Forgotten Ghost | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 92: We Have A Plan

Clint quickly volunteered to do a test run in the first real time machine that had been built by Tony and actually had a chance to work. It consisted of a huge platform, several feet in the air, round. It was impressive and Tony was confident it would work. Most of his plans worked on 11 percent confidence, so this had a success probability of 100%. 

But someone had to go through first, and there was no way Natasha would let Katya do it and vice versa, but they didn't have to. Clint felt he had to redeem himself and therefore stepped forward instantly. He was terrified, they could see, but admired his bravery.

Natasha was beyond restless, shifting her weight from leg to leg. 

''Babe, he's going to be fine,'' Katya tried to calm her nerves. Because if Natasha was nervous, she was too. ''If Scott survived with the van, Clint will survive with this supersonic time travel platform thingy.''

Natasha raised an eyebrow. ''Supersonic time travel platform thingy,'' she repeated. ''Wow, that is a new low for you.''

Katya dropped her mouth open in offense, watching her smirking wife walk away to say some last words of reassurance to Clint. He looked rather lonely on the platform, in the very ugly time travel suits. Katya didn't care too much about fashion, but that thing was straight up ugly. White and red and black.

''You know,'' Rhodey started, stepping next to her, pulling her attention away from Natasha, ''I proposed to go back in time, find baby Thanos and-'' He made the very obvious gesture of choking Thanos to death with a rope.

Katya laughed in surprise, crossing her arms. ''I'm game.''

''Unfortunately, you were the only one,'' he grinned, staring at the scene in front of them. Tony did the final touches to the machine, Bruce stood at the controls and people were nervous, pacing around, lost in thought or chatting to someone to distract themselves. It had been years since such a big group of people occupied the Compound grounds. 

''Did you talk it out yet?'' Rhodey continued. It was impossible to miss where, or rather who, Katya was staring at. Her head wasn't in the game. 

''Does yelling count too?'' she sighed. Rhodey's expression turned sad. ''Yeah, I said some things I shouldn't have, but it got him here.'' Clint didn't hold a grudge against Katya and all the things she yelled at him in Japan. Fortunately. Because she said some nasty things. 

Natasha had left Clint and swiftly took her place next to Katya again. 

''Is he good?''

Natasha shook her head, her loose curls following the movement. ''He's terrified.'' She hadn't been too happy when Clint had volunteered, not after they just got him back, but she knew he needed to do this for himself. This was his way of making up for the past few years. Well, it a start at least.

''We would be, too,'' Katya whispered back. Tony was ready, Bruce was ready, so it would happen soon. Anticipation and anxiety spiked in the room, all eyes turning to the platform, where Clint stood lonely and restless. 

Bruce flipped the last switches and pressed the final buttons and everyone mentally prepared for Clint's journey. Breaths were sucked in, fingers crossed and prayers sent. Because if this didn't work, all hope had been for nothing. Natasha took her death grip on Katya's hand again and squeezed so tightly the circulation got cut off.

''Alright, Clint,'' Bruce announced loudly. Everyone tensed. ''We're going in three... two... one!''

And Clint was gone. And Natasha exploded with nerves, probably more than anyone in the room. She kept her sharp eyes on the platform and didn't avert them, her heart drilling in her chest.