morag to vormir in 2014
what could go wrong?
MARLENE made sure the Benatar was ready to fly as Rhodey called for her and Nebula to be done with the test flight. Marlene glanced at Nebula with a smile as they hopped off the ship to look around the planet that Peter Quill would appear on at any moment.
As soon as Marlene's feet met the planet's ground, she fell to the ground with a loud gasp of pain. Everyone ran to her, trying to help her stand as she began violently coughing. Clint's eyes widened further as Marlene's brunette braid began to turn white from her roots.
Nebula made everyone back up as Marlene spazzed a bit. "We're back in time. Her body's connecting with the stone... wherever it may be in the universe."
"That's good, right!?" Natasha asked happily.
Rhodey watched as Marlene fell on her back as she stared at her hands. "Maybe?" he asked as he watched her mumble to herself.
"Duck," Clint murmured, and everyone dropped as she sent the brightest rays of light in the air. It was only blue, which confused the others as they remembered Rocket's long discussion of her upgrade in the past.
Marlene was breathing heavily as she felt a piece of her click back into place.
Standing, she whimpered out, "Sorry!" before laughing. "Oh, shit. We need to go."
Clint helped her up as she was still smiling to herself. Rhodey met his eyes as she began making sparks from her fingers. It was as if she was the Marlene from 2014 again. They did not know if it would last, but Marlene did not care. Hovering, she twisted and turned in a circle excitedly.
"Hey, can we hurry it up?" Clint called to her as she turned to face them with a sheepish expression.
"Take care, okay?" Rhodey said as he hugged Natasha before hugging Marlene. "You take it easy. Take that stone and come back. No messing around."
Clint nodded with a grin. "Hey. You got this. We got this."
"Let's get it done. Yes, sir. You guys watch each other's six!" he called as Clint and Natasha turned to smile at him. Marlene flew ahead of them to the ship with a gleeful smile on her face.
As they made it on the ship, Marlene sat in the pilot's chair as Natasha and Clint sat behind her. Clint grinned at her childlike actions as she had rays of blue surrounding her head like fireworks as she called back, "Buckle in."
Nebula called from the hatch, "The coordinates for Vormir are laid in. All they have to do is not fall out!"
"I know how to fly!" Marlene said. "Good luck!" She shut the hatch, clicking a button on console to start Peter's playlist. When a song came on, Natasha sniggered quietly. "What?"
"It's good to see you happy," Natasha said as Marlene took off to Vormir.
As they began flying, Marlene called out they were nearing the jump. When the ship sped up, she could hear the pair laughing behind her.
"It's a long way from Budapest!"
Marlene grabbed the controls back as her eyes fell grey again. She felt powerful again, and she felt confidence she lacked for the past five years. Landing the ship on Vormir, she let it turn itself off as she stood. She turned to face them and said, "All right. Let's get this stone and get back home."
As they stared at the planet in front of them once off the ship, Clint whistled under his breath. "Wow. Under different circumstances, this would be totally awesome."
"If I could, I would show you how beautiful space is," Marlene whispered. "This planet with the Nova Corps was like Earth. It was beautiful."
"Was?" Clint asked as they walked toward the mountain in front of them.
"Thanos killed them all when he searched for the Power Stone," Marlene muttered bitterly.
As the trio began to climb the mountain, Natasha grunted out, "I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain."
Clint grinned. "Technically, he's not a raccoon, you know."
"Whatever. He eats garbage."
"Technically, you don't have to climb," Marlene whispered mischievously as she began to fly. Grabbing the collars of their shirts, she flew up the mountain, ignoring their calls of protest.
When they made it to the top, Marlene let them fall back down to the ground. Natasha glared her way. "A warning next time!"
"She's just excited she can fly again!" Clint added with a cheeky smirk.
Marlene was about to retort when someone appeared in front of them. Marlene's eyes widened at the man she had seen in history books regarding Hydra in World War II with Steve. Steve fought him. The Red Skull hovered in the air as he stared at the trio. "Welcome."
Natasha and Clint drew their weapons and Marlene felt immense pride in herself as she let her hands alight with blue energy.
"Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. The Galactic Warrior... Weapon... Savior, daughter of the Stones," he greeted.
Natasha sneered out, "Who are you?"
"Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone," the Red Skull said with a smirk on his face.
Natasha lowered her weapon slightly. "Oh, good. You tell us where it is. Then we'll be on our way."
"Ah, liebchen–If only it were that easy."
As the trio were led to the cliff of the mountain, Marlene pieced it together far faster than Clint and Natasha. Gamora went with Thanos but did not return. He did not just kill her. He gave her life for that stupid stone. He gave up a wonderful woman as if she meant nothing.
But they would not get the stones unless someone was sacrificed.
She would die a million times if it meant Clint and Natasha could go home.
"What you seek lies in front of you... as does what you fear," the Red Skull said.
"The stone is down there," Natasha said.
"For two of you," the man said with a smirk. "For the other... In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."
Clint and Natasha began to whisper amongst themselves as Marlene walked near the edge.
"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead," Natasha said, gaining Marlene's attention.
Clint nodded. "Then, I guess we both know who it's gotta be."
"I guess we do," Natasha whispered.
Marlene's eyes met the Red Skull's as he watched her next move appropriately. He wanted to see what she would do.
Clint grabbed Natasha's hand as he said, "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," Natasha teased.
Clint shook his head. "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," Natasha said quickly.
Clint laughed mockingly. "You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" They leaned their foreheads against one another as Marlene made up her mind.
Just before Clint opened his mouth, Marlene called their attention, "Both of you get home. Both of you bring those people back—bring Clint's family back. Both of you take care of Steve and Harry."
"Marlene!" Clint yelled as she backed off the edge. Her eyes focused on the retreating cliff, as her hair whipped ahead of her. Marlene was falling but she did not make it far. Running, Clint jumped and hanged off the edge as he grabbed her hand before she could go down anymore. "Don't you dare!"
"Let me go," Marlene said softly.
"No," Clint said. "No. You saved me all these years. I'm saving you now."
"Clint. Hey, it's okay. Let me go," she murmured as she saw a shadow, "before Nat jumps!"
"Damn you!" Clint shouted.
Clint then turned to see Natasha doing just that. Yelling in pain, he let Marlene's hand go to twist his body and tackle Natasha before she could jump instead. Both assassins landed on the rough ground of the cliff as Clint felt his heart become heavy.
"NO!!!" Natasha screamed, punching Clint off of her. "NO, MARLENE!"
When they stood, before they even got to the edge of the cliff, they were transported to a pool of water where the Soul Stone appeared in thin air in front of them. "Clint, what did she just do!?" Natasha yelled.
Clint grabbed the stone with his gloved hand, tears free falling as the Quantum Suits activated around the two assassins. Both shrunk as they were shot back home, both feeling themselves grieving as they landed in the circle of Avengers again.