The Winter Warrior // Captain America

«Chapter 47»

The aliens were coming from every direction, and my gun soon ran out of bullets. I then resided to using the butt of my gun to knock down the incoming aliens but one of the aliens just took it in between its sharp teeth and ripped it from my hands. 

I was knocked off my feet and the alien crawled on top of me, fighting to get its mouth to my face. I struggled to keep it away from me while pained groans erupted my body. The alien's claws tore at my skin and I could feel every inch of my body starting to bruise.

The alien was ripped off of me and my brother held out his hand, pulling me to my feet. "You okay?" he asked, using his new set of shields to whack away any incoming aliens. 

"Yeah, fine. You?" I asked, kicking away the smaller alien that bit at my calf. 

"Just great," he groaned, launching an alien through the air. 

Something gripped my ankle and pulled out my leg from under me, leaving me to crash to the floor with a yelp. I wrapped my arms around my head to protect myself as aliens swarmed around me.

Suddenly, the aliens were removed from my body and I pushed myself up, but only to duck again as an axe flew over my head. A bright beam came from the heavens and right as it disappeared, I discovered Thor, the god of lightning and one of Steve's Avenger friends. He was accompanied by a raccoon and what appeared to be a walking tree.

Behind me, Bruce Banner let out a loud laugh. "You guys are so screwed now!" he exclaimed victoriously. 

Thor charged himself with lightning and ran forward, shouting, "Bring me Thanos!" He leapt into the sky, lightning coming from every direction possible. He landed on the ground and the aliens surrounding him were all knocked out by the explosion of lightning.

A gush of wind blew past me and I looked up, seeing America standing next to me. Bucky came jogging toward us and shot down an alien as he did so. "You guys okay?" he asked us. 

Before I could answer, a voice called out, "Come and get some, space dogs!" I whipped around and saw the raccoon shooting down aliens, shouting as he did so. I didn't have time to question it, so instead, I grabbed the first gun I lay my eyes upon, checked it for ammunition, and grabbed the raccoon by the collar of his vest. I spun him through the air while both of us opened fire, shooting down the surrounding aliens. 

I placed the raccoon down when most of the aliens were dead and began shooting down the new wave of them. "How much for the gun?" the raccoon asked. 

"Not for sale," I told him.

"Okay, how much for the arm?" 

I didn't even reply to that. Instead, I just raised a brow and walked off, on my way to find someone I knew. Seconds later, I found my brother casually conversing with Thor, but before I could reach them, I saw a sight of horror appearing in the distance. 

A set of large metal wheels erupted from the ground, giant spikes lacing their edges. They dug through the Wakandan dirt without a problem, killing everything in their path.

Sam and Rhodey talked through the comms, but their words barely reached my brain as I desperately tried to find either my husband, brother or sister-in-law. I saw none of them and when I turned around, I was met with the wheels coming at me at top speed. I braced myself for impact but that impact never came. 

I glanced up and saw the wheels engulfed by red energy. Wanda Maximoff's eyes glowed bright scarlet as she hurled the wheels at the aliens that were closing in. Natasha and Okoye stood next to me, as baffled as I was. 

"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye asked.

"Guys, we got a Vision situation over here," Sam said through the comms and I looked up, finding Vision and someone else tumbling out of the window of the lab. 

"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve shouted and I heard obvious distress in his voice, but at least he was alive. 

"On my way," Wanda answered, holding her finger on the comms. 

"Wanda, look out!" I exclaimed but I was too late. The female alien from earlier struck her across the head, sending her tumbling into the groove the wheels left. Natasha, Okoye and I jumped after her.

"He'll die alone. As will you," the alien said to Wanda. 

"She's not alone," Natasha commented, gaining the alien's attention. Okoye twirled her spear in her hands and I pulled out a dagger, aiming it at the alien's head.

The fight between us and the alien commenced, and while I struggled to land attacks, I was more occupied by dodging the alien's never-ending strikes. 

A wheel passed over our heads, but luckily, the groove provided us with much-needed shelter. Natasha whipped out her taser probes and used them to fight off the alien. I ran to help her, but before I could come close, the alien was launched into the sky by Wanda and pulverised by the passing wheel. Blue liquids rained down, staining both me and Natasha. 

I shuddered. "That's really gross."

Wanda pulled me to my feet. "Wanda, you have to go find Vision. We've got it covered here," I told her, wiping off some blue gunk from my arm and flicking it on the ground. She nodded once and took off, leaving a trail of red energy. 

"C'mon," Natasha spoke up, starting the climb out of the groove. Most of the aliens had been defeated and the few that were left were close to finding their ending here on the Wakandan battlefield.

I pressed my comms. "Buck, you there?" I asked, my voice shakier than I intended it to be. No reply was heard. "Bucky?" 

"He's fine. He lost his earpiece," America's voice answered. I let out a breath. 

"Thanks, Mer. Where are you guys?" I asked.

"Near the forest. Vision's injured," she said. "Hang on, something's happening." 

I waited for her to return, but instead, my brother said, "Everyone on my position. We have incoming." 

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight as something in the air shifted. It had gone from victorious about defeating the aliens, to hopelessly grim. 

Natasha and I shot each other a look before we jogged to the forest, finding the others. "What's going on?" I asked Steve. 

He didn't reply, but I saw the subtle twitch in his jaw that emerged when he was scared.

A gush of wind chilled us to the bone and when I turned around, I saw a grey cloud of smoke appear before a deep blue portal appeared. A large purple alien stepped through, his left hand covered by a gold gauntlet that housed five glowing stones. A blue one, a purple one, an orange one, a green one, and a red one. One spot wasn't occupied yet, and I knew the Stone in Vision's forehead was meant to go there. 

This was Thanos, and he was here to get that Stone. Whatever it took.