Scott is boiling with rage and his face turns with confusion. I settle a hand on his shoulder in compassion and he meets my eyes. I smile warmly as his chest heaves less.

"Thanks Cold Shoulder." Scotts face softens.

"You can call me Isabelle, Scott." I ensure.

"Alright Isabelle, I guess we're ordered to head back then." Scott tries to smile.

"They'll make it, I'm sure of it." I nod as we ready ourselves. We both hesitate in our position.

"Damn we're screwed." Scott says and I scuff out a nervous laugh as we are sucked into the quantum realm. Suddenly we're on the Quantum platform along with the recovered stones. I frantically try to find Tony and Steve and exhale grateful when our helmets undo. My eyes shoot to Steve and then scan to find Tony too.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asks as he notices the stones.

Rhodey is shocked as we confirm they're really here, "You telling me this'll actually work?"

There's a silence that forms, as that happens I count each person. My stomach twists when I don't find Nat. Bruce also noticed the absence, "Clint, where's Nat?"

"Clint?" I repeat as he doesn't answer. He looks dreadful standing there, guilty eyes that are burning with tears. The mission was completed but at a dire cost it seems. I clasp my hand over my mouth as my stomach completely drops. Bruce falls to his knees and pounds the floor in grief. The thud shakes the platform and I shakily drop to my knees as well. Gaging up tears I scurry for hope in my mind. Is it true?

-

Outside there's a beautiful lakeside beside the HQ. I'm staring out at it while the others are gathered behind me. Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, and Bruce are mourning as well. I question if I should allow myself to shatter in this moment or cast the walls back up. But I squeeze my lids shut and propose a gift. My gift to Nat is to not bottle these feelings up.

"Do we know if she had family?" Tony breaks the swollen silence.

It's quiet as the lake purrs, "Yeah. Us." A single tear runs down Steve's cheek.

"What?" Thor blabs.

"I just asked him a question-" Tony defends softly.

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right?" Thor roars through the sad delicacy of our meet up, "So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together."

Clint's voice is hoarse as he answers, "We can't get her back."

"Wha– what?" Thor is not accepting it.

"It can't be undone. It can't." Clint repeats in sorrow.

"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?" Thor offensively laughs.

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

"No, that's my point-" Thor begins to argue but Clint raises his voice.

"It can't– be undone. 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 you talk to him!" I hunch my back and I cradle myself as Clint's anger returns to grief, "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. She bet her life on it."

Bruce throws a bench across the lake in anger, "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to."

"We will." Steve nods laying a palm gently on my back. I shiver as tears pour down my cheeks, he brushed my back comfortingly. The others eventually stomp or drag themselves back to HQ. I stay with swollen eyes and Steve doesn't pull his hand away, "I'm sorry I told you to not hold back your feelings."

"For her." I hiccup, "I'll cry for her."

-

Everyone is gathered around the new gauntlet. It's red and gold, just like Tony's iron man suit. The stones glow atop the constructed glove.

"All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" Rocket asks.

Thor says confidently, "I'll do it."

"Excuse me?" Scott blinks.

"It's okay." Thor almost struts but everyone debates, some holding him back.

"Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet." Steve informs.

"I'm sorry. What, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" Thor argues.

"We should at least discuss it." Scott reacts.

"No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty." Thor debates.

"It's not about that." Tony is only interrupted.

"It's not that– Stop it! Just let me!" I wince as Thor tears up, "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right."

"Look– It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition." Tony persuades.

I rest a hand on him delicately, "Please listen to him. Tony is right."

"What do you– What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor demands.

"Cheez Whiz?" Rhodey jokes.

Thor growls, "Lightning."

"Yeah." Tony only replies.

"Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me." Bruce offers himself and Thor let's go of Tony. I didn't even notice he had such a strong grasp on his shoulders.

All eyes meet Bruce, "Are you sure...?" I weakly ask.

"You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive." Bruce replies surely.

"How do we know you will?" Steve asks, testing.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma." Bruce hesitates as he pears at the glove, "It's like...uh...I was made for this.

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony hold out the glove after we agree it's our best option.

"Let's do it." Bruce answers and I hold Steve's hand.

"You remember– everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony reminds and I flinch.

"Got it." Bruce only answers as everyone gets prepared.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?" Tony requests and we all tense.

Bruce repeats as the HQ locks down, "Everybody comes home."

We watch as the gauntlet covers hulks hand painfully. It fastens around his large hand with extreme energy. The power grows mighty enough for Bruce to grunt making Thor shout, "Take it off! Take it off!"

"No, wait. Bruce, are you okay?" Steve frantically questions through the panic.

"Talk to me, Banner." Tony hurries.

I tighten my hold on Steve's hand as I bite my lip, "Bruce!"

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Bruce still grunts but convinces us that it's alright. The power courses through the Hulk so bad that it shows on his face. Through a big holler we watch as Bruce snaps his fingers. A bright light emerges and Bruce faints. The gauntlet falls off Bruce's arm and Clint kicks it away.

"Bruce!" Steve shouts in worry and we both let go to help him.

"Don't move him." Tony warns.

"Did it work?"

"Worth a shot. It's over. It's okay." Thor encourages. Some people don't know what to do, Scott drifts away and Clint hears his phone ring a little ways away. It's quiet, it's a few moments of patience that could drive us nuts. Steve finds a way to intertwine our fingers again through the passing time.

Clint quietly struggles to speak from sheer happiness, "Honey. Honey."

"Guys– I think it worked!" Scott shouts in excitement and I quiver a smile. My heart thuds with anticipation and I exchange a wondering look with Steve. I feel hopeful through the grief until my ears ring. A blast hits and then another and another against the headquarters. I hold onto Steve for dear life as we're bombed from above. The building moves and breaks apart. I try to hold Steve's hand as tight as possible but I slip.