I walked into the room, my breath catching when i realized where i was- Hydra. The chair, the restraints, the cold metal table filled with wires and needles. It was all exactly as I remembered.

They strapped me down, connecting cords to my arms and chest, the air thick with sterilized metal and fear. My eyes flicked to the tray beside me.

"What are those for?" I asked, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be.

"Today you'll be injected with a variation of the super soldier serum. It will enhance your physical abilities." The scientist said

I swallowed hard and nodded.

The first needle entered my arm- and fire ripped through my veins.

I bit back the scream until I couldn't anymore. My body ached off the table as I cried out, my vision flashing white.

"Stop! Please- please, no more" I begged, tears streaming down my face.

They didn't listen.

When it was finally over, two guards grabbed me, dragging me down the hall.

"You'll fight until you win" one of them said, shoving me into the training room.

My legs trembled, my skin burning- but I could feel something. Strength. Power. The serum was working.

A guard at least five times my size stepped into the ring.

"Began"

I raised my fists. The moment he lunged, instinct took over. My movements were faster, sharper- almost too fast. The power in my arms felt unreal.

It didn't take long before I had him pinned to the floor, his breath knocked out.

The Hydra leader nodded from the shadows.
"Impressive" he said

Then he turned away.
"Take her back" he said

By the time they threw me into the cell again, my body collapsed. I could barely move. But Alexander wasn't there.

My chest tightened.

When they finally dragged him in, I could barely recognize him. Blood covered his face. He didn't  even lift his head.

I crawled over, lifting his head into my lap.
"Alex. Are you okay?" I whisper

"Everything hurts" he rasped.

"Shh" I said softly, brushing the hair from his face.
"It's okay. Just rest" I said

He closed his eyes. I held him until sleep pulled me under too.

"Hmm." Hailey's voice hummed behind me, snapping me out of the memory.
"The broken pieces of you are adding up, buttercup. I have a theory, but I need more." She said

She waved her hand, and another door appeared.

I walked through it and instantly knew where I was.

"So tell me" she said, stepping beside me.
"where are we?" She asked

"Shield compound.. It was my tenth birthday. Hydra sent us on a mission" I said quietly.

I watched myself and Alexander moving through the base. I was smaller, quicker- hunched over a computer, fingers flying over the keys.

"Come on, come on- hurry up" I mutter as the progress bar crawled forward.

"You think you could move any faster?" Alex whispered beside me.

"Tell that to the computer!" I hissed back

He smirked.
"Some birthday" he said

I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, best one yet" I say

The download hit 100%. I yanked the flash drive and pocketed it.

"Got it. Let's go" I say

"There! Stop them!"

"Okay- time to run!" I shouted, grabbing Alex's arm.

We sprinted through the corridors, bullets whizzing past our heads.
I turned a corner and ducked into an alleyway, pulling him with me.

"Shh" I whispered as guards thundered past. We waited until the noise faded.

I exhaled shakily.
"Alright, let's get back to the helicopter-" I start

But I stopped.
Alex wasn't moving.

"Alex?" I ask

He stood frozen, his hands pressed to his stomach. When he pulled them away, they were red.

"Alex!" I screamed, catching him as he fell.

Three bullet holes. Too much blood. Too fast.

"No, no, no " I whispered, pressing my hands to the wounds.
"Alex, please, stay with me. You're okay, you're fine, you're-" I cry

He smiled weakly.
"Lizzie...." His voice was barely a whisper.
"It's okay" he added

"No. No don't you dare say that." My tears fell fast, splattering against his uniform.
"Please, alex. You can't leave me. I need you" I say

He looked at me, eyes soft, almost peaceful.
"I love you" he said

Then his chest fell.

"Alex?" my voice cracked.
"Alex, no, no, no! I love you too! Please, come back. Please!" I cried

But he didn't move.

The sound of boots echoed behind me. Hydra.

I turned and saw them- cold, faceless men marching through the rain.

I looked back down at him. His necklace glinted in the dim light- a thin chain with a ring on the end. The one we'd found under the tree when we were little.

My hands trembled as I took it from his neck, holding it tightly.

Hands grabbed me, then Alex.

"Don't touch him!" I screamed as they dragged me away.

They carried his body the other direction. I never saw where they took him.

"If only you knew you could've saved him" Hailey said.
"Next memory" she chirped.

She opened another door, and I was standing on a Hydra testing room again. The scepter sat on a pedestal.

"State your name and age" a voice crackled through the speaker.

I swallowed hard.
"Elizabeth. Thirteen" I said

"Approach the stone"

I hesitated, taking a step closer. The light grew brighter.

Before I could move more, the stone moved- shooting across the room, hovering inches from my face.

I stared at it, my heart pounding. Slowly, I reached out.

The moment my fingers brushed its surface, the world exploded into light.

Energy surged through my body, cold and electric, like being ripped apart from the inside.

Through the blinding light, I thought I saw a figure- arms outstretched, surrounded by the same blue glow.

And then- darkness.

"So, miss Elizabeth got up close and personal with one of the infinity stones. They didn't just unlock your powers- they amplified them" she said

I blinked, disoriented.
"What?" I mumbled.

She took a step closer, her tone sharp and cruel.

"Let's recap, shall we? Your biological parents? Dead. Adoptive parents? Dead. The planet you were born on? Gone. Both of your so called brothers? Dead. Two mentors? Dead. Father figure in a coma because of you. Everything you love....gone in one snap." She said

"Stop" I whispered, tears burning my eyes.
"please. I can't do this anymore" I said

"Come on, Elizabeth! You're on the precipice. You are right there! Tell me how you achieved it. Everyone was gone. All because of one person. You wanted him to pay." She said

My heart pounded. Her words echoed.

"I wanted him to pay." I said quietly.

She opened another door.

I stepped through.
"I wanted him to pay." I repeated under my breath.

Thanos was standing again, sliding the last stone into his gauntlet.

"No" I breathed.

I flew toward him, but he was faster. He raised his hand- ready to snap- until Tony grabbed him.

Thanos easily threw him aside, but it was enough. Just enough time.

I landed in front of him, blue energy exploding from my hands, locking around his arm.

"Ah...Elizabeth Pandora" he said, his tone almost calm.
"You reek of fear" he said

"Yeah, maybe I do" I said, power building.
"but you know what I say to fear?" I asked

The air cracked.
"Fuck off" I said

I hit him with everything i had. Blasts of light, raw power, pure rage. Every punch burned. Every strike made the world tremble.

He hit me hard, sent me crashing into the dirt. Pain shot through my chest, but I forced myself up.

Thanos straightened, tightening his gauntlet.
"You're weak. And I...." he raised his hand.

"...Am inevitable" he said

He snapped.

Nothing happened.

He looked down- the stones were gone.

He looked back up. And saw me.

The stones hovered above my hands, glowing, screaming.

"No" I said, breath trembling.
"I'm not weak" I said

The energy tore through me, every nerve on fire. But I didn't stop.

"I am..." I gasped, vision blurring.
"...Elizabeth Pandora" I said

And then I snapped.

"Fascinating" hailey whispered.

"What is?" I asked, voice shaking.

"You didn't see that?" She asked

"Honey, why do you think you didn't die from the snap? Your powers saved you. You didn't just use the stones. You connected to them" she said

I said nothing. I could still feel it- the echo of that connection deep inside me.

Then, in a flash, I was back in the basement. Hailey was gone.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Help us, please!"

My heart dropped. Billy and Tommy.

I sprinted toward their voices, bursting through the door and out into the open.

Bailey floated in the air, purple magic coiling from her hands like snakes. Two glowing ropes were wrapped around Billy and Tommy's throats.

"Billy? Tommy?" I gasped.

"I know what you are" Hailey said coldly.

"Elizabeth!" They both cried.

"Let them go" I said, my voice trembling with power.

Hailey tugged, and they both groaned in pain.

"You have no idea how dangerous you are. You could end the world without batting an eye. You're supposed to be a myth- A being capable of spontaneous creation and destruction all at the same time and here you are, trying to save people who don't even care for your well being" She said

"I said, let them go" i warned, my hands glowing bright blue.

Hailey smirked.
"You hold the power to bring the world down on its knees. This is Chaos Magic and Madness Sorcery, Elizabeth." She said

Her eyes darkened, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"And that makes you....the Sapphire Soldier" she said