Music is "There Are Worse Games To Play/Deep In The Meadow - The Hunger Games Score Suite" by James Newton Howard from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 score.

Picture is Unknown as Glory.

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"I wanted to write down
exactly what I felt
but somehow
the paper stayed empty

And I could not have
described it any better."

-wtm

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No recommendations this week.

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A/N:

Hey guys!

Just a quick update about the chapter lengths. You may have noticed that the chapters as of late are about twice as long as usual. Don't worry, this is normal. I'm going to keep making them longer because there really isn't a good spot to break mid-chapter, and in order to get this book done by 40 chapters and before CA:CW, I need to make them longer.

Also, there will be no Rumors of War update this week. I've been too busy trying to get this book done, but fear not! I will be back to posting it next week :)

That is all!

Your friendly neighborhood author,
- SaveTheBrooklynBoys

P.S. Sorry about the false notifications. For some reason, it wasn't showing the entire chapter, so I scrapped and reposted :) Enjoy!

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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

"Steven Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, was taken into custody earlier this week. He is being detained at an unknown location, for safety purposes for him as well as others. Tony Stark, otherwise known as the registered superhuman Iron-Man, was responsible for taking him in.

"Rogers will be escorted to the courthouse in Washington D.C. later this afternoon for his first hearing to determine his guilt on the charges of treason, terrorism, espionage, as well as others. Also appearing at the hearing will be Carol Danvers, Maria Hill, and of course, Tony Stark.

"Earlier today, James Rhodes, close friend to Tony Stark and alias War Machine, was killed in the explosion that destroyed Prison 42, the establishment that housed the unregistered superhumans. As of this morning, there is no more Prison 42. There is no official count yet of who did this or how many died. Rhodes will have a military funeral later this week in D.C.

"Before the explosion, the Avengers broke into the prison and helped the majority of the inmates escape. There is no count yet of how many are on the lose. Please, keep a look out for anything conspicuous in the New York area, and call the superhuman registration force number below if you see anything.

"This is the end of the FOX News emergency report."

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

{Earlier That Day}

"Glory," a soft, familiar voice calls. "Glory, wake up. You're safe."

The last thing I remember was jumping through a portal after Wanda and Stephen. I had no recollection of being rescued or even what came after the bright light that surrounded me from the explosion. All I know is that my whole body hurts and my eyes ache as I open them.

I'm in a hospital room. Beside me is Natasha, her hair black and pulled back into a low ponytail. She wears a black sweater and jogging pants with a black ball cap on her head. I can't help but chuckle at the not so very discreet look she has. "Nice disguise, Jason Bourne. You're definitely one of Cap's friends."

Natasha shushes me, looking over her shoulder to ensure that we're absolutely alone. "Are you okay? You were out for a few hours."

My small smile fades as I recall the reason I was knocked unconscious. "Clarke..."

Natasha looks down, a guilty and sad look on her face. "He didn't make it."

Visibly gulping, I nod my head. "I know. I watched him die, Nat. I-"

A nurse walks into the room, smiling at me as she enters. "Well, you certainly took a hitting, Ms. Rushman. How are you feeling?"

"Better... I think." I give Nat the side eye, knowing she must have the both of us undercover. "What happened to me? I don't remember much."

"You were in a car crash, Natalie," Natasha says, strangely in an English accent, her hand resting on my knee. "Don't you remember? You were driving us to the airport to fly home." She turns smiling to the nurse. "My little sister can be such a klutz on the road. We were visiting our father here in Halifax, since I haven't seen him since our parents divorce. I've lived in England for too long."

The nurse nods. "How is your head? You also have a few burns, but that's not out of the ordinary since the engine caught fire, like your sister said."

I nod, feeling my head for any hurt. "I feel fine. Just a little hazy and confused."

"You should be alright, then. The doctor said that when you woke, you were free to go. Just be careful and watch that head. You have a slight concussion. Make sure to come back in if it starts acting up again, alright?"

I nod, smiling. "Thank you."

After the nurse leaves, I turn to Natasha with a grim look. "Where is the team? Where are the Prison 42 inmates? Wait, where are we?"

"They're hiding out in various places that the X-Men have provided. It's hard to ship this many people out of country, but most of them are hiding in Wakanda, under Queen Ororo Munroe's protection. We are in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada."

I nod, an easy breath rolling out of me. "What about Jessica Drew? Spider-Woman? Is she okay? Bucky told me she was hit."

Natasha nods, placing her hand over mine. "She's fine. She's one room over. I've checked on her, but Kamala is with her now, keeping an eye on her. She has a concussion, a few broken ribs, and nearly had a collapsed lung, but thanks to her healing abilities, she'll be good as new sooner than the doctor's should know. Which means we should get out of here as soon as possible. I'm having Stephen come in and act as a paramedic to transfer her to another hospital. After he has her, we're going to leave through the front door and get into the paramedic vehicle that Logan drives up to the curb."

"Not Bucky?"

"Not James. He's kind of the most wanted man in America, now that Steve is in custody."

My head perks up, eyes growing wide. "Steve! Did we find him?"

Natasha lowers her head, black bangs falling over her eyes. "No, we didn't. When you jumped through the portal, it was all we could do to get you to safety before your suit flooded with water. You jumped into the portal and came out the other side over a hundred feet over the Atlantic ocean, around ten miles from where the rest of the people came out. As the portal shrunk and Stephen and Wanda went through the portal, the portal's destination shifted."

"My dream..." I mumble, looking at the clock. "It's been around twelve hours. My vision's always happen twenty-four hours in advance."

"You had another vision?"

"I'll tell you about it later. Where's Pietro?" I ask. "Where are my twins? Are they safe?"

The heart monitor starts to race with my beating heart. Natasha squeezes my hand, looking me in the eyes, her green meeting mine. "They're fine, Glory. Pietro is with Logan in the paramedic van. Kitty Pryde and Kurt Wagner have your twins and they've taken them to Wakanda for safekeeping. You can call them later if you like."

I nod my head shakily, leaning my head back against the pillow. I chuckle to myself as the next question comes to my mind. "'Where's my super suit?'"

Natasha rolls her eyes with a smile. "I have it in here." She pats her duffle bag beside the chair. "We got it off you before you got in here. Thank God we all wear tank tops and shorts under our uniforms."

Before I can ask any other questions, an all too familiar voice, a deep one, coming down the hallway with a wheelchair. "Excuse me! Coming through! Excuse me, where is Ms. Watson's room? I need to take her to St. Mary's on the other side of town. Her mother wants her to be taken care of by her own doctors." Just as he passes the room, Stephen Strange glances into the room where Nat and I are, giving us a slight nod of his head.

Nat turns to me again and starts pulling the wires from my arms, disconnecting me from all the machines and monitors. "Let's get going."

With her arm around my back and her side to lean on, I pull myself out of the bed and we hobble down the hallways toward the front door as Stephen has Jessica wheeled out in front of us, Kamala walking closely behind. None of us make eye contact. We're strangers in the same hospital.

Outside, parked on the curb just as Nat said, is an emergency response vehicle. The driver is a very hairy man smoking a cigar. smoking outside a hospital. Ironic much? Stephen opens the door to the truck and wheels Jessica into the cab. Nat walks me over to the other side and we hop in beside her wheelchair.

Once I'm inside, a pair of warm arms wrap around my middle, pulling me into a tight embrace. The smell of vanilla and cedar enter my nose. Pietro's soothing voice enters my ears, for the first time in what seems like forever. "Thank God you're alright, my Lyubit'."

I don't reply at first, just curl closer to the person that's become more my home than any physical place. Pietro Erik Maximoff is my home, my safe haven, my sanctuary. Even though lately we haven't had much time to ourselves - most nights we don't even sleep at the same time, between the babies and saving the effing world - there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of when this is all over and we can go home, wherever that ends up being.

Maybe we'll go back to New York. Despite the ever-growing crime, smog, and downright hate for the Avengers right now, I've grown to love that city. It's the place I've grown in my powers. It's the first place I came to when I arrived in this world. All my friends are here. Well, most of them.

But perhaps we'll move to live near Wanda and Vision in what's left of Sokovia. We'd live in a small, cozy house, in a country where the people are trying to heal and put themselves and their nation back together. I could help build up a culture. I could do so much good in a place where kids still roam the streets without their parents, like Pietro and Wanda did for years. So many needs, oh so little time.

Or maybe we'll throw a dart to a map and go where it lands. I could see us doing this as well, going into the great unknown where no one would look to find us, and things could be simple and quiet. Just my husband, perhaps a friend or two, and our children. No S.H.I.E.L.D., no FBI, no Anti-Reistration task force, no riots. Just the souls I've intertwined my life through.

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know one thing: I am so tired of saving the day. I want to hang up my metaphorical cape and be a normal woman, a wife, a mother, at least for a little while. I'm tired of gods, mutants, enhanced, super soldiers, spies, agents, evil robots, and any other thing we've had to deal with in the past few years. I never thought I'd say this, but I just want to be normal.

I don't know if I'll ever get that chance. Between Aspen's death, Clarke's death, Tony and Vlad's betrayal, and Steve's disappearance, there's only so much more I can take before I break.

"Lyubit'?" I ask, lifting my head finally to look into his striking blue eyes. Logan drives the ambulance at a high speed, the sirens on as he dives around the late afternoon traffic. "That's a new one."

Pietro smiles softly, his hands moving through my tangled, messy red curls. "I was worried. I thought something might have gone terribly wrong in the Negative Zone-"

I shut him up with a well-needed, way overdue kiss, both of us closing our eyes into it. "I love that you worry, but I'm alright." I turn to face Logan in the driver's seat and Nat in the passengers' seat. "Where are we headed?"

"Wakanda," Nat replies, putting her feet on the dashboard as she dials a number on her phone. "We're meeting the majority of the inmates there, as well as the rest of the team."

Nodding, I turn to give a small smile to Jessica. "How are you, Jess? Hanging in there?"

Jessica nods slowly, her face very pale, her dark hair a mess, possibly even more than mine. "Those buggers thought I'd go down that easily. They were sadly mistaken."

I pat her shoulder, relieved to hear some good news.

"I'm really sorry about your friend," Logan says, giving me a quick glance oveer his shoulder. "He seemed like a good kid."

My face turns down, sadness no doubt covering my features. "Yeah, he was. Didn't know him very well, but he was." I tap Nat on the shoulder as she hits the end call button on the spender phone. "Can I make a call? Is it safe?"

"Soviet grade. Trust me, no one can tap this baby." She hands me the phone, along with a number from her lips. "That's Kitty's number. I assume you want to ask her about Ksenia and Steven?"

I nod, knowing I can't keep a secret from a super-spy. "Thanks." I dial the number with quick fingers, holding the phone to my ear.

Luckily, it only takes two rings for Kitty to pick up. "Hello?"

"Kitty, this is Glory."

"Oh! I'm so glad you're alright! When Bucky told us you took a hit, we were all worried. Are you okay? Is Jessica okay?"

I smile at her worried tone. "Everyone is fine. I was calling to ask about Ksenia and Steven. Are they alright? How are they holding up?"

Kitty chuckles. "They are just fine. We arrived in Wakanda just a couple hours ago, so they were a bit fussy over the trip, but Steven calmed right down, and Ksenia soon after that. Would you like to see them? I can put them on the viewscreen."

"Yes! Yes, please."

"Okay, hold on." I pull the phone from my ear and watch as a live video comes onto the screen, a view of my three month old twins sleeping soundly beside each other in their crib. "They sleep like rocks once they're both out," Kitty chuckles, running a finger down Steven's cheek as he makes soft snores.

A puff of blue smoke appears on the other side of the crib. Kurt, or Nightcrawler, smiles into the camera with a boyish grin. "Zey sleep like heaven's angels," he whispers in his German accent.

I cover my mouth as my eyes fill with tears. Pietro holds my hand steady and looks over my shoulder at our babies. "Hey, my sweet babies," I whisper lovingly into the speaker, eyes glued on the little angels. "It's Mommy. I'm going to be home very soon, okay? I love you. I love you so much."

Pietro whispers things to them as I hand him the phone, trying my best to keep myself together. I never thought that I might've not come back from that mission. It didn't cross my mind to stay safe for my children. My first instinct is to jump in when I'm needed, when I can help. It takes my breath away that I might never see their little faces again, or hold them in my arms, and the thought tears me apart.

Is this really worth it? Those are the questions you wrestle with late at night. Is any of it worth our lives?

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

Wakanda may not be the wealthiest country in Africa, or the biggest, or the most powerful, but it has one hell of a royal family. T'Challa, otherwise known as Black Panther, is the King of Wakanda, his wife being Ororo Munroe. She is the Queen, also the X-Man member that goes by the name Storm. The dark skinned, fair haired mutant controls the weather, summoning lightning, rains, and winds with a flash of her eyes and a raise of her hand. Between Black Panther's technology, and her powers, I would hate to be the nemesis that threatens them.

Wakanda used to be a very wealthy country, mostly due to T'Challa's father, T'Chaka, selling the vast sources of Vibranium on the black market. Almost 10,000 years ago, the first Black Panther, Bashenga, witnessed the fall of a giant meteorite that hit the center of Wakanda. It was made of pure Vibranium, and because of it's alien qualities, Wakanda has always been a hot spot for mutants to show up. Something in the meteor awakens the dormant mutant gene in them.

But ever since Ulysses Klaw betrayed T'Chaka and killed him for the wealth and control of Vibranium mines, leaving a teenage T'Challa to rule over Wakanda alone, Wakanda has plummetted from the world's eye, struggling to stay a nation altogether.

It is beautiful, no matter the financial state. The deserts seem to go on forever, and some of the strangest animals and plants live there because of the alien meteor. You'll never find another place as unique and marvelous as this northeastern African nation.

Don't mistaken it for a village nation, though. Wakanda has large cities, they're just run-down and need some upkeep. One of which is where the Blackbird lands, a very large metropolis with at least a million people. There are skyscrapers with such a design I've never seen before. So foreign, so beautiful. Nothing like what you see of Wakanda in Age of Ultron.

I step off the Blackbird onto a large landing pad at the edge of the large city. Pietro follows me, Logan pushing Jessica, Kamala, Stephen, and Nat bringing up the tail. We've landed in a large, open plain of sand. I've always wanted to see Africa, but not like this.

Standing next to the building where the airfield is controlled is a familiar group, for the most part. I see Bucky, who is quickly walking towards us. I see Clint, Wanda, and Vision. I see Ororo waiting patiently with her hands folded together beside a man who I've never met before. His dark skin, strong build, and stance right next to Ororo makes me think that this must be T'Challa, King of Wakanda and Black Panther.

Bucky hurries over to us and smiles, hugging me and giving the rest of the group their appropriate greetings, from handshakes to pats on the back and a passionate kiss for Natasha. "Thank God you're alright," he says, walking with us towards the rest of our family. "I was so worried. Glory, Jess, never do that again."

"Trust me, if I had a say," Jessica chimes in with a smirk, "I'd have all their asses beat."

"That's why I like you," Kamala says, giving her new friend a smile, and Jess gives her one in return.

When we get close to the others, Wanda leaves Vision and Clint's sides to rush over to her brother and I, giving us both cheek kisses and tight hugs. "I felt you were safe, but still," she laughs. "The human part of me forever worries I'll lose you both." She squeezes both of our hands.

"Never, little sister," Pietro says in a firm voice, pulling her in to place a kiss on her hairline. She buries her face into his sweatshirt, breathing him in as if they've been apart for years. "Never again."

"Damn you, Wheadon," I mumble to myself, then turn to Ororo with a reverend bow of my head. "Your majesty." Then to T'Challa. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure."

T'Challa smiles, and Ororo introduces him to our small group. "Pietro, Jessica, Glory, Natasha, Stephen, Kamala, this is my husband, King of Wakanda and Black Panther, T'Challa." As T'Challa nods towards each of us, and we nod back, Ororo turns to me, speaking in her beautiful African accent. "I'm so glad you are alright, Child. We were all worried."

"You'd think everyone would have a little more faith in me by now," I chuckle. "Thank you, Ororo. I appreciate the concern, and it's wonderful to finally meet you, T'Challa. I've heard a lot about you."

"Come. Walk with me to the city. We have a safe haven for the Prison 42 inhabitants in the center of Wakanda City. I will take you to see them."

"The rest of you go ahead," I reply. "First, I'm going to go mad if I don't see my twins."

Ororo's eyes soften, her mothering side no doubt understanding my need. "Wanda knows exactly where they are. She has not left their side since they arrived. Go. We shall meet again later."

I tint my head towards her in thanks. "I won't be long."

"Take all the time you need, Child. A mother has responsibilities that a superhero does not."

Wanda takes both Pietro and my hand and tugs us along. "Follow me. I will fly. Can you fly Glory?"

Before I can reply, Pietro scoops his arms under my legs and has me in his arms, carrying me. "She can make it, but that would not be as fun." He gives me a wink.

Wanda rolls her eyes, smiling a little as she jumps from the landing mat to fly ahead of us.

With Pietro's speed, it doesn't take us long to find a large palace in the northern section of the city. Between the golden and bronze colors, the swooping African-style arcatecture, and the late afternoon sun hitting the rooftops at just the right angle, I'm not sure what is more beautiful. "Our kids are staying at the Wakandan Royal Palace?"

Wanda lands beside us, walking up the palace stairs to the large doors guarded by a pair of bodyguards. "Come, they are waiting for you."

Once past the guards and down the extremely beautiful hallways, we come to a room on the second floor, one of many on a elongated hallway. "Ororo and T'Challa were kind enough to allow the Avengers to have sanctuary here, in their own home," she says, pushing open the door to a darkened room.

Inside, we see Kitty Pryde and Kurt Wagner talking on the bed, like old friends. Beside Kurt, holding his hand, is Morgana Summers, one of my Next Gen. Mutants. As her eyes lift to see who entered the room, her face shows excitement. She jumps from the bed and flies over to me, grabbing me in a hug as soon as she's in range. "Glory! You're alive!"

I let a laugh slip as I hug her back. "Let me guess, you were worried?"

She pulls back, nodding her head quickly. "Katie told me that plan she, Riley, and Amy cooked up didn't go as planned. She said the underwater holding tank that the three made with their powers to hold the inmates as they came from the portal didn't get to you! I was worried you'd died in the Negative Zone when it blew!"

"Calm down," I smile, placing my hands on her shoulders. "I'm perfectly fine. Little headache, but completely okay. Are you?"

She nods, shrugging. "I got my first scar!"

I shake my head, looking over to Pietro. "Kids these days. Good job. I'm so proud."

Morgana smiles so big her eyes close. I walk from her to Kitty, asking, "Where are they?"

She points to the adjacent room. "They're waking up. I've heard them doing baby talk to each other for the past ten minutes."

"Thank you so much for looking after them, Kitty. I owe you."

"You don't owe me a thing. They're little angels when they aren't crying." She laughs to herself.

Inside the adjacent room, it's dark and warm. Two cribs sit beside one another, pushed together so that Ksenia and Steven can grasp each other's tiny hands through the bars. I step closely to them, seeing they are awake and looking up at the mobile above their heads. Steven is silent, but Ksenia is talking in her own baby language that I wish I could understand. She reaches her hand up, and I take it between my fingers, her hand wrapping around my forefinger. "Hey there, little one," I coo, smiling as her eyes move from the mobile to me. "I've missed you."

Pietro walks over to Steven's side of the crib, scooping him up and holding him to his chest. The sight makes me sigh happily. Just this once, in this very moment, we're a family and nothing more. "Wanda says that they think thoughts about us when we are away," Pietro whispers, looking down at Steven. "She says they like the sound of my voice, and the way you read them stories and sing them lullabies. She says that they are the most happy when we have them resting beside us while we sleep."

Ksenia pulls my finger down and hugs it in her tiny, chubby arms. "I believe it." Turning up to Pietro, I ask, "What are we going to do after this, Pietro? I don't know how much longer I can do superhero and super-mom. I can balance career and mom, but risking my life on a daily basis?" I shake my head, pulling Ksenia into my arms as she begins to baby talk again. "I can't. I can't go out with them on my mind. With you, I know you can handle yourself." Pietro smirks at that. "But these two? What if one day we come home and they're gone? Or worse? Or what if they grow up and want to join this circus? Or what if they make the wrong friends with bad people? Or what if someone finds out who they are and they decide to hurt them?"

"I would be lying if I said those thoughts have not crossed my mind as well," he sighs, resting his lips on Steven's forehead. "I never thought I'd know anything I'd want to do more than help people, but these little angels have proved me wrong." He smiles at Steven as he falls asleep in his father's arms. "What would you have us do, my love?"

I pause, not knowing if I can bare the sound of my own voice saying my next words. "I think we should finish this fight. I think we should make certain that Steve is okay, that Magneto is dealt with, and that superhumans can roam free without being incarcerated. Steve is family, Magneto is a threat that could destroy the world, and being free will impact the twins lives. If not now, then in the future."

"And then?"

"And then we disappear. Then we go somewhere where we can't be bothered about this life. We go somewhere safe, and maybe somewhere were we can just have a semi-normal life. I'm not naive. I know that we'll never get away from this life completely, if not from our friends, family, then we ourselves have probably passed down mutant genes to them."

Pietro nods. "I agree. I have agreed with that for a while. After this, we move on."

"Where, though? Where could we possibly go?"

"Well, for one, there is always your hometown and mine: Norfolk, Virginia, and Sokovia."

I nod. "I've thought of those, too."

Pietro places Steven back in his crib, comes over to me, and takes Ksenia from my arms. He lays her gently beside her brother, and the two slowly fall asleep. Pietro pulls me close to him, closer than we've been in what seems like weeks. He wraps his arms around me, and mine loop around his waist. "We will figure it out. We will be safe, and we will be happy. Just wait and see. We are owed that much."

I bury my face into his chest, and the only thing I can reply is, "I hope to Asgard you're right."

END CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.