The Break of Winter ▸B. Barnes

Chapter 18

"Liv," Someone says, shaking me lightly. "Liv, wake up!"

        I can hear and feel everything, but I can't move. Everything sounds like it's under water, what the hell is going on?

"Wake up!" I hear more clearly this time. I shoot up and open my eyes, looking around frantically. I finally calm down and meet Bucky's gorgeous blue eyes.

"Bucky? What the hell happened?" I ask, putting a hand to my pounding head.

"What's the last thing you remember?" He asks, gently pushing a stand of hair out of my face and behind my ear.

"We were in Wakanda, fighting the space dog things," I recall, pulling my eyebrows together in though. "Then Thanos came and... oh my god! We're supposed to be dead!" I say with wide eyes.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too," Bucky says.

"Everyone listen up!" A voice calls out that I don't recognize. "My name is Wong. Welcome to the true fight of your lives."

"I thought the last fight was the fight of our lives," I say to Bucky. He just shrugs. I look around and see a couple dozen Wakandan soldiers, including T'Challa and Shuri. The tree thing, or Groot, was also here along with Sam. Bucky and I walk over to join him.

"You may remember, Thanos was able to get each of the infinity stones and successfully erase 50% of the universe's population," Wong continues. "That was a little over 5 years ago." I gasp. Had it really been that long. "Please hold your shock for later. Right now, what's left of the Avengers are out there fighting Thanos. They need all the help they can get. This time, the entire planet is at stake. It is our duty to protect it. So, when I open that portal, I need each of you prepared to fight for our planet back." I look up at Bucky and grip his hand tightly. He looks down at me and nods.

"I've been waiting for this moment," Sam smirks. "Cap? Can you hear me?" He asks into the com. "On your left." Once again the phrase leaves his mouth, a large, circular portal opens up in front of us. What's on the other side shocks me. There's nothing but ruins. The whole area is dark. It looks horrible. Steve was standing weakly, with a large gash down his arm. However, I did notice he had his real shield back, although it was broken. T'Challa, Okoye, and Shuri walk through the portal first. Sam flies over them, then Bucky and I walk up behind the three. Behind us, Groot and the rest of the Wakandan soldiers followed. I turn around and see dozens more portals opening up, all of our allies, some of which I had never met, reentering the fight.

"Is that everyone?" A man with a red cloak asks Wong.

"What? You wanted more?" Wong replies. A large crashing sound is heard and I turn towards the noise to see a giant man coming up from the ruins. He drops a green guy and Rocket.

"Is that-" I start to ask, but Bucky cuts me off.

"Hulk.. or maybe Bruce? Actually I think it's both." I nod, even tho I didn't completely understand.

"Avengers!" Steve calls out catching everyone's attention. "Assemble." We take that as our cue to charge towards the other side. Luckily, we returned exactly as we left so I still had all of my weapons. I jump on the back of one of the larger creatures and stab him until he falls. I jump off of it and join Bucky, shooting at the smaller creatures that made up the majority of the army.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," I say to Bucky. "But isn't Thor the only one able to use his weapon?"

"Not necessarily, you just have to be worthy," Bucky explains, keeping his eyes on his targets. "Why?"

"Because Steve is using that hammer as if he's had it his whole life," I say.

"What?" Bucky says quietly, turning look at Steve. A smile crosses his face. "That's our boy." I smile as well. We stand back to back, each taking out as many creatures as we can.

"Cap!" A voice that I recognize as Clint calls over the coms. "What do you want me to do with this damn thing?!"

"Get those stones as far away as possible!" Steve orders.

"No!" Bruce calls out. "We need to get them back where they came from."

"No way to get them back," Tony states. "Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel."

"That wasn't our only time machine," Scott says.

"We're gone for five years and they create a time machine?" I say.

"Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?" Steve asks. 

"Yes! But you're not gonna like where it's parked," A female voice replies.

"Scott, how long do you need to get that thing working?" Tony asks.

"Uh, maybe ten minutes?" He replies.

"Get it started, we'll get the stones to you," Steve says.

"We're on it, Cap," Another girl whose voice I don't recognize answers. I turn around and see Clint sprinting with the gauntlet.

"Clint!" I shout. "Give it to me. I have the serum, I can run faster." He nods and passes the gauntlet to me. I immediately sprint towards the van. However, I'm stopped when Thanos's aliens circle me.

"Liv, over here!" I hear a familiar voice shout. I look up and see T'Challa slightly behind a group of the aliens.

"Sorry boys.. or whatever you are. I got a world to save," I wink at the creatures before running towards them, then jumping and kicking off of one of them to get to T'Challa. "I'll cover for you," I say as I pass the gauntlet to him. I turn back to the creatures, pulling out the guns from my waist band and thigh holster, holding one in each hand. I shoot all of the aliens, except for one. It manages to tackle me, cutting the side of my face in the process. "Seriously, dude. Try to keep it away from the face," I groan. I try to push him off of me, but none of my weapons were within arms reach. I even try to use one of my arrows and stab it, but the arrow doesn't phase it because I didn't have enough room to gather the strength to fully stab the arrow into it. Luckily, Peter swings overhead.

"I got you, Miss Quinn!" He shouts. He uses his webs and throws the creature off of me. I don't even get a chance to recover before lasers start falling around us. I run under a cover that some of the wizards made, keeping me protected until suddenly it stops. The weapons turn upwards, firing at something in the sky. Something, or someone, flies through the ship causing explosions to go off. A woman emerges from the smoke.

"Danvers, we need an assist here," Steve says. The woman goes where I saw Peter, taking the gauntlets from him. I walk over to join them.

"I don't know how you're gonna get through all that," Peter says, out of breath.

"Don't worry," Wanda says.

"She's got help," Okoye finishes. I smile at her, relieved to see that she's okay. What seems like all the girls join around us.

"Yay for feminists," I say, earning a strange look from the women around me, but Shuri just smiles. We all run through the battlefield, clearing the way for 'Danvers'. However, Thanos throws his weapon at the van. An explosion goes off, throwing everyone back. The gauntlet gets thrown and I don't see where it lands. I look around and find Thanos running towards it.

"No!" I shout, sprinting towards it even though I knew I wouldn't get there in time. By the time I reach him, Tony is attempting to remove the gauntlet, but is quickly thrown to the side.

"I am inevitable," Thanos says dramatically, raising his hand to snap his fingers for the final time. However, nothing happens.

"And I," Tony starts. "Am Iron Man."

A bright flash goes off, and Thanos's army starts to fade away, just as ours had years ago. Thanos moves to sit, accepting his fate. I sigh a breath of relief. It was over. I hear Tony grunt, and turn to see him leaning against part of a ship.