Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Forty-Seven

The team had gathered outside the small room where Tony was currently resting. Pepper had appeared at the Compound shortly after she had heard news about Tony's reappearance, and was by his side in the absence of Keira. 

"Bruce gave him a sedative. He's gonna probably be out for the rest of the day." 

"You guys take care of him. And I'll bring him a Xorrian Elixir when I come back." Carol informed the gathered group before walking away.

"Where to, exactly?" Aquila asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"To kill Thanos."

Aquila shared a quick look with Natasha and Steve as the three of them rushed after her, Rhodey not too far behind. 

"Hey, you know, we usually work as a team here, and between you and I, morale's a little fragile," Natasha said. 

"We realize up there is more your territory, but this is our fight too," Steve asked. 

"Besides, do you even know where he is?" Aquila asked. 

"I know people who might."

"Don't bother," Nebula cut in. "I can tell you where Thanos is."

The group gathered back into the conference room, waiting for Nebula's explanation. 

"Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me. Then when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask 'where would we go once his plan was complete?' His answer was always the same: To the Garden."

Aquila scoffed loudly. "Oh, it's that lovely. Thanos has a retirement plan, how nice."

"So, where is he?" Steve asked. 

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. No one's ever seen anything like it. . . until two days ago. On this planet."

"Thanos is there."

"He used the stones again," Natasha observed. 

"Hey, hey, hey." Bruce cut in, looking around the room. "We'd be going in short-handed, you know."

"Look, he's still got the stones, so. . ." Aquila said, trailing off, as she worked through a plan. 

"So, let's get him. . . Use them to bring everybody back." Carol said determinedly. 

"Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that," Steve said, sharing a quick look with Carol as Aquila nodded her head agreeing with the plan. 

"Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this. . . I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try." Natasha said, looking around the room. 

"If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end any differently than it did before?"

"Because before, you didn't have me," Carol said as Aquila smirked at her. 

"Hey, new girl, everyone here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe. And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys."

Aquila grinned. "Is that response good enough for you, Rhodey?"

Rhodey opened his mouth to respond when Thor pushed himself up walking over to where Carol stood.  Thor held his hand out, calling his axe to him which missed Carol by inches, causing her to smile up at the God of Thunder. 

"I like this one."

"Let's go get this son of a bitch," Steve said to the team. 

Aquila sat in her seat upon the Benatar, looking around the ship in wonder. Although flying was second nature to the eagle, this was something very different. 

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket asked from the front of the ship.

Aquila raised her hand up as Natasha, Steve and Rhodey did the same. 

"Why?" Rhodey asked. 

"You better not throw up on my ship."

"Approaching jump in 3. . . 2 . . . 1!"

The ship jumped forward and Aquila's eyes widened greatly, gripping tightly onto her seat as they were propelled through space, before appearing again in front of the planet. 

"I'll head down for recon," Carol informed them flying down to the planet. 

Aquila gripped tightly onto Natasha's hand, sharing a smile with her girlfriend before the two of them walked over to where Steve stood. 

"This is gonna work, Steve." Natasha started. 

"Yeah, you have nothing to worry about. It's all going to be fine." Aquila continued. 

"I know it will," Steve said, looking between the two of them. "Cause I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."

Aquila Cadman walked between Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff into what she presumed was Thanos' living quarters only to see his restrained by Carol, his hand with the Infinity Gauntlet on the floor while Thanos screamed in pain. Aquila watched as Rocket walked over to the gauntlet, kicking it over.

"Oh, no," Aquila exclaimed first as everyone quickly realized what had happened. 

"Where are they?" Steve demanded. 

"Answer the question!" Carol said, tightening her grip around Thanos' neck. 

"The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation."

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce shouted from within the Hulk Buster armor pushing Thanos over. 

"You should be grateful."

"Where are the Stones?" Natasha asked. 

"Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago!" Bruce yelled again. 

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am. . . inevitable."

Aquila looked around the dimly-lit living quarters in shock, surely he wasn't telling the truth. 

"We have to tear this place apart, he. . he . . he has to be lying."

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them." Nebula spoke up. 

"Ah, thank you, daughter," Thanos said, turning to face Nebula. "Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

Aquila blinked rapidly as it had all happened in a matter of moments. Thanos' head hit the floor, his now limp body quickly following. Aquila looked up to see Thor holding Stormbreaker looking towards Thanos' body in shock. 

"What. . . What did you do?" Rocket asked Thor, in just as much shock as everyone else. 

"I went for the head."

Aquila looked down, in shock and disbelief. They had lost, for a second time. And there was no rematch now, it was all over.