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Chapter 20 – Heartbeat
Ophelia stationed herself next to one of the energy beams, the engines whirring loudly. Most of the time, people around her could easily tell how she was feeling. If she was annoyed by something, Ophelia would let everyone know for sure. If she was sad, her permanent smiles would always look a little too forced to be true.
The darkness swirling in her eyes right now was enough for every soldier in a 50-meter radius to scurry out of her line of sight. Even during war with Chitauri and Leviathans launching deadly attacks from the outside; the gleam of insane rage dancing in the Delacour's eyes was deemed far more dangerous.
"You know, the last time I saw him, he had just been killed." Ophelia abruptly spoke, seemingly to thin air until Daera emerged from the shadows.
"Our father slit his throat, so I burned the bastard to ash. I burned the whole street down in my rage." Her lip quirked down as she remembered the worst day of her life. She held the railing in a punishing grip, ignoring the creaking of metal contorting in her hands.
"One moment, his body's the only thing untouched by the blaze. The next moment, I blink, and he's gone."
"You thought you burnt his body." Daera realised, causing Ophelia's shoulders to slump.
"It would make sense. I was the reason Louis got killed in the first place, and now it's my fault we had to bury an empty coffin." She whispered; her head bowed as she wrestled with the guilt she'd been harbouring for years.
"Turns out, he got kidnapped and brainwashed by a genocidal maniac from space." Ophelia sardonically smirked to herself, a fake cheer in her voice.
"None of this is your fault Delacour." Daera said, moving to stand next to the downtrodden girl, "You couldn't have known this would happen. The only one to blame is Thanos."
"It doesn't feel like it." The French brawler replied, pushing off the railing in frustration.
"I'm sorry this is happening to you. I really am, but I have to know what you're willing to do to stop him." Daera hesitantly said, a grimace on her face.
"I'm sorry, are you asking me to kill my own brother?" Ophelia incredulously asked, her eyes wide with outrage.
"Are you prepared to? We have 24 billion lives at stake, Delacour. Just look out there, we're at war and your brother is on the wrong side. I have to know I can count on you." The centurion defended herself, gesturing wildly to the window still showing a battle in progress.
"Before we even reach that point, just let me try something." The brawler said; rubbing her forehead in exhaustion, she waved her hand in a slow down gesture. She retreated out of the engine platform, leaving a worried Daera and a mangled metal railing in her wake.
✺
Sanctuary II
"My Lord, the Korbinites are holding our forces off. Sooner or later, they will repel our attacks completely." Ebony Maw relays to Thanos on his knees, his fingers twitching sporadically at the frown on his father's face.
