Chapter 8

She didn't know what to do.

It didn't make any sense. They were all supposed to come back from the mission and then bring everyone back for good. There was no battle to be fought and there was no reason Natasha shouldn't have come back.

Except she didn't.

After Clint revealed what happened, everyone froze. The life and elation had been sucked out of the room with the utterance of Natasha's sacrifice. Tony did what Tony does best and gathered all the stones, while everyone else stood like statues on the platform. He may have never been a soldier, but he was a five star general when it came to compartmentalizing and keeping the mission moving.

Eventually, all the Avengers had left the platform and removed their quantum suits. Danielle waited for Steve to change back into his civilian clothes before attempting to comfort him. Natasha meant a great deal to him, if only for her willingness to stand by him even in the face of certain death.

Natasha and Steve may not have seen eye to eye on every conflict, but he knew she was the one he could trust with his life. In many ways, she was the one that helped him live again. After the Battle for New York, he and Natasha had worked many missions together at SHIELD, and with each careless jab at his age and joke at his expense, Steve started to banter back and slowly allow himself to live a new life.

Danielle had learned many skills and techniques from the Black Widow over the years. As a cadet in SHIELD training, Danielle had admired Natasha not only for her skills, but also for the confidence she carried as a female agent. Many underestimated Natasha at first, but none of them made the same mistake twice. Danielle had tried to encapsulate that confidence in her own approach to her missions.

Danielle sat at the table struggling to put together the hand gun sitting in pieces in front of her. She tried to force the spring into place, but it slipped from her finger and flung itself onto the floor. Her head fell into her hands as she groaned.

"You can't force it." A voice sounded from across the table.

Danielle's head shot up to see the Black Widow standing on the other side of the table with the spring from her gun in her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," said Danielle automatically.

The red head waved her off. "Nah, nah. None of that. Just call me Natasha."

"Cadet Danielle Thomas." Danielle stood and held out her hand for a handshake.

Natasha held out the spring to her instead and looked at the mess of parts on the table.

"The secret is not to put the pieces back exactly like they came out of the gun. The spring goes in right before you put the slide back on." Natasha gestured to the slide.

Danielle retook her seat and put the pieces in the newly hinted order. Each piece went back perfectly until the slide clicked into position and she had an operational handgun.

She beamed up at her mentor. "Thanks for the tip."

"Don't mention it." Natasha started back to the door. "I'm expecting great things from you Cadet Thomas. I look forward to working with you."

Danielle wiped at the tears running down her cheek at the first memory of her friend and mentor. Natasha had helped Danielle become the best cadet in her class, and helped shape her into the agent she became for SHIELD. Natasha had never shown an interest in other cadets like she had for Danielle, and Danielle would always be grateful for Natasha.

Finally, the other Avengers filed out of the uniform room and to their own secluded spaces, but the original members, the men who knew Natasha best, needed to reevaluate and regroup.

They ignored Danielle as they walked out of the facility and down to the dock on the lake. Steve didn't so much as glance at her–his eyes glazed over with sorrow. She trailed behind silently all the way down the shore and on to the dock. The boys spread out across the dock lost in their grief.

Minutes passed without a single word spoken, until Tony broke the silence.

"Do we know if she had family?

"Yeah," Steve sniffled, "us."

Thor turned quickly on Tony. "What?"

Tony looked at the demigod. "I just asked him a question–"

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead?" Thor got in Tony's face. "We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together."

Thor nearly growled as he paced the dock.

Clint, who hadn't said a word since the platform, spoke. "We can't get her back."

"Wha– what?" Thor turned toward the archer.

"It can't be undone. It can't." Clint responded, emphasizing the last syllable.

Thor scoffed. "I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And can't seems very definitive don't you think?"

"Yeah, look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?" Clint remained subdued.

"No, that's my point–"

"It can't– be undone." Clint repeated. "Or that's at least what the red floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him, okay? GO GRAB YOUR HAMMER, AND YOU GO FLY AND TALK TO HIM!" All the pent up energy came out in a burst of anger toward the god of thunder.

At the look in Clint's eyes, Thor backed down.

Danielle watched Clint scan the faces around him–Thor, Tony, Steve, herself–and the tears brimmed at his eyes.

"It was supposed to be me." Clint's voice nearly broke. "She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it."

Bruce, who had stood quietly at the end of the dock the entire time, reached for the bench sitting near him and launched it into the lake, releasing a primal scream. Danielle jumped slightly at the suddenness of the movement. The men around her barely noticed.

When Bruce faced them, he looked resigned to what Clint was saying.

"She's not coming back." He said, softly. "We have to make it worth it. We have to."

Danielle noticed Steve's back straightened, and she knew he had put back on his Captain America mask. He got to his feet and postured himself in the way he did that exuded every ounce of confidence.

"We will."