//------------------------------// // Chapter 77 – The Battle of Wakanda // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 77 Earth The Nation of Wakanda Upper Atmosphere 4:21 p.m. The invasion of Wakanda was playing through rather smoothly for Thanos’ forces. The shields surrounding the capital city had been breached, the frontlines of the defending, enemy forces had fallen, and the Outriders and Chitauri were consistently making more and more headway further into the Golden City, growing ever so closer to the shield generator. All ahead of schedule. In just a moment’s time, the resisting enemy legion would crumble under the sheer might and magnitude of the Mad Titan’s armies. Numerous Chitauri Command Centers hovered over the upper atmosphere above Wakanda, dotting the skies and filling it with even more supporting Chitauri. Leviathans swam downwards to the awaiting planet, Chitauri chariots and starships numbering in the hundreds, all leading to the burning lands of Wakanda below. A certain Command Center among the others, larger in size and scale, unleashed dozens upon dozens of Outrider Dropships, Leviathans, and hundreds of Chitauri upon the helpless African nation. No other Command Center matched it in reinforcements, no other ship was able to dominate the skies like it, other than Thanos’ Sanctuary II, safely outside the barrier near the Battle of Wakanda. It supplied the armies of Thanos more so than any other Command Center. It gave rejuvenated life to the invading forces every second, ensuring complete and total victory for the Mad Titan. It would have. A shadow blanketed the light of the sun in darkness, leaving the massive Command Center within its veil of black. Almost instantaneously, a certain form of dreaded panic filled every Chitauri that exited the Command Center, every Leviathan screeching out in shared terror, making several 180s and turning back towards their ship. Every starship and chariot did the same, every last Chitauri—from the Elite to the foot soldier—gazing in awe and horror to the shadow falling upon their ship. Massive, leathery wings that seemed to stretch forever, cascading a shadow upon the Earth as dark as the blackest ink. Seven conjoined heads like slithering serpents, fourteen blood red eyes radiating the strength of a thousand supernovas. The body of a titan, colossal in size and unimaginable to any of the weak-minded Chitauri fodder of its true scale. Slithering, twisting, snapping jaws of a thousand and more serpent heads attached to the titan’s body, all faced to the Earth. All facing to the only other thing standing in its way. Even in the silence of space, every single Chitauri could have sworn they heard the beast roar. It was not like any natural bellow the creatures had ever heard. It was darker, deeper, struck each and every living Chitauri within the most wicked parts of the hearts, showing to all an ancient evil the universe had never known. The kind of sickening, frozen horror struck every last Chitauri, freezing them on the spot, every last Leviathan almost lost, unable to follow the basic hive mind. None of them could even utter a sound, trapped in that frozen, perpetual state of terror. Utterly trapped. Utterly forced to watch as their Command Center was obliterated. The colossal beast drove itself heads first right into the Chitauri Command Center. With its own added speed, with the sheer strength and force of the impact the beast made, the Command Center stood no chance against it. The explosion was so fierce, so unimaginable that the Chitauri would have gone blind to the brightness rivaling that of the sun itself. They would have gone blind if they hadn’t instantly died. Every last Chitauri, Leviathan, chariot and starship were completely decimated following the explosion. With the destruction of the largest Command Center, the thousands upon thousands of reinforcements that had flowed forth from it died and hovered aimlessly in the vacuum of space. Once the blast reached them, however, their bodies, their ships, everything was vaporized in a stream of fire. An explosion so powerful, so otherworldly filled the upper atmosphere and shook the very Earth. The shock wave was so profound that nearby Command Centers were decimated almost instantly, killing even more Chitauri. Numerous domino explosions rang out across the upper atmosphere, filling the darkness of space with light. A light so bright and horrendous that almost every eye upon Earth saw it. They witnessed the light burning the skylines, painting the darkness of the night, the warmth of the afternoon in a sickly yellow and red. Like the death of a star. Like death. With the destruction of the largest Command Center amongst Thanos’ army—alongside the eradication of several other nearby Command Centers caught within the blast—what remained fell to the Earth in streams of fire, entering the planet’s atmosphere at ludicrous speeds, filling the sky with streaks of light. What fell and impacted the Earth were the remains of the Commander Centers destroyed, the decimated hulls of the chariots and starships, the mighty Leviathans, and the bodies of the thousands of Chitauri. It was like a meteor shower, unlike anything the Earth had ever seen. And as the remains of the many Command Centers fell, so too did the mighty Typhon. He fell alongside the shower of fire, entering Earth’s atmosphere and witnessing the nation of Wakanda in its full glory. The fire rippled across Typhon’s body, the titan’s wings extending and slowing his descent, legs jutted outwards and claws outstretched. Ready to make impact. Ready to take. And they never could have hoped to see him coming when he finally did. Wakandan Fields 6.6 Miles Outside the Golden City Minutes Earlier James Rhodes, the War Machine, seemed to have found the perfect solution to dealing with Thanos’ troops. As they spilled forth in droves from the opening upon the shield’s surface, Rhodes fired relentlessly down to the flowing wave of Outriders. The submachine guns within his armor’s gauntlets used their entire magazines, the shoulder-mounted minigun firing as his ammunition within his gauntlets dwindled. The onslaught of firepower from above completely decimated the invading forces from below. Outriders were torn to shreds from the piercing rounds Rhodes applied to his ammunition. He didn’t relent, a torrent of rockets expelling from his backside and shooting down to the gap within the shield. The resulting explosions tore Outriders apart, demolished oncoming chariots and starships in a violent blossoming of oranges and yellows. James’ mask lit up as he stared down to the fires, a determined and somewhat relieved look on his face to see Thanos’ forces nearly fall apart from his onslaught. Hell, he could have managed a smile, already reloading all of his assets and preparing to fire again. Until a chained axe flew through the air and knocked him right out of it. War Machine grunted at that, the heavy armor quickly dropping to the earth and crashing against it, crushing unfortunate Outriders and Chitauri that just happened to be in his path of destruction. Lying face-first, James Rhodes finally lifted his head, dirt and grime falling from his mask as he spotted his assailant. The chain retracted, bringing the axe back to its owner. Cull Obsidian ripped his arm back as the axe returned to the weapon’s handle, a ferocious grunt leaving the child of Thanos. He wasn’t alone. Scattered across the battlefield of Wakandan warriors and Outrider beasts, Proxima Midnight was right there, fighting on the frontlines alongside her husband Corvus Glaive. Together, the two fought as one, dancing together in a wicked and ancient dance of war as they sliced and slaughtered anything unfortunate to be in their way. Anything that stood in the path to the capital city. To the shield generator. To the Infinity Stone. As the defensive lines of Wakanda crumbled, the Black Order seized their moment and pressed on with the fire, relentless and unforgiving. Unbridled and unquenchable. Controlled, balanced, and utterly effective in every single way. Their past experience in decimating infant worlds—their knowledge of warfare and strategy all but guaranteed the Children of Thanos another victory. Leviathans, starships, and chariots flew over their heads, filling the air and battling the Wakandan ships for dominance of the skies. Swarming past them, the Outriders and Chitauri filled the African plains to the brim, rushing forward in a wave that could not be stopped. And if it could, there was always reinforcements. As well as the Threshers. The massive drilling machines tore forth from the earth and rolled forward onto the battlefield. Their blades shredded anything that was caught in their way, the mighty machines creating numerous trenches along the grasslands. The Chitauri made great use of the divots in the earth, diving in them , using the very earth as cover, and firing upon the retreating agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ultimately unleashing pure, raw trench warfare upon the Wakandan landscape. The Threshers numbered in the dozens, ultimately trying to reach the final defensive line of Wakanda, where the Wakandan battle tanks still remained, still fired relentlessly into the swarms of alien invaders. As the Falcon, Melinda May in her Quinjet, and the Milano all flew back and forth and fired onto the Threshers—while destroying a couple—there were just too many to deal with. Too many to worry about when the skies were already a war-filled frenzy of madness and death. The skies were darkened with clouds and raining fire, the apocalypse itself falling down and decimating the Wakandan landscape within its hellfire. The King of Wakanda witnessed the desolation of his home, witnessed the world itself falling down and burning his kingdom. But despite the overwhelming rush of anger and determination to defend his home, just seeing the odds against them—the staggering enemy forces narrowing on Wakanda and pushing them over the edge—the Black Panther had no other choice. Especially after seeing the Threshers grow nearer, ripping apart Wakandans caught under their rotating blades. “Fall back!” T’Challa screamed, facing away from the battle and turned instead to the few of his people that remained. “Fall back now!” The Wakandans retreated just as the Thresher arrived to his location, T’Challa ready to dodge out of the way. A wave of rockets flew directly over his head, impacting the sides of the Thresher and demolishing the machine in an explosion of metal and fire. The mighty drill fell apart in a cloud of smoke and flame just mere yards where T’Challa stood, the Black Panther turning to the skies to see the War Machine zoom over him, fly across the battlegrounds, and engage with the largest member of the Black Order. Rhodes fired enough ammunition to fill an entire armory upon Cull Obsidian, but after seeing the alien block his firepower with a shield, James flew in for close quarters. He pried out his electrified baton from his backside, slamming it against Obsidian’s head. He nearly did, Cull raising his shield and blocking the blast from War Machine’s baton. Distraught, James could only watch as Obsidian reacted quickly, wrapping his claws around Rhodes’ legs and slamming him upon the earth, spinning him around, and tossing War Machine clear across the battlefield. Grunting at that, Cull Obsidian turned around to see the Black Panther rushing across the plains towards him, dodging and weaving neatly and easily through the charging Outriders. Gripping his axe tightly, Obsidian tossed the weapon’s head directly for T’Challa. The Black Panther jumped clean over the axe, over several Outriders, and met Obsidian with his fist leading the charge. Cull raised his shield just as last time. Only this time the kinetic energy that had been building in T’Challa’s suit was strong enough to send Obsidian back first into the earth with just one punch. The addition of the Threshers quickly turned the tides of war into the Chitauri’s favor, but even with that added edge there was still enough of a fight left in the Wakandans to warrant a lasting battle. That fight resided in the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Defenders, and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. All those who stood with them fought to their very last breath, against overwhelming odds in a struggle deemed unwinnable. But with those superhumans, those gods, those otherworldly beings, that spark of hope was there. That fight was still alive in every Wakandan and agent. Even when hardly any of the Avengers fought side by side. And amongst that madness, blowing Outriders and Chitauri away like they were nothing, the Inhuman Quake was quickly making headway through the battle. Every other second was a fight for survival, hardly any breathing room and hardly any air to breathe. The fire burning the outer landscapes within Wakanda had clouded the air with blinding smoke, the Threshers zooming back and forth across the battlefield kicking up torrents of dust and fog. So for Quake, for Daisy Johnson, every second was a fight for survival. No rest. No breathing. Just fight. Jamming out her palm, the shock wave flowing forth from her fingertips sent the bundle of Chitauri foot soldiers flying through the air, all four of them shredded as a Thresher tore across the land resting ahead of Daisy. As the Thresher passed, all that remained was a trench embedded in the earth, Johnson taking the quick moment of peace to finally breathe again. A breath that turned into a scream as she felt the blade slice against the side of her head. The blade came with a fierce punch, Daisy launched forward and tumbling down into the surprisingly deep trench. She tumbled and rolled, eventually coming to a rest at the bottom of the trench, lying on her chest and hardly moving. Daisy tried to rise back up again. She pressed hard, dug her Quake Gauntlets into the ground to push herself up, get back to her feet and back to the fight. All of her instincts cried out to her to get moving. She didn’t wait for any of the Chitauri or Outrider to get close to her, so no one would wait for her to get back to her feet. Her instincts were blaring red at the sudden sound of feet landing behind her, Daisy gasping and twisting completely over. She jammed out her palm, only to scream as that same blade that created a gash of blood near her eyebrow slashed at her palm. Daisy cried out, gripping her hand and gazing to the slash just resting on her right hand, fresh blood pouring out and painting her glove crimson. And once more, that same blade fell down to her, Daisy’s eyes meeting the end of it near her throat. Her eyes trailed upwards on the blade, meeting the owner and the eyes that glared down upon her. And Proxima Midnight sneered at the mere sight of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. “Your power is strong,” she told her, watching as Daisy turned from her eyes to her blade again, not knowing which seemed more intimidating. It mattered little, Midnight’s eyes glaring down at the Inhuman. “Not strong enough.” “She doesn’t have to be.” She knew that voice. By Thanos’ greatness, Proxima Midnight knew and loathed that voice. With her frown only worsening once it reached her eardrums, Midnight turned around to see Natasha Romanoff standing there, staff in her hands, torn and tattered by warfare but standing regardless. Standing ready. Standing alive and glaring at Proxima. Turning in the opposite direction, she could see Okoye twirling her vibranium spear, pointing its end right for Midnight. She sent a firm nod to Romanoff. To her and the one who stood with her. Sending her growing glare back to Black Widow, Midnight realized what that second nod meant. Jessica Jones stood on Natasha’s right, blood and grime painted on her face, body, and armor. Especially her gauntlets, the pointed ends resting by her sides. Yet her glare, her signature Jessica Jones glare was as alive and bright as ever. She stared at Proxima Midnight, scowling, scoffing, and saying, “God, you are one ugly mother—” Midnight charged them with a horrendous scream. Her first target was obviously Natasha, jamming her blade right for Black Widow’s throat. To both of their surprise, Jessica jumped right in front of Romanoff, ramming the end of her shield right into Midnight’s breast plate. The Black Order member skidded across the dirt, not even hesitating and swinging right for Okoye’s head. Okoye ducked, jabbing her spear’s end for Midnight’s weak points. She twirled, spun, and slammed the edges of her weapon against the alien woman again and again, and each time Proxima would either dodge or block her strikes. Their confrontation ended shortly as Midnight swung low, taking out Okoye’s legs and sending the Dora Milaje flat on her back. Ready to end her, Proxima lifted her blade and drove it down where Okoye laid. Natasha slammed her own body into Midnight’s backside, the two tumbling further away into the dirt and grime of the earth. Kicking Natasha off of her, Midnight quickly rose to full height. Romanoff grit her teeth as she did the same, breaking her staff in two and swinging her twin, electrified batons right for Midnight. She wasn’t alone. Directly behind Proxima, directing surprisingly-devastating blows onto Midnight’s back was Jessica Jones. Midnight quickly realized she was fighting a war on two fronts, blocking more and more of Natasha’s oncoming strikes while suffering the blows dealt by Jones behind her. Jessica drove her boot right into Proxima’s leg, causing the alien woman to fall to her knee. Lifting her blade just as Black Widow’s batons came down on her head, Proxima pushed Natasha off of her, spinning rapidly and slicing low, below Jessica’s vibranium breast plate. Jones stepped back and gasped, hand placed over her exposed abdomen. When she lifted her palm, Jessica was almost sickened to see it completely drenched in red. Something she couldn’t acknowledge for long as Midnight kicked her right in the heart. As Jessica tumbled away, all that left was Natasha Romanoff on her back, Midnight already advancing and straddling the shaken woman. She jammed her blade’s edge right for the Widow’s throat, Natasha barely managing to stop it with her twin batons. The blade rested softly on her neck, Natasha clearly struggling to push her away. She only grew nearer, closer every second to her desired target. Midnight narrowed her glare, tightened her jaw as her blade slowly fell on her throat. Then she felt the sudden tug on her hair, then her entire scalp nearly yanked back by the external force standing behind her. Proxima screamed at the sudden invasion, reaching back for whoever had grabbed her. Unfortunately, even she wasn’t truly ready for it. Was never truly ready for her and the power she held. Daisy Johnson, blood splattered on the side of her face, yanked hard on Midnight’s hair, falling down to one knee and planting her free palm directly on Proxima’s spine. The rest was followed by a quake. With a shock wave escaping her very fingertips, Daisy watched as Proxima Midnight was launched directly into the air, arms flailing and body thrashing. Just before she could come falling down, Midnight snatched onto the nearest chariot, hitching a ride and vanishing from sight. Daisy took a much-needed breath of air. A moment that never could have lasted. She heard the tremble, she and the other women crawling out of the trench to see a Thresher charging right for them. Merely yards away. No time to move or time to run. Just no time at all. Just as Natasha, Okoye, and Jessica shielded themselves—as if that would protect them from the twirling blades—Daisy took another route. Gritting her teeth, tightening her palms into fists, Daisy Johnson nearly fell to her knees as she reared up and threw her hands downwards, straight to the earth beneath her. In a desperate, last ditch effort that came from pure instinct and nothing else, Daisy never could have imagined it would have worked. But it did. It worked in their favor in the best possible way. As the shock waves left her palms and entered the ground, the following earthquake shot out and ripped the very land surrounding them to shreds. But more importantly, it ripped the ground where the Thresher charged to directly upwards. As the land erected forth, the four women could only watch in shared awe as the Thresher flew over their heads, only dust and dirt falling over them, leaving the Thresher to impact the nearest Leviathan. The blades easily cut through the beast’s armor, slicing through like butter and removing the Leviathan’s head clean from the rest of its body. Both the Leviathan and the Thresher crashed against the earth, unmoving. Dead. Destroyed. Defeated. Jessica Jones gazed in shock, as did Okoye and Natasha, the Black Widow managing a short smirk on her end. Daisy Johnson slowly twisted her head back to them, her gaze meeting Natasha’s. Especially her smirk. Jessica breathed. “Holy—” “Shit,” Natasha finished. Though it wasn’t directed at Jones, Johnson, or anyone else. Her smirk fell, her eyes slowly widened in horror. Then came the screams, prompting Okoye, Jessica, and Daisy all in the direction Natasha stared to. They weren’t alone. Everyone saw it. The desolation. The invasion. The overwhelming wave of Outriders and Chitauri alike, numbering in the hundreds, blanketing the Wakandan landscape and airspace with their army of darkness. They washed over the lands of Wakanda, the African plains filled to the brim with charging Outriders, screeching Chitauri, and blaster bolts. The skies were dotted with chariots, starships, and more and more Leviathans swarming forward, unleashing everything they had on the dwindling defensive forces. Leading the onslaught was Corvus Glaive, the brilliant strategist amongst his group of Chitauri Elite, ordering Chitauri and Outriders back and forth, jamming his spear forward and roaring just one order. Just one that sent an onslaught never before seen on Earth. The third wave arrived. While the Wakandans were still in the midst of losing against the second and first. The Black Panther sliced and tore through the oncoming waves of Outriders charging for him, Nakia and Ayo fighting by his side. Instantly, in less than a second, they were gone, T’Challa twisting his neck back and forth to find them. Within the cluster of twisting bodies, blaster bolts, and screams, T’Challa could see his love being dragged away, an Outrider biting hard on her foot and pulling her through the dirt. “Nakia!” T’Challa screamed, kicking up dirt and rushing with speeds that even surprised himself. Unfortunately, he went nowhere and fast, an Outrider from behind tackling him right into the dirt. Black Panther rolled across the sand and grass, trying to rise but only falling again and again as more Outriders started to swarm him in his prone state. They bit, slashed, and tore at his body, unable to pierce the vibranium armor but still managing to keep him off his feet, tossing the King of Wakanda like he was a slab of raw meat tossed to the hounds. Steve Rogers was pressed and pounded, his back against solid stone erected from the earth. The Outrider against him bit and slashed at Rogers’ throat, the only thing separating it from achieving its goal being Steve’s shield. The end was pressed firmly to the Outrider’s throat, the beast’s torn and burnt flesh hanging off its limbs as it gripped onto Steve’s gauntlet and continuously snarled and thrashed. Tightening his jaw, Steve turned to his left, unable to move as another Outrider pounced him from the side. He tumbled and fell to the dirt, the Outriders instantly swarming him, biting him, slashing at his exposed skin. All he could was shield his head and eyes with both gauntlets and take every excruciating second of pain as the beasts slashed at him. Driving his fist with such power into the nearest Chitauri, Luke Cage continuously backed away, his eyes gazing in both shock and awe to see the overwhelming army swarming the lands and skies of Wakanda, quickly pushing towards him and those who stood with him. The Ghost Rider was one of them, catching an Outrider by its throat and slamming it into the ground, incinerating the thrashing beast just by squeezing its palm into a fist. With the Outrider nothing but ash beneath it, the Ghost Rider arose and reached for its Hellfire Chain, only to feel the overwhelming force of numerous other Outriders tackling both itself and Cage. Iron Man landed upon the earth and fired repulsor after repulsor, taking out every single Outrider he saw until even his suit couldn’t keep track of how many were charging for him. Seeing the overwhelming odds, Stark flew off the ground, only to get caught by his foot, pulled back to the ground, and instantly swarmed by a drove of Outriders. Tony fought them off regardless, bringing forth two nanotech blades from his wrists and slicing at any alien that drew near, eventually having to fall back near Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and Peter Parker. Together, the four of them fought. Fought and survived. Just barely. Peter Quill and Sam Wilson flew side by side, both instantly getting knocked out of the air by Outriders. Iron Fist and Nebula fought alongside Gamora. The first taken was Gamora, then Nebula, Danny Rand only being able to witness the Outriders dragging them away before being taken himself. Lance Hunter ran out of ammo for his minigun. His eyes widened beneath his metal mask, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent quickly sprinting for his life to the last line of defense. Finally joining the rest of his fellow agents, and his wife. Bobbi Morse rolled across the grass, slicing low with her baton and knocking a Chitauri right off its feet. It was all she could do before Lance pulled her back, screamed at her to follow. Only her eyes weren’t on her husband. All she could stare at was the impending wave of fire and death slowly consuming Wakanda. And in her eyes danced those flames. In her eyes screamed those Chitauri and Outrider invaders. In her eyes the darkness of the clouds, the smoke, and the immense army charging towards them was all she could see. It was all she could hear. All she could experience. It was all anyone could experience. “There’s too many of ‘em!” Bruce Banner screamed. The Hulkbuster continued to punch and blast and incinerate any Outrider that tried to get too close, but with the third wave reaching the heart of the Wakandan defenses, Banner experienced that full impact. The Hulkbuster punched and fired a beam of energy, both of which were cut short as the group of Outriders clutched onto his arms and body, eventually bringing the hunkering titan down to the earth. The Hulkbuster crashed with a deafening thud, the Outriders taking the only advantage they could on Banner and swarmed the massive suit of armor, biting and clawing at its face and eyes. Within the crumbling Hulkbuster, Doctor Banner looked about madly, adrenaline pouring through his veins and fleeing from his body in streams of sweat. He wanted to scream. As everything failed and the systems of the Hulkbuster finally died, all Banner wanted to do was scream. And he did. Except when he did, it didn’t even sound like him. In fact, it almost sounded like— Bruce caught his breath, his eyes widening, his pupils enlarging. “Nat…” In the distance, through the chaos and the bloodshed, Natasha Romanoff was thrown to the ground by a Chitauri Elite. She looked up only to see the Elite point its blade right at her, a swarm of five Outriders charging forth and overcoming the Black Widow. Natasha shielded her face from their claws, but she couldn’t protect the rest of her body, the Outriders going to work on clawing, biting, and slashing at her skin. All she could do, all she could manage was an ear-piercing scream. A call for help? A cry in pain? She didn’t know. Thank God someone did. The Hulkbuster shuttered. The Outriders atop of it, clawing at its face, paused only momentarily. Then another stutter. A tremble. A tremor. The mighty suit of armor shook from beneath the crowd of Outriders, the aliens upon it gazing into the suit’s dark eyes. They could see nothing, nothing but the darkness of death overcoming their foe. That’s what they thought. But when the single green fist burst forth from the armor’s chest, they knew they were wrong. The green palm grabbed the only Outrider it could, the thrashing beast caught within the hand and gazing downwards to see… The Hulkbuster erupted, and from it came the Incredible Hulk roaring so loud he told all the Earth who had arrived, who was alive, and who to fear. The roar was so powerful that anything nearby instantly froze, turned towards it, and felt their bones shiver. The Outriders surrounding him all backed away, claws risen, jaws falling but not a single sound able to leave the near-mindless beasts. The Hulk grit his teeth, glaring down to the Outriders that had swarmed him, attacked him, and to the beast thrashing in his hand. But they weren’t his priority. He heard that scream again. The Hulk’s glare faded. He turned in the only direction that mattered, spotting Natasha still being overwhelmed. That spark inside of him, that unbridled and uncontrollable rage the Hulk had felt so many times before came back with fiery vengeance. His brow slowly deformed into a horrific glare, his eyes on fire, his teeth tight and breath seething, raging, roaring so loud it shook the very air itself. Without hesitation, the Hulk crushed the Outrider in his palm, stampeded across the battlefield and rushed towards the Elite and its forces. The Chitauri Elite’s blue visor turned accordingly to the deafening roar, unable to do much else as the Hulk slammed his forearm against its body, ripped the Outriders covering Natasha apart, and screamed at anything else that dared tried to come near. All in less than five seconds. Struggling to move, Natasha Romanoff slowly pressed her elbow into the dirt, seething with pain as fresh cuts and tears on her face and body cried out to her. But when her eyes arose to the being blocking out the sun, to the one standing before her, it was if all the pain in her body just vanished. Just left her. Just like that. Because when the Hulk slowly turned around to face her, all Natasha could really do was smile. Smile and breathe, “Hey, Big Guy.” The Hulk snorted. Slowly, he bent down to her, almost conflicted in his own actions. Like he was still in that eternal conflict between Banner and himself. But when he gazed into her eyes, saw Natasha’s eyes and the beautiful smile grace her lips once more, his heart rate began to simmer. His anger began to cool. Everything began to slow down. He lifted up his palm, cautiously drifted his fingers to her own. The Outrider screeched and latched itself onto Hulk’s backside, driving its teeth right into the Hulk’s neck. Hulk roared and thrashed about upon the ground, Natasha quickly rolling to cover as the stumbling beast reached back and pried the Outrider from his back. With the alien in his grasp, Hulk was ready to end it, only to feel another wave of Outriders charge him, try to tackle him, try to bring him back to the earth where they had him once before. “Fall back! Fall back! There’s too many! Retreat, retreat!” Frank Castle bellowed as loud as he could, firing off several bursts from his M249 SAW. Just hearing his own voice spout off orders to soldiers, warriors, reminded Castle of a time he dreaded to remember, several flashes of the terrorists he had killed in the Middle East returning to him in full force. Every alien that tried to charge him, every alien that ripped apart S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Wakandans, all Castle could see where his own men and women being gunned down from some unknown sniper fire, dying for nothing. Frank shook his head, pulled the trigger again and again. More flashes from the end of his barrel, more flashes of terrorists dying by his hand, bullets ripping through their bodies and turning their blood into paint on the walls, upon the dirt and sand. Frank growled, roared, consistently firing and shaking his head as the dreaded PTSD made its horrific return. As the bodies of the agents and Wakandans rushed past him, only Castle remained standing, picking off Chitauri and Outriders alike. It got to the point where Frank could hardly see straight, his vision blotted by crimson, his enemies all appearing the same to him. He saw the aliens, then the terrorists, then the Irish mob, then Billy Russo, then every single demon that came back to haunt him every time he pulled that trigger. The Outrider screamed, leaping for him. The Punisher screamed right back, tossing his LMG aside and reaching back, ripping out his pump-action shotgun and blowing the Outrider’s head clean off its shoulders. Huffing at that, completely unfazed by the alien blood painted on his face, the Punisher stomped forth while the others ran back. He huffed again, almost like a grunt of intimidation. Like an animal would. Like a feral beast standing before the alpha of the pack, challenging dominance. Frank Castle cocked his shotgun and charged straight ahead. He roared every step of the way, blasting every single alien, every single demon that stood in his blood red line of sight. He fired and cocked. Cocked and fired. Again and again and again until he only sweated his enemy’s blood, until all he saw were countless bodies charging and lying before him. Until he ran out of ammo. Even that didn’t stop him. He pulled out his combat knife from his pant leg, twirling the blade with slick precision. The only Outrider that charged him met Frank with his knife in hand, the Punisher driving the end of it into the creature’s gut again and again, drawing blood, insides, and whatever other uncertainties remained in the Outrider’s body. The Outrider cried out, falling on its back as Frank took advantage and straddled it. He plunged the knife deep into the creature’s chest, roaring with blood dripping from his face—blood that wasn’t his—and screamed his battle cry right into the Outrider’s face. The alien gave its last cry before falling limp under the Punisher’s wrath, Castle ripping his blade free and gazing forward. To the line of Chitauri aiming their rifles right at him. Frank darted his eyes from one alien to the next, seeing the ends of their rifles glowing, threatening to fire and end him right then and there. And Frank… He lifted his knife, blood dripping from it and his own body. Ready to fight. Ready for another round. Ready to die and see his family again. Not even they could offer him that. Because they all crumbled. Frank lowered his knife, his eyes slowly widening. He stared silently to the dead Chitauri lying in front of him, the Chitauri he hadn’t killed. Then to the many more he hadn’t killed. The thousands upon thousands of Chitauri foot soldiers, Elite, Leviathans, chariots, and starships simply… dropping. Just dropping to the earth and lying there. Dead. Starships and chariots—once impacting the ground—killed anything caught within their explosion. Leviathans killed even more once they crashed upon the earth. Outriders were caught underneath their shadows, unable to escape as the gargantuan, flying beasts fell to their doom. And those that survived, all those Outriders, the few remaining Chitauri, the Black Order, the Wakandans, and the Avengers all stared. Confused. Shaken. Silent. A brief respite in the war for the very fate of the universe before it eventually kicked right back into gear, the armies of Thanos charging straight ahead, straight to the unmoving defense force of Wakanda. They didn’t move because they all looked to the skies. All watched as the massive remains of the Command Centers fell to the world, crashing right through the shields above the Golden City, and struck the earth. They struck the battlefield, struck the blood-soaked lands filling Wakanda, but most importantly… landed directly on top of the approaching Outrider and Chitauri swarm. A wave of fire and metal burst forth from the eruption, far enough for the Wakandans and Avengers to stand in a safe distance, but close enough to inflict a horrific amount of damage upon the Black Order’s troops. Several hundred were crushed, thousands more incinerated by the wave of fire. The path leading to the capital city was blocked by the wave of fire, creating a towering wall separating the Outriders from their target. And standing on the other side, the Wakandans, Avengers, Defenders, Guardians, and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were nearly silent. So very quiet beyond reason, beyond belief, frozen in shock to the events they had just witnessed. It didn’t end. As the Black Panther arose from the dirt, Steve Rogers following alongside every other hero and Wakandan that had nearly fallen in battle. And they all gazed in the same direction, watching the wall of fire rise higher and higher, the decimated remains of the Chitauri Command Center resting within the middle of it all. Despite thousands of questions filling everyone’s minds, there was only one that mattered, one that everyone wanted an answer to… How? A deafening eruption came directly behind them that time, several flinching and spinning towards the disturbance. Ripped right through the shield, another Chitauri Command Center had fallen right out of the sky and struck the earth. Its remains stood erected upon the ground, burning away and slowly but surely crumbling as its armies once had. T’Challa and several others slowly lifted their heads to the shield above Wakanda. It was nearly torn to shreds, numerous open pockets clear for any Chitauri to invade. The Golden City was clear for the taking, and yet no attempt was made. Not a single Command Center hovering above the shield made any sort of movement, gave any sort of order to invade. Not a single Chitauri above the shield. Not a one. “What the hell is this?” James Rhodes asked, stomping forth. The red of his mask’s eyes gazed skywards. “What’s happening?” No one answered him. No one could. The skies trembled, every head and every heart turning to it. Turned to see the thunderstorm starting to arise, lightning striking across the heavens and only growing nearer, closer to the Golden City. The dark clouds only grew darker, the wind starting to pick up. Starting to burn. Steve Rogers breathed, holding his abdomen and gazing to the skies. Stared at the lightning. The first thing that came to his mind, the only person that did. He turned to him, spoke so softly that even the God of Thunder had trouble hearing him over the roars of the clouds. “Thor…?” Just one look from the King of Asgard gave Steve the only answer he dreaded. He took one more look to the clouds, really stared at the lightning, and noticed its color for the first time. Noticed the blood red. Noticed the swirling clouds, the pitch-black blanketing the light. Like serpents. The wind really picked up, pushing the air right through everyone’s faces, through their bodies and their very souls. And it was hot. Blistering hot. M’Baku breathed heavily, sweat and blood streaming from his forehead as he and his Border Tribe gazed to the heavens, stared onto the crumbling shield, to the swirling clouds. Everyone did. Everyone stared up… Watched as the clouds shattered… … and witness the titanic dragon fall from the heavens. Just… fall. As if that hadn’t already taken their breath away, they watched as its massive wings extended, the fire trailing it finally subsiding as the massive beast struck the earth, shattering right through what remained of the shield over Wakanda. As its claws made impact with the ground, followed shortly by its gargantuan body and seven, towering heads, the resulting shock wave filled all of the lands surrounding the Golden City. It was strong enough to knock everyone on their backs, fling the Wakandan battle tanks right from the earth like they weighed nothing, and nearly rip May and the Milano right out of the air. Numerous Wakandan ships weren’t so fortunate, the shock wave blowing them out of the sky and sending their husks crashing to the grasslands. Everyone was quick to rise again, all eyes centered on the dragon, looking nowhere else but the astounding sight resting miles before them. All seven heads, giant leathery wings, and colossal body faced not the defenders of Wakanda. No. The dragon had set its sights before it even landed, all seven heads pointed in one direction, all fourteen glowing red eyes centered on… No… T’Challa caught his breath. His heart quickened… before falling deep down into the darkest realm of his soul. No… The dragon leaned forward, roared with all seven heads, and proceeded to approach the Golden City. With no stop in sight. No other end but… T’Challa’s eyes widened beneath his mask. No! The shield above the Golden City fell. The shower of fire fell to the nation of Wakanda. The Black Order, gazing through the tower of flames, witnessed everything before them, stared upon the seven serpent heads scream out to the skies, roared alongside the earth-shattering thunder and air-breaking lightning. And they retreated. They all did. Every last Outrider, every last surviving Chitauri following the Black Order to the remaining ships, to the dropships, all flying back towards Sanctuary II and the Command Centers still surrounding Wakanda. Still surrounding the chaos unleashed upon the nation. And even they retreated. From the orders of the Ebony Maw standing alone within Sanctuary II. He had stood there, watched the entire battle from its uprising to its eventual—and utterly surprising—end. After having received word from the upper atmosphere of what had happened to the Capital Command Center, now having to witness that same decimation fall upon their prize, fall upon the city that was rightfully theirs—rightfully their father’s—Ebony Maw knew… He knew… He only knew one thing. “Thanos will hear of this betrayal,” the Maw whispered, his eyes gazing to the mighty Typhon unleashing his hordes upon the Wakandan capital.