────── ✼✼✼ ──────

────── ✼✼✼ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐍

────── ✼✼✼ ──────

When Charlie landed in a small clearing in the Wakandan forest, she found Corvus Glaive holding in the air Vision by the neck. Anger flowed through the Barton girl's veins as she watched Corvus Glaive raise his scepter, causing a hint of fear to appear in Vision's eyes. The archer didn't hesitate to load an arrow onto her bow before firing it at the son of Thanos. She watched as the projectile soared through the air before landing in the alien's shoulder. Corvus Glaive shouted in pain as he dropped Vision and spun around to face Charlie, only for another arrow to hit his other shoulder.

Irritation instantly formed on Corvus Glaive's face as he stared at Charlie. It wasn't long after that when he pulled the arrows out of his shoulders with a small grunt. "You're quite an annoying human."

"I get that a lot," the Barton girl responded while firing another arrow before watching Corvus Glaive catch it inches away from his face. A smug smirk formed on the alien's lips as he stared at the arrow, only for it to fade when he noticed the smile on Charlie's face. Not even a second after that passed when she pressed a button on her bow, causing the arrow in Corvus Glaive's hand to explode and making him stumble back a few feet. The son of Thanos grumbled under his breath as she looked back up at Charlie, who was still smiling at him. "Oops."

What happened next seemed to be a blur to Charlie. Corvus Glaive charged at her with his spear held out in front of him. However, before he could finish his attack, Pietro came out of nowhere and slammed into the alien. The impact caused the son of Thanos to fall to the ground as the speedster stood over him. The Maximoff boy kept his eyes glued to the alien as he walked over to where Charlie stood a few feet away from Vision. As soon as he was right beside the Barton girl, he began speaking. "Never do anything like that again. At least, not without me."

Both of them were prepared to continue the fight with Corvus Glaive after watching him get to their feet. However, to their surprise, the alien simply held his hand out in front of them. Little did they know that the scepter sitting in the dirt behind them began to move. The next thing either of them knew, the scepter slammed into the back of their legs, sending both Charlie and Pietro to the ground. A groan passed over the Barton girl's lips as she reached for her head, which took most of the impact from the fall. When she looked over at Pietro, she found him lying next to her unconscious with a large cut on his forehead.

A smirk soon reappeared on the son of Thanos' face as he turned his attention back to Vision. He tightened his grip around his scepter as he lifted the Keeper of the Mind Stone into the air by his neck once again. The next thing anyone knew, Corvus Glaive forced the top of his scepter into Vision's stomach, causing the synthezoid to shout in pain. The giant alien just stared at the synthezoid for a moment before breaking the tense silence surrounding them. "I thought you were formidable, machine. But you're dying, like any man."

As soon as Corvus Glaive finished speaking, he removed the scepter from Vision's stomach, causing the latter to fall to the floor. Charlie kept her hand on the Maximoff boy's wound as she watched the son of Thanos stand over the synthezoid. She felt helpless as she sat there, having to decide between keeping Pietro alive or saving Vision. Unknown to the Barton girl, the world was on her side at that moment. For the next thing anyone knew, Steve Rogers came sprinting out of the trees before slamming into Corvus Glaive at full speed.

"Get outta here!" Steve shouted at his three allies after getting to his feet and turning back around to face Corvus Glaive. The Man Out of Time used his new shields to block the alien's attack before he landed a kick in the son of Thanos' stomach, sending him stumbling backward. Steve kept his eyes glued to his opponent for a moment before looking over his shoulder. "Go!"

While the Rogers man went back to battling Corvus Glaive, Charlie looked over at Vision, who was watching the fight with an unreadable look on his face. She kept her eyes glued to him for a moment longer before her attention fell to Pietro. To her surprise, he began blinking his eyes, as if attempting to snap himself out of a daze. The Barton girl soon removed her hands from his head, only to find the cut completely healed. She didn't hesitate to help the speedster into a sitting position as his eyes scanned over the world around him. After watching Steve and Corvus Glaive fight for a moment, his attention moved toward Charlie. "What'd I miss?"

"Not much. Just Steve saving our *sses again," the Barton girl responded while helping Pietro to his feet.

"Oh, so business as usual?"

"Pretty much."

But soon all the happiness Charlie felt seeing Pietro on his feet faded away when she heard Steve shout. The two of them immediately turned back to the Man Out of Time to find Corvus Glaive standing over him. The son of Thanos had a sadistic smile on his face as he wrapped his hand around Steve's throat and squeezed. Charlie and Pietro didn't hesitate to move to help their ally, only to stop in their tracks when they saw Vision sneaking up behind Corvus Glaive with the scepter in his hands. The next thing anyone knew, the Keeper of the Mind stone plunged the scepter into the alien's back, causing him to release his grip around Steve's neck. The couple watched in shock as Vision lifted the son of Thanos into the air before releasing the scepter and letting Corvus Glaive fall to the ground.

Pietro didn't hesitate to sprint forward and catch Vision after seeing him start to fall. The speedster carefully helped support the synthezoid and kept him on his feet as Charlie made their way over to them. Steve stood in front of the trio, his eyes moving between them before he opened his mouth to speak. "I thought I told you guys to go."

A shaky breath passed over Vision's lips as he looked over at the Man Out of Time. "We don't trade lives, Captain."

It wasn't long after that when Wanda finally arrived in the clearing. Charlie and Pietro stepped to the side to allow the Maximoff girl to get to Vision. A small smile appeared on the Barton girl's lips as she watched the redheaded girl crouch down in front of the synthezoid and gently place her hand on his cheek. "Are you okay?"

Just as Vision was about to respond, a high-pitched ringing cut through the air as he let out a painful groan. Charlie's blood ran cold as he reached up to touch the Stone before the pain faded from his face. It wasn't long after that when the Keeper of the Mind Stone's attention returned to Wanda.

"What? What is it?" the Maximoff girl asked as her eyes continued to scan every inch of Vision's face.

The Keeper of the Mind hesitated while letting the pain slowly fade. After a moment of silence passed, Vision let out a long sigh and looked back over at Wanda. "He's here."

An unexpected wave of terror washed over Charlie as she reached for Pietro's hand. The speedster gladly accepted it before pulling her closer and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The Barton girl just stared at Vision until her attention turned to Steve, only to find him staring up at the trees. An eerie feeling settled over them as the branches came to a standstill, the only movement coming from a few falling leaves. Even without the Mind Stone, they all felt the change in the atmosphere. Something was definitely coming. Something big.

The silence stayed around them for what felt like an eternity before Steve looked over at Charlie and Pietro with a hint of worry in his eyes, which did nothing to help the archer's nerves. It wasn't long after that when the Man Out of Time brought his hand up to his comms and began speaking. "Everyone, on my position. We have incoming."

It didn't take long for the rest of their allies to join them in the clearing. They all stood around, taking in the ominous feeling in the air. No one could explain how they truly felt about the current situation, only that they knew they had to be prepared for what happened next. Pietro couldn't help but look down at his sister, who was still kneeling beside Vision. His heart broke when he saw how much she was trying to hold back her emotions. The Maximoff boy knew he had to do what he could to keep Wanda safe and happy. He just hoped it was enough.

What felt like an eternity passed before the wind began picking up. Charlie felt Pietro's grip around her tighten as everyone looked around at the swaying trees. A lump formed in the Barton girl's throat when she noticed Bruce's attention moved to something behind them. She forced herself to release the breath she didn't know she was holding as she slowly turned around, taking Pietro along with her. The couple was shocked when they saw bluish smoke forming in the distance, neither knowing what to make of it. The mist soon transformed into a cloud as it continued to grow. It wasn't long before a giant purple alien appeared through the fog, watching the heroes with a menacing look in his eyes.

The alien's ambiance alone was enough to tell everyone this was who sent the army after the Stones. But it wasn't until Bruce broke the silence that their suspicions were truly confirmed. "That's him."

As soon as those two words left the Banner man's mouth, Steve forced his shields to enlarge while keeping his eyes glued to Thanos. "Eyes up. Stay sharp."

Charlie's grip around her bow tightened as she watched the Man Out of Time sprint toward the Mad Titan. To her surprise, Bruce managed to get to him first. However, before he even had a chance to reach Thanos, his entire body began glowing bright blue. The Barton girl's eyes widened in shock as she watched Bruce phase through Thanos before flying through the air and getting encased in a stone wall.

Charlie's attention soon returned to the Rogers man as he continued to run through the Wakandan forest. She knew that if anyone would be able to take on their enemy and win, it would be him. But her blood soon ran cold after watching a purple aura surround Steve before he was thrown through the air. Pietro unwrapped his arm from Charlie's shoulders without thinking before placing himself protectively in front of her and Wanda. The Barton girl's instincts took over as she loaded an arrow onto her bow and aimed it at Thanos, waiting for the right time to release it.

T'Challa was the next one to face Thanos, flinging his entire body at the alien with his vibranium claws extended. But just like his allies before him, the Black Panther was soon thrown to the ground by the Mad Titan. Sam followed the Wakandan King's attack as he flew at Thanos at full speed, only for the powerful alien to use the Power Stone and crush the Falcon's wings.

"Wanda, it's time," Vision called out, drawing the girl's attention to him while Charlie and Pietro kept their eyes glued to the approaching threat, "they can't stop him, Wanda, but we can. Look at me. You have the power to destroy the Stone. You must do it. Wanda, please. We are out of time."

"I can't," the Maximoff girl whispered just loud enough for them to hear after Vision placed her hand gently against his cheek.

"Yes, you can. If he gets the Stone, half the universe dies," the synthezoid responded while slowly pushing her hand away until it was positioned in front of the Mind Stone, "it's not fair. It shouldn't be you but it is. It's alright. You could never hurt me. I just feel you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlie caught Wanda's hand starting to glow. It wasn't long after that when a beam of red light shot out of her hand and hit the Mind Stone. The Barton girl's attention soon turned back to what was occurring across the clearing just in time to see Rhodey's suit get crushed like a tin can before being thrown to the side. Bucky, Okoye, and Primrose charged at the Mad Titan together, hoping that going at the same time would be too much for him. The Barnes man fired at Thanos with everything he had while the Wakandan General threw her spear at him, only for both of them to get tossed aside like they weighed nothing. Primrose was the next to attack as she sprinted toward Thanos. A wave of energy surged through her as she swung her at the Mad Titan. The tip of Hrotti sliced across his chest, earning a painful shout from Thanos. However, before the Quill woman could land another blow, the powerful alien kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying through the air before she slammed into Bucky.

Natasha was next to try her hand at defeating Thanos. She ran at him at full speed while firing everything he had at her. But just like her allies, she was simply tossed aside before the Mad Titan encased her in vines. Groot attempted to restrain Thanos with his rapidly growing arms, only for the powerful alien to break out of his restraints with ease. Charlie's heart shattered into a million pieces after watching Groot get tossed aside like he was nothing.

The Barton girl tried to ignore the emotions bouncing around in her head as she pulled back on her bowstring, ready to fire it as soon as Thanos took another stop. However, just as she was about to release it, Steve came out of nowhere and got in the Mad Titan's path. The Man Out of Time didn't hesitate to land a hit to Thanos' knee, forcing the latter to stop for a moment. The Rogers man took that opportunity to hit the powerful alien's arm before he was able to land an uppercut. Thanos responded by reaching for Steve with his Gauntleted hand. It took all of the Man Out of Time's strength to stop the Mad Titan from causing any real damage, surprising the latter with how strong he truly was. But that moment soon ended when Thanos used his other hand to punch Steve across the face, knocking him to the ground.

That was enough for Charlie to finally release her arrow. Another breath got caught in her throat as she watched it soar through the air. Despite knowing her aim was true after years of training with her father, the Barton girl was surprised when the arrow scratched Thanos' cheek. But she wished it did so much more. Charlie became as still as a statue after watching the Mad Titan's attention land on her. Fear coursed through her veins as her body began to glow bright blue while her feet left the ground. Her eyes met Thanos' before he threw her with a flick of his wrist. The world seemed to slow down as she flew through the air, completely unaware of Pietro chasing after her, wanting nothing more than to ensure the archer was safe. It wasn't long before her body slammed into his, causing both of them to tumble across the forest floor.

Pain shot through their bodies as they slowly sat up, only to find Wanda holding her other arm out toward Thanos. She was using her abilities to create a shield to keep the Mad Titan away while simultaneously continuing to destroy the stone. Before Charlie or Pietro could even think about helping the Maximoff girl, a bright light emitted from Vision's body, causing them to turn away. Not even a second after that passed when they heard a loud bang followed by a strong gust of wind. When they turned back around, they saw Thanos walking away from Wanda toward where the Keeper of the Mind Stone once stood. The Mad Titan just stood there for a moment before raising his Gauntlet in the air. The next thing anyone knew, the Time Stone began glowing right as a green ring formed around Thanos' wrist.

Confusion flowed through Charlie's veins as she watched the Mad Titan turn his wrist as if he were opening a door knob. It wasn't long after that when the bright yellow light reappeared, but this time both the Barton girl and the Maximoff boy forced themselves to watch. What felt like an eternity passed before the light finally faded, leaving Vision in its place. Wanda instantly moved to stop Thanos, only for the latter to push her away. The force caused the telekinetic to fly through the air, making Pietro sprint across the forest to catch his sister before any real damage occurred. While the speedster saved Wanda, Thanos wrapped his fingers around the Mind Stone and tore it out of Vision's head. Terror replaced the confusion within Charlie as she watched the synthezoid's body turn gray before the Mad Titan dropped him like a doll.

The Barton girl didn't hesitate to load an arrow onto her bow and aim it at Thanos, but she was too late. The Mad Titan had already fused the Mind Stone with his Gauntlet, causing multicolored bolts to surge through his body. Just as Charlie thought all hope was lost, a lightning bolt came out of nowhere and slammed into Thanos. The archer took a step back as she watched Thor fly toward the powerful alien as fast as he could. That caused Thanos to shoot an energy beam from his Gauntlet at the God of Thunder, only for the Odinson man to deflect it with Stormbreaker. It wasn't long after that when Thor threw his axe at the Mad Titan, slicing the energy beam in two. Everyone watched as Stormbreaker flew before finding its way into Thanos' chest.

The light from the Gauntlet instantly faded as Thor landed in front of the Mad Titan. The God of Thunder just stood there for a moment before forcing Stormbreaker even further, causing a painful shout to escape Thanos. Charlie slowly made her way over to where Pietro stood near Wanda, who was kneeling down beside Vision. The Barton girl knelt down next to the Maximoff girl and placed a comforting hand on her knee. Even though she was trying her best to help Wanda in any way she could, Charlie couldn't help but watch as Thor and Thanos had an inaudible conversation. It wasn't long after that when the Mad Titan raised the Gauntlet in the air and snapped his fingers. A light instantly emitted from the Gauntlet, brighter than the light from Vision. Everyone was forced to look away until it faded. When they were finally able to look back at the scene taking place in front of them, they found the Gauntlet burnt and smoking.

────── ✼✼✼ ──────

────── ✼✼✼ ──────