"Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating."
Pushing the plate forward, Bruce continues.
"Try some of that. Have some eggs."
I stared in amazement, turns out I wasn't the only one.
"I'm so confused." Scott stated.
Bruce lookee different. Not only was he big and green, he was like a Professor Hulk. However, with a more serious tone, Bruce replied.
"These are confusing times."
"Right. No, no, that's not what I meant."
Bruce dropped his act.
"No, I get it. I'm kidding! I know. It's crazy. I'm wearing shirts now."
"Yeah! Wh...How? Why?"
"Five years ago, we got our asses beaten. Except it was worse for me. Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost. Then, we all lost."
"No one blamed you, Bruce." Nat spoke.
"I did. For years, I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure. Eighteen months in a gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together. And now look at me. Best of both worlds..."
Three children behind Bruce walked up to him tentatively.
" Excuse me, Mr. Hulk?"
" Yes?"
" Can we get a photo?"
" 100%, little person. Come on, step up."
Bruce held out the phone to me.
" You mind?"
" Of course." I smiled
" Thanks. "
He turned to the children.
"Say "green"!"
I took the photo as all four of them shouted 'green'.
" Did you get that?"
I leaned forward to hand back the phone to Bruce, offering him a smile as I did so.
"Don't you wanna grab one with me? I'm Ant-Man."
I turned my attention to Scott.
"They're Hulk fans, they don't know Ant-Man. Nobody does."
Immediately feeling bad, Bruce spoke.
"Wait, no, no, he feels bad. No, he wants you to...he wants to..."
He turned to the younger of the three.
"You want to take a picture with him, right?"
I laughed silently as the boy shook his head vigorously while saying 'stranger Danger' .
"He's even saying no he doesn't. I get it. I don't want it either."
"But, come on, the kid! But he...but you..."
"I don't want a picture with them."
He spoke to the children.
"He's gonna feel bad."
He turned back to a defeat lwd Scott
"Sorry. They said they'd do it."
"I don't want it anymore."
"No, no...you feel bad."
"Just take the goddamn phone."
I patted his shoulder.
"Maybe next time, Scott."
"Thank you, Mr. Hulk." The girl thanked.
"No, it's great kids. Thank you very much. Hulk out!"
Fed up with the situation Steve spoke up.
"Bruce."
"Dab!"
" Bruce."
" Listen to your Mom. She knows better."
"About we were saying..."
Coming back ro reality, Bruce continued.
"Right. The whole time travel do-over? Guys, it's outside my area of expertise."
"Well, you pulled this off. I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible time, too." Nat smirked.
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We were all back in the Avengers Compound. Bruce was fiddling with buttons on a panel. Scott was in his Ant-Man costume in front of his van, with the back open to show the Quantum Tunnel. Nat and Steve are beside Bruce, myself off to the side.
"Guys, I have to return to Wakanda."
The all turn to look at me.
"Em, we need you for this. When all of this works. We need you. To get these stones back."
I could hear the defeat and plead in Steve's voice. I lowered my head.
"Steve, I know."
I sighed.
"I will be here to get those stones, without a doubt. But I have people whose king disintegrated and they need a leader right now. They're my people Steve and I can't turn my back on my people, not now."
Tears began to build up on my waterline. I raised my head to look Steve in the eye, tears brimming his too. I walked over and gave the blond a hug.
" Call me as soon as you figure this out."
I turned to leave the compound, picking up my jacket and heading for the door. I paused and looked back, leaving on one final note:
"Steve"
He turned to face me.
"I'll be there."
And with that I left the compound. Next stop: Wakanda.
__________________________________
"Emily! It is good to see you, my friend."
I met Okoye at the landing port, embracing her as I did so.
"It's good to be home."
We walked back to the Palace. A place that was never as empty as I had seen it at that moment. Just like New York, it was a ghost town. People were scared, grieving. I stopped just short of the front door, the tears beginning to build up once again.
" Ramona?"
She offered me a sad smile as I walked quicker towards her, abandoning all formalities and embracing the former queen in an embrace.
"Wakanda is glad to see the return of it's Queen."
The smile never faded as she spoke.
"I'm glad.... That she is home."
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That night I sat in my room. The same old room from way back when I first came to Wakanda. The same room that held so many memories, shared memories. Of people that I have lost, people that I miss. People I'm willing to do anything to get back. I couldn't bring myself to go to our room. It didn't feel right. But maybe, just maybe, it was what I needed to do.
My walk down the hallway wasn't one of no anxiety. It killed me. I reached the door, turning to face the surface of the door. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, opening the door. It was just how we left it that day. The golden lining of the duvet still perfectly laid. I walked over to the bed, drawing my fingers over the soft material, pulling it back once I reached the top. Slowly I got into the bed, enclosing myself in the material. Like a shield around me. It still smelled the same. Like saftey. Like home. Like him.
I closed my eyes in hope of sleep but all I got was the company of salty tears and a tremendous pain in my heart.
______________________________________
The next morning wasn't much better. No matter where I went, it hurt. I figured that no matter where I went it would hurt, simply because he wasn't here. It wasn't right.
To get my mind off things I decided to go back to the good old days and spar with Okoye.
"How did you sleep?"
Her question took me off guard, making me lose concentration, allowing her to sweep my feet from under me, landing with a thud on the mat. Losing all motivation to get up again, I just lay there. My chest heaving up and down. I closed my eyes to calm myself but all it did was make it worse. Flashbacks from Hydra played across my mind, the faces of those I killed. The Avengers, and the people I lost. T'Challa. And how I lost him not only once, but twice. Everything became to much as the panic rose within me, my breathing becoming more laboured as I sat up on the mat, grasping my chest. Tears once again brimmed my eyes as Okoye kneeled on the mat beside me, trying to calm me down.
"He's....... He's g......... He's gone."
I managed to gasp out in between short, rapid breaths. Okoye's eyes softened but never losing the amount of concern.
"He is not gone."
I looked at the Dora leader.
"We will get him back. We will get them all back."
She smiled at me softly and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Wakanda will have their king once again."
______________________________________
It was around lunch time when I got the call.
"Em?"
"Yeah, Steve I'm here."
There was a moments silence.
"We have it."
"You have it? As in you figured it out?"
I stopped my pacing as I awaited his answer.
"We figured it out. We can time travel. We can get the stones."
There was a pause.
"We can bring them all back."
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