Champion

Champions

The glowing portal in front of the Avengers startled them. One minute Thanos had been standing in their midst and the next, stood only the portal. "Is this a trick?" Quill asked. He was still breathing heavily as he slowly approached it. Dr. Strange held out his hand to stop everyone else from stepping forward and inspecting it as he slowly circled the portal himself.

"It's not a trick and if I'm correct..." Dr. Strange held out his hand to touch the portal and felt an electric shockwave race up his body. He immediately, jumped back, shaking his hand out in pain. "He's only going to allow a certain amount of us through." 

"What!" Thor thundered. "That guileless, gutless..." Thor shouted insults at the portal as if Thanos could hear him and maybe he could but there was no response from the other side. 

"Who can step through?" Willow asked, walking forward.

"My guess." Loki said, rubbing at the dried blood on his cheek. "He's going to only allow the least powerful among us to step through." When Loki reached out his hand, Willow saw the electricity snap at him. How was Thanos doing this? Was he using the Space and Reality stone? Making certain Avengers believe they couldn't pass through by making them think they would be hurt? Willow reached out and felt the prickles of electricity slide over her fingertips, she pulled back her hand. 

"He's going to divide us to kill us." Willow whispered. She immediately looked over her shoulder towards Steve and Bucky. Did they count as least powerful? They didn't have powers like her. They hadn't made Thanos bleed like her. Would they be allowed to step through? Was Willow willing to let them go?

Everyone stepped up to check their status and nobody lied. Everyone knew how important this was. Everyone knew the risks. Everyone knew that Thanos needed to be defeated. When all was said and done, Steve, Valkyrie, Clint, Scott, Sam, Tony, Quill, Groot, and Mantis were the chosen few that were allowed to step through the portal but since Sam had a broken arm, he had been forced to sit the fight out.

"I can still go. I can still do something. I'm leaving them with one odd person out!" Sam argued. "Hope can splint me up and I'll go in."

"And if you get killed Sam?" Steve asked. "Because we let you in there with a broken arm, we wouldn't forgive ourselves." Sam had scoffed. He knew his friends were trying to protect him but he also knew he had a duty to Earth, to the universe. If he was meant to fight Thanos, meant to go through that portal, then he wanted to go through. 

Willow was still standing in front of it, testing her ability to go through but each time she reached out, she could feel the electric snap trying to grab at her. Willow wanted to run through the portal anyways. She wanted to protect her loved ones that were going through and most of all, she wanted to see Thanos defeated. Steve put his hand on Willow's shoulder lightly. "I'm glad you don't have to go through." 

"Steve." She murmured, shaking her head. She didn't want to hear that. She didn't want him to say that.

"I love you Willow and I don't want to see you get hurt. When you disappeared with Dr. Strange, you don't know how crazy I nearly went." 

"Steve please don't go." Willow whispered. "Please, so many people have died already and I can't loose you." Steve leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"You're not going to loose me." 

"I could loose you Steve. You could die over there." Willow said, gesturing towards the portal.