Chapter 11
It had been a little over three days. Mantis wasn't the only one counting anymore. But counting seemed to only be a secondary on everyone's mind.
Considering how utterly depressed they had all been not so long ago, they almost seemed completely fine now. Acceptance had come far earlier than any of them had thought it would.
Peter, Shuri and Groot were no longer chatting on the floor. No, it seemed that they were… working.
Shuri had taken it upon herself to improve Peter's web-shooters. She had asked to see them, and Peter had explained that he had made them, but they were perfected by Tony Stark.
Shuri of course, firmly believed that nothing was 'perfected' until she was through with it.
After bugging Loki enough, she managed to get him to conjure her a simple tool box and she had gotten to work. She would have preferred a computer, but she could work with what she had.
Not long after that, she presented her improved version. From lack of resources, she hadn't been able to add any more features to the already extremely advanced ones Stark had put in, but she had managed to strengthen the ones already in place.
Peter had been playing with his new toy, or weapon, considering how one looked at them, shooting webs that were twice a thick, ten times longer, and far stronger than anything he had seen.
With a smirk, Shuri had challenged anyone, absolutely anyone, to try and cut through.
And so they did. Drax sliced at the wall over and over, yelling in effort as he did so. He only stopped when his arms (and voice) grew tired without so much as a dent.
"These knives are faulty," he explained to everyone as he went to sit back down.
Quill patted his friends shoulder as he went up to the wall, pulling his gun out of its holster.
"Alright everyone." He smirked as he aimed, "Get ready to see a real man at- AH!"
Peter ducked to the ground as the bullet he shot ricocheted off the wall and came back at him.
He breathed heavily as he stared at the wall.
"What are you kids, crazy?" he almost shrieked, "That could have hit me!"
"I am Groot." Snickered Groot, sharing a laugh and a high five with Peter and Shuri.
"He's right, Mr. Lord." Grinned Peter, "Shuri did warn you."
Quill sat back down with a huff, and turned to Gamora, "Well? You gonna give it a go."
Gamora scoffed, "You had a gun. I have a sword. I'm not stupid, Peter."
"I could try!" Mantis smiled as she stood up, only for Gamora to stop her, "Mantis, What are you going to do? Make it sleep? It's not a living thing."
Mantis thought again for a while before sitting down slowly, "Yes, I suppose."
"Vision?" Wanda smirked at her boyfriend? "Gonna give it a shot?"
Vision tilted his head, "Well, I don't know what exactly I could do." He said, "My powers were centered on the Mind Stone. I don't have that anymore."
"Yeah but... you can still like… hover. And stuff."
Vision considered it, and then got up off the sofa." Hovering a few feet over the round, he approached the web wall. Going closer and closer to, until he was flying through it.
He was on the other side for a few seconds before he flew back through.
"Doesn't count," Sam said immediately, "Just cause the wall doesn't stop you doesn't mean you've defeated it.
"Yes, I think you're right." Vision nodded as he went back to join Wanda. "Well then what about you?" she grinned at Sam, "What can you do?"
Always liking a challenge, Sam stood right up. Bucky laughed.
"What are you gonna do, fly through the webs?"
The Falcon only stared at Bucky through narrowed eyes, and then lifted his wrist, flipped open his compact and clicked a few buttons.
Suddenly, the backpack that had been on Sam's back detached, and sprouted wings and red eyes.
Bucky groaned as Sam smirked.
"Let's go, Redwing."
The mechanic Redwing flew like a bullet towards the wall of webs that Peter had made. At first all he did was bounce off. But the bird robot persisted. After countess headfirst collisions with the webs, Redwing finally managed to make a large rip in the web.
"Ha!" Sam cheered, "There you go! Come back here, little guy."
A tired Redwing buzzed back to Sam, although how a mechanical bird could be tired was confusing to everyone, and reattached itself to his back.
"Yeah, ten minutes to make a scratch." Bucky scoffed, "Impressive."
"Well what will you do, punch through it?"
Bucky shrugged, "Well, yeah."
Sam gestured to the wall, "Well go on then."
Bucky shrugged and stood up, approaching the wall, and the three kids standing next to it with crossed arms and smirks on their faces.
"Think of me while you punch that thing!" Sam called from their couch.
"Oh trust me, I will!" Bucky replied, and then he went at it.
His first punch did nothing. Same with the second. But he didn't stop. Over and over, Bucky punched at the wall, feeling a little give every time his metal fist connected with the web.
With a final, heaving grunt, his fist broke through.
There were cheers and claps behind him, and glares from the teenagers.
With a grin, he wretched it back, taking a handful of the web with him. He turned back to the group and bowed his head with a smile, pretending that that hadn't taken all of his strength, and then some.
He went back to Sam, who was trying not to look impressed. With a shit eating grin, Bucky dropped the piece of web onto Sam's lap, "Give that to Redwing for me."
Sam just snarled at him, "You think you're funny don't you."
"I do think I'm funny." Bucky smirked, "What I know though is that I'm strong. Real strong. Stronger than your stupid bird, that's for sure."
Sam just glared at Bucky's grin, who hadn't noticed that Sam was clicking at his wrist compact again.
Bucky's grin was wiped right off and replaced with a yell when Sam's backpack sprouted wings and knocked him right off the chair.
The laughs rang out around the group until Gamora tried to quieten them down, "Alright boys, enough with the pissing contest. Are we done with everyone trying to get through a dumb wall?"
"Dumb wall?" Shuri gasped, incredibly offended, "I worked my butt off on those webs."
"Yeah!" Peter nodded firmly.
"All I had was a stupid tool box to get through some pretty tough security and perfect some already advanced technology, and I did pretty well, thank you very much."
"Yeah!" Peter's nodding intensified.
"And the only reason Bucky got through is because I'm the one who made his arm in the first place."
"Yeah!" Peter grinned again."
"And besides that-" Shuri wanted to continue, but was interrupted when a loud tear rang out. Everyone looked over, and a grinning Groot was standing next to the wall, his fingers extending into roots and branches, and sticking right through the web wall.
"I am Groot!" he smiled.
Shuri glared at her friend, "Groot, you were supposed to be on my side."
"I am Groot." He shrugged.
Peter huffed at him, "Well you proving you're stronger than everyone kinda takes away from the web, Groot."
"Exactly," nodded Shuri, "Now can you please just retract your fingers."
Groot nodded at them. But then did nothing. Everyone waited for him to remove himself from the wall, but he just stood there.
After a while, he let out a small sigh, "I... I am Groot," he croaked.
"Well of course you're stuck, they're spider webs!" Gamora shook her head at the kid, before getting up and unsheathing her knife.
Groot just stood there with slumped shoulders as Gamora carved his fingers out of the web.
"That is called Karma," Shuri nodded at him when he finally got free, "For not standing by your comrades."
Groot slumped over to sit against the wall were the others stood. He tried to look sorry, but the hint of a smirk was on his face. He had gotten through the wall. Hell yeah, he was strong.
"So, now are we done?" Gamora asked as she stood by the wall?'
"Well T'Challa hasn't tried." said Bucky, who had made it back to the chair.
"T'Challa scoffed, "and I will not be trying. My suit is vibranium, yes, but I doubt that Panther nails will do much against this wall."
He winked at his sister and she grinned back. They both knew that his vibranium claws had a very good chance of making it through, but Shuri had a point to make, so he would stand back.
"Well Wanda and Strange and Loki haven't gone." shrugged Sam.
"And they will not!" Shuri stood in front of the wall, as if protecting it, "Yes I know that this wall is perfect, but even my genius will not stand against magic."
Wanda shrugged, "Yeah she's right."
Mantis sighed wistfully, "That is a shame. I would have loved to see which one of the magic users is the strongest."
"Well, it's obviously me."
The room went silent as the three voices spoke together.
Wanda, Stephen and Loki looked around from one to another.
"Come on boys" Wanda sighed softly, "My powers came from an infinity stone. From what I've heard, that's one of the most powerful things in the Universe."
"Well of course it is," Stephen said, "I would know, considering I was granted the safekeeping of one for years. There is so much one can learn when one of the most powerful objects in existence is attached to you all times.
Loki chuckled at their arguing, "You humans are adorable." he sighed, "Because that's all you are. Human. Unlike me. A god."
Stephen and Wanda turned their glares to Loki. Well, now they had a common enemy.
Stephen didn't even bother standing. He held his hands out, made a simple circular hand motion, and suddenly, a part of the wall was surrounded by his yellow rings, and was sucked in by a black void. A void much like the one he had sent Loki through, not so long ago.
Strips of the web disappeared slowly into the darkness, and Strange nodded at the spectators, and then at his opponents.
Peter gasped at the hole in the web he had created.
"We said no magic!"
Wanda scoffed, "impressive Strange," she said, before lazily extending a hand towards the wall. The section she had focused on immediately started to tremble, and as she slowly closed her fist, webs started to tear, curling in on themselves until there was a huge hole and a compressed ball of web in its center. Wanda opened up her hand and the ball fell to the ground.
Shuri groaned, "Oh, come on."
She was ignored as Loki chuckled, "You people are adorable. Really."
"Well go on then, oh great god," Wanda asked, "Baffle us with your brilliance."
Loki returned her smirk, and then flicked his finger in the direction of the web wall. Everyone's eyes widened as suddenly, the wall was whole again.
Redwings tear, Bucky's hole, the impressions of Groot's fingers, Wanda's destruction and Strange's void. It was all gone.
Everyone's shock was short lived, because then Loki snapped his fingers, and the wall itself was gone. He let everyone stare for a few seconds.
"Now, I do hope hat that useless debate has been settled, yes?"
When no one spoke up, Loki sat back in his chair, sighing in happiness.
He did so love to win.
Peter and Shuri stared, aghast at where their creation once stood. Peter waved a hand through where it used to be
"It's actually gone," he said softly.
Shuri shot her glare at Loki, "Don't worry Peter, this just means we can work on something even better. I had some ideas we can run through. Maybe to make it stronger than vibranium."
"Shuri, nothing is stronger than vibranium." Peter reminded her.
"Well I know, but-"
Peter suddenly gave a loud gasp, "Maybe when we get back and you have your lab again, we can find a way to put traces of vibranium into the web."
At that, everyone went suddenly silent.
Shuri's growing grin slowly went away.
"Um... uh, sure. Yeah," she said quietly, "Okay."
Peter noticed the sudden mood change. He looked around, and once again, saw everyone giving him those looks. The pity looks.
Peter sighed, "You all still think I'm crazy for thinking we're getting out of here."
No one said anything. Just exchanged, silent glances.
"I am Groot."
Peter sighed at Groot, "You didn't have to say anything. It's pretty obvious."
Groot shook his head, and turned his head to where the wall had been.
Peter crossed his arms, "Well I still don't care what you all think. I know we're getting out of here."
"Peter-"
"Don't bother telling me to forget it, because I'm not going to."
"We never asked you to forget it." Wanda told him.
"Well good." Peter said, somehow glaring at everyone all at once, "Because it's only been 3 days. And they're coming for us. The Avengers are gonna get us out of here, and you're all gonna be real sorry for doubting them when they do."
Peter's optimism received nothing but silent skepticism. They wanted him to be right. Of course they did. But they just didn't know. And when you didn't know it was just easier not to hope. Because hope was dangerous if one turned out to be wrong.
It would be so much easier if they just knew. What was going on out there, three days after the world went crazy?
If only they knew.
:::
At that moment, in another realm entirely, similar questions were haunting a particular red headed spy.
Natasha Romanoff couldn't remember the last time she left this building.
A week? Two? She didn't know. She received phone calls of course. Mostly from Pepper, inviting her to dinner, sending her pictures of little Morgan, asking her how she was. Natasha would spend those few minutes on the phone putting on her best game face, saying she was fine, and that Pepper didn't need to come down to check on her, and that she was sorry she couldn't make it, but maybe next time
For those few minutes she would force a chirpy voice and coo at Morgan's voice on the phone and be happy for the Stark family. And then the call would end and reality would set in again. She would go back to siting on her chair and staring at her screens. Just waiting for an update from... anyone. Rhodey, Carol, Nebula... whoever had news, Natasha was always there to receive it.
Alone here in the Avengers Compound.
That no longer had any Avengers.
Well, except for Steve. Steve was a pain that never went away. And Natasha couldn't be more grateful.
"I bought Chinese today," said the voice that was suddenly behind her.
"I hate Chinese." she said dully.
"Yeah, well you hate everything," shrugged Steve, sitting across from her and making room on the cluttered table, "Doesn't mean we shouldn't eat."
He pushed the takeout box toward her, and with a sigh, Natasha took it.
They ate in total silence. As always.
Once the cartons were empty, Natasha went back to staring at her screens.
"Heard from Thor?" Steve asked.
She shook her head, as she always did, "But Valkyrie says that New Asgard is getting on its feet. No thanks to him, apparently. Still not accepting visitors."
Steve nodded, "And Bruce?"
"Hasn't left his secret lab as far as I know."
Steve sighed, "What the hell is he doing in there?" Nat shook her head. Hell if she knew.
"And how're your people?"
For a while, Steve didn't answer. When he did, he spoke to the floor, "A new man came in today. Had a pregnancy test with him. A positive pregnancy test." He rubbed the bridge of his nose, "After the snap, he found it in the bathroom next to his wife's ashes."
Natasha shut her eyes, "Oh god."
They sat in silence again.
"He's still holding onto that test, huh?"
"Still," Steve nodded, "Should I... should I tell him to let go?"
Natasha sighed, "You first, Rogers."
Steve let out a humorless scoff, "Let's not go there."
"You're running Sam's sessions, Steve. Under 'temporary replacement'."
"Nat-"
"M'Baku has been ruling Wakanda, and you've never acknowledged him as the King."
"Nat."
"And you keep Bucky's favourite gun on your desk. Cleaning it every day as if you're waiting for him to come get it. "
"Natasha please."
"And I see the letters you write him every day."
"Look-"
"Like you did before you followed him to war."
"Romanoff, stop it."
"I see you waiting, Steve."
"Natasha-"
"As if you're waiting for a reply-"
"Enough!"
Steve's chair was knocked back as he towered over an unphased Natasha.
"You have not moved on." she said softly, "I haven't either. So maybe don't tell the new guy to throw away that pregnancy test." she lay a hand over Steve's shaking one, "Even if it has been three years."