Memories || MCU ²

𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 | 𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣

– WELL, KALLIAN'S ORIGINAL DESTINATION HAD BEEN THE DETENTION CENTRE. Now? Not so much. She'd run into a few men who must've been Loki's agents, though they were quite cleverly disguised in perfect S.H.I.E.L.D. gear. She dispatched them as quickly as she could before another, stronger tremble in the ground beneath her feet drew her attention to just where this hovercraft was currently flying. Fury was redirecting them to the water, but if Loki wanted this thing to come down on land and blow, he was dangerously close to succeeding. 

She tapped on her earpiece, looking for the right channel. "Stark! Stark, I'm here!"

A gasp left her as if she'd been punched in the gut. She'd been so wrapped up in worrying about Mal, but now it was a new fear flooding through her. An aircraft bound for the frozen sea, seventy years ago. Anger rippled through her veins, overtaking her terror, transforming it. Never again. Even if they were never again what they'd once been. She would protect him to her very last breath. Stark's voice brought her back to reality. 

"I gotta get this superconducting coolant system back online before I can access the rotors and work on dislodging the debris. I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relay are in overload position. Kallian?"

She paused in her path through the maze of damaged corridors at the unexpected sound of her name. "Yeah?"

"The dinosaur might need your help over here, doctor."

"Already on my way." Abandoning her efforts to find her way from here, she launched into the air, ploughing straight through the ceiling and into the sky. From here, she could see her destination clearly and dove towards it, not missing the out-of-place jet on the landing strip that must be meant to be Loki's escape route. 

Steve was alerted to her arrival by the sound of rushing wings and the clash of boots against the metal walkway. He stepped quickly out of her way as she rolled her shoulders, crouching to get a better look at the control panel. Even now, he couldn't help but marvel at her. She was ageless, exactly as she'd been the last time he saw her, and yet looked so different. He opened and closed his mouth several times before finally pushing the question past the nervous lump in his throat. "Did Erskine know?"

Her hands froze over the wires and breakers she was fiddling with, her wings becoming rigid. "...yes." She said after a moment. "Although... he really only knew I was powerful and near-immortal."

"Is that why he took you on?"

She nodded slowly, her fingers dancing over the controls once more. "I wanted to help people when I heard about the war. Erskine was the first person I met who understood the distinction between help and fight." She rose to her feet once again, sliding the control panel back into the wall. "Relay intact, Stark."

Steve nodded. "What's our next move?"

Before Kallian knew what was happening, the sound of a gunshot filled the air, and her shoulder exploded with pain. She gave a cry as the impact knocked her backward and her footing slipped. She fell from the walkway, tumbling through the air for a second before catching herself. Steve rushed to the edge, only to find her flying back upwards. He ducked back just in time as more bullets rained down. With a furious shout, Kallian threw a blast of energy up in the direction from which they'd come, temporarily holding the enemy off. With a steady beat of her wings, she rose back to Steve's level, quickly checking to make sure he hadn't been hit. She gave a nod when she spotted him unharmed. "I've got them! Help Stark!" As more shots fired, she twisted in a tight loop to evade them, flying up out of sight. 

"Alright," Came Tony's voice through the earpiece. "even if I clear the rotors, this thing won't re-engage without a jump. I'm gonna have to get in there and push."

"If that thing gets up to speed, you'll get shredded!" Steve protested. 

"That stator control unit can reverse the polarity long enough to disengage maglev and that could-"

"Speak English!"

He huffed. "See that red lever? It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word."

Up above, Kallian barrel rolled this way and that to avoid gunshots. Taking her sword from its sheath, she deflected a few before diving in for real combat... if you could call it that. Her sword cut through their guns like paper and with a quick flap of her wings she could send them all flying back. She landed a kick to one's chest, sending him over the side and turned back just in time to spot the grenade flying straight at her. She threw her wings in a wide circle around her, not expecting what came next. The grenade blew apart, and where the shrapnel should have bounced harmlessly off her wings and suit, it burned. She let out a roar of pain, raising a hand to her cheek where a piece had grazed. her eyes moved the the shards still on the ground at her feet. Iron. Her heart broke a little at the sudden realization. He told them... I was susceptible to iron. He told them to use it against me.

"Move in!"

She glanced up at the soldiers moving in, fire in her eyes, and when she stood again, she moved like a burning river. She twisted between them with startling ease and cut through their armor like it was paper. By the time she'd finished with the last of them, she could hear gunfire below. Steve. She was about to jump down to help when the sound of the entire ship creaking and groaning met her ears. Only seconds later, the ground tilted violently underfoot. Oh no. They'd shut down another engine. She dove aside when things began to fall across the landing strips, a small jet almost crushing her. I have to do something. But she knew nothing about Barton, had no idea where he'd be right now, and attacking Loki wasn't going to stop this thing from falling out of the sky. 

"Stark, we're losing altitude!" Fury called over the coms. 

"Yeah, noticed."

Then something caught Kallian's eye. Where one of the jet's had fallen from, the straps still remained, splayed out across the pavement. It was better than nothing. Taking a strap in each hand and looping them over her wrists to make certain they were secure, she flew. She ignored the jolt in her shoulders when the straps had reached the end of their slack. She ignored the way her lungs screamed that this was both stupid and pointless. She kept flying up. Any power she had remaining, she channeled it into her grip and her wings. She could feel the energy collecting there, rolling off her in little waves of green and gold with each wingbeat. The aircraft slowed in its descent. She couldn't stop it entirely, but this was as close to hovering it as she could get. A [pained groan clawed its way up her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut, face turning upwards, jaw clenching. "Stark," She managed. "I sure hope whatever you're doing is working. I can\t hold this for long."

"Almost there, Auntie Bird. You hanging in there?"

"Uh-huh." she gasped. "Sure."

Every bone, every feather in her wing ached, but she didn't even for a second consider letting go. Hold. It. Hold it. Just a bit longer... Slowly but surely, she could hear the turbine to her left picking up speed once again. Tony. And with a final cry of effort, she released the strain she'd been holding onto, released the straps. As the aircraft levelled out once again, she let herself fall, her wings catching her only just in time to avoid any incredibly painful damage when she hit the ship. Still, feeling like all the wind had been knocked out of her, she wheezed a cough, rolling over onto her back. Just in time to see Loki emerge from below with a few of his men. 

Tony's voice rang in her ear. "Cap, hit the lever."

"I need a minute here!" Her heart crawled into her throat at the strain in his voice. But Loki...

"Lever! Now!" Several incredibly unladylike words toiled through Kallian's mind, and then she rolled, once, twice, right off the helicarrier's edge. Her wings caught her immediately, and she let the draft from the turbines pull her in a wide arc before she faced the ship again, eyes locking on the men shooting at Steve as he tried to get to the lever. With a roar, she blew forwards, slamming into them feeling their lives end beneath her touch and the impact of the walkway beneath them. Steve reached the lever, pulling it up, hard, and moments later, a rather banged up Iron Man came to land on the edge of the ship right next to them. 

Kallian rolled onto her side with a small groan and a huff, eyeing the other two. "Spectacular."