ADORE ↠ b. barnes [III]

eleven

WHEN WAR FIRST STRUCK IN Jupiter, Allura felt like a part of her was being crumbled. Her family, friends, acquaintances and her people in general were fighting, risking their lives, trying to make the best out of the horrid situation and willing themselves to wake up and win.

There wasn't time for anything else. It was all about strategy, strengths, abilities and the recruitment of people who knew what they were doing— in order to train others who had no idea.

War was messy, painful, dangerous, bloody and deadly to no end, and when the light seemed to be shining on them, something always found a way to push them back down. It was a routine, a path of ups and downs that ended up miserably for the majority of Jupiterians. The óvinir were winning, that was clear. So, their finally strategy became one that would, unfortunately, finish with both sides in the end.

But when war struck on Earth, Allura could pin point the differences easily. People fought for each other— the Jupiterians did too, but it was a lot more about survival than it was about being united. Jupiterians focused on the future of the war rather than the present and they ensured their plans worked all the way through the situation.

And they dared say that Allura was the overthinker.

On Earth, the former asset realized that plans weren't perfectly thought through. Perhaps it was because they lacked time— since everything that happened tended to be unexpected, and could change radically from one moment to the other, or because they preferred hope and faith over theory and planing.

Nevertheless, the consequences were serious. This time, the Avengers did not succeed. They won the multiple battles, but they lost the war. The defining moment wasn't on their favor and they were left to watch as the world crumbled, as the people faded into nothing more than dust and disappeared into an unknown destiny.

Lovers were separated, siblings, parents and children.

The consequences were mortal and heartbreaking, and for the first time in six years, the Avengers did not know what to do about it.

They had lost.

The strawberry blonde sat on the ship, her green eyes staring at the grass as she held her necklace between her hands, her fingers playing with her mother's ring as a tear fell down her cheek.

Her eyes were dark, darker than they had ever been. Not HYDRA and not the war against the óvinir had left her so broken— only Cade's death had ever darkened her soul so much. But this time, her normal olive green eyes had turned seaweed, practically representing the darkness of the sea as her mind hit bottom and her heart clenched in her chest.

She had lost her little brother. She had swore to protect him and there she was, breaking her promise once again as he disappeared and she did nothing. She couldn't do anything, his fate was out of her hands. But Allura found herself with no one else to blame but herself.

Because she couldn't blame Thanos, no matter how hard she tried— for she had fought him and she was unsuccessful. She wasn't strong enough so that resulted in a catastrophe. Steve thought the same way, but they were both too wrecked to even bring the topic up.

And of broken promises, that wasn't the only one going through her mind.

"You wouldn't lose me, jupiterian ."

"I can only hope, earthling." She whispered back, her green eyes closing as she felt his close breath against her face. He smelled fresh, like a summer breeze or a windy day near a beach. His scent was intoxicating and Allura couldn't help but breath it in, like the hydrogen she so desperately needed.