The next morning everything was buzzing in the Palace. Shuri, Tony, Banner, Wanda and Vision were up early in the palace labs going over details for a possible disconnection of the stone from Vision. Shuri believed it was very do-able given enough time. "Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work connectively?" Shuri asked Bruce.
"Because we … didn't think of it?" Bruce stuttered out, having no better answer.
"So, it is possible to disconnect the stone from Vision, without losing Vision," Wanda asked, worry clearly present in her voice. She would never risk losing Vision, but if this were a real possibility then the option needed to be discussed. No one wanted to say it, but everyone realized for Thanos to complete his collection of the stones, he was going to have to come after Vision. If the stone could be safely removed, then it could be destroyed. Vision would be safe and Thanos wouldn't be able to complete his plan of destruction. The group continued to work out a plan of starting the disconnection process within the hour. It would be a long and tedious one, but Shuri felt with Tony and Dr. Banner's help that they would be up to the task at hand.
Steve, Nat and Sam were with T'Challa in the palace armory looking over all of the new weaponry that had been developed using vibranium. T'Challa stood next to Sam as he admired a new Black Panther suit. "It is really remarkable what Shuri can think up when given enough time and encouragement," T'Challa praised his sister. "Punch the suit," T'Challa encouraged Sam, "as hard as you can."
Sam looked skeptical, but did as he was asked and threw his hardest punch at the abdomen of the suit. The suit's lining seemed to glow a subtle purple but quickly dissipated. "Now, do that again in the same location as before," T'Challa encouraged. Sam didn't realize as he pulled back to delivery another blow to the suit that T'Challa had taken a couple steps back from his previous position. As Sam's fist landed in relatively the same location as before a shockwave of energy was emitted from the suit knocking Sam off of his feet, into the nearby wall.
This of course made T'Challa laugh at being able to pull the same trick on someone else that his sister had done to him earlier. As he offered Sam a hand in getting up he explained, "The suit is able to harness the energy of the attack coming at it until it is discharged as a shockwave. It's a very effective defensive technique." T'Challa's huge grin did nothing to soften the blow and amount of humiliation that Sam felt at having been used as a guinea pig, but the information was interesting.
Natasha was busy looking over a new set of batons that were a significant upgrade to her current ones when Steve approached her. Maybe it came from the years now of working together and being close friends, but nothing was awkward between them after the other night. It just seemed natural and long past due to both of them. Steve was a gentleman and would never kiss and tell, but spending the night with Natasha was well beyond anything he could have dreamed up.
Natasha gazed up at Steve from under her lashes as though she knew exactly what was on his mind and judging by the smirk on her face she didn't mind where his train of thought currently was.
"So, where is that daughter of ours" Steve wondered. "Probably alongside that best friend of yours like she always is," Natasha laughed. It never failed, where one was, the other was almost assuredly alongside. They rarely left one another for long.
"Actually, Madison asked to be shown to the security room. She wanted to be shown how the perimeter defense works and James I believe is in the infirmary having the biometrics on his arm upgraded." The two being a part was definitely odd, so Nat excused herself to see about tracking down her daughter to make sure everything was alright. While Sam decided he had taken enough punishment for one day and went off in search of Bucky. T'Challa took this opportunity to show a new form of shield to Steve that allowed for more mobility in hand-to-hand combat.
It took a few minutes for Natasha to track Madison down but she heard her before she saw her. Madison was busy asking a dozen questions of the guard who was showing her how the security dome worked that covered the city. "Is there any way to deepen the field so that you would really have to go several meters deep before being able to dig under the shield?" The tech began pressing buttons to demonstrate how the shield dimensions could be changed to accommodate new threats.
"Hey, is everything alright" Nat asked, worried about how concerned Madison suddenly was with the shield defense system.
Madison took a moment to compose herself before thanking the tech and turning to leave. Nat followed close behind, surprised that Madison barely acknowledged her presence and didn't even answer a direct question.
"Hey miss," Nat scolded as she grabbed at Madison's wrist to stop her from walking away, "I asked you a question." Nat was surprised when she saw tears forming in Madison's eyes that she tried desperately to hide with anger. "Hey, talk to me," she said as she pulled Madison into a hug. Nat hadn't had many opportunities to really play the 'mom card' but at the moment she felt it was needed.
Gently cupping Madison's face, Natasha brushed away her tears as she reminded her that she could tell her anything. "I'll always be here for you. Tell me what's going on?"
"We're going to lose."
This declaration by Madison made Natasha gasp. Madison was from a different universe where these events had already happened and so hearing this now felt like hearing your own death sentence being passed. There was no hope in her voice, no doubt that it was true. So Natasha did the only thing she knew to do, she pulled the trembling girl into her arms and attempted to comfort her as best she could.
Trying to come up with some kind of word of comfort, Natasha offered up the only thing she could come up with. "Peter would flip out if he found out about this, so you've got to promise me you won't ever tell him I said this to you," Natasha said as she smiled at her daughter, trying to cheer her up. "The future isn't set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves."
Madison grew quiet for a moment before she couldn't hold back the laughter even while still shedding a few remaining tears. "Did you just quote John Connor to me from the Terminator movies?"
Natasha smirked and rolled her eyes at her own stupid choice of words, but she had to confess it seemed appropriate for in the moment. "Okay, yes. But it's no less true. Each time we change a detail in this universe it changes from what your universe turned out to be. So in a sense we are making our own fates. There's nothing that in inevitable here. And even if it does turn out badly, we are all going to fight like hell to stop it. We aren't just going to roll over and take it. If that's what Thanos thinks then he's got another thing coming."
Madison's fears weren't exactly resolved by Natasha's big speech, but she did feel better after having allowed herself to unload her feelings. "Promise me something," Madison said before Natasha turned to go. "Anything," Natasha promised sincerely.
"If something happens to me, you'll take care of Bucky for me?"
Nat couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Nothing is going to happen to you. You are talking nonsense."
Madison just shook her head as she tried to find the words to express her fears. "I'm not supposed to be in this universe mom." Nat stopped and looked at Madison. She could probably count on two hands the number of times over the past several months that Madison had called her mom and it always shocked her how much hearing that simple word meant to her. "If the snap does occur there's no guarantee that the TVA won't use that opportunity to eliminate me as well. I mean it makes sense. If the snap occurs then I failed at the job they agreed to allow me to be here for. So there would be no reason to keep me here at that point."
"Have you talked to James about this?" Natasha tried to wrap her head around Madison being punished for not being about to personally thwart a titan. That didn't seem fair in the least.
"He doesn't even allow me to bring the topic up. Whenever I even mention what life would be like for either of us post-snap he just gets hurt and angry and shuts me down." Madison walked slowly to the railing of the long hallway that led to the security wing. As she looked around, she could imagine Bucky coming back here to live and regain some peace after everything was done. She wanted that for him, to find true peace with or without her.
"I'm not surprised." Natasha turned and looked at her daughter. "That man's day begins and ends with you. To imagine a world without you in it I truly think is beyond him. You being in his life has done more good for him than you could ever imagine."
Madison had been told stories by both her dad and Sam about the reclusive Bucky Barnes that rarely spoke to anyone much less smiled or joked around with anyone other than the two men. To imagine that was hard for Maddie as all she had ever known was the massively attentive, overprotective, loving, smiling, affectionate man that he was now.
"Does he know," Nat asked, directing the question out to the darkening night sky more than directly to Maddie.
"Yes. He swears that things will be different this time. That what happened in my universe will not happen here. In my world I lost so many people that were important to me, people that were my family and friends…I lost you." Madison's heart felt like it was breaking as she told Natasha of all that she had lost with Thanos' first snap. "If I hadn't of had dad, I don't know what would have happened to me."
Their intense conversation was broken up by a very cheerful Bucky and Sam as they came jogging up to the two women. Maddie tried to quickly and discreetly dry her face as Natasha ran interference allowing Madison a few moments to collect herself. "The 6 million dollar man just got an upgrade to 10 million," Sam joked as he pointed to Bucky's new arm. Maddie turned around and focused on the arm that Bucky was showing to the group. He looked like a kid with a new toy as he explained the new added features. "I can send an electric pulse kinda like your cuffs, Nat. Plus, I can absorb a blow and send the force of the blow back out…kinda like the suit T'Challa was showing Sam earlier," Bucky said, trying to hold in a laugh after hearing the story Sam had told him. "Shuri also upped the strength ability too. She said I could lift about 3000 pounds now if need be."
As she listened to all of the details that Bucky shared so eagerly about his updated arm, Madison ran her fingers slowly along the dark gold lining that trailed in a subtle pattern from his shoulder to his wrist. There was even gold lining along where the joints of his fingers would be. Bucky watched as Maddie's finger continued their almost intimate path along his arm, "Shuri said the gold lining would help my flexibility more without reducing the durability."
Maddie loved how pleased Bucky was with the improvements and modifications. She often wondered if he gave much thought anymore to having a prosthetic arm compared to his real one since he had been living with it for over seven decades. He had been doing a great deal better about not being so self-conscious when going out in public. People didn't stop and stare as much as Bucky thought they did. A few were even very polite when they asked about how it happened and even thanked him for his service in the war.
"Well, I think it's pretty impressive. You might even be able to take the Hulk in an arm wrestling match now," Nat laughed.
"Now that I'd pay to see," Sam laughed, clapping Bucky on the back in good humor.
Madison enjoyed seeing everyone smiling and laughing, but in the pit of her stomach she still had a bad feeling that things were going to go south pretty soon for everyone.
As had become the tradition lately, each visiting member to Wakanda turned in fairly early wanting to get an early start for the next day. Shuri, Tony, and Bruce had spent most the day beginning the procedure on disconnecting Vision from the stone. True to Shuri's word it was a long and daunting procedure. The three took turns working on separating the synapses and making sure not to lose function or memory for Vision. It was not an easy task. Wanda stayed ever vigilant by Vision's side, keeping a watchful eye as the three worked. It was very late at night when Tony took over for Bruce so that he could get some rest. Shuri would be taking over for Tony around 6 a.m.
That night Bucky and Madison lay in bed cuddle together talking over the day's events. Since they had spent most of the day apart, there was actually quite a lot to tell the other. Once both felt they had exhausted the topic of the day's events the room fell comfortably quiet. That was one thing in particular he loved about Maddie. She didn't need to have constant chatter, in fact being quiet and just enjoying the peace was one of her favorite things.
"I told Nat," Madison whispered into the dark.
Bucky took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before slowly releasing it. He knew exactly what Madison was referring to and although he hated this topic, he knew he couldn't put it off forever no matter how hard he tried.
"And how did she take it?"
"She tried to convince me that it wouldn't happen the same as before. That with all of the changes that we've made and are making that this time it will be different."
Bucky slipped down further into the bed so that he was now eye-level with Madison. Running his fingers through her hair he could just make out her face in the darkness of the night. "Do you believe her," he asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice that perhaps Natasha had been able to do what he hadn't; spark some kind of hope in her.
Madison gently ran her fingers down Bucky's jawline as she thought about her answer. She never lied to Bucky and she wasn't going to start now. "I want to believe her so badly."
"But," he whispered sadly.
"But I can't believe it until I see it," she said. Bucky nodded. It wasn't exactly a positive answer, but it was better than he had gotten the first few times she had mentioned it to him. Being Madison's sounding board and knowing so many details was hard on Bucky sometimes. He didn't know what he could and couldn't tell others. Sometimes in his sessions with Sam he had to censor what he could tell him and that was both tricky and disheartening. He was really coming to look forward to his sessions with Sam and even with Deacon, but whenever he hit a roadblock of a topic he couldn't discuss it felt hard to move forward as well.
Gently rubbing Madison's back, Bucky pulled her closer into his side trying to offer her comfort. He loved when she wrapped her leg over his, bringing her body tightly into his side. Bucky still had nightmares from time-to-time, but whenever he realized Madison was still beside him they seemed to fade away into the night.
Both seemed to drift off to sleep about the same time, not wanting to spend one more minute discussing what might be when the right here and now was worth so much more.
The next morning brought forth both commotion and turmoil as everyone in the palace was awoken to the sound of alarms filling the air. Most of the Avengers had been awake for an hour or so when the chaos began. The Milano, the M-class starship of the Guardians was making an emergency decent into the atmosphere calling for clearance to land inside the security dome of the city. Quill could be heard over the monitor reporting that alien vessels, at least four of them, were only a few star jumps behind them and hot on their tails.
Everyone began running to their assigned locations. Civilians from outside of the dome were being evacuated from their homes into the city boundaries for safety. Natasha and Madison were gearing up as was Sam, Bucky and Steve. Bruce would remain with Shuri as long as possible to try to finish assisting her in separating Vision's last remaining connections. "I need at least another hour brother," Shuri called over the comm system. "You might want to speed it up wherever possible sister, but we will do all that we can," T'Challa answered.
One-by-one the Avengers filed out of the palace and loaded up on the ships to take them as far out from the city as possible. If a battle was to be fought, it was best civilians not be involved if at all possible.
Sirens blasted as the detection system finally picked up Thanos' ships entering the atmosphere. From the ground they were massive. Coming into view smaller vessels could be seen detaching and launching, flying at a much faster speed than the bulkier cruisers. Several blasts could be felt overhead as they tested out the shields strength. "God I love this place," Bucky said as he looked overhead smiling. "Don't cheer too much just yet my friend. I think this is set to be a long day," Sam said as he passed the last remaining weaponry to Madison who loaded it onto the cruiser. Leaping over the edge to stand behind Madison, Bucky gripped the ships railing as it jetted forward towards the battlefield.
It seemed to only take moments to reach the outskirts of town where hundreds of thousands warriors were gathering. War cries could be heard all around, chants to draw support and spike encouragement among those would be giving it all today.
T'Challa was already at the front of the wall of warriors looking on as a tractor-beam lowered and three figures stepped forward. "Don't suppose you'd be able to convince them to surrender would you," Bucky only half-jokingly asked Steve as he, T'Challa, and Natasha walked towards the dome's edge to meet the children of Thanos.
The meeting was brief and soon Steve found himself standing back next to Bucky. "I take it they said no?"
"We never really go to their option for surrender. It was mostly just threats on their part."
Madison looked around her at all of the brave faces of men and women of every color and shape ready to give up their lives to stop this monster and what he wanted to accomplish. When this happened in her own universe she had been much too small to fight alongside her mother and father, but she remembered watching as transport after transport left loaded down with soldiers ready to fight.
Today, she was on the battlefield, and she too was ready to lay down her life to try to stop Thanos.
Taking a deep breath to try to calm her rising nerves, it startled her slightly when she felt the strong steady fingers of Bucky's vibranium hand slip around hers. "When this is all over," Bucky said, squeezing her hand gently, "I'm gonna need you to make an honest man of me."
Had she not been raised with a man that was well out of his own decade by many years, the turn of phrase might have been missed by Madison. But happily, she knew exactly what Bucky meant. "You name the time and place Mr. Barnes and you got yourself a deal."
Never taking his eyes off of hers, Bucky raised Madison's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it, sealing the deal.
Within moments from this precious memory, carnage began.