Chapter 3
If life was easy
Where would all the adventures be?
"Natasha?" Clint whispered tentatively. She couldn't be alive! He'd taken her pulse, she'd stopped breathing!
"What do you know?" Natasha stared at a scar on her arm from where a piece of metal had seared her pale skin. "Where did that come from?" She shook her short mane of fiery hair dismissively. She was used to bruises and cuts.
"How…?" Clint and Steve were standing stock still in shock as they tried to comprehend what was happening.
"Dr. Banner...you truly amaze me." Tony tilted an imaginary hat at his fellow scientist.
"Barton, pop your eyes back in your head." Natasha gave a signature teasing smile that made Clint give a faint one in response. Turning back to Banner, the Black Widow grinned. "So Doc, want to explain? I knew that solution was for something, but I wasn't sure what."
"Yeah, an explanation would be nice." Tony was scanning Natasha up and down. "How did you account for all the variables?"
Banner turned to Tony. "It's a long story I'll be happy to tell you later. However, I think there's a more pressing need for a general explanation."
"Sounds good to me." They all turned to see Nick Fury and Maria Hill standing in the doorway. The glass roof that had been over Natasha's coffin was still sparkling, but it didn't soften the features of Fury's face. He was, as always, totally stoic. Hill wasn't quite as composed.
"Natasha?" Her voice was faint. Natasha was close to few of the fellow S.H.E.I.L.D directors and subordinates. But she'd been friends with Hill.
"Dr. Banner, I think we are all waiting for an explanation." Nick spoke coolly.
"Ah." Bruce coughed, almost like a politician nervous at a speech. "Well, a couple weeks back, I was working on a project with Tony."
"But how did it work?!" The aforementioned genius practically yelled. "It wasn't even close to working last time we'd run diagnostics on it!" Banner stared at the ground for a moment, looking slightly abashed.
"I might have stayed up later than you." In answer to Tony's accusing look, Banner shuffled his feet slightly. "What? When your dreams tend to be nightmares at least 50% of the time, you tend to stay up late! I needed to work on something."
"Are you quite finished?" Steve yelled, his usual uniform covered by a black tie and suit that just barely hid the super strong muscles beneath. Jumping, Banner and Tony both quieted like children being scolded by a teacher.
"Now;" Clint had finally gotten to the point where he could speak. He still couldn't take his eyes off his partner come back from the dead. "Explain."
Author's Note: I know I haven't updated in AGES and I'm sorry. I had complete writers block, insane school work, and my birthday was yesterday. Well, the 28th of September at least. I'm SO SORRY for not updating recently, I know this chapter is short, but I have a pretty good idea of what's going in the next one now, so it shouldn't take so long this time around. Thanks for being so patient!
~Ri