Chapter 5
Phil
The agent in Phil forced him to lunge forwards to restrain his nephew, but as his arms wrapped around the younger and he felt no struggle he realized that Mieczyslaw had frozen looking at Barnes but not yet making a move. The former winter soldier's eyes had widened when he realized who he had run in to as well, but he didn't make a move and just stood there staring back at the teen. It took a moment before the youngest started to get the gears in his head grinding again and he turned his head to look at his uncle and said in a joking tone, "Come on Uncle Phil, your embarrassing me in front of an Avenger."
He looked at the situation, of how he was holding his nephew and how he hadn't seemed to have had a violent reaction to Barnes and was confused for a moment before slowly letting go. He watched as his nephew got into the elevator and beckoned him to do the same.
Stiles
When his eyes had laid on Barnes, for a moment something had reared in the unconscious part of his mind, but he was more in control this time around and he shoved it back down into the depths from which it came. He joked a little to calm his uncle before stepping into the elevator next to Barnes, who was watching him like a ticking-time-bomb. He turned and gave the former HYDRA assassin a nervous smile before turning to watch as his uncle finally stepped into the elevator.
The silence was suffocating for Stiles, but it gave him time to get a feel of his condition. His head hurt, a lot, but he had felt worse. His arms were a little sore and thinks that he had a bruise on his shoulder but otherwise there was nothing notable.
More was coming back to him though, about his life before, his family, Scott, Beacon Hills. Little bits of information seemed to take shape and find its place in Stiles' mind. The more he remembered though, the worse his head, and heart, hurt. He had good memories yes, but there seemed to be a lot of bad ones as well. Made him wonder why he would want to remember in the first place.
The doors to the elevator opened suddenly, but nobody made a move to leave. Barnes was eyeing him cautiously from one side and his uncle was doing the same on the other. Pointedly not looking at either, Stiles stepped out of the elevator and into a common room of sorts. It was the room he remembered from before his blackout. The blonde man that had taken him from the facility was in the kitchen and there was another, shorter, blonde sitting across the room on one of the couches messing around on his phone. There was one other person in the room, on a different couch than the shorter blonde, but Stiles recognized this man.
"Tony Stark," He said almost breathlessly. The teen heard the two in the elevator slowly slip out behind him. He saw Barnes heading to the kitchen from the corner of his eye, and felt his uncle come up next to him on his left. His words alerted everyone else in the room that someone new was there. They all turned and at the moment of seeing him they became tense and the blonde on the couch even stood up from where he had been seated. Stark looked up at him yet unlike the others, he didn't seem tense he gave a small smirk and reclined into the sofa behind him.
"I must say that I am quite proud of the fact that you remember me even though you have amnesia." Tony practically gloated.
Stiles took a moment to let that sink in before replying. "I'm not a heathen, you own one of the largest tech companies in the world and you're one of the richest people in North America as well."
At that, the blonde that was on the couch perked up and asked, “Your starting to remember stuff?” Stiles gave a shrug at that and made a beeline for an armchair near Stark.
“Maybe? I don’t know somethings just pop up in my mind, like when I recognized Uncle Phil.”
The armchair that Stiles had chosen was facing the entire room and he could see everyone in the room from his spot, and for some unknown, as usual, reason he relaxed a bit at that.
“That’s good. Do you remember anything about before Hydra got a hold on you?” Bucky gently requested from his place at the kitchen bar that separated the sitting room and the kitchen. The teen grew a little uncomfortable at that and took a moment to think to himself. He doubted that they knew anything about… that. He felt kinda crazy because of the bits ands pieces that were presenting themselves in his mind, all out of order.
“Bits and pieces mostly, I remember Beacon Hills. I remember mom and dad, Scott, and a few others. It’s not a lot really.” He answered. The pain in his head was pounding, but he had become pretty use to pain at some point that he still didn’t remember so he didn’t let it show on his face. His uncle crouched in front of him, the look on his face told Stiles that some harder questions were about to come.
“Do you remember why Hydra had you? Or even how they got you? I didn’t even know you were missing until the team found you in that Hydra facility.” Let it be known that even though his father and uncle weren’t related by blood, they did have similarities. Like always asking the hard questions that Stiles doesn’t want to answer. But the elevator doors opened like God was finally on Stiles’ side for once.
As if that would ever happen.
Two people stepped out of the elevator, but his eyes were draw to a flash of bright red hair. The longer he stared the more something seemed to bubble up in his mind and he couldn’t help but feel that he knows that hair, that shade, and when he let his eyes slip down to see the face of the person that sported it the memory that had been so close suddenly sprung on to him like a lion on a gazelle.
The memory was hazy, old, and Stiles was much younger when it happened. He was visiting his uncle for the first time since his mother died, but his uncle still had to work and so Stiles had gone with him. The little brunette had wandered away from his uncle’s office in search of the restroom but had found himself hopelessly lost. The panic was just started to really form into a panic attack when he heard a voice call out to him.
“You lost, kid?” The slightly rough voice of a woman asked him, and he turned to look at her. Bright red hair stood out against the pale skin and black suit. The lady crouched down to be close to eye level to him, waiting for his response. Stiles gave a small nod to her and she held out her hand to him. Misunderstanding, he reached out and shook he hand awkwardly, and she gave a little smirk at that and asked he another question. “What’s your name, kid?”
And just as fast as the memory had jumped out at him, it receded back to the depths of his mind. As he took note of his surroundings once again, he realized everyone was looking at him again, and the snarky side that had been lost to him for months returned long enough to say, “What? I know I am pretty amazing, but staring is just weird, take a photo already, though it will never live up to the real thing.”
A short silence followed before Stark started to cackle and his uncle gave smile. The red headed woman gave a small smirk, and the other four people in the room just looked stunned.
“I don’t know how you two are related but I am so keeping the kid, Agent Agent!” Stark cried as he tried to stop laughing, gasping for breath.
His uncle shook his head, “He didn’t get that from me, that is all his mother right there.” It took a while for Stark to calm down before Uncle Phil looked at him again. “Are you alright? You were unresponsive for a couple minutes there.” Stiles gave a shrug.
“I was just remembering something.” Was all that he gave before turning his gaze back to the new pair in the room. He glanced over Nat and took a long moment to look over her companion. The man also seemed vaguely familiar, but not in the same way as Nat had. The man had tanned skin, likely from spending time in the sun or from Hispanic heritage, and somewhat messy curly black hair. He looked to be in his late 30’s maybe early 40’s. He also seemed to have a nervous disposition seeing as he got a little fidgety the longer Stiles regarded him. After watching the man fidget for a moment longer, Stiles decided to give mercy by waving at the man with a small smile.
“Hey, I’d introduce myself but I m pretty sure you know my name by now.” Stiles told the man which seemed to get the man to finally speak.
“Ah, yes, my names Bruce Banner, it’s nice to meet you.” Bruce introduced himself with a small smile.
Stiles gave genial smile to man as he thought to himself for a moment. Why did the name sound familiar? And as he racked his brain for the answer the smile was slowly replaced with a frown, causing the demure man to start to nervously fidget again.
Banner… where had he heard that name before? Wait, he hadn’t heard the name, he had read it. What was it…?
Suddenly Stiles remembered, the memory briefly causing the pain in his head to flash bright, and he snapped his fingers as an excited smile crossed his face.
“I remember now! Your Dr. Bruce Banner! You specialize in Gamma radiation!” To say the least, Stiles was quite proud of himself for remembering such a small detail. Bruce seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding, but a look was resting on his face like he was expecting something else to be said. Silence lingered in the room for a few moments too long and the smile of Stiles face faded and looked around the room. “What?”
“I’m typically more well know for… something else, but if you don’t remember right now that’s alright.” Bruce placated. Stiles frowned for a moment longer before nodding his head.
“Sorry? I didn’t mean to upset you or anything.” The teen apologized.
“Don’t worry about it,” Bruce replied, shaking his head. “The other thing really isn’t a positive one, so it’s nice that that was the first thing that you remembered.”
“Well,” the blonde in the kitchen called, “I think it’s a good time as any to have some dinner, what do ya’ think?”