Wonder Woman ✧ T'CHALLA¹ [✓]

19 - Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Part II

AS THE BATTLE RAGED ON, DIANA LEARNED THAT THE TREE-CREATURE WAS NAMED GROOT, AND THE RACCOON WAS NAMED ROCKET. Both of which were from other planets, and they had traveled with Thor to help get a replacement for his hammer, which had been destroyed only weeks before. Diana had to admit, she was impressed by Rocket's accuracy and skill with his weapon, but was a little put off by his mannerisms and behavior — especially when he asked how much Bucky's gun and Vibranium arm were, as if he was willing to pay to obtain them.

Eventually, the tides of battle caused Thor, using Stormbreaker to great effect, Diana, and Steve to wind up together, and they used the brief pause in the fighting to take a breather.

"New haircut?" Steve asked, panting heavily as he gestured to Thor's short hair.

Thor grinned. "Notice you've copied my beard."

Steve nodded, wearily gesturing at his own face with a shield-covered hand.

Thor looked at Diana, giving her a respectful nod. "Hello, Your Highness."

Diana dipped her head in acknowledgement, using her shield and sword to fend off another Outrider. "Thor."

Steve glanced at the two, frowning at the exchange. "Wait, Your Highness?"

"That's right," Raevanna said over comms as she flew overhead. "Diana is a princess."

Steve punched an Outrider in the face, looking at Diana. "Really?"

Diana nodded, slicing off an Outrider's head. "Yes." She used her Lasso the knock three more away, then bashed two more with her shield. "But I don't brag about it."

Beside Thor, Groot skewered three Outriders with his right arm, his face twisted into a fierce battle snarl. Diana glanced at Groot, very impressed.

"By the way, this is a friend of mine," Thor said to Steve and Diana, gesturing to Groot with his axe. "Tree."

Groot didn't even glance at them as he snarled, "I am GROOT!"

"I... I am Steve Rogers," Steve replied, speaking formally but also slightly bemused.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling was heard, echoing across the battlefield. Diana looked across the plains and saw movement through the blazing forest between the troopships and the dome. Then, the disturbance reached the edge of the trees, and it turned into vast moving mounds of earth that easily bypassed the force field and emerged. They were Threshers, sets of massive, motorized spiked wheels, intended for nothing more than shredding everything in their paths.

"Fall back!" T'Challa shouted. "Fall back now!"

Diana watched, horrified, as at least one set of Threshers separated into individual wheels and started veering all over the battlefield. She then quickly jumped out of the way as one of the wheels rushed by her, tearing up the grass where she had just stood. Looking up, she saw Sam and Rhodey attempting to crack a Thresher using their firepower, but couldn't find a weak spot, and the machine kept barreling across the terrain.