Stars Stripes and Metal

Endgame

Remains of Avenger's Compound, New York. October 2023.

Metal meets metal, bullets and lasers plow through flesh. Ana slashes through the creatures, quickly moving from one to another. She flips through the air, landing on the back of one alien. She drives her swords into its neck and pulls in opposite directions. Severing its head from its spine. Steve looks over as the creatures head falls from its body and his wife catapults off of it and lands on the back of another running towards Steve. She plunges her blades into its back and jumps falling backward, as the blade slices it in half while it's still running. It collapses at Steve's feet. Ana looks over to Tony, she sees him blasting the creatures. A giant alien comes up behind him and tries attacking him. Peter Parker shoots webs at the alien, pulling him back away from Tony. Scott steps on it like an insect. Ana exhales and smiles. He's ok.

Ana hears Clint ask Steve what he should do with the Stones. Bruce tells them the stones have to go back where they came from.

What are you guys talking about? Ana cuts in.

Hey kid! Clint hollers.

"Cant take them back, Thanos broke through our only quantum tunnel."

"That isn't our only time machine guys." Scott tells them. digging out his keys. Everyone hears the sound of Scotts van beeping.

"Get that thing started Scott, we'll get the stones to you."" Steve tells him.

We have a time machine?! Why did it take 5 years for someone to get us back!?

Focus Ana! Steve orders.

Ana watches Clint hand the stones off to T'Challa before T'Challa takes off running.
"There you are old man." She yells at Clint as she runs past him, on T'Challa tail incase he needs back up. Thanos throws his blade, crashing it into T'Challa. Sending the gauntlet flying. Ana tries to get to it as group of aliens surrounds her. She swings her blades, and lights them on fire. "Well?" She urges them as the close in around her. Before she's able to start fighting, Wanda appears before her, her aftershock killing the aliens around her, including the ones around Ana. Ana gets up and stands next to Wanda, reigniting the katanas again as she approaches Thanos.

"Ana! No!!!" Steve yells, as he looks over to Ana. "Sam. Get my wife!"

Ana looks up as Sam reaches down, she reaches her hand up. Sam grabs her mid flight, leaving Wanda to deal with Thanos.
"Steven, damn it I would've been fine."

"Don't argue with me Anastasia."

Ana huffs as Sam drops her close to her husband.
Just as her feet touch ground, an explosion knocks Steven off of his feet. Sending them flying. "Steve!!!" Ana crawls over to him. She brushes dirt off his body, checking for injuries when suddenly the explosions stop.

Everyone looks up, and sees a ball of fire and light shoot across the sky. It cuts through Thanos' ship. Steve sits up as Thanos' ship crashes into the lake. She looks over to Steven whose smiling.

"Do you know who that is?"

He nods. "Carol."

"Who the hell is Carol?" Ana asks.

Steve just laughs in response as he gets up and walks over to Carol. The two nod to each other. A silent greeting.

Carol takes the gauntlet from Peter Parker and he looks at the on coming advance of aliens.

"I don't know how you're going to get it through that" Peter admits.

"Don't worry. She's got help." Okoye tells him.

The female avengers surround Carol, and start walking with her towards the army.

Miss Ana. Peter greets Ana.

Queens. She winks and takes off after Carol and the others.

Ana lights her katanas on fire and heads towards a giant. She runs up a pile of rumble and flies through the air, slashing her blades into the monster's flesh before jumping off and landing in a run. James stands and watches her, Damn.

He thinks before taking off after her.

Carol takes off in streak of light, blasting through piles of concrete and discarded alien bodies. She almost reaches the time machine when Thanos throws his giant knife into the the center of it. The explosion sends Carol flying off course. The gauntlet falls to the ground away from her.

Tony sees the gauntlet at the same time Thanos does, they run for it. Tony pushes Thanos away. Thanos turns and throws Tony. Thor and Steve run up to Thanos, Thor using his lighting and tries to push the axe into Thanos' chest. Steve grabs him from the back and helps bring the blade closer to Thanos. He throws them off, punching Steve hard directly in the face. Knocking him out, his body completely limp laying in the rumble.

"Steve!" Ana runs to him. Checking for a pulse. She watches helplessly as Thanos slides his hand into the gauntlet. Ana panics as she stands looking for James. Their eyes meet, her face full of terror. He sees Thanos about to snap his fingers. James looks back to Ana and mouths the words I love you. She gives him a sad smile before pressing her lips to Steve's forehead, holding onto him.

Carol suddenly grabs Thanos' hand and pulls his fingers apart. Stopping him. The two struggle for a moment before Thanos rips the power stone from the gauntlet with his bare hand and uses it to blast Carol off him. Tony runs up to Thanos just as Thanos replaces the stone to the gauntlet. Tony yanks his hand before Thanos bats him away. Tony rolls off.

Ana hears Thanos say "I am inevitable" before snapping his hand. She closes her eyes tight and tries to memorize what Steve smells like, feels like. Ana realizes she is still there.

"What the...?" she looks up at Thanos. Making the connection, she spins and faces Tony!

"No, Tony!!" She screams, seeing the stones now adorning the hand of the only father she's ever known. She watches the power of the stone course through her father. Steve wakes, and grabs ahold of her, stopping her from running to him.

"And I... am..." Tony's eyes quickly dart to Ana. He tilts his head slightly before looking back at Thanos.

"...Ironman." He snaps his fingers.

All around them the alien army turns to ashes. Everyone watches the aliens disappear, except Ana. Her eyes glued to Tony. Tears spilling over her eyes. She wiggles against Steve's arms and runs to Tony.

"Tony... shit... sit down." She urges through rough breaths. "You're ok." She looks down at him, examining the damage.

"You're ok." she repeats.

Pepper!!" She screams. Peter lands next to her along with Rhodes.
"We won Mr. Stark. We won. You did it Mr. Stark." Ana wraps her arm around Peter, pulling him aside as Pepper kneels in front of Tony. Ana cries into Peter, as he cries into her.

"Tony?" Pepper whispers. "We're going to be ok. You can rest now." She tells him quietly. She gently kisses his cheek as he fades away. The light on his suit extinguished.

The rest of the team stands around them, quietly mourning the loss of their leader.

Steve reaches for Ana, she lets go of Peter and clings to her husband .