Alex's POV

"Alex, we know that hydra is the monster. We know you aren't a monster. So don't do this. Don't burn this building.." Nat, bless her heart, is really trying here.

"But it's beyond that.

"Why the fuck not?!" Things are escalating.

"Show us you aren't the monster you were made to be," oh I know Captain capture the flag isn't trying to act like he understands me, like he knows what I've been though, what I am.

"And I do that by not burning this shit hole to the ground? Everything is just magically okay, then?" Sarcasm. Because, come on, we know this is leading somewhere else. Mostly for me.

Wandas turn, "No, everything won't be magically okay. But we can work that out, we will figure it out. We just need to step away from this situation, away from the building.."

"Holy mother of fuck. Why? I seriously don't understand why the hell you all care so much about this building. So why? Hm? Why is this damn building so gosh damn important to you?" I wince as my clothes rub against my arm, trying my best not to show it. We're on the second level now, things are elevating, I can't lose it now.

"It's not about the building, Alex.."

"Then what?! Why the fuck does it matter that I'm burning hydra bases down? Ones you've known about? Ones you could have easily taken down yourselves, but instead you left them standing, left operating."

"They aren't operational. They have been long abandoned. You're just going around destroying for the hell of it," Tony is really burning this bridge from both ends, here.

"You are a lot of stupid ass fucks if you think these aren't being used. It's hydra. And they've been operating right under your watchful eyes this whole time. So doesn't that make you the accomplices?"

"What the hell are you talking about? These haven't been touched.."

"Since the last time they touched them. Open your damn eyes! You are only seeing what they want you to see!"

"Oh, come off of it. We've had operatives on watch of each station, no moves were made," Tony still thinks he knows more on this. Okay.

"Yeah. Your highly trained, highly pay- off - able operatives. Is your mind too closed off that you didn't think that maybe, just maybe, you have some double crossers? Or hell, that hydra might actually be able to sneak around a couple of tired underpaid shield agents? I thought you were suppose to be a genius." Tony doesn't like that. I can see his jaw clenching from here.

"There's no way, we would have known. You're lying. Lying to save your own ass. You're under somebody's pay being told what to do. I don't know if you're hydra or-"

Oh, hell no. "Stop saying I'm with hydra. Don't get your pantries in a twist just because I called your little organization out for its blind spots. You got what you wanted out of hydra. So you moved on. Pretending like the problem was taken care of, like it didn't exist. The big, powerful superheroes saved the day."

He wants to say something, he really does.

"Here's a not so new one for you, you were wrong. Hydra never stopped. You did." Damn. It feels good to finally let this all out. Almost makes up for the wooziness I'm feeling right about now.

"So you.. you're saying hydra has been active this whole time? That they never stopped?" Wanda asks carefully.

I turn, ready to ream into her as well for asking such a dumb question, holding back a small cry of pain, a few ragged breaths from just a small move. But then I see the fear in her eyes. And it's not for me.

"Yes. You didn't stop shit. You took one of their toys and destroyed the crazy take-over- the- world robot that your little science buddies created. Hydra has been around for hundreds of years. You think that stopped them?" I'm still a bit harsh. But so is this situation.

Wanda seems lost. Horrified, even. And my heart is begging me to take her in my arms, to comfort her in any way that I can.

I almost do. Almost.

"I still don't get it.. you knew hydra was still operating.."

"Yes because I'm not stupid enough to believe they ever stopped."

"But, you didn't say anything? You didn't warn us or-"

"Or nothing. If you cared about hydra truly being gone, you would have finished the job in the first place. You wouldn't have stopped at the hydra base where you found the little toy you let Loki take. But you didn't. And you don't. You're a bunch of selfish assholes that are perfectly fine with an organization ripping kids from their families to experiment on them or undermining people from your own side."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it, though? If I had come up to your little treehouse and tried to tell you that I know hydra is still out there terrorizing people, would you have actually listened? Honestly? Because I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a swift kick in the ass right by the front door then been sent on my way," I challenge.

No comment. Isn't that just perfect?

I nod my head accepting the silence as the answer, "right. So, as I was about to-"

"Why do you care?" Wow. A little out of Steve's comfort zone to challenge me, but okay.

"Why shouldn't I care, fossil?"

"That's not- why do you care so much."

"Why don't you care more!" These little shits.

That stopped him, though.

"Alex.."

"No. For being the 'good guys' you sure as hell don't act like it. There are people out there, kids, families, that are being torn from their homes and you don't-" damn voice breaking. "You don't care."

"That's not true. We had no idea.." Nat again. Wanda is still zoned out.

"That's really convenient. Can we just not do this? I feel like we're going around in circles? Let's just all save our breath, yeah?" I clap my hands together, little too harshly. Which seems to snap Wanda out of her daze and over to me.

She spots the back of my hand immediately, concern flashing over her features. I quickly hide my hands.

"Right, so.."

Wanda steps even closer to me. And I can't hide it anymore, so I step back.

"Alex. Please just.. help me understand."

"Why should I?" I can't help but shout at her. In hurt and pain and fear. Hurt from her actions. Physical pain. Fear she'll notice.

I'm actually very surprised she hasn't read my mind yet. Or.. maybe she has? Is that why she was so out of it? I thought it was because of the whole hydra- is -still -around -and -kicking thing. But maybe..

"I know I don't deserve an explanation. But I.. I just," she takes a long breath. "I can't change the reaction I had, no matter how much I want to. It kills me that I've made you feel like this, that I pushed you away. I will forever be sorry and it will forever haunt me. But please, don't do this." The pain in her voice.. the way she's begging me..

She knows.

Which means I have to do this quickly.

"Enough of the sob show," I take a large step away from Wanda, not daring to look at her. If I do, I'll break. I won't be able to do this. "You see, you think there's been too much, but I don't think there's been enough destruction.

I look back to the building, letting the reminder of what it is, what they do, what it stands for, grow in me along side the burning. The once throbbing ache from the previous burns flaring to life once again. I do my best to shake it off and press forward.

I hear Wanda yell 'no', but I don't let it stop me.

The spark started right in the front where everybody could see. Slow at first, testing to see where it should go first. Then, like striking a match and throwing it on gasoline, the flames picked up speed, chasing each other around the house in a race to consume the most.

Soon I had it covering the whole building, the heat reaching out for us as the flames flickered closer.

Damn. Is it the fire or is it me? It's insanely warm. I know this is an unprecedented amount of sweat pouring from me. Gross.

I knew I was pushing myself. Teleporting from place to place as fast as I did, burning everything to ashes before I left; it's draining every last bit of energy I have. It took a couple of weeks to recover from rescuing them from the last fire, and it wasn't this bad.

The burns are growing, I feel it along my arms, taking off from where it stopped last time. I have to bite my tongue until I taste the blood to stop myself from letting out the scream that's begging to be released.

This little chatting break we've had has been fun, but it's going to take every drop I have left in me to do this. That's why I let their words fuel me. Let the fire in me build up to an almost exploding level.

I know I'm barely hanging on as I see the building start to succumb to the flames, the roar of the fire ringing in my ears. Or.. is it the fire?

Shit. It's getting worse.

But that's why I left this building for last. Just in case it was my last. I just need to take this last building with me..