haunted

They were strong, and weirdly slick, and savage.

Aleks dug her feet into the soft mud of the ground, and braced herself against the creature roaring and snapping its jaws in her face. They stunk, too. With a growl of effort, she heaved it back, throwing it into another of its brethren and shooting them both as they struggled to get back up.

She only had their non-stop snarling as warning as three of them converged on her from behind. She phased out as they leapt. They were messy and discordant; they didn’t fight or work together, they just attacked.

It made it harder for her to fight back; she was so used to picking out the pattern in her enemies, to defeating them methodically, to use her training to pick apart their own. These things weren’t trained, they had just been set loose. She jammed her gun directly into the maw of the closest, and her shot made its head explode, splattering slick blackish gore across her face and chest. The other two didn’t even wait for the body to drop, and the corpse of the creature protected her from a swipe of claws. She danced back, bracing herself, but they’d already fallen on a Wakandan soldier.

He howled as they bit into him and she lurched forwards to help him. She gripped him under his arms with one arm, firing the last of her clip into the aliens as she tugged him free. It was only when the creatures had fallen, she realised the man she had tried to help was already dead, missing most of his bottom half. She lowered him to the ground with a stab of nausea, pressed her fingers to his lips in silent apology.

A gun shot from behind her made her whirl, and she met her partner’s eyes over the fallen form of an alien that had been poised to kill her. He looked past her to the man on the ground, and his mouth tightened. She lifted her weapon then, and fired her own shot into another creature encroaching on him from behind.

Wordlessly, they stepped towards each other, and turned back to the fight at hand. They backed up, until she could feel the hot solidity of his back touching her own, and they moved and bent with each other, like two oaks weathering a storm. All too soon, however, she finished her other clip, and in the break she took to reload, her partner was knocked to the ground. His gun went skittering away, and he yelled out as he was bowled over.

Though panic trilled through her, she tried to stay calm, and buried her knife to the hilt in the alien’s neck. It didn’t even turn to look at her, and it was only her partner’s brute strength that kept it from his throat and face.

Gritting her teeth, Aleks phased out and into the creature. For a sick, dark moment, she was inside it, before she solidified and expanded her form as much as possible, using all her strength to rupture the thing from the inside out.

The stench was impossibly foul, and it was unbearably hot inside. With a wet gurgle, the alien fell to pieces around her intrusive form, and she shoved the mangled remains of its corpse off of her. There was a dark film over her eyes, and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Unable to help herself, she stumbled and gagged, retching up the bits of alien that had made it into her mouth. Her partner got up, and retrieved his weapon as she swayed and vomited again. His face was similarly screwed up in disgust, and she met his eyes balefully.

“You stink.” He told her, and handed her one of her guns she had dropped. Looking around for the other one, she spotted it lying in the remains of the creature’s stomach. He winced.

“I might be sick again.” She warned him, but took his spare gun anyway.

Without warning, she was bowled over, and as one of the creatures fastened its jaws around her leg, she heard her partner cry out again. Instinctively, she phased out as her vision was obscured by a mass of the creatures surging over her, all intent on ripping her to pieces. Her leg was on fire, as if the creatures were venomous, and she couldn’t get it under herself, couldn’t even get up on her hands and knees to crawl.

“JAMES!” She screamed for him, panicked, as she heard him yell again. She had to get to him, she had to-

She ripped herself from the Grey again, biting down on her tongue to stop herself screaming as claws raked across her back, finding the gaps between her reflective panels, and her flesh beneath. Blood pooled in her mouth and began to run down her back as she gripped fistfuls of grass and dirt, dragging herself towards her partner.

“Aleks-!” His voice cut off with a guttural, pained groan, and she kicked out savagely at the creatures still trying to hold her down, flickering in and out of solidity. Desperation made her numb, and she was momentarily thankful for her disgusting kill, as the blood and gore still coating her let her slip wetly between two of the creatures on the outside of the dogpile. Her partner was on his back, savagely burying his knife into the face of one of the creatures with its claws buried in his upper thigh. As it slumped, as she got close enough to touch his ankle, she pulled them both into the Grey just in time for one of the creatures to pounce on them.

It scrabbled at the dirt beneath them, furiously attempting to get them, seemingly unaware of their intangibility. They were treated to a close up of the inside of its maw as it attempted to bite them, teeth snapping in the negative space where they were. With a cry of her own, she began to drag them both towards a nearby boulder, her partner panting and pressing his hands into the bleeding holes in his leg. Pressed against the rock, she solidified again, and began to tighten a hasty torniquet around his thigh as he lifted his rifle to rest on her shoulder as a makeshift tripod. The loud crack of the bullets next to her ear made her eardrum blow, and she resisted the urge to shake her head to clear the uncomfortable buzzing dullness.

“Aleks!” Her partner bit out a warning, and without turning, she phased them out again, in time for one of the creatures to brain itself on the boulder as it leapt at the place where they had been. It stumbled back, dazed, and she twisted to put a bullet between its eyes.

There were too many. She forced herself to her feet, and hauled her partner up again. Too many. Together, they braced themselves against the boulder, firing without end into the countless aliens.

Too many.

Desperate, she searched the battlefield for her niece’s pale hair, but was unable to find her. To her horror, she spotted Steve, as similarly pinned as they were, but without a gun to keep them at bay. Across the field, the giant red-and-gold armour holding Banner collapsed under a wave of the creatures, and she watched T’Challa be swept off his feet.

“We can’t do this much longer.” She said, and grit her teeth against a sudden wave of sorrow and resignation. If she gave up-

“We have to keep fighting.” Her partner sounded tired and he didn’t meet her eyes.

Too many.

And then the sky lit up in a dizzying display of rainbow light, and bright forked tongues of lightning. The sudden vortex of light that poured into the centre of the battlefield was close enough to make them both stumble in the shockwaves, and the creatures close enough to the light were evaporated by its sheer power. She could feel the hair on her body stand on end; not from a chill, not from fear, but from a sudden surge of static electricity. Thunder crackled ominously overhead, and then three forms were revealed, silhouetted by the bright light.

Something silver and sharp went flying from the grip of the tallest, and she watched in mute shock as an axe flew in a tight circle, beheading and slicing through dozens of the creatures – seemingly on its own volition.

She blinked, as the light faded, revealing a tall blonde man in armour and a red cape, a raccoon, and a tree with eyes. “Кто это, черт возьми?” Who the fuck is that? She spoke without filter.

Despite her Russian words, Steve answered her. “Thor.” She watched her friend straighten, and look with a smile towards the tall man. God. Her memory supplied helpfully. The God of Thunder, alien, Avenger, ally.

“BRING ME THANOS!” Thor’s cry echoed across the field without the use of comms, so loud she thought it must have been supernatural. At his side, the tree let out a tinny, angry scream, and the racoon hefted a huge gun with a strangely human smirk.

She and her partner exchanged a disbelieving look. “Вы помните, когда нас считали странными?” Do you remember when we were considered strange? Her partner asked with a faint smile.

She barked a laugh, and cocked her own weapon. “I don’t think anyone can reasonably call me a freak of nature anymore.” With a yell of their own, they turned back to the fight. Thor’s arrival, the hope that had visibly filled Banner and Steve, the new surge of adrenaline – Aleks felt herself regain a little strength.

She leapt over the boulder, and hurtled towards the nearest cluster of aliens, baring her own teeth as they rounded on her and screeched. Her partner was at her side again, and for a moment she felt invincible.

They fought together, gaining a little ground, and because of it, she was able to catch her breath for a moment, take stock of more than just her immediate surroundings. It was then she spotted the raccoon, alone, facing down a wall of charging aliens.

“Die space-dogs!” It – he – yelled, and fired with equal passion. But it was so small, and the aliens so big-

“James! The raccoon!” She yelled for her partner’s attention, lowering herself to one knee to aim better. The raccoon may have been a stranger, but it was fighting with them, and as such, she had to keep it alive. Her partner didn’t waste a beat, running towards the small furry animal and lifting it by the scruff of its neck. She kept firing, shooting into the gaps between them as her partner turned in a circle, firing automatically into the aliens approaching them on all sides. The raccoon didn’t seem to notice it’s change in position as it screamed and held down the trigger of its own gun, creating a 360-degree spiral of fire. She watched in vague amusement as the pair of them took down a few dozen alone.

The raccoon looked up as her partner dropped it unceremoniously onto its paws, and for a moment she thought it might thank him, or at the very least, introduce itself. “How much for the gun?” it demanded instead, and her partner frowned.

“Not for sale.”

“Okay,” The raccoon’s beady eyes fell on her partner’s arm with a gleam of interest. “How much for the arm?”

This time she answered the small thing, standing and passing her partner a spare clip for his rifle. “Definitely not for sale.” Her partner reattached his clip, and she wrapped her fingers around his arm as the raccoon muttered to itself. She pulled them into the Grey for a moment and met his eyes. “I have to find Natalia.”

He nodded, eyes already moving past her, undoubtedly calculating target distance. She released him and he began to fire past her should. “Go. I’ll find you.”

She didn’t look back, turning to run into the fray, lifting a hand to her comm unit. “Natalia, what’s your position?”

“Upright, for now.” Natalia’s voice was curt, and she sounded a little out of breath, but her sarcasm was enough to make Aleks grin to herself as she put down two more of the creatures bolting towards her. “I’m having some fun about a klick from the barrier, wanna join?”

“Hosting a party without permission?” Aleks asked liltingly, and turned towards the barrier. Sure enough, with the dust of Thor’s arrival settling, she could make out Natalia’s pale hair. She broke into a run towards her niece.

“Are any of you Americans capable of fighting without unnecessary witty banter?” It was Okoye who spoke, clipped and restrained. There was a yelp from beside her, and she turned momentarily to see on of the creatures pinned to the ground by a spear. The General appeared from behind another creature, and Aleks slowed to let the bald woman join her. “It is extremely annoying.” Okoye grouched, and jerked her spear free of the alien corpse.

Aleks nodded to the tall woman, who matched her pace wordlessly, despite how tired she must have been. Together, they hurdled a small pile of alien bodies, and Aleks shot down another two attempting to ambush them. “We are technically Russian.” She told Okoye.

Okoye rolled her eyes. “Then you’ve been spending too much time with your friends.”

“Aw, c’mon, General,” Sam flew by, the rattle of his automatic rifles taking out a line of aliens ahead of them, “I think it’s nice for Frosty the Assassin and her equally terrifying niece to have some buddies.”

Okoye shot his retreating form a glower, and somehow managed to turn up her nose at the same time as throwing her spear directly into the eye of another alien. Aleks was unsurprised at the answering flutter in her chest at the casual display of ability. She’d been enamoured with the stalwart general since Okoye had managed to put her on her ass in front of the other Dora Milaje. Okoye was everything Aleks wanted to be; deadly, dangerous, daring, staunch, inspirational, a functioning member of society…

Her niece turned to greet them as they got close enough to hear her. She was filthy and sweaty, but disabled an alien without even watching its approach. Aleks felt another swell of pride and admiration. “Ladies.” Natalia nodded to them, eyes sweeping over Aleks’ form. She raised a perfect eyebrow. “Do I want to know?” Aleks shook her head vehemently. All she could smell was alien guts, and she didn’t exactly want to relieve the slimy sensation of being inside one.

They formed a loose triangular formation, Natalia abandoning her gauntlets in favour of her guns, and together they were able to keep the bulk of the creatures at bay, Okoye’s spear taking care of any that got too close. With the two women watching her back, Aleks felt safe enough to catch her breath for a moment.

They weren’t making headway, but they’d stopped losing ground.

Aleks lowered herself to one knee, stabilizing her position again, and turning her back on the barrier to catch the creatures attempting to run past them. It was easy pickings as they ran from her, and for a moment, she was comfortable.

A mistake.

As if the universe could sense her lapse in attention, the lapse in her ceaseless guard, Aleks felt an ominous rumble shudder through the ground. At the edge of her hearing, she became suddenly aware of the creaking and cracking of tree trunks. She stood, and turned, searching the world beyond the barrier for explanation. Okoye and Natalia moved smoothly into her blind spots without a word. There was nothing but fire, and the shudder of treetops. Aleks squinted-

The earth exploded, and the barrier rippled as something massive emerged from the ground. It was a hideous metal structure, insidiously spiked like massive gears, and she watched in horror as it tore right through the front line at the barrier, eating up soldier and alien alike, before it split into five distinct pieces. Two more of the spiny structures came from under the barrier, equal destruction. They all split and veered off, causing instant chaos. Dimly, she was aware of T’Challa screaming to fallback, but was unable to tear her eyes off the massive machine bearing down on her.

She could not reach both women in time. She would have to choose.

Aleks darted for Natalia, already curling in on herself to brace against the impact. She threw herself on her niece, and pulled them both into the Grey as the machine roared towards them.

And then; red.

Impossible, improbable red.

Wanda stood before them and the machine, between them, and Aleks couldn’t stop her jaw dropping as the young woman held the whole machine aloft with nothing but her will, her strength and her magic. And then, she threw it, sending it scattering to pieces around them, wiping out the encroaching hordes of aliens that hadn’t even waited for their blood to hit the ground.

Slowly, they straightened to look at her. Wanda’s hair blew back from her face, and Aleks watched her power swirl scarlet in her irises.

Okoye righted her spear, adjusted her cowl, and frowned. “Why was she up there all this time?” Wanda smiled a little sheepishly, and flicked another wave of the aliens over. Okoye snorted and returned to the fray.

“Guys, we have a Vision situation here-” Sam cut off with a dull grunt and a thud.

Steve was less composed; “SOMEBODY GET TO VISION!”

Her body responded automatically to the command – and she whirled to face the tower, breaking into a sprint towards Vision’s position. “I’m on my way.” She barked into her comm unit.

“I got him!” Banner cried, and she heard other answering affirmatives over the line.

“I’m on my way- AGH!”

Aleks couldn’t help but turn at Wanda’s cry of pain. “Wanda?”

“Она у меня. Идти.” I have her. Go. Her niece’s voice was hard, and she watched her form disappear into the hole created by the machines.

“Is she alright?” Aleks asked again, wavering between two directives.

“She’s not alone.” Natalia’s voice was firm.

Aleks grit her teeth, and turned her back on the other women. Guilt and duty and sentiment. They warred within her. “James…” She said instead, eyes fixed on the dense jungle beneath Shuri’s Tower.

“I’m with you.” Her partner’s immediate answer eased some of the building worry in her chest. The sharp crack of gunfire preceded a line of aliens falling beside her, and then he was there, matching her pace, rifle still aloft. “I’m always with you.” He greeted her, and she met his eyes for a brief moment. He was smiling, gently, just for her. His new arm was no longer shiny, covered in the same blackish gore as she was.

They didn’t stop to kill, didn’t stop to fight – it was like they were running an extreme obstacle course. As they hurdled a fallen tree, she was reminded of one such course she’d used to run as a child. “Вы помните Казанский курс?” Do you remember the Kazan Course? She asked her partner, phasing right through a boulder in their path.

Her partner frowned for a moment, hefting himself over another rock with his metal hand. “Я не ... Ах да! Да, это было именно так, а?” I don't- Oh yeah! Yeah, it was just like this, huh?

She laughed despite herself. “Yes. Just like this,” Through the gap in the trees she could see Vision, and the male alien she thought her niece had killed. Her smile turned into a snarl, and she surged forwards. “Just like this; but without the alien ублюдки.” Bastards.

She was faster than him like this; faster without heavy gear, faster without having to avoid trees and brush and rock. Aleks phased out, and ran faster than she ever had before. Vision was still wounded, and she could see it in the lag of his movements, in the weakness of his legs. He was a machine – but he was also a man. She saw the instant his arms failed, and had to watch as the alien drove his spear into Vision’s chest.

Vision slumped to the ground, and the alien crouched over him, entirely fixated on the android. Aleks didn’t wait for a better opening.

She leapt for the alien, wrapping both her hands around the stupid horn-like protrusions on his helmet, and yanked hard. Much like Steve had collapsed back in Berlin, she jerked the alien right off his feet.

He gave a gurgling cry as his head was snapped roughly backwards, and swung out with his spear. She phased out, remembering too late what Vision had said. The sharp edge of the weapon tore right through her uniform as if she had never phased at all, and she gasped at the sharp pain that lit up along her hip and belly.

She stumbled back as the alien regained his feet, pressing a hand briefly to the blood welling up under her uniform. “Shit.” She muttered, eyeing the spear. It was coloured red with her blood. The sight made her angry in a way she hadn’t felt in years, and she curled her bloodied hand into a fist. The alien hefted the spear again, and she charged. She slid under his first swing, throwing her whole weight behind her shoulder and into his groin. He didn’t react as she though he would, seemingly unphased by her low blow, simply stumbling back with a grunt. “An alien with no balls…” She mused aloud, getting back to her feet.

He hissed at her, an animal sound, and threw his spear at her. She dodged, meeting his blows with equal force. He hit as hard as Steve did, and though she could deflect them, it hurt. She looked past him to Vision. “Get out of here!” She yelled at him, stepping between him and the alien.

This time when he rushed her, she met him halfway, and catching his swing with her hand dislocated her shoulder. She bit her lip, and swung her elbow at his chest. He wheezed out a sharp pained breath as she made contact, and the impact forced her shoulder back into place with a visceral snap.

And then her partner was there, firing with unnerving accuracy at the joint in the alien’s armour. At his side, Steve strode forwards with a determined air. “Get him out of here.” Steve ordered, eyes still fixed on the alien’s face. With James’ bullets keeping him at bay, Steve advanced on the alien, and Aleks turned to Vision.

The android was wheezing slightly, struggling to lift himself with one hand. Aleks dropped to her knees beside him, the sudden movement making her head spin. She looked down briefly at the dark, growing stain at her side and swore quietly. “You…are wounded.” Vision’s voice was laboured and staticky.

She eyed him as she threw his limp arm over her shoulder. “So are you.” With a huff that turned into a cry as her side screamed in pain, she forced herself and him to their feet.

“I’m sorry, Aleksandrina.” Vision panted.

She clenched her jaw, and fixed her eyes on the trees opposite the clearing. If they could just make it there, she could try and hide them, keep them in the Grey-

Vision’s legs buckled, and she was almost pulled to the ground with him. “I’m-” he began to apologize again, and she hissed wordlessly at him.

“We can do it.” It came out a gasp, as she shouldered all of his weight, his feet dragging slightly as she began to hobble away from the sounds of conflict behind them. She could hear the sounds of her partner and the Captain fighting still, and then, a low victorious noise and a thud. She turned, and watched James haul Steve to his feet. The alien lay still at their feet, her partner’s favourite knife buried to the hilt in it’s eye. “Oh, Слава Богу.” Thank God.

Her voice made the two panting men turn, both of their eyes widening in identical concern. It was with no small amount of relief that she relinquished Vision to Steve’s grip. James’ hands fell on her hips, locking her in place as he crouched before her to come eyelevel with her injury. “Aleks…” He muttered, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth. “This isn’t good.”

Aleks batted his hands away. “Nothing is good, James. We don’t have time to-”

“Where is he?” Wanda’s accent was thick in her worry, and they all turned as she touched down in the clearing, red light fading from her hands as she hurried towards Vision. Steve eased him down against a log, Wanda brushing him aside, her eyes only for her lover. “Are you okay?” she murmured, lowering herself in front of him.

Steve grimaced as he walked towards them, and now he wasn’t fighting, Aleks could see his exhaustion in his face, and the faint limp on his right side. Aleks looked back down to James and gave him a warning look. “Darling.” He rose, mouth opening as if to say more, before shaking his head and looking away.

Steve’s hand landed heavily on her shoulder. “Are you alright?” he asked, eyeing her side with no subtlety.

She nodded. “I can stand, so I can fight.”

“Good.” He said, nodding to himself and looking around the clearing. “It’s not over.”

Behind them, Vision let out a strangled cry and they all whipped around to look at him. He was curling over under Wanda’s frantic grip, clutching at the stone in his forehead, which was glowing bright. “He-He’s here!” The android bit out, and Aleks felt her blood run cold.

Immediately, she turned back to the clearing, scanning the still forest, heart beating in her throat. Her partner moved to flank her, and they crouched slightly, instinctively, old training making their breathing go slow and silent. A distant wind began to wail through the trees, and suddenly the sounds of the battle sounded far away. Sam appeared from the sky, Natalia clutched close to his chest, and they dropped silently to stand beside them, eyes on the greying clouds above.

Steve’s jaw worked and he readied his shields. “Everyone on my position. We have incoming.”

Nothing but the mission.

Aleks pressed her hand back into the wound at her hip, and tried to focus at the sharp pain her touch inspired. Fresh blood ran hot over her knuckles and she breathed in air and blew out frost. Their allies assembled loosely around the clearing, and though she was happy to see so many familiar faces still alive, all she could think was canon-fodder.

And then, from behind Banner, a smoking, swirling vortex of blue light began to form. Aleks curled her fingers around the hilt of her partner’s knife, as something – someone – took shape within the void.

Nothing but the mission.

Thanos was huge. He was a behemoth of a being, violet and scarred, broad and armoured. There was no trepidation on his face; in fact, he looked bored. It set ice through her veins, it made her chest tighten in fear. She had never faced an opponent like this; not one that seemed underwhelmed with their display of force.

Nothing but the mission.

“Eyes up. Stay sharp.” Steve’s voice was weak. Banner charged Thanos, and with nothing but a gentle wave of his fist, Thanos sent the man and the giant suit of armour flying through the air and into the rock wall. The rock closed around Banner, and the armour was still.

Nothing but the mission.

Steve was thrown from his feet in a wash of purple energy, his body cracking limply like a doll against a tree. He did not get back up as he always did and Aleks felt her heart skip a beat. T’Challa leapt – but was caught mid-air with a giant hand around his throat. He was thrown, hard. Sam rocketed from the sky, war-cry on his lips and guns blazing. Thanos didn’t even look at her friend, and he went crashing into the ground, skidding out of sight into the brush.

Nothing but the mission.

Behind her, Vision was begging Wanda to destroy it, destroy him. Aleks could taste the heartbreak in the air, bitter like ash and blood. “It’s not fair. It shouldn’t be you, but it is.” Wanda was crying, and if Vision had tear ducts, he would be too. “I just feel you.” Her partner was warm and solid by her side, and as Rhodey was crushed and tossed aside, Aleks wondered if he could feel her too.

Nothing but the mission.

When they charged him, they charged him together. When they screamed, they screamed together. Aleks and James rushed Thanos in unison, and for a moment, as one of James’ bullet found its mark, she thought they might have a chance-

Nothing but the mission-

Thanos lifted his hand and the gauntlet glowed blue, and Aleks world went Grey. Without her permission, without warning, she was thrust into the Grey, and she went running right through Thanos, unable to stop herself, unable to phase back. She whirled, trying to fight, and watched her hands begin to fade as her ability began to consume her.

Nothing but the-

James thudded into rock and was still, and Aleks couldn’t seem to make her legs work. Natalia got close, but then the earth opened and began to cocoon her in a deadly tomb. Aleks tried to scream for him, for her-

Nothing but-

Aleks was invisible, intangible and helpless. She watched as Thanos advanced on Wanda and Vision, unable to make a sound. When Steve was forced back to his knees, when he was hit again and again and again, until he stopped moving, she couldn’t get to him. When the gem exploded, she couldn’t even feel the shockwave that bowled Thanos off his feet. When his fist glowed green, and Vision’s head began to knit itself back together, she could only watch. She couldn’t walk, she wasn’t even sure if she was standing as she drifted away slightly, as if blown by the wind.

Thanos placed the final gem with delicacy, and Thor appeared from the sky in a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning, and even her hope felt hollow. His axe buried itself in Thanos’ chest, but still life and purpose gleamed in the Titan’s eyes, and as he raised his fist, Aleks knew what would happen, and as his fingers curled to snap, she-

Nothing.

May 31^st, 2018

Wakanda, Africa

The world was still.

“What did you do?” Thor’s voice was roughened with desperation. Thanos was singed and smoking, wounded somehow from the inside out. “WHAT DID YOU DO?” Thor roared in his face and reached for the purple alien. Thanos raised his fist again, and then disappeared into another blue portal.

Aleks watched as the others began to pick themselves up, look around with wide eyes, confused eyes. Thor stumbled where he stood, twisting and turning, blood still up, fight still in him. His axe was lying on the ground, stained with dark indigo blood.

Everything felt very…far away.

The world had no colour for her; not unusual, when she was in the Grey she lived in black and white. But there was an absence of any sound. She couldn’t hear as she usually could, couldn’t see much further than the trees at the edge of the clearing. Her partner turned to her, and she saw him shape her name with his lips. A wind blew through them, around them, and her world shifted.

It was as if she was a shade – blown around by the breeze, unable to move on her own.

“Aleks-” She could hear him now, and see him as he stepped towards her. But there was horror on his face, and he looked down at himself. She followed his gaze.

“Buck! Bucky!” Steve was reaching for her partner, and Aleks watched as his hands went through the space where her partner’s left arm used to be. He was turning to ash, to dust, and she couldn’t even say his name.

Aleksandrina Romanov watched as her partner faded into nothing.

The others, half of the others-

She was dimly aware of the others falling, fading. Something cracked and shifted deep in her chest as she stared and stared at the spot where her partner had been. She couldn’t even-

Someone else was calling her name, someone was in front of her, beside her. Natalia, Steve, someone reached for her. Like she too was nothing but dust, they couldn’t touch her. The scream that had built and built inside of her slipped free; and she could hear it now – echoing as if from far away. Her niece was staring at her with eyes devoid of emotion, and a broken face. Aleks knew what she saw – a ghost. A real, living, ghost. She had become what she had hated about herself, and she had lost everything she loved. Thanos had seen to that.

Aleks feared one thing; being without him.

And now she was without.