CHAPTER SIX; INFINITY WAR

❝ war demands the innocence of youth ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ shuri's lab ❞

ALINA COULD FEEL THE MIND STONE fighting her and Shuri for control over its chosen host. "Can you still keep going," asked Shuri seeing the conservative effort on Alina's part to continue with her work. Wanda turned her head their conversation grabbing her full attention as she began nearing the girls while they worked.

With her eyes shut trying to concentrate on the stone before her, Alina answered, "Yes, the stone is just fighting me."

"Fighting you how," Wanda asked her eyes finding Visions reassuring ones already starring back. It seemed even in the face of his likely death; he handled it gracefully for the woman he loved. For he knew if he showed even a small inclination to run away, she would indulge it if it meant saving him.

But Alina's blue mist was engulfing the stone, if anything it looked like she was hurting it. "It's like trying to drown someone, the stone is clawing at me trying to save itself by any means," she explained wincing from the tearing of her skin that couldn't be seen but surely was being felt.

"Pull back. You don't know what that stone will do to you," Shuri warned her eyes darting between the teenager and her own hologram. "She's eating at the stone at a cellular level taking its energy into herself," explained Shuri to the others watching first hand the effects of her magic.

Alina shook her head unable to speak from the pain as blood started to spill out from her nose she forced the words, "I can take it, I've done it before," out of her mouth as her eyes momentarily opened to their sapphire glows flashing between those and her golden wolf eyes. She could feel the stone attacking at the beast inside trying to provoke it free and stop her. Almost like it knew if she was in the form of a wolf she could not preform magic.

"Wanda," Vision said pointing the blood falling to the floor out to her and the shifting of her eyes.

"No Alina, you're overexerting yourself," said Wanda as she tried prying the teenager away, but all Alina did was use her own magic like an unmovable anchor keeping her where she wanted to be. All her visions had been coming true, and if the ones she feared most were truly coming she was going to do anything to stop it. Even if it meant her own destruction, for what would she be in a world with broken Avengers and a lost Peter Parker.

Seeing what she was doing Wanda brought her middle finger against her palm dragging it across her skin. With it a small orb of red was shot out with the darting outwards of the red heads hands. She watched as soon as her energy came close that Alina's seemed to absorb it using it as fuel to keep her down. "Did she just," Vision tried to ask but he was cut off by Wanda already knowing the answer.

"She just absorbed my powers...I didn't know anyone could resist me," Wanda muttered lowly her eyes fixed on the teenager who seemed to not even notice them at all anymore. And Alina couldn't, and over the ringing radiating out of the mind stone she wasn't bothering to.

They didn't know what she knew; they didn't understand what the alternative was, but Alina did. "Alina let go," Wanda tried once more prying the girl away but it was no use. She couldn't hear her anymore and nor did she want to. "Forgive me, Alina this will hurt," the Maximoff warned her mind only being able to think of one more thing to do.

Careful to position Alina's fall back away from the table they worked on, Wanda created a much bigger sphere of power. Maximoff hesitated unable to just hurt the girl, but she didn't want the stone to kill her either. Inhaling deeply, she shot the sphere at the teen only to have revealed an invisible force guarding Alina. Upon impact with Wanda sphere, it shimmered a light blue color before shooting the orb right back to its creator. Wanda didn't have a second to leap out of the way before she was flung into the stairs.

"Alright! No more of that stuff in my lab," Shuri shouted watching the chaos trying to pull Alina away unwillingly was causing.

"Wanda?! Wanda are you alright," asked Vision careful to not move up from the table despite his instincts telling him otherwise.

Just then, a Dora Milaje soldier that had been left to guard the princess rushed into the room helping up Wanda. "I'm fine, Vis," she told him making sure to thank those who helped her up. As her eyes landed back to Alina the red head replied back to Shuri, "I don't think even if I did anything it would matter. She's too strong for me."

"What does that mean," inquired Vision looking up at the young women working on him and guarding him.

"That's she's not stopping unless she pulls herself out," offered the Maximoff knowing that now there was nothing more to do than wait.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:· 

❝ wakanda open boarder field ❞

Thick in the chaos with the jackal like aliens Connor understood exactly why Alina had warned him to leave. After pulling his blade from one of their chests, he lifted the metal spears abandoned on the ground and grunted as he sent them flying towards the herd charging him.

Before he could revel in his victory, he was slammed into from the right causing him and the alien to fall down the small hill. As they came to an abrupt stop Connor had just enough time to put his sword out in front of the aliens' chopping fangs. Using all his might to keep it at bay Connor tried looking in the areas around them for nearby help.

But all he saw was the creatures overtaking the complete field. Captain America was punching down creatures everywhere he turned. But even he was being surrounded by creatures and their fangs. "There's too many of them," Connor shouted over their comms. Sensing the metal of his dagger in his holsters, an idea flashed through his mind. In an instant, he'd used his dagger to imbed it like a bullet through the creatures' gut and out through its eyes. He gagged as the dark liquid blood that had its own stink of rotten death to it landed on his face. Connor forced the beast off himself his eyes scanning the field around him.

Once to his feet again the Stacy boy began running towards the others attempting to pull them up from their piles. But he hadn't had the chance, a bright burning light flung the boy back and out of the beam came lightning that zapped hundreds of the creatures in just one blow.

Connor shielded his eyes away from the bright light seeming to hold every color imaginable in its rays. When the dust settled, Connor was left leaning against the rock, he'd fallen by stunned. And it became clear just what had conjured up the lightning he'd just seen, the God of thunder himself, Thor. He was revealed behind the blinding colorful light that burned Asgardian symbols into their ground.

Connor watched as his axe flew through the air, back into his hands. Laughing with joy Bruce over the coms shouted out to everyone, "You guys are so screwed now!"

Alongside the God was what Connor could only assume was other aliens, but he swore one appeared as a small tree, the other a racoon. "BRING ME THANOS," Thor proclaimed as he charged toward the hordes of creatures flying around taking out at least 50 per blow he gave.

Watching as the God destroyed spews of their enemies Connor peered behind his rock muttering to himself, "Gwen is never going to believe this."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:· 

❝ shuri's lab ❞

Wanda stood at the window of the lab seeing as her friends below were being overtaken and overwhelmed by the hordes of monsters attacking. Looking back at the two young girls working tirelessly with both magic and science to save Vision, Wanda had only one thought, they needed more time. If everyone down below lost, so did they.

The Maximoff woman made her way across the lab taking one look at the brave Dranganov teenager before her. There she was at the cusp of her womanhood when she'd hardly been given a childhood. Not knowing if she would come back, Wanda began, "Alina, I don't know if you can hear me, but just know if I don't come back, this might fall to you. You're strong Alina, and I'm going to go buy you some time." Looking to the princess she added, "Watch after them."

"I will," swore Shuri as the Maximoff woman held their glance for a few moments longer before walking out of the lab.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

Shuri watched as the doors were forced open and Dora Milaje and other soldiers rushed to face the sickly grey alien. "Alina! Alina they're here," Shuri shouted hoping she would be heard. Shuri grabbed her blaster offering Alina cover fire as she turned off her machine. "ALINA," she shouted the princess screams being like a high-pitched ringing bringing Alina back to reality. But it was too late, the stalky grey beast was in the lab knocking down everyone in his path.

In an instant Vision had grabbed the young witch flying over the edge with her. The shattering glass near them forced Alina to duck and cover as Vision shifted his density just enough to allow the glass to fall through. What truly troubled him was the sight of Shuri and the Dora Milaje flying over the edge of the floor they were on bouncing off the inclined ramp below.

The Second the creature had jumped down in search of him, Vision flew across the room before Alina had even looked back up. In a flash he'd gripped their attacker by the throat flying them through the window hurtling towards the ground below. "VISION," Alina screamed racing to her feet.

Before she even flew out after him Sam warned the others, "Guys we have a vision situation!" Seeing the small but unmistakable figure that was Alina flying out diving towards the ground after them. "Alina's on it, I'm on my way," Sam tried engaging his thrusters to fly even faster but his lower altitude allowed one of the raiders to jump on his wings bringing him down.

Whatching as Sam fell victim to his own problem Steve demanded, "Somebody get to Vision and Alina!" As much as his insides screamed for that someone to be him, he couldn't as three more raiders came at him from all sides.

Engaging his flight systems Bruce replied, "Right behind you, Alina."

Not wasting another second where she was Wanda too announced, "On my way." Just as the red head was mere inches from the ground the painful impact of a fist to her jaw knocked her right to the ground.

Without bothering to look at her attacker Wanda began crawling away to freedom. Only she was grabbed by her shoulder and flipped onto her back. The pulsing throbbing in her head was stopping Wanda from moving let alone blocking her attacker.

"He will die alone, as will you," said the wicked woman as she looked down her expression hardened with disgust.

She took a moment her face brightening with a twisted joy. It was short lived upon the sound of Natasha sonorous voice defying her, "She's not alone." The wicked alien woman snarled as she turned looking behind her to see none other than Natasha waiting behind her. Sensing another she turned to her opposite side and saw Okoye; they were there on either side blocking her in. The alien let out a primal shout as she brought down her sword on Natasha.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:· 

❝ wakanda forest ❞

Vision was kneeling before the same alien who had stabbed him the previous night when the heavy thuds on the ground told him they weren't alone. Just as he looked up a giant hammer thrice the size of Thors swung directly into his face sending him soaring through the air.

The two attackers crept forward only for their pathway to Vision to be blocked by the short Dranganov witch. Joining at her side seconds behind her Bruce landed holding up the blasters of the Hulk buster ironman suit. Careful to keep them in his sights Bruce said, "Oh no you don't this isn't going to be like New York, pal. Suits already kicked the crap out of the hulk."

While Bruce focused on their eyes, Alina focused on the beast hip as he shifted his weight back. "Get down," she warned in a shout tucking and rolling out of the path of his hammer. Bruce however hadn't been as fast and instead of hitting him with the hammer like they assumed, the hammer clasped around his armored hand.

Without thinking, Bruce pulled up and towards the sky only taking the beast with him down the side of the small cliff. As he landed Bruce warned the others, "Guy's Vision and Alina need back up now!"

Alina could hear Connor's voice saying, "Be on my way to you in a second Lina."

Now alone with the lean pointed faced alien, Alina stalled for time asking him, "You wouldn't be interest in just letting us go, would you?" Allowing his naginata to act as his response only for Alina to remove the charm concealing her very own naginata resting on her back as she used it to block it. "I have one of those too," she mocked grunting as she forced him and his blade back.

In his stumble he spun the naginata around and used the blunt end to send Alina soaring towards the pointed rock. The sharp jagged edge of the rock let out the loudest crack as Alina's back made contact with it. Alina wailed her head reaching for something close and once it had touched the rock, she'd hit it and began to crumble beneath her touch.

Alina wanted to go to Vision, but the agonizing shifting of her bones back was too much. Vision stood up attempting to reach the young girl to block her from further harm when the tight pointed faced alien grabbed him by the throat stabbing him with his blade in Visions lower gut.

Over the grunting sound of Visions agony his opponent mocked, "I thought you were a formidable machine, but you're dying like any man." Ready to take his finale blow, he removed his blade forcing Vision to his knees weakly.

Just as he raised his naginata it was yanked for his hands and found its home in another's. Before he could question it, the alien was rammed into from the side by the unstoppable force of Captain America. "Are you okay? Where's Alina," Connor asked helping Vision to his feet.

Not allowing the chance for him to respond, Steve shouted back at them, "Connor, get him out of here now! GO!" The boy did what he was told putting Visions arms around him taking him away as fast as they could move. All the while Steve used the shield on his arm to help block the blows coming his way.

But the more he was able to block his opponent the more savaged they became with their blows. Eventually Steve wasn't fast enough to doge the hand that flung him across the forest floor. Not allowing the super soldier the moment he needed to recover, his attacker got on top of him grabbing his throat once more.

Just as he began to strangle the life from him, the screeching pain tearing through him from the inside forced him to let go. Steve inched back his eyes carefully locked on as he saw the cracking of his skin splitting down the middle of his entire body. When the thought of what was happening occurred for Steve it was too late.

In a second he was drenched in black gooey and thick blood as the alien before him was torn right in half. As the pieces fell their separate directions all that was seen was the Dranganov teen her rage having gripped at something darker that lingered inside. For a second Steve swore he saw the girl smile for what she'd just done before the exhaustion forced her to her feet again.

"Alina," rushed out Connor as he finished helping Vision lean against the tree he came directly to the girl on the ground. Cupping her tired face, he said trying to distract her, "Hey you, come on stay with me. You told me to find you and I did. I promised I'd find you Alina."

"You did find me," Alina said with a small tired smile her head becoming limp in his hands.

Attempt to keep her head up he joked, "You'll never guess who almost killed me with his grand entrance."

Playing along the brunette breathlessly replied, "Oh really? Try me."

"Thor. It was pretty awesome, almost like you splitting that guy. Did that take it out of you," Karma asked trying to assess just how much he needed to worry.

Alina shut her eyes shaking her head, "No. The stone, it... it showed me things. It didn't want to die, and I didn't get it out of Vision," she explained looking over at the android who was standing with Steve. "This still isn't over," cautioned Alina breathlessly.