stormbird. ( steve rogers, rewriting! )

twenty.

I was exhausted, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins kept me going. I was currently trying to penetrate the shell of a leviathan with sharp flaming rocks, and using air to try and open the wound wider and push the rocks deeper.

I twisted my hands, and the rock dug deeper under the leviathan's armor. It roared in pain, and turned its massive head to look at me. "Oh sh*t!" I yelled, turning and speeding away as the leviathan followed me. "Thor! Bruce! Anyone! Please help!" I yelled. Suddenly, I heard a roar, and from the building beside me, I saw the Hulk jump out of the building and steer the leviathan away from me.

I'd have to thank him for that later, when the Other Guy was gone. I flew up higher, and examined the city. The city looked like a board game, a war strategy game, and all the chaos and fighting was centered around the portal and Stark Towers. Chitauri vehicles zoomed around, looking like little winged insects from here. The leviathans looked like larger worms, sluggishly tunneling through buildings.

"The portal! We need to close it!" I yelled as I dropped back down to the earth. I create a crater under some chitauri, incinerating them and covering the smoking remains with dirt and rock.

I levitated into the air. "I can close it! Can anyone copy? I can close the portal!" Nat yelled over the earpiece.

"Do it!" Steve and I yell at once. "No, wait!" Tony says. "Tony, these things are still coming." I say, blasting a platoon of chitauri backwards.

"I've got nuke headed here in less than a minute." Tony replied.

"And I know just where to put it."

"Stark, you know that's a one way trip." Steve said gravely over the ear piece.

"Save the rest for the return J." Tony said, ignoring what Steve had just told him.

"Tony, I can't let you do this." I say, flying higher to get a better look at him.

"Shay, this is my choice. Only I can do this." He says. "Sir, shall I try Ms. Potts?" Jarvis asks. "Might as well." Tony chokes.

That's when I have an idea. A single, destructive idea.

An idea that changed the course of our fates.

"No, wait Jarvis." I manage to get out. "Of course Ms. Elrend." He replies.

"Tony, that won't be necessary." I say and go shooting after him, manipulating the air around me. As I catch up to him, I say, "Because you won't be dying today." I form a fist with my right hand, and the air around Tony tightens and holds him in its grip. I force my fist to the ground, and Tony is pulled down to the street beside Thor and Steve.

"Shailene Elrend, what are you doing?!" Natasha yells.

"Shay!" Steve's voice crackles over the ear piece. "Please don't." The sound of his voice almost makes me crack. Because Steve was right when he said it the first time; this is a one way trip.

One way I will not be coming back from. But then I remember what will happen if I don't do this.

"Nat, Clint," I whisper into my ear piece as I grab the missile and push it towards the portal. I think back to what Loki said to me.

"You think they'll come for you? That Captain of yours? You think he'll come? No, they don't care for you, not like how I do. He doesn't love you, if that's what you think. He could never love someone like you, someone who's ledger is gushing with red like yours is. But I can. I can love you, and you will love me. You will be mine, whether you choose to be."

He was right though. The things in my past.... Steve couldn't love me. He couldn't forgive me for my past, when I couldn't even forgive myself. I had to wipe my ledger clean.