The Girl Who Held the Universe in her Hands | marvel [1] ✔

NINE

CHAPTER NINE
' I DIDN'T MEAN TO . '

"Alright, listen up." Rogers turned to face them. "Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back, or you turn it to ash."

Stark grabbed Barton, who held his bow and arrow tightly in his grip. "Alright, better clench up, Legolas." Before the archer could reply, the ironman suit shot upwards.

Rogers looked at Ash, whose gaze had moved from the group and followed the Chitauri as they destroyed New York. A flinch shot through her body as a specifically large explosion caused a piece of building to tumble to the ground. "Ash." She turned at the sound of Rogers' voice. "Can you do something to keep these things from getting too far out?"

Her eyes flickered away momentarily, lip pulling between her teeth before she nodded. "Yeah-yeah, I can do that."

Rogers moved over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You can still walk away. Fury's not here to claim your debt. None of us will blame you."

Ash looked up at him. "No." She shook her head, pulling away from his grip as the black mist formed in her palms. "No, I need to do this." Her head turned back to him for a moment. "I need to use this for good." As she lifted her hands, the magic grew into balls, and she threw them down, propelling herself into the air.

The wind whipped around her, the ends of her hair striking her face and causing ripples of stinging to patter her cheeks. She didn't look down as she soared, eyes only focused on trying to find a building high enough. But before she could try to look, something collided with her and sent her spiralling onto a rooftop. The rough gravel scratched her exposed skin as she rolled with the excess momentum. She managed to stop herself by pushing herself onto one of her knees, relying on friction to slow her movements and a puff of dust emitted from her body when she finally halted.

Ash took in a breath as Noah appeared before her. A small smile formed on her face as he gave her a nod, his eyes earnest. The Chitauri's screams filled her ears, and her eyes shifted from him to the growing swarm, which filtered around the rooftop.

"Ready?" Noah asked, wiggling his fingers as a scythe formed in his hand.

Ash shrugged as she straightened, black ribbons forming in her palms and wrapping around her forearms. "We helped create them... so how hard can it be?" She dropped to the ground as they started to shoot, many falling to their comrades when they missed their intended target.

Noah lifted his weapon and leapt forward, bringing it down onto the ground. A wave of black energy erupted from it and spasmed forward. He recovered, swiping the blade and decapitating the few Chitauri soldiers that stood in a line.

Ash swiped her hand to the side, causing a Chitauri to fall, and she smashed it in the head with her magic. She pushed her other hand out and catapulted a group off the building. Waiting until one moved, it charged towards her, and Ash ducked under its arm, kicking it forward. The finishing blow followed as she lifted both hands and threw a ball of energy into its back.

Noah vaulted forward, grabbing a Chitauri's head and pulling it from its torso. He tossed it over his shoulder as he flicked his hair from his face. He lifted his hand, the stone and rumble fluttering until they rose. They shot forward and began to pelt the metal soldiers.

As Ash discarded a body, she used another to jump up and land on one's neck. She twisted her leg around it and summoned her power, slamming her hand onto its head. The force caused the extra energy to hit the other two in the chest. She slumped to the ground with the Chitauri, heaving for breath as she supported herself with her hands.