Exactly five seconds later, Steve and Thor both landed back on the platform in Shuri's lab.

With the stones and the hammer both gone.

Steve took a sigh of relief when he saw his family there, exactly where he left them, waiting for them to get back.

As soon as he deactivated his quantum suit, Sharon ran up the platform to give him a hug.

As he wrapped his arms around her, he softly chuckled, "You know, for you, I was only gone five seconds right?"

"Doesn't matter, I missed you." She mumbled into his shoulder. He pulled back and smiled at her before they all made their way off the platform.

When he made it off the platform, Steve knew that he and Thor had to tell the others about what they found, or better yet who they found when they went to take the space stone back.

He just wasn't looking forward to it...

Luckily, Thor decided to speak up first.

"So, uh, when we were taking back the Tesseract, we met two people, two very familiar people who uh, wanted a second chance... so after carful thought between the captain and I, we agreed to bring them along." Thor stuttered through his explanation.

All the heroes then turned to look at Steve with a raised eyebrow but it was Tony who voiced his thoughts first, "And who might these mystery people be, Hmm?"

Steve sighed, "It's better to show you first." He said. As soon as those words left his mouth, there was a green light that was produced from the platform and a second later, the two people uncloaked themselves.

Loki and a woman...

Clint glared at the God of Mischief with hate. There was no way that Steve agreed to bring him along, absolutely no way. The Captain knew what the man was capable of, he knew what he could do.

He was dangerous.

Before any of the Avengers spoke up, Loki decided to but in, "If you'd be so kind to hear my story first, before you judge me, I'd be much appreciated," when no one spoke up, the god continued.

"So, I'm not from your universe, I'm from a different one, where things were not like they are here. You see, when the avengers went back in time to grab the tesseract, they failed and I grabbed ahold of it to escape. Well many things happened after that, things I don't think your mortal minds can comprehend, and eventually I found another version of myself, who happens to be a woman variant, met a few people, we saved the universe, more importantly we saved your universe from being wiped out, your welcome, and now…now we just want a place to stay and rest." Loki said gesturing wildly with his hands while he was explaining.

While most of the avengers were skeptical with him, Natasha was an expert spy, and she knew when people were lying to her. But as Loki spoke, she could actually hear the emotion in his voice so she knew that he wasn't lying.

At least not about the part about wanting a place to stay and rest.

She was still a little iffy on the concept of Loki, the person who started the New York Invasion, saving the universe.

Yeah, nope.

"Ok," she said which shocked her family just a little, especially Thor and Steve, "But know this, if you ever give me a reason to, I will not hesitate to take your ass out, do you understand me?" She glared at him. She could see how he swallowed before he answered her.

"Perfectly." He responded.

Without another word, Natasha left the room to go and check on her son, leaving the rest of the Avengers to deal with the two Lokis.

"Is no one gonna comment about how he casually just said he was from another universe? No, just me? Alright, that's cool I guess."

"Scott, we just time traveled, is it really that surprising?"

While Thor, the Lokis and the avengers were talking, Steve, Bucky and Sam were off to the side talking between themselves.

"Are you sure about this Stevie? I mean, I wasn't around during The Invasion, but I've heard it was bad, are you sure you can trust him?" Bucky asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Buck, you didn't see him back there. He actually looked sorry for what he did, he apologized to both Thor and I. And the way he looks at that woman, Uhh, I think her name is Sylvie or something like that, he actually cares about her, like pretty sure he's in love."

It was now Sam's turn to raise an eyebrow at the Captain, "You telling me he's in love with a girl version of himself?"

"Honestly? Is it the weirdest thing you've seen in your life? A girl version of someone pops up and they fall in love with each other? Compared to ancient, magic glowing space rocks that grant infinite power, that doesn't really seem all that important." Steve pointed out.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Sam shrugged his shoulders. Steve looked at his best friend with slight nervousness, now that the first thing was out of the way…

He had to tell Sam.

The man in question picked up on his attitude though because he looked at his friend in slight worry, "You alright Steve?"

All he did was smile in return before he reached to his back and took the shield off. He held it in his arms for a second to admire it before he outstretched his hands over to Sam, offering him to take it.

Sam looked unsure, "Steve..." he trailed of hesitantly.

He nodded his head, "Take it, try it out."

Sam looked over to Bucky, who was smiling slightly at his best friend before the former Winter Solider turn to nod his head and smile at Sam. The man hesitantly grabbed the shield from Steve's hands and put it on around his left arm.

"How does it feel?" Steve smiled at him.

Sam huffed while shaking his head slightly before he looked back into Steve's eyes, "Like it's someone else's."

"It isn't, you deserve that shield Sam. I'm done with this life man, I can't do it anymore. I've been fighting a nonstop war for over 100 years, it's time I focus on family." Steve said while glancing at Sharon who was standing next to Bruce at the moment, talking about something he couldn't hear.

Sam sniffed before softly chucking. He ran his right hand across the star of the shield, thinking to himself.

After a couple seconds, he spoke up, "I don't know how I'm gonna fill those shoes Steve."

"You'll figure it out, just like I did."

————

"Mommy! I wanna see daddy!" The little girl whined were she was sitting on the guest bed, pouting at her mother.

Mary Jane couldn't blame her daughter, she was only two, almost three and she had no idea what was happening to her father.

How bad it actually was.

"I know honey, I know but your father needs to rest, he's very hurt right now and he needs all the sleep he can get." She responded from where she was trying to find new, clean clothes for after she gave May a bath.

"When will daddy be better?" She asked with a tilted head.

Mary Jane bit her lip to stop herself from crying in front of her daughter again, "Soon honey, when he gets enough energy, he'll be back up, I promise."

"How long will 'hat take?"

"However long your dad needs, now how about we go clean you up ok? You stink." She teased her daughter, hoping she'd drop all these questions about Peter. She didn't really want to break in front of May again, once was enough thank you very much.

"Mommy! I don't 'tink, you 'tink." May giggled.

Mary Jane fake gasped and placed a hand over her chest, "How dare you? I'll have you know your mother smells perfect since she took her shower this morning. Now, certain spider-babies need their bath too, just like their mother."

With that said she walked over to her daughter and picked her up and started to walk into their bathroom to start up the water for her bath.

When the tub was a quarter of the way full of water, she undressed May and placed her in to start washing up. She offered her daughter her little toy ducky that she always used when in the bath and she gladly took the toy from her mother and started to splash around, giggling occasionally when the water hit her mother and got her a little wet.

"You think this is funny huh? We'll two can play at that game sweetie." She said before she dipped her hand in the water and flicked some of it onto May's face, only causing her to giggle more.

"Mommy, stop 'hat!"

"Hmm, let me think...No, I don't think I will." She smirked at her and started to splash more water on May.

By the time she actually cleaned up her daughter, her shirt was completely soaked with water and the floor was drenched too.

After she cleaned up the floor, dried off her daughter and walked out to their room to get May dressed, she gave her a little cup of cereal and let her play around with some toys she brought along just incase while she went over to the bag to find an extra shirt for her to change into.

She quickly changed out of her wet shirt and replaced it with a dry one before walking back over to her daughter in the living room. She sat down right next to her, leaning back against the small couch and just started to watch her play like their wasn't anything wrong at all.

Sometimes, she wished she could be like that, so naive that she didn't know what was actually going on with Peter, so she didn't have to worry about him. But then, a small part of her would quickly banish that thought because it's wrong to think that.

She loves Peter with every bone in her body, she couldn't imagine what her life would be without him. And she knows how he is, what he'd do if he was in a certain situation to save people.

He thinks just because he's killed so many, that he has to make up for it, so he'd willingly jump in front of a bullet for someone if it meant they'd live to see another day.

And he couldn't care what the consequences were after the fact, even if it costed him his own life.

It just made it a little harder for her when he gets hurt because of that. And it's not like she's saying what he's doing is wrong, because it's not, to the people he saves it means the world.

But sometimes she just wanted him to think about himself for a change, be a little selfish so he could look after himself without getting hurt every five seconds.

Honestly, with him it's like one steps forward, five steps back.

She was brought out of her thoughts when her daughter suddenly pulled at her shirt sleeve. She looked down and smiled at her, "What's wrong sweetheart?"

"Nana is at the door." She said. Mary Jane's eyes widened before she quickly got up and opened the door for Nat. The older woman smiled at her before she brought her in for a hug.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't hear you. I was stuck in my head for a little bit there." Mary Jane admitted.

"Hey, it's fine, we all have those moments. I just wanted to stop by and say that the mission is done, both Steve and Thor are back." Natasha said as she pulled back from the hug.

Mary Jane sighed, "That's a relief."

Natasha hummed, "Yeah it is...I was just about to go check on Peter, wanna come?" She asked.

"Yeah, yeah I'll go, just let me go tell Mayday." She said. Natasha nodded and followed her in the room to wait for the girls to come back out.

Mary Jane went over to her daughter and crouched down to get to her level, "Wanna go see daddy now?"

She wasn't expecting it when May suddenly squealed at the top of her lungs and started to jump up and down, "Yes yes yes yes yes!!! Mommy let's goooo!" She said as she started to pull her mother towards the door.

When Nat caught sight of them, she had to stifle her laughter at them but made no more moves to hide the amusement that was laced within her eyes. Without another word, she offered May a pat on the head before she lead them over to Peter's recovery room.

As soon as the three of them made it into the room, they settled down right next to the bed and tried to relax while listening to May's stories that she insisted that she tell daddy about.

Mary Jane didn't think she could love her daughter anymore than in that moment, watching such a heartfelt conversation but hating how Peter wasn't up to see their daughter like this.

It hurt...

The three girls just sat their in peaceful silence, just keeping Peter company even if he couldn't tell who was there.

That was, until May said something that caught them all off guard.

After about an hour of stories May suddenly gasped in surprise, "Mommy mommy look! Daddy's hand!"

Mary Jane sighed, "Honey his hand is fine, it just needs to heal a little bit..." she didn't get to finish before her daughter interrupted her.

"No mommy, daddy's holding my hand, look!" She exclaimed, causing the two woman to quickly look over at May's hand.

As soon as they saw her hand, their eyes widened. There, resting on the bed, her hand was in Peter's left, slightly damaged hand.

But what caught their attentions was the fact he was squeezing her hand back.

He was squeezing back...

"I'll go get the doctor." Natasha said hurriedly, rushing out of the room to try and find someone to get Shuri, Strange or even Bruce while Mary Jane went over to her boyfriend.

"Peter? Peter can you hear me? Squeeze May's hand if you can honey." A couple tense moments later, where Mary Jane waited with bated breath, she could slightly see his left hand twitch and weakly grab onto May causing so much happiness to spread through her body.

He was responding...

He was gonna be ok...

After Natasha came back with a nurse and Doctor Strange hot on her heals, they let them have their space to check over the young man while they waited.

After a few minutes, the doctor spoke up, "It's been four weeks, I'm surprised he's even showing signs of movement at all." Strange said, checking over some of the machines that were hooked up to the young man.

"Then why is he?" Natasha asked.

"My guess would have to be his enhanced healing is working overtime. Since we got rid of his...arm, his body didn't have to worry about that part of him, so as soon as we removed it, the healing process was greatly increased."

"So what does that mean?" Mary Jane asked him with May resting soundly on her shoulder while she bobbed her up and down.

"It means, within the next month, he should be up from his coma. He'll need therapy to gain back the movement in his legs and arm, but he'll be up." Strange nodded his head.

"Does...that mean we can take him back to New York?" Mary Jane asked. Now don't get her wrong, she loves it here in Wakanda, but it wasn't home to her, she wanted to be back in the states where she was more comfortable. According to Natasha's facial expression, she agreed with the young woman too.

Strange pursed his lips before he slightly nodded his head, "We can make that work."

—————

Two days later found all the Avengers in New York City at Avengers tower.

They had all been overjoyed to hear that Peter could be moved to the tower, they were all really happy to be going back as well.

As soon as they got him settled down into his room, Helen Cho was the one who would be looking out for him. When she found out what had happened to him, she was instantly saddened and offered to fly out to Wakanda to help in anyway she could but they denied, she couldn't do much even if it was painful to hear that, all anyone could do was wait.

But now she could help in her way by looking out for him while he was staying at the tower.

After everything was in place and the others were settled in upstairs, Sam decided that he'd drop down to pay a little visit to his favorite spider.

Don't tell Natasha he said that though...

When he made it into his room, he sat down at Peter's right side of the bed where a comfy chair was waiting for him. As soon as his but hit the chair, he sighed, rubbing a hand down his face.

What Steve had said to him, what he wanted Sam to do was really eating away at the man. He didn't know if anyone could hold the shield who wasn't Steve Rogers. It's not like he could be another Captain America, there was only one Captain America and it wasn't Sam Wilson.

He's thought about this a lot since Steve has given him the shield and he doesn't think he can wield it, it won't be the same as it is with Steve.

One because he's black.

Two because he's not Steve Rogers

And three because he's not enhanced, he can't do all the stuff that Steve can, all he can do is fly with a special set of wings.

He's just an ordinary man.

Sam sighed, "I don't know what to do here kid, it seems that no matter what I choose it's gonna be the wrong decision. I don't wanna disappoint Steve but, I don't think I can do it, be Captain America...If only you were up and talking, you have unusually helpful advice all the time...I could really use some of that right now."

"You could probably start with talking to him."

Sam turned around and came face to face with Steve, leaning against the wall with a frown across his face. Neither of them said anything for a long minute before Steve walked over and sat next to Sam on the side of the bed.

"You should have come to me, I didn't mean to put all that pressure on you." Steve said placing a hand across his shoulder.

"It's fine Steve, I just...didn't know how to start the conversation off, I'm sorry."

Steve shook his head, "You got nothing to be sorry for Sam, it's on me for thinking you'd just drop everything for something that I wanted to see, it was selfish of me to do that to you so I'm sorry."

"I just...I know you mean well man, but I'm not Captain America, that name isn't something you can just give away, it's apart of you...it is you. Sam Wilson is the Falcon, always has and always will. I just...I appreciate it, I do but...I don't know what to do."

"Listen Sam, don't...don't do something just because I want you to do it ok? Do what you think is right. What is your gut saying?"

"That we should honor your legacy and place the shield in a museum," Sam huffed, "That thing is a major part of US history and it doesn't feel right for it to be just sitting in storage all the time. At least in the museum, the next generation of kids can see and learn about it." He said. Steve had a thoughtful look across his face for a second before he spoke up.

"I think it's a good idea, teaching the next generation about everything. Sorry for assuming you'd want to take the mantle, I guess I didn't think of your feelings towards the idea of that and...sorry." Steve rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Now don't get him wrong, he's a little upset Sam didn't want to take the mantle but at the same time, his friend is doing what he thinks is right so Steve can't fault him for that.

"Hey, don't sweat it man, we all make mistakes, not all of us can be perfect all the time. Not even Captain America." Sam smirked at Steve causing the older man to shake his head in amusement.

Steve softly chuckled, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

—————

"How's the rebuilding of the Compound coming along?" Tony asked as Natasha and Bucky got back to the common floor of the tower. He had sent the two of them to check it out to make sure everything was on schedule.

Another reason was having them get out of this tower, god knows that they both needed a distraction from what was currently happening.

"Everything is fine Stark, you could have easily checked it yourself, you know that right?" Bucky said while plopping down onto the couch with a light glare directed at the genius.

Tony waved him off, "Friday isn't fully installed yet so technically, no I couldn't. Once she finishes her download onto the new servers, then I won't have to send you on check up run. But until then, you're stuck with that duty Elsa." He said, causing Bucky to grumble underneath his breath a bit.

The only ones that were on the floor at the moment were Tony, Sam, Steve, Bucky, Natasha and Yelena. Everyone else was either in their room, resting, out of the tower for something or out in the real world trying to fix some of the problems that bringing back half of the population has caused.

Like Rhodey has been working pretty hard with the military to try and sort out what's gonna happen with all the displaced people. The world leaders and governments have come up with a group that they call the GRC, Global Repatriation Council to help with that.

Some of the Avengers aren't liking how they are trying to do things so far but they had just started so they are giving them the benefit of the doubt.

For the time being...

Before anything got out of hand, or she got a headache, Natasha quickly moved out of the room silently, not gathering any of the boys attention.

She did grab her sister's though...

After the both of them walked in silence for a few minutes, Yelena broke it, "You know, when he was a kid, I always told him what we learned when we were young, how the pain only makes you stronger. I think he's held onto that all his life, just like we did." She admitted softly.

Nat softly chuckled, "Yeah well, we didn't have the best roll models growing up. Everything that happened in Ohio, everything with...them, I tried to forget it. But that one saying...got me through the toughest part of my life, where I thought for sure that I couldn't cary on." Natasha took a breath before continuing, "Then I'd hear her voice in my ear, telling me that pain makes you stronger, so I'd get up, and start it all over again, until I finally made it out."

"You know, you never did tell me how you escaped that day, how you made it to Shield."

"I, umm...you know how Dreykov had a daughter?" When she received a nod in return, she continued, "Well, part of my deal with Shield at the time was I had to hand over the head of The Red Room. The only way I could make sure he was in his office at the time was to do it right after school got out...when his daughter would go visit him." She admitted. Yelena's eyes widened when she caught on to what her sister was saying.

"So the only way to make sure Dreykov died, was to kill his daughter too?" She asked, just to make sure.

"Yeah." Natasha said softly.

"Listen, you did what you had to do to get out of there, I would've done the same thing."

"Yeah, well it doesn't mean I don't regret every damn second of it."

Yelena hummed, "I guess, wanna go sit with your son?"

Natasha smirked, "Sure, but I have a feeling you're only coming with me because he moved when I was there last time. You just wanna see if you can see him move too."

Yelena glared at her, "You have no proof, no proof whatsoever sister."

Natasha laughed lightly before she turned to go to Peter's room in the Medbay. After a second of contemplation form the older woman, Natasha spoke up, "You know there were many things that were fake in Ohio back then, but the one thing that wasn't...was the bond between you and I. Don't ever forget that Yelena, the one good thing that came out of that mission was you." She said with sincerity bleeding out of her gaze.

Yelena smiled softly at her before she smirked at her sister, "I know, who wouldn't love me, I'm awesome." She said, brushing her hair behind her head.

Natasha smiled before they both made their way into Peter's room.

She's glad she has her sister back...

—————

"Karli, why did you allow Nagel in? You know the power broker doesn't like people like him."

Karli was sitting around her friends while in her Madripoor hideout. They were just chilling out and relaxing, trying to destress after everything that has happened with the world when Dovich brought up the question.

"I have a plan, a plan for us to do something about everything." She replied. She could tell they all were intrigued so she continued.

"You know how the GRC said they were gonna fix everything when in reality all they're doing is kicking people out of their homes and out onto the streets?" When she received nods, she continued.

"Well, I learned that Nagel has a serum, a serum that can make us all stronger than we already are. We can fix the problems that the world is claiming to be solving."

"Wait you mean like a super soldier serum?"

"Yes, we can be the voice the people need, our people need. No one is out there looking out for the little guy, for everyday people like us who just want a home. Someone needs to do something."

"What happens when the power broker finds out you're doing this?"

"He'll be fine with it, he's all about helping out the little guys."

"I'm pretty sure one of his big rules was never to allow anyone in here that wanted to make a serum, something about protecting this island from corruption of the bad kind."

"Well It won't matter anyways, cause as soon as we get the serum, we'll leave Madripoor. I found this place where this woman is taking on all the people who were displaced, the people call her Mama Donya, they stay in Latvia."

"So what, we let this doctor make the serum for us, then steal it, then leave Madripoor? Didn't the power broker leave you to watch over things? How mad will he be when he finds out you left and did things under his nose while he was gone?"

"This is bigger then him now, and it's certainly bigger then us. The people out there need help, and if no one is gonna give it to them, I will."