The group moved with incredible efficiency, arriving at the roof of Stark Tower in no time.
They had caught a glimpse of the rooftop when they first flew in from the outside, but back then, there hadn't been a helicopter in sight.
A machine like that couldn't just be left out to rot in the wind and sun.
With a quick press of a button by Tony, the helipad split open, sliding to either side. To the mechanical hum of a rising lift, a helicopter was hoisted up from the depths of the building.
Among the Avengers, there was no shortage of pilots.
Natasha stepped up to take the stick, and Barton naturally claimed the seat beside her. After all, out of everyone there, those two were the least suited for a head-on brawl.
The helicopter took off, quickly banking toward the coordinates Peter had pointed out.
In truth, they didn't even need the kid to lead the way.
The makeshift shelter he'd cobbled together was the most conspicuous thing in the entire city—several train cars lashed together with webbing, suspended precariously between a cluster of skyscrapers.
It looked like a massive hammock; the train cars were the bed, and the webs were the ropes.
Seeing it now was one thing, but as Peter looked at his handiwork, he buried his face in his hands.
He was already spiraling, wondering how on earth he'd ever pay for the damages once the post-disaster reconstruction began. Unlike his past scraps with villains where the environment just got caught in the crossfire, this particular eyesore was entirely his fault.
"Don't sweat it. I'll handle the bill—well, the 'me' from here will," Tony said with a shrug.
The others shot him a look that spoke volumes.
You really know how to play yourself, don't you? Not only was he freeloading technology from his alternate self, but he was also sticking the guy with the tab without a second thought.
Then again, reflecting on the Tony from their own universe, he'd always been that kind of man. His sense of responsibility was, if anything, a little too intense.
The thrum of the helicopter wasn't deafening, but in the eerie silence of the dead city, the sound carried. Inside the train cars, Bucky and the others caught the unusual vibration and turned toward the noise.
"A helicopter? In the middle of the apocalypse?" Happy rubbed his eyes. "And it's one of Tony's!?"
Bucky squinted at the approaching craft, his mind racing through possibilities of who could be on board.
Okoye, the Dora Milaje who had only just arrived to protect the Black Panther, looked toward the sky with equal surprise.
Before long, the chopper hovered right in front of the "hammock."
"Hey! Happy! Everyone! It's time to do something meaningful and end this nightmare!" Peter poked his head out of the lowering rear hatch, waving frantically at the survivors inside the train.
"End the disaster?" Okoye blinked. Had this helicopter picked up that signal too?
"Wait, what is going on?" Happy looked skeptically through the cockpit glass. He could clearly see the silhouettes of Natasha and Barton. Had Okoye been right? Was there actually a cure?
Following his gaze, Okoye noticed them too. "You've developed a cure? No... was that signal coming from you?"
"Let's just get on board first," Bucky cut in, his patience wearing thin. Curiosity was a luxury he didn't have; his heart was heavy with anxiety, his only goal to find the cure and then find his best friend.
A sharp pang of grief hit him at the thought of Rogers. When the zombie outbreak first hit, he hadn't wanted Steve to go back. They hadn't even known where they stood with the Council or SHIELD.
But Rogers had gone anyway. He hadn't just gone for himself; he'd taken Natasha with him.
Despite all the friction and the rocky road they'd traveled, Rogers had kept his word. When the world—when Tony—needed him, he would be there.
And yet... the result was...
Bucky shook his head, physically tossing the memories aside. With a heavy thud, he punched a hole through the train car wall and leaped across the gap onto the helicopter's ramp.
"Careful, careful!" This was an aerial hand-off, after all. As Bucky landed, the helicopter lurched under his weight, but the pilot was top-tier; within seconds, the craft was steady again.
Bucky straightened up and looked into the cabin.
His gaze locked instantly onto the figure of Steve Rogers.
"Steve?" He whispered, unable to process what he was seeing. He hadn't expected to see his friend ever again, but the realization hit him almost immediately—something was off. Still, the words "You're not Steve" died in his throat.
How could this be?
"You're right. I'm not the Steve you know." Rogers' expression was stiff. He'd stayed away from the hatch specifically because he wasn't ready to face Bucky yet.
"Alright, it looks like we're going to have to give the 'we're from the past' speech to every single person we meet."
The two couldn't just stand there staring longingly at each other forever.
Tony didn't know the depth of their history, but he broke the silence anyway. "So, it looks like our Cap isn't the only Popsicle in town. Welcome to the team. Your power is... a fancy metal arm?"
He gestured toward Bucky's limb.
"...And combat training. And marksmanship."
Looking at this much younger Tony Stark, Bucky didn't know how to react. Forget this younger version—he didn't even know how to face the Tony he already knew.
But now wasn't the time for a heart-to-heart. Until the crisis was averted, he had to keep the tangled mess of their relationships under wraps.
"Happy! Gotcha!" Peter snagged Happy with a strand of webbing and hauled him into the cabin.
"Thanks. This is a bit much for a regular guy like me."
The extra weight on Happy's face jiggled as he looked around the cabin, jumping slightly when he saw the face near the front. "To—Mr. Stark!?"
"Great, another one who knows me," Tony exhaled. "Let's wait until everyone's on board before I explain the situation again."
It was partly to save his breath, but mostly because he needed a moment to breathe.
He was beginning to realize that things probably hadn't gone well for Pepper.
He should have given her better ways to protect herself...
Once the cramped cabin was packed to the gills, Rogers stepped forward to brief everyone on the situation. For the survivors of this world, seeing these young Avengers from 2012 was jarring, but having Thor there provided a much-needed sense of security.
After explaining the "zombie virus" and the signal originating from New Jersey, Okoye spoke up, asking if anyone knew the whereabouts of her King.
The question was met with silence. These Avengers didn't even know who she or her King were.
Though her spirit sank, Okoye didn't press further. More than anything, the cure was the priority—even Banner knew that.
If they didn't fix this, they wouldn't even need Thanos to show up; Earth would finish itself off.
The hordes of zombies weren't "dead" in the traditional sense; they needed to eat. But for them, food was a non-renewable resource, and they had already picked the planet clean.
If they didn't hurry, the zombies would eventually starve to death, which effectively meant the total extinction of the human race.
They were officially racing against the clock.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.