Second Chances

Chapter 8: chAos

The movies don't seem to care much about time differences so I'm not going to either.
Assume the different sections of the story are happening mostly simultaneously.
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"Steve? Babe, what's-" Natasha started only to get cut off by Steve kissing her. Steve had an arm wrapped around her back and a hand cradling the back of her head. Despite initially being caught off guard, Natasha easily reciprocated, placing her hands on either side of his neck. Eventually Steve pulls away, only so far as to rest his forehead against hers.
"Not that I'm complaining about that particular distraction technique, but I know something's bothering you." Natasha stated sitting back against the headboard. "You wanna tell me about it?"
Steve averts his eyes - choosing instead to stare at the phone on the bedside table, with each second that passes and it doesn't ring he allows himself to hope it had all been in his head. "You know I love you, right?"
Natasha leans forward, interlacing her fingers with Steve's. "Steve, look at me." Natasha waits for him to oblige.
"Of course I do. What makes you think I would doubt that?" Natasha asks.
"I don't know... I can't tell if it was real or it was just a nightmare." Steve admits.
"I'm guessing that's your answer?" Natasha surmises when Steve flinches at the ringing from the cell phone.
Steve exhales defeatedly. "Get the team ready. We're going to war." Natasha grabs her go-bag and her phone off the nightstand before heading out to wake up Sam, Hunter and Bobbi.
"We're on our way Bruce." Steve answered.
"I'm not Banner. He's not even around yet." Rhodey retorted.
"Rhodey? I - why do you have Tony's phone?" Steve balked.
"He threw it at me before flying out the window saying he had to go see a wizard about a necklace." Rhodey answered dryly. "Pepper's pissed."
"The time stone." Steve realized. "I don't understand, this wasn't the plan; what the hell happened?"
"Somebody hijacked the Infinity stones. Instead of bringing everyone back to 2023, we're redoing 2018." Rhodey paused. "I know this is a long shot but any chance Nat remembers anything? We're far enough ahead if the attack this time that this wasn't an accident - somebody did this on purpose."
"No... I'm not sure if I'd prefer she did or not." Steve answered.
"I sent out the distress call to Carol so hopefully she can help us this time around." Rhosey added.
"We're on our way to get Wanda and Vision... you said we're ahead of the attacks this time; how far?" Steve questioned.
"Twleve hours from first contact on Earth... not sure how that relates to everything our cosmic counterparts went through and I don't know how long this lead is gonna last." Rhodey answered. "I'm trying to get in contact with everyone else, if we throw more superheroes at the problem, maybe we'll beat Thanos the first go-around this time."
"If we're racing against a clock maybe we should take Vision straight to Wakanda." Steve suggested.
"The time stone is our real problem, so long as we keep that thing out of Thanos' hands we should be in good shape." Rhodey agreed. "When you get there do me a favor and get yourself checked out - we don't know what kind of after effects those stones might have."
"Only if you do the same, check everyone in the chain you can get to." Steve stipulated.
                            *****
"We can't go into the Quantum realm tomorrow." Scott declared to Hank, Hope, Janet, Ava and Bill.
"What?" Hank asked.
"Why not?" Hope seconded.
"Because time travel is real. I don't have time to explain the whole thing but the Avengers need our help or most of you are going to die. Except Bill... I think you were okay." Scott trailed off.
"Your boyfriend isn't making any sense." Ava remarked.
"You went into a time vortex didn't you?" Janet guessed.
"I don't know. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were kind of in charge of the whole thing." Scott admitted.
"Stark? You went to Stark with my technology?" Hank exclaimed.
"Dad." Hope interjected.
"You were dead! Did you want me to leave you dead?" Scott replied defensively.
"Okay, Scott; what's the plan here. The Avengers are still split up, where do we find them?" Hope asked calmly.
"I have no idea. One of them has to be at the Compound so we go there." Scott stated.
"You don't have a plan?" Ava raised an eyebrow.
"We had a plan. This was not the plan. Obviously something went wrong with the plan and now we have to go find of them and figure out a new plan." Scott rambled.
"Okay; Scott get your suit. I'm coming with you this time." Hope grabbed her jacket off the chair.
"Hope." Hank protested.
"Let them go, Hank. We can help Ava just the three of us." Janet interjected. "Without working suits we're not much help on the battlefield anyway."
"Mind if I tag along?" Ava spoke up. "You guys are helping me so I figure I should return the favor and I kind of owe you for trying to kill you guys."
"Kind of?" Hank muttered.
"I was told this was, uh, will be an all hands on deck thing so sure." Scott agreed cheerily.
"Do not give Stark my technology this time Scott." Hank ordered.
                             *****
"If I leave are you going to divorce me?" Clint asked seeing as Laura had followed him out into the barn where all of his gear was hidden.
"Who called you? Rogers? Stark? The last time they got you involved in all this - Nat had to bail you out at her own expense." Laura demanded. "They're the reason the kids haven't seen their Auntie Nat in three years and now you're gonna leave again?"
"That's the reason I wasn't there the first time - nobody called me. I have to go, there's a war coming Laura and if I don't fight then you, the kids... Nat - you're going to die right in front of me and there's nothing I can do to stop it. Nobody is making me go, Laura but if I stay here and it all goes to hell again, I will never forgive myself. I won't be the same man you fell in love with, hell I'm not even sure I am that guy right now but I want to be." Clint pleaded.
"You're not making any sense but you've never lied to me before and I don't know why you'd start now. Go." Laura relented. "When you come back, we're gonna talk."
Clint shoved his suit, quiver and bow into a duffel bag, hesitating when he sees the sword amongst his other weapons. He picks it up and tosses it in with his gear before tossing the entire bag into the backseat of his car.
"This is the last time, I promise."
"I know." Laura nodded and kissed her husband goodbye. "Just make sure you come home to us."
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"You really need to work on your landings." Carol remarked offering a hand up to Richard after his not so grateful landing on the Statesman.
"Just becasue I've mentally got the technique doesn't mean I've physically caught up." Richard retorted. "Looks like we might be too late." The pair observed the nearly empty ship.
"The escape pods are still here so the people should be too." Carol reasoned.
"The people are being evacuated via the space stone this time. We were hoping one of you guys would turn up." Brunhilde lowered her sword having apparently deemed them not a threat.
"Rocket's en route with Groot and Gamora. They'll take Thor to Nidavellir to get Stormbreaker and more importantly keep Gamora away from Thanos." Carol informed her.
"Genis is in his way to help Kraglin free Nebula. They'll meet up with the other Guardians. Hopefully they'll beat Thanos to the reality stone this time." Richard added.
"Considering you're here he's already got the power stone." Brunhilde remarked. "Follow me."
"Once your people have been evacuated, I'll be taking the space stone." Carol stated. "I'll head to Vormir on the off chance Thanos manages to get there. Keep him from killing anybody for it."
"Any chance of us getting the new improved Hulk or are we gonna have to make do with regular old rage moster?" Richard asked.
"Bruce says he's working on it." Brunhilde shrugged.
"Any word from anyone on Earth?" Thor asked.
Carol held up her wrist gauntlet that the pager was transmitting to. "I got the beacon from Fury's pager but it's more of a one way thing."
"Brunhilde and I are headed to Earth. We'll fill them in on your plans." Heimdall assured her.
"And find the future queen while we're at it." Brunhilde quipped.
"Our warriors were slaughtered by Hela, we are fortunate that Lady Sif was not on Asgard as we are in desperate need of warriors at the moment." Thor corrected.
"Sure. Sure. No ulterior motive at all." Brunhilde stated sarcastically.
"There is another Asgardian on Midguard. A berserker. I will find him as well. Brunhilde will do her job to protect the royal family and keep Loki out of trouble with the Avengers." Heimdall interjected.
"I'll keep him alive, I never said anything about staying out of trouble." Brunhilde retorted.
"Let's go space pirate - we got a hammer to make!" Rocket yelled over the intercomm.
"That's our cue." Richard stated.
"It's an axe!" Thor retorted despite the fact that Rocket couldn't hear him.
"Good luck." Carol said as the two of them left.
"I trust you know how powerful an item like this is." Loki handed over the tesseract to Carol.
"Yup." Carol smashed the outer shell and tucked the actual stone away in her pocket.
"You don't seem to." Loki remarked dryly.
"This thing gave me my powers, trust me - I know what I'm doing." Carol snapped. "How are you guys getting to Earth?"
"Bifrost." Heimdall picked up his sword from the table and waved the othe two to follow him to where Hulk was waiting.
                             *****
"Where did you disappear to?" May asked when Daisy walked into the medical ward.
"Saving the world." Daisy answered nonchalantly. "Next we help the Avengers save the universe and then the Avengers save Coulson."
"Huh?" Mack balked.
"Long story short, I time traveled, we need to leave now before Thanos declares all out war for the infinity stones and kills us all." Daisy answered simply. "Also all of the original Avengers and then some know you're alive... and don't freak out - Romanoff and Rogers are dating.
"What?" Coulson froze. "How far into the future? Do they break up? If they break up who's sure am I supposed to take?"
"What are infinity stones?" Deke asked. "And who are the 'Avengers'?"
"Never heard of infinity stones." Fitz shrugged. "But if the Avengers are worried about them - it's a problem with the potential to end in a disaster of cataclysmic proportions.
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I rewrote this chapter multiple times and this is the best it's gonna get so hope you guys can at least tolerate it.