DEFYING GRAVITY || MARVEL (4)

TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: PAINFUL RERUNS

WITH A WAVE OF GRACE'S HAND, A DOOR APPEARED BEFORE THEM.

To Maggie it looked distinctly familiar. After a second of looking at it, she remembered where she knew that door from and watched as it slowly opened. She walked through the door and was transported into a late 1930s themed kitchen. There was a brunnette woman in her early 40s wearing an apron as she cooked dinner. Maggie immediately recognized.

"Mum," Maggie said, smiling in disbelief.

"So, tell me what memory this is," Grace spoke, standing beside Maggie.

"This was our house in Brooklyn. We moved into a couple years before World War 2 started," the greenette explained. "My father was still operating multiple car factories while mum stayed home and took care of everything."

The next second, a man in his late fourties walked through the front door along with suitcase. Maggie immediately recognized them as well.

"Dad," she softly called him.

"Welcome home, my darling," Tabitha kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Glad to be home, Tab," Thomas said, kissing his wife in return. "Where is Margaret?"

"They're around here somewhere." Tabitha pulled a pan out of the oven. "I told them it would be a bit before dinner would be ready."

"I got her a new book." Thomas said, holding a book labeled "Frankenstein". "I saw it in a bookstore while I was away and thought she would like it."

"I'm sure she'll enjoy that," she smiled. "Maggie! Dinners ready!"

The next moment a teenage girl walked into the kitchen hearing her name being called. At the sight of her father, young Maggie didn't hug him. She looked surprised he was home so soon.

"Welcome home, papa," the girl told him.

"Hello, Maggie. I got you a present," Thomas said with a small smile. He then held out the book to her to take. "I saw this in a bookstore and thought it would be something you'd enjoy reading it."

The girl took the book from her father's hand and looked at the front. It was the book she had been wanting to buy for awhile. How did he know?

"Frankenstein," Maggie said. "Thank you, papa."

The next memory began, and it was the day everything changed.

The bar Bucky held onto began to break off as he reached for Maggie. And then...the bar fully broke. Maggie watched in horror as her husband fell off the train. His scream echoed through the mountains. Tears formed in her eyes and they stung.

"NO!" She screamed.

Tears formed in Steve's eyes as well, but tried to keep himself together. He focused on Maggie. The blonde did his best to outstretch his arm.

"Maggie! Grab my hand! You can do it!" He shouted of the rotating wind.

Through her teary eyes, Maggie tried to grab his hand. There was a slight freak and the handlebar started to break from the hinges.

"Steve..." Maggie started, her voice soft.

"You can do it, Mags! I've got you!" Steve assured.

"I don't think I'm going to make it this time!" She told him. "You need to stop Zola and Schmidt. There isn't much time."

"No! I'm not finishing this mission without you! I won't let you die!" He argued in denial. "I can't lose you too."