He had nothing left. It was all he could to simply breath as a wind rose in the cavern, roaring like a freight train. He wondered if she had punctured one of his lungs?

"Bucky?" Aristelle dropped to her knees beside him. "Buck, are you okay?"

"I can't breathe…very well…"

The searing light of the pentagram narrowed to single point at its center. Vaguely, he could see the shape of a girl.

"We need to get you out of here." Aristelle said, pulling at Bucky in an attempt to force him to his feet.

"What does it matter?" Bucky closed his eyes. "It's over."

"It's not over," Aristelle snarled as she pulled his arm over her shoulder and pushed them both up.

Bucky gasped in a ragged breath as his side splintered. Black warred a path across his vision. "I am not enough."

"What?" Aristelle asked, a little breathless.

"I am not enough. I couldn't end this…"

"Neither could I," Aristelle offered softly. "I'm not strong enough on my own."

The light winked out, and the form at the center of the pentagram dropped to her knees. She was slim with shoulder length waves the color of fire. For a long moment, she was very still and they could do nothing but stare at her. And then her eyes opened. They burned white hot, twin stars in a dying galaxy. The demons around them howled but did not rush in. An unnatural breeze lifted the strands of her hair.

Slowly, her gaze lifted and turned to them. The hair on Bucky's arms raised. Not in fear, but with the kind of prickle that accompanied the rumble of thunder. The sensation moments before the lightning strike.

"I must say sister, I am a bit disappointed to see that it is not your lifeless body on the floor."

"Terra."

It seemed to be the only thing Aristelle could manage. As though she had held out hope that maybe, just maybe all of her sister might not have come through.

"Is that your latest toy?" Terra asked, pushing unsteadily to her feet.

Bucky closed his fingers on Cortar, grimacing at the spike of pain.

"He belongs to Mor, actually." Aristelle rose with her, spear at the ready.

A look of surprise crossed the red head's face. "Really? Isn't that new. Where is the darling baby? I imagine she must have had something to do with this?"

"We can't let you leave, Terra."

Terra laughed, the sound hoarse and wicked. "I don't really think you have a choice." Lightning sparked at her fingertips then snaked up her arms. The gaunt blue light they cast cut savage shadows across her features. "You know I'm stronger than you."

"Everything that makes you special father gave you. I built my strength on my own. My intelligence is my own."

Terra sneered. "Daddy always hated you. You never did what you were told."

"Mass genocide was never really my thing."

"These are doomed civilizations. Don't you understand that," Terra snarled, moving closer. "They ruined their home and now they have to deal with the consequences."

"They are trying to fix what they have done. You just aren't giving them the chance."

"It will take millennia without human interference for this planet to reach stasis again. I highly doubt they have made much headway in the few centuries you locked me in that prison."

Aristelle extended the point of her spear towards Terra, keeping the girl away. "You are a fool if you think the well being of this planet is the reason father wants it destroyed."

"No. He also knows that you love it here. And you corrupted his favorite child. So there will be no mercy for this place. I would not be surprised if he reduced this entire rock to dust."

"Mor didn't want this. She made that decision on her own."

"Did she?" Terra asked, her tone sickly sweet as her eyes flicked to Bucky as her pushed himself up onto his knees.

The world tilted slightly and his breath caught, but he pressed on. He brought one foot up. Pushed to standing. Settled his second foot underneath himself.

"It doesn't matter much now, I'm sure." Terra continued. "He must have sunk his claws back in if I am free. Olcora wouldn't have come for me unless she had something to offer father to gain his favor first, and offering our sweet little baby sister back to his control would be just the ticket."

She flicked her wrist, proffering another streak of lightning. She was buying herself time, gathering her strength back. They would be nothing to her. He could see in the way she hardly faltered now, barely batted an eye despite the fact that she was not even yet at full power.

"Aristelle."

His voice was barely more than a whisper but she still turned to him. Her eyes were wide and wild. She was desperate. And afraid.

"We have to go," Bucky said, gasping out a breath as he settled the sword back into its scabbard.

"I'm with the soldier." Dr. Strange's voice drifted to them from the steps of the dias.

He had nearly forgotten he even existed. When Bucky glanced back, he had the girl who had been bleeding out gathered in his arms. A few of the other Watchmen were conscious now, watching them with tired eyes. The fight had gone out of them. Even the girl with the platinum curls looked a bit dire.

"We can't win this. Not right now. Not like this," Bucky said. "You know this."

Aristelle looked at him then back at Terra. Terra's smile was too full of teeth to be anything but vicious. Aristelle's shoulders dropped just a fraction, and Bucky knew he had won. She turned to him, wrapped a hand around his wrist, and then it all fell away.

"Have you slept well, my love?"

Bucky drew in a long breath and stretched. Instantly, he regretted the motion as it struck a sharp pain in his side. He hissed.

"Careful, darling. You don't want to pull out your stitches."

Bucky rolled lazily to his side, hand searching, but her side of the bed was cool to the touch.

"You must get up now."

And as he opened his eyes, he found his room to be empty. He laid back, staring up at the ceiling. This had been happening every morning since he had watched Miranda walk out the compound as someone else entirely, and every morning it wrecked him.

Someone knocked hesitantly on his door.

"Yes?" Bucky asked, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Stopping by to see if you are alive?" Sam chuckled, pushing the door open. "And to lever you out of bed because we got shit to do."

Bucky swung his legs over the edge of the bed, taking a moment to gather himself as he caught his breath. He pressed a hand against his side, wincing at each intake.

"Still hurts like a mother, huh?" Sam asked, leaning against his dresser and crossing his arms.

Bucky one hand gripped his hip as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It was like three hours ago."

"If you would stop letting girls beat the shit out of you ever living second of the day you would be a lot farther in the world?" Sam laughed.

"Some times," A voice laughed from the hall, "A woman has gotta knock a couple heads to make a point."

A petite blond stepped into the room, her hands on her hips. It took a couple moments for Bucky to place her face. Afterall, he had only encountered the small powerhouse a few times before.

Carol Danvers.

"But," Carol pointed at Bucky. "I don't think she was trying to make any good points by popping a lung. Director's calling a meeting of the minds. I was asked to retrieve you."

Bucky nodded, every muscle in his body tightening in anticipation of standing. Sam took a hesitant step forward, unsure if he should offer the help or to stay where was. Slowly, Bucky slid off the bed, groaning as he straightened. A hand went to his side and he winced.

"This is awful."

"Yeah. Ya know how they say you shouldnt bring a knife to a gun fight? Well, I think bringing nothing to a knife fight is a worse decision," Sam said, offering Bucky an arm.

"I had a sword."

"Fat lot that did you."

When they entered into the conference room, Aristelle shot to her feet. She still sported the bruises on her face and shoulders. Her skins as colored in various shades of blues and greens and purples and the injuries were all in varying degrees of healing. But she was clean and fresh faced and looked ready to take on the world. So opposite of how Bucky was feeling.

"How are you doing?" she asked, approaching them. "You were pretty rough when we landed here."

"I'm-" Bucky gasped in a breath as he lowered himself into a chair. "I'm alright."

"Well, I'm just gonna say it," Bucky glanced up to see a slim male figure hovering at the end of the table. "You look like shit."

Bucky laughed, wincing. "Thanks Peter. Great to see you too."

"So it's really happening?" Peter Parker asked, moving only slightly closer. "It's the end of the world? Again?"

"Not yet," Aristelle said, rubbing her temples. "We are still missing the last big player. My father."

"Then shouldn't we be out hunting them down? Stopping them from reaching him?" Carol asked.

"They can't. Not yet. Not without me," Aristelle turned to Carol. She was nearly a head taller than the other woman, and the Captain seemed all too aware of it. "I have to be present at the summoning or it won't work."

"You've built in a fail safe at every turn it seems," Director Makenzie said as he came into the room. "Too bad they aren't working very well."

He was flanked by Daisy Johnson and Daniel Sousa. Sousa gave Bucky a nod as he pulled back a chair and took a seat.

"Yikes," Daisy said, pausing in front of Bucky and grimacing. "You look like you've been through the wringer."

"Yeah…" Bucky leaned back. "Feels like it too."

The door to the conference room opened, and Clint, Rhodey and Bruce joined their gathering.

"Shuri and company are still about 5 hours out," Mack said. "They have an updated arm for you Bucky. But I'm concerned we will not have the time to install the new socket."

Bucky flexed the fingers of his metal hand. "I lived for years with this one. I'll manage."

"We still have messages out to other players. We are hoping to get a response soon."

"How is Wanda?" Clint asked, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed.

"She's managing. Olcora got in her head. Dr. Strange is with her now, but he plans to join us shortly."

"Two people did all this damage?" Carol asked.

Sam huffed a laugh. "I wouldn't exactly call them people."

"We are ranking them under the category of gods," Mack said.

"We've fought gods before," Carol remarked.

Aristelle shook her head. "There is nothing in this universe that rivals my sister for what she can do. No one but my father. She can end your life with the flick of her wrist. Ask Bucky. He's seen it for himself."

All eyes moved to Bucky. He was too tired to even nod his head, but the others seemed to understand his exhausted expression. Not to mention, half of those in the room had come for him after the collapse of the mountain headquarters. They had seen the bodies of the soldiers littering the ground. No signs of assault on their bodies.

"But you didn't have me before," Carol said, leveling Aristelle with a hard gaze.

"You are young and foolish," Aristelle said. "You cannot run headlong into this fight, guns blazing, and expect a favorable outcome. My sister is strong, but she is not without her weaknesses. We just have to be smart about this."

"She feels entirely without weakness when you stand in her presence." All eyes shifted to Stephen Strange as he stepped into the room. His typical put together appearance was ruffled and smudged.

"My sister can see the threads of the universe, the tethers of this world that bind it into being. And it is the tether that binds your soul to your body that she uses so lethally. She has the ability to sever that thread and end your life." Aristelle looked over at Bucky. "That is what you witnessed in the mountains. She grabs a hold of it and snaps the connection."

"Once your soul has left your body, that empty shell is hers to command. So that is why I say," Aristelle said, leveling a hard look at Carol, "That you cannot just barge in with little thought. I think there are many people in this room that we do not want to step to the other side of this fight."

"Is there a way to keep her from breaking that tether?"

"No," Aristlle leaned back. "But she can only see the thread of your soul if you are physically visible to her. If we can stay out of sight, then we have a chance."

"What if we blind her?" Sam asked. "Like a flash bomb or something like that? Can we fight her at night?"

Aristelle laughed, "She was born from the dark, Sam. That is not something that deters her. And flash bomb is only temporary disorientation, so it would make it hard to judge when she her focus has returned until it is too late. At this point, staying out of sight is our best chance."

"Stay out of sight..." Carol repeated, clearly unimpressed with the suggestion.

"Yes."

"So hide. Like cowards."

"It will keep you alive. That's what matters until we figure out a better way of handling her."

"So what?" Carol said, standing. "You don't have to worry about her like we do? Are you already soulless or something?"

"I'm immortal. The tether between my body and soul is a bit more…permanent."

"Immortal," Carol tossed a hand in the air. "Of course."

"Which also means," Bucky cut in, "that the only way to kill either Aristelle or Miranda is with the sword I carry."

"And why can't one of us just chop her down with it then? Since Bucky's a bit incapacitated right now?" Rhodey asked. "Strange could drop himself right in front of her and then be gone in seconds."

"Unfortunately," Aristelle sighed, "My sister forged quite a bit of herself into the sword. If a mortal touches the sword, it cleaves your soul from your body. And I have never had the gall to test its effects on myself."

"But Bucky can carry it?" Bruce asked.

Aristelle shrugged. "He's special to her. She did something to him to protect him from its effects."

"What is Buck immortal now?" Sam asked. "He already skipped a few decades so what's a few thousand more?"

"No." Aristelle shook her head. "Well, I don't know." Her eyes flashed to Bucky but he could only shrug as well. Whatever she had done to him, she had done without his knowledge.

"Awesome," Sam sat back. "Thanks for clarifying."

"Look," Mack set his hand down on the table, drawing their attention back to him. "That's not important at this moment. What needs to be sorted, right now, is where Miranda went and what she did with...Terra? Terra, right?"

"Yes," Aristelle said. "And you trained my sister. For years. She's been a part of the SHIELD agency for a very long time. I have a feeling that you are not going to find her unless she wants to be found."

"So what?" Mack threw his hands out. "We just sit here and wait? We twiddle our thumbs until something shows up on a scanner?"

"Yes. Actually. Because I am what she will be looking for next. She's going to make her presence known long before we will be able to find her. Trust me. I've spent centuries trying to keep tabs on her."

The door to the conference room opened slowly as an analyst slipped inside the room.

"And how long are you expecting us to just sit here and wait?" Carol asked. "How long is too long for your questionable judgement?"

"Not long apparently."

The tension in the room shifted as all focus moved to the analyst. "I was sent here to tell you multiple 911 calls are coming in from downtown. Some people are calling it a terror attack, but…I think they mean terror in the truest sense of the word. We've been told several city blocks have gone…dark."

"Mor…" Aristelle said, straightening.

"Every innocent death is on you," Carol said, starting towards the door. "Don't you forget that."

"Danvers." Mack's voice was sharp and final, and it stopped Carol in her tracks. "Aristelle, what is it that you propose that we do?"

"We post Bucky on a rooftop with a sniper rifle. We draw her out and he takes the shot. We reset the board. I try again to get my influence in before my father's. If I get her back on our side, this all stops."

"And how do you plan to draw her out if we cannot allow her to see us?" Carol asked.

"I'm what she wants. We use me."

"We aren't sending out the key to unlocking your father's prison out on her own," Mack protested.

"I won't be alone," Aristelle said, pushing back. "I will have Bucky."

Buck let out a low laugh, then winced. He was hardly in the state to be considered adequate backup.

"I will go with her," Carol said. "I have a long range arsenal."

"As do I," Rhodey said. "Would my soul be considered out of sight from inside the Patriot suit?"

"I don't know?" Aristelle shrugged. "Really there is only one way to find out. But I feel it should be a last resort. Only step in if things are dire. Our ranks are falling quickly enough as it is."

"I don't have a rifle with me," Bucky said. "I haven't done that job in a long time."

"That we can get you," Mack said, sighing. "Miranda's rifle is here. In storage."