Turning

12

Everyone noticed a pack of Outriders starting to run around the force-field to the right of the defenders' position.

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us... there's nothing between them and Vision," Bruce warned.

Steve replied grimly, "Then we better keep 'em in front of us."

Okoye asked Black Panther, "How do we do that?"

"We open the barrier," T'Challa answered, putting his comm to his mouth. "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen."

Dome Control, nervous and unsure, said, "Requesting confirmation, my King. You said open the barrier?"

"On my signal."

M'Baku said to Okoye, "This will be the end of Wakanda."

"Then it will be the noblest ending in history," Okoye replied.

Captain America readied one of his Vibranium hand guards. Black Panther shouted a command in Xhosa; the Border Tribesmen disengaged their shields and stand, as Black Panther walked out in front of them, never taking his eyes off the enemy.

"Wakanda forever!" T'Challa yelled.

He crossed his arms in the Wakandan salute and closed his lack Panther helmet, charging for the barrier. The heroes and leaders were at the fore of the charge.

Halfway to the barrier, Black Panther shouted into his comm, ordering, "Now!"

The Outriders poured through, distracting from trying to find any other access. Black Panther and Captain America pulled ahead rapidly due to their enhancements, and leapt into battle.

T'Challa, over his comm, asked, "How much longer, Shuri?"

"We've barely begun, brother." A delicate and intricate construction of gold light hovered at her eye level; as she manipulated it, the waldo tools reproduced her commands on the Mind Stone itself.

"You might want to pick up the pace."

---

Thor prepared to open the iris of Nidavellir and said, "Allfathers, give me the strength."

"You understand, boy?" Eitri asked. "You're about to take the full force of a star. It'll kill you."

"Only if I die." He took deep breaths.

Eitri, boggled, said, "Yes. That's what... "killing you" means."

Thor grasped the two levers and pulled them down and towards himself, slowly opening the iris. The stream of stellar energy blasted past him and into the forge once again.

"Hold it!" Eitri cried. "Hold it, Thor!"

Eitri watched the metal ingots melt while Thor was looking increasingly charged. Finally, Eitri was able to tip the cauldron, pouring the metal into the mold just as Thor passed out. The jet carried him into the forge, Rocket followed hastily and landed after Thor bounced limply off a structure to land on the floor. Groot finally looked up from his game at the thump Thor's body made.

Rocket knelt over Thor and yelled, "Thor! Say something. Come on. Thor, you okay?"

Eitri clumsily and urgently pulled the mold, still glowing red-hot, onto the floor, breaking it loose from its frame, then started pinching the mold itself with his metal fists to free the ax.

"I think he's dying!" Rocket cried.

"He needs the ax!" Eitri said.

Stormbreaker's two sections -- the hammer and the ax-blade -- laid glowing on the floor. Groot looked sadly at Thor for a moment.

"Where's the handle?" Eitri asked. "Tree, help me find the handle!"

With a boost of determination, he stood and extended his fingers towards Stormbreaker, growing them at extraordinary speed. As he twined them around the two parts, he cried out at the burning pain, but didn't hesitate, slamming them together and locked them permanently into one structure. He raised it above his head, and with a mighty cry, chopped his extended arm with his other hand to sever it at the right length.

Thor's fingers twitched, and the new weapon levitated in a crackle of lightning echoed by the sparks between Thor's fingers.

---

The remaining Avengers and Wakandans were struggling against the Outriders. The Winter Soldier and Bucky went down and fought off Outrider fangs snapping at their heads. Captain America and Black Panther still fought side-by-side. War Machine hovered over the breach, pouring ammunition into the flood of bodies until a hug hammer -- Obsidian's -- knocked him out of the sky and to the ground. The Hulkbuster was dogpiled and pinned.

"There's too many of them!" Bruce cried. "Gyah! Aaaahhhhh!"

Suddenly, a large beam of rainbow-hued light landed in the middle of the action, and an ax flew out of it, wreathed with lightning and tore through the Outriders, freeing the heroes. It flew back to the light and into its master's hand just as the beam cut out, revealing Thor, Groot and Rocket who chambered a round in his large gun. Black Widow, Captain America and Black Panther paused in astonishment. Proxima and Obsidian paused in apprehension.

Bruce, opening the Hulkbuster's helm and laughing with joy, exclaimed, "Ah-hahaha! You guys are so screwed now!"

"Bring me Thanos!" Thor yelled, charing towards the hordes of Outriders, followed by Groot and Rocket, lightning gathering around him until he finally launched himself into the air, landing in the densest concentration of Outriders and made a crater where they had been standing.