The King: T'Challa.

Chapter 25: The Mad Titan.

I was fighting along side Black Widow, with her escrima sticks and Okoye, with her augmented spear. We had drifted together due the Outriders surrounding us, only to find ourselves in the path of a Thresher. I put my hand to my comm:

"Wanda! Kinda need you out here!"

I didn't know whether there was enough time for Wanda to get to us before we were shredded to pieces, we stayed huddled close together as the Thresher came closer and closer. Nat and Okoye cringed at our inevitable shredding as Wanda landed in front of us, eye glowing red, and lifted the whole Thresher well clear of the ground. She looked behind her, the friendly forces have scattered and replaced by a charging mob of Outriders - the perfect place to throw a Thresher. Black Widow straightened with a pleased smile, Okoye with an amazed look.

"Why was she up there all this time?"

We chuckled at Okoye's amazed look and indignant question before we saw Vision and Corvus Glaive came plummeting out of the lab window. Immediately our faces dropped and once again we were in battle mode. Sam came over the comms, making everyone aware of what we just saw:

"Guys, we got a Vision situation here."

I watched as he flew lower than usual, trying to dodge Threshers and the like of it, but not long after he was taken down by an Outrider who leapt on too of him; like a cat catching the bird.

"Somebody get to Vision."

Steve's voice filled our ears, followed by Bruce's:

"I got him!"

We saw the Hulkbuster make a beeline for the android, evidently figuring out how to use the suits thrusters. Wanda began walking away from myself, Nat and Okoye, saying she was 'on her way'; only to be clobbered by Proxima Midnight's pommel and ended up rolling down into a large ditch from the Thresher before she can move.
I immediately started heading for Wanda as Proxima jumped down next to her.

"He'll die alone. As will you."

I reached the ditch and jumped down without hesitation, readying my stance to fight.

"She's not alone."

Okoye and Black Widow silently jump down to join us, standing behind Proxima. Okoye silently brandished her spear on the other side of Proxima and nodded at me.
She leapt for me as I created a shield to protect myself as her pommel came crashing down. As I did this, Okoye ran around the slope to also attack from the front. This was the perfect opportunity for Wanda to go help Vision, so while Okoye and Black Widow were preoccupying Proxima Midnight I ran over to Wanda.

"You need to go find Vision, make sure they don't get their hands on that Stone. If they do, then we're in the endgame. Now go!"

I pushed her slightly in the right direction, a bit of relief once she was off the ground and on her way towards the Vision; towards the Stone.

Proxima Midnight alternated heavy blows between the three of us, but all four of us duck as a single-wheel Thresher tears overhead, the ditch sparing us most of the danger from the wheel-blades. Proxima used the distraction to kick Black Widow in the face, sending her to the ground. She then grabbed Okoye by the shoulder and weapon and throws her meters away. I knew I was next and unfortunately for the assassin and warrior, their pain had given me enough time to expect Proxima's attack. She came charging for me, her pommel leading the attack. I planted my feet and stayed where I was, waiting for the perfect moment. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Now.
Once her pommel was close enough I grabbed it about midway and tugged on it, making her lose her balance slightly. As she continued to lose balance I used my enhancement and whatever strength I had left to swing her over my head. She came crashing down like a ton of bricks and into the ground before me; but she wasn't staying down for long. I had gone to help Okoye up and before I could even help Nat, Proxima was already on too of her, a blade dangerously close to her head. I looked around me, trying to figure out what to do, when the answer presented itself to me.

"Okoye stay low."

She looked at me quizzically but obeyed anyways. I ran towards the alien and jumped, grabbing her back with my arms and legs and throwing her in the air, just as a Thresher came over the ditch and shredded her to pieces; blue blood covering us all.

"Well that was gross."

We laughed at Nat's comment before getting ourselves up and out of the ditch. This battle wasn't over yet.
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The ground game had improved considerably since the addition of the God of Thunder. Thor was in the air, using Stormbreaker on the Outrider drop ships which are now retreating. He was having considerably more success than the Wakandan Dragon Fliers firing on the fleeing ships.
However, this victorious feeling didn't last long as the wind picked up, making the atmosphere feel.....strange. Eerie.

"Everyone, on my position. We have incoming."

Steve's voice broke through the eerie feeling as I began to sprint to the location. Black Widow, Falcon, Okoye and the Black Panther had beaten me to it. Bruce already being there from a previous battle. It was clear the Black Panther wasn't expecting me to be in the line up for this 'incoming' problem, but nevertheless he said nothing. Nat was the one who brought attention to the anomaly before us.

"What the hell."

It was hard to miss the blue-black clouds and impossible to miss the man stepping out of it.

"Cap. That's him."

That's all Bruce had to say for us all to know that the man that just took a step on our land was indeed the Mad Titan himself; Thanos.
Cap had this look about him, and quite frankly it worried me; it worried all of us.

"Eyes up. Stay sharp."

Bruce reached Thanos first, lunging forward fist-first - but Thanos used the Space Stone on him, rendered him immaterial until the Hulkbuster was half-buried in the stone of the cliff behind him, and froze Bruce in place. Next thing I know Cap is sent flying by purple energy before he even gets to strike a single blow. Falcon stooped, strafing with both steyr pistols, but is felled when his wings became rubbery and unable to sustain flight. T'Challa gave me a look and before I could even rebel he was running for Thanos, his armour full charged with kinetic energy, and  with claws extended. But he was easily grabbed by the throat, causing me to no longer just stand there. I started sprinting towards the Mad Titan, hoping T'Challa was enough of a distraction; but he wasn't. As I leapt to deliver a blow to Thanos with an energy beam he punched the Black Panther to the ground, crashing into me in the process, his armour discharging violently.
We ended up five feet from each other as I finally knocked the cloudiness from my vision. I saw War Machine join the fight, firing his guns at Thanos until he used the gauntlet to crush his armour around him and toss him aside. Bucky came running in firing, and is punched away by the Power Stone. Okoye activated the vibranium- powered elements on her spear and flings it: the Power Stone stopping it inches from Thanos, and throws her and it aside while he wrapped Black Widow in inescapable bonds of earth. Groot stabbed his hands into the ground to wrap Thanos in cables of roots, which he broke easily. I sat up slowly and watched all this happen before me, blood starting to ooze from my side, due to the blast from T'Challa's suit.
It was horrifying to watch. My friends - family - being tossed aside by some alien Titan who's hellbent on eliminating half the universe. This time we weren't going to win; this time, we were going to lose.
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