Charlie's POV:
We ready ourselves and load up on Wakanda hover crafts out to the field. Steve and Bucky don't leave my side. Steve has been fashioned with collapsible shields on each of his arms, and Bucky is armed with a M249 SAW Paratrooper, T'Challa knows how he favors this weapon. Shuri designed gauntlets similar to hers, able to shoot sonic blasts, but also allowing me to hover short distances. T'Challa informed me that Shuri thought I could enhance the ability with my mind, but maybe we should test that out at a later date.
Seeing how Bruce hasn't been able to bring the big guy out, he's using the Hulkbuster suit. He's been fumbling around with it a bit, trying to get use to the technology. "How're we looking Bruce?" Nat asks over coms, looking back at him.
"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it." His thrusters go off causing him to launch in front of us, he lets out a yelp. I can't help but smile. "Wow! This is amazing, man. It's like being the Hulk without actually..." He trips over a rock causing him to fall face first. Okoye looks at him with disdain on her face. Little things like this make me realize how much I've missed my Avenger family. Even during the seriousness there's time for things to be lighthearted. "I'm okay. I'm okay." Bruce responds through coms, picking grass out of his mask.
Sam and Rhodey fly past, "I've got two heat signatures breaking through the tree line." Rhodey calls out. I'm glad we have several of Tony's suits with their technology. They both fly to the edge of the barrier. I can see the main aliens from the Black Order approaching. Including the female who wants blood from Nat.
The hover crafts drift to the side allowing everyone to get off. The Wakandans all take their space. They are formidable warriors. As we walk out onto the field, we hear the Jabari chant, ready for the oncoming war. Steve stands in front with T'Challa, Nat and I behind him, with Bucky close near me. We all look at the Black Order, knowing this war is to save the universe and its people. Thanos hopes to kill off half of the universe's population. Bucky shifts his eyes to look at me. "I've got you. We've got you." He calls into my mind.
"And I have you both. Be safe."
Nat looks at me, and moves over to the other side of Bucky, being closer to Bruce, and allowing the two super soldiers to flank my sides. T'Challa walks over to M'Baku, "Thank you for standing with us," he takes his hand shaking it. Bucky informed me that M'Baku has fought for the role of Black Panther with T'Challa, and yet here they are fighting together, for a common goal.
The female alien runs a sword over the barrier, realizing she won't be breaking through easily. Her beady eyes show her hatred at our growing numbers. But you can tell she relishes in the oncoming fight; this is fun to them. They would all do anything for Thanos.
Steve, Nat, and T'Challa advance forward. I stay back with Bucky, but project my mind into Steve's, to hopefully hear what he hears. "Where's your other friend?" Nat sarcastically calls to the female.
"You will pay for his life with yours." Her voice is oddly mechanical, not of this world. "Thanos will have that stone."
Calmly Steve calls, "That's not gonna happen." All three stand with a calm and powerful stance. Letting them know we will not be backing down.
"You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood." T'Challa is the meaning of a true king. He's fair, he's powerful, it exudes from his voice and body.
"We have blood to spare." She pulls her sword up in the air, the space crafts slowly open up. Everyone on the battlefield stand watching everything unfold. Fear and anger written over everyone's face.
The trio make their way back to us. Steve takes his place beside me, but none of us make eye contact, we don't want to remove our eyes from the horror unfolding outside the dome. "They surrender?" Bucky asks breaking the silence.
"Not exactly." Steve responds. We knew it wouldn't be that easy. Without removing their eyes both Steve and Bucky grab my hands, each giving my hands a light squeeze before dropping them, focusing on the oncoming war.
As the doors open mutant alien dogs screeching jump from the space crafts. There's an almost demonic and crazed look about them. Loyalty only to Thanos and the Black Order and minds only set to kill or die trying. There's such an animalistic quality to them. T'Challa starts a Wakanda chant, "Yibambe! Yibambe! Yibambe!" The other Wakandans surrounding us mimic his chant.
The mutant dogs come closer to the dome in a stampede. "What the hell?" Bucky whispers. Sometimes I forgot all that he hasn't seen.
Nat looks around at the oncoming mutants. "Looks like we pissed her off."
The mutants rush up to the dome, crashing into it. The front ones chaotically sacrifice themselves, breaking through only for body parts to drop off of them and onto the ground.
"They're killing themselves." Okoye looks at them, disgust written all over her face. Steve's gaze stays on the female leader, she smirks at him. We realize she isn't above killing her own kind and will do anything to reach Vision and the stone. A sick loyalty resides in the Black Order.
A few of the mutants break through. The Border Tribe in the front extend their cloaks in front of us creating a shield. Wakanda technology is something to behold. All of us ready our weapons. I pull out two pistols, along with the gauntlets on my wrists. We all begin firing at the stampede of mutants advancing on us. At this small of numbers of them, they're easily taken out. However, more are able to come through the dome.
Sam flies ahead, getting larger numbers from closer to the dome. He releases drones that also fire at the mutants. "You see the teeth on those things?" He's able to get a closer bird's eye view of them.
"Alright, back up, Sam. You're gonna get your wings singed." Rhodey flies to the edge of the dome releasing bombs, which are able to destroy dozens of the mutants.
The mutants begin fanning out around the dome. As if reading my mind Bruce speaks up, "Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us...there's nothing between them and Vision."
"Then we better keep 'em in front of us." Steve's eyes squint and focused solely on the mutants.
"How do we do that?" Okoye looks at T'Challa. She knows the answer, but isn't fully prepared to hear her king speak it.
"We open the barrier." He responds to her. I stand tall, popping my neck. It's about to get serious. "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen." He says over coms.
"Requesting confirmation, My King. You said open the barrier?" His dome control responds confused. Steve looks over to T'Challa. He nods, "On my signal."
"This will be the end of Wakanda." M'Baku answers, looking at the never-ending onslaught of demon dogs.
"Then it will be the noblest ending in history." Okoye says with pride.
Steve scowls, opening up his shields. The border tribe drop their cloaks, ready to fight as well. T'Challa walks out in front. "Wakanda forever!" He crosses his arms across his chest, covering his head with the Black Panther helmet and releasing his claws. Everyone yells and propels themselves forward to the barrier.
Steve speeds up running alongside T'Challa. Bucky, Nat, and myself stay close behind. A small section of the barrier opens and every demon dog turns its attention to the opening. Stopping the circling of the dome. They now have easy access inside and to their prey. There must be thousands of these creatures.
T'Challa and Steve inhumanly run out in front of our troops jumping up and punching on as many of the mutants as possible. I keep my stride with Bucky, not daring to fire anything until we get closer. Thankfully our enemies are easily spotted.
I test out the gauntlets hovering ability, jumping up high and landing in the middle of several of the creatures. I circle around shooting them easily. Bucky comes up behind me, firing as many as possible, "If that wasn't one of the hottest things I've ever seen."
"Pay attention Sergeant. We've got a war to win." He smiles at me and we continue shooting as many of these demons as possible.
"How much longer Shuri?" I hear T'Challa ask over coms. I'm not sure with these thousands of mutants how long we can hold this off.
"I've barely begun brother."
"You might want to pick up the pace." He grunts to her.
"Bucky throw me in the air." I scream at him.
"What? No." He looks at me confused.
"Just do it." Begrudgingly he throws me up, using more force than I figured he would. I use the hovering ability to have a higher vantage point. Shooting the demons as I spin and gracefully come back down to the ground. Bucky looks at me, mouth agape.
"Imagine what you could accomplish with more practice." We both turn back to killing the mutants. We continue our tag team routine. Coming back-to-back and circling, we're able to execute the creatures efficiently. He reaches over, throwing me up again.
While I'm airborne a demon dog is able to get the upper hand, and punches Bucky, knocking his gun out of his hand before knocking him down, clawing at whatever he can. I speed up my ascent back to the ground. Advancing on the demon. Bucky is able to grab his knife, my knife he took from me back at the airport, to stab at the mutant. I pull a knife from my own pocket, reaching around and slicing his throat. He slumps down on Bucky's body.
"This thing came in handy, doll." I reach my hand down to him, helping him up. He quickly returns the knife in a pocket. He reaches for his rifle, about that time a mutant comes behind me to attack before Bucky, shoots at him. "Not even a flinch." He winks. Quickly we focus back on the horrid creatures. I glance over to see Steve is still safely battling with T'Challa. Our fearless leaders.
No longer are we having to worry about just the mutants. The higher ups of the Black Order start to come within the dome. The large Black Dwarf throws his weapon at Rhodey, causing him to crash on the ground below. I glance back to Steve and T'Challa and the mutants are getting the upper hand. Steve notices my eyes on him, "Stay with Bucky, Charlie."
I grit my teeth and comply, for now. Bruce tries to come to Steve's aid before being attacked by six of the demons. "There's too many of 'em!" He shouts.
Just as I feel we're about to lose hope a flash of light crashes to the earth. "What the hell is that?" Bucky and I both look over. I see a tall figure standing in the beam. Shortly after an ax swings through dozens of the demons. The ax is emitting lightening. It can't be? The ax returns back to the towering god Thor. He has a tree with arms, legs, and face with him. A raccoon perched on his shoulder. It's been a long few years.
The raccoon jumps off Thor, cocking a rifle. Thor's body radiates lightening and even his new weapon, an ax, glows with Thor's powers. Fury burns through his eyes. His ax was able to get the demons off Steve and he glances over before righting himself. "Who's he?" Bucky asks.
"That would be Thor, god of thunder."
"You have some weird friends." He huffs out a laugh. I shrug.
Bruce removes his helmet laughing, "You guys are so screwed now!"
Thor turns to look at the larger members of the Black Order, advancing on them. His body lights up with more lightening. "Bring me Thanos!" His booming voice yells. He launches himself in the air, lightening touching down on our enemies below before forcefully crashing his ax on the ground. The lightening intuitively only hits our enemies.
"He is a very handy friend though." I smile over to Bucky. This time he's the one that shrugs. The onslaught of the mutants slows down a bit, but we continue to shooting our foes. Bucky and I moving in tandem with one another.
Bucky throws me up in the air once again, using much more force, allowing me more airtime, and I focus on controlling my flight. I stay in the air much longer. Shooting at the surrounding mutants. I look down laughing that the raccoon has made his way to Bucky, "Come and get some, space dogs!" It shouts. Several head towards them, I shoot at the ones in the back, but Bucky picks up the raccoon in his left arm, spinning in a circle with him. Both Bucky and the raccoon shoot at the other mutants. "Come on get some! Get some!"
I land softly by them once they've all been eliminated. "How much for the gun?" He asks Bucky. I stifle a laugh.
"Not for sale." He huffs at him.
"Okay. How much for the arm?" Bucky looks down at him, scowling. Before grabbing my arm and pulling us away. Before we're completely out of distance I hear the raccoon, "Oh, I'll get that arm."
"I'm quite fond of his arm. Leave it alone, raccoon."
"Are you a witch?" He screams at us.
"Nope." I turn back to him, shooting at a mutant behind him with my gauntlets. "The name is Rocket!" He sneers at me.
"Buck, we have a raccoon named Rocket fighting aliens with us. We need a vacation after this."
"Anywhere you want, doll." He throws me up again. He takes a lower approach on the ground while I get a wider rage up high. We get closer to Steve's location. He glances up seeing how I'm able to extend my stay in the air, almost as if I'm flying. I softly land beside him.
"You're full of surprises princess." I put both arms on either side of Steve's body shooting at mutants behind him. "Don't be too reckless with her though Buck."
He looks over at Thor, panting. Thor is on a mission to kill Thanos and he's relentless in his murdering of these space demons. "New haircut?" Steve gets out. It is quite an attractive cut for Thor.
"Noticed you've copied my beard." He answers.
I reach up stroking his beard. "I love this look on him Thor."
"Lady Charlie, we meet again. Keeping Rogers in line, or is he keeping you in line?" He arrogantly smirks down to me. I roll my eyes, and look towards the tree, Bucky glances over there as well. His arm grows stabbing three of the mutants at once.
"Holy shit." Bucky says beside me.
"By the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree." Thor smiles proud of the tree's assault.
The tree lifts the mutants up of the ground, scowling at Thor, "I am Groot."
The tree speaks. Talking raccoon and talking tree, definitely need a vacation. Steve looks at Groot shocked as well, "I am Steve Rogers." He responds, lifting a hand to his chest. A giggle slips out as Bucky throws me in the air again. Each time he launches me up I gain more airtime.
"Lady Charlie can fly now?" Thor looks at Steve and then at Bucky confused as to who he is.
"With assistance." Bucky responds.
I land softly in between the soldiers. Thor just smiles. "I'm full of surprises huh big guy?" His eyes go wide.
"How long have I been gone? She flies, she speaks in my mind, and she's got two soldiers. Impressive." He runs off fighting another group of the mutants.
Before anyone can say anything, I feel the ground vibrate. We all turn our attention to the alien space crafts. This can't be a good thing. The trees along the border rattle and bend over. Fire is within the trees. Bucky throws me up again, "What do you see Charlie?" I use my mind to hold my hovering high before floating back down.
"Run back!" I scream at them.
T'Challa looks in horror as the Threshers come under the barrier, "Fall back! Fall back, now!" We all retreat as far away as possible. The Threshers are deadly giant wheels.
"Focus that fire on the left flank, Sam." Rhodey calls through coms.
I look and Sam is flying and firing at a moving Thresher, destroying everything in its path. "I'm doing it." Rhodey joins him, trying to knock the damn thing over and off course.
Another one is coming straight towards Nat and Okoye, I begin running towards them. Not knowing what I can do. And then I see the scarlet magic floating around. Wanda is on the battlefield. I glance to Steve, "She's left Vision. Someone has to protect him."
"Not you. You stay out here with us." He points towards him and Bucky. Wanda lifts the Thresher up with her magic, looking behind her at the mutants running towards her, she launches it behind her, killing them all.
"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye looks at Nat.
I run up to Wanda, "You need to get back to him. Only you are strong enough to protect him."
As soon as the words are placed in Wanda's brain Sam's voice comes over coms, "Guys, we got a Vision situation here."
"Go!" I shout to her running back towards Bucky.
"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve shouts.
"I got him! On my way." Bruce calls out, before he's knocked down.
"On my way." Wanda responds. The female alien punches Wanda in the face. I turn my running back towards her.
"He'll die alone. As will you." She spits down at Wanda.
"She's not alone." Nat whispers behind her as I come behind the alien. Okoye goes to the other side of the alien. Her beady eyes focus on Nat remembering her assault on her brother. She swings a sword at Nat that she easily blocks. I bend my knees and propel myself upwards firing my gauntlets at her. Okoye runs along the bank slinging her body down on her. When I land, she turns towards me hitting me on the shoulder with her spear at me, propelling me backward.
Okoye and Nat tag team her from behind, giving me the time to stand. I reach behind me and pull-out Clint's old recurve bow. I don't extend it to a bow, just use it as a staff to fight this bitch. All of us swing our staffs around hitting her. She's clearly getting annoyed and kicks Nat off her before grabbing me and slinging me aside, I hit the bank hard causing me to lose my breath. She then grabs Okoye's arm and throws her over as well.
Nat is pissed. She stands breaking her staff down to two and attacks her. She punches Nat to the ground, extending a sharp spear from her arm, before slamming it towards Nat's throat. She blocks it. Wanda wraps her magic around her, launching her up into an oncoming Thresher, finally destroying her. Wanda drops to her knees. Okoye and I pull ourselves up looking over to Nat. She has bright blue blood splattered on her face.
"That was really gross." She breathes out.
"Charlie, come on! Steve chased Vision into the forest." Bucky reaches a hand down to me pulling me up. Wanda launches herself up, going to look for Vision. I look up and see Thor flying through the space crafts, destroying them one by one.
Bucky and I race towards where Steve is. The atmosphere changes. "Bucky he's here. We've got to get to Steve!" He pulls on my arm, propelling me faster with him.
"Everyone, on my position. We have incoming." Steve's voice comes over coms. We come through the tree line and I see Steve. Bucky holds me back, not wanting me to get too close.
Everyone has found their way into the forest. We are spread out looking around, feeling the uneasiness of Thanos around us. "Princess, are you okay."
"Yes, on your 10:00." Steve looks directly at me. "Stay with Buck. Be safe and don't do anything stupid."
Lightening and smoke circle around in the distance. He steps through the void. Thanos. He is a towering thing. Wanda braces herself, magic at the ready in between her hands. She stands guarding Vision. Thanos's attention comes to her. Steve and T'Challa block Thanos from Wanda and Vision.
"Cap, that's him." Bruce says through coms.
Steve expands his shields. "Eyes up. Stay sharp." He turns toward Thanos, and increases his speed. Thanos just slowly stalks forward, closer to Wanda and Vision. Bruce and the Hulkbuster suit launch towards Thanos, but he easily wraps him in the stones magic, slinging him to the side, trapping the suit in rocks.
Steve runs closer and Thanos throws him to the side as well. His body sails through the air before landing with a thud. I begin to run towards him, and Bucky pulls me back, "Not yet. He's okay. You run when I run." He's right. Don't do anything stupid.
T'Challa launches his body in the air towards Thanos. His suit is lit up with purple, meaning it's absorbed other powers. Before T'Challa can release those powers on Thanos, he grabs T'Challa by the neck and punches him to the ground. When he hits the power releases on the ground in a ring around him.
Sam flies towards Thanos, firing pistols at him, before Thanos uses the stone to cripple his wings causing him to crash on the ground.
I hear Wanda's magic in the distance. She's focused her powers on Vision. She's destroying the stone, and Vision with it. My heart breaks for her. I try to soak up her grief and she pushes me out of her head. I turn my eyes towards Thanos, he will pay!
Rhodey advances on Thanos, firing as many things from the War Machine as possible, and just like with everyone else Thanos uses the stones, but this time to crumple up the suit, with Rhodey inside, tossing him to the side like garbage.
"Now!" Bucky shouts. We both run towards him screaming. Firing everything at him. Purple magic encases our bodies. Bucky collapses to the ground, while my body is launched towards a tree. My back and head hit the tree with a sickening smash, and my vision goes blurry and white. "Charlie! Doll! Open your eyes!" I hear Bucky in my brain but it's in a distance. When I finally focus on him, he grimaces. His hand brushes the tendrils sticking to the sweat on my face before slamming his lips on my forehead. "I thought I lost you."
I see the tears that built up in his lash line, he refuses to let them fall. "Buck I'm okay. Help me up. We have to kill this bastard." He pulls me up, wrapping an arm around my waist steadying me. I see Steve running towards Thanos, sliding on the ground. He begins punching him from a lower vantage point. Complete determination is planted all over his face as he grits his teeth, using all the power he can muster to attack Thanos. He stands there taking all these hits like someone is poking him.
Steve strikes his chin from below. Still, he stands there. His gauntlet hand moves towards Steve which he grabs a hold of. His uses both hands to hold him off. A glimmer of fear crosses Thanos eyes, confused as to how Steve can hold off his power. He glares down at him before using his right hand to punch him across his temple. My body involuntarily jerks. Thanos stalks towards Wanda. I try to cast defeat towards his mind. It's completely blank. I can't penetrate his mind in my weakened state.
"Thor! Hurry up! We need you; everyone is down. It's up to you big guy." My body slumps forward. Bucky wraps his warm arms around me. I close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing.
An explosion beams through the forest, jerking me awake. "She destroyed it. There's still hope." Bucky whispers to me.
I look over to Wanda. She's lost her footing on the ground. Thanos touches her head and disgusted she moves away. I can't hear them, but I see him activate the gauntlet, turning back time to when the stone wasn't destroyed. Wanda watches in fear as she realizes what's going on. "No!" She screams, he hits her, throwing her body back.
Lifting Vision's body up from his neck, his giant fingers wrap around the stone, pulling it out of Vision. His body turns gray and limp, and Thanos discards him like it was nothing, "Thor! He has all the stones!" Casting my screams to Thor continues to weaken me. "You've got to quit doing that." Bucky tells me. We need Thor.
Thanos slips the final stone in the gauntlet and the power goes through his veins. He pulls his head back screaming at the sky. "THOR!"
The god finally comes crashing down, throwing lightening at Thanos causing him to slide on the ground. Thanos uses the gauntlet to throw power at Thor. The ax catches it and Thor throws it to Thanos. It lands in Thanos's chest.
Thor advances on Thanos. Looking him straight in the face, murder is in his eyes. "I told you...you'd die for that." He pushes the ax deeper in Thanos's chest. Thanos screams out with a crazed look in his eyes. Thor never backs down or removes his eyes from him. He wants to watch him die.
Bucky starts walking us a bit closer. I hear the panting coming from Thanos. He did it. "You should have...You should...You should have gone for the head." Thanos taunts at Thor. I look at his hand. He raises the gauntlet up slowly snapping.
"No!" We both scream.
We watch as Thanos is clearly injured. The gauntlet is smoking and crumbled. Thor can't remove his eyes from it. "What did you do?" His gaze looks at Thanos. "What did you do?" He screams.
Thanos never answers. He uses the stones to pull himself back into the void, leaving behind Thor's ax.
Thor looks over to me, hurt and confusion lace his eyes. "Charlie, what happened?"
Steve comes out of the trees holding his side. His face has various spots of blood. Bucky begins walking us towards him. "Where'd he go? Thor." He glances around the forest, eyes catching me and Bucky hobbling towards him. "Where'd he go?" I shake my head, not knowing how to respond.
Bucky's body stiffens beside me. I look up to him, "Steve?" His eyes hold fear, "Doll." His grip on me stops as I see his body slowly turns to dust as he begins to wither away. He falls to his knees taking me with him as his body completely dusts away. My eyes immediately fog with tears, as my chin trembles.
Steve walks to where I am and where Bucky was. I scoop up some of the dust left from his body and look at Steve. He drops to his knees looking at where Bucky was, feeling around his dust. He grabs my arm pulling me up and wrapping his arms around me when we're upright. We both look at Thor. This is what Thanos meant. I hold on to Steve, fearful I will lose him too. I can't.
Wakanda is too quiet. Minus the odd noises from people dusting away. I bury my head in Steve's chest I can't look as my family disappears. I hear Rhodey shout, "Sam? Sam where you at?" Not him, too.
Steve guides me over to Visions lifeless body. He squats down, flipping his body over. He's gone, and so is Wanda. Nat runs up behind us. Shocked at everything that's taken place. Steve plops himself at the ground, reaching a hand up for me to hold.
"What is this? What the hell is happening?" Rhodey asks looking around to the few of us that's left. Steve pulls me down to the ground with him. He just sits there squeezing my hand. The stress of losing everyone finally hitting him. I can't even think. "Oh, God." He whispers. I lean over on him. A tear finally escapes my lash line. What about the ones who were on the ship? What about people who weren't here? Clint, Laura, the kids?
"We've got to get out of here. Regroup. Figure out who's left." Steve stands, pulling me up with him. Thor is still shell shocked. Unable to move. I go into his mind. He's blaming himself. "It's not your fault." I cast into his brain. My world goes black.