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"I'm gonna vomit."
"Please don't," Tony winces, taking a step away from her as Malka doubles over holding her stomach. "I thought you slavs had strong stomachs."
"I just had tea." She glares in his direction as the time suit detracts, revealing a replica of the suit she wore the last time she was in New York in 2012. She takes her hair out of its hold, brushing it in front of her left eye and pinning it to create a curtain.
"All right, we all have our assignments," Steve says as he steps forward. "Two stones uptown, one stone down. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock." He pauses and ducks back when a loud thud echoes around them.
A past version of the Hulk slams a car into a Chitauri warrior. He roars as he jumps on the car, launching a tire into the air, and continues running around in an attempt to kill the aliens.
They look back at Hulk who winces and avoids their gazes. "And maybe smash a few things along the way," Steve suggests.
"I think it's gratuitous," Hulk replies as he tears his shirt. "But whatever." He growls softly, flexing his muscles before slamming his hand onto an already totaled car, only making a small dent.
"We've gotta get moving." Malka rolls her shoulders out as she looks around. "By the time we get to the tower, it should be just in time to intercept both stones. Golden Boy, try to keep up, ok?"
Steve rolls his eyes. "Get in position, Tony."
"Roger that."
Malka begins creeping through the chaos with Steve, both silent as they slip past Chitauri until all of them fall to the ground in a pile. "Tony's up in space now," Malka mutters. "Now, he's probably falling—"
A loud roar echoes through the buildings.
"And Tony Stark lives. How wonderful."
"You never used to give this much side commentary," Steve says as they walk beneath a half-broken bridge.
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you spend five years alone with only a few days in civilization."
"Wanna tell me what happened?"
"Oh, I single-handedly replanted the Amazon." Malka sends him a wink. "Amazing what a whole bunch of carbon dioxide does for trees and new seeds. Before that, I found a tiny deserted island and went a little crazy. Like, accidentally making all the air disappear, then creating a few gaseous elements on accident. It was, um, difficult to control everything. It's why I left."
Steve sighs. "We could have helped you."
"No, you couldn't have." She pauses by the back entrance to Stark Tower. "I would've killed you without realizing or hurt you in ways you can't imagine. Sometimes, I woke up, and I wasn't Malka. Wasn't Aura, but... Something else woke up."
