We Learn To Live With The Pain - Steve Rogers x OC

2: Just One Single Glimpse of Relief to Make Some Sense of What You've Seen

April 27, 2018

All that they knew was that a huge number of people had disappeared in the blink of an eye— they'd been taken out of existence and everyone else was left to pick up the broken pieces that were left behind. Although it had taken hours, with F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s help, Happy had been able to get a helicopter in to the city to return them to the New Avenger's Facility. Pepper had decided that it was probably best to operate with that as their headquarters until they had more information and, although she never said it aloud, she also knew that if anyone was to return, it was probably the first place they'd go.

Even the deafening whirr of the helicopter blades couldn't muffle the silence that had fallen over the three of them. Looking down at her lap, Maggie absentmindedly turned her phone over and over in her hands trying to make some sense of what had just happened. She had a small checklist of people that she kept in contact with— Tony, Pepper, Kate, and Poppy. One sat across from her while staring at her phone and waiting for a call that hadn't, and may not ever, come, one had been turned to dust in front of her eyes, one was missing in action, and the other was Poppy.

Poppy had been her only friend since she was a freshman in high school; she had stayed by her side through everything since. She held Maggie's hand when the young woman had to pick up the tatters of her life, stayed by her side while going through wills, arranging funerals, picking out coffins. When the pair had graduated from NYU, she had pushed Poppy to pursue her dreams and go to South Korea to study under Dr. Helen Cho while she decided to serve in the Peace Corps and build an orphanage in Ukraine. She needed time to figure out what came next and it would be easier if she was alone. Maggie was a rolling stone; she'd bounce and find her way somehow. She always did.

As she looked at the black mirror that her phone had become, she knew that Poppy should be in Seoul right now; she was in the last years of her doctoral program and she frequently traveled across the world from lab to lab. For hours, every call that Maggie had tried to place to her best friend had only gone to the dull hum of a busy line. No text message could get through; she wasn't even able to leave a voicemail. All of the lines and networks were incredibly overwhelmed as everyone scrambled to find their loved ones.

Poppy had left New York only a few weeks earlier, making plans with Maggie to go to the farmer's market when she returned and, now, she didn't know if that would ever happen. She couldn't allow herself to even entertain the possibility that Poppy hadn't made it. Although she was typically far away, it was like she was Maggie's last tether to the world. Without Poppy, she would be paralyzed, she'd be floating out in the ether without anything to hold on to. Maggie gripped the armrest, her knuckles turning white as the vehicle began its descent to the landing pad below.

As soon as the door was opened and they disembarked the Stark Industries helicopter, Pepper's commanding presence took over. She called out orders with ease before asking Maggie and several others to meet her one of the conference rooms in an hour after they'd had time to get cleaned up. Maggie nodded, turning before Pepper's small hand reached out to touch her arm.

She'd never seen her look quite so scared before; her bloodshot blue eyes were still slightly puffy from the tears she'd shed. "Kate is gone, Maggie. So, you're going to have to run point for the social work division of the foundation."

Her eyes widened; she had only worked for the foundation for a year. For all intents and purposes, she was still new to the group. There were other members of her team who were far more qualified than she was. "Why—"

"Chris and Mia...didn't make it either. So, you're the next in line." Pepper cut her off, pressing her lips together. Her voice softened, "I'll have F.R.I.D.A.Y. make sure someone brings you a change of clothes. It's going to be a long night." Before Pepper could turn and make her way to her personal quarters, Maggie reached out and embraced the older woman. She typically wasn't one for physical touch but she knew that sometimes, a hug was the best comfort you could offer.