𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒~ 𝐵.𝐵𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠

FIFTY SEVEN

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asks as we all look around at each other, I halt my eyes going to the place they were right before we left. Natasha should be stood next to me, but she wasn't? "You telling me this'll actually work?" There's a pause as everyone starts to realise someone is missing.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asks what I'm too afraid to,
The silence and the way Clint drops to his knees tells us all we 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.

• • •

"Do we know if she had family?" Tony asks as us original avengers mourned together outside by the lake. "Yeah. Us." Steve says making me cry harder. "What?" Thor asks confused, "I just asked him a question–" Tony tries to say. "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." I keep my head down as the tears don't stop. "We can't get her back." Clint says making my heart hurt more. "Wha– what?"

"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?" He asks "Yeah, look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?" I try and hold it together. "No, that's my point–"

"It can't– be undone. Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? GO GRAB YOUR HAMMER, AND YOU GO FLY AND TALK TO HIM!" I wipe my eyes, "guys." I say softly trying to prevent an argument. Clint's anger is quickly replaced with grief, "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn 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 us with a resigned look on his face, "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to." I can't believe that she was gone, Nat was one person I never expected to lose, the past five years we spent together, her helping me raise Dean, I just thought I'd have her forever.

"We will."

• • •

"You got your hammer back?" I ask Thor who had excitedly just told me his story about what he and Rocket had done on their trip, "yes and you were not with us when we all took turns trying to see if we were worthy." He says making me look at me him confused, "so you want me to try and lift your unliftable hammer?" He nods, "ok." I shrug, hesitantly I wrap my fingers around the handle before giving it a small tug, nothing happened. "What the hell? Did you super glue it to the floor?" I ask letting go, "how do you lift that? Why is it so heavy?" He laughs, "I guess you are not worthy, although I thought you would've been." He says making me shrug.

• • •

Tony Rocket and Bruce finished the gauntlet and now the rest of us were stood around it, "All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" Rocket asks and before I have a chance to volunteer, "I'll do it." Thor has already offered.

"Excuse me?" Scott asks "It's okay." He says reaching for it making us all stop him. "No, no, no, whoa. Stop. Stop. Wait a sec. Hey, hey–"

"Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve says, "I'm sorry. What, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" He asks. "We should at least discuss it." Scott says. "No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty."

"I think I should do it." I speak up making everybody turn to me now with their protests. "Guys hold on, just hear me out, I can't die, well so far, I mean every time I've tried whatever the hell is in me had stopped me, I honestly think it will keep me safe and if worst comes to worst then just Chuck me in the pool." I say making them still shake their heads, "what about Dean?" I shake my head, "I will be fine."

"Stop it! I don't want you putting yourself in danger! Just let me!" Thor says he tears up. "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right." I frown at him, "Look– It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition." Tony tries to tell him, "What do you– What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" I put a hand on his arm, "Thor we're just looking out for you." I tell him as Rhodey replies to his question. "Cheez Whiz?"

"Lightning." He corrects, "Yeah." I rub his arm trying to calm him down, "Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me." Bruce says, "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive."I still think that I could but okay. "How do we know you will?"

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma." He takes a good look at the gauntlet. "It's like...I was made for this." He says as we all get ready, "Good to go, yeah?"
Tony asks as Bruce nods, "Let's do it."

"You remember– everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony reminds him, "Got it." Everyone gets ready and suits up. Thor gets ready to shield both rocket and I with his body but I pull up ice bubbles for everyone as an extra precaution. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?" Tony says sending the facility into lockdown.

"Everybody comes home." I feel myself become full of giddy optimism, this was it I was gonna see everyone again. Sam Wanda everyone else and Bucky. I couldn't wait. Bruce puts on the gauntlet, which nanobotically expands to fit his hand, and the power surge overwhelms him. He grunts in pain."Take it off! Take it off!"
Thor shouts as we watch him in worry. "No, wait. Bruce, are you okay?" Steve asks, "Talk to me, Banner."

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He finally responds making me sigh in relief and Thor gives a double thumbs up.

Bruce screams, fighting through the intense pain coursing through his body courtesy of the gauntlet, and manages to snap his fingers. He faints and the gauntlet slides off his arm, Clint kicks it away "Bruce!" Steve yells as we join his side, "Don't move him." Tony says Soothing his arm. Bruce holds onto Steve's arm, "Did it work?"

"Worth a shot. It's over. It's okay." Thor murmurs, I watch as Scott walks towards the outside windows and sees plants and birds. "Hey guys I think it worked." He says before we're hit by an explosion. Everything going dark.

Oh my eight chapters in one day it's ok I'm gonna stop now but this book, it's almost finished and now I'm sad.