Equivalent Exchange

Chapter 16

I wake up feeling with the feeling of floating. As I opened my eyes I sit up and saw that I was lying down in a puddle of water.

"Y/n?" I sat up and called out thinking that it must've been a bad dream.

I was about to push myself up with my hands to stand up but I felt something by my palm. I opened my hand and saw the Soul Stone in my hand.

"No no no no!! Nooo!!!!!" I cried as I felt my heart break as I remember her body at the bottom

I cried until the pain would subside but it never did. As I finally felt exhausted I kneeled and stared into space not knowing what to do now.

I wanted to stay. I wanted to go back hoping that she was still there alive. I suddenly looked back to the mountain, hoping that when I look back then I'll see her there. Suddenly I felt a pain in my shoulder and saw the stab wound that she made.

When I felt that pain it felt like she was telling me to go and leave. As my quantum suit activated I forcibly shrank back to the present day.

"Did we get them all?" I heard someone say

"You telling me this actually work?"

I didn't listen. I couldn't. It felt like everything is a blur.

"Nat, where's Y/n?" I was snapped out of my thought as I finally look at all of them trying to hold back my tears. I wanted to tell them, but my voice wouldn't come out.

"Nat?" Clint called for me but I couldn't keep it any longer.

I cried in pain as my mind played the memory so vividly. Clint went beside me but I couldn't stop it. After crying for a long time I felt weak and I blacked out.

*       *       *

*at the lakeside*

"Did she have another family apart from Nick?" Bruce asked

"Yeah. Us." Steve said which made the pain come back, but I tried to keep it together.

"What?" Thor asked

"I just asked him a question–"

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. 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." Thor said angrily at Bruce

"We can't get her back." I say as I look at the water

"Wha– what?"

"It can't be undone. It can't." I tell him again but he just dryly laughed.

"I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And "can't" seems very definitive don't you think?" Thor replied and I looked at him expressionless

"It can't– be undone. Or that's at least that's what the guide told us. But if you don't believe me then why don't you go grab your hammer, and go fly and talk to him yourself!" I yell getting angry, but the memory of her lying there keeps on showing up in my head changing my mood.

"It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it." I said with my voice breaking as I tried hard not to cry.

"She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to." Tony said

"We will."

*back inside the compound*

I sit quietly at the table here at the medbay as Clint's changing the gauze on my shoulder.

"You know, it's not your fault." He said and I looked at him

"It's not your fault Nat. She did it to save billions of people, but most of all she did it to save you. Because she loves you." Just like that, I was starting to cry again.

"I let her go, Clint. She was slipping. And —" I didn't finish talking when Clint hugged me and I tried to console me.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Tony's calling for everyone." Rocket said looking at us

I then quickly wiped my tears and followed him to where Tony and the others are.

When we arrived they all started to argue about who was going to put on the glove but I didn't care. Now that she's gone it's like a part of me died. It's like everything doesn't matter anymore.

I was staring into space as I felt numb but at the same time thankful. I was remembering our memories together and it's a miracle I haven't cried yet.

I want to see her again. I want to see her face, her smile, her dorky face. I want to hear her voice again, or even just her laughter or her breathing. I just want her back even for just a minute.

"You okay?" Clint asked as he grabbed my hand bringing me back to reality.

I looked around and saw Bruce standing over the glove while the others were staying silent.

"You remember– everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony said as Bruce held the glove.

Everyone then suits up and Tony positioned himself in front of me and Clint and deployed his shield as we waited for Banner.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?" Tony said then I looked around as the compound was going into lockdown.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce then puts on the gauntlet, which nanobotically expands to fit his hand. Bruce then suddenly knelt as the power surge overwhelms him and he grunts in pain.

"Take it off! Take it off!" Thor yelled in concern

"No, wait. Bruce, are you okay?" Steve says stopping Thor from interrupting

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony says

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Bruce reassures us and everyone took a breath

Bruce then tries to lift the glove and screams, fighting through the intense pain coursing through his body courtesy of the gauntlet, and manages to snap his fingers. He faints and the gauntlet slides off his arm and we all went toward him while Clint quickly kicks the glove away. Then the compound started opening up. Tony then quickly cooled down Bruce's right hand which looked like it sustained a nasty burn.

"Did it work?" Bruce asked

I looked over to Clint and saw him pick up his phone. I hear him say "honey" and I smile. It worked. It really worked.

My demeanor changed as I felt the ground tremble and the building collapse.

*       *       *

No one's POV

*a/n: I'm very lazy to write the final fight scene. Sorry.*

[fighting starts and everyone who was gone has now appeared and is fighting against Thanos' army]

[Tony manages to steal the stones on Thanos' gauntlet using nanotechnology and snap his fingers annihilating Thanos and his army]

"Tony, look at me. We're going to be okay. You can rest now." Pepper says her last words to Tony before he took his last breath.