The Fall - Book 1

58. Anthony Edward Stark, you just yelled at her!

⚠️ TW: mentions of blood/injury/wounds; mentions of medical procedures; mentions of death⚠️

JULY 30, 2018 — AVENGERS TOWER — BUCKY

After Réa's bedroom door closes, the others follow me to my suite.

"What happened to Réa's back, Bucky?" Nat asks.

"We saw how it hurt when she bumped it," Wanda adds.

I look at Tony, who gives me a nod.

"Wanda, do you feel up to doing what you did for Réa? If so, then I can just show you all my memory of Réa explaining things to me."

"I do."

"Okay then," I say.

As she did with Réa, she places one hand on my head and holds her other out in front of her.

"Strange gave me some pain medication for you, just in case. He said if you don't want to take it then to at least take some paracetamol or ibuprofen. I know you declined it earlier, but speaking from experience, it will take longer to heal if you're in pain, because your body won't be able to get the rest it needs," I say.

Réa shakes her head.

"Réa, you ne—"

"It's not that simple," she interrupts. "I only declined it earlier because it...because it won't work. All that will happen is that I'll basically be intoxicated while I'm in pain."

"What do you mean?"

She sits up slowly, and exhales shakily.

"I didn't go into this in Wakanda because it really wasn't necessary. The reason the Fall only happened once—well, twice, now—is because there is information about it. Specifically, about the consequences. Every member of the Host is aware of this information, including myself. I also have the information from my father's Fall, via my mother's journal."

"As I told everyone in Wakanda, taking the Fall means becoming human; it means giving up not only one's powers, but also one's connection to the Divine. But what I didn't share is that the Fall...it's painful. It's supposed to be painful. Taking the Fall is the first time a member of the Host feels pain." She hesitates for the briefest moment. "Well, usually. I'm a bit different."

She swallows thickly.

"A member of the Host who chooses the Fall is considered selfish. So, as penance, the process is painful for anyone who chooses it. For members of the Host with wings, their wings are ripped off—much like a human pulling the wings off of a fly. And because the one taking the Fall still has their powers at this point, the wounds don't bleed, but the Divine makes it so they don't immediately heal."

She pauses.

"As I'm sure you saw when you touched my feathers and they ruffled, the wings have nerves; really, they're an extension of the body. Once they're removed, they are then destroyed with celestial fire. The thing about the wings is that, even when they're separated from the body, the one they belonged to can still feel them, which means they feel them as they burn. When they're nothing more than ash, the one who took the Fall has their powers stripped and their connection to the Divine severed; they're sent to Earth as a human."

She pauses again.

"However, as I said, the Fall is supposed to be painful. Which means that, even though the one who took it is now human, in the beginning, just enough...Host-ness...remains so that human substances won't have any effect. They'll work in the future, but not for...not for this."