Part One: Post-Infinity War
Not long after the Mad Titan Thanos used the Infinity Gauntlet to disintegrate half of all life in the universe, Carol Danvers who was on another planet at the time, suddenly received an emergency call from Nick Fury's Transmitter Pager. Fury had called his powerful friend right before he was dusted away, along with Maria Hill, Clint Barton's family, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Dr. Erik Selvig, and trillions of others across the entire universe.
The Avenges had failed and Thanos won the Infinity War. It was unbelievable and devastating. And as a result of Thanos' actions, a state of emergency was declared for the Earth inhabitants.
Back on her planet, Carol was reading her pager. "Fury's paging me, now? It's been so long." Carol knew it had to be a big emergency in this case. Responding to the signal, Danvers returned to Earth in 2018; the population had been cut in half due to the Decimation event. She tracked the pager's location to the New Avengers Facility, where Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, and James Rhodes were analyzing the device, while also receiving updates on the level of casualties caused by the Decimation. A little while ago, the Avengers had passed by Atlanta to check on Fury, and they ended up retrieving his dropped pager device.
Upon arriving, Carol slightly smirked at the sight of the large "A" that was ontop of the building. She figured Fury was beyond this whole thing. With that in mind, she soon stepped inside the building, where everything seemed quiet. The only noise was coming from the room where the Avengers were having their meeting. She noticed them all looking at a screen and talking about her pager.
''...It just...stopped." James' voice came.
"Reboot it. Send the signal again." Steve gave the order.
"We don't even know what this is." Bruce had a good point.
"Fury did. Just do it, please." Natasha was the voice of reason. "And tell me the second you get a signal. I wanna know who's on the other end of that thing." She told directly to Steve, and then turned around to be face-to-face with Carol herself.
"Where's Fury?" Carol asked with suppressed anger. Her rage was getting the best of her as she confronted the Avengers about Fury's whereabouts.
The four stood frozen, eyes wide as they stared. Where did she come from? - that's what they all thought. She stared back at their stunned expressions and she could feel the hum and warmth of the light energy pooling and coiling around her fists. Eyes glowing from anger, Carol took a step forward, her upper lip curling slightly into a snarl. "I said. Where. Is. Fury?"
"Look, we don't want any trouble here." Steve tried to calm her down. He lifted his hands to show he was unarmed, while also trying to diffuse the situation. "Let's just stay calm–"
"I think I know you." Carol looked at the man closely. "I just have this weird feeling."
"My name's Steve Rogers, or Captain America. You know Fury?"
"Yes, I do." Carol confirmed with them. "So since you must be the leader, I'll greet you more properly." She shook Steve's hand. "My name's Carol Danvers, or Captain Marvel."
"Captain Marvel...?" Steve also felt like he somehow knew her already. It was a weird feeling that they both couldn't explain. He was then surprised as Carol went in for a greeting kiss. He felt a powerful surge going through his body; he could tell that Carol was strong, really strong. After the kiss and handshake ended, Carol nodded. "I'll explain everything later. So, where is Fury?"
"Well..." Steve looked at his fellow Avengers, who all looked sad.
"...What is it?" Carol asked in shock.
(Later on)
Getting caught up on the recent events, Carol was furious. She couldn't believe that Nick Fury was gone, along with half of all life in general. She took that Thursday to try and calm down. Steve helped her with that after shaving, talking with her about the possibility of finding Thanos and getting the stones from him. He also gave her a tour of the Avengers HQ. They walked around hand-in-hand, as Steve went on explaining a bunch of things. He talked about the Civil War events, Battle of New York, Ultron, and others.
"Sorry that you all have been through so much without me." Carol apologized. She and Steve took a seat on a couch.
"No need to be sorry for anything. Things happen, you know? What can you do." Steve smiled slightly, and he shared a long hug with Carol.
They continued to chat for a while, while also talking about Nick Fury. "So you're the first avenger, technically?" Carol confirmed.
"Yeah, I am. But it seems Fury got the idea for the Avengers initiative from meeting you back in the day." Steve explained. They had to wrap their heads around so much info in one day.
"...And I bet the giant A outside is a way to announce yourself. Isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow and let a tiny smirk curl her lips.
"Yeah, you could say that." Steve chuckled. They had some more catching up to do, and it was already almost 6 PM.
The next day, Pepper Potts went to the Avengers HQ. She begged Carol to save her fiancé Tony Stark, who was adrift in space with Nebula for 22 days now. She had just received a message from Tony not long ago, stating that he didn't have much time. Carol nodded and took off, accepting the mission.
Right before she could take off from the HQ, Steve grabbed her arm quickly, ''Hey-'' to which she looked at him with a confused expression. "Good luck, okay?" To which she smiled in response. "Thanks." They kissed for good luck, then she took off at full speed.
Carol then rescued Tony Stark and Nebula from deep space, and returned them to Earth. They are reunited with the remaining Avengers—Bruce Banner, Steve, Rocket, Thor, Natasha, and Rhodes. Pepper embraced Tony and kissed him, crying in happiness that he was still alive. Stark was about to be brought into medical care, but not before arguing with Steve about events from the past, such as Ultron and the Civil War.
''We're the Avengers, we're the Avengers. Not the Prevengers, right?" Tony was on a roll, but not for good reason. ''I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no plan, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar."
Steve looked affected by Tony's words. The old friends just gaze at each other. After a moment, Tony rips his Arc Reactor from his chest and shoved it into Steve's hand. ''Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide.'' Suddenly, Tony collapsed and the group gasped. They got him in bed afterwards to rest.
Steve sighed and figured that Tony resting was for the best. In the meantime, they wondered how to find Thanos. As the group discussed things, Steve took off for a little while. He visited May Parker, to help her deal with the death of her nephew Peter Parker. He hugged and chaste kissed her frequently, but by the end of the day, he had to leave. He personally asked Happy Hogan to help her out whenever he had a chance to do so.
(The next day)
Everyone noticed that Thor didn't talk much during this time, since he was angry. Rocket explained about his friend, ''He's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but there's a lot of that's goin' around, ain't there?'' Thor thinks that he should have aimed for the head back on Wakanda, but instead, he hit Thanos in the chest with the mighty Stormbreaker.
Using Nebula's information on her adoptive father and readouts of an energy wave similar to the moment Thanos snapped his fingers, the Avengers had discovered where Thanos is hidden. It seemed Thanos had a retirement plan, which James thought was "cute".
"And the infinity stones?" Carol asked in her powerful voice.
"He should still have them." Natasha explained.
"Yeah. I mean, this energy surge can only be from him using the stones again." Rocket told everyone. "There's nothing else like it on file."
"Then I'll go get them. And use them to bring everyone back." Carol said as she went to leave.
''Wait, where are you going?" James asked her.
"To kill Thanos." She sad simply. However, Natasha stopped her. "Listen, we usually work as a team around here." She explained to the gorgeous blonde.
Steve walked up to them, continuing to explain after Natasha. ''We realize this is more your territory, but this is our fight too." He reminded Carol of their Avengers style.
She nodded in response. "Sorry." She realized her error, and stayed with the group.
"What makes you think that things will go differently than before?" Bruce Banner asked a good question, since he knew Thanos was tough to beat.
"Because before, you didn't have me." Carol said with confidence.
James wasn't impressed. "Hey, new girl...If you don't mind me asking, where the hell have you been all this time anyway?" James asked Carol a question that he had on his mind for a while.
"I've been busy with Avenging other worlds in the universe. They didn't have you guys, unfortunately. Instead, I'm their savior." Carol explained her absence.
Nevertheless, the Avengers planned on going to the planet to get the stones from Thanos, by force if necessary. "Let's go get this son of a bitch." Steve made the badass call. He and the team got ready to head out, leaving Tony and Pepper behind to recover. Steve kissed Natasha and Captain Marvel long and big for good luck, and then they all took off, ready to get Thanos.
(Titan II)
Nat, Cap, Rhodey, Rocket, Thor, and Banner were riding in the Benatar to Titan II. ''I'll head down for ground recon.'' Carol was flying outside in space, checking on the planet. She soon returned back with her report. ''No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him.'' The ship landed somewhere, and they planned an attack on Thanos.
Meanwhile, Thanos himself was walking among his crops, harvesting fruit, and putting them in a bucket. He then walked over to a shed, presumably his living quarters, and sat down in a wooden chair. His whole left side is burnt with blisters; he looked ridiculously pathetic compared to when anyone had seen him last. He looked a lot more like Shrek these days, and even his living style was similar. He was alone and unguarded, surprisingly. Plus, he had his helmet and armor hanging up like a scarecrow in his farmer garden.
Suddenly, Captain Marvel flies through the roof, knocking Thanos down, and grabbing his neck. Banner in the Hulkbuster armor bursts from the ground, and grabbed Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet arm. Thor then flies in, and slices off the Infinity Gauntlet with his Stormbreaker! Rhodey then flies down with Rocket, and they both aimed guns at Thanos' head.
Captain America walked on in, wearing his Winter Soldier Outfit, with Natasha right behind him, both of them staring murderously at Thanos. Rocket went over to the sliced off Infinity Gauntlet, and kicked it over, as everyone suddenly realized that there are no stones in it.
"Oh no..." Rocket looked up in disbelief.
Steve looked at Thanos. "Where are they?"
Shrek-Thanos didn't answer as the Avengers still had him pinned. "Answer the question!" Captain Marvel told Thanos in a threatening voice, while she had him in a head-lock.
''...The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation..." Thanos said in a weak voice.
''You murdered trillions!'' Hulkbuster Banner punched Thanos to the ground.
''You should be grateful!" Thanos said while getting punched more. "GAHH!"
''Where are the stones?'' Natasha asked with watery eyes.
Thanos finally answered. ''Gone. Reduced to atoms.''
''You used them two days ago!'' Banner yelled.
''I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly... killed me. But the work is done. It always will be." Thanos continued, "I am... inevitable." He spoke in a dark tone.
The team couldn't believe what they were hearing. ''We have to tear this place apart, h-he has to be lying!'' Rhodey was desperate to find them.
However, Nebula knew otherwise. ''My father is many things. A liar is not one of them.''
Thanos was surprised but relieved at what Nebula said. ''Ah... thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly.'' He finally admitted it. Then suddenly, Thanos was decapitated by an enraged Thor! Thanos' limp body then falls to the floor.
"Thor... What did you do?'' Rocket asked in shock.
"...I went for the head." Thor had finally gone for the head this time. Thank god.
Unfortunately though, he was too late. The damage was already done to the universe. And the Avengers couldn't undo the damage, thanks to the bastard Thanos getting rid of the stones. The Decimation could not be undone.
"Well... At least we Avenged the universe and it's victims. That's what matters. Thanos is gone, for good. Thanks to us." Steve gave a small speech, and he shook Thor's hand as well as the hands of everyone else present. And then he hugged and kissed many times with Black Widow and Captain Marvel in victory. Steve then grabbed the destroyed Infinity Gauntlet, to take as a trophy.
Afterwards, War Machine and Rocket destroyed the hut thus burying Thanos' body in the debris. Nebula gave her final regards to her dead adoptive father, and then took off with the group to leave the uninhabited planet. Triumph as well as tragedy, you could say.
Part Two: Five Years Later
Five years have passed, and Earth's remaining population has attempted to persevere against catastrophic losses. The scope of the losses has traumatized the world and has stagnated much of their progress. Lots of areas in the world now appear lifeless, seemingly abandoned all-together. The aftermath of the Decimation was evident, and Earth has not coped too well.
Steve Rogers now runs a support group for the citizens of New York who are trying to cope with surviving The Decimation and their losses. Steve was also devastated when he found out a few years back that Sharon Carter was also killed by Thanos. Meanwhile, he has had a on-and-off romantic relationship with Natasha over the years. Eventually though, they just decided to stay as partners in the Avengers team. He had to admit that he enjoyed their sex whenever it was possible. Natasha loved Steve the most out of the team, ever since Bruce Banner merged with The Hulk to become Professor Hulk. She couldn't stand the sight of Professor Hulk, so Steve was now the main man in her life.
Also, Captain Marvel claimed she was too busy to be with the Avengers on Earth for too long. ''The things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere, on thousands of worlds,'' she explained her life. Instead, she dropped by once or twice a week for the last five years to check-up on things, and also to kiss and spend time with Steve. Otherwise, she would stay in contact with Natasha through the communications system at the Avengers HQ, along with other supporting Avengers such as Rocket and Okoye. There were rumors that Carol and Steve were secretly sleeping together once in a while when she visited, but no one could find any solid evidence of this huge claim.
Tony Stark also revealed to be living in a simple cabin with Pepper and their young daughter Morgan, and now feels a sense of peace despite the weight of what happened five years earlier.
"Some people move on. But not us." That was Steve's motto since their defeat.
Meanwhile, Natasha found out that her friend Clint Barton had became a ruthless vigilante following the disintegration of his entire family. She planned on confronting him somewhere down the line, to try and bring him back from the life he had chosen for himself. She hated seeing the things he'd done as of recently.
In a U-STORE-It Self-Storage facility in San Francisco, a rat haphazardly activates the Quantum Tunnel in Luis' Van. This then pulled Scott Lang out of the Quantum Realm; he had been inside there since 2018. That's right, the fate of the universe counted on a rat of all goddamn things.
After escaping the self-storage and being disoriented and confused, Lang (who believes he was only gone for five hours) wanders the desolation of the city following the Decimation.
"The hell's been going on around here?" Realizing something terrible must have happened, he soon came across the Wall of the Vanished, a memorial site for listing the names of those lost in the Decimation. ''No. Please. Please, please.'' He frantically scans the names, hoping that he doesn't find his daughter's. Relief gave way to bewilderment as he didn't find her name, but instead his own name! "What the...?" He was confused and scared to say the least.
Arriving at Cassie's home, he became shocked when he is greeted by his daughter, now a 16-year-old teenager. The two reunite in a tearful and joyful reunion, along with big hugs. "You're...so big!" Scott cried with joy as he hugged his precious daughter Cassie.
Also, after realizing that Hope van Dyne, Hank Pym, and Janet van Dyne were among the vanished, Scott decided to travel to the New Avengers Facility in New York along with Luis' Van.
(Avengers HQ)
Steve and Natasha had a nice talk together, and they kissed chaste-like. Afterwards, just as Natasha was about to eat a sandwich, they noticed that Scott Lang was at their front door. They were both extremely shocked at this, since they thought he had died five years ago. ''Uh... Hi. Hi! Is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport? In Germany? I got really big, and I had my mask on. You wouldn't recognize me.''
While initially skeptical, the two realize that Lang is indeed alive and welcome him into the facility. Once he got inside, Steve asked ''Are you okay, Scott?"
Scott was pacing around, then responded to his idol. ''Yeah... I'm fine. I'm starving, though. Is that anybody's sandwich?" He asked and then quickly grabbed Natasha's sandwich from earlier. He then struggles to ask about something. He finally blurts it out. ''...Have either of you ever studied Quantum Physics?''
''Only to make conversation.'' Natasha admitted.
''Alright. So... five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope, she's my... She was my...'' He was struggling to not tell the entire truth about their relationship. ''She was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there.''
''I'm sorry. That must've been a very long five years.'' Natasha told him.
''Well, that's just it. For me, it was only five hours.''
Steve and Nat shared a quick bewildered glance.
"You see, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable.'' Scott tried to explain, but it was hard to believe.
''Scott, what are you talking about?'' Steve asked, confused.
''What I'm saying is, time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have a way to navigate it. But what if we did? I can't stop thinking about it. What if, we could somehow control the chaos, and we could navigate it? What if there was a way to enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point in time? Like... Like before Thanos.'' Scott tried to calm himself down.
''Wait, are you talking about a time machine?'' Steve wondered.
''No. No, of course not. No, not a time machine. It's more like a... Yeah, a time machine. I know it's crazy. But I can't stop thinking about it. There's gotta be some way... No, it's crazy.''
''I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore.'' Natasha had to admit with a small chuckle.
''So who do we talk to about this?'' Scott asked the big question.
Theorizing the quantum realm could allow time travel to the past, the three decided to ask Stark to help them retrieve the Stones from the past to reverse Thanos' actions in the present.
(Later on)
At his lakeside home, Tony Stark is enjoying quality time with his daughter Morgan when Rogers, Natasha, and Lang all arrive. Stark immediately understands the nature of their visit but obliges their inquiry. When Lang proposes the idea of a "Time Heist", Stark quickly criticizes the idea, fearing that altering the past could erase their very existence as it stands. He doesn't want to lose what he has built for himself.
"Look Tony, we're all happy for you. But please, we need your help. The stones are in the past, and we can go get them." Steve tried to reason with his old friend.
Stark just wants to put the past behind him, and he tells them he's finished with the Avengers. "Sorry Cap, but not this time." He invites them to stay for lunch, but only if they drop the drama, which they cannot do so.
So now that Stark refused to help, Rogers, Romanoff, and Lang leave and meet with Bruce Banner at a dinner. After the Decimation, and both Hulk's and Banner's defeat at the hands of Thanos, Banner restarted his research into Gamma Radiation and used it to morph his body to have the appearance and strength of the Hulk while retaining the intelligence and control of Banner. "Now I'm the best of both worlds!" He smiled.
Despite his meager knowledge of quantum physics, claiming it was "outside of my expertise," Banner agreed to help them experiment with the time travel idea. But not before he took some selfies with little kids. "Thank you so much for helping us." Natasha thanked her friend.
While Tony was washing dishes, he came across a picture of himself and Peter Parker. Being reminded of how he lost him on Titan all those years back, he uses F.R.I.D.A.Y. to run different possible configurations for time travel in the Quantum Realm. "Let's try this: just a little test drive."
Despite hoping that he would fail, he discovers the key to it, solving how to navigate the time-travel stream using an inverted Möbius strip model. After having done so, he discusses with Pepper about the morality of time travel and about what he should do with his latest discovery: whether he should lock it up in a box and throw it into the bottom of a lake or not. He felt that he and Pepper were lucky that they were both spared and now have made an amazing life together, but he can't deny that everyone around them has suffered unimaginable horrors and did not get so lucky and should be helped. Pepper encourages him to do what is right, and they share a nice kiss together.
Before he ended up leaving, his daughter Morgan told him that night, "I love you 3000."
His response? ''Wow. 3000. That's crazy. Now, go to bed. Or I'll sell all your toys.'' He tucked in his daughter and kissed her forehead.
(Avengers HQ)
At the New Avengers Facility, Banner, Rogers, and Romanoff run an experiment with time travel by trying to send Lang back in time. It only works to the point that they send Scott's body back in time, turning him into a child, then an old man, and finally a baby before only just managing to restore him to normal. "Somebody peed my pants... But I'm not sure if it was baby Me or old Me... Or just "me" me..." Well, at least he was back to normal, mostly.
"Ladies and gentlemen... Time travel!" Hulk bursted out with a stupid smile. Natasha just stared at him during an awkward silence.
Rogers then leaves the building, contemplating outside about what to do next. Tony Stark, now having a change of heart, shows up then to extend his helping hand and asks if the whole team is getting back together. Rogers told him they're still working on gathering everyone who's available together. Tony tells Rogers that he's agreeing to help on the one condition that trying to reverse what Thanos did won't reset what has happened since, as he doesn't want to lose his daughter. Rogers agrees that's how it should be. The two men put their differences behind them, and Stark returns Rogers' shield to him, saying his dad Howard made it for him.
"Thank you. Good to have you back, Tony." They shook hands firmly.
"Yeah. Just don't lose that shield. I can't pass them around to everybody you know." Tony remarked, which made Steve laugh a little.
Afterwards, Nebula and Rocket show up in the Benatar and so does Rhodey. "Thank god we got Tony back on the team." Rhodey was happy to have his friend back.
(New Asgard)
Banner and Rocket headed off to New Asgard in Tønsberg, Norway which is now home to the few Asgardians who are left. They meet up with Valkyrie who now works on the fishing docks, who tells them Thor is not doing well. Thor is revealed to have sunk into a depression following his failures; he has gained considerable weight, become an alcoholic, and spends much of his time playing Fortnite with Korg and Miek.
"Hulk, Rabbit! Nice to see you both again!" He hugged them both in a drunk way. He was pathetic looking but also hilarious.
Although Thor tries to put on a carefree attitude most of the time, he nearly breaks down upon Thanos' name being mentioned by Banner. However, Banner and Rocket convince Thor to help them in time-traveling back in the past to find the Infinity Stones... by offering him more beer, of course.
"...What kind of beer?" Thor wondered.
And with that, the gang were ready to take off. Now only one more Avenger was needed back.
(Japan)
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Clint Barton (Ronin) is tracking a group of Japanese Yakuza members and dispatches them one by one, including their boss, Akihiko. It was dark and stormy, and his main weapon now was a sword instead of his trademark bow. Also present on the scene was Natasha, who approached Barton in an attempt to recruit him and help her friend.
"You shouldn't be here." Clint warned her.
"Listen...doing all of this isn't going to bring your family back." She told him the honest truth.
At first, Barton wanted nothing to do with the plan. But after some convincing by Natasha Romanoff and her offering him hope, Barton decided to return to the Avenger's headquarters with Romanoff. "... Let's do it." He agreed as they hugged in the rain, creating an emotional reunion for them both.
(Back at HQ)
At the Avengers Facility, Banner and Stark have completed the construction of their own Quantum Tunnel and Advanced Tech Suit's. They are now preparing for test runs. Rhodes argues the suggestion of traveling back in time to kill 'Baby Thanos', to which Banner explains that altering events in the past will not alter the present, but will instead create an alternate universe; leaving the only feasible course of action of acquiring the Infinity Stones to restore everyone in the present time.
Rhodey also mentioned many films from pop culture that dealt with time travel, in which changing the past also changes the future. ''Star Trek, Terminator, TimeCop, Time After Time, A Wrinkle in Time, Somewhere in Time, Hot Tub Time Machine, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure."
"Die Hard? No, that's not one." Scott fucked up.
''For the last time, changing the past doesn't change the future! I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it: If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future." Bruce explained to them, but Rhodey was confused.
''So... Back To The Future's a bunch of bullshit?" Scott wondered about it.
Believing himself to be expendable, Barton volunteers for the first time travel test, and he is transported to a time period on his farm before the Decimation. With disbelief and hope, he calls out to his daughter, but then he suddenly gets brought back to the present before she sees him. "Guys...it worked." Clint explained to the group once he returned.
With the test proven a success, the Avengers proceed with the next phase of preparation which is to determine the location of each Infinity Stone in the past. This presents a challenge as they possess a scarce supply of Pym Particles to operate with and no means of replenishing them with Hank Pym, the creator, being one of the causalities of the Decimation. This effectively limited their travel to one trip each.
As the team discusses their past encounters with the Infinity Stones, they manage to recall the placement of each Infinity Stone in time. Fortunately, they realize the Time, Space, and Mind Stones were all present in 2012 New York City, in relatively close proximity with each other, following the Battle of New York. However, the other three Stones were only accessible to them in entirely different places and times, with the Reality Stone being present on Asgard in 2013, and the Soul and Power Stones being present in 2014 on Vormir and Morag respectively. "Okay, we have a plan." Steve finalized the plans.
With their targets located, the Avengers split into three separate teams: Thor and Rocket to Asgard, Nebula and War Machine to Morag, Natasha and Barton to Vormir, and finally Steve, Stark, Banner, and Scott Lang to New York. All of them were now in their Quantum Realm outfits, walking in slow motion towards the machine.
''Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family... We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes.'' Steve gave a famous speech. ''Good luck.'' He then shared a nice hug and big good luck kisses with Natasha.
''He's pretty good at that.'' Rocket always liked Steve's speeches.
''I know, right?!'' Scott agreed with the racoon.
They all shrink and enter the Quantum Realm, and they all split at different intervals, going to a different place at a different time in history.
(New York City: 2012)
During the Battle of New York in 2012, the team of Banner, Lang, Rogers, and Stark review their mission objectives and disperse.
Banner heads over to the New York Sanctum, were he encounters the Ancient One who is wearing the Eye of Agamotto, which contains the Time Stone. After Banner asks her where Doctor Strange is, she says that Doctor Strange is not yet the Sorcerer Supreme. Banner tries to persuade her of his predicament, but in the end, fails to convince her to hand over the Time Stone. The Ancient One educates Banner on the effects the Infinity Stones have on reality, and the possible ramifications that may result from the loss of just one. Though Banner makes a compelling argument, ultimately he convinces her when he reveals that Strange willingly relinquished the Time Stone to Thanos, realizing Strange's actions were part of a bigger plan.
"Strange is meant to be the best of us." The Ancient One loaned Banner the Time Stone, and he promised to return it and the others once they've finished with them.
''I'm counting on you, Bruce. We all are.'' She told him before he left. Banner then departed for the Quantum Realm to rendezvous with the other Avengers.
Meanwhile, Stark and Lang infiltrate Stark Tower, as Loki is being taken into custody. Realizing that their present situation presents no opportunity to steal the Tesseract, Lang plants himself onto Stark's 2012 counterpart who is transporting the Tesseract. Also, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are undercover HYDRA agents are taking the scepter to Doctor List. Stark then departs in the Iron Man Armor: Mark LXXXV to the lobby area. However, the past Avengers are comforted by Alexander Pierce who wants to take the Tesseract from Stark.
Scott then causes a distraction by interfering with the 2012 version of Stark's Arc Reactor, allowing the present Stark to secure the Tesseract. However, as Stark attempts to exit the area, the 2012 version of Hulk bursts into the lobby from the stairwell, causing Stark to drop the Tesseract. During the confusion among the cast, Loki manages to retrieve the Tesseract and uses its power to escape the scene. Where did he escape to? A new spin-off TV series, that's where.
"Where's Loki?" 2012 Thor was pissed.
Elsewhere in the tower, Rogers is engaged in retrieving Loki's Scepter. Along the way, he encountered Brock Rumlow, Jasper Sitwell, Jack Rollins and other agents of HYDRA riding an elevator. Rogers presents the ruse that he has been ordered to take the Scepter, drawing suspicion from Rumlow and Sitwell by saying "Hail Hydra" to Sitwell; he used his future insight to his advantage. But after getting the scepter, Rogers encountered another obstacle in the form of his 2012 counterpart, who has mistaken him for Loki in disguise.
"...You gotta be shitting me." Steve stared down his 2012 version.
The two end up in a fight, starting off by throwing their shields at the same time. After they battled for a bit, the 2012 Steve told the main one "I can do this all-day."
"Yeah, I know, I know..." Steve just wanted this to be over already. Using his future insight (revealing the fate of his friend Bucky/Winter Solider), Rogers manages to subdue his 2012 counterpart with the Scepter. Before leaving though, "...That really is America's ass." Steve said to himself after seeing his 2012-self laying on the ground. Afterwards, he shook the hands of nice men in the city that wanted to personally thank him for his heroic efforts. Then he hugged and kissed many women in the city that had crushes on him. He was Captain America, after all.
Then, the team of Lang, Rogers and Stark regrouped elsewhere. Stark and Lang admitted they botched their mission and there's no way to find the Tesseract now. However, Tony gets an idea on how they could acquire both the Tesseract and more Pym Particles. Scott is given the Scepter (which contains the Mind Stone) to return to the present, while Stark and Rogers decided to travel to Camp Lehigh in 1970.
(Asgard: 2013)
Fat Thor and Rocket, having been able to locate Jane Foster on Asgard, set out to use a device to extract the Aether from her body. "Alright, let's find this woman of yours and poke her with this damn thing." Rocket was ready. He'd lost the only real family he ever had five years ago: Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Groot, Drax, ''the chick with the antenna'', all gone. That last chick was of course Mantis.
And he hoped this big plan of theirs would work out in the end.
Thor however got distracted once seeing his mother, Queen Frigga. Thor knew that she was going to die later that day, being killed by Kurse eventually. He then abandons Rocket to go get some mead, but he gets caught by Frigga who talks to him for a while. She knew that her son is from the future. ''I was raised by witches, boy. I see with more than eyes, and you know that.''
Upon Rocket retrieving the Reality Stone and escaping Asgardian guards, Rocket interrupt's Thor's talk with his mother but Thor takes the chance to reclaim Mjølnir and say one final goodbye to his mother, before he and Rocket return to the present. "I love you Mother," Thor hugged his mom for a long time.
''I love you, too. And eat a salad.'' Frigga finished her hug with her big son. "You're going to be the man you're meant to be.'' She had been told of the events that would take place on Asgard in the following years, such as Ragnarök at the hands of Surtur.
Right before leaving, Thor thought about asking his father Odin if he wanted to collect the Infinity Stones with Hela a long time ago. Hela was Odin's first-born daughter and Thor's half-sister, who currently was still imprisoned by the events of 2013. This would make sense as to why Odin had an Infinity Gauntlet replica in his Vault Room which was filled with treasures. However, Thor didn't really have time to ask a silly question like that, since he and Rocket were on the clock to get the stone. Although... it was an interesting idea to think about.
Fat Thor and Rocket then took off with the Reality Stone in their possession. Three down, three to go. And thankfully, Fat Thor didn't have to deal with the Dark Elf named Malekith.
(Morag: 2014)
Rhodey, Nebula, Natasha and Clint time jump to 2014 Morag.
Natasha and Clint then use the Benatar to go to Vormir, while Nebula and Rhodey go inside the Temple Vault and watch Star-Lord dance around. Both of them were remarking on what a carefree idiot Quill is, before knocking him out. They then use his tools to break into the Vault and Nebula takes the Power Stone.
"We need to be careful. We're not the only ones in 2014 looking for the stones." Nebula said in a dark tone.
"...Wait, what?" Rhodey asked with concern.
Somewhere else in the universe aboard the Sanctuary II, 2014 Thanos says that Ronan the Accuser has found the location of the Power Stone. He shares this with 2014 Gamora and Nebula, when suddenly the two Nebula's systems start interfacing with each other. Although present Nebula is unaware, past Nebula sees what her future self is seeing.
They all went into the control room.
''Run diagnostics. Show me her memory file.'' Thanos ordered, as 2014 Nebula was being accessed.
''Sire, the file appears entangled. It was a memory, but not hers. There's another consciousness sharing her network...another Nebula.'' Ebony Maw stated.
Thanos looked at him, surprised. "...Impossible."
''This duplicate carries a time stamp... from nine years in the future.'' Maw told his leader.
''Where is this... other Nebula?" Thanos asked.
''In our solar system. On Morag.'' Maw told him.
"Can you access her?"
''Yes. The two are linked.'' Maw confirmed.
''...Search the duplicate's memories. For Infinity Stones." Thanos said in a soft voice.
Thanos has his daughter examined by Ebony Maw, and sees images of his success from the future. He did end up winning the Infinity War by collecting all six Infinity Stones, but the Avengers are now time-traveling to stop him. ''Avengers. Unruly wretches.'' As he continued to see more images, Thanos told Maw ''Keep scanning the duplicate's memories. I want to see everything.'' He eventually finds out that Nebula would become good and also get Gamora on her side as well.
Past Nebula swears her loyalty to her father. "I swear, I would never betray you!" With that in mind, Thanos decides to use her to achieve his aims quicker than he ever thought. ''I know. And you'll have the chance to prove it.''
While this happened, present Nebula could tell that 2014 Thanos now knows the big plan. "No... He knows!," she gasped. A malfunctioning Nebula then gets stuck in 2014, but Rhodes travels back to the present time with the Power Stone. Nebula is then found by the 2014 version of Nebula; after they battle, the evil one wins and uses Nebula's time-traveling device to travel forward in time and impersonate her future self.
Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton are greeted on Vormir by Red Skull. ''Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul.''
Once they are informed of the sacrifice they have to make, the two start to fight who should make the sacrifice for the Soul Stone. Both are ready to sacrifice themselves for the other, then both try to throw themselves off the cliff. And although Natasha makes the jump, Clint blasts her to safety using an explosive arrow.
''Tell my family I love them.'' Clint told her. Natasha couldn't get up in time, before Clint jumped off and was killed. He knew the things he'd done, and now it was time for him to give up his own life, for Natasha to get the stone.
"Clint, nooooo!" Natasha cried over her friend's death. It was painful and tearful to say the least. As of a result of Clint Barton's sacrifice, Natasha was rewarded with with the Soul Stone in her hands.
(Camp Lehigh: 1970)
''Hey, man. Make love, not war!'' Stan Lee's cameo came next. He was young-looking, driving a car with a woman in the passenger's seat.
In 1970, Rogers and Stark split up to respectively locate the Pym Particles and find the Tesseract. Tony goes into the basement to look for the Tesseract in storage, but in the process, he runs into his dad Howard Stark, who is looking for Arnim Zola. "My name's Howard...Potts." Tony lied about his name, to keep his dad from knowing the truth. He then gets to talk to his dad about the son he is expecting that day, that son being him.
While that is going on, Rogers uses a distraction phone call to trick Hank Pym out of his lab, and then Rogers sneaks in and grabs the Pym Particles. But on his way back, he has to hide in an office from people looking for him. This office turned out to be the office of Peggy Carter, Steve's old lover. He sighed in the dark office, thinking about another life that involved Peggy and him together.
By the end of their long talk, Stark now sees his father in a new light, and now a father himself, he understands what Howard went through raising him. He even quoted his father: "No amount of money ever bought a second of time." To which the actual man who said that told Tony in response, "Smart guy."
Tony then manages to hug Howard and indirectly thank him for everything, while maintaining his hidden identity. "Everything's gonna be okay, Howard." Tony shook his hand one last time, before returning to the present with Rogers and with the Space Stone secretly in hand.
''Jarvis... Have I ever met that guy before?" Howard asked a man who was with him.
''You meet a lot of people, sir." Edwin Jarvis told him.
"He seems very familiar. Weird beard, though." Howard remarked before getting in his car.
With that said, it seemed that Ant-Man's time heist was a surprising success.
Part Three: The Endgame
The team all return to the New Avengers Facility in 2023, with all six Infinity Stones intact. They immediately notice the absence of Clint, and are informed by Natasha of his fate. The remaining Avengers take a moment by the lake to mourn his death, before proceeding with their plan to use the Stones. Steve vows that he'll find a way to resurrect Clint Barton, someway somehow.
Tony Stark, with help from Banner and Rocket, created a Iron Gauntlet to harness the stones, but the question of who should use it comes up. ''All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?'' Rocket asked.
Thor insists upon being the one to wield it, claiming to be the strongest in the group, but the others argue that using the gauntlet at full power channels more power than he's capable of safely handling. Thor is then reminded how Thanos barely survived using it. ''What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?''
"Chezz Whiz?" Rhodey had a good point, and a funny one at that.
Ultimately, it was Professor Banner who said he will do it; he theorizes that his unique physiology should enable him to safely use the device, being that the majority of the energy being harnessed is gamma radiation. ''The radiation's mostly gamma. It's like...I was made for this." Banner then puts the Iron Gauntlet on and it causes him intense pain as the energy from the stones surges through him, but eventually, he manages to snap his fingers. Banner suffers major damage to his right arm and shoulder, but believes he was successful in restoring the universe's population.
This is proven true when Laura calls Clint Barton's cell phone, which Natasha had in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled. "Guys...it worked!" She cried for joy.
Meanwhile, the 2014 evil version of Nebula activates the Quantum Tunnel to allow passage for Thanos and his army to travel to the present day on the Sanctuary II. Thanos then opens a barrage of fire on the facility, destroying it, and everyone sinks below to the underground. Thanos will soon unleash his army of Chitauri, as well as Outriders being led by Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, and Cull Obsidian. Back on board the Sanctuary II, 2014 Gamora asks the present Nebula what happened between them. Nebula admits that she was determined to kill Gamora at one point, but the two eventually formed a bond as sisters and became friends. Gamora is then convinced to turn on Thanos and frees Nebula.
In the aftermath of the attack, the Avengers are separated, with Thor, Steve Rogers, and Stark resolving to stop Thanos. Natasha finds the gauntlet and fights to keep the Outriders from taking it, before evil Nebula arrives and tricks her into handing over the gauntlet. But before evil Nebula can leave, Gamora and the main Nebula intercept her. ''Nebula, listen to us! Please!'' Gamora told her sister.
They attempt to convince her to leave Thanos, but she refuses, and Nebula is forced to kill her past 2014 self.
On the battlefield, Thanos was just sitting there waiting for the stones to be brought to him by evil Nebula, not knowing that she was just killed. Fat Thor summons both the Stormbreaker and his 2013 Mjolnir. ''Let's kill him properly this time.'' The three walk over to confront Thanos face-to-face.
''You could not live with your own failure. And where did that bring you? Back to me.'' Thanos told Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. He stood up and put on his helmet. "I thought by eliminating half of all 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." Thanos explained to the Avengers, grabbing his double-bladed sword.
''Yep. We're all kinds of stubborn.'' Tony admitted.
''I'm thankful. Because now, I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom. 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. A grateful universe.'' Thanos told them his new plan. This made him more of an Apocalypse-kind of villain now.
''Born out of blood.'' Steve said.
''They'll never know it. Because you won't be alive to tell them.'' Thanos roared and began battling all three of them. Thor, Captain, and Stark confront Thanos on a head-on attack, but he easily defeats them. Thanos admits that their actions have proven to him that his plan to wipe out half the universe was flawed. Instead, Thanos now intends to wipe out this entire universe and then rebuild it in his own image.
During the struggle, Thanos manages to pin Thor down and prepares to kill him with his own Stormbreaker, when suddenly Mjølnir hits him. Steve Rogers summons the hammer to his side and uses it against the Mad Titan. "...I knew it!" Thor smiled; he figured that Steve would one day be worthy of holding it, ever since the events of Ultron. And he was right.
Despite a valiant effort, such cool combos with the hammer and the shield, Thanos subdues Steve and breaks his shield with the double-bladed sword, as the Black Order are about to descend from their ship with their army. But even with his shield broken and the Mjølnir out of reach, a battle-weary Rogers prepares to make his last stand against the Thanos and his massive army. "...I can do this all-day..." He said weakly, staggering up.
"Doubt it." Thanos told him. He looked across the battlefield, as the army was still coming. "In all my years of conquest...violence...slaughter... It was never personal. But I'll tell you now... what I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet... I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much." Thanos told the honest truth, which froze Steve in place.
Thanos' entire army comes to the ground, which include the Children of Thanos, Chitauri, and Outriders. Upon seeing the whole army descending on Earth, Steve slowly gets back to his feet. With a fierce determination, he tightens his broken shield to his arm and stands against Thanos' giant army alone. Suddenly, a crackling comes in on his communicator.
''On your left.'' It was Sam/Falcon's voice!
[Music: Avengers Endgame OST - "Portals"]
Steve then looked over to see the portal on his left side. Three figures step through: Okoye, along with Shuri and Black Panther, both fully restored and ready to fight. Then Steve sees Sam flying above in his Falcon armor. As he does, we see dozens of more portals opening up all around the battlefield. Through one of these, we see Doctor Strange descend in. He is joined by Drax, Mantis, Star-Lord, and Spider-Man. Everyone watches in confusion and awe, as more and more heroes arrive from all corners of the universe, all backed up with forces of their own, including Black Panther and his Wakandan army, Valkyrie and Korg & Miek and the Asgardians, Wong and the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Howard the Duck, and several Ravager ships. Amongst the throngs of heroes we also see Bucky, Groot, Scarlet Witch, The Wasp, and Pepper Potts/Rescue arrive. Basically every hero has magically been transported via Sling Rings to the battlefield to face Thanos' hordes.
''Is that everyone?'' Doctor Strange asked Wong.
''What, you wanted more?'' Wong asked.
Giant-Man then emerges from the rubble of the Avengers facility, along with Professor Hulk, War Machine, and Rocket. Plus, some more surprises as well. More portals opened up by Doctor Strange, revealing the following characters: Wolverine, Professor X, Rogue, Magneto, Mystique, Beast, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Shadowcat, Quicksilver (alternate version), and finally, Deadpool! That's right, it's the X-Men who arrived from the multiverse. Also, another team came along for the fight: The Fantastic Four, consisting of Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Thing, and the Human Torch. And finally, Lady Sif (revived by Hulk), Venom, Ghost Rider, and countless others all showed up.
The Avengers, Guardians, Fantastic Four, Wakandans, Asgardians, X-Men, and Ravagers take up battle positions. The heroes were all standing across Thanos' forces. Deadpool made a comment on the scene. "Holy shit, what a massive fight! And my paycheck will be just as big. Thankfully we got that deal with Disney, to make this whole thing happen." He broke the fourth wall.
Thanos stared down the heroic army. He wasn't about to back down now. He wanted the stones at all cost. This was indeed the Battle of Earth.
But first, Professor X addressed Rogers. "Captain Steve Rogers. It's an honor to finally meet you."
"You all know who I am?" Steve asked in surprise.
"Indeed. We've been watching you and your team from the multiverse for a while now. But we've never been able to make contact, until recently. Thanks to the time travel portals."
"Well, it's great to have you all here. We could always use the extra power." Steve shook hands of the new superheroes, and he hugged and kisses the lips of the hot female superheroes.
"So who's this big guy we're all up against?" Jean Grey asked after she kissed Steve's lips. Unity of the multiverse: a powerful kiss between Captain America and Dark Phoenix.
"Thanos, he's right over there." Steve pointed at the target.
"Reminds me of Apocalypse." Jean had a good point.
Also, Spider-Man noticed Venom and went to introduce himself. "Hey, I'm Peter Parker!" He felt a strange connection to Venom.
"We... are Venom!" Venom told the teen, shaking his hand with great force. "I can tell we'll end up meeting again sometime, Spider-Man." He said in a badass tone, which made Spider-Man laugh nervously.
"Enough already. Time to die!" Thanos had enough and launched the attack.
And then, Captain America gave the ultimate shout-out: "Avengers...Assemble!" They had to keep Thanos away from the stones, no matter what it takes.
[Music: Avengers Endgame OST - "Get This Thing Started"]
Then the Battle of Earth started, and the newly assembled Avengers try to manage to keep the Iron Gauntlet away from Thanos and his forces, with the objective of sending the Infinity Stones back to their proper timelines. Since the Quantum Tunnel had been destroyed along with the Avengers' facility, their only alternative is to use the one housed in Luis' van, which is deep behind enemy lines. Over the course of the battle, the Avengers' forces managed to gain the upper hand.
There is also a nice reunion between characters like Spider-Man and Iron Man. On the other hand, Star-Lord tried to talk to Gamora, not knowing she is a 2014 time-traveled version, who ends up kicking him away from her. "Seriously, this is the one?" Gamora asked Nebula, regarding news about Gamora's relationship with him. "It's either him, or a tree." Nebula told her sister, talking about Groot.
Also during the battle, Iron Man got ahead of Doctor Strange. "Hey! You said one out of 14 million, we win, yeah? Tell me this is it." Strange responded with, ''If I tell you what happens, it won't happen.'' Tony then told him, "You better be right."
Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch manages to single-handily overpower Thanos. ''You took everything from me.'' She was enraged at the loss of Vision. She had him at bay with her psychic powers, until Thanos orders the Sanctuary II to fire upon the battlefield. "Just do it!" He yelled.
This incapacitates Wanda and destroys a dam, forcing Doctor Strange to hold back the water to keep it flooding the battlefield. Then, Iron Man realized that someone new had arrived. ''Something just entered the upper atmosphere.''
It's Carol Danvers, who arrived from space and she destroys the Sanctuary II! ''Carol, thanks for the assist.'' Steve smiled at her.
Thanos was furious to say the least. "Damn her!" Meanwhile, Deadpool taunted Thanos... calling him Josh Brolin.
She then takes the gauntlet from Peter Parker and tries to fly it into the Quantum Tunnel. Along with her, was the entire cast of female superheroes: Black Widow, Jean Grey, Gamora, Valkyrie, Okoye, Scarlet Witch, Shuri, Sif, The Wasp, every chick! "She's got help," Okoye stated. Just within reach of their goal, Thanos destroys the Quantum Tunnel device and secures the gauntlet for himself. He puts it on, feeling the power of all Six Infinity Stones, but Danvers engages Thanos before he could snap his fingers. A brief struggle ensues, with Thanos coming out on top after using the Power Stone which sent Carol Danvers flying away. Strange looked at Tony and reminded him of their earlier discussion by raising a finger: having one chance in fourteen million six hundred and five.
As Thanos tries again to activate the Infinity Stones and with all other Avengers being either busy or beaten, Stark leaped at Thanos and tussles with him before being thrown off. ''I am... inevitable.'' He was about to destroy the entire universe! The Mad Titan revels in his supposed victory before snapping his fingers, but nothing happens. Thanos realizes the Infinity Stones are missing, and he turns his attention to Stark who is now in possession of the stones with his Nanotech suit, constructing a new gauntlet around them.
After declaring "I...Am...Iron Man", Tony snaps his fingers. In pure shock and horror, Thanos watches as his entire army turns to dust. He accepts defeat before he himself finally turns to dust as well, completely erased from existence.
Stark then collapses from the wounds he sustained from using the Infinity Stones. Thor, Steve (with Mjølnir), Jean Grey, Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel all power-up Iron Man using their energy. This gave Tony enough power to stay alive, something that Doctor Strange didn't foresee. It seemed the power of the new Avengers became stronger than anyone could imagine.
They ended the Mad Titan Thanos and his reign once and for all. ''Everybody wants a happy ending, right?'' Iron Man asked everyone, and they smiled.
"Thanks for everything you've done." Steve rewarded Jean Grey, Lady Sif, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Carol, The Wasp, and other women with lots of big hugs and kisses. "No problem, Cap" they told him in response as they reciprocated his affection. He then also shook the hands of the heroes on the battlefield, such as Black Panther, Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Wolverine, and Deadpool. "We've won. And this time, for good."
Before leaving, both Steve and Carol were interested in wearing the completed gauntlet. They each took a turn to wear it and feel a taste of it's crazy power. "Yeah, it's great and all. Just leave the snapping to me." Iron Man joked around. And then Deadpool butted-in, wanting to wear it as well. "Gimmie that damn thing!"
(Some time later)
With the universe restored, the heroes reunite with their families and friends. Tony went back home and kissed his wife Pepper and hugged his daughter Morgan. "I love you 3000," Tony and Morgan said at the same time, which made Pepper giggled. Peter had a tearful reunion with his aunt May, and he soon returns to high school with his friend Ned. And they kept in touch with Nick Fury, Happy Hogan, and Tony. Scott Lang hugs Hank, Janet, Hope, and his daughter Cassie at his home. Carol reunited with Nick Fury. Wong and Doctor Strange returned to the New York Sanctum. Natasha also had a reunion with Clint's family, telling them that he will arrive shortly; she didn't tell them what happened to him, and kept it a secret. Black Panther returned to Wakanda along with Shuri and Okoye.
Steve also managed to sleep with Scarlet Witch, to comfort her due to the loss of Vision. He also promised her that he would bring back Clint Barton to life. Afterwards, he had fun with Natasha, Carol, and Sharon Carter who was also revived. Also, Steve used the Space Stone to visit the Golden High Priestess, Ayesha. He learned of her existence after talking with Star-Lord previously. Steve went to Ayesha to show her the Infinity Stones in person, and to tell her the entire plan that saved their own universe. As a result of his power and courage, Ayesha rewarded him with a powerful kiss and then several hours to show her "the archaic ways of our ancestors, for academic purposes."
The Avengers basically retired at this point, so that they could stay with their families. The characters from the multiverse returned to their portals, in case they are ever needed again.
Thor then leaves behind New Asgard after making Valkyrie the new queen, and he joins the Guardians of the Galaxy. Now called the Asguardians of the Galaxy, you could say. On the Benatar, Quill looks at star maps... scanning for Gamora. Quill and Thor then have a quick argument about who is the leader of the group, as everyone else presumes Thor will be captain now, and Drax suggests they have a ritual knife fight to the death for the position of captain, an idea which gets everyone else's approval. Although Thor reassures them that Quill is still the captain, the sly look on his face indicates that he still believes otherwise.
Afterwards, Steve took it upon himself to return the Infinity Stones and Thor's hammer to their proper places in time. ''Remember... You have to return the stones at the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities,'' Banner warned him. Steve understood, and he shook their hands and hugged his friend Bucky. "Take care, guys." He teleported off. First off, he met with the Ancient One in 2012 to return the Time Stone. She also warned him about possible dangers from the multiverse, to which Steve told her not to worry since the Earth still has heroes. Plus there was more men and women in New York who spotted him, the men wanting handshakes and the ladies wanting hugs and kisses before he left.
He then hugged and kissed Queen Frigga in Asgard 2013, and shook hands with Odin once he told them the plan worked and that the universe was saved, and he also returned Thor's hammer. He put each stone back (somehow), and managed to exchange the Soul Stone for Clint's soul from Red Skull. The stonekeeper explained that he wasn't the same person that Steve battled long ago, and that he would allow a soul exchange just this once.
With that, Hawkeye was revived and Steve allowed him to teleport to 2023, to reunite with Natasha and his whole family. And once Steve returned all the stones back, he decided to stay in the 1940's to live out the rest of his life, married to Peggy Carter and having kids together. He then was teleported back to Banner in 2023, now an old man. He decides to give his shield to Sam/Falcon, to which Bucky smiled at. Whenever someone asked him about Peggy, he wouldn't answer them.
The End