A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

FIFTY

     Everyone paused for a moment. Everything was still... that was until a phone started buzzing on the table near them. Clint hesitated for a while, not wanting to get his hopes up before he walks over to check it. Astrid looks to him and watches as he sighs with relief, making her release the breath she had been holding. "Honey?"

Astrid stands up from kneeling next to the unconscious Bruce who was just starting to come to and heads to Thor who was fiddling with his jacket. "Maybe I can rest now?" Astrid jokingly says.

"Maybe you can." Thor puts an arm around her shoulders smiling, finally feeling free.

"Guys." Astrid looked over to Scott who was standing by the windows. "I think it-"

Suddenly people are shot backwards from an explosion at the front of the building. A cloud billows over the Avengers compound. Little did they know who would be waiting for them outside.

~

Astrid opens her eyes, coughing as the dust surrounding her fills her lungs. As she sits up she feels a sharp pain in the back of her head, that would explain why she was unconscious at least. She tries calling out to see if everyone was okay, but no one responded. Maybe her earpiece was damaged in the explosion? She called out a bit louder for anyone nearby. She could only hope that she was only separated and everyone was already figuring out where that explosion came from.

A small glow came to her hands for Astrid to use as a torch. All she could see was debris blocking her way through what she thought might be a tunnel. She cleared the way using her powers. She suddenly felt she could breathe as the air was slightly cleared. She went to walk ahead before instantly stopping again, hearing shrieking noises nearby.

"Okay... Creepy tunnel. Creepy noises. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

In the distance she hears another explosion. She pauses in her tracks unsure on what would be best to do. She needed to find a way out as soon as possible, but at the same time she was unsure on what would be waiting for her on the other side. She hadn't fought in five years so was starting to doubt herself.

~

While walking through the tunnels which seems to be deep underneath the compound, Astrid realises she hadn't heard the shrieking noises in a while.

As she turns the corner, the first thing she sees in Nebula, dead on the ground. She runs over to her lifeless body, thinking of how she never thanked Nebula for her help when they were stuck in space.

"Come on, please wake up." Astrid shook her hoping for any sort of movement. Her and Nebula would share stories while Tony was asleep. Astrid didn't tell many people of her past, but after hearing Nebulas story, she realised how alike the two were. Fathers who couldn't give a damn of their own daughters and tortured them to keep them in line.

"Astrid! It's okay!" Astrid turned to see a familiar face. She was slightly freaked out and backed up into a wall while holding her glowing hand out. Seeing Nebula dead was hard enough, but seeing a double was just confusing and scary at the same time. "Easy! I'm the Nebula that got to know you on that ship."

Astrid looked to see Clint stood beside her with... Gamora? She thought Gamora was dead. But at the same time she was in a room with two of the same people, one of which was dead. She lowered her hand intending to listen.

"Agh this hurts my head." Astrid holds her face in her hands.

"Easy there kiddo. We messed with time, and time decided to get payback." Clint held up the gauntlet but Astrid squinted her eyes at the trio, needing for them to elaborate.

"Thanos has come to the future..." Astrid felt her body fuel with anger hearing that monster was back in her timeline as Gamora spoke. "As have I. But I will help you stop him."

Nebula walks to Astrid to holding her hand out to help her stand. Astrid's whole body glowed, eager to get on the battlefield. The three who were stood with her backed up slightly, feeling her power slightly burning at their skin where they were too close. "What are we waiting for?"

She walks ahead, followed by Nebula and Gamora. Clint stood back for a few seconds, he had never actually seen Astrid in action. "Women are scary..."

~

Astrid finally reaches the outside world again and sees all the commotion going on. Thanos has brought his whole army. His ships have control of the skies. His army patrols the ground, and he seems to have the upper hand. Her eyes are only fixed on Thanos as she instantly runs towards him. More of Thanos' children aim to take her out but she only stops them with a swish of her hand.

She feels someone else getting close to her, but as she turns to hit them she instantly stops herself. "Peter?"

"Oh my god, hey Ms Astrid! Wow you look different, I like your suit, is it new? Looks like Mr Starks creation. I saw him just a second ago, it's good to have everyone back. It's good to be back. Hey, so what exactly ha-" Astrid suddenly pulled him in for a hug. Wow this kid could talk, but Astrid missed him. She missed them all. Watching Peter slowly fade might have been the hardest of all that were dusted. The fact that his enhanced powers meant that he could feel himself dying was heartbreaking. She still remembers that terrified look on his face.

"Thank goodness everyone's okay!" As they pulled apart, Astrid looked around the battlefield to see a lot of familiar faces. Valkyrie was nearby and she didn't leave things on a good note with her, but the two shared a smile. They were grateful to be near each other again. For the first time in five years, she finally felt some sort of happiness. It was short lived however when she looked back to Thanos. Still stood there with a smug look on his face.

"Good luck, Peter." Peter nodded to Astrid as they separated. Her pathway was now clear, Thanos was now an easy target. He was too busy looking for the stones to realise Astrid creeping up behind him.

Without a second thought she used her powers to hold him. With a great struggle, he turned to face his opponent. A look of disgust on his face as he finally breaks free. "Who are you?"

"You took everything from me." Astrid unleashes a storm of energy, hurling wreckage at Thanos as he fights his way through. Before he gets too close, Astrid lifts her greatest enemy into the air. She squeezes her hands closer together as if an imaginary ball of energy was in her palms. Slowly and painfully, that invisible force crushes Thanos, his armour ripping off in pieces in the process and she slams him into the ground. 

"Rain fire. Wipe them all out." Thanos shouts out desperately.

"But sire, our troops."

"Just do it!" If they didn't do it now, Astrid would easily kill him.

Canons open fire from above. Astrid looks up, she almost has him. She almost has Thanos but she had no choice but to let him go to shield herself. Some canons however make it through her shield as she's too late. She ends up taking quite a big blow which sends her flying backwards. She hits her head pretty hard on a large rock from behind. She can hear screams of people dying and others calling out her name. But her eyes start to blur and she feels her body growing heavy and becoming weak. She can't die yet... Thanos is still alive.