#PunchYourWayOut

[imjustthemechanic]

Inheritance

@punchyourwayout

Tony gave a low whistle at his first sight of the place.  “What are you planning to do with it?” he asked.  “Renovate?  Sell?  Live in?  How many ghost stories are there?  The place looks big enough for at least four ghosts.”  He didn’t believe in ghosts, but this old mansion looked like exactly the sort of place where people would expect them.

[agent19mockingbird]

“I’m here- I’m here, now”

“N-Nat? What’re you doing here?” Bobbi asked as she came back to consciousness, her words slurring as the immense amount of pain she was in threatened to make her pass out again. “How’d you find me?”

[meanxballerina]

@punchyourwayout

❛   Why are you following me?   ❜

[icanxdothisallday]

Versailles

@punchyourwayout

“You... want me to help you steal Stark’s time machine?”

[handmethatstapler]

@punchyourwayout

Among the objects recovered from the old facility was... a rock.  A large thing such as one might see standing in the middle of a field in Scotland, but completely undecorated.  Why a mad scientist with HYDRA sympathies would want such a thing, Peggy did not know - even less so how he’d managed to get it through the door.  She reached out and touched it...

... and the next thing she knew, it was falling on top of her.  Instead of crushing her, though, it seemed to turn to liquid and soak her... and then suddenly it was a rock again, and she was standing there panting, somewhere else entirely.

[tin-can-mechanic]

“So, you come here often?” [for Logan]

Logan's head tilted as he looked at Nat, arms folded casually. "The Avengers compound? No. Stark called me to talk. I was about to head out. But you're here, I might stick around."

[ofgunsandlipstick]

Peggy lifted a brow, a slight shrug in her shoulders. “It is if you’d like it to be. .I could do with a drink after the day I’ve had.”

@punchyourwayout​ || con’t

[buchananbarnes1991]

Erasing The Past || Nat

@punchyourwayout​

Upon each stone that had been returned to it’s original timeline. Steve felt a pain in his chest. He’d reached the top of the mountain on Vormir, he hesitated to hand the stone over. Staring up at the man that was once his enemy from decades ago. Turning the orange stone over in his hand. “I’m here to return the soul stone..but, other than resetting the balance. What else is there?” Questioning as he came face to face with Red Skull. 

The cloaked entity drifted forward, looking the tired soldier up and down. In the decades that he’d spent guarding the soul stone. No one had ever come to return the stone or ask if there were other options. “There is a trade, Rogers. One that most do not believe in, as it has never been requested. Returning the stone to it’s rightful place of peace grant’s the individual one revival of their choosing.” Explaining to Steve as he looked at the exhausted man. 

“Natalia Alianovna Romanova, she gave her life for the sake of our dimension.” Steve pleaded, looking for any sign of it being a trap. But he didn’t sense one. Handing over the soul stone, his eyes didn’t leave Red Skull till he saw a beam of light beginning to grow from the bottom of the cliff. Cautiously approaching the edge. Witnessing a glowy transformation taking place before Nat’s body was brought up to him. He caught her before she could fall. Checking for a heart beat. “She’s..alive.” His voice cracking as he held her close. 

“Yes, though there is a clause. She will not remember her history, she might be able to retain it, but there is no promise that she will know of her previous life.” The entity explained as he watched Rogers’ put the quantum suit on Ms. Romanova. Nodding slowly as he set the time and date. “That’s fine..she’ll probably prefer a clean slate..” Steve muttered thickly before taking Natasha back to their original timeline. He reached out to Okoye and had Nat transported to Wakanda for what turned into a full medical check up and general health statuses. 

It had taken Bucky to convince Steve to care for himself. “She doesn’t remember us..I know that’s hard, but, she will be grateful for this fresh slate.” The Romanian soldier spoke up as he had been sitting in on the meeting between Steve, Okoye, medical assistants and Ross. “Steve, you need to take care of yourself. I know that just sticking around worrying, waiting for her to wake up is not good for you.” It was rare for him to speak his mind in a room of people, but, he could still see when Steve wasn’t alright. 

Later that night he had convinced Steve to go back home. Attempting to continue with his normal routine, but there was a brutal storm headed their way. He moved his treasured items into his floor of the palace before heading out to the cafeteria to grab a plate of dinner. Looking up when he heard his last name called. A small sigh escaping him as he saw Everett Ross. “She’s awake.” The ex-shield agent spoke up while in line to getting dinner. 

“That’s good.” Bucky quietly commented, he was nervous of being around Natalia. “I know she won’t remember me..and I’m okay with that. I just..want her to have the best chance she can.” Glancing up at the other man. 

“You don’t want to see her, do you?” Everett questioned while grabbing a roll off the hot plate. Bucky nods. “I don’t want to screw her up again..” Muttering while he picked up the main dish and put it on his tray. “You can’t possibly think that--” Everett stopped speaking when he saw the glare from the farm hand. 

“What do you want me to do? Act like I don’t know her? Behave like she’s a stranger? I knew her, trained her..and nearly killed her too many times..Steve said there’s a chance she’ll remember her past, but it’s not a high possibility. I don’t know how to talk to her..without messing up something. If she wants to speak to me..that’s her choice. Not mine.” Getting his thoughts out before swiftly returning to his heavily sound proofed chambers for the evening as he could hear the rain beginning to pick up.  

[dxctorstephenstrange]

Back To Life, Back to Reality (RP w/ @punchyourwayout)

THE NEW YORK SANCTUM NOVBEMBER 22, 2023

"I can't help you, even if I wanted to.  It's not possible."

Stephen Strange folded his arms in front of his chest, his body language reflecting the defiance in his voice.  The request being made by the man before him was absurd and irrational, and he couldn't possibly entertain it.

Clint Barton sighed angrily and began to pace the width of the Sanctum's Grand Entrance.  Strange had barely been able to say hello before Barton strode inside and started his pitch: cross dimensional barriers and find a way to get Natasha Romanoff back.

"You're a freaking WIZARD, man!"

"Sorcerer, actually."

"Oh, what-the-hell-ever!  Point is, you can do all this magic shit, right?  That Parker kid told me you were able to look into millions of futures to see which version we won against Thanos.  Why can't you use that power to go back and, I don't know, find another way for her to survive?"

"That power came from the Time Stone, which Steve Rogers took back into the past along with the other Stones, remember?  And the future in which we defeated Thanos couldn't have happened without Natasha and Tony giving their lives.  Clint, I know you miss her...but as you told us, she made her choice freely, and you know it couldn't be undone."

"It was supposed to be ME, goddammit!"  Barton growled back, his voice cracking as tears welled in his eyes.  He stumbled over his own feet, and Strange moved quickly to get the both of them in chairs, noticing a familiar scent on the man's breath and clothes.

"I think you've had a few too many tonight, Clint."

"I-I don't usually...I...today was her birthday.  I was the only one she ever told the date for it.  I went to a place we used to go after the ops we were assigned to, and one shot became two, then three...four...you get the idea."

"I see."  Clint's demeanor and the motivations for his anguished plea were now more explainable.

"It was supposed to be me, Doc.  I made the call.  I was ready for it.  I knew it was the right thing to do."

"You have a family, Clint.  Why would you want to leave them behind?"

"I didn't even fucking know if any of it would work, but if it did...then, I would've gone out doing something right, doing one last good deed for their sake."

"And they'd return to a life without you."

"You don't get it, Doc."

"No, I guess I don't," Strange admitted, shaking his head as he sat back in the chair.

Clint took a deep, shaky breath, wiped his face with his hands, and leaned forward.  "I'm...I'm going deaf, Doc."

Strange's eyes moved back to Clint and widened a bit with shock.  "I'm...I'm sorry."

"A sonic arrow; used those damn things over hundreds of missions, and never thought twice about 'em.  Then, one fucking arrow malfunctions and goes off right next to my head before I fire it.  Permanent damage and progressive hearing loss, I was told...but I ignored it, like a goddamn moron.  Didn't know how to break it to my wife and kids, or the other Avengers.  I wasn't ready to be put out to pasture...but it's getting worse, and now I have no choice, and they'll know that I knew all along."

"There are remarkable new medical breakthroughs and technology that could help you-"  Stephen began to explain, wanting to offer some hope to a man believing he was past his prime.

"Look, there's more to it than that.  You don't know the whole story, and that's not even why I'm here, alright?"  Clint hand-waved the detour to their discussion aside as the tears began to reappear in his eyes.  "I just...miss her.  I could tell her anything and...she understood, like I understood her.  I need to see her.  Please...at least once more.  Can't you do that, at least?  Can't you give me that, if nothing else?"

Strange sighed deeply.  Everything about the idea was wrong.  Even if he had the Time Stone to use as a means to go back to Vormir at the time of Natasha's sacrifice, his mere presence would cause a deviation in the timeline so drastic it could create an entirely new timeline and universe.  It was a step too far...but maybe, there was something he could do for the grieving Hawkeye that would provide him with much-needed closure.

"Let me see what I can do, Clint.  I can't and won't promise you anything...but I'll try."

Clint choked back a happily surprised sob, relieved that there was at least a chance that he could say one last goodbye to his best friend.  "Thanks, Doc.  Truly...thank you."

"Don't thank me yet.  Just go home to your family.  Here...I'll call you a ride."

Strange stood, slipped on his Sling Ring, and drew open a portal that led to the Barton farm.

"Holy shit...that's wild," Barton said in awe.  "Thank you for this...for listening to me, even if you don't want me to say it."

"Good night, Clint," Strange said before drawing the portal forward to send Barton home.

LATER...

Stephen went over the plan in his mind, believing he'd found a way to allow Clint the closure he needed with Natasha without disturbing realities or the timeline.  First, however, he'd seek out Natasha on his own to make sure that she'd want Clint to see her one last time.

Taking a seat cross-legged in front of the large round window bearing the symbol of the New York Sanctum, he took a few deep breaths and raised his arms, touching thumbs to ring fingers.  Soon his breathing slowed to a near-imperceptible pace, and his astral self parted from his physical body.  He took a look back at his body before rising into the air, through the ceiling of the Sanctum, far into the sky, beyond the planet itself and across space to the center of celestial existence, where Natasha Romanoff sacrificed her life...

VORMIR

Strange descended from the storm-ridden crimson skies to the clearing below the cliff, where Natasha would have landed.  From there, he ascended to a path that led up to the cliff from which Natasha would’ve jumped.

"Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, son of Eugene and Beverly, brother of Victor and Donna."

Stephen, alarmed at the voice that seemed so familiar with him, turned to see a hooded figure approaching.  It reached up and pulled back its hood to reveal a red, skull-like face.

"Do I know you?"  Strange asked.

"No, but you are known to all who dwell within the Multiverse...and beyond:  the Master of Time;  the Man of a Million Deaths..."

Strange waved his hand around impatiently.  "Yeah, sure, great; I'm looking for someone."

"Korrectur, Doktor.  You seek the soul of one sacrificed for the sake of many.  She is here; free and yet imprisoned."

"What do you mean?"

"She gave her life of her own free will; a gift of love.  She is free from the bonds of this world, and yet she remains."  The red-skulled guardian gestured to a rock near the edge of the cliff, and the astral form of the red-haired woman who sat upon it, facing away from him.

Stephen floated towards the rock and hovered a few feet away.

"Natasha Romanoff," he greeted.  "I'm Doctor Stephen Strange.  I’ve come here on behalf of your friend, Clint Barton.”

@punchyourwayout​

[imjustthemechanic]

@punchyourwayout

❛   I told you…I’m not gonna do it! Now go away.   ❜

[starksfrequentlyassedquestions]

“You can’t save them all… and that’s okay.”

"I dont think it is though... I should have been able to save them.."

@punchyourwayout

[icanxdothisallday]

@punchyourwayout

“You told me you couldn’t have children.”

[askhawkybarton]

Nat hadn’t been herself since she’d returned from a personal trip to Russia. She thought she was hiding it well enough, but it was clear something was on her mind.

Hawk knocked on the door to Natasha's bunk on the hellicarrier. "It's been a week"

[meanxballerina]

@punchyourwayout

“Hey, Romanov,” said Tony cheerfully, as Natasha entered the lab.  He had junk spread out all over the floor.  “Look what I found.”

[ofgunsandlipstick]

‘sorry, i was just distracted’

Peggy purses her lips, crossing her arms. "I see. Not interesting enough for you?" she teases. "I shall endeavor to be more engaging from now on."

@punchyourwayout || random sentence starters || accepting

[ametalarmandashield]

“A gang of alpha’s/beta’s was harassing me earlier today”

@punchyourwayout

Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed at Natasha’s words, looking her over.

“You’re alright?” Hands on her shoulders as his eyes met her’s, “They didn’t follow you home?” Ready to beat the crap out of some assholes if needed.