A/N Thanks for tuning in, guys!
This one is also a bit different.
FOUR YEARS LATER
Official Twitter account of StrangerEnterprises
Tonight, 14th Nov: GlobalNews24 will televise a rare interview with Hermione Rogers as she discusses with interviewer Summer Clarke her personal struggles since 31st May 2018, how the world has moved on, and her hopes for the future.
The setting for the interview is revealed to be at a beautiful rooftop garden in Manhattan. The camera pans across the idyllic scene, picking out numerous bright and exotic plants, a shaded path leading to a tranquil pool, and a trellis adorned with wisteria-like flowers, before focusing on two women sitting on an ornate wooden bench. It looks to be a bright, sunny day but it is clearly colder than it appears because the women are both wearing well-tailored jackets and the younger of the two is wearing red leather gloves. It is mid November, after all.
Viewers across the world recognise the gloved woman at once. For so long the identity of the Sorceress had been a mystery, a carefully guarded secret to protect the woman's privacy, but since Thanos removed half of all life with just the snap of his fingers and she waved away her anonymity, Hermione Rogers has been much talked of, photographed and written about. But this is new. It isn't a press release from her company or a carefully rehearsed and recorded speech at an important function. Few details of the woman behind the Sorceress title have ever been divulged. The world has never been given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the real young woman who seems to have been at the forefront of the efforts of the last four and a half years to keep the world turning.
The solemn expression on the young woman's face is also familiar. Viewers can't recall ever seeing a photo in the media of the Sorceress smiling - not even in rare snaps captured by the paparazzi. She would have a pretty, delicate face if it wasn't marred by jagged scars across her cheek. Viewers remember that in early footage of the Sorceress the scars were red and raw, and though the wounds have somewhat faded into silvery-mauve lines, their presence makes the face harsher than it ought to be.
"Mrs Rogers, thank you for hosting us in such a beautiful place," Summer Clarke says, gesturing to the roof garden.
Hermione Rogers nods slightly. "The Harmony Garden is a popular destination in Stranger Enterprises HQ."
"I assume that you named it Harmony to give your employees a peaceful retreat within the building?" Summer asks.
"That was partly the reason," the Sorceress agrees. "My colleagues and I often use it for that very purpose. But this garden was chiefly given its name because of the origin of many of its plants. To the best of my knowledge this was the first garden intentionally designed with a mixture of magical and non-magical flora. It was created to express amity and cooperation between the two peoples."
Summer nods in understanding. "Which makes it a fitting location for discussing the upcoming four year anniversary of the emergence of your magical community."
"Yes, I thought so," the Sorceress says, as the two women both glance at their surroundings. "It reminds me of how far we have come, how hard we have all worked to keep some life and beauty in our days. The garden needs a lot of maintenance but, when this is the result, the hard toil is worth it."
The viewers are shown more shots of the beautiful garden, this time focusing on some of the magical aspects: a grove of gravity-resistant trees, a pond with star-shaped lily pads, a bush whose leaves quiver, and a multitude of rose-like flowers that shimmer in the sunlight.
We return to the Sorceress as she pauses in front of a metal memorial sculpture in the form of a tree. A close up of some of the leaves reveal names etched into the surface, before switching to the plaque at the base of the tree that informs the viewers that the names of fallen colleagues and loved ones cover the exterior of the tree. Hermione Rogers is shown touching her fingers to a part of the trunk and she momentarily closes her eyes.
"I can imagine which names are written there," Summer says softly when Hermione removes her fingers with a troubled sigh. The cameras show the names Steve Rogers and Lucy Rogers in an elegant script.
"I make sure to come here every day when I'm at HQ," the Sorceress says. Viewers hear the waver in her voice even though she is clearly trying to be strong. "And when I'm not here, I like to think of them being remembered in this beautiful spot." The camera pans round to show the breathtaking view of the Harmony Garden from this angle.
"Do you mind me asking how you and Captain Rogers met?" Summer enquires gently.
There is a twitching of the Sorceress's lips before she says, "Through work."
"As in S.H.I.E.L.D?"
The Sorceress nods. "I was tasked with teaching him about modern life after he woke up from the ice."
"And you hit it off straight away?" Summer prodded.
There is another ghost of a smile. "No, actually, we didn't. But we soon put that issue aside and then fell fast and hard. Exactly a year after we first met, Steve proposed. I think it was probably the happiest night of my life…" For the first time that viewers have ever seen, her face had seemed to blossom with life at her reminiscences, but that happiness then seeps out of her and she is once again the same grave young woman they have seen so often over the years. "It's hard to talk about him, and about our daughter, Lucy. I can't see a time when that'll ever change and I know that the same is true for everyone else out there. It's been four and a half years since they were taken from us and it doesn't feel like it's getting any easier."
"No, it doesn't," Summer agrees, herself looking grief-stricken.
"When I realised that I'd lost them forever, I just wanted to give up," the Sorceress admits. "I wanted to shut myself away, lose myself to the pain of grief and devastation." Her words and expression are clearly haunted and she swallows with difficulty. "I had struggled with my mental health for a number of years before that day and my guilt over the events tore me apart. I had failed as an Avenger, a wife, a mother - and it was my weaknesses that had let everyone down. If I had been mentally stronger when… when Thanos snapped his fingers, we could have launched our counterattack before it was too late. I held myself responsible. And, despite numerous people trying to convince me otherwise ever since, I still do."
Summer Clarke is silent, clearly surprised at this unprompted flood of insight from one of the world's most famous, but most private, figures.
"The world had descended into chaos because of my weakness," Hermione Rogers continues, seemingly almost unaware of the cameras or the interviewer standing a few feet away from her. "Because of me, we had lost half of everyone we loved. Somehow, despite the pain, I was able to see that I needed to find the strength to fight to save everything that we had left. I had failed everyone that I loved but there were people who still needed me - millions of them. I couldn't let them down again. That's what I've been fighting for ever since."
Viewers can clearly see the wetness glistening in the Sorceress's eyes but not a single teardrop falls.
The interview continues with a discussion of Stranger Enterprises's early work in the wake of the disaster, including being a leading figure in helping millions of orphaned children find emergency foster families, and it is revealed that the Sorceress has two adopted sons.
"Their mum and dad were two of my closest friends," she says, clearly pained at the memory of yet another loss. "Having the boys in my life is all the motivation that I need to keep working to make this world, their world, a better place."
Summer nods in sympathy. She and the Sorceress are shown standing on a raised ornamental bridge that overlooks much of the garden. "It seems that the blend of plant species here have combined very well," Summer says. "Would you say that's true of their human counterparts? It's almost four years since you were instrumental to members of your magical community coming forward to help with the global rebuilding efforts. Have the magical and non-magical peoples integrated as well as you had hoped four years ago?"
The Sorceress takes time to consider her answer. "When I encouraged other magic users to step forward, my expectations of succeeding were very low. Growing up in that society, I knew exactly how secretive and protective of their heritage they were - and how ignorant of the wider world, too. The fact that, at first, only a handful of witches and wizards bravely answered the call and outed themselves as independent magic users was more than I could have ever hoped for. Those early volunteers made a huge difference in communities all over the world and many of them now occupy high-ranking positions within Stranger Enterprises."
"But it hasn't been all plain sailing, has it?" Summer points out.
"No," the Sorceress admits, "but it was never going to be. There was so much fear in the world at the time and the emergence of something different was seen as a threat by many. The inciting of violence from certain sections of the media was driven by fear and ignorance. I advised all newcomers to let their actions speak for themselves and, well, I'd say that they've definitely done that. Consequently, more and more witches and wizards are choosing to live openly and I think it's fair to say that both those who use magic and those that don't have benefited from the change. We never would have gotten to this stage in our global recovery without both communities working together through the use of both magic and technology."
"It is a legacy that you and Stranger Enterprises can be proud of, Mrs Rogers," Summer comments.
The Sorceress shakes her head. "I don't know about that. A legacy is what is left behind when you've finished and we're far from there yet. Global trade has had a settled couple of years, economies are showing healthy monthly increases, people are enjoying sporting, leisure and social activities without such an unbearable sense of guilt. This is all fantastic and something that I could have only dreamed of four and a half years ago, but there is always work for Stranger Enterprises to be doing. Just like this garden needs constant maintenance to preserve its beauty, our continued efforts will bring the harmony into the world that we deserve."
"And what does that future world look like to you?" Summer asks and the viewers listen closely. The Sorceress has possibly had more influence in shaping the world over the last few years than anyone else. Given her knowledge of magical and non-magical communities and the resources at her disposal as the CEO of one of the world's most prominent companies, what she plans for the future has more chance of coming to fruition than most visionaries.
A spark of hope animates the Sorceress's face. "With the increasing cooperation between the world's magical and non-magical communities, we actually have the means to eradicate global hunger and poverty, to complete the switch to sustainable energy sources worldwide, and make significant possible advances in medicine and technology. I want the next generation to have the most secure and prosperous future that I can offer them."
Summer nods. "And what do you see as being your main barriers to achieving that future?"
The hopeful spark turns into a determined glint. Viewers have long tried to marry up the figure of the mournful young woman they have seen in recent years with their mental image of the fearless, heroic legend of the Sorceress. For the first time they see the resolute fighter who has risked her life for the world for a decade. They see the Sorceress - all the different parts of her. "Nothing is going to stand in my way," she vows…
A/N Hope you enjoyed.
I'd love to know what you thought of the changes to Hermione's world. Would some magic users have really stepped forwards? I don't know.
We're more normal for the next chapter so see you then - it won't be long! :)