ALINA
"Why?" I asked. For the fourth time. "WHY?"
She just shook her head, smiling. She'd stopped laughing that strange dead sound, as though there was no joy there, just hatred.
"Do you enjoy this?" I asked. "They shot you, twice! They've stabbed you, they've tortured you, tortured us both, tortured and kidnapped and killed hundreds of children! They tortured Bucky! Jesus, Ro, I've said the word tortured so much it doesn't even sound like a word anymore!"
"They did what they felt was necessary." She shrugged, swinging her sword in an arcing motion in her hand, precise, practised. To the best of my knowledge she'd never actually used a sword with the Avengers, never even trained with one.
"Roara." Steve had walked to stand beside me, his shield on his back, no weapons in his hands. "Tell me what's going on, what did we do to push you to this?"
"What did you do?" She smirked and then made that noise again, that awful noise, it wasn't even laughter. It was just pure malice. "Oh Captain America, always so righteous, always so courageous until you have to kill people. You're just as bad as I am, you're just on the side you think is right. That's all it is." She sighed. "Locke opened my eyes, showed me that there was no difference in the two. There is no good and there is no evil. But with the Ascendency I have power." As she said that last word, flames flew from her hand, igniting her sword. Great, I thought, now she has a fucking fire sword? Wait a second... Did she just say...
"Roara, have you met Locke?" I asked, eyes wide.
"Oh, yes. Met him? Darling I'm sleeping with the man." She cackled.
I felt the shift from Steve beside me. It was slight, it was subtle, but the change in stance and expression was obvious to me. Maybe I just knew him too well, or maybe I was feeling the same thing.
"You did that?" He asked in a low and quiet voice.
"Not yet, but we have got a little... how should I put it? Steamy?" She smiled. "Why Steven, are you jealous?"
"Not in the slightest." He growled, slowly pulling his shield from his back and strapping it to his arm. "I'm just sickened by the way you're taking pride in that when you know how much pain it would cause us all. The pain it would cause Bucky. The pain it would cause Alina. You know what that man did, what he put her through?"
I was grateful that he was being protective over me. I didn't need protecting, I knew that, but I didn't even want to carry the burden of pain that her pleasure in being with that man was causing me. He was supporting me, and in doing so he was carrying it for me. I'd never been more proud to call him my friend.
"I know." She shrugged. "And I don't care. And you want to talk about loyalty? Commitment to one person?" She looked straight at me. "Does Steve know you kissed Natasha."
"What?" I whispered, horrified. I hadn't told anyone. She hadn't told anyone. We hadn't even spoken about it. It was a way of closing that part of our relationship, the possibility of more than a friendship. It had been sweet and it had been private and it had been personal.
"Oh the Ascendency knows about that." She looked at Steve. "Did you?"
"No." He said thickly. "I did not."
"Everyone's seen the way you look at her, Steve." She nodded to me. "Alina's just oblivious."
"What do you mean?" I questioned frantically, looking to Steve. Natasha had mentioned something about it but I'd never taken it seriously. It was just another reason she'd given me to let me down gently.
"She's talking bullshit." Steve muttered. "Ignore her. She's just trying to rile us both."
"It wouldn't rile either of you if it wasn't true." She shrugged. "Either you're lying to yourself or you're trying to hide it Steve."
"Steve." I took his arm. "What the hell is she talking about?"
"Nothing." He pulled his arm gently away.
"Steve do you like me?" I felt my heart start to race slightly. "Or did you suddenly develop feelings because you found out I kissed Nat?"
"I'm not jealous." He grunted. "I'm not... you two..." He looked at Roara with a pained expression on his face. "Why?"
"Alina's been asking me the same thing." She looked around and sighed. "Power Steve. You never understood. But you will. It all comes down to power."
The sound of a helicopter buzzed overhead and a rope dropped to the floor, followed by a man holding onto it. A blonde man. Tall. Lean. Simon Bridges.
He snaked an arm around Roara and smirked at us, before leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips.
My jaw dropped. The world went silent. I could hear everyone's heartbeats, everyone on the field, I could hear their breathing, their pulse. It all clicked, and in one massive rush it came back to me. I dropped to my knees, my face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
I felt arms around me, holding me.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Steve shouted, his body pressed to mine. "What did you do to her?"
"I did nothing." Roara replied calmly. "Simon just gave her her memories back. All her memories of him."
I felt as though I was back in the lab, strapped into the chair again, my head bandaged, fresh from the surgery. I was looking around wildly, and I could see him casually walking to the machine, talking to men, winking at me. I knew him. This was Locke. This was the man who stole the power from one person, and with the help of the diffuser, moved it into another. This was the man who had caused me so much pain. I remembered Loki looking away, unable to watch as my body contorted in pain, as I screamed as though my entire body was being ripped apart. This was the man. It was him. He had done this to me. And Roara was kissing him, holding him, working with him. The betrayal cut deep, but the anger cut deeper. Revenge. That was all I could do, all I had wanted since the start. I wanted revenge.
I lifted my tear soaked face to see him whisper something in Roara's ears. She giggled and nodded.
I rose to my feet, wiping my face on my sleeve. Steve rose with me, backing away slightly. He could see I was angry, rage overtaking my face and running through my blood. He knew better than to get in my way.
"Hello Alina Stark." Simon said gleefully. "How are you liking our little performance?"
"I knew you weren't to be trusted." I spat, walking steadily towards them. "Get out of my way Bridges or I'll kill you where you stand." I drew my hands up to my chest, tensing my fingers, filling my palms with swirling darkness.
"Oh." Locke chuckled. "My love, do you see this? She's really angry now, she's pulling out the darkness instead of the light."
I saw it, on her face, just for a second. Just a flash. A single moment. For a single moment she was Roara Woodson again, her eyes seemed to brighten, her face full of fear and pain and confusion. And then it was over, it was gone, and she was back to an expression of spite and hatred. It was as he said the words 'my love'. I couldn't even be sure I saw it. I was probably kidding myself, wishing for her to not be with them so badly that I was seeing things. But whatever I thought I'd seen showed no signs of returning.
Roara rolled her head around her shoulders and lifted her flaming sword from her side, vines creeping up her legs, wind beginning to pick up around her. "Good." She said in a low voice. "She'll be more fun that way."
I yelled and threw a shard of darkness at her, the jet black mist turning into something solid as it moved through the air. Roara's sword cut through it, and it dissolved. I looked down at my hands and nodded. My power was telling me that I was stronger than I knew. It had been telling me that all along.
I roared and ran forwards, beginning the charge, throwing balls of darkness at Roara. She jumped, flipping over them, thrusting her sword towards me. I twisted, avoiding the blade by mere inches, hitting her in the face with my fist. She swung, I ducked, throwing another shard at her. The shard went through her leg and out the other side, turning back into mist as it did so. I had left a hole in her leg, blood trickling out of it. But as I watched, the wound healed, leaving a small pink mark in its wake. I looked up at her, my face white. She healed that quickly now? What the hell were they feeding her there!
She grinned and ran for me. I slammed my two hands together, the darkness swirling around both of them merging, and in my palms formed a long dark blade. I grabbed hold of it with two hands in time to block Roara's swing. She pulled back, thrusting again. I countered it, pushing forwards towards her. We fought, blade on blade, moving forwards and backwards with each move. She was better than me, more practiced, sleeker. But I was angrier, and I wasn't giving in.
As we fought I could hear other battles going on, and I caught glimpses of Ascendency soldiers in their hundreds running out of the trees into the open space. I heard the crackle of lightning, the buzzing of repulsors firing, the whistle of arrows and the boom of gunshots. I saw Steve beside me, as he slammed his shield into Locke's face. They were fighting hand to hand, each move so connected to the next it looked like a choreographed dance. I felt Roara's sword slice at my face, and I staggered backwards. She'd cut across my face, from my left eyebrow down to my chin in a diagonal line. Blood was pouring into my eye, and I could taste the distinct tang of iron in my mouth. I'd taken my eye off the ball for one second. But one second was all she had needed. I wouldn't be making that mistake again.
"You hurt my niece." I heard from above me. "I'll make you wish you were never born."
Before Tony could blast her Roara flipped backwards away from the powerful yellow beam coming from his hands. He landed beside me as Roara swept her dark hair out of her eyes, her sword no longer on fire.
He looked at me, and I couldn't read his expression underneath his mask, but his voice was furious. "That better not leave a scar."
"It'll look badass if it does." I spat out some blood. Roara was walking steadily towards us, sword in one hand, fire in the other.
"You ready to go Stark?" Tony asked me, beginning to walk forwards.
"I was born ready Stark." Together we ran to meet her.
Even two on one it was a tough fight. Roara was quick, slippery, merciless. She aimed to kill. She was slamming us backwards with a rush of air, then throwing balls of fire, then attacking with her sword. We would be running and then falling backwards as the grass became slippery with water. Tony was spending most of his time off the ground, flying this way and that, shooting small missiles that Roara either exploded or dodged. She had no weaknesses. Every time we landed a hit it was as though she couldn't even feel it, she didn't even look where she was bleeding or burning, she just continued. I had a feeling she actually couldn't feel it, as though she had become immune to physical pain. Could she feel any physical sensation at all?
Sweat was running down my face when I finally landed a hit that worked. I knew that trying to blind her with light was no use, she'd recover to quickly, so I'd taken to using the darkness. I got a direct hit to her eyes, not using the solid form of it, but using the black energy I had. She stumbled back, a hand going to her face. I'd only done this once before, on a scientist. It had been worse then, I'd got his whole face and body rather than just his eyes.
As she was immobilised Tony hit her across the face, sending her flying. She rolled, tree roots forming around her, helping her upright. When I saw her face again I had to fight the urge to wince. Her eyes, both of them, were black. Completely black. The man I'd done it to before, it had never gone away from him. She was blinking rapidly, as though she was trying to get rid of an eyelash.
Then she paused, and closed her eyes. She breathed in and out slowly. Then ran. She began to fight again, her moves flawless. It was as though she could see.
"What did you do?" Tony asked, dodging a ball of fire.
"I blinded her." I panted, rolling to one side and thrusting forward a hand, shooting out a jagged shard of darkness. "From the inside. She should be completely disorientated."
"Yeah, cause she seems really handicapped." Tony replied sarcastically.
I leapt and flipped in the air, landing behind Roara, blocking her blade with another of my own creation. "Yeah, thanks for the encouragement Tony, it's really," our swords slipped and she made to take another blow which I also countered, "really helping!"
"You're both pathetic." Roara sneered, her eyes still firmly shut.
"Hey," I muttered, "don't lump me in with him."
"Excuse me, I am very offended Alina, take that back." I dodged one of his shots and it hit Roara on the back. She growled, not in pain, but in anger. I watched the burn healed in seconds. She leapt into the air, towards Tony, and to my surprise and horror, didn't come down. She just kept rising, running as though she was on land. It was like the time on the highway, before the strike had happened and the building had collapsed, when she'd run through the air as though there were invisible stairs in front of her. She reached Tony and slammed her sword down onto the shoulder of his suit. There was a horrible metallic sound. Tony grabbed her hand, pulling it and the sword away from him. There was a cut in the suit. What the hell was that sword made out of? The cut didn't look deep enough to have hurt him, but I knew Friday would be updating him on the condition of his armour, the damage she had done.
"Okay, I'm pissed now." Tony said, diving towards her.
I felt a prickle in the middle of my back. I turned around. Locke was behind me, a hand outstretched towards me.
"What are you doing?" I asked. The prickling sensation grew stronger, becoming a full on stinging now, taking over the centre of my torso. Steve was holding onto his abdomen, trying to raise himself from where he had landed against the wall of the prison. I couldn't see any blood.
"Oh, I'm just taking your power, reducing it slowly. I did gift it you after all 232." He shrugged.
"That's." Steve groaned from behind him, "not her name."
I ran towards Locke, pulling out my gun as I went, jumping onto him and making his head smash against the ground. I spun my gun around in my hand and used the butt to hit him in the head. As soon as his hand had been moved the sensation had stopped and a warm fuzzy feeling had taken over. Locke grabbed my head and slammed his forehead into me. I fell back, dazed, my head spinning.
I sat up in time to see Cap on his feet again, throwing his shield at Locke. It caught him off guard, throwing him to the ground. But he was on his feet in moment and the two men had gone back to sparring. Locke was strong, really strong, but luckily not as strong as Steve. I pulled myself upright and ran to his aid, managing to get a punch to Locke's gut.
I heard a scream from behind me. I turned and saw Wheel back on the playing field, Aditi slung over his shoulder as he disappeared into the prison building. She was kicking and beating on his back with her fists but he showed no signs of letting her go. I didn't even have to think, I was already running at full speed, my hands grabbing the doorway and swinging myself inside. I followed the sounds of Aditi's screams of protest, turning down corridors, and jumping over unpacked boxes.
"IF YOU TOUCH HER," I bellowed, "THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY!"
I came to a stop, panting. The screams had become impossible to locate. I could go down one of two corridors, either left or right.
As I looked around the lights went out. I could see in the darkness, but this felt different. This felt pitch black like I hadn't known it before. I twisted and turned in a circle, the sounds of Aditi's distorted screams taunting me. My breathing caught in my throat. I couldn't see. I was afraid in a way I hadn't been for a very long time. I'd forgotten what darkness felt like.
I lifted a hand and a ball of light lifted from my palm to hover in front of my face, casting strange shadows across the walls. Why the hell couldn't I see without it?
I heard footsteps coming my way, heavy and fast. I dropped into a fighting stance, my fists at the ready, a knife in each one. A gun would be no use if I couldn't see. The steps were getting closer but I couldn't see anything in the strange darkness. Closer. I swung around trying to work out which direction they were coming from.
And then they were behind me.
I pivoted and swung my fist hard, making a full arc.
"WOAH! WOAH! Woah!" Steve was in front of me, his hands up, one of them grabbing my wrist before my knife could stab his jugular. Slowly he let go of my wrist.
I dropped my shoulders in relief and my knife clattered to the floor.
"Sorry Steve." I muttered, the strange light shimmering over his face.
"No, it's fine." He sighed and nodded at the light. "What's that for?"
"Is this dark for you?" I asked.
He nodded. "Pitch black, I was following the sound of your footsteps."
I groaned and placed my shaky hands over my face. "I couldn't see."
"But you can always see in the dark?"
"Yeah." I wiped my sweaty forehead. "Yeah, I know. I can't find Aditi. Wait what's happening with Locke?"
"Thor's going at him." Steve glanced at the two options. Left or right. "We should split up."
"No!" I blurted out, a bit too fast. "No, I just..." I was still trembling. I didn't like not being able to see, I hadn't had to cope with it for a very long time and I'd forgotten what it was like to feel blind. "I just don't think it would be a good idea." I lied.
"Okay, which way should we go?" He asked. I sighed and shook my head. I didn't know.
That was when I heard it. A small scratching sound.
"Can you hear that?" Steve asked, holding a finger up.
"Yeah... what the hell is it?" I expanded the ball of light and looked at the ground.
There, on the floor, was a goddamn squirrel, scratching against the wall.
"What the hell?" I bent down and tried to pick it up. "FUCK!"
"What?"
"It bit me." I sucked at my finger angrily. "Little shit."
"Must really hate you Ali, it's running away." He pointed at the left corridor.
I paused, finger still in my mouth. "Holy shit." I mumbled through a mouthful of finger.
"What?" Steve asked, but I was already walking down the corridor, following the squirrel, my light absent mindedly following me.
"HEY!" Steve jogged to catch up with me, "Hey, where are you going?"
"That's Fiona's squirrel. The one she kept in her jumper." I said in a hushed voice. "It has the same markings on its back."
"Holy shit." Steve said, stunned.
"Watch your language grandpa." I replied, but my heart wasn't in it. I was too busy concentrating on following the small rodent.
Suddenly the lights turned on. I hissed and covered my face, the light blinding. What the hell was going on? I could see in any light! That was kind of my thing! I rubbed my eyes vigorously and when I at last managed to adjust, I saw Steve was already running down the corridor.
"This way!" He called, turning down another corner. Everything was that grayish beige of concrete. I hated it. It reminded me of the lab back in Austria where I'd been kept for months.
Then I heard it again. A desperate screaming. My legs were already running before I could register what it was, my arms pumping, I was running so fast I was catching up to Steve.
I saw a glimpse of movement down a corridor and quickly changed course, Steve hot on my heels. At the end of the hallway was Wheel, Aditi still over one shoulder, her voice strained. I watched as he slammed a button next to him. A door began to lower from the ceiling, all concrete.
"RUN!" Steve shouted and made a mad dash for it, managing to get through.
My mind caught up to what was happening, but I knew I was too late. I began to run, sprinting as fast as I could. I was too late. I was going to be cut off. The door was nearly to the floor.
I let out a yelp and fell to my knees, letting my momentum carry me. It was as though the world was in slow motion. I dropped my back as though I was doing a limbo, so low I was practically against the floor. My knees went through first and I realised if I had miscalculated this was going to be incredibly painful indeed. I would either get crushed or cut in half. Then my pelvis made it through. Then my chest. As my head passed under the concrete slab I could see how close it was, how fine I was cutting it.
And then I was through, the door ground shut behind me. And time sped up. I sat up, still moving forward, propelled by my running. I was up again, running right behind Steve.
I was through.
But now I was locked in a prison and the cold realisation crept over me. I might have been safer on the other side of the door.