Hello!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are all staying safe. I actually didn't think I'd get this chapter done today but I have! I hope it meets your expectations!

Chapter Thirty-Two

Battle For Earth

Thursday 9th August 2018

The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of events gradually spiralling out of control at unprecedented speeds. They were now at the cusp of what Tony felt would be the final battle. This was everything he had been building towards ever since he had woken up here two years ago.

They called everyone out from the Compound, moving away from it in case Thanos decided to strike and destroy it, just like he had done so before. The chances were high he would, but it was likely he knew they had vacated the building so destroying it wouldn't really hurt the Avengers. They'd vacated all the equipment they needed, including two Hulkbuster suits that Tony had designed for Bruce and Vision to use if they wished to.

Pepper approached him cautiously, holding out another Arc Reactor for him. His previous had been removed by Thanos. "I'm glad you're safe," she said.

He took the Arc Reactor and attached it to the front of his clothes, taping it close to his chest. "You shouldn't be here." He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Pep, I can't lose you, you have to –"

Pepper shook her head, her gaze hardening, anticipating Tony's order. "No. I'm not leaving. Not ever. I can fight."

Tony groaned. He had expected this. "Pep. He'll come after you. This whole place is going to become a battlefield any minute now! I won't be able to protect you!"

"I can hold my own, Tony. I have my own suit. I'm staying to fight." Pepper was adamant.

He knew that look could see whatever he said wouldn't change her mind. He could knock her out and take her as far away as he possibly could but he couldn't do that to her. "I can't lose you," he whispered again. "If Thanos targets you… Pep… the future…" If Pepper died, Morgan would not be born.

Her lips twitched. She squeezed his hands. "Tony, I know you care and you love me. I can't stay on the side-lines, not this time. I'll be careful, I promise." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. "I love you. Before you came back in time, I lost you. This time we are both going to come out of this. I know we will."

He didn't want her to put herself in danger and Pepper was willing to stay on and fight, despite the danger she was putting herself in. Thanos would strike her down if he had the chance too. He wanted to prevent Tony from getting the happy ending that he wanted. He felt uneasy but Pepper was single-minded. She was stubborn, a strong woman who knew what she wanted and could not be deterred from.

"Stay safe, Pep…" He leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips, resting his head against hers. He could quite easily portal her to another place and leave her behind, just to keep her safe… I cannot do it to her.

"And you too."

"Avoid Thanos. Keep to the air if you can," instructed Tony, just wanting to keep her safe even within the battle.

"Tony…" Pepper began, eyeing him, though with a hint of a smile cracking her lips.

There was a shuffling noise from behind them. They'd taken a bit of privacy from the others, using the advantage of the treeline to have a short bit of time together.

Tony glanced up at the tree they stood underneath, the shades of its leaves offering protection from the dim dawn of the summer sun. They'd arrived back at the Compound from Thanos' ship shortly after midnight, and dawn had fast approached. They hadn't had much time to prepare. He was sure the Battle would soon commence.

"I know you are there, kid," said Tony. "Come on out."

"How did you know?" Peter swung out of the tree, landing on his feet with ease. "I'm usually very quiet."

"You were," replied Tony. "But, you forget, I have powers now. My natural senses have been enhanced."

Peter pouted.

"And you probably won't be able to hide anything from me either." Tony grinned.

"Oh, man…" Peter sighed.

"What's up?" asked Tony, sensing a reason why Peter had hidden from them. "Aunt May not wanting you to help?"

Peter shook his head. "She's not."

"You should listen to her," replied Tony.

"But I want to help!"

"Peter…" Tony sighed. He could understand the kid's desire to help but if this battle was going to go the way it had before when Tony had died… He couldn't risk the kid. "I'm not talking to her for you. The battle we are about to head into… It's…" He couldn't even describe it. "It's not a place for you. You have to go home and stay safe with your Aunt."

Peter looked ready to argue.

"Kid, I could open up a portal and send you both to the other side of the planet to keep you safe. I do not want to do that to the people I care about but if it keeps you away from this, then I will." Tony folded his arms across his chest, staring Peter down.

The kid's shoulders slumped. "What if we lose? What then?"

"We won't." He didn't know it for certain, it was just a feeling he had. "Now, please, Peter, before Thanos attacks, get yourself and your Aunt out of here."

Reluctantly the kid nodded, turned and started to walk away, then stopped and looked back. "Please come back alive, Mr Stark, we still need to finish our super, secret project."

Tony laughed. "That we do." He watched as Peter made his way back over to the other group of Avengers, losing sight of Peter as he walked through the treeline that he and Pepper were using for a bit of private time.

"He won't leave," said Pepper quietly.

Tony sighed. "I know. I'm giving him the benefit of doubt in the hope he proves me wrong." He took hold of her hand. "Come on, we should get back." He led her back towards the others.

They stood overlooking the Compound in the valley before them. An ominous shadow overcast them as Thanos' ship began to descend through the atmosphere.

"You know," suggested Carol, her fists glowing, "I could tear his ship to shreds. He'd probably survive it and some of his army…"

Tony had considered that option. "But his army could be greatly reduced…" The battle facing them would not be so bad if Thanos' forces suffered a devastating loss of life. On hindsight they probably should have had Carol do this when they had been rescued, there would have been less chance of survival in that case. They simply hadn't thought of it at the time.

"If Danvers can bring down his ship, I see no reason why it isn't something we shouldn't do," said Gamora, glancing up at the ship that had once been her home. "It gives us an advantage."

"And potentially saves the Compound from destruction," pointed out Steve.

Tony nodded and traded a glance with Natasha. She was on the same lines as him. "Ok. Danvers, the ship is all yours."

Carol shot up into the sky.

Tony lost sight of her. Everyone was assembling. Everything was about to start. He ran his fingers down his Arc Reactor, activating his armour. Pepper did the same, standing beside him as they all looked to the sky as explosions reverberated through the air.

"INCOMING!" Sam yelled, pointing upwards.

From high above they could see cannon fire from the ship, descending downwards heading straight for the Compound. Several flashes of light all at once streaked downwards, hitting its intended target and blowing the Compound to smithereens. The ground shook beneath their feet and Tony clenched his jaw. He saw Peter talking to Doctor Strange and – "Shit!" The kid would – He ran, aware of what Peter might try to do. "Strange, don't listen to him!"

The wizard glanced up and Tony skidded to a halt. "Both of them?"

Tony nodded. "Yes. May and the kid." He glared at Peter. "Don't play games with me, kid. You were trying to stay, weren't you?"

Peter cowered.

Tony shook his head. He didn't want the kid anywhere near this battle. Yes, he'd been a great help before but he couldn't risk the kid's life. He had Pepper to worry for in his place. "Kid..."

"He should stay," said May, her voice trembling, only slightly as the smell of burning shimmered in the air from the burning Compound. "Peter can help."

"May, I want you both safe."

"Peter will still come and help. You send him back, he'll still try to make it back," she explained.

"Not if we send you both to the other side of the planet," explained Tony, aware that it wouldn't be long before Thanos' arrival, despite his ship being downed by Carol.

May shook her head. "No. If you do that, he will never forgive you. I do not want to lose him but I accepted Peter for who he is and what he does. You might need him. I'm letting him stay because it is the right thing to do."

He couldn't argue with May. She was Peter's rightful guardian and if she was agreeing to Peter staying then there wasn't anything Tony could do to push Peter away. "Ok. But, kid, promise me one thing."

"Anything. Mr Stark."

"Stay on the sidelines. I know you are capable but I cannot risk losing you. Hold on… I thought you didn't have your suit?" Tony remembered. That had been the whole reason Peter had been captured. He hadn't been near his Spider-Man suit when Thanos' had invaded New York.

Peter winced and pointed to Strange. "He took me back so I could get it whilst the others were off rescuing you."

Tony groaned. The kid really thought of everything. He rolled his eyes. "Fine." He watched as May and Peter hugged and barely heard her discernible whisper of 'be careful and come home' before Strange conjured a portal right back to their apartment in Queens, and May stepped through, leaving the site. He pointed a finger at Peter. "I mean it. Stay on the sidelines."

Above them Thanos' ship was breaking up, still burning through the atmosphere, trailing thick smoke as it fell towards the ruins of the Compound.

Even as the ship fell, and Carol appeared out of the top, close to the command centre, attachments from the ship had already been falling and lodging themselves into the Earth around the destroyed Compound, opening up and rows upon rows of Thanos' army was marching out. Not only were there Chitauri part of the invading force, but there were also Outriders, Sakaarans and Chitauri Gorillas moving forward.

"This is it," muttered Tony. They would travel down into the valley to face the army.

There was a flash of white light obscuring their vision before revealing Thanos with his Black Order and Leviathans having now joined the battlefield via teleport. Sanctuary II crashed behind them, sliding into the wreckage of the Compound and coming to a stop, meters away from the foundations of the lake, preventing catastrophic consequences if the water was let loose. Last time the foundations had been shattered and the river had flooded the valley. Doctor Strange had, had to hold the river back.

"He's waiting for us," said Natasha. "He knows where we are."

"Have we got everyone we need for this?" asked Tony.

"We have." Natasha swallowed. "This is what we've been working towards. This is the endgame right here."

Tony pursed his lips but didn't reply. Thick black smoke flittered across the field, darkening the sky above them. Resolve kicked in and he began the descent down into the valley, the others following behind him.

They had a few extra allies, bought forth by T'Challa and Doctor Strange. The Dora Milaje and the Masters of the Mystic Arts had all joined the Avengers ranks, having arrived during the Avengers mission to retrieve Tony. Even the army was on standby but they hoped to avoid using them if they could get away with it.

Thanos' forces were marshalling on the other side of the valley, marching forward to face the Avengers and their allies.

Lining up at the bottom of the valley, Tony took a step forward but then cast a glance over at Steve and motioned for him. "Cap. You're better at motivational speeches then I am. It's your turn." He knew Steve wouldn't wax lyrical now they were in this position.

Steve raised his shield, a solemn expression on his face as the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Dora Milaje and the Masters of the Mystic Arts lined up behind him, all with one specific purpose in mind.

His voice remained low but the words were simple.

"Avengers!" he bellowed loudly to attract their attention, and then lowered it again. "Assemble!"

And they charged towards the assembled army.

They'd discussed tactics and formed teams together of who should fight together. One such team was Steve, Thor and Bucky – two super-soldier and the God of Thunder – were a lethal combination. They all knew to leave Thanos to Tony. By all accounts, none of them would be able to take the Titan down anyway and it would be a waste of their energy to even attempt it.

But all three threw themselves into battle, spraying mud and dirt everywhere as they fought towards the centre of Thanos' forces.

Steve ducked, swung his shield, kicked out and defended himself against a barrage of assaults, taking down Chitauri and Sakaarans alike, whilst Thor swung Stormbreaker, sending Chitauri and Sakaarans through the air. Lightning struck down as he leapt around, sending swathes of energy across the battlefield. Bucky held an automated blaster, filled with multiple bullets and on his belt, he carried replacement packs. His aim was good and true as he took down each and every enemy that leapt his way, sometimes having to dodge to the side and kick and punch them before aligning their bodies with bullets.

Sweat adorned Steve's face and he went flying as something hit him in the back. He rolled, clutching his shield to protect his body. He winced and climbed to his feet, looking over his shoulder and saw one of the Black Order, Cull Obsidian, swinging a chain-like hammer at Thor. The God of Thunder moved back, raised Stormbreaker and summoned lightning down upon their attacker.

The skin on Cull's burnt flesh rapidly repaired.

Steve groaned. Trust Thanos' minions to have enhanced healing abilities.

Cull roared in anger and frustration, swinging his hammer up in an upswing, narrowly catching Thor in the chin and sending the God backwards. Thor's head smashed into a rock protruding from the ground. He went limp, his face and his eyes flickering as he fought to stave off the unconsciousness threatening him.

Steve saw Stormbreaker on the ground, watched as Cull advanced towards Thor and he made his choice. He dashed for Stormbreaker, lifted it with ease, and swung it right at Cull in a ferocious speed, bringing the weapon down upon the exposed neck of the alien and lodging the blade in. Cull died instantly, black, thick blood gushing from his neck as his head half hung off. His body fell to the side with a thud, taking Stormbreaker with it.

"That looks… nasty," commented Bucky, stepping forward and swinging his gun around and letting off a shell of bullets towards incoming Chitauri.

Steve panted and knelt beside Thor who was just coming around.

"You… should… not have… been able to lift that," Thor rambled.

Steve glanced at Stormbreaker, still lodged within Cull's neck. He shrugged. "Guess I was worthy after all."

"Always thought you would be. Stormbreaker has the same principles that Mjölnir did. Only those who are worthy can wield it…" Thor held up a hand and Steve pulled him to his feet.

"You alright?" Steve asked, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine." Thor grabbed Stormbreaker's handle and wrenched it from Cull's neck. "Nice hit by the way."

Steve grimaced, then twisted back, threw his Shield at the advancing alien attackers, taking them down one by one, his Shield homing back to his wrist. Quite useful in situations like this. "Part of the job, Thor. Come on, this is far from over!"

Across the field Rhodey flew over the mass of enemies in War Machine, searching for spots he could attack without harming allies. It was a lot more difficult to select targets when the Dora Milaje and the Masters of the Mystic Arts had joined their side. Sam glided beside him. They were on air-strike duties, finding targets to take out to reduce the number of enemies.

Rhodey's other mission was to keep an eye on Pepper who was across the field, circling herself and finding targets to destroy with her own nanonite technology. She was close to Thanos than Rhodey would have liked but at least she wasn't on ground level with him. Pepper had also asked Rhodey to keep an eye out on the Spider-kid, who was, remarkably, staying away from the real centre of the fight, staying close to the edges of the battle as he could.

"There's a free spot there," Sam pointed out. "Three points to the left."

Rhodey focused on the area Sam had detected and readied his missiles. "Got the bombs?"

"Ready to go."

"Then let us do a run and a second sweep to clear the area." Rhodey flew down, kicking his thrusters into gear so he could fly over the intended area quickly, letting loose his missiles as he tracked over. Dirt and bodies of Chitauri sprung into the air from the bombing as Sam dropped his own from his harness, before using his two hand-gun blasters to fly lower into the field and take down more, before sweeping back up to join Rhodey higher in the sky.

The area was clear, dead bodies covering the area but the only casualties were to Thanos' forces.

Little by little they were clearing the area.

"Er… Rhodey… we may have a problem." Sam's voice panicked over the comm-unit.

"What is it?" Rhodey swung about. He couldn't see what had alarmed Sam.

But one simple word sent his heart into overdrive.

Sam's voice was quiet. "Pepper."

Clint ran through the field, his arrows strapped to his back and his bow out. He probably wasn't the best fighter to be out here since he had a specific skill set and aliens and arrows didn't really mix. Outriders and Chitauri were the only ones he could kill when given the chance to attack them. He needed an outcropping to operate from but there wasn't one he could reach within distance. He just had to run and attack when he had the opportunity to do so.

At least he had fast reflexes.

"Clint!"

He didn't stop running but glanced to his right and saw T'Challa running parallel to him in his Black Panther suit.

"What?" Clint ducked, twisted and stabbed a Chitauri with one of his arrows as he ran past.

"I can get you to an outcropping!" T'Challa pointed towards a section of rubble that was on the very edge of the battle. It was close to where Bruce and Vision were in the Hulkbuster suits. "They'll be able to protect you."

"I don't need protecting!" shouted Clint as he leapt over a dead body, twisting in mid-air to fire off three arrows at a pack of Outriders who were pursuing them. His arrows buried in their skulls and three fell to the ground dead, but it didn't stop the others from continuing their pursuit of him.

The Black Panther somersaulted, slashing at the throats of four Chitauri warriors before landing deftly on his feet and continuing to follow Clint's path. "Not to protect you! You'll be more useful in one place!"

Clint could see the reasoning and it was a good idea. Bruce and Vision were mainly keeping to the edge of the field because they hadn't had much training on the two Hulkbusters before having to use them in combat. They'd be able to fend off any incoming attackers from Clint if he was stationed in one place.

"Ok, fair point," he conceded. "Get me there!" He wouldn't be able to make it there himself, not with a hoard of Thanos' forces for him to get through.

Ducking and then sliding underneath one of the Chitauri Gorillas that leapt in his path, Clint sped faster, twisting and zig-zagging across the field as T'Challa attempted to clear a path for him.

About ten Chitauri all came for him at once and Clint tried to avoid them. T'Challa rushed to his aid but Bruce in the Hulkbuster reached them first, firing at them giving Clint the time he needed to duck behind the line and scramble up the rubble to a higher point. He found a piece he could hide behind and mounted an arrow on his bow, before twisting and kneeling and carefully looking over to aim.

Perfect position. He could target anything and the two Hulkbusters provided sufficient protection to him unless he was targeted from above, but it was a start, and now he could pick his targets carefully. Spotting his next target, his primed an arrow and fired.

Gamora lifted her sword facing down Proxima Midnight, her sister in name but not in blood.

"If it isn't the traitor!" hissed Proxima. "He wanted to give you everything and you threw it all away… for that human!"

"Peter Quill isn't an ordinary human," stated Gamora. Quill was elsewhere on the battlefield with the rest of the Guardians, taking down troops of Thanos' army. Gamora had been hunting for her siblings. If anyone could take them down, she could. "Thanos took me from my home, killed the only family I had. How could he ever be a father to me when he destroyed everything I ever had? Peter gave me a sense of purpose. A sense to be something better than I was. What he did to Nebula for years… That wasn't love…"

"He was trying to better us all!" spat Proxima.

Gamora shook her head. "No. He should have played to our strengths, not forced hatred between us. I haven't seen Nebula in months."

Proxima's mouth opened in a wide smile. "She tried to kill Thanos. We killed her."

"No. She can't be…" Gamora felt like ice had just been thrown over her and a dark hole had opened up in the pit of her stomach. But Nebula's silence had been concerning. They'd been getting on in better terms now.

"She betrayed us. Death was the only option for her," sneered Proxima.

"I don't believe it!" snarled Gamora angrily, her hair whipping past her face.

Proxima's red eyes shined and she charged with the spear and Gamora leapt forward, clashing her sword against her sister's spear.

It would be a battle to the death.

Scott stood on Natasha's shoulder as she used her batons to wade her way through the throng of aliens, sliding on the floor and whipping around in a frenzy. She still wore the Iron Man armour but had chosen to fight on the ground. Hope flew beside her, in small size, before appearing as normal to surprise the enemy, giving Natasha a chance to take them down.

Scott was looking for targets. He could see the Spider-Man kid swinging this way and that way close to the edge of the battlefield. He didn't seem like he needed any help. He was quite an able fighter. The Dora Milaje and the Masters of the Mystic Arts were coping quite well with keeping the majority of the forces at bay, giving the Avengers closest to the centre of the fray more of a chance to make headway through their opponents.

Natasha twisted, hitting them with her batons hard, her hair whipping around her. She could see Tony up ahead, battling his way towards Thanos, who kept retreating away from Tony whenever he got close. Thanos was up to something.

Tony wasn't using his powers either, choosing to fight with just his suit. Probably a wise move at this point but Thanos was up to something. She could feel it. Why else was he trying to avoid facing Tony at the moment?

Probably knows he stands no chance against Tony.

She gritted her teeth and was about to swing away in another direction when she saw it.

Thanos was moving, his double-edged sword clutched tightly in his hand. He was rushing towards one specific spot on the battlefield, right where Pepper Potts had just landed after being hit out of the sky by the tail of a Leviathan.

Natasha activated her thrusters. "Hold on, Scott!"

And she prayed she would not be too late.

They were an effective team together. Doctor Strange, Wanda and Carol worked seamlessly, giving one another targets, staying together in a concentrated effort to make some dent in Thanos' forces.

While Doctor Strange opened up portals to send their attackers to other ends of the battlefield or even in front of Carol and Wanda to deal with, Carol's line of flight took her around their area where she could dispose of attackers just by going at high speed. Wanda used her own powers to wrench and crush apart as many enemies as possible.

Both Carol and Wanda had wanted to help Tony against Thanos but he'd refused, saying this was about him and the Titan and no one else. Judging by the Titan's actions so far, he was aiming for Tony too, ignoring everyone else.

Carol continued to fly through the air and Strange dropped a line of Chitauri in her path, just as Wanda used her powers to drag other warriors to her, and flinging them all over the battlefield.

Out of all the Avengers on the field, the three of them were doing the most damage.

But the ground rocked beneath them, causing Wanda to lose her balance and Strange to stumble back.

Wanda wiped the hair out of her face. "What was that?"

And that was when they saw it.

A colourful blend of colours right in the centre of the field, glowing brightly and a yell of utter anguish magnifying across the battlefield.

Tony Stark, sans armour, attacked Thanos.

Tony was too far away, engulfed in a battle with over a dozen Chitauri and Sakaarans as Thanos made a beeline for Pepper. They were grabbing hold of him, trying to stab him with their weapons. He twisted, lashing out and his lasers went round in a tight circle, killing a few before he was able to activate his repulsors and flew out of the tight circle that had been forming around him, shooting off towards Pepper.

Thanos was already there, right by Pepper's prone body. She'd been knocked out the sky, half her armour had been torn from her, leaving the lower half of her body defenceless.

No! No! NO!

He couldn't fire any weapons at Thanos in case he harmed Pepper and he dared not use his powers as he could feel himself losing control. The fact he could hurt her either way…

Thanos had Pepper by the throat, her helmet having deactivated after she had hit the ground.

"THANOS!" Tony yelled, pushing his thrusters fast, but something came at him from the ground. Another of Thanos' children, Corvus Glaive, threw himself in Tony's path, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Scrambling to his feet as quickly as possible, Tony shot Corvus directly in the face, only to turn and see Thanos stab Pepper right in the stomach with his sword, pull it out of her, only to repeat the same action and stabbing her again, twisting the sword inside of her, before removing it and dropping her to the ground.

"NO!" Tony's widened. This could not… Could not…

Everything else seemed to dim around him. His thoughts were only on Pepper. He flew towards her, landed and retracted his helmet. He didn't care he was in the middle of a battle. Didn't care his enemy stood watching smugly from the side, probably signalling to his forces not to attack. Didn't care that he had left himself vulnerable. The only thing that mattered to him was Pepper.

Pepper was on her back, barely breathing. Blood dripped out of the side of her mouth and her stomach was covered in blood, still leaking out. Her hair was loose but it was clear she was just moments from death.

"No… no… Pep… Pepper, please…" Tony stroked the hair out of her eyes. "No…"

"To…ny…" Pepper's voice was weak, her breathing hoarse.

"Shh…. You'll be alright…" He couldn't lose her. Just couldn't.

"…No…" she gurgled, blood dripping out of her mouth.

Tears shimmed in Tony's eyes. There was nothing he could do. Pepper's wounds were too extensive. The two sword strikes had gone right through her. The amount of blood soaking her body was already an indication of how serious her injuries were, and how fatal they would be. He slipped an arm underneath her and lifted her up, her arms limp at her sides. He held her tight.

"Please don't…" he begged.

"I'm….. so…r…ry…" Pepper's voice faded, her last words hardly comprehensible.

And Pepper Potts breathed her last.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

*looks at the cliffhanger* Please don't hate me! This has been planned for a long while. I would urge anyone who might want to kill me for this, to just keep on reading. If anyone would like to see an illustration of the end of this scene just use google to search up "the-writer1988 tumblr".

It was quite fun to pair different Avengers together. And Nebula... she was supposed to turn up in this story but could not find a place for her, so, unfortunately, she got killed off-screen as she still attempted to kill Thanos. Unfortunately, they killed her after that.

Many thanks to my fabulous artist, JediPanda22, for another fantastic piece of art depicting the cliffhanger of this chapter!

The next few chapters may be quite short and there is potential I might be able to update quicker from now on, but it will have to see how much I write this week.

The next update will be on Sunday 19th April 2020...

Stay safe everyone!

Until then,

the-writer1988