What The Shadows Hide ~ Natasha x female OC.

8.1. The Endgame

The Endgame

Five minutes can mean nothing, but they can also mean everything.
You would think five years can't mean nothing, because it's a really long time.
But to Natasha, the five years since her wife disappeared meant nothing.
Not a single thing.

She was living in her grief, in their failure.
Every second of every day.
She tried to fix them, to make the outcome better.

And she never gave up,
or never moved on,
whatever you'd like to call it.
But that was what saved everyone, or at least half the beings of the universe.

-

"Costia, come on. Wake up." Wanda said, she was kneeling on the ground of the forest, right next to Costia. The brunette was laying there, eyes closed, but Wanda felt she was alive.

Costia didn't know what to think or feel. She was exhausted. How long had she been laying there? She must've imagined Wanda talking to her, because she saw how she faded into ashes. But on the other hand, Costia did too. So what was this? The afterlife?

"Costia." the redhead repeated, but Costia wasn't moving from her postion. "I know you can hear me, look at me." she said, her voice raised. Costia felt her cold hands on her face.

The brunette opened her eyes, she blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness. Her hand immediately went up to her face, her cheek hurt like hell. She felt warm blood on her hand. "Ouch." Costia complained as she looked at the woman next to her.

"Wanda, you're okay!" she exclaimed as she sat up quickly, too quickly. Everything went black for a few seconds, but she chose to ignore it. She hugged her friend tightly. "Okay isn't exactly the word I would use." Wanda said dry.

"What happened?" Costia asked. "Where is Natasha? And where are the others?" she asked as she looked around, a little confused when she saw no one, even Vision's body was gone. Then she remembered Vision was murdered, she couldn't imagine how Wanda must feel.

"Costia." they heard Bucky say. Costia quickly stood up as the man approached them, he wrapped her in a hug. So it wasn't just Wanda and her, Bucky was back too. "Where are the others?" she asked impatient.

"I don't know." Bucky said. "Do you know what happened?"

"We turned into ashes and now we're here again, but not all of us." Costia said. "No, no I have no idea what happened." she said as she glanced at Wanda, she was still sitting on the ground, her gaze focused on a spot in front of her.

"There you are." Sam said as he walked towards them, "I thought you all forgot me here. Where are the others?" he asked.

"That's a good question." Costia said as she looked around. "We don't have an answer."

They stood there for a moment, considering their options. They didn't have too many, they would walk back to the city and hope the others were there with an explanation. But at least not only their friends were gone, but their enemies too. This was all very strange.

"I am Groot."

They all turned around, facing the tree from before. Costia chuckled as she walked a little closer to him. "Hey, really nice to meet you." she said. "You don't know what happened by any chance?"

"I am Groot." the tree repeated.

Costia sighed. "Okay." she said as she turned back around.

Suddenly a yellow portal opened next to them, a man stepped through it. All of the Avengers drew their weapons, ready to attack. "Thanos is back, it's been five years since you turned into ashes, half of the beings in the universe did by the way. You were brought back, somehow." the man said. "But Thanos is back now, as I said. We need you to defeat him."