Part 1: The Visit
Location: Riven's Room, Avengers Compound Time: Night, hours after the war room argument
The room was dim, lit only by the faint blue hue of the compound's skyline beyond the floor-length window. Riven sat at the edge of the bed, bare-chested, wrapping a fresh layer of gauze over his healing shoulder. The wound had sealed enough to stop bleeding, but it ached—a low, pulsing reminder of the night before.
He didn't flinch as he pulled the bandage tight. Pain was familiar. Pain had become silence, and silence had become armor.
A knock broke it.
He didn't answer. The door slid open anyway.
Wanda stood in the frame, her expression unreadable. No magic glowed at her fingertips. No anger. No fear. Just… presence.
"You didn't have to sneak out," she said.
Riven didn't look at her. "Would've gone either way."
"I know," she replied, stepping inside. The door sealed shut behind her. "Still hurts being left behind."
He glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowed. "You're not a soldier. I wasn't going to drag you into a slaughterhouse."
"I didn't ask to be dragged in. I wanted the truth."
He didn't reply. She walked closer, stopping just across from him.
"You're not a monster," she said. "I don't care what the others whisper. I saw what they did to you. What they did to those kids."
His jaw tightened. "Then you know why I did it."
She nodded. "I do. But that doesn't mean you should carry it alone."
Finally, he looked at her. Eyes red-rimmed but sharp. "You weren't there, Wanda. I begged. I screamed. They still died. I didn't kill those guards because I wanted revenge. I killed them because no one else was going to stop them."
"I know," she said softly.
Silence stretched. Riven looked down at his hands—scarred, shaking slightly. Wanda stepped closer and sat beside him, not touching, just there.
After a long moment, she said, "Next time… let me be there. Whether you want me to or not."
He stared ahead, voice low. "Can't promise that."
She managed a ghost of a smile. "Then don't be surprised when I show up anyway."