25 cruising altitude
No matter how Scott whined for the use of the microscope for his makeshift radio, Bruce would not yield his most prized possession. He had been leaned over it all night, analyzing the serum Joy produced to save us from her own hand.
"Those Asgardians have such strange chemicals," he mumbled for what I estimated as the fifth time since the sun rose. "I have no experience with them, my expertise is in Gamma, but this might not even work. From what I can tell, it appears highly unstable and its breakdown is at a remarkably slow rate, but still the longer it remains unused, the less effective it becomes. I would guess that we have a week tops before it is all for naught, the death of this Doctor Menzel to produce and your sacrifice to save it."
"Is it like a radiation breakdown? Or like when you keep crackers in your mouth too long?" Scott called.
"Neither of those are relatable." Bruce sighed. He did that a lot around Scott.
I smiled at the juxtaposing pair and spun the vial between my hands haphazardly.
"If the original serum, the one that created Hugh Menzel, is anything like this one, I can guess how his state came about. It evolved inside him just as this one is meant to devolve, taking over his body until there is more of it than him. If it is still replicating this way, it is no wonder why he is deteriorating mentally. You are the perfect middle ground, Rosales."
"So, even if we manage to get it inside him without being killed first, it still might not even do what it is designed to?" I asked.
Bruce nodded solemnly. "I'm sure the doctor would have liked to test it before its application and I would suggest the same, but as it is our only available subject is not nearly as far gone as the mutant."
Scott's head jerked up from his work, his fingers snapping off the button designed to turn the damn radio on. "You mean Haven. You want to test it on her? Won't that take away her powers? Aren't those the only thing keeping her alive?"
"I kind of like living. Also, I made a promise that I would stop being so careless with my own life."
Scott nodded along to my words.
"Like I said, it won't even be applicable to the mutant even if you were to perform the experiment."
"You? Leaving us so soon, doc?" Scott called.
His tight grin was confirmation enough. The duffle Scott emptied of his few electronics was now being stuffed with the few personal items that were portable. "I know you'll get that thing working, and the the Avengers will show up. This environment is not good for my condition as it is. Adding their…overbearing opinions, while meant well, would only add to the stress."
Haven surged forward, catching the petite man in a hug. He did not shrug her off or return it, but when she pulled away he gave her forearm a comforting squeeze. "I do wish I could help more."
"You have. So much. Can you send like a postcard or something so I know you're safe?"
"And a souvenir?" Scott perked up.
Bruce let out a real laugh at the good nature in the room. "I wouldn't even know where to send it."
"That's true," Scott allowed. "Maybe we can start a chat room or something. We can all have codenames. You can be hut-man and Haven can be farm-lady."
"And you can be mime-man," Haven cut him off with an affectionate ruffle of his hair.
"in—receiving me?" the ear piece sparked to life as the radio fizzled with static.
Scott froze in shock while Sam's voice repeated the message over the airways. "Come in. Are you receiving me?"
Bruce nodded between us before disappearing out the door. When Scott didn't pick up the communication device, I sighed and plucked it from his grasp.
"We copy," I said.
"Rosales!" Sam shouted, temporarily deafening me. "Give me your coordinates. The tracking bit on this thing is still down. Is the creature under control? We can't get a lock on him either. The others are out looking for you around where you were last seen."
"Well that won't do any good. Try Brazil. Rainforest village to be more precise. The map on the wall says it's called Mundo Verde. And we don't have Hugh under control but we have a way to and we need your help."
"What was that? I think it broke up for a moment," Sam responded, teasing pouring through even the international communication.
"Just get here Sam. I can admit when I need help," I snapped.
"Since when?"
Scott chuckled, practically groping me to press his ear against mine so he could hear both sides of the conversation.
"Oh, for goodness sake, Samuel. Stop giving the girl a hassle. She needs comfort in these times," Sally's voice cut his voice along with a thud and Sam complaining in the background.
"Hello darling. Is everything alright? Anything a doctor can help you fix up before the rescue crew arrives?"
"Scott's kind of annoying? Any prescription for that?"
"Haven keeps bossing me around," Scott fired right back, jabbing at my side.
Sally laughed delicately on the other end. "You both sound right as rain. Keep your heads down and tails up and…" the end of her advice cut out for real this time and Scott kicked his radio to remedy it but it was no use, the signal had been severed.
Haven sagged against Scott's shoulder, rubbing away her headache, while he eased both of them back down to the lumpy mattress. She turned to face him as he opened his mouth to say something. His lips brushed the corner of her mouth and neither party jolted away. He just grinned lazily while she blinked up at him.
"That was anticlimactic. Thought we had a spark going back in Chicago," he said. "Or are you and Barnes official now?"
"I love him."
"Ok, wow you just came out with it. Since we're confessing, I may have eaten the granola bar in my pocket without sharing it earlier."
"I need you to test the serum on me, Scott."
"I know it's horrible, but the soup Bruce gave us tasted like feet. Not his feet in particular, but just like a general footy sensation, like Estrela stuck her foot in to spite the Americano."
"Scott, if it doesn't work, I need you to tell him that I loved him. That I didn't want to leave this time. That I'm not afraid anymore of my powers or him or the future."
"Or we could just not…Bruce said if. We don't know anything."
"The mundo can't afford if."
"Do you mean that as in this village or the literal translation of the entire world? Don't look so shocked, I pick up language rapido."
"Scott, you're stalling."
"Just…just wait. The other are on their way. They can think up a better plan."
I raised my eyebrows. He groaned taking my hands into his and leaning forward. "Let me take it," he insisted.
"You got Asgardian blood now?"
"No but it gets boring sitting around letting you take all the big chances. Where's my fun?"
"Scott?" I whispered, voice breaking. His hands flew to my face. "I need you to do this. Because I'm terrified I might not get through this." I unscrewed the vial, shoving it into his shaking hands. "Please, there isn't time."
"We don't know that. We don't know anything."
"We know the storm is getting bigger. We know nothing on this earth can stop him. Joy created something and she died for it. How can I be prepared to offer anything less?" Tears were rolling down my cheeks.
"By being selfish for once! Don't you want to see Barnes again? Or Wanda or Sam?"
"You're not helping."
"Maybe because I don't want my friend to die!" he snapped. My lips pursed while his chest heaved.
"I know I've acted like I had a death wish ever since I died. But I don't right now. And I have to believe my will to live will be enough."
He licked his lips, shaking his head, green eyes imploring with my cemented reason. "What am I supposed to do? Watch you die?"
"Stay by my side. Help me live."
His fingers curled around mine as he pressed the vial into my hands nodding with the weight of the world we were trying to protect on his shoulders. "I'll be here when you wake up. I won't leave you. The others will be here and they can help."
I nodded, leaning into possibly the last human touch I would ever experience. My friend, my confidant. My Bucky hundreds of miles away from me. I opened myself up to him as I raised the tasteless liquid to my mouth. Only one swallow was what it took for me to sway under the effects. Bucky's face flashed by like a dream of smoke, except I was the one fading into the fog. Scott caught the remaining serum and my limp body, his own tears finally allowed to fall free. My eyes didn't close like I was sleeping. They remained open, clouding over until the only thing I saw was the stars my blood came from.