The Other Symbiote

A Really Early Christmas Gift

Raiva's eyes opened weakly, the clouds above her stained with darkness in ash, smoke and blood. As her ears focused in, she heard strained grunts somewhere behind her, a boot scratching the dirt next to her shoulder so it piled up.

"In all my years of conquest... violence... slaughter... it was never personal. But I'll tell you now... what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet..." Thanos' voice flowed in and out of focus in Raiva's ears.

*Get up, Raiva. We have to get up.*

She felt an all-too familiar feeling as Nemesis encroached around her, making her stand up slowly.

"I'm gonna enjoy it... very, very much."

As Nemesis let Raiva take the reins, portals opened up from the Mothership and Thanos' army appeared below it, countless Outriders along with Chitauri versions of trolls and the Black Order awaiting their master's command.

Ships and Chitauri speed bikes began to descend too, giving Raiva flashbacks before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You with me?" Steve muttered tiredly as he held out his hand.

"To the end." She nodded, clasping theirs together.

She helped him tighten the shield on his forearm, letting Nemesis heal his wound, before they turned to observe the army in it's entirety. Leviathans came from above like some twisted-angel experiment, but they didn't strike fear into her like they used to.

Instead, she took Steve by the fatherly-sized hand and shuffled along the rubble towards it.

"Hey, Cap, you read me?"

That voice... that voice inside their ears was dead, right?

"Cap, it's Sam. Can you read me?"

She watched as he slowly pressed the button in his ear to talk, but his puff of breath was all that was needed.

"On your left."

A spark caught on nothing, hovering a metre above ground, until it turned into a spiral and eventually a portal. She recognised the sunset, one she hadn't seen in five years, and smirked at the three warriors that exited.

Okoye beamed at the host whilst the King and the Princess nodded to her respectfully, neither of them chuckling when she bowed. Tears began to prick her eyes at the sight of the army behind them, a small chuckle now releasing as she saw Sam fly through on his EXO-7.

He swirled around her and Steve, winking at them both before their attention was drawn to countless other portals opening, some from lands far beyond their solar system whilst others were next-door neighbours.

She nodded to Peter, her hands folding onto the sides of her nose as she stopped her cries before she turned to T'Challa, who gave her a nod. She moved to his side, high-fiving Okoye before her voice changed.

"YIBAMBE!" She called out.

"YIBAMBE!" The tribes of Wakanda replied.

"YIBAMBE!"

"YIBAMBE!"

"YIBAMBE!"

"YIBAMBE!"

T'Challa nodded to her and overtook the chant, Quinjets, Milanos and Benatars arriving through other portals whilst Masters of Mystic Arts closed their portals. Raiva turned to face Thanos' army once again, hope thriving through her veins as she felt a familiar hand fall onto her shoulder.