Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Twenty-Five: Forever And Far Too Soon

Music is "Someplace To Go Medley" by Blake Neely from CW's The Flash OST, remixed by Jorah the Andal.

Picture is Poppy Drayton as Aspen Penrose.

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"One mystery I cannot figure out is why some people come into our lives and why some people go. Others become a part of you. Some friendships feel like they'll last forever and others end far too soon. Not every friendship is meant to last forever. What does last forever is the pain when that person is gone."

- Barry Allen, The Flash

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Our eyes remain locked in blissful agony for seems like an eternity. I repeat her name softly again, mostly to myself. She's the first to turn away, towards Barry, hands shaking with a strange emerald color. She shakes her head, turning towards the exit and hurry on swift feet out of view. 

I attempt to run after her, her name escaping my mouth once again a little louder this time, but Pietro stops me with an arm around my waist.

The young girl, the one she called Persephone, attempts to run after her as well. "Mom--!"

Barry puts an arm out to stop her, saying, "I'll bring her back, Seph. You stay here." He turns towards me, giving a sorry expression. "I'm sorry." He hands Killbane over to my sister-in-law, then he's off, quicker than lightning.

There's an awkward pause between Barry's absence and Cisco's clapped hands. "Well, that wasn't dramatic at all." He extends a hand towards me, a smile on his face. "I'm Cisco Ramone, scientist here at S.T.A.R. Labs and Barry's best friend." Caitlin and Iris both clear their throats behind him, and Cisco corrects, "Okay, fine. Barry's best guy friend."

Caitlin smiles smugly. "Thank you."

I shake his hand, still trying to get my thoughts ordered. "Gloria Maximof. My friends call me Glory. This is my husband, Pietro Maximoff. This is my sister-in-law, Wanda Maximoff. That;'s Gregory Killbane, my arch enemy. And this is Elaine Maximoff, my...daughter."

Cisco greets the others as I name them, giving Killbane a wicked side-eye, but when he gets to Elaine, he freezes. "Uh...no offense, girl, but you do not look young enough to be her daughter."

Elaine smiles softly. "Time travel."

"Ah! We're all too familiar with that. Gotcha." Cisco turns to his company and introduces them to us. "Caitlin Snow, resident biochemist and medic for when, not if, Barry hurts himself. Her friend Julian Albert who shares a lab with Barry at the CCPD CSI Department. Joe West, Barry's adopted Dad and super-cop."

"Detective," Joe corrects.

Cisco nods. "Right! Super-Detective West. His daughter is Iris West-Thawne, a brilliant reporter for Central City Picture News, and her husband is Joe's partner, Eddie Thawne. Beside him is his other son. Wally West, who is Flash-Junior."

"Kid Flash," Wally chuckles, embarrassed. "And I'm also a pretty damn good engineer."

Cisco rolls his eyes. "To be determined, Wallace. Anyways, that's Henry Allen, Barry's other Dad. He's a doctor, too. Then there's Harry and Jessie Wells from Earth-2. They're both wicked smart, and Jessie's a speedster, too." Cisco pauses, looking around the room. "Did I miss anybody?"

"You missed Hubert," Julian inputs quietly, pointing to the statue where Barry's suit would be on display. "You know..." Cisco gives him a look of disapproval while Joe cracks in laughter in the background. Julian sinks behind the figure of Caitlin. "Never mind."