"please come back to me"
Natasha Romanoff gripped her batons tightly as she surveyed the battlefield. All around her, Wakandan warriors and Avengers clashed with Thanos' army of Outriders. The creatures were ruthless and seemingly endless in number, but the heroes fought on valiantly.
Natasha had been separated from Steve and the others during the chaos of battle. She took down Outrider after Outrider, resorting to her stingers when her batons weren't enough. A flash of red and blue caught her eye - Spiderman was nearby, webbing up enemies left and right.
"Peter! On your six!" she called out, hurling an Outrider away from the young hero. Peter shot a grateful thumbs up before swinging back into the fray. Natasha allowed herself a small smile. The kid had heart, she had to give him that.
A roar from overhead drew her attention. Natasha looked up to see Sam swooping by, drawing enemy fire away from T'Challa and his forces. The king of Wakanda fought fiercely, his vibranium suit absorbing every attack. Natasha was glad to have him as an ally.
She pressed on through the battle, reunited with Okoye and the other Dora Milaje. Together they cut a swath through the seemingly endless Outrider hordes. Steve's voice crackled over the comms, urging them to fall back to the protective dome that Shuri had established.
"There's too many of them," Natasha responded. "We have to hold this line."
Steve started to argue, but a deafening boom drowned him out. Natasha's heart dropped as she saw flashes of light near the treeline.
"He's here," she whispered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bruce in the Hulkbuster armor rocketing towards the new threat.
Natasha signaled Okoye to keep leading the defensive effort. She took off at a run towards Bruce and the others now converging on Thanos. Skidding to a halt, she assessed the situation.
Thanos looked even bigger and more menacing in person. Bruce unleashed a barrage of firepower, while T'Challa, Steve, and the others struck at close range. Thanos swatted them away like insects. Natasha's gut twisted. They were giving everything they had, but it didn't seem to be making a dent.
"Fall back!" Steve yelled. "We need to regroup!"
"We can't let him get that gauntlet!" Natasha protested. But Steve was right - they were dangerously overpowered here. Reluctantly, she turned to retreat with the others.
A flash of red and blue zoomed past her. "Peter, no!" Natasha screamed. But the young hero wasn't listening. He launched himself at Thanos, webbing the gauntlet and trying to yank it free.
"Get off me, insect," Thanos roared. He grabbed Spiderman and hurled him violently to the ground.
"Hey!" Natasha shouted, sprinting back towards them. "Pick on someone your own size!" She peppered Thanos with stingers, drawing his attention away from Peter.
Thanos turned, eyeing her curiously. "You have spirit. I like that." He reached for her, but Natasha dove and rolled out of the way. She bounced back to her feet, batons at the ready.
"Natasha, get out of there!" Steve yelled over the comms.
She ignored him, feinting left and then striking at Thanos' arm. He was fast - too fast - and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up effortlessly. Natasha struggled for breath as Thanos tightened his grip.
"Let her go!" Peter - brave, foolish Peter - was back on his feet. He hit Thanos with a series of rapid-fire blows, trying to make the titan release Natasha.
With an annoyed glance, Thanos swatted Peter aside once more. "I don't have time for this." Keeping his grip on Natasha's throat with one hand, he reached for the gauntlet with the other.
Natasha's eyes went wide with horror. They had failed. Thanos was going to wipe out half of all life with a snap of his fingers, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
As Thanos raised his gauntlet hand, triumphant, a flash of metal sliced through the air. The titan bellowed in surprise and pain as Stormbreaker lodged deeply into his chest. Natasha fell from his grasp and sucked in gulps of sweet air.
Thor had arrived, eyes blazing with lightning. "I told you," he growled at Thanos. "You'd die for that."
For a moment, Natasha dared to hope they had turned the tide. But even grievously wounded, Thanos persisted. Natasha could only watch helplessly as Thor was swatted away, and Thanos raised his gauntlet once more. The stones glowed brightly as he prepared to snap.
"No!" Natasha and Peter cried out together.
Peter made one last desperate leap, trying to web the gauntlet, hold it back, do anything to stop what was coming. But it was too late.
Thanos snapped his fingers.
A brilliant flare of light made Natasha shield her eyes. When it faded, she blinked away the spots in her vision and glanced around warily. Nothing looked different. Could it be...had they somehow succeeded after all?
"Guys?" Peter's frightened voice dispelled that fragile hope. Natasha turned to see the young hero staring down at his hands in disbelief. He looked back up at her, eyes wide. "I don't feel so good."
Natasha ran over and caught Peter as his legs started to buckle. "Hey, hey, look at me," she said firmly, helping lower him to the ground. Peter's breath came in panicked gasps as he clutched at her arms. Before Natasha's stunned gaze, his body began crumbling to dust before her eyes.
No. Not him. Please, not him. Natasha's mind reeled in horror. Peter was just a kid, an innocent kid with his whole life ahead of him. He didn't deserve this.
She wrapped her arms around Peter tightly as if to physically hold him together through sheer force of will. His terrified eyes met hers, filled with tears. "I don't wanna go. Please, I don't wanna go..." he begged desperately.
Natasha's heart shattered. "Shhh, it's okay," she whispered, swallowing back tears of her own. She gently stroked his hair, holding him close as his body kept disintegrating. "You're okay. I've got you."
Peter's frantic breathing slowed, some of the fear leaving his eyes as he clung to her. "Thanks for...for everything, Mom," he murmured weakly.
The simple word was like a knife to Natasha's heart. Mom. She had never imagined someone might see her that way. And now this sweet, good-hearted boy she had grown so fond of was being cruelly ripped away, right before her eyes.
Peter's eyes fluttered closed as the last of him faded to dust. Natasha clenched her fists, holding nothing but empty air. An anguished sob broke free. Mom. The word echoed in her mind, a bittersweet gift she could never repay.
For a few moments she could only kneel in the dirt, overcome. She had failed him. She had failed everyone. Half of all life in the universe, gone in an instant. Including dear, sweet Peter Parker, who had called her Mom with his dying breath.
Slowly, Natasha raised her head. Her eyes blazed with sorrow and rage. Thanos would pay for this. Whatever it took, whatever the cost, she would find a way to make this right.
She would do it for Peter. For the boy who had been so much more than a teammate. For the child of her heart, now lost forever. For her son.
Natasha stayed kneeling on the ground, struggling to process everything that had just happened. Thanos had won. So many lives lost, including Peter... A tear slipped down Natasha's cheek as she remembered his frightened eyes and final words.
The sound of engines roared overhead. Natasha looked up to see a sleek spacecraft landing nearby. A blonde woman in a red and blue uniform jumped out and strode towards them. Even in her grief, Natasha's spy instincts analyzed the newcomer. Powerful, confident gait. Alien suit unknown design. Ally or new threat?
"Where's Fury?" the woman asked without preamble.
"Who's asking?" Steve responded warily, shield still at the ready despite their utter defeat.
"Carol Danvers. I got a cosmic 911 page from him."
"You know Fury?" Natasha asked, getting to her feet. If Nick had called her, that made Carol an ally as far as she was concerned.
Carol nodded shortly. "Long story. I take it things didn't go too well here." Her gaze took in the devastation around them.
"That's putting it mildly," Bruce said bitterly, finally exiting the battered Hulkbuster armor. "We failed. Thanos got all the stones."
Carol's expression hardened. "What did he do with them?"
Natasha glanced around at the others before answering quietly. "He snapped his fingers. Half of all life in the universe...just gone. In an instant."
The raw grief in her voice seemed to satisfy Carol that they were telling the truth. Her fists clenched, glowing with cosmic energy. "Then we find him. Take the stones back."
"You make it sound so simple," Bruce said doubtfully.
Thor, who had been unusually silent, spoke up. "I struck a mortal blow before the snap. Thanos is weakened now. We must strike while we still can, before he has a chance to use the stones again."
Natasha felt the tiniest flare of hope rekindling inside her. Thor was right - they couldn't let Thanos get away with this. Not when there was still a chance to make things right.
"You know where he went?" Steve asked Thor.
The Asgardian furrowed his brow. "After completing his grim task...he used the space stone to open a portal. He is likely recuperating somewhere quiet, believing his victory assured."
"He doesn't know about me." Carol's eyes glowed dangerously. "We got a location?"
"Wait." As much as Natasha wanted to hunt Thanos down immediately, she knew they had to be smart. "We need a plan. And we'll need help. Regroup who we can and go from there."
Steve nodded reluctantly. "She's right. We all want to make this right. But we need to do it unified, not half-cocked."
Carol looked ready to argue, but then pressed her lips in a tight line and nodded. "Where do we rally?"
"The facility. I'll send word, have people converge there." Natasha was already running through the list in her head. Who was left? Could they contact Clint? Were any of Fury's old team still around?
"I will seek out the remaining Asgardians," Thor declared. "We shall join your forces."
Steve clapped a hand on Thor's shoulder. "Sounds good. Let's move out."
The group began heading towards their scattered modes of transportation. Natasha's mind raced. She wanted to find Thanos and make him pay as much as anyone, but Steve had been right to counsel restraint. They had to do this together, as a team. For Peter and all those they had lost.
Still...restraint was difficult to muster as she imagined finding Thanos again, seeing the sadistic glint of triumph in his eyes. Her hands itched to wrap around his thick neck and squeeze until that glint went dark forever.
But revenge would have to wait. First, they needed to secure the stones and undo the decimation. Natasha clung to that thought as she boarded the Quinjet with Steve, Carol, and the others. There was still hope. Not just for revenge against Thanos, but to restore what he had taken. She had to believe that was possible.
—
Hours later, they reconvened at the Avengers facility upstate. The mood was sober as people reconnected and learned who else had been lost. Natasha kept scanning the room, hoping against hope for one familiar face, but Clint was nowhere to be found.
Thor arrived with Rocket Raccoon and Nebula in tow. The daughter of Thanos glowered when Carol was introduced. "If you had acted sooner, my father's success could have been prevented," Nebula accused.
Carol met her gaze steadily. "We can't change what's done. But we can still stop him."
Nebula's black eyes softened marginally. "Yes. We can."
"So how do we find this guy?" Rocket asked, impatiently spinning his laser cannon. "Universe is a big place."
"I can help with that," Nebula said. "I know his habits, his patterns. If he believes he has fulfilled his destiny, there are only a few places he would go."
"So we make him un-fulfill it," Rocket said with a toothy grin.
Steve brought them back on track. "Let's narrow down the list first, then we can strategize travel and attack plans."
As the group discussed locations and logistics, Natasha's gaze drifted around the room. Her heart ached at how few of them there were. But she could mourn later. Right now, these brave souls were what stood between Thanos and total victory. She had to hold it together for their sake.
Eventually Nebula highlighted a remote, overlooked planet at the edge of the Andromeda system as the most likely refuge for her father. Carol could reach it swiftly with the ship, while Thor could travel close behind with Stormbreaker. The others would follow as quickly as possible.
As people began dispersing to ready themselves for departure, Natasha noticed Carol slipping away on her own. Natasha's instincts told her to follow. She found Carol outside, gazing up at the night sky pensively.
"Room for one more?" Natasha asked softly. Carol glanced back and nodded, a sadness in her eyes that Natasha recognized all too well. She moved to stand beside the newcomer, following her gaze upward.
"It's a lot to come back to," Natasha said after a few moments of silence. "I can't imagine after...however long you've been gone."
"Last time I was here, it was the 90s," Carol said with a wry quirk of her lips. "They didn't even have cell phones."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Kind of makes this seem like the distant future, I bet."
"Just a bit." Carol sighed. "I should have come back sooner. Maybe I could have stopped this."
"You can't think like that," Natasha said firmly. "Trust me. You'll drive yourself crazy playing the what-if game."
She knew that path all too well from her own past, her own regrets. The temptation to linger there, lost in condemnation of oneself.
Carol nodded slowly, considering her words. After a few more moments of contemplative silence, she spoke again, voice soft. "Who did you lose?"
Natasha blinked back the sting of fresh tears. "A lot of people. Friends. Teammates." Peter's face flashed in her mind again. "And a kid who...who called me Mom just before..." She broke off, throat tightening.
Carol's eyes softened with empathy. She squeezed Natasha's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
Natasha just nodded, not trusting her voice. After a few deep breaths she managed to continue. "His name was Peter Parker. Spiderman. Just a teenager, but he had so much heart." She smiled sadly. "I really watched out for him, you know? Tried to help him any way I could. And he looked up to me in a way I didn't deserve."
Saying it out loud somehow helped lessen the ache just a fraction. Natasha went on, "He was scared at the end. I couldn't save him." Her voice dropped to a haunted whisper. "I can still feel him dying in my arms."
Carol listened somberly. When Natasha fell silent, she said "We'll make this right. For Peter, and everyone else. I promise." Her voice rang with sincerity.
Natasha managed a small but grateful smile. "Yeah. We will." She felt a renewed sense of purpose. They would find Thanos, get the stones, and bring back all those they had lost.
She met Carol's eyes and saw her own resolve reflected there. Together, they turned and headed back inside to join the others. The final preparations were almost complete. Soon they would leave to confront Thanos one last time. This time, Natasha vowed, they would not fail.
—-
The dark planet Nebula had directed them to loomed ahead. Natasha surveyed its craggy, gloomy landscape as the Quinjet broke through the atmosphere. It suited her mood perfectly.
"There." Nebula pointed towards a simple structure nestled against the rocks. The bloodthirsty grin on her face sent a chill down Natasha's spine. "He will not escape us again."
Natasha finished strapping on her wrist gauntlets as the jet landed a safe distance away. Her batons were securely holstered at her hips, widow's bites charged and ready. She had come fully prepared for war.
The rear hatch lowered, and Steve turned to address them one final time. "This is it. We get the stones, undo the decimation, and end this. We owe it to everyone we lost to see this through."
His eyes met Natasha's, knowing how much she had at stake here. She gave a single, resolute nod.
"Let's move out," Steve commanded. As one, the Avengers disembarked and began their stealthy approach towards Thanos' refuge.
Natasha's heart pounded, adrenaline and fury coursing through her veins. She pictured Peter's face, heard his last words echoing. Holding the memory close, she moved with lethal purpose towards her target.
Thanos would pay for what he had done. Justice would come at last for Peter and all the others. The Avengers would see to that.
—-
The Mad Titan never saw them coming. Thor and Carol kept watch outside while the others stormed the small dwelling. Thanos glanced up in surprise from his humble meal as they burst in.
"Ah. You're persistent, I'll give you that," he rumbled. Moving slowly, he stood to face them. "But foolish to come here uninvited."
"Oh, we brought invites." Rocket gleefully held up a heavy-duty explosive. "Boom, you looking for one of these?"
Thanos' eyes narrowed, but before he could react, Carol and Thor blasted through the walls on either side. Lightning crackled around Thor as he leveled Stormbreaker. "Your reign ends now, monster."
"We just want the stones," Steve said firmly. "Hand them over and you get to live."
Thanos scoffed. "Bold of you to believe you can simply take them." He raised the gauntlet threateningly.
Nebula drew her electro-staff with a savage grin. "Bold of you to believe you still command them."
She lunged forward, sweeping Thanos' feet from under him before he could react. He fell hard and the Avengers swarmed. Natasha vaulted onto Thanos' chest, pinning him as Rocket hurried to pry the gauntlet loose. Thanos roared and threw them both off, surging back to his feet.
He raised his gauntlet again, ready to snap, but this time nothing happened. Thanos' smug expression morphed to confusion and dismay as he stared down at the unresponsive stones.
"Something wrong?" Natasha asked, readying her batons with vicious satisfaction.
Thanos stared at the gauntlet in disbelief, then up at Nebula's triumphant face. "What did you do?" he growled.
"She rejiggered the synapse relays," Rocket explained gleefully. He held up the gauntlet he had successfully removed while Nebula distracted Thanos.
Thanos let loose an enraged bellow, lunging towards Nebula. Thor and Carol immediately blasted him back. "Stay down, fiend!" Thor commanded. "Your horrors end now!"
But Thanos was beyond reason. With another anguished cry, he activated a detonator on his belt. Explosions rocked the dwelling. Natasha dove for cover as rubble rained down around them. When the dust settled, Thanos was gone.
"Coward! Come face your judgement!" Thor yelled into the haze.
"He won't get far," Carol said firmly. Already the telltale glow of the space stone portal could be seen through the debris.
Steve turned to Rocket, still holding the gauntlet protectively. "Guard that with your life. We need to go after him."
Rocket gave a sardonic salute. "Aye aye, Cap." He hurried back towards their ship with the precious gauntlet.
The rest of them raced for the portal, Carol and Thor blasting ahead. Natasha bared her teeth as she ran. After everything, she would not let Thanos escape accountability again. Justice would be done this day, no matter what it took.
—
They tumbled out the other side of the portal onto an eerily familiar landscape. "He's brought us right back to the battlefield," Steve said in dismay.
"Makes sense he'd look for backup where his army fell." Natasha's eyes quickly scanned the barren terrain. Where was the hulking monster hiding?
A flash of movement caught her eye. "There!" Thanos was lumbering away, clearly still weakened. Even better - the damaged gauntlet still adorned his hand.
"We need to separate him from that," Carol said grimly.
Natasha's eyes narrowed. "With pleasure."
They took off in pursuit. Thor and Carol moved to flank Thanos, driving him back towards Steve and Natasha. Nebula stayed up high, electro-staff crackling.
"Last chance!" Steve called. "Surrender the gauntlet and you get to walk away!"
Thanos whirled, titan strength on full display as he backhanded Thor and Carol aside. "I yield to no one! The universe required correction and I provided it!"
"Correction?" Natasha laughed harshly. "Yeah. Let's correct your mistakes."
She and Steve struck in tandem from either side, batons and shield hammering the gauntlet repeatedly. Thanos was slowed just enough for Thor and Carol to rejoin the assault. Under their barrage, the metal began to warp and spark.
With a desperate bellow, Thanos finally managed to seize Thor's cape and sling him into the others, scattering them briefly. It gave him a split second to try activating the stones again.
The gauntlet flared weakly, stone casings cracked and faltering. "What is this?" Thanos stared at his most prized possession in dismay.
"Salvage." Nebula dropped down behind him, smirking. Before Thanos could react, she ripped the gauntlet free from his massive wrist.
Thanos howled in rage and immediately moved to retrieve it, only to find himself beset from all sides again. Natasha's fury honed her strikes to lethal precision. Thanos may have dwarfed her in size, but she was going to be the end of him.
She leapt onto his broad back, garroting him fiercely. As Thanos struggled to dislodge her, the others continued raining down blows. Punch after punch landed on his unprotected face until dark blood flowed freely.
With a ragged gasp, the massive titan finally collapsed to his knees. Natasha rode him all the way down, then sprang lightly away, chest heaving from exertion. She stared down at the broken form that had caused so much suffering. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still.
It was over. Against all odds, they had won. Natasha took in a shuddering breath as the reality sank in. They had the gauntlet. They could bring everyone back now.
A gasp from Thanos brought her back to the moment. She tensed, ready to end him if he tried rising again. But the fight had gone out of the Mad Titan. He stared at the gauntlet in Nebula's hands with an expression of utmost loss.
"My destiny..." he rasped in dismay. Blood dripped from his mangled face into the dirt.
Nebula strode forward and gripped her adoptive father's chin roughly, forcing his gaze upward. "No. This was your destiny all along. To fail."
She released him with a look of disgust. Thanos had no response, merely staring hollowly into the distance. It was over. He knew it as well as they did.
Natasha moved to join the others. Thor and Carol still stood at the ready, but the set of Steve's shoulders told her he was satisfied Thanos no longer posed a threat.
She met Steve's eyes questioningly. He gave a single nod. Together they turned and walked away, leaving the broken titan alone in the dirt. justice had been done. Now for the true task ahead.
The mood was solemn as the Avengers returned to their compound. Though they had achieved victory over Thanos, the cost had been immense. Natasha's heart ached for those they had lost. But she clung to hope that the damage could still be undone.
Rocket proudly returned the gauntlet to them. Though battle-damaged, the six Infinity Stones still glittered within. Natasha eyed them warily. Could these small objects really possess the power to restore trillions of lives?
"So we gonna get everyone back or what?" Rocket asked expectantly.
Steve nodded. "That's the plan. We need to figure out how to harness the stones' power safely."
"Obviously Thor should wield it," Rocket said. "He's the strongest Avenger, am I right?"
Thor stroked his beard thoughtfully. "The burden of the stones is no small feat. But I am willing to bear it."
Bruce shook his head anxiously. "Big guy, we don't even know if someone can survive snapping with a gauntlet that damaged."
"I will craft a new one," Tony suddenly spoke up. The remaining Avengers had joined them at the compound. "After all, this should help me improve on my future work, right?"
"See? Tony sorts the tech, Thor brings the thunder," Rocket said. "We'll be back to full apocalypse strength in no time."
Natasha stayed silent as the others debated. She caught Steve's eye, seeing her own reservations mirrored there. Could it really be so simple? After all they had endured, could the solution be just another snap of the fingers?
As the hours passed, Tony worked tirelessly on a new gauntlet. Its golden sheen was beautiful yet foreboding. Natasha couldn't take her eyes off it as the dwarf king presented the finished product to Thor.
"A mighty weapon for a mighty king," Tony quipped. Thor lifted the gauntlet reverently in one hand, Stormbreaker in the other.
"The time has come. I shall set things right." Thunder rumbled in the distance as he spoke.
Natasha stepped forward, unable to stay silent any longer. "Thor...are you sure about this?"
He turned to her, brow furrowed. "You question me, Natasha?"
She held up a placating hand. "Not your capability. Just...the gauntlet nearly killed Thanos. And he was one of the strongest beings in the universe."
Thor hefted Stormbreaker proudly. "Ah, but I have the strength of Asgard flowing through my veins! The power of kings!"
Natasha glanced at Steve. He gave her a subtle nod and stepped forward too. "She's not questioning your strength, Thor. We just want to make sure we've considered all our options before using the stones again."
Thor's eyes darkened. "You believe I am unworthy of this burden?"
"No, that's not it at all," Bruce said quickly. "We know you're more than worthy."
Natasha could see Thor's pride was wounded at the perceived doubt in him. She tried a different tact. "I just want to make sure we don't lose anyone else. Haven't we sacrificed enough already?"
That gave Thor pause. He gazed down at the gauntlet for a long moment before meeting her eyes again, his anger fading. "You only mean to spare me harm out of care for a friend. I see that now."
He looked to Steve and Bruce. "My friends, your counsel is wise. We shall discuss this further before any deeds are done."
The room seemed to exhale in relief. Natasha gave Thor a grateful smile which he returned after a moment. She knew he only wanted to make things right as desperately as she did.
—
In the end, the choice came down to two: Thor or Natasha. Both were determined to be the one to wield the gauntlet. Thor insisted his physical strength and lightning made him the logical choice.
"I understand you wish to atone for past failure," he told Natasha gently. "But this burden should fall to he who has the greatest chance of success."
Natasha shook her head. "It's not about atonement. I just want to save our family." She thought of Peter, imagined holding him safe in her arms again. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
The debate continued long into the night. Natasha could tell Thor's pride was still wounded, needing to be the heroic savior. But her need came from a different place - love rather than glory.
Finally Steve held up a hand for silence. "You both have the desire to see this through. That's clear. But there can only be one who snaps." He turned to Thor. "She's right though - her motivations aren't about glory or power. And honestly...her heart is as strong as any super soldier serum."
Thor listened solemnly, then met Natasha's gaze. "You wish to sacrifice all for those you love. I cannot fault such devotion." He held out the gauntlet to her. "The choice should be yours."
Natasha accepted it with shaking hands. The metal was cool and heavy, housing untold cosmic power. She looked around at her team's solemn faces. "You'll get me through this, right?"
Steve squeezed her shoulder. "To the end of the line."
Taking a deep breath, Natasha slid her hand into the gauntlet. Instantly she gasped and sank to her knees as raw energy coursed through her body. It took all her strength not to rip her arm free as every nerve burned.
Distantly she heard Bruce say urgently "It's too much power for her mortal form! She can't survive this!"
Thor was at her side in an instant, gripping her shoulder. "Natasha, release it! I shall bear this burden."
Jaw clenched against the pain, Natasha shook her head stubbornly. "I can do this." She had not come this far to fail now. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself back to her feet. The eyes of the gauntlet glowed brightly, six colors swirling in a hypnotic dance. Natasha stared into their depths as the pain receded to a more bearable throb.
"I'm okay," she managed. Meeting her teammates' worried eyes, she gave a shaky smile. "Let's bring them home."
Raising her gauntlet slowly, Natasha focused every fiber of her being on the lives that had been lost. Wanda, Bucky, Groot, Sam...Peter.
"Please come back to me," she whispered.
Natasha snapped her fingers.
A shockwave of light and sound erupted, knocking everyone off their feet. Natasha screamed as white-hot agony tore through every cell of her body. Then everything went black.
—
"...you pushed yourself too far, child."
Natasha slowly became aware of soft voices nearby. Everything hurt. She grimaced, trying to open her eyes.
"I believe she stirs. Natasha?" That was Thor's rumbling baritone.
Natasha pried her eyes open to see the concerned faces of her friends hovering over her. She blinked hazily up at them, not comprehending.
"Wh...what happened?" she rasped.
"You did it." Steve's voice was warm with amazed relief. "Everyone's back, Nat. We won."
It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, Natasha's heart leapt. "It worked?"
"Thanks to you." Bruce gently helped prop her up. "We weren't sure you were gonna pull through. The gauntlet almost destroyed you."
Natasha looked down to see her right arm swathed in bandages from hand to shoulder. She flexed her fingers gingerly. Sore, but intact. A small price for restoring trillions of lives.
Thor carefully embraced her. "Your strength rivals the mightiest Asgardian warriors. All honor to you, Natasha of Midgard."
She returned the hug weakly, still processing it all. They had actually won. Sacrifice and loss had finally paid off.
Pulling back, she asked "Where is everyone? Are they okay?"
"Resting, recovering. But we wanted you to be the first person he sees when he wakes up." Steve smiled at her knowingly.
Natasha's heart leapt. "Peter?"
Steve glanced over his shoulder and nodded. A moment later, the teen appeared in the doorway looking dazed but unharmed.
Natasha gasped, immediately struggling to rise. Thor and Bruce helped her up and over to him. Peter stared at her like he couldn't believe his eyes. Natasha pulled him into a desperately tight embrace.
"You're here. You're really here." Her voice shook with overwhelming emotion. After so much loss and pain, this felt like a dream.
Peter hugged her back just as tightly. "I remember...fading away...you were there." He pulled back to look at her, eyes shining with awe and gratitude. "You brought me back."
Natasha cupped his face gently, needing the contact to reassure herself he was real. "I'll always be there for you. No matter what."
Peter threw his arms around her again. Natasha held him close, letting the relief wash over her in a cleansing wave. They had won the day against impossible odds. The universe was whole once more.
And most importantly, she had her family back. Peter was here, safe in her arms. Natasha smiled through her tears, kissing the top of his head. She had thought being called "Mom" was her bittersweet farewell gift from him. But now they had a second chance she would never waste.
"I love you...Mom," Peter murmured into her shoulder.
"I love you too, sweetheart. So much." Natasha carded a hand through his hair, her heart full to bursting. They had endured the greatest trial imaginable, but love had seen them through. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she knew they would face them together.