Gray in the White and Black

day lx

Peter looked at the hanging outfit. He had been trying to get himself to put it on, but the outfit held many bad memories for him.

"Do you plan to put it on again?" May asked, walking to her nephew's room.

Peter's eyes shifted to his aunt. "The last time I wore it was during the fight against Wanda," he whispered, turning to the outfit. "I can't forget what happened."

Peter held the girl as she cried about hurting Clint. Peter had wrapped his arms around her, hiding a tracker on her shirt. "Do it."

Peter had to move back, not sure what she meant. He looked into his eyes, but saw no emotion, as if she gave up. And it scared it. "What?" He was hoping he was right about what she meant.

"End it. Kill me. Please. Before I hurt anyone else." Peter felt his whole world shatter around him.

Aunt May nodded her head. "It's okay if you don't want to be a hero anymore. You've done enough for this world. It's not your responsibility."

Peter could see the spider on the outfit. "I was given these powers for a reason. Someone has to protect the people."

"The Avengers can do it," she told her nephew, reminding him of the other heroes.

"They have enough to worry about, what with bigger threats. I can do this. I can be Spider-Man again."

May walked to the closet and grabbed the outfit. She turned to the younger boy. "You belong out there. You're a hero, that's who you are and no one can take it away from you. The last time you wore this, you saved Wanda. You are the reason you guys found her. You are the reason she's still fighting. You wore this and you saved someone. Never forget that."

Peter looked at the outfit his aunt placed in his hands. His fingers ran over the spider, before looking up at Aunt May. With a smile, he gave her a nod.

x

Wanda could hear the leaves crunch under her boots as she walked through the small field. She only had one destination in her mind, as she walked forward. She couldn't help but smile when she arrived. She moved to sit on the ground. She looked at the stone in front of her. Her brother's name etched on the stone.

"Hi Pietro," Wanda whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I miss you. I need you. I wish I didn't have to lose you. A lot has happened. I'm not an Avenger anymore. At least not now. I-I was hurt. Really bad, and I needed my big brother with me. I'm getting better now, but it's not easy. It's never easy."

"Just do it!" Six year old Pietro shouted in Sokovian, looking up at his sister.

Wanda shook her head. "I'm scared," she responded, hugging the tree.

Pietro looked at her for a second, before grinning. "I'll catch you."

"You will?"

"Always."

Wanda looked at her brother, who gave her an encouraging smile. The little girl took a deep breath and pushed herself off the branch she was sitting on.

"I still need you to catch me," Wanda whispered, feeling her tears. "You're going to hate me, but I wanted to give up. Even after they rescued me, I wanted to give up. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to stop hurting. It felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. And when I could, it hurt. I don't know. I just wanted to be with my family."

She turned back to the building. She thought Steve, and Tony and Peter. "But they are my family too, and I can't leave them. I wish you got to meet Peter. He's funny, but he likes to act like an older brother even though he's younger. He's the reason I'm here. He saved me in a lot of ways. You'd love him. He makes missing you hurt less."