Eunoia [Bucky Barnes]

chapter 34

** five years later **

Levi leapt up onto Ava's bed as the sounds of the radio drifted through the room. The cat had been a gift from Tony around a year after Ava's final mission to go after Thanos. Now her life consisted of writing in her diary, talking to Levi, eating and then having the occasional cry. She had sold her apartment, moving into the Avengers compound full time so that she didn't fall into a total slump.

A gentle knock on her door made Ava sit up and put the diary away and out of sight. Pulling Levi to sit in her lap she watched Steve walk in to join her on the bed.

"You and Nat are some sight I'll tell you that." Steve tried to crack a joke making Ava smile a little.

"Nat has never not had a job. I've never not had a large house of loud people, maybe it's the quiet I haven't accustomed to." She let out a laugh to which Steve just shook his head.

"I see you still have the cat." He began petting Levi softly.

"Of course I did. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't conform to this kind of lifestyle earlier. Just me, the cat, and my diary." Ava tried to smile but began to feel herself falling into her emotions.

"Ava, you can be upset. The way everything has turned out isn't even a small percentage of what we deserve." Steve moved his arm from Levi's head to wrap around his friend, pulling her into him slightly.

"I'm so happy you're still here, Steven." Ava whispered into the room as Steve let out a breath.

"I'm happy you're here too."

"Guys? There's something you might want to see." Nat shouted from downstairs making both Ava and Steve turn to face each other, confused. As they made their way down the steps to meet her, a projection of the front gate was lit.

"Is this an old message?" Ava asked as Nat turned with tears in her eyes.

"It's the front gate." She explained making Ava race forward to take a closer look. Scott Lang. The Scott Lang who had always thought to have gone with the blip, was standing outside right this second.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ava almost sprinted to let the man in.

***

Scott was now pacing back and forward in front of Ava, Nat and Steve, obviously thinking deeply about something.

"Scott. Are you okay?" Steve asked making the mumblings coming out of Scott pause of a second.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Have you ever studied Quantum Physics?" He asked the three making Ava shake her head.

"Only to make conversation." Nat answered as Scott began rapidly pointing at her.

"Alright. So.. five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope, she's my.. She was my.. She was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there." He spoke quickly making Ava have to close her eyes.

"I'm sorry. That must've been a very long five years." Nat apologised as Scott's face turned almost cold.

"Yeah, but that's just it. It wasn't. For me, it was five hours." He informed making Ava and Steve share a bewildered glance. "See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable. Is that anybody's sandwich? I'm starving."