The first thing Natasha felt was the ground unnoticeably trembling underneath her. It was like rain, not falling from the sky but pattering from underground. Apart from that it was dark and cold. Everything felt numb and would she not have sensed the tiny stones vibrating against her back, she might have thought that she was floating. Weightlessly Natasha existed. Just lying on the ground, breathing.

Then she remembered. Remembered all the pain and the grief of loosing everything. Half the population - gone with a snap. She remembered the five years of trying to pick the pieces up and fit them back in place. Five years of lost hope, of powerlessness. And then…

Her mind came back to the surface in an instant and she flung her eyes open. Frosty air filled out her lungs and she took a few breaths, far too unstable. Clint!

The atmosphere above her was filled by deep hanging, black clouds and the cliff she had jumped off rose to the sky like a threatening monster just waiting to take another life. Natasha rolled over, following the instinctive urge to bring some distance between her and the rocks. Her legs were stiff and hurt and the feeling in her fingertips and toes was numb. She was still waring the time travel suit and frantically searched for the Pym-Particles that had to be there. They were. Or at least what was left of them, an empty, broken container, uselessly hanging on her belt.

The desperation hit Natasha like a knife and she could feel her hands slightly trembling. She only let it sink in for a few seconds, then caught herself and got off the ground. Still unsteady on her legs, she stood up, raising her gaze to the top of the mountain. Her friend and the hooded skull figure were gone. But if she was still alive, did he even get the stone? She startled. What if Clint was lying dead somewhere because she had survived? What if the ghost had lied and killed him instead?

„Clint?", she tried to reach him via headset. She waited for a few seconds, but there was only silence. Natasha started running.
„Clint, can you hear me?", she asked again, a hint of panic in her voice this time. No answer. She ran alongside the mountain, trying to find her way back to the point where they had started to climb up. The walls were majestic and frightening at the same time, looking even more dangerous now that Natasha knew how it felt falling off one.

She tried not to think about the swirling wind, her stomach revolting against the loss of gravity whilst shifting through the air. Not to think about Clints face starring down at her, the expression of helplessness in his eyes.
She should have been dead. She must have been dead. Must have broken every bone in her entire body after this fall. After tumbling down a cliff of at least 200 meters. It was impossible to explain.

She was halfway around the mountain when she saw it. Relief paired with a non describable aching swept through her body. The space ship was gone. Clint must have taken it after receiving the stone and by now be long off this planet.
Natasha rested her hands on her knees and calmed herself down. She was alone, or at least that's what she thought.

—-

Loki was lurking in the shadows.
Once he had come back to his senses after being smashed to the ground by a wave of pressure which had emerged from the mountain, he had started walking towards it to investigate its origin. If the magic inside was restorable or came in waves he might be able to recreate the portal and get off this abandoned planet. It was only when he had been halfway to it that he realized he might not even want to leave. As far as he could tell, there were no other creatures present but him and some mutated form of rats. Thanos hadn't gotten to him yet, which didn't have to mean anything but at least it was a start and this exile had enough piece and time for him to figure out his next steps or maybe even a new plan. Food and water could surely be found somewhere - there were a lot of clouds after all - and some distance between him and earth didn't sound too bad at the moment.

All in all the odds had been looking quite positive for him, had he not noticed the outlines of a slim figure running alongside his chosen destination. At first he hadn't even identified it as human, but as he drew closer the ginger hair paired with this strikingly white and red suit were obviously attached to a midgardian woman. In fact it was the same woman who he had just seen in New York, fighting for the Avengers barely an hour ago! And yet, she had to be at least 5 years older now. Her hair was longer and seemed to have turned white at the ends. Also her whole posture seemed as though she was baring the weight of the world on her shoulders.

He was hiding behind one of the stones inspecting her features from the shadows, though he knew it was only a matter of time until she would notice his presence. He had respect for the Black Widow and making the mistake of underestimating her was something he wasn't likely to do again. Oh yes, she had a talent this one. Fooling him into giving information he did not yet want to tell had thoroughly impressed him. Not that it had had any consequence on the plan, but still.

She turned to his direction and for a second their eyes met. He saw a pain in hers so very familiar, it completely threw him out of concept. There was no possible way she could know how he felt, and yet it was like looking in a mirror. What had happened to this woman? Loki got a feeling he had been unconscious for quite a while longer than he had expected.

Soooo... Here's chapter 2...
Thank you to everyone who already added my story to their favorites or follows! It really motivated me to keep on writing.
Also I am always hoping to get some reviews, so if you enjoyed reading it, maybe write me :-)
(Also if you did not enjoy reading it so I might be able to improve ;-) )

I couldn't believe Natasha died when I saw the movie and I was really angry and upset about it, which is why writing her back to life was a real satisfiing thing to do! (Yes, I am denying both her and Lokis death - yes I will probably deny Tony Starks death as well)

If you need me to write anything else to life which or who the Russo Brothers killed please let me know and I am very happy to help! ^^