The Weight of the Universe | Avengers

Epilogue

W A K A N D A

"What did you do?" Thor stares at the burned and now dysfunctional Infinity Gauntlet, smoke still erupting from the powerful device. Thanos pulls a pained expression, the damage has reached his arm and he looks around in expectation. The God of Thunder becomes angrier, repeating his question with a louder voice while his axe is still deep in the Mad Titan's chest. "What did you do?!"

Without any words, Thanos activates the Space Stone and disappears through the portal, Stormbreaker, covered in his blood, dropping to the ground. Eve is still staring with widened eyes at Thor and the empty place where their biggest threat used to stand, shock written over her face while she's sitting like a lost soldier on the ground. She can't, no, refuses to believe that they didn't win. Thanos has reached his goal and this makes her feel sick. The bad feeling continues to grow and her guts tell her that something is wrong despite of the heavy silence.

"Where'd he go?" Steve gets up again, his hand resting on his aching side as the former captain walks to Thor. Looking around, Steve can't find the Mad Titan anywhere and his voice starts to tremble. This is not the end. It can't be. "Thor... Where'd he go?"

Thanos has escaped and succeeded. And this drives Eve mad as hell. Still panting slightly, exhausted from the energy of both Infinity Stones, she checks on Bucky who is also out of breath. As she manages to stand up again, she offers him her hand. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. And you?" He clenches his teeth when he takes her hand and tries to get up, Bucky probably landed inconveniently before. All of sudden, his whole expression changes as soon as he's on his feet again, a blank shock is mirrored on his face. There's this collision of distress and confusion in his grey eyes and suddenly, his grip around her hand tightens as much as possible, holding onto her with everything he has. Eve looks puzzled down when she doesn't feel Bucky's pressure anymore and then her eyes widen in shock. James Buchanan Barnes starts to disintegrate.

"What- What?" Eve stutters in disturbance. His hand, just like his body, is turning into dust.

"Canary..." Bucky's last word slips through his lips before he falls down, being nothing more than a pile of ashes.

Eve stares with widened eyes at the ground, her face becoming as white as chalk. What just happened? The air is captured in her lungs and suddenly, it feels like her heart has stopped beating. Where did he go? She sinks to her knees and doesn't even dare to blink, still gazing at the dust and the gun on the earth. How is this real? Her hands carefully move towards the ashes on the ground, towards the dust that Bucky used to be. Used to be. Her fingers slowly run over the dirt and she weirdly doesn't feel anything. She can't feel the howling wind anymore or perceive Steve's desperate calls. This is Bucky?

Bucky. This is Bucky. Eve lifts her hand, her eyes focused on the ashes in her palm. On him. This is not real. It feels like a horrible nightmare. And she wants to wake up. She can't bear to be here anymore, she can't stand this living nightmare. He's gone. Eve feels paralyzed and remains sitting on the ground, the dust rains down from her hands now. Her head is awfully spinning and everything flashes through her mind. His death. Their fight. Their reunion. Their marriage. She lost him again. After losing him so many times, she has lost him again. She should've gotten used to it by now but she isn't. It hurts. It hurts like every single time before.

They vowed till the end of the line. This is not the end. It can't be the end. The first tear rolls down her face, burning into her skin and a shaky breath escapes her lips. Her head is hurting and her chest is in pain, a deja vu overcoming her. While Eve's palms are now forcefully pressed against her temples in despair, more tears stream down her cheek, her eyes are closed. James Buchanan Barnes is dead.

"This is not real." She whispers with a broken voice. "This is not real. This is not real. This is not real. This is not real. This is not real."

Repeating her prayer with desperation like a damaged tape, Eve sheds more and more tears and sits like a broken soldier in front of Bucky's ashes. She's so stuck in her pain that she doesn't notice Thor's hand on her shoulder. He regulates her powers that were almost close to breaking out and guilt spreads over his face. It feels like it's his fault that she has lost her husband now and Thor glances over to Aurora with concern as well. Luckily, Rocket currently takes care of her.

"'Rora, you okay?" He asks worriedly and Aurora slowly becomes fully conscious again. Her head still feels dizzy and there's a bloody wound on her forehead, but she doesn't have as many injuries as she expected. Thanos somehow spared her life.

"He's gone... The bastard is gone." She mutters in frustration and her fist hits the ground, her eyes burning with tears. Helplessly, Aurora buries her head in her knees, thinking of Loki. It feels like she disappointed him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't avenge you..."

"Aurora..." Rocket's voice suddenly sounds weak and when she doesn't react, he calls her more urgently. "Aurora, look!"

Frowning, the auburn-haired looks up and her heart almost stops when she sees her nephew leaned on the trunk with a destitute look. Groot starts to turn into dust, his wooden surface disintegrating. "What– No. No, no, this can't be happening! Why– What's going on?!"

"I am Groot..." Auntie... Dad...

"Oh... No, no, no! Groot! No." Rocket cries out, trying to reach out for his son as the youngest Guardian is dying. Tears are spilling over and Aurora is close to panicking, not believing that this is really happening. As Groot is gone, Rocket tears up, his heart being ripped in half and Aurora pants heavily, hearing how everyone calls out for their loved ones in her surroundings. Half of the universe is dying.

"What- What is happening, Rocket? I- I don't understand- Why is everyone dying??" The air suddenly feels terribly thin and she doesn't know where to look at as everyone in her sight is losing somebody. Fumbling for her gadget, she tries to contact her brother. "Peter? Peter, please, answer! Peter, please, answer me, please!" A sob overwhelms her and she starts to cry. "Peter?! Gamora?? Anyone? Please, answer me, please– "

Aurora begins to utterly sob next to Rocket who only looks down to Groot's ashes. The rest of the team that survived the snap is assembled close to the two Guardians around Vision's corpse, everyone is exhausted and yet shocked by the disappearance of the others. Steve sits tiredly next to Vision, eyeing the dead Avenger with sorrow as Bruce, Natasha and Rhodey join him. Thor stays with Eve, and Rocket strokes gently and quietly Aurora's back.

"What is this?" Rhodey is about to freak out and glances around, still confused about the whole situation. "What the hell is happening?"

Panting heavily, Steve notices how Wanda, Sam and T'Challa are gone as well. They all have turned into dust and are now dead. The realization hits him brutally and the burden on his shoulders increases. Thanos won. Half of the universe is wiped out. And the heroes have failed.

"Oh, God."