Avengers: Jedi Master (CWAC Book Two)

Chapter 16: Battle Loss

Selene leans over a bleeding Clint, she presses on his wound as he groans, Cade is more powerful then they anticipated, Jacen is dead, Shea struggling to get back on her feet. Selene is bleeding herself but she can manage, she will survive, her job is to make sure they all come back. And they will. Shea stumbles a little managing to stand on two legs. She holds out her sabre and takes a shaky breath, Selene knows the fight is taking it out of the Jedi. Shea lets out a battle cry and starts her fight with her brother a new. Slash. Slash. Block. Block. It's fast, heavy and hard. Clint groans beneath Selene and she presses harder on his wound, pressure, it's all about the pressure. She looks up as Cade grabs Shea's arm and smirks before slicing his sabre, cutting below the elbow but enough to make sure she may never wield her sabre again. Shea screams in pain and stares unbelieving up at the man that is supposed to be her brother. He was suppose to protect her and love her and she believed that. She looked forward to the day she would meet him, and everything would be okay, her big brother there to protect her. Cade just smirks back. All Shea's family hopes shattered. Her brother is a monster.

"Goodbye, Sister" Cade tells her and then throws her across the room, Shea hits the wall with a sickening crack before she falls, slides down the wall, her eyes rolling back into her skull.

"Shea!" Selene yells as Shea falls through a glass floor disappearing below.

.............

Tony, Steve, Bucky and Natasha leave the ship, they each know something is wrong. Bucky's been on edge. Something about his Selene sense tingling. They each ready their respective weapons and creep forward, Tony's heart pounding in his chest. He should never have let Shea go alone, he should have been the one to go with him. He can't loose her. He can't not now, not now he has Harley back. These two women are the most important women in his life and he will not loose either of them. Ahead of them a figure clad in black walks through a set of doors, the four of them change position, in a line, defensive but he doesn't attack, he pulls down his hood and takes a breath.

"My name is Cade" He offers. "Cade Skywalker"

"Shea's brother?" Steve asks looking to Tony who nods.

"Yes" Cade draws out. "The chosen one" he snarls. "The daughter they always wanted" he scoffs. "When they found out they were expecting a bouncing girl they fled. It was bad enough that they went on to have Luke but he was a moron, no force skill what so ever, no threat.....but Shea" he takes a breath. "The natural talent she showed in those first years, I knew she would eventually be trouble...a threat....I readied myself, built an army, a fleet...."

"To kill your own sister?" Bucky asks. "What the hell is wrong with you?

"I was nothing to them" Cade snaps. "Once Luke was born, once Shea was born"

"That's part of being a big brother, you ass" Tony snaps. "Younger children come along but you man up, you teach them to be idiots, but you defend them when others hate them....."

"It no longer matters" Cade offers. "Your team is already dead" Cade tells them. "What do I have to fear?" he asks.

"Me" Shea states behind him just before her lightsabre is thrust through his chest, Cade gasps and chokes on air, before falling dead. "Goodbye" she starts wobbling on her feet, clutching the wound where her arm is missing. "Brother" she adds before she looks to Tony relief flooding through her, he's alive, he;s here and he's alive, she tries to smiles before she lets herself collapse. Falling next to the man that is supposed to be her big brother. The last thing she sees, is Tony running towards her.

..............

Bucky runs to Selene who is cradling Clint's head, the archer unconscious but alive, thanks to Selene who holds her hand on his chest. She shares a look with Bucky who drops at Clint's other side and clutches her face.

"I was so worried" he admits and kisses her, Selene nods against his lips.

"Shea?" she asks pulling back, Bucky gives her a look back, giving her her answer, Selene has to look away.

.............

Natasha lingers at Clint's side, her best friend injured and unconscious, Bucky helps Selene with her injury whilst Tony sits, helmet in hand, eyes wet with tears. This can't be happening. It can't happen to him. His lip tremble and he looks away. It's not fair.