Rogue: Annihilation (An Avengers Sequel)

38. The Last Chapter for Saved Heroes

"Goodnight room, goodnight moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon."

I walked down the hall, creeping up behind Nat as she watched Nati's new nighttime routine – Layla Miller and Jamie Madrox reading her her favorite bedtime story. She'd never expected to have one grandparent, let alone two.

"Are you muscling in on story time?" I teased in a quiet voice, leaning against the doorframe. Nat rolled her eyes at me.

"I will never understand how the two most annoying people in the world created someone so... perfect."

Over the last few weeks, she'd barely let Nati out of her sight. I think it was clear to see that the two were obsessed with each other in equal measure.

"We got lucky," I told her honestly, peering into the room. Nati was almost asleep, but she couldn't resist one more glance at the skylight that we'd put in her bedroom. "And then you came back, and we got even luckier."

She rolled her eyes at my soppiness, but couldn't hide the smile that popped up on her face. Nodding to my arm, the hidden smile turned into a genuine one.

"That looks like it's getting better."

It was out of the cast, but the burn marks were still pretty noticeable, running all the way up to my shoulder, stopping halfway up my neck.

"It is," I nodded. It would never completely heal, but I didn't mind. Having it reminded me every day of what we could have lost, and how grateful I was to have everyone that I loved around me for good. Nat and I smiled at each other as I squeezed past, leaving her to dote on her niece from afar as I went down the stairs to the basement, to find it almost completely empty.

"That was the last one," Tony said upon hearing my footsteps on the last step.

"Really?" I asked, looking around at the basement that hadn't been this empty since we'd first moved in. "That's it?"

"Yep," he nodded proudly. "All the suits are gone. I'm done saving the world."

I sat beside him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm tightly around me. "This is weird."

He laughed at the sad look on my face. "What? That you don't have you powers and I hung up the suits?"

I nodded. "We're not superheroes anymore. We're just... the Starks."

He kissed my cheek, grinning. "That sounds pretty great to me."

My sad look was replaced with a smile that matched his, and I nodded, kissing him. We kissed for so long that I felt dizzy, and still I didn't want to stop. I never wanted to stop kissing my husband. But eventually, a text broke us apart.

Sam: It's time.

***

"Remember, you have to return the Stones to the exact moment you got them, or you're gonna open up a bunch of nasty alternative realities," Banner said to Steve, who nodded at the instruction.

"You know, if you want, I could come with you," Sam immediately offered.

Steve smiled at him. "You're a good man, Sam. This one's on me, though." To him, this was a solo mission... the last one he'd go on. He walked over to Bucky. "Don't do anything stupid 'till I get back."

Bucky smiled at what was clearly part of an inside joke. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

They hugged, and then Steve turned to Nat.

"You know I wouldn't be going if-"

Nat held up a hand and cut him off. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Steve," she told him. "I get why you're doing this. It was never about you and me."

He nodded, even though we could see the guilt on his face. He pulled her in for a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said into her ear, but she shook her head.

"Don't," she told him. "You already made your decision, don't apologise for it."

He nodded, coming to me to say his last goodbye.

"I don't want a goodbye from you, it's too hard," I told him. "I get why you're doing this, and I hate it. But I love you so much, okay? And I wish you weren't going."

He smiled. "I love you too, Rogue. I love all of you guys."

We hugged, but even in the hug it felt like he was slipping away.

He stepped onto the platform in his quantum suit.

"Going quantum. Three, two, one..." Banner warned us. As he said 'one', Steve disappeared. "And returning in, five, four, three, two, one..."

We expected him to be standing at the platform, but there was silence. Banner frowned, pressing a few buttons on his computer.

"Where is he?" Nat asked.

"I don't know. He blew right by his time stamp. He should be here."

"Well, get him back," Sam ordered.

"I'm trying," Banner rebutted.

Bucky, who was facing away from the platform, caught our attention. "Guys."

We all looked in the direction to see a man sitting on a bench. A man that hardly resembled Steve. And yet, we knew that it was him.

Nat and I looked at each other, both deciding to go over to him. When we reached the bench, we saw that he was now elderly.

"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, sitting on the bench beside him.

"Well, after I put the stones back, I thought... Maybe... I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get," he said wistfully. "It was beautiful."

Nat smiled. "I'm really happy for you, Steve. Even if it means that the world has to survive without Captain America."

Steve mirrored her smile. "About that..." he picked something up from the ground and handed it to her. His shield. "Try it on."

Nat's eyes widened. "What?"

"We've been in this together from the very beginning," he reminded her. "I couldn't think of anyone better to take up the 'Captain America' mantle." He raised an eyebrow. "Nat, this is yours."

She hesitantly reached out and took the shield, holding it against herself. To her surprise, holding it felt... right.

"So that's it?" I asked, nudging Steve playfully. "You're officially done with the superhero thing?"

He nodded. "I got to live the life that I wanted. Now, I get one more shot to help you guys keep the world safe." He smiled. "Which reminds me..."

He gestured to the ground, then looked back at me. I followed his eye-line to see Mjolnir on the ground.

"Are you kidding?" I asked. "Or has old age made you forget that I can't lift Thor's hammer?"

"You did so much to save the world, you risked everything," he reminded me. "You snapped, knowing that you would die, because in that moment nothing else mattered, you did everything you could to stop Thanos." He smiled. "Rogue, you're worthy."

I raised a sceptical eyebrow, reaching down towards the hammer. There wasn't a part of me that felt like I could lift it. But as my hand connected with the handle, I saw the bolts of electricity fill my veins, moving up and down my arms. It felt... normal.

I stood, and Mjolnir came with me, lifting off the ground, staying connected to my hand.

"Told you," Steve grinned, but I was too shocked to reply.

I was worthy.

We both looked over to where Sam and Bucky were standing. They had been joined by Wanda, Rhodey, Scott and Hope, Peter and Carol. A small fraction of our new team. I grinned at Nat, aka Captain America, and she smiled back.

Then I pointed Mjolnir to the sky, feeling the electricity run through my body as lightning shot through the sky.

After all this time of thinking that being a Rogue defined me, it turned out that I was never just a Rogue. I was so many things – a wife, a mother, a lifesaver, a fighter, a superhero, a leader. I saved the world. And together, we'd never stop.

"Avengers... "