A Heart Break In Time

What We Needed Was A Suit Of Armor Around The World.

Pepper told Sam and I to stay as long as we needed. Specifically she told us that we should stay until I no longer wanted to kick Steve's ass, but I seriously doubted that feeling would change any time soon, so after three nights I decided to suck it up and go home. Bucky had texted me everyday, and he'd asked more than once when it was happening. Bruce and Rhodey had reached out as well.

"Sam, I'm really starting to worry. Wanda isn't answering me and this is not like her." We were packing and I was hoping to bring her home with us. I called her and left a voicemail saying we'd pick her up where ever, just send me the location. But she wasn't answering.

"She just lost everything, more than once. It may have been five years for you, but for us, this just happened."

I nodded. "I'm just so worried. It feels like I've lost her, again."

Flashback

I was standing next to Vision as Wanda landed near us. "Are you okay?" Vision flinched and Wanda and I both looked worried. "What? What is it?"

"He's here. Wanda. It's time."

Wanda tensed up. "No." I looked back and forth between the two. My heart sank as I understood.

Vision took steps towards her. "They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can. Look at me. You have the power to destroy the stone."

"No, don't. There's got to be another way." I begged.

Vision ignored me. "You must do it. Wanda, please. We...are...out of time."

Tears fell down Wanda's face as she spoke. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. You can. If he gets the stone, half the universe dies. It's not fair. It shouldn't be you, but it is." Vision took Wanda's hand in hers, kissing it softly. "It's all right. You could never hurt me..." he moved her hand to the stone on his head. "I just...feel you."

Tears poured down my face as I watched my friend use her powers to beam at the Mind stone, which would effectively kill the man she loved. I noticed movement behind her, and ran towards it, kicking the alien that had appeared. Wanda looked over her shoulder at me and I saw her face, covered in her tears. I wanted nothing more than to stop her, scream that we could find another way. But I saw Thanos approaching as I continued fighting the weird looking enemies that kept on coming.

Suddenly I notice Steve running towards Thanos, punching him in the gut and chin. He grabs the gauntlet, trying to keep Thanos' fingers un-clenched. I watched as he looks at my fiancé as he screams before slamming a fist into his head. "No! Steve!" I screamed, causing Wanda to look behind her again. An enemy had caught me from behind as I was distracted. I was trying to fight by way out when Wanda let out another beam of energy towards Thanos. He was still forcing his way towards her.

I saw Vision's mouth move but I was unable to hear him. And then the Stone cracked. Vision's face was left emotionless and a pulse of pure yellow energy explodes from him, Wanda and Thanos both stopped. She did it.

Thanos walked towards her. "I understand, my child. Better than anyone."

Pure rage I have never seen before showed on Wanda's face. "You could never."

Thanos reached down to touch her and I again fought against the arms around me. He spoke to her softly. "Today, I lost more than you can know. But now is no time to mourn. Now... is no time at all." He reaches forward, clenching the gauntlet, he made a twirling gesture with his hand. We watched as yellow light starts gathering growing in size, slowly becoming Vision, his face in shock.

Wanda screamed and lunged towards them. Thanos swatted her away and then picked up Vision by the throat, and digs his fingers into Vision's forehead, digging out the Mind Stone. He pulls it loose, then tosses his body. He dropped the mind stone into the final spot on the gauntlet. Thanos turns his hand to look at the gauntlet and a massive bolt of lighting strikes him, pushing him back and into the ground.

Thor. Thor's eyes were glowing with power as he made his way to Thanos. He raised his weapon above his head and threw it. Thanos fired energy at it but it did nothing to even slow the axe down as it landed in his chest. Thor landed in front of him. "I told you. You'd die for that." He pressed the axe further into Thanos's chest as I stared at him, thankful. The feeling did not last long.

Thanos cried out in pain and then spoke quietly. "You should have... you... You should have gone for the head!" He raised his gauntlet and snapped his fingers.

"NO!"

A second later, the gauntlet was scorched and distorted, no longer glowing.

Thor yelled. "What'd you do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Thanos teleported away and I looked around terrified.

Steve walked towards us, holding his left side. Thank god you're okay. He looked directly at Thor. "Where'd he go? Thor... where'd he go?"

The arms holding me had vanished. I started to take a step towards my fiancé when I heard a familiar voice, sounding terrified. Bucky. "Steve?"

Bucky suddenly stumbles and drops his gun. I watch as he disappears, turning to ash and Steve silent walks towards where he was, touching the ground. The hurt in his eyes echoing in my heart as I looked around. This wasn't happening. This was not happening. I looked towards Wanda, standing next to Vision's now empty body. She looked at me and I watched as she started to also turn to ash. The look on her face almost mirrored relief as I ran towards her, just missing her hand, getting ash instead. No.

I stood next to Steve with Thor, Rhodey, Bruce, and Rocket. Steve turned over Vision's corpse as Natasha runs up to us. I made my way towards her, wrapping my arms around her as Rhodey spoke. "What is this? What the hell is happening?"

Steve let out a brief cry. "Oh, God." I cried in Natasha's arms as I replayed seeing Bucky and Wanda, two people who were so much to me, slowly turn to nothing.

*

Sam didn't say much on the drive back to the compound. I was grateful. I knew I couldn't hide from Steve and Peggy forever but I was hoping I could until I at least felt less like shooting him. At the very least, Steve retiring meant he'd be leaving soon. So I would get the team in the divorce it seems. I smiled at the thought.

Bucky greeted us outside with Bruce. "Hey, doll." He wrapped his arms around me and I sighed into his chest. "You okay?"

I pulled away when I answered. "Yeah, just really miss Tony. But God, Morgan is his mini me. Pepper's got a lot of trouble ahead of her." I gave a weak smile and Bucky reached out to grab my hand as Sam came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

Bruce smiled at me, he opened his mouth to speak but it was interrupted by Steve walking out of the compound. "You're back." He spoke directly at me, but his eyes wandered to Bucky's hand in mine, along with Sam's hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah. I went to Tony's." Sam moved his hand off my shoulder but I kept my hand in Bucky's. "Sam stayed with me." Steve raised and eyebrow at Sam who only shrugged in response.

"Where I am and who I'm with is officially no longer your business, in case you were unaware. Unless we're needed for a mission, worry about yourself. I'm going to my room." I stared straight ahead as I walked by the men standing there. I heard them speak as I left but I could not have cared less.

Back in my room I realized I hadn't been here since he came back from the past, which meant my room hadn't been de-Steve'd. I sighed, and grabbed a trash bag. I collected every thing that was his or remotely reminded me of him and threw it in the bag. I tied it up and tossed it into my closet, promising I'd figure out some petty way to return it later.

1 unread message from Bucky

Swimming?

I smiled and texted back.

Changing now. Meet you there.