(Originally published in "The Many Adventures of the Avengers and Friends")
"No, no, you're missing the point. There is no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top." - Tony Stark, "The Avengers"
Or is there?
Multiverses have the...
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More time had passed than the newly minted Avengers had expected. Asgard's time system was far different then that of Earth, something none of them had realized. They left when it was around midday, the sun high in the sky. Their visit to Asgard seemed only to last a half an hour at the most. Yet once they emerged back on Earth, the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, illuminating the western sky in bright shades of pink, purple, and orange. To the east, the moon slowly poked it's way out into the sky. It was a waning crescent, the stage before the New Moon.
Maya took that as a small sign that something major will change tomorrow. Whether good or bad, she didn't yet know.
Carson and Bucky peeled off from the group first to return to their hideout. It wasn't anything to write home about, just a twist of metal sheets covered in patches of rust held up by old nails and clamps, all of which was underneath a few sheets of waterproof fabric that used to be tents. A lot of people had dwellings like this, so even if theirs was a little bigger and sturdier, it wasn't suspicious. The Winter Soldiers were wanted fugitives and had been for years now. They needed to keep a low profile to stay safe.
The twins lived in the small shack that was essentially the Avengers' home base. It's where they met up to discuss their plans and where they would meet up when the world would start to turn upside down. Much like other places where the lower class people lived (which made up at least 75 percent of society), the shack was falling apart in some areas so there were holes in the wood and metal that made up the walls and roof. During the winter, Wanda and Pietro had to pin a sheet to the roof to cover the gaping hole in the top to better protect them from the elements.
Peter lived with Aunt May in their apartment. Better off than the former four, but it wasn't a perfect situation. May didn't work in the palace like Maya's father did, but she was a receptionist at a local news station. That's the job she could get and she couldn't really complain. At least she didn't have to go on camera with a too-wide smile to gush about how perfect everything was and talk about people in a certain way like the reporters did. So-called 'traitors' in the King and Queen's eyes were seen more as 'martyrs' in the public's eyes. They just couldn't say as much.
As for Maya, she was probably the luckiest of them all. Though, she was far from taking it for granted. Her luck was only because of where her father worked and all that could be taken away with just a word or dismissive hand gesture. One false move and the whole family could be without a house, without money, or even without their heads. The regime's brutality was undeniable, so for safety's sake, it was best to just bow your head and comply.
"Hi, Mom." Maya greeted as she walked in the door.
"I was beginning to wonder where you were." Maya's mother replied, hugging her daughter close.
