[3] Just A Mortal Girl | Avallone the Avenger [DISCONTINUED]

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

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- INFINITY WAR SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ONWARDS -

If you have not seen Avengers: Infinity War, do not continue to read this. I'm talking about major MAJOR spoilers

You have been warned

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After a few hours of tedious, silent walking, we came to the outskirts of a town. Luckily for us, the surrounding houses were littered with families, though not quite full. We were able to choose a nice home that had appeared empty for quite some time, perhaps two or three weeks.

We waited until it was well dark to move inside, not wanting for anyone around to be distracted by the dying man and the stench that come off us all. In this house, it meant we were able to wipe all the memories away, and be ready to start making better ones.

The only problem we had was that by this time, Phil needed something to constantly support his weight, and there was no bath in the house. It was a bit of a dilemma, deciding who would help him bathe. I was the closer friend, but Sif wasn't really phased by anything.

In the end, it was decided that Sif would assist him, and that I should go search the nearby houses for clothes, and if I could, food. I seriously doubted that I would be able to obtain some food, but I could certainly gather some clothes.

The darkness was heavy and hot, only broken by the occasional street lamp. I wondered if we were still in Australia. It would have made sense that our captors - we needed to come up with a name for them at some point - had taken us out of the country. There was too many ties for us to be here.

Most houses had taken in their washing for the night, but I was lucky to find one had trusted that no one would come and steal their clothes.

There wasn't exactly a great selection, considered the only thing working for us was chance, and it had never been a great friend of mine. All the clothes were about three sizes too large for any of us. They would have made better blankets that actual clothes.

I decided to keep looking, in hopes of finding something a bit smaller. After almost an hour of searching, I did find some clothes. They weren't exactly the nicest to look at, but there were our size.

Snatching what I could off the clothesline, I began the long journey back to the house. It had taken me a while, and it wouldn't surprise me if Sif went off at me when I got back. She'd be thankful to at least have clothes that fit, rather than swimming around in them.

When I returned to the house, Sif was alert and ready for me, while Coulson slept. His breathing was heavy and laboured. It would be no surprise if he didn't make it past the next day.

"I'll take first watch. Go clean up in the bathroom." Sif managed a small smile, but I knew she didn't quite feel it. In everything that had happened to us, we still had more to suffer in the future. Nothing was certain anymore, and our friend was dying. Hope was draining fast and no matter how much we were clinging to it, it slipped like velvet sand through our desperate fingertips.

I thanked her quietly and stole through the house. The darkness accompanied by the biting silence sent shivers down my spine. It may have just been my anxiety, but as I washed away the dirt and the memories, I felt the gnawing at my stomach again. It was a certain sense of emptiness that ironically filled me, and it made me shake.

Sif had screamed and felt so much emotional pain for something she hadn't even seen. What if something had happened to those I love? To the one I love?

My stomach knotted again and it ached. I crouched to the floor of the shower and bit down on my lip hard. Alerting the neighbours to our presence any more would be stupid, and I was capable of holding in one scream.

The pain rolled through my body, releasing the twist in my stomach and moving up toward my lungs. I fought to breathe as the shower water cleansed me. It was stabbing in my lungs, over and over until I was sure I was going to start coughing up blood.

Then it grabbed my heart and squeezed it so tight. I covered my mouth to suppress the scream that crawled from my throat. I recalled reading somewhere that it was possible to die from heartbreak and in that moment, that's all I felt.

Perhaps it was some strange, one-time foresight I was gifted, or some otherworldly being taking pity on me, but I saw it, clear as day.

"I assure you brother, the sun will shine on us again."

I whimpered. It had been months since my last encounter with Loki. So much time had passed I barely remembered if we had departed on good terms.

Finally shutting off the water, I dressed myself in a daze and stumbled back to Sif and Coulson. She met my dull eyes and mentioned nothing of what had just passed. "I'll be back soon. Keep watch while I wash."

By the time I had nodded, the water had already started flowing again. I was too dazed to sleep, even though it would have postponed the pain for a little while. I allowed my mind to drift lazily through my past experiences with the Avengers. I missed them all so much.

A tapping on the shoulder alerted me and I snapped out of my daydream. Sif was crouching beside me, dressed and smelling lovely. "Avallone, I think we need to talk."

"Are you going to tell me about what you felt?" I dared to question her. There was no indication that she was ready to speak of that at all, but it burned me to not know.

Her countenance fell. "I suppose it is relative to what I'm about to say." Sif took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was painful to relive such terrible memories. "I have always had a strong bond with the people of Asgard. Having been their warrior for so long, there was a mutual love between us all. What I felt - I - I have reason to believe that Asgard is no more."

My heartbeat increased and I felt the pain again, though not as strong. I tried my best to keep a calm facade. "Asgard as the place, or as the people?" I knitted my fingers together out of sight until they began to hurt. It gave me no relief in my anxiety.

"At first I was sure that as a place, it was destroyed, but now I feel this new emptiness within me and -"

Her words cut off and I glanced upwards from my reddening hands. Sif's eyes were staring straight into mine, fear so evident, so strong. I looked down at her hands and felt time slow down once more.

Little particles of her very existence began to float through the air. I screamed, the sound falling on my deaf ears. There was a ringing suddenly, like someone had fired a gun right next to me. Reaching for her, I felt bile rise up in my throat as I only clutched at the dust that replaced her. In mere seconds, Sif was no more, and I was left with but a few specks to remind me of her.

"In time, you will know what it's like to lose."

I screamed again, the pain in my head threatening to split my skill. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once. My fingers clutched at my hair, threatening to pull it out if the voice did not stop.

"This is my gift to humanity. A new chance at a better life. In time, you will thank me."

It didn't make sense; Sif's disappearance, the strange voice in my head. There might have been a connection, but my nerves were too frazzled for me to even begin thinking of possibilities. Instead, I ran to Phil and began shaking him awake.

"Avallone, what's wrong?"

My words were not my own as they jumped from my lips and into the stale air. "Everyone we love is dying."