WITH A HAND OVER HER EYES, shielding them from the blaring sun, Bronwen stepped off the plane and onto the pavement beyond. She dragged her small suitcase behind her, chucking it in the boot of the car waiting for her to arrive.
It was her choice to come here. They had said not to, and she didn't care. If there was anything she could do to get Peter back, it would be this.
Anything to change the inevitable.
The car ride was brief. White knuckles. The radio blaring. The driver's eyes focused on the road. She was then moved into the compound, her suitcase dumped in a room, free to roam for the rest of the day.

"...Still no word from Vision?"

"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh."

"On a stolen quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals."

As Bronwen passed a room, her ears perked as she paused mid-step. Vision, she had only heard of the hero. What did he look like again?
Who knows.
"My God, Rhodes, your talent for horseshit rivals my own."

Rhodes. Was that Tony's friend? She heard of the man briefly, and the few news reports she had the heart to watch when they came on late at night, with Gwen asleep on the couch.
"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision would've been right here."

"I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel."

"That's right. And I'm pretty sure I've paid for that." — his leg braces. The fight that happened a year or so ago. Just before she met Peter. During the time she was moving to Queens.

Her timeline was so messed up. Bronwen still sometime thought that this was all a dream, and she was stuck in a chair in the compound.
What a fucked up dream.
She jolted as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Bronwen looked out of the corner of her eye— Bruce.
Thank God.
He nodded for her to follow him, and they entered a smaller hallway on the other side of the room Rhodes— or whatever he was called by the rest of the Avengers— was in. It was a small lounge, with a chair that Bronwen was more than content to settle herself in to. And just in time too.
"Mr. Secretary." Steve— Captain America.

"You got some nerve, I'll give you that."

"You could use some of that right now." A woman's voice.

Bronwen didn't dare reveal herself.

"The world's on fire. And you think, all is forgiven?"

"I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight. And if you wanna stand in our way... we'll fight you, too." Bronwen wasn't old enough to sign the Accords, and if the US Government knew of her and her past, they would lock her up.
She wouldn't even get the chance to sign.

"Arrest them."

"All over it— that's a court martial..." A pause, she could feel the tension in the air as Rhodes heard the order, "It's great to see you, Cap."

"You too, Rhodey." Captain America once more.

So his name was Rhodey? "Well. You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years."

"Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star." Another voice. There were three of them?

Scratching the back of his neck, Bruce decided to reveal himself, clinging to the edges of his sleeves, "Uh, I think you look great. Uh...yeah. I'm back."

"Hi, Bruce."

"Nat."

So her name was Nat?

"This is awkward." Bronwen barely heard the comment from the mystery voice.

Peeking around the edge of her seat, Bronwen took in the bodies that stood across the room, a red-haired woman holding up an... even more red person. Steve Rogers— who she recognised from the Captain America videos her school had to follow, a blonde-haired woman she faintly recognised, a man wearing a pair of... was it goggles? Glasses? Rhodes— Rhodey, and finally, Bruce.
She didn't know anyone.
And it seemed she was not as subtle as she thought.
"Who's that?"

She pressed herself against the back of the armchair, heartbeat picking up pace. Muffled footsteps sounded, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Oh, God, oh God, oh God.
"That's, uh, Bronwen. One of Tony's...kids..." Bruce, no—

"Tony has kids?" Mr. Rogers, sir, please don't come near me.

"They're not his, no, they're, uh.... special."

"Bruce—"

The woman's voice was cut off as Bronwen stepped out of her seat, back to the group, blonde hair cascading down her back.
It was a split second decision to stand and reveal herself, and in the back of her mind she regretted it instantly.
The whole room was silent. A pin could've been heard if it was dropped.
She sucked in a breath and turned, taking in the group before her completely for the first time. Not stolen glances. Bronwen bowed her head, left her hands by her side, and waited for their reaction.
A motion that was all too familiar when she was around superiors. Something that she hadn't forced out of her system back in Wakanda.
Bronwen waited patiently for the hushed whispering to cease, the adults turning to each other. She doubted they thought she was worth anything. She doubted that they would let her do anything.
She wanted nothing more than to get Peter back. To bash the side of the purple freak's head in. He'd done so much, destroyed lives that she didn't know, and now he was inhabiting her head. Hiding in her dreams. And she thought she had enough going on.
Looks like fate wanted her to suffer.
It wasn't her choice to become this... this wreck of a human.
Footsteps headed in her direction and she fought the urge to step back, to hide in the compound. Sure, she didn't know her way around and the others probably know better then her, but she had a card up her sleeve that they didn't know about. Her power.
Well, she thought they didn't know. Maybe Bruce filled them in when they whispered. To them, she was just a teenager caught up in a whole lot of shit she didn't deserve.
She was just a teenager.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and a pair of eyes became level to her own.
Steve Rogers.
"Your name's Bronwen?"

She nodded.

"Who'd you loose?"

It was the look in her eyes that gave her away. That fire that fueled so many souls when they lost someone, something. An ever-raging flame that glowed in the dark, the last hope.
If people knew Steve when he first lost Bucky, they would've seen the same flame alight in his eyes, in his soul.
She made eye-contact with Steve, "His name was Peter."

"Where is he now?"

"He's going to be buried six feet under soon."

"Where is he now?"

Bronwen frowned, "He's... he's in space. With... Tony." Her eyes darted, "I want to help. To do something."

"You'll do something."

Bullshit.

∆ ∆ ∆

"So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?"

Bronwen sat beside a window, looking out onto the field before it turned into forest. Rhodey paced the room as best he could with his leg-braces.
The red-head, who she found out was named Wanda, "And they can clearly find us."

"We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Bruce asked.

The blonde female, Natasha, fondly called Nat, "After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families, they're under house arrest."

Bruce frowned, "Who's Scott?"

Steve Rogers replied, "Ant-Man."

"There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man? Okay, look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he... he gets Vision's Stone."

"Well then, we have to protect it." Bronwen remembered where she saw Natasha Romanoff before. Somewhere deep in the HYDRA files, Bronwen caught a glimpse of the woman's face. She was a traitor to HYDRA many years ago, and once, Bronwen was going to be asked to go after her.
She would not have expected a child to bring her back, nonetheless a child with powers beyond Earth's capability. Beyond Earth's atmosphere.

"No, we have to destroy it."

And Bronwen was afraid to say that the red-man, Vision, whatever he was, was right.

∆ ∆ ∆

Peter ran a hand through his hair, surveying the planet Titan. A vast, monumental space that was decorated with towers that would've been part of a civilisation.
He couldn't believe he was here, so far away from Earth, away from Bronwen. Peter knew that he would've felt safer with Bronwen there, but dragging her into this mess he placed himself in to... he would not have forgave himself if anything happened to her. There was so much that went on in her life already that adding this on top would've..
He was afraid it would've killed her.
And as he listened intently on the plan Tony set out before these... aliens, he had an impending feeling that he should've stayed on the bus.

Wow so I was putting off updating this because 2 weeks until Endgame and I was getting super nervous to see how this is all going to pan out!!
But there's a more important thing to say in this Author's Note. I'm going to be putting off updating Endgame because I'm seeing it on the 28th of April— not long after it comes out, and I don't want to spoil the plot for those who haven't seen it. Unfortunately once I've finished Infinity War I won't be updating until Endgame comes out on DVD and I can rewatch it with a writers eye. When I watch it on the 28th it'll be in anticipation and to experience this 3-hour masterpiece I've been waiting a year for. I'm sorry if that makes you upset and I'm trying to write this as slowly as I can so you will still get updates even after the movie comes out. I'm really excited to do this.
The end is nigh!
- J