Whatever it Takes: Endgame

Chapter 10

Natasha knew if it wasn't for the Big Guy then she would have been injured or trapped under the building. He threw the giant debris off of both of them and roared.

She saw Tony walk up to them with concern in his eyes and she nodded, assuring him she was okay.

"What happened," she asked.

"You mess with time, it tends to mess back," Tony answered. "You'll see."

He led her and Hulk out of the ruins where Thor was waiting. Natasha couldn't believe her eyes.

Thanos was back. He just sat there as if he was waiting for them. This is what Nebula was trying to tell her. He must have found her and she escaped, but he managed to get her coordinates.

"Where are the stones," Natasha asked.

"Somewhere under all this," Tony said while gesturing to their former compound. "All I know is he doesn't have 'em."

"Let's keep it that way," she replied as Hulk grunted in agreement.

"You know it's a trap, right," Thor asked.

"Yeah," Tony said. "I don't much care."

"Good," the other man replied. "Just as long as we're all in agreement."

A clap of thunder was heard as lightening lit up the sky. Thor lifted both his arms out and summoned his axe and hammer, which flew into his hands.

"Let's kill him properly this time," Thor said with determination in his voice.

Hulk, Natasha, Thor and Tony walked up to their foe, who was sitting down.

"You could not live with your own failure," Thanos said. "Where did that bring you? Back to me. I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. 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."

"Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn," Tony quipped.

"I'm thankful," Thanos said. "Because now I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom. And then with the stones you've collected for me create a new one teeming with life that knows not what it has lost, but only what it has been given. A grateful universe."

"Born out of blood," Natasha said with hate in her voice.

"They'll never know it," Thanos told her, then addressed the team surrounding him. "Because you won't be alive to tell them."

Hulk roared and Thor battle cried as the fight began. Hulk got in a few good punches while blocking Thanos' weapon, just enough to distract the mad tian while Tony flew and got his own punch in as Natasha used a strong enough Widow Bite. All four of them worked together to bring Thanos down as they piled onto him.

Thor blasted lightening and Tony used his suit to blast Thanos. Then he got the upper hand and used Tony as a shield against Thor's hammer. Hulk pounded on him, but Thanos got a more damaging punch in, sending Hulk to the ground.

Natasha tried to use the moment to nick him with her knife, but Thanos flung her aside, knocking the wind out of her. She heard Hulk roar as she got up. She watched in a blinding pain as Thanos grabbed Steve's shield that had scattered on the battlefield with the debris and broke it in half. He used it as a weapon against the Hulk and stabbed him with it, causing the Big Guy to fall to the ground in agony.

Tony took immediate action to help Hulk and Thor fought Thanos alone.

Feeling a rage of power burst through her veins, Natasha saw Thor's old hammer flying from across the field straight towards her. The hammer hit Thanos square in the jaw and came flying into her hand just before Thor got seriously hurt.

The power felt like no other and she was secretly happy to know that she was worthy of Thor's hammer. For so long she thought her ledger was full of red, this made up for it in a way.

"I knew it," Thor said with a chuckle as he looked at Natasha.

Thanos kicked Thor, knocking him unconscious, and turned to face her. She swung the hammer like she'd seen Thor do a million times and made herself fly towards Thanos, using the object as a weapon and sending them both back.

She got back up then used the hammer and her batons to her advantage. It wasn't enough to kill, but she was trying to hold him off until Thor regained consciousness or Tony could come to her aid. She knew Bruce wouldn't be able to hulk-out right away with that much vibranium in his system.

Eventually, Thanos got the upper hand and punched her, sending the hammer one way. Then he sent her flying with a powerful kick, knocking the air out of her again. She kept a hold of her batons as she got air back into her lungs and stood, not giving up.

She was bloodied, bruised and she had pulled a couple of muscles. But she wasn't going to let him win.

"In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal" Thanos said. "But I'll tell you now, what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it... very, very much."

Natasha watched as Thanos' army beamed out of the ship. The team was outnumbered, but Natasha stood firm.

Then a voice was heard over the comm.

"Nat, can you hear me," Sam's voice said. "Nat, it's Sam. Can you hear me? Look to your left."