Bruce's navigator, carrying the two, rapidly plunged into the quantum realm, weaving through its tunnels.
The entire scene before them resembled cold-toned sewer pipes.
This was Lin Feng's first time witnessing such a sight.
The navigator accurately brought the two to 2023 and then, like discarding trash, spat them out.
Hum!
A vibrating sound came.
The scene before them changed again, and Lin Feng and Bruce found themselves on the mechanical platform Tony had built at Avengers Base.
Along with them appeared other Avengers on their missions.
Although they had traveled through different times, everyone returned at the same moment, as had been set before departure.
Seeing this, Lin Feng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed his interpretation of the system's meaning was correct.
He had now arrived in the year 2023 of a parallel universe!
Wrinkles had even appeared on Tony's face...
"Who are you?!"
Tony spotted Lin Feng standing beside Bruce and asked with a serious expression.
His shout drew the attention of the others to the stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.
The stranger wore a black combat suit, showing damage to varying degrees.
Beneath the suit were solid muscles, and the exposed skin, as if scorched, oozed blood but was slowly healing.
This appearance, as if he had just survived a fierce battle, coupled with his stranger status, undoubtedly raised everyone's vigilance.
Tony directly raised his right hand to his chest, ready to activate his nanotech suit and blast Lin Feng if he made any sudden moves.
Steve also kept a close eye on Lin Feng, gripping his shield tightly.
For a moment, the atmosphere became tense.
"Hey, hey, everyone, calm down," a drop of cold sweat trickled down Bruce's forehead. He quickly extended his hands, gesturing for everyone to calm down.
"He's with me! He's not an enemy!" Bruce explained.
Having said that, he nudged Lin Feng again, urging him to say something.
"Yes, I am not your enemy! My name is Lin Feng..."
Lin Feng, unsurprised, stepped forward and greeted them, making an effort to put on a friendly expression to show he was harmless.
Tony and the others in this universe didn't recognize him.
Moreover, his current state was indeed likely to cause misunderstandings.
Seeing that Lin Feng seemed to pose no threat, the tense atmosphere slightly eased.
Tony gave Lin Feng a speechless look, then shifted his gaze back to Bruce: "Banner, we agreed no bringing back souvenirs..."
Lin Feng's mouth twitched at this remark. Even in a parallel world, Tony's mouth was still as sharp as ever.
Bruce could only offer an awkward smile and explain, "The Sorcerer Supreme asked me to bring him."
"The Time Stone is in his possession."
Saying this, Bruce pointed at Lin Feng.
Upon hearing this, the others raised their eyebrows and looked at Lin Feng with confused and questioning eyes.
Lin Feng nodded, confirming Bruce's words: "The Ancient One did lend me the Infinity Stone, and she's the one who had Bruce bring me here to the present."
"Alright..." Tony stroked his chin. "Lin Feng, right? Tell us, what is your purpose here?"
The misunderstanding cleared, Tony still wasn't about to let Lin Feng off the hook.
He knew of the Ancient One, Stephen Strange's mentor, or rather, master!
Those sorcerers had always been mysterious, and he didn't know why she had Lin Feng travel to the future.
Just as Lin Feng was about to explain, a sudden bang interrupted their "friendly exchange."
They all looked in the direction of the sound and saw Hawkeye kneeling on the ground...
This momentarily puzzled them.
But as they clearly saw Hawkeye's expression, their faces gradually turned grim...
Hawkeye's eyes flickered, and his face was etched with grief and pain.
Steve frowned as he looked at Hawkeye.
Tony opened his mouth, as if realizing something, and his gaze swept around Clint, his expression also darkening.
One person was missing from the returning group...
Natasha was not beside Hawkeye...
"Clint, where is Natasha?"
Bruce asked softly, a persistent sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Hawkeye, kneeling on the ground, shook his head painfully.
Grief rendered him unable to speak anything...
Silence...
Everyone fell silent, an inexpressible sorrow spreading through their hearts...
Hawkeye's actions told them all a truth.
A truth they were unwilling to believe but had to face.
Natasha was gone...
Their eyes flickered.
Although they had been mentally prepared, this journey through time and space couldn't possibly have gone smoothly.
Yet, when this moment truly arrived, it was unbearable...
Grief echoed in their hearts.
...
In the pavilion outside the base, Hawkeye recounted the process of Natasha's sacrifice.
The afternoon sun scattered down, yet it felt exceptionally cold.
Bruce stood by the lake, his back to everyone, his expression unreadable.
Steve sat there, listening quietly to Hawkeye's account.
After a long while, tears began to slide uncontrollably down his face, falling onto his cheeks, his lips, and finally to the ground...
He couldn't recall the last time he had cried; perhaps it was when he had missed a dance party forever.
Just before they left, she had smiled and told everyone, "See you in a minute..."
Natasha had been with them for years, their relationship akin to family.
Yet, this family member had sacrificed herself for the Infinity Stone, to save half the population taken by Thanos.
For a time, they couldn't emerge from their sorrow.
Tony walked over and patted Steve's shoulder. While his bond with Natasha wasn't as deep as Steve's, they were all Avengers, united by numerous reasons.
Over the years, Tony had come to regard them all as friends.
He swallowed, his voice hoarse, and asked, "Does she have family?"
Steve nodded, and his words only deepened their sorrow.
"Perhaps it's only us..."
As he spoke, the heavy atmosphere in the air intensified.
As if unable to bear the mood, a disheveled Thor stepped forward and questioned Tony.
"What do you mean? Why are you saying that!"
"As if she's dead, why are we treating her like she's dead?"
Thor looked at the grieving group with complex emotions.
"We have the Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones can bring her back, right..."
"So can we stop this nonsense? We are Avengers, we need to rally!"
"Listen to me, let's snap our fingers! Bring Natasha back, along with the other half of the universe's life!"
Tony frowned, unable to speak as he met Thor's gaze.
Hawkeye, however, shook his head. "She can't come back..."
His voice was equally hoarse.
"It's irreversible, it can't be done..."
His feelings for Natasha ran deeper than anyone else's; Natasha had long been like family to him.
He would never forget the sight of Natasha sacrificing herself in front of him.
No one could truly understand how much he wished it had been him who jumped then.
Thor forced a smile, unable to resist retorting, "Perhaps I'm being too direct."
"You're just a human. We're talking about cosmic magic now."
"Cosmic magic, you understand?!"
"Saying it can't be done is too absolute..."
Hawkeye looked at Thor with complicated emotions, his suppressed feelings surging uncontrollably again.
"Yes! I know I might not have the authority to speak about the stone's abilities."
"But she really can't come back!"
"This is all irreversible! At least that's what the floating red guy said!"
Hawkeye's voice grew louder and more agitated.
"Maybe you can go talk to him, grab your hammer! Fly over and have a chat!"
His shout stunned Thor.
He wasn't angry, just frowning and falling silent, a little dejected.
Just as everyone was succumbing to their grief.
Lin Feng, whom they had largely overlooked, suddenly spoke.
"Perhaps... it's not entirely hopeless!"