Epilogue Part I: 15 Years After Gravesen
Tony never got a heart transplant. No dead stranger's generosity or cardiothoracic surgeon's skill saved his life. He saved it himself.
For years, he consulted experts ranging from Bruce Banner and all of his PhDs to Gravesen's (now retired) Dr. Rhodes to Wakanda's young spearhead of technological development. He honed his design over and over again to both minimize its size and maximize its lifetime, all while racing the clock to finish it all before his own heart's failure took him out of the running. Fortunately, this was one race he won handedly.
Tony created a miniaturized arc reactor, a self-sustaining power source that could "run his heart for fifty lifetimes," as one of his colleagues had put it when he showed off the schematics. It eliminated the need for drivelines and external batteries and could be built into the pump itself, so that recipients of this new model would have no visible indication of the device besides the scar on their chest from the placement surgery. He redesigned the controller as a smart watch which connected wirelessly to the pump, so monitoring and adjusting its settings became as easy as checking the time. To top it off, he engineered an anti-rejection coating applicable for all implanted medical devices that extended their life expectancies to longer than the average human's. Tony himself offered to be the first patient to receive one in the trials. His first words upon waking up from his second open heart surgery: "This is going to work. I can feel it."
Years later, it proved true. In fact, his doctors informed him that his prognosis was immensely better than even heart transplant patients with the most closely-matched donors. This year, they would conclude the trial phase and his self-sustaining VAD would become the standard of treatment for end-stage heart failure. Tony knew he was in the running, but it still caught him off guard when he received a call at six o'clock in the morning from the committee informing him he'd won the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
After an obligatory congratulations, they informed him how the ceremony and surrounding festivities would proceed. As a part of his reward, he got to spend a week beforehand enjoying Stockholm along with fourteen guests of his choice.
Fourteen guests. Most people would have trouble whittling their list down to fourteen, but Tony was struggling to come up with enough names to fill the roster. His parents got the first two slots, obviously. They were just as responsible for Tony getting the award as he himself was. As for the next person Tony wanted to bring, he was fairly certain he would say yes no matter how Tony asked, but he wanted an excuse to visit in person, so the next day he did.
He'd made the trip from Manhattan to Queens countless times, and his excitement upon arriving at the apartment building never waned. It wasn't noticeably different than any other building in the city, but to Tony it shone like a beacon because of what awaited inside. The name Tony had grown to love even more than his own was displayed on the front door, a beautiful art piece that made the letters look like they were spun from glistening spider webs.
Tony rang the doorbell and listened to the rapid pitter patter of little feet racing towards him. "Don't open it until I can see who it is," a woman's voice called. A moment later, the door swung open to reveal MJ and the little girl whom she so closely resembled.
"Uncle Tony!" the girl exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet and reaching up to be held. Tony lifted the three-year-old into his arms and let her run a hand over his goatee.
"Hi Carol May," he said. Most of her family called her by her first and middle names because they loved how it made her father's face light up to hear them both spoken without a hint of sadness.
"Daddy says you're getting a 'word because you have the best heart," she stated, placing a tiny hand over his chest.
"Something like that," Tony replied. "Speaking of which, where is your dad?"
"He's with Ben. I'll go get him!" Carol May squirmed until Tony put her down and dashed off into the nursery.
"What brings you here?" MJ asked. "I figured you'd be too busy to stop by now that you're a Nobel Laureate and all."
"I could be president and I'd still make time to stop by."
"The crazy thing is I wholeheartedly believe you."
"Tony? What are you doing here?" Parker emerged from the nursery, one hand holding six-month-old Ben and the other letting Carol May drag him out towards Tony.
"I have an invitation to extend," Tony said. "I get to bring some friends with me to Stockholm, and I was wondering if you wanted to go."
"Are you serious? I'd love to!" Parker responded with the same youthful enthusiasm he'd had in spades since he finally broke free from the trauma that had held him captive at Gravesen. Seeing him like this, prospering with a family of his own, never failed to warm Tony's artificially-powered heart.
"Great!"
"I wanna go too," Carol May said, picking up on their excitement.
"But Mom needs you here to help take care of Ben," Parker told her.
"She's very cape-able."
Tony smiled are her use of such a big word. She might look like her mother, but she inherited her father's brain for sure.
"I know she is, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want your company and your help."
"Okay. Promise you'll call when you're away with Uncle Tony?"
"I promise."
"And I promise I won't keep him busy enough to break that promise," Tony added.
"Can I see the 'word?" she asked.
"Definitely."
Ben fussed in Parker's arms, so he readjusted his hold on the baby. Two little hands reached up, one finding the locket around his neck. Parker slid it out of the baby's reach and offered him a toy instead. Tony asked to hold him, as he did every time he visited. As much as Carol May looked like her mother, Ben looked even more like his father. He liked to imagine that this is what Parker looked like before the world had subjected him to the worst of its cruelty. The baby wore one of his monogrammed onesies, the white BSW miraculously unmarred by stains that inevitably tarnished infant clothing.
Tony let the baby rest in his lap while he sat down in the Weavers' living room. Carol May dashed to claim the set right next to him. Parker and MJ took chairs across from them. "Can I get you anything?" Parker offered.
"No thanks. I've got everything I need right here." He tapped Carol May on the head and she giggled—the best sound in the world in Tony's personal opinion.
"Well, while you're here, we have some news too," Parker said hesitantly.
"Good news, I hope," Tony replied. He'd had more than enough bad news in his lifetime.
"Yeah, it's good news. We're moving."
"Oh?" Tony didn't necessarily think this was good news, if it meant they were moving farther. He liked having them right here in the city where he could visit them whenever he found the time.
"MJ's parents are selling their house in the suburbs," he continued. "And we're gonna go live there."
"That sounds great. I'm sure the kids will love it there."
"I don't want to live at Grandma and Grandpa's," Carol May insisted.
"Carol, they're not going to live there with us. It's going to be our house, not theirs," MJ explained.
"Will Uncle Tony visit?"
"I certainly hope so," Parker said.
"Yeah," Tony assured her.
Parker turned to Tony and his expression shifted to hesitantly hopeful. "We're moving out there because, once Ben's a little older, we're…we're going to apply to be foster parents."
Tony's eyes lit up. "That's fantastic!" He knew foster care had given Parker a home after he lost his second family, and he'd met MJ while under the guardianship of her parents. It was beautiful and fitting for them to continue to share that love. "You guys will be amazing."
"You really think so?"
"Of course. Look what a good job you've done so far with these two." He bounced Ben for a beat and ruffled Carol May's hair.
"I'm glad you think so. It was a decision we made after lots of discussion," MJ said.
"I can't think of anyone better suited for the job."
"Thanks, Tony."
"You're welcome." He stood, offering Ben to MJ while Parker walked him to the door, Carol May at his heels. "Thanks for letting me stop by. I'll send you the details of the Stockholm trip later today."
"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. Congratulations, again. You really deserve it. I, for one, am particularly grateful for this invention because it means you'll be around longer."
Tony's heart soared while simultaneously melting. "That's the idea," he said wistfully.
"Bye Uncle Tony," Carol May piped up. He bent down to give her a hug, then gave one to Parker. He left the building and drove home full of unprecedented levels of pride and joy.
~0~
Tony double-checked the time to ensure it was of a reasonable hour in Norway, and made the call. "Stark!" came the exuberant voice when he picked up. Thor's improvement in his speech had plateaued after the first stretch of therapy, so he still noticeably struggled with long vowels, especially when he was tired. Because of this, he'd taken to calling Tony "Stark" on days like that.
"Hey Thor," Tony greeted. "How are you?"
"I'm fan-tas-tic! Korg and I just got back from surfing in Aus-trah…tra-lia. I'm not sure who had more fun, him or me."
"He knows how to surf?"
"He's not much good for...paddling, but he can...stay on the board."
"I suppose balancing on four paws is a bit easier than on two feet."
"Yes. Congrats, by the way. I heard the Nu…uh…No-bel an-nounce-ment."
"Thank you. That's actually why I'm calling," Tony continued. "For the ceremony in Stockholm, I'm allowed to bring some guests, and I wanted to invite you to join us."
"Really? Wow."
"Yes, really. Are you free next week?"
"Uh-pening night of my brother's play is this wi…weekend—" he paused, and Tony vaguely heard Loki's voice shout in the background: "She/her today!"
Thor continued, "Pardon me, sister's play. Hela and I are staying at her place until then to visit. Great sibling bonding time. But you said the cerema…mony isn't until next...week?"
"Next Monday, yeah."
"And Korg can come too?"
"Yeah, I looked into it for both you and Nick. Service dogs are most certainly allowed. If he has a vest or something marking him as a service animal, I'd definitely have him wear it just so nobody raises a fuss. But it shouldn't be a problem at all."
"Yes! Korg loves his work vest. It has pah…ah…pin…Spongebob's fruit on it," he resorted to circumlocution. Then his voice quieted, as if he'd turned away from the phone to speak to someone else. "Hear that Korg? We're going to Swe-den!" Now he turned back to the phone. "His excit-ment is clear. We're coming."
"Awesome. I'll send you the details in a little bit, although it won't be quite as long a trip for you as those of us coming from the States. Can't wait to see you."
"Bye!"
"Bye."
Tony hung up with a smile on his face. Talking to Thor always left him with one. The guy's enthusiasm was ridiculously contagious, and Tony was elated he'd agreed to join the party in Stockholm. This was going to be the greatest week of his life.
~0~
"Hey Tony. I've been meaning to call and congratulate you, but it seems you beat me to it," Bruce said. He sounded tired, but that was almost always the case when talking to Bruce nowadays. The fact that he sounded less tired than usual was a good sign that he might accept the invitation.
"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you, you know."
"Me? What did I contribute to this project?"
"You helped develop the anti-rejection coating," Tony reminded him. Bruce and the team at his lab had been instrumental in developing the most crucial piece of Tony's device. Without the anti-rejection coating, it would still only last ten years or so at most. Further, it nullified the need for immunosuppression meds that transplant recipients needed to take for their entire lives. Tony had seen the side effects of those firsthand, one of several factors motivating him to strive for something even better than transplant.
"Oh yeah. I'm pulled in so many different directions these days it's hard to keep track of whose projects I've had a hand in."
"Are you okay? You're not overworking yourself?" Tony asked cautiously. He knew things had gotten a little dicey for Bruce as he worked towards his second PhD, the pressure and the workload triggering his anxiety big time. Fortunately, Tony had noticed something off before things got out of hand and Bruce had gotten both the help he needed and the degree he'd been striving for. But inevitably Tony worried about a repeat incident, especially now that Bruce was talking about possibly another PhD.
"I'm good. It's hard work, but it's good work. We're studying levels of neurotransmitters in people with clinical depression that doesn't respond to existing medication. Hopefully within the next few years we'll develop a new drug."
"That sounds great." Tony would forever be in awe of Bruce's dedication and work ethic. "However, this phone call is to ask if you're in a position to take a week off work to come join me and all our friends for a trip to Stockholm for the Nobel ceremony."
"Oh, wow. I didn't know you were allowed to bring guests."
"Fourteen of them. And I'm sure you'll learn all about the process when you win one of your own."
"Stop it."
"No. I refuse. It's going to happen, Bruce. Mark my words."
"Maybe."
"So, can you come?"
"I think so. I wasn't planning on taking time off around Christmas, and Betty's been talking about wanting to have more mother-son time with Lanyon."
"Well this sounds like the perfect opportunity then," Tony said.
"I suppose it does."
"I'll send you the details then. Can't wait to see you."
"You too. And congratulations."
"Thanks."
Tony hung up the phone and hoped to keep his streak alive as he called up the next person on his invite list.
"I haven't heard this ring tone in a while," Nick remarked.
"And I haven't heard that wonderful snark in a while," Tony shot back. "I missed it." Nick said nothing. "This is where you say you missed me too."
"Frankly, I've been too busy to miss you."
"Fair enough."
"I'm just got promoted to upper management at SHIELD, so things have been kind of crazy."
"Upper management? And in a big pharma company nonetheless? That's impressive."
"So is you winning a fucking Nobel prize at thirty-two. You're tied for youngest recipient of the Prize in Medicine, did you know that?"
"I did, yeah. I should have gotten this done a year earlier so I could take the title away from that Frederick Banting guy."
"But cutting time in the design and testing process of medical equipment is what leads to malpractice lawsuits."
"Indeed. Anyway, I have a guest list to fill for a trip to Stockholm during the week leading up to the ceremony. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"
"I think so. When is it?"
"The ceremony is the tenth, so we'd leave on the third."
"That's doable. Can Talos come?"
"Of course. I checked with all the people, service dogs are welcome. Thor's bringing Korg."
"Okay, good. I can't believe it took me this long to consider getting a guide dog. He's changed my life, and I don't think I ever want to go back."
"I'm glad it's working out."
"Thanks. And huge congratulations on the award, by the way."
"Thank you."
"Who else is coming?"
"So far, everyone I've asked is on board. That's Parker, Thor, and Bruce."
"Wow. You've got some pretty supportive friends."
"Yes I do."
"I'm afraid I'm getting a work call, but I'm looking forward to the trip. Thanks for the invite; I'll see you soon."
"See you."
~0~
Halfway through assembling his guest list, Tony received a call. He recognized the number as one he'd called to ask advice on many occasions while in the design process of his VAD power source, and knowing she'd taken the initiative to call him for once brought a smile to his face.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Well, colonizer, it seems you've finally made it to the big leagues," she teased.
"Some of us take a little longer to develop Nobel-level intelligence," he replied, rolling his eyes. She'd already won one in Chemistry, and she loved to rub it in Tony's face that she'd gotten there first. "Does Wakanda have its own Nobel equivalent?"
"Yes. We award elementary school science fair trophies to engineering discoveries of that caliber."
"Very funny. Is there a reason you called, you know, besides belittling me?"
"I called to demand a shout-out in your acceptance speech. I helped you make this after all."
"I only called you with my questions because Wakanda is enough hours ahead that I didn't feel bad bugging you during all-night work binges. Otherwise I would have called Bruce, but he tends to immediately assume the worst when he gets phone calls in the middle of the night."
"Rightfully so."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Anyway, I am rather busy at the moment, so if you don't have anything else to make fun of me for, I do have to go soon."
"Congratulations, Tony," she said genuinely.
He already knew she was at least a little bit happy for him, but hearing her actually say it made warmth bloom in his chest. "Thank you. That means a lot, coming from you."
"You're welcome. I know you must be busy, but I wanted to at least say that much."
Before she could terminate the call, Tony made sure to ask, "Hey Shuri, how's the CF research coming?"
"Very well, actually. We have two new genetic modulators already in the works."
"That's fantastic. Thank you so much for taking on that project, it really means a lot." Tony had reconnected with the princess of Wakanda after graduating from MIT, knowing she was one of the only people on the planet capable of keeping up with him. It was an exclusive group consisting of her, Bruce, Parker, and sometimes Harley. For the most part, they offered only advice or correction on their respective projects, but about three years ago Tony had finally worked up the courage to ask her for that favor.
"Of course. It's actually quite fun."
"I figured you'd say something like that. Keep up the great work. You're the best."
"I will. Have fun in Stockholm. When you're done there, you have to come visit so I can show you everything I've been working on."
"Sounds like a plan."
~0~
The stars really aligned for Tony. Or maybe his friends just cared about him enough to say yes no matter what. Or maybe they just really wanted to see Stockholm. Whatever the reason, he was on a hot streak with accepted invitations. Hopefully it would continue. His next proposed guest picked up on the second ring, and Tony hoped that indicated she wasn't too busy. Being on the board of an international organization, her having free time wasn't a guarantee.
"Hello?" she greeted.
"Hey Wanda, it's Tony."
"Congratulations! I heard about the Nobel Prize."
"Thank you. How was the conference this year?"
"It went beautifully. We even had a first: a set of triplets."
"Wow. Tripletless Triplets is even more of a mouthful than Twinless Twins."
"I suppose it is. I never thought about how heart-wrenching it would be for people like that to always get asked if they're twins."
"Yeah, that would be rough. Do you think they benefitted from attending though?"
"I think so. On the bright side, the two remaining triplets still have each other so they do have a person who gets it. That's often the biggest thing with Twinless Twins. Nobody gets it. That's why the whole thing got started."
"Right. Well, I'm actually calling to offer you an invitation."
"Yeah?"
"I can bring guests with me to Stockholm. We can spend a week there before the ceremony. I'd like you to join us if you're available."
"Wow. I don't know what to say. I've never been to Sweden before. The closest I've gotten is a conference in Denmark."
"Do you think you can make it?" Tony gave her the dates.
"I'd have to ask Viz if he can handle Billy and Tommy for that long, but it should be okay. They could use some guy time. Well, by that I mean I could use a break." She chuckled dryly.
"How did Viz become a nickname for Victor?" Tony asked. He'd never heard Wanda refer to her husband like that before.
"He doesn't like what Vic rhymes with," she said with a chuckle. "And I thought it sounded cute."
"Gotcha. So, you'll let me know if you're down for the Stockholm trip?"
"Yes. In all likelihood, the answer is yes."
"Great. I'll send you the details later. Can't wait."
"Me neither. Congrats again."
"Thank you."
The streak continued. Tony couldn't believe his luck. They were all busy adults, yet every single one of his friends so far had agreed to join him in Sweden to celebrate this accomplishment. He picked up the phone once again, hoping she wasn't working a graveyard shift tonight and would be awake and able to answer the call.
"Hello?"
Tony knew she could speak without an accent without much effort if she so chose, but for whatever reason she preferred to keep it. She also spoke more languages than Tony could count, because she wanted to communicate with anyone she might encounter at work. "Hey Nat," he said back. "How are you?"
"Considering that one of my friends just won a Nobel Prize, pretty darn good," she quipped.
"Come on, this can't be the first time this has happened to you."
"Believe it or not, I don't actually know everyone."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"How's work? Where are you now?" Tony asked. She moved around so much it was difficult for him to keep track.
"I'm in D.C. at a hospital called Triskelion," she replied. "Work is going great. Kate's actually working here too, so we get to see each other most days. And I had three kids ring the end of treatment bell this week."
"Aww, that's fantastic. Good for them."
"They were so excited. Watching that never gets old."
"I'll bet. Although I'm sure they're going to miss seeing you all the time."
Tony could practically hear her rolling her eyes at him. "I hope not. Not even Happy is that good a nurse."
"Are you kidding? Happy is absolutely that good a nurse. And you are too."
"Thank you," she conceded. "Is there a reason for you calling besides inane flattery?"
"How many vacation days do you have?" he questioned.
"All of them," she said instantly.
"Are you kidding? You haven't used a single one of them?"
"Haven't needed to. You know this as well as I do: when you don't have kids, you can prioritize work without worrying about it. Besides, I love these kids as if they were my own, and I want to be there for them as often as I can. If I'm not there, they're stuck with Nurse Toni and she's not nearly as good at port access as I am," she explained.
"You have a coworker named Tony?"
"Unfortunately, yes. I can't seem to escape them. But this one's a girl."
"Who's the superior Tony?" he asked eagerly.
"You are, obviously. The Toni I work with is a hopeless kiss-up. She keeps volunteering to do scutwork in the hopes of earning our favor. Even gave herself this stupid nickname that she's futilely hoping will catch on. But it never will."
"And I'm sure that Tony has never done anything as awesome as invite you to Stockholm."
"Is that what this is about? Your Nobel ceremony?"
"Yeah. I get to bring guests, and I thought I'd extend the offer. Would you come? I'm sure Nurse Toni and your other coworkers can hold down the fort for a few days."
"I suppose." She sounded unsure. "Who else is coming?"
"Every single Avenger that I've asked so far."
"Alright. I'll come."
"Great! I'll send you the details later, okay?"
"Sounds good. Congratulations, again."
"Thank you. I'll see you later."
~0~
Tony needed to make only one more stop to finish off his list of invitees. He drove north towards Albany until he reached the quiet suburb with the little yellow house with the wraparound porch. "Far but not too far from the city" is exactly where they'd wanted to be. Tony hadn't been since last July, but he knew the route by heart after spending so much time out here visiting two of his closest friends. He pulled into the driveway behind another car and a well-maintained Harley-Davidson and made his way up the seven steps to the front door.
Fist poised to knock, he paused to take a deep breath, then rapped three times. A flash of white appeared in the window and vanished just as quickly. Bucky opened the door with a smile on his face. "Tony!" he greeted. "Come on in." He stood back and beckoned Tony into the house. The first thing he noticed upon crossing the threshold was that Bucky had added several of his wedding photos to the hallway where other frames and his gold medal hung. Seeing them proudly on display automatically made Tony smile. "Can I get you anything to drink?" Bucky asked politely as the two of them walked towards the kitchen.
"A water, if it's not too much trouble," Tony replied. He stood silently beside the table while Bucky opened a cabinet above the counter. It was open just long enough for Tony to glimpse the shelf beneath the glasses, completely bare but for a single bottle of Advil. Bucky handed Tony the glass of water and led him into the living room, where he sat down beside a faded old blanket that may have once been red, white, and blue. Tony took the chair opposite him and quietly sipped at his water.
"What brings you all the way out here?" Bucky asked.
"I won a Nobel Prize," Tony stated bluntly, placing the glass back down on a nearby coaster.
"I know that, Tony. But why are you here?"
"I'm allowed to bring guests, and I wanted to invite you to Stockholm."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. Consider it a favor for me after I went to your thing."
"I got you into the Paralympics for free and you act like I owe you."
"Bucky, I'm a Stark. I can go to the Olympics and not notice the change in my bank account."
"So you only went as a favor to me?"
"I went for the social scene. Parker and I had a blast."
"I'm sure you did. What did you win a Nobel for, again? Punk-onomics?"
"Very funny. Do you want to come to Sweden or not? All the other Avengers said yes."
"Did they?"
"Yeah. I visited Parker to invite him along. Ben's gotten so big. They're moving to the suburbs soon, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to have you visit sometime."
The mention of Ben visibly lightened Bucky's mood. When the kid was born, Tony saw Bucky smile more genuinely than he had in a long time. Bucky and Carol May got along like a house on fire, and she adored him possibly even more than Tony.
"I think I'd like that," Bucky said. "Can you believe how far that kid has come? It feels like yesterday he was a silent, skinny, and scared little boy."
"Yeah," Tony sighed wistfully. Time flew by too fast, especially for those already doomed to have less of it. The white blur he'd seen in the window hopped into the room, his three-legged gait rendering him only slightly less graceful than a regular cat. He leapt into Bucky's lap and made himself comfortable, purring loudly as Bucky's right hand stroked his neck. Tony's eye caught the flash of gold on his finger—its position once a necessity, now a symbol.
"So…Stockholm?"
"I'm in," Bucky stated. "But only if I can find someone to watch Alpine."
"Your parents?" Tony suggested.
"On a cruise until Christmas."
"Sarah and Joseph?"
"They hate him."
"They don't hate your cat," Tony insisted, but he dropped the subject. Bucky clearly didn't believe him, and he probably never would. "How about a neighbor?"
"Maybe. I'll figure it out. How is everyone? You said the whole group's going."
"Everyone's good."
"That's awesome. You know, I'll bet the Ancient One never thought she was teaching a group destined to do so much good with their lives."
"Maybe she did know. I wouldn't be surprised if that woman could see the future."
"Me neither," Bucky admitted.
Silence reigned long enough for it to grow uncomfortable, but Alpine broke it with a contented mewl when Bucky's fingers found a sweet spot behind his ears.
"How are you doing?" Tony asked earnestly. "I noticed all the photos you put up."
"Yeah," he sighed. "I thought it would make the place feel more like home, you know? And it did—it does. And I'm…I'm doing alright."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Actually, I...I started dating...recently. Online. Haven't really done anything more than set it up and look what's out there, but...you know, it's a step."
"Absolutely." Tony couldn't imagine just how difficult that step must've been to take. He suspected that transition might have something to do with the addition of the wedding photos to the hallway, but he didn't ask. Bucky was moving forward while making sure he didn't leave anything behind. That's the best thing anyone could hope for him. "I'll bet he's really happy for you," he continued.
"Yeah, I hope so." He didn't look all that hopeful.
"Bucky." Tony injected just the slightest bit of sternness into his tone. "You are doing nothing wrong, okay? I know that, Steve knows that, but I need you to tell me that you know it."
He sighed reluctantly. "I know."
"Good." He tried to bring the tone back to levity. "You're going to come with us to Stockholm and you're going to have a great time, got it?"
Bucky cracked a genuine smile. "Got it."
On his way out, Tony's gaze lingered on the photos again. Man, what a great day that had been. Tony wished every day could be that great, without any terrible days to fill the gaps. Hopefully this trip to Stockholm would bring some more great days to them all.
Okay, so...a lot happened in this chapter. I know you probably have a ton of questions and feelings, so feel free to let them out! But I also have some for you, sort of a fun scavenger hunt thing to test your ability to follow my train of thought and pinpoint the hidden Marvel references before the final chapter of this story. I can't offer anything spectacular, but the person who gets the most right will at least get a shoutout and my utmost admiration!
1. Who/what did Bruce name his son Lanyon after?
2. Victor's deceased twin Simon is named after a comic book character with ties to the Vision. Who is it?
3. Natasha's coworker Toni...what's the stupid nickname she gave herself for doing scutwork?
4. I dropped clues throughout this entire chapter building up to the final reveal at Bucky's house. There are at least 3 hints. Can you spot them all?
5. Take a guess: How many words of Stucky-centric spinoff that takes place between the Paralympics and this epilogue have I already written?