Avengers: Legacies

More Than A Feeling

They took his hearing aids, and all their weapons, and as Bobby looked around the room, the team's hope too. Azura's face was drained of color, of light, of what had once shown there before being brought here. She sat across from Bobby, her cheeks tear-stained, on her knees, like she knelt in prayer, her head bent, her eyes staring at nothing on the floor. The moon filtering through the grimy windows behind him doused her in silver, setting her aglow. A living, breathing painting.

Bobby drew his knees up to his chest and rested his arms atop them, unable to look away. His mother used to talk like that, almost poetic when she was thinking out loud. He remembered she always talked about publishing a book. About what? He wasn't sure, but she'd have seen this scene before her and would have written something devastating and beautiful.

No one spoke. No one opened their mouths to speak. Everyone had their lips pressed in a stiff line, the bleakness on everyone's faces worse than when their parents had first been taken. At least they had found each other. Bobby bit on his lip, eyes stinging, and turned to Rosalie, who was just as shell shocked as the others. The torrents of rain that Azura had released over them in her grief had soaked them through, their clothes and hair now damp, and Rosalie, her hair loose of any ties or pins, had strands of wavy hair framing her pale face. Her eyes were closed. She had shut out the world the way he'd been deprived of sound.

He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. Azura's loss rattled the whole team, the fear palpable, and Rosalie appeared almost sick with it.

She slowly opened her eyes to him, tears welling there, and Bobby lifted his hand to brush away her hair, her tears, to rest his hand against her damp cheek. No words he could say would be the right ones, and if he opened his mouth, the pressure to say something inspiring or uplifting would only seem like rubbing salt into a gaping wound.

A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he looked across the room to Pym. The younger boy stood, his hands free of his suit's gloves. He had both of them in fists, knuckles pressed into each other, the sign for 'together', repeated in fast circles. Pym spoke, but Bobby understood the murmur, the implication. He rose to his feet, his hand tracing down Rosalie's arm to grab her hand, to haul her up with him.

He nodded. Looked at the others. Tait and Sigyn stood, as did Tony and James, but Azura didn't even register that movement and sound existed anymore. Bobby approached her, although Rosalie tried to tug him back.

She needs us, Bobby said. He dropped down to his knees in front of her and gently took her hand in his. He squeezed once, letting her know he was there. Azura. Her name reverberated through his head and back down his throat. She squeezed back and looked up. Something still crackled within her dark eyes. They stared at each other before Azura broke again, her arms latching around his neck, her chilled skin seeking his warmth. He held onto her, braced his legs beneath him, and stood her up.

Then Tait, his large form towering in, wrapped his arms around Azura and Bobby. Rosalie on the other side, tears in her eyes. Sigyn, Pym, James, and finally Tony. Azura, shielded from the misery of feeling alone and hopeless. Bobby, cheek rested on top of her head, squeezed her tighter, and something seemed to ease in Azura, a sigh passing from her lips and brushing along Bobby's neck. The group hug fell apart, and Bobby swore he felt James chuckle to his left. Something was said, and Bobby quickly turned his head.

What? Bobby said, the anxiety of feeling left out taking a hold of him.

"Let's not hug like that again," Rosalie signed. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Despite Azura seeming a bit better, Rosalie still appeared haunted, almost guilty. Bobby tilted his head in question, and she signed "later". He glanced at the others, as they consoled and spoke to Azura, as James bent his head towards Tony, and murmured something in the older man's ear.