Romanogers One-Shots 2

The Ultimate Sacrifice

"I was sent to be a guardian of the soul stone as punishment. You are too late Steven. It's already been taken." 

"I know. I'm returning it," Steve said, holding up the briefcase.

"No one has ever returned the stone before." 

Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "Well I am. And in exchange I want Natasha back. A soul for a soul, right? I return this and she returns. The exchange reverses." 

"It doesn't work like that."

Steve's hand around the briefcase tightened, "You just said no one had ever returned the stone before. Make it work like that." 

"I cannot. Her trade was permanent. You cannot trade the stone for a life." 

"Why the hell not?!" Steve yelled, his voice raising. 

"I don't make the rules. I just know that it will not work. You are wasting your effort. If you don't believe me then simply return the stone. She will not return in it's place." 

Steve unfastened the briefcase and used his gloved hand to pull out the soul stone. Walking towards the edge of the cliff, he stared at it a moment longer before letting it fall from his fingers. 

He turned away, not being able to bear the thought of looking down the cliff and seeing Natasha's lifeless body twisted in a way that would probably haunt him the rest of his life.

Steve waited silently for something to happen. 

A few moments passed and there was a rush of color and a gust of wind that nearly knocked Steve down. When it died down, he was still alone. 

"The trade is complete," The Red Skull said. 

Steve frowned, spinning around to check for Natasha. She should be here. The trade should have reversed. 

"No," He whispered, his eyes welling up with tears, "I'm not leaving without her." 

"Then you'll be here for eternity. Like I've said. The stone does not count as a soul. A soul for a soul." 

Steve looked out at the view that Vormir provided and couldn't help but be reminded of he and Natasha's moment in Sokovia. 

"Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"  She had said, accepting death without hesitation. 

Steve would argue that the view here was better. He hoped Natasha had thought the same in her last moments. 

His mind was racing. He wasn't leaving without her. He'd promised himself that. 

But that didn't mean she couldn't leave without him.

"What if I sacrificed myself for her." 

The Red Skull looked surprised, "What?" 

Steve spoke up again, this time louder, "If I sacrificed myself for her, would she return? A soul for a soul right? Mine for hers." 

"No one has ever tried that." 

"Would it work," Steve said, growing more desperate.

The Red Skull slowly nodded, "According to the rules of the stone, yes." 

Steve sat down on a nearby branch and pulled the extra suit he had brought for Natasha in hopes of her returning. He put the correct coordinates in so that she'd return to the correct time. 

He pulled out a small notepad and pencil and began to write her a short letter to explain what she needed to do. He'd left a longer more in detail one back at the compound but he knew no amount of notes would make this easier for either of them.