Alexs POV

Yes, I've been MIA for the past month. But that's because I've been planning something big, huge, even.

I also knew that the avengers would keep watch over all the hydra bases they knew existed even more than they were before. They're a little predictable like that.

Which just meant I couldn't waltz up and light places on fire. Although that was never what I did, I kind of feel like that's what they think I did, though.

But they have no real idea, anyway. Not of what I really am or how I became it.

I was going to try to give them a chance. With the help of Wanda, I thought that, just maybe, they weren't as bad as I've been told, as bad as they appear.

They had started to redeem themselves. Started to live up to all the hype they have surrounding them.

But they didn't even give me a chance. They shut me down before I could even explain, they just assumed the worst about me. Jumped to the conclusions.

I had worried at one point that they'd just want me for my powers. To use me for this.. ability I have and not care about the person I was, the person I am.

They fooled me. Down right pulled the wool over my eyes.

I thought they actually cared for me as a person. Liked who I am. Enjoyed me, as me. Started considering some of them friends, even.

And all of their bullshit about family. Well, it's bullshit. They're delusional. I've seen the inside; how quick they can turn on each other. The things some of these 'family members' have done to each other is something I would never dream of doing.

Killing parents, letting them get taken away to jail cells in the middle of the ocean, quite literally a house divided.

They put up a good front now, but.. I think they could also come crumbling apart at any moment. If there's someone, or something, they don't agree upon, I think they'd tear each other apart.

Some family, right?

Whatever.

Once I get this last big job done, I won't ever have to worry about those fake ass 'heroes' ever again.

Yeah, including Wanda. I'm that cliché person that believed she was different, that maybe she wanted more and was able to understand someone's messed up past.

But she was one of the quickest ones to judge me.

So if she tried calling or texting me or getting my firehouse family to talk.. well, she's finding out the hard way what it's like to push someone away.

I doubt she cares, though. She was pretty adamant I was the worst human being (up for debate) on the planet. You just can't have a relationship with someone that thinks so low of you, that doesn't trust you or even give you the damn time of day..

Who can't even stick by your side long enough to find out the truth; long enough to hold you up when you're at your lowest.

So no. I don't think she's even bothered to come looking for me or question where I went once I left the avengers tower. At least, not because she cares about my well being. I'm sure it's just been to track me down so they can throw me in a prison cell without so much as second thought.

Because I guess once the avengers deem you as worthless, well, there really isn't any coming back from it.

I guess I am what they always told me I was.

But the avengers are also exactly what they told me they were.

The worst part in all of this?

Hydra was right.

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Did you bring ear plugs? Because you're going to need them. And if you're coming along with me, well, I hope you had a light lunch.

We're about to travel the world in the matter of a few hours, and we're leaving a trail behind us.

Hold on tight, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

No, I'm not going to tell you where we're going. For one, that would ruin all of the fun. And secondly, I don't trust you not to go running back and tell the avengers.

Don't take it too personally, I'm not really trusting anyone these days. Being cheated on, ditched, and accused will do that to a person. Not to mention a past like my own.

If one went to a therapist for such things, one may be told it's a miracle they trust any one at all. Now they would completely understand why I'll be leaving people in the dust after this.

They may also be told that I should.. er, I mean, the person, should take some more time to think through this plan; who it's going to effect, what the outcomes might be, how it might hurt my own physical and mental being, blah blah blah.

If one went to a therapist.

But I'm no therapist and I certainly can't take the risk of someone spotting me now.

So we're just going to go with my original plan.

If you haven't figured it out, we're about to blow shit up.

Don't worry, there's a purpose here. I'm not just going to tear through the world blowing up random shit. That has never been my goal or intentions.

I'm a very methodical person. And I just love it when a plan comes to fruition.

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Wandas POV

I've just about given up. A month without a single sighting of her.. well she's just too damn good at hiding to be innocent. Right?

Fuck. I don't know. I just know this sucks. Trying to push my feelings aside in front of the team is exhausting. Just about everyone of them believe Alex to be guilty (which is part of why I'm trying to convince myself of it), it's the only reason they're trying to find her right now. They want to bring her to jail; question her, find out all she knows about hydra.

I'm still not convinced, though. No matter how many times I try to tell myself she's guilty.. it just doesn't add up. Sure, physically it makes sense; the evidence all points to her.

But.. I know her. Truly. And the person I know would never be this horrible person they're making her out to be.

And I know people can fool you, only let you see the side that they want you to see. She could be perfectly capable of deceiving me.

But her eyes. The ones that let me see into her soul, let me know exactly what she's thinking or wants without having to take a single peek into her head. Those eyes never gave away anything like this. And I would have known.

And if you don't believe me, ask Yelena. She didn't think Alex was capable of this either. She hated having to break Alex. She never once thought she was the criminal.

So obviously Yelena is on my side along with Nat. Both women spent quite a bit of time with her. Despite Nat falling to some serious injuries because of that last fire, she still believes in her.

Spencer took a little longer to come to her defense, but with Nat convinced, she couldn't help but side with her.

Steve.. he understands. He understands what it's like to have someone you care so much about portrayed as something you could never see them being. He gets what it's like to have everyone believe a person you love is a monster, but know that it's not truly them.

So him and Bucky get it.

Not that we're picking sides here, because we aren't.

But there's been a few heated arguments about what to do with Alex. Ya know, if we ever find her. If we should even find her.

It's left things.. a little awkward. We find our time more divided now. There's less efforts for team bonding. And the last one we had was.. a fail.

It's disheartening. I hate seeing everyone like this. We're suppose to be a family; a team that can completely trust one another. Because if we go out in the field and half the team doesn't trust the other half to do anything, well, the bad guys are going to win.

So IF we find Alex and IF we decide to go after her.. I'm not exactly confident we'd be able to stop her from anything.

Or stop anyone, for that matter.

I've reached out to Max a couple times; still nothing. I guess her furlough is running out soon. But as far as Max knows, there's been no word from Alex on coming back.

It's looking grim.

And I can't help but wonder-

"Everyone to the quintet. Now!"

There goes Tony being over dramatic. What could possibly be so important-

Then he appears in the room all frantic.

"It's Alex. Well, what I assume to be Alex. There's been a chain of fires erupting on each known hydra base. And they're moving fast. It's all over. They hit a few places in Russia, Mexico, hell, even Canada. We need to go. Now."

"If the fires are popping up everywhere, how do we know where they're going to hit next?" Steve so obviously points out.

"Well, Captain Frisbee, we go to an establish hydra base we know the location of and wait for her to strike," Tony retorts.

Yeah, the fighting has been the strongest between those two.

"So what, we're just going to be sitting ducks? What if she decides we can be collateral damage?" Bruce speaks up.

And now it's my turn, "that's complete shit. If Alex didn't care about any of us then she wouldn't have saved us from that last fire. She just about drained all of her energy to do it."

That shut them up about that.

"I agree with Wanda. I don't think their goal is to hurt people. Which, doesn't seem very hydra to me," Bucky retaliates.

"Yeah, well we don't know what her mission is, do we? So why don't we take precautions until we do, hm?" Tony fires back.

"Okay, this isn't helping anything. Clearly you have a plan, Tony. Let's just get on the jet, you can tell us on the way. If we spend time arguing, we could miss our chance to even see her. I don't know if you've noticed, but this kind of seems like this might be a final mission?"

After a moment of surprise, Nat's point gets us all into action. She's right. You don't normally go this big unless it's the finale.

And I can only wonder what that might mean for Alex.

If she isn't with hydra, does she just go back into hiding? What's her endgame?

And if she is with hydra... what do they do with a soldier who is no longer of use to them?