A daughter of Thanos and an Avenger, Zaiya was a powerful being plagued by the connections she grew. Her heart hardened, she finds herself amongst the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the fate of the universe thrown onto her shoulders.
What she didn't e...
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" The best mirror is an old friend. " - George Herbert
•◇•
OUTSIDE HER Sanctum, the screeching of tyres broke her solitude. Although Zaiya was used to the hectic, boisterous streets of New York, this was a bit excessive. Looking out of the round window of the Sanctum, she rolled her eyes at the car parked in front of her building. Her lip twitched as she hurried down the steep stairs while still hearing the outside engine rumble.
She swung open the door dramatically, not at all expecting to see Tony get out of the car.
"Tony?"
"Get in. We got work to do."
"Work? Tony you-"
"I know what I said. But there's people who deserve what I have. Including you."
"Tony...I-"
"Don't get all sappy on me. Just get in the car."
Zaiya couldn't stop the heartfelt smile that came to her face.
•◇•
In the skin-tight suit, Zaiya stared at her body before turning to glance at her reflection in the glass window in front of her. She didn't like wearing white. She inhaled deeply as she prepared herself to experience New York once more. But that wasn't the thing that made her uneasy. The most challenging part would be obtaining the Time Stone from the Sanctum. She was confident that the Ancient One, a woman she hadn't seen in a very long time, would be watching over it. She was, after all, the Sorcerer Supreme.
Spirits, Zaiya missed her. The past few moments they spent together may not have been the best, but Zaiya knew more than most how and when to keep things hidden from others. But during the past few years, there have been numerous times when she truly could have used a cup of tea and the sage advice the Ancient One was known to provide. She remembered her kind face and softly grinned. Although Zaiya was delighted to see her once more, she was unsure of how she would persuade the Ancient One to give up the Time Stone.
After their discussion concerning the Stones' location, Zaiya was still nursing a little headache. It's unclear whether she acted abnormally because of the stink of alcohol Thor brought along with him or because formulating their final plan was excruciatingly difficult. It took several hours to make. After the first night of insomnia, she didn't want to keep time. Paper scraps, folders, empty mugs, and garbage from various takeouts were all over the place. She had dozed off on the floor, stuck between the couch and the table, at some point, and Rocket had to gently rouse her up. She had witnessed many things, but a talking racoon had truly surprised her.
As she eventually stepped on the platform, surrounded by the rest of her squad, she had to take a moment to collect herself.
"Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost lovers. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams. You know your missions. Get the stones. Get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs."
