DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE.
The rating of this story has CHANGED from T to M now, due to sexual content. Please bare this warning in mind if you decide to continue reading.
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The ground practically shook from the force of the warriors chanting and stamping, prepared for war and blood-thirsty for whatever alien beings were waiting in those trees.
Natasha remained at Steve's side as they marched forward with T'Challa, Okoye, Bucky and the rest of the Dora Milaje. T'Challa greeted a broad-shouldered general, the leader of the Border Tribe, who patted his chest broadly in answer to the King's thanks.
As she stared across at the flickering barrier and those black domes, Natasha felt a warm hand enclose around hers and squeeze. It was Steve's way of reassuring her that they would be fine, that if a fight came to them, that they would give their all. She'd wanted to kiss him, before they had entered the battlefield, but decided against it when she worried it would seem as if she had given up hope, as if she feared this was goodbye.
When they finished this, she'd probably never stop kissing him, never stop being thankful that he was hers, and that he was with her through everything.
She flexed her fingers, her shoulders rolling slightly to soften her well-rested muscles up. It had been a long time since she'd been in combat, but her memory always served her well. She hadn't been lying when she had referred to their run-in with Promixa Midnight and Corvus as a warm-up. This was the real thing. Blood roared in her ears, pumped through her body, and she found herself shaking with anticipation.
Bucky, standing at Steve's other side, had a look of fierce determination as he glanced at his friend and said, "To the end of the line?"
A muscle in Steve's jaw jumped, but his voice was steady as he shot back, "To the end of the line." When he turned his head to look down at her, Natasha's breath almost hitched in her throat. Standing beside her was so much more than Captain America; it was a warrior, a man with the heart of a lion. A man who she belonged to, completely. Her husband.
He didn't have to tell her again that he loved her, because the glow in his eyes was enough. It said more than the three words would ever say. This was not a goodbye. They were both going to walk away from this, and Natasha did not care what she had to go through to ensure that. So, she squeezed his hand one last time, before slipping her fingers away from his. Her hand felt empty, bare, but she hardened herself against that feeling. Emotions did not belong on a battlefield.
Two figures appeared from the trees, and Natasha's eyes instantly locked onto Promixa Midnight. Every movement of that alien seemed slimy, calculated and cold. The beast that accompanied her was smaller than the Hulk, but it's skin was a dark green colour that reminded her of rot, and it's face was something that certainly could not be admired. As Promixa's eyes seemed to find her over the field, Natasha let off a low growl. Beside her, she knew that the corner of Steve's lips would have twitched upon hearing her little gruff noise, and she could practically hear him thinking, easy there, tiger.
T'Challa looked over to them and dipped his head once, and then the three of them were making their way down to the barrier, heads held high and power strumming through their bodies. Natasha glared at the imposters, unblinking as those alien bodies stopped just in front of them, only the shimmering barrier between them. Between her reaching across and choking Promixa with her own bare hands.
Instead, with her hands twitching at her sides to resist temptation, Natasha raised an eyebrow cooly and asked, "Where's your other friend?" The beastly thing next to Promixa certainly was not Corvus, which meant that he had probably died from his injuries. Good. Natasha promised herself that soon enough, Promixa Midnight would be reunited with him in whatever dark place waited for them after death, courtesy of the Black Widow herself.
The second Child of Thanos, who looked more like a tale used to scare children from being naughty, bristled. Rotten, broken teeth presented themselves, and Natasha had no doubt that this barrier was protecting her from the worst breath in the entire universe.
Midnight Promixa gave her a look that would make most people shake to their bones, but Natasha held that glare.. "You will pay for his life with yours." She promised darkly.
Natasha did not flinch, even when those dead eyes bore into her. She knew that Steve was holding himself back; threats made towards either of them didn't go down very well. "That's not going to happen." Although his voice was still steady, it was cold, almost more of a snarl than anything else.
"You are in Wakanda now." T'Challa was everything that made a good King; stoic, a fierce protector, one that would go down swinging for his people. He faced these creatures with no fear. "Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood."
Taking his words as a challenge, Midnight's mouth twisted in a crooked, nasty grin. As if she'd finally been given the invitation that she had been waiting for. "We have blood to spare."
Her spear was thrust into the air, a signal that caused the domes to start to move, causing the ground to vibrate. Slowly, the sides of the domes facing the barrier started to rise, and the sound of growling and roaring of creatures that sounded like death incarcate thundered through the air. The domes were still smoking, their fires spreading onto the line of trees before them, and whatever they released was approaching, fast.
T'Challa turned and stalked back up the grassy slope. Unable to help herself, and because spitting on the ground was definitely beneath her, Natasha sent a sweet smile directly towards Proxima, a silent promise that the horrid woman would be seeing her very, very soon. The woman snarled in response, but Natasha had already turned, because she really didn't care to see the reaction she received. Steve hovered nearby, and they rejoined Bucky together.
"They surrender?" Bucky asked, as if trying to find humour in this situation was the only way to stop them from being so tense. It failed.
Steve scoffed. "Not exactly,"
As whatever awful beasts charged through the forest towards them, T'Challa started the chant. It was echoed throughout all his warriors, through Okoye and the Dora Milaje, in time with the drumming of the spears against the hard ground. It was enough to draw out the snarling and trampling sounds coming from the forest, and the chant sang to Natasha's blood, pumping it hot and pulsing through her body. She knew Steve and Bucky felt it in theirs too. Behind her, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Banner in his large suit crouch down, preparing to charge.
It was time.
Then, all of hell seemed to break through the trees, crashing through the burning bushes and clawing at the ground. Beasts. Again, that was the only word that Natasha could use to describe exactly what was heading towards them. Some sort of soulless hound, hunched over and powering itself forward with arms longer than its legs. Their teeth snapped as they ran, such awful, awful teeth. Pointed and deadly. Not anything like the Chitauri they had faced in New York.
No, these creatures were wild beyond sense. They would be reacting on embedded instincts to kill anything that they could sink their claws into.
"What the hell," Bucky breathed, voicing what they were all thinking.
Natasha snorted. "Looks like we pissed her off." That earnt her a look from Steve, and if she didn't know better, it seemed her husband was slightly amused by her statement.
The aliens collided with the barrier, as if they didn't care about it, as if they were powered to just keep running without assessing what lay directly in front of them. Any limb that they shoved through was sliced off instantly, and yet they kept coming. Kept trying. Kept attacking. Those snarls split the air, desperate for blood, for flesh.
"They're killing themselves." Okoye breathed out, as the beasts continued to get themselves sliced in half. None of them stopped, or showed any sign of stopping.
Then, a few managed to get through unscatched. Instantly, the warriors in the front lines drew up their clocks, creating a shield made of the same fibres as that barrier. Strong. United. The perfect defence.
A single command from T'Challa had spears flying from above the shield, striking the beasts as they ran. One by one, the aliens hit the ground, writhing from their injuries. They were struck down before they got out of the river. Bucky joined in, taking down several with his machine gun.
More and more started to slip through. In the air, Sam and Rhodey worked together to handle the numbers, with Rhodey sending down a line of grenades directly against the barrier, burning the beasts before they got through. Sam's red-wings darted from his suit, finding their targets perfectly.
"I'm still not saying thank you to them." Natasha remarked under her breath. Of course, Steve heard, and his chuckle gave her even more icy determination.
By the time the smoke from Rhodey's attack lifted, it was clear that most of the creatures were running around the barrier, trying to find a way in.
A heartbeat later, Banner's voice was clear over the comms, "Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us, there's nothing between them and Vision."
Exchanging a glance with the King, Steve answered back, "Then we better keep them in front of us."
"How do we do that?" Okoye demanded. Natasha knew that the general would follow any order from the King to her last breath, and she admired that kind of loyalty.
T'Challa kept his voice steady as he lifted his chin. "We open the barrier." He raised a hand to his ear, giving the order, "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen." A small voice from the controller asked for confirmation before doing such a thing. "On my signal."
"This will be the end of Wakanda." The broad-shouldered Jabari Tribe leader, M'Baku, declared gravelly. He made no move to stop the King, to speak that he disagreed with this following. Like Okeye, he had pledged his life to Wakanda, to T'Challa.
Softly, Natasha reached up with her hand and gently eased the dogtags up so she could feel them against her palm. The metal was cold, but it always brought her reassurance, and there had not been a single day since Steve had given them to her where she hadn't worn them. They were a part of her now, and gently, she placed them back underneath her suit. The metal against her skin felt like a second heart.
Okoye tightened her grip on her spear and declared, "Then it will be the noblest ending in history."
Natasha allowed herself the chance to remember exactly where she was standing, and exactly what this kingdom had given to her. She had married Steve here. Wakanda had been a place of safety, but also of new beginnings, of seemingly impossible things becoming wonderful reality. With everything she had, Natasha was going to protect it.
Her husband clearly felt the same way, as his new shields were activated instantly, ready for what was waiting for them on the other side of that barrier.
T'Challa gave another command, which had the warriors straightening up and dropping their clocks, the temporary barrier surrounding them dropping instantly. The King moved to the front, the first warrior facing these beasts.
Then, T'Challa gave out his battle cry, in a roar ferocious enough to make the mountains shake. "Wakanda forever!"
As the Black Panther surged forward, the rest of them were hot on their heels. The signal was given, and the barrier split down the middle, parting and allowing that swarm of creatures inside. Natasha pushed her legs to run faster than she had ever run in her entire life, but that was nothing compared to her husband's super-speed. Within seconds, Steve was darting across the grasslands at T'Challa side, both of them a blur. Then, they leapt over the river and crashed into the sea of alien beasts, disappearing from sight.
Natasha had no time to search for him in the awful crowd before two creatures were colliding into her. With two long blades in her hands, she plunged them deep into those hard, oily bodies. The space around her erupted with several sounds; the flashing of blades, the angry battle cries of the warriors, Bucky's machine gun spitting bullets through the air, bodies slamming into the ground, gut-wrenching roaring from the aliens.
A black substance splattered across Natasha's cheek. Although she knew it would be blood, it smelt awful, enough to make her want to choke and throw up. But, she held herself together, and didn't even wipe her blades before she impaled another damned beast. This one let out a shriek, which she silenced by slicing through its skull.
Years and years of training, of being pushed far past her limits, made Natasha's body a weapon in itself. Her arms and legs moved without her even thinking about it. She sliced and kicked and ducked as more beasts surrounded her. She snarled herself as she faced them, the blood of their fallen splattered across her skin and her suit.
Let them circle her, let them think they actually had a chance. As soon as the first pounced, Natasha released herself against them. Her blades cut into them like butter, her feet kicked one to the ground. Her body twisted and rotated in ways that it hadn't for a long time, but in ways that were embedded into her muscles.
Around her, the fighting was a blur. The Wakanda's fought with the same courage and strength as their leader. In the skies, Rhodey and Sam continued to dart through the air, firing relentlessly.
But, as the gap in the barrier remained, more of those creatures were pooling through, flooding the area around the kingdom. Still, the warriors kept fighting, kept pushing them to the ground and slaughtering them.
Across from her, she saw Bucky. He had been knocked to the ground, his machine gun thrown metres from him. As a creature pinned him, the soldier fought back with a single blade, but he was too far from Natasha for her to get to him before another beast tackled her.
Yelling indignantly, she stabbed it directly through the throat as it roared at her. It slumped against her, a dead weight that she struggled with, but she kicked at it until it flew off her. From her new view point, her heart clenched in her chest when she saw a swarm of the creatures cover Steve in an instant. He was outnumbered, and she was so far away.
Still, she launched to her feet, her blades tight in her hands as she ran in his direction. As she scanned the battle field, she saw T'Challa also get taken down, and even Banner's massive suit was overpowered. Midnight and that awful thing at her side had entered the battlefield, and the only thing stopping Natasha from heading straight for them was the fact her husband was so badly outnumbered.
If she could just be faster….
Suddenly, a beam of light so bright that it actually burned her eyes to look at it struck from the sky. Natasha ducked, shielding her face. Then, a very familiar looking hammer was suddenly sailing through the field, colliding into the creatures and sending them flying as if they weighed nothing. Seconds later, when the light cleared, Natasha's eyes landed on the unmistakable shape of Thor. Where the Asgardian had been for the last two years really didn't matter. He was here now. That was what mattered.
The hammer struck the mass of alien bodies covering Steve, and Natasha skidded to a halt, using a large rock to stop herself. When her husband rose to his feet, she could finally breathe again. Scratches and blood covered his face, but he was alive.
Steve stared across to Thor, who caught his hammer and approached the captain. At the Asgardian's side was probably the strangest combination of companions imaginable; a tree and a raccoon. Still, Natasha was far too thankful for them making an appearance - a beautifully timed appearance, to add - that she really didn't care about who Thor was making friends with this time.
Banner's triumphant laughter filled the battlefield, "Ha! You guys are so screwed now!"
A blue fire seemed to be burning from the hammer, as Thor faced the approaching Midnight and roared, "Bring me Thanos!" When the God of Thunder charged forward, so did his two companions. Effortlessly, Thor launched himself in the air, lightning sparkling from him. When he struck the ground with the hammer, the ground blew apart.
Natasha turned her attention back to her surroundings, just in time to avoid a surprise attack from several of the horrible beasts. She ducked, her blades upwards, slicing at the bellies. More blood coated her now, making her suit feel heavier, and the smell truly was horrible, but she forced herself to continue.
She was thankful that Steve was close to the river, because crossing it at least cleaned up her legs from the foul substance. As one of the aliens jumped for Steve's turned back, Natasha quickly extracted a dagger from her belt and threw it. It hit it's marker perfectly, and Steve turned around just in time to watch the alien crumble at his feet, the blade struck right through its head.
"I feel as if I'm always saving your ass in these situations, Rogers." Natasha teased him as she approached, pulling her second blade back out from the sheath across her back.
Steve's smile was breath-taking as he regarded her, his arm around her instantly. "I quite like it when you do." He remarked, and pulled her closer to kiss her. Even against aliens, he could never resist the urge.
Natasha laughed against his mouth, pushing him away before they got far too distracted. But, as she pulled away, she did a quick check on his wounds. All seemed superficial enough. "You can get the rest later, soldier." She promised him, just as a fresh wave of aliens rushed towards them.
"Up for a little competition, sweetheart?" He asked, shields ready at the ends of his arms.
She grinned at the challenge, blades crossed in front of her. "You should know better than to challenge me." She shot across, as she launched herself forward and plunged a blade right through the skull of one creature, while her other blade slashed out behind her and took care of two more.
Steve dived back into the fight, and they worked effortlessly alongside each other, managing to stay out of one another's way.
The sound of a machine gun lighting the battlefield assured Natasha that Bucky was back on his feet. She couldn't help but laugh when she looked across and saw him spinning in a slow circle, holding that raccoon in one hand and the gun in the other. She had no idea what was funnier to her; what Bucky was actually doing, or the fact that the raccoon was firing his own weapon.
A crackle of lightning alerted her that Thor had joined them. Steve glanced over his shoulder to the Asgardian and commented breathlessly, "New haircut?"
Thor snorted, stroking his face. "I noticed you've copied my beard."
"Boys, we'll have enough time for you two to stare into each other's eyes later." Natasha reminded them sharply, and to prove her point, she ensured that the next body of her victim landed directly in front of her husband.
Steve shot her a look that showed he didn't quite appreciate the blood that was now splattered across his boots. She smiled back at him.
Then, a branch darted across her vision, spearing several creatures right through their chests and throwing them around as if they were merely toys.
"Oh, by the way, this is my friend, Tree." Thor introduced them.
If she wasn't currently standing protecting a kingdom from an army of aliens, Natasha probably would have found a talking, moving, fighting tree absolutely ridiculous. However, she wasn't at all surprised when 'Tree' looked over to them, waved sweetly whilst lifting the impaled bodies, and said, "I am Groot."
"I am Steve Rogers." Steve said, breathing heavily, and Natasha would have swatted him round the back of the head if it wasn't for the fact that one of those aliens was hurtling straight for them.
Before she could even lift a blade, Steve turned and tackled it to the ground, punching down with his shield and bashing its skull in. He looked up at her and grinned. "I really hope you've been keeping count, Nat. I'd hate to show you up too badly."
Her answer was a roll of her eyes and one finger in particular raised to him before she put her attention back on the beasts surrounding them. One by one, they were dispatched, and each time one of them had the audacity to get their blood on her, she would hiss in disgust.
It was all going far too well until the ground literally started moving, and a line of razor-edged wheels jolted out from the dirt. Natasha felt Steve's hand on her arm just before he shoved her to the side, out of the path of one of the wheels as they broke from the line. She darted up to her feet, just as T'Challa's order to fall back sounded. The dirt and dust from the wheel caused her to lose track of everything around her, and when it finally faded, she spotted Promixa across the field.
With her blades lost somewhere in that newly cut up dirt, Natasha reached for two batons. They were heavier in her hand than her usual SHIELD issued ones, because of their length, but she knew they'd back a punch.
Gripping onto the batons, Natasha headed straight for Promixa.
Her path was straight, right until she spotted Okoye being attacked from behind. Instantly, Natasha ran for the general, swiping with the batons and sending those howling creatures writhing into the dirt. By the time Okoye got up and Natasha scanned the field, she realised that more of those wheels were practically on top of them. She crouched, preparing to spring through any possible gap they created, when familiar red beams surrounded the death-wheels. Wanda landed on the ground in front of them, standing strong and proud, hands outstretched in front of her
They were picked up and chucked down onto their sides, and Wanda turned to look over her shoulder, breathing heavily. Natasha's smile was one of pure relief at the sight of her friend, but Okoye then demanded breathlessly, "Why was she up there all this time?"
Natasha huffed, brushing dirt and dust off her knees. "Welcome to the party," She told Wanda, before lighting her batons once again. Adrenaline fueled her body, and without it, she really would have thrown up from the awful smell of the black blood that seemed to be everywhere on her.
As if summoned by such thoughts, several more beasts made a beeline for her, and Natasha swung those batons with every ounce of power she could muster. After all this, a hot bath was most definitely needed. Not just to wash off that horrible stench from her skin, but for her muscles that will certainly be feeling quite sore tomorrow. Perhaps, that handsome husband of hers would join…
Such thoughts were pushed out of her mind when Sam alerted them all, "Guys, we got a Vision situation here."
Wanda had been drawn down to the battle because she was the only one capable of stopping those wheels, however that left Vision without his strongest line of defence. The realisation weighed Natasha down as she struck at another beast, her baton finding it's mark between its shoulder blades.
Steve's order came in second laters, "Somebody get to Vision!"
Natasha spun just in time to see Promixa practically appear out of thin air, whacking Wanda down into one of the trenches dug out by the wheels. Natasha kicked a creature off her and stalked towards the edge, where Promixa had just walked down and was now hovering over Wanda as if she'd already defeated her.
"He'll die alone." The woman was saying darkly, as Natasha crept down the dirt bank towards them. "As will you."
"She's not alone." Natasha growled, just as Okoye dropped down at the other side of the trench, spear raised.
As Promixa turned slowly to face her, Natasha crouched low, batons extended in front of her, with a predator smile on her face. Finally.
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Blocking every attack with his shields, Steve stamped down on one of the aliens, crushing its skull under his foot. When he scanned the field, he couldn't make out any individual faces through the carnage.
Rhodey had hit the ground somewhere. Thor and his new friends were working his way through the beasts, slaying anything in their path, especially that raccoon. Bucky was somewhere, Steve could hear his machine gun roaring.
But, he couldn't make out T'Challa. The Black Panther moved too quick, even for Steve's heightened eyesight, and he just prayed the king had not fallen. More of those beasts kept coming, a relentless wave that never tired.
As he searched, he couldn't find that flash of blonde hair he so desperately needed to see. He couldn't hear Natasha's growls, and he'd also lost sight of Promixa Midnight.
But, as the massive shape of the big brute that accompanied Proxima crashed upwards against the barrier, Steve knew that he had to find Vision. So, he headed for the trees.
By the time he made in into the heart of the trees, the hunched shape of Corvus was stood over Vision, who was lying across the floor so still that Steve could barely make out that he was breathing.
Steve rammed into the alien's side, knocking them both flying into the dirt and grit. He rolled onto his feet and yelled across to his friend, "Get out of here!"
When he turned his head back to what was approaching him, Corvus stood facing him with a snarl curling on his lips. Steve punched out, one arm blocking Corvus's strike while the other hit it's mark on the man's chest. The alien fell back once again, giving Steve enough time to bark another order to Vision to go.
Corvus hissed, a sound that was so inhuman that it caused the birds to scatter from the trees above them. Steve jumped to his feet, his body and muscles instinctively moving, blocking whatever attack Corvus attempted as well as landing a few winding blows. But, after facing those horrible beast creatures for so long, even Steve's energy was faltering slightly.
Gritting his teeth, Steve pushed on, forcing his body to keep up the fast pace. As they fought, he quickly assed his opponent; Corvus relied on brute force and nasty attack lines, but he wasn't nearly as quick on his feet as Steve, and his reflexes were faltering slightly.
Steve's shields struck out, catching Corvus's spear and shoving it backwards. Hit after hit, they battled across the dirt, until Steve got the upperhand and sent the spear crashing towards the fallen tree, where it lay useless on the ground.
Corvus's hand gripped his shoulder, so tightly that if it had been his arm, Steve wondered whether the bones would have shattered under the pressure. He didn't have time to really think about that, though, as he was twisted and thrown across the tree trunk. He landed heavily on one side.
Before he had the chance to get up, Corvus was upon him, a hand pressing down on his throat. Steve pushed against it, but he could already feel his lungs burning for the oxygen that they were being deprived of. The image of emerald green eyes and his wife's smile powered him, stopped him from giving up, as he tried with all his might to get that cursed hand away from him.
Then, a spear was rammed through Corvus's chest and the alien was lifted up from the air, dropping his hold of Steve. Gasping for air, Steve looked up to see that it had been Vision, barely standing upright, who had stabbed Corvus straight through.
Throwing a heavily wounded Corvus to the side, Vision's gaze met Steve's just before his legs buckled. Steve was on his feet in an instant, catching his friend and helping him upright. All of Vision's weight was leaning against him, but Steve didn't budge from it.
"I thought I told you to go." Steve commented, as the two of them stood up straight, both panting. Whilst Steve was bloody, Vision's entire body was flickering like a fading light, sparking for any hope of finding power.
But, when Vision turned to look at him, his voice was steady and strong as an ox when he answered simply, "We don't trade lives, Captain."
Steve helped his friend rest against the tree, knowing that the most important thing right now was Vision recovering his strength. Steve stood with him, his eyes scanning the area surrounding them, but his ears keeping track of what was happening on that battlefield. He could hear the warriors chanting, and took a deep breath.
A loud crack of lightning split the air, and Steve looked just in time to see the black domes starting to burst into flames. Although he couldn't see the Asgardian, Steve knew that Thor was finding great enjoyment in being the one to put an end to those alien battleships.
Seconds later, Wanda appeared, crashing down from the air but managing to land on her feet all the same. She rushed over, her face breaking with concern and panic the second she saw Vision slumped against the tree, clutching his stomach.
"Are you okay?" She asked, dropping to her knees and cupping his face in her hands. Steve moved away to give them the space they needed, and a part of him just wanted his wife stood with him, to know that she was okay. He scanned what he could see of the field, but he couldn't pick her out through all the carnage. The beasts were retreating though, struck down by warriors on the way out.
Vision went to answer, but he winced and clutched his head, as if suffering from the worlds worst headache.
"What is it?" Wanda demanded, as Steve stiffened and prepared his shields, all his instincts shouting at him that something was coming, something bad. Even the trees had changed; the wind sharp, unsettling their branches and leaves.
Instantly, he pressed his comm piece, "Everyone, on my position. We have incoming."
Shapes approached the trees. T'Challa and Okoye came first, their heads proud, and both of them seemed unscathed. They glanced around at the trees, as if listening to what their kingdom was warning them.
Sam's wings gleamed in the light as he landed softly, Bucky close beside him, and Natasha was the last to appear, wiping a splatter of blue blood from her cheek. At the sight of her, Steve felt as if his legs were about to give way, and he quickly assessed her for any hidden injuries. She seemed fine, and when she looked over to him, she knew he was taking in his bleeding lip and scratched face. Within moments, she was at his side, the back of her hand brushing his. That small contact was enough to centre Steve, to make him focus on what was happening around them.
"What the hell?" Sam breathed out.
Across from them, smoke and blue light erupted from thin air, crackling and snapping. The air changed, turning so cold that it was almost hard to breathe it in. The hair along the back of Steve's neck rose.
Just because they all knew exactly who would be stepping out of that smoke, didn't mean that any of them were prepared for it. Thanos was most certainly a brute, with the broad-shoulders and muscles of a trained warrior. His purple skin glowed from the light behind him, and the gold of his armour and the gauntlet strapped to his hand stuck out. His expression was one of cool steel as he faced all them, quietly assessing them all as any warrior would do. He didn't even seem remotely bothered about the fact that he was outnumbered.
Embedded into the guantlet were glistening stones of green, orange, blue, purple and red. The sixth one was still missing, still with Vision. The last thing standing between Thanos and complete destruction.
Acting upon instinct alone, Steve moved himself so his body was in front of Natasha. Although she knew better than to tut at his behaviour, Natasha quickly stepped around him to once again be stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Wanda was on her feet, her red glow sparkling between her hands as she prepared to protect Vision with everything that she had. They all were prepared.
"Eyes up," Steve ordered, as he started to walk towards the brute. "Stay sharp."
They moved as one, running from all angles. Thanos just walked slowly towards them, without concern, without hesitation. As if he had already won.
Banner was the first to reach him, but as the massive suit crashed towards Thanos, the alien raised the guantlet and suddenly, it was as if Banner was made of thin air. The suit tumbled directly through Thanos, rolling until it reached the rocky mountain base behind them, and then Banner was suddenly surrounded by boulders, pinned down.
Steve jumped from the fallen tree, but then found himself surrounded by a purple glow, similiar to Wanda's own red, however it physically hurt. It struck through him, fixing his muscles and rendering him unable to move. He fell to the ground, utterly helpless as he watched T'Challa pounce, only to be grabbed by Thanos and thrown to the ground like a rag doll.
A spear thrown by Okoye sailed through the air, but was flicked to the side like a twig. Both the Wakandan warrior and Bucky, firing his machine gun, were sent flying by the same purple fibres that gripped Steve. Natasha struck, moving so quickly that she was practically a blur, but then somehow, on Thanon's raised fist, she was enclosed by roots, held down and struggling to get free.
By the time Steve was released from whatever power had held him down, Sam was knocked from the air and even the 'Tree' friend of Thor's was swiped down. Steve attacked again, managing to slide underneath Thanos and strike upwards, his shield colliding with Thanos' massive chin. He had the element of surprise on his side, and he certainly wasn't about to give that up, so he fought with everything he had, putting all his might into every single blow.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Wanda and Vision, could see exactly what his friend had asked the woman he loved to do, in order to keep them all safe. Steve fought harder, hoping that somehow, they would be able to get the upperhand and stop Thanos before Vison had to go through with his sacrifice. But, there was no time for Steve to interrupt, because if they failed, Wanda had to do what Vision had asked. It was the only other way.
Thanos' fist collided with the shields, snapping them into a thousand pieces. Steve managed to block the swing, his arms bracing against all of Thanos' strength as he prevented that fist from punching him right in the face. His entire body trembled from the effort, but he refused to give in. But, Thanos was too strong, and his other fist knocked Steve to the ground, making the world spin.
Everything was black for a moment, or maybe even longer, but by the time Steve came around, it was too late.
"No!" Wanda screamed, just as Thanos prized the gem right from Vision's forehead. It was over. Thanos clasped the stone against his gauntlet, and it joined the rest of them, causing the giant brute to shimmer and glow with his newly found power; the power of the entire universe.
It was over.
Steve rolled onto his stomach, and attempted to crawl across the dirt towards where his wife was still trapped under the tree roots. She was still fighting, but it was clear that her body was tired. Yet, her fingers kept clawing at the roots, her legs kept kicking. A fighter to the very end.
Unable to keep himself up, Steve collapsed.
Then, Thanos stumbled, and Steve looked to see Thor's hammer protruding from the alien's chest. A heartbeat later, and Thor crashed to the ground in front of him, hatred and rage plastered all over his face.
"I told you, you die for that." Thor growled, stepping forward and shoving the hammer in further, impossibly further.
Thanos groaned in agony, and for a second, there was hope. If Thor could put the beast to an end, then they could figure out what to do with the stone. Steve glanced over to where Vision's body was crumpled, a crying Wanda lying over it. His sacrifice wouldn't have to have been in vain...
But, any remaining hope died the second Thanos' hand covered the hammer, preventing it from going any further. Although his words came out breathless and weak, they were enough to cause Steve's stomach to sink with dread. "You should have...gone for the head."
Thanos raised his hand, the one containing all six infinity stones, and Thor shouted as the sound of a snap shuddered through the air.
Nothing happened. No explosion. No burst of light. The wind didn't change, the trees didn't still. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"What did you do?" Thor demanded roughly, his voice showing just how exhausted and broken the Asgardian really was as he faced the man who had slaughtered his brother. "What did you do?!"
The guantlet was the only thing that had changed. It now looked burnt, completely ruined. Even the six stones had lost their light, as if they had finally served their purpose, and where now dead.
Thanos inspected them slowly, and then he was engulfed by that blue smoke, disappearing into thin air. The hammer thudded to the ground, covered in purple blood.
Forcing himself to move, Steve crawled across to the collection of roots. He grasped hold of a protruding branch and shoved it with all the energy he had left. "Nat?" His voice came out laboured, panicked. She'd gone too quiet.
But, his wife opened her eyes at the sound of his voice, and she blinked up at him. "Steve?" She whispered, and then her eyes glistened with tears. "Steve," He didn't miss how his name came out of her lips, how it was trembled with both relief and fear.
Natasha sat up slowly, wincing. He didn't have time to wonder whether it was out of pain or soreness, before Natasha's arms were locked behind his neck and her face was pressed against him. Her entire body was shaking, and although his body protested against any more movement, Steve wrapped his arm around her and held her as close as possible.
"I'm here, sweetheart." He whispered, the words breaking as emotion racked his body. "I'm okay. You're okay. I'm here."
She looked up, her eyes seeming to take in every last detail of his face. "What happened?"
With a sigh, he looked over to Thor, who was staring at the space where Thanos had disappeared. When Steve was finally able to stand upright again, his ribs shrieked in protest. He clutched his hand against his side, the only form of support he could give them, as he stumbled slightly. "Where'd he go?" A hopeless question really, one that would only hold an answer that no one wanted to hear. But, Steve's mind was racing, trying to make sense of exactly just happened.
Natasha rose to her feet, looking ready to catch him the second that Steve's body slummed to the ground. Just as he was about to pull her against him once again and never, ever let go, Bucky's voice caught his ear.
"Steve?"
He'd never heard his friend sound so scared before, and that was why he turned around so quick. Bucky was stood across the clearing from him, machine gun in one hand, but his metal arm was gone. Now, not gone. Disappearing. Into a thousand pieces which faded into the air.
"Buck?" Steve limped over, just as he realised that it wasn't just Bucky's arm that was faded into nothing. He could only watch in horror as his friend fell to his knees and disappeared right in front of him, that gun landing where his feet should have been.
Steve's heart shattered in his chest, as he knelt down, unable to keep himself standing as the shock hit him, like a shard of ice. Bucky was gone. His mind couldn't process that, and he felt panic start to set in, as he glanced back to where his wife and Thor were standing. Natasha's wide eyes found his, and Steve had to stop himself from falling apart right there and then. He leaned down, his fingers brushing over the ground where Bucky had just stood.
Bucky, the last part of his past, was gone. Bucky, his best friend. The person who had stood by Steve's side from the very beginning. Who had gotten him through every hardship that his life had thrown him before that serum. Bucky, who he had only just gotten back.
And then, several things happened at once. A shaking Sam started to fade away, and then Okoye was calling for her king, who did not answer. Each time the general shouted his name, her voice was laced with more and more panic than the last time.
Steve turned just in time to see the last of Wanda disappear from where she had been still crouched over Vision. He stumbled over, collapsing beside their fallen friend.
Somewhere nearby, Rhodey was calling for Sam, but he would never get a response.
Steve placed his hand over Vision's chest, lowering his head. For the first time, Captain America admitted defeat. The images of Vision's face as the stone was ripped from him flashed through his mind, followed by the sight of Bucky, Sam and Wanda all fading away, as if they had never existed.
Leaves crunched behind him, and then a soft hand was at his shoulder. Natasha. Natasha was still here. She knelt down beside him, keeping her hand on him, as if she too needed the physical reminder that they were both here. His breath caught in his throat, and then he felt Natasha's arms wrap around him from behind. Even through their suits, he could feel just how fast her heart was racing.
"What is this?" Rhodey demanded. "What the hell is happening?" Even the battlefield behind them sounded deathly silent, no more chants, no more shouting. Just...nothing.
That dread in his stomach surged through Steve, so much so that his breathing started to quicken, becoming laboured and hurried. Natasha's face buried against his neck, and he tried to focus on the scent of citrus that flooded around him, of the feeling of her against him. As much as it comforted him, it couldn't wipe out the horror that they had just faced, it couldn't change what had happened.
"Oh, God." He whispered, as shock trapped him, gripping him so tightly that he could barely see straight.
His neck became damp as Natasha's tears slid from her cheeks and onto his skin. With her pressed against his back as she was, he could feel very little tremor of her body as she tried to hold herself together. He covered her hands with one of his, needing her to keep him anchored, to keep them both anchored.
But, what could any of them do to change what had just happened? Thanos had succeeded. He'd gotten all six infinity stones. Vision was dead, his lifeless body grey and still beside Steve. Wanda, Sam, Bucky, T'Challa...all gone.
The Avengers had lost.
~0~0~0~0~0~
I tried to stick to the movie scene as much as possible, but I altered certain things like Steve checking on Natasha, and her interacting with him during the battle, because obviously they are each others main priority, so of course they had to interact throughout the battle and think of each other.
I really hope this chapter is okay, I tried not to repeat myself but found some parts more difficult to write than others.
- E x