New Avengers Facility, 2015
Steve
I found Maria in a heap on the ground, next to the burning building that was the safe house - with Bucky and Valerie in it. I had no words to say. What was I supposed to say anyway? I'm sorry for you? You'll be alright? I know how you feel? No. There was nothing for me to say. So instead, I sat next to her in silence, gently rubbing her back.
"It's Hydra, it has to be." She spoke in a raspy, pained voiced just loud enough for me to hear without straining. "They did this to hurt me."
I stared at her in bewilderment. To be truthful, I had no idea what she had gone through with Hydra. All I knew was that they were the reason she had her powers and that she was right there next to me rather than six feet below ground.
"I should never have even thought of escaping that blasted compound in Sokovia. I should've stayed. I should've. Then both Valerie and Barnes would be alive. Both of them." Her voice had smoothed slightly. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."
I shook my head strongly. "No Maria, it's not your fault. This," I motioned towards the now smouldering building "is all Hydra. It's Hydra's fault. Not yours. Don't blame yourself."
She sat upright in a sudden flash, her face full of rage and disbelief. "How can I not blame myself!? If I stayed in that compound this would never have happened! How can it not be my fault!?"
"You didn't know this was going to happen Maria." I said calmly, trying to soothe her.
"It's. Still. My. Fault!" She tuned away from my and put her head on the ground, her fists clenched either side and hitting the pavement. "My. Fault. My fault. My...fault..." She managed to force some tears out and was now uncontrollably sobbing.
I let out a single tear myself before grabbing her shoulders and pulling her towards me. She dug her face into my chest, still crying, her fists still clenched. So I rubbed her back again saying shhh as if she were a distressed baby.
"I loved them Steve, I really did." She whispered.
"I know," I nodded. "I know."
**********
Maria
Steve took me back to the new Avengers Facility and assigned me my own room. He had doctors and psychologists all over me, trying to help me. I rejected them all and retreated to my new room. I'd been through enough already, why should I try to satisfy others?
It had probably been a week since I'd come out of that room. I had no reason to anyway. It had everything I needed; a bathroom, kitchenette and king size bed complete with an HDTV. Everything I could use to wallow in my sorrow was at my complete disposal. No one even came to visit me (which was fine with me), not even Steve. He knew I didn't want to socialise
I wonder how he's actually coping...he lost his best friend, again...
Anyway, after about a week of lonesome, someone had barged into my room.
"What do you want?" I grumbled, not knowing who it was since I was on laying on my side in my huge bed, back to them.
They huffed. "I want you to get up and look at me."
Russian?
My brows furrowed at the strong accent. I knew that voice. I did.
"Get up!" They yelled at me.
Wanda...
I quickly sat up and turned towards the doorway. Like I thought, Wanda was standing there, hands on hips and waiting.
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.