ALL NOBLE THINGS

The hum of plane vibrated her entire being. Locusta focused on this low thrum, leaning her head against the back of her seat. She was exhausted, and the stitches in her neck pulsed with every heart beat. They were poorly done; she wasn't there to win a beauty contest. It would do. 

The others noticed her tiredness, saying very little to the girl. She just wanted some peace and quiet, but she also knew that she would never get peace again - after all, in times like these, peace was a luxury. 

"Locusta?" Steve broke her out of her respite, bringing her harshly back to reality. She grunted a response. "What can you tell us about Thanos?" 

She couldn't help it, a dark chuckle slipping past her lips before she could even stop it. "Just think of everything evil and corrupt, you get the picture." 

Locusta was sick of having to explain who Thanos was, to relive the terrors he'd inflicted. She already had it on repeat in her mind, like a broken record always skipping to the same song, and if she said it aloud she dreaded to think what would happen within her own head. But this wasn't about her - it was about saving the universe. 

Sighing, she sat up straight. All of them were attentively watching her. She wanted to shrivel under their gazes, her eyes rapidly moving between them and to a bland corner of the ship. "He's a murderer. He kills for the twisted belief of saving a species, but even in my reality we never found out why. My guess is that he's some self-righteous psychopath who wanted to boost his already massive ego." 

"How many has he killed?" Steve's friend, Natasha she'd eventually come to realise when she focused on the woman's face and not her hair, interrupted. Her face was one of stone, and Locusta imagined that her's matched it. 

Locusta wanted to tell them the truth - that in her reality, nearly everyone sitting in this plane were dead. That they tried to fight against their fate as hard as they could, yet it all came to nothing when the Black Order hunted them down and slaughtered them. Her thoughts battled between right and wrong, clashing hard enough to make her head spin. 

She settled for technically, the truth. "I'm not entirely sure. Half of my planet, maybe more from others." 

The air could be cut with a knife. Everyone knew they had a fight ahead; it wasn't until know how serious they realised that it was. It wasn't some lunatic god trying to take over New York, or a robot of their own creation. Those were just the tests for the real thing. For the real invasion. 

"How do we stop him?" Sam's voice fractured the silence. He was speaking everyone's mind, the one thought that had been thundering in their heads: is this a threat that we can beat?

Locusta gulped, her gaze remaining fixed away from them all. The words felt like vomit pouring out of her mouth, the true sickness revealing what was soon to come. "I'm not sure." 

Complete stunned silence followed. Locusta's stomach was lead, and every word she was saying was just adding weight to it. "Forget everything you know. You're in a brand new type of war now."

"By this time I think I've fought enough wars to know that they're all the same. People fight and people die. Nothing has changed." Steve's righteous voice drove a spark of irritation through her. They didn't understand. They didn't understand how this... tyrant would be able to destroy half the world with just a snap of his fingers. Everything they could have ever loved and held close to their hearts would be gone within a single click. It might take time for them to die; the moment the Avengers lost the battle with Thanos, they were as good as dead. 

She had no energy to argue. "Whatever helps you sleep at night Steve." 

Locusta remained silent for the rest of the trip, trying to tune out the fire sparking her body in crippling agony. 

*

She was eternally grateful when the plane landed, jumping to her feet suddenly and dashing ahead. Being in the plane surrounded by people was nice, even if they were naive about the threat incoming; it just reminded of the friends, of the family, that could be anywhere. 

The others quickly caught up, her lingering behind them like an unpleasant odour. She knew she wasn't with them because they enjoyed her company - it made the most sense that they'd bring her along to have more success in anticipating Thanos' next move. Locusta didn't mind. She had the mind of a strategist, and knew that she would do the exact same if the tables were turned. She occupied herself by ogling the hallways of the Avengers facility, marvelling in the advanced technology that was everywhere that she looked. Even though her own reality had been more developed than this one prior to the invasion, it was so refreshing seeing electricity at it's finest, and actually seeing electricity was just as mind blowing. 

Voices echoed down the hall. Locusta involuntarily tensed, her hands clenching. Everyone around her seemed perfectly at ease, with loose shoulders and their hands a fair distance away from their weapons. Fools, Locusta thought to herself, having to fight the urge from saying it out loud. No where was safe, and they should know that they should be ready for anything. For all they knew, Thanos was stood in the next room, or a member of the Black Order was interrogating whoever the Avengers were looking for. 

Locusta shook her head rapidly, trying in vain to erase the memories of that night. Her hands flared up in spasms, the shooting pain strong enough to force her to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out.

She focused on moving her hands inch by inch, easing them out of the spasms. Her hands screamed at her to stop, but she knew the only way to combat the pain was to put herself in excruciating agony. 

"You know they're only criminals because you call them that, right sir?" A voice clearly rang down the corridor. Locusta's eyebrows pulled together, her mind racing as to what he could be referring to. Her mind came up with a blank. Perhaps this was about something that only happened in this reality. Maybe the two realities were more different than she'd first anticipated, and if so, they were all royally screwed. 

"My god Rhodes, your talent for horseshit rivals my own." Locusta recognised that accent straight away. The Secretary of State, one of the biggest ass holes she ever had the displeasure to meet. 

The man, presumably Rhodes, angrily snapped back. "Maybe if it wasn't for those Accords Vision would be here." 

Locusta's brows pulled even further together. The Accords were rejected if she remembered correctly, and the superheroes carried on the same way they always had - saving people with no thought of their own safety. If the Accords had been signed in this reality, she couldn't even grasp all of the consequences. Clearly it had left a scar over the superhero community. 

"I remember that your signature was on the papers, Colonel." This time, her eyebrows shot up. That, she didn't expect. 

"That's right, and I'm pretty sure I've paid for that."

"You having second thoughts?" 

They had finally reached the end of the corridor. She could take in what was happening - the man who she assumed to be Rhodes, standing with his arms crossed in front of a hologram of the Secretary of State - Ross - with his moustache still as prominent as it had been when he met her. She could still feel the bristles rub against her check. 

"Mr. Secretary," Steve acknowledged. His usual polite demeanour was gone, and with it was replaced a snide remark. She honestly never expected Steve Rogers, the infamous Captain America, to be capable of such a thing. 

Ross's face contorted into one of fury. A vein popped out of his forehead as he stared at Steve, spit visibly flying from his mouth. "You've got some nerve. I'll give you that!"

"You could use some of that right now." Natasha inputted. Locusta revelled in the redness creeping onto Ross's face, a visible sign his anger was soon going to boil over. 

"The world's on fire, and you think all is forgiven?" 

Roger's took a step forward, patriotism radiating off of him, even as he had lost the mantle of Captain America. "I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking for permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight. And if you want to stand in our way... we'll fight you too."

Locusta watched Steve deliver his speech flawlessly, mouth agape. Long gone was Captain America. In his place was a man who lost all hope, and was trying his damned hardest to bring it back. It was noble, but like all noble actions, it was foolish. 

Ross had finally met his boiling point. He spun towards Rhodes, his face twisting as he delivered a command. "Arrest them." 

Rhodes nodded, and in one movement switched off the hologram. Locusta's shoulders rose, and her breathing deepened. This was a man who signed a document discriminating superheroes, he was highly unlikely to disobey a high member of governments command. 

But after all, she wasn't always right. 

Rhodes turned around, fixing his whole attention on the group. His eyes were mainly on Steve, a smile springing onto his face. "It's great to see you, Cap." 

Steve mirrored his action, yet the weariness behind the action was clear. He had fought far too many wars, and Locusta couldn't blame him for getting tired of fighting evil. "You too, Rhodey." 

Rhodey's eyes scoured the rest of the group, skimming over Locusta and then jumping back. His gaze darted to the fresh stitches on her neck, and she swore she could see sympathy dash across his face for a single second. That was forgotten easily, instantly his body froze up, and she could see the distrust lingering behind his eyes. "Who's this?" 

Locusta opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Wanda. "This is Locusta. She's here to help us." 

Still that wariness remained, but he threw his hand forward anyway. Locusta stared at it, hating how her hand twitched towards the gesture. She knew she would never be able to shake someone's hand again, even when she was wearing gloves. She was just too scared. 

Instead, she just nodded at him, mumbling a greeting. He frowned, shaking it off and addressing the rest of the group. Locusta drifted to the side, praying that she could turn invisible. This was why she hated her curse - it made even a greeting impossible. 

"You guys really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple of years." Rhodey noted Steve's beard, Natasha and Wanda's dyed hair, Vision barely able to stand, his weight supported by Wanda at his side, and the lines worn into Sam's face. They surely had been through hell. 

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star."

Locusta let a small smile creep on her face. His humour reminded her of Octavian, and as much as she missed them all, it was nice to feel as if she was near him somehow. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure moving. In a single breath, she'd taken a gun out of Natasha's gun holster and pointed it in the direction of the shadow. The shadow yelped, raising their hands. 

Out of the dark, Bruce Banner stepped into the light. 

"Uh, I think you look great." He gulped, looking at Locusta. "Can you please put that away?" 

Locusta muttered an apology, begrudgingly handing the gun back to a disapproving yet proud Natasha. Her face was flushed, and her heart raced. She couldn't believe that she just pointed a gun at her idol.  

Well, at least she had something in common with teenagers not trapped in a war - she never failed to embarrass herself. 

-

hey guys! i have to say that i actually love this chapter so much, even if very little happens in it. i hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!

i actually don't have much to say this time around - which is probably a massive surprise to you all - and all i really have to say is thank you for reading! finally we're getting a lot closer to the juicy stuff and damn is it about to get good. 

see you guys soon!

-thirdwheelchurchill