The Girl In Battle (Carol x Valkyrie)

a traitor amongst them.

The others all crowded around them, and Valkyrie pulled Mantis out of the way as all of them came rushing into her room. Shouts and gasps were heard.

  Valkyrie had seen a great deal of horrifying images in her life, but something about Wanda lying there with her chest brutally ripped open rendered Valkyrie useless.

  She could only stay there, on the floor, with Mantis in her arms. Her heart thumped frantically and she tried to calm herself, which was hard with Mantis sobbing and shaking just as hard.

  "I'll take her."

  Valkyrie looked up and saw Gamora standing in front of her. She coaxed Mantis to stand up and passed her into Gamora's arms. Then, taking a deep breath, she entered the room.

  Thor, Strange, Loki, and Nebula were around Wanda's body while Rocket, Groot, and Drax were talking in hushed whispers. Bruce and Scott were nowhere to be seen. Peter was checking the room for any clues of who had murdered Wanda.

  Valkyrie approached Wanda's body and closed her mouth. Her green eyes, despite dead, were full of terror and shock. They stared up at Valkyrie, screaming for help. Valkyrie quickly closed them too.

  "Who did this?" Valkyrie whirled toward Peter. Anger burned her throat. "Have you found anything at all?"

  "Unfortunately, no." Peter shook his head helplessly. "This couldn't be suicide." He pointed to Wanda's pale face. "She wouldn't look that shocked and scared. Plus, she was looking at something. Someone must've killed her."

  "But who?" Thor touched her forehead. "She's dangerous, Wanda. And strong."

  "Someone must've taken her by surprise." Nebula tapped a metal finger against the window beside the bed. "Whoever this is knows how to hide their tracks well. They didn't break open the window, it was locked. They couldn't have possibly used the front door either, we were in the living room. Wanda was sleeping, keep that in mind." She turned her eerie eyes to Valkyrie. "You did tell me there's a back door to your hut."

  Valkyrie nodded. Tears pricked her eyes as she looked at anywhere but the mess of blood and bones that was once Wanda's chest.

  "Is it locked?"

  Valkyrie nodded.

  "Trying to pick at the doorknob might make too much noise and breaking it down wouldn't make anything quieter," Loki said. His gaze was haunted. "Couldn't be Thanos. He wants us all dead. It does make sense he will want to kill off one of the stronger ones, but he wouldn't do it so quietly. I know him," he added quietly.

  "Whoever this is must've done it on the inside, meaning the murderer, the traitor..." Nebula's black gaze scanned the room and its people. "Must be one of you."

-

"It couldn't be Bruce and Scott," Loki whispered to Valkyrie. Night had fallen, and the others were all in the living room, shaken up by Wanda's death. "They were away. Plus, the chest wound looked like someone had sliced it up and torn it open. They didn't have any weapons on them."

  Valkyrie turned to watch Bruce as he quietly bandaged up Wanda as best he could. They would hold her funeral tomorrow, away from the Asgardians. She didn't want them to worry any more than they already were.

  "Whoever this is must be working for Thanos," Valkyrie whispered back. She shot a worried glance at Mantis beside her. Drax, who was sat on her other side, gave her a confused look. The usual curious sparkle in her eyes was gone, but they remained as observant as ever. Her antennas slightly twitched around.

  "Of course they must be working for Thanos." Loki started to pick at his left hand again. "I didn't get to apologise to her," he said quietly after a while.