A/N– Hello, dear readers who are probably traumatized by my story :)
As a thank you for reaching 100k (again, you guys are the best), I decided to write different bonus chapters for this fanfic. Instead of canon one shots, these will be AUs, basically What-If imagines and they're not canon!
So, enjoy this one!
"Alright. Bring it down low. Right on that line. That's it. Down, down." Rhodey helps Nebula to guide down a pod off the Benatar while Steve and Eve look through the deserted and foggy landscape of Morag. Both soldiers know that these are the traces of a long lost war ages ago and just share a knowing glance. The violet-rosy sky is the only thing that is beautiful on this space planet, even the animals look awful.
Eve glances in disgust at the slimy lizard-like creature on the ground and shoots a little voltage at it, causing it to hiss. "Okay, this place is absolutely ugly."
Steve chuckles, shaking his head. "Luckily, we don't have to do this ever again. Earth is still my favorite planet."
"Home sweet home." Eve agrees with a longing glance, the age mirrored in her green eyes. "I remember the days when we were the weirdest things around."
"Aw, are the senior citizens getting all nostalgic?" Rhodey asks jokingly when he walks towards them, catching the last bit of their conversation. Nebula follows him down.
"Ha ha." Eve rolls her eyes playfully but ends up smirking. She pulls Rhodey into a brief hug. "Be careful. If I don't bring you back to Tony in one piece, I'll lose my position as Morgan's godmother."
"That would be such a bummer, I need my godparent partner." He replies cheekily and smiles. "Take care, okay? Take that stone and come back. No messing around."
"Yeah, don't worry." She then nods at Nebula, knowing that the Guardian despises hugs, so they always share a respectful nod.
"You got this." Steve encourages them and pats Rhodey's shoulder, the two sharing a grave look.
"Let's get it done." Rhodey says determinedly and the two soldiers out of time start to walk to the Benatar. Before they disappear in the ship, he calls for them one more time. "You guys watch each other's six."
Both turn around and Eve waves to them with a tiny smile ghosting over her lips. She and Steve then enter the ship and take their seats in the cockpit. While Steve sits down on the pilot's chair, Eve presses the left button and the hatch closes behind them. The Benatar takes off, speeding out of Morag's atmosphere.
Eve is pressed against her seat as cosmic colors are jumping into her sight, but this time, she's not as anxious as the first time when she's been in space. Her glance shifts over to Steve who actually smiles at her.
"We're a long way from Brooklyn." He says with the corner of his lips tipped up and this makes Eve chuckle lightly.
The speed slows down as soon as they reach their destination and the big planet that is engulfed in a pink mist faces them. They have arrived on Vormir. Steve and Eve stand up, staring in astonishment at the breath-taking miracle in front of them.
"If it weren't for the circumstances, this would be actually beautiful." Steve mumbles and Eve nods.
"Imagine if we went with Tony back to New York. We would've missed out on this view." She just responds and the ship lands itself down, still being on autopilot. "Vormir looks better than whatever Morag was."
"Yeah, we've got lucky." He half smiles and they get off the ship.
The desert is bathing in the violet light as the small lagoons mirror the soothing color as well, the air is crisp and chilly compared to the atmosphere on Morag. The solar eclipse hides behind Vormir's clouds and Eve can't help but think that this place is aesthetically beautiful and terrifying at the same time. There's just a big mountain covered in snow in front of them, so it's the only possibility where the Soul Stone could be.
"We have to walk the whole way up there." Eve states with a lack of enthusiasm. "How exciting."
Now Steve laughs lightly at his best friend's grumpy face. "Oh, come on, that's not too bad. A little exercise can't hurt and we're super-soldiers."
"First off, your optimism is something else, Rogers." She tilts her head at him. "Second off, don't forget that your stamina and strength are twice as enhanced as mine, so that's not fair."
"I'm gonna pick you up when you get too tired, I promise." He chuckles and she has to suppress a grin.
"Don't you dare."
The two begin to climb their way up on the mountain in a comfortable silence, sometimes a few comments are exchanged along with little laughter. The higher they get, the colder it becomes but neither of them mind as they've been through a climate like that before already, during the war back in the forties. When Steve and Eve reach the top of the mountain, they're not even out of breath.
"Told you." Steve just says and Eve rolls her eyes playfully.
"Shut up."
The teasing between them dies down as soon as a third voice joins their conversation. "Welcome."
Turning simultaneously around, Steve puts on his shield to cover them both while Eve ignites her electricity as she stands right next to him behind the shield. The two soldiers are prepared for a fight and stare at the floating person in the long cloak, hiding in the dark shadows. His face is hidden.
"Eve, daughter of Nolan. Steve, son of Joseph."
Eve frowns as her breath is captured in her chest, her heart racing slightly. Nolan? She questions in confusion, yet she decides to focus on the person in front of her first. Sharing an agreeing glance with Steve, they slowly approach the man in the cloak with their weapons still held up.
"Who are you?" Eve asks warily and the man stays in the darkness.
"Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone."
"Tell us where it is and this doesn't have to end in a fight." Steve warns him with a stern voice and just now, the man steps out of the shadow. Eve's eyes widen in shock when the Red Skull is standing right in front of them and her electricity strengthens in anger.
"It'll not be my war to fight." He states calmly and Steve is equally shocked to see their first enemy again.
"You... son of a bitch." Steve mutters and he glances back to Eve. Now both know what actually happened back then. "The Tesseract, when he touched it..."
"Ah, yes, it brought me here, the person I once used to be. But that was another time, another life." The Red Skull says and Eve can sense that there's not a sign of any hostility in his voice, just a calm neutrality. "I have become the warden of the Soul Stone. The Red Skull is no longer, Captain."
Eve lowers her hands, the electricity around her vanishes. If she believes his words, then she knows she can't kill him since the Stones must have made him somewhat immortal to guard the Soul Stone. That's not her foe anymore, fighting him would lead to nothing. He is nothing more than a ghost.
"Steve, this means he must have been here for longer than seventy years."
"So you think he's telling the truth?" Steve questions, understanding her meaning and she nods. He puts his shield down. "As much as I hate it, I think so, too."
Eve turns back to the Stone keeper. "Where is the Soul Stone?"
"Follow me." He advises and leads them further to the top of the mountain through the rocky path. The wind is stronger there, snow whirling in the air, and they stand between two enormous look-alike rocks. Clouds dance around them and at the front is just the cliff that shows them the whole way down again. A bad feeling settles down in Eve's stomach when she sees nothing but the depth in front of her.
"What you seek lies in front of you... As does what you fear." The Stone keeper tells the two soldiers and Eve presses her lips together at the awful realization.
"The Stone's down there."
"For one of you. For the other... In order to take the Stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul."
Steve and Eve now look at each other in shock, a heavy burden lying in their eyes. One must go, the other survives and gets the Stone. Their mission now seems impossible to Eve and she walks away from the cliff to sit down, thinking it through. This isn't fair, this is a horrible trade. Steve follows her, standing next to her and he reads her expression. He knows her and he knows what she plans to do.
"This is ironic." Eve breathes out a dry chuckle. "Send the two idiots, who love to sacrifice themselves, to the Stone that is all about the sacrifice shit."
"What if he's lying?" Steve tries and she shakes her head.
"He isn't." Now she pauses and looks at him. "He said your father's name, and he said Nolan. Nolan, Steve. He knew my father's name before I did." Now Steve shoots her a sad glance, aware how important that is to her. "Thanos left here with the Stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence."
"Which means that this is the only way how we get the Soul Stone."
"Whatever it takes." Eve says and inhales deeply. One of them gets to see Bucky and their friends again, the other one doesn't. And it's okay for her if she's not the one.
"Whatever it takes." Steve repeats her words and she catches his lingering glance on the cliff. This idiot, she thinks and gets up.
"I'll do it." Eve determines strictly and he looks at her bewildered. "Bucky needs one of us alive. It gotta be you."
Steve shakes his head. "That's ridiculous, Eve, he needs you."
"You've got to sacrifice yourself back in 1945. You put me in one of these airplanes and tried to force me to live my life and accept your sacrifice. What if I hadn't had an emotional breakdown, Steve? What if I hadn't crashed with you?" Her voice almost cracks. Just almost. "You owe me this one."
"I left you for five years. I have to make it up for that." Steve insists, his eyes reflecting pain. "You were right. I abandoned you. Left you all alone, and it was selfish."
Eve knows what he's trying to do but she won't let it happen. "You did, and that's why, you have to respect my choice if you want to make it up for that. You have to let me do this. Please, let me do this."
"But what about Bucky?" Steve's eyes become glassy and Eve steps closer towards him, her hands cupping his face. "He'll kill me if I let you do this."
"He'll understand. I had my time with Bucky and it was more than I could've ever asked for. But you didn't have the chance yet to live your own life, Steve. You haven't found love yet, and I want you to have that. I want you to be happy."
"How can I be happy without you?" He now mumbles with a broken voice, his hand now lying on hers. "Without my best friend. The most important person in my life."
"By living with your family. With Bucky, Tony, Sam, Clint, Nat and Wanda. It's okay. Trust me, we'll be fine." Eve smiles sadly and a tear rolls down her face. "I don't think there's anything in this world that could've made me happier than having you, Steve Rogers, as my family. And I'm lucky that you're gonna be the last person I see."
"Why are you like this?" He sighs, his voice trembling and he pulls her into a tight hug. Not even the cold snow can disguise her familiar scent of home.
"Last words and all that stuff." She grins and leans into his chest, enjoying their last embrace. Nodding, Steve hesitantly lets go of her.
"Alright. I'll let you do it." Tears are gathered in his eyes and Eve smiles at him, glad that he respects her decision. She knows how difficult it is for him to do this, but she couldn't live in a world without him.
"Everything's gonna be okay."
They walk towards the cliff and Eve looks down, the depth barely scares her. If the last thing she sees is Steve's face, then it'll be fine. If that's her last act, dying for a good world, then she's gonna be okay. Turning to Steve, she forces one last brave smile upon her lips. For him.
As Eve takes a step backwards, letting the gravity take over her, Steve suddenly jumps after her and reaches out for her. With his tight grip around her wrist, she briefly collides with the wall and a groan slips through her lips at the harsh clash. Dangling in the air now, she looks up to Steve who is holding onto the edge of the cliff with his other hand and a desperation is mirrored in his blue eyes. And that's when the realization hits her.
"You lied." Eve is taken aback and stares at her best friend. Steve has never been a good liar, he's always sucked at it until now. Until it was about her life.
"I had no choice." Steve confesses through gritted teeth and both know that he just needs to swing her up again to sacrifice himself.
"Let me go." She ignites her electricity and even though she hates to hurt him, she begins to burn his hand that is holding her. The familiar sibilance grows with each second and Eve starts to struggle, increasing the deadly electric power. His glove even begins to dissolve. "Let me go, Steve!"
Yet, he just clenches his teeth and endures the horrible pain, tightening the grip around her hand. He has to save her, he has to. Steve shakes his head, looking down at her with a pained expression. "I-I can't."
"Don't do this, please, don't do this!" Panic and fear begin to tighten her chest and tears run down her face. She can't lose him. "Please, Steve, I'm begging you, don't do this or I swear, I'll never forgive you!"
A sad smile graces his lips. "I pray to God that one day, you will."
"No!" She screams but it's too late. Steve throws her back to the top again and lets go of the edge. Eve then lands on the rough ground but she ignores the pain in her back and side. Steve. Scrambling as fast as possible back towards the edge, she witnesses horrified how Steve plummets to the ground.
The sight of his dead body in his own blood breaks Eve and she can barely breathe. Her heart shatters in a million pieces and her whole body is numb with pain, tears streaming down her face and sobs wrecking her. Eve's hands are pressed hard against the rocky surface to hold herself back from jumping after him, hard enough to feel blood in her palms. "No. No, oh, God, Steve. STEVE!"
A blue light booms through the sky, brightening the clouds and the blinding beam takes Eve with it. In the next moment, she is suddenly lying in the pool of cold water and slowly opens her eyes. She breathes out, still feeling a little disoriented. "Steve?"
As Eve sits up, she now spots Steve's shield next to her and feels something warm in her right hand. Releasing her grip, she sees the glowing Soul Stone in her hand. The Infinity Stone Steve died for. A soul for a soul.
She doesn't feel relief or success, just how her heart is stabbed constantly again and again. Tears roll down her face and Eve sobs in utter pain, her best friend is gone. A cry of agony escapes her lips and she releases a powerful burst of electricity, the lightning taking over her suffering.
The crying soldier is left with a shield and a soul she never wanted.