Elena Reyes was running.

Running.

Like for fun.

What was this damn breakup doing to her? She moves to New York and she runs for fun now, apparently.

"Ellie?"

The brunette turned on her heels, "Tony, fancy seeing you here." She smiled.

"What? What are you doing here?" He asked, "I live here. Well not here in the park obviously, like here New York."

"You live here? Since when?" He asked, "Since yesterday. I run for fun now apparently."

"Ok, what's going on with you?"

Elena smacked her lips together, "Mia dumped me. Well technically it was a mutual breakup but it kind of feels like she dumped me, since she moved out of the damn country."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It's not like I've cut bangs yet or anything?"

Tony motioned towards her face, "Yeah, definitely not."

"Okay, so I've totally lost it. What about you?" Ellie asked.

"I was just telling Pepper about my dream." He stated, "Hi, Pepper,"

"It's good to see you Ellie," she smiled.

"I dreamed that Pepper and I had a kid." Tony stated, "The kid's middle name was Elena."

"Was it now?" Elena smirked, "I didn't know I meant so much to you, Stark."

"Yeah whatever."

"Tony Stark. I'm Dr Stephen Strange, I need you to come with me."

"Did he just step out of a sparkly" she waved her hands around, "Thing."

"Oh uh congratulations on the wedding by the way."

Elena turned to Tony in offense, whacking him on the shoulder, "How dare you not tell me. And here I thought we were friends."

"I was going to tell you- I'm telling you right now. There will be a wedding, you will be my honorary best woman."

Tony turned back to Dr Strange, "I'm sorry are you giving out tickets to something?"

"We need your help." The man stated, "it's not overselling it to say that the fate of the universe is at stake."

"Oh god, this is not my department. The universe is Natasha's department." Elena spoke, shaking her head.

"And who is 'we'?" Tony asked, and another man stepped out of the portal, "Hey Tony,"

"Bruce." He breathed.

"Pepper." Bruce nodded, "Hi."

"You ok?" Tony was cut off by Bruce hugging him, "Who's that?"

"Natasha's sister." Tony stated, "Elena Reyes."

"Ellie this is Bruce Banner."  Tony introduced, "Nice to meet you," Ellie smiled.

"I think I should've stayed in Ohio." Elena murmured sitting on the sofa next to Tony.

"At the dawn of the universe there was nothing. Then boom."

"Okay, is this some sort of projection. It's cool as hell, but is it though?" Elena asked, "It's magic Ellie." Tony dismissed.

"But that doesn't make any sense. Chemical counter agents  to cure mind control I get. This," she waved her hands around, "This I don't get."

"Let him finish, Reyes."

"Fuck off Tony."

"The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe. These infinity stones each control an essential aspect of existence."

"Space." A blue stone glimmered, followed by a red stone, "Reality."

"Power." A purple stone, "Soul." An orange one glowed, "Mind."

"And time." Stephen reached down to the necklace, revealing a green stone.

"Tell me his name again." Tony spoke, "Thanos."

"He's a plague , Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki." Bruce spoke, "The attack on New York, that's him."

Tony nodded, meanwhile Elena was freaking out, "Aliens. Magic. This is not my area of expertise." Elena sighed.

"What's our timeline?" Tony asked, "No telling. He has the power and space stones. That already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe."

"Oh my god. Yup, we're all gonna die."

"If he gets his hands on all six stones, Tony." Bruce continued, "He could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of."

Tony stretched his legs, "Did you seriously just say 'hitherto undreamt of'?"

"Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?" Stephen countered, and then his cloak whacked Tony.

Tony turned around, "I am going to allow that." He paused, "If Thanos needs all six, why don't we just stick this one down a garbage disposal."

"You want to stick a magic rock down the garbage disposal?" Elena asked, "Please tell me you're not being serious."

"No can do." Stephen shook his head, "We swore an oath to protect the time stone with our lives." Wong stated.

"And I swore off dairy and then Ben & Jerry's named a flavor after me." Tony quipped.

"Stark raving hazelnuts." Stephen stated, "Not had." Tony shrugged.

"A bit chalky." Stephen spoke, "A hunk of hulk of burning fudge is our favorite." Wong stated

"That's a thing?" Bruce asked.

"Whatever. Point is things change. Ellie over here got dumped and now she has bangs and runs for fun. She is the prime example of things changing."

"Я собираюсь ударить его." Elena muttered. (Translation: im going to punch him.)

"What was that?" Tony asked, "She said she's going to punch you." Wong stated.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, I will punch you."

"Our oath to protect the time stone can not change. And this stone maybe the best chance we have against Thanos." Stephen stated.

"Yeah, so conversely it may also be his best chance against us." Tony countered, "He has a point." Elena quipped.

"Well if we don't do our jobs." Stephen said, "Nope this is not my job. Teaching first grade is my job."

"You're a supersolider Ellie, this became your job the moment the Red Room pumped you full of serum."

"That was uncalled for Stark," Elena stated, "What is your job exactly? Besides making balloon animals?"

"Protecting your reality douchebag."

"There are way to many large egos in one room." Elena sighed.

"Ok can we please table this discussion for now," Bruce dismissed, "The fact is we have this stone. We know where it is. Vision is out there somewhere with the Mind Stone....and we have to find him now."

"Yeah that's the thing," at those words Elena looked to Tony, her eyebrows raised, "Oh my god."

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"Two weeks ago Vision turned off his transponder." Tony explained, "He's offline."

"What?!?" Bruce asked, "Tony you lost another super-bot?" He continued exasperated.

"I didn't lose him. He's more than that, he's evolving." Tony stated, "Who could find Vision then?" Stephen asked.

Tony walked off a bit, "Shit," he murmured, "Probably Steve Rogers."

"Oh, we are so screwed," Elena sighed.

"Maybe..but..." Tony trailed off, "Call him."

"It's not that easy," Tony sighed, and Bruce looked at him blankly, "God, we haven't caught up in a spell have we?"

"No," Bruce shook his head, "The Avengers broke up. We're toast."

"Broke up? Like a band...like the Beatles?" Bruce asked, looking completely confused.

"Cap and I fell out hard. We're not on speaking terms."

"I think Steve would understand you calling him when the literal universe is at stake," Elena quipped.

"Tony, listen to me," Bruce started, "Thor's gone. Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter who you're talking to or not."

Tony sighed softly, flipping the phone open, his hand hovering over the call button, when a distant rumbling interrupted.

Elena looked around at the people most of whom she had just met, "I'm probably not going to make it back to teaching for a while?"

"Say Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would ya?" Tony asked, "Not at the moment, no."

They all turned to the door, as muffled screams erupted from the other side.

"That's probably our queue?"