Retribution ★ Avengers

We Don't Have To Fight Anymore

★ ★ ★

4 YEARS AFTER DECIMATION

JUNE 2025

★ ★ ★

Marlena quickened her pace as the heavy rain drops grew relentless against the baby blue umbrella she held above her head. She hadn't expected to get caught out in the storm, especially at such an inconvenient time. She'd just completed her final exam for the year, and she was more than happy to opt out of a taxi in order to ensure traffic would not delay the celebration of her hard work alongside someone she knew would be just as proud of her as she was of herself. She'd accomplished so much lately and she wanted to share that with the person closest to her.

After almost a year of consideration, along with a very persistent super-soldier, Marlena finally pushed herself to do something she'd given up so many years before. Finishing college was always a dream of Marlena's, but when she was unknowingly thrust into the world of the Avengers back in 2014, every opportunity that awaited her was ripped from her very hands.

Now, though the reasons behind it all made her extremely emotional, she could no longer make excuses as to why she was not pursuing the dream she'd once sacrificed in order to help protect her world. Losing her friends, her family, and her powers caused her years of pain and grief that she would never fully recover from. However, the life that'd grown as a result of this great loss was a life she thought she would never have a chance at again. Now, she was able to work towards a goal that she'd been far too occupied to pursue, and knowing she'd reached that point in her life was a feeling she'd never known.

Marlena was well on her way to becoming the person her powers and abilities prevented her from becoming. She was on the path to becoming a psychiatrist with an additional major in biochemistry. She'd fallen head over heels for the studies she'd been immersed in over the last year and a half or so. She was someone who struggled tremendously with her mental health, and the thought of helping someone else struggling with their own made her feel she wasn't so alone after all. Her studies also seemed to help remind her of a time in which it wasn't so difficult for her to pick someone's mind. The human mind was very intricate, and often very fragile, and she understood that on a level she wasn't sure anyone else ever would. The human mind was to be taken care of, not manipulated or destroyed the way her abilities so easily allowed her to do.

The apartment building's door slammed shut behind Marlena, finally creating a barrier between her and the torrential rains that flooded the empty city streets. She managed to escape the rain, though she was convinced the lingering smell of it remained within her damp locks. She collapsed her umbrella before making her way towards the elevator that lead to the hallway she and Steve resided on.

Upon unlocking the apartment door and stepping inside, she was met with a delicious smell and two words instantly came to mind, but Steve spoke them just as she closed her eyes to take the sweet scent in.

"Pancakes!" both Steve and Marlena hummed the words at the same time, resulting in a smile that spread from his face to hers.

This had become somewhat of a tradition amongst the pair. When one did something they were nervous to do, or accomplished a goal they set for themselves, they celebrated at the end of the day with chocolate chip pancakes smothered in maple syrup. Of course, Marlena was the founder of this beloved tradition, but Steve was all for the idea from day one. They knew it probably seemed like a silly thing to do, but sometimes the two of them found it difficult to take time to care for themselves. They always looked out for each other, and sharing a delicious treat for even the smallest of victories they had really helped them appreciate the little moments in their new lives.