Chapter Eleven: Troublesome Waters

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Steve Rogers

Vision is sleeping.

I don't know if sleeping is the right word. A state of unconsciousness, of stasis for his computer-like mind to reboot, a chance for his body to maybe start slowly knitting itself back together.

In any case, he lays unnaturally still within the massive hollowed out log, the size of a storm drain tunnel, that we are sheltering in, a bed of dense, green moss beneath his body. Vision's arms are folded across his stomach, his eyelids shut, and were it not for the shallow rise and fall of his chest, I'd think that he…

I'm not even going to go there.

Wanda sits beside him, the tears on her face mingling with the sweat dripping down her cheeks. A bruise is blossoming on her jaw, deep purple against the pale pallor of her skin. Her eyes have taken on a haunted quality, so similar to how I found her in the Raft, a collar around her neck, her arms restrained beneath a heavy straitjacket.

I saw the look on her face when Vision was shot in the clearing. I saw the horror, the devastation morph into something inhuman, a world ending rage that had flooded her body with power. I saw her completely obliterate that alien hunter out of existence.

I've seen her powers before, and I thought I knew their limits. Her limits.

Now, I'm second guessing myself.

I have a feeling that had been only a fraction of her ability, unleashed by a surge of powerful emotion. And as horrible as the thought is, if Vision dies, if he doesn't make it, I have a feeling that whatever leash Wanda is keeping on her power will snap.

The consequences could be devastating.

Wanda takes a steadying breath, swiping at the moisture on her face. "I am going to try again."

I straighten. "You need to rest."

"I've rested long enough," she gives me a sharp look, as if daring me to stop her. "I can't just sit here and do nothing while he-"

Her mouth snaps shut, and I mentally finish her thought for her. While he lies there, dying.

My eyes go to the wound on Vision's chest. There's no denying that Wanda's powers have reduced its size, have started to seal the edges back together. But even I can see that it's not enough. It's nowhere near can keep trying to heal him, but even she admitted that this is beyond her, that she needs Tony or Bruce's help to really fix Vision. And though she's denying it, she is exhausted, her energy depleted. Her focus, her powers are going to be affected by that.

Not only that, but her emotional state has probably left her more than drained, compromising herself with how deep her relationship with Vision goes, how strong her fear that he isn't going to make it, despite her best efforts.

Stark is far beyond our reach, even if the billionaire has miraculously figured out where the aliens took us. But Bruce is somewhere on this planet, somewhere in the jungle.

And I know he is alive. He has to be. If something had happened to the scientist, the Hulk would have made himself known, and no matter how far away the man is, we definitely would have heard that.

But with Vision catatonic, with Wanda depleted and desperate, we can't exactly go trekking through the jungle to find him.

"What are you thinking?" Wanda asks, eyeing me.

"I'm thinking we need help."

Her eyebrow arches, her smile almost sad. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Dread settles heavily over me. The choices are laid out at my feet, but both are incredibly dangerous, both could lead to complete disaster. No matter which I pick, the odds aren't in our favor.

I stay with Wanda and Vision, she tries to heal him, but we are essentially stranded in a shelter we can't afford to hide in forever. There's no guarantee she'll be able to fix him fast enough or well enough to keep him alive. We could get ambushed by the aliens while she's using her powers. We could all die. Vision would almost certainly die.

I leave Vision under Wanda's protection and head off on my own to find Banner, to maybe find the others, if I can, and bring them back here so Bruce can help Wanda. The amount of things that could go wrong if I do this, though…

They could be ambushed anyways, and maybe Wanda won't be able to hold the aliens off, and I won't be there to protect them. I could be ambushed on my own before even finding Banner, or spend too much time searching for him, time that Vision doesn't have.

There's no winning here. There's too much risk. No good options. No clear path.

"Go," Wanda says quietly, and I lift my eyes from Vision's unconscious body to look at her. Her expression is grim, but determined, and for a moment I marvel at how much she's changed from an angry child to a fierce soldier.

"I may not find him. I'd be leaving you on your own."

"I can handle it," Wanda promises, her irises flaring scarlet at her words, her jaw tightening. "Steve, I need Bruce Banner. He's Vision's only chance."

There was never really a choice.

"Stay here as long as you can," I order, clasping my shield to the holster across my back as I raise myself up in a crouch beside her. "Stay hidden, and don't draw attention to yourself. If you have to leave, head farther up the mountain."

She nods, keeping her face straight, but even she can't hide the tremor in her hands, the flicker of fear in her eyes. I place a hand on her shoulder, gripping it firmly.

"You got this. You're an Avenger, maybe the strongest out of all of us."

Wanda scoffs at that, turning her gaze back towards Vision. Her face softens, and she places a hand on the android's arm. "Do you really think we're going to make it out of here?" her voice is barely a whisper, and I can't tell if she meant to say the question out loud or not.

"Yes," I say with full confidence. "Hey."

She meets my eyes, her lips pressed in a tight line.

"We're going home," I promise her, my gaze boring into hers as if I can make her believe it. "I'm going to find Bruce, find the others, and Vision will be okay, and we'll all get the hell out of here. Got it?"

With a tremulous smile she nods. "Be careful," she warns, her voice heavy with worry. "And come back."

"I promise," I say, giving them one last look before making my way out of the hollowed out log, nestled up against the steep slope.

God, I hope that that's a promise I'll be able to keep.

Peter Parker

If Ned could hear my thoughts right now, he would tell me I am certifiably insane. That, or it's the most reckless, most awesome idea he'd ever heard.

My heart is racing in anticipation, thudding against my ribs in terrified excitement. If it works, it could save Bucky's life, it could heal him significantly faster than he would on his own.

I look over at his pale form sleeping against the rocky wall, his wound covered by my webbing, the color sapped from his face. Dr. Banner did all he could for Bucky. But maybe I...maybe I can do more.

Then comes the other thoughts.

There's so much that could go wrong. I could fall into a trap, I could be caught out by those alien hunters, I could be killed, I could be wrong and it won't do anything to help him at all. Then there are the logistics of it all. Finding the dead alien at the bottom of that lake, dragging its body up the cliff and across the jungle to what...skin it?

My stomach roils sharply, and I shake my head to try and clear away the nausea.

This is a dumb plan. This is a bad, bad idea that's going to get me killed or get vomit all over the floor of this cave. This isn't me. I'm not some badass warrior from a sci fi movie that's capable of...of...

"I've been thinking," murmurs Dr. Banner, breaking me from my revolting thoughts. I look over at him to see his eyes focused on my shoulder. "About those bandages on your shoulder."

My eyes widen. "Dude, so have I!"

Dr. Banner looks surprised, maybe a little impressed. "So you remember what Vision said about the composition, about how they most likely contained the alien's own cells, their skin, and that's what sped up the healing process."

I nod, shifting towards him. "I believe it. When my shoulder was completely healed, the bandages flaked off like your skin does after a bad sunburn. It was...beyond gross."

Dr. Banner chews on the inside of his cheek. "It might not work. The bandages are probably made from a composite, using other alien materials alongside their own skin, which we don't have. Just the skin might do nothing. Not to mention how difficult it would be to get it."

"That one that attacked us is dead at the bottom of that lake. If I can get down there-"

"Yeah no, I'm not a parent by any stretch of the imagination, but spelunking for dead bodies is definitely something I know I shouldn't let you do."

"But if it means saving Bucky-"

"We don't know that it would. There's no guarantee it would work, and for all we know, it could do more harm than good," Dr. Banner points out. "And the risks-"

"Are worth it if it means even the slightest chance of helping him," I insist. "Dr. Banner, he saved my life. He's saved it multiple times at this point. I have to at least try to save his."

He hesitates.

"I don't think Bucky would approve of you going off on your own," Dr. Banner grimaces as he glances over at him. "Especially for something like this."

"Well, he's sort of unconscious," I shrug, even though the thought of how pissed he will be makes my stomach twist with nerves. "And he'll probably stay that way for awhile. So who says he has to know?"

"I'm pretty sure if he wakes up with the skinned blanket of our enemies draped over his body, he's going to be suspicious," Dr. Banner says dryly.

I gag. "Dude, do you have to say it like that?"

Oh man, I am in waaay over my head here. This isn't me. I'm not brave enough or cold enough or whatever enough to deal with corpses. I haven't cracked and gone Lord of the Flies crazy yet. I'm not that desperate.

But aren't I? If it means saving Bucky, aren't I willing to do anything?

That's the question. How far am I willing to go to save his life. I look at his wound, at the knife he'd taken for me. And I have my answer. I'd do anything to save him, even if it means doing what I'm thinking of doing.

Get to the dead alien now. Figure the logistics of it out later.

"Sorry. I'm not exactly thrilled about this plan," Bruce says.

"Neither am I, trust me. But it's the best we got."

He lets out a long sigh that sounds more like a groan. "This is a bad idea."

"Come on," I plead, shifting closer. "For Bucky."

"Don't-do that."

"Do what?"

"That thing, with the puppy dog eyes and the face. Does that work on Tony?"

"Definitely not….is it working on you?" I ask hopefully.

"Ughhh," he rubs his eyes in defeat. "I'm going to regret this."

"Not when it works, you won't!" I jump to my feet. "I got this."

"Hey, cool it for a second," Dr. Banner rises up after me, pointing at me with a stern expression on his face. "If anything happens to you, I know several Avengers that will have my head for it, including the one lying unconscious in this cave. And I don't exactly feel good myself about letting you do this."

"I know," I grimace. "It's not really on my bucket list. But someone has to do it. It's worth a shot."

Dr. Banner sighs. "You have to promise you'll be careful. That if it comes down to it, you'll forget about the dead alien and save your own skin first."

"I promise," I vow solemnly, rising. "I'll be back as soon as I can...with whatever I can."

"Good luck, kid. Don't die," Dr. Banner's face looks worn and worried, like he hates himself a little for sending me off. But I'm pretty sure it was my idea first. And if it means saving Bucky, who I owe countless life debts, then I'll do anything.

I'm making Mr. Stark a list of upgrades that need to happen when I get back to Earth.

Starting with having remote access to all the features when Karen is offline. I've come to rely on her steady presence and abilities, to the point where even I don't know how to work parts of my suit without her.

That's sort of an issue when you're trapped in an alien jungle.

Also...stealth mode.

I desperately need a stealth mode. Whether it self camouflages to my surroundings, or ooh, makes me go invisible, or heck, even if it just went darker so I'm not bright red and blue.

But not black.

Never black.

The sun is starting to go down as I ninja my way to the cliff's edge, the roar of the waterfall overtaking all sound. Crouching along some thick bushes near the river, my eyes catch sight of a few splatters of blood staining the stone where I'd pulled Bucky up.

The sight of it makes my insides clench. It makes my mouth go dry, but it also strengthens my resolve.

For Bucky.

Thinking quickly, I scoop some water into my hands and try to scrub away the spots the best I can. Don't want a trail for the aliens to follow. I hope the bandages prevented any more splatters from decorating the jungle and leading them straight to that cave.

There. Better at least.

I glance up at the darkening sky, and the deep purples melting into sherbert orange that traces the jungle canopy below with streaks of gold. Soon the sky will be pitch black, save for a scattering of dimly lit, distant stars, and the jungle life will be streaked in slivers of red.

I adjust my mask over my face, thankful that at least I know how to toggle between night vision and thermal.

"Okay, Spiderman. You can do this," I mutter to myself.

This is the most messed up thing I've ever had to do, and it will probably traumatize me, but if it works, it'll be worth it.

And like I haven't been traumatized before. Traumatized is way better than dead.

So taking a breath, wincing at the height of the cliff, I maneuver my body as close as I can to the cover of the waterfall, pale mist rising around me, turning gold in the light of the setting sun, and then I begin to crawl head first down the face of the cliff.

This is one of those few moments I am extremely glad it was a radioactive spider that bit me and not something else. Who knew these powers would come in handy climbing down a cliff in an alien jungle to go find a body?

I inch my way down, pausing every now and then to scan the trees and the lake below me, the cliffs on either side of me, the roaring, foaming waterfall to my right. I'm drenched now, the cool water sprays soaking through my suit, but I don't mind.

The heat is relentless, so the waterfall is actually pretty refreshing.

As I descend past the canopy, everything immediately gets darker, the dense branches and massive leaves blotting out the majority of the dying sun. I can see the tiniest of glowing, crimson threads beginning to emerge in the bark of the trees, in the veins of the leaves.

Night is falling, and it's in my favor.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself to keep my terror at bay.

It's dark enough now that I pause in my descent to toggle the modes on my lenses, switching to night vision so that everything becomes illuminated in shades of green, going fuzzy for a moment before focusing into stunning clarity.

I glance around, holding my breath, but there's no sign of any hunters.

So I drop the rest of the way to the ground, landing in a crouch, the sound muffled by the thick, pillowy moss covering the dirt.

Ok, step one complete.

Now for step two: diving repeatedly to the bottom of the lake to find the alien body.

God, I don't want to do this.

My stomach is rebelling at the thought, and I can't imagine how I'm going to feel hauling that thing out of the water and up the cliff.

For Bucky.

I take a steadying breath, lifting my mask above my nose and mouth so the sopping material won't prevent me from breathing every time I surface, and then as silently as I am able to, I wade in.

I have a pretty good idea of where we fell, it can't have been too far from where the waterfall crashes into the lake, sending waves and ripples all the way to the shore.

I got this. No big deal.

The rocky ground falls away from my feet, the water deep enough that I have to swim now. I paddle quietly towards where I imagine I crashed into the lake, and taking one last glance around me, I suck in a deep breath and dive.

The lense around my eyes are as good as goggles, better with the night vision illuminating the water around me. Scraps of organic material float in the water like dust motes, scraggly weeds sway back and forth with the current of the waterfall, everything getting darker the deeper I go.

As soon as I reach the lakebed, I begin frantically scanning for any sign of the alien, my eyes roaming over the rocky surface, the underwater plants creating a jungle of its own for me to search through. Tiny fish dart through the reeds, and I turn all around before my chest begins to tighten painfully, my lungs burning for air.

I kick off the bottom, surging for the surface.

Seconds later I am inhaling deeply, trying to ignore the tense frustration rising in me. I knew it would be unlikely I'd find it on the first try, but I had hoped. And the longer I am out here, the more likely I will be caught, the more likely Bucky could take a turn for the worse.

I paddle farther away from the waterfall, thinking maybe the force of its impact could have shoved the body deeper into the lake.

Shuddering, I take another breath, my cheeks bulging with suppressed air before diving under the surface. I kick harder, faster, propelling my body down deeper into the water, cringing at every brush of the lake weeds against my body, each time thinking an alien hunter has found me.

Nothing.

Three more times I go back for air, and three more times I dive, each fruitless search making my anxiety and desperation swell.

This lake is huge. It could take me hours, days, to search it all. Bucky doesn't have that kind of time.

I don't have that kind of time.

But the body has to be here, it has to be. So I dive again, yanking on the reeds to propel me faster in the water, moving closer to the middle of the lake, where the bed beneath is even deeper, darker, rockier.

I see a massive clustering of moss covered boulders, the curling tendrils of moss drifting lazily in the gentle current.

My heart jolts in my chest, and I nearly gasp before self preservation reminds me that doing so would cause me to drown. There, wedged between the boulders, is an arm.

Exhilaration shoots through me like a knife. I found it! I did it! I-

Then realization crashes back into me. I found it. Which means now I have to deal with it. Swimming closer to it, moving cautiously despite the fact that there's no way it's still alive, I edge around the boulder to get a better look.

Oh god.

The need to breathe becomes too great, my revulsion and panic cinching my chest so tightly, I am forced to kick for the surface. My head breaks free from the water, and my inhales are sharp, ragged. I have to resist the urge to rip off my mask, to swim as fast as I can for the shore.

I think I'm going to be sick.

The dagger that had almost been driven into my body, that had gouged the wound in Bucky's side, is embedded in the alien corpse's throat. I can tell that the killing blow had been sloppy, desperate, Bucky's injury causing him to lash out wildly.

I can tell because the alien's throat is slashed open, the wound so wide and jagged, its head is nearly severed, bobbing in the current and attached to the neck by a thin slab of muscle.

I gag, my stomach clenching, bile surging up my throat, and I only just manage to swallow it down.

God, how am I supposed to go back down there? How am I supposed to get its wreck of a body out from the boulders and back up to the hidden cave?

These are not the questions an almost sixteen year old kid from Queens is supposed to be stressing out about!

The sheer absurdity and horror of the situation nearly send me into peals of hysterical laughter that I stifle down into choking gasps. This is so messed up, my brain can't even handle it.

Just pretend it's a videogame, Parker, I tell myself, briefly closing my eyes as I tread water. It's a videogame, part of the main quest. It's an objective you can't bypass, an essential item needed for the hero's pack in order to aid the wounded side character.

Although, if I'm honest, there's no way I am the main hero in this game, with Bucky as a sidekick.

Still. The little golden marker on my imaginary quest map is pointing down below, the timer to complete this quest running low, and there's no way I will level up or progress in the main quest unless I do this.

So I go back under.

Down, down, down I swim, my throat and chest aching from how much I've had to hold my breath, but within seconds, I am closing in on the body. I am careful to keep my eyes away from the nearly decapitated head, and I move instead to sort of hover above it, my legs and arms kicking to remain in place, my eyes searching for a way to dislodge the body.

Gotta get it out of the water.

Steeling myself, (it's just a videogame, this isn't real), I reach down to grab the corpse's chest by its armor, pulling sharply to test how firmly it is stuck. The body shifts, but doesn't come free. I pull harder, my teeth clenching beneath my bulging cheeks, and it moves again, a little further this time.

Threads of light suddenly emit from the lines of the alien's armor, and startled, I release it, drawing back in a flurry of bubbles.

But I didn't set off a self destruct or an emergency beacon. Apparently I must have activated something within its armor, because the dark plates are shifting, folding over themselves to reveal a hidden container at the alien's side.

With wide, round eyes, I swim forward, reaching hesitantly for the metal cylinder, the size of one of those ancient scrolls you see in old fantasy movies.

Holy shit, maybe this really is a video game.

When I make it to the surface of the lake, I look immediately at the metal tube in my fist, a deep, cool green through my night vision lenses. Kicking my feet to stay afloat, breathing in steady breaths, I reach up to twist off the cap.

Nothing happens.

"Come on," I mutter, twisting harder, twisting counterclockwise, then clockwise, then flipping it over to do the same on the other end. I need to figure out what the heck this is before going back down for the body.

That's when I notice the sliver of raised metal running down the seam of the cylinder, and with my heart thumping in anticipation, I press it down.

The container opens with a click, a panel of it sliding up into the wide top to reveal a series of smaller compartments. It's difficult to stay above the surface of the water, to examine it thoroughly without dunking the contents back into the lake as I try to stay afloat, but I manage.

My eyes go huge.

No freaking way.

There is no way that I just got this lucky. This is way, way too good to be true.

One of the narrow compartments in the cylinder is filled with bandages, rolled into tight coils.

I let out a shocked, disbelieving burst of laughter as I stare at it for a long moment before glancing over the other compartments. There are lots of things in here, most of which I haven't the faintest idea what they are for, not just by my quick perusal, but it doesn't matter.

I am nearly giddy with my treasure like find.

Bandages, actual alien bandages. I don't have to touch the alien body again. I don't have to drag it out of the water or up the cliff or through the jungle.

God, it's like Christmas.

Pressing down on the raised metal button, the cylinder slides itself shut. I keep a firm grip on it as I swim for the waterfall, a grin stretching across my face. My limbs and chest are burning with exhaustion, my ears throbbing painfully from the continued strain of diving so deep, but nothing can shake my elation.

Dr. Banner won't believe our luck!

And who knows what other junk might be in here! The key to finding the others, to escaping this planet and returning home could be inside. At the very least, we just found that hunter's survival kit, and now our own chances of survival have shot significantly up.

"Hang on, Bucky," I mutter as I reach the cliff, reaching up for the first crevice to use as a hand hold, pulling myself up out of the water. "I'm coming."

This time, I'll be the one saving him.

Bruce Banner

I am going straight to hell.

Did I really just send a fifteen year old kid off by himself to collect a dead body so we could pull some Frankenstein shit on the small chance it could save Bucky?

Holy shit, I think I did.

I groan, pressing the palms of my hands into my eyes, trying to ease the painful increase of my pulse, the tight, compressing feelings of panic knotting up my insides. Stay calm, Banner. Stay calm.

The last thing this situation needs is a raging green monster tearing through the jungle.

There's a muffled growl of disapproval at that thought.

Clearly the other guy disagrees.

"Sorry pal," I murmur with a long exhale as I drop my hands to my lap and lean back against the damp, rocky wall. "Gotta stay backstage a little longer."

I have no doubt in my mind that he'll be taking center stage sooner than I'd like.

A soft groan reaches my ears, and I look over at Bucky. Red light veins the rocks around us, casting his body in a scarlet glow that seems to emphasize his sickly countenance. His brow is furrowed in pain, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead into the dark hair splayed around his head.

Frowning, I move closer, placing my hand on his forehead.

Damn it, he has a fever. Could be his cells attacking the foreign substances from the blade and the lake, fighting against the alien bacteria, which would be good. Or, it could be the start of infection, which would be very, very not good. I don't have the supplies or equipment to deal with infection.

We barely had enough to clean and dress the wound.

I move my fingers to his neck, pressing in and holding my breath to concentrate on the feel of his pulse. Way more rapid than it should be...and increasing.

I suck in a breath through my teeth, leaning over the Winter Soldier's body to examine the patches of webbing serving as a bandage and curse. Red is starting to seep through its center, a dark wet stain marring the white, glistening strands.

The webs are starting to dissolve.

If Peter isn't back by the time they do, we're going to be in trouble. I'll only have my shirt to press over the wound and staunch the bleeding, but if Bucky isn't already dealing with an infection, he most certainly would be if I covered the gash with my filthy shirt.

I look back up at his face, his mouth curved into a tense frown, movement flicking back and forth beneath his closed eyelids. Even unconscious, he looks like a soldier, a leader, ready for action and thinking of every possible outcome.

"Don't die on me," I warn him. "I don't know you, well, at all really, but I do know that Cap will have my head if have to tell him I let his best pal kick the bucket under my medical care. It's not exactly great for my reputation."

He doesn't stir, but I don't expect him to.

"And don't get me started on how the kid will react. You and I both know I am nowhere near equipped to handle an emotionally devastated teenager through a deadly jungle. Just...hang in there, ok?"

Nothing.

A long, weary sigh escapes me, dread sitting heavily in my stomach. I push myself to my feet and move to the narrow entrance of the cave, peeking out for any sign of Peter.

The world beyond is nothing but darkness and a faint network of barely there red lights that make it look like I'm gazing out at a distant city of faint skyscrapers, the illumination within the windows crimson instead of burnt orange.

I can't see anything out there.

I wring my hands nervously.

Should I go after him? Check to make sure he's still ok, demand that he come back and try again when it's light? Going means leaving Bucky completely defenseless, but if that kid gets himself hurt or killed because I-

The lights are gone.

I blink, my brows furrowing as I lean further into the narrow space leading out of the cave, my eyes straining to see, but I can't even make out the faint outline of the trees, everything is so pitch black.

Then the darkness moves, and I jerk back with a choked noise, my arms rearing up defensively, though I don't know what the hell I plan on doing with them if that's an actual alien hunter.

But a pair of large, white, buggy eyes appear in the darkness.

"Jesus!" I gasp out as Peter sidles into the cave, the red glow illuminating his drenched body as he reaches up to yank off his mask and shake out his wet hair. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry," he apologizes, but I can see the excitement rounding his eyes, lifting the corners of his mouth.

Brows knitting together, I look past him for a corpse, but all I see in his hands is a thick, metal cylinder, capped at both ends.

"What is that?" I ask, stepping forward, reaching for it.

Peter hands it to me, his voice tight, the pitch of it rising as he reaches to press a raised metal button on its side to open it. "An alien hunter's survival kit! I got it off the body in the lake, and look!"

He pulls out a tightly coiled bundle of fraying fabric. "Bandages!"

"Kid, you're amazing," I breathe, grinning as I take it, pretending not to notice the pleased flush on Peter's face that even the dim red light of the cave can't hide.

This is better than I could have imagined, and Bucky will stand a real chance now. And hey, didn't permanently emotionally scar a fifteen year old, which is a huge plus in my book.

I hand Peter back the cylinder, hurrying to Bucky's side.

The man's breathing is shallow, his body tense even though he's unconscious, and as I kneel beside him I see that more of the webbing has dissolved, the stain of red growing beneath the remains.

I'm fairly confident that the webs will continue to dissolve beneath the alien bandages, their composition fragile enough that Barnes's body should easily fight off what little of the foreign substance would enter his system. Especially with the alien bandages assisting his accelerated healing.

It's all theory, but theory is all that we have right now.

I unfurl the bandages, wincing slightly at the texture, at the knowledge of the makeup of the infrastructure holding the fibers together. Holding it barely half an inch above the wound, I begin lightly pressing it to his skin, the bandages containing some natural adhesive of their own so that they stay firmly in place.

Peter hovers as I carefully cover every inch of the gash, using the majority of the bundle he'd handed to me, and when I sit back, he asks, "Is it working? Is he going to be ok?"

"It's too soon to tell," I admit, then, seeing the look on his face, add, "But yeah, kid, he's gonna be fine. Remember yours? You passed out pretty quick on that ship when they brought you back, slept for a couple of hours. When you woke up you could already feel a difference. We'll let him rest, and by morning, I have no doubt he will be right as rain."

Unless we are wrong. Unless the infection has spread too quickly, too deep into his system. Unless the severity of the wound and the different levels of accelerated healing mean that Bucky could take days to heal, even with the bandages.

I have enough sense to say none of this out loud.

Looking up, I see Peter's attention has been captured by the rest of the contents in the container. I motion for him to bring it down so I can look too.

"What is all this stuff?" he murmurs, eyes wide with curiosity.

"I don't know," I peer closer, wishing we had more light than the dim veins of red glowing from the rock around us.

There are eight compartments within the cylinder, and Peter is right, it's definitely some kind of alien survival kit. An empty space remains where the bandages were coiled up in, and beside it are several tubes of a faint green, glowing liquid. I take one carefully between my fingers, holding it up to get a better look.

"What is that?" Peter asks, the combatting red and green light on his face making it look like a demented sort of Christmas.

"Could be anything," I swirl the liquid encased in the narrow glass tube. "Some kind of stimulant maybe, to keep them alert...could be something with medicinal value."

"Or maybe it's an antitoxin. A lot of these plants have got to be poisonous," Peter says excitedly. "Even some of the smaller alien species and insects that live here. It'd be smart to carry something to combat it if they got scratched or bit."

"Yeah, maybe," I set it back down carefully in its container. It's a good theory, a really good one. And I recognize that look on his face. It's the look I know I get when I am discovering something, the look Tony gets when we bounce around ideas, discussing possibilities and experimentation and outcomes before diving headfirst into a project that could change the world or kill us in a horrifically violent manner.

I think the kid might be a junior science bro.

Didn't he say he wrote several reports on my research?

I turn my attention back to the compartments, rifling through small, strange mechanical devices, a handful of thin, black disks rimmed in silver with a bulging center, and there, at the very end…

My eyes go huge.

"Oh my god," I breathe, reaching for it.

"What? What is it?"

My finger shake a little as I lift the eyepatch from the container, staring in horror at the familiar curve of it.

Thor.

Oh god, this is Thor's.

Pain erupts behind my eyes, crushing my skull in a hell of a migraine that has even the other guy moaning in discomfort. I drop the eyepatch, pressing my palms against my eyes in an attempt to contain the agony, a groan escaping my lips.

"Dr. Banner?! Dr. Banner, what's wrong?"

But I can't reply as my teeth clamp together, pain spearing through my brain.

And then, I remember.

I remember everything.

A/N: You guys didn't think I would just leave it at, "The last thing I remember of Thor is our ship being attacked and then I was waking up on Earth" did you? That Bruce just conveniently appeared on Earth without any explanation? ;) Next chapter, you get the answers you've been waiting for...but this belongs in the Coming Up section at the end of the author's note. Moving on!

And before you say anything, yeah I know. There's NO way Peter would actually be able to drag a corpse around the jungle and skin it in the hopes of saving Bucky. If it came down to it, he wouldn't have been able to do it. He's not that messed up. But he was desperate enough to try, and Bruce was scared enough to let him. And it all worked out for them in the end anyways. But no, to answer your questions or comments, I wouldn't have ACTUALLY had Peter skin a dead alien. I'm not that messed up, and he is certainly not that messed up.

Special thanks to PippinStrange this week, you are the ultimate fangirl and I would be absolutely lost without you. You guys, she is not only the best beta ever, but her own fiction is out of this world! Where They Go is my current obsession, and even connects to this very series. Down Came the Rain is the fic that got me writing, and her Spiderman meets Deadpool fic had me in tears I was laughing so hard. Today we got into a conversation about the next couple fics in the CMFU and it's gonna be insaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaane.

Did you guys see Ant-man and the Wasp? SO good. I love Scott. So much.

Sparklydog9: Lol! Sorry! ;) Can't help the giggle

StarStepper: Thank you so very much! Writing has definitely consumed my life at this point. ;) Glad you enjoyed and that my updates make you so excited!

parisindy: Thank you! :D

LoonyLovegood1981: Yasss Shuri and Peter! Can't wait for that. Yes, everyone needs to take care! This jungle is not kind to them, and nor is the author writing this fic. lol Thank you! Lots of love your way as well!

DarylDixon'sLover: things may be looking up for him!

Kairianna864: Ahhhh I know. It's painful to write too! I don't know why I do this to them. lol.

Heroes21: Thanks! and I do too! Shuri is amazing

gammathetaalpha: Thank you! It's been challenging finding the time to get my word count in every day. THANKS so much! I loved writing Tony in that scene. XD

PhoenixFlair13: TRUTH

twylght: you know Peter...lol.

AppleSpongeCake: Hey, good point! Does that give you hope? lol! Doesn't mean I can't do terrible, terrible things to his character. Not that I will. I mean, I never do terrible things to him. Nope. Not once. Definitely won't happen again. :D

cargumentluv: I'm not a fan of all the splitting up either! I tried to keep them altogether but darn Avengers are just running away from me! lol. Thank you so much! Trying to figure out the characterization of everyone has been challenging but so fun

screechyfangirl: ALWAYS LOL

LivLoveFriends521: O.M.G. Your review tho. The FanFiction gods? Ahhhh that made my DAY. Seriously wow. I really do try and put so much into these stories and watching the movies nonstop to improve action or to capture voices certainly helps and is fun! I am so invested in this storyline and these characters Marvel created, especially since they aren't taking very good care of them right now. (Although to be fair, neither am I. But I haven't killed anybody yet. lol) But seriously, your review was incredible and made me so happy. Thank you so so so much for taking the time to do that. I really appreciate it.

Seawell: SO true. Damn hero complexes always outweighing the common sense. lol

Jeyfeather1234: That Shuri. Such a rebel. lol.

SummerMistedDragon: :D

Guest: Oh my word, I would sell my soul to get these into movies. (Although PippinStrange keeps saying that I've already sold my soul to Stan Lee XD) Thank you SO much for your kind review! I'm so glad you see Peter's growth through this series, and that you've stuck along for the ride and enjoyed it! Means so much to me! I also love pairing up these guys in new ways!

Guest: Thanks so much! I had originally intended Shuri to stay in Wakanda, but her character had other ideas, clearly. Tony and Bruce and their junior science kids! I love it! XD Thanks! I am planning on writing hardcore for Nano tomorrow!

GinaBoo: Omgggggg I wish it could be a movie! I would literally die from happiness. Unfortunately yes, more bad stuff coming up, but such as it is with me! lol! And YES! Total Pitch Perfect reference. XD Glad you're enjoying!

Guest: Awwww thank you! Things are always gonna get worse before they get better, especially in my fics ;)

Guest: THANK YOU! :D So weird that you didn't get a chapter alert! I wonder why that happened! Let me know if that happens again, maybe I can email support.

Shadow-wolf78: Thanks so much!

COMING UP:

Chapter Twelve: I Walk the Line

This is where questions are answered at last. Just what happened when Thor's ship was attacked? How did Bruce get from there, to Earth? What terrible news does Bruce carry with him now that he gets his memory back? What happens now?

Also...who's ready for some Ant-man versus alien action? ;)