Rewriting Endgame (Part 5)

The Avengers are all gathered at the compound, trying to figure out the most efficient way to make everything normal.

They realize that, because all stones are needed for the Snap, they would only have to steal a single stone from the past to undo the Snap. “But which one?” Tony informs the group that the Time Stone is guarded by powerful wizards and would be hard to retrieve. Thor mentions that the Aether would have to be gotten from Jane Foster in a heavily armed Asgard, or the extremely tricky Collector, all other times it is not in a solid state – it is thus ruled out. Bruce mentions that stealing the Mind Stone would result in the non- creation of Vision, Wanda Maximoff, and her deceased brother. Nebula offers that the Power Stone was in the hand of the Nova Corps, or else underwater on the planet Morag – the window of opportunity is too small for extracting it without the possibility of huge consequences. The soul Stone was in Vormir, and since Gamora never came back, no one is sure what is to be found on that strange planet. They finally conclude that the Tesseract is the best option. However, it would have to be stolen after the events of the New York invasion, so as to ensure the creation of Captain America, Captain Marvel, and to make sure that the original Avengers team up.

The earliest that the Tesseract could be obtained, undiscovered, after the battle of New York is from the vault in Asgard. The question of who goes for the mission arises. After a long pause, Thor reluctantly volunteers - he is the best person to show the way. Scott Lang also volunteers, he is the best to sneak about. Tony is hesitant, and before Steve can speak up, Rocket comes forward. It is decided that three is the most that should go, and they prepare for their mission. The rest of the Avengers wait expectantly as Thor, Rocket and Ant-Man go into the Time Machine.

Thor chose a day that he knew would have the least number of people in the palace in Asgard - his mother's funeral. Everyone had been outside at the event that day. He had thought he could take it, but when they arrive, he is overwhelmed by the emotions. He stands, not budging and stares longingly at where the funeral procession is happening. When Rocket begins to fear that Thor might just take off and disrupt the event, he turns to the other two, tears in his eyes. He breaks down as he tells them how he is racked by his guilt, and that his failures have rendered him unworthy. He reveals that he hasn't been able to summon Stormbreaker (though he can still hold it) or use lightning in a long while - he only remains as King, putting up a facade, because his people need a leader.

Rocket pulls him down, looks him straight in the eyes and talks to him. "Remember who you are. You may not have been worthy. But once you decided to get up from that throne and to save the universe, you are worthy again." This takes a moment to sink in, and then Thor snaps out of his breakdown. He shows them the way to his father's vault, where they find the Tesseract. Ant-Man quickly shrinks it and they sneak out of the vault, when Thor suddenly freezes again. Rocket and Scott Lang turn to him with an expression that says, "What now?". But Thor is standing with his arm outstretched, seemingly waiting for something. They begin to get worried again when they notice the sound of something approaching. But, before either of them can appear, Mjolnir flies in through a window, straight into Thor's hand. He exclaims, jubilant, drops it onto the ground, and they all teleport back to the present.

When they arrive back, they had only been gone for a few seconds, and so they find the Avengers exactly where they left them. Their faces all brighten as they see the Tesseract in Scott's hands. But the joy quickly turns to confusion as they realize that nothing has changed - the world remains exactly as it was and, most importantly, the people who had disappeared in Thanos' snap has not come back. They wait a few more minutes, to see of anything changes, but when nothing happens, there is chaos. Tony and Bruce go over all their research, while the others go over everything that Rocket, Thor and Scott did in the past.

Somewhere deep in space, embedded in a burnt Gauntlet, the Space Stone glows as it senses an extra Infinity Stone.