New York City was falling down all around you; the air was thick with the smoke and dust from the crumbling buildings. People shoved past you screaming and running for their lives. It was ironic how when survival instincts kicked in, once thoughtful citizens could become so animalistic. A lost child stood in the centre of a graveyard of twisted cars, crying for his mother. No one came to collect him; they all just ignored his very existence. You had learnt years ago that it took only a special sort of person to overcome the instinctual behavior of self preservation. That only a few were truly capable of being heroes, though you used the term hero loosely you were one such person.

Ducking in and out of the crowd, you swiftly made your way toward the distraught boy. Tears and grime streaked his little face. He looked up at you with large chocolate eyes, bottom lip trembling.
"It's going to be all right, I'm here to help." You held out your gloved hand with a reassuring smile. He, however just stared at you, and the array of knives strapped to your person.
"_ Where are you? We need you over here." Natasha's voice came from the small communicator in your ear.
"I'll be there soon." Throwing the now kicking and screaming kid over your shoulder, you ran him to safety, all the while trying to dodge blasts from the alien hoards above. Never before had you heard Tash sound so in need. This was serious.

Buildings continued to crumble as you sprinted through what was once a heavily populated city. Dead bodies littered the streets, the bodies of the unfortunate, there were always innocent casualties. The aliens kept on coming from the wormhole above Stark Tower, there seemed to be an infinite amount. No matter how many you killed ten more would pop up in their place.

You spotted Steve and Natasha in the distance, fighting a large hoard of aliens that had them cornered. Lungs now burning from your long sprint, you removed two silver daggers from your waist. Exhaling slowly you flung them at the hoard. It seemed today you were lucky; both daggers hit their mark taking down two of the ugly creatures easily.

Steve greeted you with a grim smile, a smile that revealed how screwed you three really were. Tash didn't say a word, taking out all her frustration, and perhaps even fear, on another oncoming wave.
"Well, I enjoyed working with you all." Smiling humorlessly you threw one of your final knives.
Steve took out a few approaching aliens with his shield. "The battle's not over yet soldier."
Flinging your second last dagger, you sighed. "It is for me."

Steve looked at you questioningly, cobalt eyes narrowing. You had always had a thing for the captain, and so averted your gaze.
"You'll have about three minutes before they swarm all over you again. So no standing around got it?"

Before waiting for a reply you pulled the final knife from a holster on your arm. This was your favorite knife, so it was only fitting it would be the one you'd die with. Gazing at the serrated edge you couldn't help but smile, for someone who was about to die you were strangely calm.

The only way anyone was going to get out of this alive would be if someone made a sacrifice. In your mind that someone should be you, the world didn't need you the way it needed the others. You had no boyfriend, you weren't a genius and you had no super powers. For once being a loner was a blessing. This was the reason you were born for, and quite possibly the reason you were even considered for The Avengers Initiative. You were about to become the hero of the heroes, kind of sardonic considering you had never thought of yourself like that before.

You clutched the hilt tightly, knuckles going white. It was important to time this exactly right or it would mean nothing. Taking a deep breath you ran, slashing at anything alien like you came across. As you had expected almost half of the hoard zeroed in on you, giving Steve and Tash a little more room to move.

You cried out as a hot pain hit you, first in the stomach than in the back. A tear rolled down your cheek as you tried to will your body to fight through the pain and keep going but it wouldn't respond. The knife fell to the debris littered road with a loud clang as you collapsed. Why hadn't you died instantly? That was how you had imagined this in your mind.

All feeling had gone from your legs, and you felt so cold. A numb pain that you never believed existed until now, riddled your entire body. Clutching your stomach you winced as a warm sticky liquid soon seeped through your glove and onto your hand.

Explosions continued around you, some so huge that they shook the ground beneath you. Gazing at the sky you smiled, blood trickling from your mouth. It was the most beautiful shade of cobalt, just like a certain super soldier's eyes.

The pain finally began to subside, giving way to a cold numbness, a numbness that encompassed you completely. It wasn't even cold anymore; everything had dulled including your once keen eyesight. It was time, almost time. You obviously still had something keeping you alive. However you could barely remember your own name.

A figure blocked your view of the heavens. You would have been pissed, except the figure had the same shade of blue in their eyes as the sky. Slowly your mind pieced things together. You tied to speak but were unable, so you stared up at Steve silently.

Steve Rogers was sickened by what he saw. Lying before him, almost completely still was the woman he loved. The woman he was too scared to tell of his feelings. She was so pale, her once beautiful (e/c) eyes dull. He removed his cowl, crouching down to wipe the blood that trickled from her mouth. She was so cold. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes but he willed them away, he would be strong for her. He wouldn't cry until she was completely gone.

You stared into Steve's eyes; you could see the pain he was feeling though couldn't understand why he was so upset. There was no way a man like him would ever like a woman like you. You were nothing but a loner, destined to die by yourself.
"I guess this is the end." You forced yourself to speak, though your voice didn't sound like you anymore.
The captain's gloved hand cupped your cheek. "I'm sure we could do something to-"
You cut him off. "No. I'm already gone."
"I have to do something. You saved me, and…. I think I love you."
You smiled, shakily reaching up to touch him on the cheek, leaving a bloody handprint. "I wish you would have told me earlier."

His face moved in close to yours, lips almost touching. Than your heartbeat faltered and you were surrounded by complete and utter blackness. It was the end. Steve pulled away from you, tears streaming down his face. He had felt your heart stop, he knew you were gone. He just hoped that you knew you had not died alone, you had never been alone.