The Other Rogers

Chapter 47

Natasha stood in the rain watching as her best friend had his back to her. The road that had once housed many kiosks and stalls that would have been filled with unique foods to the culture and all sorts of Knick-knacks.

Now all that the street housed were dead bodies as the cobbles bled and flowed with the blood of the dead.

She couldn't believe what her friend had become; decades ago, it was the other way around; her running around killing people.

As the last of the Yakuza took their last breath; her friend noticed her presence and wasn't impressed.

"You shouldn't be here."

Natasha scoffed, holding her umbrella tighter as she walked towards the man. The rain ran down his face making it appear as if he had aged twenty years. Despite it being five years since she had seen him last, Natasha couldn't help but smile at the sight of her best friend, of the man who had saved her from her life, from herself. "Neither should you."

"I've got a job to do." He turned back around, wringing out his mask which was now soaked from the rain and blood combined.

Natasha looked around, the trail of bodies almost identical to those in the past, especially the drug cartel in Mexico. "Is that what you're calling this? Killing all these people isn't gonna bring your family back."

Clint supressed a sob as he looked into the green eyes that haunted him as much as those of his family.

Of his wife, and three children. Natasha was family to him as much as they were, she had always been there for him, except for when she wasn't.

Natasha knew she had hurt Clint by not telling him about Thanos; but she knew he wanted to retire; Sokovia was the last straw for him.

He had almost died, leaving his two children and one on the way without a father; but thanks to the actions of a woman, one he hadn't had the chance to meet, he didn't face death instead she did.

Yes, Anya hadn't died, and Clint had been given the chance and time to meet her properly, but the scare was enough for the archer to realise that his family was more important.

"We found something. A chance, maybe..." Natasha trailed off as she watched Clint openly cried, his tears mixing in with the droplets of rain.

He shook his head, his throat constricting as he forced the word out, "Don't..."

Natasha was now face to face with him and smiled when she saw the kind shimmer to his eyes that she had dreaded he had lost. "Don't what?"

Clint huffed, looking up to the sky and then to the pavement of dead Yakuza. "Don't give me hope."

Natasha cried, the sorrows her friend reaching her now.

She had dreamt of this day, where she could help him, help everyone who had lost someone important to them. "I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you sooner."

Natasha hugged her friend, and the duo made their way through the streets of Japan until they approached the hidden Quinjet, Natasha had stashed away hours before.

As they walked into the dry and warm jet, Clint noticed the ring that adorned her finger. "You got married!"

Natasha nodded; her mind filled with guilt from not inviting him. But then again, how could you invite a man who had disappeared, the only sign of his existence being the trail of dead bodies he left behind. "Yes, Steve proposed and the only thing that was missing was you. I didn't have my best friend by my side."

Clint sighed, sitting down and playing around with the ring. It was old fashion with just enough modern bling to it that made him smirk.

Unknown to the team, Natasha loved old-fashion things. She'd rather a record player than an I-pod. So, the soldier out of time was a perfect match for her.