I ran into the battle, along with the entire army. Steve and T'Challa were already way ahead of us, and they literally leapt into battle.
The Outriders charged also, many and fast. I held out my hands, blasts at full power. The Outriders didn't seem to have a plan of attack, their plan just was to attack.
I guess they were attracted to the glowing light of my blasts, because a whole lot of them were headed my way. In a bold move, I turned directly to the swarm, deadly light erupting from my hands.
But I had left my back unguarded.
The first slash grazed me, but the second one cut deep. I whirled around to see two more Outriders.
I kept one hand outstretched towards the swarm of Outriders, still blasting. With my other hand, I grabbed the sword from my belt and sliced the two Outriders in half.
I had no time to be proud of myself, because the swarm of Outriders had gotten to me. I was surrounded, and I couldn't blast them all.
A blinding column of light came down a few feet from where I was standing. From the column, an axe flew out, wreathed with lightning. It tore through the Outriders surrounding me, and the ones surrounding everyone.
The axe flew back to where the column of light was, but the column was fading.
In its place was a raccoon wielding a gun, a sentient tree-thing, and, best of all, Thor himself.
Bruce opened the Hulkbuster armor's helm and laughed.
"You guys are so screwed now!" He yelled, and Thanos's army gaped.
"BRING ME THANOS!" Thor yelled. He leaped into the air and charged into battle, lightning surrounding him. His eyes glowed with the power as he brought is axe down on the ground, killing the Outriders that were within range.
Rejuvenated, the battle resumed. My blasts were as powerful as ever, incinerating any Outrider that came close.
Just when things seemed to be going our way, the ground started to rumble. From under the ground, alien Threshers (spiked and motorized wheels) came at us in so many sets that I couldn't count.
"Fall back!" T'Challa yelled. "Fall back now!" Ignoring that order, I focused on the nearest set and blasted them at full force. It seemed to be working, at they reared back.
However, that was only one set.
I sprinted over to Natasha and Okoye, who had a few sets heading their way. I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn't get there in time.
Just when it seemed that they were about to be crushed, Wanda landed in front of them, her eyes glowing red. She telekinetically lifted the Threshers, and then threw them down on the mob of incoming Outriders.
"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye asked as she flipped her spear.
"Guys, we got a Vision situation here." I heard Sam say over the comm. I looked behind me to see Vision and Corvus Glaive fighting on the roof of the lab building. They pitched backward and fell into the trees below.
"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve yelled. I wasn't exactly in a position to do that. Cull Obsidian was swinging his enormous hammer right at me, and it took all my force to push it and him back.
"On my way." Wanda said, but she was cut off. Worried, I turned to see Proxima Midnight standing over Wanda in a ditch, having just wounded her.
Oh no you don't, I thought. I blasted Obsidian out of the way and ran towards Wanda. Natasha and Okoye fell into step beside me.
"He'll die alone." I heard Proxima say as we approached. "As will you." The three of us wordlessly dropped into the ditch.
"She's not alone." I said. Proxima turned to face me, and then Okoye and Natasha on the other side of her. She let out a battle cry and charged at me.
I blasted her back, right to Okoye and Natasha, who were waiting. Proxima slashed with her weapon, but Natasha blocked it with her staff.
I drew my sword, and I attacked Proxima from behind. She parried it, as well as a blow from Okoye's spear.
We all ducked as a Thresher rolled over us, and Proxima used that distraction to her advantage. She kicked Natasha, sending her sprawling, and punched Okoye, doing the same.
Proxima moved to stab Natasha, but I stopped it with my own sword. I blasted her, but she dodged and hit me in the face with the but of her sword. I recoiled, and Proxima thrust her sword at Natasha, who barely blocked it with her staff.
Red energy surrounded Proxima, and she was lifted into the air against her will. I turned and saw that this was Wanda's doing.
A Thresher rolled over us, right into Proxima. Blue blood splattered all over us, which was absolutely disgusting.
"That was really gross." Natasha remarked as we sighed with relief.
"Vision." Wanda suddenly said, and she sprinted in the direction of the lab building. Natasha and I glanced at each other for a second, and then we ran after her.
Wanda knelt next to Vision, who was badly wounded. The rest of us stood in front of them. There was an odd feeling in the air. The wind was making everything shift, and the whole area seemed eerie.
"Everyone, on my position." Steve said. "We have incoming." Thanos.
A blue-black cloud gathered on the ground. Out of it stepped a giant purple alien wearing gleaming golden armor. There was a gauntlet on his hand, with five of the six Infinity Stones.
"Eyes up, stay sharp." Steve said. Then he spoke quieter, to me. "Piper, you know what to do." But would I be able to do it?
Bruce reached him first, but Thanos, using the Space Stone, turned him intangible and half-trapped him in the stone of the cliffs.
The Power Stone was used to send Steve flying back before he could even land a blow. T'Challa leaped at him, but Thanos grabbed him by the neck and punched him into the ground.
Sam swooped in, but Thanos used the Reality Stone to turn his wings too rubber, and he fell.
A red light erupted behind me, and I turned to see Wanda's outstretched hand, her power destroying the Stone in Vision's head.
Control, control, control. It was the only thought running through my head. My fellow heroes were dropping like flies. All our power wasn't enough.
But I still had one trick left up my sleeve.
I extended my telepathic power until it reached Thanos. Control. He stumbled slightly when it hit him. I focused on his mind. Control. For my fellow Avengers, lying defeated in front of me. Control. For my sister, having to destroy the person she loved. Control. For the universe, for everyone at stake.
I could feel his mind slowly coming into my power. I didn't look at his thoughts. I didn't want to know what they were
But then, in one last desperate attempt on his part, the Reality Stone shimmered.
It was desperate, but it was enough.
My telepathic sense was gone, warped by the power of the Reality Stone. Thanos lumbered towards me. I tried to blast him, but nothing was working.
The sword, Piper, the sword! My mind screamed at me. But I couldn't move, I was stuck.
I couldn't do anything as Thanos threw me into a tree so hard that it cracked.
My telepathy was there again, but it was weak. I could barely read a mind, let alone control Thanos.
It was up to Wanda now.
Steve, somehow still conscious, slid in front of Thanos, blocking his path. He held back the Gauntlet, yelling in effort.
Thanos simply punched him, rendering him useless.
Wanda extended a hand towards Thanos, blasting him back with her telekinetic power. She was sobbing as the Stone was being destroyed, the last pieces of Vision chipping away.
The Stone cracked, and Vision's entire body exploded.
When the dust cleared, Wanda was on her knees, sobbing. I inched towards her, wanting to comfort her in my weak state.
"I understand, my child." Thanos said, walk-in over to her. "Better than anyone."
"You could never." Wanda snarled.
"Today, I lost more than you can know." Thanos replied. "But now is no time to mourn. Now… is no time at all." He reached forward, using the power of the Time Stone to turn back time in one particular spot.
The spot where Vision was.
Vision appeared before him, with the Stone still intact.
"No!" Wanda screamed. She lunged towards Vision, but Thanos swatted her away.
He picked up Vision, and with his free hand, he ripped the Stone out of his head.
Vision flopped to the floor, his skin a sickly shade of gray. Thanos gently placed the Mind Stone into the Gauntlet, and his entire body flowed with the power of the Infinity Stones.
A massive bolt of lighting streaked down at Thanos, followed by Thor, swinging his axe. Thanos sent a full Infinity Stone blast at Thor, but Thor threw his axe through the blast and into Thanos's chest. He landed next to the wounded Thanos.
"I told you." Thor said vengefully. "You'd die for that!" He forced his axe further into Thanos's chest, and Thanos screamed in pain. I relished the sound.
"You.. you should have… you." Thanos said. He suddenly had a burst of strength. "You should have gone for the head."
He raised his gauntlet and snapped his fingers.
No no no.
"What did you do?" Thor said angrily. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Thanos teleported away, leaving the axe, covered in Thanos's blood.
Fighting pain, I stood up. Steve limped over.
"Where'd he go." Steve asked, his voice full of dread. "Thor… where did he go?"
"Steve?" Bucky said. I turned to see Bucky stumble and fall, turning to ash. I gasped. Where Bucky was standing was only a pile of dust.
Steve touched the ground where Bucky was standing, horrified.
Thanos had accomplished his goal.
Wanda. She has to be alive, please let her be alive.
I sprinted to where I saw her last. She seemed fine… for now. Tears poured from her eyes, and she ran into my embrace. I hugged her tightly, willing her to stay with me.
And then I was hugging nothing.
"No." I whispered, staring at the dust in my hands. "NO! Please, please no, take me instead, please…" I stumbled, my eyes clouded by tears.
Let me disappear, please let me die.
But I didn't. I stayed right where I was.
"Piper? Wanda?" I heard Natasha say behind me. I turned, my hands still covered in the dust that used to be my little sister.
Her expression darkened when she realized what had happened. Without a word, she embraced me, knowing that we shared grief for our loved ones.
We went back to a clearing where the survivors were.
Steve was there, as well as Thor, Rhodey, Bruce, and Rocket (the alien raccoon).
"What is this?" Rhodey asked. "What the hell is happening?"
"Oh God." Steve whispered. Half the universe. Half the universe was dead.
We failed. I failed.