It's always been like Fury to keep their best weapon squirreled away somewhere secret until they needed it the most. Natasha finds it almost impossible to take her eyes off of Carol, off of Nebula after they arrive. Carol's not like anyone they've met before, human enough but able to fly out in the vacuum of space with part of her face exposed and be just fine apparently.
The simple chain with the arrow charm on it feels cold against her skin underneath her uniform. A reminder of how pathetically ordinary she is compared with everyone here. Even the goddamned raccoon can apparently pilot a space ship with ease and cobble together weapons of mas destruction out of nothing but shoelaces and some old gum. It's been enough to take her enemies by surprise before but neither Loki nor Ultron were anything like this. Thanos is...the ash streaked mask Miles and the other Steve were holding in the Nexus makes her eyes water. She has to stare up at the ceiling of the ship to stop her tears from falling.
No place for those now. Steve needs--hell, all her friends need for her to be strong for them now. Her hands close around Steve's as they're making ready to leave the ship.
"This is going to work, Steve." Her voice is quietly sure as if her faking a confidence she doesn't hold would make it true. There are no depths for how much Natasha wants it to be so. Needs it.
"I know." Steve's reply is slow. His gaze even slower when it turns to hold Natasha's own. "Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."
Do any of them?
Natasha wonders if she's the only one who feels a spike of fear rather than confidence that the Titan is in this Garden alone. He's used the stones twice, to some as of yet unknown result the last time. Him being alone doesn't feel like their odds are any greater. It feels like bait. A trap. Even if it is, there's no where else to go. Steve's keeping pace with herself and Rhodey while the rest of the team rushes on ahead to Thanos' hut.
The spy's stomach plummets to her feet when she hears the titan's screams pierce the air right before they're rushing inside. In front of them Rocket holds the gauntlet, empty of what it was made to contain and channel. Her eyes fly to Rhodey's face, then to Steve's. She thinks Steve might be a second away from screaming.
"Where. Are they?" Every thundering beat of Steve's heart can be heard in his words. Or maybe it's Natasha's heart. She can't tell the difference anymore. It's difficult to breathe. She thinks Carol might have said something. Natasha's gaze is locked onto the empty sockets of Thanos' gauntlet, her eyes wide as saucers. Buzzing that might be words until Bruce's enraged shout snaps her back.
"You murdered Trillions!"
For the first time since he took half of the universe from them Natasha Romanoff stares down Thanos where Bruce has shoved him to the dirty ground. There has never been more icy steel in her voice than this moment.
"Where are the Stones?"
Silence fills the hut. Everyone knows the answer in their hearts. Natasha can see it in their faces. Reduced to atoms. Gone.
no subject
The simple chain with the arrow charm on it feels cold against her skin underneath her uniform. A reminder of how pathetically ordinary she is compared with everyone here. Even the goddamned raccoon can apparently pilot a space ship with ease and cobble together weapons of mas destruction out of nothing but shoelaces and some old gum. It's been enough to take her enemies by surprise before but neither Loki nor Ultron were anything like this. Thanos is...the ash streaked mask Miles and the other Steve were holding in the Nexus makes her eyes water. She has to stare up at the ceiling of the ship to stop her tears from falling.
No place for those now. Steve needs--hell, all her friends need for her to be strong for them now. Her hands close around Steve's as they're making ready to leave the ship.
"This is going to work, Steve." Her voice is quietly sure as if her faking a confidence she doesn't hold would make it true. There are no depths for how much Natasha wants it to be so. Needs it.
"I know." Steve's reply is slow. His gaze even slower when it turns to hold Natasha's own. "Because I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."
Do any of them?
Natasha wonders if she's the only one who feels a spike of fear rather than confidence that the Titan is in this Garden alone. He's used the stones twice, to some as of yet unknown result the last time. Him being alone doesn't feel like their odds are any greater. It feels like bait. A trap. Even if it is, there's no where else to go. Steve's keeping pace with herself and Rhodey while the rest of the team rushes on ahead to Thanos' hut.
The spy's stomach plummets to her feet when she hears the titan's screams pierce the air right before they're rushing inside. In front of them Rocket holds the gauntlet, empty of what it was made to contain and channel. Her eyes fly to Rhodey's face, then to Steve's. She thinks Steve might be a second away from screaming.
"Where. Are they?" Every thundering beat of Steve's heart can be heard in his words. Or maybe it's Natasha's heart. She can't tell the difference anymore. It's difficult to breathe. She thinks Carol might have said something. Natasha's gaze is locked onto the empty sockets of Thanos' gauntlet, her eyes wide as saucers. Buzzing that might be words until Bruce's enraged shout snaps her back.
"You murdered Trillions!"
For the first time since he took half of the universe from them Natasha Romanoff stares down Thanos where Bruce has shoved him to the dirty ground. There has never been more icy steel in her voice than this moment.
"Where are the Stones?"
Silence fills the hut. Everyone knows the answer in their hearts. Natasha can see it in their faces. Reduced to atoms. Gone.
Gone.
Their only hope.
Gone.