Hang In There// P.P.

Chapter 47: Portals.

"You could not live with your own failure. And where did that bring you? Back to me."

I watched as Thanos stood before them.

"I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me thats 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. They will resist."

"Yep. We're all kinds of stubborn." Iron-Man stated.

"I'm thankful. Because now, I know what I must do. [stands up] I will shred this universe down to its last atom."

Thanos put on his helmet.

"And then– With the stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life, but knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe."

I turned to Rhodey beside me.

"How is he even here? We brought back the Stones but we didn't change the past. He should be dead."

He shrugged his shoulders as he looked for words to explain, but couldn't.

"Unless-"

I started.

"-We weren't the only ones who came back through the Quantum Portal."

"So, you're telling me-"

I nodded.

"That Thanos is from the past."

A battle broke out between the Big Three and Thanos. All we could do was watch. They went at it, throwing everything they had into it, but it wasn't enough.

"Rhodey, we've got to help!"

No response, only a small shake of his head.

"Are you serious?! Your best friend is down there! They are our family and you're just gonna sit here and watch?!"

"We can't do anything to help, Sof, not now."

I looked over to see Cap struggling to stand up. It was him against them.

"The only time I can't help is when I'm stone cold dead, until then Imma try."

Without another word said between us, I opened a portal and walked through. I landed down beside Cap, helping him up that final step as he stood tall beside me.

"Sof, what are you doing?!"

"Taking a leaf out of your book-"

I looked over at Thanos before back at Steve.

"'til the end of the line'."

A small smile appeared on his face as we faced the Mad Titan and his army.

"In all my years of conquest– violence– slaughter– It was never personal. But I'll tell you now– what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet– I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much." Thanos stated. Suddenly, a crackling came in on our comms.

"Hey, Cap, you read me?"

Steve stopped and looked around.

"Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?" Sam's voice rang through our ears.

A yellow portal began to form behind us.

"On your left."

We looked behind us to see the portal on our left side. Three figures stepped through; Okoye, Shuri, and Black Panther, fully restored and ready to fight. Steve and the revived Wakandans shared a look when Sam zoomed in from above in his Falcon armour. As he does, dozens more portals began opening up all around the battlefield. Through one of them, we saw Doctor Strange descend in. He was joined by Drax, Mantis, Star Lord. Everyone watched in confusion and awe as more and more heroes arrived from all corners of the universe, all backed up with forces of their own including Black Panther and his Wakandan army, Valkyrie and the Asgardians, Wong and the Masters of the Mystic Arts and several Ravager ships. Amongst the throngs of heroes we spotted Bucky, Groot, the Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, and Pepper Potts, clad in her own iron suit, arrive. Nearly every hero has magically been transported to the battlefield to face Thanos' hordes. Giant-Man emerged from the rubble of the Avengers facility. The Avengers, Guardians, Wakandans, Asgardians, and Ravagers took up battle positions. The heroes standing across from Thanos' forces.

"AVENGERS!"

Steve cried as he summoned Mjolnir.

"–Assemble."

Thor made a battle cry, as did Black Panther and the heroes charged. Thanos raised his sword towards them, commanding his army to charge as well. Then both sides collided. We got split up pretty quickly. To my left was Iron-Man, fending off some of Thanos' army. But Cull Obsidian punched him to the ground, then Giant-Man stomped him flat and the familiar red and blue ran to him.
There were hordes of Outriders running in my direction and this was no time to get distracted by my eyes seeing things. A string of spells left my mouth as the beasts just kept coming. Some were set on fire, some had their blood boiled, others were decapitated by closing portals. I looked at the mountains of bodies that lay lifelessly around me. I was about to move towards where Tony had been when a sharp grip pierced the skin of my calf and was dragged down, being pulled across the rubble. I managed to flip over onto my back as I watched as the Outrider dug its teeth deeper into the flesh of my leg, causing a scream of pain to escape my lips. There was a cluster of them not too far from where I was, Thanos ' minion dragging me closer and closer to them, making me realise that I was going to be torn apart limb by limb if I didn't get loose. In those moments of fear, I froze, not knowing what to do as I was dragged closer to my death.

Suddenly it stopped. The grip on my leg was released as I scrambled backwards, leaning against a pile of rubble. The red and blue from earlier was back again, finishing off the Outrider as he pierced the skull of the beast with a mechanical leg, pulling it out once the body stopped moving. I pushed myself up slowly as I watched him fight off another two of Thanos ' minions.

"Peter?" I whispered.

Once he finished them off he turned to face me, the nanotech of his mask disappearing to reveal his face. I managed to stand myself up and began limping towards to the boy.

"Peter!"

He met me half way as I threw my arms around him, digging my face into the crook of his neck as I let the tears of relief flood down my cheeks. My grip only tightened as the reality had sank in. He pulled away moments later, his hands cupping my face as he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. My hand covered his when he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. An explosion to our right caused us to pull apart. Peter sighed.

"We are going to get our asses kicked."

I raised a brow at him.

"No, You're gonna get your ass kicked. I can hold my own."

He gave me his 'what the fuck you on about' look as I shrugged my shoulders at him.

"I'm pretty sure I just saved your ass back there."

"I'm pretty sure I just brought you back from the dead."

His lips formed a line as he sighed.

"Touché."