Following the battle, while the majority of the Masters of the Mystic Arts and Wakandian soldiers had returned home, everyone else had elected to stay, at least for a few days, in order to pay their respects to Nebula.
Those who had homes in New York (Strange, Peter, Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Danny) had returned to those homes to get a good night's sleep and reunite with their loved ones.
Scott had phoned his ex-wife to let her know what had happened, or at least the basics of it, and to assure her Cassie was fine before picking his daughter up from Earth-1.
To those not from Earth-66 or who simply had homes pretty far from New York, Tony had graciously offered Avengers Tower and his mansion for the night to sleep. It was a tight squeeze, especially with Asgardian refugees in the mix, but everyone managed to find a place to sleep. But a new day was dawning and it was time to face the world.
Avengers' Tower
Morning
As the SHIELD team waited outside the docking bay, Fitz paced back and forth, fidgeting his hands nervously as his friends watched with a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"Fitz, you know she's gonna be happy to see you, right?" Daisy asked but, if Fitz heard her, he gave no indication of it.
"No use, he's in full panic mode," May said amused.
"Let him freak out if he wants. I mean, he did technically save the universe. Cut him a break," Bobbi shrugged.
Further conversation was interrupted as they heard the roar of an engine. Everyone looked towards the hanger bay as a Quinjet soared through. Fitz was completely still as the Quinjet landed and the ramp lowered. Before it could completely reach the floor, Jemma Simmons was rushing down the ramp.
"Fitz?" Jemma called out as she looked around for him wildly until she saw him.
"Jemma," Fitz breathed.
Neither was sure who moved first but, in a scene that felt like it was out of the movies, Fitz and Jemma rushed towards each other. They grabbed onto each other and kissed passionately, neither seeming to care that they had an audience.
"You came back to me," Jemma said breathlessly as they pulled apart, putting her hands on the sides of his face, as if to reassure her that he was really here.
"I always will," Fitz promised as he took her hands, lowering them from his face. "I thought we were cursed once, but I've realized…the universe can't stop us. Because we've crossed galaxies, we've survived the bottom of the Atlantic, traveled through time all so that we could be together. A love like that, that is stronger than any curse. And you and I, we are unstoppable together. And I- I don't want to live another day without you."
"Neither do I," Jemma said with a tearful smile.
"Good. Then, Jemma Simmons, will you marry me?" Fitz asked, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Absolutely," Jemma said with a beaming smile.
Fitz smiled before they kissed once more.
"Well, looks like we've got another FitzSimmons wedding to prepare for," Daisy said, causing Hunter and Bobbi to look confused.
"What do you mean another?" Hunter asked confused.
"It's…a long story," Mack said as he looked over at Fitz and Simmons. "Let's give them some privacy and I'll tell you all about it."
Barry laid in bed in the room Tony had given them, his arms around his sleeping wife. He was musing as he felt Wanda stir.
"Hey," Wanda said sleepily as she opened her eyes and saw him awake. "How long have you been up?"
"A while," Barry admitted as he looked over at her, still hardly believing she was here, alive, in his arms.
"Barry," Wanda said in concern as she saw the look in his eyes.
"I spent three days, knowing you were gone, that Cisco was gone, and that there was nothing I could do about it," Barry said after a moment of silence.
"I know, but I'm here," Wanda said as she took his face in his hands. "I'm okay, Cisco's okay, we're all alive. You did it, we all did it."
"What would you think of taking some time off?" Barry said randomly, throwing her. "Not permanently, just…letting Wally and Cisco protect the city for a bit."
"How long were you thinking?" Wanda asked wearily.
"Just a few months. It's just…I have been going at high speed since I woke up from my coma. I never stopped to take in, even after Flashpoint. And after all this…I'd like to take some time to just enjoy my life, with you and our daughter," Barry said, waiting to see Wanda's reaction.
"I think we'll have a lot of time on our hands. How do you feel about a vacation?" Wanda said, only half joking.
"How does Paris sound?" Barry joked and Wanda laughed.
They two got dressed and walked out, ready to start the long day. They entered what they remembered as the kitchen from their brief time living here before moving to the Compound to see Cisco, Caitlin, and Freya in conversation at the table. They stopped as they saw the pair.
"Finally joined the land of the living, huh?" Cisco said as he got up and Barry smiled.
"Yeah," Barry said before, to Cisco's surprise, he pulled his best friend into a hug. "It's good to have you back."
"Thanks," Cisco said, returning the hug.
Freya had a look like a deer caught in the headlights as she stared at the mother she had never known. It was easier with dad, she mused, as he had been there until she was fourteen. She had little memories of her mother, only fuzzy images from early childhood. Memories of unknown songs sung to her young mind and of arms holding her that had made her feel safe.
"Hi," Wanda said awkwardly.
"Hi," Freya said, slightly relieved that this was as strange for her mother as it was for her. "I know this must be strange.
"Very," Wanda agreed as she sat down, taking her daughter's hand. "But strange has been my life for…a long time."
"No kidding kid," Clint said as he walked. "Morning."
"Morning," they chorused and Clint chuckled.
"What, you rehearse that or what?" Clint joked before he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small ball. "Since you're all here, I can give you this."
"What's that?" Cisco asked confused as Freya stared at it.
"It's a message cube," Freya said and they looked over at her. "It was invented in 2024. How'd you get it?"
"The other me put it in a pocket dimension when it was given to him by your dad, just before he died," Clint said and Freya looked at him sharply. "He wanted you to have it once we beat Thanos."
"He knew?" Freya whispered and Clint nodded.
"Yeah. I saw a lot of things when I put on the helmet. I saw the other me tell your dad what would happen. I saw him record this message and the other me promised only to give it to you once Thanos and Thawne were in the ground," Clint said, holding it out to her. "And I saw the five of you watch it. I think it's meant for all of you."
Freya took it after a moment, staring down at it with an unreadable expression. Clint took his leave, walking out as the others looked at Freya.
"We can let you watch it alone, if you want," Caitlin offered but Freya shook her head.
"No. Grandpa's right, if dad made this, he wanted us all here to see it," Freya said.
"If you need a minute, we can wait," Barry said gently and she smiled.
"Thanks dad, but I really would like to see what he-you-said," Freya said.
Barry in understanding as Freya walked over and put the cube on the counter. She pressed a button as she stepped back. A light appeared as a second Barry appeared, as though he was leaning against the counter. But this Barry was drastically different than the one standing next to his family and best friends.
This Barry had a beard and the edges of his hair were starting to grey slightly. But it was his eyes that were the biggest difference. He had a look of pain in his eyes, the eyes of someone who had endured a life of great suffering.
"Hey Slugger," Future Barry said with a smile that was a pale imitation of the one Barry had given Wanda that morning. "If you're seeing this, that means you and Clint did it. You beat Thanos and Thawne. If that's the case, I hope your mom, Cisco, and Caitlin are all watching this with you. Wish I could be there to see it, to see them one more time.
"I wanted you to see this before you went, to know I had faith that you could do this, but Clint said you needed to see this after it was all over. So, when you see this, I'm hoping it's a time of celebration. That families have been reunited, all that Thanos did has been undone. That things are as they should be. But, there will still be battles to be fought, evil will rise up again," Future Barry as they all listened to his message. "Nothing in the world is what it should be, that's why it needs people like us. Heroes. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done, or how we've suffered along the way. The fight will always need to be fought; one person can make a difference. I'm about to leave to go face Magneto, and from what Clint tells me-or rather what he didn't-I have a feeling that I'm not coming back. So, there are a few things I want you to know.
"First, I'm proud of you," Future Barry said and Freya swallowed the lump in her throat as Wanda placed a hand on her shoulder. "Every day, when I see you do something I've taught you, or use your mom's powers to help someone…it's the best moment in my life. I'm sorry that it wasn't me, that you've had to spend the last eleven years without me and you've had to fix our mistakes. But if I do die today, I have no regrets. A part of the journey is the end."
Future Barry suddenly stopped, seeming to look right at Freya before seeming to look at all of them.
"I love all of you. Hopefully, we'll see each other again someday," Future Barry smiled before moving and his hologram vanished.
Freya let out a shaky breath, putting her hands to her face as they all absorbed what they had heard.
"You okay?" Barry asked gently.
"You knew. You knew you weren't going to make it back," Freya said as she looked up at him.
"Sure seems that way," Barry agreed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think I am," Freya said after a moment. "All these years, I wanted to know what you've said to me if you knew you wouldn't see me again. Now, I know. And I'm okay."
Former Avengers Compound
Afternoon
On the site where, just the previous day, they had fought to save the universe, they now met in remembrance. The Avengers, Team Flash, Team Arrow, The Legends, the SHIELD team, Freya, Kara, J'onn, Logan, T'Challa with Shuri and Okoye, Peter and his Aunt May, Scott with his daughter, ex-wife and her husband, Sif, Valkyrie, Loki, Fury, Hill, the Pym/Van Dyne family, Matt with Foggy and Karen, Strange and Wong, Jessica, Luke, Danny, Colleen, Frank and The Guardians all stood before a single grave in the center of what had been the battlefield.
Nebula
Daughter of Thanos
Guardian of the Galaxy
The one who saved us all
For a few moments, it was completely silent as they all stared at it. Then, Quill cleared his throat and they all turned to him as he stepped forward to give the eulogy.
"I didn't really know Nebula that well; she wasn't someone who was easy to get to know. I mostly knew her through Gamora. We didn't get off on the right foot, what with her trying to kill me and everything, but I grew to think of her as a friend. I'd like to think she felt the same way about me. Nebula suffered a lot under Thanos, more than any of us. But, she decided he wasn't going to define her. Nebula became the best version of herself. She saved us, heck; she saved the whole dang universe. So, if there's any justice, she and Gamora are together now," Quill finished as he looked up into the sky.
Later, long after everyone else had left, the SHIELD team was in what had once been the forest behind the Compound, staring at a single, untouched object that had somehow avoided destruction during the battle: Coulson's grave.
Daisy fell to her knees, staring at it emotionally as May, her face emotionless as it was when she tried to block out what she was feeling, put a hand on her shoulder as the others hung back, staring at it, each trying to process the fact that Coulson was truly dead.
"Can't believe this," Hunter said softly. "It just...it doesn't..."
"It doesn't feel real," Bobbi agreed as she took his hand. "It was worse when you were here for it."
"I wish there was a way we could let him know that we did it. We won," Fitz said sadly as Jemma took his hand.
"He knows," Jemma said certainly. "And he's proud of you. He's proud of all of us."
"So what happens now?" Daisy said after she stood up, gaining control of herself.
"We get back to work," Mack said before turning to Hunter and Bobbi. "How would you guys feel about coming back to SHIELD?"
"Well, since they already know about Inhumans, I guess it doesn't make much difference if we come back," Hunter mused before looking over at Bobbi. "Bob? What do you say?"
"I'd love to…if we do one thing first," Bobbi said, to everyone's confusion as she took Hunter's hand. "Do you remember what we tried to do before the ninja's showed up?"
It took a moment for Hunter to understand what she was saying. When we did, he looked at her in shock.
"I thought you said that we weren't meant for that?" Hunter said stunned.
"And then I spent three days knowing you were dead. It…changed my perspective. I can't live without you Hunter, I know that now. So, what do you say?" Bobbi asked and Hunter laughed.
"Fitz, Simmons, how do you feel about a double wedding?" Hunter asked as he looked over his shoulder.
Avengers Tower
Not long after
At the wake being held for Nebula in the tower, an important, life changing conversation was taking place.
"So you're leaving?" Steve asked Tony shocked.
"It's been something I've been thinking about for a while, but all this just made me decide to take a leap of faith. Since I lost Pepper, I've just been going through the motions. I need to go out there and find something for me. I'm going on a journey, one of self-discovery," Tony told Steve. "I've already handed in my resignation to the board at Stark Industries. It's time for me to be who I am, not who everyone expects me to be."
"Good, I'm happy for you Tony," Steve said honestly as he saw how at peace Tony was with his decision. "Where will you go?"
"Hey, Jester King," the pair looked over to see Rocket standing behind them. "You coming or what?"
A little later, Tony stood facing Steve, Rhodey, Natasha, Clint, Thor, and Peter, The Benatar behind him.
"Well, looks like this is goodbye," Tony noted.
"Farwell Stark," Thor said, holding out his hand to Tony.
"See ya Thor. Keep an eye on your brother for us, make sure he doesn't cause trouble," Tony said as took Thor's hand.
"We're talking about Loki Tony," Clint joked and they all had a good laugh.
"Clint," Tony said, looking at the archer with shame. "About The Raft, talking about your family…I…"
"Tony," Clint cut him off. "I forgive you for that a long time ago. I mean, I'm not gonna forget it, obviously, but Nat and Fury got my family out in time. I know you weren't trying to put them in danger. And, to be honest, we're all happier on Earth-1."
Tony looked surprised but relieved as Clint held a hand out to him.
"Take care of yourself Tony," Clint said as Tony grasped Clint's hand.
"You to Clint, look out for Barry. Trouble seems to always follow him," Tony joked as he turned to Rhodey.
"So, looks like this is it huh?" Rhodey said thickly.
"Yeah. Look out for these guys, okay?" Tony said and Rhodey nodded.
"Yeah. I'll miss you man," Rhodey said as they hugged.
"I'll miss you to," Tony said thickly as they pulled back. "But I need to do this, for me."
Rhodey nodded in understanding as Tony turned to Natasha.
"Look like this is it, huh? It all started with us," Tony noted.
"Yeah. Us and Bruce. Shame he couldn't stick around for this," Natasha noted.
"We said our goodbyes earlier. He said he had somewhere he needed to be," Tony noted wistfully.
"Goodbye Tony," Natasha said.
"Goodbye Nat. I hope you get whatever you want out of life," Tony said before he turned to Peter.
"I don't know if I can do this without you. I can't be like you Mr. Stark," Peter confessed and Tony smiled.
"You're right, you can't be like me. You can be better," Tony said, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Better than I ever was. The future's in your hands kid. Do good."
Tony then dropped his hand to his side and turned to Steve.
"I will miss you Tony," Steve said and Tony smiled.
"I'll miss you to Cap," Tony said, holding out his hand to Steve. "I'm sorry, for everything."
"Me to," Steve said as he shook Tony's hand.
"Take care of yourself Steve," Tony said as they dropped hands.
Tony then grabbed a briefcase, containing a suit inside and a duffle bag before he boarded the ship.
"About dang time," Rocket said as Tony dropped the bag.
"I am Groot," Groot said, not looking up from his game.
"Yeah, we almost left without you," Quill said from the pilot's seat.
"Okay, calm down Han," Tony said as he sat down into a chair. "I'm here and I'm ready to go, don't go postal on me. So…where should we go first?"
"Let's start with up." Quill said before the ship started to take off.
Harvard University
Later in the afternoon
Bruce took a deep breath as he took it all in. Eight years since he'd been here and it still looked the same. People stopped and stared at him, recognizing him as The Hulk but he ignored them as he took a trip down memory lane.
"Bruce?"
Bruce tensed at the sound of her voice. He turned around, slowly, to see Betty Ross staring at him in shock.
"Hey Betty," Bruce said awkwardly. "It's been a while."
"Eight years," Betty agreed, not taking her eyes off him.
"So…how have you been?" Bruce asked awkwardly.
"I've been good. You?" Betty asked.
"Well, you must have heard the stories?" Bruce said and Betty nodded.
"I have," Betty agreed. "So…how are the two of you? Any…progress?"
"Yeah, we…made peace. You were right all those years ago. He was never a disease, he was…part of me," Bruce said, trying to explain but not sure he succeeded.
"Good, that's good," Betty said, seeming happy for him.
"So, is there…anyone special in your life?" Bruce asked awkwardly, trying to keep his voice even.
From the amused similar she gave him, he wasn't sure he was successful.
"No. You?" she asked.
"No," Bruce said honestly and she nodded.
"Good," Betty said, to his confusion.
Betty then walked over and pulled him into a kiss. Although surprised, Bruce quickly grabbed her and returned the kiss.
Avengers Tower
Same time
In the lab, The Avengers, Team Flash, Team Arrow, Legends, The Defenders, T'Challa, Fury, Freya, Kara, J'onn, Clark, Strange, and Loki all stared down at the six Infinity Stones, which had been assembled carefully on a table.
"Okay, so what do we do with these things?" Sam asked wearily.
"I say we destroy them. Less trouble for everyone," Jessica said indifferently.
"No, that would be a very bad idea," Loki said immediately.
"Loki is right for once," Strange said as they all looked over at him. "The Stones have been here since the beginning of time, they're as much a part of existence as the stars. To destroy even one could have catastrophic consequences not only for this universe, but the entire multiverse."
"Yeah, so let's not do that," Cisco said uneasily.
"But this kind of power can't fall into the wrong hands again," Steve noted.
"So we do the only logical thing," Barry said as they all looked over at him. "We split them apart among the multiverse."
"Just like that?" Luke asked skeptically.
"Yeah, just like that. I mean, they only exist in this section of the multiverse, right?" Barry asked as he looked over at Strange.
"That's right. The Stones have always existed here. If we split them apart, they'll never be used by someone like Thanos again," Strange agreed.
"So some of us take one and protect it," Steve said and everyone looked around, all in agreement.
"So I guess the only question is who takes what stone," Danny noted as they all looked down at the six objects of power.
"The Masters of the Mystic Arts have sworn an oath to protect the Time Stone. It goes with me," Strange said in a tone that left no room for argument as he picked it up.
"Thanos took the Space Stone from me, I will make sure it never falls into the hands of one such as him again," Thor declared as he picked up the blue stone.
"I shall take the Mind Stone to Wakanda," T'Challa said as he picked up the stone that had once been in Vision's head. "Anyone who dares to take it will have to fight all of Wakanda to get it."
"Which stone is the most dangerous?" Kara asked as she eyed the Reality, Power, and Soul Stones.
"The Power Stone. Only someone truly powerful like Thanos is able to hold it," Strange said grimly.
"We can take it, no one will find it on the Waveridder," Ray offered.
"No!" Barry, Oliver, Cisco, Caitlin, Wanda, Clint, Laurel, and Roy all shouted, almost making everyone else jump.
"If half the stories Sara has told us are true, the last place it belongs is with you guys," Oliver said firmly.
"You created a world without Star Wars!" Cisco exclaimed like it was a criminal offense.
"Yeah, why don't we just set the Ozone on fire instead?" Laurel said snarkily.
"That actually sounds like a better alternative to letting you guys have it," Clint said as the Legends exchanged sheepish look.
"They have a point," Sara admitted.
"I'll take it," Clark said as he reached down and picked up the purple stone. "No one will find it in my Fortress of Solitude."
Strange eyed him, not surprised Clark was able to hold it after what he had seen during the battle. They all nodded, in agreement as they looked down at the two remaining stones.
"I guess I'll take the Reality Stone back to Earth-1," Barry said as he picked it up and they all stopped, looking down at the Soul Stone.
"What about this one?" Roy asked.
"Put it back where it came from," Strange said and they looked at him. "The Soul Stone has been guarded by a guide who explains what you need to do in order to take it. In order to take it, you must sacrifice what you love."
"Thanos came back from Vormir with the stone, his daughter Gamora didn't," Natasha remembered.
"Because no one else who found it was willing to make that sacrifice or there was nothing to sacrifice. It's the perfect place to hide it," Strange explained.
"I'll take it back when I take Mjolnir and Loki back," Barry said and Loki tensed and Thor looked confused.
"What do you mean take them back?" Thor said as he looked over at his brother.
"I asked him to take me back to Sakaar, where Thawne recruited me," Loki explained gently. "Brother, I do not belong here."
"Loki…" Thor trailed off, pain on his face.
"I must return to my own time. There is a natural order to things, I see that now," Loki said as Thor looked at him devastated.
"Thor, I get it, but Loki doesn't belong here. Leaving him here could have a lot of unintended consequences on the timeline," Barry said gently as Thor looked over at. "I went back in time and saved my mom. When I realized I'd made a mistake, I tried to set things back to how they were, but I just ended up making things worse."
"Time is fragile. The smallest change can have lasting consequences for the timeline. Loki cannot stay, no matter how much you may want him to," Strange said, compassion shining in his eyes.
"Brother, you must let me go," Loki said as he walked over, putting a hand on Thor's shoulder.