Infinity Era

by JDPrime22

Chapter 70 – Sun on Our Backs

Thor unleashed his wrath upon the Outrider swarm, driving his lightning-fueled fist directly into the earth where the peak of their army had reached. A powerful tremor followed, the cackle of the thunder overhead so powerful it shook the very foundations of Wakanda. The lightning rained down from above the darkness, striking the earth where Thor had impacted and completely obliterating any Outrider within the vicinity. The lightning electrified the air, demolishing any chariot or starship close enough in plumes of fire. The earth was scorched surrounding Thor, fire and lightning shooting outwards and impaling any foe the God of Thunder deemed unworthy.

The biggest bang to any battle had rung out. The following chaos bled through it.

Steve Rogers ran right past Thor, leaping forward alongside T’Challa directly into the flowing stream of water that separated the fresh wave of Outriders from themselves. When the two came down in unison, the impact of their very bodies—added with the speed and force they had collected in their dead sprint forward—knocked several of the gnashing beasts directly onto their backs. Steve proceeded to unleash all hell and fury he had been slowly building up since Scotland, that unbridled rage and adrenaline that could never be quenched fully utilized as Steve slashed, punched, kicked, and drove his gauntlets into every living thing he saw standing in front of him. Nothing lived after a devastating punch from Rogers.

The Black Panther delivered that same kind of fight into his enemies, against all who stood against Wakanda and his allies. His vibranium claws made mincemeat of the Outrider fodder, easily ripping through their hardened shells of skin. T’Challa ducked as an Outrider swung for his head. Turning accordingly, Black Panther reared back with his claw and slashed at the side of the beast’s head, the Outrider screeching out and crumbling to the water. Together, both Steve and T’Challa engaged in a wicked dance of pure precision, accuracy, and devastation. They weaved together like pure silk, leaping to where the other stood, punching and slashing at any Outrider that came between the two leaders.

Luke Cage—with his added abilities to his advantage—rushed forward faster than anyone else, meeting the army of Outriders with his own shoulder. The speed and force of his very body was like a freight train as he drove his shoulder forward, lowered his head, clenched his muscles, and roared. His body tore through the Outriders and sent them skittering to the dirt and grass. Jessica Jones ducked underneath the pounce of the rushing Outrider. Sliding forward, Jessica twirled around for added momentum and slammed the side of her shield right into the face of the next Outrider that came forward. The next Outrider that charged her. The added strength from Jones launched the beast clear across the battlegrounds, its body disappearing in the madness. Danny Rand was right by her side, the power of the Iron Fist leading his attacks as he punched, kicked, swung, and screamed his way through wave after wave of Outriders. His precise and deadly strikes ensured quick and flawless victories time and time again.

Danny sent that scream alongside his glowing knuckles, the Iron Fist being the next bang that followed in the cataclysmic war. He struck a cluster of Outriders directly in front of him, the blast from the Iron Fist killing all eight of them instantly, their bodies flung madly backwards into the approaching wave. Just as the Wakandans rushed past Danny. Just as the next wave of Outriders charged ahead.

Just as the two armies collided.

A cluster of utter madness was all that was left. Bodies, limbs, blood, vibranium weapons, and screams followed the impact of the two opposing, gargantuan forces. Each side met at the impasse in the stream of water, the majority of the fighting occurring within the splashing waves, blur-like bodies, and agony-filled cries. Outriders rushed like snarling hounds between bodies, slashing low at legs and high at necks when they came into contact with an enemy body. The Wakandans struck with their spears, swords, vibranium-fueled weaponry, and even their very bodies as they engaged with the Outriders in close combat. The strength and speed of the Outriders proved effective, smashing right through the legs of a rushing Border Tribe member, his body twirling in the air before coming to a splashing crash in the water.

Wakandan ships engaged almost instantly with Chitauri chariots and starships, streams of blue meeting, blasting, and destroying ships constantly, every second, no end in sight to the massive battle in the skies. The Wakandan battle tanks lifted their barrels high into the air, firing energized blasts birthed from vibranium itself, taking out several starships and chariots in the process. The battle in the skies was hard-fought. The battle on the ground was a complete clutter of chaos, bodies, and blood. Armored rhinos charged through it all, stampeding in a powerful wave of over a dozen and trampling any invading alien that was unfortunate enough to get in their way. Unfortunately, despite their immense size and strength, the rhinos were also massive targets. Chitauri swooped down and shot at them from above. Outriders swarmed the rhinos when they strayed too far from the pack, ripping the Wakandan riders right off the beasts and slaughtering them both. The rhinos offered a short but needed space to breathe in the meantime, the Avengers pressing forward in the cleared lands they trampled.

The kinetic energy building up in T’Challa’s suit showed itself as a flush of violet across the Black Panther armor, unleashing a devastating blast of energy every several seconds or so. Depended on how many creatures got a lucky hit on him, which wasn’t many. He and Steve Rogers continued to engage the Outriders head-on, leading many of the ground forces into the slaughter. An Outrider emerged from within the billowing plumes of smoke and dust on Rogers’ right, Steve too preoccupied on his left to deal with it. Right as the Outrider pounced, it was met with a furious kick in the side of its head, Steve spinning accordingly to meet a familiar face and suit.

The Outrider fell to the water in a heap of limbs and blood. Daredevil stood ready next to Rogers, turning to him and offering a single powerful nod. Steve nodded back, returning to the battle and the very fate of the universe. Daredevil twirled his billy club, never leaving Rogers’ side. Fighting alongside him and driving his club into any Outrider that got near them.

Meanwhile, the White Wolf was a soldier lost in the middle of the madness, firing madly in almost every direction with his LMG. Whenever an Outrider got too close for comfort, Barnes would smack the side of his weapon against the beast’s skull, ending it by driving the end of his metal fist into its shattered face. Drax the Destroyer enjoyed the fighting, standing back to back with Bucky and kicking, punching, slashing, and roaring with laughter at the feeble beasts that tried to strike him down. Bucky turned his eyes back occasionally to see the red-tattooed alien laughing like a psychopath as he stabbed an Outrider to death. Barnes gave Drax an incredulous look, but returned to combat and accepted the assistance Drax offered nonetheless.

Black Widow swung and drove and twirled and danced her staff around any Outrider that grew near to her. Slamming the edge of her staff against the side of it’s face, Natasha had intended to end the beast with an electrified burst right from her staff. Instead, she was met with a blast of energy raining down from above, striking the Outrider directly over its twisted heart. Spinning her head around, her bangs swinging wildly as she did so, Natasha watched as Star-Lord flew down and landed mere yards ahead of her. He rolled forward, pointing both of his Quad Blasters ahead and firing relentlessly upon the swarm of Outriders headed his way. He heard a wicked snarl coming from his right, the reds of his mask’s eyes turning towards it to see an Outrider galloping towards him. Too close to fire. Too fast to react. Natasha rolled forward and swung her staff low, striking the creature in the bottom of its jaw. She ended it by jamming the electrified end of it right through the bottom of its jaw and into its skull.

A horrific cry came from above, Natasha darting her eyes forward and watching as the Outrider pounced on her. She held her staff between them, the snarling creature gnashing and snapping at her throat with its golden, jagged teeth. Natasha struggled to push it off, the Outrider’s multiple arms clawing at the dirt, her armor, her skin, and everything around her. Just as its teeth hovered over her face, a blast from above struck the side of its head, a final cry leaving the beast before it slumped to Natasha’s right. Breathing rapidly, Romanoff sat up and turned to the direction of the blast.

She was met with Peter Quill’s hand offered to her. She took it without another thought, Quill yanking her back to her feet. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

Star-Lord’s mask nodded. He darted his eyes about the battlegrounds then leaned in, whispering loud enough for her to hear him say, “Normally I would say you’re welcome, but considering Gamora doesn’t want me talking to any other female after she heard about the whole ‘Sunset’s got a great ass’ debacle, all I can really say is… I don’t know what to say.”

Natasha stared at him, jaw barely hanging open. She twirled her staff moments later, saying, “How about you shut up and help me kill these things?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Quill replied and held up his Quad Blasters.

Speaking of Gamora, she and Nebula engaged with just about everything that stood in their path. With Godslayer and Nebula’s Electroshock Baton leading the attack, the two were practically untouchable. The two sisters fought as a near-stable unit, years of combat between each other allowing each to know what move they would enact, what slice, what punch, what attack they would concoct. And when they fought side by side, that was even more devastating for their enemies, both glad to not see the other at the end of their weapons. They were joined by Daisy Johnson, the agent blasting a cluster of Outriders away with a shock wave of energy from her hand. Both sisters turned to her, almost taken aback by her powers.

They both lost their collective breaths when Daisy jammed her palm into the earth, glared ahead to the swarm of Outriders charging them, and let the Inhuman power flow out of her.

The very earth trembled, what felt like an earthquake causing the earth to split apart and send jagged spikes of dirt and rock directly upwards, skewering and impaling multiple Outriders. Those who weren’t killed by the rocks instantly fell to their backs or faces upon the tremor Daisy Johnson sent their way, leaving the swarm of Outriders lying in disarray long enough for the Wakandans to swoop in and finish the job. The several tribe members rushed past Gamora, Nebula, and Daisy, all three women gazing to the massacre in shared, stunned silence.

Mockingbird and Deathlok, unlike their fellow agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., engaged with the enemy in close quarters. Leaving no room and no breathing space for Thanos’ hounds, Bobbi Morse smacked and bested every Outrider that charged her, swinging her twin batons and connecting neatly against the aliens. Deathlok, the mighty cyborg stomping across the African plains, used only his fists and his strength to deliver death upon the Outriders. Just a single punch from him sent an Outrider sprawling across the ground, unmoving, gurgling out its last breath. He continuously fired and reloaded his forearm rocket launcher, blowing apart groups of Outriders and even taking out several chariots in the skies. Mack cautiously moved forward with his Shotgun-Axe, pumping and firing accurately and precisely to each and every Outrider that tried to charge him. When there were too many, when there were those even Mack couldn’t see, a blur would appear and send the Outriders crashing and dying several yards away. Mack felt practically invincible knowing Yo-Yo was watching his back, his front, and every part of him with her heightened speed.

Ghost Rider slashed entire waves of Outriders into nothing but ash with just one swipe of its Hellfire Chain. The burning chain twirled and danced across the battlefield, surrounding the Ghost Rider in a protective wave of fire. Driving its arm forward, the Spirit of Vengeance watched as the Hellfire Chain impaled not one, not two, but five Outriders in a single, burning kabob of melting flesh and screaming bodies. Bringing its free arm back, the Rider growled as its palm ignited into a bright inferno, its intention to set the Outriders skewered on its chain into a blaze. The demon nearly would have had Iron Man not flown down and sliced each one of their heads off with the blade protruding from his right hand. The Ghost Rider watched as Tony Stark flew mere feet above the ground, unleashing a barrage of repulsors and missiles across the battlefield. Plumes of fire and explosions broke out as bundles of Outriders were scorched and blown apart, courtesy of Iron Man. The Rider growled, ripping its chain from the dead bodies and proceeding forward, its burning hell-like eyes turning to a particular individual. A particular red star shining bright on a metal arm. The Spirit of Vengeance growled.

The Mark 49 Iron Man armor burst forth from the ground, using the added momentum from the repulsor blast on its feet to drive its fist into the cluster of Outriders charging forward to the behemoth set of armor. And within that armor, Doctor Bruce Banner did everything in his power to control the juggernaut of a machine, firing repulsor blasts and punching alien after alien. And upon that armor, Peter Parker leapt forth and fired a strand of webbing straight for the ground. Straight into a group of five Outriders.

Only when he yanked himself to the earth, the four legs of the Iron Spider materialized from his back, each pointed end impaling each of the aliens as Spider-Man landed his punch on the Outrider directly beneath him. The creatures died all around him, Parker narrowing his gaze and allowing his heightened senses to take control. Several more Outriders charged him. Peter ran forward and dove straight into the clutter, the Iron Spider legs smacking and slashing the Outriders apart. They were the eyes in the back of his head, his guardian angel as he engaged even more of the alien dogs on foot.

James Rhodes and Sam Wilson ruled in the skies, firing endlessly into the endless waves of enemies down below. Whether it be nearly limitless rounds of ammunition, repulsor blasts, small drones, and even missiles, they always found their target. Outriders and Chitauri dropped dead whenever they swooped by.

They especially dropped when Melinda May provided a sweeping run with the Quinjet, the minigun on its belly ripping apart the grounds and any Outrider or Chitauri that got in the way. Dust shot up in quick successions, the cry of the Quinjet’s engines erupting from the skies as May soared back and forth, continuously returning to the battlefield to provide air support.

While May was engaged with the war down below, the Milano took out several Chitauri chariots and starships trailing behind the Quinjet, Rocket yelling nonsense as he blew them to shreds. Groot and Mantis hung on for dear life inside, watching the chaos unfold through the glass windshield with every blossoming explosion of yellow and orange shower in front of them. Not a single starship managed to strike down the Milano, Rocket’s superior piloting skills weaving the Milano miraculously in and out of twirling Wakandan ships and laser blasts constantly filling the skies. Any starship that trailed the Milano didn’t last long in the never-ending onslaught in the air.

The husks of burning chariots, starships, and Wakandan jets constantly fell to the earth, creating several domino explosions upon impact. Upon the blood-soaked battleground for the fate of the very universe, things were turning sour on the frontlines, specifically for the defenders of Wakanda. Several agents were getting swarmed by Outriders, the beasts leaping right over the vibranium barriers and ripping the armored agents to shreds, not even their screams able to escape before they were silenced.

Frank Castle saw the massacre occurring to his left and right, the limitless Outrider swarm continuously pushing them back further and further. Castle hated to admit that, growling softly before roaring, “Fall back! Fall back!” He offered the agents an escape, providing cover fire as the Outriders continued to charge forward.

Firing quick, short bursts from their assault rifles, the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. looked to one another before making their retreat further back into the lines. Some fired as they ran, others hoping they could make it and sprinting back without firing a single shot. Some survived, most didn’t. Agent after agent was picked off, tackled and torn apart, dragged into a further cluster of Outriders. Lance Hunter covered them, his minigun tearing through the charging Outriders like they were paper. Piper and Davis picked off approaching Outriders as well, allowing several agents to rush past them as they too made their escape.

Until only Frank Castle was all that was left on the frontlines. Until he, too, began to slowly back away into a retreat, his M249 SAW constantly pointed forward, never turning away from the charging enemy forces. He picked off one Outrider after another, until he ran out of ammunition in his magazine and ran for it the rest of the way. The Outrider army was right behind him, meeting the full force of Wakanda when they came into contact M’Baku and his Jabari Tribe.

Natasha Romanoff grit her teeth and swung her staff like hell as more and more Outriders came her way. By the time even she realized she was being surrounded, a blur of red came to the rescue, Black Widow barely catching a glimpse of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen standing by her side. Neither had the opportunity to acknowledge each other, both Romanoff and Murdock dodging, swinging, and driving their weapons into precise pressure points—or what assumed to be—on their assailants. They went down all the same.

Black Widow swung downwards with her staff, smacking the last Outrider standing right on the top of its skull. As she was low, Daredevil hopped over her, twisted his body in mid-air, and flung his billy club right into the face of the beast. The creature fell back, the billy club bouncing off and returning to Matthew’s hand. There the two stood together, each heavily breathing, looking about to see no other Outrider left alive within their vicinity.

Twirling her staff, Natasha turned her eyes over to the Daredevil, smirking his way. Matthew heard her heartbeat slow down, meaning she found ease for just a short moment. He turned to her, saw her burning face nod once his way. “Nice moves, devil boy,” Natasha complimented.

Murdock pursed his lips in what was barely a smile. “It’s Daredevil,” he corrected.

“I know,” Natasha said, offering a wink directed only towards him. A wink that said all too much to mean anything else. Or she was just flirting with him, being the natural flirt she always was. Murdock didn’t delve into it too much and instead watched her leave, still flashing him with that sultry grin.

Such easing moments were sparse. Most of everything in that wretched battle consisted of broken bodies, final screams, guns blazing, claws slashing, explosions rippling, and indecipherable pain sounding off every second. Within the madness, within the war, Bucky Barnes found no one else to watch his back. Drax wondered off minutes earlier to who knows where, leaving just the White Wolf to deal with the aliens that got in his way.

No one watching his back.

No one to stop the Ghost Rider from gripping his shoulder and flinging him to the earth.

Sprawled on his back, Barnes gasped and quickly came to, almost instantly losing his breath when he felt the heated palm wrap around his throat and keep him compressed to the ground. Gripping the hand wrapped tightly around his esophagus, Bucky pressed all of his strength in prying it off. Even with the added strength of his metal arm, the hand didn’t loosen. Not even an inch. James finally lifted his eyes skyward to meet his attacker, practically blinded by the brightness of the sun.

Not the sun. The fires whipping off into the air emerged from the flaming skull glaring down at Barnes, the Ghost Rider growling as it observed the sinful spirit beneath it. The blood on his soul, the blood on his hands was more than enough evidence for the Spirit to act. Opening its jaw, the Rider held up its left palm, an unending cinder burning in its palm. The other hand tightened further around Barnes’ throat, the White Wolf clenching his jaw and shutting his eyes tight from the pressure.

The Ghost Rider roared, reeling back on its left hand and bringing it straight down on his heart.

James jutted out his free hand and screamed, “Wait! Stop!”

It did. With its palm burning, ready to smite the sinful man, the Ghost Rider stopped and stared into his eyes. Breaking away from the Spirit of Vengeance, the man within, the human Robbie Reyes saw more than just the blood on the man’s hands. The never-ending conflict of control between the two caused the Spirit to recede, allowed Robbie’s human passion to take command momentarily. Then the demon returned, then Robbie. Then the Ghost Rider. Then Reyes. Then both of them. It saw everything. The torment, the twisted, tortured soul and mind. Despite the sin, there was still a man. Still someone trying to be forgiven. A soul begging for escape from that sin in the past. The Rider’s jaw fell, the Spirit tackled from the side by an Outrider.

Quickly rolling to the side, Bucky picked up his LMG and rose to one knee, firing off a single burst of rounds onto the Outrider clawing at the Rider’s back, Barnes being tackled quickly himself. Returning to the dirt and once more sprawled on his back, Barnes was relentlessly pelted with slashes from the beast’s claws and snaps from the alien’s jaws. Whipping out his short combat knife, Barnes jammed the blade into the creature’s chest, the Outrider screeching in agony, but ultimately unaffected. It proceeded on its onslaught on the White Wolf, nearing his throat with its snapping, golden teeth.

Only to squeal as a chain was wrapped tightly around its own throat.

James’ eyes widened, watching as the chain melting with fire yanked the Outrider right off of him. Rolling once more, Barnes instead watched as the Outrider was dragged all the way to lay at the feet of another. The Outrider screeched and thrashed about on the dirt, its struggling only intensifying when the chain ignited into a blistering inferno, scorching the beast until it remained as nothing but ash.

Barnes slowly lifted his eyes, stared into the burning orbs of chaos within that of the Ghost Rider’s. Whipping the Hellfire Chain around its body, the Ghost Rider stared only at Barnes, ignoring all else in the world for just a brief moment. It seemed to contemplate prior events, the flames bursting forth from its nostrils and between its teeth.

Then James watched, remained as silent as ever, as it pointed at him and declared, “Innocent.”

Then it walked away. Walked into the madness and didn’t turn back to him. Barnes wished he could do the same, but after that encounter he always took an extra long look over his shoulder time and again, even as he picked up his weapon and returned to the war.

Luke Cage and Iron Fist fought together, having grown used to the idea of becoming stronger together. They always did find some sort of ease fighting side by side. An Outrider leapt from the battle and pounced on Cage, the Hero of Harlem catching the wriggling alien by its throat and holding it high in the air. Gritting his teeth as the creature clawed at his face and drew no blood, Luke roared and slammed the creature onto the ground back-first. He ended it by slamming his fist multiple times into its pointed face, making it as flat as a pancake. Wiping his fists clean of the alien blood on his filthy and torn shirt, Luke Cage proceeded forward, taking out more and more Outriders coming his way.

Danny Rand on the other hand—or fist in his case—found it to be increasingly troublesome to stay in the fight, fatigue quickly setting in, the intensity and seemingly endless battle finally getting to him. His Iron Fist had faded moments ago, Rand having to rely only on his martial arts to keep him alive. Even that wasn’t enough against an army continuously pushing against him. Danny was rammed in the side, sent to the dirt as the Outriders bit, clawed, and flung him around like a piece of meat given to the hounds. Danny shielded his face and eyes with his arms as the Outriders clawed at him, his shirt ripped off and revealing the Mark of Shou-Lao embedded over his heart. An Outrider slashed at his chest, creating several, blood red scratches just over the dragon. Danny screamed in pain, but that pain didn’t end there. It intensified to a level he couldn’t even fathom, the beasts biting at his wrists, prying apart his legs, and continuously slashing at his skin. Danny screamed even louder, lifting his right fist close to his face and begging, praying for that power to return to him. Nothing. His fist remained as dark as the blood painted on it. And he screamed.

Loud enough for rescue to come rushing in.

M’Baku roared and slammed his club into the face of the nearest Outrider, completely shattering the beast’s skull. The other Outriders turned accordingly, charging M’Baku and those who followed him. It was a short battle, M’Baku and his Jabari Tribe completely overpowering the Outriders with their superior weaponry. With all the aliens dead, M’Baku bent down and helped Danny to his feet.

“Thanks,” Danny groaned, acknowledging and grimacing at the several cuts on his body.

M’Baku nodded his way, gripping Rand’s arm tighter with his own. “Today, you are one of us, brother.”

Positive sentiments that, in the end, mattered little against the grand scheme. Nakia and Black Panther fought together in the madness, the two lovers caught in an ancient and beautiful dance, locked with one another as they fought, protected, and lived together. Okoye and Ayo led several members of the Dora Milaje within the carnage, Thor alongside them and delivering bolts of lightning straight down from the heavens onto their foes, clearing a path for the warrior women.

Steve Rogers rammed the end of his shields over the Outrider beneath him, the force of the punches being strong enough to kill the creature merely on the second impact. With his hair a tattered mess of sweat and alien blood, Steve looked up through the rising smoke and dust and was barely able to lift his shields in time. The powerful slash impacted Rogers’ forearms, the shields protecting him from the hit but not from what came after.

Steve was sent rolling backwards, eventually coming to a rest on his side. Rising quickly to one knee, Steve lifted his gaze once more and met his attacker head-on.

The Outrider General growled, walking tall on two legs and standing at nearly seven feet. Unlike the other Outriders, Steve noted how it held an extra pair of arms, making the count to six. The creature also looked to be bulkier, stronger, faster, deadlier in every single way. A pair of horns on the sides of its head also differentiated it from its smaller counterparts, the General’s attention center solely on Rogers.

Steve gave it all the attention it desired.

He charged forward, already sliding underneath its slash from one of its many arms. Driving the face of his shield in the back of its leg, Steve didn’t relent, unleashing punch after punch from his gauntlets onto the towering beast. Roaring at that, the Outrider General grabbed Steve by his throat and flung him forward, giving him no space to breathe as it was already on top of him, driving its claws deep into the dirt where his head was.

Steve rolled, moved, and blocked the Outrider’s advances, its claws slashing and digging against his shields but unable to penetrate the hardened vibranium. Lifting his feet, Rogers grunted and kicked the General right off of him, the beast staggering back on its two feet. It was Steve’s turn to give it no time to breathe, already back on his feet and rushing forward faster than any Olympic sprinter ever could. Quicker than Outrider could react to, even the General among them. Steve jumped in the air, driving the end of his right shield right into the beast’s jaw. He heard a sickening crack, followed painfully by the shrieks of agony from the Outrider General. It slashed at him with its left claws, Steve dodging to side, grabbing the beast’s wrist, and driving his shield’s end once again into solid bone, snapping the Outrider’s arm.

The beast screeched, thrashing about but unable to break the hold that Steve had on it. And Steve didn’t let up, not even an inch. Gripping the Outrider’s shattered arm, Rogers pushed the other two arms aside and rammed his shield against the creature’s face again and again, drawing more and more blood with each devastating punch. The sounds of solid vibranium against bone and skin was horrific, but Steve was relentless, the First Avenger relentless in his attacks, unforgiving in his motives.

Ultimately effective in his actions.

Rearing back, Steve sent one last powerful punch right into the creature’s head, roaring loudly as he did so. The force of the punch sent the Outrider General on its back, kicking up dirt, dust, and blood alike. But Rogers wasn’t finished. He landed on top of it, smacked its flailing arms aside and drove the gauntlets into the Outrider’s face again and again. Finally finished and finally resting when the General of the Outriders stopped moving. Stopping breathing. Lied in its own pooling blood with the leader of the Secret Avengers standing atop of it.

And breathing.

And living.

And staring at the blood on his fists.

And all around him, the war only continued. Never halting. Never changing despite losing that leadership, despite losing a powerful member of their own kind. The Outriders were still as relentless as ever before, the Wakandans and those who stood with them doing everything in their power to hold them back, keep them from breaking the lines and entering the city.

Steve Rogers lived and breathed, gazing to it all. Seeing everything and feeling even more than that. He especially saw the orange portal emerge out of the air, forming behind Tony Stark and the Defenders.

Tony landed right behind Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders, firing a repulsor blast into the face of the charging Outrider going for Jones. Jessica spun her head around for a millisecond, saw Stark behind her, then continued the fight, continuously falling back alongside the rest of the only people she could consider her friends. Frank Castle fell back near them as well, firing off continuous bursts from his LMG into the crowds of Outriders and even into the air to the flying Chitauri. Together, the six of them formed a small group; Tony, Matt, Luke, Danny, Jessica, and Frank all huddled near one another and fighting off the approaching enemy swarm.

All up until Tony saw the portal be birthed behind him. He spun accordingly, saw the familiar orange sparks and especially saw the familiar Sorcerer Supreme stumble out of it like a drunkard on Saint Patrick’s Day. He looked even worse than that, the sounds of the war around them meaning nothing to Stark. He saw the desperation in Strange’s eyes, the blood on his face and the horror etched in his expression. At that moment, Tony’s face fell apart, his heart dropping at the realization, that Strange’s assumptions had come true. Meaning that Thanos was on the hunt. Meaning that he was coming for the Time—

“Thanos has the Time Stone!” Doctor Strange declared.

Shit.

Tony’s heart fell even further, his body nearly crumbling had his suit not been formed around him, keeping him steady and alive. The Defenders, one by one, all slowly turned around in the short respite they were given from the fight. Every single one of them heard what Strange had uttered, almost in disbelief to it, refusing to believe it. Frank Castle lowered his LMG, glaring right at Strange through heated, wearied breaths.

“What happened?!” Stark demanded, stepping forward to Strange.

And he told them. He told them everything. Holding nothing back. Giving every horrifying detail.

Until he realized who he was speaking to, who those lives in the Sanctum Sanctorum really were. What those lives meant to them. Stephen’s eyes slowly widened, his breathing intensifying, his heart falling to see the shattered expressions from Matthew Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Frank Castle.

“What?” Jessica whispered. In all the time he knew her—or any of them knew her—Strange had never heard her utter a word in such a way. So soft. So weak. So completely broken beyond reconstruction. She looked to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, the rims of her eyes bleeding tears, threatening to fall. And Strange couldn’t even blame her. No one could.

He had just told them that Thanos’ minions came and slaughtered their friends. Like cattle.

Like nothing.

Stephen Strange stared only at Jessica, but turned to each Defender soon enough, saw the horror, saw the pain, saw the denial, saw everything he didn’t want to. He shook his head and whispered, “I’m sorry. There was nothing we could’ve done.”

“Asshole!” Castle screamed, stomping forward and nearly butting his head against Strange’s. With his eyes on fire, almost showing tears after hearing about Karen Page’s fate, Frank shouted, “Tell me you’re lying!”

Stephen slowly, painfully shook his head. Again. It hurt even more the second time.

The Defenders nearly collapsed. Murdock gasped, tried his hardest to breathe and failed every single time. He cried out, falling on his knees and abandoning his billy club in the dirt. He gripped the edges of his helmet, the sides of his head, and yelled. Screamed until he couldn’t even formulate a sound through his bleeding throat. Karen, Foggy, Claire… all of them… gone.

Just like that. And he could do absolutely nothing to change that.

Luke held his heart, stumbling backwards as the reality hit him like a shock wave, stabbed him and hurt him more than any blade or bullet ever could. Especially at the news of Claire and Misty’s fate. Danny fell down and clutched his head with both bleeding palms, digging his fingers through his hair when he realized—forced himself to—that he would never see Colleen alive ever again. It hurt him even more to realize that he could have stayed with her, been with her, defended her to his last breath but didn’t. Just didn’t. Jessica Jones fared far worse than either of them, her thoughts only returning to that one individual she wanted to forget, now could only think of her. Of Trish Walker, the only other person she could have considered her best friend and sister before that friendship was torn apart by a single bullet. Jessica stumbled about blindly, her hand rising to caress her head as her lips trembled, her face shattered, as did her heart.

Realizing she never made amends with her. Realizing her last words to Trish were: “As long as that stands… then so do I.”

Jessica Jones fell. She fell right on her ass and cried. Cried and clutched her head and her heart through clenched, bleeding teeth.

Frank Castle didn’t waste a second more. He reared forward and punched Stephen right in his cheek, Strange taking and knowing he deserved every part of it. Tony pushed Castle back, Frank shoving him aside and screaming at the sorcerer lying in the dirt, “This is all your fault! We should’ve never trusted you! Give me one goddamn reason I shouldn’t put a bullet in you right now!”

He jammed his M249 SAW right at Strange, right where he lay. “Frank, stop!” Stark yelled, prying his LMG by its barrel and ripping it straight into the air. The two grappled with each other momentarily before Castle broke away, aiming his LMG right for Iron Man. Tony replied in kind, his repulsors charging up and his palms open directly to the Punisher.

“Stop!” Strange cried, begged, held out his hands and rose back to his feet between the two. “Please! Trust me… I would have rather died than them if I could have… but we can’t turn against each other. The universe depends on it.”

He turned his eyes to every individual, every heart and soul tattered and destroyed. He eyed Tony Stark especially, staring right into his eyes when he said, “The universe depends on all of us.”

Then they heard the screams.

They all turned around, all stared from where they sat or stood to Thanos’ approaching forces breaking through their lines, charging towards them. Unleashing complete hell upon the lands of Wakanda. But not just the Outriders. Not just the Chitauri.

Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Cull Obsidian stepped forth through the split shields, hordes of Outriders rushing past them, the second wave following close behind. The daughter of Thanos jammed her blade in the air, a count of five Chitauri Leviathans swimming through the air and entering the dome behind her. They roared so loud it shook the very earth.

Just as the towering Threshers did when they burst forth from the ground and ripped apart anything unfortunate enough to get caught under their blades.