"How terrible is it to love something that death can touch."
Aphrodite Harper.
Peter helped Tony stand up, and the blue robot extended a hand to me.
"Nebula."
"Aphrodite. Thanks." I said, taking her hand as she gently pulled me to my feet.
Mantis helped Quill stand, and Drax collected himself.
"Where would Thanos be going?" Quill asked, and I rolled my eyes.
"We wouldn't have to worry about it if you didn't bitch slap him. We almost had the gauntlet off, Quill!" I exclaimed angrily, and Tony interlocked our fingers to calm me down.
"He killed my girl. What would you do if he killed Stark." Quill said, and I sighed.
"Do we have any way to find out where he's going?" Peter asked, and I looked at Stephen.
"You got anything, Master of the Mystic Arts?" I asked, and he stared at me.
"Yes."
•••
Stephen meditated for a moment, and then dropped onto his feet, looking at me, and then over to a rock.
He held his fingers up, and used his sling ring to open up a portal.
"Through there is Wakanda. The mind stone is there. That's where Thanos is heading. Let's go." He said, and I grabbed Tony and Peter's hands, walking through the portal as the Guardians and Stephen walked behind us.
We walked straight onto a battlefield.
There were aliens everywhere, fighting Wakandans, and I assume the rest of the Avengers.
An alien dog jumped at me, so I lifted the earth, forming a stalagmite and driving it through the mutants chin.
"We need to find Vision, now!" I yelled, pushing a gust of air at another alien, sending it flying into the air, where it got stabbed with a spear.
I grabbed my ribs in pain as we split up to find Vision, and I dropped down into a ditch to see a tall woman fighting Wanda and Nat.
I stomped on the earth, and woman flew into the air, and got killed but a large metal wheel.
"That was really gross." Nat said, and then her eyes fell on me.
"Dite?"
"Hey, Nat."
They jogged over to hug me, but I help my hand up to prevent it.
"Broken ribs. I wouldn't hug me." I said, wincing as they looked at me in concern.
"It's been so long." Nat said, leaning her forehead on mine.
"I've missed you girls." I said, and we kissed eachother on the cheeks before I looked at them.
"Do you know where Vision is? Thanos has every stone, he's on his way here." I said, making Wanda gasp.
"A group of us just fought him on Titan for the time stone. We lost. We need to get to Vision before he does." I explained, and Nat pressed her earpiece.
"I know where Vision is, let's go."
I moved the earth underneath us as we made it to vision's position, and we landed to see almost all the Avengers there.
Except Stephen, the Guardians, Tony and Peter weren't.
"I'm with the other Avengers to stop Thanos. On my position." I said, waiting for a response.
"No can do honey. There's heaps of aliens down here, we're going to help the Wakandans while the rest of you stop Thanos." Tony said, and I smiled.
"Stay safe. I love you."
"I love you."
I turned to look at Steve, and he gave me a nod.
"Good to see you, Aphrodite."
"Same to you, Cap." I said, and Wanda ran over to Vision, who was laying on the floor.
"You fought Thanos before, what should we expect?" Sam asked, and I sighed.
"A few broken ribs, maybe." I said, still holding my side, grimacing.
"Are you okay?" Wanda asked, and Vision flinches in pain, making her look more worried.
"What? What is it?" She asked, and Vision looked defeated.
"He's here."
"Everyone, on my position. We have incoming." Steve said into the earpiece, and as soon as the words left his mouth, the wind around us picked up.
Okoye, Sam and T'Challa joined us, as Nat looked around.
"What the hell?"
The blue and black hue of the space stone appeared, and Thanos stepped out, making my breath hitch.
"Cap. That's him." Bruce said, and everyone looked at the power stone wielding Titan of death.
"Eyes up. Stay sharp." Steve ordered, beginning to walk towards Thanos.
Bruce lunged towards Thanos first, but the Titan activated the space stone, completely phasing Banner through the side of a cliff, burying him and freezing him here.
Steve was next to make a move, but before he could even land a hit, Thanos used the power stone to send him flying into the trees.
T'Challa charged his suit, extending his claws and leaping high to attack, but Thanos grabbed him by the throat, punching him o the ground and continuing to move forward.
I watched Sam swoop in, shooting at the Titan with both of his pistols, but Thanos easily destroyed his wings, rendering him flightless.
"Wanda, it's time." Vision said to Wanda, and I knew we had to protect those two at all costs.
We couldn't stop Thanos, but we could hold him off until the mind stone gets destroyed.
"They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can. Look at me. You have the power to destroy the stone."
They talked a little more, and eventually Vision convinced Wanda to destroyed the mind stone.
"It shouldn't be you, but it is. It's all right. You could never hurt me. I just feel you."
Wanda began firing her energy at the mind stone, and the rest of us tried to hold Thanos back.
Rhodey came flying in, firing his guns the same as Sam, but Thanos used the gauntlet to crush Rhodey's armour and toss his aside with Sam.
Barnes ran in, slightly surprising me, but he was launched away by the power stone, the same way Steve was.
Okoye flung her spear at the crazy Titan, but he easily deflected it, and tossed her to the side while he buried Nat in large chunks of rock.
A strange tree came running in, stabbing his hands into the ground in attempt to wrap Thanos in roots, but they were quickly broken.
Another earth bender.
How lovely.
Wanda wasn't gaining any ground, so she added her left hand to the mix as Thanos began approaching me.
"Aphrodite Harper. I thought I left you on Titan." Thanos said, standing a few metres away from me.
"You did. You also threw a fucking moon at me." I grimaced, holding my ribs right my right hand.
"You're hard to break. I hope you survive this." He said, but before I could respond, Steve slid underneath him.
He deployed arm shields, punching Thanos in the stomach and chin, grabbing the gauntlet to keep Thanos from snapping his fingers.
The Titan looked impressed for a moment, before slamming his other hand into Steve's head, knocking him out.
I was approached by Thanos, and he looked at me intently.
"Will you get out of my way?" He asked, and I clenched my fists to tightly I was sure they had gone white.
"I would rather die." I said angrily, and he chuckled menacingly.
"That can be arranged." Thanos said, walking closed to be.
Before I could take the air from his body, he grabbed my arm, tossing me into a tree.
I was almost positive a few more ribs broke.
Wanda used her left hand to fend off Thanos, but he began slowly walking towards her, making me groan.
"Do it Wanda!" I yelled, and I watched as Vision mouthed something, and Wanda began crying harder.
The mind stone began cracking, and a peaceful expression took over Vision's features. As the crystal fragments broke completely, a pulse of yellow energy was sent over the trees, blinding me for a moment.
Thanos approached Wanda, and I watched as he placed his hand in her head comfortingly while she sobbed.
They exchanged some words, and I watched in horror as he used the time stone to reverse time.
I screamed in pain as I felt a few of my ribs unbreak, and the hue of yellow light fell back into Vision's mind stone.
Thanos picked Vision up by the throat, and dug the mind stone out of his head, killing him as Vision's body post colour and fell limp.
My eyes widened when I knew what was coming next.
Thanos placed the final stone into the gauntlet, the energy surge making him groan in anguish.
Before he could click his fingers, a bolt of lightning hit him, sending him into the ground.
I wondered where it come from, until I saw Thor emerge from the trees.
His expression was terrifying.
He was looking for revenge, and he found it.
Thor raised his axe like weapon over his head, and I didn't have time to question why he didn't have Mjolnir, before Thor drove it straight into Thanos' chest.
I smiled slightly, and Thor knelt down in front of Thanos, glaring it him.
"I told you, you'd die for that." He said, grabbing the back of the Titan's head, driving the axe further into his chest.
Thanos cried out in pain, making a grin come across my face.
I know I shouldn't be smiling but, the thought of that motherfucker dying really did make me feel a sense of peace.
Thanos weakly looked up a Thor, and grinned, making my blood run cold.
"You should have gone for the head." He said, raising his gauntlet and snapping his finger, making Thor yell.
"What'd you do?" He asked, and when Thanos didn't answer, Thor punched him.
"What did you do?!"
Thanos quickly activated the space stone, and teleported away, leaving us all injured and angry.
I pulled myself to my feet, walking over to Thor and kneeling next to him, putting my hand on his shoulder comfortingly.
Steve stumbled over to us, holding his side and looking worried.
"Where'd he go? Thor, where'd he go?"
A few people walking under the trees, and I was alerted to Bucky walking over to us.
"Steve?" He asked, and he suddenly stumbled over, dropping his gun and collapsing into ashes, making everyone gasp in shock.
Steve walked over to where Bucky was, placing his hand on the ground, looking a mix between sadness and shock.
"What the fuck is happening? People are disappearing!" Tony shouted into the earpiece, but I didn't respond, knowing he would be racing to me with Peter.
Wanda stared at me with a sad smile, then looked up to the sky, disappearing into ash as she held Vision, making tears fall down my cheeks.
Rhodey gave me a worried look, and began walking through the trees looking for other people.
"Sam? Sam, where you at?!"
"Something is happening." Mantis said, and I saw the Guardians as well and Stephen, Tony and Peter emerge from the trees.
Tony and Peter raced over to me, and I hugged Peter as Mantis turned into ash.
"Quill?" Drax asked, and it was that moment I realised his arm has vanished.
Quill looked between us in horror, and Drax was gone with the wind.
Tony stepped toward Quill as Steve and Thor watched from a distance, and my small tears had turned into a flow.
"Steady, Quill." Tony said, and he gave us a defeated look.
"Oh, man." He responded, and disintegrated into ash in front of us.
Stephen calmly turned to us, a blank expression on his face and he sat down, leaning against a tree.
"There was no other way." He said, giving me one last knowing look before he turned into ash.
My heart was beating faster than ever as I turned to look at Thor and Steve, relief washing over me as I confirmed they were still alive.
"Mum? Dad?" Peter asked, and I turned to look at him as he stumbled backward, looking scared.
"I don't feel so good." He said, as his voice was laced with fear.
Tony looked at me, and I could tell he was terrified.
"Peter, you're alright?" Tony said, trying to reassure our kid, but it came out as a question, and his voice shook in panic.
"I don't know what's, I don't know what's happening."
Peter began stumbling over to us, falling into our arms, starting to cry.
"I don't wanna go. I don't wanna go." He cried, and I began sobbing, holding him tightly.
"Please." He whispered, and Tony carefully helped Peter lie down as he held our hands, looking defeated.
"I'm sorry."
He vanished into ash, his hand in mine becoming dusty as he disappeared, and I let out a pained scream, falling into Tony's arms.
He stared at his hands in disbelief while I sobbed, and Nebula walked through the trees, standing in front of me.
"He did it."
Everything fell silent after that.
Steve, Thor, Rhodey, Nat, Bruce, Nebula, Tony, and small racoon and I remained in the trees, while Vision's grey corpse was in the middle of us all.
"What is this? What the hell is happening?" Rhodey asked, and I sobbed into Tony's arms as he kissed my hair, holding my tightly.
Steve was the first to look around at us, and he looked at all the piles of ash, then back at Tony and I.
"Oh, God."