Requisite and Sensibility

Chapter 15 - The Sacrifice of a Precious Soul

Megan was wearing a woman's military uniform with her cap down low on her face. Tony stood beside her in an immaculately pristine suit. The lady in the elevator glanced over at Megan and her brows furrowed in recognition, before she could say anything, Tony stepped in front of Megan, shielding her from the woman's view. As Tony's floor approached, he turned to glance at Megan and nodded at her, "Good luck on your mission, Agent." "Good luck on your project, doctor." The woman smiled at Megan, "You're new here?" Megan pursed her lips, "Not exactly."

***

Looking at the picture of herself, Steve and Bucky on Peggy's desk had Megan's eyes filled with tears all over again. Looking up, she saw Peggy and all she wanted to do was go in, hug her, feel her, just one last time. "I'll always love you." Megan whispered through the glass.

***
Margaret smiled down at her aunt and uncle, their grumbling forms as she flew slightly above them. "Consider yourself lucky, kid." Margaret smiled at Clint, "You know I can also help you fly as well, right?" "Yeah, and then send us to our death." Natasha chuckled, Margaret looked over at her step-mom, "Hey Aunt Nat?" "Yeah?" "Mom really loves you and you too Uncle Clint, I hope you two know that!" The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Welcome." Natasha and Clint drew their weapons and Margaret got out the Katana her mom gave her, pointing it at the red-skinned man. "Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. Margaret, daughter of... Steven... he's still alive?" Margaret smirked, "Afraid so." "Who are you?" Natasha spoke, "Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone." "Oh, good. You tell us where it is. Then we'll be on our way." Margaret spoke with confidence and the man looked at her, "Ah, liebchen, if only it were that easy."

The party of three silently followed Alars as he led them to the edge of the cliff, "What you seek lies in front of you... as does what you fear." Natasha blinked, "The stone is down there." "For one of you. For the other two... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."

Natasha and Clint shakily walked back to sit on a log to think this through as Margaret hovered above them. "How's it going? Jesus...Maybe he's making this shit up." "No. I don't think so." "Why, 'cause he knows your Daddy's name?" "I didn't. Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence." "Yeah." "Whatever it takes." "Whatever it takes." Margaret watched her two guardians argue and she rolled her eyes, inching back slowly. She now knew what her vision of the future had meant.

She saw herself in a vast, empty, black room and a cold, yet sweet voice whispered to her. "My child, your sacrifice won't be in vain." "What sacrifice, who are you?" "I'm your grandfather, Eros, the very first existence of love." "Why am I here?" "Look." Margaret looked ahead into the empty blackness and saw a cliff, the sky above purple and a red-skinned man standing to one side. "With time, you shall know what your sacrifice must be. Your mother will grieve, but it is for the best..." Margaret looked around, "Show yourself." She spoke.

A humanoid figure of the most beautiful, insanely gorgeous man she had ever seen stood in front of her, his pink wings fluttered behind him and his pink eyes shone with knowledge... yet love for Margaret as well. His perfect hand flitted across Margaret's face, laying it on her cheek, "My dear. You will come join me, as did your very first brother, Howard Rogers and your uncle, Faaz. I hope to see you soon." Margaret leaned into his touch and then she was brought back into reality.

"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead." "Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be." Clint fired back, "I guess we do." They both held each other's hand, paying no attention to Margaret who was slowly inching closer to the cliff. Alars looked over at her and he smiled softly, "You are brave, little one." "I know what must be done." Margaret whispered back.

"I'm starting to think– we mean different people here, Natasha." "For the last five years I've been trying to do one thing: Get to right here. That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back." "Oh, don't you get all decent on me now." "What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life, you idiot." "Yeah, well, I don't want you to, because I– Natasha, you know what I've done. You know what I've become." "I don't judge people on their worst mistakes." "Maybe you should." "You didn't." "You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" They both leaned their heads against each other and Margaret hid behind a rock as she saw Clint knock Natasha down.

"Tell my family I love them." Natasha knocked him down as well, "Tell them yourself! Tell Megan, Buck and Steve that they meant the world to me. The twins and Alex should know that I loved them too, so much so that I did this for them!" Margaret watched them tackle each other down and then she rolled her eyes, she hovered up and over the cliff. She whistled, getting the two's attention. "Aunt Nat, Uncle Clint, you both have families that need you-" "MARGARET, GET HERE NOW!" Natasha yelled, running towards her.

Margaret thrust her hand out, building an invisible barrier between her and her aunt and uncle, "Mom's lost a child before... she can handle losing another one." "Maybe Megan can, but I can't. Maggie, I love you like my own, please come back." Natasha sobbed, flinging her hands at the invisible barrier. Clint shot his arrows repeatedly into the barrier, yelling at Margaret to come back, she simply smiled sadly. "Tell my siblings and Mom and Dad and my other Dad, Bucky, that I love them all. I love you Uncle Clint and..." She looked at Natasha, "I love you too, Mom."

Natasha stilled, "Did you just call me mom?" Margaret nodded, "I'm not letting my child die, Margaret, please." Margaret took a deep breath and stopped her powers, making her fly downwards in the wind, the wind whipped around her hair and as Natasha and Clint looked down they saw rose petals surround her, making her look utterly beautiful. She crashed down onto the ground and her small, frail body was straight, a gentle wind causing her eyes to open wide and a smile to reach across her pale face. She looked like the most beautiful little girl ever.

Natasha let out an ear-splitting scream and Clint threw his arms around her, sobbing on the top of her head as he held her to her chest.

***

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asked and Rhodey grinned, "You telling me this'll actually work?" Everybody paused, Megan looking at Natasha and Clint's grief-stricken face, "Guys, where's Maggie?" Natasha and Clint couldn't bring themselves to say anything so they stood there quietly, wallowing in their own grief and misery. Megan screamed loudly, she dropped to the floor and sobbed, Wade runned down to see what was happening. It all seemed like such a blur, Tony and Wade held her and tried to consolidate her.

Bruce growled and knocked Clint back into the wall as he doubled over in pain, Natasha screamed at him to stop and Scott dragged her back with fire in his eyes. No one knew that Margaret had called Natasha "Mom" before she died and that Natasha was grieving just as much as Megan for losing one of her children. "HOW COULD YOU?" Megan screamed at Natasha and the red-head remained silent, she was shivering so horribly that everyone noticed. Natasha started to scream in her own pain and the team remained silent with their overpowering grief.