I apologise for leaving you with such a horrific cliffhanger, but I've just been so busy at uni and on placement and have barely had time to sleep. But here it is, just for you; the next chapter!
I hope you enjoy it, and thanks again to anyone who has reviewed. I love receiving your comments! :)
~FR
"Natasha! Natasha! Come on Tasha, don't leave me? Don't you dare!" Clint begged, scrambling to her side; he gripped her hand and stroked her face, desperate to wake up and for this nightmare to be over.
Steve was by his side in a second, performing CPR as the others watched on; helpless and terrified.
XxX
Back on the hellicarrier; Pepper was crying, Phil was frantic and Fury was shouting. Not only was Natasha dying, but Hart expressed concerned that if she died while the others were caught up in her unconscious, they'd never get out.
Hill let out an undignified shriek as Thor reached out and grabbed her hand; everyone in the room was so focused on the attempts to restart Natasha's heart that no one had noticed him wake.
Jane ran over and threw herself into his arms, holding her tight he watched somberly as the doctors gave up; "time of death 12.09"
XxX
"Come on Natasha, don't give up" Tony begged. Clint was crying, Bruce had slumped on the floor; no longer possessing the strength to remain upright. Steve was still working, desperately trying to bring Natasha back, and refusing to give up.
After what seemed like forever Natasha gasped and choked out the water that had filled her lungs. Her body felt battered and heavy, but she felt Clint pulling her closer and Steve gripping her hand. Head pounding and chest aching, but still breathing; and this was just how she remembered it...
XxX
Several minutes after time of death had been called, Natasha took an uneasy breath. Pepper was so beside herself with grief that she was sure she'd imagined it.
Thor was busy updating the doctors and scientists about what had happened, all attention had been on him as he described reliving the nightmares and memories which plagued his teammates. He was shocked to learn the injuries carried through to reality after they'd faded in the dream; Clint's bullet wound, the laceration on Natasha's cheek, the cuts and bruises and broken bones which they'd all received as a result from the collapsing school in Bruce's nightmare; they were all still present.
Pepper couldn't help but not listen, it wasn't fair; Natasha had just died and no one was paying attention, so she'd removed herself from the company of the others and sat by her friend. The monitors were switched off for there was no use for them anymore and Pepper found the silence almost too much to bare. Sobs shook her whole body as she took in the enormity of what had happened, and that's why she was sure she'd imagined it. But when another desperate intake of air passed Natasha's lips Pepper couldn't ignore it
"Guys! Guys!" she shouted urgently, causing the others to spill back into the room
"She's not dead!"
Pepper was the subject of more than a few sympathetic gazes as Phil approached her
"Pepper, I know you want her to be alive, we all do. And it breaks my heart that we lost her, but we have to accept the fact that she's gone, or we can't grieve"
"Phil, no she's-"
"Miss Potts, perhaps it's time you took a break and went to get some rest" Fury suggested, and Pepper became angry
"She's alive! I swear she's alive! Stop looking at me like I'm crazy and will someone just check?"
She stared as Hart shook his head slightly, and his team of doctors stayed where they were. Pepper getting frustrated and was about to start shouting when Jane took a step forward, hoping beyond hope that Pepper was right, but continuously reminding herself not to get her hopes up, she couldn't face the despair if she had to lose Natasha again.
It took a few minutes, but just as Jane was about to give up but she felt it; a weak, thready pulse. She flipped all the machines back on and they showed an irregular, brady heart rate. As everyone looked on in disbelief it continued to improve as she took deeper, stronger breaths
"But... But she was dead!" Dr Hart managed to sound, as Fury smiled and Phil shook his head in disbelief; "I never should have doubted you" he whispered to his agent, bending low to kiss her on the forehead "But don't ever do that to me again" he instructed firmly
XxX
"Hey where'd Point Break go?" Tony asked after a moment. It had taken him a while to comprehend anything other than the overwhelming relief that flooded over him not Natasha was breathing again
The other's looked round to see Thor had disappeared
"Maybe he got out somehow?" Bruce thought out loud
"But how?"
"Well his nightmare seemed to affect him the least... We got out of his the fastest. Maybe Decoy has less of a hold on him?"
XxX
Hart was frowning as he read over the data. Now Thor was somehow back, and Natasha had come back from the dead; there was a lot of pressure on him to get the others out before anything else happened. Thor's description of the Greyland was something no one needed to go through, and the team of superheroes had more to be scared of than most.