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"Five years ago, we lost," Akashi stood beside his team as he was the last to step onto the teleport pad- the quantum time machine portal hung above them. He tightly held onto his helmet as he stood in the circle. "All of us." He glanced around, meeting the eyes of his friends. Thanos had gathered all six infinity stones and snapped half the world out of existence.
"We lost friends," His red eyes scanned the pad beneath him in anger. How cruel the last five years had been to them. He remembers the day the avengers lost. The day the world stood still.
One second, Reo was there. The raven was fighting alongside him on the home planet of Thanos called Titan.
And the next, there was no trace of his beloved friend. It was as if Reo Mibuchi had never existed.
Akashi was alone in Titan with a few Guardians of the Galaxy members. Had he pulled the gauntlet out of Thanos' grip, Reo would still be here with him.
But Akashi didn't.
He failed. And now, he has to live with the guilt of failing to protect the universe and his friends.
"We lost family," Akashi snapped his head towards Tetsuya. "We lost a part of ourselves."
Five years ago in Wakanda, the Avengers lost valuable members when Thanos snapped his fingers.
"Tetsu," Aomine stumbled back, holding onto his stomach. "I— I don't... I don't feel so good." His body vibrated with a gut-wrenching sensation.
Kuroko turned away from his fallen enemy. His eyes widened as he watched Aomine sway heavily towards him. "Aomine-kun," Kuroko inhaled and took long, fast strides toward his best friend. "You're alright."
Anguish filled Kuroko's voice as Aomine looked down at his slowly dissolving body. "Please, no—"
Aomine trips on his own two feet, falling into Kuroko's arms, desperately holding onto the light blue-haired hero. "I—I don't know what's happening, Tetsu."
Kuroko felt his heart sink and his vision tunneled. His arms, too, desperately held onto Aomine.
"I don't want to go," Aomine rambles out. Kuroko can see the back of Aomine's suit turn into dust and slowly disband towards the sky. "I don't want to go, please, Tetsu." Aomine digs his fingernails into Kuroko's suit.
Kuroko's throat closed up. His heart felt like a million tiny needles were stabbing through him.
"I don't wanna go," Aomine pulled them both to the ground, Kuroko falling on top of him. All he could do was stare at Aomine in despair.
"I'm sorry," A single tear rolled down Aomine's face. Looking directly at Kuroko, he let out a tiny, sad smile, "Tell Satsuki I'll be okay."
And Aomine turned into dust.
Without Aomine's body holding him up, Kuroko fell to the ground. He lay there for a few seconds before it all registered.
"Aomine-kun!" Kuroko ripped out as he frantically got up and tried to follow the direction of Aomine's dust. He didn't know how long he had run, but he knew that Thanos had won.
"Today, we have the chance to take it all back." The rest of the room nodded. And Kagami slowly slipped his fingers between Kuroko's and gave them a reassuring squeeze.
After the snap, Kagami comforted and stayed with Kuroko. Through the panic attacks and night terrors, Kagami Taiga remained with Kuroko through it all.
When Kuroko had panic attacks, Kagami would coax him back into the present, back into reality. He never got frustrated with Kuroko, never told him to hide and piece himself back together.
Kagami did it for him.
Because Kagami loved Kuroko a lot.
And damnit, if Kagami had to pull all-nighters with Kuroko just so he wouldn't be alone, Kagami would.
Kuroko would clutch onto Kagami, scared that if Kagami moved even an inch, he, too, would dust away. Murmuring, "I'm sorry," over and over as he cried into Kagami's shoulder.
"You can't help it," Kagami would mumble, kissing Kuroko's temple with tenderness. "You can hold onto me. I'm not going nowhere."
The remaining Avengers didn't fail to notice how close the pair was. After all, they were relieved that Kuroko had someone to look after him since Aomine could no longer do it.
The small gesture comforted Kuroko, and he returned the small squeeze.
"Know your teams, know your missions," Akashi held the helmet over his head and slid it on. "Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each, no mistakes." He holds out a fist toward the center of their circle. "Most of us are going somewhere we know."
Kuroko and Kagami met Akashi's fist.
"Be careful. Look out for each other." Midorima, Riko, and Kiyoshi were next to join the fist bump. "This is the fight of our lives." Akashi looks at Momoi, who stares at him in uncertainty.
"We're gonna win," Akashi gave her a small smile in reassurance, "Whatever it takes."
"If we can't get the stones back," She slowly backs up, "If we mess up and get stuck on a different timeline..." She trails off, turning her head to the side. "I can't risk losing again."
Kuroko wasn't the only one to crumble once Aomine disappeared.
Momoi Satsuki was just as bad.
When Kuroko told her the news, she fell to her knees, distraught. No one had seen her for years- until now.
"We won't, Momoi-san," Kuroko knew what she was feeling. If he were to lose anyone here, he wouldn't be able to stand it. "We get the stones back and snap the world back to normal. Aomine-kun, Kise-kun, Takao-kun, and Murasakibara-kun would be with us again."
Momoi stayed quiet at his words. The pros far outweighed the cons, but there was always that chance of failure.
"We can see Aomine-kun again," Kuroko persuaded once more. At last, Momoi reluctantly nodded at the mention of their beloved friends and family. She will complete her mission and bring back the stones.
"Okay," She was the last to extend her arm and complete the fist bump. "So," She visibly swallows, "Akashi-kun, where is everyone going?"
Akashi looked around. For the first time since they re-grouped, he looked nervous. Breaking the fist bump, he took a deep breath. "I will travel to 1970. I'll steal the Space Stone at the S.H.E.I.L.D base. Aida and Teppei will travel back to the New York attack of 2012 and retrieve the Mind Stone from Loki's scepter."
Riko and Kiyoshi nodded at Akashi's plan at the mention of their names.
"Shintaro, you'll be traveling back to Asgard. Timeline, 2013. Your mission is the Reality Stone." Midorima doesn't say anything. He knows his task, and that's all he needs.
"Tetsuya and Taiga," Akashi almost looked guilty and clashed as he said their names. "You two will travel to planet Vormir in 2014. Get the Soul stone. And Satsuki, you'll travel alone. 2014. Planet Morag where the Power Stone is."
The Time Stone was already in their possession. All they needed was the last five infinity stones.
Momoi lets out a shaky breath.
"Don't worry, Momoi-san." Although Kuroko's face remained blank, his eyes conveyed certainty in their missions. "See you in a minute." He joked lightly.
Momoi huffed out a small smile. "See you in a minute, Tetsu-kun."
Above them, the time machine began to hiss and whirl, slowly activating the pad beneath them. And before the remaining avengers and guardians knew it, they had been transported out of the room.
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Kuroko and Kagami stood in awe as they landed on the pretty dark purple planet. A chilly breeze and tiny snowflakes ran through them.
Dark hues of purple scattered the land and clouds. Only the sun highlighted the sky with a soft pink. It would've been more enjoyable if they had been here on a different occasion. Romantic, even. But that's not why they were here.
They were here for the Soul Stone.
To bring back their friends, families, and civilians of earth.
The terrain was rocky and uneven as they proceeded through the mountain climbing steps where the Soul Stone resided.
"Careful," Kagami prepared himself to catch Kuroko if he were to slip and fall back. They'd been climbing for a while; he knew Kuroko would soon get tired. "There's ice everywhere," But Kuroko reassured his partner he was fine as they continued onward.
They talked in hushed voices, wary of any possible danger lurking.
"Why didn't Akashi come here instead?" Kagami shivered, "This planet is cold as hell."
Kuroko shook his head playfully. "What's wrong, Kagami-kun? The tiger can't handle a little cold?" He teased.
"So what if I can't?" Kagami played along, slightly huffing as he took another step forward. "Luckily, I have you to keep me warm."
"Slow down, Kagami-kun, we are on a mission. At least wait until we get home." Kuroko responded as they finally made it to the top of the mountain. He bent over, hands on his knees, and heaved. "I'd rather fight Thanos again than climb those stairs."
Kagami chuckled. "You won't be saying that if we end up fighting Thanos again." He held out his hand towards Kuroko. "Come on, the sooner we grab the stone, the sooner we can leave this shit planet."
Kuroko nodded and laced their hands together. "On the bright side, Kagami-kun, I'm glad I'm with you. I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else." He always said the boldest things with such a straight face. It drove Kagami mad.
With a slight blush on his cheeks, Kagami clicked his tongue. "Sap."
"Welcome," a loud, echoing voice made the duo jump back.
Kagami's instinct was to block Kuroko with his right arm, slightly backing them away from the ominous cloaked figure. Kagami and Kuroko noticed the pale red skin as the reaper came closer.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me," Kagami stopped backing away once he realized who the cloaked figure was. A slight scowl on his face, "You?"
"Who is he, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko grabbed at his partner's forearm. He was ready to protect Kagami from the strange figure.
"Kagami Taiga, son of Kaien. Kuroko Tetsuya, son of Nobu."
"Red Skull," Kagami narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Is this where you disappeared to?"
In 1945, Red Skull had banished the second he got his grimy hands on the Tesseract. Kagami never saw him again until now. Red Skull was a walk in the park compared to his previous enemies. Still, even if he appeared as a cloaked figure- he could still be dangerous.
"Think of me not as the Red Skull anymore but as a guide." Kuroko didn't like the feeling of this. Red Skull beckoned them to follow him. "A guide to the stone you seek."
"So give us the stone," Kuroko pushed Kagami's arm away from him. "And we'll be out of your...cloak."
"If only it were that easy," The Stonekeeper replied, floating away from them. Kagami and Kuroko exchanged looks of confusion but followed, nevertheless. The three came to a halt at the end of a cliff. In front of them stood the sun with the pretty pink and purple clouds casting over the snowy land and mountains.
"What the hell, Skull?" Kagami peered over, keeping Kuroko at arm's length away from the ledge. "Why did you bring us to a stupid cliff?" Although Kagami pushed Kuroko back, Kuroko had a tight hold on his arm. Kuroko could easily pull his partner back up if he were to slip.
"What you seek lies in front of you," Red Skull floated aside. "In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange."
Kuroko's gaze shifted towards Kagami, who quickly met his eyes.
"A soul for a soul."
It all clicked for the pair.
Thanos had landed on Vormir with Gamora, but he left the planet alone. Gamora was the sacrifice-that which Thanos loved most. That's how he got the Soul Stone.
Kagami clenched his hand into a fist. The only sound Kuroko could hear was that of his heart pounding. They both knew what needed to be done.
One must sacrifice themselves for the other to receive the Soul Stone.
They stood in front of each other for what felt like hours.
Hands tightly intertwined as they let the seconds tick. That's when Kagami used his free hand to caress the side of Kuroko's face. If he was going to die, he wanted to look at his lover one last time.
He wanted to look at the face he had memorized. He knew every eyebrow crease, every lip pout, every crinkle of the nose that Kuroko Tetsuya possessed. He knew every eyelash that protected Kuroko Tetsuya's big, pretty blue eyes. Those eyes that he has wiped the tears from countless times.
His gaze traveled to Kuroko's soft lips. The lips he's kissed thousands of times- he's attuned to them. He knows when they smile and tremble. "Tetsuya," Kagami whispers out, voice frail.
"Taiga," Kuroko holds the hand that cups the side of his face. If Kuroko died, he wanted to soak in his lover's touch one last time. The hand Kuroko holds has brought him comfort multiple times. Kagami's touched every single inch of his pale body with those fingers. He's traced every scar and mole.
Nobody can comfort him as Kagami does.
"If we get that stone, billions of people would snap back." Kagami said, "We both know who it has to be."
Kuroko nodded, "We do."
Closing the gap between them, Kuroko kisses Kagami gently. He pours out all his love and gratitude for their last kiss.
After a blissful few seconds, they parted- resting their foreheads against each other. Once their eyes locked deeply, Kuroko frowned.
"I'm starting to think we mean different people here." Kuroko pulled away and stepped back. "Taiga," He warned.
Kagami closed the gap between them. "For the last five years, I’ve been trying to do one thing: get right here. That’s what it has all been about. Bringing everybody back." He grips Kuroko's hand tightly. "Bringing Aomine, Kise, Atsushi, and Takao back."
Kuroko shakes his head. "Don't you go all decent on me now, Taiga. You're not doing it."
"Please," Kagami stressed, "There's no way in fucking hell I am letting you die."
"There's no way I'm letting you die!" Kuroko shook off Kagami's hand. "I'm jumping."
"If I jump, you will see Aomine again," Kagami shifted his gaze to the ground. "You, Aomine, and Satsuki can be together again."
"I can't live in a world without you," Kuroko's eyes watered. The thought of Kagami leaving, the man Kuroko loves, worships and adores leaving for good. He wouldn't be able to handle it. He's not strong enough without Kagami.
"You're not dying," Kagami demanded, his voice firm. "You can do so much more for the world than I can. The world needs Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm trying to save your life, you idiot."
"I don't want you to," He held Kagami's hand and brought it up to his lips. After a soft kiss on Kagami's hand, Kuroko sniffled. "Taiga, you know what I've done. You know what I've become." His voice broke. "After the snap, I wanted to die. You know this. You were there. Through the panic attacks and the terrors, you stayed with me. Let me do this to show my gratitude and love for you."
"I don't judge people on their worst mistakes," Kagami's voice quivered. "You lost everything you loved. Let me help you bring them back." Bring Aomine back.
"Please," Kuroko bit his tongue to hold back his cry. "Let me do this. If you love me, you'll let me."
Kagami stares long and hard at Kuroko. Sighing, he brought Kuroko close and rested his forehead on Kuroko's again. They both closed their eyes; hot tears raced down their cheeks.
"Okay," Kagami spoke, and he backed away from Kuroko. "You win."
Kuroko sadly smiles, relieved that Kagami agrees.
Until Kagami smirked and grabbed Kuroko's shoulder; hooking his foot around Kuroko's legs, Kagami slammed him to the ground. Once he was on top of his lover, he said, "Tell Aomine I said what's up."
Kuroko, quick with agility, wrapped his legs around Kagami's back and flipped him around. Now, Kagami was the one to hit the ground with an 'oof.' Kuroko quickly stood on his feet. "You tell him yourself." And he grabbed one of his electro-bites, throwing it on Kagami, who grunted once the electricity pulsed through his body.
Not turning back, Kuroko began running towards the edge.
Kagami needed to stop him. Groaning, he harshly ripped the electro-bite off him. Quickly standing up, he reached for an explosive arrow. The blue-haired hero went down once Kagami shot at the ground with proximity.
Kuroko moaned in pain, holding his right side. He turned to face Kagami, who threw his bow away from him and made a run toward the cliff. Kuroko knew he couldn't beat Kagami. In strength alone, Kagami reigned supreme. He needed to be tactful if he wanted to stop him from jumping.
But it was too late; Kagami was already off the edge.
Ignoring the pain in his hip, he bolted up and launched towards Kagami, extending his grappling hook. As they were freefalling, Kuroko had managed to swiftly attach the hook to the loop of Kagami's quantum suit. Once the grappling hook reached its length, both men hit the side of the cliff.
Kagami looked at what kept them suspended and followed the line back to his body. Below him was Kuroko, holding Kagami's other arm. "Fuck!" Kagami cursed as he turned to look down at Kuroko. "Damn you, Tetsuya." He desperately tried to hoist his partner back up, but it was no avail.
Kuroko slowly kept slipping from Kagami's grip. "Taiga."
"Shut up!" Kagami spat, "I need to find a way to get you back up." He looked around wildly. He was searching for something, anything to hoist Kuroko up.
"Let me go," Kuroko's eyes pleaded with Kagami's frantic ones.
"No!" He yelled, struggling to keep his grip on Kuroko's wrist. "Please, no." Fat tears streamed down Kagami's face. "Not you. Anyone but you."
Kuroko swallowed the lump in his throat. His eyes clouded with tears, a genuine pity he couldn't see the love of his life clearly in his final moments. "It's okay, Taiga." His voice was quiet. "You have to let me go."
"Please don't do this to me." Kagami blinked away his tears. "Tetsuya!" His voice strained.
"It's okay," Kuroko mouths before he kicks off the wall, losing Kagami's grip and free falls to the bottom.
Kagami let out a gurgled cry as he watched Kuroko become less and less visible. He squeezed his eyelids shut when he could no longer see Kuroko. Deafening screams blared from Kagami's mouth as he chanted for Kuroko to return.
Above Kagami, the sky lit up with bright blue hues- indicating a sacrifice has been made. And the next thing he knew, he entered total darkness.
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Lying in the middle of a small pond, Kagami gasped when he woke. Sitting up, he scanned his surroundings. He must've teleported because Vormir's cliff was nowhere in sight. With one hand, he pushed back the wet strains of hair plastered on his face. He sat there for a moment, processing what had happened. Finally, he looked at his fist that was still in the water.
The stone was in his possession.
He slowly lifted his hand out of the water- the weight of the stone made his skin crawl. He slowly opened his hand, and behold, a soft amber glow hit his face.
The Soul Stone.
He clenched the stone in his fist and screamed in agony, calling out Kuroko's name. He wanted Kuroko back- wanted him back more than anything.
Fuck this, fuck Thanos, and fuck Akashi for sending them to Vormir. It should've been him.
Not Kuroko.
What was he supposed to tell Momoi now? Or the rest of the team?
Kuroko's not coming home, ever. His gaze shifted back to his clenched fist.
A soul for a soul.