Sokovian Bastard

65

"Alright, the gloves ready." Rocket states. "Questions is, who's gonna snap their freakin' fingers?"

"I'll do it." Thor quickly volunteers while walking towards it.

"Excuse me?" Tony asks.

"It's okay."

"No, no, no. Stop, stop. Slow down." He and Steve put their hands up to stop him.

"Thor." Steve calls. "Just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet."

"I'm sorry." He shakes his head. "What, we're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?"

"We should at least discuss it." Scott suggests.

"Look, look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back." He points to the glove. "I'm tbe strongest Avenger, okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me."

"Normally, you're right." Tony steps in front of him.

"It's my duty."

"It's not about that."

"It's not that." He shushes him.

"Hey, buddy."

"Stop it!" He hisses. "Just let me. Just let me do it." He begs. "Just let me do something good. Something right."

"It's not just the fact that that glove's channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition."

"What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?"

"Cheez Whiz?" Rhodey jokes and Lyla throws a paper clip at his head.

"Lightning."

"Yeah." Tony pats his arm.

"Lightning."

"Lightning won't help you, pal." Bruce states. "It's gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him." He walks towards the gauntlet. "None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Steve asks.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this." He picks it up.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony asks.

"Let's do it."

"Okay, remember, everyone that Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years."

"Got it." He nods.

They all egt their suits and shields ready while Bruce waits for the signal. Lyla and Pietro go behind Tony's shield with Clint.

"Friday, do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will ya'?"

Strong metal and iron gates cover every window and entrance, strong enough to hold the energy from the snap behind closed doors.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce concludes.

He slowly slides the glove on and it forms around his hand and wrist. Once it's one all the way, the stones energy course through the glove and into his body. He fall to the floor with groans of pain and does his best to handle it.

"Take it off!" Thor shouts. "Take it off!"

"No, wait." Steve puts his hand up to stop him. "Bruce, are you okay?!"

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony orders.

"I'm okay." He breathes a nod of pain. "I'm okay."

After a few moments of panting in pain, Bruce raises his hand with a groaning scream. He struggles to snap but does it anyway before his eyes roll back and he falls to the floor while the glove falls off his hand.

"Bruce!" Steve hurries to him.

Clint kicks the gauntlet away while a few of them quickly get to Bruce's side.

"Don't move him." Tony instructs.

He sprays something on his burnt up arm to cool it and calm the overwhelming pain. Bruce grits his teeth and takes a grip of Steves arm as the windows and entries open up again.

"Did it work?" Bruce pants.

"We're not sure." Thor answers. "It's okay."

Scott slowly walks toward a set of windows and Clints phone starts ringing. He hesitates before making his way over to see that it's Laura calling him.

"Guys." Scott smiles. "I think it worked."

As Bruce opens his eyes, Lyla notices a large shadow starting to cover his body. She looks up but before she can get anyone, even herself, out of there, the compound is blasted multiple times by a large ship, throwing them all into the ground.

The building starts to fall apart and they all fall into different or a few of the same areas under it. Lyla hits the cement for the last time and blacks out.

-

Lyla wakes soon after, to Pietro quickly shaking her awake.

"Lyla." He worries.

She opens her eyes with a small jolt and he sighs in major relief and slowly helps her to her feet.

"It's Thanos." She breathes. "I saw the ship."

"What?" He furrows his brows. "How?"

"The time machine. She though I didn't notice but, Nebula was acting a little off. I don't think it was our Nebula."

He shakes his head with a sigh and she brings them out to see Thor, Steve, and Tony laying painfully on the ground with Thanos standing in the middle.

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