Broken Soldier [#Wattys2015]

Chapter Twenty-Three

My eyes started to water uncontrollably and tears ran down my cheeks. Her face softened and she came over to me, climbing on my bed and pulling me into a hug. I suddenly started blabbering on about everything.

"I-I lost -the-them." I cried. "B-both of -the-them." She rubbed my back. "It's all my fault..."

Shushing me, she said:

"Stop it, it's not your fault." There was some sort of hurt in her voice.

I sighed and pushed my face into the crook of her shoulder and neck. I wanted to disappear. I wanted it all to stop and go away. No more.

No more...

After I pulled myself together, I felt I owed it to Wanda to talk to her. To let her in and let her help me. Like Steve, she was important to me. After all, Valerie and I did spend a lot of time in the same place with Wanda and Pietro. Speaking of whom...

"Where's Pietro?" I sniffed.

Wanda's face dropped and she took a deep breath, looking away from me. "He, uh." A pause. "He's dead." She said looking back at me.

I took a sharp intake of breath, fresh tears gathering behind my eyes. Wanda didn't cry, to my surprise, so I forced myself to hold my own.

"It's what happens when you try to save the world." She suddenly said.

Sokovia...

Just as I was about to say something back, Steve knocked loudly on the door and popped his head in.

"Sorry to interrupt ladies, but Maria, you need to see this..."

**********

"What am I looking at?" I asked Steve as I stood staring at a huge blank screen in front of me.

He said nothing so I looked at him, puzzled at his dormant expression.

"Just watch." Be finally said.

I turned my attention back to the screen and waited. Not long after, a video of the burning safe house came on. My heart sunk at the video, it was silent but, in my head, all I could hear was the raging fire and the screaming that came from my lungs.

"Maria." Steve said, putting a hand on my shoulder and pointing at the screen.

The video paused just as a tiny silver light exploded in the image. My mouth dropped.

"Can I see that again?" I asked urgently.

Steve nodded and replayed that part of the video, stopping at the silver light.

They're alive...

"They're alive." I blurted out.

I could hear sighs around me and saw Wanda looking at me in the corner of my eye, her face showing pain.

I knew the others were skeptical about the fact that Barnes and Valerie could have survived the fire.

"You guys don't think so?" I asked them all.

If they could, they would've all shrunk their heads into their bodies to get away from me without actually leaving. I lifted my arms up then let them slap down onto my thighs, frustrated.

"If none of you even had a little hope that this-" I touched the screen where it showed (what I think was) Valerie's silver. "-means they're alive, why did you bring me here? Why would you show me this video and stop at this particular part because you know that it's Valerie's silver? Why?"

They still didn't answer me and I couldn't take it anymore so I turned and stormed out of the room.

Halfway down the hallway, I heard someone running after me.

"Go away Steve, I don't need you." I said angrily, instantly regretting how I'd said that.

"But you need me." They said.

I stopped, realising it was Steve, and turned to come face to face with Wanda. She was waiting for me. So I walked right up to her.

"Where are you going?" She asked me.

I shrugged. "I- uh, I'm going to find my family."

She nodded, a spark in her eyes flaring up.

"Why?" I questioned her.

A smile broke on her face and she laughed. "Well, you'll need my help."

I laughed too and turned to continue walking down the hallway with Wanda striding next to me.

I have to find my family.