The Avengers: Forever Young.

Chapter 15

When Steve woke up he felt strange. He thought back to everything that has happened and it was all so confusing for him. Steve knew he could trust the others and that they were right but he couldn't help but believe in what Loki was telling him to do. It was as if his brain was forcing him to agree and do what Loki demanded.

"Steve? Are you with us?" Natasha suddenly came into his blurry train of sight.

At first Steve shook his head but his spoken answer was "Yes." He tried to focus on clearing up the fog in his vision and went to rub his eyes when he realised his arms were tied up behind him. Steve frowned in confusion and started tugging at the rope that trapped his hands.

"Steve, you tried to kill us. We had to tie you up, if we take the rope off will you attack us again or are you back with us?" Natasha spoke up again.

Steve started to nod but then stopped himself, "Uh maybe, I don't think I will ata- I mean I don't know to be honest. I don't trust myself."

This made Natasha frown at him as though she didn't understand.

"What makes you not trust yourself?" Coulson asked coming into view.

"I just-" Steve let out a deep breath and thought for a few seconds, "I don't want to attack you guys and I know I shouldn't but I also feel like I need to... I don't know! It's so frustrating! And confusing. Just... I don't think you should untie until we are sure everything's safe." Steve half explained.

Natasha and Coulson ended up nodding at the boy and both stood up to let Steve have the time to recover a bit more. He was sitting with his hands tied behind his back on the floor against the wall, when Tony came and joined him.

"Hey Stevie, welcome back." Tony spoke in a casual manner as he plonked himself down next to the other teen.

"Hi." Was all that Steve replied with.

The two didn't speak as Tony, who had trouble sitting still and being quiet, was tapping his fingers on his legs that were spread out in front of him and occasionally he would twitch one of his legs to the side. Steve wouldn't admit it out loud but he sort of liked the distraction and how Tony didn't seemed bothered with what the spell had made Steve do.

"I'm sorry I brought you into this mess." Steve spoke up.

Tony stopped tapping for a second before continuing as though nothing happened, "No problemo, It's all Loki's fault anyway."

Steve smiled to himself and the conversation was left at that.

Suddenly gunshots were heard from a distance and everyone in the science lab flinched. Little Bruce darted up from his seated position and looked around wildly before running to Natasha, grabbing her hand and hiding behind her leg.

No one moved or talked, they all just listened out for anymore sounds from in the halls. But there was only silence.

After a while, everyone in the room seemed slightly calmer when suddenly the room's door banged open making them all jump up or for some, hide.

There at the door was a harsh breathing Clint, "come on guys, Shield is here. We need to get you all out of the building."

There was a few sighs of relief as the group made their way out of the room and out in the hallways heading towards where the exit was, Coulson supporting the wounded Natasha and Tony helping out Steve with his lack of use with his arms. As Steve and Tony passed Clint who held the door open, Clint couldn't help the look of confusion that spread across his face at the unexpected presence of a tied up Steve, he decided to just go with it.

It didn't take long to walk through the hallways and towards the front doors and just as the group was exiting the school a massive explosion came from the other side of the building making them all jump and duck down instinctively. Looking back with frowns of concern they continued their walk to safety and Natasha and Steve were rushed away to shields medics.

Tony had Bruce and Thor standing on either side of him as he held their hands, they were standing outside the school where all the cars and people who worked for shield were. The sun was about to rise, making the surroundings more a light shade of navy blue than a dark mid-night blue, telling them it was the beginning of a new day. Tony had a moment of thought on what the students of the school would think of the mess they made that night when they arrived to school later on in the morning.

"Can we go home now?" Bruce suddenly squeaked out, making Tony jumped slightly as he wasn't used to the boy speaking.

"Um... I guess?... Well I bloody hope so Brucie!" Tony grinned at the little boy.

"I also have much hope for our journey home to begin soon." Thor agreed in unusual soft voice he was exhausted.

Just then the schools front doors opened and the sight of Loki in gold, strong looking handcuffs being led by a group of badass looking agents met everyone's eyes.

It was like all the people who were stood outside were frozen as they all watched the evil man being taken to the van that would take him to shield headquarters.

Tony's grip on Thor's hand tightened as they watched, he knew it must have been hard and confusing for the young Asgardian to see his brother be taken away.

A few hours later, after Natasha's wound was checked and Steve was clear from the spell, Natasha, Clint and the de-aged avengers were back in the tower. Clint was carrying a sleeping Bruce as the tired group walked like zombies towards the lounge room.

Clint lied Bruce down on the couch before falling back into the single seater with a big tired sigh.

Natasha sat at the end of the same couch Bruce was on as the boy was small enough to leave enough room. She rested her head back and closed her eyes.

Steve took the other single seater; he sat and looked deep in thought as he went through all that had just happened.

Tony took to spreading out on the floor in the middle of the lounge room, he lied face down and he too was trying to take in the night he had just experienced.

And Thor took to sitting on the floor with back against Clint's seat. He looked over everyone else in the room before sinking down further towards the floor in exhausted.

"Well." Tony suddenly broke the silence as he lifted himself up slightly from the floor, "I don't know about you guys, but I have never experience or expected something like that to happen to me."

"Although I am from such a realm like Asgard, I too have never experienced such a night!" Thor agreed.

"It certainly was different." Steve added softly.

"You got that right steven" Tony replied with a chuckle.

"It was definitely a big night for us all, I think we could all do with some rest." Natasha said lifting her head up and sending the boys a smile.

They all nodded with agreement and got up to head to their beds, Steve helping Tony up to his feet from his place on the floor. Natasha looked over at Clint and was not surprised to see the man fast asleep on the couch, his head was back and his mouth was wide open as he snored. Before leaving the room Tony pointed at the man and laughed. "That's such a dad thing to do." He snickered, "I wanna take a photo!"

"Tony just go to bed!" Steve said rolling his eyes and smiling as lightly pushed the teen in the direction of his room.

"You're no fun Stevessa."

Natasha smiled at the babbling teens as she watched them and Thor disappear to their rooms. She knew the drama wasn't over yet as they still needed a cure to turn the de-aged avengers back to normal, but that can be left till tomorrow.

As Natasha walked to her own room, she thought over the night they had just had and the fact that Coulson was actually still alive. She then realised that she was going to have to tell the older versions of the avengers when they returned. Thinking over what their reactions would probably be like, Natasha rolled her eyes. That was going to be interesting.