Bab 5: A Small Ray of Hope
Steve Roger's POV
After I became a fugitive, due to defecting the Avengers and saving my best friend, Bucky Barnes, my brother in arms, I layed low for a while, due to the Sokovia Accords.
But despite all that, I still found myself doing some hero work, secretly.
Then, some months later, aliens came over Manhattan, New York City. And Tony went missing.
Then some other aliens came over at Edinburgh, Scotland, and attacked Vision, one of my former Avengers teammates and Wanda, one of my teammate, who has periodically secret meetings with Vision, because of some.....Things. Anyway.
They wanted his Infinity Stone, but thankfully, we were able to fight them off.
We beat the two aliens, mortally injured one of them. When we were just about to capture them, they retreated to their waiting Q-Ship, to nurse their wounds, narrowly escaping. We were just about to capture them, but at that moment, the two retreated to their waiting Q-Ship to nurse their wounds. They then went to Avengers Compound, our home, to heal Vision's half-broken body and nursed Wanda Maximoff, who was staying with Vision.
Upon arrival in the Avengers Compound, I was approached by Thaddeus Ross. He mocked me, saying I was wrong to believe that I would be allowed to be a hero again.
But I told him that I was done asking for permission or forgiveness, reminding him that Iron Man was no longer here to defend the Earth. I went as far as to threaten him and the Governments of the World to go to war with them if they would try to get in the way.
When Ross ordered Rhodes to arrest us, he cut off the communication and joined us. Reassembled in a room, the Avengers which only contained myself, War Machine, Sam Wilson, Black Widow, Vision, Wanda and Banner, to discuss our course of action, and Banner warned us that Thanos was coming for Vision's Infinity Stone.
Both Maximoff and I protested when Vision offered to sacrifice himself to destroy the Stone. When Vision proposed his life on the line, I was still unwilling to let him sacrifice himself, but Vision reminded me of my own act of sacrifice, asking how his own choice was any different. Once Banner proposed a solution of removing the Infinity Stone, I decided we needed to know where to find it in, which was Wakanda.
We then arrived Wakanda, and met with T'Challa, the king of Wakanda, and he reunited with his best friend, Bucky Barnes. He watched as Banner and Shuri discussed the delicate operation to remove Vision's Mind Stone.
Just then, a signal of a massive Outrider Dropship crashing onto Wakanda's dome interrupted the conversation. T'Challa swiftly ordered the city to be evacuated and for its defenses to be initiated.
I, alongside Black Widow and Black Panther, confronted Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian. The encounter proved to be fruitless as they faced a non-negotiable opponent. I then rejoined the rest of the army, ready to face the onrushing horde of Outriders.
The barrier tried its best to keep the Outriders at bay, killing countless numbers, but more and more kept pouring through, forcing their way through the barrier's defenses.
With the enemies threatening to breach their defenses, we had no choice but to open the barrier and let the Outriders flow in. I stood beside Black Panther, ready to take on horde after horde of Outriders.
Despite putting up a fierce fight, we found ourselves slowly overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.
However, the arrival of Thor, his newly-constructed axe, which he called it, The Stormbreaker in tow, Groot and Rocket turned the tide of the battle.
Eventually, Wanda Maximoff was forced to enter the battle to give them an edge. However, Maximoff's participation left Vision open to get attacked by Glaive, who had infiltrated the city, ruining the process of removing the stone, so I raced to save Vision.
Together, we finally defeated Glaive.
As victory was almost at their grasp, I was told by Banner that Thanos had arrived in a space portal. Having acquired almost all of the Infinity Stones, I gave a final reminder to stay sharp, rallied the Avengers to hold Thanos off for as long as they could. Desperately, Rogers faced Thanos with the dire situation of his allies being subdued. As Maximoff tearfully destroys Vision's Mind Stone, me and his allies find themselves hopelessly outmatched by Thanos and his dominion over the fabrics of existence granted by the nearly complete Infinity Gauntlet. When Wanda destroyed the Mind Stone, we atleast thought that we atleast prevented Thanos's plans, but to our disappointment, he used the Time Stone, brought back the Mind Stone to it's original state, took it off of Vision, killing him off, and also got the Last Infinity Stone. Despite Thor's final attempt to stop him, Thanos achieved his goal of killing off half the universe.
He then used the Space Stone and portal himself to another planet.
I then started seeing most of my comrades. First Bucky, Sam, T'Challa, Shuri and then Wanda. I knelt next to Vision's demolished body, unable to do anything knowing that half of all life, including some of his closest friends, were now gone. I didn't know what to do.
Some time later, Banner explained me that if we use the Stones again, we could bring them back again. With that, we started to find where would Thanos be.
Rocket brought out his projector and observed the energy signals of Thanos using the Infinity Stones on Earth until two days ago, another energy surge had appeared on Planet-0259-S. We all knew what this means, he was at that location.
We traveled to that location, with Rocket, upgrading our Quinjet, precisely determined the team, consisting of Banner in his Mark XLVIII Armor, Black Widow, War Machine, Rocket, Thor, and Captain Marvel (who said that she was a friend of Fury and wanted to avenge him), to head over to Thanos' location.
We managed to easily subdue Thanos, and Thor cut off the Titan's arm with the Infinity Gauntlet to keep him from using the Infinity Stones. Me and Romanoff walked over to confront Thanos as Rocket looked over to the Stones and realized they were gone.
Thanos told them he destroyed the Infinity Stones. I then further questioned him, what did he did with Tony (As he already had the Time Stone, knowing that he was defeated). To which Thanos laughs and mocks that he is dead along with his teammates. He then looked at Rocket and said to him that he also killed his teammates. This made us all angry, especially Rocket.
But before we could do anything, Thor used his axe and chopped Thanos's head off, and walked off.
That's it. I knew that day, that Thanos won, and we completely lost. I felt empty, knowing that our friends are never coming back and the person who did it, has been killed. There is no hope left.
5 years later, most of us tried to move on, from it, but we never could. They were alerted to a new arrival; Scott Lang, who was assumed dead from the Snap. Letting Lang in, they learned that he had been trapped in the Quantum Realm during the five years; however, from his perspective, it had only been five hours. Lang reasoned that by using quantum physics to their advantage, they might be able to take place before Thanos. Hearing that, after 5 years, I felt a bit hopeful.
We went to Bruce, to help us with the 'Time Heist', which Scott named it. To which Bruce readily agreed. Due to Tony's death, it took 2 years for us, to finish the Upgraded Quantum Tunnel and new advanced suit for the Avengers, as we didn't have Stark with us anymore. We also realized that they could not change their timeline's past and would actually be visiting alternate timelines, thus, if we go back in timeline, it won't change anything for our present timeline.
I divided the team into 4 parts, to get all the Infinity Stones. Me, Scott and Bruce would go to to Earth, after the Battle of New York, to get Space Stone, Mind Stone and Time Stone. Thor and Rocket would go to Asgard, during the events when Dark Elves are about to attack Asgard, to steal Reality Stone. James Rhodes would go to Morag, and get the Power Stone, before Peter Quill who was nicknamed as Star Lord does.
And finally, the Soul Stone, which was a tricky one. Rocket then revealed to us, that he once eavesdroped over Gamora and Nebula's conversation, talking about the location, by what she described the place, where the Stone was kept, he was 100% sure, the place, she was talking about, was Vormir. So, I gave the mission of getting the Soul Stone to Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff).
With that, we suit up, and started the Operation: Time Heist.
It did took us some time, but we got the Stones on my side. Thor and Rocket brought the Reality Stone. Then Hawkeye came. We waited for some time, for Rhodes, Natasha and Clint to come back.
But to our horror, instead of them, a ship came out. It was none other then Sanctuary II from the past. And it openly fired at our Compound, through which we all narrowly escaped.
Thanos came out from the Ship, alongside his army. He was carrying his Gauntlet, which contains two stones, Power Stone and Soul Stone. Seeing the Stones, I knew that my friends are either captured or worse, dead. To avenge our comrades, despite our odds against Thanos's army, we still fought him, till our last breath.
We did our best. But we still lost. Thanos got his Infinity Stones, and everyone, except me and Thor, are dead. We both looked at each other and made a silent agreement, knowing that we both won't let Thanos succeed in winning.
With that, I hold my Shield and the Mjölnir (which thought of me worthy, during the mid-fight of Thanos), and Thor taking his Stormbreaker, we let out a last cry and decided to destroy the Stones, rendering it useless. Due to the destruction of Infinity Stone, it caused a huge amount of explosion. I shielded myself with my with my weapons, while Thor didn't got any time to react.
The result was the Mjölnir broken beyond repair, my shield broken halfway. I then looked at Thor, who was about to die, the only reason he is alive is because of his Asgardian Physiology. All the soldiers and Thanos were knocked unconscious by the Shockwave. I came in front of Thor, who used the Bifrost to take us to New Asgard.
The Asgardians, seeing Thor's condition, took him to take treatment. But Thor denied, saying that his time is getting up. He requested me to look after his people, to save this world against Thanos and to also avenge our comrades. To which I agreed. Thor used all his ounce of power, using his Stormbreaker, created a Bifrost, and teleported the Whole New Asgard to a safe disclosed location in Norway. With that Thor gave his Stormbreaker to me, and took his final breath. His body then turned into golden dust.
Three years have passed. And my energy to go on, is decreasing, I lost everyone, my friends, my love, my home and now maybe even these whole planet. But I still won't give up. Inwardly, I believe that there might still be a small ray of hope for us. So, I continued to wait for it.
And after all these years, it finally came. Hope, in the form of a white-haired kid. Damien Robinson.
MC POV
So, yeah. I basically told them that I am a Time Traveler, who came 3 years before Past Thanos invaded the world, and I am actually a 5 years old, but because of the time travel, my age changed. At first, they denied, but then, Daisy Johnson, to whom I was surprised to see but hid it carefully, showed my missing report, and my photo, showing that I was clearly 5 years old. She also then checked my birth date which was 31st April, 2018. This was enough to say that I am saying the truth.
As you recounted your story, a sense of disbelief washed over the faces of those listening. The concept of time travel was incredibly far-fetched, especially given the circumstances. I could see the gears turning in their heads as they processed the information.
Cap, always one to consider all possibilities, stared at you intently, his eyes searching for any hint of deception. The mere mention of time travel was enough to pique his interest, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions immediately.
"So, you're saying you traveled through time?" Cap asked, his voice holding a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. He seemed to be both unsure and intrigued by my account, struggling to make sense of it all.
I said, "I know you won't believe me, but tell me one thing. What Would a 5 year old kid get by deceiving you sir."
Captain America, taken slightly by surprise by my straightforward response, took a few moments to process my words. He couldn't deny the logic behind my statement. A 5-year-old, especially one claiming to be a time traveler, had little to gain by deceiving them.
"That's a fair point, kid," Cap responded, his tone a mix of skepticism and consideration. "But you have to understand, the idea of time travel is... well, it's a bit hard to wrap our heads around."
I tried to take a gamble and said, "I know. But Looking at you being normal about time travel, I think you recently have done time traveling, didn't you?"
Captain America's eyes widened slightly, caught off-guard by my observation. Clearly, my mention of time travel had struck a chord. There was a hint of surprise in his expression, but he quickly composed himself, not wanting to reveal too much.
He shifted his weight slightly and avoided making direct eye contact as he responded. "What makes you say that?"
I shrugged, "Just a hunch."
Captain America's gaze momentarily locked with mine, as if sizing you up even further. It was evident that my guess held at least a hint of truth. The fact that I'd picked up on it made him even more wary.
"Just a hunch, huh?" he responded, his voice taking on a slightly guarded tone. "You're observant, I'll give you that."
Daisy Johnson, who had been silently listening, chimed in, her eyes flickering with interest. "Captain, maybe the kid's onto something here. I mean, you guys did do some time traveling a few years back, didn't you?"
The Captain's gaze turned towards Daisy, a mix of surprise and annoyance on his face. Clearly, she had unintentionally revealed something that he would have preferred to keep hidden for the time being.
But before he can, I interjected, "Ms. Johnson is right sir, I am onto something."
Captain America turned his attention back to me, a mixture of curiosity and slight irritation on his face. The fact that I had picked up on their time travel endeavor wasn't sitting well with him, as he preferred to keep such matters confidential.
"And what exactly are you onto?" he inquired, his voice tinged with a hint of defensiveness.
I started, "First, tell me sir, how did you time travelled before?"
Captain America, a sigh escaping his lips, weighed the choice between revealing information and maintaining secrecy. He took a moment to think before answering my question.
"We had a... well, a team of special individuals," he began. "They used Pym Particles to time travel."
I pretended to look in awe, "Quantum Dimension, huh. Makes sense. But if you do that, you won't go at your original timeline, but in an alternate timeline."
The Captain nodded, acknowledging my observation. "You're right," he conceded. "We were aware of the risks and prepared for the possibility of creating an alternate timeline. It was a calculated gamble to save the world."
The way he stopped, I said, "I am sensing a big but here, sir."
Captain America's expression grew more contemplative as I mentioned a "big but." I have correctly picked up on the fact that there was more to their time travel exploit than just the act of traveling through time.
"You're astute," he acknowledged, his voice heavy with a hint of resignation. "There is, in fact, a 'but' to our time travel endeavor."
He paused for a moment, seeming to gather his thoughts before continuing. "The act of time travel has consequences, kid. We knew that. But the cost... was higher than we anticipated."
Then everything clicked. "The Past Thanos."
Captain America's eyes widened slightly, a touch of surprise evident in his expression. It was clear that I had connected the dots. "Exactly," he confirmed, his voice solemn.
"Our time travel attempt brought Past Thanos into our present. And the consequences of that encounter were dire."
"But how? You would need Pym Particles to time travel. Unless... It got stolen."
Captain America's expression turned more serious at my words. "You've got a sharp mind, kid," he acknowledged. "Yes, the Pym Particles were stolen and used by Past Thanos to bring his armies into the present time."
His words carried a weight of worry and regret, as the memory of the devastating battle against Thanos was fresh in his mind.
I said,"Who's Pym Particles did he stole?"
Captain America's expression darkened further as he thought back to the event. "I narrowed down to three people. Natasha, Clint and Rhodes," he answered. "Past Thanos might have captured them, as he had Power Stone and Soul Stone. I don't even know that they are alive or dead. Except them, all the Avengers, who fought with me are dead."
I said sympathetically, "I am sorry for your loss." While inwardly, I was freaking out, as, at first the Time Heist happened two years according to the Canon event, as I have seen on the newspaper, which must be the last newspaper to be published.
And there is no appearance of Tony and Nebula, in Cap's story. By Cap's face, I think Tony is dead.
I began thinking, 'So, now I know, why this is happening. This is happening because of me. I am an anomaly. So, it's my...Wait. What am I saying? This is not my fault. I didn't asked to be reincarnated.' I then subtly calmed myself down.
Captain America nodded, appreciating my sympathy. The pain of losing his friends was still fresh, and the mention of their absence brought a visible pang of sadness.
"Thanks, kid," he muttered, his voice tinged with a hint of anguish. "Losing even one friend... it's hard enough. But..." His voice trailed off, the weight of uncertainty and grief hanging heavy in the air.
To make him accept my plan I am going to say, I thought of emotionally blackmail him. I said somberly, "I was born on 31st April 2018, My parents turned into dust, when I was just one month old."
I continued, "My Grandma was the one who looked after me for 5 years. When I accidentally time traveled to 2 years later, and turned myself into 17 years old, I went to my home. The only thing I saw was a ruined house and my Grandma's skeleton on her chair. I guess, because I left during these 2 years, she was looking for me, and waited for me, till she died."
I finished, "I just want to say this, sir, that you are not alone in this sir. We are all in this together."
Captain America's expression softened, and a hint of appreciation flickered in his eyes. My words, echoing the truth of their shared struggle, seemed to resonate with him.
"You're right, kid," he acknowledged. "We're all in this together. Loss, pain, struggle... they don't discriminate. We've all felt the weight of it, one way or another."
He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing, "But it's moments like these, connecting with others who've been through hell, that give me hope. Maybe we can make it through this mess... together."
With that I went to my point, "Thus, for all this, I have a plan, sir. To fix all this."
"Plan?" Captain America's eyes narrowed slightly, his interest piqued. He leaned forward, giving me his undivided attention.
I explained, "As you can see I can Time Travel. So what if, I go back in time, preventing this from ever happening. I can prevent Thanos from succeeding his goal."
"Prevent Thanos from succeeding, huh?" Captain America echoed. A mixture of hope and skepticism flickered in his eyes.
"Sounds good in theory, kid. But time travel is... complicated. You know that better than anyone here. There's a lot at stake if things go wrong."
I said, "Mine is unlike the time travelling which you and your teammates did. When I time travel, I don't create alternate timelines. What I change is the main timeline."
Captain America's face showed clear surprise at my revelation about my 'unique' time travel ability. The idea of altering the main timeline instead of creating an alternate one was an intriguing one.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his voice, "You're saying you can change the past without branching realities? How is that even possible?"
He leaned back slightly, his mind churning with the implications of your claim. The possibility of changing the past without creating a butterfly effect or alternate timelines was unprecedented and a bit unnerving.
"This idea, as tempting as it is, is... risky," he stated cautiously. "Change the past, and you risk changing the present... for better or for worse."
I continued, "That's why, I have to do a lot of calculations, and many algorithms later, which, not gonna lie, is gonna take a lot amount of time."
Captain America's eyes widened slightly, a sense of realization dawning on him. What I was proposing wasn't a simple task; it required careful planning, calculations, and time, a resource that was valuable and yet, in short supply.
"I see," he responded, his tone reflecting a mix of respect and concern. "You're talking about a lot of work and careful planning. Time travel ain't just about pressing a button and hoping for the best."
I said, "Exactly. My time traveling over here was an accident. I was lucky enough that my body just aged 12 years, making me 17 years old. That's why, this time I don't want to do any mistake."
He nodded, understanding the importance of precision and caution in my endeavor. "I get it, kid. Precision and planning are key. You don't want any accidents or unintended consequences. It's already a miracle you aged just 12 years instead of turning into an infant or something."
"But," Captain America said, his tone becoming more serious, "there's something you have to remember. Time travel is... unpredictable. No matter how much you plan, there's always an element of uncertainty. You might end up changing more than you bargained for."
I knew that, but I was still confident. "I know sir. That's why I am asking for months."
Captain America eyed you for a moment, pondering your request. The fact that you were taking this seriously and understood the gravity of the situation was clear.
He leaned back in his chair, seemingly coming to a decision. "All right, kid," he said, a hint of acceptance in his voice. "You'll have the time you need to plan and prepare. But... there's one condition." I inquired, "Yes sir?"
Captain America's gaze locked onto mine, his voice firm as he stated his condition. "You're not going to do this alone," he said. "You're going to have help. You're going to be part of a team."
I interjected, "I only need one person, sir."
Captain America's eyebrow raised at my interjection. "One person?" he repeated, a touch of surprise in his voice. "You're certain you only need one person to help you with this plan? Time travel, algorithms, calculations... it's a lot of work and responsibility, kid."
Captain America studied me for a moment, searching for any hint of doubt or uncertainty in my expression. Seeing none, he let out a sigh, realizing that I was determined.
"All right, then," he conceded, though the skepticism was still evident in his eyes. "One person it is. But you better make sure whoever you choose is up for the challenge."
I just pointed at the girl. I already knew who she is. Darcy Lewis. "I need her."
As you pointed at the girl, Captain America's gaze followed mine. His eyes widened momentarily when he realized whom I was indicating.
"Darcy Lewis?" he repeated, his voice tinged with astonishment. "Why her?"
"She was the intern of Jane Foster, wasn't she? Judging that only she is here. Jane turned into dust too. Didn't she?"
Captain America's expression turned somber at the mention of Jane Foster. Yes, that was correct – Jane Foster, an astrophysicist, had turned to dust due to the Snap.
"Yeah," he confirmed, his voice heavy with loss. "Jane was one of the ones who... disappeared. Darcy was her intern, and as far as I know, they were pretty close."
I explained, "Well, Jane was good in stuffs which I needed. I am pretty much sure, she taught her intern something too."
Captain America studied me for a moment, weighing my words. I made a fair point. Jane Foster's expertise in algorithms was undeniable, and it wouldn't be surprising if she had passed some of her knowledge onto her intern.
He let out a contemplative hum, his expression shifting to thoughtful. "You could be right," he conceded. "If Darcy had been Jane's intern, she might have learned some things from her. I admit, she's smart."
"But," he continued, his tone growing more serious, "That doesn't mean she's equipped for time travel and the kind of work you're planning. It's a risk, kid. A big one."
I countered his response, "No offense, sir but do we even have any other options?"
Captain America's shoulders slumped, and a weary sigh escaped him. I had a point. Options were slim, and time was of the essence. Even he knew that Thanos would find us, and his chances for now are slim.
"No offense taken," he replied, his voice tinged with resignation. "You're right. Our options are limited right now. If you believe Darcy's the best person for the job, then... I trust your judgment. But I have one condition."
I groaned, "Really, another. Fine. What is it, sir?"
Captain America smirked faintly at my reaction, but his expression quickly grew serious. "My condition," he stated firmly, "is that you keep me updated on your progress. I want to know how things are going, and I want to be able to step in if necessary. Your plan is risky, and I need to be able to keep an eye on things."
I gave him a playful salute like a soldier, "Yes Captain. Can I call you Captain. Sir is way too formal."
Captain America chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes at my salute. "Yeah, you can call me Captain," he conceded. "Much less formal than 'sir,' I agree."
"Okay Captain". With that, he dismissed me. And I went to my designated quarters. Leaving behind, Darcy, Captain and Daisy.
Omniversal POV
As you made your way back to your quarters, Captain America watched you go, his mind filled with a mix of cautious hope and cautious concern. He then turned his attention back to Darcy and Daisy, the weight of your conversation still on his mind.
"What do you think?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of doubt. "You think the kid is being realistic about his plan?"
Daisy, who had been silently observing the conversation, spoke up, her expression thoughtful. "Honestly, Captain," she began, "the kid's plan is risky as hell. But it's also the only shot we have at changing all this. We've seen things go wrong... way wrong. If there's even a slim chance of fixing things, we have to take it."
Captain America nodded slowly, mulling over Daisy's words. Her perspective echoed his own thoughts – this plan was indeed a long shot, but it was also the only shot they had.
He looked over at Darcy, who had been quietly listening to the discussion. "What about you?" he asked, addressing her. "You've been quiet. What do you think about all this?"
Darcy, who had been quietly processing the situation, gave a small shrug. "Honestly, I'm as surprised as you guys," she admitted. "I mean, who would have thought I'd be helping a time-traveling kid with a plan to fix everything? But... if what the kid says is true, and he can really prevent the Snap from ever happening, I'm in."
Captain America gave a small huff of a sigh, his eyes reflecting a mix of resignation and hope. "So," he began, "it seems we're all in agreement. This plan is a shot in the dark, and it's a hell of a risk."
"But," Daisy interjected, her voice firm and resolute, "it's the only shot we've got. And if there's a chance—slim as it may be—we have to take it. We can't just sit back and let things keep going awry."
Captain America's gaze was unwavering as he repeated his catchphrase from the past, his expression a mixture of determination and resolve. "Whatever it takes," he echoed, his voice filled with conviction.
The group understood the weight of their decision, the responsibility that now rested on their shoulders. The path ahead was treacherous, unpredictable, and filled with unknown dangers.
Yet, they were bound together, spurred on by a single, unyielding drive: to make things right, no matter what it took.
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And that's all for today. Now. I am thinking, that the next chapter might be the end of Volume 1. I don't know actually. Anyway, hope you all enjoy reading this.
— Bab baru akan segera rilis — Tulis ulasan
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