THE TEAM REAPPEARED in a bright flash back on the platform of the quantum tunnel. They deactivated their time travel suits, with Tony holding the briefcase containing the Tesseract, Rocket having the Aether, Scott holding the scepter, Bruce having the Time Stone, and Rhodey holding the Power Stone.

"Did we get 'em all?" Banner asked.

"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey said with a smile.

Nearby, Y/N dropped to his knees. He had the Soul Stone in his palm, and beside him were Natasha and Clint who also had dejected expressions. The team looked at the trio, and the looks they had before changed upon realizing that Pietro wasn't with them.

"Rhodes, where's Pietro?" Bruce asked.

"He...he didn't go with me." He replied and looked at Y/N.

Y/N didn't respond, simply looking down at the floor. Maggie just stared at him, not wanting to process what had just happened. She didn't want to believe it.

"Dad?" She called out, but he still wasn't responding.

Natasha looked at her daughter and shook her head. Her expression said it all. Maggie closed her eyes and ran off the platform as Tony tried to go after her, but he stopped.

Steve looked down in despair along with the rest of the team who felt the same way.

• • •

SOME OF THE TEAM members were at the dock by the lake. They were all still dejected and in shock at the loss of Pietro Maximoff. Y/N stood by the bench at the end of the dock looking out into the water as everybody else sat down or stood idly by.

"How did this happen?" Tony asked.

There was no response. Tony rose his voice and spoke up.

"We had a plan. He was supposed to go with Rhodes and Nebula..."

"Tony—" Steve interjected.

The billionaire continued. "Unless absolutely necessary, we follow that plan to a tee. But now..."

There was a momentary silence. Natasha stood by the balustrade and looked on in the distance. Maggie sat cross-legged by the shore of the lake alone, buried in her thoughts as she looked out. Natasha excused herself and walked off the deck to go speak with her.

Thor went up to the rest and spoke. "What? What are you doing?"

"What?" Steve replied.

"You are all acting like he's dead." Thor responded. "Why are we acting like he's dead? We have the stones, right?"

Thor raised his voice as he continued. He refused to believe that his friend and fellow Avenger had perished.

"As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring him back. Isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together."

"We can't get him back." Clint interjected.

Thor turned to Barton. "Wha...what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor let out a laugh. The demigod was still in denial.

"Look, I'm sorry, no offense, but you're a very earthly being, okay? And we're talking about space magic." Thor said. "And can't seems very definitive. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, look, I know that I'm way outside my pay grade here." Clint replied as he stood up. "But he still isn't here, is he?"

"No, that's my point."

"It can't be undone." Clint rose his voice this time. "Or that's what the red, floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? Go grab your hammer and you go fly and you talk to him!"

Thor was silent. He simply nodded and looked back down at his hands.

"It should've been me." Clint dropped his head. "I could've stopped him...I would've made it me if we hadn't gotten attacked."

Banner looked at Clint. "Attacked? What do you mean?"

"Thanos's forces from that time showed up while we were there." He let out a sigh. "They had us cornered..."

Y/N suddenly let out a grunt as he bent over and ripped the concrete bench off the dock. He threw it into the lake in anger. Thor looked on and was gonna mention how Mjölnir was on the bench he just threw...but stayed quiet.

"Pietro..." He took a breath in. "He didn't have to do what he did...but he wanted to." He turned around and faced the group. "He sacrificed himself for that stone and...and he saved us. We would've gotten killed by Thanos if he didn't."

Scott looked up at Y/N. "This past version Thanos...should we be worried?"

"Unless the grape has Pym particles and a tunnel at his disposal, that stays in the past." Tony replied.

Y/N nodded and continued talking about Pietro. "We have to make his sacrifice worth it. We have to."

Steve got up and faced his son. "We will."

Y/N feigned a smile and looked over at the lake. He extended his arm and after a moment...Mjölnir came out of the water. It flew into his hand and Y/N shook some water off of it before handing it back to Thor.

"Sorry about that." He said and pat him on the shoulder. He walked off and they started to follow.

Scott stood up and turned to Clint as they trod off. "He can carry the hammer?"

Clint ignored Lang and continued walking.

Meanwhile, Maggie was sitting at the shore looking out onto the lake. Natasha walked up to her daughter and sat beside her in the same crossed-legged position.

Before she could say anything, Maggie abruptly spoke.

"You don't need to." She said. "I get it. Things happen...it's all part of the job...nothing's guaranteed. He knew that."

Natasha examined the dejected expression of her daughter. She sighed and looked out onto the lake just as she was.

"When your dad and I first met Pietro, we didn't know what to think. He and his sister were a formidable pair...even kicked our asses once. But even after that...they did what they thought was right. They helped us." She explained. "They helped save the world and they integrated themselves into the team."

Maggie looked at Natasha and listened as her mother continued.

"One day...your dad was kidnapped. I felt like I was going to lose it. We made it our mission to find him...a mission Pietro spearheaded. He knew how much he meant to me...to us. And we got him back." Natasha said. "Even after what happened in Germany some time later, we stuck with each other. Going from place to place those two years we grew closer with him and Wanda."

She continued. "When we lost five years ago...we felt like we let everybody down. Your dad was ridden with so much guilt...same with Pietro. He felt like he didn't do enough to save his sister...so he started to distance himself. A part of me thought he'd never recover, but then he found a spark...one that gave him hope again."  Natasha looked at Maggie. "You."

Maggie gave a soft smile and looked down at her hands, fiddling with them. Natasha kept speaking.

"He was the first the hold you. He got you out of that cloning chamber and ran as fast as he could out of the toppling facility. While the rest of us were dealing with HYDRA, his main goal was to keep you safe. That's been his thing even now."

A tear rolled down Maggie's face and she sniffled. "But he didn't need to do this. He shouldn't have died for a stupid orange rock."

Natasha lifted her daughter's face and wiped away the tear from her cheek. She was also trying to keep herself composed as she talked with Maggie.

"Pietro did that because he knew." She replied. "He knew that we would be able to bring everybody back. He believed in us to do so. He loved us...he loved you...and he loved his sister. He knew there would be a better life for all of us after."

Maggie nodded as her eyes continued to water. Pietro was always there for them...even before she was born he was a part of their family. He loved her and Nikolai as if they were his own...and for him to be gone hurt her. She never thought she'd feel the pain of loss so early in her life. But after hearing what her mother had to say, she also believed. They weren't going to let his sacrifice be for nothing.

"He wanted to make the world better. He not only did that...but he saved it." Maggie said. "Let's not let this go to waste."

Natasha smiled and hugged her daughter, kissing the top of her head as well. They both stood up and walked away from the lake.

• • •

THE THREE GENIUSES, consisting of Banner, Tony, and Rocket, took the next 24 hours in making the nano-gauntlet to house the six Infinity Stones. Once ready, they called the team into the lab. Everybody arrived including Y/N's two kids...but Nebula didn't.

"Question is, who's gonna snap their freakin' fingers?" Rocket asked as they looked at the gauntlet.

"I'll do it." Thor said.

Tony looked at him. "Excuse me?"

"It's okay."

"No, no, no. Stop, stop. Slow down."

Thor reached for the gauntlet but Y/N stretched out his arm and kept him back.

"Thor. Just wait." He told the demigod.

"We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve chimed in.

Thor let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry. What? We're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?"

"We should at least discuss it." Scott said.

"Look, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back." Thor took a breath in. "I'm the strongest Avenger. So, this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty—"

"Normally, you're right." Tony interjected. "It's not about that—"

"It's not that—"

"Hey, buddy..."

"Stop it! Just let me." Thor raised his tone as he started to get emotional. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right."

Maggie looked at Thor, understanding what he was feeling. She knew about what he and his people went through with Thanos years ago. The Asgardian felt like a failure and wanted to redeem himself.

Tony understood too but wasn't willing to sacrifice his friend.

"Look, it's not just the fact that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent." He said. "I'm telling you. You're in no condition."

"What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor asked.

"Cheese Whiz?" Rhodey quipped.

Thor wanted to talk back but continued. "Lightning."

"Lighting won't help you, pal." Banner chimed in. "It's gotta be me."

"Are you sure?" Y/N asked.

"You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him." Banner replied as he walked over to the gauntlet on the table. "None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Natasha asked.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like...I was made for this."

Nobody argued with Banner's plan and he picked up the gauntlet. Stark turned to him and gave a reassuring look.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony asked.

"Let's do it." He replied as everyone in the room started to get in position.

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago you're just bringing them back to now, today." Tony explained. "Don't change anything from the last five years."

"Got it."

Steve wore his uniform and held up his shield. Scott activated the mask from his suit. Rhodey closed the faceplate on his armor.

Rocket put on his goggles as Thor got in front of the raccoon. Y/N also activated his mask and stood beside Tony as he tapped on his reactor, forming his Iron Man armor. Hawkeye held his bow as he stood beside them.

"Friday, do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will ya?" Tony spoke to his A.I.

"Yes, boss."

Y/N turned to Natasha and his kids. "Get out of the room and stay behind the blast doors."

Natasha agreed and before Maggie could say something, he spoke again.

"Please."

She nodded and walked out of the room with her mom and brother. Steel shutters started to close the windows and doors of the lab. The stones within the gauntlet began to illuminate the darkened room.

"Everybody comes home." Banner muttered.

The gauntlet fitted itself onto Banner's right hand. It latched onto him and the glove started to whir and surge with power. He groaned in pain as he tried to handle it.

They watched as his sleeve started to burn off because of the immense amount of energy. Banner's veins started to glow as the power traveled up his arm.

"Take it off!" Thor shouted. "Take it off!"

"No, wait." Steve called out. "Bruce, are you okay?"

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony spoke as well.

"I'm okay...I'm okay."

Y/N let out a sigh of relief as Thor put two thumbs up in response to the Hulk.

Bruce screamed as he brought up his hand. He kept repeating the same phrase in his head...

Bring everybody back.

Then...he snapped his fingers.

A blinding flash filled the room. Y/N covered his eyes for a moment, then looked down at Banner who had dropped the glove and fell to the floor.

"Bruce!" Y/N called out.

"Don't move him!" Tony shouted and ran over to him. He started to apply a healing solution that sprayed out of his hand.

Banner clenched his teeth in discomfort. "Did it work?"

"We're not sure. It's okay." Thor replied.

The shutters began to open which let the light back into the room. Natasha, Maggie, and Nikolai came back inside and the older redhead saw Banner on the ground.

"Oh, God! Bruce?" She called out.

"I'm fine..." He breathed out. "I'm fine."

"Uncle Hulk...?" Nikolai looked at him in awe. Seeing him that way came as a surprise.

Banner let out a weak smile. "I'm okay, Nik. Nothing can take me down so easily."

Scott walked out of the lab and into the foyer. He noticed birds chirping outside the window along with more plant life.

Clint's phone vibrated on the table nearby. He saw this and looked over at Y/N. The man, now unmasked, gave a smile back.

The archer ran over to his phone and picked it up, with Nikolai following his uncle after looking over at him. Clint saw that it was Laura calling and started to tear up. Clint immediately answered the call. "Honey?"

After hearing Clint's greeting to his wife, Y/N knew. He looked over at Natasha, who stood beside Maggie with smiles on both their faces. His wife's eyes also started to water from the joy she was feeling.

They succeeded. It had worked.

Y/N felt elation. The people they lost had returned. He knew most of them were back in Wakanda, and he couldn't wait to see them again.

Scott continued to look out the window and smiled too. "Guys. I think it worked."

Banner was on the ground still being tended to by the rest of the team. Suddenly, the room got darker as if a cloud covered the sun. He looked up through the skylight, and the look on his face changed upon seeing a massive ship above.

Y/N looked up at the same time Banner did, seeing what he was seeing. He saw missiles shooting down toward them, and with widened eyes, he whipped his head toward Natasha and Maggie.

"Nat! Get the k—"

The projectiles made impact with the compound and knocked them down. The sheer power of the missiles destroyed the infrastructure of the building and debris flew everywhere.

Y/N let out a gasp as he was shaken awake. He opened his eyes and saw his father crouched over him.

"Hey! Hey...son?" He started to say. "You all right?"

"Dad?" Y/N sat up and let out a cough. He looked around at their destroyed surroundings, then it quickly hit him. "Where's Natasha? The kids?"

"I don't know...I don't know." He replied.

The young super soldier quickly got up and walked past him. He saw Tony standing by in his armor but unmasked.

"Y/N—" Tony began.

"What the hell happened?" He cut him off.

Tony sighed. "You mess with time, it tends to mess back. You'll see."

The three walked through the rubble and regrouped with Thor who stood by a ledge. He was looking down at ground zero and upon nearing the demigod, they saw what he was gazing at.

Thanos.

"What's he been doing?" Tony asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Thor answered.

Y/N glanced at Thor. "I thought you killed this purple son of a bitch."

"It's not the same one." Steve theorized, but it wasn't much of a theory but a mere fact.

"It's probably the one who attacked you on Vormir." Tony responded. "Somehow...he found a way back."

"Where are the stones?" Steve asked Tony.

"Somewhere under all this. All I know is that he doesn't have 'em."

"So we keep it that way."

"You know it's a trap, right?" Thor spoke with eyes still glued to Thanos.

"Yeah...I don't much care." Tony replied.

Thor nodded. "Good. Just as long as we're all in agreement."

Thor raised his arms as thunder started cracking within the clouds forming above. He called over both Stormbreaker and Mjölnir as lightning shot down, summoning his armor as well.

"Let's kill him properly this time."

Water poured into the crater they were in. Banner kept the pile of debris from falling in by holding it up with his strength. Natasha groaned as she sat up from the puddle she fell in and darted her eyes around to look for the kids. She immediately noticed Maggie in an unconscious state beneath some rubble beside Bruce.

"Maggie!" She shouted and crawled over to her. Banner grunted as he continued holding up the debris.

"Move her!" He groaned. "Get her out of there!"

Natasha quickly did so and did it carefully. Water still rained down on them as she tried to wake her.

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Rocket started panicking nearby as he was pinned beneath debris.

Rhodey's armor started to beep as he was submerged in the water. It started to spark as well.

"Canopy, canopy, canopy." He called out, which made the suit open. Rhodey grunted as he came out of it and rolled onto the shallow water.

"You guys get out of here!" Bruce told the rest.

"Let me up! Let me up!" Rocket yelled.

Rhodey crawled over to the raccoon and used rebar to lift the debris off of him. Rocket got free and they both let out an exhale as they laid down.

The colonel got back up and saw Natasha still trying to wake Maggie. He went over to assist and immediately put an ear to her chest to hear a heartbeat.

"Come on, Mags." Rhodey muttered.

"Rhodey!" Banner cried out.

"Nik?" Natasha looked around before crying out again. "Nikolai?"

Rhodey turned to Rocket nearby, and he didn't need to tell the Guardian what was on his mind before he spoke.

"Nik!" Rocket started to call out as he scurried around. "Come on, kid! Yell or something!"

Suddenly, more water started to flow into the area they were in. They were quickly washed away as the crater started to fill up. Rhodey and Natasha made sure to keep Maggie above the water.

"Mayday! Mayday!" Rhodey spoke into the comms. "We're on the lower level. It's flooding! We are drowning! Does anybody copy? Mayday!"

"Wait! I'm here!" Scott reported back. "I'm here. Can you hear me?"

Clint groaned as he started to get up. He looked down, seeing Nikolai in his arms, and he let out a sigh of relief that he was able to shield him during the fall.

"Nik? Nikolai?"

The boy sobbed into his chest and cried for his mother. Clint knew the whole ordeal was frightening.

"It's okay...it's okay." Clint reassured him. "I got you. We'll get you to her."

The archer got to his feet, carrying Nikolai with one arm as he pulled out a flashlight with the other. He aimed it through the hole they fell through.

"Cap?" He called out.

Clint treaded through the tunnel they were in. Nearby, he spotted a familiar-looking item beneath the rubble. He went over to it and brushed the rocks off, seeing that it was the nano-gauntlet.

Before he can grab it, he heard a quiet growl behind him. He turned around, and with Nikolai still holding on, he took out his bow and fired an arrow. It illuminated the tunnel, and his eyes widened upon seeing that it was Chitauri outriders.

He folded his bow and put it on his back as he bent down to grab the gauntlet. He held it with one arm and carried his nephew with the other.

"Hold on, Nik." He quickly said before running through the tunnel as the outriders chased them.

The four heroes walked up to the waiting Thanos. The Titan eyed the heroes as they got closer, then smirked.

"You could not live with your own failure." He said. "Where did that bring you? Back to me."

The quartet didn't respond and kept easing themselves closer. They stopped several yards away from him as the warlord continued.

"I thought by eliminating half of life...the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."

"Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn." Tony shot back.

Thanos chuckled. "I'm thankful. Because now...I know what I must do." He stood up and put on the helmet he had resting on his sword. "I will shred this universe down to its last atom. And then with the stones you've collected for me...create a new one..."

He continued as he pulled his double-edged blade from the ground and held it. "...teeming with life that knows not what it has lost but only what it has been given. A grateful universe."

Thor was prepared to fight the Titan. He raised Mjölnir and Stormbreaker, charging them electricity.

Y/N stood beside him and unsheathed the retractable sword had had in his pack. He then toggled his mask that enveloped his face.

"Born out of blood." Steve responded to Thanos.

"They'll never know it." He rebutted.

Thanos got in a stance, ready to take on the four Avengers.

"Because you won't be alive to tell them."