✓ Lost at Home ≪Pietro Maximoff≫

Elegy

Steve and Sam had dismantled the guards efficiently. They discovered Pietro lying on the ground with Vitaliya standing behind him.

"Stand down, " Steve commanded her.

She gave a slight smile, dropped her device, then put her hands up. "I give in."

It certainly didn't seem like Vitaliya gave in, but Sam took out the handcuffs on his belt regardless while Steve checked on Pietro, who was nearly unconscious on the ground.

"Pietro?" Steve asked gently.

"Mm'okay," Pietro mumbled. He was certainly not okay judging by his voice.

Steve made eye contact with Sam. "I'll carry him back, he'll probably go out unconscious like before. Make sure she stays in line

"Sure thing, Steve," Sam replied.

-

"Please tell me that's not a body," Clint commented following behind Steve in caution.

"No, she did this to him," Sam pointed to Vitaliya, who carefully kept a neutral expression. He's just unconscious again, we think, " Sam said.

Clint blew out a sigh in relief. "I've already had to carry one body back, thank god."

-

Back at the SHIELD complex, the group found nothing amiss. There were no alarms blaring, no agents scrambling about the halls and there definitely wasn't a scarlet witch attacking anyone. Vitaliya was very disappointed to say at the least.

"You're able to help them, right?" Hill asked Doctor Cho.

Doctor Cho nodded. "I won't let them wake up until I can remove both the chips from their heads. I've already figured out a way to remove the toxin from both of them. I think that the chips in them enabled Vitaliya to emit the toxin into their bloodstreams," Doctor Cho explained.

"At least everyone will heal from this," Hill commented then looked at Nadia, who was sitting beside Pietro. "She shouldn't have gotten mixed up in all of this."

"She saved Pietro and helped Wanda and me. I'm glad she was here to help," Doctor Cho replied.

"I agree, it's just regrettable. Anyways, I'd like to thank you, Helen," Hill said, then left the room sharing a look as Natasha walked in.

'Doctor, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak with Nadia in private," Natasha asked.

"Sure thing," Doctor Cho said while leaving the room.

"Nadia?" Natasha asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" she replied, looking to up to Natasha.

"I came to tell you about..." Natasha hesitated. She was never very good at being empathetic. "Roman."

The look of fear and sadness in Nadia's eyes nearly dissuaded Natasha from saying anything else.

"Nobody has told me about him yet. I just want to hear it," then her voice cracked: "please."

"Roman helped break me out. He was trying to help us escape and I full well know he didn't ave to come rescue me. We ran into the same man who kidnapped Wanda and stabbed Pietro. I tried to fight him off for as long as I could but I was too weak from the damned toxin. Pietro got there to help us... but it was too late. The man, Costel, I think Vitaliya later told us, had thrown a knife. It was too late for us to do anything. He hit too close to Roman's heart, I'm sorry."

Nadia's eyes teared up and she nodded.

"Are you okay?" Natasha asked.

Nadia shook her head slowly. "I'll be okay, though," she tried to keep her voice even.

Natasha nodded, not quite knowing what to do. "Again, I'm sorry," she sympathized then took her exit.

Nadia took a moment to absorb the information. The only sounds to be heard in the room was the beeping of Wanda and Pietro's heart-rate monitors that dominated over her heavy breathing.

Her best friend was gone, dead. He would never walk into her apartment again with a smile and a witty line. He never even got to see her and say sorry, never got to live in the safer country he had helped to create. In the end, Roman had reached his goal that Nadia always thought was impossible to achieve; but he had paid the ultimate price for it.

And finally, Nadia sobbed.

-

It had been four days since Natasha and the others had returned with the terrible news of Roman's death, their victory came at a price. Pietro and Wanda were up and about in healthy conditions, one of which were conversing with Nadia in her provided room.

"What are we going to do now? I can't stay in America, I don't even know English," Nadia asked Pietro in worry.

"You should go back to university. Maybe not in the same city, but go back to Sokovia, maybe stay with your parents."

"And you? What are you going to do?"

Pietro hesitated. He wanted to stay with his sister, but he didn't want anything to do with the Avengers. And yet, he felt like it was his duty to stay with The Avengers because of his powers. He was torn between two worlds. One with his sister fighting crime and another with Nadia free from the shackles of duty.

"I think it'll be good to have some time away from this all," Pietro admitted. And he had to admit, now that Vitaliya, her father, and the other corrupt politicians were exposed, he wanted to see how his home country would change. "Some day, when the Avengers are truly needed, I'll come back. For now, I want to go with you."

Nadia smiled and kissed him.

"First step, we go and get my stuff from the apartment, then we tell Roman's family what happened. Then I want to go visit Alyona and tell her I'm alright-"

"Do we really have to visit her?" Pietro groaned.

"Yes! Then I want to visit my parents, enroll in a new semester of university. I think that we should rent an apartment close by a park because I've always wanted to get a dog but Roman was allergic."

Pietro grinned at Nadia. He felt truly content for the first time since he had woken up confused and dazed on that cold street in Sokovia.

He never did find out how he supposedly came back from the dead. Vitaliya wouldn't admit a thing. And maybe, he supposed, that was for the better. Nobody should have the ability to bring someone back to life. He just counted himself as extremely lucky, and not just for being alive, but for running into Nadia, quite literally, on the street.

-

AN: I'M DONE THIS STORY AND I'M SO HAPPY!!! THis is the first story I've ever completed and I'd like to thank you all so much for reading, commenting and voting!

(Also I lied, I'm posting this early ;) )

I hope you all enjoyed and had a great day! <3