Bird Set Free | Natasha Romanoff ✓

Chapter Fifty-Four

The team of Avengers moved through the Quantum Realm together before appearing back on the platform of the Quantum Realm Generator in the Avengers Compound. 

"Did we get them all?"

Shocked glances worked their way around the room, disbelief crossing their faces when they realized that they had done it and were still all standing together. 

"Are you telling me this actually worked?"

A loud sound of someone hitting the glass drew everyone's attention to the two broken people. Clint was on his knees, staring at the ground in shock. While Aquila was completely silent, unable to stop the realization creeping deep into her bones. 

"Clint, Aquila, where's Nat?" Bruce questioned frantically as even without any explanation, the truth of what had happened hit the rest. 

Sadness quickly overtook their previous elation at completing the mission successfully. The mission was completed and they had another chance to make things right but at what cost. 

Tears pooled in all eyes as Bruce fell to his knees, pounding the glass floor beneath him in his grief. 

All eyes soon drifted to Aquila who had left the rest of the team without a single word leaving her lips. 

She headed straight to the compound kitchen, swinging open the fridge door, her hand immediately reaching for one of Thor's cans of beer, finishing it in a single gulp before crushing it in her closed fist. 

It seemed like old habits never died hard. But now Nat was gone, there was nothing else that could pull Aquila away anymore from it, no-one to help her break her worst habit again. She had nothing anymore. 

Aquila reached for a second can, cracking it open before lifting it to her lips when a hand stopped her. 

"Aquila." A voice called to her. Tony's voice. "Don't do this, Natasha wouldn't want to see you like this."

Silence filled the space between them, Tony's words slowly working their way into Aquila's mind. 

Natasha wouldn't want to see you like this. 

Natasha wouldn't want to see you like this. 

A calming feeling washed over Aquila before anger replaced it in a quick second. 

"Well, she's gone now! Isn't she? She can't help me to stop it again, can she? She's gone! Gone, Tony, gone!" Aquila shouted, tears pooling in her eyes once again, her hand automatically pulling the can up to her mouth. 

"Aquila, stop!" Tony demanded, his hand resting on the can once again. "This isn't the right way to do this, you know it."

Aquila's eyes sharpened with her fury. "If you restrict me again I won't hesitate to go all eagle on your ass, understood?"

It didn't take long for the last time she transformed to replay once again in her mind with her words. Her failure. 

"It's all my fault." Aquila sobbed out, her mood changing quickly once again. "All my fault. I tried. I tried to save her. I was too late."

Silence filled the kitchen once again, Tony simply opening his arms to hold his crying friend, the can of beer long forgotten. After all, throughout everything that had happened, they would always be family, missing member or not. 

"Come outside with us, Aquila. I know you are grieving, we all are but no one should be alone when going through this, and you'll never be alone again, you'll always have us. And we are always going to support you no matter what, okay?"