CHAPTER NINE; AVENGERS

❝ woe to those made of fragile stubborn hearts for when they walk through the world they feel compelled to survive their cruelties alone ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ wakanda forest ❞

THE WHISTLING AIR PASSING ALINA'S face as she flew forced the tears still falling from her broken eyes. Her increasingly blurred line of sight caused her to rub her eyes so she could see, but nothing helped. No matter what she did her sobs still kept coming and the air grew thinner because of it. All of which eventually became too much for even Alina to bear.

She couldn't keep herself in the air, weight of worlds rested on her back sending her hurtling rapidly towards the ground. Her body flipped from the winds making her back face the world beneath her, Alina didn't want to save herself. Maybe a fall from this height will end it all for me, again, Alina thought while the wisping clouds gentle touch tired to offer a safe place to land.

But the Dranganov teen didn't care for herself to be saved, she believed death was her world forever and even after. Alina shut her eyes once the clouds became harder and harder to see. Just as the peaceful acceptance of death set in, a new sensation came from her.

Inside her was absence of nearly everything besides a river of crimson light that came pooling out of her hands, from the souls of her feet, and spilled out the back of her head. She imagined the feeling was similar to what a star felt when it died. A supernova collapsing in on itself. When a star's gravity attempts to squeeze the star into the smallest, tightest ball possible, but in its core lives strong outward pressure that will not allow itself to be broken. But eventually, the star runs out of fuel, it cools off and begins to die. Gravity is bigger and stronger, it always wins, and the star will collapse in on itself.

Unless, of course, the core of the star isn't fully cooled, heat still lives within in fighting the coldness of death. Without want nor desire, Alina was jerked slightly back up towards the sky forcing her to slowly land on her feet. The core of magic that lived within her would not let Alina self-destruct. Not when the fight to live still lingered so deep not even she realized it was there.

The frustration built like a dam that had just shattered inside her and she had no choice but to let out an aching scream. Her hands gripped at her hair nearly tearing it from her scalp as she stumbled through the battlefield. She didn't know where she was going, she just kept walking until her legs couldn't keep going on.

Alina's arms wrapped themselves around her own body as she kneeled in the dirt. Her eyes shut unable and unwilling to even look at anything or anyone. But as quickly as she shut her eyes, she saw Peter's smile. She opened them again only to hear his last words repeat, "I didn't mean to break my promise."

Those words replayed like she was being tortured with them, even as she shut her eyes and saw another brief moment of him smiling, she still heard them. Peter was the best person she'd ever known, perhaps the only human who had never let her down. Every memory she had of truly living, of being more than Hex, of being Alina, Peter was there. He was her champion, her best friend, her partner in crime; Peter Parker was Alina Dranganov's everything and now he was just...gone.

The only thing worse than the grief that threatened to consume her was the still lingering gnawing hunger inside her that wailed to be fed. Alina wonder what would happen if she never caved in, if she chose not to feed whatever beast she'd become. Would she drift off to the same nothingness that had taken Peter?

Alina wanted to find out, but then she remembered one of the last things she told him. She would fight to save him; she couldn't do that if she died too. As soon as the thought trickled into her mind, she couldn't ignore the potent stench of sickeningly dry yet sweet metallic scent that filled the air. Without really intending to, Alina rose back to her feet breathing the air in deeply.

Her mouth salivated the closer she felt herself getting to one of the many sources surrounding her. She only came to a stop when she saw the body of one of the Dora Milaje she'd been tracking. Alina took a step back feeling the growing gnawing turning more savaged by the second. Even if she wanted to decide differently, her feet would not let her move backwards. The only direction she cared to move was forward until she was standing right above the body.

Alina attempted to place her hand over her nose and mouth hoping it would stop her from wanting, but it didn't. Without trying to, Alina came down to her knees beside her. Even with the hunger, Alina still paced her hands above her heart and tried, "Curar a alma dos perdidos."

She waited for life to return to the fallen soldier, but nothing happened. Alina was too late. The moment she knew the soldier was gone; it was like Alina was gone too and hunger had finally won her over. The sharp ripping of her gums made Alina feel inside her mouth to trace the fangs she'd always had, get bigger. Merely dragging her hand across the tooth was enough to slice Alina's finger.

Without a second thought, Alina doubled over biting into the neck of the woman. The disgusting tearing of flesh was quickly overpowered by the ravishing seduction of the blood she drank. It wasn't until there was nothing left Alina saw the damage she'd done; she gasped backing up seeing the soldiers head barely attached anymore.

Worst of all, wasn't just seeing the horror she wrought but feeling the tantalizing sense of power that left her wanting more. That scared her most of all. Frantically she began trying to wipe the blood from her mouth, but her hands were still coated in her own blood and the soldiers. All she was doing was smearing it into her own skin.

"Alina," a soft voice said instantly making Alina jump to her feet backing away. Holding up her hands Natasha said, "It's okay. I know you're not going to hurt me."

The very thought of her feeling certain made Alina laugh, "How? How can you know that? How can you say that when all I am thinking about even at this very second is the sound of your heart pumping blood through your veins. You can't possibly trust me when I do not even trust myself."

Alina could see the quinjet behind Natasha as she stood her ground the Romanoff said, "Because I know you; it's as simple as that. I know you just lost some of the only people you care about." Her words made Alina's heart cave in on itself, "Not onlythat, but you died. You're seventeen years old now, and you feel like you lost everything, but you haven't. I'm here, Steve is here. Take my hand, and we'll go home."

"You don't get it," Alina cried shaking her head, "Everything feels so much worse." Her hand was over her own heart trying to force herself to breathe slower, but it was no use.

"Then explain it to me," Natasha pleaded with her.

Bringing her hands to her head Alina shouted telling her, "Everything I feel is so much deeper, so much worse! It's like it's all heightened into some uncontrollable mess. Every time I close my eyes, I see Peter! And Connor...God he was so sorry for what he did, and I was still so angry. Oh God, I have to tell Gwen what happened." Alina's eyes began to flash between gold and red with veins lingering underneath her eyes. "I don't even know if she's alive! I don't know if any of my friends survived! Oh God, I got them all killed."

"Rhodey take the shot. Alina is too worked up right now and Wakanda doesn't need another earthquake like before," Steve said into the comms and through her sobs Alina didn't hear him.

In the air far behind her, Rhodey aimed his guns at her saying, "I got her in my sights." As soon as the words left his lips, he shot his tranquilizing darts straight into the teenagers back. The first shot seemed to only make Alina stumble, so he continued firing until she collapsed into Natasha's waiting arms.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ the avengers compound [ hologram room, six hours later] ❞

"This is a nightmare," said Steve as he and the surviving Avengers watched the hologram constantly changing the number of reported missing people around the globe. Alina had woken up only an hour ago had hadn't said a word to anyone since. Most of the blood had been cleaned off her face and hands, but it still coated her suit right below the middle of her breast where she'd been stabbed. Her hand frequently traced where she knew the scar should be, but there was nothing.

Her eyes still locked on the growing number Natasha returned to him, "I've had better nightmares."

Alina shut her eyes seeing Peter and Connor images flash on the screen for confirmed Avenger deaths. With her hand finding its way to her head she refused to look back up, seeing their faces made her feel more out of control than anything now. The tentative metal footsteps drawing nearer didn't even make her look up. But Rhodey's words had as he told them, "Hey so that thing has stopped doing whatever the hell it was doing."

Reluctantly Alina stood from the bench following after them into the room with Fury's pager. One of the first things they tried to do after leaving Wakanda was find him, but all they found was his and Maria Hill's SUV and a pager sending out a distress signal. It had to have been the last thing he did, in his final moments what mattered most was calling for whomever was at the other end. Alina lingered in the doorway as Natasha asked the awaiting Bruce, "What have we got?"

Simply put the scientist replied, "Whatever signal it was sending finally crapped out."

"I thought we by passed the battery," questioned Steve still staring in on the pager that was encased behind the thick glass.

"We did, it's still plugged in it just stopped," replied Rhodey. All the while they spoke Alina swore, she heard distant yet careful footsteps walking through the compound. What truly gripped her attention was the gentle but steady beating heart filled with driven rage of the intruder.

Cautiously, Alina called her magic forth from inside herself slowly allowing a short sword made of a metal handle and a blade of magic that could not be bent or broken. "Reboot it. Send the signal again," Steve ordered his back turned unaware of Alina's actions.

Just as clueless to her, Bruce pointed at the pager warning, "We don't even know what's on the other end of that thing."

Natasha instantly interjected, "Fury did." Briefly looking to the scientist, she pleaded, "Just do it please; tell me the second you get a signal. I want to know who's on the other end of that thing."

"Don't bother. They're already here," Alina announced speaking up reminding everyone she was there for just one calm moment. Before any of them even finished turning around, Alina had swung her sword back narrowly missing a woman with golden hair.

As quickly as she had dodged Alina's swing, the teenager brought the blade down trying to slice at the back of the intruders' knees. The others raced out to the hallway trying to see who she was even attacking but their swift movements and the intruders back to them stopped them. Alina didn't bother to ask; with everything they had just endured who was to say if this wasn't a Thanos trick?

Before her blade could make contact, the golden blonde shot out a blue burst of energy that caused Alina be forced back as the nearly familiar blue came for her. Nimble as ever, Alina held up her sword allowing it to absorb the attack as she to used her own claws to slow herself by dragging them across the floor. Without even trying, Alina stood back to her feet and in her sprint, she had taken off faster than she ever had before. The woman wasn't prepared for her speed as Alina wrapped her hand around the blonde's neck.

She placed her sword to the intruder's throat so hard blood drops started to spill out from the pressure of her blade. Not only that but Alina's magic singed at her skin, and she could feel it burning away at the woman's own power that threatened to escape from her. "Who are you? Why are you here," Alina snapped her eyes changing without effort.

"I'm looking for Fury," she answered as the others came running into the room.

"Who is this," asked Steve gently stepping towards them.

Alina squeezed her throat tighter not knowing her own strength as she threatened to break the bones under her grasp. "I don't know, she hasn't felt answering that yet," replied Alina her head tilting to keep eye line with the woman.

"Maybe that has something to do with your hand around her throat," reasoned Rhodey.

Not bothering to even look back the brunette said, "After the day we hand you want to take the chance she's not Thanos' little helper?"

Putting his hand on her shoulder his touched shocked her into looking back at Steve's soft eyes. "And what if she's not," he pointed out the earnestness in his voice reminding Alina what she was actually doing.

As fast as her blade had grown from her hand it had disappeared like gas being sucked back beneath her skin. Alina's gaze travelled back to the blonde who was still trying to pry her hand off to no avail. The brunette suddenly dropped her backing away her eyes locked on her own hands as she did. "I'm sorry, I can't be here. I-I have to go," Alina stuttered using her newfound speed to vanish before they could even finish calling out her name.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ alina's loft ❞

The streets of New York were filled with mad men and woman urgently searching for their loved ones. Papers floated through the air, and emergency personal were still doing their best to clear the accidents and cars left in the blips wake. Alina attempted to help where she could, but she was just trying to find her friends, so she had to keep moving. Something by the time she reached her own loft she wasn't sure she was grateful she'd done.

The first places she went to were Flash and Betty's houses, all she found was Flash's mom crying as she called around looking for him. At Betty's all that was there was her two little sisters, Alina brought them to the police. When she got to Malik's she found a note meant for him from his own father saying he'd gone to look for his wife, and if his son came back to stay put. Next was Ned and MJ's, she really wished she missed out of discovering them for herself. Ned's Lola was frantic, Alina had to sedate her before she left. She told the old woman that she would return the next day to check on her, but tonight she needed to sleep.

And at MJ's, there was not a soul left behind. Just an empty home, one Alina had never been too until that moment. She let herself wander into MJ's bedroom, and it looked exactly like Alina had imagined. The room had warm peach-colored walls with led lights around the borders and under her desk, bed, and mirror. All of them had been set to an even warmer orange that cast a beautiful glow on her books and movies. MJ was as avid of a collector as Alina believed she was. Her laptop was left open, she was on chat boards discussing the battle live when she...

When Alina looked to see what she had been saying, almost everything about Hex, how she'd seen her taking off. Some people said how Hex was probably there to help the bad men, but every time they did, MJ would prove them wrong. MJ didn't even know she was defending her very own friend, the only girl she considered a true friend. Alina had to leave or risk destroying everything MJ cherished. After that she didn't have the strength to go to Gwen's and Sabrina's. All she wanted was to go home, but as she stood outside her loft door, she found herself unwilling to actually unlock the door.

Alina just stared at its beige door her hand frozen mid motion. Inhaling deeply Alina forced her hand forward unlocking it and as soon as she stepped foot through the door, she was embraced by someone much taller throwing their arms around her. For the first time since she reawakened, Alina didn't flinch, their touch feeling familiar to her. As quickly as they had held her, they released Alina so they could look at each other.

The second Alina saw them, tears began to fall from her eyes once more. "I'm so glad you're back! I was so worried about you," Gwen said her hand over her own mouth trying to stop herself from shaking.

"Gwen I'm so sorry, we— I failed and Connor," before the girl could finish speaking Gwen had gripped her into another tight embrace.

Still fighting her tears, the blonde said, "I know...he never called. I put the pieces together, you didn't fail him, Alina. You didn't."

Alina tightly gripped the back of Gwen's shirt adding on, "I did though, they're all dead. Connor, Malik, Ned, MJ, even Betty and Flash are gone." Holding on harder Alina sobbed, "A-and so is Peter..."

"We're going to be okay," Gwen said knowing all she had left in the world was Alina. Her own mother had gone missing, and her father might've been too, and Connor was gone. "We have each other, I promise," the blonde swore as they pulled apart.

"Gwen, Alina," a shaken voice said standing in the door the girls had accidentally left open. The pair turned around to see a puffy eyed Sabrina watching them. "What are you wearing Alina," she asked almost dazed as she saw her friend standing still in her suit.

Gwen's gaze fell to her seeing she was covered in blood on her chest as well. "Oh my god, are you bleeding," she questioned placing her hand to Alina's back to keep her upright in case she fell. Noticing the rip in the middle of her blue metallic corset top, Sabrina wiped her eyes running into the kitchen. "She keeps them in the top shelf above the sink," Gwen said figuring the girl was going for Alina's cloths.

"I'm fine," Alina tried the memory of Thanos' hand on her neck so fresh she still felt his fingers on her skin.

"Alina you're covered in blood you're most definitely not fine! What were you doing," Sabrina rushed out clueless to the shared looks of Gwen and Alina as the blonde forced the Dranganov to sit. The curly haired brunette came to the floor before Alina asking, "Where is it?"

"It's gone," Alina said deciding she no longer had the strength or will to hide who she was from Sabrina in that moment. What had it mattered anyways? What more did she have to lose?

Sabrina, not understanding and believing delusions were starting to set for Alina, scoffed, "If it caused this much blood Alina there's no way you survived."

Her words unknowingly cut at the Dranganov, "You're right, I didn't survive."

"What? What do you mean," Gwen asked her shoulders falling back.

Sabrina still didn't understand, shaking her head she refused, "You're literally right in front of me Alina." Looking to Gwen she urged, "I think we have to get her to the hospital."

"Sabrina listen," cried out Alina her words stopping Sabrina as if she was a ball caught in midair. Holding out her hand Alina felt the power rising from inside her until as small wisping shadowed red was dancing between her fingers. The sight left Sabrina holding her breath as she slowly came closer to Alina's hand. The sadness Sabrina felt was nearly paused as the beauty substance with its own dark shadow on the edges of its visible light danced before her eyes.

Allowing the light to die out Alina said, "I...I am Hex." The words left her mouth dry as Sabrina's head snapped back up to her. She could see Sabrina thinking back on her moments with Alina. The moment that stood out the most was the pool when they were in DC. Not only that but when she found Alina having a panic attack, and she, Connor, and Peter had vanished from the bus during the trip right as it all began.

"I'm so sorry," was all Sabrina knew to say thinking about all the things they had heartlessly and thoughtlessly said about her without knowing.

Alina shook her head taking Sabrina's hand, "You didn't know." Looking to Gwen she gently grabbed her hand telling them both, "I'm going to tell you guys everything. But you can't tell another soul as long as you live, you have to promise. Even if we fall out, even if you grow to hate me, my story never leaves your lips to someone who doesn't already know it. Promise?"

"I promise," said Gwen squeezing her friend's hand while placing her free one on top of it.

Nodding Sabrina swore just as adamantly, "Promise."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ avenger's compound [ bruce & tony's lab ] ❞

TWO WEEKS LATER

Steve and Natasha watched through the glass as Thor held Alina's hand while Bruce drew blood. It took time, but after multiple assurances that it would only be blood test to see what had happened to her body since dying from Bruce, she agreed. Which seemed easier when she wasn't inside the laboratory, she could hardly get herself through the door. It wasn't until Thor took her hand and walked with her every tentative step that she even reached Bruce.

"Have you spoken to her," Steve wondered knowing that he himself had been struggling to get Alina to reply back.

Shaking her head Natasha replied, "Not really. Her friends, Sabrina, and Gwen are the only reason I even got ahold of her for this."

"Where are they," he asked.

"Downstairs. She told them to stay there for a minute while she does this. I don't think she wanted them to see her get scared," Natasha reasoned the look on Alina's face when she said it was time still fresh in her mind's eye. Turning in toward the super soldier she began, "I'm worried about her. I have never, ever seen her like she was after Peter. She couldn't control it, she never lost control of her powers like that ever."

Careful to keep his voice down Steve whispered, "She's never died and come back before either."

Natasha tilted her head pointing out, "You and I both know it wasn't her dying that sent her over the edge."
The soldiers glance fell back to the young teenager still holding Thors hand. "I don't think she's even thought about what she went through dying."

"It's been two weeks Nat," reasoned Steve with a sigh as he tore his eyes away from Alina. "I think she loved the kid, she's not going to be thinking about herself for a while."

The blonde spy gnawed on her lip for a moment worry twisting her insides, "I just...I don't want her doing this alone."

"Neither do I but it's her choice. Alina will find her way, just may be harder for her than us." His gaze fell back to the spy as Steve finished, "Before when her 'life' fell apart she was able to run towards something. Towards Peter, she built a life where she was more than Hex. Losing all that is going to take time to fully realize." They hadn't known it, and Alina would never tell them, but could still hear their every word. That was one of the things dying had made even worse, she could hear literally everything. From the spider sneaking across Bruce's foot, to the crunching of Thor's hand while she readied herself for the needle, and to them and their conversation. Alina could hear it all.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ alina's old bedroom ❞

"So, this whole time, you, Connor, Peter, and Alina have been living a double life," Sabrina muttered as she sat on full sized mattress waiting for Alina to return.

Leaning against the desk Gwen replied, "Yes. Though I really only ever was helping Connor. I'm sorry we didn't tell you about all this."

Shaking her head the young girl replied, "Don't be. I wouldn't have told me if this all didn't happen..." The silence left after her words made Gwen think of Sabrina's mothers who had both gone missing.

"I'm sorry about your both your moms," said Gwen softly.

The curly haired brunette swallowed hard looking down at the floor, "I'm sorry about Connor." When Sabrina finally looked back up her eyes were brimming in tears. "I know he hated me, and I hurt him but...he was a really good guy. Flawed, but always good."

Gwen felt herself fighting her own tears, "He was..."

"We're going to bring them back," Alina's voice suddenly said having heard them speaking the whole was up to her room. Both girls sprung up as Alina entered the room adding, "I promised Peter I would find a way to bring him back, and I intend to keep it."

Gwen and Sabrina shared a glance each silently asking the other the same question. Speaking up for both of them the blonde teen said, "We want to help." Almost instantly Alina went to argue only for Gwen to cut her off just the same, "Please Alina. What else do we have?" Before she allowed herself to answer Alina froze her mouth partly open, "Lina? What is it?"

Over all their voices and all the sounds in the entire compound, Alina heard the approaching sound of an echoing vibration getting closer to them. "Someone's here," Alina said and not even a second later the books on her shelves, and knickknacks on her desk started shaking severely till most of them were falling.

The confirmation was enough for Alina to use her speed to race down the stairs out to the yard. "Did you know she could do that," Sabrina asked staring at the spot Alina once stood.

"No. Pretty sure that's new," Gwen said before the two rushed out after Alina.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ avengers compound yard ❞

Once Alina reached outside, she saw an orange winged ship coming closer with some bright light holding the ship up. Soon after her, Gwen, Sabrina, Steve, Natasha, Bruce, and James joined her. Seeing Alina's readied magic, Natasha reached out lowering her hand shaking her head. Reluctantly the teenager lowered her hand as the light carrying the ship grew dimmer the closer the came to the ground.

As the landing gear took over Carol allowed her light to die out as she looked back to the others. "What is this," Sabrina asked Alina quietly.

Alina could hardly breath as she answered, "Tony, she brought him back." Her own sharp claws dug into the palm of Alina's hand as she waited for the entry hatch to drop down. despite having seen Peter fade with her own eyes, the sight of the ship left Alina hoping there was a chance for him.

That somehow her eyes had tricked her, and Peter would come running off the ship telling her about all the things he'd seen. She watched as a woman of blue and metal skin helped Tony down the stairs. As soon as Steve saw Stark, the soldier ran over taking over for his companion.

"Couldn't stop him," was the first words a sickly Tony said once he saw Steve. His eyes had sunken so far it looked like there was only bone around his eyes.

"Neither could I," said Steve regretfully as he led the avenger towards their building.

Alina slowly made her way towards him, "And Peter? Is-Is he with you," she asked Stark praying to every god her mind thought of that her visions had proven her wrong.

Tony stopped in his path; he could see the last piece of hope she had for his life dying out of her eyes at that very second. Still, he was honest with her as he said, "I lost the kid."

The rest of their words seemed to buzz right past Alina as she stood completely froze except for her tears and shaken breath. As Steve and Pepper helped Tony inside with the others, Alina stood there waiting to see Peter. They were all wrong, they'll see, she told herself denial being the safer option for her. She hadn't noticed time passing until Gwen's gentle touch was on her shoulder and Sabrina had hold of her hand.

"We're still here," Gwen promised her.

"Always," added Sabrina as Alina threw herself into the Benson girls' arms. The brunette held out her arms for Gwen and they held the Dranganov girl allowing her to cry, crumble and break in their loving arms.

alina's new suit