We pull back from the water as the monster rises up from it. I swear when I realise that I left my shield back at headquarters. Etana just leaps into the air, her wings still hidden by the image inducer so it looks like she's flying without any form of lift. And she turns the inducer off and pulls out a sword from the scabbard on her back. The monster speaks to her in a language I don't understand and 'Tana responds in the same hissing language. The thing doesn't appreciate her response and she's thrown backwards by its tail hitting her. She spins then rights herself and lunges towards it. The sword clatters to my feet as a clawed hand catches her. She screams as it tightens its grip on her. She's hurting. I can see blood welling up from cuts. I grab the sword and throw it. The monster screams as the sword hits its foreleg and releases 'Tana. Lunges at me. Then I hear it talking in English, and the voice. It's like nothing I've ever heard before.

"You are the Sssshadow'ssss lover. Sssshe will mourn your death as I mourned the death of mine. Die puny human and the Sssshadow will SSSSCREAM!"

Then it falters and collapses. Etana straightens up and I see the knife she's dug hilt-deep into the back of the monster's head.

"I thought I'd got rid of her years ago."

"What the…"

"She's an alien. Came here with her tribe centuries ago. This one here was a friend of mine when we first met. Her family ended up trying to eat everyone in Rome. I begged her to stop but she just laughed and my friendship was pushed aside. Goodbye Marik."

"Tana, you…you just killed it…"

"She was going to eat you and you would have died incredibly slowly inside the acid of her stomach. Then she would have torn me to shreds and eaten most of New York. I've dealt with her kind before."

"Couldn't you have… I don't know, trapped it?"

"Steve, these things are damn near impossible to wound and trapping one would just be saving yourself trouble for next time."

"You still killed it!"

"Marik killed over eight hundred people the last time we met because I didn't deal with her instantly, because I thought she could still be a friend. I wasn't going to make that mistake again."

I feel the anger fly up.

"She could have changed!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, she was about to kill you."

"And you killed it! You said they were impossible to wound!"

"One weak spot in the nape of the neck. Hit it at exactly the right angle and you sever the spinal cord."

"How many of these things have you killed?!"

She is standing right in front of me now, eyes flashing dangerously and I see why she has been called the Shadow. There's a…darkness inside her.

"Enough to mean that humanity survived!"

Suddenly I hear a camera click and turn to see photographers and journalists. Etana snarls and sweeps her sword up from the shallow water where it landed, wipes it on the grass and sheaths it. She then tugs the knife out of the monster's back, cleaning the blade and hilt before flipping it around in her left hand. She then presses her right hand to the monster's head.

"Goodbye old friend. I will miss you. But you threatened humanity. I could have understood you killing me, but threatening those I care about? Marik, you should have known better."

Then she closes the huge, multi-faceted eyes and presses her forehead to the centre point.

"If only you'd listened. I had so much to show you, show you how this world was beautiful."

And I realise how much it hurt her to kill this beast. It wasn't a monster to her. It was a friend. And she had been forced to kill it because it…she threatened me. Her eyes are dark and I swear I see a tear slide down her face. The knife suddenly slashes and blood runs from her palm and she presses it to the base of the neck.

"Blood to blood, heart to heart, mind to mind, soul to soul. Sister, forgive me."

And she lapses into a language that sounds ancient and foreign. And I know how bad she feels about the death. The blood proves it. What did she say? 'We were friends'. She called her Sister. I feel a tugging on my sleeve.

"Sir?"

I turn. A nervous looking journalist is standing biting his lip.

"Yes?"

It comes out a bark, made hoarse by anger and a little fear. I was helpless just then. And I could have, would have died.

"Er, who is your companion?"

I blink then decided to showcase her well.

"Her name is Shadow… and she's supposedly having a relaxing break to recover from the Legacy Virus. Her idea of an adventure holiday is…scary."

The reporter looks scared and I wade in towards 'Tana.

"Do you want to go home?"

She turns a tear-stained face towards me.

"Yes."

I take her hand and find myself in a room in that place I bought in Brooklyn when I wanted a rest from the Avengers. Etana collapses onto the couch and presses her face to her hands.

"I killed her…"

I kneel on the ground and touch her lap.

"You did what you had to."

She looks so sad…

"And over the years it has destroyed me…"