To The Sun [3] Endgame

Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen:

Hazel walked up and disappeared into her room for the rest of the day, taking a long shower and then slipping back into her suit. It was mostly dry, but she just didn't really want it off for to long. It made her feel protected, even if it did nothing to enhance her powers. Plus, she liked the odd way it reminded her of Natasha. It seemed quiet, the type of quiet where something almost seems wrong, as if the world was frozen. Hazel made her way downstairs, passing by empty rooms until she heard hushed voices. What she walked in on, she hadn't been expecting.

Everyone was in there, all looking glum and in full uniform. She could see a glove with the stones pressed into it, she frowned when she realized it was a gauntlet. Tony was standing in front of Thor who was talking, and the man pressed a fist against Tony's chest.

"Just let me do it, ok?" Thor pleaded, "Let me do something good. Something great."

Hazel stepped in, "Do what?"

Tony whirled around, "Nothing that's of your concern."

"I can do it." Thor said again, causing Tony to shake his head at the man. He mumbled another string of words, but Thor only took a step back and glared.

"And what do you think is coursing through my veins?"

Rhodey snorted from nearby, "Cheese Whiz."

"No." Thor whispered, leaning towards him again. "Lightning."

Hazel raised her hand, "That's within me as well, Buddy. I ain't putting that thing on."

Steve nodded, pointing at her. "Exactly."

A heavy sigh echoed and they all turned to see Bruce who was leaning against a table. He had his head down, "It has to be me."

"No it doesn't." Someone said.

Bruce stood up straight, "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him."

"But, Bruce—" Hazel tried, but was cut off as he began walking.

"None of you would survive." He approached the case with the gauntlet, and stared.

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"I don't." He answered truthfully, "But the radiations mostly gamma. It's like, it's like I was meant for this."

The big man gently picked the gauntlet up, holding it carefully. Tony walked up to him and glanced at his face, "You ready for this?"

"Let's do it." He nodded.

Tony continued his walk, grabbing Hazel by the shoulders and walking her backwards a good distance from where Bruce would stand. She frowned when they stopped, "Why can't I be with everyone else?"

"Because." He grumbled, "If anything happened to you, Barnes." With a shake of his head he turned and found a spot next to Steve.

"You remember everyone Thanos snapped away." Tony raised his voice, addressing everyone just as much as he was Bruce. "Everyone from five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years."

"Got it."

Everyone expect for Hazel formed a circle around him, and everyone was magically in their full suits. Tony's iron man suit clicked into place and he looked around, "Friday, do me a favour and activate protocol 8."

"I would sir, but Miss Barnes is in the doorframe."

Hazel felt a small grin form on her face, hearing the words she wasn't meant to. Tony sighed, "Hazel." He called out, "Get behind me."

She did, and he held out a hand for a shield to produce itself. She stood behind him, head peeking out so she could witness what was about to happen.

"Friday." Tony said.

"Yes, boss."

All around them metal and steel walls came down and clicked into place, even over the massive sky light. The room was covering in a sheet of shadows, and Hazel pressed herself closer against Tony.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce mumbled, slipping his hand into the gauntlet. The gauntlet that was to tiny, which grew in size to fit his large hand perfectly. It snapped into place and instantly light crawled up his arm, he fell onto his knees in pain. Hazel wanted to go help him, and Tony must've known because he placed a hand in front of her.

Bright colourful lights emitted from the glove as more crackling sounded from the waves going up his arm and towards his chest.

"Take it off!" A panicked Thor called waving his hands, "Take it off!"

Steve shook his head and stepped in front of Thor, "No, wait! Bruce, are you ok?"

Bruce's shirt sleeve was melting off, and his green skin was turning red and black, looking like molten lava and an insane fire burn.

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony said.

Bruce was trying not to scream as his body continued to light up, he had been right, nobody else could've done this without instantly dying.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He got out, still on his knees.

He began screaming, holding his arm up. The light was getting increasing bright. The gauntlet shone, and the next thing she saw was Bruce Banner snapping his fingers.

The room filled with light, then everything came crashing back to reality and Bruce fell into the floor with a thud.

"Bruce!" Steve was next to him in an instant, while Tony ordered Friday to undo protocol 8 and the metal walls came up quite quickly, letting the sun from outside bleed in.

"Don't move him." Someone said, and Clint kicked a burning gauntlet away.

Hazel watched as Scott wandered away, she rushed up next to him.

"I think it worked." He said as they walked towards the wall of windows, "I think we did it."

Hazel could fell a smile grow on her face, she supposed Scott was right. She could hear birds chirping, and could see a few figures out on the property. She prayed they were Bucky, or Wanda or Peter, or any of them who were lost.

"It feels different, you know?" She turned to see him smiling, "Less... empty."

He opened his mouth to say something, but it was to late. Hazel hadn't seen the giant ship hovering in the air, or the missiles. The whole world seemed to go in slow motion as she flew backwards in the air, mixed with the rubble from the building. She yelled out as she fell, falling for what felt like forever until something connected with her head. Consciousness slipped from her, and she felt the world go dark as she hit the ground with a thud.