Avengers: Legacies

Tunnel Vision

Rosalie bounced her leg up and down as she sat in the Quinjet, surrounded by the others who were just as quiet. Her brother raised his voice over the aircraft's engines. She tried to concentrate, but her fear of flying kept pushing its way into her mind. She was going to throw up or something. She had a feeling. Azura handed her a bag. Her lilac fingernails stood out against her own barfbag.

"Don't worry, I know the feeling. When I was younger, I used to become so anxious that I would vomit every time the plane landed. If you need to, you need to," Azura reassured her.

Rosalie took the bag gratefully and settled back in her seat, closing her eyes as the jet hit some turbulence. She wished her father was here. He knew how to calm her down. He wasn't the biggest fan of planes either.

Why the hell did they have to go all the way to Norway for some stupid metal? She knew that it was special and important in finding everyone's parents. But God, at what cost? She breathed and cleared her mind, tried to choreograph an entire ballet from start to finish with a short intermission in between dances. She was receiving a bouquet of flowers and a standing ovation when James nudged her away from the dream. She looked up at him, pale and green at the same time.

"You better not throw up in this new Quinjet, or so help me," he began. He failed at hiding the teasing smile on his face.

She nervously chuckled. "No promises." Gritted teeth.

"We're almost there, Rosie, I promise. You'll be kissing the ground before you know it," he said. He sat back down in his seat next to her. Bobby kept kicking the back of her seat as he jammed out to music through his headphones. Pym and Sigyn sat closer to the front, poured over a couple of maps and a notebook of the young scientist's notes. The sorceress kept pointing to two locations in the top left of the map. Who used paper maps anymore? Rosalie thought. Azura sat perpendicular from Rosalie, her eyes closed and muttered words under her breath. Was she seriously praying right now? Tait, crazily enough, was flying the damn jet. He claimed that he had been flying various aircrafts before he learned to fly himself. The moment he had settled into the pilot's seat and began switching on and pressing buttons without any fuss was Rosalie convinced that he knew what he was actually doing. James encased Rosalie's hand in his and pried her hand from the armrest she had her nails sinked into.

"Everything's okay, dummy. We'll be landing in thirty minutes," James said, feigning exasperation with her as he squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"Who are you calling dummy? You're the one who okayed the god of anger issues to be our pilot. That doesn't sound like a smart move to me," she shot back. She clamped her eyes shut through another bout of turbulence.

James sighed. "Yeah, I know, but he really had my back when it counted. I could not not give him a chance when he offered his help in flying the Quinjet. He's not so bad once he starts growing on you."

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at that but didn't question her brother. She stared down at her winter gear, the white and gray camo pants and white heavy boots. Sweat rolled down the back of her neck. She gripped James's hand.

"How've you been? I've been meaning to ask, but we've been so busy these days. I feel like we don't get to see each other as much as we used to," she said.

"Oh, you know, I keep focusing and doing other things to distract myself from the pain and utter betrayal of someone I have known and loved for practically my whole life. Has really made me rethink things," James rushed out in one breath.

"It seems life never wants to work out the way you want it to," was Rosalie's lame reply. She had no idea what else to say. She and Bobby were different. They had hurt each other, but they had never felt entitled to one another. Their connection was something completely different. The thought was comforting, but it made her feel guilty about James's situation. Her brother deserved someone who knew they were unworthy of him but treasured him everyday. He needed someone like that, she knew, but James had a hard time stepping out of the bubble he made for himself. One day, but not yet. Now, he had to rebuild his confidence in himself and in others.