Never | Steve Rogers x OC

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Breakers are set, emergency generators are on standby." Steve told Bruce.

"Good. 'Cause if we blow the grid, I don't wanna lose Tiny here in the 1950's." Bruce said.

Brianna buried her face in her head, groaning loudly. They hadn't even started and she could feel a headache forming.

"What?" Scott panicked.

"He's kidding." Natasha assured him and turned back to Bruce. "You can't say things like that!"

"We're good! Get your helmet on, Scott. I'm gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in 10 seconds. Makes sense?" Bruce asked him.

"Perfectly normal confusing." Scott said, unsure.

"Good luck, Scott. You got this." Steve fake believed in him.

The helmet came over Scott's face. "You're right. I do, Captain America."

Brianna tensed as she watched him press a button and then disappear into the tunnel.

"On the count of three. 3... 2... 1!" Bruce said and hit a button.

She watched as Scott came back, but not as an adult, but as a teenager. "Uh, guys? This...this doesn't feel right."

"What is this?" Steve panicked.

"What's going on?" Bruce said as he began to push various buttons.

"Who is that?" Natasha asked. "Is that Scott?"

"Yes, it's Scott!" Yelled teenage Scott.

Bruce pressed a button and they watched him get sucked inside again. In a matter of seconds, he came back. This time, as an old man.

"Ow! My back!" An older version of Scott yelled.

"Bruce! Do something!" Brianna said.

"I'm trying. Give me a second. Unless you have a degree in quantum physics, you aren't helping." Bruce argued with her.

Again, Scott got sent away and again he came back, but the next time was a baby. It felt like a joke was being played on them. It all seemed too ridiculous.

Steve looked at Scott dumbfounded. "It's a baby."

"It's Scott." Bruce pointed out.

"As a baby!" Steve told him.

"He'll grow."

"Bring Scott back!" Steve demanded.

"Nat, when I say kill the power, kill the power." Bruce told her.

"Oh my god." Natasha muttered as she walked near the generator.

"And...kill it!" Bruce said after a few seconds.

Natasha pulled the level down and Bruce slammed his fist against something. Scott came flying out of the tunnel as his present self. Brianna sighed in relief.

"Somebody peed my pants." Scott stood frozen in his spot.

"Oh thank God." Natasha exasperated.

"But I don't know if it was "baby" me or "old" me...Or just "me" me." Scott said.

"Time travel!" Bruce said excitedly causing Steve to shake his head. "What? I see this as an absolute win."

"Oh, we are so very fucked." Brianna mumbled and went to follow Steve.

They both walked outside with solemn expressions on their face. Every ounce of hope was starting to diminish. It had worked, very slightly. However, there was no way they were going to be able to fix everything in the way they thought. Brianna slummed on the bench next to Steve. "There was to be another way."

"Got any ideas?" He asked.

"Not really. Unfortunately, I'm not a genius." She pointed out.

The sound of a loud car engine caught both of their attentions. They both stood up as the car zoomed past them, but then backed up. Brianna's mouth dropped open with shock. Tony.

"Close your mouth, mini Hawkeye. You'll catch flies." Tony said as he got out of the car. "Why the long face? Let me guess: He turned into a baby."

Steve nodded. "Amongst other things. What are you doing here?"

"That's the EPR Paradox. Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky. Dangerous. Somebody should've cautioned you against it." Tony said and walked to the back of his car.

"You did." Steve bluntly.

"Oh, did I? Thank God, I'm here. Regardless, I fixed it." He told them and pulled out a small device. "A fully functioning Time-Space GPS. I just want peace. Turns out, resentment is corrosive. I hate it."

Steve smiled a half smile. "Me too."

"We got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities: Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I got? I have to, at all costs. And... maybe not die trying will be nice."

"Sounds like a deal."

Brianna looked at Tony curiously as he reached into the trunk again. This time, pulling out Steve's old Captain America shield. It was something neither of them had seen in seven years.

Steve hesitantly took it. "Tony..."

"Why? He made it for you. Plus, honestly I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding." Tony said.

"Thank you, Tony."

"I think you two should hug it out." Brianna smirked as they walked back inside the compound.

"Uh, yeah. No. We're not doing that." Tony said.

Steve chuckled. For a moment, Brianna thought about pulling Steve to the side and asking him about the sketch pad. It didn't seem like the right time. If there ever was a right time. She watched at Tony, Natasha, Scott and Bruce all exchanged pleasantries.

"We're going to need all the help we can get." Tony told them. "Anyone know Thor is? Brianna, I'm sure you can get in contact with your dad."

Brianna stiffened. Tony didn't know about their little falling out years ago. "Umm, not exactly. We aren't...speaking."

"Well, you're going to have to start speaking. What's the saying? There's no 'I' in team." Tony told her.

Natasha stepped forward and gently placed her hand on Brianna's arm. "Don't worry. I know where he is."

"You do?" Brianna asked.

"You didn't think I just let your dad completely disappear, did you?" She asked with a smile.

Brianna swallowed dryly. She knew Tony was right. She was indeed going to have to speak to her father at some point. She just didn't know what she was going to say.