** a/n: Feeling awful for nearly three months between updates so here's another. I hope it makes up for the long wait**
The quantum jump was disorienting but paled in comparison to the bewilderment she felt when her feet hit the ground 9 years in the past. The sounds of battle surrounded them pulling her attention several blocks away, where she knew the past version of herself was about to watch her best friend die in her arms. She didn't even realize that Steve had been speaking to them until Tony placed his hand on her shoulder.
"You got this?" He asked, empathy pouring out of his eyes.
"Yeah," she replied, retracting her suit and rolling her shoulders to try and ease some of the tension, "easy, peasy."
The look in Tony's eye made it obvious he didn't buy it for a second and for a moment she worried he was going to call her out on it.
"Lemon squeezy," he said instead, pulling her close to place a chaste kiss on the crown of her head.
The whole group jumped in unison as the Hulk appeared at the end of the alley they were standing in, throwing a car at one at the Chitari, before continuing on his way. Poor Bruce looked absolutely mortified as Steve suggested he smash some things along the way.
"I think it's gratuitous, but whatever," he relented, tearing the shirt from his body as he left them.
YN rolled her lips in on themselves in an attempt to stifle her laugher as Bruce tried, and failed miserably, to imitate the more feral version of his green side.
"Alright Lang, suit up and shrink down," Tony commanded as he donned his own.
YN and Steve watched as the two took to the air before making their way to the tower on foot. Steve couldn't help but notice YNs lack of her normal chatter and he was pretty sure it had little to do with all the times he had chastised her for it in the past. When they reached the corner Stark tower sat on YN froze. If she looked hard enough down the street she could see the sign of the cafe hanging broken on its hinges and hear her own screams in the air.
"Hey," Steve spoke softly, "you ok?"
Still unable to tear her gaze away from the sign she answered his question with one of her own.
"If you could go back and save Bucky, would you do it?"
"YN," Steve sighed placing a hand on her shoulder, "I know it's hard but that's not why we're here."
He was right. She knew that. Still, it took every ounce of willpower she possessed to turn away.
"I'm sorry," he admitted once she returned her focus to him. "Truly."
She knew he meant it but she also knew if the roles were reversed there would have been nothing she could have said to stop him. She wasn't sure if that made her a stronger or weaker person than he was but she refused to look for the answer.
"You ready?" He asked, glancing at the building behind them.
"As I'll ever be, I suppose," she answered, securing the clunky helmet to her head.
With a final pat on her back, they parted ways. Steve sneaking in the back while YN made her way towards the lobby of the tower. They were counting on the chaos of the battle to hide the fact that an extra SWAT member was hanging around but she was still surprised that no one gave her a second glance as she entered through the main doors. It didn't help that she was desperately trying to stifle her giggles as she listened to Tony and Scott debate the aesthetic of Steve's posterior in the old suit.
Timing was crucial as she tried to keep herself in position without drawing suspicion but again, no one paid her any mind as they tried to wrap their heads around the alien invasion. The march of footsteps down the hall had her heartbeat picking up its pace. Tony came into view first, flanked by Thor, his gaze flitting right over her. A sharp pain hit her in the gut and she had to remind herself that this version of him had no idea she existed. At least it distracted her from the demigod trailing behind them.
"Thumbelina, do you copy?" She spoke quietly but clearly as the group moved past her, "I've got eyes on the prize. It is go time."
Tony's proud chuckle at her use of the nickname sounded through the comms as Scott answered, "Bombs away."
"Is, is that Axe body spray?" Scott asked accusingly.
"Yeah, I had a can in the desk for emergencies, relax" Tony retorted from his position outside the tower and YN could hear his eyes roll.
"Can we focus, please?" YN urged, growing increasingly tired of their childish banter.
"Yup," Scott answered quickly, "going inside.... Now."
YN watched anxiously as a man she had only seen glimpses of in someone else's memories approached the group in front of her. Knowing what Alexander Peirce was capable of, what this version of him was doing to the man she would grow to love, set her teeth on edge as he insisted on taking not only Loki but the tesseract as well.
"Ok, things are getting dicey out here," YN informed them as the argument in front of her continued to escalate.
"Alright, move it Stewart Little," Tony commanded, finally turning serious.
"Promise me you won't die," Scott pleaded.
The annoyance was clear in Tony's voice when he answered, "We are only giving me a mild cardiac dysrhythmia."
"Doesn't sound mild."
YN's patience gave out as she watched Peirce put his hands on Tony.
"Do it, Lang. Windows closing," she ground out through her teeth.
"Pull my pin," Tony agreed in her ear.
"Ok, here it goes."
YN could not contain the pained gasp as she watched this version of her father collapse to the floor. She had known it would be dreadful, had prepared herself for it, but seeing it was harder than she had expected.
"It'll be ok kiddo," Tony's voice whispered in her ear.
His reassurance helped her tare her eyes away just in time to catch the case sliding across the floor to her. As soon as she had the handle in her hand she turned and made her way to the exit as quickly as she dared.
"Good job boys. Meet me in the..."
Her sentence was cut off as she touched the handle of the door when the Hulk burst through, sending both her and the case spiralling across the floor. For a moment all she could see was white. The pain radiating through her body strangely reminiscent of the last time she nearly died. She didn't have time to wallow in it though, so she pushed through. Crawling across the floor as her vision cleared she saw that the cube had been knocked out of the case. Using all her strength she pulled herself closer to it, deploying the gauntlet of her suit in order to grab the cube but two bound hands reached it first. Raising her eyes she was met with the muzzled demigod who looked as surprised to see her as she was him. His gaze flicked between her eyes and her metal-covered hand before he sent her a wink and stepped back into an inky blue portal, disappearing with the cube.
"That wasn't supposed to happen, was it?" Scott quipped.
"No, we blew it." YN conceded as she pulled herself to her feet.
Losing herself in the crowd fleeing the Hulk's temper YN was able to make it to the alley in time to see Tony land in front of her.
"Are you ok? What happened?" He asked as he rushed to her, quickly raking off the SWAT helmet and examining her face.
"I messed up. I, I..." She pulled away as he touched her cheek, startled by the pain it caused. "It's all my fault."
"Hey," Scott whispered from behind her, making her jump, "No one could've held on to it after being Hulk smashed."
"What?!" Tony exclaimed, refocusing on YN as if new injuries would appear in front of his eyes.
"It was just a door," YN frowned at Scott, "I'll be fine but the cube is gone."
"Loki took it," Scott offered.
"Ok, ok," Tony mumbled as YN watched the gears in his head turn. She knew he was trying to figure a way to clean up her mess but she also knew they didn't have the resources for another try.
"You should sit down," Tony told her as he led her to a rubble-covered car that was mostly intact.
The trio was quiet as Tony did his best to clean the large cut on her cheek. She tried to keep a brave face but the guilt of her failure was crushing her. So much so that she barely registered Steve dropping into the alley or the argument that ensued between the men.
When Tony stood from his place in front of her she tried to focus through the pounding in her head. He had a plan of some sort but his words weren't making any sense to her. She was slightly relieved when Scott started asking for clarification. At least it wasn't just her.
"Scott," Steve addressed him, handing over the sceptre, "you get this and YN back to the compound."
"Wait, what are you doing?" YN exclaimed, pulling herself from the car to stand in front of Steve.
"Improvising," he said simply, giving her a soft smile. She looked between him and her father, finally putting the pieces together. They were going to risk the last of their particles on the chance that they would find more where they were going.
"No, Steve, you can't. I can't lose..."
"Hey now," Steve hushed her, caressing her cheek with a gloved hand, "You won't. I promise."
She wanted so badly to believe him, but a part of her knew it was a promise he had no way of knowing that he could keep. She had to accept the real possibility this would be the last she would see either of them.
"Do you trust me?" Tony asked as he walked up to the pair.
"I do," YN answered without hesitation making Tony break out in a watery smile.
"Then I'll see you in a minute, kiddo," he winked, kissing her forehead before he and Steve stepped back.
Tony recited the date and place as both he and Steve programmed them into their suits. YN bit back her emotions, determined to be strong for them and not distract from what they had to do.
"Cap! Captain! Steve!" Scott called out from beside her in a desperate attempt to gain their attention.
"Sorry, America, Rogers," he continued to sputter as the pair turned to him with furrowed brows. "Look, if you do this and it doesn't work, you're not coming back."
"Thanks for the pep talk piss-ant." Tony bellowed as YN reached up to smack him across the back of the head.
Tony smirked proudly before turning to Steve, "Your call."
"Here we go," Steve answered with a nod before they deployed their suits and we're gone.
"This is going to work," YN said to Scott, still looking at the spot where they had just stood.
"How can you be so sure?" He snarled and for a moment she was reminded that he too was trying to bring back someone he loved.
"Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't," she shrugged looking up at him with tired eyes.
He studied her for a moment before falling back into the goofy guy she knew him to be.
"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out. You ready?"
She shook her head as she lowered herself onto her haunches, "I just need a minute."
She could feel his worried glare on her as she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in front of her. She was not a religious person but at that moment she sent up a prayer to every deity she could think of. A prayer that they would be successful and she would be reunited with her father once again.
"Ok," she started, standing and activating the suit, "I'm ready."
Scott visibly swallowed before following her lead and before she knew it they were sailing through the quantum realm once again.