The Prince And The Rose

05 - Moment

He almost didn’t see it happen. You miss the little things sometimes. Normally that just means you forget to tell someone you love them, or you don’t notice that one fleck of golden yellow in your best friend’s eye, or you step on a daisy because you didn’t see it.

Almost missing your friend’s death… that’s a little more serious.

Steve and Bucky were trading punches with Black Panther on the roof of Avengers HQ, and Steve happened to look up just in time to see Natasha fall.

It wasn’t a very far fall, but it was far enough.

Steve yelled, an inarticulate, wordless cry, and everyone turned. Immediately Tony took off, to catch her, to stop her fall.

But there wasn’t enough time.

The battle drew to a crashing halt.

Tony flew back up to the roof, Natasha hanging limp in his arms.

Scott appeared suddenly, having grown to full size. From the horrified look on his face, it was apparent that he’d been the one fighting Natasha.

“What the hell happened?” Steve’s voice echoed far too loud over the roof.

Scott still looked shocked. “I… I got carried away, I guess… I didn’t see how close we were to the roof, and I landed a hit on her head…”

The Captain swore violently, clenching his fist. Clint strode over, his eyes blazing, and Steve didn’t think he would hold the archer back if he went after Scott.

“See, this is what happens, Cap,” Tony started to say, but Steve swung around and pointed at him threateningly.

“Don’t you dare, Tony,” he growled. “Don’t you dare. This isn’t about the goddamn war, you son of a bitch. Back off.”

Tony looked ashamed, and he carefully set Natasha down on the roof and backed away. Steve and Clint immediately hurried over and knelt down next to her; Clint checked her pulse (although Friday had undoubtedly done so already) while Steve cradled her head and shoulder against his torso.

Clint looked up, his grey eyes dull. “She’s dead.”

Steve wasn’t sure if he’d ever heard a silence so loud. He felt a slim, ringed hand come to rest on his shoulder; Wanda. Sam crouched next to him, lending him the support he couldn’t admit he needed.

“God,” Tony breathed.

Scott started stammering apologies, but Steve tuned him out.

Not again.

Not again.

This wasn’t fair.

“There’s gotta be something…” Bucky sounded helpless, and Steve immediately stood up (lifting Nat into his arms). He gave Bucky a confident smile, one that his friend would have seen through at once, and nodded. He couldn’t let his friend worry about him. He didn’t need that burden.

“There’s always something. Friday, what’re her vital signs?”

“No pulse. No breathing. Her nervous system is shutting down completely. There’s no brain activity either.”

Tony scowled as if he wanted to smack his AI. “Sorry, she’s new still. I’ve been trying to program her, but she’s still not as good as…” He stopped and sighed. “Forget it.”

Steve wanted to be angry at Tony for this, but it wasn’t Tony’s fault. Well, maybe a little, but he couldn’t go around casting blame now. “We can do something, we can give her some adrenaline. Restart her heart. Something.”