Something More [The Avengers: 1]

Gone Swimming [14]

I watched as Tony talked aloud to himself, standing inside a hologram of the most recent Mandarin bomb site. After our talk last night, I walked him back to bed before returning to my own, only to wake up from a nightmare and crawling into bed with the man. His words repeated in my head as I watched the helicopters circling the house. I understood, of course I did, but threatening a terrorist and giving the world our address was a little over the top.

Our. I hadn't even realized I used that word until now. Our home. Ours. I looked at Tony, with a small smile on my face, as I drifted through a future I once thought impossible. Now, in the future, it was possible. I scrunched my eyebrows together as he bent over to pick something up from the hologram. I pushed the thoughts from my mind and stood, making my way towards him, finally listening to his mumbling.

"When is a bomb... not a bomb?" Tony muttered, his eyebrows scrunching together as he stared at the holographic dog tags. He only made that face, I had realized, when he was close to something, and I was picking up the pieces right behind him.

"Jarvis, any military victims?" I asked, gaining Tony's attention.

"Not according to public records, Captain," Jarvis's robotic, yet strangely human, voice replied.

"Bring up the thermogenic signatures again, factor in three thousand degrees," Tony ordered, and the dog tags in his hands disappeared.

"The oracle cloud has completed analysis." As Jarvis finished speaking, multiple holographic screens pop up, showing different locations and different casualty lists. Tony stared at them all curiously, a daunted look on his face. "Accessing satellites and plotting the last twelve months of thermogenic occurrences now." More screens and locations popped up as I made my way to stand beside Tony.

"Take away everywhere there's been a Mandarin attack," Tony instructed. All but one screen fell away. I took a closer step, squinting my eyes. "That."

"You sure that's not one of his?" I asked the room, looking back towards him.

"It predates any known Mandarin attack. The incident was the use of a bomb to assist a suicide," Jarvis replied. Our eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"That's one hell of a bomb," I muttered, making my way back towards Tony.

He hummed in agreement. "Alright, bring it around."

"The heat signature is remarkably similar. Three thousand degrees Celsius." Tony scanned the information, obviously lost in his train of thought. He stared at one fixed point on the hologram for a long time, and I followed his gaze.

"Two military victims?" I asked incredulously.

"Similar bombs." Tony smirked, looking at me. "Ever been to Tennessee, Captain?"

"Tony, I don't know. Is now the best time?" I asked. His once cocky smirk fell.

"You don't have to come with me, I'd actually prefer you stay out of this one-"