╔═════════╗
𝑺𝑼𝑹𝑽𝑰𝑽𝑶𝑹
-𝒔𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏
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five.
fortuitous
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❝WHAT'S GOING TO BE LEFT OF THE
WORLD IF YOU'RE NOT IN IT?❞
//
❝EVERY MINUTE AND EVERY HOUR
I MISS YOU, I MISS YOU, I MISS YOU
MORE. EVERY STUMBLE AND EACH
MISFIRE, I MISS YOU, I MISS YOU,
I MISS YOU MORE.❞

⋆

NATASHA and Steve shared a skeptical look as they watched Scott and Christina pace back and forth in opposite ways. Every time they passed one another, they would glance up at one another, nodding in agreement or sharing a small whisper about something.

"It's crazy, right?" Scott hushed and Christina tapped on her chin with her fingers.

"I don't know. I've never thought of it like that. That opens up loads of possibilities!" she replied, looking away in deep thought. "I mean, just think of how we'd get to two places and—"

Steve cleared his throat, and the two snapped their gazes to his simultaneously. He raised his eyebrows. "Are you two okay?"

They both nodded again together, and Natasha frowned, thinking it was a bit weird. Christina looked at Scott, rubbing his shoulder encouragingly. Scott nodded at her before rubbing his eyes.

After a moment, he started wringing his hands. "Have either of you guys ever studied quantum physics?"

"Only to make conversation." Natasha said nonchalantly.

Scott raised his hands, moving them around but not talking. "Uh..." He paused again. "All right, so, five years ago... Five years ago, right before... Thanos, I was in a place called the quantum realm. It's like its own microphonic universe."

"I was supposed to go in with him, but Scott refused to let me." Christina added, giving a tight-lipped smile.

"Yeah," Scott swallowed, touching her shoulder before hastily continuing, "To get there, you have to be incredibly small. Our friend, Hope, was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck there."

"Wait, why couldn't Christina pull you out?" Steve asked, crossing his arms.

"You see, it was Hope and Hank that always worked the tunnel so I could get in and out; I was sort of their test subject. I only really know how to start it up and shut it down for emergencies. They knew how to pull me in and out." Christina nodded, shoving some hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, that must have been a very long five years, for the both of you." Natasha condoled before Scott shook his head.

"Yeah, but it wasn't." Scott remarked.

Christina looked around the room awkwardly, rocking on her feet. "It was for me..."

Scott have her a sympathetic look, leaning in to press a kiss on her temple before putting his arm around her shoulder. She smiled, reaching up to link their fingers.

He glanced back at Steve and Natasha, "For me, it was five hours. See, the rules of the quantum realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable. Is that anyone's sandwich? I'm starving."

They all watched Scott rush to the table, picking up Natasha's peanut butter and jelly sandwich before taking a large bite out of it. He sighed through his nose.

"Scott, what are you talking about?" Steve asked as he and Natasha turned with Scott. Christina joined Steve's side.

"So," Scott chewed, holding up his sandwich. "What I'm saying is, time works differently in the quantum realm. The only problem is, now we don't have a way to navigate it. But, what if we did? I can't stop thinking about it.

"What if there was a way we could control the chaos, and we could navigate it? What if there was a way that we can enter the quantum realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point and time? Like... Like before Thanos."

"Wait," Steve held up a hand. "Are you talking about a time machine?"

"No. No, of course not—"

"Yes, exactly like that." Christina interrupted, stepping in front of him and giving a single nod.

"I know, I know, it's crazy! But I can't stop thinking about it." Scott continued. "So, there's gotta be some way..." he trailed off, looking down at his food. "It's crazy..."

"Scott," Natasha said. "I get e-mails from a raccoon. So, nothing sounds crazy anymore."

"So who do we talk to about this?" Scott asked with wide eyes, looking between the two Avengers.

TONY walked towards his house with Morgan in one arm and Pepper's helmet in his other hand. He stopped when he saw a car on his dirt driveway. Steve was the first to get out. Natasha, Scott and Christina followed.

Tony made his way up to his porch. Glancing back at everyone, he met gazes with Natasha. She nodded once, and he returned the gesture.

Natasha looked back at everyone before jutting her chin forward.

TONY poured glasses of a smoothie that was a brownish colour. When Tony handed Christina a glass, she smiled politely. Taking a small sip, humming when it she found it to be flavourful.

"Now," Scott chortled. "we know what it sounds like..."

"Tony, after everything you've seen, is anything really impossible.." Steve tried before being cut off by Tony.

"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck scale." he said, folding a tea towel. "Which then triggers the Deutsch proposition. Can we agree on that?"

Tony offered a glass to Steve, who accepted it with a nod. Tony sat back down, "In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home."

"I did."

"No," Tony shook his head. "You accidentally survived. It was a—" he sighed, waving his hand around. "It's a billion-to-one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a...What do you call it?"

Scott opened his mouth, but closed it, embarrassed. He accepted Tony's drink when it was handed over. "A...time heist?"

"Yeah, time heist." Tony smiled, playing along with Scott. His smile quickly disappeared when he glanced at Steve. "Why didn't we think of this before?" he blinked in fake-realization. "Oh! Because it's laughable? Because it's a pipe dream?"

"The Stones are in the past." Steve replied. "We can go back and get them."

"We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everybody back." Natasha added.

"Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?" Tony asked, looking around at everyone.

Christina frowned. "I don't think the Stones could wipe out the other part of the world. You said that Thanos wanted to balance the universe, not wipe it out..."

"We don't know that." Tony replied to her, bouncing his index finger at her.

Steve glanced at Christina. "I don't believe we would."

"Gotta say this. Sometimes, I miss that giddy optimism." Tony commented, making Steve and Scott sigh. "However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist."

He sat down, "I believe the most likely outcome will be our own collective demise."

"Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel." Scott alleged, shaking his fist with determination. He sat next to Tony, looking up at the other three who didn't seem convinced either. "That means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events..."

Tony held up a hand. "I'm going to stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back to the Future?"

Scott felt Christina rub his shoulder. "Honey, this isn't some movie. This is real life."

He looked between the two, pausing. "...No."

"Good, you had me worried there. Cause that would be horseshit. That's not how quantum physics works." Tony said, leaning back in his chair.

"Tony," Natasha said, her voice nearly breaking. She looked up from her feet. "We have to take a stand."

"We did stand. And yet, here we are."

"I know you got a lot on the line. We got a wife, a daughter. But I lost people who were very important to me. A lot of people did. And now, now we have a chance to bring them back. To bring everyone back. And you're telling me that you won't even—" Scott grew annoyed, only to be cut off by Tony.

"That's right, Scott. I won't. Leave it." The front door opened behind all them. "I got a kid..."

Morgan ran into Tony, who picked her up swiftly into his arms. "Mommy told me to come and save you."

Tony held his daughter close to his chest. "Good job. I'm saved." Looking at Scott again, "I wish you'd come here to ask me something else."

He stood, making his way to the door. "Anything else. Honestly, I'm happy to see you guys, it was... Oh, table was set for six, but we can put another place for Christina, if she wishes—"

"Tony, I get it." Steve interjected, holding out a hand to stop him. "And I'm happy for you," he glanced at Morgan's back. "I really am. But this is a second chance."

"I got my second chance right here, Cap." he concluded, gently rubbing Morgan's back. "I can't roll the dice again." he looked back at the team once more. "If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch."

Everyone watched as Tony disappeared into the house.

Slowly they made their way back to the car. "He's scared." Natasha remarked, glancing up at Steve.

"He's not wrong..." he replied.

"Yeah, but I mean, what're-what are we gonna do?" Scott stumbled, looking back and forth between everyone. "We need him. What, are we gonna do; we gonna stop?"

Steve stopped by the driver-side door. "No, I wanna do it right. We're gonna need a really big brain..."

Scott's eyes widened. "Bigger than his?!"

Christina smirked, having an idea of who they were talking about.

❝ GAME OF SURVIVAL ❞
❛ by -sebstan ❜

author's comments ↴

tony, scott & clint
are the best dads in the
mcu, don't @ me on this
😤