{Book 6}
[Avengers: Infinity War - Avengers: Endgame]
There was an idea...to bring extraordinary people, heroes, together, to protect the world from all domestic and foreign terroristic threats. Aliens. Robots. An evil organization hidden under the...
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The gang had gathered back together. Not at the Stark cabin this time, but at our home. We would've had the Avengers facility be the venue, but...it was undergoing reconstruction. The timetable for its completion was not immediate, and I didn't want to wait to give Nat and Todd a proper service.
We were going to wait until nightfall to do the service. We hosted dinner, allowing our group to see just how far Steve and I had come. It was bittersweet, knowing there were a few people who should've been here but weren't.
Gracie got acquainted with Clint and Laura's children, as did Morgan. Eyes were kept on the children just in case. Oh for them to be unaware of the real reason we were gathered. I missed being blissfully oblivious. Those seemed like better, simpler times.
Before long, the sky was just dark enough for us to get started.
Everyone moved outside, the children included. We each took a candle, and I gently lit them all in succession. Anyone who chose to talk about either Todd or Natasha stood out from our line and spoke. Clint took Laura with him when he spoke. If he hadn't, I doubted he would've gotten through his words for Natasha. It seemed that everyone had at least something to say about one or both of them.
"I didn't know a lot once I was freed from Hydra's care," said Aria. Wanda stood beside her for support. "But Todd...he was more than willing to teach me the ways of Earth and mortals. He was a true friend to many, and...and sometimes it feels like genuine friends are hard to come by. I was glad that we got to know each other, but I only wish..." Wanda inched closer as Aria's words were choked off by a sob. "And then Natasha...she really gave me a fright. Like, I'd always wanted to know more about her, but I was afraid that I would never get the chance. There was more to her than she was willing to show a lot of people. I am thankful that I got to train and fight alongside such a woman as her. She taught me more than I could have ever imagined."
When it came to be my turn, I knew I had to do it on my own. Even though Steve tried to follow me out of our line, I kept him at bay.
"I knew Todd longer than I did Natasha," I started out softly. "I had just come to Earth, trying to gather my feet under me. I'd wound up in New York, where nobody so much as looked at you. Where nobody seemed willing to lend a hand unless you actually bumped into them. That's how I met Todd, we'd run into each other. He could've done a lot of things that day that we met, but he chose the nicest, kindest option. He didn't hand me to authority. He took it upon himself to watch over me. I will never forget that. While he wasn't the reason I found myself here, he was part of that journey. He rolled with it, even though at times I was so worried that it would swallow him up." And it did in the end.
Tunnel vision crept up on me, and all I could think about was Todd's last moments. His chilling last words to me.
