Everyone emerged back on the platform at the same time, the nanotech suits retracting almost instantly. Keira just managed to do a quick headcount, all eleven of them had survived, before her knees gave way. Had it not been for Natasha, she would've crumpled to the floor.
"Did we get them all?"
They all glanced around at each other, their faces breaking out into uncertain and hopeful smiles as the realization dawned on them. All of them were still here, alive.
And they had succeeded in their mission.
Keira's face was somewhere between a grimace and a smile, the happiness struggling against the exhaustion. She would get Wanda back. Natasha would get Yelena back, and Clint would get his family back. All their loved ones would return. Her right hand still clutched the Soul Stone in a vice-like grip, its orange light barely visible now when there was no eclipse to enhance its brightness.
"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey was smiling widely, holding a silver orb in his hand.
It was interesting to see that some of them weren't wearing the same clothes as before. Steve especially stood out in his ancient army uniform. Looked like Vormir wasn't the only place that had offered a different kind of adventure.
"What happened to you, disco ball? Suddenly started to cry strawberry juice?" Tony quipped, his gaze on Keira. While his words were sarcastic, there was a worried gleam in his eyes.
"Something like that." Clint answered for her, patting Keira on the back before pointing an accusing finger at Nebula, stalking over to the blue woman until he was right in her face. "You. I have a bone to pick with you. Next time, would be nice with a heads-up. Sacrifices aren't something we're especially keen on, just FYI." He was absolutely furious. To be so close to losing one of his friends had shaken him to the bone. They had all made it out alive by pure chance.
Nebula met his angry stare casually, not backing away from the assassin. "You got the Stone. That's what matters."
"Clint, hey. It's okay." Keira landed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back from the woman, with Natasha closely behind in case her legs would give up again. "She couldn't have known that a sacrifice would be involved. All she knew was that Thanos arrived at Vormir with Gamora, and left without her. She didn't know the details."
She wasn't even sure why she was defending Nebula. Maybe it was the fact that Nebula had finally broken free from her father's grasp and started living for herself, rather than for him. Or maybe it was just for the simple reason that they all had made it from Vormir in one piece.
Had it gone any differently, then she wouldn't be taking it so calmly.
There was a tense silence in which Clint had a staredown with Nebula, who didn't back down, while all the others just looked at them with confusion and apprehension.
If Keira's whole body hadn't been screaming for rest and her head feeling like her brain was swelling against the inside of her skull, maybe she would've caught the fact that one in their midst wasn't as they seemed.
Maybe she would've sensed that one of them had a completely different agenda in mind than bringing back those they lost five years ago.
Wanting nothing more than to slip into something clean, she wandered over to Tony, her step a bit unsteady. "Here. Work your magic. I need to get this so-called strawberry juice off me." She managed a tired chuckle and presented the Stone to him, and he took it with slight apprehension.
Of course, he wouldn't be Tony Stark if he hadn't already worked out a few blueprints after watching the gauntlet in action on Titan, but it would take some time to calibrate the tech so it could handle the power of the Stones without melting or breaking apart.
If anyone said something to her, to try and engage her in conversation, she didn't hear it. The excited chatter about their respective adventures was nothing more than a buzzing sound in her ears as she left the group behind. Blindly, she wandered through the corridors until she found her room, the floor and ceiling warping ever so slightly wherever she looked. Nausea was playing in the back of her throat and she pushed the door to the bathroom open with her shoulder, nearly falling into the room.
Her hands shook slightly as she reached out to turn on the tap. The cool water felt like heaven against her skin, and Keira rested her lower arms against the porcelain, breathing deeply as her lungs still burned. When she met her own gaze in the mirror, a small chuckle escaped her lips.
Natasha hadn't been wrong, she really did look like shit. Blood trailed down her cheeks like tears, some of it smudged on her sleeve. The delicate blood vessels in her eyes had popped, painting the white in red. She looked like something out of a horror movie. A new Bloody Mary perhaps?
Although, she seriously hoped she wouldn't end up as a vengeful spirit.
Bowing her head down, she splashed some of the water on her face, gently rubbing away the dried blood. The water turned pink almost immediately, and as she scrubbed herself clean, she could sense some of her energy slowly returning to her.
Memories of Vormir kept replaying behind her eyelids, although they ended in a far more tragic fate than their lucky outcome. When she finally straightened up, the water droplets slowly running down her face, she met another pair of eyes in the mirror.
Emerald eyes shone in the dim light coming from the bedroom, and for just a moment, Keira's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? But another second passed, and she realized who it really was. Natasha. "Hey, stalker. Missed me much?" She hid her smile in the towel, drying off her face. When she looked up again, the redhead was much closer. Keira saw that the green eyes were blank, almost as if Natasha was fighting back tears.
"Oh, please. As if your ego could handle one more compliment without exploding." Natasha playfully rolled her eyes, a small smile playing in the corner of her lips. Taking the grey towel from the mutant's hand, she gently dabbed the corner of Keira's left eye, where some blood had managed to avoid the cleansing.
Keira's mouth fell open in an offended scowl and she snatched the towel from the redhead. "I- I-" She tried to think of a quick comeback, but came up empty, so she shut her mouth.
"Yeah? That's the worst you can do? Stutter at me?" The redhead tilted her head in a challenging manner with a quirked eyebrow. But despite the playful atmosphere that had settled over the room, her eyes still burned, and before the mutant had a chance to respond to the insult, she wrapped her arms around her. "I could've lost you today. I nearly did. And I... I-" She hid her face in the crook of the blonde's neck, her words coming out muffled. "I don't know what I would've done if I did."
Whatever answer Keira had been ready to fire, instantly died on her tongue as she returned the hug. "Hey, hey." She let one of her hands run soothingly up and down the redhead's back. Turns out she wasn't alone in imagining the nightmare scenarios in which their adventure to Vormir could've ended in. "I know, okay? But you didn't lose me, Tasha. That's the most important part, right?"
Natasha sighed, burying her face deeper against the mutant. She heard what Keira was saying, but there was still the 'what if' part playing on repeat in her head. "Yes, but... I- If your whim hadn't worked out... Then- Then-"
"Hey, there are no buts, no ifs." Keira interrupted the redhead's ramblings and hugged her even tighter. "We all survived. We got the Stone, just like we said we would. I told you, I'm too annoying to die. You've been stuck with me for over a decade now, and that streak isn't ending anytime soon." Shaking her head faintly, she couldn't help the smile that crept up on her lips. Wow, they had actually been friends for over a decade now. Over ten years. That felt genuinely impressive, considering their field of work.
Natasha didn't say anything, but rather closed her eyes and just breathed in the calming cinnamon fragrance that always seemed to surround the mutant. It soothed her spiraling mind, easing her guilty conscience over something that didn't even happen.
Keira could sense that her words had little to no effect, and even though she could, she outright refused to emotionally manipulate those she held dear unless asked to. Reluctantly, she broke the hug, having learned to always let the other person break it, because one never knows how much they needed it. But she gently cupped the redhead's cheeks, forcing their eyes to meet. "Hey, you won't get any wiser focusing on what could've been. What matters is that we all made it out of there unscathed, okay?"
"Unscathed, really? I wouldn't exactly call you unscathed." Natasha's face held a skeptical look, but she eased into the touch and allowed her shoulders to relax. "You nearly died, Key. Hell, you even looked like Death there for a minute."
Feeling the redhead riling herself up again, Keira slowly shook her head. "You know what I mean, Tasha. And I hear what you're saying, I do. But look at the facts. You're here, I'm here, in the flesh. Alive. That's what matters. Nothing else, okay? Not what could've been or what wasn't." Noticing how Natasha tried to avoid her eyes, the mutant ducked down to catch her gaze again. "Okay?"
"Okay." Natasha's voice sounded brittle, but she managed to give a tiny nod.
Deciding not to dwell on the matter, knowing that nothing good would come of it, Keira decided to change direction completely. "Now, I'm absolutely starving. I will punch the first person who dares to come near me, I swear. And I know I have some muffins in the fridge, and they're calling my name so... You coming?"
Considering the fact that the mutant's hand was already wrapped around Natasha's wrist and was halfway through the doorway, it wasn't so much of a question as it was a demand.
It barely took them a minute to get to the combined living room and kitchen with Keira in the lead.
"Stay." Keira pushed the redhead onto the sofa, giving her a warning look before leaving her there and walking over to the kitchen area. If somebody, presumably Clint, had eaten her muffins, then not even god would be able to save him. Bending down, the fridge light nearly blinded her. "Dude, I swear, I'm gonna murder him..." She muttered under her breath.
"Hey, have some sympathies for the man. You even got Steve to love your baking, so can you blame Clint for stealing some?" Natasha glanced at the blonde over her shoulder, her arm resting on the back of the sofa.
The mutant rose to her feet, the last two muffins safely balanced in her hand. "I don't care. He's gotten spoiled and he can-" Her rant got interrupted as her hip hit the corner of the kitchen island, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. The pain caused her to double over, her free hand pressing on the sore spot in a pathetic attempt to not let it hurt so much. "What- Whatever I was saying, forget it." She wheezed, breathing through her teeth as she carefully straightened up and with slow steps made her way over to the sofa.
"Looks like karma bit you in the ass." Natasha chuckled softly as the mutant plopped down on the sofa beside her, accepting the muffin she was offered.
Keira just rolled her eyes, occupying herself with trying to locate all the chocolate pieces within the pastry. Her body was still feeling a bit out of sync, and a headache had started to pulse in the back of her mind. It was a shame that she had nothing to offer when it came to building a new gauntlet for the Stones, because she would've liked to be of use.
Instead, she had to settle for being useless.
"Hey, stop that."
Her thoughts must've been reflected on her face, because she was gently nudged out of her head by Natasha. "Huh?"
The redhead faintly shook her head with a small smile on her lips. "You know, it doesn't take a mind reader to know what's going on in your head. And I'm telling you to not think like that. You've done plenty." Natasha put an arm around the mutant and pulled her close. "Let the men be useful for once, alright?"
Keira pursed her lips as she rested her head against Natasha's shoulder. It was always her poor poker face that exposed her. "Ugh, I know, I know. It's just..." Her hands kept busy by folding the muffin paper until it wasn't physically possible anymore.
Yeah, who didn't love the feeling of being exhausted, wanting nothing more than to take a long nap but at the same time wishing for something to do just to keep themselves busy?
"I just want to feel like I'm useful, you know? Like I'm doing something to help bring them all back..." A heavy sigh left her lips and she carelessly threw the folded piece of paper behind her, hearing it land on the kitchen island. Her body felt a bit better after getting some sustenance into it, although sleep still begged for her attention.
"I know what you mean. But you don't need to feel that way. You nearly killed yourself on Vormir. If that's not doing something, then I don't know what is."
Keira hummed dismissively and sunk down onto the sofa until her head rested in the redhead's lap. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, glancing up at her best friend. "I don't know if you remember, but a few years ago, you mentioned that Yelena wanted a dog?"
"Yeah?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, interested to see where this change of subject was going.
"You think she'd like an American Akita? Arthur texted me right before the whole time travel shenanigan that his pride and joy, Máiri, has finally given birth to six healthy puppies. So.... I was thinking if Yelena wants one, I'm pretty sure that Arthur would gladly make that happen." Keira would've shown a picture of the pups, but she wasn't really sure where her phone was at the moment.
Natasha couldn't help but smile at the thought. To see her sister again, and with a puppy as well? And the fact that the mutant was thinking about Yelena, despite not even having met her, only showed the deep care they held for each other. "I think she would love that, Key. If anything, it's bound to give you a couple of bonus points." Discarding her half-eaten muffin on the table, she wiped her hands against her chest before taking it upon herself to tug Keira's braid loose.
With swift fingers running through her hair, the mutant hummed contentedly. "I can always use a bonus point. And I think Kato would be happy with a new friend as well. Just need to teach him that a puppy isn't as sturdy as he is..." Her eyelids were getting droopy and she stifled a yawn, trying not to give in to sleep.
But when Natasha started to lowly sing an old Sokovian lullaby, one that Wanda had taught her, Keira had no chance to resist. The realm of dreams engulfed her within mere minutes, maybe perhaps even seconds, and her body grew heavy. Which was exactly what the redhead was after.
And it didn't take long until she too followed Keira, her head dropping against her shoulders as her fingers slowly stilled, entangled in the mixed blonde and mahogany locks.
They didn't know how long they slept, but they were so exhausted that they didn't even stir when the soft steps of an archer could be heard through the corridor.
Clint was surprised to not hear any talking, he had been certain that his friends would be on Keira's floor. But as he rounded the corner, he got his answer. No wonder there was no sound, since both women were deep asleep.
Keira's head was still in Natasha's lap, which heightened the illusion of the redhead being broken in half, considering that she had slumped down so that her shoulders rested in the valley of the mutant's waist.
The man smiled warmly, happy that their friendship had survived all these years. Unfortunately, he would have to wake them from their slumber despite their very obvious need for it. But, as they all had experienced, life wasn't fair.
"Hey, it's ready." He gently nudged the redhead's shoulder, who stirred slightly. Keira also came back to life with a big yawn, nearly hitting him in the face as she stretched out an arm.
"Shit, sorry!" Keira apologized out of reflex as Clint ducked under her hand. Seeing who it actually was, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Oh, never mind, it's just you. Thought it was someone important, like Steve or something." She continued with a slight smirk.
Natasha shook her head in amusement, hearing the slight surliness in the mutant's voice.
Clint pressed his lips together to suppress his smile and held out a hand. "Come on. You have plenty of time to forgive me. Besides, the gauntlet is ready. And I'm guessing you two might want to change clothes." He pointedly looked them up and down, their clothes still dirty from their adventures on Vormir.
Keira pulled herself up from the sofa by grabbing his outstretched arm, but she didn't answer him. A simple eye roll conveyed her message well enough. The stolen muffins would be avenged.
But he did have a point when it came to the clothes though, she had to admit.
So, without further ado, she made her way back to her room. It was slightly dusty, since she spent most of her time in Wanda's room rather than her own, and as she slid the wardrobe doors open, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. All of her old suits, all the way back from her beginnings at SHIELD to the most recent one used in Wakanda looked back at her, dangling unused from their hangers.
Keira stretched out a hand, touching the fabric of the suit Laura had made her. It had suffered quite extensive damages back in Africa, thanks to her own brilliant plan that backfired on her. But she had since then sewed up the holes, making it wearable and functional again. Sure, it wasn't the neatest of stitchings but it got the job done at least.
Feeling the material against her skin again, a soft smile tugged on her lips. It felt like home, molding to her body like a glove. The sword scabbard snapped magnetically into place on her back and just to be safe, she took the gun out from the drawer in her bedside table, holstering it.
Hopefully, none of it would be needed but things had a certain fondness to go wrong in these parts.
Natasha joined her side just as she stepped inside the workshop downstairs and she noticed that they weren't the only ones who had changed their outfits. Steve had a classic Captain America suit on and Bruce was dressed in a skintight get-up that didn't seem like it would be able to offer much protection. But on the other hand, Hulk was pretty indestructible so it wouldn't surprise her if this weird mix between the scientist and the green bean would have similar capabilities.
And it wasn't exactly a calm scene they landed in, but rather the middle of an argument.
Thor desperately clutched Tony's hands, his eyes welling with tears as he spoke. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right." His voice broke, practically begging for the chance to prove he could take it. After five years of doing practically nothing, he felt compelled to try and redeem himself.
"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." Tony spoke softly, trying to get Thor to see sense.
"What do you- What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor countered, not wanting pity.
Rhodey scoffed from across the room. "Cheez Whiz?" Just like before, when they had gathered the data on the Stone, Keira shot him a glare that caused him to recoil. It wasn't fair to joke like that, especially now when Thor tried to pull himself from the dark abyss that was depression.
Thor simply ignored the jab. "Lightning."
"Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me." All eyes turned to Bruce, who had been silent during the whole conversation up until now. He stepped forwards, and everybody followed his movements. "You saw what those Stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive."
"How do we know you will?" Steve questioned, his gaze jumping between Bruce and the shining, red glove that now housed all six Infinity Stones.
"We don't." Bruce admitted. "But the radiation is mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this."
The room fell silent, none of them being able to think of an argument against it. Because if Bruce couldn't do it, then who could? All of them would willingly lay down their lives for the greater good, but they needed someone who could survive the power of the Stones. They didn't need any unnecessary sacrifices. Vormir had been close enough.
Speaking of Vormir, it caused Keira to glance around. Everyone was here except Nebula. Where was she? Couldn't she stand the sight of the Stones? Did they remind her of her dead sister too much, causing painful memories to resurface? Whatever it may be, the mutant shook it out of her head. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation for the blue woman's absence, and besides, Keira had more important matters to focus on right now.
"Good to go, yeah?"
She glanced at the newly created gauntlet, held gingerly by Bruce. It was the size fit for a normal human, but with the technology in it, it would be able to adapt to fit the giant's hand.
"Let's do it." Bruce nodded.
"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's fear was clear in his voice. He was absolutely terrified of losing his daughter.
"Got it."
Keira protectively pulled Natasha behind her, transforming her skin into diamond. Steve had his shield, and Thor waved Rocket behind him while Clint got protection from Tony, whose armor encased him. It was pretty clear she wasn't the only one expecting things to go wrong, they all were.
"FRIDAY, do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will you?" Tony politely requested and the UI immediately obeyed. Heavy metal shutters slid down to cover all windows and doors, protecting the outside from any blasts that might happen on the inside. Had it not been for the lights, they would've emerged in complete darkness.
Bruce glanced around at the precautions before resting his eyes on the glove again. "Everybody comes home." He slowly slid on the glove and all of them tensed as they watched the metal expand to fit his hand.
Once the gauntlet fit him like a glove, the power of the Stones immediately started to take its toll. Rainbow-colored veins spread themselves like parting rivers up his arm, burning away the very fabric of his shirt as he fell to his knees, groans of pain leaving his lips like a symphony.
"Take it off. Take it off!" Thor frantically called, watching in horror as Bruce fought hard to not succumb to the pain.
But Steve held up a hand. "No, wait! Bruce, are you okay?"
Bruce's cries of pain seemed to intensify as they watched him, transfixed. It was all they could do, none of them could offer any comfort or rip their eyes from him.
"Talk to me, Banner." Tony urged, clearly worried about it friend.
The pain was so overwhelming that it took a moment before Bruce was able to string words together. With another loud groan though, he managed to convey the most important part. "I'm okay. I'm okay." His words were of little comfort, as he looked as far from okay as one could. A thin layer of sweat coated his skin, his eyes squeezed shut in agony as the flesh on his arm sizzled away.
Bit by bit, Bruce raised his arm, using his other one to help stabilize it. His thumb and middle finger inched closer to one another, his cries of pain now crescending to screams.
And then, he did it. He snapped.
All the energy he had left seemed to drain out of him faster than a speeding bullet as he crumpled to the floor. Now, without a purpose to fulfill, the gauntlet slid off Bruce's hand and clattered to the ground with a heavy thunk.
"Bruce!" Steve exclaimed, kneeling by his side to check if he was alright while Clint kicked the still scorching glove away.
"Don't move him!" Tony quickly instructed, spraying some sort of cooling spray over Banner's burnt flesh to ease the pain and keep the wound sterilized.
At the same time that the thick, metal shutters started to retract, Bruce grasped Steve's wrist with his healthy arm. "Did it work?" He panted, his face still scrunched up in pain.
"We're not sure. It's over. It's okay." Thor reassured him, patting his head.
Scott wandered away from the group, his gaze stuck on the small birds that were frolicking and happily chirping in the small courtyard. Birds that had not been there moments before. It was like they had just popped into existence from out of nowhere.
The noise of a vibrating cell phone reached their ears and Keira transformed her skin back to normal. Since she was right beside the table where the phone was calling for attention, her eyes naturally landed on it. A bubbling feeling started to brew in the pit of her stomach as a wide grin stretched her lips. "It worked." She breathed, seeing her smile mirrored on Natasha's face, who had also seen the identity of the caller.
"How do you know?" Clint questioned, barely daring to believe it. Of course, he had immediately recognized the vibration pattern, but after not hearing it for over five years, it still felt like a dream. Just like Keira had done during her rogue year, he had kept his phone charged in the hope of hearing it again one day.
And when he took the phone from the mutant's outstretched hand, his eyes burned as they landed on the contact photo of his wife. His bottom lip quivered as he shakily brought the phone up to his ear. "Honey? Honey." He choked out, his heart leaping in his chest as he heard his wife's voice saying his name.
Keira's eyes burned as she fought to fight back the happy tears that wanted to run down her cheeks. They did it. They actually did it.
After five long years of misery, everyone was back. For just a moment, they were granted peace. A blissful moment to revel in their victory. But it was the calm before the storm.
Because in this world, peace never lasted and the universe wouldn't let them triumph this easily.
As a shadow fell over the room, Keira's glance traveled upwards to see what could possibly be blocking out the sun. And to her dismay, she caught a glimpse of the missile that headed straight for the compound. Her brain barely had time to process the image, even less time to react to it but she threw her arms around Clint and Natasha, pulling them close.
It was all she could do, trying to shield her friends to the best of her ability as the missiles rained down on them, scattering the heroes and tearing the compound apart.
The ground seemed to split open, like a set of great jaws of some ground-dwelling creature whose sole purpose was to devour The Avengers and keep them from ever walking the Earth again.
With her friends tightly clutched to her chest, Keira squeezed her eyes shut in some childish belief that it wouldn't hurt as much if she couldn't see what awaited her in the abyss below. Broken-off pipes and sharp rocks greeted them on their way down, littering their skin with bruises.
It felt like they fell for an eternity, like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Until they weren't anymore.
The air got squeezed out of her lungs with tremendous force as her back collided with the ground. Her eyes shot open, just to be greeted by darkness as she gasped for breath. Dust and debris hung in the air like a thick veil, coating the inside of her throat as well as everything around her. "Tasha? Clint?" Keira coughed, releasing her friends so she could push herself into a sitting position.
Natasha rolled off the mutant's arm, resting on her forearms with her upper body raised from the ground. "Still alive." She announced with a groan. Judging from the way her muscles were aching, she wasn't sure she would've survived the fall without Keira. The dull emergency lighting did barely anything to illuminate whatever room or crevice they were in, casting everything in deep shadow. "Clint?"
"Oy. Mohawk boy." Keira leaned over and poked the archer in the rib. "You don't get to clock out yet."
"Ow." Clint winced at the sharp pain and did his best to roll away from the mutant over the uneven ground. He shakily got to his feet, propping himself up against the rocky wall. All of his muscles stung, but he guessed their fight was far from over. The flashlight on his arm came to life after a few hits and he glanced up through the hole they had just fallen through. "We're a long way down. What the hell even was that?"
With another groan, Keira pushed herself up off the ground and brushed some debris out of her hair. "I have no idea. You tell me. I'm betting aliens though." She held out a hand to Natasha, who gratefully took it and pulled herself back to her feet.
Judging from the metal pipes, the dripping water, and the chunks of concrete lying around, they had landed down in the sewers. Yippie. It was quite the obstacle course trying to walk around to get a better sense of where they were and where they could go without spraining an ankle or falling on her face.
Thank god she left Nikato back in Tony's cabin, or her dog would've probably been dead by now.
Keira's eyes adjusted quickly to the dull lighting, and she followed Clint's gaze for a moment before returning it to the tunnel. Two ways to go unless they wanted to climb the crumbling concrete. "Bloody fantastic..." Which also meant the possibility of a dead end. She climbed over a few pieces of rock, straining her eyes to try and see something further down the dark tunnel but without result.
With the dripping water, the creaking of pipes and stone, it was almost impossible to make out any sounds beyond that. Natasha and Clint joined her side, the latter shining his flashlight down the dark tunnel, something that caused her to quirk an eyebrow. "How come you have a built-in flashlight?"
"It's called being prepared. Maybe you should read up on it." Clint meaningfully looked her up and down, clearly judging her.
Sure, her outfit wasn't equipped with a flashlight, but it was good enough. And her katana had managed to stay glued to her back through the fall, which was a huge relief. "Oh, shut up. We need to get out of here. And fast. I don't like the idea of being buried alive."
"I'm with Key on this one." Natasha silently agreed.
As Clint's flashlight traveled across the ground, Keira's eyes caught sight of something shiny, and on closer inspection, it was nothing less than the Infinity Gauntlet, still housing all six Stones.
Just as she bent down to pick it up, an odd sound stood out from the rest of the noise. A low, guttural growl that caused all three of them to spin around.
Clint quickly nocked a flare arrow, and the added light from the projectile lit up the darker parts of the tunnel, illuminating the creatures that had growled. There were a lot of them, and Keira doubted that she would ever get the mental image of the slimy aliens covering every inch of the tunnel's wall out of her head. Like a great swarm of beasts stalking closer to its unsuspecting prey.
It was the stuff of nightmares.
"Okay, time to go! Now." Natasha, who had been the one standing to the side pulled on her friends' sleeves to get them running. Despite their rather rocky start, she managed to sweep up the gauntlet from the ground, barely daring to glance behind them.
Keira could hear nothing else but the snarling and growling behind her, the sound somehow becoming denser by the second. Her brain was too busy with keeping her friends in front of her, and to not trip over some uneven grate to even register the faint sound of thunder roaring above the ground. Because there was no way she would take point on this run and risk losing one of them due to them being slower than she was.
"I hate to be that person, but I told you it was aliens!" Keira shouted out, hearing the slight glee laced within her own panicked voice. Another sharp turn to the left caused her to hit the opposite wall, her feet just slipping across the water-filled ground. "Ow! Anyways, does anybody have any bright ideas they'd like to share with the class? Because I'm all ears!"
The rampaging aliens were getting closer, digging their claws into the protesting metal as they chased their prey.
Clint, being the one in the middle, shot a quick glance over his shoulder. "Yeah, don't get burned!" Without further explanation, he pulled out multiple explosive arrows and plunged them into the smaller pipes running along the wall. They beeped at a steady pace, speeding up right before they detonated. "Fire in the hole!"
The force of the explosions threw all three of them forwards, causing them to fall hard on the metal grates running across the floor. If they thought that some bombs might earn them a break, they were sadly mistaken.
Just like in Wakanda when the aliens had pushed themselves through the forcefield and ignored their scorching bodies, they did the same now. They fought their way through the fire, their flesh still sizzling. And those who had been too far behind to taste the blast simply crawled their way over their fallen comrades.
Keira scrambled to her feet, desperately casting around for a way out. On one hand, they had a fiery pit crawling with aliens, and on the other, a never-ending tunnel. "Okay, new plan. Up it is!" Despite Clint's slight insult against her suit, something it did have, was a grappling hook. At the same time that Clint shot up his, she did the same, pulling Natasha close as they rose through the air.
The aliens leaped after them, nipping at their heels which forced them to pull out their weapons. Clint and Keira resorted to their swords while Natasha used her gun.
As they reached the top, they all landed on their backs. The last alien got shot down by Natasha before she let her head fall back against the ground. "Yeah, let's not do that again." She panted, the damp air doing little to supply their lungs with the oxygen they so desperately craved. The gauntlet lay on the ground between her and Clint, gleaming innocently as if it weren't the cause of all of the destruction.
Keira crawled over to the edge of the hole they had just come up through and sighed. "Thank the gods they don't seem to be able to climb properly. Freaking aliens, man. Swear, they'll be the death of us all someday."
The snarling beasts paced in circles, some of them snapping their jaws when they glanced up. Some of them tried to leap against the wall, but fell down as the momentum wasn't on their side anymore.
"Yeah. We should be glad you seem to be sharing the same brain cell." Clint panted, one hand on his heaving chest and the other on the gauntlet.
Keira merely waved a dismissive hand in his direction, her eyes still following the creatures circling below her. "Whatever. You're in the same club, in case you missed the memo, Katniss."
Whatever retort Clint had ready died when a pair of footsteps reached their ears and Nebula emerged from the darkness, towering over the archer. "Oh, hey. I know you." Thankful for any help, Clint hoisted the gauntlet up so it would be easier for the blue woman to take.
Just as Nebula bent down to take it, Keira felt that something was wrong, ripping her eyes away from the growling aliens. She hadn't gotten a lot of time to get to know Nebula, more than her tragic backstory and path to finding herself, but the Nebula in front of them was not the woman that had helped her with the settings of her time travel suit. "No! Clint, wait!"
But it was too late.
Nebula straightened up, the gauntlet safely in her hands, and put a finger up to her temple. "Father, I have the Stones."
Keira managed to scramble to her feet, and Natasha made it to a half-sitting position before a gun was pointed at Clint's head, stopping them in their tracks immediately.
The blue woman met their gazes steadily, a warning glint in them. "Don't do anything rash."
"Stop."
All heads turned to the new voice. A green woman walked closer, holding a gun pointed at Nebula.
"You're betraying us?" Nebula asked, cautiously stepping over Clint's body, still holding the gun to his head. Keira and Natasha could do nothing but watch, not wanting to risk a bullet to their friend's head. But before the green woman had a chance to answer, another person joined in with their hands raised.
Another Nebula...?
Keira's eyebrows furrowed together as her eyes darted between the two Nebulas. She hadn't gotten a chance to process the missiles yet, but now, she could finally connect the pieces. There was no other explanation except that Tony's time machine had been used.
The missiles must've come from Thanos' spaceship, but from another time. Before his death. That was why Nebula hadn't been present at the gauntlet's presentation and snap. She had been too busy with getting her father to the present time.
And the green woman must be Gamora, Nebula's sister. When the Other Nebula pointed her gun at Nebula, Clint swiftly rolled out of harm's way and joined Natasha's side.
"You don't have to do this." Nebula tried to reason.
The Other Nebula glanced between her newer counterpart and her sister. "I am this." She said in a low voice, almost sounding sad.
"No, you're not." Gamora disagreed, shaking her head faintly.
Nebula carefully tapped her temple while slowly moving closer to the Other Nebula. "You've seen what we become." It was obvious what she meant. While the Other Nebula might still be loyal to Thanos, she had also seen how they had broken free from their father's grasp in the future.
"Nebula, listen to her." Gamora pleaded, noticing how her sister's eyes were welling with tears.
"You can change."
The Other Nebula shook her head sadly as her sister lowered her gun. "He won't let me." And she then pointed her gun at Gamora.
"No!"
But it was the Other Nebula who got shot, a gaping hole in her chest where wires crackled dangerously as she slid to the ground. Nobody spoke as Nebula lowered her gun, watching the life seep out of her old self.
Keira pulled Natasha back to her feet before sending a grateful nod in Gamora and Nebula's direction, a silent thanks for saving Clint's life. But they didn't have time to dwell. "Come on. We need to get up there. This place is making me claustrophobic."
Her brain had finally managed to calm down enough to register the faint noise of fighting up above, and she wouldn't be able to just stand by the sidelines. If she got a new chance to fight Thanos again, she would take it.
The titan had cost her the love of her life in his search for balance.
It was a tiring climb since most of the maintenance staircases had collapsed or been blocked by rubble. But nothing that couldn't be solved with a little bit of superhuman strength and some trained assassin ingenuity.
When they finally emerged out of the rubble, Keira looked around in horror. The sight that met her eyes was far from reassuring or hopeful.
Black smoke hung in the air like a blanket, blocking out the very sun and sky. The compound was a ruin of its former self, and she doubted they would ever be able to rebuild it like it once was. Items that once had the job of making a room feel more like home were now destroyed, blasted to pieces Memories that were housed within the walls would never see the light of day again, and would never cause the feeling of déjà vu ever again.
But just because they were above ground again didn't mean that they were done. No, they needed an overview of the situation, and the sound of fighting was a good indicator of where they needed to go. Only three figures were fighting Thanos.
Tony, Thor, and Steve.
Keira had no idea where the rest of the team was, but her best guess was somewhere underneath all the rubble. Before they had fallen too far down the abyss, she had heard the panicked voices in her comm before it cut out.
The god, the supersoldier, and the man were all taking turns at Thanos, but the titan seemed unphased.
Even without the Stones at his hand, he was too strong for them. It didn't take long until Thanos had knocked the three of them to the ground. Over the eerie silence that had settled across the grounds, Keira could hear Thanos' words like a gleeful whisper in her ears.
"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."
A bright light shone down on the ground behind him, revealing his troops. It was not only the footsoldiers they were used to seeing from the attack on New York or Wakanda, but more evolved aliens as well. Such as the ones that had attacked Keira and Wanda back in Scotland. And Tony back in New York when Peter had joined the fight before getting lost in space.
Had they thought the army back in Wakanda had been big, it was nothing compared to this one.
Thousands upon thousands of aliens marched forwards, all of different shapes and sizes. It was a truly menacing sight.
Glancing to her side, she met Natasha and Clint's eyes. They all knew what they had to do. Even if this fight was doomed from the start, they were gonna fight, no question about it. And if they died today... Well, so be it.
"Stay safe, okay?" Keira pulled Clint in for a one-armed hug, giving the gauntlet in his arms a meaningful look. It wouldn't be the smartest move to take it down and place it directly in Thanos' line of sight.
Clint just nodded. "You too."
Keira started to make her way down the rubble, swallowing down the lump in her throat that had grown at the sight of the massive army. This fight may be doomed, but she would make sure to at least take some aliens with her to the gates of hell. The sound of loose rocks rolling down behind her revealed that Natasha decided to stick by her side, something that she was secretly grateful for.
Only one man remained standing in the battlefield below, and that was Steve.
There was no chance he would back down from this and he stubbornly met the mad titan's gaze, tightening the broken shield to his arm. Keira and Natasha joined his right side, their hands on the handles of their weapons. The look of understanding they shared was clear as glass.
Whatever it takes.
As if to test their resolve, great Leviathans emerged from the giant spaceship above, snaking their way through the air. It was as if time had transported them back to 2012 New York when the Chitauri had first made their presence known.
Except this time, there was a lot more of them. A lot more.
There was a moment of complete silence, when they all seemed to have turned into stone. Even the wailing wind had stopped in its tracks to allow the split second of peace. But just as the illusion was broken, the eerie stillness of the scene breaking apart like shattered glass as their muscles tensed, ready to jump into the inevitable fight, something happened.
The comms in their ears suddenly crackled to life.