Still | B. BARNES

Chapter 9

📍Avengers Compound | October 2023

The Avengers were in a room with some hologram displays, showcasing each of the six Infinity Stones, sitting around a table.

Tony, Steve, and Bruce are pacing at the front, clearly leading the planning of the mission.

"Okay, so the 'how' works. Now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us has had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones," Steve started.

"Well I'd substitute the word encounter for damn well near been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones," Tony corrected sarcastically.

"I haven't, I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about," Scott mentioned.

"Regardless, we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history," Bruce explained.

"Our history. So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in," Tony intervened.

"Which means we have to pick our targets," Clint said.

"Correct."

"Let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?" Steve asked, making everyone turn to Thor, who was sitting at the corner with his shades on.

"Is he asleep?" Natasha queried.

"No, I'm pretty sure he's dead," Rhodey answered.

Sapphire walked from the other side of the room towards Thor with a sinister smirk while rubbing her palms slowly.

"What are you going to do?" Natasha asked her as they all watch in defense.

"Relax," she told her, placing her hand on Thor's shoulder and jolting him up with a static shock.

Everyone winced as Thor immediately walked up, looking up to the steel-eyed woman.

"Stand up. We have half of the population to bring back," she said, patting his shoulder as she helped him stand up.

"You're incredibly strong, lady," he told her, stumbling on his feet because of his beer belly.

"Mhm. Go ahead big guy," she pushed him forward before dropping on his previous seat.

"What are we talking about?" He asked.

"The Aether."

"Where to start? Umm... The Aether, first, is not a stone. Someone called it a stone before. It's more of... an angry sludge thing, so... someones gonna need to amend that. Here's an interesting story, though. Many years ago... My grandfather had to hide the stones from the Dark Elves," Thor wiggled his fingers to imitate a spooky ghost.

"Wooooh, scary beings. So Jane," a picture of a woman flashed on the screen. "Oh, there she is. That's Jane... She's... an old flame of mine... She... she stuck her hand inside a rock this one time... and then the Aether stuck itself inside her... And, she became very, very sick. So I had to take her to Asgard, which is where I'm from. And we had to try and fix her. We were dating at the time, you see. I got to introduce her to my Mother... who's dead."

Everyone in the room looked at him weirdly except for Rocket, who has his palm on his face, while Scott seems to be invested in his story.

He started to be sad and seemed on the verge of tears, "And oh you know, Jane and I aren't even dating anymore, these things happen, though you know, nothing lasts forever."

Tony started to push him back to his chair, but Thor continued to talk, "I'm not done, yet. The only thing permanent in life is impermanence."

"Awesome. Eggs? Breakfast?" Tony asked him.