Thirteen - Bring Them Back
Avengers Facility, Upstate New York - Earth
2023
"BOO!" Rocket howled with laughter upon scaring Tony and Bruce, breaking their intense concentration while building their own gauntlet to house the Stones they had collected.
"God, what the hell?" sighed Tony. He had been in the middle of arranging the Stones just so with the help of his tech. There was no room here for mistakes.
The rest of the team was waiting, all suited up and ready, outside the lab in the common room area.
"Sigyn found him then?" Thor asked Steve hopefully, hoping no one else had suffered Nat's fate. He had been quick to notice the other absence when they had all returned from their various missions. He hadn't had the chance to ask about his friend since everyone had been dealing with the sudden news and aftermath of Nat's death.
Steve nodded.
"Good. Hopefully she'll set him on a better path."
"Let's hope so."
Finally, their gauntlet was ready. "We did it," Tony breathed. "We really did it."
Everyone was so enamoured by the piece of armour and equally shocked and relieved that their mission had worked, that no one noticed when Nebula slipped silently out of the room.
"All right, the glove's ready," announced Rocket. "The question now is, who's gonna snap their frickin' fingers?"
"I'll do it." Thor was already waltzing over.
"Whoa, whoa, just hang on a second there, Buddy-"
"No, wait!"
"Thor just wait, we haven't decided who's going to put it on yet," explained Steve.
But Thor was ready, and determined. "Oh, I'm sorry, are we all just standing around here waiting for the right opportunity? There's no time to waste!"
But the others continued to hold him back. "We should at least discuss it," said Scott.
"No, no, standing here staring at the thing isn't going to bring everyone back. Now, as we all know, I am the strongest Avenger-"
"Oh, boy."
"Here we go again..."
Thor ignored them. "-And, seeing as I am, the responsibility of this falls upon me, it's my duty-" Tony tried to intervene again but this time Thor snapped at him. "No, no! Shhhhhh! Stop it! Just let me - just let me do something good, something great, please." He was still feeling tremendous guilt for not killing Thanos when he had the chance.
"Listen Buddy, it's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you are in no condition to do this," Tony told him. "I'm sorry but I can't put you at risk like that."
But Thor was still insistent. "What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?"
"Cheez Whiz?" suggested Rhodey.
"Lightning! It's Lightning!"
"Lightning won't help you here, Pal," spoke up Bruce. "It's gotta be me."
"Bruce-"
"You saw what those Stones did to Thanos. Almost killed him. None of you could survive."
"And how do we know you will?" asked Steve, cautioning him.
"We don't, but the radiation is mostly gamma, and so am I. It's like - it's like I was made for this."
It was decided. The group began readying themselves - they were all hopeful this would bring everyone back, but no one could predict what would happen.
"Friday, do me a favour and activate 'Armed Door Protocol' will you?"
"Yes Boss."
Covers drew down over every window and doorway, sealing the facility. Everyone suited up fully and backed up - no one knew what was going to happen next.
"Bruce, you ready?"
"Yeah. Everybody comes home." He fitted the piece of armour around his wrist and over his hand.
It was barely all the way on before all six Stones began glowing together, coloured energy crackling along the outside of the gauntlet. Bruce cried out and fell to his knees with the sudden force of it.
The energy began crawling further up Bruce's arm, burning the sleeve of his shirt.
"Take it off - take it off!" cried Thor.
"Bruce, are you okay?" called Steve.
"Talk to me, Banner," urged Tony.
Bruce managed a nod between groans and said just loud enough for them to hear, "I'm okay - I'm okay..."
Thor gave a thumb's up.
The energy was now all the way up to Bruce's shoulder and making its way up his neck. His groans were now pained cries.
He could barely lift his arm baring the gauntlet, and had to hold it up with the help of his other hand. He tried his best to move his fingers in order to snap, but the Stones' energy was just too strong.
He collapsed to the floor moments later, the gauntlet, now fried and sizzling, falling off his now wounded arm.
Clint kicked away the gauntlet while everyone scrambled to the fallen Bruce's side.
"Don't move him-" From his suit, Tony sprayed a medicine onto Bruce's badly-burnt arm.
"I-I'm sorry," Bruce stammered, grabbing onto Steve's arm for support. "I tried, I really tried-"
"We know, you have nothing to be sorry for," Steve assured him. "You were very brave, Bruce."
"I really thought I could do it."
"You did well, Buddy," Tony assured him. "Rest now."
Still concerned for Bruce, everyone was also wondering, what now?
"That won't work."
Everyone jumped and turned towards the sudden voice coming from behind them, one that did not belong to any of them. Everyone stood armed and at the ready.
From the shadows, a figure emerged towards them, the person the voice belonged to. It was a woman with multi-coloured skin, mixed swirls of orange, red, yellow, blue, green, and purple, and white glowing sockets for eyes, dressed in all black armour, included a long, flowing cloak.
"It's you," said Steve after a shocked moment, he the first of the group to speak.
"Yes, it is me, well done, Steven Rogers."
"Uh, I'm sorry, you know her?" said Tony, now looking between his teammate and the mysterious woman.
"It's the crazy lady from the Garden!" said Rocket, holding up his gun.
"Oh, you know her too?"
"Thanos's girlfriend."
"Excuse me?" Tony was terribly confused. "Um, some details would be nice right about now."
"That's right, you were not there that day, Anthony Stark," the woman said, her glowing eyes coming to rest on him.
"And you know me?"
"I do. Anthony 'Tony' Stark. Son of Howard and Maria Stark, husband to Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, father to Morgan Stark. Head of Stark Industries. Shall I continue?"
"Uhh..."
"Yes, I know you. I know all of you. And everyone. And everything. But that's besides the point."
"Uh, okay. Who are you then?"
"I'm Lady Infinity, Keeper of the Infinity Stones. Hello again, Earth's Mightiest Heroes."
And she's back! And just in time too, as we all know what is about to take place! ;) Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)
