The fighting on the field continued on in its intensity as blasts occurred left and right sending members from both sides of the fight flying. There was carnage everywhere. The soldiers of Thanos didn't give a second thought as they stepped over and sometimes on the bodies of the dead, but the Avengers and Wakandan fighters couldn't be so cold. Seeing the faces of fallen loved ones or friends as you continued to battle for your own life was taking a toll. Madison followed closely to Bucky's side as he continued to press forward, she couldn't help the sob that slipped out as she looked down and saw the bloody, lifeless face of the young woman she had seen just last night before this hell had all begun. The girl couldn't have been more than twenty, if that. "We have to keep going Maddie," came Bucky's voice as Madison continued to stare into the dark, lifeless eyes that stared back at her. "Don't let her death be for nothing," he continued, breaking Maddie from her trance. Maddie nodded her head as Bucky raised his weapon again to cut down more of the vicious creatures that seemed to be converging on their location.
"Guys," Bucky's urgent voice could be heard yelling out over the com system, "It's getting pretty thick over here. We could use a little help."
Blast after blast Madison sent dark orbs across the pack of creatures turning them into ash as the radiation from her magic touched them. But no matter how many Bucky shot down or Madison was able to destroy with her magic more and more seemed to continue to multiply. Voice after voice could be heard saying that they were coming to Bucky and Maddie's aid and after a few moments, Madison could see her mother running towards her in the distance, Okoye at her side. Bucky too could see Steve as he dashed monsters left and right, all trying their best to get to the two struggling fighters. Just as they all made it and began trying to fight off the swarming horde of monsters, Shuri's voice crackled over the com system.
"I've got it, it is out," she exclaimed with excitement. The next voice over coms was that of her brother, T'Challa praising her and telling her to destroy it. His voice became more panicked as radio silence filled the air. Shuri wasn't answering her brother's calls, all that could be heard was screams, struggling, and things being destroyed right before a massive explosion could be heard across the battle field. Virtually everyone stopped momentarily drawn by the large noise. The blast was so large that the ground practically shook beneath everyone's feet.
Everyone's astonishment at the explosion from the area of Shuri's lab that no one seemed to notice the creatures that previously had been attacking all seemed to stop, taking a few steps back.
There are moments in your life that you remember as being defining moments. Most of the milestones are happy ones; your first kiss, the day you get married, the day you hold your first child, these are the moments that stay with you forever that you can recall with perfect clarity. What happened next will forever be one of those moments for James Buchanan Barnes because his milestones were rarely ever happy ones. Normally, his were the ones nightmares were made of; his one exception being falling in love with Madison Rogers.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion, or at least that's how it felt. Turning, Bucky watched as Madison's eyes filled with tears as she saw the smoke begin to billow up from the castle. In his heart he knew there was little chance Shuri had survived that blast, but he wasn't able to begin to process that feeling because what happened next nearly stopped his heart. Just behind Madison a large dark blue and black pillow of smoke began to appear, thicken and seemingly open up.
Bucky barely had time to get her name out before two large black arms reached out from the billowing smoke, wrapped around Madison's body, shocking her as she screamed his name. Her arms reached desperately for him as he dove to reach her only to be left with nothing but air in his grasp as she disappeared into the mist from his sight. At the same moment Madison was taken, the previously retreating creatures moved back in for the kill, this time even more vicious, if that were possible, in their attack. Had it not been for Bucky's vibranium arm, the sharp fangs of the creatures would have ripped him to shreds.
Bucky was growing more desperate. The effort to fight, to stay alive even, took so much effort that he could barely speak and so his pleas for help came across broken. "Mad…" "help…" "taken…" "Madison," he screamed as he slashed the throat of the monster clawing at his suit.
Between Steve, Natasha and Okoye the remaining creatures surrounding Bucky were finally disposed of leaving a badly injured Bucky on the ground. Seeing his friend hurt, Steve fell to his knees at his side. "Buck, talk to me man. Are you alright?"
As Steve half rolled, half aided Bucky to turn onto his back, he was shocked to see the look on Bucky's face. One side of his face looked to be badly clawed, blood pooled around his neck as his eyes darted franticly looking all around. "Maddie, help Maddie," he gasped trying to find his voice, "they took her." Bucky struggled to his feet as Steve and Natasha held him up. Bucky's legs felt like they were made of jello. He couldn't tell if it was the exertion of the fight or what he had just seen that put him into such a state, but he couldn't think on that right now.
"Steve, they took her," he continued to plead with his friend. Having finally caught on to what Bucky was trying to say Steve radioed out to everyone listening. "Madison," Steve yelled over coms, "they took Madison. Repeat, Madison has been taken."
Tony could be heard next over coms, "Her tracker is still active. She's about 300 yards from you to the south boarder wall." Steve looked down to his wrist and opened a small panel on a metal cuff. On the screen a small gold blip could be seen. "I've got her," Steve responded.
"Good, cause I've got to take care of this," Tony yelled as he deployed more and more fire retardant on the smoking electronics in the lab. Tony, Rhodes and Peter had to leave the fight and were all trying desperately to find any survivors. Wanda, Vision and Shuri, not to mention any other staff members in the lab were all top priorities, even if it was just their bodies, they still needed to be found.
"Uh, Mr. Stark," Peter called from his location further in the lab. At his feet lay the corpse of one of Thanos' men. More and more of the pieces were slowly coming together. Somehow they had breached further into the city and had apparently entered into the castle's lab. That must have been the destruction everyone had heard before the explosion. But did that mean that the stone had been destroyed, or was it taken? Was that what the explosion was, or was it something else? Piece after piece of debris was tossed to the side as the three men dug trying to find their friends.
Tony divided a large slab of concrete that had fallen with his laser to reveal an unconscious Wanda. Reaching down Tony could feel a slight pulse, but it was faint. "I've found Wanda," he called out, checking her over to try to determine the extent of her injuries. "Friday can you give me a reading?"
"Severe concussion, two broken ribs and a broken femur bone on her right side," came the automated voice in reply. "Her neck must be secured before she can be moved to prevent further damage."
"Kid, I need your help over here," Tony called out to Peter. When he didn't get a response Tony yelled out for Peter again, his frustration escalating. It was only when he looked up did he realize why Peter wasn't answering. Peter sat on the floor, tears flowing down his face as he held the lifeless body of Vision. "Mr. Stark," Peter openly sobbed as he cradled the man's head in his arms.
Death and destruction in war was expected, but there was nothing a person could do to prepare yourself for this kind of loss.
Bucky stumbled on his feet. His advanced DNA was working overtime at the moment to try to heal his injuries for him to remain on his feet alone. Plus, everyone was reaching the point of exhaustion, even the super soldiers were feeling it. The battle had been going on for the better part of an hour and the good guys weren't making much headway. It was beginning to feel like trying to bail out the ocean with a spoon. More and more monsters could be seen exiting the ships and on top of that more weaponry was being deployed to cause destruction. Massive spindles that tore at the ground creating large ravines as they dug up the earth and everyone on it in their way.
"We have to get to her Steve," Nat yelled out as she drove her blade into the neck of an attacking creature.
The gold dot remained steady, but the three were making absolutely no headway in that area. It was like the creatures knew what direction they wanted to go and were actively working together to prevent their movements. Suddenly a blast of rainbow colored lights filled the afternoon sky as another blast struck the earth, crushing several dozen monsters as at the end of the stream of light a welcomed friend was finally found to have arrived.
Thor, Loki, Rocket and Groot all stood side by side, momentarily taking in the surrounding carnage before Thor, in a roar of rage exclaimed, "Bring me Thanos." Soring into the air before landing, Thor delivered a crushing blow to the enemy. The shockwave he sent leveled the surrounding creatures and caused one of the deployment ships of the enemy's to crack and shake. One-by-one they all began the fight. Steve was visibly relieved to see friends arrive that were fresh to the fight. "Thanos took Madison," Steve announced as the two men began to fight off the new arrivals.
"Where is she," Thor demanded before Steve explained Madison's location. What everyone failed to realize was that news of Madison's kidnapping had visibly shaken Loki. Standing there Loki realized the one person, other than Frigga, who had been completely kind to him and who constantly tried to be his friend was now in eminent peril. A trickster he may be, but his loyalty was given out in short supply. Madison had earned his loyalty and in this moment, she needed him; he could feel it.
Racing around the two men, Loki found exactly who he needed. Extending his hand to Bucky, Loki made this simple plea, "Please, trust me." Bucky took one deep breath before he reached out and grabbed Loki's wrist with his hand and in a flash the two men were gone.