Hello! I know this is chapter everyone has been waiting nervously for… I'm honestly nervous to publish it!

Please read to the end of the chapter…

Please do enjoy!

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The Soul Stone

Thursday 4th May 2017

Edges of Vormir Space

It took them just over two weeks to navigate their way to Vormir. It was deep in Celestial space and they couldn't simply use jump points to reach it. Gamora had explained she had been tasked in locating the Soul Stone. It had taken her several years to find all the clues and piece them together to unearth the map that led to Vormir.

It was a forgotten world, one that had once had held life upon its surface, now it was a barren world, completely devoid of life and she had learned atop its highest peak the Soul Stone resided. Gamora had taken the map, memorised its co-ordinates and then burnt the map to ash, telling no one of her discovery and informing Thanos of her failure.

They had been able to use a few jump points but had spent most of the time using their own speed and navigation to reach the edge of the system Vormir resided in.

Both Tony and Natasha had avoided talking about what they would do when it came to Vormir but as it became evident they would reach the planet in a matter of hours both of them knew they had to discuss how they were going to retrieve the Soul Stone.

They had requested time to talk with one another and Gamora had once again agreed to allow them into her quarters for them to discuss privately. Those that knew they were from the future realised what they wanted to talk about.

Tony leaned back against the door as Nat sat on the bed.

"Well…" he began quietly. "We'll be reaching Vormir soon…"

"And there lies the problem…" Natasha raised her eyes. "It has to be me, Tony."

"No. You can't," Tony replied, insistent.

"Who else can it be?" she pointed out. "The Stone needs a sacrifice. It's not Pepper. You forfeit your entire future with her and Morgan and I know you would never be able to kill her. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself. And I wouldn't allow it." She leaned forward. "It's not Steve either. He's tied up in something else…"

Tony winced. "Steve wouldn't hesitate if he knew."

"He wouldn't." A slight smile tugged at her lips.

"But it is not meant to be him," said Natasha quietly. "I know it is meant to be me, Tony. You need the Stone to absorb and we're in this together. You have to sacrifice me."

Tony grabbed her by the shoulder. "I can't do that! I refuse to believe you've been sent back just so you can die again!"

"Tony…" She smiled gently, taking his hand in hers. "I have the ability to link to you, to find you. We have a connection that is linked to the properties of an Infinity Stone. Sacrificing someone else isn't going to work. My heart tells me it is the right thing to do."

"You're not going to let me say no, are you?"

She shook her head. "No." She pressed a hand on his chest. "The most important thing is for you to collect all the Stones. You need them."

"Does it matter if I don't get them all?"

"Trying to get out of it, I see…" she said wistfully.

"No. I just do not want to see you die." It was the honest truth. He closed his eyes, his heart beating slightly faster in his chest as he considered what he would have to lose to get the Stone. "It doesn't make sense…"

"I thought it would come to this…" she explained quietly. "The voice has told you the time when Morgan was conceived, right?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah." He still remembered the time and date which had been told to him when he'd first thought of her when he'd woken up here after dying. "Sixteenth September, 2018 at eleven twenty PM."

"Why tell you that if whatever brought us back doesn't intend for you to have her?"

"To give me hope? To give me something to fight for?" suggested Tony.

"No… I think she's meant to exist. That knowledge alone rules out Pepper being the sacrifice. And Steve? Don't you feel it? Something is telling me it is my time, not Steve's. We're in this together, Tony, until the end. I think Steve is meant to take my place beside you." She squeezed his hand as he moved to sit next to her. "I'm okay with this."

Tony lowered his gaze. "I think you are wrong." He placed a hand on his chest. "I feel you're meant to be here. Steve has to make a sacrifice." He didn't know why he said that but the feeling of Steve sacrificing himself seemed to resonate with him. Yet if Steve wasn't going to be the sacrifice for the Soul Stone, what sacrifice would he make later on?

"But not today," she replied quietly. "Today is my turn. And you cannot convince me otherwise either."

Friday 5th May 2017

Vormir

By the time they reached the planet, the day had ticked over into Friday.

Tony hadn't tried to convince her after she had made it clear she would not allow anyone else to take her place on Vormir. She knew he wanted to though. Both of them were stubborn, it wasn't something either of them could deny.

Natasha didn't make a show of saying goodbye to everyone before they left the Benatar. Tony had left it up to her to explain that they knew they wouldn't need anyone else to accompany them and that they'd return once they had retrieved the Stone.

She did give Steve a hug before she left, whispering in his ear to 'lookout for Tony' before shouldering her pack and departing from the ship with Tony in tow.

They were silent as they crossed the plains towards the highest peak. The sky was gloomy and a cold breeze whisked through the air. Natasha led the way with Tony trailing behind her. He wore his suit though the mask was down.

As they reached the pathway that led up to the peak, Natasha paused and turned to look at Tony. "Don't hate me for this."

"This is wrong and you know it," he retorted.

But she couldn't. She had to be the one to die. Her link to the Soul Stone proved that. Part of the Stone had to be within her. For Tony to be able to get it, she had to die. Why couldn't he see that? It didn't help her heart felt it was the right path to take. I don't want to die either but if it is the only option…

Tony walked past her. "I'm not eager to push you off a cliff to your death."

"Neither am I."

"Then why volunteer? Again?" He was already walking up the path.

"Tony! Wait!" She ran up after him, managing to duck around in front of him and stop his progress. "Can't you see why it has to be me?"

He narrowed his gaze waiting for her explanation.

"I have some affinity for the Soul Stone inside me. A part of it has to be in me, otherwise, why do I have Soul Stone powers?"

Tony's lips twitched. "You're saying to release it you have to die, other-wise for anyone else it wouldn't work, not even if it was Pepper standing here instead of you?"

Natasha nodded. "Yes." She reached out and took his hand covered in armour, grasping the Gauntlet tightly. "That's why it has to be me. I know you don't want to do this to me, Clint didn't either. I wanted him to go back to his family. I made sure he had to let me go." With her other hand, she reached for the Arc Reactor shining in the centre of his chest. "You were given these powers for a reason. I think if I wasn't meant to die here, the Voice we hear would be telling us differently."

Tony bowed his head. He knew she was right but didn't want to vocally admit it.

The wind buffeted in her hair. She hadn't tied it back, and she smiled lightly. "Come on. Sometimes we have to make difficult choices and this is one of them."

She didn't let go of his hand, and she led him up the top of the mountain.

The robed figure was waiting for them, just like before. He was floating slightly off the ground, his black robes swaying gently in the breeze.

"Welcome, Natasha, daughter of Ivan and Anthony, son of Maria."

Tony paused, shock flittering across his features. "He knows who we are."

Natasha nodded. "He does. He's the Guardian of the Soul Stone, helps those that come to seek for it."

"By telling them they have to push someone to their deaths?" Tony rolled his eyes. He still sounded bitter and resentful over what he had to do.

"A necessary sacrifice if you are to obtain the Soul Stone." The robed figure moved closer to them, his face briefly seen underneath the hood.

Tony stepped back, raising his arm and pointing at the figure. "Nat, do you know who that is?"

"No? You do?" Natasha was surprised.

"That's the Red Skull."

"Wait. Steve's Red Skull?" Natasha blinked. "It can't be…" Why hadn't she recognised him before? She'd seen photos of him in the SHIELD bunker when she'd been there with Steve during the Winter Soldier crisis. "I didn't recognise him before…"

"I was once the Red Skull. I tried to take a Stone for myself. Instead, it banished me here and set me to work as the Guardian. I no longer seek what I once desired. This is my penance," the figure repeated. "The being who I once was no longer exists… I am just a shell of what he once was."

Tony frowned. "So, if someone mentioned the name Steve Rogers or Captain America to you, you wouldn't want to get more information out of them? You are here because of him."

"Why are you deliberately trying to bait him?" hissed Natasha, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not," he whispered back.

"I hold no ill-will for Captain America. If we crossed paths again I wouldn't attempt to hurt him."

Tony looked like he was about to retort but Natasha glared at him. They were here for one specific reason.

The being floated closer. "You already know how to obtain the Soul Stone. A sacrifice is needed. But do you have the strength to do it?"

Tony clenched his fists tight, his eyes narrowing.

Natasha turned to face him, noticing his expression. "Tony…"

"I know." She slid the pack she wore off her shoulders and handed it to Tony. "I bought this because there are things in there that I want you to pass to the others."

His lips twitched. "Okay." He didn't like this. She could see it.

She took a deep breath. She could have given it to him back at the Benatar but she hadn't wanted anyone to come across it. She was sure no one would have looked in it without permission but she hadn't wanted to take the chance.

Natasha glanced over the edge. The last time she was here, she and Clint had fought to be the one to sacrifice themselves. This time it would be different. The wind buffeted around her and she faced back towards Tony who was slowly moving forward, his body trembling within the confines of the suit.

Her arms hung loosely at her side and she watched Tony.

He stopped in front of her.

"I can't do this," he whispered quietly.

"Yes, you can," she urged. She could walk backward off the edge but something told her Tony had to be the one to push her off.

"I can hear them," he said. "The Voice. It's telling me to do it… To kill you…"

He wouldn't be able to have the strength. He was fighting the demand he was hearing in his head from the Voice, a demand she was not partial to hearing.

Reaching out, Natasha drew him into a hug. They'd been through so much together and for it to end like this was painful. She rested her head against his shoulder. "It's the only way. Whatever it takes."

Tony reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her body, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He was trying not to sniff and his body was slightly trembling in the cold air.

Drawing back, Natasha took hold of his right hand and placed it on her chest, bending his fingers to grasp her overalls.

"Tony, push me back," said Natasha, leaning back over the cliff edge.

Tony's hand was on her overalls. His eyes were shimmering with tears. He didn't want to do this. She could see it.

Still, she urged him on.

"You can do this. I know you can." She smiled wistfully and leaned back further, arms hanging loose at her sides. "Enjoy your life, Tony. Remember me." A tear fell down her cheek. "Goodbye."

Her heels teetered at the edge of the cliff. The wind whipped her hair around her and then Tony pushed her off the cliff and she was falling, falling, falling…

Tony was leaning over the edge reaching for her, yelling her name as she fell.

And then everything went dark.

He saw the moment her body hit the floor below, saw the moment her body broke in half and her skull shatter.

"Oh god… I did it… I did it…" There was blood on his hands.

Natasha's blood.

He'd killed her.

Taken her life.

He didn't register the thunderous clap of thunder overhead or the flash of white light obscuring his vision before he found himself kneeling in water, his suit having retracted into the Arc Reactor on his chest.

There was something in his palm.

Tears still streaking down his face to mingle with his beard, he uncurled his right hand to see the Soul Stone sitting on his palm.

He had it.

But it wasn't sinking into his palm. It wasn't merging with him. Had they done the wrong thing? Had he sacrificed Natasha for no reason?

And that was when a slender hand moved into his line of vision and covered the Stone which sat in his palm.

"Hey, Tony."

He looked up and saw –

The last thing she expected was to open her eyes again.

She was lying in water though she could not feel anything. As she rose to a sitting position, Natasha looked around her. The sky above her was purplish and dull all at the same time. Why wasn't she wet? As she turned her gaze around she saw Tony, kneeling in the water, his palm open and the Soul Stone rested upon it.

Getting to her feet, Natasha moved over towards him. "Hey, Tony."

He didn't answer.

Nor did he move.

"Tony?" She tried again.

And that was when she noticed she was transparent.

"Oh." Raising her hand, Natasha realised she could see through it. She waved her arm in front of his face. There was still no reaction from Tony.

"He will not react. He is frozen in time."

Natasha whirled, getting into a defensive stance. In front of her shimmered a woman, also in the same transparent state Natasha was in. She had longish hair trailing down her back and a dress hanging down around her ankles. She was barefoot.

"Who are you?" Natasha breathed. Could she breathe if she was dead?

The woman smiled gently. "No fear, Natasha Romanoff, I am Soul."

Natasha straightened, her eyes crinkling in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I am the physical essence of Soul. The soul of the Stone you have now given your life twice for."

Natasha moved forward slowly. "Why am I here?" She glanced back at the immoveable figure of Tony, the Soul Stone lying in the palm of his hand. "Why is he frozen in time? Why have you done this?"

"I haven't done this," explained Soul. "My brother has."

"Your brother?" Confusion kept on creeping up on her.

The woman pointed towards Tony. "Watch."

Natasha turned her attention towards Tony, who was still completely still, unaware of what was going on around him. That was when she saw the faint glimmer of green surrounding his body. Realisation struck. "Time!" She whirled back around. "Time is your brother?"

The woman bowed her chin slightly. "We are all brothers and sisters."

"The Stones… Power, Space, Time, Reality, Soul and Mind…You're siblings…"

"Yes, we are. Born at the same time, before the beginning of the universe, we were just singularities but formed into Infinity Stones once the universe exploded into existence. We are the foundations of which the universe was created and we are all in tune with one another. We are a family."

"All of you… The voice we hear. It's all of you, isn't it?" Natasha asked. "All six stones combined into one voice."

Soul smiled. "Yes."

"You sent us back. Or rather… Time did," theorised Natasha. "To fix things…"

"We all sent you back not just my brother."

"But I'm dead again. I died," she pointed out, wondering how Soul would react to that.

A bright smile crossed Soul's features. "No, you are not dead."

"But I don't have a body." She waved at her translucent appearance. "I'm physically dead."

"Your body is but your soul isn't. A soul can only die once."

Natasha blinked. "But I've died twice." If she wasn't dead and she didn't have a body was she truly alive?

"As I said, you are not dead."

"And what do you mean a soul can only die once?"

"You cannot physically leave this world, Natasha Romanoff. The world of the dead will not accept your soul."

She was still confused as to what Soul was saying.

"Your body died but your soul left it when it broke. You are on a different plane to the rest of the universe. But you can return and live again."

"I get a third chance?"

Soul pointed towards Tony. "When we brought you both back and decided to interfere in the universe, we bent the rules. People who die cannot be reborn. We stopped your souls from moving on, took them and sent them back but we also gave you, Natasha, a choice and you chose to come back. Tony Stark did not have a choice… Your souls can no longer move to the great beyond. The Goddess of Death will not accept them."

Natasha was beginning to understand. "Are you saying, Tony and I, we are immortal?"

"Yes, Natasha Romanoff. Your bodies can be destroyed but your souls cannot be."

Natasha swallowed, the implications becoming clearer to her. "And what happens when our bodies are destroyed? What happens to our souls if we cannot move to the beyond?"

"Your souls will drift out in the universe forever… "

"That doesn't sound like… fun…" Natasha looked at Tony. "But we are in human bodies. They age and decay."

"You will not age. And we will fix your body for you to return to. Your task is not yet complete."

Natasha wasn't sure if she wanted Soul to continue but she continued with her questions. "What did you do to us when you bought us back?"

"We infused you both with our powers. Your souls had already moved on. It took a lot of energy to bring you both back. To do so it reversed the universe back to Earth year 2014, the year of your death. We chose to wake you up in 2014 and kept Tony Stark's soul until 2016 when we sent his soul back to his body after he was changed. He doesn't remember those two years of being with us."

"What did you do to him?" Why did they keep Tony's soul for another two years? "Why wasn't he sent back at the same time as me?"

Soul moved in front of Tony's still body, placing a translucent hand on his face, physically touching him. "He is special to us. We saw it when he used all six of us to save the entire universe. Such a selfless sacrifice, forfeiting a life with his wife and daughter, a life that he always wanted. But to use the powers we imbued him with we had to change his body, his DNA… He's not fully human. Not like you. The memories of what we did to him are buried deep in his soul. We cannot remove them. But if he remembers…"

Natasha understood the complications of what Soul was saying.

"We hated making him scream." Soul reminisced sadly. "But it was necessary."

"You tortured him."

"A human body cannot contain the power of six Infinity Stones. There are others who have been imbued with powers from just one of us… Carol Danvers from my brother, Space, and Wanda Maximoff from my sister, Mind. But they received just a small bit of universal energy, enough for their bodies to adapt. The same for you as well. You died for the Soul Stone, I am a part of you. Your body did not need changing. For Tony Stark to become what we wanted him to be, we had to tear his soul apart and imbue ourselves to it as well as to his body. It was the only way to ensure his human body could withstand our powers. He can never know what we did to him."

"You can't stop me telling him," threatened Natasha. "You did this without his consent."

"You agreed and chose this path when you were given the choice to return. Tony Stark did not have a choice. We chose him."

Natasha remembered. She'd told Tony about being given the choice to return and she'd taken the chance to do so. "But you didn't have to do that to me."

Soul shook her head. "No. I infused within you the moment you died. I was already there. No alterations were necessary, for Tony Stark it was needed."

"What happens if I tell him?" asked Natasha. She didn't like how the Stones seemed to have given her a choice but not Tony.

"The memories could destroy him," explained Soul sadly. "What we did was out of necessity to save his life and to save the universe." She rose from where she sat in front of Tony and moved back to stand in front of Natasha. "He has incredible power at his disposal. He needs someone to ground him when it unleashes. That person is you. He needs you, Natasha Romanoff."

She was about to comment when Soul spoke again, more softly this time, full of remorse.

"We know what is to come. He will suffer…"

"What do you mean?"

Soul reached out towards her, resting a hand upon Natasha's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Natasha tried to pull away but found she could not.

"Showing you what you must know but what he cannot."

Natasha's eyes rolled. Images flashed before her mind.

Thanos.

Thanos grasping Tony by the neck and was pulling him through a portal.

Tony held in some sort of machine, his body shimmering with six different colours as Thanos watched on, a malevolent grin across his face.

Thanos with the power of all six Stones…

And the universe disappeared.

Natasha pulled away. "Stop it! Why did you show me that?" she demanded angrily.

"Because it is the future. A future you must prevent."

"He got the Stones… how did Thanos get the Stones?" Natasha tried to grasp Soul but her hands went straight through her.

Soul turned her head towards Tony. "There are ways to extract us from Tony for others to use… if the right equipment is utilised. But, and this is important, you must let Thanos take Tony."

"No, no, no. No way. Not happening." Natasha folded her arms across her chest. "Not if that means Thanos can extract the Stones from Tony! We're supposed to stop him, not hand the universe to him served up on a plate!"

"You will not be able to stop Thanos from taking the Space Stone. He will use it to take Tony from right in front of you. It is the only way for Tony to get the last of us to unleash his powers."

Natasha couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tony had to be taken by Thanos for him to get the Space Stone? The last Stone they needed? "There has to be another way to get the Space Stone before Thanos does," she reasoned. "We have time! If we can get to Asgard –"

Soul interrupted. "The way to Asgard is blocked to you. Asgard will fall."

"No. Thor lost his home and half his people! I'm not going to let him lose them this time!" she snarled. "I can't keep this a secret!"

Soul tipped her head to the side, almost a gesture of regret. "I'm sorry. It is the only way. Thanos is already seeking Tony and he will get him." She moved back, her hair flying out behind her. "And now, Natasha Romanoff, it is time for you to return. Look after him. He needs you…"

Natasha reached out, yelling for Soul to stay, to explain more, but a flash of light spread across her vision and suddenly she was moving her hand in front of Tony's face and covering the Soul Stone sitting in his hand and she was speaking words she had no control over.

"Hey, Tony," she smiled.

"Nat?" Tony breathed, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. She was kneeling beside him, her slender fingers covering the Stone resting in his hand. "Natasha? What… what… What are you doing here? You…" He was dumbfounded. Was he seeing things? "You can't be here…"

"I am," she smiled. "I survived."

"How?" he asked weakly.

Natasha hesitated, her hand still covering his. "The Voice again. I'm still needed apparently."

"I thought…" His voice still sounded weak from surprise. "I saw you dead, Nat…"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not. I'm here. Really here. I survived."

His cheeks were wet but he didn't care. Didn't care he was crying. He pulled Natasha into a hug. "Never ever make me do that again!"

"Let's hope there isn't a next time." Natasha lifted her hand from his. "The Soul Stone. It's not merged with you…" She tipped her head to the side. "Why not?"

Tony sniffed. "I don't know."

The orange stone glowed brightly in his hand.

"I wonder…" Natasha reached out and touched the Soul Stone, and then laid her hand over Tony's again so that their fingers paired up. Then she pressed down hard so that the Stone would have pierced through their flesh and made them bleed. They both flinched at the small spark of pain and then their joined hands glowed orange and then their arms.

Tony felt the warmth in his chest just as Natasha raised her own hand to hers in surprise at the sensation.

"Is this what it felt like to absorb them?" she asked.

Tony nodded. He pulled his hand away, the Soul Stone completely gone. "Yeah."

"Strange," she commented. She looked down at the water they were both kneeling in. "We're a bit wet."

Tony chuckled. "We just absorbed an Infinity Stone together and you are worried about being a bit wet?"

She glared at him.

Tony got to his feet and offered her his hand, pulling her up as she took it. "Come on. We've got to get back."

When they returned to the Benatar, Tony and Natasha explained they found the Stone easily, not letting anyone know what had happened between them. They didn't need to know.

They decided they would begin their journey back to Earth where they would regroup with the other Avengers and then decide on what to do next. Though the Space Stone was still out there, Natasha knew from her discussion with Soul that they would be unable to retrieve it before Thanos got his hands upon it.

Much as she wanted to save Asgard and stop Thor from losing his people, it seemed the Infinity Stones had other plans. She assumed they were partially controlling their lives and the paths they were on. She guessed, even if they did find a way to reach Asgard, that they wouldn't be able to retrieve the Space Stone.

Something would come up.

She hated the fact they'd have to wait for Thanos to make his move before attempting to retrieve the Stone.

I don't like the idea that Tony has to be taken by Thanos. How can I sit here knowing this?

She understood why. Tony needed all six to unleash his powers. If he got all six… But something else nagged at her. Why had the Stones chosen Tony? What made them pick him out over everyone else in the universe to wield the Stones?

She wished she could talk to Soul again.

I am in Gamora's room.

Gamora had once again been generous, allowing Natasha a bit of time to herself. She needed it after what had occurred on Vormir.

Just to be on the safe side, Natasha enabled the locking system, so no one could enter.

Leaning back on the bed, Natasha closed her eyes. She wondered if she'd be able to connect with her again. How was she to do it? She and Tony shared a connection after all, perhaps that was her answer? If the Stones could talk to them and had been guiding them all this time, surely there was a way for them to reach them?

To connect with Tony, she had to think about him but maybe if she focused somewhere else?

Inwardly, she looked at her heart, imagining it in her mind. I want to speak to Soul.

There was a slight vibration in the air around her as if a connection had been formed.

What do you wish to know, Natasha Romanoff? The Voice spoke.

Natasha opened her eyes. There was no one in the room with her. She'd connected with Soul inwardly. I want to know why you picked Tony. If humans are incapable of mastering the power of the Stones without suffering catastrophic injuries, why did you pick him?

Soul was silent.

Tell me! Natasha demanded. I have a right to know! You want me to keep secrets from him about what you did to him. I cannot do that if I do not understand why out of everyone in the universe, you picked him!

Surprisingly Soul answered: He gave his life for a universe that did not appreciate or love him enough. He didn't hesitate when he knew he had to die. Like you. Not many people would make the same sacrifices. Humans are considered weak in the universe… and yet… you are some of the strongest species alive. Tony Stark loved his daughter so much that he was willing to give his own life to ensure she lived, even if it meant he would never see her again. He had the strength of will to overcome his human body and control us for a short amount of time. We chose him because of his strength and his love. Unlike Thanos who sacrificed his daughter for a better universe for himself, Tony Stark sacrificed himself, not just because he wanted his daughter to live, it was so everyone could live. He made the ultimate sacrifice. We could have let him rest…But we know he is worthy of us.

There was a pause before Soul spoke again.

And… he deserved a life with his family.

Natasha swallowed. "You chose the right man. A lot of us misjudged him when we first met him. If I'd known what I do now about him, I would never have written the report not recommending Tony Stark to SHIELD. I'm glad you chose him… But not over what you had to do to him." The little she had learned before, that they had to torture Tony in order to change him to what they needed him to be… She loathed it. She wished she didn't know it.

We regret it.

Natasha opened her eyes, knowing she was still maintaining the connection. "Promise me one thing. When this is all over, you have to tell Tony what you did to him and you must promise to help him if the knowledge destroys him. If we are going to be immortal together, I can't keep it a secret forever. It's not fair on me." She recognised the Stones had powers of their own. They could simply make them forget. They'd certainly made Tony forget. They'd sent her back to 2014, reversing the universe back to that time and yet had kept Tony's soul and body to themselves as they worked to change him into what they required him to be.

We will tell him.

Natasha breathed out. Promise? She didn't want to disbelieve Soul, though she got the feeling the others were partaking in this conversation as Soul had been using 'we' a lot.

We do, Natasha Romanoff.

The connection broke and Natasha blinked. A slight smile tinged at her lips. Thank you.

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think!

I bet you all wanted to kill me when Tony pushed Natasha off the cliff, right? A few were expecting Steve to go… Steve has a large role to play later on. It will become clear.

I know a few were hoping Steve would meet the Red Skull, he won't do, I'm sorry to disappoint those who were looking forward to it. He was never going to set foot on Vormir.

A lot of information was revealed in this chapter… The Voice Tony and Nat hear are the six Infinity Stones – I think a few of you had already guessed that. And they are meddling with the universe.

I'm sure there may be questions about what is revealed in this chapter, especially the whole concept of what the sentience of the Stones are doing, what they did to bring Tony and Nat back and what they've had to do to Tony specifically so he could have access to their powers and his human body not be destroyed by them. A lot of these questions will be clarified throughout the story. And the whole Souls thing… This story is named Old Souls for a reason! :D

As for what Natasha learned from Soul... Tony has yet to learn about it... This will be addressed in the next chapter.

I hope the ideas presented in this chapter are good and intrigue you all. If I can answer any questions about them without spoiling the rest of the story I will try my best to do so!

Next chapter: The Wedding to be posted Sunday 19th January 2020.

Until then,

the-writer1988