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"Doc, not that I don't like you but isn't there any chance that, you know, you Hulk out?" I asked him. He had taken a bad punch and the Hulkbuster was done for.
"We're having issues." I pointed at Thanos. "I know, I know."
"Don't make me force him out."
"You can?"
"I guess." Clint's arrow made a force field just in time to save Natasha's life, Tony shooting at Thanos to make him go back.
In hand-to-hand, none of our spies would last against him. Even Steve struggled.
I placed protective spells on Doc nonetheless.
"I don't think I have the time though." I broke Steve's fall and Thor shot a huge lightning blast with both hammer and ax at Thanos. Somehow, the Titan survived and grabbed Thor by the neck.
I took off and kicked his arm as hard as I could before Tony's shot reached him. Thor was back on the ground. I looked around.
Nat and Clint were exhausted. Tony's suit was damaged in spite of having been fixed not long before. He was exhausted too, like Steve.
We all were I guess.
"We need to slice off his arm," I told Thor as Steve was back at it, Thanos getting rid of Nat's widow bites way too easily.
"You can give me a clear shot?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know for how long but…" Thanos broke Clint's arrows easily. "We won't last for long. Apart from you, and maybe me, maybe Hulk if he suddenly wants to come out and play but…" Thor nodded.
I stepped in front of him and used magic to stop Thanos' fist. He gritted his teeth at me and my feet dug in the ground at the strength he was using. I hit my foot on the ground, spikes of dark matter going at him. He moved back to dodge them and Thor hit him, making him bleed at the arm.
The wrong one.
As Thor kept him occupied, I used protective spells on everyone, then Thor when Tony was back along Steve. I gulped.
I was exhausted as well.
Still, I focused on Thanos' right leg and blocked it. He shot me a look and groaned in pain when with a growl, I broke it. He fell on one knee.
"Move!" They did and I accentuated the gravity around the Mad Titan so that he could not move.
Thor threw Mjolnir at Steve, who grabbed it and sent a lightning blast at the gauntlet, burning the flesh above it. Thanos groaned in pain once more, trying to get free so I kept increasing the gravity, his legs digging in the ground. Tony shot all he got at Thanos' remaining good leg and then he was on both knees.
Clint sent another arrow, but with a yell he caught and broke it. Natasha, who was right next to him to try something, had her neck in his hand. She grabbed his wrist, choking.
He didn't have the time to hurt her that he was sucker-punched in the face. I blinked at Hulk.
"Finally," Tony sighed next to me.
I stopped messing with the gravity and let Hulk have his rematch. Thanos was good and kept fighting back though, even with both legs broken.
I ran to them and slid behind them, using telekinesis to lift the gauntlet and Thanos' arm up. Hulk grabbed him to keep him still.
With a yell, Thor sent Stormbreaker and sliced off the arm. I removed the severed limb from the gauntlet and grabbed it before putting distance between me and the Titan.
"We can do this guys," Steve told us. "We're almost…" Thor had Stormbreaker in Thanos' chest, slowly pushing on it.
"I told you I'd kill you," he snarled at the Mad Titan.
"You...all fools…" Thor removed the ax.
In one swift move, Thanos' head was rolling on the ground. We all stared at it without a word. I put my hand on Clint's mouth before he could utter a word, Hulk joining Thor. He looked at Thanos' body in silence and stayed by Thor.
"Is it really over?" Nat asked, a hand on her neck.
"We still have the battle in Wakanda to finish but…" Steve shot the gauntlet I had in my arms, firmly secured against my chest, a look. "I think the most difficult is done." I gulped as he put his hand on my head.
I barely felt Tony next to me, my eyes stuck on Thor's back.
"Addie." I looked at my godfather, who shot Thor a look too. "Send us back." I took a deep breath and nodded.
With the gauntlet in only one hand, I used my other one to make a portal. It was…harder, but I managed. Clint helped Natasha out, then Tony left.
"Thor," Steve called him. The God of Thunder raised his head and without a word left.
Hulk grabbed Thanos' body and head and left as well. I exchanged a look with Steve.
"Too much happened," I whispered to Cap. "He won't be okay for a while."
"I can see that." We walked back to Wakanda together, the portal closing behind us.
I felt the Reality Stone like coming back to life, like the gauntlet. I was dizzy for a second at the power inside and Steve kept me on feet as Thor and Hulk left to join the fight.
"I'm done," Clint panted, sitting down against a tree with Natasha. "I'm so done for today."
"Revels." We all looked at Natasha. "After today, revels."
"Sounds good," Tony admitted. I looked down at the gauntlet.
"How are we looking?" Steve asked in his earpiece. I looked up at him when he nodded at me. "Do what you have to do with these."
"Thanks," I whispered to him, making a portal for the Sanctum. "Tell Strange I'm in the crypt."
"I'm coming too, my suit is useless now anyway," Tony told me. I nodded and looked at them.
"See you shortly I hope." Tony and I were in the sanctum in a second and I tilted my head at the gaping hole in the stairs.
"That's where Bruce and Loki landed."
"Oh." I went to the basement, then the crypt. I dropped the gauntlet on the rock pedestal and leaned on it. "I get them out of the gauntlet and then what?"
"Can't you make small pocket dimensions for each one?" Tony inquired.
"I guess, in theory but…oh wait, I may have…" I went back in the basement, just before the crypt and straight to a shelf. I looked on it and grabbed the cube. "The symbols are the same as the Eye of Agamotto. If the eye can keep the Time Stone in check, it should work, right?"
"All four of them inside?"
"Too much?" He nodded and looked at the gauntlet.
"If the Mind Stone is there, I take that Vision…"
"I got there too late." He pursed his lips.
"The Guardians, they lost someone too, Thanos' own daughter. He sacrificed her to get the Soul Stone apparently."
Stephen told me we wouldn't have too much losses, but we still had some.
"I'm going to try to make replica of the cube, at least to make them last until Stephen and Wong get here."
"Your magic teacher is a douche bag, did you know that?"
"I know."
It took me maybe half an hour to make three other cubes. Removing the stones was easier now Thanos wasn't using the gauntlet.
I looked at the four cubes and placed protection spells and locking spells on them to make sure they'd last until Strange and Wong got here.
I shared a look with Tony, who removed his suit.
"So, space?" I took a deep breath and nodded.
"I'm exhausted."
"You bet, I am t…" I didn't let him finish his sentence that I was hugging him tightly around the waist, my cheek on his shoulder. He hugged me back. "You really got me scared."
"I'm sorry. I'll explain everything but...not today." He kissed my temple.
"Sure thing kid, we all deserve some rest I think." I nodded.
However, my legs gave up beneath me, Tony keeping me from falling.
"Hey, stay with me Addison!"
"Hum...tired…" My new suit turned back into my Sakaraan attire. I sent us in the room I'd use when I came to rest.
I passed out when my head touched the pillow.
June 2nd, 2018, New York Sanctum
When Strange step foot in the Sanctum, he looked around. They'd have to fix the hole in the stairs but...they had won. Once they were back on the battlefield, Hulk and Thor did a good job at getting rid of the remaining Outriders before Captain Marvel went in space to destroy Thanos' ship. Then came the dreadful moment to count the losses. There were many, but ultimately this outcome was better than the one he had seen.
Wong had left for the Sanctum right after the battle and now here he was, two days later after helping as much as he could, along with Peter Parker, Thor, Loki and Banner.
He went down to the crypt. Wong was there, along with his dead-yet-not-really-dead apprentice.
"How is it?" Addison asked him without turning around.
"The King is trying to reorganize everything. The other Avengers and Guardians will come once they healed and rested enough." She nodded.
"I'm not looking forward to the explanation. I mean, Carol arrived yesterday and Fury was there and…" She turned around. "Now?"
"The Stones need to be divided," Wong stated. "And the gauntlet destroyed."
"I'll bring it back to Nidavellir," Thor said firmly.
"We need to go there for Mjolnir too," Addison added, to which he nodded.
"But what about the Stones?" Banner asked, showing their containers. "Can they stay in there?"
"No, the only thing keeping three of them is Addison's magic," Wong replied. The young woman did seem tired and pale.
"If anything, I think you, the Wakandan Princess and Tony Stark might get to work on that," Stephen told the scientist.
"And how do you plan on separating them after?" Loki inquired, his arms crossed.
"The Time and Reality Stones will remain on Earth," Strange told him. "As for the others...they need to be separated, like Wong said."
"Wanda won't like that…" Bruce whispered.
"How is she?" Addison asked. Banner pursed his lips.
"Pietro can't get through. She just...wants Vision."
"How strange it is that a human just loved a robo…"
"Loki," Thor's voice stopped him. Loki just rolled his eyes.
"The most important right now is to create containment chamber though, right?" Peter asked them. "I mean, if we can't take them we can't separate them." Strange looked at Addison.
"I'll take over the spells with Wong." She nodded hastily.
In a swift move, the magic changed. Addison breathed out heavily.
"It's better, thanks," she thanked them. "I'm going back to the Compound, you're coming?"
"I think I'm going to go home from here. We're in New York, right?" Peter asked.
"Greenwich Village," Wong added.
"Good. I'll come by soon I think." He hugged Addison. "Mr Stark really lost it you know, Thanos said you had died a pointless death and that he stabbed you and…"
"I know, I know. Go home to your aunt so that she knows you're okay now." He nodded and left.
She made a portal right after and they were in front of the Compound. Thor looked at it, like Loki. The latter had already been there but the 'A' letter on the facade kept bringing memories of his defeat in New York.
For Thor though, he felt like the adrenaline of the fight was finally falling down. Wakanda was still a battlefield but now, seeing the Compound, where the team would train and rest brought tears to his eyes. On one hand, it meant it was over, Thanos was gone and his people avenged, but on the other hand, they were gone, their screams haunting him for the rest of his life.
"Thor." He looked at Banner, staring at him worriedly. "Are you alright?"
"Yes! Why wouldn't I be, that man is dead!" He hurried in the building.
He barely greeted Fury. Instead he went to what he remembered to be his room when they moved from the Tower. His belt, Megingjörð, was there. The clothes Tony and Natasha had gotten were in the closet as Asgardian armor was too 'noticeable'.
Thor sat down on the bed.
It was over.
Now what?
"You've made your parents proud I'm sure." I smiled faintly at Carol. I had just showed her and Fury Dad's video.
"I understand now," Fury added, looking at me. "And then you chose the King of Wakanda as a way to assemble the Rogues." I nodded.
"However, you made me go round and round to find where you were, you kept changing places," Carol commented with a teasing smile. I shrugged.
"I was in space for who knows how long, then on board the Guardians' ship, then the pod, Nidavellir and then back on Earth with a portal. Sorry you had to…"
"It's fine, I wish I could have gotten to the battle sooner, but point is I made it." She grabbed her mug of coffee and took a sip. "I did miss that."
"Don't they have coffee in space?" She just smiled at Fury.
"They have a lot of things in space, you know that Nick." Her face went back to being serious. "However, I've stayed away for too long. I had no idea the Chitauris invaded New York."
"You did say emergency only."
"Yes, I know." She looked at me. "Tony Stark is good with tech, isn't he?" I nodded. "Good, I'm sure he can make something so that we can stay in contact as long as the places I'm at allow us to."
"It should be the same for those Guardians of the Galaxy."
"I've spent six months in space," I told them. "It's sad how terrans are seen as weaklings and Earth just as...weak. I mean...we're behind literally everything." Carol nodded without a second of hesitation. "By the way Carol, do you have any way to locate an emergency pod heading for Earth?"
"Possibly." I took a deep breath.
"Some people made it out of the ship but...who knows where they'd land on Earth. Thor's already…" I sighed. "The sooner his people get there, the better it will be. I hope."
"And the rest of the team?" Fury asked me.
"Still in Wakanda. Stephen told me they'd come once they got some well-deserved rest." I stood up. "If you'll excuse me."
I left the room and went to the workshop. Tony was there, like Doc, and I had flashbacks of when we'd be in the Tower right after London.
Doc was staring at the Avenger card in his hand.
"Since when do we have these?"
"Not that long actually."
"The team has a habit of just leaving without saying anything," Tony commented idly, Doc looking sheepish. "There's a tracking device in it, and an emergency line. And of course it's to recognize the Avengers. Active or reserve member. Anyway Addie, you know the drill." I sat down in the chair and let them...do their job.
"There's no sign of infection, everything seems normal," Doc stated after long minutes. "Thor said it was like a parasite but it doesn't seem that way."
"Her genes have been evolving for years, it must be the reason why." I nodded at Tony.
"And then I died and the Stone could finish the job without my vital functions blocking it." They soured and Tony rolled on his chair next to me.
"Okay Addie. When you say you 'died', I'm struggling to figure out if you mean it or not." I pursed my lips.
"I…" I sighed. "I was stabbed in the heart by the knife James gave me in London. I was dead. I died in Thor's arms even." Tony clenched his jaw and Doc looked down. "And when I was dead, I saw, and talked to Grandma." Tony blinked. "The Stone...indirectly it gave me the choice to come back from the dead or not, and I chose to come back. There was too much…" I blinked away the tears coming up.
Tony and Nat would have died.
"When we were on that spaceship, Strange said that he didn't know in which scenario we were."
"It has something to do with you being dead or not," Doc figured out. I nodded.
"If I stayed dead, Thanos would have gotten the Stone I guess, one way or another, and snapped. Five years go by, you guys find a way to travel back in time to get the stones back and snap people back to life but…"
"But?" I couldn't even meet Tony's eyes.
"Natasha and you died," I whispered. I pursed my lips. "I came back because I didn't want that, and also because snapping people back would create more problems in the end."
"How did we die?" I shrugged.
"Stephen didn't elaborate."
"In that scenario, you'd stay dead though," Doc told us. I nodded.
"I guess." I rubbed my hands against my jeans once I was free from their machine. "And an added bonus is that all my memories came back, even the unpleasant ones." Tony understood immediately.
Doc not really, but seeing Tony pursing his lips was enough for him to know it was something that happened when he was off world.
"By the way Bruce, the quinjet made it to space?" Tony asked him, changing the subject.
"Apparently, but the Hulk fell from it before it crashed. It was fixed though."
"Yeah, before Hulk broke everything trying to keep us on Sakaar." I looked at Tony. "Hulk was super famous and popular."
"We have a lot of catching up to do."
"I've been the Hulk for two years, I don't remember much from space," Doc told him immediately. Tony looked slightly disappointed and looked at me.
"How did you end up in space?"
"I was going to see Stephen and Thor was there, looking for his father with Loki. Stephen told me to make sure they got home and I was dragged in their family mess with their hidden sister. It…"
I told him about Sakaar, the Collector and Asgard. At the end, he was giving a close look at my universal translator behind my ear. His hand on my shoulder was tighter than it should be, silently comforting me and telling me I was home on Earth.
A few days later, I received a text telling me to go to the Institute asap. I was about to leave the building when Thor appeared behind me.
I was spending a lot of time with him, and not always on my own free will. He just...seemed scared when I was out of his sight. Loki noticed and told me it was his way of coping because I had died in his arms and he almost failed his promise to get me home so he didn't want it to happen again.
"I'm going to the Institute, just come," I told him without stopping. His steps quickly caught up with mine.
"I've always been curious about that place you know." I smiled at him, knowing he was trying to sound casual.
"You've seen Storm and her lightning on the battlefield." He nodded enthusiastically.
"They were highly valuable allies."
"Well yeah, duh. Here, Neverland, they're good."
"Was Neverland a…" I pursed my lips.
"We've got some time, I'll tell you in the car."
June 12th, 2018, Avengers Compound
"Well, that's an unexpected welcoming committee," Natasha commented, seeing Fury and Hill outside the compound as they were exiting the quinjet.
"Glad to see you in one piece Romanoff," Fury replied, his hands in his back.
"It was a close call but we managed, somehow," Clint told his ex-boss.
"Where's Danvers?" Steve asked them.
"In space looking for the pod Thor's ship's survivors are in," Hill explained.
Apart from the three Avengers, Rhodey, Sam and the twins were there, along with Bucky, Scott, Hope, T'Challa and Shuri. In the sky another ship appeared and soon landed next to the jet. From it exited the Guardians of the Galaxy, who looked around.
"Meh, I have seen better," Rocket mumbled.
"We've seen way worst too," Quill told him. "So, where are the stones?"
"In the process of being separated for good. Stark and Banner wanted help from the Wakanda princess to create containment chambers." Shuri shot her brother a look, who nodded.
"Please this way," Hill told the teenager as they went inside.
"So, how did you find out we were about to be attacked by Thanos?" Steve asked Fury. The spy shot Bucky a quick look.
"I didn't, only that an emergency would happen. If anything, we owe a dead man a lot. Follow me."
They walked past Loki and Bruce playing chess. Wanda gulped, remembering Vision at this very place.
"Oh hey guys," Banner greeted them, standing up.
"Do I take it as you giving up?"
"We can have another game later Loki," Bruce told him, to which the God of Mischief just smirked.
"Are we all here?"
"Thor and Addison left a few hours ago, but she must have told Thor everything so it's okay." He pointed toward the hallway. "I'm going to join Tony, it's…"
"That's okay Doctor Banner, you can." He nodded. "I'm guessing Stark won't come up."
"Seeing the tape once was enough, same for Addie, and...same for me to be honest. Just...talk to you later."
"Is it me or is he more awkward than before?" Clint pondered out loud.
"There must be a reason," Steve told him.
In the Conference Room, Fury put on David Carter's video. It would be self-explanatory, even if he had a feeling he'd need to explain who Carol was and how she got her powers. He noticed Barnes tensing when David appeared on screen.
He, himself, had been taken back to see his late colleague. David had worked for Howard when he joined SHIELD before being dispatched somewhere else. Fury had had many encounters with him, as a scientist and an agent. Carol too had been emotional to see him. In a matter of second, someone she fought with when she had no recollection of her life was dead, like his wife, and he had made a video of himself in which he knew he'd die and left everything to his daughter.
The silence in the room once the video ended was deafening.
"So...from the atmosphere I guess he's important?" Quill inquired.
"Important or not, this tape proved to be more than useful," T'Challa said.
"Carter asked Strange to look through potential futures once they saw the tape, and from there started planing. She tracked me down to get the pager for Danvers, and then…"
"Then she came to Wakanda to ask for my help," T'Challa finished for him.
"That's why she came then?" Bucky whispered to himself, attracting Steve's glance.
Did they see each other? Bucky met his gaze and took a deep breath.
Seeing one of his victims on tape was not easy, especially when said victim and his wife knew they would die. It was a good thing he did his research and found out something was going to happen because then Addison did what her dad had wanted and they won but…
He barely saw her in Wakanda. At first he heard her, thinking he was hallucinating. Sam grinned at him when she replied she had missed Falcon, proving they were hearing right. He'd lie if he said he understood what the stones were but he knew they were the targets and that somehow, Addison had turned herself into a target.
When he actually saw her, he had to look at her twice because of her new outfit. It fitted her a little too well, but he couldn't stop on this detail because she was using magic, healed Natasha and Clint and they were off to fight Thanos.
And she had been to space too? A lot had happened, way too much. She did seem...different. Tired.
"Okay and what now? I mean, what do we do with the stones?" Rocket asked them.
"We need to hide them so that nobody can find them," Nebula replied seriously.
Wanda stood up and left quickly. Pietro followed her.
The wounds would take time to heal.
"They're here." I scratched my ear. "Damn, I had forgotten how much Wade could yell."
"They were worried, and rightfully so."
"I know Thor, it's just…"
Ororo scolded me too, Jean, even Remy for Christ's sake. I mean, I was hugged a lot too, sometimes too tightly, and ultimately they were glad I was okay but…
Well, I guess it was better than Pepper. Tony told her I died for a few hours so when she saw me, after scolding Tony and making sure he'd live through it, she slapped me, scolded me and hugged me.
She had not slapped me since I was eighteen, when I showed up after seeing Tony was missing in Afghanistan ten years ago. Tony just watched and I shot him a glare, calling him a snitch.
"A lot happened and now it's time to explain so…" I sighed and I sat down on the deck.
It was a nice area of the compound, calm and quiet, the warm breeze of June blowing my hair a little. I looked at the river and took a deep breath.
After everything that happened, you'd think water wouldn't do this to me anymore. Truth was, only deep bodies of water gave me troubles now.
"Maybe don't mention meeting a Cosmic Entity, it would just...confuse them." I nodded.
"Agree." I looked at the clear sky and the beaming sun. "It's...I was...dead. Gone. For real and now I'm…" I shook my head and ran a hand on my face. "I don't know."
"You're here, alive and with us, it's all that matters," Thor stated firmly. "You won't die again, not on my watch I promise." He put his hand on my shoulder and I put my hand on his.
"Sorry you had to see and...live that."
"Yeah well...at least my brother's still alive." I pursed my lips.
"Knowing him he'd have tried something stupid." Thor nodded. "We're going to be okay Thor, I'm sure we will."
"Of course!" He grinned.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you're avoiding us." We looked back. Natasha was there, her arms crossed. She looked at the river behind us, then me. "You're okay being there?" I nodded.
"It's...fine." I stood up, like Thor. She stepped to us.
"You know, we really thought we had lost you guys, like Tony."
She hugged me tightly without any notice. I shared a look with Thor and hugged her back. I felt her gulping.
"But you had to make an entrance."
"Well, heroes always come at the last minute," I replied.
Thor joined our hug.
"Steve wants to talk to you," Natasha whispered in my ear.
I spotted James and Sam in the distance. I waved at them like I could, squeezed between a god and a Russian spy. Sam waved back.
James scratched his temple. Knowing what it meant, I read his thoughts.
"If I'm ever told you're dead again I'll kill you myself," he thought, staring at us.
I chuckled and nodded.
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