The Sapphire Legacy (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 15

"Yea. Us." I look at Taylor as she sobs into her knees. "You're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together." Thor says, pacing around.

"We can't get her back." Clint mumbles from the bench he is sitting on. "Wha- what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't." Thor dryly laughs at him, "I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And "can't" seems very definitive don't you think?"

"It can't be undone. Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? GO GRAB YOUR HAMMER, AND YOU GO FLY AND TALK TO HIM!" Clint yells at him, anger quickly being replaced with grief, "it was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it."

In a sudden burst of anger, Bruce grabs a bench and hurls it clear across the lake. He turns around and looks at us, "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have too."

"We will." I help Taylor up off the ground and lift her in my arms to carry her back inside. She rests her head in my neck and holds onto me tightly until I can I carefully set her down on a chair in Tony's lab. Tony walks in next and brings a blanket, draping it over his sister.

Tony put a hand on my shoulder as I looked over at Taylor as she silently cried. "Nat was one of her best friends Tony...I don't know how to help her." I whispered, dropping my head. "Just be there for her." He gave me a sympathetic smile as Rocket and Bruce walk in next. "I pre-built a glove, we're ready to place the stones in." I nod at him, "how long?" "30 minutes?" I lift Taylor off of the chair and into my arms so that I can sit down on the chair, with her in my lap. She keeps her head in my neck and I rub small circles on her back and hip. We watch as Tony carefully manipulates a machine to place all six stones in place.

Tony and Bruce back up, looking at the finished gauntlet. I stand up with Taylor, setting her back in the chair as I gather around with everyone.

"All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their fingers?" Rocket asked, looking around at all of us. "I'll do it." Thor said beginning to walk forward. "Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." I stand in front of him so he can't put it on. "Oh I'm sorry, what. We're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" He snaps back at me.

"We should at least discuss it." Scott says. "No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this is my responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty." Thor says, stating his case again.

"I can do it. The Space stone made me into this. I can control it." Taylor says and Tony and I both stare at her with wide eyes. "Absolutely not." Tony shuts her idea down immediately, thankfully. "Tony, it-" "No. Tony's right. You're not putting that on." I glance at her and then Thor cuts back in. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good, something right."

"Look, Thor, I'm telling you, you're in no condition for this right now." Tony looks from Taylor to Thor. "What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?"

"Cheez Whiz?" Rhodey mumbles causing a few people to laugh. Thor glares at him, "Lightning."

"Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me." Bruce places a hand on Thor's shoulder and pulls him away from Tony and I. "You saw what these stones did to Thanos, it almost killed him. None of you could survive, at most maybe Taylor because she's right...the space stone give her her powers, but I refuse to let her take that risk." Tony and I give each other a relieved look and then I look back at Bruce. "How do we know you won't get hurt." "We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like...I was made for this."

"You remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony says. I grab Taylor's hand and rub my finger over her wedding set. "Got it."

Everyone suits up and Tony has Friday activate Barn Door Protocol for precaution. The facility immediately goes on lockdown and I grab my shield. I stand protectively in front of Taylor, who had stood up from the chair, as Scott stands behind me as well. "Everybody comes home." Bruce puts on the gauntlet, which nanobotically expands to fit his hand. The power surge quickly overwhelms him and he groans in pain. "Take it off! Take it off!" Thor yells. "Wait!" I glance in Thor's direction and back to Bruce, "Bruce, are you okay?" "I'm okay. I'm okay." Bruce stands back up holding his gloved hand with his other hand, fighting the pain coursing through his body. He manages to snap his fingers before fainting. The gauntlet slides off his arm and Clint kicks it away.

"Bruce!" I kneel down next to him on one side, Tony on the other. "Don't move him." Tony activates some sort of fire extinguisher on his suit, soothing Bruce's arm. Bruce grabs my arm and looks at me, "Did it work?"

"Steve..." I look up and over at Taylor who is standing with Scott looking out of the outside windows, seeing plants and birds. A phone rings and Clint answers it. "It worked." Taylor said, placing a hand on the window. I stand up and walk towards her, placing a hand on her back. "Guys!" Bruce yells. We immediately look up and see a single missile heading towards the compound. I use my body and shield to cover Taylor as it detonates, completely destroying the compound, sinking it underground.

Taylor's POV

After the missile hits, I open my eyes and see Steve holding up some rubble, so it doesn't fall on me. I sit up and levitate the rubble, moving it off of him. He groans and falls down in pain. "Steve!" I immediately move to his side and see that he's unconscious. I shake his shoulders slightly, "Steve! Please wake up...please..." I cry and cradle his face in my hands. "Cap?!" I hear Tony yell. "Tony!!" I shout back at him and he quickly approaches Steve and I. He knees down next to Steve, "Come on, buddy. Wake up." He slaps his face a little and he starts to come to. Tony and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Taylor?" He tried to sit up and groans in pain. "I'm okay." I put my hand on his cheek and help him sit up. Tony walks back with his shield, "You lose this again. I'm keeping it." He passes Steve his shield. "Tony what happened?" I ask him as we both help Steve stand.

"We messed with time. It tends to mess back...you'll see." He leads us out of the rubble where we see Thor standing, overlooking Thanos who is sat on a rock. "What's he been doing?" I ask.

"Absolutely nothing."