❝Whatever happens, just know that I never stopped trying.❞
. . .in which she must do whatever she can to protect the world and what's left of the ones she loves.
[BOOK THREE]
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★ ★ ★
Landing in New York had been relatively easy, at least for the men. The motion made Marlena sick, or maybe it was simply just the fact she had never time traveled before, especially not while pregnant. She was absolutely tired of the nausea; she couldn't wait to be done with it.
Marlena placed a hand to her stomach when her quantum suit dematerialized, and she walked to catch up with the men. They were in an alley full of debris. Above them, the Chitauri screeched as they shot through the sky, terrorizing the innocent civilians around them. Their pained screams could be heard, but no one felt them deeper than Marlena. It'd been years since she'd heard the familiar sound of innocent screams laced with absolute terror, and the feeling it enticed within her made her terribly uncomfortable. Marlena remained composed, however, as she stepped forward to meet Steve and Tony. She refused to slow them down.
"Alright, we all have our assignments," Steve told the group. "Two stones uptown and one stone down. Stay low, keep an eye on the clock."
A loud crash could be heard, and Steve turned around, throwing his arm out to keep his teammates away from the danger. They all stopped and looked to see a Chitauri taken down with a car by a very angry Hulk. Marlena could only watch with wide eyes as he continued destroying the car in a manner similar to that of a three-year-old throwing a tantrum. Even Bruce himself was embarrassed by it.
"Maybe smash a few things along the way," Steve told Bruce.
"I think it's gratuitous, but whatever."
Bruce ripped his tank top off and Marlena moved so he could get through. She watched him stroll onto the destroyed streets of Manhattan. Marlena was sure he believed himself to be channeling the spirit of the Hulk as he punched the roof of a car or threw an already-destroyed motorcycle onto the concrete, but it was much the opposite from her perspective.
"C'mon," Steve tore his attention away from Bruce and grabbed Marlena's hand.
Steve led Marlena down the street towards the Avengers Tower. Marlena withdrew her gun from its holster in order to aid Steve were he to need it during their trek to the tower. The Chitauri were relentless and just as aggressive. They were there to kill, and that was only evident in the loud screams that started and stopped in a single second. The atmosphere was filled with anguish, fear, and death. Marlena could feel every last bit of it, and she wasn't sure why or even if it that was supposed to be possible anymore. Either way, she absolutely despised the feeling, and was desperate for a way to turn it off.
"Marlena," Tony's voice sounded through comms.
Marlena shot two Chitauri in the head, while Steve took on one in front of her; they had another block or so to go. "Yeah, Tony?"
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked her worriedly. He had just received an alert from Friday regarding Marlena's well-being. Both Marlena and the baby were absolutely healthy, but mentally, for Marlena, Friday reported her being under moderate emotional distress. Tony wouldn't have been concerned had her levels not continued to rise. "Friday says you're feeling a bit distressed."
