Chapter 12- The Aftermath
A/N: A little bit of "Avengers: Endgame" is in this part for what happens after they win the battle for New York and you see Pierce and Rumlow, but there won't be them meeting their older selves in Scott Lang's time heist or Loki getting away. Also, Bucky gets a mention in relation to Yelizaveta
Jimmy watched as Stark fell from the sky, the sun flashing off the Ironman costume. The egotistical man had done it along with Yelizaveta. They had closed the portal and saved New York from a nuclear explosion. Jimmy winced as Stark hurtled to the ground. "He's not slowing down," Thor said as he spun his hammer.
Jimmy felt relief as the Hulk jumped up the side of the building and caught Stark. "Way to go, Dad," Jimmy said softly. The Hulk landed hard on a car and the ground and put Stark on the ground. They all ran to him.
"Is he breathing?" Captain Rogers asked as Thor reached over, turned him to face them, and pulled off the faceplate. Captain Rogers put his ear to Stark's mouth. Judging by how he wasn't moving, the man looked dead. Everyone held their breaths until the Hulk roared and Stark came awake with a jerk. Jimmy breathed a huge sigh of relief with everyone else.
"What the heck? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me," Stark said in a slightly dazed voice.
"We won," Captain Rogers said, sitting back on his heels.
"All right, yay! Hurray. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day," Stark said with a pained grunt.
"Sounds like a plan," Jimmy said as Natasha and Barton joined them.
"But first, let's find Vetty," Barton said.
"Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I want to try it," Stark said.
"We're not finished yet. Let's find the Winter Warrior where she went," Thor said, looking up to the top of Stark Tower.
"And then shawarma after," Stark said as he painfully got to his feet.
Yelizaveta and Selvig watched as the rest of the team came up to the rooftop. "Thor!" Selvig said happily.
"It is good to see you, Erik. You did well, Winter Warrior," Thor said, turning to look at Yelizaveta.
"I am the Winter Soldier, Thor, and thank you. Loki's still inside where you left him. Dr. Selvig, stay there," Yelizaveta said as they made their way past the broken doors and glass. Loki was crawling on all fours across the floor. He turned and looked at them. Clint pointed his bow and arrow, Natasha held the scepter and Yelizaveta leveled her sword and gun at him.
"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now," Loki said with a pained voice.
"All right, get him on his feet. We can all stand around posing up a storm later. By the way, feel free to clean up," Stark said as he walked to a door.
"Who gets the, uh, magic wand?" Natasha asked.
"S.T.R.I.K.E. team's coming to secure it," Captain Rogers said as the elevator beeped and a group of men came in. Yelizaveta recognized Brock Rumlow. The man apparently never shaved and thought that did something for his bad boy image. Following him was Jasper Sitwell. Nick Fury was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Alexander Pierce was the man in charge of Fury and Sitwell was his assistant.
"We can take that off your hands," Sitwell said to Natasha.
"By all means," Natasha said, handing the scepter over.
"Careful with that thing," Yelizaveta warned as Sitwell touched it almost as reverently as if it was the Holy Grail.
"Yeah, unless you want your mind erased. And not in a fun way," Clint agreed from beside her as Natasha poured him and herself a drink.
"We promise to be careful," Sitwell said as Rumlow opened a crate and Sitwell put the scepter inside.
"On my way down to coordinate search and rescue," Captain Rogers said, making his way to the elevator.
"On my way down to coordinate search and rescue," Loki mocked turning into Captain Rogers and then one of the S.T.R.I.K.E. team before turning back to himself. "I mean, honestly, how do you keep your food down?" Loki asked the Hulk.
"Shut up," Thor said, putting something over Loki's mouth that worked as a gag obviously.
"Thank you," Jimmy said as they made their way to the elevator and Stark snapped the haliburton briefcase with the Tesseract closed.
"Move," Hulk grunted as they all entered the elevator.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jimmy said, holding up his hands.
"Hey! What do you think? Maximum occupancy has been reached," Stark said.
"Take the stairs," Thor said.
"Yeah. Stop, stop," Stark said as the doors closed and Hulk growled and hit the doors.
Yelizaveta bit her lips as the elevator traveled down all 80+ floors. "I think you have way too many floors, Stark," Yelizaveta said.
"No kidding," Jimmy said.
"Well, that's what comes of being rich, kids," Stark said as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened and they all stepped out into the foyer and Alexander Pierce stepped up to them.
"Uh, may I ask you where you're going?" Pierce asked, looking at each of them in turn.
"Bit of lunch and then Asgard. I'm sorry, you are...?" Thor asked.
"Alexander Pierce. He's the man above the folks behind Nick Fury and Catherine the Great here," Stark said, indicating Yelizaveta.
"Oh," Thor said.
"My friends call me Mr. Secretary. I'm gonna have to ask you to turn that prisoner over to me," Pierce said, as pompous as Yelizaveta remembered him.
"Uh, Loki will be answering to Odin himself," Thor said.
"No, he's going to answer to us. Odin can have what's left. And I'm gonna need that case," Pierce said, looking at the briefcase Stark was holding. Yelizaveta moved her hand to her glock on reflex. For some reason, there was something about Pierce she didn't like or trust. "That's been S.H.I.E.L.D. property for over 70 years," Pierce said.
"Hand over the case, Stark," an agent said, stepping up to Stark.
"I'm not gonna argue who has the higher authority here, but I'm not going to not give this to Thor as it belongs to Asgard," Stark said.
"I need the case," Pierce argued.
"I know you got a lot of pull, I'm just saying jurisdiction-" Stark started to say.
"Okay, then give me the case," Pierce interrupted.
"Well, jurisdiction-" Stark started to say as an agent grabbed his wrist, trying to get the case.
"Hand it over," the agent said.
"Get your hand off me," Stark said as Yelizaveta pulled out her sword and jerked the case out of Stark's hand.
"I think this goes to Asgard, Mr. Secretary. And if you don't agree, then maybe this will convince you," Yelizaveta said, leveling her sword at Pierce.
The door then slammed open and Hulk rushed our with a roar. "No stairs!" Hulk shouted.
"Okay, Dad. Easy," Jimmy said, touching the Hulk's muscular arm.
"Come on, guys. Let's go to lunch. And if you want a Band-Aid for your bleeding herats, talk to Nick Fury. He would agree that Thor takes the Cube," Yelizaveta said, sheathing her sword and handing the Cube back to Stark and they all turned and left.
"Are we gonna let that girl talk to you like that?" Sitwell asked Pierce nervously.
"No, but we cannot punish her now for her insolence. We will let her father handle her," Pierce said.
"Is the Asset even here to do that?" Sitwell asked.
"No. I'll contact Karpov and have him wake the Soldier," Pierce said.
"But doesn't he think his daughter is dead?" Sitwell asked.
"Yes, but we'll tell him once he arrives and that he should punish her," Pierce said, a sinister look on his face. It was a secret that only a few knew about Yelizaveta Markova and her father. Very few even knew that her father was also called The Winter Soldier. Word was that Agent Markova didn't even know that her father was still alive, but she would find out very soon.
Yelizaveta stood next to Clint and Natasha as Loki and Thor got ready to leave for Asgard. Banner and Thor attached the Tesseract to one of Loki's hands and Thor took the other end. Loki looked over at Clint, Natasha, and Yelizaveta with barely concealed hatred. With a smirk Clint tapped his forehead, telling Loki that he was back in his right mind. Thor and Loki disappeared in a flash of light and they all went their separate ways, Yelizaveta going with Clint to visit Laura and the kids.