Chapter 4

Laura looked at Natasha.

"Do you think he made the same choice as you did?" "You know where you can return, but you must have a permanent injury," Laura asked.

Then Natasha thought about it and said, "I'm not sure I know there were four others; he must've been one of them. If Wanda doesn't know, we should tell her. Visions probably returned too; he's probably one of the others because he died when Thanos destroyed the mind stone." Natasha told Laura.

"Nat, no one knows where she is," Bruce told Natasha.

"What, why?" Natasha asked, shocked.

"She seemed upset after Tony's funeral yesterday, so Clint tried to go off to her and talk to her, but she just disappeared, and no one's been able to find her or contact her since," Laura told Natasha.

"Shield must have something on her; they know how to track pretty much everyone," Natasha said.

"Clint officially retired from Shield after Tony's funeral yesterday," Laura informed Natasha. "He no longer works for them."

"Was it because of my death?" Natasha asked.

"Partly, he believes he is getting too old for the demanding spy work, and every time he does it, he nearly gets killed. He no longer wants to take the chance. That's what he told me," Laura told Natasha.

"I understand that, especially with the kids, he's got to be there for them. They would probably have me back, but I need to think about it first. I still have to decide whether or not to go back. I might just stick with the Avengers and not play as significant a role in Shield as I did before," Natasha told Laura.

"Even if Clint doesn't join us again, it will still be me," Natasha said. Looking at Bruce "Bruce as well, and if Tony has returned, and Vision's likely return, and if we can get a hold of Thor, he'll probably come back as well, so we will still have a nearly complete team," Natasha said.

"I believe Thor is off aiding the guardians or someone," Bruce told Natasha and Laura.

"The Guardians?" asked Natasha, confused about who they were. "Is that something to do with the talking raccoon or whatever he wants that I was talking to?" Natasha asked.

"Yes, it has to do with him and his group. Nebula is one of them as well." Bruce told Natasha.

"You mentioned that everyone who returned like you had to return with an injury; does that then mean Tony and Vision are injured as well?" Laura asked.

"Yes, they probably are," Natasha told Laura.

"Even though it was Tony's phone, Pepper was actually on it. Tony is in the hospital, and his right arm was severely damaged to the point where he had to get an emergency amputation. He may also have permanent pain in his right shoulder," Bruce told Laura.

"That's likely the injury he chose to bring back; how did he die anyway?" Natasha asked.

"We got all the stones together, and someone had to snap to bring the people back. My arm looks like this because I did that," Bruce stated, pointing to his arm brace and stated. "The only person who could manage it was me. At the time, we were unaware that a second snap would be required to defeat Thanos and his army. Tony had the stones, and Thanos was trying to kill people, so Tony snapped, and it killed him; he died minutes later. His whole right side of his face and neck was severely burnt, and his right arm, the one he used to do the snap, was also severely burnt and injured," Bruce told Natasha.

Natasha then realised she hadn't even noticed Bruce's arm was in a brace because she was tired and preoccupied with trying to process everything that was going on that she was only now noticing, which wasn't like her at all.

"I didn't even notice your arm till just now. So Sorry for that. Is it permanent?" Natasha asked.

"No, it will heal, but it will slow," Bruce told Natasha.

"Tony and Vision probably had choices like me; Tony probably had to choose between an injury on his face going into his neck or one with his shoulder and arm," Natasha told Bruce.

"Given that he has an amputation, that must have been the less serious of the two injuries," Bruce told Natasha.

"I wonder who the others are. There are still two others; I wonder who they are," said Natasha.

"I'm not certain I don't remember anyone else who died in place of a stone or by the power of a stone," Bruce states.

Bruce then considered who the other two people might be.

"Thanos killed Nebula's sister to obtain the soul stone. a bit like you. One of the others must be her," Bruce told Natasha.

"That still leaves one more person," Natasha told Bruce.

After giving it some more thought, Bruce remembered what had happened on the Statesman.

"Loki," said Bruce.

"What makes you think he's the other person?" Natasha asked.

"Me and Thor nearly died on the ship, but Loki did die." Bruce told Natasha, "From what I've heard, Thanos used the power of the stone to shatter his neck and kill him," Bruce said.

"We won't know until Thor tells us he was pretty upset and distressed by his brother's death. Just in case Loki wasn't one of the people that got to come back, I think we shouldn't mention it," Natasha told Bruce.

"I know I'll call Thor anyway to see if he wants to rejoin the team, and he'll probably tell me then if Loki has returned or not," Bruce told Natasha.

"Also, we need to find Wanda. We need to find out where she is and let her know about vision if she doesn't know," Natasha told Bruce.

"I'll talk to Fury; maybe he'll know, or Maria; one of them should be able to tell me something; I know a lot of this is classified, but they should be able to update me as to whether or not they know where she is," Bruce said to Natasha.

"No, I'll do it. I'll get more out of him than you would, and if we do find Wanda and she's having a mental breakdown or something bad is happening, no offence, but I might have a better chance of being able to help her; we did spend a lot of time on the road together." Natasha said to Bruce.

"No that's fine; you're right, you probably will. From what I know, you did seem close," Bruce told Natasha.

Natasha continued, "And I've got to tell her that I'm alive because she doesn't know that," Natasha said, turning to face Laura. "Would borrowing the home phone be okay?" Natasha asked Laura.

"Of course you can; you don't even need to ask," Laura told Natasha.

Natasha then pulled the wheelchair closer so she could transfer from the sofa to the wheelchair.

Laura chose to leave Natasha and Bruce alone since she didn't want to embarrass Natasha. Natasha most likely wouldn't be embarrassed, but Laura didn't want to take the chance.

"I'm just going to go check on the kids to make sure they're OK. Clint may need help trying to explain this to Nate." Laura told Natasha.

Natasha was able to identify Laura's intentions. "That's fine," Natasha told Laura.

Laura then left the room.

Natasha moved from the sofa to the wheelchair. She pushed the footplates down and placed her legs onto them. Natasha didn't realise how strange it would feel to not be able to move or use her legs, something she had always done without even thinking.

Natasha looked up at Bruce and said, "She wasn't leaving to check on the kids.

"How do you know?" Bruce asked.

Natasha informed Bruce, "I could tell by her face that she was leaving because she didn't want me to feel embarrassed by her sitting there."

"She wouldn't have meant it in a rude way; she's just trying to be nice," Bruce told Natasha.

" I know that's Laura for you," Natasha said with a smile.

"Are you embarrassed?" Bruce asked Natasha, "You don't have to be; none of us thinks any less of you for having an injury." Said bruce.

"No, I'm good. I know some people will think less of me, but it's my job to prove their assumptions wrong." Natasha told Bruce.

"That's the Natasha I know," Bruce said, smiling at her.

Natasha then wheeled her wheelchair into the kitchen and picked up the phone to call Fury.