Hello everyone,
Sorry for the delay, I'll explain in the Author's Notes. Anyway here is chapter 82, enjoy.
August 7th, 2023
Quinjet
It was still surprising that Stark had actually talked Kat into this mission, so the plane ride back was a bit awkward. Daisy was in the pilot's seat and kept peaking back, while Steve and Tony sat across from her. In a few short hours Kat had packed a bag, and they left on the jet. Daisy had briefly contacted Nat and Clint letting them know back up was not needed, so both jets set the co-ordinates and headed back to New York. Putting it on auto-pilot, Daisy came back and sat beside Kat.
"SHIELD team has already arrived in New York, and Aida has ordered more parts needed for the Quantum tunnel. Fitz, and Mack are offering to help with its construction when we get back." Daisy said breaking the quiet.
"That's great, more hands will help." Tony said, then it went quiet again as the four of them looked for a topic to bring up, well actually Kat was not in a talkative mood. Tony finally decided to speak. "Soo... Galadriel what have you been doing in those creepy woods all these years?"
Kat looked up at Tony, remembering usually Mack was the one to call her by that nickname. "Does it matter? I wasn't committing suicide."
"Then what were you doing?" Steve asked.
"If you must know choosing to be alone, and seeking an honorable death." Kat replied.
"How does that work?" Tony asked confused, how did an honorable death even work? Was it dying in battle? If that were the case Kat was lacking opponents for that endeavor. Kat looked away annoyed then decided to say how exactly how she truly felt about this mission.
"Don't expect me to get all hopeful like last time. I'm not holding out any hope that we will actually succeed... but the probability is high that we will die. So..." Kat trailed off, shrugging her shoulders, as she looked away. Steve sighed as he looked down realising that Kat was still very much suicidal, but perhaps they could convince her that it would work. In response to his way of thinking Kat gave a mirthless laugh and shook her head. "Hopeful as ever. I'm not holding my breath, Steve."
"If you don't believe we will succeed than why come along?" Tony asked.
"As said the probability of us dying is high, and I have been looking for an honourable death." Kat said looking at Tony. Both Tony and Steve shared a look at one another, but at least they got her on board, in time they knew they could convince her that it would work. Meanwhile Daisy shook her head remembering the tough time she went through when Lincoln died. She had sought out death much like Kat was, but eventually found new purpose again with SHIELD. Maybe the Avengers could help show Kat another purpose other than dying honourably.
It turned out to be the longest flight ever, Kat was not really a talker and often she looked to her right as if someone was sat beside her yet no one was there. Finally Tony asked. "Find something interesting there, Kit-Kat?"
Kat glanced back at the spot she had been looking then shrugged. Both Tony and Steve tried to engage her in talking but Kat didn't seem interested in speaking much. She often watched them warily and Steve got the feeling it was because she had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Did she think they intended to re-admit her? Either way she seemed reluctant to talk much, so Steve could only guess it was because she was worried about going back to the hospital. Finally she sighed.
"If I was worried about that Steve you all would be facing a very painful headache." Steve sighed, she had been reading their minds the entire time and was not above attacking them mentally. "As it is putting me in hospital didn't help... two months in and I knew my mother's old allies were coming for me, even drugged up."
"What do you mean?" Steve asked worried, and Kat raised a brow at him.
"You really thought being regularly drugged up would work? My body may have been sluggish but my mind was still just as sharp. I knew the Orderlies were being paid to look the other way. Granted days before I was to be taken to Japan I had not expected a visit from Kimoski, who swore to assist me. But I was not as oblivious as you thought... or did you forget that
mentally impairing effects do not work?"
Of course! Kat would have been mentally aware of everything even if the drugs robbed her of strength. Banner had theorized that her being on those medications would have hampered her Inhuman powers, but her mind would have been still active.
"Is that how you escaped them?" Steve asked wanting to know how Kat got to Japan then escaped her mother's old allies.
"In part." Kat admitted thinking back to that memory, however she was not about to tell them how exactly she escaped as she watched the pair, then looked back at the spot to her right. Eventually they landed at the Avengers compound in up state New York. They landed about the same time as Nat and Clint who were exiting their own Quinjet. Moving down the path from their own jets the two groups met half-way. Both Nat noticed a distinct change in Kat's appearance, just as much as Tony and Steve noticed a change in Clint Barton. The years had not been kind to neither Clint nor Kat, as Kat noted the tattoo running the length of Barton's arm and his haircut. While Clint saw that Kat's hairstyle was now shoulder length and no longer highlighted its usual purple, he also saw that she was thinner than he remembered. A lot thinner, scary thin.
Both seemed to understand before either one uttered a word that they had suffered a great deal, and Kat heard his thoughts knowing that it was Clint that had tipped the Avengers off: giving them a lead that they used to locate her. Which in itself was surprising, sure the pair had hung out briefly in Wakanda before Barton took the deal to be with his family; but Kat never imagined Barton would go looking for her to help her. Still she appreciated the effort since he took out many of those seeking to kill her and Sandji. Still she also knew that was not the whole reason Barton went after them, he had needed a job to do... something to numb the pain. Something he could lose himself in to ignore the losses he suffered, it was only after the fact that he continued knowing they were after her.
"It's good to see you Clint." Steve said in greeting.
"You too, Cap." Clint said looking to Steve then to Tony, while Nat came closer to Kat.
"Hey Kat.. it's good to have you back with us." Kat merely shrugged not sure what to say to that, then swallowed.
"Nice to see you too." In the next second Nat pulled her into a hug, which sort of stunned Kat. Then she awkwardly returned the hug remembering Nat and Steve were the last ones to try and be there for her, even if they ended up putting her in a psychiatric hospital. The infamous Black Widow had clearly missed her as much as Steve and Daisy. When she pulled away Kat ended up looking to Barton.
"Heard you're the one to tip them off, giving them a lead." Kat said tapping her temple to indicate that by 'heard' she mind read it with Barton giving a sad half smile in response.
"Yeah my targets kept going on about killing you over some Nakagawa lady. Took Nat connecting the dots though."
"Yeah," Kat looked to her left briefly even though nothing was there, "My mother, the last untouchable HYDRA head." Then she shrugged like it no longer mattered, "Don't take offence but the new hairstyle... doesn't look good. Tattoo looks pretty cool though."
A humourless chuckle came from Barton, "Neither does your hair, you look better when you highlighted your hair... you also look like you need to eat a dozen cheeseburgers."
Kat gave a snort to show she found that funny too. It was good to see Barton, while they were not overly familiar with each other it was nice to know he had been trying to look out for her. Kat also knew without Barton none of the Avengers or SHIELD team would have ever found her. Finally Tony spoke up. "Cheeseburgers sound great. Who's hungry?"
With that they went inside and Tony called Happy asking him to stop by Burger King and order enough cheeseburgers and fries to feed a large army. Kat hung back as they entered the large open space in the Avengers facility where the SHIELD team was busy at work helping Aida, Nebula, Rhodey, and Scott unpack the machinery Aida ordered for the Quantum Tunnel that way when they arrived they could get right to work. Up ahead the two groups greeted each other with introductions being given to those that had yet to meet. Mainly Tony was finally meeting Coulson's team namely Leopold Fitz.
"I hear you're the SHIELD tech genius that will be helping me." Tony said after shaking Fitz's hand.
"That is me." Fitz replied.
"We're just here to help out then we have an issue that will need our attention." Mack spoke up, but each of the SHIELD team was looking for Kat, no doubt Daisy told them she was here. Kat instead looked around trying to distract herself, and so when the team looked in the direction of the door Kat was not there.
"You said you found her, Tremors."
"I did but..." Daisy trailed off not sure how to explain it to them. So Steve spoke up trying to help the SHIELD agent out.
"A lot's changed since last we have seen her. She's changed."
"Maybe you better explain before we go rushing off to welcome her back." May pointed out. Just then Aida announced Banner, Rocket, and Thor had arrived. Apparently while they had gone to Japan, Rocket and Banner had gone to bring in Thor from New Asgard.
"Well at least we can welcome back Point Break." Tony added nonchalantly. It became clear as the group moved outside to meet up with the new arrivals, that Thor had apparently changed too.
"I would say an awful lot has changed." Jemma pointed out as they watched the chubby bearded Thor in hobo-like clothes exit the ship.
"That isn't Thor... is it?" Daisy asked clearly disappointed, she had no doubt hoped to see the God of Thunder in all his magnificent glory only to be met with...that. Just then Thor belched loudly as he drank his beer.
"So much for seeing the God of Thunder.." May added also disappointed, five years apparently had not been kind to Thor, Kat, or Clint but what had anyone honestly expected in the last five years? Banner and Rocket followed Thor off the ship and caught sight of them. Thor was just as happy to see them as he had been to see Banner and Rocket.
"Boys!" He called out joyfully and came over hugging them, "Ah it's good to see you!"
It was new to have a drunken Thor greeting them, then he looked at Coulson and blinked. "Uhh my eye isn't working right..."
Immediately he was adjusting it thinking he was seeing things, but Coulson came up with that faint smile. "I'm here."
Thor reached out gripping Coulson's shoulder to make sure he was real, even drunk the god of Thunder seemed stunned. "But... how?"
"It's a long story, but you would need to be sober for it." Coulson said then after a moment Thor pulled him into a lengthy hug. At first Coulson let Thor hug him, but then he patted Thor's back hoping to be released. "Its okay. It's okay."
Pulling away Coulson gestured to the SHIELD team. "This is the SHIELD team I work with..."
From there he introduced each of them starting with Mack, May, Yo-yo, Fitz, Simmons, and lastly Daisy. Finally Rocket spoke up. "So I take it you found Flower's missing friend?"
He gestured to Daisy who replied. "It's Daisy, and yeah we found her."
"You don't sound happy about that." Banner noticed.
"Well people change obviously, and so has Kat." Daisy said taking an incredulous glance at Thor when she said the word "obviously". She still had this mental image of a 'dreamy looking' Thor.
"So where is she?" Rocket asked.
"I think she is keeping to herself..." Steve added looking back at the Avenger's compound.
"Certainly not a social butterfly." Stark spoke up.
"She is in the games room. I am closely monitoring her every move." Aida spoke up, "Her behavior is... troubling."
"Keep watch of her while we get everyone up to speed, Aida." Nat replied, from there they went into a conference room to discuss the Time Heist further with Barton and Thor, and also to advise the SHIELD agents to tread carefully with Kat. Out of the three Kat was the most unpredictable and volatile of them, so there was extra concern since she attempted to take her own life five years ago.
"I can't believe she would attack you." Coulson said after having the encounter explained. He had his arms folded across his chest as he moved around. "That doesn't sound like her at all."
"It was more of a warning to back off." Daisy pointed out as she sat in one of the chairs.
"Still it is unprecedented." Jemma said getting up to pace the room, concerned.
"Kat has always been able to attack minds." Yo-yo argued, "Why is this any different?"
"One mind at a time, not three. Think about it, when have any of us ever seen her attack more than one mind at a time? Sure one mind after another but not simultaneously."
"You're saying she has gotten more powerful." Mack said worried, the fact that she sent a warning shot to two Avengers and Daisy was more then a little worrying.
"It's possible," Jemma replied, "I mean Lincoln once said that Kat's innate Inhuman talent is 'Adaptability' What if she adapted to her situation or focused on her powers?"
"She'd be a lot more powerful." Fitz answered.
"But why focus on her powers?" Scott asked from his seat.
"You said she is seeking an honorable death, right?" May asked after a moment it had been quiet after Scott's question. When Steve nodded May continued. "Then she would seek a powerful opponent."
"Okay I get she doesn't believe we can do this, but can't we convince her?" Scott asked worried, once she sees that it was possible to go back and get the stones wouldn't she be on board then? Again the room went quiet until Nat noticed a certain AI was being rather quiet too.
"Aida? Any comment?"
"It is hard to say... once we prove to her that this 'Time Heist' is possible she should be on board."
"I am sensing a but, there Lady Pinocchio." Tony replied.
"I believe the only reason she is here is because she is factoring in the high probability of death. If she is seeking in her own words an honourable death then the best probable chance to get it is with the Avengers..."
"God ever so cheerful. Can't she just have a little faith? Be a bit more hopeful?" Tony asked.
"She was hopeful—last time. That clearly didn't work out, as it was being hopeful is not in her nature." Aida replied earning a scoff from Tony, "Prior to Russia and joining Coulson's team she was never hopeful. In fact she estimated her chances alone against HYDRA at ninety-eight percent mortality rate. Even with me factored in, chances of death only lowered by three percent. So no she was never a hopeful, or optimistic person."
"So we convince her, build the machine, and prove it to her." Daisy said making it sound easy. Hopefully it would be that easy, but in the meantime everybody was advised to tread lightly around Kat. It made for a non-existent reunion even if many of them desperately wanted to see her. Later that day the only distraction came in the form of Happy, Pepper, and Morgan bringing many bags from Burger King. Aida of course was the first to announce their arrival at the compound as they stopped working on the Qauntum tunnel that they started briefly on.
"Chow time!" Tony called out when he saw Happy come in, then frowned a little on seeing Pepper and Morgan. He had not expected his family to show up too as he set aside his wrench and come over to them.
"Hey what are you two doing here?" Tony asked then leaned in giving Pepper a kiss.
"Happy received the call from Friday when he was out with us, and Morgan wanted to see you."
"She did?" Tony asked and knelt down to a smiling Morgan, "Ya miss me?"
"Yeah." She replied.
"Good, I missed you too." Tony kissed her cheek, "Gonna help me feed the troops?" As Tony continued talking to his family, Daisy turned to Steve and Coulson.
"I'll go get Kat." From there they headed for the lounge and a few minutes later Daisy came in frowning and without Kat.
"Where's Kat?" Nat asked concerned.
"She says she is meditating." Daisy replied discouraged.
"Meditating?" Jemma asked frowning, "That could be how she is intensifying her Inhuman powers."
"Yeah well I can't get her to come inside."
"She does realise she looks like a Slim Jim right?" Tony asked.
"Yes I know..." Daisy replied frustrated, it used to be so much easier to talk to Kat but now it felt like talking to a stranger. How was she to reach Kat when she no longer recognised her? Daisy placed her hands on her hips and looked to the ceiling frustrated. Thus far she felt like they were separated by a gigantic chasm, and nothing Daisy did could close the gap.
"Daisy she listens to you-" Coulson started to say.
"No she did listen to me... five years ago."
"You convinced her to come back, Tremors." Mack urged.
"No, I didn't. He did!" Daisy pointed at Tony. For a moment the room went quiet as Daisy took to pacing.
"It will take time." Steve urged, "A lot has happened in five years. Just be patient with her."
"I know, but how do I get her to come inside and eat? She looks like a gust of wind could knock her over."
"I got it, I know just who to send." Tony said making Daisy turn to face him.
The calm lake was relaxing to watch and the quietness outside helped. Besides it was a little noisy both mentally and literally for Three inside the Avenger's compound. She didn't need to hear them talk or think about her and wring their hands in concern, that was not why she came here. Actually she was beginning to question why she came in the first place. Why had she let Tony Stark of all people talk her into this? Every time she started to think this time heist could work she told herself not to hold out hope... it would be crushed. Hope didn't help her last time when Thanos destroyed the Infinity stones, so hope would be a waste. However she knew anything the Avengers tried would be fraught with danger and an honorable death was all she could really hope for in the end. Which was why she kept Daisy at arm's length and avoided the SHIELD team like the plague. She longed for an end and to be reunited with her husband and daughter. Getting close to Daisy and the others would only add to the pain in the end and she was already in constant pain already.
"You need to focus, you know?" A calm familiar voice spoke and Three groaned at the sound of it.
"Shut up, I know that." She answered.
"Do you? You seem to be having problems focusing,"
"Maybe it is because you won't shut up and leave me be?" Three suggested, like before Three gave up the name she once held in those five years. Sure she responded to the name Kat, but could not bring herself to go by that name. Without Bucky and Tess the name Katrina Barnes held no value, so why not go back to the name Three? It was what she had been known by before...
The voice sighed annoyed, "Your thoughts are lingering on them—again!"
Three ground her teeth in annoyance then slumped forward some to run her hands over her face. "You're not helping."
She expected some snarky response, but instead got a child's voice behind her. "Sorry..."
Frowning Three turned to look coming face to face with a cute little brunette. Where did this child come from? For a second she thought Scott had brought his daughter to the compound, but no Cassie was older. 'I think her last letter to Tess, she stated she was ten, and if she survived the snap she would be in her teens.' In short this was not Cassie. Looking past the kid to the compound then back at the little girl she wondered if her sanity was slipping further, it was bad enough seeing one dead person, but now a mystery kid?
"Sorry, I uhh was talking to... myself." The little girl gave her a funny look so Three shook her head, "Anyway who are you? And what are you doing here?"
"I'm Morgan."
"Morgan, pretty name." Three replied, then added without thinking, "I'm Three."
"Daddy said you're name is Kat." Morgan said giving her a funny look.
"Yeah, guess they still call me that..." Three replied playing with the chain and her wedding ring around her neck. Shaking her head Three shrugged, "Kat is fine if you prefer. So what brings you out here?"
"I was told to bring you in for cheeseburgers," Morgan replied then giggled, "Daddy says you look like a string bean."
Suddenly Three had a feeling she knew who's kid this was as she looked past Morgan to Tony who stood in the window smiling and waving a cheeseburger in the air. Three wanted to roll her eyes, wasn't it enough that she came? Couldn't they leave her alone? Tony must have known she wouldn't refuse the kid, that was why he sent her. Three sighed. "Let me guess you won't leave me be until I come inside and eat."
Morgan smiled and nodded. Blowing out a sigh Three got to her feet and offered up her hand. "Alright, drag me in kicking and screaming."
Taking her hand Morgan led her back into the Avengers compound and straight to the lounge. Inside everyone else was already eating when Morgan pulled Three into the room. Immediately Tony came up. "Oh good you're here. Take this and eat up."
Three was immediately handed a tray with six cheeseburgers, a king sized fries, milkshake, and soda. Three raised a brow at the amount of food on the tray. "You expect me to eat all this?"
"Yes you look like you just came from a Nazi Concentration camp. You need to bulk up for this, so get to chowing down." Tony ordered, when Three just stood there looking at him he added. "Chop Chop, Kit-kat."
'Don't push it Stark.' Three thought to Tony.
"And what a lovely mental voice you have, tell you what go deeper and say: 'My name is Zuul' and then I'll actually take you seriously. Till then, eat up." Tony slapped her on the back as she moved forward with the tray, and she grudgingly took a seat by Scott and Rhodey. While she didn't really have much of an appetite she slowly managed to eat a couple of cheeseburgers, about half the fries and half the milkshake. She largely tried to ignore the others seated around her as they ate too. Meanwhile she read their thoughts, over the years she grew less caring of other's privacy. However there were two minds Three could not read... Nebula and Coulson's. Nebula was not that worrisome because of what Thanos did to her, the mechanics gave her that subtle advantage, but Coulson? As a matter of fact she could not even sense him and he was sitting right there!
Part of her wanted to ask why she couldn't sense Coulson or hear his thoughts. He was a friend and even though she tried to put distance between herself and the Agents of SHIELD deep down she still cared. Instead she outright ignored it, after all it shouldn't matter... best guess was this Coulson was an LMD, and the real man died of his injuries. She had already suspected him dead when she couldn't sense him, it was merely surprising to see him sitting there. Besides she did not want to be the one to shatter the illusion for the Avengers as they seemed to think this Coulson was the real deal.
After that Three stopped reading their minds not wanting to hear any more, she focused on nibbling on another cheeseburger. She was trying very hard to ignore the looks as some of the Avengers and Agents tried to think of something to say. Every one of the possible topics seemed toxic or could lead to an argument, so often the idea for a topic was dropped like a hot potato. Finally Daisy asked Tony. "So how long before the Quantum tunnel is built?"
"It'll take a couple of days, but between us brains should be done pretty quick." Tony replied, "Although one more brain might cut down on the time. What do you say Purple ninja? Give a billionaire a hand?"
Three looked up knowing he was looking at her and wanted to groan as she looked back down at her cheeseburger. 'Greeeaat! Now he wants my help to build this machine. What next form a bowling team?' Three thought, then sighed. "I figured you have enough brains to build this tunnel... You got Banner, Fitz, Mack, Nebula, Rocket, and yourself."
"True... but I hear you are a super genius," Tony pointed out, she wanted to get up and leave. However before she could move to make her escape Tony got up. "Let me show you what we got... come on."
As he spoke he took the tray from her and she got up guessing escape was not in the cards at this moment. Taken over by where the Quantum tunnel was to be built Tony took her to a work desk and was showing her the blueprint plans. The others were watching them as he gave a thumbs up behind Three's back as she looked over the plans, then she looked to the structure already being built. "What do you think?"
For a moment Three looked over the plans both stunned and fascinated. 'This could actually work—no! I can't get my hopes up! I won't!' Three thought, but on some level she also knew Tony would not give up until she agreed to help. What was the harm in helping if it led to the honourable death she so sought? Taking a closer look at some of the calculations she finally spoke. "This equation is wrong."
Three pointed it out getting Tony to look at it. "That's not..."
Tony trailed off realising this mistake was real and Three looked to him. "Want me to explain simple mathematics to you?"
"Alright fair enough, you caught a mistake. See? You're already helping, so..." He looked past Three to the group, "We got another brain to help us build the tunnel."
Why did it feel like he had tricked her into helping? Part of Three wondered if he purposely put the error into his own equation to get her on board. After all he was not the type to make mistakes. All this and she had not really agreed to help build it at all. Still as she looked further at the schematics another idea occurred to her, one that might help to prove to herself more than anything that this was entirely possible.
August 9th, 2023
Avengers Compound
Rock music was playing thanks to Friday in the large open area where the quantum tunnel was being worked on. Three really didn't mind it as she worked at a table on the device that she had been thinking about since seeing the blueprints for the Quantum tunnel. Tony had given her some curious looks when she gave him a list of items she needed, but agreed to them thinking this would help her and get her more on board with the Time Heist. Thor had just opened a can of beer as he moved past her into the area, and was drinking it.
"You're drifting left. One side there Lebowski." Stark said pulling a cable attached to some machinery on wheels. Three could only shake her head before resuming her own work, as Tony came closer to see Rocket working underneath the platform that was forming. "Rachet how's it going?"
"It's Rocket, Take it easy. You're only a genius on Earth, pal." Rocket replied waving the tool at Stark. Thor belched behind Stark gaining a look from the billionaire, and again from Three, then Stark moved over to her.
"So how is this mystery device coming along?" Tony as picking up and toying with a small wrench.
"It's a monitoring device." Three answered getting a frown from Tony.
"Like a baby monitor?" Three looked up and sighed as she set down the tool, then showed him the schematics for it.
"Huh..." He said looking it over, "Wow, that is ingenious."
"Yeah... I figured this way on the test run data could be collected and brought back."
"You want proof this is going to work." Tony nodded as he set down the blueprints. Three didn't need to respond, as she looked down at the device.
"I'm sorry," Tony said abruptly changing the subject, "I am not good with apologies. Should have said it a long time ago, and it's kind of annoying when it eats away at you... so there it is."
The apology stunned Three momentarily as she realised what he was apologizing for, and he was about to make a hasty exit not wanting to stick around and hear her say the horrible words 'apology not accepted', but Three wasn't going to say that. Instead she spoke before he got even two steps.
"It's also to help during the time heist," Three said as Tony looked back at her, "I figured Aida could help us... if she wants to. I haven't asked her yet, but I figured she would also want to go."
Tony nodded as he realised a mini housing unit was inside the monitoring device. "That the proto-type?"
"Yeah," Three replied, "With the main hub..." Three gestured to the larger device on her left Aida will be able to make a small copy of herself which transmits into this watch. She'll be able to collect data and provide intel going into the situation if there is an Wi-Fi connection. Then upon returning the copies return to Aida giving her the intel, so it'll be like she is there with each of us."
"Wow, okay see? This is why we need you." Tony said, then walked off letting her get back to work, and just like that any issues they might have had with one another were forgotten. Three gave a slight half smile then shook her head before getting back to work on the device.
"I'll do it." Aida's cheerful voice coming from Three's phone made her jump.
"Jesus!" Three looked down at the phone in her pocket, when the hell did Aida jump to her phone? She had honestly thought the AI would be mad at her or something, or would stick to Nat.
Meanwhile in the lab not far away from where Three worked Banner, and Nebula worked on the suit Scott wore. They had paused and were looking at her briefly when they heard her call out, then returned to work.
"Made you jump didn't she?" Rhodey asked as he walked by her and came to take a look at the suits. "Time travel suit is not bad."
"Hey hey, easy easy." Scott said removing the helmet some as Banner went to put the Pym particles into the suit.
"I'm being very careful." Banner replied as Three looked over at them.
"No you're being very hulky."
"I'm being careful."
"These are Pym Particles alright? And ever since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence this is it. This is what we have. We're not making any more."
"Scott, calm down." Rhodey said.
"Sorry," Scott replied very nervous about this, "We've got enough for one round trip each. That's it. No do-overs. Plus two test runs."
Scott inserted the vial and accidentally activated it shrinking down before coming back, "One test one."
Rhodey sighed shaking his head and Three was also peaking in shaking her head too as Scott said. "All right. I'm not ready for this."
As usual Scott was good with mental images as he remembered the first time travel test run. It had been a disaster with him first coming back as a kid, then an elderly man, and lastly a baby? When they got him back one of the versions wet the suit, and he was not eager to relive the experience. Now Three knew why he was so nervous and snappy with everyone.
"I'm game." Barton spoke up as he leaned in the doorway watching the group, and Three looked at him. "I'll do it."
With a more willing person to do the test run Scott took off the suit, and Barton put it on while Three finished work on the watch prototype. "Okay Aida, this should be simple. What you do is transfer a copy of yourself through the main hub to the watch..."
"Got it." Aida replied and a second later Three pressed the watch to the main hub, a light flashed green showing the copied transfer worked.
"Aida?" Three asked the watch.
"It's a bit cramped in here..." The AI teased, but Three could only muster a faint half smile as she turned towards the group and came over into the small lab. She slipped past Banner and came to stand by Barton and across from Nebula. As she was attaching the device Barton looked down at it and asked.
"So this will allow Aida to travel with me?"
"It'll allow a copy of her to travel with you and pick up on electronics. She can provide intel, and assist with the time heist, but this first time... she will merely be data collecting." Three replied as Nebula was doing last minute checks and Banner started to explain things to Clint.
"Clint you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the Chronoshift. Don't worry about it."
"Wait a second. Let me ask you something. If we can do this, you know... go back in time. Why don't we just find baby Thanos you know and..." Rhodey trailed off then made the universal gesture of strangling someone.
"First of all that's horrible..."
"It's Thanos." Rhodey argued.
"And secondly time doesn't work that way. Changing the past doesn't change the future."
"Wish it was that easy, I would be down for that plan." Three added.
"Amen." Barton seconded.
"Look, we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them, Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved." Scott added and Rhodey gestured agreeing with Scott.
"Bingo." Barton added also agreeing with that plan.
"That's not how it works." Nebula pointed out.
"Sadly, would be nice if it worked that way, huh?" Three asked Nebula who nodded.
"Well that's what I heard." Clint replied.
"Wait, but who? Who told you that?" Banner asked.
Rhodey began listing all the time travel movies there was "Star Trek, Terminator, Timecop, Time After Time,"
"Quantum Leap." Scott added.
"Wrinkle in Time, Somewhere in Time," Rhodey continued.
"Hot Tub Time machine." Scott added again then Rhodey said it and continued to say more, making Three snort derisively who exactly bought that BS about a hot tub taking some drunk morons through time?
"Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Basically any movie that deals with time travel."
"Die Hard, No that's not one." Scott spoke up.
"This is known." Rhodey continued.
"I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it, if you travel to the past, that past becomes your future... and your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future." Banner explained.
"Exactly." Nebula added.
"So Back to the Future is a bunch of bullshit?" Scott asked almost sounding hurt by this knowledge.
"Quantum physics doesn't work like in the movies, Scott. As Banner said this form of time travel doesn't prescribe to movies, games or books. You need to throw all that out the window."
"Wait you said this form of time travel, there are other forms?" Rhodey asked.
"Yes but the other two options are not available to us, and one of them is even more unpredictable than the Qauntum Realm." Three pointed out.
"Really?" Scott asked.
"Well the first is an alien device known as the Monolith which was used to take Coulson's team to 2091, but controlling the time monolith was impossible especially where or when it took you to." Three said as Fitz was coming closer with a notepad.
"And the second was Chronocon technology that took us back to the 1930s. Which by the way that tech was irreparably damaged after it brought us back to the present." Fitz added as he typed into his notepad then handed it to Banner. "Did the checks you asked for."
"Thank you." Banner replied looking the notepad over. At that point Three was doing some checks on the watch.
"Alright, testing one two... Aida you hear me?" Three asked the watch.
"I hear you," The copied version of Aida replied, "Still tiny living space. I feel like the Genie in the lamp."
"Would you prefer to stay home?" Three asked teasing her a little. The response was immediate.
"Bah!" Aida scoffed.
"Alright we've done the last minute checks the Guinea pig ready?" Stark asked coming up.
"He's good." Banner replied, and on that note they were going to test out the new Quantum tunnel. It was on the completed Quantum tunnel platform that Clint stood for the test run. While Rhodey, Steve and Thor stood by Banner who was at the controls. Meanwhile Kat stood nearby Daisy, Nat, and Fitz. The rest stood around or close by as the two groups held their collective breath. Everyone was hoping this worked, and Three fought back the growing hope. She didn't want to hold out hope only to have it crushed again.
"Getting hopeful again?" There that voice was again as Three looked at it's source then looked away, "Don't give that look, it's okay to get hopeful."
"Go away." Three muttered under her breath as she looked to the person standing there. However to anyone else no one was standing there and this made Nat frown, she had heard Three say the words but who was she talking to? She didn't have time to consider it as Banner called out regaining her full attention.
"All right Clint. We're going in three, two, one..."
Clint's helmet activated and soon Clint disappeared into the tunnel, for them it was a mere ten seconds that passed before he was brought back and was kneeling on the platform holding something. "Lila!"
The poor man must have seen his daughter briefly as he looked shaken by the experience. Now that damn pesky thing called hope was growing in Three as she heard a chuckle. "See? Nothing wrong with hoping."
Nat rushed onto the platform as it powered down and helped Clint up. "Hey, look at me. You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, it worked." Clint showed Nat the baseball glove he held, then the pair looked to Tony as Clint tossed him the glove as proof. "It worked."
For a moment Three stood there, she knew it was possible but it took seeing it to believe it. Now that she saw it... she was stunned as Tony looked at her holding up the glove. "Told ya."
Barton was smiling as he came closer overjoyed that they had a very real chance to bring those lost back. "It worked Kat."
It took several seconds for those words to sink in as she saw what he saw. He had been back on his farm, he had heard his daughter's voice. It had worked! She wasn't entirely sure where it came from but in the next second she hugged Clint surprising him, but he didn't seem to mind. When she released him he still wore a smile on his face as he held up the watch on his wrist. "Wanna see if your device worked?"
In no time at all the data was transferred from the watch back to Aida. "Well the time space GPS Stark invented is one-hundred percent accurate."
"Of course." Tony said confidently.
"Clint was sent back to April 5th, 2017 at 3:47pm. He arrived at the Barn outside his home and walked to the house. Where he picked up the baseball glove and heard Lila asking where her headphones were. I also have outside temperature, local news, and Wi-Fi during that particular point in time. Memories and data collection was one-hundred percent successful." Aida reported.
It was still so surreal, the how works!
Author's Notes:
Okay first off thank you all for the lovely reviews, and I am sorry it took so long to post this. For one Real life has become very busy, and two I am having trouble with Writer's Block. I know what I want to do in Endgame ever since seeing the movie in theaters, but I'm having trouble getting there. Strangely the most difficult part is not what some would imagine it would be... like trying to keep the Marvel characters true to their characters. Instead the issue is with Three (Kat) herself. I am basically taking Kat our of character in some ways because of her character development in Endgame.
Like with Thor becoming an drunk and Clint going on a killing spree, Kat is being taken in a new scary direction, which in some ways is a lot harder to write because it seems to take me out of my own comfort zone. Even with this chapter I wasn't overly satisfied with it, but after endlessly tweaking it I knew I had to stop and just post it. I'll explain more as I go over some of the finer details for this chapter.
I do wish I could reply to you all on the reviews side, but am afraid my Author's Notes would be very long then. I will say this much you guys made some great guesses as to who she is seeing. Also to answer LordVada, the tattoo is on Kat's back right shoulder-blade. It was dome back when she was leaving the Shadow Network, and is of a dragon clutching an orb in it's talons. It was meant to symbolize she is one of the Shadow Network leaders. I forgot the colour scheme for it but I think the orb was purple.
Again thank you all for the lovely reviews and the guesses.
As for this chapter, I know it seems like what Kat is doing might make little sense. She agrees to go with them then tells them she doesn't believe they will succeed. Then talks of seeking an honorable death, when she has been hanging out in an empty forest. However before I get angry reviews let me just say there is a lot going on that has yet to be revealed, and that is why Kat's actions don't make a whole lot of sense. As mentioned before her character development is going in a scary new direction, and this is why it is getting harder to write for Kat. As some of you have guessed she is seeing someone that just isn't there as well as talking to them. Thor has spiraled down the bottle, Clint is slaughtering gangs, and so it makes sense that Kat would loose herself in some way too. Namely her sanity. How far her sanity has gone is yet to be determined, but it also explains her actions to some degree.
As for the person she is talking to another clue has been dropped in this chapter, which makes me wonder who you think she is seeing now based off of the brief conversation she has with the person?
Also the other thing of note for Agents of SHIELD fans is Chronocon-Coulson. Because we have to wait until 2020 for season seven and I already stated I was strictly going off of my own theory and season six. Coulson is currently an LMD/Chronocon for Endgame. Sadly until Agents of SHIELD comes out he will remain thus, but will have the memories and knowledge of Coulson so he knows who Kat is and how important she was to him as a friend/Advisor to SHIELD.
Well that is it for now, I am sure there are other issues with this chapter I forgot to mention but the Author's Notes are getting pretty long again. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think in the reviews as well any further guesses as to who Kat is talking to.
Lesliezin