Centuries | Endgame [8]

EIGHT

CENTURIES | ENDGAME
Chapter Eight
⚡️

Five Years Later
2023

WAKEFIELD

             THE EARTH WAS IN A PERMANENT STATE OF GLOOM. Cities that once bloomed with people were left seemingly empty, their streets dirtied with abandoned vehicles and dust galore. Litter was no longer treated as a felony, what was left of authority lacking the heroic personalities they once did, leading to crime overwhelming many civilisations.

One of those was Wakefield.

The moment the criminal underworld of the city realised the Vigilante was a victim of the phenomenon that wiped out half the world, they pushed the Superhuman to her limits. But even the remaining hero barely showed her face, leading for nighttime in the city to sometimes be equivalent to that of an all out war. Melissa had done things she was ashamed off just to make a single night seem remotely peaceful.

Carol tried to keep up with the city's overwhelming crime population, but most days, it proved impossible. The worse acts of violence were committed when Carol was off-world, unable to swoop in and help out her guilt ridden girlfriend who half the time failed to make the effort to get out of bed.

The depression and shame that possessed her after Reyna died in her arms made Melissa loose sight of hope. She wasn't the bubbly and hopeful woman Carol fell in love with when she first crashed on earth. This was a girl haunted by the past and unable to move past no matter how many therapeutic discussions she had with the friends that survived.

Even with those connections however, Melissa no longer made sure she could attend team meetings or actively be apart of the Avengers anymore. It had became so bad that rumours saying that the Superhuman had actually died were more often heard then stories of the Superhuman saving people.

Melissa was no longer the beacon of justice so many idolised. She was more often seen as a distant memory of what the world once was.

Casting a glance over her shoulder, Carol bit down on her tongue and swallowed back the emotional feels trying to break free. She watched as the quilt shifted ever so slightly with each intake of breath as Melissa slept, hopefully lost in a dream that showed her happiness instead of horror. The intergalactic hero pinched the ridge of her nose, sighing as she decided against waking her girlfriend up for the team meeting.

The door closed with a faint slam as Carol entered the abandoned office, stepping up to the metal platform positioned in the middle. Feeling her weight, the device let the room light up with shades of blue as holographic screens appeared around the blonde. She swiped through each one in search of the open call, eyes grazing over messages from individuals miles away from earth before finding the correct notification. The room lit up with even more shades of blue as Carol joined the call, her teammates appearing of her left and right as a desk faded into view in front of her.

"Carol," Natasha greeted warmly, offering a small nod. "Nice of you to join us."

Carol returned the gesture, offering a larger nod of respect to the woman who was determined to keep what was left of the Avengers together.

"Guessing Melissa won't be joining?" Natasha didn't sound surprised as she noticed her missing friend.

"No... no, she's getting some rest," Carol explained briefly, her eyes gazing over the holographic projection to find the others also watching her closely, curious about the well-being of the original Avenger. "Stopping some Doomsday Cult who wouldn't stop recounting that day brought Mel... brought her into that familiar state of guilt, 'specially when they mentioned 'Vigilante'."