❝Whatever happens, just know that I never stopped trying.❞
. . .in which she must do whatever she can to protect the world and what's left of the ones she loves.
[BOOK THREE]
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★ ★ ★
The last couple of days had been spent with nothing but talk of the stones and Rocket's constant babbling about Morag and his constant teasing. Take-out boxes from a little Chinese restaurant nearby were strewn across the dining room. The team had spent so many long hours brainstorming different years in which the stones were present, hoping to find a simple way to retrieve them without compromising the mission. It was exhausting, especially as a pregnant woman with raging hormones constantly screaming for sleep with the addition of a belly full of lo mein. That was just about where things were with Marlena.
The conference area was huge, leaving quite a few teammates spread out. Some had drifted away to their own corners for the night, while others remained conversing in the conference area. Natasha and Tony were laying beside each other on a cluttered desk. Marlena was laying half asleep on top of the adjacent table. Bruce was slouched on the floor below her. Steve and Rhodey were a few feet away conversing in front of the monitors. It was getting late, but none of them seemed to care that much. Apart from Marlena, at least, though she continued to remain active in the conversation.
"Marlena, do you wanna go with Thor and Rocket to get the Aether?" Natasha asked the brunette.
"I was given strict instructions to remain within eyesight of Steve and-or Tony," Marlena responded drowsily.
"I just figured Asgard would be a lot safer for you in the long run," Natasha continued. "Go there, get the Aether, and come back."
"I love Thor and I tolerate Rocket, but the whole point in me actually joining the Time Heist is so I could at least have a chance at being able to protect Steve if he needed protecting," Marlena explained to her best friend. "I have to make sure he's okay."
"Understood."
"Y'know, you two are getting real domestic these days," Tony chimed in.
Marlena laughed quietly and looked over at him. "That's what happens when two people get engaged."
"I still can't believe you burned through that entire candle in just three months," Tony perked up slightly, his eyes meeting Marlena's. "Actually, nevermind, I can believe it."
"You knew about the candle?"
"Not the point."
"Tony—"
"Is it true you guys got engaged in France?" Tony asked her. "If so, it's a bit rude you didn't invite any of us."
Marlena groaned and placed her right hand to her forehead. She was too exhausted to deal with him at the moment. She'd been dealing with him all day—him and Steve and their tension-filled relationship. She wasn't sure if that tension was sexual or otherwise, not that it was her business. "Yes, it happened when we were in France, and I distinctly remember finding out about your engagement to Pepper in the New York Times, so I don't even wanna hear it."
