(AN: In case your wondering why there's no update in the weekend. In our religion, we have a once a year event called The Holy Supper. Thus, every weekend before the event, we are preparing for it leaving me no time to cook. Hope you understand. Sorry for the late update and enjoy the slice of life part of the story)
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The battlefield slowly emptied.
The great clash that decided the fate of trillions across the universe was over. The smoke still lingered in the air, but the armies had already begun to disperse.
Elias walked toward the ruined Avengers Compound alongside Wanda Maximoff and Tony Stark.
Behind them, the battlefield was now filled mostly with cleanup crews and sorcerer portals flickering in and out.
The heroes were going home.
Not far away, Clint Barton had already disappeared into one of the portals.
He didn't even say much before leaving.
He simply looked at Steve, nodded once, and stepped through.
Everyone understood why.
Five years of loss had finally ended.
His family was waiting.
Nearby, Scott Lang was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Okay okay okay," Scott said rapidly.
"So… I just want to confirm something. Cassie is still a kid, right? Like—not suddenly older than me or something weird like that?"
Beside him, Hope van Dyne sighed.
"She's still your daughter, Scott. Just go."
Scott immediately grabbed her hand.
"Right! Family time!"
The two stepped through a portal created by the sorcerers, vanishing in a swirl of sparks.
Further away, Thor stood among the Asgardians.
Valkyrie was already organizing their return.
Thor stretched his arms dramatically.
"Well!" he declared loudly.
"That was a most excellent battle!"
He looked at the ruined field.
"We should absolutely never do that again."
The Asgardians laughed.
Moments later, the group stepped through another portal, returning to New Asgard.
Across the field, T'Challa spoke quietly with the Wakandan warriors.
"We return home," he said.
The Wakanda king glanced once toward the Avengers before stepping through the portal opened by the sorcerers.
The Dora Milaje followed.
Meanwhile, Doctor Strange stood among the remaining sorcerers.
He looked tired.
But his work wasn't done yet.
"We return to Kamar-Taj," Strange said.
Strange sighed.
"I'm on the clock."
His eyes briefly followed Elias in the distance.
"That man has made things… complicated."
The Time Stone and Space Stone floated briefly in Strange's hand before disappearing into a portal with him.
He would need them to construct the dimensional travel spell Elias requested.
Back at the compound, Elias casually checked his inventory.
A small glow flickered in his palm.
The Mind Stone had already returned to him.
He closed his hand, and the stone vanished again.
The remaining stones were already being prepared for return.
Steve was coordinating that part.
Not far away, Bruce Banner sat on a crate while Bucky Barnes stood nearby.
Steve approached them.
"We'll return them soon," Steve said.
Bruce nodded.
"Time travel rules say we should avoid messing up the timeline any more than we already did."
Bucky crossed his arms.
"And you're volunteering to do the delivery run."
Steve smiled faintly.
"Feels right."
Above the compound, a small spacecraft lifted into the sky.
Inside were the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Rocket Raccoon sat in the pilot seat.
"Alright, strap in idiots," Rocket said.
"We're going home."
Behind him stood Nebula and Gamora.
Gamora looked extremely uncomfortable.
Across from her sat Peter Quill.
Peter stared at her.
Not blinking.
Gamora frowned.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Peter blinked.
"Because you're—"
He gestured vaguely.
"—you."
Gamora crossed her arms.
"I don't know you."
Peter slowly pointed to himself.
"That's the problem."
Nebula sighed loudly.
Rocket groaned.
"Oh great," Rocket muttered as the ship jumped to hyperspace.
"Space soap opera. My favorite."
The ship vanished into the stars.
Meanwhile, Elias finally arrived at the ruined Avengers compound.
Tony crossed his arms.
"So," he said. "Vacation guy."
Elias looked around the destroyed building.
"…This place looks like it lost a fight with a meteor."
Tony sighed.
"Don't remind me."
Steve chuckled quietly.
Wanda stood nearby, already feeling the headache coming.
A week.
She had agreed for a week
She looked at Elias.
"Where do you even want to go first?"
Elias grinned.
"Well…"
He looked around Earth like a tourist who had just arrived.
"I've never actually had a vacation on this planet before."
He snapped his fingers.
"Let's start with food."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"You just helped save the universe and your first priority is food?"
Elias nodded seriously.
"Absolutely."
He pointed at Tony.
"You look rich. Take us somewhere expensive."
Tony stared at him.
"…I regret saving your life earlier."
Wanda pinched the bridge of her nose.
Elias laughed.
And thus began the strangest post-war vacation in Avengers history.
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Day one started with chaos.
"Why are we here?" Wanda Maximoff asked flatly.
Elias stood in front of a massive glowing sign like a tourist who had just discovered civilization.
"Because," Elias said proudly, "every great vacation starts with Times Square."
Wanda stared at the sea of tourists, flashing billboards, street performers, and honking taxis.
"…This is torture."
Elias ignored her and immediately pulled out a small Stark-tech camera.
"Picture!"
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
He held the camera higher.
"One picture."
She sighed loudly.
"Fine."
They stood under a massive screen advertising something Wanda didn't even bother reading.
Elias grinned.
Wanda looked like she had been forced into community service.
Click.
Elias checked the photo.
"Wow. You look like you're planning my funeral."
"I might."
Two hours later they were in Central Park.
Elias was sitting on a bench eating a pretzel the size of his head.
"Stark really has money," he said between bites.
"You're enjoying this too much," Wanda muttered.
"Of course I am."
He pointed the camera again.
"Take a picture of me."
Wanda blinked.
"You want… a photo?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"So I can remember this moment."
She stared at him like he had just spoken nonsense.
"You fought a galactic war yesterday."
"Exactly."
He handed her the camera.
"Now take the picture before I finish this pretzel."
Wanda rolled her eyes but lifted the camera.
Click.
Elias threw a thumbs up.
Click.
He jumped onto the bench dramatically.
Click.
Wanda lowered the camera slowly.
"You are insufferable."
"Yet you're still here."
She couldn't argue with that.
Later they ended up in Coney Island.
Wanda refused the rollercoaster.
Absolutely refused.
"No."
"You haven't even tried it."
"No."
"You literally fought aliens."
"Aliens don't go upside down at 90 miles per hour."
Five minutes later they were strapped into the front seat.
Wanda glared at him.
"If I die, I'm haunting you."
"You'll be a very pretty ghost."
The ride launched.
Thirty seconds later—
Elias screamed with excitement.
Wanda screamed in pure rage.
When it stopped she walked out silently.
"…That was fun," Elias said carefully.
Wanda turned slowly.
"You will never speak of this again."
"…Understood."
By the evening they were walking along Brooklyn Bridge.
The sunset painted the skyline orange.
For once, Elias wasn't talking.
Wanda leaned against the railing quietly.
Her thoughts drifted.
Vision.
With him… things had been different.
They were always hiding.
Always careful.
Every conversation whispered.
Every moment tense.
They were always watching the door.
Waiting for someone to find them.
She remembered sitting in a small apartment in Edinburgh, constantly afraid of being discovered.
But here…
With Elias…
They weren't hiding.
No one was chasing them.
No tension. No fear.
Just… wandering around the city doing ridiculous things.
She glanced at Elias.
He was busy trying to photograph a pigeon.
"Hold still," he muttered to the bird.
Wanda snorted quietly.
Then she realized something.
She was actually enjoying herself.
She shook her head.
This is ridiculous.
But still…
It felt good.
"Hey," Elias said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"Come here."
He raised the camera again.
"Another photo."
Wanda sighed.
"You've taken twenty today."
"Twenty-one is a better number."
She walked beside him.
They both looked at the camera.
This time—
Wanda didn't look annoyed.
Click.
Meanwhile
Far away, within the quiet halls of Kamar-Taj, the atmosphere was very different.
Candles flickered in a circular chamber.
Ancient runes glowed faintly across the floor.
In the center stood Doctor Strange.
Floating before him were the Time Stone and Space Stone.
Their energies twisted together like cosmic threads.
Strange moved his hands carefully, weaving complex spells in the air.
Portals opened.
Closed.
Collapsed.
"Dimensional drift… unacceptable," he muttered.
The spell needed precision.
It had to send Elias to 2012.
To a timeline where he did not exist.
And then from there,
Return him to his home universe.
One mistake could fracture reality.
Strange exhaled slowly.
"That man better appreciate how difficult this is."
He resumed the incantation.
Ancient symbols rotated around the stones like gears of a cosmic machine.
Far away, in New York…
Wanda and Elias were eating ice cream.
Strange sighed.
"Of course he is on vacation."
The second day began much earlier than Wanda expected.
Elias knocked on her door like an excited child.
Three quick knocks.
Then another three.
"Wanda!"
Silence.
"Waaanda."
The door suddenly opened.
Wanda Maximoff stood there with half-closed eyes and messy hair.
"You realize," she said slowly, "that some people sleep in during vacations."
Elias grinned.
"It's 9 AM."
"That's early."
"Come on," he said, already walking away.
"Breakfast."
She sighed but followed.
Day 2
They spent most of the day wandering through New York again.
But something had changed.
Elias noticed it first when he lifted his camera.
"Picture?"
Instead of saying no—
Wanda simply walked beside him.
Click.
He blinked.
"…That was easy."
"Don't get used to it," she said.
Later that afternoon they passed a small amusement pier again.
Elias pointed at a ride.
"Round two?"
She crossed her arms.
"No rollercoasters."
"It's not a rollercoaster."
It was a slow spinning sky ride.
Wanda studied it.
"…Fine."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"No arguing?"
"I said fine."
Ten minutes later they were sitting in a slow rotating cabin overlooking the ocean.
The wind moved gently through Wanda's hair.
She looked calmer than the previous day.
Elias raised the camera again.
Click.
"Did you just take a picture without asking?"
"Yes."
"You're getting bold."
"I'm evolving."
She rolled her eyes.
But she didn't complain.
Later that night they ended up inside a movie theater.
Elias leaned over halfway through the film.
"This movie is terrible."
Wanda whispered back, "Then stop talking."
He paused.
"…But it's terrible."
"Shh."
For the rest of the movie she occasionally hid a smile.
Day 3
By the third day something had clearly shifted.
Wanda was smiling.
Not often.
But enough.
Elias noticed immediately.
He didn't mention it.
Instead, while they walked through a street market, he casually asked.
"Is there somewhere you want to go?"
Wanda looked surprised.
"You've been choosing everything."
"Yeah," he said.
"But it's your vacation too."
She looked down for a moment.
Thinking.
Then she said quietly,
"…I know a place."
Day 4
The place she chose wasn't flashy.
It wasn't crowded.
It was a quiet lakeside park just outside the city.
The trees moved softly in the wind.
No tourists.
No noise.
Just water and sky.
Elias stretched his arms.
"This is nice."
Wanda sat on the grass beside him.
"I used to come somewhere like this when I was younger," she said.
They spent the afternoon doing absolutely nothing.
No powers. No missions. No hiding. No danger.
Just sitting, walking, talking about random things.
The strange tension Wanda had carried for years slowly loosened without her noticing.
At some point during the quiet afternoon…
Her head slowly tilted.
And rested on Elias's shoulder.
She had fallen asleep.
Elias froze for a moment.
"…Oh."
He glanced down at her.
Peaceful. Relaxed.
Something he had never really seen before.
He sighed softly.
"Guess the vacation finally worked."
Carefully, he stood up.
Then gently lifted her into a princess carry.
He didn't notice that the moment he moved.
Wanda's eyes had opened slightly.
She was awake. But she stayed still. Embarrassed at the situation but more embarrassed if he finds out.
Too embarrassed to say anything, she stayed silent and let Elias carry her.
Elias carried her all the way back to the apartment Stark had arranged for them.
He walked quietly into her room.
Placed her carefully on the bed.
Pulled the quilt over her.
Then he paused.
He looked at her sleeping face.
For a moment his expression softened.
"You know," he muttered quietly, "the Wanda from my time is still a clueless teenager."
He rubbed the back of his head.
"We already met actually. In my bakery shop."
He chuckled faintly.
"She bought too many sweets."
He sighed.
Then spoke again.
"If only there were no troubles coming in my timeline…"
He looked down at her again.
"I probably would've settled down already."
His voice became softer.
"With a beautiful and warm woman like you."
He shook his head slightly.
"Sadly… my powers don't really agree with peaceful lives."
A pause.
Then Elias suddenly frowned.
"…Why am I even talking to a sleeping Wanda?"
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Yeah that's weird."
He walked toward the door.
Opened it.
Then locked it gently behind him.
The room became quiet again.
A few seconds passed.
Then,
Wanda's eyes slowly opened.
Her entire face turned red.
She buried her face halfway into the pillow.
Because she had heard…
Every single word.
End of chapter 52