"Remember," Bruce said. "It's very important you return the Stones at the exact point we took them. If you don't, you're gonna create a time paradox."
"I understand," Steve replied.
"You sure you don't want any help?" Bruce asked.
"I'll be fine," Steve said. "Well, wish me luck."
He touched his bracelet.
"Wait," a new voice said.
Steve looked up. "Clint?"
"I want to take the Soul Stone back."
"Clint," Steve said. "She's not coming back."
"Gamora returned," Clint argued.
"She didn't," Bruce said. "I wiped her memory with the Mind Stone and send her back."
"What? Why?"
"We have no choice. If the past Gamora is here, Thanos cannot sacrifice her, meaning he can't get the Soul Stone and the past never happened. So we wouldn't be having this conversation. That's what I meant with time paradox. We didn't actually bring people back to life. We changed the meaning of Thanos his snap. Instead of killing them, we sent them five years forward in time. That doesn't affect the past. But we don't know what would happen if we brought Gamora back after her sacrifice. That might actually affect the past. If the sacrifice is independent of time, it's possible that bringing her back makes the trade invalid and past Thanos doesn't get the Soul Stone. And if he doesn't get the Soul Stone…"
"So bringing Nat back could make sure the past me doesn't get the Soul Stone?" Clint asked.
"Maybe. It wouldn't be a sacrifice if you could bring her back with the Stones."
"Why don't you just ask him?" Steve said. "We have to return the Soul Stone anyway. Or Thanos can't get it and we have a paradox."
"I think Bruce is right," Clint said. "The way he said it… it didn't sound like there was room for loopholes."
"Look," Bruce said. "You need to come back with her. Dead or alive."
"What?"
"Her body could affect the timeline," Bruce explained. "If Gamora sees a dead body at the bottom, she might panic and do something. Something that could affect the past. What if she pushed Thanos off the edge? We have to make sure they arrive in the exact same situation so the past isn't altered."
"That makes sense," Steve said.
"If anyone's retrieving her body, it should be me," Clint said.
"You should go first," Steve said. "If we can bring her back with the Stones, return here and we'll do it. If not then…"
"I'll come back with her," Clint promised. "Dead or alive."
Steve handed him the Soul Stone. "Good luck."
Clint operated his bracelet. "Going in three… two… one…"
There was a flash. The next moment, he was back on Vormir.
Once again, he was greeted by the cloaked figure.
"Welcome back, Clint, son of Edith. It felt like seconds since you were here last."
"It was seconds," Clint pointed out.
"For me, but not for you. And not for the Soul Stone either."
"So I can't bring her back?" he asked.
"The trade you made is independent of time. You cannot bring her back in the future. That would make the past trade invalid."
"Trade?" Clint frowned. "Don't you mean sacrifice?"
"Sacrifices are irreversible," Red Skull said. "I said: a soul for a soul."
"Wait. So if I give the Stone back, then… Nat returns?"
"As I said: a soul for a soul," Red Skull repeated.
"So that's a yes then?"
There was no reply.
Clint took out the Soul Stone. "So I just… throw this thing over the edge and she will return?"
Red Skull shrugged. "Probably."
"Probably?"
"I'm here to lead people to the Soul Stone, not to explain to them how to return it. Based on what the Soul Stone told me, I would assume that-"
"Wait, what? The Stone speaks to you?"
"Well of course. How else would I know 'a soul for a soul'?"
"But-"
"Just throw the damn Stone." For the first time, Red Skull lost his composure.
Clint hesitated. But the way he said it, it didn't sound like he would get any more information. He could only give it a try and see what happened.
"Alright. Here it goes then."
Clint tossed it over the edge.
There was a flash of light. Electricity beamed upwards.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a strange lake. Right in front of him, someone else got up too. Someone with red hair with white edges.
"Nat?"
"You idiot," she said. Nat slapped his chest repeatedly.
"What? Hey, stop that."
"Why did you let go?" she demanded.
"I didn't… wait" He realised what she was saying. "Nat, you're alive."
Natasha stopped hitting him.
"But…" she looked confused. "I let go."
"Yes. And then we beat Thanos. When I returned the Soul Stone I got you back. A soul for a soul, remember?"
"We won?"
"Yes." He pulled her into a huge.
"I can't believe it," she said.
"It's true. We beat him again."
She got out of the hug. "Wait, so I missed the fight?"
"Yeah. It was pretty epic."
"Like Budapest?" she asked.
"Well not that epic."
Natasha stood up. "So everyone is back then?"
"Yes. But uhm…" he stood up too.
"But what?" she pressed him.
"Tony didn't make it."
Natasha opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"Thanos had the gauntlet-"
"I thought Thanos was dead?" she asked.
"Oh no," Clint said. "Past Thanos figured out our plan so he came to us and tried to take the gauntlet. But when he got it, Tony took it back and snapped his fingers. Thanos and his army were all killed… well, send back in time memory wiped, I guess, or there would be a time paradox. Anyway, he snapped, but… I guess something else snapped too."
She said nothing.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's… it's okay. There is nothing we can do," she said. "Let's go home."
Clint said nothing about what he just realised. Red Skull had said 'a soul for a soul', but he hadn't specified which soul. So maybe he could bring back whomever he wanted to and not just Nat? Then there would be a way.
But no way he was gonna lose her again.
Clint touched his bracelet.
"Wait," a new voice said.
He turned. "Gamora? I thought Bruce send you back?"
"You have to stop Thanos," she said. "He has the Soul Stone."
"No he… wait a sec." If Thanos destroyed the Soul Stone along with the other Stones, then… then the trade became invalid, right? Because he didn't have the Soul Stone anymore. And then this was the Gamora that had been thrown off the cliff. So she could return without causing any paradoxes. In fact, she should, or they would create a paradox.
"Thanos is dead," he told her.
"What?"
"It's a long story. I'll explain it all at home." He held out his hand.
"Okay." Hesitantly, she took his hand.
"Ready?" he asked Natasha.
Nat held up her hand and touched the bracelet. "Ready."
"Let's go home."