There's a bunch of different ways I could take this story, not only from what I thought of, but what people have asked in pm's and reviews, and from theories for the sequel that I've seen. I think what'll happen is a mix of those and my original thoughts for this story. So, it'll likely be closer to Avengers 4 now than I planned this story to be, I hope you enjoy the story still though.
It had been a hard few days for the people of Earth. What had happened, not many of them knew. There were spaceships in New York, followed by multiple UFO's over the nation of Wakanda, and then it happened. Some called it the Rapture. Others, the Apocalypse. All anyone knew, was that the world's population had gone from 7 billion to slightly over 3 billion. Those who had gone, there was no hope to even mourn them, they had simply dissolved away into nothing. No bodies, not even time for goodbyes, just the vast emptiness that they had left behind.
However, this event didn't bring the world together, as many religious groups had proclaimed that it would in the hours after the Vanished, as they were called in the media, disappeared. It tore it apart. Within hours, the stock markets of the world had collapsed. Most nations, with the loss of so much of their population, had descended into rioting and violence, those that hadn't managed to mount an effective defence against the rioting were spilling into insurrection and civil wars, especially in the poorer nations of Earth. The nations with more tyrannical leadership had largely avoided violence in the streets, due to their nations declaring war on weaker neighbours or those they held grudges against, many nations were now, either amongst themselves or against others, at war.
One exception to this was the tiny African nation of Wakanda. In the past few days, they had managed to keep order through their sense of loss, as opposed to falling apart due to it. The tribes worked together as one to shore up their border defences, ensure that the population didn't break out into rioting and to cement a smooth transition of power to Queen Shuri. Having survived Thanos, two days later, she had been coronated as her brother had once, by the offer of ritual combat, with many fighters having died, and most others respecting Shuri's intellect and determination, she had faced no challenges for the throne, and now sought the counsel of all tribal leaders and the Avengers to keep peace and decide what they should do next.
"It's been four days. We can't wait around any longer." Thor told them. "We need to find Thanos and put an end to him."
"I want nothing more than my brother back as well." Shuri told him. "But none of us have any idea of where Thanos went or what we'll do if we did find him. Remember, he still has the Infinity Stones, he could kill all of us without blinking if we didn't get lucky."
"Thor, I know you want revenge, we all do, but we need a plan of attack." Steve told the Asgardian King.
"I have a plan. Attack." Thor told him, Steve wincing slightly as he remembered a conversation a lifetime ago, back when he first met Tony and Thor.
"How would we even find Thanos?" Bruce asked. The last few days had consisted of much soul-searching for Banner, trying to reason with the Hulk. The other guy refused to fight Thanos' children, terrified of the defeat that Thanos had inflicted on him, with Hulk never been matched beforehand, it was an eye-opening experience that there were others who could be as strong if not stronger than he was.
"I will use the power of the Bifrost and seek out Thanos that way, even if I have to search the entire cosmos to do so." Thor said, utterly assured in what he reasoned was the best way to find him.
"That could take years and years though." Nat gently told Thor.
"I'm 1500 years old, Natasha. I can handle a few extra years if it gives me a chance to avenge everyone Thanos took from me." Thor told her.
"Even so, we'll need everyone to keep Thanos back and defeat him." Steve told Thor. "We can't go charging into this. We need a location and a plan. It'd be so much easier if Tony were here…" Steve said, trailing off when he thought about Stark. He'd disappeared five days ago on Thanos' ship, and hadn't been seen or heard from since. He was likely dead and they didn't want to accept that, but they were starting to realise they probably would have too.
/
Unknown to the rest of the Avengers, Tony Stark was still very much alive and on his way back to Earth as fast as the Guardians former ship could carry himself and Nebula.
"How much longer should this take?" Tony asked.
"We should be at Terra in a couple of hours." Nebula told him. "Listen, Stark, there's something I need to tell you."
"Whatever it is, my new blue friend, it can't be worse than the fact everyone I've ever known could well be dead." Tony said, not quite having the same impact as his wit usually would with the haunted and dead look in his eyes. The loss of everyone on Titan except him and Nebula was weighing heavily on him, as was the thought that Earth had almost certainly suffered a similar fate. One thing kept nagging at the back of his mind however. Strange saw only one path to victory, and as he died, told Tony that.
"It was the only way."
Did that mean that this was the path to victory? How could this be a victory, when everyone was almost certainly dead? Tony didn't have all the answers, but he was damned if he wasn't going to find them one way or another.
"I think I know where Thanos is." Nebula told him.
Time seemed to freeze for Tony as he turned to look at Nebula, rousing himself from the depths of his misery to fix her with a burning gaze.
"Where is he?"
"I think he's on Vormir. With the Infinity Stones, he can reshape any planet to be whatever he wants it to be. He told me once that once he balanced the universe, he'd rest and watch the sunrise over the universe, knowing he had saved it. He also loved Gamora, and he mourns her. He'd go to where she died, to be close to her." Nebula told him, sadness in her orbs as she mused on the events on Titan.
She didn't believe Thanos capable of love, but his mourning for Gamora showed otherwise. Nebula guessed it was just certain children Thanos was capable of loving. She mourned her sister too, and if she got the Gauntlet, she would bring Gamora back if possible, before dissolving Thanos and scattering his ashes to the farthest corners of the universe, just to be sure he'd never return.
"Alright, how do we get there?" Tony asked.
"First, we find your friends. It'll take a few weeks in this ship to reach Vormir, it isn't like the next planet over, but we should be able to reach it quickly enough. I just hope Thanos hasn't moved on if he is there. If he has, it could take years to hunt him down."
"We'll get him." Tony vowed. "Once we find Thanos, he will pay for what he's done. I swear it."
/
Thanos awoke and looked out at the sunrise once again, a smile adorning his face as he did so. He'd spent a few days on Vormir now after reshaping the planet, and had even recovered his beloved Gamora's body and buried her in the valley below him. He knew she'd have wanted that, to be buried in a peaceful place with the sun shining on her all day long.
'The people of the universe are rejoicing.' Thanos told himself, trying to ignore the feeling of loss within him that the deaths of all of his children had brought. He didn't care much for most of them, but he felt their loss keenly. He rationalised it as they knew what he sought and they gladly worked to achieve this aim, and they would rejoice that they had died to bring balance to the universe. Still, the loss had rankled him. He hoped the Avengers had all died for what they cost him, that they had all given themselves over to helping restore the universe. That would be a fitting end for them, giving their all to help the greater good, as Thanos saw it.
"Soon, daughter, I will return to Titan." Thanos said as he walked over to Gamora's grave and spoke to her. "I will reform it into the paradise it once was, like I have reformed Vormir, and once it is beautiful and perfect once more, I will settle there. Titan shall be my home once again, and as my gift to you, I give you Vormir. It will be an eternal utopia for you, my Gamora, my favourite daughter."
/
Steve looked out over the Wakanda sunset and thought back on the past few years. The world had certainly changed since he awoke from the ice and Nick had said to him those unforgettable words.
"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost seventy years."
Steve could not believe it at first, how much had changed, how long it had been, and yet, every year, the world seemed to change beyond recognition again and again, leaving an old man like himself in the dust. He was nearing a hundred years old now, and despite only being physically in his 30's, Steve definitely felt a hundred after Thanos and the end of the world as they all knew it.
"Sometimes, I think I'm still asleep, Nick." Steve said aloud as he looked towards the sun. They hadn't heard from Nick in years, and considering they hadn't heard from him after all of this had happened, Steve could only assume Nick was one of the billions who had perished. Like Bucky, like Sam, and like so many others. Steve would allow himself to mourn each and every one of them, once the job was done and once they had been avenged. In many ways, Steve Rogers was still that scrawny kid who wanted to save the world and stop the bullies. He wouldn't let himself lose control and stray from focusing on his mission until the job was done and the world right once more.
"Nick always did have that effect on people." A voice said behind him, smiling slightly at the voice Steve replied.
"He sure did Nat. Why are you out here?" Steve asked.
"Wanted to make sure you were alright, Steve." She replied. "In my line of work, you don't make many long term friends, you're now one of my oldest, I wanted to make sure you were coping."
"I'll be alright, Nat. I've lost everyone I ever knew once before, this time, in some ways, it isn't as bad, at least a few people I know and love are still here, like you, Bruce, Thor, James." Steve said. "Together, we'll get through this."
"Alright, well I'll be inside if you need to talk." Nat said, turning to head back in once more. "Just don't take too long out here, alright?"
"I'll be in before long." Steve smiled. "Go see how Bruce is, you've still got a lot of catching up to do." Steve teased her as she left.
"Whatever Rogers." She huffed as she left.
Steve looked back out and contemplated once more when he heard a female cough behind him.
"What is it Nat?" He asked as he turned around, the woman who was floating before him though wasn't Natasha.
"Steve Rogers?" The woman asked, a red and blue costume adorning her as she hovered there, blonde hair flowing behind her.
"Who are you?" Steve asked, moving into a defensive stance and getting ready to call for help.
"Nick Fury called me, just before he vanished." The woman said. "My name is Carol Danvers, though you may know me was Captain Marvel?"