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the next day would involve lots of training. However, her mind had different ideas. Every time she did manage to slip into a slumber, nightmares would wake her.

After waking up numerous times, Alex got up to wash her face. She looked in the mirror, and sighed. She almost jumped when she heard a knock on her door.

She peeked out of the peephole, surprised at who was on the other end. She quickly opened the door.

"Wanda?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I've been having the worst nightmares about Vis, and I--"

"Wanda, you're okay. Do you want to sleep here?"

Wanda nodded, somberly stepping into the room. She took a seat on the bed next to Alex's, and hugged a pillow to her chest.

"Why are you awake?" Wanda asked.

"You're not the only one with nightmares," Alex chuckled. "It's no big deal though. You know Vision will be okay, right?"

"I don't know. I keep having the same dream of him...you know."

"I get it."

Wanda nodded. " I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm being irrational."

"You love him. You'll do anything to keep him safe." Alex comforted.

"You're right. You'd know about that."

Alex opened her mouth to talk, but stopped herself. She didn't want to talk about him, even if Wanda understood how it felt to lose someone you love.

"You know," Wanda spoke. "When I lost Pietro, I couldn't process what happened. I didn't have time. Then, there was the issue with Stark. It's like, we're always fighting with no break. No time for personal lives, no time for struggle. When you live like we do, if there's any chance for happiness along the way, you take it. If that happiness fails, you just be grateful you once had it."

Alex's eyes fell to the floor, nodding softly. Wanda could see that although her words resonated with Alex, she didn't want to speak on it further.

"We should probably try to sleep," Alex spoke. "I'm sure Steve's already got an agenda for us tomorrow."

"Of course."

The two girls settled into their own beds, a peaceful slumber falling on them whilst in each other's company.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

The next day, Alex got up and reported down in the main level of the building. They were fed for lunch, then began training.

Shuri continued work on Vision, but it was taking her a tedious amount of time. Alex began to grow nervous that she was solely responsible for the Mind Stone. She wasn't even fully aware of its power, much less prepared to protect it. However, she would try her hardest to make sure Thanos never touches it.

"Alright, I know everyone here is in shape, but we need to be stronger than ever if we want to defeat Thanos. Hit the weights," Steve ordered the team.

Everyone scattered, going off to their own sections in the training center. It was fully stocked with all the equipment necessary to train.

"Alex, hang back." Steve added. She halted, turning back toward him. "I want you to practice your combat methods."

"Is there something wrong with them?"

"Of course not. I just want you at your best."

"It's like Tony never left," She jabbed as he chuckled.

"Buck, would you do me the honors?"

"Come on, give me a challenge."

Bucky stepped onto the mat. "Don't speak so soon, sweetheart."

Alex rose an eyebrow as he stood across from her. She smirked, raising her hand. With just the flick of her wrist, the power that ran Bucky's arm went out. He looked down at his limp robotic arm, then looked back up. She lunged at him, knocking him backward. He quickly gathered himself, swinging with his functioning arm. She ducked, sweeping his feet.

The arm slowly began to regain power, but Alex was too quick. She threw a punch that whipped his head to the side, but he retaliated by grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm. She yelped in pain, using her free leg to kick him square in the stomach.

"You're not gonna drain me?" Bucky taunted.

"That'd be too easy."

She ran at him, launching herself onto his front side like a koala. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and quickly hoisted herself from this position onto his shoulders. Bucky stumbled, and she pulled him backwards using her legs. They were both on the ground, with Bucky pinned by her legs.

He tapped the ground, and she stood triumphantly.

"Alright, well, Buck, go do some weights or something. That was pathetic." Steve laughed.

"She's a worthy fighter." Bucky winked at Alex, who rolled her eyes.

Loki used to wink at inappropriate times, she thought. She quickly pushed the thought away, grabbing some water.

"Who's next?"

Steve lined up for her to fight one of T'Challa's soldiers. She easily beat them, but once she did, Steve gave her someone else to fight. After an hour, she was tired of all the combat.

Not only did she grow tired, but her brain began to run wild. Images of her training with Loki flashed in her mind with every move she executed. The truth was, she found her power with him. He believed in her power from the very beginning, in a way no one else did.

And that angered her.

It angered her that everything, possibly from the start, was a lie. She had no idea where the truth stopped and the lies started. Every time he kissed her, told her to believe in herself--how much of it was ill intentioned? How much of his actions were facilitated by Thanos? How much did he tell Thanos about her?

The thoughts began to consume her so strongly that she simply stood on the mat as a soldier tackled her. She was thrown to the ground, snapping out of her thought cloud.

"Alex, pay attention!" Steve ordered. "What's going on with you?"

"I'm tired, Steve. I've fought half of the room."

"You need to keep going. You're obviously distracted."

"Sorry I have a lot going on." She had stormed over to him.

"Focus."

"When will it be enough for you?" She raised her voice. "I'm not some monkey you can send in when you need some fucking minions to pass out for a minute. I'm also not a robot you can just expect to come whenever there's something you think needs fixing."

"That's exactly what you signed up for when you asked to be an Avenger." Steve scolded.

"Well where has that gotten me, huh?" She yelled. Everyone had ceased their training because of the screaming match between the two. "A fucked up life?!"

"I understand you got your heart broken, Alex, but you need to stop being so emotional and realize what's coming."

She cocked her eyebrow at his statement. In the heat of her emotions, she rose her hand to slap him, but he caught her hand easily. She furrowed her eyebrows, and her veins began to glow. Her teeth gritted as she drained him enough for him to stumble back.

Steve's eyes widened at her action. Everyone was in shock.

She then stormed out of the room, flicking her wrist to take all of the power out of the room as she left.

Alex ran to one of the empty rooms in the training facility, collapsing to the ground. For once, she let the tears fall. Although she quickly wiped them away, she still let them come out. She hated how she had just acted toward Steve, but her anger overtook her. It was almost like her emotions affected her more now that she was immortal.

Suddenly, she heard a soft knock. She wiped her tears, looking up. Bucky, a concerned look on his face, awkwardly walked in the room.

"Did Steve send you?" She muttered.

"No, I wanted to see if you were okay,"

"Why do you care, Bucky?"

"Alright," He held a hand up. "You're a member of my team, and we don't leave teammates behind."

"We get it, you were in the army." She let a chuckle out.

He sat down next to her on the floor, and she hugged her knees into her chest.

"I'm such an idiot." She groaned.

"Why?"

"For getting involved with a man."

"I'm offended." He earned another laugh from her.

"Love sucks."

"It can." Bucky agreed. "But the high is worth it."

He looked at her tear stained face, wishing she didn't have to feel any pain at all. She looked up when she felt his stare, and met his eyes. She still hugged her knees, even when he began to lean her way. Her mind was completely clouded, but for some reason, him being there made sense.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he inched his face closer. His lips slowly grazed hers, making contact. It felt foreign to her, in neither a good way or bad. The kiss lasted seconds, and was over as soon as it began. Bucky had intended to provide comfort to Alex, but all it really did was confuse both of them.

"I should probably go clean off," Alex whispered.

"Do you need me to go with you--not go with you, I mean, erm, escort you--"

"--I'll be fine, Bucky. Thank you,"

She stood up, her face wincing in awkwardness as soon as it was turned away from him. She exited the room, briskly walking down the halls toward her room. It took her about seven minutes to walk back, silently cursing the vastness of T'Challa's palace. Once she returned, she locked her door and slipped off her shoes. She went to take off her shirt when she sensed someone's presence.

Turning around slowly, she was met with the last person she'd expected to see.

"How sweet, you can still sense my presence." His smirk was evident and his blue eyes taking her in.

"I know a rat when I smell one." She growled.

"That was just touching, back there. Pleasing to know I meant so much to you."

Her instinct told her to attack, so she did. She lunched at him, swinging at his face but falling through his holographic figure.

"Did you really think I'd be there?" He scoffed.

"Why, Loki?" She snarled. "Why won't you just leave me alone? Go back to Barney and fuck yourself."

"You'd better watch that pretty mouth."

She humorlessly laughed, shaking her head at the ground. Her eyes darkened, and she met his. Anger bubbled up once again, and her veins glowed beautifully.

"You can torment me all you want, Loki. But, I promise you, the second I see you, I will not hesitate to kill you."

He grinned, winking. "Sooner than you think, my love."

And just like that, he was gone.

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𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚁𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙴𝚁 𝙲𝙾𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚠𝚘𝚠

𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 :')