Sue was out of the fight. Johnny and the silver surfer battled, and she watched helplessly from the sidewalk. She looked to her right, where she saw Stephen be thrown into a building by the smaller alien. Wong attempted to help his friend but was overpowered and pushed to the side. The smaller alien wrapped Stephen in wires and pipes that protruded from the building behind him, tightening the cords around his neck.

'You'll find... removing a dead man's spell... troublesome,' he let out in chokes, as the smaller alien attempted to grab the pendant from his chest. Stephen had casted a spell on the stone, to prevent anyone from removing it.

'You'll only wish you were dead.'

Stephen fell unconscious but was flown away by his cape that seemed to have a mind of its own. The alien attempted to grab him, but he was pulled towards the park, where Tony was being heavily beaten by the larger alien.

Turning to the battle further down the street, the human-sized alien sneered at the silver surfer's distraction.

'The Stone! After the Stone!'

The surfer heard its partner's pleas abandoned its fight. It mustered a blast that sent Johnny metres away, before turning its board into the direction of central park. Johnny regained his stature and refused to let the alien get away. He soared forward; his eyes focused on the back of the silver entity.

'Kid!' Tony saw Stephen fly past with his cape as his driver. 'That's the wizard! Get on it!'

'On it!'

Peter Parker had arrived at central park clad in his Spiderman suit. He had been on a school excursion to the Museum of Modern Art, when the spaceship was seen hovering over New York City. He was able to slip away from his class on the school bus without being noticed and was ecstatic to see Tony Stark in battle with a giant alien.

A web flew out from his wrists and pulled him after Stephen, the boy swinging through the air. He went to shoot another web to swing to the left, only to have the silver surfer shoot by and cut what would have been his lifeline.

'Woah!' Peter let out. With his quick reflexes, the Parker was able to attach another web to a lamppost, swinging himself around to keep himself airborne.

'Spidey!'

Peter squinted as orange and yellow flames appeared next to him. Johnny flew parallel with Peter's leaping and swinging figure, the two racing through Manhattan after Stephen and his Cape of Levitation.

'Woah, hey Mr Storm!' Peter cried. 'You're after the wizard too?!'

Johnny went to answer but was attacked from behind. A blast hit his back, sending him forward and down towards the road. His inferno simmered and he collided with a mailbox, denting its metal and leaving scorched marks from his heat. He thudded against the cement, its grain scraping his skin and ripping through his clothes. He came to a sliding stop and his arms fell beside him. Consciousness hung around for a moment, before his head fell back and the Storm was out of the chase.

'Mr Storm!' Peter cried but was also knocked by a blast. The smaller alien flew past him as Peter was thrown into a billboard, earning him a 'Not cool!'

With Johnny out and Peter doing his best to keep Doctor Stephen Strange out of the surfer and the small alien's grip, Wong made his way to central park. Bruce was curled up under a tree attempting to bring out The Hulk, and Tony battled the largest of the two aliens. His repulsors fired shots and weapons deployed from his suit. Out of instinct, Tony looked to the side of his screen where FRIDAY would usually display Sue's vitals. But when he saw the word 'OFFLINE' displayed over what would be her data, he let out a 'tsk' from being blind to her status.

'Mr Stark? I'm being beamed up!' Peter's voice filled his helmet.

'Hang on, kid!'

Wong sends Tony through a portal, the Stark at Peter's location in an instant. He had seen Johnny fly overhead in central park, but he didn't see him in the tractor beam that sucked Peter and the unconscious Stephen up to the spaceship. Tony's thrusters kicked into power, and he ordered FRIDAY to deploy 17-A. A few miles away in upstate New York, a pod released from the Avengers Headquarters, heading for the big apple at top speed.

'Pete, you gotta let go! I'm gonna catch you.'

'But you said save the wizard! I-I can't breathe...'

'You're too high up. You're running out of air.'

Peter passed out and was in a freefall, only to be caught by the pod that contained 17-A. A titanium-alloy Spiderman suit formed around his body, supplying him with oxygen and waking him up from his brief unconsciousness. The Parker was able to attach to the bottom of the spaceship that climbed higher and higher, before a parachute deployed at the command of Tony. He let out a whine as he was pulled away from the action, heading back down to the Earth.

'Boss, incoming call from Miss Storm,' FRIDAY informed Tony. The man was attached to the ship that was past the clouds and heading through the atmosphere. He accepted the call, his throat already dry and his eyes glazed over.

'Tony?! Tony, are you alright?! Where are you?' her voice filled his helmet and Tony tried not to listen to the voice in his heart. Go back now, it said. Don't be the hero this time. 

'Yeah, I'm fine,' his heart said he wasn't. 'Honey, I think we're gonna have to push back our eight-thirty reservation.'

'Why?...'

'Just 'cause I'll... probably not make it back for a while.'

Sue stood with her phone to her ear and her gaze to the ship. The city was in rubble around her, small fires flickering from piles of debris and dust dancing in the air. The sidewalk was ripped up, powdered cement covering her shoes and the bottoms of her jeans. Her face held small cuts and the hem of her ripped t-shirt hung limp against her stomach. The curls of her fringe bent into her eyes, but it wasn't the split ends that made them water.

'Please tell me you're not on that ship...' her lips wobbled, and she attempted to clench her teeth together to stop them. But it was no use. They curled up before pressing into a thin line, her nostrils flaring as sniffles overcame her.

'Honey... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say,' she swore she heard a quiver in his voice.

There were many times where it seemed certain that it was the end. Whether it was when Tony's palladium arc reactor poisoned him, when Tony flew the nuclear missile into the Chitauri mothership, when Tony fell from his house in Malibu or when Ultron took over, it was always Tony. But he always made it through, even if it was by the skin of his perfect teeth.

'Come back... come back to me, please...' Sue whispered, before the line went dead. The spaceship exited the Earth's atmosphere, and it would be in space in a matter of seconds.

Sue's hand shook as she pulled her phone away from her ear. Her large eyes blinked, remaining on the sky that was quiet for the first time since the ship's arrival. Sirens from ambulances, fire trucks and police cars echoed throughout the city. Civilians thought it was safe to come out of their hiding places, but Sue had never felt so unsafe.

Despite how definite the situation seemed; Sue didn't believe that Tony was gone. He wouldn't leave her like this. He wouldn't leave Morgan like this. She believed in Tony, and he had surprised her countless times with his adamant will to live. She hoped her last words made it through the call line, and she hoped it was enough to bring him back.

---

Johnny groaned as he forced himself to sit upright. He was grateful for the closed curtains, blocking the sunrise that broke through the treeline and was usually welcomed for its beauty. The pain in his head made his eyes hurt and his ears sensitive to the slightest noise. This made the creak of the wooden headboard unbearable, and Johnny told himself it was why modernity was the best for furniture and décor.

'I'm gonna get that silver bastard if it's the last thing I do,' he took the glass of water from Sue's hand. 'I can't believe he got away again.'

'Don't beat yourself up. He did that for you. The fall you took was pretty bad.'

Sue walked over to the armchair in the corner and grabbed the blanket that was folded in its seat. Wordlessly, she headed out of the dark room and into the hallway that held the outside sunlight. Windows lined the wall and warmed the wooden floors, perfect for a feline to sleep in. Sue always wanted a cat, even when she was young. She was yet to voice the desire to Tony, but she hoped she would be able to soon.

Morgan let out a babble of nonesene, the TV in the living room playing cartoons for her to enjoy. She sat in her playpen with her stuffed crab in her hand. Sue followed her daughter's joyous gurgles as she took the stairs two at a time. Her lips were tight as she stopped in the hallway, the living room a step through the archway. She would have continued and plonked herself down on the sofa. The folded blanket in her arms would be thrown over her legs and Morgan's cartoons would be the only plan for the rest of the day. But the sofa was taken, the hair of the occupant all that Sue could see.

'How did you know where we were?'

The head turned and Sue was surprised to see the facial hair that suited Steve Rogers. With the growth of a brown beard also came with longer hair, the blonde invaded by brunette roots. The iconic Captain America look had matured from its golden strands. But Steve's bright blue irises remained, reminding Sue that it was indeed the man out of his time.

'I followed the trail Tony left with FRIDAY,' Bruce Banner appeared from the kitchen, Sue turning her head to him. A white mug sat in his hand and a sad smile was etched into his face. 'I hope you don't mind I use this?'

'Not at all,' Sue turned her attention back to the man on her sofa. 'It's good to see you.'

'You too,' Steve's voice was the same as she remembered.

Bruce and Steve could see that Sue was hurting. Steve's eyes followed the woman into the living room and around the sofa, the pieces of hair next to her cheeks blowing from her stride. Steve liked the darker hair and wispy fringe. It was the look that he remembered seeing on news reports and in the newspaper before he met her.

Morgan spotted her mother and put her arms up, her attention dwindling from the TV. Sue crouched down and picked her up from under her armpits, leaning the girl against her chest as she stood up straight. Bruce watched as the woman cradled her daughter in second nature, seeing how Morgan's small fists clenched Sue's white t-shirt. He and Steve could see the resemblance of the baby's mother and father, her nose and eyes being the biggest giveaway.

'How's life?' Sue asked, aiming it at anyone who would answer.

'Quiet,' Steve spoke up, a small smile on his face. 'What's her name?'

'Morgan...'

'She's beautiful.'

Sue cleared her throat. She didn't know why his comment made a ball form in her throat and a sting pierce her eyes. But she blinked twice, looking at the Rogers whose smile held sincerity in his words. She couldn't help but smile back. Although it was tight, it was all she could muster.

'We thought we'd let you know about the plan,' Bruce cut to the chase, heading into the living room and standing behind the second sofa. 'And yes, there is a plan.'

'I'm retired.'

'We know that,' Bruce nodded, the mug at his lips. 'This is for informing purposes. To keep you in the loop.'

Sue sat down on the sofa closest to Bruce with Morgan in her lap. She couldn't show how she truly felt. The only thing that kept her anchored to reality was Morgan. But when she looked into those brown eyes that were as dark as her pupils, it made it hard. The house itself was a reminder of who should be in its walls, who should be enjoying its isolation and retirement.

'I'll get Johnny,' Sue went to stand, but Steve put a hand out.

'No, please. I'll go. He's upstairs?'

Sue nodded and Steve was up the stairs.