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VALOR
xiii. ETERNAL SUNSHINE
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THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES. Throughout the eternal nights, amidst our darkest hour, the sun never dims for a second. Dawn is nigh and hope holds the reigns of our future. The light can be such a beautiful thing, even when you're not actively looking for it.
Prophesies and tall tales used to be spread throughout our history regarding a being that existed as the human embodiment of the sun. People believed this person walked amongst us on our plane of existence spreading hope and light wherever they went. We always expected this person to be an ethereal spirit or a divine creature, but instead, this being was a 14-year-old girl named Riley O'Dair.
Riley always radiated some form of hope, even when she wasn't sure things would work out in her favor. She was the glue of her village, keeping them together throughout every crisis. Although Riley had a habit of being a worry wort, she always encouraged her team to be better, stronger. Riley was a miracle from the beginning of her time, with or without her powers. Her fellow Avengers often teased her saying that she never needed her powers to give them hope.
But even the brightest people can be haunted by the greatest darkness. Anxiety, trauma, overthinking to a fault, guilt-tripping herself over things she couldn't control—the dark was what troubled Riley throughout her inciting life. That was why she strived to be a hero. That was how she gained one of her strongest traits: being a self-sacrificing idiot.
Waking up in the medical wing of the newly built Avengers Facility in Upstate New York puzzled her at first. The last thing she remembered was overexerting herself and passing out. She just hoped Steve didn't carry her to safety. The last thing she needed was yet another thing for Natasha to tease her about.
Her head ached from a blossoming concussion and the glare of the fluorescents overhead. Any movement of her arm seemed to incinerate her nerves. She groaned, annoyed. Recovery was always the most gruesome part of the war. Somehow, she never quite felt the extent of her injuries until after the fighting was over. She depended on her adrenaline rushes perhaps too much for comfort.
She sat up, looking herself over. Her injuries were all tended to. All that was left for time to heal her body again. But Riley didn't need time to take care of her spirit. She was ready to get out of bed and get back to work. Without thinking twice, Riley started to rip out her IVs.
"I don't think you should be doing that."
Riley's ebony eyebrows shot upward as she spotted a platinum-haired man standing at the front of the room. Pietro Maximoff leaned against the door frame, arms casually folded over his chest. That famous smirk was glued to his face. It reminded her of Roman.
Riley studied him briefly, mystified. He looked as good as new. "How the hell did you walk out of all that without any injuries? You look like you just walked out of a damn commercial!"
Pietro quickly chuckled. "What, you're surprised?" he taunted. "No, my legs aren't the only fast thing about me. I heal quickly, too." Riley nodded. She must've let the thought slip her mind. Pietro hesitated before adding, "I've been waiting for you to wake up. I... wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?" The sting of her wounds reminded her of what happened. She shook her head. "You don't need to thank me, Maximoff. It's just what I do. I save people because I can and I want to."
For someone who moved through life faster than others, it surprised her when Pietro took a moment to consider his next words. "I've been thinking about what you said," he revealed. "You said my sister and I are not the types of people to make sacrifices... to correct our mistakes."
"I said that out of anger," Riley started. "I was wrong—"
"That's the thing. You weren't wrong," interrupted Pietro. "We always run from our problems. We do what we think is right instead of doing the actual right thing. When I saw my sister stay back to defend the core by herself, I realized that... maybe we are both capable of doing something good in this crazy world. I wanted to thank you for giving me a second chance to do that. I'm ready to fix my mistakes."
His words hit Riley harder than she would've expected. Everything he was saying reminded her of Roman. Thank you for giving me the second chance I didn't deserve. It made her wonder if that resurrection stuff Roman told Riley about was real. Maybe that was the universe's way of telling her that Roman was still watching over her. Riley didn't realize it, but she smiled at the thought.
"Does that mean you and Wanda are gonna stick around?" Riley asked. She hoped they would.
"I think so," he said. "I want to repay you, Riley. But on top of that, I want to prove you wrong. I can be a hero, just like all of you."
The determination glistening in Pietro's icy eyes reminded Riley of a part of herself that had yet to fade over the years. She was so used to being around people who had everything all figured out—or at least, they did a damn good job of acting like they did. But here Pietro was, openly admitting that he had a lot to learn, and he was ready for the future. Riley admired that. It was refreshing to see in someone else.
"Alright, fine. You got me. I'm looking forward to training with you, Pietro," Riley said, and she meant every word of it. She paused, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "But if you really wanna repay me... You're over 18, right?" Pietro nodded. "You wanna sign me out of here?"
Pietro hesitated. "Are you sure? You were shot three times, you know."
"Pfft, that's nothing. I survived an alien war," she dismissed, causing his eyes to widen. He hadn't even thought about the idea of fighting aliens now that he was on the team. Riley gently laughed. "You've got a lot to learn, dude. I promise, I'll be fine. I just need some sun."
Pietro wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but he had a feeling he was going to learn a lot from the youngest Avenger. For the first time in a long time, Pietro Maximoff just hoped that he could keep up.
Before he could leave to release Riley from the medical wing, Thor Odinson loudly strolled into the small room and boomed, "Valor! Are you awake?"
Riley winced, rubbing her ear. "Awake and deaf."
Thor chuckled. "Let's take a walk, little one," he insisted. "Can you walk?"
Riley eyed him warily. Technically, she could, but that didn't mean she wanted to. "If I say yes, will you carry me anyway?" she queried.
"That is very funny," Thor mused. He nodded toward the door. "Come on, let's go. You can come, too, Maximoff."
Sighing, Riley pulled herself out of bed. As long as she didn't do anything extraneous with her injured arm, she could move around freely. She strolled alongside Thor, Pietro trailing behind them quietly.
It was never a dull moment being in Thor's presence. He always knew how to work a room and carry a conversation like it was his favorite song. Riley always had a soft spot for Thor. He was a mentor for her over the past few months, training her and helping her hone in her powers since he was the only other person that could teach her.
So when Thor told her he was heading back to Asgard, Riley thought the world was ending.
"What!?" cried out the teenager. "You can't go yet!"
If Riley was being honest, her least favorite part about her adventures with the Avengers was the end. She knew every journey had to come to an end, and Riley was always glad when all of their conflicts were resolved; however, seeing her little family part ways at the end of the day got harder and harder to watch.
Thor chuckled, but she insisted, "I'm serious! What about our training? You can't just stay a little bit longer?"
"I'm afraid not," denied Thor, now becoming a little bit more serious. "I have reason to believe that someone's orchestrating something involving the Infinity Stones. If I can figure out what it is and what we have to do with it, we can stop them before it's too late."
Riley frowned. "We're the Avengers. If we stick together, we can beat anything."
"You're right, but Roman was onto something all those years ago. If those stones fall into the hands of a greater evil, there may be trouble even we can't overcome." Noticing her look of worry, Thor assured, "Don't worry, Valor. Until I return with answers, you'll train and master your powers."
Riley scoffed. "You make it sound easier than it actually is. Maybe I should get a hammer of my own. But, like, a screwdriver instead or something."
"I don't know. My hammer is quite mighty." Thor patted her back, his undeniable strength being enough for Riley to stumble forward. "I'm leaving the team in your hands."
Riley made a face. "Since when are you the leader of the team? I thought that was Steve's job?"
"It is, but the only person that can manage to keep us together is you," Thor clarified. "You're right about us being stronger together. When time trouble comes, I'll be depending on you, little one."
His words brought hope to Riley. If the God of Thunder, the rightful King of Asgard, was depending on Riley to make sure things were okay while he was gone, then she would make sure it happened. She'd keep the team united as best she could, and hopefully, they would be ready to tackle whatever evil Thor was predicting together.
The idea of trouble worried Riley. If the Infinity Stones really were as big of a deal as Thor was making them out to be, then maybe something bigger truly was coming.
It felt like no matter how many battles the Avengers won, trouble always lurked. No matter who wins or loses, who rises or falls, there will always be trouble, and Riley couldn't change that. Though it annoyed her, she knew that if the team stayed strong, they could at least continue to shine their light on the world for the rest of eternity.
Now joined with Steve and Tony, the group of five walked through the Avengers HQ. Riley and Pietro led the group, drifting in and out of conversation due to their own side-bickering.
"The rules have changed," Steve explained.
"We're dealing with something new," agreed Tony.
"Well, the Vision's artificial intelligence—"
"A machine," Tony pointed out.
"—So it doesn't count," Steve concluded.
Tony nodded. "No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer."
"Right," Steve mentioned, motioning between the two of them. "Different rules for us."
"Nice guy, but artificial."
"Thank you!"
Thor didn't mind their meaningless banter. He even smiled at the subject topic: the universe's logic as to why Vision could lift Mjölnir. "If the Vision can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone," Thor explained. "It's safe with the Vision, and these days, safe is in short supply."
Steve just faltered, almost ignoring everything his friend had said. "But if you put the hammer in an elevator..."
"It would still go up," Tony finished.
"Elevator's not worthy," Steve concluded.
Meanwhile, Riley and Pietro argued over which one of them was more worthy of lifting Mjölnir. It seemed that the two were quickly becoming acquainted with one another. Riley was convinced it was because he reminded her so much of Roman, and honestly, she still really missed him.
"Dude, I didn't take just one bullet for you and Clint. I took three! Therefore, I should be ten times more worthy than you!" Riley yelled as they headed outside the Avengers Facility.
"You cannot ride the worthiness ride unless you are this tall," Pietro fired back, holding his hand a few inches above Riley's head.
"Why I oughta—!"
Thor's laughter interrupted them. "I'm going to miss these little talks of ours."
"Well, not if you don't leave," Tony countered. The sun shined down on the heroes. Riley closed her eyes, soaking it in. She didn't know how to explain it without sounding like an idiot, but being in the direct presence of the sun always made her feel better. It was like the sun had healing qualities that made Riley's body heal her injuries at a much faster rate than usual.
"I have no choice," said Thor. "The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years. That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..."
"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony suggested while Riley turned around and asked, "Bingo?"
Ignoring the duo, Steve quizzed, "You think you can find out what's coming?"
"I do," Thor confirmed. "Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained."
With that, Thor raised Mjölnir to the heavens. A bright light blinded the Avengers as Thor vanished, returning to Asgard. All that remained was a large circle burned in the grass he once stood upon.
Tony clicked his tongue. "That man has no regard for lawn maintenance. I'm gonna miss him though." He glanced back at Steve as they walked toward Tony's car. "And you're gonna miss me. There's gonna be a lot of manful tears."
Riley frowned. First, Bruce was missing after he took off in a Quinjet in stealth-mode as Hulk. Then, Clint retired, and then, Thor returned to Asgard. Now, Tony was taking a break from the Avengers life. Maybe Riley couldn't quite keep her promise to Thor like she thought she could.
After Riley asked Pietro to gather the others to begin training—which was totally an excuse for her to be emotional in front of Steve and Tony in peace—she turned to her closest friends as they said their goodbyes.
"Yeah? Well, it's time for me to tap out," Tony told Steve.
"You say that like we don't do yoga together every week," Riley teased. "You can't get rid of me that easy."
Tony placed his hand on Riley's shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to comfort her. Then, he glanced back at Steve, suggesting, "Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book and build Pepper a farm, hope nobody blows it up."
For Steve, there was something bittersweet about that thought. "The simple life," he noted.
"You'll get there one day," Tony assured him.
"I don't know," Steve confessed while Tony got in his car. "Family, stability... The guy who wanted all that went in the ice 75 years ago. I think someone else came out."
Tony studied him. With his hands on the steering wheel, he softly asked, "You alright?"
Steve shrugged. "I'm home."
As Tony drove away, Riley folded her arms over her chest with a dazed look in her eye. She forced out a quiet sigh, shattering the silence that fell between them once Tony was gone. "You know, for what it's worth," she said, "I'm glad you stuck around after you came out of the ice."
Steve peered down at her. She was trying her best not to blush and remain stone-faced. He wondered if she'd ever become truly comfortable with showing her emotions.
Sensing her discomfort, Steve teased, "Are you saying that 'cause you have a little crush on me?"
Riley's eyes widened. She whipped her head around to glare at him as she hissed, "Absolutely not! What, can't I say one nice thing about you, old man?"
A low chuckle escaped the super-soldier. "Thanks, Riley. I can always count on you to inflate my ego."
They headed back inside together. "You've been spending way too much time with Tony," Riley grumbled.
Steve placed his hand over his heart. "Ouch, low blow. And to think I was gonna ask you to be my valentine."
A smile broke out across Riley's face. "Yeah, right. Don't think I haven't seen the way you and Thor flirting for the past few months," she taunted. "I know a bromance when I see one."
The two strolled through the facility, making small-talk along the way until they found Natasha Romanoff staring at the wall. Riley could've only imagined what she was feeling. She and Bruce had become close in recent times, and now there was no way for them to know where he was. All they could do was wait and hope he would make contact with them soon. Soon. What was the difference between soon and never?
"You want to keep staring at the wall, or do you wanna go to work?" Steve beckoned, causing Natasha to snap back into reality. Riley snickered at the question. "I mean, it's a pretty interesting wall."
Natasha paced toward the two with a sense of urgency. "I thought you and Tony were still gazing into each other's eyes." The trio made their way to the common area where the others were waiting. "How do we look?"
Steve passed Natasha a tablet he had taken from one of the employees working at the HQ. "Well, we're not the '27 Yankees."
Natasha skimmed the screen briefly. It contained information regarding the new team. "We've got some hitters."
"Yeah, but they still have to pass the initiation where I kick their asses in training," joked Riley. Side note: she wasn't kidding.
When Steve and Natasha sent her questionable glances, Riley shrugged and went on to defend herself. "What, don't look at me like that! I was trained by a Russian demon! Getting beat up is tradition!"
Natasha snorted. "Sometimes I swear you're asking to get your ass handed to you again—"
"Hell, no," interrupted Riley. "I'm still traumatized after that time I called you the Itsy, Bitsy Spider."
Steve furrowed his eyebrows together, confused. "...Do I wanna know?"
The two quickly replied, "Nope."
They stepped out of the hallway and gathered at the top of a platform. Steve, Riley, and Natasha stared down at the new recruits: Sam Wilson, James Rhodes, Vision, Pietro Maximoff, and Wanda Maximoff. Every year, it seemed, Riley's village grew.
"They're good," Steve admitted, "but they're not a team."
"Not yet," Riley agreed.
"Let's beat 'em into shape," Natasha declared.
Thor's promise loomed in the back of Riley's mind. The new Avengers enthralled her, but would they be like the original team? Would they be better? Worse? She worried about what would happen if the world needed them again and the team wasn't as strong as it once was.
No. Riley didn't need to worry about that. Not for now. They were all a team now, and united, they would stand. Divided, they would fall. That was a lesson the Avengers didn't need to learn twice.
Besides, Riley was the light of the team. She had to stay positive. Even when it didn't feel like it, Riley knew that sunshine is eternal and hope lives on forever.
"You have to say it," Riley said, looking up at Steve eagerly. "You know, the thing?"
Steve smiled down at the teenager, then the others. He truly was home. This was where he belonged. Clearing his throat, Steve called out, "Avengers—!"
The Avengers would always be a team, no matter what. Riley was sure of it.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
aaand that's the end of age of ultron! i don't have too much to say, really, but i like to do these little commentaries at the end of each "movie" just to sum up what's happened so far hehe <3
riley's learning a lot. this arc really showcased how much she's learning as, both, a person and a hero. her whole goal is trying to understand what it means to be a hero and learning more about her powers. now that she's seen a vision of the infinity stones being destroyed, she's even more curious than before.
next, we're diving into the last arc of riley's childhood: civil war. i'm super torn because i love writing about her friendship with each avenger, and having to write this movie is gonna destroy riley. she loves the avengers more than anything, and this is really gonna test her loyalty and decision-making skills. riley's only ever had choices made for her by s.h.i.e.l.d. and the government, so choosing what to do is gonna be one of the toughest things she has to deal with.
i won't say anything else other than this: PETER PARKER IS COMING.
i hope you've all been enjoying the story of riley's childhood thus far! thank you all for being so sweet and supportive as always <3