Infinity Era

by JDPrime22

Chapter 166 – They Need You

166

Upstate New York

Beneath the Ruins

5:57 p.m.

All Natasha had to do was follow the sounds of alien screams and the rest came to her. They nearly crashed into the Black Widow, leaping forth from the wave of flames that consumed the tunnel behind them and crashing together as a heap of limbs and groans on the steel floor. Clint and Tempest opened their eyes and looked up to see Romanoff standing behind them, pistol drawn, and hardened gaze trained on the duo.

Things did not turn out particularly well for the Widow. The bombardment had sent her careening into a dark crevice deep below the facility, eventually sending her to the emergency tunnels and bunker where she was nearly encased under a mountain of debris and rubble. Though she managed to escape before she could be buried, the wounds she sustained had taken their toll. Various bruises and cuts consumed her face and body, a gash across her forehead that leaked a filthy river of blood and dirt flowing down her face. It painted the skin between her eyes, flowed beside her nose, and stopped at her lips. Despite the throbbing in her head, Natasha stood up. She pushed on.

She survived.

Continuously trying her comms for any other survivors, Natasha stumbled about almost aimlessly through the darkened tunnels. The red emergency lights managed to guide her path, as static was the only response she received in the comms, giving her no direction of where to turn next. The constant groaning and shifting of the facility above her kept Natasha on her toes, though, inciting her to keep moving and find an exit before the entire base fell on top of her.

When she heard the alien screeches and cries echoing off the walls, Natasha spun towards them and whipped out her pistol. Her heart jumped when the familiar voice cried out, “Run!”

That was all she could do. She ran. She followed the screams and tore through the darkness and flashing red to find them, to hopefully find that voice again. The second she turned the last corner, she gazed down the long tunnel where the commotion was stirring, her eyes narrowing to see the rushing bodies making their way towards her.

As for Clint Barton and Tempest Shadow, the two Avengers felt the burning wind in their hair and the teeth snapping at their heels. Tempest led the duo, her magic gripping the Nano Gauntlet and all six of the Infinity Stones as she galloped, leaped, ducked, and turned wildly throughout the maze of tunnels. Clint followed close behind her and gave them both covering fire, the Hawk spinning around every few seconds to see the Outriders getting closer while they, in turn, were only getting tired.

Ripping several arrows free from his quiver, Clint drove the explosive-tip arrows into the walls to his left and right. All set on a timer of three seconds, Clint pushed himself to his limits, sprinting the rest of his adrenaline away in order to catch up to Tempest. By the time he did, the first arrow exploded. Then the second. Then the rest. A consuming wave of fire filled the tunnel and devoured the Outriders within the flames, their screeches drowned out by the rippling explosions. Tempest didn’t even have to look back to know what happened, jumping forward with Clint and exiting the tunnel as the fire blew over their heads. It dissipated, and only their shared breathing remained.

Until they opened their eyes and heard Natasha’s breathing joining them, seeing the Widow standing behind them with her weapon drawn.

Considering they were the first people Natasha had found since the surprise attack, she kept her finger off the trigger. Finally noticing it was Clint and Tempest brought her gun and—to a greater extent—her guard down.

“Clint,” Natasha breathed, a sigh of relief mixed in. She stumbled forward, bending low and reaching for Clint’s arm. She pulled him to his feet and met his eyes, Barton noting the wound on her forehead. Natasha even pointed to it and waved it off, managing a weak smile to ease him. They both turned to the groans beside them and saw Tempest struggle to all four hooves.

They helped her, kneeling beside the unicorn in order to help her stand. While Tempest sent a grateful nod to each, she soon found out their stares had long since turned away from her. Instead, to her lack of surprise, they fell to the Nano Gauntlet resting on the floor next to Tempest’s hooves. Natasha gulped. Clint breathed. Tempest shivered. They all breathed. They were all alive.

The growing screeches and growls brought that overwhelming sense of doubt to that previous thought, all three Avengers turning appropriately to see the flames licking at the bodies of the Outriders. The ones that had survived stirred in the burning aftermath, still conglomerated as a terrifying wave of a dozen or more Outriders still alive. They all screamed when they spotted the gauntlet, rushing forth to where it lied.

Clint bent down and scooped up the Nano Gauntlet, backing away quickly alongside Tempest and Natasha. The chance to run, to shout, to do anything else besides stand and hold their ground was gone. The Outriders came too fast. All they could do was stand there, weapons drawn, guard at the ready, and stare down the literal face of hell rushing towards them. The Outriders exited the tunnel, the leader amongst them leaping forth with teeth and claws intended for Barton.

The ray of golden photon energy stopped it by mere inches. In a blistering blast of cosmic energy, the Outrider was vaporized and blown away from Clint, Tempest, and Natasha. Clint noted how he could feel the photon blast rip past his right ear, the heat of it searing his neck hairs but otherwise intentionally missing him. It blew over his shoulder—between him and Tempest—and completely decimated the Outriders that remained.

They didn’t stand a chance, the photon blast incinerating what had survived and traveling all the way down the tunnel Clint and Tempest had run from. As the bellowing ray of energy finally ceased, the three Avengers gazed down the smoking, red-hot, and empty tunnel strewn with scorched and unmoving bodies. Their expressions said it all.

They all slowly spun around to where the photon blast originated, mild surprise but heavy relief in their eyes to see Carol Danvers standing on the edge of the tunnel behind them.

Captain Marvel kept her glare fierce as she lowered her fist and the energy swarming it faded. Dust and scratches coated her uniform with a steam of dark blue blood flowing down her nostril. Other than that, she was perfectly fine. She followed the screams like Natasha had and found her Avengers just in time. She approached them.

“Thanks,” Clint breathed, gripping the Nano Gauntlet like it was his own child. Carol kept her gaze latched to the gauntlet for a moment, almost considering taking it off their hands for safe keeping. However, she spun her neck back and stared to the ceiling, the subtle sounds of battle unfolding outside the facility’s tunnels. The subtlety ended when a resounding tremor filled the facility’s lower levels, streaks of dust and pebbles falling from the ceiling as an eruption covered the ground above.

Carol turned back to Clint, to the gauntlet, and stared. She raised a hand to it before pushing the gauntlet closer into Barton’s embrace. “Keep the Stones safe and stay together,” Danvers told them. Another tremor, another round of screams from above that no one else but Carol could hear. She tilted her eyes to the ceiling, gazing to it longingly. “I need to go.”

Natasha stopped her before she could fully turn away from them, gripping Danvers’ arm and stating, “Carol, now’s not the time go out lone wolfing it—”

Yet to the Widow’s surprise—to all of their surprise—Carol just smiled. Smiled and said, “My team needs me.”

While Clint was still momentarily stunned to know that Carol trusted them enough to keep the Stones secure—knowing it would probably be safer with the Captain—he really had no time to question her. Natasha even felt herself release Carol’s arm, that being the indicator to Danvers that she was free to go. She had her mission and they had theirs.

With one last nod, Carol then turned her face skyward and flew off directly into the ceiling. She burst through the rubble while chunks of it fell down and impacted the tunnels where they stood. A stream of light from the rest of the world above brought their eyes and their bodies together underneath it, the three remaining Avengers gazing up to see the sky. To see their escape.

Clint nodded at that, tightening his grip on the gauntlet while he reached for his grappling arrow. “All right Danvers…”

Comments

[JesusG0987]

They just can’t stay away from each other. And talked about team work. And man Carol is a good girl, not to leave her team behind. Nice chapter bro. And keep up the great work. I hope the next one will be continuing the fight against thanos, because this after math explosion for each team is taking too long

[DullDragon2070]

Black Widow and Captain Marvel accounted for.

So, Natasha joins Clint and Tempest in protecting the Stones, while Carol flies off to join- I assume -the Seis Amigos in the fight against Thanos.

I'm looking forward to reading the actual fight between the team and the Mad Titan.

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Is Thanos going to head butted Carol coming up or later on?

[C20]

Yet to the Widow’s surprise—to all of their surprise—Carol just smiled. Smiled and said, “My team needs me.”

That’s the spirit carol😄

[sonicandmario826]

Alright sounds like Captain Marvel is joining the fight with Thanos... or maybe she’s helping the others either way good thing Carol learned the

https://m.

[TheDino27]

Captain Marvel not being useless or a Deus Ex Machina ? Next up you’ll be telling me Hulk has a real purpose in this story except snapping back everyone !

Ok , I know this joke is not valid anymore since both of them actually proved themselves worthy (unlike in the movie) but I just wanted to make it one last time before throwing it in the dumpster.

All jokes aside , while I don’t have much to say about it , this chapter is really good and it proves , again , that Captain Marvel is totally different from her movie’s counterpart and has (and still will) actually been useful . Also great to see that she changed for the better when it comes to personality , that also makes me think that , while I don’t say it often , this story has great character development . So kudos for all of that !

Note: same has last time , written on phone so I am sorry for any faults you might see.

[MarioBrony]

Finally, Carol truly understands that they're all a team, herself included! This is truly a heartwarming moment for me! Now that everyone (and every pony) is accounted for, the battle now REALLY begins!

[Rhettbutler]

Clint nodded at that, tightening his grip on the gauntlet while he reached for his grappling arrow. “All right Danvers…”

Interesting. Very curious on when this took place. What could cause those explosions?

[Rhettbutler]

10058465
I hope that's still in as well as Wanda vs Thanos. That was a GREAT moment!!!

[Paulli]

They'd get outta that rubble soon.

---

What a tragic loss...
pbs.twimg.com/media/EPUwb4BUYAAnH1u?format=jpg&name=small

[TimeLord11]

Good to see Carol flexing her muscles. She was criminally underutilized in the film.

Still I'm not sure I'd bring the Stones to the surface. Destiny awaits for them.

[Boltstrike58]

Carol turned back to Clint, to the gauntlet, and stared. She raised a hand to it before pushing the gauntlet closer into Barton’s embrace. “Keep the Stones safe and stay together,” Danvers told them. Another tremor, another round of screams from above that no one else but Carol could hear. She tilted her eyes to the ceiling, gazing to it longingly. “I need to go.”

Natasha stopped her before she could fully turn away from them, gripping Danvers’ arm and stating, “Carol, now’s not the time go out lone wolfing it—”

Yet to the Widow’s surprise—to all of their surprise—Carol just smiled. Smiled and said, “My team needs me.”

FRIENDSHIP!
Okay, everyone's accounted for. Now we just have to not die until the cavalry shows up.

[JDPrime22]

10058434 Carol's a woman. Might wanna watch your grammar there. We'll get back to the battle next chapter.

10058448 Yup! Time to add another Avenger to the Thanos battle!

10058536 Cause that's the real super power!

10058553 Wanted to add more to her character this time around.

10058610 Wonder how many times we said the battle is beginning?

10058717 Fight up top with Thanos.

10059219 I hope I justified her purpose a lot more here.

10059443 Easy, right?

[DarkSkylynx]

10057547
David Dunn from Unbreakable would agree.

[MarioBrony]

10059096
Yep, he will always be iron man to me.

[Paulli]

10060399
No. Kobe Bryant. Not him. We just lost him. Even RDJ mourns him.

[JesusG0987]

10060052
I forgot for a while. Besides, she have a boy name with my sound of it

[MarioBrony]

10060487
Oh I’m sorry to hear that.

[Discordigan]

This chapter packs plenty of punches. :)

[SuperSonicHeroes]

It feels nice seeing Black Widow get to be part of the action here, since she didn't need to sacrifice herself to get the Soul Stone.

Carol turned back to Clint, to the gauntlet, and stared. She raised a hand to it before pushing the gauntlet closer into Barton’s embrace. “Keep the Stones safe and stay together,” Danvers told them. Another tremor, another round of screams from above that no one else but Carol could hear. She tilted her eyes to the ceiling, gazing to it longingly. “I need to go.”

Natasha stopped her before she could fully turn away from them, gripping Danvers’ arm and stating, “Carol, now’s not the time go out lone wolfing it—”

Yet to the Widow’s surprise—to all of their surprise—Carol just smiled. Smiled and said, “My team needs me.”

Looks like someone finally learned how to be a team player, and they can all rely on each other.