Water and Demons » Marvel |2| ✓

Chapter 23. Turns Out, I Was Totally In Shock

March 3, 2023.

I roll over in bed for what feels like the hundredth time. I look at the clock that sits on the nightstand beside me.

1:30.

Jeez.

I sit up and see Peter, sound asleep on the bottom bunk with Clint on the top bunk.

I'm hungry.

I decide to head downstairs and raid the Stark's kitchen.

I open the cupboard and find a jar of Nutella as well as an unopened box of graham crackers. There's other stuff in there, but those two things caught my eye. I take the Nutella, the graham crackers, and a butter knife over to Tony's lab. I end up going back to my room and grabbing my piece of the Soul Stone.

"Eliza, is there any way I could turn this into a piece of jewelry?" I ask after returning to Tony's lab.

"You could probably get the stone professionally cut and you could set it in a necklace, kinda like Tony did with the one you wear everyday. Could probably do the same, just with a ring or a bracelet." Eliza replies as I munch on Nutella covered graham crackers.

"Huh." I say with my mouth full. "Just, I need something to make right now."

"Lina?"

"Oh. Hi. Did I wake you up?" I ask.

"No." Clint says. "You ok?"

"I'm not sure. Between actually knowing that everything's gonna be ok and knowing that my world has fallen apart, I don't know." I say.

She's dead.

She's gone.

How has it just hit me that I'm an orphan again?

How has it just hit me that I will never see Mama again?

"Hey. You doing ok?" Nat asks, taking the seat across from me.

"Yeah. Best I can. I keep thinking about what I'm going to do when this is all over. I could be a SHIELD agent. I could totally enroll in Midtown. I might take Tony up on his occasional offer to work for him at Stark Industries. It's just hard. Being an Avenger has been one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. I wish I didn't have to give that up." I say.

"Steve Rogers. Going somewhere?"

"Natasha." He says.

"I was just on my way to visit my daughter, when I find you and Bucky here. It's like running into someone at an airport, don't you think?" She asks.

"Nat. Come with us. We're escaping. You don't fully agree with Tony, and neither do I. Come with me. Please." I beg.

"Fine. Only because I'm your mother and I'm not leaving you." She says.

"Well, I'm going back to sleep." I say, walking into my room.

"Hey." Nat says.

"Yeah?" I ask, poking my head out of my room.

"Best of assassins and best of daughters." Nat grins.

"Oh my gosh, that was amazing!!" I grin, doubling over with the giggles.

"I know." Nat says.

"Wait, what'd I miss?" Coulson asks.

"Ok! Welcome home!" Hermes says, finally coming to a stop.

"Oh jeez. I feel like I'm going to throw up." I say, holding my stomach.

"If you are, aim away from the chariot." Hermes says.