THE TWO SIDES COLLIDED. Steve attacked the Outriders around him using his vibranium arm shields while T'Challa clawed away at his attackers nearby.
"How much longer, Shuri?" T'Challa asked into his radio.
"I've barely begun, brother."
"You might want to pick up the pace."
Banner in his Hulkbuster armor leaped onto a group of enemies and pummeled them with his fists. A couple jumped onto him, but Specter flew in and grabbed them both and threw them aside. He shot beams of energy from his palms and defeated them.
He landed on the ground and glanced over at the open barrier that let the aliens in. There were thousands.
"Jesus..."
Rhodey hovered in the air and shot his machine guns and rockets from his arms trying to keep them at bay, but Cull Obsidian tossed his hammer and hit Rhodey out of the sky.
More of the hounds ran in. They got a hold of Black Panther and tossed him aside. Several of them charged at Steve and pinned him against a boulder.
"Watch your six, Banner!" Y/N yelled as he started throwing energy blasts at the incoming hounds.
Bruce started punching away at them, but as expected, he was overrun. Y/N glanced over and became distracted enough for him to be tackled too. He phased out of the grasp of one, but three more leaped in and brought him back to the ground.
"Argh!"
"There's too many of them!" Banner exclaimed within his armor.
Suddenly, the bifrost shot down into the field, blasting away many of the Outriders. An electrified axe flew out of it, taking down many of the aliens and freeing Steve, T'Challa, Banner, and Y/N.
The bifrost deactivated, and the axe flew back into the hands of Thor. Beside him stood Groot and Rocket, ready for battle.
Natasha and Steve smiled at the sight of their old friend. Y/N chuckled as he got up...that was a damn good entrance.
Bruce laughed as he retracted his faceplate, "You guys are so screwed now!"
Thor glared at the sight of the Black Order army ahead and started to charge.
"Bring me Thanos!"
Groot and Rocket bellowed as they followed the Asgardian. Thor flew in the air and channeled as much lighting as he can before slamming Stormbreaker down onto the hundreds of alien hounds.
The fight continued. Cull Obsidian took down several Border Tribe warriors before Specter leaped in and punched the alien to the floor.
"You're one big son of a bitch." Specter remarked as Obsidian began to get up.
He growled, and slammed his hammer down at Specter before the Avenger dodged the attack and shot a beam at his body. Obsidian grimaced, and swung his weapon again at Y/N. The hero flew up and and then dived back down, slamming Obsidian to the dirt.
The large alien ended up grabbing Specter by the throat and throwing him aside. He rolled over, and looked up to see Obsidian back on his feet and running at him. Fortunately, T'Challa jumped in and punched Obsidian, exerting the force his suit was channeling and sending the alien flying several feet away.
"That's new..." Specter groaned, "I could've handled him, you know?"
T'Challa helped him up and pat his shoulder, "Yes, let's go with that."
The two then ran off and continued fighting off the enemies. Specter joined Steve and Thor as they took down several of the hounds coming after them.
Steve pierced into an Outrider's chest with his arm shields and Thor slammed his axe down at another. One hound charged and leaped at the god while he was occupied, but Specter shot it down with an energy blast and landed near the two heroes.
There was a small pause in the fight, and Thor looked over at Y/N.
"Ah, Lord L/N. I see you've acquired a new look." He examined Y/N further and noticed the energy coming out of his hands, "And new abilities."
Y/N nodded, "I see you've upgraded your hammer."
"It's a long story..." Thor glanced over at Steve, "What I'm more shocked about is Rogers stealing my beard."
Steve panted as he looked over at the two. Thor then began to introduce Groot, "By the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree."
Groot used his roots to impale several Outriders as he spoke, "I am Groot."
Steve put a hand over his chest, "I am Steve Rogers."
Suddenly, there was a distant rumbling. The ground began to shake, and several large blades known as Threshers came out of the dirt and entered the battlefield.
"Fall back! Fall back, now!" T'Challa exclaimed as they started killing both Outriders and warriors.
"Ghost-boy! I'm gonna need some air support if you know what I mean." Sam spoke to Y/N through the radio.
Specter flew up and joined the Falcon and War Machine in assisting with the Threshers. Sam shot his guns at the side of them, and War Machine flew in snd shot rockets from his gauntlets. Specter shot energy beams at them too, and the trio successfully took one down.
There were still several to go, though.
Below, Natasha and Okoye were fighting off Outriders. A group of Threshers started spinning towards them, and the two shielded their heads expecting the worst.
Luckily, Wanda dropped down into the area and used her psionic powers to keep the Threshers away. She picked them up, and easily threw them at the incoming army of Outriders.
Natasha gave a light smile as Wanda turned around to face them. Okoye was in awe of her abilities.
"Why was she up there all this time?"
Sam flew by, and moments later looked at the tower and saw Vision fly out the window with Corvus Glaive.
"Guys, we got a Vision situation here!" He informed.
"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve exclaimed.
"I got him!" Banner said and flew away in his Hulkbuster armor.
"On my way." Wanda spoke into her radio, but was then hit by Proxima Midnight and fell into a ditch.
"He will die alone, as will you and your lover." Proxima said, looking down at Wanda.
"She's not alone." Natasha spoke behind Promixa. Okoye joined in as well, appearing in front of her and brandishing her spear.
Proxima bellowed, and began to fight the two.
• • •
IN THE WOODS, Banner was holding off Cull Obsidian. Vision was trying to fight off Corvus Glaive, but his weakened state didn't make it much of a challenge for the Black Order member.
He stabbed Vision once again with his staff, "I thought you were formidable, machine. But you're dying, like any man."
Suddenly, Steve ran in and tackled Corvus.
"Get out of here! Go!"
Captain America started to fight Corvus, but the child of Thanos got the upper hand and tossed Steve over a log.
Glaive pinned him to the ground and wrapped his hand around his neck, choking the Captain. Suddenly, a hand went through Corvus's back and crushed his heart. His body went limp, and he fell to the ground.
Specter stood behind him, dark blue ooze dripping from his hand. He had used his phasing ability to get into his chest cavity.
"Now...that's gross." Y/N breathed out.
He helped Steve up, and the two looked around for Vision. The synthezoid still laid against a rock.
Wanda flew in, having just taken down Proxima Midnight. He ran over to Y/N, Steve, and Vision.
"Are you guys okay?" Wanda asked them.
Vision heard a high-pitch ringing in his head, and felt great discomfort.
"What? What is it?" Y/N asked.
Vision breathed heavily, "He's here."
Everybody noticed the ominous feeling. The wind got stronger, leaves flew everywhere.
"Everyone, on my position." Steve spoke into his radio. "We have incoming."
Sam, Natasha, T'Challa, and Okoye stood in the woods, noticing the same feeling. Rhodey and Bucky also stood there in confusion.
"What the hell?" Natasha questioned.
Bruce turned around, and saw black and blue clouds forming behind him. A towering man came out of it, a golden gauntlet on his left hand.
Thanos.
"Cap." Banner began, "That's him."
Specter and Wanda channeled energy in their hands, preparing for a fight. Steve activates his arm shields once more.
"Eyes up. Stay sharp."
They began to charge at Thanos. Specter stayed back with Wanda, as they wanted to be the last line of Vision's defense. It was looking bleak though, as Thanos was handling the heroes with ease.
Vision looked up at Wanda, "It's time."
"No."
"They can't stop him, Wanda. But we can."
"Vis, we can take him..." Y/N said with determination.
Vision shook his head, "We cannot." He looked back at Wanda, "You have the power to destroy the stone. You must do it, Wanda. Please."
Wanda kept disagreeing, not wanting to harm her best friend.
"We are out of time." Vision continued.
She began to tear up, "I can't."
"It's all right...you can never hurt me. I just feel you."
Y/N started to get emotional too. Vision was one of his closest friends. He didn't want to lose him like this.
"Vision..." He began.
The synthezoid looked at his two friends, "I'm just glad I had the both of you."
Nearby, Steve was trying to push Thanos back by holding his gauntlet. The Titan proved to be too much, and knocked him out cold with a single punch. He started to walk towards the trio.
Specter glared and flew over at Thanos. Wanda understood that it was time, and with tears in her eyes, started to shoot energy into Vision's stone.
Specter blasted energy beams at Thanos, but he simply deflected them with his gauntlet. He shot blasts from the Power Stone at Specter, but he dodged them and dove right at the Titan.
Thanos raised his clenched fist and the Soul Stone started to glow. Specter punched down at the gauntlet, which caused a small shockwave that heaved Specter into a tree. He began to glitch, and kept reverting back into his civilian form. Whatever the Soul Stone did to him shorted his powers like the one time Vision did two years ago.
Thanos grimaced in pain as the shockwave harmed him a bit, but recovered and began to walk up to Wanda and Vision.
Wanda shot an energy beam at Thanos, who in turn started to deflect it with his gauntlet. She kept shooting at the stone and at Thanos, until ultimately the stone shattered.
A large shockwave traveled through the Wakandan woods, and sent them all back.
Vision was destroyed, but so was the Mind Stone.
Thanos panted, and looked at Wanda on the floor, "I understand, my child. Better than anyone."
"You could never." Wanda replied with a glare.
Thanos nodded, and pet the top of her head. Wanda looked back down in disgust.
"Today I lost more than you can know." Thanos said, and started walking to the spot where Vision exploded.
"But now is no time to mourn. Now is no time at all."
Thanos clenched his gauntleted fist and activated the Time Stone. He turned his fist, and started to rewind time to when Vision was alive.
Wanda noticed this, and was shocked upon seeing Vision fully back into form and breathing.
"No!" Wanda yelled, but was slapped several yards away before she can attack Thanos.
The Titan grabbed Vision by the neck and looked at the stone in his head, ignoring the grunts of the synthezoid. He used three fingers to brutally pull the Mind Stone out, creating a hole in Vision's head and killing him a second time. He tossed the body aside, and looked at the stone.
The final piece.
He placed the stone in the last slot of the gauntlet, and screamed aloud as power began coursing through his veins.
Suddenly, lighting shot down at Thanos. Thor came flying down, and Thanos shot a beam from his gauntlet at him. Thor threw Stormbreaker, the axe deflecting the beam and ultimately impaling Thanos's chest.
The Titan dropped on his knees and grunted in pain. Thor landed in front of him, looking into the eyes of the warlord who killed his brother and half his people.
"I told you...you'd die for that." Thor angrily said, and pushed the axe further into his chest causing Thanos to scream.
"You should have..." Thanos weakly muttered, "You should..."
Thor listened in, wanting to hear his final words before finishing off the Titan for good.
"...you should have gone for the head."
With a smile, Thanos raised his left gauntleted hand. Thor looked at it, and his eyes widened.
"No!"
Thanos snapped his fingers, and there was a bright flash.