Live to Rise (Avengers Bruce Banner Fanfiction)

Chapter 20

As I get closer to the room I hear Steve and Tony talking. "Did Arabelle have family?"

"She had a dad." Tony says. "Lots and lots of friends. And really they were her family."

"What about Coulson? Was he married?" Steve asks.

"No." Tony answers. "There was a cellist, I think."

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man." Steve says.

Tony laughs and I can feel his pain. "He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?" Steve asks and I can feel that he respected Coulson even just with the little time he had known him.

"For taking on Loki alone." Tony answers.

"He was doing his job." Steve tells him.

Tony scoffs. "He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have-"

"Sometimes there is no way out Tony." Steve tells him.

"Right. I've hear that before." Tony says and begins walking away.

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" Steve asks.

Tony turns back to him. "We are not soldiers." He waits a second to calm down before speaking again. "I'm not marching to Fury's fife."

"Neither am I." Steve says and shakes his head. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we got to put that behind us and get this done." Tony looks down. "Now Loki needs a power source. If we can out together a list...."

Tony cuts him off. "He made it personal."

"That's not the point." Steve says.

"That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?" Tony asks.

"To tear us apart." Steve answers.

"Yeah divide and conquer is great but he knows he has to take us out to win right? That's what he wants." Tony says. "He want to beat us. He wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart." Steve says.

Tony walks past him up the stairs. "That was just the previews this is opening night. Loki, he's a full-tilt diva right? He wants flowers he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered....." Tony pauses as it finally dawns on him. "Son of a bitch."

"Remind you of someone?" I ask my voice rings across the room.

They both pale and turn to me. "Belle?" They ask at the same time.

I smile. "Hi guys."

They both stand frozen for a second before tony runs down the stairs and tackles me in a hug. "How the hell did you do it?" He asks as he spins me around.

"Loki actually. I think he wants me around for the final act." I tell him.

He puts me down and Steve comes and gives me a bear hug. "I'm glad you're okay." He whispers to me.

Once he lets go I smile. "Come on. We've got work to do."

"I've got to go get my suit working again." Tony tells us then turns to Steve. "Go get Nat. And Belle don't you go disappearing again."

"You're stuck with me." I tell him with faux sympathy.

"Good!" He says and runs off down the hall.

"You got a suit?" Steve asks. I nod. "Go suit up. Meet me when you're done." He tells me before running off to find Nat.

I quickly run to my quarters and pull on my X-men suit and towel dry my hair before going to find Steve again.

I find him just as he is walking into the isolation room. "Time to go." He tells Nat.

"Go where?" She asks.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"

Clint walks out of the bathroom. "I can." Steve looks to Nat and she nods.

"You got a suit?" Steve asks him.

"Yeah."

"Then suit up." Steve tells him and walks down the hall.

I poke my head around the corner to see Clint and Nat looking slightly confused. "Hello." I say and wave. Nat turns to me eyes wide and pull me into a hug.

"Belle?" Clint asks shocked. "But I though you drowned?"

I pull away from Nat and he pulls me into a hug. "I did but I'm back now." I tell them.

"I thought we had lost you too. I'm so glad you're okay." Clint says.

"I'm just glad I don't have to tell Logan." Nat says jokingly.

"Oh come on you're happy I'm back." I say.

"I'm not unhappy." She tells me trying to hide her smile. I stick my young out at her and she laughs. "You really do act your age sometimes."

"Shut it." I say with a laugh before walking out to almost run into Steve. "Sorry. Don't quite have my equilibrium back."

"So you really are 11 years old?" He asks shocked.

I groan. "Tony told you?" He nods. I sigh. "I am mentally and physically 27 but I've only been alive 11 years." I tell him.

He nods. "That's what Stark said."

Nat walks out to join us and a few minutes later so does Clint. "Lets go." I say with a smile.

We head out to the hanger bay while Tomy suits up and they pick a jet. We all walk up into it and the Agent inside looks up confused.

"Hey you guys aren't authorized to be in here." He says.

Steve gives him a look. "Son just don't."

The agent gives us a look before stumbling out of the jet. "Strap in!" Clint says as he preps the jet to fly.

"Hey Steve?" I ask as Nat goes to sit in copilot.

He turns back to me. "Yes?"

I reach up with both hands and cup his face. Scenes of world war 2 flats before my eyes. "I know how old you are supposed to be but your eyes are so young. And kind and innocent." I tell him before stumbling backwards and almost falling.

He catches me and sits me down. "Are you alright?" He asks worried for me.

"Sorry, I uh..." I say dizzy. "Something is different since I died. My abilities I think they're stronger. I just need to get used to them. That's all." I tell him.

He looks like he doesn't quite believe me but he shake his head and sits beside me. "Lets go." Tony says over the radio. We buckle up and the jet takes off.

"We have an unauthorized departure from bay 6." We hear over the radio just before we leave communications range.