[Third person POV]
Tony sighed as he spotted Melissa hunched over the control console of their ship, her fingers dancing quickly across the holographic display. Her shoulders were tense, her posture rigid with urgency and frustration. He shook his head, letting out a quiet breath before strolling toward her with slow, steady steps.
Sensing his presence behind her, Melissa instinctively shifted over to the side, making room for him to stand beside her and assist. But before she could say anything, Tony surprised her by slipping one arm around her waist and effortlessly lifting her off the ground. With a casual motion, he hoisted her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
"Wha–?! Tony, what are you doing?!" Melissa shrieked, her voice rising with disbelief. "Put me down this instant! We have to go over! We have to save Nat!"
Tears spilled freely from her eyes, falling to the cold floor of the room as she struggled against him—kicking her legs and pounding her fists against his back in a frantic attempt to escape his grasp.
Tony grunted as he adjusted her weight, turning his head slightly to avoid one of her flailing limbs. "Can we at least finish the movie first?" he muttered, his tone dry and faintly annoyed.
Melissa's gasp was sharp and full of outrage. "How can you seriously be thinking about a movie at a time like this?! You heartless bastard! You cold, unemotional bedbug!!" she shouted, her voice cracking through her sobs as strands of her blonde hair fell across her tear-streaked face.
Tony's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Of all the insults she could've picked, bedbug somehow got under his skin. Without thinking, he gave her backside a firm smack.
"OW! You devil!" Melissa cried, gasping in both pain and indignation. "What is it with you and my butt?!"
Tony exhaled sharply, the edge of a smirk tugging at his lips. "Think this through, super genius. Remember the beginning of the movie—Stark said the Avengers only lost because they were disbanded. But thanks to our interference, there's a good chance the Sokovia Accords will never exist. No accords, no Civil War. No Civil War, no fractured team. A united Avengers against Thanos means he loses before things ever escalate. That means no time heist... and no Natasha sacrificing herself."
Melissa's breath hitched. Her chest rose and fell with each uneven inhale as her sobbing slowed, her mind slowly processing his words. "But… but… Natasha…" she whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with aching grief.
With another soft sigh, Tony gently set her down. The moment her feet touched the ground, she flung her arms around him and buried herself in his chest. Her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly as she pressed in closer, seeking warmth.
Tony didn't say anything at first. He simply ran a calming hand through her long, silky hair, letting her cry in silence. The tension in his body softened as he held her.
Minutes passed before Melissa's sobs began to fade into occasional hiccups and soft coughing. Her body remained pressed firmly against him, unmoving except for the slow tremble of aftershocks from her outburst.
"Feeling better now?" Tony asked, his voice low and gentle.
"No…" she answered flatly, her face still muffled against his chest.
"Would a kiss help?"
She didn't lift her head, but her response came quickly. "Yes…"
Eventually, she tilted her head up to look at him, her face red and blotchy, lips exaggeratedly puckered, brows furrowed in dramatic expectation. Her whole expression was a comical mixture of sorrow and demand.
Tony wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "God, you're just… so unfortunate to look at right now."
"Are you going to kiss me or not?" Melissa grumbled, her lips still stuck out stubbornly.
Tony chuckled under his breath. "You're seriously lucky I love you… my little ugly duckling." He leaned down and gave her a kiss, soft and lingering.
Melissa scoffed, though there was affection in the sound. "You're lucky I'm emotionally unstable right now and willing to accept abuse—because calling your girlfriend 'unfortunate to look at' is absolutely insane."
After a moment of silence passed between them, Tony asked, "So… are you ready to go back to watching the movie?"
Melissa nodded against his chest, her voice barely audible. "Just give me a few seconds…"
…
Once Melissa had taken a moment to gather herself and her tears had mostly dried, the two returned to the immersive VR simulation. The digital environment of their modified MCU playback had reset, restored to the scene where Clint Barton emerged alone, the weight of Natasha's sacrifice fresh in his eyes.
Melissa rested her head on Tony's lap as they sat together on the couch. Her eyes, though red and tired, remained fixed on the unfolding story. The rest of the Avengers slowly realized that their team would never be whole again. Natasha's sacrifice was permanent—no do-overs, no reversal, no alternate timeline to undo it.
Watching it again triggered another wave of quiet tears from Melissa. This time, however, she didn't sob. She didn't fight. She simply cried in silence, mourning the loss with grace and sorrow.
The heroes on-screen moved with resolve. They began building a new gauntlet and prepared to restore the universe with the six Infinity Stones. Thor offered to wield it, but Bruce Banner stepped in, citing the gamma radiation as something he could survive.
"At least now he's useful," Melissa mumbled bitterly, sniffing and wiping her face with the sleeve of her hoodie.
Tony didn't respond immediately. He only glanced down at her, noting the simmering frustration that still lingered in her voice.
He couldn't say for sure, but something told him that Natasha's death had only deepened her resentment toward the Hulk.
"Also I hate how none of them are mourning her except Clint. I know they had their difference but still, not a single one of them shed a tear heartless bastards." Melissa grumbled.
While severely scarring his arm, Hulk managed to snap his fingers, unleashing a wave of cosmic energy that surged through his body. The pain was unbearable, but the outcome was immediate—outside, across the world, people who had been turned to dust five years ago were slowly returning to life.
The Snap had been reversed.
Past Nebula—having replaced her future self and infiltrated the present timeline—activated a hidden time portal. A bright vortex tore open in the sky, and through it descended Thanos' warship, Sanctuary II, transported directly from the year 2014.
The Avengers, still reeling from the emotional high of their apparent victory, barely had a moment to celebrate before the sky turned black with missiles. With no warning, the ship unleashed a brutal barrage, bombarding the Avengers compound with relentless firepower. Explosions tore through steel and concrete, leveling the facility in a heartbeat.
"Fun fact," Tony said casually, despite the tense moment. He grinned as he paused and rewound the scene. "If you slow this part down and zoom in, you can actually catch Ant-Man shrinking mid-blast to dodge the explosion. It's blink-and-you-miss-it stuff."
"How cool…" Melissa muttered dryly, her voice completely flat.
Tony's eye twitched as he glanced down at her. "Seriously?"
On screen, chaos unfolded. Past Nebula, loyal only to her father, was sent to retrieve the Stones. Meanwhile, her future counterpart—more evolved and free of Thanos' influence—confided in Gamora, showing how much their bond had grown. Gamora, moved by what could be, decided to betray her father and help Future Nebula stop the massacre.
Elsewhere, Rocket, Rhodes, and Banner were trapped in a rapidly flooding section of the compound. Rubble surrounded them, and water was rising fast. Thankfully, Lang—now in giant form—arrived just in time to rip through the debris and free them. Meanwhile, Barton found himself deep in the sewers, pursued by snarling Outriders, the gauntlet clutched in his hands.
After a narrow escape, he passed the gauntlet—unknowingly—to Past Nebula. But before she could flee with it, she was confronted by Gamora and her future self. Tensions rose quickly, weapons drawn. The standoff ended when Future Nebula shot her past self the moment she threatened Gamora's life.
"Damn," Melissa muttered, her mouth curling into a smile. "Talk about suicide…" She shook her head with a chuckle and sat back up, her earlier indifference replaced by growing interest as the film reached its climax.
On the battlefield, Stark, Rogers, and Thor squared off against Thanos, who declared his intent to tear the universe down and rebuild it in his image using the Stones. What followed was a brutal, fast-paced melee—blades clashing, lightning flashing, explosions erupting across the broken landscape. Stark and Thor were soon knocked aside, leaving Thor pinned to the ground as Thanos forced Stormbreaker against his chest, slowly pushing it in.
Then—something miraculous happened. Mjølnir began to rise.
The enchanted hammer soared through the air and struck Thanos squarely, knocking him off balance. It didn't stop there.
Mjølnir flew straight into the waiting hand of Captain America.
"WHAT?!" Melissa screamed, launching off the couch in disbelief. "HOLY SHIT! WOOOOOHH!!"
She was jumping up and down, hands clenched into fists of joy. "He's worthy!!" she cried out, eyes wide with amazement.
They watched as Rogers, now wielding both shield and hammer with practiced skill, delivered a series of devastating blows to the Mad Titan. Sparks flew. Thunder cracked.
But the tide quickly turned again—Thanos retaliated with overwhelming force, nearly destroying the shield and leaving Cap wounded and alone.
Thanos raised his blade high. The rest of his massive army appeared through darkened portals behind him—Chitauri, Sakaarans, the Black Order—marching forward like the end of days had come.
Steve Rogers stood alone, broken but unbending, ready to fight an entire army by himself if he had to.
Then, through the static of his earpiece, a familiar voice broke through the silence.
"On your left."
Melissa froze. Her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat.
One by one, golden portals began to open. First came Sam. Then T'Challa. Shuri. Okoye. Doctor Strange. Spider-Man. Guardians. Wanda. Valkyrie. Dozens—hundreds—of heroes stepping through, reborn, ready for battle.
"Tony…" Melissa whispered, her hands trembling as goosebumps surged across her arms. "I think I'm getting ghostbumps… Holy shit… This might be… the greatest movie I've ever seen."
Tony didn't say anything. He simply smiled.
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