This is the beginning of "Avengers: Infinity War" and I will post all of it at once since I don't know when I'll get around to getting the next movie up. I really need to update some of my other stories... But I hope you enjoy! It will bounce back and forth in the last two chapters (ch32 and 33) for this movie since the movie does the same by bouncing back and forth between space and Earth battles.
But please, please let me know what you think! It's nice to hear feedback about this and I made some nice changes in this movie too. Jess is going to have it rough the next movie, that's for sure.
The Hulk was thrown away so easily, getting sent to safety by chance after Thor was grabbed and his mind burned. Loki tricked and joked, only for his neck to end up snapped by large hands. Thor was bound, Loki dropped lifelessly at his feet as fires began to burn the ship. I felt a lump catch in my throat, choking me as I witnessed this only for the blue Infinity Stone from the Tesseract to flare briefly in a golden glove adorning a giant man's fist. It knew I was there, as did the unknown purple gem that seemed to scoff at my presence indifferently.
This was it, it seemed to tell me—its presence watching mine curiously as though wondering what my reaction to this destruction would be.
What do I do? What can I do? This alien giant has the power of two Infinity Stones and an army of followers. He easily took down an entire planet of Gods with only one stone, and I'm supposed to be able to stop him?
Again, the purple gem scoffed wondering why the others thought so highly of me. The blue stone though seemed to only grow more curious.
If I had the opportunity to change fate, would I?
I grit my teeth, catching glimpses of what was to come as I had in every nightmare since New York.
People turning to dust.
Fights being lost.
Screams and struggles.
A woman being pushed off a cliff.
A red cape falling to the ground.
Stop. Stop it! Why do you keep showing me this like there's something I can do! I practically screamed at the stones, who insisted on pestering me. I'm nothing! I have some lame fire powers I can only just now get control over, and some flashes of future events that I can't even use to prevent things from happening! What is the point of this! Why are you so convinced I can help!
Then, I was standing on a dusty junkyard of a planet and my cries died at the sight of a familiar red and gold suited man sitting on the ground. His entire side was fried to a crisp and his hand was still raised as though snapping—like the giant man had in my nightmares, turning everyone to dust. Tony didn't move though. His eyes had gone glassy, his body stiff and cold. He was dying… He was dead.
You will help, the stone declared as the image turned to dust like so many others. Because you have no other choice.
My eyes snapped open, breathing quick and uneven and my body covered in a cold sweat. I clenched my eyes shut for a moment, trying to calm down, knowing Tony was still asleep beside me. Slowly, I pushed myself upright, doubling over and resting my face in my hands as I propped my elbows up on my thighs. The nightmare—vision—was too real this time. It was unsettling. It put a time limit on things that I didn't understand, and I'd never felt more defeated before I'd even started. Tony's going to die. Tony's going to die if I don't do anything, but I-I don't even know what to do. I don't know where to start.
An arm wrapped around my waist, making me flinch and mentally curse when I did, knowing I'd alerted Tony that something was wrong.
"Nightmare?" He asked, voice still groggy with sleep.
"Y-Yeah, something like that," I murmured in return, soon wishing I'd chosen my words better as he sat up on his elbow with a curious frown.
"Another vision? Anything I should know about?"
You're going to die, and it will be all my fault because I can do something about it, but don't know how. I grimaced, turning my head away slightly and he sighed, getting up out of bed and stretching.
"You want coffee? Or that weird tea junk you drink now?"
I shot him a dirty look. "Says the man who drinks green goop."
He smirked. "Don't have to now."
"Not that that stops you," I grumbled in complaint, getting up myself and rubbing at a kink in my neck. "It's fine. I'll get it. You should go back to sleep. It's early."
"And what kind of husband would I be if I left you to deal with whatever you dreamed of alone?" He teased, handing me some of my own clothes and kissing me briefly, brushing a strand of hair off my forehead.
"I still can't believe you proposed before a media announcement."
"Never seemed like the right time, and you know me. Has to be perfect."
I snorted, removing his shirt that I was wearing and getting dressed, ignoring his gaze on me as I did so. "Right, because that was the perfect proposal."
"I could have done more. Made it flashy. New cameras, kneeling, big ol' diamond ring in the middle of Time Square."
I threw his shirt over his head with a glare. "You wouldn't dare."
He chuckled, taking off the shirt and moving to get dressed. "No. You're simple, and I like that. Means I don't have to go out wasting a bunch of money to impress you like other women."
I frowned, brows furrowed. "Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"
He paused, glancing up. "…Good point. Compliment?"
I rolled my eyes, kissing his temple and moving out to the kitchen. "I'll start breakfast."
"You want a run after?"
"Oh, yeah. I'll need one after…" I trailed off, before shaking my head and waving from the door. "I'll get your coffee started too."
Breakfast was a quick affair before we headed out to the park to jog, which Tony was kind enough to fill with his rambling instead of questioning me about what I'd dreamed of.
"Slow down. Slow down and I'll, I'll spell it out for you."
"Do, please, because you've been rambling about this for a while and I am honestly lost," I breathed out, slowing our pace to a walk as I drank from my water bottle.
"Look. You know how you're having a dream, and in the dream, you gotta pee?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. And then you're like, 'Oh, my God. There's no bathrooms. What am I gonna do?' 'Oh, someone's watching.' 'Oh, I'm gonna go in my pants.'"
"Right, then you wake up and have to pee," I finished. "Everyone has those dreams."
"Right, that's the point I'm trying to make."
I rolled my eyes, drinking more.
"Apropos of that, last night, I dreamt we had a kid."
I choked on my water, taking a second to clear my throat and giving him a stunned look. "W-What?"
"It was so real," he explained, stopping me and standing before me as I tried to get my brain started up again and he wiped a bit of water from my chin with his thumb. "We named him Morgan. Then, I woke up, thinking that we were…"
"Expecting?" I squeaked.
"Yeah."
"No," I quickly stopped him. "No, no, no. A kid? Us?"
"I had a dream about it. It was so real! Maybe I'm getting visions now."
"Don't even joke about that," I chided him. "You… You want a kid?"
He nodded, giving me a look over. "You don't?"
"I…" I swallowed thickly. "I-I honestly don't know. I never thought…"
"Well, come on. Let's talk about it. What's making you hesitate, hm?" He took my hands, eyeing me.
"What, you want a list?" I questioned and he shrugged.
"Well, your therapist says us discussing things is better for both of us and helps you destress while explaining to me what you're thinking."
I raised a brow.
"And… I kind of have no clue what you're thinking. I think it'd be a great idea!"
"Okay, problem number one?" I lightly tugged my hands from his, untying his jacket sleeves from around his neck and tapping the device in the center of his chest. "That."
"I'm glad you brought this up, 'cause it's nothing. It's just a housing unit for nanoparticles."
"Yeah, I know that. What I mean is, you being Iron Man could be a problem. You make enemies and if those enemies find out about this… Morgan—"
"Don't like the name? We can choose something else."
"Shush. I just don't want another incident like… like Killian."
Tony's gaze when cold. "I won't let that happen."
"But, we can't predict that, Tony."
"The only reason I'm Iron Man is to protect us and future us's," he pressed.
"And I get that, but… what if this kid ends up like me?"
He frowned. "What? Hot, intelligent, cunningly sarcastic—"
I lifted my hand, allowing heat to go through it and make it glow briefly.
"Oh."
"Yeah. Last thing we need in a walking toddler grenade who can't control their powers."
"I'll look into it. See if it's transferable. Run some tests, that sort of thing. I'm sure it' fine," he waved off but there was one more thing that I was even more hesitant about and he seemed to notice. "What? What is it? There's something else, isn't there?"
"What if… What if I'm not a good parent?"
"Jess."
"You've seen me with Peter."
"And you did great! Helping him with his homework and everything!"
"Tony, I couldn't help him with his homework," I argued, still a bit miffed about it. "I tried, sure, but the way they're teaching math now is so different. I go frustrated and he had to shoo me out!"
"So, I'll help the kid with his math, and you can teach him other stuff. Good cop, bad cop. We can work it out."
"And what if I become like him?" I finally blurted out—my real fear spilling before I had a chance to stop it. "What if… What if I fail so much at being a parent that I get frustrated and, and—"
"You're not like him," Tony pressed. "Jess, we've talked about this. You're so much more than he ever was. If anything, you're the splitting image of your mother, who even I know was a saint, and we've never met. But she raised you. She taught you how to be strong and stubborn and intelligent and how to handle everything that comes your way. And you know what? I bet our kid will be exactly the same being raised by you." He kissed me briefly and pulled back with a soft smile. "Okay? So, just think about it. It's not like I need an answer right away."
But you… You're supposed to… I grit my teeth for a second before looking back up to him. "Tony, about that dream I had—"
"Tony Stark, Jess Norris."
We both turned to find Strange standing at an open portal, making my heart sink.
"Oh, no."
"I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me."
Tony glanced at me before looking back to Strange, ensuring he'd wrapped an arm around my waist possessively.
"Oh, uh, congratulations on the wedding, by the way, Jess."
"T-Thanks," I murmured, feeling Tony's hand tighten.
"I'm sorry. You giving out tickets or something? And how do you know Jess?" Tony frowned.
"Yeah, about that vacation I had in Nepal," I started, earning a confused look from Tony as Strange continued.
"We need your help. Look, it's not overselling it to say that the fate of the universe is a stake."
"And who's 'we'?"
Bruce stepped out from the portal surprising us both. "Hey, Tony, Jess."
"Bruce."
"But you were supposed to be with…"
Bruce came over and proceeded to hug us both as I felt my heart began to race. It's starting. Why now? Why does it have to start now? I'm not ready. Bruce pulled away and Tony looked to me, giving me a concerned once over.
"Jess? What is it? What's wrong?"
Strange and Bruce looked to me as well as I ran a hand through my hair.
"T-That dream I had?"
"Yeah?"
"It was the end of the universe."
"At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then, boom. The Big Bang sends six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe," Wong explained, showing a display of the stones. "These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence."
"Space, reality, power, soul, mind, and time," Strange listed off, opening his necklace to reveal the Time Stone.
"Tell me his name again," Tony demanded, eyes flickering back to Jess as she sat on the half-destroyed stairs of the New York Sanctum, wringing her hands.
"Thanos," Bruce replied. "He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York, that's him."
"Why half?"
Their gazes switched to Jess as she looked up, eyes serious.
"What?"
"Why only half a population? Which planets? He has to have a purpose, an end goal. People don't just up and do this without purpose. Figuring that out might be the key to stopping him."
"I didn't exactly have time to talk to the guy, Jess," Bruce complained, not trying to be rude, but more than upset and stressed out at the moment.
As it was, controlling his other self was getting a bit tough at the moment.
"What's our timeline?" Tony asked, drawing attention away from her as he wandered.
"No telling. He has the Power and Space Stones."
"Blue and purple," Jess confirmed, looking to Bruce. "I saw it in my dream last night. You, Thor and Loki…"
"You saw it?" Strange questioned and Jess sighed.
"I've been getting visions ever since touching the Space Stone in the New York attack. I told you, they have some weird affinity with me. They're typically not much, but… this time, I was there. Not physically, but…"
"Like an astral projection," Strange offer in shock and Jess nodded.
"The stones knew. Space is curious enough about me to drop hints, but the Power Stone just scoffed at me… If stones could scoff."
The green stone around Strange's neck flashed a little, earning a scowl from Jess.
"Don't laugh."
Bruce raised a brow. "You can talk to those things?"
"Not… talk. Just understand. Look, I don't get it either, but… I-I don't think Thor and Loki made it."
"What?" Bruce breathed out, having been thrust away before seeing everything that had happened.
"Thanos, he… he's a big purple guy, right?"
Bruce nodded.
"He…" She swallowed thickly. "Snapped Loki's neck, left Thor on the ship as it exploded. I couldn't do anything, even if I wanted to, Brice. I'm sorry."
Strange shook his head. "Don't be. There's little one can do in that form, much less help. Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"He's got come gauntlet thing that he's keeping the stones in and… it's got spaces for all the others. He's coming here and… from the other visions… it's not going to be good. I don't get more than flashes, so I don't really understand them or know how they can be helpful."
"You've helped plenty already, Jess. If he gets his hands on all six stones, he could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of," Strange said, making Tony scowl as he leaned on a cauldron and stretched his leg.
"Did you seriously just say, 'hitherto undreamt of'?"
"Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?" Strange challenged, his cape slapping at Tony's leg, making him turn.
"I'm going to allow that," Tony said shortly, eyeing Strange as Jess looked between them uneasily.
She had yet to be privy to Tony's jealousy—other than with Everett, which was pretty tame—though she had a pretty good idea that this was what was going on now.
"If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just stick this one down the garbage disposal?"
"No can do."
"We swore an oath to protect the Time Stone with our lives," Wong pressed.
"And I swore off dairy, but then Ben and Jerry's named a flavor after me. So?"
"Stark Raving Hazelnuts," Strange named.
"Not bad."
"Hm, a bit chalky."
"A Hulk of Burning Fudge is our favorite," Wong added, surprising Bruce.
"That's a thing?"
"Whatever," Tony cut in. "Point is, things change."
"Our oath to protect the Time Stone cannot change," Strange argued with him. "And this stone may be the best chance we have against Thanos."
"Yeah, so conversely, it may also be his best chance against us."
"Well, if we don't do our jobs."
"What is your job, exactly besides making balloon animals."
"Protecting your reality, douchebag."
"All right, I think that's enough," Jess said, stepping between them both and shooting Tony a look. "Really?"
"What? Some weirdo magician pops up out of nowhere, and you just happen to know him from a trip you took to relax? He's even copying me!" Tony complained, rubbing at his goatee as Jess groaned.
"Look, if we had the time, I would explain the whole thing, but right now, we have to figure out where all the other stones are. Can we leave the pissing contest for another time? Please?"
Tony opened his mouth, but she cut him off.
"And before you go questioning anything else—" Jess pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss, taking his breath away in the shockingly forward move coming from her. "Strange is just a friend. Okay? Can you control yourself now?"
"Maybe one more?"
"Please no," Strange complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I may have been a little suspicious when you said you were dating Tony Stark, but I didn't need to see proof."
"Hey, you were winding him up too," Jess complained, before Bruce jumped in, hoping to get them back on track.
"The thing is, we have this stone. We know where it is. Vision is out there somewhere with the Mind Stone and we have to find him, now."
Jess frowned lightly. "Wouldn't it be better to leave them be? We could be leading the enemy straight to them."
"Or they could already be found and have only themselves up against an army," Strange argued.
"Well, there's one more problem," Tony muttered.
"What do you mean?"
"Two weeks ago, Vision disappeared. He's in the dark."
"What?"
"Yeah."
"Tony, you lost another super-bot?"
"I didn't lose him. He's more than that. He's evolving."
"Who could find Vision then?" Strange asked, and Jess sighed.
"You're not gonna like this."
"Who is it?"
"Probably Steve Rodgers," Tony muttered with a curse.
"Oh, great," Strange sighed.
"Maybe, but…"
"Call him," Bruce pressed, and Jess pulled out her phone.
"I could, but I think it's about time these two made up." She placed the phone in Tony's hand. "I can't deal with another break up like that, Tony. Neither can you."
"What do you mean? Did the Avengers break up? Like a band? Like… Like the Beetles?" Bruce questioned.
"Cap and I fell out hard," Tony explained. "And Jess got caught in the middle of it. We're not on speaking terms."
"Tony, listen to me. Thor's gone. Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter who you're talking to or not."
Tony sighed heavily and Jess nudged him.
"Come on. You know it's time too. I helped you get past that, but I can't apologize for you. That's between you and him."
Tony kissed her forehead with a murmured 'thanks' before stepping aside to call Steve, only to pause. There was rumbling in the distance and Tony looked around before spotting a bit of Strange's hair waving.
"Say, Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would ya?"
"No at the moment, no."
They looked up as Tony passed Jess her phone and they all turned to the doors, aside from her as she made a call.
"Yes, get everyone out of this area as quickly as you can. Do not engage, just get the people out of here and as far away from Bleecker Street as you can. This may be another Code Blue."
"Code Blue?" Strange questioned when she hung up.
"New York's first attack," she explained. "Called it that after the color of the Space Stone that was involved. Once I got my business going, I had everything made should it happen again. Emergency forces know what to do and have run drills to get as many people evacuated as possible and keep casualties to a minimum. But we need to act too. They'll engage if threatened and you know how that goes."
"You prepped an entire city for a second New York attack?"
Jess shot him a look. "Again, I'm a babysitter for the Avengers. It's literally my job."
She and Tony hurried out onto the streets where people were screaming and running away from further in town. He helped someone up as a car crashed into a light post. Bruce hurried to help him as police began to show up and lead people a little better, and Tony put on his glasses.
"Friday, what am I looking at?"
"Not sure. I'm working on it."
"Hey, you might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc!" Tony called out to Strange as Jess put in an earbud that was quick to expand and prevent it from falling out.
"Anything you can give us, Friday."
"I'm trying."
"Might want to use it," Strange argued against hiding his Time Stone, prepping his mystic arts.
They moved out to where people were running from and stared up at the large, wheel-shaped ship that was landing in the street.
"Friday? Alert emergency services and the newscasters. Code Blue. Get people underground and out of the city. Take only vital essentials and have shelters set up in the neighboring small towns. Inform people to get away from the center of this but try to head as far as possible."
"Yes, Miss."
"You really think that will work?" Strange muttered.
"It'll be better than if no one did anything, trust me. I've seen what happens otherwise."
"You're prepared."
"Try to be."
He twisted his arms before throwing a shield at the ship, preventing its destruction from getting much closer. Tony cracked a slight smirk, before forcing a scowl.
"And you're friends with this guy?" He joked with Jess, who rolled her eyes.
"You're very similar. Trust me, it wasn't hard."
A beam from the ship brought down two people—one a burly alien creature and another a smaller, thinner one.
"Hear me and rejoice," the thinner one said as the group approached. "You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributing to the balance—"
"I'm sorry. Earth is closed today." Tony called out. "You better pack it up and get out of here."
"Stonekeeper," the thinner one addressed Strange, ignoring Tony. "Does this chattering animal speak for you?"
Jess groaned as Tony pointed at the alien offended, looking to her in faux shock.
"Certainly not. I speak for myself," Strange declared, stepping forward and arming himself. "You're trespassing in this city and on this planet."
"He means get lost, Squidward," Tony added, miffed as Wong too armed himself and Jess began to flex her fists as her eyes flared gold.
"He exhausts me. Bring me the stone," the thin one told his companion who stepped forward with a garbled noise and his pickaxe.
"Banner, you want a piece?" Tony asked Bruce, taking a step back.
"Mm, no. Not really, but when do I ever get what I want?" Bruce muttered.
"Sorry," Jess apologized as Bruce tried to bring out the green guy with no success.
"It's been a while," Tony hummed. "It's gonna be good to have you, buddy."
"Okay, sh. Let me just… I need to concentrate here for a second. Come on, come on man. God!"
"Where's your guy?" Tony asked, seeing his struggle as Strange glanced over at Jess in question and she shrugged.
"I don't know. We've sort of been having a thing," Bruce excused.
"It's no time for a thing."
"I know."
"That's the thing right there. Let's go."
Strange looked to Tony and Tony grumbled to Bruce.
"Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizard."
"Tony, I'm sorry. I-I-I can't or he won't."
"It's okay. Hey, stand down. Keep an eye on him. Thank you," Tony said, passing him off to Wong.
Tony stepped forward as the alien charged, yanking on his jacket cords and tapping his chest piece as his Iron Man suit formed around him.
"He thinks he's so cool when he does that," Jess muttered to Strange, who snorted as Tony blocked the alien's blow with a shield and punched him.
The alien charged again, but Tony shot him away towards the thinner one, who just waved the flying beast aside.
"Where'd that come from?" Bruce gaped.
"It's nanotech. You like it?" Tony asked, turning around as Jess sighed.
"Tony."
"A little something I—"
Tony went flying straight up as the thinner alien launched him upward with the ground and threw trees forward at the rest of the group.
"I've told him not to monologue," Jess muttered as Strange dropped Bruce in a park out of the way and Wong blocked the trees.
Strange went to deal with the car now flying at them, but Tony flew down and took care of it himself. The alien easily sliced it in half and Tony looked back to Strange.
"We've gotta get that stone outta here now."
"It stays with me," Strange pressed and Jess stepped in.
"Tony, if he leaves, they'll just follow. Our best bet right now is dealing with them here before the big guy shows up himself. The plan I set up only works for this city. This is our civilian free zone to handle this. Otherwise, who knows who will end up in the way."
"Fine," Tony huffed, rushing forward only to get grabbed and thrown away—to the very same park Bruce was in.
Jess again sighed. "And I told him to think before rushing in. You getting the picture yet, Strange?"
"Babysitter. Yup. Seeing it now. Are you good?"
"Oh, trust me. I'm more than good." She flared up red hot as her own suit formed around her and let out a hiss of steam—burning bright red as well. "I can deal with this stuff far better than your magic man."
"And your powers?"
"Dealt with. Thanks to the Ancient One's advice, I've got more control than ever. You want me to stay, or…"
"You best go after him. Two on one."
"I would, but you've got the prize. And this guy… He's got telekinetic powers and if he's anything like the Avenger girl we had, he'll definitely be a pain."
"Noted."
"We have to find rules. Every power has limits. Might give us a one-up on him."
Strange raised a brow. "Are you babysitting me now?"
Jess cracked a smirk, hidden under her helmet. "Oh, I was babysitting you since we first met, Stephen."
He sighed. "I'm beginning to see how you're dating him now."
"Rude."
The alien we were fighting levitated a bunch of bricks, sharpening them and throwing them at the group, leaving Strange to easily take them into a portal and Wong to shoot them back out. Said alien lifted a car to block it, but Jess smirked when one broke through and sliced into his temple.
"Ooh, he's got a temper," she noted as the alien burst a pipe and thrust Wong away before Strange lassoed him.
Jess intercepted, grabbing the creature's arm and swinging the creature into the ground, only for him to shoot up a part of the ground and launch her upward. Strange looked up in concern, distracting him as the alien threw him into a building and covered him with bricks.
"Your powers are quaint. You must be popular with the children." He reached for the Eye of Agamotto, only to cringe when his palm was burned.
"It's a simple spell but quite unbreakable," Strange informed.
"Then, I'll take it off your corpse."
"Just one problem," Strange hummed, glancing upward and the alien looked up just as Jess slammed down on top of him—yanking Strange out of the building in the process.
"Don't forget about me just yet," Jess growled, landing on the ground where she'd hoped to have landed on top of the alien, but he'd slipped out at the last second.
She went to rush forward as Strange started to use the Time Stone, only for both of them to get wrapped up in metal cables.
"You'll find removing a dead man's spell troublesome," Strange croaked out, grimacing at the line wrapped around his throat.
"You'll only wish you were dead," the alien snapped.
"Strange!" Jess called out, armor creaking before she forced it to go back into her watch, confusing the alien.
"You truly are idiotic to get rid of your only protection."
Jess smirked, despite the lines tightening. "Who said it was my only protection?"
Her eyes flared gold and her skin burned hot, melting the cables before she reached down and grabbed a slate of concrete, chucking it at the alien. He dodged it, turning back to her with a growl of frustration, only to see her back in her armor rushing after Strange—who, while unconscious, had been slipped out of his restraints by his cape. They flew past the giant that Tony was dealing with alongside Peter, who'd shown up at some point, and Jess winced when said kid jumped on the back of her suit.
"Oi, I'm not a taxi service!"
"Mr. Stark told me to get the wizard!"
Jess ducked then as the thinner alien threw a sign at them—Peter not being so lucky.
"Not cool," he grumbled, slinging his web and trying to catch up as the alien brought down street lights to try and stop the runaway cape.
The cape caught on a light and Jess pulled it free as Peter grabbed Strange, only to get caught by a glowing blue light.
"Peter!"
The cape tore itself free from her grip, rushing up after its master as Peter tried to grab a light post. The thinner alien pulled it up, sending him into the beam as well as Jess cursed, rushing for the alien in an attempt to stop him.
"Uh, Mr. Stark? Jess? I'm being beamed up!" Peter called over his comms.
"Hang on, kid! Jess?"
"Bit busy," Jess ground out between clenched teeth, smashing through another slab of concrete that burst into steam when a water line burst within it and made contact with her hot suit—blocking her vision. "Shit!"
A car slammed into her through the fog, knocking her to the ground and before she could get back up, the concrete was pulled up and over her, burying her under rubble as the alien fled.
"Jess, you all right? I'm going after them!"
Jess growled, slowly heaving herself our of melted tar. "I swear, you better save a piece of that guy for me because it's going to take ages to get this tar out of this suit."
"I'll be sure to send pictures," Tony joked, having now gotten into the ship out in space.
"Are you all right? You've added those upgrades I told you about, right? For air circulation and rebreathing?"
"Yes, mother," Tony drawled. "I'm fine, but I'll have to push our 8:30 res for dinner tonight."
"And I was so looking forward to another night spent in some posh restaurant," Jess grumbled back, eyeing the blinking dot that was the ship leaving. "And Peter?"
"I had Friday send him back. And I'll have you know, those reservations were for your favorite Japanese place."
Jess rolled her eyes. "I'll take care of preparations down here. If Thanos sent his kids to grab the Time Stone, then he probably sent someone after Vision too."
"Tell Cap, I'm sorry."
"No. You'll get your sorry ass back down here and tell him yourself," Jess said, trying to joke, but there was just enough of a hint of uncertainty and worry to give her away.
"I'll de… intely…"
"I'm sorry, Miss. The connection was lost," Friday informed her, and she grit her teeth, forcing a brave face as she landed in the park where Wong and Bruce were waiting.
"Jess, thank God. Where's Tony?"
"And the Time Stone?" Wong asked as well.
"Tony went after Strange. We'll have to trust them for now."
"What are you doing?" Bruce asked as Wong left to go defend the sanctum and Jess pulled out her phone—helmet slipping off as she held it to her ear.
"You said it yourself," she muttered, giving him a sharp, serious glance. "They've got an army, and I'm making a few calls. We won't make it without our own."