The Snap

-March, 2018-

-Wakanda-

Thanos Brings his gauntleted hand up, he slowly moves the Mind Stone over the last empty setting, and drops it in. The energy surge is much more than any previous - his torso is wreathed with iridescent static and he bellows from the sensations.

Sudden omnipotence would be a crushing load for even the finest min For Thanos' ancient and honed mind it's total confusion as he strives to adjust to the deluge of universal sensory input. Becoming aware of all life and matter.

It is for that, thunder and lightning is able to mar the new god. Thor has arrived, eyes glowing with power, stooping down from the sky like a bird of prey. The God of Thunder pauses his attack, reverses his position, raises Stormbreaker above his head and hurls it – Thor's attack was the necessary jolt Thanos needed to recognize the plane he occupies for battle is the clearest drug for godhood.

With a clench of his gauntlet. Stormbreaker disappears into a golden portal, its destination unknown. Thor roars as he lands in front of the titan and begins to throw punches, so savage are the attacks that even God Thanos is momentarily taken aback!

Sadly, Thor's rage can only carry one so far in an encounter such as this. Power is the only capital honored in this high stakes game. And Thor was no longer the highest card in hand.

Thanos dodges under one of Thor's strikes grabbing the minor god by his red cape before hurling the thunder god into the stratosphere.

Thanos stands smugly among the battlefield. And with a raised gauntlet snaps his fingers.

The world explodes in white.

.

.

.

Thanos opens his eyes to see he was in a pastoral alien landscape, featuring rolling hills and spiring mountains.

A figure shrouded in a puple cloak stood near.

"Who are you?" demanded Thanos. A flash of white could be seen underneath the figure's robes.

.

.

.

Thanos winks back to reality. Thanos creates a blue portal behind him and steps through.

Steve Rogers stumbles into the clearing, holding his left side, "Where'd he go? Thor... where'd he go?" he asks the Thunder God as he returns to the earth.

"Steve?" Bucky calls out.

Bucky suddenly stumbles over, drops his gun and is erased, much to Steve's shock; he walks over and touches the ground where Bucky was standing.

On the battlefield, Wakandan soldiers are erased, much to M'Baku's horror.

T'Challa while reaching for a fallen Okoye, says "Up, General. Up! This is no place to die." King T'Challa holds out his hand for Okoye. He suddenly disintegrates into nothing, in anguish, Okoye falls back on the ground. Okoye says, "Kumkani?!"

Groot slowly corrodes into nothingness as Rocket watches, "I am Groot..." [Dad?] Groot utters before he is gone as well.

Rocket cries, "No... no. No. No. No! Groot, no..."

Wanda is mourning over Vision. She fades.

An injured Sam disappears, hidden in the undergrowth. James Rhodes searches for Sam, missing him by only a few feet," Sam? Sam, where you at?!"

Spyke runs up to the stunned Steve, "What happened?" she asks her teammate.

Steve falls to his knees in horror, "Oh god."

-Zephyr One-

-Fifty Miles away from Wakanda-

Daisy looked over Mack's shoulder as he piloted the plane. "How much longer till we reach them?"

Agent Melinda May looked down at the instrument panel, "about five minutes."

In the back of the plane was Natalie, Dante a.k.a. Inferno, Yo-Yo, Fitz and Simmons.

Fitz and Simmons were helping Yo-Yo with a new gauntlet prosthetic.

Inferno went over to Natalie, "Can we talk?" he asked. Natalie barely gave him a glance. Inferno sighed, "We never really got to talk after the whole…Civil war."

"Wasn't much to say after you sided with the accords." Said Natalie as she adjusted her plasma shotgun.

Inferno groaned, "There was a lot to say, N, but instead you went back to the future."

Natalie holstered the plasma shotgun to her back as she went to strap a utility belt around her waist, "Sorry I went home to deal with a time traveling conqueror."

"I…I thought this was your home." Inferno said heartbroken.

Natalie finally looked at Inferno before she shouldered past him, "not anymore."

Inferno was about to bite his lip, to let it go but he couldn't she, they went through too much together for it to be over like that. He turned around.

Natalie had faded away.

"N!" he shouted.

"Fitz no!" screeched Simmons. Yo-Yo tried to grab Fitz but he was already gone. Both woman turned to see Natalie missing and Inferno also fading away.

"Guys…" gaped Inferno, "Save Natalie…" Inferno faded.

The zephyr one made a nose dive sending both remaining women to the ground. There was a loud thunk that came from above them before it was followed by a shuffle and grunts of two people who came down a nearby stairs.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Shouted Lance as he gripped the stair's railing.

Bobbi was right behind him and seemed to figure out the situation as she forced passed her husband and made a mad descent/fall to the cockpit.

"They-they just…" groan Simmons as she tried to pull herself off the wall.

"They're gone, Lance Hunter, Natalie, Dante, Leopold, they vanished." Yo-Yo was able to explain before the plane came to a violent crash.

-Hell's Kitchen-

Luke Cage and Iron Fist stood on top of the roof waiting for someone.

"Hey guys." Greeted a voice from behind. The two heroes turned to see Matt Murdock in his red daredevil costume. Both men burst out in a smile and move to greet their friend.

"We—I thought…its good to see you Matt." Iron Fist placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Where've you been these past few months?" asked Luke.

"Sorry…" began Matt, "I just needed a while to recover especially when you have a building dropped on you."

Luke and Iron Fist exchange a look before all three men started to laugh. "Yeah, should've let me stay with ya." Luke said patting his bicep.

"Am I late?" said a feminine voice from above the men. All three men looked up in shock!

"Jessica!" Matt said surprised to see the Private Investigator floating a couple meters above them.

"The one and only." Chuckles Jessica as she comes in for a landing.

"Wh—wha—how?" gasps Luke.

"It seemed to be something I could always do." Jessica explained before she turned to Matt and punched him in the arm, "You couldn't have called, in the past couple months, huh." Demanded Jessica. Matt smiled at his friend and rubbed his now bruised arm.

"Sorry there wasn't really any phones in the church basement." Matt said.

"We need to totally call Eddie." Iron Fist thought out loud.

"Fat luck, calling's going to do." Said Luke folding his arms, "the man's probably in space with Iron Man."

"He's right." Jessica agreed as she wrapped an arm around Iron Fist's shoulders, "it ain't a full Defenders Reunion till Blue eyes is here." The group laughed but Matt stopped as his super senses detected a scream, no multiple screams, and… too many…

Matt grimaced and wrapped his hands around his ears, "Guys there's…" but Matt was interrupted by the surprise shout of Jessica. "Danny!" Matt's senses detected the lack of Iron Fist's presence.

"Sweet Christmas!" says Luke. Luke Cage had also vanished.

But that was the least of Matt's concerns as he heard the scariest sound ever. An airplane was hovering too close to the newyork skyline.

"Jessica!" Matt said pointing in the direction of the plane. Jessica looked up to see the horror.

"Fuck me!" hissed Jessica as she made a mad dash to the roof's edge before she leapt into the air and careened for the plane.

Matt followed to the edge and jumped to the streets below.

-Chicago-

"Its a hundred times bigger." Maria reads off her tablet.

"Tell Mack, we'll meet him at- -" Nick begins but is interrupted. "Nick, Nick!" Maria yells in warning as a car spirals out of control in front of them. They get out and Hill checks on the passengers.

"They okay?" Nick asks

Behind their vehicle, a motorcycle lies in the middle of the street with a concerned citizen approaching it.

"There's no one here." Maria says.

They hear helicopter rotor sounds from the direction they'd come, but it sounds wrong - an executive helicopter, tail rotor smoking from damage already, appears and crashes nose-first into a building. Screaming intensifies. The two are now witnessing civilians around them suddenly disintegrating and dying from falling debris and an insane increase of accidents.

"Call Control. Code Red." Nick orders Maria.

Maria goes to do as she's told but looks down at her dimming hand, "Nick?"

Fury turns around to see Hill gone, "Hill?" Fury then races back to their car and gets a what appears to be an old pager with extra gear attached out of his bag on the back seat. He sends out an emergency alert, mere seconds before he vanishes.

"Oh, no. Motherfucker." Nick says. The pager falls to the ground, red lights blinking on the additions; "SENDING..." then displays a red-blue-and-gold star insignia.

-Barton Farm, Iowa-

"Okay, you see where you're going? Let's work on how to get there." Clint Barton says to his daughter, Lila, coaching her as she notches an arrow in her bow.

"Okay, good...tip down...bow arm out...three fingers" Clint encourages.

"Why three?" Lila asks looking at her fingers.

"Cause two's not enough and four's too much." Clint explains.

"You guys want mustard or mayo, or both?" Shouts Laura Barton.

Clint turns to the field behind them, his wife, Laura Barton sets up a picnic as Cooper tries to teach Nathaniel soccer, but its more Cooper showing off how cool he is.

"Who puts mayo on a hot dog?" Lila sticks her tongue out at her dad.

"She'll have mustard, and I'll have the mayo!" Clint says.

"Ew! Dad you're gross." Teases Lila.

"Don't knock it till you try it." Says Clint before nodding his head to the target.

"Okay. Draw back, deep breath..." Clint whispers in an attempt not to be quote unquote distracting.

She lets loose. THUD! Her arrow almost hits the bullseye.

"Good job, Lila. Go get your arrow." Clint says after he rubs her head affectionately.

"Enough practice or there won't be any hot dogs for ya!" yells Laura.

"One sec, babe. Be right there!" Clint calls to his wife.

His eldest son rushes over to the table, as Nathan Pietro Barton chases after him on his toddler legs and with a squeal says," We're hungray, ganno eat all the dogs."

Clint smiles happy he took that vacation, when he turns back...Lila is gone. The bow and arrow lie at his feet. He stares disappointed and picks up the bow; he knew his girl's interest was only a fad just like his son, "Lila?"

"Babe, did you see Lila." Clint turns to his wife, BUT SHE'S GONE. So are the boys. The soccer ball rolls to a stop near the picnic blanket.

He can't see any of his family in any direction for a hundred yards.

"Nathaniel?"

Trying to fight the growing dread Clint yells, "Very funny Cooper, wheres the camera?" Still no response.

"Laura?" Clint breaks into a panicked run further into the field.

"Laura!" Clint spins around frantic…

-San Francisco-

"And don't get sucked into a time vortex. We won't be able to save you." Janet says seriously. Scott gives the older woman a thumbs up before he closes his visor.

"Okay, going subatomic in five, four, three, two, one." Hope counts down. Scott shrinks into oblivion at one.

"Alright, Scott, this is a mic check." Says Hank through his own mic.

"Gotcha." Says Scott before he pulls open a container from his belt and opens it, a few gold orbs come flying into the container. Scott closes the lid.

"Okay. Healing particles secured for our new ghost friend." Scott reports.

Hope says, "Great. Preparing for reentry in five... four... three- (static)"

"Hello? Ha ha, very funny. Hank, quit screwing around." Says Scott through his comms unknown to him that outside there's no one around the van.

"You told me yourself not to screw around. Hank! Hope? Janet! Guys. Guys! Okay, seriously, don't joke around, bring me up, let's go! GUYS?!" Scott says with each word growing urgent and scared.

Hank floats in the ether about to freak out when a white light shines forth consuming him.

-Inhuman Colony, Hawaii-

"Thank you so much for your help, agent Carter." Said Medusa as the two women walked down the new hallways of one of the new schools for the inhuman children.

"No problem." Sharon said taking the queen's hand and giving it a warm squeeze.

"Seriously, Sharon, without Shield's support, we'd probably wouldn't have this safe haven." Medusa said as the two women stepped out of the school building to the open air where a dozen Inhumans of every color, shape, and size mingled and strived for a new life.

Sharon watched as a girl with butterfly wings on her back tossed a ball to another child who seemed to be a statue when he stood still longer than a few seconds.

"After what we did, it was the least we could do." Sharon said as the ball rolled over to her. The girl with butterfly wings came over.

"Ma'am?" the girl barely whispered as she bowed to Medusa and gave a curt nod to Sharon before she snatched the ball and returned to her friend.

A helicopter flew over the wooden walls that encircled the compound.

"That must be Crystal and the others." Medusa said nodding to the direction of where the helicopter landed.

After a quick walk to the landing pad they see Gorgon; a burly man with goat legs, Karnak; a man with his faced etched with green runes, and finally Crystal; the younger sister of Medusa. The three Inhumans were lifting giant green chrysalises from the helicopter.

"Hey there little lady." Sharon called out.

The three Inhumans turned toward the call and Crystal screeched with excitement before rushing to Sharon to give her a large hug.

"Oh, Sharon I didn't know you'd be here."

"It was a last-minute request." Explained Medusa.

"Oh really?" asked Crystal.

"It has to do with the alien attack yesterday doesn't it." Said Karnak as he walked over and offered his hand to Sharon. Sharon shook it reluctantly. Karnak had the uncanny ability of finding the weakness or impurity in the world and exploit them. Not even words were privy to his awesome foresight.

"Yes." Sharon said truthfully.

"We need our help to kick some green butt?" grunts gorgon as he finally made it to the group.

"More likely to make sure we're not breaking the accords, eh." Karnak more stated than asked. Sharon shook it off and nodded her head.

Crystal stuck her tongue at Karnak before she pulled on Sharon's arm toward the new inhuman palace, "come on Sharon, have you seen my room?"

A strand of red hair extended from Medusa's head and tapped on Crystal's shoulder, "What about the nuhumans?"

Crystal smiled, "I'm sure Karnak, and Gorgon got it, right guys." Crystal said before she quickly dragged Sharon away.

"So…how's Steve?" Crystal asked.

Sharon blushed, "I don't know what you're talking about. He's a wanted man."

Crystal merely smiled, "Sure."

"I mean it." Sharon argued, "If you guys are helping him, you need to report it."

Crystal pouted, "Don't be like that, Sharon, I'm living through your love life."

"What about me and Black bolt." Says medusa.

Crystal makes a face, "One you're my sister you have to tell me everything and two I heard of how you met so many times I can recite it in my sleep."

Sharon laughed at the two sisters before she finally spoke up, "I haven't talked to him since he went to Wakanda to prevent the threat."

Crystal's face goes from Mirth to horror as she looks to her sister, Medusa, only to find her fading away. "Medusa!"

Sharon turns to see a nearby pedestrian also fading away. "What the hell!" she barely utters.

-Titan-

Mantis props up Star-Lord, Spider-Man helps Tony to his feet, Drax and Nebula manage to limp over on their own.

"Something's... happening." Mantis says before she dims out of existence.

Quill looks behind him as he sees Drax vanishes, "Quill?" Quill stares in horror as he turns back to Stark.

Tony Stark Stares in panic at the slowly fading Quill, "Quill don't."

"Beat him." Quill says before he's gone as well.

Stephen Strange turns calmly to Stark, "Tony, there was no other way." Stephen evanesce.

"Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good..." Peter says in realization that he's also going.

Tony trying to be calm, his voice shaking as he looks at Peter in terror, "You're going to be fine."

Peter stumbles to tony, terrified, "I don't know what's - I don't know what's happening. I don't—" Peter falls into Stark's arms, clutching him tight while beginning to cry, "I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go, Mr. Stark, please. Please, I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go..."

There is a short silence before Peter speaks again, "I'm sorry." Peter fades through Tony's arms. Tony falls forward from the lack of weight in his arms, before staring at his hands in disbelief.

Nebula closes her eyes as tears stream down her cool metallic cheeks.

Stark mourns silently at their failure.