The Dark Heart(B.Barnes)

40: Everybody Comes Home

"Thor. Just wait," He tells the oaf, "We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve says calmly.

"I'm sorry. What, we're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor retorts.

"We should at least discuss it." Scott speaks up as he pops up at Tony's side.

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back." Thor stresses, "I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty." Thor tells us but Tony interrupts him.

"Normally, you're right. It's not about that." Tony tries to quiet Thor down but the two just keep talking over each other.

"I could do it. I mean at least I haven't tried to drink the world's weight in beer in the past few years while also gorging on poptarts and sitting on my ass." I say experimentally only to get a glare from Nat, Steve, and Tony. I shrug, "Well, I tried." I sigh.

"Just let me do it," Thor whispers, seemingly unbothered by my obvious jab at him. "Just let me do something good. Something right." He pleads.

"Look, it's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent. I'm telling you. You're in no condition." Tony explains.

"What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor questions.

"Cheez Wiz?" Rhodey suggests.

"Ale?" I offer.

Thor points aggressively at the two of us before looking back at Tony with a determined expression, "Lightning."

"Yeah." Tony whispers.

"Lightning." Thor repeats.

"Lightning won't help you, pal." Banner says from where he was standing in the back, "It's gotta be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive." He glances at me when he says that and I narrow my eyes before conceding and nodding in slight agreement.

"How do we know you will?" Steve asks as Bruce makes his way up to the glove.

"We don't," Bruce responds simply, "But the radiation's mostly gamma."

"And the Hulk eats gamma radiation for breakfast." I mumble to myself, Scott and Nat hearing me. Scott smiles lightly but Nat just rolls her eyes.

"It's like.. Uh. I was made for this." Bruce slowly takes the glove off the table, holding it in both hands carefully.

"Well we should all be ready for anything. So suit up." Steve orders, causing everyone to rush around and grab anything they need. I stay in the room with Banner and Tony since I already have on my suit. It doesn't take long for the others to come back, and once everyone is here we form a loose circle around Banner.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony asks after a brief pause.

"Let's do it." Banner says.

"Wait. Hold on a second. Before you... snap. I have a question," I speak up as Bruce was about to put the glove on. When everyone turned to look at me I proceeded, "If this works, will people reappear exactly where they got snapped?"

"I would assume so, yes." Tony replies, wary of the reason I was asking.

"So. Theoretically speaking," I continue, "If someone was on a plane when they got snapped. Will they reappear in the middle of the sky and start to fall? Or back in that same plane where they got dusted?" I raise one of my eyebrows as if I was genuinely curious, which I kind of am but I was also attempting to diffuse the thick tension while also stalling for my nerves.