Age Of Miracles | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Forty: How Best To Make A Hero?

Music is "Promise" by Thomas Bergersen.

Picture is Cillian Murphy as Gregory Killbane.

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"Simply this, then: How best to make a hero? Give him a means by which he might define himself so. Set up a field of black against which his white will be yet more blindingYes, I speak of Thor. My stepbrother, filled with energy and ambition. How to mold him according to your will? Why, mold a villain alongside him."

- Loki, God of Mischief

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CHAPTER FORTY

Creating an army at the mention of my name: have I really become that recognizable of a hero?

I don't know how to respond to Killbane's words. Anger doesn't seem accurate, I won't give him the satisfaction of a smile, yet nothing else seems to fit either. I'm more confused of his motives in every word he speaks than anything.

The elevator door opens, and I keep my eyes on the strange man as I exit the building, stepping out into the bright light of a Manhattan day. Killbane follows closely behind, not saying another word.

I take a deep breath, breathing in the city I love. I close my eyes, allowing a smile to cover my face before I hear the dreaded voice again. "Think fast!"

I turn around just in time to see a blast of dark energy making it's way towards my head. I instinctively dodge to my right, rolling on the ground and out of the way. The scars on my arms, chest, and shoulders scream in pain. It doesn't take long for my vocal cords to follow. "What the hell, Killbane!" I shout, pulling myself back up.

Killbane sighs, disappointed, and drops his outstretched hand. "You were supposed to block it, not dodge it."

I motion angrily to each of my arms. "I'm trying not to pop my stitches, idiot! Wanda barely has me back together! You're damn lucky she helped me heal faster because otherwise we'd both be in a world of hurt right now."

He makes a "tut, tut" sound and shakes his head, winding up his arm again. Black energy swirls around it like a cloudy snake, gripping to his body in a possessive manner. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Gloria. You can take more than you think. Now, block, don't dodge."

As Killbane throws another blast at me, I lean to the side, allowing it to go past me once again. Killbane groans and begins to toss an onslaught of dark energy in my direction. It takes all my strength to keep out of the way, using only my human abilities to do so. "Killbane, I am going to kill you!" I shout.

"Block it, Gloria! I won't stop until you do."

Running out of strength to bend and dodge, one of the blasts finally hits me square in the chest. It knocks me backwards on the large, open roof of the gymnasium. I fall onto my back, sliding a few more feet until I come to a stop.

Trying to sit up barely lets me breathe. The agony I feel all over my body screams at me when I try. I gasp aloud, tears forming in my tightly shut eyes. I lie there a moment, waiting for it to pass, but it doesn't. I can feel every open wound and scar along my body from the fight with the Outrider. I've popped stitches, I can tell, and even the sunlight hurts when I breathe.

A shadow crosses the rays of light that caress my face. I squint my eyes open, seeing Killbane standing over me, an disapproving expression on his face. He sighs, "Well, that was disappointing."

Anger fuels my voice enough to growl, "Don't you feel guilty, about anything? Like, at all?"

He shakes his head, his features becoming more stern. "I don't have time for that, and neither do you. We have a war to win."