𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄. ¹ | wanda maximoff

11 | 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓

THE ORIGINAL members of the team were all sat outside at the docks of the compound, still in shock about Natasha's death. Carson was stood in silence, leaning against one of the pillars with his arms folded across his chest, looking out at the water.

Another person close to him dead.

And once again, he couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Do we know if she had any family?" Tony cleared his throat and asked.

Steve swallowed thickly. "Yeah. Us."

Carson's heart seemed to break just that little bit more at Steve and Tony's words. Yeah, sure, the Avengers were her family. But she had another family too. One that only Carson and Clint knew about.

"Shit... Lena." Carson whispered under his breath.

The two men made eye contact and Clint walked over to Carson, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as he knew exactly who he was thinking about.

"What?" Thor walked over to Tony. "What are you doing?"

"Just asking him a question." Tony tried to calm him down.

"Yeah, no, you're acting like she's dead." Thor raised his voice a little. "Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back. Isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together."

"Can't get her back." Carson spoke for the first time making everyone look at him.

Thor furrowed his brows. "Wh... what?"

"It can't be undone."

Thor laughed. "Look, I'm sorry Carson, but you're a very earthly based being, okay? And we're talking about space magic. And can't seems very definitive. Don't you think?"

"Listen sparkles, I get that you're more experienced with what happens up there. Truly, I do." Carson narrowed his eyes at the god. "But she still isn't here, is she?"

Thor blinked a few times, a little taken back by his tone. "No... that's my point."

"As I just said, it cannot be undone." Carson started walking over to Thor, his voice breaking as he spoke. "Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, huh?" He snapped, his eyes starting to flicker red. "Considering you're so damn adamant that you can change the outcome, right? So go grab you're little hammer and you go fly and you talk to him!"

Thor didn't reply. Instead he stayed silent and looked down at the ground, realising what he was saying was only making things worse.

"It was supposed to be me!" Carson's jaw clenched as he tried to stifle the tears. "It should've been me..."

Tony and Steve's heads both shot up at Carson's words.

"Wait," Tony looked at him in disbelief, a shiver running down his spine as he thought about the fact that Carson could've been the one who didn't return. "You were going to..."

"I wasn't going to, I already went through with it. But she found a way to stop me." Carson said quietly. "She sacrificed herself for that goddamn stone. She bet her fucking life on it."