Darkness. There was a flash of red light. Suddenly, she was wrapped in her brother's arms, staring in terror at the mortar shell in front of them in the rubble. 'Stark Industries' was painted on the side. The rubble shifted and her fear engulfed her in a flash of red. Suddenly, she was standing with her brother at the side of the casket that held Ultron's Vision. She touched it, and she saw the planet burning. And he wanted it… There was another flash and she was alone at the church of Sokovia. He was in front of her. Her brother, who had always been there. He stood there, his eyes wide and sad, and together they looked down at the bullet wounds in his body. He looked at her, and opened his mouth to say something, but he collapsed, and in her heart, she knew he was gone. She could feel the emptiness where she could always feel his presence, warm and comforting even when things were horrible. But not anymore. He had fallen. Her brother was gone. He was never coming back-
"NO!"
She screamed, her hair hanging in curtains around her face as a lamp shattered against the opposite wall. She knew she had done it,
She waited a moment for her brother to rush to her side, reassure her that he was not going to leave her. Then the events of the week before hit her like a wave of grief, and she stopped breathing for a moment.
Tears ran down her face as she put her head in her hands. "No, no, no. Почему вы должны оставить меня?"
Why did you have to leave me?
He should be here to comfort her. He should be there to sing her the song of meadows that their mother would sing to them before bed. But he was not. He was gone from her.
She sat there and cried, broken by the loss. She would never show her weakness to the others, or they would leave her. That was a lesson she had learned often enough on the streets with her brother. So she would mourn in her room, or at the grave that stood outside the facility. But always alone.
She flinched at a sudden noise at her door, and she telekinetically threw a book at the intruder. She used the distraction as an advantage to roll off her bed and get in a fighting stance.
She paused, staring at the tall cloaked figure of the Vision standing in the doorway.
"What do you want?" she hissed quietly, her eyes glowing red with the suppressed energy.
"I heard you cry out. I thought you might be injured." he said, apparent concern in his voice.
"Я ранены" I am injured.
He looked taken aback and he took a step towards her, sympathy on his face. She cursed herself. He was an android with access to the world's languages. He would know what she had said.
"I am sorry." he said quietly, and she turned her tear-stained face away and sat down on her bed.
"Just leave me. I do not need your pity." she said quietly, and her eyes reverted to their normal color as she released the flow of magic.
She felt him gently put his hand on her shoulder, and she stiffened, but said nothing. After a moment, he sat down beside her and tentatively put his arm around her shoulders and held her. She took a shuddering breath, trying to force back tears. Pietro was the only one who had ever shown her kindness, and here she was, being comforted by another.
"Can I help in some way?" he asked after a while.
She cleared her throat. Her vision was clouded with her tears as she mourned her brother and she had not expected to talk.
"Do you know the Sokovian song of the meadows? My mother would sing it to me, then my brother." she said, then felt immediately nervous. He would not sing to her, how could he even know the song. There had to be hundreds. Besides, he would end up being like everyone else. Now that she had let him in, even a little, he leave her. They all had, even her brother, in the end.
"Тише малышка, лежала в лугу с птицами и деревьями , чтобы защитить вас..." Hush little one, lay in your meadow with the birds and trees to protect you...
She froze. He knew the lullaby. She almost began to cry again, but she realized that she had mourned enough for this night. She looked up at him and he met her eyes. She smiled gratefully and wiped her eyes as he continued to sing quietly.
"Thank you," she whispered, and sleep claimed her.