Chapter 45
Sam was sending Castiel sad looks as the latter was talking quietly with Bucky.
He could see how exhausted Castiel was. He didn’t sleep or eat anything since the moment Dean was gone. Even though he insists that he doesn’t actually need to do either of those things but Sam knew he was bluffing. Castiel needed sleep and food just like them and he was ignoring both of those needs. Probably because Dean was the one who always reminded him to eat by placing food in front of him and demanding him to eat, and drag him to bed at night to sleep or else Castiel might actually forgets to do so.
Unfortunately, Sam couldn’t do the same. He was a terrible cook and couldn’t make Castiel anything that wasn’t burnt and the angel doesn’t really like fast food much, and there is no force on earth other than Dean that could make Castiel get some sleep.
Just then, Natasha returned to the room carrying two plates of food. She disappeared a while ago but Sam didn’t know she was cooking and he stared at her with wide eyes as she made her way towards Bucky and Cas.
Bucky’s eyes widened when she handed him a plate but accepted it when she just send him a stern glare. When she handed the second plate to Castiel he just shook his head.
“Thank you but-“ he started but was cut off when she shoved the plate into his hands.
“You are going to eat it even if it was burned or I will shove it down your throat.” She growled in frustration. “I am not really willing to see the look on Dean’s face when you collapse in front of him from lack of food and sleep.”
Castiel paused then sighed and accepted the food with a nod. Natasha softened and squeezed his shoulder gently before walking back to sit next to Sam as he worked.
“Thank you.” he whispered and gave her a chaste kiss.
“He is family to me too, you know.” She muttered softly and leaned a little on Sam. “I hate to admit it, but Dean’s absence is affecting us all just as hard as Tony’s.”
“I knew Dean will grow on you.” Sam teased gently.
“Shut up.” She chuckled a little before she glanced up at Sam and gazed at him for a second. “What were you thinking about earlier?”
Sam sighed and looked back at the time map that was displayed in front of him. Jane had to take a rest earlier from how hard she worked and Thor led her to a room to sleep. Bruce dragged Charlie to the kitchen to make her eat something and Sam wasn’t sure where Clint was. Meanwhile, he kept staring at the time map trying to find a way to use their discovery to actually do something.
“We have the first time map but no actual time machine to use it to get them back.” Sam murmured sadly. “So what we discovered is pretty much useless.”
“It is not useless. You managed to figure out something that future Tony didn’t have the time to figure it out himself. That must help with anything.”
“Well, Tony isn’t here to build a time ship.” Sam sighed tiredly.
“Yes, he is not here. So we try to find another way. You always do.”
Sam was silent for a few seconds, watching Castiel as he dejectedly ate what was probably half burnt food since Natasha wasn’t much of a cook either.
“Do you think if we actually managed to bring them back Sydney would tell us who is her partner?” he asked curiously, letting out a small smile as Bucky and Castiel were staring in confusion at a suspicious looking thing in their plates.
“No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head as she also cracked a small smile at the scene.
“Why is that?”
“First, because I am almost sure who her grandparents are and their genes are pretty intense in her, which meant that she won’t tell us something she wants to hide no matter what. Secondly, if she was truly an Avenger in the future then her partner must be an Avenger too. So no way in hell they will tell on each other.”
“If that true that means the second time traveler is not up to anything bad, right?”
“Maybe. I-“
She was cut off by Clint storming into the room with a nervous look in his eyes.
“What is it?” Castiel immediately stood up and braced himself for bad news.
“The time traveler is trying to hack into the system again.” Clint answered nervously.
“What are they trying to hack into this time?” Natasha asked anxiously.
“They hacked into a highly classified part of the system, which held the Avengers’ files. They know every single thing about us now.”
***
The autopsy doctor’s fingers shook as he finished his work on the last burnt body and gave the general a sidelong glance.
“Nothing.” He said quietly like he was afraid of the reaction.
“What do you mean by ‘nothing’?” Holdstein shouted in anger. “There must be something!”
“Of-of course, Sir.” The doctor answered in fear. “We knew the cause of death. They were killed by machine guns and-“
“Not what I meant, you fool! I am talking about unknown thing in the bodies. Metal pieces, small devices, anything!”
“We didn’t find any of those things, sir. You have been here all the time.”
Holdstein was boiling in pure rage. He couldn’t accept this. The resistance’s men couldn’t have just killed them like that. And if they did, why the hell did they burn the bodies? And why didn’t that woman Sydney have anything on her that lead her to the ship? Could the resistance took everything in their pockets?
There must be something missing. Something that will give him the answer.
“Sir? Can we go?”
The doctor’s question pulled him from his thoughts. He turned towards him sharply and stared at him sternly for a few minutes that the poor man thought he was going to order his execution.
“Not yet.” he answered slowly.
“But we finished our work and-“
“There is still something I still need to know.”
“What something?”
Holdstein’s eyes let up in a way that scared the doctor. “I will tell you.”
He gripped the doctor’s arm and pushed him harshly towards the burnt bodies and inside his head an idea was born.
***
Sam and Jane’s eyes widened as they stared at their results before letting out loud laughs that startled everyone in the room, but Sam just darted towards a startled Castiel and grabbed him by the arm excitedly to drag him towards the computer.
“Cas! We found it! We found a way!” Sam exclaimed excitedly while dragging the angel.
“What? What did you find?” Castiel asked hopefully while Bucky stood behind him confused and the others stared at Sam and Jane in both confusion and hope.
“That frequency that emits from each hole is how we will get them back!” Jane said with a huge grin.
“How?” they all asked loudly, impatiently.
“Even though each one of the holes have its own frequency, they are all in one zone, which gave them their signature black color, but if we interfered with the main frequency with a special one, emitted very strongly in a wide range, it could change the color of our hole!” Sam explained excitedly.
“Is that possible?” Bruce asked in shock.
“I asked JARVIS if it was possible and this was the result.” Jane pressed a few keys and they watched one of the holes on the map change from black to blue then to violet then finally to red.
In awe they all stared at the red hole that looked very obvious in the white nothingness.
“Is this how it will look in the Nil Zone?” Natasha asked in wonder.
“Absolutely.” Sam nodded with a grin.
“Not just the color will change. It will emit a special frequency that the ship will absolutely catch.” Jane added with her own grin.
“Do you think they will understand what that will mean?” Thor asked carefully.
“I have no doubt that Dean will understand.” Castiel stated confidently. “And Tony definitely will too.”
“Of course.” Thor nodded.
“The moment Dean will see that red hole and Tony notice the frequency that emits from it they will immediately know it’s us and-“ Sam cut himself off when he saw the expression that passed on Castiel’s face. “Cas what is it?”
Castiel and Bucky shared a brief, silent look before Castiel gave Sam a pale, fake smile.
“Nothing, Sam. nothing.”
But Sam understood anyway.
Because it was the same thing that he thought about.
Dean and Tony will definitely understand what the red hole mean.
That is if they were alive.