Y/N WALKED DOWN THE CORRIDORS of the facility. He passed by what used to be his own room, then Rhodey's, then Vision's. A few more doors later and he made it to Wanda's.
He turned the knob and entered the room, a surprised look appeared on his face upon seeing that it looked the same. Everything was untouched.
A part of him expected it to be empty, but in reality Tony didn't have any of the then-fugitive Avengers' things removed. Y/N appreciated that.
Even after being back at the facility for about a month now, he never went to Wanda's room until now. He didn't want to, at least not at the time. The wound was still fresh, and seeing her mementos would've pained him even more.
Now with everything officially gone...no other way of getting back the ones they lost...he figured it was time. He wanted to remember her.
Y/N looked around the room. He saw the maroon comforter, the paintings on the wall, and the guitar against the column by the window. The stands still where there, containing song books.
All those things brought him back...
• • •
TWO YEARS AGO
• • •
WANDA AND Y/N SAT on the edge of the bed.
"I've actually never played before." Y/N said, looking at the instrument in his hands. He fumbled with it and tried to align his hands to where he thought they should be.
Wanda giggled as she witnessed the lost expression of her boyfriend, "Are you right handed or left handed?"
"I'm actually ambidextrous." He replied, "That helped a lot while I was at S.H.I.E.L.D, having two dominant hands."
"And here you are struggling to position a guitar." Wanda helped him with his form until he had a good hold on the instrument, "How's that?"
"I feel just like Hank Williams. Minus the alcohol abuse." Y/N responded, "You can be my Audrey Sheppard."
"I didn't take you as a country music fan."
"My grandmother introduced me to it."
Wanda shifted from her place on the bed and grabbed one of her song books. She began to flip through its pages.
"What do you want to try?" She asked.
"I'm going to butcher anything you give me." He began, "Why don't you demonstrate first?"
"You're going to keep stalling? We're never going to get these lessons done."
"I promise I'll try after. Just show me again."
Wanda smiled, and took the guitar from Y/N. The man grinned back, awaiting her demonstration as he sat beside her.
They've had a couple of these lessons before, which never amounted to much learning on Y/N's behalf. He simply enjoyed seeing Wanda play the guitar. Sometimes, she would even sing during her cover of a song. It was beautiful...if her voice was the last thing he heard before dying, he'd be happy.
Wanda strummed the guitar strings, and after a few moments, he realized that she was playing an acoustic cover of Take on Me.
Then, as he expected, she began to sing.
We're talking away
I don't know what
I'm to say I'll say it anyway
Today's another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
Take on me
Take me on
I'll be gone
In a day or two
She stopped, and Y/N was still in a trance. Wanda chuckled as she looked at him, "Was that enough?"
Y/N blinked and shook his head, "What?"
"Of course."
"We should definitely try karaoke night, have the whole team in on it too. Maybe Sam will sing some Marvin Gaye."
The two laughed, and then they heard a knock on the door. A few moments later, Steve peeked in and saw the two.
"Hey, Cap." Y/N greeted.
"L/N. Maximoff. We have to debrief soon." He said in his stern Avengers' leader tone.
"Is there a situation?" Wanda asked.
"A contact informed me of a HYDRA base in Romania." He began, "They're trying acquire an Infinity Stone."
Y/N nodded, that was something they had to take seriously. "We'll be right there."
Steve gave a nod and closed the door. Wanda looked at Y/N.
"When we come back, we're continuing this lesson and you're not leaving the room until you play me something." She said.
Y/N smirked, "Yes, ma'am."
• • •
PRESENT TIME
• • •
THE YOUNG MAN ran his hands along the guitar on the stand. He let out a tear, then clenched his fist in anger.
He phased threw the wall and made it to the outside lawn area. He needed some fresh air. He took a deep breath as he walked along the grass, looking in the distance.
He stood there for what seemed to be forever, simply in his thoughts and taking in the view. He sensed footsteps beside him, and turned to see Steve Rogers walking up to him.
"Hey, son." The old-yet-young looking man greeted. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the trees ahead like Y/N was doing.
"How's Tony?" He asked Steve.
"He's recovering. Banner says he should be back on his feet by tomorrow."
"He should be fine...he has Pepper to take care of him."
Y/N dropped his head, thinking of how she was still there to be with Tony. It reminded him of Wanda, of course, and it pained him. Rogers took notice.
"Everything will be all right, Y/N. We just have to adapt...with what we have now."
"With what we have now." Y/N repeated, "Feels weird hearing that."
Steve simply nodded as he let him continue.
"We've lost people. But we also have to think of the other people out there...who are going through the same thing we are." Y/N said.
Y/N was hurting, that was no secret, but he also thought of the other people around him. Not only his remaining Avengers teammates, but the other half of the population that survived.
They need help too. They need hope. They need a hero.
"I wonder how things are where I grew up. Chicago. There's probably unrest there." Y/N added, "I'm going back home."
Y/N put his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh before continuing, "Somebody has to protect the people who stayed."
Steve crossed his arms. He understood what he was inferring, "And you're okay with doing that?"
Y/N turned to Steve, looking directly into his eyes, "What else can I do? I have nothing left."
Steve put a hand on his shoulder, "If you need anything, remember that we're still here."
Y/N nodded, and Steve pulled him in for a hug. It was something he didn't know he needed. He kept embracing the Captain until he pat his back twice and pulled away.
"Take care of yourself, Rogers."
Y/N walked away and transformed into his Specter form. With a sonic boom, he flew up at a great speed, leaving the facility.
Steve gazed upon the sky, seeing his friend depart from the area. He let out a light smile before walking back towards the facility.
• • •
SPECTER STOOD TALL on the rooftop of Willis Tower. He examined the skyline of Chicago, seeing the clouds engulfing most of the skyscrapers, but he could still see the streets below.
It looked different. There was basically no traffic, no people walking the sidewalks aside from a few, and it simply looked barren. It was depressing.
He remembered his time in the city as a kid, both when he was a little boy with his parents and growing up as a teenager with his grandmother. He's lost so much, from his family...to most of his friends...to Wanda...it felt like he had nothing left.
Y/N once told Wanda that seeing people around the city happy made him feel that his work as an Avenger was worth it. Now with half of the human race gone, he felt like he failed.
He wanted to bring back hope in any way he can...at least to the people in his hometown. He'll keep being a hero to honor those that were lost...to honor Wanda.
Specter took a deep breath, then leaped off of the tower. He plummeted down towards the streets, until he shot back up and initiated flight.
The few people below heard the sonic boom, and looked up to see the streak of orange and black flying across the sky.