AURORA

At What Cost?

From within the flames, a figure began to emerge, surrounded by an aura of intense, crackling energy. Aurora, her eyes glowing a fierce red with glimpse of yellow, stepped forward, seemingly reborn from the inferno. She raised her hand, and the flames around her responded, swirling and dancing in sync with her movements.

"Aurora..." Wanda gasped, trying to push herself up from where the explosion had thrown her. She was hurt, her body aching from the impact, but her eyes were locked on Aurora, filled with a mixture of relief, pain but betrayal too.

Mia lay nearby, barely conscious from the force of the blast. Kate, seeing her friend's condition, rushed to her side. "Mia, stay with me," she urged, her voice choked with worry as she checked for a pulse.

Stephen, regaining consciousness, saw Yelena still disoriented from the turn of events. He pulled her to her feet. "We need to get out of here," he said, his voice urgent. Yelena nodded, her resolve shaken but still present.

Aurora, now fully in control of the fire, turned her focus to Agatha. "You work ends now" she declared, her voice echoing with power. She gestured sharply, and the flames surged towards Agatha, forming a fiery vortex.

Agatha, caught off guard, raised a barrier to protect herself, but Aurora's control over the fire was too strong. The vortex broke through Agatha's defenses, engulfing her in a whirlwind of searing heat and energy.

Agatha screamed, her magic faltering under the onslaught. "My work? Sweetie you did all the work..."she spat. Chuckling.

Aurora's expression softened " Look around you" Aurora did as she said. She saw Kate with blood on her face and clothes, crying over Mia's body, Wanda collapsing to the floor, seriously hurt with cuts and blood everywhere, Stephen helping Yelena get to her feet. "No..." Aurora finally said. Agatha took the opportunity and stabbed Aurora with Yelena's blade to her stomach, blood streaming down her legs, it caught Aurora off guard but she couldn't let Agatha get away, Aurora used all her strength she had and with a final decisive gesture, she intensified the flames, their light blazing brighter than ever. Agatha's form began to disintegrate within the fiery inferno, her screams fading into the roar of the fire.

As Agatha's presence finally vanished, the flames began to die down, leaving the warehouse eerily silent. Aurora, her strength nearly spent, fell to her knees, the glow in her eyes dimming. Her blood on her clothes. Stephen run towards her. " I'm gonna take you somewhere safe, please try to stay awake"

Aurora looked up, her face pale. "It's over" and with that she collapsed.

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Kate, meanwhile, cradled Mia's head in her lap, tears streaming down her face. "Mia, please hold on," she pleaded.

Stephen and Yelena approached cautiously, their expressions a mix of concern and remorse. "Is she...?" Yelena began, her voice trembling.

"She's alive," Kate replied, her voice thick with emotion. "But barely."

Stephen knelt beside them, placing a hand on Mia's forehead. "We need to get her to the hospital fast, Wanda and Aurora are hurt too" he said, his tone urgent. He opened a portal to a hospital. Kate taking Mia, Yelena taking Wanda and Stephen Aurora.
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Aurora awoke in a sterile hospital room, the harsh fluorescent lights illuminating her surroundings. Her body felt heavy, and as she glanced down, she saw the bandages wrapped around her abdomen, a stark reminder of the battle with Agatha. She took a deep breath, wincing slightly at the pain. The events of the warehouse flashed through her mind, and a deep sense of dread settled in her chest.

Slowly, she pushed herself to sit up, her movements sluggish. A nurse entered the room, her expression softening when she saw Aurora awake.

"You're lucky to be alive," the nurse said gently. "Your wounds were severe, but you're healing well."

Aurora nodded, her mind elsewhere. "The woman that was with me is she...?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse being Stephen's friend, hesitated but eventually nodded. "I'll take you to her."

With the nurse's help, Aurora made her way down the hall to Wanda's room. She pushed the door open, her heart pounding in her chest. Wanda lay in bed, her injuries evident but her eyes alert. As soon as she saw Aurora, her expression hardened.

"You did it," Wanda said, her voice cold. "But at what cost?" Wanda leaving a tear escape.

Aurora swallowed hard, guilt washing over her. "Wanda, I-"

"You lied to me," Wanda interrupted, her eyes flashing with anger. "I could have stopped it, but you decided to lie to me and face Agatha alone. Look at what happened because of it."

Aurora's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't want to put you or anyone else in danger."

"Well, you failed," Wanda said sharply. "Mia is in a coma, and you nearly got yourself killed."

Aurora's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Wanda. I really am."

Wanda sighed, her anger fading slightly. "I just hope you realize now that you can't do everything alone."

Aurora nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I do. I just... I wanted to protect you." And with that Aurora stormed out, she went to visit Mia but she just stood behind the glass window seeing her.

Just then, the door opened, and Yelena and Kate walked in. Their faces were set in grim lines, and the tension in the room thickened.

"Aurora," Kate began, her voice tight with controlled anger. "What were you thinking?"

Yelena stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "You almost got us all killed! And now Mia... she's in a coma because of your reckless actions."

Aurora went closer to them. " You think I'm the problem?"

Yelena shook her head, her expression one of frustration and hurt. Kate smiled sadly. Aurora let a tear escape wiping it off immediately. " What is wrong with you?" Yelena stared at her. Kate taking a step back.

"I protected you!!...(Her voice now rising)Wanda is healing, Mia is dying!! I knew I couldn't save everyone but I tried!!" She paused taking a breath. " I almost died too!!!" Kate cleared silently her throat looking at her. Aurora let her tears fall looking at them. Her stitches ripped off making blood spots appear on her t-shirt. But she just turned her back returning to her hospital bed.