Seven

                                    

                                          
"How we looking, Bruce?" Natasha asked with a glance behind us. Bruce had dawned the Hulkbuster suit since his alter ego refused to come out and play. He was doing an impressive job 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 responded excitedly, stumbling on a rock. He fell to the ground, and Okoye tossed him a dubious look as she passed. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
"I got two heat signatures breaking through the tree line," Rhodey said from overhead. He and Sam had passed us in the sky already, joining the warriors already in place. 
The carrier swerved in a U-turn, causing the vehicle to tilt and allowing everyone to jump out. A Dora Milaje warrior shouted a command as the last Wakandans joined the ranks. Many of them began chanting as a particular tall warrior rallied them. 
He and T'Challa exchanged words in their native language, clasping arms before breaking apart. He caught me watching the exchange and a wry expression replaced his serious one. Steve, Natasha, and T'Challa approached the border to speak with the alien woman from Scotland. The large brute from New York was at her side to my dismay. 
"I am Lord M'Baku, the leader of the Jabari."
I bowed my head with a small smirk, "Lord M'Baku. My name is Melanie Stark."
"What kind of people do you belong to that dress like that?" he asked quizzically, eyeing my abnormal robes. 
"Sorcerers," I chuckled. His eyes lit up like he wanted to ask something else, but movement outside the shield caught our attention. 
The female brandished her weapon, and the vessels began opening, releasing what was inside. Dog like aliens came rushing forth, blasting toward the barrier. 
"That's a lot of arms," I muttered, earning a disgruntled look from Bucky. The three rejoined our group and we turned back to watch the approaching enemy. 
"Did they surrender?" Bucky asked a tad sarcastically. 
"Not exactly," Steve sighed. 
T'Challa began to lead his people in a war cry as they grew closer. The female pointed her weapon forward, signaling the dogs to attack.
"What the hell." 
"Looks like we pissed her off," Natasha grumbled. 
The beasts reached the dome, piling on top of each other as they attempted to get through. Many of the ones that did cut themselves in half, dying immediately. They were mindless killing machines. 
"They're killing themselves," Okoye observed in horror as we watched several finally make it through. 
The front line of warriors took a knee and raised their shields as the dogs bounded for us. The Kingsguard behind them leveled their spears over their comrades' shoulders, and on T'Challa's command, fired at them. Bucky and Bruce used their own guns to take out several approaching beasts. Sam and Rhodey flew over the river right next to the barrier, firing at them relentlessly. 
"You see the teeth on those things?" Sam blurted through comms. Steve and I exchanged a look. A group of them began following the dome to go behind us where Vision and Wanda were. 
"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us... there's nothing between them and Vision," Bruce said worriedly. 
Steve grunted as his eyes fixed on the King beside us, "Then we better keep 'em in front of us."
"How do we do that?" Okoye wondered, her eyes darting to his. 
"We open the barrier," T'Challa answered, the comm on his wrist lifting to his mouth, "On my signal, open North-West Section seventeen."