AGE OF DESTRUCTION ( marvel.. )

o5. The Quiet Storm..

Erik wrapped his arms around Daisy and held her to his chest in a single breath drenched in all the desperation he had been pressured by her absence, the absence of his daughter.

The meeting was over and Wong, Dr. Strange's partner in sorcery, assisted Daisy's initiative with a transport spell. Unfortunately, his participation was restricted to only that since Earth had to remain protected in the temporary leave of their Sorcerer Supreme and he was the only practitioner with availability and experience.

Milano, the Guardian's ship, has never been as crowded as then, when Tony attached a loaded container above it with his tech and all who have signed up for the war on a short notice have been transported inside by Wong's portals. Peter Quill was actively worrying his ship was not in a good enough shape to carry all the extra weight fast across the galaxy, far less the universe, but another Peter was waiting his turn to hug his sister, just released from Erik's embrace which has cut all intention of stuttering.

Daisy met Peter Maximoff's clingy embrace with the strength of having missed him and the guilt which poured silent tears of her eyes. Though the mutants which have answered the call were no strangers, Daisy felt that even in this little corner with her family, she shouldn't let her weakness be seen.

Storm, Scott, Kurt, Kitty, Colossus and Logan too, all have joined as active members of the X-Men on a truthfully short notice.

"I'm so sorry," Daisy mumbled, beginning to realize, through the palpable contact her mental illusion faltered in mimicking sometimes, that her denial state has put everyone in danger.

"What are you sorry about?" Peter ceased the hug and leant back. His gloved hands, because he was suited in what the X-Men would wear for missions alreadt, rested a little while longer on her shoulders before falling off. Realizations of his own were much darker on the expressions he carried: Daisy felt weak. "Dad said some alien messed you up and now wants to kill all of us."

"This wouldn't have happened if I just beat him the first time!" Daisy finally lost the composure of her voice, hinged together barely ever since she escaped the chains. A little louder than the chatter in the ship, her voice and the implication of her words have drawn the attention of all eyes.

Charles deamnded some privacy telepathically, while ashamed, before them, Daisy sat down, next to the wall, right on the ground. Somehow, she guessed Quill would advice against touching the floor with her hands, so she tucked them under her opposite arm, hugging herself in the rhythm of little sobs.

"How many were there?" Erik asked, tone sternly sharp, just the right amount for its neutrality to draw upwards the cried, glassy gaze of his daughter. Then, the bluntness shattered into compassion and he sat down next to her. "When Jean transported you to the fight out of nowhere, was it just Thanos?"

"His Order was with him," Daisy hiccuped, uncertain. From an outside perspective, it felt wrong to be this old and still need the easy comfort of a parent, however, on the inside, things changed. The gentleness of this conversation was exactly what she needed.

"How many?"

"Five more," she replied to his repeated question.

"You were alone, in a place you did not know, fighting against a group of trained space killers, Daisy. You did your best..."

"Did I?" her voice cracked and she looked up at Charles, seated in front of her in his chair. Peter has taken the other seat beside Daisy, not planning on leaving her out of his sight until he was sure she was alright. Now, obviously, she wasn't, even if contorl got her back to whispers and not mindless shouts. "Six months I fought Jean back from trying to make me act and stop Thanos. I risked us all just because I was scared and I liked my illusion."