Longing •Bucky Barnes•

•Twenty Nine•

"So where is Thanos now?" Bucky asked. "After the battle he just disappeared and we never heard from him again."

"We were able to track him down a few days after we found Tony. We didn't bother calling you guys, we figured you were busy." Nat said softly. "We went to retrieve the stones and we came up short handed, they had been destroyed in the snap. He's dead though, Thor handled that one."

My eyes tracked to Thor who was in the room. Thor had always been a man of size, but he had lost control of himself. He had lost all of his muscle definition and had a beer gut larger than most. It was sad to see, but this loss had clearly affected everyone differently. I hadn't seen him since the old headquarters and I could see clearly the last 5 years caught up with him. He probably blamed himself for what happened, not to mention his brother died before his eyes just days before. I would have lost control too.

Banner had been in his Hulk form, but didn't seem to be in a state of rage as he usually did. He seemed calm and collected, but rather just big and green yet his normal self. I had no idea what most of them had been up to these last few years. Nat's hair had grown out more than I had ever seen it before, clearly I had seen her in our monthly calls but never in person. She looked to be constantly tired and it doesn't surprise me that she likely didn't sleep much. Steve however looked the same as always, maybe just a bit more facial hair.

Bucky seemed to be uncomfortable and I couldn't blame him. He had been completely disconnected from this scene for the last 5 years. Even sitting here in the very building I came to after the snap, felt very off. Nat had stayed here ever since the snap and I don't know how this place hadn't consumed her with her own thoughts. Being here now had me putting myself in the same mindset I was in when we had lost. I wondered if she had ever left that state of mind.

"He really just died just like that? After everything he put up before?" Bucky asked.

"Without the Infinity Stones, he was powerless." Steve said shaking his head.

"So what now? Tony isn't going to help us so how do we do this?" I asked.

"I think I've got it figured out, I mean do you understand quantum mechanics, it's actually simpler than I thought- I can explain it." Bruce said and I just chuckled.

"That unfortunately is well above my pay grade." I said shaking my head because while I had learned to be handy and good with tech I was far from understanding quantum mechanics.

"Well it's ready, I can actually show you." He said and he gestured for us to follow him.

We followed him to the other side of this large warehouse portion of the base. I looked to Bucky frankly not believing in this stuff, but if he really thinks he could do it, might as well give him a chance. Bruce was half of our brain power when it came to our crazy problems from before so maybe his brain was as good as Tony's.

I could see the set up they had and for starters part of it was built out of the back of a van. I walked over and Bruce started to work on his computer and Scott ran to put on a suit. I hopped up onto a counter and watched them. Nat and Steve looked over his shoulder intently watching what he did. I saw the truck come to life and whatever contraption they had built come to life.

It roared to life and Scott went to go stand in front of it. I crossed my arms and Bucky came and stood with his back towards me between my legs.

"Alright, we're gunna send you back a week let you walk around for an hour and then I'll bring you back in 10 seconds. Make sense?" Banner asked.

"Perfectly not confusing." Scott said with a smile on his face.

"Good lucky Scott, you're going to need it." Steve said.