Time can be a fickle thing. They have time to spare up until the moment they don’t and standing apart in the elevator heading back to the lobby to make it to the church before Steve’s younger self does turns into a nail biter. Outwardly, Tony is calm. He needs to get his armor and wait up in the crumbling steeple, out of sight and smell and earshot. He can monitor without being monitored, and that will be the only way that they can convince a more naïve and idealistic (but still hurting) Captain to go along with what they need him to do. Inwardly, he’s a wreck, cursing traffic and jaywalking ahead of the inevitable, if slow, color change of lights on street corners.
The first part of their mission, however successful, could be undone and reset based on this next leg and Tony would hate himself forever if his personal time ended up scratching out something he needs to complete. This isn’t about accepting an award or giving an interview. This matters.
Thankfully, the clock is on their side. Their arrival disturbs nothing and Tony takes the gear he needs, deciding not to linger with Steve under the dulled eyes of painted and stained glass saints. “Can you hear me?” he asks, just once, when he has settled himself in the tower, standing at the window where the bell used to be. He can see traffic, but not the stretch of street that the younger blond will be walking down. FRIDAY, however, can scan much further than his eyes ever will. A moment after Steve acknowledges that their comms are in working order, FRIDAY informs them both that the Captain’s signature has been detecting on the corner opposite the church.
Tony brings up a digital overlay of the chapel below, rough figures of the broken pews and Steve outlined across his HUD as the doors downstairs open.
He’s holding his breath, and he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t care why. He’s too focused on the pair, one off to the side and one approaching the tabernacle, pausing, and stiffening. “Who’s there?”
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Date: 2018-07-19 01:28 pm (UTC)The first part of their mission, however successful, could be undone and reset based on this next leg and Tony would hate himself forever if his personal time ended up scratching out something he needs to complete. This isn’t about accepting an award or giving an interview. This matters.
Thankfully, the clock is on their side. Their arrival disturbs nothing and Tony takes the gear he needs, deciding not to linger with Steve under the dulled eyes of painted and stained glass saints. “Can you hear me?” he asks, just once, when he has settled himself in the tower, standing at the window where the bell used to be. He can see traffic, but not the stretch of street that the younger blond will be walking down. FRIDAY, however, can scan much further than his eyes ever will. A moment after Steve acknowledges that their comms are in working order, FRIDAY informs them both that the Captain’s signature has been detecting on the corner opposite the church.
Tony brings up a digital overlay of the chapel below, rough figures of the broken pews and Steve outlined across his HUD as the doors downstairs open.
He’s holding his breath, and he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t care why. He’s too focused on the pair, one off to the side and one approaching the tabernacle, pausing, and stiffening. “Who’s there?”