AN: Dedicated to @im_a_sparkly_unicorn not only for having a cool name, but also voting/commenting. :D Thank you! I love this chapter, purely for the descent. Have fun!

It wasn't until I heard the humming that it became clear. The same, beautiful humming that I heard before.

And it was coming from Steve.

But...also not coming from Steve.

He sat in a chair across from me reading a book. I couldn't read what book. Could barely see the picture on the front. My eyesight wasn't that bad. It couldn't have been. But as I gazed around the room, there were tiny details that were blurred over. Like I was looking through a camera that had a lens smudged by fingerprints. And I noticed less details. As if nothing was ever quite right and I couldn't think of the words. Not like before. Before...

What had changed?

I have been pushed to look at things. Random, mundane things. Like they had called my name and I had looked over, waiting for them to say something. I wouldn't fight it. Didn't even notice it, more than half the time. Especially when someone else was in the room. Hell, I could have sworn my hearing was getting more selective by the day. I could be looking at someone and not hear them speak at all. Then, suddenly, tune in like a radio at a random spot.

Tune...like the humming. Like a vague memory...I know that song. I think I do. I looked at Steve and questioned, "Why are you humming?"

"I'm not."

I already knew that. But why? Why can I hear him hum? "You are. It's the song you sang to me when we danced."

"Lilly, I'm not humming." He finally glanced up at me, his eyes peeking over the book.

Maybe I could try to convince him to reveal something. I can see the cracks. I can see them. I just...I can't figure out what it means. I sat up straight in my chair. "I remember the lyrics. Don't you? I can hear the tune!"

Steve set his book down and a puzzled expression took over his features. "Are you okay?"

No. Don't look at me like I'm crazy. Like I am some injured pup who's lost and confused. Something was happening. Tears formed in my eyes. What was this? Some sort of hellish PTSD? Even then, it wouldn't cloud everything over. It's like I'm losing everything. Losing all of my senses and ability to remain in control. "Are you sure you're okay? You're acting weird. Why are you so happy?"

"I'm just trying to move on."

Short. Simple. To the point. Damn. Maybe... "I wish it were that easy for me. I just get these...flashes. Memories? Sounds that remind me of what happened, like it's happening all over again, but I can't see it," I admitted, my gaze never leaving his.

"Maybe you should talk to Sam. He can help. I've talked to him a few times. Group therapy really...isn't my thing, but it helps."

Wait. What? Caught up in a lie right there. Steve wouldn't lie about that. "We have group therapy with the team. You orchestrate it."

He stopped, puzzled for a few seconds, then quickly reverted back to a stoic expression. "That's different."

He's so...happy. Chill. After I caught him in a lie? How could he not remember our group therapy sessions? They're held at least once a month. "I-" I got up abruptly and said breathlessly, "I need to go visit Thor."

Steve got up as well. "Visit Thor? Lilly, you need to rela-"

I felt a pull on my arm, as if he had surged through the space between them and grabbed onto me as fast as Quicksilver could have. There was nothing there.

I swallowed hard and ran to the fire escape. A heavy weight dropped onto my legs, as if my muscles were incredibly sore. No. I'm fine. I used all of my strength to climb quickly and launch myself onto the roof once I got to the top. Why did he want to stop me? Why was he acting strange? Pain shot through my abdomen, but I ignored it.

"Heimdall, open the bifrost!"

The pain stretched further, curling itself around my intestines and squeezing. I took a sharp breath and cried out again, "Heimdall! Please, hear me!"

I screamed as the pain shattered my guts. I called to someone, anyone that could hear me. But the bifrost never opened. And as I stared up at the sky, hazel eyes wide open as fear coursed through my veins, I whispered a prayer to Thor. He wouldn't hear me. But it was the first thing I thought to do. I needed someone.

The next surge of pain made me throw up onto the roof.

God, I hated throwing up. I dragged myself down the fire escape, slow and steady. My hand clutched the railing, the metal nice and cool against my skin. Everything blurred around me into one giant sound mess. I couldn't focus on anything specific. Almost like those random pictures on the internet where you don't know what you're looking at. Was I having a stroke? No. Maybe? I felt the need to look at Steve.

I forced myself not to. I took a steadying breath as the snake of pain coiled around and around, tightening its grip in my stomach. I couldn't let it get to me.

Steve set down his book and looked up at me. "What happened?"

I grunted. I probably looked like hell. "No one answered."

"Maybe they have a lot to deal with. After their home nearly got decimated from the blast, I wouldn't be surprised if they had to work on the bifrost gate too."

An overwhelming urge to agree with him washed over me. I didn't. I kept walking, taking small, forced footsteps towards my bedroom. I swallowed and clenched my jaw as the snake coiled tighter. It will not take me. I shook my head. "It's been too long. They would have come up with a solution."

"With all of those planets out there, Asgard could be in danger. They could be busy."

A small gasp escaped my throat. Something is wrong. Heat flooded up my back and upwards towards my neck. At least I could still feel something other than pain. But that also meant the nauseous feeling in my stomach started to churn. Bile rose in my throat. I quickly swallowed half a dozen times to force it back down. It took everything in me to not throw up right there. "I need to lie down." Understatement of the century.

"I'm going to pick up dinner. What are you feeling like?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What the hell? I didn't even answer. I shut the door behind me and locked myself in. I leaned my back against the door and rested my head on it. I closed my eyes in an attempt to restabilize myself.

It took a few minutes. Almost like I was meditating and had tuned everything out. Not by choice, of course. I needed answers. Someone had to know something.

Thor was out of the question. Steve was too. Nat wouldn't answer the phone. A few people came to mind. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Peter's number.

The phone didn't even ring.

No dial tone.

Just straight up hung up.

I tried again. And again. And again.

Same thing, over and over. No ringing. No voicemail. Nothing. As if my phone didn't even exist. I remembered his number correctly. Knew it like the back of my hand. If we ever had to go on the run again, he'd have his burner phone. But that number wasn't going through either.

Why?

Come to think of it...when was the last time I even saw Peter?

We were going to go out to lunch. Talk about how his classes are going. There was also this...girl? No. That can't be right. I don't remember him ever excitedly talking about a girl. But...I do vaguely remember him talking about it. I don't remember that goofy smile. That twinkle in his eye. I love watching him get excited about things. Why can't I remember?

I heard a sharp breaking sound. Like glass over a tiled floor. It was right next to me, but nothing had shattered. We had carpet and the windows were just fine. My stomach dropped. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

I tried to take long, deep breaths, but my heart rate kept speeding up. Adrenaline spiked through me. I wasn't running or using too much of my powers. Why? A hot chill crawled up my spine, inch by inch. Before I realized it, I was dialing other numbers.

Tony's.

Logan's.

Wanda's.

Steve's.

None of them answered. Hell, none of them even rang.

I threw the phone against the wall and sat down on the bed. That was impossible. Those numbers, those very real and very dialable phone numbers hadn't worked. I've dialed those numbers a dozen times, maybe more by memory. There was no way th-

A sharp pain stabbed my brain.

I winced and put my hand on my right temple. Rubbed circles on it, yet it didn't ease the pain. Sharp, thorny fingers wrapped around my brain and squeezed.

A loud cry escaped my lips as a flare of white heated agony shattered against my chest. I set my left hand over where the pain emanated, but all I could feel was skin. Barely. Did it feel like skin? For a second, I couldn't feel heat.

Just as I was about to lay down, I was yanked to the ground by something. Something strong. Something that pulled on me like I was tethered to it. My arm swiped everything off of the side table as I tried to catch myself, causing the glass frames to shatter on the hardwood floor. The sound boomed in my ear, almost like a grenade going off during battle. The lamp cracked in half, mimicking the sound of Loki's scepter as it fired a shot.

Wait. Hardwood floor?

I clutched my chest when it felt like a hot agonizing knife stabbed me.

I couldn't breathe.

I tried to take in air, but large breaths became short, spastic ones. I couldn't control it. I couldn't...

I attempted to call out for help, yet nothing made it past my throat. I wouldn't want Amelia to see me like this.

Wait.

Amelia.

Amelia! I haven't seen Amelia this whole time. Where was she? At school? No. She couldn't have been. I haven't been missing that much time.

Where was my daughter?

A sharp pain in my stomach brought me back to reality. What was I having? A heart attack? Was one of my lungs collapsing? Did something in my system burst? My body tensed up in the worst way possible. It was the same, horrible tenseness my body went through during the trials Stryker conducted on me.

The room around me started shaking softly. A heavy object in the wall thumped loudly. In a short moment, it was joined by a chorus of new problems. I tried to get a grip on myself. My hand fell limp on the ground and wouldn't move; The metal in the walls and all the objects around me spiked into sharp edges, creating a modern chandelier of danger all around. I gasped, but between the sharp breaths and the uncontrollable feeling scratching at my brain, I felt lightheaded. Why is this happening?!

Tears streamed down my eyes. My lungs couldn't take in any more air. I wanted to move. To scream. To beg for help, even though no one else was in the apartment. I choked loudly as my powers took control.

Metal. I could feel the metal pipes running through the buildings and underground. They shook and steamed, cracking and finally snapping in two. Some erupted from the ground like newborn lava, jutting out of the street in time for cars to crash into them. Car horns sounded off as confused screaming echoed through the streets.

I have to calm down. I have to...

I forced thoughts to take over. Ones of Peter and I walking in the park. Ones of Amelia, Steve, and I swimming in the apartment complex's pool. Ones of movie nights at the tower where we would all gather and watch something new. Ones of how much I loved the whole team. Ones of how I wanted Nat back so desperately. Ones of how I want to tell Steve that I love him, but can't. I can't. I can't.

Damnit.

Focus.

Focus.

Eventually, after the longest few minutes of my life, I calmed down.

Then, everything stopped.

I sat there, stiff as a board, breathing heavily as I sobbed loudly. I could move the tips of my fingers, yet everything else still seemed numb. I wanted to crawl into the corner. I wanted to collapse onto my warm, comfy bed and lie there for the rest of my life. My mind begged for rest and ached immensely.

An eternity passed before I could sit up on my own. Even then, I barely crawled into the corner and draped my heavy arms on my legs.

And an even longer eternity, god rest my own damned soul, passed before Steve came into the room. His eyes fluttered down to look at me. He barely avoided the icicles, almost as if he didn't care to be careful. As if they weren't even there. Steve knelt down in front of me. "Lilly? Why are you on the floor?"

Wait. How did he get in? I locked the door behind me. I flinched and jerked backwards, accidentally hitting myself against the wall. He was close. Too close. In response, Steve backed up a little bit. I heard the concern laced in his voice. My mind finally registered it. I gazed up at him, eyes red and glassy. "It was me."

"You...what?"

I mimicked his confused expression. Did he really not see it? Any of it? "Th-the metal. The st-street..." I shut my eyes. No. He saw it. He had to have. It's there. It's real. I licked my dry lips. "Did anybody get hurt? D-did anybody die?"

Sounds of Steve standing up and taking a few steps, presumably to the window, echoed in my ears. Short, heavy steps. Echoed one too many times for it to be him simply looking out the window. Reassurance practically dripped from his voice, "Everything is normal."

"W-what?" Normal? No. No. The hand that had grabbed onto my brain latched on harder. Why was it still here? Why did it cause searing pain? Gah! I tried to get up. Maybe if I moved around and focused, it would go away.

"Hold on. I have you," Steve said as he reached out to grab onto me.

"No. I got it." Was it fear that chilled through me? Left goosebumps in its wake? Was it fear for his safety, or my own? God, my mind had shredded itself. I suddenly was so tired. But I hauled myself up to the window and saw the destruction. The pipes. The car wrecks. The steam. The fire that licked on the front of some cars. I could hear the screams. The running and fighting. I could hear Steve's shield being used. There was no one on the street, and sure as hell no one had his shield.

Maybe it's just echoes of the battle of DC.

No. No! I am not crazy! For once, I know it. I know it.

"Y-you don't see any of t-that? Hear it?"

"No. I only see you in the reflection." Steve almost set both of his hands on my arms, but decided against it. He turned out of the room. "I'll go make us some breakfast."

Breakfast? No. Definitely not right. I knit my eyebrows together, and didn't tear my gaze away from the window. "Weren't you out getting dinner?"

"I dropped off Amelia at school and spent some time with Sam. Are you okay?"

A whole day? No. Had I just dreamt of the later half of the day? No. That wasn't it either. The more I felt reassured I wasn't crazy, the more I got angry. Something was wrong, and I didn't know what the hell was happening. I waited until Steve left the room and closed the door behind him.

I stared at my reflection, shallow breaths leaving my aching lungs. Everything is all wrong. There is no way I lost a whole day. Where am I? Who are these people parading around as my loved ones?