So, here we are at the end of Infinity War. This was the hardest chapter to write, due to Vision's death and everything that followed. I'd say spoiler but if you're reading this, well, chances are you at least know what happened in this movie.
Anyway, thank you to everyone who has stuck with me to this point. Especially to Aragorn II Elessar for his use of the movie text from his own watch it story, A Beautiful Journey. Thanks buddy.
Now, on with the show.
Watson smith: I've tried to do watch the show fics, the most I can do is episodes, I can't do an entire show, sorry.
Guest 1: Strange looked into millions of possible futures. You're saying that Strange was unable to stop Quill in every last one? Or do you think it's maybe more likely that Strange found that in every future where Quill was stopped, they still lost?
Guest 2: Not in this chapter, but maybe in another one.
Guest 3: I think if Thor and Bruce where, Team Iron Man would have been demolished in the airport fight. If Thor disobeys Odin, he's not going to listen to some politicians more interested in controlling him than in how best to use the Avengers. And I don't imagine Tony would get passed mentioning Ross before Hulk came out to tell him exactly what he thought about that. If Thor still wanted to be part of The Avengers, I'm pretty sure he had to sign.
Guest 4: Exactly, which is why I don't get the hate he gets.
Guest5: I know, seemed that way to me to. Especially since Strange did nothing to stop him.
Guest6: Is that supposed to make them removing such an integral part of the Spider-Man character better? It doesn't.
The room was silent, the mood somber as the recording continued. The past Avengers each realized the dire situation of the recordings. It was not a pleasant feeling.
In Wakanda, M'Baku and the Jabari killed several Outriders and chanted while Thor casually slaughtered Outriders with his lightning before flying into a dropship, destroying it as he emerged from its top and then flew into another one.
"So awesome," Peter breathed in awe and Thor managed a weak smile.
"Thank you, boy of spiders," Thor said.
Wanda flew to Vision and helped him up when his Mind Stone flared and he grunted in pain. She asked about it and he said in fear, "He's here."
"Shit," Sam said as the entire room tensed.
"We're out of time," Steve said grimly.
Steve looked around as the wind blew ominously and sensed something as he said, "Everyone on my position. We have incoming." Natasha looked around and muttered, "What the hell?" Everyone's eyes darted back and forth. Then Bruce turned around as a portal opened and out marched Thanos.
No one so much as breathed as they watched the screen. With five stones, everyone knew there was little they could do to stop Thanos now. They stared, transfixed, at the screen, desperately hoping that they could stop Thanos despite the slim odds.
"Cap. That's him," Bruce said.
The original Avengers all felt a shiver go down their spines. They had never heard their friend sound so…afraid before.
Steve brought his shield up. "Eyes up. Stay sharp," Steve ordered as Thanos stalked forward menacingly. Bruce leapt at Thanos but he used the Space Stone to make him intangible and Bruce passed through him and went into solid stone where Thanos turned him tangible again and he was lodged inside it.
"So much for that suit," Tony grumbled, dismayed by how…useless his suits seemed to be against Thanos.
Steve charged at Thanos but was flung away by energy from the Power Stone. T'Challa leapt at him but Thanos grabbed him by the throat and punched him hard. As he fell down, his suit discharged all the kinetic energy inside in a powerful but useless burst.
"He is unstoppable," T'Challa whispered pale as they all watched in horror as Thanos beat them around like they were merely pests.
"The fact that we are sitting here at this very moment suggests otherwise," Vision noted. "Hope is not lost. Not yet."
Sam flew at Thanos and fired but was knocked down by the Space Stone.
Sam winced at this, looking dismayed as they all watched with baited breath.
"Wanda. It's time," Vision said. "No," She said immediately as she looked back at him. "They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can," He said. "Look at me." Her lips quivered as he said, "You have the power to destroy the Stone." "Don't," She begged. "You must do it. Wanda, please," he urged. "We are out of time." "I can't," She croaked. "Yes, you can. You can," Vision said. "If he gets the Stone, half the universe dies. It's not fair. It shouldn't be you, but it is."
Scarlet winced, looking pained. While she had moved on from Vision's death and the darkness that had followed, seeing it happen again was opening up some old wounds.
Seeing the look on her face, Barton took her hand, silently letting her know he was there.
"Why?" Wanda choked out, tears rolling down her cheeks as Clint rapped an arm around her. "Why is it always me?"
"It shouldn't, but it is," Parker said as she looked over at him. "Nothing in the world is as it should. It's harsh and cruel."
"I don't need the reminder," she snapped but he continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"But that's why there's us, heroes. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world is as it should be in the hope that it can be that one day. It's gonna be hard, we're gonna suffer for it. But we wouldn't have signed up for this job if we weren't prepared for that," Parker said as they all stopped to listen to him.
"Nice speech," Scott said after a moment and Parker shrugged.
"I've had a lot of practice," Parker said simply.
Wanda looked ahead at the screen as Clint, Steve, and Natasha eyed her worriedly. Clint realized in that moment just how alone Wanda felt, even among The Avengers. Remembering Barton's words about Wanda's breakdown being a long time coming, Clint held her hand, vowing he would not let her go through this alone this time. He was relieved when she squeezed his hand back.
"It's all right," Vision said. "You could never hurt me. I just feel you." With quivering lips, Wanda finally fired a powerful beam at the Mind Stone as Vision gasped in pain but allowed her to proceed.
"Viz," Wanda said sadly as they all turned to stare at Vision in a mix of shock and sadness.
"It is the only way," Vision said with a weak smile. "One life cannot stand in the way of half the universe."
"But it should," Steve said gruffly.
"It's why we brought you here. So you can change this," Barton said roughly, wrapping an arm around Scarlet as she buried her face in his shoulder while Lila and Parker eyed her in concern, knowing this was difficult for her.
Rhodey fired at Thanos but he crushed his suit with the Space Stone and Rhodey fell down.
Rhodey winced, already feeling the pain from that as Tony placed a hand on his shoulder.
Bucky, Natasha and Okoye charged at Thanos, the former firing with his rifle. Thanos was unaffected and sent him down with a wave of energy from the Power Stone as Okoye threw her spear but it was sent back by a wave of energy from the Power Stone as well while Okoye was knocked out. Thanos then formed stone pillars from the Reality Stone, trapping Natasha.
Natasha swore in Russian quietly as they all watched, dread and anticipation filling them.
Groot attacked Thanos with roots but he broke free of them. Wanda looked back with tears and turning back to Vision, fired a beam from her other hand as well, breaking down.
Wanda lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she began to break down. Clint pulled her closer, stroking her hair the way he would Lila's when Cooper would say something that upset her. As Clint tried to comfort Wanda, Vision eyed her sadly, knowing he was the one causing her this pain, even if it was beyond his control.
Steve slid next to Thanos and arrived in front of him. Using his shields, he hit Thanos' abdomen, his left wrist and gave him an uppercut on his chin, though the Mad Titan was barely affected. Thanos then brought his Infinity Gauntlet covered hand down on Steve which he grabbed with all his might and roared, trying to stop Thanos from closing it.
Everyone watched sadly, knowing this was going to do little good against Thanos. He was just too strong.
Then Thanos punched Steve hard, knocking him out.
Steve winced, feeling like he had failed as Sam and Natasha both placed a hand on his shoulders.
Thanos then walked to Wanda and Vision and Wanda used one hand to blast Thanos with magic as he used the Infinity Gauntlet to defend himself, being sent back a little but he persisted.
"You're holding him back," Peter breathed as the past Avengers all stared in shock.
"Maybe you should stop trying to destroy the stone and just go off on him," Scott said and Barton and Lila smirked as Scarlet laughed lightly against Barton's shoulder.
"It's all right. It's all right," Vision said. "I love you."
"I'm sorry for the pain I caused you," Vision said, looking from Wanda to Scarlet.
"It wasn't your fault," Scarlet said, lifting her head lightly to look at him, smiling weakly at him. "It wasn't your fault Viz."
The Mind Stone cracked and soon, exploded along with Vision as a small explosion occurred. The pieces of Vision lay in the forest.
It was completely silent in the room, the only sound being Wanda and Scarlet's cries as they both sobbed. Clint and Barton each held their Wanda as they sobbed for their friend/former lover. Everyone else was simply sad at another loss of Thanos' mad quest for 'correction'.
Except for the future Avengers, who all looked like they had received news of a great tragedy.
As Wanda looked down with tears, Thanos said, "I understand, my child. Better than anyone." Wanda looked up at him in grief and rage and said, "You could never." Thanos reached down and patted her head, "Today, I lost more than you can know."
"Get your filthy hands off her you psycho," Scott almost growled as they all glared at the screen.
"But now is no time to mourn," Thanos said as he walked past her. "Now is no time at all." And then he pressed his fist as the Time Stone activated.
"No," Scott gasped.
"He can use the Time Stone to bring me back," Vision realized with horror as Wanda's head whipped up and Scarlet simply clung to Barton harder.
Thanos used the Time Stone and the pieces reassembled, with Vision being reformed and whole again along with the Mind Stone.
"NO!" Wanda yelled and lunged forward but was smacked away as Thanos lifted Vision by the throat and reaching out, ripped the Mind Stone as a hole was formed in Vision's head and he went pale, dying in Thanos' grip as the Mad Titan tossed him away.
Everyone was too stunned and horrified to react to Vision second death. More than another death, Thanos now had all six stones. They had failed, all of them.
Thanos put the Mind Stone in the Infinity Gauntlet and roared power surged through him.
"Son of a bitch," Tony breathed as they all stared, horror filling each and every one of them.
Then a huge blast of lightning hit Thanos and sent him flying back. Thor had come! Thanos fired a powerful beam from all six Infinity Stones powerful enough to destroy a planet but Thor threw Stormbreaker, charged with all of his power and it cut through the beam and lodged itself in Thanos' chest.
"Yes!" Scott cheered as the mood shifted, a feeling of victory entering the room.
"Nice Point Break," Tony said as Thor smirked in satisfaction.
"I told him he'd die for that," Thor said vindictively.
None of them noticed the future Avengers' grim looks.
Thor flew down in front of Thanos and sneered, "I told you...you'd die for that." Grabbing Thanos' head, he drove Stormbreaker further into his chest as the Mad Titan yelled in agony.
"How do you like that asshole?" Rhodey asked gleefully
Looking up at Thor, Thanos groaned, "You should have...You should...You should have gone for the head." And then raising his left hand, he snapped his fingers. "NO!" Thor yelled as the screen went white.
"NO!" Tony exclaimed in shock as they all stared.
"Did we just lose?" Scott asked in shock.
"I think so," Steve said in a similar state.
"You said we won," Thor said as they all turned to the Barton, in shock and anger.
"We did. But first, we lost," Barton said grimly.
Thanos then found himself in an orange landscape. He looked down at his chest and the wound wasn't there. But the Infinity Gauntlet was missing too. He saw a tiny figure under an archway and walked towards her. The ground was covered in water. "Daughter?" Thanos asked as the figure turned around, revealing herself to be a little Gamora.
"What the hell is this?" Clint asked as they all stared.
"The Soul World. It exists inside the Soul Stone," Scarlet said gently.
"Did you do it?" She asked. "Yes," Thanos said sadly. With tears in her eyes, she asked, "What did it cost?" After a moment, he said, "Everything."
"DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT!" This came from, of all people, Peter, who looked like he was on the verge of tears. "THIS CAN'T BE IT!"
No one said anything, not knowing how to console the young boy. So Wanda simply wrapped an arm around him, hoping it would offer him some comfort.
Back in reality, Thor backed off as the Infinity Gauntlet now looked decayed, as if it had gone several rounds with a monster truck while Thanos' left arm was scorched as well. "What did you do?!" Thor exploded. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Thanos used the Space Stone to open a portal and escaped into it as Stormbreaker, now coated in the Mad Titan's blood dropped to the ground.
The room was completely silent, everyone waiting to see what would happen next. Or, in the case of the future Avengers, trying not to lose it as they were all lost in dark memories of where they were that day. That dark, horrible day.
"Where'd he go?" Steve asked as he arrived. "Thor. Where'd he go?" Thor looked ashamed and guilty.
A look that Thor currently wore as he stared at the screen in guilt and shame.
"Steve?" Steve looked over to see Bucky, whose human hand seemed to be disintegrating. Then his gun fell to the ground and he turned to dust.
Steve stared at the screen, pale, as though failing to understand what had just happened, his brain not comprehending what he had just seen. Natasha was in a similar state, her skin several shades paler than it had been. Scarlet put a hand to her face, trying not to cry out as the others simply looked shocked.
"Son of a bitch," Tony breathed in a voice that was almost a whisper.
"It's started," Natasha said lowly.
Steve walked to the spot Bucky had been at and kneeling down, touched it as Thor looked around in guilt. Wakandan soldiers turned to dust all around as M'Baku watched in horror. One of their ships crashed too due to losing the pilot.
T'Challa stared in shock and horror, grief hitting him like a ton of bricks. He had failed in his duty as king to protect his people. He had failed. M'Baku was right, T'Challa thought sadly.
"Up, General. Up!" T'Challa helped Okoye up, "This is no place to die." Then he turned to dust as she watched in horror and screamed, "OH GOD!"
At this point, T'Challa was simply numb, staring at the screen detached as everyone else stared in horror.
"I am Groot," Groot said sadly and turned to dust as Rocket watched in pained sadness. "Oh... No, no, no!" He cried out as he walked towards Groot just as he fully disintegrated. "Groot! No."
Thor looked even guiltier now, his failure having torn apart a father and son.1
Wanda, still crouching over Vision's body, turned to dust.
Clint looked like he'd taken a bullet to the chest as Barton winced. Scarlet held his hand as Wanda simply looked too numb too care by this point. Steve was practically shaking with rage as Natasha looked like she was in another of her self-loathing moods. Vision simply stared at Wanda sadly. If he'd been capable of it, Vision would have been crying by this point.
Okoye looked like she was going to cry as Sam struggled to get up while Rhodey called out, "Sam! Sam, where you at?" And then Sam turned to dust before he could reply.
Sam simply stared in horror as Steve turned to him, grasping his shoulder as if to reassure himself that his friend was still there. Rhodey looked at his friend mournfully.
On Titan, everybody struggled to get back up as Peter helped Tony, who had used the remaining nanites to stich his wounds, back up. "Something's happening." Mantis then said and disintegrated in Quill's arm. They looked at where she stood, shocked. Quill turned to Drax who called out, "Quill?" And then he turned to dust too. "Steady, Quill," Tony then said to Quill. "Oh, man," Quill said in horror as he realized the consequences of his outburst. With guilt on his face, he turned to dust too.
"Good god," Scott breathed as everyone looked at Tony and Peter in concern.
"Tony," Tony turned to look at Strange. "There was no other way," And then, Strange turned to dust as well.
"No other way. People are turning to dust and he says there was no other way?!" Thor exploded, his eyes flashing with lightning that, thankfully, he managed to control so it didn't get unleashed on the room.
"Strange was playing the long game. There really was no other way from the moment we landed on Titan," Parker said softly, knowing what was going to come next.
"Mr. Stark?"
Everyone froze, all of them turning to Peter, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
"No. He's…he's just a kid," Scott stammered as Parker grimaced.
Peter staggered forwards, "I don't feel so good."
Tony closed his eyes, horror and guilt filling him as Clint and Scott especially stared in horror. Peter was just numb to the whole thing at this point, in complete disbelief.
"He's just a kid," Scott repeated in shock, imagining Cassie in Peter's place.
"You're all right," Tony said. "I don't... I don't know what's happening. I don't know..." Peter tumbled into Tony's arms, hugging him desperately.
Tony had his head in his hands at this point, blaming himself for involving Peter in the first place as everyone else looked to be in a state of shock.
"I don't want to go," Peter sobbed as dust formed around him. "I don't want to go, sir. Please. Please, I don't want to go. I don't want to go."
Clint, Barton, and Scott winced, the wounds of a scared teenager making them picture their own sons and daughters in Peter's place. Lila reached out and took Barton's hand, hoping to offer him comfort.
They collapsed as Peter lay on the ground and Tony looked over at him. Peter looked Tony in the eye, "I'm sorry." And then he looked away and turned to dust too.
"Please tell me I didn't just see what I saw," Sam finally found his voice, looking at the stunned and numb Peter. "Tell me he didn't just…"
No one answered as Tony fell of the couch, falling to his knees as he closed his eyes sadly.
Tony fell forward, clutching at the dust in horror and grief. He looked down at himself, hoping he was turning to dust too but to his horror, he wasn't.
"The worst part was that you didn't," Tony remembered Fury's words, so long ago said at the Barton Farm. And now it had come true. A prophecy fulfilled, Tony thought numbly.
"He did it," Nebula said as Tony shook his head sadly, feeling hollow and defeated and both closed their eyes sadly.
Like Thor, Tony was a mirror of his on screen self's expression. Clint stared numbly as Wanda's head fell against his shoulder, silent tears shedding and running down her face as Peter simply stared numbly at the screen. Steve had his hand on Sam's shoulder as, somehow, his free hand grasped Natasha's and she squeezed back, letting him know she was there. Scott stared ahead, worrying about Cassie, Maggie, Jim, Hope, Hank, Luis, Kurt, and Dave as Thor still looked guilty and ashamed. T'Challa and Sam simply looked numb as Rhodey got on the floor with Tony, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder, knowing there was nothing else he could do right now.
At Wakanda, Steve turned over Vision's body as Natasha ran over, her hand on her stomach. Thor stood there in guilt as Rocket sat on a log and looked down sadly and Bruce stood there too, numb while Rhodey walked over. "What is this? What the hell is happening?" Rhodey asked as Steve collapsed, feeling hollow and defeated. After several moments of silence, he said, "Oh, God."
No one said a word, having trouble processing all this. They had failed. They hadn't come together as a team and had failed as a result. Thanos had won.
On another green and beautiful planet, in a small house, Thanos sat down with a sigh and watched the sunset as he had said he would, the beginning of a smile on his face. The screen went black.
This proved too much for Steve. Yanking his hand back from Natasha, Steve jumped up and grabbed the only thing on him, his wallet, and threw it at the television. It bounced off but a dent was visible as the screen cracked.
"Feel better?" Scarlet asked softly.
"No," Steve said roughly.
Scarlet nodded, waving her hand as, with a red glow, the screen repaired itself and the recording resumed.
"Still no word from Stark?" Fury's voice was heard. "No, not yet," Hill said. "We're watching every satellite on both hemispheres, but still nothing." Fury and Hill then appeared in a car, driving.
"Fury," Natasha breathed as she tensed, hoping she wouldn't have to witness another person she cared about turn to dust.
"What is it?" Fury asked as Hill paused. "Multiple bogeys over Wakanda," She said. "Same energy signature as New York?" Fury asked. "Ten times bigger," She said. Fury turned to her, "Tell Klein we'll meet him at..." Hill cut him off as a car skidded to a stop in front of them, "Nick! Nick!" Fury stopped his car just at the right time.
Hill walked to the empty car and to her shock, no one was inside. "They okay?" Fury asked. "There's no one here" She said. Then they looked up to see a chopper crashing on a building as the pilot had turned to dust. "Call Control. Code red," Fury said. "Nick," Hill called out from behind. He turned around and was horrified to see her slowly turn to dust, "Hill."
Natasha winced as Tony looked at the screen sadly. Clint looked numb as Steve clenched his fists tightly. Another victim, another failure, Steve thought darkly.
Fury ran back to the car as people around him turned to dust. He opened the backdoor and took out a pager, trying to message someone before noticing he was turning to dust too. "Oh, no," He said as half of his hand turned to dust. "Mother..." He was cut off as his face disintegrated but he managed to send the message just before his right hand disintegrated to while the pager fell down.
"Fury," Natasha said brokenly as the original Avengers all looked gutted.
Fury may be a paranoid, manipulative jackass, but he was also a friend.
The pager sent whatever message it was sending and a red glowing star appeared on it as the screen went black.
"What is that?" Thor asked as they all eyed the screen confused.
"It's a pager. It was basically the cell phone of the nineties," Scott explained.
"Did he just send a message to someone?" Steve asked and the future Avengers nodded. "Who?"
"That's…complicated," Barton said as the future Avengers all exchanged a glance. "But I think a break is something you could all sue after this. Come on. We'll explain everything over some lunch, I any of you have an appetite."
They didn't, but a break sounded welcome. So, emotionally drained, they all stood up and followed the future Avengers out of the room, eager for some information.
1: The saddest part about the movie? Groot's last words to Rocket are 'dad'.