Arriving back at the designated time stamp the heroes all catapulted out of the swirling vortex, the gateway to the Quantum Realm closing as we all stood on the platform. 

With the mirrored plates rotating above us and with the stones in our hands, we all looked around at each other. Smiles on everyone's faces, the sense of hope rekindling in our hearts.    We did it.

But, amidst the circle of Avengers it seemed there was an empty spot. We were missing someone... 

"Did we actually get them all?" Bruce expressed, in disbelieve, Time Stone curled up within the large palm of his green hand. 

"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey formulated, the Orb containing the Power Stone within the War Machine's armored, bionic hand. 

Though everyone's celebration was quick to dissipate, the embers of our happiness fizzling out as if being dampened with water. The fire in our eyes darkening as the tremendous weight of loss came crushing down onto everyone's shoulders. 

Clint collapsed to the ground as if he a mere puppet who's strings had been cut. The orange glow of the Soul Stone in his clutches, tears falling from his eyes, his partner no where to be seen. 

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked, the joy any of us felt erased entirely. 

The heroes had lost a comrade, no, a family member. 

..........

Taking a moment away from the mission the original Avengers resigned themselves to sitting on the dock. The lakeside view and all it's tranquility not alleviating the grief they felt. 

Tony, Thor, Bruce, Clint and Steve... Natasha was their teammate, apart of the main six who fought for the good of mankind for so, so long. She was there since the Avengers Initiative. And, now she was gone. 

The stones were locked away within the facility, so far unused as the group needed a second to mourn the loss of their friend. 

And, I, stood away from the pack. Feeling like I didn't want to disrupt their mourning. I didn't know Natasha as well as they did. But, that didn't stop me from feeling sad as well. 

"Do we know if she had a family?" Tony brought up, breaking the chain of silence which had resonated amongst the five. 

"Yeah, us." Steve remarked, hands clasped together, his head hung low as he sat on a bench. 

"What?" Thor griped, denial getting the best of him. 

"I just asked him a question-" 

"No, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as the stones are in our grasp we can bring Natasha back. Isn't that right?"

The God kept on babbling in a frenzied, storming fit. His rejection and refusal at the reality that had befallen onto us unyielding. 

"Can't get her back." Clint choked out, his first concise formulation of words in hours. 

"What?" The thunderous God parried. "Look, I'm sorry, but you're a very earthly being, okay. And, I'm talking about Space magic. And,"can't" seems very definitive, don't you think?" 

"Yeah, I know that I'm way outside my pay-grade here. But, really. It can't be undone. Or, that's at least what the red, floating guy had to say," Clint vouched, barely able to spew words without his voice cracking. 

"But, hey, maybe you wanna go talk to him? How about that? You go grab your hammer and you go fly and you talk to him!"

I watched as Hawkeye clenched his jaw, tears falling from his eyes... 

"It was supposed to be me... She sacrificed her life for that damn stone. She bet her life on it."

Gently, I placed a hand on Clint's shoulder. But, I remained mute, knowing empty words would not soothe the sting of loss. 

"She's not coming back..." Bruce stated through gritted teeth, his ginormous hands tucked tightly into fists. "We have to make it worth it. We have to..." 

My ever resilient and adamant friend stood up from the bench. Him peeling away his own sorrow, needing to be the strong Captain for his team. 

"We will make it count." The Captain declared. 

..........

With that, after the heroes wills were fortified since losing a family member, they all got to work. The stones were in our hands after all and who knew what unknown threat was just around the corner. 

Tony, Bruce and Rocket scrambled to work and build a Nano-Gauntlet. Designed specifically to contain and allow it's user to channel the power of the Infinity Stones. 

And, after being constructed, all sleek and durable, the stones in place... All that was needed now was someone to wield it. Someone to bring back The Fallen and undo this mess. 

"Alright, the glove is ready. Now, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?" Rocket brought up. 

"I'll do it." Thor quickly volunteered, the heroes standing together within one of the many laboratories of the establishment. 

"Whoa. Wait, wait." Tony and Steve exclaimed in harmony, stopping the tired and emotionally drained God from just slipping his hand in without a second thought. 

"Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put it on yet." Steve alerted, physically having to halt the God from stepping one foot closer to the pedestal in which the piece of gem filled armor sat. 

"I'm sorry, what? We're all just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?" 

"It should be at least talked about first." I intervened much to the Asgardian's dismay. 

"Look, sitting here staring at the thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So, this responsibility falls upon me." 

"Normally, yes. But..." Tony began and by now Thor was desperate. 

"Please. Just let me do it," Thor begged, clasping his hands around Tony's, his eyes glazed over with the threat of tears. "Just let me do something right. Something good." 

"Look, buddy. It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, it's that..." The Iron Man started up but I interrupted. 

"You're in no condition to, Thor," I settled. "I don't want to tell you that you're not strong enough but a person has to be stable in order to even attempt to control the power of the stones." 

"No offence, Lady Rebecca. But, I am perfectly stable, I am willing and I need to do this. Lightning courses through my veins as we speak. I can do this." 

"Lightning won't help you, pal. It's gotta be me," The big green guy announced, stepping up to the plate. "We all saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive." 

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked, not wanting anyone else to lay down their lives for these cursed stones. 

"We don't. But, the radiations mostly gamma. It's like... I was made for this." The Scientist affirmed, at peace with giving it a try. The will to bring everyone back far surpassing his fear.

Suited up, everyone within the lab readied themselves for the impact of the stones being used again. The facility completely on lock-down. 

"Good to go?" Tony sought out. 

"Yeah, ready." Bruce attested. 

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away, you're just bringing them back to now. Today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony clarified, and together everyone sucked in a collective breath of anxiousness. 

"Everyone comes home..." Bruce pledged, standing in the center of the room, the gauntlet slowly sheathing itself around his large, green hand. The Nano-Tech seamlessly stretching its armored plating out in order to fully seal around his arm. 

I felt Steve pull me behind him protectively just as we began to see the stones power being unleashed. Their otherworldly abilities leaking out in surges. 

Instantly, the Herculean Scientist collapsed to the floor with a harsh, earth-shaking thud as he screamed in agony. 

The stones spewing multi-colored energy and electrical currents all around him, their power releasing into his veins, making them glow. 

Bruce's whole arm was being torn to shreds, his ligaments burning, his muscles being eaten apart by the radiation. The stones were causing his right side to fester and smoke as he coiled in agony. 

"Take it off!" Thor exclaimed. 

"Wait! Bruce, are you okay?" Steve asked. 

"Talk to us, Banner." Tony sought out. 

"I-I'm okay..." The big green guy seethed out through grunts and groans. It taking everything in him to withstand the affects from the alien gemstones. 

Looking around the laboratory I narrowed my eyes, suddenly noticing that Nebula wasn't here... 

Shakily raising his charred hand in the air, screaming in writhing pain all the while, Bruce gained up enough strength and resolve to snap his fingers before crashing to the ground. 

The snap ringing out around us as we ran to Bruce's side. The smoldering gauntlet skidding across the floor, his right arm completely scorched and destroyed. 

"Did it work?" Bruce croaked out, pleading as he lay there in misery. 

"We're not sure." Thor replied, trying to comfort the crippled and suffering Scientist and I overheard Clint's phone going off. 

Watching as the Hawkeye stumbled his way over to the table and pick up his cell I saw a smile carve itself across his features. 

"Honey..." He softly uttered out, answering the call. 

My eyes widened at that as the realization hit me all at once. It worked... 

Rushing towards my own phone I ran out of the lab and went to dial in his number. My digits shaking as I typed in the sequence. 

Bringing the cell to my ear I waited, every second feeling like an eternity as I stood, expecting the one I loved most to answer. 

But, to no avail and instead, the sight of missiles coming right at us reflected in my eyes as I stared outside... 

Thanos' Warship in the distance...