"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than one's fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
Aphrodite heard a slight ringing in her ear, and felt the rocky ground against her back, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts and remember what happened but when she did she gasped awake and was met with a bubble force-field of her own powers protecting her from the fallen debris that was once the Avengers Compound. She must have conjured the force-field out of instinct when the explosion happened. Her next thought went to her baby and she immediately played her hands on her stomach and focused almost all her attention there, seconds later she heard and felt the tiny fluttering heartbeats and let out a sigh of relief carefully pushing the force-field away.
"We're gonna get through this little one." She said patting her stomach as she stood carefully.
She felt a surge of energy nearby and looked around to find the charred glove laying along a pile of debris, but before she could move to pick it up she hear coughing and the sounds of struggling.
"Hey! Someone there?" a familiar voice called out.
"Clint?"
"Aphrodite! I'm stuck!" Clint called out with growing panic in his voice. "I'm stuck!"
"Alright I'm coming." She followed his voice to a built up pile of debris and saw that he was indeed wedged in there pretty tight, but he didn't look like he was being crushed, even though his breathing would suggest otherwise, "I'm here Clint, look at me."
"I can't breathe! I can't move! I can't breathe!"
"Clint!" She snapped laying down on the ground and reaching out grabbing a hold of his collar, "You need to calm down. I'm gonna lift this, but you need to move quickly alright?"
"No I can't."
"You can! Look at me, why you so worried?" she snapped shaking him and his watery eyes finally met hers, "What are you afraid of? Huh? You can move?"
"I can't."
"Yes you can! Listen to me, hey! The worst thing in the world that could ever happen to you, already happened twice right? And you're still here."
"But she's not." Clint whimpered but his breathing had slowed.
"I know, I know. But we're gonna do this for her, we're gonna get out of here. And we're gonna fight for her. You got it?" She shook him again and he nodded, "Because if we don't, then my sister died for nothing. Right? And we're not gonna let that happen are we?"
"No."
"That's right, now you've got to move alright?" Clint took a deep breath then nodded, so she released him and stood grabbing a hold of a slab on concrete, "Ready?"
"Yeah."
She groaned lifting the debris just enough so Clint could shimmy out before dropping it, "You alright?" She asked immediately going to his side and resting a hand on his back.
"Yeah," he huffed before standing straight and pulling her into a tight hug, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She said hugging him back before just s moment before pulling away.
"Are you okay?" He asked pointedly before placing a hand on her stomach.
"Yeah I'm fine, we both are."
"Good."
"C'mon," she told him nodding to the gauntlet, "We've got work to do."
"Yeah." He nodded pulling out a flashlight and shining it up through the large hole they must have fell through, "Cap?" he tried yelling up into the hole but when he got no response, he came back to Aphrodite's side, "Hey, back away from this thing yeah?" he said urging her back slightly before kneeling down dusting off the gauntlet.
"Wait," Aphrodite told him and he froze, "You hear that?"
Clint slowly reached behind him and pulled out an arrow, drawing it into his bow before releasing it down the tunnel. The light attached to the arrow revealing the dozens of outriders that lined the walls slowly creeping forward.
"Shit." He mumbled throwing his bow back onto his back and pushing Aphrodite in front of him, "Run!" He yelled snatching the gauntlet off the ground and taking off behind her.
"Come on buddy, wake up!" Steve heard a familiar voice snap and he jolted inhaling sharply, his eyes flying open as Tony let out a sigh of relief. "That's my man," he smiled tiredly, leaning down towards Steve who glanced up, his breathing evening out as he realized where he was. "Loose this again," Tony joked holding the dirty red, white and blue shield in front of him, "I'm keeping it."
Steve nodded, before he looked around, taking in the debris and rubble of the compound "What happened?" he frowned.
"You mess with time it tends to mess back," Tony said easily, "You'll see." He added at his friend's confused look before extending down a hand and helping the Captain to his feet before handing over his shield and leading him to one of the ledges that the explosion had caused, where Thor was already waiting for them.
"What's he been doing?" Tony asked while the three of them stared across the destroyed land at the Titan who sat casually on a boulder.
"Absolutely nothing," Thor said, his voice low.
None of them had any idea how Thanos was there, but right now that didn't matter. He was here and something, was missing.
Well for Steve two somethings.
"Aphrodite?" Steve asked his brother-in-law knowing that the two of them shared a special connection and the God would be able to tell if something had happened to his sister.
"Alive." Was Thor's simple response, and it was enough to placate Steve for now. What he really wanted to hear was that her and their unborn child had gotten far, far away from the stones and Thanos, but if he knew his girl. She was well on her way to joining in the fight he knew was coming.
"Where are the stones?" Steve asked next, their bigger problem.
"Somewhere under all this," Tony said, gesturing to pile of ruins under their feet. "All I know is that he doesn't have them."
"So we keep it that way," Steve said simply, steely determination laced through his voice, his eyes not moving from the Titan.
"You know this is a trap, right?" Thor asked, none of their gazes moved from the Titan who didn't even spare a glance up at them.
"Yeah. I don't much, care," Tony replied with a shrug.
"Good. Just as long as we're all in agreement," Thor said, and with that there was a large crack of thunder and lightning began to surround the God as he stretched out both hands to summon Stormbreaker and. Mjolnir. His casual clothes transformed into his armour and cape, with his beard flowing into a braid, giving him a distinctive Viking Warrior look. "Let's kill him properly this time," Thor said with vigour.
The three of them made their way through the ruins of the Avengers Compound and made it to where Thanos sat waiting for them. Only when they were close enough did he raise his head to address the three. But his words spoke to their entire team.
"You could not live with your own failure," Thanos said as they drew closer. "Where did that bring you? Back to me. I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible." The three of them glared at the Titan as they slowly began to circle him, but he kept on in his speech, "As long as there are those that remembered what was, there are always those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."
"Yeah, we're all kinds of stubborn," Tony snarked.
"I'm thankful, because now I know what I must do," Thanos stood up dropping the rock he'd been toying with, "I will shred this universe down to its last atom." he reached for his helmet which had been propped up on the edge of his sword. "And then with the stones that you've collected for me," he placed the helmet on top of his head. "I'll create a new one, teeming with life," he pulled his sword from the ground. "That knows not what is lost, only what has been given," There was a rush and a flash as the lighting flew round Thor's axe and hammer, his eyes flashing as he held them both up preparing himself for the moment to strike. "A grateful universe," Thanos concluded.
"Born out of blood," Steve rebuffed, glaring up at the man.
"They'll never know it," Thanos said smugly cocking his head. "Because you won't be alive to tell them."
Clint threw grenade arrows onto the walls on either side of them as they ran and the grenades exploded seconds later the blast throwing them forward and down onto the ground beneath a tunnel that led back up to the surface. The blast however, left behind a few strays.
"Clint!" Aphrodite yelled stretching out a hand as they still on fire outriders clambered towards them, he immediately dropped his hand on top of hers and a second later there was a sharp cracking sound and the two disappeared then reappeared seconds later now at the top of the tunnel. Hearing the scratching of claws along the tunnel, she quickly grabbed an arrow from Clint's back and turned forcing it deep into the Outriders eye before it fell back down the hole. Clint also dispatched of one with his sword yelling down into the hole, only for nothing else to follow them up. He fell onto his back with a sigh.
"Oh hey," Aphrodite heard Clint's voice say in relief and the sound of footsteps, they were familiar yet distinctly different. "I know you." She glanced up to see Nebula lean down and easily take the gauntlet that Clint was handing over.
"Father," she said into her earpiece as she held onto the gauntlet in her arms. "I have the stones."
"What?!" Clint asking in shock sitting up immediately but Nebula already had her gun trained on him and was squeezing the trigger. Before she could even think about what she was doing, Aphrodite was in front of her pushing the gun away with a hand, seconds later the sound of a shot was heard and she felt a searing pain in her side. Aphrodite gasped and immediately released the blue woman backing away, and Clint rushed to her side as Nebula held up her gun again.
"Stop!" another familiar figure appeared her own gun raised, this one green who Aphrodite thought to be dead.
Aphrodite pressed a hand to her side realizing that it was only just a graze, not nearly enough to do any damage to her or her baby but the thought alone was enough to terrify her.
"You're betraying us," Nebula told Gamora, Nebula from the past Aphrodite was now realizing, so was Gamora. So where was their Nebula? Clint brought her attention to him when he placed his hand on the side of her neck wordlessly asking her is she and her baby were alright with eyes that looked almost as scared as she felt.
Their Nebula appeared from the corner and past Nebula cocked her gun and pointed it at her as the other one had her hands up in the air in surrender, one metal significantly arm more damaged then when she'd left. She swept her black eyes over Aphrodite and Clint as he placed himself protectively in front of her and she willed her body to heal the wound on her side.
"You don't have to do this!" Future Nebula said facing her past self, her voice almost pleading.
"I am this," Past Nebula said, too far gone.
"No, you're not," Gamora shook her head.
"You've seen what we become." Their Nebula said tapping the side of her head where Aphrodite knew her memory drive was located.
"Nebula, listen to her," Gamora pleaded and tears sprang in her sister's eyes.
"You can change". Nebula said as Gamora lowered her gun.
"He won't let me," Past Nebula said sadly with a shake of her head.
The gun in her hand trembled for a moment before she pointed it at Gamora, "No!" the woman cried, but future Nebula shot her past self down first. There was silence as both Nebula and Gamora stared down at the reminder of their past, before Clint stood carefully eyeing the two women before picking the gauntlet back up. "I'll just, hold onto this for a while."
"Nebula?" Aphrodite called softly standing, "Are you alright?" she asked carefully referring to more than just her arm.
"She hurt you." The blue woman said plainly.
"I'm fine, just a graze."
"Your child?" she asked next her voice softening ever so slightly.
Aphrodite placed a hand on her stomach, "We're fine."
"Good." She said nodding. Aphrodite hesitated for only a moment before wrapping her arms around the blue woman and pulling her into a hug. Nebula tensed immediately but didn't pull away neither did she hug her back but Aphrodite could've almost sworn that the woman nuzzled into her the slightest bit.
"What changed?" Aphrodite asked after pulling away and nodding to Gamora who was watching the interaction with curiosity.
"Everything." Nebula said simply, before the building shook again reminding them that they were beneath a collapsed and possibly still collapsing building, and who knew what awaited them on the other side.
"We need to get out of here."
Steve was almost seeing stars after Thanos flung him away like he was a ragdoll, he allowed himself a moment, only a moment to catch his breath before forcing himself up and to his knees. Tony lay motionless across the battlefield and Thor was being pounded down by Thanos. He reached out to steady himself and push up from the ground put was paused when he felt a warmth radiate up the limb. Confused he realized he flattened his palm against Mjölnir, he frowned for a moment before standing straight up remembering the last time he'd tried to lift the hammer, it had budged ever so slightly and at the time he didn't allow himself the thought of being able to lift it.
But now, he looking at his brother-in-law try with one last ditch effort to summon his axe, only to have Thanos snatched it from the air and bring it down on his chest, Steve took a deep breath and hoped. He grabbed the handle and felt the warmth vibrate up his arm, he heard a gentle humming that he was pretty sure was the Asgardian lullaby Aphrodite sang to Arina when she couldn't sleep, then he pulled and the hammer came up with him.
Thor was pushing back against Thanos trying to drive his own axe through his chest, but he felt his strength dwindling the armour that protected him was beginning to give away when Thanos was suddenly struck hard on the side of his head and staggered. Thor watched his hammer hover in the air for a second before it soared back to the hand which it came from.
One Steven, G. Rogers.
"I knew it." Thor gasped, at the sight of his brother-in-law, a time ago he might have been jealous and even slightly worried when the man dared to make his hammer budge. But now he was overjoyed, his comrade in battle, his friend, his leader, his brother, was worthy. The thought hit him as hard as Thanos did when he kicked him through the boulder he'd been pummelling him against.
Steve held the hammer in his hand as he stared at Thanos in determination, his shield in the other and he felt the power flow through him. His body knew what to do before he even did, years of watching and working with Thor paying off, as he was charging at Thanos spinning the hammer in his hand, using the momentum he built Steve jumped up hitting the titan in the face knocking him backwards. He was back up quickly the Steve launched his shield at him, but the titan blocked with his sword, so he threw the hammer and hit the shield sending out a familiar shockwave that had Thanos stumbling down to a knee as both weapons returned to the Captain's hands.
Before Thanos could attach again Steve was on his, hitting him with his shield, then the hammer, then his shield again, before using the hammer like a bat and hitting the shield catching it again. He felt the warmth vibrate through his arm again as lighting flowed from the hammer and blasted Thanos back. Steve grit his teeth and lifted the hammer high, summoning as much lightening as he could bare before bringing it down onto Thanos again. He tried to deal on last blow jumping up and bringing the hammer down onto Thanos' head only for the titan to roll out of the way at the last second, and now he was pissed.
Moments later Steve was without the hammer that had given him a distinct advantage, and after receiving a nasty stab to the leg, and gash to his arm he could do nothing but hold his shield up to deflect the blow that was coming his way.
Only it didn't.
Thanos' double edged weapon sank straight into the Vibranium. Steve looked at it in shock and horror, never once had anything ever penetrated the metal, but he didn't have chance to think about it as the blows continued. Pieces of his shield were being ripped away and then he was down again, he look at the broken shield hanging on his arm and for the first time in a long time he felt fear course through him, before Thanos kicked him tossing him aside like he was a rag doll.
Steve was tired, in fact he was fucking exhausted, he wanted nothing more than to lay there and be done. But he couldn't because Rogers' didn't stay down, they always stood back up. No matter what. He heard his mother's voice in his head. His head rolled as he saw Natasha in his mind, god she was his best friend, the sister he'd never had, she'd died for this, he saw Sam, Wanda too, then quick flashes of those that were lost that faithful day in Wakanda.
Then he saw Pepper, and Morgan laughing together by the lake, he saw Tony, a pain in his ass but he'd be damned if the man wasn't like a brother to him. He saw his brothers as the ringing in his ears began to clear, Bucky and Thor, he even saw that goddamn black cat that he secretly loved.
His daughter was there, telling him the same thing his mother once told him. Steve groaned rolling onto his side as he heard his daughter in his head, "C'mon daddy. You can do it." And do it he did. Bracing himself onto his broken shield he forced himself to his feet.
"In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal." Thanos spoke as Steve glared at him, standing straight as he could manage. "But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet, I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much."
And then, behind Thanos, a blue light shot down and when it dissipated it left what looked like thousands of soldiers stood in rows. Thanos had brought his entire army. The so called Children of Thanos, Chitauri, the Outriders they had fought off in Wakanda and so much more.
An image of his wife flashed across his mind, she looked as beautiful as the first time he'd ever seen her. God she was everything, his rock, his soulmate, and he was carrying his child. Their second child. And he'd die before he let Thanos get to either of them, no matter how big his army was. With that thought in mind, Steve pulled the leather strap tight across the gash in his arm gritting his teeth as he did, as started his walk towards the massive army laid out before him, though he'd barely made it more than five steps before cackling through his com made him pause. He heart stopped as he thought he could make out a familiar voice and he brought a hand up, pressing the com further down so he knew he wasn't mistaken.
"Cap, it's Sam. You read me?"
His heart pounded as he realized that he wasn't hearing things, but was still frozen in shock, of course they knew Banner's snap had worked, but surely if everyone came back where they had disappeared, like was theorized, then they should be in Wakanda. Steve still instinctively glanced upwards, and Sam spoke again.
"On your left."
He turned, to a sparkling yellow circle forming at his left side before expanding. He watched, speechless, three figures stepped through Okoye, Shuri, and T'Challa in his full Black Panther garb, the Wakandan King's mask faded away to look at Steve and he soldier breathed shakily a relieved and thankful smile broke through the filth and grime that covered his face. T'Challa gave him a small nod and a slight smile of his own.
Steve's smile grew when Sam zoomed in above them in his Falcon armour, he flew and circled back around brining the Captain's attention to the dozens, upon dozens more portals that were opening brining more and more people onto the battlefield.
He knew who the man that descended at the front was, Doctor Strange, without a doubt the one responsible for bringing everyone here, the sorcerer was joined by 3 people he also knew to be Rocket's friends, The Guardians of the Galaxy, then Spider-Man came slinging his way through, his mask disappearing revealing an alive Peter Parker behind it the kid beamed at Steve and he couldn't help the smile he sent back glancing over his shoulder at Tony who was now sitting up, a matching look of shock on his face.
His eyes found Thor's next who was now grinning, as he watched the portal that was bringing Valkyrie and the Asgardian army to their aid he held out a hand and Stormbreaker easily flew into his grip. A clang sounded and as an Iron Man suit dropped down, the face plate opening up to reveal Pepper Potts and Tony stared at her with a look of awe. A familiar chant alerted Steve to the presence of the full Wakandan Army stepping through another portal headed by Bucky, and the God of War himself. A burst of red energy shot down between them before Wanda dropped down, and if Steve had only just realized that Natasha was like a sister to him, then that meant without question that Wanda was like to daughter to both him and Aphrodite.
Before the thought of his wife still being missing could fully form, there was a zip and popping sound right beside him and Steve felt the same warmth he felt when he'd picked up the hammer flow through him as his wife stood by his side, he stared at her tears forming in his eyes as she smiled that beautiful smile at him, filling him with hope. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to kiss her but it wasn't the time for that. Finally, there was a loud roaring, crashing noise as Scott Lang as the Giant-Ant Man emerging from the rubble with Banner, Rhodey, and Rocket held safely in his hand before he deposited them onto the battlefield as well.
The group of thousands prepared themselves for the fight ahead, brandishing whatever weapons or powers they had, Steve looked around, feeling like now the battle was quite literally even. Now they had a real chance. And that was more than enough for him, Thor landed behind him next to his sister and Tony next to his wife.
He took one more look at his wife, her eyes had melted into pools gold her hair flowing like she was underwater he could see the same gold power licking through her veins, she smiled at him again and that felt like the most powerful thing Steve had ever experienced in his life. He turned to look at Thanos and saw for the first time something that looked like unease, possibly even a hint of fear on the Titan's face as he stared down at the now even numbers.
Steve took a deep breath feeling embolden at that look, at the armies behind him, at the chants growing in intensity, his family with him, his wife by his side, as he took another breath,
"AVENGERS. . ."
Ladymoonscar: Mew-mew! Lol, hope you liked what I did.
Guest 1: Thanks for the suggestion, but as you can see I took a different route, hope you still liked the big three's fight.
Guest 2: :D
Pikapikachuuuuuu: OMG! Thank you sooooo much, you have no idea how much that means to me.
Ivana Bocanegra: Thanks babes, I was worried that people wouldn't like how I wrote that interaction but I'm happy so many people seemed to enjoy it. Also I looked up that scene you talked about and thought it was really cool.
Love. Fiction. 2019: Thanks youuuu.
BlueBloodsSVUOrder: Battles are so fun to watch and imagine, but to actually *write* them is such a pain.
Guest 3: Yup.
Sorry folks, I had to split the battle into two parts, once I started writing things from Steve and Thor's point of view, I couldn't stop.
You guys have no idea how many movie scenes and things like that I've been watching along with Endgame to figure out how I'm gonna write the final battle, specifically Aphrodite's role in it. I'm taking a lot of inspiration from a bunch of different places but I still want to hear from you guys to don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything you'd like to see, and I'll do my best to make it happen.
Continue staying safe everyone.
As always let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the future. Leave me a review too, as you can see I'll be answering/responding to the ones can. So feel free to say or ask me anything.