The Younger Agent - Natasha Romanoff x OC

Chapter 131 - Between the Ages

"Okay, here we go. Time travel test number one", Bruce said, relatively chipper considering they were going to try and break physics. Eleanor stood to one side, more weight resting on one side of her hip as she held some loosely organised papers at her side. She watched dubiously as Scott opened up the back of the van that had the piece of time travel technology in the back of it, the vortex of it glowing blue and orange, whirring with a hum. She was sure that something was going to go wrong, but she so wanted it to go right.

"Breakers are set", Steve marched back in, "Emergency generators are on standby".

"This thing isn't gonna blow up right?", Eleanor flopped an arm in the general direction of the time machine as she moved over to the equipment everyone else was standing near, she thought it was a pretty valid concern, when things are plugged into electricity sometimes they can and will blow up. She heard a tiny scoff from Natasha who was tapping away on a tablet. Maybe she did take in all that physics stuff over the years if she was being so handy, Eleanor most certainly didn't; hence the holding a stack of paper as her job.

"No uh- with the backup even if we blow the grid it shouldn't blow up don't worry", Bruce patted her shoulder a little too hard, "Just needed to make sure that even if we blow the grid we don't lose Tiny here in the 1950's", he spoke quietly through some gritted teeth, Scott suddenly turning to face them, his eyes wide. "Excuse me?".

"He's kidding", her wife smiled, still tapping away before looking up, "You can't say things like that". It was nice to see her smile again. Be hopeful again.

"It was just a bad joke", the scientist suddenly tried to put on a serious face whilst shaking his head. Scott nodded hesitantly before turning and walking towards the time machine again. Eleanor felt a little more relieved, if they were joking around then it should be safe.

"You were kidding right?". Natasha's words made her head swivel. "I have absolutely no idea, we're talking about time travel here! Either it's all a joke or none of it is".

"If he gets lost in the 50s if he like... squishes a beetle will the world end?", Eleanor inquired, stepping back towards them. Bruce did a half smile and nodded, "See? Funny! We're good!", he did a thumbs up to Scott as he put his time travel helmet on. Eleanor raised her finger a little, about to interject that she was asking a genuine question, but Natasha murmured a slight reassurance that seemed to be completely fabricated so she decided to just keep shtum.

"Scott, I'm gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in ten seconds", Bruce said as though this wasn't completely batshit crazy. Eleanor made sure to stay right back, even further than Steve was, she did not want to get sucked into that thing. After some 'good luck's, Scott proceeded to get warped into the vortex, everyone in the compounds' large expanse of a storage warehouse area staring at it as though about to find out what the answer to "42" is.

Bruce counted down, everyone's hearts in their throats as they waited for Scott to come back. A relieved huff left her lips, eyes still not blinking, causing her to notice something terribly wrong with Scott. He was smaller. His voice hadn't broken yet.

"Who is that? Is that Scott?", Nat's hands twisted at her sides as the thirteen year old in front of them snapped back claiming it was him. Jesus, that boy had an attitude.

Bruce ducked down and pressed a few buttons, sending the kid back in, "Okay, what the fuck?", Eleanor craned her neck to look over at him as he popped back up into a stand. Yeah, the big man was having a little panic.

"Ooh, my back", an elderly man was now in the room. Eleanor grimaced, making a note to tell Scott to start moisturising ASAP.

Panicking, Bruce ushered Steve away, "Could I get a little space here?".