The Red Shadow - Bucky Barnes

Chapter Nine

"So, where is he?" Steve asked.

Rocket got up on the table and turned on a hologram. The hologram showed Earth.

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions," Rocket explained, "No one's ever seen anything like it, until two days ago, on this planet." Another hologram showed a different planet that looked like Earth. The hologram shows a power surge move across the planet.

"Thanos is there," the blue woman says. Layla looks over at her. The other called her Nebula.

"He used the stone again," Natasha stated.

"Hey, hey, hey," Bruce says, "We'd be going in shorthanded, you know?"

"Look, he's still got the stones, so-" Rhodey started.

"So, let's go get 'em," Carol finished for him, "Use them to bring everyone back."

"Just like that?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, just like that," Steve agreed.

"Even if there's a small chance we can undo this, I mean, we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try," Natasha said.

"If we do this, how do we know it's going to end differently than before?" Bruce asked.

"Because you didn't have me," Carol stated. Layla rolled her eyes.

"Hey, new girl," Rhodey said, "Everybody in this room is about that superhero life." Layla coughed. Everybody looked at her. Rhodey continued, "Most of us. And if you don't mind me asking, where the hell have you been this whole time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe, and unfortunately, they didn't have you guys," Carol said. Layla rolled her eyes again and Rhodey made a face at her. Thor got up from his corner and walked over to Carol. He summoned his axe and she didn't flinch. He stared at her for a minute before nodding.

"I like this one," he stated. Carol stared at him back.

"Let's go get this son of a bitch," Steve stated.

"I know, I'm not going," Layla said, raising her hand. Everybody turned to her and frowned. She lowered her hand, "What?"

"I can't believe you made me do this," Layla complained, sitting in one of the seats on the Benatar. Steve looked at her and rolled his eyes. She looked ahead at Nebula and Rocket as they sat at the front of the ship controlling it with everyone in the back. Layla looked out the window admiring the blank space around them.

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket called out. Steve, Natasha, Rhodey, and Layla all raised their hands. He continued, "Okay, you better not throw up on my ship."

"Approaching jump in three, two, one," Nebula announced. The ship surged forward, moving at light-speed through space.

Layla and Nat hunched over as they started to feel a bit sick. Layla got herself back together and sat up. Steve grabbed her hand as he saw a little worry in her eyes and squeezed it. She smiled at him and looked forward as they approached a green and blue planet.

Layla saw Carol exiting the ship. Sparkling light moved around her as her powers kept her from freezing to death in space.

"I'll head down for recon," Carol said. She quickly whipped around and moved like lighting around the planet. Layla leaned back in her seat as they waited for her to come back. Steve looked down at a compass that had a picture of Peggy Carter in it. Layla squeezed his hand as she saw the pain on his face.

"This is going to work, buddy," Layla said.

"I know it will," he mumbled, "Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't." 

Layla saw Carol fly back over to them.

"No ship, no armies, no satellites, no ground defence of any kind," Carol said, "It's just him."

"And that's enough," Nebula stated. The ship landed on the planet. It was beautiful. The waterfalls and plants Layla's never seen before. Everything.

"I see why he picked this place," Layla whispered to Natasha. She smiled and pointed at their target, who was picking fruit and walking into a small hut.

Carol blasted Thanos with her power and tackled him. She strangled him with her arms and used her foot to keep him from using the gauntlet. Bruce crashed through the wall in his Hulk-buster suit and War Machine followed behind. Everyone grabbed one of his limbs and kept Thanos from moving. Thor came through the door and sliced Thanos' arm off that held the gauntlet. Thanos cried out in pain as he looked over at his arm on the ground. Layla, Natasha, and Steve came through the door. Layla kept her distance from him and walked over to a corner, never breaking eye contact. Rocket grabbed the arm and rolled it over to show the stone. Layla stomach dropped. Where were they? The stones are gone.

"No, no, no," Rocket breathed out. 

"Where are they?" Steve demanded. Carol tightened her grip on Thanos' neck choking him more.

"Answer him," she stated.

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

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce yelled, shoving him.

"You should be grateful," Thanos said. Bruce punched him in the side of the head causing him to fall over.

"Where are the stones?" Natasha asked.

"Gone," Thanos answered, "Reduced to atoms." Layla frowned and stepped towards him.

"You used them two days ago," she said, softly, hiding the pain in her voice.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones," he smiled at her evilly, "It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It will always be. I am inevitable."

"We have to tear this place apart. He has to be lying!" Rhodey cried. Layla put a hand on his shoulder and shoot her head.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them," Nebula stated.

"Ah, thank you, daughter Perhaps I treated you too harshly-" Thor interrupted him with a yell and sliced his head off with his axe. Thanos' body fell to the ground.

"What did you do?" Rocket asked, staring at Thanos' limp body.

"I went for the head," Thor replied, grabbing his axe. He walked out of the hut. Layla looked at him in horror. What just happened?