Soldier Of Summer: The Equinox

And Now She Watches

"Fall back Laufey!" Thor demanded, on top of another high building in the city.

"I don't see the need," he replied calmly, but anyone could see that his eyes told a different story.

"Face it Laufey," Thor boomed. "If you retreat now, maybe we can salvage something from this destruction that you've caused. YOU can salvage your subjects and still recover. Your people are dying, Laufey, you must understand."

The alien stayed silent. He listened to the wails of pain all around him, the sounds of dying breaths.

"Laufey, we can make peace if you stop this now."

    Thor was practically begging now. Both deities knew that any more fighting would result in the near extinction of both species.

They stood for a couple of seconds before Laufey finally roared. An agonizing scream sent everyone but the Frost Giants to their knees.

When everyone came back to their senses, they observed all the enemies jumping back up into the sky, exactly as they came. Evyr helped Natasha up from a piece of rubble that she had found her under.

"Are you okay?" she asked, giving a concerned glance to the blood pooling around her left foot. Natasha nodded.

"I'm alright," she mumbled. Her eyes were on the retreating giants, filled with wonder. No doubt she was remembering the first time aliens attacked the planet.

She looked at Evyr, suddenly remembering her own daughter. She pressed on the communication device in her ear in an effort to call for Auriana but got no response. She huffed and pulled Evyr along, away from Valkyrie, who followed close behind.

"Can you find her?" she practically had tears in her eyes, and Evyr could feel her energetic signature weighing on her. This was so uncharacteristic for the infamous Black Widow to be on the verge of crying.

"I could try," Evyr whispered. "But I don't know if I can."

"Try."

She extended her field of feeling and let herself feel the vibrations of the ground, she reached out for Auriana's weakening aura.

Not far away, Auriana Barnes-Romanoff lay dying, an icicle through her torso and blood turning colder by the second.

"I found her! Come on!" Evyr went to sprint but doubled back when she remembered Natasha's injured foot. She supported her left side and had
Valkyrie support the other side, they walked together to the spot where Evyr had tracked Auriana's whereabouts.

They found her in the wreckage of a fallen building. She was unconscious and bleeding.

Evyr cried out when she saw her and dropped Natasha, leaving her injured side completely unsupported, causing both her and Valkyrie to lose their balance and fall. Evyr didn't care though, she was too focused on getting to her dying friend.

Her dying sister.

"No, Auri," she squeaked, placing her hand on the icicle pierced through her body. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the pulse in her wrist, but it was slow and cold.

Auriana's lips had turned blue and the blood on the ground next to her was now frozen solid. Evyr dropped to her knees, crying and wincing from her own injuries.

"Please let me help you..." she said, only to her, unaware that the rest of the Avengers had now come to their location.

"No," said a voice from behind her. Bucky's voice.