Here we go, kids.  It's starting.

Slowly making your way back into the main building, his arm heavily over your shoulder and leaning against him, you feared the moment when he would be out of your reach, and with a deep sigh, your body shook even with his strong hold. Flashes of that nightmare with Tony at your side and your world burning to the ground struck you like a train, and you stopped, your breath caught in the emotion.

"(Y/N)? What is it?"

"It was real," you whispered, not to him, but to yourself.

"What was real?" he insisted urgently. "(Y/N), there's no time to be cryptic."

"That dream...that nightmare that Anthony and I shared. It wasn't a nightmare, Steve, it was a premonition. They were showing us something inevitable. I don't know why I didn't realize it before, but I do now. That's where we're going...and I don't know if we can stop it."

~~~

When the two of you entered the building, despite the early hour, everyone was awake, and the feelings that swelled around you and smothered your thoughts were dread and doubt. It didn't take a connection to Anthony to feel it, and it put you immediately on edge. Releasing yourself from Steve's hold, you hurried up the stairs and to the conference room to find that everyone had gathered there, and were just about to call on you both to join them. Tony stood first and hurried to meet you at the door, taking your arms in his hands to hold you steady as he spoke.

"Sweetheart, come here, I'm gonna need you to sit down."

"Why?" You looked from one face to another around the table, from Avengers to Guardians, and the only expression given back was sorrow. "Dad, just tell me. I'm sick of this secretive bullshit."

"Okay," he sighed, but he didn't let you go, "Loki made a connection last night, through Brooke." Steve moved to stand behind you, seeing the look in Tony's eyes and needing to hold onto you, but to add his hands would make you feel caged, so he held back. Instead, he rested a hand on your shoulder and listened intently, though his eyes were focused only on Loki at the head of the table. "Please, sit down with me and listen. FRIDAY can play it back for you."

"Play it, FRIDAY," you commanded, your feet planted firm. The screen at the front of the room came to life, showing Brooklyn's room, darkened for sleep, with just enough light to see Loki standing next to her as she sat up straight as a board in her bed, her body rigid and forced, controlled by someone other than herself.

"If you're brazen enough to control the soul of an innocent, then be bold enough to state your name to me now."

"Do not play the ignorant, Loki, you know who I am," her voice replied, and the vacant coldness of it left you numb. The choice of Tony's catchphrase wasn't lost on you, and you could feel that he recognized it too.

"Are you the Titan himself, or one of his minions, too afraid to deny his command?"

Brooke's head turned slowly, menacingly, terrifyingly, towards Loki, and an unnerving smile curled at the corners of her lips. "Loki, the would-be king who never was," she mocked, "I can see why your father denied you the throne. Your intellect leaves much to be desired, and your insight fails you yet again. There are many actors in this grand drama, and I, Thanos, appear to be the only participant with a full grasp on the situation."

"Then please, do enlighten me. Why are you using these children when you have the means to take the stones without them? What purpose is there to their suffering?"

"What care I for the fate of three souls, when the entire universe is mine to control?"

"There are many who care for their fate, which you will see if you continue on this path. You will see this with a swift vengeance, I assure you," Loki warned, cautiously taking a step closer to Brooke, but his eyes conveyed his fear, even in a darkened recorded image.

"That has been my plan all along, and how beautifully it has flourished. Fun really isn't something one considers when balancing the universe. But this...this does put a smile on my face"

With that, her head turned to face straight ahead again, and her body went limp, leaving Loki to jump forward to catch her before she could fall to the floor. He rested your girl carefully on her bed, staying at her side until she woke on her own, and reassuring her that he was there to protect her until she calmed down. It was a welcome change of attitude in the man, and you had to finally drop the reservations you had about him and give him your trust. There was no other choice anymore.

"That's our cue," Quill announced as the screen went black, standing up to direct his team to follow. "If we can intercept him somehow, I don't know...slow him down...give you guys more time?"

"Will it matter?" you whispered, your eyes unable to leave where the last image of Brooke had been. "Does anything that we do matter anymore?"

"My sister has been out there looking for him too," Gamora added hopefully, "maybe if we can track her, see if she's learned anything that can help us...there has to be something."

You opened your mouth to say more, but you were halted by an unexpected hand on your leg to get your attention. Finally pulling your gaze away, you looked down at Rocket, looking up at you almost apologetically. "Just because we're leaving, it doesn't mean we're giving up on you guys," he began. "We can do more good out there than we can down here, okay? Nothing changes what we're trying to do. You believe me?"

"Yeah, Rocket, I do," you smiled gently, and out of pure instinct, and not thinking beyond that flash of a second, your hand came up and rested on his head, gently stroking and scratching his fur as if it would comfort you.

"Shit," Peter gasped, turning to the rest of his group, "he better not bite her or he'll be stuck here for six weeks of rabies shots."

Instead, everyone in the room, Avengers, Guardians, and even Loki were surprised at Rocket's response; he closed his eyes and smiled just a little, allowing you to continue without a hint of it bothering him. In fact, he looked to be enjoying the contact, and that he was doing something that made you feel better too.

"I thought they said that you'd bite," you chuckled quietly. "I've gotta say, I never believed it for a second."

"Hey, Princess, let's keep it down," he answered, "consider yourself special."

"I shall go along, if that's allowed," Loki broke in, looking to the group for approval. "I too can be of better use in the search than in the fight, at least as of yet. Thanos knows me to be a man of many faces, and perhaps if I can sell myself as willing to be persuaded to his side, I can infiltrate their ranks."

Thor was the first to jump in with his argument against that plan, followed by the quiet but obvious agreement of the group as he approached his brother. "Loki, that's a dangerous plan, and there are no guarantees to your safety. I cannot leave Midgard to follow and assist you in this. My duty is here, with this team...my...family."

"Brother, there are no guarantees to anything anymore, and I would expect no less of you but to stay."

~~~

Loki was right; there were no guarantees, and no assurances that any of their missions would work. That morning at the compound would be the last time that you would see the Guardians, and the final word you would have from Loki for some time to follow. Even Stephen felt as if he could be of more use at the Sanctum, where he could see further into the realms than he was able to out there. After a few hours more with you, Steve, and the kids, he was ready to take his leave as well, asking that he speak to you one last time before going.

"Try to hold onto hope, (Y/N)," he said, "we haven't reached the end yet."

"But we're close," you argued sadly. "We all know that."

"Yes, but we have something that Thanos doesn't. We care about each other. We have love."

"Really?" you scoffed. "That's what you're clinging to? Love? Well, Strange, I hate to let you down so spectacularly, but that's not going to be enough to fight him. But I suppose it will be enough to give us a shred of hope that we can convince him to be merciful."

"What do you mean?"

"Stephen," you answered, your expression dropping and your tone growing dark, "I've come to bargain." You took a step towards him, and he tried to back away to raise his hands in protection, but he froze in place, completely helpless.

"I'm sorry, sir," Brooklyn answered, appearing from behind you, "this isn't personal."

"It kind of...feels...personal..." he struggled against her. "You have to...stop this..."

"I want you to stop me, I do," you insisted, "please believe me. I want you to stop me from taking this." His eyes barely moved enough to track the path of your hands towards the Eye that hung from his neck, his chest barely able to expand to allow his panicked breaths. "Understand why I have to, please. I have to do everything to protect them. They're my children, and there is nothing that I would not do for my family."

~~~

With the Eye in your hands, you felt immense power coursing through you, but you didn't want it; you didn't want this, but it was as if your mind and body were acting despite your will. Anthony had joined you immediately after Brooke took Stephen under her control, with Grant keeping Steve occupied and away from the action so that he wouldn't interfere. Of every soul in the compound, his was the one that you wanted to keep as far from this betrayal as possible, and as far from knowing what you were about to do next.

Anthony was holding Stephen in a state of sleep so that you could move to your next mission, with Brooke leading the way. It wouldn't take long for Tony to figure out that you had taken FRIDAY off-line, so you had to be quick, your steps light and rushed up the stairs towards the quarters on the higher floors. When the two of you reached your destination, Brooke pushed the door open, allowing the two of you to enter without resistance.

"Brooklyn? (Y/N)? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Viz," you answered genuinely, feeling yourself beginning to break. "I'm so very sorry."

As she had done with Stephen, Brooke raised her hands before Vision could assimilate what you had just said, holding him immobile as you approached. But in contrast to Stephen, when Vision looked back at you, it hurt. You had known him longer, he was so much more of a friend, and so much more important to you. He had delivered the young girl who was controlling him, and the betrayal and struggle, even in his mechanical eyes, stabbed at your heart and you couldn't take another step. "I can't."

"Jesus, Mom, just do it already," Brooke snapped, taking the few steps forward to pass by you. "It's not that hard, just grab it."

You couldn't look, closing your eyes and turning your head away as if it would give you any absolution; that it would make you less guilty of the crime she was about to commit.

"Please...I am to be...a father..." he struggled, but those were his last words. You allowed yourself to cry freely for your friend as you heard his body crumble to the ground at your feet, and the sound of Wanda's scream began to echo through the halls.