A/N* Sorry for the late chapter! I had to go out of town and didn't have anything prepared!
Enjoy!
"See ya in a minute" Natasha met Aubrey's gaze with a grin and she returned it as the floor began to spin. Millions of gears beneath the glass creaked and groaned, coming to life as the mirrors above them lowered, twisting into an unidentifiable shape. Everyone's helmets automatically clicked on, covering their heads as the floor stretched into a writhing orange mass. The mass shifted and they were launched into a sparkling blue tube that reminded Aubrey of a sponge, black flashed before her eyes and she found herself standing on the streets of New York in 2012. Tony had warned her that the exact date they chose was the same day that an attack had happened. But he hadn't been kidding when he'd detailed the attack to her. Chitari were everywhere, the streets, sides of buildings, and their monsters flew through the sky. As soon as they touched down the time-travel suits retracted.
"All right, we have our assignments, two stones uptown, and one down. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock-" Cap's mouth opened to say more but he was cut off with a thud. 2012 Hulk pounded through the street towards a Chitari. He pulled a car from the cement and smashed it onto the alien before jumping on it and pounding it into the ground.
Banner winced as Cap continued "-Maybe smash a few things along the way."
"I think it's gratuitous but whatever." Banner tore away the gray tank top, growling under his breath. Aubrey's time-travel suit retracted as she activated the suit made by Shuri and her wings. She'd been assigned to Banner. He made his way through the streets, doing a poor job of acting like the 2012 Hulk. Aubrey flew her way from building to building, keeping track of his movements as they headed towards the large, windowed building that housed the Time Stone. Banner climbed up a building and took a flying leap to the place they'd been directed to. He hadn't noticed the bald, golden-clothed woman but Aubrey had. His hand reached for the door as Aubrey landed on the roof, wings folding behind her.
The woman gave Aubrey a soft smile before speaking to Banner. "I'd be careful going that way, we've just had the floors waxed."
"We're looking for Doctor Strange" she spoke before he could. A contemplating look washed over the woman's serene face as her authoritative voice sounded
"You're about five years too early,-" she began walking across the roof "-Stephen Strange is currently performing surgery about twenty blocks that way.-" pointing down the street. "-What do you want from him?"
"That, actually" He pointed to the eye-shaped necklace that hung around her neck.
"Ah, I'm afraid not"
"Sorry, but I wasn't asking" before Aubrey could intervene, Banner stepped toward the woman.
"You don't want to do this," the woman warned.
"You're right, I don't. But I need that stone and I don't have time to debate it-" abruptly, he was cut off as Banner reverberated backward. A ghost-like version of himself left the Hulk-like body and hovered in the air. Aubrey felt her mouth drop open as she cautiously strode closer to the woman.
"I...I don't know what you've done to him. But I don't think you understand how much we need it."
"Ah, but I do. Let's start over, shall we? If I give up the Time Stone to your reality, then I'm dooming my own."
"With all due respect, I'm not sure science really supports that." Banner interrupted.
The woman came to a stop and threw her hand out, conjuring a writhing orange line. Each of the stones appeared as she began to speak.
"The Infinity Stones create what you experience as the flow of time. Remove one of the Stones, and that flow splits. Now, this may benefit your reality but my new one? Not so much. In this new branch reality, without our chief weapon against the forces of darkness, our world would be overrun. Millions will suffer. So tell me, doctor, can your science prevent all that?"
"No, but we can erase it because once we're done with the stones, we can return each one to its own timeline at the moment it was taken. So, chronologically, in that reality, it never left." Ghost Banner put the metaphorical Time Stone back in place and with a wave of her hands, they disappeared.
"Yes, but you're leaving out the most important part. In order to return the stones, you have to survive."
Stepping around Banner, Aubrey moved right in front of the woman.
"We will. I will. I promise. So many people need it." Sincerity laced her voice and she hoped with every inch of her being that the woman would accept. But her hopeful face fell as the woman sighed
"I can't risk this reality on a promise. It's the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme to protect the Time Stone."
"Then why the heck did Strange give it away?-" Banner cut in.
"What did you say?" her face transformed into shock.
"-Strange, he gave it away. He gave it to Thanos."
"Willingly?"
"Yes"
Disbelief laced her voice "Why?"
"I have no idea, maybe he made a mistake."
Pushing off of the ledge, she made eye contact with Banner, voice quiet "Or I did". With a flick of her hand, Banner's Hulk body flew off of the chair it was sitting on and merged with the ghost Banner. And with shaking hands, she unlocked the eye necklace and carefully guided the Time Stone out.
"Strange is meant to be the best of us.-"
"So he must've done it for a reason" Aubrey whispered
"-I fear you might be right-" she stepped closer to Aubrey, gently placing the Time Stone in her hand. "-I'm counting on you, Aubrey. We all are."
With a whoosh, they all appeared back into their current time, each with a time suit on. A brief wave of dizziness washed over Aubrey but it faded as the machine powered down.
"Did we get them all?" Tony met her eyes, something flashing in them
"Are you telling me this actually worked?" War Machine stepped forward with a grin.
But that was when Aubrey noticed the devastated look on Barton's face….and the empty spot beside him.
"Where's Nat." She knew the answer….but didn't want to think it. It couldn't be possible. The glittering tears in Barton's eyes said everything. Aubrey felt her legs weaken as Banner slumped to his knees. Grief permeated around them as they lapsed into silence for their fallen friend.