The Raccoon and The Bird {Rocket X Reader}

Chapter 39: The Second Snap

Tony assembled all the six stones and began to connect them all to a metal glove, similar to Thanos' gold one. Although, this one was almost an exact replica of his own Iron Man suit glove. Banner watched from Tony's left and Rocket watched from his right. The stones were secured into place as the three of them watched eagerly.

"Boom!" Rocket yelled then laughed. Tony and Banner looked at him unimpressed while Rocket just continued to snicker.

~

Everyone gathered in the lab and watched as Tony and Rocket placed the red glove over a bright blue light to allow it to hover.

"Alright, the glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freakin' fingers?" Rocket asked.

Without hesitation, Thor waddled forward and said, "I'll do it." He raised his hand.

"Excuse me?" Tony froze.

"It's okay." Thor nodded. Steve and Tony both held a hand up to him and told him to 'stop and slow down'.

"Thor. Just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve mentioned.

"Well, I'm sorry. What, we're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor asked sarcastically.

"We should at least discuss it." Scott, Ant Man, added.

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back... I'm the strongest Avenger okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me-"

"Normally, you're right." Tony interjected.

"It- It's my duty." Thor pleaded. 

"It's not about that." 

"It's not that- just-"

"Hey, buddy..." Tony tried to calm him down.

"Just stop it! Just let me!" Thor stuttered. He held Tony's hands tightly, and begged him. "Just let me do it." He whispered. "Just let me do something right. Something good."

"Look, it's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent. I'm telling you. You're in no condition."

"What do you- What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor challenged.

"Cheese Whiz?" Rhodes asked sarcastically. Thor pointed to him as if he told him to 'shut up'.

"...Lightning." Thor answered his own question.

"Yeah." Tony nodded annoyed yet worriedly.

"Lightning." Thor repeated.

"Lightning won't help you, pal." Banner stepped in. "It's gotta be me..." Thor shook his head. "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him." Banner reminded them all as he walked towards the glove. "None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"We don't." Banner admitted. "But the radiation's mostly gamma... It's like... I was made for this." He nodded. The avengers all looked at each other, as if they all knew that Banner was right. Tony agreed and allowed Bruce to hold the glove.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony asked.

"...Let's do it." Bruce finalised the decision.

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony ordered. Bruce thought back to Nat as he secretly wanted to use the glove to bring her back, but he knew it wasn't meant to be.

"Got it." He looked down to the red glove in his hands. Everyone around him prepared their suits and put on their helmets and masks, if they used any. Clint stood behind Tony as Tony opened a light blue forcefield to protect them both. Rocket placed his flat goggles over his eyes as he and (Y/N) stood behind Thor when he gestured for them to stay behind him, as he was powerful enough on his own to protect all three of them. Rocket stood on the table as (Y/N) stood on the ground behind him. Rocket reached his hand out behind him for (Y/N) to hold. She held his hand gratefully. Banner nodded at Tony. 

"Friday, do me a favour and activate Barn Door Protocol, will ya?" Iron Man asked his A.I. system. 

"Yes, Boss." Friday replied. Thick metal doors covered all the entrances and exits, inside and outside the entire building, and every single window.  

"Everybody comes home." Banner said out loud, although it was more so towards himself. The red glove expended to fit his large green right hand. Everyone watched in anticipation until the glove completed it's fitting. Banner fell down on one knee and grunted loudly in pain. Power and electricity surged up through his arm and shoulder. 

"Take it off! Take it off!" Thor yelled with his right hand extended as it shook in worry. 

"No, wait! Bruce, are you okay?" Captain America asked loudly so Bruce could hear him over the noise, yet Bruce only continued to groan as the pain increased. 

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony demanded to know if they should commence with their previous plan or back out now. Bruce's sleeve burnt up as his skin fried. The pain slowly stabled. 

"I'm okay." He assured weakly. Thor gave two thumbs-up. "I'm okay..." The room shook as Bruce's screams returned. He held his gloved hand in their air and used all his strength to click his thumb and middle finger together. A flash of light blinded them all for a split second before Banner fell to the ground, unconscious, as the glove slipped off. 

"Bruce!" Steve yelled. Clint quickly kicked the burnt glove away before he joined Steve, Tony and Thor as they ran to Bruce's body. Rhodes, Scott, (Y/N) and Rocket watched anxiously from the side. 

"Don't move him." Tony ordered. He used his suit to spray his friend's right arm with a cold substance to ease the injury's pain, which had now reached up to his neck. Steve placed a hand on Bruce's left shoulder before his friend held his wrist for support. Thor laid a hand gently on Bruce's forehead as their green friend held Steve's arm a bit tighter. Everyone heard the metal doors open around them. 

"Did it work?" Banner asked as he gasped and panted. 

"We're not sure. It's- It's okay." Thor assured. As the doors continued to open, Scott walked into a room beside the one the rest of the Avengers remained in. He walked up to large windows and looked outside cautiously. 

Clint's head whipped to the right when he heard vibrations in the same tune as his phone made. He slowly stepped over to the table and eyed his phone screen, Bruce's groans became distant to him when he saw the caller's ID. His wife, Laura was calling him. But how? Clint's lip quivered, as he knew what this meant. He answered the call with a shaky voice. 

"H-Honey...?" He whispered. 

"Clint?" Laura called from the other side of the line. 

"Honey?" Clint said clearer. 

"Guys..." Scott called faintly from the room he moved to. "...I think it worked." He smiled brightly. 

Bruce's eyes widened from his position on the floor as he looked through the clear roof. A giant black ship hovered high in the air and launched over twenty missiles towards the building. Everything collapsed from under them and everyone fell through the ground as the building came crashing down on them.