Variation - W.M.

Chapter 77 - January 21, 2017

As expected, the ship that had been heading straight for the field in front of us crashed into a previously unseen barrier, exploding and revealing the shimmering blue of the force field that surrounded Wakanda.

"Well that works" I muttered although the mini celebration was quickly shut down by Rhodey.

"We've got more incoming outside the barrier, it won't be that easy."

I followed his line of sight to see more ships impacting on the ground, a strong wave of dusted wind moving through the trees and across the empty part of the field before hitting the force field. "I guess we're doing this, then."

I joined Steve and T'Challa as they walked to the edge of the barrier, Tony landing beside us once we got there. On the other side we were faced with the big guy and the woman from earlier. I assumed that Squidward and Anti-Phase Guywere the ones who had kicked the bucket earlier. The woman also seemed to be lacking her spear, something I also had no issues with given my past experiences with it.

"You know, I believe we sent an invitation for four. Your friends couldn't make it?" Tony asked and I snorted, although the woman didn't seem to find it very funny.

"You will pay for their lives with yours" she threatened, looking between us. "Thanos will have that stone, along with the other one you hold possession of."

"That's not going to happen," Steve said.

"You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood" T'Challa added.

"We have blood to spare," Thanos' minion answered before she thrust her arm in the air. I watched with a churning stomach to see the five ships in the distance seem to raise up. We made our way back to the group where Wanda put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly and I shot her an uneasy smile.

"What'd they say?" Nat asked Steve as he turned to face the two minions.

"That they had blood to spare."

We watched as her arm came down, her weapon slicing the air. Thousands of creatures began pouring out of the trees, all running toward where we stood. The sight alone made me shift back a step, fear coursing through me. The creatures reminded me of the pictures I had seen of the Chitauri, although these had four arms instead of two and switched between running on all six and on their legs.

"What the fuck are those?" Pietro asked, eyes widening at the mass of alien lifeforms. Nobody answered as we all watched them arrive at the forcefield and begin pushing their way through. Most of them weren't successful; limbs and bodies and heads being cut off, but the few that were let out screeches and began advancing. We greatly outnumbered those who made it through, and it was clear that unlike the Chitauri, these monsters didn't have any sort of long ranged attacks so it wasn't hard to dispatch the few who did.

"If we aren't careful they're going to get behind us and catch us off guard" Sam shouted through the comms and I looked to the side to see the creatures beginning to spread out and head for the back of the dome.

"Maybe they'll just run out?" I said hopefully, although by the look that Nat and Steve shot me and the fact that it looked like a disturbed anthill outside I severely doubted they would run out of soldiers before they could surround and overwhelm us.

Steve looked to T'Challa who nodded before lifting up his hand to his ear. "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen."

I gaped at the man. "Open it? Are you serious? In what way is that smarter than spreading out and taking out the few that get through."

"What happens when more get through, or when Thanos decides he'd rather join in. If we split up then we're as good as dead" Tony reasoned, his thrusters pushing him off the ground.

T'Challa moved in front of everyone, standing for a second before shouting loudly and crossing his arms over his chest. "Wakanda forever!"

At the sound of his shout, everyone around us began charging forward. I took a deep breath. "If I die, I'm haunting all of you for this dumb ass decision."

The section of the barrier that opened was small but the flood of alien creatures that came in was immediate and reminded me of the elevator scene from The Shining, a movie I absolutely despised. That didn't bode well.

Steve and T'Challa were quick to outpace the rest of us, running far ahead, although Pietro quickly found me and looked over with a smirk. I laughed. "We can't let them outshine the actual speedsters, can we, Sonic?"

"No way in hell" he grinned before darting off. I followed his example, using my speed to fly past Steve and slam my fist into the first alien I saw.

Fighting broke out around me soon after, every creature we slaughtered being replaced by three more. Despite that, however, I felt confident as I fought, putting everything I had learned to use.

"Ollie, watch out."

The warning from Yelena came milliseconds before something was forced through my stomach, although the weapon simply passed through me harmlessly as I phased. I turned to see the woman and scowled deeply, memories flashing through my head of when this had happened before.

"Last time I couldn't take you on" I growled, my hand reaching down to grab the sword off the ground before tossing it aside. "I was weak and all I could do was sit there and bleed while you went after Wanda and Vision. But now, I can protect myself and I refuse to hold anyone back."

I felt the familiar tingle of lightning buzz under my skin as I lunged forward, throwing the first punch. She was ready for the blow but the jolt it delivered was a surprise, sending her flying back into a ditch. I was beside her in a second, my foot sending another electrified blow to her stomach as she attempted to stand.

"What was it you said earlier?" I asked lightly before my face darkened and I narrowed my eyes at her. "You'll pay for their lives with your own."

It seemed almost unfair that this version of her was recieving the pain and the end that the other one deserved. She didn't know who I was; didn't know Vision or Wanda. She hadn't been the one who attacked us in Scotland. But to me, this version of her was no different than the one who attacked us in my timeline. She was no different than the one who had left me to bleed out and the one who had, by proxy, weakened Vision enough to allow Thanos to snap away half the world. To me, it was her and her friend's fault that I had lost five years of my life and that my grandparents had died. So as I sent an overwhelming wave of lightning through my body and into hers I felt nothing but satisfaction for finally enacting the revenge I had so desperately wanted.

"You okay?"

I turned to see Wanda a few yards away and I had no doubt she had come to check on me.

"I'm great" I breathed, relaxing a bit and feeling my energy slip away. Upon closer inspection Wanda was lacking the scepter and my eyes widened.

"I didn't lose it, don't worry. It's been taken care of" she assured me before cringing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

I sighed and shook my head. "There's a lot going on. The least of my problems is you reading my mind."

"Are you two going to help?" Pietro's voice called out and I looked up to see him standing at the edge of the ditch, Yelena by his side as she shot at something.

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down, Sonic" I dismissed him, taking a breath before looking to Wanda. "You ready to kick some ass and win this thing?"

Wanda smiled, her eyes turning red and her hands lighting up. "Let's go."