❝Just know that from this point on, whatever happens, I'll be with you. I'm not gonna leave your side until you tell me to.❞
. . .in which she helps him find his way back to himself.
[BOOK ONE]
[Highest ranking: #1 in MCU/fanfiction as of 5/26/18]
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★ ★ ★
It was eerily quiet inside the loft. Multiple bodies were scattered throughout the room; some Marlena recognized, while others she did not. She looked around the destroyed room in hopes of finding Bucky, Steve, or any of the Avengers, but to no avail. There were no Hydra agents to be found either, and this confused Marlena. She remembered the explosion; she remembered the vicious sound of gunfire echoing off of the walls; she remembered nearly being shot, only for Bucky to push her out of the way, thus taking the full force of the bullet.
The scene was different now, however. There was no one around for Marlena to see, aside from the bodies that now lay lifeless on the debris-covered floor. As realization began to set in, she began making her way backwards as if to remove herself from the death clad room.
As Marlena backed away, she struck something. She whipped around, her hazel eyes widening in shock and surprise as they landed upon the bruised and battered face of what used to be her best friend—Hallie. Her skin was pale white, her blonde hair was slightly singed, and blood—a much darker red than usual—trailed down the side of her face; Marlena noticed a seemingly large wound atop her head, and she knew then that it was where the blood was originating from. The sight of it made Marlena want to vomit.
"H-Hallie," Marlena's voice trembled.
Hallie held an almost emotionless expression on her face, one that unsettled Marlena. "This is all your fault."
Marlena's mouth fell open in shock and sadness. Hallie was talking about her death, that much Marlena knew. "But, I-I didn't—"
"All I wanted was to protect you," Hallie said, her tone now slightly angry.
"You didn't have to go behind my back to do it, though," Marlena gulped, still slightly frightened by the situation.
"I know what I did was wrong; I accepted it. I tried to make things right—I tried to make things right by you, but you denied me," Hallie almost screamed. "I loved you through everything—I was there with you through everything, but you didn't even care."
Marlena was now trembling with fear and sadness. "I did care, Hallie! I still do," she whimpered, allowing a few tears to escape her eyes.
"It's a little too late for that now, don't you think?" Hallie chuckled dryly, gesturing to her battered body.
Marlena opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't seem to come up with anything to say. Her mind was running a million miles an hour, which was much too fast for her to try and formulate a proper response.
