From a Certain Point of View
Chapter I:
People deal with death differently. Some laugh, some cry, with the rest falling somewhere between. Maria had attended enough funerals to know; there had been far too many lately.
Adjusting the cuffs of her coat, she watched as Tony's heart was set afloat. It was a small affair for a man as flamboyant as he was. If it were up to her, his sacrifice deserved one final salute from the billions on Earth he had saved and the trillions elsewhere. But for today at least, that honor was reserved only for the few present.
"I must say," the sturdy voice of T'Challa started. "I never once considered that he might be the one to save us all in the end."
Maria rattled her fingers in thought, arms bent over the porch railing. "If we could ask him, he'd probably say the same thing."
"Or, he'd say that he knew he would all along." T'Challa's laugh was a deep one as he joined her in overlooking the lawn.
The ceremony was over now, but nobody had left just yet. Maria's eyes flitted over the pockets of people strewn about, her mind traveling to other places.
Everything had changed. A little while ago, most people went to bed thinking that the craziest thing in the world was some billionaire in a flying metal suit. Then aliens invaded New York and were beaten back by, among others, a giant green monster, a costumed hero from the '40s, and a god. What followed could not possibly be summarized as easily. Though, there were a few instances that stood out.
"This reminds me of something that Natasha told me once," Maria said as the conversations in front of them began to die down. "That nothing lasts forever."
"And what did you say back?" T'Challa asked, turning her way.
"That trouble, no matter who wins or loses, still comes around."
"Trouble. That sounds like Natasha." The king remarked, something shifting in his face.
Almost instinctively, Maria's eyes fished Banner out from the crowd. The scientist was alone, tucked off to the side, back turned to them. But she did not need to see his face to know that he was in pain.
"You think something will be done for her? For Natasha as well?" T'Challa asked, also noticing Banner.
Maria's head shook once. "She hated these types of gatherings. So much that when she signed onboard, she specifically requested that none be given to her, if it ever came to that point."
T'Challa nodded, lowering his chin.
As the days slowly ticked by, more and more seemed to remind Maria of those she had lost. Today, it was the autumn leaves. Tomorrow, it might be the way the water dripped from the faucet, or how cars came to a stop on the street.
Silent as he was noble, T'Challa quietly left to join his party on the lawn. There were only three of them in total; him, the soldier and his sister, the latter of which made eye contact back.
Maria had learnt many things about the Princess of Wakanda, the innovator responsible for creating much of Wakanda's tech. Almost everything they had could be attributed to her; their shield, ships, weapons, and so much more. Maria also knew that Shuri was the reason for Bucky's recovery, and how close she had come to removing the Mind Stone from Vision's head. The girl was certainly one to keep an eye on for the future.
"Agent Hill." A more weathered voice greeted from behind.
"Sir." Maria said, turning to see.
Fury was drabbed in his usual black attire, it already being suitable for a funeral.
"Do you have a moment to spare?" He asked.
Maria's mouth opened and closed, "Is this about work?"
Fury nodded.
"This hardly seems like an appropriate time and place, sir." She responded, face returning to the lawn.
"Under normal circumstances, I would agree." Acknowledged Fury. "But this is rather important."
"And you're telling me this right now?"
"I would have told you earlier, but, well, I couldn't get a hold of you."
A heavy sigh was her only response.
Fury leaned back. "It can hold until later."
"Or… not at all." Maria aired, thoughts swelling inside her head. "Does it ever stop? Can we not take a moment to breathe, just for once?"
Creases of surprise appeared on Fury's eyepatch. "I'm not sure I'm picking up what you're laying down."
She regarded the man beside her. The man she disagreed with on a regular basis. Who she thought to be a touch too reckless and foolish sometimes. Whose authority she challenged almost as often as she defended it.
"We can't just for a little bit, take a break?"
"You know we can't do that, Agent Hill."
"Well, I think I need some time away, sir." Maria declared. "Even though what I think I really need are a cocktail and lobotomy."
The floorboards they stood atop creaked with uncertainty.
"It's not like this is my resignation or anything. But at least for now, I think I need some time to try and find myself again."
Her words felt guilty coming out of her tongue, but today she did not care. They had just spent what felt like an eternity floating through unconsciousness. Then they were resurrected, right on time for the most important battle in history. Even for a veteran like her, to say that she was in dire need of a decompress was an understatement.
"I know you guys can manage well enough without me. And you should take some time as well, sir. We're both not getting any younger."
"I wish I could, Agent Hill. I wish I could." The director lamented, his tone softening. "But understood and point taken. Please, take as much time as you need."
Gratefulness filled Maria. "You'll be fine for a couple days, right?"
"I think we will, yes. But your presence, of course, will be missed."
Maria decided to leave him with a curt smile, and he offered his own in return, nothing changing in the way his hands grasped the railing as he straightened.
Looking back ahead, the lawn was empty now, save for the wind blowing over the grass and the sun shining through the trees. Over top, a peaceful silence had bestowed itself upon the property, like a gesture from Mother Nature herself. And it was in this silence that the two left, each heading their separate way.
-Ω-
Maria never expected it to be easy.
Five years had gone by without her, and like many other people, she was forced to accept that the world had effectively passed her by. For starters, her apartment was taken during her absence, leaving her with nothing outside the workplace to call home.
Her new one was hollow, empty, and cold, with the sound of every little movement she made bouncing off the empty walls. But that was okay, it could easily be fixed with a couple of decorations. Without work, she now had plenty of time to find some.
Stepping outside, the heavy rainfall did little to help lighten her mood. If anything, the somber aura that permeated the air as the biting cold liquid pounded down only served to worsen it.
The traffic on the streets was at a classic New York City standstill. Lights flashed, horns blared, people yelled, yet nothing changed. Lost in thought as she weaved her way through, she failed to notice the puddle draped across the asphalt in front of her.
One misplaced step was all it took, her shoe sinking unceremoniously into the water. Not even a quick withdrawal could save her foot from being drenched, her sock wet and lip bit out of frustration.
Ripples spread out from where she came and left, stealing her attention with the way they bobbed and lolled. Soaked foot forgotten, Maria bent over the puddle, her umbrella guarding it from the rain, allowing the surface to calm.
Her reflection appeared, revealing a sunken face with cheeks protruding outward. Above them, the warmth in her chocolate eyes was notably missing, as if they were a looking glass into her mind. Her hair had seen better days as well, but there was nothing she could do about that right now.
Standing straight, she caught a man noticing her plight from afar. His eyes stood out from the rest of him, soft moss in an otherwise gray forest. Between and all around them, people moved, cars drove, rain fell, yet Maria saw none of that. For just that glimpse, all she saw were those eyes.
Then it passed, and he was gone, leaving Maria standing, wet sock and all. So she resumed her walk, not noticing how the color of the street signs magically changed from green to blue. Or how the sidewalk suddenly became a touch wider on the right-hand side.
Author's Note:
What's this? Another PJO/Avengers story? Oops :)
This one is in collaboration with my dawg IDKHowToWritePlzHelp, who gave me the plot for this entire story. That man is a beast, please give him all his flowers. The stories he writes are top-tier.
One thing to note with this one. It will be more AUish than my others, meaning that I will be a touch more liberal with my usage of both universes. This allows me to do something pretty different, which I hope makes you excited :) Hopefully, your questions will be answered in the upcoming chapters :)
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