearing off a bag, he bent over and collected the little mound.

"Tony Stark, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me. Oh, uh, congratulations on the wedding, by the way." Tony straightened and turned to see an eccentrically handsome man with a goatee and long, flowing robes, looking like he had gotten separated from his LARP group.

"I'm sorry, are you selling tickets or something?" Tony asked in irritation.

"We need your help," Dr. Strange replied, ignoring the snarky comment. "It's not overselling it to say the fate of the universe is at stake."


They had just boarded their aircraft when Steve's phone rang, a ringtone Bucky had heard only once before. Not his usual phone, but the other one, the one he always carried, just in case. Steve's eyes widened, and he stopped and answered.

"Tony?" he answered hesitantly. Bucky shot him a questioning look. Steve nodded and held up a finger, then turned away from them to concentrate on his conversation. The others exchanged puzzled looks. Sam ushered Ansina to a comfortable seat, getting her a blanket and helping her get settled in. She was regarding him with a kind of amazement, like she had never seen anything like him before. Bucky watched the pair with some amusement.

"Looks like she's imprinted on him," Natasha murmured from off to his left. Bucky glanced at her. She was watching the pair with a faint smile on her face.

"I always knew he had maternal tendencies," Bucky joked. Natasha chuckled at his jest, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Okay, change of plans," Steve announced as he strode back into the passenger compartment. "We're going to make a slight detour, pick up Vision and Wanda. Then we have to see how many are willing to leave Sanctuary and come with us."

"Come with us where?" Natasha asked curiously. "To do what?" Steve spread his hands expansively.

"To try and save the universe."


"You're sure about this?" Bucky asked. "We could just hide Vision here until this whole thing blows over." Steve shook his head.

"Too dangerous," he declared. "If they do find us, it puts everyone on board at risk. I think Wakanda's our best bet. Shuri can help us figure out a way to safely get the stone out of Vision without killing him. But he's got an army. With the entire universe at stake, I only think it's fair to give them the option to help, don't you?"

"You think they'll want to risk their lives, when they just got them back?" Sam asked dubiously. Bucky nodded slowly after a moment.

"Most of them aren't short on courage," he pointed out. "And this would give them a cause… A purpose." The others nodded thoughtfully. As idyllic as their time aboard had been, not everyone had yet discovered a role to play in their little community. Steve watched all the citizens of Sanctuary file into the mess hall, which was the largest room on the ship, and wondered when he'd started thinking of them as citizens. He recalled each of their names as they walked by, recalled where they had found them, what their abilities were. Bucky, Bruce and Natasha stood beside him on his left, Sam, Wanda and Vision on his right. They all watched the crowd soberly, the weight of their next mission and of what they would be asking of the others resting heavily upon them. The chatter and laughter in the room lightened the atmosphere, but Steve knew that in a few short minutes, it would be gone. He stepped forward to address the room, and the conversations stopped.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he announced. Now that the room was silent, his voice carried. "As we speak, a being named Thanos is headed for Earth, with the intention of capturing the Infinity Stones and using them to wipe out half of all life in the universe. We intend to stop him, but we will need all the help we can get to do that. And so we are asking of you what I never wanted to have to ask of you. This fight will not be easy, and I can't promise that everyone will survive it. But if any of you are willing to risk your lives, for the sake of the planet, the universe… life itself… we are asking for volunteers." He stepped back and nodded at Bucky, who stepped forward and translated the speech for those citizens were still shaky on English. The murmurs of conversation were rising, and by the time he was done, the sound in the mess hall had risen to a dull roar.

The first group to step forward was the dozen men and women that Sam had dubbed the Suicide Squad. Hydra had increased their aggression levels, increased their strength, and completely desensitized them to pain. Since they could feel nothing, they could literally tear themselves apart fighting, and not stop until their lives ran out. Despite this risk, they loved nothing better. They had mostly spent their time since joining Sanctuary beating the tar out of each other in the gym. After stitching up several serious lacerations and setting multiple fractured bones, Sam had insisted on instituting a new rule that they stop as soon as they saw blood.

"Shocker," Sam muttered behind Bucky's back. Bucky wasn't surprised, either. He was slightly startled when Gretchen and the Stormbringers stepped up next. Even Felix was standing beside his mother, looking slightly nervous but eager at the same time. Next was the group that Mutt had been culled from. Bucky had been impressed by Mutt's dog form… until he met the rest of them. The five canine fighters came nearly to his waist, heavily-muscled and sharp-fanged. In human form, they were equally impressive. Towering well over six feet, they were broad-shouldered and powerful. Remigiusz had even challenged Steve to arm wrestle on one memorable occasion. Steve insisted that he let him win, but Bucky wasn't sure he completely believed him. Not far behind them were Maren and Lina, the Poison Queens, two girls who had been rendered immune to most poisons but carried so much of it in their bodies that just a touch could kill. They typically wore gloves on the ship, out of courtesy to the others, but now they stripped them off and wiggled their fingers cheerfully in Steve's direction, signaling their willingness to kill for him.

They stepped forward more quickly now. Ember and Ignatius flamed forward. Varian and Misu materialized among their ranks. Even Ansina, barely aboard long enough to get acquainted with her new quarters, stepped forward to join them. By individuals and by groups, their numbers grew, until half of Sanctuary's population was standing, waiting for Steve's next instructions. Bucky looked over at his oldest friend as a grin spread across his face.

"Looks like Thanos isn't the only one with an army."


T'Challa met them at the Wakanda border, flanked by the Dora Milaje. Steve went ahead to greet the king.

"Grim news, Captain," T'Challa greeted him. "Wakanda's resources, the Dora Milaje, and the army are at your disposal."

"Thank you," Steve replied. "It seems like I am always thanking you for something."

"And how many are you bringing with you?" T'Challa inquired. "When you left, you were sixteen, but some were only children." Steve nodded.

"Those numbers have grown," he confessed. Turning slightly, he watched as a double column of warriors marched down the gangway. They had spent the time it took to travel back to Wakanda in strategy sessions, attack drills, defense techniques. Those who wanted it had been armed. They weren't exactly well-disciplined troops, but they could do plenty of damage. "They're not your average soldiers, but they fight for the fate of the universe with us. Most of them have particularly deadly talents that should be helpful in the coming fight. All told, one hundred eighty-five." T'Challa looked impressed.

"You are full of surprises today, Captain," he noted. "I like this one better than the one that brings you here. Speaking of which…" he gestured to Wanda and Vision, gliding towards them several feet off the ground. "Bring them directly to Shuri's lab," he directed. Nobomi and Cebisa saluted with arms crossed over chest and took off, flying towards the pair and escorting them towards the palace.


The battlefield was tense, watching Thanos' forces attacking the edge of the forcefield. Bucky looked around at the warriors lined up to do battle alongside him. Beside Wakanda's trained and polished fighters, the Sanctuary fighters seemed piecemeal, but after leading them in drills and seeing what they could do, he knew the situation wasn't nearly as hopeless as it appeared at first glance.

"How much longer, Shuri?" T'Challa asked over his earpiece.

"At least another half hour, brother." Shuri sounded both distracted and annoyed at the interruption. "But more would be better." She frowned as she concentrated on her task, bent over Vision as she tried to separate his essence from the stone in his head. Wanda watched anxiously from her post by the window, glancing out over the battlefield and then back to the man she loved, supine on the table. Stationed around the lab, watching warily for any sign of a threat, the Stormbringers stood at attention. Gretchen and Felix exchanged glances, a mother's concern for her son and a boy's determination to not let his fear win. Gretchen squared her shoulders, her lips curving up into a proud smile.


The force field opened at T'Challa's command, allowing the invaders to spill through, and the two armies approached each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Bucky saw Ember and Ignatius burst into flame and plow through the oncoming wave, leaving flames and screeching in their wake. Remigiusz and the combat canines shifted and sprinted towards the front lines, baying and snarling in anticipation of blood. With a bellow, Matvei led the Suicide Squad forward to meet the aliens, swinging a broadsword in one hand and a battle axe in the other. Bucky wasn't sure where he had gotten either item, but he was fervently glad they were on the same side. Then the first aliens came in range of his gun, and he narrowed his field of focus to the fight coming to him. Raising his rifle, he shot the one nearest him, watching the creature stumble and falter but continue towards him. Three more bullets, and it was unresponsive on the ground. Watching how it had reacted to each hit told him where its most vulnerable points were. It wouldn't take him that many shots again.


Felix swallowed hard as the sounds of battle drew nearer. They were in the palace now. Shuri's face was intense in concentration, her work too delicate to be interrupted. The technology she had provided them allowed them access to nearly unlimited electrical power, although they did have to be careful to leave her enough. Stepping into the hall outside the lab, they faced the strange enemy that approached. Side by side, mother and son unleashed a torrent of electrical fury at the bizarre creatures. Behind them, Shuri continued to work feverishly as Wanda looked on.


The ground beneath their feet was turning to mud with the blood that had been spilled. It was difficult to tell from the ground who was winning. Bucky had lost count of the aliens that had dropped under fire from his weapon and the alien bodies he had stepped over in his pursuit of the next target. But he had encountered lifeless remains of those he recognized as well. His brain acknowledged them but filed them away to mourn later. The battlefield was no place for sentiment. He could still see Steve fighting a hundred yards away, and Falcon soared overhead, Ansina trailing not far behind. Suddenly, a bright light descended from the heavens, landing with a crackle of lighting and clap of thunder in the middle of the field. Out of the bright light strode a man of otherworldly beauty and strength. Bucky's first thought was that this was an angel, but then the man greeted Steve as if they were old friends. Close behind the not-angel, he spotted… a walking tree and a raccoon with a machine gun. After the months he had spent on Sanctuary, he thought he had seen all the strangest things the cosmos could muster, but evidently he was still able to be taken by surprise. Filing this away as something to react to later, he returned his attention to the fight. He took out a couple more invaders, then glanced around and realized that he was surrounded. Whichever one he faced first, he would have even more at his back. He noticed the racoon with the machine gun was only a few feet away. Without hesitation, he picked the critter up and spun in a circle, firing his own weapon in one direction while the racoon mowed the rest of them down with glee. In short order, the field around them was cleared of opponents. Bucky set down the racoon, who was chortling with glee.

"How much for the gun?" He glanced down and realized that the racoon was talking to him. Not just talking to him, but trying to bargain. For his weapon. In the middle of a battle.

"Not for sale," he said flatly.

"Okay. How much for the arm?" came the next question. Bucky was not about to get into some sort of negotiations in the middle of a battle for the universe with a talking raccoon that he just met. Besides, he needed his arm. Giving the raccoon a withering look, he moved to a different part of the battle, putting space between himself and the animal.


"I did it." Shuri's words were first barely above a whisper, as if she could scarcely believe that it was done. She repeated it, a little louder. "I did it." Carefully, she pried the glowing gem out of the forehead of the man lying on the table before her. "How do you feel?" she asked him. He blinked his pale blue eyes.

"Strangely weak," he said with surprise. "Is this what it feels like… to be human?"

"Maybe. You'll get used to it," Shuri assured him. "Wanda, get this thing out of my lab!" She held the Mind Stone out at arm's length, cradled in her tool. Wanda nodded, relief stark on her face. Extending her hand, she launched herself with the stone out of the window, seeking to put as much distance between Vision and the object that had imperiled his life as possible. Landing deep in the forest, she set the stone down on a flat rock and began blasting it with energy, trying to overload the stone. In her distraction, she didn't see the Titan until he was nearly on top of her.

"Wanda, so nice of you to bring me the final stone," Thanos rumbled.

"No!" she screamed, and sent a stream of energy to push him away. With a smile, he deflected it.

"I already have the stone that gave you your powers," he pointed out. "You can't affect me." Pushing her aside as if she were just a little girl, he picked up the Mind Stone and set it in the remaining empty setting in his gauntlet. He sighed as the power rippled through him, and raised his hand.

"THANOS!" The mad Titan turned at his name, and a blur soared towards him, lightning crackling through the air. A great axe rent the air, searing pain shot through his shoulder. The Titan looked down to see his left arm lying on the grass, gauntlet still attached to the suddenly-lifeless limb. He looked in shock at the wrathful visage of Thor, who had a triumphant gleam in his eye. "That was for my brother," he snarled. Then he swung Stormbringer again, and Thanos' head tumbled on to the ground next to the severed arm. A moment later, the ground shook as his body fell. Thor smiled in satisfaction. Steve came up next to him, blood splattered across his uniform. They both stared at the fallen Titan for a long moment.

"I can't believe it's over," Steve finally said. He pushed the severed left arm over with his foot, and the gauntlet rolled, revealing the Infinity Stones set into the back of it. "Now what the hell do we do with this?"


Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, karina001 and NotMarge for your reviews. Always appreciated!