"You really are the Ryan I knew." Captain America looked at Ryan, visibly moved.
He still remembered the figure who had stood against the Chitauri.
He remembered Tony telling him who had held up the falling land single-handedly after Ultron's defeat.
It all felt like yesterday.
People everywhere looked up to Supes. Perhaps, Captain America thought, some Supes looked up to Ryan.
Ryan had no idea how much was going through Captain America's head, nor did he care that the man was moved.
Whether it was admiration or gratitude, it came down to hoping for something in the future.
In the woods, Scarlet Witch caught Ryan's hand. "Are you really going? You're strong, but this is time travel. What if you can't come back?"
"I have the Stone."
"Things can still go wrong."
"Are you worried about me, or do you just want to see me fail?"
"I'm asking you to stay." Scarlet Witch turned Ryan's head toward her and gazed at him.
He was handsome and considerate.
The more time she spent with him, the stronger her feelings quietly grew.
But Scarlet Witch also knew she couldn't talk Ryan out of it. She brushed back her hair. "Wherever you go, I'll go with you. Then, if there's danger, you can use me as a shield."
"Who would use you as a shield?" Ryan cut her off. He had noticed how Scarlet Witch felt about him.
But he had no romantic interest in either Starlight or Scarlet Witch. The Infinity Stones interested him far more than women did.
Compared with romance, fighting and muscle were what truly got his blood pumping.
Ryan had decided to leave, Scarlet Witch had decided to follow, and Ebony Maw naturally had no reason to remain in the mountains.
Everyone prepared to depart. Captain America