OUR LIFETIME « Pietro Maximoff

6 /| either way

[chapter six]

"IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, now is the time," a woman whispered. It was the same faceless woman she'd seen in Wanda's nightmare. The room was dark and the air around them was cold, nothing like she'd ever felt before. She was finally seeing another memory, most likely triggered by that day's events.

Her hands moved on their own accord. Like always, it was as if she had no control over her actions or words. "I need you to do it. One stab, straight to the heart. That's it." Her hands grabbed that same silver dagger. "I don't care what you do with the body, just don't let him see it."

The woman stared down at her skeptically, taking the dagger. "How many times have you done this?"

Savannah wanted to reply with an I don't know, but instead she said, "I've lost count."

The faceless woman with the familiar voice tilted her head. "Is this really living?"

There was no hesitation. "No, but I die either way."

The memory was abruptly halted as someone poked at her face. Sav cracked an eye open at a mischievous looking Lila standing before her. "You talk in your sleep Savvy."

"That's because I'm meditating." She smiled though it didn't reach her eyes. "Who sleeps like this?" She asked gesturing to her crossed legged position.

The girl shrugged. "Mommy asked me to come and get you, there's a man here. And dinner's ready," Lila giggled, running away seconds later. Sav let her sixth sense surface for a moment.

There were nine people in the house.

She quietly went downstairs and into the busy kitchen. She sat down at the table near a pitcher of tea. Her eyes grazed over Nick Fury and she didn't have it in her to feel surprised.

"Well hello to you too," Fury said, without looking up from his papers.

"Hi," she whispered, in a voice that was unlike hers. Her thoughts lingered on what she'd just seen. It had her returning to Bruce's theory of past lives, and just for once she began to consider its possibility.

After everyone had eaten, Fury got down to business. "Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"Legionnaires?" Savannah questioned almost absentmindedly. This earned her a few nods.

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve inquired.

Nick looked to him. "Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit." Savannah almost didn't get what he was referring to. Almost. "Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

Tony threw a dart, but Savannah couldn't see where it landed. "He still going after launch codes?"

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway," Nick explained.

Tony turned in almost disbelief. "I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare," he commented.

Fury nodded, as he made his sandwich. "He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed."

"By who?" Tony and Savannah asked simultaneously. Clint threw a dart to the other side of the house and Sav was positive that it hit the bullseye.

"Parties unknown," Nick replied quietly, leaving his cutting board.