The Séance • Marvel

Endgame: Chapter 05

A few days later after arriving home from San Diego, Vanessa made her way to a bookstore. "Don't you think you have enough books at home already?" Asked Jason. "You can never have too many books J," Vanessa said. After picking up two new books, Vanessa headed over to the register to pay. "Will this be all?" Asked the cashier. "Yes."

She handed the books to the girl as her phone started to ring. "Hello?" "Vanessa, it's Nat. How soon can you get to New York?" "That'll be $27.48," said the girl. Vanessa handed her the money as she continued to talk to Natasha, "Depending on when the next flight out is. Why? Did something happen?" "We might have something. Just get here as quickly as you can" she said. "Okay, I'll be on the next flight." 'Thank you she mouthed to the girl who nodded her head.

After making a quick stop at her apartment to grab a few changes of clothes, she made her way over to the airport. After her flight, Vanessa made her way to the garage at the airport where she had left a car from her last trip. As soon as she turned it on, Jason appeared in the passenger seat. "Do you know what's going on?" He asked. "No idea. She just said to get here as quick as possible." "You are a horrible driver, you know that?" Jason asked as they neared the Avenger's Compound. "I am not" argued Vanessa. She had been driving rather fast trying to get there as quickly as possible. "If I wasn't already dead, I would be scared for my life."

Vanessa parked at the entrance where there was a man sitting on the outside bench trying to eat a taco, and the Benatar parked to his left. As soon as she got out Rhodey landed and she heard him say, "What's up, Regular-Sized Man?" "Hey Rhodes," Vanessa said as she walked alongside him. "Hey, Nes. How was the rest of your trip to San Diego?" "Uneventful."

After a quick explanation of what they were planning on doing, Vanessa stood with Steve, Nat, Tony, Scott, Bruce, Rhodey, and Nebula in the control panel, controlling the glass platform. "All right. I'm not ready for this" said Scott. "I'm game. I'll do it" said Clint. A few moments later Clint walks in wearing the suit Scott was wearing a few moments ago. Clint took his position on the platform as Bruce explained what would happen, "Clint, now you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the chronoshift. Don't worry about it."

"Wai-Wait a second, let me ask you something. If we can do this, you know, go back in time, why don't we just find baby Thanos, you know, and..." Rhodey says as he makes a hand gesture suggesting that they should strangle baby Thanos. "I'm with him," says Vanessa, "Wouldn't it be easier to find him. Kill him. And prevent all this from happening." "First of all, that's horrible..." says Bruce. " It's Thanos" Rhodey reminds them. "...And secondly, time doesn't work that way. Changing the past doesn't change the future" explained Bruce. "Look, we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them... Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved" Scott said. "Bingo" explained Clint.

From behind Clint, Nebula, who was adjusting the Quantum Suit, said "That's not how it works." "Well, that's what I heard," said Clint. "What? By who? Who told you that?" Asked Bruce. Rhodey started clouting with his finger, "Star Trek, Terminator, TimeCop, Time After Time -" "Quantum Leap -" added Scott. "A Wrinkle in Time, About Time, Somewhere in Time," said Vanessa listing the movies she remembers being about time travel. "Hot Tub Time Machine -" said Scott. "Hot Tub Time Machine. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Basically, any movie that deals with time travel" finished Rhodey.

"Die Hard? No, it's not one..." said Scott. Vanessa turned to look at the man with a questioning look, and he only gave her a shoulder shrug. "This is known" explained Rhodey. "I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it: If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future..." explained Bruce. "So... my whole life is a lie?" Asked Vanessa. "So... Back To The Future's a bunch of bullshit?" Asked Scott. Bruce ignored the two and instead walked off to the machine that Tony had been building before. He turned to Clint, "Alright, Clint. We're going in 3... 2... 1!"

A helmet pops on Clint's head and he goes quantum. For everyone, it's only a couple of seconds before Clint dematerializes on the glass platform. He breathes heavily and sits on the platform. Nat runs over to him making sure he's alright. "Hey, hey. Look at me. You okay?" She asks him. Clint holds up a baseball glove and throws it over to Tony, "Yeah, it worked. It worked."

»»-------------¤-------------««

A few hours later everyone is sitting in a room with a hologram display, showing all six Infinity Stones. Tony, Steve, and Bruce are all pacing in front, trying to come up with a plan. "Okay, so the 'how' works. Now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us has had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones" said Steve. "Well I'd substitute the word encounter for damn well near been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones" exclaimed Tony.

"I haven't, I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about" claims Scott. "Regardless, we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history," Bruce says ignoring Scott's comment. "Our history. So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in" Tony says. "Which means we have to pick our targets," remarks Clint. "Correct." "Let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?" Steve asks Thor.

Vanessa turns to look at Thor sitting on a chair with his sunglasses on. She isn't sure whether he is awake or asleep. "Is he asleep?" Vanessa asks. "No, I'm pretty sure he's dead," remarks Rhodey. Thor goes into a very vague explanation about where he's encountered The Aether and how his 'old flame' of his had it stuck inside of her. Rocket then explains how a friend of his stole the Power Stone from a place called Morag. Then Nebula explains how Thanos found the Soul Stone in Vormir. "A dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence. It's where... Thanos murdered my sister" she finishes. There is an award silence upon the room. 'Not it' Vanessa thinks at the same time that Scott voices it. Vanessa and almost everyone has left to get something to eat leaving only Tony, Bruce, and Nat.

The locations are all set and the teams are chosen. The Soul and Power Stones in space in 2014. The Reality Stone in Asgard 2013. And The Space, Mind, and Time Stone in New York City 2012. "Suit up," says Steve. Vanessa heads to her room where she had previously left her suit, a suit she hadn't worn in 5 years. Before she could put it on there is a knock on her door. "Come in" she says.

Nat walks in holding once again a case. "Why is it that you are always gifting me something?" Nat only smiles and hands her the case. "It's a new suit designed by me, for better comfort. You haven't worn the old suit in 5 years and you have much more muscle now than before" she says. "You calling me fat?" Vanessa teases.

Vanessa opens the case and was amazed by it. It looked a bit like a dress but it was open at the front, like a half skirt. The bottom portion was simple tight black pants with some black boots. The top was more elaborate. It was a long sleeve shirt that was attached to the half skirt.  The entire top was a mixture of midnight blue mixed with black. The back had a place marked as an X for her two daggers to be placed. "It's beautiful Nat. Thank you." "I thought you deserved something that showed just how powerful you really are," she said. "Thank you," repeated Vanessa, "You know in another life you could've been a fashion designer because this is awesome." "Hurry up and put it on."

Vanessa walked along with everyone in a file to the Quantum Time Machine, wearing Quantum Suits. Everyone's with some minor differences to fit for the suits. "Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family... We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes. Good luck" Steve said. "He's pretty good at that," says Rocket. "Right?" Answers Scott, who looking rather excited.

Vanessa stand next to Thor as she will be traveling with him and Rocket to Asgard in order to get The Aether. "All right. You heard the man. Stroke those keys, jolly green" says Tony. "Tractors engaged" answers Bruce. Rocket turns to look at Clint's hand where a shrunken Benatar rests, "You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I'll do my best" Clint says. Nat turns to look at everyone with a smile, "See you in a minute." Then they all shrink and enter the Quantum Realm, and they all split into different intervals. Everyone going to different places at different times in history.