Falling, Peter Parker

Starting over

Natasha turns to Okoye, "You get a reading on those tremors?"

"It was a mild subduction under the African plate" Okoye replies.

"Do we have a visual?" Natasha asks, "How are we handling it?"

"Nat, it's an earthquake under the ocean" Okoye states, "We handle it by not handling it."

Natasha turns to Carol, "Carol, are we seeing you here next month?"

"Not likely" Carol answers.

"What, you gonna get another haircut?" Rocket scoffs.

"Listen fur-face, I'm covering a lot of territory" Carol says, "The things that are happening on Earth, are happening everywhere, on thousands of planets."

"All right, all right, that's a good point" Rocket mutters, "That's a good point."

"So you might not see me for a long time" Carol states.

"Alright" Natasha sighs, "Uh, well. This channel is always active. So, if anything goes sideways anyone's making trouble where they shouldn't comes through me."

Okoye agrees in her language.

"Okay" Rocket says.

The Avengers cut off their calls one by one, Except for Rhodey. Nat sighs exhausted, and sits down, as she notices Rhodeys still online in the call, "Where are you?"

"Mexico" Rhodey answers, "The Federales found a room full of bodies. Looks like a bunch of cartel guys. Never even had the chance to get their guns off."

"It's probably a rival gang" Natasha replies.

"Except it isn't" Rhodey states, "It's definitely Barton. What he's done here, what he's been doing for the last few years. I mean, the scene that he left" Nat starts to show signs of sadness as she gradually tears up, "I gotta tell you, there's a part of me that doesn't even want to find him."

In an abrupt moment of silence, she tries to chew her tears and emotional feelings as she eats a sandwich, "Will you find out where he's going next?"

"Nat" Rhodey sighs.

"Please" Natasha begs.

"Okay" then Rhodey cuts off his end off the call.

Nat starts to cry as she tries to hold back her tears miserably, "You know I'd offer to cook you dinner but you seem pretty miserable already" Steve smiles, as Nat wipes off the tears off her face.

"You here to do your laundry?" Nat asks.

"And to see a friend" Steve adds.

"Clearly, your friend is fine" Nat lies.

"You know I saw a pod of whales when I was coming up the bridge" Steve tells her.

"In the Hudson?" Nat questions.

"There's fewer ships, cleaner water" Steve states.

"You know, if you're about to tell me to look on the bright side" Nat starts, "I'm about you to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich."

"Sorry. Force of habit" Steve throws his jacket, then sits down on another chair, opposite Natasha, "You know, I keep telling everybody they should move on and grow. Some do. But not us."

"If I move on, who does this?" Natasha asks.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be done" Steve tells her.

"I used to have nothing" Natasha states, "And then I got this. This job, this family. And I was- I was better because of it. And even though they're gone, I'm still trying to be better."