Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Thirty-Four: You Back Up But You Don't Give Up

Music is "Melancholy" by Claudie Mackula.

Picture is Stephen Strange and Tony Stark edit.

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"There's no such thing as a natural-born pilot. You don't concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. Risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done. You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can't, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don't give up."

- Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"Glory, so help me God, that had better be you down there!"

Carol's voice sounds tired and coffee-induced, so much so that her usual deep tone is high-pitched. This I sum up due to the caffine of trying to scan the Solar System for Thanos, Vision, and Odin knows what else. Looking around, I've yet to see Captain Marvel, but I shout back a reply anyways, "It's just me!"

"I'm going to ignore the fact that 'me' could be anyone and just conclude that it is you, Glory, and not some freaky Skrull."

"Skrull?"

"Big, ugly, green shape-shifter from outer space. Long story. Follow the lights. They'll lead you to me on the Bridge."

"Yeah, I know what they are. I read the comics, but follow the what?" Along the sides of the walls, yellow lights appear, blinking along the corridor. "Oh. Those lights."

I begin to follow them, getting used to the unusual artificial gravity of the Alpha Flight space center. It doesn't take long for me to find the Bridge. Carol lets me in the moment I arrive, the door to the large, Star Trek resembling area opening.

The Alpha Flight Bridge looks like every awesome sci-fi ship combined. Along the wall furthest me is a large window, very similar to that of the U.S.S. Enterprise. It shows the vast darkness of space. The only things that light up the void are stars, galaxies, and a few distant planets. Yet still, the beauty and peace of it brings a smile to my face.

The rest of the Bridge has command centers, a Captain's chair, various coms and holoscreens. Carol once told me that Alpha Flight was made for a crew of many, but she can be piloted by a single being if necessary. Lately, it's just been her. Well, her and her Flerken cat, Chewie.

Yes, after the Wookie.

On the large holoscreen in front of Carol, a few feet away, there are several far away quadrants of the galaxy. They have strange names, scientific terms that Carol, a former astronaut, could know. "'Keptin on ze Bridge,'" I quote, using my Russian accent to copy Pavel Chekov.

Carol turns towards me, running a hand through the barely styled blonde hair on her head. There are bags under her eyes, yet she smiles cheekily at me. "You know I'm a Star Wars gal."

I chuckle, walking over to her. "How's the search coming? Anything so far?"

She turns her attention back to her work with a sigh. "Not yet. I'm using the same algorithm that Doctor Caitlin Snow used to find your Infinity Gems. I've just altered it a bit to find Thanos' Infinity Stones. So far, I've got a whole lotta bubkiss and not a lot of anything."

"Nothing on Vision, either?"

"Nada, unfortunately." She hangs her head. "I've been looking for forty-eight hours straight. Or has it been longer? I lost track after ten cups of jo."