Shadowed Past: Visions of Affliction
Chapter 10: Look Alive, Sunshine
Chapter Title Credit: "Look Alive, Sunshine" by My Chemical Romance / Album: "Danger Days"
Third Person POV
Piper paced back and forth at the end of Alex's hospital bed. After she passed out Piper was able to get her to the medical ward. She called Steve's cell a total of eight times before he answered.
Alex was still asleep, Bruce said that she passed out from dehydration but Piper knew that couldn't be the answer.
The door creaked open to reveal Bruce who motioned for Piper's presence.
"So, what did the tests say?" Piper asked eagerly, walking over to him.
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but there's nothing completely uncommon. Yes it's rare for super-humans to get ill but the only thing I could find was a stomach flu. She passed out physically from dehydration. There were absolutely no signs of any blood loss, so I don't know what the coughing up blood was about. Are you sure that's what she said?"
"Yes! Right before she passed out, she kept pointing to her lips and saying that she was bleeding."
"Do you think she was hallucinating?" Bruce asked.
"I don't know. She kept complaining about her head hurting earlier that night, but, that's about it."
"How have the visions been?"
Piper shrugged. "She doesn't talk about them much. But I know they're not getting any better. I'm sure Steve will know more once he gets here."
They both fell silent for a moment.
"What do you think is wrong?" Piper spoke up.
Bruce sighed. "I honestly don't know. Something out of the ordinary for sure."
"Thor certainly didn't look pleased with whatever that document said."
"How long has Thor been gone anyways?"
"A while. But it's not like they have Verizon in Asgard."
"Well we need to get a hold of him. Between the visions and all of Alex's emotional distress, I feel that her body is responding negatively and that's why she's falling ill." Piper shot Bruce a confused look. "Stress is one of the hardest things the human body endures. And as much stress as she's under, I'm surprised her body hasn't done this before."
"Steve? Piper?"
Both Bruce and Piper froze before opening the door. Alex was awake.
First Person POV
"Steve? Piper?" I called. My throat burned and a nasty taste lingered in my mouth.
"Alex, you're awake!" Piper breathed with relief as she walked up to my bedside.
"What happened?" I groaned, feeling the throbbing aches all over my body come back to life again. It only took me a second before I remembered what I saw. "Wait, am I okay? I was bleeding!"
Bruce and Piper exchanged a look.
"What's wrong? I started coughing, and then I was bleeding, and then I passed out. Is something wrong with me? Bruce?"
"It's actually the opposite. You had no signs of internal bleeding of any kind. I'm not sure what you saw but it certainly wasn't blood."
"But, I swear it was real! I felt it on my hands!"
"Alex, you only threw up. There wasn't any blood." Piper muttered.
"And you passed out from dehydration." Bruce added.
"That's impossible." I whispered, confused.
"I think you had a hallucination, Alex." Bruce said.
"But...that can't be! It all felt so real!"
"That's what hallucinations do...even the craziest of things can seem real to somebody."
"Okay, well why was I hallucinating?"
"My only guess so far is that it has something to do with your visions. Something's not right in your head and that's why you had the hallucination."
There was a long pause. I felt complete and utter fear wash over me.
"Am I going to be okay?"
Silence.
I felt the tears bubble in my eyes.
"Alex," Piper breathed.
"Am I going to be okay?!" I shouted.
There was no answer.
Third Person POV
Alex cried for awhile, she cried herself to sleep in the hospital bed to be exact. Piper sat there and comforted her until she dozed off.
Steve finally arrived, and Piper stood to greet him. She put her finer to her lips to signal to be quiet, and she led him out into the hall.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, is she okay? What happened?"
"She was awake earlier. She cried herself back to sleep."
Steve's face turned as white as one of a ghost. "Why is she here in the first place, Piper?"
"She got really sick last night, and she told me that she swore she saw herself cough up blood before she passed out in the bathroom at Sam's place. But, according to Bruce, she hallucinated. She had a stomach flu and vomited normally. No internal bleeding. She passed out because of dehydration. Something's wrong with her Steve. Thor's looking for an answer right now."
"Is she going to be okay?" He asked, tears brimming his eyes.
"I don't know, Steve. I don't know." Piper replied, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
Sam sat in a chair across the room from where Bucky was pinned. He was on edge, fearing that Bucky could go crazy any second.
"You're tense." Bucky mumbled, his voice hoarse.
"What?" Sam asked.
"You're tense. I can tell. You're uncomfortable. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere with this magnet."
"Sorry, I guess it's my natural response being in the same room as a past assassin."
"I don't do that anymore." Bucky answered.
"I know, I'm well aware."
There was silence.
"Who were the girls earlier? The one was a target, and the other wasn't. She knew something, about me."
"Well, the target girl was Alex. She's Steve's wife."
"Oh."
"And the other girl was Piper. She's Alex's best friend. More like her sister. Why do you say she knows something about you?"
"She looked into my eyes, and I felt weird. I felt different. It's like she was reading me, but I've been trained to not let people read me. Nobody's been able to read me."
"Well, I guess you'll have to ask her about that."
"When will she be back?"
"I don't know. But you'll see her again. Don't worry about it."
Bucky nodded in response. Deep down, he missed that girl, Piper. He wanted to see her again. She was the only one in the room who wasn't afraid of him, tense or nervous. He missed her. Her presence called him down, and he longed to see her again.
Steve sat waiting for Alex to wake up. He sat looking down, his eyebrows furrowed. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap while his mind raced. He worried about Alex and what was wrong with her. If it was something that Thor had to look into, then he had every reason in the world to be worried. Piper was in the hallway on the phone with Sam. He tuned into what she was saying.
"What do you mean he said I was able to read him?"
"He said he felt you read his mind or something. I don't know, girlie. His eggs are still a little scrambled."
"Well I'm not going to hike back over there. Alex isn't doing well and I need to be here."
"I understand, I just figured you might want to know."
"Yeah yeah, thanks. Did you want to talk to Steve?"
"I don't know. That depends. How is he?"
"He doesn't look good."
"Well don't bother him. I'll talk to him when he gets the chance. Just tell him that everything's okay over here and he doesn't need to worry."
"Okay, thanks for calling, Sam."
"No problem. Hang tight, I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Yeah, let's pray that she is."
Piper walked back into the room, Steve quickly looking back down when the door swung open.
"Hey, how's Sam?" Steve asked.
"Everything's fine. He meant it too. Apparently old Bucky wants to see me again."
"Really?" Steve replied.
"Yeah. Told Sam that I calmed him down."
"Huh, that's odd. But I'm not surprised. He got around if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I gotchya. Has she moved at all?" Piper asked.
"Nope, just steady breathing."
"Oh, Alex. I wish I could take it all away..." Piper muttered sorrowfully, rubbing her hand against the bottom end of the hospital bed gently.
First Person POV
My eyes peeled open slowly, dry and weary.
Steve was immediately at my side. "Hey, shh, it's gonna be alright. How do you feel?"
"Better, actually. That nap really helped. How long was I out?"
Steve answered. "A while."
"At least six or seven hours."
"Wow..." I muttered. Reality came back to me and I remembered that I cried myself to sleep. "Has anybody heard from Thor?"
"Not yet. I don't think I can really text him either."
"Yeah, I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. I know he'll be back in due time."
"That nap really did do you good..." Piper snickered.
I chuckled in response. I then noticed that both Steve and Piper looked exhausted.
"What time is it? You guys look dead, go get some rest."
"It's ten in the morning. I got here around three." Steve said.
"Baby go get some rest, I'll be fine. You too, Piper, I'm not going anywhere."
"I don't want to leave you here all by yourself. Piper, you go rest, I'll be okay." Steve said.
"Are you sure?" Piper asked, yawning.
"I vote you both go get your rest. Piper don't let his puppy dog eyes fool you!"
"You go, Piper, I'm fine. You need your sleep."
Piper nodded, saying her goodbyes and then leaving.
"You should be going yourself, mister."
"I'm not going anywhere, woman." Steve responded.
Just then the door swung open and Bruce entered. "You're looking awful chipper for somebody who had such an episode less than 24 hours ago."
"I feel better, what'd you drug me with this time?"
"Nothing major, just some pain killer and fluids."
"Uh huh, sure." I replied.
"Nothing that's gonna kill you. We'll leave it at that. Steve, nice to see you." Bruce said.
"You too, Banner."
"How have you been holding up?"
"Fine, just worried about the wife." Steve responded.
"Yeah, and Bucky. Don't lie." I added.
"Bucky?" Bruce asked. "Did you get him?"
"Yeah, Sam's with him now actually."
"Well, congratulations I suppose? I don't really know how to reward someone for capturing their old best friend who's gone rogue."
"I don't think anyone does..." Steve chuckled.
Bruce shared a small laugh with Steve before turning to me again.
"Your vitals are normal, I think you're safe to leave the medical ward. Just don't go anywhere off-base, okay? You're better, but not a hundred percent yet."
"Sounds like a plan!" I chirped.
"Before you go, Piper said something about a blood test?"
"Yeah, um, we have suspicions that Tony and I might be related." I muttered. I saw Steve tense out of the corner of my eye. "I was just wondering if you could compare blood samples?"
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll get yours and then get Tony's if I can get him to agree to it."
After Bruce took my blood, he unhooked the IVs from me and Steve set a pair of clean clothes for me on the bed. They went out into the hall while I changed.
"Just make sure you don't leave her unattended. Either you or Piper should stay with her at all times."
"Do you have any idea what's going on? Anything?"
"It's certainly something that's not human, that's for sure. Physically, her health is perfect. It's something beyond the mortal world, I know it is. I've never seen anything like this before." Bruce replied softly.
"Is there anything we can do?" Steve asked.
"Wait for Thor, keep her under surveillance in case she loses consciousness again, keep her hydrated and well fed. That's all I can say. Lot's of rest seems to be doing her good too. Like, twelve to fifteen hours a lot."
"That's not normal, Bruce."
"I know but if it's improving her mental condition by this much every time, we're just gonna have to go with it until we can solve the problem at hand."
Steve and I went back to our apartment and both crashed on the bed. He fell asleep long before I drifted off again, but I figured more sleep wouldn't hurt if that was all I really wanted to do.
"Where are we going?" I finally broke the silence that had fallen over the jet's cabin.
"Someplace safe. We'll be there soon." Clint responded.
Within the next 30 minutes, all of us were walking up to a small, innocent white house surrounded by farm land. Turns out the place was Clint's. Who had a wife, and kids.
Later that night, dinner at Clint's farm was interesting. Fury popped up out of nowhere, again. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the mass group of superheroes crammed in a small, normal kitchen eating dinner like a normal family would. Nat colored with the kids, and I smiled at the sight.
The topic of solving the task at hand came up after a while. Ultron wanted a body, a real body, and the team knew exactly where he'd find that.
We set out to find Dr. Cho and the regeneration cradle almost immediately, and we arrived to an ugly sight.
Steve and I found Dr. Cho injured, the cradle missing along with Ultron.
"He's uploading himself into the body. The real power is inside the cradle, the gem. It's power is unobtainable, you can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark."
"First we have to find it." Steve said.
"Go."
"You guys copy that?" Steve asked over the intercom.
Nat and Clint were searching overhead in the quinjet, and Clint noticed a truck from the lab right above Steve and I on the loop by the bridge.
"You stay here." I said.
"What? No way, you're crazy." Steve answered.
"I'll draw out Ultron, you get her help."
"Alex-"
I cut Steve off with a kiss.
"Go, now." I said before taking off.
"Go with her, Ill be fine." Dr. Cho panted. Steve chased after me. "You guys are cute!" She called.
"Did you two kiss again? Gross." Clint muttered over the intercom.
"Hey, you don't have room to talk mister 'I have a wife and didn't tell any of you'."
"Touche." He responded.
Steve and I distracted Ultron while Nat worked on getting the cradle itself.
"You make me sick. Beasts like you should never live happily ever after." Ultron snapped, throwing a fist at me but missing.
"You're calling us the beasts?" Steve shouted, throwing his shield.
I turned invisible, and made my way behind Ultron.
"Have you looked in a mirror, hot shot?" I said, seconds before blasting him the back. It was fun fighting with Steve. We fought better together.
Ultron spun around and grabbed my throat, lifting me off the ground. My hands pried at his metal ones on my neck as I gasped for air. "You're abilities intrigue me. Too bad you're just like me. Another creation of Stark's gone rogue."
Just then Steve took him out, and I dropped to the floor, gasping and coughing like a fish out of water. His words plagued me. What did he mean that I was one of Stark's?
Steve and I's distracting worked, especially after Wanda and Pietro came to help.
After stopping the fast moving train and saving civilians, we headed out to get to Tony and the cradle. Nat was MIA, and it seemed like the team was falling apart more and more everyday.
We arrived to an uglier sight than before when we saw Bruce and Tony fiddling with the cradle to make it work, not shutting it down.
After a massive team-based argument, Thor swooped in to make matters worse. He fried the cradle with lightening, only to release it's creation. It appeared human, but was not. It could fly.
"I'm sorry that was, odd. Thank you." It said.
"Thor, you helped create this?" Steve asked.
"I've had a vision, a whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and it's center, that." He replied, pointing the gem in the middle of the thing's head.
Bruce chimed in, "What, the gem?"
"It's the mind stone. One of the six infinity stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in it's destructive capabilities." Thor said.
"Then why would you bring it to-" Steve began.
"Stark is right." Thor interrupted.
"Oh it's definitely the end times..." Bruce muttered.
Thor continued, "The Avengers can't defeat Ultron."
"Not alone." It said.
"Why does your vision sound like JARVIS?" Steve asked.
"We configured JARVIS's matrix," Tony said, "To create something new."
"I think I've had my fill of new." Steve added.
The conversation carried on, and the thing became known as the Vision to us. He was on our side. He could even lift the Mjölnir.
It was time to fight Ultron, and end this once and for all.
My eyes shot open. I remembered. The stones I was seeing in my visions. That was one of them.
"Another creation of Stark's gone rouge." Those words. I never understood those words until now. Howard's journal. Howard and my mother. I needed to get to the bottom of this, now.
7:06pm. Time to wake up Piper.
I made myself decent as quickly as I could, and left a small note for Steve on my pillow.
Headed over to figure out some answers with Piper in her apartment. I'm not far, no need to worry. Come over when you wake up. Love you lots, Alex
I knocked on Piper's door softly at first, hoping she was already awake.
No answer.
"Great, Piper." I huffed. I knocked a little louder. Still no answer.
Suddenly I heard movement from the other side of the door. "Piper?" I called.
"One sec!" She called back before yawning rather loudly.
The door swung open, revealing Piper in her tiredest state yet.
"How was your hibernation?" I asked, chuckling.
"Good, yours?"
"I've been sleeping all day. Which is why we need to look at the pages and crystal, now."
"Oh boy, I'm scared." Piper said, moving out of the way as I barged into her room.
"Where is it? I want to see it!"
"Okay okay, geesh! Bossy much?"
"Sorry! It's important, kind of life or death here?"
Piper went into her closet and brought out a little box that she had put the journal pages and crystal in.
The moment my fingers touched the crystal, I felt different. I could feel something coursing through me, and it didn't feel right.
I dropped the crystal, and felt a headache coming on. "Yeah, that crystal has something to do with it."
"Well what did your day of sleeping have to do with this stuff?"
"I remembered something Ultron said, during that whole fiasco. The day we stole the cradle back from him. He told me I was another creation of Stark's that's gone rogue."
"What do you think that means?"
"If these journal pages are saying what I think they are, then Howard Stark is my real father."
"Aren't their more journal pages missing? What if they have more answers?" Piper asked as I stood abruptly.
"I think we know enough, Piper. We don't time to look for those things. I'm not getting any better, and-" I trailed off, plopping down on the mattress.
"Alex! What's wrong?!"
"I'm lightheaded again, this is getting ridiculous."
"Just lay down, and I'll get help."
"No, I don't need help, I just need-" I was stopped by a yawn erupting from my throat.
"You need, that?"
"I'm just so tired..." I trailed off, falling into a deep sleep.
"Right. Not good." Piper muttered, picking up the papers and putting them back in the box with the crystal. She slid the box under her bed and called for Bruce.
Third Person POV
"She's just sleeping, Piper. You said she just got lightheaded and fell asleep?"
"Yes! She just kind of collapsed and fell asleep. There's no other away to explain it."
"Well, just keep an eye on her. Where's Steve."
"Still sleeping." Piper sighed.
"Of course. You say here with her, and I'm going to get working on the blood samples."
"You got Tony's?"
"Surprisingly. He just left. He stopped by and didn't seem to have a problem with it. Anything to put Alex at ease, that's what he said. He was awful jittery though, wanted to leave before bumping into to Steve."
"Those two fight like it's their job, that's nothing knew."
"Right. Just call if you need anything, okay?"
"Yeah, sure thing. Thanks, Bruce!"
"No problem."
First Person POV
My eyes peeled open again, to reveal Piper and Steve sitting at the bedside.
"Good morning," I mumbled, voice hoarse.
"It's nine at night." Piper chuckled.
"You know what I meant."
"How do you feel?" Steve asked, helping me sit up.
"Better?" I mumbled. "I don't know, sleep helps but not by a lot. It's more of escaping the lightheaded feeling than actual sleep."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Bruce.
"You guys might want to come see this."
He led us to one of his labs in the medical ward.
"These are the blood test results. I wanted you to see them for yourself."
My eyes skimmed the page, and I felt my heart sink at the sight.
"Howard Stark was my biological father?"
Bruce nodded.
I saw Steve's jaw clench, and Piper's body language become very awkward and unsettled.
"Great. I'm related to Tony Stark." I breathed.
Third Person POV
Meanwhile in Asgard, Odin took Thor to Frigga's private library that was in their wing of the palace.
"Father, are you sure it's okay that I go through her books?"
"We don't need to go through anything. I know exactly which book you're going to need. It's going to be in Section D, shelf number 183."
"Wow, you really keep tabs on the place don't you?"
"Well after your mother passed away I felt that it was my duty to ensure all of her belongings were well kept."
Thor nodded.
"I'll be right back. I believe I know where I can find more answers."
"Take your time, I'll find the book." Thor said, smiling to cover his concern.
Odin walked out, and Thor's mind raced. What in the name of the nine realms was going on with his father?
Odin vanished from the library, and the private wing completely. He walked down the massive halls of the palace until he reached the throne room. With the grin of a mad man plastered across his face, he closed every door tightly with just the snap of his fingers. No guards were anywhere to be seen. The throne slid back with just a gaze from the king, and he walked up to it rather majestically. With the royal seat out of the way, a small door carved into the marble floor was revealed. He opened it with the flick of his wrist and began to descend into the tunnel beneath it. Once at the bottom of the ladder, he jumped onto the ground. His landing echoed through the dark halls of the secret location. "Time to pay the old man a visit." He grinned, his form practically melting away with the blink of an eye and transforming into none other than the adopted son himself. His long, black hair was still slicked back, and his teeth flashed white in the dim light of the torches off the cement walls. Loki walked down the tunnels with pride, until he reached the gated entrance to the dungeon. The door swung open with his telepathic consent, to reveal none other than the real Odin himself.
"Oh great, you're back, I was getting worried."
"I like your sense of sarcasm, I think it's gotten much more improved with you being down here. Alone. All day and night."
"End this madness, son, it's not-"
"I am not your son!" Loki's voice boomed, echoing around them.
"What do you want from me?!" Odin fired back.
"I want to know more about Sedir. Thor's waiting for an answer upstairs. He claims that one of his midgardian friends may have a curse involving the old magic. I've read the books. I know you know something about it."
Odin fell silent.
"Ah, the old silent yes."
"You can't make me say a word."
"Actually, I can make you say anything I want. Those cuffs around your wrists prevent you from using any magic at all. It's almost as if you were a mortal."
Loki snapped his right hand, and Odin began talking immediately. His lips kept moving, and his body tried to make them stop, but it was no use.
"It all began with Howard Stark. He told me it was for the greater good. It was really only for his own selfish desires. We made a deal. He used Sedir and I got payed in rare currency for it. He changed the destiny of a woman named Lucy Cooper, so that they would conceive a daughter named Alex who would someday meet his creation of Captain America and they would fall in love and have a child to combine the two superhuman genes and create an ultimate gene. After the business had been taken care of, Howard tried to steal the legendary Sedir crystal for himself. The crystal is what wields the power of the only remaining Sedir known all throughout the galaxy. In the midst of the fight to try and get the crystal back from him, the crystal was smashed into to shards. He escaped with a single shard. The power was lost. As revenge to ruin his plan, I cast a curse on the daughter the moment she was conceived. The curse haunts the victim with horrible visions until they lose their mind, become very ill, fall into a coma and die. It's old Norse."
"And where is this Alex now?"
"Midgard. Upstate New York. I can sense the curse. She's not far from her death." Odin spit out, almost monotone.
"Ah, and if one were to assemble this crystal again, they could use the powers of Sedir that had been lost to the masses?"
"Yes."
"Where are these other crystal shards?"
"I've reassembled the remaining shards except for the one in Midgard. There's a secret compartment in your mother's jewelry cabinet in our room."
"Thank you for your cooperation." Loki grinned madly, before turning back into 'Odin'.
"Don't do it, Loki!" Odin shouted, control over is own voice returning to him.
He chuckled, words falling off his lips like silk, "I do what I want."
Loki, "Odin", returned to Thor in the library, who had found two more books on Sedir.
"Father, there you are! Where have you been?"
"None of that matters. I have your answers. You must bring Alex here. She's suffering from a horrible curse."
"How did she get cursed in the first place?!"
"I haven't gotten the slightest idea. But I know what curse it is, and I can fix it. I just need you to bring her here. And she must bring me the crystal shard she has."
"Where did you go that got you all of these answers?"
"It's a secret, but I'll show you." Odin-Loki muttered quietly. Loki quickly made piles of books appear on a table around the corner, random books about the curse he was telling Thor about.
Thor read through the books quickly and believed every single word Loki had told him.
"I'll return to Midgard and retrieve her."
"Please, hurry, I don't know how much time she has left. Be fast, my son. I believe in you."
Thor was gone within seconds.
"Idiot." Loki muttered upon his disappearance.
First Person POV
Piper, Steve and I were walking back to the apartment when suddenly Thor came running up to us in the hallway.
"Thor!" I shouted, darting towards him.
"Lady Alex, I must take you to Asgard. My father has answers."
"She's in no condition to travel that far. She can barely make it around the corner!" Steve protested.
"She's cursed. It's a long story. I'll tell you along the way."
"No." Steve boomed. "She's not going anywhere until you tell us what you know."
"Steve," I muttered. "Calm down."
"There's no trouble. We just need to go somewhere more private to have this conversation." Thor said quietly.
We went to Steve and I's apartment, and I made sure every last intercom and electronic was disabled before we started talking. The four of us sat in a circle on the floor.
"This is so cool! We're like in a story telling circle!" Piper said cheerfully.
I elbowed her and she apologized, looking down.
"Odin says that Alex must come to Asgard with the crystal shard to be cured of this curse."
"So it is a curse?" I asked.
"Yes. An old Norse curse."
"How did she get it?" Steve asked.
"He didn't directly say. Sedir has been used by you or on you in the past, and this curse is some kind of result of it."
"I didn't even know what Sedir was until all of this happened, but I can feel some kind of connection to it."
"Did he say anything about why Howard Stark knew about it?"
"No." Thor answered.
"This doesn't add up. Odin knows you have a curse because of Sedir, and we know that Howard is your real father-" Piper began.
"Wait, what?" Thor muttered.
"Surprise!" I shouted.
"-If anything Howard used the Sedir to give you your powers." Piper finished.
"How would he do that? Curse my mom?" I asked.
"I don't know I'm spitting out ideas here!"
Thor continued, "Howard never saw you once you were born, correct?"
"Nope. My mother never mentioned him once to me. She told me she was attacked and that's how I was conceived."
"She was hiding something. She knew something." Steve chimed in.
"The journal pages said she didn't approve of his 'plan'." Piper said.
"We never found out what his plan was, we never found the other pages." I said.
"That's why I believe you need to come to Asgard with me. My father has answers. He among my mother are the only two who mastered Sedir long ago."
"I read that in a book somewhere." I added, looking at Steve. "This is life or death. I have to go."
"One of us has to come with you." Steve said.
"I'll go." Piper said.
We all turned and looked at her.
"Nobody knows who I am, I can use that to an advantage if I have to."
"She's got a point, many of the Asgardians would recognize Captain America strolling into town."
Silence.
"Okay, okay." Steve caved in.
"We leave as soon as possible." Thor said.
"Thor, let's uh, talk in the hall for a second, yeah?" Piper muttered, standing and leading him out of the room.
"Honey-" I began, getting cut off by a kiss.
Steve and I kissed passionately for what felt like forever until I finally pulled away in desperate need of air.
"Promise me you'll come back." Steve muttered, tears brimming his eyes.
"I will, baby. I promise." I said, tears forming in my own eyes.
I wrapped my arms around him, and we both cried, holding each other tightly.
"You're my world, Alex. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"And you're mine." My voice cracked. "You saved me, Steve." We looked into each other's eyes. "And I love you so much."
We kissed again before breaking our embrace apart and standing. "It's time." I breathed, wiping the tears off my cheeks.
Steve held the sides of my head with his hands and kissed my forehead gently before pulling me into one last embrace before we departed.
The four of us walked out to the field together.
I had the crystal around my neck, the feeling almost sensational. I was so lightheaded, it felt like I was dreaming.
Piper and I hugged each other tightly as Thor wrapped his large around us. I felt the wind instantly as he began whirring his hammer around to pick up speed.
The next thing I knew, the ground was no longer below my feet and everything was moving so fast I couldn't make out what was going on.