Chapter 10
The gauntlet fell from Bruce's hand, clanking against the floor as Bruce collapsed to his back. The Avengers rushed forward to check on their friend. Steve and Tony kneeled on either side of him, checking his vitals and cooling his arm from the burns of the glove. Clint stepped forward and kicked the glove away from the group.
Standing just behind Steve, Danielle looked down at Bruce lying prone in the middle of the floor. She had never seen the green beast so depleted of energy, like the glove had sucked the life force from him almost entirely. He grasped Steve's arm as the agony moved through his body.
"Did it work?" He asked, through gritted teeth.
A buzzing sounded from the table behind her and Danielle jumped at the sudden noise. She turned to see Clint slowly stepping toward the source of the buzzing–his cell phone. She stepped closer to see the caller ID on the screen.
Laura.
Clint's wife. Clint's wife, who had been snapped away five years ago. Clint's wife was calling him now, five years later.
It worked.
"Guys." Scott had moved toward the outside window where the steel doors were opening. "I think it worked."
Danielle looked from the Ant Man to the archer beside her. Clint had answered the phone and tears had formed in his eyes as his wife spoke on the other end.
The moment of relief Danielle was about to allow herself, shattered with the explosion of glass and the volley of missiles that rocked the building.
The floor cracked and fractured at her feet as she saw Clint disappear before her. A chasm opened up, swallowing her into the earth and Danielle fell down, down, down, into the darkness.
—-
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Drops of water hitting a puddle and splashing her face woke Danielle from unconsciousness. She opened her eyes slowly, and immediately noted it was much too dark for the middle of the afternoon. As she lifted her head she saw the faint red glow coming from the security light on the ceiling of the electrical tunnel she had landed in. She began moving the rocks and rubble from her body.
"Thomas, you good?" Clint said from a few feet away.
"I think so." She sat up. "What happened?"
Clint got to his feet. "I'm not sure."
He stepped over and helped Danielle to her feet. They both looked up at the massive hole they had both plunged down and saw the tiniest sliver of daylight.
"Cap?" Clint called up, hoping for a reply.
None came.
Clint swept his flashlight over the area around them and something glimmered back. He took a step forward and leaned down to see the gauntlet still in one piece and still holding all of the stones.
A growl echoed down the tunnel.
Not a rumble of rocks breaking loose or the moan of metal. A growl.
Danielle froze and Clint turned and notched an arrow. The darkness moved and Clint released the arrow igniting the flared end to reveal the same ugly creatures they had fought in Wakanda.
"Damn." Clint cursed under his breath.
The creatures started to chase.
"Move!" Clint pushed Danielle ahead of him as he grabbed the gauntlet and the two of them ran forward through the tunnel.
Sprinting through the dark, Danielle could hear the snarling mouths and pounding footsteps getting closer. She pushed herself faster, wishing she had done more training with Steve in the last five years.
Clint's feet pounded behind her, but she could hear him placing arrows in the walls like a trail of breadcrumbs. She heard a click before an explosion sounded behind her and Clint and Danielle were thrown to the floor into an opening by the shockwave. Some of the creatures perished, but a persistent few kept chasing them.
Danielle tried to shake off the blast and get to her feet. Clint was already standing and had clipped something onto her belt. He gave a nod and Danielle was hoisted from the ground by the cable he had attached. She watched Clint below secure his own wire and start his ascension after her. The remaining creatures appeared in the tunnel and continued their chase upward. Danielle reached the top of her wire as Clint drew his sword.
She lost sight of him as she scrambled to the ledge, unhooking herself from the cable. As she turned to help Clint, he shot over the edge of the hole on the other side, slicing a creature in half before landing on his back. He recovered and raised his sword ready to strike down any remaining creatures, but none came.
He collapsed to his back still holding the gauntlet.
Danielle took a half step toward him before she froze.
Footsteps echoed in the empty tunnel and stopped beside Clint.
"I know you." He said to Nebula standing over him.
But Danielle knew something was off when she didn't offer a sarcastic retort. Instead she reached for the gauntlet, then spoke in a microphone at her wrist.
"Father, I have the stones."
Thanos.
He was dead. He couldn't be here. Except he could. Not him from their time, but the one who had started the plan years ago. The one who would kill them all again given the chance.
Danielle watched Nebula pull a gun on Clint, but someone else intervened.
An alien woman Danielle didn't recognize appeared in the hallway and spoke to the Nebula of the past. Then another Nebula, their Nebula, addressed her too. As the three women focused on each other, Clint took his chance to move from the crossfire.
Their argument escalated until past Nebula raised her gun to fire at Gamora and future Nebula shot her in the chest. The robotic female collapsed.
Clint picked up the gauntlet, securing it tightly in his arm. Danielle got to her feet and joined him.
"We gotta get topside and get this to the team," said Clint.
Danielle gestured to the alien women behind Clint. "Lead the way."
