Between Time- MCU

The sun filtered softly through the windows of the Avengers' lower training deck — not the big gym the others used for heavy sparring and full-team workouts, but the smaller one tucked away near the south wing. It was quieter here. Private. Which was exactly why Alex had chosen it.

She adjusted the wrap around her knuckles, the same way Natasha had shown her weeks ago. She pulled the last loop tight, then flexed her fingers a few times just to make sure the tension was right.

It had been a few days since her talk with Fury. A week since she'd found the file. Everything still lingered, the ache, the weight, the ripple of her powers, but it wasn't as sharp now. Not as consuming. The sting had dulled to something more manageable, something she could breathe through.

And for the first time in a while, she wanted to train again. Not to forget. Not to escape. But to focus. To steady herself.

She took a deep breath and stepped up to the practice dummy, then threw the first punch.

It wasn't perfect. Her stance was a little off, and her shoulder dipped too soon, but the rhythm felt good. Steady. She kept going, jab, cross, breath, repeat.

Her hair clung to the sides of her face as sweat built. She didn't stop. Her arms ached, but she welcomed the burn.

She moved from strikes to dodging drills, then threw herself into a series of agility maneuvers — the ones Sam had once walked her through during a slower morning when the Tower wasn't too busy. She could still hear his voice in her head:
"Step wide on the pivot, you're not breakdancing, you're resetting."

At the time, she'd just rolled her eyes. Now? She actually smiled a little.

She was mid-combo, landing a final kick against the padded dummy when she heard the door open.

Alex turned, a little breathless, ready to be annoyed. But it was Wanda.

The slightly older woman lingered just inside the doorway, a bottle of water in one hand. "Didn't mean to interrupt," she said, offering a small smile. "You've got some fire going today."

Alex gave a light shrug and turned back to the dummy. "Needed to get out of my head."

Wanda stepped further in, watching her quietly. "Training helps with that."

A pause. Then:

"How's the... everything?"

Alex exhaled slowly, letting her shoulders drop. "Still sucks. But I'm not falling apart every five minutes, so... progress?"

Wanda nodded, understanding in her gaze. "Progress counts."

They stood in silence for a while. Not uncomfortable, just steady. Familiar.

Alex finally spoke again, softer this time. "I think she'd be proud. My mom."

Wanda's eyes softened. "I know she would be."

That landed somewhere deep in Alex's chest. She didn't respond right away, didn't need to. Instead, she turned back to the dummy, readjusted her stance, and started again. Each punch more focused than the last.

And Wanda stayed, didn't say anything, didn't try to coach. Just stayed. A quiet presence. A reminder that Alex didn't have to carry everything alone anymore.