Chapter 1: The Orb {Avengers x Fem!Reader}
~Part 7~ The Life of an Avenger- Destiny Arrives
Summary: After the Ravengers, including the reader, defeated Hela on Asgard, they escaped in a ship that they were hoping would eventually take them…literally anywhere that wasn’t going to try and kill them. That is until Loki stepped in, once again, to manipulate the situation and now the reader must decide what to use her gift from him for, if at all.
Word Count: 6138
Warnings: **INFINITY WAR SPOILERS** dark shit, graphic content, and swearing (becuase I’m angsty trash like that)
(Y/N) awoke in a cold sweat, heaving breaths levitating her chest unevenly as her eyes scrambled for perception, ready to fight the first thing that moved. But it was too late. “Goddammit!” (Y/N) howled in horror. What had Loki done?
She thought of the screaming Asgardians she had left behind on the ship. She had never found out what they were screaming for. She thought of Thor, Val, Heimdall…Bruce…oh, fuck. She’d left Bruce in fucking space. “Shit, shit, shit…” (Y/N) mumbled as she ran her hands through her hair, halting mid-panic attack with her fingers still entangled in her tresses as she took her first real look at where Loki had sent her. At first, she thought that she might still be in a broom closet somewhere on the ship, but it was too warm and far too quiet. Hesitantly turning the ornate doorknob, she slowly peered into the empty room…in the same building that she had started this entire mess in: the New York Sanctum.
Disbelief.
That’s definitely not what she had expected, or even trusted. This must be a mirage of some sort. She must still be dreaming, right? With careful steps, (Y/N) lithely floated down the dark hallway full of antiques that came from, not only a distant time, but a distant world. She curiously wandered past a large grandfather clock with no hands, reminding her of the song “Nine in the Afternoon.” Still in a dreamlike haze, she carefully climbed the grand staircase towards the round, oversized window that filtered in cloudy gray light like a magnet for the sun. Brushing her hand across the metallic banister, she pulled herself towards the frosted glass to witness the bustling city below that she wanted to still call home. An irritated business man howled into his phone while passing a teenager who slumped down the same street with earphones plugged into her head, while two cars had an all-out honking war over the same parallel parking spot, while a pack of pigeons attacked a stranded hot dog bun, while…while everything happened. While the world existed right in front of her, yet she stared at the window like a television screen. Like what she was seeing was a recording from a far-off place where she had once belonged, but now…
“Shocking, isn’t it?” A familiar, deep voice commented behind her, his understanding resonating in a cautious undertone. “How do you feel?” Without turning her head, (Y/N) responded in a distant voice, still mesmerized by Earth.
“Disconnected,” (Y/N) whispered without thought. “He’s not here, is he?”
“…no,” Strange answered after a pause, taking a sad breath. (Y/N)’s eyes closed at his response. She had been half-hoping her instincts were wrong and that Steve was still close, but she would have known. “No, after the portal’s connection was cut off and Wilson was spit back out, they had waited. Captain Rogers wanted to stay, but…but he got an urgent call from Ms. Romanoff. I told him it was doubtful that you would return here…but, uh…that doesn’t seem to be the case, I guess. I wish I could tell you where they are now.”
“How long has it been?” (Y/N) asked, bracing herself for the answer.
“Almost six days since you went through the portal,” Strange answered. (Y/N) winced at that response as well. At least it wasn’t the painstaking years she felt she had gone through on Sakaar, but still…a lot can happen in six days when your boyfriend and best friends are pretty much all fugitives. Plus, now those painstaking years meant absolutely nothing, except for the last week after she met Valkyrie. What a fucking waste.
“Six days,” (Y/N) echoed in frustrated awe. “I could’ve done so much in that time. Could’ve learned a new language, or backpacked across Thailand, or thrown a tampon on-stage at a Justin Bieber concert. Literally anything. But instead, I helped to kill Thor’s devil sister in Asgard before the place blew up like my toilet after a bender. The things you do for friendship,” (Y/N) muttered, bitterly rolling her eyes at the sky.
Before she could continue, she heard a belly full of laughter from someone that definitely wasn’t the stone-faced wizard she knew. (Y/N) finally turned her head to see another man dressed in flamboyant clothing similar to Strange, his face seized up with laughter as he wiped the tears from his puffy eyes.
“Um…” (Y/N) questioned, pointing between Strange and her new audience member as he smirked and patted his hand on the heavyset man’s shoulder.
“Oh, yeah, right. (Y/N), Wong. Wong, the Winter Goddess, savior of Earth,” Strange introduced as (Y/N) nodded to Wong.
“Guessing you’re a wizard too, then?” (Y/N) teased as she began her descent down the staircase towards the men.
“If that’s what you call a protector of this dimension, then yes,” Wong bowed his head proudly as (Y/N) gave him a thumbs up. The moment he looked back up at her, he sighed. “Wow, you really are as pretty as Captain Rogers said.”
(Y/N) stopped in her tracks and looked the man up and down, making him increasingly nervous. Before he could apologize, she leaned against the railing, pointing at him with appreciation. “I like you, Wong.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief as Strange leaned over to Wong.
“She’s also as deadly as he said,” Strange warned, making (Y/N) smile.
“There’s a reason I’m marrying that man,” (Y/N) mused to herself as she tried to walk between the two men, but Strange stood in her way with crossed arms.
“And, where are you going?” Strange asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“To find Steve. Can’t really marry him, if I can’t find him, you know?” (Y/N) answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and to her, it was. Strange didn’t seem so moved, grabbing her wrist to spin her around as she tried to pass him again, leveling his observant eyes with hers.
“I know you have the Orb,” Strange accused, sending (Y/N)’s heartrate into a frenzy. The stone. How the fuck could she had forgotten about that? In a haste, (Y/N) patted her pockets for the Orb to find it tucked away in her thigh holster.
Relaxing, she smirked up to Strange. “What Orb?” she answered confidently. Strange let out a humorless huff with a look to Wong, then back to (Y/N).
“Don’t tell me you really think you can lie to me?” Strange asserted, raising (Y/N)’s wrist in his grasp, shaky fingers tapping her veins.
“Just did,” (Y/N) mocked, stealing her wrist back as she pushed her way between them towards the regal front door. “It was a real adrenaline rush.”
“We had a deal!” Strange called after her, referring to the deal he had made between himself, (Y/N), and Steve that if they were to come across the Orb, Strange would be the first one they contacted to reconnect (Y/N) with it for reasons that were never really explained. But, (Y/N) just shook her head.
“Maybe, I’m not ready for that kind of commitment yet,” (Y/N) joked, walking backwards with her shoulders shrugged. “Maybe, the stone and I can go to marriage counseling later when things are a bit more convenient, but until then…I gotta go, Penn & Teller. Break a leg during your performance, boys,” (Y/N) winked at them before turning back around to reach for the doorknob but was stopped by the sudden appearance of a golden sigil that blocked her exit. “So, this is how it’s gonna be, then?” (Y/N) groaned in annoyance, poking the magic that bounced back at her like a rubber band.
“You haven’t really given us much of a choice,” Strange argued, cracking his neck in preparation for whatever was about to happen.
“I’m not going to fight you,” (Y/N) sighed, facing the defensive wizards. “Mostly, because you don’t have a chance, but also…yeah, feel free to take offense,” (Y/N) pointed at Wong again who looked a bit crestfallen. “But also, I thought I was a welcomed guest? When did that change?”
“You are welcomed as a guest…to stay,” Wong explained slowly. “But not to leave.”
“That’s not a guest, that’s a prisoner,” (Y/N) snapped. “Or, do you need me to pull a dictionary from somewhere in this wizard’s lair to prove that to you?”
“You still don’t realize how important you are, do you?” Strange inquired as (Y/N) threw his arms in the air in defeat.
“Important for what?” (Y/N) yelled. “Why do you care so much? It’s not like another alien army is coming to piss on New York,” (Y/N) half-joked, her eyes widening in shock after Strange and Wong shared a knowing look. “Unless there is…you’ve gotta be shitting me! Holy fuck, what do you know? Who are they? What do they look like? Ugly? I’m guessing ugly, they always are-”
“All you need to know is that you must protect the stone,” Strange interrupted.
“Was already planning on doing that, Houdini,” (Y/N) mocked, giving Strange pause. (Y/N) sighed. “Just because I don’t want it, doesn’t mean that I trust anyone else with it…” (Y/N) admitted to her own surprise, letting her admission hang in the air. Strange gave a nod of approval, calmly lowering his hands without magic to submit his surrender.
“I don’t trust anyone else with it either,” Strange agreed. “All I need from you is your trust in me. I can help you, if you’ll let me.”
“And how the hell would you help me? Do all your party tricks include the use of an infinity stone?” (Y/N) teased defensively, still searching for a way to escape. “Hope you get tipped extra for that.”
Strange laughed quietly as he shook his head at (Y/N)’s indignation. “How your team has put up with you for this long is beyond me.”
“A lot of alcohol, I’ll tell you that much,” (Y/N) shot back, watching Strange closely as his fingers wrapped carefully around a large, antique necklace he was wearing. “What’s that?” (Y/N) asked, finally giving way to her curiosity.
“The answer to your question,” Strange responded smugly. “How do I know how to deal with an infinity stone?” Strange posited as he made some kind of witchy, voodoo hand motions that signaled the opening of the large locket that revealed an emerald stone casting a green glow in his eyes. “Probably because I’ve had a bit of experience. Really, it’s not a big deal having the ultimate power over time. I’m just honored to have been chosen for such a monumental task-”
“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point!” (Y/N) burst, making Strange laugh again. “Your modesty is over-fucking-whelming. So, alright, you know what you’re doing…probably. It still doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want the stone, you know, inside of me yet. It’s risky, but what else is new?”
“Well, if you’d let me finish,” Strange huffed, “I’d tell you that there’s a way to do that without surgery.”
“What? You’re gonna align my chakras?” (Y/N) bit back without hesitation.
“Despite the sarcasm, you’re very close,” Strange admitted, surprising (Y/N) as she looked over at Wong to see him nodding to her. “Take a seat, (Y/N), so we can discuss this properly,” Strange motioned for her to sit as the room faded away to become a new, more inviting atmosphere still within the Sanctum, and a chair was replaced beneath her ass. A fire crackled in the corner as (Y/N) felt heat pressed against her fingertips. Taking a peek inside the mug, her nose was met with the homely aroma of caramel and espresso, just what she had wanted.
“Impressive,” (Y/N) stated with her eyebrow cocked, coffee mug raised.
“Necessary. Your mind was practically begging for it,” Strange answered with a smirk as she took a sip. “Better?”
“Marginally,” (Y/N) responded, placing the mug on the table next to her to fold her arms across her chest as she got herself comfortable. “So, what’s all this about chakra aligning? You’ve semi-peaked my interest. Tell me more.”
“Just so we’re clear, I am not entirely on board with this idea,” Wong admitted, throwing Strange a shady look. “But I have faith in my friend and his gift for the mystic arts. I just hope the power hasn’t gone to his head.”
“It does seem like that would happen,” (Y/N) taunted snidely.
“Believe me, I have stories,” Wong whispered to her as he laughed.
Strange rolled his eyes. “So glad you’ve both found this situation amusing, but you can’t hide from this forever, (Y/N). A choice has to be made, and I need you to make the right one.”
“Then, lay it on me. I’m open to listen,” (Y/N) smiled, crossing her legs on the coffee table in front of her. She quickly found both men to be worthy allies. She couldn’t find any malice behind their intentions, even as Strange explained his methods that included drawing energy from the Dark Dimension.
“Is that the name of your sex tape?” (Y/N) asked immediately, sending Wong into a fit that even cracked a smile on Strange’s face.
“Oh, I wouldn’t need a name for my sex tape,” Strange boasted. “It would speak for itself.”
“Spoken as a true narcissist,” (Y/N) shook her head, thinking of Tony’s vulgar arrogance. “You really do remind me of someone. It’s un-fucking-canny.”
“Do you just throw the f-word in the middle of any word, or…? Because I think you might be writing your own dictionary at the moment,” Strange commented, making (Y/N) laugh, which surprised her. She looked between the two men and sighed, scrunching her nose at them.
“You’re so lucky I believe in the merits of meditation,” (Y/N) conceded.
“Does that mean you’re going through with the spell?” Strange asked, excitement popping from the dimples in his cheeks as he began to lean forward out of his chair.
“Not a chance in hell!” (Y/N) burst out laughing while Strange’s and Wong’s faces dropped, their jaws simultaneously hitting the floor as Strange fell back into his chair. Taking a final swig from her mug, (Y/N) stood from her chair with a stretch and a sigh. “But, it’s been really great catching up with both of you. Really, I’m charmed, but I have more pressing matters to tend to…like sleep.”
“Hey, wait!” Strange yelled, walking over to block her path. “I just explained exactly how this spell will work. I told you things that I’m probably not allowed to tell you, but it doesn’t matter. None of it will matter unless you are the one to protect the stone.”
“Oh, I’m not opposed to any of that,” (Y/N) shrugged, confusing Strange. “As of right now, I’m fully informed on how this could go down, but what I need to know is why I would want all of this to happen right here, right now,” (Y/N) explained. “I mean, what the hell is so urgent that I need to do this today? I need to know whatever you know. None of this cryptic, Harry Potter Chosen One shit. I can’t run headfirst into the dark without a flashlight.”
Just before Strange was about to answer, thunder pierced the ceiling of the Sanctum, raining debris from the destruction caused by a holographic tunnel of light that disappeared as soon as it appeared, leaving only the final cracks of wood on the staircase and the moans of someone in deep pain.
Before the sound even hit the building, all three heroes had their senses peeked, jumping into action the moment the meteor struck, defenses up and ready for a fight. Climbing the remnants of the staircase, they stared down into the crater made by the light and saw Bruce Banner shrouded by a cloud of dust, coughing and wheezing as his eyes frantically searched the ceiling to find the trio ready for war. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.
“Why didn’t I get this kind of grand entrance?” (Y/N) joked to the two confused wizards as she descended into the hole to help Bruce, extending her hand to him. “Hey, you okay?” She asked as he stood, pulling (Y/N) into an embrace.
“Thanos…” Bruce croaked into her ear, his voice cracking in pain as he pulled back to look into her eyes, curiosity and worry tugging at her furrowed brows. “Thanos is coming!” Bruce warned more clearly to Strange and Wong, then he turned back to (Y/N) with more urge as he shook her shoulders. “He’s coming.”
“I, uh…” (Y/N) stuttered, trying to find words as she looked towards Strange. “Is this the ‘why’ you wouldn’t tell me about?” She accused Strange who nodded to her as Wong’s magic sigils flickered out.
“I suppose there’s nothing holding back the truth now,” Strange acquiesced.
“There wasn’t anything to begin with!” (Y/N) yelled, throwing him a look as she shook her head and turned back to Bruce. “Let’s talk more about this somewhere that’s not falling apart…and maybe, get us both a shower.”
“That’d be nice,” Bruce agreed as Strange and Wong helped the two out of the crater, Bruce’s arm still around (Y/N)’s shoulders as she propped him up and led him to a chair that Strange manipulated. Immediately, Bruce launched into a play by play (to the best of his memory) of what went down on the ship after he thinks (Y/N) went missing. “Thanos. He’s…he’s a plague, (Y/N). He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York. That’s him.”
(Y/N) laughed humorlessly. “So, this Thanos motherfucker is the ultimate, then? Goddamn…remember when we thought Loki was the worst? That was cute. Downright adorable…” (Y/N) trailed off bitterly.
“Is he not still the worst?” Bruce questioned, finding comfort in finally being able to sit down. “Did I miss something?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” (Y/N) pondered. “I think he tried to protect me by sending me here.”
“So, Loki sent you?” Bruce asked. “Heimdall told me you were safe, but…it was Loki?”
“I mean, as far as I know,” (Y/N) shrugged. “But…you were saying about Thanos. What does he want?”
“He wants what we already have,” Strange interjected, reminding (Y/N) of the heavy weight pressing against her thigh as he showed Bruce the Time Stone.
“Loki’s gift,” (Y/N) whispered as she pulled the stone from her holster, allowing it’s glow to shower the room until it faded in her hand. Bruce charged her immediately, attempting to take it from her hand.
“We have to get rid of that,” Bruce demanded, but (Y/N) tucked it away in her pocket. “If he doesn’t have all six stones, then he can’t win, and (Y/N)…he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way. There’s no hiding it. We have to destroy it-”
“I can’t,” (Y/N) asserted, silencing the room. “Loki gave me this for a reason. Maybe he knows something that we don’t. He worked with Thanos before…was controlled by him…he knows him better than any of us, and he told me to protect the stone.”
“It’s Loki!” Bruce exclaimed in disbelief. “How could you trust him? For all we know, he’s been working with Thanos this whole time!”
“Well, Loki’s not the only one who thinks that I should,” (Y/N) confessed, cocking her eyebrow at Strange.
“No, no, no,” Bruce argued before Strange could even begin, pointing his finger at the sorcerer. “Don’t you dare try to put any of these ideas into her head! She’s already prone to life-threatening situations, and this-”
“Has to happen,” Strange interjected. “Wong and I swore an oath to protect the Time Stone, and (Y/N) has to protect the Power Stone. It’s the only way.”
“No!” Bruce denied, pacing back and forth in front of (Y/N). “No…I saw Thanos. I fought him…you don’t understand, he’s not like anything we’ve ever fought before. Ultron was child’s play compared to this.”
“Maybe because you and Tony programmed him to go out like a little bitch.”
“Tony!” Bruce shouted, unphased by (Y/N)’s dig. “Tony, we have to talk to him, or Steve, or Nat…” Bruce persuaded, but (Y/N) was unmoved.
“I already told you Bruce. We’re not the Avengers anymore, we’re on our own now,” (Y/N) sighed, but Bruce laughed in shock.
“Half the world hangs in the balance, and you’re willing to give all that up because of a stupid fight you had?” Bruce pointed out, making (Y/N) feel guilty. He was completely right, and she had already known that. But the thought of seeing Tony again tied knots in the pit of her stomach.
“If you want to talk to him, then you go find him,” (Y/N) relinquished with a huff, then peered up at Strange. “But I’m a bit busy at the moment. Apparently, I have some destiny to satisfy.” Strange smirked to her as she rolled her eyes.
“What are you…what are you planning on doing with it?” Bruce panicked.
“Don’t worry about it-”
“(Y/N), all I do is worry these days, and you not telling me isn’t helping,” Bruce yelled back, a little green peeking out under his collar.
“God,” (Y/N) moaned, rubbing her temples. “We’re all gonna die young being this stressed all the time. Look, if Thanos is as hell-bent on his plan as you say he is, then what’s to say that destroying the stones won’t just be a minor setback? It sounds like the only way to stop him would be to kill him, and if that’s the case, then we might want to suit up with the best weapons we have.”
“(Y/N)-”
“I’m not going to be helpless, Bruce!” (Y/N) snapped, cutting him off. “If I can be the one to kill him, then I will. And that’s a goddamn promise.” She shouted, her voice cracking as tears filled her eyes, and that’s when Bruce realized she wasn’t talking about Thanos. Gently, Bruce put his hand on her shoulder.
“This isn’t Hydra,” Bruce proclaimed calmly, finding her determined eyes. She had told him everything about what Hydra did to her when they shoved a piece of the Orb in her chest in the first place. He knew the pain she went through, but now wasn’t the time for her insecurities to come through. “You don’t have to prove anything. Destroying the stone would be the smartest thing to do.”
“Is it, though?” (Y/N) croaked, pulling herself away from Bruce to stand beside Strange and Wong. “I guess we’ll see soon enough.”
“Come on, (Y/N). You know better than this,” Bruce pleaded, but she’d made her choice.
“I know what I feel, and this feels right. I’ve been right about a lot more things than I think I’m given credit for, so it’s about time I went with where my mind wants me to go,” (Y/N) declared turning to the sorcerers. “Let’s do this.”
Strange nodded as he smashed into his hands into the air as if to shatter an invisible mirror that fractured the space’s molecules into fragments of reality. It was a beautiful art to witness.
“Shall we?” Strange coaxed as he motioned (Y/N) into the portal that she couldn’t keep her eyes off of, fascinated by the reflective colors in the nonexistent glass that sparkled like diamonds in the daylight.
“I hope you’re right about this!” Bruce called out to her, but she kept her head down and ignored him.
“Me too,” she muttered as the portal closed behind her, leaving only her and Strange in the silent foyer of the Sanctum. She turned to see Bruce and Wong behind her, but neither of them could see or hear her any longer, despite Bruce’s efforts. The only difference in the room was the amethyst light that flowed in from all windows of the room and the random fragments in the space around them. “So, this is the Mirror Dimension? Very Room of Requirement-y.”
“If all you’re going to do is make Harry Potter references-”
“Okay, I’ll stop…for now…” (Y/N) smirked cheekily, making Strange sigh.
“Please, take a seat,” Strange commanded as he sat down in the center of the room and (Y/N) followed suit to sit right in front of him, both crossing their legs as if they were about to start a yoga class. “So, you know the mechanics behind what we’re about to do, all I need from you is to do exactly what I say.”
(Y/N) made a face, then laughed. “Sorry, force of habit. Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
“Good, because I don’t want to deal with the consequences if something happened to you,” Strange complained. “Your friends are very…protective.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” (Y/N) huffed, but secretly allowed herself a small smile. “And you’re right. You wouldn’t like to know either.”
“Perfect. So, let’s make sure you don’t fall into the wrong reality and get lost forever in space. I’m sure it’s happened before, but not today. Ready?”
“Well, after that pitch…of course I am,” (Y/N) affirmed sarcastically as Strange folded his hands together and told her to close her eyes and breathe. The first few minutes were just like any guided meditation class. Mentions of good intentions and staying focused on her breath and allowing her mind to relax, until Strange asked her to give him the stone. (Y/N)’s eyes shot open and the spell that surrounded them dissolved, making Strange groan.
“Oh, come on!” Strange sighed. “Obviously, I need the stone to make the spell work. We went over this!”
“I know, I know,” (Y/N) huffed, shaking her head. “It’s just…you know, you’re putting a lot of pressure on someone who still forgets to change the oil in her car every six months,” she admitted, blowing the wisps of baby hair from her face in frustration.
“Three months,” Strange corrected her, making (Y/N)’s eyes grow even wider.
“Shit…Steve’s gonna kill me,” (Y/N) whispered as Strange let out an exasperated moan and rubbed his temples. It took every ounce of strength in her to pull that stone out of her pocket. Simultaneously, it felt like the most right thing, but also the absolute worst thing she could do…because that made sense. Either way, Strange perked up immediately, embracing the stone in his hand that he weighed with a skeptical crease between his brows. “What?” (Y/N) asked, worried that something was wrong, but Strange waved her off.
“I’m not an expert on Infinity Stones, as much as I would like to claim, but uh…I don’t think this is the whole stone,” Strange guessed as (Y/N) froze. “Maybe only half, I’m not…certain…are you okay?”
“That greasy, sleeze ball scammed me!” (Y/N) shouted. “And just when I thought he might’ve done something right for once-”
“He did,” Strange argued, holding up the stone. “It’s still an Infinity Stone, and it will still give you the power you need, so pull yourself together, and let’s start this over again, alright?”
(Y/N) just glared at the ceiling. “Selling me a dud…I’ll show him…” she muttered as she roughly shifted back into her yoga pose and Strange began his calming mantra once again. His hands caressed hers gently, pressing the stone into the palms of her hands as he continued to drone in a soothing voice that lulled (Y/N) into a state of peace that was spreading warmth through her body.
Simple. Easy. Sleepy. Really sleepy. Passing out…good-fucking-nigh….t….
“Wake.”
She felt the chill of the table before the burn of the serum. And she felt the straps ripping her bare skin over large sections of her body before she even opened her eyes. And she recognized his voice before she even saw his face.
“Keep squirming. Because that’s treated you so well, 437,” Doctor 7 (she numbered them in her head) spit in her ear in Romanian, automatically springing tears from her eyes just at the sound of his tongue so close to her skin as he licked his lips, herself not ready for her worst fear to come back and in a way that was so disturbingly real. This couldn’t be real…but she could smell the familiar mints he used to seduce the nurses who wanted nothing to do with him, so he took his rejection anger out on his patients instead. “One of these days you’ll admit this turns you on, maybe then I’ll take you home with me,” he moaned hungrily under his breath that made (Y/N) want to vomit, but she knew that they might just let her choke and die on the table…or at least almost choke, then tip her over at the last second just to see how long she could last…like the first time she tried.
Her voice caught in her throat, only coming out in a sharp whimper that caused Doctor 7 to grin as he continued to prep his table of surgical equipment, cleaning the blades with disinfectant that incinerated (Y/N)’s nose and made it that much more difficult to breath as she started to hyperventilate. If she had had time to shut her body and mind down to absolve her pain, she would have, but her surprise was damning, and Doctor 7 knew that as his fingertips scraped her skin to drag the thin sheeting away from her chest to expose the last bit of dignity she had left. Burying the marker where her heart was, he sketched the all-too-familiar outline of where he planned to cut out her insides just to watch her bleed…for science. He knew what he was doing, but (Y/N) never doubted the sadism behind his eyes, no matter the crucial medical knowledge he claimed to the Hydra higher-ups that he had.
Wincing away from his scarred face, (Y/N)’s eyes scrambled for something, anything to be weaponized and bury into his skull, but she was hopelessly alone, feeling the apathetic eyes behind the two-way glass that bared down on her like cement crushing a weed in the dirt.
Once the marker left her skin, (Y/N) knew what was to replace it, and became animalistic, clawing at the table to only get lead buried under her broken, bloodied fingertips as her teeth tried to sink into her restraints, but the doctor shoved her head into the table with a crunch that (Y/N) heard ricochet in her head with the splintering of bone. Dazed, the ceiling swam in and out of focus until light pierced her brain like a dozen explosions bursting behind her eyes, but she couldn’t escape its perversion that left her body vulnerable to his hands.
“Patient 437 prepped. Permission to proceed with Experiment 19-124?” the Doctor requested with his hands fastened behind his back, body at attention for the eyes behind the glass.
“Proceed,” a woman’s voice allowed, no inflection in her voice despite the order she just commanded for a 12-year-old girl to be sliced open.
With the Hydra salute, the doctor fitted his mask to his face and snapped his gloves into place in (Y/N) left ear, leaving it ringing as the only noise that filled the room afterwards was the beeping of the machines she was tied to and the scrape of metal on metal as his fingers wrapped around his instruments.
(Y/N) could feel her heart pound harder than ever, beginning to strain in uneven beats that left her gasping for air, sweat trickling down her temples and into her eyes that she tried to blink away, but she was helpless. Her entire body was on fire, the flames surrounding her heart and squeezing it as if to stop it from beating as a mercy killing. Every muscle was tense against the restraints, bruising her skin in the most gruesome ways, but her adrenaline was murderous and unrelenting, until…until the blade sunk into her skin and her whole body went cold. Freezing cold. A statue she became as she froze, feeling every icy stroke of the scalpel slice her skin. If she moved, she was dead. She knew that. The cease of her breath only caused her heart to beat faster, but it was instinct.
She felt the scalpel lift from her chest and felt a rubber-clad hand pat her arm.
“Now that’s a good girl,” the Doctor cooed down at her, a smile crinkling the skin around his eyes. Only (Y/N)’s eyes moved towards his face in a glare, the hatred in them so pure it would’ve terrified the doctor if he hadn’t been so used to it. “If only all the patients could be as helpful as you are to the cause. It would make my job a hell of a lot easier. You’re going to make one of the finest assets to date if you survive this. Just be a good girl and…hold…still…”
Slowly peering over his shoulder, the Doctor witnessed all of his scalpels levitating behind him, blades pointed straight for his heart. The overwhelming fear on his face was enough to bring a smile to her own face as she choked out, “you first.”
And it was over. His collection was buried in his chest before he could scream, sending his body crashing against the table (Y/N) was still strapped to as alarms blared around her, but she was dead set on survival. Fingertips shaking, one of the largest bloody scalpels that was buried inside of the doctor’s body was pressed into (Y/N)’s fist as she began to cut away at the fibers, getting faster with each passing moment. Tears and sweat mingled into a stinging blur, but her fingers kept sawing…and sawing…until she cut away enough to force her body free, immediately shoving her right hand over her heart to stop the spill of blood as she seized a towel to press against the wound.
The second her toes hit the ground, her knees gave out and the room went sideways as (Y/N)’s right shoulder hit the gurney and smashed into the floor. Once her eyes opened, she was met with Doctor 7′s corpse, bloodshot eyes still wide in terror but yet to blink, crimson spilling from his limp jaw that pooled around (Y/N)’s cheek. In a snap, (Y/N) was awake, pushing herself away under the table as the door to the room banged open. Instantly, the first man went down with a scalpel in his ankle from the whip of (Y/N)’s wrist. Taking the other man down at the knees, (Y/N) stabbed him the back with the broken headlamp that crashed from the ceiling after the Doctor went down. Barreling down the hallway, (Y/N)’s shoulder hit the wall again as she forced herself to continue running despite the way the hallway tipped from side to side as if she was in a boat that was about to capsize, painfully taking out guards as she went.
She stumbled until she was met with a wide-open space filled to the brim with Hydra agents in all black and scientists in white lab coats that (Y/N) sprinted straight through causing papers to fly, guns to go off, and people to shout. She had no idea what she was doing, it didn’t feel right, but she didn’t know what else to do. Hide? They’ll find her. They’ll probably catch her too, but (Y/N)’s legs had a mind of their own at this point, until…they stopped. Everything stopped when she witnessed two figures bound to wooden chairs she easily recognized as the ones from her kitchen when she was a little girl, sending chills down her spine, making her feel smaller than ever. Black hoods were over their heads, but (Y/N) knew…she knew…
But before she could speak, one of the hoods was taken off one of the hostage’s heads to reveal the freckled face of her older brother…broken and scared but assuring when his eyes met hers.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” his voice echoed in her head taking her back to the moment before he was shot, stealing her breath away as she stared into his blue eyes that suddenly widened in shock, but his warning came too late. Bodies buried her as (Y/N) let out a scream as she fought them off with both hands, her own blood slickening the floor as there was nothing to staunch the flow any longer, leaving her feeling dizzier and more confused after each heartbeat. With her back to the ground, (Y/N) held off an attacker, her head jerked to the side as the agent’s fist met (Y/N)’s face. Eyes trailing to the side, she spotted it. An amethyst glow that sent her heart into a frenzy in a good way. Hope.
Shoving the woman off of her, (Y/N) shakily stood to stumble to the stone that was shining like a beacon inside a cage that had been displayed in the center of the building, but the pleas of a woman caught her attention. It was her mother begging for (Y/N)’s life. And this wasn’t in memory. It was so clear as if (Y/N) was reliving the moment all over again. Again, she knew exactly what was to come next, but she had to pull herself away. She had to let it go. What happened had happened, and this was only a dream.
It’s only a dream.
It’s only a dream.
It’s only a-
Two shots. Her heart stopped, but her legs kept moving, trudging away from her past, from the worst moments of her life. The moments when she felt the confidence in herself drain from her body and fear fill its place. These are the moments when her innocence died.
Howling through the cacophony of screams from the Hydra agents that surrounded her, (Y/N) killed them instantly, not a hesitation in her mind as she reached towards the Orb, straining every muscle in her body even after a bullet pierced her spine, she reached for Nirvana. Even when the screams of Steve, Bruce, Nat, Wanda, Clint, and Tony pierced her mind, she reached beyond what she knew her body was even capable of…this was the only way.
Grazing the stone, she felt peace for a moment. The world became alight in lavender color as a sense of safety caressed her heart in warmth.
That was before the pain ripped her head back in an awful scream as the stone tore the skin from her body with the sheer power of its touch. In a tornado of light, (Y/N) was rocketed through the galaxies, dimensions whipping past her at speeds that were lost upon her as she began to black out, but her body hit the wooden floors of the Sanctum first, landing on her stomach, everything halted.
Slowly propping herself up on her elbows, she crossed her right hand over her heart to staunch the bleeding, expecting to feel the sticky warmth running between her fingers, but instead she felt chills coursing through the veins in her arms. As her eyes focused, she stared down at her hand that glowed in purple light from within her veins, black and silver magic wisping off of her fingertips like otherworldly flames as she flexed them in wonder, still barely breathing.
“(Y/N)!” A familiar voice called out, himself breathless as well, but she didn’t care. (Y/N) balled her hand into a fist as she turned towards the voice to see Tony with worry lines creasing his face, Bruce and Wong standing behind him.
The knot tightened in (Y/N)’s stomach, threatening to choke her.
**Hi, I’m the Worst. I don’t know why I think these dream sequences are necessary (maybe becuase they’re not you overdramatic corndog), but they keep happening. Anyway, let me know if you have any questions or comments! I have absolutely loved talking with you all more! Your messages have been so incredible and I just wanted to say thank you. It’s so interesting to really get to know the people behind the screens (s/o to Tiger Snakes). Hope you’re all having a great day and that this story didn’t ruin that for any of you (sorry, but as previously mentioned I’m the Worst). Follow and like for more xx
**Let me know if you would like to be tagged in the rest of this series!
