BOMBSHELL. ❪ Steve Rogers ❫ ✓

twenty-three

⁀➷

Ophelia and the others returned to the Quantum platform. Everyone looked around in shock and awe.

"Did we get them all?" questioned Bruce.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" questioned Rhodey.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked as everyone went silent.

There was no answer, but that was enough to tell them the answer. Bruce fell to his knees and pounded the floor. Ophelia wasn't as close to Natasha as the others were, but they became friends during those five years of grief. She walked forward silently, put the stone in Tony's palm, and walked away. She decided that Steve needed to be with his close friends.

As the original Avengers changed and met out to talk at the Lakeside, the others stayed inside and did their own thing.

Ophelia took in a deep breath and rubbed her face with her hand. She glanced at Steve before turning away.

"Boo!"

"Christ!" shouted Ophelia, jumping back and placing her hand over her heart. "Rocket, what was that for?"

He giggled. "I thought it was funny."

She sighed, absolutely exhausted and used to his antics by now. Slowly, the original Avengers trickled back into the compound, ready to work on the gauntlet and the stones.

In the lab, Tony carefully placed the stones in the gauntlet he made while Bruce and Rocket watched carefully. With nervous precision, Tony manipulated the machine and slowly placed all six stones into the gauntlet.

"Boom!" shouted Rocket.

Tony and Bruce jumped. Tony slowly turned to Rocket with a murderous glint in his eyes, to which the raccoon grinned at.

Hours later, the gauntlet was finished and everyone gathered around it.

"All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" asked Rocket.

Thor walked toward them. "I'll do it."

"Excuse me?" retorted Scott, clearly offended since the world was at stake and a man wearing pajamas with holes in it volunteered to do it.

"It's okay," Thor reassured.

Everyone began holding Thor back as he made his way for the gauntlet.

"Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet," said Steve.

"I'm sorry," he said sarcastically. "What, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?"

"Get off it, Thor," scoffed Ophelia.

"Now, listen here - "

"We should at least discuss it," Scott interrupted.

Thor shook his head. "No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty."

Tony shook his head. "It's not about that - "

Thor shushed everyone. "It's not that - Stop it! Just let me!" he exclaimed, voice cracking. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right."

"Look - It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition," said Tony, concerned for the god's mental health.

"What do you - What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor retorted.

"Cheez Whiz?" questioned Rhodey.

Thor shot him a look and silenced him with a finger. "Lightning," he emphasized.

Tony clearly did not care for that fact as he responded with: "Yeah."

"Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me," said Bruce solemnly. Thor let go of Tony as Bruce walked toward the gauntlet. "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" asked Steve.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this."

"Good to go, yeah?" asked Tony.

Bruce nodded. "Let's do it."

"You remember - everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years," commanded Tony.

"Got it."

Everyone got ready and suited up. Thor shielded Rocket who was standing on a table, Tony put up a shield for Clint who stood by his side, and Ophelia and Steve stood on opposite ends of the room.

She smiled at him and he smiled back. It was grim and short, not quite sweet or pleasant, but it only made sense. The facility went on lockdown mode, metal shields sliding over the doors and windows.

"Everybody comes home," whispered Bruce as he slid on the gauntlet gently, which nanobotically expanded to fit his hand. The power surge was overwhelming and he grunted in pain before kneeling down.

"Take it off! Take it off!" shouted Thor.

"No, wait," said Steve. "Bruce, are you okay?"

"Talk to me, Banner," commanded Tony.

Bruce nodded slowly. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Thor gave him a double thumbs up. Bruce screamed, fighting through the pain and managed to snap his fingers before he fainted. The gauntlet slid off his arm and Clint kicked it away. Steve hurried over to Bruce to help him.

"Don't move him," advised Tony.

Bruce held onto Steve's arm. "Did it work?"

Thor shrugged. "Worth a shot. It's over. It's okay."

Ophelia glared at him. "What is wrong with you? Keep that attitude in check, Thor."

"Guys, I think it worked!" exclaimed Scott joyfully.

Bruce opened his eyes in time to see a single missile heading toward the base before more missiles destroyed the base.