track suggestion to listen to for this chapter: compass
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( twenty five. compass )
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"Which way do we go?"
"I say right."
"Don't be stupid. HYDRA men are coming from the right."
"Then why ask when you're not going to follow me anyway?" Howard rolled his eyes.
Tony scoffed. "You told me to not make decisions on my own. It's what I'm doing now."
"Just—" He looked like he was on the verge of strangling him or strangling himself. He sighed, exasperatedly. "Come on."
In favor of Tony's decision, Howard did take the right side. They were protected by the other soldiers, but nevertheless, still had a couple of guns on them in case they were on their own. Howard and Tony were accompanied by Peggy, even Colonel Phillips went in for the ride.
They still haven't got a clue on who Tony is, though. They just knew him as another friend of Natasha's and a colleague of Howard Stark.
Not even his father knew who he really was.
"You think Cap got her out?" Tony asked.
Peggy was the one who answered. "I'd like to believe so. Steve wouldn't let a second pass with Anne being in their hands."
He turned to Howard, muttering, "You sure she's over him?"
He shrugged. "Beats me. Women are confusing."
He could never agree more with that statement.
Tony stared at the agent a little bit too long that he intended to. "Can't blame Cap though, she is kinda hot."
"Ladies!" Peggy suddenly turned around, startling the both of them. "Now's not the time for irrelevant discussions. Get your balls together or else HYDRA will get them for you."
Tony gulped. "That's very violent."
Peggy narrowed her eyes at him.
"I think she heard you," Howard whispered.
"Just pay attention—" She was cut off by the sound of a metal object echoing on the other end of the hallway. They followed the sound. "Let's move!" She ordered, ushering them to follow her.
They stopped short to see a HYDRA-like soldier that was bigger than the previous ones they've encountered. It was breathing fire that would sure burn someone if they'd get nearer. Natasha was trying to hide from it, ducking on one of the walls. She was having a hard time to get around it though, with the wound on her side bleeding more furiously now.
Without hesitance, Peggy quickly drew her rifle and aimed it at the soldier, shooting it multiple times until it was down burning in agony.
Natasha peeked out to see the team approaching her. She almost cried in relief.
"Anne!" Peggy ran ahead to hug her tightly.
She was surprised, really, but she didn't hesitate to hug her back. "Hey, Peggy," she smiled.
"Oh my God. Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She pulled away to inspect her and almost turned pale at the sight of her bruises and wounds. "You're bleeding. Bloody hell we need to get you treated!"
"Wait, Peggy. Where's Howard? I need to—"
"Anne!"
Just on cue, the said person along with another soldier appeared on the corner of the hall and was very much delighted to see her again. He rushed past Peggy to wrap his arms around her. "You crazy dame. I told you this was a bad idea." He chastised.
Natasha couldn't help but smile in amusement. "Were you worried?"
"Of course I was!" he exclaimed, pulling away to release her from the hug. "Holy shit. You look terrible. What the hell did they do to you?"
She grimaced. "Let's not talk about that now."
"Do I get a hug from all this too?"
She turned at the voice and was shocked to find Tony standing behind Howard and just beside where Peggy was. "Tony?" She stared at him in disbelief. "How did you—how are you here?"
"Came here with them. They were kind enough to give me a ride." He gave a lopsided smirk. "You look horrible."
Still the same Tony Stark.
She rolled her eyes, a grin curling up at her lips. "Thanks, Tony."
"But I'm glad you're okay." He said.
Natasha felt he was hesitating to reach out and hug her like they did (well, it was only fair since she always threatened him that she'll break his hand if he so as much touched her) but she didn't mind now.
She was the one who reached her arms out. "Just give me a hug, idiot."
Tony laughed before lunging to wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly as they did too. "I'm sorry, Nat," he whispered so lowly that only she could hear.
He didn't specifically say why. What for.
But she knew it.
It was an official sorry for everything.
Honestly though? She couldn't help but think murdering Tony Stark for everything he did isn't an option for her anymore. If this hadn't happened after all, well... let's just say she owed him more than she originally thought.
"I forgive you." She whispered back.
He pulled away, offering a determined look. "Let's go home."
She raised her hand to show him the watch on her wrist. "Let's." She nodded.
Tony then nodded to Peggy and Howard, muttering a short goodbye and thank you for everything they've done and that they needed to leave now. Peggy seemed confused as to why they were such a hurry but let them off the hook anyway.
He figured to at least get a chance to say goodbye to his father.
This time.
"Thanks again for your help." He said, offering a hand to Howard.
He took it and give a gentle shake. "Don't mention it. Take care, alright?"
"We will."
Tony was almost thrown off his chair when Howard suddenly tugged him closer and wrapped an arm around him.
Was he hugging him?
Suddenly, he felt awkward and uncomfortable. Not understanding why on earth was he doing this. "Uh..."
"I'm proud of you, Tony."
He felt his eyes popped out of his sockets. His mouth fell limp when he pulled away, staring at him with mere confusion and shock.
There wasn't anything he said to prove that he knew.
He didn't know how. He didn't really have a damn clue. But it was simply the look on his father's face. The genuine smile and pleased look on his face that told him what he needed to know.
I'm proud of you, Tony.
I'm proud of you, son.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. Not knowing exactly what to feel. "Thanks." Dad.
Meanwhile, Natasha took this as her last chance to make amends with Peggy. She knew they were still a little rough along the edges of everything that happened then. With Steve.
"Peggy, this probably sounds silly since how late it is and we're doing this in the middle of a damn fight—"
"It's alright, Anne. You don't need to apologize for it." She smiled, genuinely. "I accepted it a long time ago and I just want him to be happy. Well, you make him happy so I guess the appropriate thing to say is—I want you two to be happy."
A wave of guilt flood past her as the bitter realization came coming back at her again. If only she knew.
Nevertheless, she forced a smile. "Thank you, Peggy. It means a lot."
"Take care of each other, alright?"
Not exactly. "We will."
"So, was I right about the idea of you falling in love with him?" She teased her.
Fortunately. She rolled her eyes, the edges of her lips curling into a grin. "Fine, just say it. Come on say it."
"I told you so."
"And you really said it, didn't you?"
They both shared a laugh.
Natasha turned to see Tony giving her a look. She understood what it meant. It was time for them to go. She glanced one last time at Peggy. "Gotta go. Duty calls."
She smiled back. "Goodbye, Anne."
She gave one final hug and goodbye to Howard before finally turning away to leave the people who meant so much to her.
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Once they reached the room, Tony flicked on the lights. It began to spread across the room and soon she was beginning to see it looked like a basement of some kind.
Thought, funny as it sounds, there was no machine like she expected.
"Where's the time machine?" She asked the obvious.
Tony raised his own hand to point at the watch clasped on his wrist. "You weren't listening when I explained the whole thing to you, weren't you? We don't need an actual machine to go back. We just need this watch."
"Oh," she replied lamely. She hissed in pain when her side suddenly started to burn up. It was then she remembered the bruises and blisters all over her body. She started to worry, was it alright to time travel in a condition like this? "Tony, is this okay?"
"What?" He whipped his head around.
"This." She gestured at herself. "I'm... I'm a mess. Wouldn't that affect my own body when I get back?"
Tony shook his head. "No, you see, that's what I was wrong about. When we travel through time the space-time molecules make sure that it's actually our consciousness that travels back and forth. Not our actual bodies. So by the time we get back, we'll pick up right where we left off."
Natasha raised an eyebrow, somewhat feeling stupid that she had just learned this now. "But we don't have our own body here in 1943?"
"Exactly, that's why our consciousness created its own host. Our own body." He said, pressing something on his watch. "Look, I could explain this once we get back. You don't have to worry about anything, really."
She glanced at her watch and saw that she only had about 10% left. She sucked in a breath and nodded. "Okay, let's do it. Let's go home."
Tony smiled, holding her hand up to press something on her watch too. Not a second later, both their watches were beginning to light up. His arc reactor was glowing brightly too.
Progress is 10% complete
It was all going well.
Tony squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and offered a smile. It made her heart slowed down to a pace a bit but she was still nervous.
Progress is 30% complete
Just then a cackle through one of the speakers attached to the room broke through the air. It sounded more like a radio signal trying to connect with them. She didn't know where it was coming from.
"Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"
Natasha's heart skipped a beat. Remember when she said it finally calmed down to a pace? Well, it's picked up speed a lot damn faster this time that she felt like it was going to explode out of her chest.
Tony realized this too. He glanced around the room, startled at hearing Steve's voice speak through their comms.
"Captain Rogers, what is your—"
"Steve, is that you? Are you alright?"
What was the undeniable and sweet voice of Peggy echoed across the room. She could sense every bit of worry in her voice as she tried to figure out if Steve was okay.
"Peggy! Schmidt's dead!"
"What about the plane?"
Natasha felt wrong to hear this. She and Tony both did. It wasn't right to just stand there and listen for Steve to face his fate. To sacrifice his life for seventy years and wake up in a world forever foreign to him.
They could've stopped him. Give him the life he wanted.
But they were entirely sure that even if it was the life Steve wanted for himself, it wasn't going to be the life he needed to live.
Progress is 60% complete
"There's not gonna be a safe landing, but I can try and force it down."
"I-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water."
Natasha could hear her heart breaking for him. For Peggy. For everyone he's going to leave behind here.
"Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out."
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die."
She didn't even notice that there were damp tears stinging her eyes when Tony pulled her into another hug. She wasn't ashamed, to say the least, that she was tearing up in Tony Stark's embrace.
They didn't say anything.
They were hurting. But they were going to go through this together.
"Peggy, this is my choice."
She could hear Peggy choked back a sob. Her voice sounded strained and hoarse and she assumed she was crying.
"Do you—do you want me to get Anne on the line? I can find her for you—"
"No... stay. Please."
Natasha held Tony tighter as she buried her face in his chest. Sobbing silently.
Progress is 80% complete
"Peggy..."
"I'm here."
"Can you promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Promise me... promise me that you're not going to spend the rest of your life waiting."
"Steve..."
"Promise me? Please."
"..."
"Peggy?"
"I... I promise."
It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair for everything to end this way.
But I guess life was never fair at all. For Peggy. For Howard. For Becca. For Bucky. For Steve.
For any of them.
They had no choice but to accept their own tragic fate.
Progress is 100% complete
Natasha first felt a burning sensation spread across his body. It almost made her want to writhe out in pain. But not any longer, the burning heat and fire within her suddenly worn out. Instead, a cool feeling wrapped around her like she was floating in paradise, contracting the burning feeling she dreaded to experience once more. She opened her eyes, giving one final glance at Tony.
Then suddenly, the sudden image of a blonde man sitting on the front seat of a certain plane, with a broken look clouded her mind.
He moved to place the compass in front of him, glancing back to the blue-purple-and white sky, then back at the compass to where a beautiful blonde girl smiled back at him.
With that memory being the last thing they both thought about, they closed their eyes in relief. As everything faded away into darkness.
Wondering when they could ever get a great view like that again.
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