A Soul for a Soul

"You'll go in, and we'll return you in ten seconds" Hulk explained from his spot in the time machine controller, confidence in his eyes now that they had the whole "Time Heist" mastered.

"Roger that." Steve took Mjolnir, weightless in his hand, and stared at his two friends as the machine around him turned on.

"I'll miss you bud" was the last he heard as he shrunk in size, and travelled through the Quantum Realm to the different dimensions that they had created in the past days.

- ss -

It had been weird.

Returning the Mind, Time, and Power Stone had been a breeze, with only a few minor set backs from trying to avoid his other self (again), and finding out that in that dimension, Loki was free (and Fury was living up to his name, being furious). He didn't envy the Avengers from that place. At all.

Then he had to return the Reality stone, and that had proven difficult. He was debating on how would be the best way to inject Jane Foster with the Aether again, and the most likely choice was to render her unconscious (not proud of that decision), when he had been spotted by the Queen of Asgard. Frigga had saved Steve from an uncomfortable position, taking the Reality stone and promising to deliver it herself to Jane's body, and blessing him for future quests. She was a wonderful woman, and Steve knew he would mourn her death every day following their meeting.

And then he really would have liked some warning for what he would find in Vormir.

Climbing the mountain was no problem, and he was only mildly shocked to find a dementor at the top (and yes, he understood that reference). However, all training could not prepare him to confront Red Skull.

"We meet again, Steve, Son of Sarah." His voice brought back memories which had disappeared with him in the ice, and soon a shield was being thrown through the air, directed to the dark figure in front of Steve – before it passed through, and crashed against the rock behind. "You cannot hurt me, as I cannot hurt you".

That did not bring any peace into his mind, but he had a mission to complete.

"How did you end up here?" Steve walked closer, only for Red Skull to move away, keeping distance between them. It was enough for Steve to pick up his shield again and continue the path towards the end of the mountain.

"The Stone cast me aside, cursing me," Steve tensed as Red Skull's figure came closer, "so that I am to forever guard that which I had sought, unable to obtain it."

"Forever?" Eternal damnation, then. "I would feel sorry but… You were a Nazi"

Red Skull chuckled as they arrived to their destination, a simple, sad laugh of acceptance to his situation, his punishment.

"You are here to return the Soul Stone," Red Skull did not wait to hear Steve's reply, "it is simple. All you must do, is to send the Stone to the place where it came from." He pointed to the bottom of the cliff, and the moment Steve stared at the bottom, he felt sick.

Sick, before this was where Natasha sacrificed herself. Where Natasha had been the strongest Avenger, and given her life for everyone to return, to come home, knowing she would no longer be able to return to hers.

And now he was just going to throw the Stone back.

"Whatever it takes" Steve took the Soul Stone, bright yellow in his hand, and threw it back to where it came from, with rage – a stone should not be more important than a soul.

He whipped around and strived to get as far away as possible from the cliff, not caring for Red Skull and being vulnerable with him behind. He managed to walk ten steps before the skies turned purple and yellow and white, bright lights pointing at the sky from the mountain, and clouds twisting around.

"A Soul for a Soul" was all he heard, and then the light was too bright.

- ss -

Steve woke up in the water, shield and remaining Stone by his side. He stood up, shaking his head at the thought of what had happened, the mountain far behind him – magic. Things he would not understand, ever.

"Hey fossil" Steve turned around, throwing his shield and stone back in the water, and smiled.

- ss -

"I wish there was a way," Clint looked at his hands, before staring at Wanda "to let her know it worked, that we won."

"She knows," Wanda answered, coming closer to Clint, "they both do."

They stared at the lake in silence, mourning those who they had lost. No matter how much time passed, death would weigh heavy in their minds.

"Well." A voice said behind them, and they both turned around in shock, unable to speak or move, "I do know… sad that I missed it."

Natasha was there. Standing, smiling bright, no sadness lingering in her eyes, no weight of carrying the team for the last couple of years in her shoulders. She was there.

"Nat" it was a soft whisper, almost a prayer, coming from Clint. Begging for this to be real and not his mind finally breaking under the weight of it all. Natasha nodded, tears in her eyes, and that was all it took for Clint to dash forward, bringing Natasha into his arms, something he had been sure would never be able to do again. "How?"

"A Soul for a Soul." Natasha laughed, breaking the hug and staring at Clint, "When Steve brought back the Stone, he made the exchange."

"The – thing, said it would be forever" Clint was confused, but he didn't care, not one bit, when he had his best friend back.

"In order to make the sacrifice, you must believe it will be the end." Natasha explained, "Otherwise, everyone would think of the Stone as a quick exchange."

Clint laughed, because of course theatricals would be involved.

"You're back" he said, more to himself than Natasha, and she only nodded before hugging again.

They went back to the lake together, Wanda and Natasha welcoming each other back, and they talked of all that had happened afterwards. Time travel and space journeys, which Wanda listened excitedly, and the Snap and the fight and Tony, for which Natasha mourned.

"Wait," Clint stopped mid-sentence while explaining the time travel again, "Cap only had enough Pym particles for the exact journeys."

Clint and Wanda stared at Natasha, and she answered by looking to another part of the lake – to a bench a hundred meters away, where three figures were chatting, all of them who could be recognized, although old Steve was something that took a while for both to wrap their minds around.

"He gave one to me" Natasha said, "and he went back to return the Space Stone. He might have just stayed a little while longer."

The Avengers were no longer who they were when they started, and mourning would be a part of their journey, but it was okay.

It's okay.