The Other Rogers

Chapter 46

Five years.

It had been five years since the earth lost half of her population. Five agonising years without James by her side.

Anya didn't know how she had survived the time that had passed, maybe she had a guardian angel watching over her.

The only person that would make sense was James; but she knew that wasn't possible. Many people believed that those you love; those who are part of your ancestral tree watched over you from above, but Anya couldn't believe that.

She didn't believe that James or her parents would be proud of her, instead they would be ashamed of her actions and decisions. God knows that she was.

She barely remembered the first few months. She had woken up, her screams echoing around the hospital room.

She hadn't wanted to survive, she had wanted to join her parents and James, instead she was stuck in a bed with several drips pierced into her veins.

Her screams had alerted Steve who had bolted into the room, relief painted on his face. Her screams didn't end, she lashed out violently, almost killing her own brother.

She thought her time as a fighter was over, had been over since Karpov was killed, and the elite squad cryo frozen; but the fact that she had survived brought back the same fury she had felt when training those sons of bitches. She was a danger to those around her; her anger and heartbreak drove her off the deep end.

While she, Tony and Pietro were recovering, the rest had apparently found Thanos.

That was partly why Anya couldn't be near Stevie; he had left her behind and had gone with the others.

To say that they had failed was an understatement; but at least Thor got some closure by going for the Titan's head, something Anya knew he wished he had done back in Wakanda.

It had been a few months after her failed suicide attempt that M'Baku invited her back to what was left of Wakanda.

During the time that Erik Killmonger had taken over the two of them had bonded. He knew she wouldn't have wanted to stay in America so begged for her to return, hoping that the country she had called home for two years would calm and sooth her broken soul.

The responses she received only cemented her decision, Steve had refused to let her, not wanting to lose her too. Natasha had replied the same as Steve, as did the rest of the remaining Avengers, all but Tony.

Tony had seen how destroyed she was after he returned from being stuck in space, for almost a month barely alive. He knew she was suffering with all the surviving love around her.

She may have left, but she made sure she stayed long enough to celebrate Tony and Pepper's wedding, along with Steve and Natasha's.

She was happy for both couples, they had finally found their happiness, which in her opinion were overdue. She never thought her brother would get over Peggy, but he had finally found his happy-ever-after in Natasha and they were perfect together.

Same with Tony and Pepper, everyone saw how perfect they were for each other, it just took losing Peter and half of the population to kick their arses into gear.

But seeing the two couples so very much in love, just drew her further away and back to Wakanda where she made it her goal to live each day as it came.

Life in Wakanda wasn't the same as before. There wasn't a man waiting for her in the morning or holding her at night; but in a way, she felt that it was what she needed, what she deserved.

Everything she was told was a lie. There is no such thing as love for those whose souls were tortured, there was no soothing balm for it. She found that out the hard way. Those who are damned to heartbreak would never get to experience love for long.