Avengers: Whatever it Takes

Fumbled

"What do you mean, you 'messed up'?!" Steve grumbled after joining Tony and Scott in a nearby alley and listening with growing despair as they explained the fiasco their end of the mission had become.

Tony massages the bridge of his nose and closed his wearily eyes. "It means exactly the way it sounds."

Steve shook his head. "The Space Stone is gone. With Loki. That's...that's just great."

"I know."

"How? How could you lose it?!"

"What part of 'Hulk hit me in the head with a door' didn't you comprehend?"

Scott, who had gone silent after all was said and done, simply stared at the cracks in the pavement at his feet.

"Lang?" Steve asked, noticing the despondent expression on the shrinking hero's face.

"You said we only had one shot. This was our shot. We shot it. It was six stones or nothing! Six

"You're not helping matters," Tony sighed.

"Oh? I'm not helping matters? Sorry, I was just thinking about all of our dead friends and family."

Tony avoided Scott's gaze. "Listen, there's a good chance Loki went back to Asgard. It's his home turf. He knows the restaurants. If we can just grab past Thor and explain the situation, he and I can fly there, get the Space Stone back from Loki..."

"Loki could be anywhere in the universe. We'd be old men before we found him," Steve countered. "What other options did we have on the Tesseract?"

Scott shook his head energetically. "Uh, no. We don't have any other options. We can't go to any other times. No do-overs! We've only got one particle left, each. Use it now, that's it, bye-bye, we don't come home."

Steve looked at Scott and smiled. "But you said it- all our friends and family are gone if we don't pull this off. If we don't try, nobody else comes home, either."

Tony's face suddenly lit up with inspiration. "I know what to do. There's another way to re-take the Tesseract, and acquire new particles."

Scott and Steve stared at Tony impatiently.

"Military installation, Garden State."

Understanding dawned on Steve's face. "When were they both there?"

Tong grinned, encouraged by the plan forming in his mind. "I have a vaguely exact idea."

Steve lifted an eyebrow. "How vague are we talking?"

Scott lifted a hand. "Wait a minute. What's in New Jersey?"

Tony went on talking, his excitement increasing. "I know they were there, and I know how I know."

"Where and how?" Scott asked in an exasperated voice.

"No time to explain," Steve said. "We're improvising." He handed the scepter to Scott. "Take this to the compound."

Tony tapped his cuff. "All right, suits on. Try these

coordinates. 04-07-19-70."

Scott looked at both of them, concern etching his face. "If you do this and he's wrong, you're not

coming back."

Steve and Tony looked at one another, understanding sinking in.

"You're right," Tony admitted. He looked directly into Steve's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

Unflinchingly, Steve nodded. "I do."

The trust and brotherhood that had existed between them before was stronger than ever.