I'm Iron Man, And I'm Agent Coulson

Chapter 80 We Won, but What did We Lose?

A hushed voice and a sharp pain in my shoulder woke me up. The lights overhead blinded me, but I groaned and forced myself to sit up. I blinked as I noticed Nat pocketing the phone she was using, and focus on me.
"I really need to stop this passing out crap," I croaked, and looked around for some water, "it's getting old."
"You've been through some shit, and Clint told me you haven't slept, so it's understandable, but you've been out for about three hours, how're feeling?" She asked, and cleared her throat.
I immediately tried to clear my head and focused on her face, but her smile didn't reach her eyes, and she had the same look spread over her face as she did when Wanda blinded her.
"What's wrong?" I croaked, and straightened my back, "oh god.. Pietro, Clint.." I mustered, as Pietro's dead eyes fluttered in front of me.
"Relax, but yes, Pietro was our only loss," she mumbled, and sat down in the small chair, "and Clint's gonna be okay."
"And Wanda? Bruce?" I asked, after a few quiet seconds.
I looked out into the open hallway, expecting Bruce, Tony, or even Steve to turn into my room, but agents were running passed, as if we weren't there.
"Tony and Steve are helping what's left of Sokovia," she continued, as if she didn't hear me earlier, "Stark's foundation's here, and what's left of SHIELD, are trying to aid the wounded, and figure out how to get families back together. Wanda's refused to leave Pietro's side, and Vision's with her."
She sounded like a robot, and finally I slid off the makeshift bed and carefully kneeled down in front of her.
"Natasha, do I have to beat it out of you?" I asked, and grabbed her hand. I gave her a reassuring squeeze and looked up into her face.
"Bruce's gone," she replied, and shot up out of her seat. She quickly walked to the small window, where I noticed we were still just a few hundred feet above Sokovia, "we were gonna leave, after all this was said and done," she admonished, and crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't know where, but we were gonna go, together, at least that's what we planned."
My first reaction was shock.
I assumed they cared a great deal for each other, but for Nat, it was more than that. Her team, was one of the most important aspects of her life, not only because of the fight, but for the shelter we provided for each other. Yet, she must of found something else in Bruce, in order to leave all of it behind.
My heart broke for her, and I put my hand on her back. My stomach lurched, thinking about her not being next to me, or "borrowing" my clothes. I loved her, but I couldn't blame her for wanting to leave. She'd been fighting longer than any of us, and deserved some semblance of happiness, but with Bruce's unexpected disappearance.. I didn't know what else I could say to her.
"I'm sorry cectpa," I whispered, and stood next to her. It'd been a long time since I'd seen so much emotion, namely sadness in her eyes, and it crushed me, "but I'm sure we'll find him."
"No, he was in the jet, but turned off the monitor after I asked him to come back," she added, still looking out the window. There were no tears in her eyes, but that didn't mean they weren't there, "he left..."
"Natalia, nothing I can say will stop it from hurting, but we all deal with what we've done in our own ways, you know that," I concurred, and grabbed her hand, "Bruce's never come to terms with who he is, and I'm sorry, but you know for a fact just how hard that alone can be."
I wished I could offer her more, but in the silence I understood Bruce's side, as well. He was going to be hounded, and hunted because of Johannesburg, and his abilities, and one thing I knew for sure about Natasha, was if we surely needed her, she would of come back.
"You and me sestru," I whispered, and brought my forehead down on hers.

"Oh good, you're both here," Maria interrupted, and barged into the room, "we could use your help out here, some of these people don't speak English, and it's taking forever for our agent's who do speak the language, to get through the list of civilians we have, waiting for help."
"We'll be right there," I ordered, and tentatively moved my sore shoulder. The pain wasn't as bad, but I was stiff, and had a little mobility.
"Let's go, we have work to do," Nat replied abruptly, and shook herself. The calm facade, she usually carried, slid over her face and body, "we have a lot of lose ends, before we head home and deal with the fallout."
I watched her walk away, and took a deep breath before zipping up my suit, following her out the door, on it to stop.
The rush of sadness was severe, and soaked into my skin. The fight, the worry, and loss all permeated my being, leaving me helpless. In a flash of rage, I stopped believing in whatever lived inside me.
No more whispers, no more prayers.
I still wanted answers, but I wasn't going to let myself be consumed by something that was utterly useless to save those who needed it. Oh, it was there, I could feel it rumbling under my skin, and in the pit of my stomach, but it failed, like it always did, leaving me with nothing but more guilt, and blame.
I may of helped save Clint and the child in his arms, but Pietro died, right there in front of me, shielding us. I didn't know the Maximoff, but with his sacrifice, for us, left me gasping air. Hell, I didn't want to die either, unlike what I remember Tony yelling at me earlier, and I was sure I wouldn't, but it was too late to go back.
"You lied too me," I mumbled too myself, but finally stepped out into the busy hall. I want surprised nothing answered, but I had work to do, and began making my way up front.