Infinity

Chapter 23 A Vision

"The genetic coding tower's at ninety-seven percent. You have to upload that scheme in the next three minutes."

Steve hands me off to Pietro. I haven't been able to walk on my own since the train. They've all taken turns being a crutch.

"I'm only gonna say this once."

"How about 'nonce'?" Tony asks, looking up from his monitor for a split second.                       

"Shut it down."

"Nope, not happening."

I take a small step forward, Pietro catching on to my movement and moving beside me, "Stark, you don't know what you're handling."

"And is it your new buddy talking?" Bruce asks, staring Wanda down, "Is she in your head?"

"I know you're angry-" Wanda starts.

Bruce looks up from his station quickly, "Oh, we're way past that. I could choke the life out of you and not change a shade."

"After everything that's happened..." Steve says.

""It's nothing compared to what's coming!" Tony says

"Tony. Shut. It. Down." I use Delvameg to support myself.

"What are you going to do? You're not able to stand by yourself."

Pietro disappears, his after image streaking across the lab, pulling the place apart. Tony and Bruce look up as if they're offended, "No, no , no, go on. I was listening."

A gunshot, followed by shattering glass, then Pietro's descent, the glass flooring falling out from beneath him.

Bruce grabs Wanda and puts her in a headlock behind me, "Go on, piss me off."

Thunder cracks, even though the sky outside is clear. Thor glides into the room and leaps onto the cradle, lifting Mjolnir triumphantly above him to summon a storm. Lightning wraps around the handle and waits for the command. He quickly directs the energy down into the cradle.

The room goes silent for a dead second.

The cradle erupts, and a red figure emerges. A human body, traced with a dull green, and the mindstone embedded in its forehead. I stands up, slowly, smoke rolling off of it. It looks around, making note of its surroundings. Its eyes are curious, absorbing every piece of information around it. It has blue eyes, as bright as the energy that encased the stone.

Those eyes land on me, sticking to me as if I'm important.

He pounces, flying toward me and tackling me. I hit the ground and roll on my side, pulling my legs up and kicking him off of me. He flies across the lab and through one of the windows. I prop myself up on my elbows, breathing heavily.

He stops just short of the window, catching himself and floating. Everyone around me starts to move, but Thor holds up his hand, a silent signal to wait.

The red man stares out the window, out at the city. Out at the lights and the people. Then, he looks at his reflection, holding a hand up to it, to make sure it's his. His hand slowly returns to his side as he looks back out at the city before making his way back to us.

He lands beside me, his feet silently make contact with the floor. He offers me a hand.

I'm unsure why I accept it. I feel bound to him. Like we've met before.

He carefully pulls me to my feet.

It takes a second, but he finally says something, "I'm sorry, that was... odd."