Echo: The Infinity Saga | Wanda Maximoff x male reader.

chapter 36: gone. reduced to atoms

23 days later...

We were at the Avenger's Compound. I was still in disbelief at what happened. I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't do anything about it. I should've done something. If I had simply shouted louder, Thor would've heard me. Everyday for the year between Sokovia and Leipzig I had woken up with Wanda, but now I woke up alone. I missed her so much. I was walking through the compound when there was a loud rumbling from above.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Steve, who had just finished shaving his beard. I still had mine. Rhodey, Steve, Nat, Bruce and myself ran across the field towards the spaceship that was landing. Pepper was there too. The ship was being carried by a blonde woman who was glowing. Tony and some blue woman came out of the ship. Steve ran over to Tony and helped him. Pepper ran over to them and hugged Tony.

***

"It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth," Rhodey said, as the images of the people who had been snapped kept changing.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census, and it looks like he did... He did exactly what he said he was going to do. Thanos wiped out 50% of all living creatures," Nat explained.

"Where is he now? Where?" Tony asked.

"We don't know,"

"No, but I sure as hell want to find him,"

"What's wrong with him?" Tony asked, pointing to Thor.

"Oh, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which, of course, he did. But, y'know, there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?"  Rocket said.

"Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were build-a-bear," Tony said.

"Maybe I am,"

***

Tony was lying in bed after collapsing during an argument with Steve.

"Bruce gave him a sedative. He'll probably be out for the rest of the day," Rhodey explained.

"You guys take care of him. I'll bring him a Xorrian elixir when I come back," Carol said.

"A what elixir?" I asked.

"Where are you going?" Nat asked.

"To kill Thanos," Carol started walking away.

"You know where he is?" I asked.

"I know people who might,"

"Don't bother. I can tell you where Thanos is," We walked over to the office and Nebula explained how she knew where Thanos was.

"Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me. And when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask "where would we go once his plan was complete?" His answer was always the same: "To the Garden." Nebula explained from behind Carol.

"That's cute. Thanos has a retirement plan," Rhodey said facetiously.

"So, where is he?" I asked, and Rocket jumped on the table. A hologram of Earth appeared.

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. No one's ever seen anything like it... Until two days ago," A different planet appeared, with a shockwave rippling across it.

"On this planet,"

"Well, let's go kill him," I said.

"He's still got the stones," Rhodey said.

"Okay? Let's kill him, then use the stones to bring everyone back," Carol turned to face me.

"I like you,"

"Just like that?" Rhodey asked.

"Yeah. Just like that. We kick his door in, then Thor can kill him. We take the stones, and reverse snap," I said, snapping my fingers.

"Even if... Even if there is a small chance that we can undo this, we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try," Nat said and I nodded.

"How do we know it's not going to end differently?" Bruce asked.

"Because last time you didn't have me," Carol said.

"Hey, new girl, everyone here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?" Rhodey asked.

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe, and unfortunately they didn't have you guys," Thor stood up, and walked over to Carol. He held his hand out and Stormbreaker flew into his palm, missing Carol by inches. She didn't even flinch.

"I like this one," He said, smiling at Carol.

"Let's go get this son of a bitch," Steve said, making me smile.

***

We were aboard Rocket and Nebula's ship, The Benatar, on our way to avenge the trillions who had died.

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space before?"  Rocket asked and Nat, Steve, Rhodey and myself raised our hands.

"Why?"

"You better not throw up on my ship," The ship jumped forward, and I held onto the seat for my life. It was exhilarating, but I didn't like it. It felt like my guts were being picked apart and moved. The ship slowed down and stopped above the planet from the hologram.

"I'll head down for recon," Carol said outside the ship. We waited for a while before she came back.

"This is gonna work, Steve," Nat said.

"I know," He was looking at a compass with a picture of Agent Carter in it. "Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't," Carol came back.

"No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defences of any kind. It's just him,"

"That's all we need," We landed and I walked towards the small hut that was sitting in the middle of a field. I shot a jet of energy at the door, breaking it down. Carol came through the roof and held Thanos down. Bruce came through the floor wearing the Hulkbuster armour, and Thor flew through the door, slicing Thanos's left hand off. I kicked the gauntlet over. The stones weren't there. I made my hand glow black and white and pointed it at Thanos's head.

"Where the hell are the stones?" I asked aggressively.

"Answer the question!" Carol said.

"The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation," Thanos said.

"You murdered trillions!" Bruce shouted, and pushed Thanos to the ground.

"You should be grateful," Bruce punched Thanos.

"I'll ask again, where are the stones?"

"Gone. Reduced to atoms,"

"You used them two days ago!" Bruce shouted again.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But, the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable,"

"We have to search the place. He-he-he has to be lying," Rhodey said in disbelief.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them," Nebula said.

"Ah, thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly," Thor summoned Stormbreaker and I stepped out of the way. He sliced Thanos's head clean off his shoulders. His lifeless body fell to the ground.

"What... what did you do?" The raccoon asked. Thor realised what he had done instantly.

"I went for the head,"