Wanda tears another robot apart with her scarlet powers as I electrify the ones on my side. More and more are coming towards us. We're standing back-to-back to cover each other, protecting the core together. If the adrenaline didn't run through my veins, I would've fallen down of tiredness ages ago. Panting deeply, I check on her. "Are you tired already?"

"Are you?" She responds and her chest goes up and down, her breath flat.

"I just wish these seventy years under ice would've saved my energy." I comment sarcastically, ripping the killer bot apart with my hands. "Tony, how long do you need?"

"There are like thousands of them here, icy. And I'm trying to calm the big pea down, someone's gotta save Bruce." He groans before his tone turns uncharacteristically serious. "You know, if this works, we maybe don't walk away."

I understand his reference to our plan and only shrug. "Walking is boring. By the way, is everyone on a carrier now? If yes, then- "

"Not everyone." Natasha reports and a hint of concern is in her voice. "I-I can't find Clint. He was supposed to be on carrier two, but now he's gone, doesn't answer on comm either. Eve, I cannot leave the carrier right now, I gotta take care of the injured people."

Trying to remain calm, I press my lips together. "Steve, have you seen him?"

"I'm looking for him right now but without success." He admits disappointedly.

"Pietro?"

"I cannot find him." The speedster informs me and I sigh, trying to think of a plan. Leaving him behind is out of question and Thor and Vision are too busy with Ultron right now while Tony tries to get Bruce back.

"Okay, Steve, you'll get on a lifeboat. Pietro, prepare to pick up Wanda after securing that everyone's on a carrier. I'll look for Clint since I'm the last one who's gonna be on this rock anyway. No protest, we don't have the time for this, understood?" I command and both agree unwillingly and reluctantly. "Tony, call me when you need me back in the church."

"Will do, just hurry." He suggests and I check one last time on Wanda before leaving her alone. She does well on her own though, which is why I'm less worried about her. I start running out of the church and look through the now empty and damaged streets, panic slowly settling in when there is no sign of life. Where are you, Clint?

"Clint? Clint!!" Shouting his name, I continue running through the streets and alleys to find him but without success. The hope starts shrinking against my will, my mind keeps telling me that there's no time left. "Dammit, Barton, where the hell are you?"

Continuing my search, I run faster and stop in front of the huge building when I hear a quiet and heavy breath in a deep hole. Taking a careful step closer, I finally spot the missing person with an injured and crying child in his arms. "Clint?!"

"The kid's leg is sorta stuck between the fragments, I'm trying to get him out." He explains the situation as he tries to calm down the little boy. "Hey, you're doing great buddy, you'll be with your mother again soon."

"Natasha, I found him, we'll be on a carrier in a few." I let her know, then turn back to him. "Why didn't you answer on comm??"

"Earpiece is broken." He groans and uses one of his arrows to attempt to free the kid. Before I can offer him help, I notice how a huge pillar breaks apart from the building and falls down towards the hole.

"Clint!" I yell alarmed and he notices the fall of the column, not hesitating to protect the child. Without thinking, I catch the column with my hands and use my full strength to prevent the fragment from hitting the two people beneath it. Straining myself, I clench my teeth and every muscle burns with pain. The rough surface bores into the skin of my palms and the weight of the pillar is felt from my hands to my feet.

"Eve..." Clint stares at me with widened eyes and I pant, trying not to lose my strength.

"Hurry!" I rush him and he nods, turning back to the child to free him. Beads of sweat rise on my forehead and I groan, trying to hold the heavy column. If I destroyed it with my electricity, the fragments would have hit Clint and the child and now it could crush them like ants.

Suddenly the sound of a jet and heavy bullets become louder and closer and I turn around, seeing how Ultron flies the jet towards us to fire the military weapon at us. Panic arises in my chest, my hands become sweaty and I glance between the upcoming threat and the archer. "Hurry, Clint! We gotta leave, now! Clint!"

"I can't leave the boy behind!"

"Guys, I need help!" I urge on comm, anxiety running through my voice. I can't attack the jet with electricity if I'm holding the pillar right now. "Help us!"

"I'm coming!" Steve answers but he's not in my sight yet while Ultron gets closer. My eyes are locked with Clint's, we both know that he's not gonna make it in this short time to get the child out and that I'm not gonna let the pillar drop on them. Squinting my eyes, I mentally prepare to get hit by the military ammunition, waiting for my death.

Yet, the sound of the bullets suddenly disappears and an odd silence is left. I slowly open my eyes and watch how the child is now free and in Clint's arms but his eyes are attached to something else behind me, completely in shock. Turning around, my eyes widen at Pietro whose body is marked with several bloody shots.

"You didn't see that coming?" His last words leave his lips somehow clearly and steadily before the last hint of life escapes his eyes, the speedster falls defeated and dead to the ground. My heart stops and the guilt in my chest grows, making it hard for me to breathe.

"No..." I splutter, still paralyzed in shock and Clint gets quickly out of the hole with the child. My strength decreases rapidly and I let the pillar drop, immediately running to Pietro's body and kneeling down. "No, no, no. Pietro, NO!"

Steve arrives and freezes like a statue when he sees Pietro's state, sharing a glance with Clint. I start shaking him in hope he would wake up somehow, even though I know that he's already... Tears spill over and burn into my skin, my hands are trembling, my heart shatters into a million pieces. "Pietro! PIETRO!"

"Eve..." Steve gently grabs me by my arms to pull me up and away from the young Sokovian. "He's dead. We have to accept that he died saving you two like a hero, an Avenger."

"I didn't ask for his life!" I shout and gasp for air, overwhelmed by emotions that strongly burden me. Another name is added to my death list, another one who deserved better than me. More death. More pain. "I didn't want someone to die on my watch, I didn't want someone to lose his life because of me, again! Oh, my god, Wanda... What about Wanda? Now she's- she is..."

A sob interrupts me and I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to suck it up. He was way too young to die, he just found the courage to fight, the good in the world he could fight for. Before Clint or Steve are able to say something, I suddenly get grabbed by Vision as we fly away.

"What are you doing?! Let me go, I need to go back to Pietro, I need to- "

"Mr Stark told me to bring you to the church. We are running out of time." Vision says calmly with sympathy in his voice. "I will save Miss Maximoff, do not worry."

I stare at him, my eyes still red and puffy but the tears run dry. I have to finish this job, otherwise Pietro died for nothing. Landing in the church, Vision leaves with a nod to get Wanda who has disappeared. My mind is still a mess, spinning like crazy from the wave of emotions. I stare at my hands that are covered with blood and I don't know if it comes from the surface of the pillars or Pietro. Ignoring the red liquid adhering to my skin, I only focus on one feeling. Anger.

"Farrell, on my mark." Tony lets me know and my breath becomes quicker as I ignite the electricity in my hands, the sound of the sibilance is satisfying in my ears. "Now!"

With a furious scream, I shoot the blast of the gained power towards the Vibranium core, destroying it into pieces. The floating city explodes into a million fragments, the explosion deafens my hearing as I get thrown away by the pressure. Losing my orientation, I plummet with an incredible speed down, drowning between the fragments. The cold air enters painfully my ears as the oxygen is too thin to breathe properly, I close my eyes, ignoring my aching chest.

"Farrell, where are you??" Tony shouts through the earpiece, concern running through his voice. "Answer, Farrell! Dammit! FRIDAY, locate her now!"

Bucky Barnes, Maria Stark, Howard Stark, Phil Coulson, Pietro Maximoff. All those lives have died in connection with me, their deaths happened because of me or while they tried to protect me. What have I done? Why am I still alive? Steve, Tony, Wanda; they're effected by this, suffered more than they should have.

"Eve!" Tony's yell seems suddenly so close and in the next moment, I feel two metallic arms beneath me, carrying my away from the rain of rocks. The air around me is now a lot quieter, the wind is almost soothing. "Are you crazy?! Why didn't you answer?!"

"Pietro is dead." I blurt out and tears threaten to run down again. "This is my fault, this is all my fault... I- I didn't want to survive this, I shouldn't- "

"Stop saying things like this." He immediately interrupts me, the Iron Man mask looks into my direction. I can only imagine his sympathetic expression behind the glowing eyes of the mask. "Honor him by living your life. Don't waste his death."

Tiredly closing my eyes, I only whisper something before I fall asleep after a long day, the strength to stay awake decease. "I don't know if I can do this any longer..."

***

It's been a week now since the incident of Sokovia and one of the new recruits, Wanda, has moved into the Avengers Tower. She first was reluctant about that but since she didn't have another place to stay at, she didn't have many options left. Seeing her next to Pietro's body on the helicarrier was completely shattering, Wanda had looked so lost and was filled with sorrow and pain. This picture branded me, reminding me of my guilt.

"It was a great honor to fight by your side, your majesty." Natasha says goodbye to T'Challa, playing her role as a diplomat while I only stay quietly next to her.

"It was an extraordinary experience, Miss Romanoff. I do hope that you are not going to mention the Black Panther's real identity."

"Your secret is safe with us." She assures him with a polite smile. "I wish you a safe flight."

"Thank you." His glance lands on me before he enters the jet. "And my condolences for the loss."

"Thanks." I manage to send him a tired smile. "King T'Challa, may I ask you a question?"

He stops, the female guards stand still. "You may."

"When we left Wakanda, you were the only one who knew the way out. This makes me question where Wakanda actually is, the real Wakanda. We haven't seen it either, only a part of your palace and the public area of the country."

"This is part of another story, I'm afraid, Miss Farrell." He just chuckles in amusement and then enters the jet to fly off. Natasha leaves the airfield of the Avengers Tower while I walk over to Thor, Steve and Tony.

"And you really wanna leave?" I ask the demigod, hiding my dolor behind a teasing tone. "Who's gonna be my partner on missions then?"

"Oh, I'm going to miss you too, Lady Mjölnir." Thor smirks and pulls me into a bone crashing hug, basically suffocating me for a moment but I only half laugh. "I have no choice. The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..."

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony guesses sarcastically as Thor lets go of me.

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asks and I'm not sure if I want to know the answer to the future. We have enough problems here already but a trip to space would probably kill us all.

"I do. Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained." With these words, Thor summons the colorful beam and returns to Asgard, leaving a burned circle on the ground.

"Well, I'll send him the bill for ruining my airfield." Tony shrugs cynically, glancing critically at the huge circle.

"I think you'll be too busy with taking care of the new recruits." Steve reminds him of the new Avengers in our team. Not only Wanda has joined us, also Sam, Vision and Rhodey; the last one only partly though because of his job at the army.

"This is your task, not mine." He corrects him and looks at me. "We have a different task."

I only nod confirming. "Time to find Bucky."

A/N- It's time to get closer to the last part of the story and a final reunion! I hope you guys are as excited as I am :)