meet me at our spot | n.r x oc | ✓

5 - promises fulfilled

[natasha's pov]

"Wow. Under different circumstances, this would be a totally awesome place for a date,"
Stefaniya admires the scenery. White flakes fall from the sky like snow and she cups her hands, catching them.

"I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain,"
I grumble.

"Technically, he's not a raccoon."

"Whatever, he eats garbage."

"Welcome,"
a voice startles me. Stefaniya and I draw our weapons and point it at a floating cloaked figure.

"Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Stefaniya, daughter of Dominik."

Stefaniya and I meet eyes, taken aback by the new information.
"Who are you?"

"Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone,"
the red figure says.

"He's Red Skull,"
Stefaniya whispers.

"Who?"

"He fought against Cap in the 1940s for the Tesseract. I read about it."

"Oh, good. Tell us where the stone is. Then we'll be on our way."

"Ah, liebchen-- If only it were that easy."

Red Skull moves to the cliff. Stefaniya and I walk behind him cautiously.

"What you seek lies in front of you... as does what you fear."

Stefaniya huffs.
"Stop speaking in codes and tell us already. We need to hurry back."

"The stone is down there,"
I nod to the bottom of the cliff.

"For one of you. For the other... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."
He floats backwards, moving through our bodies and going back to stand where he was before.

Stefaniya stands near the edge, peering down at the bottom of the cliff while I move to sit on a log, deep in thought.

"Careful, Stef."

Stefaniya back up and sits down next to me.

"Maybe he's just bullshitting us,"
she suggests.

"No, I don't think so."

"Why, 'cause he knows our daddies's names? We don't even know if those are their real ones. He could have easily made them up."

"Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence."

Stefaniya scoffs.
"Oh, please. After everything we've been through? After taking down Red Room? We're practically immortal. I'm like a cat with nine lives."

"That may be more of a truth than you realize, Miss Kotova,"
Red Skull says. I ignore him.

"Only one of us is leaving with the stone alive, Stefaniya."