We Can Have This.

Chapter 4

Yelena had never experienced anything like it. Unlike everything she'd seen about space travel, there was no lack of gravity, no resisting the chair's straps, and no weightlessness; nausea, however, was experienced. Rocket explained jumps, but none of his words prepared her for what she saw as the universe she knew disappeared into a flash of rainbow-coloured lights. She felt like her breath had caught her throat: one long inhale of breath as they crossed space, completing multiple clicks in moments before arriving at their destination, Vormir. Yelena sat in shock and awe as, through the canopy, she, Bucky, Clint and Rocket viewed the planet that had been the subject of her nightmares like a bird circling its prey from above. The planet was grey, with no differentiation upon its surface like on Earth- no snowy mountains, no desert, no oceans, just a cloudy grey expanse. The sun it orbited was eclipsed by a moon or a closer planet, giving this universe a dark, sinister appearance. The breath Yelena had been trying to take caught in her throat once more as the Benatar descended through the clouds.

"Well, this place still looks unpleasant," Rocket said what they were all thinking as the Benetar slowed before gliding just off the surface, heading for the only structure of consequence, the one from all their nightmares.

Barton's face was like stone, grimly set, and he didn't appear to hear or see what everyone else did.

"Barton?"

He didn't respond, just stood staring at the dark world, its pools of water and the towering mountain they were headed towards. Staring but not seeing.

"Barton!" Barton shuddered and turned to Yelena; tears filled his eyes as they had in New York when he'd told her what had happened with Natasha. "You OK?"

"Hhmmm," he nodded briskly. "Gear up. It's time." He looked to Bucky before beginning to prepare for the walk across the landscape of Vormir.

The three watched the gangway of the Benatar lower Barton at the front, ready to lead the way. Bucky and Yelena stood behind him, tense with purpose but ready. No breathing apparatus was required, just a few light weapons and tactical gear, nothing Yelena would normally travel without. She looked over at Bucky, who seemed as grim as Barton but with silent anticipatory energy emanating from him. She took a quick breath, zipping up her jacket.

"Nice gun," Yelena said, attempting to break the obvious tension.

"Thanks, it was your sisters," Bucky replied.

"Really!" Yelena observed the weapon again; it was a large weapon that Natasha would have favoured for a stakeout or car chase, not one for a lot of fast-paced chasing or hand-to-hand combat. It was nice, though. "She did always have a great eye for weapons."

"But not men, apparently," Bucky remarked sarcastically in response to Yelena's earlier comment.

"Ppssh," Yelena hissed in response. He wasn't offended, and Yelena could see why Natasha liked him, the man behind the Winter Soldier. "You think we'll need it?"

"I'd rather have it than not."

Yelena nodded her head in agreement. It was a sentiment she understood, as would Natasha.

The soft sound of the gangway upon the sand ended the conversation as they silently departed.

"I'll just wait here!" Rocket hollered after them as they walked away from the ship towards the towering rock.

It was exactly as Yelena had seen it in her dreams- beautiful but terrifyingly so. Snow drifted upon the ground and through the air. The horizon was a shade of purple fading to pinkish-grey, resulting from the dim light emanating from the eclipsed sun they'd seen Vormir orbiting from space. It coloured the desolate, rippled landscape and still pools an eerie, deathly pink. The dark tower towards which they paced was the only change to the landscape in all directions; an impressive sheer rock surface, its angular carved appearance seemed to have been from a naturally occurring formation, but down the centre was a smooth dark surface as through water had flowed from it like a waterfall. Natasha would be there.