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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There was no harsh daylight waiting for her as Natasha finally clawed her way out of the mess and rubble. The sky looked as if someone had spilled dark ink over a canvas, blocking out the sun itself. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to take in the carnage surrounding her, to assess exactly what had happened. The facility had been shredded into tiny pieces, chunks of metal and hard rocks scattered everywhere, small fires burned and wires sparked.
Horror didn't grip at her. Natasha had survived torture chambers and been held at gunpoint too many times to allow this sight to scare her. Instead, she let it channel a different emotion inside her; rage. Her blood turned to ice, her formerly exhausted muscles were given a new lease of life, as determination and anger burned through her veins. Thanos had done this, had brought this to her world, to the people she loved. She'd kill him for it.
It was easy to pin-point exactly where the brute was, because the sound of fighting hit her ears right before she turned and saw the scene before her. Only then, did true horror grip at her, her heart tightening so painfully in her chest that breathing was difficult.
Across the land of blackness, rock and chaos, Thanos was stood over someone, pinning them to the ground. Despite the mud and grim that coated the man's suit, Natasha knew instantly that it was her husband. Thanos had a large blade aimed directly for Steve's throat, and he was speaking in a low, taunting voice.
That rage boiled inside her as she stalked down the slope. Her movements were steady as she approached them, with Thanos too busy already celebrating his kill to notice that a predator was after him. Stalking like a wild-cat, like how she'd been trained to do since a young age, Natasha closed the distance between them.
She grabbed the closest item at her side and chucked it without a second thought, and only when she watched it slice through the air itself - saw how the metal glistened with electricity and the weapon itself summoned power - did she realise exactly what she had just thrown.
But, Mjolnir returned to her faithfully, the hammer surprisingly light in her hand, as Thanos crashed to the ground.
As Natasha strode forward, she was powered by her fury over the death of her best friend, for her never ending love for her husband, for the future of the entire universe. The lightning that sparked around her didn't come from the dark clouds above them, but from the storm that was raging inside her.
Those electrical currents surged through her own veins, ran down every bone, through every strand of her long hair, until it struck her very soul. The cold flame tried to consume her but she yielded it, mastered it, controlled it.
She roared with enough fearsome might to shake the ground as she rammed the hammer down, bolts lighting through the soil around her in jagged streaks of silver, frying the beasts that surrounded her.
Breathless, she looked up, her eyes locking with Steve who lay across the battlefield. As he scanned her face, nothing but love and pride shone in those blue eyes of his.
Because he'd always known that she was worthy.
Summoning that lightning once again from deep inside her, Natasha aimed it directly towards Thanos. The giant brute was powerless against such a force, and was driven hard into the ground, writhing.
"I'm going to kill you." Natasha bared her teeth at him, as lightning sparked at her fingertips. "I'm going to kill you, you bastard."
Thanos rose to his feet, just as Natasha charged. Battering upwards with Mjolnir, she darted around him, kicking at the back of his legs that weren't protected by his armour. Even though she'd practically thrown herself at him, Natasha's eyes had already assed his armour, had already pin-pointed the weaker spots, and knew which parts to avoid wasting her energy on trying to get through. Thanos crumpled down, but continued to swipe for her with that blade. She jumped off his shoulders, rotating in the air and landing on her feet, just as she raised Mjolnir up to the stormy clouds.
Lightning answered her call instantly, rushing through the hammer and into her own body before she directed it straight at Thanos. The earth in front of her broke apart as the bolt crossed it, but her attack found its mark.
Steve was on his feet and at her side, his hand on her elbow. "I don't know whether to shout at you for taking such risks, or to kiss you right now."
She looked up at him, panting, her eyes drinking in every feature of his face, her mind memorizing the sound of his voice. He was battered, bruised and bleeding, and Thanos would pay for every single injury that he had caused. "You can thank me, later." She told him.
Right now, they had a bigger problem.
Steve nodded, letting go of her elbow as they both faced Thanos. Together.
No commands or directions were required between them, as they fought side by side. They'd sparred plenty of times to know each others movements, strengths. When Natasha ducked, Steve struck, and whenever Steve narrowly avoided being hit, Natasha used the hammer to send Thanos staggering backwards a step.
The hammer seemed to vibrate in her hand, like the stones had done, calling for her body to continue playing. More, more, more.
Natasha answered that silent order, summoning more lightning and directing it for Thanos' chest. The assault cracked his armour, only slightly, and Natasha couldn't move fast enough to avoid the hand that grabbed for her, taking hold of her throat and forcing her onto the ground. Mjolnir skittered across the floor, out of reach. That blade of his sliced against her thigh, ripping her suit and cutting her skin, but even as her blood trickled down her leg, Natasha refused to scream. Instead, she let out an outraged cry, just as her husband jumped onto Thanos's back and had him in a headlock.
"I told you, you don't touch her!" Steve shouted, flipping them both over and rolling out the way to avoid being crushed.
Natasha scrambled to her knees, aiming her bites at Thanos to keep him down, but because of his share size, they had little effect. The hammer was somewhere behind her, hidden amongst the rubble, but Natasha herself had been trained as a weapon all her life; she wasn't about to start depending on another one.
Her reflexes were as sharp as they'd always been, her body moving in ways that was embedded into her muscles, into her very existence. Quick, aimed blows, get out of reach, don't let him work out your pattern, aim below his eye-line, keep him guessing, those instructions burned away at her mind, in the voice of Clint Barton.
Her lungs burned, the cut on her thigh begged to be covered, but Natasha kept striking back. Every time Thanos swung for her, she ducked and ducked out of the way, a flash of black and red. But, when Thanos used the blade itself against her and knocked her into one of the facility pillars nearby, her back hit it with full force and she slumped to the ground. Stones and dirt bit at her face as she landed on her side.
"How fitting," Thanos said casually as he rose to his full height once again, brandishing that double-ended sword. "That you can both die together."
Steve attacked, ferociously, but Thanos's sword bore down on the shield, the sound of metal against vibranium ringing through the destroyed land around them.
Natasha could see Mjolnir, lying a couple of feet from her, she could feel it communicating with her blood again. So, she started the crawl.
But, when her husband was launched into the air and battered to the ground, she let out a cry of desperation, screaming at Steve to get up. He didn't move an inch, and dread seized her.
Forgetting about the hammer, about Thanos, about everything, Natasha willed her body to get up, and she ran for him, covering her body with his. His hand still glasped onto his shield, which had so many slices carved into it that the star was barely recognisable.
"Nat," Steve groaned out. "G-get out of here." Every word sounded like it hurt.
"No." No, he wasn't going to give up, and she certainly wasn't going to either. They couldn't. But, his face was covered in his own blood, and his eyes were barely open as his face tilted up to her.
There was a pleading tone to his voice, as he whispered, "Nat, go."
No. Clint had told her to let go, and she'd lost him. She wouldn't survive if she left Steve, if she let Thanos kill him. "We do this together." She told him firmly, even as a hot tear streamed down her face, cutting through the dirt and blood that tried to stand in its way.
If death came for him, then it would come for her too. She'd never leave him.
Steve swallowed, looking like he wanted to say more, but heavy, slow footsteps told them both that Thanos was approaching.
The brute strolled over, so casually that it was an insult in itself. "In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal. But, I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet - I'm going to enjoy it, very, very much."
His words must have been a summon to the ship lurking behind them, because blue lights shot down, all too familiar to Natasha. She tried to ignore how her stomach twisted when the light disappeared, and an entire army of thousands appeared. At the head of this evil, stood Promixa Midnight and the rest of Thanos' children.
It was endless, the number of this army. Thousands and thousands of all kinds of awful beasts lurked behind the Children of Thanos, all more sinister and ugly than those hell-hounds that had chased her underground. Most were foot soldiers, but when she looked up, Natasha saw all kinds of aircrafts hovering, and those gigantic flying-beasts similiar to those that the Avengers fought in New York poured from the ship. Things that could only be described as the alien equivalent of tanks rolled over the ground, and so many of those hounds clawed through the mud, blood-thirsty and howling. Massive chained beasts lumbered down ramps.
She turned her gaze away from that army, from the destruction that made its way towards them, and stared down at the man she loved with her entire heart. She stroked his face softly, not caring about the blood or dirt. "I love you." She told him.
His face changed from defiance to pain, not from the physical sense, but as he too realised that there was no way they were walking away from this. "I love you." He whispered. "I'll find you, Natasha. In whatever life we lead after this, I'll find you."
Closing her eyes, she leaned down and rested her forehead against his. He didn't seem to mind that her tears were falling onto his cheeks, mixing with his own, but when she opened her eyes, she mumbled, "Let's go down fighting."
His hand was on the back of her head, buried in her hair, as he brought her lips down to his in an earth-shattering kiss, a promise to go along with his words. They'd find each other again.
Then, Natasha reluctantly broke away from his mouth, as the ground beneath them rumbled from the impact of the marching army. Steve looked up at her and dipped his head, and they got to their feet, somehow managing to not tremble.
Despite the shere size of the army, despite just how badly they were out-numbered, Natasha did not feel a hint of fear. Mjolnir's weight in her hand felt like an extension of her body. At her side, she knew her husband wasn't scared about what faced them, but that he was scared for her. Would it be a quick death? Would Thanos capture them and draw it out? Or would one of his brute-children decide to take all the glory for themselves and make a messy kill?
Whatever waited for her, Natasha would meet it with her head held high. She wasn't about to get down on her knees and beg. Never.
And then, just as that horrible mess waiting behind Thanos drew to a stop, an all too familiar voice sounded from Steve's earpiece. A voice they had not heard for five years, but a voice that didn't lack even an ounce of it's usual warmth and humour. "On your left, Cap."
~0~0~0~0~0~
Although he'd always known his wife was the bravest person he'd ever met, this was just proof. Steve couldn't look away from her as she'd faced Thanos, as she fought against him with the legendary hammer, how the lightning coursed through her small body and struck with just as much fierce might as the Asgardian who now lay fallen on the battlefield.
But, when Thanos had landed that last blow and the army had been signalled down, for a single moment Steve wished that Natasha wasn't quite so brave, that she didn't run into danger head-on. They were both going to die on this field. He'd known that asking her to run and leave him, leave him to give her a few minutes head-start, would have fallen on death ears, but he'd still tried.
Now, as he faced that army with her at his side, he just tried to be as brave as her.
"On your left, Cap."
It wasn't possible, Steve tried to convince himself, even though that hopefullness inside of him had him looking over his shoulder. Behind him, several orange glows appeared, spiralling into circles that grew in shape and size. Beside him, Natasha's breath caught in her throat as shapes began to appear in the first, largest circle.
Three figures, all striding in perfect sync with one another, with power and determination. Steve couldn't believe it as his eyes landed on the face of T'Challa as the mighty Wakandan king came into eyesight. At T'Challa's side stood Okeye, spear clenched in her hand, and Shuri. The princess bore her own weapons, her face covered in war paint, and looked just as comfortable with them as her brother and general did with theirs.
As T'Challa met his gaze, he gave Steve a curt but respectful dip of his head, leader to leader. Behind them, more shapes started to appear, taking shape the closer they marched. Wakandan warriors stretched out in endless rows behind their king, chanting and drumming the ground with their spears.
Above their heads, a giant winged shape approached, and Steve's legs almost buckled underneath him when his spotted Sam, grinning down at them. Beside him, Steve knew that his wife was just as speechless, and when he glanced to check on her, her eyes were lined with silver tears.
In the second circle, as that amber light sparked and danced, a caped man hovered in the air, surrounded by a variety of strangers, but Steve knew their names due to the endless meetings; Dr Strange, Mantis, Peter Quill, Drax. The smaller, lithe figure of Peter Parker appeared amongst them, and Steve knew that the young boy was frantically searching the battlefield for one person in particular.
So many different spirals of light, all revealing countless warriors, fighters, all here to see this battle through. Steve's eyes locked with Bucky's across the space between them, and that much needed strength returned to his body. He felt ready again, and when T'Challa started the chant, his veins pulsed with fiery determination.
So many ships lined the air now, facing Thanos' monstrosities. A winged horse swooped down from amongst them, and Wanda Maximof landed beside it, hands glowing red. Behind the woman sat confidently on the horse, were warriors in armour and colour that Steve knew belonged to Wakanda, and on the other side of the circles, men weilding glowing shields of orange stretched as far as the eye could see, coming from a city glowing with colour.
A triumphant cry split the air as Thor rose to his feet, Stormbreaker in his hand as he moved to join his men. There was no stumble to his step, no sign of the battering they had taken against Thanos other than the slice under his eye. When he looked to Natasha, who stood with Mjolnir at her side as if it had always been there, his expression said, I knew it.
When an armoured blue suit landed nearby, Tony sat up straight, just in time to see the face of his wife looking back at him.
Everyone had come.
Those who had been lost to the Snap now faced them, and Steve wished they would have more time, so that he could embrace the friends he'd lost all those years ago. Beside him, he knew Natasha wanted the same thing, and the tremble to her body showed just how hard she was trying to refrain from doing so.
Then, the ground nearby exploded, and the massive shape of Ant-Man broke through the rubble. His outstretched land lowered, and Banner-Hulk, Rocket and Rhodey all stepped out of his clenched fist, unharmed and wide-eyed as they surveyed what was happening.
Steve turned his head to see Tony approach him. "Let's finish this." In Tony's eyes glistened nothing but determination and respect. They were no longer two men that never saw eye-to-eye.
At Steve's other side, Natasha raised her chin, her emerald gaze burning with such intensity that it really was no wonder that she had been able to wield lightning as she had done. When this was all over, Steve would be sure to let his wife know just how much he enjoyed the sight of her using that hammer.
Thoroughly.
The new army stopped in front of them, every single warrior dipping their head, waiting for the command. Steve, Natasha and Tony all nodded too, in a thank you that could never truly be paid up.
With his wife at his side, Steve turned to face the threat across the dark battlefield, and found no scrap of fear inside him whatsoever.
"Avengers," His voice was cold steel, unbreakable. "Assemble."
They charged as one. Several bolts of lightning were summoned from the storm clouds above them, striking both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. The ground shook, battle cries filling the air, and the two armies met right in the middle.
Chaos erupted.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Before Natasha could even attempt to track his movements from the sea of alien bodies, Steve disappeared amongst the thick of battle. Knowing she had to concentrate fully on what she was doing, Natasha trusted that he'd be fine. A flash of dark hair brushed past the side of her vision, and she knew that wherever her husband would go, Bucky would be close behind.
Propelling herself into the air, Natasha relished the new height she could reach, courtesy of the mirror. She aimed directly into an approaching hoard of hell-hounds, and when she brought the hammer down to the ground, the lightning killed them all off with such ease that it really should have been impossible.
Above her, Ant-Man sent a alien warship crashing down with a single punch. Wakandan warriors fought as ferociously as their King, who was battling side by side with his general in the heart of the battle. Nearby, Shuri was taking no prisoners, her weapons sapping everything within sight.
Natasha didn't have to look far to know where Wanda was; whether the bursts of red light appeared, that was exactly where the girl was. Tony and Pepper fought alongside one another in the air, back to back.
Everywhere, there was yelling, the clashing of weapons, bursts of flames as airships were destroyed. Although it was certainly hard to keep track of everyone, Natasha was able to pin-point where most of them were.
Upheld, she spotted her husband as his shield glistened against the surrounding flames. At his side, as she'd suspected, was Bucky, once again using his machine gun as easily as he breathed. At their feet, Rocket was in his element, reunited at last with his best friend, Groot. The tree-teenager was spearing anyone that approached their blind spots.
Natasha sent Mjolnir hurtling towards a particular large beast. The hammer knocked it to the ground, returning to her so she could send more lightning to fry it alive.
"Lady Natasha," Thor was at her side, looking more alive than she'd seen him in years. "You're a natural."
"Have you come to get your toy back?" She asked, more than aware of the Bites that still strapped across her wrists, and convinced that it would be easy enough to steal weapons from their fallen enemies. If Thor wanted Mjolnir back, she wouldn't protest, no matter how much she enjoyed how the lightning hummed through her blood, channeling her.
But, Thor just gave her an amused grin and commented, "I always knew you'd be worthy. You just have to believe it yourself."
Remembering that night at the tower, before Ultron, when all of the men tried to lift it and she refused, Natasha asked, "What about Steve?" She was positive that the Asgardian saw the hammer shift as well when the Captian attempted to lift it.
Thor's eyes darted across the battlefield, even as he held Stormbreaker behind him and shot down an approaching threat before they could get within arms-reach. "If he forgives himself, the Captain too would be worthy." He declared.
Natasha would process his words later. Her eyes picked up an all too familiar shape lurking between the hell-hounds, and she already claimed Midnight Promixa as her kill.
As if sensing this, Thor powered himself upward, heading towards where the Falcon had just pinned down a rather large alien.
Lightning her grip on Mjolnir, Natasha turned to face the horrid alien beast. She knew that this wasn't the same Midnight who she'd faced in Wakanda, but that didn't matter. It didn't matter if it was the past version or not. This was her kill.
Promixa sensed her approaching, and charged without hesitation, spear raised.
Deciding that Mjolnir was not going to take the glory for this by itself, Natasha used the hammer to unbalance the creature, but when they scrapped on the floor, she used her spare hand to deliver countless blows.
"You're all fools!" Promixa spat up at her, as Natasha pinned her shoulders down, the hammer against the alien's stomach. It was impossible for Promixa to get up, with Mjolnir's unbreakable hold, and Natasha was rather enjoying watching her squirm. But, despite how helpless her attempts at getting up were, Promixa spat up at her with unbridled rage.
"Are we?" Natasha asked, tilting her head mockingly, as her hand went to her calf and pulled out a small blade. She twisted it in her hands, showing that she had all the time in the world, that she would enjoy this death. Promixa's face changed as she realised this.
As much as Natasha knew this awful creature deserved a cruel death, as revenge for all the misery and chaos she had helped her father achieve, there was a battle going on around them. So, without another word, Natasha slit the beasts throat.
This time, when that foul blue alien blood scattered onto her cheek, Natasha didn't even flinch.
When she glanced over her shoulder, Natasha could see the shape of Nebula, crouched behind a piece of building, the gauntlet clutched tightly to her chest. Within a heartbeat, the large figure of Hulk crashed down next to the spy.
"We need to get those stones back to where they came from." He told her.
A flash from above signalled Tony Stark's arrival, as he flew over their heads, taking out several beasts. "No way to get them back. Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel."
"Hang on!" Scott Lang was amongst them, going from being as tiny as an ant to being fully sized. "That wasn't our only time machine." He lifted something, pressed a button, and Natasha had to resist pinching herself as La Cucaracha started to blare from across the battlefield. Somewhere out there, amongst all the fighting and carnage, was Scott's van, intact by some miracle.
Steve, after just sending a brute crashing to the ground with his shield, spun round at the noise. He approached them quickly, stopping at Natasha's side and asking into his comms, "Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?"
"Yes!" The shout came from Valkyrie, as she rode overhead on her flying horse. "But, you're not going to like where it's parked!"
Of course the van would be right behind Thanos' lines.
"Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?" Tony asked.
"Maybe ten minutes,"
Steve ordered, "Get it started. We'll get the stones to you." He turned to Natasha as the others darted off in seperate directions and asked cheekily, "How about a good luck kiss?"
"Now?" She asked incredulously, laughing despite the fighting that surrounding them. When her husband raised an eyebrow expectantly, she leaned up to him, her mouth so close to his but so far, his breath tickling her face. "You need something to look forward to after all this." She replied, winking as she turned and started to run for Nebula.
"It won't just be one kiss after all this is done, sweetheart!" Steve called after her.
Rolling her eyes, Natasha ducked out of the way of an attacking alien, shooting out with her Bites so it writhed helplessly on the ground. When the coast was clear, she ducked down beside Nebula, who seemed unharmed, just waiting for the fighting around her to leave a path of least resistance. Natasha reached her just in time, because Thanos' ship just opened fire above them, blasting down blue spears of light that destroyed everything they touched. Natasha's heart was pounding wildly as she searched the scenes in front of her, desperate to make sure she could see everyone.
Just before the land in front of her burst up and blocked her view, Natasha made out Wanda, facing Thanos by herself, gripping him in her red fibres with a look of pure hatred on her face.
When her viewpoint was clear again, after unbearable seconds of dust, Natasha watched as Dr Strange managed to stop the large flood of water that was approaching. He sent it upwards, destroying Thanos' aircrafts, controlling the water with ease.
A large group of beasts was swarming over someone, and Natasha tried not to scream in panic as she realised that it was Peter Parker. He fought against them as hard as he could, but there was just too many of them. Then, just as he was buried amongst them, Steve's shield darted through the air. Webs latched onto it, and Peter was propelled out of the mess, unscratched, thankfully.
"Scott is fixing the van," Natasha explained to Nebula. "We've got to hold onto those stones until he gives the signal."
Nebula dipped her head, her spare hand grabbing a gun, which she fired over Natasha's shoulders, taking out Corvus Glade. "I've wanted to do that all my life." Nebula commented dryly, and there was actual humour dancing in her eyes at last.
Above them, the ship stopped it's assault on the land as it fired towards the clouds, at something that was approaching. Natasha's breath caught as what looked like a blaring comet of colour struck the ship, weaving in and out of it, cutting into it from various angles before sending it crashing into the water beyond them.
Carol Danvers had joined the fight.
War cries split the air, sounded first by T'Challa and his warriors boasted the victory. It was joined by all the fighters on the Avengers side, and seemed to spur on their determination. They continued to fight with added might, and Natasha looked up as Carol Danvers appeared.
"You really have a thing for dramatic entrances." Natasha commented, but without any sting. If Danvers was here, their chances were definitely strengthened, so Natasha made sure to water down the sarcasm.
Carol snorted in appreciation. "You got something for me?"
"How are you going to get through all that?" Nebula asked. Despite what Carol had just achieved, it had been done with the element of surprise. Now, she was a walking target, especially if she carried those stones. Thanos would not have moved his eyes away from her at all, and that flame of hers was a tell-tale sign.
"Don't worry," Wanda glided down from the sky, her eyes locked on Natasha as she added, "She's got help."
Overwhelming pride surged through Natasha as she regarded the girl in front of her, who had faced this cruel world and continued fighting, even when it had taken away everyone she loved. She and Wanda had gotten off on the wrong foot, but now, there was such deep understanding, a friendship that pushed all boundaries and loyalty. They were part of a family that neither of them thought they'd ever get the chance to have.
As if summoned by Wanda's voice, Okeye and Pepper joined them closely followed by Valkrayie and her horse, then Gamora and Mantis. A woman appeared through thin air, tiny wings at her back. Hope. Shuri joined them, locking her weapons at her arms, her face one of thunder as she scanned the fighting before them. A true force of nature, all the ladies stood together in front of her, and Natasha allowed herself a moment to commit this to memory.
Nebula handed the gauntlet over, rising to her feet and grabbing a second gun from her belt.
Surveying the brave-hearted women around her, Natasha realised with a twist of her heart that they were all watching her, waiting for the order. The sight of them all, of the strongest, bravest women she'd ever met, crashed down on her, building up her own courage, hot enough that it could burn through their enemies swarming them. "Let's get this son of a bitch," She declared.
Carol darted up to the sky, alive with that quiet flame that surrounded her. Wanda and Pepper were close behind, guarding her flanks.
"Fancy a lift?" Valkrayie asked, looking down at Natasha and no doubt taking in the hammer at her side.
Natasha glanced at the horse, who pawed the ground, eager to rejoin the fight. "I guess, it's better than a rhino." She muttered under her breath, accepting Valkrayie's arm and hauling herself onto the horse's back. Beneath them, Gamora led the charge on foot, the others close behind. She tried not to close her eyes when the horse sprang into the air, it's powerful wings slicing upwards.
~0~0~0~0~0~
Everywhere on that battlefield was chaos.
Danvers burned her way through, carrying the gauntlet. Wakandan cries still sounded, strong and certain, as the warriors sliced through beast after beast. T'Challa pounded from one enemy to the other, his pace never once faltering. War filled the air, shaking the ground and ringing in Steve's ears, and yet it was a war so unlike anything he'd ever fought in.
Still, Steve was mesmerised when he looked up and saw Natasha wielding Mjolnir once again, sat up top of a flying horse, carving into those airships with lightning and her own anger. Oh yes, it would definitely be more than just a kiss waiting for her when all this was over.
But, just as Danvers approached the van, Thanos' spear was launched directly at it, blowing the entire thing up and sending Carol crashing into rubble, the gauntlet skittering over the mud. Steve bolted in that direction, as Tony and Thor also appeared, trying to keep Thanos away from those stones.
Steve sprung for Thanos' back, his arm wrapping around that thick neck, pushing the brute away from Thor's body. The Asgardian had been crushed into the ground, but was alive. Steve just had to hold things back until he got to his feet and -
But, then Thanos twisted and somehow managed to get a hold of him, throwing him down and delivering a hard blow that left Steve unable to see for a moment.
When his vision returned, Thanos had the gauntlet on his own arm, and as Steve attempted to get up, Carol was there, fighting with everything she had to avoid Thanos snapping his fingers again and ending all existence this time.
Somewhere in the sky, where the lightning rained down, Natasha's shouts could be heard on top of the fighting, "Push back! Push back!"
The ground practically roared as the Avengers fought harder, not giving up. Steve's entire body groaned in protest as he rolled onto his side.
A hand was on his arm, and when he looked up, Bucky was with him. "Till the end of the line," His friend said.
By the time Steve was on his feet, something bad had happened. Carol was lying on the floor, unmoving, and Thanos raised his hand. It was too late to stop the brute from snapping his finger, and panic spread through Steve fast, but nothing happened. Even Thanos looked shocked, but by the time he realised there were no stones on his gauntlet, it was too late.
Because, on his knees behind them all, Tony had joined the fight and managed to obtain the stones, fixing them to his own suit, his own gauntlet. He was panting, heavily, and looked like he didn't have the strength to get up, but he glared up at Thanos, even as the stones powers ran down his army, taking over his entire body.
"I...am..." Tony panted out. "Iron...Man..."
Steve could only watch in horror as his friend snapped his own fingers.
~0~0~0~0~0~
A loud noise split the air, followed by a flash of brightness, and then one by one, the aircrafts started to fall. They crashed into the ground and lay motionless, and Natasha didn't have the time to wonder what had happened, not when she spotted her husband, leaning against Bucky, Tony start collasped onto the ground, Thanos' figure disappearing into dust.
No.
Valkrayie must have noticed how Natasha's grip tightened, and she stirred the horse down to them. Natasha was off its back before it even hit the ground, rushing to her husbands side and flinging his arm over her shoulder. She wanted to demand what had happened; she'd seen the time van go up in sparks, but then she and Valkrayie had been lodged between two aircrafts and their views had been blocked.
Now, though, words failed her.
She watched as the last specks of Thanos disappeared into the wind, along with the rest of his army, until there wasn't a single hint of them even being here, apart from the carnage they had caused.
"Tony," Steve breathed out. As he straightened, her husband removed his arm from around her shoulders, probably not wanting to burden her with trying to keep them both upright. Natasha scanned his face, taking in every single one of his injuries, and had to remind herself a few times that he was okay. That she'd found him.
Natasha followed her husbands gaze, to where Tony was still crumpled on the floor. Her heart clenched as both Rhodey and Peter appeared, helping the billionaire genius up. Banner dragged over a large piece of rubble, so Tony could lean against it, but Tony's entire face was drained, with no hint of a spark in his eyes. Natasha then saw the damage to his arm and released exactly what he'd done, exactly what he'd sacrificed.
A steading hand was on her lower back, her husband so close to her body that she could feel his warmth. But, that wasn't enough to push away her tears as she watched Pepper approach Tony. The woman was always graceful, and even now, as she knelt down and cupped his face, speaking so quietly that no one else could hear, she held herself together. Peter Parker lingered close-by, ready to say his own goodbyes.
Steve was the first to kneel, to bow his head in respect to the man who had given his life for all of them, who had taken on the final sacrifice without a second thought.
Closing her eyes, Natasha also knelt, hoping more than anything that Tony knew just how much he was loved by all of them. Their entwined paths may not have been the easiest, but he'd been an important part of her life, ever since she had posed as his assistant. Despite his snarky comments, his stubbornness and sometimes too-large-ego, Tony Stark was a man of integrity, and she'd always admired him for that. She just hoped he knew that, that a piece of her heart would go with him, whether he went after this life.
She'd never believed in Heaven, never thought about what lurked after Death. But now, as she watched Tony say goodbye to his family, she prayed for him, prayed that his soul would find peace and safety, somewhere where he can watch over the ones he loved most.
Bucky knelt at Steve's other side, and soon enough, the others followed suit, having all drawn closer after their enemy had faded to dust. T'cholla, a King, was on his knee, head dropped, whispering a Wakandan blessing quietly. Okoye's head was down, too, but she was also mumbling, giving her wishes to Tony, her thanks.
Even those who'd never met Tony - Peter Quill as his team, the men that had come from that sparkling city and weilded the orange shields - bowed in respect to the man who had given his life for theirs.
Natasha closed her eyes, tightly, her tears rolling down her cheeks, but she kept her crying silent.
No one seemed to want to stand up first, and Natasha wasn't sure how long they remained kneeling there, on the broken ground, with fires and rubble surrounding them. But, no amount of time would ever seem enough to repay Tony for what he had done. When they all stood and walked away from this, it would be because of him.
"Sweetheart," Steve's voice whispered to her, summoning her back from her memories, of all the times they'd shared with Tony, all her personal memories with him when she'd first worked alongside him. When she looked at her husband, the devastation on his own face broke her heart. But, Steve didn't say anything else, as he got up and held a hand out for her.
It was time to go.
To go, and return to a universe that was now whole again, a world that would spend the next few years healing from what had happened. There and then, she silently vowed that she would never let this world forget what any of them had done to save it.
Shaking silently, she accepted Steve's hand and rose, her eyes going to Tony's face one more time. Her heart felt heavy when she realised that he was gone.
But, just as she went to step closer to her husband - to seek the comfort and protection that only Steve could bring her - as horror gripped her so tightly her breathing almost stopped, her legs buckled completely. Her body was starting to shut down, unable to withstand the strength it had taken to wield that lightning. For a mortal body, it was an impossible price to pay.
She could hear Steve shout her name in alarm, could feel him grab her to get her up, but then everything faded into darkness.
~0~0~0~0~0~
I might come back to this chapter and add a few more parts to it, to the fighting, but for now, I can't think of anything else to add. I struggled to write this a little, as this story is from Natasha and Steve's perspectives, and obviously Natasha wasn't in the end battle at all, and Steve's parts weren't the only parts in the film, so I had to skirt around most of it and add things that obviously didn't happen.
Anyways, I hope you are enjoying it!
- E x