*** Wakanda, Three months ago ***
Thanos peers at the six infinity stones settled perfectly in the gauntlet and smiles. A massive bolt of lighting strikes him, digging him into the ground and pushing him back through the dirt several meters. Thor arrives, eyes glowing with power, swooping down from the sky like a bird of prey.
The God of Thunder pauses his attack, reverses Stormbreaker, raises the weapon above his head, and hurls it at his target. Thanos fires the whole might of the infinity gauntlet against it, but it does not slow the weapon as it slams straight into his chest.
Thor lands in front of Thanos, who has fallen to one knee. "I told you. You'd die for that, you girly man!" Thor rage-fully refers to the recent deaths of his brother Loki and friend Heimdall.
Thanos, breathes heavily, still very confused and dazed. He tries to look up into Thor's eyes. "You should have..." he says, you..."
Thor applies weight to the ax, causing pain to course through Thanos. He resists the pain and locks eyes with Thor.
"You should have gone for the head!" Thanos pronounces defiantly as he starts to snap his fingers.
Something stops him.
"I don't think so!" A deep silky smooth voice says, as a large beautifully masculine green hand forces its way in between Thanos' fingers. Preventing him from snapping.
Thanos and Thor both turn their heads to the side, confused.
"Banner?" Thor asks. "Is that you?"
"Hi Thor." The Hulk replies with a smile. He is wearing a strange black and white suit. "Can you help me with this?" Hulk asks, putting a foot on Thanos's torso and uses it as leverage to start pulling at the gauntlet.
Thanos wails loudly.
"Of course." Thor says, completely in awe of the Hulk's sheer beauty. He grabs Thanos' bicep and begins pulling it away from the Hulk.
Thanos begins to howl even more in pain and surprised at this unexpected change of conditions. It takes him only a moment to realize what is going on before trying to resist. He begins by attempting to curl his hand into a fist.
"Tony!" the Hulk calls.
"I'm on it!" Tony comes flying in and lands on Thanos' right shoulder. He immediately fires off his boot thrusters to help Thor pull.
"Tony?" Thor says, surprised. "Where have you been?"
"We'll save the pleasantries for later, Point Break." Tony replies. Right now, just help us get this thing off of him."
"Oh right." Thor says, starting to pull once more. He gets distracted by the Hulk's sheer beauty when he turns back. Bruce smiles. "You look good Bruce." He says.
"Thanks." Hulk replies. "I wish I could say the same, but I forgot about that horrible haircut."
Thor smirks and tilts his head in understanding.
"Stop flirting and pull!" Tony shouts.
They all redouble their efforts and Thanos starts to growl loudly in pain as his fresh wound begins to open further. Thor shifts to avoid getting covered in blood, but then a thought occurs to him. "Hang on." He says before moving away slightly, then shouldering the butt of his axe deeper into Thanos' wound.
Thanos shouts loudly causing his grip to loosen. The gauntlet slides off slightly.
"Now's our chance!" Tony shouts. "Little Miss!"
"Got it!" Scott Lang says over intercom.
Ant-Man mysteriously sprouts seemingly from nowhere causing Thor to jump away. In almost the same instant she points her gloves at Thanos and fires a single Pym Particle disk. It nails Thanos directly in the chest, causing him to instantly shrink. Thor's axe drops loudly to the ground, Iron Man flies off to the left, and the Hulk goes flying the other way with the gauntlet still in hand.
"Holy crap! It worked." Scott declares watching Bruce.
"Tony!" Hulk shouts, tossing the gauntlet in the air to him.
"Good work guys! Now let's get out of here!" Tony declares, catching their prize, flying off, and seemingly vanishing. Thor watches on confused.
"Thor, nice meeting you." Scott Lang says, as she waves him goodbye. Thor doesn't have time to wave back before she seems to pop out of existence as well.
Thor's head slightly jerks back in surprise. He looks around wondering where both Tony and Scott went. He spots something small and purple moving around on the ground. Just as he leans forward for a closer look, the Hulk's foot comes in and punt kicks Thanos into the distance.
"That was for Tony!" the Hulk says. Thor has to step back to avoid colliding with Hulk. He has so many questions running through his head.
"See you Thor," Hulk says before pressing a button on his suit, "and thanks." he adds as he vanishes, leaving Thor alone and very confused.
Thor looks around once more, spotting only Captain America a few meters away. He also looks completely lost. "What just happened?" Thor asks. The Captain just shrugs his shoulders.
*** Back to the present , Olympus ***
"You know, I expected someone to try to steal the stone, but it had never occurred to me that it would be a fellow god." Zeus admits loudly to the fairly empty throne room.
A handful of guards stand alongside Zeus and the three magically chained prisoners, Thor, Hela, and Valkyrie. Loki is nowhere to be seen. Several other gods sit in various seats around the room. Not many have been invited to the hastily planned trial.
"Admittedly you are still a somewhat young god, but I really expected better from you." Zeus continues to scold. "Your father Odin would be extremely displeased."
"Lord Zeus, we can explain." Thor says, trying no to show weakness.
"I should hope so!" Zeus replies. "I've half a mind to execute you all, right here and now!"
"Please don't do that, Mighty Zeus." Thor is trying hard to avoid making things worse. "We were only hoping to borrow the infinity stone, My Lord."
"Borrow the stone?" Zeus asks angrily. "Why would you need to borrow the stone?" He turns to his side. "Especially when you've got something like this." Zeus reaches out his hand and Stormbreaker comes flying into his grip. "A foolish weapon that was determined to be too dangerous, ages ago!"
"My Lord," Thor answers, "I fail to see what Stormbreaker has to do with the stone?" He reaches out his hands pleadingly, but is secretly trying to beckon the ax to himself. It does not work.
Zeus looks at Thor's hand and squints, implying he knows exactly what he is trying to do. He looks at the ax's inscriptions reading them. "Impressive enchantment you have here." Zeus turns the ax downward and lets it drop. "It would seem it only favors the mightiest of kings." He smirks.
Thor is somewhat confused by this comment as he actually does not remember enchanting the ax himself. He lowers his hand, somewhat heartbroken that Stormbreaker is not listening. "Lord Zeus, I swear to you, we had every intent of returning the stone when we were done. We just wanted to use it once."
"Once?" Zeus asks, not believing them. "You'd need to use it at least twice to return it? Unless you were trying to bring someone here?!" he snaps
"No, my Lord." Thor replies. "I planned no such thing?"
"Then what purpose do you have for wanting the stone?!" Zeus asks angrily.
"My Lord, I just..." Thor turns and gestures toward the others, "we just wanted to use it, to restore Asgard."
"Asgard?" Zeus asks, still not believing him. "How're you going to restore Asgard with the space stone?"
"We just wanted to..." Thor starts.
"Wait, wait!" Hela interrupts. "Did you just say, the space stone?"
Zeus looks at Hela with irritation. "Yes, the space stone! What did you think it was?"
"The space stone?" Thor asks. "My lord..." He takes a moment to think. "We were under the impression that you had the reality stone..."
Zeus is still glaring at Hela who now seems to be glaring back equally as angrily. "The reality stone?" Zeus asks. "Why would we want that? We're Gods! We have the power of creation. We have no need for such a useless trinket."
Thor's face contorts into a look of confusion. He turns toward Valkyrie who also looks confused. "But sir... My Lord, you told everyone on Xandar, that you had the..."
"I know what I said on Xandar!" Zeus responds. "And yes, we did have the reality stone, but we didn't want it."
"What? Why?" Thor asks even more confused now.
Zeus frowns angrily. "Haven't you been listening, Odinson? We have no use for it. We can make anything we want." To emphasize his point he manifests gold coins in front of Thor. They clink loudly on the floor. "That's why I told everyone what we had" Zeus turns away and sits down on his throne. "It was only a matter of time before someone approached us with one of the stones that we could use. Luckily, the light elves had exactly what we wanted."
"How would the space stone be more valuable than the reality stone?" Hela grumbles angrily.
"It's faster!" Zeus answers matter-of-factly. "Why take the rainbow road, or any one of our other means of travel when you can get where you want in an instant. No time dilation. No motion sickness."
"The purpose of giving you that stone was so that you wouldn't use it!" Hela snaps loudly.
Zeus flicks his right hand and the magic chains begin to tighten around Hela. He resists his binds, angrily doing his best not to show weakness.
"Who is this ignorant disrespectful creature?" Zeus demands to know.
"It's my brother Hela, Lord Zeus." Thor answers.
"Hela?" Zeus says, slightly loosening his grip. He looks Hela up and down. "The change wasn't too kind to you..." He looks him up and down once more and tilts his head. "Maybe a little kind." He smirks.
Hela tries not to show exhaustion from the restraints. "I still fail to see where you could possibly want to go, that would warrant faster travel." He grumbles.
"Do you have any idea how stressful it is waiting for imported elven wine, Asgardian aged meats, or Midgar Parmesan?" Zeus replies defensively.
"You could have just used the reality stone to make it yourself!" Hela, growls.
"It doesn't count if it's not aged properly." Zeus slaps his seat and says this in a way to imply Hela was talking crazy. Hela just rolls his eyes in an enraged response.
"So you're saying our mission was in vane?" Thor asks, disappointedly. "We have to go to Alfheim for the reality stone."
"You," Zeus points at Thor, "are not going anywhere! You broke into my treasure room, damaged various displays, and tried to steal from me."
"But my Lord, surely you understand." Thor replies. "We're simply trying to restore our world. Wouldn't you do the same for your people? We just want Asgard back."
"Asgard?" Zeus looks downward, thinking about Thor's words. "Why are you so eager to restore Asgard? It's going to be reborn again anyway."
"I'm sorry what?" Thor asks. Valkyrie tilts his head looking equally confused.
"Surely you know?" Zeus asks. "Asgard goes through cycles. After Ragnarok is the resurrection."
Thor eyes dart across the floor as he thinks about this new information. "I'm sorry, Lord Zeus. Prophecies and history were never my strong subjects."
"We don't have time to wait for the resurrection!" Hela interrupts. "The nine realms are in turmoil. They need a ruler now." He smirks at the thought of getting back to conquering.
"Don't have the time?" Zeus asks. "You can't wait a century or two?"
This time Hela makes a surprised face.
"It may even be a few decades honestly," Zeus continues explaining, "after Thanos' frugal wish."
"I'm sorry, I'm lost." Thor admits.
"I have to admit, I don't know what you mean either." Hela adds.
"I'm also confused." Valkyrie breaks his silence.
Zeus huffs with frustration. "Asgard is already preparing for its resurrection."
"But Asgard was destroyed." Thor says.
"Asgard is not a place!" Zeus says annoyed. "It's a people."
Thor looks really confused now. "I know that." He says. "My father taught me that."
"Yes, yes. It has a deeper meaning." Zeus replies. "During the next resurrection, it is prophesied that the ruler of Asgard will lead his people to their new home in preparation for the birth of New Asgard."
"New Asgard?" Valkyrie asks. "Are you saying Terra is the new Asgard?"
"Assuming you are speaking of Midgar, then yes. In a manner of speaking." Zeus tells him.
"Earth is the New Asgard?" Thor sounds excited. "That's wonderful!"
"Not yet!" Zeus interrupts his excitement. "It still needs to Ascend." Thor looks confused again. "To go through the Emergence?" Zeus adds for clarity.
Hela looks down, surprised at this revelation.
"The Emergence?" Thor asks. "Is that some sort of ascension?"
"It is the cataclysmic event that leads to the birth of new gods, and the further ascension of the old." Zeus says excitedly. Valkyrie looks concerned now.
Thor still seems excited. "Birth of new gods?" He asks.
"Yes!" Zeus responds slightly excited himself. "Probably your superhero friends, if I have to take a wild guess."
"My friends are going to become gods?" Thor asks excitedly with tears forming in his eyes. Hela gives him a shocked look, realizing that Thor is missing a key point of the conversation.
"Uhm..." Valkyrie interrupts once again. "Excuse me, sir... uhm. My lord... Zeus... I have a question." Zeus looks at him somewhat smiling. "What do you mean by cataclysmic?" Valkyrie asks, "Because that sounds..." he pauses to think, "To be honest, that sounds kind of bad."
Thor turns to Valkyrie confused.
"It's not bad." Zeus says, smiling. "It's the Emergence! The birth of a Celestial! What greater honor could there be than to witness such a wonderful marvelous thing?"
"A Celestial?" Valkyrie asks. "One of those guys?" He points at an actual celestial which can be seen in the distance from the throne room's window.
"Of course." Zeus says happily. "His name will be Tiamut. With his birth he will endow that planet with waves of cosmic power that will grant all current Asgardian gods with ascending strength, making them full golden blooded gods! Then, from the ashes of the planet, the remaining survivors will also be endowed with new divine powers of their own, which they will then use to ascend Midgard to Asgard."
"I'm sorry... Ashes? Survivors?" Thor asks.
"Of course." Zeus replies. "You can't make gods without cracking a few skulls." He chuckles.
"What? Surely you're joking..." Thor is starting to panic.
"Surely you know!" Hela snaps at Thor. "The Emergence? Birth of a celestial? Destruction of the planet? Did you never wonder why Asgard isn't a sphere?"
"He doesn't know!" Valkyrie snaps at Hela. His eyes are wide with shocked realization. "Your father stopped teaching it in schools. It was so long ago that even I had forgotten." He locks eyes with Hela, then turns toward Thor. "You can't promote peace and condone planetary genocide at the same time."
"Genocide? Planetary?" Thor starts pulling at his chains before turning toward Zeus. "You can't just let this happen!"
Zeus looks rather surprised at Thor's protest. "You can't stop it, Odinson." He tells him. "Although you're welcome to try. Many have. None have succeeded."
"You can't do this!" Thor shouts.
"I'm not doing anything." Zeus tells him. "It's the natural process of things. Life, death, ascension."
"You have to let me go!" Thor begins to plead. "I have to warn everyone!"
"YOU, are not going anywhere!" Zeus reiterates his earlier orders. "You are still on trial for your crimes."
"Please!" Thor begs. "You have to let me go. I have to save my friends..."
"Then maybe you should have thought of that before trying to rob me." Zeus reprimands.
"Lord Zeus." Thor replies, falling to his knees. "My king. My God. My everything. Please, I didn't know. I'll do anything. Please, let me save them!"
"Stop groveling!" Zeus snaps. "It's embarrassing. You're worried about something that is ages to come. Your friends will likely be long dead or have moved on by then."
"But, my Lord." Thor protests. "How can we be absolutely certain?"
"You doubt my word?" Zeus asks, somewhat offended. "Trust me, young Odinson. You will have ample time to warn your friends." He turns and shifts on his throne. "Provided they don't do something foolish, like use the infinity stones again."
*** The Avengers Complex ***
"Holy shit! That worked!" Scott Lang pronounces.
"I can't believe it myself!" The Hulk replies.
"That was insane!" Scott continues. "I thought we were going to die for sure."
"Admittedly it was risky, but it was the only way we could get all the stones at once." Tony says, trying to hide the fact that even he was impressed. Tony is still gripping the gauntlet very tightly and feels terrified of simply letting it go. He reluctantly pulls it out for them all to see.
Scott Lang takes a step back to admire it. "It's so much bigger than I expected." She admits. "So was Thanos, for that matter." She squats to look it up and down, taking in every detail. "Does it come with instructions?"
"Something tells me, no." The Hulk replies.
"Should we test it first?" Scott asks.
"No!" Tony answers very abruptly. "We've put this off for far too long. We need to change everyone back now."
Bruce's eyes widened. "Hang on Tony." she protests. "Shouldn't we think this through first."
"No!" Tony replies. "We can think it through after! Right now we undo this curse, then we can use it to fix everything else, afterwards."
"We're not cursed, Tony!" Bruce argues. "Don't you care about how all the others feel?"
"No!" Tony snaps. Bruce and Scott seem to recoil at this, and Tony notices. He tries to calm down. "I mean, yes... I care." He is trying to hide his frustration, but is becoming impatient. "But, nobody knows how they themselves feel! This snap has confused everyone."
"Tony, I don't think thats the c..." Bruce starts to say.
"Just because things are working out for you, doesn't mean it's the best for everyone else, Bruce!" Tony snaps. "You can't be selfish!"
"Tony?" Bruce asks, feeling legitimately hurt.
"Just undo the curse and wish yourself back afterwards." Tony tells him.
"And Pepper, Tony?" Bruce asks. "What about what she wants?"
"She doesn't know what she wants!" Tony shouts. "We have to undo this nightmare. It's the only way that anyone would know what they truly want."
"Tony, how could we possibly know?"
"Enough Bruce!" Tony grabs his temples angrily. "We can't know, okay!" Tony pauses to think about what he is saying, and tries to calm down. "There is no way of knowing what anyone wants. If she wants to go back afterwards, she can just..." Tony stops himself before finishing. "She can..." His own selfish request really begins to dawn on him.
"I just want my wife back." Tony admits sadly. "I know staying this way may be what she wants, but I can't think of any other way for me to know..." His eyes actually start to tear up.
"Tony," Bruce says calmly, "you realize, if you are wrong, she could end up absolutely hating you?"
Tony silently contemplates the thought, and it hurts for him to think that he may have already lost her. He looks at the gauntlet and it drives him mad to know that he has nearly infinite power and still feels utterly powerless. He shuts his eyes to think, which he does for quite some time.
"We do it for Steve, then..." A tear trickles down Tony's cheek as he opens his eyes. "At least that..." Tony takes a breath trying to regain his composure. "If Pepper hates me, and wants to change back... I won't stop her." He closes his eyes and thinks about it once more before saying, "It'll be worth it for Steve Rogers."
The Hulk looks down and thinks about everything they all have been through. The potential good and bad a wish like this could cause swims through Hulk's head. He thinks about all the people who might not want to change back and tries to weigh their happiness against those that hate their new life. He thinks about all the people who were healed, and those that weren't. Guilt begins to weigh him down for how unfair this entire situation is, and he tries hard to think of a solution that works for everyone.
"So, which one of us should do it?" Scott Lang asks, snapping Bruce back to his senses.
The Hulk smiles lightly before saying, "Considering the size of the gauntlet, I think it can only be me."
"Right, that makes sense." Ant-Man replies.
The Hulk reaches down and places his hand by the gauntlet's sleeve. After a moment's hesitation, he slides it on. It fits a little too well. Energy courses through the Hulk and for a brief moment it feels like it's going to be too much, but then it subsides. Bruce looks at the gauntlet and imagines an entire universe of life in the palm of his hand.
He lifts his hand and thinks of undoing the snap. He touches two fingers and flicks.
The sound of scraping metal occurs, but no snap follows. Bruce touches two fingers again, and tries once more. The same scraping noise occurs.
"I'm sorry..." Bruce says in embarrassment. "I'm right handed... never snapped with my left..., before."
Tony frowns. Scott places her hand on the Hulk's arm. "It's okay." Bruce locks eyes with her. "This is what we want." She says. They smile at each other.
"You're doing a good thing Big Guy." Tony says.
When the Hulk tries to look at him, Tony avoids eye contact.
Bruce can't help but feel hurt. She cares for Tony so much, he sees it, and he chooses to take advantage of it. It bothers her even more that he truly doesn't understand how her or Pepper feel. She feels like she would give anything for him to understand. Her eyes turn to the gauntlet, and suddenly she realizes what she has to do.
Bruce raises her left hand tenses up her two fingers tightly and successfully snaps. There is a momentary silence followed by the sound of rolling thunder.
"Did it work?" Scott asks.
Bruce looks at Scott, then herself before setting her hand back down. "I don't know." She says.
"Well, something has to have happened because..." Tony suddenly stops speaking mid sentence. "Because... Ahhh!" Tony leans forward and begins to grab his chest in pain. He loses balance and falls to the floor. Neither Hulk nor Ant-Man seem affected.
"Bruce? What did...?" Tony calls painfully toward the Hulk, who looks genuinely guilty.