meet me at our spot | n.r x oc | ✓

6 - the feeling is mutual

[stefaniya's pov]

I open my eyes, feeling so exhausted and ready to find myself on a beach or some shit like they show in the movies. Instead, I'm met with a purple sky like the one I saw with Natasha on Vormir.

"Wait, hold on. What the fuck?"

I'm laid across the log that Natasha and I had sat on earlier. I sit myself up, and I take in my surroundings.

Oh, yeah. I'm definitely still on Vormir.

"By that's impossible... I died."

"You did."

I yelp, turning around to see Red Skull standing behind me.

"Wait, I'm--"

"Yes, you are at the top of the mountain."

"But I..."
I peer over the ledge and see the empty bottom of the cliff. It's empty, not a single soul down there.

Hah, ironic, isn't it?

"You resurrected and reappeared back here. You have multiple lives."

I stare at Red Skull in disbelief.

"You're not funny."

"I am not joking."

"Explain to me how I have multiple lives? I don't have powers, or whatever... does that."

"Do you not remember the Red Room injections?"

"The super serum? I know about that, Yelena told me a while back after the fight against Red Room."

"Not those."

I stare at the dark purple ground, thinking back.
"I remember some type of yellowish, orangish liquid they'd inject me with."

"Yes, that is the one. It gave you powers from the Soul Stone."

"The Soul Stone? That gave me my... 'powers'?"

"The stone has the ability to manipulate the soul, conjure the spiritual representation of people who are dead, and in your case, resurrect. When you were injected with the Soul Stone serum, it gave you the ability to be able to resurrect multiple times."

"So you're saying, I died for something that gives me life?"

"...Yes."

"Wow, ironic. And, uh, why should I believe you?"

"Go ahead, jump off again."

"You know what? I will. I'll humor you."
I walk to the edge of the cliff.
"What should I do, a dive or a backflip?"

Red Skull remains quiet.

"Oh, now you shut up. Okay. Backflip, it is. Goodbye."

I have no idea what possessed me to do this. Adrenaline? A death wish? I'm not sure. But I hold my breath and close my eyes as I flip myself over the cliff. As soon as I hit the ground, a pain shoots through my body and I black out. Next thing I know, my eyes meet the purple sky again and I'm back on top of the mountain.

"Do you believe me now?"

"I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual, Miss Kotova."

I try to sit up.
"Ugh, I feel so drained."

"That is expected. It takes a lot of your energy to resurrect, which is why I advise you to take a rest the next time you do it."

"'Next time'?"

"If it happens again, that is."

I hum. I look down at my feet.
"Hey, my shoe."

"Yes, you threw it off earlier."

"Can you get it back? I really liked that shoe."

Red Skull points behind me and I turn around to see the shoe sitting near the edge. I smile and pick it up, slipping my foot back in.

"Thanks, dude."

"You're welcome."

"Okay, well, I believe you now. So if I'm resurrected, did Natasha end up taking the stone?"

"Yes. The deal was a soul for a soul. You have four resurrections left, so I suggest you use them wisely."

"Four?"

"Yes, four."

"And you just let me waste two of them for fun?"

"Yes."

"... Understandable. Is Natasha still here?"

"She left with the ship just now."

"Does she know? That I'm alive?"

"No."

"You couldn't have told both of us about this before?"

"I could have, but I was interested to see what decision you would come to."

"I hate you."

"You have already made that clear."

"I know. But I hate you so much, I felt like it needed to be repeated. Whatever. Thanks for the Stone, I guess."

I'm about to activate my time travel suit when I stop short.

"Hey, really. Thank you. You're saving billions of lives with this."

Red Skull remains quiet for a moment.
"Is that so?"

"Yeah. And we'll, uh, return the Stone to you after we're done with it. So, thanks."

I get ready to leave again, but hesitate.

"Is there something holding you back, Miss Kotova?"

"Was my father a good man?"

Red Skull floats closer to me.
"He was. He fought for you when they took you. As did your mother and sister."

"Are any of them alive?"

"I'm afraid not."

My heart breaks.
"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go now. Thanks for all that."

I activate my suit-- for real, this time-- and press a button, using the last of my Pym Particles to get home to Natasha.

A/N: Hah, you really thought.