There was a little more conversation before the rest of our group, minus Vision and Wanda, headed for outside. Aria had tried to insist on staying with Wanda, but I convinced her she was more useful out on the field. She wasn't happy about it, but she saw my point in the end. Todd's additional opinion helped as well.

"I can't remember the last time I fought alongside you," Todd commented as we left the building. Hovering carriers awaited to take us further out into the open grounds.

"It's been a while. I hope Natasha has kept you in shape."

"She always keeps me on my toes. Can't say that I'm at her level though, not yet."

"At least you admit it." Though I had a smile on my face, it felt sad more than anything.

Wakandan carriers shipped us off to the front lines. Above, Sam and Rhodey flew ahead in their respective suits. Aria took the air after a time, complaining about how slowly we were moving. I kept in the carrier. I was better on the ground than in the air.

Natasha, Steve, myself, Bucky, and Todd were all crowded together in a carrier. Bruce had decided to opt for the Hulkbuster armor, since apparently the big guy was having a hard time showing up for big events.

"How we looking, Bruce?" Nat asked through comms.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Wow! It's like being the Hulk without actually—" There was some sort of commotion over comms. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"So, not quite like being the Hulk," I noted, chuckling.

"I got two heat signatures breaking through the tree line," reported Rhodey.

The carrier pilots swerved the vehicles to allow soldiers and others to slide off them to join the rest of the ranks that were already assembled. Todd and I maneuvered to the front with Steve, Bucky, and Nat. T'Challa was suited up in his panther outfit, wandering over to speak to a bulky man with leagues of strong men behind him.

If it had just been our small group, we wouldn't stand a chance. It was an unspoken truth. With the magnitude of this situation, any helping hand was appreciated. Our thanks won't be enough if we succeed. We are asking so much of them. We've brought the war to their territory and they are willing to meet it.

T'Challa, Steve, and Nat walked their way through the open lands towards the edge of the barrier, where the two aliens stood. The rest of us hung back. There was no way that the three would convince the aliens to surrender and turn tail.

"You know, for an agent, you sure lack weaponry," I teased Todd. "You're fortunate the Wakandans allowed you a weapon." I hadn't heard the specifics of what it did, but as long as it protected Todd, I could accept it.

"I'll see how I like it. Maybe they'll let me keep it when this is all over."

Let's hope it ends here.

I alternated between fire and no fire on my palms. I looked to the skies, where Rhodey, Sam, and Aria patrolled.

Before long, T'Challa, Steve, and Nat returned.

"Did they surrender?" Bucky asked sarcastically.

"Not exactly," said Steve.

"Yibambe!" T'Challa chanted. His people followed in the chant, and it only heightened my anxiety.

What trees remained standing shuddered with intense movement. Out poured monsters on all fours in a mad dash for our numbers.

"What the hell," muttered Bucky.

"Looks like we pissed her off," said Nat.

"Just what did you tell her?" I groaned. I know they wouldn't just leave, but was antagonizing them really the way to go?

We watched the creatures attempt to get through the barrier. Some were doing their damned hardest. Some almost made progress but the barrier cut them in two.

"They're killing themselves," said T'Challa's right hand woman.

It wasn't too long after that a few managed to slip through without succumbing to death. On my right, soldiers took knees and raised their shields. Spears were leveled above the kneeled. On the king's command, they began firing. Bucky fired off his gun, Bruce using the tech he had in his Hulkbuster armor.

"You see the teeth on these things?" Sam asked thought comms. Aria kept at his side in the air, using her power to thrust creatures back at and through the barrier if she could manage it.

"Alright, back up, Sam," said Rhodey. "You're gonna get your wings singed." He did a drive-by in the air among the small line of aliens, dropping mines on them.

As more aliens continued to pierce through the front, movement caught my eye. Some started to circle around the barrier. Others began to notice it too.

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us...there's nothing between them and Vision," said Bruce.

"Then we better keep 'em in front of us," said Steve grimly.

"How do we do that?" T'Challa's guard asked the king.

"We open the barrier," said the King of Wakanda.

Even I had to look at him in disbelief.

The king put his comm near his mouth. "On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen."

"Requesting confirmation, my king," came the voice on the other end. "You said open the barrier?"

"On my signal."

I ignited fire to both palms, keeping my hands away so as to not set anyone on fire. I had done so once on accident with my powers out of control.

Steve whipped out his shield the Wakandans had given him. It was no Captain America shield, but for the circumstance, it would do. Between the beard and the shield, upon first glance, nobody would think this was Steve Rogers.

Those who kneeled disengaged their shields. T'Challa moved to the head of our numbers.

"WAKANDA FOREVER!" he shouted. His cowl materialized over his head before he charged. Our little group followed right behind him, the rest of the numbers following suit.

A slit began to open in the barrier, allowing the monsters to throw themselves inside. All were in a mad dash to see who could reach us first.

Steve and T'Challa made it a running contest to see who could reach the enemy first. I took off into the skies, feeling the fire consume all of my body. With a battle cry, I swooped low over T'Challa and Steve before pile-driving myself into the ground. The impact sent any nearby creatures off their feet. Any that were caught within my range of fire were incinerated instantly or had pieces of themselves burning.

I blasted fireballs at incoming targets as I slowly rose to my feet. I didn't like to do it often, make a crater into the Earth while completely on fire, but this occasion called for it.

Wakandans, heroes, and monsters alike collided. Teeth met flesh. Weapons blasted off energy bolts to take down aliens. I could scarcely hear Bucky's gunfire. Above I knew Sam, Rhodey, and Aria were handling things.

I moved through battle, black alien blood spattered all over my skin and my clothes. After a time, I opted for my blades, giving them fresh flames as a coating. Most met my blades, pretty willingly I might add. Those I slain were quickly replaced by many, many more bodies.

Dust, blood, screaming, cries, energy bolts. Our numbers began to falter. We didn't have the replacements that the enemy did. It began to show. Monsters converged on the superheroes in our ranks.

Through the throng of alien parts, I somehow found myself reunited with Todd. His spear didn't blast energy bolts, instead he used it to whack anything that came near. When I touched his back, I received a spear to my face.

"Shit," Todd exclaimed. He leapt over me to stab a monster that had seen me fall. Todd struggled to move the alien. I got behind him, grabbing the spear. Between the two of us, we began to spin the alien on the spear around. It lasted less than thirty seconds before his weapon broke in half.

"Stay close!" I ordered him. I lashed out my fire, creating a shield for the two of us. While it wasn't as strong as the barrier of Wakanda had been, it was slowing the creatures down. Concentrating, the shield went blue. Monsters now incinerated upon throwing their entire bodies at it.

As I kept the shield around the two of us, I scoured the battlefield. Bruce was overrun, the monsters ripping at his Hulkbuster armor. Rhodey continued to fire downwards until a large weapon knocked him out of the sky. I couldn't see Sam or Aria anywhere. I'd lost sight of Natasha, Steve, Bucky, and T'Challa.

It was a bloody mess.

"Kiara," Todd said in a warning tone.

I gasped. The shield was shrinking. Refocus! Refocus! My vision shook slightly. Todd Brealey, if you and I both die because you knocked me in the face with a spear, I might just kill you before they do.

In the midst of the fighting, a rainbow-hued light planted itself in the middle of the action.

"What the...?"

Todd's question went unfinished as an ax came through the light. Like a boomerang, it took a tour through the air, knocking out any creatures it saw, as though it had a mind of its own. Perhaps the most puzzling piece of it all was the fact that the ax produced lightning as it flew around the battlefield. It did a nice circle around my shield, wiping out all those who were trying to get in.

Crying out, I let down the shield. Todd caught me before I hit the dirt.

"Look!"

Through the light came shapes, figures. People. No, not people, just a person. A person with a...walking raccoon with clothes, and a tree that had limbs like a human, and a face full with eyes and a mouth and—

By the gods.

The ax made its way back to its owner. With a strong hand, he caught it. I nearly broke down crying in Todd's arms at seeing Odin's son.

Thor was alive. He'd brought backup. He's here. He's really here. He's come to help.

Bruce began to laugh with joy. "You guys are so screwed now!"

Thor turned his attention to the enemy. "BRING ME THANOS!" he bellowed as he charged, with his companions beside him. Lightning crackled around the God of Thunder before he leapt into the sky, bringing his ax and power down to make another crater in the earth.