A Chitauri came down out of nowhere, blasting Steve Rogers in the back as he was sent flying to the ground. He whipped around, ready to attack with his shield only for Charlotte to land in front of him, blasting the alien as it's corpse fell back to the floor.
As quickly as possible, she grabbed onto her husband's arm and tugged him back to his feet, the pair fighting side by side amidst the carnage.
"Cap!" Clint's voice came through over the comms. "What the hell do you want me to do with this damn thing?"
Steve grunted, an Outrider launching itself at him as he held it back with what was left of his shield. Lottie stood beside him, holding off two of her own aliens.
"Get those stones as far away as possible!"
Steve summoned Mjolnir, knocking the alien away before tossing it to Lottie, who used the lightning to destroy the two on top of her.
"No!" the pair turned to Bruce as he threw one of the Outriders across the battlefield. "We need to get them back where they came from!"
"That's impossible, Thanos destroyed the Quantum Tunnel," Tony reminded the group over the comms.
"Hold on! That wasn't our only time machine,"
Steve and Lottie's eyes widened at Scott's comment, followed by the incessant replay of the car alarm for Scott's van, which held the first version of the Quantum Realm Generator.
"Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?" Steve called out to the team as Lottie flew over his head, having Friday scan the field for any sightings of the van.
"Yes! But you're not gonna like where it's parked," Valkyries' voice came through on the comms as she flew overhead, just as Lottie got a lock on the van herself.
"It's on the otherside of the battlefield, in the middle of Thanos' army," Lottie told Steve as she landed beside him once again. "Scott, how long do you need to get that thing up and running?"
"Maybe ten minutes?"
"Get it started," Steve told him as him and Lottie turned back to the battle. "We'll get the stones to you."
"We're on it Cap, Lieutenant," Hope Van-Dyne's voice cut through the comms.
Steve and Lottie split up once again, Steve taking on a hoard of Outriders on the ground as Lottie flew into the air, locking onto Clint on the ground below.
Blasts were fired at him from every direction as he ducked and weaved his way around, trying to keep the gauntlet in his hands out of the grasp of Thanos' army.
An Outrider ran up behind Clint, knocking him to the ground as his figure loomed over his. Lottie landed behind Clint, firing her repulsor at the alien as it was shot back, before Clint got to his knees and turned to face her.
"I highly suggest retirement for real after this, old man," Lottie joked, holding out her hands for the gauntlet. Clint rolled his eyes, tossing it into her awaiting arms.
"Says the 100 year old woman,"
Taking off back into the air, Lottie maneuvered her way through the hoards of aliens, the gauntlet tucked beneath her arms. She spun, firing at the aliens and knocking them from her path as Scott called out over the comms that the tunnel was finally up and running.
The second the van was in sight in the distance, Lottie was knocked to the battlefield below, clutching the gauntlet to her chest. She turned, seeing Thanos' sword swinging back into his hand as he stalked toward the woman. But a figure landed between them.
Wanda Maximoff looked up at the titan, her eyes blazing red and her fists clenched.
"You took everything from me," she sneered at the titan, who grew increasingly annoyed.
"I don't even know who you are,"
"You will," Wanda turned to Lottie, shooting her friend a smile as her palms glowed red, her body lifting into the air. "Go."
Without a second of hesitation as Wanda battled the titan, Lottie drug herself to her feet, holding out her shield as she held off an Outrider that ran up, trying to tug the gauntlet from her arms.
"Charlotte!" She turned her head momentarily, seeing T'Challa running past. "Give it to me!"
With a quick throw, Lottie tossing the gauntlet over to the king, only for them both to be swept up into a pile of rocks by Ebony Maw.
With a final blast to the Outrider, Lottie was able to kill it. She turned to help T'Challa, only to see Peter swing by and take the gauntlet from his hands.
It was the sound of missiles readying to fire that caught her attention.
Charlotte whipped around in time to see Wanda drop Thanos from her hold, one of the hundreds of missiles fired from the ship hitting the ground beside her as it tossed her into the air. Lottie kicked her jet boots into gear, flying up as she caught her friend in her arms.
Falling to the ground, Lottie placed Wanda underneath of her as she held her shield above their heads, protecting them from the onslaught of missiles that never seemed to end coming from the mad titan's ship.
Then suddenly, everything got quiet.
Lottie and Wanda moved their way out from under the shield as they watched the missiles of Thanos' ship point toward the sky, firing into the clouds above. A smile danced it's way across Charlotte's face as she realized what they were firing at.
A streak of color ran through the sky, obliterating the missiles as they exploded on impact. The body ran upward through the mad titan's ship, busting out through the top as the ship was set ablaze, the ruins falling to the ground below as Carol Danvers was left to watch it fall.
"Danvers, we could really use an assist here," Steve called out over the comms as Carol flew down onto the battlefield.
Quickly scanning the battle field, Friday locked onto Peter Parker and the gauntlet across the way just as Carol arrived to take it from him. Lottie motioned her head to Wanda as the pair flew back into the air, landing behind them as they spoke.
"I don't know how you're going to get it through all that," Peter mumbled, passing the gauntlet over to Carol as they stared out into the hoard of Thanos' army running toward them.
"Don't worry," Wanda told him with a grin, her eyes lightning up red as Okoye stalked over to join the group.
"She's got help,"
Lottie watched with a smile as the rest of the women joined them, forming a circle around Carol as she tucked the stones beneath her arm.
"Stick to the ground, alright?" Lottie told Peter, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze before looking to Carol with a playful smile. "I'd say you're a bit late."
"Fashionably late is the phrase I'd use. Let's just end this purple nut-sack's reign of terror,"
Lottie exchanged a nod with Carol before looking to Pepper as they ran forward with the team, flying up into the air as they fired their repulsors at the Leviathan that was incoming, slowing it down momentarily.
Wanda used the moment to move it to the side, giving Valkyrie a chance to fly by and drag her sword down the body of the monster as it fell to the ground below.
Together, Pepper and Lottie flew through the air after Carol, watching as Thanos charged at her with his sword. They landed on the ground beside Hope and Shuri, all four of them firing their blasters as the energy intertwined, one single beam hitting Thanos as it subdued him long enough for Carol to fly by.
The four stopped just as Carol was about to reach the tunnel and shove the gauntlet through, only for Thanos' sword to fly through the air and lodge itself inside.
The van exploded, the Quantum Realm Generator gone as a blast of energy rocked the field, sending everyone flying back into the debris behind them.
Lottie shook herself off, eyes widening as she popped up, seeing both Tony and Thanos making a beeline for the gauntlet on the ground. Firing up her boots, Lottie flew through the air as Thanos sent Tony flying back into a large chunk of debris on the ground.
Foot colliding with his head, Lottie brought her shield down on his arm as she tried to knock the gauntlet away. His fist only collided with her head, throwing her back to the ground below.
The gauntlet dropped to the ground as Thor ran forward, calling on Stormbreaker and Mjolnir as he locked them around Thanos' hand. Steve ran forward, jumping onto the titan's back and helping Thor hold the two weapons into place. Getting back to her feet, Lottie joined Thor's side as the three did their best to outnumber the titan and subdue him.
Planting his feet on the ground, Thanos swung his head forward, his head colliding with Thor's as the god was sent flying backwards. Lottie was thrown back as Thanos grabbed onto Steve, tossing him over his shoulder to the ground like a ragdoll before jumping on top of him, his fist colliding with Steve's head as he pulled back, the super soldier no longer moving.
Lottie let out a cry, charging forward, as she tried to blast the titan. He only grabbed her neck, tossing her to the side like she was nothing as he helmet dissipated, her head hitting a chunk of debris as she slid to the ground motionless.
Tony Stark struggled to sit up, his eyes wide as tears clouding his vision as he looked over at Lottie's body, seeing her slumped on the ground unmoving.
Thanos grabbed the gauntlet from the ground below, moving to slide it onto his hand when Carol appeared once more. She fought against the titan, subduing him for a moment before he tossed her back as well.
The gauntlet slid onto his hand, the power surging through his veins as he lifted his hand to snap once more, but Carol was faster.
She leaped forward, taking a hold on the gauntlet as she held it open with her bare hands as she stared up at the titan. Thanos roared, throwing his head forward to collide with her's, but it didn't phase her one bit.
Bending back the fingers of the gauntlet, Thanos' eyes grew wide in desperation at the sight. As quickly as possible, he ripped the power stone from the gauntlet, shoving it into his other hand as he blasted Carol back, her head hitting a pile of debris as she, too, was knocked unconscious.
Tony watched in desperation, knowing that they were so close to losing once again. His eyes trailed to Stephen Strange, their eyes locking for just a moment as Strange lifted one finger.
That was all it took for Tony to know what he had to do.
Thanos placed the stone back into the gauntlet, the power coursing through him once again as Thor, Steve, and Lottie finally shook themselves back into consciousness.
With a soft groan, Lottie dragged herself onto her knees, looking up at the titan with wide eyes as she watched him hold the gauntlet into the air, about to snap his fingers when Tony ran forward.
His hands grabbed onto the gauntlet, tugging on it before Thanos' fist found the man's head, sending him flying back to where he had already come from.
Lottie's breath caught in her throat, eyes wide as Thanos looked around at the heroes, the gauntlet lifting up into the air once again.
"I am...inevitable,"
His fingers snapped, but nothing happened.
Turning the gauntlet over, the stones weren't there. Finally, the mad titan's eyes trailed over to the man in the iron suit.
Tony Stark sat on his knees, breathing heavily as he lifted his hand into the air, the Infinity Stones trailing up his arm until the resting in the slots designed for them on his suit. The power surged though him as he strained against it for a moment, before welcoming the power as he stared back at the titan.
"TONY!"
Tony Stark looked to his right, seeing Charlotte Rogers frantically tug herself to her feet to run toward him. He smiled at his best friend, staring into her frantic eyes, before lifting his repulsor and firing at her, hitting her dead on as she was thrown back a few feet, her body colliding with the ground as she stared back at Tony.
With one final look around the team, Tony smiled, before looking back at the mad titan, Thanos, before him.
"And I...am...... Iron Man,"
His fingers snapped, a flash of white light covering the battlefield, before it was gone.
Steve Rogers quickly got to his feet, running to his wife as he tugged her up as well. The pair looked around the battlefield, in awe of what they saw before them.
The Leviathans in the air turned to dust, the particles falling to the ground like rain.
All over the battlefield, the Chitauri and the Outriders turned to dust, the heroes staring down at them in shock.
The children of Thanos took one last look at the titan, before turning to dust as well.
Thanos himself looking around at the carnage, at the remains of his army, before placing himself down on the ground. He hung his head, in disbelief of his failed destiny, before he too faded away into nothing but dust.
Steve Rogers couldn't wipe the smile from his face, looking around as he realized they had won. He looked down to Lottie, prepared to celebrate, only to find her wearing a frown and a tear slipping down her cheek. He followed her line of sight, his smile dropping as well as a feeling of dread filled his body in an instant.
Lottie stumbled away from Steve grasp as she moved forward. The super soldier went to tug her back, but Thor appeared behind him. The god shook his head, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder to hold him back as a tear slipped down his cheek as well.
James Rhodes stood at Tony Stark's side already. His hand moved to cup his friends' cheek, his eyes trailing over his charred right arm and the half of his face that was burned. Rhodey only tore his eyes back to his best friend's, giving him a smile, one that said he was proud, no matter how much pain lied behind it.
With the slightest of movements, Tony's head lulled to the side, his eyes landing on Charlotte Rogers.
She fell to her knees beside Tony, her lips quivering and body shaking. Tony placed his palm up, letting Lottie move her hand into his as she held him one last time.
Tony mustered up as much of a smile as he could through the pain, his voice coming out as a choked whisper.
"I won the bet,"
A mournful smile crossed Lottie's lips, a tear slipping down her cheek as her hand moved upward, cupping Tony's cheek. Her thumb slide up and down, hoping to bring him comfort, as she shook her head.
"I wish you didn't,"
The sound of a thump beside them pulled Lottie's hand away from her best friend's face, her eyes never leaving him.
"Mr. Stark?" Peter Parker's voice was shaky as Tony turned his head, staring up at the kid with a smile, but too weak to speak. Peter held a shaky smiled as he took hold of Tony's hands, hanging onto him for dear life. "Hey... Mr. Stark? Can you hear me? It's Peter. We won. Mr. Stark.... We won, Mr. Stark. We won and you did it, sir. You did it."
A sob made it's way through Peter as Lottie reached forward, her hands wrapping themselves around the kid's shoulders as she tugged him away from Tony and back into her.
"I'm sorry... Tony..."
Peter fell back into Lottie, his back pressed into her chest. His hands covered his mouth as he quietly sobbed, Lottie's arms winding their way around his body as she held him as tightly as she possibly could to herself, tears slipping down her own cheeks as she bit her lip to contain her sobs.
Pepper Potts landed in front of them, her helmet disappearing. She took a glance at Rhodey, and then Lottie and Peter, before kneeling in front of her husband.
Tony's hand came up shakily, resting over his arc reactor as Pepper leaned forward, placing her hand over top of his and holding it tightly.
"Hey, Pep..."
Tony voice came out strangled and quiet as Lottie turned Peter's face to her chest, letting him bury himself into her as he cried.
"Friday?" Pepper questioned the AI softly, her voice drifting out from the suit for everyone to hear.
"Life functions critical,"
A sob racked Lottie's body as she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, moving down to envelop her into a hug. She immediately leaned back into the chest of who she knew was Steve, sobbing silently as she held onto Peter, her eyes never leaving Tony's face. Tears fell freely down Steve's cheeks as he tried to be strong for the two before him.
Thor moved to Rhodey's side, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort as Pepper had her finaly moments.
"Tony. Look at me," With the last bit of strength left in him, Tony looked up at Pepper and her smiling face. "We're gonna be okay. You can rest now."
Those words would forever haunt Charlotte Rogers, just as they had haunted Tony Stark since 2015.
With a smile on his face, Tony Stark's arc reactor finally flickered off, his hand falling limp to the ground and out of Pepper's hold.
The woman finally let it all out, placing a kiss on her husband's cheek one last time before she buried her head in his shoulder, sobs racking her own body.
Peter curled further into Lottie, his sobs echoing with the sound of Lottie's as Steve held them both, staring down at the lifeless body of his friend.
Tony Stark's family stood together, mourning the loss of the man who sacrificed himself to save them all.
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Okay, I'm crying, but I'm ready to get yelled at. Go off in the comments, I know you want to.