Chapter Text
You sat still, your hands gripping the edge of your seat. He towered over you, screaming abuse:
“You think you’re so cool sitting there in silence? Well, you’re not. You’re not special – you’re no different to anybody in this room – I have more individuality in my left thumb than you will have in a lifetime.”
“Please, stop…” You whispered. The cafeteria had fallen silent in response to his elevated volume. This man had joined your circle of friends a few weeks ago and constantly saw need to question why you never spoke. Several of your friends whom were sat behind him watched on in fear. Others tried to call out to him:
“Dude, just let it go.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“It’s just how she rolls, leave her to it.”
But this man was irate.
“You think I don’t know? You think I don’t realise how you sit there and silently judge everybody around you?” You pulled your fists into your lap and balled them up in an effort to contain yourself. Ever since you were little you’d been different and you had felt no shame in it. The ability to control plants was fun and interesting – your mother had been so proud. However several incidents later, you realised that you had no control over your powers. They were only getting stronger and allowing yourself small “releases” was not making it any better as you had thought it might.
As you stood over your parents’ bodies, twisted and mangled by the roots you had unwittingly attacked them with, you realised that you had to stop using your powers altogether for the safety of everyone around you. This was what happened when you used your powers – only the plants grew, everyone else died. Several years later and you had made it to college without suspicion for your parents’ murder. You hadn’t used your powers since. Though your abilities burned at being contained, you had managed to keep a lid on them for the greater good.
That was until he started screaming at you. Your clenched fists began to glow with the gold energy that plagued you. “The Glow”, as you called it, accelerated the cell mitosis within the plants and shifted the auxins so you could control how fast the plant grew and in what shapes. Shutting your eyes, you attempted to block out the screams of the thug in front of you and prevent the Glow from escaping. Everything seemed to slow down for a moment.
“Can you hear me? Christ, no wonder your parents left you in that orphanage – you’re fucking insane!” He cried. Gasps were audible, even from people sat in the other half of the cafeteria. Your eyes snapped open to reveal that the Glow had infiltrated your eyes, turning not just your irises gold but the entirety of your eyes. They even swirled like the energy you were trying so hard to contain. It was striking but equally terrifying.
“Don’t you dare,” you hissed, your voice decorated with a tinkling sound, no doubt as a result of your powers, “speak about my parents.”
The Glow began to spew from your hands like liquid. It floated all around you and spread outwards in like a wave.
“What the f-” The man began but it was too late. Your head was thrust back and your arms shot outwards. The energy spewed from within you and filled the air causing the trees outside the cafeteria to sway and move in reaction to your call. Your soul sighed as you allowed all your pent up energy to be released.
Somebody on the other side of the hall screamed as the large windows shattered. The plants and trees had swelled to enormous size and began moving as you subconsciously commanded. More screams carried through the hall and people quickly fled. The only person who couldn’t move was the man in front of you as thick vines began wrapping themselves around his limbs…
The Avengers sat around the table of the helicarrier awaiting direction from Fury who stood in front of them with a solemn expression.
“This one won’t be easy kids…” He began, resting his palms on the table.
“Whatever it is, Fury, we can handle it.” Romanoff assured him with an encouraging though small smile. After a momentary pause and a doubtful glance at the assassin, he stood up.
“Alright then.” He said.
“We’ve got a high level alert on a college in England. Some girl with a… ‘gift’, we’ll call it, went a little loco and now the whole place is all busted up.” Fury folded his arms.
“How so?” Cap said, leaning his elbows on the edge of the glass table.
“Well, the place looks like something out of a damn apocalypse movie – all grown over and broken. Basically, this girl can manipulate the local fauna however she likes.”
“Surely SHIELD or even Professor X would have known about someone like that.” Tony motioned with his hand dramatically, as if it wasn’t his problem. Pietro, who stood next to him, rolled his eyes before awaiting Fury’s response.
“That’s Charles Xavier to you.” Fury corrected him.
“Yeah, but Professor X just sounds… cooler, don’t you think?” Fury ignored him.
“It would seem that this girl has been bottling it up for years. Her parents were found dead with no explanation and she was thrown into an orphanage afterwards. Only now can we assume that she was the one that killed ‘em hence why she was a little… uh, reluctant to reveal her abilities.” Everyone nodded understandingly, particularly Pietro, Wanda, and Bruce who could relate a little more than the others.
“Something musta’ pushed her over the edge because now there’s a whole damn forest spreading for at least 2 miles all around the building and anywhere near it.” Fury used a tablet to bring up images of the building and as everybody pored over the image, they could see it did indeed look liked someone had thrown broken buildings into the middle of the Amazon. Pietro presumed that the largest building, the roof of which was jutting out from the tree canopy, was the college itself.
“A scan showed that there are still some people in the building, presumably trapped. Our job is to get in there, rescue them and take her out.” Pietro looked up shocked along with Steve and Wanda.
“Take her out?” They exclaimed in unison. Fury looked up dejectedly.
“I told you this one wasn’t going to be easy.”
Even Natasha looked a little uncomfortable before she shook her head to dismiss the reservations.
“Surely that isn’t our only option?” Pietro protested.
“I’m sorry but the council has made a decision and last time I ignored one of those, we nearly got Manhattan nuked. God knows what they’d do this time.” Fury picked up the tablet and began walking away.
“Sorry folks,” He called out as he left, “but this is out of our hands. Now suit up.”
The Avengers sat in silence in the back of the jet. Natasha flew the jet with Fury as her co-pilot whilst everybody else – Thor, Cap, The Twins, Tony, Clint and Bruce – were sat or stood in the back. Pietro seemed to be the most unnerved of them all at the thought of having to kill someone so similar to himself.
Unfortunately he knew all too well what it was like adjusting to something so new and strange. Granted, he had opted for his abilities but it didn’t make the process any less painful or easier to deal with. It took the strength and support of his sister to get him where he was now but it would seem that the girl in question had neither of these things to hand, through no fault of her own.
Pietro’s mind was teared away from its thoughts when the jet lurched violently. If it were not for his belt, then he would have been thrown across the hanger – as Stark was (he had chosen to stand instead of fasten himself in).
“Holy sh-” Pietro heard him cry before he hit the wall with a metallic clang. The Iron Man suit showed barely a dent as the man inside stood up and rubbed his head.
“What the hell is going on out there?” He asked. Fury leaned over.
“It’s the forest.” He cried out. “It’s… well, it’s fighting back.” He finished saying just as Natasha steered the plane sharply to the right. Stark would have been thrown again had he not grabbed a hold of something.
Bruce looked a little worried but Wanda took his hand reassuringly. Pietro rapidly undid his harness and sped to the front of the ship, holding onto the pilots’ chairs for dear life as Natasha swerved again. The sight that met his eyes was strange.
One tree stood taller than the rest. The bottom half of the trunk split into two like thick wooden legs and it also had two thick branches protruding from either side that it was using like arms to swing at the quinjet. Several vines were hanging from or wrapped around the tree and these were also moving. Some of them slithered and writhed like snakes and other whipped and snapped at the air surrounding the jet in an attempt to grab it or bash it. Pietro was impressed that Natasha had managed to keep them in the air at all.
“Stark!” She called out.
“I can’t keep us up much longer – get Bruce to the ground. Everybody else get parachutes.” She yelled. Stark opened up the back of the jet and, with Bruce clinging onto him, jumped out. Both of them seemed more than willing to abandon the flying metal death trap. Cap was next to jump with a parachute strapped to his back. Somehow, he was able to retain a sombre expression despite the thrill he felt as he jumped. Clint followed shortly after.
Thor offered Wanda his large hand and, after casting a nervous glance at her brother, she took it and was whisked to safety by the Thunder God and Mjolnir. Fury was next to abandon ship, muttering “See you on the ground” before leaping.
“Piet, you need to go.” Natasha said but Pietro shook his head. Taking the last two parachutes from the hooks, he strapped one to his back and dropped the other next to the red-haired assassin. He then placed himself in the co-pilot’s seat that Fury had recently vacated.
“I will be able to get out of the plane faster. You go now and I shall follow.” He instructed her.
After purely a moment’s hesitation, Natasha switched the control to Pietro’s seat and the speedster felt the joystick in front of him shudder to life. He then turned his attention to the monster in front of him. Despite how silent it was, the creature was still terrifying purely due to its height and the agonisingly slow movements it made. It lifted its left branch up and Pietro cried over his shoulder:
“Wait, Natasha - hold on!”
Heaving the joystick to the right, Maximoff forced the plane to move and narrowly missed the attack of the tree. Natasha was clinging to whatever she could as her legs flailed about in the air. When Pietro corrected their course and her feet touched something solid again, she seized the opportunity.
“I’m going for it.” She said to Pietro before nimbly hopping out.
Pietro turned back to face the tree beast but realised early on that he was a second too late. The tree’s right branch had swung down and Pietro zoomed out of the seat just in time for the branch to come crashing through the windscreen. Hurrying towards the rear of the plane, time seemed to slow down. Pietro could feel the plane beginning to fall. He could see the roof beginning to crumple and the walls starting to break as vines wrapped themselves around the vehicle and constricted.
Thankfully, Pietro had abandoned the collapsing craft in time and was now barrelling towards the forest below. He activated his parachute just in time save himself from hitting the ground and felt grateful for the stability that the ground provided after his momentary flying session. Had he not been otherwise occupied, he might have knelt down and kissed the earth. Speeding forward, Pietro hoped to escape the zone in which the jet might crash. A thundering clamour and a momentarily powerful wind told him that the vehicle had grounded – though not necessarily in the way they might have hoped for when they initially set out.
Activating his earpiece, Pietro listened to the white noise it produced. Something must have been interfering with the equipment. Just when he was about to switch it off again, a familiar voice could be heard through the hissing:
“…know who can hear me… if you can, carry on with the…” More hissing.
“…find the girl… take her out… survivors… rescue… safety…” Pietro didn’t catch anymore.
He deactivated the earpiece and discarded it knowing that he was on his own for now. If he could find his way to the college building then he might be able to find the survivors and not have to deal with the girl who he so desperately did not want to have to “take out”.
Speeding between trees and dodging the branches, Pietro found neither the college building nor any of his friends. He was truly alone. It had been a good couple of hours since they had been separated and he was beginning to wonder if anyone had much more progress than him. If they had dealt with the girl then the forest would not still be standing so Pietro at least hoped that they had found the survivors.
He took to walking for a moment to give himself time to recharge. It was only when he did so that he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Halting in his tracks, Pietro pressed himself up against a tree trunk. If it was an Avenger, then he would simply come out of hiding but if it wasn’t…
A girl with messy hair and equally dishevelled clothing stumbled out of the foliage. Her clothes were ripped and torn and her skin was dirtied by the soil she had clearly been trudging through. Was she one of the survivors that Fury had mentioned? He resolved to continue watching her from his hiding place to be sure. Pietro noticed how she paced through the greenery with a confidence that suggested she was not quite lost but similarly not quite sure where she was going. She also crossed her hands over her stomach and gripped the material of her shirt nervously. Though it wasn’t the time to be thinking such things, Pietro couldn’t help but notice how naturally pretty she was. Maybe it was just the rugged way in which she was dressed but there was definitely something about her that he couldn’t help but like. Shaking his head to try and dismiss such thoughts, he ended up catching her attention.
She whirled round, making her hair flick, and glanced into the shadows. Luckily, the darkness continued to conceal him from her frightened eyes. Whilst he was still hidden, he was able to observe her further. Her eyes were normal save for the golden colour of her irises and he noticed that the surrounding plants seemed to lean in her direction when she walked past them. Pietro’s stomach sank.
This was the girl they’d been tasked to kill.
Slowly, she lifted her right hand and Pietro watched as she swirled it with incredible precision and delicacy. It was only when he realised what she was doing that it was too late. The branches had wrapped around his limbs several times. With a flick of her wrist, Pietro was pulled from the shadows and held aloft in front of the girl. Now both of her hands were held out in front of her – fingers spread and palms facing out to keep Pietro’s wooden shackles in place. Her eyes were also wide and terrified although he couldn’t understand why when she had the upper hand – in this position she could quite easily tear him apart, limb from limb.
In fact, he began to wonder why she hadn’t already.
Holding his gaze with her, he awaited some sort of movement but they both remained still, the only sound filling the air being a gentle wind and the pair’s nervous breathing. Gradually, the girl began to lower her hands and at the same time, the vines trapping his limbs lowered too. Pietro’s feet softly hit the ground and he watched as she curled her fingers inwards, unfurling the branches from around him. Pietro was surprised. She appeared to be letting him go but, just in case she was bluffing, he remained still.
The girl brought her hands around her waist again before looking downward. Again, Pietro couldn’t work out why she seemed afraid of him.
“Sorry…” She whispered quietly. Her voice was so hushed that the Maximoff twin feared he hadn’t heard her correctly.
“What did you say?” He asked, equally keeping his voice soft so as not to startle her. She looked up at him, her golden eyes sparkling.
“I said that… I’m sorry. I don’t really know how to control it.” The girl lifted her hands to indicate she was talking about her powers but the movement startled Pietro a little and he stepped back.
She retracted her hands rapidly with apologetic eyes. Pietro couldn’t help but feel guilty at how he had reacted.
“Sorry…” She mumbled again. Pietro shook his head softly, disturbing his messy silver hair. He was amazed. Having been ordered to kill her, he expected her to be much… worse than this.
“You’re Pietro Maximoff.” She stated and Pietro was a little taken aback.
“I… I am.”
“You’re here with the Avengers - the people I see on the telly.” She continued. Pietro smiled cautiously in response – though he felt a little more reassured after realising how she knew him.
“You’re here to kill me.” She whispered.
Pietro’s smiled faded and that told the girl all she needed to know. She nodded, apparently understanding. This confused Pietro.
“I just… I can’t control it.” She whimpered, looking down at her hands. Pietro wanted to run to her, to hold her and promise her that it was going to be okay but something held him back.
“That doesn’t make me evil, does it?” She asked suddenly, looking up at him with her twinkling eyes. Pietro shook his head, the words getting caught in his throat.
She paused a moment, appearing to think about something, before continuing.
“I can show you… if you’d like.” She said softly, allowing an innocent but equally forlorn smile to creep onto her lips. Slowly, she stepped towards him except this time, Pietro didn’t want to run.
“I can help you find your friends too.” The girl lifted a hand up and offered it to him. Pietro thought for quite some time – it could still be a trap. However she seemed just as confused and scared as he had once been. Seeing her this way instilled a sense of hope within him - he wanted to help. There was no way he could let her wander about the forest alone in case one of the other Avengers “took her out”. At least if he was with her, he could protect her from them. As and when they were reunited, he could convince them to let her live.
Slowly, he slid his hand into hers and felt long fingers slowly wrap around his. Her touch was surprisingly tingly and warm, something Pietro hadn’t experienced before. After a moment’s waiting, the girl looked up at him and smiled. He returned the grin before allowing himself to be led down the path he had just walked.
They’d been strolling for a while, hand in hand, through parts of the forest that seemed familiar and foreign at the same time. Every new path they turned down seemed to look exactly like the previous one. How the girl knew where she was going was beyond him. Seeming to sense his confusion, the girl explained:
“The forest speaks to me… It tells me where to go, where your friends are.”
She giggled at his disbelieving expression, her laugh sounding like a chiming bell.
“It’s not as weird as it sounds, I promise.” She assured him. After having spent so long walking around, the conversations had become more relaxed. They were each beginning to feel more comfortable around the other. Casually, they walked through a small glade that was a mosaic of greens and golds as the sunlight spilled in through the leafy canopy. He watched as it also bounced off of his new friend’s hair. He noted again how lovely she looked but shook his head once more to hush his wandering thoughts.
When they turned into another part of the woodland, something amazing met Pietro’s eyes. The branches of the trees had curved and interlocked to form a tunnel through which they were now walking. Assortments of flowers and other shrubbery decorated the edges – some of them creeping up the lengths of the trunks and decorating them with beautiful skirts of petals and buds. A lone blue butterfly fluttered through the tunnel.
“Wow…” He found himself exclaiming as they began walking through it. The girl turned to him.
“What?” She asked.
“You made this?” He asked astounded. He used his free hand to gently caress one of the petals of a nearby blossom.
“Yeah… I guess.” She murmured. The girl took her hand out of Pietro’s for a moment to clutch her waist like she had done when he first saw her, leaving her friend astounded. How could she not see the beauty of what she’d created.
“It’s amazing…” He admitted, looking up to the roof of the underpass to admire the way the sun broke through the knitted branches. The girl shrugged and Pietro furrowed his brow slightly.
“Can you not see what you’ve created?” He asked with an incredulous smile.
“I see what I’ve created…” The girl mumbled, taking a few steps forward. She waved her hand over the side of the tunnel causing the trees to bend their trunks and create a parting in the wooden walls. Peering through, Pietro saw that they were looking at a house – or rather what was left of it.
The walls had been infiltrated by trees and bushes. The windows were broken and smashed with more foliage growing through it. Moss was blanketing the roof and even the area left and right of the building was thick with leaves and branches. Bricks littered the ground and debris lay almost everywhere.
“But I also see what I’ve destroyed.” She muttered before closing the curtain.
The girl began walking away but Pietro had sped past her and blocked her path.
“You can’t control it – it’s not your fault.” He reminded her but she shook her head defensively.
“I know… but it doesn’t make it any easier.” She said. Pietro could hear himself in her and again felt the urge to hold her. With a small smile, he resorted to taking her hand instead.
“I never said it was easy.”
After another few minutes walking, the girl said:
“We’re nearing the closest of your friends.”
“I’m surprised it has taken this long.” He replied.
“Well, they’re all heading for the college building so we’re just following them but they’re not moving as quickly and that’s the only reason we’ve caught up.”
“I could run there very quickly if you told me where to run.” He suggested.
“I’m not sure that I have the reflexes to give directions at the speed you would be running.” She giggled, the bell-like laugh chiming.
“Plus, you can’t admire the world if you’re zooming past it.” She pointed out. Pulling gently on his hand, she led him to a flower on the edge of the path. She kneeled down to gently stroke the petals of the plant. It leaned towards her like an affectionate dog would its owner as a result of her powers.
“What is it?” He asked, a feeling of warmth spreading within him as he watched her softly caress the flower.
“A lily.” She smiled nostalgically.
“They’re my favourite flower.”
“It’s lovely.” Pietro smiled. The lily was white but when the light hit it just right, it almost looked silver. Each of the 6 petals on the flower curved out elegantly, revealing the green interior. A curiosity began to bubble within Pietro and kneeling down next to her, he asked:
“Why lilies?” The girl paused to ponder his question, playing with the petals some more as if they might hold untold secrets.
“Because they’re… special.” She began.
“There are so many types of lilies – all in different colours, varieties, hybrids. Some of them are used for medicine, others for food and they’re really popular in shows and for decorations.” She paused and Pietro waited, fascinated by the passion she showed for the plant.
“They’re diverse. They’re all unique and no two are alike. There are so many different sorts but no-one minds. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t the same as each other because they’re still beautiful.” Her voice trailed off a little and it was then that Pietro understood. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her and she, in turn, showed him a grateful smile.
They continued to walk until they reached another small glade. The sun was peeking a little less through the canopy leading Pietro to believe that the sun was setting. When Fury had explained the mission, he really hadn’t thought it would take the whole day.
“If we wait here, one of your friends will walk through.” She said with a sad smile. She was clearly apprehensive and Pietro couldn’t blame her. The risk she was taking to reunite him with the others was massive and he only hoped that he could repay her by convincing them to spare her life.
The girl took a seat on a mossy rock and placed her hands in her lap. Pietro remained standing and rubbed the back of his neck. Walking slowly ironically tired him out. He was used to being much more fast-paced. Turning to face his new friend, he saw that she had lifted her hands up and was moving her fingers like Wanda would do when she was using her powers. Instead of the girl having a red glow surrounding her, however, it was gold – like the colour of her eyes.
As he looked up and around, he noticed that spores of the same colour seemed to appear from the trunks of the trees. The beads swirled and circled them both like a school of shining fish that swum through the air as if it were water.
“Incredible…” He exclaimed again and the girl chuckled.
“If they follow them, they’ll find us.” She said.
“I’ve never known Tony to ignore something shiny.” He muttered. Suddenly, a glorious sound reached Pietro’s ears. It sounded like a choir of angels that were singing through pipes made of gold and silver. It was practically indescribable with any words other than breath taking. Spinning around, Pietro searched eagerly for the source of the music. The girl had stood up by this point, no longer needing to create more orbs. His eyes fell upon her and his heart began to race faster than he could ever run.
“It’s beautiful.” He smiled at her, though not necessarily meaning the music. She blushed and looked down with a smile.
“It’s not me.” She whispered, slowly looking up at him. Pietro spun around again until he realised what was making the music. He pointed a curious finger upwards, gesturing to the trees that made up the ceiling. The girl nodded.
“The trees are always singing but I am usually the only one who can hear them.” Pietro looked around for a few moments more, admiring the incredible things this girl, nay this woman, had created. Upon noticing her bashful and ashamed expression, he whispered to her.
“Do you still not see what I see?” She shook her head and moved away.
“I’ve hidden who I am all my life for good reason. I destroy everything I touch and even that which I do not.” Pietro stepped forwards and took her hands in his own.
“I’ve spent practically all day with you and have seen no evidence of that. All I see is somebody who’s scared, confused and alone…” She looked up at him, her golden eyes brimming with tears.
“You mean, you’re not afraid of me?” She asked, her voice a mere whisper. Pietro’s response was not one of words. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over hers.
The kiss was gentle and soft. Pietro’s didn’t force himself upon her, knowing how fragile a state she was in but at the same time, he made it known to her how he felt. His hands released hers so that he could softly take a hold of her waist. In turn, he felt her hands climb up to his neck and tunnel into his hair. Her touch was still warm and tingly – it made him feel calm inside. She similarly felt safe in his embrace which was something she had not felt in a long, long time. Wrapping his arms around her fully, he kissed her a little deeper. He felt her body rise like the tide to meet him, warmth washing over him as she did so.
Soon she pulled away from him and he cupped her cheeks with his hands.
“Does that answer your question?” He murmured and the woman smiled softly. It made Pietro’s heart dance. He stepped backwards a little and looked up at the glitter that washed through the air. The choir could still be heard but whether it was his heart or the trees that were now singing, Pietro was unsure. Either way, he felt happier than he had ever done before.
Until he looked back down.
Just as his eyes locked onto hers, a shot rang out amongst the greenery and the choir abruptly stopped singing. The girl’s face was white and no longer bore the blissful expression he had stirred within her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open. The crimson blood that stained the centre of her shirt then began to grow and she collapsed in his arms.
Fury lowered his gun and watched as Pietro caught the girl. He heard Steve and Clint approach him from behind – it had been their idea to follow the orbs that had appeared. Fury saw Wanda and Thor enter the glade too from the other side. Wanda’s face dropped when she saw Pietro. Was something wrong?
As everybody filed into the glade, they could hear Pietro’s whimpering. Wanda used her talented mind to seek the cause of her brother’s dismay only for her scarlet eyes to fall on Fury.
“What did you do?” She growled. Suddenly everybody’s attention was on him.
“I finished the job.” He said defensively.
Pietro cradled the girl within his arms, trying to stop the blood from flowing with his hand. She was already so pale. He could feel the presence of his friends surrounding him but ignored them for the time being.
“You have to go…” The girl whispered to him. Her voice had lost its metallic bell-like quality – instead it sounded like the air being let out of a tyre.
“I’m not leaving you here.” He cried.
“That’s not what I meant.”
As she spoke, Pietro looked up with tearful eyes. Through his blurred vision, he could see that the forest had begun wilting. One of the trees then swayed dangerously and Pietro understood what was happening. Gathering the girl up in his arms, he turned to the others.
“We have to leave.” He snapped at the group and all nodded, admittedly scared by this emotional and angry Pietro.
It didn’t take long for them to reach safety – the wilting forest had cleared around the college building and everybody gathered inside. Along the way, Natasha, Tony, and Bruce had joined having found survivors. They had been making their way towards the glade when the forest began collapsing.
Upon entering the building, Pietro zoomed to an empty part of the corner where he laid the girl on the floor. Her clothing was drenched in blood and her face was drained of any. Carefully setting her on the floor, Pietro realised he didn’t have a name to call in an attempt of waking her but it didn’t matter.
She might as well have been sleeping she looked so peaceful. Pietro used his bloody hand to wipe away the few strands of hair that obscured her face. He could hear the crackling as the forest continued to wilt and die along with the girl. Pietro could feel tears bursting free from his eyes and he wiped them away hurriedly. He had promised her that she would be okay and here she was, slipping through his fingers. He had promised her – yet even in her last words, she was looking out for him.
Standing up, he realised how heavily he was panting. Wanda was the closest to him but even she was tentative about approaching him. He head was low and his deep breathing caused his shoulders to rise and fall. Even from behind, Pietro looked fuming.
“Piet-”
Her brother cried out like a wounded animal. He sped to the wall and beat his fists against them repetitively. It was difficult to tell whether the blood staining the wall was his own or the blood on his hands. He continued to pound and beat the wall as if it might dissipate some of the rage he felt. With each fist he smashed into the wall, he let out another angry shout. Steve and Tony looked on sorrowfully, neither knowing what to do or say. Eventually they shared a mutual glance of pity before moving on and letting him mourn.
Pietro soon exhausted himself and slid to his knees. His fists remained against the wall but his head drooped and, instead of screaming, he began to sob. Seizing the opportunity, Wanda rushed to his aid and knelt behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. They spent a moment like this with Wanda pressing her face into her brother’s back and him weeping against the wall. After a while Pietro turned and wrapped his arms around her, crying into the crook of her neck. The rising and falling of his shoulders, instead of showing anger, showed how truly hurt he was as they shook with each whimper.
Wanda searched his head and, in an attempt to understand, adopted all that he had felt for the girl – the curiosity, the love and the loss. Small tears brimmed in her eyes and she buried her face into her brother’s hair, realising how he must feel. The other Avengers let the twins hold each other and gave them space whilst dealing with the survivors – two men and a woman. The forest continued to wilt with a thunderous cracking sound as plants shrivelled up and trees collapsed around them. Eventually a deathly silence blanketed the land and Fury took it as a sign that all was finally well. Without as much as a second glance, he herded everybody out of the college building towards the car park where another quinjet would shortly be arriving.
Clint, however, stayed behind.
He watched the pair embracing, silently mourning with them, and knowing that he could do no more. He waited patiently, silently watching over them until finally, he took a step forward, and then another, and then another. He approached both the Maximoffs carefully and calmly before kneeling down beside them. Calmly he draped his arms around the pair and pulled them close to him. He felt them lean into him and only tightened his grip on them. Clint felt Pietro’s gentle snivels against his shoulder. Placing his chin on top of the boy’s head, he began to stroke his silver hair tenderly.
“Hush now…” He whispered.
“It’s over. It’s done.”
*Several Months Later*
Pietro rushed around his room.
“Where is it? Where is it?” He muttered to himself as he hurried around the place searching frantically through shelves and drawers. A firm knock on the door halted him in his tracks. Pietro looked to the door as Clint entered.
“Hello.” He said.
“What the hell are you doing?” Clint chuckled and folded his arms when Pietro began speeding around again.
“I’m in the lab downstairs and all I can hear is your damn feet running around up here.”
“I’ve put the damn thing down again and can’t remember where.” Clint rolled his eyes.
“Again? That’s the third time this week.” He chuckled. Pietro was less amused.
“Well, it’s small.”
“It’s really not you know – plus it’s bloody yellow so it isn’t like it blends in.” Clint continued to smile as Pietro resumed his search.
“Where did you last have it?” He asked when the speedster ignored his comment.
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be looking for it.” Getting to his knees, Clint peered under Pietro’s bed. Reaching out, he extracted the yellow watering can that was hidden from view. When he stood up holding it, Pietro stopped in his tracks.
“Where was that?” He asked, dumbfounded. Clint smiled and passed the item to his friend.
“Judging by the little puddle, I’d say you knocked it over and it rolled under your bed.”
“Well, I was going to look there next.” Pietro grumbled before hurrying to his bathroom to fill the watering can.
“Sure you were. Now hurry up, Fury’s asking for you.” Clint said airily before leaving the room. When Pietro returned to the room, the door to his room was just clicking shut. He turned slowly to the windowsill. Light spilled into the room and lit up the white flower. He loved the way that it looked silver in the sunshine. Pietro tipped the end of the watering can and watched the glittering droplets of water run between the cracks in the soil.
The Lily sang as he watered it.