Swan Song ✧ STEVE ROGERS [✓]

49 - Back Home

A FEW DAYS WENT BY, AND THINGS SLOWLY BEGAN TO GET BACK TO NORMAL - OR AS NORMAL AS THINGS COULD GET FOR THEM. Vision had defeated Ultron, and Loki's scepter had been retrieved. The Avengers Headquarters had been moved from the tower to a facility in upstate New York, where Steve and Raevanna had been spending most of their time, and new members of the team had been initiated into their ranks. Things had settled down for now, which Raevanna appreciated greatly.

Now, she stood in an elevator with Steve, Tony, and Thor, smiling to herself as they discussed the reasoning behind Vision's ability to lift Thor's hammer.

"The rules have changed," Steve was saying. 

"We're dealing with something new," Tony said. 

"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence," Steve pointed out. 

Tony nodded in agreement. "A machine."

"So it doesn't count."

"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer."

"Right. Different rules for us."

"Nice guy, but artificial."

Steve nodded. "Thank you."

Thor smiled at the two. "If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone. It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply."

There was a moment of silence before Steve spoke. "But if you put the hammer in an elevator..."

"It would still go up," Tony said. 

Steve shook his head. "Elevator's not worthy."

"I'm going to miss these little talks of ours," Thor said with a grin. 

"Well, not if you don't leave," Raevanna told him. 

Thor shook his head, his smile fading. "I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..."

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony suggested.

The four left the elevator, walking out onto the front lawn. Raevanna stayed silent, listening to the conversation.

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked Thor.

"I do," Thor replied, then patted Tony on the shoulder and added, "Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained."

Stepping forward, Thor was surrounded by a tunnel of golden-white light as he returned to Asgard. Then, it and Thor were gone, leaving nothing behind but a large, intricately designed burn circle in the grass.

"That man has no regard for lawn maintenance," Tony muttered. Then, he, Steve, and Raevanna walked over to his car as Tony added, "I'm gonna miss him though. And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."

Steve smiled at Tony. "I will miss you, Tony."

"Me too," Raevanna said with a nod.

"Yeah?" Tony shrugged. "Well, it's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up."

Steve nodded. "The simple life."

"You'll get there one day," Tony assured him. 

Steve sighed. "I don't know."

"Yeah," Raevanna agreed, shrugging her shoulders. "You know, family, stability. I don't really think that'll ever be in the cards for us."

Tony gave her a curious look. "Why not?"