Chapter 25.

This is the twenty-fifth chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Back in the present, 2023…

Mark emerged up from the platform as did everybody else. Their suits then deformed of all their bodies. He looked around he noticed that Stark and Rogers were wearing different clothing. He knew that this wasn't the time for questions, so he just removed that curiosity from his head and ask later. "Did we get 'em all?" Banner asked. "Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodes also asked. He then looked leftwards at Barton, who had a sad look on his face and dropped down to his knees. Mark then noticed that Romanoff was with them, and then a knot turned in his stomach as he realised what was happening. "Clint, where's Nat?" He heard Banner ask, and Barton didn't answer, though Mark already knew the answer and guessed it was obvious as he looked downwards at the platform in sadness. Silence filled the room before Mark heard the heavy sound of someone getting down on their feet, and when he heard a loud thump! he guessed it was Banner. A while later, most of the Avengers went out to mourn, Mark having put his bandanna back on, gave them his condolences.

A while later, the Stones were all added onto this new red Gauntlet Stark, Banner and Rocket made. Everyone (except Nebula, whom when Mark asked her, said she needed some air) gathered in a room around the Gauntlet. "All right, the glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their fricking fingers?" Rocket asked, rhetorically, and Mark guessed that was going to be the key decision of the moment. "I'll do it." Thor spoke, as he started walking toward the Gauntlet. "Excuse me?" He heard Stark ask. "It's okay." Thor replied, before he then saw Stark and Rogers stop him. "Thor, just wait. We havent decided who's gonna put that on yet." Rogers said to him. "Oh, I'm sorry, what, we were all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor asked. "We should as least discuss it." Lang said, and Mark totally agreed with him. "Look, look. Sitting here, staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me." Thor explained, but Mark felt that, due to his physical and mental state, he'd never be able to do it. Stark then moved in front of Thor and made him move back a few feet, despite Thor's protests. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right." Thor begged, his voice getting emotional again. "No. It's not just the fact that that glove is channelling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, your in no condition." Stark explained. "What do you think is coursing through my vines right now?" Thor asked back. "Chiz whiz?" Rhodes asked. "Beer and sugar?" Mark added/asked in humour, before Thor pointed his right index finger at Rhodes, before focusing on Stark again. "Lightning." Thor answered. "Yeah." Stark replied. "Lightning." Thor repeated. "Lighting won't help you, pal." Banner said, which made Mark turn his head leftwards to see him. "It's gotta be me. You saw what those Stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive." Banner explained as he walked over to the Gauntlet, Mark remembering how Thanos had looked before Tor killed him 5 years ago. "How do we know you will?" Stark asked. "We don't. But the radiation's mostly Gamma. It's like, uh… I was made for this." Banner answered, looking down at the Gauntlet.

A minute later, Banner held the glove in his hands. "Good to go, yeah?" Stark asked. "Let's do it." Banner answered. "Okay. Rember, everyone Thanos snapped away 5 years ago, you just bring them back, now, today. Don't change anything from the last 5 years." Stark explained to him. "Got it." Banner answered. Everyone then suited up. Mark jumped up on top of the box Rocket was standing on, moved to Rocket's right, behind Thor. He moved his right paw into his front rectangular belt pouch and pulled out a pair of goggles he kept just in case. He placed the front part over his eyes with left paws, moved the strap with his right paw over his forehead and Dog ears, then set them down on the back of his furry head, then moved his paws and arms by his sides, eyes set on Banner. "Friday, do me a favour and activate "Barn Door" protocol, will you?" Stark asked his suit. He then saw the doors to the room entrance close, then noticed the sunlight in the room was reducing, looked upwards and saw doors above them closing. Luckily, the lights were on and gave sufficient light. "Everybody comes home." Banner spoke, before he moved his right hand towards the Gauntlet, which then mechanically began to expand to fit his size. Once it was complete, it shone and sparked with several colours, which made Banner drop down to the floor. He groaned in pain as glowing lines started moved up his right arm, then saw his lower arm starting to burn orange. Mark fought back all the instinct inside him which told him to close his eyes or look away. "Take it off! Take it off!" Thor cried. "No, wait! Bruce, are you okay?" Rogers asked. "Talk to me, Banner." Stark spoke, as Banner's whole arm was now burning orange. "I'm okay." Banner nodded, his voice pained. Mark then could have sworn he heard a loud crashing sound, but even his Dog hearing was reduced by the sealed doors. Banner then moved his hand upwards, crying out in pain as he moved it.

Then he moved his fingers into a snapping position, moved them, the room in that instant filling with white loud and a zapping sound, after which Banner fell on the ground, the Gauntlet falling off his hand. "Bruce!" Rogers cried as he moved over to him Everyone then moved around him, Barton kicking away the now messed up and Smokey Gauntlet. Mark took a step forward and jumped down off the box, moved his goggles above his eyes with both paws and stared at Banner. "Don't move him." Stark said, before he then covered Banners burned up arm with grey stuff which came out of his suit's hands. Mark then heard a sound which he knew meant the doors were opening. "Did it work?" Banner asked painfully, grasping Roger's right hand with his left hand. "We're not sure. Its okay, okay." Thor answered. Mark then heard the sound of an Earth mobile phone vibrating, looked in the direction it came from, watched Barton move over towards one on a nearby table, watched him pick it up and held it to his left ear. Guessing by the happy look he saw on his face, guessed it was someone close to him. Mark then began to wonder: Did they bring everybody back? "Guys…I think it worked." He heard Lang's voice coming from outside the room. Happiness and joy then filled his soul as he formed a big smile on his face, realizing they finally did what they've all been wanting to do for the last 5 years: Bring everybody back! And he, Rocket and Nebula could be with the Guardians again, and some of what Mark had lost can come back! Suddenly, a loud Bang! filled his ears, followed by many more explosion sounds! His smile went down as the joy became panic as he heard dozens of explosions and then heard the sounds of a building crumbling close by, and then realised it was the building they were in! They were under attack! Suddenly the area in front of him glowed light blue, throwing him back and down with yell against a leaning piece of the floor, shutting his eyes in pain before he then felt himself sliding down the piece, then the moment after he opened his eyes, he saw he saw falling down a deep hole, falling for several seconds, before he felt a surge of pain in his back and the back of his head, the impact making him lost consciousness.

Consciousness slowly came back to Mark, after who knows how long. He still felt a numbing but fading amount of pain from the back of his head, moved his head leftwards then rightwards by an inch, then started to open his eyes, which suddenly stung and made sla them shut again, suddenly feeling that pretty much his whole body was wet and cold, and suddenly realised he was underwater, saw the top part of his muzzle. As quick as the wind, he moved his upper body upwards, opened his eyes and gasped, seeing he was amidst a hole among the wreckage that was filling with water! "Rhodey!" He suddenly heard Banner's voice, which made Mark turn his head rightwards to see Banner holding up a large chunk of rubble, then saw Rocket and Rhodes lying among the rubble, then the flooding suddenly got worse. Mark then remembered what had just happened then had an idea, though it seemed like a long shot. "We need backup!" Mark yelled out, while he trusted his left paw into his right-hand side belt pouch, pulled out a device with a button on it, mentally signed in relief it was undamaged, thrusted his left arm upwards as high as he could and pressed the button, a small red flight coming on. "Mayday, mayday! Does anybody copy? We're on the lower level. It's flooding! We are drowning! Does anybody copy? Mayday!" Rhodes cried out into his comms. Things got worst as the water kept rising. Banner was starting to strain from lifting the heavy rubble up. Mark, along with Rocket and Rhodes, was up to the top of the hole, holding their hands or paws up against the top, the water now pretty much up to their chins. "See you on the other, man." Rhodes said, as Rocket started whimpering. "At least we did what we set out to do." Mark said as he placed his goggles over his eyes again with his left paw. A few seconds later, the water had just about filled up the room, Mark and the others inhaling deeply as much air as they could. What happened after that was hard for Mark to comprehend, but apparently Lang came to them, then suddenly somehow made himself grow bigger, grabbing them while he did and got them out of the room, allowing the four to gasp for air.

A minute or two later, Rhodes was back in his suit, Lang took them all in his closed right hand, grew himself even bigger, which bursted himself out of the mountain of rubble they were in. He opened up his right hand, from which Mark (with his goggles up), Banner, Rhodes and Rocket jumped out. His hind paws on the ground, after noticing an alien army and a massive warship above them, the sight upon Mark's eyes were setting upon when he looked rightwards was the most exhilarating sight he had ever seen: Dozens of orange portals were open, from out which came an army of warriors, many of different forces. Narrowing his eyes, and stretching/moving his paw fingers by his sides, he growled menacingly. He then made his way with the others into the Army. He then sniffed and smelled a scent he had not smelt in 5 years: The scents of Groot, Quill, Drax and Mantis! They were back! They had done it! He pushed the excitement of out his mind for later, as now was not the time for emotion, it was the time to fight! Stepping amidst the army, he then stopped, in front of Stark's right, moved his left arm forwards, his paw out in front, his right arm bent backwards, his right paw by his head, he was ready, as he heard Roger's voice. "AVENGERS…. ASSEMBLE!"

And that's the twenty-fifth chapter done. Hope you enjoyed it. I LOVE the portal scene by the way. The next chapter will be out soon.