Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 81 - Would You Come Home?

"You didn't just lose one family. You lost two. So, if anyone had the right to disappear, it was you. But you didn't. You fought through the pain. You stayed. You're stronger than any of us."

The redhead smiled sadly before lacing her free hand around the side of the mutant's neck and pulling her close, cradling the blonde's head against her shoulder. "I know, okay? I know. But you can't seriously tell me that I've been living these years. Sure, my heart is beating and I'm breathing, but it's barely more than that." Natasha didn't want to hear how she was the strongest of them all, because she wasn't. Or, she didn't feel like she was at least.

But she would always be that in Keira's eyes. Strongest of them all, powers or not.

With her head once again on the redhead's shoulder, she allowed her eyes to close, feeling the reassuring touch of a hand brushing through her hair every once in a while. It didn't take long before her attempts to stifle her tears became futile, and they ran down her cheeks in silence. "Thank you." Keira whispered, burying her face against Natasha's hoodie.

Whatever turn Natasha had expected the conversation to take, it wasn't this. "Whatever are you thanking me for?" She asked, her eyes furrowed in confusion.

"I'm thanking you for being the one person who's always been there for me. You've never wavered from my side for even a second, and for that, I am grateful. Thank you for being the only stable person in my life."

Even if Keira's words were muffled, due to the fact that her face was pressed against Natasha's shoulder, the redhead still heard them as clear as day. She just hugged the blonde tighter, without saying a word. 

Because sometimes, words weren't necessary.

❆

Tokyo had always been on Keira's bucket list of cities to visit, but she had never gotten around to it. The city, or rather, Japan overall, was renowned for the way ancient traditions blended with modern-day technology.

So far, however, she wasn't impressed.

The rain was pouring down, effectively drenching anyone who dared to step outside to the bone within seconds. Distant thunder mixed with the sounds of gunshots while their shoes splashed through the puddles that were pooling in every crevice of the asphalt.

From the bright lights cast by the neon signs, they could just make out the blood mixing with the water in the puddles. Bodies lay scattered across the street, like broken toys and littered with slash wounds. Keira had seen a lot of death in her life, and these murders were no different from the ones she had inflicted herself during her rogue year.

It was anger. It was pain. Driven by the immense loss they had suffered.

Listening to the heavy rain pattering against the umbrella, Keira sighed. Clint would return with them. If he didn't go voluntarily, they would force him back. Powers or no powers, however, now that would be up to him.

A lonely figure stood in the middle of the street, wiping his sword clean from the blood of the man he just killed.

The two women stopped soundlessly and just observed him for a moment. It was clear that he sensed them, as he pulled off his mask and hood. "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you." Natasha was the one to answer, her voice calm. To see Clint like this, killing without remorse... It was a completely different side from the man that decided not to shoot her, all those years ago, when they had been on different sides of things. It was... unsettling. Sure, she had heard about his deeds from Rhodey, and read the news, but she had never actually gotten around to seeing the bloodbaths he left behind.