╭-°—✞—˚✧ ψ ✧˚—✞—°-╮
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR!
𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖈𝖊𝖘 𝖜𝖊 𝖕𝖆𝖞
╰-°—✞—˚✧ ψ ✧˚—✞—°-╯
────── 〔ψ〕──────
THE DINER BOOTH felt small, and Salene knew exactly why as she stared at Bruce. She wasn't sure how she could even describe him. A weird hybrid of the Bruce she met five years ago and a fabled Hulk that she had seen on her tv and got a glimpse of in 2012 when he crushed 5 chitauri above her head. The most disturbing part of it to her is that he wasn't just wearing a shirt, he was wearing a cardigan over it too.
She was currently in the window seat of the booth next to Scott, across from Steve. She kept glancing at Nat to try and get a read of her thoughts on what she was seeing but it wasn't much, she would have to get it from Nat verbally when they found some time alone.
"Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating," Bruce pushed a plate of eggs towards her and Scott, she pushed through her confusion of everything that happened today, she had only had a peanut butter sandwich all day, "Try some of that. Have some eggs."
"I'm so confused," Scott spoke up, Salene would've said the same if she wasn't downing the eggs, Steve gave her a look but she just shrugged.
"These are confusing times." Salene could see right through him.
"Right." Scott agreed, shaking his head, "No, no, that's not what I meant."
"No, I get it. I'm kidding!" Bruce's shoulders dropped along with his act, a smile on his face, "I know. It's crazy. I'm wearing shirts now."
"Yeah!" Scott nodded, she couldn't see his face but after seeing a couple of expressions in the few hours she's known him, she has an idea of what it looks like now, "Wh...How? Why?"
"Five years ago, we got our asses beaten. Except it was worse for me." Salene was slowly losing her appetite due to the subject they were on, "Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost. Then, we all lost."
"No one blamed you, Bruce," Nat spoke softly, the look on his face when she said that told Salene everything she needed to know.
"I did. For years, I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure." Bruce began to lighten up on the topic, Salene could see the lift in his mood, "Eighteen months in a gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together. And now look at me. Best of both worlds..."
Salene spotted the three kids slowly approaching the table, she could sense the nervousness on their faces. Salene understood, they were approaching a table full of avengers and one of them was the Hulk. Salene wondered how many people knew about his new tame-ness, she wondered if they assumed he was calm from the tee-shirt & sweater combination.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hulk?" The girl timidly asked.
"Yes?"
"Can we get a photo?" She spoke up a bit more with the next question, she glanced at Salene who gave her a half-smile.
"100%, little person. Come on, step up," Bruce smiled, he gently took the phone and held it out to Scott, "You mind?"
"Oh, yeah." Scott shrugged, taking the phone from Bruce, Salene looked at the screen to see how the photo looked, it wasn't bad, she tapped the screen for Scott, turning up the brightness so all the kids could be seen.
"Thanks,"- Bruce glanced at the kids, -"Say 'green'!" The kids and Bruce were in unison with the color, they're wide smiles had Salene smiling herself.
"Did you get that?" Bruce asked, Salene went back to the eggs, her stomach was almost full so she knew a few more bites would fix the issue.
"Don't you wanna grab one with me? I'm Ant-Man." She heard Scott ask, she glanced at him, the kids looked to each other for an answer to the question. Scott shook his head to say nevermind, "They're Hulk fans, they don't know Ant-Man. Nobody does."
"Wait, no, no, he feels bad. No, he wants you to...he wants to..." Bruce looked to the boy closest to him, "You want to take a picture with him, right?" The boy shook his head no vigorously.
"Stranger Danger." He muttered, making Salene snort, Steve sent her another look, she set the fork down and held her hands up in defense, grabbing a napkin and wiping her mouth, she grabbed her glass of water, a constant flow of water was going down to her gut as she watched the scene unravel for her.
"He's even saying no he doesn't, I get it," Scott was panicked, trying to give the kid his phone back, "I don't want it either."
Then why did he ask in the first place? Lucifer spoke up. A part of Salene using Lucifer's power was that she could feel everything he felt, she could feel the confusion coming for him, she could understand his mind as he does to hers.
"But, come on, the kid! But he...but you..."
"I don't want a picture with them."
Bruce looked at the kids and Salene could only watch with a shit-eating grin on her face. "He's gonna feel bad." The poor kids looked nervous and quite frankly, uncomfortable, "Sorry. They said they'd do it."
"I don't want it anymore." Scott just seemed desperate to give the phone back and have the kids be on their way.
"No, no...you feel bad."
"Just take the goddamn phone." Scott hurriedly spoke, making Salene snort, she began to choke on the water she was still sipping on, making Nat look to her with a grin of her own.
The look on Nat's face asked Salene if she was okay, the blonde nodded only to make the older woman's face contort to a look that could only say "you deserve that one."
"Thank you, Mr. Hulk." The little girl spoke up once more.
"No, it's great kids. Thank you very much." He curled his bicep, leaning towards the kids, "Hulk out!"
"Bruce," Steve spoke up, he seemed to be cramped in the booth.
"Dab!" Salene cringed at his words, which used to be popular before the snap, she remembered kids doing it in class and at parties, Salene never understood it.
"Bruce." Steve was louder, sterner.
"Listen to your Mom." Bruce either had uncontrollable selective hearing, or he was just avoiding Steve for something that Salene may have missed, "She knows better."
"About we were saying..." Steve redirected the conversation after the kids were out of earshot.
"Right. The whole time travel do-over?" Bruce seemed unsure, Salene could only guess his next words, "Guys, it's outside my area of expertise."
"Well, you pulled this off." Natasha pointed out with a smirk, "I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible time, too."
The look on Bruce's face showed that he had no more excuses. Salene looked to the others, watching as she slowly grabbed the fork again and went back to eat as much as she could before they would pull her away from the base to get started on utilizing Scott's quantum van.
• • •
THE SUIT SCOTT wore brought Salene back to a much simpler time. She knew that it had to have been because half the people she fought with had disappeared as well as half the people she fought. Bruce was fiddling with buttons as Nat stood beside him. Salene found herself inspecting the machine, check to make sure there were no loose plugs. She gave a thumbs-up to Bruce when she finished.
Bruce nodded. "Okay, here we go. Time travel test number one." Bruce looked to the man next to Salene, Scott, "fire up the uhhh... the van thing."
Scott opened up the back of the van, the machine immediately started up and Salene watched an array of lights and energy emit in a hypnotizing pattern, Salene had to look away. Her attention was drawn to Steve who stepped out from a wall of machinery.
"Breakers are set, emergency generators are on standby," Steve went on, Bruce nodded in acknowledgment.
"Good. 'Cause if we blow the grid, I don't wanna lose Tiny here in the 1950s." Bruce seemed to have tried to make that last comment hushed but they all heard it, Salenes eyes widened at his words, she didn't know Bruce well enough to understand if he was joking or not, she only had her memory from when she first came back to earth and even then, that first night was spacey due to her being on death's door.
"Excuse me?" Scott asked, Salene was beaten by a second with those words. What the hell did Bruce mean?
Natasha pushed out her most authentic-looking laugh as she clutched her clipboard to her chest "He's kidding." She turned to Bruce, her stare now venomous, "You can't say things like that!" Her tone was more hushed as Bruce realized the gravity of his words.
"Just..." Bruce started, "It was a bad joke." Relief visibly washed over Scott, allowing him to put some finishing touches on the suit to ensure that he's safe.
"You were kidding, right?" Salene heard Nat, making the blonde look over at the pair.
"I have no idea. We're talking about time travel here. Either it's all a joke, or none of it is." Bruce spoke and turned to Scott, giving him a thumbs-up, "We're good! Get your helmet on, Scott. I'm gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in 10 seconds. Makes sense?"
"Perfectly not confusing."
"Good luck, Scott." Steve assured him, "You got this."
"You're right. I do, Captain America." Scott spoke before Bruce pressed a button, and Scott disappeared into the Quantum Tunnel. Salene stepped back after seeing that, her eyes widening as she looked to Nat.
"On the count of three." Bruce announced, preparing Salene to watch Scott come back, "Three...Two... One!"
Bruce pressed a button, and someone in Scott's suit came back. Salene squinted her eyes as she made eye contact with the teenager. He seemed so familiar, Salenes jaw dropped. They made time travel alright, but not in the way that they intended.
"Uh, guys? This...this doesn't feel right." He spoke as he began looking around.
"Scott?" Salene asked, unsure if her hunch was right. Scott looked back to Salene, his panic seemed to emanate on her.
"Hold on," Bruce spoke, his giant green fingers slamming onto the array of buttons before him.
"Yes, it's Scott!" He yelped.
Teen Scott got sucked back into the quantum tunnel, an old man reappearing in the Ant-Man suit.
"Ow! My back!" The old man exclaimed.
"What is this?" Steve asked, looking back and forth from Old Man Scott and Bruce.
"Can I get a little space here?" Bruce gently requested, Steve, stepped out of way, and walked around from behind Bruce.
"Yeah yeah," Steve obliged, "Can you bring him back?"
"I'm working on it!" The stress of the whole situation set Salenes hair on fire, the blue flames made everyone wince and she gasped, pulling her hair up in a bun to contain the flames.
Bruce tapped a couple more buttons and smacked the side of a part of the machine. After a moment, another person appears in front of them. This time, it's a baby Scott in the Ant-Man suit.
"It's a baby." Steve deadpanned.
"It's Scott."
"As a baby!"
"He'll grow."
"Bring Scott back!"
Bruce pointed to Nat and waved his hand to the generator, "When I say kill the power, kill the power." He commanded.
"Oh my god." Nat rapidly walked to the generator as Salene stared widened at Steve.
This couldn't get any funnier, Salene could hear the laughter in His tone.
This is seriously not a laughing matter dude, we're going to be going through something like that next, she shot back, turned back to the machine as she started to take deep breaths to slow her heart rate.
"And... Kill it!" Bruce yelled out.
Nat pulled down a lever, and everything shut down. Scott, the normal Scott, gets spewed back out again.
"Somebody peed my pants." Scott seemed slightly alarmed. Salene could understand why.
"Oh thank god." Salene could hear Natasha in the back.
"But I don't know if it was 'baby' me or 'old' me..." Scott pondered, Salenes gut twisted in disgust," Or just 'me' me."
Bruce held up his hands in a dramatic way, "Time travel!"
Salene looked to Steve who said nothing. He simply shook his head and walked away. Salene looked back at Bruce who slightly faltered at Steve's reaction.
"What?" He asked, "I... I see this as an absolute win!" Bruce spoke, his arms still out.
Salene just sighed before looking at Scott. She shook her head like Steve and walked off to her room.
• • •
SALENE STOOD IN the middle of her old living room, she stared at the couch that was dustier than the last time she was there. She wandered the house, going to the kitchen where her cleaning supplies were. She pulled everything out. She had to get to work. Tony came back and seemed to have made up with Steve, he had manufactured a working time machine, fixing the mistakes Bruce had innocently made.
She was scared of what was going to happen. They were going to travel tomorrow. Clint had gone through a test run, bringing back his late son's glove. They had figured out what times they'll get the stones and who was going where. She was going to get her family back. She was going to get her Peter back. Salene had wiped all the dust away from all the surfaces in the house except the couch and the floor next to it.
The pile of dust and ashes was her family. Mamá, Papa, Adrian jr, Dina and Alessandro, Kyril, and Adrian's boyfriend, Ian. They were sitting there waiting for her. She fell to her knees crawling over and sitting in front of the couch, five to six inches in between her and the furniture so she didn't get their ashes on her. She felt a couple of tears shed down her cheeks. She had to go five years without her family, her cousins, her aunts, her uncles, they were all gone. She's made a thousand mistakes as the last Kalimeris, no support with keeping up the Greek traditions in those five years, it was nearly pointless but she couldn't let go.
She got up, put her cleaning supplies away, and went to her old room. She brought her stuff back, she was planning on moving back into the apartment with her family when they returned to help with getting them back on their feet, eventually, she would move back to the compound, but that was so far into the future, she didn't want to think about that right now.
She sat down at her desk, writing letters to her family. This was for if there was a worst-case scenario. But it was mainly to explain to her family and Ian what had happened, there's no way they wouldn't be confused when they got back. Her hand was shaking by the time she finished.
You know, in the seven years I've been with you, I don't think I've ever felt this much sadness come from you, lucifer spoke, I make my jokes and I pull my pranks on you, but I hope you know how much I care for you, you're strong, you're brave, we're going to win tomorrow.
Salene wiped away the tears sliding down her face. She looked down at her hand to admire her tattoos, she had gotten six total, one for each of her siblings and one for Peter, and one for Lucifer. She had specified to each of her siblings which tattoo she got for them and why she did that specific one. She loved them all, her fingers mindlessly tracing them all up and down her arms and the one that rested perfectly in between her collar bones.
She looked around her room, boxes, and bags, everything waiting to be unpacked. She would wait for when she comes back to her family to worry about that. She put her letters in envelopes and addressed them to the right people. She walked out to the coffee table and set the letters down on the table. There was one more thing she had to do. She pulled out a set of keys that were never hers. She walked down to the diner that had the occasional customer, sending a polite nod to whoever recognized her. She walked out to the dark blue fifth generation of the Honda Civic hatchback parked outside the diner.
She sat down in the driver's seat. She could still smell Kyrils stupid cologne that she didn't realize how badly she missed. Her vision blurred and tears seemed to stream down her face again, memories of their morning drive flooding her mind along the time that she ditched Liz's party and when Kyril had risked his life and the car to make sure she could fight "the Shocker" and Adrian Toomes in some proper clothes instead of her homecoming dress.
Everything that led up to Thanos in 2018 flooded her brain and her breathing became labored. She wiped her face and got out as her hair burst into flames. Salene locked the door of the car, shut it, and shot up into the sky. She was going back to the compound and she was going to get those fucking stones.
• • •
THE AVENGERS HAD never had a uniform, they all wore whatever enhanced her abilities. This was Salenes first time seeing everyone wearing the same colors with the logo in the same general area, Tony manufactured and Salene helped design the suits, modeled slightly after Scott's Ant-Man suit, they would need the suit on and active to make sure they don't "Turn into a blob of meat cells" as Scott described to Salene earlier when she was making the design. It makes her nauseous for an hour or so.
The group was on the platform, Salene had her head turned up to look at the design of the nodes that would open up the portal to the quantum realm. It was daunting. Would her powers inhibit her? What if they end up mixing cells and come out as freaking hybrids? There were too many unknown factors that they didn't have enough time to calculate. It scared the hell out of Salene.
They stood in a circle, Salene was in between clint and Rhodey with Nat on the other side of Clint, she could sense everyone's body heat, something that she realized was happening when she got back to earth, she realized it was a part of new powers, it was helpful in some ways, other times it was just downright irritating.
"Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family..." Salene looked down to meet eyes with Steve as he gave a speech of encouragement, "We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win." - she noticed Tony gave Steve a look - "Whatever it takes. Good luck."
"He's pretty good at that," Rocket spoke up to Scott, her mind wanted to pet his soft head but it also remembered the last time she tried that and almost lost her hand to his teeth.
"Right?" Scott was excited to hear his first Steve speech, Salene couldn't remember the first speech he gave her, but she remembered that it was a few days after her graduation from Midtown and she was getting ready to move into the compound to live with Nat.
"All right, you heard the man." Tony called out to Salene, "Stroke those keys, jolly green."
"Tractors engaged," Bruce called out, Salenes attention was directed towards the miniature spaceship in Clint's hand. Salene never wanted to get back into that thing, but she was joining Nat and Clint to Vormir, so she had to now.
"You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?" Rocket asked, Salene raised her eyebrows at that question.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Clint nodded, a nervous smile was spread across his features, "Okay. I'll do my best."
"As promises go, that was pretty lame." Rocket unfolded his arms, shrugging as he shook his head.
"Trust me rocket, after spending a month in that thing, I don't plan on spending any more time in it," Salene assured him.
Rocket reluctantly nodded at her words, she realized that although they weren't close, Salene was the one to witness his friend's last words, there was another guardian besides Gamora that didn't go on Titan, Groot, a living tree species that wasn't from the earth like Quill or Rocket and had a limited vocabulary, Nebula had explained a long time ago that Groot and Rocket had been partners in intergalactic crime long before the guardians formed in 2014 and Rocket took that loss very hard. Salene only wished that she could help her friend get him back.
"See you in a minute." Nat quipped excitedly to Steve.
In less than a second, flashes of bright colors clouded Salenes vision, a few seconds after that, the group split up, it was now her, Nat, Clint, Rhodey, and Nebula to go to Morag in 2014. From there, Salene, Nat, and Clint would use the Benatar to fly to Vormir.
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AS RHODEY AND Nebula lowered a pod to have access to radio and emergency getaway, Nat, Salene and Clint were standing together, waiting for the Benatar to be vacated. One of the small beasts that inhabited the planet had scratched Salenes calf and bit Natasha's shin, to there the red-headed woman kicked it high enough in the air for Salene to send a blast they would have it go flying.
"Hey, can we hurry it up?" Clint asked, Salene could hear the sarcasm in his voice, making her smile.
"Guys, chop-chop. Come on. We're on a clock." Natasha teased with a smile of her own. Nebula stepped out of the ship. She and Salene made eye contact and the blonde gave the blue-skinned woman a nod.
"All that is really helpful." Rhodey gave Natasha a quick hug before turning and doing the same for Salene. "Take care, okay?"
"Yeah," Natasha replied, taking Salenes hand and squeezing it.
"Take that stone and come back," Rhodey instructed, "No messing around."
Natasha and Salene started to head up the ship, Salene squeezing Natasha's hand for support as she made her way up the ship.
"You guys watch each other's six," Rhodey called out to them. Salene and Nat looked back, Salene gave Rhodey a small nod and a wave to Nebula as they continued to disappear into the ship.
"Yeah."
As they walk back into the ship, the hatch closes. The trio take their seats at the front of the ship, Nebula and Rocket had given Salene a crash course of the ship for this mission so when took off and sped out of the atmosphere, a little pride made Salenes chest swell. So far, they haven't faced any hitches which are always good for a mission like this.
As the ship continued to jump through holes in space, Salene glanced over at Nat and Clint who were watching the stars fly by.
"It's a long way from Budapest." Clint had joked. Salene smiled as Natasha just laughed
• • •
VORMIR WAS WAY more beautiful than Nebula made it seem when they were going over how to get these stones. Gamora had found the location of the soul stone years back and destroyed the map to it, but Thanos still found a way to get to it before Salene fought him on Titan.
"Wow– Under different circumstances, this would be totally awesome." Clint pulled Salenes attention away from the landscape, making Salene agree silently.
The trio started walking towards the mountain and they began to climb it. Salene didn't like that idea and just wrapped her arms around Nat's waist and Clint's torso, pulling them up into the air and they began their flight to the top.
"I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain," Nat grumbled.
"Technically, he's not a raccoon, you know," Clint remarked.
"Whatever," Nat disregarded, "He eats garbage."
"And I'm carrying both of you so none of us are climbing a mountain," Salene grunted as she lowered them to the ground, she stretched her arms, the tension of holding both adults close to her body was putting strain on her arms.
They were under a rock with a nice arch, as if it was a doorway to where they needed to go. About ten feet away was a floating man in a tattered cloak, Salene recognized him from her history books at the Red Skull. Steve had fought him in 45' when he crashed the plane into the ice.
"Welcome." She could hear his german accent, she was surprised he still had it after all this time. Natasha and Clint drew their weapons as Salene set her fists on fire, she'd love to punch a nazi.
"Natasha, daughter of Ivan, Clint, son of Edith, and Salene, daughter of Adrian senior," She greeted the three, Salene squinted her eyes, she wondered how he knew them.
"Who are you?" Natasha asked, Salene gave the woman an incredulous stare.
"You don't recognize the red face? The German accent?" Salene asked and Nat widened her eyes.
"Consider me a guide," Red Skull interrupted, "To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone."
"Oh, good. You tell us where it is," Natasha rolled her eyes, "Then we'll be on our way."
"Ah, liebchen-" Salenes lip curled in disgust at the name he called her, "If only it were that easy."
Red Skull lead the three of them up to the cliff, the atmosphere was different, Salenes ears popped a while ago, making her headache slightly. The three of them stood by the edge looking down, Salene had gotten over her fear of heights and falling years ago, knowing that falling to her death isn't something that's possible for her.
"What you seek lies in front of you..." Red Skull went on, "as does what you fear."
As does what you fear, does he think what I think he means? Lucifer asked, making Salene squeeze her eyes shut as she stepped away from the cliff.
I wish it wasn't, she looked to Nat.
"The stone is down there," Nat spoke, she also stepped back, probably dizzy from the height.
"For one of you. For the other..." Salenes heart raced as he explained his cryptic words from a few seconds before, "In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."
Salenes heart dropped as she took a seat next to Nat, she looked to the woman on her right as she took Salenes hand in her own, holding it with both hands now as she looked to be contemplating.
"How's it going?" Clint interrupted their thoughts, "Jesus...Maybe he's making this shit up."
"No," Nat argued, "I don't think so."
"Why?" Clint asked, " 'cause he knows your Daddy's name?"
"I didn't." Nat continued, "Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence."
Salene glanced back at the drop-off, her heart-wrenching at the idea of what Thanos did for that woman. She couldn't imagine throwing anyone in her family off that cliff. She cant lose anyone else. She looked back to Nat, the woman was staring at her now.
"Yeah."
"Whatever it takes," Nat spoke, still staring into Salenes eyes. Salene nodded.
"Whatever it takes." Salene and Clint spoke in unison.
Natasha stood up, pulling Salene up with her. Salene had her mind set. She couldn't lose anyone else, her heart wouldn't be able to take it.
"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead," Natasha spoke as she glanced between Clint and Sal.
"Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be," Clint responded.
Salene furrowed her eyebrows at their words. She let go of Nat's hand, the woman glanced at the empty hands and up at Salene, confusion now on her face.
"I guess we do."
"I'm starting to think– we mean different people here, guys," Clint have a bit of nervousness in his words, Salene felt that herself.
"For the last five years, I've been trying to do one thing: Get to right here." Natasha tried to reason, "That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back."
"Oh, don't you get all decent on me now." Clint was shaking his head, tears were beginning to burn Salenes eyes, her lip wavering.
"What, you think I wanna do it?" Nat frowned, noticing Salenes face, "I'm trying to save your life, you idiots."
"Yeah, well, I don't want you to, because I– Natasha, you know what I've done." Clint frowned, he had become a mercenary in the five years, Nat and Salene had gone out to the farm to find dust, they originally thought clint was dead but when big-name criminals and whole gangs were turned up dead, the M.O.'s all had screamed Clint, "You know what I've become."
"I don't judge people on their worst mistakes." Natasha gave a small smile.
"Maybe you should."
"You didn't."
"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" There was no humor in Clint's words but he still smiled as if they did, the two rested their foreheads against each other, Clint had reached out and taken Salenes hand.
"Okay. You win." Clint threw Nat and Salene to the ground
"Tell my family I love them." He spoke. Salene pushed Natasha back even further and blasted Clint to the ground.
No! Lucifer yelled into her mind you cant! Her body froze, her muscles aching as she pushed against his restraint. Two rings of flame burst against her wrists, they were forced together and she felt them get pushed to the ground. Salene screamed in protest and looked up as Natasha ran past her.
"Please," Salene called out, "I can lose you too, Natasha!"
The woman Salene considered her sister looked back. Natasha had tears in her own eyes as well.
"I love you, мой ангел," Natasha called out as she tackled Clint to the ground. Salene watched as she exchanged words with Clint. Salene thrashed against the ground trying to free herself and stop them.
Natasha electrocuted Clint and she ran towards the cliff. Clint got up and shot an explosive arrow knocking her down. Clint then ran towards the cliff himself and jumped. Salenes heart sank to the floor as if it was next to her hands as she watched Natasha jump after him.
Salene started to get more violent with her thrashing.
"Let me go!" She screamed, "Please!" Her will overpowered Lucifer's and she crawled to the ledge, she looked over just to see Clint strapped to the cliff which was clearly Natasha's doing. He had a grip on her wrist.
Natasha saw Salene peering over the ledge and smiled.
"It's okay." Salene heard Natasha. It was almost unheard because of the blood rushing in Salenes ears, her tears were clouding her vision now. She did her best to blink them away.
"Please–" Salene heard Clint begin, Natasha kicked the wall, pulling herself out of Clint's grip, and plummeted to the ground- "NO!"
Salene screamed out as she watched the woman fall, she turned her head away before she watched Natasha impact the ground. Her throat was closing and the blue flame of her hair turned into an explosion, though the sound was drowned out by the boom of the cliff accepting Natasha's self-sacrifice. The ground beneath Salene rumbled and suddenly, she felt herself lying on her back in a pool of water.
Her hair had been quenched back into her bright blonde due to the water and she felt her hand in someone else's, she looked over to see Clint who was staring at the sky. The two sat up and looked at their hands, a glowing light peered out through every crack of their conjoined hands.
Clint let go and Salene opened up her hand to see a glowing orange crystal- the Soul Stone.
Clint hit the ground, Salene understood exactly what he felt. The trip back to Benatar was silent, neither had anything to say. Their aching hearts did all the talking for them. Scott had given Salene a throwing disc that would get the Benatar back to its tiny size. She pulled it out of a compartment in her gauntlet and put the stone in there instead. She activated her quantum suit and threw the disk at the ship.
Clint walked back over to it and picked it up, activating his suit. The two nodded at each other, linked up their devices, and shrank back down to the quantum realm.
The beautiful lights and structures in the quantum realm seemed duller. Salene could only feel the weight of the stone thrum against her wrist in her wrist gauntlet.
"Did we get them all?" Bruce's words were faint to Salenes ears.
Clint was on his knees, Salene's grief was enough to do the same.
"You telling me that'll actually work?" Rhodey's voice was a bit more clearer.
There was silence in the room, a pause, Salene could only feel the empty, cold air of where Nat should be on her side.
"Clint, Sal, where's Nat?" Bruce asked, his voice now clear enough for the mention of her name to cut Salene.
A tear slid down Salenes cheek as the image of Natasha's body splayed out like a bleeding Angel on the rocky ground of Vormir flashed in her mind.
The silence from the two told everyone all they needed to know. The mission was completed. Bruce fell to his knees and pounded the floor.
Everyone knows now: in order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love.
────── 〔ψ〕──────
5.7k words
мой ангел = my angel
ZOO WEE MAMA this chapter really hurt my feelings.
I have loved Natasha since Iron Man two had came out and she showed how much of a bad ass she was taking down hammer industries security intel in like, ten minutes. Watching her character grow and change and just seeing her relax and be open was everything to me and I'm REALLY UPSET SHES GONE.
As you can see, Salene is just as upset about this.
anyways, theres one more chapter after this and then the epilogue, I have the continuation of the social media au after that and trust me, you'll want to read it, so be prepared to catch up on Ophelia!! if you have any thirst tweets for her (or Salene, wink wonk) you should comment them here before I finish up the second au!
as always, I want to thank everyone again for reading, I've been writing this book since 2019 and it's just crazy to see it come to a close like this...
love you all!
-greta