Notes:
It looks like every three to four days is my sweet spot for updates, so I'm going to try to keep up with that pace. This chapter is a little less Steve/Natasha-focused, but I promise the payoff is worth it.
Thor's warrior cry cut through the air, the anguish that had plagued him for so long, giving way to something animalistic. He was ready for this to end. They all were.
Voices all around Natasha roared to life, and a savage scream ripped from her own throat, as her legs carried her forward. She saw Steve pulling ahead and swung her staff out to the side knocking half a dozen Chitauri to the ground and into Mjolnir's path. She didn't stop to watch the hammer's lightening steal the life from their bodies.
Somewhere to her right, Stormbreaker hit the ground, sending shockwaves through the enemy's front lines. After that it was impossible for Natasha to keep track of anyone. She could distantly hear the impassioned shouts of her teammates as they battled alongside her, the heavy clang of Steve's shield, blasts from Tony's suit, the boom of machine guns all around her, but she was singularly focused – Keep these monsters at bay and find a way to kill Thanos.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble under Nat's feet, and Scott's giant form rose from the Earth. When she'd found the rest of the group, they'd decided he would stay back with the stones, not wanting to alert Thanos to their presence. Scott must have realized everyone had returned and signaled to Hope to find and repair the van's time machine.
Not missing a beat, Steve's voice rang out through the comms, "Lang, get those stones to the van!"
Scott took a few steps forward, smashing dozens of Chitauri beneath his massive feet. It quickly became obvious, though, that he had the glove, and he couldn't move fast enough to avoid the onslaught of attacks that followed.
"Guys! Help! I need help!"
Natasha took off in his direction but was caught around the waist and pulled back against a something something solid. She swung her elbow backwards into the assailant's ribs and kicked her foot back, connecting with his knee. He let out a grunt that she vaguely recognized. In one swift motion, she pulled her gun from the holster on her thigh and turned to point it at her apparent attacker.
Her jaw went slack when she saw the man standing behind her, "Steve? What the hell?"
"I don't want you anywhere near that thing."
Steve took in a deep breath knowing she'd be pissed that he kept her from going after the gauntlet. And she'd have every right to be, but he didn't care. He just wanted her safe – or as safe as she could be, given the current circumstances.
"Since when do we gatekeep during battle, Rogers?" He was right; Natasha was furious. He'd never coddled her during a fight before, and here they were, the actual fight of their lives, and he was quite literally holding her back. "Get out of my way."
"No."
"Steve, we don't have time for this. MOVE!"
Before Steve could respond, Peter shouted, "I've got it!" into the comms.
Natasha looked behind her as Peter shot a web upward, swiping the glove from Scott's open hand. "Activate Instant Kill Mode!"
She turned back to Steve and narrowed her eyes, "This conversation isn't over."
Before he could reply, she turned on her heel and sprinted back into the thick of the fight. "That went well," Steve muttered under his breath, swinging what was left of his shield to the side with ease to block the path of an enemy soldier.
Up until five years ago, Carol Danvers had never met Nick Fury's Avengers. She knew they existed, of course, but Fury always said he'd only call on her if a situation arose that Earth's heroes couldn't handle on their own.
Thanos, it turns out, was that situation.
Carol had no idea the remaining members were going to try to collect the stones from the past and bring everyone back. She'd been off Earth for months with few opportunities for communication. It was by complete accident, thanks to an unannounced visit, that she ended up at the compound at the exact time they needed her.
The death and destruction she saw as she sped toward the planet's surface made Carol change course and blow herself directly through Thanos' ship.
Her unexpected entrance gave the others a reprieve from unrelenting gunfire the ship had rained down onto them. She slid her earpiece into place. "Captain Rogers, do you copy?"
His response was immediate, "Danvers, can you get eyes on the stones?"
"On it, Cap."
Carol stopped mid-air and hovered above the giant crater where the Avengers Compound used to stand. A reflection off one of the ships caught her eye. She spun around to see what looked like a teenage boy in curled in the dirt with his arms cradled around a large metal glove.
She landed in front of him and smirked. Spiderman. He couldn't have been older than 16, and he looked absolutely terrified.
"Hi. I'm… Peter Parker."
"Hey, Peter Parker. You got something for me?"
Peter handed her the glove, and as he looked out into the open battlefield at the enemy surging toward them, a wave of relief at being rid of it washed across his face.
He looked up at Carol with wide eyes, "Wait, you're going to try to get through all of that by yourself?"
"Don't worry, Parker, we've got her six," Natasha said, tossing a wink to Peter over her shoulder. Carol looked around as a dozen Avengers, all women, appeared at her side.
"Did someone plan this?" She asked dryly but didn't wait for an answer. She took off in a straight line toward the makeshift time machine, trusting her sisters-in-arms to handle any obstacles in her path. Carol was nearly there when out of nowhere, Thanos' sword sailed past her head and into the heart of the van. The explosion blew her backwards into the dirt. The glove slipped from her grasp and landed at Thanos' feet.
Carol was back on her feet in an instant, shoving her boot hard into the back of Thanos' knee and landing several punches as he swung at the air trying to land a blow of his own. He'd slipped on the gauntlet, but Carol's strength began to surpass his as she held his hand open, nearly bending it back completely. She realized a moment too late, though, that he'd pulled the Power Stone from its place on the glove, reeling back to land a punch that sent Carol across the terrain.
She forced her eyes open and for a moment saw nothing but darkness. Carol shook her head, trying to force away the ringing in her ears, and sat up to see Thanos throw Tony backwards into a pile of rubble.
"Oh, no. No, no, no."
"I am inevitable," He lifted his hand, but this time when he snapped his fingers, nothing happened. She heard the clank of metal against metal and realized that Tony had somehow swiped the stones and implanted them into his nano suit. Her mind raced. He was going to snap Thanos away, sacrificing himself in the process.
Out of the corner of her eye Carol caught Strange a few paces away staring in her direction. He was shaking his head at her, as if her thoughts were laid bare for everyone to see.
"I have to try," she shot back defiantly.
"Danvers, no. It might change the outcome," Strange's steeled his expression. "He has to do it."
"But maybe he doesn't have to die."
If Strange spoke again, Carol hadn't heard him. Tony's voice caught her attention, and she knew she was out of time.
"And I… am … Iron Man."
Without another thought, Carol flew to Tony's side, grabbing ahold of his wrist. She may not be able to stop him from snapping his fingers, but she could at least try to absorb some of the stones' power in hopes that he would survive. Just as her hand landed on his, blinding white light filled the battlefield. One by one, then all at once, the Black Order and its army turned to dust.
It was as if time had stopped. The expression on Thanos' face was that of disbelief as he looked around at his dying army. Finally, accepting defeat, he sat down among the rubble awaiting his own fate.
As soon as the final bits of dust had cleared, Carol turned to Tony. He was pale. Burn marks tracked up his neck and onto his face. His breathing was shallow. Had it worked? The snap had obviously worked, but whether Tony would survive this was yet to be seen.
Not a moment later, Pepper was on her knees next to them. Carol stood and took a step to the side, where Peter and Rhodey had also appeared.
"Friday?" Pepper's voice was barely a whisper. She pressed one hand over the Arc Reactor on Tony's chest, still lit up bright blue; Her hand other rested against his face, gently directing him to look at her.
"Life function stable. Condition, serious."
A sob tore from Pepper's chest at Friday's assessment. She pressed her forehead against Tony's, and his good hand tangled in her hair. He still hadn't said anything, but he was alive and breathing, and Pepper couldn't have asked for anything more in that moment.
"Hey, Pep."
"I'm here, Tony," Pepper planted soft kisses against his cheeks, and she could feel his lips turn up slightly into a smile.
Pepper allowed the tears to flow freely, letting go of all the worry she'd been holding onto for weeks now. She turned her head in Carol's direction. The women locked eyes and something heavy and unspoken passed between them. Carol gave Pepper an understanding nod before stepping back to give them space.
She looked around at the scene in front of her. Rhodey and Peter were helping Tony up off the ground now, and somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed. Natasha was knelt beside Steve, wiping blood away from a cut on his cheek. Thor, Sam and Bucky were organizing a group for search and rescue, and Shuri and Bruce were tending to the wounded.
Carol sat down in the dirt, physically and mentally spent. She felt Strange approach from behind but didn't move.
"That was risky, Danvers."
"It was risky as hell," she said, and after a few seconds, turned to face him, unsure of what to expect but unwilling to fight about her decision. "But it was worth it."
The Strange offered a tired smile and nodded in agreement before rejoining the group of sorcerers who had started clearing rubble and debris. They'd won. The 'how' no longer mattered, only the 'what now?'
End Notes:
Up next: All kinds of Romanogers goodness.