Intertwine

107 - The Hang Of It

ALINA

"STEVE!" I'd stopped looking at Roara. My eyes were now on the blonde haired soldier, covered in blood and dirt.

I ran to him, throwing my arms around his shoulders. He held me tightly, lifting me off my feet. He smelled like coffee, old leather and bittersweet cinnamon. Like he always did. Like his jacket had that first night he'd leant it to me.

"I couldn't find you." He whispered in my ear, his voice nearly shaking.

"I know." I replied. I didn't want to tell him how frantically I'd looked for him. "I'm here now."

I felt so safe in his arms. I didn't want him to ever let go. I knew he was looking behind me at Roara.

"I can't watch." I told him. "I can't. Tell me what's happening." I could hear shouts and the mutters of the avengers around me, their gasps of hope and grunts of defeat.

"She's attacked. He defended. She's using her powers. He keeps deflecting. She's got a hit in now."

"Good."I sighed and held onto him tighter. "I hope she rips him to shreds."

"He's hit her arm. He keeps moving her backward with portals."

"What an ass! Play far!" I was about to turn when I heard Roara let out a scream, and Loki yelled. She must have been hit somehow. I decided to keep my face buried in Steve's shoulder.

"This isn't about playing fair this about winning Alina." Steve murmured into my ear. 

I finally turned around to chance a look at the battle. Alina was indeed injured but it was Locke who looked as though he might falter at any second. I slipped my hand into Steve's as we watched. 

I could see Thor now, his hands so bandaged with his own cape that I couldn't see his fingers. That was why his hammer had been left. They'd gone for his hands so he couldn't lift it. He'd made his way to Loki, dragging him back into the onlookers, holding him steady so he didn't run into battle.

"Steve I want to go home." I sounded like a child. I just wanted my bed, I wanted peacefulness. I wouldn't find that here.

"So do I. As soon as this is over we'll get an apartment." He promised.

Her fire tornado was stopping him for a while but she couldn't hold him back for long. To my left I saw Bucky having a hard time not going in. Even further to my left Natasha looked like she was going to scream. I was going to have to talk to her when this was all over, but for now, all we could do was stand and watched in agony.

"Tell her to use water." I muttered.

"What?" Steve asked.

Bucky clearly got the message. "ROARA," he called, "BLASTER!"

There was a whooshing sound and I knew she was using the pipes that were underground. I looked around in time to see the cobbles around us explode as blasts of water shot through the ground. There was a small popping sound and she disappeared. I could see her form inside one of the massive gets, her body scrambling around. Her body came flying out, held up by a stream of water as she gasped for air.

"Don't." She growled. "Not fair play."

"No such thing as fair play." Locke replied. "You use what you have at your disposal. I use what I have." He gestured to the small boy beside him. Thomas stayed silent, his eyes glassy.

Roara looked at me, true desperation in her eyes. She'd wanted to do this alone, but we were a family. Her struggles were our struggles. I couldn't stand here hugging my boyfriend the whole time.