~Broken Family~

Unworthy

Tony, Thor, Steve, and Harley all marched out to meet Thanos. Every step crackled on the charred, ashy ground, and Harley's own breathing sounded louder than Darth Vader's. He didn't want to admit it, approaching the giant purple Titan just sitting there and looking amused, but he was scared.

"You could not live with your own failure," his deep, rumbling voice said. "And where did that bring you? Back to me."

Harley glanced at Tony, who was in a stiff, soldier-like stance, his eyes transfixed in fury upon Thanos. Harley tried to put it into perspective: Tony had gotten stabbed by this alien five years ago, right before the alien had snapped his fingers and made Tony's son disappear.

A hatred of his own started crawling in Harley's insides, eating him up like a rotten apple core.

This thing killed Peter. This thing killed Peter. This thing killed my brother.

"I thought by eliminating half of life," Thanos continued, his fat purple face spewing lies Harley didn't want to hear, "the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."

"Yup, we're all kinds of stubborn," Tony said quickly, trying to distract the Titan from the shark-like Avengers, who were circling their prey.

"I'm thankful," Thanos said. "Because now, I know what I must do."

Thanos stood, like a huge, immovable mountain suddenly popping out legs and jumping to its feet. A kind of insane smile lit up his face.

"I will shred this universe down to its last atom."

Harley could feel the tension building in the air as Thanos turned his back, took a hold of his double-bladed sword that was almost as big as he was, and took his helmet off the top.

"And then, with the Stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life that knows not what it has lost..."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Thanos as he pulled the sword out of the ground. Nothing could  tear their eyes away from watching the beast, waiting to pounce. Taking one step forward at a time.

"...but only what it has been given."

With a shake, lightning struck Thor's axe and lit up his eyes, making the game-and-pizza addicted god look scary for the first time in a while. But Thanos only kept that stupid smile.

"A grateful universe."

"Born out of blood," Harley couldn't stop himself from seething. Thanos nodded.

"They'll never know it. Because you won't be alive to tell them."

With a yell, they launched into battle.

"Stay back, Motorcycle!" Tony ordered before throwing himself at the Titan. Harley ignored him.

He rushed Thanos from behind, blasters charging, but Thanos' blade spun around and knocked him off his feet before he had even fired off one blast. And he didn't even finish the job; he turned his attention back to Iron Man, Captain America, and the god of thunder, who were coming at him with attack after attack.

Thanos deflected each one as easily as Peter had pushed off Harley's pathetic wrestling.

***

After what felt like ages of this, Tony opened something bright and glowing on his suit's back that Harley hadn't seen before.

"Okay, Thor, hit me!"