#marvel image

The end of the school year was getting closer by the day, You’ve been studying like crazy for your finals determining if you would graduate from high school or not. It’s been some crazy years, since the avengers began saving the world, more threats were popping up everywhere and in All honesty, you have the most experience in it. Some people say you're lucky, some people just want you dead.

Those are some things you deal with when you are born in the stark family.

Being the kid of the Iron man, Tony stark, has some Ups but also downs. First off, he’s always so busy, saving the world and tinkering for new gadgets for his own Iron man suit, he spends hours down in the lab that you have to bring his food and water down, before Pepper would find out and she would scold him for being so irresponsible for his health.

Every time you do bring some food, He thanks you by ruffling your hair and Telling you something about the new gadget he’s making. You smile in yourself at the memory, when he actually allowed you to make your own suit with him, customised to your liking. 

‘’Only use it when you have no choice and when you are in actual danger.’’ He told you, as you nodded, understanding why after the whole event of Ultron Taking over the Iron man suits.

Even if he’s not the most perfect dad, he is your’s and you love him with all your heart. That’s why you have been a hard worker your entire life. They had expectations for you, most of the criticism was from the media, but you honestly didn’t care about all that, all you cared about, was the opinion of your dad, who has always been there since you’ve been born into the family.

And when the finals were starting, You were more than ready to go head on into these tests, Your Diploma so close into your reach it wasn’t funny. Tony did worry a bit, when he saw the patterns of hard work he created and inherited from his side. You were locking yourself in your room, studying 24/7 about the subjects you had to take, Like you, he eventually brought you food, just like how you would do it to him.

‘’You Okay Kiddo?’’ He asked you, as he tried to sound as smug as he could, but you were you dad’s kid, you knew better. You looked over at him as you could see him slightly worried. “Yeah dad, Just studying for finals, I’m almost done for the day, Thank you for the food.’’ You smiled at him, as he just ruffled your hair. 

“Alright Kid, After studying wanna help me with an upgrade on your suit? I think I have some few ideas and you left your sketches around my lab, I just took a look and liked some ideas so I wanna put it on your suit.’’ He chuckled, seeing you get excited by it.

‘’Okay! Coming!’’ You smiled, cleaning the place up as you guys worked for the rest of the day on your suit.

And now,

Now you were in the crowd, waiting for your name to be called, To get that Diploma in your hand.

‘’Y/n Stark’’ The principal called out

You smiled widely, as you walked up to the stage, everyone clapping as you waved to the audience. Some press were taking Photo’s of you, as you shook the teachers hand. You looked over at the crowd, as one person stood out of the crowd.

Your smile went wider as you saw your dad in the crowd, and laughed slightly as you could see some small tears in his eyes. You signed your diploma, grabbed it gently out of the principals hand and walked off towards your family, as you hugged your dad tight.

He kissed your forehead and smiled at you. “I’m proud of you kiddo’’

[Y/N] was the first to open her eyes.

The first thing she saw in her state of confusion was the Time Door closing above her. She could barely process what she had just experienced, disoriented from the sudden series of events. Then, she felt herself on top of someone and on instinct, she jumped from the embrace that had loosened during the impact of the fall.

She surveyed the dark room, cautious of the two that lay on the floor, and tried to examine as much as she could.

They were just at the TVA, in front of the Time-Keepers’ door. When she moved to go against the judge, she was pulled backwards before the weapon could make contact. Then, the three landed here, an unknown location in space and time.

[Y/N] realized that she had been mere centimeters away from being erased from the Timeline. From disappearing from existence. And… And the being who saved her was lying on the floor. The one who had pulled her into his arms and taken the brunt of the fall. The elusive variant that Mobius had taken the risk to work with and found some level of trust in. Loki.

Then, the two snapped their eyes open.

Her heart nearly flew out of her chest and a startled scream was caught in her throat as she desperately tried to hold it back. The woman who had woken up first took one look at the discarded TemPad and immediately struggled to get to it first. Loki, who realized her intentions, quickly latched on to her leg and dragged her back.

“Get off my leg!” The woman demanded as she grabbed Loki and slammed his head onto a small, metallic, decorative table.

[Y/N] winced at the sound as she witnessed this first hand. That’s when a thought occurred to her. These two… They seemed to have forgotten that she was here as well.

Hmmm, she mused to herself as an idea began to form in her mind. Well, it’s not my fault that they forgot about me, right?

What [Y/N] didn’t see, due to her eyes still adjusting to the dim light, was Loki’s discreet glances her way every now and then. He knew his priorities, but he first had to make sure that she was there, safe and alive. But [Y/N], sadly, did not see this and continued to believe that she now had the upper hand. The element of surprise.

“Goodbye, Variant,” the woman scoffed as she finally got her hands on the TemPad.

“You’re outta juice,” Miss Minutes’ voice stated through the device.

Not that it would have done much good even if the TemPad was at full power. [Y/N] wasn’t just standing idly by. She decided to take full advantage of the situation and cover the device with her own powers. It wasn’t very hard, since it wasn’t necessarily to protect or deflect anything. This was just a preventative measure to stop any of the two from getting away. Not before she could make sense of the situation.

The two fought a bit more, just like they had at the TVA. However, the stark difference was that Loki now had free reign on his powers. His magic. [Y/N] had read up on his files the moment Mobius decided to take the variant under his wing. She knew just how powerful this self-proclaimed god was, and knew that outside of the TVA, he was a dangerous force to be reckoned with. When Loki began to use his powers against the woman, [Y/N] knew who would come out the winner.

“Right,” Loki began as he easily unarmed the woman and snatched back the TemPad.

“Just give it back to me,” the woman interrupted, “You don’t even know how to recharge it.”

“Of course I do,” Loki countered as he looked down at the device.

Due to him not facing her, [Y/N] missed the spark of recognition that flashed past Loki’s eyes. He could feel the familiar power that enveloped itself around the TemPad. It felt a bit clumsier than what he had first experienced. A bit unrefined. But it was definitely the same power. It was definitely [Y/N]’s.

“You’re not the only tech savvy Loki,” he continued, hiding the fact that [Y/N] was here as well.

Loki. The name hit her like a ton of bricks. [Y/N]’s eyes widened as she snapped her attention fully on the woman. It was only then that she finally took in everything about this stranger. This intruder that clearly had malicious designs on the TVA. This variant… Loki.

“Don’t ever call me that.”

“Tech savvy?”

“No, a Loki.”

Their conversation no longer registered in [Y/N]’s ears. All she could hear were the screams of her dying comrades. The crackling of fire as it ate away at their oil-covered bodies. And that smell… That horrible stench. The smell of burning flesh. How human they seemed at that moment. How mortal their bodies were as it succumbed to the flames.

As [Y/N]’s mind raced, the female Loki’s headpiece became blindingly obvious. The broken horn. The cloaked figure. The suffocating smell of oil and smoke. And fire… The unbearable heat of fire. Everything finally clicked in place now that [Y/N] was no longer distracted. No longer focused on the Loki that was said to be on their side. Now, all she could see was this female variant. All she could smell was the night air of that day, polluted by the burning fire. And… And all she could feel was rage. Blinding, hot rage.

“Fine. For my next trick, I’ll make you disa-”

“YOU-!” [Y/N] shrieked, interrupting Loki who was readying his daggers, as her powers went haywire.

Words escaped her at that moment. All she wanted was to inflict violence. To cause this variant the same pain and suffering that her teammates had gone through that night. To chase away her own gnawing guilt that threatened to consume her whole and only focus on the anger that lay within. The anger and hatred she felt for this variant. To no longer have only herself to blame.

The female Loki was startled by the sudden attack, but her blade was already in her hands. She was prepared for battle, but there was a downside. [Y/N] had replayed the events of that night over and over again in her head. It was to the point that would drive anyone insane. Every single detail was ingrained into her mind. And all her mistakes were strikingly obvious with each and every replay. This Loki… This variant… She had a weakness.

[Y/N] wasn’t acting on just emotions alone. No, she was thinking a bit more rationally this time around. She did not get close to the variant. She didn’t even try to close the distance. No, [Y/N] played it smart and took several steps back instead. And using this space, she threw out everything she could. Every single ounce of her powers, every single bit that craved to be released from the prison that was her body, she sent out. And like a broken dam, it was a torrential amount of force that hit the female Loki like a tsunami. Like a natural disaster.

Still, the variant was a Loki for a reason.

Her Asgardian-like endurance was the same with any Loki. Although distance attacks placed her at a disadvantage, and she was being pushed back, her durability was no joke. She could take hit after hit continuously. The worst part… This Loki seemed to be adjusting with every strike. For every one hit, she was starting to dodge two more that came her way. She was exponentially improving while [Y/N]... Well, she was still inexperienced.

She could feel her muscles starting to ache from the sudden amount of force released from within herself. It was as if someone had stepped on the accelerator of a car and was eating away at every drop of fuel left within her. Much like the TemPad, if [Y/N] continued with this reckless attack, she would soon run out of energy. Perhaps she wasn’t in her right mind to think about the consequences, but someone else was. And he was getting more and more worried.

However, before any of them could progress further against the other, something broke through the covering overhead and crashed onto the ground below them.

All three of them froze as they stared at the sudden intrusion.

“Is that one of your powers?” Loki asked the female variant.

“Where did you-?” she began, but [Y/N] couldn’t care less about that.

She continued to bombard her with her powers. More and more of her energy drained from her, but she didn’t care. Sweat droplets began to form on her forehead, showing just how much this excessive use of her abilities were putting on her, but she ignored everything and just kept throwing wave after wave of her powers.

[Y/N] had yet to use her abilities to its limit. She never had the chance to. In all her years in the TVA, no one had allowed her the opportunity nor the permission. She didn’t know what would happen if she completely used up all her energy. She didn’t know how severe the consequences would be. But she knew that if she didn’t get all this rage, all this anger, out of her system now, it would haunt her for the rest of her life.

“...! St…! Stop, [Y/N]!”

A voice broke through her blind anger. She heard a word… A name, perhaps, that she found very familiar. It was so familiar, that it almost seemed natural. As if she had heard it many times before. Then, someone stepped in between her and the variant.

Loki. Loki had gotten in between the two of them.

He had witnessed her in her moment of fury. It was something he was vastly familiar with, during all his years with Thor in their youth as well as the not-so-distant past when he confronted his father about his birth. Anger was an emotion he could never quite let go. But for some reason… He found it unfamiliar. He found this level of rage, this level of fury, to be unfamiliar on [Y/N]. From all of his own as well as his “future” self’s memories, he had never once seen her so enraged. And honestly, it began to scare him.

Her exhaustion was clearly written on her face, her pallor getting paler and paler. He could feel the raw energy leaking from her with every swing that she sent out towards his female variant. All of this worried him, but what really began to scare him was her eyes. Her eyes, that once looked so calm and serene… The irises that seemed to examine, looking for ways to protect and defend, now shook with so much anger that all they searched for was for ways to hurt and attack… They were so different from the [Y/N] he had seen.

These familiar, yet unfamiliar eyes… They were scary because… Because they were the same as his. They were the same as how he once was when he had been so filled with rage towards his father, mother, brother… His family… So blinded that he had torn apart their relationship and even went after their lives.

Unable to hold back any longer, he desperately called out to [Y/N] and stood in her path. He knew how irrational one could be in that state of mind, but he took the slim chance that maybe… Just maybe… She would recognize him and take a moment to breathe. Take a moment to calm herself. Take a moment to find peace.

“[Y/N],” he began as he inched closer to her and cupped her face in his hands, gently tilting them up so that she could only look into his eyes. “[Y/N], breathe. Stop. Think. We can’t do this right now.”

Her eyes still shook, but they began to get less and less erratic as they stared back at him. [Y/N] couldn’t seem to comprehend his words. She was trying so hard to focus, but her mind was a mess and her body was heating up. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt parched. She could feel her sweat rolling down her face and dripping to the ground, but still it was hard for her.

Was this the cost of using her powers? And what was he saying? [Y/N]? Who was [Y/N]?

But [Y/N] didn’t have more time to think.

In that brief moment, another projectile punctured through the tent and exploded as it made impact onto the ground. Everyone flinched at the sudden intrusion, and [Y/N] was no exception. That’s when she finally got a good look on what had interrupted them before.

The small crater the object had created… It startled her so much that her mind began to fly into overdrive. She knew exactly what that was. And if her thoughts were right, then she could only think of one place. One horrible, dreaded place. One that many of the Minutemen were warned to never go.

“No,” [Y/N] breathed out as she pulled herself away from Loki, too distracted to think of his words any longer, and looked around to find the exit. “Please tell me this isn’t…”

Her rage and confusion that was already dissipating, and the listlessness of her mind immediately disappeared as the situation began to take a turn for the worse. Though hatred still ate away at her, she ignored it as the TVA agent within her finally began to take the reins. If this was indeed where she thought they were, they needed to run.

[Y/N] was the first to exit the large tent as she looked up at the sky.

“Shit,” she cursed, taking in the purple hue of their surroundings, as the two variants followed after her.

This was the first time [Y/N] had ever wanted to escape the outside world and back to the TVA. She found the organization to be a prison, but it was vastly better than landing here of all places. This… This was far worse than a prison. In fact, it wasn’t too far from what people would view as Hell.

“You idiot!” the female Loki shouted, “This is Lamentis 1.”

“I don’t know what that means!” Loki yelled back.

“The worst apocalypse you could have sent us to,” [Y/N] sighed as her face scrunched up into a frown.

“The moon that planet is about to crash into and destroy,” the female Loki elaborated as another flying piece of the looming planet overhead crashed dangerously close to them. “Of all of the apocalypses saved on that TemPad, this is the worst!”

The three took off charging in one direction, unable to think of exactly where they should be going, as they dodged the small, yet powerful meteors left and right.

“No one makes it off here!” Both [Y/N] and the variant stated as they ran, their earlier fight discarded.

Fighting was one thing, but survival trumped all others. To fight now was to die, so the three had a wordless agreement. Run now, fight later.

“Incoming!” [Y/N] hollered at the same time the variant shouted, “Watch out!”

The female Loki pulled him out of the way as [Y/N] sent her own power and collided instantly with the flying rock that was headed their way. The impact caused an explosion mid-air, the rock turning to dust and debris flying outward, as the force sent [Y/N] stumbling backwards. Loki, who was not too far away, grabbed hold of her arm and helped to keep her steady as the three resumed to run.

“I’m sorry, madam,” Loki said as he looked back at the other variant. “Didn’t have time to scan the brochure.”

The three slid under a large vehicle, the wheels nearly as tall as their bodies, and ducked for cover as another meteor hit too close for comfort.

“By the way, I thought you wanted me dead.”

“I don’t know where you hid that TemPad, but if you blow up, it blows up, and then I end up blown up.”

“Shut up and run!” [Y/N] commanded as she stood up and pointed towards a metallic unit that was different from the tents.

It couldn’t secure them from the inevitable doom that would befall Lamentis, but it would provide them with enough protection, at least until they could catch their breath.

“So we’re a team now?” Loki asked as he ran alongside [Y/N].

She didn’t know when it had happened, but they were now running hand-in-hand. It was too chaotic to focus on, but she could feel his firm grip on her tighten as they continued to sprint towards safety. There were moments when she thought to let go, to loosen her grip and slip from his grasp, but a part of her didn’t want to. And for some reason, as if he knew what she was thinking, every time the thought of letting go occurred to her it was as if his grip tightened. As if to tell her that he wouldn’t let go, no matter what.

“Oh, God, no!” the female Loki exclaimed at the prospect of them being a team.

“Dodge!” [Y/N] yelled at the same time Loki shouted, “Get down!” right as a meteor shot towards them.

Although [Y/N] was ready to fight to the death with this variant, she wasn’t sure if she could really bring herself to kill someone when the time really came to it. And in the heat of the moment, when the meteor could have taken care of the female variant without [Y/N] having to get her hands dirty, she had warned her instead.

Biting her lip, refusing to take the time to hesitate in this situation, [Y/N] readied her powers once more. Just as she was about to send them out and help, Loki acted faster and grabbed hold of the female variant and pulled her back with his free hand.

“Didn’t need your help!” She scowled in response.

“You’re so weird!” Loki replied.

[Y/N] just clicked her tongue, frowning at the variant’s response.

The situation began to really annoy her. She didn’t like how she had to cooperate with this variant. She didn’t like how she couldn’t apprehend this woman right here and now. She didn’t even know why she was trying to understand this monster. And Loki… The variant that was supposed to be on her side… She couldn’t trust him completely, but for some reason she kept finding herself with her guard down around him. But why? Why was she acting differently? This was not how she was trained. And… And why did it seem like he kept sticking close to her? How he kept staying by her side? And why? Why did it feel so natural?

[Y/N], breathe. Stop. Think. We can’t do this right now.

When she thought back to his strange words, she could barely take it anymore. Those words… It made her annoyance peak. She flung her hand away from Loki and swung her powers outwards. They were close enough to see the door, and her abilities aggressively swung the metal frame wide open. Without even looking back, she entered into the contraption and left the two behind.

She was in such a hurry to escape this confusing situation that she didn’t notice Loki’s pace slow down. She didn’t see his hurt expression before it went away in the blink of an eye. And she didn’t see his eyes, the hint of green that lingered in the blue irises, that tracked her as she escaped inside.

[Y/N] would never know, but Loki at this time had a thought. A painful, heart wrenching thought that nearly shook him to the bone.

Loki had a feeling that she… That this [Y/N] did not know who he was. Not in the way that he had hoped. He knew this might happen if he ever were to reunite with her. That maybe, just maybe… She would not have a single recognition of him as he did her. Like when he first met her all that time ago in New York, maybe she was in his shoes this time. Maybe she would think that this Loki was strange and maybe be curious about him, but not a speck of genuine interest would appear in her heart. That she would dismiss him like any other person that she was to cross paths with.

The thought of that… The thought of her rejecting him, just like she had done when she shook off his hand… It cut him deeper than any dagger ever could.

He stepped into the metal unit with a heavy heart, along with the female variant, and inside [Y/N] was waiting. The three of them were all breathless, but still [Y/N] stood there with her arms crossed with a deep frown. She glanced at the female variant, her eyebrow twitching from her bottled anger, but she let out a deep breath and focused her attention back on Loki. Her next words… Well, they weren’t what he expected.

“Now… Who the hell is [Y/N]?”

[Previous] | [Next]

“No.” She means real.” Explains Zemo, “This gallery is specialized in stolen artwork. Monet. Van Gogh....Classics.” Sam gives him a curious glance as he follows Sharon across the room before he stops to study the rare artworks.

“It’s true.” You add while walking past him, “You know, half the artwork in museums like Louvre is fake. Real stuff sits in places like this.”

“Okay, guys, I see what you’re doing. You’re more worldly than good old Sam.” Jests Sam while taking out his phone to gain some proof of this interestingly new information when Bucky wanders past him before muttering. “Yeah. What’s google say?”

Sam’s eyes find the truth via google as he sends the back of Bucky a surprised look, “No shit.”

You playfully nudge Bucky, “Huh, no shit.” He snorts in amusement while Sam throws you an annoyed look. 

“Okay don’t start this with me you two, I know how you are.”

“And how are we.” Says Bucky with air quotes just to further annoy Sam.

“Yeah..” You add, “We’ve never done anything bad in our entire lives.....ever.”

Sam stands there for a moment, just blinking as he purses his lips together, “Right.” He nods, “You two have never done anything bad. Not once.”

“Yup.” Chides Bucky with a telling smirk as you begin to chuckle at that when Sharon turns around to face the three of you.

“You guys need to change. I’m hosting clients in an hour.” Notes Sharon before leading the way through yet another doorway.

“People.” Mutters Bucky while he walks by your side, “I don’t wanna meet anyone else.”

“Not even one person?” You ask.

“No.”

“What if they have a cool hairstyle?”

“Still no.”

“oh, come on. We could learn a thing or two about this place Buck.”

He huffs, “I’ve learned all I care to know, we got shot at yesterday. Did you forget that?”

“Pffffff...so we met some bad apples.” You muse, “Maybe they were having a bad day.”

“We had a bounty on us.”

You snicker at his bluntness, “Maybe they saw Zemo. I don’t blame them for shooting then. Bounty or no bounty.”

“Okay....that’s fair.”

——-

After Sharon ushered your rag tag crew of four into her admittedly luxurious estate, you and Bucky soon found proper outfits aside from the more stylish tactical gear you were previously wearing as Hydra’s Hellcat, supposedly protecting Baron Zemo, well, at least under the guise of it.

Now, you’re thankfully out of the wild streets of Madripoor and seated comfortably next to Bucky who stares stoically at some far wall painting while Sam stands shirtless from behind you two, in search of a shirt. “What’s going on Sharon?” Asks Sam like a concerned brother, “You don’t ever wanna come back?”

She wanders next to the couches armchair, setting her brown leather jacket down for later usage, “They’ll lock me up if I step foot back in the States. Madripoor doesn’t allow extradition.”

Sam turns to face the blonde as she glances out the window, “Look, sorry I didn’t call, but after The Blip and the chaos, I just...”

She raises a brow at Sam, “You know the whole hero thing is a joke, right? The way you gave up that shield, deep down, you must know it’s all hypocrisy.”

Zemo hums, “He knows. And not so deep down.”

She nods in understanding before a small smirk pulls at the corner of her lips, “By the way, how is the new Cap?”

“He’s a dickhead.” You deadpan with an honest shrug.

Bucky makes a telling face, “Don’t get me started.” Telling Sharon everything she needs to know with both yours and Bucky’s blunt reactions. Yeah, he’s no Steve unfortunately.

She scoffs before wandering around to find a seat on the same couch, blue eyes focused on Bucky as she smirks yet again, “Please. You buy into all the stars and stripes bullshit? Before you were his pet psychopath, you were Mr. America! Cap’s best friend.”

Bucky watches as she plops herself across the curved couch from you two, “Wow. She’s kind of awful now.” Mutters Bucky with a stoic expression as you hum in amusement. “I like her now.” Earning an eye roll from Bucky who thought you’d be on his side. Being a tough woman from a rough world never meant you girls would stay kind. And anyways, as much as you love and side with Bucky on almost everything, she’s not wrong. Which does amuse you.

“Well, this she-fox and her companions have taken the serum.” You vouch with a nod, “So, we’re stuck down here for some real answers.”

 Sharon shakes her head at your bout of information, “You guys really should steer clear of all of this for your own safety.”

“We know it’s a risk,” You quickly implore, “but we won’t leave until we find the one who cracked the code. This world doesn’t need anyone else like us running around and acting like they can do whatever they want just because they’re stronger then the average human...or, some intelligent nutcase with the means and skill to create the serum.”

“We got a name actually. Wilfred Nagel.” Adds Bucky while Sharon’s face shifts into a concerned frown. She soon gets up from her seat before sauntering over to the minibar near Zemo, “Nagel works for the Power Broker.”

“We need your help, Sharon.” Says Sam, “I can get your name cleared.”

With drink in hand, she turns to face him, “You haggling with my life?”

Sam frowns, “Not like that.”

“I don’t buy that. You’re pretending like you can clear my name.”

“Okay, maybe it is hypocrisy. Maybe you’re right. What happened to you. But I’m willing to try if you are.” Counters Sam as he points a thumb at you two on the couch, “They cleared the bionic staring machine, and he killed almost everybody’s he’s met.”

“I heard that.” Mutters Bucky as Sam continues to try and convince Sharon, “I mean, they even let the worlds most messed up science experiment turned assassin into America, and she’s technically Russian so...they could let you in.”

“I also heard d’at.” You mutter bluntly through your obvious European accent. Science experiment? Okay Sam. Sharon’s eyes darting from you to Sam. “I don’t trust charity.”

“Alright, deal then. You help us out, and I get your name cleared.” Proposes Sam as Sharon takes a drink before begrudgingly agreeing to this new proposition.

“Well, I sell to some pretty connected people. Lay low, blend in, enjoy the party.” Advises the blonde as she makes her way over to the small staircase before turning to give one last piece of advice, “Try to stay out of trouble. I’ll see what I can find.”

Zemo hums in amused, “Trouble.” In slight mockery of Sharon’s doubts on your group while you quickly rise to your feet, eyeing up the man as he takes another sip.

“Shut up.”

——

Dealing with the flashy lights, sweaty bodies, and endless noises brought upon by the clubs rich high end crowds. Sharon was finally able to find a proper lead taking you to some cargo port on the edge of Madripoor where this Nagel guy should be living. Wherever the hell he is.

Sharon leads the way in front. Sam, Bucky, and Zemo ahead of you as your wary eyes trail around the metal cargo vessels to either side of you all. You don’t trust Zemo in the slightest and don’t adheredly like the current surroundings, so you’re taking the back to keep watch for any suspicious activity.

“Madripoor could give New York a run for its money. They know how to party.” Jokes Sam as everyone trails after Sharon who’s tracking this guys lab with her phones GPS system while she adds, “With that bounty on your head, the longer you’re in Madripoor, the less likely you’re ever leaving.” If that ain’t the truth.

Turning another corner, she points her phone towards a giant metal cargo box positioned further down the rows of various others, “All right. He’s in there. Container four-two-six-one.” Your eyes quickly find it as as she continues, “I’ll watch while you guys talk to Nagel. But hurry. We’re on borrowed time.” Warns Sharon who gives the four of you com pieces for your ears. More efficient communication, that’s definitely needed in a place like this.

Taking the small device, you stick it into your ear as she begins walking in the opposite direction, soon out of sight as Sam leads the way to the large metal shipment container, “Hey, Sharon. You sure this is the right one?” Questions Sam on the coms when Sharon answers right back that this is the correct one indeed.

This place practically smells like illegal activity.

Sam takes a wary glance inside before slowly entering, Zemo right after. Your ears suddenly catch the sounds of running footsteps further away down by the loading area, immediately you press a hand against Bucky’s shoulder just as he goes to take a step inside. His eyes flash to yours in a second, “What’s wrong?”

“We’re not alone.” You mutter, “I’ll stay back okay? Just get this shit over with before I have to hurt anyone.” Bucky’s brows furrow, face shifting like he’s about to protest though his eyes soften when he sees how confident you are in your statement. He knows you can handle anything.

“Okay. Be safe.”

“You too.”

You watch as he gives the flash of a smile before turning around and following Sam and Zemo further into the large cargo container. You stay a couple moments longer and watch as the Sokovian flicks on a flashlight before messing with the back wall when the rippled metal gives way to a secret door. And with that do you shut the front of the metal container, giving an inch of light into the partially closed space to somewhat cover their tracks.

Now to deal with these bounty hunters.

Wandering a short ways to the right, you follow the new sounds of strained grunts and guns falling to the ground when you catch a glimpse of some movement down a row of cargo containers to your immediate left. Racing in that general direction, you take notice of several men dressed in various dark clothing. All sporting some kind of gun with them.

The first one takes immediate notice of you and soon raises his assault rifle just as you make haste across the short enclosed distance to him. Fortunately, you’re able to reach his side before he’s able to shoot. Instead, you unsheathe your claws, slicing his gun into three parts before kicking his whole body into the giant metal boxes. Knocking him out cold.

A second later his friend sends a bullet straight through your upper chest with the aid of his pistol but is quickly disabled when you fight through the pain to break both his arms, not giving enough of a shit to look back and see if he’s able to do anymore damage. The sounds of his agonized whimpers all that you need to keep moving forward and onto the next three bounty hunters hell-bent on getting that cash.

Not today.

You dodge behind the metal container as bullets rain down upon the steel and cement ground, though you soon snatch up a fallen pistol by your feet before whipping around to land a bullet into the hands of the men hunting you four. They drop their weapons, screaming in pain as blood pours from out of their damaged hands.

Tossing the gun to the side, you quickly walk over to them to finish the job. By now they’re on their knees, cradling their broken and blooded hands to their chests like little children who’s favorite toy has been broken. The first mans eyes go wide when you approach him, words nothing but pleads for mercy when you crack him across the temple without a second thought.

He falls to the ground unconscious when you do the same to his friend. Though the third one spits a slew of insults, venom dripping off his tongue while he scoots away from your wolfish form. “No! No! Stay back you fucking bitch!” Screams the furious man in desperation as blood seeps out from his closed fist, you give him a stern glare before using the ulnar side of your fist to shut him up.

Smack!

He drops slack against the ground with a palpable thud, skull most certainly cracked though he’s sure to make it out alive when he wakes up later on. Shit! Sharon! The sounds of her labored grunts mixed with gunfire alert you into action once more, this new area beacon the cause of your haste down more lumbering cargo until you reach the source of her struggle.

She’s currently battling with a man for control over a pistol, and by the looks of it, she’s handling her own pretty damn well too. Thwack. Thwack. White hot pain shoots through your right back scapula, another bout of intense pain spreading up from your lower right rib cage behind you.

“Fuck.” You seethe through clenched teeth as the silent bounty hunter pulls on your jackets hood, he draws his blooded tactical knife straight for your exposed neck to finish the job but is swiftly met by your body twisting out of his grasp like a crocodile in a death roll.

Taking this precious moment of freedom, your right claws come out of your balled up fist, shining beautifully in the clouded light before slicing three clean lines across his left arm. The knife drops to the cement as his screams of agony fill your ears, blood spurting everywhere in the aftermath.

“ah shit.” You mutter, grimacing at your handiwork that’s making a bloody Pollack painting all over the wet ground, “oh that looks....that looks bad, sorry......uh, I hope you weren’t left handed.” He moans in response; you purse your lips together in disgust, eyes flashing over to the decapitated arm before taking a step to leave. You didn’t kill him, he’s gonna be okay.......probably. 

Probably.

“What the fuck?!” Gasps Sharon breathlessly as you whip around to face her, red dots scattered across your face as you watch her wide eyes glance from the groaning man with visible lack of an arm to your face and slowly down to your blood coated Adamantium claws.

“It was a reaction.” You quickly protest as she sends you a doubtful look, “He’ll be fine. Come on we’ve got bigger problems.” You urge as she nods in understanding, quickly jogging ahead as she leads the way to the metal cargo container.

Soon you’re both through the door and into the bright lab you go, “Guys, we’re seriously out of time here.” Rushes Sharon as you trail in right on her heels just as a loud shot rings into the small space. What in the..

“No!” Shouts Sam as he quickly disarms Zemo, pushing the Sokovian against a grated metal wall as Sharon looks at the dead man in bewilderment. “What did you do?” She rasps just as an explosion rocks the lab, causing the five of you to forcibly fall to the ground just as fire bursts from its source. Red emergency lights flashing obnoxiously as smoke and more hot flames gather your attentions from the opposite side of the small lab.

Sucking in a needed breath, your vision goes fuzzy from the harsh impact to the tiled flooring just as a familiar stubbled face kneels down at your side. He pulls a piece of glass out of your shoulder before cradling your head in his metal arm, “Y/N are you okay?!” Stresses Bucky as your eyesight regains it’s bearings along with the rest of you, “Babe we gotta go!”

“M’fine....I’m fine..just..help me up.” Bucky’s strong arms pull you to your feet now, he holds you steady for a second before the two of you quickly follow Sharon and Sam to the exit just as the rest of the lab explodes.

Reaching daylight, you’re greeted by the blaring sounds of gunfire when Bucky yells, “All right! Wait for my signal!” Bullets raining down as Sam races towards the right, “Damn it!” Complains Bucky as he ducks to avoid getting shot in the face.

“I don’t have a fucking gun!” You shout angrily as the three of them shoot at the bounty hunters, you crouch down lower before making your way over to Sharon and Sam, “And you like living here?” These people are insane!

“It’s not terrible.” Replies Sharon as she shoots at more bounty hunters, both her and Sam ignoring your existence as they take out as many foes as possible. Left to your frustrations, Bucky randomly crouches next to your side from seemingly out of nowhere.

“I thought we were going left?!” Counters Bucky at Sam while never ending gunfire sounds in the foreground.

“You went the wrong way!”

“I was clearing the way!”

“I came out first. You had to follow me!”

“And where are we now?!”

“Guys, not the time!” You shout from in between them.

“This is a barricade!” Yells Bucky, both himself and Sam clearly ignoring you at this point.

“It’s in every action movie!” Adds Sam when some man in a purple mask shoots a pipeline, a massive explosion of fire and gas emitting in the aftermath. Fuck all this fire. The masked man doing well to take out a couple bounty hunters before jumping from his perch to take out the remaining three. Zemo. You know it’s him without a doubt in your mind, who knew he could kick some ass too. He’s still an asshole though, you think bitterly, despite his actual attempt at helping a tense situation for once.

“Come on!” Urges Sharon as she gets up and books it towards another alleyway of sorts, gunfire sounding in the background as the four of you race across the damp cement for the safety of anywhere else but here.

Soon you’re able to make some ground before Zemo of all people shows up in a getaway car, infamous smirk upon his mischievous face as he greets you all, “Supercharged.” He smiles. Little shithead.

“You’re going back to jail.” Argues Sam as the Baron practically rolls his eyes. “Do you want to find Karli or not?”

“He’s right.” You begrudgingly admit as much as it pains you so, “We need him. And there’s three of us, and at least 20 of them.” You add, wandering to the opposite backseat of Bucky who’s taking the front.

Sam keeps standing as he eyes up Zemo, “Fine. But if you try that shit again...”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Finishes the Baron as Sam gets into the backseat, sitting to your right while Sharon stays her ground.

“Well, that was one hell of a reunion.”

“Come back to the States with us.” Pleads Sam.

“I can’t. Just get me that pardoned you promised me.” Nods Sharon before walking elsewhere, finding her own way back and away from the prying hungry eyes of the bounty hunters still trying to find where you’re all hiding.

Sam says his thanks to a retreating Sharon before finally sitting down in his seat. Brows furrowed as he assesses his new cramped situation, “You’re not gonna move your seat up, are you?”

“No.” Deadpans Bucky. It’s almost like this has happened before. oh wait.

——

Laying on the decently hard cushions of Zemo’s private jet, you listen to the conversation happening away from you as Sam thinks about all the shit Sharon had to go through to get her to this point, a frown on his face as he continues his rant, “And Nagel, referring to the American test subject like Isaiah wasn’t even a real person. Just makes me wonder....how many people have to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal.”

“Well, it depends on who you ask. That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives.” Counters Bucky to Sam’s previous statement about the shield.

Sam nods, “Yeah, I get that. All right. Maybe I made a mistake.”

“You did.”

“Yeah. Maybe I should have put it in a museum. I should have destroyed it.”

“Look, that shield represents a lotta things to a lotta people, including me. The worlds upside down, and we need a new Cap, and it ain’t gonna be Walker. So if you destroy it, I’ll take it from him myself.” Sam’s keeps silent for a moment to think Bucky’s words over, but before he’s able to respond his phone buzzes with an incoming call from Torres.

A couple moments later Zemo walks in with some pastries on two separate plates just as Sam gets off the phone, “They found Madani.....Dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic sea.”

“I have a place we can go.” Adds Zemo as he leans back in his seat, “I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we’re changing the course.” Commands the Sokovian as the three of them settle themselves in for the long flight ahead.

You get a couple minutes of peace on the back couch before a certain someone gets up from his seat to tap your legs, understanding exactly what he wants, you move yourself into a seated position and watch as he plops himself onto the couch next to you. Closing his tired eyes for a brief moment before opening them to look over at you, “How’r you feeling?” Asks Bucky, taking notice of the tiny red flecks that dust your cheeks from what you did earlier that day in Madripoor to some unlucky bounty hunters.

Shrugging, you scoot yourself over closer to him, “My jacket is useless now. I’m gonna need a new one.”

“Why’s that?”

“Some guy stabbed me twice and now there’s two holes in it. So, not very fashionable.”

Bucky hums, face shifting into a deep frown as he moves his left hand to take your fingers with his, “You got hurt.”

You nod, “I did. Nothing I couldn’t handle, Sharon needed me anyways.”

Bucky’s eyes dance from over to a snoozing Sam and oblivious Zemo before returning back over to you, “Come’r Y/N.” Whispers Bucky as he pulls you flush against his broad chest. “It’s been a long couple days....and I, I uh...”

“Miss me?” You tease.

He snorts out a breathy laugh, one hand squeezing your side affectionately as he presses a kiss into your hair, “Yeah. Guess I just missed this.....just being with you. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t say getting stabbed or shot is a fun time..”

“You got shot too?”

“Just a tiny bullet, in and out so fast I barely even felt it.” You did feel it, and it hurt a lot. “Honestly I didn’t even notice till after.”

“Jeez Y/N.” Worries your sweet lover as he pulls you onto him while laying himself fully onto the long couch, “You gotta be more careful.”

“I would but we’re currently on the hunt for some crazy super soldiers. But I’ll try, if it means you’ll worry less for your indestructible girlfriend.”

Bucky chuckles, “Good. I really need you around because Sam can be insufferable at times.”

“I know. Now, go to sleep. We’re both gonna need it. Hopefully Zemo’s place has a big comfy bed for us.”

-

You're what this world should be

Fiery red hair splayed out like flames against cotton white sheets. Golden rays of light compliment soft creamy skin. You don’t know how to put into words how it feels to be able to see her like this, so beautiful and absolutely breathtaking. Unguarded and soft viridescent colored eyes flutter open and find you, and you forget to breathe.

“You’re so beautiful.” You can't help it, you have to tell her and by the soft tint of a blush on her cheeks and sleepy yet bright smile she gives you, you knew you were right. She is beautiful, a work of art you wouldn’t mind staring at forever, a work of art that you knew you would never get tired of.

She hums happily as you give her still pink tinted cheek a kiss, “Flatterer.” she teases you quietly, her skin is so soft, and the smell of her shampoo reminds you of pomegranates. “You smell nice.” A faint whisper followed with a smile. “You smell beautiful.” You cant help a light chuckle. Even half asleep, she can still outdo your compliments. 

I just wanna wake up everyday here in this bed

Tangled limbs and soft skin, a embrace that feels safe. To have days like this where you didn’t have to save the world or attend meetings or train new recruits, but rather bask in the glow of the morning and stay in bed for far longer than socially acceptable were few and far between, it was days like today that you treasured. “You’re warm,” she whispers against your neck, and you shiver. Her arms and legs trapping you in bed until she’s ready to leave, and you don’t mind. 

“Kiss me?” She chuckles and slowly, lazily turns to kiss you on the cheek, her lips are soft, and you’re left aching for a real kiss. She’s smirking at you, her eyes soft with a hint of teasing; she knew what she was doing to you. 

“Let’s stay in bed all day.” You agree, but you want her to kiss you. “Natasha,” you cup her cheek and smile when she leans into your touch. “Kiss me.” It’s not a question nor a command and not quite a plea, but she doesn’t care, she kisses you. Soft and slow and when she pulls away leaning her forehead against yours, you’re left dizzy and craving for more. 

Never leave 'I love you' left unsaid

“Guess what?” You run your fingers through soft hair and her eyes drift close when you start massaging her scalp, her own hands lightly tracing up and down your back. “What?” She answers but not with her words, not at first.

She kisses you again, and you can’t think clearly. There is just her, only her. “I love you.” A kiss on your forehead, “I love you.” your cheek, “I love you.” below your ear, “I love you.” Her hand cups your cheek, and you didn’t know you could fall more in love with her than you already were. “Having you here with me, like this, feels like I’m finally home.” 

“I love you.” It’s your turn to say it, and you would gladly spend forever telling her, “I’m in love with you.” You whisper your well known confession against her lips, and you feel her smile. “Only you.” You add because it’s true, and you want her to know that you love her with every beat of your heart. “Good,” she’s looking smug now, her hands find your hips and she tugs until there is no space between the two of you left. “Because I’ll never get used to how much I love you.”

So when it comes to loving you, baby

No, it will never get old

The Collector’s coming to Wakanda. You couldn’t believe Peter pulled it off. You smiled to yourself as you hiked along the worn down path through the rainforest. You needed some fresh air to clear your head. This whole situation between Peter confused you. Should you be mad at him? Should you not be? You didn’t know what to do or how to feel.

A branch snapped behind you forcing hair to rise up on the back of your neck. You stopped to peek over your shoulder, but no one was there. You shrugged it off as you continued down the worn path. This country was beautiful. With the birds chirping and nature thriving it was a refreshing sight to see, especially when you only saw skyscrapers and concrete. You stopped to take a breath when someone wrapped an arm around your waist and covered your mouth with a rag. You tried to scream as you scratched at the arm, but it was no use. The muscles in your body grew limp as your mind became fuzzier right before everything went black.

Your mind slowly returned to consciousness as you tried to piece together what happened. You got jumped in the forest and now someone was dragging your limp body along until they stopped. Opening your eyes there was nothing but a black cloth. Why do bad guys always use the color black? Is it a rule in the criminal handbook? All of a sudden the ground began shaking beneath your feet and you heard clapping close by. You focused on the clapping until you heard someone’s voice. Peter’s voice.

“No! I brought you here and told you where it was. I’m not going in the tunnel.”

“Let's see if I can change your mind, shall we? Retch,” the unknown voice called. The man holding you, assuming it was Retch, grabbed your arm and put it over his shoulder dragging you along. He came to a quick stop putting you on your knees and ripped the cloth off over your head.

You squinted your eyes as they adjusted to the light. Peter, Meredith, The Collector, Korath, Ronan, Retch, and two other men you have never seen before stood around the room. Your eyes settled on the pillar and beside it laid the necklaces broken open with the stones ripped out. The Infinity Stones were set in the grooves on the pillar granting access to a secret passageway. “What the fuck?

“Welcome, YN. It is wonderful to finally meet you in person.” The Collector walked over taking your hand and lifting you off the ground. You stood up narrowing your eyes at him before he placed his lips on your hand. You pulled your hand from his and looked around the room.

Peter glared at him with a clenched jaw almost like he wanted to kill him. Meredith still looked beautiful even though she was sickly.  Her skin was pale, and she had dark circles surrounding her eyes.  It was nice to see her still putting up a fight and not letting cancer take control of her life.”

Your eyes traveled to The Collector wearing his fur coat from the last time you saw him.  “What’s your game, man?” You asked with pursed lips.

He chuckled. “All in good time, my dear. You’re here because Peter has a soft spot for you and I need to use it against him. So you’re going into the tunnel--” he pointed at the dark hole in the wall “--and you're helping my men retrieve the Soul Stone.”

“The hell I am, I don't have to do a thing you say!”

“Hmmm…. I can see why Peter is so taken with you,” The Collector smirked at your outburst.

“I'll go if she can stay here,” Peter interjected, trying to come to a reasonable solution. He made eye contact with you as if he was telling you everything was going to be alright.

“Now what would be fun about that? You’re both going. Ronan take her with you.” The guy wearing an excessive amount of blue grabbed your arm pulling you towards the tunnel.

“Get your hands off me, assface. I got legs, I can walk myself,” you glared and Ronan released you. He hands you a flashlight making his way into the tunnel. You stand at the entrance taking a deep breath before walking in.

You walked a good distance into the tunnel when something on the wall caught your eye. Using your hand, you wiped away the old cobwebs and underneath them was a painting from what life must’ve been like back then. The image was of a tribe council with a woman standing in front of them wielding a sword. Your fingers traced over the colored image as two Trinkets rushed past you until all you could see was their flashlights in the distance. “Men,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Always in a rush to get to the prize at the end of the tunnel.”

“Some men are capable of waiting patiently for the prize,” Peter hinted beside you. There was a double meaning there but you chose to ignore it for now. “How are you holding up?”

“Overworked and underpaid.” You took one last look at the painting and walked away.

You catch up to the Trinkets to find them standing still with their flashlights beaming down. You pushed past them only to find a hole the same width as the path with no way of getting across. Casting your light downward you noticed it was at least a 50-foot drop with sharp spikes on the bottom. A few skeletons were laying across them, and you flinched away from the ledge when your light caught something moving down below.

T’Challa warned you about the booby trap mechanisms. He wasn’t joking. This was the first one, but you needed to remain calm and strong. Who knows how many more there are? This was something Indiana Jones should’ve prepared you for.

“Snakes…why'd it have to be snakes?” Peter chuckled, beaming his light into the hole. You cracked a small smile thanking the dark tunnel for keeping it hidden. “Come on guys….Indiana Jones.” No one responded making him scoff. “Well, I’m guessing this is how we get across.” He grabbed a rope connected to a ring and started tugging on it to make sure it was secure.

“I’m not going first,” Ronan replied, holding up his hands.

“Me neither,” the Trinket wearing goggles said.

“I’m with Gef on this one,” the Trinket with an interesting choice hairstyle agreed. He had long hair on one side of his head, buzzed short on the other side, and shaved down the middle to separate the two.

“Fine, I’ll be the responsible one and go first,” Peter said, eyeing you.

Peter tossed his flashlight to the other side of the hole before he gripped the rope and swung across with ease. He tossed the rope back, and Ronan swung next followed by his minions. Peter flung the rope back, and you grabbed a hold of it contemplating.

“Hurry up, woman, so we can get out of here,” Gef called out, forcing you to roll your eyes.

“You can do it, YN. It's easy,” Peter encouraged.

“Easy for you to say you're already across,” you yelled back at him. “Sorry, shouting is one of my defense mechanism.”

“Don’t be scared. You got this.”

You nodded, stuffing your flashlight deep into your back pocket and let out a deep breath. You pushed off the edge and started gliding through the air to the other side. You stuck out your leg when you were inches away to safety when you heard a snap. The rope broke off, and you let out an agonizing scream as it started pulling you down to your impending doom. Within seconds, someone grabbed your forearm stopping you. You dangled in the air trying to get your breathing under control when you glanced up to see Peter’s frightened eyes staring back at you from the soft glow of your flashlight.

“Don’t look down. I got you. It’s okay. Let me pull you up.”

Peter lifted you over the edge without any problems. You sat on your knees taking deep breaths trying to stop your body from shaking and pull yourself together. Peter kneeled down beside you and started rubbing soothing circles on the small of your back. You don’t know how long it took to pull yourself together, but you appreciated Peter being there for you. You slowly stood up as you tried to steady yourself. “You good?”

“I’m fine. Yeah,” you whispered, waving it off. “Thank you.”

“I’ll always have your back,” Peter reassured, patting you on the back. You nodded with a small smile, thanking the darkness for keeping your blush hidden. “Shame that rope broke, how are we going to get back across?”

“Ahhhh, Quill’s gonna be busy later,” Ronan teased, making his minions laugh.

“Shut up you blue idiot,” Peter barked.

“Excuse me.”

“Who wears that much blue, anyways? What are you auditioning for a roll in the Smurfs?” You chuckled at Peters comparison.

“It's cashmere,” Ronan mentioned, holding a hand to his chest wearing a hurt expression on his face.

“Is that suppose to make it better?”

“Welllll…”

“Well...how about less talk and more walk,” Peter finished, shooing them off while both of you followed behind them.

Peter saved your life. He protected you and made sure you were okay. He was always there for you when you needed him, and he never hesitated when it came to your safety. Sure, he made some stupid decisions, but who hasn’t. He did it out of the goodness of his heart. This was the Peter Quill you fell for.

You flashed the light on the wall to discover another mural. The same woman from the previous painting was back, but this time she was in two worlds. One world looked like a desert with the sun beating down on her, and the other world was a rainforest with a waterfall. You stopped making Peter stop beside you. “Do you think this is Valkyrie’s story?” You waved your hand over the painting. “I mean, is this her real story.”

“It could be,” He answered, concentrating on the painting in front of him. “Like this was when she got dehy--.”

“Will you two hurry up? We don’t have all day,” Ronan yelled out.

“Is he always such an a-hole?”

“Yeah, I don’t think he knows how to turn it off like I do,” Peter grinned in the dim light.

“You sure about that.” You shake your head leaving him alone to catch up with the others.

Everyone continued to walk down the dark path when you hear a click compelling you to stop. You glance at your feet to see if you stepped on something, but saw nothing. You hear a shifting sound of metal coming from in front of you. You point your light seeing metal blades coming out of the walls heading straight towards you. Peter wrapped his arm around your waist pulling you into his chest forcing the flashlight from your hand as he takes a step back. You hear a high pitched scream and feel a breeze from the metal blade directly in front of you. It slides back in as it continues to descend behind you.

You stood there gripping Peters legs behind you not wanting him to let you go. “Breathe,” Peter whispered in your ear. Goosebumps spread down the side of your neck sending a shiver to your spine. You let out a shaky breath you didn’t realize you were holding in.

“Holy shit! How....how did you know where to stand?” You asked and he shines the light to his feet.

“The white squares. Figured there had to be some significance to it when I saw a path of them on the floor.” He shrugged.

“Nice catch.” You patted his leg and he released you.

“Gef’s down,” Ronan shouted. “He stepped on the mechanism--” he shined his light to the button on the floor “--setting off the blades coming through the wall.”

You flickered the flashlight on Gef’s body but quickly turned your back to him. It was gruesome, his eyes were open behind his goggles, and his mouth was hanging open.  He had a huge puncture starting at the base of his neck going all the way past his pelvis. He had to of turned at the right second to almost be split into two. You’re not going to get that picture out of your head anytime soon. Peter grabbed your hand giving it a reassuring squeeze silently telling you it was going to be alright before he let go. Peter had to be scared as much as you were at this point.  You didn’t know what kind of booby traps laid ahead or even if you would make it out alive.

You left the body behind and carried on.  You stayed towards the back of the pack not wanting to be the one to trigger something next.  You didn’t like the Trinkets or The Collector, but you wouldn’t wish them dead.  Behind bars for their crimes, yes, but not dead. Death was too easy but serving a life sentence was torture.

Scanning the walls for another mural you spot it behind more cobwebs. This time, Valkyrie stood in the center of the sunlit cave with her sword hanging off her hips. She stared down at the six glowing stones resting on the pillar. The legend was true, there were six stones, and the last one The Collector needed was at the end of this death trap tunnel.

Peters flashlight beamed on the wall joining yours.  You turned on your heels and walked with caution behind the others.  Valkyrie put so much work into protecting this stone, but why? Was the legend true, did it have magical abilities? It sounded ridiculous, but what if it’s true?

Everyone stopped at the beginning of a rainbow-colored floor with each path representing a different color. On the other end was a huge wooden door with a large ‘X’ on it.

“The ‘X’ marks the spot. I bet the necklace is in there,” funky haired Trinket said, pointing at the door.

“‘X’ never, ever marks the spot,” Peter paused, thinking it over. “It has to be more complicated than that. It can't be a simple walk across the board and open the door. This has to be some kind of trick, but I'm not sure what it is.

The funky haired trinket ignored Peter as he stepped onto the blue path, but nothing happened. He turned around smiling and out of nowhere an arrow went flying through his chest. He screamed falling to the ground dead. He landed on other blue spots on the path which sent addition arrows flying across the room.

“Halfnut, are fucking kidding me?” Ronan groaned in frustration.

“Halfnut? That's his name? Why does The Collector give you such weird names? I mean, what the fuck? Halfnut isn’t even a good name.  It’s like the dude named Taserface,” you chuckled, seeing Peter shake his head at the absurd nicknames.

“Have some respect woman.”

“Wow, really? Respect. Are you serious? Have you met you? You have no respect for anyone. Your 100% a dick.” Ronan ignored you, continuing to stare at the door.

“Look on the bright side, we know it's not the blue path,” Peter joked, making you roll your eyes.

“You first woman,” Ronan nudged you forward.

“Don’t fucking push me.” You scanned the paths deciding which one to take. The Soul Stone was orange so the orange path could be the right one. You placed your foot onto the orange path, and nothing happened. You sighed in relief as you walked to the other side of the room. Both men followed in your footsteps until they reached you on the other side.

Ronan pushed, and pulled on the door but it wouldn’t budge. “Why is this door not working?”

“That’s because we need a key, doofus.” Peter pointed at the long vertical keyhole.

“A key? I didn’t know about a key.”

“I don’t think anyone did. For all we know, no one has made it out of here alive.”

“Fellas, how about we not argue for once and focus on finding the key?” You suggested, scanning the room to try and find something resembling a key.

“Or maybe, Peter should pick the lock to see if his skills are up to par with this era.”

“How could you be making jokes at a time like this,” you exclaimed at Ronan from across the room.  “Two people are dead and if we aren’t careful one of us could be next.” Ronan narrowed his eyes letting out an annoyed sigh.

“Shut up and let me think for a second.”  Peter examined the lock, and you moved towards the mural by the door you didn’t notice before.  It was a self-portrait of Valkyrie with her sword resting on her shoulder. She was gorgeous and the sword she was holding looked familiar almost like you’ve seen it before. It was in the other paintings, but this one was a close-up and far more detailed.  It looked exactly like the one Peter had in his apartment. You turned towards Peter about to say something when Peter pulled out the broken Dragonfang.

“How did you manage to fit the sword in your bag?”

“According to Mary Poppins, you should never judge a bag by its appearance,” he quipped, making you shake your head at him.

“What do you plan on doing with that sword?” Ronan asked, keeping a watchful eye on Peter.

“It’s to unlock the door, you big dummy. This was Valkyrie’s original sword, so I thought it might come in handy. It’s broken but if I'm right the other half is still wedged in there.”

Peter slides the Dragonfang into the key slot and starts turning it horizontally until it clicked into place. The ground beneath you rumbled as the doors in front of you began to pull apart. As you walked through the threshold, lights from the ceiling flickered on brightening up the dark room. In the center of the room sat a pillar with a goblet sitting on top of it, and the back wall had four different paintings telling a story.

The mural furthest left showed what bringing the stones to Valkyries village caused. It brought people into power which lead to war and the annihilation of her village. The one next to it showed her trying to warn the council to stop, but they wouldn’t listen forcing her to go out on her own. The third mural illustrated her speaking with the people of Wakanda asking for their forgiveness. The last image showcased another self-portrait of her wearing the orange stone around her neck. She sacrificed herself to protect this stone, and keep it out of the wrong hands. It accepted her for everything she caused, but what did it cost her in the end? Her life, her soul, her sanity? The five Infinity stones caused a massive amount of bloodshed, and in order to receive this stone, blood would have to be shed.

You turned around tapping your chin. If someone had to drain their blood, where would one put it? Your eyes scanned the room only to stop on the pillar in the center of the room. You went over to it noticing a weight mechanism underneath the goblet sitting on it. “Someone has to drain their blood into this?”

“Make sense. The stones caused a massacre and walking through this tunnel and getting past all the booby traps is too easy. Blood for the stone fits,” Peter agreed, turning back to her self-portrait.

“Which one of you are going to do it?” Ronan sneered, glancing between you and Peter.

“Are you really asking that question? It’s yours! I swung first, YN walked across the path first, it’s your turn.”

“But, who has the gun?” Ronan pulled out a handgun from the front of his pants, waving it around with a satisfied smile on his face. “It will be one of you or both of you. Your choice.”

You turned to face Peter and his eyes were already on yours. From the look in his eyes, you knew he already decided how this was going to go. “Peter, don’t you fucking dare.” He was going to sacrifice himself for you. Your lips trembled as you tried to find the right words. “You’re not doing this Peter. Your mom’s waiting for you. She’s going to need you when she gets better. I have no one waiting for me outside this cave. No one,” your voice quivered. The back of your eyes started to tingle as tears begin to form in the corner of your eyes. “Everyone I care about is either dead or hate me. Peter let me do this. Let me do something for you after everything you've done for me.” He came closer to you taking your hands in his.

“No can do, sweetheart. I can’t let you,” Peter breathed. “This is my fault. I’m the reason you’re here and you shouldn’t have to suffer for my recklessness. The Collector saw right through me.” A single tear escaped down your cheek and he reached up wiping it away with his thumb. “I regret many things in my life, but one thing I don’t regret is falling for you.”

You stared at him in disbelief as tears begin to blur your vision.  How could he say that to you right now? We’re in a life or death situation and he was making love declarations?  What is this a cheesy love story? “No Peter, you can’t…..you can’t do this. I am not going to let you do this. You don’t get to say these things because you think your life is over. You don’t get to make these decisions. You're not the only one in the sights anymore.”

He squeezed your hands. “I’m going to do this regardless because you deserve a second chance.  YN, you’re finally finding your way, and after this is over it will open so many more doors for you.”

“No….no,” you pleaded with your chin trembling. “I can’t...I can’t let you die for me. I can’t watch someone I care about suffer for me.” Peter’s eyebrows perked up but faltered quickly remembering our situation. You watched as tears begin to peek in the corners of his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away before they had time to escape. “Don’t you be stupid. For once in your life...let someone take care of you. Please...please let me do this for you,” you cried as the tears streamed freely down your face.

One of his hands reached up cupping your chin as he gazed into your eyes. His eyes flickered to your lips, and he leaned in for a kiss. His lips were soft against yours, and you felt every terrifying hopeful emotion he was feeling. Your hands crawled up his arms to the side of his neck deepening the kiss. This was your first and last kiss with Peter. Your last kiss ever. He pulled away resting his forehead against yours. You opened your eyes to see his staring directly into yours.

“I forgive you, Peter,” you whispered against his lips. “You’re not the man I knew ten years ago.”

He cracked a lopsided smile as a few tears escaped from his eyes. “It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.”

“That’s enough,” Ronan shouted from behind you, but your eyes stayed on Peters. “If one of you aren’t going to choose, then I will.” You squeezed your eyes shut ready to take the blow. “And I….choose....you.”

“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered, forcing your eyes to snap open. He pushed you to the floor right before a gunshot rang out echoing in the tunnels.

My professor had told us to "Write about an impossible event that happened in our lives. Something insane that when someone reads it, they would think it was crazy to believe, but provide enough evidence that the person reading it would question the sanity of the world, and of themselves." That's our Professor Beigen. The only reason I'm passing her class is because of her explanations of our assignments. She's straight to the point but does tend to ramble and space out from time to time. She's all good in my book though. I've had her for three of my previous semesters for different subjects, two classes from the same semester. 

This is one of my required classes that I need to graduate and the problem is nothing "impossible" or "insane," has happened to me. I mean, the closest thing to a weird experience was with my neighbor's dog where it was trying to eat a bird, but that's not necessarily crazy. Plus, I don’t have the proof to show that it even happened. I told Professor Beigen that I was having problems with this final essay and she told me to keep on going, that something interesting will spark something to happen. Yeah, right. 

So here I am, looking through my documents of writing on my laptop while at the same time, people watching in a coffee shop with the annoying caffeinated aroma surrounding me. And the only reason that I was in a coffee shop was because of the possibility, and hope, that something strange could happen.  

Being a person of the internet meant that I understood the creative readings that happen in a coffee shop. Authors have written about the interesting encounters that can happen while sitting a shop like this while waiting for a drink. I did the research one day, because procrastination, and the percentage of Americans that drink coffee is 83 percent. And the percent of people over the age of 18 the drink coffee every day is at 54. My thought was the with the amount of people going through those door, something strange just had to happen. It just had to. The numbers were just too high to prove otherwise. And yet, I'm sitting in a wooden seat from the fourth Friday in a row, I had good reason to have my doubts. Unfortunately, I was low on time being that it was a Friday and the paper was due the next week on Tuesday. 

I leaned back on the chair a closed my eyes, letting body slump for a few minutes. I hanged my head down as I felt my glasses fall off the bridge of my nose slightly. Sitting up straight again, I adjusted my glasses and started on my computer screen then passed my eye line to the blurry figures that where people were trying to enter or exit through the door. My glasses only had two uses really: reading books and looking at screens. I technically have two prescriptions, which is one for looking far away and the other one. Doctor said that could have transition lenses, which would mean that I would I have one set of glasses, but the top half would be for far away and the bottom half would be for the reading, but I had a choice. Luckily, when I look at things from far away, it's only a little worse than average. Only a little. When I try to read things from close, that's a different story. Words blend together and would somethings become fuzzy on the edge. These glasses fix the close up and personal reading, but everything is a mess. I only keep them on full time a school and when I write. Any other part of the day, I have a need to adjust them, but the funny thing is that they left my face a long time ago. 

I looked at the door again as another group entered the shop. I closed her eyes again a scratched the bridge of her nose then looked at the computer screen. Minutes that felt like hours went by and still nothing. I rested one on my elbows on by thigh then rested my chin on the palm on my hand. I was leaning my close to my computer. I bet it looked like I was challenging it, and maybe I was. I started at the blank Word Document, searching for a memory that wasn’t there. Now would be the perfect time where anything could resurface. Maybe there was a trip that happened long ago with my parents that I was too young to remember, or maybe an embarrassing story that happened in middle school or high school, but nothing was coming up in my head. I hadn't realized a boy was about the walk passed my table as my screen turned black. If I had, I wouldn't have slumped back in frustration, creating the beginning of a scene.