The Eternal Avenger: Book Two

Chapter Two: Old Friends

(Claray's POV):

Vormir was a desolate place. I'd been here for who knows how long at this point, and there was really little I could do except for hope someone came by that I could grab a ride from. The red guardian dude was gone, I had walked up and down that mountain several times trying to spot him and came up empty each time. I had no idea if time worked the same here as it did on earth, and with no sunrise to speak of, telling time was simply not feasible. I set up a small camp for myself at the base of the mountain, doing my best to keep warm. I was there when Steve Rogers showed up.

"Steve?" My voice failed me for a minute as I saw the super soldier again, appearing through a purple-ish haze. His eyes opened wide.

"Oh, my god. Claray!" He rushed to my side as I struggled to my feet. Although I didn't need to eat food like a regular human to survive, it did provide me with much-needed strength, which seemed to be failing me right now.

"Steve, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused.

"Returning the stones to their own timeline," he sighed, staring down at the ground. "Banner said it was really important." I nodded. Steve looked at me, pressing a vial into my hands. "I'm not going back, Claray. I owe a lady a dance," I looked up at him curiously.

"Steve, what are you planning on doing?" He smiled wistfully, glancing around.

"You can take the other Pym particle to get back." He said, nodding and closing my hand around the vial containing the red liquid. I smirked slightly.

"As much as I'd love to, I don't think I'm going anywhere." He frowned in confusion as I showed him the smashed gizmo that Tony had created. It had broken into pieces during the fall. Steve frowned.

"But that means," he started, looking at me, realization spreading across his face.

"Claray, I'm sorry." He rested his hands on my shoulders. I smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Rogers. Where else am I going to get a view like this, anyway?" I walked with him up the mountain, explaining to him what happened when Clint, Natasha, and I arrived, determined to retrieve the Soul Stone. He smiled as I described my betrayal of the Russian assassin, knowing it was necessary in order for me to do what had to be done.

"How pissed was she?" He smirked at me, glancing at me from the corner of my eye. I smiled at the memory.

"You have no idea." Steve laughed, picturing a no-doubt furious Natasha in his head.

"Sounds about right." He chuckled.

"Steve, did we..." I couldn't finish the thought, a negative answer surely enough to break me. Steve paused for a moment, before looking down at the ground.

"We got him, but we paid a price." The look on his face was pinched – sad, even. I swallowed.

"Who did we lose?" He looked at me.

"Don't beat yourself up, kid." I frowned. That wasn't an answer.

"Is Natasha..." I couldn't finish that question either.

"She was injured, Claray. I'm not sure what happened after I left." I sighed, sinking down onto a stone in the path, nodding but not trusting myself to speak.

"I've got to get out of here." Steve rested a hand on my shoulder softly. We resumed walking, continuing our way to the top of the mountain. Steve stood, looking over the edge, whistling.

"That's one hell of a drop," he murmured, looking back at me. "How are you standing here right now?" I sighed. If there was one thing that I had plenty of, it was time for thinking.

"I think it was the serum that Shuri formulated in Wakanda," I started. "It allowed me to heal myself without the need for human blood. It took some time, but it seems as though my body put itself back together." Steve nodded.

"And now you're stuck?" I nodded.

"I'll let somebody know to come for you," he said softly. I laughed.

"But you're going to go make good on your promise of a dance, mister." He smiled at me.

"True. But I have to drop something off for Sam." He gestured to his shield. My eyebrows immediately rose in the air.

"Captain Falcon?" I smirked, Steve nodding.

"He's the man for the job." I nodded, understanding. Steve stood on the edge of the cliff, pulling a shining object out of a pocket from his suit. "Here goes nothing." He dropped the stone over the side, watching it vanish part of the way down. A whooshing sound behind us caused us both to instantly spin around, expecting the worst. Oh goody. The red floating guy was back.

I immediately felt Steve's entire body tense next to me. "Red Skull?" he murmured.

"Who?"

"Captain Rogers," the ethereal voice spoke.

"Oh good, you're back," I snarked.

"What are you doing here?" Steve demanded.

"I, too, once sought the stones. Even held one in my hands. But it cast me out and banished me here. I now guide others to the treasure that I cannot possess." Steve straightened, his grip tightening on his shield.

"Good. It's no less than you deserve." His voice had a sharpness to it that surprised me. These two clearly had a past.

"Claray Ridel," the creature addressed me now.

"What happens now?" I asked.

"You made the exchange. You are free to go." I looked at him expectantly.

"Go where? How?" If the creature could smile, it appeared that he was attempting to do it.

"That's up to you." He vanished back into thin air.

"Well, that's helpful." I muttered. Steve looked at me apologetically.

"I have to get the rest of these back. But I'll send help." I nodded.

"Take care of yourself, Rogers." I hugged the super soldier for what felt like the last time. "Give my regards to Peggy," I smirked as we both pulled back from the embrace. He smiled at me.

"Will do." I nodded and stepped away as he inserted another Pym particle into its designated compartment, glancing at me one last time before pressing the button on his hand and vanishing just as suddenly as he had appeared.

(Natasha's POV):

I swung Nathanial around in a circle one more time (or so I thought) glancing around the yard. Lila was practicing with Clint on the bow and arrow set he had given her. Cooper was under a different tree, reading. As expected, these kids were nothing but balls of energy, and it was good for me to spend time with them. Clint and Laura, also as expected, had been great welcoming me into their home. I was able to pick on Clint now for his wife's younger age, and we ganged up on him a lot when he decided to keep shaving the sides of his head. Laura's presence had been very calming for him and watching him explain what happened to her was heartbreaking. When he got to the part about Claray, although Laura had never met the hybrid, she immediately wrapped me in a warm hug. "I'm so sorry, Nat," she whispered softly, squeezing me tight. I returned the hug silently, not trusting myself to speak. We talked about the snap – or the blip as it was now being called – a lot. Every time I caught the sound of children's laughter, I felt a pang of gratitude that they were back. Clint deserved a happy ending just as much as anybody, and who could say that anybody else wouldn't have made the same choices had their whole lives been snatched away from them so suddenly. Clint and Laura both were treating me with little kid gloves – breaking apart from each other from a cuddle or a kiss when I glanced their way. I got it, they didn't want to rub my face in the fact that, although his happiness had returned, it was at the cost of mine.

(Wanda's POV):

I walked out of the S.W.O.R.D. facility, climbing into my car and resting my forehead on the wheel. The things they had done to Vision's body...I stopped myself mid-thought. No. That was not how this was going to end. I glanced to the passenger seat, Vision's final gift to me sitting there, folded neatly. The deed to a piece of property in Westview. If I had to say goodbye, I may as well do it there.