Resilience | S. Rogers [3]

18 | STEP

Or Right Now

June 2018
Avengers Compound, New York

When Steve and Rose got back to the rest of the group, Bruce stood up and went to check on him again to explain to Pepper the details better. After the mention that the Stark was currently sedated, Carol spoke surely.

"You guys take care of him. And I'll bring him a Xorrian Elixir when I come back," she started walking out the room.

The ones from Earth glanced at each other confused. "Where are you going?" Nat asked her voicing everyone's thoughts.

"To kill Thanos," Carol stated not stopping.

Their looks turned panicked and they trailed after her, the first ones being Steve and Nat. "Hey, you know, we usually work as a team here," the Romanoff began awkwardly, not sure how to address her, or politely hold her back a bit, "and between you and I, morale's a little fragile."

Carol stopped turning towards them. "We realize up there is more your territory," Steve said respectfully, "but this is our fight too."

"You even know where he is?" Rhodey questioned.

"I know people who might," the woman countered.

"Don't bother," Nebula popped in behind her, finally approaching everyone else. She'd kept to herself ever since she arrived here with Tony. "I can tell you where Thanos is."

Everyone glanced at her curiously, thinking how she could possibly know. They guessed it wasn't important as long as she was willing to share the information. They could have a chance.

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Bruce was called back, and everyone in the compound with the exception of Tony and Pepper, of course, gathered in the main common room. Nebula began sharing her story, how Thanos invaded and massacred her world but not her deciding to take her to "raise", training her into being part of his assassin children. She didn't tell them much details, only that she despised him and other important information she'd gathered over the years.

"Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me," she narrated, seeming distant, sullen but also hurt. Rose stared at her, the sensation of her feeling as an equal rather than a stranger from outer space increasing. "And when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask where would we go once his plan was complete? His answer was always the same:" she informed, "To the Garden."

"That's cute," Rhodey deadpanned, "Thanos has a retirement plan."

"So where is he?" Steve asked.

Rocket pressed a button in a small device of his standing on the table. The hologram of the Earth appeared in the centre, similar to the one Rose saw, but less blue. "When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions." The image displayed a light coming from the planet. "No one's ever seen anything like it... Until two days ago," the hologram changed, a shockwave spreading through it. "On this planet."