Music is "Unleashed" by Two Steps From Hell.

Picture is Glory Maximoff.

· ~ · ~ · ~ · ~ ·

"There was an idea--Stark knows this--called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes."

- Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD

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CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

"Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together, Piet?"

"I have no idea." His reply is soft and quiet, the darkness around us not a frightening sight but a kind and warming embrace. "What about you? What do you think?"

"I think it does. Whatever you call it--God, the universe, quantum mechanics--I think that something out there fights for certain people to meet, for certain people to find each other. Some things are too strange and strong to be a coincidence. Look at us; we're example number one."

At that, Pietro smiles. He turns his gaze towards the building in front of us. It's a small, brown brick apartment building on the outskirts of Baltimore. I moved into this building when I was barely sixteen, an emancipated teen that had gotten away from her horrible family life thanks to Aspen Penrose. If there was one thing I learned in the three years I lived in this place, it was what genetics do not make a family. Vlad and Aspen were more of a family than my father ever was.

We've come back here--to the place where we met, the place where it all began--one last time. I had to lay my eyes on it one final time, a time that I know now will be my last. Traveling through the multi-verse is actually easy for me now, thanks to Tony's tech, but I don't want to come back anymore. This universe was my birthplace, but it is not my home. My home is in Sokovia, in the Marvel world, with my new family and friends.

Glory Northern isn't here. Neither are Vlad or Aspen. From what I know, they've all moved on from Baltimore to New York, seeking better things and living their fullest lives out of college. They're free from aliens and gods, heroes and villains. They're thriving, away from all of this madness that I carry with me. Pietro and I have come alone, hand-in-hand, to see the place where we met and that's all. We aren't here to stay or linger. We aren't here to make friends or share our story. Who would believe our fantastic and tragic story anyways? We've come back for one reason only.

We've come back, together, to say goodbye.

"You asked me once, on our way to Paris, if I believed in a god," Pietro says. I glance up at him, tearing my eyes from the apartment. His face is serious and firm. "I still do not know if I do, but I know one thing I believe in. It will sound cheesy and love-sick, but it is true. If there is one thing I believe in, возлюбленная, I believe in you."

A loving smile spreads across my face. I reach down for his hand, lacing his fingers through mine. "I believe in you, too, Pietro. I always have."

Pietro leans in with a boyish smile, pressing his lips to mine. I kiss him back, slipping my free hand around his neck. I remember the moment I first kissed him. It was here, in that apartment, after a bad dream. I told him I loved him after only a week of knowing him, but that was the utterance of a nineteen-year-old girl. I liked Pietro, a lot, but I don't think I loved him until much later.

I think I remember the exact moment I knew I loved him. It wasn't this perfect, rom-com moment where he showed up with roses. We weren't on a date or a mission. No adrenaline spike or intense fight brought out the feelings. Neither of us were hurt or dying; it wasn't a deathbed confession.

It was the most mundane of days, a couple months after we went to the Marvel world. It was in the time between when we arrived and when Killbane attacked New York. We were living at Stark Tower, trying to figure out what this thing between us was. He was happy. I was happy. We were happy together, but I think we both knew that thing would never be the same.

I had gotten sick. It was the worst sickness I'd had since I was a child. A pounding headache, runny nose and sore throat: I had all of it. But this particular day was a few days after I started recovering. All my symptoms were gone, and I was on the mend. However, during that time, the suite had gotten in a state of disarray. Pietro was working with the Avengers and barely had time between missions and training to keep up with the place. I didn't know it at the time, but he had offered to cover my shift with the team. But that's not what made me realize I loved him.

I realized I loved him on a Saturday afternoon. I had slept in but was determined to get up and get the place in order. I was going to pick up and organize everything, then I was going to wipe the apartment from top to bottom. I knew Pietro had a night mission the previous day, so I wasn't going to bother him when he got home. I was going to woman-up and do it myself, despite being absolutely exhausted.

I got most things picked up and then decided to take a quick nap before doing the deep cleaning. However, the quick nap turned into an all-afternoon slumber. Unbeknownst to me, Pietro had gotten home from the all-nighter during that time. He must have seen what I was trying to do. He saw how tired I was from being sick, saw that I was still asleep.

Instead of waking me, he finished what I was planning on doing. He cleaned our entire home, did everything exactly as I would, took no shortcuts. He even went the extra mile and made dinner with the groceries he ran to get. When I awoke, when I saw all of it, I realized that I loved him and he loved me.

Looking back, it seems silly that this is what made me realize I loved him. But it was a pure act of kindness on a day when I needed it most. It was selfless and sweet and done out of love, even when he would have much rather slipped into bed with me and fallen asleep. At that point, Pietro had been up for almost two days straight, yet he did that for me because he loved me.

Love is a lot of things, but I think a major part of it is seeing each other's weaknesses and helping each other with them. Love is seeing when your partner is tired or sad or lonely and trying your best to make it better, even if it's just for a few minutes. Love is fighting with each other, then making up and coming to a compromise. Love is letting each other win when it matters. Love is supporting each other, even when you'd rather do something else. Love is sacrifice. Love is forgiveness. Love is venerability. Love is backing each other up when the whole world seems to be against you. You're on each other's sides, no matter what. Love is all this and so, so much more.

Two damaged people, trying to heal each other, is love.

I pull away from Pietro, stepping down from my tip-toes. "You ready to go home, Piet?" I ask, tilting my head with a smile on my face.

He nods, squeezing my hand. "Time to go home."

I turn away from him, hand still in his. My other raises, showing the parallel universe manipulator device that Tony created. I push energy into my hand, and a portal opens. Without seeing our home world on the other side, I know that that's where it will take us.

But I hesitate a moment, looking over my shoulder to the little apartment where some of my most formative years occurred. I learned a lot about life and love in that two-bedroom apartment. I grew from a teenage girl to a woman in that home. I escaped abuse and learned to be myself again in those walls. Here, I learned who Glory was.

"We can stay a little longer if you want," Pietro suggests in a soft, accented voice.

I shake my head, pulling myself away from the apartment. I look up at him with a relieved smile. "No, I'm good really. I was just...saying goodbye."

With his hand in mine, having said our goodbyes, we step through the portal that takes us back home.

The Sokovian sun is warm and inviting, greeting us before any person has the chance. I've put us right at the doorstep of the Sokovian Training Facility, on the concrete steps that lead from the winding, mountainous road to the large structure at the top. It's been finished for a few days now, and the Avengers in America have been working on getting us recruits. The first group is supposed to be arriving any minute now, so Pietro and I took our last few minutes of freedom to go back to my home universe and say our farewells.

It was the right choice, because now I'm completely focused on the task ahead.

The building in front of us is massive, every bit as impressive as Stark Tower or the Avengers HQ in Upstate New York. It's been built on the mountain where Strucker's compound used to be, but it's so much more beautiful than that old Cold War bunker was. This building has the Tony Stark touch. It's a wonderful combination of futuristic and practical design. Though it stretches multiple floors in the air, it also has underground levels. There's a mess hall, a conference room, a gym, a training room, dorms, classrooms, a lab, an aircraft hanger and car garage, and so much more. Tony really put everything he had into this facility. It's ever bit of what I hoped it would be.

But my favorite part is a small detail on the front door. The plaque that hangs there states the name of the facility as the "Elaine Maximoff Training Facility." I thought it had a nice ring to it.

It's covered by a tarp now. The entire main building has a taupe blanket over the top, hiding it from everyone. Because I helped design it and witnessed it's creation, I know exactly what it looks like. But everyone else wanted to be surprised. The grand opening will reveal all.

I turn around when Pietro taps on my shoulder. Coming up the hillside, walking along the side of the road, coming from the landing pad a few hundred feet away, is the first group of recruits. While there's a giant quantum transporter inside the building itself, the Avengers wanted to fly out the first group in person, make it more official. Besides, there's great big ribbon in front of the front door, and I'm almost one-hundred percent sure that Tony has a big pair of scissors with him to cut it.

I spot Bucky, Natasha, T'Challa, and Steve instantly. Behind them are a dozen or so people--of all ages, genders, and ethnicities--whom I assume are the recruits. Bringing up the back of the line are Wanda and Vision, followed closely by Professor Charles Xavier and Logan Howlett. Descending from the sky are many heroes, all here for the christening of the training facility: Thor, Ororo Munroe, Katie, Vlad, Carol, Tony, Stephen, and Lorna Dane.

Appearing out of nowhere are Loki, Sigyn, and Valkyrie. Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne turn back to normal size. Peter Parker and Wade Wilson keep fighting each other while Clint rolls his eyes at their behavior. The last group I see, that I recognize, are the Guardians of the Galaxy; Peter Quill ensures that they join the group with classic music playing in the background.

Among the crowd are Wakandan warriors, Asgardian demi-gods, and mutants of all kinds. I see SHIELD agents, Defenders, mutates, and Inhumans alike. The group continues to grow in number. Now I can see how much this place means to us all. We're all here to support it.

I spot Mom, Bex, and the twins joining Bucky, Natasha, and Steve at the forefront. Steven runs into my open arms, and Nia runs to Pietro's. I scoop up my five-year-old son with a grin, seeing him give me the same facial expression in return.

"You ready for this?" I ask him quietly.

Steven looks past me, to the tarp-covered complex, and nods. "Can I go here when I'm older, Mommy?"

As I contemplate a response, I remember Elaine's story about her siblings. In her future, the one we erased, she said Steven did have powers. She told me that they were similar to mine, though not exactly the same. I doubt that me changing the future has changed the powers he has lying dormant inside of him.

I nod, pressing a motherly kiss to his dark curls. "I don't see why not, Stevie."

"What about me?" Nia intervenes, scowling from her father's arms. "If Steven gets to train, so do I!"

Both Pietro and I laugh at her child-like mannerisms, and do so even harder when Steven blows a raspberry at his older sister. Elaine told me that Ksenia never developed any supernatural abilities. Besides being excellent in combat, she was an ordinary human with lots of mutate and mutant family. Whether this remains the case is a mystery, but for now, all I can do is nod.

"Who knows," Pietro says to the twins. "When you are older, you might end up running the place."

I turn from the twins to the two women in my immediate family. Bex holds hands with Steve, the engagement ring glittering on her left ring-finger. Mom stands, which makes me overwhelmed with joy in and of itself. She hasn't been able to stand on her own for months; I thought she would be in that wheelchair forever. They both grin at me, and I flash Bex a wink. She blushes and looks up at Steve. When he looks down at her, I see the same look in his eyes as Pietro's. It's a look of unconditional, undying love.

"You about ready for this?" Tony asks, walking through the crowd up to me. "No turning back now."

I laugh at his joking tone. "Why would I want to? This is everything I ever wanted."

Tony smirks. "Well, that's good, 'cause do you know how much it cost to build this thing?" He gestures to the training complex in front of us. "You wanna do the honors?"

I arch an eyebrow at him. "Hilarious, Tony." Tony doesn't budge, and slowly the smirk on my face fades into a smile of disbelief. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yeah," he laughs, "I am. Who better to unveil her than you? This is your baby, after all." He turns to Pietro. "Sorry, kid. You can't fly."

I put Stephen down, and he moves to stand next to Pietro. I stand tall, pushing off the ground with ease. As I rise over the crowd of heroes and Sokovians alike, I start to see how truly big this crowd is. It's not just those in the immediate vicinity. People all over the city have their eyes turns towards the building, awaiting the tarp's removal.

Flying to the top of the several story building takes little time. When I stop over the top, I look down at my friends and family. They're cheering and clapping, not at me but at the sign of hope we're about to reveal. This is a symbol of victory, of life, of the future. This isn't just about me; it's about all of us.

My hand grips the tarp tightly, squeezing the fabric between my fists. "You guys ready for this?" I shout. They cheer louder, bringing a huge grin to my face. "All right, here we go!"

Everyone below starts to count down from three. When they hit one, I pull up hard with the tarp in hand. My powers boost my flight, and as I rise, the tarp comes with me. It's thin and light, but I still have to give it a good tug. It flies overhead, following the path that my fist takes it.

What's left underneath takes everyone's breath away. A marvelous building stands before us, made of a multitude of metals that glint in the sunlight. It has pieces of the Avengers compound in Upstate as well as Stark Tower in Manhattan. You can tell that there's a single man that designed them all.

On the very top of the building, I spot a landing platform. It's past the roof, extended up a dozen feet by metal columns. The platform is a square-meter circle, and there are stairs that circle the metal columns. From the platform, a flier can land and walk down into the facility with ease, not having to rely on doors or balconies.

I turn to Tony with a smile as I land on the platform, dropping the tarp in a ball on the roof, knowing I'll put it away later. He gives me a wink and a grin, knowing without me saying a word how perfect this is. When my feet touch the metal surface, I turn to look at the city behind me. I can see everything: the streets, the buildings, the mountains, the skyline. The entire world is up here, and down below me is my life.

I jump from the platform and dive back to the ground, landing easily on my feet.

"Nice job, kid," Carol says, patting me on the shoulder.

"She's right," Steve agrees. "I'm proud of you."

I thank them both and turn towards the entrance. The doorway is blocked with a thick, red ribbon. Tony, true to my belief, pulls a pair of scissors from his pocket and hands them to Pietro.

"Your turn, Sonic," he teases.

Pietro takes the scissors with a smirk, walking to the front door. When he cuts the ribbon, the crowd of heroes goes wild. Tony steps up with Pietro, and he announces that there's refreshments for everyone.

"What better way to break in this baby than with some pizza and a good time?" he asks.

"Hopefully not too good, Tony," Natasha grins.

Tony rolls his eyes. "No breaking anything, Barton, not like last time."

"Hey!" Clint exclaims. "Just tell Thor to keep the hammer in his pants and we're all good."

I cover my embarrassed face with my hand as Bucky bursts out laughing. Steve rolls his eyes at his best friend, and Thor replies, "That's truly hilarious."

"You miss this place or what, Point Break?"

"More than I missed you, Stark."

"Okay, okay," I say, stepping between the joking heroes. "C'mon, everybody, otherwise Pietro's going to clear us out of pizza." I throw the doors open, keeping them open with magnetic locks that Tony installed. "The party's on!"

They don't need much more encouragement. Several by several, the heroes of Earth start pouring in. The new recruits follow suit, already warming up to the idea of being here. Music plays and people dig into the large buffet that Tony put together. Everyone spreads out across the many rooms, collecting into a variety of groups to socialize. Steven and Ksenia even find a few younger kids in the X-Men to play with.

I take the time to meet every single one of the new recruits, learning their name and story. Most everything else can come later, but this is my life now. I wan to do the damn best I can. Today is more than just the grand opening or a superhero get together. It's where all parts of my family can converge. My biological family, my adoptive family, my Avenging family, my mutant family, my mutate family: they're all here.

I lean against the wall with a smile on my face. Seeing everyone talking and eating and laughing, when just a short time ago I saw them all die at the hands of Thanos, makes me happier than I can explain. Not only did we win, but we won without losing what we value most: each other. Now we can finally move on with our lives. We can begin again.

Pietro walks up beside me and leans against the wall with his arms crossed. His gaze follows mine, sweeping across the heroes around us. All the sounds seem to fade away into a montage of joy.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks quietly, just so I can hear.

I shrug. "How happy I am. How glad I am that the Infinity War is over."

Pietro slips an arm around my shoulders. "Me, too, возлюбленная."

"This is all I ever wanted," I admit to him. "This." I gesture to the Avengers in the kitchen, the X-Men in the living room, the mutates and X-Force on the balconies, the Asgardians and Wakandans in the courtyard outside. "Ever since I was a little girl, reading comics was my only escape from my abusive home life. Right here, right now, this is all I ever wanted to be a part of."

"A family," Pietro concludes.

I nod, turning to glance up at him. "But not just a family. This family. I fell in love with them like I fell in love with you. This world was my fresh start, my new beginning, and I've never been happier to have followed you through that portal."

Pietro grins down at me and tucks a stray curl behind my ear. "I have never been happier that you pushed me."

I lean up to kiss him briefly, laughing into it as I recall the moment I thought I'd lost him forever. It wasn't funny at the time--it was tragic and heartbreaking--but like a lot of things, we can laugh about it now. When I forced Pietro through the portal on my lawn, forcing him back to the world where he had his sister, I knew it was the right choice. Pietro and Wanda are never meant to be apart, and even though I knew he wanted to stay with me, going back to the Marvel universe was what he truly wanted. I forced his hand.

But me going after him, that wasn't a choice. That was a gut feeling. That was a instinct. My brain was telling me to stay, but my heart was saying, "Follow him." If I had thought about it longer than I did, I might have not jumped after him.

Diving through that portal was the best thing I ever did.

Pietro presses a kiss to my hairline. "You know what we have not done in a while?"

"What?" I inquire.

"Raced," he grins, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Like the old days. What do you say, возлюбленная?"

My smile mirrors his, and an idea flashes across my mind, an idea that Elaine gave me. "I have an even better idea."

Pietro cocks his head in confusion, and I turn for the kitchen. I find Nia and Steven perched in their chairs, shoving pizza in their faces. They turn toward me, and Nia grins widely. "Mommy!" she cheers, offering me a half-eaten slice of pepperoni. "Want some?"

"No thank you," I chuckle, taking a seat beside them. I lean forward, grinning at both of them. "Stevie, Nia, what do you say about going for a run and fly with Daddy and I?"

Steven's eyes widen, and Nia gasps. "With super-speed?" she squeals excitedly.

I ruffle up her dark red hair. "With super-speed!"

"You said that wasn't safe and that Daddy shouldn't run at super-speed with us," Steven interjects.

My eyes flicker to the younger twin. "I did, but today is a special occasion. Just this once, let's go have some fun."

Nia jumps from her chair and runs towards Pietro, screaming something about super-speed. He scoops her up and rests her on his shoulders, and I turn back to Steven. The little boy with dark curls seems unconvinced, as serious as ever.

"You wanna piggy-back ride in the sky?" I ask softly. "I promise it's safe."

Steven looks up at me. "Did Elaine fly with you sometimes?"

The question catches me off-guard, but I let myself nod and smile before I answer. "She did. In fact, Elaine and I flew together a lot. Remember her winged lioness? Remember Sekhmet?" Steven nods. "That's how she flew with me. She even told me once that you'd love to fly with me, too."

Steven hops down from his chair and smiles softly. "Let's go flying, Mommy."

I take the child's hand and lead him towards Pietro and Nia. We head for the door, and I give a wave to Bex, Mom, and the Avengers over my shoulder. They all smile and wave back in their own ways. I tell them we'll be back in a few minutes, but I think they already knew that.

We're family. No matter the time, no matter the distance, no matter the difficulty, I'll always come back to them.

Nia holds onto Pietro as he gets into a running stance, one leg arched in front of the other with arms in a jogging position. I pull Steven onto my back. His arms wrap loosely around my neck, and his legs secure themselves around my waist. My feet leave the ground, and we hover a few feet above the other pair.

Pietro glances up at me with a boyish smirk. "Ready?"

"Ready!" I cheer, getting into a vertical position. I flash a smile to Steven over my shoulder. "Hold on, Stevie. We're about to out-fly your father and sister."

"As if!" Nia laughs.

"You tell them, Nia," Pietro smiles. "On the count of three. Three...two--"

"--One!"

I take off, soaring at a relatively fast speed down the side of the mountain. I remain a few meters off the ground, keeping a low altitude until Steven gets used to it. I hear him make a gasp in awe and pick up speed. Pietro dashes under us, silvery blue sparks trail behind him. Nia makes elated sounds of joy. We bolt ahead, towards the city and through the trees, and the race is on.

The closer we get, the more I pull up. It doesn't take much to bring us a few hundred feet off the ground. I have a secure hold on Steven; I'd never let him fall. Being this high up, letting the sun cast our shadow onto the ground where Pietro and Nia run, it causes me to breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

In that moment, I know that I'll spend the rest of my life doing this. I'll be flying alongside my husband and twins forever.

We get higher and higher until the stars come into view. Over the horizon, we can see it all. The sun, the stars, the city: everything seems so much smaller from this height. Steven gazes at it all in wonder, resting his chin on my shoulder. He's not scared; he's amazed, just like I was when I first saw this. From this high, we're nothing but a glimmer of gold. But to us, the whole world is at our fingertips.

"You ready to go back home?" I ask, not wanting to push him more than he's ready.

He shakes his head fervently. "Let's fly some more, please?"

A proud look covers my face, and I nod. "Anything for you, Stevie."

I put my arms out in front of me, like a classic superhero, and punch a hole in the sky. The atmosphere cracks, and a stream of golden energy erupts behind me. Channeling my inner Lightspeed, I charge the direction of the sun and circumnavigate the mountains.

I think the universe does fight for certain souls to be together, and if I'm right about that, then I'm right where I need to be. I'm never alone. I have everyone and everything I'll ever need.

I'm home.

When you think you're all alone, when you think there's no one left, when you think you're the last person standing on this Earth, look for me. You'll find me there. You'll find hope. You're never alone.

If you need me, I'm there. Look for my golden light; I'm always there. Always have been, forever shall be. I come at the speed of light.

If you need me, just look up. I'm that glint in your eye when you glance at the sun. I'm the wonder in your heart when you look up to the stars. I'm the warmth you feel when you gaze into the cosmos.

If you need me, just look up. You'll find me there, forever chasing the sun.

END CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.