Just as they'd promised, they'd snapped everyone back into existence, but with that came another curveball in the form of the newly returned Thanos and his army. At one point when the others were down and out, Steve had been all but prepared to go up against the enemy alone, even though it was obvious that he'd lose greatly.
Not that he cared anymore. Every fight he'd been through had been a matter of life and death, but he was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of duty. If it was meant to end like this then so be it. Nothing else mattered to him anymore.
But Doctor Strange had impeccable timing and with the newly assembled Avengers, the battle for earth raged on, the gauntlet being passed to anyone except Thanos. They weren't about to make the same mistakes as last time.
And they didn't.
"You snap those fingers, and I'll cover you." Steve had told Tony, setting the shield over them both.
"Think we'll make it?" Tony asked.
"Only one way to find out..."
The explosive snap had sent them both flying backwards, Steve's shield taking most of the force but protecting them as it should. It had been worth it though, because the result had been Thanos and his army turning to dust and disappearing in the wind.
Steve pulled the gauntlet from Tony's mangled arm and threw it to one side. "It's a flesh wound, I'm good." Tony played it down, but he'd need some serious medical attention for it. "Did we win?"
Steve looked around. "I think we really did."
"I'd do some little victory dance, but I kind of have a situation here, so I'm just gonna stay down for a while – you guys wanna get Shawarma?"
That had been a week before. Now Tony and Bruce were sporting matching slings for their arms, thanks to the gauntlet, as they fiddled around with the time travel machine.
There was just one last mission left.
Returning the infinity stones to their timelines.
"You're pushing the wrong button Jolly Green." Tony complained as he manoeuvred around Bruce and inputted a few things into the console.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Nat rolled her eyes, "Guys, can you just stop for five minutes?" and looked over to where Steve was speaking to Bucky and Sam. "He's not ok...maybe someone should go with him." and nodded to their friend. It was no secret he'd spent the last week hurting, and after this? It would be next week, and the week after, and the week after that.
Bruce sighed. "I tried to get her back with the others, but I couldn't. She's gone."
"I know...I'm just worried about him going it alone for this."
"If anyone's capable of putting those stones back where they belong? It's Steve." Tony pointed out. "He'll be ok, we just need to focus on this and then we can get him drunk or something..."
Bruce frowned. "I thought he couldn't get drunk?"
"We'll think of something ok!" Tony replied irritably and called over to Steve. "You all set Cap?"
Steve turned around and nodded, turning back to Bucky. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back..."
Bucky smiled weakly. "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you..." the pair gave one another a hug before Steve got onto the machine. Bruce counting down before he disappeared on what would be the final mission.
**
One last stone to go. The soul stone. He'd saved it until last.
Arriving on Vormir, Steve made his way up to where Red Skull was waiting for him. "Steven Rogers, I did not think we'd meet again..."
"I've got your stone." Steve showed him calmly.
Red Skull went to take it, but Steve took it away before he could even prise it from his hands. "You want your stone; I want something in return." He was a determined man and he wouldn't be leaving without what he'd come here for.
"That is not how this works."
"That's fine. I can simply take it back with me and then the meaning of your existence here is for nothing. You're gonna be bored."
Red Skull pondered on this and then looked at him. "I want the stone, but you...you want something far more precious. The girl who sacrificed herself for love. For you. All for what Captain?"
"Is she here?" Steve got straight to the point.
"She is in the soul world." Red Skull gestured to some sort of doorway behind him.
"You release her back to me, soul intact and just the way she arrived here, and you can have your stone back – ready and waiting for the next person to throw themselves off the edge for it." Steve laid all his cards on the table. "It's a fair deal. A soul stone in return for the soul that allowed it to leave here in the first place."
Red Skull looked at the stone, and then to Steve himself.
The decision lay with him and whatever he decided - Steve had a plan for both.