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VALOR
xvii. CHECKMATE

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   "THIS GAME IS STUPID."

   Riley O'Dair sat on the slightly weathered couch in the common room of the Avengers Facility, her legs crisscrossed. Determination and annoyance blended together on her luminous face. Across from her was Vision, and between them was a brand new chessboard. They'd been playing all afternoon, and Vision had won every single game.

   "If I'm being frank, the game itself isn't stupid," Vision gently disagreed, crossing one of his legs. "You're simply bad at chess."

   "I'm not bad at anything, JARVIS," she grumbled. Although it'd been a year since his birth, Riley often called Vision by his deadname on accident. He eventually learned to ignore it. "It's a lot harder playing against a super-computer than you think."

   "I could go easier on you if you'd prefer," he suggested, which Riley immediately opposed. "Stubbornness will never win the war, but fine. I'll honor your wish."

   Riley rolled her eyes. "Look, if I can't beat you fair and square, it doesn't count. Now, shut up and let me think." Vision lightly sighed. Silence returned to the Avengers Facility.

   In all honesty, the headquarters were always silent nowadays. Sure, there was the low purr of the air conditioning system or the echo of footsteps, but it was always unbearably quiet. From the moment dawn broke to the passing of twilight, there was an uncomfortable hush that Riley found suffocating.

   She preferred it when the facility bustled with life. She was used to Pietro making a mess in the morning, Steve playing the news 24/7, and Sam and Natasha blasting music in the gym. She was used to Wanda baking all of the bizarre recipes she found online and Rhodey randomly visiting to tell everyone a "classic War Machine story". She was used to having family dinners almost every night, debating with Vision, arguing with Pietro over the silliest things, inventing things with Tony, and Skyping Clint every week with Natasha.

   All of the life had been drained from the Avengers Facility. Riley hated it.

   Once Riley finally made her first move in the game, Vision pointed out, "You seem... better." Upon discerning her dismay, he resumed, "You've spent the past few days in your bedroom, and I noticed between you and Wanda that it's common to spend time alone when you're upset."

   Riley scoffed when Vision made his move without thinking twice about it. "How do you always know what to do?" she asked, mostly to herself before adding, "I just needed to... process, you know?"

   Vision glanced back at her, studying her. "Process what?"

   Riley didn't answer his question. She picked up one of her pieces: the rook. "Hey, hypothetically—"

   "Are you attempting to cheat, Valor?"

   Riley waved her hand. "Pfft, no..." she lied, flashing him a big smile. "You know me and my hypotheticals." As Vision laughed, Riley stared at the piece in her hand. "I guess I needed to process... everything."

   "Yes, you did seem particularly distraught after Natasha disobeyed the Accords," recalled Vision.

Riley and Natasha were gathered on the highest floor of the Avengers Facility. A great, big window stood tall as they stared out it. They watched the trees in the far distance sway with the wind. "I don't understand," admitted Riley. "You let Steve and Barnes escapee?"

"Yeah. T'Challa went and told Ross what I did as soon as we brought the others in."

Riley knew to never underestimate Natasha Romanoff, but this was certainly the last thing she'd expect from her. "You know they'll just go after you, right? Well, I guess you knew that already..."

"I did," affirmed Natasha. She folded her arms over her chest, sighing. "I know you're disappointed, but it was the right thing to do. They wouldn't have stopped no matter what we did."

Riley glanced back at her former mentor, a little smile on her face. "That's funny you say that because I had the same thought when I let them go, too."

What Riley was saying took Natasha by surprise. The redhead stared back at her. "You didn't."

"I did," confirmed Riley. She shook her head, turning her gaze to the world again. "I trust Steve. Don't worry, I covered my tracks. Ross has no idea. He grilled me for an hour, but he backed off when I asked him for proof that I did anything wrong. Ross is kind of an idiot."

"Atta girl. I taught you well." Natasha smiled.

Riley beamed at the praise, but her smile soon waned. "So... what now? Where are you gonna go?"

Natasha paused. "Well, I can't exactly tell you. You know, for liability purposes." The two shared a short-lived laugh before a thought crossed Riley's mind.

"...Is this the last time I'm gonna see you?"

"Yeah. For a while, at least."

"Oh." Riley frowned. "That's really weird to think about."

"Agreed."

"...I'll miss you."

Natasha studied the teenager, noticing her discomfort. It made her heart sink a little bit. "I'll miss you, too, shortie. But don't go all soft on me, alright? This isn't goodbye."

Riley shook her head, forcing a smile. "I know. It's just hard imagining life without you and... everyone, I guess," she confessed.

Natasha nudged her. "Hey, wise up. You're the only Avenger with her head screwed on straight. When the world goes to shit again, you're the only one I'll be counting on to save us."

Riley rolled her eyes. "With what team?"

"Come on," encouraged Natasha. "You're Riley O'Dair. The sun doesn't stop shining because it's cloudy, right?"

Riley didn't respond. Instead, she turned and hugged Natasha for the first time in her life. Comforting each other and being affectionate wasn't something they ever did with each other, but this time, it felt right. After all, they didn't know when they'd see each other again.

Natasha hesitantly wrapped her arms around the girl. "I don't do hugs, but I'll allow it." There was a brief silence. "You know I love you, right?"

Although it took everything in Riley to not cringe at being so emotional with her, she smiled. "Love you, too, Nat."

   "If you know where she is, you have to report it," Vision reminded her.

   "Duh, obviously," Riley retorted. "Trust me. I know nothing." She had to force herself to smile. She didn't want to mope over her friends anymore, but it was hard not to. Riley stared down at the chessboard, discouraged. "Apparently, I don't know anything about chess either..."

   Ignoring her, Vision found herself wondering, "I suppose I can understand why Natasha felt like leaving was her best option, but why would Pietro leave shortly after her?"

Pietro was riddled with a troubling thought, and Riley could tell.

She didn't need to know him and his many habits to recognize this. His unnecessarily loud pacing around the Avengers Facility was enough for her.

Riley wasn't sure what was wrong with him. She'd been reflecting in her room, alone, staring at an old photograph of her parents (which was something she did often nowadays). That was when Pietro randomly barged in.

"If you don't stop moving, I'll break your legs," Riley weakly threatened. Pietro just ignored her, continuing to mumble to himself.

With an exasperated sigh, Riley turned in her chair to face him. "What is it?" she demanded, causing him to stop in his tracks and stare at her, astonished. "I've been through enough therapy to be able to give decent advice. So... spit it out already."

Pietro nodded. "Well... It's about my sister."

"The one we just threw into the Raft?" Riley lightheartedly wondered. The Raft was an underwater prison created for the sole purpose of detaining and incarcerating enhanced individuals, otherwise known as the ex-Avengers' new home. They couldn't capture Steve and Barnes, but they did manage to arrest the others. "I'm kidding, I already knew that."

Dismissing her jokes, Pietro inquired, "We did the right thing, didn't we? We obeyed the law, we followed through in our mission, we arrested those who didn't want to take responsibility for their actions. So, that means we did the right thing, right?"

Riley's eyebrows shot up. She wasn't expecting that. "I mean... yeah, we did the right thing. But... technically..."

"Technically, I threw my only sister and our friends in jail for committing a crime that isn't even really a crime," Pietro finished. He ran a hand through his messy blond hair, blue eyes wide. "I did the wrong thing."

Riley hesitated. "You've been... really stuck on being responsible and being a good person, but I think you're forgetting what being responsible really is," she confessed. "Conforming to rules isn't the same thing as being responsible. Being responsible is doing the right thing for yourself and the people around you."

Pietro eyed her, bewildered as to where all that came from. Riley just shrugged and excused, "What? I might make fun of them, but Steve's lectures work."

   Riley ended up convincing Pietro to visit his sister and the others at the Raft, proposing that perhaps seeing them in person and apologizing might ease his mind. Long story short, Pietro ended up running into Steve Rogers in the midst of breaking the others out of their imprisonment, and Quicksilver hadn't been seen since then. Clint and Scott ended up leaving the Raft with a mere house arrest, but Sam and Wanda disappeared with Pietro and Steve. No one knew where they were.

   "We've been over this," Riley told the android. "Pietro left because he realized there's a huge difference between doing what's right and what others think is right. At least, that's what I think, anyway. You know, I'm getting pretty good at ripping off Steve's dumb motivational speeches."

   Honestly, Riley was hurt when she realized she didn't get to say goodbye to Pietro and the others. Then again, she was also proud of Pietro. He had been torn apart trying to decipher what's good and bad, but he learned that following his heart was the key to success. All of his training had paid off, it seemed. Perhaps, in the end, Pietro truly did prove Riley wrong.

   Vision's face contorted with uncertainty. "Right... I'm afraid you humans are far more complex than I originally anticipated."

   "You say that like there's not a space rock in your head," she teased. Riley adjusted her sitting position, stretching her legs. She winced. Her injuries were still healing. "Look, it's not that hard. It's all about following your heart."

   "But how can I follow my heart if it's inside my body?" Vision queried. Riley stared at him, eyebrows pinched as she silently judged him. This caused him to smile. "That was a joke."

   Although Riley didn't deem his joke funny, she found herself lightly giggling regardless. That was just the kind of sacrifice a hero like Riley was willing to make.

   "Nat, Sam, Steve, Pietro, Wanda, Clint, Roman, Thor, Bruce," Riley listed. "All of them are gone, and I only got to say goodbye to two of 'em."

   The only people Riley saw nowadays were Vision and Rhodey. She'd been helping Rhodey with his physical therapy, assisting him with whatever he needed. She missed the others, but she was glad she still had Rhodey, Vision, and Tony.

   Riley shook her head, shifting her attention to the chessboard again. Sunlight crept through the windows, warming Riley's tan skin. The feeling comforted her as she made her next move, this time without as much hesitation.

   "I think I'm getting the hang of this," Riley admitted. "It's so hard making the right choice while thinking about the next ten choices your opponent's gonna make." If that wasn't a metaphor for Riley's life, she didn't know what was.

   Up until now, Riley's whole life was planned out for her. What time she woke up, what she'd eat, who she'd train with, where she'd go, who she'd speak to—All of it was predetermined by people who never genuinely cared about her. Not at first, at least.

   Maybe that was why Riley liked the Avengers so much. They let her be herself. They welcomed her, accepted her. God, how did things get so screwed up?

   When S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, Riley was given something she'd only dreamed of. Freedom. She was still loyal to the government, but this was a different kind of freedom. Riley was able to live with fewer rules weighing her down. She could make her own choices. It was something she had to get used to, but Riley learned to love it.

   However, as Riley continued to grow and make different decisions, such as creating Ultron, she had to ultimately face the repercussions of the choices she made and the choices she was forced to make. An example of this was the downfall of the Avengers. That was how she learned something else:

   It's hard to take control of your life, but it's even harder maintaining that control.

   Nevertheless, Riley kept making decisions, learning through trial and error. That was how she discovered that some of the best decisions were the ones she made when she trusted herself and the people in her village.

   It was decisions like those that helped Steve and Bucky escape, after all, and Riley didn't regret that choice for a second. Of course, some choices aren't quite as successful.

   "Did you hear about Rhodey?" Riley asked. "Tony built him this really cool exoskeletal frame to help him use his legs again."

   The fight didn't end without immense losses. Rhodey had taken a hit that was meant for Sam, courtesy of Vision. He fell hundreds of feet from the sky until he hit the ground, partially paralyzing him. The doctors were hopeful he'd recover with full use of his legs, which was a relief.

   But, just to be safe, Riley took all of her stress and worries out on the doctors who tried to treat Rhodey like he wasn't a priority patient. Hey, she had the power to do that kind of thing, and she'd abuse it if she wanted to! Rhodey was family, after all.

   Vision looked pleased. "That's great news," he commented. "I do wish I knew why I got so distracted back then though... I wasn't aware I could..."

   See, Vision had been checking on Wanda at some point during the fight. They were best friends, and he knew she'd been going through a lot between Lagos and relationship drama. That was why his attack missed and hit Rhodey instead of Sam. The super-bot somehow became distracted.

   Honestly, Riley didn't think it was that crazy. "Well, you might be a robot, but there's some human in you. Maybe you're just learning to embrace it," she conjectured.

   "Perhaps..." Vision trailed off. "Speaking of, have you spoken to Mr. Stark since then?"

   Riley shook her head. "Nope. I tried calling him, but... I think he wanted to be alone." Riley didn't have to say more for Vision to know what she was talking about.

   In the end, Steve was right about Bucky being set up by the Doctor, better known as a Sokovian named Helmut Zemo. He wanted revenge on the Avengers after what happened in Sokovia. Of course, Zemo was thrown in jail, but not before he revealed some daunting information about Bucky.

   The Winter Soldier had been the one to kill Tony's parents all those years ago. The worst part was that Steve knew all this time, but he didn't want to say anything because he thought maybe he was sparing Tony. Of course, he wasn't.

   "I think Tony was right to be mad," Riley confessed. "I mean, I was pretty mad at the bitch who killed my parents."

   "...Wasn't that you?"

   "Uh-huh," confirmed Riley, a little smile on her face. "But... if Bucky was brainwashed, shouldn't we blame HYDRA?"

   Vision had to contemplate it for a moment. "Perhaps, but Barnes was the one who killed Tony's parents. That makes him responsible."

   Riley shrugged. "I guess that's true, too." She shook her head. "This is stupid. If the Accords never happened, we all could've helped Steve and Bucky and none of this would've happened. Steve and Tony would've talked it out and everything would go back to normal."

   Riley missed Tony and Steve a lot. She hadn't heard from Tony in days, which made her think that maybe she'd lost him, too. She wouldn't have been surprised if Tony retired altogether after what happened.

   "When was the last time anyone talked things through without it getting physical?" Vision queried, causing Riley to chuckle.

   The last person she'd been expecting to hear from was Steve Rogers. He was a fugitive, and if she had any contact with him, she'd probably be thrown in the Raft. She was expecting to never hear from him again. That was until Riley checked her phone the other night and discovered a new voicemail from an unknown number.

"Hey, Manhattan. I know I shouldn't be calling you, but I figured I owed you a phonecall back after ignoring your last one. I just wanted to thank you for helping us. I know it was hard, but we wouldn't have figured out the truth about Zemo if you hadn't let us go. So, thank you."

"I know you must be hurting, and I wish I could've brought you with us, but that's not your place. Your place is with the Avengers. The team's gone to shit, but... I feel better knowing that even though we're all separated, one of us is still standing. I wish things didn't end up this way."

"Do me a favor? Keep standing. Keep fighting. There's always tomorrow, and you never know who's gonna need your help next. I know you might feel alone after everyone left, but we'll always be there for you, even when we're not together. I know my, uh, motivational speeches aren't as good as they used to be, but I couldn't leave you without one last lecture to hold you over. Until next time."

BEEP!

   "I wouldn't move that piece if I were you." Riley's eyes snapped back up at the android as she leaned over the chessboard. Her hand hovered over one of her knights. Vision added, "...Hypothetically, you'd lose."

   A smirk tugged at the corners of Riley's lips as she retracted her hand. "Are you cheating, Vision?" she mocked.

   "I don't know what you mean."

   It was nice not having many responsibilities after everything that happened. The Sokovia Accords, as troublesome as they were, ended up taking some weight off of Riley's shoulders. Now, she didn't have to do anything. She just had to wait until the world needed saving again.

   Riley leaned back into the couch, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes. "You know, I think we've learned by now that breaking some rules is okay," she pointed out.

   It was true. Riley had tried to follow the rules as much as possible until she joined the Avengers. The team taught her that it was more important to do the right thing rather than follow orders and protocol. Riley wondered how they seemed to know everything when it came to being a hero.

   What does it mean to be a hero? God knows how long Riley had been searching for the answer to that undying question. She thought it was a little silly, but her question was valid. Riley could save lives and fight endless battles, yet she had no idea what it really meant to be a hero.

   She'd learned a lot from the people in her life thus far, even the bad guys. They taught her resilience, determination, compassion, strength. They helped her understand herself and her powers. Though, Riley was quickly realizing that it wasn't her powers that made her a hero.

   Whatever the answer to her question was, Riley knew that the most important thing she'd learned was that it took a lot of courage to be able to get up every day and live her life. No matter who you are, it takes a lot of courage to face our daily battles, big or small, powers or not.

   Maybe Riley would never understand what it truly meant to be a hero. She knew she could fight and kick anyone's ass at any time, but at least she knew that being a hero was more than that. It was just a matter of filling in the blanks and figuring it out herself.

   Reaching out with absolute confidence, Riley grabbed a piece on the chessboard and slammed it down. Then, she peered up at Vision and smiled. "Checkmate."

   Riley wasn't sure what it meant to be a hero, but if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that she was damn good at having courage. No—valor.

   ...What, too cheesy?

END OF ACT TWO; GROWING PAINS

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And that brings us to the end of Valor! There's still a post-credits chapter, so don't click off yet! I just wanted to say a few words!

I wanted to write this book because 1. fanservice, but 2. to show y'all Riley's journey as a whole. Like all of us, Riley's constantly growing, learning, discovering who we truly are and what we stand for. Riley's big question in life is understanding what it means to be a hero, and she didn't learn it here, but she's getting there.

The big message I wanted to leave with y'all is that it's important we follow our hearts and trust ourselves to do the right thing. Yeah, we can do what other people want us to do, but we'll never be happy following rules and protocols. We have to depend on ourselves and find it in ourselves to have the courage to keep fighting, to keep going, even when it feels hopeless and when life looks like shit.

That's part of the reason why I wanted to further expand on Pietro's character (also because he was killed for NO REASON...lol). In this book, Pietro was so concerned with trying to be a good person and being responsible for himself after Sokovia. When he did that and signed the Accords, he realized he wasn't being true to himself and following his heart. I mean, he literally betrayed his sister because he thought it was the "good" thing to do. In the end, he followed his heart and realized that was the right thing to do.

I still have more to say, but I'll leave it for the post-credits scene. Thank you all for being so loving and supportive of me, Riley, and her story. <3