The Snap
“What did you do?“
Silence.
“What did you do?”
Thanos was gone. He left through a portal, the axe dropping to the ground. Leaving the God's question unanswered. But not for long. It was a matter of seconds.
The only thing breaking the silence was heavy breathing, still ragged from the fight.
“Where'd he go?” The Captain glanced around. Nothing. The silence was eerie, weighting down on his chest and forcing all air out. He pressed a hand to his stitching side, forcing oxygen in through his throat. It tasted metallic.
“Thor.”
He looked him in the eyes, one orange, one blue. He found nothing but dread of what was to follow. What was it? They didn't know. Nobody did. But not for long. It was a matter of seconds.
“Where did he go?”
Silence.
“Steve?”
The Soldier called out for his best friend. He turned, eyes fixing him on with a question in his stare. Bucky looked back at him. Confused. Scared. But not for himself.
Steve followed his friend's eyes, glancing down at his hands. Ash. Bucky took a step towards his best friend. Steve did the same. Or he wanted to, at least. He fell to the ground as his legs gave out under him. He did not stay lying there. A blink, one last inhale, and he was gone. All that was left was ash and dust.
Bucky dropped to his knees, eyeing the remains of his friend with shock and sorrow. He glanced up at Thor, hoping, begging for an explanation. But instead of answeres, all he got was more ash, floating in a breeze. The God of Thunder was gone, but that did not keep the storm form rumbling in the distance.
They were not the only ones. It was happening all around. To the warriors of Wakanda just the same as to the creatures fighting against them. Even throughout the sudden commotion, the silence remained heavy, barely penetrated by the noise rising arund them. People calling out to their friends. Jets dropping to the ground, leaving fire and rubble, but no corpses in-between. Just Ash.
“Up, general, up! This is no place to die!”
The Black Panther reached out, gripping Okoye's hand and pulling her up. She would do anything for her king, for her nation. Obey any order. But not this time. Her body dissolved before her king could pull her all the way to her feet.
“I am Groot?”
The raccoon looked at his paws, looking for an answer to give to the teenager. He didn't find one. “Oh no. No, no, no, Groot -” The tree watched as Rocket's ashes were scattered by the wind. Helpless, leaning on the dead wood, he watched as his dad left him for the first time in forever.
More people disappeared. Natasha Romanoff, as she came to a halt next to Barnes, clutching her side. Bruce Banner, leaving the Hulkbuster limp on the ground, nothing but dust remaining to control it. James Rhodes, as he went to help Sam up from the ground.
Wanda Maximoff was disappointed, leaning over her Lover's dead body and waiting for a salvation that never came.
Of course, Wakanda was not the only place that had lost. It was the whole universe.
On Titan, the dead, destroyed planet, everyone was still dealing with the aftermath of their battle. They helped each other up, standing together at the bottom of what might have once been a set of stairs, filled with dread as they waited for something, anything to happen. But they did not wait for long. It was a matter of seconds.
“Something is happening.”
From her place under Quill's arm, Mantis could only watch as dust started to form in the breeze around Nebula. The cyborg was watching her fingers. Her organic hand was already gone.
“He did it.”
It was nothing more than a whisper, carried away by the wind, just like herself. The dust slowly wandered up her arm, corroded away her legs. But she felt no panic. It was over. Finally, it was all over, and she could rest.
Nebula looked up at her friends one last time, taking in their alarmed expressions with a small, content smile. It was her first one in years.
She was gone, and silence followed. Terrified silence, filled with shock and fear.
They looked at one another. Doctor Strange furrowed his brow, waiting. Peter Parker's blood ran deadly cold. Nothing happened. Then -
“Kid?”
Peter looked up at his mentor. There was a silent apology screaming at him from Tony's eyes, as he held his left arm close to his chest. It was numb again.
“You're alright.”
In a daze of shock and panic, the teenager stumbled up to Tony and clutched the hero tight in his arms, as if fearing he might disappear. Because, well. That was exactly what he was fearing.
“No, no, no, no, Mr Stark, Sir, please, don't go, don't go -”
Tony fell back, and Peter with him. The kid was shaking, wrapped tightly around the man, his face buried against his chest, right next to the reactor. It was still glowing. Tony hugged him back just as tight. It was their first real hug. It didn't last for long.
With a blink, one last exhale, Tony was gone, and Peter's head hit the cold stone underneath with a silent thud. Ashes where clinging to his face. He didn't care. He had lost his father once again.
“I'm sorry.”
Bucky had moved away from where his best friend should be lying. He was a soldier. He was trained to stay keep going while his friends died on the battlefield. It was just as hard as it always had been.
He crouched down next to Wanda. She was laying across Vision's chest, hair covering her face. Her silent sobbing was the only thing showing that she was still alive. Wanda wished she wasn't.
Bucky looked down at the dead android, dropping back into a sitting position. What had once been a vibrant red was now a dull gray. Visions eyes were white, just an empty shell of what had been so very nearly human just hours ago. A hole gaped in his forehead where the yellow jewel used to be.
“What is this?”
Sam had run up next to Bucky. His wings were broken, hanging uselessly from the backpack.
“What the hell is happening?”
Silence. Bucky didn't look up.
“Oh, God.”
Across the universe, Thanos, the man responsible for all that death and destruction, was limping up to a bench on his porch.
He had just arrived. The house had been built centuries ago, a silent promise to himself. He looked over the field, watching the sunrise over a thankful universe.
A soft breeze grazed the planet's surface, ruffling up grass and crops alike. The wind made the scarecrow creak faintly, roamed over the wooden floor of the porch and took the Mad Titan away.