Rain fire was aptly named. The ship above fired down and the blazing hot missiles raised the ground. Dirt and body parts, mostly chitari, went flying and the explosions were deafening. Basil strolled across the battlefield with his sword on his shoulder as everyone else took cover, the blue fire and explosions surrounding him nothing more than light and sound. His body melting through it all and remaining untouched. He had a destination in mind and these explosions weren't stopping him.

Then the explosions stopped. A light appeared in the sky above and he glanced up to see what appeared to be comet rip right through the ship. It tore it apart and Basil took a second to appreciate the sight of Thanos' ship exploding and breaking in half. The wreckage beginning to descend into the river. (He also took a second to wonder how the heck this became his life. Aliens, wizards and robots. Sometime he had to take a second or too to simply absorb the sheer craziness that was his normality now). Then he shook it off and sped up as he neared his destination. A wide manic grin filling his face as he gripped his sword. 

Thanos had shielded himself behind a pile of rocks and debris. He recovering from Wanda's attack and glaring angrily at the ruins of his spaceship with the dawning rage that he may not win this time. The titan turned to order something to his General, eyes finding the space a short distance away where the grey haired alien had been fighting. Only to find him crumpled on the floor with his head several feet away from his body and Basil sauntering across the field with a wide vindictive smile. "Hi", he greeted the Titan. "You look just as horrible as last time".

"I do not know you", Thanos stated as he readied his weapon.

"I wish that was the same for me", Basil sighed. He was tired. "But unfortunately I have seen your dried out grape of a face before and I would personally not like to see it again. The easiest way to do that is to kill you".

Thanos levelled his huge double blade in preparation. Basil, who was tiny compared to his opponent, like a small child. He wasn't the tallest of humans but he barely stood up to the titan's mid chest. So small and breakable. Yet when the giant swung his huge blade, which was easy as tall as Basil himself, it passed through the human with no impact. The Titan roared as he swung again. Basil kept walking towards him slowly with his own sword hanging at his side and a smirk on his lips. "What are you?" Thanos grunted as he stumbled back. Basil swung his sword and it cut a neat slash across the back of the titan's hand. He shouted a the sudden pain in surprise and struck out. It had no effect.

"I guess you can call me a ghost", Basil hummed as yet another strike went through him. He darted under the titan's huge arm and drove his blade into the chink of the alien's armour behind his knee. It sunk into flesh, but with a bit of effort. The Titan's thicker skin making it a bit more difficult. Still, it was effective and Thanos went stumbling back, crashing down on to one knee. 

With the titan on one knee, he was still taller than Basil. Not that the man cared. For a second he basked in the look of anger on the titan's face, then Thanos' eyes narrowed on something behind him and Basil turned. The huge double bladed weapons went flying through him and straight into the back of a ugly brown van just as Captain marvel closed in on it with the gauntlet and all the infinity stones under her arm. The resulting explosion resulted in a shockwave the blasted everything within a hundred foot radius back. That included the captain and Thanos. It did not include Basil though and he simply stood still as he watched the fall out. His eyes tracking the gauntlet sailing through the air. 

It landed unfortunately close to where Thanos had collapsed. It also landed near Tony. Stark lunged for it but Thanos got their first and threw him aside. The purple grape reached for it but Thor stopped him. The god driving his axe (Basil blinked. Was it him or did Thor put on a bunch of weight and grow his hair and beard out since he had last seen him? If it wasn't for the costume and the lightning then he might not have recognised him) down in an effort to cut open the titan's neck and sever his head from his body. But it was caught in one hand. Thor summoned his hammer and drove it against the handle to add to the weight. Steve helping by jumping on the titan's back and pulling the axe closer. 

Basil winced as Thanos head butted Thor out of the way and promptly knocked Steve out cold with a punch. Ouch. The titan reached for the gauntlet again and picked it up only for Captain Marvel (he thinks that's her name, or it might be Danvers. Basil was pretty sure that Steve had mentioned it on the comms but he hadn't been paying much attention to the rest of the battle) to drive her foot into his knee and land several well deserved punched to the grape's face. Basil debated clapping but Thanos managed to grab her promptly fling her away. 

Thanos slid the gauntlet onto his hand and roared as the power of the infinity stones filled him. Basil began stretching out his arms and legs. The titan raised his hand aloft, ready to click, when Captain marvel was back. She grabbed the gauntlet and yanked it down, gripping the titan's fingers so that he couldn't click. Thanos yelled as he tried to yank his hand back but she held strong. Basil clicked his neck and swung his sword in one hand as he walked closer. Across the scene, he saw Tony look up from where he was lying. Basil winked at him and put a finger to his lips as he stuck his sword into his belt. Tony had no idea what the mad medic was planning but he trusted him.

Thanos tried headbutting Captain marvel to no effect. Basil grinned as she rose up in the air and forced the titan down onto one knee. Her other fist raised and ready to deal vengeance. That was when Basil strolled up behind the titan in his intangible state so that his movement made no noise. Any presence he may have had or any signature people could have used to locate him, null and void. That made him great for sneaking up on people who were not looking at him. So when Thanos made to grab the power stone from the gauntlet and use it to punch Captain marvel away, he didn't manage it. His hand lunged for the stone and Marvel's eyes widened. That was when Basil stuck his hands through the titan's chest from behind. When he pulled them back, it was with the Titan's still beating heart. He turned tangible and Thanos crumpled. The purple skinned alien barely having time to blink at the sight of Basil standing above him with his heart cupped in his hands, before the light was fading from his eyes. 

Basil regarded the titan's heart with medical interest as Captain Marvel pulled the gauntlet from the giant's hand. The infinity stones still glowing. Around them, the chitari army were all falling. The surviving aliens leaderless and with out control. They were being quickly gunned down, not that there was many left in the first place. 

"That", Tony's voice echoed over as he limped towards them. "Is disgusting". He gestured to the heart in Basil's hands. It was huge, easily the size of the titan's fist and bigger than the average human head. The arteries were ragged and ripped, the whole thing a purplish grey. 

"I'm surprised he had one", Steve croaked as he stumbled over, obviously still dizzy from his concussion. Basil dropped the thing and it landed with a sick squelch in the dirt. He grabbed Steve's arm and let the blonde lean on him. Captain Marvel doing the same for Tony as around them, people began to gather. 

"Who got him?" Sam greeted as he soared down to land at their side. He looked to be in much better shape than Steve or Tony. 

"That one ripped his heart out of his chest". Cap Marvel nodded at Basil. 

"The name is Basil", he greeted. "Nice to meet you". 

"Carol Danvers", she replied. 

"You know, when you first threatened to do it, I didn't think you actually could", Tony was staring at the heart and the dead titan with a hollow look of horror and shock. 

"Still", Sam shrugged. "Pretty sick though". He held out his hands in a wordless offer and Basil transferred Steve to him.

"Who died?" A familiar voice called over. Basil turned to see Bucky climbing down from one boulders. The man's hair was sticky and matted with alien blood but he still had his gun in one hand and no visibly bleeding wounds that Basil could see. Though some nasty bruises were blooming on his face and he walked as if he had a cracked rib or two. 

"Thanos", Steve replied loudly as the rest of the avengers and associates appeared from the chaos that was their surroundings. "Basil got him!" 

"Fuck yeah I did", Basil shouted, fist pumping the air. It caused the remains of their army to break into weak but happy cheers. Everyone too battered and bruised to cheer with anything more. Still, it felt nice. 

"Ripped out his heart", Bucky hummed as he reached them and slung an arm around Basil's waist. "Nice". He leaned closer and rested his forehead against the shorter man's temple for a second. "Hi Parrish". 

"Hi Sarge", Basil smiled as he basked in the touch. He glanced around the people he called family and friends. Henry was there, alive and battered. His ginger hair was so stained by purple blood that it looked like he had been aggressively paint balling. Basil grinned at him and fought a snigger. Henry rolled his eyes but grinned back tiredly.  Wanda was there also, her boot currently stomping down on the titan's heart with some well deserved rage. Basil and seemingly everyone else, decided to just let her get it out of her system. Tony was leaning against Pepper, one hand ruffling spider kid's hair. T'challa nearby with Shuri and Okoye, all smiling and talking. There were several other faces too, some Basil recognised and others he didn't. 

There was only one missing. "Clint", he called, blinking at the man's change in style since he had last seen him. "Where is Nat?" 

unedited 

yay, Tony doesn't die here. Not happening. hope you enjoyed this. Vote, comment, follow.