Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Fifty-Six: To The End Of The Skies And Back

Music is "Get That Arm/I Feel You" by Alan Silvestri from the Avengers: Infinity War OST.

Picture is Cillian Murphy as Gregory Killbane.

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"I have been to the end of the skies and back. I have been in the company of heroes. Of all those heroes, he was the bravest I have ever known."

- Steve Rogers, Captain America

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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

I see the spear fly towards Elaine. Her eyes widen in fear and dread. I make a move to stop it, or at least to take the blow in her place.

Another gets to her before me. Someone I used to call my enemy, someone I now consider a close ally. Perhaps even a friend.

Gregory Killbane throws himself in front of my pale-haired daughter, just in time to fool the spear into going through him instead. As it pierces his chest, he grabs hold of it, using every last ounce of his dark matter to destroy it. But the weapon has done its damage, and Killbane falls to the side of the metal walkway, blood pouring from the wound.

"No!" I scream, blasting through the air to land by his side. Killbane's eyes are dazed, and he's losing blood fast but he's still alive. "No, no!"

"That was not meant for you!" Proxima shouts angrily. "That was meant for the girl!"

I turn to glare at her over my shoulder, using my spacial manipulation to break apart the ship around her and trap her inside a ball made of metal. Wanda chants a spell, and scarlet chains wrap around Proxima's metal ball.

"She can burn up on reentry," I growl, turning back to Killbane. I wrap him in a sphere of golden light, pulling him up with my powers. I do the same with Vision, encasing him in a protective circle so Wanda can focus on getting us out of here. "C'mon. We need to get out of here." I turn to Elaine as she mounts Sekhmet on unsteady legs. "Are you okay, Ellie?"

She grips the mane of her fury friend tightly, giving me a small nod. "I'm okay."

The ship starts to crumble around us. Explosions erupt at the bottom of the cavern on either side of the metal walkway. I grip hold of both Vision and Killbane with one hand, using the other to open a portal to New York City. I fly through first, exiting above the skyscrapers on the other side. Wanda flies after me, then Elaine aboard Sekhmet.

I click my com as we fly past the tallest buildings in Manhattan, heading straight towards Stark Tower. "Bruce, we're back. I'm going to need an emergency medical team for two."

"Two?" he replies with anxiety levels in his voice rising. "What do you mean, two?"

"Killbane's down," I reply, pushing myself to go faster. Instead of waiting, I open up several small portals to get me to Stark Tower faster. All of us fly through, dizzied by the constant change of location. We exit the final portal at the helipad level, just outside the med bay where Bruce is waiting with an entire team of doctors and scientists. "Where's Tony?"

"Still on the ship," Bruce tells me as we land. He runs outside to meet us, waving a team with two gurneys to follow. I place Killbane and Vision on the tables, and they're wheeled away. Bruce turns back to me, but his eyes move past me.

Wanda screams, "Elaine!"

I turn to look behind me, seeing the light on Elaine's sword flicker and go out again. Elaine's eyes roll back into her head, and she falls backwards. Sekhmet and Wanda keep her from falling off the building. I run to check on her, but her eyes are still rolled back and she's starting to seize.