Chapter Text
Darcy Lewis | Doctor in Astrophysics
Location: Fairburn, Georgia, USA, Earth
Time: October 2023
There was a time when Darcy Lewis believed she would have a normal life as it was. Then out of the desperation for herself, and the need for six credits to finally graduate with her bachelor’s degree in political science – she applied to the only place that allowed her to go.
She didn’t think thirteen years later she would be here, standing where it seemed everything happened since New Mexico had been the end of it all. There was a battle and now they won.
But the universe would let anything slip so easily in its vast and ancient fingers. In the end, there was a price to pay. The price for it has been losing two people the world she thanked for saving them all, saving the entire universe for that matter.
Darcy didn’t feel worthy to even be here (or mostly anyone from what she could tell with the vibe in the place) but living just across the lake where Tony Stark once stood and lived – you couldn’t exactly get away from knowing the snarky tech-genius and his ability to lure in all sorts of backgrounds. She shouldn’t be surprised, she stuck by Jane Foster’s side for years and allowed herself to be wrangled up with Asgardian alien gods, the end of the world and wormholes.
That had been the first five years since Thor and New Mexico. The next eight was a whole different matter to her…and it just got stranger once she met Stephen Strange and his adopted ward: Illyria.
It was why she stood here now; her arms wrapped over Illyria in an attempt of comfort. Even when she was several inches taller than her, it didn’t stop Darcy from wanting to make sure there was someone beside her as they watched the floral wreath float towards the centre of the lake. Tony Stark’s first ever arc reactor perched in the middle.
Next to Illyria, Harley Keener had his hands tucked into his pockets – masking his emotions with a blank face. Darcy knew he’d been crying by how stained his cheeks were and the red rim around his eyes. Both Illyria and he lost Tony Stark that day, but it meant more for Harley considering he had thought of Tony as the father figure he had been.
In front of them was the younger prodigy: Peter Parker. It felt odd to see the Spiderkid still at that age. Before Thanos and everything beforehand, Illyria would have been two years younger than him. Then half of the universe was gone – including the Spiderkid – and now both Illyria and Harley are practically the same age because of how the universe decided to spare them instead.
But overall: not even age or time could weigh how much Tony meant to the three of them. They had been mentored and taught, learning from the mistakes one man simply had and realised that what their talents could potentially have would never compete to who they were as a person at heart.
Darcy, who had no choice to but be amongst the living in the five years, learnt it in the hardest ways. She became who she thought she wouldn’t become during her adult years: and that was a mother. Never in her years of learning about science and aliens and space stuff would prepare her for something so drastic and life-changing that it didn’t matter if she could do calculations in her mind now or can easily detect what sort of star system they are in the sky.
She could learn everything she knew from a book off by heart, but it would never teach her how to care for and love a kid.
There was a moment where she did sit down with Tony one day. It had been two hours since Illyria told her that she would do what her father has done: and that was to help the Avengers save the world.
Never had she panicked that day. Darcy, with her five years’ experience of parenting and surviving, panicked the moment Illyria said it and blustered over how to cope with it. She would not call herself a mom then, and definitely not now, but she guessed that was how mothers reacted to these sorts of things.
Darcy told her that she would think about it first, allowing Illyria to portal back to Kamar-Taj to finish some studying before stalking over to the other side of the lake and knocking onto the Stark’s door with the bash of her fists.
“Did you try and reel Illyria into Rogers’ stupid idea?” Darcy blurted out the moment the man’s face entered her periphery.
Tony Stark blinked several times, gulping to understand what just occurred. He then sighed and gestured for her to sit out on the terrace. “I knew this was going to be something we needed to talk about.”
“Well no shit, Sherlock.” She wryly retorted, plopping down on the armchair and folded her arms. “I know you, Harley and Illyria have been trying to find ways to make time travel possible.”
“Yeah,” Tony, who appeared tired than ever before, sighed. “Look, I know how it feels. The first time I literally said no to Rogers and Lang because of my family, Harley and Illyria. And then I thought about it, the possibility of it.”
He explained to her the coming days since Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Scott Lang came to literally beg Tony to help them find a way to get the stones back. How he might as well have kicked them off his property hadn’t Illyria persuaded him and the three to have lunch together like the bigger person she was.
Darcy smiled slightly. The girl had too much of a heart sometimes and disregarded differences no matter the scale. She ignored the ache in her chest, though, of where Illyria might have gotten it from.
“I told her that even if she helped find a way to discover time travel, I gave her the choice. Either to step back and let me and the Avengers do it or help in any way or possible as an astrophysicist or a sorceress.” Tony looked straight into her eyes, knowing he was taking this as seriously as she was. “And if I or any of the Avengers think it’s too dangerous for her, she can choose to leave whenever she wishes to. I don’t want her risking herself when the world is at stake already. Her so-called wizards need more than they can get.”
She took sucked in a breath and huffed. Darcy was trying, really, to get her head around this. “I…I just don’t know what to say to her.” She admitted at the end. “I’m not her mom or anything. Heck, I’m not legally her guardian as well. When he left, Illyria went to me first thing. Not Wong or Kamar-Taj – me.”
He hid it well, but it was surprising to say that Tony’s eyes widened a bit at her confession.
“I only come to you because you have a kid, and you and I know Illyria in her various sides. Sometimes she shows more to us than in some cases. But when she came to me, I know what the first thing she was thinking about.” She bit her lip to prevent herself from shuddering. “She wants him back. Even if it meant she would be doing something against the code she was brought up in.”
Tony questioned, “They have a code?”
“Yeah,” She placed her hands on her lap, fidgeting the loose strand of thread on her trouser. “They aren’t supposed to tamper with the Natural Law, or fight against it.”
Tony furrowed his eyebrows. “She does know that Thanos just snapped half of the universe out of existence.” He asked, “Would helping just reverse the breakings of the Natural Law?”
“I know she isn’t a rule pleaser, Tony. I meant that if she did help, she’s fighting against choosing Stephen over the Mystic Arts. She would do anything to get him back, but she didn’t have as much time with him as she was brought up.” She explained. “Illyria began to understand how much living with sorcerers, isolated from normal life, can reflect what she thought of the world around her. And Stephen brought it all down because he finally saw her more than just a sorcerer in training.”
God, Darcy never got that deep. Not even with Stephen Strange or Wong around to give it to her. Even Tony looked shocked as well, knowing that she was supposed to be the quirky and sarcastic assistance to a scientist before everything turned to shit.
Tony leaned back against his chair and pondered, “God, I just didn’t think about shit like this.” He professed, rubbing his forehead. “I know the kid’s done much, but I just forget that there’s a whole other side. If she liked Strange and he loved her enough like his own: why did he leave?”
It wasn’t a question to answer. She and Tony knew exactly why Stephen Strange chose to sacrifice the Time Stone over being with Illyria.
And why Darcy, after five years, still felt the growing infatuation over the man who stood metres behind them. He stood with Wong at his side, knowing enough to be far away from the Starks as possible. She knew from Tony in that conversation (which lasted throughout the evening) what Strange told him on Titan, how he was doing this not only for the world but also for the sake of seeing Illyria again.
Illyria didn’t know it. She might suspect eventually but it wouldn’t surprise them when the dots connected – or she or Pepper finally revealed the truth about them once reality they won – that they will be angry people to confront.
Mostly anger directed at the sorcerer in question.
However, Darcy wasn’t going to be dulled. Yes, she mourned. Yes, she cried. Cried with Illyria and Harley and Pepper and Morgan. She would not cry now. Not when Illyria needed her the most, because this was her job now.
After the funeral procession, most of the guests began to leave with some lingering longer around the lakeside house.
Darcy ushered Illyria and Harley to talk to Peter, to comfort the teenager whilst she brought Peter’s aunt, May, to go sit with Pepper inside. The Stark woman asked her if she wanted to come with them, but she shook her head and declined the offer, wanting to spend some time to herself and just think about everything and nothing.
Tony, the damn man left nothing and everything for all of them to grieve and to celebrate about. She had so much to do with Pepper and yet it wasn’t truly her responsibility. But all of these people around her: the Avengers…they were lost without the two people who meant to them the most.
The latter had been Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow and somehow the glue to them all. She was the person Darcy believed who kept the spirit in them. The one who believed that the Avengers were still the very people they were meant to be, for not of their assets but for the people they were. And for an ex-assassin, it felt odd and welcoming for Darcy that there is hope in such places.
Darcy had insisted to give Romanoff the funeral she deserved, having it just in a couple of days from now after discussing it with Clint Barton and Steve Rogers. She didn’t know them as well as Tony, but from what Illyria told her and her interactions with the Black Widow: that Romanoff would want a close-knitted funeral.
Maybe there were people they didn’t know were close to her as well. She would have to ask F.R.I.D.A.Y or Barton about it. Ask if there were those who were left who knew her.
She wandered her eyes around, seeing Steve Rogers standing on the dock for a solid twenty minutes after the procession was finished. Darcy didn’t dare say it allowed right now, but not going to lie: America did was a luscious butt to admire from afar. But unfortunately, the man was heavily on the brooding side after everything happened. Out of all of them, Captain America felt the death of Tony Stark like a heavy blow to his heart – filled with regret by how much they’ve gotten through. Even with their differences, she could tell from the Super Soldier that there was more between the two.
They just never got around to talking about it.
After adjusting her glasses, Darcy spotted another lonely wanderer. Knowing that Stephen Strange wanted to approach her as soon as possible (and dammit she really wasn’t prepared to talk to him right now), she walked over to the woman standing between the line of pine trees.
She had been staring out in the lake once Clint Barton walked off, heading to talk to his family again. As Darcy finally got there, standing several feet away: the woman’s eyes glanced for a moment with a look of unfamiliarity.
In a neutral tone, Darcy asked, “Hey uh: Wanda, right? My name’s Darcy.” She continued, “I didn’t get the chance to talk to you or see you during the funeral.”
Wanda Maximoff’s eyes searched her’s, curious a little bewildered. Of course, why would little ol’ Darcy decide to talk to the most powerful Avenger? Her: just a doctor in astrophysics with no magical powers or enhanced abilities.
Yeah, she had no right to go speaking to her.
Well technically she did, quite a lot of things actually.
“I know it’s not the right time to talk about it but…” Oh damn, how was she going to say this lightly? “I wanted to give my condolences to you.”
Her eyes widened, staring at her as she questioned, “Why?” Wanda peered at her. “You…I’m sorry but I don’t really know you.”
Darcy softly replied, “I know.” She continued, “But considering that it’s been five years for me and only a few days for you since he died, I didn’t want to seem as if we have forgotten about him. Don’t get me wrong, what Vision did…nothing is more heroic than choosing to save his loved one and the universe than his own.”
There was a flicker of surprise on her face before Wanda’s lips wavered thinly. “I…” She paused, taking out a shuddering breath. “I don’t really know what to say.”
“You don’t need to,” Darcy gave the woman an encouraging smile. “Everybody here, those who got snapped or not are all mourning. And I just saw you standing and thought you wanted someone to talk to you about it.”
Eyes watering, Wanda wiped them with the back of her fingers. She gave a faltering smile back to her. “Thank you,” She whispered. “Even if I don’t know you as well, Darcy. One person is better than none.”
“You aren’t alone, Wanda,” Darcy spoke with assurance. “Grieving alone, that’s the worst place you can be right now. I made sure my kid is with at least her friend and Peter, and I think the Princess decided to stay to chat with them. You can come back inside, get’s pretty chilly around this time of the year.”
Wanda smiled wryly and shook her head, “It’s alright, thank you.” She folded her arms once more, bringing her cardigan closer to her. “I don’t think I’ll be welcomed anytime here.”
“Then you’re more welcome to come around to ours.” Darcy nudged her head towards the lake, spotting the small cabin just hiding between the trees. “We actually live just across here, renting it for a while when Illyria needed to be here and babysit Morgan.”
Wanda furrowed her eyebrows, “I thought she is with Strange?” She asked, “Isn’t she with her father? Or that was what I heard from around here.”
She seethed in and processed what she was about to say. “It depends,” Darcy shrugged. “Things are kind of complicated now. I took care of Illyria when he was gone. So, it’s her choice if she wants to stay with me for a bit or she can go back with him to New York.”
“I see,” Wanda commented. “And what of you, Darcy?”
What of her? She hadn’t really thought of herself since. There’s so much. “God, I mean.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m kind of heading back to New York too, since you know: Illyria. And my friend Jane’s back in London—”
God, she forgot about Jane. She hadn’t checked her phone since the battle that her best friend must have dusted back in her old townhouse in London, probably wondering where everything was and all of her precious science work was moved.
Okay, Darcy might have to create a list after this.
“Guess we all got a lot to do now,” Darcy smiled, and Wanda politely returned the gesture. Then, something popped into her head as she said, “Oh, sorry I almost forgot. I wanted to tell you about Vision’s location.”
Wanda’s almost froze, mouth opened partly. “What?” She asked, barely a muster. “They—”
“We, well technically Natasha and Illyria, thought it would be good to find those who passed in the Battle in Wakanda. They contacted Okoye who the general and the only one alive after the snap and asked if they could retrieve Vision’s body.” Darcy explained, “Luckily they did, and asked if the Avengers wanted to give a funeral. But Natasha suggested once after they saved you guys, that you’d be the one to give you a proper funeral.”
“Where…where is he?” Wanda asked, desperation in her voice.
Darcy answered, “They’ll have his body returned to America once Pepper accepted the terms with T’Challa. I don’t know why, something to do with vibranium and stuff which is a pain in the ass.” She re-diverted to the main subject. “But yes, hopefully, he will be here soon. Probably not to the Avengers headquarters.”
Definitely not upstate New York. The place was an absolute disaster zone, something that should fit well in a video game.
Wanda began to tear up once more, though now tears of relief and happiness as she embraced Darcy in a surprise hug. “Thank you, thank you.” She sniffed.
“Don’t need,” Darcy patted the woman’s shoulder. As they parted, she smiled towards Wanda. “As I said, you aren’t alone. I’ll let you know about the updates as soon as Pepper gives them to me.”
There was a second that Wanda was just simply looking at her as if she was some angel coming to give her a message. Technically, Pepper should have done it – or maybe Illyria. But the Stark woman had so much on her plate right now and Illyria shouldn’t hold the burden, so it was left for her to tell. Darcy was surprised that Clint or even Steve mentioned it to Wanda, confused as to why they didn’t tell their friend about their boyfriend.
She did become confused when Wanda’s eyes wandered to the side, slightly staring to her right before Darcy heard the crunch of leaves.
She mentally inhaled, assuming who was standing right behind her.
In a polite tone, Wanda nodded her head to her: “I’ll leave you two to talk.” Her hand clasped Darcy’s for a second, squeezing it. “Thank you again.”
Darcy simply smiled wryly, watching the woman stride past her – probably heading to speak with Steve Rogers. There she closed her eyes and took another inhale of breath. “Don’t just stand there and think I’ll turn around, Strange.”
“I know you weren’t,” His baritone voice echoed in her ears, and Darcy couldn’t help but open her eyes. He hadn’t moved, only hearing the gentle lapping of water hitting the shore.
“No offence, but I don’t think it’s best to talk right now.” Okay, she didn’t mean to come out coldly back at him, but by how she was refraining her will not to cry she might as well be mad.
Stephen Strange exhaled and murmured, “I’ve waited.”
She snapped back, “Then you better get in line. Quite a lot of us have.” Darcy clenched her hands beside her and slowly said, “Five fucking years, Strange. Five.”
“I’m sorry—”
Darcy snorted, “You better come up with a better apology than that.” She said, “I’ve had boyfriends ditch me on dates, makeup excuses why they never turned up. And none of them didn’t give me their kid to babysit for five years.”
“I didn’t intend it to be you—”
She had enough. Spinning around, she stomped right up to him and shoved a finger at his chest. “No, you listen here and will not repeat anything I said.” Darcy inhaled before her voice grew louder. “Five years ago, I had to watch my best friend and colleague dust in thin air. My mom never picked up her phone, realizing that she too dusted away. And in the middle of the day, I have a golden portal forming in my apartment where a child just appeared and told me that you had left her there in the Sanctum! A literal child!”
Her eyes never left his, fury blazing through her veins.
“That child was devastated, lost and confused and the only person she could contact then out of all the people she knew was me.” She emphasized. “Me. Not Wong or any of your wizard chums because all of them were busy protecting the dimensions. Whilst you were up there on a flying doughnut in space, sacrificing yourself before considering your own child’s life!”
Darcy hadn’t noticed then that she had been crying, ignoring how much she was probably screaming at this point. Stephen continued to stare at her, but she saw how he flinched as she poked him.
“Instead, you didn’t tell anybody what you planned, and next thing I knew: I was watching Tony Stark get back on Earth.” She laughed coldly. “Illyria had asked me. Begged me to go with her to the Avengers just to hope that out of everyone who dusted – you would be the one spared.”
He breathed in. “I—”
“You should have been there. Never had I seen a child be so devastated to not see her dad come out of that spaceship with Iron Man.” Darcy’s voice returned to a reasonable volume, gulping. “It broke my heart, and probably even the Avengers: to see Illyria upset that her father would never come back to her.”
Stephen’s eyes were now red-rimmed. He blinked them away as he croakily answered, “I couldn’t tell her. Not that way.”
“You promised her,” Darcy whispered, her lips wavering. “And now you gave her another thing to be upset about.”
Head hanging low, Stephen wiped his scarred hands over his face. “I’ll never be able to forgive myself at all for what I’d done. But I had to, so save her.”
Darcy shut her eyes and murmured, “It’s why I’m so angry at you for it.” She glanced up to him, “You and your fucking ways in wanting to save the world. And yet you forget that you have a daughter who needed you. Who needed you by her side even when the world could be crumbling around us. Instead, you left me with her. Illyria, who is in no doubt the most incredible kid I have known.”
He swallowed and spoke softly, “I don’t deserve her.” Stephen added, “And I deserve every bit of hatred you send me.”
God, she did. Darcy hated everything and nothing at the same time because of him. She wanted to slap his face, feel her palms hitting his skin until her hand was numb and his cheek red.
However, would it matter all the same? She didn’t want to build a barrier between them, that was the worst idea to do when they should be focusing on Illyria instead.
“I hate you for what you did, but I don’t hate you for giving me a chance to raise someone as smart and beautiful and amazing as her,” Darcy said, her voice returning to normal. But a cold underline was between her words, “But you need to tell her the truth. Everything.”
He nodded as he replied, “I know.”
“And I mean everything,” She glared. “You need to explain to her why you did it. I know what Tony said. He told me his speculations and I know you enough that you’d execute something so fucking dramatic.”
Stephen carefully began, “It’s hard to explain—”
“Well, I don’t need to hear it,” She interrupted. “But Illyria needs to hear it. And if you don’t try to reach out to her, she’s just going to push you further away. There’s only one way, and it’s going to be harder than having to choose Tony Stark over the universe.”
Stephen murmured, “It’s not just him.”
Darcy raised a brow.
“There were…so many realities.” He began. “So much that there was a reason why there was only one part where we succeeded. Not just because of the defeat of Thanos, but something more.”
Wait, there was more than just defeating Thanos? What else could be worst than Thanos?
She shook her head, raising her hand up to him. “I don’t want to hear it, okay.” Darcy said, “Not now anyway. For now: you’re going to talk to Illyria. She’s old enough now to understand, hell probably won’t make a difference apart from the height.”
A chuckle left his lips, and her stomach fluttered a bit at his attempted tone. “That is true.” There was a moment his eyes turned into sadness, and Darcy couldn’t help but feel for the man.
Forgetting about Thanos and infinity stones and possible realities: the simple observation was that a father just missed five years of his child’s life. The years in which were the most important for him, where she had turned from a child to now a woman.
Darcy to her weakness of seeing those so fragile, couldn’t help but comfort Stephen Strange, bringing her hand to grasp his with a soft squeeze. Their eyes met then, two different shade of blue eyes meeting that it felt nice to find herself seeing them once more.
“I don’t even know now what she likes or what is like anymore,” Stephen whispered.
She encouraged him, “Then do what I said: get to know her again. Talk.” Darcy smiled sadly up to him. “I know it isn’t something you’re into, being the stifling man, you are.”
Stephen rolled his eyes. She had to insult him in some way or form.
“I think she might stay with me for a while, help Pepper and Morgan sort some things before we move back,” Darcy explained. “You can stay here, there’s plenty of room.”
He thought about it, a moment of desperation before she knew that he was tied to the duty he was given. “I can’t.” Stephen admitted, “So much has happened. Wong says I have to be there and discuss other-dimensional threats.”
“Can’t you just make an excuse?” She waved her hand. “You’re like one of the highest-ranking sorcerers, surely you can finesse your way like Dumbledore or Gandalf through this shit.”
He retorted, “I can’t believe you compared me to those two.” He sighed. “But no, I’ll have to go at some point. But Illyria would have to join, considering her position as becoming a second-ranking apprentice. She’ll be needed in missions as one of my disciples.”
“Well alright, Jesus.” Darcy rolled her eyes. “But remember. Talk or I’m going to make Wong start berating you too.”
For a second, they seemed to smile at each other. At least now there was some mutual agreement between them. Whatever this was. A weird co-parenting plan she just decided to join at the hip with a sorcerer.
Pepper Stark rang up an hour ago and gave the news she didn’t want to hear.
Darcy tucked away her phone and removed her glasses, rubbing her eyelids in a mix of frustration and anger. Those motherfucking government officials thought they could just talk their way through anything huh. She hated them, hated them ever since they stole her iPod that day (wherever Agent Coulson was, she hoped he was wallowing away and having to listen to actually decent songs).
What she didn’t want to do was tell Wanda the bad news.
“What’s wrong, Darce?” Jane glanced up from where she sat. It had been a few days since her friend arrived in New York, just in time since they only been back for about a week and things didn’t seem to get any better. The world just recently got half of the population back after five years and those who returned probably didn’t know where their loved ones are.
She had been doing as much as she can. The funeral for Natasha Romanoff had gone smoothly as she hoped, just a few days before Steve Rogers returned the Infinity Stones and came back. But not the way people assumed if they knew about the time heist.
Darcy didn’t know the details, but she heard from Illyria and Harley that the Captain stayed in one of the timelines, finally returning in a full circle to pass on the famous shield to Sam Wilson. Darcy thought it felt right for Rogers to give it to Wilson, knowing briefly that the man brought the same equal loyalty and honour an American should embody.
Returning to the present, Darcy sat down onto her office chair and growled, “Goddamn S.W.O.R.D decided to pull a S.H.I.E.L.D on Vision’s body.”
“Damn,” Jane made a grim look and frowned. “Is there anything you can do? I mean, maybe contact King T’Challa or Pepper Stark?”
Darcy peered her eyes over to the astrophysicist and explained, “Pepper already did, even showed the fucking paperwork and will Vision wrote six years ago and still didn’t get them to budge.” She bumped her head at the edge of the desk and groaned. “Oh god, I made Wanda think at least she’ll get to make peace with him and now I made a mistake.”
“I think you should call her,” Jane suggested. “Better to explain the situation instead of giving her more time to hope. Where is she by the way?”
She explained that Wanda had been staying with Clint Barton for a time, considering he, Bucky Barnes, Scott Lang and she had to be pardoned over at DC. That only happened a few days ago and now she had to discuss S.H.I.E.L.D’s space division taking Vision’s corpse.
Jane pursed her lips and wondered, “And Dr Banner? Where is he now?” She paused before hesitatingly adding, “And Thor?”
Her head tilted up to the side and looked over to Jane. She didn’t react, though slightly awkward. Oh right, she didn’t know about what happened to Thor for the past five years. That’s going to be something to discuss. Maybe Jane might even feel a little bad for the guy and maybe cheer him up.
But then she remembered Thor had left with the Guardians, the space group vigilantes that Illyria mentioned included a raccoon and a talking tree.
‘I’ll mention Thor’s situation later,’ Darcy thought and set it aside. “Dr Banner decided to take Harley under his wing with Pepper to do research. And Thor: he’s off-world at the moment, going to be helping with the Guardians to sort out Yggdrasil and the other planets.”
“Right,” Jane replied and then slowly spoke, “And what about the magic guy. Stephen Strange.”
Darcy sucked in a sharp breath and held it for a second. Puffing all the air out she sat straight up and answered, “We’re on a pause for a moment. Until he actually gets his head out of his ass and goes to talk to Illyria. Spend some time with her.” She continued, “She’s out with Harley at the moment, might bunk here, might bunk off in Georgia or even the Sanctum. But she usually texts where she is.”
The nineteen-year-old had the independence of an adult, and even she could rely on herself for more than a week. Well, they helped each other with chores and all the mundane human stuff but when it came to just work and their hobbies, Darcy trusted the teenager in staying safe. After all, she was training to become a Master of the Mystic Arts and she already got her degree. Illyria had everything under her control.
“Darce.”
She echoed, “What?” Jane gave her a look and she made a sound of remembrance and grumbled. Darcy really didn’t want to have the conversation, but she had to do it sometime.
She migrated into the living room, the phone already dialling once she shut the door. Once she heard the sound of Wanda’s voice, Darcy cleared her throat. “Hi, Wanda. It’s me, Darcy.” She sat down on the sofa, nervously tapping her foot on the floor. “I…I need to tell you something.”
Wanda didn’t speak for a few seconds, probably sensing the grave tone within her. “Did something happen?”
A lot did. “Pepper called me, and she told me that when they brought Vision back in the US: this S.H.I.E.L.D division called S.W.O.R.D confiscated it from Wakandan government hands.” Darcy ground her teeth. “Pepper and I did all we could. Sent emails and called King T’Challa and they still couldn’t fucking budge.”
“Where is he now?” Wanda’s voice hardened and Darcy took another breath – waiting for the woman to calm down.
Darcy answered, “I’ll send you the address that F.R.I.D.A.Y gave me.” Her voice quietened, a worried tone in her as she asked, “I can come down with you and try and talk to them.”
There was a pause.
“No, no,” Wanda assured her. “I’ve been meaning to go somewhere anyway. Vis…Vis and I had something planned but uh…might go visit afterwards.”
She felt a tightness in her chest as she could sense the emotion in Wanda’s words. Darcy responded, “Hey, like I told you. You don’t have to be alone.” She suggested, “If you want, I can come down with you.”
Wanda replied, “Thank you, but I think I want to be on my own for this.” She continued, “It’s…it’s nice of you to ask.”
“Okay,” Darcy replied. “Please don’t hesitate to text me, okay?”
Once they exchanged their goodbyes, Wanda hung up – giving her more relief than ever as she brought her hands to her face. Darcy felt bad. No: she felt like utter shit what she just did. Wanda had been so relieved and at peace when news of Vision’s body was coming home to her. And now S.W.O.R.D decided they were going to be assholes. Why did they even need Vision? Darcy could’ve sworn the synthezoid had a will that he would be buried if ever did die.
Jane appeared, popping her head out from their makeshift offer and asked: “I can tell from the cry of despair that she didn’t take it well.”
“I don’t know to be honest,” Darcy turned her head around and spoke. “I suggested to come with her but Wanda said she wanted to go on her own.”
She nodded her head slowly and questioned, “And do you think that’s a suitable idea?”
Since when did Jane Foster consider self-care all of a sudden? This wasn’t the Jane she knew five years ago.
Her best friend soon realised the face she made and Jane pouted, “Hey, I can be considerate.” She huffed. “If you didn’t make that face, I would have suggested that you can go where Wanda is going as a surprise whilst I keep tabs on Illyria if she does come around.”
“You’d do that?” Darcy perked up and then narrowed her eyes, “What’s in it for you?”
Jane argued, “Why do you assume—” When she saw her glare, Jane huffed and spoke, “Fine. I have some things for you to go over. Since you’re now a doctor and Illyria’s graduated: I thought you can help me with these.”
The astrophysicists went throughout the afternoon talking about the large cosmic radiation the stones gave to earth, revealing several new energy anomalies all over the planet. During that time, Darcy had texted the address to the Headquarters. To her surprise, Wanda also gave her another address in return.
What was really (and she meant really) weird was that the location Jane showed her was close to the one that Wanda gave her as well.
“Huh,” She gazed at the map on the computer screen. “Who knew some old rusty suburban town can be a place of some good old anomalies.”
Jane, who was on her natural nerd-rush, grinned up to her. “I know right.” She continued. “I know you’re going there to see Wanda but when you have time, do collect some date for us to go over. Okay?”
“You got it, boss,” Darcy smiled, remembering years of just being Jane’s assistant. Oh, those were some good times, and a lot of times she got called for by Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D by hacking too much on their large secret databases.
She called Illyria to tell her that she would be out in a few days, to which discovered the teenager visiting Kamar-Taj for a few days. Illyria explained that she was helping the re-snapped sorcerers with what happened and informed them of their new roles. It would seem every group or government were all in a frenzy and it wasn’t just the Mystic Arts or Stark Industries or the American Government.
Darcy then texted Stephen, informing her that should be out of the city for a few days, just to keep Wanda company. The sorcerer thanked her for informing him, letting her know that Illyria was safe in Kamar-Taj and that Wong told him that she was heading back to New York soon.
She finally placed her phone down for the last time of the night and looked over to the wall in her bedroom. It felt nothing like the cabin she and Illyria had, but it was closer to where Illyria needed to be. And where Jane, Harley and Peter Parker and the Starks were now.
Her eyes glanced over to the wall, seeing the photo of her and Illyria together in Disneyland. Wearing their ridiculous Mickey Mouse ears and carrying ice creams. Darcy couldn’t help but smile, another aching part in her heart to know that these five years, she brought happiness to a kid she loved.
Darcy Lewis must have blasted about dozens of songs before she realised she left the freeway and entered the quieter part of New Jersey. Pepper had been kind enough to loan her a car, not one of those flashy ones that Tony would use, but something simple and still yet sleek. After checking her mirrors, she turned into the intersection before spotting the rundown sign.
Welcome to Westview
“Home: It’s Where You Make It.”
It appeared to have been a bustling town, the word ‘have’ being something of an emphasis as she noticed truly what the town had become.
There was obviously still some life left, with people probably returning from the blip couple of weeks back. Though, with what there were few: it would seem things weren’t the same. Darcy couldn’t call it a ghost town, but she might as well with most of the people appearing glum or just animated to do the very same routine every day.
Darcy felt bad for the residents here, knowing that most people weren’t going to be aided as much as others, or just be acknowledged either way.
‘God was this the consequence of bringing everyone back?’ She wondered. During the five years, people had mourned quickly to move on, building and breaking the barriers the world had made during history. ‘And now everything’s changed. We can’t turn back.’ Darcy thought.
The address Wanda wrote was just on the other side of the town, mostly near where all the housing were. It would take another five minutes to drive through the town centre, hadn’t she seen the person walking across the road.
Darcy gasped, pressing the brakes as hard as she could just mere metres away from the postman. The postman looked towards her, his hand over his heart in relief. She hurried out of the vehicle, rushing towards the middle-aged man as she cried out, “Oh crap, I am really sorry!” She rambled. “I wasn’t paying attention where I was going and—”
However, the postman held his hands up and shook his head. With deep pants, he said. “No, no…it’s alright, Miss.” The postman spoke, “I wasn’t really paying attention as well, no harm see.”
But Darcy wasn’t like this. She didn’t want to just leave the dude continuing his job. “Tell you what, after you’re done, I can get you something. A cup of coffee or a drink to calm your nerves?”
“That would be great thank you,” The postman smiled wryly toward hers.
She had been about to ask if he needed some help with the post before the air around her grow static. Darcy glanced up to the sky, seeing the sun up in the sky with white fluffy cloud scattered. What the hell? Why did it feel like there was going to be a thunderstorm?
Darcy would never sense it, or perhaps it never occurred to her that it would ever happen to her life. At one moment, she was standing in the middle of Westview’s town centre.
The next she felt like a surge of energy passing through her like an electric fence, heat passing through her body until it infested her brain.
There, she opened her eyes – and blinked.
What was she doing here again? What was her name?
‘You’re name will be Darcy Strange.’ The voice in her head echoed. ‘You’re husband Stephen is away abroad, coming home this evening whilst your daughter had just come back from boarding school.’
‘What?’ She thought, her mind feeling like she was wading in mud.
There she felt the pain, the screams and cries. Of memories, she didn’t know.
Who was she? Why was she here?
‘You’re here because you want a happy life, don’t you Darcy?’ The voice asked her. ‘You have a normal perfect life, with a wonderful husband, a loving daughter and loving neighbours. Everything is just the way you want it to be.’
Darcy blinked several times, before turning her head towards the postman. She smiled innocently and replied, “I’m afraid I cannot help you, kind sir.” She apologized. “It would seem I forgot that my dearest husband and daughter are coming home today.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” The postman congratulated. “I hope your reunion goes well. And I heard that you have a new neighbour across the road.”
Darcy rose her brows, “Oh? And who may that be?”
“A newlywed couple, I heard.” The postman gleamed. “Heard from Mr Ralph’s wife that the wife is Sokovian.”
She made a face of interest before smiling back, “Well I must be able to greet the happy couple before my family returns.”
“Good day Mrs Strange!” The postman wave and Darcy halted in the middle of the road.
‘Strange…’ She thought. For some reason, it felt odd to be called that.
But in the other part of her mind: Darcy almost felt warmed by it.