𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃

13. 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗼, 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿

     THE CONSEQUENCES OF ESZTER'S ACTIONS WERE CATCHING UP TO HER. Hayward stood in the front of the house, seizing her freedom as he exchanged it for imprisonment. Everything was so sudden--first, Beck tried to steal Tony's glasses, and now, Eszter has to deal with Hayward. She couldn't catch a break.

     Ever since Eszter gained powers and provided the world with another Avenger, she felt as if she was being treated like a wild animal; defending herself seemed to be an act of defiance to the world. Maybe Eszter messed up a few here and there, and perhaps she used her powers against people like her friends, but Eszter wasn't always like that. Things got out of control so quickly, and Eszter had been dealing with the death of Tony; she could barely keep her emotions intact.

     And now, standing before her and threatening her freedom, Hayward was determined to lock Eszter away; strip her of her human rights, and keep her away from civilians. Eszter couldn't imagine being locked away. Everything she built and created would be gone. Eszter wouldn't see her friends and apologize for all the pain she caused them.

     Poof! It'll all be gone.

     Locking Eszter away wouldn't be difficult with the video of her in Hayward's hands, which made her wonder how he did. The building wasn't completed enough to have security cameras, nevertheless furnished; Eszter remembered everything that night, but it wouldn't prove her innocence. There was no way she would be able to talk her way out of this situation.

     Eszter Maximoff was one of the strangest things that most people feared--especially the authority. Her powers were powerful, uncontrollable, and unpredictable; no one could explain the aspects of Eszter's powers, and even if they tried, the teenager isn't the type to play fair. The unusualness of her powers was gifted by a beautiful tragedy, a gift from the gods themselves. An ability so chaotically unique, glittering in the darkness as disaster seemed to trail behind their strides like fire, spreading to its desire to taint the world.

     Wanda and Eszter had put a blanket of terror over the world once the sisters presented themselves with these abilities, showing everyone that they earned powers artificially. That was probably the terrifying part of their discovery. The Maximoff sisters created a wall between supporters and protesters--not nearly enough people supported the Avengers for recruiting someone like them, who didn't have the most excellent upcoming. Mistakes were made in their early teens, and though they wish they could take everything back, nothing could erase that portion of their past. It would be forever imprinted into their identities.

     Rallies and petitions were thrown from left and right for the government to take Eszter into custody for the safety of the Americans, despising the idea of letting the enhanced live in their country while opposing as a threat. No one trusted them after each mess both sisters made, then left sitting for someone to fix, or what Wanda did that set the Sokovia Accords into motion. Even as Eszter sided with the law and obliged in hopes of gaining her freedom, the world doesn't seem to work in her favor.

     There was no saving the sisters because they weren't viewed as humans anymore; they were monsters.

     "Eszter, what's going on?" Pepper urged, moving away from Hayward and closer to the teenager, eyeing the agents warily. "What is this?"

     Frozen in her shoes, Eszter merely stared at the tablet with a scared look in her eyes, afraid to answer Pepper. She didn't know how to explain what the video ensues, but Eszter knows for sure that it wasn't true. Something wasn't right. How could Eszter make the situation any lighter when she dug a deeper hole for herself.

     "Pepper, I . . ." started Eszter, but the teenager couldn't find an excuse.

     "This isn't true, is it?" Pepper continued, looking at Eszter for an answer, but the teenager kept her gaze away from the woman. When she didn't get anything from Eszter, Pepper turned to Hayward. "How do I know this is real? For all I know, you people could be making this up."