➢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦➢

『 And I don't care if I sing off-key
I find myself in my melodies
I sing for love, I sing for me
I shout it out like a bird set free 』
―𝘚𝘪𝘢, 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦

⟶𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 27: 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑩𝒂𝒄𝒌⟵

" Now is my time." 

-𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟕𝐓𝐇, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑-

𝐄 𝐀 𝐑 𝐓 𝐇

The Earth... is in pieces. Shambles as an ambush from above detrimentally wipes out upper layers and now leaves behind the core floor of what hides beneath the surface.

The area in which the Avengers Compound used to stand, now is dirt, rubble, flaming structures, and cataclysm as those fallen victims of the incident are scattered across the broken disheveled mess. Alive, but surely―nearly―not. Almost dead.

A green-hulked-out Bruce barrels the weight of a large structure atop his one good arm, the other now crippled from being the one to snap his fingers, and he holds it up under Rhodey and Rocket who are trapped in the lower level of the facility. Where it is flooding. They are drowning.

Scott, who has shrunken himself in order to survive the blast, makes his way to where they are, as fast as his minimized self can.

And down below in the sewer system, is a mohawked Clint Barton, lying face down on discarded pieces of the Avengers building.

Many grunts escape the lips of the marksmen as a hand goes out to try and pull his aching body up―certainly not aching as much as it should be after a fall like this, and the reasoning for that―logically―is answered when the one who protected him approaches him from behind.

"Uncle Clint! U-Uncle Clint!" Hands immediately attend to the back of the man, and eighteen-year-old―almost nineteen-year-old ―Dani Rockland musters up the strength easily to lend it to Clint, and she helps him stand up.

Hawkeye groans some more before nearly tripping but Dani firmly grasps his shoulders, maneuvering around the bow on his back and carefully situating him so he is leaning against the wall. Across from her.

The long bob-haired brunette breaths just as heavily while they both regain mobility and general sensibility, her hands still outstretched to her uncle as she asks, "You okay?"

Clint moves in a very discomfited way―understandably―as he lets another noise of pain seep out, but then concludes, "Well, nothing feels broken. That's a first."

"Thanks, Kid."

Danielle flashes a brief smile through a sigh, and then allows herself to recover while pressing her spine into the sewer-pipe wall behind her. Her body slouches. Arms dangle at her sides.

Still across from Clint they eventually lock eyes, the man pondering out loud as he looks around at the current state they are in, "What happened?"

Dani gazes around at the sight as well, replying with honesty with a shrug of her shoulders, "I don't know."

"But whatever it is, it's not good."

Clint stands up straight, tone low and monotone, "No."

He turns on a flashlight kept handy and directs it around and upwards, providing more light for viewing what they are up against. Branches and dirt tell them that they are underground.

Clint and Dani look up while Clint calls out, "Cap?"

But there is no response. The two reflect their gazes back on one another, and the decision non-verbally is made for them to remain close to each other. Stick together.

Be individually alone on a mission for the first time... ever. Their dynamic is forceful.

They trek through the bottoms of the red-lit sewer system until coming across a familiar-looking glove in-between a rock in the rubble. Dani points it out and Clint kneels down, scraping off the previous debris that had clouded it, and prepares to pick it up which causes Danielle to step back.

She still shouldn't be near it. The Infinity Gauntlet. With all six Infinity Stones.

How lucky are they that they were the ones to find it? Under all this chaos.

Apparently, not so lucky, as an eerie―also familiar to Dani―low growl pulls the two's attention elsewhere, and all breath is stolen.

The marksman tips his head up, then turns to the enhanced young woman who stands opposite his kneeling.

Both expressions emitted by them engage in the possibility, that they are not alone.

Clint's voice again is low and deep, soft, "You wanna check out what's following us?"

Dani's crossed arms uncross themselves instantly. She swallows with a gulp.

Placing her hands at her sides allows the energy source within her to flow freely throughout her entire body, and it comes to aid her as pleased when the eighteen-year-old levitates into the air and is just a bit behind Clint. Blue aura encircles her body in a shape that although usually anomalous, begins to take another form.

It isn't recognizable as Dani turns on her ForceField, sending a beam of blue light across the sewer system to identify who is responsible for these low, creature-like growls, and as always she gets her answer.

At the end of the tunnel, several un-earthly Outriders snarl in a herd.

Dani's power goes away and she drops to the ground, features etched out in horror when turning back around to face Clint.

Her instruction is short, "Run."

The man's eyes widen before readying his bow, popping it out in front of him, "Okay."

He picks up the red glove and does what she had told him by breaking into a strong sprint, Dani right along next to him as their objective becomes clear: don't let them get the gauntlet.

Do not let him get the Infinity Gauntlet. Him.

... Him.

Thanos.

―𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐈 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐌 into existence. Thanos from 2014, that is, but that didn't matter. It was him. He came... fully armored, and ready to defeat the Avengers yet again. Or, rather, initially.

The Nebula not from 2023 walks towards him on top of the gravel-like ground, and she is addressed, "Daughter."

"Yes, Father."

The blue woman looks up to the purple being as he gazes around, acknowledging, "So, this is the future. Well done."

Nebula takes off the orange plate stolen from her current self and throws it away while conforming, "Thank you, Father. They suspected nothing."

Her tone is full of greed in even slightly obtaining her father's approval, distastefully. Evilly.

Thanos lodges his double-bladed sword into the ground, removing his helmet and claiming with his back turned, "The arrogant never do."

He sits himself down.

"Go." He tells his adopted daughter, though the bond was truly vile, "Find the stones, bring them to me."

Nebula questions him, "What will you do?"

Thanos leans over and insists, "Wait."

His demeanor, no matter what the timeframe, is cynical. Nebula turns and walks away while the demigod does as he said, remaining on top of a rock and his weapon and helmet do the same. Above is his large ship ready and raring to attack at the given moment, which right now was not yet.

Inside that ship, two sisters, one a version from 2014, decide to team up together to take down their father. The Nebula from 2023 has already lived a life where she and her sister learned to become friends. To become sisters.

―𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐌. He lies flat down on the ground and coughs up dust. Tony bends down in his Iron Man suit.

"Come on, buddy, wake up! That's my man."

He holds up the Captain's red, white and blue shield and says with dry wit, "You lose this again, I'm keeping it."

"What happened?" Steve breathily asks as he looks around.

Tony's response is much more clear than Dani's, "When you mess with time, it tends to mess back. You'll see."

He extends a hand that Steve takes, and with much effort and a valiant grunt released from the helmeted SuperSoldier, he is up on his feet and both original heroes venture to find the other. 

Thor stands solemnly just outside of all that remains of the Avengers Facility, feet shoulder-width apart, arms folded in front of him. He has a very serious and intense look on his face.

One that Captain America and Iron Man both easily replicate. Solemnly... replicate. Because the view below them is the demigod who, five years ago, decimated half their planet. Half the universe.

"What's he been doing?"

The God of Thunder's eyelid scar is visible when speaking of the Mad Titan, scarcely, "Absolutely nothing."

Steve with his vibranium shield perched on his arm inquires another valid ponder, "Where are the stones?"

One that Stark answers with a shake of his head, "Somewhere under all this."

"All I know is he doesn't have em'."

The Captain nods, "So, we keep it that way."

"You know it's a trap, right?" Thor comments.

And Tony agrees, "Yeah. I don't much care."

"Good," the God of Thunder keeps staring ahead, and as he does so, the sky starts to turn grey, "Just as long as we're all in agreement."

Thunder cracks and rumbles as lightning disperses, Thor stretching his hands out to collect both his weapons of choice―Mjolner from 2013 and Stormbreaker, and his casual-looking clothes with the taps of lightning fueling him, quickly transform into his armor and red cape. Pieces of his blonde hair get twisted into braids.

He declares to his friends, "Let's kill him properly this time."

The Big Three walk down to confront Thanos.

Each takes a different pathway, unique to their own personal journey over the course of a long time, and it proves to be impactful. Steve is in the middle of his companions, slowly approaching Thanos. Tony is not too far from his left side. Thor treks behind a few structures.

And the demigod on a rock begins to speak when laying eyes on the tres amigos that approach him, "You could not live with your own failure."

"And where did that bring you?"

He declares, "Back to me."

"I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."

Tony with sarcasm clarifies, "Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn!"

Thanos only once shows appeasement, "I'm thankful. Because now, I know what I must do."

He stands and readies himself for battle, "I will shred this universe down to its last atom."

He puts on his helmet, "And then, with the stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life, but knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given."

The phrase causes Thor to ignite himself up with blue lightning as Thanos omits, "A grateful universe."

Steve's blue eyes narrow as he interprets, "Born out of blood."

"They'll never know it." A helmeted Thanos insists, expression scowling, "Because you won't be alive to tell them."

A mighty yell emerges from Thor and it all starts. Thor and Tony charge straight at Thanos. Steve tosses his shield and Thanos fends each of them off.

Meanwhile, Ant-Man rushes to get to where War Machine, Hulk, and Rocket Raccoon presumably begin to take their final breaths of air.

―𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐆𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 red flashing hallway, while Outriders chase them relentlessly. 

Clint still has his flashlight in his hand. Dani still has short, mid-length hair.

It whips around in the wind as she runs and checks back behind her, at the snarling monsters who just will not let them get away. The gauntlet, that is.

The man who holds the actual glove plants several explosive arrows on the walls of the blinking-red tunnel he and the young woman are being chased through, and those go off respectfully and―also, respectfully―set the goons on fire. Dani jumps over Clint again and the two are shielded from the blast.

He is helping her up with the arm that does not have the gauntlet tucked under it when a fire is not what can tame these unearth-like beings, and they growl before starting up again.

Clint pulls Dani close and attaches a pointed rope that begins to bring them upwards, pulling out his sword from his days as 'Ronan' to fend off the leftover Outriders―though there is no need.

The teenager wriggles out of her uncle's grasp smoothly and falls until a blue aura encircles her feet and most of her body as she flies up on her own. Through the tunnel that they try to climb, a large blast is sent into one Outrider from Dani that then combines for bigger destruction to the remaining ones and disintegrates them into dust.

Subconsciously she is weary of Clint's presence, which is why she keeps her power from inflicting or hurting him, but sheesh... She really is... strong.

Those thoughts and a slim amount of others trek through Hawkeye's brain as he releases one more yell with his sword held up, ready to attack any last alien, but his niece took care of them all. Seems like she's been doing that lately.

Clint upon realizing this gives up on trying to stand again and lays down on his back, gauntlet still in his possession, and from the same side, Dani kneels down, still in her dark uniform.

Still heaves as big a sigh as the marksman though is nowhere near as out of breath as he is, even considering the increase in power she used compared to him. Only spiritually, not physically. Not yet.

He, playfully, jabs her for it while on the ground, "Are you okay?"

Danielle lends him a genuine-lipped smile, seafoam eyes relaxed, at his comment or rather question much needed to be asked the other way around. Not to her. By her. To him. Again.

Oh, how the tables have turned...

Precisely just the accurate thing to say when someone who looks to be familiar to the two appears inside this underground cave tunnel, and Clint doesn't take a second to enlist trust onto this person, "Oh, hey. We know you."

Dani breathes in slight surprise, remembering it had been a while, "Nebula!"

He hands the gauntlet to the woman who they had not seen in a short bit, and she remains suspicious when her expression is colder and more calculated than usual―not assimilating any trust back. In fact, she looks a little different.

"Father."

Clint's head picks up as the Nebula from 2014 alerts Thanos, "I have the stones."

"What?"

The eighteen-year-old is completely quizzed as well, Dani questioning, "Nebula?"

Her hands shoot up when the Nebula, not from their time, points a gun at her, one clearly not of this world―highlighting its danger factor. Dani is frozen from any attempt to retrieve the gauntlet and just remains still in a crouched position. Clint is prevented from moving as well when Nebula puts her foot on his chest.

They are both in drag when someone comes to save them, and it's not who they expected. Well, guess they should have at this point.

"Stop."

A green-skinned woman with dark hair and red tips comes around a corner pointing a gun at her very own sister, adopted.

The 2014 Nebula steps off Clint and turns around in shock, "You're betraying us?"

With her hands also up, the current Nebula joins the past version of herself and her sister, Gamora, causing her past self to point a gun at her.

Dani, no longer under duress, makes the quick decision to shuffle alongside Clint to a safe place in order to watch the scene play out. One of the two Nebulas and a Gamora that was not dead, not from their time.

Though already knew how things were to play out. She didn't want that.

"You don't have to do this." 2023 Nebula cautions her past self.

But her past self replies, "I am this."

"No, you're not."

Gamora and Nebula try to convince her, the blue-woman pointing to the rough, metal skin on her forehead, "You've seen what we've become."

"Nebula, listen to her."

Gamora slowly lowers her gun in the emotion she sees developing in her adopted sister's eyes.

"You can change." Dani swallows hard as that statement she believes to be true. 

She knows it can be true. For not just this life but her own.

But the past Nebula draws tears from her eyes when emphasizing with her own emotions coming loose, "He won't let me."

With one swift movement, she raises her gun to fire at Gamora but the future version of herself shoots her down, literally as a cosmic bullet pierces a hollow hole through the chest and 2014 Nebula dies. 2023 Nebula stands strong.

One last tear falls out of the eye of the former woman and picking up the gauntlet from the other side of the room, Clint leaves the two to their mourning. Nebula of herself and Gamora of her sister, although technically she is still there.

Dani tags along and the two are stridently walking more until they stop.

Clint... stops, and doing so brings puzzlement to Dani's features.

"What?" Her tone is adamant, pressing the man for info, "What is it?"

He doesn't answer her right away so the girl tries to come up with her own conclusions, turning her head down the area of the tunnel where they have already walked and trying to reason, "I don't think I saw any more Outriders back there..."

"Go."

Dani looks back at him.

"What?"

Clint solidifies with no restraint, "I said, go, Dani."

It is during the few moments of silence in their walking, that the sound of a hefty battle echoes from above the Earth's surface. Here, down below, are two individuals, one a man, and a young woman who work to keep the infinity gauntlet safe. Out of the hands of Thanos.

The big three hold back the Mad Titan, but ultimately―unsurprisingly―that is far more of a challenge than one can admit. Persist... in successfully pulling out an important win. Not without help.

And at this point, help could only be provided by one.

Dani's lips part, her understanding of a version of Thanos' arrival, however, as always there is a resistance, "But..."

Fear, potentially, doubt, but as others continue to do so for her, lift her up, Hawkeye is the chosen one to supply that right now.

A hand gently takes hers, and wide irises widen even further while the marksman speaks solemnly, with passion, and truthfulness, "There are people who need far more help than I do right now, and they need it from you."

Not him, her.

"I..."

"Don't you dare doubt yourself." He tells her,  "You are strong. You are powerful... And, we all know it..."

Clint's voice is low and grief-stricken but he rallies through in delivering the necessary, "... Natasha knew it too."

That is what is needed to push Dani Rockland forward, the essential momentum both physically and mentally to break through that barrier and to rise. Rise above from the ashes and all... composedly, like the hero she this whole time has worked to become. She has had many influences, and protectors, though now is the protector herself. The safeguard.

She needs to soar. Like a bird set free. Like a...

Not as an Agent Rockland. As an independent, self-sufficient, and world-stopping young woman.

She must make her way to the battlefield.

A bit of heartache and weakness merely presents itself for a second inside the eighteen-year-old, and that was the mention of her late mother, the Black Widow.

But Clint and so many others are there to hold her together right now, some for the very last time, "Go, Dani. Now is your time."

"Now's your time."

The male physically holds her together with a tight grasp, which then turns into a warm hug, and with one last, "Thank you," Dani is off. 

She runs down the hallways and allows her abilities to coat her entire body and they bring her up into the air.

Flying through structures and the underground surface of the Earth is when the blue aura that once tormented the child nearly since birth, the idea of it, even once controlling her―now becomes a symbol of much greater hope and revelation than ever before.

The now young woman wears it with great pride, enveloping it in her truth and growth as both a character and person and proceeds to make her way to where her father and two uncles―with many triumphs―fight Thanos. Unknowingly, awaiting her arrival. Subconsciously.

For...  A new hero.

Who is no longer an Agent Rockland.

A new hero...

She is on her way.

━━━✰━━━

Love from Alessandra 

So. Hey. Hope this was thrilling.

―𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 is a good insinuation for lots of action coming up, because I only use it in these books or parts when there's about be a big showdown and ... yeah this is the biggest one yet.

I mean, "the battle of the earth" is what it's called on Avengers wiki which is pretty self-explanatory, cause it's on Earth, and a LOT of peeps are about to show up. Including ones y'all haven't seen since saga one 🤭 some other forces of course ... as well as one more.

Anyway, I enjoyed writing this as always, and still want to stick with my goal of having this story finished by Christmas. I have a Mid-Semester Break next week from school so classes end on Wednesday. Good chance I'll just keep editing but who knows maybe a chapter will pop up. Or a one-shot idk I got some stuff in the works.

Dissecting this chapter: the plan was always for Dani to be with Clint when everything went to hell after the second Snap. I liked the idea of them growing closer because of Natasha's death and thought it was a nice tribute as I want her to have some-what of a subplot or extended interactions with multiple characters in the mcu. I feel like besides Steve and Natasha, Bruce, Tony, and Clint have all gotten their moments with Dani (Thor as well -more to come) and that was the plan. More is to come with more characters. Let me know what you think. Dynamics and such. 

Also loved getting to write Gamora even if it was just for a sec, ugh, queen. ❤️

And yeah also wanna mention something super important (if it wasn't clear or you didn't get it at a glance all the hints) Dani is getting a new superhero name. Guesses, sure, are allowed, no spoilers but there's been a lot of symbolizing throughout her character arc that might be easy to figure out but her new title which she will be going by throughout the rest of the series is one that fits her so well, I'm so excited. First she's gotta take spotlight though and fight Thanos. Round 2. How will it go? You'll find out next chapter.

That's it, really. A lot is coming. The whole Endgame battle sequence (probably) is gonna take up  five chapters - including this one so four now - and It's gonna be epic. Lots is planned. I'm really going to take care with it and hopefully do some justice to every single one of our FORCES characters (yes, you heard that right ;) NO giveaways! Wait and see ! 

Take care, and as always vote and comment ❤️

 (dreamkept)