╔═════════╗
𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑽𝑰𝑽𝑶𝑹
-𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏
╚═════════╝

╔════════════╗
epilogue.
a new beginning...
╚════════════╝

⋆

"REMEMBER," Bruce pauses, opening a briefcase. Inside, all six Stones are in it. "You have to return the Stones at the exact moment you got them. Or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities."

Steve nods, closing and locking the case. "Don't worry, Bruce. Clip all the branches."

Steve, Bruce, Sam, Bucky and Anastasia are gathered in the woods with the quantum tunnel set up.

Bruce stares at the case. "You know, I tried." he pauses as Steve glances up. "When I had the gauntlet, the Stones, I really tried to bring her back. I miss them, man."

"I know."

"You know, if you want, I can come with you." Sam offers, walking beside Steve as they amble towards the portal.

Bucky and Anastasia are already there, watching them in silence.

Steve stops, smiling and nodding at Sam. "You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me, though."

Sam nods back, and lets Steve approach Bucky and Ana.

"Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back."

Bucky cracks a small smile before hugging Steve. Anastasia steps away. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

When they break away from each other, Bucky purses his lips. "Gonna miss you, buddy."

"It's gonna be okay, Buck."

Next, Steve bends a little to hug Anastasia tightly. "You take care of him while I'm gone, okay?"

Anastasia chuckles lightly, hugging her arms around his neck. "I'll try my best."

He presses a chaste kiss to her cheek before walking towards the quantum tunnel pad. As he walks, the quantum suit forms over his Captain America uniform. Steve steps onto the pad.

"How long is this gonna take?" Sam asks, glancing at Bruce.

Bruce works with one hand, before gazing back at Sam. "For him? As long as he needs. For us? Five seconds."

"Ready, Cap? All right. We'll meet you back here, okay?" Bruce asks as Steve picks up Mjolnir.

"You bet."

"Going quantum in three...two...one..." Bruce activates the portal and Steve disappears.

Anastasia lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and she suddenly notices how tense her shoulders are.

"And returning in, five, four, three, two, one..."

When Steve doesn't appear back on the pad, Sam's eyebrows furrow.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He blew right by his time stamp. He should be here." Bruce responds in slight panic, working around the circuit board.

"He should be here."

Bucky and Anastasia turn away from the pad, taking a couple steps away, they both stop as they spot something in the distance.

"Well get him back,"

"I'm trying."

"Get him the hell back," Sam snaps as his voice fades.

"Hey, I said, I'm trying!"

"Sam." Bucky calls out, his eyes looking forward.

Sam approaches from behind and stops when is eyes fall on the same thing; a few yards away, in front of the lake sat an elderly man on a log.

He glances at Steve's two life-long friends. Bucky nods for himself and Ana's. "Go ahead."

As Sam approaches a now-elderly Steve, Anastasia feels Bucky reach for her hand before squeezing it. She squeezes it back reassuringly.

"Cap?" Sam asks, standing beside the old man.

"Hi, Sam." he says back in a croaky voice. He stiffly looks up.

"So did something go wrong, or did something go right?"

"Well, after I put the Stones back, I thought maybe...I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get."

"How did that work out for you?" Sam asks, a small smile on his lips.

Steve smiled as well. "It was beautiful."

"I'm happy for you. Truly."

"Thank you."

"Only thing bumming me out is the fact I have to live in a world without Captain America." Sam chuckles and Steve smiled again.

"Oh, that reminds me," He reached for a circular leather case, unzipping it and patting the new shield in it. "Try it on."

Sam's smile quickly fades as he realizes Steve's offer. He glanced over his shoulder at Bucky and Ana, but mostly focused his gaze on Bucky in a silent question. Bucky gave a single nod, feeling Ana squeeze his hand once more.

Sam grabbed the shield, slipping his arm through the straps, holding it in front of his torso.

"How does it feel?"

Sam let out a breath, "Like it's someone else's."

"It isn't," the former Captain America looks up at the new one and Sam holds back tears.

"Thank you...I'll do my best."

"That's why it's yours." Steve lifts his left hand, patting Sam's.

Sam then notices the wedding band on his ring finger and he lifts an eyebrow at it. "You wanna tell me about her?"

"No. No, I don't think I will." Steve can't stop smiling as he gazes out at the still water.

Steve's memories play back to the 1940's. The Stones were all returned and he settles down with Peggy Carter; buying a house with her and marrying her the first chance he got. A prominent memory he had was the two slow dancing on a Sunday afternoon in their living room, to the song 'It's Been a Long, Long Time' by Harry James and sung by Kitty Kallen.

          BUCKY glances at Anastasia, having a small smile on his lips and admiring her profile. He noticed how her jaw clenched as she continued to watch Sam and Steve interact. Her eyes narrowed slightly before opening normally. He smiled warmly at her. A small then tugged at her lips that were painted famously red.

"Marry me."

Anastasia's head turns sharply to Bucky, her smile disappearing. "What?"

"Marry me, Anastasia Valentine Perova." he repeats, his tone soft, gentle and patient.

"Barnes, you already proposed to me over one-hundred years ago." Ana remarked, letting out a small laugh.

Bucky smiled wider, nodding. "I know. But I want to do it for real this time. So, what do you say?"

"Okay," she flashes her teeth as her smile stretched wider. "I will marry you, James Buchanan Barnes."

Bucky squeezes her hand again as he leans over. Anastasia meets him half way, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss.

❝ GAME OF SURVIVAL ❞
❛ by -sebstan ❜

author's comments ↴

* PLEASE READ !! *

and this officially marks the
end of this book, and the
endeavour series.

just wanna quickly thank EACH
and EVERY ONE of you guys
for reading, voting and commenting
on my fics!! it truly means the world
to me that you take time out of your
day to read my works :')

anyways, thank you SO much again
for all the daily support! i love you
guys so much 🥺🥰
and i'll hopefully see y'all in my
upcoming fics for phase 4!

-sebstan ♡
(aka leah)