When Caroline landed on the street below she looked around her cautiously, the sidewalks were full of people and as they began to naturally stop and stare at her she noticed figures appearing and disappearing in the crowd. Figures that didn't belong, 'they' were already there. Stepping into a side street she had no time to wait for Steve as she followed the small alleyway down to where she knew the portal opening would be. Stepping into the building she drew her sword and upon seeing the large paper dragon and the old man sat in front of it she pointed the blade at the man.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"She would have died? My Wife, it was the only thing that would save her." He told her sadly.
"And you didn't think of the risk?" Caroline asked as she became aware of someone stood behind her, a tall man with a severe expression on his face watched as she turned the blade towards him. It was enough of a warning it seemed because as he moved to the side she noticed Steve and Tony appear by the door. Turning her attention back to the old man she knelt in front of him. "They are here?" she asked and he nodded. "All of them?" again the old man nodded. "I will take care of it," standing back up she began to leave the room.
"I am sorry, I could not let her go. My ancestors knew of the magic and I used it to…" the old man stopped and looked at Tony, bowing his head he apologised. "I am sorry for taking what belongs to you," he told him sincerely. Caroline understood, deep down she understood what one person was willing to do for love and she felt the old man's pain keenly. She knew what it was to lose someone and feel lost, empty and willing to do anything to get them back.
"What's happening?" Steve asked her as she made her way over to the two men.
"Enemies of Earth have used the open portal to travel here, the dimensional walls have been weakened." Staring into Steve's eyes she saw the doubt and fear he was feeling.
"Enemies? Who?" Steve asked concerned.
"The Dragons of the Crimson Dawn, they are a group of monks from the last years of the Ming Dynasty, they have escaped the mystical realm." Caroline began to make her way down the alleyway once more, the two men following fast behind.
"What do they want?" Tony asked.
"To control Earth," she told them. "I'm going to send them back before they have a chance to do anything," turning to Steve she looked at him ardently. "And then I have to leave," she told him in such a matter of fact way that at first her words didn't register.
"What?!" he snapped back a moment later when her words had seeped in, his brow creasing in confusion and anger.
"I've brought this here, I can only protect you if I'm on Otherworld and protecting the realms Steve. I can't do that here and I won't put you or anybody else I care about in further danger." Steve grabbed her arm to stop her from moving away.
"I'm going to give you two a minute," Tony muttered as he put some distance between him and the couple.
"You can't!" Steve ground out. "You can't leave me now!" Taking hold of both of her arms he almost shook her in anger, Caroline brought her hands up and cupped his cheeks tenderly.
"I must! It's the only way!" Steve wished to god he could see her face, her eyes told him nothing and he found himself instinctively reaching up to remove her mask but Caroline pulled away and then looking up and down the street turned back to him. "You're the best and most precious thing to ever happen to me Steve, I don't regret one moment of it, you hear me! Not one moment, I have to do this, you know I do."
"What are you going to do?" he asked reluctantly.
"I'm going to send back the Dragons and then I'll close the portal," she told him.
"With you on the other side?" Steve whispered feeling his heart being ripped apart.
"It's the only way," he heard her words and shook his head but he understood why. He more than anybody knew the sacrifices people like them had to make, still it broke his heart and finding that he could no longer look at her without wanting to take her away from everything he turned away.
"Until then I'm at your side."
Steve's shield ricocheted against the wall and flew back into his hands as he cried out in anguish. The portal to the Multiverse had closed just after they had conquered the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn but not before they had overpowered Lionheart and pulled her through with them. Steve stood staring, breathing heavily and with tears leaving streaks down his bloody and dirtied face. The terror in her eyes as she had disappeared burned into him.
"Cap?" Tony started but quite honestly didn't know what to say. They had battled hard and for a while it seemed that they were winning but the sheer power, their ability to travel through shadows and the magic that the Dragons were harnessing had caught Steve and Tony off guard. Caroline had been thwarted when she had chosen to protect both Tony and Steve from imminent danger, that had been their chance and they had taken it. Tony watched in pained silence as Steve stared at the cold hard concrete. "What now?" he whispered.
"I don't know?" Steve replied as he finally turned and looked at Tony.
"They wish to harness Lionheart's powers," both men spun to see the old man from before stood in the doorway. Stepping in and seeing the destruction the old man shook his head and covered his face, he had only wanted to save his Wife and upon now seeing the destruction his actions had brought on he knew he was would never have peace again. "They want to channel her powers into breaching the dimensional wall to Earth once more from the Crimson Dawn."
"To what end?" Steve asked as he approached the man, more aggressive and angry than Tony had ever seen him before.
"To enslave Earth," he answered.
"Harness her powers? How?" Tony asked but the old man didn't answer, it didn't matter though. They all knew.
"How do we stop them?" Steve asked hurriedly and watched in dismay as the old man laughed sadly and shook his head.
"With great sacrifice," he whispered. "With great sacrifice indeed."
As Caroline's eyes flickered open she became aware that she was shackled to a wall. Her sword was gone and as she became accustomed to the darkness she realised she'd been stripped of her mask also, leaving only her black armour to protect her. A ghostlike field around her prevented Caroline from creating any form of shield or blast. She could bring herself off the ground but the tight shackles stopped her going anywhere. Silently she fought against her restraints, using all of her power until it was too much and she screamed out in pain and frustration. Her mind went to Steve and what he must have been thinking in that moment; she had brought him nothing but heartache.
Closing her eyes she focussed on her breathing; relaxing her body she allowed the ancient knowledge of the magic and power she possessed to truly course through her, perhaps for the first time since that fateful day. Being away from Earth had by some means heightened her senses to who she was. If she was to survive, if Earth was to survive she would need to forget everything. Her life, Steve. She had to give herself over to it all.
"If they have the Sword of Might, this together with the Amulet of Right, would have the ability to remake the cosmos." Bruce removed his glasses as he looked up at Steve and Tony who were stood opposite him. Natasha, Sam, Thor and Clint stood to one side, quickly catching up on what had happened.
"The old man mentioned something about breaching the dimensional wall?" Tony crossed his arms as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"Caroline… I mean Lionheart is the ruler of Otherworld and protector of the realm. Her power and the possession of the sword prevented both her world and ours from being conquered. Without her…" Bruce stopped, his eyes flickering to Steve pensively.
"Can we get there?" Steve asked quietly. Bruce turned to Thor expectantly, he'd run out of ideas.
"In ancient times, there were many ways to travel from Earth to Avalon, they were created by powerful men known as the Twelve Walkers. Six of the Twelve Walkers became corrupt and created false paths that would lead travellers to dangerous places or insanity. Most of the paths between Earth and Avalon have been destroyed and only a few remain but they are dangerous…"
"Take me," Steve interrupted him.
"Cap," Sam interjected but Steve had made up his mind and as Natasha watched him approach the Norse God she put her hand gently on Sam's arm. Sam looked to Natasha and knew what she was telling him, that it didn't matter what any of them said or how dangerous it was, he was going after her.
Caroline felt the power drain from her body; unable to even support her own weight the shackles dug into her wrists painfully, the magic being used to stop her escaping scorching the skin. She knew that the wall between her world and Earth was slowly collapsing, she could sense the increasing threat and the power of the Dragons of the Crimson Dawn increase.
"Tell me what to do," she rasped to the darkness that surrounded her. A gust of wind whipped her long loose hair around her face and as she peered up through the waves she spotted a figure in front of her.
"Get up," the darkened figure told her and Caroline found herself sniggering. "Get up," the voice told her again.
"I have… nothing left," she said as she felt her joints burn as if they were on fire.
"Yes you do, get up." Caroline narrowed her eyes and tried to make out who the figure was.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
"I am Merlin…"
"Of course you are," Caroline couldn't help but quip.
"…and I am here to give you a choice. The Sword of Might or the Amulet of Right?" Caroline thought back to all that time ago when she had had only revenge in her heart but now she felt different and knowing that the Dragons had the sword and wanted it, smiled and looked up at the figure.
"I may ask where you have been all this time, could have done with your help earlier you know…?" she realised that some of Tony Stark's sarcasm had clearly rubbed off on her and even on occasion Steve's propensity for one liners. Their influence had changed her attitude with regards to fantastical situations where taking yourself too seriously just seemed absurd.
"Choose Lionheart of Avalon," the bearded man responded.
"I choose the Amulet of Right," she said as the figure disappeared and she was again alone. The light around her disappeared and as she peered up she saw the large bracelet holding the Amulet around her wrist. Feeling power surge through her she broke from the shackles easily but was caught off guard when one of the Dragons appeared from the shadows, the Sword of Might in his hand. His eyes travelled to the bracelet and Caroline realised in that instant that although she was now free the Sword of Might and Amulet of Right were now together.
"NO!" she shouted as he drove the sword through her stomach and as she cried out a lightning bolt electrified the room and the brick walls that surrounded her smashed into a million pieces as Thor appeared wielding Mjölnir and Captain America landed beside him with his shield held straight and true.
Caroline stumbled back and through a haze she watched as the two men defeated the Dragon, Thor taking the Sword from him and then turning to Steve solemnly. Sinking to her knees it was only Steve's arms encircling her that stopped Caroline from falling to the cold stony ground.
"Caroline?!" Steve shouted as he crashed down to the floor and lifted up her lifeless form.
"Steve?" Caroline whispered, blood dripping from her lip.
"I'm here Caroline, I'm here." His hands hovered over her, finally resting on her stomach to try and stem the bleeding.
"You have to take me to the wall," she told him referring to the dimensional barrier between her world and Earth but Steve was already shaking his head.
"You're hurt Caroline, you're hurt. We need to get you back…"
"Take me to the wall Steve, I'm the only one who can stop it." Steve knew she was right but every bone in his body just wanted to scoop her up and take her home, away from it all.
"I don't think…?" he started but Caroline stopped him protesting any further.
"Take me Steve, you have to." Squeezing his eyes shut he finally nodded and as carefully as he could he bundled up her fragile form and carried her from the room.
"Once the wall is destroyed we will be unable to close it, Earth will be overrun." Thor said gravely as he followed the pair. Steve said nothing as he walked quickly with Caroline in his arms. Blinded by the beaming lights of the dimensional gateway Steve looked down at Caroline, seeing the determination in her eyes even when it was clear that she was in so much pain filled his heart with love and pride. Slowly setting her down he let her lean against him as she faced the portal. His hands instinctively pressed against the wound inflicted by the sword again and he watched in horror as her blood oozed between his fingers.
"Steve?" he heard her say.
"Yeah? Yeah Caroline, what do you need?" he asked her earnestly.
"Promise me you'll make me breakfast in bed if we get out of here?" she asked him with a twinkle in her eye. Steve smiled down at her and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"I burn everything," he laughed sadly.
"Promise me Steve," she asked him.
"I promise," he told her before her focus fell back on the portal and with the little strength she had left held her hands out towards it. As the azure blue glow surrounded her Caroline closed her eyes and a beam of light shot from her to the portal.
"We have company!" Thor shouted from behind them as the Dragons appeared from the shadows.
"Keep them back for as long as you can!" Steve roared back. Caroline continued to try and redirect the flow of energy as the ground around them cracked and rumbled from the onslaught of magic and thunder that warred behind them. "I love you," Steve whispered in her ear and it was all she needed to push herself that last breath. With an almighty roar Caroline was engulfed in the dimension's power, rising from the ground Steve held on as tight as he could as Caroline's body convulsed and soared. Being pulled with her Steve thought nothing of his own safety as the pair flew into the sky and the wall began to close before them all. An almighty crack pierced his ears and Steve couldn't help but let go as he dropped to the ground with an almighty bang, Caroline plummeting mere inches away. Steve turned to see that the Dragons Thor had been battling had disappeared before quickly turning back to Caroline who was lying unconscious beside him.
"Caroline?" he called out to her before pulling her into his arms, his fingers searching for a pulse on her neck.
"Is she alive?" he heard Thor ask.
"Barely," Steve answered as he came to stand with her in his arms. "I don't know what to do?" he said quietly.
"She saved Earth and the other realms," Thor said quietly. "She is the truest warrior," Steve felt the tears run down his face as he looked at her lifeless form. As she took her last breath the bracelet vanished from Caroline's wrist and as her armour disappeared it left her bare in Steve's arms. Thor pulled his cloak from his shoulders and draped it over her quickly, both men watched with anguish as the cuts, bruises and injuries she'd sustained grew larger and deeper as the magic and power left her.
"Quickly," Steve instructed Thor and with a bolt of lightning they disappeared.
Please let me know what you think and as always, thank you for reading! X