jh831: Thank you for the review. Thanos did say the other half would thrive lol.
Morag 2014
Nebula was bringing the Benatar down on the planet surface.
Lila was next to her Aunt, dressed in a sleek black jumpsuit like her partner.
Her sword and bow and quivers were strapped to her back.
Her Glock to her waist.
Nat had her batons and dual Glocks strapped to her as well.
Nebula and Rhodey were also with them to steal the Power Stone which was nearby in a place called Temple of the Power Stone according to Nebula.
She was piloting the pod down from inside.
"Alright. Bring it down low. Right on that line. That's it. Down, down." he told her.
Lila saw a large gross looking "rat" with sharp teeth hopping towards them.
She cringed and kicked it away.
It hissed at her before hopping away.
"Gross…" she said dramatically.
The ramp of the ship by the pod lowered and Nebula walked down it.
"Can we hurry up! This place is disgusting." she asked them dramatically.
"Guys, chop-chop. Come on. We're on a clock." Nat joked as well.
The partners smiled at each other.
"All that, is really helpful." Rhodey said sarcastically but he hugged Nat.
"Take care, okay?" he asked seriously before hugging Lila.
"Yeah." Nat nodded.
"We've got this!" Lila said confidentially.
"Take that stone and come back. No messing around." he said.
"You guys too." Lila replied.
She and Nebula shook hands.
"You guys watch each other's six." Rhodey said as the two began to walk back to the ramp.
She and Nat turned their heads and smiled back.
"See you back." Rhodey and Nebula watched them walk into the ship and the ramp close after them.
It took off and left the atmosphere of Morag instantly.
"The coordinates for Vormir are laid in. All they have to do is not fall out."
In the Benatar itself, Lila and Nat were strapped in the front seats.
It jumped through space towards Vormir, rocking them back and forth in them.
The two smiling and laughing seeing space fly by them at light speed in awe.
"This is so cool!" Lila exclaimed while laughing hysterically.
Nat smiled back, seeing how happy she was.
But the impending task that laid ahead of them filled the spy's mind.
They landed on the planet and departed the ship.
The pair looked around, seeing sand bars rise from pools of water running parallel as far as the eye can see to the horizon.
Lila looked up to see a tall, enormous rocky mountain a few miles in the distance.
The mountain looked like it was at least 10,000 feet high.
With some sort of temple or ruins at the peak.
Arching her head at the slightly darkened sky, she saw an orange sun behind a moon.
Illuminating an eclipse.
The planet had an ominous feeling to it.
Nat's instincts kicking in.
Glancing around her surroundings.
"Wow, this is…" Nat began but she interrupted her.
"We're not in Missouri anymore." she gulped.
Nat hearing the fear in the teenager's voice and clenched her hand.
She clenched it back.
A realization came across her mind and she frowned.
"Please don't tell me we have to climb that mountain." she groaned.
Nat smiled faintly.
"I'm afraid so Lila. I don't know what to expect though so stay behind me." she asked her seriously.
The partners turned to face each other.
"Okay."
After what seemed like most of the "afternoon" or what Lila called the time that.
It was hard to tell considering they were on another planet!
She told her Aunt they must have gone farther than anyone from Earth must have gone before.
And the "sun" still remained behind the moon.
They climbed the whole mountain which did have a trail of sorts for them from the base it.
There were snow flurries blowing from the clouds near the top.
Causing Lila to shiver.
But it was still a long, hard climb to the peak.
The two were exhausted, but they eventually made it to the top.
"I bet the raccoon didn't have to climb a mountain." Nat sighed, trying to catch her breath.
The teenager smirked. Already out of it.
"They got to go to Asgard! Why couldn't we go to the fancy palace." she joked back but the two were greeted.
"Welcome…" they heard a low dark voice.
Lila unsheathed her sword and aimed it ahead as Nat brought out her gun.
Hearing it coming from the shadow of a cliff adjacent to them.
"Natasha, daughter of Ivan…" it greeted.
"Lila, daughter of Clint…" it said. Lila frowned, wondering how it knew that.
Gripping her sword handle tightly.
"Who are you?" Nat demanded.
"Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone." it answered.
"Oh, good. You tell us where it is. Then we'll be on our way." Nat said, Lila hearing how threatening and dangerous her Aunt sounded for the first time.
"Ah, liebchen– If only it were that easy…" it said and Lila went wide eyed, seeing Red Skull emerge from the shadows.
The floating cloaked figure guided them across the peak of the mountain.
Lila looked up, seeing two arched rise hundreds of feet into the air as they walked between them.
The two slowly approached the cliffside thousands of feet below.
Looking down at the circular stone formation that Lila knew couldn't be naturally made.
The two approaching a narrow path that went off the cliff.
Like a diving board, Lila thought.
"The Soul Stone is down there?" she asked.
Hoping she didn't climb the mountain for nothing.
"What you seek lies in front of you... as does what you fear. 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."
After a few minutes, Nat sat down on a rock.
Resting her chin on her knuckles.
Looking deep in thought.
Lila couldn't stop pacing around.
Deeming Red Skull, who hadn't stopped staring at them in the shadows not to be a threat she strapped her sword back on but his words were echoing in her mind.
It had to be a trick!
Or a riddle!
She still didn't quite know what he meant.
She stopped her pacing and looked over to her Aunt.
"Look, maybe if we just begin searching for the Stone. Floating guy there…" she said while pointing with her thumb back at him.
"Must know where the Stone is…" she began to argue.
Nat frowned, seeing how afraid she was and got up.
Slowly walking towards her.
Seeing her hands shaking.
"No. I don't think so Lila…" she began but she interrupted her.
"Why because he knew my dad's name? Everyone knows who my dad is!" she argued.
Nat hearing the doubt in her voice clear as day.
"I didn't know mine." she admitted.
Lila stopped her pacing and frowned.
The situation for her even becoming more confusing… and dire.
"Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence." she argued.
"Like someone like Thanos can love something!" Lila shrieked.
Fearing where this was heading to. Her breathing beginning to hitch.
Nat grabbed her wrists and clenched her hands.
Her hands instantly stopped trembling.
She clenched them back and the two embraced each other.
Nat kissed her on the head.
"There's gotta be another way. There's gotta be another way…" she begged.
Nat hearing her sound like a child.
"Lila, sweetheart. If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead." she said quietly.
"And if you do what that floaty guy says you'll stay dead regardless!" she said while stomping her foot.
Yanking her hands back from her grasp.
Nat frowned.
"Lila…" she tried again but was interrupted.
"No! I won't let you! You don't deserve it! We just gotta go back! Get another particle…" she argued but Nat saw the tears forming in her eyes.
Seeing Lila figure out what was going to happen.
She held her niece and adoptive daughte.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart… I don't think there's another way… she said regretfully.
Lila regained her composure and took a step back.
"I won't let you." she said sternly.
Staring directly down into her eyes.
"Lila…" Nat said but she put her hand up.
"No! I won't go back to mom and dad only to tell them that I couldn't stop you from killing yourself! How is that fair to me! To you!" she shouted angrily.
Nat sighed.
"It's not fair Lila. It's not. But it isn't just about us, anymore." she reminded her softly.
Lila pouted.
Opening her mouth to rebuttal but closed her lips.
Unable to come up with a response.
"I love you as if you were my own daughter Lila. I always have. The only good thing to come out of the last five years was that I did get to make you mine…" she said but tearing up at the end.
Tears streamed down her cheeks but wiped each eye with her palm.
Lila's lips began to tremble.
"I'm glad you did. I love you… Mom…" she said out loud for the first time.
Breaking Nat's heart.
But she took a step forward so she was in arm's reach and tilted her chin up.
"Then I guess we gotta do what we gotta do…" she said while taking a deep breath.
Instantly, she reached for Nat's wrist, gripping her cuff, sweeping her leg the way she taught her and slammed her hard to the ground.
Surprisingly strong.
Shocking the spy while she used all her strength to pin down underneath her.
"I won't let you do this…" she said, trying to sound brave.
But Nat easily flipped her over.
She groaned on her back while her mom raised her cuff at her chest.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart…" she said before firing the taser at her.
She cried in pain as the cables attached to her suit.
Sending the electricity throughout her.
Nat forced herself to ignore her cries of pain and get up.
Beginning to run towards the cliff.
Lila forced herself to rip the cables off her and looked up to see Nat running towards the edge.
Going wide eyed in fear, she brought out her bow and knocked an arrow.
Pulling it back quickly she fired it at her.
Aiming it near her feet, the tip exploded.
Causing Nat to be flung sideways from the shockwave to the ground.
Nat clenched her side in surprise and looked back at Lila.
Seeing her toss her away and begin to run.
She watched in horror at her running as fast as she could towards the edge.
Lila closed her eyes and leapt off it.
Feeling herself free fall with her eyes closed.
The teenager was preparing for the end but she suddenly felt something grab her.
Opening her eyes quickly, she saw Nat wrap her arm around her waist as they fell.
Aiming her wrist back upwards to fire one of her cables while she attached the other end to her belt.
The grappling hook attached itself to the cliff, yanking them back with force but Lila felt Nat let go.
She grabbed onto her wrist.
Holding onto her with all her strength while crying out in pain from the cable.
"Ah!" she shrieked in agony.
She arched her head up to take in her situation.
She tried to reach for the cable with her other hand that was holding onto the cable.
She winced and looked down to her Aunt who was dangling dangerously but was forced to grip the cable back.
The two still thousands of feet up. Lila looked down to her, seeing her Aunt with tears in her eyes.
"No…" she begged desperately.
"You have to let me go Lila…" she said quietly.
"No, please Auntie Nat…" Lila continued to beg.
Feeling her grip beginning to loosen.
Her adoptive Mom's wrist begin to slip free.
She wasn't strong enough…
"It'll be okay…" Nat reassured her.
"Please no…" Lila choked out.
"It's okay sweetheart. I'll always love you..." Nat whispered.
Lila watched her swing her legs around so her feet could press against the cliff face.
Helplessly watching her push herself off it.
Prying herself from her gasp.
"Auntie Nat….!" she screamed in horror.
Watching her free fall all the way to the bottom.
The tears were blinding her now after she had to watch her Aunt sacrifice herself.
Seeing her body impact the bottom.
Landing in the rock formation.
She was crying now, not seeing two energy bursts shoot up into the sky.
Engulfing her with it and her vision which turned black…
Her eye lids slowly opened.
Lila feeling herself bathing in a pool of water while laying on her back.
Painfully, she forced herself upwards, feeling her bow and sword still strapped to her.
The water dripping off her soaked hair and jumpsuit and looked around.
Seeing she was in one of the shallow pools between the sand bars at the base of the mountain.
But then the memories of what just happened flooded her mind with a vengeance.
Choking out loud cries and sobs while the teenager was left alone on another planet.
Shaking violently and rocking herself in the cold water.
She had failed…
But she felt her hand clenched around something.
Looking down, she opened it which revealed the gold Soul Stone glowing in her palm.
Closing her fist, she screamed in agony and punched the ground.
But the control panel on her wrist began to beep and her Quantum Realm suit assembled around her.
Her helmet coming back on and she shrank down into the realm to join the others in the realm itself.
All of them finding the opening to rejoin 2023 New York.
The panel opened up automatically and all of them rejoined the same spots on the platform.
Lila's helmet opened up, herself still in a daze and crying.
Still holding the Soul Stone in her palm.
"Did we get them all?" she could barely hear Bruce ask the team.
Not seeing everyone else holding all of the stones.
"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhodey asked smiling as he held the Power Stone.
Lila collapsed to her knee with a loud thump, getting everyone's attention.
Choking out another loud sob.
"Lila, where's Nat?" Bruce asked gravely.
Everyone else just noticing she wasn't next to her.
She simply looked up at him.
The tears streaming from her red puffy eyes.
Herself looking disheveled.
She just cried uncontrollably.
The others realizing what must have happened.
Tony and Steve glanced at each other with deep concern and Bruce punched the ground in agony.
Everyone had agreed to "take five" to grief the deep loss.
Lila was forced to tell them what happened on Vormir but it was too much for her to bare.
She numbly made her way back to her room after giving Bruce the Stone.
Still in shock while she was slumped against her bathroom floor.
Leaning against the corner of the wall and tub in the corner in the darkened room except for the natural light streaming through the doorway.
Resting her head on her knees with her arms wrapped around her knuckles.
Shivering even though it was warm inside.
Her brown eyes which were still in shock looking down at the titled floor.
She still couldn't stop crying.
The pain she felt was too much.
It somehow hurt more than the first time she lost her family.
She was alone now.
The thoughts began to creep into her mind.
Her last remaining family was now gone.
She sniffed, not hearing a knock on her door outside.
"Lila…" she heard Tony's soft voice as he flicked on the lights.
She didn't respond.
He slowly entered her room, looking around but spotted her opened bathroom door.
Hearing her soft cries, he frowned and approached it.
Lila didn't bother to look up to see him at the doorway.
He silently walked in and sat down next to her.
"I'm so sorry, Lila." he apologized again.
He watched Lila not acknowledge his existence.
"If I had known, If we had known…" he said with deep regret.
She continued to look down.
Still shivering violently.
Allowing a few minutes of silence between them.
"Did you know how I met your Aunt?" he asked.
Still not getting a response from her.
"She was sent by Fury to infiltrate my company. I wasn't doing well… heath wise… And little did I know I was being recruited to join The Avengers at the time…" he said, she sniffed and glanced up to him.
"She was good. Very good. We… often didn't see eye to eye but… she was better than me. A better person than me." he acknowledged.
Looking into her eyes.
"If only we…" he said but she interrupted him.
"You couldn't. None of you have…" she choked out.
He tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to cry on him.
"It should've been me!" she cried out.
"What?" he frowned.
"I leapt off that cliff first…. because I didn't want to live without her. Even if we get everyone back… she's gone forever!" she shouted.
Shocking Tony by her attempted sacrifice.
"Lila your Aunt wouldn't have let you sacrifice yourself. Or anyone else, for that matter. The choice never should have been put upon you…" he said but was interrupted again.
"But it was! It was! And I lost the last thing I love because of it! Even if we do get mom and dad back I'm the one who's gonna have to tell them that it was my fault she's gone now…" she said loudly while getting up.
Tony frowned while getting up as well.
"This person… Thanos… has taken everything from me! What did I do to deserve this!" she exclaimed.
He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly
"You didn't. None of us did. But how about we don't let your Aunt's sacrifice be in vain?" he asked gently.
She wiped the tears out of her eyes and forced herself to nod.
"I won't let her down!"
