Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Twelve: From Birth Of Stars To Final Boom

Music is "Blue Team" by Kazuma Jinnouchi from the Halo 5: Guardians OST.

Picture is unknown art of Thanos vs. The Heroes of Marvel by darthdestruktor at Deviant.com.

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"Now let the rising tide of power,
From birth of stars to final doom,
Reveal the place, the form, the hour
Where light's salvation forth may bloom,
Where seen and unseen twine and blend --
And darkness end!"

- Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange

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CHAPTER TWELVE

"That's it, huh." My eyes struggle to take in the scale of the building. "Compensating for something, Tony?"

"That's the main base, but there are hundreds of those all over the world, or there were. Stark wanted to make sure that every country had a chance to evacuate it's citizens. Smaller countries like Sokovia got one Ark; larger countries like China and America got several. Each Ark was named after a fallen hero."

"Which were your parents on?" I turn to her to await her answer.

Her eyes glue to the building still, she replies, "This one. They lived in New York up until the end." She turns to me. "This base held the H.S.S. Aspen and the H.S.S. Hawkeye."

I push out the fact that Stark named one of New York's ships after my fallen best friend, asking instead, "H.S.S.?"

"Humanity's Survival Spacecraft."

"Was this one of the ships my children were on? Your mother and brothers?"

Elaine nods. "They were both on the Aspen. The Hawkeye didn't even get off the ground. The H.S.S. Aspen was the ship you gave your life to protect--"

"--Glorious," Loki whispers from below us, coming to a hault.

I hover down to his level. "What is it?"

Loki keeps averting his eyes around the surrounding area, almost as if he's sensed something. "This is not right."

Thor interrupts, "What do you mean?"

Loki shakes his head, fists clenching. "It is too silent. We are nearing the most important place in this time; why are there no armies lying in wait for us?"

"No armies lying in wait is not a bad thing, Loki," Thor replies. "We should be grateful."

"No, he's right," Elaine says, landing beside us at last. "Something isn't right. This is where Thanos was the day the Earth fell. There should be more soldiers that we are seeing."

"Maybe your mother was wrong in what she told you," Thor suggests.

I turn to look around for the blue blur. "Guys, where's Pietro?"

Elaine pushes closer to Thor, Sekhmet growling at him with teeth bared. "Are you calling my mother a liar?"

Thor raises his hands. "Not at all. All I am saying is that she might have possibly been mistaken--"

"--My father died on this day! How dare you said that she was mistaken when your kind ran and hid in the Earth's darkest hour!"

"I do not know why we did such things, but it will not happen this time, I assure you, Lady Nomad!"