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the events of Captain America: Civil War ( chapters xxxvi — xliv )
"There's no war that will end all wars" — Haruki Murakami
Germany, Europe
ELINA HAD TRIED TOmake peace with the ghosts of Sokovia. The crumbled cityscape haunted her dreams, and the cries of the survivors clung to her waking hours. For months, she drifted through the ruins of Europe, not as a hero, but as a shadow. She helped where she could—finding shelter for the displaced, offering solace to the grieving—but it never felt like enough. The weight of her own hands, stained with destruction, was impossible to wash away.
She told herself she was doing the right thing now, that she was healing the wounds she once helped inflict. But she knew the truth: it was as much an escape as it was a penance. The calls from the Avengers began as a distant hum, easily ignored. They wanted her back, needed her strength for another mission, another war. But Elina silenced every buzz, every vibration. She couldn't go back. Not after Sokovia.
They called her for Lagos. Nigeria. The mission was urgent, the stakes high. But Elina didn't even glance at her phone. She had sworn off the violence, the collateral damage that always seemed to follow them. She told herself she was beyond their reach, hidden in the quiet corners of Europe where even their most advanced tech couldn't pinpoint her.
For a while, it worked. She lived beneath the radar, her presence little more than a whisper in the wind. But the world has a way of dragging you back, no matter how far you run. The news broke in stuttering headlines and shaky footage: devastation in Lagos. A botched mission. Civilians dead, their lives cut short by the very people sworn to protect them.
Elina's heart sank. She had seen this story play out before, and every time it ended the same way: with broken promises and blood on their hands. But it wasn't just the familiar pattern of destruction that drew her attention this time. It was the face. One she hadn't seen in years. Someone from a life she'd tried to bury.
Suddenly, the silence was unbearable. Her phone, still vibrating with unanswered calls, burned in her pocket. This time, she picked it up. Elina didn't speak, didn't offer excuses. She simply listened as they told her what she already knew: they needed her. Again.
But this time, she wasn't answering for them. She wasn't coming back to join their cause, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the name of justice. No, Elina had her own reasons now. She was done watching from the sidelines, done letting their mistakes pile up unchecked. If they couldn't stop themselves from breaking the world, she would.
She wasn't their ally anymore. She was going to stop them from ruining anyone else's life.
playlist! i. in bloom — nirvana ii. here — pavement iii. stairway to heaven — led zeppelin iv. one more hour — tame impala v. boys don't cry — the cure vi. i wanna be adored — the stone roses vii. last nite — the strokes viii. when the sun hits — slowdive ix. iceblink luck — cocteau twins x. where is my mind? — pixies
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AUTHORS NOTE There will be some details volume that will confuse readers. I plan to begin publishing a book about Blake and her life, so details will make more sense!
