Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 74 - Breaking Point

Keira didn't move from her spot, but merely buried her face deeper against Pepper's shoulder. And they sat like that for a long time, the older woman consoling the mutant in silence.

"Hey, disco ball. You look horrible."

Keira whipped her head up and couldn't help the relieved smile that broke out on her face at Tony's comment. In unison with Pepper, she helped to fluff the pillows up so that Tony could push himself up into a sitting position. "Look who's talking." She replied, shaking her head faintly.

When Pepper grasped his hand, Keira had to swallow hard to not let the tears start streaming again. It was another reminder of something she would never get to do ever again.

"Hey, I still look better than you." Tony made a move to swat playfully at her shoulder, but his strength didn't let him quite reach her.

Pepper shot him a worried look. "Try not to overexcite yourself, Tony. You still need to rest."

The man sighed and sunk back into the pillows. "I've rested enough to last me ten lifetimes." He muttered as he let his gaze fall on Pepper, and he still couldn't believe that she was still here. Had he lost both her and Peter... He didn't know what he would've done. Which was why he turned his gaze to Keira instead. "You're gonna be okay, kid."

"That's what everybody keeps saying." Keira shook her head sadly, and again, started to tug at her sleeves, a habit she had picked up from Wanda. "But I really don't see how anybody will be okay after all of this."

The silent conversation Tony and Pepper were having turned into background noise as Keira got stuck in her own head, contemplating everything between heaven and earth.

She hadn't left the compound once, considering that the wounds on her back had still been healing, but she had been following the news closely while trying to distract herself.

Not being allowed to train, or to physically tire out her body had been tough, because if her body wasn't tired, then her head got a lot harder to deal with as well.

But seeing all the chaos and sadness that was happening outside the fences, caused her to appreciate the little things she had left. At least she had someone left. Some people were left completely alone, and yet, she dared complain about her situation.

But even if she knew that there were people who had it worse, did that mean that she wasn't entitled to feeling like she did?

A hand on her shoulder startled her so badly that she flinched, and in reflex, raised both her fists. When Pepper's face came into focus, however, she lowered her hands and released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "W- What?" She asked shakily, her eyes jumping between Pepper and Tony.

"I was asking how come you're not out in space right now." Tony was smiling weakly and reached out a hand.

Even in her daze, Keira managed to grasp his hand and clutched it tight. "I tried a stupid move against Thanos, and it backfired, quite literally." When Tony only raised an uncomprehending eyebrow, she continued. "That purple grape destroyed my sword, so I thought that if I encased the shards in diamond and shot them at him, I could at least cause him some damage. Unfortunately, he used the space stone so instead of piercing his back, they pierced mine." Taking a deep breath, she ignored the tingling feeling that traveled across the scars on her back. "And let's just say that they both hurt and healed like a bitch."

Tony's mouth fell slightly open, and a disbelieving chuckle left his lips. "Well, that certainly explains why you're on house arrest. Something tells me you didn't stay behind willingly though." It sounded like the fight on Earth had matched the one on Titan pretty equally, but with the clear exception of less magic.