He stared at the mountain ahead of him for a moment, and ignoring the chills down his spine, he started walking with determination towards it.
After a while of climbing, he reached an even area, near the peak, and from the shadows came out a ghostly figure.
"Steven, son of Sarah." The dark floating figure hissed. "After all this years, we meet again." It stepped -- or levitated -- forward to uncover the familiar face of his former enemy, Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull.
Steve's lips parted, and he was thrown back at the sight but he kept his composure. He was surprised indeed, but one part of him found this sadistically ironic. After all he had to endure, it was obvious that in his last mission he would have to face the same man than back at the very beggining of his journey. It was all just a cruel joke. But he couldn't deviate his attention from his objective. He could feel the anger burning inside his chest, keeping him from even feeling the freezing cold at the top of that mountain.
"Schmidt." Steve said, bitterly. "I was expecting never to see you again. But it seems I couldn't be granted that privilege. "
"I'm no longer the man you knew. Now, the purpose of my mere existance is to guide others to the treasure they seek." He said, "But I must tell you, Captain Rogers, that what you came here for has already been taken."
"I'm not here to get the soul stone." Steve put his hand in his pocket and took out the orange glowing stone. He held it out in front of the Red Skull. "I'm here to return it."
Schmidt looked between the stone and him in amazement.
"You...what?" He seemed clearly, genuinely confused.
"The stone took something from me." Steve spoke confidently, defiant. "I want her back."
The Red Skull stared in disbelief at the soul stone being handed to him, then turned to Steve suspiciously.
"It isn't supposed to work that way. An ever-lasting exchange." Schmidt said, "However, what you intend to try has never been done before, so I do not know what would happen."
"I'll take my chances." Steve said confidently.
"You are a strange man Steven Rogers." Red skull said, "In all this years being the guardian of the stone, I had never met a man willing to give up it's power."
Steve didn't say anything, but continued to look at him intensely.
"Follow me." Schmidt said, turning to guide Steve through the last part of the mountain. After a few minutes walking in silence, he finally spoke.
"Among the infinity stones, the soul stone possesses certain wisdom. To ensure that they understand it's power, the stone requires from the ones who seek it to give up that what they love." The skull said. "I've guided many people to it, and every time their lust for power is stronger that their proclaimed love... Family, friends, lovers. I came to the conclusion that it was just part of our nature, that we're all flawed."
The skull stopped right in his track and turned to face Steve. "And yet here you are, giving up a limitless amount of power, for the woman you love." Schmidt finished. There wasn't any hint of anger or disgust in his voice, just plain curiosity, and even a little admiration.
"We're not all the same." Steve said, "Life teaches you which are the things worth to be cherished."
Finally, they reached the edge of the cliff. He recalled the time he was in a similar setting, in Sokovia, during a hostile situation involving Ultron and his homicidal robots, facing the possibility of death, with Natasha standing right next to him at the edge of the world.
'There's worse ways to go. Where else am I gonna get a view like this?'
As he got closer to the edge he could feel his knees weaken, his breathing shaking, his hands trembling. He couldn't bear the thought of looking down to her lifeless body. Surprisingly, before he got the chance to see her, the Red Skull stopped him.
"Allow me, Captain." Schmidt said. With a movement of his hand, Natasha's body ascended from the bottom, to be settled in Steve's arms.
Steve held her and fell to his knees, for at that point his legs couldn't even stand the weight of his own body. The red of her hair was stained with the darker red of her blood, while it had also made a fine red line down her temple and down her lower lip. Her eyes were still slightly open, but the emerald green that Steve had always found so captivating was now just plain and empty.
Large tears rolled down his face. Even with the heartbreaking wavering sobs attacking him, he kept his embrace steady and firm.
After all they'd been through, not in a million years, not in his worst nightmares he could have pictured this moment. Himself, holding helplessly her lifeless body.
The Black Widow, gone. Natasha Romanoff, dead. His partner. The right partner. The love of his life, lost forever.
Or maybe not. Whatever would happen next was entirely up to the soul stone, but Steve wouldn't give up hope. Until the very end of the line.
He caressed her cheek and gently closed her eyes with his fingers.
"She is an interesting woman as well." Schmidt, who had been watching silently the whole scene, said. "Instead of fighting for her own survival, she fought in order to save her partner. She turned down her life so he wouldn't have to."
That sounded just like her. Always so selfless, so brave. Steve pressed her body even closer to his, desperately trying to control the violent shivering attacking his body.
"For what is worth" Schmidt said, "I hope what you intend works." And then he vanished in the shadows, leaving Steve alone.
Those words, even coming from his former mortal enemy, gave him strenght. Laying her body gently on the floor, he stood up and walked with determination towards the edge of the cliff. He stood with the tip of his toes right on the edge, feeling the stone burning in his hand. It was glowing furiously, and the clouds were spiraling over his head. This place was alive, and it was calling for the stone.
This was the only chance.
It can't be undone.
She's not coming back.
When I snapped my fingers, I really tried to bring her back.
To hell with that. She was a hero. A savior of the universe. If it was true and the soul stone had even a remote piece of wisdom, it would bring her back. It had to work.
I didn't want you to be alone.
See you in a minute.
Steve closed his eyes, held his breath,
and dropped the stone.
Note: So this is the continuation of my 2 other fics that I kind ob abandoned for a while, so that's why I'm publishing it separately. I originally had planned only up to this point and thought that I would figure out if I would write forward or stop here. Leave a comment, I'm open to suggestions and feedback! ;)