Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Twenty-Three: Who I Am, Who I Was Born To Be

Music is "Fate and Hope" by Lorne Balfe from the Terminator: Genisys OST.

Picture is Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff.

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"I've come home. Because I'm tired of running from who I am. From who I was born to be."

- Thanos

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Breaking back out of the prison was harder than we thought, but we managed to do it without getting caught or recognized. Now I've managed to teleport us back to my front lawn, since it's a place I know very well, and Killbane just looks at me in awe. "What," I ask, sharply.

Killbane shrugs. "You're phenomenal, Gloria. The last time I saw you, you had a hard time doing the simplest teleportations. Surprise! Now you're an expert."

I shove a pair of handcuffs Pietro snagged from the prison into Killbane's chest. "Put those on and shut up."

He does as I say on the first count, but continues to ask questions. "How exactly do you plan on getting back?"

"Tony is supposed to open the gate again in half an hour from when we left. That gives us..." I look to my husband, who is giving Killbane the glare of his life.

His eyes don't leave the evil man as he replies, "Twelve minutes."

"Sounds like wishful thinking," Killbane mutters.

"It's called hope."

Killbane almost grins as he sits on the ground with his hands tied together with steel. "You've grown up, too, Quicksilver. Look just the same as you did when I knew you in my past world--"

"--Shut up," I interrupt him, firmly. "I told you to be quiet, Killbane. Don't make me make you."

He ignores me, looking past Pietro and I to Elaine, who is content looking at the apartment building where I spent a good portion of my life. "You're new," he asks, catching her attention. "What's your name?"

I move in front of his view to block him from Elaine. "Don't talk to her."

"Why? She a friend or something?" From the fury on my face, I suppose Killbane puts things together. "Ah, not a friend. Something more. Family? She your sister in that world? Perhaps an old lover for your husband?" Killbane laughs.

"She is our daughter, and you have no right to even speak in her presence!" Pietro replies, nearly going for Killbane's throat.

Elaine rushes over to both of us, pulling our attention from the crazy man to her. "Glory, Pietro, please don't. We need him."

I pull her close, and Pietro places a kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you insisted on coming," I chuckle. "We'd have killed him already."

"I can see the resemblance, physically," Killbane says, as if he's observing us like rats in a cage. "She has her father's hair and smile, she has her mother's laugh and face-shape, but the whole not wanting to beat me up? That's a new feature in the Maximoff family. Where the hell she got that, I have no idea!"

Elaine walks over to Killbane and spits to his right. "Oh, believe me. If we didn't need you so damn badly, I'd kill you myself." She grasps the sword's hilt on her hip, and Killbane's eyes grow wide.