𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊

20. 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴

EIGHT MONTHS HAD PASSED SINCE EVERYONE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE. Eight months since the battle of Thanos. Eight months since the Avengers came to an end, ready to pass the legacy down to a new generation of heroes. And eight months since Tony's abrupt passing.

Over time, people had managed to move on with their lives as if everything was normal; however, that wasn't the case. Although no one wanted to remember the weird and traumatic event, it proved difficult for the remaining heroes--especially those who had lost someone they loved. Even so, to everyone who had vanished, they abruptly appeared back into their original place, confused and left to the side as they scrambled to carry on with the changes.

With the reappearance of half of the population, Wanda and Eszter were granted the chance of being together once again. However, that wasn't what had happened three months after the battle; shortly after Tony's funeral, it was the last time Eszter had seen Wanda. Eszter never noticed as she was blinded by the grief herself, unaware of focusing on her surroundings as she attempted to cope with the loss of her surrogate father and the loss of her friends. The pain in Eszter's heart remained, creating a black hole deep in her chest; the enhanced had wished it would suck out all the emotions from her chest, but Eszter was left to pick up the pieces of her heart alone.

While separated from Wanda, Eszter didn't mind too much; Wanda was grieving just as much as she, but Eszter had a spark of hope that her sister would return and comfort her while they both mourn. However, Eszter hadn't realized how long she had waited.

All Eszter did know that Wanda was heartbroken over the loss of her boyfriend, knowing that his death was by both her hand and Thanos'. It broke Eszter's heart when Wanda had fled shortly after Tony's funeral, leaving her behind; however, Eszter knew her sister yearned for the feeling of being alone, but at the same time, Wanda didn't want it.

Eszter suffered from her thoughts and the ache in her chest, forever haunting her and torturing the enhanced with painful panic attacks nearly every night. Pepper's comforting touches proved futile as Eszter's condition only grew worse, terrifying the woman when the enhanced didn't seem to be getting better. Pepper had discovered Eszter's episodes one night when she awoke abruptly from a strange nightmare, one that wasn't involving her, but Eszter; it wasn't until Pepper had stepped into the chilling pool of darkness covering the ground, concerning the woman even further.

Every day, Eszter grew more terrified at the thought of Wanda never returning. But one day, almost as if a miracle had heard her plea, Wanda returned to New York.

Since Wanda's arrival, the sisters had been inseparable. Although the Starks live in Georgia, Pepper offered a solution: they would stay in New York for Eszter's sake. Pepper felt guilty for nearly snagging Eszter away from her only friends. Wanting to be as delicate as she can, Pepper decided to allow Eszter to finish her high school years at Midtown.

Thankful for the decision, Eszter was grateful for the gesture; she needed her friends around, and though things have been strained in Eszter's life, she enjoys their presence. It can be quite calming, sometimes.

On the other note, Wanda officially became a legal adult in the United States; since then, she had been trying for months to gain custody of Eszter, but Wanda hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be. Over time, Eszter and Wanda were becoming worn down and frustrated by the lack of help from the social worker, highly aware of the man's thoughts and feelings against the two enhanced sisters.

"Uh, has Pepper spoke to you yet?" Eszter wonders. She starts to shuffle anxiously in her chair, sitting across a wooden desk. "I don't remember when she last told me, but I hadn't really heard much from her. She said it was confidential."