Chances

Chapter Twenty-Four

​Chapter Tweny-Four: Losses

"Our duty as men is to proceed as if limits to our ability do not exist." -Teilhard de Chaplin

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 "Thanos is on the southeastern bridge. I repeat Thanos is-" Static interrupts Captain Roger's transmission.

 "Captain?" Tony asks, "Rogers, what happened?"

 "He's not responding," Natasha states the obvious.

 "Monica, go see what the situation is on the southeastern bridge," Tony instructs me.

 "Roger that," I'm already approaching the isle.

 "The Titans," Captain Rogers's line is back on, "Surrounding Thanos... Uru we-... Help!"

 "I can't get a clear shot of Thanos. Even if I did, there's no promising my arrows will pierce through his armor and skin," Agent Barton chimes in, "Stark, you have to stay on perimeter control. It's bad enough Monica isn't also on perimeter duty. If more Titans get into the city, there's no telling the amount of people that will die."

 "Roger that."

 "Thor and I are heading over there now."

 The bridge looks nothing as it did when I was first there. Scorch marks singe the concrete ground and the suspensions. The ground around the bridge is smoking as the grass was burning. There are a few small fires burning as cars that were abandoned are now destroyed. The bridge itself is barely intact, the towers are broken and the suspender cables are snapped. The deck of the bridge is cracked and crumbling.

 I attract the attention of the scattered Titans as I look for Captain Rogers. These Titans are armored differently than the other ones we have encountered. Their armor is gold and purple, where the others have been silver and black. Also their weapons are different. They have a silver scepter with some type of red energy-looking thing glowing inside of it: the Uru weapons.

 I hear metal against metal as I turn to see a bloody and beaten Captain Rogers fighting off a pair of Titanians. Ferocious-looking burns are exposed as the cuts have pierced through his suit; his skin is charred and gory in these places. Steve's cap is stained with dirt along with other substances. A long crack splinters down the forehead.

 "Cap, what happened here?" I ask as I aid him in fighting the Titans.

 "When Thanos came, he landed right on the bridge next to me. Then he just released a type of explosion and it threw me back into that building," He motions with his head towards the weakened brick building behind us as he shoots at the mass in front of him, "When I regained my bearings I saw only the destruction path Thanos left and the Titans."

 "You don't know where Thanos went?" I inquire as I dodge an incoming blast.

 "Not exactly, but the trail of crushed buildings and fires leads north so I'm assuming that's where he's gone," Captain America nods quickly behind him.

 "We have eyes on Thanos at the North bridge," Agent Romanoff informs us, "Wait, no, he's gone."​

 "He's a mile in the city," Tony says, "Now he's gone again! Damn teleportation."

 I hear the deafening sound of glass and metal breaking behind me. Captain Rogers and I whip around, a bit intimidated by what we might find. The Titans begin whooping as their leader lands on the road behind us.

 "Can you handle this?" I ask Steve as we look up at Thanos.

 "Why? You backing out now?" He glances over at me.