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Bonus chapter as thank you for all support
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Avengers Compound
Morning
"The CIA have Cindy and her men in custody," Steve told Tony as they sat in the conference room, Tony solemnly staring down at the report detailing the events in Washington, "they're going to try and see if Cindy will give them anything, if this Hydra cell was working alone or if there are others…are you alright Tony?"
"Not really Cap," Tony got to his feet and turned away from Steve, "when I shut down the weapons division of my company, it was because I didn't want my legacy to only be death and destruction. But it's like…no matter what I do, no matter how had I try to do good, it's all I bring. I wonder…if I'll ever be able to wash all the blood off my hands."
"You're not all powerful Tony," Steve said and Tony looked over at him, a defeated look on his face, "You're not a god; you're human just like the rest of us. You make mistakes and you have to live with them. But the thing about having friends is that you don't have to shoulder that burden alone."
"Thanks Cap…but I think right now, what I need is to be alone." Tony said and Steve nodded.
"Take all the time you need. But just know that we're here for you if you need us." Steve promised and Tony gave a slight smile.
"Thanks Cap." Tony said before he walked off.
In his room, Barry was putting his suit in a box when someone knocked on his door. Barry looked up as Wanda lingered in the doorway.
"Is now a bad time?" She asked hesitantly.
"No, it's fine," Barry slide the box under his bed before standing up, "what's up?"
"I wanted to see how you were after…" Wanda trailed off but Barry knew where her thoughts were headed.
"You're worried about The Red Death," Barry said knowingly and she nodded, "I'm fine…well, not fine. I've still got this stuff in me and I don't know what it will do to me in the long run… But Tony has his scientists working on it, seeing if there's a cure for The Red Death, so all I can do is wait. For now, I'm alive and I'm happy. Was there anything else?"
"I was wondering if you were hungry. You weren't at breakfast." Wanda said, deciding to take him at his word…for now.
"Speaking of food, I wanted to ask you something," Barry said, standing up and shuffling his feet awkwardly, "I was wondering if...you'd like to go out to dinner. With me, that is."
"Like…a date?" Wanda said slowly.
"Sort of…exactly like a date." Barry said awkwardly, hoping he wasn't scaring her off.
"I would love to." She said with a beaming smile, which Barry returned with one of his own.
In the security room, Natasha watched, disturbed and saddened as a security tape played out before her.
Barry walked into the gym, a glazed look in his eyes. He seemed to be staring at something, having a conversation with someone only he could see. Barry then stumbled back; clutching his face as if he'd just been punched. He then walked away, appearing to mutter to himself before putting his hands overs his ears, shouting at something or someone. Barry then turned around and shouted at something before speeding over, tackling a weapons cabinet. It was destroyed, weapons, including a gun, falling to the floor. Barr, stared, horrified at something invisible. Barry picked up the gun ,closed his eyes, and put it to his head. However, he didn't pull the trigger. He continued to mutter to himself as he lowered the pistol from his head. He then tossed the pistol to the floor, looking over to the side. He looked about ready to burst into tears before looking around, appearing to see what he had done for the first time. Then, a determined look crossed his face and he sped out of the room.
"Well, that was depressing," Clint said as he walked up to Natasha, "you gonna tell Cap?"
"No, not yet," Natasha said after a moment, "the Red Death can mess with people's heads. For now, I'm going to keep a close eye on him, see what happens from here. If it affects him anymore, I'll talk with Steve about it."
"It's your call Nat. I'm gonna take off." Clint shrugged and Natasha nodded.
"When can we expect you back?" She asked and Clint sighed.
"You won't," He said and Natasha looked over at him startled, "You'll probably find out from Steve, but I wanted you to hear it from me: I'm retiring. There was a moment where I thought I was gonna die, if it wasn't for Barry I would have. With Shield, it was different; it was part of the job. But Shield is gone now, there's no reason for me to be here. You guys don't need me anymore and I don't wanna put my kids through that. I hope you can understand that."
"I do," Natasha promised as she stood up and faced him, "you've got a family Clint, hold onto them. Not all of us are so lucky. Just…don't be a stranger, okay? You can leave the Avengers, but you don't have to leave our lives."
"Never could." Clint smiled slightly and Natasha smirked.
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Natasha said, a pensive look on her face as she looked top the video feed to see Sam and Rhodey sparing in the gym.
"Change doesn't have to be bad. Sometimes it can be good." Clint told her and she nodded.
"Sometimes, but usually not." Natasha agreed, having a pit in her stomach that made her feel like shit was about to hit the fan.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 50+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11