The base had been unusually quiet for the last day and a half, but nobody really questioned it.
With the back-to-back missions and the mountain of paperwork Val had dumped on everyone, the Thunderbolts were all exhausted. They just assumed you were finally taking the "me-time" you’d been hinting at.
The last person to see you was Alexei, three nights ago. He’d stumbled into the kitchen at midnight for a glass of water and saw you standing by the sink in the dark. He’d made a joke about "ghosts in the pantry," and you’d just given him a tiny, ghost of a smile before heading back to your room.
He didn't notice how cold your hand was when it brushed his, or how you didn't even have the lights on.
Thirty-six hours passed.
Yelena was the one who finally broke the silence. She’d walked past your door four times that morning, each time getting more annoyed that you hadn't checked in for the morning briefing.
"Okay, enough with the beauty sleep," Yelena muttered, not even knocking as she pushed the door open.
"Val is breathing down my neck about the reports and I need—"
She stopped dead in the doorway. The first thing that hit her wasn't the sight, but the smell. The air in the room was heavy and stale, thick with the metallic, copper scent of blood.
The curtains were drawn tight, sealing the room in a grey, suffocating twilight.
"Hey?" Yelena’s voice lost all its sharp authority, turning small and uncertain.
She stepped toward the bed. You were lying there, looking so still that for a second, she thought you were just in a deep sleep.
But then she saw the dark, dried stains on the white sheets—a map of all the pain you’d been carrying alone while they were busy arguing about mission specs.
"No... no, no, no," Yelena whispered, the files in her hand hitting the floor with a dull thud.
She lunged for the bed, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She grabbed your shoulder, turning you over, and the breath left her lungs.
Your skin was like ice, and your face was a mask of exhaustion that had finally gone permanent.
"Alexei! Ava!" Yelena screamed, the sound echoing down the hallway in a way that made the entire base go silent.
She didn't wait for them. She scrambled onto the bed, her hands shaking so violently she could barely find the pulse point on your neck. Still. She saw the signs now—all of them.
The way you’d been giving away your favorite books last week. The way you’d stopped making eye contact. The way you’d said "I'm tired" in a way that didn't mean you needed sleep.
"I’m right here," she sobbed, pulling your limp body against her chest, her fingers tangling in your hair. "I’m right here, please. I’m sorry I didn't knock sooner. I'm sorry I didn't ask."
Alexei and Ava burst into the room, their faces shifting from confusion to absolute horror as they took in the scene.
The "invincible" team stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the girl they had failed to see. Failed to save...
Yelena rocked you back and forth, her tears disappearing into your shirt. She had spent her whole life learning how to survive, but she realized then that she had never learned how to make sure the people she loved survived, too.
"Open your eyes," she pleaded into the silence of the room. "Please. I'll listen now. I'll listen to everything."
...