A/N: So...listen, my version of Infinity War and Endgame will be totally different from what you've seen in the movies. There will be a few similarities, but not many. What I will say is a lot happens in this chapter...there is a snap...someone will die. You may like it...you may love it...you also may hate it. You've been warned.
Read it. Enjoy it.
"You are the first, and you shall be the last."
The words had twisted themselves around every bit of sanity she had. They were vague, and yet Katie couldn't shake the feeling that they were the most clear answer she'd ever gotten. She just wasn't seeing it.
"The world is beyond logic, and the moment you realize that, the moment you immerse yourself in that possibility will be the moment you are no longer blind to what is actually coming."
Stephen was right. She was being blind, and she thinks it is purposeful. She is afraid of the truth. Afraid of the future. Afraid of the road that would lead to the end.
At the moment, she wasn't moving. She sat beside Matthew on a quinjet as they headed to Wakanda. Steve's idea was that the scientists of Wakanda may be able to safely extract the stone from Vision without killing him.
"It won't work."
Katie's eyes tightened shut. The voice was one of many whispers that forced themselves into her head recently. She tried to ignore them, to pretend that they weren't real. Before her entire world was shaken, before she realized that she was something or someone else, she would've assumed that she was going crazy. Maybe she was.
Natasha couldn't help the lingering gaze on the woman sitting across from her. The unknowns of Katie's part in all of this, the unbelievable story of her connection to the infinity stones. Her history with Katie was confusing in her opinion. There was something about the woman that annoyed her. The brain who had a knack for hand to hand combat. To Natasha, Katie was an enigma. A smart mouthed, know it all enigma. And yet the woman had gotten under her skin. Had somehow, someway become a person Natasha cared for. In some sick and twisted way, Natasha would imagine that Katie was the closest thing she had to a sister.
"You're staring." Katie said, not bothering to open her eyes. Natasha turned her gaze fully to the woman. "Why are you staring?"
"Make this make sense." Natasha said simply and Katie snapped opened her eyes and looked over to the woman. "You've told stories before, stories that always have a minuscule chance of being believable. But this—" Natasha shook her head. "I can't see even an ounce of this being true."
"You think I'm lying."
"I think you're not being completely honest. I think there's a part of all of this that you haven't told us." Katie didn't say anything, and Natasha continued to stare. "I remember when you were just a name in a file. You were a person of interest Barton and Coulson were sent to retrieve. Absolutely nothing in that file even gave a hint that you were—"
"More than just a name in a file?" Katie asked sitting up a bit more. "Honestly, I don't think SHIELD knew either, and if they did, I doubt it would be in any file your eyes saw." Natasha pursed her lips as she sat back in her seat, still studying the woman across from her. "I can't make this make sense, because it just doesn't." Katie turned away, her eyes looking over to her brother who seemed to have fallen asleep.
"You don't know the full story with Barton." Natasha said, and Katie let out a sigh as she turned back to her. "I can't say more, because I don't really know more, but what I do know is that he loves you, and that his leaving was—" Katie's eyes turned away, and she suddenly frowned. "Sparrow?" Natasha was about to stand to her feet, but in a blink of an eye the woman was gone.
"What the hell?" Rhodes had been sitting beside Natasha, and was able to see the woman across from them just disappear in the blink of an eye. His wide eyes glanced around the plane before turning to Natasha. "Where did she just—could she always do that?" Natasha glanced over to him before turning to looking up and meeting Steve's eyes from his spot in the co-pilot's seat.
The moment Katie appeared back on the ship, she had to duck at the sudden falling debris. When she jumped out of the way, she spun around her eyes wide at a very unexpected sight.
" Alright, everybody, stay where you are... chill the F out." Quill says before reaching up and pressing a button to remove his helmet. "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?" Katie took a step forward able to see Quill's arm wrapped around Peter's neck, a gun to his head. Tony soon removed his helmet as well, glaring over to the man.
"Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?" Tony asked
"I'll do you one better! Why is Gamora?!" Drax yelled, and they all turned to him as he laid trapped under the foot of Tony's suit. Katie frowned as she moved in closer.
"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French-fry this little freak." Quill snapped glancing down to Spider-man.
"Let's do it! You shoot my guy, I blast him. Let's go!" Tony replies as he suddenly extends his nano- teach canon which look uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face.
"Do it, Quill! I can take it." Drax says staring up to the cracks of electricity above his face.
"No, he can't take it!" Mantis calls still trying to pull free from the webs trapping her at the moment.
" She's right. You can't." Stephen adds in annoyance. He lifts his head, turning and being the first person to see Katie. "Let me guess, you know what's going on here?" they turned to the man before following his eyes as Katie walked closer. She moved, standing in front of Quill who seemed to be staring in bewilderment at the woman he assumed was dead.
"I thought you were dead." he muttered.
"And I thought you were a dream." she replied before looking down to Spider-man and sighing before turning back to Quill. "Gamora isn't here. They're not Thanos' minions, and I really need you to drop that gun right now, or I will have to hurt you." Quill looked back to the woman in confusion.
"Kitten, you mind telling us what's going on?" Tony asked, blaster still out and ready. Katie looked back over to him and held up a finger for him to give her a minute. She turned back to Quill.
"I know what happened to Gamora. I know what Thanos did." she says and from the way his jaw clenched, she knew he was struck by the memory once again. "I can't imagine the pain you're feeling, but what I can assure you is that we want the exact same thing you want. Thanos dead." he looked at her for a moment longer. The woman he barely believe existed. "Drop the gun please." Soon Quill lowered his weapon, and Katie turned to Tony and he simply looked back to her. "You too." he let out a huff before lowering his canon. "Awesome—" she turned back to Quill. "Peter Quill, meet Peter Parker—" the two Peters turned to each other and simply nodded. "This is Tony—" she turned back to the man who still held suspicions on his face. "And still lying on the floor is Drax. Stand up Drax." he looked over to her for a moment before turning to Tony and cautiously stood to his feet. "And over there we have Doctor Stephen Strange. Stephen, that is Mantis, and now we all know each other!" she let out a sigh as she turned to the eyes on her. "We are all on the same side of this fight. Quill and his team and the Avengers."
"Avengers?" Mantis said. "You're the team Thor told us about." they all turned to her.
"Thor? You know Thor?" Tony asked.
"Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking," Quill gives a slight shake of his head. " needed saving."
"Where is he now?" Stephen asked in annoyance.
"Nivadellir." Katie says turning away slightly. She clenches her eyes shut, a sudden sharp pain dragging across the back of her head and she groans.
"Hey," Tony the closest to her, turns to her fully about to extract himself from his suit, but she opens her eyes and just shakes her head.
"I'm fine."
"It didn't look like you were fine." Tony said and she just shakes her head as she takes a step back. "What the hell is going on?"
"The world needs saving Tony, and you just got a couple of more players on your team." she turns and walking over to Quill. "You weren't going to win this fight with just the three of you—"
"We would've—"
"That wasn't a question. Starlord, you and your team are going to work with the Avengers to help put an end to Thanos. You're going to work together." he still watched the woman curiously, still finding it hard to believe that she was standing right here in front of him. She turned and took in a deep breath. "I have to go. Thanos isn't here yet, so there's still time to strategize and come up with a plan." she looks over to Tony and gives him a nod.
"You know I would very much like you to stay right now." Tony says and she gives him a smile before walking over to him. "Something is going one with you. Something you're not saying." He looks at her, with the sudden familiar feeling in his gut that every time she leaves, it will be the last time he sees her. She glances over to Stephen who seems to be mirroring the look of concern. She turns back to Tony and placed a hand on his cheek.
"We all have our parts in this fight Mr. Stark and I have to make sure everyone finds their part. I'll see you soon." and without another word she was just gone, and Tony's eyes widened even after seeing her leave like that a few times already. It was still just unexpected.
Katie appeared at the base of the steps of a school she didn't expect to be standing in front of. With a deep breath she walked up the steps about to ring the door bell when suddenly the door pulled open. She peeked inside, but there was no one there, and so she simply stepped inside.
The mansion was still warm, still so inviting, and if she were honest, she'd say she really didn't want to leave, but there was a fight happening, and she finally realized there were more soldiers for her to draft. She walked further inside, curious as to why no one seemed to be around. Katie cautiously walked down the hallway, only stopped when she appeared a familiar wall. She stood there for a moment, glancing down either side of the hall in hopes of seeing someone. There was no one there, and so Katie stepped forward, and placed a hand on the wall, and watched as it moved and a key panel appeared. It had been years, and yet the four digit code was still locked in the brain of the woman who bled numbers. Katie reached forward, and typed in the code, and soon the wall opened completely revealing the elevator. This time there was no hesitation as Katie stepped inside.
The ride was silent, and Katie closed her eyes trying to soak up these few moment of peace. Soon she heard the swooshing sound of the elevator opening, and so she opened her eyes to see the smiling face of Scott Summers.
"You look like you're expecting me, Scott?" Katie asked as the man took a step to the side to let her step of the elevator. "I guess the professor knew I was coming."
"I did." a voice spoke, and Katie turned to see Xavier himself, a smile on his face as he wheeled himself toward her. "I thought you'd be here sooner though."
"Well I thought I wouldn't need your help. I didn't think this was going to get so out of control, and now it has and—" she exhaled deeply.
"Hey," Scott said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" There was that question again. That question she couldn't answer honestly, and so she pulled on a smile and just nodded before turning back to he professor.
"The world needs the X-men." she finally said. The sound of sliding door behind them, made Katie turn and that's when she saw Logan, Ororo, and Jean all dressed in suits, large X's on their chest.
"We know." the Professor said and Katie turned back to him. "We were waiting for you to tell us where." Katie smiled down to the man before turning back to the others who continued to watch her.
"Right, you have a plane right?" she asked.
Soon she stood in the hanger looking up to the X-Jet as the team filed inside. There was someone standing behind her, and so she sighed before looking up to the eyes of Logan.
"There's something different about you." he said, and she let out a heavy sigh.
"That's an understatement." she replied with a tired smile.
"You alright?"
"I'm tired, and I'm a little scared."
"You don't think we can beat this Thanos guy?" Logan asked and Katie just shook her head.
"No, I think we can beat him. There's just going to be a cost if all this doesn't work." she turned to look back to the others who walked over to her.
"We're set to go. We just need the coordinates." Scott said, and Katie smiled.
"No, you don't need any coordinates." she replied. "Just start flying, and you will get to where you're needed." Scott looked over to her in confusion. "Trust me." the man glanced over to the professor who gave a nod. Katie turned to the professor as well. "I actually have to get going." she turned back to the team and gave them a smile. "I want to thank you all for doing this."
"No need to thank us kid, this is what we do." Logan says and Katie turns to him and gives him a nod and he can't explain it, but there's something about her eyes. Something she's not saying and it's worrying him for some reason.
"Well I will see you all soon." she turned and began walking back into the mansion, and she didn't miss the heavy footsteps behind her. She's stopped in front of the elevator before turning to Logan and just shaking her head.
"So not the best time, Logan. I'm fine." she says reaching forward and pressing the button for the elevator. "You should be going with the others."
"I will, but there's something different about you." he replies again and Katie turns to him with a furrowed brow wondering if his freaky nose was able to detect her secret. Suddenly the doors opened and Katie stepped inside before turning back to the man.
"You're right, there is." she replies with a smile. "And one day I might tell you about it, but now, there's a war to be fought, and I think we could use a Wolverine." she gave the man a wink before taking a step back as the doors closed.
Katie closed her eyes because it was strange how her choices were no longer her own. She has no idea why she came to this mansion, and yet she did and she asked the X-men for help even though she would've wanted to keep them out of this fight. Deep down she knew what was happening. She knew who was in control now and it most certainly wasn't her. Maybe all of this was about helping her change the inevitable...or maybe it was to prove that nothing could change the inevitable. There was sudden thought, and in an instant Katie found herself standing on the cold dusty ground of a new planet.
Nivadellir. There was no infinity stone here, nothing that tethered her to this planet, and yet Katie found herself standing in the dark, dusty gigantic cluttered space.
"Damnit!" a voice yells.
"Damnit? What damnit?" a voice says and Katie turns because she knows that voice.
"I am Groot."
"What do you mean she's here?" Rocket asks and before he knows it, he hears a thump from inside the pod. He turns and his tiny eyes go wide at the sight of the woman he thought was a total, and completely alcohol induced hallucination. "You're—" for the first time today, Rocket the Raccoon was speechless. "not dead."
"I am not." Katie says turning, and crouching in front of Groot who smiled widely. "You're getting so big."
"I am Groot." he announced proudly and Katie just chuckled.
"Well thank you for looking out for him." she stood to her feet and walked over to view port as she looked out to see Thor who was standing just outside the pod. "He lost his hammer." she frowned turning away a bit. "His sister and—" memories and moments she wasn't even present for flooded her, and then they stopped. "Loki—"she turned back to look out the view port with wide eyes.
"The mechanism is crippled." a voice spoke, and they all turned.
"Eitri," Katie muttered and Rocket turned to her with a furrowed brow, but didn't say anything.
"What?" Thor asked, still unaware of the woman standing just behind him. He turned listening to Eitri who didn't sound optimistic about his weapon.
"With the iris closed I can't heat the metal."
"How long will it take to heat?" Thor asked, and Katie's eyes glanced up past the man to the broken contraption in front of the star.
" A few minutes, maybe more. Why?"
Thor stood to his feet on the Hull. "I'm gonna hold it open."
"Of course he is." Katie muttered and in a blink of eye she appeared next to the man on the hull and the moment his eyes met her, he became speechless. "Hey, so I hear you're trying to get yourself killed."
"Lady Katherine, " Thor finally spoke and Katie lightly laughed. She hadn't heard the name in so long, and it was nice to hear. A smile came to his face as he took a step forward, and suddenly engulfed the woman into a tight hug. " How are you here right now?
"That is a very good question, buddy." Katie said hugging him back just as tight. "But I think you already know." Thor froze at her words, when suddenly he remembered his vision...the impossibility and he pulled back to look at the woman.
"You're—"
"I'm me. Just a little bit different." she replied before turning and looking up to the contraption. "So you need to hold that open, so the star will veer through to create your ax?" she turned to Thor who gave a nod, and she bit the corner of her lip in thought. "Ok." she said turning back to he Asgardian.
"Ok!" Eitri called and she glanced over to him finally seeing him standing just a bit away inside of the main forge. "That's suicide." Katie turned back to Thor and just gave him a smile.
"Get your ax buddy, and I'll see you out there." she replied about to turn away, but then she stopped and walked back over to him. "I almost forgot—" she grabbed the material of his shirt and pulled him toward her. "Always remember that you are never alone and nothing is ever as it seems. Mischief is always in the air if you look close enough." and with that she placed a kiss to his cheek before turning and in an instant she was just gone leaving Thor with a mixture of emotions he wasn't completely sure how to handle.
"So is she like an alien too, because that would make so much sense." Rocket said, and Thor seemed to pull himself from the myriad of emotions to focus on the matter at hand. He turns and without a second thought he leaps from the pod to the star's iris.
Clint stood in the backyard of this farmhouse that sat in the complete middle of nowhere, and he couldn't help the tug on his heart to turn around and go find his wife. He closed his eyes, and let out a heavy sigh trying to release the tension and the anxiety. When he heard the sound of crackling leaves, he assumed it was one of his inlaws whom he most certainly didn't want to talk with.
"Just go away, I'm really not in the mood for anymore heart to hearts." he said not even bothering to turn around. He kept his eyes trained on the lake watching the ripples of the waves as the wind breezed.
"Neither am I." Clint lifted his head at the voice almost certain he was hallucinating. He took in a deep breath before turning around, and when he saw her he felt his heart feel so heavy. "Hey Bart." he didn't speak, he actually couldn't speak for a variety of reasons. One he felt as if he hadn't seen her in ages when in reality it had only been a couple of months which was still too damn long. Two he felt that the first words out of his mouth needed to be the right words. The words he could say to explain everything he's done and she would believe and for the life of him at this moment he didn't. And three, well his wife had always had a knack for just making him speechless and right now was no different. She looked slightly different since he last saw her. Her hair was longer yeah, and she looked as if she's lost a bit of weight, but that wasn't it. He took a step forward, and he was glad she didn't back away. She was watching him too, and he could tell she was taking in this moment as well. He needed to say something, anything to fill this growing silence and so he said the first words that came to mind.
"I'm sorry." he said, and though it wasn't much it was honestly the truth. "Kat, I—" he took another step forward, and she didn't back away. "I can't even—" he shook his head because he imagined this moment so many times, and even then he didn't know what he would say. He just hoped that in the moment the words would come to him and he was realizing they just weren't. "I thought—" he looked up meeting her eyes and she just looked at him, not in anger or in sadness, but just looked at him with those eyes he'd dreamed over every night since he was away from her. "Kat—" she walked over to him, closing the distance, placing herself right in front of him and he couldn't help himself. He brought his arms around her, pulling her body to his, reveling in the feeling. Being away from her, not being able to touch her for so long was torture, and he didn't really feel it until this moment. He didn't really understand, or feel that hole in his heart until this moment she appeared and made him whole again. "I'm sorry." she still didn't say anything before she dropped her head to his chest, closing her eyes. Clint's grasp around her tightened. They stood there in that silent embrace for what felt like a small eternity before the silence was broken.
"Every second, of every minute to every hour that has lead to this moment was meant to be." Katie said, never opening her eyes, never lifting her head from Clint's chest. "You had to leave Bart. I didn't understand that at first. I was angry with you, and with myself because I thought I ruined us."
"Kat, that's not—"
"I know. I know why you're here, and I know why you left." she finally pulled from the embrace and looked up to the green eyes of her husband. "But I felt alone." she dropped her head as she felt a warmth a tear escape down her cheek. "And I felt lost and I felt as if my whole world was gone, and—" she lifted her eyes back to Clint. He pressed a hand to her cheek, brushing away the tears with his thumb. "And I'm not saying all of this to make you feel bad, but I need you to understand that I needed to feel those things. I needed to find the strength to pull myself out of that loneliness, and that guilt and I did." she closes her eyes and her jaw clenched. Bart's grasp around her tightened.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, and when she opened her eyes, and just smiled and shook her head. She slid her hands around his neck, tugging him forward, and he didn't hesitate to meet her lips with his own. Both wanted the kiss to last for a lot longer than what it could. It felt like ages since they last kissed and they didn't want to rush this moment, but there was clock hanging above their head and only one of them knew it. It's why Katie pulled back first, once again dropping her head to Clint's chest.
"I want to see Tai—" she lifted her eyes to Clint. "I need to see her." Clint looked at her for a moment, hearing the urgency in her voice and he simply nodded before taking her hand, and pulling her with him toward the house. The moment they walked in, Clint pulled her toward the steps, but stopped the moment the door to the kitchen opened and a gasp followed. They lifted their eyes to see Martin and Cynthia standing there, both staring in shock at the sight of their daughter.
"Baby—" Cynthia took a step forward, but Katie turned away and simply hurried up the stairs in search of her daughter. They both turned to Clint who looked up the stairs before looking over to the couple who still stood a bit shell shocked. "How—how is she here?"
"I don't know." Clint replied before hurrying up the stairs as well.
Cynthia turned around to Martin who slid a hand over his eyes. She took a step forward, and reached up to place a hand on his shoulder, but he backed away.
"Martin—"
"I just—" he shook his head before glancing up to the ceiling, letting out a sigh. His daughter was here, and she was angry at them and he couldn't blame her. "I thought I was alright with this, I thought I could move forward, but—" he looked back over to his wife and shook his head.
"This was our daughter and you never—" he shook his head feeling the initial anger he throught he'd gotten passed bubbling up inside of him once again.
"Martin, I apologized many times, but I also explained to you that—" she shrugged. "I didn't believe my own eyes. I didn't believe that I was visited by a being from another planet or that they had done something to my baby." Martin shook his head because her reasoning was logical and honestly he understood it, but the fact that it was his daughter that was at the center of this, and that he was blindsided for so long. "I don't know what you want me to do. I can't change the past." Martin looked at her for a moment before shaking his head and simply storming out of the front door.
When Clint appeared inside the nursery he found Katie standing a couple of feet away from Natalia's crib. It was as if she were hesitant to go over to her.
"What if she doesn't remember me?" Katie whispered. "What if she doesn't know who I am." Clint walked over to stand beside her, bringing an around her and nudging her forward.
"That's not possible Kat," Clint said, before reaching forward and lifting one of the hanging pictures from the mobile revealing a picture of Katie. He grabbed the next, and it was a picture of Katie and Clint. He grabbed the next and it was a picture of Katie holding Natalia after she was just born. "Your daughter looks at your face every night before she goes to sleep." Katie's eyes looked down to the sleeping child and a smile pulled at her lips and tear pricked her eyes. It felt like ages since she's seen her daughter, and in this moment she just wanted to fall apart and let out the emotions clawing at her insides. Instinctively, Katie reached forward, and gently slid her hands underneath the child, and the moment Natalia was in her mother arms she latched on tightly, nuzzling her nose against Katie's chest. Katie pressed a kiss to the top of the child's head before walking around the crib to sit in the rocking chair near the window. Clint stood, watching her movements, and he couldn't help but smile. She was right here, right now and it's all he's ever wanted. "Kat—"
"She's gotten so big." Katie says staring down to the tiny face and she swallows back the emotions in her throat. She closed her eyes and tried to soak up as much of this moment.
"Kat—" Clint says once again, stepping forward, and dropping to the floor in front of her. "What's going on?" she looked over to him and just shook her head.
"I have to say goodbye." she said and the words were followed by more tears as she looked down to her daughter.
"You don't say goodbye, Kat. What's happening? Does this have anything to do with what's happening with the team, because you don't have to fight with them." Katie looked back over to the man. "You can stay here, with us." Oh, it was such a tempting offer. It was almost cruel. She smiled down to Clint, taking in a deep breath, as she dropped another kiss to the top of the baby's head. "Kat-" Katie stood to her feet and walked back over to the crib where she carefully lowered her daughter. She let her finger slide through Natalia's soft curls wanting this moment to last much longer than it could. "Kat-" the desperation was now in Clint's tone, because he could feel that something was wrong and he could feel as if this moment would be another defining moment in his life. She turned back to face him. "Tell me what's happening."
"The world need avenging." she said and more tears escaped her eyes. "And this time...this time I know my place in it."
"And what place is that?" Clint asked, and Katie closed the distance between them, and Clint brought his hands to her waist as Katie cupped the sides of his face.
"I am first." she said, and Clint's eyes dropped to the glowing in her chest before bringing his wide eyes back to her. "And I shall be the last." she pulled his lips to hers, and with this kiss every moment, every experience just came flooding back.
"One thing you will learn about me Bart is that I'm not one to turn down a challenge." Katie says before walking over to get the bow. Clint's eyes trailed to her back side and he mentally kicked himself. She plucked the bow from the wall and turned back to him. "And I usually get what I want."
"Something we have in common." Clint replied with smirk as he watched her ready her stance.
Clint's arms wrapped tightly around her, as their lips never parted. A part of him was scared, frightened even, because he felt as if this moment would be short lived.
"Marry me." he said surprising both of them, but he wouldn't take it back. He watched her closely as the smile fell from her lips and her face scrunched into a look of both shock and confusion. For a moment he wondered if he was just being stupid. They'd just gotten back to them, and it had only been a couple of months. Maybe she wasn't ready.
"Are you serious?" she asked sitting up and he did the same. Before he could even answer she shook her head before smiling slightly. "Of course you're not serious, you're drunk. If I knew that woman was a hooker, I would've never left you alone with her." she turned back to him and smiled. "So how wasted are you?"
"I actually haven't had a drink tonight." Clint said and Katie's smile once again fell. "So right now, when I'm asking you to marry me, mind my is completely unclouded." she looked at him for a moment as if waiting for the punch line. He just stared back at her awaiting an answer. "Kat—" before he could say another word, she had stood to her feet and was heading for the stairwell, trying to place as much distance between her and him.
Clint pulled back, and stared into Katie's eyes as they both tried to catch their breath. He kept his grasp firmly around her, in hopes of keeping her here.
"I've never felt love like the love I have for you." Katie whispers with a tearful smile. "You've made me stronger, you've made me happier, and you've made my life worth living during a time I thought I didn't deserve to live."
"Kat, don't do this." he didn't know what was happening, but he had the feeling he should stop it before it happened. "Just stay here, with us, and we will keep being happy."
"I wish I could...you have no idea how much I wish—" she closed her eyes and grimaced, and Clint held her a bit tighter. She opened her eyes and looked back to him. "I thought I could get around the inevitable, but some things are just destined to happen. Apparently I have a purpose and I have to fulfill it."
Clint wasn't going to let her get away that easily. The moment she started for the door, he was right behind her.
"Where are you going Kat?" he asked keeping up with her brisk step down the stairs.
"I don't know!" she called back before pushing through a door. They ended up in one of the halls of the hotel, still moving quickly.
"Kat, talk to me." Clint said before reaching out and grabbing her arm to stop her. "I will not let you run from this. From us. I love you." she looked into his eyes and could see that those words were true. "I know you love me."
"I do love you which is why I'm going to do you this favor. I'm the last person you should want to be tied to forever." she said before turning to walk away, but Clint didn't let her go.
"You're right." Clint said and Katie turned back to him with confusion as his hands came to the sides of her face. "Forever isn't long enough."
"Bart-"
"Just say yes." Clint said and Katie smiled despite her reservation about all of his. She placed her hands on his chest and looked into his eyes. "Right now those are the only words that could add to this epic birthday." Katie didn't say anything and he could tell that she was really thinking about what to say.
"I talk too much."
"I know and I love that about you."
"I have really weird friends."
"So do I."
"I end up in trouble at least once, sometimes twice a week."
"I'm use to it by now."
He watched her and he could see it happening. He could see her as she stopped fighting the idea that this could actually happen. She smiled widely before nodding.
"Yes." she said in an almost whisper. Clint smiled unable to stop himself before he smashed his lips against hers in a fiery kiss filled with so much, hope, love and passion.
Katie stared into Clint's green eyes, and felt every emotion in this moment and she felt she would just burst if she didn't leave.
"You're going to take care of her. I have no doubt in my mind that you will always make sure she's happy."
"Kat, just don't, just—" he dropped his forehead against hers, still holding onto her tight.
"When she grows up, tell her everything about me. The good, the bad, the crazy. Tell her that I loved her more than the sun and the moon and the stars." she closed her eyes, and a sob escaped her lips. "Tell her that on this day I was thinking of her, and that everything I do today is because I love her. And tell her that I'm sorry that I couldn't be there when she grows up and that I couldn't be there to hold her hand and tell her that I love her everyday." she opened her eyes to see the tears pouring from her husbands eyes and so she reached up to wipe them away. "Tell her that when she looks up to the sky and she talks to me, that I will hear her. Every word I will hear her." Clint dropped his head, burying his nose in her shoulder. "You are the love of my life Bart. Thank you." she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and in the next second she was gone. And Clint felt his heart shatter into pieces.
There was a war being fought in Wakanda. A brutal, bloody war to stop the end of the word. Katie appeared at the center of it. Giving her a front row seat to the sight of aliens, mutants, and humans fighting a war she's sure they're probably don't even completely understand. Her eyes look to Thor who now held his ax and wielded as fiercely as she knew he would. A sharp gust of wind began picking up and Katie turned, looking up to see Storm spinning, creating a tornado like affect tossing a couple of aliens like they were nothing. Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, they were fighting. Katie spun around, her eyes catching sight of Bucky...and there was Natasha guns held high, Bruce wasn't there, but the Hulk was giving hell. They were all fighting. Giving their all. But it wouldn't be enough. She thought this could work. That if they fought hard enough, if they could outsmart Thanos, and beat him, than that could be end of it. It was a fantasy because she knew Thanos. She knew he had legions of armies, thousands of followers who would lie down their lives for him. He was smart, and he anticipated every move. He was what one would call an unbeatable opponent, or at least you would if there hadn't been a weapon created to stop him.
"Katie?" a hand touched her shoulder, and she turned to see Steve who stood trying to catch his breath as he held his shield in his hand. "You shouldn't be—" his eyes turned as another alien began running right toward her. Katie turned following his eyes, and she didn't bat an eye the moment she lifted a hand and with a flick of her wrist, the being disappeared. She let out a heavy sigh before turning to Steve who stared back to her with wide eyes. "How—"
"You asked me how this ended, and I told you that I didn't know, but I lied." she took a step forward toward him. "I do know how this ends Steve, and I fought and I went along with all of these plans because I believed that we could win this way, but we can't." Steve was confused, which wasn't surprising for him most of the time, but right now he really needed to understand.
"Katie, what are you talking about?" Steve asked.
"No more running blind." she said placing a hand on his cheek with a smile. "I accept who I am and I accept what I must do." she took a step back, but Steve caught her arm and she turned back to him.
"Katie whatever you're planning—" Katie closed the distance between them, placing her hands on the sides of his face. "Katie—" suddenly the fighting around them ceased, and Steve's eyes turned where he saw Bucky who took only a single step before something started happening. It was as if his body was disintegrating. He glanced up to Steve in horror, and Steve was forced to just watch as his friend just turned into dust and floated away in the wind. "Bucky!" his eyes turned because Bucky wasn't the only one. Person after person. He watched as T'Challa dropped to his knees, his body completely turning in to dust, and just blowing away.
"This is what will happen once Thanos gets all of the stones." Katie says, and Steve turns his eyes to the woman. "And no matter how strong we fight, how pure our hearts are—" she took in a deep breath and she felt the tears once again fall from her eyes. "It doesn't matter that we're the good guys. The heroes. We will lose and he will win. And it was destined to happen."
"All of this death was destined to happen?" Steve asked and Katie shook her head.
"No, it wasn't. Those stones were tossed across the ends of the universe. The great powers that be knew that whoever tried to wield them would cause untold mayhem."
"They knew someone like Thanos would come around?" Steve asked and Katie gave a nod. "And they planned for it." she once again gave a nod. "You?" a smile tugged at her lips. "Katie, I don't know what is happening, but whatever this is, we can just face it together, like we always do."
"Except this fight was never meant for the Avengers." she pulled away from him and suddenly they were back in the center of a fight that hadn't died down. More lives were taken, and even more would be if this didn't end soon. She began walking away from Steve, and he kept his eyes on her as she clasped her hands in front of her before lifting her eyes to the sky. "Let's end this." suddenly a bright light appeared from the sky and shot right down into Katie causing an explosion that caused the earth to shake and tossed everyone on that field several feet in all directions.
Steve let out a groan as he began sitting up. The moment he opened his eyes he stared in utter shock at the sight of Katie standing in front of a large purplish gray being, a glove on his hand fitted with gems. He turned when someone grabbed his arm, and he looked up to see Natasha trying to help him to his feet.
"I take it that's Thanos." the woman said as Steve stood.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is." Steve said as he watched Katie and the being stand toe to toe with one another. His eyes drift to the side, only now noticing Tony, and the Spider-man along with a couple of more individuals he didn't recognize. "We need to get to Katie before she does something—"
"Stupid?"
"No, before she does something... irreversible." Steve said as he began stepping forward, trying to get as close as possible.
Katie stared up into the dark eyes of the monster that has haunted her dreams for months. So much fear, so much terror, so much confusion always surrounded him and yet in this moment she felt none of it.
"There you are." Thanos said, a sick, twisted smile on his face as he looks down to the tiny woman. "I've been waiting for you."
"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing." Katie says as she never breaks the eye contact with the being. "You caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people and a lot of planets."
"Yeah, well, great power always comes with a cost." he took a step toward the woman, and it was a move that was not liked. Suddenly Tony appeared at her side, and so did Stephen, and Spider-man. On the other side of Thanos, Steve, Natasha, Thor and the Hulk gathered around leaving the monster surrounded and the sight made him laugh. "This is what you're fighting for?" he turned back to Katie and just shook his head. "Do you have any idea how we could change everything. We can make everything, everyone...better. No more sickness, no more famine, just order and power."
"That sounds nice to an extent, but there should be limitations to that type of power." Katie said her eyes glancing down to the gauntlet, that still held only four stones. But beside her was Stephen who still wore the Time Stone, and just a few feet away stood Vision who still had the mind stone. Right now all six stones were in the exact same place, at the exact same time, and the power they created was flowing through her, and igniting something that she didn't know was there.
"You know getting six stones was never the goal." he said as he leaned forward. His eyes drifted to the glowing of her chest. "I wasn't going to stop until I had the seventh."
"Seventh stone." Stephen muttered turning away and remembering Katie's words.
"I think we're missing something. There's something that doesn't feel right about there only being six stones. I don't know why, but you need remember that."
Stephen turned back to Katie, and the sudden realization struck him and he dropped his head.
"It's her." he muttered and Tony who was closest to him looked over to him in confusion. "It's...her." Stephen shook his head before turning to Tony. "We need to get her out of here, now." Stephen lifted his hands about to create a door, fully prepared to throw Katie through it if need be, but the moment he tried, nothing happened. He spun his hands, cleared his mind and focused, but his magic wasn't working. He looked up to the woman and realized she wasn't letting him.
"I was warned about you. The Ego stone, but you probably don't know what you are." in a swift movement, he jerked his hand forward, grabbing Katie around her neck, lifting her off of the ground, and the Avengers moved in to attack. "Move and I snap her neck sooner rather than later." and the words made them all begrugenly stand down.
"We need to do something." Bucky said moving forward, but Steve quickly caught his arm. Bucky turned to his friend. "He's going to kill her! We have to stop him!"
"I know that, but we have to do this strategically." Steve said before glancing over to Natasha who stared for a second before giving a nod. Steve turned to Thor who stood near by as well. Thor gave a subtle nod before moving through to the other side.
"Distraction." she said and Steve gave a nod before watching the woman sift through the crowd.
"Hey, ass face!" Tony called as he hovered in front of Thanos. "Let her go, and I won't blow a hole in your face." Tony held up a metal hand, prepared to shoot. Thanos ignored him as he kept his eyes on the woman in front of him.
"Last chance, join me or die." Thanos' ultimatum would've made Katie laugh if his hand wasn't gripping her throat so tightly. "You can't beat me. None of them can beat me. I am inevitable!"
"You are inevitable, but do you know what else is?" Katie choked out as her wind pipe continued to close. There was a sudden wind that blew furiously, and everyone lifted their eyes to the sky that was no longer just blue. It was swirl, of green, blue, orange, red, purple and yellow. There was something in the wind though, an energy no one could explain. "Everything has a beginning and every beginning has an inevitable end. I just happened to be both. It was never the Ego stone you should've been worried about Thanos." Suddenly the swirling lights from the sky came raining down, all flowing in to the woman in front of him. Thanos dropped her, and watched her fall to the ground with a thud.
"Kitten," Tony dropped back to the ground, and moved toward her, only to stop when she lifted her head, and her eyes were glowing bright yellow, as her skin begins to change color. "Kitten?"
"Tony, I would back away." Stephen says and Tony drops his face plate and turns to the man. "I don't think that's Katherine anymore." Tony turns back to the woman who finally pushes her self to her feet, her skin now completely purple.
"You think!" Tony says as he watches as the woman turns back to Thanos who for the first time actually looks nervous.
"Thanos." she says, her voice different. It's a deeper tone, but there's also an echo to it, as if multiple people are talking at once. "You've been a bad, bad boy." Thanos stared at the woman as she suddenly lifted from the ground and hovered in front of him.
"Nemesis." he muttered, "The original universe." and at the sound of the name the woman smiled. Soon the stories of her legend came to him and he found himself reciting it. "It was all that was, and all that was, was it." he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. "This being was infinity and forever." He grit his teeth before lifting his gauntlet and snapping his fingers, but nothing happened. He looked down to his arm, only now realizing that all the stones were gone.
"Looking for these?" Thanos turned back to Nemesis and saw the four stones now embedded under the skin of her arms. "And now you're just boring, and I hate boring." the being lifted her hand and snapped her finger and they stood and watched as the great and powerful Thanos was reduced to nothing but dust. It was the fate that fell upon his legion, and soon all of Thanos' men were nothing but a brittle dust that blew in the wind.
Silence followed the moment as Nemesis lowered herself back to the ground, and her glowing yellow eyes saw the humans watching her. She stared in a bit of amusement, seeing what has been created in her absence. They're all so weak, and unintelligent, and yet her heart warms for them which she blames for the human chosen to be her vessel.
"Right," it was Tony Stark who was brave enough to step close to the purple woman with her yellow eyes. "Thanks for that, but if you don't mind, I'd like my friend back so you can turn back into swirling lights and shoot right back up to the sky." she looked at the man in amusement. "That really wasn't a request."
"Tony..my friend." Thor took cautious steps forward as he appeared in front of Tony. "You should not speak to her in such a way."
"And why is that?" Tony asked.
"Because she is the most powerful being anyone has ever laid eyes on." Thor said as he smiled to the woman hoping to avoid any wrath Tony's words might've caused.
"I don't care what she is, I just want my Kitten back!" Tony tried to step forward, but Thor shoved him back.
"Oh, Kitten is no more." Nemesis said. "No human can survive my in-habitation. Only she could choose this even though it was never really a choice. The moment the Ego was implanted in her, was the moment my return was only a matter of when. " Nemesis spun around. "This planet—" she turned back to the Asgardian. "Earth?" he gave a nod and she hummed in response. "A planet, with humans and...something else." she thought about a life here. She once ended her existence because the lonliness became unbearable and now maybe-
"No,"
Nemesis turned at the voice. She'd learned the voices of the stones, knew the translation to their many languages, but that voice belonged to someone else. The woman with the heart that beat for world.
"For my sacrifice, I only requested one thing... I was promised."
"You were, and it shall be done." Nemesis spoke and she turned back to the humans in front of her, She turned back to Tony who still watched her, and she could see the emotion prickling from his eyes. "Your Kitten, for her sacrifice was granted a request of anything she wanted. And she has chosen."
"What did she choose?" Tony asked and the being in front of him smiled before once again lifting her hand and snapping her finger.
Someone was pinching his nose. Tony cracked open one eye, spotting the culprit and she just giggled before releasing him.
"Wake up daddy!
Tony opened his eyes and sat up from the bed, stretching his tired muscles before turning to the little girl whose dark hair was a mess over her head.
"And good morning to you my dear spawn." Tony said and the girl just shook her head before turning and running out of the room. The man shook his head before glancing over to his sleeping wife who hadn't budged. "I know you're not sleep Pep."
"Yes I am, Tony." Pepper muttered as she nuzzled her cheek into her pillow. "Now go feed your daughter." the man groaned before stepping out of bed, slipping on his slippers and lazily dragging his feet out of the room.
Tony looked down to his daughter, his chin resting in his palm, as she happily ate her cereal. A smile tugged at his lips, because he can never explain that feeling inside of him when he looks at her. The day she was born was the day she created another part of him. A part that only existed to take care of her.
"Good?" he asked and she looked up to him, milk spilling down her chin with a bright smile as she gave a nod. "Well alright then." Tony stood to his feet about to grab himself a bowl, but he stopped. He turned, glancing around their cabin which is now their home and he can't help but feel as if something is off.
"You ok daddy?" Morgan asked, and Tony turned to her and just smiled.
"Yeah, just fine sweetie." he replied before going to get his bowl. He'd opened the cabinet, when something caught his eye out of the window above the sink. He frowned slightly before glancing over to Morgan who continued to eat her breakfast. He walked over, stepping out of the front door onto the porch, his eyes glancing around when suddenly he feels something nudge his ankle. Tony steps back a bit as he looks down, surprised to see a furry, white kitten. He drops down and picks it up in his arms, letting his fingers moves through it's fur and it purs in appreciation. "Kitten," there's a sudden pit in Tony's stomach and he drops the kitten in his hands, but it lands on it's feet and scurries away. Tony turns, closing his eyes. He grabbed his head, and he felt the feeling in his legs just give out.
"You're a chick."
"And you're Tony Stark."
"Tony?" Pepper quickly rushed out to the man, dropping beside him, and bringing him into her arms. "Tony, what's wrong?"
"Mommy?"
"Morgan, go back inside honey!" Pepper called back to her daughter. "Daddy's fine, he just fell. Go finish your breakfast." the girl stood there for a moment longer before finally turning and going back into the house. "Tony, look at me." Tony finally opened his eyes, and he turned to his wife. "Tony, what's happened?"
"I have to find her."
"Find who?"
"Kitten," Tony says sitting up and standing to his feet.
"You have to find a Kitten?" Pepper asked and Tony turned to her and shook his head.
"No, I have to find Katie." he replies and the confusion never leaves his wife's features.
"Tony, who is Katie?"