"whatever it takes"
The Quinjet emerged from the Quantum Realm, scattering particles of light as it appeared over the desolate planet of Vormir. Inside sat Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, and Peter Parker, still suited up in their time travel gear after successfully retrieving the Power and Space Stones in New York.
Natasha piloted the ship towards the mountain peak where, according to Nebula's intel, they would find the Soul Stone. Her face was stoic, but inside, her stomach churned with nerves. The Time Heist had gone smoothly so far, almost too smoothly, but she knew extracting the Soul Stone would not be easy. Whatever sacrifice it demanded, she was prepared to make it, for the fate of the universe depended on it.
Clint sat in the seat beside her, checking his arrows with a solemn focus. He and Natasha had been partners for so many years, saved each other's lives countless times. Now, here at the end of it all, he was determined not to let her down.
In the back of the jet, Peter Parker fidgeted anxiously with the sleeves of his suit. After losing his aunt in the Snap, Natasha had taken him under her wing, become the family he needed. He would do anything to get her back, to make things right. Swallowing hard, he steeled himself for whatever was to come.
The Quinjet landed at the mountain's peak. Together, the three heroes disembarked and made the ominous trek towards an ancient stone temple. As they ascended the steps, a dark figure materialized before them, his face concealed under a heavy hood.
"Welcome," he intoned, "Natasha, daughter of Ivan. Clint, son of Edith. Peter, son of Richard."
Peter inhaled sharply. The figure's rasp sent a chill down his spine. Natasha and Clint exchanged a wary glance but remained silent.
"I am the guide to the Soul Stone," the figure continued. "If you wish to possess it, you must be willing to pay the ultimate price."
He turned, pointing towards the edge of a steep cliff. "In order to take the stone, you must sacrifice that which you love. A soul for a soul."
Natasha paled. She had expected a sacrifice, but not like this. Not someone she loved. Her eyes flicked between Clint and Peter. How could she choose? Clint had been with her through everything, her closest friend for so many years. And Peter - that sweet kid who'd lost too much already. The boy she'd sworn to protect, who now called her "Mom." Her heart shattered just thinking of it.
Clint's stomach dropped, a cold sweat breaking out across his skin. His mind raced through his options. He couldn't let Nat do this, couldn't leave his best friend in the world behind. But the kid...Peter had already lost so much. Clint had promised to look out for him now.
Peter froze, the color draining from his face. No. Not when they had come so far. After all they had done, after everything he and Nat - his mom now - had been through together. He couldn't lose someone else. He blinked hard, fighting the sting of tears.
The three heroes stood in anguished silence as the weight of the sacrifice sunk in. Then Natasha straightened, jaw set with resolve.
"You both know what we have to do," she said quietly. "Half the universe is gone. Whatever it takes...." Her voice broke.
Clint put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah. Whatever it takes." He gave her a sad smile.
Peter looked between them, panic rising in his chest. "No. No way! I can't let you guys do this!" His voice cracked. "Please, let me be the one to jump. You don't have to do this!"
Natasha turned to him, her eyes glistening. She cupped his cheek gently. "Peter, honey, you know we could never ask you to do that."
"But I can't lose you too!" Peter cried. "Not after May...you're all I have left!"
Natasha pulled him into a tight hug. "I know, I know," she murmured. "But we're going to fix this. We're going to bring everyone back." She pulled away, holding him by the shoulders. "I need you to be strong for me, okay? Can you do that?"
Peter shook his head, blinking back tears. But he knew Natasha was right. This was bigger than any one of them.
Natasha turned to Clint. "I should be the one to do it. You have a family waiting for you back home."
Clint shook his head firmly. "And you have Peter. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself, Nat. I can't lose you. We're in this together, whatever it takes."
As they argued, Peter's mind raced desperately. He had already lost so much - his parents, Uncle Ben, Aunt May. He could not stand by and watch as Natasha or Clint leapt to their death. Suddenly, he broke away from Natasha and took off running for the cliff's edge.
"Peter, NO!" Natasha screamed.
In an instant, Clint had drawn his bow and fired off a grappling hook arrow, catching Peter around the legs before he could jump. Peter collapsed just short of the cliff's edge.
Natasha and Clint rushed over to him. "Kid, you can't do this," Clint said gruffly, helping Peter stand. "We're gonna figure this out."
Peter hung his head, ashamed for losing control. Natasha hugged him tightly. "It's okay," she whispered. "We're together."
She looked at Clint, holding Peter against her chest. Clint met her gaze steadily. They had been through so much over the years, survived all odds together. But this was one sacrifice neither could make.
As they stood frozen in agony, a calm settled over Clint. He knew then what had to be done. Natasha had a child now, a family. She deserved the chance to be a mother after all she had endured. And Peter needed her. Clint could never leave this kid orphaned again.
With a deep breath, Clint stepped back, his face serene. "It's alright," he said softly. "This is my choice."
Natasha's eyes went wide with horror. "Clint, no!"
But Clint was already moving, sprinting for the cliff's edge. With one powerful leap, he flung himself over the precipice before Natasha and Peter could even cry out.
"CLINT!" Natasha screamed in anguish. She and Peter rushed to the cliff's edge, peering over helplessly. Far below, Clint's body lay lifeless on the rocks.
A blinding flash lit up the sky above them. Natasha and Peter looked up to see a pulsing orange light descend from the heavens. The Soul Stone materialized before them, glowing with ancient energy. Natasha took it with a broken sob, collapsing to her knees on the stone platform. Peter wrapped his arms around her, holding her as they both wept.
"He did it for us, Mom," Peter choked out between sobs. "He saved us."
Natasha clung to him, praying they had not sacrificed too much. Clint was gone, but half the universe was counting on them now. She had to be strong, for Peter, for Clint's memory and his family. Brushing the tears from her cheeks, she rose on unsteady legs, Peter supporting her as they made their way solemnly back to the Quinjet.
In silence they flew away from that cursed planet, each wrestling with the grief and guilt of what it had cost. As Peter piloted them home, he glanced back at Natasha. Her shoulders were slumped with exhaustion and sorrow, but her eyes held that same steadfast determination he had always admired. Whatever it took, they would finish this, he knew. For Clint and for all they had lost.
The Quinjet touched down outside the Avengers compound, its engines powering down with a whine. Inside, Natasha stared blankly ahead, Clint's absence like a knife in her heart. Beside her, Peter hastily wiped at his eyes.
"I should have stopped him," he said quietly. "Should have done more."
Natasha turned to him. "You know there was nothing we could have done. Clint made his choice." Her voice broke on his name. She paused, taking a shaky breath. "Come on. We need to finish this."
Together, they exited the jet and made their way across the tarmac to the compound. Natasha had radioed ahead, and now Bruce, Tony, Thor, and the others gathered anxiously in the hangar. Their expressions turned to alarm as Natasha and Peter entered alone.
"Where's Clint?" Bruce asked in confusion.
Natasha's face was pale and drawn. She shook her head silently, unable to speak. Peter stared at the floor, blinking back fresh tears.
"What happened?" Tony pressed, dread creeping into his voice. "Did you get the stone?"
Wordlessly, Natasha held up the Soul Stone, its orange light casting her face in a haunting glow. The Avengers stared at it in dawning horror.
"No," Bruce gasped. "You don't mean he...Clint...."
Thor stepped forward, his expression filled with sorrow and empathy. "The stone demands a sacrifice," he rumbled.
Steve closed his eyes, grief etched across his features. He knew the pain of losing a trusted companion all too well. Tony gripped his shoulder, shaken.
"Tell us what happened," Bruce said gently.
Natasha recounted their quest, her voice hollow. She told them of the dark figure waiting on Vormir, the ultimatum he had given them. How she, Clint, and Peter had all tried to be the one to sacrifice themselves first. And finally, how Clint had made the choice for them, to give his life so the stone could be obtained.
When she finished, the group stood in mournful silence, grappling with the loss of their friend. Natasha kept her eyes lowered, shoulders hunched with the unbearable weight of Clint's death.
Tony shoved his hands through his hair, looking distraught. "That stupid, selfless bastard," he muttered. "He didn't have to do that."
"It is as the boy said." Thor's resonant voice was kind. "Barton gave his life so that you may have yours. Do not let his noble sacrifice be in vain."
Natasha nodded silently. Peter just looked shattered, tears tracking down his cheeks.
"Hey, kid." Bruce put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I know what you must be feeling. But we have to keep going, for Clint and everyone else we lost."
Peter took a shaky breath. "Yeah. I know."
"Come on." Steve gestured down the hall. "Let's take a minute."
The group moved solemnly from the hangar, each lost in their own thoughts of Clint - the archer with unfailing aim, the stalwart agent and friend. As they walked, Thor fell into step beside Natasha.
"Do not blame yourself," he rumbled. "The stone demands its due. I know the pain of such loss all too well."
Natasha swallowed hard. "He was my best friend. We were partners for so long. Now he's just...gone. My best friend." Her breath hitched.
Thor squeezed her shoulder gently. "He still lives on through your spirit. Fight now in his honor."
Natasha managed a shaky nod. Having Thor there, knowing he understood this kind of grief, steadied her fragile resolve.
They stopped near the compound's living quarters. Tony leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh. "I still can't believe Barton went and pulled a stunt like that. He didn't even say a real goodbye."
Despite her anguish, Natasha huffed a humorless laugh. "That was Clint. Always had to have the last word."
A faint, bittersweet smile touched Steve's face. "Remember when we found him in that alleyway in Prague? I don't think he said more than two words to us that whole mission."
"Or that time he got himself stuck in the vents for hours when we were infiltrating that HYDRA base," Bruce recalled, shaking his head. "He gave us so much crap for not figuring it out sooner."
Despite their grief, the memories drew a few quiet chuckles from the group. For all his stoicism, Clint had never failed to have their back when it mattered most.
After a long moment, Tony blew out a breath. "He was a pain in my ass. But he was one of us." He looked around at the others. "We've still got a job to do. So no more moping around. We've got a whole universe to avenge."
Resolved nods answered him. They would mourn, but Clint's sacrifice had brought them one step closer to undoing Thanos' decimation. His death would not be in vain.
"Boss, the nano-fabrication of your gauntlet is complete," came FRIDAY's voice from above.
Tony straightened. "Right. Time to get to work." He clasped Steve's shoulder firmly as he moved past towards the lab.
The others began to disperse to prepare for the next phases of their mission. Before Natasha could follow, Peter touched her arm hesitantly.
"Are you gonna be okay, Mom?" he asked softly.
Natasha managed a small, sad smile. "Honestly? No." She cupped his cheek. "But we have work to do. It's like Thor said...we have to honor Clint's choice by finishing this. Whatever it takes."
Peter nodded, resolve hardening his face. "Yeah. For Clint. And for Mr. Stark, and you, Mom, and...everyone we lost." His voice quavered, but his eyes blazed with determination.
Natasha pulled him into a fierce hug. However hollow she felt, she had to remain strong now - for Peter, for the sake of Clint's sacrifice, for the small glimmer of hope the Soul Stone represented. They were so close now, she could almost see the faint light of a future beyond the shadow cast by the Snap.
As she held Peter close, she silently promised Clint's spirit they would not fail. The Soul Stone had come at far too high a cost to back down. Whatever it took, Natasha swore, they would make this right.