Amanda Smith (The Avengers ff) #English

70.

In the car again, we head to a cabin in the woods. We get out and walk towards the cabin and see him coming out.
Sitting on the veranda, we explain our plan.
"Now, we know what it sounds like...", Scott says.
"Tony, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?", Steve asks.
"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck scale, which then triggers the Deutsch proposition. Can we agree on that?", Tony asks us.
The others look puzzled.
"In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home", he explains, he's right.
"I did", Scott says.
"No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a...
What do you call it?", Tony asks jokingly.
Scott's trying to hide his pride.
"A time heist?".
"Yeah, a time heist. Of course, why didn't we think of this before?
Oh, because it's laughable?
Because it's a pipedream?".
"The stones are in the past. We can go back and get them", Scott says. It sounds so easy but it isn't.
Nat looks Tony,
"We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everyone back", a d there is it, the little piece of hope.
"Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?".
Why is he like that now?
"I don't believe we would", I say.
He looks at me, remembering.

"Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism. However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise".
So it can't be worse, what's the matter.
"Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. That means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events -"
Tony walks towards him,
"I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future?", he asks.
Scott looks embarrased and says 'No'.
Some minutes later his daughter comes outside.
"Mommy told me to come and save you", she says.
"Good job. I'm saved", he turns around to us.
"I wish you'd come here to ask me something else. Anything else.
Honestly, I... I missed you guys, it was... Oh, and table's set for six", he says.
"Tony, I get it. And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this is a second chance", Steve tries again.
"I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice again. If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch", he says, getting up with his child in his arms.

We decide to leave, heading back to the car.
"He's not wrong", Steve says.
Yeah, but we need him. What, are we gonna stop?", I ask.
" No, I wanna do it right. We're gonna need a really big brain", he says.

Some time later

"Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating. Try some of that. Have some eggs", Bruce offers.
I'm just staring at him.
"I'm so confused", Scott says.
"Five years ago, we got our asses beaten. Except it was worse for me. Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost. Then, we all lost", Bruce explains.
"No one blamed you, Bruce", Nat says.
"I did. For years, I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure. Eighteen months in a gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together. And now look at me. Best of both worlds...", he says.
Three kids walk over to get an autograph. Then Scott asks if they want one from him, making an awkward moment.
" Listen to your Mom. She knows better", Bruce calls after them when they leave.
"About we were saying...", Steve starts.
"Right. The Hulk time travel do-over? Guys, it's outside my area of expertise",he says.
"Well, you pulled this off. I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible time, too".
Now we get to convince him and go back to the headquarter.