The sky continued to burn with the fury of the Chitauri invasion, thunder booming in rhythm with the war around him. Thor moved through the chaos like a force of nature, striking, crushing, and cutting down the alien forces with Mjölnir's might.
Yet his focus kept returning to her even in the thick of battle.
Rhiley.
She was everywhere—her presence like a storm in its own right, sending shockwaves of energy into the streets, her movements almost hypnotic in their fluidity. He had seen many powerful warriors in his time, but there was something about the way she wielded her abilities... something ancient.
Something familiar.
She didn't hesitate, never once faltering in the face of overwhelming odds. They were a team, as they had been when they first fought together in Mexico—each of them covering the other's back, an unspoken understanding between them that ran deeper than battle tactics.
"Thor!" Rhiley called over the din of explosions. She stood atop a wrecked car, her arms raised, fire swirling around her as she took down yet another wave of Chitauri.
She didn't wait for him to respond. She never did. And that was why he trusted her.
His hammer soared through the air, cleaving through a group of enemies as he charged to her side. Together, they fought as one, pushing forward to the looming Stark Tower, the source of all this destruction.
Then, just as they neared their destination, a new wave of Chitauri descended from the portal, the ground shaking as their massive warship crashed to the streets below. Thor's pulse quickened.
"This doesn't stop," he said, catching his breath.
Rhiley met his gaze with a steely look, her eyes unwavering. "No. It doesn't."
She looked to the tower, and for a moment, something flickered behind her eyes. A memory. A determination. Thor didn't have to ask—he could feel it.
She had something more to prove.
"Thor, I need to get inside," Rhiley said, her voice low but sharp.
Without hesitation, Thor nodded. "Then we make the way."
He raised Mjölnir high, and the thunder crashed louder, filling the air with its roar. His strike cleared a path forward, and together, he and Rhiley led the charge, their combined might pushing through the last line of resistance.
But before they could reach the tower, Rhiley suddenly stopped.
Thor turned to her, concerned. "Rhiley?"
Her hands glowed bright, power crackling around her. But it wasn't like before. There was something different in her energy now, something... raw. Vulnerable.
She looked back at him, her expression hardening with resolve.
"I have to do this alone," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Thor's brows furrowed. "Rhiley—"
"I can't keep running from this," she interrupted, her eyes locking with his. "I can't keep holding back."
It was a battle she was waging within herself. He could see it. Something had shifted in her—something old, buried deep within, was now forcing its way to the surface.
Thor took a step closer, his voice softening. "You are not alone. I will be with you."
She shook her head, the corner of her lips curling into a sad smile. "This is something I need to face."
YOU ARE READING
Radioactive | Bucky Barnes
Fanfiction"I want to go back to the time you first told me your name." Rhiley, the twin sister of Howard Stark, finds herself wrapped up with the one and only James Barnes. The next time she sees him is on her new assignment with the 107th Infantry Regiment...
