Valor ↠ Prequel [0] ✓

12 | The Rise And Fall Of Sokovia

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VALOR
xii. THE RISE AND FALL OF SOKOVIA

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  THE FUTURE HAUNTED RILEY. It taunted her, mocked her. She spent so long being stuck on the past, letting it tether her ankles to the ground, that she never paused to consider what the future might hold for her. She just never thought it would matter. Riley thought she would be dead by now. And yet, here she was, going into war for the umpteenth time.

  Riley stood outside on the balcony of the Avengers tower, gazing out at the sleeping city. Lights twinkling in the distance, almost like they were waving at the stars. Little did she know, a red-suited neighborhood hero swung throughout the city in search of trouble. Meanwhile, Riley wondered if the citizens of New York could predict the chaos that would ensue Sokovia in the morning.

  "That's a peculiar suit of armor for fighting a war, don't you think?"

  Riley, who was still wearing her fitted black uniform, didn't flinch at the sound of Thor's voice. She lightly scoffed, turning to face him. Beside Thor was the android whose new name, he had decided, was Vision.

  "Tony's working on my suit before we leave." Her gaze locked on the Mind Stone in Vision's head. It made the hairs on her arms stand. "So... that stone was inside Loki's scepter this whole time?"

  The wind gently blew against Thor's crimson cape. "That seems to be the case. That's how he was able to manipulate your people into joining him all those years ago." He paused. "You said you saw the stones. How?"

  Riley knew Thor had seen something when Wanda first manipulated his mind. That was why he fled the safehouse: to find answers. When he returned to the team with knowledge of the so-called Infinity Stones and gifted Vision the breath of life, Riley had a vision of her own, too.

  Riley gestured to Vision. "When you dropped in out of nowhere and electrocuted the shit out of J—Vision, I saw something," she replied. "There were those stones you were talking about... and... this bright light. It destroyed the stones."

  Thor pinched his eyebrows together. "You envisioned the Infinity Stones being... destroyed? I wasn't sure that was possible."

  "I don't believe anything these days truly is impossible," chimed in Vision. "All matter can be broken down. Why should the stones be any different?"

  Riley started to reply, only to get interrupted by Tony summoning her through their comms. She figured her suit was ready. Before Riley left, she asked, "...Do you really think all of us can beat Ultron? I mean, we haven't been much of a team lately."