𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒~ 𝐵.𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠

FIFTY SIX

"Cap." We turn around in the alleyway where we were supposed to meet up to see Tony and Scott sitting in a broken car. "Sorry, buddy. We got a– problem." They didn't get it? "Huh. Yeah, we do." Scott murmurs, "Well, what are we gonna do now?" Steve asks, "You know what? Give me a break, Steve. I just got hit in the head with the Hulk." Now it's my turn to sigh, "you didn't get it? How did you not get it I told past Rosalie to help you." Tony's eyes widen, "you told past Rosalie?" He asks as I nod, "yeah what's the problem?" Damn my big mouth, "that wasn't apart of the plan!" I shrug, "well you didn't exactly stick to the plan because where is the stone?" I fire back. "Loki took it and past you, grabbed both and portalled his way to freedom." Whoops maybe I was a bit too nice to him.

"You said that we had one shot. This– this was our shot. We shot it. It's shot. Six stones or nothing. Six stones or nothing–" Scott says breaking us from our argument. "You're repeating yourself, you know that? You're repeating yourself." Tony says to a very stressed out Scott, I hadn't seen this side to him before, it was a bit worrying. "You're repeating yourself. You're repeating yourself. You know– No." Was he ok? "Dude, come on." Tony say, "You never wanted a time heist, you weren't on board with the time heist–"

"I dropped the ball." Tony defends himself, "You ruined the time heist." Scott spits, "Is that what I did?" Tony asks making me sigh, "Yeah!"

"Are there any other options with the Tesseract?" Steve asks ignoring their pointless bickering, "No, no, no. There's no other options. There's no do-overs. We're not going anywhere else. We have one particle left. Each. That's it, alright? We use that– Bye, bye. You're not going home." I mean I think I knew a place where we could get both, "Yeah, well if we don't try, then no one else is going home, either."

"I know where we can get both." I say making the men turn to me, "Memory lane. Military installation, Garden State." Tony says knowing as well, "When were they both there?" Steve asks, "They were there at a– I've a vaguely exact idea." Tony says, "How vague?" Steve asks. "I have a precise idea." I say which makes both men nod, as we speak Scott keeps asking us questions that unfortunately go ignored. "Well, it looks like we're improvising." Tony says making me sigh, "Right. What are we improvising?"

"Scott, get this back to the compound." Tony tells him, "Suit up." He says to Steve and I, "What's in New Jersey?" Scott asks only to be ignored again. "Technically I could go alone and it would take me three minutes tops." I say making both men shake their heads, "no we go together." I nod, ok then.

"Cap. Captain. Steve, sorry, America. Rogers. Look, if you do this, and this doesn't work, you're not coming back." Scott says after I give them a time, "Thanks for the pep talk, pissant." Tong says before turning to Steve. "Do you trust me?" Steve nods without hesitation, "I do."

"Your call." He says, "Here we go." Steve says before the three of us press down on our buttons meaning this was it, we were winging it.

• • •

"Clearly, you weren't actually born here, right?" Tony says as we look at the sign at the military base that said home of captain America. "He was." I tell Tony making Steve hit my head again, "The idea of me was." He corrects, "it was just a joke." I mumble.

"Right. Well, imagine you're SHIELD, running a quasi-fascistic intelligence organization. Where do you hide it?" I point over to where it was, "In plain sight."

The three of us then find ourselves in the elevator, Tony and I trying to shield Steve from the woman who was in there with us. "Good luck on your mission, Captain." Tony says before leaving the elevator, "Good luck on your project, doctor." I internally shake my head at the two of them. "You're new here?" The lady asks Steve, "Not exactly." Would it have been so hard for him to have said yes? Then she turns to me.

"Hi there do you not recognise me?" I ask trying to keep her attention of Steve, "oh miss Williams." I keep in the sigh, "it's Burns." She nods, "right yes sorry miss Burns, when did you get back?" She asks me making me shrug, "yesterday, but I'm off again tomorrow just dropping by to check on things." She nods, "of course, we've missed you around here." She says making me force a smile, I didn't even know who this woman was. "New movie?" She questions making me shake my head, "not this time."

"Oh this is us," I say thankfully grabbing Steve's hand, "have a great day." I tell her before pulling Steve out along with me. "The two of you are hopeless." I say to Steve as I continue dragging him along.

"I'm going to speak to Hank scope out the place for the particles, in three minutes call his room about a package and I'll grab the particles and then we can go." Steve nods, "and make sure to stay out of sight."

"Hi, I was just wondering if you had seen Howard or Peggy." I say popping my head into Hanks lab, "oh Rosalie you're back?" He asks, Hank and I had never been close we only really spoke a a few times. "Just for today, I'm leaving again tomorrow." I say as I actually enter the room inconspicuously looking around for the particles. "Oh new movie in the works?" He asks making me shake my head, "not this time." I tell him with a small smile, "anyways you wanted to know about Peggy and Howard?" I nod, "if you've seen them?" Peggy should be coming out of a meeting and Howard should be getting ready to leave." I nod, "ah I should get going then if I don't want to miss him."

Suddenly his phone rings, "That would be the number that you called. Yes." He says to Steve on the other side, "Bring it up." He says I wondered what Steve was saying on the other side, "I'm confused. I thought that was your job." It was weird only being able to hear one half of a conversation. Suddenly Hanks face pales, "They didn't open it, did they?" He hangs up immediately, "lovely to see you as always Rosalie but the delivery guys messed with my package." He says before springing from the film as though his life depended on it. I quickly rush over to the particles grab three and leave the room.

I go out to meet the boys at our meet up spot when I spot Tony with his dad who unfortunately has spotted me. Well this was awkward I think as I try and swallow my nerves as I make my way over to my ex boyfriend and his son who was one of my closest friends. Well Tony shoots me a look as he leaves right before I get to his dad.

"Rosie." He breathes out in shock, "hey Howard." I grin tightly before returning his hug, "you've been gone for years." I swallow and nod, "yeah I'm sorry, I was just passing through and thought I'd see how you all were." He shakes his head, "no don't be you're always welcome here, wow you really haven't aged." He says making me laugh slightly, "well you have." I find myself grinning as he laughs. "My wife Maria she's expecting." He tells me excitedly making me smile at him sincerely, "holy cow congrats, I'm happy for you." I tell him honestly, he nods at me, "if it's a girl can we be expecting a Rosalie Stark?" I ask making him laugh, "sure I always thought I'd have a Rosalie Stark." He says after a second making my smile drop slightly. "I'm sorry Howard, I shouldn't have run the way that I did. It- it wasn't right and it wasn't fair to you, I should've said goodbye probably you deserved that much."

He shakes his head, "it's in the past Rosie." He assures me, "how long are you in town for?" He asks me making me frown slightly, "just today." His smile drops, "but if you need me, for anything, I'll be in Australia for the next five months and then maybe Rome." He nods. "It was so nice to see you." I say and he agrees, "take care." I tell him as he hugs me once more. "I'm so happy for you." I repeat actually glad that I got a bit of closure with Howard.

"You take care too Jarvis." I say to the man stood a bit behind Howard, "as should you miss Burns." He nods with a smile, "give my best to both Anna and Maria." I say to the two men before we part ways again.

• • •

"What was that?" Tony asks after I join the boys, "well he saw me I couldn't exactly just ignore him, I told him Elmonzo was a great name for a boy." Tony pushes me as I laugh, "the particles." Steve says making us pay attention. "Let's go and bring everyone home."