+When Angels Fall+ Peter Parker

=2.6=

"We can't...reverse death. No matter how sad it makes us."

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E A R T H

When they reappeared, everyone was standing back in their places on the platform. Just like how they left.

Except one.

The mirror plates on the ceiling realined as they all stabilized themselves, time traveler did things to the body on return. Their suits and helmets disappeared from the nanotech as Bruce asked, "Did we get them all?"

"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey said with a wide smile as he held up the power stone in one hand.

A loud thud coming from Clint made Elara look over at him. Everyone doing the same, but she was the first to realize what had happened.

She knew why Gamora didn't come back when Nebula told her that Thanos had taken her to Vormir and she didn't come back.

The same thing that happened to Natasha.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Bruce asked.

Clint, with his hair folded back from the water, said nothing. Everyone knew why she didn't come back. Not what had happened except for the two sisters.

Nobody said anything so Elara quietly said, "A soul for the soul stone." Her hands were clasped behind her back as she ignored the burning in her eyes as she started to tear up.

Natasha was dead.

Bruce fell on one knee and punched the ground of the platform with his fist, making a large banging sound.

***

The original five plus Elara all sat outside, on the dock that was just outside of the compound.

The angel hadn't said anything since she broke the silence before, the whites of her eyes now having a slight red tinge because of her silent crying.

Tony was the first to speak like his daughter before, "Do we know if she had family?"

"Yeah. Us."

Thor walked over, seemly baffled by what they were saying as he asked, "What?"

"Huh?"

"What are you doing?"

"Just asked him a question."

"Yeah, no, 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? So, stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together." Thor said, his voice getting angrier as he spoke.

Denial.

"Cant get her back." Clint as his head hung like Elara's.

The demi-god was quiet for a second before questioning him, "What's he...? What?"

"It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor looked at the both of them before laughing, speaking to Clint when he spoke, "Look, I'm sorry, no offense, but you're a very earthly being, okay? And we're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive. Don't you think?"

"It doesn't work like that. She sacrificed her life for the stone to bring it here. Since she died in the past, she's not alive in the present. We can't...reverse death. No matter how sad it makes us." When Elara spoke her voice was soft, her body naturally radiating a calming aura despite her emotions like the others, mourning for the death of her friend.