The Other Heroes went out on their own to grieve.. The Original Avengers went out to the docks to grieve together. Steve, Bruce, Tony, Clint, Thor and Myself. Harry had disappeared, probably because of my outburst.. I was angry.. Upset.. I knew it wasn't his fault... but I had to direct my anger somewhere.. Natasha Romanoff... Natasha Shuter.. The Black Widow... was dead. I was a Widower.. Which I did get the Irony of it, didn't make it any less painful... I was now truly alone. I did not know what to do.
Tony then said softly "David.. Do you know if she had any family? Other than you fo course.." I looked at him "We were going to start one.. Once we brought everyone back.. We were going to adopt in Alagaesia..we were going to retire.. This was supposed to be our.. Last mission.. I guess it was hers..." I bit my lip. Cap then said "She did have a family... us." I nodded slightly. Thor then said "Why.. Why are we acting like she is dead.. She is not dead.. Just gone. We have the stones right? We can use them to bring her back too! So stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together!" Clint then said softly "Can't get her back.. It can't be undone. It can't." Thor then began to laugh "Look, I'm sorry, No offense, but you're a very earthly being, Okay? And we're talking about Space Magic and can't seems very definitive, Don't you think?" Clint then said "I'm sorry I know I am way past my pay grade here.. But she still isn't here is she? It can't be undone, or at least thats what the red floaty guy had to say, maybe you wanna go talk to him okay? Go grab your hammer and you go fly and you talk to him!" There was a roar and the sun was blocked out as a big monster dove into the lake, a head popped out right at the edge of the dock.. A big blue one. The first time I had seen Saphira Brightscales in years. She looked at us and said in all of our minds "Greetings my old friends, now when was someone going to tell me they were trying to mess with time."
Bruce then said "After we were done it... so we could present you Eragon without getting your hopes up before hand." She looked at him with a questoning look, probably wondering why the Hulk was speaking, but turned her head to me and said "Maybe you were right to not tell me for myself.. However I would have been able to accompany Natasha to Vormir and saved her from falling to her death!" Clint then said "It was supposed to be me! She sacrificed her life for that god damn stone Saphira! She bet her life on it! But I was the one who was supposed to bet his life on it!" I looked at Saphira and said softly "What are you doing here? I was going to open the portal later.. I just.. Couldn't right now.." Harry then said from behind us "I figured all the remaining Avengers should be here right now.. For Natasha.. Plus I knew you had lost your faith in me David.. So I figured you could use someone close to you during this difficult time. I am sorry I was unable to save your wife so this was the best I could do." Saphira then said to me "I'm so sorry Little one.. I knew she was the last light in your life. Know that you are not alone.. Whether this gamble pays off our not.. You and I still share a bond.. A bond of Dragon and rider whom had our other halves cut off.. A bond of friendship.. And a bond of family." I slowly walked over to her and put a hand on her snout. She hummed softly "I missed you Little one." I then pressed my head against her snout "And I you, Saphira" I then turned and said "We need to make this count. We need to make sure this works. When we started this I said I was not willing to give up what I had gained since the snap. I have lost that. So for Natasha.. We need to bring everyone back!" Steve looked at me solemnly "We will"
We all parted ways. I stayed with Saphira to spend some time with my old friend. She said "I have not had a rider in a long time.. As I know you have not flown upon dragon back in a long time. Before we either win everything back.. Or lose once more.. Would you like to go for a ride?" I smiled slightly "I would be honored." She Chuckle/coughed and said "The honor is all mine, Little one." I climbed on to her neck and we took off into the sky.
It was nice to be on dragon back again.. Something I feared I would never experience again for years. Saphira then said "What are your plans for the future David? Will you return to Alagaesia to return to your duties as second in command of the Riders? Or will you stay here and continue to be an Avenger?" I bit my lip before saying "If we win? I'll return to Alagaesia with you, Eragon and Zeus.. I have nothing keeping me here anymore.. Natasha and I had planned on it actually.. We were going to adopt some children and raise a family.." She hummed softly "I'm sorry that it is no longer an option for you little one.. As much as I am gladdened I don't have to worry about little children climbing all over me.. It would have been nice to have Natasha join us back home. I know she made you very happy, despite the darkness of losing one's partner if mind and body. What if this doesn't work though? Will you doom me to returning defeated to the Riders to continue to train them alone?" I shook my head "No. I will return with you either way Saphira.. To either lead the riders with you.. Or to be with Zeus. I can not stay here after what I have lost.. In the same way I could not return to Alagaeisa after what I lost 5 years ago. The world has got the Justice League now.. It no longer needs the Avengers." Saphira changed course, headed back for the compound as she said "A surrogate pair of Dragon and Rider, cut off from their original pairing.. Now that would be a force to fear indeed." I nodded "Here's to hoping it will not come to that." She hummed "Agreed, I do look forward to connecting minds again with Eragon... as well as you do with Zeus, I can tell." I nodded but kept silent.. Aware that the time for the Snap was going to be soon upon us.. And realizing we had not chosen someone yet to make the snap... and should it be me?
A few days later the gauntlet was ready. We all stood around in the sience lab, a smaller version of Saphira visable via hologram also there. The real life version was present in the Dragon stables elsewhere on the compound. Rocket said "Its ready.. But the question remains, who's going to Snap their fricken fingers." Thor then said "Let me do it." I looked at him "What?" He said "It's okay" He made for the gauntlet. Everyone went to stop him. Cap said "Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who is going to put that on yet. " Thor then said "I'm sorry, we're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Scott then said "We should at least discuss it." Thor then said "Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not going to bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me." Tony and Thor began aruging about what was right and wrong about that sentence. I shook my head and said "I'll do it." Clint and Harry looked at me, and I heard the roar from the stables "David! Don't you dare!" She roared in my mind. Clint then said "Natasha did not sacrifice herself so you could die too!" I said "No.. But I have lost everything.. I failed to keep my Dragon safe.. I failed to keep my brother and best friends safe.. I failed to keep the Brotherhood of Assassins safe..I failed in my promise to keep Oliver Safe, I failed to keep the world safe.. And worst of all.. I broke my vows as a husband to keep my wife safe. Let me right those a few of those failures.." Thor then made it over to me and he said "No. Let me do it... please.. Let me do something right. You.. You stepped up and became one of the worlds for-front heroes during a dark time. I...I drank. I gave up. This would kill you.. It won't kill me." Tony then interjected "You are in no condition to do it Thor.. That thing is channeling more energy than any one person could handle." Thor then said "What do you think is coursing through my viens right now?" Rhodes then made a one off comment "Cheese whiz" Thor ignored that and said "Lightning." I then said "Same here, last son of Zeus here remember. You have a people to lead Thor. I've got nothing left. Let it be me." Bruce then said "Lightning won't help you guys.. It's got to be me. You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive. Besides.. If this work.. You both get back most of what you lost.." Steve then asked 'How do we know you will?" Bruce then replied "We don't, but the radiation is mostly gamma. Its like... I was made for this." We backed down at that.
Bruce grabbed the gauntlet. "We good to go?" Tony nodded "Yeah" Bruce then said "Lets do it." Tony then said "Okay remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago you're just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last 5 years." I nodded and said "Please.. Just the snap.. Nothing else. No multiverses.. Nothing. Oliver's sacrifice during crisis can NOT be made in vein." He nodded "got it." We all then gathered in a circle around the hulk. Tony and I engaged our suits. Once fully formed I looked at his new suit for the first time. "You stole my color scheme." I said. He looked at me "For once you had something original worth stealing." I chuckled slightly and willed a body shield to form out of my one arm, it clamping on to the ground for extra support. I waved Harry behind it who did as beckoned. "I'm sorry" I said softly to him. He looked at me saddly "Me too mate." I nodded and returned attention to Bruce. Tony said "FRIDAY, do me a favor and activate barn door protocol will ya?" Metal sheilds formed around the buildings in the compound, to ensure no fall out left this building.
Bruce then said "Everybody comes home." He then put the gauntlet on and the gauntlet shone bright light, tendrils of energy arking up and down his arm, burning his skin. He dropped to his knee crying out in pain. Thor yelled "Take it off! Take it off!" Cap then said "No wait! Bruce are you okay?" Tony then said "Talk to me Banner!" Bruce then said "I'm okay.." He then cried out louder and raised his hand and snapped. He then passed out, the gauntlet falling off his ruined arm. "Bruce!" Cap yelled and ran to him. We all ran forward. Clint kicked the gauntlet away and Tony used healing nano spray on his arm. "Did it work" Bruce grunted out weakly. "We don't know yet." I said. The barn door protocal lifted and we heard birds chriping. Clints phone vibrated and it was his wife. I smiled an genuine smile "Guys.. It worked.. It worked!" That was when the compound exploded and the building came tumbling down around us. Debris falling on me and it knocked me out.