𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄 ➳ 𝙥𝙟𝙤 // 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

vii

Scott Lang paced back and forth in Avenger's compound, mumbling to himself. 

"Scott?" Steve asked, concerned. "You okay?"

Scott snapped out of his daze. "What? Yes." He turned to face Steve and Nat. "Have either of you guys ever studying quantum physics?" 

"Only to make conversation," Nat shrugged. "Why?"

"Well, five years ago, just before this Thanos guy... I went into a place called the quantum realm. It's like a microscopic universe. You can only get there if you're really small. Hope, she's my...uh... she was supposed to pull me out. But then Thanos happened, and I was stuck in there."

Natasha frowned. "I'm sorry, that must have been a long five years."

Scott started to get excited. "But that's just it. It wasn't. For me it was five hours. The rules in the quantum realm aren't like they are out here. It's all unpredictable." He paused. "Is anyone going to eat that sandwich? I'm starving."

Nat shook her head and Scott dove for the half eaten peanut butter sandwich. 

"Scott, what are you talking about?" Steve sighed.

"Time works differently in the quantum realm," Scott insisted. Nat and Steve eyed each other.

"Problem right now," Scott continued, "it's all chaos. We have no way of navigating it. But... but what if... what if we could figure out a way to enter the quantum realm at a certain point in time and exit at another point in time? Like... like before Thanos?"

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wait...wait... Scott, are you talking about a time machine?"

"Well...not exactly.. It's more like a-" Scott struggled for words. "Yeah, like a time machine. I know, it sounds crazy-"

"Scott, I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing's crazy anymore," Nat sighed.

"So who do we talk to about this?" Scott asked.

Nat glanced at her computer, which held Clint's coordinates. She took a deep breath. "There's something I have to do first."

— — — —

Nat hadn't expected Clint's coordinates to lead to some strawberry field on the Long Island Sound.

From the looks of it, it was empty, with no sign of anyone having left in a hurry. The only thing she could see in her peripheral vision was an old pick up truck with "Delphi Strawberry Service" painted on the side. No one seemed to be in it.

She had played out this moment in her head a million times before the Quinjet landed. She would see him, they would hug, talk it out, and she would bring him home. But she hadn't quite thought out what to do if she didn't find him at all.

She took a few steps into the field and scanned her surroundings.

Nobody. With a deep breath, she turned on her heel, before stopping in her tracks. 

It was almost like she could feel that he was close.

Clint had lost so much - his wife, his kids, his friends, his humanity - he deserved a sense of normalcy. And even though he had killed all those people, Nat was determined to give him a second chance.

He was close. She could feel it. Nat turned around again, reaching her hand out, but before she could stretch all the way, she heard a familiar voice. Clint's voice.

"Nat?"