26 – Time Heist – June 29th, 2023
Despite the time machine being built, Steve knew they still had a long way to go. They knew they needed to retrieve all six stones so they could set things right, but retrieving the stones was not a simple task. Then Natasha, Bruce, and Tony had a breakthrough, and their plan began to make sense. Three of the stones were in New York at the same time some time in their past. That left three other stones until they realized there were two others that could be found in the same timeline. Suddenly it didn't look so impossible.
"All right. We have a plan," Steve said to the team their last night of planning. "Six stones, three teams. One shot." He looked at the holograms that displayed the different stones in their timelines.
They would find the Soul and Power Stones in space 2014, the Reality Stone in Asgard 2013, and the Space, Mind, and Time Stones in New York 2012. Rhodey and Nebula would be going after the Power Stone while Natasha and Clint went after the Soul Stone. Rocket would be going to Asgard with Thor to get the Reality Stone, while Steve, Tony, Bruce, Scott, and Aspen would be going to New York to retrieve the last three stones.
Aspen caught his eye and he gave her an encouraging smile. He felt as confident as one could facing their odds, the familiar twist of nerves and excitement taking root in his stomach. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow we have a big day."
"That's the understatement of the century," Clint muttered under his breath as the group filed out of the room.
"This feels like a solid plan," Aspen said when she and Steve were the only ones left in the room. He could hear the doubt in her voice.
"As solid as we can make," he said, wishing he felt more confident. This was their only chance, and they couldn't mess this one up, but he would be naive to think it was going to be easy.
"I'm just wondering what it's going to cost," Aspen continued. "Last time we failed and we lost everything. Even if we win, it'll cost something. Victory doesn't come without a price."
"Have you been having dreams again?" Steve asked, furrowing his brow. Had she seen something?
She shook her head. "If I have, I can't remember them. It's just a feeling."
"You're just remembering last time," he told her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. "It's going to be different this time." He couldn't promise that, but he would do everything within his power to make it true.
Aspen leaned up and kissed him deeply. "I love you so much," she told him. "Tomorrow everything is going to change for the better."
"It will." He pressed his head against hers.
"When this is all over, we should buy a house," she said, surprising him. "I want Mara to grow up with the same home, not on the run from the law. I want to feel safe. I want to finally retire from all this."
Steve contemplated her words for a moment. He'd always struggled to make a decision on that topic. Keep being an Avenger or hang up his shield and become a full-time father to Mara. The decision had been ripped from his hands, but he was determined to make his own choice this time. "You're right," he told her. "This is the last mission."
"Really?" She pulled away to look at him properly.
"Yeah." He felt sure this time. If they kept going the way they had, they were going to miss out on a lot of things in life. They'd grow to regret it later. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Aspen kissed him again. "That makes me so happy." She grinned at him, and he could see the doubt fading from her eyes. "We're going to succeed tomorrow. I believe in us."
...
Aspen couldn't sleep. Obviously it was nerves, but something else kept her mind wide awake long after Steve had fallen asleep. She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake him. She found her way up to the roof, sitting cross legged and gazing up at the stars. She pulled her phone out and pressed record, facing the camera toward her.
"Hey, Mara," she started. "I'm hoping you'll never have to see this, but if you are watching this, then something happened to me even though we got you back. As long as you're back, that's all that matters." She took a breath, glancing up at the stars as she tried to blink back tears.
"There was a time I thought-no I knew-I didn't want kids. I was convinced I was always going to be too young, too immature. I knew I wasn't ready, but when I found out I was going to have you, I was at the literal least ready point in my life. Your dad and I were at odds with half of the team, on the run from the law. It was chaos. When I tested positive…" She felt a wave of nerves as she remembered how she'd felt then. "I was terrified. I bought a test in this dismal little shop while we were on the run. I felt completely alone because how could I tell your dad with everything else that was going on? I did. Eventually. I should have the second I found out because of course he took it well. He knew how terrified I was and he'd accepted I didn't want to have kids. He told me it would be all right, and I believed him. And it was. The second I held you in my arms, I knew there was no possible way you could be a mistake."
A tear slipped down her cheek, and she sniffed a little with a breathy laugh. "When you were born, we were still on the run. Things hadn't gone in our favor. I wanted to give you a normal life, but that was never going to happen. I accepted a long time ago that I was never going to have a normal life. I was born into a family of scientists who ended up working for the wrong people, creating a serum that later had terrible repercussions. I started working for smugglers straight out of high school. I was on SHIELD's radar pretty early on. But they gave me a second chance. Through them, I met the team who would become my family. I think back to my past, to all the things that went wrong... I didn't grow up with my mom and dad. I feel responsible for my dad's death, for that fact that you never got to meet him."
She reached up to touch the scar on her cheek. "I made a lot of mistakes, but I don't think my path would have led me to your father or you if things had been different. I've learned to stop regretting, to stop looking back and wondering what I could have done differently. I've made mistakes. I've become someone I'm not proud of. I've hurt the people I love most. But I've moved on. I've learned from my mistakes, and I've striven to become a better person. You make me a better person. You make me want to be the best possible version of me. I don't know if I've met her yet, but I want to, very much so."
The air was cold up here, but Aspen breathed it in. Her cheeks were wet with tears now and she rubbed them away with her free hand. Her face looked pale on the video, the darkness edging in around her. "I want you to have the best life possible and I know even if I'm gone, you have a family waiting to look after you. There are so many people who love you. I know you're going to be okay even without me, but I hope to God I'm there for you. I don't want you to grow up without a mom or a dad."
She could feel a sob welling in her throat but refused to let it out, taking deep breaths and looking at the constellations above her.
"If I'm not there, if this mission doesn't go well, just know how much I love you, Mara. How much your dad loves you. You're going to be okay. Getting you back is the most important thing right now and I will have no regrets if I succeed at that. Even if it means I'm gone, you deserve the life you were born into and no one can say otherwise. Live your life and know how much I love you. I'm going to fight for you, Mara. Tomorrow I'm going to do everything to get you back."
She stopped the recording, burying her face in her hands and letting out her sobs.
...
Steve hadn't said anything when he'd woken up to Aspen getting back into bed early in the morning. He heard her sniffing and reached out to take her hand. She'd nestled closer to him, and he'd heard her breath deepen after a few minutes as she finally fell into sleep. He'd let her sleep a little longer after he'd woken up extra early, dressing quietly and slipping out to go to the hangar. He planned on double checking everything but really he just needed to keep moving.
He found he wasn't the only one up this early. Natasha stood at the base of the platform, arms crossed, hair neatly braided. She didn't look up at his arrival, but he knew she'd heard him.
"One last mission," she said.
Steve stopped beside her. "That sounds final."
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "Maybe there'll be more, but this is the only one that matters right now."
"I can't think of a better team to do this." He and Natasha had been through a lot together. He trusted her implicitly. She and Clint would have no trouble getting the Soul Stone. He knew his team, and they wouldn't let each other down.
Natasha glanced over at him. "This is gonna work. We get everyone back and we end Thanos once and for all. We've got something we didn't have the last time."
"What's that?"
"We know what it's like to lose, and we won't let that happen again."
They stood in companionable silence until the others started to arrive. Aspen came in with Clint, her hair neatly tied back in a low ponytail. She met his gaze and gave him a nod, lips in a tight, nervous line.
"All right, Quantum Suits on," Tony said, handing out the suits personalized to each of them. It felt like armor, like they were going to war which, in a way, they were. The suits would retract into the same devices that allowed them to travel back in time. Tony's nano-tech at its finest.
When it was time, they filed onto the platform, standing in a circle. They looked at Steve, and he felt a surge of pride at his team. "Five years ago, we lost," he said. "All of us. We lost friends… We lost family…" Aspen looked down at her feet, and he saw a tear slip out of the corner of her eye. "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." Tony glanced at him, looking hopeful. "Whatever it takes," Steve added. "Good luck."
"All right," Tony spoke up. "You heard the man. Stroke those keys, jolly green."
Bruce fiddled with the machinery down below. "Tractor's engaged." He came to join them.
"See you in a minute," Natasha said with a nervous smile. Steve returned it. A second later, the floor seemed to disappear beneath their feet as they were sucked into the Quantum Realm.
