Always and Forever

Chapter 19

We landed on the planet and started following Carol to where she found Thanos. I felt like I was gonna throw up again as Thanos's hut came into view, but I wasn't sure if it was whatever had gotten me puking last night or if it was nerves and adrenaline.

Carol and Banner went a little ahead, Banner in Tony's old Hulkbuster armor. When we were right outside Thanos's hut, we sprang to action. Carol flew in thought the roof and put Thanos in a head-lock as Banner bursted up from the ground and grabbed Thanos's arm that had the Infinity Gauntlet. Thor followed quickly behind with Stormbreaker and cut off the arm Banner was holding. Rhodey flew in next with Rocket, and they aimed their guns at Thanos's head.

I followed Steve and Natasha in next, with Nebula right behind me. Rocket went over to Thanos's sliced off arm and the Infinity Gauntlet and kicked it over. My stomach gave a lurch when I saw that it was empty of stones. "Oh no," Rocket said.

"Where are they?" Steve asked.

Thanos didn't say anything. "Answer the question!" Carol said, tightening her arm around his neck.

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

"You murdered trillions!" I yelled, pushing Thanos to the ground and stabbing him in the chest with a small dagger.

"You should be grateful," Thanos said.

I was able to land a nice sucker punch on his face before Steve pulled me off of Thanos. "Grateful my ass!" I yelled.

"Where are the Stones?" Natasha asked.

"Gone," Thanos said. "Reduced to atoms."

My stomach lurched again. "You used them two days ago!" Banner shouted.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be." Thanos sat up a little straighter. "I am... inevitable."

My knees almost gave out as I used my powers to look beyond his face and into his mind. "We have to tear this place apart, he-he-he has to be lying," Rhodey said.

"He's not," I said. "I can sense it."

"My father is many things," Nebula said, taking a step toward Thanos. "A liar is not one of them."

"Ah, thank you, daughter," Thanos said, causing Nebula to look away, a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

I glanced over at Thor, but I only saw his rage-filled face for a second before my view was blocked by Stormbreaker. Before I could stop him or even react, he swung Stormbreaker and sliced Thanos's head off. Thanos's limp body fell to the floor as Nebula calmly wiped some of Thanos's blood off of her face. "What... what did you do?" Rocket asked.

Thor looked and sounded like a broken man as he said, "I went for the head."

He slowly walked out of the hut, no real purpose in his steps. Feeling my stomach give another lurch, I ran outside and around the corner. I threw up into the tall grass, but the concerning thing was that I had never had a problem with blood or death before. I didn't think me getting sick had anything to do with watching Thanos get his ugly head chopped off; and the theory that popped into my head on why I had gotten sick was actually quite terrifying to me.

As I stood back up, I saw Steve come around the corner. "Allie, are you ok?" he asked.

"No, I'm not ok. I'm kinda freaking out right now," I said.

"Because of Thanos? I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to see-"

"It has nothing to do with that. If Thor hadn't killed that asshole, I probably would have. But no, this is something different."