Chapter 18

Bruce's POV

 Nat's too bent out of shape to break the news to the team so I'm going to help her do so. We have a short break to do so since Thanos was temporarily weakened thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy. "Guys, I know we're in the middle of the most important battle of our lives, but we have some important news that we need to tell you." Bucky steps forward and looks at Nat and I rather darkly. "I think I know what you're about to say, but I need you to say it in order for it to be real." I look at him sadly. "It's Steve... he's dead."

    Everyone looks at us in shock and no one knows what to say. Nat steps forward and squeezes my hand tightly, shedding yet another round of tears. I don't blame her, Steve was one of her closest friends. He's been there for her even longer than I have. I owed him everything for that. I'm really going to miss him. I miss him so much already. Nat takes a deep breath and summons up the courage to speak. "We're going to have a proper funeral and burial for Steve when this is all over. His body is temporarily in storage."

      Vision steps forward, limping and wincing in pain. "Let me take Captain Rogers place on the battlefield. You need every possible ally out there fighting." I look at him hesitantly. "Are you sure Vision? I'm afraid you might hurt yourself further. You don't look too good Vision." Wanda puts a hand on his back protectively, whispering in his ear. He looks at her tiredly and sighs. "I'm afraid I still need some time to recover. I don't want to worry anyone further, especially Wanda." We all nod in agreement and stand around in shock for a few minutes, all of us trying to process that Steve is really dead. It doesn't feel real but it is.

    Gamora and Nebula move to the front of the group and face everyone, speaking in unison. "We both want to apologize on behalf of Thanos. I'm sorry that we're not only related to him but that he is destroying the beautiful universe that you all apart of. We may not understand all of your Earth ways but we respect them. That's why we're fighting to restore as much of it as possible."  

     Everyone looks at them sadly, reminding them that they aren't the villains here. It isn't their fault that universe is being destroyed, it's Thanos' and the Black Order. Loki ended up betraying Thor once again and chose the side of evil. Thor finally cut all ties with him once and for all. Like us, he finally realized that Loki is a monster. When Thor goes back into battle, he wants to be the one to fight Loki once and for all. He deserves that more than the rest of us. Loki has put him through more grief than anyone else on the team. 

  A few hours later...

   We all charge back into battle and brace ourselves for the next round. Before I Hulk out again, I give Nat a tender kiss on the lips and begin to shift. When Hulk appears, he looks at Nat lovingly, scoops her up in arms, and carries them out to a certain area to battle within proximity to each other. I'm glad the big guy is doing that because I can't lose Nat. I need to be able to keep an eye on her as much as I can.

    Vision kept his word and is staying in recovery to recover for the time being. Wanda is alternating between checking on him and kicking serious butt on the battlefield. She just destroyed Proxima Midnight in the distance. I'm really impressed. Wanda looks at us from a distance, nods, and goes back to fighting. I return her nod and do the same. I fling God knows how many alien beings to kingdom come. Just when I think I've fought all of them for the time being, more show up. It's raining alien creatures.

   The battle rages on for several more days and most of the Black Order has been killed, but unfortunately, half of the universe has been destroyed along with the people in it. We've saved as many lives as we could, but with all battles come sacrifices. We tend to beat ourselves up so much over the loses that we never praise ourselves for saving as many lives as we have. The people left in the universe will procreate and one day, the population totals will near what they once were.

   The battle is going to end soon and I'll tell you how it's going to end here and now. It's going to end with all of us fighting as a group to kill Thanos' and his main goonies once and for all. We'll get the Infinity Gauntlet and retrieve all six stones back as well, including the one that belongs to Doctor Strange and the one that is literally a part of Vision. Then after that, we will give Steve the funeral and burial he deserves. We will continue to fight and not give up, even though things are quite grim. Steve's legacy will live on somehow, some way.

Hoped that you guys liked this chapter! I was going to update yesterday but depression was seriously kicking my butt. I'm doing better today though. <3 :)  -Mary