The Valiant (The Seventh Avenger)

Chapter 78

We exit the Earth's atmosphere and the ship shifted as it transitioned into thrusters. The craft floats through space and I can't help but admire the stars. I can't help but admire the silence and calmness. How the stars still twinkle after the snap, as if nothing ever happened. A grin plays on my lips at the thought of life being this calm, this collected.

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket questions after twisting back in his chair. I look around and find Steve, Nat, and Rhodey all raising their hands. It's good that they will get to experience this and hopefully as I do. The galaxies and other planets show just how tiny we are yet how big of an impact we could do. "You better not throw up on my ship."

"Approaching jump in three... two...one..." Nebula says, my fingers grip the armrest just in time. Time seems to slow, but it is different. It is as if everyone in the ship can also feel it. The stars pass by in a blur. A bright light shines at the end of the tunnel and shines over our faces. The ship jumps and stops. The belts push against my ribs when I jolt forward, I unbuckle with everyone else and walk up to the window. I lean on Bruce's chair and watch as Carol flies around the planet.

"What if this is it?" Bruce questions and I look down at him. "What if this is how we win and bring everyone back?" In the back of my mind, I knew this was untrue. It was too easy, too fast. Based on what that woman had told me in the orange world, I knew it was going to be a long journey. The little girl struck a spark of familiarity, I've seen her somewhere before.

"That would be a miracle," I sigh. Nebula's gaze flows over to mine before quickly breaking apart. I clench my fists and allow the heat to course through my veins, but there is something wrong. The energy is weakened. My heart pounds in my chest at the thought of them being gone but a spark lights my fingers and I sigh in relief.

Carol floats back into the window's view, a look of uncertainty plastered on her face. Her gaze was locked on the other captain's as she explains the whole situation.

"No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him." Carol states. Bruce looks up confusingly and my eyes furrow. It's strange how he did all of this and does not have any protection. Besides the stones of course, but what? Nine to one there is no way we will not be able to stop him from closing his fist.

"And that's enough," Nebula says. Steve groups us at the center of the ship to begin the plan.

I crouch in the field with Steve and Natasha, watching Thanos walk up to his bungalow. He struggles up the steps, taking it one step at a time. It shows how the stones affected him, his whole left side droops and is thinner as well as burnt. I can't help but feel bad for him, to have done something you designate your life to and be punished for doing what you believe is right.

A bright streak breaks through the roof of the house and within seconds Bruce in the armor and War Machine break through the walls. Through the holes, we watch as they all latch onto Thanos and we begin to make our way over to them. Rocket joins us and runs up the porch when Thor crashes in and cries and grunts of pain confirm he cut his arm off.

Our footsteps up the stairs are the only things I hear for a few moments. It is as if it was the calm before the storm. The moments before you fix something you had done wrong. The second you spend in midair after jumping. It felt like all of those. How peaceful they were, how the next moments will help us land or tumble to the ground.

When I get a good look at him, it takes everything in me not to cringe at the burns on his face. The fact that my abilities can do that kind of damage is scary. A grin peeks on his lips when he makes eye contact with me and I break away.

Rocket turns over the gauntlet and I collapse to my knees when I see the stones are gone. The emptiness that filled my chest a couple of days ago, it all makes sense.

"Where are they?" I whisper. The sound barely a breath out of my lips. The second time comes out more of a scream and flames spark to life between my fingers. Thanos' eyes flicker with terror when their gaze lands on my hand, and that is when I knew. "What did you do to them?"

Carol's arms wrap tighter around Thanos' neck when he does not answer right away. He grunts and redirects his attention back to me. My heart pounds in my chest trying to break out of its cell as it waits for the answer that I knew would never be good. The tears begin to fill my eyes when an itch in the back of my head tells me the news I never wanted to hear. Please tell me it's not true.

"The universe required correction, after that the stones served no purpose," Thanos growls, "beyond temptation." So it is true. The stones are...

"You murdered trillions," Bruce shouts and pushes Thanos to the ground. I slowly rise back to my feet as Bruce punches him in the face once more.

"Where are the stones?" Natasha's lip trembles and tears fill her eyes at the monster who killed so many people.

"Gone, reduced to atoms," He simply replies like they were nothing. My body goes numb. My ears ring to no tune. The stones I was supposed to protect are gone. The one job I had in this universe was not even completed. Was not even started. I was so naive and stupid for not even considering my role in this whole thing. My purpose in life was never fulfilled and will never be.

"You used them two days ago!" Bruce shouts not holding in his anger.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones," Thanos groans at the pain, "it nearly killed me."

I wish it killed him. I wish he was dead and was never born. I wish the stones weren't real then this whole thing would have never happened. I wish I had done more to stop this monstrosity.

"But the work is done, it always will be, I am inevitable."

He was, for once we have faced a man who will always be able to claim victory. And we will forever be known as the protectors that failed. The man out of time, the futurist, the assassin, the agent, the god, the doctor, the Attolian. We will forevermore be known as failures.

"He has to be lying, he's got to be lying."

I shake my head at the voice. I knew there was something wrong, I knew that the stones are gone. Yet, I still held onto the fact that there may be a chance that we could bring everyone home.

"My father was many things," tears run down my cheeks when I look up at Nebula, "but a liar is not one of them."

My hand reaches up to my mouth to stifle the sob building in my throat. Arms lift me off the ground and hold me up. I look up at the man who caused all this but his gaze remains locked on Nebula. A grin trickles its way onto his lips.

"Ah, thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly." Light burst from Stormbreaker and before any of us could react, Thanos' head was on the floor. He's dead. The inevitable mad titan is dead.

"What'd you do?" Rocket asks looking up at Thor. He breathes heavily and does not release his gaze from the head.

"I went for the head." He simply replies before walking out of the hut. I look up at Steve who holds me in his arms. A shaky sigh escapes his lips as he looks at the Titan. Natasha crouches down and a sob escapes her lips, all the promises she made to the orphaned children that she would bring them back their parents will remain unfinished.

Rhodey was the first to leave then followed by Rocket and Bruce. The four of us left in the hut were the last out, the walk was silent, the ride back to Earth was silent, the whole universe was silent at the heavy loss of half the living things.