Shadow of the Past (Captain America) // ✔️ //

Chapter 4: Fear of the Hero

As soon as Bruce heard about Antonia's disappearance, he had cut his trip short and returned to the tower as soon as humanly possible. Antonia, one of the few who understood him, was important to him and he would do anything to save her, and he wasn't alone. Anyone of the Avengers would do anything to save her.

Bruce, who looked like he hadn't slept in days, was in Antonia's lab, trying to figure out what the hell had happened to her. With the help of JARVIS, he was able to tell that the device worked in an outward wave, affecting anything within its ten foot range. This had included Antonia, and that made his heart stutter. JARVIS had informed him of what could happen to electronics and how they were unsure if the Arc Reactor would withstand the Device. Why couldn't Antonia wait for him? The answer was simple: she had a hard head. He admired her for that, but at the same time, it annoyed the hell out of him.

He had studied the hole and watched the security footage. He was shock at first that JARVIS even allowed it as Bruce did not have the authority, but it seemed that the AI cared about Antonia's safety, even though JARVIS had no heart. The footage was croppy and kept skipping, which he couldn't understand. JARVIS told him that there wasn't anything wrong with the video.

"How can that be?" Bruce asked. Antonia kept jumping to different locations.

"It is the device," JARVIS answered. Each time it went off, Antonia's location jumped. "It is not the video, Sir. It is Miss Stark."

Shaking his head, Bruce took a deep look at the video. JARVIS wasn't going to admit that there had been an issue with the footage; Antonia must've programed some stubbornness into the AI. Bruce picked up the tablet and watched the footage again. He watched it a few times before he noticed the clock on the desk that Antonia kept changing. "Why did she keep changing the clock?" he asked himself. Plus, it also wasn't jumping.

The footage had a time stamp on it, and that time stamp was correct. Bruce had watched it in real time, and he could tell the stamp was correct. So why was Antonia messing with clock? He studied each time she changed it. It was always after the wave. What did that mean? Why did she think the time was behind?

He watched the type again, but this time, he watched it at 3 times its normal speed. He was studying's Antonia's movement, as the jumpy footage was the key. "Could this even be possible?" he asked himself. It was the only answer possible; the Device was jumping Antonia back in time.

"JARVIS, is it possible that the device could've sent Antonia back in time?" It could be possible, if the right portal was created, and maybe that device did that.

"That does seem to be the case here."

---

Natasha wasn't a science genius, but she knew her way around a computer. She had helped Bruce for a few hours before leaving with Clint to see Director Fury, who might be able to locate Antonia. Director Fury had an uncanny ability to find anyone though no one had any idea of how that was, but the Avengers weren't going to complain now. They needed to find one of their own.

Up in the penthouse, Steve was sitting at the bar using a tablet, which he still struggled with. Steve didn't really understand modern technology, so he wouldn't be of real any help for Bruce. He didn't even try to help because he knew it would be a waste of time. Unsure of what else he could do, he was looking through the security logs with the help of JARVIS, who was doing most of the work.

"I don't see anything," he said in annoyance.

"There is nothing to see," JARVIS stated. "I have already studied the footage. There is no record of Miss Stark leaving."