The Valiant (The Seventh Avenger)

Chapter 97

Bright light fills the room and a wave of dizziness crashes into me. I fall to the floor and black spots fill my vision, my lungs swell with air and my body absorbs itself in warmth as the weight lifts off my chest. We did it, we brought everyone back. I open my eyes and slowly lift myself up, ignoring everyone who surrounded me.

The panels opened and light flows into the compound, I walk out next to Scott and look outside at the birds fluttering around the trees. A bark echoes into the room and padders of feet running down the hallway.

"Bella?" I question and run out. The padding becomes quicker and she runs around the corner. I lower to the ground and open my arms to her as she pounces into me. Her tail wags and she kisses my face, giggles escape my lips and she whines in response. It worked!

She leaps over and around me, her tail wagging in my face and I laugh. She leaps to the floor and quickly returns to hopping around me. Whimpers escaped her throat and she finally calms down to let me rub her belly. Tears form in my eyes at the dog I haven't seen in over seven years and her name begins to emerge from my lips as I pet her. 

A blast shakes the building and soon more follow. My arms wrap themselves around Bella as blue surrounds them and the two of us get pulled into the tunnel. Streaks of blue fly past us as they begin to take shape of the home I have had for the past five years. Tony and Pepper's house.

Pepper screams when we appear in the kitchen and she places her hand over her chest. I look around and find Morgan and Happy sitting at the table, Happy with a donut halfway to his mouth and Morgan pouring imaginary tea into a small teacup. Happy stares up at me with his pink feather boa and a smile courses on my lips.

"I need you to watch Bella," I explain to him and Morgan before turning back to Pepper who's still trying to catch her bearings. "And I need you to suit up."

"Suit up?" She questions and sends me a look.

"It's in the garage," I simply explain before allowing blue flames to surround my body and pulling me into the endless abyss. The blue takes in another shape but it wasn't the one I was expecting. I stand in a tunnel, red lights and rubble lay crumbled around me and I sigh.

"Grace! What the hell?" I turn to find Clint crouched down with a hand on the Nanogauntlet. He stares at me with wide eyes.

"Sorry," I put my hands up and he chuckles. "What the hell happened?"

"Thanos is here," he simply states and picks up the gauntlet. He groans as he stands and shakes me off when I offered him a hand. I look up and find his ship hovering over us.

"So... how is Thanos here?" I question and cross my arms.

"What do I look like, Grace?" Clint asks, "Someone with the answers to the universe?" I was about to respond when a growl echoes throughout the tunnel. We share a look and I create a ball of flame before throwing it. Hordes of Outriders crawl along the sides and I shake the flames away.

"Run!" I shout and we both take off in the opposite direction of these creatures. Whoops and growls follow us as we try to increase the distance between us and them.

I turn around and clap my hands together; purple flames ignite and spiral out, destroying everything in its path. The Outriders cry out in pain but more continue to come. Whistling fills the air and I fly through the opening as flames engulf me and Clint. We land hard in an opening and look up at the open space above us.

"Go," I yell and he shoots a grappling hook up before rising. Another wave charges towards me and I push my palms down, flames lift burst me up to the platform where Clint landed, destroying the rest of these monsters.

"That was a close one," He breathes and I nod, a chuckle escapes my lips. "Oh, I know you."

I look up at Nebula who stares down at me with a blank expression on her face. She takes the gauntlet out of Clint's hands and presses her finger against her ear.

"Father," I freeze and look up at her, this isn't the Nebula I know, "I have the stones."

Within a moment I'm on my feet, flames spark to life around them and a gun fires. My chest burns and I fall to the ground from the contact.

"Damn," I mumble and raise my arm to return the favor but a familiar voice stops me.

"Stop," Gamora comes around the corner followed by Nebula. She gestures for me to put my hand down with her gun and I slowly comply. I move my hand to cover the wound and allow green flames to undo it. My heart pounds in my chest and I wheeze. Clint quickly gets out of their way and stops by me, he puts his hand on my back and I nod my head showing I am okay.

"You're betraying us?" Past Nebula questions and Gamora shakes her head.

"You don't have to do this," Nebula grips the gun in her hand.

"I am this," she shifts the gauntlet in her hand and her dark eyes flow to every one of us.

"No, you're not," Gamora shakes her head.

"You've seen what we've become," Nebula taps her head, they must be connected somehow.

"Nebula, listen to her," Gamora begs, she wants to be sisters with her and it's clear.

"You can change," I push and she sends me a look before shaking her head.

"He won't let me," she pulls out her gun and points it at Gamora. A ball of flame goes through her and she collapses to the floor. Tears stream down her face and Gamora looks at me. I slowly rise up and help Clint, ignoring everyone's gaze. Clint grabs the gauntlet and we pass them on our way out, I can feel Gamora's gaze burn in my back but I don't care, I saved her life.

I freeze at the scene that greets us. Thanos stands with his blade in his hand and Steve lays on the ground, his unbreakable shield in ruins on his arm. He slowly rises and I run to his side to help him up. A large gash bleeds against his arm and he tightens the strap to close it. Clint, Steve and I fix our gaze on the ship as the triangular crafts begin to lower themselves.

"Grace!" I turn to find Loki, Bruce, and Natasha sprinting towards us, dirt covering all of their faces. "Thank the gods you are alright," Loki whispers as he stands next to me.

Tony and Thor slowly make their way towards us. Thor holds his chest and Tony has a slight limp to him but other than that they are okay.

"In all my years of conquest," Thanos begins and we all turn our attention back to this monster, "violence... slaughter. It was never personal. But I'll tell you now what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet..." he freezes and smirks, "I am going to enjoy it. Very, very much."

The triangular ships open to let thousands of Chitauri and Outriders out. Tanks and large beastly creatures stand out in his troops. A beam shoots down from the ship and the Children of Thanos stare sinisterly at us, a smile coursing on all of their faces.

"We'll see about that," I mumble and turn back to my team, "so how are we going to do this?"

"Well, like the old man said," Tony begins and gazes at every single one of us. "Together."

We all line-up, each one of us stand against Thanos and his army just like the beginning in New York. All of us stand tall just like we did when we started and took on the name as The Avengers. Each one of us faces the man who brought us through hell and back in the past ten years.

The flying mechanical creatures fly wave their way out of the large vessel and begin to weave their way towards us, more and more creatures pile up behind Thanos. This is going to be a long and hard battle.

I look between everyone that brought us here: Tony, Steve, Thor, Natasha, Bruce, Clint, and Loki. I begin to summon flames but the static in my ears stops me. I look at Steve and his gaze remains blank. Everyone stares at each other waiting to see if the noise will sound again.

"Cap, you hear me?" Everyone stops, holding in a breath to make sure they hadn't imagined it. "Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me? On your left."