Tragic Hope

15

WAKANDA

2014!Thanos' entire army was summoned to the ground which included the Children of Thanos, Chitauri, Sakaarans, Outriders and Chitauri Gorillas. Upon seeing the army descending on Earth, Steve slowly got to his feet. With a fierce determination, he tightened his broken shield to his arm and stood against 2014!Thanos' giant army alone. Suddenly, a crackling came in on his communicator.

"Hey, Cap, you read me?" Sam asked.

Steve stopped and looked around.

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

A yellow portal began to form behind them.

"On your left."

Steve looked behind to see the portal on his left side. Three figures stepped through; Okoye, Shuri and Black Panther, fully restored and ready to fight. Steve and the retrieved Wakandans shared a look when Sam zoomed in from above in his Falcon armor. As he did so, dozens more portals opened up around the battlefield. Through one of those, Doctor Strange descended in. He was joined by Drax, Mantis, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. Everyone watched in confusion and awe as more and more heroes arrived from all corners of the universe, all backed up with forces of their own including Black Panther and his Wakandan army, Valkyrie and the Asgardians, Wong and the Masters of the Mystic Arts and several Ravager ships. Amongst the throngs of heroes were Bucky, Katarina, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Wasp and Pepper, clad in her own iron suit. Nearly every hero had been magically transported to the battle field to face 2014!Thanos' hordes.

"Is that everyone?" Doctor Strange asked.

"What, you wanted more?" Wong shot back.

Giant-Man emerged from the rubble of the Avengers facility with Professor Hulk, War Machine and Rocket. The Avengers, Guardians, Wakandans, Asgardians, and Ravagers took up battle positions. The heroes stood across 2014!Thanos' forces.

"Avengers!" Steve yelled, summoning 2013!Mjölnir. "Assemble."

Thor sounded a battle cry, as did Black Panther, and the heroes charged. 2014!Thanos raised his sword towards them, commanding his army to charge as well. Both sides collided.

Steve and Thor fought. Steve took Stormbreaker but Thor flew to him and passed 2013!Mjölnir.

"No, no, give me that," Thor said. "You have the little one."

Katarina watched with a smile and formed ice in her hands, blasting it at one of the members of 2014!Thanos' army.

Tony fought some of 2014!Thanos' army. Obsidian punched him to the ground, then Giant-Man stomped him flat and Peter ran to Tony.

"Hey!" Peter called. "Holy cow! You will not believe what's been going on. Do you remember when we were in space? And I got all dusty? I must've passed out, because I woke up and you were gone. But Doctor Strange was there, right? He was like, "It's been five years. Come on, they need us." And then he started doing the yellow sparkly thing that he does all the time-"

Tony cut him off and asked, "He did? Oh, God."

"What are you doing?" Tony hugged Peter, shocking him, but the teenager hugged back. "Oh, this is nice."

Star-Lord fought a bunch of Sakaarans, killing all of them except one, which made him fall over, but a shot killed him and he dropped on Quill. Quill got up and saw 2014!Gamora. Thinking it was present Gamora, he was shocked.

"Gamora?" Quill called, slowly approaching her. "I thought I lost you."

Quill touched 2014!Gamora's hair, not knowing she wasn't present Gamora. In response, 2014!Gamora grabbed Quill's hand firmly off her hair.

"Ow," Quill said.

2014!Gamora kicked Quill in the nuts, slightly hurting him. "Don't - touch-" she kicked him again, harder, "-me!"

Quill fell from the pain, while 2014!Gamora wiped her face.

"You missed the first time - Then you got them both the second time," Quill said.

2014!Gamora turned to Nebula and asked, "This is the one? Seriously?"

"The choices were him, or a tree," Nebula replied.

Quill pointed to 2014!Gamora in confusion, then to Nebula in question, then back to 2014!Gamora.

Clint was running with the Gauntlet and asked, "Cap, what do you want me to do with this damn thing?"

"Get those Stones as far away as possible!" Steve ordered.

"No!" Bruce cried. "We need to get them back to where they came from."

"No way to get them back," Tony told them. "Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel."

"Hold on!" Scott yelled, shrinking to normal size and pulled out a remote. "That wasn't our only time machine."

Scott pressed a button, which activated Luis' van horn with the song La Cucaracha, which was heard from afar. Hearing so, Steve went to higher ground.

"Anyone seen an ugly, brown van up there?" Steve asked.

"Yes!" Valkyrie replied. "But you're not gonna like where it's parked!"

"Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?" Tony questioned.

"Maybe ten minutes," Scott answered.

"Get it started," Steve told him. "We'll get the Stones to you."

"We're on it, Cap," Hope said.

Scott and Hope shared a look and shrunk. Scott grabbed Hope and they flew to the van. Doctor Strange trapped a group of Chitauri with his magic and sent them through portals as Tony joined him.

"Hey," Tony greeted. "You said one out of 14 million, we will, yeah? Tell me this is it."

"If I tell you what happens, it won't happen again," Doctor Strange warned.

"You better be right."

Scott and Hope entered a small hole in the van's window, getting to the driver's seat, regrowing and trying to activate the Quantum Tunnel.

"It's a mess back there," Wasp said.

"It's - it's dead," Scott commented.

"What?"

"It's dead. I have to hot-wire it."

"Where's Nebula?" 2014!Thanos asked.

"She's not responding," Glaive replied.

2014!Maw pointed and yelled, "Sire!"

2014!Thanos saw the Gauntlet. Clint rushed through Outriders, before finding himself surrounded. He was saved by Black Panther.

"Clint!" T'Challa called. "Give it to me."

Clint gave the Gauntlet to T'Challa, and he ran towards the van while fighting 2014!Thanos' army. Eventually he was stopped by the double-edged sword, boomeranged by 2014!Thanos. When it got back to him, he charged T'Challa, but was stopped by Wanda, who was filled with anger from the loss of Vision.

"You took everything from me," Wanda spat.

2014!Thanos replied, "I don't even know who you are."

"You will." With her powers, she picked up some debris on the ground and tried to crush 2014!Thanos with it.