A Place In This World

the magic we give off

We all split again in this way, and we go to one of the checkpoints, a parking garage in the remaining Business District of the city, not far from the park we had regrouped in. Many frightened faces look up at us, but Dad locates a police officer. Wanda and I catch our breath, her more so than me.

I get my breathing under control and I smile at her. She immediately returns it. "Not much of a runner?"

"Not like this," Wanda admits. She takes a few more deep breaths, and she seems to get it under control. She stands up straighter, seems more confident than the last time I saw her. "Your father gives incredible pep talks," she says, practically reading my mind, her laugh breathy.

"So is your brother," I say.

"Yes, it's one of his more surprising traits," she says.

We look away from each other, back at the people before us, now standing from their seats on the concrete. They hear my father and the few other officers that have gathered around him talking. Whispers pass through the crowd, jittery and light. Hope echoes off the parking garage's ceiling and bounces back to Wanda and me.

"We can do this," Wanda murmurs. "We can save my people."

"Yes," I grab her hand. "We can."

Dad stalks towards us, rubs his hands against the chill of the high altitude. "Alright, ladies, you two wait for my signal. Fury says our group's Lifeboat should be here in five minutes. Make sure everyone here gets on it." He gives us a pointed look.

I nod, some training clicking in. "Yes, sir."

Wanda and I go our separate ways, taking up positions by the square pillars at the entrances, my dad in the center with the officers, who direct small groups around me and Wanda, another behind my dad. I draw one of my arrows and fit it onto the string, waiting, listening.

A Lifeboat coasts overhead, its shadow darkening the side of the building across the street as it descends. Dad waves to its operator, and Wanda and I wait patiently for his signal. He nods to me first and then Wanda. I run towards the sunshine, my group at my back, the thundering of their shoes against pavement loud in my ears. Almost as loud as the engines of the Lifeboats. Wanda matches my pace, and we reach the carrier at the same time it lands. The walkway lowers, and we motion people on board, checking the back of the group for any stragglers. Dad brings up the rear, ensuring we haven't missed anyone.

The three of us step back, allowing the walkway to retract back into the Lifeboat's side and for the side to close off from the open air. The carrier returns to the sky, and we watch it leave our sight.

"I got a plan," Tony's voice comes in over comms, sounding confident.

"We are out of time," Thor says from his position. I haven't seen him or Vision since we departed from the Quinjet. "They're coming for the core."

Tony shifts gears then, instructing us to meet where the core is, where Thor and Vision are defending it on their own. The core is what's keeping us afloat, what drives us further away from earth, and I'm guessing if destroyed, brings us crashing back towards it.

                                                                 

                                                                 ↣     ↣     ↣

The cathedral no longer has a roof, some of the walls gone, crumbled to the ground. I pass through one of the missing walls beside my father and Wanda, finding Thor and Vision on guard. From another entrance on the opposite side, Pietro slides to a stop in front of his sister, in front of us. He reaches for her.