𝗀 𝗁 𝗈 𝗌 𝗍 | | 𝗌 𝗍 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗋 𝗈 𝗀 𝖾 𝗋 𝗌

𝗌 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗇 𝗍 𝗒 － 𝖿 𝗂 𝗏 𝖾

✧ 𝟤𝟢𝟣𝟫, 𝗎𝗉𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗋𝗄 ＆ 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗅𝗒𝗇, 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗋𝗄 ✧

𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗉

MARTA DIDN'T KNOW HOW IT had already been a year since half the universe was killed. It felt like five minutes and five years at the same time. Life was different, and Marta was different, too. Through the twelve months since everything happened, the team split apart, probably for good. It broke Marta's heart, but everyone had to do what was right for them.

        Tony left first. He moved away with Pepper, they got married, and they had a baby girl. Marta was happy for them. She talked to Pepper every couple weeks, went to see Tony every once in a while. He had saved her. She was broken, and he fixed her. She wouldn't let him disappear on her. Carol, Rocket and Nebula went back to space. Bruce left not long after. He was working on his relationship with Hulk, and it took up most of his time. He came back to the compound, but it was never for long. Thor, utterly broken and depressed, went to New Asgard, where what remained of his people lived.

        Rhodey was still working for the government, so he wasn't around much. He wanted to be, and he came back often, but his work was unpredictable. Ross was unpredictable. He wanted Marta to continue her flight missions, so she did. Flying took her mind off of everything. Clint was alive, Natasha had confirmed that, but his wife and three children had died. So he left, becoming a vigilante, which broke Natasha's heart. Natasha tried to track him, even had Rhodey and Marta work on finding him.

        It was just Marta, Steve and Natasha in the compound. They functioned as best as they could. They were the only family they had left. Marta learned of Yelena, Natasha's sister, who had died in the blip, what everyone was calling Thanos's murder. The world was quiet, in a seemingly permanent state of grief and mourning.

Steve worried about Marta. Her alcoholism reached new heights, and she was drinking before she even got out of bed most mornings. He tried to get her to slow down, but Marta could barely get through the day without alcohol. All she had wanted was peace, and now she would never get it. The war was over, but her own war was just beginning.

The holidays were tough. The team that remained didn't have family to celebrate with. They didn't have anything to celebrate. So every holiday passed by darkly, with some friends coming back to the compound, others staying away. Marta and Steve pondered moving out of the compound. They talked about going back to Brooklyn, leaving that part of their lives behind them. But they couldn't convince themselves to do it. Brooklyn wasn't home without Bucky, and Natasha needed family, too. They were all they had.

Marta had a routine, it was the only thing that kept her functioning. Every day, no matter what, she went for a run. Steve always woke up earlier than her, and he ran too, coming back to bed to hold her for a little while longer before she got up. They both needed it desperately, to empty their minds, and think about nothing. Natasha admired their commitment.

Every other day, Marta saw patients. The people that were still alive needed physical therapy, so she did that to keep herself busy. She didn't talk much anymore, and her patients didn't either. There wasn't really anything to talk about anymore. That first year was really rough. When she didn't have patients, she flew short missions, and Steve was glad she was doing it, knowing she needed something constant in her life.

Every Sunday, Marta and Steve went to church. They kept their heads low so they wouldn't be recognized. Marta knew she needed to go, and Steve would go with her anywhere. It was good for him, too. Churches held fond memories for Steve. Many conversations between him and Bucky centered around Marta happened in Brooklyn church pews while Marta sat in an annoyed silence, a punishment for talking too much. The conversations between the two was always Steve talking about how much he liked Marta, and Bucky warning him to back off his little sister, while also encouraging him.