Stolen Moments
The suit landed down heavily, the large feet no doubt leaving deep indents in the wet dirt. Darcy sighed as she was disconnected from the suit’s mainframe. The new suits that Tony had built were sleeker, faster, maneuvered better, and could take out twice as many Welkinn Barges. Still, she disliked being linked directly into the machines.
She took a moment to rub at the port installed at the base of her head before disengaging the seal, and allowing herself to be lowered to the ground. She could just make out the shimmer that the suits’ camouflage field gave off, and knew that another was already there.
“This is dangerous, Darcy.” Phil moved from out of his suit’s field, the port at his own neck a stark contrast to his pale skin. It was easier to see with his short, thinning hair. Where Darcy had the advantage of being able to hide hers beneath her long hair.
“We are well outside of the war zone, the Welkinn never travel out this far.” Darcy quickly began to remove all her hardware; the interface glasses, gauntlets, and even the comm. She tossed them all in a pile atop her jacket.
Phil took the remaining steps towards her, taking her into his arms before she could collapse. It had been this way ever since the Welkinn invaded. She pretended to be strong, to be fine. But he knew differently. Being around the aliens left her weak, as though they could sap all the energy right out of her.
He had found out after they started… whatever it was between them. They had both lost so much, and had fallen into each other’s arms for comfort. That had been two years ago, back at the beginning when they thought they had a chance of winning. Now they simply fought to survive.
It had taken him a few weeks to realize something was wrong. Normally he was so worn out that he practically passed out at night. By chance, he had woken up in the middle of the night to find her thrashing around in their bed. When he had woken her, her eyes shot open to look at him. They glowed the same strange blue within blue as the Welkinn.
It hadn’t lasted long. As she laid there panting, the light faded and his Darcy had returned. She told him that night of the nightmares, the dreams of the Welkinn coming to take her away. She dreamt of large stone castles in the clouds, filled with Welkinn. And she was there, standing over all of them.
If he was honest, it frightened him. Not that he believed that Darcy would ever betray them, but what it meant for the woman he was slowly starting to love. The blue within blue eyes, the dreams, the muttering in her sleep, and the way the aliens affected her. He was beginning to get an idea of what was going on, and it scared him.
“I’m fine, I only passed one ship. Not enough to knock me out.” Darcy moved back to stand on her own two feet, though Phil didn’t remove his hands. She didn’t mind, there was safety in his touch.
“But enough to weaken you.” He placed his hands on either side of her face, his lips pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “One day I fear they will catch up with you.”
And if they continued to be so reckless he knew it would be soon. Every day the borders of the war zone pushed outward. Eventually Earth would no longer have a hold on their own planet. And on that day he knew they would come for her.
“Let them come, I would die before they could take me.” Darcy allowed herself to fall into his arms again. She needed his safety, his warmth. Anymore she felt so cold, like death stood at her side.
She spoke true, even though she knew he didn’t want to hear it. They would come for her, that had been part of their plan all along. They would come, but she would fall upon her own sword before they could touch her. Death would be better than whatever they had planned.
“I don’t want to think about that.” He held her tightly. He had never told her, but he knew that the day she died would be the day he did as well. He had nothing left in this world but her, and without her he had no reason for being.
Darcy curled up against him, her eyes closed as she listened to the beating of his heart. All the while a war waged on, the sounds of canons and gun fire in the distance. Every day she wished for some miracle. That somehow Thor would be able to return and save them all. But she knew that hope was folly. The Welkinn would win, and the Earth would burn.
Until then she would hold onto what she had. No matter the cost.