Swan Song ✧ STEVE ROGERS [✓]

89 - Avengers Assemble, Pt. I

RAEVANNA'S EYES OPENED SLOWLY AS THE DUST CLEARED, AND DIANA SLOWLY LIFTED HER SHIELD, SHOVING AWAY THE PILE OF DEBRIS THAT HAD THREATENED TO CRUSH THEM. Diana had moved to Raevanna at the last second to protect her from the blasts, so now Raevanna was hunched over next to Diana, hiding under her shield. 

"Are you alright?" Diana asked, looking down at Raevanna.

Raevanna let go of her, straightening up and nodding. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."

"No problem." Diana looked around. "Where is everyone?" 

Her words instilled panic in Raevanna. She had no idea where anyone was. The blast had knocked them all in different directions, and that meant she had no idea where Steve was, or if he was even alive. She was scared, knowing that she had come too far to lose him now. 

So Raevanna looked at Diana, biting her lip. "I don't know," Raevanna admitted. "We all got separated in the blast."

Diana glanced at Raevanna, seeming to notice her fear. Turning her body so she was facing her, Diana put her hands on Raevanna's shoulders and smiled at her. "Don't worry. He's fine, I'm sure of it." Raevanna nodded but kept her head lowered, so Diana bent down a bit so she could meet her eyes. "Raevanna, look at me." Raevanna did, so Diana went on, "If you're so worried, then let's go find him, alright?"

Raevanna was silent for a moment before she nodded in agreement.

Diana smiled. "Alright, then. Let's go." The two then began to climb over the rubble, searching for Steve and the others.

"What happened?" Raevanna asked as they trekked through the ruins.

Diana huffed. "I have a feeling I know what it was. I just hope I'm wrong."

"What are you thinking?" Raevanna questioned her, wondering what the Amazon's theory was. 

"I think..." Diana paused. "I think it was Thanos."

Raevanna's eyes went as round as the moon at her words. "Thanos?!" she repeated. "You gotta be shitting me! It can't be him, he's dead!"

"I know," Diana said. "But did you notice that someone was missing when Bruce put on the gauntlet?"

Raevanna paused to think, then gasped when it dawned on her. "Nebula."

Diana nodded. "Exactly. Nebula went back in time to get the Power Stone with Rhodey. But what if... what if a different Nebula came back?"

"You mean you think she betrayed us?" Raevanna asked, frowning in confusion.

"No." Diana shook her head. "Nebula is part machine. So I think 2014 Nebula somehow managed to access present Nebula's memories. Then, 2014 Thanos captured present Nebula, and the Nebula who still served him took her place and went back with Rhodey. So 2014 Nebula must have opened up the quantum tunnel and let Thanos come through." 

Raevanna nodded slowly; as crazy as it sounded, it did make sense. "So what, you're saying that the Nebula we know is gone forever?" she asked.

"No," Diana said. "If my assumptions are correct, she's being held prisoner in Thanos' ship."

"So how are we gonna get her back?" Raevanna wondered.

"Sadly, I don't think we can at this point," Diana said.

Raevanna inhaled sharply in shock; she couldn't be serious. "What do you–"

"Thanos is back, whether we like it or not," Diana told her, cutting her off. "He is back, and he is after the stones. So our top priority must be stopping him from getting them. Okay?"