IT'S BEEN A MONTH OR SO SINCE I UPDATED AND I'M SO SORRY! I was studying for my finals, finishing my final projects, and essays. It's been very hectic and I haven't had much time to write let alone edit my stories so I'm sorry. School just ended so I'm hoping to get more of this story done. I am very sad to say I just watched Avengers: Endgame twice and I cried so many times. I honestly don't know how to handle the destruction of my childhood heroes. I've been thinking of writing my story about Star Ray for years and now my heroes are gone so I'm sad but happy that they inspired me to this extent.

As always I don't own Marvel (sadly) only my Oc's. ENJOY!

My head is pounding when I wake up from that blasted nightmare. What makes everything worse is the fact I can't remember much of what happened today, which isn't good. That nightmare always does this to me for some reason. I always forget where I am and what I was doing moments before falling asleep. After experiencing that nightmare several times I no longer panic when I first awake, instead, I take a moment to analyze my surroundings and the situation I could be in. I do the same right now as I realize I'm at the bottom of the ocean with a bunch of rocks piled on top of me. How in the world did I get here? Trying to recall the earlier events that transpired today I remember how the not-so-jolly green giant punched me. That jerk!

You better hope I never see you again Hulk! I thought to myself, as I dig myself out of my premature gravesite. I realize not too long after the fight with Christopher that my body is different. Somehow my previous limits were no longer there as my strength and durability increased. I never put it to the test but I guess this counts, right? The day I fought Christopher, pipes and other objects were able to slice through my body, although with some difficulty, but now that's no longer the case.

After I free myself I simply stand here, thinking of the events that just occurred. I don't know who I should be upset with; myself for agreeing to help S.H.I.E.L.D. after everything that happened to me or them for not leaving me alone. It doesn't matter in the end, I suppose. I'm in this situation because this is the choice I made so I might as well accept it and move on. The question I should be asking myself is what I'm supposed to do now? Do I run away and live in the ocean for the rest of my life since I don't need air, or do I go back to prison? Should I stay or should I go? This is the perfect chance to do something, right? As I look up I can see the sun shining through the water and I wondered what exactly is left for me to do. I did my job and took care of the Hulk so is there anything left for me to do? No, my job is done, I can rest. Then again what about the rest of the Avengers? Wait a minute why should I care about them or their problems, let alone anyone else's. The world never helped me so why should I care if it goes up in flames when I can just hide in the ocean where it's safe. If they want to be superheroes then by all means let them, but leave me out of it! I don't want to be like Tony Stark and have millions of fans or like Steve Rogers and go down as a legend. I don't want to be a soldier or a spy! If I'm being honest with myself I have no idea what I want anymore.

Is life even worth it at this point? With all the tragedies and heartaches I face each day of my life is there anything left for me at this point? The world is so cruel and nothing seems right anymore since Cristina died. War, destruction, devastation that's it every day and I'm so tired of it all. Not one person in this world except for those who have already died kept true to me! Everyone else has lied and betrayed me so many times I can't keep track anymore. There's no more hope for this world... Even Clint, the first friend I made since meeting Christopher, betrayed me in the end.

But he didn't, A soft voice whispers in the chaos of my thoughts, and I froze. He trusted us even when we told him not to, and it was our fault he lost faith in us towards the end.

That voice… it was my own, reminding me of Steve and his kindness. It's also reminding me how I was the one who let him down. When I first heard of the great Captain America, I initially thought he would be, for a lack of better words, a pretentious and difficult man who wouldn't be any use to us in this mission. I read his whole file and it did little to sway my opinion, but I decided to be civil until provoked, and to say he surprised me would be an understatement. He was the first person to ever treat me like I'm normal even with the knowledge of how dangerous I am. He never disrespected me, and he even wanted to trust me, a no-good punk. How could I ever forget that type of kindness, especially when he was so honest with me?

He doesn't trust me anymore, I remind myself as I sit back down, thinking of the last conversation we had. He looked so upset with me and I deserved it. I can't blame him considering the fact I got mad with Clint because he kept secrets from me. I told Steve not to trust anyone and I basically proved my point by not telling him about the Hulk situation. This whole thing is a mess and there's no way for me to fix it, so why try?

You still care for Clint, don't you? Even after he kept a secret from you because of S.H.I.E.L.D., so maybe you have still a chance at having a friend with Steve.

No, I don't want to get tricked by another person! I told myself as I rose from my seated position, beginning to pace back and forth on the ocean floor. I hardly know him he could be just like everyone else. I can't trust him. I hung my head as I remembered all the times someone lied to me to get their way. There's no way I was letting that happen a fourth time in my life. If Steve doesn't trust me anymore maybe that's my warning to give up now before it's too late. Plus, am I really that desperate for a friend that I'm going to place all of my cards on some guy I hardly know. Nope! I may be lonely and a bit lost but I'm not stupid enough to throw myself at some random guy.

"You won't be alone… I promise… so please promise me… to never give up on others…. or on life… give it a chance…"

Those were Cristina's last words to me. I did give up, didn't I? I just didn't know what else to do but give up. Well, that was until they told me Clint had been taken. No that's not true, I thought to myself because I still didn't believe in this world or Clint. The only reason I came back is due to the fact that I came to care about someone who didn't give up on me. It wasn't a debt, but it was compassion I displayed towards Clint even when he betrayed me. Still, it doesn't mean I forgiven him or believed in his cause.

Steve Rogers

I don't know what to make of him since he isn't like anyone I've ever met before. He was the first good man I've met in years, but I hardly know him. I can't exactly trust a stranger. Putting blind faith in someone is how I got myself in this situation in the first place. I don't want to get hurt again.

"so please, promise me… to never give up on others…. or on life… give it a chance…"

Give it a chance? How do I give life a chance or people for that matter? Life is messy and cruel just like people. Why in the world would I want to do that when I can simply escape from that and live in solitude. Sure, it gets lonely from time to time but at least I know no one can ever hurt me again. The good of this world, or a least the only good I ever saw in it, is gone. Is there anything left for me to put my hope and faith in? Are there people who don't hurt others for their own benefit, or lie to them simply to get what they want? I only knew one person who could fit that description thus far.

"Then, does that mean I can trust you?"

"You aren't a weapon of mass destruction. You're just a young woman with powers."

"So be it. This isn't the first time I believed in something others couldn't see, and I doubt it'll be the last. I'll stand by what I said because I firmly believe you're an innocent person. You aren't an object who should be considered a weapon. If anything you're a hero, Calliope."

"You aren't alone," Steve tells me as he places a hand on my shoulder. "Not anymore."

Dang, I guess my baby girl was right. I don't know what the future might hold, or if I'll regret this but I know one thing, Steve Rogers is someone worth following. I don't care about his achievements or his past because that means nothing to me. What I care about is for the first time in my life, someone other than Cristina has motivated me and believed in me as a person and not a weapon. He trusted me to have his back, so I will. If there is even one person in this world like him then maybe there's still a chance for someone like me. Maybe this world isn't lost yet if there are more people like him. I don't have to lose hope. Maybe, just maybe I can have one more chance at having a friend. With that in mind, there's no time to waste as I fly out of the ocean, however, I'm faced with a new problem now. I have no idea where I'm supposed to go. Wait, I still have my comm in my ear so maybe it still works!

"Hello, Furry, can you hear me?"

"Never thought I'd be happy to hear that name, but here we are. We were worried you got badly injured, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm just fine, actually. The only problem is I don't know where I am. Where's the Helicarrier? Is everyone safe?"

"It's hard to say. Banner is missing, Thor is gone too, but the others including Agent Barton just left."

"Clint's back? How long was I out? Did I miss out on a couple of days?"

"No, the timetable is moving faster than what we thought, that's all. During the raid Romanoff was able to wipe the mind control off of Barton, unfortunately, that's when we lost Loki and the scepter. The others left to where they believe Loki might be, I'm currently tracking their coördinates."

"Direct me to their location," I tell him in a hurried tone. There was no time to waste even if I had more questions, those would have to wait until the job is done.

"Are you sure? You completed your end of the bargain, you don't need to do this," Fury states. I can understand why Fury would ask me that question. Even if he did want me to help, a deal is a deal. I told him as soon as Clint is back I would return to prison, but I can't do that, not yet.

"The job is not done yet. There's still a lot to do and we're wasting time talking about it. Tell me where I need to go, Fury."

"They're heading to New York City, I'll personally direct you there."

With that being said I make my way to NYC, my ETA being 10 minutes if I push it. Once I'm inside the boundaries of Manhattan there's no need for Fury to tell me where to go. With Aliens all over the place, it's easy to tell where I'm needed. For example, a swarm of aliens is coming out of a gigantic hole in the sky and they're all attacking different areas in the city.

"We're still working on getting eyes down there, so I need you to tell me what you see."

"I just hope the whole team is here or on their way because we're gonna need as much help as we can get," I mutter to the man. I don't know where to start until I see the jet Fury told me the others hi-jacked. I nee them flying closer to Stark towers and I'm about to contact them when they get shot down. Without wasting another second I rushed forward grabbing the jet by the nose and holding it above my head, preventing a crash landing. Looking inside, I notice Steve in the back, Romanoff in the co-pilot seat, and finally Clint Barton in the pilots' seat. All of them are looking at me in shock and disbelief.

"And here I thought you were a good pilot Clint," I said with a smirk.

"Kid, you're back!" Clint said, amazement crossing his face. The smile on Clint's face is so genuine that I knew at this moment it's time to forgive him and stand by his side once more. "They told me you and the Hulk knocked each other out. I didn't know if you were okay."

"Don't worry, I'm good, and it's nice to see you have complete control over yourself again."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but can you two save this for later," Romanoff told us.

"Yeah, yeah don't get your panties in a wad Roman-agh" I felt something hit my back and it stung.

"Calliope!" "Kid!"

"I'm fine," I told them. "Hold on, I'm putting you down."

More aliens were coming our way so I dodge them and zig-zag around the area. Finally, I find a clearing to place the jet. It just so happens to be right beside the overpass below Stark Towers. Once I land the jet I begin to speak, "I'm leaving you here I'm going back up to take care of these guys."

"Wait, kid! Why did you come back?"

I don't answer Clint's question at first as I allow my gaze to wander in a certain Captain's direction. In the background stands Steve waiting for my response. I allow a small smile to grace my face as I say, "I told him I had his back."

Leaving no room for a response, I zip through the skies once more hitting anything that got in my way. Shooting as many of them as I can, I fight my way through the skies trying to make a dent in their numbers. During the fight, I see an opportunity to grab one of the aliens that was coming too close for comfort and I use it as a bowling ball of sorts to wipe out the line that was forming behind me.

"Would that count as a strike?" Someone called out from behind me. I'd know that cocky voice anywhere.

Turning around, I face none other than the invincible Iron Man himself, "Stark."

"Nice to see you too sweetheart. Mind helping me with something?" the man inquires. Ignoring the nickname for the moment, I fly forward to see what he wants.

"What's up?"

Stark waves me forward. As we fly through the skyline of NYC, Stark points at something in front of us, "You see that thing right there?"

I look in the direction he's pointing at, and I see it...Honestly, how can I not see a monster like that? It's huge! "Yeah, I see the leviathan."

"...I'm not going to ask how you knew its name. The point is, I'm trying to get his attention, but I can't do that when these things keep getting in my way." Stark points out as some of the other aliens finally catch up to us and begin shooting. The aliens underestimated us as we shoot them down as we continue to follow the leviathan, trying not to lose it amidst the chaos. Although, there's no way we could lose that thing.

"So you want me to keep track of the Leviathan for you?"

"No, I need you to do the opposite of that. Keep the rest of the aliens off my back. Do you think you can do that?"

"Well, when you asked so nicely I don't see how I can say no," I give him a final smirk before flying off to destroy the rest of the smaller aliens in his way. Smashing anything in my sight, I keep moving through the skies trying to keep them away from Stark. At some point, they realize he's no longer a priority and focus their attention on me. "Hey Lightning McQueen, they no longer care about you! I'm going to lead them away from here and see if I can cover another area while I'm at it."

"All right, sweetheart, stay safe."

I don't bother telling him off for the nickname he insists on giving me as I leave him to handle the Leviathan. As I continue to move through the skies I notice I'm slowly being surrounded, and if I don't do something soon I'm probably going to be taken down. With that in mind, I use an old tactic once again. I engulf myself in radiation as I go in headfirst into the swarm, hoping to get all of them all at once. I do more damage than I thought I would, to be honest, because the aftereffect of my attack hits another pack of chitauri flyers as well. I stare down at my hands in wonder as I contemplate how strong I really am. It's not like I really tested myself out. The farthest I went to testing myself is the fight against Christopher, or "Nuke" as the public calls him. When this is all said and done I really need to put myself to the test just so that I can see what I'm really capable of.

BOOM! CRASH! The building beside me explodes and I notice more aliens coming my way.

"No pues wow, you guys are worse than any ex a girl can have," I tell them as I rush at them, sending blasts of radiation at them. I keep the fighting in the skies as much as I can until I look down at the road below and see Steve running, only to suddenly stop seconds later as he gets cornered by a group of Chitauri soldiers. I check the skies one last time before I swoop down to grab Steve, and without a warning, I throw him into the air as I trounce all the aliens there. By the time Steve falls into my arms bridal style, I have already taken care of all the aliens surrounding him. "Hey, Steve what's up?"

He looks at me with startled baby blue eyes realizing it was just me and not an enemy soldier, "I really thought that was it for me a second there."

"Sorry, I probably should have warned you I was coming in."

"Don't apologize, it's fine Calliope, you were only trying to help." He told me before a wary smile crosses his face, "Just give me a heads up next time you plan on doing that."

"Sure no problem," I reply before remembering the fact that Steve is probably still mad at me. "By the way, Steve, about earlier... back at the helicarrier I just wanted to-"

Steve raises his hand to stop me as he says, "You don't have to apologize to me, Calliope. Fury told me everything including how you thought it was a stupid idea, to begin with. I should have trusted you and gave you a chance to explain yourself, but I didn't."

"I guess we both messed up, huh?"

"Yeah, but I think we can make up for it by watching out for each other in this fight."

"Of course," I told him and it was only then that I notice he's still in my arms like a damsel. "Sorry, I'll put you down now."

"Before you do that we need to get back to the others. Do you mind flying us over there?"

"No problem. Just lean in towards me or else you might get whiplash from the take-off."

"Got it," Steve says as he leans in and I get ready to take off once again.

Once we were in the air I ask him, "Do you have any idea where Clint and Romanoff are?"

"They should still be at the overpass by Stark towers."

"Got it!"

I begin to fly back towards Stark Towers when we run into a herd of Chitauri soldiers. With Steve in my arms, it would be too difficult for me to fight them head-on. I come to a stop as I stare them down thinking up my next move that won't end up with either one of us dying. With both sides at a standstill, I choose this time to instruct Steve on what he should do next.

"Steve," I whisper to him as quietly as I can. "Do me a favor and lean in as close to me as possible. Put your head over my shoulder."

Without question, Steve does exactly as I told him and I allow us to drop out of the sky. I angle our bodies so my back is facing the ground, and the soldiers follow after us so we wouldn't get away. Now before you call me crazy there's a reason I'm doing this and it all comes down to three things. I need to face the Chitauri but Steve's face is too close to mine and I can't have that. Also, I want to try to get all of them at once and the best way to do that is to get some distance from them, forcing the fleet to chase me a bit. Finally, I want Steve looking at the ground that's quickly approaching us just in case an enemy tries to do a sneak attack. Once we're halfway to the ground, and before they could shoot us, I let loose I roar of radiation that wipes out a good chunk of the horde. The rest of the group scatters in different directions giving us the chance to escape and regroup with the others.

"I think we lost them for now," Steve tells me as we continue towards Stark towers. In the distance, I see Clint and Romanoff fighting against a few foot soldiers, but I also notice reinforcements approaching as well. "How good is your aim?"

"Well, I'm no Hawkeye but I'm not too bad either. Why?"

"Throw me into that group of soldier's. I'm going to take them out."

I look down at him in shock that he would suggest that. Nevertheless, I grab him by his belt and throw him without question. He hits the group of aliens dead on, taking them out of play one by one. I come in a moment later right beside Romanoff, tearing apart an enemy soldier that came close to impaling her. Seconds later, I see a flash of lightning strike down the remaining chitauri soldiers, and when I look to the source I find Thor landing next to an overturned car. Looking around, I notice that for the time since I arrived in the city it was just us which means it's a perfect time to regroup. All of us gather near Thor seeing as he's the last to arrive at the scene.

Without wasting time Steve immediately questions Thor, "What's the story upstairs?"

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable."

Stark spoke through the comms saying, "Thor is right, we gotta deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Romanoff asked the group.

"As a team." Steve simply said.

"Easier said than done, don't you think?" I couldn't help but point it out to the rest of the team, "Not to sound like a Debbie downer, but it's an alien invasion. How do you even deal with that? We're outnumbered, and outgunned."

"Say's who?" Clint asked me.

"Um myself?" I respond to the archer. Did Clint hit his head on something or did he finally go blind? Anyone could tell we were hopelessly fighting a lost cause. "Dude, there's like 6 of us here with little to no backup. Do you really think we're all coming out of this alive?"

"Kid, I promise you, I got your back this time, all right. We're both coming out of this alive and without any further mutations. Do you trust me to have your back? Because I trust you and I'm more than confident in saying you can kick some chitauri butt." Clint told me as he starts to ready more arrows.

"Optimism does not suit you well, Clint," I told him as I look down at the ground. "All right fine, I trust you and maybe we can somehow pull this off, but where do we even start?"

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor stated.

"Oh yeah! Get in line." Clint snarked at Thor as he finished fixing his last arrows.

"Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us to-" Suddenly, Steve stops speaking and turns to look at someone who was coming our way. The person slowly approaching us is none other than Dr. Banner who arrived on a motorbike. As Dr. Banner dismounts, he begins to survey the destruction as we make our way towards him.

"So, this all seems horrible," He tells us and I couldn't help but smile. That has to be the understatement of the century.

"I've seen worse," Romanoff replies easily.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse."

"I agree with Kim Possible here," I said pointing at Romanoff. "We could use another heavy hitter."

"I think you would do just fine without me." Banner told me while scratching the back of his head. "Never thought I'd meet anyone who could knock the... Other guy unconscious."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that again," I told him with a small smile. He nods his head with a smile of his own and just like that we're on good terms.

"Stark, we got him," Steve says through the comms.

Starks voice comes in next asking, "Banner?"

"Just like you said."

Wait just a minute... Stark made a wild guess Banner would come back. I have to admit that's a risky bet I would never make, but then again, I'm not a Stark.

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

"Party?" I asked looking around and then it hit me. "A LEVIATHAN IS NOT A PARTY YOU HUMAN TIN CAN!"

Within the next second, Stark comes out from behind a building with the creature not too far behind him. I hear Thor let out a grunt beside me and I couldn't help but give him the "what the heck is wrong with you?" look before turning back to the monster approaching us.

"I agree with Rodriguez. I-I don't see how that's a party," Romanoff stutters.

As Stark comes closer he draws the leviathan low to the ground. When the skin of the creature touched the road it easily tears the street apart. When the creature is close enough Banner turns around and begins to walk towards the Leviathan.

Steve steps forward to stop him before he could do something stupid. "Doctor Banner now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."

Within seconds the doctor is gone and replaced by the Hulk who is now on our side. With one almighty punch, the Hulk smashes the Leviathan into the ground, but they both continue to move forward due to the creature's momentum.

"Hold On!" I yelled "Clint get behind me!", the moment I feel Clint get behind me I let loose another roar that obliterates the creature's remains. When the debris clears there we stood in a circle facing out towards the enemy. I stood there between Clint and Thor in my battle stance, my eyes glowing. Just as I look up at the sky, more Leviathans and hundreds of Chitauri soldiers come through the portal. "Uh, what now?"

"Call it, Captain," I hear Stark tell Steve and we all turn to face him and await his orders.

"All right, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Clint asked Stark.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas."

"Thor, you gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow 'em down. You got the lightning, light the bastards up." Thor left right after that and Steve turned to me next. "Calliope you gotta lighten the load for the rest of us. Survey the area and wherever you see the fighting at its thickest intervene and take them out before they take us."

Giving Steve a two-finger salute, I take off to do what I'm told. I fly through the skies shooting down enemy soldiers left and right making sure I take them all out before going to another area. Just as I'm about to round a turn I hear someone speak over the comms.

"Kid, you there?"

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked Clint, understanding he might need me somewhere since it's his job to direct us to different areas we need to be in.

"Go down two blocks and take a right. One of that... thing is tearing down a building there." Clint reports, so I speed down the street to head in the direction the archer told me to go. However, something he said confused me.

"Thing?" I ask Clint, confused why he called it that.

"I forgot the name for it," He simply said. "The huge one that kind of looks like a metallic whale."

"It's called a Leviathan."

"Speaking about the opposite species, sweetheart," Stark butts in out of nowhere. "How do you know it's called a Leviathan?"

I'm silent for a moment as I make the right turn where Clint told me to go and I nearly have my head bitten off by said creature as it flies past me.

"Well," I start to say as I race after the beast. "It just looks like one."

I grab the monster by the tail and I flip both of us backward, smashing it down a deserted street. I probably look like a WWE wrestler with that move.

"Kid… you can't just name something because it looks a certain way," Clint tries to explain to me.

"Why not? White people do that all the time," I said before realizing how racist it sounds. The worst part is I'm 90% certain at least half the team is what could be termed "white". Oops… Over the comms, I hear Stark let loose a snort not even bothering to contain his laughter.

"Sweetheart, are you always this blunt?" Stark asked me.

"Yeah, she is," Clint answered for me in a defeated tone.

"First off, he asked me that question, Clint." I told him as I barreled into a group of foot soldiers, "Second, yeah pretty much."

"All right, guys let's focus," Steve told us. " How are we looking, Barton?"

"Sexy, but not like we're trying too hard," Clint starts off. " Like, sure, we're trying, but it's almost effortless."

"That's nice to hear," Romanoff states. "We don't want to look desperate."

"That... was not what I was asking for," Steve groans. Oddly enough when Steve said that it automatically made what Clint said ten times funnier.

"Well look at the bright side at least we look fabulous," I said with a smile on my face all the while preparing myself to barrel into the next horde of enemy soldiers.

I hope you guys liked this chapter and let me just say everything is made in jest and nothing was said to offend anyone. By the way for those of you who may have noticed one of these line came from a tumblr post I saw and I couldn't help but putting it in here. I give that person all the credit for Clint's sexy comment. on another note I will try my best to upload more often so just bear with me. Like always if you have any question or suggestions feel free to contact me.