Wakanda
Late afternoon
Steve wearily walked towards the palace sitting room, remembered it from his brief time here after Siberia. He found Bruce and Thor there as well. He had lost sight of them after they returned to the palace, focused more on Barry and Natasha, he realized in guilt.
"Cap," Bruce greeted as Steve sat down on one of the couches.
"How are you two doing?" Steve asked and Thor let out a bitter bark of a laugh.
"Thanos has whipped out half the life in the universe and you wish to know if we are okay?" Thor asked incredulously and Steve winced.
"Yeah, stupid question in hindsight," Steve admitted.
"How's Nat?" Bruce asked and Steve winced.
"Not good," Steve said simply.
With the loss of Bucky, Natasha had done something he'd never seen her do in all the years he'd known her: She cried as she had a complete breakdown.
"Barnes," Bruce said and Steve broke out of his thoughts. "Were he and Nat…"
"Yeah," Steve nodded slowly. "They didn't tell me all the details, but they have a past of some sort. Had a past. But seeing them together…I've honestly never seen him happier."
"I'm sorry Cap," Bruce said and Steve smiled weakly.
"Me to," Steve said.
Suddenly, a Breach opened up at the edge of the room. Thor summoned Stormbreaker, preparing to fight but lowered it as Clint and Caitlin walked through.
"Sorry I'm late to the party," Clint said jokingly although everyone could tell it was a little forced. "Banner, Thor."
"Hey Clint," Bruce greeted.
"Barton," Thor greeted.
"Hey Clint," Steve said before his eyes were drawn to Caitlin. "Cait."
"Steve," Caitlin greeted in the same tone.
The other three began to feel awkward, feeling as though they were intruding on a private moment. But, as much as Caitlin would like to talk to Steve privately, she knew now wasn't the time. Her best friend needed her.
"Where is he?" Caitlin asked instead.
Barry was still sitting on the bed in the room Okoye had given him, in the same position he'd been in when Steve left the room. The door opened and Barry looked over, expecting to see Steve again. But it wasn't. To his shock, Caitlin stood in the doorway. Her heart broke as she saw the broken, defeated look in his eyes and on his face.
"What are you doing here Cait?" Barry asked gruffly.
"Clint and I, we know what happened," Caitlin said as she walked into the room.
"How?" Barry asked and she wanted to tell him everything, to tell him about Freya.
But now wasn't the time. She'd tell him in the morning.
"That's not why I'm here," Caitlin said as she sat down next him, pulling him into a hug.
The dam broke. Barry buried his head in her shoulder, breaking down as he sobbed into her shoulder. Caitlin just held him, silent tears streaming down her face as well as they both grieved.
Natasha was lying on the bed in her assigned room, staring at nothing, numb to the world. She heard the door open but she didn't turn to see who it was.
"Go away Steve," Natasha said dully.
"Well, I know I'm good looking, but I'm not Cap," Natasha shot up, looking at Clint stunned. "Hey Nat."
"Clint. What are you doing here?" Natasha asked.
"You have to ask?" Clint asked as he sat down next to her. "How you holding up?"
"You know how I used to say love was for children?" Natasha asked softly and Clint nodded. "I lied. I just couldn't let myself be that vulnerable with anyone; let them into my heart so completely. Because I knew if I lost them…it would break me. So I kept myself from letting anyone in that way. Even Bruce, I knew he would never really commit to anything because of the other guy. Until Bucky, until I got him back. I should have trusted my instincts."
Clint wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that it wasn't a mistake that she had let Bucky into her heart. But he knew his best friend well enough to know that wouldn't be helpful right now. So he simply wrapped an arm around her, hoping to offer her some comfort in that moment.
San Francisco
Same time
Freya walked onto the roof of the building, heading towards the machine. She looked over at the van before she walked up to the machine.
"Really hope you were right Fitz," Freya muttered as she began pressing buttons.
Suddenly, the back of the van, which had what looked like a miniature tunnel emerging from it, glowed orange. Freya heard a scream and a man in a strange suit fell to the ground. Scott Lang groaned as his helmet retracted and he stood up, looking around and spotting Freya.
"Who are you? And where are my friends?" Scott asked bewildered.
"Well Scott, a lot's happened while you've been in the Quantum Realm. We have a lot to do, so let me catch you up to speed," Freya told him as he looked at her bewildered.
New York
Same time
"Nice place," Frank said sarcastically as Fury led Frank into a rundown apartment. "So, you wanna tell me what this is all about?"
"Look around Castle, half the city is up and gone. And it's not just New York, this is happening all around the world. I'm not even sure if The Avengers are still alive. If that's the case, earth still needs protecting," Fury said and it didn't take Frank long to get what Fury was saying.
"So what, you want me to be part of your new Avengers? Do I look Avengers material to you?" Frank asked, laughing at the suggestion.
"You think what you've done holds a candle to what Natasha Romanoff has done? Before his stint in Afghanistan, Stark was basically a war profiteer. And you don't even wanna know about Barton. You're leaving behind a legacy of fear, people will tell their children one day to behave or The Punisher will come to get them," Fury said and Frank stiffened, clenching his fists and Fury felt badly about the low blow before moving on. "I'm offering you a chance to leave behind a better legacy. To be something more than the big bad Punisher. This team, it's about second chances. Question is…are you willing to take it?"
Tahiti
Same time
The Zephyr touched down on the beach and Mack saw a figure sitting down on the beach.
"Stay here," Mack said gruffly before moving towards the lover lever
The ramp lowered as Mack reached it and Mack walked down onto the beach.
"She's gone," Coulson said once Mack reached him. "May's gone. And I'm guessing she's not the only one."
"No. Elena, Daisy, Simmons, they're all gone. It's not just us, it's happening all around the world. What's happening sir?" Mack asked, desperately hoping Coulson would have some answers.
"I don't know. But I've never seen anything like it," Coulson said as he looked up at Mack. "Well Director Mackenzie, looks like we have our work cut out for us."
Wakanda
Same time
"I couldn't save them," Barry told Caitlin softly once he had gained control of himself. "Cisco and Wanda, I couldn't do anything but watch them turn to dust. For a hero, I sure let a lot of people die."
"You know I didn't mean that," Caitlin said, knowing he got that from her first time turning into Killer Frost.
"But it's true. There are so many people I couldn't save. My mom, my dad, Ronnie, Eddie, HR, and now Cisco and Wanda. I'm no hero Cait, I just…I fail. Every time, I fail," Barry said miserably.
"So, you stopping Savitar, that was you failing? Or when you beat Zoom, that was you failing? Or how about all the lives you've saved, the Metas you've stopped? Was that you failing?" Caitlin challenged.
"Cait-" Barry started.
"No, I'm not gonna let you do this to yourself. Not everything that happens is your fault. There was nothing you could have done Barry. Blaming yourself won't bring them back. Going after Thanos might," Caitlin said and Barry looked at her intently, causing her to smile slightly at the fact he seemed a bit more like himself. "Thanos' gauntlet did this; it can undo it as well."
"We can bring them back. We can bring them all back," Barry realized with a bit of hope in his voice as Caitlin nodded.
"Exactly. Now, pick yourself up and get a goodnight sleep. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow," Caitlin told him as stood up and she walked out of the room, leaving Barry to his thoughts.
San Francisco
Same time
Scott barged into the house, frantically looking around.
"Cassie! Cassie!" Scott called out as he searched for his daughter.
"Daddy!"
Scott turned and practically sank down to his knees as he saw his daughter rush to him, tears streaming down her face. Scott caught her in his arms, breathing in her scent as he felt relief coursing through him that his daughter was safe.
"Daddy, mommy and Jim, they turned into dust bunnies," Cassie said as she pulled back, fear and confusion in her eyes.
"I know Peanut. Don't worry, we're gonna fix this, I promise," Scott said as he pulled her in for a tight hug.
Titan
Same time
Tony winced as Nebula stitched up his wound.
"Thanks," Tony said as she finished. "So, what are the chances of making it back to Earth?"
"Very good, but you would be dead by the time we would reach it. The fuel cells on my sister's ship were damaged. We would not make it in time," Nebula said and Tony sighed.
"Figured that, but had to know for sure," Tony grumbled.
Suddenly, they heard a noise, like the roar of an engine. The pair looked up to see a ship that resembled a plane entering the planet's atmosphere. It landed several feet away from them. Nebula prepared for a fight, drawing her weapons to defend the wounded Tony if necessary as a ramp lowered. Three people emerged from the ship: what appeared to be an elderly human man with a bald head, a human several years his junior with brown hair and a man in a golden helmet.
"Greetings Nebula, Anthony Stark," the seemingly elder man greeted them, throwing the pair for a loop. "I am Enoch. These are my companions, Leopold Fitz and Doctor Fate. We have come to escort you back to Earth."