Amanda Smith (The Avengers ff) #English

69.

FIVE YEARS LATER

Driving through the city of New York or what's left of it, like I did every single day these past years. Since that I haven't used my powers anymore.
I leave the city, heading north.
After the snap I skipped the last half year of my junior year and graduated with the seniors, Peter and Ned were the only ones who had hold me there.
Then I studied Quantum Physics, like I always wanted when I was a kid.
It's already five years ago that Thanos came to earth. I still remember every single moment.
Five years ago Peter, Grandma, my brother and the others died.
Peter.
I still remember the day I found out about his secret identity and the day he kissed me.
Still remember the day Tony told me what happened to him. It felt like a part of me died with him.

Now, I stop and get out of the car, standing in front of the headquarter. I wasn't here for years.
Slowly I walk inside, up the stairs. Just some minutes later I hear Natasha's voice.
"Will you find out where he's going next?", she asks.
"Nat...", Rhodey says.
Quietly I enter the room.
"Please", she begs him.
After his hologram disappears, she starts to cry.

"You know I'd offer to cook you dinner but you seem pretty miserable already", Steve says and Nat wipes off the tears off her face.
Steve tries to change her mood.
"You know, if you're about to tell me to look on the bright side. Um... I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich", she says smiling.
"Sorry. Force of habit", he says throwing his jacke on one chair, then sits down on another one.
"You know, I keep telling everybody they should move on and... grow. Some do. But not us", he says.
"If I move on, who does this?", she asks him.
"Maybe it doesn't need to be done", he looks at her.
She seems to be deep in her thoughts.
"I used to have nothing. And then I got this. This job... this family. And I was... I was better because of it. And even though... they're gone... I'm still trying to be better", she explains.
"I think we both need to get a life", he says calmly.
"You first", she smiles again.

"Come out, kid", I hear Steve saying and start to smile.
"You know I'm not a kid anymore", I say walking towards them.
He stands up and hugs me.
"I know", he says and let me go.
Now I hug Natasha.
"You look tired", she says.
"Aren't we all?", I ask, knowing the answer.
A camera footage pops up and shows Scott Lang with a Van behind him.
"Oh! Hi.
Hi! Is anyone home?
This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport? In Germany?
I got really big, and I had my mask on. You wouldn't recognize me", he says and I look at him questioningly, thought he's gone, too.
"Is this an old message?", Steve asks.
"It's the front gate"
"Ant-man? Ant-man, I know you know that. I need to talk to you guys", he shouts.

So we let him in.
"Scott. Are you okay?", Steve asks
"Yeah. I'm fine", Scott answers.
He struggles to ask about something but then finally blurts it out.
"Have you ever studied Quantum Physics?", Scott asks.
"I did", I say, he looks at me.
"Hey, I remember you, that fast little kid.
You studied?", he asks again, I just nod.
"Alright. So... five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small.
Hope was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there", he explains.
"I'm sorry. That must've been a very long five years", Nat says sitting down again.
"Yeah, but that's just it.It wasn't.For me, it was five hours", he says, I know what he wants to say.
"See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable. Is that anybody's sandwich?
I'm starving", he grabs it and starts to eat.
"Scott, what are you talking about?", Steve asks.
"What he wants to say is, time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have a way to navigate it", I explain.

"But what if we did?
I can't stop thinking about it. What if, we could somehow control the chaos, and we could navigate it?
What if there was a way to enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point in time?
Like... Like before Thanos",
"Wait, are you talking about a time machine?", Steve looks at him questioningly.
He starts to laugh,
"No. No, of course not. No, not a time machine. It's more like a... Yeah, a time machine. I know it's crazy. But I can't stop thinking about it. There's gotta be some way... There's gotta be...some w... it's crazy".
"Scott,I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore", Nat says.
So who do we talk to about this?

The only one who could make it work.