Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 85 - Whatever It Takes

Clint somehow managed to bring down the ship safely without too much trouble to everybody's surprise, including his own.

Keira, eager to experience a new planet, was the first one to push the button that opened the rear hatch, revealing the new world. She didn't have the patience to wait for the ramp to fold out completely but rather walked along it as it expanded down to the surface.

As she stepped off of it, her feet sunk slightly in the sand pooling around her feet. It didn't take long until Clint and Natasha joined her side, and they all just took a moment to breathe it all in.

The unforgiving wind tugged at their hair, immediately shattering whatever false image the sand might have created. It wasn't warm at all. No, it was cold. With the grains of sand mixed into the wind, it wouldn't take long before their cheeks turned sore.

Just like Clint had said, under a different circumstance, this would've been awesome.

The eclipse threw the planet in a soft, pink-purplish light, looking far more pleasant than it actually was. In the distance, there was a lonely mountain range sticking up out of the otherwise flat landscape. It was without a doubt their target, as if it wasn't clear enough by the two, tall pillars that rose against the sky from the very top of it.

"I don't know if I would deem Vormir cozier than Morag. What do you think?" Keira threw out the question, silently cursing them for not parking the ship closer to the mountain. Why did they have to take the scenic route when they were on a mission?

"No. Definitely not." Clint panted, keeping his hands on his thighs to help push his steps against the sand.

He wasn't the only one fighting the sand. Keira and Natasha had equal troubles with it, their energy draining faster than normal as their feet would sink into the ground, almost trapping them.

"Yeah, doubt Nebula and Rhodey had to fight sand and ice-cold wind." The redhead deadpanned, keeping a hand on Keira's shoulder to balance herself as she pulled one of her feet free. "I suggest a pause before the climbing, anyone else?" Both Clint and Keira nodded in answer, and all of them quickened their pace a little bit, finally seeing the end of the tunnel.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, they managed to find a crevice that protected them somewhat from the biting wind. Keira's hand immediately flew to one of her pockets, pulling out three chocolate bars. "What? You guys know I don't do road trips without snacks." She defended herself at the surprised looks she received. "Now, you want one, or should I eat these myself?"

Two of the three chocolate bars disappeared from her hand, and she couldn't help but chuckle at the raw speed they were devoured.

"God, I love you, Key." Natasha beamed, folding the wrapping paper before stuffing it into her pocket. "You are the best."

A satisfactory smirk stretched the blonde's lips as she reached out a hand to pat Clint on the cheek. "See? Told you so." This brought her more energy to continue than the chocolate bar itself. So, she was the one who pulled them out of their temporary sanctuary. Glancing over her shoulder as the mountain climb began, she shot a smile at Natasha. "Thank you for that. Love you too, boo."

"I don't even have the energy to argue." Clint muttered under his breath, shaking his head in amusement at the mutant's satisfaction.

"Because you know, in your heart-" Keira began somberly, fighting hard to keep a serious face. "-that I am, in fact, the favorite." And her poker face broke as she burst out laughing at her own terrible joke. It wasn't even laughable, and yet, here she was, clutching her stomach because it hurt so much. "Oh, gods. Someday I'll be the cause of my own death."