Steve is holding his own against Thanos, the familiar sounds of the hammer and shield ringing out across the debris-strewn landscape, and Thor struggles to get back in the brawl. To clear his vision, and find where his axe has gone, but when he can finally see again, it makes his heart sink. It's no longer Thanos alone on the battlefield, but thousands of troops, both ground and air. It's Wakanda and the Chitauri invasion all over again, except this time, there is no one left to face them.
And then...
Sparking orange portals open by the dozens, and out march entire armies. Okoye at the side of her king and princess, leading the army of Wakandan soldiers that had turned to dust. A fleet of Ravagers, ships and all, armed to the teeth and ready for war. A legion of Vanir soldiers, led by Valkyrie astride her pegasus, flanked by Korg and Miek. And on and on they come, 'til they number in the thousands, and leading their ranks are faces that he has not seen since they reviewed the lists of the missing. Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy... Peter Parker. And out of the rubble to Thor's left, Scott Lang erupts, towering over the battlefield, and opens his fist to set down Hulk and Rhodes and Rocket.
It worked.
Thor can barely breathe for the joy of it, a bright grin spreading across his face as he calls to Stormbreaker, and for the first time in half a year he feels the burn of hope in his heart. He sucks in a fresh lungful of air and bellows out a war cry, and leaps back into the fray. Not for glory, but to finally put an end to this nightmare, and heal alongside the world. To return home, safe and sound, and live.
There is no time to spare for thanks or rejoicing. Thor ducks the warned attack, blasting his enemy halfway across the ruined earth, finding a rhythm with Spider-Man at his back to turn and slash and strike with electric fury. Writhing, webbed-up outriders begin to pile up around them in a rough circle, drawing the attention of the main pack which descends on them like a swarm. "Hold fast to this," Thor tells his companion, and hurls Stormbreaker the moment Peter's webs are attached. The youngster lets out a startled yelp as the weapon launches him across the battlefield, toward where another cluster of heroes are fighting. Thor shouts, and slams his lightning-charged metal fist into the ground as violently as a hammer, cracking the scoured earth and sending a shockwave in all directions to wipe out the oncoming wave of enemies.
All around them, the battle rages. The Valkyrie and Lang battle the leviathans in close quarters while the Guardians team up on a behemoth and the ground forces tangle with Thanos' troops until they're a chaotic mess. And somewhere in the middle of all this is Clint Barton, carrying the Infinity Stones in their gauntlet.
"We have to snap all this away," Stark shouts over the comms in between repulsor blasts, his mind lightning-quick even in the midst of battle. "Erase their memories, send them back. It's the only way."
But there are few on the battlefield capable without destroying themselves. Thor, perhaps, or Valkyrie. Or Wanda, whose power glows brilliant blood red as she takes on Thanos herself, prompting the looming Sanctuary II to aim its cannons earthward, blasting even bigger holes in the rubble and forcing their forces under the wizards' shields.
And just as suddenly, they stop, and aim skyward. They do not get a chance to fire.
A brilliantly glowing figure blasts through the ship as effortless as a hot knife through butter, peeling apart the guns from the inside, and Carol Danvers hovers above the ruined ship, fists clenched as she glares down at the Titan.
Chaos reigns. Thor loses track of both Thanos and gauntlet, mired in a brawl beneath the ship's shadow, protecting Strange as he works magic to keep the river from flooding the deep crater in the earth, and drowning everyone inside of it. He cannot see that the gauntlet is now within Thanos' reach, led right to him in an attempt to get it to Danvers, with only Stark and Steve close enough to act.
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And then...
Sparking orange portals open by the dozens, and out march entire armies. Okoye at the side of her king and princess, leading the army of Wakandan soldiers that had turned to dust. A fleet of Ravagers, ships and all, armed to the teeth and ready for war. A legion of Vanir soldiers, led by Valkyrie astride her pegasus, flanked by Korg and Miek. And on and on they come, 'til they number in the thousands, and leading their ranks are faces that he has not seen since they reviewed the lists of the missing. Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy... Peter Parker. And out of the rubble to Thor's left, Scott Lang erupts, towering over the battlefield, and opens his fist to set down Hulk and Rhodes and Rocket.
It worked.
Thor can barely breathe for the joy of it, a bright grin spreading across his face as he calls to Stormbreaker, and for the first time in half a year he feels the burn of hope in his heart. He sucks in a fresh lungful of air and bellows out a war cry, and leaps back into the fray. Not for glory, but to finally put an end to this nightmare, and heal alongside the world. To return home, safe and sound, and live.
There is no time to spare for thanks or rejoicing. Thor ducks the warned attack, blasting his enemy halfway across the ruined earth, finding a rhythm with Spider-Man at his back to turn and slash and strike with electric fury. Writhing, webbed-up outriders begin to pile up around them in a rough circle, drawing the attention of the main pack which descends on them like a swarm. "Hold fast to this," Thor tells his companion, and hurls Stormbreaker the moment Peter's webs are attached. The youngster lets out a startled yelp as the weapon launches him across the battlefield, toward where another cluster of heroes are fighting. Thor shouts, and slams his lightning-charged metal fist into the ground as violently as a hammer, cracking the scoured earth and sending a shockwave in all directions to wipe out the oncoming wave of enemies.
All around them, the battle rages. The Valkyrie and Lang battle the leviathans in close quarters while the Guardians team up on a behemoth and the ground forces tangle with Thanos' troops until they're a chaotic mess. And somewhere in the middle of all this is Clint Barton, carrying the Infinity Stones in their gauntlet.
"We have to snap all this away," Stark shouts over the comms in between repulsor blasts, his mind lightning-quick even in the midst of battle. "Erase their memories, send them back. It's the only way."
But there are few on the battlefield capable without destroying themselves. Thor, perhaps, or Valkyrie. Or Wanda, whose power glows brilliant blood red as she takes on Thanos herself, prompting the looming Sanctuary II to aim its cannons earthward, blasting even bigger holes in the rubble and forcing their forces under the wizards' shields.
And just as suddenly, they stop, and aim skyward. They do not get a chance to fire.
A brilliantly glowing figure blasts through the ship as effortless as a hot knife through butter, peeling apart the guns from the inside, and Carol Danvers hovers above the ruined ship, fists clenched as she glares down at the Titan.
Chaos reigns. Thor loses track of both Thanos and gauntlet, mired in a brawl beneath the ship's shadow, protecting Strange as he works magic to keep the river from flooding the deep crater in the earth, and drowning everyone inside of it. He cannot see that the gauntlet is now within Thanos' reach, led right to him in an attempt to get it to Danvers, with only Stark and Steve close enough to act.
The universe hangs on a knife's edge.