𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑 - MCU

IV. 'TIL WE MEET AGAIN

IV. 'TIL WE MEET AGAIN
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Tony had arranged a private jet for Natasha and Luna to take them to Austria, from the airport they would be picked up and taken to its capital, Vienna, where the UN conference would take place. All 117 countries gathered in one place, united towards one goal; to keep the Avengers in check.

How could they argue for anything else when the world was giving them a message so abundantly clear, Luna wondered silently as she watched the milky clouds from above, the morning sun slowly coming up from the horizon, yet whenever she closed her eyes she was seconds away from falling asleep.

The night before had been spent wide awake, her soft bed feeling like bricks against her back as she tossed and turned, replaying the words and rewinding the images of the conversation that took place earlier. Now still, in the plane to sign the accords, Wanda and Pietro's faces would appear to pull the doubts back into her mind. Again, as Luna closed her eyes, the memory played in her mind:

The tension was palpable as the trio stood silent in the kitchen, the counter separating the sides. Luna had put her mug down, waiting patiently for them, either of them, to say something, do anything.

The looks on their faces reminded Luna that they were, indeed, twins. Emotion swirled behind their green eyes; Pietro's brows were furrowed, in anger maybe. Luna wouldn't blame him. Luna could see how Wanda was biting her cheek, her eyes seemed to have hollowed out, the familiar sparkle in them that she usually had when she looked at Luna was gone, replaced by something bitter.

"Why?" Pietro said, his word echoing through the room.

Keeping her lip from trembling, Luna bit down on it and replied, "you heard what Vision said. Our strength invites challenge, challenge leads to disaster. We can't keep ignoring the destruction we leave in our wake."

Pietro scoffed and stepped around the counter, in front of Luna. "How can you say that? What would have happened to the world if we were not there to stop Ultron? How many people would have died then? How many people would have died if we did not stop Crossbones from getting the biological weapon?" he said, harshness behind each word.

Clenching her jaw, Luna stood her ground, "it's no use debating alternate endings when it already happened. People died, and it's our fault, Pietro."

"More would have died if we were not there! What if this happens again and the UN does not permit us to go? What then?"

"Do you hear yourself?" Luna questioned, her fingernails digging into her palms. "We can't trade lives! The good of the many doesn't negate the good of the few, how much you wanna tell yourself it does." Taking a deep breath, Luna calmed herself and continued speaking in a gentler tone, "I know you've been hurt by people in power—"

"Hurt?" Pietro asked, his voice lower. Hurt swirled behind his eyes. "You do not know anything of our hurt. But of one thing you are right; we have been hurt before and we have a right to not be willingly manipulated again by powerful people. Not when we have power of our own. I intend to keep that power, and use it to help people," he said, determination on his face and turned his back, walking toward his room. The door closed with a bang.

Luna diverted her gaze from the closed door. Instead, she turned to Wanda, who has simply been standing there, quietly staring at Luna. "Wanda?" Luna asked quietly, no longer disguising the exhaustion and hurt in her voice. "Please, say something," she pleaded.

Wanda stared Luna, her gaze not wavering as she took Pietro's place. She didn't say a word.

Feeling her eyes fill with tears, Luna blinked them away. Her chest felt heavy as she stepped closer to Wanda, her eyes scanning the girl's face. "Please," her voice shook with emotion as she spoke. Luna's hand softly pulled Wanda's toward her, gripping it tightly, Wanda's soft skin against hers. "I'm doing this to hurt you, Wanda. I'm doing this so we don't hurt anyone else." She brought their hands up to her mouth, and placed a gentle kiss on Wanda's hand. "I—" her words wavered against Wanda's hand. "I love you. I love you both."

Wanda's face flickered. Betrayal? Hurt? Anger? Something deeper? She let her hand drop from Luna's and stepped backwards.

Luna flinched from the cold stare.

"Do what you think is right, Luna," Wanda said. "Do not be surprised when what you find is not what you were looking for." She turned back, and followed Pietro into their room.