The Eternal Avenger

Chapter Forty-Seven: Testing

(Natasha's POV):

I hung up the phone with Claray, grateful that the hybrid dealt with the problem in Dublin and was heading back to the compound. With Tony's invention creating a time-space gps or whatever it was he called it, we needed all hands on deck more than ever. Bruce and Tony had locked themselves on the laboratory floor, and the rest of us were working on coming up with a plan, just in case Tony's invention miraculously worked.

Several hours later, I stood in the doorway of Clint's room, looking at him for a moment before clearing my throat, announcing my presence.

"Feel weird to be back?" I asked, pushing off of the doorway and entering his room. He wouldn't look up from the floor, apparently finding it fascinating.

"Natasha, what I've done..." he began. I put a hand on his shoulder and forced him to look up at me.

"Clint, you lost your family. If I lost you guys, I'd be crazy too." He sighed.

"You've worked so hard to balance out your ledger, Natasha. I don't think you'd give that up easily." I sat down beside him on the bed, playfully ruffling what hair he had left.

"And you made a different call when you should have killed me for what I had done," I smiled, pushing his shoulder with my own. "Life is about the culmination of choices that we make, Barton. You didn't judge me for my worst mistakes, and I'm not about to judge you." He shook his head, glancing down at his hands.

"Yeah, well maybe you should." I poked him in the ribs and he glanced at me.

"Not a chance. I missed you." He smiled at me for the first time since he'd been back.

"I missed you too, Nat." A chime from Friday indicated that a quinjet was landing. Clint looked up at me expectantly.

"Go on, Nat," he teased. "We all know that you're far more excited to see the hybrid than you are hanging out with me, anyway." I rolled my eyes. He stood, brushing off his clothes before walking to the door himself. "I told Banner and Scott that I'd come down to the lab anyway." We walked as far as we could together before diverging into two different directions. I headed outside, and Clint headed further into the compound, heading for the lab. By the time I made it outside, Claray was already almost to the front door. The smile that slid easily across her face upon seeing me made my heart happy. If this plan could actually work, it would be even happier. Claray stood there, dropping her bag onto the ground, opening her arms. I couldn't help but laugh. This "movie-magic" reunion imitation had become a habit recently, and it made me laugh every time. I launched myself from the doorway directly at the hybrid, running top-speed. I jumped at the last moment and she caught me effortlessly as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and my legs around her waist.

"There she is, my little redheaded koala," she murmured into my ear, holding me close against her body. Our reunion was shortened, however, by Scott venturing out of the front door, holding some tacos.

"They're ready to start testing," he announced, glancing from me to Claray. She collected her bag from the ground, looking up at me.

"Let's do this," she whispered, confidently. I wish I felt half of the confidence in the plan as she seemed to.

(Claray's POV):

The boys were already squaring off by the time we arrived at the lab. Typical. They glanced up at us as we made our presence known, my fingers still clinging tightly to Natasha's. She had filled me in on the walk over. Before Tony showed up, Bruce had done his own testing, and it hadn't exactly gone according to plan. Although Tony explained the downfalls to attempting something like this, I had no idea what he meant. Now that we were approaching the testing phase again, everyone was on edge, and no one wanted to be the first in line to volunteer. I did a double-take upon seeing Thor. Wow. It reminded me that, although he was older than me, it wasn't by much, and it still was worth watching my figure. Jeez. Scott and Clint stood in some kind of grey suit, and they were both arguing with Banner – something about particles, and test runs. I had enough. I was still tired from my trip, and it wasn't like I had any other plans today.