Whatever It Takes [Wanda Maximoff AU]

20- Hope

"Natasha, can we talk?" Wanda asked as they headed to the residential area of the compound. "I really need to get some things off of my chest."

Nat nodded as Wanda sat down behind the counter as Natasha opened the fridge.

"Wanna drink?" She asked.

"Yes, Please." Wanda said to her. "I've been holding this in for five years, but I really messed up with Carter. Like totally screwed up."

Natasha poured two shots, out of the craziness of this time travel fiasco, which went down easy for Wanda considering she was ranting.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when you first brought Carter to the compound?" Wanda asked her.

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, it was right after we recruited you in Sokovia."

"Well anyway, Carter and I hung out the entire time. I fell asleep on top of him on that couch one night." Wanda said pointing at the couch in the living room. "I thought we were just friends. Then he left, and Germany came around and all of that stirred up once again, and then in the prison he was so gentle and caring towards me. I was scared.. scared of something real and I ran off with Vision even though I promised I'd stay in touch, and call him, and visit. For two years I did none of those and he hated me." Wanda started to tear up.

Natasha walked over and put a hand on her back.

Wanda looked at Natasha. "I'll never forget the look he gave me when you found us in Scotland."

She rubbed her back. "He was trying to be strong for himself. Over the two years between Germany and Thanos, all he ever did was check his phone and talk about how much he missed you. I'll never forget the look on his face when he talked about your smile and your laugh."

Wanda smiled a little bit. "Then he kissed me, in Wakanda and I didn't know what to do. I was shocked. I took him for granted over and over again and it was so selfish of me."

Natasha rubbed Wanda's head gently as Wanda laid her head on her hands against the counter.

"And I didn't realize it until the moment when he was dying how I felt about him and by then it was too late. He was gone. I can still feel the warmth of his hand on my cheek."

Natasha sighed and looked out the window as a silver Audi came speeding down the driveway.

"I hope you've prepared a speech for him when he gets back because our second chance just arrived."

Natasha stood up and pulled her jacket on. "Grab your coat, I want you to come with me."

"Where are we going?" Wanda asked confused.

"Japan."

***
Steve went and stood outside to get some fresh air.

Tires squealed down the driveway as Tony's silver Audi came speeding up.

"Why the long face?" Tony asked him. "Let me guess, he turned into a baby?"

"Among other things, yeah. What are you doing here." Steve asked Tony.

"It's the EPR Paradox. Instead of pushing Lang through time, you pushed time through Lang." Tony said getting out of his car. "It's tricky, dangerous. Somebody should've cautioned you against it." Tony said waiting for Steve to admit it.

"You did."

"Oh, did I?" Tony said sarcastically. "Well, thank god I'm here. Regardless, I fixed it." Tony said holding up his hand. "A fully functioning time-space GPS."

Steve smiled at him. Cap knew he was going to do the right thing in the end. Tony just couldn't help himself.

"I just want peace." Tony said as he walked over to the trunk. "Turns out resentment is corrosive and I hate it."

"Me, too." Steve said to him.

"We gotta shot at getting these stones but I gotta tell you my priorities. Bring back what we lost, I hope, yes. Keep what I found, I have to, at all costs. And maybe not die trying."

"Would be nice." Steve said holding his hand out. "Sounds like a deal."

Tony shook hands and walked back to his trunk and opened it.

He pulled out a giant blue, silver, and red shield with a white star in the middle of it.

Steve looked at it longingly, he had been without it for seven years now.

"Tony, I don't know." Steve said to him.

"Why, he made it for you." Tony said. "Plus, honestly I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding.

Cap put the shield on. It fit like a glove, he felt right back where he belonged. Like all the pieces we're coming together.

"Thank you, Tony." Steve said to him.

"Will you keep that a little quiet. I didn't bring one for the whole team." Tony said closing the trunk. "We are getting the whole team.. yeah?"

Steve nodded. "We're working on that right now."

***
Two men crashed down to the rainy streets in Tokyo, Japan.

"Why are you doing this?" The man asked in Japanese. "We never did anything to you."

"You survived... half the planet didn't." The hood man replied back in the same language. "They got Thanos. You get me."

Their swords clashed back and forth but it was clear that this fight was far too easy for the hooded assassin.

"You're done hurting people." The hooded man said.

"We hurt people?" The leader of the gang said looking at the bodies that had been dropped around him. "You're crazy."

They fought back and forth once but this time the better fighter finished it by making a quick clean cut across the man's throat.

The man pleaded for help.

"I'll give you anything." He pleaded.

"What I want, you can't give me." The assassin said raising his sword and bringing it down finishing the man.

The man pulled off his hood and mask in the pouring rain as he sensed the two women behind him.

"You shouldn't be here." He said without turning around.

Over the last five years the ex shield agent turned ninja had been going from continent to continent killing the evils of the world as they lived and his family didn't.

"Neither should you." Nat said to him.

"I've got a job to do."

"Is that what you're calling this.. killing all these people isn't going to bring your family back. Trust me, I lost Carter."

Barton looked at Natasha with sympathy evident in his eyes. Between Barton, Steve, and Carter they were the closest thing to family she had. Barton knew she looked at Carter as a son.

Natasha stepped towards Clint as she had reached his emotions. "We found something. A chance, maybe."

Wanda stood in the background not wanting to get in the middle of this.

This was personal, for the both of them.

"Don't." Clint said choking on his words.

"Don't what?" Nat asked him.

"Don't give me hope." He said to her with tears in his eyes. He had lost a wife and three kids after the snap. It was clear the wound was still fresh in his mind.

Natasha reached out and took his hand.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't give it to you sooner."