Avengers: Endgame [4]

2

They fixed the Benatar and blasted off into space. As soon as they left Earth, Rocket turned around.

"Okay," he said. "Who here hasn't been to space?"

Natasha, Rhodey, and Steve raised their hands.

"Why?" Rhodey asked.

"You better not throw up on my ship," said Rocket, turning back around.

"You mean our ship, Rocket. You're not the only one who owns it," Astra interjected.

"Fine. Our ship, whatever." Rocket shrugged.

"Approaching jump in three, two, one..." said Nebula.

The Benatar went through the jump point and stopped as the Garden came into view.

"I'll head down for recon," said Carol, getting out of the ship.

A few minutes later, she flew back. "No satellites. No ships. No armies. No ground defenses of any kind. It's just him," she reported.

"And that's enough," said Astra. "Just as I expected."

Carol flew out towards the planet, and Rocket steered the Benatar after her and landed right outside a small hut surrounded by a field.

Crashing sounds could be heard from the hut as Carol confronted Thanos. Bruce, in his red armour, made his way into the hut along with Rhodey.

When Astra shot a blast into the hut and flew in, she saw that Rhodey, Carol, and Bruce already had Thanos incapacitated. She sent a powerful wave of purple energy at her father, being careful not to hit the other three heroes. Then she kicked him in the stomach and held another purple blast to his throat with her good hand.

Thor broke another hole through the hut's wall and, with a clean swing with Stormbreaker, sliced Thanos's right hand off. Astra winced as her father groaned in pain loudly.

Steve and Natasha entered the hut through one of the open holes, along with Nebula and Rocket. The latter knelt down to flip the Infinity Gauntlet over on Thanos's broken-off hand, and his eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, no," he whispered.

"What?" Astra glanced down and saw that the Gauntlet was empty. No Stones, nothing.

Steve looked down at the Gauntlet, then back up at Thanos. "Where are they?" he asked.

"Answer the question," Carol growled, tightening her grip around Thanos's neck.

"The universe required correction," said Thanos. "After that, the Stones served no purpose beyond temptation."

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce yelled, pushing Thanos backward.

"You should be grateful," Thanos spat.

Her hand glowing purple, Astra sent a powerful punch to Thanos's face.

"And what did it cost?" she asked quietly, every word filled with hatred. "Where are the stones?!"

"Gone. Reduced to atoms," Thanos answered.

"You used them two days ago!" said Bruce angrily.

"I used the Stones to destroy the Stones. It nearly killed me," said Thanos. "But the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable."

"We have to tear this place apart. He has to be lying," said Rhodey.

"Our father is many things," said Nebula. "A liar is not one of them."

Thanos looked at the sisters, his expression changing. "Ah, thank you, daughter," he said.

Nebula averted her gaze from Thanos. Astra did the same.

"Perhaps I treated you both too harshly-" Thanos continued.

With a loud yell, Thor swung Stormbreaker and sliced Thanos's head off with a clean cut. Everyone stared at his unmoving body in silence.

Then Bruce finally broke it. "What?"

"What did you do?" Rocket asked hoarsely.

"I went for the head," said Thor, his voice laced with grief. Then he turned around and walked out of the hut.

Nebula knelt down and gently closed Thanos's now sightless eyes.

"Why?" Astra asked.

"After all this time, he was still our father," said Nebula simply.

Astra couldn't help agreeing with her, but she stayed silent. She stood up and followed the Avengers out of the hut, one thought eerily replaying in her head.

I could have done better. Now it's too late.