I run outside and stand next to Sam and Bucky as we look up at the sky as the rest stayed in the lab.

"Hey, Cap, we got a situation here," Sam said into the radio.

The defense shield over the Golden City destroys one of the alien vessels when it slams into the field at full attack acceleration.

"God, I love this place," Bucky says with a smile.

Rhodey then comes outside to join us.

"Yeah, don't start celebrating yet, guys. We got more incoming outside the dome."

The shock waves and debris from the ship landings destroy acres of forest and boil up against the dome. The lab has an excellent view of the landing sites. Captain America and Black Panther look at each other in concern over the scope of what they'll be facing.

Vision struggles to sit up and slide off the exam table.

"It's too late. We need to destroy the stone now." Vision said as I walked back into the lab.

"Vision, get your ass back on the table." Natasha scolds him.

"We will hold them off. T'Challa says as he, Okoye, and the guards head for the door.

"Wanda, as soon as the stone's out of his head... you blow it to hell," Steve says to her.

"I will."

Steve walks over to me and grabs a hold of my hand.

"Ready?" He asked me as I nod.

"Evacuate the city. Engage all defense procedures." T'Challa says. He stops, turns, and points at Cap.

" And get this man a shield."

In our uniforms, we all walk down to the Wakandan battlefield. Carriers hover over the ground with Wakandan soldiers and Natasha, Steve, Bucky, and I are on board. War Machine and Falcon keep pace overhead, and Bruce is in the Hulkbuster armor.

"How we looking, Bruce?" Natasha asks.

Bruce Banner jogs along, keeping up with the carriers.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Wow! It's like being the Hulk without actually-" He stumbles on a rock, and a carrier goes by, from which Okoye gives him a dubious look. He stands.

" I'm okay. I'm okay." Bruce says.

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

The heat signatures are Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian.

The carrier pilots swerve into U-turns, causing their craft to tilt and allowing the practiced soldiers to slide over one side into a run, never coming to a complete halt. A Dora Milaje shouts a command nearby as the last Wakandans join ranks.

Jabari Warriors: MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU! MAYEFA YA HU!

M'Baku, Lord of the Jabari, rallies his soldiers with a war chant. He stops as T'Challa nears him

"Thank you for standing with us," T'Challa says.

"Of course, brother."

T'Challa, Cap, Black Widow and I walk to the edge of the barrier, where Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian stand. Proxima tests the strength of the barrier by drawing her sword across it consideringly. I looked at Proxima and swing my weapons.

"Where's your other friend?" Natasha says.

"You will pay for his life with yours. Thanos will have that stone." Proxima says.

"That's not gonna happen," Steve says.

"You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood." T'Challa says.

"We... have blood to spare," Proxima says. She brandishes her sword with a snarl, and the ships behind her start raising their outer hulls to allow their "passengers" to disembark.

We all walk back to the group of soldiers and turn to face the arm coming towards us.

"Did they surrender?" Bucky asks.

"Not exactly," I say to him.

T'Challa leads the Wakandans in the war cry "Yibambe!" telling them to hold fast as the Outriders bound toward the barrier; Proxima drops her sword arm down in the signal to attack.

"What the hell," Bucky says as he looks at the army going for us.

"Looks like we pissed her off," Natasha says.

Okoye and I look at each other horrified, as the Outriders bombard the forcefield, squeezing limbs and bodies partly through only to be dismembered.

"They're killing themselves." She says.

As a few Outriders managed to squeeze through intact, the Border Tribe take a knee and raise their shields. The Kingsguard behind them level their sonic spears over their comrades' shoulders, and on T'Challa's command, fire at the approaching monsters. The Winter Soldier uses his M249 machine gun, and Bruce fires the Hulkbuster's hand repulsors.

Sam Wilson sends Redwings into the fight as he flies, swooping to fire at them with his Steyr pistols.

"You seen the teeth on those things?" He calls out.

"Alright, back up, Sam. You're gonna get your wings singed." Rhodey says.

He flies over the heaviest concentration of Outriders and drops a barrage of mines, all exploding fantastically.

Everyone notices a pack of Outriders starting to run around the forcefield to the right of the defenders' position.

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us...There's nothing between them and Vision." I call out to Steve.

"Them we better keep 'em in front of us." He response.

"How do we do that?" Okoye asks.

"We open the barrier," T'Challa says.

Putting his comm to his mouth.

" On my signal, open North-West Section Seventeen."

Dome Control: Requesting confirmation, my King. Did you say open the barrier?

"On my signal," T'Challa says.

"This will be the end of Wakanda," M'Baka says.

"Then it will be the noblest ending in history," Okoye says back.

Captain America readies one of his vibranium handguards. T'Challa shouts a command in Xhosa; the Border Tribesmen disengage their shields and stand, as T'Challa walks out in front of them, never taking his eyes off the enemy.

"WAKANDA FOREVER!" T'Challa calls out.

He crosses his arms in the Wakandan salute and closes his Black Panther helmet, charging for the barrier. The heroes and leaders are at the fore of the charge. Halfway to the barrier, the Black Panther shouts into his comm.

"Now!"

The Outriders pour through, distracted from trying to find any other access. The Black Panther and Captain America pull ahead rapidly due to their enhancements and literally leap into battle.

Natasha runs beside me as we continuously shoot down the creatures coming towards us. One of the creatures goes to jump on Bucky as I shoot it down. He gives me a nod as I run back over to fight next to Natasha.

"How much longer, Shuri?" T'Challa says Shuri.

"We've barely begun, brother."

"You might want to pick up the pace."

The Avengers and Wakandans are struggling against the Outriders. Bucky goes down and fights off Outrider's fangs snapping at his head, as Captain America and the Black Panther still fight side-by-side. War Machine hovers over the breach, pouring ammunition into the flood of bodies until a huge hammer - Cull Obsidian's - knocks him out of the sky and to the ground. The Hulkbuster is dogpiled and pinned. I get knocked back as one of the creatures tries to bite me. I shoot it multiple times, cause it to fall on top of me. I let out a scream as the weight of the animal crushes me.

"There's too many of them! GYAH! AAAAHHHHH!" Bruce calls out.

Suddenly, a large beam of rainbow-hued light lands in the middle of the action, and an ax flies out of it, wreathed with lightning and tearing through the Outriders, freeing the heroes. It flies back to the light and into its master's hand just as the beam cuts out, revealing Thor, Groot, and Rocket. Black Widow, Captain America, and Black Panther pause in astonishment. Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian pause in apprehension.

"AH-hahaha! You guys are so screwed now!" Bruce calls out.

Steve sees me struggling and runs over to me. He picks up the creature and throws it to the side.

"Are you ok?" Steve asks scanning me over.

"Ya, I'm fine now," I said with a small smile.

"Go kick some ass," I said to him, kissing his lips quickly before I ran towards Natasha and he ran towards Bucky.

"BRING ME THANOS!!!" Thor yells aggressively. He charges toward the hordes of Outriders, followed by Groot and Rocket, lightning gathering around him until he finally launches himself into the air, lands in the densest concentration of Outriders, and makes a crater where they had stood.

The Kingsguard, Borderers, and Jabari have little success going against Cull Obsidian's chained hammer - he either sends them flying or punches them into the ground. The Black Panther gets free of his other sorties, leaps, and uses all his collected kinetic energy behind a punch that lays Obsidian flat.

"Come and get some, space dogs!" Rocket yells.

Another wave of Outriders heads right for the raccoon-oid. Bucky, having come up behind Rocket, grabs him with his mechanical arm, holds him at arm's length, and spins 540 degrees, firing his own M249 at the same time.

"Come on, get some, get some! Come on, get some!" Rocket continues to yell.

Bucky drops Rocket, who looks up at him with an impressed gleam.

" How much for the gun?" Rocket asks.

"Not for sale." Bucky response.

"Okay, how much for the arm?"

Bucky just gives him a look and moves off.

" Oh, I'll get that arm."

The tides of battle change as Thor, using Stormbreaker to great effect. Steve fights next time as they take out creatures. When there is a lull in the battle around the two, Steve turns to Thor.

"New haircut"

"Notice you've copied my beard," Thor says back.

Cap nods, wearily gesturing at his own face with a shield-covered hand. Groot skewers three Outriders with his right arm.

"By the way, this is a friend of mine. Tree." Thor says. He gestures towards Groot with Stormbreaker.

"I am GROOT!"

"I... I am Steve Rogers."

As I continue to fight, I start to hear loud mechanical noises. I look up and see a motorized spiked wheel shredding everything in their paths.

"Fall back! Fall back now!" T'Challa yells.

"Focus that fire on the left flank, Sam," Rhodey says.

"I'm doing it," Sam says. The two fliers use their firepower to crack a Thresher but cannot find a weak spot.

Black Widow with her escrima sticks, Okoye with her augmented spear, and I with my heavy-duty guns have drifted together when we are suddenly in the path of a Thresher. We cringe at their seemingly inevitable shredding when Wanda lands in front of both of them, eyes glowing red, lifting the whole Thresher well clear of the ground. Looking behind her, the friendly forces have scattered and replaced by a charging mob of Outriders -- the perfect place to throw a Thresher. Black Widow straightens with a pleased smile, Okoye with an amazing look as I just give her a nod.

"Why was she up there all this time?" Okoye said.

"Guys, we got a Vision situation here," Sam calls out. He's then tackled by a leaping Outrider and grounded.

"Somebody get to Vision!" Steve calls out.

"I got him!"Bruce yells.

"On my way. " Wanda joins in. She is clobbered by Proxima Midnight's pommel and rolls down into the large ditch from the Thresher before she can move.

"He'll die alone. As will you." Proxima says.

"She's not alone," Natasha says to her.

Okoye and I stand behind Natasha as we get ready to attack.

Proxima leaps for Black Widow, who has joined her sticks into a full staff. She blocks Proxima's blow with an electrical crackle while Okoye and I run around the slope to also attack from the front.

"Get outta here!" I hear Steve yell at our earpieces as we continue to fight Proxima.

Since I was distracted by Steve's voice, Proxima hit me on the side of the head, chasing me to be slammed into the ground. Black Widow splits her staff back into a pair of sticks to block Proxima Midnight's sword blows and finally knocks it from her hand. The alien takes to her bare fists instead, knocks down pinning Black Widow. Proxima triggers an arm-blade from her left-arm armor and stabs at Widow, who barely manages to block the blade with her crossed sticks. As the edge starts to dig into Black Widow's neck, scarlet energy grabs the alien and tosses her into the air right into the path of another passing Thresher. Dark blue blood spatters the women below. Wanda sits up, sighing with relief, her hands still shimmering.

"That was really gross," Natasha says.

Okoye comes over to me and helps me stand.

I'm alright." I say before she can ask me anything.

"Good cause you don't look so great." She said with a smile.