Chapter 8
“Dropping to 2600, heading 0-3-0. I hope you’re right about this, Cap. Or we’re gonna land a lot faster than you want to.” Sam mutters as he and Natasha pilot The Quinjet.
Steve just wants this flight to be over. He always hated flying, but he hates it even more, when he had to listen to Helen Cho threatening Bruce with very motherly like voice, that if something happens to Vision, nobody will be able to find Bruce’s body.
In that moment, Wanda practically sunk in her seat, not meeting anyones eyes. Steve understands, he told Clint not to create any dramatic scenes went he send him for Wanda, he surely didn’t expect to hear that Wanda sent Vision through the floor.
Steve sees as Vision is gazing at Wanda whenever she is not looking with sadness. Steve and Vision weren’t close, but he cares about the android, they are… were teammates.
Steve signs and sits beside Wanda who is silently playing with her fingers. “Why don’t you go talk to him?”
Wanda’s eyes snap towards him in instance and Steve swallows urge to flinch, when he sees the look in her eyes. Before the Civil War, Wanda was looking at Steve with admiration and gratitude, he after all, gave her a second chance on life by inviting her to join The Avengers.
But after the footage from Siberia was released, that look entirely vanished. Wanda on their time on run started seeing Tony in different light. They are more alike then she or Steve realized. She regrets, that she didn’t appreciate his kindness towards her before.
“He hates me. He should hate me.” She eventually says with painful look. Steve signs, he is not good with relationship advices… or relationships in general. “I’m sure that he doesn’t hate you. Maybe you should just… apologize?”
Wanda opens and closes her mouth a few times. She thought many times about the way she would apologize to both Vision and Tony, but ever since they are back, it didn’t even cross her mind for some reason. She suddenly stood up and walked directly towards Vision with determined and yet, hesitant look.
“Hey Vis… may I sit down?”
Vision looks up to her and Wanda sees that he looks more mature and less naive then before. He seems thoughtful before he nods, moving little to the side, to make a space for her to sit.
They sit in silence before they turn to each other and both say on the same time “I’m sorry”
That shuts them both up and they stare at each other. Vision slightly chuckles but Wanda is confused. “You have nothing to apologize for Vis”
Vision shakes his head “I should have let Mr. Stark to explain the situation to you himself…”
“I still wouldn’t listened…” Wanda whispers, sadly and Vision nods in acknowledgment “Perhaps not..”
“Vis… I’m really sorry for what I did to you.” Wanda says brokenly and Vision hesitantly takes her shaking hand in his. “I won’t lie, it hurt. I was confused and lost and it took time for me to heal.”
Wanda looks down in shame, tears are shining in her eyes. “But, I also realized that I was hurt because I love you.” Vision says and her eyes immediately snap to his in shock.
“I have watched Mr. Stark and Ms. Danvers dance around each other’s feelings for long time, until they gave in. And during those times I had a realization that we were during the same thing ever since Sokovia.”
“What are you saying ?” Wanda asks with hopeful expression. Vision smiles at her. “I’m saying, if we survive this… I would like to ask you out on a date.” Wanda blinks, speeches. She just nods with a smile and they continue to sit in peaceful silence.
From the other side of the Quinjet, Steve smiles, seeing them together
“Vision looks happy” Rhodey says from behind Steve while looking at the Android with small smile. Steve nods in agreement “So does Wanda. I haven’t seen her like that in very long time.”
Rhodey hums in acknowledgment, sitting on a chair before Steve. “You realize you are not off the hook, right?”
That makes Steve look at the Colonel who is looking back at him with cold look. Of course Steve realizes that, he saw the look Tony gave him back at The Compound before the Attack.
Where there was once trust and friendship, now was only left feeling of betrayal and distrust.
I’m sorry” Steve whispers, not really to Rhodey, but The Colonel is having none of it. “Sorry doesn’t fix anything, Cap. He almost died. I was only few days after my own surgery when I found out. The only reason he is still alive because Friday made a decision and gave him Extremis, something he never really wanted…”
Steve looks down in shame, he knew that Tony never wanted to be Enhanced. Tony was proud of the fact, that he was only human, but sometimes, people, including Steve, forgot about that particular fact.
“If he would’ve died, we wouldn’t be talking right now, you would be bunch of ash. Remember that.” Rhodey finishes, leaving the depressed Super Solider behind as The Quinjet passes through a force field into Wakanda.
“I am Groot.”
Rocket signs, facepalming in annoyed manner “Tinkle in the cup. We’re not looking. What’s there to see? What’s a twig? Everybody’s seen a twig.”
Groot irritably says “I am Groot.”
“Tree, pour what’s in the cup out in space, and go in the cup again” Thor says, while looking outside the window.
“You speak Groot?” Rocket asks, clearly surprised. Thor smiles, looking nostalgic “Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective.”
“I am Groot”
Thor roles his eye “You’ll know when we’re there. Nivadellir’s forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star. It’s the birth place of my hammer. It’s truly awesome.”
Rocket turns to see Thor sitting sadly beside the window, and sighs. “Okay, time to be the captain.”
Rocket sits on a chest behind Thor “So, dead brother, huh? Yeah, that can be annoying.”
“Well, he’s been dead before, but this time I think it really might be true.” Thor says, not taking his attention from the stars.
“And you said your sister and your dad?”
“Both dead.”
Still got a mom, though?” Rocket asks hesitantly
“Killed by a dark elf.”
“A best friend?”
“Stabbed through the heart.”
“Are you sure you’re up to this particular murder mission?” Rocket asks and Thor turns to him with wide smile, that’s slowly cracking up “Absolutely. Rage, vengeance, anger, loss, regret…They’re all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So I’m good to go.”
“Yeah, but this Thanos we’re talking about…He’s the toughest there is.”
“Well, he’s never fought me.”
Rocket blinks “Yeah, he has.”
Thor grimaces “He’s never fought me twice. And I’m getting a new hammer, don’t forget.”
“Better be some hammer.” Rocket mumbles, not really believing in it.
“You know, I’m 1,500 years old. I’ve killed twice as many enemies as that, and every one would have rather killed me, but none succeeded. I’m only alive because fate wants me alive. Thanos is the latest in a long line of *morons* and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance.”
“And what if you’re wrong?”
“If I’m wrong then what more could I lose?” Thor asks, his smile finally cracking into a small sob and tears shine in his eye. Thor stands and seats himself at the front of the pod, beside Groot
Rocket watches him walk away and his eyes land on Groot, who is still carelessly playing his video game. “I could lose a lot. Me personally. I could lose a lot.”
Nebula suspended in the interrogation room seen earlier, while a guard puts her back together. Nebula ejects her eyepiece; disposing of the guard when he comes to replace it. She walks to a console, dragging her dislocated metal foot behind her, and inputs a code.
Nebula is still suspended in air, unconscious. The Guard is putting her parts back together, but Nebula’s eyepiece ejects making The Alien to groan in annoyance as he pushes it back in it’s place. As he gets to close to her, Nebula shifts and breaks his neck in one swift move.
She takes the key from his dead body and frees herself, jumping to the ground and dragging her dislocated metal foot behind her. She inputs a code to the console “Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Titan.”
“We are here.” Rocket says and Thor practically runs to look outside the window. He frowns “We can’t be here we would already see…”
He shuts up when The Pod turns and he sees that they are indeed on Nivadellir. But there is clearly something wrong. The star’s gone out and the rings are frozen..
They land and Thor, Rocket and Groot walk through a abandon, and cluttered room.
“I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning…Maybe they realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space…” Rocket says while looking around.
“This forge hasn’t gone dark in centuries…” Thor mutters, confused as to what happened or where is everybody. Rocket cuts into his thoughts “You said Thanos had a Gauntlet, right?”
“Yes why?”
“Look anything like that?” Rocket asks pointing finger at the Prototype of the Infinity Gauntlet.
“I am Groot.” Groot says with worried tone and Thor nods, shouting “Go back to the pod!”
Suddenly a large figure storms towards them fiercely and smacks Thor by the head. “Eitri, wait! Stop! Stop.”
Eitri stops, looking at Thor with strange look before his eyes widen slightly “Thor?”
Thor nods and pulls himself back to his feet. “What happened here?
“You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us!” Eitri snaps angrily and Thor looks down in sadness “Asgard is destroyed. Eitri, the glove. What did you do?”
Eitri pauses as he looks at Thor with sad and broken look. “300 dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked, they’d be safe. I made what he wanted. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. “Your life is yours.” he said “But your hands are mine alone.”
He shows them his cut off hands and Rocket grimaces as he unknowingly straightens his own fingers. Thor also looks at Eitri with sadness and pitiful look, but he can’t mourn the dead now.
“Eitri, this isn’t about your hands. Every weapon you’ve designed, every axe, hammer sword…It’s all inside your head. Now I know all hope feels lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos.”
Thanos and Gamora walk out from the portal before a large mountain. Vormir is cold, some parts of the planet are even covered in ice. “The stone had better be up there…For your sister’s sake.”
They walk up the mountain and directly on top, there is a ruined dark temple. There is some ancient writing on the damaged walls, some of it is even Thanos himself cannot read.
“Welcome, Thanos, son of Eros. Gamora, daughter of Thanos.” A spooky voice greets them. They turn and see a figure, dressed in black cloak looking down from the top of The Temple.
“You know us?” Thanos asks with narrowed eyes as he steps a little before Gamora, shielding her body with his own.
“It is my curse to know all who journey here” The Tempe Guardian answers, still not turning toward them. Thanos is starting to lose his patience “Where’s the Soul Stone?”
“Not here.” The Temple Guardian answers, finally turning to them revealing his red skull-like face. “A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess.”
“You are speaking in riddles.” Thanos growls
Red Skull smiles “The answer you seek was always before you, Titan.” Thanos and Gamora both look confused so Red Skull continues “The Soul Stone holds a special place among The Infinity Stones. You may say, that it is the most powerful from them all. So powerful that it cannot be simply found.”
“What do you mean?” Thanos asks
“The Infinity Stones are alive and they don’t like being used. But there is something they want more then anything. To be reunited. The Soul Stone will appear once it’s siblings are brought back together.” Red Skull explains and turns to leave.
Gamora and Thanos stand there for a few seconds, both surprised by what they just learned.
“We are done here.” Thanos says and drags Gamora back through the portal