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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧

EXACT LOCATION: UNKNOWN

Austria

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It was only the next day that Allie had found herself preparing for that very much anticipated mission to none other than Mikael Baumman's HYDRA stronghold.

The entire previous night was spent arguing with Bucky. The two had paced an endless path inside their apartment, bickering over the mission. Bucky, cemented in the belief that something back would happen to Allie, vehemently contended that she should say no and go back to Bucharest with him. But she couldn't fathom why he was so captivated with fear, reassuring him a thousand times and more that she would be just fine.

But Bucky knew what was going to happen.

He saw the hurricane of wrath that was wreaking havoc inside her mind. He could almost feel the wind that shredded all her thoughts of caution. The claps of thunder that echoed from her mouth, firm in their obstinance.

He saw the starved malevolent monster that threatened to be released from its chains if this mission went south. All the fury, the rage, the despair that she had fought so hard to contain since her previous outburst. That only with the help of her endless motley of medication, curtesy of Tony, softened the malicious claws of the beast that tore up inside her.

But Allie, she was blind to the storm that loomed over her head, hiding under her umbrella of ignorance, sheltering her from the downpour that was to come.

She had argued and argued that she should go on the mission, that this was her one chance to finally make Mikael pay for everything that he had done to her. And as much as he wanted to forcibly restrain her from going on the mission, he knew he couldn't deny her that opportunity. Even though he knew with every fiber of his being that it didn't feel right, he let her go. She was an adult and her own person, so she could make her own decisions. And he would always be there to pick up the pieces if it went wrong.

So the next morning Allie had packed her stuff and got ready to leave, much to Bucky's dismay (and her own considering it was only 2 o'clock). She had put on the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform that was gifted to her the previous day, frowning at the rather uncomfortable black catsuit and strapping her various weapons onto her belt and thighs.

But all she could think about was today was going to be the day she finally would make Mikael pay. Her opportunity to bring him to justice, to get some form of revenge for everything he had made her do in her past.

And that thought consumed her.

Even when she was parting with Bucky, it never left her mind. Despite the fact she was supposed to be saying goodbye to her love, enveloping him in a hug that could very well be their last, kissing him so forcefully that it felt like a sin, it still lingered in her conscience.

But she forced herself to play the part that Steve needed her to play, the impassive soldier that he knew back in the '40s. The fearsome warrior who commanded respect and fought with unmatched strength. Trying not to let the thought of vengeance turn her into the monster that had lingered in her past.

So she had said goodbye to Bucky, leaving him behind in their tiny apartment in Vienna and promising to meet him back at their home in Bucharest. Vowing to him that she would be careful.

And with that, she had left, getting into the S.H.I.E.L.D car that was parked out the front of the motel and driving off. Thankfully only having to endure a short drive to some off the record S.H.I.E.L.D airstrip in the middle of nowhere.

She sat in the back of the car, watching in silence as they pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the unfamiliar Austrian roads. Her thoughts dissolved into nothingness, hands anxiously fiddling at the seams of the S.H.I.E.L.D uniform she was wearing, almost as she was picking at the mask she wore, a second skin that felt as foreign as the smile she wore on her face. A smile that only felt natural around Bucky.

She peered out of the window curiously, the swirling darkness of the early morning lulling her into a false sense of serenity. The inky void hiding the shadows that would soon be firing at her, suspending them all in a thick grey darkness that would only do Melaina some good.

But Allie, she was used to the Austrian darkness and the freezing cold weather it too featured. For it had been her second home, the place that she grew up in all those years ago back at HYDRA.

"Ms. Williams, we are here." The driver finally announced, forcefully breaking Allie from her thoughts. Hazily, she nodded at the man, still wallowing in the weariness from the previous night's lack of sleep.

She pushed open the door to the car, exposing herself to the harsh wind that whipped against her face, blinding her momentarily. The chilling frost seeped under her smooth skin and pierced the sensitive nerves beneath. A jarring reminder that maybe she wasn't as used to the cold as she had believed she had been.

"If you would please follow me." The driver called, barely visible under the meager light of the moon.

She followed after him, approaching the airstrip that seemed to be buzzing with activity. Watching as two massive fighter planes were loaded with tanks and other modern warfare that she wasn't accustomed to. S.H.I.E.L.D soldiers creeping around the space like ants, each doing their own job in near silence, only visible under the soft moonbeams that shone down on them like a halo of light.

The driver led her towards one of the smaller planes that was already stationed on the runway.

"Mr. Rogers and Miss Melaina will join you shortly." He informed, gesturing for her to board the plane.

With another curt nod and a mumbled thank you, she left the soldier and walked up the stairs to the plane. Immediately she was left gaping at the sight before her, marveling at how military planes had advanced since the war. No more were they just tin walls and flooring with uncomfortable chairs lining the walls. Instead, they exuded pure extravagance, having proper flooring and seats that actually seemed somewhat sufficient to sit in for an extended flight. Things that would take a lot of getting used to for Allie.

She wordlessly took a seat in one of the chairs, reminiscing in the last time she had taken a plane before a mission. She had been sitting alongside the Howling Commando, resting her head on Bucky's shoulder as they all bantered and laughed. She had remembered Steve's speech, Dum Dum's infamous jokes, Morita's attitude, Falsworth's red beret, Jones' hatred of her. The comradery, the friendship that they shared, all gone.

And oh how she wished times hadn't changed.

At the sound of footsteps echoing outside the plane, Allie whipped her head around and spotted the familiar boyish smile that hung from Steve's lips, lighting up the room. He waltzed into the cabin, donning his newer Captain America suit and his iconic star-emblazoned shield hanging over his back.

And behind him stood Melaina, decked out in all her ethereal glory. Her dark onyx hair was once again pulled up in beautiful braids, and her lips were plastered into a genuine smile. She too was wearing her tactical gear, except for her it consisted of a pure white tunic and an obsidian breastplate, which Allie assumed was an ode to her heritage. An ebony helmet hung from her hips as she clutched a long, dark spear in her hand, glimmering dauntingly under the bright moonbeams.

"Good morning." She greeted the pair, offering them a warm smile of her own.

"Nice to see you again, Alexandra." Melaina purred, taking a seat opposite of her.

"Morning." Steve nodded, clasping her shoulder gently as he sat down beside her. "Are you sure you are ready for this?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Allie answered, ignoring the humming of irritation that boiled in her blood at his question.

"Good." He replied, a proud smile curling at his lips

"So Alexandra." Melaina trailed off.

"I go by Allie if you like."

"You should be proud of the name Alexandra. It comes from the Greeks." Melaina informed her, an edge of passion to her voice. "Although it is associated with Hera, that conniving little bdelyròs." She cursed, a brief fragment of irritation overcoming her features.

"Is it really?" Allie questioned, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"Yes, it means the 'defender of man'." Melaina smirked. "Although I personally prefer the 'one who comes to save warriors'."

"Sounds about accurate." Allie chuckled.

"That was my perception too." An impish grin broadened across Melaina's cheeks, her emerald eyes shimmering with satire. "Where would Steve be without us women guiding him in the right direction?"

"He would have been a lonely icicle in the Artic." Allie snorted in laughter.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Steve groaned, tossing his gaze over both girls in faux irritation. "And you," he pointed at Allie, "have been hanging around Stark too much."

"You know about that?" She gulped, her cheeks blossoming with heat at the accusation.

"Of course." Steve smiled lightly. "The only thing that Stark can't do is keep his mouth shut, especially when it's something he can brag about."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She muttered, embarrassment consuming her like a tidal wave.

"It's okay, Allie." Steve chuckled softly. "I didn't tell you I had a Greek God for a girlfriend, so I think we are pretty much even."

Allie's lips crawled upwards into a grin as she joined in with his laughter. "Were you ever going to tell me?" She cocked a brow, smirking.

"Of course I was." He reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "I couldn't have my only friend from the 40's not meet my very much older girlfriend."

Allie returned his infectious smile, trying to ignore the swell of happiness that flowed through her at his words. Neglecting the warmth that burst inside her ribs, the reminder that she did in fact have friends.

"So how does that work? The whole age thing?" She turned her gaze over to Melaina questioningly.

"I am immortal and as such, I can never die. My body does not age as humans do. Instead, I can choose which age I want to present myself as. And the easiest demographic to pass as normal in is the mid 20's." She informed her.

Allie gazed at Melaina sheepishly, confusion swamping her features. "I have so many questions to ask." She admitted.

Melaina chuckled, obviously quite used to the statement. "Well, it's not as if we are short on time."

"So what are you the God of?" Allie blurted, her voice swelling with curiosity.

"I am the Goddess of darkness. So when darkness is cast across the world, when the sun begins to set, that's me. That's what I control." Melaina declared, her celestial features shining under the soft moonlight. "Every shadow, every crevasse, every abyss, everywhere where there is the absence of light, that is me."

Allie, who had for her entire life been shielded away from so much of the world, felt her jaw drop at Melaina's explanation. Finding her words completely inconceivable, well beyond anything that she had thought was possible. She had originally struggled to even comprehend how a mobile phone worked (an object that she still quite significantly grappled with), and the mere thought of a God seemed improbable.

"That's crazy." She muttered, her dark eyes ablaze with awe.

"Quite." Melaina chuckled, an impish smile pulling at her lips.

Holding her hand out in front of Allie, a black flame began to ignite in her palm. It danced along her olive skin, pure murdered light, completely obsidian in color. A single blazing shadow flickering in her hand. It wasn't flashing with molten light or sizzling with heat like every other fire that Allie had seen. Instead, it emitted pure darkness, curling around her fingers oozing frozen carnage.

"Darkness ebbs at my fingertips, the purest form of chaos." Melaina continued, watching as Allie gazed at the blaze in silent reverence.

"Wow." She mumbled before the flame flickered out of existence, disappearing at Melaina's very will. "And your family? The rest of the Gods?" Allie asked excitedly.

"Now that is a long story, darling." Melaina chuckled before she began to divulge in the history of the galaxy, spanning from many eons ago with the very first beings, the Gods.

. ☾ .

It had started with but an ember, a small flicker of a flame growing in her abdomen. It curled inside her, slowly but surely constricting around her organs. Barely causing any distress or unfamiliar aches, but enough for her to sense it, to sense the palpable worry flooding through her mind. A sickening dread burning beneath her skin, a preemptive warning of what was to come.

But she had pushed it down, stifling it because they weren't in any danger. After all, she and Steve were just hiding behind some trees outside the base, there couldn't be anything wrong.

"How much longer are we going to wait for?" Allie grumbled swatting the bugs that wouldn't seem to leave her alone with fervent annoyance.

"Only until Melaina gets to the fence line." Steve answered, twiddling with the commlink that resided in his ear.

After their short flight to the heavily fortified HYDRA base somewhere in the Austrian ranges, the group had split up. Allie and Steve had left the rendevous point, making the very tiring hike up the side of the mountain and into the tree-sheltered west end of the building. Melaina and her team had headed to the east and were going to initiate the fight, drawing the HYDRA forces away from Steve and Allie.

But the plan seemed to be taking longer than previously thought, with Allie currently trying not to enact the innocent mass murder of all those bloody bugs that crawled along the exposed skin of her body, irritating her beyond belief.

"And how long will that be?" She groaned, swatting another pesky bug away from her face.

Steve shrugged at her, rolling his eyes lightly at her impatience. "Give her some time."

Allie mumbled some profanities beneath her breath as she continued to swipe at the bugs, noticing Steve's slight scowl at her inappropriate use of language.

"What?" She hissed.

But before Steve had the opportunity to tell her off, a thick blanket of darkness flashed in the sky. A pure black blaze razed the early morn, obscuring the sparkling stars that poured from the heavens beneath its dark shroud. It resembled a plume of ash erupting from a ferocious volcano, unfurling in the sky like a gargantuan cloud, a sea of coal shadows. A formless silhouette of virulent gas bleeding the sky of every ounce of light.

A veil of darkness that came from the other side of the base, Melaina's side.

Allie sat agape for a moment, equal parts in awe and fearful of the power that Melaina possessed. Once again left dumbfounded by the realization that she was no ordinary being, someone who did not belong to this world. Someone who's power far surpassed that of even Allie's own, a thought that she hadn't often considered.

She didn't even want to know what was happening on the other side, what type of carnage Melaina was inflicting on the unfortunate soldiers who crossed her path.

"I'm sorry, would you like to see if you could do it any quicker?" Melaina's voice spoke through Allie's own earpiece, dripping with facetiousness as audible screams of pain hummed in the background.

"Remind me not to doubt you again." Allie answered, shaking her head as she turned to Steve expectantly.

The two exchanged a curt nod before they took off through the forest, boots barely kissing the ground as they sprinted. The pair of them lept over large rocks, crunching twigs beneath their feet, avoiding large tree stumps that obscured their path, letting the world around them fade into a singular blur as they flew through the woods.

They didn't stop running until the reached the west gate, which was hastily being abandoned by guards who made their own way over to the other front. Leaving only a small force of 8 men behind.

"You take the left 4 and I'll take the other 4." Steve ordered, retreating back into his old military habits.

"Just like old times." She spoke, a small grin to curling on her lips.

"Just like old times." Steve reassured, matching her smile.

And the two split, Allie quickly heading over to her 4 men with a sinister smile on her lips. She had immediately noticed that their HYDRA uniform was the same all-black ensemble with the mythical hydra insignia in blood red on the breast. But it missed one key feature, the ebony helmet that protected them from Allie's tricks.

Her eyes flickered their incandescent silver, pools of heavenly skies and stormy clouds, a color that despite its beauty, always heralded pain. She felt the cadenced pulses of their brains, an encoded rhythm that accounted for every single thought, feeling, or action they made. Their entire minds were held between her fingers, under her complete control, able to be manipulated at her very desire.

So she silenced them.

Their bodies crumpled to the floor with a resounding thud, falling like a group of dominos. She hadn't killed the men, their hearts still beating within their chests and brains emitting electrical pulses. No, she had only rendered them unconscious, falling into a deep sleep that would keep them out for at least a few hours.

She turned to Steve right as he began finishing off his last two soldiers, both in typical Steve fashion. With but a single punch, he rendered one soldier unconscious, fist cracking across the man's face with deadly force. More than likely leaving him with fewer brain cells than he previously owned.

And then Steve turned, slamming his iconic red, blue and white shield into the face of the other soldier. A thunderous boom erupted in the air, akin to an earsplitting wave of thunder rumbling on a silent winter night. Once again, the soldier collapsed to the floor, joining his other 7 comrades in a comatose state.

"Slowing down, old man?" Allie joked, a sardonic smile pulling at her rosy lips as she waltzed over to him.

"You're one to talk." Steve scoffed, wiping at the small beads of sweat that gleamed on his forehead.

"The entrance to the base is up there, just past the security checkpoint." Steve continued, pointing up to the small white box-like structure that controlled the neighboring boom gate. The pair could see that the area was being guarded by more soldiers, who had yet to notice their approach.

"Seems easy enough." She nodded, pushing the fallen tendrils of chocolate hair back from her face.

"Can you uh— do that thing with your mind again." Steve bobbed his head sheepishly, gesturing towards the soldiers that stood at the top of the hill.

"You don't even have to ask." She exhaled, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

With a soft sigh, she let her eyes shift to their usual shade of silver as she focused on the soldiers' brain waves. She felt 3 more soldiers, all hiding up past the summit of the hill. And within the bat of an eye, she returned their minds into a deep sleep, no longer threats to the duo.

"We're good." She nodded to Steve who gaped at her in astonishment.

"Wow."

She chuckled at his response before she took off down the path, leaving a slightly stunned Steve in her wake. But of course, within seconds he was at her heels, chasing after her like a lion hunting its prey. They bounded towards the top of the hill, passing the now unconscious guards who laid on the ground at the checkpoint.

The muscles of her legs burned with a familiar pain, one that she hadn't felt for quite some time. But she kept going, running across the damp grass that tickled at her exposed ankles.

The two approached the military base, a labyrinth featuring slate grey walls and hallways that were bound to be identical down to the very drop of cement that made the floor. It was an eery looking place, much like every other HYDRA building that Allie had ever called home, completely devoid of any form of warmth.

Together, the pair raced over to the large steel doors, hastily ripping it open and darting down the haunted hallways.

Two guards whipped around at the noise, aiming their heavy machine guns towards the duo in surprise. But before they had the chance to fire their mechanized weapons, Steve flung his shield, letting it collide with the men with unparalleled force. The two men fell to the floor, their guns clattering as they hit the ground.

Steve caught the shield as it rebounded off the metal wall and quickly went to knocking them both out while Allie continued down the hallway, trying to find where Mikael could be hiding.

The hallway seemed to extend forever, its coal walls blurring together into an elongated piece of film playing on a loop. She kept running, one foot after another, eyes peeled for any sign of danger. For any sign of him.

But regretfully, all her eyes were blessed with was another squad of HYDRA guards heading her way, guns raised and ready to fire.

Within the bat of an eye, Allie fell to her knees, sliding out of the way of the bullets that hurtled through the air, aiming to pierce through her ivory skin. Barely missing the bullets, she jumped back up to her feet, jerking one of the soldiers' guns out of the way and slamming her elbow into his ribs.

She yanked the shotgun from his hands and slammed it over one of the other guard's head, relief overcoming her like a tidal wave as his body crumpled to the floor with an audible thud.

Catching the other soldier off guard, she threw the shotgun back at him. Distracting him as she lifted her leg and slammed it in his face, streams of crimson immediately falling from his nose.

Sensing someone behind her, she whipped around with surprising speed, dropping to the ground and kicking her leg out underneath the other man's. His body landed on the floor with a resounding thud and she quickly sent a powerful punch into his face, knocking him out instantly.

Whether she would admit it or not, she had missed this. The diseased feeling of pleasure that ran through her veins as she fought someone, the warrior she was forced to become. She had missed the gasoline of fiery fury that hit as effectively as adrenalin when she brawled. The electrifying rush in her bloodstream when she heard that distinctive crunch of ivory bones shattering under her mighty punches. The howls of agony, ugly and terrifying, and the stinging of pain that simmered in her hands. She missed it.

And who better to take it out on then the scum who had locked her up here in the first place.

Turning back towards the last soldier, his face still dripping with ruby blood, she rushed over to him with terrifying speed. Grabbing his arm in a vice of iron, clamping down as her eyes flashed silver threateningly.

"Where is Baumman?" She growled, her steel voice engulfed in anger, the emotion churning inside her like a vortex. Stoking at that small flame that burned inside her.

"I—I don't know." His words hung in the air, barely a decibel above a whisper, and yet it seemed as if he had screamed the statement, bouncing off the dark walls until she was deafened by the sound.

"Where the hell is Mikael?" She growled, her voice a sharp as a blade as a hot slash of anger tore through her veins.

"I told you I don't know." He croaked, the red liquid coating his lips like a sickening Picasso painting.

"You are going to have to do a lot better than I don't know if you don't want to lose your sanity." Allie snarled, her lips curling up into a satanic grin.

Within a second of her words, the soldier felt a searing pain ebb at his skin. A torrent of fire, sending his nerves into a frenzy. A writhing pain, a paroxysm of agony that left him heaving in despair. Paralyzed by the all-consuming torture, guttural screams tearing past his lips that fueled at that deplorable flame inside Allie that felt no remorse, watching in morbid satisfaction.

But Steve had heard the screams, shock tearing at his insides as he saw her change before his very eyes.

"Allie!" Steve yelled as he stalked towards her, his voice engulfed in a tongue that was foreign to her.

"Where is Mikael!" She screamed, slamming the soldier against the wall again, hands curling into his uniform with tensed knuckles.

"Allie you need to stop!" Steve ordered, putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to pry her away from the man.

At the touch of Steve's hands, she let the illusion fall, her eyes returning back to their usual amber color. She felt a twinge of remorse in her gut, but it was easily overpowered by the remnant feeling of rage that swirled like an angry tornado, sweeping up all her resolve and discarding it with haste.

"Where is he?" She growled, an edge of finality in her voice as the man slumped against the wall.

"The command room." He coughed, the red liquid dripping from his mouth like a dog leaked saliva. "That way."

Ignoring Steve's firm look of disapproval, Allie took off in that direction. Her legs pumping as she ran as hard as she could, wanting to catch Mikael before he had a chance to escape. She tuned out Steve's shouts of protest as all she could hear was the deafening thumping of her heart in her chest.

Because this was her chance. Her one chance to catch Mikael, to make him pay for everything he ever did to her.

She didn't even bother fighting the soldiers she came across, instantly rendering them unconscious with her mind, not wanting to waste a second of her time. Not wanting to lose her chance.

Eventually the command room came into sight, relief sweeping through Allie like a tsunami as her eyes finally caught sight of the door that led to the one prize she coveted for. The one thing she had wished would come of her procession, Mikael's incarceration.

She pushed her legs even harder, nearly slamming into the door that was thankfully left unlocked. She flung it open recklessly, bounding into the room with little precaution, too enticed by the notion that she would finally bring Mikael to justice.

But what Allie saw, or failed to see, rendered her desire into smithereens.

The room was empty, barely illuminated by the light of the TV that hung on the wall, showcasing various different cameras across the base. She saw Melaina and her squadron fighting, easily beating their opponents. Trailing her gaze across the room, it was left empty, nothing to indicate that Mikael had even been here in the first place. Nothing that could have told her where he had gone. There was nothing.

It had all been for nothing.

A scowl mutilated across her face, her fists clenching by her sides as anger coiled in her veins. An incendiary storm of rage brewing beneath her skin, billowing from her body like smoke.

Wordlessly she stalked over to the TV, eyes flittering across the screens to see if she could try pinpoint Mikael's location. But he was long gone, slipping from between her fingers like sand.

She slammed her fists against the bench in a fit of fury, a string of curses falling from her lips like a melody. But then she had noticed a small flash of white from the corner of her vision. Frowning, Allie walked over to the small piece of paper, folded over and placed in the dead center of the table, almost taunting her.

She quickly picked up the parchment, flipping it over in her fingers and reading the all too familiar scrawl of ink that bled on its white surface.

Just you wait, my love.

Her lips fell agape at the note, the words echoing in her head like a maniac heard voices. A symphony of cries unleashing in her mind, all of his voice, calling out to her. Tearing her apart, the words taunting her, its gaping teeth tearing into the small shred of hope she had left, leering over her with a cruel smile as if to say you lost, again.

Time seemed to freeze into ash she gawked down at the small piece of parchment in her hand, her warm breath expelling into a bleak, black void. Blood red ash spewing into her lungs, suffocating her until the foul substance leached her of all air.

A serpentine feeling of fury writhed in her veins, burning in her blood and consuming her entire being. Her heart rampaging inside her rips like a jackhammer, alight with violence. It crackled in the pit of her abdomen, chipping away at the tatters of her resolve that she was struggling to maintain.

He had escaped.

"No..." She muttered, ripping the paper into two. "No, no, no."

The white shreds of parchment fell from her fingers, falling to the ground like an angel fell from heaven, burning in a flame of rage. Her lips quaking with wretched fury, the single tether that had held her apart snapping after struggling to hold her together for so long.

"No!" She roared, hands wounding into her chocolate hair desperately. "He's gone. HE'S GONE!"

"Allie." Steve interrupted her, his voice aching with concern. She immediately twisted towards him, eyes ablaze in pure anger. He walked into the middle of the room, face pulled into a mournful frown.

"We let him go!" She growled. "The plan failed, Steve. It failed."

Steve had never seen her like this, stalking across the room like a feral animal. Eyes set on him so venomously, her words dipped in pure poison, her entire being consumed by raw fury. Her muscles tensed and ready to strike. To strike at him.

"We will get him next time." He reassured, trying to quell the feeling of disappointment that made its home in the pit of his stomach.

"There shouldn't have to be a next time! He should be in custody, rotting for what he did." She wanted to scream, burning her lips with contempt.

"Don't you think I know that, Al." He told her, voice deflated of all fight.

"No you don't! You don't have the slightest clue what that man did. What he did to me." Allie snapped. Rage rattled in her ivory bones, chewing at her marrow and robbing her of her composure. Allowing her to scream at the one person who had her back without fear of its consequence.

"He's the reason I am like this." She continued, eyes alight in their silvery blaze. "He's the reason that I became this monster. I became Trickery because of him."

When Steve looked in Allie's eyes, they were no longer the soft pools of chocolate that he was accustom to. Instead, they seemed to be silver voids of nothingness, swirling with a rage that he had never known.

She no longer resembled the Alie that he knew, the Allie who felt bad for interrupting Steve or chuckled at all of his lame jokes out of pity. No, that Allie had disappeared momentarily, replaced by a devilish creature that seemed to suck all of the goodness from her and leave behind the ashes of her past. Leaving all the resentment and wrath that she had now aimed towards him.

"I murdered hundreds of people, I slaughtered them, wiped out entire families. I nearly killed my best friends because of him!" Her voice continued to rise as her figure began more and more agitated. "I nearly killed Peggy!"

"W—What?"

"You don't know the things I did." She spoke darkly, almost manically. "You don't know why there shouldn't have been a next time."

"Yes, I do."

And that small flame she had felt only mere minutes ago, it had become a wildfire, erupting into something so deadly and much too far out of her control. Tendrils of smoke flowing from the fire that was growing bigger, stronger, and hotter with each passing second, leeching from the rage and despair that pooled inside her. And it consumed her, conquering every last fragment of composure she possessed. An untameable, self-destructive blaze that left only ash in its wake.

"No you don't!"

And then the wildfire raged around Allie, released from its confines inside her mind.

The flames roared inside her, snarling and ravaging anything within its grasp. Turning her blood into pure acid, incessant sirens screaming in her ears, her vision reduced to pure waves of scarlet that scorched everything she laid her eyes on.

The blaze billowed around her, engulfing anything it could lay waste to. Burning with a passion that Allie had let go unextinguished, that she had stoked herself. So potent that it felt as if the ground beneath her feet was cracking at her rage.

And the only thing that managed to break through the haze of her rage-induced eruption was the sound of Steve's screams.

Unknowingly, Allie had also taken her anger out on Steve, sending an onslaught of pain through his own body. An agony that consumed his senses and left him screaming from its sheer ferocity.

Immediately she dropped the illusion, her lips parting in shock as her pupils were blown wide in fear. Her anger swiftly shriveled, replaced by a wave of frozen guilt. Watching as Steve's cries finally halted and he began heaving in oxygen.

She was paralyzed with a conflation of shame, so strong it clawed at her throat like a parasite begging for oxygen. Her lungs breathed in pure sorrow, misery writhing in her stomach, coiling inside her body. Crippling with disappointment.

Disgust congealed inside her mind, only this time it was aimed at herself. The flickering image of herself hurting Steve, her only best friend, playing on repeat as if to torment herself further.

"I—I..." She gulped as a part of her died. "I'm sorry Steve."

She slowly backed away from him, hands curling around the edge of the bench as if to stabilize her both mentally and physically, shuddering at her deplorable actions.

"Fuck." She mumbled, hands weaving into her hair and pulling at it tensely, eyes bulging with horror. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Allie." He called after her, pushing himself back up to his feet.

"No!" She shrieked. "Don't come near me."

"Allie, c'mon." He mumbled, wincing at the remnant shudder of pain that ran through his body. "You didn't mean it."

"Exactly." She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

A sudden screech ripped through the air, silencing both Allie and Steve who turned towards the noise, bodies dripping in nervous tension. Melaina, in all her celestial glory, waltzed in the room, her obsidian spear splattered with ruby blood and face painted with specks of dirt.

"What in Tartarus is going on?" She spoke, voice rendering the ground beneath their feet quaking in response to her authority.

"I–I need to go." Allie murmured, walking past Steve with her blurry gaze trained at the floor.

She shuffled past Steve without any protest but Melaina did not share his sentiment. Her cold fingers wrapped ahold of her forearm, forcing Allie's hollow eyes to meet her own jade ones. Catching the silent cries that she did not let fall past her lips.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently, eyes softening at Allie's haunted look.

But all Allie could respond back with was hostility. She jerked her arm away from Melaina, her mind still violently torn between fury and guilt, the two emotions battling it out within her mind with little she could do to stop it.

"Mikael is gone." Steve answered for her, instantly leaving her flinching from his words.

Melaina turned her gaze back to Allie, sympathy sprawling between the emerald forest of her own orbs.

"There are few places where mortals can escape the Gods' eyes. So I will call on my brethren for their aid." Melaina offered, her voice flowing with tenderness, afraid of breaking her even further. "Allie, I swear on the River Styx that I will not rest until Mikael is apprehended."

And with a shaky breath she left the room, trying not to fall as it felt like the entire world was collapsing beneath her feet.

. ☾ .

Hey everyone!

Yeah sorry about that, this chapter was depressing as hell. But it does set the next few chapters up which I am sure you will thank me for once you read them!

I am also writing this chapter even though I have 2 exams during the next two days because I felt bad I didn't get the update up on Monday. Oh well, I'll probably fail anyway.

There's also officially 4 chapters of Trickery left oml, what a wild ride it has been! But don't worry, the next chapters are gonna be hectic as hell and feature some more of your (& my) favorite Marvel characters!

Also I will try have my plot shop up soon! I have some pretty bomb plots already written but I want to have a few more typed up before I publish it.

ANYWAY, onto the questions!

1. What did you think of the chapter?

2. What would you like to see next?

3. What are some fandoms/characters you would like to see plots for?

4. Do you like Melaina and what would you like to see in her story?

Until next time!

- Grace x