✓ THE SHIFTER, marvel

sixteen

Steve nodded, grabbing her arm as she began to stalk towards where Tony had opened the door to the stairwell as more men began rushing towards them in a blaze of bullets. "Torrance? Is she okay?"

Ana nodded, feeling his hand against her arm and she shuddered with what rushed at her.

I love her, I love her, I love her-tell me she's okay, tell me she made it through this. Did they hurt her? Did they hurt you?

She would never understand what Torrance saw in him. He was pure and righteous when Bucky was dark and savage. No matter how many times Steve said he loved her or how many times he promised something to her, he would never understand what was going on inside herself. He would never accept Ana, he wouldn't understand Torrance's fear and panic and that driven rage. He was too different from them.

"We're fine," Ana finally choked out and Steve nodded, taking a step back and removing his arm before a memory threatened to overcome her entirely.

Hands, everywhere. Groping, feeling, touching. 

Ana smacked her head, feeling hands grab her from behind. Angry.

"I can't loose you again," the voices rang out in her head. "I can't loose you-"

"You've ruined everything!" Leon roared, yanking her back so hard that she was clutching her neck and gasping for air. She hit the ground and Steve barely had time to help her before two agents charged him with guns and all he could do was watch her get dragged away and towards the platform. "You took away my only chance at redemption! My only chance at proving myself! You ungrateful bitch!"

He tossed her forward and struck her, backhanded, across the face so hard she saw stars. She had forgotten he was like her, that he had the same serum running through his veins. He reached forward and with incredible strength, seized her by the neck and lifted her off the ground. 

"You won't survive this," he hissed with a smile. "Your little regenerative powers won't save you from a fall this high."

He raised his foot, stomping hard against on of her boots and she cried out. Without one of her shoes working, there was no way the board would work. She let him hold her there by the neck, backing her up to the edge of the roof and she thrashed about in his hands but let her own hands work what little magic she had left.

She found the knife tucked against his chest and her small, pickpocketing fingers swindled it free. She ignored how the pressure in her head built up at how tight he was holding her, and she ignored the fresh wave of black dots that threatened her vision as she smiled.

Smiled so brightly that she felt her lips nearly split. 

"Why the fuck are you smiling?" he spat.

"Because I won't be dying alone."

She shoved her hand forward, stabbing him hard into the side, twisting the blade up and continuing to push as he gasped and his grip let up. She let her toes touch the ground and he swayed on his feet but she knew it wasn't enough to kill him as he reached out, gasping and coughing, taking hold of her arms.

She looked back, Steve already beginning to race towards her as even Bucky began to stir on the ground. She hardly could see, through the haze of red and the flash of guns going off and Tony's blasters. 

"Hydra will no longer have access to the serum," she hissed through clenched teeth as they teetered on the edge. "Hydra will no longer have you."

And with that, she let herself fall backwards with his arms still wrapped around her. 

Taking the plunge into death together.