Back to the present, and with it, the time to restore the universe…

With the flash, everyone returned to the present time, the machine powering down as everyone removed their quantum suits.

"Did we get 'em all?" Bruce asked.

Rhodey held up a metallic orb. "Are you telling me this actually worked?"

Lylla nodded, the Soul Stone in her paws. "I believe it did."

"We totally rocked this," Shocket said, giving a thumbs up with the Reality Stone container.

Natasha and Clint suddenly stumbled a bit, making the others visably concerned. "You okay, Nat?" Bruce asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, slowly standing up and assisting Clint at the same time.

"The Soul Stone had a price to obtain it," Lylla explained. "They each had to sacrifice part of their souls to do it."

"That sounds like some Harry Potter stuff," Scott said.

"That's the books about the boy wizard, correct?" Lylla asked. "If so, then I guess that's semi-accurate."

"Is that why Gamora…?" Rocket tried to ask, only getting a nod from his mate.

"Let's give everyone some time to rest," Steve said. "We all just went through a lot, so let's take a breath before we continue."

Most of the team went outside by the lake near the Avengers Compound. Lylla and Rocket sat at the end of a pier, with some of the other Avengers conversing behind them.

"When I was on Vormir, I heard a voice from this shard," Lylla said, holding up the crystal. "I think whatever was in the larger crystal put part of itself in here."

"From what you've told me, that voice is what gave you the idea to keep those two idiots from self-sacrificing themselves," Rocket said, jabbing a finger back at Natasha and Clint. "Not that there's anything wrong with sacrificing yourself for the universe, but at least make sure there's no other way first."

"Like with Yondu?" Lylla asked.

Rocket flinched. "Yeah… like Yondu." He sighed. "So anyway, what's up with the whole half-a-soul thing anyway?"

"I thought about it, and I think it's a one-time trick," Lylla said. "We'll have to return the stones back to their original place in time, but I wonder how we'll be able to that with the Soul Stone. I fear that one of them may have to give their full soul up for the other to continue on."

"If that's what happens, then I'll be the one to do so," Natasha said.

Clint looked over at her. "I should be the one. I've done so many things wrong in this world- "

"I have just as much red in my ledger, if not more than you," Natasha countered. "You have a family, and the Avengers has been the only family I've truly had."

"Let's not talk about that until we figure out if that's really true," Bruce said. "For now we have the stones, so we should get them ready."

"Right," Lylla nodded.

[***]

It didn't take long for them to create their own Infinity Gauntlet, thanks to Tony's nanomachine armor. Rocket and Lylla helped to properly contain the stones with their expertise, and the additional assistance by Bruce made it so the 'Nano Gauntlet' as they dubbed it was completed in no time.

"Alright, the glove's done," Rocket announced as they completed the final scans. "Question is, who's gonna snap their freakin' fingers?"

"I'll do it," Thor offered.

"Excuse me?" Tony said.

"It's okay," Thor assured.

"Stop. Stop. Slow down," Tony said.

"Thor, just wait," Steve said. "We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet.

Thor looked at Steve incredulously. "I'm sorry, are we all just standing around waiting for the right opportunity?"

"We should at least discuss it," Scott said.

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not going to bring everybody back," Thor argued. "I'm the stongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me."

"Normally, you're right," Tony started. "But it's to about that."

"It's not that," Thor said.

"Hey, buddy."

"Stop that! Just let me!" Thor paused. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right."

"Look, it's not just the fact that that glove enough energy to light up a continent. I'm telling you: You're in no condition," Tony said.

"What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor asked.

"Cheese Wiz?" Rhodey said sarcastically.

"Lightning," Thor corrected.

"Lightning won't help you, pal," Bruce said. "It's gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"We don't," Bruce said. "But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like… I was made for this."

"I was going to suggest that Bruce do it anyway," Lylla said. "Just remember to reach into that rage, Bruce. The more strength you have, the better."

Bruce nodded, taking up the gauntlet in his hands.

"Shocket, I'd prefer if you stepped out of the room for this," Rocket said.

"Fine, Dad," Shocket rolled her eyes, but did as she was told and stepped out. "I'll just go find where Nebula went…"

"You ready to go?" Tony asked Bruce.

"Let's do it," Bruce affirmed.

"Okay, remember," Tony warned. "Everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years."

"Got it," Bruce said.

Everyone armored up, with Thor standing in front of Rocket and Lylla and Natasha standing behind Cap and his shield.

"Friday, do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will ya?" Tony asked. His AI.

"Yes, Boss," Friday replied, the windows and doors around them closing up with blast shielding in case anything went wrong.

"Everybody comes home," Bruce said as he put on he gauntlet. It surged with power as it started to flow through the Hulk, making him groan out in pain.

"Take it off, take it off!" Thor insisted.

"No, wait!" Captain America said.

"Talk to me, Bruce," Black Widow called.

Bruce groaned, but started to calm down a bit. "I'm okay, I'm okay." He started to channel the power of the stones, letting out one more cry before snapping his fingers. Hulk fell to the floor as the gauntlet slipped off, his arm charred from the powerful energy.

"Bruce!" Cap said, going to his friend's side.

"I have medical supplies," Lylla shouted, pulling things from her pockets to assist Bruce. "Just don't move him."

Tony let out an extinguishing spray to help cool off Bruce's arm, while Lylla went in with space-age gauze to wrap the wound up.

"Did it work?" Bruce asked, wincing a bit as Lylla's medicine started to take effect.

"We're not sure," Thor said.

"It's okay, it's okay," Natasha assured, grabbing Bruce's unharmed hand.

As the doors opened back up, Shocket came back into the room, giving a whistle after seeing the state that Bruce was in. "That looks like it hurt," she said. The ottercoon then turned to her father. "Dad, there was a loud noise outside, and I don't know if that was just the snap here or something else. I couldn't find Nebula either, so- "

[***]

And that was when Thanos happened. The Nebula that had come back to the present was actually 2014 Nebula in disguise, and thanks to the data they had extracted from 2023 Nebula, she had managed to bring Thanos' entire flagship to the present and firebomb the Avengers Compound. Rocket, Lylla, Shocket, Rhodey, and Bruce all fell into the darkness below.

Bruce held the collapsed ceiling up, making sure the others weren't crushed. Rocket was pinned under some rubble, and it took Rhodey's human strength to get him out, despite having to discard it War Machine armor.

"What in the bloody hell was the that!?" Shocket asked.

"No way…" Lylla said, pulling up her scans. "It's Thanos!?"

"The Flark is he doing here?" Rocket asked. "He came back from the dead?"

"Or the past," Rhodey said.

"Guys, I don't think I'll be able to hold this long," Bruce said.

"Dig into your anger," Lylla said.

Bruce let out a yell as he tried to push the rubble away, but his injured arm wasn't doing him any favors. It was then that water started flooding into the cavern.

"Mayday, mayday, we're on the lower levels and there's flooding," Rhodey called through his comlink. "We're drowning! Does anybody copy? Mayday!"

"Wait, I'm here!" came Scott's voice. "I'm here, can you hear me?"

"I'm not about to die like a drowned rat!" Shocket shouted. She grabbed her gun and started firing at the ceiling. "I'll blast a way through all of this rubble if I have to!"

"Or you'll just bring the whole place down!" Rocket argued. He reached onto his belt and grabbed the Klyntar container. "Screw it, if I'm gonna die, I'm giving myself every chance I got!" He popped open the container and let the alien symbiote cover his form. With a newfound strength, the Symbiote Rocket started to send out tendrils to assist Bruce in holding up the ceiling, giving everyone more room as the cavern continued to flood.

Even with the extra help, the cavern continued to flood, with Lylla bringing Shocket close to her. "Mum, I'm scared," Shocket whimpered.

"We'll be okay," Lylla assured, caressing her daughter's hair.

"See you on the other side, man," Rhodey said.

"There's no way, in flarkin' hell, that We'll be dying like this!" Rocket shouted in defiance. He gave out a primal scream as the symbiote put out more power, pushing the cavern further upwards and allowing Bruce to stand up fully and push more of the ceiling upwards.

'They're right,' Lylla thought. 'I refuse to let this be the end, not after we've come so far. Rocket, Shocket, Groot, Quill, Gamora, Drax, Mantis… everyone. I refuse to die here!'

The otter grunted as she stood up, the crystal shard in her hand glowing with power. 'That is all we wanted to hear, Lylla of Half-World,' the voice of the crystal said. Flames spread from it as they swirled around Lylla. 'We grant you part of our power, to be reborn as a champion of life itself.'

"Lylla/Mum?" Rocket and Shocket asked at the same time.

Lylla opened her eyes, glowing white with power. "I am Phoenix!"

[***]

The Avengers Compound burst open as Scott Lang came forth, holding Hulk, War Machine, Shocket, and Rocket in his grip. Lylla came down next to them, floating slightly from her newly gained cosmic power. She hadn't changed that much, but her fur was down a stark white color and a bird was emblazoned on the chest of her outfit.

"So, Phoenix, huh?" Rocket asked. His bond with the Vanguard Symbiote had also changed his appearance, now having the purple-black goo covering his body with white accents on the torso, legs, and around the eyes, the Guardians of the Galaxy symbol forming on his chest.

"It's just temporary," Lylla said, studying the way the flames wrapped around her body. "But not an unwelcome one."

"Look at that…" Shocket awed.

Her parents looked to see Thanos' army gathered in front of them, but on their side was an equally massive gathering. The Avengers (was Cap wielding Thor's hammer?), nation of Wakanda, Sorcerers, Nova Corps (with Richard Rider leading the charge), Guardians of the Galaxy, Ravagers, Asgardians, Spider-Man, and many others. Lylla even spotted a few faces she had met on Earth, such as the Inhumans and Defenders.

They went down and quickly joined the others, glad to see their family but knowing that the battle was about to begin.

"Shocket, meet your brother," Rocket said, pointing to Groot.

"I am Groot?" Groot asked in surprise.

Shocket crawled up onto Groot's shoulder and readied her weapon. "How's about we do some family bonding by thrashing some aliens?" she asked with a smirk.

"That is definitely the vermin's kid," Drax said.

"Family reunion later, people," Quill said, activating his mask.

"Time to take ass, kick names," Mantis agreed.

Rocket smiled, standing next to his mate and facing down the enemy. "One last battle to save the Galaxy, right Lady?" he asked, using the symbiote to turn his arms into blasters.

Lylla smiled, gripping her staff as the flames coursed around it. "Always by your side, Rocky," she replied.

"Avengers!" Captain America called, holding up Thor's hammer. "… Assemble."

Author's Note

The final battle is here!

As you can see, Rocket and Lylla are getting final-hour power-ups for the Battle for Earth. Rocket finally bonds with his symbiote, creating what I'm calling Vanguard Rocket. It's basically the Venomized Rocket from the comics, but with a different Symbiote attached to him.

As for Lylla, I once got the idea of her hosting the Phoenix Force and decided to use it here. I've been setting this up since the beginning of the Endgame arc when they found the M'Kraan crystal shard, so now that finally pays off. Of course, since it's only a fraction of the power, Phoenix Force Lylla isn't as powerful as say, Jean Grey in Dark Phoenix mode, but she's not a pushover either.

Also, cameo appearances by the Inhumans and Defenders. I know they're only semi-canon to the rest of the MCU, but for this to be a full Endgame battle, might as well bring in everyone, right?

Next Time: The Battle for Earth!