BONUS CHAPPIE TIMMMEEEEEE
First off - I want to apologize for writing a bit too much of emotional!Natasha last chapter. Its not that in character for her, and I see that now. Sorry about that, I hope it didn't seriously upset anyone. I've hopefully got some stuff that'll make up for that this chapter :)
Second off - I want to thank everyone who reviewed and liked the story otherwise! I'm so glad I could provide this alternative to the Endgame final battle. (speaking of which, TO ANYONE WHO HASN'T SEEN THE MOVIE - BE CAREFUL! PLEASE! UNMARKED SPOILERS COULD BE ANYWHEREEEEEE)
And with that being said, let's get to all the reunions and stuffs. Its what we all here for! :D
"Mr. Stark?"
Tony looked up, the Mind Stone still delivering a fresh numbness to his left arm - he suddenly regained feeling in it when he saw who was speaking to him.
It was Peter... Parker, not Quill. That could get confusing if you didn't specify.
"Kid," Tony said, so quietly Peter could barely hear it. "How... h-how do you feel?"
"I feel... good?" Peter said, raising an eyebrow. "Wh-Why do you ask-"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence. Tony had already encased him in a hug by the time he started speaking. God, he had almost lost his kid... And at this point, he didn't care what anyone said. Peter was basically Tony's kid at this point, and it was an undeniable fact.
Suddenly, as the two were hugging, Peter heard shaky breaths coming from a nearby person. He looked up, and saw Nebula, trembling at where her sword had fallen after it had slain her father.
"Mr-Mr. Stark? Is Nebula okay?" he asked, concerned for his battle-mate. Tony looked up, and briefly let go of Peter to walk over to Nebula.
"Nebs? You...I won't ask," Tony said, sitting down next to Nebula.
"My purpose has been fulfilled," Nebula said, as if Tony wasn't there, before staring off into the distance. "Now... what am I here for?"
Tony sighed, and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Come back to earth? Let me and my wife fix you up?" he suggested. "And afterwards... you can do whatever you want. But, I do want you to come back. Let us help you."
Nebula gave a very faint, yet glimmering smile, showing she was all on board with the idea. She then silently leaned over onto Tony's shoulder to show she was okay with it, and Tony let out a hearty sigh of happiness and relief. Peter eventually sat next to Tony, and repeated Nebula's actions with a smile. Of course, Tony didn't mind it one bit.
Besides, he had this really bad cramp on basically everything, so resting for a moment was a pretty dang nice idea to him.
Thor, meanwhile, after hugging Hulk and giving a friendly wave over to Quill, raced over to go make sure Carol was alive after staying down for the whole fight.
"Lady Danvers? Are you alright?" Thor asked, hobbling over after touching down on the ground.
Her hair was a mess, with spats of blood marking her face and armor, but she was still very much alive. She then let out a loud cough, and bolted upright. Thor calmed her down, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Where is Thanos? Is he still here?" Carol asked, immediately looking around.
"Lady Nebula slayed him," said Thor, helping her to her feet and offering his shoulder for her to use for balance - she appeared to have a bad leg. Both of his legs hurt like hell, but he wanted to ignore his own injury so he could help Carol. "The mad titan is no more."
"Damn... so I missed out on all the fun?" she asked, lightly smirking.
"Well, you kinda had your own fun beforehand," he reminded her, also smirking.
Carol let out a small laugh, and looked at Thor with a soft gaze. "I like this one," she said, imitating his deep and rumbling voice, and calling back to when they first met. Thor, obviously, laughed in a boisterous way only the god of thunder could manage.
Suddenly, he let out a sharp cry of pain, rubbing one of his knees. Carol was immediately kneeling down to help him.
"Hey, Thor! You okay?" asked Carol.
"Just... just tired," Thor said, trying to brush her off so she wasn't burdened by his injury. "R-Really, Lady Danvers, I am fine-"
"Nuh-uh, nope, you are not okay," Carol said, keeping him down on the ground. "Hush now... just sit down a moment. I'll stay right by you, okay?"
Thor nodded subtly, and rested his legs as Carol sat next to him, gently massaging the hurt god of thunder soothingly. The Space Stone, as of now, was the least of Thor's worries.
And besides, with Carol's comfort, he couldn't be too upset. He gave her an optimistic smile that he had grown to love giving, and Carol smiled right back at him.
Steve was hugging Natasha and Clint, all three of them terribly exhausted from the fight beforehand. The three Avengers were all just so happy to finally be finished with Thanos for good... they all also still sported their Infinity Stone bracelets with pride.
"Oh... oh God," Clint muttered, sitting down. "I... h-how... how did we-"
"Shh, shh," Natasha said, sitting next to him. "That... that's enough for today..."
Clint let out a few tears as he sat down and leaned against the rubble. Hawkeye was officially worn out from all the fighting, and was just so glad it was over... and that Natasha had made it out alive with him. Natasha, meanwhile, didn't cry (she had done enough of that for today; maybe tomorrow), but was definitely exhausted and grateful to God that they had won.
She just chose to lean over onto Clint's shoulder... return the favor and provide him with some comfort this time.
"Its okay," Natasha said, humming a soft tune lightly as she let Clint lean onto her shoulder and let out his emotions this time. "Its okay..."
Steve, on the other hand, proudly shook Hulk's hand as the green man walked around. He could see Rocket reuniting with the tree, Groot, and as well as another few people. Scott was chatting with Rhodey, and they both were praising each other for their action during the battle.
Suddenly, he felt a small tap on his shoulder - in front of him stood a young woman with antennae on her head, and big black eyes that stared at him with wonder.
"Are... are you the one who brought us back?" Mantis asked gently. "You have Doctor Strange's Time Stone on your wrist..."
Steve let out a sigh, and his lips curled into a smile. "I'm one-tenth of the people who brought you back. I'd never take any more credit than what I'm due for-oh!"
He was caught off by Mantis suddenly pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank you... thank you and your friends for saving us."
The captain smiled, and gently hugged her back. "You're welcome, ma'am," he said, letting a few tears of joy fall from his eyes. "Glad I could be of service."
And then, all of a sudden, Steve felt another set of arms encase him and Mantis - it was Drax.
"Forgive me... but I haven't hugged a man since the Soul Stone," said Drax. "There were only... dudes. Dudes as far as the eye could see."
"What's wrong with that?" Steve said, smirking lightly at Drax's comment.
"After the Pirate Angel showed up on our ship," Drax continued, "I have since made a vow that I will only interact with women and men. So until Quill gets in shape, I no longer report to him."
"Hey! Yes, you do still report to me!" Quill said, exasperated at Drax's comments. "Gosh... hey, wait - where's Doctor Strange?"
This comment seemed to spur confusion with Tony, Peter, and Nebula, all of which got up at this statement. "Strange! Where you at, Strange?!" Tony said, as loudly as he could possibly muster.
"Mr. Strange, sir?" asked Peter aloud. "Are you mad because I made pop-culture references during the final battle? I-I swear I'm sorry about it!"
Suddenly, an orange vortex opened, and Doctor Stephen Strange stepped out onto the war-torn grounds of Titan, from an area that was lush with beautiful green grass - a real step down. "Forgive me for being fashionably late," said Stephen.
"I remember you!" Thor chuckled. "You made my brother fall for like, thirty minutes! It was quite funny!"
Stephen quirked an eyebrow at this comment, not really knowing what to say about Thor's comment. "Anyway, I had to round up everyone I could with what time I had. Sneaked off during the storm of emotions... not really about those."
"I feel the same, strange doctor," said Drax. "Only I do not have magic portals from which I can escape situations like this."
Stephen, yet again, shot a strange look. "Anyway... I would like to propose a question to you all. How does going home sound?"
"Sounds good to me," Scott said.
"Well then," Stephen said, gesturing behind him to his portal. "Off you go. Guardians, I recommend you go with us too. For a little while."
And with that, a queue (of sorts) began to form as they followed Doctor Strange into his portal. Tony was first, thanks to Peter and Nebula helping to carry him through - they wouldn't let anyone else through until Tony got through. Following them was Clint and Natasha, both supporting each other as they went through. Next was Carol and Thor, with the former helping the god of thunder through. Next was a combination of Rhodey, Quill, Mantis, and Steve, with Drax following close behind. Rocket and Groot then stepped through with Scott, and Hulk was the last one through.
The first sight they saw was the massive Avengers Compound in the background, and the ten who had gone to fight Thanos let out a sigh of relief.
They were home...
And then, the door opened, and out stepped a nicely-clothed ginger haired woman.
"Oh, oh God... Pep..." Tony said quietly, almost too weak to talk.
"To-Tony?" she said, suddenly forgetting that she was wearing heels and full on sprinting towards him. Pepper had tears rolling down her cheeks by the time she reached her husband, and not seeking to tear him from the two supporting him, cupped his face and kissed him eagerly.
"Oh... Oh, Pep..." Tony muttered weakly, hardly able to hold his eyes open. "I... I missed you..."
"I missed you too, Tony," Pepper cried, still stroking his cheek. "Oh God... y-you're okay..."
"He-He used one of the Infinity Stones, Mrs. Potts," Peter quickly explained. "I think that's why he's so tired."
"He probably needs to rest," Nebula added.
"Oh, all of you need to rest," Pepper said, turning to Nebula. "I know your father is the one responsible for all this..."
"Depends on which one you're talking about," Nebula said. "The one who I killed... or the one who saved us all."
Pepper suddenly put the pieces together, and would've given Nebula the tightest hug ever - had she not been supporting her frail husband. All she could do was give her a nod of pure joy, but that was more than enough for Nebula.
Suddenly, their attention was turned to Mantis, who was looking fearfully at Steve. "C-Captain America? Are you okay?" she asked, looking at her new friend.
"Just... just sleepy," he muttered.
Steve then promptly fell down onto the ground with a loud thud.
"Cap! Cap... W-We're... we're coming..." Natasha said, before suddenly passing out as well.
"Tasha..." Clint whispered, before falling down to the ground as well, right next to his lover.
"Thor, Thor, stay with me," Carol said, looking at the god of thunder she was supporting. "Don't go to sleep on me, Thor. Thor?"
"Just... just five minutes, Lady Danvers..." Thor quietly muttered, before slouching in her grip, dropping Stormbreaker to the ground.
Hulk then promptly passed out without warning, landing uncomfortably close to Drax - he had nearly squashed him!
As expected, Tony followed suit, and fell victim to the unconsciousness that had already gotten to his team that had wielded the Infinity Stones.
"Do not be scared," Doctor Strange said, stepping forward. "Taking on the power of an Infinity Stone is enough to cause one to be extremely tired, no matter who they are. Thanos' max stamina was reduced by every Stone he got. I expect that they shall remain asleep for the rest of the day; might I advise taking them to a bed?"
"May I?" Pepper sweetly asked, and Peter and Nebula had no problem letting her take Tony into her arms. Snores were starting to emit from the Avengers who had wielded an Infinity Stone, showing that they were out like lights. Rhodey stepped forward to help, but Pepper thanked him, saying she could handle him.
Scott moved to pick up Clint, Nebula scooped up Natasha into her arms, Carol carried Thor as she had previously, and it took a combined effort from Quill, Drax, and Groot to lift up Hulk.
And then, everyone was astounded.
Mantis had easily picked Steve with no struggle, and was carrying him bridal-style.
"What?" Mantis asked, looking at all the stares she was receiving.
Stephen just chuckled. "The Time Stone looks good on you, Captain Rogers," he said to the unconscious captain. "Might have found a new Master of the Mystic Arts..." he said. He then smirked to himself, "Now that's a good joke."
And with that, the Avengers were carried off to the beds to rest - shockingly, Bruce Banner reemerged mid-carry, and Drax and Groot quickly left Quill to carry him.
It was time to rest.
One and a half days later...
Tony's eyes gently fluttered open - it was, by now, morning.
What he didn't know was that one and a half days had gone by that he had been sleeping. He just figured it was the next morning; it had been evening when the gang got back anyway.
However, Tony really didn't care about the time. What mattered to him was that he was home... and able to rest.
He turned over to his side, albeit weekly, and saw the golden light of the morning reflecting off of what he could only describe as the beauty of a fallen angel - Pepper's hair. Pepper's lips. Pepper's eyes. Pepper.
"Oh, thank God I'm able to be here to see this one more time," he quietly whispered.
Pepper's eyes opened gently, and she was almost paranoid at seeing Tony awake. "Oh, honey, go back to bed, its too early for you-"
"How long have I been asleep?"
"...About a day and a half."
Tony moved to get up, but Pepper's pleas were enough to force him back down for another ten minutes. The two spent that time snuggling, lightly kissing, and talking softly with one another. They had both missed each other too dearly for words to describe...
When Tony did finally get up (with Pepper's permission, of course), he hobbled over to the closet to grab a shirt and some pants to throw on. Pepper repeated his actions, stealing one of his shirts - God, could he love her anymore? - and helping him walk if he ever felt weak.
On the way there, he saw Star-Lord (he knew his real name, yes) talking quietly with a green girl. That must've been Gamora. Evidently it was, because they were both in tears as they quietly spoke with one another. He chose not to interrupt their moment; he knew how important bonding time was with your significant other.
Especially if you thought they had been dead.
Anyway, he also saw that talking tree chatting with Rocket, Scott hugging and reuniting with his daughter and the love of his life (he was a sobbing wreck; poor guy), with that Hank Pym guy reuniting with a really pretty looking older woman. Rhodey was chatting with Sam and Bucky; Drax was standing alone, looking at a telephone. T'Challa was also speaking quietly with Okoye and Shuri out on one of the balconies, in deep conversation about something presumably important. Wanda, strangely, was nowhere to be found.
When he got to the dining room, it was... in short, it was packed.
Steve, Thor, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Peter, Nebula, Carol, Nick Fury, Maria, Valkyrie (he had yet to meet her), Mantis, and Doctor Strange all took up seats in the place.
Clint and Natasha were sitting on the love seat in the corner, snuggled up with one another as they discussed something, with their pupils looking like little hearts. Thor sat next to Valkyrie and Carol, and he was talking back and forth with the two women about something. Fury and Maria seemed content talking with each other, and occasionally Carol. Bruce and Stephen sat on their own, enjoying the solitude; Steve, meanwhile, was answering every question Mantis had about the battle on Titan. Peter and Nebula sat together, not discussing anything.
All of the Avengers also still had their respective Infinity Stone bracelet on.
"Mr. Stark! You're awake!" Peter said, suddenly getting up and walking over to Tony.
"Hey kid," Tony smiled, patting his shoulder and sitting down next to him. Pepper followed suit.
"Hello, Tony," Nebula said quietly.
"Hey, Nebs," Tony said, smiling lightly.
Nebula didn't succeed in hiding the tiny smile that had formed on her face.
"You okay, Tony?" asked Steve.
Tony nodded subtly. "I will be... Don't worry about me, Steve. Worry about yourself."
Steve nodded back, letting a soft smile form on his lips.
"You feel incredibly happy," Mantis said, who had just touched his shoulder. "And yet... I sense a feeling of... confusion."
He looked at the young woman with kindness. "You're not wrong... I really don't know what to do."
"I know my pathway," Thor said, sighing. "And yet... I don't know how ready I am to face it."
"You're going to do just fine, Thor," Valkyrie assured him, rubbing his shoulder. "There's nothing the ruler of the nine realms can't figure out."
"Well... as long as I have a queen to guide me," said Thor, smiling at her, "I shouldn't have much to worry for."
Stephen suddenly looked up. "Oh, that reminds me..."
He suddenly activated a portal in the middle of the kitchen, and through it fell a man - wearing a Hawaiian button up shirt, sunglasses, and white swimming trunks, and sporting long, black hair. He let out a big "oof!" as he hit the floor, and Thor and Valkyrie immediately shot up.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" the man exclaimed. "This makes two times you have-Oh."
Thor felt tears forming in his one good eye.
"L-Loki?"
Loki sighed, opening his arms for dramatic flair. "Hello, brother. As you can tell from my sunburns, it looks like the sun shone on us again. Particularly, me - it has been shining on me for the last year or so, anyway."
Thor let out a very un-god of thunder like choked sob, but he didn't care. His brother was back, and yet again, he didn't know whether to hug or punch him.
He chose to hug him; the punching would be reserved for later when all of his emotions wore off. Valkyrie smiled as Thor hugged Loki tightly; when she was invited into said hug by her king, she didn't hesitate for one moment.
"Banner! Get in on this!" Thor called out. "Revengers reunion!"
"You formed a band without us? I am highly disappointed," Tony said, chuckling lightly.
"Good to have you all back together," Bruce smiled, getting in on the hug.
Loki acted uncomfortable as anyone could be; in reality, he couldn't be happier. Good luck getting him to show it though.
Clint, meanwhile, reclined back into his seat, and kissed Natasha's forehead. She settled into his comfortable hold, not intending to let go any time soon. "Hey," Natasha said quietly, brushing his cheek with her hand. "You okay, Clint?"
"Yeah," Clint said, trying to hide the tears of sweet relief forming in his eyes. "W-Why?"
"Clint," Natasha said, her voice so soft it almost didn't seem like Natasha Romanoff. Clint Barton was allowed to see this rare side of her; of course, now everyone else was too, but they were receiving a day pass. Not like most of them minded anyway. "Its okay. We won... you and I can go home."
He chuckled, wiping his eyes. "Its just... its, its so hard to believe!"
"I know, I know," Natasha said sweetly. "Hey, you wanna go somewhere more private? Its a little crowded in here, hmm?"
"Yeah... yeah, that sounds nice," Clint said. He really needed a place where he could just... talk. "Hey, Wanda's still in our room, right?"
"Yes," she nodded.
Clint smiled sadly. "All three of us need to talk."
Natasha nodded, and the two made their way back to their bedroom.
"Tony, Peter, Nebula," Pepper said softly, "I would like to speak with you all out in the foyer. Follow me?"
"Sure thing, Ms. Potts," Peter said. "M-Mr. Stark? Do you need some help?"
"No, I got it kid," Tony said, standing up. "...Okay, I'd like to redact that statement."
Peter and Nebula were immediately at his sides, helping him to walk. Pepper put her arm around Peter as the four walked together to the foyer... this was an important thing that all three of them needed to hear. It was nothing bad - really, the exact opposite.
Meanwhile, Steve sat staring at the wall blankly. He sighed lightly to himself, and Doctor Strange walked over to him. Mantis also seemed intrigued as to why the captain seemed so sad.
"Are you okay, Captain America?" Mantis asked.
"Yeah," Steve answered. "Just... thinking about someone."
Doctor Strange sighed, sitting next to Steve. What he was about to say should never be something taken so lightly... however, for one of the six saviors of the universe, he felt this was a debt he owed.
"Captain," Stephen said. "I... I've been meaning to tell you... that Time Stone looks good on you."
"Thanks, Doctor," said Steve.
"However, I will need it back," said Stephen. "But... not before I do you a favor."
"And what would that be?" Steve asked.
"...The Time Stone can also be used for transportation through time," said Stephen. "And seeing as how you are a man, literally, out of his own time... would you like to fix that?"
Steve's eyes widened. "You... You'd do that for me, Doctor?"
"I owe you a debt," Stephen said. "So... what do you say?"
Steve wiped his eyes, still shocked that such a thing was possible...
"Y-Yes," he said, wiping his eyes. "But... first things first."
Stephen raised an eyebrow in question.
"I've got something to hand over," Steve said, standing up. "Doctor, Mantis, you're welcome to come with."
Stephen and Mantis followed close behind the captain; this was clearly going to be a big moment for him. They were left to wonder what as he walked out of the kitchen and into the hall.
Carol, Fury, and Maria, meanwhile, sat together, just wondering what all the fuss was about - they hadn't been around these people long enough.
"We need to catch up on our history," Maria chuckled.
"Be damned if I don't learn about them glowing stones on the OG 6's wrists," Fury muttered.
Carol giggled. "What an interesting family."
When they got into the foyer, Pepper sat down on the couch. Peter and Nebula sat down Tony next to her, slowly of course, and took their seats next to the two on the small chairs that sat adjacent of the couch.
"You two can sit over here," Pepper said, patting the area next to her.
Peter and Nebula shyly moved over, not making a sound - the silence was comforting.
"Okay, so... Tony, I have something to show you," said Pepper.
She then pulled out a small purple and white stick... it had a mini electronic screen on the lower portion of it.
It was filled by two lines.
"Wha...P-Pep? Y-You're serious?" Tony asked, his eyes already growing damp from pure joy.
"Yep," Pepper nodded. She was immediately caught in the best hug Tony could manage to give her. Peter was laughing out of joy, but Nebula was confused.
"What is happening?" she asked.
"Mr. Stark and Mrs. Potts are gonna have a baby!" Peter laughed.
Suddenly, he was hugging Nebula - she didn't know why, but for some reason, she felt inclined to not let go of the kid... and oh gosh, she was hugging back.
She had probably only known Peter for a day and a half now... but she already knew damn well that if anything were to happen to him, she'd kill every single one of the people responsible and then herself.
It was odd to think, though, because the only other person she had thought that of was Gamora... her sister.
Did she think of Peter as a little brother already?
Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by Pepper turning to the two younger people on the couch. "Now, Nebula, we will be fixing you up as soon as we get back to our home. And Peter, you're more than welcome to join us."
"A-Awesome!" Peter said, smiling. "I'd probably have to call May about it, but I'm sure it shouldn't be an issue."
Tony, through his tears of joy, smiled and kissed Pepper's forehead, and leaned into her touch...
God, he was so happy to be back...
Clint and Natasha really didn't know what to expect when they opened their bedroom door.
But surprisingly, Wanda sat on their bed... and she was smiling sadly. Evidently, she wasn't exactly happy, but she wasn't appearing to be completely wrecked. She turned to face the two, and gave them a tiny smile before looking back out the window.
The two sighed lightly, before sitting on either side of Wanda.
"Hey there Wanda," Clint said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "How are you?"
"I'm... okay," Wanda managed to get out. "Are you two good?"
"We will be," Natasha assured her, placing her hand on the young woman's other shoulder. "I... I'm sorry we couldn't bring him back."
Wanda looked down. "Its okay... its okay. Everyone else got their families back; that's what matters."
"It doesn't mean you have to lie to yourself," Clint said. "You have every right in the world to be upset, Wanda. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
These words of clarity were the ones that broke Wanda's walls down - she let out a choked sob before burying her head into her hands. Clint and Natasha both rubbed her back soothingly, assuring her that she wasn't alone, no matter what.
After a few minutes of crying, Wanda gently lifted her eyes and looked back up at Clint and Natasha. "T-Thank you b-both," she said, smiling sadly.
"No problem," Natasha said, giving her a soft smile.
"Hey... I've got an idea," Clint said, "Ladies, if you're interested... I own a farm out in the middle of the countryside. If you both need a break as bad as literally all of us, you're more than welcome to join me. Its where I'll be headed."
Wanda and Natasha looked at each other, then back at Clint.
Neither of the girls said no.
At evening...
"By golly, would you look at that sunset?" the 100-year old captain said, sighing lightly at its beauty.
The OG six Avengers had gathered together on the deck of the compound, and were just gazing at the sunset with one another. Clint had his arm wrapped around Natasha, and she was leaning into his shoulder. Bruce was standing a bit back, and Thor was leaning on the deck. Steve and Tony stood parallel to one another.
"That was such a 'Cap' thing to say," Natasha remarked, laughing lightly. "Where are you off to, Steve?"
"Forties," he replied, smiling. "You and Tony told me to get a life... I think I'm finally gonna try."
"Good on you Cap," said Tony. "Finally, at long last, you're gonna get a life. About time, thank God Nat and I kept on pressuring you. Oh, wait, that was us, right?"
"I'm gonna miss that snarky Stark sass of yours," Thor said. "New Asgard awaits me, however. I do not think I will stay here much longer."
"Personally, I think I'm finally gonna take up that offer to teach at Harvard," Bruce said. "Hear its nice out there these days..."
"Me and Tash are heading out to the farm with Wanda," said Clint. "I think my girls and I are gonna forge a new path in life for ourselves."
"I've always wondered why countryside life would be like," Natasha said softly. "I'm pretty excited to find out."
"Tony? What are you gonna do?" asked Bruce.
Tony sighed...
"Really don't know. Raise a couple kids, mentor them... be a good husband to Pep, try to help humanity a little more?"
"Sounds like a plan," Steve said, smiling gently. "You take good care of those kids, Tony."
"Like I wouldn't," Tony smiled.
And then, suddenly, three heroes walked past the OG 6 in the hallway - T'Challa, Wanda, and Peter. They were all in conversation with one another, and the three of them seemed to be smiling and laughing.
"Those three would make a fantastic trio to rep the Avengers," Clint observed.
"Well, if it means anything, I'll hit up our marketing team," said Tony, "see if I can get them a LEGO set or something... couple of action figures..."
Steve smiled as he looked at the new, fresh, and young set of heroes - if anyone was worthy to wield the title of 'Avenger', the lineup started with those three.
Then, the four who had helped them in the final fight - Scott, Rhodey, Nebula, and Rocket - stepped out onto the balcony.
"Hey, would you guys like a photo? All of you together?" asked Scott, holding a camera. "We gotta make memories of this forever, guys!"
The Avengers smiled. "Sure, Scott," said Steve. "Alright, come closer you five."
The six stood together, with the sunset illuminating the picture with a bright orange - they were all smiling, and locked shoulders with one another. The picture was taken, forever engraving the moment in history. Scott smiled as he looked at the picture. "Perfect!" he beamed.
Right after he took the picture, Hope walked out with Hank and Janet to tell Scott that it was time to go. After he hugged everyone (save for Rocket, who he just fist-bumped) and said his goodbyes, he walked off arm-in-arm with Hope, and close behind Hank and Janet, to go back to San Francisco.
"Pepper wanted me to ask if you were ready to go," said Nebula.
"...No, not really, but I guess I'm just as excited as I should be," Tony smiled. "Gonna miss you all."
"We're going to miss you too, Tony," said Steve.
The six then formed a group hug, and a few tears were silently shed from all six members. This was it... for at least a few years, this was the last time the OG 6 were going to be together. When they looked up, they all quickly wiped their eyes, but it was obvious that this was a deeply emotional moment for them. Feelings were mutual in every corner, and they all would miss one another dearly.
Peter and Pepper then walked out, standing next to one another, like a mother and son duo. "Ready, Tony?" she asked sweetly.
"Yep," Tony said, trying to hide the dampness in his eyes. "...See you all in, oh... a few years?"
"It'll fly by," Rhodey said, smiling as he gave his hug to Tony.
Tony nodded, and after hugging back, gave one last smile to the Avengers.
And then, hand-in-hand with Pepper, and his two little heroes following suit, Tony Stark left the balcony to exit the compound.
Rhodey and Rocket said their goodbyes, and although only Rhodey accepted hugs, Rocket did get a fist-bump from Thor and Bruce, as well as a patriotic salute from Steve. Then, the two exited quietly to head back to their teams.
Next up, Valkyrie and Loki walked through the doors. "Thor!" she called out. "You coming or what?"
"Take your time, brother," Loki said, sipping on a margarita he had stolen from the fridge. "I am in no rush."
Thor smiled. "Hey, uh... Banner? Would you like to come with us for a bit? Till you get that Harvard job, at least. You could get dual-citizenship! Huh? American-Asgardian? Huh, eh?"
Bruce chuckled lightly. "Sure. Why the hell not?"
Thor and Bruce then had their turn with the emotional goodbyes, with hugs lasting so long even Loki seemed to be getting bored (they lasted like, thirty seconds). Anyway, when the two were ready, they walked off with Loki and Valkyrie, the Revengers reforming once more as they set off for New Asgard. They also heard loud crashing along the way - no doubt, Stormbreaker.
And then, Wanda walked through the doors. "I finished moving everything into the truck - there wasn't that much to move, thankfully. Are you all ready?"
Clint nodded. "Yep. Nat, you ready?"
"Oh... ignore the tears," Natasha said, wiping her eyes. "Of course I am... this is, its... it is a big deal, huh?"
"It is," Clint agreed, trying to keep his own eyes dry (and failing). He then turned to his leader. "Gonna miss you, Cap."
"Gonna miss you, Barton," Steve said, hugging him. Then, he turned to face Natasha. "I'm gonna miss you most of all, Nat."
"God, Steve, don't make me cry," Natasha said, hugging him with every ounce of strength she had. "I did enough of that on Titan..."
As the emotional hug came to a close, Steve kissed her cheek. "Take care of Wanda, okay? She's a good girl."
"Damn right," Clint nodded. "Will do, Cap."
Wanda walked over when she heard her name mentioned. "I'm gonna miss you so much, Steve..."
"I'll miss you too, Wanda," Steve said. He hugged her tightly, and she hugged back - and then, he kissed her cheek too.
"Wait, no kiss for me? Bro..." Clint said, trying to contain his laughter.
Steve smirked - he kissed Clint's cheek too. Clint gave him a salute and a smile.
"Well, we ready gang?" asked the archer to his lover and unofficial-daughter.
"No... but that doesn't mean we won't be," Natasha said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Wanda smiled.
And with that, the Romanoff-Maximoff-Barton family walked out to the truck, arm in arm. Steve was now the last original Avenger left in the compound.
Suddenly, a portal opened behind him; out stepped Stephen Strange, carrying a silver bulletproof case - presumably to house the Infinity Stones that the gang had collected. "Its up to me to put these other five back where they can't be used for evil, thanks to you all," he remarked. He was also followed by Bucky, Sam, and Mantis.
Steve smirked. "Are we good, Doctor?"
Doctor Strange nodded.
"Let's do it."
The five walked down a small corridor of the Avengers compound that would lead to the outside grassy plain that they called their backyard for a long time. Stephen and Mantis were the only ones who even felt a bit of preparation for this moment. Sam and Bucky were happy, yes, but they didn't know how ready they were to say goodbye to their friend.
"You're sure this is okay?" asked Steve.
"I wouldn't have offered it if it wasn't," Stephen said.
"You have been a great source of knowledge for the short amount of time I've known you," said Mantis. "I will truly miss you, Captain America."
Steve smiled, stopping the small gang for a little bit. "Mantis, keep your friends safe. Keep your eyes up, stay sharp. And remember - if someone tells you to move, you plant yourself like a tree. Tell them, 'No. You move.'. And believe me, you'll be a great guardian of the galaxy."
Mantis beamed with pride. She then stomped her foot down, and saluted the captain. "Sir, yes, sir!" she exclaimed.
Sam and Bucky got a good laugh of happiness from this, and even Stephen seemed to enjoy it.
Steve kissed Mantis' hand, and gave her a smile. "Go keep your people safe, Mantis. You're gonna do great."
With that, Mantis skipped away happily, ready to return to her family.
Sam then patted Steve on the shoulder. "Gonna miss you, man."
Steve pulled Sam into a hug. "You too, pal... hey, I got something for you."
He then handed Sam an envelope - it said "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL NECESSARY" in bold black writing on the front.
"What's this? And when's necessary?" asked Sam, raising an eyebrow.
"Whenever the world will need Captain America again," Steve said, giving Sam a smile.
Sam let out a breath of shock; however, he kept his cool for Steve's sake, and gave him a firm nod and handshake. "Thank you, Steve. I'll do my best."
Steve nodded, then turned to face Bucky. "C'mere, Buck... I'm gonna miss you, pal."
"Yeah... I'll miss you too man," Bucky said. "Go get that girl, pal. Its time for someone else to stay with you to the end of the line."
"You know you could come with me if you wanted," Steve added.
Bucky chuckled. "Thanks, pal. But being third wheel for the rest of my life doesn't sound like my style, though I will say - thanks for the offer."
Steve smiled. "There's the Bucky I know... its been fun."
"Yep," the soldier nodded. "It has been. Good luck out there, pal."
Steve gave Bucky one last nod, and turned to Doctor Strange. "I'm ready."
The sorcerer supreme then stretched out his arms and activated the Time Stone along with his sling ring, and a portal opened... the setting was in the back alleyway of a suburban neighborhood (for the time). An old timey-car could be seen driving past, and jazz music could be heard playing in the background of the neighborhood. It was the forties alright.
Steve took one deep breath, telling himself he wouldn't turn around...
And he stepped forward, and into the other side of the portal.
Doctor Strange then shut it behind him.
"Do you think he brought his phone?" asked Sam.
"It won't work even if he did," Bucky chuckled. "Hey, uh... wanna go grab hot dogs?"
"Its 9:00," said Sam. "What do you think?"
The two were in Sam's car and heading to the nearest Sonic within the next few minutes.
As Tony walked out of the compound with Pepper, Peter, and Nebula, he turned around to get one last look at the marvelous building.
"Gonna miss this place... not gonna lie," said Tony.
"Well, its not like you can't visit," Peter said. "I mean, you're an OG, Mr. Stark! You should still have round the clock access to this place."
Tony smiled, and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Well, kiddo, that decision will be up to the new leader of the Avengers... but, hey, you wanna put in a good word, I'd be more than okay with that."
"C'mon boys," Pepper smiled, walking over to the two. "Its time to go home."
"I'll dri-"
"No, I will," Pepper said. "And you will rest."
Tony sighed. "Our first fight since I'm back; over just like that."
Pepper kissed him softly, beaming as she pulled back. "That's us."
Tony then peeked over her shoulder. "You're... okay with us keeping Nebs and repairing her, right?"
"If I wasn't, I'm no longer the woman you married," said the ginger, smiling as she looked back at the blue girl sitting in the back seat of the car. "And plus, it'll be good prep for this little one."
She rubbed her stomach as she said that last part, and Tony smiled widely. "Of course..."
"Mr. Stark?" asked Peter from the car. "Are you coming, sir?"
"Yeah Pete!" Tony said. He then grasped Pepper's hand gently. "Ready hon?"
"Sure am," Pepper nodded.
And with that, Tony and Pepper Stark got into the car, and drove off into the sunset with their two unofficial-children in the backseat. Peter had already shown Nebula the art of memes; she already knew she would enjoy it here.
And Tony...
Well, he was fast asleep before they could even get out of the compound parking lot.
Steve/Mantis would be best MCU bromance fite me on this
Anywayyyy I hope you guys enjoyed that second chapter! If enough people want it, I will do a third one... it'll be set about a year or so ahead (2020 or 2021, in this case), and will focus on one word: FAMILY. As if this chapter didn't get enough of that in already XD
And I would'a done a Carol/Fury/Maria and Guardians scene, but this is already 7,000+ plus words so I feel like I need to stop here! XD
Anyway, please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I'd love to know! Thanks again for reading guys! I love you all! :D