Avengers: Whatever it Takes

Five Years

For Natasha, Steve, Bruce and Sue, the passage of five years was a lifetime. Each day seemed to be longer than the last. Though they were able to occupy themselves with their work as The Avengers, spare time was often painful.

Bruce and Natasha had found solace in their relationship. Amazingly enough, they were able to find that a certain joy could exist for them. It was a small joy in the midst of the chaotic and crumbling world they lived in; but it was joy nonetheless. And joy of any shape or size had to be cherished.

Natasha used the rest of her time keeping up with Avengers-related activity. It gave her something else to do that could possibly help in her endless quest to atone for the past.

Bruce dove headfirst into studying his inability to transform into the Hulk. Since Thanos he'd been filled with guilt that no one could ease. The question was always on his mind of how things might have turned out had he been able to. His work had resulted in countless hours of study and experimentation, ending with shocking results- his Hulk and Bruce personas became one. Bruce's mind in Hulk's body. A powerful, destructive force maintained on the leash of an intelligent and rational mind. Of course, this development didn't exactly ease him. Guilt was still a specter that lurked at all times.

Steve leaned on his group therapy so heavily the others knew that if he wasn't working, he was with the group. He spent long hours talking to other people and connecting with them over shared grief. It brought him comfort. It made him feel useful, like he was still able to contribute in some way.

Sue, who had given birth to a son, spent her time leaning into motherhood. Though it was hard to be a single parent, the hardest part was looking into her son's eyes and seeing a part of Reed staring back at her. It should have been a comfort, but she cried often in secret because of it.

"He's beautiful," Natasha said one day as she and Sue sat outside of Avengers compound and watched the boy, who Sue had named Franklin after Reed's father.

"He's Reed's best invention," Sue said with a smile.

The Avengers coordinated their missions alongside Okoye, Guardian, Carol and Rocket, with the latter two providing intelligence from various reaches of the universe.

Alpha Flight was also a team that proved to be a valuable asset. When The Blip had taken place, the entire team had been in another dimension. As it turned out, while Thanos was enacting his plans with the Infinity Stones, an ancient and malevolent force was invading from a dimension called the Realm of the Beasts. Alpha Flight had been there during the fight, only returning after The Blip had happened. As a result, their entire team of seven had remained intact.

Natasha, who remained the driving force behind the Avengers, was often completely immersed in their dealings.

"Rocket, Nebula- what were your findings on the suspicious warship?" Natasha asked during a meeting with the others, via holographs.

Rocket shrugged his shoulders. "We boarded the 'highly suspicious warship' that Danvers pinged."

"And?"

Nebula's hologram rolled its eyes. "It was an infectious garbage scow," she answered.

"Yeah," Rocket chimed in. "So thanks for the hot tip."

Carol shrugged her shoulders. "You were closer."

"Yeah, and now we smell like garbage," Rocket grunted.

Natasha smiled and made a note of Rocket and Nebula's findings before directing her attention to Okoye. "What about the tremors? Did you get a reading?"

"Minor subduction in the African plate," Okoye calmly explained.

Natasha nodded. "Do we have a visual? How are you handling it?"