The Royal Asgardian

Chapter 120

Me and Scott click and we're zoomed back to the Quantum platform. Everyone starts to look around to see all the recovered stones.

I hug steve close. "Oh thank Odin it worked "

Bruce speaks up "Did we get them all?"

James really happy and surprised "You telling me this'll actually work?"

There's a pause as everyone starts to realise someone is missing.

Bruce asks the question on our minds "Clint, where's Nat?"

The silence from Clint tells them all they need to know. The mission was completed but at a dire cost.

Sadness overtakes everyone.

Bruce falls to his knees and pounds the floor in grief.

........

we walk outside for fresh air. We're standing on the dock on the Lakeside, Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, Bruce  and me. We are mourning our fallen teammate and friend.

Tony Speaks first "Do we know if she had family?"

Steve holds me as I shed tears into his chest. "Yeah. Us."

Thor really confuses and not believing it. "What?"

Tony "I just asked him a question..."

Thor chokes a little and not in the mood to believe. "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."

Clint shakes his head while looking into the water "We can't get her back."

Thor not understanding "Wha- what?"

Clint responds "It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor dryly laughs. "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?"

Clint very upset now he looks to Thor. "Look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?"

Thor points at him "Now that's my point..."

"Shut up brother!" I walk towards Thor. "Can't you see she's gone! The Soul Stone, is a Soul for the Soul! She's gone..." I stubble a little and Steve catches me.

Clint speaks up "It can't... be undone. Or that's at least what the, great floating guy had to say." He also begins to shout. "Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him." Clint's anger is quickly replaced with grief "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamned stone. She bet her life on it."

In a burst of anger, Bruce grabs a bench and hurls it clear across the lake. His anger spent, he turns to the others with a resigned look on his face. "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to."

Steve looks down at me. "We will."

I nod and stand holding Steve's hand. "For Natasha. We owe it to her. For the faded loved ones. We owe it to them."