The Soulmate Initiative: Book 2

21. The snap

LOCATION: WAKANDA

Warren gets into the forest and hurries to Vision, sitting, leaning against a fallen tree "Are you okay?" There's a high pitched ringing and he groans "What? What is it?" "He's here." Stacey speaks in her com "Everyone, on my position. We have incoming." The Avengers, Okoye and T'Challa head into the forest, while the rest of the Wakandans fight what's left of the aliens, most of them dead now. The wind around them has picked up, there's a strange feel to the air. Nian glances around "What the hell?" Regina turns to see a portal open up, Thanos steps through it. Warren stands in front of Vision, magic at the ready, but Warren's shaking, he's terrified. They all gather together and stare at the large purple man, who just stares back at them.

Regina confirms it "Cap. That's him." "Eyes up. Stay sharp." Thanos slowly walks over to them. The first to come at him is Regina, but he causes her to phase through him and into the side of a cliff wall, getting stuck. Next is Stacey, he blasts her backwards. Then there's T'Challa, who he catches around the neck and punches in the face  knocking him to the ground. Suzanne flies in, shooting, but Thanos just knocks him down. As the rest of the Avengers attempt to get to him, Vision gets his friend's attention "Warren. It's time." "No." "They can't stop him, Warren, but we can. You have the power to destroy the stone. You must do it. Warren, please. We are out of time. If he gets the stone, half the universe dies. It's not fair." He agrees to do it and holds his hand out in front of him, pointed at the stone in Vision's head. He blasts energy at him, all the while the rest of the team do everything they can to fight Thanos off. But none of them can. As Thanos approaches Warren, all the others unconscious or trapped, he sends energy at him too, but he pushes against it, inching closer. Finally, Warren manages to shatter the stone, it blasts them backwards. Thanos walks past Warren and uses the Time stone to rewind time just for Vision, so that he is back again. Warren reaches for him "No!" But Thanos knocks him backwards, he then pulls the stone from Vision's head and places it in his gauntlet. He screams as all the power surges through him. Suddenly, Tasia enters the forest and throws Stormbreaker at him, it lands in his chest and brings him to his knees. Tasia lands in front of Thanos "I told you you'd die for that." She pushes her weapon further into Thanos, causing him to scream in pain. He speaks weakly "You should have… You should… You should have gone for the head." He snaps his fingers "No!"

Thanos is badly wounded, the gauntlet is fried, Tasia has a crazed look in her eyes "What did you do? What'd you do!?" Suddenly Thanos is sucked backwards through a portal and Stormbreaker falls onto the grass. Stacey gets to her feet "Where'd he go? Tasia, where'd he go?" Anna calls out "Stace?" She's starting to turn to dust, Stacey runs to her, but is too late. Stacey and Tasia look at each other in shock. All over the battlefield, Wakandans and aliens turn to dust, those who don't, look around in confusion. T'Challa finds Okoye "Up, General. Up!" He is about to help her to her feet "This is no place to die." …when he turns to dust. Rocket watches Groot fading "I am Groot…" "Oh… No, no, no! Groot! No." Then he's gone. Candice, who's trying to comfort Warren, turns to dust around him, making him cry harder. Suzanne is laying in the grass, she's about to get to her feet, when she starts turning to dust, behind her, Rhodes is also turning to dust "Suzie!" 

LOCATION: TITAN

They all help each other to their feet, all exhausted and distraught that they lost. Mantis whispers out "Something's happening." She's the first to turn to dust, next is Drax "Quill?" Ashley sees Quill is going too "Steady, Quill." "Oh, man." And he's gone. Strange calmly calls out "Ashley." Ashley turns to see him, too, starting to fade "There was no other way." Peter whimpers a bit "Miss Stark?" Ashley hurries over to the boy "I don't feel so good." "You're alright." He's starting to go and is panicking, he hugs Ashley "I don't… I don't know what's happening. I don't understand." Ashley hugs him tightly and tries her best not to cry in front of him, she had grown to care for the boy "I don't want to go, Miss. Please. Please, I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I'm sorry." And then he's gone too. The only ones left on Titan are Ashley and Nebula, who says "He did it."