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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄

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When Charlie and her father finally emerged from the destroyed Compound they could hardly believe their eyes. Steve was standing alone in the leveled field with injuries covering his arms and legs. Across from him stood Thanos, who appeared in amazing condition and ready to continue their battle. But what really made the Barton woman's blood run cold were the thousands of followers behind the Mad Titan. She couldn't believe that the Rogers man was prepared to fight them all alone. Then again, this was Captain America they were talking about. He would never back down from a fight.

The master archer tightened his grip around the Nano Gauntlet as he and his daughter stayed hidden in the shadows. Despite wanting to help their friend, both of them knew there was little they could do. The more important thing was to keep the Stones away from Thanos. And if that meant keeping to the shadows and out of the fight, then that's what they were going to do.

It wasn't long before a faint static sound greeted Charlie's ears. Confusion flowed through her veins as she reached for her comm, thinking it malfunctioned in the explosion. But then a familiar voice greeted her ears, one that the Barton woman hadn't heard in five years.

"Hey, Cap, you read me? Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?" the Wilson man said through the static coming through the comms. Charlie couldn't help but exchange a look with her father, who looked just as confused as she was. Just as she was about to ask Steve what was going on, Sam continued speaking. "On your left."

The next thing anyone knew, a bright light appeared behind the Rogers man. The light continued to grow until revealing a picture of Wakanda on the other side. Charlie's breath got caught in her throat when she watched T'Challa, Shuri, and Okoye appear out of it. It wasn't long after that when Sam came flying through the portal, circling high over the battlefield. Not even a second after that passed when another portal appeared beside the one to Wakanda. This one opened up to a world the Barton woman had never seen before. She didn't know any of the people emerging from that portal, at least not personally. Charlie only recognized them from pictures. That was until Peter came swinging into view with Alex appearing right beside him.

More and more portals soon appeared, revealing allies both familiar and unfamiliar to those witnessing the impossible. Charlie could no longer fight the smile appearing on her lips. She was grateful that there were so many people willing to help them in their time of need. But she was even more grateful to see those they had lost to the Snap alive and well. Just as she thought all their allies were gathered on the battlefield, a large crashing sound cut through the air. Shock coursed through her veins as she watched a gigantic Scott emerge from what was left of the Compound. As soon as the debris around him disappeared, he opened both his hands, allowing Bruce, Rocket, Rhodey, Primrose, and Freyr to make their appearance.

It wasn't long after that when someone landed beside her, causing Charlie to jump and turn toward the newcomer. The joy within the archer did nothing but grow when she found Trina standing a few feet away. But what made it even better was seeing Pietro beside her with his signature smirk on his face. The Barton woman didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around the speedster as tight as she could, afraid that he would disappear if she didn't. The Maximoff man quickly returned the gesture, relieved to see Charlie again in one piece.

But their moment was soon cut short when both sides began charging at each other. Trina soon took off into the air and toward the battle, knowing that she needed to help stop the alien army to get back to Orion. It wasn't long after that when a bright red light appeared in the distance. Only a few seconds passed before they realized who had caused it. Pietro instantly looked over at Charlie, who was wearing a small smile on her face. The two of them just stared at each other until the archer sent the speedster a small nod. The smile on the Maximoff man's face did nothing but grow as he placed a gentle kiss on Charlie's lips before sprinting in the direction of his sister. That left the father-daughter duo and the speedster as the sole protectors of the Nano Gauntlet.

What Charlie didn't expect to happen was her father handing it to her. She just stared at the object that held the Stones for a moment before looking up at Clint, not bothering to hide the utter confusion on her face. But before his daughter could question his actions, the Barton man began speaking. "I'll stick by your side through this, Char. We're in this together just like always. But you're the best person to keep that safe, Char."

"What are humans with bows and arrows gonna do against an alien army?" Charlie retaliated without bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"The same thing we did against an army of robots," Clint responded as the smile on his face grew, "kick their *sses."

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In the middle of the battlefield, Primrose stood back to back with Freyr as they fought against Thanos' army. They seemed to be fighting in sync as they swung their swords through the air, making contact with aliens every single time. Despite how many aliens they took out, more and more surrounded them. It was as if they were fighting a hydra. But no matter how many enemies surrounded them, neither Primrose nor Freyr were willing to give up. Both of them were determined to make it out of that battle alive. If not for themselves, then for Jordan.

Right as another wave of aliens began circling them, Primrose spotted someone flying above them. Normally her full attention would be on the battle, but she couldn't focus on anything except the person above them. And that was because of a certain detail they had on their helmet. One that the Quill woman had only seen once in her lifetime. Glowing red eyes.

"Peter?" Primrose muttered under her breath, causing Freyr to glance over at her.

The Njördson man just stared at her for a moment before following his gaze. One look at the flying man told the God of Peace all he needed to know. A small smile soon appeared on his lips as his attention turned back to Primrose. "Go to him."

The brunette woman instantly turned to meet Freyr's gaze, not bothering to hide the shock in her eyes. "I am not leaving you here to face these demon dogs alone."

"He won't be alone," a new voice said, causing Primrose to jump and turn to face the source of the sound. She would be the first to admit she wasn't expecting to find a brunette woman standing behind her. Despite the threat closing in on them, the Quill woman couldn't help but stare at the newcomer with confusion. But that quickly faded the second she continued speaking. "It's good to see you again, Brother."

"Freyja," Freyr barely managed to say before charging toward his sister. As soon as he was close enough to her, the God of Peace engulfed the brunette woman in a bear hug. Primrose couldn't help but smile as their laughter filled the air. Once their moment was over, both Asgardians grabbed their swords and turned to face the Quill woman. "Go to your brother, Prim. Freyja and I will handle this."

After sending them a quick nod in response, Primrose didn't hesitate to activate her jet books. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she took off into the air and in the direction Peter disappeared. When she finally found him, her brother was taking on two Chitauri all on his own. The Quill man was able to take one of them down with ease, but the other soon knocked the former to the floor. Just as the enemy raised his sword to enact the final blow, Primrose fired her quad blaster, hitting the Chitauri square in the back. That caused Thanos' follower to fall forward onto Peter, who let out a grunt. It wasn't long after that when Peter pushed the Chitauri off him and looked up at his savior.

The Quill man's eyes instantly met Primrose's, causing a wave of shock to wash over him. Neither of them said a word at first, both still uncertain that the person in front of them was real. That was until Peter got to his feet after watching his sister rush toward him. The siblings almost fell to the floor the second Primrose collided with her brother. Their laughter was the only thing that could be heard as they wrapped their arms around each other. The Quill woman could no longer fight the tears she was holding back, allowing them to cascade down her cheeks. She was overjoyed by the fact that she was holding Peter in her arms, something she never thought she'd be able to do again. And if it wasn't for the raging battle around them, Primrose would've stayed like that for eternity.

Their moment was soon ended by the sound of approaching footsteps. The Quill siblings instantly unwrapped their arms around each other and prepared to fight whoever was coming. Primrose's confusion instantly returned when she found Gamora standing in front of them. She couldn't tell if the Zehoberei woman was real or just a figment of her imagination. But no matter how many emotions the Quill woman was experiencing, Peter was feeling double. But both of them soon snapped out of their daze when Gamora aimed her blaster at the Quill man.

"What are you doing?!" Primrose panicked while stepping in front of Peter without thinking.

"Are you Primrose?" Gamora asked, earning a bewildered look from both the Quill siblings before Primrose nodded in response, "Nebula sent me to find you. She wanted to make sure you were safe."

"I'm safe. Now put down the blaster," the Quill woman told her, causing Gamora to do as the former requested. While Primrose continued to stare at the Zehoberei in confusion, Peter still held a shocked look on his face. It wasn't long after that when he began approaching her.

"Gamora?" the Quill man muttered under his breath while reaching out to place a hand on the Zehoberei woman's cheek, "I thought I lost you."

Primrose's confusion instantly turned to shock after watching Gamora grab Peter's arm and twist it. A painful shout instantly escaped her brother before the Zehoberei woman brought her knee up and slammed it between the Quill man's legs. A small grunt passed over Peter's lips right as Gamora brought her knee up a second time, earning a much bigger reaction from the redheaded man. Not even a second after that passed when Peter fell to the floor, not bothering to hide the pained look on his face.

"Don't touch me!" Gamora hissed without taking her eyes off the man lying on the ground.

Another groan passed over Peter's lips as he looked up at the Zehoberei woman. "You missed the first time. Then you got them both the second time."

It wasn't long after that when Nebula appeared out of nowhere. She walked across the small clearing before stopping beside Gamora. The two of them just stared at Peter in silence until the Zehoberei began speaking. "This is the one? Seriously?"

"Your choices were him or a tree," Nebula responded without bothering to hide her disgusted tone, earning an offended look from the Quill man.

Primrose simply rolled her eyes at the two women before moving to help Peter to his feet. Despite all the questions bouncing around in the Quill siblings' heads, the four of them ran back into battle.

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Charlie and Clint ran side-by-side through the battlefield. While the Barton woman kept a tight grip on the Nano Gauntlet, her father took out their alien attackers. What they were doing to protect the Stones was working, surprising both of the archers. That was until a creature five times their size began chasing them. Despite everything Clint did to try and get the alien beast off their trail, it continued its pursuit. Panic coursed through Charlie's veins as she and her father sprinted through the battlefield. She felt the monster getting closer and closer to them. Just as she thought their effort was in vain, Sam flew above them and collided with the giant alien, taking their enemy out of the fight. The Barton woman had never been more grateful to see the Falcon in her entire life.

"Cap!" Clint shouted into his comm while he and his daughter continued to run for their lives, "what do you want us to do with this d*mn thing?"

"Get the Stones as far away as possible!" Steve shouted while battling against an alien twice his size.

"No! We need to get them back to where they came from!" Bruce exclaimed with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"No way to get them back. Thanos destroyed the Quantum Tunnel," Tony responded before letting out a long sigh while Charlie and Clint continued to avoid Thanos' army.

"Hold on! That wasn't our only time machine," Scott told them before shrinking back to his normal size. The next thing anyone knew, a strange car honk was heard throughout the battlefield.

The archers couldn't help but exchange a confused look as they continued evading their enemy and jumping over debris. It wasn't long after that when Steve's voice greeted them. "Anyone see an ugly brown van?"

"Yes! But you're not gonna like where it's parked!" Trina shouted into the comms as she flew above the battlefield, taking out their aerial enemies.

"Scott, how long do you need to get that thing working?" Tony asked.

"Uh, maybe ten minutes."

"Get it started. We'll get the Stones to you," Steve announced before returning to the battle.

"We're on it, Cap," a voice Charlie had never heard before said. But instead of focusing on the stranger's voice, her full attention was on her surroundings. And as she ran through the battlefield, the Barton woman silently hoped this wouldn't be the last time she ran beside her father.

They didn't stop running through the battlefield despite how many aliens were chasing after them. Clint continued to keep them away from his daughter, who never loosened her grip on the Nano Gauntlet. Unfortunately for them, the father-daughter duo caught the attention of Thanos and his children after sprinting past them. That led to the surrounding debris to magically form a wall, cutting Charlie off from her father. The panic within the young archer did nothing but grow when the rubble continued to move. It wasn't long before she found herself trapped with the only path leading straight to Thanos.

Charlie felt her heart pounding in her chest as she took a step back, only for her back to collide with the rubble wall behind her. A sinister smirk seemed to appear on Thanos' face as he began walking toward her. But just as the Barton woman thought they had lost for a second time, a bright red light appeared between them. Charlie had to shield her eyes with the Nano Gauntlet to avoid being blinded. When the light finally faded, she opened her eyes to find Wanda standing between her and the Mad Titan.

"You took everything from me," the Maximoff woman said in an eerily calm tone, making Charlie grateful that the telekinetic was on her side.

Thanos just stared at the woman standing in front of him before opening his mouth to respond. "I don't even know who you are."

"You will," Wanda simply told him before her hands began glowing.

Shock coursed through the Barton woman's body as she watched two large pieces of debris float into the air. Her actions only seemed to anger the Mad Titan as he began sprinting at her. It wasn't long after that when their battle began. However, Charlie barely had any time to focus on their fight. Because someone soon landed on top of one of the walls surrounding her. She couldn't help but jump as a purple pulse emitted from where they landed, forcing the wall to crumble. The Barton woman's grip around the Nano Gauntlet tightened as the dust from the aftermath surrounded her. But just as she was fully prepared to jump into battle, a familiar voice greeted her ears.

"Charlie!" T'Challa shouted, drawing the young archer's attention to her before the latter let out a relieved sigh. The two of them just stared at each other in silence until the King of Wakanda reached his hand out toward her. "Give it to me."

The Barton woman didn't hesitate to hand the Nano Gauntlet over to Black Panther. She kept her eyes glued to him as he ran into the distance with the Stones in hand, unbothered by and uncaring of the aliens following him. It wasn't long after that when Charlie took her bow from her back and loaded it with the first of many arrows. A long sigh soon passed over her lips before climbing on top of the rubble wall and joining the battle. However, the young archer only released a few arrows when she felt a shift in the air. She instantly glanced back at where she left Wanda to find Thanos surrounded by red. A pained look was plastered on his face as the telekinetic ripped his armor off one piece at a time. But despite a small part of her hoping this would be the end of it all, a bigger part of Charlie knew the Mad Titan wouldn't give up easily. And her thoughts were proven true in a matter of seconds.

A strange sound soon came from the sky above them, causing the young archer to look up. Chills ran throughout her entire body when she saw dozens of blue lights appearing throughout Thanos' ship. The next thing she knew, the ship's cannons fired. Energy beams soon landed on the battlefield around her, taking out anyone in their way. And one was heading right for Charlie. However, before she had a chance to even think about getting out of the way, the world became a blur. Wind soon came in contact with the Barton woman's face as the familiar feeling of moving with a speedster settled over her. Just like their allies, they dodged as many of the blasts as they could, some people luckier than others. That lasted for what felt like an eternity before the Mad Titan's ship finally stopped. It wasn't long after that when the world around her became clear and Charlie was placed back on her feet.

Confusion flowed through her entire body as she looked up at the large ship. What she didn't expect to find was the cannons firing into the clouds. The confusion within her did nothing but grow when she saw two figures glowing bright gold. It didn't take long for Charlie to figure out who they were. While Carol continued flying toward the ship until plowing through it, Trina stopped a few yards away. The Felicity woman hovered in the air and blasted the brightest light anyone had ever seen at the ship's wings, destroying it in a matter of seconds. Not even a second after that passed when Trina moved to do the same to the other wing. While she did that, the Danvers woman made a U-turn and flew through Thanos' ship one more time. With their combined powers, they were able to take out the giant ship within seconds.

A large smile appeared on the Barton woman's lips as she watched the ship fall into the water. She then turned to celebrate with the speedster who saved her, expecting it to be Pietro. But instead she found Alex standing behind her. Charlie just stared at the young girl, unable to believe she was right in front of her. But that only lasted for a few more seconds before reality set in. The archer's grin did nothing but grow as she pulled Alex in for a tight hug, one that neither of them wanted to end.

"I can't believe you're here," the Barton woman whispered just loud enough for her friend to hear while trying her best to keep her emotions at bay, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Alex responded before they ended their embrace. The two of them just stared at each other for another moment before the speedster gathered enough courage to ask the question bouncing around in her head. "Atlas...did he...is he okay?"

Charlie's smile faltered a bit before opening her mouth to speak. "He and his parents were snapped. Aspen was the only one who wasn't."

Alex's face instantly paled at the information she just received. However, before their conversation could continue, Steve's voice greeted their ears. "Danvers, Felicity, we need an assist here."

It wasn't long after that when they watched the two women land in a clearing near where Charlie and Alex were. Another second passed when they realized just who they were assisting. Peter was lying on the ground with his arms wrapped around the Nano Gauntlet. It looked as though he would never let the thing go. It only took one shared look between the archer and the speedster for them to agree on their next move. The Barton woman tightened her grip around her bow before the Easton girl took them to Peter. What they didn't expect to find when they arrived was two additional women. Primrose stood beside someone who was a complete stranger to Charlie and Alex. But just the way the Quill woman stood confidently next to her told them that they could trust her.

"Hi, I'm Peter Parker," the brunette boy said with a hint of hesitation in his voice as he stared at the four unfamiliar women in front of him. But his uncertainty soon faded when his eyes landed on Charlie. "Oh, hey, Lottie. This has been a really crazy experience."

"You're telling me," the Barton woman responded after the smile returned to her lips while helping Peter to his feet, "we're fighting an army of aliens and I have a bow and arrow."

Carol couldn't help but smile at their short conversation before taking a step closer to the Parker boy. "Hey, Peter Parker. You got something for me?"

Peter hesitated once again as he looked past the women standing in front of them and at the enemy group approaching. After swallowing the lump in his throat, the Parker boy handed Carol the Nano Gauntlet. "I don't know how you're gonna get it through all that."

"Don't worry," the Felicity woman said with a large grin on her face, "she's got help."

Not even a second after that passed when Carol and Trina flew through the battlefield, taking out their aerial enemies as they went. Primrose and Freyja soon unsheathed their swords and sprinted toward their enemies. They fought in unison as they battled against the Chitauri soldiers. It wasn't long after that when Alex sent Peter a quick smile before disappearing before his very eyes. All he could make out of his friend was a faint blur in the distance, taking out part of Thanos' army in a single blow. Then it was Charlie's turn to enter the battle. She didn't hesitate to activate her jetpack before hovering right out of her enemies' reach. She fired arrows faster than ever before, each doing something different to take out the Chitauri. Carol and Trina were just a few feet away from the Quantum Tunnel. They thought they finally had the upper hand. That was until Thanos got involved.

The flying duo were almost to the Quantum Tunnel when the Mad Titan charged at them. While Carol continued toward her destination, Trina stopped in midair and used all her energy to blast Thanos with a beam of electricity. The powerful alien let out a pained grunt as he fell to the ground, completely aware that the Danvers woman flying straight passed him. Thanos used all the strength he had left to get to his feet and hurl what was left of his sword at the van. That caused the Quantum Tunnel to explode, sending a surge of energy throughout the battlefield and knocking everyone off their feet.

Pain coursed through Charlie's veins as she slowly forced herself into a sitting position. It wasn't long after that when a gust of wind greeted her, causing her to look up to meet Pietro's concerned gaze. The archer sent him a somewhat forced smile before allowing him to help her to her feet. However, the happiness the Barton woman felt about reuniting with the speedster vanished the second she saw what was happening across the battlefield.

Thanos was standing in front of Tony with the Nano Gauntlet on his hand, ready to repeat what he had done five years ago. Panic coursed through everyone's veins as they watched the Mad Titan snap his fingers, but nothing happened. A confused look soon appeared on the powerful alien's face as he examined the Nano Gauntlet, only to find the Stones nowhere to be found. When Thanos turned his attention back to Tony, he found the Stark man on his knees with his arm held up high. The Stones were embedded in his suit as their powerful energy coursed through the billionaire. Tony just stared at the Mad Titan with determination in his eyes before muttering five words under his breath.

"And I am Iron Man."

The next thing anyone knew, Tony snapped his fingers. A bright light instantly emitted from the Stones, causing everyone to look away. When the light finally cleared, the heroes were shocked by the scene happening around them. Thanos' army was turning into dust before disappearing into the air around them. Even his children were victims of Iron Man's snap. And it all ended when Thanos himself disappeared before their very eyes.

But no one felt victorious.

Everyone gathered around the clearing after watching Tony fall to the ground. The only thing keeping the billionaire from collapsing was the debris he was leaning against. Charlie stood between Pietro and Clint with Alex just on the other side of the master archer. Primrose's hand was tightly wrapped in Freyr's with their siblings standing right beside them. And Trina stood back with Carol, both feeling guilty for not doing more at the end of the battle.

No one said a word as they watched Rhodey share one last moment with Tony, who was looking up at his friend with a pained look in his eyes. It wasn't long after that when Peter appeared in the cleaning and stared at his mentor with tears in his eyes. Alex wanted nothing more than to comfort the Parker boy, but something inside her told her not to move. Despite wanting to be there for her friend, she knew he needed a moment with the man who inspired him. So instead the Easton girl allowed Pietro to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her close to his side.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter said in a tone that made everyone want to burst into tears. He soon rushed toward Tony right as Rhodey stepped away. Everyone watched as he kneeled in front of his mentor and took his hand into his. "Mr. Stark. Can you hear me? It's Peter. We won, Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark. We won. You did it, sir, you did it. I'm sorry."

Peter stood up the second he felt Pepper's hands on his shoulders. The Parker boy just stared at Tony for another moment before feeling his legs give out beneath him. Lucky for him, Alex appeared beside him, catching him before he was ever near the ground. The Easton girl instantly wrapped her arms around Peter, giving him the comfort he so desperately needed. And while Spider-Man grieved, Iron Man took his final breath.

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