As we"re reading these statistics, please know that these are not set in stone and are likely to change by the hour." Christine Everhart stated somberly from behind her anchor"s desk, "Here in New York City: we have estimated 800 injuries, 81 deaths. London: 407 injuries, 32 deaths. Washington DC: 287 injuries, 23 deaths. Hong Kong: estimated 201 injuries, 55 deaths. Moscow: 98 injuries, 7 deaths. Beijing: 167 injuries, 74 deaths. Nairobi: 178 injures, 49 deaths. Sokovia: they"ve estimated over 1,000 injuries, with 454 deaths. And finally, in Seoul, South Korea they"ve estimated over 4,000 injuries, and 807 deaths."
As she listed off the death toll, Christine"s voice grew hoa.r.s.e, clearly fighting back her emotions as she powered through with the broadcast, "That puts the total estimated number of casualties at around 7,138, and the total number of fatalities at 1,582. Given that it has only been five days since the world-wide bombings, now dubbed 5/22, we can expect that number to rise in the coming weeks. Of the 1,582 fatalities, significant losses include Sergi Kravinoff, notable Russian aristocrat and big game hunter; Chinese General Ho Lee, who in 1997 evicted the Ten Rings terrorist cell from their hold on Chinese territories, pushing them into the Middle East; Sir Jim Jaspers of the United Kingdom"s Parliament, who had famously campaigned for Super-Human Registration since 1955, something that is now a topic of much debate between members of government around the world."
Turning her head as the cameras swapped view-points, she continued, "And finally, we pay our respects to Clinton Francis Barton, who most know to be the Avenger codenamed Hawkeye. Barton, who was fighting against the terrorist drones dubbed Ultron, was killed in action during the ma.s.s explosion. His funeral will be taking place later today in Waverly, Iowa. Several thousand supporters have been reported to be attending-"
The screen cut to black, forcing Laura Barton to turn her head an inch to see who had turned it off. Seeing Naruto, she forced a smile, "I was watching that." She said softly.
Frowning, Naruto sat down across from her, setting down the bag and drinks in his hands, "I brought some sandwiches."
Laura eyed the bag, "Thank you but I"m not hungry."
His frown deepened, "You need to eat, Laura."
"I told you, I"m not-"
"Please." Naruto pleaded, "Just eat a few bites, for me."
Sighing, she slowly reached into the bag, "Alright."
Watching her take a bite, he asked, "How"re you feeling? With the baby, I mean."
"He"s fine." Laura answered after swallowing, "The doctor said everything checks out fine."
"How much longer?"
"Three weeks."
Reaching into the bag, Naruto pulled out a sandwich for himself. They sat in a strange kind of silence that was only interrupted by the sounds of their eating, the both stewing in the awkward air.
Apparently not able to take it for much longer, Laura asked, "How"re the kids?"
Finishing his bite, Naruto sighed through his nose before swallowing, "They"re fine, well as fine as they can be. Cooper hasn"t said a word all day, and it took a bit to convince Lila to let me leave to take care of some things. Had to leave a clone she looked so upset. They"re sitting in a room down the hall, watching some cartoon about bears or something." Naruto replied.
Naruto had volunteered to babysit the kids over the weekend while Laura prepared the funeral procession, the press, and all the other preparations. Tony had volunteered to pay for everything.
Laura had refused. Naruto picked up the tab.
"Thank you, for everything." Laura offered heartfully, "I don"t know what I"d have done if you and Natasha weren"t around."
After Laura had heard the news, she"d practically collapsed from the emotional toll. She"d been placed under medical care for a week so she and the baby could be monitored in case anything happened due to the stress of the loss. Natasha had looked after Cooper and Lila for the week, using it as an excuse to get away from the constant wave of bad news that their lives had become.
"You don"t have to thank us." Naruto returned with a warm smile, "It"s the least we could do, seriously."
Looking to the television, Laura nodded to it, "The news has been loving you the past week, the footage of you helping with the cleanup effort went viral and is a major talking point on CNN and Fox News. Everybody"s calling you a hero. Not that you weren"t one before."
"I wasn"t much of a hero that day." Naruto muttered, "Because of me that monster was able to do all of that. If I"d put that thing with Odin aside none of this would"ve happened. If I"d have put the Mind Stone with the other stones on my planet then Ultron would"ve never existed. How can I be a hero if I can"t prevent stuff like this from happening?"
"If Clint taught me anything," Laura began somberly, "It"s that a hero isn"t always the person who focuses on stopping bad things from happening. A hero is someone who saves lives when it happens. Because in the end you can"t always prevent it, all you can do is stop it and hope that was enough."
Naruto shrugged, "I guess."
The conversation was cut short by a knock on the door. Looking to its direction, Laura called out, "Come in."
As the door creaked open, Secretary Ross peaked his head into the room, "Laura?"
"Thaddeus." Laura said with a smile, getting up from her chair. As Ross came fully into the room, he smiled down at the pregnant woman as he leaned in for a hug, "Thank you for coming."
Releasing her from the hug, Ross spoke, "I figured I"d come a little early, pay my respects before everyone files in." As the two walked further in the room, Naruto raised an eyebrow at the two"s seemingly close relationship, "How"re the kids?" Ross asked, "The baby?"
"They"re as fine as they can be, all things considered." Answered Laura, "How"s Betty?"
"Betty"s doing fine, just took a job at General Techtronics Corporation earlier this year." He responded, "She"s scheduled to demonstrate a particle accelerator in Queens, I"m sure she"d love it if you dropped by."
"Maybe another time." She offered, though Naruto could tell she wasn"t interested, "If you"d like, I can walk you to the altar to pay your respects."
"Actually," Ross started, giving Naruto a quick glance, "If you wouldn"t mind, I was wondering if Mr. Uzumaki could escort me? I was hoping to speak with him in private."
"Oh, okay." Laura said, surprised.
The Secretary of State looked to the blonde, "Well?"
"Sure." Naruto said with a shrug, "I"ll lead the way."
Walking out of the room and through the church"s hallway, Ross said, "I"d heard you paid for the services."
"Yeah, I had the money from my time in SHIELD." Naruto explained. Turning a corner, he asked, "How do you know Laura?"
"I was Barton"s commanding officer during the Gulf War." Answered the former general, "It was my recommendation that got him into SHIELD."
Naruto blinked, "I didn"t know that." Admitted the blonde.
Ross smiled, "I"d be surprised if you had, Barton wasn"t one to spill that kind of thing."
Opening the doors heading into the church"s nave, the two arrived at the altar where the coffin had been placed. The closed wooden casket gleamed in the low church lighting, the faces of the two men in front of it reflecting off the shining oak.
Resting a hand on top of the lid, Ross ran it along the smooth surface, "When I"d heard, I couldn"t believe it. Barton was one of the best soldiers I"d ever seen, the idea of him dying like that made me sick. He deserved something better than that, all of those poor people did."
Naruto nodded, standing a little behind the man as he watched him make a sign of the cross and mutter a quick prayer.
Taking his hand off the coffin, Ross turned to Naruto, "You should know that I"m pushing legislation to regulate the activities of enhanced peoples, specifically the Avengers. Barton is gone, Banner has disappeared, the surviving Maximoff twin is hiding out in Sokovia, and no one"s seen Thor for two days. 5/22 has everyone spooked. Democrats, Republicans, low cla.s.s, upper cla.s.s, country to country. The unsupervised exploits of Tony Stark and the fall out of that has led to one of the most catastrophic days in our history. The only thing keeping Stark out of prison is his reputation and the fact that most don"t believe him to be completely at fault. But people are angry, they need someone to blame. And if they can"t pinpoint it on a single man, they go for the whole group."
Pausing for a moment, Ross continued, "As of now, almost every country within the United Nations is working with me on a piece of legislation we"re calling the Seoul Accords. If all of these countries agree upon, sign, and back these accords; then the Avengers will no longer be an independent group but will instead be placed under the supervision of a United Nations panel who will decide when, where, and how the Avengers or any other enhanced group should be deployed. If anyone refuses, they will be asked to retire their superhero ident.i.ties."
Naruto shifted on his feet as he took in this new information, his eyes leveled with Ross"s as he asked, "And where does that leave me?"
"Several countries, myself included, are aware of your involvement in Ultron"s creation." Ross stated simply. After a moment, he sighed, "But, even more are aware that you were the one that killed him…myself included. Your intervention saved thousands of lives. And for that, you have my thanks."
"So, what does that mean?" Asked the blonde.
"It means that you will not be under the Seoul Accord"s jurisdiction. You and anyone sponsored by your team will fall into a separate clause within the Accords that is essentially the deal we agreed upon a month ago." The Secretary of State explained.
Looking at the man warily, Naruto asked, "What"s the catch?"
"You are not, under any circ.u.mstance, to allow anyone a.s.sociated with the Avengers into your team. This includes the Maximoff girl. As far as the UN is concerned, she is to sign the accords or turn herself in for her role in 5/22." Ross answered, "Tony Stark is under the same a.s.sumption. He either folds into the accords, or we do more than hold a hearing over his creation of the terrorist ent.i.ty known as Ultron."
"That"s pretty cut throat." Kurama murmured, "Either the Avengers sign, retire, or become criminals in the eyes of the world governments. Cutting off you as an alternative cripples the likelihood of them telling the government to f.u.c.k off like they have."
Nodding mentally, Naruto sighed, "Alright, I agree."
Ross extended his hand, "Then we have a deal."
As Naruto gripped the older man"s hand, Ross pulled him in, "This is the only freebee you"re ever going to get, Uzuamki. 5/22 will live in the consciousness of humanity for a very, very long time. Eventually these people will see you for what you are, and they"ll devour you whole. The enemies you"ve made today will come knocking on your door. Your bill will come due."
The man let go, brushing pa.s.sed Naruto to walk along the church"s aisle. Watching the man leave, Naruto scratched his cheek, "That"s the thing. It wasn"t free."
As he said this, his eyes lingered on the empty coffin.
-x-
It only took a couple more hours before the church had begun to fill up with people wishing to pay their respects before the services. Naruto was surprised by both the amount of people waiting and the notoriety of the people in general. He swore he saw the President of the United States giving Laura a hug before disappearing in a sea of secret service officers.
Naruto spent his time either greeting people who were attending, dodging any member of the media, and standing with Laura and the kids. Lila stuck with him for most of it, holding his hand as he went back and forth around the building. She refused to go to the coffin, staying with Naruto or Cooper the entire time with a tight grip on their hand. Cooper did his best to stay out of sight, only smiling when someone randomly walked up to give their condolences.
Laura had been given a chair near the entrance, staying off her feet as she greeted everyone with as forced a smile Naruto could imagine.
Eventually, members of the Avengers began to meander into the church. Natasha and Steve were the first to arrive, followed by Thor who was dressed in ceremonial Asgardian funeral wear of a dark brown cloak.
Steve, who was standing next to Naruto while Natasha held Laura in a gentle hug, whispered, "Have you heard?"
Naruto looked down at Lila to make sure she wasn"t paying attention before answering, "Yeah, Ross told me."
Steve was silent for a moment before saying in a hushed voice, "I"m guessing joining Infinity Watch is out of the question?"
"It appears so." Naruto returned somberly, "I"m sorry."
"I understand." Steve rea.s.sured, "Tony figured that wouldn"t be an option."
Nodding, the Uzumaki asked, "What"s his take on it?"
"He was on board before they threatened him with possible jail time." Steve muttered somberly, "He"s a mess."
"I wouldn"t know, haven"t seen him since…well, you know." Naruto said with a sigh, "I thought he"d be here."
"He doesn"t want to cause a scene." The captain surmised, though he didn"t seem pleased by it.
"So, who do you think"s gonna sign?"
Steve rubbed his arm in thought, "Tony"s a definite, which means Rhodey is too. Apparently the Maximoff girl is under the same scrutiny as Tony, but I doubt she"ll sign either way."
Naruto nodded towards Natasha with a raised eyebrow. Steve shrugged with a defeated frown.
"What about you?"
"I"m thinking about it."
The blonde shin.o.bi frowned, "Are you seriously thinking about quitting? You?"
Before Steve could answer, Naruto felt Lila pull at his hand. Looking down, he frowned as he saw the girl pointing towards the door. Wading through the throng of onlookers, supporters, and television crews, Tony Stark emerged from the crowd. With him, his trusty bodyguard Happy Hogan, with Pepper Pots trailing behind in an elegant black ensemble. Tony wore a simple black and white suit, a pair of his trademark shades perched over his eyes.
Laura must have spotted him before anyone else, as she"d lifted herself up off her chair with Natasha"s help. Ignoring Naruto"s calling of her name, the pregnant woman confronted the Iron Man.
Halfway up the steps, Tony stopped in front of Laura, a nervous crease in his brow. The air was awkward as Laura looked down at him as she cradled her engorged belly.
Pepper, trying to cut the tension, delicately said, "Mrs. Barton, my name is Pepper Potts…I am so sorry for your loss-"
"I didn"t think you"d show up." Laura interrupted softly, the statement directed at Tony.
Tony"s frown remained as he said, "I don"t think I couldn"t. Not after-"
"Not after what happened? What did happen…exactly?" Laura cut off sharply, "I didn"t ask, I didn"t want to ask. There was barely anything left for us to bury, why would I want to know why? But I"m sure you know. I"m sure you"ve been thinking about it, how you could"ve prevented it, how you could"ve saved him. So, tell me, what happened?"
"Laura...stop." Naruto said, looking at the gathering photographers and cameramen recording them. When she didn"t answer, he took a step forward-
"It was my fault."
Laura faltered, not expecting Tony"s answer, "What?"
Dipping his head, the man said, "I"ve gone over it in my head thousands of times, and every time I come to the same conclusion. He died because of me." Tony ignored Naruto and Pepper"s shock, looking at Laura through his shades, "I murdered him."
"And here you are." Laura said, anger seeping into her voice, "Here you are, late and wearing those d.a.m.ned gla.s.ses, here of all places. What is wrong with you?" She demanded, her hands reaching for the shades as she finished, "What is wrong-"
Laura stopped as she pulled off the sungla.s.ses, expression softening at Tony"s reddened eyes. Tears were glazed along his eyes, barely held back as he looked away. With his shaking hand, he wiped them away.
With a sudden motion, Laura"s hand came in towards Tony"s face, the man flinching sharply.
He blinked as her hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Feeling Laura wrap her arms around him, the man known as Iron Man slowly returned it, holding her as his shoulders began to shake.
As a wave of flashes came from the photographers around them, Naruto silently escorted them into the church.
-x-
Naruto sat in the front right pew, sitting in the middle with Lila to his left and Steve to his right. To Lila"s left sat Natasha, Cooper, and Laura. To Steve"s right sat Thor, Tony, and Pepper. Happy stood outside, listening to the service but providing faux security.
Standing next to the coffin, the pastor finished his sermon from his podium, "For anyone who has something to say about the dearly departed, you may come to the podium."
Taking that as his sign, Naruto cleared his throat as he made to get up. Ignoring the clicking cameras and murmuring crowd, he slowly walked up to the podium as he gave a departing nod to the pastor.
The man, grizzled and weary, gave Naruto the podium antipathetically. Shifting behind the podium as he cleared his throat again, the blonde looked out over the crowd. Everyone was looking up to him, giving him various degrees of their attention.
Running his hands over the edge of the podium"s top, Naruto took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts one last time, "Hey uh…everybody."
He was answered with a few coughs and the creaking of people shifting in their seats. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Naruto continued, "I, uh, I"m honestly not too good with talking about this kinda stuff. I"m here, up here today, because I was asked, and I felt I needed to at least say something."
Looking down at Laura, she gave him a nod. Nodding back with a lopsided smile, Naruto said, "For those of you who don"t know who I am, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. I"d known Clint for seven years, he was a.s.signed to me for most of my time working alongside SHIELD…though thanks to the internet I"m sure most of you knew that already. What most of you probably don"t know is that I"m not from here. And by from here I mean Earth."
Naruto paused, allowing the surprised murmurs and groans to pa.s.s. Coughing into his hand, he resumed his thought, "Clint kinda knew what I was, that I wasn"t some worthless rookie who needed to be shown the ropes of violence and war. I"d been fighting for nearly five years by the time we met. I"d gone through and seen just as much as him, if not more. But he what he did see was that I wasn"t handling it well, not as well as him anyway. He could see and do and experience these horrible things, but he always had support. And he knew that. I was always jealous of him for that. Here I was, in this strange new place with new rules and new expectations, and every so often I"d get a taste of what it meant to be a human with his family. And it felt good…but it never lasted. Eventually I always had to leave, to find something new to take up my attention because if I focused too long on what I couldn"t have I knew I"d go insane. And Clint was always there to give me that taste. He let me into his family because he knew I could never have one. Well…maybe. I don"t actually know if I can have kids, due to me being an alien and stuff. I feel like I"ve heard I can"t, but I"ve never really tried so who knows."
A cough split through the room, Naruto taking that moment to awkwardly pause, "I"ve been thinking about that a lot, lately. Thinking about family. I always wanted one, as a kid. I grew up my entire life as an orphan. My parents died saving my life on the day I was born. For a long time I was almost entirely alone. But every so often I"d find myself in a relationship that filled that void. I"ve had several friends I"ve thought of as brothers who are dead now. I had a teacher who I thought of as a father, but he was killed. There was this girl who was practically my sister, but she died because I couldn"t protect her. By the time I met Clint, everyone I"d ever loved was dead and gone. And when you have so many people you"ve lost, all it does is add more and more what ifs. Maybe I"d be married by now, with kids and a job and all that stuff. That"s the trick, really. You can"t think about it. Otherwise you"re just going to consume yourself with this horrible sadness. And what good"ll that do? Who are you helping?"
An agreeing murmur broke out in the crowd.
Nodding along, Naruto said, "I think we"re going to hear a lot of stories today, telling us how much of a hero Clint was, how he was their best friend and how much of a good person he was. And all of this is true. He was a hero. He was a great friend, and a loving father, and an adoring husband. And all of these people, I"m sure, either feel guilt or are condemning someone else. You"re so sure that something could"ve been done. And maybe you"re right. Maybe something could"ve been done. I bet you can imagine the guilt I feel right now over the things I should"ve done in hindsight. But for Clint, for his memory"s sake…don"t. He wouldn"t want you spreading that kind of thing on his behalf."
Though Naruto caught several nods, he spotted a few who visibly didn"t agree. But he moved forward, "I"m going to remember Clint, my brother. Not what could"ve or should"ve been. And he"d ask the same of all of you."
Looking over at the coffin, Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, "In the words of my people, "When a person dies he disappears. His past, present, and future. Many people die in missions and war. They can die easily and in surprisingly simple ways. Those who die had goals and dreams. They had things even more important than that. Parents, siblings, friends, lovers…people who were important to them. They trusted and helped each other. The bond between the people important to them since birth and the string that binds them becomes thicker and stronger as time goes by. It"s beyond reason. Those bound by that string will sacrifice themselves for that. Because it"s important.""
"We were important to Clint. We should be happy for that."
-x-
The rest of the service was, naturally, a somber one. Natasha had gone up after him, telling the story of the first time they"d met. Steve was next, giving a heartfelt speech on what it means to sacrifice one"s self for what they love. One by one, people came up to the podium to tell tale of Clint and how he"d affected their lives. It was a slow, meaningful cacophony of eulogies, each one showing a different side to Clint that some might not have been aware of.
But eventually, these petered out and the procession began. Naruto, Thor, Steve, and several of Clint"s former marine brothers in arms all acted as pallbearers, silently carrying what remained of their brother to his final resting place.
Naruto silently watched as the coffin was lowered into its grave. He"d hesitated to place a comforting hand onto a grieving Cooper"s shoulder but stopped short when he realized it might not be his place.
Lila didn"t seem to care for his hesitance, her hand encompa.s.sed within his as she sobbed into his pant leg during the entire burial.
Slowly, the crowd began to disperse, leaving Steve, Natasha, and Thor, all of whom were talking to Naruto off to the side while Laura gave her thanks to those still lingering behind.
"Where does a G.o.d go to train, exactly?" Natasha asked, her arms filled with a tired Lila, "Is there a brochure? Can anyone go, or is an exclusive kind of thing?"
Thor stroked his beard, "Naruto recommended it, actually."
Said blonde shrugged off their attention, "You wanted somewhere secluded, Berhert is the definition. That and since I"d nearly blown up Berhert a couple times already, I figured it could handle some of Point Break"s lightning. That, and its peaceful enough that Odin might be able to enjoy himself despite your best efforts."
"And why do you need to train…exactly?" Natasha couldn"t help but wonder, "If it"s because you"re the third strongest Avenger or something-"
"Third?" Thor interrupted slightly exasperated, "I think we all know who the strongest Avenger is."
Natasha and Steve gave the Asgardian blank looks.
Thor deflated, jerking his thumb over at Naruto, "How does he count? He"s not even an Avenger." He argued weakly.
"He"s gotta point." Naruto added on.
"Right, whatever, second strongest then." Natasha continued, a sardonic smirk in play, "If this is just some kind of compensation thing, you should know that we love you for who you are big guy."
Thor grumbled halfheartedly, "That"s a lot of lip coming from the weakest Avenger."
"I least I know where I stand." She shot back without a care.
Steve shook his head, eying Naruto as he said, "So, you"ve got the location of another Infinity Stone. I a.s.sume you"ll be heading out soon."
"Pretty soon, yeah." Naruto said, "I"ve put it off long enough, I"m heading out in a few days." He looked around, "If any of you wanna come long, feel free."
Natasha shook her head, "I think I"m going to stay with Laura, she"s due in a few weeks and I think someone should be around just in case."
Shifting on his feet with confliction, Steve muttered, "It"s probably not a good idea for me to go off world."
Nodding, Naruto eyed Thor, "What about you, big guy?"
Thor smiled grandly, giving Naruto a mighty pat on the back, forcing the blonde forward slightly, "I think I can make time for a s.p.a.ce adventure."
"Well, I think I"m gonna head out." Steve said, quickly shaking Naruto and Thor"s hands, "Don"t forget to keep in touch." With a final wave, he left to give Laura his goodbyes.
Thor followed soon after, shooting off into the sky with a.s.sistance from Mjolnir. Now alone together, Natasha eyed Naruto up and down, "When was the last time you slept?" She finally asked.
Surprised at first, Naruto laughed her off, "Oh, uh, I"m fine."
"Naruto." The redhead insisted softly.
His shoulder"s slumping, he rubbed his neck, "Few days, I guess."
"Bad dreams?"
"No, just a little restless." He admitted with a humorless laugh.
She put a comforting hand on his arm, "Want to talk about it?"
"Honestly, you"re not the one I need to talk to about it." Naruto answered, scratching at the back of his neck.
"Oh."
Realizing how that came off, Naruto quickly added, "Not that I don"t want to…you know. It"s just that…well-"
"I get it Naruto, really." Natasha rea.s.sured. Stepping up she wrapped him in a tight hug, "Talk to whoever you have to talk to."
Slowly returning the hug, Naruto leaned into it, "Okay."
Letting go, she discreetly wiped at her eye, "I think I"m gonna head back to the homestead with Laura and the kids. You gonna stick around?"
"Yeah."
"See you soon?"
"Yeah."
It took a while, but eventually the graveyard was empty save one. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Naruto looked down at Clint"s pristine headstone. Inscribed into the white marble was, "Clinton Francis Barton. Sergeant, US Marines. Gulf War, Afghanistan War, Iraq War. September 10, 1971 - May 22, 2015. "He Was Our Heart.""
Closing his eyes, Naruto took in a deep breath as he focused his mind. Feeling the pull of his subconscious, he fell into the necessary corner of his mindscape.
"h.e.l.lo, beloved."
Opening his eyes, he was met with Freyja sitting at her campfire. She didn"t bother looking at him, her eyes on the ever-present hearth. Without saying a word, he sat down next to her.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the flames lick up into the dark void as it ate away at the metaphorical air.
"Why haven"t you been sleeping, Naruto?"
He eyed her from his peripheral, "You know why."
"The gift you were given?"
The blonde laughed, "Gift?"
"Is that not what it was?" Freyja wondered.
He paused in thought before answering, "That"s not why I can"t sleep. I"d come to terms with them being gone a while ago. It hurt to see them again, but it was kind of a relief too, I guess. It answered the only question I had about it. And now that I know what I could"ve had, I guess it opens the door for what I can still have."
"Then why?"
Naruto shifted, facing her, "I attacked you, Freyja. I took out what I felt on the first thing I saw. You didn"t deserve that."
She turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and she smiled. Slowly, almost nervously, she drew in closer to him. Though his first instinct made him want to back away from her encroaching face, Naruto stayed true. And as their personal s.p.a.ces collided, and their noses brushed, her hand delicately slid up his chest.
He shivered at the touch.
That shiver was followed by a thick gag for air as her hand shot up from his chest and wrapped around his neck. Feeling the blood rushing to his face, Naruto hacked as he was pushed onto his back. Sitting on his chest, Freyja"s hair draped around his face as she choked the life out of him with one hand.
Naruto flinched as her other hand began to caress his face lovingly.
"There, now we"re even."
He coughed and hacked as her fingers relaxed their grip, though she remained on his chest, smiling down gently.
Naruto blinked away the spots in his vision, "That doesn"t change-"
"I could continue, if you"d like?" Freyja asked, her fingers running along his adam"s apple, "You don"t have to feel sorry for me, beloved. You don"t have to apologize. I don"t know if you know this, but I"m a little above morality. I understood your pain, just as I understood your remorse. You can"t apologize to a being such as myself. It"s like apologizing to the weather. Pointless."
"It isn"t to me." Naruto grunted, her weight digging into his lungs.
She faltered, looking at him quizzically, "You don"t understand-"
"I understand the meaning of an apology." Naruto insisted harshly, "Even if you don"t, I do."
Freyja was at a loss for words, her head tilted in confusion as she observed his sincerity.
Grunting as he sat up, she shifted onto his legs. Grabbing her hand that was still along his neck, he gripped her wrist as he looked her in the eye, "I"m sorry." He said firmly, his voice steady.
Her breath had begun to pick up slightly, her eyes roaming over his face in thought. Eventually, she muttered, "That"s not the only reason why you"ve been avoiding me."
Getting up off of him, she glided back to her spot. Kneeling back down, she looked at him expectantly.
From his spot on the ground, Naruto grunted as he began to get up, "No, it"s not."
Looking into the fire, she sighed, "You wanted to know about Clint Barton."
Sitting down next to her, he nodded hesitantly, "I"ve been wanting to ask-"
"If you could speak to him, through me." Freyja finished, frowning, "That"s not within my power, beloved. Once someone pa.s.ses into that plain, they are beyond mortal communication."
Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, "What did he say…when you took him?"
"I don"t think you want to hear-"
"Please." Naruto insisted.
Seemingly debating with herself, she looked away from the fire and looked Naruto in the eye, "He struggled with it."
A heat began to build into Naruto"s chest as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"He insisted I was wrong, that I was a trick. I had to prove my validity, and then he became silent. He asked for more time, for a final goodbye. I refused." Freyja explained solemnly, "Once he realized his situation, he faced it. He hesitated as he reached the other side, just once, so he could ask, "Was it worth it?""
"What"d you say?" Naruto demanded, curious.
"I lied."
They sat in silence, looking into the flames as it ate away at the phantasmal logs.
-x-
Location: Novi Grad, Sokovia
-x-
Night had fallen, snow cascading down onto the fluorescently lit patch of land. The wind that carried the snow blew pa.s.sed the dead and blackened trees, singing loudly and drowning out the sounds of construction and busy streets.
Standing over a cold tomb stone, Wanda Maximoff read and reread the name carved into it. The sound of feet breaking through the blanket of snow caught her attention, though she didn"t bother turning to the intruder.
"Wanda?"
Wanda kept her attention on the headstone, "What are you doing here, Naruto?"
Smiling, Naruto stepped up next to her, "Just here to give you something."
"Is that all?"
Naruto shook his head, folding his hands over his chest to protect himself from the cold, "I came here to pay my respects."
"Why?" Wanda wondered, looking at the man in confusion, "You didn"t know him-"
Kneeling in front of the headstone, Naruto muttered, "Who paid for the service?"
Still confused, the girl answered, "They said it was anonymous. I a.s.sumed it might be Stark."
"Right." Naruto said, "Are you staying in town or-"
"Why are you here, Naruto?" Wanda demanded, "I appreciate you being here, but I don"t think you came to talk about what motel I"m staying at."
"Right." The blonde said again. Straightening up, he reached into his coat pocket, "They confiscated this, after I dropped your brother off at the Helicarrior. I figured you"d want it back."
Looking down at his outstretched hand, Wanda frowned when she realized he was presenting her with a polaroid. Gently, the she grabbed it. Flipping it over in her fingers, she held back a grasp at the picture presented to her.
Smiling up at her, a younger Pietro was surrounded by their departed parents, the family sitting at their old dining room table. Stained over her younger face, dried blood was smeared across her cheerful smile.
Quickly dabbing her eyes, Wanda forced a smile, "Thank you."
"You"re welcome." Naruto returned. Pausing, he continued, "There was something else."
"Something else?" The girl wondered, distracted as she carefully put the picture in her back pocket.
"Has anyone talked to you, in the past couple days?" Wondered the Uzumaki, "Anybody from the Avengers or military?"
"I haven"t talked to anyone since that day. I kinda sunk into the cracks after everything that happened." Admitted Wanda, "What"s going on?"
Turning to her fully, he answered, "The United Nations is sc.r.a.pping together a doc.u.ment they"re calling the Seoul Accords. They"re forcing the Avengers to sign and abide by them, under the threat of retirement. Wanda, you"re under that jurisdiction. If you don"t sign, they"re going to cla.s.sify you as a criminal."
"A criminal?" Wanda demanded, "How would I…whywould I-"
"After what you and Pietro did, they"d rather have you under watch or in a cell. You and Tony Stark are gonna be given the same choice." Naruto explained.
Wanda scoffed, "I"d rather-"
"You don"t know what they do to people like you." Naruto interrupted, "There"s a place they"ve built called the Raft. They"re gonna stick you in there and you"re never going to see the light of day again. If you sign, if you swallow your pride, you can at least live your life."
"Maybe I don"t want to live my life." Wanda refuted, "Because of me, Pietro is dead. Hundreds of people are dead. Why do I deserve-"
"Because I know you killed the last one."
That made Wanda freeze, "What?"
Nodding, he said, "You killed the last one, the last Ultron. Not me, not Tony, not anyone else. You. You don"t deserve the Raft. Pietro didn"t die so you could go to the Raft, did he?"
"No." Admitted the girl, "He didn"t."
Resting his hand on her shoulder, Naruto muttered, "Don"t waste that sacrifice, okay? Just sign and try to move on from there."
After a moment of thought, Wanda finally said, "I"ll think about it."
They waded in an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Naruto asked, "Where were you staying?"
"Not far." Wanda replied, "A few blocks away."
"Let me walk you back." Naruto offered with as welcoming a smile as he could muster.
Raising a curious eyebrow, Wanda wondered aloud, "Why?"
The man shrugged, "Does anyone have to have a good reason to walk a girl home?"
Wanda sighed. Looking down at the headstone, she sighed, "Okay, let"s go."
Turning, she trudged out of the cemetery. Looking at her in surprise, Naruto smiled softly before catching up so he was walking beside her. The echoing crunch of their feet crunching against the snow made up for their lack of conversation, Naruto sticking his hands in his pockets as they began to walk into the outskirts of the city.
His eyes wandering the dimly lit Novi Grad streets, he frowned at the various ribbons showing their mourning support over 5/22 loitered along the buildings and lampposts.
"It didn"t make me feel better."
Blinking his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed, Naruto asked, "What?"
Looking ahead, Wanda explained, "When I killed him, Ultron, it didn"t make me feel any better. You were right."
"A broken clock is right twice a day." Naruto offered with a weak smile, "Honestly, I"m not the best at handling that kinda stuff either, so I shouldn"t have been dishing out advice."
Pausing for a beat, Wanda looked up at him, "I don"t know if I can work with Stark… or any of the Avengers for that matter. And I doubt they"d want to work with me."
"I understand the feeling." Naruto nodded along.
Sighing, she continued, "But I"m tired of being a fugitive. I"m tired of being on the wrong side. At least if I sign, I know I"m working for something that"s good. Maybe it"ll rub off on me by proxy or something."
"Maybe you"ll get that chance at Stark you"ve always wanted." Naruto offered with a playful smile, only to frown when he realized he might be hitting the nail on the head, "Actually, never mind."
As Wanda broke out into a chuckle, a smile of his own came out.
"What about you? What are you going to do now?" Wanda asked after a moment.
Running a hand through his hair, Naruto replied, "I"m gonna do what I was doing before this whole mess started. Make a team, get them ready, go from there. Secretary Ross is giving me a slap on the wrist over my part in Ultron and I"m being allowed to do what I want so long as I don"t step on any toes, which is fine by me after everything. I need to do some scouting, and I"ve got a few people on my list." He looks at her from his peripheral, "You were on it, but now Ross and the United Nations have called a proverbial dibs on you for all intents and purposes."
"Those were some big words you just used there, trying to impress little miss sunshine?" Kurama wondered from within the seal.
"Shut up." Naruto grumbled in thought.
Wanda stopped, nodding to the building at their right as she said, "This is me."
"Right." Said the Uzumaki, fumbling with the inside pocket to his coat.
"What are you doing?" Wanda wondered, perturbed as Naruto began to pat himself down.
Running his hands over his sides, Naruto thought aloud, "What did I do with the d.a.m.ned thing?"
Kurama sighed, "You sealed it away on your wrist, dingus."
"Been expanding your insult repertoire, have you?" Naruto shot back in frustration as he channeled chakra to the seal on his wrist.
"Gotta do something to pa.s.s the time, troglodyte."
Though he was sure his partner had used that word knowing he didn"t know what it meant, Naruto ignored it as he caught the object that puffed into existence from his conveniently placed storage seal. Flipping it in his hand so he was holding the blade, he presented the kunai to Wanda.
Looking at it wearily, Wanda asked, "What is that for?"
"This knife was specially made by me last time I was home. On the handle is a seal that lets me teleport to it any time. If you ever need me for anything, just throw it and I"ll come around." Naruto explained with a smile.
Wanda blinked a couple times as she looked down at the kunai before looking back up at him, "Have you ever heard of a phone?"
Naruto deflated animatedly, "This is better than a phone!" He exclaimed, "This lets me come to you in a second! What kinda phone does that?"
"Couldn"t you just stick a seal thing on a phone? That way I could call or text you instead of having to find something to stab this into." Wanda chided, though she still took the knife gently in her hands.
Scratching the back of his head, Naruto muttered, "I uh…I never thought of that."
Wanda turned the blade over in her hands, "It"s very pretty. It"s from your home?"
Watching her inspect the blade and the seal inscripted on the handle, he answered, "Yeah, it is."
Lowering the kunai, Wanda looked back up at him with a soft smile, "Thank you."
"You"re welcome." Naruto returned with a smile of his own.
Turning to walk into the building, Wanda paused as she reached the door. Looking at him one more time, she asked, "I can call you any time? For anything?"
Giving a confused frown, Naruto nodded rea.s.suringly, "Of course."
She turned back to the door, "Goodnight, Naruto."
"Goodnight."
-x-
Three Days Later
-x-
Jessica Drew couldn"t help but feel awkward as she stood in the middle of the Barton"s living room, her arms folded sternly as she tapped her foot on the hard wood floor.
"Nervous?"
Jessica regarded Illyana, the woman leaning against the kitchen table lazily, "Aren"t you?"
The blonde shrugged, "Not really."
"Going into s.p.a.ce to a place called nowhere doesn"t make you nervous?" Jessica asked skeptically.
Illyana quirked a brow, "I"m being trained by an immortal warlock who can send your astral form through all planes of existence. s.p.a.ce isn"t that much weirder compared to that."
Shaking her head, Jessica rolled her eyes, "Sure, okay."
As Illyana made to prove her point, a loud "thwoom" came from outside, a rainbow of colors shining brightly through the rattling front windows. Footsteps thundered down the steps, little Lila tumbled down to see what the commotion was. Cooper stood at the top step, observing apathetically.
"What was that?" Jessica asked.
Laura waddled out from the back of the dining room, annoyance etched into her face as she grumbled, "If that man left another one of those marks on my lawn, I"m gonna skin him I swear."
Lila threw the door open, revealing Thor on the other side as he reached the porch steps. The man had forgone his usual set of armor, instead wearing something a little lighter in the form of a thick sleeveless leather tunic. His beefy arms were bare save the leather wraps along his forearms, and his cape was a lighter red that was draped across his back to prevent it from dragging along the ground.
Grinning merrily, he waved at Lila and Laura, only to grimace as Laura began to swat at him with the rolled-up magazine in her hand.
"What did I tell you about burning my gra.s.s?" Laura demanded, each word punctuated with a swat from her makeshift weapon.
Jessica raised an eyebrow at the wall of a man as he ducked into Laura"s tirade. Nudging Illyana, she muttered, "This is Thor?"
"Mm"hm." The sorcerer answered, watching in amus.e.m.e.nt as Laura calmed herself down, one hand resting on her stomach and the back of the other on her forehead.
As Thor helped her up the steps, she muttered, "You"d give aspirin a headache, you know that?"
The G.o.d of Thunder chuckled as he helped Laura into a whicker chair, "My mother used to say something similar."
"She"s a smart woman then." Laura huffed as she relaxed in the chair. Eyeing Thor, she asked, "Aren"t you going along? Even Naruto"s getting dressed up for where you"re going."
Thor chuckled, "An Asgardian can survive the perils of s.p.a.ce." Looking around he asked, "Where is Naruto?"
"Natasha"s helping him get ready upstairs." Laura answered.
The brute gave her a questioning look but shrugged none the less as he turned his attention to the two other women standing a few feet away. The two of them were wearing their Infinity Watch uniforms, the tight armor clearly meant to protect them from the dangers of the galaxy beyond.
Upstairs, Naruto looked at his reflection, satisfied that the suit fit him perfectly, "The girl can make an awesome set of armor, that"s for sure." He muttered.
"Where did you find her anyway?" Natasha asked from behind him, strapping the sheathed Nakama to his back.
"Shuri?" Naruto asked, scratching his chin nervously, "Oh you know, those uh SHIELD files you put out."
Natasha gave his back a skeptical look, "I never read her file on any of those encryptions."
"Must"ve missed her then."
She shook her head, dropping the subject. With one final tug, she patted him on the back, "There, you"re all set."
The Uzumaki grinned. The armor that Shuri had fashioned for him was a slick and slim design, fitting his body snuggly in a black color scheme with orange highlights. The orange trimmed along the black nicely, tapering down his arms and legs in a straight line. His orange belt buckle, like Illyana"s and Jessica"s, held the sigil of their team, the symbol for infinity. The texture of the armor reminded him of Dora Milaje armor, slim but powerful. It was clearly made to suit mobility.
"Alright, just one more test and we"re golden." Naruto muttered, pressing his hand onto a patch on his shoulder. In a "thwoop," a helmet emerged from the base of his neck, wrapping around his head perfectly. The helmet"s visor covered the entire front of his face, allowing Natasha to see his gleeful smile.
"Good?" She asked, tilting his head up to make sure everything was where it should be.
He nodded, "Not good, great."
Natasha walked pa.s.sed him, picking up the man"s scattered shirt and jacket that he"d discarded, "Agent Drew…do you trust her?"
Deactivating the helmet, Naruto gave her a side glance as he gave his arms a few testing stretches, "I"ve worked with her before, she"s more than capable for what we"re doing."
"That"s not what I meant." The Black Widow insisted with a huff as she folded the clothes over each other.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I know." Flexing his hands, he muttered, "If she"s bad news, I"ll know soon enough."
"This is a test, then?" Natasha asked, tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ear.
"Pretty much." Finished expecting the new suit, Naruto grinned, "How do I look?"
"Like a Power Ranger."
The blonde scratched his cheek, "I don"t know what that is, is that bad?"
The red-head giggled softly, "I"m kidding, it looks good."
A knock came from the door, followed by Cooper"s m.u.f.fled voice, "Thor"s here."
"Alright, thanks." Naruto answered. Grin still in place, he said to Natasha, "Well, time to go."
Stepping out of the room, he smiled down at Cooper, the boy giving him a small wave as he went back to his room. Pondering on the room"s door, Naruto sighed before turning to head downstairs. As he reached the final step, a bundle shot onto his leg, wrapping around the limb tightly preventing him from taking another step.
"You"re coming back, right?"
Placing a hand on Lila"s head, Naruto gave a large smile, "Sure am. Promise."
"Kay." The girl muttered into his leg, though she didn"t let go.
Gently, Naruto pried her off him. Kneeling down, Naruto kept his smile in place as he lifted his hand up. Lila looked at the extended hand, his fingers locked in a fist save for his pinky, the short digit sticking up straight.
Making the same gesture with her hand, she wrapped her pinky around his. Their silent pinky swear now locked between the two of them, Lila let Naruto pa.s.s.
The little girl still followed close behind him as he walked outside, giving Thor a nod h.e.l.lo. Looking to the small group he"d formed, Naruto said, "Time to go."
From her chair, Laura called out, "Good luck."
"Make sure not to have that baby until I get back, alright?" Naruto said as he stepped down the porch steps.
She laughs as she rubs her stomach soothingly, "No promises."
Walking out onto the lawn, Naruto spotted the large Bifrost imprint branded into the fresh cut gra.s.s. Turning to Thor, he motioned to the intricate scorch mark, "Really?"
Thor walked pa.s.sed, brushing off the question merrily, "So, where"s this ship you"ve been talking about? I call shotgun." He looked behind him at Illyana and Jessica for confirmation, "That"s what you call the front seat, correct?"
While Illyana answered with a helpful nod, Naruto said, "Sorry buddy, but I need my co-pilot sitting shotgun." He looked at Jessica from over his shoulder, "That"s you, by the way."
"Me?" Jessica asked, confused, "Why?"
"Flying my ship is about the same as flying a Quinjet. And, last I"d heard, you were one of the top Quinjet pilots back in the day." Naruto answered, coming to a stop as he bit into his thumb. Wiping the blood across his palm, he began to flip through a set of hand signs, "Don"t worry, I"ll have the co-pilot controls locked. I just need someone next to me just in case."
"Just in case what?" Jessica asked.
Illyana rolled her eyes, "Use your imagination. s.p.a.ce stuff, obviously."
As Jessica gave the woman a glare, Naruto slammed his blood smeared hand onto the ground. In a large puff of smoke, the Kushina appeared in front of them.
Looking up at her proudly, Naruto said, "Yup, s.p.a.ce stuff."
"Why aren"t we just teleporting there with one of your seals?" Asked Illyana, knowing she was up for a long ride.
"The seal I put there isn"t active for some reason." Naruto said as the bay doors opened, and the set of stairs descended, "The Collector probably had the entire place scoured from top to bottom looking for it after the last time I was there."
After giving an excited Lila a quick tour, Infinity Watch and their Asgardian companion strapped themselves into the c.o.c.kpit, awaiting liftoff. In the two pilot seats, Naruto sat on the left with Jessica at the right. As the Uzumaki prepped the ship, flipping the random switch and pressing coordinates into the navigation display, the former CIA Agent observed his every move and decision, memorizing should she need to do the same.
Behind Naruto, Illyana looked at Thor, who was sitting in the seat behind Jessica. Her eyes on the hammer sitting in his lap, she asked, "Was that thing really made by the dwarves of Nidavellir?"
Surprised, Thor asked, "You know of it?"
"Sure." Illyana answered, "Master Minoru spoke highly of it. Is it true that Excalibur was forged there as a gift to the Olympians-"
"But no Olympian ever proved themselves worthy. And, insulted, Zeus hurled the blade from planet Olympus." Thor continued for her, impressed by her knowledge, "It"s magic eventually drove it to Midgard, where it awaited a truly worthy master."
"Did you ever get to see it, before it was lost?" Illyana wondered.
Thor nodded, "Once. I saw it be tested by the Dwarf King, Eitri. It was truly fearsome."
Naruto glanced at Jessica, motioning to her throttle, "If you need to take control, jerk the throttle forward twice. Other than that, the controls are fairly similar to the Quinjet"s…minus a few things."
"Minus a few things?" Jessica questioned, flabbergasted, "This is an alien s.p.a.ce craft, the few similarities are far and in between compared to the complex system this ship uses. You don"t actually expect me to be able to-"
"I expect you to watch and listen." Naruto cut off firmly, "Illyana might be my second in command, but I need a co-pilot. You"ve got the experience, and I know you can adapt. Give it time, you"ll learn. Trust me."
Though his voice was firm, it also held a layer of rea.s.surance that caused Jessica to sigh in defeat. Nodding she gripped the throttle and jerked it forward twice. The decals along her dashboard lit green, signaling that she had control.
"Good." Naruto praised, quickly getting the control back as he continued, "Now, we just need to set our coordinates to the nearest Jump Point, which shouldn"t be too far."
"Jump Point?" Jessica asked.
"A Jump Point is a gateway, helps get from one place to another. It"s pretty much like Ilyana"s portals, only man made." Naruto explained, tapping into the screen as he locked in where he needed to go.
Jessica nodded, taking that in, "And who would make one of this Jump Points just outside our planet?"
"The Kree have an invested stake in your planet. They like to drop by every once in a while, to make sure you haven"t blown yourselves up yet." The Uzumaki reasoned, though as he saw Jessica"s perturbed look he continued, "There"s nothing hostile about it…I think."
"You think?"
"Eighty-five percent sure."
Ma.s.saging her forehead, Jessica muttered, "Let"s just get on with it."
"Right." Naruto said with a laugh, "Get comfortable gang, we"ve got fifty-four jumps to Knowhere."
"To Knowhere!" Thor cheered, lifting his hammer to punctuate his war call.
While Illyana and Naruto merrily followed suit, Jessica continued rubbing the headache away that just kept on persisting.