the strongest avenger (2)

eighteen

I look over as the barn doors open back to the main living area.

My brows furrow as a soft pinging noise emits from my kimoyo beads. I look down and click on the communication bead, watching as a name pops up.

My jaw opens slightly as I stare at Ned's name. I quickly answer and a laugh escapes my lips as his voice floods through the room and I see his face on the hologram.

"Tal? What's going on? Everyone's just dissolving and—why do you look different?"

Tears well in my eyes as I hear my friend's voice for the first time in years.

"Hi Ned," my voice breaks slightly. "Listen, I got to go but I'll call you back later."

"Okay—okay."

"Bye Ned."

I hang up and look over at Tony who stares back with wide eyes. A tear escapes my eye and it rolls down my cheek.

"It worked."

But then—I get knocked back as some sort of explosion hits the Compound. A scream leaves me as I'm thrown back and I fall and fall, until I see nothing but black.

***

A groan leaves me as I'm shaken awake.

"Hey Squirt." I blink a few times and see Tony close to my face. He grabs my arms and hauls me up, looking me over as I get myself together. "You good? Hurt?"

"Uh...no. What the hell was that?" I look around to see Steve standing.

There's debris everywhere.

"Now we have to build a new Compound." I mumble as I wipe dust off of me. "That's so inconvenient."

Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "You mess with time, it tends to mess back. You'll see."

Knowing I have dirt and shit all over my face, I try to wipe it off as Tony leads Steve and I to another area. I see Thor standing ahead, looking out over the destruction.

I grit my teeth and feel myself tense as I see none other than Thanos sitting down on a rock, his ugly sword thing right next to him.

"What's he been doing?" Steve asks from my left.

"Absolutely nothing." Thor replies.

"Where are the stones?" I ask.

"Somewhere under all this." Dad replies. "All I know is he doesn't have 'em."

"So we keep it that way."

"You know it's a trap right?" Thor asks.

"Yeah, I don't much care." Tony says.

I quickly crack my neck. "I think I'd rather die fighting opposed to any other way."

"Good. Just as long as we're all in agreement."

I grin as thunder booms in the distance and Thor's eyes glow blue with lightning. He holds his arms out as a bolt strikes him while  Stormbreaker and—and Mjolnir, don't know where he's been hiding that, are summoned into his hands.

When I look over I see he's decked out in his war outfit.

"Let's kill him properly this time."

I walk down with the boys, adrenaline coursing through my veins, not Cheez Whiz.

"You could not live with your own failure." Thanos says as we near him. "Where did that bring you? Back to me. I thought by eliminating half of life the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be."