Chapter Text
mine forever
cast
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Kate Winslet as Vivian Palmer/Iron Maiden
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Lawrence Cranston/Mister Fear
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Hideyoshi Yoshida
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange
Paul Bettany as Vision
Claudia Lee as Lana
Tessa Thompson as Brunnhilde/Valkyrie
Robert Downey, Jnr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Ken Watanabe as Keisuke
Rachel House as Topaz
Clancy Brown as Surtur
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig
Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
Jaimie Alexander as Sif
Zachary Levi as Fandral
Tadanobu Asano as Hogun
Ray Stevenson as Volstagg
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Stan Lee as cameo role
Joe Russo as cameo role
Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine (mid-credits scene)
Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton (mid-credits scene)
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts (mid-credits scene)
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man (post-credits scene)
Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man (post-credits scene)
Pretext
This story is dedicated to all the people whose lives have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s times like these when we really need superheroes.
Short-Film
Two years prior - 2020.
Thor, Jane and Nat were hanging out together at Jane’s research lab. Nat had her foot on a desk she sat at whilst Jane typed on her computer and wrote things down on her board. Thor was sitting down on a chair and trying to understand what she was saying. Nat had a red hoodie sweater on with black jeans. Her hair was red all across and was tied up in a ponytail. Jane’s brown hair was let loose. She wore a grey cardigan over her olive green sweater and blue jeans. On Thor was a red plaid shirt, a grey t-shirt and grey and black checkered pants - pajama parts to be particular. His facial hair and his mane were blonde. We all know Thor to have long hair.
Jane spoke excitedly and pointed around at her papers, board and computer as she spoke to them.
“Okay, so the massive star region F24.8+0.1 is in the Milky Way plane situated about... D quarter 6:5 kpc from us. We need longer wavelengths. My radio telescope showed this scan at n quarter 1281:5 Mhz. Looks more like a shell, if you understand,” Jane pointed to Thor, whom smiled.
She continued, “The radio continuum flux is f1282MHz quarter 7:7 Jy. It’s what I could obtain from this spectrum. These RRLs (Radio Recombination Lines) simplify my quantum calculations to a proper timescale for the downward transition rate due to its large spontaneous de-excitation. All I need to deploy is the eq for...” Jane drew a line on her board with a ruler, “this line, where TBn quarter Te tn, where the function is Gaussian, which concludes that this needs the optical depth expression for its centre. That takes us to this equation.” Jane pointed her ruler to another point on the board, which had the following equation:
Nat was sleeping. Thor was confused as heck. Jane was smiling excitedly.
“So... is this good news?” Thor asked her.
She kept smiling, “It is! You see, I combined the atomic number with the transition oscillator strength, ionization potential, the FWHM and the emission measure. This is entirely based on the assumption that ion and electron densities in this region are crudely equal. Which takes us to this sub-equation where we can determine the brightness temperature of the centre. It proves a key aspect of line emission astrophysics. That’s how I was able to locate the star region neighboring the Milky Way.”
Thor was completely lost. He wasn’t exactly PhD-level smart like Jane was. On the contrary, he knew less than nothing about Math and Science. All he knew was that Jane was his wife and that she was very passionate about things he knew nothing of. And that she was pretty, so it wasn’t hard to concentrate on what she was saying, even if nothing could be interpreted.
Nat just gave up. She woke up from her sleep and got up, saying, “I’m tapping out.” Jane and Thor looked at her. “Great stuff, Jane. You’re one smart cookie.”
Jane smiled and shook her head.
“I’ll walk her to her car,” Thor walked to Jane.
“Okay,” Jane gave him a peck on the lips. “When you come back, I’ll deconstruct elastic and coherent scattering of incoming photons, and, astronomical geometry.”
“Sweetheart, do we have to talk about Physics at 9pm?”
Jane whispered playfully, “Yes, we do if you want to go home and do that thing you wanted us to do tonight.”
“Watch High School Musical 2?” Thor asked excitedly.
“Yeah, that,” Jane laughed.
“Physics it is then,” Thor nodded. She nudged him away with her hand to his chest.
“Don’t be too long.”
“I won’t.”
Thor left the premises and escorted a very tired Nat to her parked car.
Nat spoke sleepily, “Man, she can bend your ear about astrophysics.”
“You should hear the things she tells me when we’re on our dates.”
“You sure it was a good idea marrying someone a billion times smarter than you?”
Thor smiled, “Have you seen the way she dances? It balances everything out nicely.”
Nat chuckled and shook her head. “Same old Thor.”
They shared a hug. “Take care, Lady Natasha.”
Nat played along with the Shakespearean act and replied with a British accent, “I wish the same upon you, fair companion. Entertain your spouse thoroughly with feigned attention to her scientific syllabi.”
Thor smiled. “You should talk to Captain America that way. I’m sure it would make him fancy you more than he already does.” Nat’s face altered instantly to irritation.
“Call him Steve, you loser. Besides, he doesn’t fancy me.”
“Look, he is my best friend, so I am sure he-”
Suddenly, there was a massive explosion from the lab - the very lab they were at. Oh no, the lab Jane was still in!
Thor and Nat flew far away. The lab transformed from an ordinary facility into what was a house for only fire. On the concrete rolled Thor and Nat. They came to a stop and realized the terror that occurred.
“JANE!” Thor cried her name instantly. They both got up and ran to the fire. Thor had his hand out and very soon, Mjölnir reached him. Nat couldn’t go further into the fire, but Thor did. He roamed through the flames, far deep into it beyond the reach of Nat’s eyesight.
She called the ambulance immediately. They were on their way. All she heard were the screams from Thor. Calling out her name. No body was found...
+++++
A week later.
The funeral.
Jane’s funeral was attended by her parents, Dr. Erik Selvig, Darcy Lewis, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, the Avengers, and of course, her widower, Thor.
It was a very sad moment. They had a tombstone for her indicating her date of birth and date of death. Her epitaph read, “On this Earth once walked a brilliant scientist, loving wife, caring friend and daughter.” Thor knelt to her tomb and cried his soul out. Steve Rogers, Darcy and Erik consoled Thor as he wept on and on.
Nat stayed at the way back of this scene. Her eyes had tears in them but she swore not to cry in front of everyone at the funeral. She blamed herself terribly for letting this happen. She hadn’t told anyone that someone was out to kill her. They were most definitely successful now, so they thought. Unfortunately, it cost a life. A very innocent life. Nat had more baggage on her shoulders now. More than she could bear. She felt responsible for Jane’s death.
It was here when she decided what was best for the team.
For everybody.
+++++
Another week later.
Steve arrived at the Avengers compound on his motorcycle. He had a bouquet of flowers in his right hand. Steve entered and greeted Rhodey. He was on one path - the path that led to Nat’s domicile. The door to it was already open. He took a deep breath and walked in.
“Nat?” Steve called her name. His head peeked into her room before his body followed. Nothing. She wasn’t there. Unwillingly, he took further footsteps into her room. His eyes darted around the room. Steve had been in her room before. He just loved the way it looked. It resembled her so well with all the computers, clothes, the guns hidden beneath her bed, the posters of nature and such on the walls, and that smell. Oh, her heavenly strawberry scent.
Steve exited her room and looked around the compound for her. He didn’t find her. Steve pursued Clint, Tony, Rhodey, Bruce - anyone he could find at the compound to assist.
Nothing.
She was gone. Off the face of the Earth. He theorized that she probably went for a spontaneous walk. She did that regularly. But days passed. She was still gone. Everyone looked for her. They couldn’t find a trace of her because she left all of her tech at the compound. Steve found himself crying alone when it was confirmed that she had just left without notice. The day before she left, they shared a kiss. Steve was fixing to ask her out on a date, hoping she’d say yes.
But she just ran away...
Main Title
Two years later.
Muspelheim.
The dominion of the fire demon Surtur.
Red, orange, brown and black dominated the aesthetic of this flaming environment. Literally, there was fire almost everywhere. Roast and terror swirled this domain. Beasts of raven skin and red horns roamed around. Pretty terrifying stuff.
However, not too terrifying for the God of Thunder. Thor was chained and hung upside down from a fixed rock. His hands were tied behind his back too. Thor’s appearance was in his full battle attire (with the chain mail sleeves), with his hair being long and blonde - as it always was. Except, this time, Thor’s face was buried under blonde-tinted facial hair. He carried a sense of sorrow on his face. In his eyes. His entire demeanor sure changed.
On a throne, Surtur sat down. His conflagrant body was nearly eleven feet tall. He had his Twilight Sword in his grasp on the throne as he addressed the God of Thunder. Thor’s upside down body wasn’t facing him yet, but the chain was swiveling towards Surtur’s direction slowly but surely.
“The time has come. Those with blinded ambition seek to defeat me, but always fail. To that catalog, you belong as well. With Asgard in your hands now... annexing your world with raging fire will be a certain outcome to this dreadful symposium. I have conquered most all realms I’ve traversed. Asgard’s destruction is your prophesy. Destroying it will be my legacy. Welcome to your death, Odinson.”
Thor’s chained up body faced Surtur now. His face twisted from blankness to annoyance.
“Finally. You’ve decided to show yourself, Surtur.” The fire demon growled on his throne. Thor remarked, “Is that a hinge of chest hair I see?” He growled again, but Thor continued, “I’ll lend you my body groomer when this is over. Deal?”
“Silence, brazen brute!” Surtur demanded as he got up and walked towards Thor with the Twilight Sword in his hand. “You can’t comprehend your responsibilities as the King of Asgard - let alone as the Protector of the Nine Realms! Your arrogance led you to your pit of death. In my grasp.” Surtur’s face was very close to Thor’s now. It was an act of intimidation. “Doom and destruction courses through my veins like the fire within, and fire... trumps lightning.”
Thor responded with an impressed look on his face, “Not gonna lie, that would make a cool t-shirt. You’re on fire, well, you actually are.”
“Do not fan the embers of my wrath, boy! You’re lucky that time still stands nowadays, so I’d pick my last words wisely if I were you.” Surtur had a tighter grip on that sword of his now. “Odin’s legacy has gone to waste with a nincompoop like you spearheading the kingdom.”
“You besmirch my intellect far too much, Surtur. I am not here out of arrogance. I am here for that,” Thor nodded to his sword. Surtur looked at his sword.
“This?”
“The Infinity Shard.”
“This is not the Infinity Shard. This is the Twilight Sword. My Twilight Sword. I wield the death of worlds. With this sword, I plunge catastrophe and devour all that exists on terrains such as your precious world. My task to end Asgard will be easier with you out of the way, Odinson.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Bad Breath, there is a bigger threat out in the universe that trumps your primitive goal. Your fixation on it leads me to believe that you do not know where the Infinity Shard is or that you have it. Like my friend Captain America would say, only gratify your time with what’s necessary. See, that’s the thing about being a hero. You always have a contingency plan.” Thor opened his right hand behind his back at this very moment. This was a call for Mjölnir. “Do you know how to spell contingency?”
Surtur groaned angrily.
With a silly chuckle, Thor added, “Neither can I.”
Mjölnir reached Thor’s hand and suddenly, a huge explosion of lightning surged the entire realm. Surtur was blasted away and Thor was rescued from his chains. A selection of Surtur’s minions (dragons and henchmen) launched attacks at Thor immediately. He used his hammer to destroy them all whilst punching and kicking a few away. Ultimately, Thor collected Mjölnir, soared about fifteen feet high and slammed the hammer to the ground, roasting all that remained with lightning.
Surtur stood up and addressed Thor now.
“You fool! You cannot deter my attack on Asgard! It is written!”
Thor replied, “On which book? I haven’t read of the sort!”
“Of course you haven’t. You never read.”
“Do not insult my intelligence! You are not my father!”
“SILENCE!” Surtur roared and launched a fire attack from his Twilight Sword at Thor. Thor rotated his hammer several times to create a dome force. It shielded him from the fire onslaught. Thor broke free from his attack and flew high up from Surtur. He lifted his head up confusedly. Thor brought chains down from another rock prison situated high up and wrapped them around Surtur’s neck, strangling him the process.
“Surrender now, Man of Fire!” Thor demanded as he strangled Surtur from behind with the chains.
“Daft warrior! You will die!” Surtur groaned with struggle.
Thor realized Surtur was not going to surrender at all, so he assembled Mjölnir once more. The hammer lifted him up in the air to summon lightning from the skies. With a loud howl, Thor’s eyes glowed bright as did Mjölnir when he slammed his hammer into Surtur’s head.
The source of Surtur’s power was his crown, which Thor successfully collected upon decapitating the fire demon. He used the chains to wrap the crown around his back. More of his minions were surging the grounds towards him abruptly. Thor realized an escape was needed.
He lifted his mighty hammer and called out, “Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!”
Just one second later, the Bifrost opened and Thor successfully exited Muspelheim.
+++++
Meanwhile.
Earth.
Europe.
Norway.
In an apartment downtown in Oslo, Natasha Romanoff was communicating with someone on her laptop. Her hair was red, long and had a braid on the front left. It was daytime. The weather was overcast, damp and rainy. She wore a grey sweater and black sweatpants.
The screen was black with a font synonymous to Courier New displaying the typed text.
Nat typed: “Nothing yet.”
Someone replied:
Me neither. But there’s good news. I got sights on the leaf yesterday. My roamer took a shot of it. It had codes on it.
“What kind? Caesar? Voynich? Tabula recta?”
Something else. Here:
The person Nat was contacting sent her the code:
This person added:
I’ve spent the past eight hours transposing it. No avail.
Nat looked at the code with intrigue. On her laptop, she activated the print function to print the code.
She replied: “Thank you. I’ll keep you posted on what I find.”
Sure. Just remember, his eyes are everywhere. I’m afraid we’re dealing with something much, much bigger than Dreykov. It’s time we meet up again.
Nat paused to choose her next words wisely that she would send.
She sent: “TBD.”
Nat closed her laptop and sighed. Her hand ran through the roof of her hair to calm herself. She was at her work desk in her apartment. It was bombarded with papers and other things like stationery, devices, files, etc.
On her table too, was a framed image. This was the image Nat looked at now. She took it into her left hand and gazed at it. It was a picture of Steve. A picture of him taken back in 1942 before he got his Super Soldier Serum. Longingly, she ran her left thumb over the image.
Nat looked up and took a deep, nervous breath before releasing the air taken in.
+++++
Moscow.
Ice was everywhere. The mountains in the distance created a hazy backdrop to the frost surrounding the police. The police and the CIA were all dressed in thick coats, earmuffs, beanies, caps and gloves. They swarmed an open ice field to arrest nearly fifteen Russian black market dealers. They were top-of-their-game, well, at least they were.
Two policemen conversed with each other.
“These are the men we’ve been looking for. How lucky are we?”
“I wonder who sent that signal. Better yet, why?”
“Call it an anonymous tip.”
“Again, why the generosity?”
“That’s the thing I can’t stand about you, Todd. You’re too paranoid.”
“I’m a cop. What else am I supposed to be?”
This entire squadron led this big arrest of these criminals caught red-handed with footage of their dealings left for the CIA’s benefit. Everything was in its right place for the police and the CIA. The question remained, who left these pieces of evidence out here?
+++++
Six miles away from the arrest.
A quinjet was rested on the icy ground, where more snow was bundled together to make interchanging steep and gentle slopes. Inside it were two best friends, both dressed in their tactical uniforms. They were Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.
At the ship’s rear end where exiting was done, the two of them stood together and conversed. Steve ate a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs whilst Bucky drank water out of a black-colored bottle. His dark brown hair was long and his face had some facial hair. He wore his full uniform with the left sleeve ripped off for his metal arm to display. Steve wore his Captain America uniform. His hair was blonde and cut in its usual style with his face clean shaven - the same way he looked two years prior. Steve put his shield elsewhere in the jet.
Bucky was chuckling.
“You need to slow down with all of these women, Buck. How many women have you seen without bib and tucker on?” Steve asked him validly.
With a smirk, he responded, “More than I can count. At least I’m not still a virgin like you.” Bucky chuckled as he pointed this out.
Steve craned his head. “Come on, Buck. Let’s not talk about that.”
“Hey, you forget that I’m perfectly entitled to tease you. I am a year older than you.”
“Yeah, start acting like it,” Steve required of him, causing laughter.
There was silence afterwards. Steve continued to eat his food and Bucky drank his water before speaking again. “Thanks for helping me today, pal.”
“Always.” Steve smiled at him. “We’d be lucky to have you with us, you know. You’d fit well with the team, Buck.”
“I know, I know...”
“I’m just saying. You don’t have to live a life of being some sort of antihero just for the fun of it. You have a heart of gold. You could be an Avenger.”
“Yeah, but what’s the fun in that?” Bucky asked with narrowed eyes. Steve laughed.
“You’re missing out on free dinners with the Hulk, I’m just saying...” Steve looked down and collected spaghetti with his fork, “there’s more to you than this. If you ever wanna join the team, you’re more than welcome.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I’m more of a lone ranger. It’s better for me to remain off the Avengers’ radar.”
Steve smiled at Bucky and continued eating whilst looking at the view of the cold Moscow outside the open rear end of the ship. Bucky kept his eyes on Steve, whom had a dash of concern in his facial expression. Bucky broke the silence nicely with a joke.
“I can’t believe you’re still a virgin,” Bucky laughed.
Steve just shook his head and placed his left hand on Bucky’s right shoulder. “You’re an interesting 100-year-old, I must say. Must be fun living inside that brain of yours.” Bucky just continued laughing. Steve looked at him and removed his hand from his shoulder.
“I believe in monogamy. Honestly, why would you need all the women in the world to satisfy your one need when you could have one woman to satisfy all your needs?” Steve said.
“Simple. We’re no longer in 1945,” Bucky replied.