Viper

Chapter 9: Manful Tears

(Clint's POV)

I'm suddenly in a lake or something. I open my right hand to see the Soul Stone. I try to look around for Adelaide; but, before I can, my tracker goes off and I'm hurtling through the quantum realm again. I'm still sobbing as we all get back to the platform. Loki and Nat run over to us.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asks.

"Are you telling me this actually worked?" Rhodey questions.

I fall to my knees as I continue to sob silently.

"Clint, where's Gen?"

Nat runs to me and gets on her knees before wrapping me in a tight hug. Steve and Tony hug each other before they can fall over. I look up at Thor and Loki who are also hugging. Tony grabs Rhodes into their hug, and Scott just sits down. I slowly release Natasha and go to the "locker" room to change. I realize that Nebula didn't seem to care that Ady is gone. Slightly intriguing because I know they had gotten fairly close. After giving Tony the Stones, some of us were sitting on the pavilion by the lake.

"Do you know if there's someone else we need to get in contact with?" Banner asks.

"Maybe our other sister," Nat says. "Otherwise, I think we're all right here or—will be—soon, hopefully."

"What?" Loki asks.

"Huh?" Banner responds.

"What are you doing?" Thor inquires.

"I just asked her a question."

"Yeah, no."

"You're all acting like she's dead."

"Why are we acting like Liza's dead?"

"We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Nat, we can bring her back. Isn't that right?"

"So, stop this shit. We're the Avengers. Get it together."

"Can't get her back," I finally say.

"What's he—"

"What?"

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

The two gods just laugh in disbelief.

"Look, we're sorry, no offense, but you're a very earthly being, okay?"

"I've got space magic, you mortal."

"'Can't' seems very definitive don't you think?"

"Yeah, you two. Look, I know that I'm way outside my pay grade here. But she still isn't here, is she? Her stuff is just sitting in her room, and I don't know about you, but Ady likes her things put away, so—"

"No, but—"

"It can't be undone. Or that's at least what the red, floating guy had to say. Maybe you guys wanna go talk to him, okay? Go grab your hammer or use your magic glow stick or whatever and you go talk to him. It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamn stone. Said she could finally clear her conscience. She bet her life on it."

Nat walks up next to me and hugs my side. Steve is in anguish. Tony hurls a bench into the lake and turns toward us.

"She's not coming back," he says in tears. "We have to make it worth it."

"We have to," Nat agrees.

"We will," Steve declares.

Bruce uses Tony's machine to put the Stones in the Iron Man gauntlet.

"All right, the glove's ready," Rocket says. "Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?"

"I'll do it."

"Brother, your lightning won't help you here, and I don't think either of us is in any position to do it right now."

"Fine."

"It's gotta be me," Bruce says. "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. They almost killed him. None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Nat asks.

"We don't. But the radiation's mostly gamma. It's like—er—I was made for this."

"Good to go, yeah?" Tony confirms.

"Let's do it."

"Okay, remember, everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago. You're just bringing them back to now, today," Steve says.

"Don't change anything from the last five years," Nat confirms, agreeing with her husband. Tony nods with them but has tears in his eyes.

"Got it."

Everyone gets prepared. Tony shields me.

"FRIDAY, do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol, will you?"

Yes, boss.

The Compound seals.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce puts it on and groans in pain as he absorbs the energy.

"Take it off! Take it off!" Thor and Loki shout.

"No, wait," Steve orders.

"Bruce are you okay?" Natasha checks.

"Talk to me, bud," Tony whispers.

"I'm okay," he confirms. "I'm okay." He snaps his fingers, and the gauntlet falls off. Scott looks at the outside world. My phone buzzes, and it's Laura.

"Honey."

"Clint?"

"Honey."

"Guys—" Scott says, "I think it worked."

The Compound is blown up by Thanos' ship.