𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝐱𝐱𝐯

'𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 you hear me?' Wanda shook the frozen girl as she sat unable to move in her seat. Ash ash ash it was everywhere it was in the sky on the building it was falling upon people like some sick type of confetti. The ringing in Adelaide's ear grew louder and louder until she couldn't bear it anymore and she tore at her head and her beautiful long white hair. Vision shouted for Wanda to back away from the girl, as shadow began to drip down her neck and onto the sofa they sat on and it bled through. Wanda didn't budge however, unlike Pietro, who was running around the house trying to find something that would calm Adelaide down.

'There's ash... everywhere. Everywhere I look it's all I see.' Because of what you did, Adelaide. Because of those people you destroyed, that you wiped off the earth. She wouldn't listen to the voices, any of them. Not even Wanda as she pleaded for Adelaide to come back to her.

'Please come on!' Wanda cried out, but not to her white haired friend this time, but to Vision. 'Natasha gets her in a cold bath when this happens, we need to move her, help me!' Wanda commanded, and Vision looked at her with the most love in his eyes and helped Wanda slip an arm effortlessly under her legs and then carry her like a bride.

Pietro ran straight next to Wanda's side and grabbed ahold of Adelaide. 'I'm faster, Wanda.' He assured, and Wanda reluctantly let go of a sobbing Adelaide and rested her into the platinum boys arms; Adelaide gripped onto Pietro's shirt immediately.

He took her to her room, the bath already ran (He'd done it while he waited for Wanda to bed with Vision) and set her inside. The horrors still raged in her mind, and when Wanda came in all she wanted to do was understand. She wanted to know what it was the plagued her beautiful girl. So she looked.

The dark sky loomed above the family as they stood on a the barren wasteland crafted and created by their sister, their youngest. Three looked at the planet in horror, three looked at it in awe and wonder, all six baffled at the sheer, raw power from such a small, what looked like human girl. A purple hand caught Adelaide's hand and spun her around, her face was blank as untrodden snow.

'Happy twelfth birthday, my starlight.' Thanos knelt to her level and cupped her small face in his hands, tears painting a picture of sorrow on his fingers. He gathered her hand again and stood up, gazing upon the world she'd brought to it's knees. 'You truly are extraordinary, and you will bring this fate to so many more worlds.' She looked at what he saw, but did not see the same, gorgeous barren land he saw, but the devastation and murder that stained this planet's roots.

Gamora stood next to her, taking her other hand and sobbing softly, hiding her tears beneath her confident exterior. Nebula took her place next to her sisters with a small scowl upon her blue face. Proxima Midnight and Ebony Maw stayed on guard beside the four others, taking in the planets picture.

'There's ash everywhere.' Adelaide commented, and Thanos smiled whilst still staring out across the broken world. The sky above them thundered and licked the hard exterior of the world with rain.

'Ash, that's what we can remember this momentous occasion by. Now, whenever you see ash you will remember this.' Adelaide sobbed again and Thanos' suggestion. 'Come now, we will return home.' Adelaide wrapped around to face her father, tears still rolling down her porcelain skin.

'I don't want to.' She revealed, more of a beg than a request. Thanos towered over her as Gamora cringed at her foolish boldness. Nebula only looked with sadness and pity.

'I know. But you must, our work is not done yet.' He assured, his tone strong and commanding, the metal of his armour softly clanging as he tried to move Adelaide. She sobbed again, face scrunching with her upset.

'I don't.... want to.' Adelaide reassured again, this time ripping her wrist from Thanos' grasp. He rolled his eyes and turned away from Adelaide and walked slowly towards his ship, tossing his hand to Maw in signal. 'What.... what's going on?' She asked, looking from Thanos leaving her and Maw coming closer, hovering above the ground and fingers tapping against each other.

'Gamora, Nebula, with me.' The girl's hesitated and Thanos stopped walking and stood where he was. 'Now.' He commanded and the girl's obeyed, leaving Adelaide.

'Please!!' She called out to them, tears falling down her face in sorrow. She grabbed her throat as Maw choked her with his abilities. He smiled ruthlessly.

'You will break, Thane.' Her eyes widened at his statement and she was forced to her knees. 'Proxima.' He commanded, and her third sister came to her and walked around her in circles, finally stopping behind her and then placing four of her fingers on the top of Adelaide's left shoulder.

'No. No stop please!!' Adelaide screamed and cried as Proxima Midnight tore her fingers down Adelaide's back, slicing her. 'God! Stop! Stop it!' Her begs resulted in nothing.

'Wanda??' Pietro shook his sister as she knelt next to Adelaide outside the bath. Tears poured from her ivy eyes as she saw it all, everything that had happened on that birthday. 'What happened? What'd you do?' Wanda looked to Adelaide, still shaking in the bath and muttering her silent pleads to Maw and Proxima.

'no.. please stop maw... i... i'll go home... just stop.' Her begging and sobbing continuing as Wanda stroked her hair.

'She's just stuck in her own mind.' Wanda concluded and explained to Pietro, who stared at Adelaide, with nothing but love and hope.