Project Reaper

38. Carry On My Wayward Son

The group reconvened at the ship.

"What was that about, Jack?" Clint asked.

Jack was silent as he stared at the stone.

"Jack?" Clint prompted again.

"I don't want to talk about it."

The team shrunk Back to the Present.

___

The team returned, all looking at each other.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asked, excited.

"You're telling me we can do this?" Rhodey asked.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Bruce asked.

Jack looked up at Bruce, saying, "We got the stone. Nothing's wrong."

He made eye contact with Sam and Dean, and they said nothing.

___

"What happened?" Sam asked once they were alone.

"*He* showed up," Jack said quietly.

"'He?' Do you mean Lu-" Dean started.

"Yes," Jack hissed.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"I was gonna-I was gonna do what we discussed, I was gonna separate, and I was gonna take it, but he showed up and just-he grabbed me and left his vessel and dropped her over the edge-"

"He's still alive?"

"I think so."

"Was it now Lucifer or then Lucifer."

"Now, I think."

"How did he get out?"
"I don't know, he said something about Michael disappearing, he didn't know how he got out-"

"Jack, what the hell happened back on Vormir?" Nat asked.

Jack shrunk back at her voice. "I don't know, I'm trying to figure that-"

"Cut the bullshit," Clint told him.

"Woah, hey, let's all calm down," Dean started, hands up in defense of Jack. "We're figuring out what happened, and we'll fill you guys in, ok?"

"Nah, man, tell us what you know, we'll figure out what's important," Clint countered, folding his arms.

Dean, Sam and Jack exchanged a look.

"Fine," Jack said quietly. "That woman? That was Lucifer."

"Straight up Lucifer? I thought that you guys'd taken care of him," Nat stated.

"So did we," Sam said.

"So how was-how is he back?"

"We don't know."

"Is there anything that you do know?" Clint asked.

Sam shrugged. "Lucifer made it so none of us had to die for the stone. I'd be suspicious. You never get anything for nothing." He looked back to Jack, who didn't give anything away. "Well, if you'll excuse us," He trailed off, and the two assassins left. "Are you ok, Jack?"

"I don't know if I am. But if we get Ash and Dad back, I think I'll be good."

"How much do you want to bet they're gonna rat on us?" Dean asked.

"I'd count on it," Sam said.

"Never mind them, Jack, are you-"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be better when we don't have any of this to worry about."

____

Tony carefully placed the individual stones into the Gauntlet that had been built.

"Boom!" Rocket yelled.

Tony and Bruce both flinched away from the Gauntlet before glaring at Rocket, who smirked.

"Alright, the glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freakin' fingers?" Rocket asked.

"I'll do it," Thor volunteered.

"Excuse me?" Scott asked.

"It's ok," Thor said, beginning to walk towards the Gauntlet.

"Hey, no," Sam started, moving in front of him.

Steve joined him as well. "Wait, wait, Thor, we haven't decided who's gonna put it on yet."

"I'm sorry, are we just waiting around for the right opportunity?" Thor asked, incredulous.

"It's not about that," Tony stated.

"It's not that, just, let me do it," Thor all but pleaded. "Just, let me do it. Let me do something good, something right."

"Thor, nothing against you, alright? We want to make sure we get it right, ok? We have just the one shot," Sam told him.

"You saw what the stones did to Thanos," Bruce began. "None of you could survive."

Everyone knew what he was gonna say.

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma." Bruce looked down at the gauntlet. "It's like it was made for me."

"Good to go, yeah?" Stark asked after Bruce had Hulked out, revealing a more Hulk-like Bruce rather than a Bruce-like Hulk.

"I thought you were more..." Dean started before trailing off.

"Feral?" Bruce offered.

"Well, yeah."

"Well, I've had some time to experiment. Let's do this."

"You remember, bring back everyone that Thanos snapped away a year ago. Don't change anything from the past year," Tony reminded Bruce.

"Got it," Bruce said.

"FRIDAY? Do me a favor and activate 'Barn Door Protocol,' will you?" Tony asked.

Steel coverings covered the windows and doors of the base with several clangs as FRIDAY said, "Yes, boss."

Bruce looked up at everyone before saying, "Everyone comes home."

Bruce put his hand into the Gauntlet, which expanded to fit his hand.

He groaned in pain as the energy surged through his body.

"Bruce, are you ok?" Steve asked.

"Talk to us, Banner," Tony urged.

"I'm ok. I'm ok."
Bruce's face contorted in pain, and he somehow snapped his fingers.

The Hulk fell and the Gauntlet met the floor.

Clint kicked it away from the fallen giant.

"Bruce?" Steve asked, moving to help him.

"Don't touch him!" Tony warned.

"Did it work?" Bruce asked wearily.

A phone rang.

Two.

Dean and Clint both fumbled for their phones.

"Honey?" Clint asked quietly.

"Ash?" Dean asked.

An explosion brought the building down around them.