Barely five minutes later, Keira stepped into the Quinjet. Her heart felt like It weighed a thousand pounds, and her feet dragged slightly over the smooth metal floor. The thoughts in her mind were running wild, causing her eyebrows to furrow together automatically.
How was she supposed to keep this from Wanda?
But if there was one person in the world that could break Keira out of her head without even trying, it was Wanda. At the sight of the redhead waiting for her near the cockpit, a smile painted Keira's lips, even if it might be a bit more forced than normal. She had to keep her thoughts under control, or Wanda would be able to sense them.
Wanda never consciously listened in on somebody's mind, it was a breach of privacy she was not comfortable with breaking. But as she had stated before, Keira's thoughts had their way of dragging her in, always tempting her to take a close look.
Only if she was asked, like the time back in Scotland when Keira wanted Wanda to see if she could feel what was wrong, did she allow herself to look into somebody's thoughts. Of course, it was never completely silent as long as she was around other people, but she never listened in more than she had to.
And while the blonde's lips were pulled up in a smile, it didn't quite reach her eyes, something that Wanda noticed as Keira slumped down beside her. "Hey, everything okay?"
"Huh?" Keira's head whipped up from the floor, and the katana she had been fiddling with nearly fell out of her hands. After a moment's fumbling, she gently lowered the sword down underneath her seat, all to give her some well-needed seconds to think. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Was it a classic tactic of hers to answer a question with another question when she wanted to avoid answering? Yes. Would Wanda be able to see through it? Also yes.
Keira deliberately avoided meeting the emerald eyes of her fiancée, knowing that if she made eye contact, her resistance would surely crumble down within seconds.
"Something's on your mind." Wanda gently gripped the mutant's chin between her thumb and forefinger, turning Keira's head to the side so that their gazes met. "Wanna tell me about it?" She asked softly, tilting her head slightly. Even without speaking, or hearing the screaming voices in Keira's head, Wanda could see the conflict going on behind those storm-grey eyes. Lifting her hand, she gently caressed the blonde's cheekbone with the tips of her fingers, patiently waiting for an answer.
Just like Keira had suspected, the moment green met grey, she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and spill her guts. But she knew she couldn't do that, no matter how much she wanted to.
The fate of the universe was at stake, and her life wasn't worth it. She knew it. Vision knew it. "It's just... Everything with Thanos, the upcoming battle, and Vision... It's stressing me out." Keira sighed heavily, letting her head drop forward so her chin nearly touched her chest.
Technically, that wasn't a lie... Right?
Wanda smiled weakly at her fiancée. "This is going to work, okay? I need you to trust that, Ria." Letting her hands trail along the blonde's cheekbones, she cupped Keira's cheeks before moving their faces closer together. Resting their foreheads together, Wanda closed her eyes and let a small sigh escape her lips. She wasn't sure if she truly believed Keira's words. Something more was simmering below the surface, but she wouldn't go poking around in her fiancée's brain without permission.
And Keira had yet to lie to her, so she pushed her doubts to the back of her mind.
Keira too let her eyes flutter close, and allowed herself to just revel in the moment. "I trust you." She whispered, grateful that Wanda wasn't questioning her further. The half-lie was bad enough, and she didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep up the façade if Wanda decided to push the matter further.
Inhaling deeply, Wanda's flowery scent invaded Keira's senses, and a genuine smile stretched her lips now. God, the redhead was like a drug to her, one she would happily use for the rest of her days.
She blindly let one of her hands dance down Wanda's arm and her smile stretched even wider when her fingers made contact with the cool metal of Wanda's engagement ring. "I don't think I thanked you enough for healing my wounds. Just wish I could do the same for you." Keira reluctantly broke the skin-on-skin contact by leaning her head back a little, tracing the almost healed scratch on Wanda's forehead.
The redhead had gotten a small cut from one of the glass shards while fighting the aliens back in Scotland, but it was shallow enough so it was healing rather quickly.
Wanda hummed contentedly and smiled at the featherlight touch. "I think the kiss afterward conveyed your message pretty well, my солнце. Although, I appreciate your gratitude." Feeling Keira's hot breath fan over her face, the redhead closed the distance between them. It was a soft kiss, nothing really sexual about it, but more to convey the love between them.
"And I appreciate you, my love." Keira said lovingly when their lips parted, tenderly brushing her thumb across Wanda's cheekbone. She had been so busy with the conversation that she had failed to notice the fact that all of her teammates had boarded the jet and that they were up in the air.
❆
"Key, I think you wanna be awake for this."
"Hm?" Keira groggily opened her eyes, blinking a few times before the world regained its focus. It took her a moment to understand why she was bent over another person, her back aching slightly as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.
Wanda was still firmly asleep in her lap, and rubbing her cheek slightly, Keira could tell that the sleep lines on her face would match perfectly with the wrinkles on Wanda's shirt. It was no wonder why her body felt stiff. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but sleeping in a folded-up position, with her head resting in the curve of Wanda's waist, wasn't exactly the most ergonomic.
Natasha shook her head in amusement, it was clear that Keira wasn't awake yet. "You were fast asleep last time so I thought you might want to be awake this time."
Smothering a yawn, Keira peered up at Natasha before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. " For what?" she asked, a bit confused. Her brain wasn't exactly doing a bang-up job at getting her up to speed.
Natasha just smiled, and grasped one of Keira's shoulders, squeezing it gently before going up to the cockpit. "Get up and you'll see what I mean."
Not wanting to miss whatever it was Natasha was referring to, Keira leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Wanda's forehead. "Wan. Time to wake up." She whispered, running a hand through the red locks. But her fiancée seemed determined to stay asleep, because she only stirred a bit, her eyes still closed.
An airy chuckle escaped Keira's lips and she started to bounce her knees lightly, to annoy Wanda out of her sleeping state. And as the redhead's face scrunched up, Keira leaned down again and pressed small kisses all over her face. "Come on, sleepyhead."
"Okay, okay, I'm awake." Wanda complained weakly, an airy chuckle leaving her lips as she was pulled up to her feet by a very determined mutant. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the beautiful African rainforest below.
Keira, whose brain seemed to have hopped into action again, smiled lightly at Wanda's still drowsy state. It didn't bother her though, because it gave her an excuse to be close to the redhead under the pretense of holding her up.
She had been in Wakanda once before, but it had been years ago. And since she was working for HYDRA at the time, she had only been on the outskirts of the country and nowhere near the capital. It had just been pure luck that she had gotten out without getting caught, or she might've been sporting the same brand that had decorated Klaue's neck.
"Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0."
"I hope you're right about this." Sam muttered from the pilot seat. "Or we're gonna land a lot faster than you want to." But he did as he was instructed and lowered the nose of the jet.
Keira couldn't recall how she had entered Wakanda when she had been in HYDRA's grasp, but it had been from the ground at the very least. So when her eyes landed on the thick trees that Sam was steering them towards, she couldn't help the ways her eyes widened in trepidation. Surely, this couldn't be right?
Keira wasn't the only one that was slightly anxious about their entry. Wanda was chewing on her bottom lip and slipped her hand into Keira's, receiving a comforting squeeze. As the trees neared the nose of the jet, her body prepared itself for impact, but it never came. Instead, a barrier made out of hexagons appeared and broke apart, giving them access to the beautiful country beyond it.
The great mountain ranges were filled with trees and Keira couldn't help but wonder what kind of exotic animals they might be able to spot there if they got time for a walk. With its huge lake and modern-looking city, she wasn't really surprised that the country had stayed in the shadows for so long.
People were greedy and if the rest of the world got access to Wakanda and its riches, she was certain they would try to exploit it. The city truly reflected the brilliance of the Wakandans and Keira couldn't help but admire it. It was breathtaking, to be honest.
When the ramp lowered, a small group of people was waiting for them. T'Challa stood in front, as the proud king he was, and Keira couldn't help but feel a tiny bit nervous.
After all, she had fought against him in Germany but at the same time, the man had offered to help Bucky, which only showed that he didn't hold a grudge, which was seen as he welcomed them with a kind smile on his face.
The group of women warriors surrounding him, however, was a different story. They didn't look happy to see them.
Steve, per usual, led the group with Natasha close behind him. Keira and Wanda were the last to walk out of the jet with Vision in front of them but Keira couldn't help but chuckle at the conversation that was happening in front of Vision.
"Should we bow?" Bruce quietly asked Rhodey while pulling on his jacket.
"Yeah, he's a king."
Steve smiled warmly as he shook hands with T'Challa. "Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Yeah, thank god that the king was so generous with his services, both to the world and to the Avengers.
Bruce stole the attention as he cleared his throat and bowed, causing everyone on the team to smirk.
"What are you doing?" Rhodey asked, feigning his surprise very well behind his furrowed eyebrows.
"Uh, we don't do that here." T'Challa waved him off, gesturing him to stop. Although he deserved the respect as king, he thought it was a bit over the top to demand people to bow to him. Bruce glared at Rhodey, whose face now broke into a big smile that he had fought hard to keep under control. "So, how big of an assault should we expect?" T'Challa continued, addressing no one in particular as he started to lead the group towards one of the buildings.
"Uh, sir." Bruce pushed himself forwards since he was the one who had the most intel on Thanos. "I think you should expect quite a big assault."
"How we looking?" Natasha asked, thinking more tactically than emotionally right now. They needed to prepare for the invasion, and to do that, she needed to know all the variables.
It was smart to choose Wakanda as a battleground. Surrounded by big fields, it would give them a visual advantage, and with the forcefield surrounding the country, it would be easier to keep things in their favor.
"You will have my Kingsguard, the Border Tribe, and the Dora Milaje, and..." T'Challa trailed off, gesturing towards a familiar face that was approaching them.
"A semi-stable, hundred-year-old man." Bucky joked, smiling broadly. With his hair washed and combed, Keira couldn't help but think that he resembled Jesus a bit.
Steve's smile widened as he embraced his best friend. "How you been, Buck?"
"Uh, not bad, for the end of the world." Bucky joked, looking around the group. As his eyes landed on Keira, his smile stiffened slightly. "Keira."
"Hi, Bucky. Glad to see you're doing alright." She waved at him, still not wanting to leave Wanda's side. The group started moving again, discussing the invasion and the possibilities they had with the Stone, but Keira had stopped listening. Her mind was too preoccupied with the possible outcome.
She had been so busy in her own head that she hadn't even noticed that Natasha had approached them. "Wanda, I need to borrow Keira for a moment. Think you can go with Vision and help him prepare for the procedure?" Natasha's face wore a smile, although there was something forced about it that neither Wanda nor Keira could pinpoint.
Wanda glanced uncertainly between the blonde spy and her fiancée but after receiving a nod from Keira, her worries simmered down. "Of course, she's all yours." Falling into steps with the synthezoid, they quickly disappeared. Time wasn't in their favor at the moment.
As soon as Wanda had turned her back to them, Natasha's smile fell and she grabbed Keira's wrist, pulling the mutant with her.
"Tasha, wha-" Keira began but she was interrupted.
"Shut it, Key." Natasha warned in a low voice, not even glancing over her shoulder.
Not wanting to risk Natasha's fury, Keira allowed herself to be handled like a ragdoll, helplessly following in the spy's footsteps until she was dragged into a room just beyond the entrance to the lab. Natasha almost slammed the door behind her before she whipped her head around.
"Spill. Now."
Keira's eyebrows furrowed together in uncomprehension, although as the seconds passed, she started to have a creeping suspicion about what this was about. But she couldn't tell anyone. "What do you-"
"Don't bullshit me, Keira." Natasha gritted out, roughly pushing the mutant against the wall and pressing her arm against Keira's throat. "Tell me what's going on."
A small gasp left Keira's lips as her back collided with the wall. "Nothing's goin-" But she cut herself off at the death glare she received from the former assassin. Natasha couldn't know, could she? No, there was no way. Only Vision knew about her connection to the Mind Stone.
"You can't lie your way out of this one, Keira. Tell me what's going on. Now." Natasha seethed, her jaw clenched when she wasn't speaking.
Keira didn't think she had ever seen Natasha this close to anger, and honestly, it kind of scared her. Natasha could be quite intimidating, she knew that, but this was the first time it had been directed at her.
If she didn't spill the beans, Keira wouldn't put it past her best friend to kick her to the ground to attain the information Natasha so clearly knew she was withholding. "Okay, okay. Fine. You win, Tasha." She sighed and the pressure on her throat eased up immediately.
Finally getting some room to move, Keira started pacing while dragging her fingers through her hair in frustration, feeling Natasha's eyes on her. "First of all, please, don't freak out."
Natasha narrowed her eyes while arching an eyebrow, standing back with her arms crossed over her chest. "Not a great way to start this conversation."
"Just... Please, promise me you won't freak out?" Keira pleaded, temporarily pausing her pacing. When she received a nod, her legs started moving again and she anxiously chewed on her thumbnail. "Do I really have to say it? It feels like you already know what I'm about to say."
"I need to hear it."
Wanting nothing more than to sink through the floor, Keira took a deep, steadying breath. "Okay, so... It turns out that the Stone leaves a sort of radiation on its victims. And when handling all the corpses at HYDRA, I was exposed to the radiation which apparently deepened my connection to the Stone. That's why the aliens got confused and went for me and Wanda instead of Vision." Not daring to meet Natasha's gaze, Keira kept her eyes on the ground, as if it would provide her with the words she was struggling to say out loud.
"And what does it mean?" Natasha swallowed hard, feeling the dread in her stomach. She was already connecting the pieces but she didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be true. And until she heard Keira utter the words, she wouldn't trust the conclusion that her own mind provided her with.
Letting her hand fall from her mouth, Keira bit down on her lip before speaking. "It means... That when the Mind Stone is destroyed, there's a chance..." Feeling her emotions welling up inside her, Keira had to look up at the ceiling to stop the tears from falling. It turned out that talking about her death with her best friend was a lot harder than she had anticipated. "There's a chance that I might end with it." She finished, her voice breaking at the end.
Natasha's heart dropped like a stone and before anyone in the room had a chance to react, she slung her arms around Keira, burying her face against the mutant's shoulder. "No, no, no. H- How is that even possible?" Her normally collected voice was now shaking, and she was fighting back the tears that were stinging behind her eyes.
It was what she had feared, but hearing the words made it so much worse.
Keira hugged Natasha back tightly. "Honestly, I don't even know. But that's apparently why I was getting headaches the last couple of weeks before the aliens attacked, and Vision got them too. He could feel me getting attacked through the link we share with the Stone. T- That's why he returned to the compound. We don't know if my life force is connected with the Stone, but Vision believes it m- might be the case." Taking deep breaths, she managed to keep her voice somewhat steady, although it cracked at some points.
Natasha only shook her head, clinging onto Keira as if it was her last day on Earth. They had just been reunited after two years on the run, and now she ran the risk of losing her again? "No. It can't be. Vision must be wrong. We gotta tell Wanda."
"No!" Keira broke the hug, sternly meeting Natasha's gaze. "We do not tell Wanda. I can't. Promise me you won't say anything, Natasha."
Natasha's eyebrows furrowed together. Why hadn't Keira already told Wanda? It wasn't like her to keep secrets. "But we have to! She's got to know! Why haven't you told her yet?" Her voice rose with every word, and she stopped herself, inhaling deeply. It wasn't like her to lose control like this.
Keira slowly shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips."Oh, Tasha, isn't it obvious? It's difficult enough for her already, knowing that she might have to kill Vision if the separation fails. How do you think she would feel if she knows that my life is at risk as well? She wouldn't go through with it. And I can't risk my life getting in the way of millions."
"No." Natasha shook her head violently. "I can't accept that. I can't lose you again. Not again."
Keira gently put a finger under Natasha's chin, tilting her head upwards so their eyes met. "Listen. I'm ready to lay down my life if it means that my loved ones will live. Besides, we're not even sure that my life will end with the Stone, it's just a hypothesis."
Natasha's lower lip was shaking as she was fighting back the tears stinging behind her eyes. She couldn't lose Keira, she just couldn't. "But there's a risk." She whispered weakly.
"There's always a risk in this line of work, Tasha." Keira said gently, a tiny smile on her lips. "Every time we go on a mission, there's a chance that either of us will get hurt, or even die. This isn't any different." She didn't miss the subtle change in the green eyes, and she knew that she was starting to get through to Natasha.
"Then why are you so reluctant to tell Wanda?" Natasha countered stubbornly.
"For the reasons I've just stated." Keira sighed. "Because if she knows, then she might not destroy the Stone. And the Stone needs to be destroyed or the whole universe will suffer the consequences. I can't let that happen. I just can't, Tasha. So please, I'm begging you. Don't tell her. She can't know. I hate lying to her, but this is for the greater good."
After a moment's hesitation, Natasha gave a reluctant nod.
"I need to hear it, Natasha. I want you to promise me that you won't tell her. And you need to keep your thoughts occupied with something else." Keira pressed, holding out her pinky.
Glancing between Keira's eyes and her outstretched pinky, Natasha shook her head, defeated. Sometimes Keira was too stubborn for her own good. "Okay. I promise. I won't tell her. But if you die today, I'll kill you myself." Hooking her pinky around Keira's, the shadow of a smile twitched in the corners of her lips.
"You got yourself a deal, Tasha." A watery chuckle left Keira's lips as she squeezed their pinkies tight.