Years Beyond - Old Soul Sequel

2

<Avalie's Pov>

One day and 2 weeks since Steve and Natasha were captured, I was summoned to the conference room. A nurse came by and helped me into a wheelchair, since the sickness had rendered my muscles weak and useless.

Banner said I was in critical condition, which meant I rarely left my hospital room. That's how I knew this meeting must've been important.

Once I was brought through the doors, I found the leaderless Avengers sitting about the table. I was surprised to see Thor, but I guess he had decided to stick around on Earth for a while.

When I entered, everyone fell silent. Their eyes were wide on me, and I understood why. My eyes were dark, lifeless chasms, and my cheekbones were sunken so deeply in my face that I looked like a skeleton; I was covered in sickly shadows. My lips and my skin were colorless, and if my hair wasn't already pale blonde then it would've lost its pigment too. I was dying, and everybody there knew it as soon as they saw me. I could see the pity in their expressions.

"Avalie," Sam spoke, trying to cut the tension. He stood and waved the nurse off, muttering "I've got it from here," as he wheeled me to the table. The silence stayed persistent.

I cleared my throat. "Hello, every-" I cut off as I realized how strained and painful my voice sounded, a dry cough escaping from my lips. Wanda furrowed her eyebrows as if it hurt her to see how bad I was doing.

"What is...this meeting about?" I managed to push out the words. I looked around the room to find someone to address my question to, but I realized Fury wasn't in the room.

"A plan of attack," Sam said. "We have to get them back."

I stared at him with a numb mind, tiredly interpreting everything twice as slow as normal. "But...we have a plan..." I said, confused. "We're trading Daphne."

Wanda laughed bitterly. "Never would we trade her. It is too dangerous to give her back. It's exactly what they want."

"But that's what Banner said," I replied. "And Fury-"

"Fury isn't in charge," Sam interrupted. "The Avengers are now. We take our own course of action."

I let that sink in for a minute. "Ok," I finally said. "Then what's your plan?"

Everyone around the table shared a look. "We trade you instead of Daphne," Thor said.

Around the room, silence fell heavy upon our shoulders. The silence seemed to fall heavier on mine, and a chill stabbed me in the chest as I processed the situation. And throughout my sickness, I had never found it more difficult to breathe as I did then.

"I..." I choked out, unable to meet their gazes. "I don't know... what to say."

I swallowed hard, and Banner jumped in to reassure me. "It's not as bad as it sounds. We just need to find some way to heal you and then-"

"And if we don't?" Wanda asked. She didn't seem too keen on the idea of sacrificing me.

The silence resumed. No one had an answer. I shut my eyes and exhaled. If only Steve were here. He'd know exactly how to handle this, know exactly how to succeed without risking anyone.