Ch 93 Snap!

"What's going to happen now?" Tony asked in a hollow voice.

"A lot." Benjamin simply said in a heavy voice and everyone felt huge pits forming in their stomachs. Not even pits. Abysses.

In Wakanda, M'Baku and the Jabari killed several Outriders and chanted while Thor casually slaughtered Outriders with his lightning before flying into a dropship, destroying it as he emerged from its top and then flew into another one.

"Damn!" Scott said in awe and no one could stop themselves from clapping at this small victory.

Wanda flew to Vision and helped him up when his Mind Stone flared and he grunted in pain. She asked about it and he said in fear, "He's here."

Everyone paled.

"We're out of time." Natasha muttered.

Steve looked around and sensed something as he said, "Everyone on my position. We have incoming." Natasha looked around and muttered, "What the hell?" Everyone's eyes darted back and forth. Then Bruce turned around as a portal opened and out marched Thanos.

Everyone's eyes widened. This was it!

"No." Steve muttered sorrowfully. Thanos was here and had five Stones already. How would they stop him?

"Cap. That's him." Bruce said.

Bruce gulped. He sounded…..afraid.

Steve brought his shield up, "Eyes up. Stay sharp." Thanos stalked forwards menacingly.

Everyone's hearts hammered wildly against their chests, wondering what would happen next while Benjamin, Odinson and Logan looked saddened.

Bruce leapt at Thanos but he used the Space Stone to make him intangible and Bruce passed through him and went into solid stone where Thanos turned him tangible again and he was lodged inside it.

"Damn it!" Bruce cursed himself. Hulk had failed to stop Thanos and so had he.

Steve charged at Thanos but was flung away by energy from the Power Stone. T'Challa leapt at him but Thanos grabbed him by the throat and punched him hard. As he fell down, his suit discharged all the kinetic energy inside in a powerful but useless burst.

"He is killing us." T'Challa whispered.

"Only destroying the Stone can do it." Vision whispered while Wanda was pale.

Sam flew at Thanos and fired but was knocked down by the Space Stone.

Sam gulped and looked down as Steve put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wanda. It's time." Vision said. "No." She said. "They can't stop him, Wanda, but we can." He said, "Look at me." Her lips quivered as he said, "You have the power to destroy the Stone." "Don't." She begged. "You must do it. Wanda, please." He urged, "We are out of time." "I can't." She croaked. "Yes, you can. You can." Vision said, "If he gets the Stone, half the universe dies. It's not fair. It shouldn't be you, but it is."

"Why is it me?" Wanda cried out with tears in her eyes as Vision held her hand.

"It's all right." He said.

"No it isn't." She said.

Clint once again got up from his couch and sat next to her instead, taking her head in his arms, allowing her to cry as everyone watched her and Vision in sympathy.

"It's all right." Vision said, "You could never hurt me. I just feel you." With quivering lips, Wanda finally fired a powerful beam at the Mind Stone as Vision gasped in pain but allowed her to proceed.

"Oh God!" Natasha whispered as all watched the on-screen Wanda and Vision and the ones in the room sadly.

Rhodes fired at Thanos but he crushed his suit with the Space Stone and Rhodes fell down.

Rhodes breathed heavily, trying to control himself as Tony put a hand on his shoulder.

Bucky, Natasha and Okoye charged at Thanos, the former firing with his rifle. Thanos was unaffected and sent him down with a wave of energy from the Power Stone as Okoye threw her spear but it was sent back by a wave of energy from the Power Stone as well while Okoye was knocked out. Thanos then formed stone pillars from the Reality Stone, trapping Natasha.

Bucky and Natasha gripped each other's hands tightly, the dread in their eyes visible.

Groot attacked Thanos with roots but he broke free of them. Wanda looked back with tears and turning back to Vision, fired a beam from her other hand as well, breaking down.

Wanda's tears increased as Clint hugged her tighter while Vision looked at her in sorrow and guilt, knowing this was causing her a lot of pain, even if it was for the greater good.

Steve slid next to Thanos and arrived in front of him. Using his shields, he hit Thanos' abdomen, his left wrist and gave him an uppercut on his chin, though the Mad Titan was barely affected. Thanos then brought his Infinity Gauntlet covered hand down on Steve which he grabbed with all his might and roared, trying to stop Thanos from closing it.

Everyone watched, very pale, though their respect for Steve increased. In spite of seeing what Thanos could do, he was ready to fight him till the end.

Then Thanos punched Steve hard, knocking him out.

Steve sighed and put a hand on his head, feeling like he had failed as Natasha and Bucky tried to comfort him.

Thanos then walked to Wanda and Vision and Wanda used one hand to blast Thanos with magic as he used the Infinity Gauntlet to defend himself, being sent back a little but he persisted.

All watched in anticipation, wondering what would happen now.

"It's all right. It's all right." Vision said, "I love you."

"I'm sorry." Wanda said in a raspy voice.

"Don't be." Vision said.

The Mind Stone cracked and soon, exploded along with Vision as a small explosion occurred. The pieces of Vision lay in the forest.

"NOOOO!" Wanda screamed and covered her mouth, sobbing more as Vision and Clint both tried to comfort her.

"We'll get the Stone out faster next time." Vision said in a vain attempt to soothe her as all watched sadly. Losing her parents, being duped and experimented on by Hydra, trying to control her powers, working alongside Ultron and causing a lot of damage by giving the Avengers visions which still haunted her to this day, trying to fight for good while losing her brother, accidentally killing innocents and being crucified by the media, being tortured by Ross' sadistic guards, and now this. Her life was hell, it seemed.

As Wanda looked down with tears, Thanos said, "I understand, my child. Better than anyone." Wanda looked up at him in grief and rage and said, "You could never." Thanos reached down and patted her head, "Today, I lost more than you can know."

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Clint snapped, shaking with rage as all glared at Thanos.

"But now is no time to mourn." Thanos said as he walked past her, "Now is no time at all." And then he pressed his fist as the Time Stone activated.

Everyone's eyes widened in horror.

"Damn it!" Tony said angrily. Because of his mistake, Thanos had the Time Stone now and because of the others' mistakes, Vision's Mind Stone was still available.

Thanos used the Time Stone and the pieces reassembled, with Vision being reformed and whole again along with the Mind Stone.

"NO!"

"NO!" Wanda yelled and lunged forward but was smacked away as Thanos lifted Vision by the throat and reaching out, ripped the Mind Stone as a hole was formed in Vision's head and he went pale, dying in Thanos' grip as the Mad Titan tossed him away.

Everyone looked away, not being able to look at Vision's corpse. He had died twice! And failed to stop Thanos the way he wanted!

Thanos put the Mind Stone in the Infinity Gauntlet and power surged through him.

Everyone clutched their fists angrily. Thanos had callously murdered Loki, his own daughter and now Vision and was all powerful now.

Then a huge blast of lightning hit Thanos and sent him flying back. Thor had come! Thanos fired a powerful beam from all six Infinity Stones powerful enough to destroy a planet but Thor threw Stormbreaker, charged with all of his power and it cut through the beam and lodged itself in Thanos' chest.

"YES!" Scott cheered, "Take that asshole!"

"Thor will stop you!" Hope sneered.

"Please stop him." Loki said.

Everyone watched, tense, as Thor mentally urged his on-screen version to do it. Odinson looked down in shame which no one noticed.

Thor flew down in front of Thanos and sneered, "I told you...you'd die for that." Grabbing Thanos' head, he drove Stormbreaker further into his chest as the Mad Titan yelled in agony.

Everyone sneered in satisfaction. Thanos was getting exactly what he deserved.

Looking up at Thor, Thanos groaned, "You should have...You should...You should have gone for the head." And then raising his left hand, he snapped his fingers. "NO!" Thor yelled as the screen went white.

"NO!" Everyone yelled at the same time as Thor.

Then everyone was speechless for a full minute, absorbing what they had just seen.

Then Steve asked, "Did we just lose?"

Looking up in shame, Odinson said, "Yes."

Thor wiped tears of frustration from his eyes as Loki put a hand on his shoulder.

Thanos then found himself in an orange landscape. He looked down at his chest and the wound wasn't there. But the Infinity Gauntlet was missing too. He saw a tiny figure under an archway and walked towards her. The ground was covered in water. "Daughter?" Thanos asked as the figure turned around, revealing herself to be a little Gamora.

Everyone felt their hearts jump into their throats at this point.

"The Soul World." Benjamin said with a quivering voice.

"Did you do it?" She asked. "Yes." Thanos said sadly. With tears in her eyes, she asked, "What did it cost?" After a moment, he said, "Everything."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Scott was shouting, startling everyone, including Hope. Never had anyone seen him this angry.

Back in reality, Thor backed off as the Infinity Gauntlet now looked decayed, as if it had gone several rounds with a monster truck while Thanos' left arm was scorched as well. "What did you do?!" Thor exploded, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Thanos used the Space Stone to open a portal and escaped into it as Stormbreaker, now coated in the Mad Titan's blood dropped to the ground.

Everyone watched the screen while shaking, waiting for what was coming. Something was about to happen.

"Where'd he go?" Steve asked as he arrived, "Thor. Where'd he go?" Thor looked ashamed and guilty.

Thor had the same expression as his on-screen self and so did Odinson.

"Steve?" Steve looked over to see Bucky, whose human hand seemed to be disintegrating. Then his gun fell to the ground and he turned to dust.

A strangled, pained wail pierced the air and everyone knew it was Natasha, staring at the screen with horror upon her face.

Steve was pale with shock while Bucky was watching with wide eyes which looked like they were screaming for help.

Steve reached out and put a hand on Bucky's shoulder to assure himself he was there.

"No." Clint whispered in a raspy voice as all looked horrified at the screen.

Steve walked to the spot Bucky had been at and kneeling down, touched it as Thor looked around in guilt.

"I failed!" Thor moaned, "I failed to stop that monster!"

Wakandan soldiers turned to dust all around as M'Baku watched in horror. One of their ships crashed too due to losing the pilot.

"NO!" T'Challa yelled in grief and despair, seeing so many of his people just turn to dust like that, because they had failed.

Loki put a hand on his shoulder and another on Thor's, trying to comfort both.

"Up, General. Up!" T'Challa helped Okoye up, "This is no place to die." Then he turned to dust as she watched in horror and screamed, "OH GOD!"

"Your Highness!" Sam screamed in horror as T'Challa gulped, tears in his eyes. His people were turning to dust and he couldn't do anything about it either as he was one of them. What about Shuri and his mother? His heart pounded wildly as he thought of that.

"I am Groot." Groot said sadly and turned to dust as Rocket watched in pained sadness. "Oh... No, no, no!" He cried out as he walked towards Groot just as he fully disintegrated, "Groot! No."

Everyone had tears in their eyes by now.

"What…..What…What did he say?" Scott asked, his voice quivering.

Odinson simply said one word, his own quivering as well, "Dad."

No one could stop muffled sobs and tears of sadness at this point.

Wanda, still crouching over Vision's body, turned to dust.

"NOOOO!" Clint screamed like a madman as he pulled Wanda to himself tighter, trying to assure himself she was there, "No, no, no, no, no!"

Vision put a hand on her shoulder too, feeling pained. Wanda was numb with pained sadness at this point as tears fell out of her eyes. Clint now blamed himself, feeling like he could have changed Wanda's fate if he was there.

Steve was shaking in grief and rage as he watched the scene.

Benjamin closed his eyes sadly as some tears fell out at seeing her death.

Okoye looked like she was going to cry as Sam struggled to get up while Rhodes called out, "Sam! Sam, where you at?" And then Sam turned to dust before he could reply.

Sam put a hand to his throat in horror as Steve turned to him with wide eyes, grasping his shoulder to assure himself again while Rhodes looked at him sadly and he returned the look, equally sad.

On Titan, everybody struggled to get back up as Peter helped Tony, who had used the remaining nanites to stich his wounds, back up. "Something's happening." Mantis then said and disintegrated in Quill's arm. They looked at where she stood, shocked. Quill turned to Drax who called out, "Quill?" And then he turned to dust too.

May closed her eyes, praying, 'Please. Not him! Not my boy! He's still a kid!'

Pepper was hugging Tony's chest at this point, horrified at what was happening and worried for him. Likewise, Tony hugged her back, begging that she didn't turn to dust in the recording.

"Steady, Quill." Tony then said to Quill. "Oh, man." Quill said in horror as he realized the consequences of his outburst. With guilt on his face, he turned to dust too.

While all still blamed him to an extent, it was impossible not to feel for him. He had messed up and it had cost him his life.

"Tony." Tony turned to look at Strange. "There was no other way." And then, he turned to dust as well.

"NO OTHER WAY?!" Tony exploded, "People are turning to dust and there was NO OTHER WAY?!"

"Mr. Stark?"

May's heart jumped to her throat as Tony clutched his chest in pain while the others looked on in horror and disbelief. Peter was the numb one now while Benjamin too started panting as he still used to suffer nightmares of the incident. Logan put a hand on his shoulder for support as he panted more.

Peter staggered forwards, "I don't feel so good."

Wanda pressed a hand to her mouth in horror as Steve's knuckles turned pale. This was wrong! Peter was just a kid who should be having fun in class! Not this!

May let out a sob and hugged Peter so tight he would have complained of being suffocated under simpler circumstances.

Tony looked down in guilt, telling himself he should have tried harder to get Peter back to Earth, not realizing it wouldn't have made a difference anyway.

"You're all right." Tony said. "I don't... I don't know what's happening. I don't know..." Peter tumbled into Tony's arms, hugging him desperately.

Everyone could only watch helplessly as Benjamin tried to calm himself down, closing his eyes and looking away from the screen.

"I don't want to go." Peter sobbed as dust formed around him, "I don't want to go, sir. Please. Please, I don't want to go. I don't want to go."

"DON'T TAKE HIM FROM ME!" May screamed at the top of her lungs. This was wrong! Her boy couldn't die! She had already lost Ben! She couldn't bear to lose him too.

Tony was feeling numb now as Pepper held his hand while Rhodes put a shaking hand on his shoulder as the others tried to wipe their tears but more formed.

They collapsed as Peter lay on the ground and Tony looked over at him. Peter looked Tony in the eye, "I'm sorry." And then he looked away and turned to dust too.

Peter looked away and started sobbing, feeling scared and horrified at what had happened to him.

"WHY?!" May sobbed out loud and all could only watch with tears of horror, sadness and frustration. She had lost her husband and now her boy who was still so young. She latched on tightly to Peter and kept kissing his forehead and cheeks, "Please don't! Don't go! Don't leave me!"

"I won't." Benjamin whispered in a raspy voice but it sounded hollow to even him while Peter continued sobbing into May's chest.

"Why did you apologize?" Tony said with tears in his eyes, his throat raspy, "You shouldn't say sorry. You died! I am sorry! I couldn't protect you! I failed!"

He started crying and put his head on Pepper's thigh as she tried to comfort him and sobbed herself at Peter's death.

The others could only sob more as their anger at Thanos increased while Thor roared in a rage, angry at himself as well as Thanos. Odinson could only clutch his fists in shame and guilt.

Tony fell forward, clutching at the dust in horror and grief. He looked down at himself, hoping he was turning to dust too but to his horror, he wasn't.

'The worst part was that you didn't.' Fury remembered his words to Tony at Clint's farm. And now it had happened. Fury could only watch the man sadly, his heart going out to him.

"He did it." Nebula said as Tony shook his head sadly, feeling hollow and defeated and both closed their eyes sadly.

No one said a word, the tears still streaming out as they snuggled and tried to comfort each other but failed.

At Wakanda, Steve turned over Vision's body as Natasha ran over, her hand on her stomach. Thor stood there in guilt as Rocket sat on a log and looked down sadly and Bruce stood there too, numb while Rhodes walked over. "What is this? What the hell is happening?" He asked as Steve collapsed, feeling hollow and defeated. After several moments of silence, he said, "Oh, God."

Everyone closed their eyes sadly. Steve, Tony, Thor, Bruce, Natasha and Clint were all horrified. This was the first time the Avengers had lost. And it was devastating. The worst kind of defeat had been dealt to them. Death and destruction was upon the Universe.

Scott worried about Maggie, Cassie, Jim, Luis, Dave and Kurt. He couldn't bear to lose Cassie after everything that had happened. Him and Hope held hands tightly, both worrying for Hank and Janet too. Especially Janet. Hope had just got her back. She couldn't bear to lose her so soon. It was wrong!

Clint, while clutching Wanda, also though about his family. What about them? Had they survived this madness?!

T'Challa wiped tears from his eyes, thinking about Shuri and Ramonda.

Bruce breathed heavily, feeling sorrow and guilt as tears streamed down his cheeks. If Betty died because of this, then he would never forgive himself.

On another green and beautiful planet, Thanos sat down with a sigh and watched the sunset as he had said he would, the beginning of a smile on his face. The screen went black.

That did it! With a roar of rage, Steve leapt up and charged at the TV, about to punch it when Logan grabbed him from behind and restrained him, "Stop"

"HE DOESN'T GET TO REST! NOT AFTER WHAT HE DID!" Steve roared angrily as everyone looked at him in shock. Never had they seen him this angry. Not even when Tony had destroyed Bucky's arm.

He then panted heavily before calming himself down bit by bit. Feeling him relax a bit, Logan finally let him go as he just collapsed on the ground, feeling hollow, defeated and guilty.

"Still no word from Stark?" Fury's voice was heard as him and Hill appeared, driving. "No, not yet." She said, "We're watching every satellite on both hemispheres, but still nothing." Then she paused. "What is it?" Fury asked. "Multiple bogeys over Wakanda." She said. "Same energy signature as New York?" Fury asked. "Ten times bigger." She said. Fury turned to her, "Tell Klein we'll meet him at..." Hill cut him off as a car skidded to a stop in front of them, "Nick! Nick!" Fury stopped his car just at the right time.

Fury and Hill watched in anticipation, wondering what would happen as the others recovered themselves very slightly and made themselves look.

Hill walked to the empty car and to her shock, no one was inside. "They okay?" Fury asked. "There's no one here." She said. Then they looked up to see a chopper crashing on a building as the pilot had turned to dust. "Call Control. Code red." Fury said. "Nick." Hill called out from behind. He turned around and was horrified to see her slowly turn to dust, "Hill."

Hill shook in fear. She had died just like that? Everyone looked at her sadly. Another casualty of Thanos' madness. Just like half of the Universe. Fury's hand shook as he grasped her shoulder firmly. While he didn't show it, he cared for her. And Natasha. And Clint. And Steve. And Tony. They were like children to him and he was the strict no-fun daddy. He tried to assure himself she was still there.

Steve clutched his fists as more tears fell out at Hill's death and he tried to wipe them but failed.

Fury ran back to the car as people around him turned to dust. He opened the backdoor and took out a pager, trying to message someone before noticing he was turning to dust too. "Oh, no." He said as half of his hand turned to dust, "Mother..." He was cut off as his face disintegrated but he managed to send the message just before his right hand disintegrated too while the pager fell down.

"Mother….." Fury trailed off. And now he was dead too! Who would try to fix this with him gone? Everyone looked between the screen and him in horror and shock. While he ticked them off a lot and was no fun, they cared about him too just like he cared about them.

"Don't do this to me." Natasha whispered like she had when he had faked his death. Bucky and Natasha hugged each other tightly, trying to comfort each other.

The pager sent whatever message it was sending and a red glowing star appeared on it as the screen went black.

Fury's eye widened as he realized what his on-screen self had done before dying.

"What was that?" Loki asked in a raspy voice, "Who did you message?"

Trying to keep his cool, Fury said, "The glowing woman you two spoke about."

His head jerked into Fury's direction as he asked in shock, "You know her?"

"I do." Fury said.

The others heard but didn't respond, still shaken and traumatized to their core by what they had seen.

Logan finally managed to get up first and looked at all of them sadly for one full minute before saying finally, "Come on."

And then he managed to walk out. One by one, everyone wiped their tears, though more threatened to pour down. Then they got up and staggered out of the room, emotionally drained. No one was going to get over this. No one.

They had lost!