//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Getting the Band Back Together 
// Story: From the Ashes 
// by Boltstrike58 
//------------------------------//

Equis, Ponyville
"So," said Thorax, to the assembled audience, "that's it."
The collective response was silence. Everypony (and the Avengers) were busy processing the facts that they'd just learned. The only one not lost in thought was Discord, who was currently eating what looked like dirty socks.
"So they have an army," said Tony, breaking the silence, "but an army of what?"
"They wouldn't be able to recruit enough ponies to constitute an army," said Luna. "At least, not without us noticing."
"Whatever it is," Sam started, "are the four of us enough to fight an army?"
"We're here too," Twilight chimed in. "Though, against an army, even all of us..."
Twilight failed to notice Celestia's glance towards her. A glance filled with fear and love.
"Well," said Steve, speaking far more tentatively than normal, "we could go back to Earth..."
"And bring the others here," Tony finished his thought. Then, his brain caught up to the topic at hand, realizing the implications.
"Rogers..."
"Come on, Stark," Steve protested. "We're supposed to be a team."
"Yeah, you'd know all about being a team player, wouldn't you?" Tony snapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve shot back, rage beginning to rise into his voice.
"Like you wouldn't know," Tony retorted, getting angry as well.
Steve gripped his shield noticeably harder, while Tony's eyes glanced towards his armor in the corner. Everypony in the room looked between the two, the tension rising rapidly. Thankfully, before a punch could be thrown, Sam clapped a hand onto Steve's shoulder, and Thor grabbed Tony by his bicep.
"Cease this pointless argument," ordered the Thunder God.
"He's right, guys," said Sam. "We set ground rules, remember?"
The captain and the billionaire relaxed a bit at Sam's cryptic statement. The ponies were rather puzzled by the entire conversation. From what they'd been told, the other Avengers were colleagues, and likely friends. The idea of bringing them to Equestria should've been just a unanimous decision, though perhaps with a slight bit of apprehension concerning their safety. That was how heroes worked.
But Tony had been immediately seized with anger at the suggestion. The insults he and Steve had traded were personal, tailored for the other man. But none of the ponies had any clue what they were about. Luna watched the Avengers intently, studying their body language, Celestia doing the same. They'd shifted from alert, focused on the mission at hand (or hoof), to infuriated, ready to attack each other. Fluttershy had backed into a corner, her respiration rate increased, joined by Pinkie, whose smile had faded quite a bit. Rarity, Spike, Starlight, and Thorax all gulped nervously, trying to decide whether or not interference was a good idea.
Applejack believed she had it the worst out of the spectators. She slightly regretted convincing Steve to tell her the truth, because she was the only one with a rough idea of what this was about. While he'd seemed more sorrowful and filled with regret in their conversation, it appeared that Tony directly confronting him with the issue brought out his anger and frustration. Twilight didn't know the details, but she'd bonded with Tony a bit, and her eyes saw the way his shifted, from looking at Rogers with what looked like forced indifference to what could be called hate.
"Mr. Stark, what's wrong—" she tentatively began, stepping forward.
"Nothing," Tony harshly cut her off, barely even looking at Twilight. The Princess of Friendship almost jumped back, and she thought she heard Fluttershy squeak in the corner.
Applejack didn't speak, honoring her promise to Steve. She tried to catch his eye, hoping to communicate her emotional support through a glance. The Captain made eye contact with her for about a second, but glanced away quickly. Applejack sighed internally, hoping he'd have the will to come to her if he needed help.
"Anyway, are you guys gonna be bringing more cool heroes to Equestria?!" asked Rainbow. She'd brought back her usual enthusiasm in an attempt to push the tension out the window. It didn't escape notice that she'd raised her voice an octave or two, but no comments were made.
"Yes," said Thor, speaking before Tony or Steve could. "I agree that should be our immediate course of action. We have no knowledge of the size of this army."
"With the Bifrost, we can make a couple of quick trips," said Sam.
"Sounds fine," Steve grunted.
"Oh! Oh wait!" exclaimed Twilight, rushing over to Tony again. "Mr. Stark! I know this is important, but can I please come with you? I want to see your planet, and I was hoping you had some of the design specs for the Iron Man suits, because its so incredible and there's so much knowledge, and pleeeeeaaase?!"
Tony's bad mood was dissipated a bit by the alicorn's pleading. For an appointed princess, Twilight could bring out quite a bit of inner fangirl. He playfully ruffled her mane, earning a gasp of shock from Rarity.
"Okay, okay, just hold your horses," responded the inventor, ignoring the groans at the pun. "I guess that it couldn't hurt for you to come along for the ride. Besides, maybe we can discuss that thing we talked about."
Twilight beamed happily.
"Can I come with you?" Rainbow asked Sam and Steve. "Just kinda curious as to how different the skies are on Earth."
"It's okay with me," Sam replied.
"I'm fine with it," said Steve. He turned to Applejack. "You have any interest?"
"Meh, sure," said the farm pony. "When else am I gonna get a chance to see another planet?"
"Maybe we can make a trip when this is over," said Starlight.
"I...I don't know," squeaked Fluttershy. "The idea of an entirely different world sounds kind of...upsetting."
"I've gotta find a way to plan a super-duper epic cross-species party!" chimed in Pinkie.
"I'd rather I had more time to make myself more presentable before going off to another world, darlings," said Rarity. "I agree with Starlight. Perhaps later."
Thor picked up Mjölnir. "Then let us begin," he announced.



Earth, Avengers Compound
Tony had been gone for an entire day with no communication. Not unprecedented, of course, but since he'd left via the strange vortex in the air, it was cause for concern. Vision, Rhodey, and Hill (Fury was off, doing whatever Nick Fury does) were basically left holding an empty bag, and had absolutely no idea where to look for him. The only thing they'd really accomplished was convincing Ross that Tony had taken a leave of absence, so as to not have the Secretary come down on their heads. 
"Any luck?" Rhodey asked, hobbling up to the computer console on his cane.
"Negative," replied Hill. "Satellites still can't get any kind of signal on Stark's armor."
"I think we can rule out him being anywhere on Earth by this point," chimed in Vision.
"Well, then contact Thor, or something!" demanded Rhodey. "We can't just keep sitting on our butts, spinning our wheels, and crap!"
"I tried," the synthezoid answered, keeping his typical calm tone completely intact. "He hasn't answered, neither has Heimdall. All I can come up with is to keep—"
BOOM!
He never got to finish that sentence, as a massive burst of noise reverberated throughout the compound. Snapping their heads around to face the window, the three beheld the familiar golden column of light that came with the activation of the Bifrost, slamming right into the front lawn.
Thor.
With the same thought coursing through their heads, Hill and Vision leaped up to make their way to the front entrance, Vision grabbing Rhodey so he wouldn't have to strain himself. The android and the two humans rushed to the lobby, shoving open the glass doors, and coming to the sight of the Bifrost.
They froze.
Tony was standing there, fully suited up in the Mark XLVII suit, though the helmet had retracted. He smiled warmly, waving at the trio. What caught everyone's attention, of course, was the small, lavender horse that stood next to him.
"Hey, guys," announced the billionaire. "This place fall apart without me yet? Figuratively, of course."
"Um, hello," said the pony. "I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"It...talks," said Hill, completely flabbergasted.
"Tony..." Rhodey started, "what's happening right now?"
Twilight shied back a bit at the humans' response, but she reminded herself that her kind wasn't exactly an everyday sight on Earth.
"Well, that was a better first impression than I expected," Tony joked.



One long explanation later, the team gathered in the compound living room, seated in the area where the Avengers had once debated the Sokovia Accords. Tony had shed the Iron Man suit, parking it over in the corner. Twilight busied herself by examining things, jotting down a couple of notes as she did so.
"It's definitely similar to the technology in Canterlot High," she observed, "but this looks far more advanced!"
She'd made her way over to Tony's main computer. She reached for the mousepad, before looking down at her hoof, realizing she didn't have her human fingers anymore. Instead, she ignited her horn, magically gliding the cursor across the screen and pressing the keys telekinetically. 
"Mr. Stark? Can I see some of the files you have on the Iron Man suits? Please?" she turned to Tony, turning on the begging eyes she'd learned from Pinkie and Fluttershy.
"For the last time, Sparkle, call me Tony," insisted the inventor. He made a few quick keystrokes, before stepping back to let Twilight browse to her heart's content.
Laying back on the couch, Tony snorted with laughter.
"She is a gem," he chuckled. "I wonder if it'd be unethical to buy one. Maybe for a mascot." Twilight, thankfully, was too engrossed to hear.
"So, let me get this straight," Rhodey interrupted. "Across the universe, there's an entire planet populated by intelligent, magic ponies, she's the 'Princess of Friendship,' and you, Rogers, Thor, and Wilson have been crashing there for the past twenty-four hours?"
"Well, it sounds way more ridiculous when you put it that way, but yes. We've been keeping the whole Accords thing under wraps, so they don't distrust us."
"More to the point," said Hill, "that's where your Arc Reactor went, along with a handful of vibranium?"
"Pretty much, yeah," said Tony. "We don't know who that Deimos freak is working for, but he's got a brother, and they've apparently got an army on their side."
"Which is why you need the rest of the Avengers," said Vision. Everyone who was listening took note of his tone of voice, which sounded almost afraid.
Tony sighed. "Look, I don't like it either," he admitted. "Rogers is bringing Romanoff and his...friend to the party, and possibly even that shrinking weirdo. Lang, I think his name was. But we're not just going to dump these ponies with a problem that's partially ours. So grow a pair and get used to the idea of seeing your girlfriend, Jarvis."
Vision shot a loaded glance at Tony, so quick that one who blinked at the wrong time might've missed it. Usually, his negative emotions never went beyond mildly annoyed, such as when Tony kept calling him Jarvis. This time, his eyes were angry, but underneath the anger there was merely hurt, fear, and the emotion that had started to rise up in Vision whenever he'd looked at Wanda. But Tony, if he noticed, made no reaction, and Vision merely turned away.
"Are you planning to explain this to Ross?" asked Hill, more out of curiosity than anything.
"Nope," responded Tony. "We're not going against the Accords, since they don't apply on other planets. We get our crap back, send whoever it is packing, and be back before he notices anything. And you or Rhodey will be here to answer the phone and put him on hold while we're gone."
"Wait, wait, wait," Rhodey cut him off. "When did we agree on me staying behind for this?"
Tony turned to him. He was still smiling, but it was a nervous smile, as though he was unsure whether or not to actually put it on his face.
"Yeah, very funny, Rhodey," he responded. When his friend didn't laugh in turn, Tony's expression dropped. "You're kidding, right?"
"Uh, no?" responded the former colonel. "I'm still an Avenger, remember?"
"Rhodey, you can barely walk. Even with those braces, you're not gonna be pulling any War Machine stunts."
"I've gotten way better than I was, and the suit will cover most of the problems with my legs. I'm not staying out of this one."
"Yes, you are. I'm not gonna let you throw your hide into the fire!"
"Oh, but you'll dive right in, no question?!"
"You don't even have a functioning suit anymore—!"
"Um, guys?"
Tony and Rhodey turned to Hill, who merely pointed back at Tony's computer desk. The men directed their gazes over, where Twilight had turned to face them. Her face bore an expression of shock, mixed in with a little of what looked like fear.
"Er...do you want me to leave the room? I can see this is kinda private..." she managed to get out.
"Uh, thanks, but I think we'll leave," Tony replied. "You...you have fun with this stuff."
The billionaire got to his feet, Rhodey refusing his help. The two made their way to the door, Rhodey hobbling along with his cane, and exited. The remaining three were left with a bit of an uncomfortable silence. 
"So," Twilight broke it with, "you two are members of the Avengers as well?"
"Not me," said Maria. "I technically work for Stark, but I've been dragged along for the ride quite a bit. Not much of a step down, after working for the world's largest peacekeeping organization."
"Really?" asked Twilight.
"It was called S.H.I.E.L.D. Ask Captain Rogers to tell you about it sometime."
"That sounds fascinating," said the alicorn. She turned to the Vision. "What about you? You don't seem human, and I can sense quite a bit of powerful magic coming from that stone." She pointed to the yellow gem set into Vision's forehead.
"Yes, er..." the synthezoid responded, "to be honest, we don't know that much about the Mind Stone. I, on the other hand, am a synthezoid, created from vibranium and artificial tissue."
"Synthezoid?!" exclaimed Twilight. "Like a robot?! And your body's made up from that metal?! That's incredible! How did they make you? Where did your intelligence come from? What exactly—" 



Tony and Rhodey walked quietly into Rhodey's room, closing the door behind them. From what they could hear in the living room, Twilight seemed more than occupied talking to Vision and Hill. 
"Tony..." Rhodey spoke first, clearly frustrated. 
"Rhodey, please," Tony protested. "I'm already having enough problems on this case, working with Rogers among them. Please don't pile more onto it."
"This isn't about you," snapped Rhodey. "It's about me trying to do my part. I'm an Avenger. What exempts me from that?"
"You did your part," replied Tony, "and you paid for it with your legs. Not to mention, that was just the result of Vision misfiring. What happens when you're disabled, and go up against guys who legitimately want to kill you? Besides, like I said, you don't have a suit."
"You can't just whip one up in, like, a couple of hours?" complained Rhodey.
"Even if you did..." Tony sighed, placing his hands on Rhodey's shoulders. "You're one of the few things I've got left, buddy. I lost Pepper, most of the team...please don't die on me too. Even if you came with us as a 'non-combatant'...you're not like Bruce. You wouldn't be able to keep yourself from getting involved."
Rhodey took special notice of this. Tony wasn't a person who was frequently emotionally vulnerable. At this moment, however, looking at his best friend's eyes, he could clearly see that Tony was terrified. The sly, brilliant, fast-talking genius was buried under anxiety and fear, and all that was left was just trying to keep his world in one piece. Rhodey couldn't bring himself to argue further.
"...alright, I'll stay out of this one, but I'm not making any promises for later," he answered, hugging his friend. "And I wanna meet the rest of the ponies at some point."
Tony smiled slightly.
"We are working on something that'll make it easier for us to travel between these planets," he responded. "It'll take a while, but hopefully we'll wrap up this fiasco in a couple days."
The two returned to the living room, where Twilight continued to bombard Vision with questions related to his creation, Vision doing his best to answer, and Hill sitting off to the side, laughing. 
"Alright, Sparkle-Shine," said Tony, picking up a briefcase. "Got some stuff to grab, then we have one more stop to make before we take Vision back to Ponyland."
"Really?" asked Twilight. "What do we need that's not here?"
"Well," said Tony, "like I said, I'm not a physicist. If we really want to get that project working, we'll need some help."
The two were cut off by a Tony's phone, blaring ACDC's Back in Black (Tony's favorite song). The billionaire picked up the device, only to see that the caller I.D. read "Spider Kid."
"Who's on the phone?" asked Twilight.
"Nobody important," muttered Tony, and he cut off the call.



Earth, Wakanda
The bolt of golden light from the skies had been visible from across the entire countryside. T'Challa, initially suspecting some kind of unnatural air attack, had rushed to the phone, preparing to order an evacuation and a mobilization of Wakandan soldiers. Thankfully, Wanda had reached him in time, informing him of the Bifrost. The two Avengers, as well as Bucky, breathed a sigh of relief, hoping Thor would have some idea as to Steve and Sam's current location.
What came as a surprise, of course, was what awaited them at the sight of the Bifrost beam. Steve and Sam, alive and well, but not alone. Instead, they were joined by two small horses, one of which had a cowboy hat, and one a pegasus. Bucky, Wanda, and T'Challa could do little but stare, while Steve and Sam held in their amusement. 
Bucky was the one who finally broke the silence. "What...are...those?" he stammered out.
That was the breaking point, as Steve and Sam howled with laughter. Applejack and Rainbow, meanwhile, took to examining their surroundings, Rainbow bringing herself a few feet off the ground, while Applejack pawed at the earth with her front hooves.
"Soil here's not the same as Equestria," she noted. "Definitely fertile, though. Maybe even more fertile." 
"Not a ton of cloud cover today," said Rainbow, floating up a bit and scanning the air. "Who decides the weather on this planet?"
"They can talk?!"exclaimed Wanda.
"Oh, sorry," said Applejack. "Didn't mean to ignore you, folks. Just a new experience for us. Howdy, I'm Applejack."
"Yeah," agreed Rainbow. "I'm sure planet Earth's pretty awesome. Rainbow Dash." She extended a hoof.
Sam finally managed to make himself stop laughing. "We should probably explain what the hell's going on," he said.



A few minutes later, the five humans and two ponies were gathered inside a meeting room, set around a table. Steve and Sam had finished relaying the events of the last day, with Applejack and Rainbow chipping in. They'd managed to subtly convey the fact that the ponies knew nothing of the Accords, and thankfully, the others had picked up, though Applejack had to signal Rainbow to stop her line of questioning once or twice.
At the end, Wanda and Bucky just stared, their mouths open, as though their brains were actively fighting the ridiculous knowledge they'd just gained. T'Challa, on the other hand, was reclining quietly in his chair, his hands crossed in his lap. 
"...you're not making this up," Bucky finally said.
"I said the same thing when Thor told us about the place," said Sam. "And no, we're not."
"And that Phobos creature," said T'Challa, "the one served by him and his brother has an army at their command?"
"Exactly," said Steve. He turned to Wanda and Bucky. "I know it's a lot to ask, but we really can't do this without you."
Wanda caught her breath. She hadn't seen Vision since the fiasco at the airport. Or, more accurately, she'd refused to look at him the few times he'd come to see her at the Raft before Steve had broken them out. She wasn't bitterly holding onto her grudge with the synthezoid, but merely deciding it would be easier on both of them if they kept their distance. She mentally resolved to keep it up during this mission, refusing to allow whatever was between them to compromise it.
Steve watched all these emotions unfold on Wanda's face. He gave her a reassuring smile, before turning away.
"I will lend you my support as well," said T'Challa.
Steve turned to him. "Your Highness, you don't have to do that. You've done more than enough for us—"
"I am aware," replied T'Challa. "But it is the right thing to do."
Rainbow and Applejack watched the king with interest. He'd introduced himself to them as the ruler of Wakanda, but had insisted they didn't have to bow to him. Then he'd barely said a word during the explanation, merely listening and processing all the information concerning Equestria. According to Steve, he wasn't even an official Avenger, yet he was willing to help them all the same. He'd certainly caught their attention.
Steve's attention, on the other hand, was drawn to the Winter Soldier. Bucky had been shocked throughout the entire explanation, but upon learning that the help Steve requested apparently included him, his expression had darkened. He looked at his friend, his eyes filled not with pleading, but rather a questioning gaze, as if to ask, Why me?
Steve made no verbal reply, but he and Bucky had memorized each other's body language after so long. A subtle shift in Steve's demeanor was enough to convey an entire sentence to Bucky.
Because we need you, Steve signed, glancing down at his own hands for a second. I need you.
Bucky raised his eyebrows. For what? What good have I ever brought you?
Steve clenched his hands together. You're my best friend. I know you can do good in the world. He motioned to Bucky's bionic arm. Stark won't do anything. I promise.
Steve turned away, but if he'd kept his focus on Bucky for one more second, perhaps he would've seen how Bucky allowed his metallic limb to slump. The message was clear.
I wish he would.
Applejack caught the tail end of their wordless conversation, but she understood nothing. She logically kept quiet.
Sam and Steve got to their feet.
"T'Challa, we're gonna need some communication device. We need to contact Natasha," Steve said.
The king nodded. "I think I have a solution."



Earth, Somewhere
In all of her visits to the human world, Twilight had never managed to actually ride in an aircraft. She figured it wouldn't be very different from an airborne chariot, something she'd had access to as Celestia's student.
The Quinjet flight managed to prove her wrong.
Twilight gaped in awe at the blue sky, peppered with white clouds so much like Equestria's, zipping by in the windows at speeds that would've made Rainbow Dash jealous. The only time she could recall flying speed comparable to this was when she'd possessed the magic of four alicorns. 
The vehicle's interior wasn't a dull sight either. The various controls seemed like something straight out of a science fiction novel, and Tony didn't even have to do anything, given that he'd set up something called autopilot. Twilight didn't exactly comprehend it yet, but it seemed the jet had some sort of basic intelligence placed into it, and was capable of flying itself. The Princess of Friendship vaguely wondered how many books she could fill with all the information she'd learned about Earth already.
"Okay, we're here," Tony announced, cutting Twilight's mental wandering off. 
He manipulated the jet's controls, pulling it up and holding it in place. Metallic plates opened up, revealing the landing gear. With a soft thump, the Quinjet settled comfortably onto the grass.
Twilight took a look around their landing site. The area was wooded, almost like the forests of Equestria (excepting the Everfree of course). She couldn't see any wildlife, other than a few birds here and there. The sky was clear, except for one solitary cloud strolling across the blue expanse. There were no distinct features in the clearing, with the exception of a small log cabin, looking barely large enough for one room.
"Who are we looking for here?" she asked.
Tony smiled knowingly, like Pinkie whenever she had to fight to avoid giving away the punchline to a joke.
"You'll see."
Dropping the Quinjet ramp, the inventor and the alicorn walked down the metal slope onto the grass. Tony marched straight up to the front door of the cabin, and rapped on it with his knuckles.
For a few moments, there was no response. Twilight's keen ears picked up the sound of shuffling feet, some clothes rustling, then finally, a metallic clank as the door was unlocked, then swung open.
The human in front of Twilight seemed unremarkable. He was a bit shorter than Tony, and his face was rounder, more relaxed. His head was topped with curled brown hair, and his overall demeanor seemed like a man who'd sooner let himself take a blow than start a fight. At the same time, he seemed weary, as though life itself was tiring.
"Bruce," said Tony, smiling.
"Tony," responded the man, nodding. "I wondered if you'd ever visit."
"Well, you said you'd be better off left alone."
"That I did, Tony. That I did," conceded Bruce. He took notice of Twilight for the first time. "Making small horses and mythical creatures now?"
"Excuse me?" responded Twilight, confused.
Tony chuckled. "Believe me, if I knew how to genetically modify miniature horses into mythical creatures, we'd have been doing that a lot more at the tower." 
He made a presentation gesture. "Bruce Banner, I present Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship from the planet Equis. Twilight, this is Doctor Bruce Banner, one of Earth's most notable physicists. Good friend, and a former Avenger."
"Really?" Twilight almost squealed, before she remembered etiquette. "Er—I mean, it's a pleasure, Doctor Banner." She held out a hoof, and Bruce shook it awkwardly.
"Uh, Tony?" Bruce asked.
"I'll make it quick," Tony promised.
The three then settled inside Bruce's cabin, the two humans taking up the couch. Bruce had some old papers he'd written saved to his laptop, and Twilight was having a merry time going through them. Tony brought Bruce up to speed.
"Really? A planet of talking ponies? And there's something there that's capable of attacking Earth?"
"Apparently," Tony responded. "Can't say this was what I expected when Thor told us that Earth was drawing attention on a cosmic scale."
"And now, you and Steve are being forced to work together again, after that fiasco in Germany," said Bruce. Tony gave him a look. "What? It's not like I don't follow the news."	
"Sure," said Tony. "Anyway, what do I have to say to convince you to come back with us?"
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Me, on a peaceful planet of talking ponies, who, despite having magic, are way technologically behind us. You sure you've thought this through?"
"I'm not asking you to Hulk out," said Tony. "You're not like Rhodey, you can keep yourself out of the fighting. Twilight and I are pooling our brains on investigating some of the magic these guys are using. We might be able to create some sort of counters, but not without you."
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You understand magic?"
"Sort of," Tony admitted. "It's more like she's capable of understanding our science. The warp they used to come to Earth? It's just like the quantum tunneling effect. Like how Loki used the Tesseract. And she gets it." He gestured to the princess, completely fascinated with Bruce's research, scribbling notes into a small book. "She's actually quite remarkable."
Bruce thought for a moment. "It would be interesting. Not like I've got anything better to do. Although..." he looked down at his hands as new possibilities occurred to him. "You know Steve is gonna bring Natasha in from wherever she's holed up now, right?"
Tony's face filled with remorse, but he refused to back down. "I know," he admitted. "But if anybody's capable of keeping things...'not personal,' it's the two of you.
"Besides, I...I just don't wanna be stuck with just Vision, you know?" he admitted. "Rogers is bringing almost all of his little camp there, and it'll just be me and the synthezoid. If you're not there...I don't know if I could stop myself from starting another fight."
Bruce looked with shock at his friend. Tony might've been a master of sarcasm, but he wasn't someone to throw the first punch. Not against his friends. Had they really gone that far? 
"What the hell happened between you guys?" he couldn't stop himself from asking.
Tony dismissively waved a hand.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is getting this done." He put a hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Please, just this once?"
Bruce felt deep inside himself. The other guy was there, as expected. Bruce was extremely skilled in keeping him submerged by this point, but he was still there. He'd been buried inside for so long now, it seemed a miracle he hadn't smashed his way free. 
Despite this, Bruce knew he could keep the beast contained. He'd spent over a year alone, spending his days looking for ways to kill the time. Even if it was only temporary, he'd have surrendered to the Hulk, just to see the others once more. This wasn't a deal he could refuse.



Earth, Wakanda
Steve had a light chuckle at the look on his comrades' faces. Exposing them to the ponies was guaranteed to get their jaws to drop, but seeing it in person was far superior to the thought. Wanda, Bucky, and T'Challa had been good, but this was priceless. 
At the moment, Steve was seated at a small table, facing three computer monitors. From the screens, images of Natasha, Clint, and Scott (relayed through communicators they'd been given after escaping the Raft) faced him, all of them gawking at the strange, horse-like creatures. Applejack and Rainbow were talking to T'Challa, but still in view.
"So, can I just point out how ridiculous this is?" said Scott, pointing to the ponies. "Seriously, this coming from a guy who talks to ants. This is weird."
"I don't know," responded Natasha. "They seem pretty amicable."
"Oh, sure, Nat," chortled Clint. "Didn't you once threaten to taze me if I told anyone about your pony phase when you were a kid?"
"And if we weren't hundreds of miles away, I'd do it now."
"Anyway," Steve interrupted, "we need to get our stuff back from those fauns. Natasha, can we pick you up?"
"Absolutely," replied the spy. "Haven't had anything better to do. Sharon coming?"
"Sharon's actually working on something else right now," said Steve. "Potentially too important. We can spare her."
"Hey, wait a minute," said Scott. "What about us?"
Steve's face fell a bit. "I'll be honest, I was really only looking for Natasha."
"What?" asked Clint.
"Lang, Clint," continued the Captain, wiping his forehead. "You're different from most of us. You have family. Children, in fact. You guys have done your part, and you're already on the run because you tried to help me. You can sit this one out."
"Hey, we signed up for that," argued Clint.
"Yeah," agreed Scott. "Besides, Cassie doesn't depend on my income. Hank's been helping Maggie and Paxton. They won't fall apart without me."
"Scott..." Steve started.
"Cassie watches the fight from the airport all the time," protested Scott. "You know what she says? 'Daddy's an Avenger.' I need to do this."
Steve tried to come up with an argument, but found that he couldn't. 
"Alright, if you're sure," he reluctantly agreed.
He turned to Clint.
"Don't suppose that reasoning's gonna work with me, is it?" asked the archer.
"Come on, Clint," said Steve. "You already helped us put away Loki, Ultron, Hydra. Now you're wanted. It's a miracle Ross hasn't learned who your family is yet. Laura could get arrested just for letting you stay there. Please, let me make it up to you, and leave you out of this one."
"Clint, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think he's right," insisted Natasha. "Just think about Laura. Think about Nathan..."
Clint Barton sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Scott awkwardly scratched and stared at spots on the wall, feeling out of place.
"Guess I'm outvoted," the archer gave in. "Please, just be careful, okay? And see if you can get those ponies at Cooper's next birthday party."
"No promises," said Steve with a smile, and he ended the call.