Apex Avenger: Till The End

Ch 11

We land on the platform as we're back in the compound.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asks looking around.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhodey then asks.

It gets quiet as I start to feel everyone start to turn to me but I can't bring myself to look back at anyone.

"Apex where's your suit?" Tony asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

I shake my head with glossy eyes looking down talking a shaky breath.

"I guess we really are the Golden Duo now." I rasp swallowing hard to keep my tears in.

Everyone shows looks of grief. Tony looks down in sadness as he swallows thickly.

"Sorry kid." Rocket tells me.

"Here's the Stone." I toss it to Bruce then walk away off the platform.

I go out to the lakeside, I shift into Smash grabbing a bench throwing it far across the lake. I roar out in anger, then a smaller croaky roar comes out in grief.

"I'm sorry, little cuz." Rhodey says and I turn around to see him along with, Tony, Bruce, Clint, Steve, and Thor.

I shift back as I take my heavy breaths turning back towards the lake.

"All I had was his voice. Now all I have are memories." I shake my head, my jaw clenching.

Uncle Tony comes next to me and turns to me but I don't look back.

"You're going to be okay Y/N/N. When this is all over. You're going to be okay." He tells me with so much certainty that it makes me turn to him.

He places a hand on my shoulder giving me a sad yet reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry you couldn't say goodbye." I tell him softly looking back down.

"Don't worry about me kid." Tony says as he and Harry already said their goodbyes to eachother.

"He sacrificed himself for that goddamn stone. Bet his life on it. We have to make it worth it. We have to." I say.

"We will." Steve nods.

"Come on we have to get the gauntlet ready." Tony says and we head back inside.

~

Tony and Bruce were done getting the gauntlet ready and we gather around it.

"All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freakin fingers?" Rocket asks and Thor is the first one to speak.

"I'll do it." He says.

"Excuse me?" Scott asks.

"It's okay." He says going towards the gauntlet.

"No, no, no, whoa. Stop. Stop. Wait a sec. Hey hey-" We all stop him.

"Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve tells him.

"I'm sorry, what, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor asks.

"We should at least discuss is." Scott speaks.

"No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty." Thor insists still trying to get to the gauntlet.

"It's not about that-

"It's not that- stop it! Just let me! Just let me do it. Just let me do something good something right." He cuts me off tearing up.

"Look, it's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition." Tony tells him shaking his head.

"What do you- what do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor asks.

"Cheez whiz?" Rhodey raises an eyebrow.

"Lightning." Thor says.

"Lightning won't help you pal. It's gotta be me." Bruce says.

"You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive." He adds.

"How do we know you will?" Steve asks him.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma, it's like...I was made for this." He says looking over at the gauntlet.

We finally all agree that Bruce is the one to do it.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony asks him raising a brow.

"Let's do it." Bruce nods.

"You remember- everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony tells him.

"Got it." He responds.

I shift into Smash standing behind Clint and Uncle Tony as he has a huge shield covering us.

"FRIDAY do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?" Tony says.

"Yes, boss." She responds from above.

The compound then starts to go on lockdown, metal shingles starting to cover the building.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce says.

He then starts to put on the gauntlet which starts to expand to fit his hand. The power surge overwhelms him as he grunts in pain.

"Take it off! Take it off!" Thor starts to panic.

"No, wait, Bruce are you okay?" Steve asks him.

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony adds.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He nods through the pain.

Thor then gives him an unsure two thumbs up. Bruce screams fighting the overwhelming pain that was coursing through his arm and body and manages to snap his fingers. He faints and the gauntlet comes off his arm. Clint kicks it away as we all go towards him.

"Bruce!" Steve exclaims.

"Don't move him." Tony says as he makes his way to Bruce and sprays some stuff on the arm that had the gauntlet.

I shift back as I get to Bruce.

"Did it work?" He asks as he holds Steve's arm.

"Worth a shot. It's over. It's okay." Thor tells him.

"Good work Bruce, hopefully you did it." I tell him and he nods.

"Guys! I think it worked!" I hear Scott say but before I can even turn around everything collapses.