The Disgraced Avenger (An Avengers Fanfic) [Completed] #1

A Walk Among the Tombstones *

The realisation only hit me as I was thrown into another vision.

I was walking down the isle, draped in white, in fact, everything was white. Flowers, clothing, the walls... The dress.

It appeared to be my wedding day.

Loki led me down the isle, his trademark smirk upon his lips, yet a sparkle of love hid behind it.

Fear clutched at my hammering chest like a vice. Through the veil, I couldn't see the groom, but desperately wished that I could.

Everyone was present, the Avengers, everyone I had ever known or loved. They all stood, smiling at me.

Finally I made it to the end of the isle, standing across from the man whom I was soon to be wedded to.

The veil was being lifted, it's an illusion! Something cried within me.

Instinctively, I let go before I could see who it was.

...

I was walking through a graveyard, my hands trailing along the tombstones. Crosses and brittle flowers rested, neglected, forgotten like the ones buried here. No one came to remember the dead anymore.

My pace increased as a chill of urgency overcame me. I was running towards something.

I stopped when I began to notice the names on the tombstones.

CLINT BARTON

Friend, Hero, Husband, Father.

Died a Hero.

Will be missed.

The others all told the same story; Natasha, Tony, Steve, Bruce. All died in heroic acts of saving the lives of others, what from, it didn't say.

A hot sticky liquid burned on my fingers, blood.

I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat, wiping it on my midnight dress. Crying out as I realised that did nothing.

"You killed us," the whispers of the ghosts that haunted me rose in synchronisation. "You choked us to death with your bare hands and cried in glee as our blood watered the foundations of an era of chaos. You fought against what we stood to protect. You're a murderer, just like your father."

"No!" I cried out, spinning to the source of the voices.

"You're a monster," they whispered, "you killed your friends. Your family,"

"No! I-I wouldn't do that," I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"You've killed thousands of innocents, us too, your family, your father, whose next for you to slaughter?"

"I wouldn't do that!" I cried out my words failing. "I will never hurt my family,"

"He will not stop, not until you are in his torturous clutches, not until he burns the life from your friends and family. Not until you are broken in every way possible, he will kill them, slowly, painfully, in every way that you fear and rejoice in your scream of mercy for the condemned souls. Not because they fought against his rule, but because they died by your hand."

I was torn from my vision as Thor entered the room with his warriors, I shrunk against the wall, in pain, my vision blurred, knowing that I wouldn't fall for another vision. I would not attach myself to these people anymore, I would not wake up and cry in defeat when I was aware that the taste of freedom had been snatched from my grasp.

Thor carried me outside, "It's all a dream," I whispered in defeat, "please, just let me go, wake me up, I don't want to live in this world of fakes any longer,"

"Lady Banner," Thor whispered gently, "we are not you enemies, nor visions for the matter, we have come for you and will not let you go,"

"Please don't say that," I cried into his chest, "it makes me want to believe that this is real,"

We passed the Warriors fighting for our escape, a bright light enveloped us but before we teleported away I caught Loki's weak wink.

No need to let go now Becky. He said as we were teleported away.

HULK SMASH!