Chapter Text
"Know that they'll be loved." The kind words from the innocent variant Wanda in 838 pounded through Scarlet Witch's head as she began destroying the Darkhold and tearing the temple apart. Pieces of the walls crumbled and rained down overhead. Certainly she could take it down from the outside, but...what point would there be to that now? There was no one left, no one left at all, the children she'd tried so hard to reach were scared of her and they were not hers, either. There was no way to undo all the harm and deaths she had caused. A tiny inkling thought said no, she could too undo it...by making everyone forget it had happened in the first place.
No. That is wrong. I will not. This is the end so I will never hurt anyone again.
"We have said goodbye before..so it stands to reason we will say hello again."
A larger chunk of stone crashed down, and she remembered nothing more.
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"Ice cream!"
"Tree!"
"A...troll?"
"Snack!"
"Cookie."
"It's...not a food..." Elsa sighed. Little Bruni the fire spirit hopped off her shoulder and jumped on Olaf's head.
Anna struggled to hold in giggles. Watching Elsa play charades-or, rather, attempt to do so-would never grow old. Magic or fifth spirit or not, her sister was so bad at the game it was funny. Luckily Elsa was a good sport about it, but Anna wouldn't tease her for it either. Having Elsa visit for a day was not the same as having her live in Arendelle castle. "Do you want to play something else?"
Elsa gave her a look that clearly said what do you think?! Of course I do, but she didn't say anything other than excuse herself a moment.
"Okay. Maybe a board game or something instead when you come back?"
"Sure."
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America unlocked the door to her new quarters in the New York sanctum and immediately jumped backwards when she saw an all-too-familiar figure lying on the floor. Then she hesitated for just a moment before darting inside and closing the door behind her. Thank goodness no one had seen her jump like that. America slowly stepped closer. The Scarlet Witch no longer looked terrifying or dangerous to her. It could be an illusion. Why is she here? She destroyed that creepy temple. And the mountain. Stephen said she was dead.
But it was clear she was not, in fact, dead. She appeared to be unconscious and injured-maybe pieces of the temple had started to crush her and her magic subconsciously teleported her out, America reasoned. That would make sense, but it didn't explain why she was here. Maybe she should go fetch someone. A knock on the door startled her, and she heard Strange saying something about bringing her a welcoming dinner in a funny voice that sounded as if he wanted to give it to her but thought it was unnecessary all the same.
"Leaving it in the hall, kid," she heard, and footsteps began fading away.
America bit her lip and made a quick decision. She could ask Strange; he would know what to do. "Can I ask something?" There was a brief nod. "So like, in theory, what do we do if Wanda came back?"
"She's gone, she won't hurt you, America. Don't worry. Even if she did, she wouldn't come after you again without the Darkhold's influence." Strange gave her an appraising look, thinking that America looked more like she was hiding something rather than that she was frightened. There had also been an odd surge of magic from within the room. "Why would you ask that?"
"Just wondering." America tried her best not to look like she had the most powerful magic user on the planet lying on the floor unconscious in her room. Well, she hoped Wanda was still unconscious. It would probably not be good if she suddenly woke up to find America talking about her to Stephen, not good for any of them. "Like if there was a plan."
Strange stared at America oddly. "I suppose it would depend on her," he said finally. "No prison could hold her, but someone would need to keep an eye on her...behavior." He thought he would probably get stuck with that job, which was not a pleasant prospect, and also even if Wanda was her normal self again anyway, she would not want anything to do with him. It was quite obvious from previous interactions that non-corrupted Wanda still held grudges and definitely blamed him for giving Thanos that time stone. Strange didn't exactly blame her for thinking this-not a day went by where he didn't question his own decision, even if there hadn't truly been another choice-but he didn't want to have anything to do with a pissed-off Wanda, either, Darkhold destroyed or not.
"...I think I would want to help," America ventured. She couldn't possibly stay here, but since-if-she's not all crazy anymore, I could put her somewhere safe somewhere else, right? Like where there's not a her there already.
"Okay."
"That's...it? You're not gonna tell me that's a terrible, rotten plan because she tried to kill me before?"
"No. She did the right thing in the end, and you should trust your gut." Even if I don't want anything to do with her, I shall not tell America not to help someone.
America nodded, said thank you for the dinner, and retreated back into her quarters. Well then. A bit of her thought she should probably explain herself, but even if she wanted to help now, that didn't mean others would after the decimation of Kamar-Taj previously. Whatever disgusting, evil things the Scarlet Witch had done before besides attempting to steal America's own abilities which would have killed her, America decided it would not be fair to expose her presence right now. There had to be some reason her magic had deposited her near America of all people. Maybe it thought its owner would be safe with her, which was a nice thought.
Or it still wants mine once she wakes up, a niggling thought prodded. America bit her lip. That didn't make sense at all either, not after the behavior she'd witnessed in 838. She studied Wanda; she hadn't moved, but it looked like her injuries were already starting to heal via magic. The fact that it was not happening instantaneously now made America all the more certain she was making the right choice. And the black corruption on her fingers was fading even while she watched. It looked like messy nail polish on her fingertips now, rather than the scary black magic corruption from before. I can always go back and check. Or something. Strange had told her to trust herself, trust her abilities. She would do that again now. Instinct said she should stick with her first plan. Besides, Stephen had specifically mentioned 'no prison could hold her', but if Wanda felt horrible enough that she was willing to pull a mountain down on top of herself, then she probably wouldn't break herself out of a prison either. A prison wouldn't help fix anything and she might mess up something else unintentionally in a place like that. America wasn't familiar with 616 lockups, obviously, but if they were anything like those clear research cage things she and Strange had been briefly trapped in back in 838-or worse-that was not going to be helpful. They were scary and made you feel like a fish in a glass bowl being stared at. This would probably cause more messes, not less.
America closed her eyes and opened a portal, carefully considering the main criteria she wanted: that it be safe and take her to someone willing and able to help.
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Anna yelped when a silver sparkling star quite literally appeared to rip a hole in the air in the middle of the library. "...Kristoff? Are...are you seeing this?" She jumped up, staring though the silvery star thing that she decided was some kind of magical portal. It looked like something out of a storybook she'd read as a child. The question is what is going to come out of it.
A girl a bit younger than herself with medium brown skin and black wavy hair stepped through, looking determined and somewhat wary, pulling a limp figure in red behind her. "I need your help. Please."
Anna stared more. A magic portal appearing in the castle library oddly felt less weird than some girl coming through it and then immediately depositing an unconscious person on the carpet. And they were wearing such weird clothes, nothing like anything Anna had ever seen in her life. "I...okay, but how are you here? Who is this and who are you?" Elsa, come back in here. You're the one with the magic, not me! Maybe she found something about weird portals and stuff in Ahtohallan? Wouldn't she have told me if she did, though?
America quickly gave both of their names, and then tried to explain what she wanted. "Can I leave her here? Some horrible stuff happened in my world and it's...not a good idea for her to stay there. I think that she should get a second chance. And she needs magic help." Whatever this world was, it looked like some Scandinavian place stuck in the past, going by this girl's clothing and the room's architecture. When a talking snowman hopped up and greeted her, she felt all the more certain this was a good place. Someone had to have made him, whether it was this girl or not, and if someone created a talking snowman, then that someone was capable of spontaneous creation, at least to some extent. Good.
Anna hesitated and shooed Olaf aside, thinking that something very important was being left out. "Kristoff, get Elsa, please," she said firmly. "My name is Anna," she told the portal-making girl. It seemed a bad idea to immediately share that she was a member of the royal family. Anna did not like that concerned look on the mysterious girl's face. "I, um, I kind of feel like that's not the whole story. Like, not even a little bit."
America shifted her weight from one foot to the other. If she explained everything she knew, this girl might tell her to get out, and it certainly would not help her Fresh Start plan, either. If she didn't, then that wasn't fair to this innocent stranger, either. "It's not. I think that it's safe, but you would need to be really careful and if you really want me to go away with my..." she hesitated, "friend, then I will." She tried to kill me. Not a friend. But...I lost my moms. She lost her kids. Maybe we could've been friends with other circumstances.
"You hesitated," said Olaf.
Anna glanced at the injured guest America had dumped on their carpet. She has really powerful magic. It hadn't been explained precisely beyond the short 'she needs magic help' thing, but there was no reason for this weird situation otherwise. It had to be something that couldn't be handled wherever America was from.
They heard a voice calling from nearby on America's side of the portal, someone asking what was going on in there and if America was okay.
"I...I need to go now before anyone finds out what I'm doing. But I'll try to come back soon, I'll bring money for your trouble, I promise. Can she stay or not?" She didn't know where she was going to get money, let alone money that Anna would be able to use, but she'd figure something out. "She made some really horrible, destructive mistakes here. That's why she can't stay. It's not safe."
"That's...not necessary. She can stay." Elsa would want me to, too, Anna thought. No way would Elsa want her to tell someone to take their friend away because of magic mistakes. "What-"
A relieved 'Thank you so much!' and the portal crackling shut abruptly interrupted the question. Exactly what did she do and what can she do, Anna finished in her head. "Well, I'll ask her myself then," she muttered. Anna knelt next to her guest and simply scooped her up, depositing her on a sofa gently.
Little Bruni immediately turned purple and tiny flames formed on his back.
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Kristoff was still explaining about the weird portal and the two people that had come through it on the way back to the library when Elsa abruptly paused in the hall, her shoulders tense. There's danger. Bruni is frightened, she thought. "Something's wrong in there," Elsa said quietly. "Bruni can't talk to me in words, but I can feel his emotions, and he's scared of something." Without waiting for a reply, she dashed the rest of the way to the library and threw the doors open.
"Why am I here? I was supposed to die! Did you do this?!"
"No! I'm trying to help you! Your friend said your name is Wanda and I'm supposed to help!"
"What friend? You're lying. Lying. I don't have any! They are dead! All dead. They're gone. Lies!"
Elsa had been ready for something bad to be happening, but whatever she'd imagined, it wasn't an otherworldly stranger shouting pained angry things in English with a slight accent she didn't recognize and pinning Anna against the shelves, books tumbling down. "Get off her," she ordered sharply. Blue magic arced across the room, magic that should have tossed the stranger across the library onto a pile of snow. Instead, the person merely stumbled backwards a few steps, turning towards her instead.
Elsa blinked; she could see now the stranger was hurt, visibly healing as she stood there, but hurt all the same. She no longer had Anna against the shelf, but red magic was holding her sister still. Anna appeared more puzzled than frightened. What is that? Not fire. It doesn't look like Anna is injured at all. What on earth happened in here? "That is my sister. She does not have magic. Therefore, she did not bring you here. Release her."
”You have magic. Did you do this?"
Elsa balled her hands into fists. The voice hadn't been audible, precisely, and it sounded like it was behind her now. She spun around, and a powerful force flung her across the room, over a sofa and table and into a wall. Snow. Soften the landing. I can do that. "Anna, take Kristoff and get out of here. Now!"
"I don't want-"
"Now! Take Bruni, too! Run!" Upset or not, Elsa already had zero doubt in her mind that this guest of sorts was stronger than she was. She could feel the magic like another sense, as if it were pouring from an endless, chaotic well of sorts. The second she saw Anna disappear into the hall, she iced the doorway over, and then formed an ice bubble around herself, ready to reinforce it if necessary. I need to talk. Red psionic energy pounded against it, sending tiny fissures throughout the ice. Elsa refreshed the ice and sat up stiffly from her snow pile, her shoulder and side still hurting from slamming into the wall. "Please just listen. Kristoff-that is the man you just saw-said a girl opened a portal. Left you here, saying it wasn't safe for you to stay...wherever she was from." The ice abruptly shattered, sending tiny shards of ice raining down on her and scattering over the floor. Elsa tensed, unsure whether to attempt remaking her barrier or just talk. Not remaking it felt risky, but if she did that, then it looked like she didn't want to talk. Before she could decide, she found herself pinned to the wall, like Anna had been a minute ago.
That makes no sense. Why would America want to help? I tried to kill her. "Why aren't you doing anything? You are holding back."
"So are you," Elsa said evenly. I can sense that much. There's...so much magic there. More than me, much more than Rapunzel.
"I could easily kill you right now. Kill me or I'll-"
"No," Elsa interrupted, biting her lip. She tried to shake her head, unable to do so with Wanda's arm pinning her by the throat. Magic sparked in her palm, ready to attempt shoving her assailant away if she needed to, but not actually trying to yet. "I do not think...that you really want to," she said softly. The arm loosened a fraction, and she immediately ducked away, rubbing her neck. There was no second attempt at choking her. Elsa thought for a moment, wondering what she was supposed to say. Maybe whatever had happened in the other world to hurt Wanda had made her think she needed to lash out. Whatever was in that world must be ridiculously powerful to have done this to her. Elsa thought she was very glad she was not there, wherever 'there' was. Even if I had gone all out magic-wise instead of just trying to get Anna out of here, I...don't think I would stand a chance if she really wanted me dead. Not one bit. "What hurt you?"
Everything. There was no answer other than an odd jerk, as if the question itself had startled her, and green eyes growing bright with tears. Wanda did not understand why some stranger would ask that. Why would she even care? I just attacked her. Nobody cared before, no one came, no one listened, no nothing.
Elsa had no idea what to say next. Any little thing might set her off again, and it was one thing to violently spar with magic herself; quite another to risk putting others in danger too. Anna helped me before. Old memories of the ice palace flitted through her head. Those thugs attacking her back during the Great Freeze with Hans had made her angry and lash out herself. They had dropped a chandelier on her for it and knocked her out. Whatever had happened here was clearly much more violent and extreme, but the principle was the same to her. She spoke slowly, carefully wording her question so that it wouldn't sound accusatory. "Did you perhaps...grow angry with unfair things that happened t-to you and...hurt someone because of it? Perhaps a...magic mistake?"
The instant crumpled expression told Elsa she must be right, at least partly. "Why would you jump to an assumption like that?" came the suspicious reply.
Maybe because I think I see someone like me. Instead of that, because it felt way too personal and she didn't want to share that with a stranger, Elsa said, "You told my sister you were supposed to die. You told me to kill you just now. You're hurt and you lashed out at us for trying to help. It's...not much of a stretch, is it." It wasn't a question. "I think you did something you consider unforgivable and now think you don't deserve anything else."
Nobody understood before. No one except the...other me, the one person who especially shouldn't after what I did to her. "If you knew what I have done, you would find it unforgivable too." You would not want me here at all and I would understand completely.
"If it is so unforgivable, why would someone bring you here? Clearly that person did not believe that, no? Anna called her your friend, so obviously she didn't just bring you here to dump and get rid of you. She was concerned."
Wanda hesitated. Did she want to explain? If she did, this girl would never look at her the same way again. Selfish. Very selfish. It felt awfully nice to have someone be concerned and actually ask what was wrong. Anyone who might have helped her before was dead or otherwise unavailable now. Elsa was even continuing to be concerned after she'd thrown her across a room. It kind of reminded her of Monica back in Westview. Monica had been concerned. She cared. She should have found her and talked to her instead of studying the Darkhold alone under the assumption it would teach her about her own magic. There wasn't no one after all. Monica would have helped, wouldn't she? Or that silly dark-haired girl with the glasses, Darcy. Darcy probably would have been willing to try to help, at least. The third person of that group, Jimmy, might have tried too.
You could have killed Hayward and you didn't, maybe you should have erased that condescending asshole.
Wanda shoved that intrusive thought aside; she hated that man, she did not want to kill or erase him. Better him than those condescending heroes from another universe, she thought darkly.
Elsa met her gaze steadily. "Maybe you would like to freshen up. We could continue talking later," she said now. I shouldn't press, not yet. I need to talk to Anna. Something is very wrong here, she doesn't belong here and it doesn't make sense why a stranger from who knows where would be brought here. Right into our castle, in fact. That doesn't make sense at all. Why here? Is it because of me? Now that magic bursts were not flying across the room and Wanda seemed much calmer, Elsa noticed her blackened fingertips. Magic corruption, the thought came to her suddenly. Elsa did not know much about other magic besides her own, but that helped explain Bruni's fear before too. I'm fine, she 'told' Bruni mentally. She's just hurt, like I was before. Don't bring Anna back yet, though. A nonverbal sense of thanks and contentment came back from the little fire spirit.
"I don't know if the corruption is gone from me entirely. I destroyed the source, but...I don't know." It's not, it can't be, I don't want thinking about erasing people I hate to be all me. Wanda noticed Elsa's gaze on her fingers, realizing suddenly that gone or not, it had faded a lot. That was good. I'm not strong enough to fight that anymore. I can't. Please let it be fading completely. Please. She wondered how to get Elsa to understand that if she couldn't control that behavior again, she probably would not be able to let someone kill her, even if Elsa wanted to. No, the Darkhold is gone. Whatever horrible behavior I do now is a hundred percent on me, not that cursed book. It's gone.
Elsa watched the older magic user closely. Something wasn't being shared, but it would not exactly help to ask further about it now, either. A guest room. I can do that. I need to talk to Anna. Healing capabilities or not, she might be tired anyway. Or emotionally tired, at the very least. Instincts that she definitely could not handle a real magic fight with her guest made her want to be even more careful. Making a magical friend was secondary; keeping her own family and country safe came first. "Let's...start over," she said awkwardly, and introduced herself. "This is Olaf."
Olaf waddled over, giving his normal 'Hi I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs' greeting. Wanda stared at him and then back at Elsa, an unreadable expression on her face. "You created him."
"I did." A worried voice asking what was going on from out in the hall interrupted the conversation, and Elsa heard multiple pairs of feet thumping outside the library. Anna must have gathered guards just in case, or they had heard commotion and decided to investigate. Probably the latter. Elsa inwardly cringed. I can't explain this. My own magical mess ups are one thing, I can't very well explain this. They would probably assume she had somehow brought Wanda to Arendelle, considering she was the only one that had magic that they knew of, besides the trolls and elemental spirits. "Can I trust you to wait here?"
A subtle nod.
"Thank you. I shall be back, I promise. I am going to reseal those doors when I leave so no one else comes in. It is not to keep you in...not that it could, anyway." Elsa thought she saw her guest relax ever so slightly; she still didn't look fine, but this was much better than a few minutes ago, at least.
"I killed people."
Elsa paused at the doorway, her hand on the ice. She didn't turn around. "Do I need to worry about this happening here?" she asked carefully. She was upset and attacked Anna and me. So, an accident. I hope. I don't know what to do otherwise.
"Not on purpose, no," came the hesitant reply.
Elsa turned around now, studying Wanda closely. Not lying. I still need more information, but that's not a lie. "All right. Please don't make me regret trusting you."
"You will, but not about that."
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Wanda did not understand why this mysterious ice-wielding girl sounded like she was willing to give her a chance, and couldn't help suspecting that it was too good to be true. She edged over to the sealed door, listening to the conversation in the hall. The strange little snowman, Olaf, was hugging her leg now.
"I'm fine, Anna. Did you summon all these guards?" Elsa was asking.
"I did. I didn't explain anything, just said we might need backup just in case."
"Everything is fine," Elsa said firmly. "There was simply a misunderstanding of sorts." Without waiting for any replies, she dismissed them herself. Wanda heard multiple feet fading away down the hall.
"You are not fine. You screeched at me to run, there's scratches on you, and you're...standing funny, like you're hurt. And I wish you hadn't dismissed them because I feel like nobody wants to really take me seriously as queen anyway without you here. You gotta either come back to stay and take your old position again, or just let me...do it. Please. I don't have magic to back me up like you do, and nobody thought I was going to have your title, not...not like this. People like me, but they still treat me like I'm just a kid, too. Now they'll think I made a big stink over nothing. I saw you get thrown across a room and it scared me. Not like I've seen other magic besides yours, the ol' trolls, and the elemental spirits, but this...this feels really, really dangerous, Elsa. I don't know what we're supposed to do. Obviously I want to help, but I don't want you getting hurt, either. And the ONLY person here that can provide 'magic help' like that girl America said is you." Anna bit her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be snappy. I don't want to fuss at you, I know you didn't mean anything by it. Is, um...is everything okay now?"
Elsa glanced back toward the library; she could see a faint silhouette through the ice. It looked like their guest was right by the doorway with Olaf hugging her leg. Probably she's listening. I would, too. “I think so. She didn't really want to hurt us. Wouldn't you be scared too if you thought you were dying and then woke up in some weird unfamiliar place with strangers? I'm more concerned about explaining her presence in the first place than another magic mistake honestly. That's why I said misunderstanding and nothing else."
"I mean, that's easy...Elsa, get rid of the barrier, will you?" Anna poked at the ice and looked back at her sister hopefully. "I have an idea."
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"You are not just well-to-do, you rule this place. You're risking far too much having me here."
"That's exactly why I think we can help. Nobody is going to push once we give a statement, and even if they do, we don't have to say anything else." Anna pushed the library doors closed and leaned against them. "I just...I want to ask two things." She paused, fiddling with her skirt nervously. "First...why would Bruni be scared of you before you even woke up? He turned all purple and flamey immediately and he does that when he's frightened."
The little fire salamander was not, in fact, purple now, but his big reptilian eyes were narrowed from where he sat on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa bit her lip. "Maybe because she has unfamiliar magic we don't have here," she suggested.
"I want to hear her explanation. She threw you across the room without even touching you."
"And I could do the same if I wanted to," Elsa said softly. "Mine just isn't the same kind."
"Well, I know how your magic works. I'm used to you and I trust you. Bruni still looks funny, too, even if he's not purple now," Anna pointed out.
Wanda thought seeing the two sisters reminded her of her own sibling, now gone. Instead of saying this, she merely said, "That creature is probably the smart one. I would never hurt you intentionally."
Anna didn't press about that. I can believe that. Elsa pretty much said as much. “Is it safe for the rest of the people in this castle besides us right now? I...I'm not mad or anything. Well, except for attacking Elsa. I just want to know."
"I don't know."
Anna nodded. "Okay. How far away makes it safe then?"
"It doesn't matter." Fists clenched; eyes shone with tears in the candlelight. Why are you even asking? I should not be here, I should leave.
"Anna. You saw me out of control before. Please don't...don't be mean. I just-"
"She isn't," Wanda interrupted. "Both of you should hope America returns and takes me back. I can leave, stay far away from here. I will not come back. That I can promise." She realized she genuinely did not want to leave, not now, not when there were people there offering help. Maybe simply wanting to stay was selfish too, but she felt so hungry for someone to listen, someone to be nearby and try to help, that the prospect of leaving made her want to cry yet again. I don't want to be alone any more. Pietro would be so disappointed in me, for what I have done. We were supposed to change the world. I did that all right...I ruined someone else's. I made mine worse.
What would Vis say if he knew all of what I did? Or Nat? Wanda suspected they would both be thoroughly horrified but not hate her.
"That's not necessary. You said distance doesn't matter. And you sound like my sister saying she couldn't control her powers before, and she can, so. This is fine too." Anna felt like the 'no it's not safe' probably meant it was safe, or at least much safer than it sounded. "I'll find Gerda. Elsa, can you show her to that room a couple doors down from yours? I know that one isn't very fancy but it's empty and furnished and cleaned properly already. Nobody will intrude since it's on our hall too. I want to tell Gerda what's going on. And maybe Kai, too. They can help."
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Elsa quickly lit the kerosene lamp on the nightstand. Wanda simply watched curiously; this 'not very fancy' room still looked rather luxuriously upscale, but it seemed weird that there were no electric lights in a home-mansion? castle?-like this. No electricity was odd, out of place, and something unfamiliar in any universe she'd seen in dreams before. Between that and the old-fashioned clothing, this place seemed to be in another time from the past, which didn't make sense and would be impossible. There probably wasn't a her alive here at all, which would be a good thing. If there was no her, then she wouldn't be tempted to try to find Billy and Tommy here. She blinked again, realizing Elsa had asked something. The younger magic user was just looking at her expectantly, looking a bit awkward. "You asked something. I didn't hear it."
"I just said there is a bathroom attached to this room through that door," Elsa pointed, "and then I asked if you'd like anything else."
A book. A book about this place. That would help. "Do you have a...history book of sorts?"
"Magic here or my country in general?"
"The latter." She would not look at another magic book, never ever, not unless she asked plenty of questions about it before touching such a thing.
Elsa nodded. "Anything else? Blankets, food? A drink?"
"No. Thank you." The second Elsa was gone, Wanda transformed her red Scarlet Witch suit into a simple hoodie and pants and crawled into the bed, pulling the blankets over her head. The sheer shock of knowing that America had somehow just...deposited her in this weird place with people that asked questions but were listening and trying to understand something unfamiliar, scary, and weird didn't make one bit of sense. Why would my magic even leave me with America and why would she try to help in the first place? It was obvious that America had absolutely NOT explained the gritty, disturbing details of anything she had done, or tried to do. She wondered if anyone else back in her own world knew what America had done, and if they did, if they'd try to make the girl bring her back or if America would get in trouble for trying to help her.
I don't want to go back. I don't care if that's running away from what I did, I don't want to be there any more. If the public had hated and been scared of her before, it would be much, much worse now, and she would completely understand why too. They would want to lock her up or kill her but not actually try to do so because they'd think she wouldn't let them. There was nothing left back there, and she wished the stupid mountain had just crushed her and her own magic let her die in peace. Magic teleporting her to someone wanting to help her had not been part of the plan. A light tap made her jump and peek out from under the covers. Elsa's strange little live snowman was standing there watching her.
"You are sad. Why are you sad? Is it because you hurt Elsa? She's not mad. I think she likes that there's another magical human here," Olaf said thoughtfully. "Do you like hugs? I do. I can share one-"
"You're...real." And existing without a magical barrier or limit of some kind. Wanda reached out a hand and touched the little snow flurry over Olaf's head. If this was possible...could she somehow bring her family back on her own without hurting anyone again, or forcing said family to live trapped inside a hex? That was no life, no life at all, it wasn't normal and it wouldn't be fair. Clearly Olaf existed without any ill effects on his surroundings. Anna was not magical in any way, and she was fine. She herself didn't feel any effect from him at all, other than that he was made from magic, and those guards she'd heard outside the library were fine too.
"I think so!"
I have to ask Elsa about this. She may not know either, but it would be worth a try. I can't attempt anything like that without being absolutely certain it would work. I will not risk hurting anyone again. But maybe...maybe it is possible somehow.
Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Summary:
In which Wanda explains the truth to Anna and Elsa, and is more than a bit puzzled by their reactions. Also, America meets Kate and Yelena back in 616.
Notes:
I really wish there was more of the actual corruption arc due to Darkhold for Wanda in MoM because we skip right to “yup she’s wrecked by the evil book” in the apple orchard sequence. Which like, yeah, nice reveal (Wanda, you are being very extra, lol), but I would have liked to see a bit of the interim. (did she realize what was happening to her and just feel helpless to stop actually reading it? was it a lost cause the moment she opened it? what did it feel like? why was she after another variant Wanda’s kids rather than looking for hers? why not go look for Vision, Pietro, or Nat? how did she find America? etc.) Obviously a lot of those questions are just “Darkhold made her irrational” but still.
Anyways, I plan to try my best to address that in this story, though it’ll be awhile before any actual useful reveals since Wanda is rather full of raw power but very very little actual knowledge of that sort of thing lol.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
This is the only way. It's the only way. I cannot fix this. It's not fair. It keeps happening again and again. If it's going to happen anyway, why shouldn't I do everything I possibly can to change it? Everything I lost can be mine again.
It's wrong, that's why. Don't be the villain they think you are.
It doesn't matter what I do. They will think that regardless.
Elsa bolted upright in her own bed hours later, an odd, sickening sense of dread, anger, and terror overwhelming her. Those thoughts and feelings had not been hers. Something weird and disturbing had happened or was happening, and she'd been dreaming about it. She couldn't remember all the details, but she did remember feeling as if she'd been there in that dream and done something horrible herself. The actual emotions were vivid to her; events were not. There were just vague, blurry images of people and places she didn't recognize being destroyed in dramatic manner, and another terrified someone watching from afar, watching from somewhere else, understanding but wishing it would stop and helpless to stop it. And two small children saying 'mommy it's okay, it's not real'. Being angry and hurt and...people died. Trapped inside something? I don't know. What is this?
She wrapped her arms around herself in a hug, debating whether to go investigate right now. Instinct said she knew darn well where this was coming from; it was magic she didn't understand that wasn't hers and probably some sort of nightmare that spread to the surroundings. Is this why she told me it wasn't safe? Bruni was purple and flaming slightly, staring at her suspiciously. "All right, all right, I'll go check," she told the little salamander. "You stay here."
Bruni was obviously displeased by this idea, but he did curl up on her pillow like a kitten and the flames vanished, though he stayed purple.
Olaf was just sitting calmly outside Wanda's room as if he were a guard, just like Elsa had asked him to do, but he didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "Hi Elsa!" he said cheerfully.
"Would you go wake up Anna and Kristoff, please, Olaf? I think something strange is happening, and I want to make sure they're fine. If they are okay, just stay with them. If not, come back and get me." Elsa waited until Olaf had waddled off before knocking lightly on the door. There was no answer immediately, so she knocked louder. "Are you all right? I felt like something was just...wrong." There. That's accurate. I have no idea what happened. Elsa heard a quiet rustling, but that was it. No response came. "I will open the door in thirty seconds if you don't answer," she said finally. I shouldn't have trusted just Olaf to keep an eye on her. Anna wouldn't leave me alone when I felt...suicidal before. What if she hurt herself or something?
"It is locked." The reply sounded tired and not quite present.
"And I said I will open it." Elsa waited her promised amount of time and then simply froze the lock open. There was no resistance from the inside at all, which seemed odd if Wanda wouldn't come answer the door herself. Maybe she just wanted to see what Elsa was going to do.
Wanda watched Elsa enter and then calmly close the door again. Elsa appeared concerned, but not particularly frightened or disturbed, which seemed very surprising, considering what she had probably seen. "Why are you here now?"
"Because I think I just saw part of your dream, I want to know why, and I wanted to make sure you were all right. Those certainly weren't nightmarish thoughts of mine. I would recognize those. This was different." Elsa shifted her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. "It...also wouldn't make sense to purposely share those things with someone you barely know, so I thought it must be an accident," she added quietly.
If she saw all of...that, then who else did? "What exactly was it?"
"I know there was a book, a bad spellbook of some kind, and that it felt like it wanted you to do horrible, unspeakable things because of unfair, hurtful events...somehow. I don't know. I could tell it wasn't my dream, but I could feel your emotions as if they were mine, and it was just...odd." And disturbing. “There were dead people, dead by atrocious means, and..." Elsa wasn't sure if she should say more. She doesn't want to hear this. I can see that much.
"And?" Wanda's anxious fiddling with her fingers grew more pronounced. She saw all of it. Or...at least felt it.
"Two small children saying 'mommy it's okay, it's not real'."
"You want to know where my children are now," came a flat reply.
"I do, but I won't press. I have some idea, after all." Elsa fiddled with her own fingers nervously, and then clasped them behind her back instead once realizing both of them were doing the exact same thing.
Wanda eyed Elsa's hands, thinking it was darkly funny that the two humans capable of spontaneous creation had the same anxious tic. She kept quiet and said nothing.
"Look. I'm not trying to judge you for whatever you did at home, because I don't think it was...on purpose, exactly. But clearly something horrible happened. Actually, I think multiple horrible things happened. Why did I experience your dream to some extent? And why did it seem like there were two of you?" Elsa asked.
"They are dead. They are dead, and I wanted to get them back," Wanda said, which did not really answer any of those questions. It doesn't even make sense. I started wanting to rescue my twins, and it somehow turned into...stealing them? She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to figure out just where and when everything had gone wrong, but all of the things she could think of now did not make any sense. Had that book made her do those things? Did she always want to and she just would not, because it was evil and wrong? Why hadn't she stopped reading it? Was it hopeless the moment she'd taken it from Agatha? Or was it okay that she had stolen it, held it, but not that she had read it? I don't know. I don't know anything, I'm so stupid, I don't have any proper magic knowledge. I still just have raw power and instincts...and information from a book I can't trust.
Elsa frowned. Other world. Go to another world where the children were alive? Those wouldn't be the same children though...would they? And they certainly wouldn't be here, anyway. "The girl, America. Did she bring you here because she thought you'd find your children and be happy?"
"What she did was stupid and risky. No, I think she did that because she thought if she told anyone I was there, I'd be locked away or killed for what I did before. I have no idea what possessed her to want to help, or why my magic took me to her at all. I did not choose that. I...tried to kill her before, because of that...book." Wanda watched Elsa pace across the room; she seemed more thoughtful than anything else. Why is she still here at all? "You haven't told everyone about me or what I did to you before."
Elsa blinked in confusion. "Surely you realize I can't very well just say 'Well, I have a powerful magical visitor from another world that appeared here'. They may think I did it, because I'm the only human they know of with magic, and it will make things difficult. I do want to help you, but selfishly? I can't explain you. I'm not going to tell people what you did in the library; it wasn't intentional and I'm...okay. Nothing serious happened. You didn't harm Anna at all. I would have been angry if she were hurt, but she wasn't. You are stuck here, period, unless your friend returns. I am not ruining your life by letting that be the first impression people get when it was all a misunderstanding." And you wanted me to kill you, Elsa didn't add aloud.
"That doesn't explain why you would care about helping me at all." Wanda felt slightly better about talking to Elsa about previous events now; it seemed like she understood enough already, but it still didn't make any sense, either. Why do you care? Why would you ever want to help? You know at least somewhat that I have done...inexcusable things.
"You coincidentally-or not, I suppose-were left with another human with magic-different and weaker than yours, yes, but still magic-that has plenty of experience making mistakes and not being able to control it. Yes, I wish to help. Anna will too, though she'll probably hold a bit of a grudge because you did actually hurt me." Elsa smiled a bit and shook her head. "But you...you need to explain things. I can't do my best to help unless you do." She turned toward the door when she heard Olaf calling from the hall that yes, Anna and Kristoff were perfectly fine, but they had both had some kind of identical freaky dream they couldn't remember much from except the bad emotions. Then he said bye and wandered off again. Elsa bit her lip and turned back to Wanda. "How far would this effect have gone?" she asked quietly. "I think we need explanations. Now. Before morning."
"...What do you know of the multiverse?"
"The what?"
"I suppose that means no."
"It means I know of the idea of such a thing, but that is it. Not that it actually exists or...how it might work." Elsa remembered reading about theories of that as a child and finding it interesting, but only in a theoretical sense, not seriously explaining or proving its existence or anything else of the sort. She just didn't have any solid knowledge of such a thing beyond the general idea of it.
"It exists. Think infinite realities, many alternate versions of you. Dreams can be a window into the multiverse. What you saw was the me from another universe. Perhaps some of that was just my own nightmare, but...you said you saw another one, another one with children. I think..." I think I didn't just physically hurt her while I was there dreamwalking. I traumatized 838 me enough that she is having flashbacks or something and Billy and Tommy were trying to help her. She remembers what happened, what I made her body do, at least somewhat.
Elsa just waited silently, unsure if she should ask for clarification or not. There are multiple copies of...me? Who wants more than one me? Why would there actually be infinite realities and how is there proof of it? No, that girl America bringing Wanda here is proof enough that there are more, even if there aren't an infinite number.
"There is a spell in the Darkhold for dreamwalking. If your magic is strong enough, you can temporarily possess another reality's variant of you. You could probably do it if you wanted to. I think that the variant of me in the dream, the one with Billy and Tommy, is hurting from what I chose to do while dreamwalking." Wanda didn't think she wanted to see what Elsa thought of this information, but curiosity won out. The younger girl was completely unreadable. I could read her mind. I won't. I won't, I won't.
"Those children are the...variants of yours. You did this dreamwalking thing to...visit them?" Elsa looked like she was trying to simply make sense of what she'd been told now. Not angry, not scared, more puzzled. Why is she saying I could do such a thing? I just have elemental-based magic, not...whatever this is.
Wanda's eyes were haunted now; she turned away and went over to the window. Not exactly. Yes, but also...no. "I used the other me to murder people blocking me from getting to America. That is why she's hurt now. But I can...I can remember dreamwalking there and...the twins spoke to me, not their mother. They were there, they were there for a moment, and I could hear them, feel them. I wished I could just stay there and I could not, and then someone broke the spell and they were gone. Gone again. No longer there. I miss them. I miss Vis and Pietro. I knew they were gone, but I could get the twins. I could get my children back, at least. All those atrocious things, all for nothing. I hurt people."
Elsa thought this speech sounded more than a bit unhinged. Understandable, especially with some creepy evil book involved, but all wrong and just plain 'off'. "Just because those...those things happened before does not mean they need to happen again. I can't help bring people you lost back, but...I can listen, at least. No one here can reach that you in the other...dream world. You cannot help her now, but she seems to have at least two caring people there with her, yes? The children?"
A nod. That's...true. I suppose. “I'm surprised you haven't left yet."
"I will not do that. I saw and heard enough to know I should not, and I won't. I don't know what this corrupting book is, but it sounds like...if we do not have it here, then you will be all right." Elsa closed her eyes, trying to think what to do next. Assuming this weird nightmare thing had spread enough that more people besides just Anna, Kristoff, and herself had experienced it, there was bound to be trouble once people realized they hadn't just had a strange bad dream and others had identical ones. From Olaf's report, it seemed like whatever this was wasn't dangerous, but it was still deeply, deeply unpleasant and Elsa did not want to experience that again if she could help it either. We need to figure out a reasonable explanation, and a way to keep it from happening again. She tensed, feeling something poking at her own mind. Instantly a sense of her own cooling magic flooded her head, making her feel dizzy. "Please stop doing that. Ask whatever it is instead. I promise I will not lie to you."
"I'm sorry." I promised myself I wouldn't read people's minds, and I already broke it, not even exactly on purpose. And...she can shield herself. Easily. On instinct. She doesn't even know what she's doing. She shouldn't have even known or sensed what I did. Wanda blinked, staring at Elsa, feeling both relieved and a bit confused. "You just created defensive mind shields on instinct, and you created Olaf. And...before, you made enough ice that I don't think you could have just manipulated water vapor from the air itself. Meaning, you created it from nothing." Spontaneous creation, too. I thought that was only me, only the Scarlet Witch. Why is there another person capable of spontaneous creation...enough of it to create life? "You didn't use a spell or say any incantations or anything like that, either."
Elsa hesitated, unsure what to say to that. Just say the truth and leave it at that. "I don't use spells or...say anything to make my powers work. I never have. I'm sure I would have been very, very grateful as a child if I could keep from making magic mistakes simply by not...saying something in particular. I was born with it." Why is she asking me this? She doesn't sound like she'd want to burn me at the stake for using some spell thing. She sounds baffled that I didn't do that? "Why, precisely, does it matter whether I create ice myself or use preexisting materials to do so?"
"It doesn't. It's...surprising, that's all. Let's just say there are plenty of powers and magic in my world, and it seems like I...accidentally have found another anomaly like me here." I don't know what universe this is or what Elsa has or why she has magic at all, but whatever it is, is closer in functionality to mine, not the sorcery from my world you must learn nor the witchcraft Agatha has, either. That must be why America put me here. “You spontaneously create things; I don't think you have any idea what you're capable of." Wanda tensed when she realized just what she'd told the younger magical girl. It probably sounded like she was fishing for information about Elsa's magic, and also more than a little insulting.
I sound like Agatha. I don't want to sound like Agatha.
But Elsa only gave her a half smile and shrugged one shoulder slightly. "Maybe not, but Anna would tell me-and you-that that's okay and we figure that out ourselves eventually." She paused, looking right at Wanda. "I can at least control mine enough now that I didn't make a very intrusive mistake whilst sleeping. I need help to deal with the mistake you made in the morning. Please try to focus. Please."
Why does she still sound concerned even while being frustrated with me? “I don't know how far the effects went, but I could...erase the memories of whoever it happened to." No, I'm not supposed to do that. That isn't right, either.
Now Elsa did look annoyed. "Absolutely not. We are not going to erase people's memories," she said firmly. "Those rock trolls changed Anna's memories when we were children to fix a mistake I made because I hurt her. I had to stay isolated in my room for years and she...she didn't know why." Though...maybe we could go to the Valley of the Living Rock. There's nothing about anything similar to Wanda's magic in Ahtohallan as far as I know, but maybe Grand Pabbie will know something, or at least have an idea what to do. I may not trust the trolls, but I do know they mean well.
"I'm sorry." Wanda thought she saw tears shining in Elsa's eyes; she had a sudden realization that this sort of thing was exactly why Elsa wanted to help her now. It felt strange to think that someone growing up in the lap of luxury hadn't, in fact, just been completely spoiled rotten or something as a kid growing up. That's not the same as having nothing, a dark thought poked at her. She's not the same at all. She could never understand.
It doesn't matter. She has magic she hurt someone with too. She understands enough. “You mentioned...rock trolls? Would these creatures have something to help control me?”
"Doubtful." Elsa bit her lip, thinking. "What could be done is to pay them a visit. They might have some useful information, but it will be cryptic and unhelpful at first, so we would need to ask very specific questions." She glanced out the window, where sleet was pouring down outside now. "That storm won't be over by morning, but we can go anyway."
"I think I'd like to show you something. You and your sister too. You deserve to know." A wisp of glowing scarlet magic pulsed from Wanda's hand, and she watched Elsa's face carefully, but Elsa remained unreadable yet again.
Wanda really wanted to know what Elsa was thinking, but she didn't poke at the younger mage's mind again to find out.
"Is it showing us what has happened previously on purpose, like...like a stage play, but inside our heads with magic?" Elsa asked warily.
The reference to a 'stage play' rather than a 'movie' seemed a bit odd, but seeing as this building-castle-also didn't have electric lights despite being fancy, most likely Elsa had no knowledge of what a movie was in the first place. Wanda said yes.
"Anna doesn't have any magic to protect herself at all if you make a mistake," Elsa said softly after a minute of awkward silence. "I'd rather not risk her safety. Is..." Elsa scrunched her eyes shut, torn between simply saying 'okay' or not, but that nightmare from earlier was still all too fresh in her mind, and her own ribs still felt sore. She couldn't react purely off feeling bad for someone she wanted to help and risk Anna getting hurt too, but she also didn't want to be the same sort of person that wanted to isolate someone in their room for magic they couldn't help having. This isn't the same as what our parents did to me. I'm not trying to keep her away from Anna, and I don't know Wanda well enough to trust her magic. I'm being stupid as it is, I don't mind risking myself, especially when it probably is, admittedly, just fine. But I won't risk Anna. "I only want you to show me whatever it is, not her. But I'll tell her about it in front of you after so you can hear exactly what I say to her. Will that be a good compromise?"
Wanda made no attempt to explain that there was no risk to Anna now. Elsa had more than enough reason not to trust that, and besides, she could tell already that no matter how much Elsa wanted to help her, Anna meant everything and she would be extremely angry and upset if Anna were harmed in any way. There was no need to read Elsa's mind to know that much. "I understand. Of course."
"...going to react violently," Elsa was saying now, as ice crackled across the floor, walls, and ceiling, sealing the entire room almost instantly. Wanda realized Elsa had been trying to explain something and she'd missed whatever it was. "Now you seal this room too. I'm trusting you won't keep me trapped in here after," Elsa said firmly.
Scarlet energy crackled around the room, forming another barrier and a faint reddish glow. Wanda briefly wondered what exactly Elsa meant by saying her magic was going to react violently, but withheld this question. If Elsa's magic automatically tried to shield her mind before when someone merely looked there, it probably also wasn't going to like outside magic meddling with its owner so she could see moving images of memories that weren't hers, either. Maybe I could summon outside images and show them that way? They would believe what I show them is real, wouldn't they?
...I don't know how to pull memory images that way without the Darkhold, and I destroyed it, thank goodness. Never again. “Those were windows to other worlds, not my memories. I don't need that book." I could just summon illusions or visions of those memories. I don't need the book for that. I don't, I don't.
Elsa frowned; that seemed an odd thing to say regardless, and the comment didn't seem aimed towards her, either. "It sounded like that book was not something anyone should touch, period. We definitely do not need that for anything." Anna's concerned voice was coming from the hall, something about red and blue glowing from inside and what on earth was going on. "I'm fine, Anna, don't worry," she called back.
"Well, let me in. Is Wanda fine too? What was that creepy dream all about?"
"Maybe you should let Elsa handle this, you don't have magic," Kristoff said, sounding a bit perturbed.
Elsa dissolved her icy seal, hoping Wanda would get the message to do the same with her own barrier, but there the crackling scarlet energy field remained. The older girl was standing by the window studying her fingers, seemingly oblivious to the voices in the hall. "My sister wants to know if you're fine."
No answer. Elsa waited a few seconds before calling back through the door herself. "She's...somewhat okay. It's all right, Anna, really."
"Can't you open the door? Please? I'm worried. I hate when you won't let me in."
"Anna..." Elsa's voice trailed off, and she carefully reached a finger toward the scarlet barrier herself and immediately jerked her hand back before actually touching it. Instinct said touching that thing was a very bad idea; she could feel an odd sizzling emanating faintly from it that reminded her of the hairs-standing-on-end sensation of being in danger. Tell her the truth. She'll be concerned, but not mad. “We sealed the room in case of a magic mistake. I don't know how to or if I even can get through her barrier, okay? She's...thinking too much to take it down yet." Elsa closed her eyes, trying to think what Anna would do for her before. Getting lost in thought when you were already upset was bad, and now there was whatever thinking about the bad magic book might do tossed in too. Elsa was not familiar with that, obviously, but it seemed logical to assume that destroying this book had not automatically entirely fixed being tempted to want to use it, even though actually doing so was no longer possible.
"...Okay. I'm waiting right out here anyway," Anna answered promptly. I can understand that.
Elsa tentatively walked right in front of Wanda, but she didn't try offering any hugs like she would to an upset Anna, either. "You don't need that book for anything. I think you know that too. If you cannot show us whatever you planned to show us right now, that's fine. Write it down instead."
"I need to prove to you the memories are real. Writing lies is too easy." Wanda didn't look up, but the barrier did crackle into nothingness. Writing would be easier, period. I don't want to see all those memories again on purpose either.
There was a loud bang as Anna flung the door open. "I could hear you guys talking. Why do you need a book to show us something with YOUR magic?"
"She doesn't," Elsa said sharply. Come on, Anna, let's not discuss that. Not right now, anyway.
Anna went on, undeterred, "Magic functions on intent, but directly linked to feelings, if it's like Elsa's. Which I think it is, because, you know. The horrid dream thing. So if you're calm, it will do what you want it to, and when not, it makes a mess."
"She's from another world, Anna, you don't know how magic works there at all," Kristoff muttered, but he didn't correct her further.
"Oh shush. We talked about this the second Olaf woke us up! It's another kind of magic, yeah, and more of it, but I see plenty of proof I'm right. It's reacting exactly the same as Elsa's, making bad mistakes when its owner is upset or whatever. And functions the same too, producing stuff by intent. Therefore it's not like the bad magic in a fairy tale where you need a deliciously creepy spellbook with specific words to say to make it do anything. So, she doesn't need whatever the actual, real evil book was she had access to before to make stuff happen now, either." Anna sounded a bit too pleased with herself in Elsa's opinion, even though she didn't disagree with the explanation.
"It had specific instructions for specific-"
"Bad specific things. Stuff that's fun to read about in a story to scare yourself with but nobody should touch in real life," Anna interrupted. "I kind of think if you can't do some particular thing without this book, then you probably aren't supposed to do it at all. Because it might do something bad to you or someone else even if it looks okay to do."
"You are not wrong, but-"
"But if you sent us a bad dream not even on purpose, you can definitely purposely show us old memories," Anna interrupted again. "You can show me first. Then we don't need to worry about Elsa's magic reacting badly to outside magic directly meddling with her."
Wanda glanced at Elsa briefly; the ice mage appeared a bit worried now. "She does not want me to use my magic on you."
Anna gave Elsa's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know, so make sure it's safe and then Elsa won't worry."
"I can say it is safe all I want. That isn't exactly proving anything." I wouldn't believe me.
"Show me one tiny thing and then stop so Elsa can see showing me all of it isn't going to hurt me," Anna suggested, still holding Elsa's hand tightly. "It's a dumb idea to do it to Elsa indoors even if you guys both agree to try. Say the barriers held, well then you're going to have magic exploding violently on both of you and backfire. And Elsa wouldn't get to see everything you wanted to show her before it happens, either. And it would hurt her. Showing me won't hurt anyone as long as you don't mess up."
"Anna, I think this is a poor idea. Risking myself is fine. Risking you is not," Elsa said firmly.
"That's silly, Elsa. Risking you is NOT fine, and you know it's not just a risk in the first place!"
"...I'll write everything down. I don't expect you to believe everything, but I can promise I won't lie," Wanda said slowly after a moment of awkward silence. It was obvious her two young hosts were not going to agree, and she decided 'proving' previous events as the truth was not worth making one or both of them upset. Besides, deep inside she knew quite well she could show them something false with her magic just as easily, even if they didn't know that. At that rate, she might as well just write it down anyway.
_________________
616 NEW YORK
"Have you seen a golden dog with one eye? He went missing this morning. Likes pizza and answers to Lucky?"
America paused briefly, thinking it was probably a stupid idea to stop and talk to a stranger at night, but it was also probably stupid to be walking around the city alone at night in the first place, and the voice sounded worried anyway. And belonged to a girl not all that much older than her anyway, probably college-age if she had to guess. Someone she could get away from easily if she had to, surely. "No, but I'll keep an eye out-"
"Who is this, Kate Bishop? Guy down the block said he saw a dog matching Lucky's description heading this way." America studied this new person closely; she seemed a little older than Kate and had her blonde hair in intricate braids twisted up on her head. "Wait, I have seen you on TV. You're the one the squid monster was after."
"Hey, I knew you looked familiar from somewhere! There's video of that. We would've tried to help but by the time we even knew about it, it was long over," Kate said now. "Right, Yelena?"
"Sure, did you forget the part where the thing wasn't even visible at first? I just love fighting monsters I can't see."
America hadn't known there was some kind of footage of any of the incident at all, but figured there wasn't much point in denying it. "Yup, that's me. America Chavez."
"Why are you out here alone then, America Chavez?"
"...Well, now I think I'm going to help look for your dog." America decided she would not explain that technically she had a room at the sanctum, but Wong and Stephen had been suspicious what she was up to because they'd sensed a portal being opened. And now said portals were not going back exactly where she wanted them to go; she'd tried reopening the one back to the universe she had left Wanda in to check what was going on there, but it opened back to some snowy mountainous forest with wolves in it, not inside the fancy mansion, and she didn't want to risk not being able to get back to 616 herself. The forest was definitely the same universe, sure, but where the forest was in relation to the fancy mansion, she didn't know.
"She should come home with us," Kate suggested.
"Are you guys together?"
"I think not. Roommates only, I am not into the whole relationships thing," Yelena said briskly, "and also, even if I did, someone does not like my macaroni and cheese with hot sauce."
This was a mutual ongoing joke, America decided, from the way the two older girls laughed. The three of them continued down the block looking for Lucky, and eventually found the missing dog eating leftovers outside a dumpster. Lucky did not look very sorry for his behavior, and began trying to tug Kate by the sleeve. "Hey, hey, wait, Lucky. You've got some kind of paper on your collar," Kate said, unfolding the little note and then shining her phone's flashlight on it to read it.
'You're next if you don't stay out of the way.' was all it said.
"Uh, guys? You might want to look in here," America said now, peeking inside the dumpster. "I think Lucky knew and wanted to show you. There's a person in there!"
"She looks like you, Kate Bishop, and quite dead," Yelena pointed out upon inspecting the scene. "Where do you live? We will take you there before dealing with this, you don't need to be involved," she told America.
"Kind of already involved because I found her! And I can't go back right-"
"Where exactly do you live?" Kate asked.
"...The sanctum."
"As in where the wizards hang out...Yelena, speaking of wizards, you still need to read Harry Potter."
"Never mind that right now. What are you doing out here if you have a place to stay? Get kicked out, did you?" Yelena looked slightly suspicious now, because it seemed more than a bit odd that this girl would show up and then they'd conveniently find Lucky and a dead body minutes later, especially when America was being so cryptic.
"No, I just can't explain something yet, and if I stayed there, then I have to." America had decided she wanted to double check and make sure her plan was working perfectly, and then explain what she had done, because then nobody would be upset with her for overstepping if it was working properly. This was kind of hard to check on if her portal wouldn't open exactly where it had before. Wandering around in an unfamiliar snowy forest with wolves around would be really stupid when she didn't know where to go afterwards to get back to the fancy mansion.
"Gosh, what bad thing did you do that you can't explain?" Kate asked.
"It wasn't bad, it's just it was kind of-okay, very-risky and-"
"Discuss this later!" Yelena shouted. A group of five masked men had emerged from the alley since they'd found the dead girl in the dumpster, and while five was simple enough to deal with, she didn't need Kate being distracted talking to America, who was clearly hiding something, either.
"You added a third to your group," one said, but was promptly sent unconscious with a well-placed punch. Yelena thought that seemed a bit too easy, especially when the second and third went down immediately as well. There was a yelp from behind her; the fourth man had America now. Kate tasered the fifth and trained an arrow on the one holding onto America.
"Two of us, one of you," Kate pointed out. "Let her go. Or, arrow or gun, you can pick!" she finished, because Yelena had a gun trained on the man now.
The ground shook as America swung a fist backwards and punched the man. His gun went off wildly and grazed her arm. And unlike when she'd punched the Scarlet Witch on Mount Wundagore and her target merely stumbled backwards a few steps, this man flew through the air and through an unexpected portal. Rainbow-colored paint poured onto the ground for a split second before she could close the star-shaped portal, and the sidewalk was cracked now.
"Explanation. Now. What the hell was that?" Yelena demanded.
"...A paint universe."
Kate hugged Lucky to her chest. "Let's just all go home. She can tell us there and we can call the police to have them pick up these guys and report that poor dead girl we found."
America studied the small graze on her arm, more concerned that she had torn her beloved jacket than that it hurt. Part of her wanted to run off again, but if she didn't want to go back to the sanctum yet, it would definitely be safer with Kate and Yelena than alone.
Soon they had piled into the older girls' apartment, Lucky trailing behind and hoping for a snack. Kate called in the incident to the police, and Yelena fed the dog. "Tell us what just happened. That was too much coincidence."
America explained the multiversal traveling part, but not why she had left the sanctum for a bit. The two older girls still looked suspicious. "Why exactly did you leave the wizard house though, America Chavez?" Yelena asked.
"Because I wanted to help somebody I don't think anyone else is going to want to help, and I don't want to explain it yet," America said slowly.
"Well, where is this person now? Maybe we can help too," Kate suggested.
"...I kind of sent her to another universe."
________________
"That's enough. My sister has told you already there was a misunderstanding and everything's fine now," Anna announced in her best queen voice the next afternoon, standing up on the dais in the ballroom. It was obvious the disturbing dream feelings incident had not, in fact, stayed isolated to just the hall where they'd slept. Anna had finally decided to simply have any staff and guards that had questions go to the ballroom and they could explain there.
"This wasn't a misunderstanding. Everyone had the exact same nightmare."
"Where did it come from?"
"Why are there no images, only emotions?"
"You have some dangerous magical stranger!"
Anna wasn't sure what to say to that, because it was true. She whispered to Kristoff to get Elsa to come up on the dais right away. While she didn't particularly want to ask Elsa to do that, especially after asking her not to interfere immediately before, she was very sure Elsa could handle this better. Even if she hates speaking to a crowd. I knowwww she hates this sort of thing, but people listen to her at least.
Elsa appeared next to her in seconds, and Anna was very sure she had been waiting just out of sight, listening. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Okay. I can do this. "I need silence, please. Now." The noise level dropped slightly, but it was clear only the first few rows of people had heard her. "I said, SILENCE PLEASE. Now," she repeated, much louder.
Someone shouted something about being angry that 'a magic thing was happening again', and Elsa balled her hands into fists. Well, if they are already going to be upset with me, then... "I brought someone here that needed our help. I'll not apologize for that." Elsa felt Anna pinching her arm and whispering what the heck was she doing and what kind of plan was this, that was a dumb reaction. "They just need someone to blame for a bit. Let them blame me, I can leave for a few days and it will blow over just fine," she whispered to Anna. Then, in her projecting speech voice again, she added, "The dream issue was a mistake. We are working so that this will not happen again."
Most seemed at least somewhat satisfied with that explanation and began dispersing politely, but it was obvious some were not going to just accept this and were still upset. "You're not the one who did this. It wasn't the same magic as yours, or the elemental spirits." "We need to know who did it."
Elsa considered for a moment and then simply said, "I never said I did it. I said someone that needed our help did. This person is indisposed at the moment."
"That silly ball and dinner, suggest that," Anna whispered now.
Not without asking first. And not unless I know nothing else will happen. “So, everyone disperse for now, please. Immediately. I promise we will work to make this right." Then Elsa turned and strode away to make it clear explanations were done, pulling Anna behind her. A worried-looking Gerda and Kai greeted them just outside the ballroom, with Erik the guard behind them.
"Where is your strange friend now?" Kai asked.
"She's-" Anna sighed and finished as the person in question appeared in a burst of red mist in a deep burgundy red dress that looked suspiciously identical to Elsa's white fifth spirit dress, "Right there, because clearly someone isn't listening even though I promised Elsa and I could take care of it. Wait, you can teleport! Can Elsa do that? Maybe you can teach Elsa something. That's-wait a second. Did you make that new dress too? It looks cool!"
Well, clearly it was the right thing to do to just tell them everything last night. Anna was a bossy little bundle of happy energy now and no longer seemed perturbed with her. "You said I should blend in."
Gerda, who oddly reminded Wanda of her own long lost mother despite looking nothing alike, was clearly exasperated. "Appearing in the hall using magic is not blending, regardless of clothing. Suppose someone else besides us had seen that. Moreover, that's...clearly not an ordinary dress. You look as if I dyed Miss Elsa's ice-dress a different color."
Kai shook his head. "All of you get out of here. Erik, escort them back upstairs before anyone notices, please," he said quickly, not caring that he didn't technically have the authority to do that...and if the two magical ones didn't want to, nobody was going to be able to make them anyway.
I knew all of you were the only ones here, Wanda thought, because she'd sensed them and known no one else would see her appear via magic in the hall, but she didn't bother saying that. It seemed odd that the sisters were actually listening, since they were supposed to be in charge, not this man Kai, but they were both looking a bit sheepish anyway. And now Anna had grabbed her by the hand, not caring whatsoever that it might not be safe, and was dragging both Elsa and her toward the stairs. Wanda let herself be pulled along; it felt nice to at least pretend she might belong somewhere, even after sharing the truth of what she'd done before. Anna wasn't magical in any way. Anna should be uncomfortable or frightened, but...she wasn't. It actually felt like revealing those secrets last night had made Anna more trusting rather than less, which seemed quite strange. The girl had only demanded confirmation that the Darkhold really was destroyed and inaccessible and then seemed satisfied it must be safe then.
"Erik, you can just guard us from the hall, okay? We're going to look at some maps in here for now," Anna explained once their group had reached the library. "Besides," she sounded a bit too pleased with herself, "I have Kristoff and two crazy powerful magic people with me. We're safe."
Erik looked like he wanted to say something to counter that. "If you say so, milady."
"I do. This is our friend, Erik. She's not going to hurt us."
"You know I do not like that phrasing I heard, 'we're working on it'. That seems like mistakes are going to happen again. My men are not going to like having odd emotional nightmares every night until all of you figure out how to stop them." Erik paused, looking at each of them in turn. "I don't know what exactly you want or expect me to tell them."
Anna and Elsa exchanged glances, mutually deciding silently that they were not going to attempt explaining that the nightmare spreading thing was not just bad dreams. Elsa spoke up herself before anyone else could say anything. "Tell them she came here to get magic help and doesn't have anywhere else to go. If they ask where she's from, say Sokovia. It is the truth; we just don't...have it here. Where? Far away, southeast. Also technically would be true."
Erik nodded. "Very well."
Notes:
Figured I would also mention that it’s going to be awhile before some of my character tags show up, but I have plans for them lol!:)
far as I know it's canon that Yelena is aroace (or asexual at least even if she's not aro), and that is exactly what she's going to be in this story lol. I really liked her and Kate in Hawkeye and like to headcanon that they're actual friends now rather than the funny frenemies thing they had going on. So yeah! Just figured I would clarify since "...And they were roommates" is a trope and I don't want to disappoint anyone by my not actually shipping them in this story LOL. They really are just friends/roommates here.
Updates for this fic will be very sporadic, because while I do have a good ~40k words prewritten for it already, much of it is out of order because my writing process is chaotic and that’s what I do xD I have solid mental outlines plotwise but write scenes whenever I feel like it, and let the characters...fill in the details. It works for me. Plus I am really focused on Aftermath right now lol.
Any comments/kudos are very much appreciated!:) Tell me what you like/dislike, etc. I know writing crossover bits can be ehhhhh to work out execution wise, at least for me, but I wanted to write Wanda and Elsa interacting so badly I just went for it!
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Summary:
In which Wanda goes to a very dark place mentally as she struggles to make a bit of sense of previous events. Luckily she has a few new friends present and willing to help.
Notes:
I’m putting a big fat TW on this one for suicide attempt/suicidal ideation and self-harm of a sort. If any of that triggers you, please just tap to the end notes for the chapter and I’ll have a brief description of the important bits there so you can just wait for the next chapter:)
Sometimes I get too invested in my own writing...this chapter was one of those things. In the process of trying to get inside Wanda's head for this section I kind of started to make myself upset, so I wrote/edited this in batches... I really, really hope it came out okay.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda felt as if she had stepped back in time looking at these maps in the high-ceilinged library sitting at a table. These directions to this Valley of the Living Rock place seemed simultaneously rather nearby and rather far away, because it sounded like this world had no cars or airplanes or anything of the sort. Then she wondered if Elsa could use her magic to teleport also, but when she asked this, the younger mage appeared startled and said she didn't think so. Even the maps themselves seemed like something out of a history book or a movie or something to her.
I'm going to end up doing something destructive. It is what you are made for. You will make another mistake. They will tell me to leave, not want me anymore. They're being illogical already. They don't want you. I should leave before that happens. Wanda noticed her own hand shaking and jerked it under the table out of sight. She had the odd sensation that her skin felt too thin to hold all of the pain and chaotic mess of her own power inside, as if she might explode into a million pieces. Nobody wants me and I don't blame them. They'll leave you just like everyone else. You ruin everything you touch. I am supposed to, what I was forged for.
Stop it, stop it, stop it.
I made that man pop his own head and shredded the other one. Wanda abruptly stood up from the table and retreated behind a shelf out of sight, aware that the two sisters were trying to talk to her, but unable to actually process any of it. Now she could not understand why, even considering the horrible corrupted plan from before, why, why, why she hadn't simply...knocked those heroes out in 838. She could have neutralized all of them without killing them, after all. That was stupid, it didn't make any sense, and while she had instantly disliked Reed Richards, his wife must love him. He had children; those children would miss him. I stole someone else's Vision away. I could have knocked them out or something. Not murdered them.
But she'd felt so angry that those heroes had their universe all full of Ultrons, there should not be Ultrons, that murderbot had stolen Pietro away from her, and there had been nothing left in her thoughts at all except to destroy anything and everything in the way that might hurt her, or prevent her from reaching America and getting "her" twins back. It made so little sense now and everything was all fractured, jumbled into a twisted, warped mess in her head. I don't know what thoughts are mine, what was the Darkhold, or...anything. Not unleashing full power isn't reasonable. I thought holding back was being reasonable. How is holding back fixing anything at all when I am still ruining everything?
...I was angry that a team of heroes I immediately didn't like was able to even be a team, that they had others there with them and I had no one left anymore. Lonely and hurting and I hated them for making me feel that way even more. Though she had no proof or knowledge of what was really, truly hers and what was not, she suspected that the stupid book had merely taken very real, dark feelings that really were hers, and just warped them into manipulating her into doing corrupted, nasty things she would never, ever do intentionally, not in a million years. Disliking or even irrationally hating people because seeing them together made her feel all the more lonely and hurting was...fine. Thinking they were arrogant and deserved a good dressing down and wake up call was fine. Even relishing crushing the Ultron bots in a revengeful, morbid sort of way was not exactly evil incarnate, and she did not think she would not do that now if she saw an Ultron again. Those things were not the problem and she thought that portion of it was all her. Maybe they were wrong, but not evil or corrupted things to feel, either. Dealing with those feelings by killing the source was the problem and that was from the dumb book. "They're in my way, I gave them a chance to surrender first" is no excuse. What is wrong with me?
Wanda buried her face in her hands, her fingers tangling in her long hair and it hurt and she didn't want to hurt any longer but nothing could undo this and she deserved for it to hurt anyway. Stop it, stop it. I don't want to hurt anyone else. She also knew the dead Peggy Carter was not the same Peggy her Steve knew back in 616, but she still reminded her of him and Steve would probably cry if he was still around and knew she had killed a Peggy. In the moment, that poor woman had been the only member of the Illuminati she had felt guilty about killing, because that Peggy variant reminded even her corrupted horrible self of Steve and then indirectly that reminded her of losing Vision.
Except, then she'd thought oh it's not the same Peggy so it doesn't matter, and the truthful thought that this Billy and Tommy aren't my Billy and Tommy either then so I should stop this and look somewhere else for them flitted through her head too, but was immediately torn away and trampled to oblivion by...something? Wanda could not remember or process anything else from it now; she remembered the glass, the broken glass all over, and stepping in it barefoot and not caring that it was hurting her innocent variant, or that she could feel all of the pain herself even though it was not physically harming her own body dreamwalking from back in 616, either. She deserved for it to hurt, it didn't matter, she wanted all of it to stop but would punish herself anyway along the way.
I forgot shoes and then I didn't care that I did forget. I could have created some. I didn't. I hurt the other me.
The 838 Wanda had been crying pitifully in her head, begging for her to stop and let her go, and she'd viciously shoved her consciousness far enough down mentally that she could not even feel it anymore. Why did she still try to help me? Why did she even care? Telling me the twins would be loved.
Wanda more felt than heard her own anguished cries now, and they would not stop even as she tried to force them back inside and stay silent. Scarlet was crackling around her now, and she wished that would go away too. Crying was bad; if someone saw her cry they would take advantage of her pain and she didn't want anyone else hurting her again. She could do that to herself well enough on her own.
"...still here?" Elsa was asking now.
Still here where? What? The magic continued crackling defensively around Wanda in a hazy shield, her hands clenched into fists in her lap now where she sat on the floor against the bookshelves. The magic retreated just as quickly, seeming to understand that there was no threat here right now even though she could not make the tears stop. There was no threat before, either. I have too much power. Shut up, shut up, shut up, you were not either "defending yourself" before, she ordered herself roughly. "Get rid of me. I don't want to hurt you. I'm me right now, so I, I-I would let someone kill-"
"No. We want to help you," Elsa interrupted, keeping her voice quiet. "Look, I...I can't know what that...evil book's effects feel like, but I do know what wanting to die feels like. And I know what feeling unable to control your own powers is like, too. You are not alone here. I can promise that much." She hesitantly reached for Wanda's hand and while the older mage's hand remained clenched in a fist, she did not pull away, either. I have had anxious...episodes before. Many times. This is not the same as mine, but it's...still similar. I think.
But everyone always leaves. They always die or leave me all alone again. I don't want to be here any more. I'm so, so tired. I couldn't even die right. I have so much power and I can't do anything with it. Nothing good. Nothing to help fix this. “You made Olaf. Can you...show me how to bring my family back?" Wanda knew quite well that was a complete shot in the dark, because most likely Elsa was going to just say she didn't know. "I want them back, I need them, I can't s-stay, can't live or think right without them, I..." I sound ridiculous and unhinged. You should shut up.
"I'm sorry, I don't know how to do anything like that. Olaf isn't a human, and...I don't entirely understand how he exists himself," Elsa said, trying to be honest.
Anna plopped next to the two magic users now, ignoring Kristoff saying she should be careful. "I think your family would want you to stay. They wouldn't want you to give up on life because they're gone," she murmured. "And I think someone trying to get people to kill her so she won't hurt anyone can too control her magic, so there."
It's not even only that, I am selfish, I don't want to exist anymore. It hurts too much. I can't live like this any longer. I'm broken and I feel like...the inside part of me is just ruined. You can't think right, you can't feel right, I don't even know what is me anymore. Wanda said nothing, but she jerked in surprise at suddenly receiving a hug. Anna had flung her arms around her and just hugged her tightly, and Elsa was watching but made no motion to make her precious little sister stop this. Somehow noticing this small thing made Wanda feel like that was even a bigger deal than Anna being willing to hug her in the first place. There was zero doubt to her that Elsa would make Anna leave if she believed Anna was in danger. But Elsa was just sitting there, her blue eyes full of understanding. "You're hugging a murderer," Wanda muttered, not particularly trying to push Anna away, but not reciprocating the hug, either.
"I don't care. The evil spellbook made you murder people. That was not you, not at all," Anna said matter-of-factly, "so that means you are a victim too, same as those poor dead people and the other you. Except, unfortunately, we can't help the dead ones or the other Wanda. But we can help you."
Wanda did push Anna away herself now, her expression screwed up in confusion. "Would you still say those things if it was Elsa or someone else you loved that I killed because I was corrupted like that?"
"Yes, but I would yell at you a lot first. And I honestly wouldn't want to see you myself at all. But I'd still think the same things."
The simple answer made Wanda believe Anna completely even without reading her mind. Elsa was still quiet, but she had reached a cool hand out and was gently holding her trembling hand now. Wanda had a suspicion that Elsa did not really talk much a lot of the time, and that right now Elsa had no idea what to say at all but wanted to express that she was still there and willing to help. "Maps. I am supposed to go to this place on that map." Then, realizing something else, something good for once, "Jeg kan litt norsk. Nok til å ha en samtale, i det minste." I can speak a little Norwegian. Enough to have a conversation, at least.
...Because of Nat, and Vis. They helped me learn.
Elsa wondered how many languages Wanda knew, but thought it would be weird and nosy to ask, so she didn't. Instead she simply said, "Du kan bruke hva du vil." You can use whatever you want.
"There's still something wrong in my head. I don't know how to fix it." I probably can't.
Elsa thought for a moment and then just said, "If you mean you feel like the book left traces of itself behind still, then maybe the trolls will have an idea for us to help you fix that. Otherwise, maybe just...give yourself a chance? Please." There was no doubt in Elsa's mind that it was not just the corrupted book part that had made Wanda say that.
"I don't want to be here." I don't deserve a chance. I can't just stay here. There wouldn't even be any point in trying again...is there? I could try. At least it would remove you from the board temporarily. Then I can't hurt anyone else. Abruptly Wanda yanked herself away from the two younger girls and stood up, vanishing from the room in a small burst of red mist.
"Crap. Elsa, where did she go?!" Anna exclaimed, patting the carpet where Wanda had been seconds before, as if that might make her reappear. "She's going to try again, I just know it, she sounds like you did after the shipwreck-" She pulled Elsa to her feet and shook her head hard. "You can sense her magic, at least. Help me find her."
Elsa closed her eyes, trying to feel that same anxious pit of pained chaos that she had before. Her own magic stirred worriedly inside as something screamed stop trying to fix me, if you want to help me then let me go and help me finish this, it's not working in her own head. She tensed, fingers flitting to an old small pink scar on her wrist. "She knows I'm trying to feel where she might be," she whispered to Anna. "I...I don't think she's far, but..." But she's trying to ask me to help her kill herself.
Anna took off like a dart, dragging Elsa behind her and ignoring Kristoff asking for her to please wait a second. "Where did she go? Can you still feel her?"
"I don't know. Let's check her room first. Maybe-" Elsa stopped short and pulled away from Anna, blue sparks of magic crackling around her fingers. She did something already, I don't know what, but... "Something's very wrong. The room. Get Olaf. She likes Olaf, please get him. Don't follow me yourself, just send Olaf please." Elsa didn't even wait for an answer; she took off again straight for the guest room they'd given Wanda.
Elsa tried the doorknob, but it was locked. This time she did not wait to see if Wanda would answer and froze it open immediately. There was no Wanda in the room on first glance, but she heard some quiet clatter from the bathroom. Elsa peeked in there and stifled a yelp.
Wanda lay curled up on the floor, two ragged gaping wounds puncturing all the way through her chest to her back and a spreading pool of blood under her that looked much too large. A somewhat futuristic-looking bloody silver spike was still in her hand. It was clearly not something Wanda had found in her room here, so she must have spontaneously created the thing. Elsa's first thought was that she couldn't possibly be alive, nobody could survive an injury like that and lose that much blood, but the older mage was clearly still breathing, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"It won't let me go," Wanda whispered, "please make it let me go." I knew I'd need something drastic because I can escape the mirror dimension and it...took me to America, but I tried, I really tried, and it...is still not working.
Magic. Wanda's magic won't let her die because it's healing her enough to keep her alive, Elsa realized abruptly. She didn't say anything right away; she just dropped to her knees on the floor next to Wanda, shoved the unsettling silver spike out of reach, and hugged her close. Anna rescued me years ago. My turn now. "You're not alone," she said quietly, ignoring the blood still spreading on the floor. Logically Elsa thought she should send for the doctor, but even if she did, there wasn't any ordinary way to fix this. If Wanda wasn't a magic wielder capable of healing herself subconsciously, she would be dead already. So Elsa stayed, just holding the broken young woman so maybe she would not feel so alone. "You are not alone. I...I don't know what I can do to help, but if you do want to talk, I'll listen."
Everyone always leaves, even when they don't mean to. Wanda wondered why Elsa was there at all, why she hadn't screamed upon finding her or just left her there on the floor, but Elsa's aura was just full of pained understanding. She could not remember the last time someone had held her like this during some horrible breakdown episode. Probably before Thanos, probably Nat or Vis comforting me after a nightmare or something. They're gone. They're gone and I am a disappointment and I hurt people and I can't even die right. Stupid. Wanda knew she was starting to give in to just letting her chaos magic knit her wounds together fully; she was so, so exhausted, and she felt too weak to purposely put up with any more physical pain stabbing through her when she knew she could at least make that set of pain go away. I can't fix my head. I can't I can't I don't know how and I am disappointing Pietro right now I know he wanted me to keep going but it's been years now and I'm so tired. I want to give up. “I am so tired."
Elsa squeezed her own eyes shut and didn't move. "I know. If...if you let your magic heal you, it won't hurt so much."
"It should hurt."
"Nobody deserves this much pain," Elsa, who was very familiar with feeling like she deserved to feel awful even while wanting it to stop, said firmly. "You're a telepath. Unload a little of it. You can use me as a deposit source if need be."
”Why would you offer that? You know what I am like and you don't even really know me. That would hurt you." The mental voice 'sounded' shaky and tormented, and Wanda could not understand why Elsa would ever offer such a thing.
"Because I know what being suicidal feels like," Elsa said plainly, "and if sharing even a little bit of what made you feel like doing something like this to yourself would help, I'd understand."
Elsa really, really reminded her of Monica.
Wanda decided she absolutely would not do anything like that to Elsa, even if she claimed it was okay. Instead she gave up fighting her own survival instincts magic-wise and let it flow through her body again, bits of scarlet crackling across the two gaping wounds to help seal them closed. It felt like once she was out of what was ordinarily mortal danger, the chaos magic ceased its automatic healing reaction, and she didn't even know whether she wanted to finish fixing it consciously. Why shouldn't her chest hurt; it always would anyway because all of her precious family was gone and she could not get them back. But what if I really could? Without hurting anyone else?
They won't want you anyway. Look what you did. You can't take care of children. I killed mine. Nobody wants me. Why should they? Wanda could tell Elsa was still deeply concerned; she was freezing to touch right now, enough that Elsa holding her would ordinarily be rather unpleasant, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She did quickly erase the large pool of blood from the floor and their clothes, but otherwise she did not move.
"Maybe let it finish healing you instead of erasing the mess of evidence," Elsa said, her voice soft.
I can't do it. I can't. Wanda screwed her eyes shut and pulled away finally, knowing the younger girl would understand but not knowing how to explain herself, either. "I...feel like...I...can't." I don't want to.
"Okay." Rather than press it further, Elsa pulled Wanda to her feet, looping one of her arms across her shoulders. Wanda didn't resist, but she just seemed...empty, like whatever had prodded her into turning her destructive tendencies toward herself had morphed into some sort of floating sadness that left her with no energy to struggle against someone moving her. Elsa guided her back into the bedroom and gently pushed her onto the bed, where she sat twisting her fingers together and staring at the floor.
I'm so tired. Can't all of this just...end? If I have to be here, if I can't leave, what can I ever possibly do to stop this? I don't want to hurt anyone else. I'm selfish, I don't want me to hurt anymore either but I know I deserve it and I'm- Wanda's thought train abruptly ceased and she couldn't process why. Maybe if she could just stop thinking entirely it would help. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe she couldn't stop thinking and that was the problem, because none of it made one bit of sense. I'm drowning at the bottom of one of the deep-sea trenches I saw a documentary about once, and I am one of those creatures of the deep that looks like a monster from nightmares.
Olaf was perched directly in the center of it looking as if he had been waiting. "It's rude to barge into bathrooms, so I've been waiting. Elsa, your friend is hurt. Why is she still hurt? She can heal herself. Like Punzie!"
"Ask her," Elsa said softly. "Wanda, I'm going to send for some chamomile tea and tell Anna what happened. Olaf will stay with you. I'll be right back."
Wanda jerked her head up hearing that. "Don't tell her. Please." I don't want Anna to have a mental image of that, along with everything else I have told them. She suspected Elsa was less disturbed by discovering a graphic scene like that than she might have been otherwise because she'd attempted suicide herself before, so she did understand even though she was upset.
Elsa hesitated, thinking that not telling Anna was a terrible idea. "She already knows what you were doing more or less. Because she knows what I was like before." Elsa twisted her beaded bracelet Anna had given her ages ago around her wrist, not wanting to purposely show someone her own scar, even if it was just a small pink line at this point. That's selfish. Show her. It would help. I don't have books or anything else to help know how to deal with this, same as Anna back then. Just my own experience and knowing what would have helped me. Before she could rethink it, Elsa quickly pushed her dress sleeve up and slid the bracelet off her wrist, clutching it in her fist. "I didn't, um...impale myself twice like you just did, but..."
Wanda stared at the pink scar across the other girl's wrist. "Why are you willing to show me that? I have known you for about a day."
"I don't know. I felt like it would help. And I didn't want you to think I was just...pretending to know what feeling like attempting...that...is like."
Wanda's vision blurred with tears again. Yet again she wondered why on earth America had been willing to help and brought her here, to someplace else with a young woman also capable of spontaneous creation, and not just that, someone who seemed to...understand her a bit too much than what seemed real. Do. Not. Try. Again, she ordered herself harshly, I have already disappointed those I love enough. Pietro wanted me to stay. I know he did. He told me. She could still remember the final words he had communicated to her over their constant telepathic connection before he was torn from her permanently.
”You keep living. Stay, for us. Love you, baby sister."
I broke his wishes once after Ultron. I lasted all this time after that up til now. Now I did it again. Wanda decided not to count being dusted, since she had not done that to herself, even if it had not been an unwelcome thing to happen at all and just filled her with relief that all of it would be over, that she would get to be with her parents, Pietro, and Vision again. Except then it lasted all of what felt like a second to her but soon found out was five years, and she returned to no Nat, and still no Vis, and even Vision's body had vanished. Then Steve was gone too not much later. Then no one ever came to check on her at all after Westview...until a certain aggravating sorcerer wanted something from her, and she'd felt unable to reach out for help on her own for some reason. It just felt like whatever could be taken away from her, the world just kept ripping more and more away until there was nothing left for her to give and she was just a broken shell of a person.
Without the Darkhold around now, Wanda knew quite well that was something the book's corruption yanked and latched onto too: if she had nothing left to lose, then why not do whatever she could to take some bit of happiness for herself? It didn't matter, after all. But she did have something left to lose, her sanity, her sense of self, and now there really was nothing left. That isn't right either. I know that. I wouldn't be here now if that was true. I am still me. I think. Now, at least. Not before. “I...I'm sorry. I keep retreating somewhere else, trying to think."
"That's okay. I will send for that tea now, okay? I'll be back." Elsa turned to leave but paused when she heard her name.
"...Elsa? Thank you for showing me."
Elsa smiled a teeny tiny bit and nodded. "Of course."
_________________
"Sometimes thinking is dangerous. Sometimes having an empty head is good," said Olaf a few seconds after Elsa left, which made Wanda look at him strangely. "What? My head is empty a lot, and I am happy, with family and friends. Sometimes thinking hurts."
"Mine are all dead."
Olaf's eyes grew big and he edged closer. "I don't feel dead. Yeah, alive. Definitely alive," he commented, tapping himself on the head with a twig arm.
Wanda could still feel tears slowly trickling down her cheeks, but Olaf's innocent comment made her smile a bit. "I mean back in...my world," she tried to explain.
"But, this one is yours, because you are stuck in it now." Olaf hopped up and began trying to pull the comforter on the bed over Wanda's shoulders.
"Olaf, please don't. I don't...don't want to get blood on that." Wanda knew she was still bleeding, just no longer in a life-threatening way. Then she blinked, realizing what the little snowman meant. She was not alone here. Even when she pushed these people away, they came back to her and kept trying to help. They weren't her family, but friends? Yes. Yes, they were. Wanda closed her eyes, consciously trying to finish healing herself. I think it's working, just...slowly.
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"Elsa, what did she do?" Anna asked the second her sister came out in the hall.
Elsa bit her lip, knowing Wanda didn't want her to share details. "She stabbed herself twice, but her magic is healing her, so I...I think she'll be okay, physically anyways," Elsa said quietly, leaving out the part about just what Wanda had done it with, and that she would most certainly have been dead instantly if she'd been an ordinary non-magical human. "Will you get us some chamomile tea or find Gerda and ask her to? Olaf is with her, so I think she's safe for now, but I don't think...leaving is a good idea, either."
Anna sensed that it was not as simple as Elsa made it sound, but she knew Wanda had probably asked Elsa not to explain at all, so most likely Elsa was telling the truth and just leaving the uglier details out. "Sure. I'm guessing we're not going to visit the trolls today then."
"Definitely not. I think tomorrow, maybe. But regardless, I had better get her out of here to avoid further issues with the nightmare spreading thing. If she does it to me again, then fine. But it can't keep happening to you and everyone else in the castle, and I...I don't think she can control that right now." Elsa looked down at her own hands and then back at Anna. "It's like me making a magic mistake when I have a bad dream," she explained slowly, "but mine are snow or ice, not sharing telepathic nightmares. I can't help it and I don't think she can either."
"Just please be careful. I don't want you hurt, either."
"She doesn't have anyone except us. I'm not abandoning her." Elsa couldn't help thinking that if she and Anna hadn't immediately realized what was going on and been able to locate Wanda quickly, Wanda would have been laying there in excruciating pain unable to make it end because her chaos magic wouldn't let her die, but unwilling to stop torturing herself and let her body heal either until she was found. That somehow seemed worse to Elsa than just dying in the first place.
"No, obviously not. I just want you to be careful, Elsa, you push yourself too much and put yourself in danger all the time, that's all. But yes, please help her," Anna said quickly, and took off in search of Gerda and the tea.
Elsa shook her head, finding Anna running off like that rather entertaining. Queen or not, Anna was still Anna. She returned to Wanda's room to find her still sitting on the bed where she had left her, though now Olaf was clearly trying to take care of the remnants of Wanda's stab wounds. Wanda wasn't helping, but she wasn't resisting Olaf touching her, either.
"You came back," Wanda said tiredly.
"I said I would."
I know, but I sort of thought you might not. “I'm fine."
Elsa raised one eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You are not, but it's going to be okay, because you don't have to deal on your own anymore." She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and spread it out on the bed. "Can you lay down until Anna or Gerda brings the tea? Don't worry about the bed."
Wanda did lie down and closed tired eyes, feeling spoiled but unable to bring herself to dislike it. She felt something cool soothing the leftover pain in her chest and opened her eyes to see Elsa kneeling next to the bed, her hand hovering a few inches over her as blue icy magic swirled beneath Elsa's palm and sent itself into her instead.
"Does that help?" Elsa sounded so hopeful that Wanda nodded immediately. It was the truth, anyways. "The cooling effect should last a few hours, at least. I can do it again if you haven't finished healing it by then." Elsa was tempted to least ask Gerda to look at whatever was left of Wanda's injuries, but knew quite well Wanda might refuse or just leave and teleport herself somewhere else if pushed too much. Therefore it would probably be safer to just let her be.
Wanda didn't say anything, just lay there blinking slowly. She just assumes I'm going to be able to heal myself. I think she thinks I'm stronger than I really am. But she could still feel the scarlet inside stirring about languidly, waiting for her to tell it to finish fixing things for her physically. It was not sitting there trying to destroy more things now. It wanted to help something. I don't know if I want it to. Elsa's magic had cooled the pain to something much more manageable, and she was not sure she really wanted all of it to go away. Maybe if it hurt it would force her not to do anything else bad.
That is the book's fault and my own mind for being too weak and stupid to resist it, not my magic. I am making excuses. She felt Olaf's funny little twig arm patting her shoulder and didn't feel inclined to push him away. While he was not human, he was alive and sentient and created from magic, and so he was like some tangible microscopic spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, there was some way for her to bring her own family back. She couldn't help Pietro, Nat, or her parents, but she should be able to bring back Vis and the boys somehow. She just didn't know how, felt like she didn't deserve to have them, and worried they would not want her at all anymore.
A light knock on the door made both of them look in that direction. Elsa quickly answered the door, knowing it was Gerda and Anna because she recognized both Anna's distinctive knock and their footsteps. "Thank you so much, Gerda. I think this will help a bit," Elsa said now. "Anna, what's wrong?"
Wanda stayed put, just silently watching the others. Anna seemed jumpy and nervous, not of her-she immediately ran over and offered her some kind of fancy chocolate pastry-but she was clearly worried about something, and Anna's emotions and surface thoughts were so loud to her that she sensed them passively without even trying to. So she knew it was not just because Anna was worried about her because of what she had just done a bit ago. The girl was worried about telling her something someone else had said because Anna thought it would hurt her feelings. "You feel like you have to tell me something bad," Wanda said.
"Erik said I should tell Elsa to help you somewhere else away from everyone in the castle because it would be simpler. You disappearing like that on a whim concerns him. He's not upset with you or anything, just...concerned." Anna glanced at Elsa, who was clearly displeased even though she had full intentions of doing that very thing just in case.
"I suppose he wants you to kill me. I don't mind."
"What? No, he doesn't want that!" Anna exclaimed. "He's trying to avoid causing mass hysteria and panic. Or a riot or something, that's all."
Wanda accepted the hot tea from Gerda and whispered a thank you. It crossed her mind that if she had done this back in 616, someone probably would have immediately injected her with some kind of sedative and she'd have woken up restrained and tied down somewhere and then wreck wherever it was to get out in a big panic. She wondered if this Arendelle place had such things, and decided yes, they probably did, just not the same things. This made her wonder if there was anything in the dumb tea besides chamomile, but then she decided she didn't care what happened anyway, so she sipped it without asking. "It is good," she whispered. "Sweet and warm."
"I put honey in it for you," Gerda said, her English more accented than either Elsa's or Anna's. Now that Wanda was actually thinking about it, Anna didn't really have an accent at all, while Elsa did, which made sense since Anna was the more talkative one.
"Tusen takk, no English is fine. I don't care."
This made Gerda smile. "Oh, you speak multiple languages too. Must be at least three."
"More." Wanda didn't feel like explaining that she was decently fluent in more than that, but vaguely conversational in several more besides, and she would put Norwegian in the 'vaguely conversational' category, certainly not fluent. Too complicated and she was tired. She blinked in surprise again, staring into the mug of tea. Gerda had pressed a warm hand against her forehead, obviously checking if she had a fever. "I'm...physically okay."
"Those holes in your dress say otherwise," Gerda pointed out; then frowned when a second later a bit of red glowed around Wanda and the dress instantly appeared undamaged. "Did you also fix yourself or just the dress?"
"You remind me of my mother," Wanda blurted, feeling stupid and ridiculous for simultaneously wanting this nice lady to stay and also thinking Gerda should get out and stay far, far away from her. "My magic won't...let me die from that."
"Not dying doesn't mean you're okay."
Wanda had no intentions of letting anyone check to make sure she was healing herself properly, so she didn't answer that directly. "Thank you for caring," she murmured instead, because that she did appreciate; it made her want to cry, but it did help. I think it really is okay though. I can't...don't want...to fix it entirely right now, but it just hurts inside me now, not...on my skin? I don't know. “I think that your guard is right. I should leave here. I do not want to cause problems for you."
"Then we'll go visit the rock trolls together. That's the only source of magic knowledge we have access to that has any chance of being able to help. Ahtohallan has nothing about you, or even anyone with magic like yours, in it." Elsa let her signature snowflake hover over her hand and then dissolved it again. I wonder if I'm my world's weaker corresponding equivalent to Wanda in hers, Elsa mused to herself.
"Maybe you are a nexus being responsible for spontaneous creation here or something," Wanda said, sounding a tiny bit more chipper and interested than her quiet whispers had been since Elsa had found her lying on the floor in the bathroom.
Elsa did not know what that meant at all, but the idea of whatever it was appeared to be something that fascinated the older mage and made her perk up ever so slightly. "I don't know, but if we're going to find anything to help you magic-wise, we should go to the Valley of the Living Rock."
"Tomorrow," Anna interjected, "not today, because we won't arrive before dark anyway."
Notes:
For anyone who chose to skip this chapter, main information absolutely necessary for the rest of the story: Wanda attempted suicide but her chaos magic will not let her die, Elsa found her and was able to comfort her a little bit, Wanda doesn't want to let herself make any more attempts because she knows Pietro wouldn't want her to but this doesn't preclude a sort of...magical self-harm of sorts (intentionally refusing to let her magic completely heal her). They plan to go visit the rock trolls in search of potential magic help.
While I'm fully planning to give her a happy ending (obviously! that was the whole reason I started this fic), it's going to be a long journey along the way, and I felt like the story needed this chapter in order to move forward even though I didn't like working on it. It just...felt important to me. Also, yes, I have intentionally switched back and forth repeatedly between I/you in some of Wanda’s thoughts because I was trying to capture how jumbled her mind feels right now. Anyways. Moving on. Any kudos/comments/feedback is much appreciated!:)
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Summary:
In which Wanda and her new friends make a trip to the troll valley and find something that may provide a little magic help. Wanda feels like maybe, just maybe, she’s taking a tiny step in the right direction. In MCU 616, America tells Kate and Yelena what she’s been up to, and Yelena reveals she sort of knew Wanda a long time ago already. America returns to Arendelle to check on Wanda and is happy to see her plan is helping, but once she returns to the sanctum armed with proof, she receives some rather unwelcome news...
Notes:
Nothing will be as dark/heavy as chapter 3, but Wanda is still rather introspective and mulling over things, so I guess I am just going to put a TW that there will be thoughts/discussion regarding suicide and depression on and off in this story. You can’t fix being depressed/suicidal overnight, and goodness knows poor Wanda has issues to say the least. But she’s making steps in the right direction.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Don't crash my wagon. Don't let your friend erase it, either," Kristoff told Anna the next morning, mildly salty that Anna had nonchalantly wanted to just let Elsa, Wanda, and Olaf borrow his wagon, because usually trips seemed to involve his sled or wagon getting squished.
"Kristoff, we won't. We won't even take your silly wagon, we'll just ride my horse Kjekk and the water Nøkk. You gotta stay here and take care of stuff for me. I don't want Elsa and Wanda to go alone. They can't. I don't think that's a good idea at all," Anna said quickly. "They might self-destruct alone. They don't take care of themselves and, I mean, I know Elsa's definitely okay on her own now, but I'm kind of worried helping Wanda is going to make her all depressed and upset again too. They were both awake all night last night and wouldn't go to sleep."
"Yeah, you go and babysit the two powerful mages, feistypants," Kristoff said, only half teasing. "I'll just awkwardly show all the paperwork to Kai while you're gone and ask him for help."
"He won't mind. Well, I'm off. They're waiting in the courtyard for me."
Anna trotted out to the courtyard to find both Elsa and Wanda (and a very excited Olaf with Bruni flopped on his head) waiting for her. Elsa was still in her rather impractical white fifth spirit ice-dress and sandals, but Wanda was wearing a different red dress now, one that actually looked more like the ordinary non-magical outfits common in Arendelle. Anna was glad Gerda's suggestion to not copy Elsa's fashion choices because magic ice-dresses weren't exactly blending in very well seemed to have sunk in. The water spirit horse was eyeing both magical girls suspiciously though, and Anna frowned. "Um, are we going to have a problem?"
The Nøkk snorted and pawed the ground. Elsa slowly reached her hand out and rested it on the water horse's nose. "She's our friend," Elsa said firmly. "And you know Anna already." Then she grabbed Wanda's hand before she could protest. "Introduce yourself. In your head, not out loud," she added. "It will understand as long as you're touching me while you do so. It works with Anna and she has no magic, so it should easily work for you. Nøkk, you behave."
Wanda frowned, thinking that there was no way this clearly suspicious mysterious water spirit horse was going to just accept her just because she made an effort to introduce herself. And this magic is, again...nothing like anything I have seen before. She didn't even know what she should say about herself anyway. After a minute, she just settled on, my name is Wanda Maximoff. I am the Scarlet Witch, and nothing else.
'she does not belong here, Fifth Spirit,' the Nøkk told Elsa. The horse's odd glowing eyes seemed to stare right through Wanda as the creature came to a decision. ’you contain traces of a deeply corrupted magic you have since destroyed on your own, and yet still survive intact as your true self. therefore you must belong elsewhere as a true guardian, not here, Scarlet Witch.'
Wanda blinked and yanked her hand away from Elsa, thinking that the weird water spirit had to be mistaken. She could understand being told she didn't belong and thought that herself, but the true guardian thing and the 'survived intact as your true self' line baffled her. Certainly the Nøkk had no attachment or emotional connection to her at all, no reason to just say something to try to make her feel better. It seemed as if speaking to her through Elsa had erased the automatic suspicions the creature had of her.
"You aren't allowed in Ahtohallan unless you prove yourself, Nøkk says, but you have the power to force your way in if you wanted regardless, and it is glad you have a true heart because of this," Elsa relayed the spirit's message. The Nøkk liked being referred to as 'it', so that was what Elsa called it.
Wanda glanced from Elsa to the eccentric water spirit and back again. She didn't smile, but she realized the Nøkk had oddly made some small part of her inside feel ever so slightly better. Elsa was biased because she was, objectively, another traumatized human girl with magical powers; she sympathized too much, which selfishly felt nice and was reassuring, but was not at all objective.
The little group easily made the trek to the Valley of the Living Rock without incident. Olaf chattered almost the entire way, much to Anna's amusement and Elsa's chagrin that her little snowman might be irritating their guest, but Wanda honestly did not mind Olaf talking at all. He wasn't expecting replies, and sounded so cheery that his happy mood seemed to spread a tiny microscopic bit to her, not much, but enough that she did not feel quite so empty and lost as yesterday. Wanda was absolutely convinced that both Elsa and the strange Water Nøkk could travel much faster if they so chose and were holding back so that Anna's ordinary horse Kjekk could keep up. "Well, we're here," Anna announced. "Let's see if Grand Pabbie can help us. Hello? Grand Pabbie, it's us again, Elsa and Anna. But we brought a friend this time."
Wanda remained silent, making no attempt to either bolt or move closer to the strange round boulders. The Nøkk nudged her forward, hard, and then...gave the boulders what appeared to be a dirty look and galloped off without warning. It doesn't like the trolls? I don't know. It doesn't matter.
"How nice to see you again, Queen Anna, Snow Queen Elsa," an obviously ancient rock troll greeted the sisters in a gravelly voice. Grand Pabbie turned his attention to the one person he didn't recognize. "Come closer, child. Let us see what the Arendelle royal sisters have brought to the Valley of the Living Rock this time."
I have...had...children. I'm no child, Wanda thought, but she sensed that the strange old troll probably would call any young human that, whether they were an adult, teenager, or child. She edged closer, but kept silent, not trusting herself to speak, nor the creature in general. They make Elsa nervous. If she is nervous, I have reason to be too.
I could kill them. They can't hurt us. No no no, I don't want to do anything like that.
"We need magic help. Clear, detailed magic help. No nebulous, undefined cryptic nonsense," Elsa said firmly. "This is Wanda. She has magic that's difficult to control, linked to emotions like mine. There is just...more of it."
"Born with the magic or cursed?" Pabbie asked.
Wanda felt herself deflate inside further. I don't know. Both? Neither? “Are...those my only options?" She snatched her hands back when Pabbie reached for them, inexplicably hating the idea of letting him touch her. I am being ridiculous. I literally have nothing to fear. I...can't even die. What am I scared for? “Born and...experimented on," she muttered truthfully.
"Therefore both," Pabbie said matter-of-factly.
Anna grabbed Wanda's hand herself and then grabbed Elsa's with the other. "Pabbie. She's having trouble controlling her magic. Can you help?"
"Let us see what we shall see." The old troll conjured shining magical silhouettes above their heads. A small red figure hazed in black that Wanda immediately recognized as herself, due to the tiara on its head, floated above an outline of a mountain before ripping it to pieces and then collapsing itself into a heap. Then it reappeared whole and rose like a phoenix, purely scarlet now. Three smaller glowing figures seemed to be waiting in the distance. “You have the power to rule or destroy the world, scarlet child," Grand Pabbie said calmly, and then dispersed his own magic. "You...frighten us, of the valley. We sensed your arrival and have awaited your visit. Why have you come to Arendelle?"
"Someone...wanted to save me." I don't know how else to explain. Wanda's green eyes welled with tears, tired, so tired, of knowing she could rule or destroy the world. She did not want to know that anymore, or be capable of that. I never wanted that. Not even...before. Not even while so corrupted by that book.
"You do not belong here, Miss Wanda. This is a safe haven for you to begin finding yourself before you return home, nothing more."
Find myself? I don't understand. Wanda did not want to 'return home' at all. There was no home for her back in 616. Where did this stupid rock troll think she was supposed to go? The isolated cabin where she'd moped and cried and studied the Darkhold? Back to the empty plot she supposed she technically still owned in Westview? She could never go back there, and she didn't want to anyway, not without her family. "I have no home in my world," she whispered.
And what were those three figures in the troll vision supposed to be? Wanda wanted to think they were Vis, Billy, and Tommy, but that was impossible.
"Then you will create one," Pabbie said simply.
Wanda flinched, wondering if Pabbie knew just how literal that could be for her. "Can you contain my power or not?" she asked, glad that she was not trying to get information here alone. Though she'd been able to successfully finish healing herself mostly overnight, she still did not feel back to normal either, whatever normal might be. I feel like I did years ago after I lost Pietro. A hole where part of me is just missing, but not...so literally like yesterday. It just hurts anyway.
"Magic one is born with cannot be removed."
"No, Grand Pabbie," Elsa said sharply, "we are not trying to remove anyone's magic. She just needs help figuring out how to control it more easily. That is all."
The stubby rock troll glanced from one girl to the other. "Containing and controlling are two entirely different things. Perhaps, since your friend was not only born with her affinity for magic, a power dampener may help? That, is something that could be created easily here in the valley."
"Yes. Do it," Wanda said immediately, not particularly caring what that might entail if it would help even a little bit.
Elsa shook her head and pushed both Anna and Wanda behind her. "Wait. What exactly is this going to do to her? That sounds like a psychological thing, like putting gloves on me when I was little. She's a reality warper, Grand Pabbie. She could erase your...magic dampener...invention. We want tips to help her control it, not something to control her.” Elsa suddenly felt very protective of the older mage, and she was not going to let the trolls potentially hurt her new friend, especially when she knew quite well Wanda would probably let them if she believed it would remove any danger.
"Honestly, it may not work for her at all. I have never felt anything like her power before, and as she is a visitor to this world, that may also affect it. I do not know anything about her abilities. Regardless, it should not harm your friend in any way."
"Should not. So, you cannot promise that it won't."
Wanda stepped forward, her expression blank. Why is she speaking up for me at all? "Is it going to keep me from hurting anyone else?"
"I do not know, Miss Wanda, but if it doesn't, you will not be any worse off than now," Pabbie said.
"Then just do it." I have to try something. I have to. Pietro would probably be disappointed she planned to purposely nerf herself if at all possible, but she was so exhausted, so tired of worrying about more mistakes, more breakdowns. Wanda still didn't quite feel in control of her own thoughts, either, and that frightened her further. She could not use the Darkhold again, of course, but the Nøkk flat out telling her she still contained traces of 'a deeply corrupted magic' was worrisome. How could she ever recognize which thoughts were just hers?
I want to blame my suicide attempt on that, but I know it...isn't. That was me. All me. Every time. I tried...started to, anyway...the first time when Pietro and I were little, awhile after we lost our parents. I thought it would be easier for Pietro to find food for just himself rather than both of us. Wanda could remember that clearly; they'd been eleven or so, it was winter and freezing, and she'd gotten sick enough that she couldn't help Pietro forage for or steal food. While she knew now it was ridiculously stupid and would never have worked anyway, she had tried suffocating herself with the one blanket they had, and then when when her twin came back to their tiny cardboard and newspaper hideout, he screamed at her for it. And cried. And held her close, wrapping both of them up in the blanket and pulling the flaps of their staked-out little box closed. All the while, nobody tried to help, and both of them were determined not to return to the horrible orphanage they'd run away from regardless of what happened. They'd rather be together and freezing than be separated and mistreated in that orphanage.
Then after Ultron. Then when I destroyed Wundagore. And now, again yesterday. Wanda knew those dark thoughts flitted through her head other times too, far too often, but those were the 'only' times she had actually followed through. She realized each time someone had been there to stop her, all except on the mountain, where the only reason she had survived was her own magic subconsciously teleporting her out. While she genuinely had not wanted to be saved, some quiet twist of anger poked at her inside, realizing that Strange had known exactly what she was up to wrecking that place and had not made any effort to stop her from killing herself along with destroying the Darkhold. Why do I even care? I don't like him. He doesn't like me. It's mutual. I didn't want to be saved and I know I wouldn't have listened to him, of all people. And he was dreamwalking anyway...in his own corpse, which I...charred.
No, she did not think she was justified in being angry with him, not for that, anyway. Wanda still thought she never wanted to see him again all the same. Something was tugging on her skirt, and she glanced down at Olaf, who still had the little fire salamander on his head.
"You think an awful lot," Olaf said. "Are you okay?"
Wanda knelt to Olaf's eye level, ignoring the twinge of pain still remaining in her chest. "No, but I...think you and your family are...helping." This felt honest, and somehow she did not mind the little snowman knowing she wasn't okay. And if any of them were going to leave me alone again too, they could have left me there on the floor. Or drugged me. If they leave it will be because something forced them to. She remembered the long, long hours of no sleep the night before. She'd tried to tell Elsa to leave and go to sleep, that she could stay up alone to prevent risking any more leaking telepathic nightmares, but the younger girl quietly refused. Instead Elsa took her back to the library and set up a chessboard, which they played for hours.
Elsa was ridiculously good at chess, which she said was because she played against herself all the time for years while she'd been isolated in her room. Wanda knew how to play, but she was not a particularly skilled player, either. It had been strangely comforting that Elsa was clearly not going easy on her in the game despite what had happened mere hours before, though she did offer tips and suggestions; it reminded her of Nat, who always treated her the same way. No fussing. No holding back. Always helpful and understanding.
Wanda let Olaf pull her back over to the others, and didn't say more. The unpleasant emptiness from yesterday was still present, but seemed somewhat muted now because she really did want to do something to help herself. She still couldn't bring herself to be happy she'd survived, but if she literally could not die, then Pietro would be happy and she needed to find some way to fix the danger, at least. There was a smaller female troll next to old Grand Pabbie now, looking from her to Pabbie and back again. There was talking, but she felt like all of it was from somewhere underwater. Stop it, just listen. Concentrate. Listen. "Can you repeat that, please?"
"Bulda suggested that we stay here overnight to see if the trolls can come up with something to help with the nightmare spreading issue, that's all," Anna told her, gesturing at the female troll. "Elsa's right. Even if we do have access to some power dampener that could help you for now, that isn't going to help permanently and it's probably bad for you."
But I might hurt these creatures too. Wanda closed her eyes and pressed one hand to her forehead, feeling like something was uncomfortably squeezing her there, causing a headache. I don't know what I should do. Let them decide for me? I don't want any more decisions made for me. Maybe you need to right now since you know they aren't going to hurt you in the first place. No no no. I'm so tired of being used or manipulated or things otherwise decided for me. “I would like to try whatever this power dampener is," she said clearly. "Please." Wanda had no idea how to explain why she was so dead set on trying that, but knowing that whatever corrupted Darkhold remnants remained would be very displeased if she nerfed her own power made her feel like doing so must be the right thing to do. It didn't even like me "holding back" before. I think it was angry and...disgusted that I wouldn't unleash everything, even then.
The knowledge that even then she had been really, truly holding back, made her cringe now. Surely it would be better if someone else, someone else whose mental and emotional state wasn't such a mess, had her world-altering magic instead of her. Except...that is exactly why I have it. "She is not born, she is forged." A recipe just asking for disaster.
_________________
616 NEW YORK
"So...you can travel between universes, an evil book corrupted the strongest magic user on the planet into wanting to kill you, but you felt bad for her after she snapped out of it, so you decided to drop her in another universe?" Yelena looked at America suspiciously. "How do you know she didn't manipulate you into helping?"
"I just do. You guys weren't there, you didn't see her."
"And you still haven't told us who you were trying to help," Kate pointed out, pulling Lucky up on the sofa with her.
Yelena laughed. "Actually, now that I consider this, she did. Not by name, but I think we know exactly who she helped. Remember the Westview girl? Who else could it possibly be? Nobody else can do anything like that." And I know her somewhat. “America Chavez, you helped Wanda Maximoff, and she was friends with my sister."
America stuffed another bite of her sandwich in her mouth. "Do you know her too then?"
"A bit, before the blip. It is a long story. If she really is in control of herself, you should bring her back." I want to see her.
"Why would she even want to come back, though? I wouldn't if I was her. I like it here, but..." America trailed off, picking bits of crust off the sandwich and feeding them to Lucky, who seemed happy to get people food treats but still preferred pizza. What she really wanted was just her dead family back. I mean, that isn't a bad thing. I miss my family too. America wondered if she had been able to perfectly control her own multiversal traveling powers, if she maybe, just maybe, could have taken Wanda someplace where her variant self was dead and the twins were alive. Probably not. If that nasty book was as bad as I think it is, it might've still made her think she needed to steal my power anyway. And besides, they would still not be her lost twins, either. "What was she like when you knew her?"
"Stubborn, rather quiet, and not exactly someone you'd think was capable of what she is. Guess you would not know all this being a new person to this universe, but she was part of the Avengers team that did not sign the Sokovia Accords. So, she was an international fugitive on the run with my sister years ago." Yelena sounded sad now, in that 'I am unbothered but actually I'm really upset' sort of voice. "They were able to visit more than once but never stay. I think they would have stayed longer, but six disgusting excuses for human beings caught us on a Russian train once." Now Yelena's eyes sparkled, remembering the incident.
"You look far too pleased remembering this, Yelena," Kate said teasingly, leaning forward in anticipation of the story. "What happened?"
"Those bounty hunters busted into our compartment to find two trained Widows and a pissed telekinetic person."
"Oh come on, what kind of lame storytelling is that?" Kate complained.
"There is not more. It was no big deal," Yelena shrugged. "We got away easily. I think we should try to figure out who's after us now. I do not believe the murderer of the dead Kate Bishop lookalike was a Tracksuit Mafia thing."
"I still think America should go back to the sanctum if she's got a home there," Kate muttered. "I mean. I like you here, it's kinda fun having a third in our group, but you're a kid. You should be safe."
"I'm fourteen and I've been on my own for years," America pointed out indignantly. "I'm not just some little kid you'll have to take care of."
"She is plenty old," Yelena said calmly. "I vote she stays unless she wants to leave. But you have to help with apartment chores, America Chavez. And I really think you should check on her."
"I will."
________________
"That looks like an ordinary necklace, Grand Pabbie," Anna said dubiously, eyeing the delicate-looking piece of crystal jewelry the troll offered them. "How is that going to help?"
"Simply put, it just dampens one's magical capabilities. The only catch is that only the person who puts it on can remove it," Pabbie explained.
Elsa frowned. "Why didn't you give this to my parents when I was little then?"
"It will have no effect on you, because you were born with yours. Your friend says hers were both born and made, so it will not entirely mute her magic, either, but it should help somewhat."
Wanda looked down at her own hands, thinking that she would probably be lucky if it did anything at all. I didn't know it, but I think most of mine I was just born with. I think being experimented on just...unlocked what I already had and didn't know about. Maybe amplified it, I suppose? I don't...know. Still, even if it did absolutely nothing besides keeping her own nightmares to herself, that was better than nothing. "You clasp it," she said quietly to Anna. "And don't...don't take it off even if I ask you to." I do not trust myself, and I can tell Elsa doesn't even want me to do this. She's touchy about the idea of restraining magic in the first place.
Anna hesitated but took the necklace. "Are you sure you want me to do this and not Elsa? She's the one with the magic, just like you."
That's why I want you to do it. "I am sure." Wanda's eyes flitted to Elsa, half worried the younger mage would be offended, but Elsa still just looked worried.
"Will you please finish healing yourself first?" Elsa asked now, her voice soft. Elsa suspected Wanda was mostly fine physically but not quite; she still carried herself a bit 'off', and Elsa had caught her wincing a couple of times with a hand against her chest.
I can't. “I'm fine. It is not...fixable," Wanda muttered, blinking unwanted tears away yet again. Why does she still care about you? You are not worth it. I'm just...me. I have nothing good to offer them. I don't... She had the logical thought that everyone she loved that was gone most certainly would not want her to stay in pain on their behalf because she still survived and they hadn't. None of them would. It would make any and all of them upset. I don't even know if what still hurts now is literal physical damage I could fix, or if it is just...me. Wanda felt Elsa tugging her off to the side out of earshot of the others, and she didn't bother resisting. Instinct said it was at least mostly the latter, and she did not know how to heal a broken heart. There wasn't anything to fix that heavy achy feeling inside, the same thing that made her feel like that mountain had just crushed her inside and then left water pouring and drowning everything.
I wish it worked. I'm sorry, Pietro, I know you want me to keep going, but I'm so tired. I guess you're probably happy I...can't die. I hope I still age, at least? The idea that she might just continue living for always with her own chaos magic forcing her to stay alive made her sick. At least before, she could at least take refuge in the idea that she would just die of natural causes eventually. Then, at least then, she would be reunited with her loved ones again, even if it took a long time...right? Now there was this existential horror dangling over her head and she wished with every fiber of her being that she could forget about it entirely. "I could erase memories-I could make me forget all-"
"No, no, don't do anything like that. Wanda, please." Elsa's voice sounded so worried, and Wanda felt cold hands gently squeezing hers. "You wouldn't be...you. There must be things you do want to remember, along with the horrible memories. Without the bad ones, the good ones might feel...wrong, too." Especially if she's still left in some unfamiliar world without an explanation for why.
What is grief, if not love persevering? Wanda blinked, trying to focus. No, she shouldn't try wiping her own memory. That was wrong and it would probably be stupid too, because it wouldn't erase her own power anyway, and then she'd scare herself upon rediscovering it. And I...don't want to forget the people I love. I don't want that at all. "There are," she whispered. "Remembering the good things just..." It just hurts. I miss them. I miss all of them. Wanda gazed out at the valley. More rock trolls scattered the ground, some sleeping, some not. Little wisps of mist rose from several vents in the natural rocky soil, hazing the air and giving the whole valley a cloudy, mystical feel, especially with the sun setting now and the sky turning a myriad of lavenders and rosy pinks.
Wanda suddenly thought she wanted to be far, far away from here, and the idea of an otherworldly magical power dampener disturbed her. What if it did something else to her, like manipulating her to do some other horrible thing? No, it won't. Stop being paranoid. Anna and Elsa didn't know what this crystal necklace was at all. Their wary reactions said that much, and they were from this world. There was something else niggling at her too, something saying that she shouldn't do anything to purposely nerf herself because doing so would put her in danger, but she had no idea if that was just her own anxiety...or leftover corruption remnants amplifying that normal anxiety to make it worse so that she wouldn't do the right thing. I don't trust myself at all. I have to do something. Before she could rethink it yet again, she pulled away from Elsa and went straight back to Anna, who was still standing next to Pabbie awkwardly, the little dainty necklace still dangling from her hand. "Clasp it. Please." Before I let my own head convince me otherwise.
"I'm not doing this unless you're absolutely sure."
"I am. Please."
Anna frowned, but since Grand Pabbie had assured her she could easily remove it again if they didn't want it anymore, she did as she was asked. If she didn't know otherwise, she would have just assumed Wanda had put on a delicate piece of crystal jewelry, no magic involved at all. "Um...do you feel okay?"
Wanda blinked several times, wishing whatever this necklace's magic was, that she'd had it back in 616. I can still feel and access my magic easily, but it doesn't feel quite so...pressurized and volatile, either. The second Anna had clasped it around her neck, the horrible sensation that she wanted to rip her own skin off to release the pained magic inside faded and then just flowed straight to the broken part of her inside that wouldn't heal. The empty hole stabbing the all of your family is dead and they would never want you now anyway thoughts into her heart was still there, but at least she could tell that yes, she had fixed the physical hole. What was left was the emotional hurt she could not heal with magic anyway, whether she was capable of controlling and wielding that magic properly or not. Vis would tell me those feelings are what makes me human. I'd rather have them than be...empty. Right? "Most of the power is still...there, but I think it helps a...little bit," she said truthfully.
Wanda suspected that this would not prevent her from having nightmares at all, but it might prevent them from seeping and spreading from her telepathically to others. At least, she hoped that was the case. The other thing I absolutely do not want to do unintentionally is reality warping. I don't care what it is, I do not want to cause another Westview incident without even knowing it. Thinking that testing this on herself would be the safest, she simply closed her eyes, trying to decide what to do.
My hair. It was dark brown when Pietro last saw me. I will put it back, that's what I'll do. Start over. Wanda felt a brief tug on her own power, as if she was pulling against whatever magic the crystal necklace contained. It did not hurt, but it was enough to confirm to her that while she could certainly use that ability if she really, really consciously wanted to, it wouldn't randomly occur unintentionally, at least. She suspected she probably could remove the rock trolls' power dampener easily on her own simply by casting a probability hex on it, but she found she had zero desire to do that whatsoever. Wanda opened her eyes and tugged at a bit of her hair so she could see it. Somehow seeing the brown it had been naturally when she was a child, all the way up until she was on the run after the Avengers team split up, just...helped.
"Your hair looks nice," Elsa said now, sensing that this was not merely something random Wanda had chosen to alter as an experiment.
I want to do better. If I have to be here, I want to at least try. "That is what it looks like naturally." Wanda's voice was quiet, but she felt like doing that simple thing was a tiny bug-sized step in the right direction.
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Over the next few days, Wanda steadfastly avoided using her magic, trying to prove to herself that she was in control and she did not have to access it to just...survive. She could not prevent it from reacting while she was asleep, but thankfully the spreading telepathic nightmares ceased, and it only sent items in her room levitating instead. Wanda found that embarrassing because it reminded her of years ago when her powers were first unlocked and then also being at the Avengers Compound after Ultron, but at least this was harmless.
She did not let her hosts convince her to have meals in the dining hall, just staying hidden away in her room or the library with Olaf during normal mealtimes. It seemed whatever ruckus her initial mistake had caused died down immediately since the nightmare incident did not occur again, but the one time she had come down to the dining hall, she could just sense that all of the castle staff knew darn well she was the culprit of the previous magical incident.
They stared.
They whispered when they thought she could not hear them.
The ones that did not do that were just Gerda, Kai, and Erik.
I want to do something. Give them something else to whisper about. No, I don't. That's wrong, that's...shut up.
"Ignore it," Elsa said quietly, with the practiced bearing of someone very used to doing that very thing. Wanda could tell the younger mage was a bit anxious and annoyed herself, but she also knew that most likely no one else could tell at all. "They will get used to you."
There'll always be torches and pitchforks for ladies like us, Wanda. I don't want to think about Agatha, either. That...she probably had a point, anyway. Wanda knew logically that Elsa was probably right, but that comment back from what felt like a lifetime ago jabbed at her anyway. This was a different universe and the same vibe was here, too. No, I caused it. I did wrong things. Take responsibility for what you did. Besides, she suspected that much of it was simply because the two sisters had willingly invited a stranger into their home and were treating her like some important guest, which did not have anything to do with her identity or behavior at all.
One evening she was simply sitting in the window seat beneath the large triangular window in her room holding Olaf when an all-too-familiar portal appeared. Wanda immediately assumed America must be there to drag her back to 616, but the teenager was alone and seemed cautiously happy to see her. Then she grew even more surprised when America stepped through and closed her star-shaped portal. "I...like it...here," Wanda whispered, unable to force any further words of explanation out.
America had been nervous, but she immediately relaxed. Seeing the Scarlet Witch holding the little live snowman and wearing the same style dress America had seen on the other girl native to this universe, Anna, was enough to reassure her that her fresh start plan was working. And her hair looked different too. Not only was it dark brown now instead of red, she had a red ribbon braided into it. "Good. I'm glad," America blurted.
"Is this your friend from your world?" Olaf asked curiously.
I don't know. She shouldn't want to be. “She's the...kind idiot that saved me," Wanda whispered, her pained eyes glued to America. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know I can never make up for what I did to you, but I still want to apologize."
Oblivious to the telepathic message Wanda had said to their visitor, Olaf hopped up. "Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"
America awkwardly hugged Olaf, finding him quite amusing, but mostly she was still focused on Wanda, who seemed a far cry from either the terrifying corrupted witch chasing her or the unconscious injured person she'd left here in the first place. She didn't want to just say 'it's okay', because it really was not 'okay'-people were dead and that couldn't be undone now-but she was glad she had chosen to help regardless. "I forgive you," America decided on finally, "and I, um...I can understand wanting your family back so badly, at least."
This was too much for Wanda's fragile heart; she instinctively hugged America and whispered a thank-you, hot tears burning her eyes. Why is she here? I don't understand why she would say such a thing. “I...I'm sorry. I am sure you don't want me touching you." Wanda quickly backed off, but America caught her arm before she could get far. "I appreciate what you did for me. I don't...understand...why."
"I'm not mad at you. The corrupted you scared me. But I'm not mad. I think...I think that horrible book took advantage of you hurting."
"Why would you ever help me? You could have left me, just like everyone else, but you didn't." She has no reason to care. No reason at all, just like the other me in 838.
America frowned. "I don't know. I just wanted to. I felt like someone who loved their children that much deserved a second chance, okay? The worst desire it could pull from you and turn bad was you wanting your family back. I miss my moms so much. I'm sure some horrible evil book might make me snap and do crazy, awful things to find and get them back too." And there had to be a reason she appeared in my room back at the sanctum. I definitely had to help.
Something about America believing that the twins were real gently soothed another tiny shard of the hurt inside. Someone else believed her. America was not trying to just convince her Billy and Tommy weren't real and didn't exist. It was okay to be angry and hurt they were gone; it was not okay to act like a rampaging monster about it. "If...if you aren't here to take me back, why are you here?" I think I do have to go back. Eventually. Soon. Everything points to that. Wanda did not want to even think about it, knowing that if she did leave, then she would lose the friends she'd made here too. Of course that would happen. Why wouldn't it? She always lost everyone; why would now be any different?
I think America cares. I know she does. She shouldn't, but she does. If she didn't, she would not have tried to help me. Maybe she is a friend too.
"To check on you," America said simply. "Did you make some friends here?" she asked hopefully.
"She has lots of friends," Olaf piped up, "and I am going to go get some of them." He hopped up and went off in search of Anna and Elsa, maybe Gerda or Kristoff too.
Wanda watched him go and then just said, "You found a universe with someone else capable of spontaneous creation." Someone who seems to...understand me too much.
"Another you?"
"No." Wanda didn't offer further explanation, and America didn't ask, though she still looked curious.
Olaf returned with only Elsa in tow. "Anna is in a meeting," he informed America, "but I brought Elsa back."
"You must be Wanda's friend from her world. Hello, and welcome," Elsa greeted America politely.
America stared at Elsa curiously and instantly deduced that she must be the one Wanda had mentioned previously. Elsa looked a bit like some kind of pale icy fairy to her. "Thanks for letting me leave Wanda here. I think I definitely did the right thing."
Elsa smiled a little at that. "I think you did too. I know what happened before-she told us." She looked straight at Wanda, despite continuing to speak to America, and went on, "Someone willing to be honest and tell a couple of strangers what she did previously, offer to leave and never return, et cetera, deserves the second chance you were willing to give."
Wanda blinked. Seeing America here now and realizing that the girl hadn't even merely wanted to dump her elsewhere out of sight out of mind where she could not wreck more things back in 616, that America had come back to check on her, that she actually cared (which was stupid, she should not care), was baffling and surprising. Something told her this was something America had done on her own, no outside influence whatsoever. She did not believe for one second that the sorcerers she imagined America was staying with had instructed the teenager to help.
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616
Satisfied that her plan was successful, America happily reported that to Kate and Yelena and stayed there for the night one last time before heading back to the New York sanctum in the morning. Now she would be able to prove that what she'd done was the right thing to do if asked. It was obvious Wanda was not exactly happy, but she was certainly safe there, and her new friends seemed to be helping. "I'm back," she greeted Stephen eagerly. "I'm sorry I left. I just really, really had to take care of something."
"Have you had contact with her?" There was no preamble to the question whatsoever.
"With who?" America asked innocently, looking just a bit too invested in straightening her jacket.
"Kid, please. You know who. Before, you were asking what would happen if Wanda came back, and then said you'd want to help her," Strange said pointedly. "You acted suspicious then and you are now. You conveniently disappeared the day after asking that question and left that note. Now you came back. You're not in trouble. We just need to know. Is she alive?"
America nodded slowly.
"Where is she now?" Wong asked.
"The same day I came here, like when Wundagore collapsed, she just, like, appeared in my room you guys gave me. Like poofed in there unconscious. She was really hurt and I felt bad, so I decided to help." America figured it was okay for her to explain now, because at least she had proof that her plan was working, and she could show them if necessary. "I thought, I lost my moms. And she lost her kids. Maybe we could've been friends if the stupid evil book wasn't around before."
"...What did you do with her? She's not hiding in your room, obviously..."
"I took her to another universe and left her there with-"
"You what?" Wong looked horrified; Stephen was clearly unsurprised.
"I said I took her to another universe. There's a girl with magic there that can also spontaneously create things. Like, not as much magic, obviously, but she's helping. And her sister." America paused and went on, "So, I went back and checked, too. She's happy. Or like, I know she isn't really happy, but she hugged me and said she appreciated everything and didn't understand why I did that. I think she's a friend now. Not crazy and trying to kill me."
There was a glance traded between the two men that told America she was about to hear something she wouldn't like. "Miss Chavez, listen carefully. You need to go get her and convince her to come back," Wong told her firmly. "Immediately."
"But nobody's hurt, I swear. I can show you, honest!"
"It's nothing to do with that. If she stays there, her presence may cause an incursion, even if she's not hurting anyone. Normally one person wouldn't affect the grand scheme of things enough to worry about that at all, but Wanda is the Scarlet Witch, and she isn't supposed to be in that world, America," Strange explained. "If we can somehow prove her being there will not do such a thing, then you may take her back if you and her wish to do so. But if and until then, she needs to be here."
"I travel the multiverse and it doesn't hurt anything..."
"There's one of you. You're an anomaly, and not someone wielding chaos magic. We already know there are variants of her, but only one Scarlet Witch. If there's another of her there already, it will destabilize their reality. If there isn't, it might be fine, but we need to do some research. You can help us with that." Wong started trying to shoo America away. "Go fetch your unstable friend. Nobody is going to hurt her."
America closed her eyes and started the process of focusing on where she wanted her portal to open, but then glanced up again. "What's going to happen to her here?"
Wong just looked tired now. "I don't know. It's not like any of us have a way to contain her anywhere if she really wants to leave. In theory, the plan is to put her on a house arrest of sorts right here in the sanctum with her magic restrained, but quite frankly she can probably reality warp out of any kind of restraints we have access to. But whatever happens, she is our problem to deal with, not wherever you sent her. She must return here."
"The public doesn't know about anything other than the Gargantos squid monster attack, and that cannot be connected to her anyway. We want to keep it that way," Strange added. "No need to cause mass hysteria. Do the people you left her with in the other universe even know what she's done?"
"Yes," America said softly. "I sort of explained when I dropped her there, and she told them the truth herself and offered to go away peacefully if they did not want her there."
The two sorcerers were surprised, but America could also tell they were relieved that they weren't sending her off to fetch someone that still wanted to destroy anything in her path. "All right, we're trusting you to bring her back then. I doubt our presence will make it any simpler. Come straight back here. Please don't just come back and hide her somewhere."
"Do not bring anyone, especially not the girl with the magic also able to spontaneously create things, that lives there back here, either," Wong said firmly.
"For the same reason I'm supposed to get Wanda and bring her back, right?"
"That's right. We do not have enough information right now to know whether doing so is safe or not."
America paused again, thinking. "Can I at least give her one more day?" I know she doesn't want to come back here.
"Absolutely not. It's been too long already. You can play multiversal post office pen pal if you want to, though,” Stephen suggested.
"...Okay."
Notes:
yeah, Wanda purposely changing her hair is meant to be symbolic of her starting to heal:) No shade on Wanda’s red hair whatsoever, I love her red hair too, but I felt like it was something she would probably do at this point.
For anyone on this story also reading Aftermath, YEP, Yelena’s referring to events that will eventually happen in that story! I like making my fics be somewhat connected while still being readable on their own haha.
And yes, while I tried to hint at this throughout this chapter, she’s going back to 616 next chapter. America needs practice with her portals, so yes, she’ll be the One Girl Multiversal Post Office lol!:)
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Summary:
In which America brings Wanda back to 616. Wanda understandably does not want to go, but cooperates anyway. They return to the New York sanctum. Wanda willingly cooperates with Wong planning to keep her contained there for now and is surprised to discover the Sorcerer Supreme doesn’t seem to hate her. Also, Strange and Wanda have a meaningful conversation about some previous events even though they rather dislike each other.
Notes:
Wong is going to have his hands full! Guess he better go chill with Madisynn when he has a chance...lol
I have done my best to address the mutual dislike between Strange and Wanda here without trashing either of them haha. They’ll never be besties, but they will eventually be much more pleasant to one another later on.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
ARENDELLE
"...but Stephen and Mr. Wong specifically said if we could prove it was safe, I could bring you back here if we wanted," America finished her explanation about the potential incursion destruction problem. America thought she felt weirdly out of place in a way she did not like now, watching Elsa and Wanda staring at her from their interrupted chess game in the castle library. They both looked upset and a bit mad, and just resigned.
I knew this was too pleasant to last. And I knew I would have to leave. "Tell Anna I said goodbye and thank you," Wanda said stiffly, standing up and touching the small crystalline beads on her necklace. There was no point in protesting or insisting that America go and leave her here. While she genuinely disliked Strange and figured this was mutual, she didn't believe he would lie about something like that. Wong was still mostly an enigma to her, really, but he had no reason to lie about this, either. They wouldn't send America here to get her back unless they felt like there was absolutely no choice.
Elsa frowned at her. "If you go back home, you'll be stuck with that necklace for good because Anna won't be there to remove it. Let me get Anna, it would just be a min-"
"No. This is a little safer, safer for me and everyone else. It's not like it does much in the first place," Wanda interrupted. "I still have plenty of magic to access. Don't...don't go find her. I should just go. Thank you for...everything." If Anna comes in, she will probably cry, and then I will cry too.
America glanced from one mage to the other, still curious about this necklace. It seemed like it was a magic dampener of some kind that did not work very well, something that only the person who put it on its recipient could remove. This did not, however, explain why someone who could reality warp at will wouldn't be able to neutralize it...unless she simply didn't want to, or she couldn't do that particular thing with her magic while wearing it. "I can bring messages back and forth," America offered. "Besides, I need practice opening portals. That would be great practice."
"Is she going to be safe back home?" Elsa asked America.
"Sure. Mr. Wong and Stephen won't let anyone hurt her," America said confidently.
Wanda privately thought they wouldn't care one way or the other if she were hurt or not, but she didn't say this. Elsa was asking if she should come along just to be sure now. "You do not want to come, technology or no."
"You can't come for the same reason I have to take Wanda back," America explained. "It's the same problem but in reverse. But I'll come back and update you and Anna at least. I can do that."
Elsa gave her friend a hug. "Despite the rocky start, I really, really have enjoyed having you here," she said quietly. "Thank you for trusting us and being a friend."
”You and your family made me feel wanted, even when you didn't trust me," Wanda pushed the telepathic message to Elsa. "So thank you. And thank you for...just being willing to help."
Elsa just nodded and gave Wanda's hand a squeeze. "Of course."
"You did not have to, though." Wanda did not know how to explain how much it meant to her to have someone being willing to simply be there, to treat her with unending kindness and understanding despite everything.
Wanda dearly hoped America really would take messages back and forth, but she would not request it, either. "If I am never able to talk to you or Anna again, I just want you to know I will never forget what you did for me."
"Do you really have to go?" Olaf asked, obviously disappointed.
"I do. I'm sorry. I will not put all of you in more danger than I already have." Wanda knelt next to the little snowman and hugged him, much to Olaf's delight.
"Elsa can recreate me if I go poof and disappear all into floaty bits," Olaf said nonchalantly, "so I would be safe even if your magic made a mess. You should make your friend again, when you go to your other home."
Wanda's shoulders tensed, and she pulled away, staring at Olaf. "...Make my friend? What do you mean?"
Olaf continued earnestly. "The one who gave you the paper you always carry. And look at a lot. V-something something."
What? “I...can't." Wanda felt her hand shaking as she put her hand in her pocket, touching the well-worn folded paper there. "Olaf, why are you...saying...that?"
"You talk in your sleep. Last night you cried and said you were sorry for making him wrong before." Olaf hopped up onto the table, knocking a few chess pieces to the floor. "You have a Kristoff. That you made. Time to go now. We love you. Good-bye for now."
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By the time Anna came running into the library a few minutes later, America and Wanda were long gone. "What is going on? She sent me a telepathic message saying 'thank you for having me. I have to leave. I'm so sorry'. I wanted to come up here but I was out in the courtyard and came as fast as I could." She studied Elsa, who was pushing chess pieces back and forth across the board. "She's like...gone gone, isn't she? Her friend from her world came to get her?"
Elsa nodded and gave Anna the same explanation America had given to her. "I don't particularly understand why one person's presence could be that dangerous if they are not tearing things apart, but America wasn't lying, either."
"She said I reminded her of her twin the other day. And she couldn't let herself say good-bye in person to me," Anna said, clearly frustrated their guest was gone. "Why would she say that?"
"That little crystal necklace, that's why. You put it on her as requested. I don't think she wanted you to convince her she didn't need it, which I know you'd do." Elsa shook her head.
"Yeah, I definitely would, because it sounded like her world was a place you'd want as much power as possible so's you can protect yourself or fight bad guys, not purposely decrease it! Even if it's just a little bit."
Elsa created her own snowflake floating over her palm and just stared at it. I would have done the same. "I...understand exactly why she chose to take it with her. You saw Wanda's magic multiple times we visited the trolls; she has plenty, plenty of magic access still. Remember what Grand Pabbie said?"
"Yeah, he said she scared him and she could destroy the world. He made her get mad and cry. Stupid Grand Pabbie."
"That is precisely why she took the necklace with her. Besides, no one else knows what it is. It looks like an ordinary piece of dainty jewelry. So, she should be fine. It's not even like it does much anyway."
"Well, I hope America comes back soon. I want to at least see her and Wanda and tell them goodbye myself."
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616
The portal deposited America and Wanda within New York City, but in Times Square rather than inside the sanctum as planned. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. "See, I need more practice," America said, only half joking. She glanced at Wanda because she didn't react at all and America had been hoping for at least a smile. "You don't like it here, do you?"
"I suppose it's just noisier than I remember. After Westview, I lived alone in the middle of nowhere until...you know. Then you sent me somewhere else quiet." Wanda sighed and turned away. "I am so, so sorry for what I did to you, America. I just wish you to know. You had no reason to want to help me, but you did anyway."
"I know you are. I just wanted to. And I'm really glad Stephen said 'trust your instincts', 'cause I did just that." America skipped a bit so she was in front of Wanda and began walking backwards as they headed out of Times Square. Wanda looked ever so slightly perturbed at the mention of Strange. "Annnnd you don't like him, do you? Horrid old Darkhold book or not."
"...No."
"Well, pretend you do, because we're going back to the sanctum."
"I can't go there. I'm not even supposed to be in there," Wanda said slowly, wondering why on earth America would suggest that. Because no one besides the sorcerers know what I've done and they don't want the public to know I destroyed Kamar-Taj. To reveal that means revealing magical defenses are weak now. They want to deal with me themselves, she realized.
"Mr. Wong and Stephen told me to," America said carefully, and then added in a great big hurry, "and they're not going to hurt you. They said something about not wanting the public to know about you causing the squid monster and stuff. Um. Am I going to have to tell them you wouldn't come?"
Wanda wondered if this was even the truth. America could have been told one thing because they knew the teenager stupidly cared too much, and wanted America to say that so she would come along without fuss. They didn't have any way of knowing she didn't plan to make any kind of fuss at all, so they might have told America to say whatever they thought would be most likely to make her cooperative. "No. I don't care what they want to do with me now." I don't have anything left anyway. I can't even see the new friends I made. Of course they are gone. Why wouldn't they be? I lose everyone. Every time. Whatever is decided upon, I know I deserve it.
"Kind of matters because you're upset. You mess up when you're upset," America pointed out. "And your messups are really big messups. You did horrid crimes because you were hurting." America didn't sound mad at all, just matter of fact. "Maybe I should take you to my friends' apartment instead, with Yelena and Kate, and-"
"If I feel at all out of control like that in any way, I will try to eliminate the problem myself, even if they don't wish to do so," Wanda interrupted, her slight accent a bit more obvious than usual.
America pulled her by the arm off to the side, out of the main foot traffic on the sidewalk. "And I think you tried that already and it didn't work. Don't...please don't do that. I don't know why I care so much, but I really, really do. Don't die, please. I...I know you lost people you loved. I lost my moms and you lost your children. I don't want you to be...hurting anymore." America sounded like she might cry, and felt stupid for feeling like she would. Then she realized she wasn't the only one that was crying; there were tears filling Wanda's eyes too. "Hey, are you...okay?"
”I think so. Thank you. Thank you so much," America 'heard' in her head. There was an unpleasant surge of emotional pain in that telepathic voice, but she could tell Wanda was not trying to hurt her now; she merely wanted America to know how she felt and didn't know how to explain without projecting the feeling onto her briefly. In a moment the feeling withdrew and America hesitantly reached for Wanda's hand. Wanda accepted it but was obviously surprised. Without further discussion, Wanda simply said, "Okay. Let's go."
Then, in a not-quite deadpan voice that made it clear it was the truth but that she wouldn't actually do anything, "I will cooperate, but I will not be pleased if I have to talk to Stephen Strange."
America laughed at that. "I don't think he likes you very much either, honestly. So he's not going to hang around talking to you unless Mr. Wong makes him. Which he won't, because it would piss you off, and he's worried what you'd do if you're pissed." Because last time, you chucked him off a mountain, she didn't add.
_________________
"We're back," America announced once they were back to the sanctum. An acolyte cleaning the entry hall looked startled and ran off without a word upon seeing who was there, and Wanda sighed. This wasn't exactly a good sign of things to come, but she did not blame him one bit, either.
A minute or two passed in an awkward silence until Wong and Stephen appeared. "Mission successful, Miss Chavez," Wong nodded appreciatively. "You took hours. We started to get worried."
"Yeah, that's because when I came back, I accidentally opened a portal into Times Square instead of here. Nobody seemed to notice though. I mean, I guess I could've risked making another one after, but we decided to walk instead."
"You decided to walk or you were made to?" Strange asked.
"Uh, I definitely decided to. She didn't do anything to me, honest." America looked at Wanda, wondering why she wasn't defending herself, but only received a tiny nearly imperceptible shrug in response. "Why would she come with me instead of teleporting away or something if she was stalling?"
Strange nodded. This seemed logical, but also...too easy. "Wanda."
"Stephen," came the flat reply. Wanda said nothing more to him, but turned her attention to Wong instead. "I am sorry for throwing you off Mount Wundagore." She saw the Sorcerer Supreme relax a little and realized he might have told America to bring her here, but he definitely had thought she was going to cause trouble, and probably was still worried what she might do now.
Wong nodded slightly. "Well, now prove that by cooperating. I don't want any connection between you and that murderous behavior going public in any way. Nor do I want any more of my acolytes knowing you're here."
"Are you sending me to the Raft?" Wanda immediately decided that if that was the case, then she would leave on her own. She would not go back to that underwater prison no matter what, never ever. Besides, even if I really did try to cooperate, even with...that...I think my magic would lash out without me even trying to.
"Did you not hear what I said? That would mean exposing Gargantos and the decimating of Kamar-Taj as your doing. No. You are not being sent to the Raft. Not that there would be any point to that anyway, would there. Because you don't want to and no one could make you." The non-question sounded annoyed. Wong paused before continuing, "If you really are sorry, then you listen."
"I am listening."
"Miss Chavez, please leave us for now. You can talk to her later," Wong said, and turned his attention back to Wanda once the girl had trotted off. "You go that way. In front of me. I'll tell you where to go." He watched Wanda's shoulders tense briefly and added, "No one is going to hurt you. I just do not trust you enough to have you walking behind me."
Wanda's eyes flicked to Stephen and then back to Wong. "Does he have to be here?"
"For now. You don't have to talk to him." Wong opened a portal to a stony gray hall lit by torches. "Through here."
Wanda did as she was told and went a few steps farther down the hall until they were in front of a solid-looking metal door. I don't want to go in there. It looks like some of the doors inside a Hydra base. The cells and...experimenting. It's Wong, not that. He is not a malicious person anyway. It's fine. I said I would cooperate. I will. It doesn't matter. I can just- Wanda's thoughts abruptly ceased when Stephen opened that unpleasant-looking door. The inside did not look nice, exactly, but it didn't look at all like some horrible place to punish a criminal, either. It just looked like a tiny, normal room that happened to have stone walls. She glanced at Wong questioningly, pointedly ignoring Strange. "This is...for me?"
Wong gave her an odd look. "Why else would I bring you here? It's just a cell. Please just...go in, will you," he said, misjudging the hesitation for why she didn't enter immediately.
Wanda went in and simply sat on the narrow bed, watching the two sorcerers warily. Surely they were not going to simply just let her stay free in here, somewhere she might easily just teleport out any moment or attack someone if she wished, even if she didn't plan on doing anything of the sort. Memories of the Raft from years before flitted through her head. Those people there hadn't even seemed to think she had any feelings at all, or if they did, they just didn't care. Wong had even assured her nobody was going to hurt her now, and she had done much, much worse now than the mistakes she'd made back then. "I want him to leave," she ventured, because she wanted to see what would happen if she spoke up.
"All right, Strange will wait right outside then."
Wanda stared at Wong and didn't say anything else. She heard Strange ask why would Wong listen and felt a bit pleased at Wong's "Don't question it, she just wants to know how we'll react" answer. Yes, she did just want to know. Now she did. The door creaked closed, and Wanda eyed the things in the Sorcerer Supreme's hand. "I won't fight you," she said quietly, because Wong looked worried now, worried how she might react. He isn't going to hurt me. I know that. I should just...calm down. Calm down. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter it doesn't matter. Two bracelets clamped around her wrists like cuffs, but she did not feel one bit different at all.
"They simply block magic from being used. They're not going to hurt you in any way," Wong told her. And I don't know how well they'll work on you.
Wanda decided not to correct him. Maybe they worked on a sorcerer, but her own magic felt completely unaffected whatsoever, as if she were just wearing normal bangle bracelets or something. If Wong wanted to believe otherwise, then she would let him. If asked, she would tell him the truth, but otherwise she fully intended to keep that information to herself. She tensed and closed her eyes at the feeling of something locking unpleasantly around her neck, but she didn't react otherwise. "I already know how that works. No need for explanations," she said flatly. The accent was back. At least this time there weren't sharp prong things jabbing her skin immediately. Obviously Wong didn't actually want to hurt her, and she suspected this iteration had actually been concerned with not automatically being a torture device by its mere presence on someone.
Wong hesitated, unsure what to say to that. Wanda didn't even sound angry, more sad and scared, which seemed very, very odd and out of place. There was no reason for her to sound genuinely frightened. "All that behavior before and you're scared of a shock collar? Should I have simply tried to startle you with one before?"
Wanda didn't smile, but she let out a humorless laugh and shook her head. "No. I would have shredded it on sight. I just was reminded of something."
"This have to do with the Raft?"
Wanda nodded. "At least you are treating me like a...a person," she whispered. "It's fine. I don't understand why you wouldn't just automatically kill me after what I did." Try to. Even what I did to myself before didn't work. Wanda's fingers twitched nervously where she had her hands clasped in her lap, but she did not react otherwise.
"Because I know what the Darkhold does to people. Someone like you was in trouble the second you opened it. Book is gone now, and you destroyed it. Prove you deserve another chance."
Wanda's green eyes turned flinty. "But it's okay that he used the damn thing."
"No, it is most definitely not, but he used it once, and you chose to study out of it for an extended period of time. Big difference in the effect on a person." Wong didn't sound angry, but he did sound tired.
Wanda clenched her hands into fists. Why did I say that? He's not even angry, and he is right. Once isn't the same. Of course it's not the same. "I am sorry. I don't know why I said that."
"Darkhold corruption does not automatically disappear entirely once the user stops reading or otherwise using the book, and I think you've easily realized that already. You have to handle the temptation to think about it and learn to deal with it. Luckily for all of us, you destroyed the Darkhold, so it is at least impossible to actually use it."
It was disheartening to hear that suspicion confirmed from Wong, but it was nice to know he understood, at least. Wanda nodded but remained quiet.
"Even if you and Stephen had both used it the same amount, I have a feeling it would probably still be more difficult for you to break free of it than him. You hold deep-seated grudges and always lash out when especially hurt. Those are the exact type of things the Darkhold feeds on. You are the perfect victim. Someone with a tremendous amount of power and a whole plethora of negative emotions for it to latch onto and twist into something ugly." Wong studied Wanda closely, but she just continued sitting there in silence, her hands carefully clasped in her lap. "Do you understand?"
"Yes. What...what exactly did you want me to do here?" Wanda felt strangely ripped open and exposed on the inside hearing all of that from a man she really didn't know well, especially when she knew he was completely correct. "Do I stay here permanently? You must want something from me. Else you would have had America bring me back and simply execute me on sight." Try to.
"Prove you can handle those corruption remnants and can be trusted. Then we'll talk about what happens next." Wong turned to leave, but then looked back at her. "Just so you know, there is only one control to that collar, Wanda. I have it right here. No one is going to torture you with it, nor ever shock you with no warning. It's merely set to react if it detects you using any magic, which shouldn't happen anyway with the bracelets. Merely a secondary precaution, nothing more."
Wanda blinked at him in confusion. That was decidedly not a reaction she had expected; the sorcerer sounded like he genuinely cared that she know that he wasn't planning to cause her pain on purpose. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I do not want to hurt you; I don't want you to think this is like whatever was done to you on the Raft years ago. There is no other reason you'd have reacted like that. That place is a nuthouse and unless it is much changed, run poorly in my opinion. You and the other rogue Avengers never should have been sent there."
"They left the lights on 24/7 so you couldn't sleep. It was cold. They...questioned us on where Bucky and Cap were, and liked using threatening me to try to get the others to talk. Among other things. I don't know what happened to the others when I wasn't there because nobody talked about it, but there was one guard that liked shocking me every time he walked past just to see my reaction. I wanted to kill him. I was stupid and let them put a straitjacket on me, and I couldn't eat, just sip whatever water we got, so by the time Cap broke us out, I was so hungry. It was...horrible." And being hungry reminded me of being with Pietro, so I missed him even more. Wanda wondered why she'd just voluntarily blurted all of those hurtful things, but then decided she did not care. Wong was not going to hurt her; he'd said he wouldn't, and she believed that much. If he wanted to he would have done so already. "I...I'm sorry. I have no right to expect you to listen to me."
"No, you don't, but I don't mind listening, either. So talk if you like." Wong was all the more surprised when Wanda stood up and did a strange bow. "What on earth are you doing?"
"I thought people were supposed to bow in the presence of the Sorcerer Supreme to show respect. I decided I wished to. I promise I will cooperate to the best of my ability."
Wong finally relaxed entirely. Clearly the only problem would be a magical accident, if anything at all, nothing intentional. This actually means a lot, probably even more to me than her. She is trying to do better. “Only if they know about the custom, Miss Maximoff. Moreover, you are not a sorcerer. A polite nod will do. But...thank you."
The switch from her given name to the more polite 'miss last name' that Wong seemed to like using for America was not lost on Wanda. She smiled a tiny bit and nodded.
"And what you just told me about the Raft, I wouldn't wish that treatment on anyone, ever. I'm sorry that happened to you and the other rogue Avengers."
____________________
Wanda sighed and curled up on the small bed in her little room once she was alone again. Wong claimed it was a cell, but compared to the Raft or a Hydra cell, it was just a normal, comfortable, if sparsely furnished, little room. There was the bed (surprisingly soft), a small metal table and chair (a bit rickety), and a teeny tiny shower and toilet and sink, with a curtain for privacy (clean and smelled nice). Maybe the "cell" was used for containing misbehaving sorcerers normally, but it definitely didn't feel ugly or at all unpleasant, either. She ignored the knock on the door awhile later; the person would either come in or they wouldn't and it didn't matter. The door became a circular sparkling orange portal before crackling closed again.
"America said I should talk to you."
Strange. Wanda sat up. "She would say that."
"Have you honestly done nothing to her? She's acting like you need protecting instead of the other way around," Strange told her. "The kid has grown on me. If you hurt her..."
"I did not do a thing to her. Why would I let America bring me here in the first place then?" Wanda stood up and looked him right in the eyes. "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you. I am cooperating, like I promised the Sorcerer Supreme. I have nothing to say to you. Let me be, and if all of you do decide you want the Scarlet Witch dead, I want him to do it or let me do it myself." Try to. "Not you. Get out of here." Why did I say any of that? This isn't helpful. I should be quiet. I should apologize. Wanda realized she was not sorry for snapping at Stephen, and she didn't want to give a fake apology, so she simply turned away, ignored him, and didn't say anything more.
"What if I tell America all of that?"
"I do not care. She knows I don't like you already. You cannot make her dislike me by telling her I was rude. She already saw me at my worst before." Wanda turned around again and added quietly, "I am sorry for everything from...before."
"Do you want anything?"
What? "Is that a trick question?"
"No, it just seems likely that I should believe you, because you are being snappy, but did apologize for all the witchy nonsense."
Wanda blinked. "Talk about rude."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I read the Darkhold. That's on me. That was wrong. That is not, however, 'witchy nonsense'. I'm apologizing for all the harm and pain I caused, not for having a different kind of magic than you. What did you ever come visit my cabin for in the first place if you thought I just had witchy nonsense?" Wanda crossed her arms, feeling defensive and frustrated again. "You could use an Avenger. Lunchboxes. Do you really think I care about being on lunchboxes? Because I don't. I didn't. I just wanted a family. And you all left or died. No one ever came before. No one came until they wanted something."
"You could have reached out yourself, you know." Stephen sounded more baffled than accusatory, like he simply did not understand why she wouldn't do that if she wanted someone around.
I didn't want to bother Clint. He has his own family. I never even thought to try reaching out to anyone else. “I did try to talk to you, and you ignored everything I said. You dismissed it, you didn't even try to understand anything. It was exactly what I thought would happen if I did reach out earlier myself." I am talking too much. I'll make everything worse. Shut up, Wanda. You told him you had nothing else to say to him. Wanda felt red sparks forming around her fingers and heard a warning beep from her collar, but decided she did not care in the least. Let it shock her onto the floor; her magic would explode out of her anyway and startle him, just not harm him because she did not want it to. Who cared if it hurt her to do so? "I tried to explain, I tried a-and it wasn't working and..." she trailed off, yanking the bits of magic back inside and squeezing her hands into fists. The stupid evil book might be good to have around right now so she could whack Stephen's stubborn head with it. He was not going to listen to or understand anything she tried to tell him. There had been no point trying previously and there would be no point now. I'm not going to bother. What for?
"You blame me for giving Thanos the time stone. You even asked me about it before while under the Darkhold's influence. That wasn't just because of the book, was it?" Strange asked, sounding much, much more serious than before, the slight snarky edge in his tone gone.
"He killed Vision, Stephen. I had to blow a hole in his head, and then it meant nothing. Then he...died...again, in Westview," Wanda told him, accent obvious again. "You gave that...that wrinkled grape the stone. You made it possible. Yes. Yes, I do blame you. What else should I think?" she asked sharply.
"There...wasn't another way, Wanda. Not in any of the millions of possibilities I saw." It had been pointless to attempt reasoning with corrupted Wanda, but the Wanda standing in front of him now was still hurting, still angry, and still repeating bits of the same things she had said before while under the Darkhold's influence. She just no longer wished to tear the place apart upon not getting the reaction or understanding she wanted.
"And the ones you didn't? Infinite possibilities and all that? Was that just the first possibility where the final outcome was successful? Or was it really the only one?"
Strange hesitated. "I don't know. Sometimes I still question it. I can tell you I did what I felt I had to do." The irony of repeating a similar conversation over again felt more than a little disturbing.
"It isn't like what one feels they have to do is always the right thing. I should know that much," Wanda said quietly. "You told me you 'did what you had to do' before, and I still don't..." she searched for the right words, "I still don't feel like that is a satisfactory reason. I just can express that correctly now instead of being an irrational rampaging monster." There. That's a reasonable explanation. I still feel angry with him, but not...not in that horrible, twisted way from before.
"It's all I can give you."
"I know, but it doesn't change how I feel."
"Okay."
Wanda looked down at her fingers, wondering why she had even bothered explaining at all. This was not going to help anything. It did sort of feel nice to unload properly though, especially since it felt obvious there was a mutual dislike between them. The simple 'okay' also felt a bit like an olive branch of sorts; or else, it meant Strange still wondered himself if that really had been the one and only option. "If I had known what Thanos would do with that stone and known I was the Scarlet Witch sooner, I could have ripped him apart back then myself before Vision died," she whispered. That's...my fault, isn't it? Couldn't I have done that?
"With him having a nearly complete infinity gauntlet?" Stephen leaned against the wall and watched her thoughtfully.
"I did destroy Vision's mind stone while holding Thanos off and he had five infinity stones. That was then. I had no idea what I could do then. I'd say possibly, at worst. Definitely, if I had the rest of you also distracting him or something." Wanda shook her head and swiped her fingers across her eyes, wishing the tears would just go away. "You are looking at a walking infinity gauntlet to some extent, remember?"
"Mind, power, space, reality, yes. Soul and time, no."
Wanda crossed her arms again defensively. "Within a pocket reality like Westview, yes," she whispered. "They were real inside there. My family was not fake, so don't you dare tell me my children weren't real ever again. And I...I can return things to their previous state of being or send them to a future one, rewinding time for a particular object or person for example...I didn't really understand what I was doing, but...I do now." And it's too much. Too much for one person, especially not someone like me.
"You never did anything at that level of power, even when you decimated Kamar-Taj and murdered the Illumi-whatever in 838," Stephen pointed out. This was news, major news, and he didn't like it. It certainly didn't seem like she was lying. If this was true, then corrupted Wanda's claims of 'being reasonable' made significantly more sense.
"And corrupted me did tell you I was being reasonable," Wanda replied simply. "That was me holding back. I was not lying about that." The dark part of her felt just a bit satisfied that he flinched hearing that explanation, which she thought probably meant she was a bad person, but right then she did not care one bit. Her eyes glowed red briefly. Then she flinched herself when the collar released a mild warning shock.
"Your necklace contains unfamiliar magic. Is that why you haven't reality warped out of that already in the first place?"
Wanda's hand shot to her delicate-looking necklace and touched it protectively. "You can't take that. I don't think you want to take that," she said quickly. "I said I'd cooperate. I have."
Stephen walked closer, and Wanda backed up a little. "I think you found some kind of magic dampener in the other universe and actually wanted it. Something that doesn't work well on you, but helps just enough that you find your magic easier to control," he told her. "That's not made with sorcery or witchcraft. What is it?"
Wanda clamped her mouth shut and refused to answer. It was one thing to let someone like Anna have that power over her; she was not going to tell Stephen about it, even if he couldn't get it off her in the first place. Remaining in her little room and not causing a fuss would just have to be cooperative enough. She was suddenly very, very glad Anna was not in 616. With no Anna present, then no one could take it away from her.
"So...that delicate little thing works, yet our sorcery-blocking bracelet cuffs don't work on you at all," Strange reasoned, sounding far more curious than concerned now. "You created red wisps a minute ago. Why stop?"
"Because I am not angry enough to get shocked flat to the floor just to spite you right now. I'm not some surgical experiment of yours. Keep studying me like that and I will be angry enough to do so," Wanda spat at him. "Maybe they don't work because they were made for sorcerers, not a witch. This," she tapped her neck, "looks like something...inspired from the Raft version from years ago, and has been upgraded to not be such a horrible torture device. You know what else I think? This was made specifically for me, just like the one back then. You do not just randomly have a shock collar that detects my power signature lying around." I don't blame any of them, not after Westview. It was probably designed then after I ran off. Or at some point while I was on the run before. I'm lucky Wong somehow got ahold of it instead of someone like Ross or Hayward. Whatever dislike she held for Strange, she knew quite well that she would much, much prefer him as a jailer over either of those two or their ilk.
"You can hardly blame us, Wanda," Stephen answered.
"I don't. I don't have to like it, either." Wanda knew she was being prickly, prickly, prickly, but she didn't care. Maybe if she annoyed him enough, he would tell Wong he should execute her. Try to. America didn't want her to do that to herself, but maybe she wouldn't be as upset if she wasn't the one who did the deed. She would be and you know it. Don't antagonize just for that. Wanda snatched her hand back when he reached for her wrist. "What are you doing?"
"Removing those cuffs because they don't do anything. Wong will agree."
"You didn't even ask him. Maybe you should since he's the Sorcerer Supreme, not you. Don't touch me."
"This doesn't sound cooperative."
Before he could blink, Strange felt a small red energy blast push him into the door. Instantly Wanda tensed and dropped to her knees, her hands on her neck, eyes squeezed shut. She looked more annoyed than anything; clearly she had known precisely what would happen and did not care one bit. "Was that really worth it?"
"Yes. Just...leave me alone." Wanda thought she probably could get out of that collar without ruining the crystal necklace; she would just get shocked again in the process. It would only take a moment to rip it apart or something and she'd simply need to react faster than its sensors detecting her using magic. She knew Anna's necklace didn't make reality-warping impossible, but when she had tried back in Arendelle by making her hair brown again just as an experiment, it hadn't come easily like normal, either. That had been reassuring enough to know that it at least would not happen by accident, and she hadn't bothered to try since then. This was not information she wanted anyone else to have though. They could just all think she was crazy enough to not care at all if something hurt her when she did something she wasn't supposed to, because it was true and she would much rather them think that than know she had purposely nerfed herself somewhat. The idea of rewriting reality scared people away and if they were scared, then maybe they would leave her alone. But I don't want to be alone, either. I just...don't want to be hurt any more.
"I'll ask again if you want anything," Strange said now, unbothered by the small magic outburst since it was obvious she hadn't tried to hurt him. She just wanted to prove her magic wasn't actually fully contained and she's choosing to remain here. And...she probably hates me and wanted an excuse to do that.
Wanda didn't answer right away, but she let her hands drop to her lap. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't want to hurt him, sure, but...still. "A book to read," she said finally. Staying in the little room was fine, but if she had nothing to distract herself with other than her own thoughts and that her neck was a bit sore already, that would be very bad.
"Any particular book?"
"No, but...I want America to pick it out. Tell her I want to read a book she likes." Wanda stood up and turned away again, thinking Stephen would probably believe she had some ulterior motive for asking that, but his amused reply oddly made her relax.
"She'll probably give you a kids' book or something, you know."
Wanda glanced at him, her green eyes a bit brighter than before. "That's fine. I don't care. It's not like I will have read it before anyway, most likely." She watched him nod and leave, and then heard a For the record, I believe what you said now, from outside the door. Wanda didn't answer, but it felt nice to hear that someone who genuinely neither liked nor trusted her actually believed she had told him the truth now.
________________
"What were you doing in that cell? I thought I told you leave the Scarlet Witch alone, Stephen," Wong scolded a few minutes later. "She doesn't like you; you don't like her. Has nothing to do with the Darkhold. We don't need to encourage scuffles when everything is going fine thus far, thank goodness."
"The kid wanted me to talk to her, and I believe the precise phrasing you gave me was 'don't antagonize her', so..."
"Is Miss Chavez in charge here? No. She is not. I find it very difficult to believe your mere presence wouldn't antagonize her. Nobody goes in there or even gets close to her, clear? Especially not you," Wong said firmly. "I'll take her meals myself, and since she seems to be...oddly attached to Miss Chavez now, if she wants to visit, then she can. Anything to keep things calm."
"The bracelet cuffs do not work on her," Stephen told him. "I thought you'd want to remove them if that was the case, but she wouldn't let me."
"Why do I think she probably said you should get the Sorcerer Supreme instead?"
"Because...she did."
"I see one of you misbehaving magic wielders acknowledges who's in charge," Wong said, sounding mildly entertained. "She bowed before I left her cell. I didn't tell her to do that, either." If Wanda was genuinely no longer corrupted beyond tiny remnants she could easily control, this behavior from her sounded reassuring rather than uncooperative. It sounded as if the witch was her normal self and behaving in a way that reflected her true feelings, but not destructively, either.
"She threw you off a mountain, I hardly think bowing means-"
"Stop right there. You both dreamwalked. You both broke rules. You merely had much more altruistic reasons for doing so. I'm still concerned about you also. That's another reason I don't want you talking to her. The Darkhold is gone, but you used it too." Wong hesitated, debating how much to explain. "Just because the book is destroyed doesn't mean the two of you wouldn't continue to be somewhat affected by its corruption, thinking about it and wanting to use it, even if it's impossible. You only used it once, so you are probably fine. We also know she had the thing since Westview, probably studying it all the time since then up until she destroyed it. Because she voluntarily chose to do that and no one forced her to do so, she's probably fine also. But you both have minute remnants of corruption left."
Strange was quiet for a minute, considering. This is very true. I closed it as soon as possible, but... "If she decides to attempt reading my mind-"
"You best not let her; you best not provoke her into breaking that collar off. I'm no fool, I know if she really wants out, she'll break free, shock or no. That isn't foolproof. That's more of...a last ditch chance for someone to escape should she try lashing out at them, because at least she'll be down briefly, longer the larger the magic use and stronger the shock is. I don't think it will be an issue, but I don't know what else to do with her. You still remember the dreamwalking spell, don't you."
"Photographic memory, remember? Of course I do."
"You are to stay away from her, am I clear? With Kamar-Taj destroyed, our best mystic defenses for Earth are ruined until it's fully rebuilt. The other reason she's here is because no matter what crimes she committed before, she's also our best chance should some threat arise we're not equipped to handle right now." Wong shook his head. "I don't like it, but there is nothing else to be done."
"So we're going to lock her up here in the sanctum, where she's technically not even supposed to be, and then go, 'Hey, now we need you to fight for us' later? She's already upset nobody checked in with her after Westview until we wanted something from her. Darkhold or no, she might just say 'Well that's just too bad, handle it yourself' and peace out," Strange deadpanned.
Wong frowned. "At least if she is here, we can keep an eye on her."
"She also has some kind of mild magic dampener from the other world America took her to. She refused to explain what it was from, but she said specifically that we couldn't and didn't want to take it away from her."
"I don't care what it's from. That sounds like something she found that makes it easier to control her power. If she wants that, she can keep it. 'Can't' take it implies only the creator can undo it. 'Don't want to' implies if we did take it, she might lose control. So let that alone, too. I'll ask her myself, and America might know also."
"One more thing. She said she's a 'walking infinity gauntlet to some extent'," Stephen said slowly.
"Isn't a lie."
"No, it's not."
"All the more reason to stabilize her, don't you think?" Wong shook his head. "We're not going to make the same mistake 838 made with your variant, executing someone for meddling with the Darkhold and being corrupted by it when they genuinely regret their behavior. You told me what those heroes there did; you sounded disturbed about it, and you never do."
"The other me destroyed an entire universe. I'm not sure I'd call executing him a mistake."
"You also said it was an accident. I will not condone killing a person for an accident."
"Killing the Illuminati was no accident. Attempting to kill America was no accident, either. I do not like that you brought Wanda back here and plan to just sweep her crimes under the rug if she behaves."
Wong studied him. "You do realize we would be executing the equivalent of an ordinary person driving drunk and hitting a pedestrian accidentally. That person should be punished, not executed. That is what we're doing now, confining and restraining her here. It would be much, much worse than that, too, because she genuinely didn't know what reading the Darkhold would do to her in the first place when she picked it up, and anyone knows driving drunk is dangerous. She's guilty of naïveté and ignorance more than anything else."
"She's not really restrained, she's merely choosing to stay in there. It just feels unsafe for everyone else. Why are we not telling the other sorcerers she is here if it's safe? They should know, just not the general public." Strange paused, thinking that he understood why Wong wanted to keep Wanda around in case of emergency, but she could also all too easily be the cause of another emergency, and if she did lose control or otherwise choose to behave destructively again, nobody was going to be able to stop her either, and it would be far too late at that point. "She let herself get shocked so she could push me into the door with magic. She didn't want to hurt me, she just wanted to show that she's choosing to cooperate and no one is forcing her. There-"
"That's precisely why I told you not to go in there. You leave her alone. You're creating trouble where there doesn't need to be any. I don't have time to be worrying about you too. You're the best sorcerer we have."
"Besides yourself, of course."
Notes:
Yes, Wanda carries her Westview deed from Vision around...that’s the only tangible thing she has left from him at this point.
I know it seems like I’ve had Wanda step backwards in her trek towards that happy ending, leaving her now contained within the sanctum, but I didn’t think it was right for her to 100% walk off scot-free in 616, either. (besides...let’s be real, she’s choosing to stay there and not break out...) So, her cooperating with Wong’s plan is also kind of giving her a chance to earn Wong’s trust, too. He doesn’t trust her, obviously, but he also knows and understands what the Darkhold does to corrupt people, so he’s not pissed at her, either.
Any kudos/comments are much, much appreciated!:)
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Summary:
In which Wanda struggles to continue making actual sense of what has happened and what she’s done previously, America continues hanging around her hoping to help, and Wong realizes part of the problem is decidedly not leftover Darkhold corruption remnants. Luckily, he has a plan...
Also, a comment Wanda makes causes Wong to be curious enough to ask Strange about something that happened previously, which might help someone reunite with some friends. In theory.
Notes:
For clarification purposes: I have moved some things around timeline-wise. It’s currently early spring 2025 in this fic. Spider-Man NWH was late 2024, the Christmassy end bits and the Hawkeye events all occurring before MoM. meh. my crossover fic, my timeline xD I actually thought this was the “correct” timeline in canon until noticing the trees in MoM look pretty autumnal (so, presumably MoM is after all of NWH except the very end since there is a reference to the spell cast in NWH), but whatever. I want to have it in this order, so that’s what I’m doing 😂
This will not come into play for awhile since Kamala hasn’t even shown up yet, but assume Ms. Marvel is out of order compared with official canon too. Figured I’d mention that too:) I am really excited to link everyone together eventually lol!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda wasn't sure how much time passed before another knock sounded on the door. Probably hours. I don't know. “I brought food and some other stuff too," America called. The lock clicked open rather than a portal forming this time, and the girl appeared in the now-open doorway. "So, can I come in?"
"I doubt I am supposed to say no," Wanda said, but she didn't sound irritated. She watched America set a tray of food on the little table and then grab two bags of something from out in the hall. "What is all that?"
"Stephen said you wanted books and I was supposed to pick. I got a clock too, so you'd know what time it is. And pens and notebooks. And I have the keys to those bracelet cuffs, and yes, Mr. Wong said to take them off," America said quickly. "It's tiny in here."
"It's just a room. Much nicer than expected, honestly." Wanda picked at the food America had brought, pizza, soda, and two bottles of water. "Did you pick out pizza, too?" Somehow she could not see Wong or Strange telling America to bring her pizza.
"Yup! Don't you like pizza? Everyone likes pizza."
"I do, I'm just...not hungry. I'll eat later," Wanda said, feeling like America was staring at her. "You do not have to stay in here, you know." She tensed at hearing the girl ask if she was okay. Stop asking that. I'm okay, but I'm not okay. I don't know how to explain that I don't feel out of control or on the verge of a breakdown right now, but I'm still...there's something wrong. It still hurts and I miss people I love. I don't want to be here at all. I feel like my head is broken. The clock only said nine in the evening, but she was so tired already. I can't sleep. I can't. If I do... America was saying something else now, something about a dog. "...You want a dog?"
"What? No, I mean yes actually...Dogs are cute. Kate has one. But I said those go on dogs, and I don't think they're good for dogs, either." America was pointing at her neck in an accusatory manner now.
Wanda blinked in surprise. "What in the world did you think bringing me back here meant would happen? I am fine. I think Wong was being rather generous, to be honest." Even if it still irrationally scares me. “It isn't hurting me unless I use magic, and it would not matter if it did." Until I fall asleep and have a bad dream.
America's face screwed up, clearly disapproving. "It looks like it hurts," she muttered, "it's kind of red and irritated-looking, you know."
"Because I used a bit of magic on purpose earlier. It was worth it." Wanda was not sorry for pushing Stephen earlier; she didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't deny pushing him had felt rather satisfying. That was her reaction, not some awful evil thing originating from the Darkhold, nor herself forcing herself to be nice. She had wanted to push him but not hurt him, and she did. It was hers, all hers, right or wrong, she was not sure. But it was all mine. Wanda blinked again, looking down at her hands and trying to focus.
"Why would you do that?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay, I say you have to! You promised, remember?"
Wanda closed her eyes and sighed. I don't even know how to explain myself. I'm so tired. Tired, tired, tired. "I pushed Stephen against the door because he made me angry," she said finally. Maybe America would leave now and not want to talk to her anymore. It would make sense. Why would the child wish to continue hanging around when she didn't have to if she'd 'attacked' a person America clearly cared for?
America backed up a step warily, but didn't leave, either. "Did you want to hurt him and that horrid thing made you stop, or..."
"Yes." Maybe if she said yes, America would leave. There was no reason for her to stay; she should leave and just never come back. But I do want her to come back. I don't want her to stop caring. She should stop caring. She will ruin her life staying around me. She might die, just like everyone else has. I don't want her to die.
America stared at her. "I kind of think you're lying to me."
"I don't want you here. Get out." I don't want me to poison your luck somehow. Everyone close to me dies.
"Why did you ask for me to pick books then? I don't understand!"
I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. Red wisps of magic came to Wanda's fingers, sending a mild shock through her. The next thing she knew, America had tackled her onto the floor, pinning her hands down. "What-"
"You stop this! You're crazy. I think you're just turning the...the bad, hurtful things on yourself now instead of me or someone else. You probably weren't even trying to hurt Stephen at all, you just want us to think you were!" America shouted. "Right? I better be right. I want to be right! Stop-"
"Get out. Just...get out! Please."
America felt herself tossed in the air with a firm push of red energy and plopped unceremoniously onto the narrow bed unharmed. "What just..." Magic. That was also Wanda's magic, just not...hurting me like she did before. She hopped up again, unsure what to do. Wanda lay on the floor, her eyes screwed shut and her body spasming in a way that scared America. The door flew open with a bang before she could do anything else.
"What happened in here?" Wong demanded.
"I don't...I don't know. We were just talking and she started acting weird. Like she wanted to chase me out or something." America let him steer her out, but she still looked back in the little room. "There's something wrong with her. I don't mean like bad evil book wrong. She's crying."
"Are you hurt?" Wong asked sharply.
"No! She was just being all weird and let that thing shock her, so I jumped on her and she fell on the floor. Then she kind of just...pushed me up in the air with her magic and plopped me on the bed and that happened. I don't think shock collars are good for dogs, let alone humans!" America's face scrunched up in clear disapproval. "Can't we do something else?"
Wong was silent for a minute. "I don't have anything else even remotely made to restrain her," he said quietly. "Even if I did, it would probably be worse. It would be irresponsible of me to remove it. I can't just say 'please stay here' and trust her to listen." I have America wanting me to let her run free and Stephen thinking I should execute her. They are both wrong.
"But...it's hurting her." America frowned, tugging at a bit of her wavy hair and trying to think. "Mr. Wong, you and Stephen promised not to."
"That's her own fault for using magic. We are not going around shocking her for shits and giggles. That would be cruel. She behaves, it won't do anything to her at all." Wong shook his head. "Go to bed. We'll talk more in the morning."
"Don't leave her alone like that. Please."
"I won't. Please just go to bed."
__________________
"Did you hurt yourself on purpose?" Wong asked a minute later.
Wanda still lay curled on the floor, trying to recover her jumbled thoughts. Why did I do that? I don't even know. Why is Wong in here? My head hurts.
Good. It should, she thought viciously. Then, just as quickly, I don't want that. I just want all of this to stop. Where will I be another five years from now? Still here? Dead? Somewhere else? Still broken, still crushed into ugly shards. I want to see Billy and Tommy. If I sleep, I might. But- Wanda felt an unfamiliar yank on her arm pulling her to sit up; her hair fell across her eyes and she didn't bother brushing it away. "Nightmares. I don't want more nightmares. Real, not real, I don't know. I can't sleep," she heard herself say. Wanda's fingers tugged at the collar, as if that might pull it off. No red wisps appeared this time.
"You used magic multiple times today knowing what would happen. Do you care, or not care, if that hurts you?"
"...I don't know." Wanda didn't look up, but she clasped her hands in her lap. "I...I'm sorry. I won't make trouble. I just..." I don't know. Something is broken in me. Not my magic, not because of the stupid Darkhold. It's me. My head. I'm drowning and I can't fix it. I can't think straight. Anymore? Ever? They're gone. They are all gone and I have no one left. I don't want to be here. "I want my family back, and I can't. I can't make it stop. I can't make any of it stop. I don't deserve for it to stop, but I want it to stop. I don't want to be here." I'm fine. It's fine. Stop talking. Stop trying to explain. It gives people another way to hurt you. Stop it.
"Do you remember Christine Palmer?"
Wanda did look up now, baffled at that question. "I don't know her, but I know who she is, and that Stephen loves her, but she dumped him."
"Okay, well, tomorrow I am going to tell him to contact her and tell her to find someone trustworthy. You need help I can't give you. This is not just corruption remnants. That you can handle alone with a bit of supervision. You're depressed and I don't know what else." Wong didn't sound judgmental, merely stating facts.
"You want to send the Scarlet Witch to therapy," Wanda said, clearly finding the idea ridiculous and morbidly amusing.
"I'm serious. This is part of your cooperating, do you understand? You promised."
"Why are you trying to help me?"
"You wrecked Earth's mystic defenses and you are going to end up being the one responsible for defending us if we can't handle a threat. I didn't want to tell you that, but it is the truth. Inevitably the world will need you eventually, Miss Maximoff, and you're not ready for it." Wong was glad this explanation seemed to both mollify Wanda and make her relax a little; she didn't appear annoyed or offended.
"I can't be...fixed." I've always felt wrong. Always. It just gets overwhelming and then I can't deal with it anymore.
" 'Fixed' is a poor choice of word. How about stable enough that you can live and function properly without having another breakdown? Negative emotions aren't bad. Doesn't feeling pain because you lost someone mean that you love them?"
Wanda pulled her folded deed to her Westview property from her pocket and held it close, her shoulders shaking as she tried and failed to hold back tears. "Don't...don't say that. Don't remind me. Please don't remind me of Vis. You s-sound like...that's something he would say." I saved it. I can never go back there, but I still have it. I've always had it. Always.
__________________
"Can sorcerers use runes?" Wanda asked the next morning when Wong appeared with a meal.
"I...what? Why?" Wong set the food down and turned to look at Wanda, who didn't look like she had slept much the night before. "That's an oddly specific question."
"Because I know how you can really completely neutralize me with them." And I want to know what you'll say to that.
"Why would you share information like that? Seems risky for you, when you know we don't currently have a way to do such a thing."
Wanda hesitated, because she didn't know how much she really wished to share. I should tell him the truth. "I can't sleep with this collar on. I can't control my magic reacting while I'm asleep if I have dreams," she said slowly. Wong didn't look as if he thought she was lying or fishing for sympathy, just curious and mildly puzzled. Probably because this sounds like an illogical thing to say on my part. It is. I don't care.
"Go on."
"A certain set of runes cast in a certain order means in a given space, only the witch who cast the runes can use her magic. I...think Vis would have wanted me to share it." Wanda picked at her nails, still debating whether she was going to regret telling Wong about this.
"Is this a spell within the Darkhold?" Wong asked carefully.
"In a way, yes, but it's not..." Wanda considered how to explain herself. "Not...originally. There was a twisted version in there that could kill magical intruders if the spell's barrier was crossed, but not the normal protective version." There. That's truthful and accurate. I think.
"How do I know you're not going to give me the corrupted version?" Yesterday she sounded suicidal. She might just be trying to get us to kill her on purpose.
Wanda shook her head hard. "I can happily say I don't remember all of the Darkhold version. I didn't like the idea of it, even...then, so I didn't use it or even attempt memorizing it." Because I secretly hoped someone would come visit my cabin. I wouldn't have wanted to kill 'any and all magical visitors'. She held out a piece of paper to him and added, "This is the normal version. I...thought you could use it on this room. I don't want anyone else having it, but...I am risking it."
Wong nodded and took it. Translation: she doesn't want me telling Strange about it. “Do you remember any of that book's spells in their entirety?"
"I do, but they're not...not as potent without possessing the book itself, so you need more power to cast them than it should. If you use them without it, you also highly risk them backfiring on yourself as the caster in some horrifying way. There is fine print, you know." Wanda touched the deed in her pocket and closed her eyes. Explain. Explain clearly, succinctly. "I can remember the dreamwalking spell enough that I could probably use it, but it would be risky. I remember one that...controlled animals, because I liked having the wild animals near the cabin. And I remember a necromancy spell because I read that page over and over...I never tried using it because I...I think I was scared of seeing a...a decomposed Pietro and I didn't...want him to see me like that, either."
"Any more?" Wong asked quietly.
"That I'm destined to rule or destroy the world, and that I am probably only the Scarlet Witch because everything has gone hellishly wrong over and over since I was a small child." Without the Darkhold around now to poison her thinking, Wanda thought the chapter dedicated to her in that book was not very useful. If she didn't need spells or incantations to use her chaos magic anyway, then why oh why had she not just chucked the Darkhold away right at the beginning upon discovering that the chapter that she had expected to help her control her magic better was close to useless? The thing was full of corrupted, evil spells she didn't need. Clearly her limits were her own imagination and whatever she might believe those limits to be. But no, she'd kept flipping through the book, hoping to find something else helpful, and then heard Billy and Tommy calling for help, and then she'd thought the book would help her find them...via that dreamwalking spell.
"Chapter sounds rather useless even for someone wanting to destroy or rule the world," Wong said flatly.
Wanda gazed curiously at him. "It really, really was."
"Why did you continue reading after that? Surely you probably flipped to that chapter first."
"I don't know. I had no idea simply reading it corrupted you when I took it from Agatha in Westview, so when I saw all of these nasty-sounding spells in there, I just thought whatever, I don't have to use those, so it's fine. I suppose I just hoped I had missed something helpful..." Wanda trailed off, wishing she hadn't been so naive and ignorant about magic back then. I would never have touched that thing if I'd known what it would do to me. Never, ever.
And then the more she delved into it looking for 'helpful' answers, the more it sucked her in and twisted everything until she could rationalize trying to kill a kid to get what she wanted. "Out of curiosity, was Miss Chavez in there? I'm wondering how you discovered she existed."
"You sound awfully invested. No. I found her by accident while searching for Billy and Tommy. I...I don't even know how looking for my twins became taking the...the other me's and...killing America. It doesn't even make sense anymore." I knew mine were gone, but I heard them. They were crying and I thought I had to get to them. Wanda hesitated, unsure if what she wanted to say would sound logical at all. Probably not. "The Darkhold didn't talk, but I know now it felt like it did. Planting ideas or something. You initially push it away thinking, oh no, I would never, that's just my dark side talking. But it's still there in your head, and then you go back and mull it over...and it starts to make sense and feel necessary. Then a new idea that's just a little worse than the first one pops into your head."
"Those are intrusive thoughts from a deeply corruptive force. The call of the void, in a way." Wong glanced down at the paper Wanda had handed him. She had simply drawn the runes on it in a neat circle. Using these felt far too risky, even if he did believe Wanda was telling him the truth. Runes toed the edge between known and unknown and could be dangerous, and because this was something Wanda had used previously, even if this was indeed not the Darkhold version, it must be witchcraft, not sorcery.
Wanda felt herself growing more and more tense and irritated the longer Wong stood there studying the paper. He just still thinks my magic is inherently bad, even if he also thinks I'm supposed to help later if something goes wrong. She did not think their repeatedly using 'witch' as an insult previously was a mistake one bit, and that it was not entirely because she'd been behaving irrationally and destructively, either. "Did you know Stephen cast a forgetting spell that used runes, messed it up, and nearly broke the universe himself? Let's see..." she tilted her head, as if considering what she remembered, "yes, I think that was November last year."
Wong stared at her, not caring for that expression on her face; it was clear she would like Strange to get in trouble for whatever this spell was. "What are you talking about?"
"See, you don't remember. I do, because I was safe inside my hex at my cabin. I think that you should ask him what he was doing with Peter Parker last November. He will say, 'Who's Peter Parker?' Ask if he cast a forgetting spell with Spider-Man present in November," Wanda sounded just a bit too pleased with herself. "If he tells the truth, he will say yes, but not remember what it was for. Erased the knowledge of Peter Parker's existence from the entire world."
"You're claiming you know Spider-Man's secret identity, and that he's someone named Peter Parker. No one knows who he is."
"Take this collar off and I'll track him down for you. I can prove it."
"I think that you just want Strange to get in trouble with me," Wong told her pointedly.
Wanda considered this for a moment; she didn't particularly care much if he did or not. "I wouldn't mind if he did," she said after a moment.
Probably truthful, or at least, she believes she just told me the truth. Wong looked down at the paper in his hand again and then back at Wanda. "Say we had this before. Would this have protected Kamar-Taj?"
Wanda flinched but then gazed at him steadily. Tell the truth. "No, I'd have sensed them and just destroyed it from outside the barrier," she admitted. "You could have distracted me with the mirror dimension and cast it while I was escaping, though. If you moved quickly enough." Doubtful, but possible, anyways.
Wong looked genuinely angry now, and scrunched the paper in his fist. "You're saying someone could have cast this while you were off...dreamwalking, for example? It's that powerful?"
"It isn't a powerful spell by itself. You need more and more power the wider the range you want to cast it on. Doing it on this little room would be easy. All of Kamar-Taj...not so much." Wanda decided not to share that she'd used it to neutralize Agatha within all of Westview, because that was probably not going to make Wong want to listen to her, even if that had not been a bad thing to do. "Moreover, you might end up neutralizing other sorcerers within the spell's range. I don't know." I have no idea if or how it would affect sorcerers.
Wong smoothed the paper back out, thinking perhaps he shouldn't have discarded the idea so quickly. Regardless of whether or not Wanda's information was accurate, he wanted to do more research and find out more from another source. Plus, it would be useful if they ran into some other witch besides Wanda herself if sorcerers could use it too. "I will...consider this."
__________________
"What happened with Peter Parker last November?" Wong asked when he went to the sandwich shop nearby with Stephen for lunch later. It was not going to hurt to find out whether or not Wanda had lied to him, or if she had simply believed something had happened when it hadn't.
"Who's Peter Parker? I don't know a Peter Parker. What an odd question," came the quick response.
"How about casting a forgetting spell with Spider-Man present last November? Do you remember anything like that?" Wong nodded at the sandwich shop employee when he brought the food to their table to say thank you.
"Of course. You wanted to be kept out of it, so I did." Strange considered this for a moment; then went on. "Can't say I remember what it was for, though."
Wong stared at him. "The Scarlet Witch just got done telling me this morning that this Peter Parker is Spider-Man. That your spell was for everyone forgetting his identity. Please tell me you've not just repeated nearly word for word what she claimed you'd say."
"If that really is true, there must have been a good reason we used it," Stephen rationalized. "Wait, you asked that just because she told you something?"
"I didn't say I believed her, but it didn't exactly sound out of character, either. I decided to double check. Interesting that it is indeed true. I'd like to know why. So please find Spider-Man and talk to him." Wong took a bite of his sandwich and went on, "Did this spell go wrong in a dangerous manner whilst casting?"
"Yes, he kept interrupting and changing it. He sounded like a kid-" Stephen glanced at the wrinkled paper Wong smoothed onto the table. "That's a protection spell. Different than the one I saw."
Wong was a bit startled at this. "So you've seen a similar one previously as well."
"That is missing the death and annihilation aspects of the corrupted version in the Darkhold," Stephen told him quickly, pointing where the missing runes would go. "This one is no more dangerous than our forgetting spell."
"Do not tell me anything about what was inside the Darkhold. I don't want to know." Wong considered this briefly; Wanda would probably be mad he'd shared her spell, but he had not promised not to, and he did trust Stephen's photographic memory. "Suppose I told you Miss Maximoff gave me this spell this morning and said we could use it on her cell to neutralize her magic."
"I'd say she told you the truth, but it's an odd thing to do on her part," Stephen said truthfully. "Why in the world would she intentionally share something like that?"
"She says she wants that collar off so she can sleep. At worst, she seemed to at least believe this spell was harmless. Or, she just wanted to see what I would do with the information." Wong shook his head. "I am not going to even pretend to understand what goes on in her head."
"While I don't trust what she might believe at all, I'll admit I don't think she's wrong on this. We should use the damn spell. Neutralizing her sounds like it would be worth the microscopic risk using it would be. If she snaps again, there's nothing anyone can do to stop her."
"One other assignment...might you contact Ms. Palmer? There's something she might be able to help us with..."
__________________
"I made more sparks today at sorcery lessons," America announced proudly that evening.
Wanda stared at her listlessly. "What are you doing that for? You have your own unique powers." She should master her own special abilities first...right? Not that I would know, but... "Yours are easier for you to access. You should master those."
"I guess I want to learn how to cast spells like Stephen does. Besides, he said someone else might want to steal me if they find out what I can really do, because it's so unique. I don't want to have to leave 616. I like it here." America plunked herself into the one chair in the little room and eyed the barely eaten plate of food, but didn't say anything about it. "Besides, they said they're not registering me as being 'an enhanced', so I should avoid using my powers in any visible way in public if at all possible."
"Something is wrong when you take sorcery lessons for awhile and get nothing but sparks in return, yet when you know nothing about your own multiversal abilities, you can use those on instinct. Don't be me. Master yours." Wanda was quite certain of that much, at least. It seemed about as ridiculous as sending herself to some sorcery lessons!
America was uncharacteristically silent at hearing this. Wanda sounded earnest enough, but the nervous part of her couldn't help still wondering if Wanda still wanted her multiverse-traveling abilities in some way. Scarlet Witch would have no need of her enhanced strength or superpowered punches and kicks, but she did not have any way of traveling the multiverse on her own, obviously. "Sometimes I wonder if you still want my power," America said finally.
Wanda jerked backwards as if she'd been slapped. That is my fault. I scared her. I'd be scared too. Why are you still coming back if you're scared of me? "I...understand why you feel like that, but no, I don't. I will never do that again. Why do you visit if I...still scare you?"
"Because logically I know the scary, corrupted you wasn't YOU. And I like normal you. But...you still did that stuff, so it's still there to remember, I guess." America shrugged and leaned against the wall with her hands in her jeans pockets.
Wanda watched the girl thoughtfully, thinking this did sort of make sense, but how in the world could America say she liked 'normal Wanda' when there was no such thing in the first place? "You don't even know me, you took a violent mystery to another universe without even questioning it."
"I saw enough in 838 right before you came back and destroyed the Darkhold, thank you very much. I thought, you must be a good person inside somewhere because otherwise just seeing your kids frightened wouldn't have made you react like that. Stephen told me a million times that that book corrupts everyone it touches, no matter who you are. He said you weren't in your right mind. And nobody MADE you...stop wrecking everything. You decided to. I mean, you could have, like, wiped their memories or something and forced them to love you, right?"
"That isn't love," Wanda whispered. She did not even want to look at America now. "That's wrong, and awful, and wrong, and I couldn't do that. I couldn't. I yelled at the boys, and I scared them. They didn't want me. I ruined everything again. Why did you come back? You shouldn't have come back."
America stared at her, baffled that somehow yelling stop it! at the 838 boys was the line corrupted Wanda had felt she shouldn't have crossed and helped yank her back from the void of corruption...and somehow not the chasing her and destroying Kamar-Taj and murdering the Illuminati. Wanda had her face buried in her hands now, her shoulders shaking slightly. And this is why I wanted to help, America thought to herself, because this doesn't make any sense but I know it's because she's hurting. The odd behavior from the night before just confirmed to America all the more that something else was still very wrong and that it had nothing to do with the Darkhold. Wong had made her promise to leave immediately if Wanda made her feel unsafe in any way whatsoever, but this wasn't unsafe; it just made America feel sad herself. "I don't know why I came back, but I figured nobody came by today because nobody's supposed to except Mr. Wong or me anyway, so..." America trailed off, avoiding addressing the other things she really wanted an explanation for, because she did not think Wanda even had an explanation, whether she wanted to share it or not. "Do you want me to leave?"
"...No." Wanda watched the girl carefully restack the books she'd brought for her before and didn't say anything else. If America wanted to hang about, she was not going to attempt chasing her away again. The little room was strangely pleasant to her now, and she did not mind staying in it, but it still made her feel lonely. America coming back again was weird, but not unwelcome.
"Maybe you should sleep. You look really tired."
Wanda shook her head. I can't. I don't want any more dreams, and even if I know they won't project onto America or anyone else, my magic will react and I'll wake up again. Either they are good dreams and then waking up feels terrible, or they're bad dreams that make waking up feel like a relief. "I did take a nap earlier," she said, figuring this would be enough to make America drop the sleeping topic. This was technically true, but only for about a half hour. "It did not last long, because I woke up screaming."
America looked concerned for a moment, but then extremely entertained. "I bet, that you are probably why one of the other acolytes was claiming there was a banshee in the sanctum earlier. I'm sorry, that's not funny. I have a homework page to do. Maybe I could work on it in here and you can sleep? I'll just wake you up if you look upset."
Why would you even offer that? Still, if the girl wanted to stay...maybe her offer really would help, and it would not matter if Wong wouldn't use the spell she'd given him because he thought it was dangerous. "You don't need to do that," Wanda said slowly.
"Yeah, I know. So?"
"So you should not be so friendly to someone that tried to kill you, no?"
America wasn't sure how to explain why she wanted to stay, so she just shrugged. "Well, you don't have the horrid old book anymore, and you are lonely. Feeling lonely doesn't feel nice. And my newish friend Yelena said her sister talked about you."
Wanda instantly perked up a little, very interested in this tidbit. "...Nat's sister, Yelena?"
"Well...yeah. She's said her sister talked about you like you were a little sister or something and that it made her feel jealous of you. Then she sort of shoved me against a wall and made me promise to bring you to see her when I could. Yelena knows you're here now 'cause I texted her, but I told her not to try coming here since nobody's supposed to know. I'm going to get the homework sheet. I'll be right back."
Wanda nodded, feeling better than she had since America had brought her back in the first place. Knowing there was someone outside the sanctum that wanted to see her and was connected to someone else she missed very much was...a very welcome surprise. What would Natasha think if she could see her now? Probably say I should work to erase that red in my ledger or something. Or scold me for not checking in because she'd be worried. Was I supposed to check in myself with someone even after she was...gone? What if no one else had wanted me to back then anyway?
A tiny niggling suspicion made her think Clint probably would have liked if she had come to visit his farm on her own, even after the whole Westview incident, even uninvited. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he... She buried her face in her hands again, fingers tugging at her brown hair. Was I so scared of being pushed away that I pushed others away myself? I always felt like an outsider anyway, but I know he cared about me. He even gave his baby Pietro's name as a middle name. Wanda thought she would like to scream and explode something with her magic, just so she could destroy something harmless. It would feel so good to let a bit of that frustration out somehow. Tearing up that shock collar would be a nice start, but she really didn't want to get shocked yet again in order to do so, and that was breaking her promise to Wong that she'd cooperate. Besides, if America came back and found Wanda electrocuted on the floor with the collar in pieces, it would probably freak her out. She did not want to freak the girl out; she'd done that quite enough before. Instead she bolted to her feet and punched the pillow as hard as she could. Then when that wasn't enough, she turned on the stone wall next, forcing the red wisps of magic to stay at bay even though it wanted her to release them. That punch hurt, but was more satisfying.
Stop. Stop now. I'm still there with you. I promise. Wanda's thoughts flitted to the folded deed still in her pocket; Vision would not want her to be hurting herself punching a wall for no reason because she was angry. That was not a helpful or logical thing to do.
"See, I'm back. I have some math problems to do," America was saying now. "You can sleep. I could even wake you up before I leave if you want."
Wanda didn't say anything, but she nodded and pulled the blanket up to her chin. It was nice to know America was sitting right over there and would wake her up if need be. "...Would you visit the other me and...check on her? Please? I know what I've done to her."
America froze for a moment, her pencil poised over the worksheet. "I, um, what should I tell her?"
"That I am sorry and I know there's nothing I can do to make up for what I did to her. And..." Wanda hesitated, feeling hot tears running down her cheeks, "I say thank you for being so kind to me even after everything I did." She was the only one who seemed to understand and had the least reason of anyone to even remotely react like that. She flinched in surprise at a light hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?"
America didn't even answer the question; she just grabbed the math worksheet and her pencil and sat on the floor beside the bed instead. "I'll do that tomorrow first thing. And I can take messages to Anna and Elsa like I said I would too."
"...Thank you."
America did a few of the problems on her worksheet, finding it strange that Wanda appeared to have fallen asleep almost instantly, and that she did not appear distressed in the least now. In fact, the Scarlet Witch looked downright peaceful. She turned her attention back to the math problems and smiled to herself.
Notes:
i am totally using my headcanon that Wanda remembers Peter due to being “safe” within her hex studying the evil book! Lol
While poor Wanda’s head is still, you know...very much a mess right now, I’m enjoying letting her help guide the story further even as she’s currently staying put in her little cell/room in the sanctum.
Thank you to anyone reading this fic<3 I am very aware I’ve not set up a very, uh, popular setup here, but I’m enjoying writing it anyway, and if you are reading or commenting or whatever on this, you are making this self-indulgent fix-it fic author very happy! So thank you.
Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Summary:
In which Wanda does one thing to help make amends for previous events, discovers something about Strange that frustrates her but is able to discuss things with him, and our group begins planning to locate Peter.
Notes:
America deserves All the Good Things for her innocent kindness tbh and I love writing her interacting with Wanda lol:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Hey, Miss Chavez, come to bed." Wong's quiet voice jerked America awake hours later, and she stretched and rubbed her neck, feeling stiff from where she'd fallen asleep sitting on the floor. "Knew I'd find you in here. What are you doing?"
"I was doing the silly math worksheet Stephen said I was supposed to do and I guess I fell asleep." America glanced at Wanda, but the exhausted witch remained asleep. "Can I stay here?"
"No, of course not. There isn't enough room in the cell for two people to sleep, and I think having you in here is a bit too rewarding," Wong said firmly, trying to usher America out. "I'm not entirely sure this is good for you, coming in here all the time."
The teenager planted her feet and wouldn't move. "I promised I'd wake her up when I left. She wouldn't sleep at all without me in here to wake her up if necessary," America insisted.
"All right, fine."
America gently shook Wanda by the shoulder, and she instantly bolted upright, eyes faintly glowing red. There was a warning beep from the collar detecting the bit of magic, and America blurted quickly, "It's just me, you wanted me to wake you up when I left, remember?"
Wanda blinked, clearing her head and reorienting herself to her current surroundings. There was silly lovable America, there was grumpy practical Wong, and she was just in the little room locked inside the New York sanctum. Not as pleasant as seeing the very tired 838 Wanda resting with the twins and watching TV in her dreams, but not overwhelmingly horrible, either. "Thank you." She nodded politely at Wong, who seemed more puzzled than suspicious. America actually hugged her before gathering her things and leaving, which probably made Wong all the more confused.
"Sit and finish eating that food. Now, please," Wong ordered, not harshly.
Wanda was so surprised at this that she immediately sat and began nibbling at the leftover food. I don't...want anything else. I just don't. She stared at the food for a few seconds without eating any more of it. "I don't want any more."
"You've barely eaten anything at all since Miss Chavez brought you back here. You promised to cooperate, so please eat at least half of what's there." Wong leaned against the wall and waited, silently watching her.
"Why does this matter? The walking nuke might get sick and not be able to do anything if you need to use it?" Wanda sounded a bit irritated now, but she ate another microscopic bite. Don't say anything else. Don't cause trouble.
"Is it too difficult to believe I might actually care also? Just because I don't trust you doesn't mean I don't care what happens to you."
"I don't see why you should care. It makes far more sense to simply be keeping me around for an emergency power source." Another bite of food disappeared, and Wanda closed her eyes. She had been horrible to Wong too; why would he care one bit if she made herself sick, or felt hurt and frustrated and angry?
Wong sighed. "If all I cared about was using you for your power in the future, why not just keep you sedated and not risk you being awake at all?"
Wanda squeezed her hands into fists and forced herself to answer calmly. "Because I can tell you no way in hell would I help you if you did that. I won't be a tool again for someone else. Never. Not for terrorists, not for the government, not for an evil book I stupidly chose to read." There. That's...reasonable, isn't it? I hope? “I will kill myself first." Try to.
"All right, all right, I don't know how to convince you. Just...please eat."
Struck by a sudden idea, Wanda ate another bite and then said quietly, "Use the protection spell and I would be somewhat convinced."
"How on earth is making you completely unable to access your magic with that spell a better option to you than what I just said?" Wong countered instantly.
"Because I asked you to do it, and if you use it, you will have to admit my magic isn't inherently...wrong. I know I did awful, unspeakable things, but it...it..." Wanda hesitated, having no idea how to express what she wanted well enough to make him understand. "It was because I was too ignorant and weak to resist being corrupted. I know that. That's my fault. But it was not because I have chaos magic. Not because I'm a witch. I know that much now. It's the rest of me that's the problem, not the magic itself." I am not going to do what that destroyed prophecy said I will. I won't. Is that enough? Please be enough. I don't know how else to explain.
"Give me a couple days to consider. Please, Miss Maximoff. I just need to be sure. I believe that you believe you're telling the truth, but you must admit you are not exactly a well of magic knowledge. Darkhold knowledge doesn't count, and you were running purely on autopilot and instincts before that. I'm not blaming you for that because I understand you had no way to know what you really were, but that's how it is all the same. Power you have. Knowledge you really don't." Wong knew he was disappointing Wanda because her shoulders drooped, but he didn't want to lie to her, either. "Now, when you're finished eating, take care of your hand. Is it safe to presume you punched the wall?"
"...Yes." Wanda glanced down at her bloody knuckles; she did not particularly care about it, and her magic hadn't deemed that anywhere near serious enough to begin healing automatically thank goodness, because then she would have to actively hold that back too, which would be frustrating.
"Why, might I ask, did you do that?"
"...Because I wanted to explode something, and punching the pillow was not good enough." Wanda hesitantly met Wong's eyes, and was surprised to see that he looked completely unsurprised. He looks like he expected me to say that.
"And did you set off the collar while feeling like that earlier?" Wong asked next.
Wanda thought for a moment and then shook her head no. "This happened..." she called tiny red wisps to her fingertips briefly, which did set off the warning beep again-she couldn't remember if that part had happened earlier or not, "but that is it. I was able to keep it inside quickly enough." Does that mean I don't have to explode at all even if I feel like exploding again? It would still feel so good, but...
Wong looked at her thoughtfully. "Now I want you to heal what you did to your hand without setting the collar off."
"I can't do that."
"You literally snapped bones back into place and healed huge gashes all over you in seconds crawling out of the mirror dimension, where you're not even supposed to be able to exit at all without a sling ring. I think you can carefully heal some bloody knuckles." Wong watched Wanda expectantly; she was merely standing there staring at her hand now.
The crystal necklace might not let me. I should at least try, right? Wanda closed her eyes and tried to just direct a tiny bit of magic to do what she wanted. Before it could do anything at all, she heard the distinctive warning beep again, so she let the bit of magic withdraw. "Isn't going to work right now...What are you doing? That's the truth, I'm not-"
"Calm down. I will not shock you on purpose. I promised you that, and I mean it. Try again now."
Wanda gave him a suspicious look, eyeing the remote control in Wong's hand, but she let the scarlet dance over the damaged skin on her knuckles, pulling more magic to the surface than she really needed to. Nothing happened, not a warning noise, no nothing. Before she could think better of it, the control in the sorcerer's hand jerked into the air, floating near the ceiling. "Did you turn it off?"
"No, I adjusted the settings so it wouldn't be quite as sensitive to you using magic." Wong appeared to be mildly disappointed with her for that reaction, but not concerned or angry, either.
In a second the remote was discarded on the floor, and Wanda turned away, pulling her magic back just as she heard the warning beep again. I could still break it. I could probably simply disable it myself. In a second the hateful thing lay on the floor in two pieces before she could think further, remnants of red sparks of magic crackling on it. What have I done? I shouldn't have done that. Why did I do that? Wong wasn't trying to hurt me. I know that. Part of me doesn't even care if he did anyway.
Wong watched Wanda for a few seconds and didn't say anything; her fingers seemed twitchy, as if she really really wanted to do more but had realized she probably shouldn't. "You are making it extremely difficult to trust you," he said finally. "What is it you think we are supposed to do with you right now? Send you off on your own again? I can't trust you to do that and not get into more trouble. Let's say I am willing to use that spell. How is that proving to yourself or anyone else that you can be trusted with the amount of power you have? You're self-destructive, and then it spreads to everyone else around you, even if the normal uncorrupted you doesn't mean to."
"I thought you wanted to keep me here permanently except in case of a dire emergency the rest of you can't handle." Same as locking up an atomic bomb until you need it. Wanda did let her magic heal the raw marks left on her neck from the discarded shock collar, but she didn't do anything else. Wong was confusing to her; he seemed genuinely disappointed for some reason, as if she had simply been a naughty kid that had stolen some sweets or something, rather than destroyed the only thing he had that was supposed to contain her.
"Can you heal other people besides yourself?"
This was an unexpected question; Wanda thought for a moment before replying, "I haven't tried, but I think so."
"Then, you come heal all the sorcerers you injured whilst decimating Kamar-Taj that still haven't recovered."
"They're not going to want to see me, and I thought you didn't want anyone to know I was here at all."
"That is my issue, not yours. You just behave and don't make a scene. I already have several students thinking you're here, and I am suspicious Miss Chavez has told her trigger-happy older friends in the city about you too. At this point, I'd rather explain your presence to them sooner rather than later." Wong gave her a serious look and went on, "Do this much for me, and then I will use that spell like you want me to do."
"...And after that?" Wanda asked suspiciously.
"Then you're staying in here until I get that collar fixed or replaced. You can go where you please under supervision then-not to read all the forbidden books in the library, however-and Miss Chavez will count as supervision, since you seem to like being around her now, and she keeps talking about you when she's not in here." Wong was surprised at Wanda's reaction. She seemed oddly happy about the plan.
"I might be tempted to shred it again." Wanda did not sound very sorry about this, even if she was sorry she had disappointed Wong by doing it.
"No, I don't think you will, because I won't change the settings again until I see that some time goes by without you setting it off, including the warning. You claim not to care about getting hurt, but I think you do." There was another brief pause before Wong went on, "At such time as I feel I can trust you, then we will discard it entirely and regroup. Perhaps checking in often or something, I don't know yet. How is that?"
"That's...more than fair." Wanda glanced at him shyly, unsure if she should bother asking what she wanted to, because it might sound more suspicious rather than less. Ask him. "What do you want me to do if your students don't want me near them, even if it's to help them?"
"I don't want you to do anything. They'll obey the Sorcerer Supreme. They are going to let you heal them and then we will return here as planned," Wong informed her.
_______________
The golden portal Wong opened led straight into what appeared to be a small infirmary of sorts. Wanda felt like a million eyes fastened on her at once, even though there were probably not even thirty people in there and those people were not all awake. The one that had run away from her and America when they'd arrived was staring; she was fairly certain he was also the frightened minor sorcerer she had told to run before wrecking Kamar-Taj. "What is she doing in here, sir?" he asked, sounding terrified but unsurprised.
Wanda thought he probably had told everyone already, seeing this reaction. No wonder Wong didn't seem particularly concerned now about revealing that she was there in the first place. She glanced at Wong but decided not to say anything. If he wanted to explain why he had brought her there to this frightened student of his, then he could do so himself.
"Miss Maximoff is going to heal the people she harmed previously, that's why. Mr. Cooper, put your shields away." Wong shook his head. "This is Thomas Cooper," he said to Wanda, "you have met him already, I believe."
Thomas still looked like he wished to bolt out of there. "You made me ruin our entire defensive shield formation in about all of two seconds," he said finally.
"I was trying to give all of you a chance to run," Wanda blurted, and then glanced at Wong, who was giving her that disappointed look again. That's...not helpful. I shouldn't have been there at all, and I know that, and that does not sound very apologetic at all either, even if it is true. That doesn't excuse what I did. “The why does not excuse it. I'm sorry."
Thomas stared at her warily. "You killed some of my friends," he muttered after a moment, "and I don't understand why the Sorcerer Supreme is having you stay here. You're a witch, not a sorcerer, and you're a criminal."
I know. Wanda didn't say anything to that, because a simple I'm sorry was not going to undo it. Instead she glanced at Wong again, unsure if she was supposed to say a thing, or just go ahead and attempt to do what he had brought her there for. The minor sorcerer continued staring nervously at her.
"Do you know of a better place for someone to learn to use their magic properly?" Wong asked the younger man calmly. "You, do as we planned," he said to Wanda, who didn't move from her spot, but she did close her eyes and reach out with her own magic, trying to sense exactly what she needed to do.
"She has too much magic, and she's a witch. A really, really powerful one that has shit control. I thought witches aren't allowed in the sanctum sanctorum in the first place. Sir." Thomas bowed hurriedly, feeling as if he had forgotten something very important. "Why can't we send her to the Raft or something? What's happening, what is-"
"Be quiet," Wong hissed sharply. "She’s not going to the Raft. That place can't hold her now anyway, and it’s run like trash besides. Nor do I want the public knowing what happened. So we will bend that rule for now. You keep your mouth shut."
Thomas understood that much, and he trusted Wong, so he nodded and stayed quiet.
Red tendrils of hazy magic spread to each injured sorcerer lying sleeping or unconscious in the infirmary. Wanda kept her eyes closed, realizing she was starting to feel oddly tired, as if she were using far too much magic, which also scared her, because this was supposed to be something easy for her to do. Maybe it was because they also had magic and didn't want her meddling with their bodies, even for healing purposes. If I can't do this, what if- A golden burst of magic slammed into her, breaking her hold on her own magic, and she opened her eyes. "Wong brought me here!" she snapped in frustration.
There stood Stephen Strange, looking as if he wished to protect the weaker sorcerers in the room. "The same way he brought you to Wundagore?"
"Of course not." Wanda's eyes glowed red, her hands crackling with unreleased power. This did piss her off; she suddenly wanted to chuck him off a mountain. "Leave me alone or I will make you. I can, too, and you know it."
"Precisely why you shouldn't be in here!"
"All right, both of you shut up," Wong ordered, stepping between them. "Stop acting like immature children. Strange, look around. You interrupted her healing these people she harmed previously." Then he turned on Wanda too, "And you, what did you expect him to think? I have half a mind to make the two of you work together."
But Wanda was not paying attention at all now; she was focused on Strange, her expression clearly intrigued by something. "You have more Darkhold spells memorized than I do. If all you did was dreamwalk into your own corpse, why is it that you know more?" She poked a bit further into his thoughts, stepping closer to him, "You feel like you'd like to use that corrupted protection spell on me, but you won't act on the impulse." In a second her own casual outfit was replaced by her actual Scarlet Witch suit, feeling quite justified in that defensive mechanism.
"I saw them whilst flipping through to find the dreamwalking spell so I could get back here and stop you from murdering a kid. Do you really believe I wanted to see those?" Stephen snapped back. "Read my mind a bit more and you can see that too."
"You're a hypocrite, judging me for-"
"Stop it. You have an audience," Wong informed them. "Wanda. Finish healing these people, please. Stephen, leave her be. I'll handle her."
"They both used that book?" Cooper asked now. "Sir, what if-"
"All of you, shut up. Yes, they both used the Darkhold. However, it has been destroyed, and no one is going to use any Darkhold spells without the book even if they wanted to, because they backfire on the caster. So, it is not going to matter that either of them have some corrupted spells memorized." Wong hoped his hunch would turn out to be correct, because otherwise they would be in trouble. Letting Wanda close enough to Strange with her freely able to use her own chaos magic as much as she wished hadn't been on the itinerary. Now the potential damage of her knowing those spells still existed in any capacity was done, and if she did want to access any of those corrupted spells again, it would be far too easy for her to just get them from Stephen because she knew he had them in his head.
Wanda gave Strange one last scathing glance and went back to healing the hapless injured minor sorcerers, her red wisps of magic reaching throughout the room again, withdrawing from each person as they healed. She did want to make amends for harming these people before; helping them heal would be a good start. Then she simply teleported herself back to the little cell-room without a word. If Wong or anyone else wanted to speak to her, they could find her there. Tired. Tired. Tired. Wanda caught a glimpse of herself in the small mirror over the sink and blinked at her reflection curiously. That person staring back at her looked broken and exhausted to her, but what had caught her eye was the smaller cracks over her heart in the red suit. They seemed to be fading a little, and the black corruption all over her outfit from before was nearly gone too. I'll not let it get worse again. I don't care what Stephen does or says, that is not my problem. Vis, what do I do now? Can I use this as a frame of reference for what's wrong with me? If it reverts back to how I looked when you last saw me, does that mean I'm...myself again? That I will be okay? Seeing her own brown hair reminded her of the scared hurt girl she had been years ago. Some things did not change; she had much more power than she had then, and things still hurt and scared her now anyway. All the same, she was glad she had decided to change her hair back, even if that seemed ridiculous to her.
Wanda did not think that logical, caring Vision would approve of her chewing Strange out for using the Darkhold when he had, admittedly, had a very very good reason for doing so. It was not the sorcerer's fault that he had photographic memory and recalled all those Darkhold spells after barely seeing them at all, nor that he could resist those invasive unwanted corruptive thoughts much better than she could, because he wasn't such an unstable volatile mess emotionally. Stephen was not going to use the stupid corrupted protection spell on her and she knew it. I owe him an apology. I didn't need to make him look bad in front of those other sorcerers. It was just infuriating that he could break rules like that and no one seemed to care.
”I am sorry. I would like to talk tomorrow if Wong would let you. I know you wouldn't use the corrupted spell," she sent out telepathically. There was a vague puzzled but understanding emotion from Strange, but he was not in the room and too far away for her to sense anything more precise than that. Besides, he had blocked his thoughts somewhat now with some kind of mental shield. Wanda knew she could rip through that mental barrier if she really wanted to, but it would hurt him and potentially her too if she didn't do it right, and she didn't want to do that anyway. She let her Scarlet Witch suit revert back to the casual clothes she'd been wearing before and sat cross-legged on her bed. There. I don't need that right now. I don't need to fight anymore.
Wong appeared a minute later, stepping through another sparkling orange portal. "Must you always make such a scene?"
Wanda thought that Wong sounded like a parent scolding a kid now, but she also knew she had not needed to react like that, so she didn't feel particularly offended either. "He made me angry." And defensive.
"This meant you needed to abruptly change to fight mode in a suit? You do realize you just left a poor impression on the same people I wanted to change the impression of you for. You just healed everyone, snapped at a trusted member of the team, and then vanished without a word." Wong paused and went on, "But, you did heal them, so I will do what I promised too."
Wanda watched in silence as Wong smoothed out the paper she had given him before with the protection spell runes on it. A bit of her wanted to tell him to stop casting the spell and that she'd changed her mind, but that was not going to help earn trust back one bit. Wong is not going to hurt me, and even if Strange wanted to, he won't, either. She couldn't help trying to reach inside for her magic, just to see what would happen, but it seemed to be sleeping in an odd sort of way. The easiest description was that she wouldn't have even noticed its presence at all if she hadn't purposely been reaching for it, which was a bit disconcerting and made her feel vulnerable in a way she greatly disliked, but if her chaos magic was pretty much in an unreachable coma, then she would not make any more mistakes, either. That part was reassuring, because as long as she remained in this room, then she could not hurt any more people.
"I will not let the others know about the spell," Wong was saying now, "because you'll be safer."
Because they want to kill me? "Does Stephen know about it?" she asked flatly.
"He does, but he isn't going to harm you or tell people about it, either. You know that. You don't have to even like each other, just be civil. The two of you act like a couple of cats in a bag." Wong shook his head, thinking that Wanda's eyes would be glowing red right now if he hadn't used the protection spell; she looked rather angry. "Why do you hate him?"
Wanda tilted her head, considering the question. "I don't hate him. He is just infuriating; it is his fault Vis is dead, he still thinks my family was not real, he only came to visit because he wanted something from me, he ignores rules constantly and merely gets a little slap on the wrist, if that. It doesn't seem fair. But I don't hate him." She paused, balling handfuls of the blanket in her fists. "I know what I did was completely wrong and I deserve to be punished for it. But they were real, all the same, and he won't believe me."
Wong thought that upset, grudge-holding Wanda was probably not going to forgive Strange for any of it anytime soon, so he didn't press further. "He does feel guilty for giving Thanos the time stone, and-"
"Good." Wanda's one-word interruption was quiet but sharp. He should feel guilty, she thought vehemently, pulling her knees to her chest.
Wong ignored this and went on, "...and he does know what losing someone you love feels like."
Wanda gave him a withering look. "Christine is alive. He knows nothing. Forgive me for not being particularly sympathetic that at least he knows she is not...dead. Three times over besides. Maybe she dumped him because he is so insufferable." That was mean to say, Wanda thought, but she did not feel very sorry for saying it all the same.
If you give me what I want, I'll send you to a world where you can be with Christine. Wanda went quiet, her fingers squeezing the fistfuls of blanket even more tightly. I tried that too. I shouldn't have said that. I tried and tried to make him understand, and I couldn't.
"I'm referring to Strange's deceased sister, not Ms. Palmer. He's lost a sibling too, same as you, and he doesn't talk about her much even though he loves her to bits, same as you."
Wanda wanted to ask how, but she kept her mouth shut this time and didn't make a sharp comeback. The twinge of guilt for her thoughts and words about the sorcerer grew. Maybe she was doing the exact same thing, dismissing and ignoring someone else's pain unfairly. "I'd...like to talk to him tomorrow, if that's okay," she mumbled after a minute.
"I think that might help both of you at this point, actually, so yes you may, if he agrees to do so."
______________
"You said you wanted to talk?" Strange asked the next afternoon.
Wanda sighed. No, but I know I should. "Does Wong know you are here?"
"He does. It seems what he was worried about already occurred. Why did you want to talk?"
"I think Vis would have wanted me to." Wanda's voice was shaking a bit now. Because I think it is the right thing to do. “I do not have to like you to...make peace. I don't know what else to say. But I'm sorry for what I said last night. It was not fair. I should know more than enough what corrupted intrusive thoughts feel like. I knew you weren't going to act on it, but it still..." she trailed off, searching for words. "It made me feel defensive and..."
"Pissed?" Strange suggested when she didn't continue.
"...Very."
"You just had to make me look bad in front of good old Thomas."
Wanda didn't smile, but she still appeared a bit entertained. She did not particularly care that she had made him look bad at all. "I suppose I didn't exactly help myself by doing that, either."
"Honestly, I doubt you made yourself look worse or better, Wanda. They're just all confused about you, as would be expected." Strange looked mildly amused now as he added, "I think they are mostly baffled at Wong bringing you in there to heal people in the first place. Regardless of what you did before, witches aren't supposed to be inside the sanctum at all."
Wanda sighed. That seems about right. "That seems a bit...unfair when both witches and sorcerers use magic. How does it make sense for that to be more of a discussion than the fact that Wong decided to bring corrupted Scarlet Witch here?" Or...previously corrupted, I suppose.
"Witches innately have magic and sorcerers learn it."
"That makes someone like me a threat to you even if I wasn't specifically the Scarlet Witch, hadn't been stupid and meddled with the Darkhold? Why on earth would it matter?" Wanda realized she probably shouldn't be mad at Stephen about this; it sounded like some long-standing, weird prejudice of sorts that he had probably been taught upon becoming a sorcerer in the first place. "If all witches are born with magic too, it just sounds...prejudiced. Even more unfairly to others, because I know I'm genuinely a problem. Other ones wouldn't be."
"Harkness wasn't a problem? How many other witches have you met?" Strange asked.
"...None. But she had the Darkhold too, for much, much longer than I did. Maybe she wouldn't have been so awful without it, either." Wanda wasn't sure what else to say; she genuinely did not know anything more, and maybe there were a whole lot of witches out there that were all terrible. After all, she was the only one specifically mentioned in the Darkhold. What if that meant ordinary, not-Scarlet Witch witches were inherently bad too? No, that can't be right. I destroyed it. Even if it was true before, it isn't now. I have free will and so does everyone else.
Strange was quiet for a minute, and the silence grew stifling. Finally he just said, "There have been multiple incidents of the two...factions, shall we say, clashing in the past. Your prophecy makes all witches potentially a world-ending mystical threat."
Wanda stepped closer to him, her gaze sharp. "That is not my prophecy. I will not fulfill it. I did not give a damn about that prophecy even before, while I was so...corrupted. You can ask Wong. I told him I didn't want that." All I wanted was my family. That's it. “Don't call that my prophecy again." I won't. I will never, ever do that, I don't care what anyone says.
"It was about you. Therefore it is indeed yours. You might not have cared about that prophecy before, but if you had successfully killed America and your other self, taking her place, you might have caused an incursion. Destroying a world. You proceeded to destroy every Darkhold throughout the multiverse. A good thing, yes. But also ruling the outcome of its existence. You have so much power it's horrifying to anyone in their right mind." Stephen paused, gauging Wanda's reaction, but other than her clenched fists, she didn't react. "I don't think you destroying that book necessarily negates that prophecy being fulfilled in some way, because you still have the power to do so. I'm not...accusing you in any way, it just is. And it's why the animosity between witches and sorcerers exists."
Wanda laughed bitterly and turned away from him, feeling her eyes growing hot with tears. "That would just sum everything up, wouldn't it. Another time I tried to do the right thing or fix something I did wrong, and yet again it meant absolutely nothing," she said softly. I didn't ask for this. I don't want it. "Why should I even bother any longer, if no matter what I do, I am fated to be miserable and ruin everything I touch? All of you may as well just keep me powerless in here permanently, then."
Wanda's eyes flicked to the plastic knife over on the table with the food. Too small though. Maybe I can die now, if being locked here within that protection spell since it nullifies my magic. No, no, no, I can't do that again. I won't.
"I didn't tell you that to hurt you, Wanda. Maybe if you know it, it won't happen." Much to her surprise, Stephen actually sounded...sympathetic. That seemed odd, and she didn't want his sympathy. That made her mad too. Why should he get to sound all understanding all of a sudden now, like that made everything okay? It was not okay. It would never be okay.
"Maybe. Maybe. I don't want maybe. I don't want all that power, I don't want to be responsible for handling it. I want my family back and a normal, ordinary life. You know what else?" Wanda turned back around, staring daggers at Stephen. "Pietro was the one who originally wanted us to be heroes. Not me. Even way back when we were naive kids, unknowingly volunteering for terrorists. He would say, we'll change the world and make it better. Bet they won't see that coming. I wished for the same, yes, but it was because of him I had those wishes. Yet he is gone and I'm still here." I thought, if I'm doomed to be miserable anyway, why shouldn't I be selfish for once and try to take happiness for myself? It's not like it would matter. “The selfless one is dead and the selfish one still lives."
Strange wondered why Wanda was talking about Pietro now all of a sudden and why she had not gone searching for him-or Vision-if she was going to go look for her twins anyway with the Darkhold before. "It seems to me the only selfish behavior you did was after you were corrupted."
"I didn't go for the head."
"Yeah, well, neither did Thor. You two messed up, sure. Peter Quill messed up too. None of you were selfish."
"I didn't go for the head because I wanted to shred him. I wanted to rip him to pieces and make him feel the same pain I did. I wouldn't have felt a bit sorry for it, either."
"If you're trying to disturb me by saying you wanted to torture to death the deranged alien that annihilated half of life with the infinity gauntlet, you're failing miserably," Stephen said matter-of-factly. "Get in line. Maybe it's ethically wrong, but that is hardly a unique thought."
Wanda blinked in surprise; that was not the reaction she had expected from the sorcerer. "You can't tell me if I had successfully done that, no one would have cared. Everyone would have been horrified."
"I didn't say everyone would act on it. Not like anyone else even could, anyway. But if you think no one else thought about such a thing, you're wrong."
"I hated Stark for a long time," Wanda said next, very much wishing she could read Stephen's mind right now because she did not trust his visible reactions to be truthful.
"A lot of people hated Tony Stark for a long time. You must have gotten over it, after all; you worked with him." Strange thought Wanda was trying to make him think more poorly of her than he actually did, which didn't make any sense. "Why are you intentionally bringing up things like that now?"
"Maybe it will make you tell Wong to kill me." Try to. “After all, if I am dead, then I cannot fulfill any destroyed prophecy." Wanda's voice remained steady, but she twisted her fingers together in an anxious manner that seemed all too familiar now. Vis and Pietro would be disappointed. So would Nat. And Clint too. What would they tell me if they knew about that Scarlet Witch prophecy?
"He absolutely will not do that."
"You discussed it." Strange hesitated, which was enough confirmation to make Wanda conclude that yes, they had. "And I suppose if you were Sorcerer Supreme instead of Wong, you would have done so already." Wanda was not sure how this made her feel at all; that was far less of an infuriating thing to her than some of the other things Stephen said or did. That, at least, was fair, in her opinion.
"Not since you voluntarily gave us that spell," Stephen told her. "You wouldn't have shared that if you meant us harm."
I didn't want you having that spell, only Wong. I knew that was a risk, though. Of course he told Stephen. “I don't need to read your mind to know you'd rather eliminate the potential problem for the greater good. I don't have magic access in here now. Maybe you would like to kill me right now. I wouldn't be able to stop you, after all," Wanda said now, her voice flat. She sat on the bed again, ignoring Stephen and not meeting his eyes.
"You think I hate you that much."
"Don't you?"
"Of course not."
"You thought about using the corrupted version of that spell on me. I might also know you wouldn't actually use it, but..." Wanda glanced at him and finished quickly, "how would you or I know whether that is your natural dark side talking or Darkhold corruption remnants?" I can't even tell on myself, in my own head. How could I know on someone else?
Strange sighed, debating how to answer in a way Wanda would understand. Yet again it is obvious she doesn't really have much magic knowledge at all. She's nothing but raw power and instincts. “Your power is different from ours, so I don't know how it might affect you, but for me, the corrupted intrusive thoughts are a bit...hazed in black. Upon focusing on the thought in question, it's identifiable immediately. But you need to be aware enough that it may be happening in the first place in order to identify it as such. What you read from me was definitely a corruption remnant, to answer your other question. Also, whenever Wong decides to let you out of here, stay out of my head, will you? When you sent that apology message yesterday, I know you were poking again. Not hard, but you still were. Is there anything else you want to know? I will not promise to answer it, but depending what it is, I will."
I hope my magic works the same way. It would be nice to know for sure what is...just me, and what isn't. Struck by another idea, Wanda abruptly hopped up, her green eyes now sparkling with a bit of mischief. "I would like to know if my rune spell neutralizes sorcerers' magic too, and not just that of witches." If it does, then no one can use magic in here at all except Wong.
"I would say it most likely is like that crystal necklace you brought back with you from the other universe but stronger, where it dampens the use of magic some, but not completely. I suppose it would affect a sorcerer of Thomas's level more." Strange glanced around the little cell curiously; it was all carefully organized but already appeared lived in, thanks to America bringing books and other things. Golden runes shone dimly around the walls and above the door.
Wanda nodded, the faint sparkle in her eyes faded, and she appeared serious again. "Thank you for being honest." That was definitely the truth. There would be no point in lying just to say that.
"Wong says you told him about the forgetting spell involving Spider-Man last year. Thinking it might be easier for you to find him. He's probably in Queens, but otherwise who knows," Strange said now.
Wanda stood up, watching him warily. That was an abrupt topic change. “Wong also told me I was supposed to remain right here in this room. I can't use magic in here now since he cast the protection spell, and you know it. Track Peter Parker yourself. I'm not helping you with that."
"I don't know him. Little difficult to track someone you don't know, remember, or have proof of existing at all except in your memories."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have meddled with a spell on a scale you couldn't control." Wanda did not sound one bit sorry; Spider-Man was a hero himself, so it was not like not helping locate his civilian identity was going to harm anyone. If anything, maybe he wouldn't want to be found. After all, she knew Peter had been unfairly maligned in the public eye with the whole Mysterio thing himself. That felt like the old Lagos incident, which she knew now had not been fair either.
"He changed and interrupted me while casting the spell a good five or six times! Would have worked properly otherwise," Stephen said now, obviously more than a bit resentful about this.
"Okay, perhaps it is only half your fault then. I am still not helping locate Peter. If Wong orders me to, then I will. Otherwise, absolutely not."
Strange thought that this probably had far less to do with being adamant that she follow Wong's instructions to stay in the magic-sealed cell than that she simply didn't want to help him with anything, even if she was being civil otherwise. "Do you know why Spider-Man wanted me to use the forgetting spell for him?"
Wanda considered this briefly. I don't know any details, but... "Mysterio must have publicly exposed his civilian identity before. Look at the ridiculous billboards and whatever else regarding the 'spider-menace' and such. I saw those when America and I were walking back here through the city. I think that he probably didn't want his actual face plastered everywhere being publicly maligned like that." She paused and added softly, "He's just a kid, you know. Younger than I was when I messed up at Lagos years ago. I would have liked to have my identity erased from the public eye too back then." Wanda sat down again, pointedly not looking at Strange. Peter is probably lonely. “I changed my mind. I'll help however I can. I don't want another person feeling lonely and isolated if I can help it. But...please go ask Wong first."
________________
Wanda was surprised to see both sorcerers return to her little room in mere minutes. Her first thought was that they were angry about something else, but she hadn't done anything else, so it was probably just the 'track Peter Parker' thing.
"Stephen says you want to help him track down Peter Parker, but that you made him come ask me first," Wong said.
"I said I wanted to help find Peter because he is lonely. Not to help him," Wanda corrected. "I can't help you anyway. My power is different from yours, remember? You like to say so. If I help, I will be doing so on my own."
"Perhaps you can tell us how you would find him," Wong said calmly.
No more snapping. Wong already knows I'm not inclined to help Stephen with anything. I don't need to snap. “Teleport to him," Wanda said simply.
"But you said you don't know where he is," Strange said slowly.
"I don't. I would picture him in my head, attempt to reach out and sense him, then once I do, think that I wish to be in his present location." Wanda actually had not tried this precise thing before, and she didn't necessarily like stretching her mental sense in that way, because it felt odd, ethereal, and inhuman and she hated feeling like that. But she was certain it would work. "Or," she added, because she was feeling a bit generous, "I suppose I could project an image of him to Stephen if you must have him do it." Wanda did not know how sorcerers might do a locator spell, but it had sounded like Strange simply needed to have a precise mental picture of the target to make it work. It would be awfully entertaining if she didn't show the right person and sent him on a wild goose chase...but no, that was wrong, and she wanted to find Peter anyway so he could reconnect with people he knew and not be isolated anymore.
"Second option. Do that. Are there any other conditions needed to make it possible for you to do that, and that only?"
"No. I could do it in the hall right outside my room if you wish. It would just take a moment." Wanda considered a bit further, knowing neither sorcerer really wanted to let her out right now to do any magic. "...Not to say that I won't do as I said, because I will, but why can you not simply locate him using Spider-Man's image for mental reference rather than Peter Parker?"
"It won't locate the suit at all if the boy isn't wearing it," Stephen told her.
"He probably patrols every night. You could simply do it at night, then." The more Wanda thought about it, the more she was sure the sorcerers didn't need her at all, and that made her wonder why on earth they would ask in the first place. They are probably testing me, to see what I might do, or wanted to find out how I'd locate someone. I will do nothing then. “I will help if you want me to, but I know you do not need me."
Notes:
Welp, the surviving Kamar-Taj victims are healed (though obviously the minor sorcerers want nothing to do with her lol). And Wong is very done with everyone xD
I have tried to address some of the issues Wanda has against Strange and vice versa-they don’t hate each other, but do not get along well either. (admittedly more from Wanda’s end than his; she really does not like him). And the whole witches vs sorcerers thing intrigues me, so we are going to address that too lol...maybe the very existence of the Scarlet Witch prophecy caused some of it. Anyways!
Peter must be so lonely at this point in canon, so I’m excited for everyone to find him too:)
Any feedback is much appreciated!
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Summary:
In which Strange and America locate Peter, and Wanda is able to make a seemingly small but major breakthrough with Wong’s help.
Notes:
I love working on this fic so much. It makes me very happy, so thank you for checking it out!:)
I have decided to address the weird age retcon in canon for Wanda here in a way that made sense to me. Hopefully it also makes sense to everyone else too! (More explanation for my reasoning in the end A/N!:))
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The location spell- cast toward Spider-Man rather than the unknown Peter Parker after the conversation with Wanda, though she had given them a brief physical description verbally anyway, no magic involved- led Stephen and America to a grungy-looking block in Queens. America trotted after the sorcerer as he headed down an alley, revealing a would-be armed robber stuck to the side of the building with what looked to be webs and Spider-Man, who did not look all that much taller than America herself. "...so I'll just be calling the police now, okay? And I'll take this too," the hero was saying, swiping a gun from his caught criminal.
"Spider-Man, the kid here would like a picture with you, if that's okay," Strange called, because currently he was not dressed in his sorcerer's robes and by all appearances, America was just an ordinary young teenager. "When you're not otherwise occupied."
America saw a slight falter from Spider-Man...Peter, she thought. He recognizes Stephen's voice. Again she followed after, out of the alley and down the block beneath a lamppost.
"Mr-Stephen, I mean Doctor-Strange, you remember me? Actual me?" Spider-Man was saying now, sounding much younger than he had when talking with the robber. "The spell. Did it break, does that mean if I find Ned and MJ, they'll remember me too?"
Stephen answered carefully, "Not exactly, Peter Parker. I have merely rediscovered your identity from a...source. This source was concerned about you."
Peter shifted from one foot to the other nervously, still not removing his Spidey mask. Someone remembered him. But why didn't Doctor Strange identify this source of his? Who could have possibly remembered him? He mumbled an address quickly, and added that he would be there after he finished patrolling in a half hour. In a second he had jumped away and was swinging from web to web down the street. America thought he must indeed feel sad and lonely. It sort of felt like all of her new circle of friends were sad and lonely including herself, just...to varying degrees. She scuffed a sneaker back and forth over a crack in the sidewalk. "He sounds all sad and lonely, just like Wanda kept going on about this evening when I visited before I left with you," America mumbled. "Why do we all have to be sad and lonely? Everyone is lonely and missing people and it's DEPRESSING."
"Kid, maybe you shouldn't hang out in that cell so often. What are you talking about? Do you include me in this assessment?" Stephen asked in a gentler voice than he would not have used on someone else that was not America.
"Yes, you miss the Christine lady. Thinking about her makes you sad and lonely. You just...think more clearly than Wanda does. She talks to me, but she doesn't always make sense. Like jumping from one feeling to another like frogs hopping." America made a face.
"Darkhold made her crazier than a cage of monkeys, and she was not exactly a paragon of mental stability even before that. Don't wrack your brain trying to rationalize it. Come on, we'll get a bagel or something to eat before we go to this address," Stephen told her.
"If you guys all knew that, why didn't someone do something before? That doesn't make any sense either." America followed the sorcerer into the bagel shop and added in a whisper, "Yelena and I were researching stuff online. It's like Wanda vanished after the Westview Anomaly thing happened. There's no news about her, no nothing. Did everyone really just lose track of someone able to reality warp stuff? I mean, she's literally a walking bomb. When she's hurt, she explodes. And she's really hurting."
"Not lose track, I think everyone was simply preoccupied with their own families and such after the blip. Someone choosing to go off-grid wasn't a top priority, and, well...I imagine anyone left that would have checked on her assumed she didn't wish to be bothered."
They quickly ordered two blueberry bagels and slid into a small booth to eat them. America took a big bite of the bagel and continued thinking as she chewed. "Why didn't Kamar-Taj have the Darkhold locked up in the library with the forbidden books?"
"That, was lost track of. Look, I don't mind all the questions, kid, but not in here, understand?" Strange didn't think anyone else was eavesdropping on them, but all the same, this was not something good to discuss in public, not when he and America were slipping about the city somewhat incognito. "So, tell me more about your friends. Either of them survive the blip?"
"Kate yes, Yelena no. Kate's 22. I don't know how old Yelena is. She said she didn't know which age she preferred, like whether to account for the five missing years or not. They have a cool apartment and a dog, Lucky. He likes pizza. Good taste," America said, clearly amused with herself for this comment. She stuffed more bagel in and sipped her ice water.
America silently wondered what Wanda thought of herself as age-wise, too, because the more she thought about it, the more America was sure she was not old enough to have those twins in the first place. Kids, sure, but not ones as old as the children she had seen the other Wanda have in 838. From her research with Yelena and Kate, she had discovered Wanda was one of the blip victims herself. That accounted for part of this, but not all of it.
When they left the bagel shop to head to the address Spider-Man- Peter- had given them, America said quietly, "I think Wanda is not all that much older than me. She's probably around Yelena's age, and Yelena is near Kate's. And if Kate is 22..."
Stephen gave America a funny look. "You're really hung up on solving the Scarlet Witch story."
"I'm just saying. I think the her over in 838 is older than ours, because if Wanda is how old I think she is, then she's not old enough to have her kids be the age they are there. And there were like five different birth dates listed for her online that we could find, which is also really weird."
"Kid, you know she never had any children at all. What you're saying means there is just more proof they weren't real," Strange said quietly, but he also remembered Wanda snapping at him in her little cell back at the sanctum. She had called herself a walking infinity gauntlet, had still adamantly insisted her created family was, in fact, real within a pocket reality like Westview. Maybe she was just delusional, but it was true that she seemed to be (mostly) in her right mind now, and she still believed the exact same thing. Maybe she had messed up again and created real, actual life, but in a flawed way that meant eliminating the hex eliminated the family she'd created.
"That girl Elsa in the universe I took Wanda to? She doesn't have the crazy chaos magic Wanda does, but she did create life. A little snowman to be exact. And Olaf was most certainly real, and him existing wasn't hurting anybody. So if Olaf's real, which like obviously he is, then so were Wanda's kids."
Stephen was uncharacteristically quiet for a few minutes as they kept walking. Corrupted Wanda had deadpanned a that's what every mother does when told those children weren't real and that she'd created them using magic, which frankly did not seem like something remotely logical or worth listening to. "You believe she literally just created them incorrectly in a flawed way due to not knowing what she was doing."
"I really, really do."
_______________
When they knocked on the rickety Queens apartment door a little while later, an older teenage boy answered the door. "Gosh, you're Spider-Man?" America asked curiously. "I guess I thought you'd be older."
Peter yanked both Strange and the unfamiliar girl into his apartment. "You found me- I've missed you and everyone else so much!- how did you remember me? The spell fail? I hope. Maybe. Oh, sorry. Talking too much," he said all in a rush. "Who are you again?" Peter asked, looking at America.
"America Chavez. I live at the sanctum now," America explained briefly.
"Oh. That's cool." Peter looked at Strange hopefully, but it was clear the sorcerer didn't really remember him. He seemed very happy to see Peter, as if he might want to remember, but he didn't think Stephen really, truly remembered him, either. "How'd you find me if nobody can remember me still?"
"At least one person does remember you, Peter. I still don't, but I must admit simply seeing you does make me think I have missing memories. You seem very familiar all the same."
Peter stared from Stephen to America and back again. "Well, uh, who remembers me? Where are they? Did you bring them, maybe?" The source couldn't be America, because she had just said she thought he would be older.
"I couldn't bring her, Peter. I'm sorry. If I had to guess, you know of her, but don't know her well. You fought together at the final battle against Thanos," Strange said carefully.
Peter's expression screwed up in confusion, wondering why the sorcerer wasn't just saying who it was. "There were a lot of girl heroes there," he pointed out, "so who was it?" He mentally ticked off possibilities in his head, discarding them all as being impossible except for two. "Scarlet Witch or Captain Marvel," Peter decided.
America looked at the boy curiously. "You used that title as a hero code name. I got the impression nobody called Wanda that at all previously before Westview, and after..." Nobody was calling her a hero anymore at all or using her title a ton anyway.
"Well, yeah. I've been in Westview before, I was curious," Peter explained. "I went there after everyone forgot me, 'cause I figured everyone kind of forgot her too at this point. There was a weirdo lady named Agnes pacing around an empty plot, and she used it. I thought it sounded cool and suited Wanda. Gosh, that lady was kind of creepy and way too cheery but-"
"Uh, wait, wait a second," Stephen interrupted finally, happy to see Peter again but not overly fond of his penchant to keep talking and talking and talking. "Are you sure this lady's name was Agnes? Not Agatha?"
"Yes, very sure. Why?"
"Because you might have met the other witch that was in Westview when the whole hex came down. Agatha Harkness."
"Oh cool!"
Strange stared at him. "No, not cool. Dangerous."
"I said she was kind of creepy, not that she tried to attack me or anything. I didn't go there dressed as Spider-Man, just...Peter. And she definitely said Agnes, not Agatha," Peter pointed out, clearly confused now. "Where's Wanda? Is she the one who remembers me? I mean she has weird mind powers. I bet she or Captain Marvel could've beat Thanos maybe, if we all could've planned better and maybe Mr. Stark wouldn't be dead. Maybe-"
"Peter," Stephen interrupted, using the same gentler voice America seemed to make him use. "I don't think there's any use dwelling on what if's now."
"Well, if someone else had used the gauntlet besides Mr. Stark, somebody physically enhanced, maybe they wouldn't be dead and we'd still have Iron Man. I miss him, and I miss you."
"You miss me in particular...?"
Peter frowned. "Well, yeah."
_____________
"You and Strange found Peter Parker?" Wanda asked hopefully when America came to visit the next day, some schoolbooks and worksheets in tow.
"We did. Ummm...I'm supposed to ask you a couple things. Is that okay? I kind of think you won't like it. So I won't if you don't want me to. And I brought you a letter."
Wanda didn't smile, but she appreciated being told all of that beforehand, and she happily accepted the letter. Though it was short, she appreciated it all the same. Elsa said she was happy to hear she was safe and doing a little better, and mentioned a bit about some ball that she wished Wanda was there for, because she disliked them and could spend time with her friend that also presumably disliked them. Wanda found it funny that the other girl instinctively knew she would not enjoy an event like that either. She carefully refolded the letter and tucked it into a book as a bookmark.
Then she returned to sit on her narrow bed, hugged the pillow to her chest, and closed her eyes. I can talk calmly to America. I don't need to snap at her or push her away. Without being able to access her magic inside the protection-spelled little room, she found it so, so much easier to just...be. There was no worry she would mess up and hurt someone again. The constant pain in her chest at the loss of all her family members felt normal and not amplified horribly by whatever made her chaos magic intertwine so closely with her emotions. If she lashed out now, she would not harm anyone, and America could probably knock her out easily anyway, which was strangely reassuring. "It's...fine. If you don't ask me, then Wong or Stephen will. I would rather talk to you. Thank you for bringing me a letter."
America thought this was nice, and was glad Wong had used the protection spell Wanda had willingly told her about previously instead of keeping that shock collar on her. Wanda was very obviously still unhappy, but she didn't seem so tense, either. "I said I'd bring letters back and forth. I am kind of wondering if bringing tangible items through is dangerous, but Mr. Wong said it would be okay as long as both you and Elsa destroyed them afterwards to eliminate any chance of someone else realizing who they're from, and don't tell anyone else about it."
Wanda reluctantly retrieved the letter and handed it back to America without a word. Though most of the time she cared little for tangible possessions with a few exceptions, she inexplicably wanted to keep that letter very much. That was something a friend had cared enough to write just for her, and she wanted it.
"Peter said he went to Westview and ran into a lady pacing around an empty plot there named Agnes that he found kind of creepy. Is it possible that lady is Agatha Harkness?"
Wanda inwardly cringed, wondering if perhaps the mind-control she'd done to the other witch previously was flawed or weakened now, either because she had originally messed it up, or because she hadn't been in 616 temporarily. "I...turned Agatha the witch into Agnes the nosy neighbor, after I brought the hex down in Westview. It sounds like either Peter can sense Agatha's magic because he's Spider-Man, or my mind-control on her is flawed." Just like everything else I do.
"Is she dangerous now, without the Darkhold?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry." Wanda stared at the floor, wishing she had actual information. But like Wong had told her before, she simply didn't have enough magic knowledge she could trust to know one way or the other. Even if Wong let her go to the sanctum library, there would probably be nothing there to help her.
Her power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme. It is her destiny to destroy the world.
"No, no...no, I'll stay here forever if I have to, I won't-" Wanda abruptly jerked her head up and stared at America when she felt a hesitant squeeze on her own shoulder. What is she doing?
"I think you kind of went somewhere else in your head again. Look. You're not hurting anybody."
Wanda repeated the stupid prophecy she hated so much out loud, which only made America plop next to her on the bed and lean against the stone wall. "Why are you helping that? The thing meant to destroy?" Wanda asked, her voice flat.
"Why are you believing words from a nasty book that can't be trusted? That you destroyed?" America countered.
"The rest of it is true. Why wouldn't that part be also?"
"Uh, because isn't that exactly what the Darkhold literally did? Take the truth and twist it around? Maybe you're supposed to destroy some evil dimension world, or change this one to something better, 'destroying' the old one. Why does it have to mean you're going to wreck something good?"
That's...true. “I hope you are right." Wanda's voice stayed quiet, not calm, but not agitated, either. America's odd explanation actually made far more sense to her than Strange's explanation of that prophecy. Maybe it was just because she'd rather believe America than Stephen, but still. America had little magic knowledge herself, so her viewpoint was untarnished by prejudiced sorcery lore or corrupted witches or anything of the sort. She was, like Elsa back in that other world, someone willing to give her a chance and try to help.
"And," America went on, feeling quite inspired, "maybe you already satisfied the prophecy thing by destroying the Darkhold itself across the multiverse. That is an awful lot of destroying."
Stephen commenting that she had ruled the outcome of the book's existence had annoyed her, but hearing America now made some small amount of the anxiety in Wanda's head ease. Destroying infinite Darkhold copies must in turn require an infinite amount of power. I did one thing good with that absurd amount of power, so there. Wanda didn't feel strong now, not with her chaos magic neutralized in the little room, especially not when feeling like she couldn't trust that her thoughts were truly hers. But knowing that at least she had done one positive thing of her own volition with that crazy power level helped a little. If she could do that, then maybe she had a chance to keep plodding forward...right?
"This isn't something I was supposed to ask, but...how old are you?" America asked after a moment.
Wanda hesitated, but finally just answered in the simplest way she could. "I would be twenty-eight June 16 if I hadn't been dusted."
America frowned, trying to calculate in her head and concluding that also meant she was really only 22 going on 23, then. "You're like eight or nine ish years older than me, then. I don't think you and Yelena should count those missing five years. You guys weren't even alive. You weren't here."
Wanda didn't answer, suddenly wishing she had just told America she didn't want to answer that question. Now the teenager saw her as much younger than she had probably believed previously, and it made it hurt even more to think about Billy and Tommy. Tears dripped to the pillow she was still clutching tightly, and she stood up, instinctively hitting her head against the wall trying to make herself stop. Stop thinking, stop retreating somewhere else, she was here, trapped in the sanctum, not hurting people or watching her family disintegrate. That pain was something she could control. That pain would make it too difficult to mull over things mentally right now.
"Hey, you stop that!" America shouted. Without Wanda having access to her chaos magic, it was easy for America to make her stop what she was doing. She held Wanda still, barely needing to employ her own enhanced strength to do so. "Do you do this all the time? Don't hurt yourself."
I don't know. Why do you care? At least then I can feel something. Something I can actually control. I'm not tearing anything up. “I don't think you should stay in here right now," Wanda said finally.
"I think I should. Because Stephen's friend Christine hasn't found anybody for you to talk to yet."
"I don't want to talk to a stranger about...any of this."
"You're talking to me."
"You are not a stranger," Wanda shot back, without much vehemence at all. And I barely talk to her. I shouldn't. She's a kid. She shouldn't listen to me...it's probably bad for her.
"I was a stranger before. Maybe if you talk to some adult that actually knows what they're doing, it would...help." America finally released her, but watched suspiciously, now worried Wanda would do something else to harm herself even if she wasn't trying to actually eliminate herself, either.
"If I tell a stranger what is wrong with me, they won't...want to help." They would want to kill me and I wouldn't blame them. Wanda thought about Anna and Elsa and Olaf back in the other universe. They had wanted to help her even after knowing what she'd done. They had not wanted to kill her; they'd offered help and even saved her from trying (and failing) to kill herself.
"Well, that's kind of another question I was supposed to ask. Is there anyone here you actually want to talk to? I kind of got the impression from Mr. Wong that he's trying to come up with some plan so you don't have to stay here for ages." America plopped into the chair by the little table, unsure whether to ask again or just wait.
The cynical part of Wanda thought Wong just wanted a safe, responsible way to get rid of her and stick with someone else to monitor her, but the logical part, the part she tried so hard to connect with how Vision might think, knew that Wong genuinely did want to help her have some semblance of a normal life. He just would not risk anyone's safety, including her own, in order to let her go, which was kind of him and fully justified. Wanda carefully unfolded the Westview deed from her pocket again and smoothed it across her lap. Tell her the truth. You can tell America the truth. “The empty plot in Westview is mine," Wanda said softly. "Vision...meant it for us, but he..." We never made it there at all, not until I broke down and unknowingly brought him back. And then it only lasted like...a week, and I...hurt those poor people already living there.
America looked at the deed and bit her lip. "You've been carrying that around this whole time, haven't you? Like since the Westview anomaly thing."
Wanda nodded.
"Even while chasing me and wrecking things?"
"...Yes. At the beginning, I think the Darkhold...wanted me to get rid of it. Then it...stopped. I did not understand then. I think...I think it thought caring about something else was...holding me back." Wanda blinked slowly, running her fingers across the paper. It stopped feeling like I should get rid of that deed almost immediately. Now she wondered if the Darkhold had somehow sensed that she would recognize it was corrupting her before it was too late, if it continued poking ideas that she should throw away something so precious to her into her head. And so there it sat, always safe inside a pocket or, when she was suited up, tucked away against her heart.
Maybe that is why the chest looks...shattered and cracked when I'm actually...dressed as the Scarlet Witch.
She blinked again, not willing to look at the young teenager sitting across from her.
"You really really love him," America said matter-of-factly, now curious about the red synthezoid robot or whatever he was that she had read about online. It seemed no one could decide what the Vision actually was or how he should be described or referred to...or if he even counted as a living human or a weapon, which seemed disturbing to her. Maybe the Scarlet Witch would explain and tell her; the wistful look on Wanda's face said enough. "Um...what was the Vision like? You haven't got to talk about him if you don't want to, obviously."
"Like what you'd imagine your dream..." Wanda glanced at the little rainbow pin on America's denim jacket, "...girl to be."
America turned slightly pink and stifled a giggle. "You noticed my pin."
"I can be observant when I am not crazy."
America tried very hard not to laugh, because Wanda's eyes were a bit brighter and she looked somewhat happy for once, probably because she had made a self-aware morbid joke and this had pleased her.
"Anyway...he was sweet and caring. Human things fascinated him. I think...he felt like he was not human, but he really was, all the same. I could be sad, or hurt, and even if he didn't understand why, he would just sit with me and try to help. Sometimes he would be so awkward, but I didn't care." Wanda traced a finger around the red heart Vis had drawn on the deed, her expression sad but calm now. Vis would like me trying to actually confide in someone. I know that. I should keep talking unless it is making America upset. She's just a kid. I don't want to hurt her...again. “He was funny and kind, and he had a lovely voice. A very calming British accent."
"He sounds super nice." America was intrigued by Wanda's quiet words, mostly because this was the calmest she had ever seen Wanda at all aside from seeing her asleep. She was not tense, or picking at her nails, or pacing the little room, or looking like she wanted to punch something.
"Vis made me feel like a normal girl. I never wanted...this," Wanda said, gesturing at herself and the little golden runes on the walls. "I just...I don't know. You don't have to listen to me, you know that, right? I am probably bad for you to be exposed to." I don't want to make her depressed, either.
America shrugged. "Maybe I like listening to you. So let me. It kinda seems like it helps, too. Maybe I can help you figure out how to bring your family back and you can help me find my moms again."
"...What? You think I can bring my family back?"
"Yes, because I think you just did it wrong last time because you didn't know what you were doing, not because you can't. And if you're strong enough to do things like dreamwalking and reality warping a town, then you're strong enough to help me find my moms. I'll do whatever I can to help and you can help me too. Deal?" America held out her pinkie, offering a promise.
Wanda felt some pained thing twist in her chest, as if it were her magic reacting, but that was impossible anyway; the chaos magic remained in its deep unreachable sleep. That is what a normal person's hurt feels like, she thought, thinking that it was ridiculous for that knowledge to actually make her feel better rather than worse, but realizing that pain was not just her own magic hurting her was helpful. "Okay."
_______________
When Wong appeared hours later, America was almost done with her schoolwork, and Wanda sat on her bed reading one of the books America had brought her. Wanda was not a particularly fast reader-not in English, anyway, not at all-but she was enjoying it all the same. Much to her surprise, Wong seemed strangely upbeat and happy. "Miss Chavez, go see if Madisynn will watch a movie or a show with you, hmm? I'll open a portal for you. I need to talk to your friend myself."
Wanda blinked, staring through the sparkling portal Wong created. A woman with long dark hair dressed in a fuzzy pink onesie was flopped on a sofa, and she watched curiously.
"Oh, Wongers! You coming back already? That's great, we'll continue watching The Sopranos and pop another popcorn bag-"
"No, I just left. You know that," Wong interrupted pleasantly, and closed the portal after a giggling America had hopped through after hugging Wanda without bothering to ask first.
Wanda heard the strange girl asking America who the 'sad red girl' was that America had been hanging out with before the portal disappeared, and found that she didn't care. Being called that was far from the worst thing she'd heard or deserved, and this Madisynn person seemed ridiculous and funny but genuinely nice. The sort of person Pietro would have liked, I think. “You let Madisynn call you that strange nickname," Wanda commented curiously.
"Madisynn grows on you like fungus on a piece of bread."
Wanda relaxed a bit more, easily able to tell that the sorcerer enjoyed Madisynn's company very much, despite good-naturedly insulting her. "I don't even need access to my telepathy to know you like spending time with her." It was kind of nice that Wong didn't seem to care that he had briefly let her see his friend, even though she hadn't actually interacted with her.
Wong thought that Wanda seemed better today somehow, too. "What do you want to do?"
"...Do?" I don't understand. What does that mean?
"Yes, do. What do you want? Not your family. I know that. What do you want to do?" Wong sounded matter-of-fact and serious. "Something for yourself. Not magic, not power of any kind. What do you want?"
Wanda hesitated, eyeing the schoolbooks America had left scattered on the table. I don't know. The normal life that I can't have. "I want to get a GED," she whispered after a long silence. That had been poking at her all afternoon as she read her book and watched America do her schoolwork. That was something small, and it was something normal that she could do. Probably, at least. Nat had one. She told me.
Wong gave a small surprised start; of all things he'd assumed Wanda might say, he hadn't considered that. But it also seemed like a good sign, that she would mention something like that. "All right. That's...not what I expected you to say, but we can definitely work on that."
"Can you...not tell Strange I said that?" I feel...stupid. Wanda twisted her fingers together nervously, unsure why she had even confided that request to the sorcerer at all. A diploma or degree was not exactly a necessity previously; Natasha had known she had no official education past fifth grade, but Nat had just helped her learn some things in the Compound because at the time, Wanda hadn't wanted to attempt doing any official school, mortified and anxious at the idea. And there wasn't exactly a good way to acquire one as a fugitive on the run. After that, it had simply...not been on her radar at all. Now, stuck in her little cell-room here at the sanctum and watching America do her schoolwork, the idea had returned to her.
"He won't care, but no, I don't have to tell him that."
"He might not care, but I feel stupid. That infuriating man has a PhD from Columbia, and I am telling you I don't even have a GED."
Wong's expression softened a bit, finding it difficult to reconcile the anxious young woman in front of him with the terrifying corrupted person from before. "Let's say you were to get a normal, ordinary job, something that has nothing to do with the Avengers, magic, hero work, or anything like that. What do you know how to do, or what would you want to do?"
Wanda blinked, staring at him in complete and utter confusion. What? Why is he asking me that? She took a deep shaky breath, trying to consider this and answer logically. "I can cook and clean. I can translate things...I do know multiple languages."
"You can get paid for being an online translator, Miss Maximoff. If we were to get you a laptop, is that something you would be interested in?" Wong suggested carefully.
"I don't have money to buy a computer," Wanda said, a slight edge to her voice, "not unless I literally create some with my magic. I don't...want to be your charity case." Never. Never, never, never.
Wong gazed at her steadily. "It won't be a gift. You can earn money and pay back for it yourself."
"Nobody is going to want to hire me," came Wanda's quiet reply, but the edge in her voice was gone. Wong's offer made her less defensive rather than more so; it was pleasant to consider that she might actually be able to have a normal, ordinary way to make money. Vision would be proud. Forget the horrid prophecy and her inability to handle that chaos magic properly. "I do not have any experience."
"Arguably, you probably do. Translating is a skill you used on old Avengers missions, correct?" Wong waited for her to nod before continuing. "Then, yes, you have experience. Rather interesting that you say you feel stupid about not having an official diploma, but you also say you know multiple languages, which many people cannot lay claim to, diploma or not."
Wanda remained stiff, her gaze on the floor, but her expression brightened slightly. "You sound like Nat," she whispered. She used to say similar things when I told her I felt dumb for not being well-educated.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is. She...she is...was...my best friend." Wanda did not look at Wong, but she did ask hesitantly, "Do you have any pictures of her?"
"No, but I'll bet Miss Chavez's friends do. She has already mentioned you to them and said one in particular wished to see you. Are you interested in seeing them?"
Saying yes might just automatically earn a no. Wanda was suddenly very aware of just what she had done by voluntarily sharing that protection spell; she'd made herself completely vulnerable to be hurt further or otherwise just left here forever. She shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have confided anything in anyone, none of it. Stop it. This is not any of those other places or things I have seen before. Shut up. I...think I am actually safe here. And even if I'm not, at least everyone else is safe from me. She finally nodded once, blinking quickly and trying not to let herself cry again. Is this me? Is this me just being anxious? I don't know and it scares me. I hate not knowing.
"You are mentally debating something. You've answered other questions truthfully. What are you so anxious about now all of a sudden?" Wong sounded calm and matter-of-fact.
"That I can't tell whether it is me being irrationally anxious or not." Wanda knew she would have issues, remnants of Darkhold corruption or not, but at this point, she just wanted confirmation that those issues were purely hers.
Wong sighed, sat cross-legged on the floor, and gestured for her to do the same. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Sit. Frankly, I don't know if this will help since you aren't a sorcerer, but we can try. Concentrate on where you are now. Close your eyes and breathe."
"This is like beginning to astral project or dreamwalk," Wanda whispered, sitting but fiddling nervously with her fingers again. It doesn't matter. Calm down. I can't access my magic in here anyway.
"Then you already know how to do this, Miss Maximoff. Instead of those things, you're going to be mindful of your breathing and slowly relax one part of you at a time. Stop fidgeting so much."
Much to Wong's surprise, this comment seemed to make Wanda relax a bit automatically. Pietro was fidgety all the time. Not me. I should be able to stop. "Is this going to make me know what thoughts are only mine?" she questioned hesitantly.
"I'm hoping it will make it easier for you to tell what is and is not. You should be able to focus enough to be aware of it, at least. My immediate suspicion is that the anxiety is genuinely yours, but being amplified or pulled forward in some way." Wong watched her for a few minutes; he could tell she was making an effort to listen, at least.
"There is like...a black...thread pulling at it," Wanda said very quietly after a few minutes. And I don't like it. “I can feel...my magic...sleeping. I can't access it, but it doesn't feel...bad." She sat up straighter, keeping her eyes closed and mentally cutting that bit of black away. That isn't mine. My magic is at peace right now, just locked away asleep and comatose. Almost immediately she found herself more at ease, those anxious thoughts back underneath where they belonged, not taking over and making her regret sharing that spell that neutralized her own magic. I am anxious about being powerless in here, but not...like that, either, not at all. Wong is right. But, the anxiety over not knowing which thoughts are mine is...mostly all mine. That terrifies me. Wanda sensed the dark bits of her-or rather, the corruption remnants-growing angry that she was mentally locating and organizing her own mind, trying to compartmentalize everything. That, is not me. I don't want you anymore. Go away.
Snap. Another thread, cut and tossed aside. Snip, there was another.
My head hurts. What is going on now...? Wanda abruptly opened her eyes and scrambled to her feet; then awkwardly stumbled onto the bed. "I think you need to get away from me," she said quickly. "Something's wrong. I don't...I don't want to hurt you."
"You can't hurt me in here," Wong said firmly. "What is it you think happened?"
I don't know. I don't know I don't know but it is nothing good. "It feels like I have a...I don't know. Something angry in my head and it hurts because I was...cutting pieces off. Inside." Wanda knew that probably sounded odd and unhinged, but she didn't know how else to explain it. She instinctively buried her face in her hands and tried to concentrate on something else besides the lashes of the whatever-it-was pain hurting her and trying to tear into her head. I am here. I am still me. You are not me and I don't accept this. Of course I am you, you are not accepting yourself. "Shut up. Shut up, shut up, I'm safe here, you just- you leave me alone. Leave, I don't want this! I don't want that to be me."
Wong thought looking at Wanda's fingertips said enough; nearly all of the messy black nail-polish corruption remnants were gone, and whatever she had been doing mentally after he had tried to help her meditate, in a way, had begun working too well to identify and get rid of it. No wonder whatever was left was hurting her now. She was cutting it out by force. "Look at your fingers, Miss Maximoff. What you were doing was working," he said quietly. "What is happening now proves that further."
Wanda tentatively glanced at her hands and then bit her lip hard. If I try that again, I'm going to tear myself apart inside. I don't...care if I die, but...I don't want that anymore, either...do I? "Why is that...fading more? I can't use my chaos magic in here," she whispered. "I am nothing without...that."
"I don't know, but I assume because it is you fighting with the corruption without using your powers to do so. You're stronger than you think you are. What do you feel like now?"
Wanda did not answer right away, but finally just said in a flat tone, "I feel broken." I am so tired of everything hurting. Now I am breaking me further trying to undo what I've done to myself already. "And tired. So tired."
"I will be right back."
Wanda didn't look up, merely nodded. Wong thought she could get a normal, ordinary job, which seemed more and more ridiculous the more she thought about it. Who in their right mind would ever hire an unstable young woman with no ID, no experience, no anything? Forget the horrible corrupted things she had done. Forget the magic issues. Telling Wong she was nothing without her magic didn't seem an exaggeration to her now.
I can't fix me. That isn't right either. Wong said I was fighting it without my magic at all. That's...good, isn't it? Wanda squeezed her eyes shut again, curling herself into a ball and struggling to ignore the pulsing pain in her head. That means I am still me. That means I am still here. Muddled days and weeks and months of studying the Darkhold all seeped into a mangled, knotted mess now. This was not the first time she'd felt this exact same pain, was it? No, it had happened before and back then she had 'rationalized', oh you just read too much and strained your eyes. "Idiot. I am such an idiot," she muttered.
If she had trusted herself more and not that book, maybe she could have done precisely what Wong had just shown her how to do a little while ago, and cut ties to the corruption entirely on her own. There wouldn't be so much of it anymore.
Wanda was still mulling that over when Wong returned and gave her an Advil. "I am not leaving the whole bottle in here, but if you need more, ask for it," Wong told her. He had no intentions of leaving any kind of pills in that cell, suspicious that she might attempt overdosing on them, but he was willing to bring more upon request.
"...Why are you being so nice to me? It is my own fault."
"It is, but I am not in the habit of mentally torturing people making a genuine effort to improve themselves."
"How do you know I was?"
Wong sighed. "Because there wouldn't be visible signs the leftover corruption is healing back to normal, and your...slightly unhinged comments that you make sometimes also showing you are fighting it."
And failing, Wanda thought, but logically that was not true either. She did feel better than when America had first taken her to that other universe, much better. Things in her head were a bit more peaceful more often; she had tangible solid proof she was no longer that...thing from before. I was even able to make friends. America has even brought me a letter back from Arendelle already.
"I think you were eliminating too much of the leftover corruption too quickly," Wong said now.
"...What?" Wanda glanced from her hands to Wong and back again, frowning in confusion. "I thought I should do that."
"What you were doing was the equivalent of a drug or smoking addict ceasing their behavior all at once cold turkey, causing severe withdrawal symptoms. I was just hoping you would be able to merely identify those remnants right away, but you jumped right to cutting it out somehow." Wong paused and added in a matter-of-fact voice, "You do know how to identify it now. Give yourself some time and do what we practiced whenever you even think you're questioning yourself, but stop before intentionally trying to cut all of it out. You can handle this."
Wanda nodded. I can do that. That is something I can do.
Notes:
Wanda wanting her GED seemed like a very reasonable thing for her to wish for right now. That is something attainable and something that has nothing to do with her magic or dealing with leftover corruption remnants; and like Wong is trying to get her to realize, she can do other things.
Also, nobody is convincing me Wanda was 26 in AoU hahaha. So we’re retconning the retcon. Age fixed! This explanation here makes far more sense to me than randomly claiming she was older all along. Like America points out, Wanda is old enough to have kids, but not ten-year-olds. So we’re going to say 838 Wanda is older than our Wanda, and then say It Is Magic to explain OUR Wanda’s twins, since she literally did create them via magic. Easy peasy:)
I am very excited to share the next chapter, because we’ll finally see Kate and Yelena interact with Wanda lol:)
Any feedback is much appreciated!
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Summary:
In which Wanda meets Yelena, Kate...and Madisynn, she continues feeling a bit more like herself; and America takes her to a bookstore, where they run into someone who gives them a warning...
Notes:
I am very excited to share this chapter- more bits are falling into place and some inklings of future plot events are hinted more. And while Wanda is still very much a mess mentally, she’s also growing to be more like her normal-but-still-traumatized self. She made me cry again writing this chapter, but in the good way, not like working on ch3 did LOL! Anyways, I hope you enjoy:)
Extra tidbit: I headcanon that Wanda spent some time with Yelena during those two years between CW and IW, so any references either of them make to Nat, Melina, or Alexei are based from that.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next few days passed slowly but not particularly unpleasantly. Though Wanda knew she hadn't really been able to eliminate those corruption remnants entirely, Wong's idea seemed to help tremendously.
More often that not, she found the anxiety to genuinely be hers, which was rather disheartening, but at least she could really, truly know that for sure and not be growing more and more freaked out at the idea corrupted thoughts were trying to take over. This in turn helped her feel less anxious in the first place. There was no way to heal those broken holes inside where all of her missing people should be, but it did not feel quite so jagged and sharp, either. I can never have Pietro, Nat, or my parents back, but... Wanda smoothed her Westview deed out on her bed for the hundredth time.
America thought she could bring her family back. Those troll creatures back in Elsa's universe had shown her that weird, vague, holographic vision with three figures seemingly waiting in the distance for her. Wanda suspected that could mean one of a few things.
One: she was simply meant to realize that yes, she would die eventually, and then she would be happily reunited with both family trios she missed so badly. Pietro, her mama, her papa. Vis, Billy, Tommy.
Two: she had a trio of people already here waiting for her. This seemed to be the most likely option, since one person was already constantly there. America, and...she was not sure who the other two could be, but she was certain it wouldn't be Wong or Strange.
Three: she really, truly could have Vis, Billy, and Tommy back somehow. This seemed unlikely, but she couldn't keep a small spark of hope from settling in her chest at the idea. She would not allow herself to rely solely on that possibility to keep going, but the little warm glimmer would not go away entirely, either.
Four: those trolls were just full of nonsense and the information meant nothing.
Wanda quickly folded the deed and slipped it back into her pocket when a familiar orange portal appeared. Of her three regular visitors, she knew exactly who was who by now. America always knocked and asked permission first, and she always used a regular key to unlock the little room's door. Wong always knocked now, but he didn't always ask permission, and he usually used a portal. Strange did not knock or ask permission, and always used a portal.
Today, she had decided she had quite enough of that. "The Sorcerer Supreme knocks. You could knock on my door first," Wanda informed him.
Strange looked like the idea hadn't even occurred to him; she was still technically a prisoner after all. He didn't apologize, but he nodded. "Wong said he was able to fix that collar you destroyed before."
In a second Wanda was on her feet, her green eyes glinting in a way Stephen did not care for. "You are not putting that on me," she spat instantly. "I've been good, I didn't cause trouble, I-"
"I'm not, I was just letting you know. It sounded like you and Wong had agreed he would let you out under supervision with it on. Look, I didn't even bring the thing. So, did my part, let you know. If you don't want it, then stay in here then. I don't care."
Wanda didn't apologize for her own outburst, but she relaxed. That was all me snapping. I probably should be sorry, but I'm...not. She nodded and just said 'okay' in a quiet voice.
Strange found Wanda rather frustrating; the times he had seen her in the past few days, she usually ignored him, or at best, barely spoke. It was the opposite of how America described Wanda and her behavior. "Wong said you figured out how to eliminate corruption remnants. How are you doing that if you can't access your magic here?"
"I don't know."
"You...don't know."
Wanda shrugged, not particularly wishing to explain. "I am no threat to you in here. What does it matter?" Struck by a sudden thought, she tilted her head a bit and stared at him thoughtfully. "You are wondering why I can do that at all without my magic." Is he tired or frustrated dealing with whatever corruption remnants remain for him too? At the silence and continued stare, Wanda decided to answer in a truthful manner. "Mine is asleep, in here. The...other, corrupted magic feels different after Wong showed me how to identify it. It gets mad if I cut it out too much. It is me, but not me. Things all knotted into...other...emotional things. I want my emotions, not those." I sound crazy. I should just be quiet.
Stephen rather thought this did not make sense to him, because it certainly didn't sound very logical. But whatever it was must be working, because Wanda looked far more like the person he remembered before all of the Darkhold business, even if she still seemed to swing on a wild pendulum emotionally. "Whatever works for you," he said finally.
"You didn't come just to tell me about that collar and ask me that question."
"No, America just specifically asked me to check on you while she's at her sorcery lessons, and ask if you wanted to go with her to visit her friends later."
This made Wanda brighten. "Tell her I do want to, but..." she paused, wondering how to explain herself in such a way that actually would make sense. "I think I need to see what my magic feels like outside of this room before going anywhere. I am in control of myself right now. I don't know how leaving the barrier of the protection spell will make...me react, even if I had that thing on me." There. I think that is reasonable...I hope.
Wanda was exceedingly surprised to see a hint of respect in Strange's eyes, and then all the more baffled at his, "That is you being reasonable," comment, delivered with none of the condescending tone she hated hearing so much.
I am trying to do better.
________________
"You're sure you'd rather do this than stay here? Because I could just call Yelena and you could talk to her from here," America offered the next morning. "And we can just go to the library here too if you don't feel like going outside."
"If we exit the barrier of that protection spell and I don't immediately feel...out of control, I'm sure." Wanda knew quite well that Wong must have sent America with the stupid collar instead of himself, because he knew it still made her irrationally nervous and she trusted America more. I have to do something. This is how I can work on trying to...get out of here and do something on my own. I know that. She blinked and tried not to look so worried.
"I haven't got the control for it. We'll have to go ask Mr. Wong to get it off if we need it off."
"I know." Wanda could tell America did not want to fasten the device around her neck, but she reluctantly locked it closed anyway, and then she gave Wanda's arm a gentle squeeze. Somehow this made Wanda's eyes well with tears, and she hesitantly whispered, "This is different than...years ago."
America frowned. "Are you sure you're okay? Did something happen?"
Wanda's fingers flitted to her neck briefly. "I am okay. I don't...have pleasant memories of things like this on me." I don't want to explain further, but I...don't want to lie, either. She grew even more surprised when America offered her a scarf too. "I don't want to take your things, I-"
"It's not mine, it's for you. Then nobody can bother you with questions, so you'll be safe."
Wanda bit her lip hard, remembering using a scarf to conceal the marks left on her neck from burns during the Raft ordeal until the scars faded enough. This was different, but she could remember Nat telling her the same thing America just had. She held the soft knit scarf to her chest and didn't move at all until America tugged lightly on her arm. "I am coming."
They slipped into the stone hallway outside the little cell-room, and Wanda was surprised that her chaos magic didn't immediately jab at her roughly because she hadn't accessed it at all for awhile. Instead, she could feel it stir in her chest immediately, tendrils of quiet scarlet settling in her heart and across her battered mind inside, as if it wanted to assure her you're you, it's okay, you don't have to use it right now, but that part of you is here waiting. The sensation was so pleasant and the opposite of the violent reaction she'd feared, that she stood there stock still with relieved tears streaming down her cheeks. I didn't think this was even possible again. Ever. I know it will not last forever, but it's possible. It's possible and I'm...me.
"What's wrong? Do I need to get Mr. Wong? I mean, we can go back in the room and get it off if it's hurting you-"
"No. No, it's the opposite," Wanda interrupted as quickly as she could. "My magic...knows I am not supposed to use it right now, but it...it's like it is peaceful. I never feel like that." She swiped at her eyes and smiled a tiny bit. Pietro, I'm still here. I won't give up again.
______________
Wanda's mood lifted further when they stepped outside onto the sidewalk. I am outside, and no one recognizes me at all. She remained quiet as they walked, letting America lead without questioning it. If all they did was walk awhile and then return to the sanctum, that would be fine.
"We're going to the Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue," America announced after a bit, once she had consulted the directions on her phone for which train they should take. "Still have to walk some, but there's just a few stops on the D train, that's all."
Wanda decided not to question this; she had once been vaguely familiar with the New York subway system, but that was years ago and she didn't remember much of it now. "Your friends are meeting us there?" Noisy, noisy, noisy. I don't like this. Though she sensed herself becoming antsy and anxious around all of the city noise and the amount of people, Wanda stuck close to her younger friend and tried her best to not be appearing to act strange or out of place.
America thought Wanda's voice sounded different; her normal slight accent was missing entirely from her words. "Yeah. You said you wanted to get that GED thing, so Mr. Wong said we should go there and you could find a study book. I didn't tell Stephen 'cause I know you still don't want him to know."
Wanda clenched her fists and then slipped her hand in her pocket to touch that deed again. She was not being stupid; this was a good plan. There were more important things to worry about than America's friends potentially thinking she was dumb. Thinking that is dumb. I have done stupid things, but this is not one of them. Shut up. "I might need your help instead of the other way around," she deadpanned finally. "I am not...school smart."
"Yesterday you said you didn't go to any school after you were ten and that was why you couldn't help with that stupid math sheet I was stuck on. I don't think not having any school makes you not smart. Do you think I'm stupid too? Because I can't do algebra?"
"Of course not." But you're fourteen. You have time. Wanda blinked several times, trying to shut out the overdose of sensory input from their surroundings. I don't know if this is from my magic, or just me being weirdly sensitive. She did not feel out of control right now, not like before, but her head was starting to hurt badly, her fingers fidgeting as she clasped her hands in her lap. The train echoed too much, and the train car was rather full. No one was paying any attention to America or her, but there were too many people in too close quarters. Trying to follow Wong's relaxing instructions was enough to reassure her that this was not from Darkhold corruption remnants, at least, but it wasn't fixing the problem, either. I can't do this today. I can't. "I think you need to lock me up again. Now," she whispered quietly so that only America would hear her.
America wasn't sure what was wrong, but she could tell Wanda was abruptly unhappy again. At the next station, she stood up and pulled Wanda out of the train and up the stairs out of the subway station, aware they probably looked silly, a kid pulling an older young woman around, but she didn't care. She would look out for her, period. "What happened? I thought we were kind of having fun."
"I just...felt like I would make a mistake. Not from corruption," Wanda clarified quickly. "It was...me irrationally feeling overwhelmed." There. That was the truth. That was feelings expressed correctly.
America honestly didn't understand, but she nodded anyway. "Do you want to go back? Yelena and Kate would understand. They know what happened before, and they know you're hurt."
What? Those matter-of-fact words slammed into Wanda like a truck. America sounded as if she were talking about some ordinary physical injury causing Wanda to be tired and unable to travel further right now, not that something had wrecked her mentally and exacerbated the normal issues she'd already had before. Tell her the truth. You cannot do this today safely. "I do want to see your friends, but I think I need to go back today. I'm so sorry."
"Okay." America debated what to do and then just hailed a cab and texted her friends about the change of plans.
Upon arriving back at the sanctum, a few acolytes gave them a puzzled glance, but otherwise completely ignored them. Wanda honestly did not care, because she could not and did not expect anything better anyway. America went back to Wanda's small cell-room and let her back in, saying she would be back with Wong so they could unlock that collar.
"Okay." Wanda still disliked having the thing on her, because it really did remind her of previous events she didn't want to think about, but it wasn't particularly hurting or scaring her now, either. "Thank you for believing me. I don't..." she paused, searching for the right words. "I don't want to ruin anything. I felt like staying out longer was a bad idea."
"I don't really understand, but it's fine. Yelena and Kate don't care either. Actually Yelena seemed unsurprised. She texted, some things don't change. Bring her stubborn anxious butt to our apartment tomorrow instead then, to be exact."
Wanda smiled hearing that. Though she hadn't known Yelena all that well before, she knew her well enough that she could easily picture Yelena saying that. Yelena had never been patient with her at all, but she had been someone Wanda felt she could rely on to have her back in a pinch.
Much to her surprise, Wanda heard a decidedly unfamiliar knock on her little cell-room's door mere minutes after America left, saying she would be back as soon as possible. "Who is it?" she asked suspiciously. If it is some other person, I have no way to defend myself in here, Wanda thought instinctively, and then, I actually want to defend myself. That part is good, as long as I am not hurting anyone.
"There's some crazy Russian girl here to see youuu!"
"What the hell? Wanda Maximoff, it's Yelena. You didn't come to the bookstore, so I came here. Move, if you do not have keys."
"Wongers won't want his doors' locks picked."
"Then go find him, Madisynn with two n's and one y."
"No, I want to meet her for real, real. I only saw her before."
Wanda heard the sounds of Yelena evidently picking the lock and Madisynn continuing talking in her cheery voice. No longer thinking someone was trying to break into her little room to attack her, Wanda relaxed just as the two welcome intruders opened the door. Yelena looked very much like she remembered, though she just had her blonde hair in a ponytail rather than intricate braids, and she wore a simple jeans and shirt outfit with a light coat on top that Wanda knew was probably full of pockets.
Yelena was a bit obsessed with pockets.
Madisynn was wearing a long sleeve ruched knit bodycon dress...with fuzzy socks and no shoes. Wanda decided not to question this.
"You look like shit. I brought you something," Yelena said now, holding out a small rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. "I would be pissed at you for not contacting me, but I guess you could also be pissed at me for not contacting you."
Wanda blinked, hugging the package close. She brought something just for me? Why would she do that?
"Well, open it. I...think you will like it," Yelena said, clearly unbothered that she had knocked on the sorcerers' Sanctum Sanctorum entrance, been invited in by Madisynn (who seemed out of place but simultaneously at home), and then picked the lock to a "cell" so she could see Wanda for herself.
"You are Madisynn, Wong's friend. Does he...know you let a guest in here?" Wanda asked hesitantly. I don't want either of them to get in trouble, and I don't want to get in trouble either.
"No, but he said make yourself at home, so I guess that includes letting people in. America's talked about her a lot so I let her in when she said she wanted to see you. Do you want a drink? I brought drinks."
Wanda stared at Madisynn, completely baffled. "You...know what I did before?"
"You were a dark magic addict and Wongers is helping you recover. I made a pact with a demon I can't discuss so I think-"
"You did what?" Yelena interrupted.
"Oh, can't talk about it or he'll 'reap my soul and the souls of all I love', whatever that means," Madisynn said, entering the little room without further invitation and plopping a bottle of wine on the little table. "Anyway, so I think I can, you know, process that somebody is recovering."
Madisynn seemed like such a whirlwind of baffling pleasantness that Wanda found herself stunned into silence. She glanced at Yelena, who looked impatient and gestured for her to open the package. Wanda unwrapped it to see a small framed photo of Natasha with both Yelena and herself. The angle was a bit off-kilter, and Wanda remembered weird eccentric Alexei taking this photo of 'his girls'. "This is at Melina's in Russia," Wanda whispered, touching the glass lightly. At the time, Alexei had confused and disturbed her, and she disliked him because she knew his involvement with what Nat and Yelena had gone through with the Red Room. But she could not deny that the weird self-centered man genuinely did seem to care about Natasha and Yelena, and then Wanda herself too, counting her as the third sister for the short time she and Nat visited while being fugitives. Just didn't care enough, exactly like Nat told me about him, Wanda thought now. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I really, really appreciate it."
"Oh god, please don't cry. I thought you hated doing that if people could see you. You are such a mess," Yelena said now, in a much kinder voice than the actual words implied. She awkwardly patted Wanda's shoulder and then sighed when Wanda hugged her tightly. "Yes, I remember you like hugs," Yelena muttered softly, but she returned the gesture, delighted to see Wanda and that she honestly did not seem all that different than she remembered. Seeing Wanda now reminded her of Natasha, and maybe they couldn't have her back, but being together now was better than nothing.
"...Guys? Wongers and America are here," Madisynn informed them.
"Madisynn, you do not, I repeat, do NOT let people into the sanctum next time," Wong said tiredly, relieved that nothing bad had happened. "I don't care who it is. And you...you picked a lock."
Yelena did not look very sorry. "Sorry. I thought I might not be allowed to see her here."
America pushed her way in and plopped herself in the chair.
Wong looked from one girl to the next, thinking he did not have time to make sure four of them did not get into trouble. That quartet would most certainly get into mischief. And that unopened bottle of wine on the table was certainly Madisynn's doing. "All right, Madisynn, Miss Chavez, out. Now. You must be Yelena Belova. You may visit for a half hour. Then out you go."
Wanda did not protest this, especially since she really did want to talk to Yelena by herself. She nodded when Wong asked if she 'wanted it off right now', knowing he was referring to that stupid collar and not caring if Yelena knew about it. The Russian girl would not be fazed at all and probably already knew from America anyway.
The second everyone else was gone, Yelena plopped herself back-to-front on the chair and rested her chin on it. "So, glowy wall things neutralize your powers. That sucks," Yelena commented matter-of-factly.
Of course she realized immediately. "I gave him the protection spell," Wanda said quietly. "I'm sorry I ruined the meetup today. I felt like I would mess up yet again if I stayed out any longer."
"Lame power-restricting collar monitor then. You'd be fine."
Wanda closed her eyes and found herself trying not to laugh. Maybe that was stupid; but Yelena was a link to before, before when yes, things were nowhere near perfect, but she hadn't felt so horribly alone, either. Those two years she'd spent as an international fugitive with the other rogue Avengers (after escaping the Raft, of course) honestly seemed the best time in her life at all since she was a small child, before she and Pietro lost their parents. She touched the framed picture Yelena had brought her again, looking at the three smiling faces. "Sometimes I wonder what she would say if she saw me now," Wanda whispered. "Knew what I've done."
The younger red-haired Wanda in the photo looked happy, happy and uncaring about the visible burn marks across her neck. Wanda remembered Yelena raising an eyebrow and saying, ”Look who you are with. Why the hell would you hide battle scars here? Nobody cares. You're ridiculous." She'd tried to tell Yelena the healing scars weren't from a battle, but the other girl ignored her.
”You survived being tortured in some shitty government prison. Battle scars."
And from weird Alexei, "Ah, my little Natasha's friend is tougher than she looks." This had earned Red Guardian a threat of being telekinetically dropped in Melina's pigpen, which made both Natasha and Yelena crack up laughing. Much to Wanda's dismay, this had not deterred Alexei's behavior at all and seemed to make her just grow on him more.
Melina, on the other hand, confused her, because the older Widow first scolded her upon finding her crying outside in the middle of the night, but then lifted Wanda's chin and said, "You too emotive, often. But you haven't let anyone take your heart. You are like Natasha, that."
"She'd say you did something shitty, so now you get up and make amends and try to move on. Something about red in your ledger needing to be erased." Yelena paused and added, "Your kid friend told Kate Bishop and me what happened. So do not think I do not know you murdered people. But you know what? I have too. I don't know anything about magic- you were just a weird powerful enhanced person to me before- but it sounds like you were basically brainwashed."
"...I chose to open the Darkhold."
"Did you know what it would do to you?"
"Of course not."
"Then how would it be your fault?"
Wanda hugged the picture to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut against more hot tears. Because I was stupid and ignorant and too weak to resist it. I was already scared, angry, and hurt, and it...mutilated that into awful, horrible things. “Whether I have...responsibility over the crimes I did or not, doesn't undo it or make me not feel guilty," she said finally.
"I know," Yelena answered, and Wanda knew Yelena did understand that; she one hundred percent understood that.
"Thank you for coming. I...I can't explain how much it means to me." Wanda felt her hands shaking again, and she quickly laid the picture down and clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. "I didn't...Yelena, I'm sorry. I wanted to...to protect everyone else from me. And I didn't think anyone would...want anything to do with me after Westview." I was scared, so scared of being unwanted and left all alone again I think I just thought it would hurt less to stay away in the first place and just hope someone would come for me...but no one did.
"Like I said, I could be pissed at you, but it's not like I tried to find you, either. I didn't want more reminders of Natasha at all then. Never saw Melina or Alexei after being un-dusted, either. Well. Not that I wanted to see the so-called Red Guardian much anyway."
Wanda smiled hearing that, unclasped her hands, and pulled her knees to her chest again.
Yelena opened the wine Madisynn had left behind and took a swig right from the bottle. "Sip?"
Wanda figured one sip wouldn't hurt anything, so she nodded. It did not taste good at all, but it was pleasant to be partaking in something so ordinary as just sharing a drink with a friend. Yelena was definitely a friend. She would not have taken the time to go out of her way and visit her otherwise. "I remember Nat letting me have alcoholic drinks at the Compound but not anywhere outside of it, because I was only 18 then," Wanda said, a lopsided smile on her face now. "I liked those hard lemonades."
"Lame. Those have barely any alcohol content," Yelena teased, but she smiled too. "I don't understand the 21 drinking age here. You can vote and fight at 18, why no alcohol?" She shrugged. "Wanda, I am genuinely not trashing on you. Promise. But why the heck didn't you come to the bookstore? I know you have issues, but you were never that freaked about stores or city transportation before."
Wanda noticed Yelena had used just her given name rather than the full names Yelena often enjoyed using for people, and it made her feel better, because that was also how Yelena referred to Nat. "I felt overwhelmed and couldn't risk it," she said simply.
"You could come to the stupid support group Kate Bishop drags me to every week, you know. She says all of the heroes should have to go to one. Erase the Accords and replace them with mandatory hero therapy instead."
This made Wanda start laughing uncontrollably. "I am no hero, but..." That sounds hysterical. Logical, but...hysterical.
Yelena was glad she had made Wanda laugh. "But really...you don't even have to say anything if you don't want to. Nobody really follows the Accords anyway. Ask that Wong wizard if he will let you come. He should say yes considering he was fine with you basically going shopping."
"If someone recognizes me..."
"They won't, trust me. Do not show up in uniform and you'll be fine. The group Kate Bishop and I go to is mostly just young women around our age that either were blipped like the two of us, or weren't blipped and lost family instead. We sit and some people talk for a bit, which nobody cares if you don't do, and then everyone sits around eating desserts and snacks." Yelena looked at Wanda hopefully, suddenly very much wishing she would agree. "Don't even stay if you end up uncomfortable like whatever ruined the bookstore meetup today. Nobody will mind."
I'd be an impostor. I shouldn't do this. “I don't...feel like I deserve to...participate," Wanda said softly.
Yelena stared at her. "Well, I want you to come."
"I...I will try."
_______________
Wong returned after his promised half hour, making sure Yelena was safely out of the sanctum before coming back to talk to Wanda. "Your friend mentioned she wants you to go to that support group with her. You cannot go with Miss Chavez since you need to be sixteen to go. So, you and Madisynn could meet your Russian friend outside at two in the afternoon on Friday and take a taxi. Go straight there and come straight back after."
Wanda blinked slowly and then abruptly jumped to her feet. "I don't want to risk it."
"I wasn't finished. You and Miss Chavez can try again to meet at that bookstore tomorrow. This time walk or take a taxi, and stay out of the subway stations." Wong had not really known Wanda before all of this, but he suspected her reaction today had nothing to do with the Darkhold at all, other than being terrified of doing something else horrible due to feeling overwhelmed.
Wanda thought she should be able to handle the sensory input of a bookstore. She suspected being in that little room here at the sanctum cut off from accessing her magic had made her overly sensitive to everything. "I think I can do that." I hope.
_________________
The next day, she found that the trip to get to that bookstore on Fifth Avenue was uneventful and something she could easily handle, thank goodness. She and America simply walked a couple blocks from the sanctum and then hailed a cab, which dropped them directly at the bookstore.
I can remember visiting this place with Nat. Wanda had not been inside the huge four-floor bookstore for years now, but she did remember Natasha bringing her during the first months after she had joined the team after Ultron. Upon discovering Wanda couldn't read English very well despite being decently fluent speaking it, Nat had immediately taken her to the bookstore.
”You pick out any five books you want and we'll go back to the Compound and I will help you read them."
”I can have them to keep?" Wanda was horribly overwhelmed at the amount of options, but enjoyed wandering around the store.
”Yes, to keep." Natasha took her to the children's section first, saying she needed to choose at least one kids' book because it would be easier to breeze through that first.
Wanda found a copy of The Ugly Duckling in the children's section that had the same illustrations as the copy she'd had in Sokovia when she was little, just in English rather than Sokovian. "This, please this." She had even been able to retrieve that book from the rubble of her family's wrecked apartment, but lost it years later when Hydra would not return the few belongings she and Pietro had brought with them when they'd naively volunteered.
Wanda remembered Natasha had not batted an eye at seeing her break down in tears over a picture book, just quietly sat next to her, put an arm around her shoulders, and let her cry. Considering not one other shopper had approached them at all, Wanda suspected Nat had been emanating her threatening Black Widow look should anyone dare bother them. Now, being in the store with America, Wanda remained silent but did not cry again.
"They're going to meet us in the café on the third floor," America commented now.
Wanda nodded, grateful that no one seemed to notice her rising unease, but still wishing she had just taken America up on her offer to return to the sanctum if necessary as they walked in. What had she been thinking, to assume she could do this? She shouldn't be here, shouldn't be doing something so normal and ordinary as trying to meet a friend at a store. "I don't...I'm not...supposed to be here," she whispered.
"Yes, you are. You're supposed to find your study book yourself and we're going to meet Kate and Yelena. You talked to Mr. Wong already, remember? It's okay," America told her, keeping her voice down.
Wanda's fingers flitted to her neck again. Then she deliberately pulled her hand away and forced herself to keep them at her sides. Natasha had told her before that no one would notice anything different about her neck at all if she didn't bring attention to it. Fiddling with the scarf America had given her was bringing attention to it.
In the café, they found Yelena, and a dark-haired girl Wanda didn't recognize that she knew must be Kate from America's descriptions of her. "Hi, America. And I know you already- your power set is scary but really cool," Kate greeted them.
"..You do know what I did, right?" Wanda stared at Kate curiously.
Kate's bouncy vibe seemed to abruptly vanish and morph to something serious and wary, which oddly made Wanda like Kate more. "Yeah. You seem like somebody I should be really, really careful around, but not...bad. I don't judge people on their worst mistakes. So you get a chance. I mean, I don't trust you yet, but I like you fine and I, uh, I count you as a friend unless you do something to prove otherwise."
I think I like Kate's point of view. As much as Wanda appreciated America and Yelena immediately accepting her regardless, she liked hearing a kind but distrustful answer from Kate. That sounded reassuring in a strange sort of way to her. She nodded and just answered, "Thank you for being honest."
"Sure." Kate's long wavy ponytail swung as she hopped up, saying she would surprise the quartet with drinks.
"Get chocolate croissants, Kate Bishop," Yelena told her nonchalantly, and leaned back in her chair when Kate gave her an annoyed look and commented she should get her own croissants.
Wanda wondered what any of the other bookstore patrons thought seeing the four of them together. Probably nothing at all, she realized. Even right within the café, she saw no fewer than three other small groups similar to theirs. Nobody would find anything amiss about four young adults hanging out in a Starbucks at all. America stuck out a little because she was clearly significantly younger than her companions, but even that certainly didn't look strange.
"Wanda, why don't you and Yelena find your book?" America suggested quietly. "She got her diploma thing not all that long ago herself."
Wanda blinked and stared at Yelena.
Yelena stared back at her. "What? It is no big deal. I told her when she mentioned you wanted to get a GED. What are you being all secretive about that for, of all things? You are weird. If someone bothers you about that, tell them you're sorry they are so rude and lack sense. Then, well." Yelena shrugged, tapping her fingers on the table, her eyes sparkling. "They do not know who they are messing with. My sister taught you how to fight, magic or not. You are no Widow, but you know how," she said quietly enough that only Wanda and America could hear. She did not look at all sorry.
Wanda was quite sure Wong did not want her to get into a scuffle over something as paltry as that, but Yelena's comment was pleasant to hear anyway. She didn't smile, but she did nod and relax somewhat.
"So, book? Drinks'll be here by the time we find it," Yelena said next, not particularly expecting an answer. As she predicted, Wanda did not say anything, but she stood up and nodded again. Yelena told America to wait at their table for Kate and started walking off to find the study guides.
"Okay, sure." America knew she was supposed to be watching Wanda, but she figured Yelena counted as supervision anyway.
__________________
"You are still just like before, following your friends around," Yelena told Wanda as they strode through the store, "you clearly have trash judgement of books though, so maybe you should."
Now Wanda did stop walking and rested her head against a shelf trying to hold back rueful laughter. That shouldn't feel so funny. Not after what I did. I just...this feels...right. I'm trying to do something good. I'm trying. Even if I fail this, that would not ruin anything.
Wanda allowed herself to wonder if the trio from that troll prediction thing back in the other universe was perhaps America, Yelena, and Kate.
"Thank you for just...treating me the same. It...helps. It really helps," Wanda said finally. No horrible corrupted thoughts had terrorized her at all so far, and she suspected that pleasant realization had more to do with Yelena than anything else, even America. Yelena had known her before, and that connection combined with Yelena treating her as if she really were the same person she'd known previously made Wanda feel more like herself. She did not have to like that person; she could still feel like some crushed, broken thing. But it was still her, still Wanda, not that corrupted shell of a person tainted by some twisted version of her own emotional pain and anger.
Yelena wasn't even sure what she had done that could have possibly helped much- aside from giving Wanda that photo of the two of them and Natasha- but she suspected Wanda's strange magic was seeping from her emotion-wise in some kind of passive aura, collar or not. She felt as if some kind of heavy dense waterfall was slowly flowing from her shoulders, and she was sure the odd sense of hesitant relief was from Wanda. It wasn't even unpleasant, just weird; and Yelena knew if she didn't know what Wanda was capable of, she wouldn't have noticed or suspected a thing. "My sister would treat you like normal too. I want to do the same."
Now Wanda did swipe at her eyes again, knowing she would not be able to keep from breaking down to cry right now. "Bathroom. I need to find the bathroom," she whispered quickly. I can't cry here. Not in public. A grown person crying in public draws attention.
Yelena instantly knew why Wanda was saying that. "Yeah, okay, this way. In the corner," she whispered, pointing. "I'll wait for you right here in the study guide aisle."
Wanda nodded. Calm down, Wanda. Don't let it yank and amplify pain or relief or anything else. Thankfully only two other people were in the bathroom, a mother changing her loudly fussing baby, neither of whom paid any mind to Wanda whatsoever. She quickly ducked into one of the stalls and finally ceased trying to hold the tears inside. Yelena had just assumed she would be okay alone briefly, and even that made her feel a little better. Like when she had first stepped outside the barrier of the protection-spelled little room, Wanda was overwhelmed and colossally relieved that her own chaos magic genuinely did not feel out of control or broken or angry. In fact, it was not particularly reacting further to her tears at all, just still feeling as if it were letting her know it was there but would not do anything unbidden.
Knowing she really was not supposed to be allowed out of the sanctum unsupervised at all, Wanda pulled herself together as quickly as she could before leaving the bathroom, and was almost immediately startled by a hand tugging on her arm before she could find Yelena or the others. Without hesitation, Wanda instantly tried to jerk her arm away to keep walking. I am not talking to any strangers. Touching strangers is weird. Do not engage.
"Wanda, right? Wait, please. I think you know me- it's Peter."
"You must be mistaken," Wanda replied instinctively, but one glance at the person told her he was not. "Peter Parker. Are...are you following me?"
"No, I just like coming here to study because there's always people around and it's not lonely, I mean I guess I followed you just now, but- never mind that. I saw you and your new friends in the Starbucks. You guys should leave. The man that I thought was watching New Black Widow and New Hawkeye left and just came back with two more people. Another man and a lady." Peter paused, studying Wanda closely. Now he wondered why Doctor Strange wouldn't confirm her identity as his source, considering she did not set off his spidey-sense in the same way as those people in the café. "You made friends, now. After everyone all left you alone since ol' Thanos."
Something snatched at Wanda's fragile heart and just squeezed, squeezed so hard she felt like something was crushing her inside. You didn't look for me either, you probably only cared once you lost your people, she thought meanly, but instantly realized that was not her. Peter backed up a step, saying he just wanted to help and wouldn't bother her further. "Wait. Please. I...I'm sorry, I believe you."
Peter frowned. Just like that, the aura around Wanda was back to normal. Something was clearly wrong with her, and he couldn't help thinking that perhaps feeling abandoned in the first place had done something to her. She looked like she had been crying, and she seemed exhausted. "Did something...happen to you after the Westview incident?" he asked.
Yes. “Didn't Strange tell you what I did?" Wanda swiped at her eyes again and her gaze fell on the purple study guide under Peter's arm. "I...am doing...that too," she whispered, pointing at the book. "I'm going to buy one of those."
Inexplicably Peter's entire expression lit up, much to Wanda's surprise. "Cool. Can I study with you? No, he didn't tell me anything- oh hi, New Black Widow."
Yelena raised an eyebrow. "Yelena Belova, thank you very much. Wanda, who is this boy? You are taking so long I decided to check on you."
"This is Peter Parker. I knew him...or rather, of him, before," Wanda said simply, figuring Peter might want human connections, but he probably didn't want his hero identity spread unnecessarily, either. "He said someone's been watching you and Kate and we should leave."
Yelena looked unimpressed. One person could be easily dealt with, and she had already noticed a man eyeing Kate and her before America and Wanda had arrived anyway.
"Three someones," Peter corrected. He glanced at Wanda, suddenly realizing those people probably should not know she was connected with the others. It was unlikely anyone would recognize her at this point, but even so, that was risky. He shifted his backpack around and stuffed his study book and water bottle inside. "They didn't see Wanda with you guys, since the first guy left before the younger girl and Wanda got here and then you and her left the café to look at books and go to the restroom before the second two people got here."
Yelena nodded, understanding the implication and suspecting this boy Peter was probably a hero himself. "Okay, new plan," she muttered, quickly texting Kate and saying to take their Starbucks stuff and go back to their apartment with America discreetly. "Thanks for the warning, Peter Parker. Wanda, put your hair in a ponytail," she ordered, sliding one of the scrunchies out of her own hair and handing it to Wanda. Then she told Wanda and Peter to trade hoodies.
Both of them stared at Yelena, clearly displeased and not wanting to do that.
"Я бы вас послал, да вижу вы оттуда! Trade back later, good grief. Hurry up."
"...What? I gather that was an insult, but-"
"Yes. It is."
"She basically called us idiots," Wanda said knowingly, but she did slip off her red hoodie and take the navy one Peter offered instead. "Yelena wants to make all of us a little different than we were earlier so unobservant strangers won't be able to identify us easily."
Yelena took off her own coat and folded it inside out over her arm so that the different-colored lining showed instead. "Great, now we go. Thanks for the warning, Peter Parker."
"Wait, can I have your phone number? Please?" Peter asked.
"You can give me your phone number," Yelena shot back, very used to that question not being asked so innocently, and she had no intentions of giving her number out to some boy she had just met.
"Oh! Yeah, sure." Peter rooted around in his backpack and scribbled a number on a scrap of paper. "Here. You want it too?" he asked Wanda hopefully.
Wanda's shoulders tensed. I don't even have a phone anymore. I had one for a few months and then I just...let it lapse. There was no point anymore. She could not explain why she had done that; or that unless she literally created money with her chaos magic, she had very little and what was left lay back in the cabin she'd exiled herself to. "I have no way to call you," she said finally.
Peter shrugged. "Okay. Well, ask your friends for the number if you get a phone or something if you want." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked from Wanda to Yelena and back again. "I'm glad you found friends again. Being alone really sucks."
Wanda did not trust herself to say anything, so she just nodded slightly. You have not spent that long alone, you don't know yet and now you will never know what that is like- thank goodness, because it is desolate and horrible and it breaks you and I don't want it to happen to anyone else, she wanted to scream, but Peter seemed so hopeful and innocent she could not be mad at him. Yelena started to pull her away, and Wanda didn't protest. Suddenly she felt she did need to say something, and she jerked away and strode back over to Peter. "I don't like Strange, but that man misses you, even without his memories. You should visit him," she whispered in a flat voice. "You should find your old friends too. They probably also feel like something is missing too and don't know why."
"I don't want to put MJ and Ned in danger, they'll be-"
"Are your powers out of control?"
"What? No, of course not."
"Then find them. Peter is not connected to your hero identity. Keep that from being publicly revealed again and you and your friends will be fine." Wanda turned and rushed back to Yelena without another word. I can't help me, but I can try to help him.
Notes:
I don’t know where MCU canon is planning to go with Madisynn’s “deal with a demon” thing, but uhhhh...I’m going to address it yup yup xD
Considering we saw Peter have a GED study guide at the end of NWH, I thought it made sense that he would go study at Barnes&Noble, where yes, he spotted/sensed some suspicious parties and decided to warn the four girls. To my knowledge the Fifth Avenue B&N really does have a Starbucks on its third floor, but if not *handwave* one exists now in MCU world lol!
Any feedback is much appreciated! <3
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Summary:
In which there is much angsty friendship fluff, Wanda finally has her first therapy session (finally!), and Madisynn notices something is a bit “off” that concerns her...
Notes:
*rubs hands together excitedly* here we go!
One reveal I am awfully awfully excited for is in this chapter finally lol. I originally wanted to drop this chapter with the coordinating Aftermath chapter, but I’m still editing ch20 of that fic, so oh well, here is this one for now:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Thankfully the trip back to Yelena's and Kate's apartment was uneventful, and Wanda hoped Wong would not end up being disappointed or angry she had become separated from America temporarily. Nothing had happened and she had not done anything horrible, but still. Maybe Yelena counted, but Wong did not know her, so Wanda knew she did not, considering he expected her to take Madisynn to that group thing on Friday.
Wanda was quite certain Madisynn would not be a very good monitor. Cheerful and happy, yes, but Madisynn's odd pact with a demon comment had come back to her and now made her skin prickle with worry. She did believe Madisynn herself was innocent, but what if she had contact with the entity the Darkhold had come from? Was it even good for either Madisynn or her to be in contact with one another? She had no idea and she wondered if she should ask Wong about it, or if that would just stir up needless trouble.
"Hey guys, glad you got here safely," Kate greeted them. "I'll microwave the now-cold starbies drinks-"
"Kate Bishop, I never want to hear Starbucks coffee called- ugh, I refuse to say that," Yelena said, only half teasing.
"Starbies? Sorry, I'll avoid saying starbies again," Kate shot back with a grin, but she shrugged.
Wanda, who had no opinion on the abbreviated nickname at all, just stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure where she was supposed to go. I didn't have permission to go anywhere else besides that bookstore. "America, does Wong know where we are?" she asked.
"Yeah, I texted him. He said thanks for letting him know."
"That's...it?" Wanda looked down at her hands and then back at America, who had flopped on her stomach onto the sofa. "Does he know I didn't exactly...stay with you one hundred percent of the time?"
America's contented brown eyes met Wanda's anxious green ones. "No, why would I text that? You had Yelena with you anyway. I'll tell the truth if asked, but you didn't even do anything. Let me worry about it, don't freak out about that."
I'm still a bit scared of that collar being set off. I don't want to make Wong want to hurt me with it. While it was not an overwhelming fear, the idea of being left helpless in the protection-spelled little room with the collar on frightened her. If someone stole that singular remote from Wong, that person could and would definitely hurt her with it. She was quite certain at least a few of those acolytes would do so, even if Wong wouldn't. And he trusted Strange. What if he decided to trust him with that remote? That idea was both anxiety-inducing and infuriating.
Yelena, who remembered similar awkward behavior from Wanda years before, specifically told her to sit where she pleased, just so long as it wasn't on top of Lucky, who immediately ran to Yelena hearing his name, tail wagging excitedly. "Sorry, I don't have pizza for you this time, Lucky."
The fluffy tail drooped sadly.
Wanda immediately relaxed. Dogs were cute; dogs did not expect you to be able to explain yourself. Lucky did not jump on her, but he trotted over and nudged a wet nose at Wanda's hand. Lucky not being scared of her was nice. He seemed to be happily willing to just accept her as another guest, and she knelt where she was, gently petting Lucky's soft fur. Then she hugged him close, squeezing her eyes shut again. We did not have Sparky long at all. But I remember Sparky. Lucky didn't seem to care at all that he was being hugged.
Kate stared at Wanda curiously and then looked at Yelena, who shrugged and said she always acted like that, so just let her hug the dog. "'Lena, that's not the point, she's...upset. And hugging my dog, which is fine, but..." she trailed off. Whatever she had thought Wanda would be like, it wasn't this. A bit of her wondered if Wanda was somehow behaving harmless on purpose because she was up to something, but that definitely wasn't true either.
"That is because she has issues like the rest of us," Yelena said calmly, "and you are lucky you are healthier in the head and deal better than us."
America gave Yelena a quizzical look, which the older girl completely ignored.
Wanda quickly ceased hugging Lucky and went to sit near America, who promptly sat up to make room. Kate brought the drinks and croissants over to hand out and plopped on the sofa, which was not lost on Wanda. Kate doesn't really trust me and she is still just...treating me...normal. She doesn't even seem scared.
"I didn't know what you liked, so I just got you a steamer," Kate was saying now.
Anything is fine. I don't care. "Thank you," Wanda said, figuring she could at least say that. There was no way to explain why simply being included was such a big deal to her. That she was not all alone in her little cabin anymore with nothing but the Darkhold for company. That she could think, and if some horrible thought or impulse did float into her head, she would be able to tell if it was hers or not, and choose not to follow through on it regardless. That she had three people nearby right now that genuinely seemed to care, and not just because they wanted her stupid power for something.
"Sure. You know, Lucky is usually a good people-judger, and he seems to like you," Kate pointed out. "Clint talks about you, you know. He misses you."
What? Why didn't he come for me then? I wanted a friend so badly. He didn't forget about me? Or hate me because he found out about Westview? Wanda felt herself shaking, and she quickly set the drink and snack aside and reached for Lucky instead. Lucky's sweet furry face was understanding; he would not mind a teary-eyed broken human hugging him. The golden retriever didn't even lick her, just nuzzled at her ear and let her hug him.
"Did I say something wrong? ...I think I said something wrong. Are you a Hawkeye too even though you're just a magic user?"
Wanda quickly shook her head, still clutching the dog, though she turned enough to see Kate's face. "No to both," she whispered. "What...did he say?" Do I want to know?
Kate stared at her, a bit confused. "He joked around that I was the third stray he had picked up and wished all of his adopted daughters were there at once. Honestly, Wanda, the way I heard it, I thought you were...dead. There was a picture of you and Natasha Romanoff together on their Christmas tree. With all their missing relatives."
In a second, Wanda was on her feet, her expression twisted in anguish. "I was not dead, even if I wished for it. I was alone in my cabin outside my ruined city, and nobody came! Nobody called, nobody came for me. Nobody ever came for me until they just wanted something. I...I need to go. I'm sorry." I don't understand. I don't understand at all. Of course you were treated as dead. You are. There's nothing left of the me from before. Stumbling for the door, she felt someone grab her by the arm as she tried to leave.
"Wait. Please."
America. Of course, she can't let me leave. Wanda didn't attempt pulling her arm away, and was vaguely aware America had taken her outside and just closed the apartment door. The girl did not even say anything right away, just hugged her, and Wanda did not know what to do with that.
She crumpled entirely, silently crying.
"You need to talk to him and find out why," America said quietly. "I don't think somebody who happily takes three extra people into his family and thinks of them like daughters forgot about you or meant to abandon you."
But he did all the same. For what...a year and a half. “I'm not going to bother him. I won't." Wanda finally returned America's hug stiffly, her arms still shaking.
"But Wanda, don't you want to see your old friends? Why didn't you tell Mr. Wong you still had someone alive you were close to? He could probably send-"
"Because obviously he doesn't want me. I am not the same girl he knew before."
"That isn't obvious at all. There's got to be some dumb miscommunication here. Why would somebody put you on their Christmas tree if they didn't care about you?"
I don't know. Wanda did not answer, but she did let America take her back inside. No one mentioned her outburst at all other than Kate suggesting she had better hug Lucky some more. She suspected America had told them not to press, but the silence wasn't awkward to her all the same. It was more like everyone was just sipping their drinks and therefore everyone was quiet. No one ignored her or did the subtle tense or flinch of avoidance she'd seen many times before. The others had instantly folded her right into their group, even though she knew Kate was still wary of her. Kate's behavior seemed like it should be confusing, but somewhere inside Wanda knew she would probably react the same way if she was in Kate's place and had to deal with her. Wary kindness was smart while still being (strangely) understanding.
"Is there a particular time you have to leave? We could just watch a movie," Kate suggested suddenly.
Wanda sort of wondered why nobody was talking about the four of them having to discreetly leave the bookstore to prevent any altercation from occurring, but decided not to bring that up, since it didn't feel like her business at all.
America just replied, "No, I can just tell Stephen and Mr. Wong what we're doing. I don't think they'll care at all."
"You need a phone," Yelena told Wanda firmly. "And Kate Bishop, we don't want to watch that depressing dystopia thing you are not-so-secretly obsessed with."
"I am not obsessed, that was years ago."
"You have a Katniss poster in your room."
"One. One poster is not obsessed."
"And multiple copies of the same books," Yelena pointed out.
"Hey, one set is the original ones I read to bits from middle school." Kate was not actually bothered by Yelena's teasing, and she shrugged.
Wanda realized this pop culture thing was something she actually knew; she could remember Natasha reading part of the first Hunger Games book with her shortly after she'd joined the Avengers. It quickly went back to the bookstore when Nat realized Wanda really hated it because it made her upset. Except, then Wanda felt bad when she saw a copy in Natasha's room and realized her friend had been happily reading it. "Yelena, Nat liked those books," she said abruptly. "I remember. She had them in her room at the Compound."
Kate's eyes grew big and round. "Really?"
Wanda wondered if Nat would have wanted her to say anything, considering she had kept them in her room and never taken them out at all. But Yelena was watching, her expression curious and hopeful, so she suddenly thought that maybe she had said the right thing. "She tried to read the first one with me, and I didn't like it, so we stopped. I think..." Wanda thought for a minute, trying to remember how her friend had explained why she enjoyed them. "Nat said reading a book containing violence with kids and teenagers in it helped her cope somehow, like it was...cathartic, I think? But then she also made me know feeling the opposite was okay and valid too."
Yelena's eyes shone with tears, but she nodded. "That sounds like her. Still jealous of the extra time you got with her, but I know that isn't your fault. We should have got her back. It isn't fair." On a sudden impulse, Yelena yanked Wanda to her feet and pulled her into her own bedroom. "Hey, you two can rewatch your movie. I want to talk to her," she added. Then she shut the door.
"What do you want corrupted me that can't think straight for?" Wanda asked, twisting her fingers together again, even though she knew quite well that Yelena didn't mean any harm. I need to calm down. She knows there's something wrong with me and that will just have to be okay.
"You're a reality warper and basically have the same powers as the infinity stones. Is it possible for you to force that red skull creature on Vormir to give Natasha back? Or bring her back yourself?" Yelena's matter of fact questions made Wanda squirm, but Yelena pressed on, "I know you can't right now, but I guess I was just hoping maybe you could eventually, even if it sounded unrealistic."
Please don't be like everyone else that just wants me for my power. I hate that. A twist of anger squeezed at Wanda's chest, but Yelena was just watching her curiously, and logically she knew Yelena would not do that. Even if she did just want her for her power, Wanda was sure Yelena would outright tell her that, not dance around that and avoid the issue.
Yelena realized what her questions had probably sounded like, and she added, "I am not just being nice to you because I want something. Well. That is a lie. I do want something from you. A friend. Your weird magic enhancements or being a witch or whatever you really are is nothing to do with it at all."
Wanda bit her lip hard and closed her eyes, the blunt comment nudging gently against the brittle walls around her heart inside. Another little piece seemed to melt away, leaving her feeling strangely vulnerable. Like when she had first stepped outside the protection-spelled little room back at the sanctum, she could feel her magic stirring inside despite the collar...not actively doing anything, just a quiet reminder that it was there waiting for her. I should tell Yelena the truth. “I think if I did try something like that, she would probably come back...wrong," Wanda whispered. "I don't know, but it doesn't feel right. I don't think Nat or Pietro would think I should try that."
Yelena nodded. "I guess I knew you'd say that."
Wanda didn't smile, but she nodded and visibly relaxed. Thank you for not pushing it. Yelena's comment that all she wanted from Wanda was a friend pulsed in her head. She could do that. She could try, at least. "I don't want to hurt you. You said you wanted a friend from me. My friends all die or...leave," she said carefully. "I think I am a...a thing that brings bad luck. I probably made it worse because of the Darkhold."
"You're no more a thing of bad luck than me. You just have a lot of bad luck. You chose to open it. You messed up. But after that? I think you can't be blamed for much beyond being dumb enough to think that book was going to help you in the first place." Yelena's eyes remained serious as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "You annoy me sometimes. You get so mopey and clingy; you get attached to people so much. But I like you around. So let me take my chances with you and your so-called 'bad luck'."
Wanda put her hand to her neck, her fingers fiddling with the collar beneath her scarf nervously. "This thing does not really neutralize me," she said softly. "I can't fight with it on, but if I-"
"I said I wanted a friend, not that you had to fight," Yelena interrupted. "I don't know what weird magic parole you're on, but I don't care. That's your business. Looks like this new collar isn't hurting you like that old Raft one did, so...doesn't matter to me. And you know how to fight without magic."
"Not like you do."
"Obviously."
Wanda thought Yelena looked rather pleased with herself for that comment.
"But my sister taught you. She was the best of the best. So you are still more skilled than many people, even if that is not your ideal kit. But I do not care about that. Why do you have to do hero work? You want to get a GED. You like clothes." Yelena did smile now, gesturing at her vest with all the pockets. "Maybe you want to design cool pieces with pockets so I can buy them."
That sounds like Wong saying I'm capable of doing translation work. Wanda's expression brightened even as she said, "I can't not do anything when I have all that power. That is selfish."
"You just said you can't fight with your magic restricted anyway. Now you say you can? Do you think I do nothing but hero work?"
"Don't you?" Wanda looked down at her hands, unsure how to explain herself. Yelena was right; she would not be much use fighting on a team right now, even if anyone did want her. I would be a liability right now. And I might have another episode. I couldn't even go on the subway properly. If Nat was still here, she would tell me I was benched until I felt better.
"I have a part-time job in a clothing store, you idiot. And I'm a freelance transcriber online. Nobody gets paid for patrolling. Not anymore," Yelena said quietly. "Wanda, maybe, just maybe, you should do ordinary normal stuff while you figure out your magic."
Why are you trying to help me? A bit of Wanda wanted to scream that she didn't know how, had never had any sense of ordinary normalcy for a long, long time except for within that hex in Westview, and that had been hurting innocent people to let her have it.
If it had been safe for her to remain in that other universe in Arendelle, she knew that place would have become normal. She'd already started to feel at home because, as Yelena pointed out, she did get clingy and attached to her friends easily. Even though she had tried not to let herself grow attached, it happened anyway...and then just like every other time, it was taken away.
But I am still not alone, at least. I don't understand what is going on with Clint and I am too scared to find out right now, but...I am not alone and it sounds like I wasn't forgotten entirely.
________________
When America did take her back to the sanctum again, Wong's only comment was to say that next time they needed to say how long they were going to be gone. He did not even ask any questions, which Wanda found strange; he just came to the little cell-room to take the collar back off for her and that was it. "You are not interrogating me for taking too long," Wanda said quietly.
"No one said you had to return at a specific time."
Wanda looked at him curiously and just said, "Yelena said you had me on magic parole."
"If you want to call it that, I don't care. Do not think I'm fooled- I know quite well letting you out of this room at all is potentially dangerous. However, you voluntarily shared that protection spell, so that earns you a small amount of trust. Don't disappoint me." Wong sounded so matter-of-fact that Wanda found it reassuring.
"Why are you offering any trust at all? I hurt Sara-" Wanda yelped at the sorcerer abruptly pressing her against the stone wall hard by the shoulders. I shouldn't have said anything. What am I thinking? Shut up, shut up. Wanda's gaze dropped to the pocket where she knew Wong had stuffed that shock collar. If he does put that back on me in here, I deserve it. Don't fuss. Just as quickly, Wong seemed to realize what he had done and released her, leaving her baffled and shaky.
"Look, just don't...mention Sara, will you? I don't even quite believe you are the one that killed her. It looked like the Darkhold did it itself." Wong realized he had genuinely frightened her and again wondered how on earth this young woman was the same person that caused so much pain and destruction before.
Wanda twisted her fingers together nervously, unsure what she could possibly even say to that. "I don't know whether I did or not," she said finally. "I am sorry. I know that does no good, but I want to apologize anyway." The collar sat on her little table where Wong tossed it. Wanda stared at him. I wasn't trying to make him feel bad. I just...wanted to be honest.
"I believe you. Even if you did murder my friend, I can't even hate you. Not with that book in play." Wong sighed, looking exhausted, and pointed at the collar. "That is not meant to torture you. I can't even pretend to know precisely what goes on in your head, but there is something about that in particular that bothers you and I don't understand it. Frankly, I don't want to see you right now. But you are not in more trouble." The sorcerer simply turned and left, closing and locking the door behind him.
Wanda found it notable that Wong did not slam the door at all and left in a calm manner. She remembered Anna telling her she would be angry and not want to see her if she'd been responsible for killing someone she was close to whilst under the Darkhold's corruption, but still think she needed and deserved to have help all the same. That's Wong. He is trying to help me, but I still hurt him and he doesn't want to see me. Mentioning poor Sara set him off.
She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, tugging at her hair nervously. The stupid collar was still on the table, and that seemed an odd thing for Wong to do, to actually leave her magic restraints right there in her little room. Still, staring at it now made it seem silly that the idea of it scared her, and she suspected Wong had left it there precisely for that reason. This one did not inherently hurt her constantly and make her feel like she was choking like the one from the Raft did. This one did not lock closed in such a way that you could not even remove it without breaking the whole thing entirely. Wanda put one of her books America had brought her on top anyway since she did not want to see it anymore. Then she curled up on her narrow bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
_________________
The next day, Wong appeared with breakfast as if nothing were wrong at all, holding a black bag. "You and Miss Chavez evidently didn't buy the GED study guide because the four of you had to leave the bookstore. That wasn't your fault, so I've bought one for you myself, and brought you a laptop."
Wanda's green eyes went wide. "Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much."
"This one is an old one of mine, so you don't owe anything for it. You should buy a better one once you start earning money eventually, though." Wong started to leave and then turned back to add, "Oh yes, and Ms. Palmer found a therapist she thought you might actually enjoy meeting with. An Antonia Smirnova. She is Russian, but lives in Florida now, so you will video chat with her. You have to try at least once, but if you genuinely don't like her, we can-"
Wanda bolted to her feet and hugged the laptop bag to her chest. I know exactly who that is. I'm sure of it. “Yes. Yes, that is okay. I will talk to her," she said quickly. I'm glad she did what she dreamed of doing. She must not have been dusted.
"...All right. Should I be concerned about this sudden enthusiasm?"
Wanda shook her head hard. "No, it's just...I think I know who she is." She put one hand to her face and asked hopefully, "Is she about my age, maybe a little older? Pretty eyes and burn scars here? Escaped the Red Room like Nat and Yelena did?"
Wong had not seen Wanda so genuinely excited about anything before. She looked like being told about Antonia Smirnova had made her entire self light up with hope. "I assume you know her, considering how accurate that description is."
"Not well, but...a tiny bit. When Nat and I were fugitives, I met her." Wanda remembered lying in the darkness in the little guest room on Melina's farm talking to Antonia when the two of them couldn't sleep due to nightmares.
”If we weren't stuck in this world with heroes and villains and not knowing which we are, what job would you want?"
”I don't know. Maybe something with fashion design, I guess."
”That sounds like you. I know what I want. I want to be a therapist to help other young women like us. Maybe I don't know who I am, but I know what I want to do, and it isn't fighting anymore. Lerato thinks I should try."
”You should. You are very easy to talk to."
"I guess you should know, since you don't talk much."
”I have burns on my neck. That isn't my fault."
”Идиот, so do I. That's not preventing you from talking anymore. Such lies."
This had inexplicably sent both of them into irrational goodnatured giggles, which had made an annoyed Alexei check on them and tell them to be quiet. The other girls were sleeping, he said, referring to Natasha and Yelena, so they should too. Wanda deadpanned that he should realize she could make him hop around on one foot while singing nursery rhymes if she wanted to, which Alexei pretended to take great offense to even as he left them alone and the two girls could hear him stifling laughter on the other side of the door.
Antonia hadn't stayed long, off to move into the small studio apartment in the nearest city Melina had helped Lerato set up to share with her, but Wanda remembered the short time she had spent with her vividly. Wanda knew Antonia had changed her last name to avoid being directly associated with her father, Dreykov, because she had mentioned wanting to even back then. The girl just hadn't decided on a surname yet.
In the afternoon, when Wanda did pull up the Zoom call at three o'clock with America, she found herself fidgeting nervously. Antonia must know some details already, because Christine Palmer would have told her, and Wanda wondered what exactly she was even supposed to do or say. Antonia's familiar face popped up on the call, the only real differences being that she had her hair loose instead of braided, and she had a little bit of makeup on. Wanda waved awkwardly, glanced at America, and then just said, "This is my friend America Chavez."
Antonia smiled and nodded. "Is she staying for our session? I don't think she should since none of us talked about it ahead of time, but if you really need her to, that's okay. This isn't exactly a normal setup for any of us."
"Um, I'm not staying. We were just kind of hanging out until it was three," America said quickly. "But like, if you and Wanda really really want me to next time, I don't mind one bit." She gave Wanda's arm a squeeze and quickly left the little room.
Wanda was not sure what she was supposed to say, so she just continued sitting there twisting her fingers together in her lap and waiting for Antonia to say something.
"Do you have an email address?"
"Not...anymore. I did before, but I haven't used it since..." Wanda trailed off and then shook her head, blinking and wondering why that simple question bothered her. Since before Thanos.
"Make a new one when we're done here, or get into your old one, whatever you prefer. Then you can email if you need to. We can do the questionnaire now."
"...Okay." Wanda immediately decided she hated these questions, especially since she could tell Antonia already knew the answers to some of them. Why was she seeking therapy at this time? Because she had promised to cooperate and Wong said she had to. What did she expect from this? For you to end up hating me if I am completely honest, Wanda thought, and finally settled on saying, "I don't know." But Antonia appeared unbothered and didn't press immediately, which was what Wanda had thought she would do.
"You can be honest, Wanda," Antonia said softly. "I am not going to hate you for being honest. It would make it easier to help you."
"You are probably going to ask me if I've been suicidal or homicidal and then if I say yes, you will have to tell someone." Wanda could tell Antonia was considering how to answer her, and she was a hundred percent certain Antonia had absolutely not been dusted. She seemed older and much more mature now, not like the two sad older teenagers they had been years ago. Antonia is older than me now. She was a few months younger, and now she's five years older.
"Okay, so yes, I'd have to tell someone, but Wanda...you know nobody is going to send you off to a hospital or a prison, right? You being here is a secret anyway. Christine stressed that when I spoke to her. All that would happen in this case is I tell Wong, because he's responsible for you right now," Antonia said firmly.
"I don't feel either of those things right this second." Wanda thought that was truthful.
"The, um...evil book thing Christine mentioned when she contacted me. Is that what causes, or has caused, you to feel like that?"
Wanda looked down at her hands and then wrapped her arms around herself in a hug. I don't know. I don't think so. Not at the core, at least. “Not entirely," she whispered, sounding a bit choked, "not the hurting me part. The Darkhold never wanted me to kill myself. I think it hated that I wanted to." Instinctively she turned away and swiped at her eyes again, wondering why in the world she had agreed to this. She wanted to be held; she wanted a hug. There was nobody here, and she could not explain further. "Please can we talk about something else? Please."
Antonia's quiet, slightly accented voice floated from the laptop. "I see people cry every day, and we both cried years ago, Wanda. I am not judging you for that."
"I told you I felt homicidal before."
"You did. You also implied that part was, in fact, from the evil book nobody can resist the effects of."
"I'd kill that Chthon creature in a second if I knew how," Wanda said darkly, "does that count?"
"I have no idea what or who that is."
"Demon that made the Darkhold."
"Okay, I can't say I care or think it's wrong you feel homicidal towards a demon that created this corrupting magic book." Antonia sounded so calm that Wanda found it baffling, and she turned back to the laptop curiously. "I'm not a magic user, so I can't help you with your power set. But I don't think wanting to kill this creature sounds like something we should be concerned about. You wanting to harm yourself is much more of an issue we should focus on. Not that."
Wanda stared at the screen. She doesn't care. She really doesn't care, and she did not say I am crazy or irrational for saying that. "Why are you willing to try to help me? Is Wong even paying you? I don't have any money." I could create some.
"He did offer to pay my normal rates, and I refused. Neither of you owe anything. I take pro bono clients quite often. I care about you and want to help, but you aren't special. You remember Lerato?"
Wanda nodded emphatically. "You had a crush on her."
This made Antonia laugh and twist her ring around on her finger, which Wanda immediately noticed. "I am being very unprofessional talking about my personal life with you, but this is a bit of a...weird circumstance anyway. Wanda, she owns a successful themed café restaurant here in Florida. I can and I will take on as many clients for free as I please, thank you. You happen to be one of them."
Wanda was a bit jealous of this, but also simultaneously glad Antonia seemed to have found her own peace and clearly must have married Lerato too, considering that reaction she'd made. I have no reason to be upset with her. I think being jealous of that is...normal. I can feel like that and still be happy for her, can't I?
The folded deed was burning a hole in her pocket. She wished Vision was there; he would be able to rationalize whatever was wrong with her now. Finally she just said okay and then, after a minute more, "It feels odd, you being five years older than me now."
"If it helps, you can pretend I am a complete stranger to you. Whatever helps."
"Then I would not be talking to you at all. Let's...let's finish the questions." I don't want to do this, but I have to, and...maybe it will help.
__________________
"So, was it okay?" America asked hopefully when she returned to eat dinner with Wanda that evening.
"I think so. I don't...feel better, but it wasn't horrible."
"Why would you feel better after only one session? That's silly."
Wanda didn't smile, but her closed-off countenance relaxed. "I made a new email address," she reported, "and Antonia already sent me the questionnaire thing she made me do."
America frowned, wondering why Wanda had pulled up the document to show her. "You don't have to show anybody that. Really. That's for you and her to- oh. You're showing me because you put me under that 'do you have supportive people in your life' question. Why didn't you put anyone else besides Yelena and me?"
I couldn't mention Elsa, Olaf, and Anna, that's why, Wanda thought, but she just said aloud, "I like Kate, but I don't...know her quite yet. Wong is kind and practical, but I know he doesn't like me, which is understandable and reasonable. I don't know. I can change it later if I want to."
America decided to just give Wanda a hug, especially after she saw the answer to the question below, which was 'How is your relationship with your family?' and simply said 'I love them. All gone', and nothing else. "Wanda, I really, really think you should try to contact Clint Barton. I don't know him, but Kate does. Can I at least tell her it's okay to let him know you're here?"
"Please don't. I...I don't want him to hate me. I'm selfish. And I don't want to bother him." Wanda did not push America away. A hug was comforting. She did not feel any weird intrusive corrupted thoughts tormenting her right now, just her own lonely pain. I am not alone anymore. Don't...assume. What if America leaves too? I don't deserve her friendship. I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to lose any more people, either. It would just hurt more all over again. “I don't want to hurt you, either."
"I know. You literally can't in here, even if you wanted to. I'm not abandoning you."
"That is what Clint said." Wanda dearly wanted to believe that America was right, that some unfortunate horrible misunderstanding was why her friend had never come for her, but the cynical part wouldn't let her.
America gently pushed her away and stuffed some of her own dinner in. "Weren't you staying in some super remote cabin? Maybe he tried and couldn't find you."
"He would have tracked me easily," Wanda insisted stubbornly. "I know him. He would. I had a phone, 'til it lapsed. He could've called me. I would have picked up. I would. I wished and wished and there was nothing. There was nothing, nothing, nothing." Wanda's fingers tugged at her hair nervously as she curled back up on her bed, the dinner plate left on the little table. Stop it. You sound ridiculous.
"I bet, that you were both waiting for the other one to call," America said quietly. "I don't know how that jumped to him thinking you were dead though. Maybe Kate misunderstood him."
It doesn't matter. I am broken anyway. Still, the microscopic flicker of hope inside that hadn't been extinguished flared a bit brighter. Maybe America was right. Maybe there was some horrible, insurmountable misunderstanding. That was better than thinking she'd been intentionally abandoned or forgotten entirely, right? Wanda did not move, but she did whisper, "I will think about it."
_________________
Wanda didn't see Strange at all until Friday afternoon when she and Madisynn were about to leave the sanctum to meet Yelena outside. As she preferred to do, she simply ignored him entirely.
Strange yanked her by the arm off to the side out of earshot and hissed in a whisper that sounded uncharacteristically worried and snappish, "What did you do now?"
"Get your hand off me. What are you even talking about?" Wanda snapped back, shaking his hand off. "Leave me alone. Go ask Wong what I have been doing if you want to know so badly. I answer to him, not you."
"You really have no idea... Of course you don't. You don't know anything other than the little amount Wong has taught you." Stephen sighed very deeply and continued studying her intently, but Wanda only went on staring at him with that irritated expression of dislike that was a normal, ordinary thing for her to direct at him. He shook his head and turned away, disappearing through a golden portal.
"Come on, Wands, let's go!" Madisynn said pleasantly, oblivious to the raised eyebrow Wanda gave her at the unasked for nickname. "Parties are fun, you'll see."
Wanda flinched at the arm slung across her shoulders and pointed out they were not, in fact, going to a party. Madisynn seemed nonplussed at Wanda's lack of enthusiasm, but she did recognize that Wanda did not like someone hanging all over her and ceased this. The second the two of them were in the taxi and Madisynn chirped the destination address, Wanda rested her tired, anxious head against the window and stared outside. I can do this. I do not have to say anything, just...act normal otherwise.
"Who else knows about him?" Madisynn whispered suddenly after a minute. "I think you might have done it. What did you do?"
"What are you talking about?" Wanda asked in the same barely audible whisper. What is going on? I don't understand. Unlike Strange, Madisynn didn't seem mad at her, but this was not the same happy-go-lucky Madisynn that had visited her little room and given her the wine the other day. Even with her collar on hidden under her scarf, she sensed some primal fear from her eccentric companion.
"I can't tell you. Sorry, Wands."
"But how am I supposed to know what I did when I don't know what you are talking about?"
Madisynn considered this, finally settling on, "You know how ghost stories go, calling things by accident."
The cab driver gave them a curious glance, but shrugged, clearly thinking his two passengers were just a bit odd. Both Wanda and Madisynn stayed silent until they arrived. Madisynn said thank you in the same energetic chirpy voice, paid for both of them, and hopped out with Wanda. Wanda was stiff as a board now, a bead of sweat trickling down the back of her neck. That 'calling things by accident' vague comment left a sickening knot in her stomach. Stephen had been acting odd- he did not like her, but that behavior hadn't been normal for him either. Madisynn was the one who had said she'd made a 'pact with a demon' she couldn't discuss, and now she seemed to think she, Wanda, had done something to call some bad unidentified 'him'. "Madisynn, I swear I have done what Wong told me to do. The worst I did was being separated from America briefly when we went to...to the bookstore the other day. That is the only thing I did I wasn't supposed to."
Madisynn waved this off. "No, that's definitely not it. Maybe it's not you at all."
"Does this have to with your demon pact?" Wanda asked hesitantly. The silence was answer enough, and a chill snaked down her spine. I thought this was over. I haven't sensed anything weird, but I have always been in my protection-spelled little room, or if not, I have the collar on. I wouldn't be able to tell, most likely. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to think of anything, anything at all to connect this together. "My therapy session. I told her I wanted to kill-"
"Wands, no, stop. Please stop," Madisynn whispered. "I don't know what is going on. I know people think I'm just dense dumb Madisynn, two n's and one y, not where you thiiink, but please believe me. I'm not magic like you or Wongers or stupid Donny Blaze, I like partying, but..."
Wanda bit her lip hard and sat down on the nearest bench with Madisynn to wait for Yelena and Kate. Struck by an idea, she pulled one of the notebooks America had brought her out of her black laptop bag and scribbled, I said I wanted to kill Chthon. Did I summon him somehow by mentioning the name aloud? “Keep in mind I can't use any magic in my room," she said quietly, showing the page to Madisynn.
Madisynn snatched the notebook, ripped the entire page out, shredded it and threw it in a trashcan, and returned to sit next to Wanda and handed her the notebook back without a word, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Wanda wrapped her arms around her middle and tried not to cry. I am trying to do the right thing, and I think I might have done something horrible. "It's dangerous for you to be near me, isn't it? To have me outside my room at all."
"I don't know, but I really don't think so, because you destroyed the Darkhold. We'd better act normal and you talk to Wongers when we get back." Madisynn's hazel eyes searched Wanda's horrified face hopefully.
"What's everyone so freaked about?" Kate asked, waving at the two of them. "You must be Madisynn. Hi."
Wanda immediately went straight for Yelena and whispered what she knew, including the happy part about Antonia herself, while Madisynn gave Kate a rather long-winded introduction. Yelena groaned. "Great. Just what we need. A demon after all of us. Maybe he'll get whoever's been after us instead by accident, but I do not think we will be so lucky."
Wanda didn't smile, but Yelena's reaction made her feel a little better anyway.
"Also? Good god am I jealous of Antonia's good fortune, even if she deserves it, obviously. She can keep Lerato, though."
Notes:
We soooo need to reunite Wanda with the Bartons again...not yet, but it will happen!
Kate was totally obsessed with The Hunger Games when it came out and nothing will convince me otherwise haha
I know MCU canon isn’t going to give Antonia formerly known as Taskmaster this job or ship, I do not care, I have been planning this for ages and am very, very pleased about it lol. She gets so little time as “herself” in Black Widow and I’ve enjoyed creating a future for her.
Madisynn...oh Madisynn, you’ve created a heap of trouble for Wong, Strange, Wanda, and the others to clean up. Or rather, it’s not really her fault, either lol...
Any feedback is much appreciated!<3
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Summary:
In which Wanda and her companions start to put a few pieces together regarding what is currently after them...and a surprise visitor from an ill-fated universe might hold the key to help.
Notes:
Not me sitting here absolutely delighted as more overarching plot pieces slip into place...heheheh
Olia appears in some of my fics from when the twins were children- you do not need to read them to understand anything regarding Olia in this fic though.:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda remained on edge as she and her three companions entered the high-rise building Kate pointed out. The bit Madisynn had said- or not said- about that demon pact and what connect she, Wanda, might have to it had made it impossible for her to relax, and she twisted her fingers together anxiously until Yelena made her stop.
"You chill. You will tell your wizard jailer when we leave and you get back," Yelena said quietly. "I have no idea what you were talking about, but I don't think we should act like anything is wrong or that we know something is wrong. Especially you. You are wild card." Then she whispered to Madisynn, "Act normal. We all know nothing." Yelena had no magic experience beyond the time she had been around Wanda, but from Wanda's brief vague explanation, she concluded that whatever was happening was something they should pretend to know nothing about until they had more information and a plan.
Madisynn stared at Yelena and then back at Wanda. Wanda stuffed her hands in her pockets and scanned their surroundings warily. Kate cheerily led them through a shiny tile lobby to an elevator.
Wanda could tell Yelena was suspicious, but she seemed to be eyeing Madisynn strangely rather than her, and she placed both Kate and herself between Madisynn and Wanda, clearly attempting to keep the two somewhat apart. I won't say anything. Yelena is not Nat, but I...I think I still trust her.
A rather round older woman met the quartet outside double wood doors on the fifty-fifth floor. Wanda thought she looked familiar, but could not immediately place her.
"Hi, Mrs. Molotova," Kate greeted the woman. "I brought more friends with me today. This is Wanda, and this is Madisynn."
The lady smiled kindly. "Of course. Welcome." Then, to Wanda directly, "You wouldn't be the little Maximoff girl my daughter played with often in Sokovia, are you?" She seemed both hopeful and disbelieving.
Wanda gave a little involuntary start. Olia. This lady is Olia's mother. That's why she looks familiar. She hesitated, unsure if she had any right to ask where Olia might be now. Her little childhood friend was long gone, had been since before she and Pietro had lost their parents because Olia's family had moved away, and surely Olia would not want her now anyway. "Olia was my best friend when I was little, besides Pietro," she said finally, which was the truth. We tried to get your help after Mama and Papa died, and we failed.
Much to Wanda's surprise, the lady looked like she was trying not to cry. "Go. I hope you are able to enjoy yourself."
"Wanda, you...know Mrs. Molotova?" Kate asked in surprise as they headed into a large but cozy-looking meeting room.
"Pietro and I were friends with her daughter when we were small," Wanda said softly. "They moved away and I lost contact."
The floor was covered in a soft dark blue carpet, and sofas and beanbag chairs lined the walls, some in vaguely circular groups, but not the stark closed circles of metal folding chairs Wanda had assumed there would be at all. There were two long tables set up buffet style with snack foods and drinks on them. Another girl that seemed younger than her companions and herself but older than America sauntered over, introduced herself as Nikoleta and said she was from New Asgard.
And then the dreaded, "Wait...aren't you the Avenger that took over Westview by accident? You look just like her. Do you know Darcy Lewis?"
Wanda gave Yelena a look. So much for nobody recognizing her. Figuring it would be far worse to lie and have the truth come out later, she just told the truth, and then added, "I don't really know Darcy Lewis, but I also know now she...tried to help back then. Is she okay?"
The Asgardian girl stared at her for a second. "Yes, why wouldn't she be okay?" Nikoleta asked.
I mind-controlled her and it was miserable for all of those poor people, that's why, Wanda thought. But while Nikoleta clearly did not wish to be near her one bit, she seemed genuinely baffled at the question and didn't seem inclined to shout Wanda's identity to all of the other people there, either. Instead the girl simply began talking to Madisynn and wandered over to a different part of the room with her.
"Great monitor," Yelena deadpanned, but she didn't chase Madisynn down. Certainly she and Kate could watch Wanda themselves. Madisynn appeared to know what she was doing because she waved and continued her conversation.
Kate didn't really introduce Wanda to anyone else, just gave a simple, "This is my friend. She doesn't talk much but Yelena convinced her to come."
Wanda still felt horribly out of place and that she shouldn't be there at all, but no one pressed her for an explanation. The Asgardian girl didn't tell anyone who she was, despite personally avoiding her. The others all just said hello and welcome to the group and...let her be. No one fussed. No one tried to make her talk or explain anything. I am not even the only one not talking, she realized. Though she did not know any of the others besides Kate, Yelena, and Madisynn, she instantly noticed that several other young women had clearly come with a more talkative friend or two, just like her, and no one cared if others weren't chatterboxes at all.
Then when Olia's mother came in a few minutes later, she instructed everyone to meet together in a sort of circle (which was more an abstract blob than a circle) and told anyone who did want to talk to raise their hand. Wanda noticed that, like Yelena had told her, there were plenty of other people that didn't want to talk at all. No one questioned this. No one was pushy at all. The people that did talk did not even all have some horrible serious thing they wanted to share, either. One merely mentioned a funny incident that had happened at school because she and her used-to-be-younger sister were now the same age and ended up both being high school seniors together.
She noticed the bulletin boards on one wall after people were finished talking and began milling around eating the snacks provided. There were several happy photos with reunited families that made Wanda's heart clench; she was glad these other young women had located siblings, parents, or lovers, but it still hurt and made her jealous all the same. Stop it. Don't begrudge other people their good fortune. That isn't fair to them. A second board had photos of family members that had survived the blip, but passed during those five years everyone dusted had missed. Another bulletin board was labeled 'Still Looking For Us' and had more photos of missing family members along with a physical description, name, and last known address. One particular picture caught her eye, a young teenager with wavy caramel hair that looked suspiciously similar to her old childhood friend. "Olia Molotova," Wanda murmured to herself, reading the name beneath the picture.
"Yeah, Mrs. Molotova's daughter has been missing for years. Like before the blip," Kate said quietly. "I think she started the support group partially because she missed her kid."
Wanda frowned, studying Olia's photo. Olia was about the same age as Wanda, and this picture was old enough that Olia was probably no more than thirteen or fourteen. Did Olia's mother really have no more recent pictures of her? "Kate, what about Olia's father? Do you know anything about him?"
"Just that he's dead, so not really. Mrs. Molotova would probably talk to you though. She's rich as can be, she used some of their fortune to buy this building." Kate ate another bite of her cookie and took Wanda back over to Yelena. "I'm glad you came."
"But you rightfully don't trust me. Why would you want me here?" Wanda asked quietly. I think I am bringing you trouble, actually.
Kate stared at her and shrugged. "Lucky likes you. I think you need help, not...whatever it is you think people are going to want to do to you if they find out who you are. Look at this." She pulled out her own phone, pulled up her text messages, and showed a recent one from Clint to Wanda. "I didn't specifically say I knew you since you didn't want America or me to tell him. But still."
'Kate, what are you dancing around the info for? If you really do know where Wanda is and that she's alive, tell her she's missed. If she wants to be on her own, that's fine. I understand. But make sure she knows she doesn't have to be. I know you know something.'
Wanda bit her lip hard and twisted her fingers together again. Surely Clint would not want her around if he knew what she had done with the Darkhold. But America does, and Yelena and Kate have been nothing but kind. What if...what if I was wrong? What if he did look for me before, after Westview? “I don't understand," she said finally.
"Well, I don't either, but America is right. There's a misunderstanding here, not your friend...abandoning you just because you really messed up. He wouldn't do that, and you know it. Besides, maybe he can help us figure out what to do next with the people after 'Lena and me, and whatever you and Madisynn have gotten tangled up in." Kate thought for a second, shoving her phone back in her pocket. "Why don't you come over for lunch tomorrow? We can talk more at the apartment anyway."
Wanda thought that was probably okay, but she couldn't exactly say yes without asking Wong first, and her fingers instinctively flitted to her neck. I don't know if I can or not. “I would like to, but-"
"If you're not allowed to, then ask America to video call us," Kate interrupted. "Whatever is fine." Kate was quite sure what Wanda meant, but she'd sort of forgotten that Wanda was not allowed to go anywhere without specifically asking first.
"Kate Bishop is right. You and America Chavez come over tomorrow," Yelena said, "or just video call us if you can't."
I can do that. Studying the bulletin board again, Wanda squeezed her hands into fists and shook her head hard. "I am going to ask if they- or I- can help locate these people. If I can't get my family back, I can at least make sure they do." I could locate everyone easily, just like I helped find Peter.
________________
"I don't want to talk to you. Where is Wong?" Wanda asked Strange sharply the second she and Madisynn had returned to the sanctum.
"That is precisely what I would like to know. He and America aren't here." Stephen eyed Wanda and Madisynn suspiciously.
"Maybe he's watching TV with America," Madisynn suggested. "We need to talk to him. Like, ASAP! It's really important."
Wanda turned to head back to her own little cell-room; she had no intentions of explaining a thing to Stephen whatsoever. One, he was infuriating. Two, she suspected there was something wrong with him, too. I think we need to find Agatha, too. Me. Strange. Agatha. I don't know if there are more, but we all meddled with the Darkhold. If my instincts are right, Madisynn knows something and can't tell us, she is probably in danger, and it has something to do with Chthon. America and Wong being coincidentally 'missing' also seemed suspicious, especially since Strange didn't know where they had gone.
"What are you doing?"
"Returning to my room until you locate Wong. I can't find him with the collar on, remember?"
"What did you do with America?"
Wanda spun on her heel and stared straight at Stephen. "I have not seen my friend since this morning. You leave me alone. Maybe you hid her so you can blame me for her disappearance. I don't cause all the mishaps you encounter, you know," she snapped. He did not hide America, Wanda's logical side told her, but the sorcerer had made her angry and she didn't care how silly that sounded.
Madisynn looked from Strange to Wanda and back again. "Maybe, just maybe, you could help each other find our friends? Wongers might be in danger, and America is, um...important. Bad guys can't get her. That would be really, really bad."
"Madisynn, you are standing next to the last person that was after America, and you are defending her."
Madisynn didn't hesitate. "I know what Wands did before. And I'm saying I've been with her since we left the sanctum earlier, and she didn't do anything. There's something really wrong and you and her are both being dumb, okay? Really dumb!" She turned and reached for Wanda's neck, which made her flinch. "Look. Her collar is still active. She didn't break it so she could use magic to hide Wongers or America. Wands, you know he didn't hide America on purpose. Don't be silly. And I don't need magic to know that...the thing that is happening probably wants all of us to fight. I think..." Madisynn trailed off, her expression somewhat defeated. "Never mind."
Wanda traded a worried glance with Strange and then inwardly cringed, hating that she knew both of them were thinking the same thing. Madisynn knows more and can't share it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you say any more without breaking your pact?" Wanda asked quietly.
"I don't know magic. You guys won't listen to me anyway," Madisynn muttered, scuffing her toes back and forth on the floor.
"Madisynn, if you know something, please share it," Stephen ordered, his voice edged with a hint of nervousness that Wanda found unnerving. "Put Wanda back in her cell so she's out of the way, and then we can talk."
I am not your prisoner to stuff aside, you don't know any more about this than I do, Wanda thought in annoyance, and her eyes glowed red briefly. The collar beeped, and she bit her lip. Stop it. Now look what you did. You need to calm down, she ordered herself harshly.
"That does it-"
"I'll take her back to her room," Madisynn interrupted quickly, placing herself between sorcerer and witch. "I know I'm not in charge here, but you guys piss each other off. Which is bad. Wands, is that okay if I go back with you? I have a key to your room."
Wanda felt oddly surprised at Madisynn's reaction; then all the more baffled when the eccentric girl flung an arm around her shoulders. It was not really a hug like America often gave her, and she had the odd idea that Madisynn was probably trying to take care of her the same way she would a drunk, unpredictable friend. Madisynn was not hanging all over her- she had one arm wrapped around her and held her gently but firmly. "That...that is fine."
"Madisynn, if she snaps, you don't have magic..."
"If she snaps, there is option A, give the Scarlet Witch what she wants, or option B, talk her down. No offense, but I know what happened before, because Wongers told me. You will make her more mad, not less," Madisynn pointed out calmly. "I don't need magic just to talk to her."
"All right, I will continue looking in the library for a way to counter the concealment spell keeping us from locating Wong and America."
Wanda was very aware that not-magical, completely untrained to fight Madisynn was just guiding her confidently through the sanctum to her little cell-room. Madisynn spoke quietly, clearly, in her distinctive voice, saying she didn't understand what was wrong, really, but she knew enough to tell that she thought they needed all of them. When they did arrive back in her room safely, Wanda watched in surprise as Madisynn sat in the chair and made no motion to leave. "Why are you staying?"
"Because I think you shouldn't be left alone. Kinda like if you go to a club and you don't leave your tipsy friend alone, you know? If you're the designated driver you watch out for your friends if they get drunk and vulnerable. You set your monitor off. I think you should take a nap."
Wanda knew the only reason she'd triggered the collar was because Strange had made her angry, but she didn't bother trying to explain that part to Madisynn. "Madisynn, is there anything you can say that won't break your demon pact? Anything at all. I just...I know I can't sense things properly right now, between staying in here and having that thing on my neck whenever I'm not." She pulled her knees to her chest and looked at Madisynn hopefully. Please. Please tell me something.
"I feel like I shouldn't talk to you or Phenn, Stephen, I mean, obviously." Madisynn twirled a bit of hair around her finger and studied Wanda, who just sat there watching silently. "Not because I don't like either of you." An idea popped into her head, and she jumped to her feet. "You actually know why I can't already. I totally shouldn't talk to you or anybody like you or Phenn."
Wanda's stomach lurched. She decided not to acknowledge the Phenn nickname, which she suspected Stephen would hate...which was rather amusing. The Darkhold. “Because both of us messed with the Darkhold?" she asked cautiously. "How about some other person that looked at it?"
Madisynn gazed at her steadily. "I can't discuss it with any person like that. No, I definitely can't discuss it myself."
"Do you have America's phone number?"
"Yeah, Wongers too."
"Call them and do not tell Strange or me details of what they say right now. I think...I think Wong must know or suspect something." Wanda hesitated, unsure how to explain what she was thinking. "I am no threat at all as long as I am in this room. It's...unsettling that Wong concealed himself and America from Strange, okay? I don't like him, but I know Wong really trusts him." Wong might even just be safe, and just not told anyone what he was doing.
Madisynn frowned. "I think I might be putting the sanctum in danger now," she whispered.
"If you can talk to Wong, tell him that. He will help us. If he's willing to help...me, he will help you too."
__________________
MEANWHILE...
"Why did you take me with you to check on the other sanctums and Kamar-Taj again?" America asked.
"Because you can't be around either of them until we have more information about the unsettling ripple in the mystical energy of our world. Something is not right- I sense that much- and if I left you in New York, you would stick to either Ms. Maximoff or Strange the entire time." Wong looked her straight in the eyes. "Have either of them told you anything, anything at all that seemed out of character for them, or just odd?"
America thought for a minute. "Stephen thought Wanda had done something to cause the ripple thing. Like absolutely, thoroughly convinced. He seemed more freaked out than mad at her, too. I think..." she trailed off, mulling it over. "I think if Wanda did do something, she has no idea at all. Because the weird ripple thing started days ago, and she's been exactly the same as always. Sad but mostly calm and happy to see me."
"That is exactly what I'm afraid of. She took over Westview and had no idea; she meddled with the Darkhold and had no clue what it would do to her. Okay, on our side, the three sanctums and Kamar-Taj appear to be as safe as they can be. We will check that cabin she was exiling herself in next."
America followed him through another orange portal into a desolate-looking apple orchard. This whole place looks torn up and sad. The trees looked like withered husks; the grass was brown and black in places. It was a stark contrast with the bright blue sky overhead. The small cabin looked lonely, its windows dark like depressed eyes. "Living here alone seems like it would be scary," she whispered.
"The corruption from the Darkhold chewed up the living things in the area," Wong said quietly. "It didn't always look like this here. Stay behind me and play backup just in case."
America made a face. "What do you think we're going to find?"
"I don't know. Probably nothing, but I don't want to be caught unprepared, either."
"Okay. Maybe we can bring some of Wanda's stuff back to her. She probably has all her belongings still here anyways." America followed him up to the little porch, which seemed mysteriously clean of leaves and the like considering no one had been here for awhile. Wong noticed the same and knocked on the door rather than opening it himself.
A woman with red hair whose face looked exactly like that of one of the people with Wanda in that photo Yelena had brought her answered the door, and America stared at her, brown eyes wide in shock. "You- you're-"
"You are not the Scarlet Witch. Why do you have Miss America instead of her? She is supposed to be here, no one else."
America spotted a gun in the stranger's hand and immediately spoke up. "Hey, um...why do you look like Wanda's dead friend?"
"Why are you in this cabin?" Wong asked suspiciously. "You know both of us and are...waiting for the Scarlet Witch to return?"
"My name is Natalia Romanova. I was sent here, with explicit instructions to only speak to her."
"She resurrect you via necromancy or something?"
"Mr. Wong, this isn't Wanda's friend Nat. At least, not...made like that." America frowned and stepped forward, the truth poking at her. "She's the Nat from another universe. The Nat from here went by Natasha Romanoff, according to all the stuff online I saw. Not Natalia Romanova." I don't understand why she's here, but I feel like...I think I saw her before. I don't know why, I just do.
The woman's expression softened, though her stance remained defensive. "The Wanda I know- knew- called me Tasha," she said softly.
America's phone rang in her pocket, and she gave it a quick peek. "It's Madisynn."
"Don't pick up right now. Just text her that we are safe. No location," Wong said quickly.
____________________
NEW YORK
"They aren't picking up," Madisynn reported worriedly. "Oh wait. America texted. She says sorry she couldn't pick up before, but she and Wong are safe and don't worry. With a smiley face." She kept herself planted firmly between Stephen and Wanda, trying to play mediator for their current unlikely trio.
Wanda hated Strange being in her room, but she decided to put up with him for now, since as Madisynn had pointed out, they were mutually worried about America. "You know more about magic than I do," she said reluctantly to Stephen. "What is it exactly that you think I have done?"
Strange glanced at Madisynn and then back at Wanda. "I don't know, but it is something I do not believe any of us truly want to mess with, Wanda. You have chaos magic. Someone wielding that has dangerous...connections. Madisynn, could you please go wait for Wong in his quarters or something? I'd like to talk to Wanda alone."
Madisynn frowned, still thinking it was a poor idea to leave those two alone together, so she looked at Wanda instead. "Do you want me to leave?"
Wanda gave Stephen a rather pleased expression. Madisynn asked me what I wanted. So there. “No, but I can talk to him if he wants," she said simply. I do not need to snap at him. I won't prove him right, that I can't behave properly at this point.
"Well...okay."
The second Madisynn was gone, Strange looked straight at Wanda and said, "That girl made a pact with a demon she can't or won't tell anyone about. You inherently have a connection to the demon creator of the Darkhold. Seems dangerous."
Wanda flinched instinctively, but then jumped to her feet. "Don't, don't you connect me with that...that thing. I am my own person, and I won't attribute my magic to the creature that created that book. Never, never, never. Not anymore," she snapped. I just told myself I wouldn't snap at him and then I did anyway. I am so...stupid. Weak and stupid. She looked down at her hands before saying in a softer voice, "It's mine. It's mine and the problem is my head being broken, nothing else. I'm not contacting or summoning C- some ancient chaos demon simply by using my magic the normal way, without the Darkhold. I know that much."
Stephen studied her for a moment. "Wanda, I think you are a vessel of some sort," he told her carefully. "You do have some suspicion of what's happening. You're avoiding dropping the name yourself; you came back with Madisynn saying you had to talk to Wong. I'm not saying you knowingly did something wrong, but you are still a problem. You may have destroyed Wundagore, but you know as well as I do that place was a throne. Meant for you."
I never wanted to rule everything, not even the sick, corrupted me wanted that. She still just wanted Billy and Tommy. "I think Madisynn knows something and can't tell us, even if she doesn't understand whatever it is. And I think you are a problem yourself." Wanda balled her hands into fists and mentally ordered herself not to make a fuss. Vis would tell me it's all right to be upset, but not to behave erratically either. I wish he was still here. He would help. She hated not having access to her own powers in her little room with only Strange around; she did not trust him at all.
"Why would you think that? I'm not the one that tried to kill a kid and destroyed Kamar-Taj, and thankfully I don't have the same power set you do."
Wanda's shoulders tensed, and she stared at him in annoyance. "This is exactly why you are so infuriating. I'm trying my best to just...discuss this with you, and you drop rude comments when I have done nothing right now. You are exactly like Tony used to be. Bringing up other people's horrible awful mistakes because he doesn't want to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, he has messed up too." She chewed her lip and took a deep breath. Calm. If Nat was here, she would be honest but not explode like I always do. “I know what I did. I'm not innocent. But I am not the only problem here."
"Stark was annoying as hell. He was a hero, but couldn't stand the dude. Arrogant, bossy, often didn't listen-"
Wanda's eyes glinted sharply. "Perfect. Then you know how you make me feel," she interrupted with great satisfaction.
She quite relished knowing that Stephen really did not appreciate being compared to Tony. Those two were a couple of peas in a pod to her for some reason.
They stood in an awkward silence for a minute until Wanda said, "I made my peace with Tony, and I know he made his peace with me too. We were never going to be close friends, not in a million years, but teammates? Yes." In an odd sort of way, she sort of missed that annoying Iron Man. No, she certainly would not want to see him all the time, but she wished he had survived that Thanos battle all the same. Pepper and Morgan deserved their family. Poor lonely Peter deserved his friend back.
Pepper lost her Vis, Wanda thought suddenly.
"Why do you think I'm a problem also?" Strange asked again.
"Stephen, you meddled with the Darkhold yourself, and you remember more of those corrupted spells than I do, because you have photographic memory. Yet you are so confident you can handle whatever corruption remnants you were left with. I'm not saying you shouldn't have messed with the thing at that point- I understand there was no other way. But you used it all the same." Because Wanda knew she simply didn't have the magic knowledge Stephen did, she felt more than a little out of place, but she was sure if Vision or Natasha were still here, they would both tell her to be honest. "Do you not find it odd Wong left and took America with him without telling you?" He just automatically assumed something horrible happened to them because he wasn't told.
Wanda hesitated again, considering if she even wanted to explain her thoughts at all. "I think that the other day when I said I wanted to kill that demon, I...did something wrong by saying that. I think you are a danger, and in danger, yourself. And I suspect Agatha Harkness is the same as the two of us."
"All you did was say the name?" Stephen asked in surprise.
"Yes."
"I've said it before, as have Wong and others, and nothing happened."
Wanda's eyes shone with unshed tears. "I know. If that did do something, I swear, I'd swear on my family's lives that I had no idea any such of a thing would do anything at all." She touched the deed in her pocket and closed her eyes, loathing her own ignorance and that she was probably confirming whatever Stephen already thought. Maybe I am nothing. Maybe Wong shouldn't try to help me at all and neither should anyone else. What if I really am some odd vessel thing? "You could kill me, in here, because I am within the protection spell barrier. Can you just...make it quick?" I'm so tired.
"I'm not killing you, Wanda." Stephen looked weirdly pensive to Wanda, which she did not like seeing from him. That made shivers crawl up her spine. Before she could say anything, he turned and left, saying he would be back later.
Wanda sat on the edge of her narrow bed holding the little framed photo of Nat, Yelena, and herself that Yelena had brought her. That smiling younger Wanda confused her to look at now. She looked genuinely happy. Had she been truly happy back then? I was still hurt and sometimes scared, but...I still had friends with me constantly. I was never alone as a fugitive. Even now, Wanda could remember feeling scared that those same friends would not want her any longer and she'd lose them.
I think I manifested my own fears isolating myself like I did, but I don't even know what else I was supposed to do. I'd messed up. Again. In Westview. She slowly curled up on her side facing the wall, hugging the photo to her chest. "I wish I knew if the Darkhold convinced me I should stay away or if it was just me," Wanda whispered aloud to herself. Pietro, Vis and the twins, Nat, and Steve really were all gone...but Clint and his family were not. Neither were Sam or Scott. She hadn't been as close to those two as the others, but Falcon and Ant-Man had always been nice to her all the same. Even Antonia or Melina probably would have been willing to help. Or eccentric Thor for that matter, who she didn't know well at all, but had been pleasant to her and called her 'little witch' even way back right after Ultron before he had gone off-world.
The god of thunder had also happily helped keep the rogues hidden briefly in Australia with his very tired roommate Darryl's help. That memory made her smile now. I couldn't put any of them in danger after Westview though. I couldn't.
Inexplicably tired, Wanda drifted to sleep, still holding the picture close.
__________________
”It will be the end for us very soon. I can feel it," Wanda said softly, hugging her two children close. The familiar Westview house was grayish and fading, even as it still felt like a cozy, loving safe haven.
”Mom, I'm not scared. Don't be sad," Billy informed her. "Won't we all just go to sleep?"
”Is it going to hurt?" Tommy.
”Absolutely not. Do you remember when you went to sleep when you got your tonsils out? It will be like that." Wanda's arms tightened around the children, and she felt a lingering kiss on her own head. "Vis, I want us all to sit together one more time." She seemed thoroughly at peace and resigned, okay simply because she had her family close.
”Dad, why can't Mom and ol' Miss Harkness fix our world? They sent Tasha away with lots of help for other people. Why not us too?" Billy didn't sound upset, just confused. If his mama said they wouldn't be hurt, then they wouldn't.
”No one has the power to fix this, boys," Vision said gently, "but we have each other and we have done everything we possibly could."
”We could just go traveling too," Tommy suggested, but he climbed on Vision's lap and settled himself there. "I can be Speed like Lightning McQueen."
Vis held Tommy with one arm and put the other around Wanda, who had Billy cuddled close on her own lap. Wanda closed her eyes and relaxed, her head resting on Vision's shoulder. I sent her help. Tasha has everything she needs. I gave the Scarlet Witch me that lost everything a chance. I want her to be happy. We couldn't all leave home with that young hero Miss America- it would put multiple universes in danger. "I love you so much," she said quietly. "I have no regrets, not anymore."
"I love you."
We are together and I am at peace knowing that.
Wanda woke up with tears streaming down her cheeks, simultaneously a tiny bit horrified herself, but mostly weirdly peaceful, like the dream Wanda and her family even as their world dissolved to nothing around them. That dream should have felt like a disturbing nightmare, but instead she'd felt an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment. There was no fear, not even from the children. This bad thing was happening to them, but they were together, and dream-Wanda had done her best and that was okay. Though she didn't precisely understand what she'd seen, one fact stood out to her: that Wanda's universe had suffered an incursion and she somehow had sent Tasha- most likely her version of Nat- to this world with America at some point. And she knew I'm the Scarlet Witch. What is going on? Why hasn't America told anyone? And where is 'Tasha'?
For a moment she worried her corrupted self might have caused the incursion, but she certainly had never dreamwalked in that universe, so that was impossible. Something else must have caused it, clearly. Also, that wavy-haired Wanda had been friends with Agatha rather than enemies. That also seemed like an interesting tidbit. Well, I cannot do anything myself from my little room. I will wait until someone comes back.
___________________
"Your mere presence in our world is dangerous," Wong said firmly. "Miss Chavez needs to take you back right now."
"There is nowhere for her to take me back to now." Black Widow's voice was calm. "We did plenty of research. To eliminate risk, we sent a singular person that lived in the destination universe but had deceased, and to be safe, no wild interactions with others until my...world was gone entirely. That is why I'm staying here. Moreover, we wanted to choose someone we knew had some connection with the Scarlet Witch. That left Iron Man or me. We chose me."
Wong studied their multiversal visitor cautiously. "If you have the Vision or Wanda's children in your world, why not send one or all of them?"
"Because to our knowledge, they are not, in fact, truly dead. Get your Wanda, please. I need to talk to her."
America's brown eyes went wide in both surprise and delight. "I don't understand why I don't remember you if I brought you here, but Wanda will be so happy. She misses them so much." She turned to Wong hopefully. "Please can she come here? I'll get Wanda by myself and tell her we have a surprise for her."
Wong shook his head. "No. Do not tell her anything yet, please. She won't be able to continue behaving normally if she finds out," he said quietly, "and since Ms. Romanova has been here for longer than when the ripple began, she can't be the source of it."
"I can't keep a secret like this from her," America protested.
"You must. Not permanently, mind. Just for now. You can blame it on me, I don't care."
"Or, you could let me do what I was sent here for," Black Widow put in, an edge of frustration in her voice. "We will need her. The Wanda I knew warned about your Wanda, the Scarlet Witch. She is in no condition to fight anymore right now, and you know it. This universe forged her into the Scarlet Witch and then left her to the Darkhold's fate." She looked straight at America. "Something that began to be reversed by you."
"Me? Because I tried to help her?"
"Yes. You know where I am now. I will be waiting for her." The cabin door closed firmly.
America looked at Wong, who was clearly exasperated at this point. "Are you going to take Other Nat back to New York?" she asked in a whisper.
"No," Wong muttered, opening a portal back to the New York sanctum and stepping through it, "it will cause far more disruption than simply leaving her there in that cabin. She isn't going to help us unless she speaks to Ms. Maximoff first. Go let your friend know we're back and see if she knows anything, anything at all."
"Yelena and Kate want me and Wanda to come over for lunch tomorrow," America said, glancing at her phone.
"That's fine. We'll keep going as normal for now until we have more information."
Notes:
Bet you didn’t see that coming!:) Look, this Black Widow isn’t our dead 616 Nat that sacrificed herself (which I’ve tried to make explicitly clear with her using her Other Name and her friends using Tasha as a nickname instead), but still. Bittersweet “realistic” outcome of sorts incoming here, considering this Tasha knows she has lost her own reality and her own friends sent her to 616 to help others.
If it’s not clear, Other Wanda is/was much, much more knowledgeable about her abilities than our Wanda, but also weaker than she is. Also, quite frankly, assuming all of the other Wandas get a happy fate in the multiverse seems unrealistic to me (good god no wonder our Wanda felt like the world was conspiring against her, seeing all her happy variants!), so I wanted to show something in between: Tasha’s Wanda was content with her family with her, she could not save her world, but she’s able to be at peace all the same knowing she has given everyone else a chance. I hope that makes sense, especially since we’re seeing that as a dream through our Wanda’s eyes.
Any feedback is much appreciated!<3
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Summary:
In which Wanda has a serious discussion with Wong, she discovers Tasha’s existence in 616, and a book contains information that just might be a hint to find a long lost someone.
Chapter Text
Wanda immediately knew America was hiding something when the teenager came back to visit her, no magic necessary, but she also suspected whatever it was wasn't necessarily a bad thing from the sparkle in America's eyes. "I'm glad you are safe," Wanda told her, happy to accept another hug. "Do you have something to tell me?"
America hesitated. "I do, but I'm not supposed to tell you right now." There. That was the truth; Wong would be satisfied that she hadn't told, but she also wouldn't be lying to Wanda, who would most certainly be extremely upset if lied to.
"Okay. I will not press." Wanda didn't feel offended by that at all, especially since she assumed that Wong had told America not to say whatever it was. And thank you for not lying to me and saying there wasn't anything to share. "I have something to tell you, also." She quickly related her odd dream from earlier. "It felt...peaceful. I don't understand why that me was happy." Yes, I do. She's stronger than me. She had her family with her. And I think she had a much, much better handle on whatever magic she had than I do with mine.
"Oh. Oh my gosh. Wanda, you gotta tell Wong about that!" America looked excited, and she shoved the light scarf back in Wanda's hands. Wong had not been there when Wanda arrived back at the sanctum, so there hadn't been anyone there to get the collar off her. "Come on. Besides, he needs to get that thing off you. Sorry we weren't here when you and Madisynn got back."
Wanda followed America out of her little room and let America drag her by the hand through the sanctum. A few acolytes they passed appeared suspicious, but they didn't say anything, either. "You are tarnishing your own reputation here by trying to help me and being my friend," she whispered to America.
"I don't care. I would be a crappy friend if I did," America shot back instantly. "A bunch of students don't like me much anyway and it has nothing to do with you. Rintrah's nice though. I don't need all of them to like me. Guess they're missing out. I am an amazing person," she deadpanned, pleased when this made Wanda smile ever so slightly.
"You should tell Stephen, even if it doesn't bother you. He might pretend otherwise, but he loves you like you are his kid." This much was something Wanda respected and liked about Strange very much. He hadn't said anything to her about it, of course, but she suspected America reminded him of the little sister he had lost so long ago.
"I don't think you dislike him as much as you think you do," America answered, "and I think what you just said is part of the problem. Teacher's pet still can't do much except make some sparks. I mean, I can make more than I did when I started, but still."
Wanda still thought it was quite likely that America simply wasn't really meant to be a sorcerer, and that she definitely had other natural abilities she didn't know how to use to their full potential yet. But she didn't want to sound discouraging, and she knew those sorcery lessons were very important to America, so she didn't say that. "You have other powers they do not," she said instead. I know that much for sure, because I sensed it before. She's...different. America's power signature and her aura too are not the same as Strange's or Wong's.
"I know, and I kind of think that doesn't help either. If we're practicing sparring, I'm stronger. Like by a lot, even compared to all of the more experienced students, including ones twice my size, because it isn't sorcery at all. It's just...me. I could knock any of them out easily. But then if I don't actually use that and try to hold back, then I'm kind of useless." America looked at Wanda shyly, thinking that Wanda probably knew exactly what that felt like. "You were on the Avengers team before it all kind of disbanded or whatever. What did you do back then when you guys practiced?"
Why are you asking me of all people for advice like that? I don't understand. “Feel out of place," Wanda said. "But really, I think you just need two separate practices. One to practice your beginner sorcery skills. One to practice with your own unique power set. And always know to hold back your own strength when necessary so you don't accidentally open a portal you don't want, or injure or kill someone. I should know that much." She frowned, realizing America had brought her to the sanctum library. I do not think I am supposed to be in here. "You know how you have easily held me still in my little room when I...can't act right?" Wanda asked quietly. "You already know how to hold strength back. You could crush me in there if you wanted to, but you never do."
America didn't know what to say to that. There was a very odd dichotomy with Wanda, because she could quite literally wreck anything she pleased with a mere thought if she used her magic, up to and including disintegration or reality erasure, but without that, she wasn't any stronger physically than an average ordinary human her size. "That doesn't bother you, knowing that?"
"No. It's reassuring, actually, because I know if I can't control my own thoughts, then you can always knock me out easily if necessary. Then that somehow makes it easier to control my thoughts. Like a cycle, but in a good way," Wanda explained, still worried about what else was currently going on, but also glad that she could articulate how she felt and be understood. I still do not understand why America is willing to help me, but she really does help, and she is just...being herself. "It helps me process those intrusive thoughts much more easily, like Wong told me how to do. They can be there and exist without me approving or acting on them."
"I don't mind you two being here in the library, but what are you doing?" Wong asked, quickly putting a book back into the forbidden section. "Miss Chavez. What did you tell her?"
"Nothing. Wanda has something to tell you," America said happily, shifting her weight from one foot to the other with excitement.
"All right, but not here. We'll go back to the cell," Wong decided, voice firm. Opening a portal, he ushered the girls through and followed behind them.
Wanda sort of thought of that cell as her little room at this point; yes, it really was just a cell meant for misbehaving sorcerers, but she had made it hers with America's help, and with the protection spell up, she could sleep without worrying about making any magic mistakes. She was surprised the first thing Wong did was simply remove her collar and toss it on the table. "You are still leaving that thing in here?" she asked hesitantly.
"I told you I don't want you thinking anyone is going to hurt you with it. I have too many other responsibilities besides watching you. If I leave that here, you can leave your cell with Miss Chavez without having to come ask every time. I expect you to stay within the New York sanctum unless an outing has been previously planned, you understand?" The Sorcerer Supreme looked exhausted, but not angry. "You'll still need me to remove it, but that's better than giving you no freedom at all."
Wanda stared at him. "Why are you granting me another piece of trust now?" she whispered. "I told Stephen earlier...I...I think I might have done something horrible and had no idea."
"He told me what you said already, along with his own theories. If you really are supposed to be a vessel of some kind for that creature- hey, do not get upset hearing that," Wong said quickly, because Wanda's expression immediately crumpled, "I am not blaming you for that, because that wouldn't be your fault. But we have to make it so said demon won't want you anymore." Wong looked her straight in the eyes.
"I don't understand," Wanda whispered, twisting her fingers uncomfortably in her lap. Is Wong really saying that he thinks Stephen is right, that I am supposed to be some horrible vessel or whatever for Chthon, but...still wants to help me? "If that is true, you should kill me." She felt America hugging her again, and shakily returned the gesture. "I'm not even saying I...want to die. Anymore. I just...I don't want to hurt any more people. I never want to do that again. Never, never, never."
The thought that some people deserved to be hurt or killed flitted through her head. Stop it. That isn't me. ...Yes it is. People like child traffickers or something deserve to die. So there.
...Do I deserve to die for what I have done? I don't...know. I don't know. Nat and Pietro wouldn't think so. I know they wouldn't. Neither would Vis.
The corruption remnants seemed to hate that she had recognized it and then twisted it herself, and that achy pain from before pulsed at her temples. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the heel of her hand to her head. Stop it. You need to tell Wong that dream. Stop thinking so much.
"Wanda. Wanda, listen to me." Wong's voice was firm but kind, pointedly just using Wanda's given name in an effort to get her attention. "Look, we simply don't have a whole lot of information about you, that ancient eldritch creature, or how your power functions in detail. You are not a sorcerer. You are not an ordinary witch, either. What I do know is that creature is incredibly dangerous and that he would certainly prefer an ignorant, mentally unstable vessel over a more knowledgeable one that is, perhaps, still traumatized, but able to function. That makes you more difficult to control. Think about it. If you are correct and you, Stephen, and Agatha Harkness are all both a danger and in danger? One of that trio is the best equipped to fight mentally. Stephen. One is the best equipped to fight power-wise. You. One, I suspect, is the best equipped to fight knowledge-wise. Agatha, presumably, if she was willing to do so."
What? Wanda chewed her lip thoughtfully, grateful that America stayed sitting next to her. The girl was not saying anything, but she still had her arm around Wanda's shoulders, and that was reassuring. "Did you talk to Agatha or something?" she asked quietly.
"No. I may not trust your judgement, but I don't think your instincts about this are wrong, especially combined with what Madisynn has tried to tell us indirectly. You, Madisynn, and Strange are all implying the same thing, with little differences. I'm not discarding that as coincidence."
"The three of us could all be giving false information on purpose because of that demon pact or being corrupted." Wanda blinked, reminding herself that was impossible. I'm fine. I am me. Wong showed me how to identify which thoughts are mine. These are mine.
"You could, yes. But I think you know quite well that isn't the case. Keeping you isolated with no magic access in this cell is going to do more harm than good eventually. One, I don't want to keep you locked up in here for the rest of your life. Two, it's highly possible that we need you."
"Wanda, tell him about the dream," America urged.
Wanda's voice was barely audible, but she did relate the dream events to Wong, adding that she thought it was weird that she would have that dream now, when she knew other unsettling things were also happening. She had expected Wong to be angry or worried, but instead he appeared relieved, as if she'd just proved something to him. That dream is a good thing? "I want to know why America can't remember if she is the one that brought...Tasha here." Wanda glanced at America, who still had that satisfied lopsided grin on her face. "Even if she knows now," she corrected herself, certain she was correct, "I don't believe she knew before."
Wong gave both of them a longsuffering stare. "You do realize Miss Chavez kept her taking you to that other universe a secret for quite awhile before telling Stephen and me what she'd done. I would not find it any great surprise to discover she brought another person here and kept them a secret also, though not after finding out how dangerous that can be."
America did not look very sorry. "I didn't know about Tasha at all before," she said, which was the truth. "I think somebody changed my memories."
"Well, regardless, you need to behave as if nothing has changed. Both of you, but especially you," Wong ordered, directing the latter comment toward Wanda, who he worried would mess up his quiet research plans without meaning to at all. "You will continue exactly as you have been. Do as you please in here, studying for your GED, reading a book, practicing calming breathing, talking to Miss Chavez, whatever. You may go to your friends' apartment tomorrow for lunch, but if anything, anything at all, feels weird or wrong to either of you, I want you to come straight back."
"We will," America assured him, wishing Wong would just tell Wanda that big, enormous, world-changing secret already.
Wanda nodded, knowing Wong knew more and wasn't sharing it, but she also could not be upset with him for it. I wouldn't tell me either. Knowing that at least whatever it was wasn't something inherently horrible considering America's countenance helped; and like with Kate, she appreciated the wary kindness very much. "Is Madisynn all right?"
"For now, but until we know more, you and Madisynn cannot be around each other anymore. I had assumed her demon pact must be with some minor petty demon and not a real threat to any of us at all, but at this point I suspect otherwise and she's only now realizing what she has become tangled with. You already know she thinks she is putting the sanctum in danger at this point. Madisynn acts silly often and she has no magic herself, but she isn't stupid. I tend to believe that fear of hers is valid."
Wanda visibly cringed a bit hearing that. "Madisynn knows something more and can't tell," she said softly.
"Can't we just let Wanda read Madisynn's mind?" America suggested. "Then Madisynn technically isn't talking about her demon pact, but she can still tell what she knows."
"No, we can't." Wong was firm on this. "Madisynn suggested that herself, but then when I asked her if whatever it is would somehow recognize chaos magic meddling, she refused to talk and stared at me. You could automatically tell she meant yes, or if not that, she certainly thought that was the case."
"You could read Madisynn's mind, couldn't you?" Wanda asked, studying her own fingers again.
"I could, but without more information, it may cause more trouble than the information Madisynn has would be worth. When I asked her about magic in general meddling, she shrugged. She doesn't know."
Wanda pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to think. What if me using any magic at all is something that thing can sense, even if I'm not doing anything bad? “What if it can sense any of my magic being used in this dimension at all, period?" she asked. "Like earlier when I set off the warning. Is that creature following me around or something?"
"If that was the case, we probably would have seen something else corrupted and causing trouble. I would assume that isn't the case, but you destroying Wundagore broke an ancient seal. I suspect he isn't any too happy with you that you've destroyed the Darkhold." Wong's voice sounded slightly strained in Wanda's opinion, and she squeezed her hands into fists.
"You are saying I did something wrong even as I tried to do the right thing and fix what I've done." I hate that. Every time! That doesn't seem fair. Wanda bolted to her feet and started to punch the wall, but America grabbed her before she could do so.
"Punch me instead. I can block it," America told her, trying to give a reassuring smile.
"...What?"
"Wanda, you can't use your magic in here. It isn't going to hurt anything."
Wong crossed his arms and let the two of them be for a minute. There was not really enough room in the small cell to spar effectively, but it seemed like what America and Wanda were doing helped both of them. America looked quite pleased with herself, and Wanda's frustrated angry expression faded. "Watching you two now is unnerving. Good, but odd. Finish and sit down."
Wanda's eyes were brighter now, and she felt much, much better than a few minutes ago. America was not a particularly skilled fighter, but she was also much stronger than Wanda without any access to her magic. Nat always said sparring helped her calm down. And I cannot hurt America in here. See, I can be angry without hurting anything, she reminded herself. And one glance at America told Wanda that the girl genuinely enjoyed being able to help. America probably liked 'practicing' with someone besides her fellow sorcery classmates too.
They finally sat and turned their attention back to Wong. "All right. What I need from you is anything, anything at all that was in that Darkhold chapter dedicated to you. I know you found it useless and we can't trust what it says as fact, but it may give us a hint to unravel that isn't in our sorcery tomes."
Wanda tilted her head and gazed at Wong thoughtfully. "Interesting that you want information from that book, and yet Strange and I were not supposed to read it," she said, voice flat.
"I don't want information from that book. I would rather hear what that creature expects from you, from you when you are thinking clearly, and not end up unprepared later."
Of course. Of course he does. Everyone bends rules when there's no other choice. Wanda sighed and closed her eyes again. Tell the truth. “Forged by death and loss. That prophecy you already know about. I am limited by humanity, conscience, and imagination. A..." Wanda trailed off, her cheeks a bit pink. "There was art. Artwork of...me. It was a little bit creepy, but I...I thought it was pretty in a dark sort of way." She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to keep her hands from shaking. "I was stupid. You know what I first thought? That the mystical girl in the sketch looked like something I would have liked to wear when I was little."
Wong stared at her in abject confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean the Scarlet Witch in that book looked like a princess or a goddess. A queen. She had my face. It...it was like..." Wanda chewed on a fingernail nervously. I don't know how to explain myself. It doesn't make any sense, and I don't know if I was imagining things or just hoping it. “Like the chapter was written- drawn- to make you feel more confident. If you took all of the words and context away, I would think that someone had drawn charcoal sketches of me in a fantasy world, and it would have just felt really really nice to see. It didn't look like anything ugly or bad. I'm sorry. There just...wasn't much real information there."
"Wait here. I'll be right back. I want to show you- and ask you- something."
Before either Wanda or America could say anything, Wong disappeared through an orange portal into the library. America watched Wanda curiously, but Wanda mostly just looked embarrassed. "Wanda, I know what Wong is going to show you. Other pictures in a different book," America told her.
What? Wanda didn't say anything, and she sighed again when the Sorcerer Supreme returned in seconds with a thin leather book under his arm.
"Did the pictures look like these?" Wong held the book open and looked straight at Wanda, showing her the pages.
Wanda took one glance and flinched, nodding emphatically. "They...they were exactly like those, just...with my face, not a shadow you can't identify. And...in blacks and grays, not in full color like that." Please tell me this book isn't something bad. Please. I want to do something good. "But poses, red dress...identical. Why do y-you have that?"
"This book refers to the Scarlet Witch as a 'being of unfathomable magic' as well. Do you remember anything else?"
"I think the Darkhold did not like that I immediately discarded that chapter as being useless. I only wanted to know how to use my magic properly and...find Billy and Tommy, not...look at narcissistic artwork of myself. That was pretty. That also told me nothing." Wanda did not reach for Wong's book, unsure if she wanted to touch it or if the sorcerer meant to share it.
"Why doesn't Wanda's uniform suit look like those dresses automatically, if the prophecy is hers?" America asked, which was what she had thought previously when she'd seen those pictures, but had not bothered questioning.
Wong closed the book and held it out to Wanda. "She might exist meant to fulfill that prophecy, but she's...subconsciously defying it, that's what. Making it her own."
"I don't understand." Wanda hesitantly took the book and glanced at the small photo Yelena had brought her. Nat would tell me not to worry about that prophecy and just be...me. Try to get up and keep going. Fix what I've done as much as I can.
"Read the fine print at the bottom of that page I showed you out loud."
Wanda's expression scrunched in both distaste and confusion, but she flipped to the page with the ruby dresses on it and skipped to the bottom. Who wrote this? "It says, 'Appearance usually interpreted to be disastrous automatically, but no evidence she will not simply appear in a time of great need. Depends on context.' Wong, I don't...what does that mean?"
America tugged at Wanda's arm, saying she should read the asterisked section for that note.
"It's just that same prophecy I have seen before. I don't want that." Wanda pushed the book aside and squeezed her eyes shut, wondering what Vision would say at this point. 'Don't let anyone take your agency away from you. Those detractors cannot define who you are or change you, Wanda. Your friends will love you just the way you are.' Quiet words from years before while she and the rest of the rogue Avengers were fugitives flitted through her head. But everyone is gone, Vis. I have messed up. A thing did take my agency away and I let it and it makes me feel sick. I hurt so many people. I miss you. Would you even still want me anymore?
Wong shook his head. "No, it is not. You said yours contained the word 'world'. This one says 'cosmos'. It-"
"It's not mine. I don't want it. I refuse, I don't ever want-"
"Will you please let me finish? Using the word 'cosmos' implies viewing the universe as a complex but orderly system. The opposite of chaos. Perhaps you are going to bring order to the chaos instead."
Or I will ruin things because I have chaos magic. It's in the name. Wanda glanced at America, but the teenager looked entirely nonplussed. America had an odd knowing smile on her face and was silent, though she tapped her feet animatedly and squeezed Wanda's arm. America is ridiculous. Why is she here, still being kind to me? I like her here, but...
"He means that Stephen is right. That prophecy is totally yours, but you get to interpret and fulfill it the way you want to. Right?" America turned to Wong at her final word for confirmation. "You got the chaos magic that nobody else can use. So, you get to be the master of chaos magic like Stephen gets to be a master of the mystic arts. But you can't be that without being trained, I think."
"Miss Chavez is right. Your problem isn't power, it's knowledge. But we have no one to train you. That book I gave you is the closest thing our library has that I believe can help you. Start with that."
Wanda deeply suspected America's secret she wasn't supposed to share had to do with her other self's Nat, Tasha. Abruptly she stood up and looked straight at Wong. "I think that you know where Tasha is. She's here somewhere and you do not want me to know so that I don't act wrong or weird, and mess up things any further." I shouldn't have done that. Why did I speak up? I don't want to ruin anything.
"I didn't tell her, honest!" America blurted, which was just the confirmation Wanda needed to solidify her inference.
Wong sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. Perhaps giving Wanda anything more right now to attempt helping her learn anything further about her own magic that wasn't originated in the Darkhold was a risky choice, but the more he considered it, the more he was certain it was a wiser choice to offer help than to just isolate and ignore her. Outright lying to her now would permanently ruin any semblance of trust she had towards him at all. That other Black Widow's matter-of-fact statement that their Wanda had been forged into the Scarlet Witch and then been left to the fate of the Darkhold was not untrue. Wanda had unfortunately never reached out to anyone, but no one had reached out to her, either. "That wrecked universe's Black Widow isn't in the New York sanctum, but yes, I do know where she is," Wong said finally.
Wanda's eyes blurred with tears almost immediately. "Please can I see her? Please. I know she's not my friend, but please I want to see her so badly," she whispered. She must be sad too. She lost her friend too, and...literally everything.
"You may not. Not yet." Wong sounded kind but firm on this. "This is not a punishment. We just can't risk putting you and her together until we know what the consequences will be. Give me a few days, all right? For now, you must pretend you don't know anything about it."
Wanda was disappointed, but pretending she didn't know something so important reminded her of being on old undercover Avengers missions, and in a strange sort of way, that felt...good. Undercover work had never been her forte, not like it had been for Nat. Still, her friend had taught her and taken her on missions many times, and she was competent even if she was not as skilled at that sort of thing as Nat was. "I can do that," she said confidently. "I do not want to, but I can."
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The next morning, Wanda woke to a familiar knock on her door. Predictably America appeared once she'd said, "I know it's you, America. You can come in."
"Hey. I brought you new stuff. I went shopping yesterday after we were done talking with Wong. I needed new sneakers and Kate suggested I should get new clothes for branding purposes or something...anyway. I thought, I'll bet Wanda wants new clothes. So I got you a couple things. If they don't fit or whatever, that's okay. We can just return them and get something else." America looked so pleased with herself that Wanda found herself smiling a little.
"Why are you spending your money on me?"
"If I was you, you'd do it for me."
Wanda's mind screamed at her, you hurt her before. You have no right to her friendship or care at all. You don't deserve any of it, but she also remembered another comment Nat had told her, friendship isn't a transaction. You don't have to 'deserve' it. I am offering it to you no strings attached. Now she hugged the simple black dress America offered her to her chest, trying to blink back tears. "You did not have to do this."
"I know that. Gosh, I just went to Target. It wasn't expensive or anything. I know you can just, like, create more clothes with your magic, but since you're not supposed to do that right now, I thought new stuff would be nice." America stared at her, a bit puzzled by the crying. Wanda had not even really looked at the dress, just immediately clutched it tightly and broke down in tears. "Are you...okay?"
Yes. "I'm sorry. I just...felt a lot all of a sudden. It is like...normal me is there, not that horrid corrupted me, and she doesn't understand why you would ever...do this, and she is hurting even if she is happier now." Wanda felt America hugging her and melted further. I am not alone. It cannot get me any more. Maybe I am still broken, but at least I am...me, even if I still hate me. “Thank you. Please don't feel...obliged to stay, that's all."
"I don't. I told you, I like normal you. You really, really scared me before, but that doesn't make me not care about you. I don't know how much you can even remember now from all of the chasing after me, but I still remember you trying to show us Billy and Tommy were real elsewhere, while we were all in Kamar-Taj." America didn't even pull away to finish talking; she just kept a tight hold on her friend. "Anyways, corrupted you was really terrifying. But it sort of felt like I saw a bit of the hurting, real you underneath, too. You looked like you were about to cry. I wanted to run away obviously, but then I was also thinking about my lost moms and those lost twins and I wished I could help you. Even if you were being horrible and acting like a crazy person."
"You believed they were real even then?" Wanda immediately latched onto that comment, unbothered by America's not-so-nice but very truthful comments.
"I didn't know what I believed then, honestly. But it didn't matter if the kids were real or not. Those emotions you felt for them were real, regardless. You loved them. I mean, of course it's not the same, but what if a little kid loses her favorite doll or stuffed animal she loves and is super upset about it? The toy isn't alive, but the little kid still has real feelings for it. Do you think that doesn't matter and should be ignored? Told those feelings don't matter?" America knew Wanda had grown horribly tense, but she remained silent, obviously listening. "Anyway. I believe Billy and Tommy are real now, but I just...wanted to tell you that. It doesn't make what you did okay, but I get it. I don't think that sort of hurt being dismissed when you tried really hard to tell us was helpful."
Wanda still said nothing, but she slowly relaxed. I'm not sure if America even knows how much hearing that means to me. I terrified her. She is offering understanding anyway. "It doesn't justify what I tried to do to you at all," she said finally.
"No. It doesn't. But I don't think pausing your dumb corrupted rampage long enough to attempt explaining yourself is meaningless, either. You wouldn't have been doing any of that without that stupid book. I think there was a little shred of normal you left crying for help and...nobody did until that other you in 838."
"I don't know."
America squeezed her tighter, not too tight that it would hurt, just holding a shaking Wanda close. "Well, I do. I have been on my own for years and I know what feeling lonely is like, even if I don't know how the rest of it felt. Nobody should feel lonely unless they're rapists or something. Those should just drop dead."
Wanda tried very hard not to laugh since that seemed inappropriate. She just said exactly what I was thinking yesterday.
___________________
It turned out the dress America had brought fit fine, and it made Wanda feel more like her old self since it was something she would have chosen herself long ago. "You made a good choice," Wanda told her, smoothing the skirt. "I like this."
"Well, I thought a black dress was safe anyway, and I saw some old pictures and interviews of you online. You seemed to really like black and red dresses and skirts, with lots of accessories. And boots. You ALWAYS had black boots on, and those are what you made here when you changed out of your uniform suit outfit before. You were even wearing black boots with your suit," America teased, quite pleased that she had made Wanda smile. "Here." She tossed the rest of the small plastic Target bag at her and leaned against the wall with her hands in her pockets.
Wanda disappeared back behind the curtain for the tiny bathroom portion of the cell-room and peeked in the bag. There was a plain red cotton top with ruffled cap sleeves, a stretchy black skirt, and a pack of silver costume jewelry rings. Seeing the contents made her heart clench. This reminds me of Nat bringing things to my room back at the Compound when I had nothing right after Ultron. She didn't really know what I wanted, but she'd paid attention to what I had previously and picked things I liked.
"Do the other things fit?" America asked hopefully after a minute or two of waiting. "I tried to pick stretchy stuff so if I bought wrong sizes, it wouldn't matter too much."
"They fit fine." Wanda emerged with the other outfit on. It seemed ridiculous, but the simple thing of having a few new ordinary items to wear was refreshing. "Thank you. I will pay you back once I can do so."
"But I don't want you to. I just wanted to surprise you. They're presents."
"I don't have anything for you."
"Who cares? You can get something for me some other time. You're a real adult and sometimes you don't seem any older than me. Sorry." America watched Wanda carefully fold her things and arrange them in a neat pile. "Anyways, I have lessons this morning, but I'll be back later so we can go over to Kate's and Yelena's for lunch."
"Okay. You will do fine," Wanda told her firmly. "I am going to...attempt to get some studying work done here." Though she did genuinely enjoy reading very much, she wasn't a very fast reader anyway, and she had quickly discovered that part of that old leather magic book Wong had lent her was written in Latin, not English or any of the other languages she could read either. Wanda did not know Latin at all, so this meant she had begun trying to painstakingly translate bits and pieces word by word by looking them up online and then writing the translation into a notebook.
Once America was gone, Wanda set up her tiny workspace at the table again, laptop open to translate words, Wong's book on her lap, and a notebook open to copy down the translation. Since she had to translate the book anyway, she'd decided to write her copy and her own notes out in Sokovian since that would be the easiest for her to go back and read later if she wanted to.
Wanda wondered if Wong had given her this particular book on purpose to force her to work on translating things and make her realize how easy it would be for her to translate in general if it was a language she was actually familiar with.
One word had popped up twice already that she didn't recognize- something demiurge and saying she herself was supposed to be connected to it, but that it wasn't her. To Wanda, it seemed like the author was speculating rather than explaining real facts. There was a full color illustration on one page that again seemed all too familiar. Wanda spent a good five minutes staring at it until the pieces fell into place and she bolted to her feet, the book falling on the floor.
The carving on Wundagore. The one next to the one of me. A boy. Billy. Billy's Halloween costume back in Westview, of all things. Wanda squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think clearly and remember what the equivalent page in the Darkhold would have said, but she could not remember anything.
Because there is nothing. There was no information in that book about this.
What about that carving then? Why would that exist but nothing else? She just remembered seeing the stone carving in the temple on Mount Wundagore and touching it reverently, because she had instinctively connected that to her lost children. Now she wondered if the absence of information meant more than if that horrid corrupting book had explicitly said something. You don't know what you are talking about. It's nothing. You're looking for meaning where there is none just because you want it to be true.
"No," Wanda murmured aloud. "No," she said again, voice stronger, "I am right and it doesn't want me to believe it. That is proof this is important and..." she trailed off, wishing Vision was there. He would be able to read this, know for certain her translation was right. Vis would know; Nat would know.
Pietro would be confused and unsure of this just like her, but pretend he was confident of the answer anyway.
I am being irrational. Wanda shook her head hard and curled up on her narrow bed, holding that old folded deed close. Vis would say it's okay to hope, just don't let myself rely on something that seems too good to be true. Right? Like earlier, a piercing headache pulsed in her head, and she kept her eyes closed. Think. Go away and leave me be. Can't erase my real thoughts. So there.
Wanda did not get much more work done before America returned; she was still lying there feeling half dazed when America came back. "What happened? You look off. Not in a bad way, really, just...stunned."
"If...if I translated part of that book correctly, I think Billy is this...role in there. Not now. Not even if I could have him back now. But at some point in the future, when he is older." Wanda hesitantly showed America in the book, along with her own translations, but America still looked confused.
"Wanda, I can't read that or your notes," America told her. "Well, okay, I can recognize a few random Latin words, but I can't read it. Are the notes you made in Sokovian? Because I can't read those either."
Oh. Now I have done to her what I felt like years ago when I first came here. "They are. I'm sorry." Wanda noticed America did not look embarrassed whatsoever; she clearly did not care about saying that she could not read something.
"Why? They're your notes. You can write in whatever language you want. But if you want to share them with me, then they have to be in English or Spanish."
This made Wanda smile. "Well, I don't think I will be much help to you in Spanish unless you just want to order food or ask where the bathroom is or something. I can hold a simple conversation, but not much more than that."
America laughed. "Well, that is more than Stephen knows. Other Stephen spoke Spanish. But I'd rather know this one anyway. He's much better. Anyway, let's just use English then. Can you translate your notes that way?"
"I can, but if my initial translation wasn't completely accurate, then it will probably become even further off if I translate it again into English." Privately Wanda could not help preening that there was something she knew that Stephen with his PhD and whatever else did not. That is not kind, Wanda. You can be proud of yourself for something without insulting someone else. Vision's calm understanding voice pinged through her thoughts, and she swiped a hand across her eyes.
"You could bring it with you and show Kate and Yelena. We'll be late if we don't leave soon."
Wanda hesitated, but finally tucked the things into her bag. I don't want to share this, but maybe I should. They might be able to help interpret it too. All right. Let's go."
Notes:
Things are not going to function the same with Wanda’s twins here as what happened in the Young Avengers comic runs, just as a disclaimer. I might be inspired a bit, sure, but I’m going to do my own thing. I just wanted to say that now before anyone ends up disappointed later on since I’m starting to hint what may be going on.
Enter Clint next chapter...finally!
Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Summary:
In which America discovers something new about her own powers with her friends, and Wanda and America run into an unexpected issue on the way back to the sanctum. Whether this issue is connected to the mystical ripple is yet to be seen...
Notes:
Okay, so I lied. Clint finally shows up in the next chapter, not this one! Oh well.
I just wanted to say ahead of time that I am not just randomly powering up America. She can fly (among other things lol) in the comics, so I’m basically poking at that and trying to let her learn/realize things gradually.
Here we go, more plot reveals...I hope you enjoy!:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“What do you think?" Yelena asked, showing Wanda a sloppy but clearly labeled sketch she had made a little while after America and Wanda had arrived safely at the apartment uneventfully. "I think this would be better and far more comfortable. Not to mention safer. Would this work?"
"I don't understand." Wanda studied the sketch closer. It almost looked like Yelena had tried to draw the runes that glowed dimly on the walls of her little room back at the sanctum, though they weren't accurate. "Are these supposed to be bracelets?"
Yelena nodded. "I remembered you saying those rune marks on the walls made your magic not work. That collar you are using isn't something you are comfortable with. You are just dealing with it because you have to. I don't think that really contains your power completely anyway."
"'Lena mentioned it to me," Kate added. "Obviously we can't cast a rune spell, but we thought maybe somebody at the sanctum could make this. If there was a way to have that spell on a piece of jewelry, you wouldn't have to worry about anything in the first place."
America eyed the sketch curiously. "I mean...if it worked, that's a good idea. Then if Wanda feels like she's not in control, she could just take the bracelets or whatever on and off as she pleases."
They don't want you here. It's because you're dangerous, and it is true, and they shouldn't, Wanda thought to herself viciously, but the idea was awfully appealing all the same, even as she struggled to push that train of thought away. She was sure Wong was not going to let her just have some kind of power restraints that she could just remove at will (why should he? he definitely should not), but he would probably be willing to try Yelena's idea with something that locked closed and therefore she wouldn't be able to remove on her own without magic access. If it didn't work, she was no worse off than before.
A tiny sliver of fear snaked down Wanda's back. I don't want all of that power anyway. Why does that prospect bother me at all? Old childhood memories of feeling powerless on the streets of Novi Grad with Pietro scared her. What could she possibly do now if that ridiculous magic was nullified and Wong simply turned her out? You go find Clint. You wouldn't be able to hurt him, so it would be okay. He would help you find a place in the world and you know it. Kate has a text proving he still cares. I don't understand what happened, why he never came for me, but...
Wanda knew the others were still talking, but their words flowed around her and didn't seem to process well. Lucky nudged at her hand and then hopped up on the sofa, settling down across her legs. Present. I am here, and I have friends with me, and I don't have to be alone trying and failing to...deal any more. Lucky's soft golden fur was nice beneath her fingers.
Sparky. Sparky in the kitchen sink. Sparky barking. Billy and Tommy trying to hide him.
Agatha purposely letting the little dog eat poisonous plants. Poor Sparky dying.
...Agatha was still in Westview, alone, and she presumably could not leave, because Wanda had left her there trapped under mind-control.
She hurt the twins. I don't want anything to do with her. Wanda buried her face in Lucky's fur, holding the dog close. That isn't an excuse. I tried to hurt America and she is kind to me. Agatha deserves another chance herself. I know it. She was corrupted too, just like me.
"I want to free Agatha Harkness in Westview. Leaving her there isn't fair. Not if you are all willing to try to help me."
"You'd better get her inside a protection spell before freeing her," America said quietly. "She had the Darkhold way longer than you. And it sounded like corrupted Agatha wanted a lot more than corrupted you did. We don't know how much of that desire for power was hers or not." America was not going to say so because it was disturbing and pointless, but she did believe that so-called "all" corrupted Wanda had truly wanted was 1) America's powers 2) the twins. Any other pain and destruction she had caused was collateral damage in that twisted logic or lack thereof.
Lucky snuffled at Wanda's dark hair, and she clutched Kate's dog closer. Wanda blinked, struggling to focus. America was right. Agatha had wanted to steal her chaos magic for herself, to actually rule things. She was angry and frustrated that ignorant Wanda functioned on autopilot...and proceeded to just use that reality-warping power to create her ideal happy sitcom world with her family. None of them had any way of knowing how much of that desire for power was Agatha's and how much was the Darkhold turning Agatha into yet another corrupted victim. "I don't think Wong is going to want a second corrupted witch around," Wanda said finally, "but I think I have to free her. I have to."
"Can you cast the spell, America?" Kate suggested. "I mean, then we could know for sure if the jewelry idea works in the first place. If it works on Wanda, then it'll definitely work on Agatha Harkness too. Then we can get Agatha and try to help her ourselves."
America shook her head. "I don't think so. I could try, but Stephen said using runes to cast spells isn't the easiest thing for sorcerers even when they are experienced. I can barely conjure anything, period. But I'll try."
"Wait. Let me draw the runes correctly," Wanda said quickly. She kept one arm wrapped around Lucky, drew the correct runes on Yelena's sketch, and numbered them. "Sorry, Yelena. I don't know what casting what you drew would even do, but it definitely wouldn't produce the protection spell."
Yelena shrugged. "This is not my power set. I didn't remember exactly what was on the walls in your cell back in that wizard house. I think you guys should try with an expert magic person around though. Kate Bishop and I aren't that."
Kate grabbed a plain bangle bracelet of hers from her room and handed it to America. "You can use this. Don't worry about breaking it. I'll microwave our Hot Pockets while you guys experiment. Also? Wanda, I think you need a dog. You like Lucky, and he's not trained to calm a person down or anything, but I think he senses when you disassociate or you're freaking out. I watched him calm you down last time you were here, and he's doing it again today. Sometimes he goes and sleeps with 'Lena too. She can't sleep sometimes."
Yelena glared at Kate and threw a pillow at her.
Wanda looked at Lucky, who was still content to allow her to hold him. Kate was right; Lucky's presence comforted her and petting him and having his weight draped across her helped ground her to not be lost in her own head. "Thank you for letting me touch Lucky," she said softly.
"Sure. Lucky likes you, so you get to touch him. That's the rule." Kate hopped back up and padded into the kitchen to heat up their Hot Pockets.
Wanda smiled at that. Kate was funny and matter-of-fact, and Wanda enjoyed being around her. "Maybe we should wait and try this back at the sanctum like Yelena suggested," she told America, who was studying the sketch and unsuccessfully trying to conjure the runes properly. Nothing seemed to be happening other than some orange trailing sparks, but Wanda remembered Wong saying if anything felt weird, anything at all, they were supposed to go straight back. This feels weird. I don't know if we are supposed to do this.
"Yeah, probably. I'm going to try once more. I can feel something happening," America said absently, studying Kate's bracelet and then the sketch again. "Maybe it'll work this time."
Wanda tensed, trying to concentrate on Lucky's long soft fur rather than her sleepy magic whispering, something is not right, you should make this stop. She couldn't tell if it was just herself being anxious if their plan did work, or if something was truly wrong. It's not me being corrupted, at least. But I can't tell why my magic is anxious. It probably just doesn't want me to virtually put it to sleep, right? A small silver glow on her friend's wrists made her jerk backwards, startling both Lucky and herself.
"Hey, is that supposed to happen?" Yelena asked, pointing at America's wrists. "I thought sorcery makes orange magic, Wanda makes red magic, and your inherent enhanced abilities aren't magic at all, but they're kind of silvery blue. What's this? Why is it reacting to the protection spell?"
"You have little silver star marks on your wrists," Wanda said.
In a second, Wanda and America were both knocked in opposite directions by some sort of silvery shockwave, leaving a startled Yelena and a confused Lucky standing. "Kate, come here! Something weird is going on," Yelena shouted, cautiously edging between their two enhanced friends.
"What the heck happened?" Kate ran back into the living room to see Wanda pulling herself to her feet and America levitating slightly, her eyes glowing silver. They both looked a bit freaked out.
Wanda moved backwards, knowing she couldn't have possibly done anything herself since she hadn't set the collar off, but she was still passively sensing that something wasn't quite right. And why were America and me the only ones knocked backwards like that?
"I don't understand what's happening!" America blurted.
"I don't know either, but close your eyes." Wanda stayed away, but her uncharacteristically calm voice made all three of her companions stare at her. "That is your power. Not mine. Not sorcery. It is the same color as your portals, and I can feel it, even like this." I don't know why this is happening now, but she must have accidentally accessed something more 'advanced' from her own set of powers by attempting to cast that rune spell. Maybe? “Imagine floating back down. Like on a cloud. You can do it. Picture what you want to do in your head."
America plopped to the floor uneventfully with a quiet thump, her eyes back to their normal brown. The small silver star marks remained on her wrists, but she seemed to be back to normal otherwise. "Did you know I could do that?" She wrapped her arms around herself and stumbled backwards, feeling disoriented and strange.
Wanda shook her head. "Only that there is more to your power set than making portals and being strong and good at punching things. I..." she trailed off. I don't want her to think I want her powers, because I don't. I should tell her what I am thinking regardless of what it makes her think of me. Right? That would be the correct, kind thing to do. I would want to be told. “I was not in my right mind before, so I was just focused on your portal-making abilities. But I think you can do much more. I could feel it when I...you know. I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
America bit her lip. She means she felt it trying to drain my powers away. I know it. “I think we better go back. This definitely counts as something weird. I'll tell Mr. Wong what I did and that you guys didn't really want me to try here. I don't want you to get in trouble. And um...Kate, Yelena? If you guys sense anything wrong, come to the sanctum. It'll be safe there."
Wanda quickly slung her bag back over her shoulder and gave Lucky one last pat. Since they hadn't actually had the lunch as planned, Kate handed them the ham and cheese Hot Pockets, saying they were already cooked and just take them along. "I'm sorry for dragging you into more trouble," Wanda told Kate, but Kate shrugged.
"Trouble is what we do, yeah? You guys can count on us. Don't worry. We already had bad guys after us. 'Lena and I will handle the ordinary ones. You and America go take care of the magical ones." Kate didn't hug, but she gave America and Wanda a happy wave as they headed down the steps.
_________________
Wanda stayed quiet as she and America began walking back toward the sanctum, mulling over what had happened. The little silver star marks on America's wrists were still there, but otherwise it was clear America was just her usual self. It seemed far too coincidental that all of the weird magic-related things and America using some bit of power she didn't know she had would occur back to back. Tasha was somewhere in 616, probably lonely and pretending she was not, if she was anything like her lost friend Nat. "We need to hurry," she said firmly.
"I know."
The two of them walked a bit further, nibbling their food and debating whether to try the subway again or just stick with finding a cab. Wanda held the strap of her bag tightly. She did not want to try the subway again, not after what had happened last time, but if America said she wanted to, then...she would try. I need to calm down. This helps no one. I need to- Wanda stopped short and nearly dropped her Hot Pocket. "America, something isn't right. We need to get away from here," she hissed.
Wanda felt as if something were crawling on her skin, the little hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She could not reach out consciously to check, but the collar did not entirely prevent the passive bit of her magic from reacting internally as a warning, either. Before America could answer beyond, "Okay, we'll get a cab," there was a group of people surrounding the pair.
I knew it. I just knew it, Wanda thought. "Excuse us, we have places to be," she said firmly, making a point to disguise her voice like Nat had taught her to do so long ago.
"I'll bet. Been looking for another enhan-"
"Shut up," another snapped.
"Mm. Get out of the way," Wanda ordered. Enhanced. They are looking for enhanced people. "Go bother someone else. You are clearly looking for someone else."
America was startled at the sudden change in Wanda; she did not sound that different, but her countenance had morphed to something that appeared far more calm than her normal self. It was not lost on her that Wanda was clearly blocking her from these people as much as she could, even though Wanda couldn't use her magic at the moment.
"That power signature came from within three blocks of here."
"Doesn't mean it's them."
"The brown girl looks like the one that's been seen with those two troublemakers."
"The older one is definitely new though."
"I believe you are mistaken, so leave us alone," Wanda said calmly, and moved forward rather than backward. One man backed up, surprised at that reaction, but the others didn't move. I don't know what to do. If America tries to portal us away, they'll know for sure she's enhanced, and I am useless right now, at least against this many people. There were far too many, and while she wouldn't have minded taking on one without magic access, she definitely couldn't fight a good dozen without it, either.
"What do you guys want us for at all?" America protested. "I don't know what you're talking about." She glanced at Wanda, wondering what she might think they were supposed to do to get away from a whole group of people while still not identifying themselves, but Wanda didn't notice; she seemed to be debating herself.
"You're a friend of the girl Hawkeye and Black Widow copycat. That's enough. We need them. I don't know who you're with, she looks vaguely familiar, but-"
"She's my mom," America blurted in a great big hurry, "and we're just visiting the city. With relatives. I think you made a mistake." America felt a gentle squeeze on her hand; Wanda was clearly puzzled, surprised, and very, very happy now. The slightly worried expression on her face had abruptly vanished and she appeared thoroughly at ease now.
The man eyed Wanda suspiciously. "Really. Nowhere near old enough and she doesn't look like your mom, either."
"Adopted, moron." America knew quite well what the man meant; Wanda was pale and she was brown. He was just being obnoxious at this point. "Rude."
America isn't supposed to use her powers in public if possible because she's not registered, and I can't. Or else...I can do one thing and end up shocked flat on the ground temporarily, leaving both of us vulnerable and exposing who I am besides. Unhelpful. Except... Wanda tugged a reluctant America behind her and finally spoke up again. "Perhaps you could let her go. You don't need both of us as bait anyway. She's just a kid."
"You seem awfully calm."
I have seen much worse than you. You're nothing to me. Wanda stared the man down and didn't answer. The fact that they were not grabbing at either of them seemed promising. All she needed to do was get them to let America leave without the girl having to use her powers to escape, and then she could wait a bit until America was suitably far away before teleporting herself out of the situation. Anywhere would do; just somewhere she could have a few minutes to recover from being shocked yet again. She did not think Wong would count that as making a mistake, at least, and even if he did, America would explain what had happened.
"Fine, one of them is enough. Let the kid go."
"She might call her superpowered friends before we're ready."
"No she won't, not with her still here. If we see any sign of them before we call them, she dies," one snapped at America.
America stared at him and then at Wanda again. Wanda did not fight when she felt herself yanked away from America, and she still looked oddly calm aside from the flicker of anger in her eyes as she offered her bag to America. America frowned and quickly took the bag, wondering what Wanda was up to. Clearly she had some kind of plan, because she seemed unconcerned but kind of mad now, but America didn't know what. Was she really supposed to just...walk away? Maybe Wanda assumed she would run back to the sanctum and get backup there so they could actually apprehend these people, rather than finding Kate or Yelena for help. Probably she could easily fight these people alone if she used her multiversal-powered punches or kicks, but they also all had guns and she might get herself shot doing that, even if it did not matter if she revealed that she was an enhanced. Wanda easily could neutralize this whole lot of people in a second if she didn't have that stupid shock collar locked around her neck hidden beneath her scarf, but Wong wouldn't let them leave the sanctum alone without nerfing her as much as was at all possible. America did not have the remote or key to get the thing off of her, and even if she did, that would just raise a whole boatload of questions neither she nor Wanda wanted to answer. "I don't want to leave you here," she whispered finally.
Wanda locked eyes with America, hoping she would just cooperate and understand the unspoken plan. "I'll be fine. I can do one thing," she said pointedly, carefully lifting one hand as if her neck itched. Understand. I can easily get out. I merely have to wait, and I want her out of here first, because I can only do it once, and I can't protect her while doing it either.
"..." America felt as if she understood everything all of a sudden. Wanda meant that she could do one thing with her magic, something that could protect herself and get her out, but that she would not do so with America there. America nodded without a word and darted away, surprised when the group of men parted and let her go. I'll get help. I don't care what she means, she probably is going to teleport out of there, but she could've done that already if she was going to and she didn't. So she's probably trying to protect me from having to reveal my powers, since both Stephen and Mr. Wong didn't wish to register me. It struck America as quite funny that for all Wong's talk about wanting to follow protocol and rules, he would not register her with the government, Accords or not; he scolded Stephen for breaking rules but didn't punish him for them; and he would not send a very guilty Wanda to the Raft or expose what she'd done to the general public, either. Forget the mystery of whatever multiversal threat they were still trying to unravel. Peeking into an empty alley, she ran in there and glanced around for cameras. Safe. Then she thought it might be too risky to punch a portal open, because it might deposit her somewhere there were cameras or someone saw her. She'd become much better at reeling that power back to specific locations closer together, but not to completely trust it a hundred percent. So she took off down the street on foot instead. Run, run, run. Hurry, hurry. Wait. No, I should just get a cab. This looks suspicious too, me running alone.
America paused and dug into her pockets for the spending money Stephen had given her. There was plenty, so cab it would be. Rather than giving the sanctum address to the cab driver, she requested a little café about a block away from it instead.
_______________
Wanda kept her mouth shut as the men continued peppering her with questions. If they wanted to waste time doing that, then they could just do so. She gave a mild unenthusiastic "struggle" before letting herself be pushed in the back of a van with dark windows. Drive away, all of you. Farther away you go, the longer America has to get back to the sanctum. And, I might be able to find out where their base is. Wanda decided this was a good plan. As long as she was not in dire trouble, then she would stay put. Besides, she knew her collar had a tracking device in it. If Wong checked, he would know exactly where these men took her, even after she left. He could just go back and check time stamps on the dumb control for it, and send someone else besides America and herself to investigate and clear it out.
"There's something strange about you."
Wanda shifted her weight a bit and merely watched the man. He did not have his gun out; clearly he did not think she was any threat. Technically she supposed this was probably because she had let them cuff her hands, but even if she hadn't had her 'magic free' trump card, Wanda thought this was stupid behavior. Natasha would have choked this ridiculous little man already with them and probably chucked herself out the back of the van to freedom, and she didn't have any magic. Unless of course she too was doing what Wanda was doing now, biding her time and getting information until she needed to withdraw. Little do you know, she thought with great satisfaction. She knew her own silence was making him uncomfortable and antsy because every so often he would get frustrated and threaten to do something awful to her, but then all he actually did was slap her.
Wanda thought she had better not start laughing because that was not going to help her get more information about what was going on. "Why, exactly, are you after, who was it? A female Hawkeye and a Black Widow copycat?" I'll not tell their names. Maybe they already know, but I'm not sure.
"I'll ask questions, not you! You are far too nonchalant and calm about this to just be that kid's adoptive mother. You know something."
"Would you prefer a hysterical prisoner then?" Wanda found it mildly amusing that this idiotic kidnapper thought she was too calm, when usually she felt anything but, constantly on the verge of a breakdown or tears or lashing out in anger. But America was fine and while she was not looking forward to letting herself get shocked again to remove herself from the current situation because that genuinely really did scare her, she did not feel at all out of control, either. "Does begging to be released normally work for your other hostages? Doubtful."
"No, but it would at least make sense. Stop staring creepily at me! What do you know about those two or Barton? I know you know something!"
Wanda let the man's hit knock her over, and she simply closed her eyes. The man sounded as if he thought he had knocked her out, because he had roughly shaken her shoulder, but then shoved her against the side of the van and left her alone when she pretended not to react. Now bits and pieces of conversation was floating to her ears from both the man that was supposed to be watching her, and whoever was in the driver and passenger seats up front. Things they certainly would not be wanting her to hear.
"...she's Hawkeye's protégé. Turned her mom in, so...can't get...her anymore..."
"...other one's an Avenger. Maybe related to the dead Widow?"
"Who cares, she's working with an impulsive kid anyway."
"Kid we can't pin down!"
"Maybe we shouldn't have let the girl go. There's something off about the one you decided to take!"
"Doesn't matter, she's clearly not an Avenger or an enhanced, so what!"
This comment was amusing to her too. I might be a fallen Avenger, but I still am one. So there. And you have no idea who you are dealing with.
"The kid is going to fetch backup. Then what?"
"She'll just fetch Kate Bishop and Yelena...whoever. We'll be ready. Then we'll find the other one."
Other one? Do they mean Clint? Their voices were getting louder, and Wanda wondered if she should stay any longer. If America really did fetch Kate and Yelena rather than returning to the sanctum to find Strange, Wong, or some other sorcerer, then that would be bad. Natasha. Wanda very much wished she could talk to her old mentor and friend, and that she was better at fighting without using her magic. While she had some training thanks to previous experience at the Avengers compound, that felt so long ago now, and she had never been particularly skilled at fighting without supporting her moves with her powers in the first place. Nat had incessantly scolded her for this, because it meant she was not as useful undercover as she could be, because the second her eyes began glowing red or visible scarlet magic tendrils appeared, people would sure as heck know exactly who it was, even if she could blend in easily otherwise.
Would Nat pull out or stay put, assuming she only had access to Wanda's limited non-magical fighting skills and one way to get out that would blow her cover instantly? America wasn't stupid, so she should know not to go find the very friends these people were after and bring them. Wanda did not have any weapons with her at all, so that was not helpful either; she could not risk staying and fighting if it came to that. She would either have to continue playing the passive hostage quietly collecting information, or teleport herself out. And...I have to do that instantly if I need to do it. Wanda had not thought of this before, but now she was a bit scared of her own plan, because she did not know exactly what would happen. The other times she had been shocked for using magic, it was from some piddly thing she had done, not teleporting herself. That was...a lot more power than pushing a person against a wall, or her eyes glowing red because she was upset and angry. Don't doubt yourself. My weakness is me, not my power.
"I feel like I've seen her before."
"From what?"
"I don't know, I'm thinking Barton. I think she's older than the purple arrow girl Kate, but I swear I've seen her on the news before. Ages ago."
Wanda tensed and slowly stretched as if she were just waking up. That did not sound good. The news. Is it from Westview? Earlier than that? Lagos? Even earlier? When she felt the vehicle stop, she came to a quick decision: she wanted to see wherever this location was so that she could describe it if necessary, and then she was out of there. If possible, she would try to get herself completely alone before doing so, because then they might think she had simply escaped by ordinary means somehow and run off, rather than via teleportation. "What are you planning to do with me now?" she asked, trying to sound as if she might be a little frightened now. I need them to show me helpful things, continuing to look like I don't care is going to just look more suspicious. Right?
There was no answer other than one of them starting to simply yank her out of the van. Wanda glared at the man, but she climbed out. It appeared to be some kind of abandoned warehouse, but other than some old pieces of broken window frames and metal supports, there were no identifying things about it either; the place could have been anywhere. A window let in a sliver of sunlight and there was a tall metallic-looking thing visible through there, and she could still hear city sounds from somewhere outside. I don't think we left New York. It hadn't been long enough anyway. Wanda let herself be led farther inside the building, her ears soaking in whatever she could.
"We have one, at least."
"You idiot, you shouldn't have let the kid go! She's the one you saw around them and there was evidence she's enhanced too."
"Hey, have you seen anything unusual from the girl? You do know something about her, and Kate Bishop too."
Wanda's focus snapped to the source of the question; like the others, this man was a nondescript average-looking person she probably wouldn't have glanced at whatsoever in public. He certainly didn't stand out in any way. "I don't know what you are talking about," she said flatly.
"Let's be real, we both know you are not that girl's mother, adopted or not."
"Believe what you wish. I don't care." You have no idea what America's impulsive lie meant to me. None whatsoever. Wanda was certain that if she did transform herself into her Scarlet Witch suit again now, those dark, depressing cracks over her chest would have faded some more. Whatever ugly reflections of the broken shards inside her heart might be, she felt like America was slowly helping fix the shattered bits of her, and the teenager probably didn't know just how much she was doing so, either.
"Who are you, really?"
If you knew, you'd run, and I could find you no matter where you go. "Why do you need me at all, if you are so sure I'm not the enhanced one you want?" Wanda blinked, sensing something beneath their feet that she instinctively knew she did not like. Something is below this floor. I don't like it, I don't like it at all. The kidnappers seemed to read something in her expression that startled them, because two of them snatched her by the arms and began trying to drag her somewhere. Wanda felt like all her senses were on edge now, her magic too, which was not helpful right now. It was willingly cooperating not to actually react in any capacity beyond the general sense of dread and instinct that she should be ready to fight, but she was still nervous if she lost focus for even a second, she might set the collar off before she was ready to simply remove herself from the situation. Do I leave yet or find out what this something is? I don't know.
"You're connected to Barton somehow. I know that much-you don't behave like an ordinary citizen, and you know Kate Bishop."
"I have met her. Once." Lie. Multiple times, and I'll lie again and again to you. “How does that connect me to Barton?" Wanda kept her voice carefully neutral, making sure her natural accent didn't slip out, either. The last thing she wanted was any of these people identifying her as being Sokovian; that edged too close to finding out who she really was. Tell me something. Drop something about whatever is beneath us. And then leave me alone so I can get out. I think this is a separate issue from the other, mystical one, but...I don't know. I shouldn't be here. What if it is connected?
"It doesn't, but you sensed something out in the lobby-"
"That's a lobby?" Wanda couldn't help sounding amused at that comment. It's a trash heap. You need an interior decorator. She stayed quiet when the man shoved her against the wall. Not yet. No magic yet, she reminded herself, I have to get as much information as possible and then I have to get him to leave me alone. Then I leave.
"No talking unless it's to answer a question! Tell me where they are, and what that girl has."
Wanda remained silent, staring at him. That was not a question, and she was starting to think this man and his friend looming in the corner were nothing but some lowly mooks. Or, if they weren't, they were certainly not the people they used to question their hostages. They were not very scary interrogators, though she supposed she might have been more disturbed if she hadn't had an escape route.
"If you don't talk, we'll have to call in that old biddy Sadie Deever. Where are Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, and Yelena?" the one in the corner demanded. "Send Deever after your Latina kid if you don't spill."
"I don't know any Sadie Deever," Wanda said, frowning. This was...new. They seemed to think simply dropping this woman's name should be terrifying. She glanced briefly at the one still pinning her against the wall gripping her arms and discarded him as a threat entirely; she would most definitely have bruises later, but she could heal that instantly anyway and she found this behavior stupid. The man was in easy kicking range, forget magic.
"You're lying, you're associated with enhanced. You definitely know old Deever. Maybe you're enhanced too. Should we find out?"
I really don't know a Sadie Deever! Who could that even be? “I'm not enhanced," Wanda said steadily. "You have the wrong person." She thought for a moment and then added in her acting frightened voice, "If you think that, why are y-you taking so few precautions anyway? Let me go. I won't say anything." Wanda even let her words crack a bit and looked down at the floor, but she kept her accent out of her voice, unlike what would naturally happen if she was genuinely upset.
The man hanging onto her seemed to fall for the act at least somewhat, because his death grip on her arms loosened, as if he were less concerned she would do something to him. "Maybe she doesn't know anything after all," he suggested.
Yes, yes, now leave. I'll reach out as best I can to find out what's...beneath the floor. Wanda decided she would not risk any magic whatsoever past whatever would merely set off the warning beep even if they did leave her alone, because they might come back and she didn't want to be recovering from any kind of shock while she teleported herself free. That would just be asking for trouble.
"She's just manipulating you, you idiot!" The larger one threw his 'friend' away from Wanda and then turned on her himself. "You'd better think hard what you say. Talk, don't talk, if you don't then you are going to simply be bait until we can find those three kids and the wife. You sensed something earlier, your eyes reacted."
It took every fiber of control Wanda had not to react to the rough hand gripping her chin. That was too close, too close, she wanted to shred him to bits, her eyes flickered with anger, the magic centered in her chest ready to simply fling him away from her at best, shock or not. Wanda's power was edging closer to her I need to tap out point; it too thought she was in danger. "If you are so concerned that I might have sensed something, there must be something down there then." Something you don't want me knowing about and why are you after Lila, Cooper, Nate, and Laura? I know that's who you meant. A second later Wanda found herself crumpled on the floor, her magic worriedly poking at her to do something to protect herself and get her out; it did not like that she wouldn't put up any kind of durability spell or anything else. She kept her eyes closed, thinking her eyes probably would be visibly glowing red now if she did. Don't move. Don't. Lay still. Listen. The men were shouting, not at her, at each other. Something about being stupid for knocking her out because they couldn't ask her anything more, and needing to find out America's threat level, though they didn't use her name, and something about eliminating Hawkeye's family as revenge about Ronin.
Why do they know? What happened here and who is beneath the floor right now? The collar around her neck still hidden beneath the scarf America had artfully tied for her before let out its warning beep, confirming Wanda's suspicion that yes, her eyes had probably turned red. She was very, very glad the men were shouting and so didn't notice. The door slammed shut leaving her alone, and she chanced a peek through her eyelashes to make sure she really was by herself. They were indeed gone, so Wanda slowly reached out telepathically, trying to sense whatever was beneath her. Immediately a beep made her pull back, but not before hearing someone's freely available thoughts about how much they hated enhanced and sensing multiple things beneath the floor that felt like...other power. I don't know if that's other people or objects or what, but there are multiple "enhanced" things down there. I need to get out of here.
Wanda bolted to her feet and silently padded to the door. To her surprise, the doorknob turned and opened beneath her fingers, no magic involved at all. There were multiple heavy footsteps coming towards the door she remained hidden behind. A female voice was saying she did not care to hear about this other plan to eliminate Hawkeye's friends and family, and that she would question their hostage herself.
Me. I need to get out. Now. Wanda backed away from the door and closed her eyes, picturing the entry hall to the New York sanctum in her head, bracing herself to complete the teleportation as instantaneously as possible no matter what white-hot pain paralyzed the rest of her. She needed to stay focused. New York. Sanctum. Entry hall. New York sanctum entry hall.
"Go kill the archer kids yourself if you're so inclined, I have other concerns."
Hawkeye. I have to warn him, I have to-
______________________
MEANWHILE...
"What do you mean, she traded herself for you?" Strange asked America.
"I mean exactly that. We left my friends' apartment early because of something else weird we have to tell you about, and we were walking around, debating whether to take the subway or a cab. There was an empty warehouse we were walking by and we just got surrounded all in a flash. I could have beat them up, but I was remembering what you and Mr. Wong said, not to use my power unless I really-"
"That didn't mean don't defend yourself!"
"Well, there were an awful lot anyway. And what was Wanda supposed to do, she has that dumb old collar on and she's not supposed to use her magic. Anyways, she told them to let me go and just keep her. They agreed. I think she wanted me to come back here and get help to catch them, and that she was going to do one thing with her magic to get away herself, but she wouldn't do it with me there." America made a face and went on, "The only thing I could think of was that she meant to teleport herself out, but I don't really know."
"If that was the plan, then why hasn't she appeared back here yet? Did she give you any indication at all that she might go somewhere else instead?" Strange considered this briefly; either something must be wrong and she couldn't get herself out, or maybe Wanda had decided to purposely stay because she was trying to get information from these people. Probably the latter. This is some ordinary street-level mess, most likely, since they didn't know who either of them were beyond America being friends with Kate and Yelena. Presumably not whatever is causing the mystical ripple.
"No, but she wasn't scared at all. Whatever she's planning exactly, she seemed confident it was going to work."
"She's probably staying to find out who these kidnappers are. Do you have anything that's hers with you? We can use that to track her location." Strange couldn't help thinking that this was very different from just some weeks before; before they had been running and trying to get away from a very corrupted Wanda, and now he was going to help find and get her back.
"Well...yeah. I have Wanda's bag right here, but why aren't we finding Mr. Wong? He can just track the shock collar with the remote and we can find her that way instantly..." America suggested.
"Because he is extremely busy and she's just fine. This isn't exactly a mystical or world-breaking threat here. They sound like your average run-of-the-mill unpowered street criminals."
"So we just ignore those bad guys because they're not the right kind of bad guys for us to chase? What if they hurt Wanda or realize just who she is? Or even if they don't know she's associated with the Avengers, what if they find the dumb shock collar on her? That's going to look really suspicious! They'll think she's an escaped prisoner or something." America was frustrated now because Stephen seemed less concerned than she thought he should be.
"Kid, you do realize Wanda isn't remotely helpless, right? She's probably gathering intel and feeling pleased she accidentally got to go on a mission of sorts after everything that's happened, even if it was unintentional. If it gets dicey, she'll tap out. We'll get her back, no need to worry." Stephen patted America's shoulder and added quietly, "She is lucky to have you as a friend. I think she would be happy to know you're concerned about her safety."
America remembered Wanda's happy surprised reaction upon hearing the 'she's my mom' line America had blurted out to those people. I made her feel...wanted. I'm glad that's the lie I came up with. “They said they were going to kill her if anyone showed up before they called. I think they want to get Kate and Yelena somewhere and use Wanda as bait to do it."
"She's not going to just let-" Strange abruptly cut himself off. Wanda had seemed happier recently, but still; that actually did sound like a legitimate danger, because he knew quite well Wanda was not really okay and might not ever be, and he could definitely see her not particularly caring if she was in danger or not. I still don't trust her, but I do know she is genuinely trying to do better and make amends. I will not ignore part of the very thing that caused her breakdowns before. "America, they actually said this out loud? And she would have heard it?"
"Well...yeah. They were trying to scare us."
"Actually, I think I shall go interrupt Wong's lessons. He'll probably come back alone and I will take over teaching for the day. Either that or we'll both be back. Wait here."
America paced back and forth while waiting, running her fingers back and forth over the book bindings on one of the shelves. Some were quite dusty. In a minute or two an orange sparkly portal reopened and both Stephen and Wong stepped through. "So what's the plan?"
"We track her location with the collar remote, exactly like you suggested, Miss Chavez," Wong told her. Soon a smartphone appeared from a pocket within the Sorcerer Supreme's robes, and Wong pulled up an app showing a map with a tiny red dot on it. "There. Still in New York. Looks like she's somewhere in Hell's Kitchen. Now we can go fetch her if she doesn't-" Wong cut himself off, staring at the map. The red dot vanished momentarily, blinked twice as if the signal was bad, and then jumped to a new location entirely without warning.
"Can we, like, zoom in and get a more precise reading?" America asked hopefully. "What was that?" She peered at the little screen, figuring that Wanda must have finally gotten herself out, but that didn't explain why she hadn't come back to the sanctum.
"Strange, cast a locating spell on her to make sure this is accurate information while I do this," Wong ordered. Looking closer, it appeared the Scarlet Witch had jumped about a thousand miles away.
"On it." Stephen glanced at the phone screen briefly. "What could she possibly want in Iowa?"
Notes:
I know Kate and Yelena’s idea with the runes seems almost too simple, but sometimes simple is good. Yelena knows what happened to Wanda on the Raft years ago and that the collar scares her. (Not to mention, Wong would feel far more at ease allowing her more freedom if the rune jewelry idea works for her.)
America has her little silver star wrist marks in the comics also. I like them, so she’s having them here XD
Agatha deserves a second chance, same as Wanda in my opinion. She was corrupted by the Darkhold too, after all. America has a point, that they don’t know how much of Agatha’s power-hungry desires were hers and how much were Darkhold corruption, but she deserves help too.
Tysm to anyone still sticking with me for this fic!:) Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Summary:
In which Wanda is finally reunited with Clint and his family.
Notes:
I have had a headcanon since I first saw MoM that lucid dreaming is pretty much dreamwalking without the Darkhold, so I’m going with that here in “my” timeline.
I’ve been so excited to share this chapter lol! Here it is:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"...appeared in the yard!"
"Lila, stay inside...your dad...help..."
"...still happening, Clint...where...come from?!"
There were other noises somewhere nearby, but they were not making any sense. Red-hot pain ripped across Wanda's mind again; she felt as if her magic were going haywire inside, trying to do something to take her away somewhere safe and fix things. I can't remember. What happened?
She could heal things. Maybe she could heal this too and make it go away. I did something bad. The horrible sizzling ran through her again, and instinctively she tried to shove it away, but it was still there, and it wouldn't go away, and it hurt.
"Hey. You're safe. Concentrate on my voice."
I know that voice. All at once a solution came to mind; she had just been there in that horrible place all this time and everything afterwards was some odd disturbing fevered dream. Then that would mean maybe she hadn't purposely killed people, at least, because that was much worse than her Lagos mistake. Wanda yanked all of the magic back inside forcefully, hoping that would make the shocks stop, and just lay still, her eyes still screwed shut. But...if I am on the Raft, then that means Vis isn't dead, right? He doesn't want- no, that is wrong too. I want to ask why.
Lock it down and disappear. No more magic. None. No no no. The twisting, fiery well of red magic retreated further, spinning down a dark tunnel where she couldn't reach for it. It did not want to stay right now; it wanted to help. Why would it help and yet retreat and hide away? Did she...want it to do that? Wanda mentally reached for it, the pained chaos squeezing into a tighter ball as if she had scared it away like a feral cat. I never took care of it, I couldn't protect myself or my family either. It's mine, it's me, I break and ruin things. Make them irreparable.
"Who did this to you, Wanda? What happened?" Clint's voice again. He was supposed to be in one of the cells across the aisle from hers; why was he out and able to touch her? There was another voice nearby. This one Wanda didn't recognize instantly but still felt familiar, a concerned voice saying not to touch her because it might happen again. Laura. That is Laura. Then, "Well, she's here now, so she must have instinctively come here because it's safe."
...safe? What? How can this be safe, it hurts and I want out and I can't do it myself. Wanda pried her eyes open slowly, unsure she wanted to see anything right now, but there was just a partially cloudy sky overhead. Probably imagining that too. No...no, that is real.
"Hey, kid, welcome back. You should've come to visit sooner." Clint sounded so happy to see her. And surprised. And puzzled. Someone else calling her a kid would have been insulting and annoying, because she was not a kid, she was a full-grown adult woman thank you very much, but Clint calling her that did not bother her. It actually felt kind of...nice. Nice to feel cared for, nice that maybe someone was concerned and wanted to help. Nice to feel just for a moment that she had a parent still alive that would take care of her and make her feel better when she was hurting. Wanda's eyes drifted closed again and tears slid down her cheeks. Something was missing; something else had happened and she was out of that horrible prison lying on cold, soft grass with the sky overhead...which also meant all of those other things were real too.
If I was simply imagining this, I wouldn't be in pain. I don't want all of that to be real though. Did I really...kill more innocent people? “Is this...this..."
"I don't know what happened, but you are on the Barton farm. You just appeared in the yard out of nowhere and startled the crap out of Lila." Clint was talking now, slowly and clearly, as if he were worried she wouldn't understand. "Laura is here too. We're trying to get this damn collar off you, but either our meddling with it or your magic set it off again."
Wanda dragged her eyes open again. Appeared in the yard? Why was she on Hawkeye's farm? America. I needed to get back and warn her. It was all real. “No, no, you need-" Wanda tried to get up, but her head was spinning and it hurt and there was a hand on her shoulder gently but firmly holding her still. She blinked again, trying to clear her head. "Tell America she needs to...to warn Kate. They..." she trailed off, words failing her again.
"Kate. These people that harmed you also want Kate Bishop? Obnoxious wavy-haired girl with a penchant for purple?"
"No, I mean...yes. Not...exactly." Wanda focused on the cloudy sky, attempting to organize her jumbled thoughts. The people after America's friends had technically hurt her, but she had simply let them do so because she was gathering information and didn't feel she was in any kind of mortal danger such that she needed to withdraw. Clearly she had misjudged the situation, or...something. I can't remember everything. "They think Kate is enhanced."
Clint considered this vague information briefly. Wanda randomly showing up hurt when he hadn't seen nor heard from her in well over a year was odd and made him think something much bigger must be happening than some street gang going after his irritating lovable mentee Kate again, especially after he had received those weird vague texts from Kate about Wanda. So...they think Kate is "enhanced", whatever all that nonsense is for. Perhaps not all street criminals? Dirty government types? It was clear Wanda could not explain everything immediately right now, whether it was because she didn't know in the first place or because she couldn't remember all the details. "Okay, so first thing we need to do is get that collar off you and destroy it. Hopefully these people aren't using that to track you. You mull over and regroup what you remember."
"Clint, if we touch it like we did before, it's going to go off again and hurt all of us," Laura pointed out. "Wait here. I have an idea." She disappeared back into the house.
"No, it's...not...That isn't from...that. I'm not..." I'm not the victim here. I didn't somehow just innocently get captured working a job and get into trouble I couldn't handle. I know that. Obviously Clint had no clue what she had been doing recently, and Wanda really did not want to tell him, either. He would be so disappointed, and unlike a lot of other people who she did not care one bit whether she disappointed them or not, Hawkeye's opinion she most certainly did care about. A lot. I have to. I have to tell him what I do remember, and if I remember more, I have to tell him that too. “I...killed people."
"Yeah, so have a lot of us. Then you feel guilty, maybe cry, and try to move forward. The hell did you do, put this thing on yourself or something on purpose?"
"No." Wanda tugged her arm away and slowly sat up, ignoring the splitting headache and her achy limbs. "It was not by accident," she said quietly, half expecting Clint to tell her to leave, but he didn't even look surprised, let alone disturbed.
"If you're thinking I'll treat you differently because you did something shitty, you don't know me very well. I assume Kate has known you at least since she sent that weird text message. Come on, Laura's back. Let's see what idea she has. What did you bring, honey?"
"Rubber gloves and those rubber placemats from the kitchen. If it's going to go off regardless, that should help protect all of us."
Wanda blinked again, feeling out of place and oddly floaty. She wished with all her heart that she had come here long ago, rather than her subconscious somehow depositing her on the farm to safety now, probably both because she really did want to be there and because she had been thinking that she needed to warn Hawkeye about something before the flawed teleportation happened. Warning him about something. What was it she had felt she needed to tell him? Remember. I need to remember. It was important! "I needed to...to tell you something. I don't think I..." she paused again, thinking. "I shouldn't be here. I was supposed to call. I think."
Laura looked at Clint, unsurprised. "What do you want me to do with the kids? I'll let you two handle the hero business."
"Just...let's get all of us inside. Tell Lila and Cooper to stay upstairs with Nate. Wanda, if you can remember any more details, please share them. Can you stand?"
"...Yes. I'm...okay." Wanda knew she was not really okay; her magic felt all knotted up inside and sad, as if it were hiding and she had shoved it deep inside her heart in a safe place. In any event, it did not want to actually do much right now. I could force it. If I have to, I will.
No no no. I wasn't even supposed to do that. “The sanctum. New York."
"...The wizard house? What about it, why were you there? Okay, up we go." Clint pulled Wanda to her feet, letting her lean on him and Laura.
Wanda blinked again, feeling very dizzy. What did I do? I feel horrible. Not scared anymore, just...sick. And hurt. The kind I can deal with, not the feelings kind. “I think I'm going to-"
"Mmhmm. Pass out. Nice."
Laura sighed. "Well, on that note, she goes straight onto the sofa. Obviously she somehow brought herself here via her own powers. Lila said she just appeared in a burst of red mist."
"She must have either done something else out of control after the Westview incident or turned herself in at that wizard house before and no one knew about it." They went inside, making sure the door was locked and double bolted, and Clint simply put Wanda on the sofa in the living room. "No, she wouldn't have purposely gone there. The sorcerers wouldn't have wanted her there since she isn't one of them."
"She has magic too. Why would they not?" Laura draped a light blanket over their unexpected guest. It wasn't really cold, but she remembered from years before that Wanda hated feeling cold.
"It's...different. Hers is weird, has been since we all met her years ago, and it's increased exponentially since. I don't know much about it, but you stick Wanda in a lineup with other magic users, she's still different. That much I do know." Clint shook his head. "I don't know why she's here now all of a sudden, but let's figure out how to get that thing off her at least. If someone somehow tracks her here, I probably don't want to know what it is and we're going to need backup."
"You want me to call Sam and the rest?" Laura asked quietly.
"Just...tell them we have Wanda back finally and to be on alert for another important call. She's not exactly one of our lighter hitters like Kate or me. I suspect something else is going on that we might want the remnants of our team together for."
_________________
Wanda felt cocooned in warmth and safety and she did not want it to go away. Go back. You need to take care of something. You put your friend and his family in danger./p>
I wasn't trying to go to the farm! I didn't mean to.
Whether you meant to or not, you did. You should warn them. I still can't- Wanda mentally tugged at the threads of magic she thought were pulling her under more. Please stop. I feel you need help. If it was pleasant to stay in this weird in-between place, she did not think she was supposed to be there. A dream. Is this a dream or am I just thinking?
Both. Wake up. Wake up now. You can do it.
I know that voice. That isn't really me...
No, but you know me. You're not safe. I think that you need to tell your friends something important. There was an uncomfortable yank at the buried, depressed magic mushed into a knot, as if something was trying to untangle and fix it. A thread of scarlet burst free, loosening the knot a bit. Wanda shoved back, but the something didn't leave, either. Go away. I don't know what this is, but I don't like it.
I am dreaming. You aren't. You hurt yourself. I'm trying to help. Wake up. Wanda felt her own hand twitch without her own input, and then in a flash the same hand was on her neck, red wisps of magic snatching at the collar there. Stop it! I didn't- what are you trying to- that hurts, stop! Please. In a second it was snapped in two and discarded, and she finally dragged her own eyes open blearily.
I didn't know what else to do. You've locked up your power inside somehow- unravel it. I don't want you to hurt anymore. I want you to know the twins are fine. I know you loved mine even while fractured by the Darkhold. I could feel it. You were so full of pain and rage and loneliness. I am sorry. With that, Wanda yelped and found herself staring up at...a ceiling fan. Clint and Laura were both watching her and looking very concerned and confused. "I'm okay." Was that really...the other me I met? The one I hurt? She couldn't be dreamwalking, the Darkhold is gone. That doesn't make sense. Is it possible to do that without the spell? There was no denying that whatever the connection was, that had definitely been poor 838 Wanda offering help and kindness yet again.
"You said that before and then you quite literally fainted. What the hell is going on? We're not mad at you, just...concerned."
Wanda slowly sat up and wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging herself and clutching a fistful of the plush Disney princesses blanket she was sure belonged to Lila. I feel a little better. My head still hurts, but I don't feel so muddled, either. I should explain what I did first. I don't want to. “You...know about Westview already, right?"
"Thought you'd come here after that, but then you never did." Clint sounded a bit accusatory now, but not angry. "I told you before you went to ask that Hayward asshole for Vision's body that you could come visit anytime."
Wanda visibly drooped hearing that. "Visit. Not to stay. I...I just..." she closed her eyes again, trying to find the right words. "I decided I wanted to see the property Vis had bought for us. So I went to Westview. And then I...broke down and lost control entirely." I hurt people and I didn't want to admit it.
"Now come on. Do you really think Laura and I would not let you stay if you wanted? Lila especially would have been all over you. Probably to the point you'd want her to leave you alone. So you had a breakdown at Westview, you couldn't come immediately. What about after you were able to take the hex down?"
"You wanted the Scarlet Witch, the reality warper that can't control her power properly, in your house with your family? I don't think so." Wanda's voice had a distinct edge now, and her natural Sokovian accent was more audible. Don't snap. I need to just tell the truth.
"Did you ever consider that I might consider you family too? Or that-"
"No. I hoped. I didn't believe it," Wanda interrupted. "You cannot honestly sit there and tell me you wanted me here after that...that incident. I wouldn't. I would think you were out of your mind if you said yes. I'd be putting all of you in danger. If you knew what I did after that, you would tell me to get lost and never come here again, and you would be more than justified. And...a-and you never, ever called or came to visit. I kept hoping and hoping someone would come and just...no one did." I honestly didn't really think anyone else would anyway, even if I hoped, but you I did, and I was stupid to have any hope left at all. Then that tiny remnant of hope was all lost and smothered in that tortured darkness that said why would you have ever believed that? None of them ever wanted you. They are probably glad you're gone. Don't you want to find Billy and Tommy? You have to help them.
Wanda still felt irrationally annoyed and hurt that Strange had finally stopped by...because he had wanted something from her. No other reason, he'd just wanted her power for something. Not to talk about Westview. Not to say, oh hey, are you okay? She was sure that Stephen genuinely hadn't been trying to hurt her by his visit and request, but it still stung all the same. If he had found her so easily, why couldn't he have sent her few living friends like Clint to her? And it seemed a bit odd from a magic standpoint that neither he nor Wong had interfered with her immediately in Westview in the first place, even if they didn't care about her at all. Wanda rubbed her eyes and tried to focus. Those things had already happened and she could not undo them now.
"You hopped off-grid. I honestly didn't think you wanted to be bothered at all, so I let you be. When I did try to call you months later after Laura convinced me I should whether you wanted me to or not, it said the number had been disconnected," Clint said quietly. "I contacted Sam and Scott after that. We did look for you, Wanda. Even Steve's friend Bucky tried to help us search. He thought maybe you were hiding in Russia or the area that used to be Sokovia, and then when none of us found any sign of you, he decided to be morbid and suggested you'd...killed yourself. He was pissed, though I suppose he looks pissed all the time. I promise you were not forgotten." Clint clearly remembered Cap's childhood friend saying flatly, she probably didn't want to live anymore. Her entire family is dead. I'll help you keep looking but maybe she just let herself join them. I wouldn't want to watch my love die three times, either. At the time, Bucky's calmly depressing conclusion had pissed Clint off, but he knew the former Winter Soldier had presented a very likely possibility he didn't want to consider.
Bucky doesn't even know me. Why would he just know where I went and read me like that? “You really tried t-to call me?" Wanda asked in a small voice. She felt familiar fatherly arms hugging her, and she could not force herself to pull away now. America said all of it was a big misunderstanding. She and Kate and Yelena really are right. "I missed you. I really, really missed you, and you were not there, because you couldn't find me because I was stupid."
"I did try, but, Wanda, why didn't you reach out yourself? You knew where the farm was. Even if you didn't have a phone or any money, you could have got yourself here with your magic. I'm not angry with you. I'm just trying to understand why."
Because it was dangerous and I thought no one wanted me anyway. I thought if anyone did want me, they would come for me. The more time passed and no one came...the more I believed no one cared at all. Wanda had a sickening feeling that sentiment had some truth to it- certainly many people truly did not care or want her present- but also, if she hadn't studied that stupid corrupting book, she would have gone to Hawkeye out of desperation eventually on her own, because she'd wanted a friend so badly. And while she was genuinely scared of his reaction, instinct said he would not either have tossed her out even if he was angry with or scared of her. Probably he would have scolded her and not let her around Lila, Cooper, and Nate unsupervised, sure, but he wouldn't have pushed her away, either. "I thought I shouldn't, because the littles would be in danger because of me. I felt like I couldn't, no matter how much I wanted to." I could have asked for help trying to find Billy and Tommy instead of...trusting that book. I would have cried and cried, but I know Clint could and would have convinced me of what was really going on.
"Told you," Laura put in now, giving her husband a withering look. "I said you should call her right after we found out about Westview, and you said 'no, she wants to work things out alone for a bit, I won't bother her'."
"So I should have harassed the girl while she's grieving people she loves?"
"Yes, you should have. You can't handle grief alone yourself. You went off and became Ronin. Why would you think Wanda would do any better than you did? I should have tried to call her myself if you weren't going to."
Wanda stared at Laura, thanked her for the Advil and glass of water pressed into her hands, and then found herself smiling a little in spite of herself. There's nothing funny here, but...thank you. Thank you so much. She still deeply wished someone had come to visit her cabin before, or that she hadn't purposely isolated herself and reached out on her own instead, but it felt so wonderful to hear that they hadn't forgotten her or not cared at all. It was too bad Clint hadn't attempted to contact Strange instead, since he had known where she was all the time. Of course Clint, Sam, Scott, and evidently Bucky hadn't come for her. She'd exiled herself too well, and without the phone, they couldn't find her. She'd been so adamantly certain that if her friends wanted her, they would just come for her, when they had no clue where to look. "I was living in an isolated cabin in a remote area of what used to be Sokovia," Wanda said softly. "The southeast part. I didn't know where to go. Novi Grad was all gone, and I knew I couldn't be around people, but I just wanted to go home. That was the closest thing I could think of."
Clint frowned and held her more tightly. "Good god, kid, I wish you'd hidden out nearer to Novi Grad. We might have actually found you then."
Or my magic combined with the Darkhold somehow made me undetectable to normal people. That's horrifying but very possible. That book wouldn't have wanted me anywhere near my friends. And I will never know. "Explaining what I have done is going to...ruin this. But...I need to explain. Just please let me finish before telling me you want me to leave. I have to explain." Wanda's voice was shaky but firm.
"I am not going to tell you to leave. I promise."
Wanda still fully expected him to kick her out upon hearing everything she had done with the Darkhold, but she quickly gave the full story anyway, not leaving out the more unpleasant details. She just gave the plain, ugly facts, no embellishing or attempting to explain away her behavior. "...and that is why I had that horrible shock collar on. Wong rightfully doesn't trust me, so that was his compromise for letting me leave the sanctum with America freely if I wish. I don't like it, but it seemed far more than fair." Wanda couldn't bring herself to meet their eyes, and the dead silence was smothering. "Please just...say something. Yell at me. Something."
"When you mess up, you sure do an outstandingly dramatic job of it. That was shitty behavior," Clint said finally, but he looked neither angry nor surprised.
Disappointed. Sympathetic. That was what he looked like.
Wanda blinked in surprise at the calm reaction. "You don't sound surprised," she whispered.
"I'm not. You were stupid enough to read some evil corrupting book that clearly amplifies negative aspects of a person's character, and you have always lashed out when you're especially angry or hurt. Sounds like a recipe for disaster."
Wanda grew even more baffled when Clint abruptly yanked her close. I am not alone. I told the truth and he still doesn't hate me. I disappointed him, which is almost worse, but... "I can't undo what I did," she whispered. "I did heal all of the injured sorcerers, but I can't bring back the dead ones. I can't bring back those arrogant heroes from the other me's world. I did not like them, but they did not deserve to be murdered like that. I can't heal the pain I caused the other me."
"I know." Clint noted that Wanda clearly was not sorry she had destroyed the 838 Ultron bots, which made sense to him.
"Why are you not kicking me out?"
"I am not going to kick out my adopted kid for a severe fuck-up she made that she is trying her best to make amends for. Especially not when she wasn't even in control of herself. Especially not when I've murdered people myself due to grief and didn't even read the evil corrupting demon book."
Wanda did not answer, her body shaking from silent sobs. What if I make a magic mistake now? she thought, but her magic was not doing anything at all beyond stirring about slowly in her chest. It did not feel out of control, just...sad. I don't want to move. I never want to leave here. I feel safe here and I can't stay I can't I know that but I want to.
"Wanda, you're clearly...you again now, and you said you came to warn me about something. Why would the Sorcerer Supreme send you on some kind of mission if he doesn't even trust you?" Clint pulled away slightly, keeping an arm around Wanda's shoulders. It had helped her before; maybe it would help now too. "I promise I will listen to whatever you feel like talking about, and Laura and I will be happy to have you here permanently if that's what you want. But I think we need to focus on whatever you needed to warn us about for now. Okay?"
I can stay here? I want to. I just...don't want to hurt anything. I hope that protection spell jewelry idea works. Then I wouldn't have to worry at all. The idea of being powerless didn't bother her one bit if she had Clint and his family nearby. Wanda watched Laura quietly depart from the living room; she didn't seem upset, so maybe she simply didn't want to be involved, or thought Wanda didn't want her there to discuss it. Or she was just checking on little Nathaniel. The quick smile when she met Wanda's eyes made her decide it must be the latter. "He didn't. It was all an accident. I just decided to gather as much information as I could before...escaping. America and I were walking and ended up surrounded. She is not registered as being enhanced, so Wong and Stephen have told her not to use her power in public unless she's in grave danger and she absolutely has to." And I could have neutralized the whole lot of them if I hadn't- stop it, just stop. It's my own fault. "Anyway. I told them to let her go and just take me instead, since I knew I could escape at any time and that would not reveal her as being enhanced. I also knew I'd be useless afterwards temporarily, so I wanted America out of the area first. So I stalled and pretended to be their trapped hostage for awhile. Then I thought, I should gather as much information as possible and just tap out if it felt too dangerous to stay any longer. Well, it started feeling too dangerous and I couldn't just rely on my magic-"
"Kid, you teleported yourself halfway across the country. New York to Iowa. With that shock collar on. If you'd been able to do something like that on the Raft way back when..." There was a tiny hint of pride in Clint's voice now, and Wanda could only stare at him in abject astonishment. "Heck, you could have busted us all out alone immediately, no need to wait for Cap to rescue us from that hellhole."
What on earth?! “Well, I think I broke...me...doing that," she muttered, gingerly touching her neck, which still hurt. Wanda pulled a bit of magic to her skin to heal it, but whatever her bits of scarlet were doing, it was not doing so instantly as it had before. It's like I hurt my own power somehow. I think the other me felt that and tried to let me know...tried to help me fix it. What did I do? “I probably shouldn't have attempted that. Whatever it did, or whatever I did to myself before waking up, did something to my magic. It's not...healing instantly now." And feels wrong too.
"Your power can heal you instantly now?"
"Reality warper, remember? It most certainly should. I've done it before, like I...mentioned. Exiting the mirror dimension."
"Maybe the Darkhold amplified your power somehow," Clint suggested.
Wanda inwardly cringed at that. "No. That was all me. It did not amplify anything. Altered, horrible logic, yes, making me more aware of how much power I have, yes. Amplifying it, no, unless you count using the dreamwalking spell...but you have to have the innate power to use it successfully in the first place." She looked down and fiddled with her fingers uncomfortably. "I wish it was an amplifier of sorts. I don't want to have this much power." It scares me.
She probably locked down her own abilities subconsciously then somewhat, like after the Raft. Clint decided not to share that since saying it wasn't going to help right now. "Well, it is not healing you instantly right now, so go wash up and take care of yourself in the bathroom. You know where it is. And you should have disabled that collar before teleporting then, if you can simply change reality on a whim." Clint sounded a bit scolding now, and he was eyeing the device with distaste.
Wanda didn't feel like explaining why she hadn't done that, and not sharing that didn't feel unfair or wrong to her, so she didn't say anything at all and stumbled to the bathroom. Thank goodness Hawkeye hadn't decided to help her, because she did not want more help or more scolding for getting herself into unnecessary trouble right now. He really was a dad through and through, she thought, half fondly and half annoyed. I need to call America somehow, let her know what happened. With that thought, she simply splashed some water on her face and returned to the living room. "Do you have a phone? I...I need to call America. Please."
"Not until you take care of those small burns on your neck and whatever other injuries you might have I can't see. Out. Or get your magic to fix it, or I'll ask Laura to help you if you want help but not from me. Doesn't matter which. You are no good to your new friends if you collapse again."
"...Will you call her then? I just..." Wanda hesitated, unsure how to explain that she was less concerned that America might not be safe- because instinct said she was probably safe within the sanctum- and more that she wanted to 1) let her know what had happened, 2) Wong and Strange trusted America so they would probably believe her warnings and information over whatever Wanda might tell them, and 3) she selfishly wanted proof the girl was okay. "I need to know she's okay, she should not leave the sanctum right now, and if she tells Wong and Strange what happened instead of me, it will be...better."
"Of course. What message do you want her to have?"
"Ask if she's all right. Say I don't know who the group was, but they seemed...organized. Too organized. I would have stayed longer to find out more than I did, but..." she paused, considering how to explain. "There were things there, in the building. Things I could sense far too easily even with that thing on my neck. They want Kate and use her somehow to get you. Change her somehow. I think Yelena they just want dead because she annoys them." Wanda closed her eyes, thinking. I think I actually know exactly what is going on. “I think there are two agendas there. Some are after you, Kate, and Yelena. Some are after more enhanced. And they are working together."
Clint abruptly stood up and put his hands on Wanda's shoulders. "Wanda. Are they using more enhanced to work for them, or experimenting on some attempting to make more?" he asked sharply. "You could have sensed that if there were enough there even without purposely reaching out telepathically, right?"
"I think so. A man mentioned someone he called 'that old biddy Sadie Deever' while trying to threaten me into talking, and didn't believe that I had no idea who that was. And I did lie to him, but not about that..." Wanda wished she had had full easy access to her magic whilst passively investigating, because then she could have simply dug about in those criminals' heads and then made them forget she'd done so. "He acted like the name should have made me terrified for both America and me."
"Sadie Deever is DODC. We got more problems here than organized street criminals simply after Kate, Yelena, and I suppose your friend America and me by extension. They're probably finding and collecting enhanced."
_____________
"Oh sorry, Cooper's hoarding the bathroom upstairs. I'm glad you finally came and that you're okay. Or...sort of okay, I guess."
Wanda jerked her head up from where she had been examining a bruise on her arm, realizing she hadn't shut the bathroom door all the way. It already no longer looked fresh, so clearly her magic was helping, even if it didn't want to instantly heal, either. "I can leave. Sorry, Lila. I...it's really nice to see you." Lila was much bigger than she remembered, which made sense; allowing for the five missing years, Wanda thought Lila must be about eleven now assuming she'd calculated correctly. She tensed, wondering how much of the explanation she'd given Laura and Clint that Lila had heard too. She deserves to know too. I won't repeat the explanation in case her dad doesn't want her to know, but if she heard, she heard.
"No, I just want to mess with some makeup, so that can wait. I'm not allowed to wear it out of the house yet, but I can experiment at home. Want help? I've helped Dad loads of times, so...I'm kind of an expert now." Lila looked so hopeful that Wanda nodded and let the girl take over. "So...I eavesdropped on you, Mom, and Dad, you know."
Wanda didn't reply immediately, wondering what Lila wanted her to say. Sorry I didn't come visit? Sorry for appearing in your yard and scaring you? Sorry I hurt and violently murdered people? Sorry for coming and putting you in danger? Lila appeared a tiny bit mad, but she had also said she was glad Wanda had come and that she was 'sort of okay'.
"Aren't you going to say something? Or be mad I was listening?"
"I don't know what to say," came Wanda's honest reply. "Of course I didn't want you to know...those things, but you deserve to know, you are not a baby, so...no, I'm not mad." She flinched as Lila touched a sensitive spot on her neck with whatever salve she'd dug out of the cabinets, but she didn't say anything else.
"Sorry. Maybe your magic can fix it after you take a nap or something?" Lila's face scrunched up in annoyance. "You should have come visit. Besides, you're my favorite Avenger besides Dad and...a-and well, Auntie Nat, but obviously she's...not here anymore. I miss her."
"...Me too." How can you even say that if you heard everything, Lila? Maybe if that other me's Nat, Tasha, was here it would help Lila a little too. “I think you must not have heard everything if you still think that about me." Wanda glanced at Lila curiously; the child seemed very focused on organizing things in the first-aid kit.
"No, I think I did. I guess I'm really disappointed. But it doesn't make me not like you anymore, or hate you. Maybe I should, because some of that stuff you did sounded awful, but I just can't." Lila sounded younger suddenly, and she bit her lip. "I mean, you sort of know what Dad did while we were all dusty. Should I hate him too?"
"Absolutely not! Your father was just targeting and killing criminals while he was Ronin, not...innocent people in the way of a horrible, illogical plan. Don't...don't insult him by associating what I did with him," Wanda said firmly.
Lila gave her a sad smile. "But I don't think all those people really deserved to die. And Dad didn't have some weird evil book corrupting him, either. So. Maybe it sort of evens out on the badness, right?" She hesitated again before adding, "He doesn't know Cooper and I know as much as we do, so please don't tell him we do."
"I won't."
"Move your hair," Lila said bossily, "there are more marks here and that thing that was on you and did this must have enough electricity in it to take down something much much bigger than just a person. Even if it's one with magic like you."
Now Wanda couldn't help laughing, and it felt so good to truly laugh at something, even if it was something darkly stupid and it made her headache worse. Being referred to as 'just a person' was...a strange and fresh experience to her; Lila was just nonchalantly seeing her as just a person and not the inhuman witch with the chaos magic. Thanks, Lila. I am both, but right now I don't mind just being called...ordinary.
"...are you okay?"
"No, but I...I will be." And...I think I can believe that. Sort of. At least 'okay' enough that I won't cause another destructive incident. I hope. Wanda startled at Lila impulsively hugging her, but it did help. She could remember a littler Lila from years before begging to 'see the fancy red magic', nonplussed that it might be dangerous, and Clint had always let Lila near her. He only made Lila leave Wanda be when it was clear Lila was starting to make her feel smothered with too much attention. "Thank you."
"Yeah, well, just don't disappear and wreck things again. Um, are my brothers and me really in danger too now?"
Wanda considered this to herself first before answering truthfully as best she could. "I think that I may have put you in worse danger by coming here," she said quietly. "I should have called you, not come myself. Those people didn't know who I was, but if it's true that they are connected with the DODC or doing something terrible with enhanced, they may have a way to track me via power signature because of the magic I used to get out. I don't know, but it is possible."
"But we're not enhanced and neither is Dad, really."
"No, but you are harboring me, and some of those criminals are after Clint because of Ronin and Kate anyway. Therefore you'd be in danger by being associated with him, even if some of them didn't want to...eliminate the rest of you to hurt him."
"Can't you erase their memories? Or like...get rid of the DODC itself?" Lila looked a bit too pleased with this idea. "I mean once your magic feels better, because I know you hurt it somehow."
Why would she suggest that after hearing everything that happened before? "I...don't have the right to do something like that." Wanda fiddled with her fingers anxiously; now that the idea was in her head, it was not going to go away. It edged too close to the 'rule or destroy' things she'd seen in the Darkhold prophecy about the Scarlet Witch. I have the power to erase the Accords, she realized. I could literally change things so that the Accords don't exist at all.
"Maybe not, but they are supposed to help protect ordinary people like me and enhanced people, and I don't think they do. Okay, I think I'm done now, unless you're hurt anywhere else. I don't have anything to help regular old bruises, which is all I see otherwise." Lila frowned when Wanda abruptly turned and peeked out the curtains, scarlet wisps floating around her fingers. "What happened?"
Wanda took a deep breath. Calm down. I need to stay calm. “I don't see anything, but I do feel something. Just...stay inside."
"Can you fight right now if you have to?"
"Well enough, but honestly, I think it's just Wong or Stephen. It feels like their magic, at least." Wanda glanced back at Lila, her expression much more relaxed now. "Thank you for helping. You were so kind to me last time I showed up with much worse burns than these. You watched television with me and kept putting stuffed animals on my shoulder, because you said they'd make me feel better." She had very distinct memories of resting propped up in bed, watching TV with Lila contentedly curled up beside her and asking if Wanda's magic was still sick because she wanted to see it. Wanda did not remember a whole lot of the first couple days after getting out of the Raft, because she had been so dazed and everything hurt and she'd had trouble truly believing they were out of there, but she remembered that. And the popsicles. Cooper had repeatedly brought popsicles to her because he seemed to think her throat hurt like when he had gotten his tonsils out. Those were nice memories; the children obviously hadn't known specifics of what happened and she would never ever tell them, not even now, but they had made her happy. Or, not happy I guess, but they made me feel better anyway.
Lila looked a little confused...and embarrassed, but then she smiled and nodded. "Oh yeah! I didn't really know what happened then other than that it was something terrible while you and Dad were stuck in that prison, because Mom and Dad wouldn't tell me details. But I remember. Gosh I must have been really annoying. Then and like even before that when Auntie Nat brought you to visit."
"You were most certainly not," Wanda said firmly. "You and Cooper helped. You always treated me the same. Always. It didn't seem to matter what was wrong. You were so little, so I'm not sure how much you remember, but when Nat brought me the first time, I barely spoke to you at first. But you still tried to help."
Lila hesitated, her expression very serious all of a sudden. "I remember just fine. And I think I know now what was wrong with you. What Dad said Mr. Rogers's sad grumpy friend thought you did. You tried then. That's why Auntie Nat brought you to the farm. She thought it was safer. That you'd be happier here."
Wanda tensed, but she nodded. Lila already had figured it out; she wasn't going to lie to her. I am probably a horrible influence on Lila. I don't want her to have to think about those things. “I am sorry. I better check what is going on," she said quietly, slipping out of the room.
Lila grabbed her by the arm. "That isn't a thing to be sorry for like those other awful evil book things. It's not the same. I have a big brother too. I don't want to lose him even if he's a pest."
Wanda didn't answer, but she hugged Lila close. She knows, she figured it out, and still it doesn't matter. "Thank you, Lila. I need to go investigate right now- I stayed talking too long already. But thank you so much."
Notes:
Obviously Wanda will be fine, but I didn't think her teleporting escapade should be without consequence, especially since she has previous trauma connected with that kind of pain. So her magic is "hurt" too, since we sure as heck know it reacts with her emotions. But she's okay, mostly:) 838 Wanda could sense this and was able to help a little immediately.
I dearly wanted an explanation for why Clint didn’t come find Wanda after Endgame/WandaVision. I cannot believe he would have just abandoned her after that. This makes more sense to me, that it was a combination of poor decisions on all fronts. Wanda should have reached out herself, and Clint should have checked on her immediately and not waited months to attempt calling her. As for why he doesn’t react much to hearing what she’s done, I feel like he is in a unique position to understand considering the whole Ronin thing.
Look, more pieces of their fragmented team linking together. Yay! They’re going to need every bit of power and teamwork the group has.:)
Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Summary:
In which Wong and Stephen find Wanda at the Barton farm, discussions are made, and Wanda gets to remain there with one major caveat.
Notes:
I don’t know if my sister is reading this or not, but since it happens to be her birthday today as I am posting, I shall be dedicating this chapter to her lol:)
I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda headed back to the living room with Lila, planning to scout about the farm property outside if she needed to, and make sure Lila stayed inside. But instead she found Clint, Stephen, and Wong sitting in the living room talking. "...you're saying she came here by accident, not to hide from us?" Wong asked. Wanda felt herself tense all over, somewhat offended even as she understood why they would suspect that.
"That's right. Also, you need some other way to monitor her besides this," Clint said, nudging the broken shock collar with his foot. "That thing probably channels enough electricity to take down an elephant, not something just for a person Wanda's size, magic or not."
Wanda felt Lila squeeze her hand and decided to step in herself. Clint did not need to be politely scolding the sorcerers for restraining her the only way they knew how while still allowing her to leave the sanctum, especially when she had broken the thing. "Clint, don't scold them. You know what I did. There wasn't anything else made to contain me, and they have not purposely hurt me with it," she said quietly, knowing Clint would understand what she meant.
Clint went quiet, but he still looked annoyed on her behalf. Wanda sighed and tried to ignore this. I will tell them the exact truth before being asked. “I meant to return to the entry hall inside the New York sanctum, but I was thinking that I needed to warn Clint about everything, and..." she paused, realizing that while she hadn't harmed anyone except herself this time, which had been unavoidable, she'd made a 'mistake' again all the same. Too late now. “When I teleported myself away, it was flawed because the collar shocked me much worse than before, since it was much more power I used. My magic deposited me here instead of the sanctum." Because it felt safer to me too, probably. There. That was the truth and they could take it or leave it. "Lila, you should probably go upstairs," she whispered.
"No, I want to hear."
"Lila, please go upstairs," Clint said firmly. "She won't leave without saying bye, I promise. We're not losing her again."
Lila huffed but obeyed reluctantly.
"You're saying you wouldn't have made this mistake if you hadn't had the shock collar on?" Wong asked, not appearing angry or disappointed, just wanting clarification.
"That is correct." Wanda didn't say anything else; if he didn't want to believe her, then so be it.
"She did keep America safe," Stephen pointed out. "America wasn't forced to reveal her power in public, and certainly Wanda could have left her there alone if she was going to teleport out anyway. But she didn't." Strange studied Wanda, who rather confused him. She hadn't even demanded for America to get the two of them out of the area; she'd chosen to protect the kid instead.
"Forget Wanda for a second. She's not our problem here. It's this crop of criminals. They're connected to Sadie Deever, who's DODC." Clint nodded to Wanda, implying she should repeat the explanation she had given him.
Two sorcerer heads swiveled to Wanda, and she shakily sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the living room. I want a nap. “I thought you could track where the kidnappers took me by the time stamp on that collar, assuming I didn't ruin it entirely." Wanda did not feel at all sorry that she had snapped it off her neck (again), especially because the thing had burned her and it hurt despite Lila's gentle ministrations, but she would be sorry if she'd ruined her plan for tracking those men and their warehouse hideout by doing so.
Stephen was watching her a bit too closely, and it made her stomach squirm. "You've done something to your magic. It's like you injured it."
What do you care? Wanda wanted to snap at him, but she kept quiet. He could think whatever he wanted about her or her magic; she did not care what he thought. Well, she did sort of care that now he knew she was hurt and couldn't instantly heal herself at present, but there was nothing to be done about that right now. "I think the place I was taken to contains other enhanced people," she said instead, ignoring the other comment entirely. "So, you obviously do not need to use me, but if you do not wish to step in yourselves, then I will on my own if I have to." Whether you want me to or not.
Clint watched both Wanda and Strange curiously. He knew of Strange, but hadn't seen him since Thanos at all. Wanda knows him more than I do, and she actively dislikes him. It was clear to him that Wanda had turned a switch the second she had seen Strange, something that made her starkly defensive and distrustful; it reminded Clint of her original dislike for Tony from so long ago. The thinly veiled warning that she would do something herself if the rest did not do so didn't help matters either. "Perhaps the rest of us investigate and only call for backup if necessary," he suggested calmly. "Wanda needs a bit of rest anyway."
"She can't just stay here, Barton," Wong said firmly. "It isn't safe. That woman Sadie Deever isn't supposed to be with the DODC anymore, either. As far as I know, she was relieved of duty for insubordination after an incident in Jersey. I don't know what connections she may have, though."
"Did America tell you what happened at the apartment before we left?" Wanda asked cautiously.
"Only that something weird happened. Strange mentioned that, but we were focused on finding you first."
"Yelena had an idea to put the protection spell on a piece of jewelry for me so I wouldn't need the collar anymore. I know normal jewelry isn't an option, but I...thought maybe if it was something that could lock closed. America tried to cast it on a bangle bracelet of Kate's. She couldn't, but this...shockwave knocked both me and America backwards." Wanda paused, trying to consider how to explain. "America was levitating," she said after a moment, deciding simplest was best. "There were small silver stars on her wrists and her eyes glowed."
Wong stared at her and sighed very deeply. "That was dangerous, and you know it. I believe neither of you meant any harm, but what were all of you thinking?"
Wanda decided not to say that she and Yelena had told America the idea of experimenting without expert supervision was not a good plan. Neither of them had particularly tried very hard to tell America not to do so, after all. "I didn't know if my magic not wanting her to do it there was reasonable or just me being scared of potentially neutralizing it completely," she said in a small voice, which was the truth.
Now Stephen was staring at her too, and Wanda ignored him. "Wanda, maybe, just maybe, your instincts this time were, in fact, reasonable. You don't trust your judgement on that, and yet you came up with a successful plan on the fly to keep America safe. Do you have any other information about either incident you think might be helpful?"
Wanda did glance at him now, because Strange didn't sound dismissive anymore. He sounded both baffled and as if he actually wanted to hear what she had to say. "I sensed other power in that warehouse. Beneath the floor. And I know that America has much more inherent power than she knows how to use." She hesitated, glanced at Clint for a moment, and then added, twisting her fingers together nervously, "She is like me when the Avengers first took me in, scared and trying to figure out what precisely that power can do, and her mentors are trying to teach her other things along with it. I don't want her to end up like me just because none of us know enough about her powers." And she's an anomaly, just like me, just like Elsa in that other universe. Being the only...anything is lonely. How many times has America tried to find a place to call home and her powers ripped her away from it and dumped her in a new place, a literal different universe? Disorienting and horrible, that's what.
"No offense, but it isn't like America's power is going to automatically do anything like what happened in Westview," Stephen said, not meanly, but it made Wanda flinch all the same.
Wanda blinked, looked at Clint and then down at her hands, and then bit her lip. "Actually...we know her power is connected to her feelings too. Not the same way as mine, but she lost her moms because she was scared and her power reacted. And she had to believe it would work to summon her multiversal-powered punches intentionally, also. I've felt her powers, remember. They most definitely function more on intent and emotions than actual memorized spells or anything like that. So you are wrong."
Clint thought that Wanda sounded slightly too pleased to say that Strange was wrong about something. Trying to keep the peace, he stood up and moved between them. "Okay, moving on. It sounds like the multiverse kid isn't out of control, so she's not a priority concern power-wise right now. Helping her is important but can wait. This one," he pointed at Wanda, "this one stays. Laura and I will keep her. You handle all the magic issues however you want except for her. The remainder of our old team will be glad to know she's been found."
"...Found? She exiled herself after Westview to that cabin," Strange said, clearly puzzled. "She wasn't lost."
Now Clint looked pissed. "You knew where she was? We searched all over the place for her. You never told us."
"You never asked. I would have told you if you asked. I didn't know you were looking for her."
"God, you idiots left the most powerful heavy hitter we have alone with a demonic book! Even if you don't give a damn about her, why would you do that? Did you know she had the Darkhold too?"
"No, but-"
"Why is that? Aren’t you all supposed to be in charge of that kind of thing?"
Wanda wished she could sink through the floor, and then shook her head hard upon the realization that she could quite literally do that if she wanted to. No wonder my limitations are just...me. I don't even think of things like that immediately. "Clint, please stop. This is not helping anything. I messed up, badly. The people that wanted to help couldn't and the ones that could didn't care to. That has been established. Let's just...move on. Please." She squeezed her eyes shut again, pressing the heels of her hands against her face as she tried to think. The mystical ripple thing was still out there. Having her run free right now probably wasn't safe for anyone anyway, even if she felt in control of herself at the moment.
Finally she looked up at Wong, knowing he would have the most levelheaded reaction of the three men. Remembering Clint saying there were easy ways to monitor her without putting her back in a shock collar again, she just said, "I think you should try our runes idea. If it works, which I think it will, then you can use a normal ankle monitor to keep track of me, and I wouldn't be able to meddle with its signal then."
Wong nodded and gestured for her to step outside for a moment. Wanda hesitated but then followed him. "Why are you suggesting this now?" Wong asked quietly. "You know what is out there. I know you do."
"Because I feel safe with Clint and his family." And if I feel safe, I think it will be easier to...not mess up yet again. Wanda did not know how to explain herself further, but she thought Wong understood, or if he didn't, he would at least listen. "I promised I would cooperate. I am trying."
"Did you tell him about the other Black Widow, Tasha?"
Wanda shook her head and then wished she hadn't, because she still had a headache. "No, but I wish you would."
"Do you want to stay with Hawkeye?"
I can't say yes. That is just begging for being told no simply because I messed up teleporting myself here. Wanda didn't answer that for several interminable seconds, but finally nodded. She did want to stay, Clint had specifically said she could, and if Wong successfully nullified her magic for now, then she wouldn't have to worry about harming Cooper, Lila, or Nate. It would not bring everyone else I have lost back, but it would feel like a good dream anyway.
"All right. Not immediately, but very soon."
"...What?"
"I said all right. If this idea you and your friends came up with works, then you may. I don't feel comfortable letting you do that without it, but you aren't restrained at all right now and you do seem fine."
Wanda blinked, staring at Wong in confusion. She could tell he still felt uncomfortable around her, which was understandable, but he still wasn't angry or automatically assuming she would do something else horrible, either. It was true; her magic was perfectly fine right now despite that she was still anxious. "Okay." Wanda couldn't help thinking the sorcerers probably just wanted to be rid of her and get her out of the way, but even if that was true, it was going to give her something she wanted very badly. So that was fine.
"Let's go back inside and...discuss what we're all doing next," Wong told her.
"Okay," Wanda said again, slightly weirded out by Wong seeming to want to include her in these plans all of a sudden.
The second they were back in the house, Clint immediately tried to send Wanda upstairs, which surprised Wanda herself and baffled both Strange and Wong. "You trust her with your family?" Wong asked carefully.
Hawkeye didn't hesitate. "Evil book is destroyed. Yes. She would never have done those things without reading that book. I think all of us know that, including her. She's guilty of being ignorant and stupid for picking it up in the first place, certainly. I can't hold those deaths against her. Not when all of us have done stupid, destructive things, intentionally or by accident. I should know that most of all." A quiet Thank you pinged into his head, along with a stifling wave of relief mixed with pain, but when he looked at Wanda, she was fiddling with her fingers and appeared to be ignoring him. The defensive glint in her eyes had vanished.
Wanda wondered if the sorcerers knew about Clint being Ronin before, but she kept that to herself just in case.
"Barton, I can't justify just leaving her here unsupervised with access to her magic. She's a wild card. I'm not even trying to punish her for everything she's done at this point...it just is. If you and your family want her here, that's fine, but not with her having magic access." Wong glanced at Wanda briefly and then back at Clint. "From what I've seen of her normal personality, I think it would do her a world of good to remain here, frankly. But I can't risk that magic causing any more destruction."
Clint looked at Wanda and then back at Wong and Stephen. "You had no problem 'leaving her unsupervised' before and look what happened. Now you want to keep her restrained in a damn shock collar? Really?"
"You know what happened before. Sara and others are dead. Thankfully she was able to heal all the injured survivors, at least. What on earth do you think we were supposed to do with her?" Wong asked in that tired, frustrated tone Wanda had heard plenty of times before. "There is no one to train her. There is no way to ensure she doesn't lose control again. That incident in Westview had nothing to do with the Darkhold."
"Perhaps it did," Strange said thoughtfully, "indirectly. Not Wanda's breakdown, but Agatha Harkness being there in the first place. She had the Darkhold before Wanda did. The book has- had- a mind of its own, almost. It probably manipulated Harkness into targeting Wanda so she would end up with it. Book liked Wanda. She's the ideal victim guardian for it."
If Agatha hadn't been there, I would probably still be in Westview hurting all of those people so I could be happy with Vis and the boys. Wanda said nothing, but inwardly she agreed with Strange no matter how much she wished she didn't.
"I'm just saying, she's my kid, even if she's a grown-ass adult. That collar isn't magic, it's garbage from the Raft, just not as bad. It never should have been created in the first place." Clint sounded so defensive and pissed that Wanda found it baffling. "If you need to be able to track her at all times, then get ahold of an ankle monitor or something like she suggested." Then, another idea struck him, and he added, "I'll take responsibility for her. You sorcerers can't contain her if she has another breakdown either, so it makes no difference whether she's here or back in New York. She needs help, not people looking at her like she's a ticking time bomb," Clint said firmly. "The damn evil book is gone. She's not going to do anything else horrible without its influence. If she does lose control because she feels shitty, then at least I can sure as heck make sure she has a friend nearby to help deal with it and fix whatever mess she might cause."
Wanda did not want to let herself cry in front of the others, and she darted from the living room without a word, heading upstairs as fast as she could on shaky legs. I shouldn't be here. I really, really shouldn't be here. It is a gift I shouldn't have but I don't want to leave all the same. I want to stay. Laura grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall into the guest room Wanda remembered staying in years before. "I'm not the person you remember. I don't think you want me here," she heard herself say. The words felt far away and cloudy, the room tilting unpleasantly as she tried to blink tears away.
"Yes, we do. Lie down for a bit. You are still the same lost girl Nat brought to us so long ago. Maybe a bit older and sadder, but still you." Laura was surprised but relieved when Wanda willingly lay down.
"How can you say that?" Wanda clutched at handfuls of the soft chenille comforter. The Barton house was like...coming home, even if it was not technically home. There was just warmth and care and family. I am not unwanted, even now. I am not alone. "Laura, I don't want to leave. I know I have to, and I will, I promise I won't ruin everything, but I...didn't think I would ever see any of you again. I wish I came on my own before. Before I hurt so many people and..." Little wisps of scarlet hazed Wanda's clenched fists. You're out of control. What, you think these people really want you? They're just tiptoeing around you because you could kill them with a thought. They don't really care about you. Why don't you just-
Shut up. I am not out of control at all. Those are lies. All lies. Wanda could feel Laura gently rubbing circles on her trembling shoulders, and that was real, that was happening now, she was not just imagining she had a friend with her, and someone just trying to tiptoe around a corrupted bomb would not comfort it and touch it like that. "I don't want to hurt anyone else," she whispered finally. "My magic needs to be restrained right now. I know that, and I agree. But I do want to stay here. Clint is not helping. He is probably making Wong and Strange think I made him be so defensive of me because he's so mad."
"Wanda, you are not hurting me." Laura knew the friend Wanda really wanted was probably Nat, but she was not there anymore. "Try to sleep. I see Lila right in the doorway now. Lila, you watch her, understand? I'm going downstairs."
"Sure?" Lila was obviously puzzled, but she could watch Auntie Nat's friend. Instead of 'watching' her, Lila just flopped on her back next to Wanda. "You can sleep if you want. When you get up I'll show you my island on Animal Crossing. I got a Nintendo Switch last Christmas. That was my big present since those are expensive."
"That's a video game, right?" Wanda's voice still sounded shaky, but hearing Lila's normal kid voice was helpful.
"Yeah."
"I don't know very much about video games."
Lila flung an arm around her. "I'll show you how to play."
"Billy and Tommy liked video games," Wanda said softly before she could think better of it. More hot tears burned her eyes, but she could feel not-so-little Lila's warm arm hugging her, and that helped a little bit too. I think Billy knew what was about to happen in Westview before the hex came down. I don't know why, I just do. He was quiet and anxious like me. Tommy was noisy and more outgoing like Pietro.
"Like," Lila corrected. "I know you made them yourself. I think they are sort of sleeping somewhere waiting for you to call them back somehow. I don't think they're really gone. I want to meet them. Wouldn't I be just a little bit older?"
Please don't tell me that. I can't let myself hope for that too much or I will break further. “I wish you were right." Wanda didn't say anything else and neither did Lila, and she really was exhausted, and the bed was so warm and comforting that she began slowly dropping off to sleep.
Lila frowned and carefully sat up. It seemed like a cloud of sad relief had settled in the guest room in an almost palpable manner, even though nothing was visibly different. "Wanda, are you...feeling sad and relieved?" she asked hesitantly.
Wanda didn't answer right away, threads of sleep slipping further from her as she tried to process Lila's question. Maybe she's right. Lila knows me. "I don't know what I feel, but that sounds right."
"Then you're leaking it because I feel it too," Lila whispered, scooting closer. "I think they were already mine and you made it...kinda bigger? I don't know." Lila snatched Wanda's hand when she tensed and started to get up to leave. "Don't poof away anywhere. You scared me poofing into the yard! I like you here. You remind me of Auntie Nat."
"I don't want you feeling my feelings. I know what they feel like, and they hurt."
Lila threw all of her almost-eleven-year-old body weight on her. "I still don't want you to go. We love you. Okay? Please believe us. Auntie Nat would want you, too. I know it. She's not here but you are and I don't want you to disappear again too. Mom said sleep. Go to sleep."
Wanda knew she could make Lila get off, but instead she lay still, her fingers clutching at the blankets. Lila isn't lying. This isn't Westview. Even if I did leak feelings, I didn't shove them on Lila, and I'm not controlling her or forcing her to deal with my feelings I can't handle. Lila wasn't talking anymore, but she was there, and solid, and she sort of reminded Wanda of Billy and Tommy. "You are really okay?" Lila is real, Wanda reminded herself. Lila is real, and I am not imagining her, either.
Wanda, you can make your imagination real, you know. Literally. Imagining things is okay. You just have to recognize which things you made real and which you didn't. Like me. You imagine me a lot, but you always know I'm not there. Imagining is fine. Pietro's familiar voice floated through Wanda's thoughts, and she realized her own inner voice that she allowed to speak to herself in third person had not been the comforting Pietro voice properly in a long, long time. I let the Darkhold use my own coping mechanism against me. I don't know if talking to yourself is normal or not, but it was always normal for me, because it...helped. Wong said that book weaponized intrusive thoughts.
The Darkhold never 'spoke' in Pietro's voice. Wanda was certain this was because she also would have recognized that Pietro would not tell her those sorts of things. I'm here with Lila now. It's fine. I think.
"-don't even know if you're listening, but I'm talking anyways," Lila was saying. "Maybe it'll make you better. Didn't Auntie Nat used to stay with you when you were sad? I don't think you're leaking the hurt feelings anymore anyway. I think I can just tell you're hurting the boring way now," Lila said, which made Wanda smile a little. "I don't need magic to tell. You don't hide big feelings much."
Nat did stay with me when I was especially upset. “She did. Or if she couldn't, she would at least make sure I wasn't alone." Wanda slowly relaxed and closed her eyes again. "You have to tell me if I ever hurt you in any way, Lila. Please. I don't want to end up doing something wrong and not even know it."
"Okay. But I don't think you will." Lila stayed right where she was until she was sure Wanda was asleep.
______________________
Wanda woke up at some point later feeling much refreshed, though she instantly sensed that her chaos magic was "sleeping" again, just like in the little cell-room back in the sanctum. The bruises on her arms had faded further, and her neck felt better too even though it was still sore. My magic must have continued helping me while I was resting until the spell went up, I guess? I don't know why since these aren't serious injuries, but...whatever. No one moved me. I am still in Laura's and Clint's house. There were no runes on the walls of the guest room, which was confusing, and then she noticed the small silver bracers locked around both wrists. They just looked like snug bracelets and did not hurt whatsoever, but she could also tell those were not coming off without something to unlock them. America was flopped across the other bed on her stomach playing a game on her phone with Lila. "America? How did you..."
"Hey. Mrs. Barton- wait, she said to call her Laura. Laura said I should ask if you wanted some tea when you woke up. And, um...I'm supposed to ask if those wristband things actually work."
"Yes and yes. My magic just feels like it does in the little cell-room back at the sanctum. Asleep and I can't reach for it, but not in a bad way. I can sense the runes against my skin if I concentrate on them. It feels weird, but it doesn't hurt." Wanda pulled her knees to her chest and watched America curiously. Lila hopped up and ran off, saying she would go ask her mom to make the tea. Does America really want to be here? I know she's probably supposed to be here to keep me in line just in case. Wong wouldn't have wanted to leave Stephen here with me, and Wong literally can't stay here babysitting. He has too much to do. “You were right, you know," she whispered. "Clint didn't forget about me. He even tried to find me."
America tossed her phone aside and came to sit next to her. "He's really nice, Wanda. Well, at least to me. I don't think he likes Stephen and Mr. Wong very much after finding out they knew where you were before. He and Laura remind me of my moms. I'm really glad Stephen told me I should stay here with you for a bit. I didn't want to leave the sanctum, and I want to go back when you're better, but I really do like it here."
"Wait, Stephen is the one who told you to stay? Not Wong?"
"Yeah. What you did, making sure I got out of that situation without having to reveal myself? I think you earned a lot of respect from him for that." America could tell something was innately different about Wanda from the second she'd seen her curled up sleeping on that bed. Unlike back at the sanctum, where Wanda tended to wake up instantly at the slightest provocation, here she stayed asleep even when they'd clasped the new magic nullifiers on her. Wanda had only made a small displeased noise at being disturbed and turned over, scooting further under the covers. She didn't seem upset whatsoever.
"I don't have any ankle monitor on me," Wanda said after a moment, even more puzzled at being allowed to stay at the farm. Can I really...do this? Make a real life eventually on my own because I have people willing to help me do so? I feel better. Not great, but I feel like...me.
"Laura wouldn't let anyone wake you up since you were all comfy under the covers. You still have to but Mr. Wong was okay with us updating him once you woke up," America told her. "She has it. He wouldn't trust Clint."
Wanda blinked a few times, realizing not only had Wong procured magic nullifiers and an ankle monitor already, her things from the sanctum cell-room were here too. All the things America had brought her, the laptop Wong had given her, the GED study guide, even the magic tome she had been trying to translate. They were all here. "I'm really not going back to New York? Am I supposed to stay in the house only?"
America frowned. "I mean, not unless you want to. Wanda, you're not on house arrest. He just needs to know where you are, that's all. There is no official law reporting thing or whatever. You'll have to talk to Laura. I know you aren't supposed to be alone out of this house, period, but otherwise I don't know. Do you want to go downstairs or something, maybe?"
I don't deserve this. Wanda didn't answer and stumbled to the window. It was dark outside, but the moon was shining and stars twinkled in the country night sky, just like that final night in Westview. Vis, Billy, Tommy, if you really are out there somewhere, I swear I will find you. I will find you and I won't hurt anyone to do it, either. And if you aren't, then I still just want you to know I love you. I love you so much and I wish we had more time together. “Okay. Let's."
Wanda followed America out into the hall, where they found Laura carrying the promised tea and a tired-looking Clint behind her. "I sent Lila to bed. Clint and I need to talk to both of you about what we're going to do next, but I'd like to talk to Wanda by herself for now. America, there's tea for you too downstairs on the counter."
"Okay," America agreed, and trotted downstairs.
"Clint, please stay with America. I want her to feel at home here too, even though she's not staying permanently," Laura said quietly.
Clint could tell Wanda was fine, at least for now, so he ruffled her hair (which made her scowl at him) and assured her again that she could stay as long as she wanted before he headed downstairs.
Notes:
We’ll be checking in with the rest of the characters Wanda isn’t with soon!:)
No, those protection-spelled cuff bracelets aren’t as foolproof as all of the characters including Wanda believe, but they do technically work for her.
Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Summary:
In which Wanda settles in a bit at the Barton farm.
Chapter Text
Wanda clasped the hot mug in her hands carefully. The tea smelled so sweet and homey, and Laura was gently ushering her back into the guest room. "America said you were supposed to put the ankle monitor on me. Is that why you wanted to talk to me alone?"
"No. I do have to do that, but it isn't why I wanted to talk to you alone."
Wanda didn't smile, but she nodded and stuck one foot out. "Do it. I don't want to spoil this and make Wong take me back to the sanctum. He was never cruel or unfair to me, but I know he doesn't really want me there." I wouldn't want me there either. She flexed her ankle experimentally once Laura put the monitor on and promptly decided she didn't like this, but that it wasn't horrible, either.
Laura quickly texted Wong and then sat next to Wanda on the beige carpet. "Those black boots of yours will conceal that easily whenever you'd like to go out somewhere, so don't worry," she told her. "Do you want anything to eat?"
Wanda shook her head and hesitantly edged closer to Laura. I don't know what to say. If Clint and his family are still in danger, now they're stuck with an extra liability. Me.
"Look, I know I'm not Nat and that if she was here, you would go to her. But I want you to feel you can talk to me if you do want to, okay? Don't close off alone again."
"I should have called the second I left Westview," Wanda whispered. "Even if I couldn't come because it wasn't safe, I could have talked to Clint or you on the phone." It would have helped. I know it would have, and that wouldn't have risked hurting them.
"Yes, you should have, but I can understand why you didn't. People often don't reach out when they're in pain. Clint does the same thing, even if he pretends otherwise, and so did Nat." Laura paused and looked her straight in the eyes. "I think you were also just waiting for someone to come for you or call as proof someone genuinely cared enough to do so. Am I right?"
Yes. Oh, a hundred percent yes. That someone was out there that still wanted the broken person that couldn't control her power. I was so lonely and scared and it just...hurt. “I...I don't know how much was me and how much was the Darkhold convincing me to think like that," Wanda admitted, her voice wavering slightly. "I think if I had someone with me, anyone like you or Clint, even if it was just Lila, I could have realized what that thing was doing to me. I think it knew exactly what would break me enough to shatter any semblance of control I had left. Once, it hurt so much here" Wanda jerked a hand over her heart, "that I thought I was having a heart attack. Dizzy, couldn't breathe, sweating..." she trailed off in horror, realizing something else. I think I actually know exactly what happened.
Laura gently brushed stray tears off Wanda's cheeks, and Wanda instinctively leaned into the touch before she could think to not let herself do so. "It is not happening anymore. Can you tell me what's wrong?"
"You haven't seen me in my suit. The chest is all blackened and cracked, like a broken heart. It did look a little better last time I saw it, but..." Wanda set the tea mug aside and buried her face in her hands, reminding herself that she was not a danger to her friends now no matter how upset she might be; she physically could not lose control of her magic if she didn't currently have access to it. And if she did lose control over her own actions in general again, her friends could easily knock her out. This was safe, safe for everyone else and safe for her too. The day those physical symptoms happened was when I lost...me. “Laura, I think it wasn't my imagination," she mumbled into her hands. "I think it was the day it was no longer me using the Darkhold and it was the Darkhold using me as a...a conduit instead. I think that's the right word. I still do not know how find my boys turned into steal the other me's and take her place, but..."
Laura wrapped her arms around Wanda and held her close, suspicious that the corrupting book they didn't know much about had quite literally made Wanda physically ill along with making her normal mental illness symptoms (which could make her feel physically sick anyway) worse. "Broken heart syndrome is real even without magic. There's a name for it, stress cardiomyopathy. It's weird in the sense you're very young for that to happen, but it is normal. It sounds like that might be what happened, or at least something similar. You're safe. You're not isolated with that book any longer. We will not leave you alone again."
"Sometimes I don't want to be here if it's going to feel like this forever." With magic out of the equation, Wanda was still only too aware that removing that responsibility from her didn't fix the rest of her. Stop it. I can't go anywhere. I will not attempt that again, because Pietro wouldn't want me to. I know it.
"You don't have to want to. You just have to keep plodding forward until you do want to. Wanda, I've known you for years. It's okay to not be okay. What do you think Nat would tell you if she was here now?"
"Scold me for being an ignorant naïve idiot and then tell me I should go do something good to help erase that red in my ledger, no matter if I was in control of myself when that damage was caused or not. That I shouldn't let what I did define me. And give me a hug." Wanda's voice sounded slightly happier, and she was sorely tempted to tell Laura about Tasha's existence. Not yet. I have to ask Wong first, she ordered herself. "But...nobody is comforting the poor people I killed," Wanda whispered.
"Really? Maybe they're happier than any of us still here," Laura whispered back, still hugging her close. "What you did was horrible, but I don't think those dead victims need comforting. It's the living ones that do."
Like Thomas Cooper at the sanctum. Is anyone comforting him?"That man, Reed Richards. He has a wife and children. I did not like him, and that part is fine. I do not have to like him. But I...I killed him. That is not fine. That was wrong. And his family must be in pain."
”Is their mother still alive?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then there will be someone left to raise them."
Wanda was glad the man's poor wife never had to see the sickening shredded blue spaghetti, at least. Thinking about that awful carnage now made her feel like throwing up, and knowing that she'd forced her other self to witness all of it made it all that much worse.
"They probably are," Laura agreed, "but they'll get help in their world. You literally cannot help those people, Wanda. You can apologize to the people you hurt here in our world if you haven't already, but you have to be okay with knowing a simple apology won't erase what happened. They may not forgive you. That doesn't make them or you inherently horrible people, but it would probably be better for everyone involved to let them be."
Wanda didn't answer verbally, but she nodded and reached for her tea. Having logical, caring Mom Laura around was like having a warm tether to thinking clearly and behaving properly.
"Finish the tea while we talk about what happens next."
I can do that. Wanda nodded again and stirred the spoon around in the tea.
"All right. You can go wherever you like in this house. You want to leave, you have to have someone with you, even if it's just Lila or Cooper. You may go out to the barn alone, but nowhere else. I want to make sure we'll be able to get to you if something is wrong."
"Does little Nate count?" Wanda asked, her eyes carrying just a hint of mischief.
Laura smiled and shook her head. "Only if he learns how to dial the phone properly and can be trusted not to call 911 for a joke."
Wanda stifled laughter. "Did Nate really do that?"
"He did. And then he got no dessert and no Cars movies for three days." Laura was glad Wanda seemed a bit more chipper than a few minutes ago. "You have to have someone with you in case of emergency, that's all. You are responsible for keeping that ankle monitor charged up. If you don't, Wong said he will take you back to the sanctum."
"Okay. I can do that."
"You are supposed to continue translating that old book. Wong said you would know exactly what he meant. You must go to your online therapy sessions. You don't have to have any of us in the room with you, obviously, but I am to ensure that you do them. Mondays and Thursdays at three in the afternoon, right?"
Wanda nodded again; she liked Antonia very much and didn't mind that at all. The tea was almost gone now, and having simple things she was supposed to be doing was kind of nice. "What about those criminals I saw in New York, the ones after you and the littles?" she asked nervously. "I can't defend us without magic access if they come here."
"Scott is investigating, since he can get in and out without being seen. He'll report findings back. I suspect we will all end up going to New York, honestly, because with our luck, that's just what will happen. But for now, we stay here. We're not going to go looking for trouble. Sam and Bucky will be here tomorrow. Kate and Yelena may or may not, I'm not sure yet." Laura watched Wanda's face closely, worried that multiple people coming over would stress her out, but she appeared fine.
"A whole team of sorts," Wanda said softly. "Are we really pulling all of us back together?" And what am I? "Where do I fit? Do I stay behind with the littles if there is trouble?"
Wanda did not like the idea of not being her old squishy powerhouse role one bit, which confused her. She didn't even want all of that power, so why should she care if she couldn't do anything now? I shouldn't care. None of them care one way or the other what I can do or not do. I know that much.
Laura sighed, knowing quite well what Wanda meant. "You do whatever you like, but considering fighting without using your magic isn't a strength of yours even though you do know how, I think you should avoid that unless absolutely necessary. You could stay back with the kids and just be ready to protect them in a pinch."
This plan was logical to Wanda, though she wasn't quite sure how much use she would be without using any magic. Anytime she had been on a mission before and not used her magic, she always had the knowledge that it was there in case of emergency, which was not the same thing as not having it as an option at all. Still, knowing what she was supposed to do helped. "I will do whatever I can to protect them, whether I'm using magic or not," Wanda announced.
"Yes, I know you will," Laura said fondly, knowing quite well how much Wanda cared about the children. "Do you have more belongings you'd like to keep, over in that cabin you were staying in? If you do, then you and America can go get those items tomorrow."
"I do. I don't care about most of it, honestly, but I'd like to have my old phone and...and the pictures. If I can't have Vis, Billy, and Tommy, and Pietro and my parents, I want my pictures of them at least." Wanda's voice cracked, but she did not cry this time. Wanting those pictures was okay. That was not wrong, and she knew Laura would not use that wish against her. I wish I knew what happened to my things I left behind in Edinburgh before the blip.
"All right. We'll take you to Verizon and get you on our phone plan then."
Wanda stared at her, not surprised precisely, but it still felt odd. "Laura, I don't have money right now, and I can't exactly create any without access to my magic." She ran her fingers over one of the bands around her wrists and made a face. This was my suggestion. Stop thinking about it. I can be uncomfortable not having magic access, but I don't need to be upset or angry. I don't. This is fair. This is safer for everyone else, and it's safer for me too, really.
”That doesn't seem fair." Thinking about Stephen waltzing about back in New York irritated her and made her abruptly jump to her feet. Wanda paced about the guest room until Laura spoke up.
"What has ticked you off?" Laura did not sound judgmental at all, just concerned.
The lamp on the nightstand looked like one of the ones she'd had in the little Westview house and one she'd seen in her other self's house too. Wanda swiped at her eyes and sighed. "Things not being fair," she said vaguely, because she did not know how to explain. "Both...ways. I can't explain it."
Laura's kind eyes twinkled merrily. "Simultaneously too harsh a punishment and too light a punishment?"
The tenseness in Wanda's shoulders visibly faded. Laura understood her, even if it didn't completely make sense. "That and I hate that Stephen read that book too and seems to be unaffected by it, let alone facing any consequences for it. I know he didn't have another choice. I admit that. But it is still maddening anyway. I do not want him to feel like I do one bit, but it's still frustrating."
"Wong left an inexperienced fourteen-year-old here to guard the Scarlet Witch instead of his experienced sorcerer friend Stephen Strange. I suspect he is affected by that book more than you know," Laura said quietly. "He's just better equipped to handle it than you, which is neither of your faults."
"Wong was willing to do that because I'm no threat at all without magic access," Wanda replied instantly, voice flat. But it's true that Wong doesn't completely trust Stephen, either. Wong didn't tell him where he took America before. I'm sure that stings.
Laura looked unconvinced. "Perhaps," she said noncommittally. "I know you don't like Strange much- it was written all over your face and the sentiment seemed mutual. But he isn't 'fine'. I think Wong has purposely separated the two of you, and that is the real reason he was willing to let you stay here, to be honest."
"You sound like Nat."
"Good. You listened to her." Laura smiled at Wanda. "Now, are you okay with going to that Verizon store tomorrow?"
"I can't pay for it," Wanda said again, but Laura immediately shushed her.
"I didn't ask you to pay for it. Look, you know we're not rolling in unlimited money like Tony was, but we can afford to take care of you just fine. We're not going to go buy multiple expensive cars and vacation houses, but having another person on our phone bill won't hurt anything. You can start paying for your share once you do have money if you want to, but right now, it's a present. Cooper and Lila have their own phones for safety reasons. Do you think they pay for theirs?"
Wanda could not imagine having her own phone at Lila's age; at that point she and Pietro had been living alone on the streets of Novi Grad and feeling lucky that they could at least go spend time in the library. "No, but they are kids," she pointed out.
Laura's eyes crinkled a bit. "Clint thinks you are a kid too, so by that logic, you should have yours taken care of for you too."
"I had children of my own," Wanda whispered. "They are gone and Lila thinks I can bring them back." She isn't the first one to suggest that, either.
"Grandchildren for us then." Laura took Wanda's hands and gave them a squeeze. "If they really are out there, we will find them. If they aren't, but you are capable of bringing them back, we will find out how. It might take a long time, but we will. Don't give that hope up yet."
"Thinking they were alive and needed me was what got me into trouble in the first place," Wanda said shakily. She didn't pull away from Laura, but she stared at the soft carpet, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"That is not what got you into trouble. Reading that Darkhold book got you into trouble. Have you considered maybe it was true, at least partially, and that book took advantage of it, knowing you'd do anything to help them? I'm not saying it definitely didn't just outright lie to you, because I don't know anything about magic, but from everything you and the sorcerers have said, it seems more like it warps the truth than blatantly lies." Laura tucked a loose bit of hair behind Wanda's ear, disappointed but unsurprised when Wanda did not answer. She was clearly listening, but she did not react at all beyond squeezing Laura's hand tightly. "I don't want you to rely on an empty hope to keep going, but don't discard the possibility they're not truly lost forever, either."
I'm scared to let myself hope again. It's too dangerous and then it hurts all the more when it is taken away, Wanda thought, and then, but you already are. You are clutching at little threads to keep from shutting down. Those threads are real, though. You know that. "What if I said Billy was in Wong's old magic book?" she whispered.
"Considering he's the one with magic similar to yours, if I remember right, I'd say that is proof he's either out there somewhere waiting for you, or that you can bring him back somehow since you created him in the first place."
"I'm scared if I do find them, they'll be hurt and I won't be able to help them. How can I take care of them when I can't take care of myself?" Wanda let Laura tuck her back into bed, thinking that she shouldn't let Laura spoil her at all right now but unable to make herself tell Laura to leave all the same.
"Wanda, I have kids myself. It would be more concerning if you were confident you could take care of them. You love them very much, but you only got to enjoy caring for them for about a week. You aren't supposed to be confident in mothering children in a week. Sometimes I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing with Coop, Lila, and Nate, let alone you or Clint's other rescued strays." Laura put an extra blanket at the foot of Wanda's bed, thinking it wasn't cold, but Wanda always seemed to like extra blankets. "I'm going to send America back up here to bed. It's so late that I think it would be better to talk tomorrow after we all get some sleep. There's an extra blanket here for you. If either of you need anything, you come ask for it, understand?"
"No, but I know I can trust you."
___________________
Morning brought a new sense of peace to a very tired Wanda. Though it wasn't logical to her that the simple change of scenery made her feel better, it did all the same. The Barton farmhouse was warm and cozy. There was no risk of her hurting everyone around her now, not with the silver cuff bracelets on, not even if she had a nightmare or a panic attack or anything else her mind decided to betray her with, which of course also made it somewhat less likely for those things to happen in the first place.
Wanda stretched her legs and stared up at the familiar ceiling. There were still marks up there from a nightmare episode back when Nat had brought her to the Barton farm for the first time years ago right after Ultron, and her magic made a mess even then. Instead of any scolding or anger, which was what she had expected, Clint and Laura hadn't cared whatsoever, and then Cooper had suggested putting some of his glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling to cover the messed-up plaster. The stars didn't glow much anymore, but she could see they were still there. Wanda smiled and closed her eyes.
I am free, at least for now.
...or I just think I am. You let someone who doesn't like you render you useless just because you wanted to stay with your friends. No purpose without my power, I know.
"Does it matter? They care anyway, even if that is true," Wanda whispered to herself. You think the twins need you and you can't even look for them. Wanda touched one wrist and then the other, half expecting the protection spell runes to burn her skin, but the metal was just...there, cool but not cold. My magic was not helping me find my children before anyway, she thought reasonably. What if someone recognizes me and realizes I can't do anything? Pietro would tell me, Good, thinking that means you don't want to die. You have people with you that care even if they shouldn't, so it doesn't matter. You don't need everyone to like you, you just need at least one friend nearby that loves you and you do have that.
I have more than one friend nearby, now. It is not like before. With that in mind, she slowly padded to the window to look outside. The familiar yard was still there of course, pleasant morning sunlight shining on the grass and trees.
America was still asleep, still in bed but half hanging off with one arm flopped over her head and one foot sticking out of the covers. The haphazard sleeping position reminded Wanda of Pietro, and she carefully draped the extra blanket Laura had left for her over her friend instead. Is America really my friend? Of course she is. She wouldn't stay here at all otherwise. The morbid thought crossed Wanda's mind that if America really wanted to, she easily could have hurt her while she lay defenseless sleeping, either here or back at the sanctum. But the teenager did not; she offered kindness and protection instead. Wanda dug her bare toes into the soft carpet and squeezed her hands into fists. I need to pull myself together. I don't think any of us are technically safe at all. This place is just a safe space for me because Clint and his family are here and it reminds me of Nat.
Wanda took a mental checklist of what their Iowa group currently had at their disposal: Clint, highly skilled archer (normal human); Laura, long since retired S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (normal human with training but probably rusty); America, inexperienced powerhouse (enhanced human); and herself (enhanced human with no access to said enhancements at the moment, limited ordinary fighting knowledge but somewhat competent). And three children to protect in Cooper, Lila, and Nate. Wanda sighed and studied her wrists closely. America could definitely rip these off me if we were absolutely desperate. We're fine. Satisfied by that logic, Wanda quickly threw on the black Target dress America had brought her, put her hair in a single braid down her back, and headed downstairs since she heard Laura in the kitchen.
"Did you sleep okay?" Laura asked the second she saw Wanda.
Wanda nodded. "I wish I hadn't woken up at all, it was so...pleasant. Your house is like a warm hug. I know none of us are really safe right now, but I feel safe here. Makes it easier to think. Can I help with anything?"
"I'm glad you like it here. You don't have to help, but you can start the eggs if you want. We'll have scrambled for all of us with the cereal, so we need plenty considering we have seven people here to eat them. Don't set the table or take the trash out. Those are Lila's and Cooper's chores."
"Okay." Wanda liked cooking in the kitchen with Laura; it was peaceful and much less lonely than cooking in her cabin alone. It wasn't like she needed to manually cook meals for herself there, since she could quite literally just create them instantly with her magic, but she'd much preferred creating the base ingredients and making them the ordinary way most of the time. Sometimes she made dishes and set the leftovers outside hoping an animal might come and eat them.
"Go wake up the littles and your new friend if they aren't already up," Laura said gently a few minutes later. "I'll finish this up. I want you and America to go get your things from that cabin after we eat if she's confident she can open a portal there and back."
"I shouldn't fill your guest room with clutter."
"That is your room, as long as you want to stay. Fill it with whatever you like. Do you understand? Your room. That space is yours to do with as you please. Clint will tell you the same thing."
If I can't ever get my family back again, I would live here for always, Wanda thought before she could stop herself. Well, if she could actually get a job and make some money, she could just pay Clint and Laura rent, right? Then she would not feel like she was taking advantage of their kindness so much. "If I can find a way to make money...normally, I would love to just pay rent so I could stay for always," she admitted aloud, half assuming she would regret speaking up, but also trying to be honest.
Laura was tempted to tell her she didn't have to do that, but she was also quite sure Wanda would probably feel more like that room was truly hers if she didn't think she was 'mooching' it. "Yes, you can stay permanently," Laura assured her, though she thought Wanda probably really would want her own place if they were able to help her get the twins and presumably Vision back, since she'd been able to have him in Westview too. This she did not tell Wanda at all, since it wouldn't help at the moment.
Wanda did not smile, but she cautiously hugged Laura before disappearing upstairs to get the others.
____________\
"Are you an Avenger too?" Cooper asked America curiously while the group ate breakfast.
"Nope, but I'm friends with one. Or two. Wanda counts, but I don't know if Stephen is an Avenger or not. I think he is." America shrugged and stuffed another bite of scrambled eggs in her mouth. "Sounded like the team all broke up. So maybe I will be if everyone else gets together again. It seems like a hard job but sometimes fun."
"Your only 'job' is protecting Wanda from herself," Clint told her. "Nothing more, nothing less. I know darn well you're not registered and frankly most people don't give a damn one way or the other at this point, may as well not exist. But you are a new face, a girl, and not an American citizen. I saw how people treated Wanda before, and I don't want to risk the same thing happening to you. You're a miniature powerhouse according to Strange and Wong, same as she is."
America looked down at her own hands and then at Wanda. "Wanda isn't brown," she pointed out. "Well. This one isn't."
"No, she's not, but she's still a powerful enhanced person, same as you. What do you mean, this one isn't?"
"Because I saw a different Wanda in another universe and she was light brown, sort of like me, with curly hair. It was still long and dark like yours though, Wanda," America directed the last part to Wanda herself. "Anyway. I know I'm supposed to protect her. Easy peasy." America didn't really understand what exactly had made Wanda feel better, but it was obvious all the same. Wanda didn't seem entirely happy per se, but she was visibly much more at ease here than back in New York.
"She shouldn't have to do that," Wanda muttered. "She doesn't have to do that, you don't have to- I don't want-"
"I know I don't have to. I told you that before back in New York. Why are you saying that when all of us know you don't even want me not to? You want friends close, and now there are, and you're still trying to make us leave?" America's voice rose and Laura gently shushed her. "Well. Just saying. It doesn't make sense and I don't understand. Quit that."
Cooper and Lila traded glances. "She's not really trying to make us leave. She just thinks she doesn't deserve us," Lila said in her grown-up voice. "And she's still scared of being left alone, even if she's an adult." Lila didn't pounce on Wanda like she would have years ago, but she did reach over and squeeze her hand.
"Too sad," little Nate announced loudly, and bounced out of his chair, going around the table and giving everyone hugs, starting with Laura.
Wanda did not push the little boy away when he offered her a hug too on his round of hugs. I remember holding Nate when he was a baby. I remember being terrified I would hurt him and Clint telling me I wouldn't, and I didn't. Now she held Nate close until he wiggled down, saying he still had more hugs to give. Thank you for including me, Nate, she thought silently. Wanda would not say that out loud, not when Nate clearly thought giving everyone a hug would fix everything.
The rest of the breakfast was so normal and peaceful that it made her eyes feel hot again. Cooper and Lila talked about what they had been doing at school. America shared a funny joke Kate had told her. Nate stacked pieces of cereal in his bowl until Clint made him stop playing with his food. Wanda didn't have anything to add to the conversation, but somehow she felt included anyway.
While they all helped clear the dishes, Laura caught her finger on a knife. It wasn't a serious cut by any means, just a little nick, but Wanda couldn't help fiddling with the silver magic nullifier cuff bracelets on her wrists and thinking she could heal that easily if she wasn't wearing them. "Wanda, I'm fine and you know it," Laura told her. "Don't worry."
"My magic could heal that, now," Wanda said quietly. "I know you are okay. I just..." Wait. Obviously Laura will be all right whether I heal her finger or not, but there are plenty of people out there that wouldn't be. “A hospital. Laura, I know exactly what I can do with that...that power of mine eventually. Something good. Something I know for sure I can control if I do it individually."
Clint gave her a sideways glance. "I think I'll just take you outside and talk," he said, pulling her out of the house by the arm. "Wanda, what are you thinking? Absolutely not. You can't just go to a hospital and heal people. You'll be forever swarmed with people demanding things from you."
Wanda gazed at him with pained eyes. "I do not think so, and you know it. I would not do it as me. They wouldn't have to know at all." They could just think it was a miracle or something. That would be okay. I don't need credit. There's too many people out there that wouldn't want broken unstable me doing such a thing. Even if I didn't mess up and I knew it was safe for others, I can't prove that to strangers. I'll never be able to do that.
"Okay, I get it," Clint said gently, hugging her tightly. "But not right now. You can't do that at the moment. Let's take care of all of us for now. Remember, you got to take care of you so you can help others. You know that's what Nat would tell you."
She definitely would. “I tried being selfish. Didn't work out very well," Wanda deadpanned.
Clint shook his head, but he wasn't surprised. "You won't convince me taking care of yourself is selfish. Your real wish was never the problem. It was the way you went about trying to make it happen. Being lonely and wanting people you love back? That's no crime."
Wanda stayed quiet for a minute, Clint's matter-of-fact words somewhat disconcerting as much as they were somewhat reassuring. Torn between the two, she stiffened but didn't pull away. Is that really true? I think it is, but... "I want to believe that."
"Well, you should. I know we can't literally investigate what really happened to those twins of yours after the Westview incident magic-wise, but considering everything, I can't help wondering if the calling for help part was real and then got twisted into something false by the evil book." Clint kept his arm around Wanda since it seemed to help. "And I've heard rumors there were two Visions in Westview. Is that true?"
Laura said the same thing about the boys. What if they really are right? Wanda nodded. "That part I can confirm. The all-white Vision tried to crush my head. I think Hayward created that one and wanted to blame me for it by having him...kill me or something and taking the new Vision away like property. I don't know. But that Vision was not my Vis I knew. I...I don't..." she trailed off, scrunching her eyes shut and trying to think. What even had actually happened? Why had she assumed in the moment that synthezoid was her Vis at all when he didn't even look the same? 'Cause there's something wrong with you, Wanda. And you and Vision had never cared what the other one looked like much. You probably just assumed he changed his appearance. It's okay. You have help now, remember? Your friends will help figure it out. They love you, even if you don't feel like you deserve it. Wanda clung to her inner Pietro-comfort voice; that was hers and the only positive-talk thoughts she would trust.
"Wanda, if that's true, the new one is out there somewhere still because it wasn't part of your hex. Where did that Vision go after yours fought it?"
"He's still a he, not an it," Wanda whispered. "That Vision just wasn't mine. I think-"
"The Vision I knew wouldn't have tried to crush a human's head," Clint interrupted.
"I know, but...maybe Hayward made him be like that. I don't know what Vis did with him, but..." Wanda chewed her lip nervously. Vis said we would say hello again. Did he mean he knew his other self was still out there? Did he help fix his memories and...purpose for existing somehow so he was the same Vis I knew? Or was the white Vision literally a completely different synthezoid that just looked and sounded an awful lot like Vis? He would have come for me if he could and he was really...himself. I know it. She could still remember white Vision's synthetic blue eyes looking dull and empty, as if something was missing. Under control. That's what it was. Wanda blinked, looked down at her own hands, and then just sat down on the porch steps hugging her knees. "I need to find him. He isn't my Vis, and that hurts, but he is probably lonely somewhere himself if no one has seen him since Westview at all."
Clint ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Not with you wearing those wristbands, we aren't."
"If he was going to continue trying to kill me, he would have located me and done it long ago, wouldn't he?" If he had come soon enough after Westview, I think I would have just let him do so. Wanda didn't say anything else, just stared out at the yard through eyes blurred by tears.
"Kid, I think you're projecting your feelings a bit. You can't just assume that new Vision is lonely. That one doesn't have the mind stone anymore, right?"
"Well...no. He probably can't track me like before then," Wanda said slowly. I destroyed that stone. I killed Vis and then it just immediately happened again and meant absolutely nothing. Then in Westview too. I don't care what anyone says, they were real. I know it. Does anyone else even know what really happened to him besides the people working for Hayward? No one talked about him before. Would they care? She squeezed her own arms hard enough to leave marks until Clint made her stop. "No one talked about Nat or Vision. It isn't fair," she whispered. "Hayward dissected him. Like he was just...just some science experiment thing. And then I think to myself, you let that happen. You could have just taken him away, at least, whether you were supposed to or not. But no. I just left. I didn't want them to see me cry more, or hurt that Hayward idiot. Vis wouldn't have wanted me to hurt him. They couldn't even let him rest, because they just thought he was a...a thing. A weapon, like me." Except, I suppose I proved everyone that thought that right. "I don't think Vis would have cared that people were cutting up his body, exactly. He would probably be fascinated at what the...the insides looked like. But he would have cared that Hayward considered him nothing but a weapon to replicate. He didn't talk about it much, before, but I know it hurt him when he heard people call him 'it' or a...a thing, or just treat him like something not...alive."
"Must've hurt his feelings myself on occasion, then."
Wanda gave him a watery smile. "You did, but I can also remember him telling me he was happy you loved me enough to question him so much."
Clint didn't bother telling her everything was okay, because it wasn't, and they couldn't do anything about that. "It's all right to cry," he said finally, hugging her close again. "Nobody in this house minds, do you understand?"
I don't want to keep crying. I have done that enough. Wanda swiped at her eyes roughly, but one small thing made her relax and stop trying to hold them in. I can't hurt anyone here. I can cry, scream, throw things, break down entirely, and I won't mess up again. “You know what does feel good though?"
"What's that?"
"That I know right now I won't make another mistake no matter how upset I might be. There has always been that thought there, ever since I was sixteen, that I would mess something up." I probably made that real every time simply by worrying about it. Wanda looked down at her hands and then fiddled with one of the cuff bracelets again. "I do not have to worry about that right now."
Clint scowled. "I don't think I like the idea of those magic nullifying things. How the hell is that helping you learn to control anything or feel comfortable in your own skin? It's like sticking somebody in a kiddie wading pool with floaties on and expecting them to learn to swim the English Channel. Pointless and stupid." He paused before adding, "You can control it just fine. You just need someone willing to help you. Not weird devices locking that part of you away. I'm glad it makes you feel better and that it isn't hurting you, but I don't want you relying on such a thing."
Wanda sighed and let him study her wrist more closely. "If I wasn't wearing these, then I would just be relying on you and Laura. I don't think that is better."
"I think relying on friends is healthier for you than this," Clint muttered.
"Is it? You want the burden of making sure I don't ruin anything else?" Wanda asked softly. "Because you know that is exactly what that would mean. I..." she trailed off. "I don't know how to explain. I love being here. I can't express how much just...not...being...alone means to me. But me not being able to function on my own shouldn't be your problem."
"You're being ridiculous. I don't much care whether you use your weird overpowered magic or not, but it's still yours and I'd rather you had the choice than have it made for you, that's all. You know damn well not functioning well alone is an issue that has nothing to do with your magic." Clint pushed her wrist away as if the bracelets had burned him and just hugged her close again instead. "I'm not abandoning you again. I promise. It wasn't intentional, but it still happened. And I don't know if it would help, but we can at least go visit Nat's grave together if you want to."
"There is not anything there."
"There isn't anything in anyone's grave, really," Clint said quietly. "Not the part that makes us...us. That goes somewhere else. Those gravesites are for the ones left behind."
Wanda thought about the lake back in Sokovia where Nat and Clint had helped scatter Pietro's ashes so long ago. Maybe it was good that she could not bury Nat or Vision. She didn't want them trapped underground either. My parents didn't get a funeral either. There was nothing to bury, just like Nat. Pietro and I mostly just curled up and cried once we knew for sure, but we already knew, stuck hiding under the bed. "I don't know if I want to or not," she whispered finally.
"That's fine. Just wanted to make sure you knew it was an option."
The sound of a car door slamming made Wanda look up. "I think Sam and Bucky are here already."
"Mm, they're early," Clint hummed, and stayed where he was with Wanda, though he did wave.
Notes:
Heh, Sam and Bucky will be entertaining lol
Where is white Vision now and what has he been doing? We will see...
Laura might not be familiar with magic, but she’s not wrong regarding what the Darkhold did to Stephen and Wanda, either. It’s not like it isn’t obvious, after all. He’s better equipped to handle it than Wanda, which sucks but is just a fact lol. Luckily they are not alone:)
Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Summary:
In which Wanda talks to Bucky a bit, America talks to Tasha (aka Other Nat), Scott and Stephen discover something disturbing, and a letter gives Wanda a piece of something that just might create a miracle eventually.
Notes:
All righty, more pieces are dropping into place and we get to reunite more team members:) Yay!
I am still working on the next Aftermath chapter, because my two minor OCs aren’t cooperating tbh xD It’ll be up as soon as I can (next weekend, probably). I am sure the characters are getting impatient for me to share the next installment of their life...or not, because sometimes I am mean to them haha.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"You really did find her!" Sam said the second he saw Wanda on the porch steps. "Hey. Good to see you. It's been awhile."
Wanda blinked in surprise at Sam's reaction; he had immediately hugged her, and the unexpected contact made her flinch even though she didn't actually mind the hug. Does Sam even know what I've done? I should tell him, right?
"I didn't exactly find her. She brought herself here finally, thank goodness," Clint explained. "I told you that."
"Well, regardless, we got her back. It's been way too long."
Like the small amount she had known Bucky previously, Cap's old friend was a bit standoffish, but not in the wary fearful way that always hurt her feelings even though she understood why people might do that. His blue eyes looked far more at peace now than they had years ago, and he smiled just a little as he offered her his hand. "Glad you aren't dead. I told them I thought you were dead. I'd have understood," he said flatly, which made Wanda relax further.
"Maybe y'all can take each other out for a date, Bucky," Sam said, only half teasing.
Wanda thought Sam looked far too pleased with himself for that comment.
Bucky gave him a scathing irritated stare. "No thank you. No offense," he said, directing the last comment to Wanda, who found herself smiling and trying not to laugh. Though Wanda had zero interest in any date if it was not Vision, Sam's teasing was comforting rather than annoying to her. She could tell Sam had not been completely joking, which was odd, but she knew he wouldn't go on endlessly about his dumb (in her opinion) idea, either.
"What? You always ruin dates, you big awkward flirt. She would understand, and she needs some fun. You could practice on her."
"Of all the obnoxious-"
"All right, all right, guys, we get it," Clint interrupted. "Why don't you come inside and meet Wanda's friend?"
"I'm not doing that, but I would like talking to you more," Bucky told her once Sam was out of earshot. "Not like...that."
Wanda blinked in surprise. He can't possibly know, then. “Do you even know what I did? I don't...this is not the first time you correctly read me," she said cautiously. "You barely know me."
"Yeah, I know enough. I'm not asking you to talk about some other form of brainwashing, okay?" Bucky studied Wanda briefly before looking away from her. "You had multiple people looking for you. I thought you should know."
Wanda didn't answer aloud, but she nodded and signed thank-you, half expecting Steve's old friend not to understand, but he nodded in understanding and said a quiet you don't have to talk. "You are staying here with Sam?"
"Not with him. That man is trustworthy and very frustrating. But yes, we wanted to see you."
"You and Sam drove all the way here so quickly just to see me?"
"Not only to see you. Clint said we were putting a team back together, but that sounded more like a 'just in case' right now."
Wanda thought Bucky rather looked like he didn't know what to say, and she suspected he did not want to have to fight again, either. "You didn't volunteer for Hydra back then," she said awkwardly, "and you didn't choose to read that book."
"I know," came the flat reply.
"Then why are you treating me like I am the same?" Wanda asked. I don't understand. I didn't understand when Steve said Bucky thought of me as being the same before, and I especially don't understand now.
The former Winter Soldier stared out at the yard pensively before turning his attention back to Wanda. "Because I do know what the guilt feels like. The results are the same. The punishment is the same. Remembering. Steve trusted you. You need to stop being so easily manipulated. You've been taken advantage of repeatedly because your feelings are so obvious."
Wanda froze, her fingers squeezing at her dress. That blunt explanation...made sense. Steve's old friend was not excusing her, but he did understand. No he doesn't. He doesn't have magic. “Shut up. He probably understands better than anyone," she snapped to herself. Wanda shook her head hard and twisted one of the silver cuff bracelets around her wrist.
"Yeah, probably. The thing still attempting to influence you?"
"It is...trying to." Wanda sighed and pressed her hands to her temples; attempting to make sense of details of that was still headache-inducing to her. "I can tell when it happens, at least, and I can ignore it. I am still...me." For better or worse, I suppose. “And if I do lose control, I can't hurt any of you anyway."
"I believe you. I can remember Steve saying he wished there was someone to teach you what he and the others couldn't. Maybe-"
"...What?"
Bucky shrugged and just stared at her again. "That is what he said. You're like some eccentric kid friend he was proud of. Thought if he had only found someone capable of teaching you better, then maybe we wouldn't have lost Stark, Vision, and Nat at all."
Why would Steve blame himself for that? That isn't his fault. If it's anyone's, it's mine. No...I think all three of them would say it's unfortunate, but no one's fault. Even Tony. “There is quite literally no one else with magic exactly like mine. Steve couldn't have found anyone to teach me better in the first place. Even if all of you had sent me to Kamar-Taj before, the sorcerers can't really teach me, either," Wanda said softly.
"Then it's no one's fault, same as I told him."
"Maybe."
"I was sent out here to meet you and say come inside. Also, I'm supposed to take you over to that cabin to get your stuff, Wanda," America said, sticking her head out from behind the door. "Hey, you have a metal arm. Cool," she told Bucky. "I'm America. America Chavez. Aka the girl that doesn't dream and can travel the multiverse."
"This is your new friend?" Bucky asked.
America looked rather pleased about this comment. "Yes. I've made lots of new friends in this universe already by now and she's one of them."
_________________
"Are you sure you don't mind going to that cabin?" Wanda asked a little while later. America did not seem remotely bothered- she actually looked excited, which did not make sense- but Wanda still worried that going to that place might scare her friend. It probably looks horrid. No, I know it does. I am scared of going back there.
"Absolutely. I want to take you. It'll be fine. The dead trees look really creepy now, but there's nothing there to hurt us," America assured her. "I think, that there is help there."
Clint gave America a suspicious look. "Help with what? Should I be concerned leaving Sam and Bucky here to protect Laura and the kids?"
"Oh no," America assured him, giving Wanda's hand a squeeze, "there is just help there."
Wanda first wondered when America had even seen the place, and quickly concluded that Wong must have taken the girl there when she'd gone 'missing' before. This in turn made Wanda think going to her old place of exile was not a good idea. Tasha. The other me's Nat. America is saying there's help there. Tasha must be there and that's why she's so excited. The timing would be right. Before she could say anything, America punched a portal open, revealing the barren sad-looking land of that remote area of what used to be Sokovia beyond. "America, I think you'd better ask Wong first. Taking me there may not be safe. I think I know exactly who is there," she said quickly. "I don't want to lose his trust that I won't do anything here. I don't want to go back to the sanctum."
Clint frowned, tugging Wanda away from the open portal. "Close it, please, America. Wong has entrusted her to you and Laura specifically. Let's not ruin that. Wanda herself isn't dangerous and she's safe here, but we don't know what's in that place. There could be weird Darkhold residue there for all we know. We don't need more corrupted magic of any kind, especially not when you don't know your powers that well and Wanda has those wristbands on. Not a good idea." He knew quite well that the sorcerers did not trust him, probably because he had mouthed off at them before, and he did not want to risk them coming back to take Wanda away again.
Disappointed, America did close the portal and quickly text Wong. "He's not answering," she said after about thirty seconds. "Can't we just go? I promise there's nothing bad there. Just creepy dead trees. And a good surprise."
"No," Clint ordered, still holding Wanda close. "This isn't an emergency trip. We're just grabbing some of Wanda's things. They've been there for ages; they'll be fine for a little longer. Give the man a chance to answer. If he doesn't answer, we're not going right now. I believe you that you think it's fine, but I don't want to risk harming her mind any further." Then, to Wanda, "If this little trip does fall through, I'll dig some old photos out for you for now. I know I don't have anything of Billy or Tommy, but I'm pretty sure I have a copy of that picture of you and Pietro with your parents, and there's definitely ones of you, Vision, and Nat."
"Okay. That...that would be nice. Thank you." Wanda privately thought that maybe leaving fourteen-year-old America in charge was not a good plan on the sorcerers' part. America was supposed to be babysitting her, not the other way around. Also, Clint ordering America to stay put amused her; he was already treating her young friend like another one of his kids and did not care about America's mysterious powers any more than he did hers. He just treats us the same as if we weren't different at all. Well, other than making sure we're being careful, but I can tell it isn't because he is disturbed by it or anything.
"He says I can grab whatever Wanda wants from the cabin, but not to take anyone with me," America reported after a couple long minutes.
Clint gave America a dubious look. "Let's see the message then. That sounds odd."
America looked slightly offended, but she did show Clint, who nodded in approval. Wanda was very sure her assumption that Tasha was there was the reason Wong had said that. Obviously he wouldn't have agreed to let America go to that cabin if it wasn't safe, so that was the only logical conclusion to her.
"What do you want me to bring back exactly?" America asked.
"The photos off that little dresser in the bedroom, and my old phone, which should be on the table. Please." There were so many old photos in that phone, and Wanda thought maybe she could print her favorite ones out somehow. The bulletin boards at the support group she'd visited with Yelena and Kate (and talkative, eccentric Madisynn) had given her the idea. Though she hadn't wanted to wake that phone up to pull them herself before, now she was certain she wanted to charge the thing and she would be delighted if the Bartons really would put her on their data plan. I am going to keep a running total of what I'd owe them though, no matter what Laura told me. I am not taking things from them.
"Okay."
________________
The second America had vanished into her star portal and closed it again, Clint immediately looked at Wanda. "Who do you think you know is in that cabin that made you believe you shouldn't go there?"
Wanda nibbled at a fingernail nervously, trying to figure out how to answer that without breaking her own promise not to tell anyone about Tasha yet. "I wasn't supposed to know at all, but I figured it out. Wong is worried about what might happen if more people know. That it would somehow cause more...multiversal messes, even if no one meant any harm. I am just trying to be safe since I don't know enough about it. I want to tell you, but I...I think I am not supposed to yet."
"Okay. I'd like to know, obviously, but I'm more concerned about keeping all of you safe right now. If you think it isn't safe to share, then I won't press. If I give you some ordinary weapons to keep on you for now, can I trust you not to hurt yourself?" Clint asked.
Wanda blinked, looked down at her hands, and then at Clint. "I...don't know. I would be fine right now, but sometimes I feel like I can't think properly. Or that I'm not...in control of...me," she said quietly. "I don't think you should give me anything deadly. It would be fine at this moment, but I can't confirm that for always. A taser or something like that would be okay."
Clint looked pissed, but he nodded. "All right. If you do feel like that, please tell someone. I can't guarantee we can fix it, but you definitely don't have to deal on your own, at least." He hugged Wanda again, relieved that she didn't flinch or pull away from him. "I'm trusting you to tell the truth if I ask if you're okay. There is nothing wrong with saying no."
I am never really 'okay', Wanda thought, but she nodded. 'Okay' could mean different things, she decided. Right now 'okay' meant she was able to think clearly, and safe with people willing to help and care about her.
_____________________
MEANWHILE...
"Still no Scarlet Witch?" Tasha asked when she answered the light knock on the cabin door and only saw America. "Regardless, glad to see you, at least. What are you here for if you haven't brought her?"
"I got permission to get some of Wanda's things out of here. She just wants her family pictures and her old phone," America said simply. Much to her surprise, the mysterious Black Widow from the other universe looked quite pleased at her request. "I was going to bring her, but she made me ask for permission first. She knew you're here and that Mr. Wong wouldn't let her see you yet. Um, why do I feel like I've met you before? Not here, I mean."
"You have. You're the one who brought me here."
"I did what? Who messed with my memories then? Are you magic like Wanda or something?" America asked curiously. She followed Tasha into the small cabin and instantly just felt sad. The place almost looked to her as if someone had tried to make it look cozy and welcoming but ultimately failed. If she hadn't known context, she would have thought the cabin was cute, at least on first glance.
"I don't have magic. You brought me here when you were trying to get back to that fantasy historical universe and check on your friend and you portaled to the wrong universe."
America bit her lip, trying to remember what might have happened, but there was just nothing there for her to remember other than the odd feeling she had met this woman before and thought she was nice. "I don't remember that at all. Who changed my memories if you don't have magic?"
Tasha studied America closely, a slight smile playing at her mouth. "The Wanda I knew, of course. She knew you would not keep me a secret from her other self. We weren't certain if my presence here was completely safe for others to interact with until after my universe was...gone. It had to wait, just in case. She asked you for permission first, I promise."
America thought Tasha looked lonely and sad and was trying to hide it. She chewed on her lip some more, trying to think. "How did you know Wanda or I would find you? Mr. Wong only came here because he was checking on this weird mystical ripple thing. Wanda is...not okay. She's trying and she's getting better, but-"
"The mere fact that she is the Scarlet Witch means she's not okay," Tasha interrupted quietly. "That is part of what that means...for now."
"...What is that supposed to mean? That's not fair."
"It means what it sounds like. 'She is not born, she is forged.' You offered her help after and have given her a chance to change how she fulfills that destiny of hers."
"But she already defied the stupid prophecy herself," America pointed out. "Just, you know...she tried to get rid of herself in the process." She sighed and twirled a bit of hair around a finger, wishing she had just brought Wanda with her whether she was supposed to or not.
"She did, but it still stands. You can't erase the Scarlet Witch prophecy."
"That sucks."
"It doesn't have to. The Darkhold version is warped from the truth. She shouldn't pay any mind to that. She has a multiversal anomaly- you- willing to help, and you opened the door for her to fulfill it the way she wants to. You put that much together already."
America thought Tasha knew an awful lot about magic for someone who didn't have magic herself. "Why do you know so much about magic?"
"Because the Wanda I knew and her friend Agatha told me what they knew about this hoping it would be enough to give Scarlet Witch a chance to help save everyone here and have her own happy ending. America, you need to convince her...guards to let her come here. I need to talk to her."
There were four place settings on the table. The long-dead phone lay in the center, and there were sheets of paper covered in Wanda's careful handwriting that somehow still looked a bit childish...but the thick black marker-like scribbles all over them rendered whatever the notes were virtually unreadable. America frowned. Had Wanda left plates out for her missing family before? What had she been trying to write? "There's only you here, right?" America asked.
Tasha's long red hair swung as she spun to study her young visitor again. "Unless you've brought someone else, yes. I've avoided moving things around in here, just cleaned and dusted. I believe those papers were a log of failed attempts to find Billy and Tommy, or rather...the correct variants of them that she couldn't find, considering she easily saw hundreds of them. You can tell when she gave up searching for hers. The writing gets sloppier until, here..." She pointed at a large ink blot in the center of one of the sheets that morphed into clearly angry dark swirled scribbles. "She lasted a long time before breaking, especially considering she had no one to yank her back. Those twins have someone that loves them very dearly. It seems your Wanda is the same: she loves deeply and it is both a strength and a weakness."
"But..." America trailed off, staring at the papers. "Do you mean her kids really are alive then? Where the heck are they?"
Tasha looked at her with a deathly serious expression. "I believe so, but I have no idea where they are. The Wanda I knew believed they were lost, perhaps in an alternate dimension and unreachable at present, or in a sort of sleeping limbo, something like that, but definitely not dead, from the research she and Agatha had done. I trusted her judgement- she would have sent her own boys here with me to safety if she believed it was safe for both them and everyone here."
"So...duplicates of the same person or the equal of the person alive in the wrong universe is only what's dangerous? Or what you guys believed and aren't entirely sure of? And your Wanda was friends with Agatha Harkness?" America padded into the bedroom and immediately saw the pictures Wanda said she wanted. Little Wanda and Pietro smiled at her with their parents from one picture, and the other was the grown-up Wanda she knew happily posing with Vision and her missing children. "Billy and Tommy look kinda like Wanda and Pietro when they were little themselves."
"Why do you think she had twins in the first place?" Tasha asked sharply, which made America flinch.
"'Cause she dreamed of her other selves having them," America said instantly. "And she wished so hard she made it real here."
"Your friend had a mental breakdown. Don't sugarcoat it."
"I'm trying to help. You haven't got to snap," America shot back. "I don't know what I'm doing or how her weird magic works. I just...I do know what losing your family feels like. I'm not sick, but I know it hurts all the same. Is making a wish real so bad, really?"
Tasha's expression softened. "Of course not. But she does need to learn how to make those wishes real intentionally and safely. Is she getting any supervised practice, perhaps?"
"Nooo...Wanda's safe, she's staying at Clint's farm now, but she's wearing protection-spell bracelets so she can't use her magic," America explained cautiously. Maybe Wanda would not want that information being shared, but America thought Tasha was a safe person and had their best interests in mind.
"Are these jewelry items she can remove at will, or locking cuffs she can't take off? The former is good. Even my Wanda used them sometimes on bad days. She'd curl up under a blanket with Vision, those mischievous twins of hers, and her dog Sparky. You don't-"
"Sparky? Sparky was the dog she had that died in Westview," America interrupted, surprised.
"The Sparky I knew was a service dog. She rescued him as a puppy and Agatha and I helped her train him." Tasha sounded wistful now, though her expression stayed unreadable.
America blinked. "Agatha helped your Wanda train her Sparky? The Agatha here killed him."
Tasha gazed at her steadily. "Different universe. Darkhold corruption."
America remembered seeing Wanda with Kate's dog Lucky and then Kate telling her she should get a dog. Lucky was not trained to help with anything specific and wasn't a service dog, of course, but he had still instinctively helped calm her down. "My friend Kate has a dog. He's not a service poochie but Wanda likes him."
"Let me guess. Lucky, a one-eyed golden retriever."
"Yeah. What did your world's Sparky do for her? My Wanda sounded like she saw your Wanda as a...a much healthier version of herself. She saw her in a dream."
Tasha smiled somewhat at that. "I suspect she inherently had similar mental health issues as your friend here, but was able to get the help and support she needed. Discounting the Darkhold, of course. You can't just erase anxiety or PTSD and things like that even with help, but it sure as hell makes it easier to deal." She paused before adding softly, "Sparky would wake her up from nightmares, he could go alert someone to help if she had an anxiety attack and he wasn't enough to calm her, he could retrieve those bracelets for her, he would hug on cue, he could take her to an exit if the place was overwhelming or something. Things like that."
"She just...brought Sparky on Avengers missions and stuff?" America asked incredulously.
Now Tasha really did laugh. "Of course. I don't know how many times some terrified small child we were rescuing was absolutely delighted to see her and Sparky. Though, she retired once she had the twins years ago. She just stayed on the emergency backup roster. I know she never wanted anything more than her family and a safe home to live in and in the end, she had that. But everything still fell apart and all of us knew there was...nothing that could be done for us. Go. Go back for now and take this to the Scarlet Witch. The Wanda I knew wrote this letter for her. Give it to her. Please."
_________________
NEW YORK
"Hey, this is the number Hawkeye gave me to call if I found anything I thought was magic-related?" Scott said on his phone. "At the warehouse thing?"
"Who is this?"
Scott frowned at his phone and then peered around a corner of the dirty side of the building suspiciously, certain that the culprits were now all dead but also thinking he probably shouldn't re-enter the warehouse alone. Some instinctive sense of danger- and not the normal mission danger- said to get far away from the area as quickly as possible. "Ant-Man? Scott Lang? I saw you at the final Thanos battle, Stephen Strange, I wrote a book-"
"Oh. Right, right," came an absent, stressed-sounding reply. "What did you find?"
"That warehouse Hawkeye told me about has dead guys in it. Some of them have green glowy stuff on them, but not all, and I think I saw that Punisher dude I read about in here. Anyways whoever the black skull shirt guy with the big gun was saw me and just...nodded and left." Scott hesitated before adding, "I think there's something else weird going on. Not that a bunch of dead bad guys isn't weird, but I saw empty tanks in the basement and this area feels...wrong."
"Frank Castle isn't involved with magic. He's just a violent street-level vigilante. On my way, though." The phone clicked, and Scott sighed; then immediately watched the sparkling orange portal appear on the opposite side of the street.
Switching back to ant size, Scott quickly made his way across the street with Ant-ony and a few more ant cohorts, his duffel bag of belongings shrinking down with him. He popped up to normal size next to Stephen. "Hi."
Strange looked rather tired, which matched his stressed voice on the phone. "Okay, so...details, before we go in there. What are these empty tanks you mentioned? That sounds like tech, not magic."
"Well, Hawkeye said Wanda thought there was something below the floor. Like enhanced power or magic or something like that." Scott spoke slowly, as if he were trying to process what he had seen. "There were an awful lot of...samples in that basement. Creepy stuff, like out of a mad scientist's lair in a horror movie. I think there were enhanced people down there that got moved before those guys were killed and before we got here. In the tanks. And that these people are using both magic and tech."
"All right. Let's-"
"One thing more," Scott interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically serious. The air had an odd sort of aura to him, as if he had walked through something full of static electricity. A chill snaked down his back despite there being nothing to see. "I saw mentions of you and Wanda on the wall. Doctor Strange. Scarlet Witch- and by the way, I told Wanda she should code herself with that hero name years ago and we didn't even know she really was magic but she didn't like-"
"Ant-Man, please. This is important. Get to the point."
"Right, right. I know. Well, there was an empty spot with a question mark making a triangle with you guys. And you know how all the points on some alchemy arrays are connected? Like in the Fullmetal Alchemist series?"
Stephen stared at him patiently. "I know what alchemic arrays look like, yes, even if I don't know what that series is."
"Well, you, Wanda, and the mystery person were at the center of something that looked like a drawing of one of those, with another question mark in the center of the triangle. Something about a vessel, a battery, channels, things like that. I didn't read all of it. It felt like being in there alone was dangerous, and not normal solo mission danger." Scott was more surprised than not at Stephen appearing to take that judgement seriously, since Scott really was not experienced with the mystic arts at all.
A spell of some kind. "Get back to your daughter or go visit the Barton farm, whatever you want," Stephen said hurriedly, making another portal and shoving the other man through it, which deposited them back at the sanctum. "Don't come back here."
"My ants!"
"Forget the damn ants! You should never have been in there alone. I'm sorry-"
"Oh, I have them. They're on my shoulder," Scott said happily, which made Stephen scowl at him in a rather irritated manner.
"Be serious, will you?" Stephen pointed back in the vague direction of where the warehouse would have been and spoke more quietly. "If what you saw is what I think it is, tell Laura Barton and America Chavez to keep a damn close eye on Wanda Maximoff. She's in danger, and will be a danger if these people get ahold of her. She's almost certainly the vessel they want. Actually, don't go home. No need to pull your kid into this too. Go to Barton's farm." He spun and moved to re-enter the sanctum, leaving a startled and baffled Scott behind him.
Scott was wondering if he should ask Doctor Strange to portal him to the farm when a portal formed next to him and somehow slid forward, putting him on the other side of the crackling circle before it vanished. Blinking, he shook his head hard and stared at the inviting-looking farmhouse. Clearly Stephen had indeed deposited him in Iowa, which was weird but very cool. Scott made his way to the door and knocked lightly.
__________________
Upstairs in her room with America, who had just returned a few minutes before, Wanda kept running her fingers over the two pictures America had brought back for her. I have not been able to really, truly see these properly for so long. They are mine and I have them and they're real, they are real and it was okay to want them so badly. I reacted wrong to that wish. "Thank you," she whispered again. The dead phone lay on the carpet charging; maybe it was not connected yet, but she would be able to look at all the old pictures in it and maybe the old word puzzle game she'd downloaded long ago to help practice spelling English words would still work.
"You said that four times already," America pointed out, but she didn't mind, delighted that Wanda seemed happier even if she was also rather somewhere else in her own head.
"...Oh. I'm sorry." Wanda didn't say anything else; she was still very, very focused on her precious pictures. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine those lost family members here now. I remember all of you. I love you so much. I'm sorry I fell apart alone. I want to do better. I will do better.
"There's a letter Tasha gave me to give you," America said casually, which made Wanda tense and stare at her.
"Wong said not to talk about her." Wanda hesitated for only a few interminable seconds before accepting the letter, which only had her own Scarlet Witch moniker on it, in handwriting that looked suspiciously similar to her own. Reading a letter was not talking to her friends that didn't already know about Tasha's existence, after all. Did the other me write this? I don't understand.
"I don't think talking about her is dangerous at all. I think Mr. Wong is being extra cautious because he's not sure about it, and it's going to end up biting us all in the butt," America answered matter-of-factly. "You have got something important to do and I think Tasha is supposed to help you. What if whatever caused her world's incursion and destroyed it is part of the mystical ripple we have in ours? Even if not, I think something big is going on."
Wanda didn't answer, not quite completely believing that, but also suspecting it was true all the same. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out two benign-looking pieces of paper. One was a letter; the other was a detailed, intricate rune spell that she didn't recognize beyond thinking it had something to with life and death and...existence and sacrifice. The other me, the one I saw fade away...die...peacefully with her family wrote this, she realized, her hand shaking a bit at that realization. Wanda set the spell paper aside, hoping that perhaps the letter contained an explanation.
'Dear Wanda (other me),
If you are reading this, then my universe is gone and Tasha gave this letter to you. Perhaps your friend Miss America got it to you instead. You knew your variant of Tasha as Nat. Of course she is not exactly the same and I would never expect either of you to feel such, but please take care of her for me. She will pretend otherwise, but she will be lonely. Do not feel sorry for me. I am at peace with what has happened, now.
I have enclosed a resurrection spell for you. A safe one.' Wanda tensed and nearly dropped the paper, and then stared at America, her eyes wide. "America, did you...know what was in here?"
"No. Just that Tasha's you wrote it for you. What is it?"
Wanda moved to sit next to America and held the paper so her friend could read the letter too. "Something I don't dare hope is real," she whispered. They continued reading in silence.
'Agatha and I designed it, but neither of us had the power to cast it. I may go by your moniker, but I am not the Scarlet Witch. You are. You can cast this safely, no corrupting magic book necessary. I cannot get my Pietro back. You can. He is our other half. It won't work safely on anyone else- do not attempt to bring back a friend or more distant relative. Please. I know how tempting it is to want to try, believe me. Agatha and I have done as much research as possible. It is safe only because we are twins. Otherwise it can and will rebound or backfire horribly. We are connected. You probably felt that when you lost your Pietro, just like I did. A piece of our life force. A piece of flesh. Those you still must give up willingly. Spontaneous creation and 'I wish...' We still function on imagination and instinct at the core, even with instructions and experience. Remember that.
I know you have never been given the latter, not on the mystical side of things. I am glad you made a new friend you can trust, at least. I saw her, you know. I think you saw you when you were younger and it hurt so badly the Darkhold made you take your pain out on her before. Miss America is meant to be a hero just like you. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Make your own destiny, find your family, and help her find hers. Please.
I am sorry Agatha and I convinced your friend America to let us use her to get Tasha to you for help. You and your friend can save your world and others, just not mine. You know this. But I want to give you this for you. Get him back, please? I believe in you, even if you feel like no one else does. I've seen you in my dreams. Maybe you have seen me too. You don't have to live a nightmare anymore. You don't. You are not alone.
If you do have questions, and I am sure you will, ask Tasha. She will help you fix this and find your missing family. I just wanted to give you this. At least one dead Pietro can have another chance at life. Dreams tell us others of us do still have him with us, but so many do not. Take care of Tasha for me, please. I hope you and Tasha are able to comfort each other even though it is not the same as having your original friends back.
I am sending you all the love and care I possibly can. I do not want you in so much pain anymore. Vis and the boys are loved very much here too. You will find yours again. I am sure of it. Perhaps when you read this you already have. I hope so. I think Pietro's optimism rubbed off a bit on me finally.
Love, Wanda.'
America's brown eyes were big and round. "Oh my god. Oh my god, that is so cool, that's awesome, we can just-"
"My brother," Wanda whispered, hugging the letter to her chest. "Even corrupted me never believed I could ever get him back. Pietro has been gone for so long." Only the broken me in Westview hoping so hard that the fake Pietro was real that she let herself believe it for a little while even though things weren't right at all. “Is this real? Is this really real?"
America tried to respond in a calm, reasonable manner; after all, why would Wanda believe that possibility was real? It did sound too good to be true. "I mean, the other you seems like she had way less power than you do, but a ton more knowledge. It would make sense you could safely do this and she couldn't."
A light knock on the door startled both of them, and Wanda quickly folded the letter and stuffed it under her pillow, which seemed immature to her, but a reasonable reaction. A resurrection spell that sounded too good to be true and was clearly not the nasty corrupted one from the Darkhold wasn't dangerous to look at right now, and it would be okay not to share its existence yet. I have the bracelets on now anyway. Even if I was tempted to do it without studying this more, I can't do it right now.
"Hey, Wanda, Lang's here. I thought you'd want to see him," Sam's calm voice floated in from the other side of the door.
"I'm coming."
Notes:
Heh, I am SO excited for the next few chapters! We’re getting closer to the big event(s) I’m most looking forward to xD
Scott was around Wanda in Aftermath in the time right after the rogues escaped the Raft. His comment that he told Wanda she should have a hero code name is from that timeframe:)
As always, kudos/comments are much appreciated. I love writing this fic so much and I love getting feedback on it lol!
Chapter 18: Chapter 18
Notes:
TW for panic attack and mild self-harm. I know if you are reading this fic, you probably already know that will be addressed, but I’ll mention it anyway:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda started to follow Sam and America downstairs, but a smiling Scott met them right on the stairs, saying Laura had sent him upstairs. Feeling somewhat awkward, she let America pull her right back into the guest room- no that is my room, at least for now, Wanda reminded herself. Sam thumped back downstairs agreeably, figuring he didn't need to be crowding people around Wanda in a smallish space, when she had never liked that sort of thing even before, as long as he'd known her.
"Hey, larger Cassie," Scott said nonchalantly. The duffel bag dropped on the floor in a corner. Then, to America, "Hi. You look around my daughter Cassie's age now." He gave Wanda a warm hug without bothering to ask first, and then glanced at America, adding that he would hug her too if she wanted one so she wouldn't be left out, but he didn't know her either, so that was probably weird.
America stared at him, more than a bit baffled. "Literally anyone saying that would be awfully creepy out of context. Gosh." Delighted to see Wanda stifling laughter, she added, "But you made Wanda laugh, so you are okay."
Wanda knew Scott well enough to remember that he would give hugs to absolutely everyone if they didn't mind. "He hugs everyone," she assured America, "he just makes sure it's okay first." Scott hadn't asked first before hugging her, but she knew he was just remembering years ago when she did not mind. Now all of the hugging from her friends and teammates was simultaneously foreign, startling, and reassuring to her all at the same time. Does Scott know what I did? I guess Clint must have told him something, like he did Sam and Bucky, but... Before she could talk herself out of it, Wanda just said, "If Clint didn't tell you what I did, then I need to explain before you decide to just...treat me the same as you always did. I want to be honest."
Scott's usual jovial expression faded as he plopped himself in the desk chair. He looked her straight in the eyes when he spoke. "I have a good idea. Hawkeye just said you'd had some trouble, so you were living here now and the sorcerers approved of that. And Bucky the White Wolf said you were brainwashed, just by magic instead of tech, and pointedly ordered me not to say anything about what happened to you or what you did to the public. You're wearing an ankle monitor. I've had one of those, remember? So I won't be getting all up in your business about whatever you did to get that put on you."
"Scott, you did not kill innocent people on purpose," Wanda whispered.
"Nah, I think I'll trust Bucky Barnes's judgement about this, not you. He should know better than anybody else. Also, the Sorcerer Supreme chose not to turn you in to our dumb government and is monitoring you himself. I think if you were such a horrible person that didn't deserve another chance, he wouldn't do that." Scott paused before adding, "I saw you before in the Raft, and you never tried to kill any guards. Or Ross. You mouthed off at them, so I know you were also angry and not only scared and hurt. Someone not killing people willing to starve and torture her for weeks wouldn't consciously decide to kill innocent people. Whatever happened, whatever you did, I know you weren't in control of yourself."
Wanda didn't answer right away, hot tears burning her eyes even as she tried to blink them away. Why are you still willing to believe the best of me? I don't understand. I don't understand at all. She felt America hugging her tightly again, and she flinched but didn't pull away, either. The Raft was not something she thought about on a daily basis anymore, at least not aside from that shock collar being associated with that place to her. "I couldn't do that there," she said finally.
"Um, after we all got out I found out you'd been silently talking to Clint telepathically despite those restraints, 'cause he'd given you permission to. You could've scared the shit out of the guards easily doing that. You didn't even need all the crazy power you have now." Scott paused and then went on, "So no, I'm not excusing whatever you did, but nobody here is going to cut you out because of it. Maybe instead of worrying your teammates and friends won't give you another chance, you should worry about giving yourself another chance."
I don't know how. I am trying, and being around all of you helps, but I don't know how otherwise. Wanda decided she did not want to discuss that now; knowing Scott knew she had done horrible things but had decided he would just treat her the same because he trusted Bucky's judgement was enough. Odd, but awfully nice. "Did you find anything in that New York warehouse?"
Scott knew quite well the abrupt topic change meant Wanda did not want to talk about it anymore. "Yes. Dead people, a horror movie evil scientist lair, and some weird alchemy array. Or magic, I guess."
"What dead people? Dead bad guys or dead victims?" America asked.
"...A spell?" Wanda asked cautiously. "Is it what killed the poor people?"
Scott looked at the two of them and sighed. "Dead bad guys. I don't agree with what the Punisher does, but he doesn't kill innocents. I guess it's a spell. Doctor Strange immediately thought it was. Had you and him and a question mark on it, linked in a triangle. But whatever it was couldn't have been used, because it looked incomplete."
Wanda's face went white. Me, Strange...and Agatha, I bet. "Scott, did you take any pictures of the thing, maybe?" Her voice was shaking, and she dug her nails into her palms, trying not to be too obvious about it and knowing she was probably failing.
"Yeah, actually I did. Hey, are you...okay? You look kind of pale."
Right now, I am okay. Wanda nodded, which she knew did not look convincing, and squeezed her hands into fists harder. I could probably cast the spell. It's just incomplete. No, no I won't. That is not me and if it is not me then it is something we don't want to mess with. “Can I see the pictures? Maybe I can help. I want to help. I want to help instead of ruining everything and hurting people again. I don't want to hurt anyone. I really want to help."
Scott frowned; the lilting, repeated, upset phrasing concerned him. "You sound lost," he said quietly. "Maybe it's not completely safe here, exactly, but you don't have to help right now if you don't feel good." On a sudden impulse, he made Ant-ony big enough to hold like a lizard or a similar pet, and carefully set the ant on Wanda's shaky palm. "See, Ant-ony likes you too."
"How is making her hold a big bug going to help?" America, who did not like bugs one bit, asked, sounding slightly disturbed.
"Hey, you'll hurt Ant-ony's feelings," Scott scolded.
Wanda was more or less indifferent to bugs, but she appreciated the gesture. "Scott, I am pretty sure you could be making Ant-ony not mind me holding him," she murmured, carefully stroking the ant's back with one finger. Ant-ony appeared to enjoy this, which made her relax a bit again. She did not really understand why Scott was attached to his specific ants, but they were still live things and if Scott cared about them then she did not want to hurt them. Wanda handed the big ant back to Scott carefully.
"Well, yeah, I could do that, but I didn't. I don't mind showing you the pictures, but if it's a bad spell, is showing you going to hurt you or anyone else?" Scott asked. Wanda stared at her arm where Scott had just tried to give her a reassuring squeeze. Mostly she just felt tense all over again, like a rubber band stretched near its breaking point.
He was worried about her; he was worried she was a danger to both herself and everyone else. And he was still offering help even though he clearly didn't know what was going on. Wanda blinked several times and then shook her head hard. "No. I have these on," she said, twisting one of the cuff bracelets on her wrists. "I can't use my magic right now. So, it is fine."
Deciding that no magic meant it must be safe to show Wanda, even if the idea of magic-canceling bracelets worried him, Scott fished his phone out and pulled up a photo. The lighting was not great, but the array was clearly visible. In seconds Wanda was on her feet, her big green eyes sparkling strangely. I don't know what is going on, but- "That thing is dangerous," she whispered.
you are chilling in that farmhouse and you aren't even looking for them anymore. I have not given up, I am just going to look properly. I never could find them properly before anyway. Wanda blinked again, thinking of the many, many failed attempts to find the twins before. How could she find them if there were infinite universes in which to look?
They cannot be in another universe, not unless she moved them-
Wanda stared at America for a second and then fled. I will not hurt her. I won't. Leave me alone. The bathroom. She would go to the bathroom and lock the door until she calmed down. That was safe. That was safe and would not hurt her friends. She would not be near poor America right now, not when she didn't trust herself one bit.
you could go ask Clint to pry the bracelets off. He would, too. There was Cooper. Cooper in the hallway staring and looking puzzled; he was talking and worried. Instead of pulling herself away from Cooper, she let him yank her down the hall.
"I'll take you to Mom or Dad," Cooper was saying. "You like them and also, what are you talking about? Quit yanking so hard."
Wanda thought that she wanted to go outside. The walls suddenly seemed too smothering and her chest hurt and she was scared and-
I said that out loud. What is wrong with me? There was something pulling on her again and she twisted free and just ran. She would not hurt Cooper, and she would not hurt any of the others, either, especially not the one that had been willing to offer help in the first place after Wundagore. Laura said I could go in the barn. I can go there. Slipped, fell. Carpet burn. Nails on skin. "Don't... don't take them off."
"Don't take them off I don't want to hurt you please take me outside I don't want to-"
There was a fleece blanket wrapped around her shoulders. A soothing voice saying it's okay I don't know what happened but just breathe. Can you listen? We'll go outside. The person picked her up entirely and there was nice cool outside air and the sea of other voices faded. She knew this voice; it was a safe voice and would not hurt her; she did not need to fight that.
Something else, some not Wanda thing, seemed disappointed and angry that she wouldn't fight any longer, but the still-grounded bit of her had latched on to the fact that this was a safe person for her and she refused to back down from that even if she was still terrified something was all wrong.
"Hey, you remember me. We've done this part before. I know you remember. We're just outside in the yard. Where are we?"
That voice belonged to Clint. Clint would get the wristbands off; he had already expressed that he didn't like it so obviously he should be willing to pry them off, keys or no. "Get them off," she demanded.
Clint froze for a second, not caring for that calm-angry tone of voice that he sensed was not Wanda's normal calm-angry tone, and suddenly realized exactly why Wanda had been so relieved she couldn't access her magic at the moment. "Wanda, stop hurting yourself," he said quietly. "We're not taking those bracelets off right now. Maybe later."
Clint. Clint is talking to me and- Nails dragged down the soft skin on the inside of her arm, and then Clint had them pinned still. She yanked and pulled and pulled, but he would not let go of her.
"It's all right. Look, grass." Clint held Wanda's hand against the grass firmly, and then the cold brick-lined fire pit. "Bricks." The soft blanket. "Blanket. You are safe. You are not alone, either. I just can't let you hurt yourself."
They are just scratches and at least I can tell those small hurts are real, and normal, and they are just on me, not others. Wanda stopped trying to pull her hand free and tried to focus on Clint's voice. His callused hand was just holding her shaky one gently but firmly. He was real; he was there; he was not going to hurt her because she couldn't access her magic at the moment. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just- I feel I can't think. I don't know." Yes I do. “It wants me take them off. I want them off. I am so angry and it scared me, I-" stop talking why would you tell the truth he'll never listen look what you've been reduced to
I hate this. I just wanted to help. I really, really wanted to help.
"If you're pissed and want to tear something up, you're welcome to beat on the punching bag in the barn," Clint said calmly. "Where are we?"
"Farm." Wanda still felt she could not focus properly, but she knew that much. Safe. I don't have to react like...that. I don't need to use my magic and I don't need to have access to it. My friends will help me find them, and if they can't then it is not time yet.
...Billy and Tommy might be scared somewhere. They might be hurt.
"Great. Yes, we're all safe at the farm. Can you breathe with me? Some nice deep breaths."
"...You did not knock me out."
"No, I didn't." Clint did not elaborate further; he just continued holding her close.
"Why not?"
Clint scowled out at the yard. "Because I'd rather help you calm down. I'm not going to knock you out for having a panic attack or whatever similar thing happened."
"They might be hurt or scared and I can't find them," Wanda said abruptly.
"Do you mean your twins?"
Nod.
"They also might just be waiting for you to be able to bring them back," Clint told her, which did sound reasonable to her. If Clint was right, then maybe Billy and Tommy were just waiting somewhere else for her to be strong enough to simply bring them back herself properly without trapping them inside a hex or harming anyone else to do so. Maybe they did not exist right this moment, but she could bring them back from the nothing. That was the best-case scenario after all; if they weren't lost somewhere alone then they would not be hurting and scared.
What if whatever is going on also wants Billy though? He has magic like me because of me. “If Billy is out there somewhere, he's in danger because he has magic like me," Wanda said flatly. "If he isn't and I can bring him back, then he will be in danger by default." She swiped at her eyes roughly. They were calling for help. What if that part really was real? The idea made Wanda feel like throwing up. Clint's theory was more logical, but she couldn't quite discard that fear either.
"Billy is fine. If he's out there, we will find him. If he has magic like you, then he can defend himself just fine."
Wanda ran her fingers over the fleece blanket and picked at a loose thread on the edge. The grass was pleasant under her bare feet, and she could taste salt from her own tears. Those things were real too, real and ordinary. "He's just a baby. Ten, like Pietro and me were when we lost our parents," Wanda said softly, blinking and trying not to cry any more. I hope they are not out there right now and I am just delusional. I have left them all alone.
Clint sighed. "If he's like you, he'll survive until we can find them. I'm sorry I don't have anything more comforting to say. We got to help you first. If we can do that, then I think you have far better chances of finding them yourself."
Tell him the truth. Tell him what set you off, Wanda. It's all right. You didn't hurt him or your other friends. You couldn't have, anyway. That's exactly what the bracelets are supposed to prevent. And you know it wasn't just looking at a magic-related thing that set you off. The resurrection spell was safe to look at. Wong's old book he lent you is safe to look at too. “I made a scene," she muttered finally.
Tell him the truth. I should tell him the truth. All of it.
"No big deal. Nobody here cares about that, Wanda. I don't like that you scratched up your arms like this, but that's it. You are allowed to be angry. You are allowed to be scared." Clint ignored the death grip on his arms since Wanda not only wasn't really hurting him, she still seemed frightened. "Why do I think this is a combination of your normal panic attack symptoms and some magic-related thing affecting you?"
"Accurate." Wanda nodded again and closed her eyes, trying to relax. He won't mind. I should just tell him what I know. “Scott found a...bad spell array in that warehouse," she whispered. Finish explaining, Wanda. It scared you. Then set you off. That is fine. You did not harm your friends. You literally can't right now, which is good.
"A spell you saw in the Darkhold before?" Clint asked carefully, half expecting Wanda to fall apart again, but she only began staring at the scratches and nail marks on her arms and picking at them. "Stop that. You are not allowed to hurt yourself. That you may not do. Let's go in the barn, okay?"
Okay. Okay, I can walk to the barn, and I can tell him what I saw. Wanda let him guide her into the barn, which smelled like clean crispy hay. The promised punching bag hung from a ceiling rafter. "I can really...?"
Now Clint smiled. "Yes. Yes, you may."
Wanda pounded the punching bag as hard as she could. That felt good, and it was such a relief that she could be angry and beat the stupid bag up and it was not going to hurt anything. Strangely it also seemed to make her unreachable magic feel better too; it settled in her chest, as if it were some feral cat finally feeling safe enough to go to sleep properly. There was no more sense of something unsettling and wrong jabbing and poking at her because she could not get at her chaos magic properly and wake it up; instead it settled quietly back in its cocoon where she didn't notice it.
"Get it out of your system and then get over here so I can put something on the worst scratches, okay? I got first-aid stuff out here too." Clint also texted Laura, asking her to please bring a hoodie out to the barn.
I could just heal myself. It doesn't matter. No, I won't. Not right now. Wanda let herself beat up the punching bag a bit longer and then turned toward her friend, breathing hard. "That helped," she whispered. "A lot, actually. Thank you."
Laura was standing in the entrance next to the sliding door holding Wanda's red hoodie. "I brought some water. Wanda, are you feeling a little better now? You look more like yourself, at least."
Wanda did not smile, but she nodded. "I am sorry. I am so sorry- this is why I didn't want to come here and stick you with dealing with me. I just-"
"It's fine," Laura interrupted gently. "It's fine and there is help here. A whole house full. Cooper knew to get a trusted adult when he found you in the hall even though he likes thinking he's all grown up. You didn't hurt him, just startled him."
"I don't want to startle Cooper. I love him and Lila and Nate." Wanda watched Clint dabbing some ointment thing on her arms, tempted to pull herself away, but she knew he would just make her let Laura do it if she wouldn't let him. It stung a bit and she did not care; maybe that was a good thing anyway that she couldn't just erase the marks instantly anymore.
"What triggered you?" Clint asked calmly, as if the whole thing had not been weird at all.
Instead of answering, Wanda gulped the water and said, "I always just healed myself immediately in the cabin, so it didn't matter," which made Clint trade a glance with Laura that reminded her of her own lost parents.
"It does matter. Being able to instantly heal does not make it okay to hurt yourself." Clint frowned and grabbed Wanda's other arm. "That one's done."
"Those scratches aren't dangerous. If I didn't have those bracelets on, they would all be gone now."
"You look like a cat used you as a scratching post. This is not okay, whether you can heal it or not. I get the vibe you felt you had to hurt something and you just turned the destructive behavior on yourself instead of someone else."
I...did. That's not wrong. Tell them what you couldn't finish explaining before. “Scott found a bad spell array in that warehouse basement," Wanda repeated deliberately. I only saw it briefly. I am fine. I should tell them what was wrong with it. “I can't remember seeing anything exactly like it in the Darkhold, but it felt like those. I know, now, so it scared me. Whatever it is...it's really dangerous. I thought it would be fine to look at it, because of the bracelets and the book is gone, but it was not."
"Scott did say Strange seemed really concerned before he went upstairs to see you," Clint said, glancing at Laura again. "Hey, did Scott or America tell you anything while Wanda and I were here outside?"
"Just that they knew the phone picture was what set Wanda off. Scott said something about vessels and batteries, that Strange said Wanda was in danger and we needed to keep a close eye on her. They wanted to interfere to help, but I told them let you handle it."
Wanda bit her lip and tried to think it over clearly. "The spell had Stephen and me on it. I think either Agatha Harkness, or maybe some other person that meddled with the Darkhold is the third point of that triangle portion of the spell's...layout. And..." she trailed off, her eyes bright with tears again, "I think America is part of it. That isn't fair. She didn't do anything wrong. She didn't do anything and that's not fair. I am going to kill whoever is trying to hurt her- I did that enough myself-"
"Wanda, stop it." Clint put both hands on Wanda's shoulders, trying to get her to stop feeling quite so agitated. "Look. We got a team here. We got people in New York too. Nobody is going to hurt your friend, least of all you. Why do you think America is part of it?"
I don't want to say. “Because the corruption remnants yanked and hurt and I knew it wanted me to hurt her. So I ran. I thought I could lock myself in the bathroom until I calmed down. I knew I didn't want to hurt her or Scott or anyone else. That was not me." Wanda hesitated and went on in a very small voice, "I think it knew it was not working, so it switched to focusing on these," she touched her wrist lightly. Because part of me really does hate them, even though I'm relieved I don't have to worry. I'm so glad Clint didn't listen to me.
"All right. Thank you for being honest." Clint finished taking care of the scratches and offered her the hoodie, knowing Wanda probably didn't want to see the marks herself, let alone let the rest of their friends see them. Predictably Wanda snatched it and then yanked the hood over her head too, saying a quiet thank-you. "You doing okay now?"
Tell the truth, Wanda. It's all right. Look, if you can do better, you might be able to get me back for real, now. Maybe it doesn't have to be a dumb unrealistic dream any more. “I'm scared and I am angry and I can't fix it," Wanda whispered after a moment. "Tired. So tired. I want my magic and I don't want it. I'm scared because I can't use it, but if you took the bracelets off, then I would be scared I'd lose control again. There is no fix."
Laura's voice somehow reminded Wanda of her own mother Iryna. "I don't believe you are going to lose control again unless you're exposed to further...bad magic. Why don't you go try to rest for awhile and then we can take them off for a few minutes before we go to Verizon? I have the keys. Maybe that would be enough to make you feel better."
"We don't have any way to prove it would be safe," Wanda said miserably. "None of you would be able to get the things back on if I lose control again and you know it." Why is Laura even saying that? She just saw me panic and make a scene already. I believe them that no one here minded, but...
"Your magic was yours to control when you brought yourself here and it was fine. Look, I know I'm not Nat, but honestly I'm not concerned about you 'losing control' so long as we can keep you from being exposed to any more of whatever that corrupted magic is," Laura explained. "You wouldn't hurt us just because you were upset or panicked. If you had the bracelets off right now, you'd be in control."
You weren't in Westview, Wanda thought. Those people were hurt and that had nothing to do with the Darkhold at all. She fiddled with her fingers uncomfortably and didn't answer right away. Laura's statement wasn't false, exactly, but Wanda also still didn't trust herself, either. "That is still risky, now. How are any of us supposed to fix whatever is going on when the second I try to help, I can't think straight and then my friends have to fix me? Scott showed me the picture and I freaked out. We can't even investigate what it is without potentially hurting someone else. I'm a liability- Clint, don't try to tell me otherwise, that is just a fact- and nobody can change that." Wanda stuffed her hands in her hoodie pockets and glared at her bare toes tiredly. I probably shouldn't be here. I don't want to leave, but is staying selfish?
"You are more of a liability on your own," Laura said gently. "Don't you think you are safer here than alone somewhere?"
"Yes. But all of you are not, and I love all of you very much. I don't want to put you in danger."
"If you're right, that whoever this spell...array...whatever...belongs to needs you to complete it, then the rest of us are also safer by having you here," Clint said firmly. "Do you really think risking criminals or more corrupted magic getting claws into you is a good plan?"
"No, of course not. I'm just...worried. What if I had attacked one of you, especially the children? What if some other corrupted person with magic comes here for me?" Wanda asked, fiddling with her fingers nervously again. "Or even just some ordinary person realizing just who you are caring for. I know none of you want to say anything about the...other horrible things I did with the Darkhold, but that still leaves what I did in Westview."
Clint leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "I really don't believe you would ever harm the littles. I trust you. I don't think as many people know about Westview as you think, and nobody is going to take you away. What do you think Bucky and Sam came here for?"
Wanda clenched her fists in her pockets. "I'm not sure you understand what could happen if whoever made that array has magic and you try to protect me. I..." she closed her eyes, considering how to explain. "I'm glad whoever is responsible for this didn't actually realize I was...me. That nasty array is probably at least partly what I thought I sensed beneath the floor in that warehouse in the first place." I was probably in more danger than I thought. I guess being adjacent to it isn't as bad as just...seeing a picture of it? I don't understand. "And even if they don't have as much power as I do, a corrupted person with magic could cause a lot of damage. You also have America here. She's innocent, but she's tangled up in this too, because of me. I made it possible for her to be here." And what happens when somebody realizes I am worse than useless with those bracelets on? I'm...scared. I have no right to be scared.
"You need someone with magic that isn't me. I can't help you solve the array, because..." she trailed off. Because there's something wrong with me and I think I'm...sick. If Pietro was here, I know he would agree with me. He would be able to sense that I don't feel right. "Because something is ill here," she said finally, putting a hand to her head. "I don't have a name for it, but it...it is like it's mostly just me and the corrupted magic made it worse." There. Antonia would probably be glad she had spoken up clearly and she could tell Antonia about all of this tomorrow during their session, except now Wanda worried that talking to Antonia would somehow harm Antonia too.
Clint scowled and sighed very deeply. "I think we knew that part, Wanda. You just take care of yourself for now and chill. Friendly bug dude seems his normal jokey caring self and he was not only exposed to the spell array in person, he was in the warehouse with the dead guys. Maybe it only affects people directly connected to magic like you and Strange. Maybe it's okay for you to be near the spell so long as you're not visually looking at it, I don't know. Regardless, I think maybe we should just tell Wong and let him handle it. I'd rather keep you and the littles safe at this point."
Or it just affected me because there was already something wrong with me, Wanda thought, but the logical bit of her was a hundred percent certain that was not the case. If any magic was going to affect her, certainly Wong's book or that resurrection spell- a literal resurrection spell- would do so. "If they're collecting enhanced people, someone could be purposely corrupting them or trying to drain their abilities. Stephen probably would know what the array is for, but if Scott shows him, it will probably hurt him too, just...not affect him like it did me. It's just..." Wanda buried her face in her hands and tried her best to think it through logically.
The corruption originated from Chthon. That much she knew. The question was what did it want her or anyone else to do exactly, because she knew now even her corrupted self wasn't really doing what the Darkhold wanted her to do. Killing people in the way of reaching another universe's variants of her twins was not the end goal for some ancient demonic entity. That made no sense; she didn't believe the creature cared a whit about a few dead innocent people one way or the other. The Illuminati in 838, the sorcerers here in 616, America, and her own innocent other self were "only" a few lives in the grand picture of the entire universe...or multiverse, however they chose to look at it. "I don't think corrupted me finding America in the first place was an accident," she said finally. "And I don't think the poor people I killed mean anything at all to that...that creature. Wong and Stephen think I am its vessel. I think that array Scott found has got something to do with harnessing a great deal of corrupted...something. We can't leave that for Wong and Stephen to fix. Wong is friends with Madisynn. She made a demon pact. Stephen has at least a little bit of Darkhold corruption himself. All of us are threaded way too close to that array and whatever it's made for, and I don't like it."
Wanda squeezed her eyes shut so hard it hurt. Be logical. Being scared is logical, but I can't let that fear make me irrational trying to figure this out. “I know I don't have much knowledge of how my magic really functions, and I know I reacted irrationally to that picture. But I do know that array really is dangerous. I recognized the runes for 'strength' and 'possession' at least..."
"Wait. Wanda, we don't need you, Strange, or Wong or any other magic people to study the damn thing," Clint said suddenly. "You just gave me an idea. The runes are based more or less on old Viking ones, right?"
"Well...yes. That's what Wong's old book says, anyway..." Wanda trailed off, and then tired green eyes brightened. It didn't harm Scott, so he can look at the picture he took without hurting himself. If we can translate the runes one at a time, we can figure out what the array is for, at least somewhat, without risking anything at all.
Clint nodded. "Perfect. Laura, take Wanda back to her room and make sure she rests, will you? I think we have some work to do."
_________________
Wanda willingly let Laura take her back inside. Much to her surprise, there was little acknowledgement of the entire incident.
"Glad you're safe, Little Red." Sam.
"Sam, she's a whole ass adult. Why do you call her that?" That was Bucky, who then proceeded to add in that awkward blunt manner, "I know what that probably felt like. Go to sleep. Plenty of us here to guard the house."
"Sorry I showed it to you. I thought it would be okay." Scott looked so guilty that Wanda made herself hug him and assure him it was not his fault at all and that she was fine.
Then she found America and all three of the Barton children in her room, all of whom looked worried but didn't ask any questions, aside from little Nate, who immediately pounced on her and asked when he could see her magic. Lila looked at her little brother knowingly. "She'll show you later, when she feels better."
"Okay." Nate sounded very much like little Lila had years before.
"Let Wanda be for now," Laura said firmly. "Wanda, I want you to rest for an hour or so. If you don't want to sleep, that's fine, but just...rest. America, I know I'm not your mom, but I'd like you to be quiet and read or something like that if you're staying in here with her. Please."
"My moms would like you," America said a bit sadly, "you are caring, bossy and kind. But okay, I can do that."
Laura did not appear offended; she smiled and left, closing the door behind her.
Wanda had a sudden inkling that Cooper liked America, because he was not-so-subtly looking at her rather adoringly, and she wondered when America would notice or tell him she did not like boys that way. Lila didn't pounce on her as she had years ago and Nate had done now, but she did give Wanda another hug. Then Lila promptly steered her siblings out of the room, saying to come get any of them if Wanda wanted to, but she was supposed to take a nap. I don't understand. Why are all of them acting like what I did wasn't a big deal at all? Especially America. She knows quite well why I left the room. "America, I am sorry," she said quietly. "Again. I feel just saying sorry is...not good enough when someone repeats the bad behavior."
"But you didn't. I'm not stupid, I know whatever corrupted magic remnants are still around probably want my powers for something, even if I don't know what it is. But you don't." America paused, studying Wanda thoughtfully. "Besides, why did you run off like that? You didn't have to. I thought that's what the bracelets were for. So you don't have to worry about making any mistakes with your magic."
Wanda's voice was muffled in the pillows because she had buried her face in them. "I didn't want to scare you making you remember what I did to you before." I am so tired. At least there is a plan now, I suppose.
"That's dumb."
"It is not."
"Yes it is, because you don't scare me anymore. Hey, can I ask you something?"
Wanda was quite sure America was changing the topic entirely, and she turned over so she could see her friend again. "Sure."
"I think Cooper likes me and I don't like him. Well, I mean, he's nice and I like him as a friend, but I don't like him," America amended.
This was not a question, but Wanda knew what America meant- that she wasn't sure how to tell him. "Tell him the truth. He can't be offended anyway, because it isn't anything to do with Cooper personally. He'll just be disappointed."
"But he didn't do anything. It's not Cooper's fault."
"It's not anyone's fault. Not yours and not his either." Wanda chewed on her lip for a minute, somehow feeling a bit better just because this was a very, very normal ordinary conversation and it was nice to be discussing this instead of weird horrible spells she didn't know anything about that scared her. "I won't tell Cooper if you don't want me to, but I really think you should tell him."
"Well...okay. Do you want me to go away so you can take a nap?"
"No. I don't even really want a nap, I feel like I should be doing something." Wanda pulled the safe resurrection spell paper out from under her pillow again and stared at it. Pietro, can I really get you back? What do you think I should do when I know I might mess things up because I don't feel well?
"Napping is doing something. Like a nice recharge," America pointed out. "Do you want me to do anything?"
"You sound like Vis. He used to call his sleeping 'recharging', or I used to say his recharging was 'sleeping', I don't know which." Wanda sounded slightly happier now. Thinking about Vision reminded her of the white Vision that must still be out there somewhere. Even if that Vision was not the version of him that she remembered, she still didn't want him to be alone, either. America asked if she could do anything. Maybe she really could help me find him. Find my twins. Is that wrong? "Will you help me look for white Vision and my twins? Please?"
"I mean...yeah, of course. I told you I would, remember? I just don't think I'll be much help since I can't find my moms." America's gaze dropped to Wanda's hands, which still looked a bit shaky. "I'm still here and I'm mostly okay. Billy and Tommy will be mostly okay too. They're not literal babies. So they'll be able to survive 'til we get them back, if they're alive out there somewhere."
"I left them. I don't want them to feel like Pietro and I did when we were little."
"You did not leave them. They vanished peacefully when you took down the hex in Westview, and then you heard them calling for help."
Wanda hesitated, unsure how to explain the suspicion settling in her stomach that was most definitely hers and not the Darkhold's at all. "I don't know if they were really calling for help then or not, but where would it have gotten their voices if it wasn't?" I could have been imagining it, right? Normal people can hear voices too if they have something wrong with them. It doesn't necessarily mean it was magic.
"But, you imagine things really really vividly. It seems like you do even when you're not using your magic. The stupid book probably just poked the idea in your head and your mind filled in the rest," America told her.
Wanda turned over to face the wall, still holding the safe resurrection spell. "So, I am crazy then," she said, feeling much calmer now even though that idea made her want to crawl in a hole and hide. "I cannot take care of them properly by myself even if I could get them back. I would do my best and it would not be enough."
"Good thing there's friends around to help then." America watched her tracing the resurrection spell runes with a finger over and over. "And I think doing your best and asking for some help is okay. Clint and his family love you very much. I can tell. They make me feel wanted here and they don't even know me."
Notes:
Next time: interlude addressing what Kate, Yelena, Peter, Strange, and Madisynn have been up to:)
Any feedback is much appreciated<3
Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Summary:
Peter visits Kate and Yelena. Madisynn feels she has to leave the sanctum and gives Stephen a carefully worded warning. When Stephen visits the art museum to investigate something, he finds more surprises than he expects. Wanda reunites with someone she’s missed dearly with America’s help.
Notes:
One of the moments I’ve been waiting for is finally here! Yay.
I hope you enjoy:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
NEW YORK
"You think we're in danger?" Kate asked curiously. She sounded more excited than worried that Spider-Man had just shown up at Yelena's and her apartment door.
"Why do you sound like Peter Parker from the bookstore?" Yelena questioned from behind Kate, looking rather intrigued. "Wait. You are. You walk the same. You have the same mannerisms. That is why Wanda knew you."
Kate tugged Spider-Man- Peter- into the apartment and locked the door. "We want to know everything. Spill it! Please."
Peter yanked his mask off and began hurriedly begging them not to say anything about him to anyone else. Yelena crossed her arms, unimpressed. Kate's eyes sparkled happily, but she quickly assured him she wouldn't say anything. "Okay, so remember Westview? Well, I went back there again to investigate some. The creepy Agnes lady was still there and she's definitely Agatha Harkness, not just a nosy lady named Agnes. I think whatever Wanda did to her has at least partially worn off somehow and-"
"What has that got to do with us?" Yelena interrupted.
Peter drooped a bit. "Because she described Wanda exactly and said something about paparazzi attacking anyone connected to her. It was like..." he paused, mulling over how to explain, "Like she was speaking in code. She knows stuff and can't or isn't saying it. Maybe both, I don't know. And I think she's angry, pleased, and scared all at once."
"Did you go over there as Spidey or Peter?" Kate asked.
"Peter." Peter shifted from one foot to the other nervously. "Where's Wanda? Can I talk to her?"
"She went to stay at Clint Barton's farm in Iowa," Yelena said. "She is safe there. That man and his family love her. What is this paparazzi nonsense? I do not care if the public finds out she is our friend. She is not the only hero person that has done horrible things. The news can f-"
"Um, I think the problem is that it's not literal paparazzi," Kate interrupted. "Think about it. If Agatha Harkness the witch is playing Agnes the nosy neighbor, she's not going to say other magic people are after Wanda or people connected to her."
Yelena began scribbling a list on a notepad. "Then we will list everyone we know she knows and check on them. That is true. Also, she has not been in the news at all. We would have noticed and I'm sure old Ross would eat that up if she was."
"I think we should get help from a magic person," Peter pointed out. That forgetting spell going awry previously had made him cautious about handling more magic, even though he still thought it was cool and he had ventured out to Westview again on his own. Now he wondered if going there had been a bad plan.
Ned and MJ still didn't know about him, because every time he had headed over to that coffee shop planning to tell MJ, he chickened out. What if his friends didn't believe him? That would be worse. Wanda had seemed to think he should tell them and outright told him to, but the more he mulled it over, the more he thought she probably was not a trustworthy source of information on magic. At the bookstore, she had seemed slightly off to him. Wanda herself was perfectly fine and did not set off his spidey-sense at all, but there was also some bad thing still attached to her or something, which didn't make sense. "I think she's in trouble," Peter settled on finally.
"I thought you said we were in trouble. That much we knew," Kate said, wrinkling her nose. "America texted us. She said Wanda was safe with Clint and not to worry."
"Look, I don't know magic much since my powers aren't magic, but magic is messy and I really think something is very wrong. Maybe those people we saw at the bookstore before are connected to this somehow. Kate- can I call you Kate? Oh good, thank you! Anyways. Kate, if those people are after you because of OG Hawkeye, then they'll be after Wanda too if she's with him, right? I mean I know she could just-" Peter waved his hands about awkwardly in an attempt to copy the motions he'd seen Wanda use when wielding her powers before, "you know. But there are still those three Hawkeye children too, and..." he trailed off.
Kate and Yelena traded glances. "So, Peter Parker, you seem to have a plan to handle this. Perhaps we could hear the plan," Yelena said flatly. She did not add any information about the magic-nullifying bracelets America had mentioned in her text, deciding that was Wanda's business to share if she pleased and that she did not trust Peter to keep his mouth shut when he seemed quite bad at keeping his hero identity under wraps despite wanting to do so.
"Plan? I don't know, I just wanted to warn you guys because you're nice and you don't have magic and also maybe you knew what was wrong with Scarlet Witch, that's all. I didn't know Wanda, but I think she and Captain Marvel are really cool and I, like, saw her at the bookstore and something wasn't right. With Scarlet Witch. Not Captain Marvel- I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but it's okay," Kate assured him, not minding Peter's fast talking one bit, unlike Yelena, who looked mildly frustrated now. "There's nothing wrong with her. I think she just has PTSD or something like that. Lucky likes her, so she's fine. I think she should get a dog. A service dog, really, but at least a pet. It would probably help a lot."
Peter frowned. "I don't mean normal mental illness stuff. I wouldn't pick on somebody for that. That's rude. I mean I think there is something...stuck to her. I'm not sure what it is. I saw her at the bookstore, remember? I know she was upset or scared about something and that's fine. I get it, everything feels all freaky and wrong a lot." He paused, patting Lucky awkwardly and then fidgeting nervously. "This is going to sound really dumb, but maybe there is someone with bad magic...tracking her? And like, put a magical GPS on her? That's the only thing I could think of."
Yelena let out a quiet barked laugh. "You are right, it does sound dumb, but I think you may be correct all the same, at least partly. I must wonder though...perhaps you did just as whatever it is wanted you to do coming here?"
"...I hope not."
__________________
"Madisynn, what do you mean you are leaving the sanctum for now?" Stephen asked befuddling Madisynn, sounding exhausted. "You leave and come back all the time; you go spend time watching shows with Wong in his quarters and who knows what all else."
"I mean I am leaving here and I can't come back right away, Phenn," Madisynn said carefully. She stared right at Strange and then pounced on him with a hug. "I have to go. I can't talk to Wongers so you have to give him a hug for me."
Stephen stood awkwardly and patted Madisynn's shoulder before extricating himself from the hug. While Madisynn did genuinely irritate him often, now he suspected she was also trying to tell him something important, not just ask him to give Wong a hug on her behalf. She also seemed jumpy and anxious, which was not like Madisynn at all, so he decided to ignore the annoying nicknames. "Look, we all know you can't talk about your demon pact, and clearly this random leaving has to do with that, but why can't you tell Wong the vague nonsense you just told me?"
"It's not nonsense." Madisynn looked very offended. "I can't. You are a genius doctor person, so figure it out. And stop holding me against the wall. Rude. Very rude. Don't be like a scary person at a nightclub. I would dump a drink on your head if you did that there." She was smiling despite the scolding, her eyes more understanding than mad or frightened.
Strange abruptly jerked away from her and turned away for a moment. The Cloak of Levitation tapped his cheek lightly, as if attempting to comfort its chosen owner. Something else is wrong.
Madisynn's distinct voice floated past him again. "I think you are a little bit on a magic hangover too, sort of like Wands; you just didn't get addicted like she did. You are kind of snobby sometimes, but that grabby behavior isn't you at all. Maybe you need a nap."
Why does she know? No one else has noticed. Stephen was suspicious Madisynn's unique way of reading the problem did not, in fact, have anything to do with her demon pact, or if it did, it had just made her sensitive to identifying corrupted magic. He probably did need a nap. Instead of addressing that, Strange turned back to her and just said, "I shouldn't have grabbed you. I know you're attempting to help."
"The word 'sorry' doesn't bite. How come men hate apologizing so much? Silly." Madisynn still didn't sound upset, but she did look worried. "Also tell Wongers I am sorry. Really, really sorry." She was staring at him intently again, her eyes now bright with tears. "I love all of you. Maybe him and Wands are the only ones that don't think I'm stupid, but I like you and the rest too anyway. I'm so sorry."
Stephen studied her, suddenly feeling chilled. "Madisynn, are you putting the rest of us in danger because you are being forced into doing something?" he asked carefully.
"If I talk about it I put everyone I love in danger."
"If you love Wong or anyone else besides your family, it sounds like everyone is in danger regardless. Madisynn, you do know whatever is going on, you're nothing but a pawn. You don't have magic. Demons don't care about humans. You are being used for something." Strange's voice was strained, and he was sorely tempted to attempt forcing Madisynn to talk; but he knew that impulse was not his own, so he didn't.
Madisynn shook her head hard. "No, I think all of you will win. Heroes always win. So, everyone is in less danger if I don't talk than if I do. Look, even Wands herself survived. She's not a real villain. She defeated her villain herself because of America. Now there is another villain you guys have to get rid of." She started to leave and then turned back. "I asked a friend of a friend of a friend to meet you at the Met in the section with the Viking stuff tomorrow morning when the museum opens. Got to go. Don't follow me. That part is important. I'll be in touch as soon as I can." Then she fled.
Though he was tempted to chase Madisynn down again anyway, Strange let her go, figuring one of them could use a locating spell on her later, and also suspecting he would be putting all of them in danger simply by keeping Madisynn there if she was supposed to leave...because then whatever it was would know Madisynn had said something she wasn't supposed to. Madisynn's comment that she would contact them as soon as she could, but not to follow her right now, probably wasn't an empty warning. A ping from his own phone made him check his texts.
'hey if we cant find my moms will you really keep me? seeing Wanda with her old friends here makes me miss u,' said the message from America. Then a few seconds after, 'sorry. obviously u dont have to. Im happy here, really. everyone is awesome' Then there was a group picture of everyone at the Barton farm squeezed in the dining room for a meal. Every single person was smiling, even Wanda and Steve's grumpy old friend Bucky.
Strange really didn't understand why frustrating, dramatic Wanda had not retreated to that Iowa farm immediately after Thanos; she was baffling and illogical to him. He sent a quick text back to America, 'Yes, I will. Be careful out there. You are that group's best defense right now.'
'Killjoy:)'
'America, I'm serious. There's more to this than any of us know.'
'Yup! I know. Researching some weird old Viking runes actually. Can I give your number to Wanda once shes got her phone working? I know she doesnt like u much but i think some stuff needs to get discussed. you and Wanda are smart about different things.'
Stephen stared at the screen, a now all too familiar chill creeping down his back. Madisynn wanted him to go meet someone in the Viking art section of the museum, and now America was texting that they were researching Viking runes. No way was that a coincidence. 'Yes, that's fine. Keep a very close eye on her. Watch Scott Lang too. He may be fine, but he was directly exposed to that array.'
'That array didnt hurt him but seeing a pic of it hurt Wanda. she just wanted to help. I dont think u should look at it either tbh'
Strange wondered what America meant by saying that a photo had hurt Wanda and texted that question. America's reply pinged back immediately: 'She just kind of freaked out, but it was no big deal. bracelets worked fine and Wanda herself is safe too. dont worry.' Knowing America would just continue messaging him if he continued replying, he didn't answer for now.
For now he would go check out that section of the art museum before following through with Madisynn's meetup plan, just in case it turned out to be a trap, however unintentional it might be.
______________________
"Hello. May I answer any questions for you this evening?"
Stephen studied the museum curator who had spoken briefly; he looked vaguely familiar, which made no sense. "No thank you."
"If you do have any questions, Doctor Strange, my name is Victor," the man said politely. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but just wandered off.
"Hey, I was supposed to meet you here. Hi," a new voice said. A redheaded girl that appeared older than America and younger than Wanda with a laptop bag slung over her shoulder waved and stood up from a bench.
"...Tonight?" Strange asked carefully. One of the girl's eyes was pinwheel-red, somewhat reminiscent of Wanda's glowing red eyes but definitely not the same.
"Ye-eesss...? Zoe sent me. We have plenty of pictures of you dressed in civvies so I recognized you." The girl shrugged and then frowned. "The eye is fake. I lost it years ago. It's not magic at all, you know. I have a whole bunch of colors. I just like this one best."
Stephen stared at the girl a moment longer and shook his head. "Sorry, do you actually know Madisynn King?"
"No, but Zoe does, and she knows Ms. Marvel, which Madisynn knew. Zoe and I just decided to send me first because I can fight much better than her, and-"
"Why would Madisynn King tell you and this Zoe person to meet tonight and me tomorrow? Who are you anyway?"
"Makenzie Reid. I guess you wouldn't know Zoe, but she's an influencer online. TheRealZoeZimmer. I got to be friends with her online and then we started meeting up in person. Especially after we realized we don't live that far apart." The girl paused, and Stephen wondered how he had ended up with yet another young person he was probably going to end up having to keep an eye on. "Anyway. Madisynn said she knew you'd come 'early'. She still had to tell you to come here tomorrow, but she trusted you to know otherwise."
Strange sighed deeply. So Madisynn had lied, but somehow just believed that he was going to know to come and investigate early, and told this girl Makenzie to meet him here now? The room made his skin crawl unpleasantly, much akin to certain mystical relics stored in the sanctum that no one used. "What, precisely, is happening tomorrow?"
Makenzie's voice had a very slight Russian accent, and he couldn't help wondering if it was a coincidence (unlikely, all things considered), or if she was one of the girls rescued from the Red Room years before (weird coincidence, but very plausible). "Nothing now," she said calmly, "because hopefully you won't be here. We think someone named Dian is either after a relic of some kind, or, well...you. You aren't technically an enhanced though, so we kind of ruled that out. Victor is going to close off this exhibit area and say it's for remodeling. That won't keep demons or magic users or most enhanced people out, but it'll keep all the normal ones out and safe." She made a quick text on her phone and then glanced back at the sorcerer. "Victor's coming back. He's kind of guarding Zoe so nobody gets her, just in case. We're still looking for K- Ms Marvel ourselves, which Madisynn didn't know beyond the TikToks Zoe's made about her being missing since we hoped someone had seen her, and we were hoping you'd help."
Victor. Stephen had a sudden suspicion that he knew exactly who that museum employee was. "Yes, of course." A missing person was not usually the sanctum's job, but this seemed like something he should make an exception about. America fussing that the sorcerers should help with any small issue that came up if at all possible ran through his head. The only thing was that whenever that was done, more often than not you would get sucked into things that any ordinary person could figure out, or something you could call the ordinary police or fire station for.
He suspected illogical Wanda would probably happily do nothing but help rescue lost teenagers or kids if she was thinking normally.
"I have returned. Here is Miss Zimmer," Victor said. A blonde girl around Makenzie's age or a little younger with pink streaks in her hair trailed behind him, looking somewhat bored and simultaneously concerned. "The museum has closed. You may stay. Perhaps you should portal these young ladies out of here when this discussion is complete."
Zoe rolled her eyes slightly and sighed. "Kenzie, he's a kind stick-in-the-mud, good gosh."
"Well, he's been helping us even before he stopped sounding all flat and weird. I trust him," the other girl said firmly. "Besides, he won't talk about it, but he has got at least one lost person himself."
Stephen decided he was just going to ask himself at this point. "What is your full name?" If he was wrong, then Victor would just think he was rude and he didn't much care.
Blue eyes blinked slowly at him. "I am using Victor Maxwell."
The white Vision from Westview, then. "Your real name."
"That is the name on my ID. I do not wish to use another. Have you located Wanda Maximoff yet? I cannot find her."
Stephen remembered that the white Vision had evidently tried to kill Wanda; he was not going to tell this disguised Vision where Wanda was without more information. "What do you want with her? Have you told these children who you really are at all?"
Makenzie and Zoe both looked very offended at being referred to as children.
"Considering I do not wish the government to control me again, absolutely not, though I presume they may have inferred it. I shall not risk her safety again, nor that of any other enhanced individual those particular humans decide is a threat. Never." Victor- Vision- spoke calmly but firmly, and then added, "I care not at this point if it is legally correct to do so. I may not be able to track Miss Wanda any longer without the mind stone, but I suspect she does not wish to be found, which means she probably needs to be located. I believe you can find her."
"...You're Vision," Kenzie said suddenly. "I thought it, but I never met you before Thanos and stuff, so I wasn't sure. Your lost person really is just Wanda."
Stephen was silent for a long minute. If Vision missed Wanda and couldn't track her anymore for whatever reason, why hadn't he come to the sanctum for help? "It's been a long time since Westview. You say you care for her, but just flew off and vanished to pose as some museum curator for over a year instead of searching for her?"
"Miss Wanda's conditional Vision granted me all my memories S.W.O.R.D. kept from me, but I believe something was still amiss with my emotions or lack thereof. I was not myself entirely until recently, but I chose to make a base here before anyway in hopes the art might help. Where. Is. She." Vision's usually calm poised voice was tinged with a hint of what sounded like anger, and it was unsettling. "You know where she is. If she no longer wants me, that is fine, but I will protect her if possible regardless, if someone wishes her harm.
"I have done so online already many times because it was all I could do without being able to find her, erasing incorrect or unfair Westview anomaly information from the internet. That president should be removed from office. I do not understand how that man became elected. You know where she is and-"
"Victor. Vision. It'll be okay. We knew this weird criminal magic plot thing involved Wanda, because she's the Scarlet Witch. We'll find her," Kenzie interrupted. "Forget dumb Ross for now. Doctor Strange? Please help us find Wanda and Ms. Marvel."
"We might as well tell him Ms. Marvel's identity, Kenzie. He can't find her without knowing that," Zoe commented. "Her name is Kamala Khan, and we're from New Jersey. We think the criminal organization kidnapped her and wanted her for this weird magic stuff somehow."
New Jersey. Of course they were from New Jersey, Strange thought, and it probably had something to do with Westview besides, even though he knew Ms. Marvel was from Jersey City, not Westview. Some instinct led him to a glass case containing a sword inscribed with runes and confusing artwork on exhibit. Runes again.
Four specific symbols caught his eye that were not runes at all. They appeared to be Thor's hammer Mjölnir, Loki's horned helmet, Wanda's distinctive Scarlet Witch crown with a dog or wolf silhouette behind it, and a strange image that appeared somewhat like a sixteen-spoked wheel with an eight-legged horse inside the rim. That chakra wheel was not a Viking symbol at all as far as Stephen knew; that was a Romani one that seemed like an odd thing to be on an ancient Viking sword. "Vision, did Wanda ever tell you anything detailed about where she was from, her parents or anything like that?"
"She is Sokovian, Doctor Strange; you know that," Vision said slowly. "I do know her mother had Romani heritage and her father was Jewish. I do not remember her mentioning anything further. She may not know much more herself, and there are certainly no Sokovian family records at this point."
"That chakra shouldn't be on an old Viking sword, that's all," Stephen said thoughtfully. "With what I believe is Sleipnir, if I recall the stories? Very odd."
"Miss Makenzie and I suspect that fourth symbol with the chakra and Sleipnir is for her brother. Sleipnir can symbolize speed, after all. We found an obscure legend that, translated, is something akin to, 'two sets separated by loss across time and space destined to meet'."
"Two of them are literally dead," Strange said quietly, "if these are Thor, Loki, Wanda, and Pietro."
"Yes...however, all of us here have been dead- or at best one of the dusted missing- at least once except for Miss Zimmer," Vision pointed out, his voice barely audible. "Ordinarily I would agree that this legend cannot be real or fulfilled in any way at all and is just a story lost to time- but logically evidence points to the contrary."
__________________
IOWA
"You have a surprise for me?" Wanda asked, wary of surprises of any kind at this point. America looked so happy that she was sure whatever it was, was meant to be a good thing, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious anyway.
"Yes, and I already asked Clint if it was okay to show you now. He said yes," America told her impatiently.
Wanda looked down at her now-functioning phone and didn't answer immediately. The entire putting her on the phone plan thing had turned out to be uneventful, because she hadn't been able to stay in the phone store and Laura was willing to just sit in the car with her while Clint took care of it. I have a link to everyone now that isn't magic at all, she thought absently. And I have my old photos back. Knowing she could look at her pictures of their old team, especially Nat, Vis, and Steve, anytime she wanted was pleasant. I could even call Yelena or Kate or America. Or Lila or Cooper. Or even Wong or Stephen if I wanted to, which I don't.
There was a whole list of contacts in there, and they were real, and normal, and not things she had imagined or felt she couldn't reach out to feel for real. Wanda hugged the odd pink-red watermelon plushie Lila had picked up while they were out of the house earlier for her.
”What is that?"
"A squishmallow. They're fun to hug. I picked this one out for you because she has your name, Wanda," Lila said, sounding quite pleased with herself.
Wanda stared at the plushie for a moment but finally accepted it. Instead of hugging the plushie, she carefully put it back in the bag and hugged Lila instead. "I don't really understand, but thank you."
"Well, next time you're scared at night, you can hug the plushie and it'll help."
Wanda hugged Lila's present now and curled up on her bed.
"Wanda, you kind of went off somewhere else again. Are you all right?" America's impatient tone was gone and now she sounded concerned.
Wanda nodded and sat up again, but her gaze seemed slightly unfocused. "I am okay. Thinking. Not alone any longer," she said quietly. She frowned when America punched a portal open and pulled her through, somewhere that appeared to be along Bleeker Street. "What are you doing? I don't want to leave the farm, please. I like it there, I-"
"No, no, we're going to go right back after the surprise," America said in a rush, because Wanda sounded far too worried and upset at the idea that she might be dragged away from her safe place unwillingly. "Umm. Hold on. My portals still aren't exact enough for this, sorry." America texted Stephen, who appeared via orange portal immediately. "Hi!"
Strange raised a tired eyebrow. Wanda thought the man looked like he hadn't been sleeping enough, but she kept this to herself. "You're taking her there now? I didn't tell you so you could take her over there quite literally minutes later."
"Yes."
"This doesn't seem fair," Stephen said, gazing straight at Wanda, but his eyes were twinkling and he didn't seem angry at all. "Good luck," he added, and then Wanda found herself swept through a new portal that dumped both America and her into a hallway that looked like part of a high-rise apartment building.
America knocked on the door in front of them lightly.
Feeling disoriented, Wanda stared at the door. A simple, plain wreath was on the door, and a sleek, strangely clean black welcome mat lay on the floor. She noticed a small nameplate on the mail slot.
Maxwell.
In a flood of realization Wanda was certain she knew exactly who was behind that door, and she shook her head hard. I think Vis is here. I don't know why, I just know it. "Take me back. Please take me back, I-"
The door opened instantly, as if the owner had been waiting for someone to knock. "Miss Wanda, you are safe."
The man in the doorway looked exactly like the Vision she remembered in his human disguise. And he was smiling and-
Why are you here? He doesn't want you. You will never be the person he remembers. You don't deserve him at all. Maybe he will want to kill you. I don't care. I see him and he's alive and- "I can leave. I'm just glad you are...you, and alive," Wanda heard herself say.
A familiar hand tentatively reached for hers, and when she didn't pull away, Vision took the other one too and gave her a light squeeze. He did not seem to notice or care about the remaining bits of messy black not-nail-polish and didn't acknowledge her suddenly shaking all over or the tears running messily down her cheeks, either. "I do not wish you to leave, but you are not obliged to stay against your wishes, either," Vision told her.
"You s-said...we would...say hello again," Wanda whispered. "This is real. You are really, really real." Maybe it would not last, just like before, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away; she wanted to believe this was real so badly and she did not believe America would volunteer to surprise her with finding Vis and then bring her here if he was not really there or didn't want her.
he's going to leave you the second he finds out what you did.
No. He probably already knows. Stephen most likely told him, and he is touching me anyway.
Wanda knew Vision was, in fact, talking to her, but the words were not processing and mostly she was just aware she was clutching a fistful of his dress shirt in her hand and he was gently stroking her hair. Something soft and warm threaded through her heart that made her relax, and an old memory flitted through her head. A pleasant one, this time.
"It is selfish, but I am glad you do not mind my touching your hair any longer. I rather enjoy the texture and I like to see you smile."
After the whole Raft ordeal, she hadn't wanted Vision touching her hair at all for a long while afterwards, but eventually it was a safe thing to her again and she could remember him telling her that. That and assuring her repeatedly he would never, ever yank or grab it like what had happened daily in that prison. All of it seemed so long ago now.
Is this really possible? I'm scared it won't be real. Please don't push me away. If you have to then just kill me. It would hurt less. Is that selfish? I don't know. "I love you. I still love you so much. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I...I want to do better. I'm trying. I promise I'm trying my best." Wanda hesitated and then blurted a strangled, "And it's never, never good enough."
"Yet you are here and your real self, yes?"
Wanda tensed again and tried to pull away, and Vision let her but kept a gentle hold on her hands. "I don't understand."
"I see the normal Miss Wanda I have in my memories that I know I love dearly. Perhaps she is merely in pain and cannot see her," Vision said softly.
"I don't understand," came Wanda's response again. Vision had clearly noticed the black on her nails finally, but instead of throwing her hands aside in disgust, he was smiling at her. Smiling, of all things.
"I believe you need to redo your nail polish," Vision said in the familiar tone he used with her when he was trying to make a joke and not quite certain it would land properly.
Wanda stared at him, thoroughly confused. "Vis, I am absolutely sure you know that is not nail polish," she muttered.
Vision looked rather disappointed. "Yes, I know."
"You should be pushing me away for that, and you are just...acting like it doesn't matter at all. That is magic corruption...remnants," Wanda told him.
Vision tilted his head, unsure what he could possibly say to help now, not without the lost mind stone connection. Even Wanda herself seemed somewhat dull and lost, as if some part of her was missing. It was also disconcerting that there was not any sign of Wanda's magic despite her clearly being distressed. "Why would I do that to you? I am not going to...discard you like old shoes for that."
Wanda didn't smile; she could feel Vision's thumbs gently rubbing circles into her hands and then he was very carefully eyeing the nail scratch marks down her arms. She suddenly wanted to hide them all over again, but instead of even questioning it, Vision lifted her arm and kissed the deepest visible one. "You don't have to-"
"I know. I also know these are not from a cat. I...I shall not kiss you without asking again. I apologize. Please do your best not to harm yourself again." Vision knew quite well those marks were from Wanda hurting herself, which he viscerally hated. He studied the silver bracelets locked around her wrists, frowning.
I don't know what to say at all, but I don't...feel scared anymore. Wanda knew Vision was going to ask her about it, but the dread weighing on her inside lessened somewhat. If I tell him the truth, he's going to kick me out. No he won't. I really don't believe that. That he would just kiss one of those dumb marks on her arms and just gently request that she do her best not to do it again made some bit of the sad broken thing that was her heart inside feel more alive.
"These cannot be removed without a key. Why?" Vision examined the bracelets closer and frowned. "Did you make these intentionally? The sorcerers do not use runes most of the time."
"I helped design them, but I didn't create them. They're...protection-spelled. A nullifier so I can't use my magic," Wanda said truthfully. "They wouldn't work on me if I had made them." You shouldn't have told the truth. No, I wanted to. Leave me be. Much to her surprise, Vision seemed nonplussed and just continued holding her hands as if nothing was different at all. "Vis, do you even...know what I did? Why are you not trying to kill me?"
"I have suspicions that displease and disappoint me, yes. Those are not remotely reasons to murder someone I care for." Vision's familiar calm voice still held all the warmth Wanda remembered, not the empty flat monotone of the white Vision she had met in Westview. "The aforementioned suspicions I have are not of actions you would do entirely of your own accord, either. Therefore, either someone or something forced you, or you were non compos mentis and could easily claim an insanity plea if we were putting whatever crimes you committed on trial. Which, to be clear, we will not be doing."
...What? Wanda blinked, her hand flitting to her own cheek where Vision was lightly brushing tears away. "I should explain," she whispered. "I...you wouldn't be so understanding if you knew everything."
"That sorcerer Doctor Strange explained what the Darkhold is and how it affects a person. He would not tell me anything about you in particular, only that I should be careful if I chose to give you a chance and let you explain. I will not just throw you away or turn you in somewhere, Miss Wanda. I promise. That is cruel and unfair."
The idea that Stephen of all people wouldn't just immediately tell Vision everything that had happened was odd to Wanda; now she was even more puzzled by him than she had been from his comments when he'd deposited her here with America. Realizing she had quite literally forgotten America was there with her, Wanda glanced around guiltily for her young friend.
America was just sitting crosslegged on the carpet near the door with headphones on messing with her phone, looking quite content. She seemed to realize Wanda was looking at her and glanced up and waved with a very satisfied smile. Then she went back to whatever she was doing without saying a word.
Wanda was absolutely certain America had purposely not interfered and put headphones on so she could have some privacy even though she was not supposed to be left unsupervised outside the Barton farm. "Vis, I tried to kill that girl," she muttered, nodding at America.
"Miss Chavez appears alive and well, and seems to consider you a good friend," Vision pointed out.
"I'm exhausting."
"Perhaps."
"I killed people."
"Yes."
"You...care anyway."
"Yes." Vision paused, studying Wanda's face. She was no longer crying, but her eyes were still sad and far away to him. This was not the joyous reunion he had let himself imagine, but at least Wanda was there again and not lost somewhere alone any longer. "I have no emotional connection to the Westview memories, but the rest of them I do. You are still you, and I will never push you away. I love you."
"I am broken. Why would you still..." Wanda blinked in surprise at Vision asking if he could kiss her hand. She nodded. Instinct screamed at her to pull away because that was ridiculous and too good to be true, but the little ember of hope in her chest flared a bit brighter, whispering no it's okay, it doesn't make sense but it's real, you can trust this.
"Broken things are still beautiful. Do you think all the fragile artifacts and art on display at the museum are whole?" Vision's synthetic blue eyes seemed to be staring into her soul, and she stared back in confusion.
"I suppose not...?"
"If we save broken artifacts and restore damaged paintings, do you not think a live person deserves the same care?"
I don't know. “You make me want to believe that," Wanda whispered, but she did let herself edge a bit closer. "And you can just call me by my name without all those 'Miss' title things." The gray leather sofa was soft and cool, and Vision draped some strange professor-ish looking argyle sweater around her shoulders. Now Wanda did smile, because Vis had just told her he did not have any emotional connection to the Westview memories, but he had done that exact thing there in their lost house that could never be. Maybe all the normal city noises outside, all the hustle and bustle, the little apartment in the skyscraper, were not the quiet suburban home she'd dreamed of once and had and lost, but this was still comforting and pleasant and real. And it was not harming innocent people to be sitting here now. "I still have that property deed," she murmured.
Vision hugged her a bit tighter hearing that. "I suspect we would be unsafe there now, but this door is always open for you. Always. Whatever that means to you, never coming at all, phone calls or texts, visiting, staying. Whatever feels safe and right to you." He seemed to abruptly realize he was probably invading Wanda's space if she didn't feel comfortable with him and so let go of her. But even without the mind stone connection, he could tell she really did want to stay close. Much like she had years before, she scooted close and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I have things I need to tell you," Wanda said quietly, "but I just...I just want to sit with you for a little bit. Is that okay?" Please say yes. Please.
"Of course," Vision assured her. "I have things I need to tell you as well."
Wanda nodded, her eyes half closed. He is still just treating me the same as always. "You don't have to have your human disguise on anymore unless you want to, you know," she murmured.
"I thought that without it, I might be distressing to you. This version of me attempted to murder you." Vision hesitated briefly, but let himself phase back to his natural stark white appearance. Wanda didn't react beyond tilting her head and touching his cheek with a shaky hand. She seemed more curious than anything else.
"Your eyes are the same as always," Wanda said matter-of-factly. Then she settled back against his shoulder with her hand clasped in his. He felt the same to her, really, and seeing him now made her understand why delusional depressed Wanda in Westview had just accepted this Vision as hers without questioning why he was seemingly randomly a different color all of a sudden. Because he is the same. Even red Westview Vision I...created said so. That nasty jerk Hayward just hurt him. He's quite literally just a different color.
Delighted that Wanda did not care but inexplicably still preferring his original self all the same, Vision studied their clasped hands. They were different than before yet still the same to him, and he knew Wanda felt similarly.
Notes:
Makenzie Reid is, in fact, Marta, the young ex-widow Marta Wanda helped rescue with Nat and Yelena in Aftermath. I’ll explain more about her in-story later, but she lives in Westview with her aunt and uncle. Madisynn has gotten herself into some deep trouble, but she’s trying her best to weasel around the demon pact as much as possible to get help.
I was so, so excited to reunite Wanda and Vision finally:) Obviously I will explain what he has been doing in more detail soon!
Feedback is much appreciated<3 Any guesses how that “obscure legend” is going to turn out?:) I’m really enjoying FINALLY linking more things together!
Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Summary:
In which Wanda’s reunion visit with Vision is eventually interrupted by an unexpected creature, America returns to the sanctum temporarily, and Wanda and Vision set off back towards Iowa discreetly without using their powers.
Notes:
I do not feel like it would be logical for either Wanda or Vision to just hop back in to their relationship where they left off, so that’s not happening (yet), but hey, they’re reunited now, so yay!!
I hope you enjoy:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda knew she and Vision could not just sit there in the cozy silence forever, but for now she closed her eyes and cautiously allowed herself to enjoy it. Though she had already wanted to find him, she honestly hadn't expected him to just be his normal self already other than being a different color, either. The missing mind stone and not having access to her own powers made little difference, and knowing that the missing telepathic link was not at all the only thing that connected them made her feel happier. And safer. And calmer.
The only question remaining was how exactly Vision was his usual self she remembered. But instead of asking, she stayed quiet, clasping one of his hands close. I believed we could find him, but I never expected to get to just...have this again. I let myself hope a tiny bit, that it might be possible in the future, but not just...slip straight to feeling safe and comfortable together again, either. There was the weird disconnect where Vision had been referring to her with that 'Miss' title again, but Wanda suspected he had only been doing that because he felt he was pushing a boundary if he didn't, considering once she expressed that he did not have to do so, he ceased that behavior immediately. To Wanda, it was as if the two of them could not just pick up where they'd left off- she knew she would not just invite herself to stay here, even if she was allowed to- but the possibility that they could eventually was there, and that was enough for her at the moment.
I like just...hearing him say my name, Wanda realized. Vision is here, and his voice is real. I am not imagining him, and he bafflingly still cares about me. I don't deserve you," she murmured finally.
"Correction: 'I feel like I don't deserve you'. That statement would be accurate. What you said is not." Vision's quiet voice was serious, and he paused before saying anything more, hoping Wanda would understand and process what he had just said properly. But she still seemed somewhat...crumpled. Wanda was relaxed, but her shoulders were hunched, as if she were trying to make herself smaller, and somehow those bracelets made him uneasy. Not having access to her magic would leave her vulnerable to anyone wanting to harm or otherwise use her for anything. "Wanda, what do we need to do to make you feel comfortable with removing those magic nullifying bracelets?" he asked carefully.
Instead of answering, Wanda bolted to her feet and stared at him in an unsettling reproachful manner with her hands squeezed into fists at her sides. "Not you too, not you too, I can't, I don't want to, and-"
"Hey. I don't know what's going on 'cause I was trying to give you space, but you don't have to get all jumpy," America interrupted in a great big hurry, her headphones now around her neck instead of over her ears. She glanced at Vision, who looked concerned and not angry or dismissive, and then back at Wanda. "You told me about him before, remember?"
Wanda nodded jerkily and wrapped her arms around her middle. I did. And I did something wrong if I made America interfere, didn't I? I think so. I shouldn't have snapped.
"Well, the guy you told me about would understand that he should listen to whatever you're feeling crappy about so he can try to help you feel better. He sounded really sweet. So I think you should just tell him whatever bugged you."
Vis can't just fix me, Wanda thought, which she knew was true, but she nodded, because America was also right. Vision would listen to whatever was bothering her and he would do his best to help, whether he understood or not. "I don't want you to want me just for my magic. It makes me feel like a thing. I think that's not what you meant at all, but that question made me think it." There. That was a clear, delineated explanation, and it was not rude or snappish.
"Wanda." Vision repeated her name gently. "I do not care about your magic one way or the other at all. What is worrisome is that you have a world-altering amount of power inside you that some...questionable humans and other creatures will want to get to you for. That is just a neutral fact. It was true years ago and it remains true now, if not more so. You know this. Willingly allowing someone to lock those wristbands on you is understandable, but it is not safe."
Wanda looked down at her hands and began twisting one of the bracelets around her wrists nervously. I snapped at him already, for absolutely nothing. “I can't...trust myself, Vis. I might hate feeling useless and powerless without being able to access my magic, I really, really do, but it isn't safe to let me have magic access. I know that much, and that is me knowing that, not the Darkhold making me think it. I can tell. Please believe me." Wanda chewed her lip for a moment before tugging off her boot so the ankle monitor locked around her ankle was visible. Then she promptly yanked it back on again. "I do not want to mess up the chance Wong was generous enough to give me. I'd rather be free and have my friends, um...supervising me, than end up hurting anyone else or being locked somewhere again." Please understand. Please. “You are just trying to protect me, and I'm trying to protect everyone else from me. And...and selfishly it is a relief to not have to worry about hurting everyone around me no matter what I feel like."
"Then the rest of us will just have to protect you." Vision still thought Wanda not using her magic at all was probably unhealthy for her, because it was part of her, just as much as her green eyes or fair skin. But he could also understand why she insisted it wasn't safe at the moment. Objectively Wanda was a walking nuke; that had always been true, but she was so tired and now she had whatever meddling with that evil book had done to her to deal with besides.
Wanda blinked in surprise at the gentle squeeze on her hand and tried to relax. I snapped at him. I was rude already and I didn't even realize it. I need to tell him the truth. All of it. And I need to apologize. So I will. Concentrating on their clasped hands, Wanda quickly apologized and told him what had happened since she had seen him last. Vision did not seem surprised or disturbed; he just listened until she was finished without interrupting. "...Now do you understand why I said I don't deserve you?"
"No." Vision wrapped her in a hug again and just held her close. "Part of me wants to be angry with you, but that would not be fair. It is as I already theorized from Doctor Strange's vague comments. You naively meddled with that book with good intentions, but intentions are not good enough. I cannot excuse it, but I cannot think poorly of you for it, either. I am disappointed you did not research if the Darkhold was a safe source of information or not before opening it in the first place, but I can understand why you did not since there were no other leads for understanding what the magic identity part of you means." He looked over at America, who was still watching quietly now, and added to her, "Thank you for giving Wanda a chance when no one else was there for her."
"How come you didn't look for her?" America asked, more than a bit confused at this point. "You love her. I can see it."
"Because before my emotional connections returned recently, I could remember she existed, but what was the point of searching for someone I could not love in return? I was not the being she knew at all. No emotions. Nothing. Empty. I would have hurt her feelings. She always...felt things so deeply, and I thought seeing me would have caused her more pain instead of less." Vision felt Wanda tense in his arms, but she didn't pull away either, so he didn't let go of her. "Also, I no longer have the mind stone, so I cannot track her. I suspect I should have attempted to visit Hawkeye's farm or the sanctum at least."
"Well, deciding you weren't going to look for her because you 'didn't want to hurt her feelings' sounds like messed-up emotional logic. That's a human thing to do," America said matter-of-factly, "and if you really were just some empty robot thing, you would have searched for her anyway, because leaving a very lonely, very traumatized reality warper whose magic is connected to how she feels all alone for over a year is really dumb."
Vision blinked at America and then looked down at Wanda, who was still clinging to him and didn't seem inclined to let go. "That was unpleasant to hear, but perhaps you are right, Miss America," he said softly. "Moreover, perhaps you, Wanda, being...you again is what gave my emotional connections back again. It has something to do with you and your magic. I am merely unsure how."
Me destroying Wundagore. I'll bet whatever my magic did to react, save me, and deposit me with America, did something to help Vis. Wanda hoped that hunch was right; it would be lovely to know that her magic had done some other helpful good thing unknowingly.
Looking rather inspired, America went on, "I think, that maybe you need help too."
Vision didn't answer this, but Wanda looked up at him thoughtfully. Maybe he could talk to Antonia too. I am actually looking forward to my session tomorrow. I...think that is a good thing, right? I actually have good things to tell her now and not just more...mopey things. She would ask Antonia about that tomorrow.
"There is an obscure legend I believe you are part of," Vision ventured after a minute or two.
Wanda's shoulders drooped. I don't want to hear about that Darkhold prophecy again. Please no.
As if Vis had read her mind even though she didn't believe he could anymore- could he?- Vision continued, "I am not referring to that nonsense prophecy from the Darkhold."
Wanda still didn't say anything, but she pulled away and turned her back, wrapping her arms around her middle. I'm so tired. It's going to be something else awful and something or someone else is trying to write my life out for me. I just...I don't care if it's selfish, I just want...normal. “Never happens, never never- it is there and then gone- or hurting someone or- no, no, shut up...this is real, at least, I-" Stop talking, just be quiet.
Vision glanced at America helplessly, uncertain if attempting to help would be more distressing than not. America pushed him toward Wanda, obviously trying to get him to do something to help. Rather than say anything, he tried to slip Wanda's arms through the sleeves of the argyle-patterned sweater he had draped around her shoulders before, half expecting her to pull away. Predictably she went stiff, but she did let him put the sweater on her.
I don't understand. Wanda stood very still, eyes screwed shut and running her fingers over what was on her an oversized sweater. I am not cold anymore. Not inside and not outside either. “Vis, I...I am sorry. Please don't..." she hesitated, struggling to figure out how to say what she wanted to say properly. Wanda, you can just do your best. It will be all right, Pietro's voice flitted through her thoughts. "Please don't feel like you have to still...want me. You not hating me is plenty for me." No it isn't. You are greedy, you want it all.
Shut up. That is not me and those are not trusted Pietro-thoughts either. How is it greedy to want to be loved? Doesn't everyone?
"Wanda, stop assuming your friends do not really want you. You know that is untrue. You do not have to stay here any longer if you do not wish to, but you are always, always welcome. Do you understand? I do not care what conditions you might have or not have, if you sound a bit illogical or unhinged sometimes, or if you just want a hug and be able to cry in peace without judgement." Vision paused, surprised when Wanda blinked tear-filled green eyes at him and nodded before hugging him herself.
"...I feel like a burden, even though I do want to be here." Wanda's voice was quiet, but she sounded clear and concise now. There. That explains better than what I said before.
"We have a whole network of friends now," America spoke up abruptly. "So like, nobody is going to get all drained emotionally if all of us help each other. Nobody has to feel alone. It feels really good to have friends. I don't think you're giving yourself or anyone else enough credit at all."
"What am I any use for when I can't even think clearly half the time?" Wanda snapped, and immediately cringed. I snapped at her. She's trying to help. “I should be quiet, I think. I am sorry. Again. I know you are trying to help.”
America had flinched, but she shook her head hard. "Well, the other half of the time you are a very good friend. You're funny, protective, and a good listener." She stared at Wanda, brown eyes flashing. "And you are trying really hard. I can tell. I think knowing there is a problem and, you know, actually doing your best to do something about it means a lot, at least it does to me.
"Also I think I have more rights than anybody to say that 'cause of what corrupted you tried to do to me, so there. Normal Wanda just still has normal mental illness stuff to deal with, but she knows that, and she's getting help for it. So give yourself a break. Sometimes I don't feel good either. Being around friends helps even when nobody knows exactly what to say." Satisfied with her speech, America flumped herself down on the sofa and tugged her headphones back over her ears.
"She is right, Wanda," Vision said gently. He touched her forehead lightly and added, "This does not heal entirely as easily as many physical injuries on humans. It evidently does not process easily on a being like myself either. Perhaps it never does. But I will not believe that means you or I or anyone else cannot have happiness regardless."
I was happy when I saw you. I cried, but I was so happy to see you. Wanda didn't answer right away, but her hand jerked to her own head and clutched Vision's fingers. "I don't want to feel like this forever."
"You will not."
"You just said it might never go away."
"I said it might never fully disappear, which is not the same. Does the top of your foot or your back hurt anymore?"
Wanda scowled. "No, of course not. Vis, what do my old scars have to do with anything?"
Blue eyes blinked thoughtfully at her. "They healed. They did not fully disappear."
"Well, I could erase all of my scars with my magic if I wanted to," Wanda muttered peevishly. "But they're real, and mine, and-"
"You could probably mind-wipe yourself too, but you did not do that, either," Vision interrupted.
Wanda was silent for a minute; she remembered being tempted to do exactly that not so long ago in that other universe America had sent her to temporarily. Pietro. I didn't want to not remember him or anyone else I love. "Pietro hated whenever I was hurt, but we liked that those ones on our feet matched. So I will never, ever erase it. I won't."
Vision continued gazing at her with that concerned thoughtful expression. "Healed. Not vanished."
"...I suppose." Vis means what's wrong with me inside is the same. I understand, I'm just...worried anyway. Wanda could clearly remember Pietro comforting her inside that base once they'd no longer been kept separated. That resurrection spell. I have a very real way to attempt getting him back that wouldn't hurt anyone if I could just trust myself properly.
"What if I told you that legend I mentioned involved him?"
Wanda stared at Vision, still clutching his hand. What? Why would Pietro be in a legend? He didn't have magic like me. At least we never thought he did. Then again, we didn't think I did, either. "I say I have a safe not-corrupted resurrection spell for him and only for him that I can't trust myself to use," she answered.
"The legend involves two pairs of individuals separated across time and space. I believe the four are you, Pietro, Thor, and Loki," Vision told her. "And now you have just confirmed it."
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An unsettling chill that had nothing to do with the temperature, that he could feel but not be affected by, lumbered through the small apartment and he instinctively found himself hugging Wanda close.
Wanda shivered, sensing the same unpleasant chill even without magic access; she tensed and squeezed her eyes shut. Something is wrong and I don't think it has anything to do with the three of us. “Vision, I think-"
"Quiet," Vision ordered sharply, though he gave Wanda's hand a light squeeze. "Wanda, listen carefully. I have reason to believe you will be in danger if you are in this city tomorrow. I do not know what is...lurking in here right now, and I assumed we were safe in here, but I do not want to risk your safety."
"And-" Wanda blinked and immediately shut up. Something felt as if it were squeezing her around the chest so tightly she could barely breathe, and her eyes fell on her wrists. The bracelets. I can't fight with them on. Fingers scrabbled at the wristbands, yanking at them frantically, and then America was there, her brown eyes betraying her own fear.
"Wanda, something's in here," America whispered. "Some scaly thing touched me and I don't know what it is because we can't see it, but..."
Before Wanda could answer, Vision's hand was over her mouth, which felt like it should have been terrifying, but he was gentle and he was shaking his head hard. Don't talk. So Vis thinks it's safe for them to talk but not me. Okay.
Wanda wished very much that she could just talk to her companions telepathically right now. The something still felt like it was crushing her, and she coughed the second Vision moved his hand away, drooping against him and struggling to breathe.
"What's happening? Why is the invisible thing hurting her?" America asked hurriedly.
"I suspect it sensed her voice somehow. That is why I told her to be quiet." Vision held Wanda close, but it wasn't like he could chase some now-intangible entity out of the apartment, and he didn't want to watch Wanda slowly suffocate in his arms, either. "I...I do not know what to do. I am so sorry."
"Maybe we should get the bracelet cuffs off her," America suggested. "I'm sure Wanda could just erase the whatever-it-is."
No. No, I think that's what it wants us to do. It wants me to fight. I'm sure of it. Wanda shoved the temptation down and began signing instead. Vision would understand even if America didn't, and he could tell America what she was saying. Wanda knew her fingers were shaking, but she signed no, bad idea, think is what it wants, won't kill me. Needs me alive.
Vision frowned, but he shifted Wanda in his arms so he was holding her bridal style instead of her barely holding herself upright leaning on him. "She says she thinks that is what the thing wants us to do and that it will not kill her because it needs her alive. Wanda, we cannot leave you like this-"
Vision cut himself off at the sight of an unfamiliar sparkling orange portal and the man he did not know personally but could identify stepping through it. "Sir." He nodded politely but turned half away, holding Wanda close.
"What the- I don't even want to know. You have your memories and feelings functioning?" Wong asked sharply.
Vision nodded. "It is just-"
"Get her out of New York City. Understand? I don't know what Stephen was thinking, telling Miss Chavez about you so she could take our resident witch here." Wong sounded frazzled. "Take her out of the city and don't bring her back here. Not until I let one of you know otherwise."
"He thought it would help," America blurted. "I know Stephen doesn't really like Wanda much, but he thought finding and seeing Vision would make her feel better."
Wanda felt a disconcerting yank akin to the relief from pulling a glass shard or splinter out or something similar, something that instantly made her able to breathe easier. Before she could blink or say thank you, there were quiet words she didn't recognize at all washing over her and Vision brushing a bit of hair out of her face. I don't want to go to sleep. I think I'm going to fall asleep and I feel like someone drugged me and I hate that and-
"You are trying to put her to sleep with magic?" Vision asked accusingly. "That is not fair. She did not consent to that at all. She has done nothing but talk to us; she has not attempted to break the rules set for her at the moment." He laid Wanda on the sofa and put a blanket over her; she seemed to sense the blanket and curled up in a ball.
"Better to make her sleep safely for now than have small creatures that don't belong here attacking her when she can't fight back. Vision, please get her out of the city before morning. She'll wake up in about a half hour. Text or call when the two of you are out of New York. You," Wong pointed at America, "you're coming back to the sanctum for now. You will be safer there and she will be safer with the synthezoid."
"But Mr. Wong, what is going on? I don't understand. What got in here and how?" America shoved a small wadded-up string with a small metal key on it at Vision and shouted a hurried, "Bye!" as she followed Wong back through his portal.
Still feeling strangely overwhelmed, Vision stood in the center of his small living room trying to think. He had Wanda back, but she was asleep or close to it on his sofa. He had normal human travel items here in his apartment, but that was not going to help him get Wanda out of the city unnoticed. And why hadn't Wong made another portal for them?
Because he does not want any magic in here that risks tracing where Wanda is taken.
First things first. A suitcase. Some clothes. They would be too big for Wanda, but he could at least provide something comfortable for her even if they didn't fit properly. Money. Wallet. The key on the string that America had given him he put around his own neck inside his shirt, though he mentally planned to give it to Wanda if she would let him; it had to be for removing those wristbands that nullified her magic.
Wanda appeared content finally, her features all relaxed now and her breathing calm and steady. Vision continued methodically gathering things and packing them, mostly because he wanted to make sure he would be able to care for Wanda until she was safely back at the Barton farm in Iowa. If she wanted to stay with him, then that was fine, but he was not going to make her. He would take her to the farm for now and let her decide.
Considering that the issue had only started once Wanda knew about that legend, Vision concluded that it must, in fact, be more important than he had initially assumed. Wanda had said she had a safe resurrection spell that she just didn't feel confident enough to use. That must be the key.
________________
Wanda did not remain asleep for a full half hour; she began stirring a bit within less than twenty minutes. "Vis...?" she murmured sleepily. I'm scared. I know Vision wouldn't hurt me, but...
"No, no, please do not talk until we are out of here safely," Vision ordered, but his voice was gentle. "I do not want that thing to harm you again. It is probably fine, but we should be careful. Do you understand?"
Wanda nodded a bit, her eyes still closed. She flinched at a warm touch on her hand, and then tried to relax again. Vision sounded a bit far away to her, but she nodded again when he asked if it was all right to hold her.
The bracelets suddenly made her skin crawl. I need my magic. We need it. I think that is me thinking that. Isn't it?
She trusted Vision to do his best to protect her and America, but he wasn't magic, either. And where was America? Wanda's stomach leapt unpleasantly as Vision gently lifted her half-"asleep" (magic-drugged, her mind hissed darkly) self and held her close again.
"We will leave my apartment once you are fully awake. If I carry you down to the basement parking garage, we will probably be stopped and questioned, and I do not wish to risk us being discovered by my flying you out of the city."
Wanda nodded again. Safe. Or, maybe not safe, but...mostly.
You can't escape now even if you wanted to. He could crush you like a bug and you couldn't do anything about it without-
Stop it. Vis would never hurt me. I trust him. I might not understand, but he loves me, even like this. He doesn't care about my magic at all and he just wants me to be okay. Wanda tentatively stretched her legs and squeezed Vision's hand. Her limbs still felt a bit heavy and oddly shaky, but she felt properly awake now, just...sleepy. She pointed at the suitcase after a minute.
"Does that mean you are ready to go?"
Wanda nodded again. I am. I might not know what's going on, but I can ask once we're out of the city, I think.
"Very well." Vision phased himself back to his human disguise and picked up the suitcase with one hand and put his free arm around Wanda's shoulders. "We shall go. Your friend is at the sanctum. I am supposed to stay with you, though I would stay regardless unless you wished otherwise."
_________________
Other than one neighbor teasing 'Victor' for having a guest over (Wanda concluded that human-disguised Vision must be a sort of loner in the building, which made sense even though she hated the idea of him never having any friends over, because he was probably lonely), the short trek to the elevator and down to the parking garage was simple and uneventful. She felt this was much like their time they'd spent together during those two years she was an international fugitive, just not quite as secretive this time. Slightly faded stickers saying things about 'President Ross 2024' on a couple of the vehicles parked in the garage made her tense and scowl. Wanda pointed and made a face.
Vision knew exactly what had ticked Wanda off and hustled her into his small burgundy SUV. "Ignore them, Wanda. Ross supporters do not matter."
They do if they realize who I am. Also, why did that nasty little man run for president? Who is president now anyway? Wanda didn't answer, but she tried her best to relax. No one was looking for her now, at least not any hateful ordinary humans. Even if they were, she was certain she could trust Vision to protect her. I am scared and literally all I would need to do to protect myself is get those bracelets off. Wanda rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes, trying to think.
Me knowing about this obscure legend thing Vis found and connecting it to the safe resurrection spell is what set everything off. Not me talking. I spoke when I was waking up and nothing happened. “It wasn't my voice that set this off," Wanda said after a minute or two, studying her own hands.
Vision jumped strangely in his seat. "Please, Wanda, I need you to be quiet. I-"
"No, Vis, this is me. Wong got rid of the creature. I think it was a lesser demon. A messenger of sorts. I..." Wanda bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut again, unsure how to explain and sound convincing. Vision is going to believe that I think I'm telling him the truth and he won't trust it. I just know it. I wouldn't trust me either. “It won't be back. America called it scaly, right? And it seemed to turn intangible at will. I...I know what it is. I wish I didn't, but I do."
The car going over a small pothole made her jump, and she twisted her fingers together nervously. You can't do this. Do what you're made for. You know you can. They are going to get tired of me and give up...won't they? "Leave me alone. Leave it, I want to explain, and I am trying, and-"
"I do not know what is happening in your head right now, but what it is trying to make you believe is not real. We are just driving out of the city, all right? Please just try to rest." Vision did not know what had set Wanda off, but this clearly wasn't the same as what was happening in the apartment, either.
"It is real! It is. I don't want to rest, I want to fix this." Wanda scrunched herself into a ball and buried her face in her knees, hating that she was half crying and not understanding why. I'm so tired. I don't know how to explain properly. “The thing is a real creature I read about...before. It works for...more intelligent ones."
Vision decided to go along with this, because maybe it would help Wanda calm down and as ridiculous as it sounded...maybe at least part of it was accurate, and he wanted to hear what she had to say, anyway. "All right. What do you think it is called?"
"...You think I'm making things up. Don't patronize me."
"Wanda, I think you believe you are telling the truth, which does not automatically equate to the truth," Vision told her calmly. "I am not patronizing you. I would like very much to hear what you have to say, but I will not be trusting that information as fact until we have proof."
That does make sense. "...you told me to rest and it wasn't real," Wanda blurted, running her fingers over the sweater sleeves. Don't snap. Don't be unreasonable.
Vision frowned. "You were fussing, talking to yourself about wanting something to leave you alone. Was that not regarding unpleasant, untrue thoughts that were not truly yours?"
Wanda nodded and let her dark hair fall across her face. I don't know how to explain myself. I can try, but... "They feel real," she whispered.
"Wanda, I do not mean the awful intrusive thoughts or...whatever they are. Of course they feel real, because they are. I mean that what those same thoughts are trying to make you believe about yourself or your friends or anything else are not real." Vision was startled at Wanda abruptly reaching for his arm, but since she was not interfering with his ability to drive safely, he let her be. "I do still want you to rest, but I would also like to hear what you have to say."
"I think..." Wanda closed her eyes yet again, debating how to explain herself in such a way that it would make the most sense. "I think the Darkhold contained information that was not necessarily completely false, but...presented it in a certain way, that makes whoever is reading it interpret it as fact, even if details are wrong or left out. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, it does. That means you and Doctor Strange possess information no one else does, unless they too are Darkhold victims, and that information may be useful but cannot be trusted at face value."
Wanda's fingers tightened around Vision's arm. "Yes. I'm...not sure the creature that Wong got rid of was really trying to harm me. I think the hurting and not being able to breathe right was me, me trying to warn...me, that there was a thing there, since my magic is still, you know...mine. I just can't access it with the bracelets on." Just finish talking, Wanda. If you're wrong, that's okay. But if you're right, then this is very important. "The whole point of those creatures- at least I think- is that they can turn incor...incorper-"
"Incorporeal?" Vision asked quietly.
"Yes, that. They can turn incorporeal so they can eat- absorb- the target's thoughts and feelings undetected. They do not steal them from the target or harm them or change them, anything like that...the person still has them. They're mentioned in the magic book Wong lent me. It said some witches used to summon them to use as messengers or spies during war, because they were completely undetectable to normal humans and often for magical ones too...and sometimes keep them as big snake-like pets afterwards." Wanda's voice dropped to a whisper as she finished, "Even the sorcerers' book said those minor demons were 'usually harmless aside from invading a being's privacy'. In the Darkhold there was a summoning spell and a note suggesting to use it for discovering enemy secrets, tracking an enemy so you could kill it yourself, and having a pet. I never wanted a demon pet, so I didn't pay much attention to it." I talked too much. I feel like I should just be quiet.
Vision mulled this over for a minute. "If you are correct, then the Sorcerer Supreme may have banished the creature back to its own dimension with information about us."
"I genuinely don't think it got anything from me, but I'm not sure. The thing that scares me is that something or someone had to have sent it. Do you mind if I call Wong?"
"Of course not."
Wanda tugged her phone out of her pocket to call Wong; thankfully he picked up immediately. "Hi. Um...Vision and I are okay. We're on our way out of the city. I just had a question." Wong's tired but willing 'yes, of course' prodded her to continue. "The little snakelike minor demon. Where did you banish it to?"
"Back to its own hellish dimension, away from all of us. Why?" Wong asked cautiously.
"Because I'm worried where it came from. Why would it know to go to Vision's apartment?" Wanda kept her other hand on Vision's arm since she found the contact comforting. Vis was there, he understood that she was frightened and unhappy, and he was willing to listen to her even when he didn't necessarily trust her information.
There was a tense silence for several seconds. "I suspect your synthezoid friend was followed home from the museum earlier after meeting with Stephen," Wong told her. "Vision wouldn't have been able to sense it and neither would you or Miss Chavez. When you and Vision connected too many dots, its...mission or instruction protocol, shall we say, was initiated. Look, I don't want you directly investigating this right now. Don't make me regret trusting you to listen."
Wanda bit her lip. "Okay, I will not investigate the creature," she agreed. I'm going to study that resurrection spell, that is what I'm going to do.
"Good. I need to go. Tell Vision I said thank you."
"Okay."
_______________
The two of them were quiet until Vision pulled into a rest stop outside the city. "I...I'm sorry I snapped earlier," Wanda told him.
Vision studied her for a minute. "I do not mind. I would rather see genuine Wanda-feelings than see you pretending you are all right." He gently took both of Wanda's hands in his and smiled at her. "If we are starting over, then I wish to hear all the human emotion explanations I heard from you years ago."
"...But I don't know how to explain. I didn't know how then, either..." Wanda trailed off, but she couldn't bring herself to protest further. Despite the lurking danger of whatever mystical mystery was unfolding and her own mixed-up mind, at the moment she let a wave of cautious contentment wash over her. A road trip was fun. Vision would not make her engage in endless conversation, but if she did have something to say, he would listen. Maybe he would tell her what he had been up to since...before.
"I should like to listen regardless. Do you need to take a restroom break or shall we continue on?"
"Oh! Oh, I'm fine right now. I, um...thank you for stopping just for me though." Wanda knew Vision had only stopped for her; he certainly didn't need to take a rest stop break.
"Very well. Shall we stop for the night in a few hours or would you rather keep going back to the Barton farm in Iowa?" Vision was glad to see Wanda smiling a little now. She seemed much more at ease than before.
"I don't care," said Wanda, and she meant it. "Well, unless you are tired. Then I want us to stop."
Vision considered this briefly. "Then we will stop for the night in about three hours, wherever that happens to put us. I do not mind continuing all night, but I would like you to have somewhere comfortable to sleep besides the car."
You don't need to do that, Wanda thought, but it was kind of pleasant to have Vis being concerned for her wellbeing, especially after all that time alone, so she just nodded. "Okay. That sounds nice. I'll text Clint to let him know what's going on."
Notes:
Road trip? Road trip. Heh. *happy hand flaps*
Stephen, Zoe, Makenzie, and Madisynn all better be very careful...
I thought it would be fun to flesh out the other-dimensions aspect a bit and not have every single small demon creature be inherently malicious horrible entities. Unfortunately none of them have 100% accurate information. Vision’s conclusion that any of the Darkhold victims have unique information that is probably helpful but not trustworthy at face value is the most reasonable. *cough* Stephen has the most and can analyze it the best but still isn’t “okay” *cough*
ANYWAYS. I love this fic so much and I hope you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! Comments/kudos are much appreciated<3
Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Summary:
In which Wanda and Vision start the trip back to Iowa and stop for the night at a hotel. After talking together for a bit, Wanda falls asleep, but an unexpected visitor breaks into their room with surprising information.
Notes:
New chapter finally!:) I really love how this chapter turned out tbh and I hope you do too.
Also, SHIP FLUFF SHIP FLUFF *happy hand flaps* Goodness knows they deserve it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You're sure you feel safe with him?" Clint asked on the phone after receiving Wanda's text saying she was with Vision on the road on the way back to the farm, and America was back at the sanctum with Wong and Stephen. He had immediately called Wanda after reading the text.
"I'm sure. He won't hurt me." Wanda's left hand, the one not holding the phone, kept a tight hold on Vision's arm. "We don't...feel exactly like before and I know we can't just be exactly the same instantly, but I trust him and he is the same person you remember."
“Put him on the phone, all right? You want to trust him, so your stamp of approval isn't enough confirmation for me." Then after a moment, Clint added, "I'm glad you and America found him though. You sound happier."
Wanda listened silently while Clint questioned Vision, who would not talk to him while driving and pulled off onto the highway shoulder, which Wanda found funny all things considered.
Clint is grilling him, I'm sure of it.
Vision's calm explanations made her smile a bit. "Yes, I believe I possess the same mental data as before. I merely appear different now when not in my human disguise form, though I suspect Wanda could alter my appearance if she wished. No, I will not force her to do anything. Yes, I promise I will take care of her. I will not leave her anywhere except back safe at your farm, and then only if she wishes it."
Wanda hoped Vision would stay for at least a little while once they arrived back at Clint's farm. She absentmindedly stroked the sleeves on the borrowed sweater. Maybe it was somewhat silly, but Vis putting the dumb sweater on her had reminded her of all the much-watched sitcoms she loved where a boy gave the girl he liked his jacket or letterman sweater or something. Pietro and I never went to any high school and I am way too old for that sort of thing anyway, but thinking about it makes me happy. I think Pietro would tease me if he was here. No, I know he would.
A slightly offended tone from Vision jerked her from her thoughts. "Mr. Barton, I will not be abandoning her no matter what she does. I am not blind. She is ill and hurt, and trying to learn to cope properly instead of destroying herself and everything around her. I do not care for her any less because she requires extra assistance. That would be unfair. If she decides she does not want me near, that is fine and I will respect that, but I shall still escort her back to Iowa safely first." Then, to Wanda herself, "I am sorry. He is just very concerned about you. Here is the phone."
"...Clint?" Wanda asked. "Please don't question him any more."
"You're a thousand miles away and I already lost you once. I'm not letting it happen again if I can help it. We'll be here waiting for you. You can call anytime for any reason, understand? It doesn't have to be an emergency."
"I understand." I don't, actually, but I know he's telling me the truth.
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Wanda found herself falling asleep shortly thereafter, and she didn't wake up until Vision nudged her saying they were going to stop for the night now in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. "Okay," she said sleepily.
“Do you mind Holiday Inn?"
Wanda stared at him, fully awake now. "No, but why are we stopping here at an expensive hotel? You don't have to spend your money on me and I...don't have any right now." What else is new?
“This hotel is not that expensive, Wanda. You are not on the run as a rogue Avenger anymore; we can stay wherever we want. I wish to make sure I am taking you somewhere nice. Also, it is not like I must buy necessities all the time since I do not eat food. Therefore, Victor Maxwell may not be rich, but he is quite comfortable."
"Well...all right." Wanda let him take her hand, and she followed him inside. I have not been in any hotel at all for so long. I feel like...like a normal person at the moment, and that honestly feels absolutely lovely. "I feel like I am a normal person on a trip with her significant other," she blurted, which made Vision squeeze her hand.
"I am glad you are feeling better right now." Vision easily booked them a room and guided the two of them to the elevator and down a carpeted hallway with that distinct clean-hotel-hallway scent. Wanda's countenance did not seem nearly as crumpled as she had back in New York; she wasn't smiling, exactly, but her eyes were brighter and held a bit of the sparkle he could remember from years ago. Also, Vision realized he thought she looked rather cute in that sweater. It was not a very Wanda-ish sweater, but it seemed to have made her happy, considering the way she kept messing with the sleeves and that it wasn't in the nervous tic manner at the moment.
He decided to keep the idea that she looked cute to himself for now since he did not want to make her uncomfortable.
Wanda circled the room, just lightly touching things and subsequently fiddling with the sweater sleeves again. There was only one big bed, but she also knew Vision would go to sleep or recharge floating in the corner unless she asked him to stay with her. Certainly the receptionist assumed they were just an ordinary couple on a trip, so booking a room with two beds in it made no sense. "This is nice. Thank you."
Wanda took the sweater off and hugged it to her chest; then noticed the forgotten scratch marks on her arms and put it back on. I don't want to look at them.
Vision put the key on the brown nightstand next to the bed within Wanda's reach. "Perhaps you could take the bracelets off temporarily just to heal yourself," he suggested quietly.
I...could. I don't feel like I would mess up right now at all. "I don't think I should have that," Wanda said after a moment. Then, after considering further, "I think two bracelets is like a...a failsafe. One only would still work on me." She cautiously reached for the little key and gave Vision a questioning look, but instead of answering, he folded his hand over hers and had both of them pick the key up. "I don't know if I am supposed to do this."
"Why would the Sorcerer Supreme leave a key or two with your friends if he didn't expect you to remove them sometimes?" Vision asked. "Your friend Miss America had this one and she is just a young teenager."
That's true. And I wasn't really neutralized by that collar before, and I did heal those poor sorcerers I hurt before too. "Maybe, but I don't...trust me. If you are even remotely suspicious I'm not thinking clearly, I want you to put them back on, no matter what I might say otherwise. I don't care if you think it's making me cry or something, I do not want you to listen to me if I am panicking or disassociating or that...those corrupted magic remnants are doing something. Please." Wanda did not like the concerned expression on Vision's face. "You have to promise and mean it."
"I promise. The protection spell runes just have to be linked and touching your skin to function, yes?" When Wanda nodded, Vision nodded back. "Well, then we will have them right here ready to clasp back on immediately after you heal all those scratches. That is a small thing to start with."
Wanda nodded again. The second both bracelets were off, the familiar sensation of her magic stirring about beneath her skin made her relax rather than frighten her. It still isn't even angry. It's almost as if...as if it's genuinely sad I locked it up but still wants me to know it's there for me when I want it. It is...real-me. Not anything inherently horrible. When she pulled a few tiny scarlet wisps to her fingers, they just hazed her hand and floated there sending a pleasant warm crackly feeling over her skin. It didn't explode, didn't feel even remotely wrong or out of control.
The fingernail scratches littering her arms glowed red for a moment before vanishing to healed skin, and that was all. True to his word, Vision gently clasped the rune bracelets back around Wanda's wrists, sending her chaos magic reluctantly back to sleep in its little cocoon in her chest where she couldn't reach for it again. "That was easy," Wanda said, clearly surprised.
"Do you want to try something else small?" Vision asked, hoping she would say yes but expecting her to say no.
I do, but no. Not right now. "Tomorrow. I don't really want to...push it, just in case. Also, thank you for actually putting them back on like I asked you to even though I know you didn't want to." It makes it easier to trust you. I can’t say that, but it’s true. I know I can trust him, but it’s still hard to feel like I can.
“I still believe you would be all right without them, but I do not wish to lose any trust you have for me.” Vision blinked a few times, mulling this over further. Then he just added, “I still enjoy your company very much.”
Wanda's eyes twinkled a bit, and she gave him a hug. "I like being here with you too. It does not feel exactly the same as before, but it's close enough for me. Like a...a dream instead of waking up to the same nightmare again."
Vision nodded in understanding. "Being around you feels right. I do miss being able to sense you with the mind stone, and I wish I did not feel so...disconnected and disassociated from everything that I know happened to the other me in Westview. But, having you here feels like coming home.”
Coming home! Me. I made him feel something good just by...being here? Wanda tugged her boots off and curled up on the bed. "Would you, um...love the boys too if they were here?" she whispered. "If you feel disconnected from...all of it?" That isn't a fair question. I shouldn't ask that. Billy and Tommy aren't here anyway.
"I cannot repair those memories, Wanda," Vision told her reluctantly, "but yes, if the children were here, I am certain I would love them. They appeared to be miniature little humans viscerally similar to you and Pietro, and you love them. I do not feel connected to when we had them and I do not understand how we had them in the first place, but if we are ever able to get those little boys back somehow, then I will most certainly care for them and love them. Perhaps we will need to research or ask for help to ensure they are being cared for properly. But of course I shall not leave you and the children.”
This was enough to make Wanda relax and scoot under the covers. Another thought struck her, and she looked at Vision with a hint of mischief. "Did you go out with anyone else after Westview?" When he didn't answer right away, she began to feel a bit guilty. That was a normal question and not a weird one, but maybe it was rude. I don't know.
"Yes. I thought perhaps it would help recover my emotional connections. This was not fair to the human girls because I did not like lying to them. I could never tell them the truth, so I never saw any of them more than once. I gave up after a few times. They were not bad humans, or displeasing to see. They were just all wrong. This must have been because none of them were you." Vision sounded grumpy and confused now, and he was surprised to see sad, insecure Wanda smiling of all things. "Wanda, you are...all right? I am sorry. Perhaps those failed dates were unfaithful to you."
Wanda buried her face in the pillows trying and failing to stifle laughter. I probably sound crazy, but I know he's telling me the truth. "Vis, it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong. You could have gone out with a hundred girls, you didn't owe me anything at all. You don't owe me anything now , either. I would be upset, honestly, but I don't have any right to expect you to wait around for me." The mental picture of Victor Maxwell going on awkward dates seemed far more amusing than it should have been, and while the anxious part of her was worried he wouldn't want her anymore now, she knew that wasn't a logical fear, either. Vision’s words to Clint on the phone flitted through her head again. Vis knows and acknowledges there are things wrong with me and he wants me anyway. He...still loves me.
“I bought us that property. That is a promise, I think, even if we never gave each other anything else official before the Westview incident."
Wanda rolled onto her back, staring up at the textured beige plaster on the ceiling. "I know, but...I feel like with everything...else that happened, we sort of...abandoned each other. Not on purpose, but still." I'm not sure I'm explaining properly. I should just do my best. "You never asked to be violated like what that horrid little man Hayward did to you. That was not your fault. Then Westview-you gave you your memories back, and you saw the horrible mess I made in Westview. Why would you feel anything nice toward me at all? You were probably awfully confused and overwhelmed about the whole thing. The person the other you fell in love with was this...this emotional mess that hurt people because she had a breakdown and literally created a new reality to play house in. You like things that make sense. That are logical. I don’t make sense at all. I couldn’t explain anything anyway. And I...you know what I did already, now. You flew away. I didn't look for you after. You didn't look for me either. I..." she trailed off.
He's going to leave you now, you know. You're just creating more reasons for him to do that. No I'm not, I'm trying to be reasonable. This is reasonable. Explaining thoughts is okay even if it doesn't make sense. Wanda blinked several times, swiped at her eyes, and finally launched herself into Vision's arms on impulse. I am safe here. I am not going to ruin this and Vis is not either going to leave me. I trust him. "I still have that property deed, you know. I know we can't go there, but I still have it."
Vision was more than willing to hold Wanda; he was not going to press it considering he was quite sure she just wanted him to be close and the contact helped her feel better, but he did very cautiously kiss the top of her head. Instantly Wanda’s hand flew to her hair and then to his hand, which she clutched tightly. Wanda did not say anything else, but she seemed content for now. Without the mind stone, he could not literally sense her so easily like before, but he could still feel that she wasn't tense and that waves of relief wafted from her. He wasn't sure if it was Wanda's feelings literally leaking from her somehow despite the magic-nullifying wristbands, or if he really could just read her body language that easily, but either way, she was here now and not scared any longer. "You created us rings in Westview, did you not?"
"...I did, but, Vis, I also dressed us up in pretty vintage clothes and whatever else. My little flawed pocket reality was real, but I'm not going to expect you to...stay now because of promises made there, either, no matter how much I might wish it." Wanda squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to concentrate on the comforting warmth wrapped around her from Vision's hug. What I said is reasonable, I think. I don't like it, but I think that's fair. It was real, but it's not fair to expect him to stay, either.
"You still want to be together?"
I don't understand. Why does he sound worried? Of course I do. "I wouldn't let you hug me and kiss me if I didn't love you," Wanda said matter-of-factly. “I still want...us, whatever that means. But if you ever decide you d-don’t want me, that is okay. I’ll be upset, and I would cry, but I will never, ever expect you to stay. That isn’t fair to you.”
Vision hesitated, very much wanting to kiss Wanda besides on top of her head and simultaneously not wanting to disturb her. He blinked a few times, studying her and mulling this over. Wanda had her hands folded somewhat awkwardly close to her chest now, even though she was resting against him and it must have been more comfortable not to hold her hands like that. "Is here all right to kiss, still?" he asked finally, touching her hand lightly. Before, Wanda had always been so happy when he kissed her hands or held them.
“Y-yes, of course." Asking means he doesn't care the same way about you anymore, the unpleasant thought pressed her painfully, but she bit her lip and shoved it away. "No no, Vis has always been all concerned about consent, so there. It makes me feel safe. Not that he doesn't care." You are not getting to me anymore. Shut up. I'm not letting horrible depressing intrusive thoughts ruin this. So there.
Vision didn't say anything regarding the quiet outburst directly, just kissed one of Wanda's hands gently and folded her close again. "Do you feel safe right now?"
I do. My head doesn't feel like a safe place, but that isn't Vision's fault. "Mostly, but the bit of problem isn't you. I know I am safe. I just...can’t really feel completely safe. This really, really helps, though."
"Well, please inform me if you change your mind. I shall stay right here until you fall asleep unless you request otherwise."
"Okay. Thank you." Wanda couldn't help being reminded of times years past when he would just hold her until she fell asleep, sometimes because she was upset or scared, sometimes just because they liked being close. Maybe neither of them were the same any longer, but this...this certainly felt familiar to her, and in a good way rather than a bad one.
"You should sleep. I do not mind if you sleep in the car tomorrow, of course, but we do still have about twelve hours to go."
"Okay."
“And I will not leave you, Wanda. Never again. I will always stay unless you tell me you do not wish me to do so any longer.” Vision could tell Wanda was somewhat surprised, but she was also relaxed and she seemed content being held. “Go to sleep. I shall make sure you are under the blankets so you will not be cold.”
“...I don’t understand why you are being so understanding, but it makes me happy.”
______________
Wanda jerked awake hours later to a shadowy dark figure dragging her out of bed and pressing her against the wall. What is going on?
“Scream and you're dead, so be quiet, please."
Feeling more puzzled than scared, because this was most definitely a normal human and not a magic-based monster creature or something, she blinked tiredly. "What now? Do you even know who you're messing with?" Wanda asked, suddenly more concerned with making sure the intruder didn't notice Vision 'sleeping' levitating in the corner than protecting herself, or the fact that she didn't have much chance of defending herself without magic access.
"Yeah. I know who you are. Magic user that can't control her magic, that's what. I think if you were going to kill me, you'd have done it before I came in here. Actually, I just need to talk to your companion, not you. You gonna stay quiet?"
"...Yes. What do you want with him? He hasn't done anything," Wanda said quietly. She flinched at the lights abruptly turning on and sighed. Vision still looked like Victor, but she didn't want this intruder finding out that Vision wasn't just an ordinary human. He might already know, though. It also seemed odd that while the mysterious man had a gun to her neck and was holding onto her firmly by the arm, he wasn't hurting her at all, either. Also, what kind of attacker said a genuine please when asking their victim to be quiet? "Who are you? You are not just some ordinary thief or kidnapper."
Vision stared. "That man is Frank Castle," he said slowly. "Give her back. She does not deserve to be one of your victims. What do you want with us?"
"She's just leverage so you'll have to listen. That's all. I don't want to hurt her at all.”
"She is a reality warper. What makes you think you can control her?" Vision asked. "Just...let her go, please. If you just wish to speak to me, you could have asked instead. Threatening Wanda does not make me inclined to listen. Actually, it makes me inclined not to. I shall throw you out of this room if you so much as give her a scratch.”
"You're protecting a third of the most important members for that thing from the wall in the warehouse basement. I think you or someone else is controlling her or she'd have defended herself already."
"Or, she is in control of herself and sensed you do not, in fact, wish her ill," Vision said more calmly than he felt. “Give. Her. Back.”
Wanda thought she also detected a hint of fear from both Vision and the man holding onto her, of all things. "I don't know much about you, just that you're the Punisher and you kill criminals because you lost your family," she whispered. "Why are you scared of that array? You aren't magic either. It shouldn't hurt you, at least I don't think so." But Frank Castle is not Scott. He's probably more likely to get affected by it than Scott, because he's...broken, I think. Like me. A worried instinct squeezed Wanda's heart and made a chill slide unpleasantly down her back like an ice cube. I don't know what he wants with Vision or me, but… What if he is trying to do something good and is being manipulated himself? The suspicion settled in Wanda's stomach like a block of lead.
“Because whoever made it has been virtually torturing enhanced people, especially young ones, and has somehow...created one." The bitter tone in Frank's voice made Wanda wonder if something else was wrong beyond her current theory.
He's not here to kill me and doesn't want to hurt me either. I'm sure of it. "I am going to move my arm and show you something." Wanda realized she genuinely felt more or less calm at the moment. Slowly, she started to lift her wrist. "You haven't seen me use-"
"Wanda," Vision interrupted a warning, not wanting her to explain. "Do not do it. I do not believe he himself would harm you, but if he has been exposed to some sort of corrupted dark magic also..." he trailed off, knowing Wanda would understand, and might think the same herself already. "And you. I will listen and help however I can, but not until you give Wanda back. She is not being controlled by anything any longer. If you were attempting to test her, she has passed. You literally assaulted her awake and she did not react violently at all."
I should listen to him. I had the same thought, after all. Wanda went silent. Frank abruptly pushed her away and she stumbled into the bed. In a second Vision had a protective arm around her shoulders and held her close, using himself to shield her. Do I speak up? I don't even think he's really here to talk to me at all, oddly enough. He said so. "What did you mean, whoever was in that warehouse created an enhanced person?"
“Well, not a human person. Someone rather like him." Frank pointed at Vision.
Wanda tensed all over. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, knowing quite well already. He knows who Vision is. Why does he know?
Frank looked at her, frowning. "You do know Victor Maxwell is the Vision...don't you? He's a person because he's sentient, but human he isn't. All the other victims in that basement were gone except a damn pink android kid with green hair. They'd been moved elsewhere. The girl called herself Viv. If she was human I'd guess she was around thirteen, fifteen max."
"You broke into our hotel room because you want me to talk to this synthezoid girl?" Vision asked carefully. "Why should I believe this? You attacked Wanda for no reason whatsoever.”
"Viv told me you were her father, that's why."
Vision's arm tensed around Wanda. "What about Wanda?" he asked in an odd, sharp voice. "I cannot have children."
Frank gave him a disbelieving dismissive look at that comment. "She didn't say anything about your precious girlfriend at all. Look, I don't know what Viv meant; she just said something about experiments and that her mother and brother were dead and her father- you- was missing. You know what this one is,” he said flatly, pointing at Wanda. “These people cannot get ahold of her.”
Vision frowned, holding Wanda closer. “Do not call her this one like that. What do you know that I do not?”
“That she’s a walking nuke- or worse- that’s capable of destroying the planet if she wants, and someone that I definitely don’t want criminals and fake scientists manipulated by some deluded power-hungry magic user to gain control of. I got that much from one of the men in that warehouse.”
“Before you finished him off, I presume,” Vision said, his calm voice dripping with disapproval.
“Tracksuit Mafia. Those are the normal criminals. Those are why Kate, Yelena, and Clint would be in danger. The scientists are probably associated with that DODC woman Sadie Deever or Hayward,” Wanda mused aloud.
“Sadie Deever was fired from the DODC. She probably has more connections there, but she herself doesn’t work for them anymore,” Vision said, still holding Wanda close. “Not after the Jersey City debacle with Ms. Marvel.”
“Heard she went missing recently. Very suspicious that it isn’t getting media coverage, if unsurprising.” Frank sounded disgusted.
Wanda felt more than a bit out of the loop on this, so she just stayed quiet and listened. Vision said Strange was going to help search for Ms. Marvel, which seemed extra odd to her. Did Stephen know who this new hero was? What if that was a trap to get ahold of him, another person that had meddled with the Darkhold? And could she help find her? How had Frank Castle found her and Vision so easily? Why didn’t Vision know about the synthezoid girl Viv?
Wait. I know exactly the problem, I think. “Vis...maybe you have missing or distorted memories," Wanda said suddenly. "Either that or maybe someone working with Hayward before was secretly trying to create more synthezoids besides you? Used bits of your mind as a base for another and Viv considers that as you being her father? I don't know." She chewed her lip and squeezed Vision's arm. "But I don't understand why they would purposely make one that's like a young teenage girl." A botched experiment, that's why. And because kids are easier to control and manipulate, the dark part of her hissed sadly.
Vision sensed some visceral pained thing from Wanda despite the missing infinity stone and Wanda not using her magic at all; it was written all over her expression and the way she clung to him. He kept Wanda held close, gently rubbing circles into her shaky hands. Wanda was clearly her normal self, but he also could tell she was far too anxious. Still, he would rather attempt helping her deal with those ordinary anxiety feelings than whatever those magic corruption remnants did to her. “I believe that magic user your...dead source had vague knowledge of is someone named Dian. This I know from a source of my own. Did he say anything else?”
“Yes. Shit going down in some museum. He didn’t know anything else.”
"Might we meet the girl? I have no recollection of her whatsoever, but I do not trust my own memory to be complete at this point."
“Not her. You. I don't wish Wanda harm, but she's not going anywhere near my...friend Viv is safe with."
"Karen Page," Vision said immediately, sure that he was right. "Look. I shall be happy to help any way I can, but my first priority is getting Wanda home to the Barton farm safely. If you insist upon excluding her, then you will have to wait for my help. You said young Viv is safe, so I will not be harming her with the delay."
"You track Karen?" Wanda thought Frank Castle was not scary at all at this point; he clearly cared for this Karen Page person very much and he sounded pissed that someone might be watching her. Being pissed and protective over someone one cared deeply for was relatable to her. There was no doubt in her mind that if anyone so much as laid a finger on Karen, that person would be dead.
“No. However, I have kept an eye on you occasionally, sir, and Ms. Page is one of your only friends. It would be logical that you would entrust young Viv to her." Vision paused, continuing to keep Wanda held close and using himself as a shield just in case. “Let me help Wanda travel home safely, and then I shall attempt to help you with Viv.”
I should teleport myself back to the farm, Wanda couldn’t help thinking, but she didn’t want to risk doing that, either. Was it selfish not to try it? It wasn’t like she really believed anything horrible would happen from the instantaneous trip back, but she also wondered how Frank had tracked Vision and her. If he had literally just tracked them via ordinary means, that was fine, but she couldn’t help wondering if some magic thing had gotten on or in him too. Another little snakelike demon tracking him was more than a tiny bit likely at the very least. I think I need to talk to Vis alone for a minute. I have limited information, but I should at least tell him my suspicions. “Mr. Castle, could you wait outside for a minute, please?” she spoke up finally, pleased that her voice remained steady.
“You might be doing something to the synthezoid, even if you don’t really want to,” Frank said suspiciously. “I don’t dislike you, but I don’t trust you, either. You’re a useful ally if you’re thinking clearly. Otherwise you are a dangerous liability.”
“Well, then the feeling is mutual. On all counts,” Wanda answered, tilting her head and studying him closely. “I cannot promise I would be thinking clearly the whole time if you attempted to include me on some mission, but I can promise I won’t be hurting Vision right now if you leave and let me talk to him alone.” Vis said I shouldn’t tell him about the rune spell bracelets, and I didn’t. I think I explained well enough.
“I’ll be in the parking lot. Black sedan with tinted windows and New York plates, almost directly below this room’s window.” Frank nodded in an odd, jerky sort of manner and left.
Wait...he actually listened to me. Wanda blinked in surprise, but Vision was looking at her with a slightly proud expression that confused her.
“You managed to get him to listen to you without saying anything about these at all,” Vision said, touching Wanda’s wrist lightly. “I am not sure we should have anything to do with-“
“Helping him? Working with him?” Wanda interrupted, turning away for a second as she closed her eyes, trying to organize scrambling thoughts. Explain. Calmly. Don’t make a fuss. You already thought Vis makes weird exceptions for you simply because he loves you. His judging Frank Castle immediately is not a surprise. “I am not sure you are being fair to him.”
“Wanda, you cannot tell me you trust that man.”
“I don’t. But I don’t trust him at all because I don’t know him, and because I think he might have gotten some magic thing on him or in him too. He was exposed to that nasty array, just like Scott, but unlike Scott, his head is all broken like...like mine, I think.” Wanda swiped at her eyes roughly, refusing to cry yet again. Crying was not going to make Vision inclined to believe her, even if he was willing to listen regardless. Finish explaining, Wanda. You can do it, the little Pietro-voice encouraged her. “I mean that I do know that while anyone can get corrupted, it...works more easily on someone like me- or Frank Castle for example- than someone like Scott. He is silly and I know he does have issues same as the rest of us, but he’s, um...still healthy? I can’t sense anything wrong with Frank Castle without accessing my magic, but he’s a good victim for corrupted magic just like me. Maybe he really is fine. But I don’t think that possibility should be ignored, either.”
“He is not like you at all,” Vision said, somewhat too loudly, but he did understand what Wanda meant. “What do you want me to do? You said you destroyed all of the Darkholds. Those cannot be used any longer.”
“I did, but I didn’t...erase people’s memories of the thing. I don’t even know who else has meddled with it besides Stephen, Agatha Harkness, and me. I suspect this Dian person or whoever created the array from the warehouse basement did, but I don’t know. Those nasty spells are nearly impossible to cast without the book, but…” Wanda sighed, fiddling uncomfortably with her fingers. I don’t know what I’m doing at all. Maybe I shouldn’t try to help. I’m useless.
No, you aren’t. You have a unique perspective. I have more power than anyone, you just willingly locked it up. You’re angry. I still could retrieve the boys instead of trying to help some strange girl you don’t even know- Wanda pinched her own arm hard and shook her head. Then she reached for Vision’s hand and held on tightly. “Vis, we have to help Viv. The corruption remnants do not want me to. So it must be the right thing to do.”
________________
Vision was reluctant to leave Wanda in their hotel room by herself even just for a few minutes. "Vis, you have to. Even if Viv isn't yours at all, she must be lonely. Frank Castle doesn't want me around his friend Karen and I don't blame him. I can handle being alone for a little while- I...I know you will come back for me."
"I told Hawkeye I would take care of you. I still do not trust Mr. Castle one bit. This could be a ploy to get you alone for all we know," Vision pointed out. “You were not all right just a minute ago.”
Wanda planted herself on the edge of the bed. "Well, I think he is telling the truth. If he was so horrible, you would have caught him yourself when you were investigating him." She blinked at her own hands and added so quietly Vision could barely hear her, "Scott said he saw the Punisher in that warehouse, that it was all full of dead guys. I do not think I care very much if Frank murdered people that were experimenting on enhanced children. I might want to do the same, forget the Darkhold." Is that bad? I don't even know. I have no right to judge others, but I sort of think America would agree too. She would probably tell me she knows I wouldn't have tried to hurt her without the stupid corrupted book in play.
“Wanda, there is a difference between wanting to and literally doing so. I suspect you would not-“
“No, Vis, listen to me, please. You do realize I would have shredded Thanos before if he hadn’t called for ‘rain fire’ on his troops. I would do that now if I saw that creature again. I...I’m not…” Wanda closed her eyes, searching for the correct words and worried expressing herself would take the warm hands holding her cold ones away from her. I’m not as nice as you think I am. “I think it would make me a hypocrite not to believe Frank Castle when I don’t think he is all that much different than me.” Please believe me.
“All right,” Vision said after a moment. “My responsibility is still to you first. You call Hawkeye and stay on the phone with him until I return then," Vision told her. "I can see you are fine right now, but I do not want you alone, either. Moreover, yes, I know you could have handled being alone for a bit before just fine, but quite honestly I do not feel comfortable with that at this point. You are not a danger to others, but I do suspect you are still a danger to yourself." Vision gently tucked a bit of hair behind Wanda's ear, unsure what he could say to reassure her. “Do not feel telling me the truth will chase me away.”
I feel like I should be mad or offended but I'm just...not. It feels good to be cared for, even if that's selfish. "Viv needs to see you," Wanda said softly. "You could just, um, knock me out so I won't do anything bad on my own. But I think I can wait for you to come back."
Vision stared at her. "That does not make me inclined to think you are all right. I am not doing that to you. Please call Hawkeye and stay on the phone with him so you won't be alone."
"...Okay." Wanda decided not to protest further; she didn't want to bother Clint in the middle of the night, but she also knew Vision wouldn't go make sure Viv was all right if she didn't.
Vision wouldn't leave the room until he confirmed Wanda had a very sleepy-sounding Clint on the phone, satisfied that should something make her upset again, she wouldn't be dealing with it alone.
Wanda was simultaneously very touched and very annoyed. I have no right to be annoyed. And they care. I know it. I can trust that, at least.
“Good god, Wanda, we can't go a day without more ridiculous stuff happening," Clint told her once Wanda had explained what was going on and why she was calling so late...or early, depending on how she looked at it. "But you're safe?"
Well, no, but I'm not in any immediate danger . "I am for now," Wanda said, trying to be honest. "And I, um...I healed my arms and nothing happened at all," she added, because it was a big deal to her even if it was just something small.
“Good. Throw out those wristbands while you're at it," Clint said, but she could tell from his voice that he knew she wouldn't.
“I told Vis to lock them back on after, and he did. He has America's key. My magic felt like it would behave just fine, honestly, but I don't want to risk hurting anyone if I'm not thinking straight again." Wanda flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The sheets felt crispy under her fingers, and she curled up under the covers. “That...already happened again, but I could tell and I didn’t do anything ridiculous again.”
Clint was quiet for several seconds, but then just sighed. "Don’t call those episodes ‘doing something ridiculous’. You need to contact Antonia to move your session for tomorrow, don’t forget. There’s no way you’re going to be back home before three tomorrow.”
“I will text her right now.” Wanda was more than a little surprised when a reply came back almost immediately. “She says that’s fine and suggests 10 A.M. Saturday instead because she doesn’t have any openings on Friday. And to be very careful. Evidently the DODC was sniffing around the café Lerato runs. She’s awake right now because she’s helping clean up so the café can still open tomorrow.” Is that my fault? I don’t think so, but…
“Wanda, tell her those may not have been real DODC. Do you understand? She may know already considering where she and Lerato grew up, but warn her anyway. Tell her you know she cannot tell you anything about her other patients, but if she does know any other enhanced people, they need to be warned too. Same with any employees at that café.” Clint sounded like he was trying not to sound concerned.
“What if she’s being targeted because of me?” Wanda asked softly, even as she quickly texted what Clint had told her to do.
“It’s not you. She and Lerato are from the Red Room, they live in Florida, and Lerato in particular has been very outspoken online about her feelings regarding protecting enhanced people in general. I suspect she’s the one being targeted, not Antonia, let alone you. They’ll be okay.” Clint paused, still not liking that he knew Wanda was alone in a hotel room with her bracelet cuffs on so far away. “Do something else little in the morning, all right? Make the hotel room pillows float or telekinetically make the bed or conjure up a new outfit, I don't know. Something inherently harmless that you know won't hurt anything even if you did mess it up.”
Wanda could feel herself smiling now, and that made her smile more. "Okay. I can do that. I...I'm going to try to sleep, if that's okay. I feel like...regular me, but I am so tired. But, good tired, not the horrible kind.”
"Of course. I'll stay on the line until Vision comes back. Laura's right here. She says hello and suggests for you to bring the pink girl with you."
Wanda heard Laura in the background saying that she knew there was limited space at the farm, but to feel free to bring Viv back with her too. "I don't think that will be happening, but I'm sure she would be happy to know there's another open welcome place for her."
Notes:
Was Frank’s appearance a surprise or did you predict him? I did mention him before, but still. I guess I hope he was just a little bit surprising lol. Writing him is interesting to me considering he creates very unique dynamics interacting with the others.
Wanda herself doesn’t know much about Frank, but I did also want to let her speak up a little bit here considering she sees a little of herself in him and she doesn’t like it and doesn’t know what to think of that. Of course Vision doesn’t agree with her one bit though haha. (I would say personally that no they’re not the same, but she is 100% correct that Frank would also be a good victim to fall for Darkhold corruption and Scott is not, lol)
I like Viv in the comics very much and her existence certainly won’t be explained the exact same way here in my timeline for obvious reasons, but I really really wanted to include her, so I am!:)
ANYWAYS. Any kudos/comments are much appreciated<3
Chapter 22: Chapter 22
Summary:
In which Viv meets Vision, Wanda gets some new information from her own other self, Wanda and Vision continue their trip back to the Barton farm...and Lila sends a text asking for help.
Notes:
I like Viv, Frank, and Karen, and it’s fun writing them, even if they’re more difficult for me to write than Wanda and Vis lol.
For anyone also reading Aftermath, the next chapter is in progress! Sorry for the delay, the characters have not been cooperating even though I know what is going to happen. But it is coming!
I hope you enjoy:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I do not wish to intrude upon your road trip,” was the first thing Viv said when she saw Vision. “That eccentric human you are with is not my mother. Mine is deceased. You never rescued us. I told Mom you could not. She said you would. These humans promised to find you after that one murdered all of the serfs left behind.” Viv pointed at Frank, who Vision thought looked rather disillusioned and tired.
“Viv, they were not serfs,” Karen said patiently, “just ordinary people working for this organization as far as we know.”
Viv tilted her head in that particular don’t mess with me manner Vision recognized from Wanda. “That is what Mom called them. Her name was Virginia. I wish to continue, please and thank you. You do not look like a synthezoid,” Viv pointed out suspiciously.
Vision blinked and let himself phase back out of his Victor disguise, half surprised and half not. Viv immediately looked intrigued. She was indeed pink and had green hair, and her eyes seemed overly large. She spoke in the same careful, formal manner he recognized from himself, but her voice cadence sounded very much like the young girl she appeared to be. Vision was very sure that if he had brought Wanda outside with him, she would know exactly what to say, even if she didn’t think she did. “I did not know you existed. I am sorry, Viv.”
“Yes. I know. You do not have to keep me. I shall help destroy those criminals and then disappear alone if you prefer.”
“No, no, of course not. It does not matter to me if you are really mine or not; you shall stay unless you do not wish to,” Vision said firmly. Viv was just floating there a few inches above the ground, her bright pink fingers fiddling with the hem of her shorts. And she was staring at him so hard that he wondered if that behavior was what Wanda had told him made people uncomfortable years ago. How could any of them keep a synthezoid teenager hidden? They didn’t even know if Viv had somehow been left behind intentionally when the rest of the enhanced people had been moved. She could be bait, or their enemies might be tracking her.
And he suspected the government would love to get ahold of poor Viv, the same way it would want him if they knew he was still alive. If she was “just” a synthezoid like him, she would probably end up being categorized a weapon or manmade tech rather than her own sentient person, and that made him angry. Vision really, really wished Wanda was there and that she would just confirm there were no weird magic things tracking Viv.
“If you are concerned I have been tracked here, I can at least confirm I do not have any technology-based trackers,” Viv said calmly. “I do not know enough about magic to know that aspect, though I believe I am not being tracked that way, either. I was a mistake and did not come out exactly like they wanted, so I do not think they want me back. I would like to stay with that human right now, please,” she went on, pointing at Karen.
“You can’t stay with Karen,” Frank reminded her tiredly. “She can’t hide you.”
“Why must I hide? She can tell other humans she found an alien. Statistically, there must be pink aliens, if there are blue and green ones. I have seen pictures of the Guardians. I like Karen Page. She reminds me of Mom, even though she is not.”
Karen smiled hearing that. “Honestly, I don’t mind you staying with me, Viv, but you know that isn’t safe for you or me, even if you really were an alien. Vision, it sounds like you and Viv don’t actually know each other at all, whether either of you did at some point or not.”
“ He should stay with that eccentric human with the chaos magic,” Viv went on calmly. “I would like to point out that all of that array in the warehouse basement cannot be used without her, and a supernatural being capable of multiversal travel. They are idiots. They do not know that element is the brown human girl the ordinary criminals already located and traded away. Then they lost their other find also when that one teleported away. I do not understand how they mistook Scarlet Witch for an ordinary human in the first place.” Viv blinked impassively at Vision. “There is power radiating off of her, but no, they thought she was just a normal human they could use as bait.”
Because she looks like one and acts like one too, Vision thought. And I have left her alone in that hotel room. “Perhaps Wanda could confirm the absence of magic trackers for Viv,” he said after a moment. “Assuming yes...I suspect you are not safe here at all unless you know how to disguise yourself as an ordinary human.”
Viv looked somewhat displeased. She did not want any disguise; she just wanted to be herself and still be safe. “I would be safe in New Asgard,” she said quietly. “I would prefer to stay with Karen Page, but logically I should go there.”
The suspicions over that legend including Thor and Wanda...and Loki and Pietro loomed in Vision’s head. Either Viv had impeccable instincts (it was true a pink synthezoid girl would fit in New Asgard more easily than New York City) or someone wanted her to say that just so they would take her there. “We need a magic user. Wanda is the only magic user we have here. I know the three of you do not trust her, but even if she cannot confirm for certain, she could tell better than we can. I shall ask her to come out here also, or confirm from where she is now. I do not know if she can, but I will ask. Please wait. Taking you to New Asgard is risky without confirmation,” Vision said. “Assuming Wanda can confirm from the room, I shall simply text one of you if that is agreeable.”
______________
Vision found Wanda sleeping peacefully, the phone still on and in her hand. "...Hello? This is Vision. Thank you for staying on the line with Wanda," he told Clint over the call quietly.
"Sure. She still okay?"
"Yes. She is sleeping." Vision kept his voice quiet, not wanting to wake her up yet, but he needn't have worried; Wanda didn’t move. “Mr. Barton, has...has she been able or willing to do anything more extensive with her magic recently without frightening herself or aggravating whatever that corrupted magic did to her? I do not have any proof of it, so this may be jumping to conclusions, perhaps, but I suspect she needs to retrieve her twin.”
There was a clatter on the other end of the line before Clint answered. “Dropped the phone. What the hell?! Don’t tell me you’ve been sticking ideas in Wanda’s head that she can just resurrect her brother who’s been dead for a decade. And was cremated, I might add.” Clint sounded upset and pissed now. “Don’t you dare hurt her. Those children of hers are one thing. She made those. Getting them back is most likely possible for her somehow. But Pietro? Really?”
Vision looked at sleeping Wanda, feeling more than a bit foolish. She really did look by all counts like just an ordinary human girl. Ordinary humans certainly could not resurrect long-dead siblings. But Wanda was not an ordinary human. Extraordinary, he couldn’t help thinking. “She told me she has a safe, uncorrupted resurrection spell she did not feel confident using. I believe she, Pietro, Thor, and Loki are keys to an obscure legend. Whatever is happening right now involves those four.”
“Did you forget Loki’s dead too?”
“I have not. I am saying our entire world has turned upside down many times, and so I do not find this so far fetched as to be impossible. I have a pink synthezoid girl waiting for me that believes I am her father. I lost myself and Wanda, and yet now she is right here curled up sleeping peacefully.”
“...You have a daughter? Does that mean you and Wanda have three children?” Clint was dumbfounded.
“I do not know if Viv is my daughter, and she is certainly not Wanda’s, but I shall care for her if she wishes it.”
Once he had ended the call, Vision nudged Wanda’s shoulder gently. She sighed and didn’t move immediately.
Wanda, can you hear me?
Tired. So tired. But I’m safe and I have a bit of hope finally and-
I am you. You are me. I suppose I should thank you for showing me I could do this. You’re still asleep so you are easier to reach right now.
Wanda thought she sensed a slight mischievous smirk in her other self’s mental voice amidst the hurt and concern . Rather than try to push her away, she tried to mentally relax. I don’t understand. Are you really me in that 838 universe? How are you...doing this? Why do you care about me?
The Darkhold isn’t the only way to dreamwalk. They don’t know it. I can’t even use my magic right now, so anyone can try this, even normal people. I asked Mordo to protection-spell my house even though I don’t like him. He’s an arrogant bumbling idiot. I am scared for me and the boys because of you. I’m not angry, just...scared. You need to stop that array I saw you see.
...The array? You saw the weird basement array? Wanda sensed Vision holding her hand as she woke up heart pounding, and she tried to concentrate on that and lay very still, terrified of breaking the connection somehow.
Yes. I try my best to watch you and not any of our other variants. It doesn’t always work, but never mind that. Little America Chavez is the center, but you knew that, I think. I’m not telling Mordo I can talk to you. I thought I was just a normal mutant but I’m magic like you. I think whoever’s trying to build that array thinks they’ll be able to control Chthon.
...Do you miss the Illuminati?
For a moment Wanda thought her other self had broken the connection, but there was finally a simple reply: You are changing the subject. I miss the professor. He was always so kind to us. He wanted to help you too, you know. You terrified him, but he didn’t lose hope for you, either. Good-bye for now.
Wanda bolted upright as the 838 Wanda’s quiet presence withdrew. “Vis. Vis, the me in 838 was there- in my head- she somehow knows how to dreamwalk without using the Darkhold and-“ she cut herself off, thinking that probably sounded more than a little unhinged and ridiculous.
Vision didn’t react to that beyond giving Wanda’s hand a gentle squeeze. Then he just sat there calmly waiting for her to continue. Wanda closed her eyes, took a deep breath, tried to focus on things here , now , not the confusing things from the not-dream. Vision was holding her hand. The sheets were crispy clean and fresh-smelling. She could very very faintly hear a TV playing in an adjoining hotel room. Her own hair was tickling her cheeks a bit.
She could sense the runes on her bracelets against her skin, not unpleasantly exactly, but a bit disconcerting all the same. I am okay. Vis probably wants to tell me something. I can listen. “I...can listen, now,” she whispered.
“I would like to hear what you had to say first,” Vision said quietly. “It sounded important.”
Wanda stared at him. “Why are you so patient with me? I have caused you nothing but trouble s-since America brought me to see you.” I don’t understand. What if asking that makes him want to leave me alone somewhere? What if-
He won’t, Wanda. You know that.
Vision hesitated before hugging her close. “You are worth it to me. I love you. Moreover, surely you realize most of the current trouble is not your fault. The remainder is a small price to pay for having you near.”
Warm. I am warm and not...lonely anymore. “The...other me, in 838. She’s scared, but she knows how to dreamwalk without using the Darkhold, without using her powers at all. She saw that array from me? I didn’t, um, I didn’t sense her then. But she told me she thinks whoever is building it thinks they can control…” Wanda searched for a way to say Chthon’s name without actually doing so. “An extremely powerful demon creature,” she settled on finally. “One we do not want in our dimension. Ever.”
Vision tensed, but he also kept his arms wrapped around Wanda. “All right. I am going to assume other you is merely lucid dreaming, and is calling it dreamwalking because she does not know any better. Wanda, you are absolutely certain this was you and the other you conversing and not you merely thinking or talking to yourself?”
“...Do you think I’m crazy?” Stop it. He does not and that is not going to make me react badly. I bothered him with that sort of question before already. Wanda took a deep shuddering breath and shoved those angry impulses away. “Never mind.”
“No, I think you have abilities we still do not understand, and that you being hurt here,” Vision gently touched Wanda’s forehead, “does not help you understand those abilities at all. However, that does not make you crazy.”
That’s...reasonable. “This I’m sure of. Me talking to myself, or the...other, intrusive thoughts, mine or not...none of that feels the same.” Wanda sighed again, but she did appreciate Vision acknowledging that she was not ‘okay’ while still staying nearby and treating her the same as always. His continued reactions of not immediately trusting her information but also not just discarding it entirely or ignoring her was both kind and logical, and made her feel able to think a bit more logically herself. “My dream can wait. You...you woke me up, though. Why?”
“Would you be able to tell if Viv has any sort of magic-based tracker on her?” Vision continued holding Wanda’s hands, gently running his thumbs across them.
Not with the bracelets on. “I’m not sure. Obviously I can’t with the wristbands, but…” Wanda trailed off, considering. “I could say if there was some kind of magic on her at all, but I don’t think I would know if it was something meant for tracking. Maybe we should call Wong.”
“Frankly, I do not trust more people knowing about Viv. I am worried she would end up confiscated as a...a thing,” Vision admitted. “She does not know how to disguise herself, either.”
“You want me to come see her,” Wanda said. It wasn’t a question. What if I mess up? What if I don’t but there is something on her and I can’t help fix the problem? “I think she should stay hidden indoors somewhere, regardless. Also, I think you or me going in and out of the room multiple times during the night might look suspicious.”
“I was thinking you might be able to sense if there is magic on Viv from here,” Vision said matter-of-factly. “In fact, I am thoroughly confident you have the power to do that. I just do not know if you feel comfortable attempting to do so at the moment.”
Wanda jerked her hands away and wrapped her arms around her middle. I barely trusted myself to heal some fingernail scratches on myself before. But...nothing happened. I didn’t even feel weird or not myself. “I don’t know if I can ,” she whispered. “Like I am sure I could sense if I didn’t feel quite right and you could put the bracelets back on before anything bad happened, but I don’t know if trying to reach out like that is going to...make me react like seeing that array did. I can do my best?” Your best is never good enough. Never.
Shut up. I don’t need to bother trying to tell where that thought is from. Probably me, honestly.
Vision was quiet for several seconds, but finally just said a simple, “Your best is all anyone can ever expect from you if it is someone’s opinion worth caring for.”
Wanda didn’t answer, and she closed her eyes once the bracelets were off again. In seconds she grabbed Vision’s arm, her eyes a bit panicked. “Vis. Vis, they’re right below the window, right? Karen and Viv are fine. Frank is not fine. He’s…” she bit her lip, unsure what the something was, but disliking it all the same. “Put the wristbands back on me. Now.”
“You are safe, Wanda. Safe here; no one is going to hurt you and you are not hurting anyone,” Vision said firmly, but he did as Wanda asked anyway. Glancing toward the window, he sighed again. “What is going on? You do not seem unlike yourself or anything.”
Wanda padded to the window, her hands balled into fists. “It’s like...like there was something else there. Something that wanted me, but it’s also him, and that part is tempted to kill me even though he doesn’t want to carry that out. The thing doesn’t want him to either.” She blinked, suppressing a shiver. “It felt like when I sensed corruption remnants in Stephen, but weaker. And it, um, I could...see green and black. Visualize it, rather. I’m scared it could have sensed me using magic.” My magic is red, the sorcerers’ is yellow-gold, Agatha’s was purple. This is something different. Loki? Another magic user? Scott said some of the dead people in the warehouse had green on them.
“All right. Wanda, would you...mind if Viv came on the rest of the trip back with us?” Vision asked, uncharacteristically not calm. He was clearly at least a little frightened, and that scared Wanda herself further. It was obvious to her that he wasn’t frightened because of her, because he was just hugging her protectively again, but it was still worrisome. If Vision of all people was scared, then something was horribly wrong.
Calm down. Can’t think if I’m freaking out again. Wanda shook her head. “She’s just a kid. And yours. Of course she can come. I just...we can’t hide her. It’s like Nat trying to hide me back when we were on the run and I was injured...and I’m mostly useless right now, like back then. Frank Castle needs to go talk to Wong. I can’t help him, I don’t know how. He probably doesn’t even know and just thinks those thoughts are his own only that he’s ignoring. You and Karen Page are the only useful ones here, and she’s an ordinary human and you can’t use your abilities without revealing Victor is Vision.”
“Try to go back to sleep. I shall straighten this out for us. Wanda, you...really trust Wong?” Vision asked. “Would he turn Viv over to the government if ordered to do so?”
“I do trust him. He didn’t turn me over,” Wanda pointed out quietly. “I know he doesn’t like me much, which is understandable. I hurt him, I killed someone he loved very much. But he could have had me sent to the Raft or killed me himself once I gave him that rune spell, and he didn’t. He could have even just...abandoned me in the little cell-room inside the sanctum, but he has tried to help me. And he also won’t register America as being enhanced. He will not report Viv.” The more Wanda thought about it, the more she spoke aloud, the more she realized Wong was not inherently a rule-follower no matter how much he thought he was. Wong had clear beliefs of what he considered right and wrong, and he would not betray those beliefs regardless of preexisting ‘rules’.
Vision could tell Wanda was certain about this; she sounded confident and sure of herself. “All right. Go to sleep for now. I will take care of everything for us.”
______________
Wanda thought she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep at all, but she was so tired sleep came easily, and she woke in the morning feeling much refreshed. A cup of apple juice and a blueberry muffin sat on the nightstand, which made her smile. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to get breakfast,” she told Vision, who was standing directly in front of the door to block it.
“Unless you were planning to create breakfast, yes I did.” Vision no longer looked worried like he had the night before. “Viv is safe. Wong took her to Darcy Lewis in New Asgard, and I shall pick her up as soon as all of us deem it safe for her.”
Darcy would definitely take care of Viv. She probably thinks Viv is weird but also happily willing to help her. Wanda didn’t really know Darcy, but instinct said if Darcy was willing to attempt helping her of all people, then Viv was safe. “I’m glad Viv is safe. I just don’t want her to feel neglected because you keep insisting on staying with me. If she really is yours, then I think you should put her first, not me.”
Vision’s expression turned somewhat stormy. “I will not neglect Viv. However, the facts remain that she will not be safe here, and that you cannot be left to travel alone. Wanda, please...just...allow me to handle this. I cannot expect Viv to automatically be happy with me attempting to take care of her. She seems, well…” he hesitated, watching Wanda carefully. “She seems like you , lonely and hurt, but hesitant to let anyone in for fear someone else will leave her all alone again.”
I wish I could talk to her. “Vis, I trust you, but…” Spit it out, Wanda, the little Pietro-voice ordered gently. “Vis, I was that frightened kid once. You can’t just send her to another safe person even if it logically makes sense. Viv is going to feel like a thing being passed about, even if she understands why you sent her to Darcy. She was an experiment, and then lost her mother and brother according to Frank Castle. He found her, then took her to Karen Page, she found you, and then you just sent her to New Asgard with more strangers.” Wanda blinked quickly, trying to keep herself from tearing up. She twisted a bracelet around her wrist and then squeezed her hands into fists. “I want you with me, I really, really do. But you have to go to Viv the second you get rid of me at Clint’s farm.” That’s me, normal me, not irrational frightened me or irrational corrupted ideas. Vis has to go to her.
“I am not ‘getting rid’ of you by dropping you off back in Iowa.” Vision folded Wanda into his arms instinctively, holding her close again. “Viv told me to stay with you, that it was unsafe if I did not. She was adamant. I am not sure which of you to believe.”
“She’s just being logical.”
“And you are not?”
“No, I’m not. I am not being irrational, but yes, I’m only talking from here,” Wanda put her hands over her heart, “because I don’t think Viv is going to let her feelings...feel unless someone shows her it’s okay to.” If she thinks like Vis does, she probably doesn’t really know how to process those human emotions very well, either. I don’t have any room to talk, but I don’t think Viv not having Vision with her is right.
“Well...regardless, we have to take you back to the farm safely. May we discuss further on the way?”
Wanda nodded. I know I probably am more...clingy than Viv, but my heart says he shouldn’t leave her in New Asgard anyway, even if she’s safe there. Maybe she really is okay with it, but even so, I’m sure it would be reassuring if she at least knew Vis wanted her around. She nibbled at the muffin slowly. “What about Frank Castle?”
“I have informed both Ms. Page and Wong of the issue. I did not tell Mr. Castle directly. That seemed a poor plan.” Vision still did not trust Frank at all, and knowing that the man knew where Wanda was disturbed him, even though Frank claimed he had no intentions of harming her. “Let us hurry and get out of here quickly. Please.”
________________
“You look very nice,” Vision said the second Wanda emerged from the bathroom in a new red sundress with her dark hair in a ponytail. She looked very much like the newbie Avenger that Vision remembered from years before when she’d first joined the team.
“Thank you. I feel like I do,” Wanda answered shyly. “I just...still need those bracelets back though. I know you think I’m being too cautious, but I don’t want to risk it.” An outfit and hair tie felt harmless enough to create from nothing, but Wanda did not want to push her luck any further, just in case. Like the evening before, Wanda’s magic was perfectly at ease inside and felt purely hers , nothing else. It’s still just...there. It doesn’t like me locking it down, I made it sad and unwanted.
Wanda, you mean you’re making you feel sad and unwanted. It’s not a separate entity. That didn’t help ages ago and it won’t help now. Wanda looked down at her hands, an old memory holding her still.
“Pietro, I hate them. I don’t want it, I feel not-me and I don’t want enhancements if it makes me not me any more. I feel detached from real things and it scares me.”
“That’s silly. Enhanced Wanda is just normal ol’ Wanda with extras. Those powers are part of you now, whether they were before or not. Look, Wanda, we’re together. I’ll always tell you what’s real if you need me to, okay? I promise.” They had still been sixteen back then, just a couple of frightened teenagers stupidly believing they were going to Help Change Things. From the second Strücker had let them stay together again, Pietro always stayed nearby. Pietro might have acted ridiculous often, and he teased her all the time, but he also always took her fears and anxiety seriously. Why had she been scared of not knowing what was real way back then? Was there some instinct inside that just knew just what she was actually capable of even if she didn’t recognize it consciously?
“-you all right?” Vision was asking.
Wanda nodded quickly. “Fine. I am fine. Thinking. I think I’m making myself feel worse by shutting off access to my magic, because it feels...sad and unwanted. Something Pietro told me…” she finished the last bit of apple juice and tugged her boots back on. “I’m not sure how to describe it, and I don’t know what I need to do. Let’s just go.”
Vision did not like that explanation at all, but he just offered Wanda the argyle sweater from the previous evening again, which she eagerly put on. By the time they officially checked out and arrived back at the car, Wanda seemed less pensive, but she was still quiet. “Wanda, please just tell me if you want to do something with your magic. Anything at all. I already did not like this, and now you have explicitly expressed that you know it is making you feel worse.”
Wanda sighed very deeply . “Vis, that’s just it. I don’t even know if that’s accurate. I cannot tell you how good it feels to know I physically can’t hurt people around me, no matter what. It’s just…there is this other tiny piece of me that just wants to be me, all of me, and not lock away the enhanced part. Every time I have used my magic and then put the wristbands back on, it’s like I got a warm hug anxious to please, a whisper of something good, and then shoved it away, and I hurt it but it’s willing to wait for me anyway.” And it is me, not corruption remnants. I was once a little girl that pretended she had magic. That little girl would be delighted with chaos magic and she wouldn’t be scared to use it. “I know that must sound ridiculous, but it’s me . It’s me, all me. Wong and Stephen think I’m a vessel for that...that thing because I have chaos magic, and maybe that’s true. I guess I know it is and don’t want to admit it. But it is still mine. Maybe it wasn’t before, but it is now, and I won’t let some ancient demonic creature ruin it.”
“If you were strong enough to destroy all of the Darkholds, you must be strong enough to face its author directly.” Vision’s matter-of-fact words seemed too simple to accept at face value.
It’s not a power level question. “I’m the problem, not the magic. I can’t…” Wanda trailed off, searching for words. “I can’t even trust myself to just function properly.” How could I ever trust myself for anything close to that? Vis sounds like he thinks I could fight Chthon directly if I wanted to.
“I think you underestimate yourself. You cannot function properly alone. This is true. You self-destruct on your own, even without confusing corrupted magic books in play. However, you are not alone now,” Vision said firmly as they turned back out onto the interstate. “ Safe is not accurate, I suppose, because we know there are multiple entities after us. That being said, you have people willing to support you. Please let us do so.”
Wanda bit her lip nervously. “I just feel like I’ve set off a whole rippling domino effect, and it’s all going to blow up in our faces somehow, that’s all. I don’t want to take advantage of my friends, or end up chasing them away when it becomes too much trouble.” And those are reasonable assumptions, too.
“A domino effect does not have to be a negative thing. This one has brought you back to your friends, brought you back to...me.” Vision still sounded calm, but his familiar voice cracked at the last word anyway. “I am so relieved you are here again. If negative occurrences come as well, then so be it. We will handle them. Please, please, stop assuming you will chase others away.”
But I did. I did already. And… “It feels too good to be real to believe I don’t have to be alone. That I do have people nearby that care about me , not just my powers.” Wanda paused, considering how she wanted to explain, and squeezed her hands into fists. Don’t explain. What good will that do? If you explain you give ammunition to let others hurt you.
Does it matter? It won’t hurt anything right now, at the very least. Vis will not hate me even if he doesn’t understand. I know that. “I feel like some odd, warped, older version of the angry, hurt teenager I was when I first joined the team.”
“Well,” Vision said slowly, “that is understandable. You lost your family, found another, lost that one, created one again, lost it again, tried to find it in an illogical incorrect manner, failed, and now you are here once more. It seems unreasonable to expect anyone to mature properly under such circumstances, no? I still do not understand human emotions as well as I wish, but I know you. I remember yours. You did not grow up properly ever since you were a child. So, now we have adult Wanda who does not know how to handle difficult emotions very well, and has had little peace since besides.”
Wanda knew she would be angry and offended hearing such a thing from anyone else, but Vision did not sound accusatory or at all judgy; he was just calmly driving. “None of that excuses anything,” she muttered, staring out the window.
“I did not say it excused your poor behavior. I am saying I do not think feeling like the younger Wanda I first met years ago is illogical. Nor is it fair to expect yourself to be all right after everything that has happened. We just need to make sure you know how to handle things even when you are not...fine. Requesting assistance to prevent more destructive messes occurring counts as knowing how to handle things.”
Wanda didn’t smile, exactly, but she turned her gaze back to Vision, her eyes sparkling a bit. “I like listening to you,” she whispered. That actually does help. “Only, you know that’s exactly what those bracelets you hate are for, so I don’t hurt anyone else.”
Vision’s expression screwed up in a distinctly human manner that really did make Wanda smile. “Those things are not helping you . They are protecting others around you.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing.”
“What happens if they break?” Vision asked, voice gentle. “What happens if something or someone else that means you harm realizes what they are? Personally, I daresay I should much rather take my chances with you, corrupted or not, than some malicious being using you or otherwise hurting you.”
I don’t understand. I told him what happened, I explained everything as well as I could, and he’s still saying that ? That makes no sense. “Vis, you do not want corrupted me around, I can promise you that much,” Wanda muttered, but another thing, another angry agonized thing simmered beneath.
if someone had been willing to help sooner- not acted like nothing I said made any sense-
Stop it. You should have called for help long before. Before that book took away that option completely. You know it didn’t want you near your friends, the little Pietro-voice said. Wanda closed her eyes. If Pietro was there, he would have understood. He would have come for her. Pietro probably would have looked at the Darkhold, she realized abruptly, hating that the thought had even come to her in the first place, because he would have been curious and figured the same thing I did, that you didn’t have to use any horrible spells just to read it trying to find information.
Wanda did not like knowing her twin most likely would have messed up too. To her Pietro was the perfect one, even if she knew otherwise logically. That he was the one who’d wanted to be a hero in the first place. That he always took care of her and kept her from being hurt or ruining things. And now she was still the one left behind, always left behind, that really did have friends that cared for her but were always held back by having her around.
I want to scream, she thought, and was startled when Vision’s soft voice said, “Then do so. Screaming will not hurt anything. No one will hear except us.”
This was true; they were driving on the interstate, the windows were up, and Wanda knew screaming was harmless. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“Yes, I know. It will not bother me at all, all the same.”
Wanda studied Vision for a minute, but she could tell he was genuinely unbothered. So she finally let all of it out in ear piercing screams until she was tired and breathing hard and her voice cracked. I...I really do feel better. I didn’t hurt anything at all. If she didn’t have her bracelets on, she was certain her chaos magic would also have exploded in a messy red haze, but as it was she just sensed it quietly sleeping folded away inside where she couldn’t reach for it. I’m sorry, to me, for not knowing how to handle that. I have a way to make sure everyone else is safe from me, at least. I suppose I need to figure out how to help...me. That’s okay, isn’t it? I hope so.
Wanda cautiously reached for Vision’s arm, and she noticed he smiled at the touch, which made her relax. “Thank you for letting me do that, even if the noise was obnoxious. I don’t think I have...purposely caused such a noisy mess in a very long time, and it helped.”
“Noise does not bother me. Sometimes a controlled explosion is helpful to release stress.” Vision’s clear indifference to witnessing the noise made Wanda feel a little better in of itself. She could tell he was content driving with her in the passenger seat, even without Vis having the mind stone or using her own magic.
Maybe...maybe we will be okay.
______________
Like the day before, the drive was a peaceful interlude for Wanda, who hadn’t been on a road trip like this for a very long time. Rather than the overwhelming loneliness from not so long ago, she found herself repeatedly just thinking that if she could have this many of her friends back, then maybe she really could get Pietro and the boys back too.
Wanda’s silent musings were interrupted by a short text from Lila. ‘pls help soneinr bad her hudin w: Nate’ , the message said. “Vis. Vis, I think we have a problem,” she said quickly. “Lila just texted me. It’s like...like she’s texting without looking or something.” Wanda did not like wading through textspeak in English anyway, even now, and Lila’s unintentionally mangled text was worse.
“What is the message?” Vision asked calmly, though Wanda could feel his arm tense.
“I think she means to say that she’s hiding with Nate from someone bad and please help. I just…” Wanda trailed off, uncertain how to explain the growing pit of dread in her stomach that had nothing to do with the Darkhold at all. Why would she text me? “I don’t like this. Something isn’t right. Lila knows about the bracelets. Why would she ask me for help when she has her family and Sam, Bucky, and Scott there at the farm?”
Vision’s gaze snapped to Wanda and he quickly took the next exit, pulling into another gas station. “Might I see the message?” He immediately set the phone aside and took Wanda by the hands after reading it. “You can teleport to her,” Vision told her quietly. “I know you can.”
“It’s probably a trap. What if someone is pretending to be Lila? The museum thing, that minor demon that followed us into your apartment-“
“Think for a minute, darling. You , not any of those other thoughts that are not yours.”
Wanda blinked a few times and then closed her eyes. Breathe, Wanda. You finally realized I’m not perfect, did you? Might have looked at the stupid corrupted book too. I am just really good at pretending to be perfect. Trust yourself. You have someone right there to help ground you. Think. “If someone had told Lila to text that, it probably wouldn’t look like she typed it without looking. She probably texted in a hurry because she’s not safe and our teammates need backup.”
“Anything else?”
“If I text Lila back, I might give her away if her phone makes noise.”
“This is true. However, Miss Lila is an intelligent child. She most likely has her device set on silent. She may not be an Avenger, but she has grown up with a retired agent mother and an Avenger father.”
“...I am somewhat confident I could teleport there without harming anything, because I have already done that once, but I don’t trust myself beyond that.”
Vision continued holding Wanda’s hands, knowing quite well that the physical contact made her feel better. She was not smiling and her body was tense, but he could tell she was thinking clearly and not about to lash out or panic in any way either. “We can continue back on the road as we have been, I could fly both of us out of here, or you can go to her immediately on your own.”
Wanda immediately shook her head. “I don’t want you to have to risk revealing yourself as Vision and be in danger. And Lila needs help now. I’m probably taking too long thinking as it is.” Lila. If I really could just teleport to her, I would have Lila there. I still wouldn’t be alone, so I really don’t think I would be putting her in danger.
“There is another way to acquire information from Miss Lila,” Vision told her, “and I think you know what it is. Going there blind is a poor plan.”
Me. My own telepathy. Wanda nodded and took a deep breath; she still didn’t like reaching out over large distances that way, but that seemed safer than jumping into something blind with no information beyond knowing that Lila was hiding with Nate and needed help. “I can talk to her in my head. You need to slap those things back on immediately if I ask you to or you are suspicious I’m not...thinking properly. Please.”
“Of course.” Vision still did not like Wanda relying on those magic nullifying bracelets, but he wasn’t going to risk losing her trust about it, either.
Lila. Find Lila and try not to frighten her, Wanda ordered herself. Though her magic genuinely did not feel out of control or not hers , she kept a tight hold on Vision’s hands, hoping that would help minimize the disconcerting inhuman floaty feeling that always came with reaching out with her abilities so far. I can do this and you are not going to do anything illogical and horrible again. Absolutely not. You looked for Billy and Tommy this way so much and it never helped. Lila is here and you can find her.
The Darkhold, Wanda realized now, hated that she didn’t like the sensation, hated that she only wanted to embrace her abilities for the seemingly simple mundane things she wanted most.
“...Lila? I got your text. Where are you?”
“Oh! Hi, Wanda. I wasn’t expecting this but it’s kinda cool. Hiding with Nate in the barn up in the hayloft.” Lila ‘sounded’ scared, but also relieved to get an answer. “I don’t know what’s going on, but the other Avengers are all...stuck. Not hurt, just...frozen? Mom told the weird intruder people we were at a friend’s house. I think they want us kids, especially Nate.”
Wanda stared at Vision, knowing her eyes were probably glowing red, but he only smiled at her reassuringly and continued holding her hands. I can do this. My magic is mine, it’s not misbehaving or feeling all wrong right now. “Lila says she’s hiding in the hayloft with Nate,” Wanda said quickly. “I will come as soon as I can. I just don’t want to risk hurting you myself.”
“You won’t. I don’t even think corrupted you would have gone after me or Nate. Why would you? We wouldn’t have pushed you away or anything and we don’t have magic anyway. Please, I don’t know what to do. There’s-“ Lila’s mental voice abruptly cut off, and instead Wanda just sensed a mental image of Lila’s current surroundings, the girl and her little brother mushed into piles of sweet-smelling hay and several people wearing masks nearly on top of them. “Vis, I’m going,” Wanda whispered aloud, closing the mental link to Lila. “I have to, I think.”
“Go and be safe. I shall be coming after you,” Vision said quickly, gently brushing a stray wisp of dark hair behind Wanda’s ear. “Keep the sweater. Maybe it will help.”
Wanda didn’t answer, but she grabbed the bracelets and stuffed them in her pocket; if she did feel out of control, at least she would have some kind of failsafe. You don’t want those. You know you don’t. No, but I will not hurt anyone I love again, either. She gave Vision’s hand one last squeeze and let herself teleport directly to Lila.
Notes:
I’m very much looking forward to next chapter, since there’ll be some more major reveals and Wanda actually is in an action sequence (finally lol!).
For now, I would loveeee to know any predictions you might have or what you liked so far. any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 23: Chapter 23
Summary:
In which Wanda discovers she’s a bit more in control than she thinks with Lila’s help, even if things don’t go perfectly...
Notes:
ACTION SEQUENCE TIME! Yay:)
I know it is a bit early for the next chapter than the usual bigger gaps between chapters, but hey, it was ready, so I’m sharing it! I hope you enjoy:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda found herself stumbling directly into one of the soft piles of hay in the loft, and tried to recenter herself again. Lila. Help Lila and Nate. Magic is...okay? I don’t understand. Though Wanda’s fingers tingled with the promise of unleashing scarlet destruction if she needed to, the warm ‘core’ of chaos magic in her heart felt normal to her. There was none of the confusing dark fear inside any longer; it almost just seemed happy , as if she’d healed it a bit simply by using it.
“You said she wasn’t gonna be here!” an unfamiliar voice shouted.
“She wasn’t supposed to be! She was in New York with that museum guy!”
“Well, I’m not getting paid to deal with her, no thanks.”
Before Wanda could put two and two together beyond they know I was with Vis but not that he isn’t an ordinary human , there was a terrified scream abruptly cut short from little Nate, who had been thrown from the edge of the hayloft. Wanda’s gaze burned into the culprit, some dark thing snaking across her consciousness. Don’t you ever touch them.
Wanda tilted her head. The masked figure that had thrown Nate disintegrated to dust crackling in red.
“You. You had better hope that little boy is not dead. Give me Lila or you are next.”
“Wanda, get information from him- don’t kill another one,” Lila said all in a rush, wishing very much she could get to Nate but also knowing something was not quite right about Wanda. Wanda looked like her normal self, but the silhouette of a delicate ruby crown glowed on her head and her eyes were sparkling strangely. “Hey. You should give me back, you know,” Lila told the man holding onto her. She lifted a shaky hand and pointed at the knife against her throat. Disintegrate that, Wanda, Lila begged silently, hoping her older friend would understand and actually listen. The whole thing had happened so fast; one second that man was there and the next he was gone, not even having had time to scream. Lila didn’t think she minded that he was gone, because he had hurt her baby brother, and then she wondered what that said about her. She chewed her lip; Wanda still seemed off-kilter to her, as if she wasn’t sure what was okay to do. A ruby glow crackled across Wanda’s neck and Lila thought she saw a small crystal shatter and then disappear. Wanda didn’t seem to notice.
The knife crumbled and the man crashed into the wall of the barn, unconscious. Three more on the ground floor of the barn collapsed into heaps, as if they were puppets that had their strings cut.
“I disintegrated a person,” Wanda said, blinking and feeling slightly nauseous but also not particularly caring that the person was gone entirely, because he had hurt little Nate. Did I mean to do that? Was that me? And I should have reacted faster so Nate wouldn’t fall at all. “Lila. Have to- don’t know- I need- check Nate-“
Lila grabbed Wanda and just hugged her tightly. “‘S okay,” she whispered. “We need to help Nate. You can heal him. I think Dad would tell you killing a bad guy is a lot, lot better than letting us get hurt. If you can’t hold in all of the destructive stuff that’s not you, turning it on people trying to hurt us is better than being not in control at all. I think. Just, um…” Lila tried to think of the right words, something that Wanda would understand and listen to, and not agitate her further. She couldn’t help finding it weird that Wanda was obviously frightened, when Lila was sure none of these people could lay a finger on her if she didn’t allow them to. Wanda had let Lila close enough to hug, but she was also practically vibrating with unreleased power, some ethereal thing that was warm and protective toward Lila herself and fire-hot destructive rage toward the intruders. “I don’t want you to do something that you’re gonna feel bad about later. Or feel bad that you don’t feel bad about it.”
There are more of them. Multiple. And I sense magic. More on instinct than conscious choice, Wanda found herself transforming into her suit instead of the red dress she’d made earlier and the borrowed sweater. Lila did not flinch. Wanda pressed the magic-nullifying bracelets into Lila’s hand, not trusting herself not to disintegrate those too. Lila nodded, her expression serious, and stuffed them in her jeans pocket. Lila is right. The corruption remnants don’t care what I destroy at all. I can trust myself not to hurt my friends right now, at least. Realizing this made it a little easier to think clearly. Little Nate was crying on the barn floor below the loft now, but suddenly that was a good thing, because that meant Nate was alive and conscious. She gently lifted Nate telekinetically and laid him in the soft hay next to them. The little boy appeared okay other than a nasty scrape on his cheek and a clearly broken arm.
Wanda, cast a protection spell yourself. That’s simple, you know how, and it will hopefully make the others able to fight. Then shield yourself and the littles, and help Nate. Pietro’s voice flitted through Wanda’s head, through the dark tangled thing that would have preferred if she just nuked all of the intruders without further preamble. I could, too. I’m sure of it. “Lila, can you…” Wanda trailed off, her focus snapping to the new person lurking near them. “Touch the kids and you die,” she snapped, eyes blazing.
“Read his mind!” Lila hissed, her urgent voice at odds with the gentle clasped hands on her elbow. “ Not kill. Read his mind so we can find out what’s happening.”
Thank you, Lila. Without waiting for an answer, Wanda poked into the man’s mind hard, hard enough that he grabbed at his head and yelped as he stumbled backward, even as she threw up the protection runes around the farm quickly. If there are more magic things affecting the others…no more. I wish all magic on my friends to be off them.
Lila watched warm threads of scarlet burst from Wanda and snake out of the barn. “Wanda, make sure it’s all you ,” she ordered, still holding onto Wanda’s arm. “It feels okay to me, just...make sure.”
“You are helping,” Wanda said quietly, feeling far more sure of herself than she had before. Lila had known her long ago, and the girl instinctively knew Wanda liked having her close. Now they were both older and Wanda knew she had other problems besides the ordinary ones she’d had then, but Lila was still there, still willing to offer help as best she knew how.
And she has always made me feel...wanted. All of me. Little Lila had always wanted to ‘see the magic’, but she also was happy to accept when Wanda didn’t want to or couldn’t.
“I’ll share Roxie with you. Read to me?”
“Can you make me fly? ...Oh. Okay. I would like to fly, though. I don’t think you’re gonna hurt me.”
“Will you and Auntie Nat take me to the park?”
“You’re my favorite Avenger besides Auntie Nat. I’m not gonna count Daddy.”
Loud confused shouting and familiar voices outside the barn told Wanda her instinctive not-plan had worked. “...You work for Ross ?” she asked the man incredulously, yanking his mask off.
The man was, like the ones she’d seen back at the warehouse in New York, an average nondescript person she wouldn’t have paid much mind to if she saw him in public somewhere. “He always hated enhanced people. You have magic.”
The man stared at her in terror. “I didn’t know those kids were anything to you,” he blubbered, “please don’t hurt me, I don’t have magic myself-”
Yes, he does! I can sense it. Though...magical weapons. Maybe he just has magic-infused weapons on him. He’s not lying, technically. “They could be strangers to me. It does not matter,” Wanda spat back, and she knew that much was true. “What do you know? Tell me or I will make you whether you want to or not.”
“And she can tell if you lie. So don’t,” Lila piped up.
The man glanced from Wanda to Lila and back again. “If I tell you, he will kill us.”
“If you don’t tell me, I will kill you,” Wanda shot back without thinking. Remember. That’s okay to say. Not to do. Ever. Not unless there is no other option at all. Wanda felt those words keenly, from both what she knew Pietro would tell her and what Nat had drilled into her years ago. She blinked. The man was still standing there terrified, but Wanda did not like the curious expression forming on his face. I’ve done or said something I shouldn’t have.
“You aren’t what I was told you were. You’re still human. You killed only because that kid was attacked, not for some sadistic mindless reason.”
Wanda tensed, and she felt Lila’s warm hand linked with hers. I don’t know what he means. Part of her wanted to poke in the man’s head again, but she didn’t trust herself and she didn’t want to risk killing anyone else, even if they were after poor Nate or Lila and she didn’t much care about that other man’s fate much. “Stay there. Do not move. Do not eavesdrop on us,” she ordered, eyes glowing red.
“Yes, I will stay here. I will not move. I will not eavesdrop on you or the kids,” he repeated robotically. The man’s eyes glazed over and he stood there still as a statue.
Wanda turned away and ignored him, satisfied he would still be there later; she needed to help little Nate first. Okay. I have Lila right here. I can heal Nate without hurting him. I hope.
Nate peered at Lila and Wanda through tear-filled eyes. “Hurts,” he whimpered, clutching the hurt arm to his chest.
Something careened toward the three of them and tumbled harmlessly to the ground upon impact with an automatic shield from Wanda, who looked to Lila in alarm. “I don’t want to hurt Nate or-“
“You’re not gonna hurt us.” Lila knelt too and linked hands with anxious Wanda again. “I’m scared. But not ‘cause of you. I think the only people here that aren’t safe are those creepy people. I can feel that much from you. You just want to protect us. Even that man knows you’re not some crazy killer, and he’s terrified of you.”
“I don’t know if Ross poisoned him against enhanced people in general or if he knows I was corrupted,” Wanda whispered. Does it matter?
Lila thought for a few seconds before replying. “It’s probably President Asshole but either way, he still knows you’re just a human person like all of us.”
“I’mma tell Dad you said ‘asshole’!” Nate told Lila.
“Go ahead. He thinks old Ross is a stupid asshole too,” Lila said, scowling.
“Anyway. Nate, you got to let her see. Please?”
“Fairy tale princess knight,” Nate murmured approvingly, staring at Wanda. He seemed intrigued by Wanda’s suit, especially the crown, and blinked owlishly at her. “Lila, make her help Daddy.”
Lila smiled at Nate being bossy and relaxed a little. “I think she did already. We’re going to fix your arm, okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“...All over !” Nate sounded more salty than scared now, and he shakily reached for Wanda, who immediately held him close, eyes wide. The little boy was warm and safe and his lack of fear made Wanda more confident as she carefully let a few threads of scarlet curl protectively around Nate’s arm.
Nate is going to be okay. I do not want to risk pulling any more magic free than this at once, even though I know I’m capable of healing this instantly. Wanda did not quite understand why Nate was so unbothered, but his head was so loud to her that she couldn’t help sensing his little-kid thoughts.
I’m scared but I have got Lila and Wanda so I’m safe.
The bad person disappeared. I’m glad.
Does Wanda have a pet dragon? I hope so. She’s cool.
Arm hurts. No, it’s all better.
I want a hot dog.
Where’s Daddy? I wanna see Daddy.
Wanda didn’t say anything, but she was finally able to shut Nate’s thoughts out. Those were not hers to know. She didn’t think Nate would care, but still. Nate thinks I’m like some magical heroine from a book or something. I don’t understand. “I don’t feel confident fixing your head, Nate,” she whispered. “I’m worried I might make it worse instead of better.” You healed all those injured sorcerers, remember? You just care more about Nate than them, so you’re being picky picky picky, the little Pietro-voice scolded.
Lila frowned. A broken arm seemed like it would be more difficult to heal than a scraped cheek or a banged head, but she understood why Wanda didn’t want to try. “You won’t hurt Nate, but if you don’t think you can heal his head, then we’ll help Nate the boring slow way.”
“Hey, you guys good?” Clint’s voice surprised all three of them as he climbed the ladder into the hayloft. He appeared unhurt other than a skinned elbow.
Wanda’s cheeks grew hot, her first instinct being that he might think she had hurt Nate, especially since all he saw was her holding the little boy with wisps of chaos magic still around his arm, though they disappeared in a few seconds. I should have been able to catch him besides. It is my fault Nate is hurt.
Nate beamed. “Daddy! She fixed my arm,” he announced proudly.
Clint gathered Nate close and reached for both Lila and Wanda too, but Wanda tensed and turned away. I shouldn’t be here. Why is Clint trying to just...include me?
“I’m sure she did,” Clint said, hugging Nate. “Wanda, get back here. Stop wandering off, literally or in your head. Nobody here is upset with what you did except these magic criminal dudes.”
“...I killed one,” Wanda said softly. I shouldn’t have. I don’t even care. He hurt Nate and would have done worse to both him and Lila.
“Okay…context?” Clint looked at Lila because he did not trust whatever explanation Wanda might give him, and because if they had hurt Nate, that was probably why.
“She, like, disintegrated one because he attacked Nate,” Lila said. “He threw Nate over the edge! And I helped her not do that to any more of them even if it was easier to defend us that way. I told her I thought you’d rather her turn bad destructive things on people trying to hurt us than be out of control.” She tugged at Wanda’s arm. “Will you stop assuming stuff? Please?”
Wanda stared at Lila’s hand on her arm for a few interminable seconds, but she finally let herself sit next to them, feeling ridiculous. My magic doesn’t feel like it wants to hurt anything anymore, though. It’s warm. It feels...satisfied, because I was using it to help Nate. “I didn’t hurt Nate. I promise I didn’t hurt him. I should have caught him, I-“
“Wanda. I know you didn’t hurt Nate,” Clint interrupted. “Does it look like I think you hurt him? Or that I think it’s your fault you didn’t catch him?”
“...No.”
“Then why are you thinking that I think that?”
Because everyone left me, no one came, they must have been scared or- no. No, that isn’t right, and it isn’t me either. “It wants me to think that no one came because no one wanted me,” Wanda whispered abruptly, twisting her fingers together and then studying her still-dark nails. Mistake. You cannot make me believe that assumption was all me or legitimate anymore. That pressed the wrong thing at me. I’ll always be anxious, that part is mine, but…I don’t have to believe that any more.
I can be anxious and still know it’s illogical. That is better than before, at least.
Clint tugged her closer, with Lila on his other side and Nate curled up on his lap looking quite satisfied. “No one came because we couldn’t find you,” he reminded Wanda as gently as he could. Not for the first time Clint thought that she was both the most fragile and the most powerful member of their team. This seemed all the more true now; Wanda’s ridiculous chaos magic capable of reality warping was not a good combination with shaky mental health or corrupting magic books, let alone both.
Wanda didn’t answer, but she also relaxed somewhat. I know. I don’t know why I said that. I am not alone, and I am not going to hurt them. I should tell him the information I got from that man. “I think Ross sent at least some of these people,” she told Clint. “I do not care what happens to Ross, but honestly I think he’s being used or manipulated somehow himself. I hate him, but this doesn’t seem like Ross behavior. He wouldn’t be trying to get Nate. Nate isn’t enhanced, he’s a normal kid.”
“Why do you think Ross sent them?”
“Because the one I made stand there and not listen until I say otherwise...I poked in his head. He works for Ross, helping track down enhanced people. He’s confused why he was sent here for kids that aren’t enhanced, and he’s pissed he was told I wasn’t here and then I showed up. He also said if he told us what he knew, ‘he’ would kill him.” Wanda twisted her fingers together nervously again, more than a bit disturbed that whatever the intruders’ mission had been, it had relied on her not being there, and she wouldn’t have been if Lila hadn’t successfully texted her. Someone had known she wasn’t at the farm and that she was in New York with Vision, which also meant it was likely that someone knew America existed. Someone had sent enough firepower to handle their non-magical team members currently there. Neutralizing Clint and Scott and Sam and Bucky was weird and disturbing to her. All of them had far more experience than she did except maybe Scott, and while she recognized that some kind of magic had caught them off guard, it still bothered her.
And I hate Ross. If I see him, he is a dead man, she thought viciously, and then shook her head, trying to push those bad instincts away. As much as she hated Ross and considered him an idiot, she didn’t think he really believed he could convince the general public that attacking and attempting to kidnap a couple of normal children was a reasonable thing to do. And had they been after Lila at all, or was Lila’s idea that they only wanted Nate accurate? “Cooper. Where is Cooper? I need to know if Cooper is okay.”
“I bet Mom told him to hide in the basement,” Lila said, which was true. “He was already inside, and I was playing with Nate outside. If anything horrible did happen, they wouldn’t automatically get all three of us if Cooper went there.”
Clint ruffled Lila’s hair. “You did good. You helped protect Nate, and you helped Wanda handle things. Cooper is fine too; he’s helping clean up the house since it’s a mess in there now. Wanda, thank you for healing Nate’s arm.”
Why does he just sound tired and frustrated in general, but not angry with me? “I didn’t heal his head.” Wanda studied Nate, but the little boy seemed fine, just clingy. She could understand that.
“I suspect you felt more comfy messing with an arm than a head. Nate will be okay,” Clint said firmly. “He’s just got a bruise and a scraped cheek. Either it heals on its own or you can try later, if Nate doesn’t mind.”
“She should try now.” Nate sounded salty, and he scrambled onto Wanda’s lap, settling himself there instead and burrowing his face into her shoulder. “She’s not scary. The bad magic stuck on her likes us. So, safe. Very, very safe. The bad guys are not safe,” he said, voice muffled against Wanda’s shoulder.
Wanda hugged Nate closer. Nate is so little, but I think he’s right, at least partly. More accurately, she suspected the corruption remnants recognized that they could not make her hurt the children and so resorted to any destruction at all as a second choice. Regardless, the whole incident had convinced her simply being near the others was not going to hurt them. Now, any more intruders were another story, because she knew a bit of her normal self did not mind getting rid of people that were attacking her friends, and that little very real dark streak was enough for leftover Darkhold corruption bits to latch onto.
The good part was that now she also knew that simply having someone with her was enough to mitigate that. Lila was proof enough; she’d stayed logical and calm even though she was frightened, and given simple instructions that were easy to follow. Even Lila’s willingness to simply touch her helped, because the physical contact was grounding to her and Lila was not scared to be near. Wanda thought of Vision’s words about Lila being an intelligent child. He’s right. I don’t know why, but Lila knew exactly what to do. “I can heal you too,” she told Clint, half expecting him to tell her not to.
“Go for it. I don’t care if you can’t right now, though.” Clint watched his own damaged skin knit back to normal in seconds. He gave Wanda a serious look. “You freak out worrying your power is meant for nothing but destruction, but you just healed both Nate and me. Just don’t go trying to change my ears and we’re good.”
This made Wanda laugh. “I won’t. Promise. I don’t want to touch anyone’s heads that I care about, honestly. But even if I did, I wouldn’t do that unless you told me to.” Though she knew it wasn’t the same, Wanda wondered if Clint’s adamant reaction was a similar reason to why she hadn’t erased all of her own scars, like the one on the top of her foot that matched Pietro’s or any of the ones from their old Avengers missions.
Clint hugged her tightly, squishing Nate a bit, which made him sigh but not protest. “I didn’t think you would. It is frustrating sometimes, sure, but I don’t need it ‘fixed’, either. That is from all those old missions mostly, after all.”
“Tells a story,” Wanda whispered, thinking of something Vision had told her once upon a time when she’d felt self-conscious. Same. Very much the same.
“Sounds about right. If you have a need to help, then you can just create extra hearing aids so when they break, I don’t need to waste more money replacing or repairing them.”
Lila stifled laughter with her hand. “Dad, that happens a lot. ”
“Then Wanda will have plenty of stuff to help with,” Clint teased. “You in that ridiculous warrior princess outfit. Did you design that when you were five?”
“No, but five-year-old me would have been drooling over it,” Wanda said softly, knowing that was true . She realized she really did feel happy right then, up in the hayloft holding little Nate with Clint and Lila right there with her. I believe I can get the boys back somehow at this point, I just don’t know how, not even a little bit. But even if I couldn’t, I have a family right here also. And Clint and his family would help Billy and Tommy too. I know so.
_____________________
“Okay, let’s get all of you inside. Wanda, if you disintegrated one of these guys, I want you to make it so the remaining ones can’t tell anyone what you did,” Clint said decisively. Noticing an irritated-looking Bucky standing below the loft, he called down, “Can you take Lila and Nate inside?”
“I can. The others are all tied up, and Sam and I took all of their weapons. Do we have a plan for this yet?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, I need Wanda to look at these things and see if she knows what these magic-infused weapons are.” Bucky sounded perturbed, but not nervous. Wanda could understand that too, and she handed little Nate back to Clint before climbing down the hayloft ladder. Bucky watched her with his arms crossed; he was not smiling, but Wanda could feel that he wasn’t upset with her, either. “Can’t you fly? What did you do all that with the ladder for?”
“Because I’m not going to use any magic if I don’t have to.”
“Okay.”
“You...don’t care.”
“Why would I care if you choose not to use your magic to get out of the hayloft?” Bucky stared at her looking thoroughly baffled. “Nice suit. It looks far more comfortable than that ridiculous thing you wore before. I don’t know how you were fighting in that.”
This comment was odd but also made it easier to talk to him, though Wanda’s cheeks turned slightly pink anyway. Maybe she should have changed back to the normal dress she’d had before, but it was also kind of nice to hear a compliment all the same. My teammates have never seen me like this, I don’t think. And Nate called me lovely things I don’t deserve. Clint teased me. Maybe…maybe this really is just mine. All mine. America’s comments that her Scarlet Witch suit did not look like the depictions in Wong’s book flitted through her head. And if those blackened cracks over the heart portion would go away completely, she really did like this outfit; it felt right to her. Wanda straightened her shoulders. “Thank you.”
“So...tell us about these things. You’re the only one here with magic, so hopefully you know.” Bucky held out a small glowing green cylinder.
Wanda frowned; the thing made her skin crawl and she did not like it one bit. “I do not like that thing. It feels wrong, but I don’t know what it is,” she said quietly. “It feels like the corrupted bits of me would like to...connect to it.” She backed up, hands glowing red. No. I am safe here, and so is everyone else. Stop it.
Bucky quickly shoved the little cylinder out of sight into a pocket. “Okay. Then we, ah...won’t trigger that now.” He was scowling now, his naturally serious face grumpier looking than usual.
Wanda thought she had seen that somewhat haunted look in his blue eyes before, and then realized where: the mirror. He looks sad. He knows what it feels like. “You don’t have to be the babysitter, you know. I can go inside and find one of the others. I think...being around me makes you sad.”
“You just remind me of myself years ago. Wait there.” In a few seconds Bucky was back, without the odd magic-infused cylinder they didn’t recognize and with Scott, saying Clint and the children were inside now. Wanda’s first instinct was that Bucky was taking her up on the suggestion that he not be the one stuck with keeping an eye on her, but that wasn’t right either. “I thought he might be easier to talk to,” Bucky told her.
Wanda decided not to say that Bucky had already made himself someone she felt more or less okay talking to. He reminded her of Steve and he understood her easily, even if he didn’t really know her that well.
Scott took one look at Wanda and grinned at her. “ That’s a cool hero suit,” he commented. “It suits you.” Scott looked entirely too pleased with himself for that phrasing. “See, you should have listened to me about your code name before, because it is literally what you are evidently, Scarlet Witch. Maybe you could come to a book signing with me dressed like that once everything is straightened out. The little kids especially would love you.”
Wanda’s unease dissipated further, and she found herself smiling. “I don’t know about that, but being invited means a lot to me,” she said quietly, “so thank you.” I can’t do that. I don’t deserve to and I’ll make Scott look bad if he brings me along. But being offered means everything anyway.
“So, settled. No book events. You can just come meet Cassie once this mess is fixed again.” Scott sounded entirely unbothered.
All three of them turned at the distinctive sound of one of the sorcerers’ orange sparkling portals. A very exasperated Wong stepped through and the portal vanished. “What have you been doing now?” he asked Wanda. “You left your ankle monitor alone, but you teleported here and you’ve been using magic. I check your location and oh, you are not with the synthezoid at all, you’ve jumped hundreds of miles again. Where are your bracelet cuffs and where is the Vision?”
“...Lila has them. I am not sorry for saving the littles,” Wanda said in that particular quiet no-nonsense voice that meant I don’t care if you don’t like what I did, so there. “And Vision is coming here. He promised.”
“Hey, she helped us,” Scott put in, frowning. “Maybe she wasn’t supposed to or whatever, but she didn’t try to hide what she did from you, so you know she didn’t mean any harm. We can trust her. If she hadn’t come and Lila hadn’t texted her, those guys would have gotten the Barton kids and done who knows what else.”
Wong sighed. “What were you planning to do if she can’t control herself? If these intruders had done something to her?”
“Then I guess we’d all be screwed. But she’s not gonna learn by never practicing again,” Scott said mildly. “Maybe I don’t know-know Wanda like Hawkeye does, but I do know she doesn’t make me feel unsafe at all.”
“The rest of us aren’t in danger from her,” Bucky answered flatly, knowing Scott’s awkward defense did not sound convincing. “She’s only a threat to people she doesn’t like or doesn’t trust, and even then, I think those people are safe from her so long as she isn’t left alone.” He glanced at Wanda for confirmation, and Wanda nodded.
Wanda also inwardly cringed, but she knew Steve’s old friend was right. Not for the first time she wished very much she had known Bucky better before. Wong probably felt unsafe himself because she had, in fact, hurt him before. Scott and Bucky had not experienced that. Their adamantly defensive words still didn’t feel justified to her, even taking that into account. “I can go get the bracelets now,” she said finally, and walked away, hoping she looked calmer than she felt.
“Wait, please.”
Wanda turned back in the doorway and met Wong’s eyes. I’m listening.
“Obviously helping your friends here isn’t wrong. It is true I don’t trust you, but I believe your teammates saying you didn’t mean any harm.” Wong looked as if he were trying to decide what to say carefully because he was worried how she might react. “I’m concerned that you using magic will make it easier for these people to find you. Take the runes down for now.”
You’re strong enough to fight any of them, you don’t need to nerf yourself and stay hidden, the nasty little voice poked at her, but Wanda closed her eyes and ignored that. Wong’s assumption is a reasonable one. You have the power, sure, but you still don’t know how to use all of it properly, Pietro’s voice flitted through Wanda’s head. Not in a way you can trust, anyway. It’s okay to be frustrated. Or angry. That part is fine. But you can’t hurt people. “I think I have already blazed a calling card for that if they can track my magic. They also could have tracked you here, or wherever Stephen is.”
Wong looked her straight in the eyes. “Did you kill anyone here today?”
Wanda bit her lip, but she didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“That’s why you need to go put those bracelets on. I’ll send some of my sorcerers here to protect all of you.”
“...The man I disintegrated threw little Nate out of the hayloft and broke his arm,” Wanda whispered. Should I have even bothered telling him? I don’t want sorcerers here at the farm. Is that selfish? I don’t even know. “I know I shouldn’t have done-“
“She also healed Nate’s arm,” Bucky interrupted.
Wong’s stern expression partly faded. “Please go inside all the same,” he told Wanda, but he didn’t sound angry anymore, either.
Wanda nodded and headed inside feeling twitchy, dispersing her protection spell as she slipped inside. There was more of whatever that cylinder thing was that Bucky had shown her nearby, and she wished it would go away. Taking a deep breath, she let herself transform back into her regular clothes and went to find Lila.
______________
“Which of these people know what she did?” Wong asked Scott and Bucky tiredly.
“That one still trapped in mind control up there,” Bucky said, pointing. “Don’t know about the rest.”
“If you want to protect her, we can’t let anyone with that information leave.”
Scott frowned. “But you just scolded her for killing the dude. I mean, I think I would’ve done the same thing if I had her weird magic and Cassie was in danger. Guess we all suck. What are we even supposed to do with these guys?”
Wong looked where Bucky was pointing and pinched his nose tiredly. Now he was going to need to get Wanda back out here at some point to undo that or the man would be trapped frozen like that permanently, and he had literally just sent her to put those magic nullifying bracelet cuffs back on. She probably wouldn’t want to free the man, and while she hadn’t given him any reason not to trust her at this point, she still made Wong angry and nervous anyway. “This wasn’t the only attack today. This morning the Viking exhibit in the Met was attacked. No civilians were hurt, but a particular relic was stolen.”
“So what?” Scott asked, frowning. “What’s that got to do with weirdos trying to kidnap or who knows what to normal kids?”
“I don’t know yet, but someone knew Miss Maximoff was not here, and that they would need to neutralize four Avengers. Do you really think anyone would have been asinine enough to attempt that if they thought the Scarlet Witch was here?” Wong asked.
“Yes,” Bucky muttered, “if they didn’t know what she could do, or if they thought she was too much of a mess to do anything. Look, she’s like the magical version of me. You mess up her mind enough and she’s either useless or a WMD. Not accounting for Wanda fighting competently does not necessarily mean they knew she wasn’t here at all. They also could have assumed she was still missing.” He was scowling again and made a fist with his metal arm before grabbing one of the cylinders off one of the unconscious tied-up men and handed it to Wong. “Explain this. It just froze us in place, but Wanda said it felt like corrupted magic to her.”
“I’ve never heard you talk so much,” Scott quipped.
The unsettling thought crossed Wong’s mind that it was very possible this... thing was something the intruders had meant to use on Wanda to make her cooperate with them or otherwise turn on her friends. “These are basically the equivalent of a strong magical taser, almost. Only…” Wong glanced toward the house. “She wasn’t wrong. They were made by another magic user whose power has been tainted. We’re most likely looking for another person that once meddled with the Darkhold. Someone whose magic is green.”
“Loki?” Scott asked, sounding very invested.
Wong shook his head. “This isn’t Loki’s magic or that of a sorcerer.”
“So, what, another witch like Wanda’s supposed to be?” Bucky sounded unimpressed. In his mind Wanda was still just a lab rat enhanced human like him, and he knew Wanda had very little experience with the actual spellcasting aspect of her enhancements.
“Not like her, no, because she’s the only one capable of wielding chaos magic. But a witch, yes.”
______________
Inside the Barton house, Wanda began helping Sam, Clint, and Laura clean up the broken glass and general mess the intruders had made. There was no serious damage beyond the glass, just...mess. “I could just fix this,” she muttered, frustrated.
Laura pulled her aside into the kitchen. “You do not have to, but you can try whenever you want.”
Wanda tugged at her bracelets hard and scratched her wrist until Laura made her stop. “I hate them. I hate them so much. And I don’t think Wong knows everything he thinks he does.” Wanda glared out the window, her hands squeezed into fists again. I don’t trust myself, and I do trust that Wong is doing what he thinks is best for all of us, but...something obvious is missing. “And I don’t want some group of strangers coming here to protect us!”
“Wanda,” Laura said patiently, “what are you talking about?”
“Wong said he was going to send a group of sorcerers here to guard us. What do we want that for? Why didn’t he ask you and Clint first? He has no right to do that. Monitoring me, yes. That, no. There’s two things happening. The Ross part and some other, corrupted magic part.” Wanda’s expression screwed up in frustration. As much as I hate to admit it, I think annoying Stephen would be more useful than a group of sorcerers anyway.
“Let me deal with that. We won’t have strangers staying here, I promise.” Laura’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Besides, I doubt more people will be sent here. Regardless of whether you will or not, now they know you’re here and can fight back properly. You know they don’t want to deal with you.”
I know. Wanda fiddled with the sleeves of the sweater Vision had lent her. It was soft and warm, and while Wanda knew she could simply make herself more durable to temperatures if she had magic access, she refused to do that again, ever. Real warmth was nice, and as much as Wanda hated being cold, that was a normal, ordinary thing to feel. A warm, cozy sweater that chased away uncomfortable chills was special, especially when it belonged to Vis and he had offered it to her. “Being warm is special,” Wanda said quietly, her gaze rather faraway.
“Did Vision lend you that sweater?” Laura asked, already sure of that but wanting to encourage Wanda to talk if she felt like it.
“Yes.” Wanda wrapped her arms around her middle, not in the lonely anxious way she often did. “I don’t understand , but he just treats me like...normal. Like I am special and make him happy, even though I told him everything. He even told me I could stay if I wanted to.” Wanda’s cheeks turned a bit pink, but she added quietly, “It feels good to know what we had before wasn’t just because of the mind stone. He likes me , and I don’t have to understand why to trust that it’s real.” There. I spoke up, I told the truth, and Laura doesn’t look confused or disgusted at all.
“Do you want to move in with him?” Laura asked matter-of-factly.
“No. I sort of think it wouldn’t be good for either of us right now.” Wanda closed her eyes, searching for the right words. “I don’t want to rely on him. He...hovers. And I think he needs to organize his own feelings better, not be stuck taking care of me all the time. Please don’t tell him I said that, I love Vis, I don’t want to hurt his feelings.” I think that is okay to say?
But Laura’s reassuring smile made Wanda think she had said something good rather than some weird illogical thing. “I think that makes perfect sense, Wanda. You want a healthy relationship and not rush things. I won’t tell Vision anything at all if you don’t want me to, but really, he of all people should understand that.”
“I do. Maybe I don’t know what the future looks like anymore, but I do know I don’t want to be some...thing completely dependent on him. That is no good for me or Vis at all.” Wanda tilted her head, thinking. I know what good relationships are supposed to look like. Mama and Papa. Clint and Laura. Not Melina and Alexei, though I know they changed and tried their best later on. And not like Olia’s parents were, either.
“No, it’s not. Only, make sure you aren’t mistaking help and support for that. Wanda, you needing help does not mean you can’t have the dreamy romantic relationship I know you want very badly.” Laura sighed, choosing her words carefully. “You are welcome to stay here permanently, but nobody is making you stay, either. I just want to make sure you know that, that’s all.”
“...I want to repair the house,” Wanda whispered. “I...don’t really care if I’m not supposed to .”
“Then you can. I promised Wong I would monitor you, not that I would make you keep those cuffs on at all times.” Laura spoke quietly, and Wanda knew Laura would not judge her either way. “I’m glad to see you being your old stubborn self not caring much about following instructions, honestly.”
I don’t think that’s a good thing. “That is bad. Very.”
“It is questionable depending on circumstances, yes, but you’ve been so uncertain of yourself since we got you back,” Laura said gently. “I can tell you are happy to be here, but you question yourself about every little thing. I’m glad to see you thinking about the future in a good way and the normal quiet spitfire part of you again. She deserves care too.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Wanda, do you remember when you first came here to visit after Ultron?”
Wanda nodded. I do. I remember all of you trying to help me, mostly. And thinking it was never, ever going to get any better and that I couldn’t make another attempt because Pietro didn’t want me to.
“Well, now the circumstances are different, but I have that same young woman in my house struggling to pick herself back up and continue on again.” Laura offered her a hug, and Wanda let herself collapse in Laura’s arms. “So seeing you have enough self-confidence to say you want to repair the house regardless of what anyone else told you to do is nice.”
Laura still reminds me of my mother, Wanda thought. “I still don’t want to break my promise to Wong to cooperate,” she said finally.
“Then ask first. But you are cooperating; you aren’t trying to make me do a thing.”
Wanda did not particularly want to talk to Wong at all. “I don’t want to.” I sound petulant, like a little kid. I should just shut up.
But Laura only shrugged. “Nobody is making you. Why don’t you take Nate upstairs for a nap? He needs one and I think it would do you good. The house can wait for now. It really isn’t bad.”
Wanda nodded. Though she didn’t particularly want to lay around and do nothing, she did like being around little Nate. “Okay. I can do that.”
Upstairs, Nate curled up nestled in Wanda’s arms on her bed instead of napping in his own room. “I like you. I’mma call you Ruby Knight,” he murmured sleepily.
Wanda did not know where this Ruby Knight nickname had come from, but it made her smile anyway. The nasty scrape from earlier on Nate’s cheek was bandaged now, and there was a now-purplish bruise on his forehead, but he didn’t seem to mind. I need to heal Nate. Surely if I healed a broken arm on him I can heal that too. Right? She held Nate close, wondering what everyone else was doing but also not particularly wanting to move. Knowing she could fall asleep and not be all alone when she woke up still felt like a gift to her.
“And that sweater is ugly,” Nate went on matter-of-factly, snuggling closer.
“Nate!” Wanda tried not to sound amused and utterly failed.
Despite the craziness of the past few days, some things were still a dream anyway, things she’d believed she would never have again not so long ago. And Vision was still coming there to the farm. Once Wanda was sure Nate was asleep, she texted Vision to let him know he shouldn’t worry. Almost immediately a reply came back, ‘I knew you could do it, Wanda. I shall be there soon.’
Notes:
I was way too excited to write the actual action sequences for this chapter lol. I have tried my best to explain Wanda’s mental state at the moment- she might be herself by now, but she’s not perfect either. But Lila helped and the group has more information now!
Any feedback is much appreciated <3
Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Summary:
In which Wanda spends a bit of time with Vision at the farm, Bucky finds a rune in the barn, and a very stressed Stephen shows up as well hoping they will be able to locate Kamala soon...
Notes:
Okay here we go! A bit of downtime but also a bit more information...I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda woke to a familiar hand gently nudging her shoulder. “...Hi, Vis,” she whispered. “You came.”
Vision was in his human disguise again, looking concerned but pleased. “I have been here since last night. I did not wish to wake you. You are still wearing that sweater.”
Nate and I slept for that long?! Wanda’s cheeks turned pink again, but she carefully sat up and slipped off the bed, leaving little Nate fast asleep tucked under the covers. She padded silently into the hall, leaving the door cracked so she could still keep an eye on Nate. “I like your sweater,” she whispered finally. “It’s like...like a hug from you when you are not here.”
Vision gazed at her fondly and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. “Keep it, then,” he told her. He noticed Wanda had the bracelet cuffs locked on her wrists again when one of the sweater sleeves slid up her arm, but there was a new hint of confidence about her anyway that he found absolutely delightful. She did not seem quite so crumpled and lost like she had when he had first reunited with her at his apartment in New York City.
Wanda didn’t answer aloud, but she also nodded and gave Vision a hug. Thank you. You don’t have to do that, but it makes me happy. Before, she knew she would have just expressed her thoughts via telepathy, but since that wasn’t an option right now, she let the hug answer for her instead.
“The sorcerers have all left. Mrs. Barton sent them home and told Wong not to send more right now, and your friend with the star portals is downstairs instead.”
Wanda decided not to question this, but having America back seemed like confirmation to her that Wong didn’t know what he was doing and was in over his head himself, after he’d taken America back to the sanctum before. He was probably juggling many things right now, some of which none of them were familiar with. “What about the house?”
Vision studied Wanda closely, a bit confused. “It appears normal aside from a broken screen door and a few broken windows. Wanda, you could fix that easily. I was told you healed two of your friends. Why would you not fix an inanimate thing?” His gentle but blunt tone made it easier to answer.
“I suppose I wanted to avoid any kind of confrontation with Wong in case he didn’t want me to do that. He didn’t want me to use any more magic. I did promise to cooperate.” Wanda’s expression scrunched up in annoyance with both herself and just the situation in general. And I don’t want to go back to the sanctum. I probably don’t have to worry about that anyway, because I don’t think Wong thinks he should have me there at this point, but still.
“He has departed the premises. Would you want to fix it now?” Vision asked.
Wanda nodded; she didn’t much care if she was ‘supposed’ to do that or not now, since she knew it was not going to hurt anyone. Little Nate, no longer asleep, was peeking at them from behind the door. Wanda smiled at him.
Nate hopped into the carpeted hallway and slipped his hand into Wanda’s, staring up at Vision curiously. “He has an ugly sweater too,” he told Wanda conspiratorially.
Vision looked confused, which made Wanda stifle laughter. She picked Nate up and hugged him tightly. “Nate, he gave me this one. That really isn’t nice,” she told him.
“Oh. Nerd teacher,” said Nate happily, looking quite pleased with himself. Vision did not look offended at all, so Wanda didn’t scold him again. “Ruby Knight, is he your friend?”
“Vis is definitely my friend,” Wanda said, her cheeks somewhat pink. “But he’s also...also…” I don’t know what I should call him.
“I should like to be what your father is to your mother if Wanda will let me eventually,” Vision put in so nonchalantly that Wanda could only stare at him, eyes wide.
Really? Truly? Wanda decided not to question that at the moment, but she did set Nate down. “Do you feel all right?” she asked Nate, kneeling to his height.
The little boy nodded and hugged her again. Wanda hugged him back, ignoring her eyes burning with happy tears. “Yeah. I’m hungry. I want hot dogs. And Mama. I want Mama. Wanna go down’tairs.”
“Okay.” Wanda let Nate go, satisfied he really was okay. He waved at her before trotting downstairs, and Wanda waited until he was gone before going back into her not-guest room with Vision awkwardly trailing behind her. “You...you really mean what you told Nate?” Of course he does. He wouldn’t lie about that.
Vision made the baffled soft look at her again. “Yes. Why would I say such a thing to you if I did not mean it? That would be horribly unkind and hurt your feelings.” Then he was simultaneously surprised and not surprised when Wanda hugged him so tightly he wondered if she was using her magic a bit to do so, even though she still had the wristbands on.
I don’t know what to say at all . Wanda didn’t answer right away, unable to find words to explain why those simple words had meant so much to her. I’m not in Westview anymore. I’m not hurting anyone to have Vis here with me.
“I wish to be clear if you ever do not want that sort of relationship, I understand. Moreover, I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, so I shall not push you into anything whatsoever. I suspect you need carefully delineated boundaries even more now than before, so I should like for you to inform me of what you do and do not prefer.”
Wanda stared at him for a few seconds, not quite sure how to react to all that , but she finally just started laughing, which felt so good that it made her laugh more, and then she glanced up at Vision guiltily. “I’m so sorry, I just...Vis, it’s not a transaction or business contract or something. I know I definitely don’t know how to handle this properly either, but still.”
Vision tilted his head at her in confusion. “It is a contract, because it is a promise one to the other. I do not wish to hurt you again. Wanda, you...I hurt you exactly like that before; are you all right?”
Wanda had Vision’s warm hand held against her cheek, her eyes bright with tears again, though she wasn’t tense. I’m fine. I remember. I remember exactly. “I trust you. I know you won’t hurt me. Attacking me in Westview was not your fault.” And I probably deserved it...didn’t I?
“Perhaps not, but if you believe that, then you should also believe that you were not at fault for the damage you caused whilst corrupted by that book.” Vision didn’t pull his hand away, but he also didn’t understand Wanda’s teary happy face, either. Like before, she confused him, but he was determined not to allow anything to separate them again. Whatever the correct phrasing was, there was one thing he did know: he cared for Wanda unconditionally and he would never leave her unless she wanted him to. He would make his little apartment in New York home for her and it would be there waiting when or if she was ready.
I don’t know what to think. He sounds like Yelena. “Is there anything...else you know that might help us fix the current problem?” Wanda asked. Vision’s hand against her skin made it easier to think, easier to be calm and herself . Vision didn’t seem to mind and she felt a gentle thumb swipe tears away from her eyes. I feel spoiled, now. I thought I wanted to just take what I felt I should have before, but I don’t think that was all...me. I hate things being unfair, but I have wrecked things. Is it ‘fair’ that I have friends and a cozy place to call home after what I did?
...Is it ‘fair’ we lost our parents when we were little? Is it ‘fair’ you got thrown into a horrible government prison for doing the right thing? Or any other unfair thing that happened to you? None of life is fair, for us or anyone else. Pietro’s familiar voice flitted through Wanda’s head again. Another not entirely welcome suspicion settled in her stomach too: she needed to figure out what was going on now, and fast. “I think part of this mess now is my fault, even if it was unintentional,” she said carefully. Because of what I am, on its own.
“This is a sudden change of topic,” Vision commented.
“I think you know something else that you aren’t telling me,” Wanda said awkwardly. Please don’t be upset.
Vision watched Wanda walk silently over to her bed and tug a folded paper out, her fingers twitchy as if she might use her magic even though he knew she couldn’t at the moment. She seemed lost in her own thoughts again, but not in a bad way. “I am not certain I should say.”
Wanda’s content expression instantly vanished. “I am not going to do anything. I literally can’t right now,” she shot back, clasping the paper to her chest. No, don’t fuss. I don’t have any right to do that.
“No, no, Wanda, you misunderstand. I do not wish to worry you.” A moment’s further thought made Vision amend his thought process though; Wanda looked so upset that he decided not telling her would make it worse instead of better. “Loki is alive. He is in New Asgard with Thor and brought a partner. Viv messaged me. That young doctor, Miss Darcy Lewis, gave her a phone.”
Instead of being distressed or angry as Vision worried, Wanda’s expression lit up. Why does Vis think I would be upset about that? “I’m so glad. Vis, that’s a good thing. You said you thought Thor and Loki, and me and Pietro, were important. This just means I have to figure out how I can use this, then.” Wanda’s eyes sparkled happily as she smoothed the folded resurrection spell out on the desk. And then everything will be okay. If I really can get Pietro back…
Vision peeked at the paper over Wanda’s shoulder, his arms draped around her gently. “This looks complicated, but I am sure you can do it. What do you need to make this possible?”
Vis believes in me. He doesn’t think I’m too dumb, too ignorant, too...broken to do this. “I don’t need anything. I just need to memorize this thoroughly and, um…” Wanda trailed off, digging bare toes into the carpet as she tried to think how to explain. “I might not have much magic knowledge I can trust, but I’m sure interrupting that spell mid-casting would be dangerous. And I won’t attempt it here, just in case. So I will need to go somewhere else, and now I know Wong is going to come see what I’m doing if I go somewhere unexpected. I hate this,” she pointed at her ankle monitor, “but I’m not going to break it and lose what trust I have that made him let me stay here.” I hope I explained properly.
Vision blinked impassively at her, but continued holding her close. Not wanting to break rules was something he could understand easily, so he understood why Wanda didn’t want to just free herself and leave it at that. “When is this monitoring sentence complete then?”
“Vis, I don’t think it ever will be,” Wanda muttered, but she wasn’t particularly perturbed about that. Of all the things Wong could have done with her and been fully justified in doing so in her opinion, he had chosen to just let her stay with friends she trusted instead. Therefore she was not going to make a fuss over a stupid ankle monitor whose worst transgression was being somewhat annoying. Wong claimed he didn’t trust her, but he had trusted her not to meddle with the thing. And she hadn’t.
Vision frowned and studied Wanda’s ankle very closely, until she shook his arm a bit to make him stop. “The device is chafing your skin. I disapprove of this when I know the previous destruction was not your fault,” he said quietly.
“I’m fine. I can easily fix it next time I don’t have those bracelets on.”
“You are not fine.” Vision tilted his head, watching her walk about the room holding the resurrection spell paper.
Maybe not, but it’s not because I’m wearing that monitor. I can’t bring myself to really care about it when I get to be here. Why does Vis care? “Are you embarrassed of me because of it or something?” Wanda’s abrupt question made Vision frown.
“Of course not. I do not like that it harms you, even a little bit, and I do not like that you have not been given a date at which point it will be removed.”
Wanda folded the spell paper and slipped it into her pocket. “Vis, what do you think Wong is supposed to do with me? Do you just...not understand what I did before? He could have had me sent back to the Raft . He could have had me executed or something. He could have just left me all alone and abandoned me in that little cell in the sanctum,” she whispered. “The second I gave him that protection spell, he could have done anything to me, and he just...let me stay here.” She flinched at an unexpected hug, but immediately relaxed again. It’s just Vis. I don’t need to be so jumpy.
Vision didn’t say anything, because he still did not like it and could not explain why when he knew that logically, Wanda was right. If Wong wanted to, he could get her into far more trouble no matter what the contextual details were. He wished he could just pick her up and fly away with her somewhere safe; the Barton farm did not seem so safe now, not after the mysterious intruder incident. But Vision also knew Wanda did not want to leave, and he was not going to push her. It would just have to be enough that she allowed him to hold her.
”I can be frustrated and also understand that I shouldn’t be allowed to be unsupervised,” Wanda told him. That...feels right too. Being annoyed and frustrated is perfectly fine. “I think you are just biased because you care for me, which feels nice to me but isn’t fair to everyone else.”
Noise from outside made Wanda jump until she realized it was just rain. A storm was fine; storms made being together indoors all the more cozy. She tiptoed over to the window, watching the sky grow darker by the moment. I tried to enjoy the storms in that cabin, I tried and tried and it didn’t help. I didn’t want to be alone but I thought I had to, that no one wanted me anyway and that it wasn’t safe. Wanda flinched again at a gentle touch on her hand, but then just held on as tightly as she could. Not real, not anymore. I’m not on my own.
The other deep-seated fear tucked in a tiny corner of Wanda’s heart poked at her worriedly even as she knew, just knew , that it wasn’t true and tried to remind herself of it. Tell him, Wanda. You already know it’s not right, not true, but maybe it would be easier to believe it if you told someone. “Pietro might not want me any more,” she whispered. Wanda felt Vision tense and then just hold her closer.
“I think you know that is not true.”
“Yes...I do,” Wanda breathed, and closed her eyes. Try to explain. It’s all right. “I think...I think the Darkhold would like me to believe that, but the fear itself is really mine. It didn’t make me think of it. I don’t want to think it, and I don’t believe that, but a little piece of me worries anyway. It makes it hard to memorize this...Vis? Vis, are you sniffing my hair?” she asked, not smiling but finding that rather amusing.
Vision jumped in a distinctly human manner and pulled away. “You smell exactly the same as years ago,” he murmured awkwardly. “It’s...nice. I apologize. Sniffing people is quite rude.”
Now Wanda really did smile. “I didn’t mind. It made me feel all Pepper’s dumb Hallmark movies...ish.” Truth. That was weird but made me very happy. I like feeling like a normal person. “I hope Pepper and little Morgan are okay. They must still miss Tony.”
Vision knew quite well that Wanda did not like Tony much herself, so he also knew she was more preoccupied with Pepper and Morgan missing him than the fact that Tony was not there anymore. “Perhaps you could get him back as well?”
Wanda sat on the carpet with her legs folded beneath her and smoothed the resurrection spell out in front of her again. I don’t need magic access to make sure I have this memorized properly. I just need to be thinking clearly. “No. Other me specifically said it would only work on Pietro, and that it would still cost me something to use it. I don’t care one bit what of me it might take, but I don’t want to do anything thoughtless with this, either.” That feels selfish. I should at least look into it. I can do that much.
Vision didn’t answer right away, mesmerized by Wanda’s fingers dancing through the air, as if she really were drawing something, and he knew she was going through the motions of mentally drawing all those runes properly. It struck him that she really did look magical, and she was not using any magic at the moment at all.
“What I will do,” Wanda said, her voice steady, “is destroy this once I am sure I have memorized it. I won’t risk others hurting themselves or others with it.”
__________________
Lunch was oddly subdued, even though everyone was glad yesterday’s incident hadn’t resulted in anything terrible, at least. Wanda noticed Vision did not eat anything, same as before, but stayed nearby and held her hand. The table was ridiculously cramped with everyone currently at the Barton house. It feels like my family’s tiny apartment in Sokovia, all mushed in like this. It’s...nice. She didn’t really participate in the table conversation unless spoken to directly, but no one minded, either.
Even without access to her magic, she could tell Bucky seemed even quieter and more subdued than usual, so she wasn’t surprised when he subtly asked to talk to her alone outside. “Of course. I’m finished eating anyway,” Wanda agreed, and assured Vision she would be right back.
Vision wanted to follow her, but thought he should give Wanda some space and not smother her, so he just nodded.
Outside, Bucky went straight out into the rain, and Wanda reluctantly followed him into the barn. “I don’t understand. Why couldn’t we just talk on the porch?”
“Because I want your opinion on this thing.”
Wanda frowned and edged back into the rain, even though it was chilly to her and she didn’t really want to get soaking wet. “I can’t feel anything different than you without using my magic,” Wanda told him. This isn’t safe. I should get one of the others. Raindrops slid down her back and she shivered. “Bucky, please. If you think something is here, I probably shouldn’t be. You know that.”
Bucky’s expression seemed only concerned. “No, I think you made this when you helped us fight earlier, Wanda. It doesn’t seem...off-putting in any way. It’s just some simple line drawing. I wasn’t saying you did something wrong.”
Did I use runes earlier, maybe? “Okay, I’m coming.” Wanda scrambled up into the hayloft after him, unsure what to expect and disliking her own wet hair falling in her face. There, visible in the wood beneath the hay, was an etched rune she could actually recognize. That’s not even a whole spell, it’s just...one rune. “It’s thurisaz. I...” she trailed off, somewhat confused. “I didn’t know I used this. Or if I did, though I guess it must have been me. It’s in Wong’s magic book he lent me and it was in the Darkhold too. The sorcerers’ book said it was dangerous and don’t touch it because it can contain powerful energy. That it represents chaos. The Darkhold said it was a sturdy...base, to make more powerful spells in general. I don’t remember the details, but this was definitely in most or all the spells in there. I didn’t...process everything very well, I don’t think, but I do remember that.”
Wanda touched the wood lightly with her fingertips, both fascinated and worried now. The lines certainly didn’t look dangerous now, and seeing it didn’t affect her at all. Maybe it would be different if she didn’t have the bracelets on, but instinct said no, and Wanda realized she did trust that instinct of hers at the moment. If it was something bad, it would make her react like seeing that weird array had, and this didn’t. Whatever she had done earlier using this rune, it was inert and harmless now, regardless of whether what it had been used for was okay or not.
Bucky studied the small rune for a few seconds; then stood up and surveyed the barn. “Maybe it’s both. I’m guessing you were standing right here during the fight. When we...unfroze, it was like we were all stronger momentarily rather than stiff or weakened or something. I’ve never considered you anything but an experiment survivor, same as me or Steve, honestly, but you also don’t have clear power limits. You did something. ”
“...Both?” Wanda’s voice was very small, but she stood up and closed her eyes, trying to think. I really don’t remember intentionally using any runes other than casting the protection spell. So when did I use this little one all by itself? Was it even me? What if someone else did it that we didn’t even know about?
“Yes. Think about it. You can both heal and destroy with your powers. Maybe this thurisaz rune is the same. Possibly dangerous, but can also be a good thing.” Bucky sighed and climbed back down from the loft, offering Wanda a hand. She hesitated only for a moment before accepting. “You should probably erase that rune when you’re able.”
I still don’t understand, but… “Okay.” Wanda found it odd to be discussing magic of all things with Bucky, who tried to be pragmatic and just categorized her as an enhanced lab rat just like him. For once she wished she was just an experiment. Magic confused her and she did not like things that were part of her not making sense.
“If you ever...feel like talking ,” Bucky said in this tone that clearly said he was not much for talking, “you can if you want. I’ll listen. That’s all.”
Wanda watched him head back inside, feeling shivery on the outside but warm on the inside. I feel like I have real hope for the future again. I have friends, I have Vis, I have a way to get the lost good half of me back.
_____________
The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully; Wanda did erase the rune in the barn and fix the house, and then she studied for a couple hours in her room while charging the ankle monitor, and America lay flopped across the other bed doing her own schoolwork.
“Can you help with a math problem?” America asked finally.
“I’ll look at it, but I probably can’t,” Wanda told her. Predictably the stupid equation was decidedly not something she was familiar with, but once America showed her an explanation in the textbook, she realized she could understand it fine. Why do I even care? I’m never going to use this information in real life. “If it doesn’t say you have to solve it a particular way, use that,” she said quietly, pointing at the quadratic formula. “You can just plug your equation into it, remember? I feel like we looked at these back in the little cell at the sanctum, maybe. If I can figure this out and I don’t know what I’m doing much, you definitely can. I do not understand these other things, though.”
“Cool. Laura said she wanted me to go to school with Cooper once all the crazy stuff is fixed. I kind of want to go to school, but I’ve never been to regular school. It might be scary.” America sighed and threw her pencil aside.
“You were on your own since you were very little, and then you had to deal with...me. You will do fine at school.” I do understand that though. I would be terrified if someone told me I had to go to school, even now. Wanda closed Wong’s magic book and set it aside. The monitor was charged now, so she unplugged the charger and flopped back on her bed.
“Well, yeah, but it’s a different sort of scary. The others might be way ahead of me or something.”
Wanda did understand that. “If they are, then ask Stephen for help,” she said softly. “I may not like him, but he is smart and I know he loves you, even if he’s oblivious and doesn’t say so.”
The two of them went to stare out the window at the stormy weather, and the pleasant, delicious kind of cozy shiver made Wanda smile. I’m warm and safe- well, mostly- with a whole group of people that genuinely care and want to help me. Maybe I can actually...give back a little bit. Somehow.
An alert on Wanda’s phone for a voicemail from Stephen of all people made her frown. That didn’t seem like a good sign. ‘Hello, Wanda, it’s Stephen. I have a question for you. Can you turn back time only for the kidnappers that were at the Barton farm? You said you were a walking infinity gauntlet. If that’s true, you can do what the time stone can, which we no longer have access to. If this is possible, you’d make it so we could free these guys and track where they would go instead of Iowa. Thanks. Call me back.’ Wanda frowned and glanced at America sitting on the other bed. “Did Stephen tell you anything about this idea?” she asked. Why would he ask me that? And does Wong know he’s messaging me something like this? There’s no way he would approve.
“Not really. He has been acting weird in general. I think he saw something bad when he was off looking for Ms. Marvel that he hasn’t told anyone about.” America shrugged and scuffed a bare foot back and forth on the carpet.
Wanda sighed and tugged the resurrection spell out from under her pillow once again. What if I really could turn back time for all of us? Would it make everything worse? Bring our lost family back? She closed her eyes, focusing on the paper in her hand and the sound of America moving about. I’m here. This is now. I can’t undo everything. It probably wouldn’t be right to do, and I know from Wong’s magic book that if you do pull anything that breaks ‘natural law’, there are consequences. I am willing to risk consequences on myself for Pietro, not risk hurting everyone else. “I’m going to call him,” Wanda said finally.
Stephen picked up immediately. “You got the voicemail.”
“I did. I want to talk to you in person, not over the phone,” Wanda said carefully. “Maybe-“ Much to her surprise, a tired-looking Stephen stepped into the room in mere seconds. “Do you ever respect personal space?! I didn’t say appear in my room uninvited.” Don’t be rude, Wanda. Be nice and don’t act weird, either, she ordered herself. Wanda couldn’t help being irritated, but realizing she had referred to the guest room as hers was pleasant.
I have a home here. I am not alone. I am working on getting Pietro back.
The resurrection spell went into a pocket out of sight. That was not something she wished to share with Stephen one bit.
“You said you wanted to talk in person.” Strange looked at her, irritated.
America hopped up and stood between them. “Hey, please don’t fight. Stephen, you know Wanda really hates people barging into her space. Wanda, just...chill out. He doesn’t mean to bug you. He’s just stressed, same as you.”
Not for the first time Wanda didn’t quite understand why America was so friendly towards her, but it was still nice. I do not have to understand, she reminded herself. I can accept that America is my friend even if I don’t deserve it, and I am allowed to be happy about it. “Why did you ask me that? I know Wong doesn’t want me to do such a thing.”
“He may not, but those men are trapped in the mirror dimension currently. It would be easy enough to try it on one, and if it fails, then don’t try on any more.” Strange met Wanda’s wary gaze straight on. He seemed oddly agitated to Wanda, something that was unsettling from him that made her anxious.
“Stephen, what is wrong with you?” Wanda asked quietly. “I don’t need access to my magic to know something is wrong. You seem jumpy, for you. You’re suggesting for the corrupted witch with the chaos magic you don’t trust to literally meddle with time. When America first brought me back to our universe, you wanted Wong to kill me.” She stood up and crossed her arms, feeling somewhat unsafe around Strange. I want my magic.
“I already told you I don’t want to kill you.”
“Doesn’t explain the time thing. You thought I was lying about being a walking infinity gauntlet before. Now you want me to experiment with doing something I have never attempted purposely before, on another person!” Wanda glared at him suspiciously.
“You can’t tell me you genuinely care what happens to those men, Wanda.” Strange was still looking at her in that unsettling way, as if he wasn’t sure what to think of her.
Wanda bit her lip. I don’t, but I do. “I don’t care exactly, but I’ve caused enough damage,” she whispered. “I want to help people, not hurt more. I know you don’t want to hurt people, either, ‘do no harm’ or however that doctor phrase is worded. Please don’t encourage me to do what the real-me dark part of me wouldn’t mind doing. Why are you asking me to do that?”
America glanced from one to the other. “Maybe, just maybe, the nasty book likes this idea, but maybe, just maybe, it’s not wrong or right, either. People getting paid to hurt and kidnap normal little kids aren’t like you guys, even if they did get affected by some bad magic thing too.” She hesitated, searching for a way to explain that sounded intelligent and made sense and not childish. “Wanda, you were already hurting and very lonely. You messed with the Darkhold for a good reason, but you had it for way too long and you never stood a chance to handle it once you opened it, not alone. Stephen, you also messed with the Darkhold for a good reason, and you are better able to handle it than Wanda and didn’t have it as long as she did, but I think you aren’t okay anyway.”
Wanda and Stephen traded glances. “America, what’s your point?” Stephen asked tiredly. “I’m not the one that killed people while using that book.”
Wanda gave him a scathing look that the others pretended not to notice.
“So you’re gonna stick the questionable idea on her because if it goes bad- and it probably would- then it’s her fault and that’s fine because she already really, really messed up anyway? That’s not fair. You could have asked her to make a new time stone so YOU could do it.”
“Absolutely not. Never,” Wanda said instantly. I am not giving him access to a new time stone. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I don’t trust me, but I don’t trust him either.
“Are you saying you could create new infinity stones?” Strange asked Wanda, more curious than anything else. “That would work better…”
“Doesn’t matter because I wouldn’t give them to you,” came the peevish reply. Wanda wished one of her teammates would come upstairs, because she did not want to talk to Strange anymore. “Get out of my room. Out. You can go downstairs and tell everyone else what you are planning instead.” I don’t care if that’s mean, and I don’t care if I can’t make him get out right now. I want him out of here.
“They’re not going to like it.”
“Exactly. Hence why I know this is not a good plan. I don’t know if I can make other infinity stones besides the mind stone. But you are not getting any, even if I can!”
America grabbed both of them by the arms and pulled them down the hall. “Let’s all talk about it. Just because you tell Wanda’s friends doesn’t mean you can’t do your own thing. And you, quit being all prickly defensive mad, Wanda.”
Wanda still found it odd that America seemed to be the only one being reasonable when she was just a kid herself, but she clamped her mouth shut. Stephen appeared to have decided to humor America himself, and let the teenager yank them downstairs. They found Vision at the foot of the stairs, and America impulsively pushed Wanda at him. Wanda found this rather funny; America looked so pleased with herself that Wanda knew the girl had done it on purpose.
“What are you doing here?” Vision asked Stephen curiously. “You are supposed to be searching for Kamala Khan alias Ms Marvel.”
“There are...complications.” There was a slight frightened edge in Strange’s voice that Wanda immediately picked up on, even without access to her magic.
Wanda glanced up at Vision and then back at Stephen. “What complications ? Maybe I can track this new girl. I could try, at least, and-“
“No!” Strange interrupted, but he was clearly not upset with Wanda herself, which was confusing. “No, don’t let her try that,” he told Vision, staring him right in the face and not addressing Wanda herself further. “She would listen to you. Trust me when I tell you that she cannot attempt that.”
“...What? I most certainly can, I found Spider-Man for you easily,” Wanda retorted. Wait. That reaction has nothing to do with me. Not even a little. “You think if I do, I’m going to put both her and all of us in danger.”
Vision blinked at him in his eccentric calm manner, mulling this over. “I believe she can, certainly. The question is whether she should.”
Stephen stared at them. “Are you even telling the truth that those bracelet cuffs work on you?” he asked Wanda.
“So I am correct then.” Wanda hesitated, keeping her hand linked with Vision’s and focusing on that. Don’t snap. Tell the truth. “One, yes, the bracelets work on me. Two, Stephen, you are acting... off. I don’t need to use my magic to tell that much. You either know where Kamala is and can’t get to her, or you have an idea and can’t double check to confirm. Whatever it is scared you, and you think it’s unsafe for me and you to investigate further. Ask America. She thinks you know something too, and I didn’t put that idea in her head.”
“She can’t be tracked. It’s similar to when Wong took America with him to investigate that old cabin of yours,” Strange told her.
Vision frowned, holding Wanda closer. “How is that frightening to you, other than the fact the missing girl is most likely in danger? That also does not explain why you think Wanda should not search herself.”
“Hey, are we investigating the alchemy array?” Scott piped up from the living room sofa as the others slowly wandered in.
“Lang. No,” Stephen said shortly. “We are trying to locate someone.”
America glanced from one hero to another, a sinking suspicion making her stomach lurch. “Kamala Khan is an enhanced brown girl like me,” she whispered. “I don’t want her to be hurt.”
“Too late,” Strange shot back in a regretful soft voice that made America want to hug him.
“What do you mean, ‘too late’?” Bucky asked, scowling. “It’s obvious. This missing kid hero is probably with the missing enhanced people that were, in fact, trapped in that warehouse basement with the array before.”
“Of course, but that knowledge is useless when the second you attempt locating her, you hit a barrier that simply can’t be crossed and instantly backfires into a headache instead.” Stephen looked back at Wanda. “Whoever created the barrier isn’t a sorcerer, and it’s not someone with your magic, either.”
Because there’s only one person with chaos magic. Me. Wanda blinked, considering this information briefly. “Could you tell if they were in contact with Darkhold corruption too?”
“Unfortunately. Their magic is...twisted, somehow. You probably can rip their barrier down, power-wise, but you would be exposing yourself to further corrupted power. You can’t do that to yourself again on purpose.” Stephen did not sound scolding or condescending to Wanda now, which made her more inclined to trust his words. “Look, you have done quite well for yourself since you came back already. Do you really want to knowingly ruin that? You attempting that is dangerous, and rescuing a few people is not worth unleashing your power again if you did get corrupted further and can’t control it.”
We can’t just leave people in danger behind a barrier we can’t cross without hurting ourselves though. Not even if it’s only a few. Wanda did not like hearing that comment, but a bit of her also begrudgingly knew he was right. She didn’t bother answering.
“I promise I will research further. Please just stay here with your friends and don’t do anything,” Stephen added when there was no reply.
“I won’t research this barrier,” Wanda said quietly, choosing her phrasing so that when she did attempt casting that resurrection spell, it wouldn’t be lying.
Sam glanced at Wanda and America and then at Stephen. “The girls have different abilities than you do. What happens if all three of you look at once? Split the hurtful problem up so none of you have to handle all of it? I suspect the rest of us, except perhaps Wanda’s goofy boyfriend, are not going to be very useful.”
Laura quietly sent Cooper and Lila upstairs to babysit Nate.
Sam pointed at Wanda. “She has the most raw power of any of us and just can’t utilize it that well. Yet. Multiversal portal kid can’t utilize her power set well either, but Wanda can wield it herself. And you,” Sam pointed at Stephen, “you have the textbook knowledge they don’t. What happens if you tell Wanda what to do so she doesn’t hurt herself mentally? Keep her grounded, I guess?”
“Sorcery knowledge won’t teach them how to use theirs properly,” Stephen said flatly. “This is wasting all of our time, and-“
“No, it’s not.” Sam stood up and arranged their three teammates in the center of the living room, putting Wanda, Stephen, and himself in a triangle with America standing in the center. “Look. Scott showed us that photo he took. We obviously don’t want to use that array thing, but we are stronger together. You, Wanda, and America are important pieces. Clearly for that array we don’t trust, you two magic users are power amplifiers of some kind, and America is some sort of battery or catalyst. Anyway, the point is, why can you not combine your abilities yourselves in your own way?”
“I don’t want to hurt America again. I won’t hurt her.” Wanda could tell America was unbothered by Sam’s idea, but it still unnerved her. She had been about to kill the girl before. That wasn’t you, Wanda. You know that, Pietro’s voice poked at her. All the same, she backed away and would have fled back upstairs if Vision hadn’t caught her by the arm gently and held her close again. I’m being ridiculous. I helped before, with Lila’s help, and I did not hurt any of my friends.
That’s not the same thing as purposely using America to help us wield her powers better. Wanda stayed put leaning against Vision, who laced his fingers with hers and kept his other arm wrapped around her. I can feel them watching me. They want to include me but aren’t sure if I can do it right.
Vision hugged her closer. “You are not going to hurt her, because you are not alone any longer and you have more control over yourself than you think.”
“...Vision, you do realize this has nothing to do with your girlfriend ‘being alone’.” Stephen’s voice was quiet and sounded more sad than dismissive now. “Wilson, what is happening right now is why your idea isn’t safe for any of us. If we had someone to counter her properly just in case, yes. But we don’t.”
“For her it does have to do with ‘being alone’,” Vision said adamantly. “I have not been reunited with her for very long, but she has always functioned better with a companion nearby. This is not a new phenomenon.”
Wanda finally pulled away and planted herself in the middle of the room, her hands squeezed into frustrated fists. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think Stephen is right.” I also think him investigating himself is stupid, but I’ll keep that to myself. “We don’t know what this is or what we would find. I can defend us here, I know so, because Lila helped. But exposing me to something bad, in an unknown place, that has clearly been hurting him is a horrible plan.” She chewed her lip, eyeing Stephen reluctantly. “Can’t you or Wong make those intruders help? What does Wong want to do about this?”
“He wants to get Madisynn back before she gets all of us and herself into further trouble from that demon pact she made. Between searching for her and rebuilding Earth’s mystical defenses that you ruined-“
“You did ask her to literally turn back time on those intruder guys. Is this why? Because you’re hoping you can just track them to the lair or whatever?” America interrupted before that could go any further.
Vision’s brow furrowed. “Why can she not simply read their minds? She has always been able to do that, even as a brand-new member of the team with no training at all.”
“That’s...logical.” Strange did not think Wanda had ever had any training, but he kept this opinion to himself.
“I thought so.” Vision sounded somewhat offended and snarky with this comment, which Sam found entertaining and made him stifle a chuckle.
Stephen left to grab one of the culprits, but when he returned, he looked more worried than he had before.
“We have another problem. Those men are all dead.”
Notes:
Welp. That source of information is gone...now what? I’ll just everything might not be quite as bad as they think...okay yeah it’s bad, but they will not be trapped in limbo and waiting for their mystery villains to cause mysterious further trouble soon XD
We are VERY close to a few more Big Things (good things) I am very very excited for in the next chapter or two! Honestly, you can probably guess at least one of them easily by this point lol.
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 25: Chapter 25
Summary:
In which Wanda talks to Darcy and Viv on the phone, spends some happy downtime with Vision before he returns to the city temporarily...and gets Mia (finally). Also, Sylvie visits Tasha at the cabin.
Notes:
I just feel I should mention I do realize service dogs can be very, very expensive irl. It would be pretty unrealistic that Wanda’s friends were able to match her with a psychiatric service dog this quickly that’s already trained for tasks to help with her PTSD and anxiety issues. I did kinda lampshade that in-fic with Wanda finding it odd but pleasant that things are going so weirdly nice for her at the moment, but still. I hope you love Mia as much as I loved creating her for Wanda:)
Also, shoutout to MercedesAria for helping name her!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
While the issue of the intruders simply being dead erased the problem of what to do with them, it also meant none of them had any way to trace Ms. Marvel’s location...or that of any of the other missing enhanced people, assuming all of them were still alive. Viv acquired Wanda’s phone number from Darcy, who had acquired it from Vision, and proceeded to text her multiple times saying that she was fine and do not let Vision come for her.
‘Don’t you want him to come for you?’
‘I would appreciate that very much, but I am safe here, and logically, you need him more than I do. I do not know him. You do.’
Wanda finally just called the pink synthezoid girl herself. “Viv, I-“
“Hello. I actually have information for you and my father. I never want a new mother. Never. However, I have concluded and Darcy Lewis confirmed that my father loves you. Therefore, I shall have to care about you also, because I shall have to live with you at some point in the future.”
Wanda tensed and looked down at her phone. Viv’s matter-of-fact tone was not at all flat; if Wanda didn’t know better, she would have assumed Viv was just an ordinary young human teenager like America trying to hide her feelings and failing, albeit one that spoke in an overly formal manner. “Viv, you don’t have to live with me. I promise. I’m not going to take Vis away from you.”
“That is illogical. You knew him first.”
“It doesn’t matter. If you don’t want me living with you at whatever point that feels like a possibility for us, I promise I will just tell Vis no.” Wanda blinked, hugging the sweater Vision had given her close. I’m not taking Vis away from her. I won’t. She’s his and parents are supposed to put their children first. I’m so sorry, Billy, Tommy. I tried so hard to do that and I messed up. I don’t want Viv to be lonely either. I know what losing a mom and brother feels like.
“I did not say I do not want you there. I said I would have to care about you also.” Viv sounded puzzled now. “I do not mind you. You are just...not my mother. I miss her. I miss my brother, also. You are also not chronologically old enough to be my mother, either. You are not even chronologically old enough to have those human twins, either. They are possible due to your magic.”
Wanda didn’t answer immediately, but she finally whispered, “Darcy must have told you about Billy and Tommy.”
“Yes. She says I will have a blended family and I will have obnoxious, sweet, human little brothers once we have located them. She is searching for them, you know.”
What? Wanda nearly dropped her phone, her eyes hot with tears. “Darcy is looking for them?” she asked hesitantly. “Why would Darcy do that after what I did to her in Westview?” And was she...watching? Sweet and obnoxious is not exactly wrong. I love them so much. Wanda heard Darcy’s voice on the other end of the call asking if she could talk to her and then Viv saying she did not mind. “I hurt you. I am so, so sorry,” Wanda blurted the second Darcy had said hi.
“You did. Being trapped in your show sucked, even if it looked cool from the outside. But we’re good now. I always thought you were ill and that caused the hex...I have many theories by now...anyway. Yes, I’m trying to help look for your little boys, but I haven’t had any luck with that yet at all. I wanted to ask you something else,” Darcy said.
Wanda did not know how to answer her; she had not expected such a blasé reaction directly from Darcy. “I...I’m listening. Hearing you talk is weird, but nice.”
Darcy laughed. “I’ll take ‘weird but nice’ anytime. No, but seriously, I just wanted to know if Loki or Sylvie have contacted you. Those two are up to something. If they do contact you, listen but don’t trust them. It feels like they’re genuine in wanting to help, but not sharing nearly everything they know. Also, Loki convinced Elle to put a harmless snake in Thor’s bed. It was, admittedly, pretty funny…” Darcy sounded like she was trying not to laugh.
“Who’s Elle?” Wanda asked. Sylvie must be the ‘partner’ Vision said Loki brought with him, but I don’t know who Elle is.
“It’s a long story, but she’s Thor’s adopted alien kid. Elle is sweet but a big handful. Sticking Loki with babysitting was a questionable idea. I don’t think he likes children much, but Elle is definitely growing on him.” Darcy really was laughing now. “But really, I just needed to know if one of those gods of mischief have contacted you.”
“No, they haven’t, but I do know some relic with an old legend on it including Thor and Loki, and me and Pietro was stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Struck by a new idea, Wanda added, “I don’t know , but Thor would know runes, I think. Could you ask him?”
Darcy was quiet for several seconds, and Wanda worried she had said something wrong. But Darcy’s response sounded excited, not weirded out or annoyed. “God, sorry, I was just thinking. Do you mean runes in general or constructing more spells with them? Because honestly I’ll bet the person who can help you is Loki. Well, or Sylvie I guess, since she’s got magic too. Thor knows that legend and it’s why he left New Asgard.”
“...What?”
“Wanda, you and Loki are the younger siblings with the magic. One with chaos magic and the other the god of mischief which sometimes means...chaos. Pietro and Thor are the older ones with powers we don’t consider magic. I don’t know exactly why Loki is here now , but I think all four of you are...meant for something big.” Darcy’s voice still sounded excited, and it confused Wanda. Why would she be excited about that? Usually ‘something big’ meant something else horrible was about to happen.
Wanda curled up on her side holding the silly watermelon plushie Lila had given her close. It doesn’t matter. If it is something else awful, at least I’m not alone anymore.
“Anyway. I think all four of you have suffered enough. And I think you and Loki are more alike than either of you would like to admit. He just is, um, a lot more intentional with his destructive tendencies than you,” Darcy went on, which made Wanda scowl at her phone even though instinct said Darcy was probably right. “I’ll tell them to talk to you soon if possible.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Wanda glanced at the clock before adding quickly, “I have a session this morning. I have to go, but I’ll call you back. I promise. I...I like listening to you talk. You have been very kind.” I actually...don’t mind talking to Antonia, I don’t think. I don’t like it, but I don’t mind.
“Oh right, it must be about 9am for you right now. Good luck!” Wanda rather liked Darcy’s cheerful voice. “You don’t have to call back unless you want to, but let me give you my number too anyway. I don’t mind chatting with you anytime. You can even call at some ungodly hour if you want, which would be freakin’ easy to do because of time zones. I’ll pick up unless my phone is dead or something.”
Wanda quickly added the number Darcy gave her into her contacts and said thank-you and goodbye to both Viv and Darcy before ending the call. Then she set up the laptop on the desk and pulled up Zoom to meet with Antonia as they’d scheduled.
______________
MEANWHILE...
“The hell are you doing here?” Tasha asked sharply, staring at a green-clad figure that appeared all too familiar to her from her own lost world, but still different all the same. “This is not your cabin.”
Sylvie held her hands up in surrender, though she was scowling. “But it is not yours either, is it? I come bearing assistance, not orders,” she said flatly.
“Assistance, is it?” Tasha did not lower her gun, but she did nod. “I’m listening. You look different. You shapeshift again?”
In a second Sylvie looked exactly like dark-haired Loki. “Better?”
Tasha raised an eyebrow. “Which is the real you then, Loki?”
“Sylvie. Not Loki. Not anymore.” Sylvie did shift back to her normal appearance, but she also tilted her head and continued frowning. “You need to contact the Scarlet Witch in a week if she doesn’t come to you before then.”
“What do you know about this universe’s Wanda?”
“That she has changed her fate and left it hanging because of that portal girl.”
“Good,” Tasha shot back, not meanly. “No one’s fate should be set in stone. You are not the Loki from this universe any more than I am the Black Widow from this universe.”
Sylvie touched the porch railing lightly, her gaze sharp even though her shoulders drooped a tiny bit. “No, but…” she seemed to search for words, “This one is mine now, as it is for you. It isn’t better than the others, but you do have two beings here capable of ruining or saving everything.”
“I know that already,” Tasha said quietly. “Those are this universe’s Wanda, and America, who’s an anomaly that doesn’t have variants at all. Why do you know I’m here in the first place?”
A stolen TemPad Loki and I destroyed. “I can’t tell you. Yet. I can promise I will tell you, but right now I need to make sure you will get that chaos witch to retrieve the missing piece. Please.” Sylvie’s hand flitted to her belt, and Tasha’s eyes immediately focused on that.
“You have something illusioned to appear different there.” Tasha was suddenly quite certain Sylvie’s intentions were genuine, but that she knew far more than she was sharing. “What do you mean by ‘missing piece’?”
Sylvie stared straight back at her. “You already know. The dead twin.”
________________
IOWA
“Wanda, please do not take this as an insult. Have you thought about perhaps looking into acquiring a psychiatric service dog?” Vision asked. The two of them were currently out on a Laura-approved grocery store outing for the Barton house that afternoon, and Wanda seemed particularly anxious to him at the moment. She picked at her nails; she fiddled with her rings; she scratched at her arms until Vision made her stop. And she just seemed particularly jumpy and fidgety.
Wanda’s gaze instantly snapped to Vision. “Did you talk to Antonia or something?” I told Vis I had therapy sessions, and he knows I met with her this morning, but not...details or anything.
“No, of course not. Why?”
“Because she suggested that this morning,” Wanda said shyly. “At first I felt ridiculous at the idea, but then I think...maybe it would help me not rely on the rest of you so much.” She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. I don’t know what to say. “Service dogs are expensive. I did some research already myself, at least…”
Vision decided not to point out that Wanda probably could just create real money at will if she wanted to, which would eliminate that as a potential issue. He was uncertain if that was a morally acceptable thing to do, so while he would not judge Wanda if she decided to, he was not going to suggest it, either. “I think that you simply do not do well alone, and perhaps a trained animal companion that could do tasks to mitigate your issues would make life easier. You have all of us available now, but I think maybe you would feel better if you felt you could do more on your own, even if it is something mundane like grocery shopping.”
I could go grocery shopping on my own, Wanda thought in annoyance, but the logical bit of her knew Vision was right. If she went off shopping alone with the bracelets on, she would feel horribly unsafe and she still might freak out; and if she didn’t have them on, then she wouldn’t be able to trust herself anyway. A dog could- hopefully- function as Lila had done during the kidnapper incident, helping her think clearly, or do what whoever was nearby did when she found herself picking or scratching at her skin and that friend made her stop. “I think...I think I would be scared of someone confronting me about why there is a dog. Normal people get service dogs. Not a messy, destructive enhanced reality warping... thing like me.”
Vision frowned as he pulled into a parking place at the grocery store. That did seem like a legitimate concern to him, unfortunately. “Then perhaps take a human friend along until you are used to having the dog with you.” He kissed Wanda’s hand and just gave her a gentle squeeze. “I wish you would not call yourself a thing. You are still just plain Wanda to me, magic, enhancements, no powers at all. It does not matter.”
“Not to you , because you just care for me unconditionally,” Wanda whispered. “You treat me like...like a fragile gift or something. Something special. You can’t tell me once people realize who I am, they wouldn’t think I have no right to such a thing.” I might not understand why, but I think having me around is making him feel better too. The more time that passes, Vis just seems more relaxed and not so confused or unhappy in his own skin.
...I am making someone else happy. Maybe I’m not just a burden on all my friends. Maybe I have something to offer too. Maybe.
Vision answered hesitantly, but he also climbed out of the car when Wanda did and hugged her close. “I do not think the issue would be you. I think the issue would be that you do not have any visible disability, which has nothing to do with you being an Avenger at all. You could be an ordinary human with no powers and still have that same issue. Moreover, you would probably make a lot of people just like you very happy if they did find out.” Vision’s familiar gentle touch on her hair made Wanda smile just a tiny bit.
Vis has a point. I don’t think a lot of people know me at all at this point anyway. People really would just see an average twenty-something young woman with a slight accent. I don’t particularly stick out unless I’m using my powers. Wanda nodded. “If...if you will help me actively look into it, I think I’d like to try. I just need to talk to Clint first.”
“I cannot imagine he would object. He cares about you and wants to see you happy and successful.”
“It’s still a live animal that would be in his house, and…” Wanda hesitated, looking down at her hands as they walked into the store. “I want to make sure that the dog would be taken care of if I ever can’t. I’m not sure how to explain...I guess I just mean I don’t want the dog neglected if I am ever useless and can’t...do anything.” Please understand. I would do my best, obviously, but still. My best is not good enough often.
Vision nodded emphatically. This was something he understood. “Of course. Emergency contingencies are always well-advised. However, you are not useless.”
Wanda found this amusing, especially since it took her a moment to process ‘contingencies’. ‘Plans’ would have worked just as well. She did not say anything while they uneventfully found all the items on Laura’s grocery list, including the Cosmic Brownies that Wanda knew Cooper must have requested.
Cooper liked to push the little rainbow colored candies into the brownies before eating them. Wanda had very clear memories of a much-younger Cooper doing that.
Being in the oh-so-average grocery store was a breath of very welcome mundaneness and it reminded her of being in Westview in their cozy house there. And I am not hurting everyone else to be here now. I’m just...here too.
No one bothered them.
No one recognized them.
It was not overwhelmingly horribly noisy and people-y like New York City.
A girl that appeared a little younger than Wanda herself attempted to flirt with ‘Victor’ in the checkout line, but quickly gave up when Vision paid her no mind beyond a polite, “I am otherwise preoccupied. There are plenty of other available persons to speak with. I prefer her. Someone else may prefer you, but not I,” and tucked Wanda’s head under his chin, making it crystal clear he was not interested. This made the girl turn red and quickly apologize, which made a slightly embarrassed Wanda try not to laugh.
“You didn’t have to be quite so harsh to tell that girl you were with me,” Wanda whispered, eyes twinkling.
Vision could tell the outing was making Wanda happy; she continued being her usual clingy self, hand clasped on his arm, but she was relaxed and not so anxiously fidgety. “I enjoy being here with you also,” he whispered in Wanda’s ear.
Once they were back in the car, Vision noticed Wanda eyeing the music store a couple doors down from the grocery store. “Please come along,” he said suddenly, and was half surprised when Wanda followed him without protesting.
What Wanda did do was look confused. “Vis, what are we doing?” I don’t understand. Wait...yes I do. She didn’t say anything else, because he seemed so happy to drag her over to that music store that she couldn’t protest. It was not hot outside today; the overcast sky saw to that. The groceries wouldn’t go bad if they went in another store for a few minutes.
_______________
“...Vis, I can’t put that up in my room without asking.”
“Then ask. You have your phone again now. I shall call myself if you do not.” Vision looked very pleased with himself.
“Well...all right.” Wanda looked at the rolled-up poster in her hand; it wasn’t expensive, so she didn’t feel too weird about letting Vision buy it, but she still wanted explicit permission for such things from the Bartons first. Predictably Clint’s reaction was of course, you can put twenty posters up in there if you want , but Wanda was still glad she had asked first. “He doesn’t care,” she reported.
“Then that is settled. We shall make eleven-year-old Wanda very, very happy.”
Wanda laughed at that. “Little me would definitely have wanted this also. I mean...I suppose I wouldn’t have then , because Pietro and I didn’t have anywhere to live, let alone space for posters, but I listened to Evanescence all the time on the library computers. Pietro didn’t understand. He was just very happy I had found something to feel excited about...Let’s go back to now-home. Please.” Maybe it’s not for always, maybe it’s not perfect, but I have a place to go, and it’s not somewhere isolated and lonely.
Vision rather wished he could go back in time and give little Wanda and her twin a safe home to live in, but instead of voicing that, he just hugged her tightly. “Of course we can go back now.”
On the way back, Wanda was mostly quiet but no longer jumpy. “I don’t think I have gotten anything so completely, entirely frivolous in a very long time,” she murmured. And it feels nice. “Thank you.”
“You are very welcome.” Vision was delighted that a simple inexpensive poster had made Wanda happy, though he suspected her happiness had more to do with having a space to put it up in and someone she loved giving her a small unnecessary present just to than the poster itself.
When they did arrive back at the farm, America’s first reaction was to tell Wanda she should get more posters if one was going to make her so happy.
“Is it that obvious?” Wanda asked, only half joking and not minding that comment one bit.
“Yes. Putting stuff on walls makes the place feel like it’s yours and you’re not just a guest. Like, I have stuff up in my room at the sanctum in New York. That room feels like it’s mine. This one is homey, but it’s yours. Once everything is okay again, I’m going back, definitely.” America’s dark eyes looked content and quite satisfied. This Wanda was a far cry from the Wanda she had left in that other universe seemingly a lifetime ago. “Also, I miss Stephen. I know you don’t like him and that’s okay, but I still miss him.”
“...You do know nobody here expects you to stay unless you want to,” Wanda told her quietly. I don’t want to keep America away from her home. She should feel at home too.
“I do want to. I really don’t think I’m needed here, but Stephen thinks it’s safer here even after what happened...” America trailed off, thinking that also seemed odd to her. “He said, ‘Wong thinks you’re there to keep an eye on Wanda, but you’re there because you are safer there’. Why would he say that?”
Wanda’s answer was instinctive. “Because he’s worried the sanctum will be targeted. At this point, he is more concerned about...whatever is going on than with me destroying things again…” That’s nice, I guess, but it’s...worrisome. I know Stephen doesn’t trust me, really, but he must a little bit. “And, like Laura told me, they probably won’t want to come back here because of me.”
America and Wanda both gazed out the window feeling somewhat nervous. There was no sign of the altercation from before at all. “Yeah, but now they also know they need to come up with a way to counter you ,” America muttered. “That is really bad.”
Wanda looked down at her own hands and sighed as she sat back at the desk. “If they have magic and know runes, they technically should know how. We figured out a very easy, simple way to neutralize me that isn’t horrible in any way at all and keeps all of us safe from me, including me.” I don’t want these people realizing what we know about those bracelets, but also I can’t do anything about that, either. Neither can the others.
“I don’t think that’s a standard way of using those protection spell runes,” America pointed out. “Kate and Yelena and us two got the idea because the rest of us are not magical at all, and yours doesn’t stick to existing rules or whatever. So we don’t think like people trained in magic would.”
“I hope you are right.”
“Well, even if I’m not, we’re not helpless here. We’ll be fine.”
______________
Vision stayed at the farm for a couple days more; Wanda loved having him nearby all the time, but she could tell he was only staying because of her, not because their Iowa group needed him there. She finally just outright told him, “I think the city needs you. I love having you here, but you shouldn’t stay with me longer right now.” Saying the words made her chest ache, but it was not the same as before, not the same as knowing she was losing him. I’m saying the right thing. I know it. I don’t want to ruin what we have, I really do think he’s needed in the city, and I don’t want him to lose his museum job if he genuinely enjoys it. He says he needed a human cover story, but I can tell he genuinely likes working there.
“I do not wish to abandon you again,” Vision told her gently. Wanda’s eyes seemed sad to him, but she also was not carrying herself in that droopy crumpled manner like she had at his New York apartment. Maybe he should let her be and respect her space, and just make sure he was available to her and check in often. With this in mind, he nodded before adding, “I will return to the city if you prefer, but I wish you to know I will return for you immediately should you ask. Moreover, I shall call you every day unless you tell me to stop.”
Wanda hugged him tightly, her eyes closed. Thank you so much. I know I can trust you. “That means a lot to me. I will be delighted to hear from you. Thank you. Thank you so much for...everything.” Not pushing me away. Not hating me. Not excusing what I did but still...caring anyway.
A very tired Kate appeared at the farm without Yelena or Peter the day after Vision left. “Hey, guys. Hope this is okay...this is going to sound really weird, but I’m here because Madisynn ordered me not to?” Kate sighed, brushing tangled dark waves out of her face.
Madisynn’s trying to help us. Wanda glanced at Clint, who was frowning now and looked worried. “What exactly did Madisynn say?” Wanda asked carefully.
Kate dropped into the sofa with a large sigh. “She said, ‘don’t go to Hawkeye’s farm anytime soon. It’s not safe’ but she was staring at me in this weird way that meant she meant the opposite.”
“Where’s Lucky?” Clint asked.
“I left him with Yelena so she wouldn’t be alone. She’ll be okay, she’s with Spider-Man actually,” Kate explained, glancing at Wanda and America, knowing they would know she meant Peter and not knowing if she should share Peter’s hero identity to everyone else.
“Mm, so the girls and you know who Spider-Man is,” Clint said, raising an eyebrow.
Wanda didn’t even bother denying that; she nodded immediately. “We do. I really don’t think he would mind if I did tell you, but it’s not my secret to share.” I can do that much for poor Peter. I’m glad he’s not alone anymore either.
Clint understood that, so he just patted Wanda’s shoulder. “Understood. Kate, if you want your other friends to pile in here too, they’re welcome. I’m thinking we are unintentionally forming a...base here of sorts. Wanda, I want you to protection spell the house on the inside. Barn too. Inside , mind you. Don’t make it visible from the outside. Can you do that?”
Wanda’s eyes sparkled. “I can. I can definitely do that.”
___________________
“Your friend's uncle wants me to have the dog he trained?" Wanda asked Kate that evening, still confused.
“Yes. Honestly, we would have surprised you before, but surprising people with live animals is a sucky plan, so we wanted to make sure you'd, you know...want a dog first. We have been arranging the possible idea since you left New York. It was just we didn’t confirm anything without talking to you, obviously." Kate flopped down on the carpet, eyeing the three posters Wanda had put up in her room in the Barton house. "Your posters are cool."
“They were actually America's idea. She thought it would feel more...homey." Wanda thought about Vision back in New York. Knowing he didn’t have to feel all alone anymore either made her chest feel warm.
“Does it?"
“Yes. Yes, it does." Wanda stared at the posters herself; one was a collage featuring several of the vintage sitcoms she liked (ordered on Amazon by Laura), one was the Evanescence poster from Vision, and the third was two kittens sitting in a basket because Pietro loved cats and the kittens reminded her of the two of them (found at Target).
"I'm glad," Kate said, and there was no sign she was pretending or something. "Sometimes I feel sort of jealous you get to live here honestly. But then I think you deserve it and I do have a place to call mine already."
Thank you for being honest, Wanda thought, but she just nodded. I don't understand, but I don't feel angry hearing that either. I really don't and it feels good to not be angry about it somehow.
“Do you want to see a picture of the dog?" Kate asked, and was rewarded with a hint of a smile along with another nod. She moved to sit next to Wanda and turned her phone so Wanda could see the screen too. "Here she is. Her name is Mia."
The photo was of a brownish black dog with a sweet face, dark brown eyes, and very large ears. Wanda did not know much about dog breeds, but she was fairly certain Mia was some sort of mix, maybe German shepherd and chocolate Lab.
Wanda thought Mia looked adorable and...rather big. "I, um, even if Mia likes me okay and she's able to help me function better, I'm not sure Clint wants a big dog in his house," she murmured. Wanda, you know he wouldn't care. You told him when Antonia suggested looking into getting a service dog and that you were researching it, and he said that sounded like a great idea.
Kate's eyes were dancing. "He doesn't care. I already asked him. Literally the only decision you need to make is if you feel like Mia would help you. There's no strings attached or anything, and nobody will be upset if you say no, or if you and Mia just don't click. There's zero pressure. Yelena, America, and I just wanted to surprise you with the option since we knew you were interested already. That's it. All of us including you know getting a service dog can be really really expensive and Mia wouldn't cost anything. I mean, you'd still have to feed her and groom her and stuff, obviously, but still."
I don't understand. And this is all happening very fast. Does that mean good things are happening all at once now? That more lucky hopeful things are happening? “I...don't know what to say." Wanda bit her lip, but the little hopeful voice inside her, the one that was hers and had been all lost and smothered for so long, poked at her. Accept the possibility, Wanda. It’s all right. You don’t have to not have hope anymore to survive longer. "I want to meet her," she said finally. "I want to meet her and I want to try. I..." she trailed off, thinking how to explain. "I don't understand why your friend's uncle wants to give her to me , but I'm grateful anyway. And I know Clint and Laura don't mind having me here, but I also know having me around is like...like having to almost babysit a grown person, sort of. I suppose that sounds weird, but I'm not that stupid. I know it isn't easy to have me stay here. I trust them. But I hate knowing I can't...function properly by myself. I think Mia would help. I researched things online and it made me feel like...like maybe there are other people like me and a service dog helps them and maybe I am not different." There. I told the truth and nothing happened. Kate doesn't even look confused.
"I don't think a service dog would be an instant fix or anything, but I do think it would help a lot," Kate said quietly. "I mean, I don't know you as well as Yelena and America do, but I've seen you with Lucky, and Lucky isn't a trained service dog or anything and he still seems to help a little bit.”
_______________
Kate's friend's uncle flew out to Iowa with Mia only a day later, much to Wanda’s surprise. A pleasant string of events back to back was weird but not unwelcome to her. Cautiously hopeful, Wanda found herself waiting on the porch steps with Clint. "You are absolutely sure you and Laura don't mind me having Mia here assuming everything works out?"
Clint put an arm around Wanda's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "We're sure. I suspect it would do you an awful lot of good to feel confident you can handle more on your own. You've mentioned that you wanted to try getting a regular job once this...mess is straightened out, but didn't feel you could do that safely right now regardless of whether someone would hire you."
“You know no one would." Wanda twisted one bracelet around her wrist and then the other. I know so. I still want to try eventually, but I really don't think anyone would want me.
“Difficult, not impossible," Clint answered. "You get that GED like you're working on and get used to working with Mia, and you'll be fine. You've got a crap ton of teammates available to give you references. Honestly I think the biggest problem is that there are still so many people looking for work right now, which is not your fault. You might do better having your own business of some kind."
Maybe. I just want to be able to make my own money the normal way without relying on my friends or using my magic to do it. Wanda watched the silver sedan coming up the driveway and parking. An older man with graying hair climbed out, waved, and then opened the passenger side door.
Wanda watched a dog she recognized as Mia from the pictures Kate had shown her hop out and dutifully follow the man over to the porch. Suddenly feeling shy, she hung back until a familiar hand slipped into hers seconds after the house door slammed. Thanks, Lila.
Lila was very excited, even though Mia was not going to be hers and she didn't need her, and she wished she could make Wanda relax. "Mia's really cute. You should say hi," Lila informed her.
Wanda still did not particularly feel like talking, but Mia trotted over and sniffed her hand. Mia's tail wagged when Wanda knelt in front of her and stroked her head. "You don't mind me," she whispered, more surprised than she wanted to be. Lucky doesn't mind me either, but I guess I half expected Mia to not want to be anywhere near me, same as the animals that lived outside near that cabin. But Mia seemed perfectly content and not remotely wary at all.
The man, who was a Mr. Robinson but told them to simply call him Robin, smiled and spoke directly to Wanda. "Not sure if you know this, but once upon a time you and the other Avengers helped my little granddaughter. She talked about you and Black Widow in particular all the time. When your friends contacted me, I knew I wanted to help if possible."
What? "You...know me?" Wanda asked.
“Personally? No, of course not. But yes, I know you're Wanda Maximoff, Scarlet Shadow or Scarlet Witch, depending on what alias someone calls you, you are probably both the most powerful and the most fragile of all our heroes, and you vanished for so long people thought you were dead. Also, you are a great target for bigots like Ross to hate, unfortunately."
Wanda had no memories of having a grandpa, because one had died before she and Pietro were born and the other when they were too young to remember, but she had the odd sense that Robin's crinkled satisfied smile felt like what she would imagine a caring grandfather to be like. Do I tell him the rest of it? Is it wrong to keep it to myself? She closed her eyes briefly, remembering something Steve's friend Bucky had told her. "Don't tell other people about the corrupted magic brainwashing stuff. It isn't safe for anyone to attempt explaining that- you or them. I understand why you think you should, but don't do it. Their knowing is probably going to put them in danger. And it will put you in danger. Maybe you don't care about yourself, but you've got friends and teammates that do. So don’t be stupid.”
Wanda kept her mouth shut, though she half believed Bucky had just told her that because he didn't want her to be hurt, and not any other reason.
“Let him show you some of the commands Mia knows," Clint told her. "I know you watched videos on YouTube and read articles and whatever, but Robin wants to show you in person, okay?"
I feel like I am floating in a cloud. Wanda did her best to pay attention, somewhat worried she would do something wrong or confuse Mia, but Robin was patient and Mia was more than willing to cooperate. Somehow it was different having Mia right there seeing her in person. The big sweet dog could circle her as a bit of crowd control, block to give a little more space standing in line, interrupt nightmares, alert for harmful or anxious behavior, provide sensory grounding, and do deep pressure therapy. "Mia knows all the things already. I love her already. And she doesn't hate me," she whispered. I can really keep her? Is it okay?
"I don't know all of what exactly happened to you," Robin told her, "but I trained her and I am telling you she is yours. You got to practice with Mia so she bonds with you, all right? I think you've got enough family here to help if you have trouble taking care of her alone."
Lila nodded vigorously. "I'll help feed Mia."
"No, you remind Wanda to feed her if she's forgetting. Feeding Mia herself only will help the two of them bond more easily." Robin smiled watching them; Wanda was listening and paying attention still, but she was kneeling and half-hugging Mia now.
“Okay," Lila agreed.
It's real, it's really actually real and a stranger called them my family. I am not alone and I think if Pietro could see me right now he would be relieved.
...And he will. Soon. I will cast that spell and I will do it right, too.
Notes:
Oh boy we’re so so close to a certain someone FINALLY showing up! Yay. And marching toward the “mystery” part blowing up in everyone’s faces lol...*rubs hands together*
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 26: Chapter 26
Summary:
In which Wanda and Kate run into an unplanned “mission” of sorts whilst taking Nate to a bookstore, Loki makes a baffling appearance...and Wanda finally tells the rest of the Iowa group about the resurrection spell for Pietro.
Notes:
Last chapter before Pietro’s appearance! I loved writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it:) I especially liked writing the “mission” sequence; I swear the characters added the whole thing and not me lol.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was not immediate smooth sailing once Robin left. Mia appeared sad herself that her trainer was gone- her tail was droopy and Wanda thought her big brown eyes looked sad- but Mia seemed to understand that she was supposed to stay with Wanda. When Wanda went out to the barn to beat up on that punching bag because she felt antsy, Mia stayed lying on the floor nearby, watching her curiously. She came and planted herself in front of Wanda and pawed at her leg when she paused and began picking at the split bleeding skin across her knuckles. "I'm okay, Mia," Wanda said softly, sitting on the barn floor and hugging Mia close. "I'll ask if I can take my bracelets off for a minute to heal it when I go back inside." And I know if someone was out here with me, they would have made me stop. I don't understand why it matters if I can just instantly fix it, but…
It matters because you're still hurting yourself on purpose, Wanda. You have to feel better about using your magic in general. You can do it.
...I still have that safe resurrection spell and I can’t be second-guessing myself when I cast it. I won’t. Mia snuffled at her ear. Wanda was a very clingy human to her, but she did not mind. This person had all the snacks and she did the hurting things that Mia recognized she was supposed to help with.
“I don't think you understand me, but I like talking to you. I can talk and trust that I'm not worrying everyone close to me because of it. Even Antonia...I know that is her literal job to listen to me talk, but I don't want to hurt any of them." There's always a bit of me thinking I should be quiet, that feels bad for confiding and telling the truth. Wanda bit her lip as Mia carefully lay down across her lap unprompted. Mia was there; Mia was real (and sort of heavy); and her eyes seemed to understand. "I know I shouldn't come out here, but it seems like a better thing to do than snapping at everyone or something."
"...You okay?" Sam was peeking into the barn, his usual calm expression missing. He plopped next to Wanda and Mia, leaning against the barn wall.
“Yes. I just felt so jumpy I wanted to go do something." Wanda knew Sam was eyeing the split knuckles, but he didn't ask, either. "I can tell you're staring, you know. I'm okay. I'll ask Clint to let me fix it when I go inside. Mia wouldn't let me tear me up more."
Sam was quiet for a minute or two other than a couple sighs, as if he were starting to say something and then changing his mind. "I think we need to stop hiding here like we're riding out a storm. Look, I know I don't have magic or anything like that, but-"
"You think whoever or whatever is out there is going to rip us to pieces unexpectedly one day."
“I think this team needs another heavy hitter here besides you or the little portal-making girl." Sam paused, watching Wanda slowly stroking Mia's fur. "Wanda, I don't mean to sound rude, but you've got to stop relying on those bracelets so much. The dog. Healthy aid. It's been a couple days and I can see she's helpful already. I'm glad you've got Mia now. Maybe the team should have looked into that for you years ago. Those bracelets. Not so much. You are not learning anything new about your magic by constantly locking it up. I'm just going to gently remind you that while yeah, you did make mistakes before all the Darkhold business, same as the rest of us, you did a great job on many missions, too. You are capable. Don't forget that. Heck, you even helped recently. You kinda went overboard, but you did help, and you did not hurt any of us.”
He sounds like Vis. And Clint. And...Lila. Wanda squeezed her eyes shut briefly, glad that Mia didn't move and stayed put. "I wish there was a way I could just access a little bit of my magic all the time and only lock up the rest of it," she admitted. "And honestly, I'm still not sure Wong means for me to be taking them off at all. I mean, he did give Laura a key, and then America gave hers to Vis, but...still." Wanda sighed and studied her wrists.
"Why do you think that?" Sam's voice held no judgement, just the calm inquiry.
"Because I could just remove my ankle monitor if I wanted to, or just make it say I'm somewhere I'm not, and then he wouldn't be able to find me at all if I messed up again," Wanda said instantly. She stared at Sam, befuddled, when he started laughing. "...What is so funny?"
“Did it cross your mind that maybe he trusts you not to do that?"
“Then he's an idiot. Sam, I'm not sure you understand what I did to him and all those other poor people. I hurt them. I killed some of them. I know I wasn't...myself, that I couldn't think clearly, but it doesn't undo it." Mia isn't scared of me though. The poor animals that lived near the cabin left eventually because of me. Animals sense things, right? Maybe...maybe I should trust Mia's judgement. Is that wrong? Wanda finally just buried her face in Mia's dark fur and hugged her close.
“You sound like Buck. You two are absolutely insufferable sometimes with the broody moping." Sam softened his words with a light touch on Wanda's shoulder. She jerked at the contact but didn't pull away, either. "Look, I can't really put myself in your shoes. But I do know you would never in a million years purposely hurt or kill innocent people. Notice I said ‘purposely’ and ‘innocent’. I'm not saying you don't make mistakes or that you wouldn't kill someone like, say...Thanos. But some innocent sorcerers or those heroes in the other universe? No. No, that's not you. I can see you yelling at them or something like that if they pissed you off, sure. Not killing."
“What about Westview? I wasn't corrupted by the Darkhold then," Wanda pointed out, face still buried in Mia's fur.
“You literally had a breakdown. Unfortunately, your reality-warping magic is linked to your mental state and emotions. The end. Better go talk to Darcy Lewis, Monica Rambeau, or Makenzie Reid, all of whom I know got affected by the hex and all of whom do not think poorly of you even though you made them feel like shit." Sam was surprised to see Wanda jerk her gaze toward him, though she continued holding onto Mia.
Mia seemed entirely unbothered and rested her big head on Wanda's shoulder.
"That sounds like you are justifying what I did just because three of the thousands of people that were in Westview decided to...care for some weird reason." Wanda's eyes appeared somewhat shiny with tears because she was trying not to cry.
Sam shook his head. "No, I'm saying there was a reason why it happened, some of the victims of what you did understand also, and now you're getting help to prevent such a thing from happening again. Do you really think something like the Westview incident would have happened if you'd come here back then?"
"Well...no."
"And after. Don't you think simply not being alone would have helped?"
Nobody called, nobody came , a bit of Wanda screamed internally. Don't fuss. Speak up calmly. You didn't seek out help, either. You just assumed the worst, that you'd hurt them or they didn't want you and you got scared. "Yes, but I didn't want to hurt anyone else and I...assumed no one would want me. No one ever coming or anything felt like...confirmation."
Mia nudged at Wanda's hand to make her stop picking at the damaged skin across her knuckles again before Sam could say a word.
“How much of that fear and assumption was you and how much of it was the Darkhold?" Sam asked quietly. "Look, I know I wasn't the closest to you of our old team even though I did enjoy having you around, but I do remember you being downright clingy. Even when you felt crappy and wouldn't talk, or you were scared of hurting someone, you'd text Nat or Clint. Or let Vision into your room because you weren't worried about hurting him when you freaked out."
"I don't know if I would have reached out myself, but I would have made sure my phone stayed working, at least," Wanda admitted. I probably would have made another suicide attempt, honestly. "I'm also not sure if the Darkhold was somehow...influencing me to conceal myself in that cabin unknowingly. Clint told me all of you looked for me near where I was all the time. I wish I knew if magic kept me from being found or if it was just horrible luck that all of you couldn't find me."
"Honestly? I don't think it matters, Wanda. It's not like one option is better than the other, really. We should have contacted Strange or Wong when we couldn’t find you. You should have sought out help the second you fled Westview. You didn't have to be near other people to call a friend and say something like, 'hey, I dunno what to do now. I need help investigating my weird-ass reality warping magic. I've got a creepy book to reference and nothing else. I’m scared I’ll hurt my friends if I visit.’ Everyone messed up. Heck, I think it's very odd that the sorcerers didn't investigate what the hell you were doing out in the middle of nowhere, considering Strange knew where you were the whole time." Sam's calm reasoning was nice to hear.
"Stephen is infuriating. Waltzing over the second he wanted my power for something. Lunchboxes! Why the hell would I care about being on lunchboxes? I never cared about being a celebrity. I never wanted that at all.” Wanda sounded disgusted about that, and she knew that annoyance was hers and had nothing to do with Darkhold corruption remnants.
"He was probably joking," Sam pointed out, trying not to sound amused because he could tell Wanda was not just annoyed; she was also hurt about that. Wanda's irritated expression reminded him of her similar behavior towards Tony right after she had joined the Avengers team years ago.
“Well, it wasn't funny. He made me so mad , and that part was definitely not the Darkhold. I know I wouldn't have hurt America or any of those other poor people, but I certainly would have snapped at him. Maybe messed with that obnoxious cape of his that he insists isn't a cape. That probably sounds awful, but-"
“It doesn't, actually." Sam smiled, much to Wanda's surprise. "Seems to me what you just said is proof how the Darkhold works and that you're you now, and processing stuff better, yeah? You just explained 'This part was me. This part was not me.' Good.”
"Snapping or messing with the cape isn't right either," Wanda muttered, but...Sam did have a point. Maybe he's right. I do feel okay right now.
"Sure, but those things are harmless. They’re not evil. Wanda, I don't need to know much about magic to understand the basics of how that evil book functioned. It pulled the worst parts of your personality, amped them to the hilt and distorted them, and then warped very real wishes of yours. You do tear stuff up and lash out when you're pissed or hurt. We've all seen it. You do want your family back. That's not evil or wrong. Put two and two together and you get the corrupted version of you that thinks killing is necessary and that taking another you's little lovable brats is somehow the same as getting yours back."
“Billy and Tommy are not brats," Wanda said, very offended.
"They're little boys. I used to be one, so I should know. They're little brats. Lovable ones." Sam was glad Wanda smiled a little at that.
That's true . "They tried to hide Sparky from me," Wanda said softly, "that he was in the kitchen sink.”
“Can we keep him?”
“He was outside. Crying, alone.”
Wanda hugged Mia closer. I couldn’t remember what started the hex then, still. Did part of me remember being exactly that...outside crying alone? Is that why I let the boys keep Sparky? Did I hurt Sparky? Did Billy know something was wrong with me? Knowing there was no way to get any of those answers, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep shuddering breath. “I miss how I felt inside the hex in Westview before it all started falling apart,” she whispered. “I was happy there. Why did I have to hurt others to let me be happy?” Tears dripped down Wanda’s cheeks onto Mia’s fur, but she didn’t particularly feel not herself at the moment, just sad and achy inside.
“Because you didn’t know how to consciously make your magic give you what you wanted properly,” Sam told her, voice soft. “And it’s easier to take out negative feelings on other people than to deal with them. That doesn’t make it an okay thing to do, but it’s normal. Only, in your case that means you literally gave those people your pain and grief instead of just being mean to them or something like an ordinary person might. Now you’re getting help. So deal with it.” Sam was firm on this, but he also gave her a hug.
“Why are you hugging me?”
“Because you like hugs and I don’t want you thinking I’m pissed with you. Be responsible and ask for some damn help when you need to, okay? Not being able to handle things on your own is fine. Reacting by hurting others because you can’t is not fine.”
I know that. I just don’t understand why Sam is saying that , Wanda thought, and then Vision’s soft understanding voice flitted through her head. “I will love you no matter what, but you have to let us help you. I do not know what your official diagnosis would be, but mental illness is an explanation, not an excuse. This is why what you did opening that book disappointed me, Wanda. Not anything you did afterwards, but opening it in the first place. You did that instead of asking for help.”
“You good?” Sam asked.
“I think so. Right now, at least.”
__________________
In the morning Laura sent a wary Wanda to the bookstore about twenty minutes away with Nate. “But I don’t have a valid license anymore,” Wanda pointed out. Wanda’s old expired New York driver’s license sat upstairs in her room.
“Change the date.” Laura continued folding the clean clothes in a pile on the table.
What? “I probably shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not? No one here will care, and you can quite literally reality warp things at this point. It would be real.”
“I…” Wanda glanced at Mia right beside her. “I think someone should come with us anyway,” she said reluctantly. Just in case.
“Take Kate with you then. You and Kate can babysit Nate,” Laura suggested.
Kate was more than happy to come along; she immediately agreed. License easily corrected, Wanda realized that while she did not particularly like driving, it was nice to do something so normal and ordinary for the first time again since Westview. And it was pleasant to know that Laura trusted her not to wreck her car with her young son in it.
“Books, new books, goody,” Nate shouted happily from the backseat. “Wanda, I like Mia. Fuzzy, fuzzy, fuzzy.”
Wanda was quite sure Nate wanted to pet Mia and was restraining himself from asking. Mia had her head poking between the front seats, her ears standing straight up.
When they passed a car accident, Kate and Wanda traded glances. “One was on fire,” Kate muttered. “Maybe we should go back.”
Don’t go back, they’ll know who you are, do you want that? You’re useless unless you can- Wanda flinched at Mia nudging her arm hard. On impulse, she turned around at the next light. “Let’s. It thinks I shouldn’t, so I should.” Mia knew. She can’t possibly be trained to identify bad corrupted magic, but… Wanda stopped behind the wrecked cars and left the hazard lights on before twisting in her seat to look at Mia.
Mia blinked calmly at her, as if asking, did I do good?
“You did very good, Mia,” Wanda said softly, and gave Mia half a small treat.
“Did Mia just...sense magic corruption remnants bothering you?” Kate blurted, putting the pieces together. “I mean, it makes sense, it’s still a hurtful emotional state...”
That’s actually logical. Mia might not have any specific skill for something like that, but she did know something was wrong. Wanda nodded and scrambled out of the car, shoving her phone at little Nate and giving Mia a pat on the head. “Nate, can you call 911? Please? Stay here where it’s safe.”
Nate’s eyes lit up at being given something important to do. “Yup yup yup, I will!”
“We left that key with Laura, didn’t we?” Kate asked even as she and Wanda ran to the wrecked car. Someone from the other vehicle was trying unsuccessfully to yank the ruined door open, jumping back at touching the hot metal.
Inwardly Wanda cringed; this was true and she knew exactly why Kate had asked. If I could use my magic this would be a non-issue. “I’m sorry. I didn’t-“
“It’s fine. ‘Lena and I help people all the time without magic. That would just make things easier, that’s all. You’re good.” Kate surveyed the scene; if they did not have access to Wanda’s magic, then they needed to be creative. “There’s a crowbar in the trunk, I’m grabbing that!” she told Wanda, and ran back toward Laura’s car.
“We can’t get in there- it’s too hot!” the man shouted frantically.
Wanda grabbed a sharp piece of metal from the ground and used that to break the window glass. This situation was something she could handle; there was no creepy magic here, just horrible luck. I also cannot heal myself now , but if I get hurt, it’s fine, because I can fix it the second Kate and I get home . “Get back,” she ordered the upset man, whose panic was making her nervous.
“What are you doing?!”
“I’m trying to help!” Wanda shoved her own arm through the broken window, ignoring searing heat and red-hot metal. Can fix it. Can fix it later. Nat would never have let me do this before, but I think she would understand if I did now. There. There was the door lock; she fumbled to unlock it and then Kate was there dragging her backwards.
“What the hell? You can’t just-“ Kate stared at the door now falling open and then back at Wanda. The girls and the terrified stranger managed to drag an unconscious woman out of the flaming vehicle.
Mia barked at the ruined car and leaned against Wanda’s leg. Wanda shakily clutched Mia’s harness with one hand, ignoring her own burns, but followed Mia’s gaze back to the vehicle. There’s another person. A small someone.
“Wanda. Wanda, the woman is kinda sorta waking up- something that her kid is-“ Kate started, but Wanda was already nodding.
I am not letting someone else lose her child too, Wanda thought. “Mia, stay,” she whispered, and chewed her lip before trying to get to the child herself. The next thing she knew, a coughing Kate was next to her helping get the child through the now-broken rear passenger window. The three of them collapsed in a heap outside the car just as the rest of the vehicle burst into flames. Wanda hugged the child close, ignoring the nasty burns streaking her own arms and hands. “He’s alive,” Wanda whispered. “Kate, tell the mom. Please.”
Kate coughed and nodded. Wanda buried her face in the little boy’s hair, not caring that he reeked of smoke. I helped save someone else’s little boy, Wanda thought, tears streaking her cheeks. I did something good, I helped and I didn’t even need my magic. I am not useless.
Wanda was still clutching the child when another vehicle stopped too, and Kate touched her shoulder.
“Wanda, we should leave,” Kate whispered in Wanda’s ear. “We can’t stay here, if someone else sees us, they’ll want us to go to the hospital too. Nate called Clint and 911, evidently. We have help. That’s the car I came to Iowa in, so we’re good.”
Wanda understood this logically, but now she dearly wanted to heal the child and his mother. “I’m not leaving ‘til Clint gets here,” she muttered.
“Your arms and hands are all burned!” Kate hissed. “Mine, too, just not as much. We would be in bad trouble if you couldn’t heal us when we get back-“
“Exactly. I can fix us, so I should help these people too,” Wanda whispered. The child in her arms still hadn’t woken up, and while his strained breathing told her he was alive, that did not reassure her that he was okay at all. Thankfully Kate understood; she just winced and knelt next to her right there on the side of the road. I should take him to his mama, at least. Wanda blinked in surprise at Bucky’s grumpy kind face seemingly appearing in front of them out of nowhere. “Take him to his mama,” she ordered.
Bucky did take the unconscious child gently, but he also said gruffly, “You’d better go get yourself and purple girl fixed up before helping more.”
I know. Before Wanda could react, Clint was there too, asking if it was okay to get the bracelets off her. Wanda nodded; other than her arms and hands throbbing horribly, she felt strangely...fine. Mia was still there sitting right next to her, and seemed to understand that she should just stay put and not interfere. Thankfully the metal hadn’t melted into burnt skin or something else awful; they were just very hot and Clint frowned as he wrapped them in his jacket so no one would have to touch them.
“Heal yourself enough that you don’t have those serious burns all over your arms. You can partially heal these poor people, but not completely, and do it fast. Kate, yours don’t look anywhere near as bad. You go sit with Nate,” Clint said quietly. “If we hear fire trucks or an ambulance, you gotta get out of here, period. You are to go back to Laura’s car and go straight home. Heal Kate and the rest of yours after you get there. Not before. She’ll be okay. If someone does ask you what happened for whatever reason before you get home, your friend tried her best to get the people out, you tried to help her, and now you and Mia are getting help for her. You were just babysitting Nate and saw the accident. I don’t want people realizing who either you or Kate are, not right now. Understand?”
“I understand.” Wanda didn’t argue that, already letting tiny threads of scarlet dance over her throbbing skin as quickly as she dared, and stopped once the burns looked more like a nasty sunburn than that she’d stuck her arms into a fire. Good enough. She didn’t care if she and Kate received credit for rescuing the people, and she understood what Clint wasn’t saying. If she healed the car accident victims- or herself- completely and others saw it, it was far too obvious magic had done it, and with everything else going on, it would drag these strangers into trouble too.
“Gonna keep that bawling scared dude occupied. Help Bucky with the mom and kid and then get out of here. Quickly.” Clint gave Wanda’s shoulder a squeeze and added, “This was a lot more excitement than we planned, but I’m proud of all three of you. You did good.”
Wanda’s cheeks went pink, but something warm and reassuring settled in her chest as she let herself also begin to heal the little boy and his mama. She clutched Mia’s harness in her hand, realizing that the odd warm something was her own magic delighted that she’d let it out for something, something helpful and kind. The woman was so focused on her son being awake and much better that she didn’t notice Wanda, but the little boy did, and his expression lit up. Mission accomplished. Wanda turned and fled back to Laura’s car with Mia before the little boy could say anything to her.
“Mama the girl with the dog has magic !” the child shouted. Wanda heard the mother shushing the child and couldn’t help turning back. The woman’s relieved eyes met hers and Wanda instantly sensed there was no danger of the two telling anyone about her. “Thank you,” she sent the telepathic message on instinct before she could rethink it.
never telling anyone about this young woman or her friend I don’t know who they are but they clearly don’t want-
Wanda blinked and forced herself to shut the woman’s thoughts out, but the confirmation was a huge relief all the same.
“Did I do good?” Nate asked hopefully once Wanda had scrambled back into Laura’s car. “Kate said I did good!”
Wanda smiled and nodded. “You did very good,” she assured him. She told Kate Clint’s plan, and the other girl quickly nodded. “I want to heal you now , but he said to wait until we got back.”
Kate shrugged, though she continued holding her hands awkwardly in her lap. “Makes sense to me. This keeps us and those people as safe as possible without leaving all of us hurting something awful for a long time. I can wait.”
They heard the emergency services sirens behind them finally as they headed back to the farm, but thankfully the short trip back was without incident otherwise. The second they parked in the driveway, Wanda asked Kate if it was okay to heal her now, which made Kate stare at her like she had three heads. “No, I want you to not heal the burns that sting and hurt really bad. Wanda, really? Yes, I would be very glad if you fixed me, thank you very much.”
“I just...wanted to confirm. It’s not like yours are life-threatening or anything.” Wanda spoke quietly, and she sensed both Kate and Nate watching the little red wisps curling around Kate’s arms. They’re not scared at all, and neither am I. I don’t know how to explain it, really, but I think my magic is genuinely happy I’m using it for something I want to do, something that makes us feel better instead of worse.
Wanda wished she had asked Clint for the wristbands back, even though she really did feel fine at the moment. I don’t have any failsafe right now. I have to be very careful. And a knot of other worry settled in her stomach as an odd magical thing she didn’t recognize at all poked at her senses. Whatever it was did not feel like the sorcerers’ magic nor Agatha’s nor the horrible unsettling corruption remnants.
She slipped out of the car with Mia by her side, some instinct more curious than worried prodding her to investigate. A green figure shimmered into view around the corner inside the barn, leaning against the wall, and Wanda frowned. “Loki, what are you doing here?” Wanda asked, not caring for that satisfied look on his face one bit.
Sparkling eyes crinkled mischievously at her. “Ah, my reputation precedes me. Why, I am investigating if my fellow chaotic magic user has chosen her own destiny yet.”
“I am not yours.”
“I do not want to own you,” Loki said disdainfully. “Touchy. Who wants to own you ? You are far too much trouble. One left to find, you know.”
Wanda stared at Loki and impulsively tried to poke into his head. I could, but I’d hurt him and it would be...genuinely difficult, I think. She snatched up Mia’s harness and held it tightly, unsure why she did not feel threatened by Thor’s troublesome little brother, but she didn’t. The surface thoughts Wanda sensed Loki was allowing her to sense rather than any skill of her own were jumpy and pleased.
she would probably like Thor’s gremlin child
I have missed Midgard. Ridiculous planet full of idiotic peons
our quartet will be completed in short order
Loki grinned at her, eyes twinkling and clearly not at all perturbed. “Oh no,” he said airily, “you shall not have any of my thoughts I do not wish you to have, Scarlet Witch, not without a battle, and I do not believe either of us wish for that . You are not subtle.”
“Wanda, what’s going on?” Kate called. “Um. What’s he doing here?!”
“Get rid of the arrow girl, would you?”
Wanda sighed. “Kate, I don’t...know. He doesn’t wish us harm, I know that much. Please take Nate inside.” If I can’t think right, Mia will alert me and I’m out of here, period.
Kate gave Wanda a confused look, but Wanda’s honest answer and the fact that she didn’t appear agitated made Kate believe her. “Okay. But I’m telling everyone else what’s going on!”
Wanda nodded, not taking her eyes off Loki. Mia remained unfazed sitting next to her. “Loki, what do you want? I don’t understand.”
“You have a strange dog familiar now,” Loki said, peering at Mia, in an odd tone Wanda could only call jealous. She tilted her head and frowned at him.
“Mia isn’t a familiar. She’s a service dog.”
“She probably sheds.”
“I don’t care.”
Loki continued looking entirely too pleased, which Wanda did not like one bit. He sniffed the air a bit overdramatically. “Smoke. You still reek of smoke. Those poor unfortunate burned humans from that car accident must be quite grateful to you and that Kate Bishop girl. Now you have created a positive incident for the infamous you .” Loki did not sound like he was trying to be cruel; it was almost as if he was just highly pleased about the whole thing.
Wanda froze. Why does he know what we did? “Why are you here?”
“To ensure you write your own story.” Loki’s mischievous intelligent eyes made the satisfied crinkled look at her again. He began pacing about, gesturing in a dramatic manner that made Wanda think of some over the top actor on stage. “I shall not meddle further than I must. However, I believe you do not have someone like Mother. Frigga would have loved you. Therefore you must have another teacher.”
Does he mean...him? Why does Loki look so superbly pleased with himself but also think he’s helping? Wanda did notice that Loki clearly held warm memories of his adoptive mother, which was an odd realization but also...made sense.
“Of course I mean myself. Certainly not those human sorcerers. Lesson one: you should guard your own mind better.” Loki’s expression was uncharacteristically serious. “You are far too easy to read. You should be impossible to read. Remember...live long enough as the villain, die as a hero. Except, we shall not be doing that .
“...And cease procrastinating. Fetch the fourth one.”
“Are you talking about Pietro?” Wanda whispered. Thor, Loki, Pietro, me. That’s four...
“Of course, who did you think?”
Maybe, just maybe… “Do you know anything about my boys?” Wanda asked next, not wanting to hope but hoping all the same.
Loki wrinkled his nose. “Gremlins. You have more power than any human could dream of and all you want are those horrible small gremlins. Thor has an alien child too. That one is a brat, if lovable. I suppose.” Before Wanda could react, he went on, “I know you can get the noisy speedy one back. The other, the magical one like you, I am uncertain. Goodbye, Scarlet Witch. I shall see you again soon.”
Wanda didn’t bother pressing obnoxious confusing Loki further; he had already shimmered out of sight with a satisfied smile. He knows about Pietro, and he wants to help. I know that much. What if...what if he’s seen part of the future for all of us and somehow returned with the partner Sylvie that Darcy mentioned to try to fix and change things?
________________
Wanda found herself very much enjoying sewing a couple patches onto Mia’s harness that evening. Feeling quite content, she curled up in a corner of the sofa with Mia nearby. Like at the now-normal meals, her friends did not try to make her talk, but she still felt warm and included. On a sudden impulse, she abruptly stood up. Tomorrow. I’m doing it tomorrow, I don’t need to wait anymore, I’ve memorized that resurrection spell forwards and backwards. “I’m going to get my brother back,” Wanda said more calmly than she felt. Little bits of hesitant happiness spread through her, and she knew if she had the wristbands off right then, her magic would be delighted. Saying it out loud made it feel more...real.
Several pairs of surprised cautious eyes stared at her, and a prickle of annoyance made her tense all over. “I am not being delusional. I am going to get Pietro, it’s real, and I will do it without hurting anyone else. I will.”
“She has a safe resurrection spell,” America put in helpfully, and gave a quick explanation of where the spell had come from, not caring at this point that Tasha was meant to be a secret.
“You sure this is legit?” Clint asked, not wanting to pop Wanda’s bubble when she seemed excited about something, but also not wanting her to be in danger, either.
Wanda nodded. “I’m sure. I will get Pietro. I will. I want to show him around and give him a hug. I wish to take him on a vacation eventually.” Wanda’s eyes held a hint of visible excitement that made it all too obvious that she was very, very happy about this. I told. I’m glad I told.
“I believe her,” Scott said after a moment. “Her magic doesn’t have any real explanations, right? So why not this? Just...you’re sure it isn’t like that array thing from the warehouse basement?”
“That, I am a hundred percent sure on,” Wanda answered confidently. It doesn’t make me feel wrong and like I can’t think straight, so yes, that I’m sure of. A sudden instinct prodded her to add, “I think the worst that could happen is I fail, and I already don’t have Pietro, so that is not worse than now.”
“And what happens if you do fail, kid?” Clint asked. He did not want to discourage her, especially since she was genuinely excited over something for once, but he also wanted her to be safe.
Wanda looked down at her own hands, glanced at Mia, and then back at Clint. “I don’t...know. I suppose it means I would use me to cast the spell for nothing…? America is going to take me to that cabin just in case to do it. All of you will not be in danger.” I really don’t know. I’m not scared of using me to do it. Pietro is worth absolutely anything I could possibly give.
“‘Use’ you to cast it? What does that mean?” Clint gazed straight at Wanda waiting for an answer.
“It just means I know I need my blood as a catalyst to cast the spell properly.”
“How much of it?” Scott asked, who had read and watched plenty of fantasy media that involved blood-based magic and didn’t find the idea off-putting, just potentially dangerous depending on context. “You should make sure it’s not more than you got to give,” he said knowingly, which made Wanda smile a bit at the matter-of-fact reaction.
“I don’t know, but I should be okay even if I need a lot,” Wanda told him. This felt reasonable to her. “I know my magic doesn’t want to let me...die, so at absolute worst, I think I’d just pass out and have to rest awhile after.” I have thought about this a lot. I don’t care what this does to me, Pietro is worth it, but I really do think I’ll be fine.
“How do you make sure you’re getting real-Pietro and not a live thing that’s not Pietro at all?” Scott asked next, his voice gentle even as he looked all too serious.
“This spell won’t work right on anyone else,” Wanda whispered. “I think...that possibility is exactly why.” I don’t know , but I think so.
Kate, who had been just watching everyone else very curiously, spoke up now to say, “Honestly, that makes sense. She’s twins. Probably a lot simpler to get a twin back than just any lost dead person. They’re literally close in DNA and stuff. Do we need to, like, get Pietro’s body or something? I know that sounds creepy…”
Wanda shook her head. “We can’t. There is no body to get,” she said softly. “I...Pietro and I wanted to be cremated. We…” Wanda’s eyes filled with tears, and she abruptly knelt to hug Mia close. It’s okay, Wanda. Don’t be sad any more. You’re so close now. It’s all right. Really. “Pietro would like Mia. I’m not going to mess up again. I won’t.”
Kate chewed her lip and traded glances with America. “Well, if there’s no body to find at all then I think it makes sense all the more that Pietro would be okay to get but not anyone else. Wanda, you...do know all of us would help, right? Like if you needed enough blood for a whole grown person all of us could share a little bit or something.”
“While that’s very kind,” Bucky pointed out, “we also don’t need to mix blood types, either. I would assume Wanda has tried to keep this as simple as possible, and scientifically if she retrieves her brother and tries to give him multiple blood types, he may be ill.” Bucky looked at Wanda thoughtfully, wondering if attempting to find any logic behind a literal resurrection spell made sense in the first place. “Though, maybe you could make it all match?”
This was not something Wanda had considered at all. “I don’t...I could , but it would be me just thinking I want it to match than any...scientific cell knowledge…we were the same blood type, I know that.” I feel ridiculous. I know they are trying to help, but I don’t...know. “I have to do it myself. I don’t think the spell is...meant to work like that, sharing with all of you. I can’t risk hurting others again.”
Bucky continued watching her in his reserved grumpy caring sort of way. “You should let the rest of us help. If you let everyone donate a safe amount, you can reality warp the blood to match yours and you will have plenty to use.”
I think that’s cheating. I am absolutely certain intent matters far more than any literal skill at casting. I’m sure of it. Unsure how to explain that, Wanda stayed silent for a minute. Mia’s sweet brown eyes blinked at her calmly, and she hugged the dog close again. I should just say what I do know. “I think risking the magic think I’m...cheating is far more dangerous than simply doing this on my own. I will not risk your safety. I won’t.”
“What if we do all donate blood to the Pietro cause and let Wanda warp it to match hers, and just...not use it for the spellcasting directly?” America suggested. “Then even if the spell really does drain her, we’ll have an easy way to help. Like, the ordinary, not magic or enhanced way. Right? The spell can’t think she’s cheating if the rest of us are just helping her afterwards without using powers at all.”
“That isn’t fair to the rest of you. We might not even use it,” Wanda pointed out.
“Better safe than sorry. Everyone donating the normal amount you’d give when you donate blood is harmless,” Clint said firmly. “If there is a chance using that spell is going to literally drain you dry like a damn vampire and then you can’t or won’t fix it, you are not attempting it without having a failsafe. This is a good solution for everyone, you included.”
Wanda didn’t answer aloud, but she also nodded. Okay. I feel...safe. I really do. I have a whole team of friends here and no one is pushing me away or...anything.
_______________
In the morning Wanda woke early and slipped down to the kitchen to help Laura with the breakfast, leaving Kate and America asleep in the guest room. In the living room, Scott was stretched out on the sofa, Sam in a chair, and confusingly Bucky seemed quite comfortable asleep on the floor with just a sleeping bag. “Laura, where’s Clint?” Wanda asked quietly, padding into the kitchen with Mia at her side.
“Keeping an eye on the perimeter of the property. He and the others are taking turns doing that, just in case. All that blood is stashed in the big refrigerator out in the garage. Hopefully we won’t need it, but it’s there.” Laura smiled when Wanda gave her a hug. “Why don’t you feed Mia and take her out? I know you just want to help make breakfast.”
“Okay.” Wanda hesitated, twisting her fingers together nervously. Mia nudged her nose at Wanda’s hands and she switched to petting the furry dog instead. “What about Pietro? Where can he stay? I am so excited for him to just be here, I want him to meet all of you, I just...I want him to feel safe too.”
“He can stay wherever he likes,” Laura told her gently. “Wanda, if this really does happen, he is welcome here same as you. I imagine he will be disoriented and a little overwhelmed, just like you were when you first came here from Sokovia.”
“Pietro is better than me. He won’t be like that. He always liked new things.” Wanda’s wistful smile matched her eyes that were much brighter than usual. She fed Mia, who gobbled a few mouthfuls of food and promptly sat politely next to Wanda, fluffy tail wagging.
Laura didn’t correct her, but made a private note to keep a close eye on them regardless.
“I’m going to that cabin with America after breakfast,” Wanda said next. And I will not fail. I won’t. I’m coming for you, Pietro.
Notes:
Loki and Wanda interacting was also something I was very very much looking forward to. Those two and Thor and Pietro are going to be such fun to write, heh.:)
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated!:)
Next time...PIETRO, FINALLY!
Chapter 27: Chapter 27
Summary:
In which Pietro returns (finally!), but there are consequences. Loki provides distraction...
Notes:
IT IS TIME! FINALLY! I know I updated this fic pretty recently, but I have the chapter ready, so here it is!
CW: This is probably already obvious due to the characters’ discussion over the resurrection spell last chapter, but I just wanted to mention that said spell involves blood sacrifice and that there are, in fact, serious consequences to using said spell even though Pietro returns safely and Wanda herself is happy.
There! Now, onto the story:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
NEW YORK
“What might you be doing here?” Loki asked conversationally, slipping behind an exhausted Strange inside the now-abandoned warehouse lair. He appeared to be dressed in a sleek black suit with black shirt and tie, the sort of outfit that Thor called witchy and Loki pretended to be offended over. “There is nothing here now. You should investigate Hell’s Kitchen further. Much ado over a ruckus akin to that of Asgardian bilgesnipes.”
Stephen moved to drop the grinning trickster through a portal as he had done before, but the Loki figure shimmered and shook a finger at him. “No, I shan’t be falling for thirty minutes again. I think not,” Loki’s illusion said, quite satisfied.
“You aren’t even here,” Stephen said flatly. It did not make sense that Loki would be present all the same...though Loki did have a reputation for faking his own death, so maybe it wasn’t all that surprising.
He sighed. It would just figure that the god of mischief would make a reappearance now. Maybe the traces of magic in those cylinders back at the Barton farm had to do with Loki.
“Alas, that is impractical at present.” Loki’s illusion paced about, much as his real self had done whilst talking to Wanda at the farm. “You really should go investigate that nasty bit, you know. I daresay I might have seen your ex-girlfriend that ditched you there, and the sorcerer supreme you wish you were but are not is definitely there.” He brushed invisible specks of dust off his coat.
Strange wondered why Loki would care about such a thing, and if Loki was lying, but also there really was nothing in the warehouse that could help them now. “If you mean Christine, why on earth should I believe you? You might have created this array yourself.”
Loki’s illusion shimmered again, this time appearing for real, still in his black suit, sling ring mysteriously yanked from the sorcerer’s hand and in his. “Truce?” he said in a more serious tone. “I have no wish to fight you.”
Instead of attempting to take the ring back as Loki half expected him to, Strange merely sighed and stared at him. Dark circles under the human’s eyes did not confuse Loki at this point, and he sensed Strange was frustrated and frightened despite trying to hide it and doing a fairly decent job of it. The man was deeply exhausted and lonely. “You aren’t the same Loki from before yourself, but you’re not a variant, either,” Stephen said.
“Well. That is false, unfortunately. We are both variants, as is everyone else.” Loki pointed at the array on the wall and added, “ I did not create that. I would most certainly take credit for it if it was a pleasant workable plan, but the culprit of that is an idiot. They overestimate their power. You know this.” Loki pranced over to the wall and made a great show of peering at the runes. “Ah, I forgot. You human sorcerers reject rune spells as being unsafe. However, you justify breaking these guidelines when it suits you…”
“Who have you been speaking with?”
“Why? Concerned I have met that lachrymose witch with the chaos magic?” Loki felt himself pinned against the wall, but he only glared and did not fight back, neither the ordinary way nor with magic. “You are fools, the lot of you! That girl included.”
“You spoke to Wanda. What did you do to her?” Stephen demanded. “Or her to you?”
Loki blinked at him calmly, which Stephen found infuriating. “Why, nothing whatsoever. In fact, she is doing better for herself than you are to yourself at present. You are making yourself ill and ignoring it. This is illogical odd behavior from a man who calls himself Doctor.”
“There are missing people because of this.”
“Leave the array alone. Your judgement is compromised,” Loki told him in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
“You want me to leave this for someone else to take care of? I can’t do that to anyone.”
“You forget I have lived a long, long time. I know of the Darkhold. My mother warned me of it when I was naught but a child. It thirsts for power, for destruction, to free its author. Now, it has lost the Scarlet Witch. You and anyone else that has meddled with the Darkhold are fine, fine substitutes.” Loki held out Stephen’s sling ring as an offer of peace to prove he didn’t mean any harm, though he also mentally prepared to react for a fight if necessary.
But Strange merely took the ring and studied Loki closely. “The Darkhold is gone.”
“Is it?”
“Yes, it is. If you knew as much as you claim, you would know Wanda destroyed all of them.”
“She destroyed the physical copies, yes.” Loki illusioned the array on the wall out of sight and stared at Stephen. “All of the Darkhold victims’ memories remain. Some victims’ memories are quite impressive,” he went on begrudgingly. “You could copy this array yourself without looking, yes?”
When there was no answer forthcoming, Loki shook his head feigning disappointment. “Well, I suppose it has been long enough. I shall go see what your sorcerer pal is up to now. Follow if you wish.”
_____________________
MEANWHILE...
Wanda texted Vision before she and America left the farm. ‘I’m going to get Pietro back today if everything goes right. I will text as soon as I get back to the farm, I promise.’
Almost immediately the reply came back: ‘I know you will be able to fetch him. I believe in you. Are you certain you do not wish me to accompany you?’ Then a moment later, ‘I do not have the later photos of us, but I do have this one’ , and a picture of a very old photo sitting framed on a crispy clean mantel in the New York apartment that Wanda recognized instantly. Vis must have found that online and printed it out. The picture was just Vision and herself after one of the Avengers interviews she’d always hated. She was smiling stiffly in the photo, but the fist clenching at her dress betrayed the anxiety and discomfort over being trapped under a spotlight. Vision had one hand rather awkwardly linked with her free one and he was not smiling; he just looked serious and thoughtful. The picture was not very flattering to either of them in Wanda’s opinion. Wanda remembered him whispering in her ear, “It is all right. You have friends here. Also, these people are merely excited to see you.” The memory didn’t feel so embarrassing now; the younger Wanda in the picture was just...there to her. No wonder their teammates had teased them so much at denying being more than just friends, too.
‘I’m sure. But thank you all the same. I love you.’ Wanda didn’t wait for another reply; she tucked the phone under her pillow and stood up. America had the magic-nullifying bracelets in her pocket. If something did go wrong, at least they would have those.
“Ready?” America asked.
Wanda gave Mia one last hug and nodded. I’m not taking Mia with me, I don’t want to hurt her or scare her. Mia was confused and clearly did not want to be left behind, but she did not whine. “I don’t want to leave you, either. I feel better when you are there,” she whispered in Mia’s ear. “But I shall be right back. I know so.” Even if it goes wrong, I know America will just dump a sad me right back here and I’ll have Mia with me again. The bedroom felt like hers now, and she smoothed the comforter, touched the wall, the simple nightstand, before closing her eyes and steeling herself to leave. Inside, Wanda’s magic stirred about restlessly, waiting to do something.
America took a deep breath before punching a silvery-blue portal open. Wanda immediately began twisting her fingers together nervously; it was obvious the dead chewed-up land was slowly healing, but it still looked barren and desolate to her. Dry grass and twigs crunched under her feet as she stepped through the portal after America. The once lush apple trees she’d created inside the small hex that used to be around the cabin were dead shriveled husks now. Maybe I shouldn’t have decided to cast it here. I can’t...forget. “There’s...residue everywhere here,” she whispered. “All over.”
“For real magic-wise or just bad memories residue?” America asked.
“Mostly memories but...both. This place looks so broken and lonely. It’s...ruined.” Wanda did notice some tiny flowers growing beneath one of the dead trees and knelt there, shaky fingers touching the little pointy petals. These weren’t here before. Maybe...maybe here is healing too.
“It’s not ruined. It’s like a forest after a fire or something. Lots of things dead but also lots of things growing already.” America pointed at the moss growing here and there, more small flowers, and a bird perched on a dead branch. “Look.”
Wanda didn’t answer, but she also instinctively transformed into her suit. The bird did not fly away. I can tell that bird would be scared and fly away if we tried to get closer, but I can also tell it isn’t...specifically scared of me or anything, either. And before she could go any closer to the cabin itself, a familiar-looking figure stepped out on the porch, her expression relieved. “...Nat?” Wanda breathed, even as she knew quite well this could not possibly be her Natasha.
“Almost,” said Tasha, who was entirely unsurprised at the figure that practically flew into her arms and hugged her close. “You are not the Wanda I knew, either, but I am very glad to see you all the same.”
Wanda pulled away, feeling sheepish, but this Black Widow was smiling at her exactly like Nat used to do, only this variant of her had light freckles dotting her cheeks and her hair was longer than Wanda remembered from before. “I suppose I knew that. I just...seeing you...reminded me so much…”
But Tasha took her by the shoulders and just squeezed. She did not look scared or disturbed whatsoever. “I understand,” she said quietly, and Wanda knew that was true without any further explanation or magic at all. “My friends call...called...me Tasha. I believe the dead version of me from this universe went by Nat, right?”
Wanda did not know what to say, so she just nodded.
“Well, you can call me Tasha also. You are not the Wanda I knew, but I would still like to be a friend to you. I promised her I would take care of you as much as I could if you let me. But I believe you are not technically here to meet me at all.” Tasha’s eyes twinkled even though her expression remained serious, and she led Wanda and America into the cabin.
It was no longer smothered in loneliness, no longer empty and sad, even though Wanda could tell Tasha had not changed anything, just kept the cabin clean. Wanda reached for the scribbled-on paper on the table, her fingers trembling and crackling with scarlet. I never want to see those again record of failures I lost the boys I couldn’t find them no matter what I did useless I tried I tried-
Tasha grabbed her wrist and shook her head. “What are you doing , touching me right now?” Wanda blurted. Why would she risk that?
“Don’t,” Tasha said firmly, her gaze gentle. “Don’t destroy that. Those may be clues now, and they also tell us where not to look for them. Brother first for now. We know you can get your Pietro back, even though my Wanda couldn’t resurrect hers. You need to focus.”
...I know. I’m just...I’m scared they’re trapped somewhere in pain and that I can’t help them. Wanda took a deep breath, swept the scribbled messy notes into a pile, and then warped a simple black folder into existence to put them in instead. The whole thing flew into the same trunk she remembered stashing the Darkhold in so often. I do not have to look right now. Out of sight. Out of mind. For now. My messy, angry, depressed...unhinged notes of failure aren’t horrible corrupting things. They’re just...me.
She didn’t notice America staring at her in surprise. This is not like before. I am not alone here and that book is gone. I can do this. The worst that happens is I fail and hurt myself for nothing, and Pietro is more than worth risking that to me. Wanda looked down at the wood floor of her cabin and squeezed her hands into fists. The fact that these instructions Tasha had been sent to her with were not the same as that corrupted necromancy spell in the Darkhold had been made her certain it was safe, but now she worried it would somehow go wrong all the same. "Tasha, you are sure this will work?"
“You from my lost reality saw that it would. She was not powerful enough to cast it. You are," Tasha said quietly. "The only caveat is that payment still must be given willingly by you without being forced. Not a proxy. It won't be easy. I'm...not supposed to tell you anything more. The you I knew said you had to solve the payment yourself, because she didn't want to risk you doing it wrong. She said you would know exactly what to do when the time came."
Wanda blinked and mentally pictured the circle of runes once again. Why would the other me trust...me? That doesn't make sense. But...I guess I do know. Body and soul. She would happily sacrifice her whole self to have Pietro back, but she also knew her twin would not want her to trade her life for his, so that was not an option. If she messed up now, she needed to force the spell to shut down, period, no matter what. America would drag her back to the farm if necessary.
But her own other self, the one she'd witnessed fade from her wrecked universe peacefully asleep with her family with no regrets, had specifically written that letter for Tasha to give her when she'd sent her own friend to 616 for help. Thinking about that letter still made tears burn her eyes. Though she had never met this variant of herself, this Wanda had still reached out and offered something no one else could or did. She'd made a plan to help save others even when her own world was past saving, and then included something special just for her broken other self to help her feel better. I will try. I can do this. I memorized it, I just have to hold myself together long enough to cast it right.
...I’m coming for you, Pietro. Finally.
Working more on instinct than the real knowledge Tasha's Wanda had sent, Wanda knelt in the center of the floor and closed her eyes again, drawing the knife that appeared in her hand across her forearm down to her palm quickly before she could rethink it further. She definitely needed blood as a catalyst; she knew that much, and that she presumably needed a lot of it. Little red sparks of magic mixed with the blood as she mentally drew the intricate tiny runes in a large circle surrounding her. Scarlet flames chewed into the floor briefly, surrounding her by crackling warm energy. Don’t attempt healing to refresh yourself, an odd but not threatening instinct poked at her, almost as if her magic knew exactly what she was doing and did not mind one bit. Do I trust me on this? I think so. I know what corrupted thoughts feel like now and this isn’t that.
Wait. You have plenty. You’ll need help after, that’s all. Wanda sensed a warm surge of her own power flooding through her chest and radiating outward from her heart.
“Tasha, I don't think I like this," America whispered, watching her friend in horror. A rainbow of magic rather than the usual scarlet arced out of Wanda's body from her heart, looking suspiciously like the colors of the infinity stones, and the next second a bullet-riddled Pietro appeared within the rune circle. He looked as if he were half there, blue eyes dull and pained. America screamed.
Wanda ignored her. America was not within the boundaries of the spell, so she was definitely not hurt, just frightened. Still… “Tasha, America, get out of here, just in case. Please,” she ordered loudly. “My magic is all me, I can feel that, but I want you out just in case.” I can do this. Something’s not right, I’m not out of control but I missed something with the payment-
“America, be quiet," Natasha hissed. "She has to finish it now or it's dangerous for all of us. Let her finish. She can do it. Give her a chance." Then she shouted, “We’ll be outside the cabin!”
you’re ruining everything you don’t want to do this you don’t want to trade as much power away as you’ll need to-
Shut up. I would trade all of my magic away if it gave me Pietro back, you idiotic thing. Go away. I don’t want you, I don’t need you.
you will regret this- I’ll take…from you- no longer will...able to- you’ll pay for- Little bits of thin black tangled threads inside frayed away further before snapping and disintegrating entirely, morphing to a cautious scarlet barrier Wanda did not understand but recognized as something the terrified lonely bit of her inside could slip away and hide behind safely.
...I’m not in danger and neither are my friends. I can do this. I just didn’t finish it right at first. I’m sorry if you’re hurting, Pietro- I’m fixing things. Promise. That thing isn’t having us.
Wanda's eyes flew open and she instinctively sliced at her own hand with more force, mentally trying to rip as much of her battered heart free as she could, at least to show that she would willingly give up everything if it meant she could have her precious twin back.
No, Wanda. Everything except killing yourself. You promised me. If that’s not enough, then you have to find another way or give up. It’s all right. Be brave. The runes were definitely right- goodness knew how much she had studied that drawing and memorized it until it was burned into her head- but Wanda knew something else was not. I know I didn't sacrifice enough the first try. And I can’t risk this backfiring on everyone else- I have to absorb it myself...Some blood wasn't enough. I'll cut as much of me away as I have to. Something snapped and pain lanced up her hand and arm, but she ignored that too.
Pietro, please be you, please be here, I wish you were all the way here and not that hurt thing, that can’t be you- I don’t want it to be-
No, I can feel Pietro. I feel- Wanda squeezed her eyes shut, sensing the long-lost mental connection with her twin that had been cruelly torn away from her that day of the final Ultron battle so long ago. Something familiar and comforting flowed through the tired pieces of her mind and heart inside, something healing and warm . More threads of glowing orange and golden magic flowed from her heart, melding with the rest, and she was vaguely aware she was floating herself now, her dark hair in a cloud around her face as if she were underwater.
In a faraway manner, some eldritch thing seemed to be screeching in rage, something pounding in her temples at the mental barrier momentarily before the healing warmth banished it away and she could no longer feel the horrid thing screaming at all. Wanda's hand throbbed and she sensed something missing, dripping, plinking to the floor, but not in a way that concerned her. That sixth sense connection with her lost twin was there, something that took all of those pained destroyed parts of her that loved her lost family too much and gently wrapped them in a warm figurative fuzzy blanket.
Wanda found herself kneeling within the rune circle again, no longer floating, breathing hard and trying to center herself again. I’m done. I hope so. No, know so. I feel-
"Wanda? What happened, where are we?"
In a second, all of the crackling, glowing magic, runes included, all vanished, and Wanda stared through tear-filled, tired eyes at the same Pietro she had lost so long ago. Pietro looked puzzled and defensive, but he was there . A small warm red glow over both Pietro's heart and her own crackled and then faded beneath their skin without further action from either of them. The pain in Wanda's hand and arm and the unearthly screech forgotten, she scrambled to her feet on shaky legs and clutched him tightly. "Pietro. Oh Pietro, it really did work and I didn't hurt anyone else to let me have you," she whispered. "I...I'm..." Wanda did not have words to explain herself, broken cries of relief wrenching themselves from her throat. Real? Can this really be real? I want to believe it. I want to believe it, but what if I have just convinced myself he is real? I might have deluded myself again. No I haven't. Pietro is too real. I can feel him and it is not like Westview when I was so baffled at seeing not-Pietro. He is real. I can see him and I can feel him and he is hugging me.
...I am so tired. Wanda simultaneously felt complete again inside, the torn place in her heart where Pietro had been missing warm and healed...and also as if she had ripped some part of her off that left her exhausted and sore. The odd idea flitted through her head that it must be similar to what using a skin graft from one's own skin would feel like, where the place the skin was taken from was hurt to fix a much worse injury. I don't care what I did to myself. I got Pietro back, and I did not cause any harm to do it. I know that much, and I trust myself about that, at least. And I didn’t break my promise.
Pietro glanced around in confusion even as he hugged his twin close. This was not floating Novi Grad, there were no bullet wounds hurting him now, those dumb murderbots weren't everywhere, and Wanda was holding onto him sobbing. Had he...died? Why was he here then? And... "Wanda, why have you got a crown on your head? Where did you get that? What are you wearing? Where are we?"
Wanda abruptly collapsed in Pietro's arms, which scared him. "S'glad it worked, Pietro. I love you. I am so happy," she murmured. Nobody but Pietro would say that. I know it is really him, I am me, I sense him, I can feel him, I did something good. I know it. Whatever that bad thing was wouldn't be so angry otherwise.
Pietro backed away from the two figures he noticed in the doorway first, horribly disoriented and clutching Wanda tightly. One second he had been sensing his sister's devastating intense distress knowing she was losing him and mentally telling her "You keep living. Stay, for us. Love you, baby sister," and feeling awful pain rip through him and thinking he was proud he had saved old Hawkeye and the little boy. Then there was a weird out-of-body floating sensation as if he had dissipated to water and then he was hurtling through...something...to here, and the pain from the bullet wounds was there again, but then it was all gone, and he was not outdoors, and Wanda was not wearing her outfit she'd worn to that battle anymore, even though he was wearing his. Something was very, very wrong here, and it had something to do with Wanda falling unconscious in his arms. She looked bafflingly peaceful, but she was also dead weight. Wanda, what did you do?
One someone he recognized as Black Widow, though her hair was longer than he remembered, but the younger girl in the denim jacket was unfamiliar. "What are you doing? Get help. Something is wrong with Wanda. Are all murderbots gone now? Where's old Hawkeye?" He held Wanda close, ready to bolt and speed away if necessary.
Black Widow spoke clearly and quietly. "That Ultron battle is long over. The Avengers won. Can you let me see Wanda, please?" She turned to America and added, "Go tell Hawkeye what happened and then come back, just like all of you planned if things went poorly. Quick as you can."
Pietro would not let go of Wanda, but he did carefully lower himself to the floor, still cradling his sister gently in his arms. She was smiling a bit despite the tears streaking her cheeks. There was a long, deep gash down her arm, nearly down to the bone, and her left hand looked...wrong to him and he couldn’t quite tell how much she had hurt it. A sickening suspicion rose in his stomach.
Pietro’s eyes flicked to the weird circle of runes that appeared to be burned into the floor, and he wondered if something else horrible really had happened and Wanda had been, what...trying to sacrifice herself somehow to get him back? What had she done? That was impossible and didn't make any sense; his twin was just a telepath with very powerful telekinetic abilities. But the signs were all there. He was here in an unfamiliar place all of a sudden at some point ‘long after that Ultron battle’, and he was quite certain those bullets had killed him. And here was his little sister collapsing and happily saying something had worked and that she hadn’t hurt anyone to get him back. “Stupid Wanda,” he mumbled in Sokovian, “whatever you did, you did hurt someone, you hurt you .”
Wanda didn’t react, and her shallow breathing scared Pietro further. Pietro hugged her closer and squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m not coming back here just to lose you,” he scolded over their passive channel. “I don’t know what happened, but whatever it is will be okay. ” Then, out loud, “Please help. I don’t know how to fix her!”
“...’m okay. Tired...just need rest...I love you.” Wanda’s telepathic reply was faint and a bit slow, but she did seem genuinely happy and not even remotely frightened or upset, which made Pietro feel a little bit better.
Pietro watched Tasha as she glanced at Wanda's wrecked hand and arm and sighed, wrapping a towel around it tightly since she didn't appear to be healing herself at all, or if she was, it wasn't happening quickly. “Did...did she lose her finger?” he whispered in horror, squeezing his twin closer. “Why she do this? Don’t understand.”
“Losing a finger isn’t deadly,” Tasha said quickly. “It’s not like she’s here alone with no way to get help. I’m more concerned about what else she might have done to herself to revive you safely that we can’t see.” There was no sign of the missing finger anywhere, and Tasha suspected whatever the spell had done had probably literally absorbed it along with the blood. "Pietro, listen closely. You are going to see a lot of strange things. I promise we will explain everything, but you need to trust me for now. We still need to get your sister help immediately. If she dies now, you both do."
"...What? She's not dying. Why would she die from this-"
"Because she just gave a crap ton of blood, a literal piece of herself, and who knows what else to get you back safely. I don’t know what exactly she’s done to her chaos magic to help control any repercussions from using her rune spell, but she clearly can't heal this right now or she would have just done it already." Natasha stood up when America reappeared with Clint beside her. "She was definitely successful but also hurt herself badly."
Pietro struggled to his feet, tempted to run away with Wanda clutched in his arms, but Clint Barton was a good man. The archer he remembered and knew enough to know he wanted him to help his twin. "Hawkeye, fix Wanda," he demanded. Then, "Please."
In seconds Pietro found himself whisked through one of the other girl's weird star-shaped portals and into a house he realized must be Clint's. He shook his head when ordered to put Wanda on a bed in some cozy bedroom that looked like it must be Wanda's. “No. Not letting go of her,” he insisted.
Clint sighed at the twins. Defensive Pietro was clearly not going to let anyone touch Wanda right now, and Wanda was not awake to make him listen. “Pietro, we’re trying to help. You are going to have to put her down for us to help her properly. You don’t have to leave or anything, just...let us help, please.”
Pietro hesitated before very carefully laying Wanda down on the bed. She seemed to be breathing better now, at least, but she wasn’t moving, either. “Wanda, please wake up. I am here. You look so happy though. I do not understand."
There was also a large black and brown dog wearing a red vest with embroidered patches on it. Pietro looked curiously at Mia, trying to read the words on her vest. "Something...dog. Do not pet," he read aloud. There was a band patch that he recognized as Evanescence and a small black cat patch, and one clearly handmade one that said 'Mia' in Cyrillic script. She's Wanda's. I know it. "Wanda, why do you have a service dog?" he asked across their mental connection. ” She's cute."
"Ask Clint. I love Mia. She helps," came Wanda's tired reply.
“Hey. Hey, Wanda and me can talk in our heads,” Pietro blurted, not particularly preoccupied with Mia, who did not jump on the bed, but did nudge Wanda’s shoulder worriedly. Then she proceeded to stare intently at Pietro.
Pietro, Mia decided, was not her human, but he was very closely connected to her somehow. He was more fidgety than Wanda, but his fidgeting was not hurting him, like when Wanda picked or scratched at her skin. Mia licked Pietro’s hand, not looking one bit guilty, and leaned against his leg. She could tell Wanda was hurt, but confusingly she also seemed...fine.
Pietro was more concerned with trying to figure out what Wanda had done to reunite them than Mia. “She sounds happy. But very tired.” Maybe I shouldn’t have told. That’s a twins secret. But Wanda said to ask Clint about her service dog, so she must trust him.
“Great, then maybe we can communicate a bit.” Clint studied Pietro for a moment before returning to try to see what they could do for Wanda. Wanda did not move at all, though she seemed completely at peace, her expression content. "I can't fix this," he said quietly. "She's still not healing herself and I can't do anything for a severed finger. The pinky is just...gone and she's sliced clean through the bone on her ring finger. Forget these gashes on her arm and across her palm. Her hand is a mess. Kid, can you ask her if she’s hurting anywhere else?”
Pietro nodded vigorously. “Are you hurt anywhere else besides your arm and hand? Ol’ Hawkeye is trying to help us.”
Wanda didn’t answer immediately, as if she were struggling to process the question. “I don’t know. Not...not consciously. Tired. Extra blood in garage if needed…”
“Okay. I won’t leave you. I promise.” Pietro chewed his lip nervously. “She say she doesn’t know. And if she did, it not on purpose. And that she is tired,” he told Clint. “And that there is...blood in garage?”
Relieved Wanda was obviously thinking clearly since she remembered the emergency backup plan, Clint sighed. “Wanda knew she needed blood to cast her spell right, but not how much, so we made sure to stash some in there in case she needed it. But she didn’t say anything about cutting off fingers! What the hell kind of nasty spell calls for...this? This was the safe resurrection spell?”
"Why would Wanda heal herself? She never did that before. You look old , and-"
“Geez, kid, the insults already," Clint deadpanned, but he could not be upset with Pietro, not when he thought he would never see the boy again. Clearly this Pietro was the same not-quite-eighteen-year-old Wanda had lost all those years ago. "We need professional help here, at least temporarily. I can treat the gashes fine, but not her fingers. Maybe she can heal this later once she's not ‘tired’, but it's not happening instantly. We'll have to treat it like a normal injury for now." Clint turned toward the concerned faces of their teammates and friends peering in the doorway. “Quit gawking and go to the garage. Put that old foam mattress pad out and cover it with towels. We should’ve taken her straight in there. Pietro, be very careful, but you may carry her.”
Wanda stirred a bit and opened her eyes halfway. It wasn't a dream. I see Pietro right there. I can feel him holding me. Though she sensed inside that she really had sacrificed some of her own power to get him back, her chaos magic was entirely content and peaceful all the same. It was hers and it was not churning inside or exploding or trying to smash itself into a small anxious ball in her chest either. It was just exhausted in that satisfied I have done a good job today sort of way.
The small bits of leftover corruption she hadn't been able to eliminate yet were infuriated at what she had done, which was also oddly satisfying. That certainly meant she must have done everything exactly right. Realizing she was still in her Scarlet Witch suit, she transformed back into her red sundress and black boots, and closed her eyes again. "I'm so happy, Pietro. My hand hurts and I don’t like it but I'm so happy."
Pietro stared at his sister, thoroughly befuddled. "She just made her weird witchy princess outfit disappear into normal clothes. Well. Normal Wanda clothes," he said. Then, across his mental connection with Wanda, ”Wanda, what happened? I am so confused. I do not know what is going on."
"Tired. Please don't leave me. I don't want it to all be a dream," Wanda's reply pinged back. She was vaguely aware of something warm and fuzzy being wrapped around her and Pietro saying he wanted more blankets because she was always cold even when she was not injured. Her head spun, which was more than a little disconcerting, but Pietro was there and he was holding her and it was fine. Voices swirled around her and she wondered why she was so, so exhausted. Her hand and arm still throbbed painfully, but in a faraway manner. Pietro was here; he was holding her; and Clint would make sure he was okay until she could do so herself. She kept her eyes closed and didn't try to force herself to remain awake. I am safe here and now everything will be okay.
Pietro is here and he is real and I did not hurt anything to get him back.
________________
Pietro knew there were people about that he did not know trying to make him calm down, especially the good-natured one that tried- and failed- to distract him with a card trick. That one said he had a shrinking suit and called himself Ant-Man. The others seemed pleasant and Pietro thought he would like to get to know the ones he vaguely remembered existing, but right now he just wanted to take care of his twin. He finally shouted, “PLEASE STOP TALKING AND FIX MY SISTER!” which made everyone go silent and stare at him.
“...What? She not sad, but she is hurt!” Pietro jerked his arm away from Sam. “Don’t touch me. Fix her !”
“Hey. Pietro, be quiet. You’re making it harder to help her, not easier,” Clint said firmly. “I want you to sit down and be quiet until I tell you otherwise. Then you may carry Wanda to the car. We’ll get her arm and hand wrapped up for now and then take her to a hospital.”
“But I could run faster," Pietro said impatiently a few minutes later, now scrunched in the car holding Wanda tightly, "and cars are slow. And we hate hospitals. I do not want to take Wanda to hospital. But if we have to I can carry her. Can you put a finger back on? Does she need the Mia dog? Wait. What is that?" He squeezed Wanda closer with one arm and pointed at the two sparkling orange portals in the empty street a minute later.
Clint gave him a long look. "Those are Wong and Stephen Strange, both of whom probably have a lot of questions for why you're here. Bit hard to reattach a finger if you don't have it. I know Nat- sorry, Tasha- would've brought that on ice if it was in that cabin. Just hold onto her. She’ll be okay. Mia is in the back seat."
" Tell all of them I say I don't care. I am not one bit sorry. I did not hurt anyone or anything. I did not use any corrupted spell. I would do it again." Wanda's mental voice sounded exhausted but very satisfied, and she shifted a bit in Pietro's arms, her eyes still closed. "Pietro, you can trust Clint. He will take care of us. It's not 2015 anymore. 2025. A lot...happened. I'm so tired...explain more as soon as I can."
Pietro studied Wanda closely. She did seem older than he remembered, but definitely not ten years older. Mostly she just looked tired to him, and he had the distinct feeling Wanda had not particularly processed the entirety of the conversation around her. She just wanted to be very clear she was not one bit sorry for choosing to cast whatever this spell was. "You don't look ten years older. At all." Then he relayed Wanda's message to Clint.
“Yeah, that sounds like Wanda. Stubborn thing. Pietro, I know this is a lot to process right now, but just...stay put. Those two men are sorcerers. Your sister isn't just an enhanced person, she's a very powerful magic user. Hang on to her and don't make a scene. Don't move her arm if possible. Do you understand?" Clint looked Pietro straight in the eyes. "Please stay here."
Pietro stared at him, but nodded. "If anyone tries to hurt her, I will rip them up and-"
“They're not going to hurt Wanda," Clint interrupted firmly. "You two are safe now. I have a second chance to take care of you. I sure as hell won't mess it up again."
Pietro stayed quiet, having no intentions of staying put, no matter what Clint said, if someone went after Wanda, who as near as he could tell had somehow traded part of herself to...bring him back? Or something like that. She still seemed entirely at peace, and the emotions seeping from her were a mixture of happiness, pride, contentment, and only a dash of pain. Even though Pietro knew Wanda's hand must be hurting her terribly, it seemed to be barely a blip on her mental radar. She was completely relaxed, expression serene. "You should not have done whatever you did just for me."
Wanda opened her eyes slightly before they drifted closed again. "I am happy. You would...do it for me. I'm okay." The simple thing of her passive mental connection with Pietro being restored was like a healing balm to her heart. She wished she could tell her other self that the spell she had sent her worked. But she also knew that that other Wanda had known it would work, had trusted it would work, and passed content that she had been able to give her broken but more powerful self a chance at her own happy ending. Pietro sitting there holding her now was proof enough.
She could feel Pietro squeezing her close with one arm and trying to keep her injured arm still with the other. Wanda knew she was far too exhausted to attempt healing herself properly right now- her magic was stirring about languidly in her chest, clearly wanting to help but not able to do much beyond helping slow the bleeding better than an ordinary person would, which was better than nothing. But even if she had to wait for whatever healing could be done the ordinary way permanently, she did not care. Pietro was there, and she had successfully gotten her precious twin back without hurting anyone else or using some corrupted necromancy spell from the Darkhold. I am still me. It's not the same as if poor Pietro was never gone at all, because he's still just the scared teenager we both were so long ago. And now I am years older, and broken, but I am still me and he is here and I know we can live with this .
__________
Wanda sensed Pietro carrying her somewhere else and heard Strange's voice asking what trouble had she caused now, tiredly, not meanly, she noted. “That Loki sent Wong on a wild goose chase! I found Frank Castle shooting up an empty building full of illusioned criminals to free hostages that weren’t even there...some other Asgardian that looked to be dressed like him was there… They probably orchestrated the whole thing to distract us from whatever those twins were doing!”
It took Wanda a minute to process what that meant, but once she finally did, the idea amused her. So...Loki and Sylvie purposely kept the sorcerers away from America and me so I could cast the spell without being interrupted.
Then Wong shushed him and ordered him to find Christine. They all sounded exhausted. Pietro fussed, saying he did not want to leave her anywhere and that this was a hospital and he was definitely not leaving his sister here , even if she did something really stupid to get him back. "Pietro...I'm okay. You can trust Clint," Wanda told him.
"Liar. You always say you are okay, " Pietro said saltily, and squeezed her tighter. He had decided he could trust Wanda's judgement on Clint, but he still didn't want to leave Wanda alone, especially when he still didn't quite understand what was going on. The weird magic-y stuff was bad enough, but seeing Wanda's torn-up hand terrified him. Even Hydra had not been literally cutting big pieces off of them like that, though goodness knew some of those men had threatened to do so. Especially during those awful 'tests' to get bone samples from them.
"Hi. Explanations can wait. I'm Dr. Palmer. Put her on the table. Please. Stephen, are you ever going to stop roping me into helping during magical accidents?"
"It wasn't my idea this time. Wong said to get your help. Can't exactly tell just anyone the truth of what happened." Strange was very, very tired of dealing with drama Wanda either caused or was involved with.
Christine shook her head and stared at the group. "Okay, everyone else get out except Stephen and...you. You're her twin brother." She shoved Wong and Clint (and a reluctant Mia) out entirely and sighed deeply. "Stephen, I need your help. Keep him calm and hand me what I need."
Stephen gave Pietro a dubious look. He certainly looked like he could be Wanda's twin; his eyes might be a different color than hers, and he was about half a head taller than Wanda, but his face looked just like hers. And Pietro had the same sad defensive expression on his face that his sister carried so often.
Pietro scowled. "What you going to do with Wanda? She is hurt."
Christine's expression softened hearing Pietro's distinctive accented English, reminiscent of old Avengers interviews that included Wanda. "I'm going to fix her up as well as I can. I don't understand how you are alive or what exactly happened, but nobody is trying to experiment on either of you. Do you understand?"
Pietro nodded. "Can I hold her?"
"No. But you may stand right by the table and hold her other hand if you want to, if you are quiet and don't get in my way."
This seemed a reasonable compromise, and nobody ever let him do such a thing before, so he decided to listen. Wanda's eyes stayed closed as Pietro carefully set her down, but she didn't seem to want to let go of his arm. "I think it is okay here. I will get you out if anyone tries hurting you," Pietro told Wanda. "I am still really mad you hurt yourself, but I will not leave you."
Wanda did not respond, but she let Pietro pull his arm away and hold her hand instead himself. The injured limb did not feel like it was really hers; it seemed heavy and sticky and didn't want to move right to her. She could feel soft towel threads against her fingertips , but mostly it was screaming at her that it hurt horribly and she didn't have the energy to give those thoughts any further value, not when Pietro was there and willing to hold her. I don't know what's happening, but I'm safe. I can't protect Pietro right now, but my other friends will keep him safe and I know he will keep me safe.
Pietro could tell Stephen Strange was eyeing him suspiciously, but he did not care anything about that. "Don't, don't stick things in her. Please do not drug her," Pietro protested.
"Pietro Maximoff, you need to be quiet or I will ask Hawkeye to babysit you until I'm finished. If I don't give your sister anything, she's going to be in excruciating pain and move before I'm finished. This isn't going to be a quick fix." Christine looked at the boy tiredly and added, "I can't heal her, but I will do my best to patch her up. I am going to put her to sleep, so she won’t be awake for this anyway. Are you sure you don’t want to wait with Hawkeye? It’s going to take awhile and you might not want to watch.”
“Don’t care. I wait,” Pietro said firmly. Watching this nice Christine lady help Wanda could not be any worse than watching those stupid people at Hydra punish her. It would be much better, because he knew Christine was trying to fix her.
“Then you have to be quiet and I don’t want to hear a peep out of you. She’ll wake up after I am finished, and you will be right there for her when she wakes. Deal?"
"...Okay." Pietro continued fidgeting, but silently, and Christine didn’t seem to mind. He clutched Wanda’s uninjured hand, hoping that if she was not going to be awake at the moment, then maybe she would at least have a good dream. Good dreams always made things better.
“Stephen, you mentioned that stash of blood to match hers back at that farm or something? Get it. I don’t know if her magic will affect blood type or not, but I don’t want to risk giving her anything we don’t know for sure matches hers.”
Pietro tried to force himself to stay quiet, but finally blurted in a concerned whisper, “It will not hurt her?”
Christine looked him straight in the eyes. “She won’t feel anything until she wakes up. I can promise that.”
“...Okay.”
Notes:
So. Yeah! Pietro is back! FINALLY. Omg I have been looking forward to this point in the fic for so long, and it feels awesome to finally get here. I’m so excited to get to share it<3
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated:)
Chapter 28: Chapter 28
Summary:
In which Pietro waits impatiently for Wanda to wake up and is subsequently very relieved when she does. In New Asgard, Viv and Darcy discuss what Loki and Sylvie have been up to.
Notes:
I was absolutely delighted with this chapter- I’ve just been hella picky editing as usual LOL. I really hope you enjoy the chapter:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Pietro did manage to stay quiet for awhile, but when Wanda didn’t wake up immediately as promised, he began peppering Clint with questions. In the small room at the end of a long hallway, Wanda still lay very still, looking like she was just sleeping peacefully. “You are sure doctor lady did not drug her?” he asked Clint for the umpteenth time.
“Kid, like I told you the first time, Christine did knock her out for the surgery, but those effects should have long since worn off by now. And she did give her pain meds. Those are technically drugs, but she did not give Wanda enough to keep her completely knocked out like this. They’d make her sleepy, sure, but not unconscious.” Clint was rather tired of Pietro’s repetitive questions, but he understood why the boy kept asking. He was in a new place and horribly disoriented, and he couldn’t get explanations from Wanda even though she was RIGHT THERE. Much like his sister, he was clearly very attached to his twin and he hated having no explanation for why she wouldn’t wake up immediately. And he was a bit freaked out by being in the hospital in the first place because of what he had seen of ‘doctors’ in the Hydra base, which to him would have been very, very recent.
“We do not like IV things. Itchy. What if that is hurting? She can’t say so.”
“IVs do not hurt once inserted if it’s done right. I promise that is not hurting Wanda,” Clint said quietly. “It might itch a bit, but that’s better than whatever pain she has from her hand and arm, yeah?”
Pietro nodded, his blue eyes still pensive and uneasy. This he understood fine, but he still hated it. “It did not look fixed, still. I saw. What if she does not heal to normal?” Some clattering noise from the hallway startled him and he darted out in a blur before returning looking somewhat sheepish. “A board fell, the kind you clip paper on.”
“A clipboard,” Clint said calmly. “Pietro, do not do that. We cannot have people nearby realizing you’re enhanced right now, let alone who you are. Not yet. Bad plan and I think you know that.”
“Nobody can see us. I carried Wanda around often, before,” Pietro said defensively.
Clint looked Pietro straight in the eyes. “They can and will see a blur streaking by. There are many more enhanced people now than what you remember, and not everyone takes kindly to that even if most people do. We also can’t draw attention to your sister right now, either.”
Pietro looked at Wanda and then back at Clint. “She looks normal. She does not stick out, really.”
“No, she doesn’t stick out, but I suspect she’s just a valuable thing to whatever has been after us recently. You are connected to her and that puts you in danger.”
“So, I need to protect her. Same as before. I failed already,” Pietro muttered, staring at his twin. “I don’t want her hurt. She was hurting before. Why is she not waking up?” he repeated.
“Pietro, I don’t know. None of us know. I think maybe she’s just got to rest off whatever she did to herself inside.” Clint sighed, wary to leave unpredictable hotheaded Pietro and an unconscious Wanda completely unattended for too long, because he was worried they would somehow get into further trouble, whether from causing some sort of mischief themselves or any enemies getting ahold of them. “Give her some more time before freaking out. I don’t think she pulled her resurrection stunt the easy way, because she didn’t want to risk it backfiring on other people if she messed up. And you didn’t fail her.”
Pietro brushed a bit of hair away from his sister’s face. “She should not have done this. I...I can feel her. A little bit. She’s happy . I am glad she is happy, at least. I can tell her arm hurts bad. But she does not care one little bit.”
Clint watched Pietro fuss and pace back and forth around Wanda’s bed for a minute before answering him. “She’s happy because she got you back without wrecking things. Will you please sit down? You’re making me nervous.”
Pietro sat. He hopped up again and dragged his chair over squeakily next to Wanda. He sat and picked at a loose thread on his shirt. “I like this shirt. It is not ruined anymore.” Then he grabbed Wanda’s good hand and poked at her nails. “Wanda is dumb. She hurt herself. And who did her nail polish? I can do it better. I am good at it. She teases me for it, but she likes letting me paint them for her.”
“...Pietro, you were dead. For years. Your sister didn’t have you for a very long time. I don’t know what the hell that ‘safe’ resurrection spell did to her exactly, but frankly I can understand why she’s happy even though it hurt her. She didn’t think we would ever get to see you again, but here you are.” Clint was not sure what he could tell Pietro to make him feel better; he suspected the only thing that would help was Wanda waking up in the first place.
“She prob’ly hurt herself on purpose.” Pietro sounded sad now, and he rather wanted to just give Wanda a hug again. I know how she is. I saw her do it before when she was all upset. “Stupid Wanda tried to get rid of herself once when we were little. Eleven, maybe. I made her promise not to try any more,” he whispered. “And I told her stay before. I, um...I knew what happened. That me d-dying...it hurt her. She doesn’t do good alone.” He scowled and began pacing again until Clint gently made him sit. Then Pietro grabbed Wanda’s good hand again and gave her a squeeze.
Though she didn’t react visibly, Pietro did feel a tiny bit better anyway. Wanda was there and she was at peace, at least for now. The barely detectable, quiet sense of relieved contentment from her because of their passive connection said that much. Even that strangely felt more acute than normal, rather than less due to one of them being unconscious, which was different than he remembered but not unpleasant.
Pietro knew he did not like being alone either. His pesky little sister was his other half too and he still felt responsible for her, to make sure she was okay. And he had left her all alone, and Wanda hated being on her own even more than he did. “I do not want Wanda alone again. Not ever.”
“Well, she’s not alone now. We won’t leave either of you alone, okay?”
Defensive blue eyes shining with unwanted tears snapped to Hawkeye. “Wanda trusts you. So I trust you also. Why you let her hurt self then?” Pietro could just imagine what Wanda would say if she heard that though. She would just say she’s her own person and she wouldn’t listen if anyone told her not to do something she knew she could do to get me back. I know so. She’s so stubborn. “She would not listen. Never mind.”
“For whatever it’s worth, she was not...hurting herself on purpose this time. Well, I suppose she did because of the spell itself, but still. She was so excited to cast that resurrection spell. Worried, but excited. She couldn’t wait to show you around after and give you a hug, and she wanted to take you on a vacation somewhere.” Clint spoke quietly but firmly as he added, “Ask Wanda to confirm for you when she wakes up, but this was not her hurting herself again because she felt horrible or was freaking out. I have seen her do that, and this was not the same.”
“...Okay. Good.” Pietro paused for all of three seconds before continuing, “Is all Novi Grad really gone? Maybe we can really have home again in Sokovia now.”
Clint looked Pietro right in the eyes again. “Pietro, there is no Sokovia to go back to,” he said gently. “You do not have to stay in the US if you don’t want to, but-“
“Does not matter then,” Pietro interrupted. He made sure not to mess with Wanda’s damaged arm and hand resting elevated on a pillow, but he flung his arms around her and hugged her tightly anyway. Well, if there was no home country even there anymore, then he did not care where they went so long as he didn’t lose his sister again. Did Wanda know their country was all gone? She had to; that isolated sad-looking cabin said that much since Tasha had mentioned it was in part of what used to be Sokovia. She probably still misses it but mostly just wants to have a safe home to live in. I’m sure of it. “You hurry up and wake up, Wanda. I love you.”
_________________
NEW ASGARD
“You cannot just dance around pulling everyone else about like puppets,” Darcy said pointedly. Holding little Elle close, she shook her head. “I’m not doing squat to help you any more until you two tell the rest of us what’s going on. You’ll get everybody else in trouble, purposely staging fake violent crime scenes like you did in New York. And sorry, but ordinary humans such as myself can’t just disappear from the scene if we get caught. You got me to call the lead sorcerer guy and pretend I was being attacked by somebody with magic.” Darcy glanced at Sylvie. “ And , you’re gonna ruin your own reputations further before you have any chance to get anyone to think otherwise.”
Sylvie did not look at all chastened. “I did not lay a finger on you.”
“Well, yeah. I’m not mad at you, but you made yourself look like a villain on purpose. What good is that?” Darcy set Elle down and sent her off to defense training with Sif, which the little girl did happily.
“The snake in Daddy’s bed was an awful good joke, Uncle Loki!” Elle said as she trotted out the door.
“And I have informed you to cease calling me that horrific title,” Loki shot back, but there was no bite behind the words, and Elle beamed innocently.
Sylvie looked amused. “Call him many more names. It could be quite entertaining.”
Darcy stared at them, somewhat frustrated. She did not feel unsafe around the two, but she trusted them about as far as she could throw them. The problem was that she genuinely believed that were trying to help. They just wouldn’t share all the details. Giving Wanda a chance to get her twin back was worth being complicit in their scheme, but otherwise...that was another story.
“And,” Sylvie went on, staring back at Darcy, “I told you. The human sorcerers will never trust us, so I do not give a shit what they think of me. The plan kept Strange and Wong away from the little multiversal portal girl and Scarlet Witch long enough. Therefore, it was successful.”
“You manipulated Frank Castle.”
“Frank Castle is a trigger happy human. He did not need any convincing, no one was harmed, and it was not out of character behavior for him,” Loki pointed out. “Unfortunately, that man also needs help. He is not asking for it. However, he has Karen Page observing him, so he is not an issue at present.”
“The witch is out of commission temporarily. Someone needs to keep an eye on her besides Hawkeye and her brother,” Sylvie said.
“What do you mean, out of commission ?” Darcy asked suspiciously.
Loki sighed very deeply, as if the answer should be obvious. “It means she forced that resurrection spell not to rebound onto anyone or anything except herself, whilst still retrieving the results she wanted. She has that noisy twin of hers back now. However, she will live.”
“Well, I should hope so,” Darcy muttered, “she reality warped Westview before easily. She just didn’t know how she did it.”
“Resurrecting a dead person without meddling with anyone else’s fate, no body to use, and no life to sacrifice is not the same as creating new beings as she did with the children. Her synthezoid love is a gray area. I do not have any explanation for him.” Loki did not like not having an explanation, but there simply wasn’t one. Vision was a person, he clearly had a soul thing that made him...him, but he did not seem to follow resurrection rules otherwise. And there was no explanation for why the white iteration of Vision only had his original feelings back after Wanda had destroyed Wundagore.
Loki thought it would be mighty entertaining to interrogate the stuffy confusing synthezoid for answers. Especially to find out how he had won depressed, lonely Wanda’s affections.
“Anyway. She will live, but there will most certainly be consequences. She should have just sacrificed a useless excuse of a human, like Ross, instead of herself. No one would miss him , not even other humans, so long as they have half a brain.”
Darcy did not object to this despite thinking she should, but she frowned. “Okay, well. I think you should convince Thor he should call the Guardians back. Not cause more mischief.”
“Oh, he will. Later. We believe the angry rodent and that eccentric beetle girl will be useful.” Loki sounded so matter-of-fact that Darcy just blinked in surprise.
“...What?” Darcy groaned, tugging at her beanie. “Must you insult people you’ve presumably never met?”
“He doesn’t have to; it merely pleases him to do,” Sylvie explained not very patiently. “Rocket Raccoon and Mantis. But it isn’t time yet. We will not interfere with that group, not yet.”
“Why is that?”
Viv, who had been silently observing this discussion from her spot on Darcy’s sofa, methodically unfolded herself from the bright pink ball she’d been in under a very fuzzy blanket. Viv did not get cold, much like Vision, but she liked the texture of the blanket Darcy had bought her against her synthetic skin anyway. Darcy had immediately noticed that Viv was fascinated with the blanket and bought the girl her own to keep. Viv found this illogical but very thoughtful, and quite liked Darcy. “Miss Darcy, those two do not wish to completely alter our timeline. They wish to change only enough to protect themselves and the humans like Dad’s...special person, that appear doomed to a bad ending.”
Sylvie looked pleased now. “The pink girl understands.”
“...Moreover, the two of you used that broken tablet thing to come here to New Asgard in the first place. But every day that passes, whatever future Sylvie and Loki originally saw from wherever they were, grows further from being accurate because it is deviating further from our current reality. Therefore, they can have a decent prediction of what may happen, perhaps even down to small details, but they cannot confirm for certain due to the butterfly effect.” Viv blinked at Darcy, watching her current guardian carefully. “I have considered this carefully since you allowed me to remain here. These are my conclusions. I believe you suspected them as well, because you are an intelligent human and research often.”
“Viv isn’t wrong,” Loki said in an uncharacteristically subdued voice. “The girl has two half-siblings we need to retrieve.”
Darcy sighed, knowing quite well Loki meant Wanda’s twins, Billy and Tommy. “I’ve been searching for those two. There are no signs of them at all. I don’t think we can find them, at least not without having some sort of access to look in this universe’s other dimensions we aren’t familiar with. And I can’t do that.”
“You do not want to find the magical one,” Loki said all in a rush.
Darcy was in his face immediately glaring at him. “You know where Billy is. I think you’re lucky Wanda herself isn’t here, or she would force you to tell her.”
“She cannot do any such-“
“Well. She can ,” Sylvie interrupted him, her eyes crinkling in amusement. “It would just be quite destructive.”
“Never mind that. Darcy Lewis, do not tell Wanda that, understand? I do not even like to say this, but please . Please do not tell her. We don’t know if we can get her dumb kid back safely, or if our conclusions are correct. The other one, yes, only not yet.” Loki looked so oddly concerned and disturbed that Darcy believed him.
“I’m not going to lie to her. That will make things worse than telling her the truth. You guys don’t know her, really. I don’t either, but I did get stuck in Westview and I know how much she longs for a safe space with the family she wants so badly. That’s what caused both the hex and the Darkhold mess in the first place.” Darcy shook her head. “If Billy is trapped somewhere it’s dangerous to get him, she’s not going to give up. She will rip that other dimension, wherever or whatever it is holding him hostage, to shreds to get him back. And I can’t say I’d feel any too bad if she did do that so long as no innocent people got hurt.”
“She has all that power and all she wants are those horrible gremlins,” Loki said saltily, but he did not sound particularly angry, either.
“No, she wants a home and a family to love and be loved in return,” Sylvie corrected softly. “I am certain if you offered her the chaos magic or that as her choices, she would choose the latter instantly.”
_____________________
NEW YORK
It had to have been a dream. It has to. Wanda's first thought as she woke about a full day later was that everything must have been some strange dream, but there was an all too familiar warmth on her right arm, something she never thought she would feel again. Pietro. Pietro is too real. I didn't just dream him. The room smelled too sterile and sharp like disinfectant, and her left hand and arm still hurt, though not as badly, and just felt strange. Blinking at the ceiling, she sighed. Real. It happened. I...can feel him being alive. Pietro is alive.
Maybe she had sacrificed something of her power, some tangible piece of her, but the heart-pain where Pietro had been all lost and missing, where she was all crumbled pieces haphazardly glued together inside, was gone. Instead Wanda sensed some soft warm thing gently holding those fragile pieces to make them whole. I wouldn’t even know how to explain myself. It probably doesn’t make sense.
Pietro’s tousled bleached hair was tickling her arm (yes, it still looked exactly as silly as she remembered), and she could tell he was fast asleep right where he was, sitting in a chair next to the bed in an awkward uncomfortable-looking position. Wanda didn’t want to wake him up, so she lay very still. The odd thought I hurt my arm again but this time my friends were able to take me somewhere to get professional help unlike after the Raft flitted through her head, and then, I’m so sleepy. Why am I sleepy? Besides, this time had not been from being tortured, so remembering the spellcasting didn’t hurt to think about. Content to just have Pietro there, she closed her eyes again and sighed.
Pietro jerked awake at the small sigh and began speaking rapid-fire in Sokovian and hugged her tightly, being careful not to tug on Wanda's heart monitor wire or IV tube. "Wanda! You woke up. I know it. I am so glad- I got so worried, I still don't know all of what is happening but you are here and alive. Are you okay? I mean I know it isn't okay , you chopped a whole...piece of you off, you broke your finger, there's those awful cuts on you, but-"
"Pietro. Pietro, I'm okay," Wanda whispered, melting into the hug and not quite mentally processing all of Pietro's words, but he was there and he was real and he was not hurt. I don't want to die any more. It had still not quite entirely registered to her what she'd done to her hand while casting that spell, just that it hurt and something was broken. Everything had happened so fast and she had just been determined to give as much as necessary to get her twin back safely without letting any consequences seep to anyone or anything else around her.
“...Wanda? Please talk to me,” Pietro was begging now, shaking her good arm a bit, and Wanda knew he must have said something else that she hadn’t heard.
She blinked and tried to focus a little better. “I’m sorry. I am okay. Really. I don’t feel like I’m pretending when I say that,” Wanda said after a moment. “Just...tired. But it’s a safe, good kind of tired.” I don’t like being in here, it makes me a bit jittery, but...I feel safe somehow anyway.
Pietro knew Wanda was telling the truth; her eyes were bright and clear and she gave him a genuine smile. “Your hand-“
“Will be fine,” Wanda interrupted firmly. Looking at the bandages on it now did not bother her in the least, and she wasn't certain, but thought her tired magic was trying to help heal what was left already. "I think...I know ... I am linked to you now. I don't want to die. I promise.”
"Hawkeye said I died saving him and that little boy, and you somehow got me back with magic. What did you hurt yourself for?" Pietro did not let go of Wanda, satisfied by simply hugging her. She was awake and while he knew she was still tired and that her hand hurt, he could also tell Wanda was genuinely content at the moment. "That does not seem like good magic if you had to hurt yourself so badly to use it."
Wanda couldn't help laughing hearing that. "Pietro, that was the good version of that spell," she said softly. "Because I paid the cost to get you back, instead of using the Darkhold, or making someone else...pay in my place. And you are...you. I would do it again. I would pay more of me if I had to. I don't care how much it hurts. It could hurt for always, and I would do it again and again. I missed you."
Pietro had gotten a short recap of some things from Hawkeye, but he still did not like sitting in this hospital room one bit, even if nothing was tying either of them down or doing tests on them. And the archer had insisted that he ask Wanda for details and to let her tell him her story herself once she was able to. Wanda seemed okay now other than the dark circles under her eyes, discounting her injury, and she was uncharacteristically calm in his opinion as he settled her back against the pillows. She still looked very sleepy, but her eyes carried a happy sparkle Pietro rarely saw from her in his most recent memories. "My sister is the most powerful witch magic user person on the planet, according to ol' Hawkeye," Pietro said, "and instead of ruling things, she cuts fingers off just to get me back from being dead. Bad of you. You are not supposed to hurt yourself anymore. I do not care what it's for."
That is not 'just' anything. "I don't care. I have missed you for so long. It always hurt, like...like half of me was ripped away and could never be fixed. I tried so hard to keep going for us. I messed up so badly. You are worth far more to me than anything I paid to get you back safely." Wanda's voice sounded exhausted but confident on that, and relieved green eyes shining with tears stared at Pietro. This was not the fake Pietro from Westview, and he was awkwardly brushing at the tears on her cheeks now. "I don’t really know exactly what I did to myself, but I can’t care.”
“You don’t know? Wanda, you just…” Pietro scowled and stood up, turning away for a second before continuing while pacing, “That nice doctor lady Christine Palmer said you could have cut up nerves in your wrist or something like that, and it was lucky you didn’t. You literally cut a whole finger off and left another one barely attached by skin . Why did you have to do it like...that? I...I guess I do understand why you used that spell, because I’d do anything to get you back too. But I don’t think you really knew what you were doing at all!”
“I knew it was safe,” Wanda said softly, “and that was enough for me.”
“But it wasn’t. Doing this to yourself means it wasn’t safe. There is no way you had to do it so...messily. I don’t believe it.” Pietro did not want to make his sister upset when she was clearly okay emotionally at the moment, but this deeply bothered him. “You basically experimented on yourself.”
Now Wanda did scowl, her eyes sharp. “I did not. I memorized that spell inside out.”
“Well, those instructions were incomplete then,” Pietro shot back stubbornly. “Because I think you needed a bunch of blood, maybe your poor finger if you were supposed to have a solid bone piece or whatever- that is so creepy sounding, yuck- but not do this.” He pointed at Wanda’s arm resting on a pillow.
Maybe, but I did my best with the information I had, and I got Pietro back safely without hurting anything. Wanda really did not want to discuss that any further. “Where is America? I know I scared her."
"The star portals girl? Guarding Hawkeye's family. You changed the topic on purpose.”
"...Yes I did. Mia?"
"I think ol’ Hawkeye took her for a walk outside finally and gave Tasha a break from watching her at some hotel room. He was babysitting us. It feels nice to have someone take care of us, but we don’t need babysitting! Do I need to get her?"
Wanda hesitated, not wanting to cause trouble, but finally just said, "I'll be all right as long as I'm not alone," which felt truthful to her. "I, um..." she trailed off, unsure how to explain without worrying Pietro further. Thankfully he seemed willing to drop his complaints over the spell, but Wanda knew he would bring it up again later at some point. “Mia helps me...function better, especially when I'm by myself. I do need her if you want to go explore, but I’m okay if you are with me." There. That felt truthful and hopefully didn't sound confusing or weird.
“Okay. You don't have to try to explain details," Pietro said quickly, because his now-older twin looked stressed and worried. "She's for helping mental hurts so's you can be more independent even when you don't feel good."
This made Wanda smile a tiny bit. Pietro's simple reasoning reassured her and made her eyes feel hot. Pietro understood and she hadn't had to explain anything. Presumably Clint had probably explained to him somewhat, but still. “That’s...exactly right.”
“Does your IV hurt? Hawkeye insisted it didn’t.” Pietro’s fingers twitched nervously, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next. He fussed with the covers, smoothed them down.
Wanda glanced at her good arm and shrugged slightly. “No. I don’t like it there, but it doesn’t hurt. I’m so glad you are here. That makes me very happy.” She squeezed Pietro’s hand, her expression all smiles even as she closed her eyes again. I have my pesky big brother back. I don’t care what I did to myself, not one bit.
“Can you heal the hurt arm now, at least?” Pietro asked hopefully.
“No.” Wanda’s quick reply made Pietro scowl. “I know I can’t. My magic does feel better now already, but still...really tired. But I won’t anyway, because I have to make sure I don’t let you be hurt or some rebound leak to other people that have nothing to do with us. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone else. If I can get proof it won’t, then and only then will I try to fix me.” I’m not going to risk anything weird happening to him or anyone else. I can’t. “Does that make sense?”
“Yes, but I don’t like it.” Pietro instinctively flinched and put a protective arm across his sister as the little hospital room's door opened. "Oh. You are lady that helped Wanda," he said in English, still a bit suspicious but willing to let Christine touch Wanda if necessary.
Christine sighed. Like Wanda, she looked exhausted too. "Just checking on you. I'm not entirely sure what you should expect considering your powers, but whatever you did to..." she glanced at Pietro, "resurrect Pietro seems to have done the equivalent of making you anemic. So, I'm going to suggest you take iron supplements for awhile unless you're mysteriously able to heal yourself back to normal completely after some rest, which Stephen seems to think you can do. I’m glad to see you awake now. Can I check your hand again now?"
"Okay. Thank you for helping me. You didn't have to do that." Wanda remained relaxed as Christine checked her hand and arm, her good hand clutching Pietro's tightly. Though it still hurt, she thought absolutely nothing could bother her at all with Pietro right there beside her. All the pain and grief from the past years paled for her with her precious twin back with her; not erased fully, but faded with utter joy and relief cascading over her instead. She glanced at her hand and felt nothing other than great satisfaction with herself. There was nothing to be done for the severed pinkie besides closing the wound and bandaging it, but she could tell Christine had been able to save the broken ring finger and splint it to its neighbor. The gashes down her forearm and across her palm stung, but none of it really looked as bad as she'd imagined, either.
You shouldn't have done that. You'll never be able to hide an injury like that if you can't heal it , the flailing bits of corruption warned her, but she instantly snapped them free and shoved them away, outside the quiet mental barrier. I do not care. It could stay paining me forever. I would have given much more if I had to, to get Pietro back. You can't hurt me any more. I am stronger than you. Even Wong thinks so. If it scars badly, I don’t care. Not for this. And that’s what cozy sweaters are for, if I ever felt like I didn’t want others to see it. Wanda sensed something else subtly, something sinister that wanted to tear her apart for what she had done, that hated that it couldn't control or hurt her easily any longer, and her stomach lurched nervously. That thing was the same enraged screeching she had sensed while she'd cast the spell.
“Looks about as good as it can. You're speeding up ordinary healing already even though Stephen said you were exhausted, Wanda," Christine told her, oblivious to Wanda's internal musings. "This looks like several days’ worth of healing, if not more, instead of about a day, which is good. I don't know what is going on, but if these are your only injuries, it shouldn’t have made you stay unconscious for so long like that. Did you hit your head or anything like that, maybe?”
Wanda shook her head. “No. I just feel...drained. But nothing hurts other than my arm, honestly.” And I don’t just mean because I don’t care since Pietro is here. I think I really am fine.
“Considering this is from some sort of spell, maybe your magic was just forcing you to rest for awhile? I’m not sure. I can’t do much else for you here.” Christine hesitated, not wanting to put a dampener on the twins’ mood.
“You’re worried. What’s wrong?” Wanda asked quietly.
“That is probably not going to heal to normal function, Wanda. I did my best, but even forgetting that missing finger, you nearly amputated the broken one too. I don’t know what the hell you were doing, but I haven’t seen anything like that since I had a college kid in here who wrecked his hand in his wood shop class. I just...don’t want you to expect a miracle, that’s all.” Christine’s tired gaze moved to Pietro, and she added, “Though, I think I’m looking at your miracle.”
Wanda didn’t answer since that information was not a surprise to her, and all of that seemed far too small a price to pay to have Pietro back safely... and not hurt others to do so. I do wish it would stop hurting, but I have Pietro, so I don’t care. “Pietro is definitely a miracle,” she whispered.
Pietro was scowling, but he hugged Wanda close. She was clearly still exhausted, her head drooping sleepily against his shoulder, but he could also tell she felt safe. It was like when she’d taken his punishment at Hydra and then she was hurt and didn’t care, just happy they were together. “Does that mean it will hurt for always if Wanda can’t fix it with her magic?” he asked in a familiar salty manner.
“It means I can’t answer that.” Christine’s voice was gentle. The traumatized twins had grown on her already, and she hoped they were happy regardless. “I can tell you she will feel much better than she does right now. If she can’t just heal it with her magic, then she’s definitely going to have scarring and some mobility issues in that hand. But since Wanda does have magic, I don’t know if that will apply to her. She might be able to just heal it completely once she isn’t so tired for all we know.”
Wanda could tell Pietro was about to make a fuss, so she quickly spoke up before he said anything. “It’s fine. If that’s all I paid to get Pietro, a whole person, back safely, then I’m lucky.” She mentally filed Christine’s information away in her head.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you and the other heroes, but I..." Christine trailed off and shivered.
"Hey, what wrong with my sister, Dr. Palmer? Is she okay?" Pietro asked. "Or sort of okay?"
Christine looked at the siblings and then toward the door. "Don't you feel it? Something...off in the air. If I can feel it, I know you two must. It certainly isn't you or your sister, Pietro. It's...something inhuman and disturbing, something I don't think any of us want to be near. Claire thinks it wants Wanda and the sorcerers.”
Wanda nodded and slowly sat up, her damaged hand resting awkwardly in her lap and her good arm looped around Pietro's neck. "I can feel it too," she murmured. She closed her eyes, trying to think. I still don't have information for what Chthon is actually trying to accomplish. What if it's to do with that? I don't regret nerfing myself for Pietro, not one bit, but… Wanda sat cross-legged on her hospital bed and quickly cast the protection spell on the little room. That required very little energy and should help protect Pietro and her, at least somewhat. "I don’t think it’s all the sorcerers. It’s probably me and Stephen only,” Wanda said thoughtfully. Because of the Darkhold.
“Then neither of you should be left alone, magic or not.”
“Can I put this in a sling? I don't dare try to reality warp anything right now," Wanda whispered, gesturing at her injured hand and drooping back against Pietro a bit. “I don’t want it in the way if I have to try to do something to protect us.” Would intentionally trying to heal myself negate the sacrifice the spell demanded? I just...have no idea. I will not risk it. Not unless I can prove for sure it won't hurt him. I won't consciously try to prevent my magic from helping me automatically, because I know that is safe...but I'm not going to attempt fixing me on purpose, either. That should be safe for both of us.
"Yes...I can do that, definitely. I'll be right back. But you need to rest if possible." Christine glanced at the small scarlet runes on the walls briefly. "I can leave and come back with those up?"
I know I need to rest, but I’m not going to ignore problems any more, either. And I won’t let Pietro be hurt again. Me, fine. I’ll try not to allow that either, but that’s fine. Not him. Never him. Wanda nodded. "Yes. It won't affect you. Just means no other witches can cast a spell in here." And it'll weaken sorcerers somewhat, she added mentally.
Pietro fidgeted nervously and clutched Wanda close. Magic or not, Wanda was still Wanda, and he didn't like the idea of her trying to fight some unknown enemy when she was hurt and tired. He bit his lip, eyeing Wanda's injured hand and arm. Christine had wrapped it back up, mostly concealing the actual injuries, but he had seen what it looked like, and knowing Wanda had done all of that to herself merely to get him back made him angry and upset. When they were small, little eight-year-old Wanda had cried and cried over a broken wrist. Now she was sitting there with a much worse injury and didn't care whatsoever. Instead she clung to him and looked at him with those tired eyes that had seen far too much. "I am sorry, Wanda. I am so sorry I was not here for you for so long."
Wanda wanted to say it was okay, but instead a strangled, "You promised you wouldn't leave me all alone," came out, and she immediately wished she hadn't let herself say that at all. Pietro's blue eyes filled with tears, and he buried his face in her shoulder. "Pietro, I'm so sorry. I know it wasn't your fault. You did a selfless thing, saving Clint and the little boy. I just still missed you."
"I know. I still was not here though and now I think I technically have a big sister. I am not twelve minutes older anymore. That feels wrong. I don't know who I am without that. But I still want to take care of you. You will always be my little sister to me." Pietro thought from the information Clint had told him, that Wanda must be about five years older than he was now, but in his head she was still his younger twin all the same. The idea that his poor sister had been struggling to keep going for so long without him made his heart twist painfully. The two of them had lost everything, and then he had left her behind too. No wonder she was so clingy now, though she had been like that often before anyway.
“Do you even...know what I did?" Wanda asked hesitantly. Pietro might not want me anymore either. No no no, he wouldn't do that. Even if he's angry and fusses at me, he would still care. I know that.
"That a weird creepy magic book made you hurt people? Yes. Hawkeye gave me a short explanation. He said I should just treat you like normal and ask you about it later if I had any questions. I love you, no matter what you did. Still my sister."
"I'm not the same person you knew before. I am broken and I think I am me still, but-"
"You are not broken," Pietro interrupted, giving Wanda a comforting squeeze. "Well. Except your hand. You broke that. Literally. It looks awful."
This inexplicably made Wanda laugh despite everything. She wished Vis and Steve and her Nat were there to see Pietro now. Tasha from the other Wanda's world was kind to her, just like her lost Nat used to be, but it wasn't quite the same, either .
But, she could call Vis the second she was out of here, or at least had access to a phone. He would be delighted to know she had 'successfully retrieved' Pietro, which she knew was what he would call it.
Christine returned with a sling and settled Wanda's injured arm into it gently. Wanda stared at her, feeling confused at the gentle contact. There was no sign she had disturbed Christine at all, and the defensive sad bits of her relaxed seeing Christine smile at a wary Pietro. “Your sister is seriously injured, but she’s also safe and happy, which will make it easier for her to heal quickly, even without considering her magic. Containing her arm should make it hurt less,” Christine told him.
Pietro didn’t relax, still staring at Christine warily, but he did understand that. “Don’t want Wanda hurting at all ,” he muttered, but he also didn’t protest further.
Christine sighed in such a way that made Wanda think she’d heard such sentiments many times from others. “I think you should try to sleep," she said firmly to Wanda. “Claire and I can’t keep you a secret forever, but rest awhile longer before leaving.” Clint was sticking his head into the room now, and Christine sighed again. "No, your friend isn't 'fine', but she's completely stable and healing nicely so far, same as I already told you. She's not, ah...regenerating like you were hoping she would, but she's also healing a good deal faster than an ordinary person, at least."
"Well, can I see her and that sweet but obnoxious twin of hers yet?"
"Hey. I am not sweet or obnoxious," Pietro protested, which made Wanda give him a you are delusional look.
"Clint, you can come in," Wanda said quickly. She thanked Christine again and tried her best to appear fine, knowing that she had probably scared Clint too in the process of getting her here.
“I need to get back to my other patients, but if you do need anything, send your friend out to the nurses station and ask for Claire. And I’ve given him some supplies and meds,” Christine said, nodding toward Clint. Satisfied that Wanda and her friends were okay for now, Christine slipped out.
“Tell Wanda to sleep," Pietro told Clint. "She does not listen."
"What, you think your sister will listen to me? She's stubborn."
"Very stubborn," Pietro agreed, and hugged Wanda tightly again, being careful not to squish her injured hand in the process.
Wanda did not argue this and kept her head resting on Pietro's shoulder. Though she genuinely was exhausted to what was an alarming degree to her, she didn't think she should let herself sleep right now, either.
Clint lifted Wanda's chin gently and looked her straight in the eyes. "If something else is still coming for all of us, you need to sleep so you're refreshed and ready to go," he said quietly but firmly. "You don't need your poor hand healed in order to fight properly, we all know that, but you can't be this exhausted either."
“I don't want Pietro to be a dream," Wanda heard herself say. "Please take care of him. Don't let him do anything stupid."
Pietro looked rather offended. " 'Don't do anything stupid', and you are one that hurt yourself on purpose. You did that before and I hate now you think it fine 'cause you got something good back."
This wasn't the same thing, Wanda thought, but she knew Pietro wouldn't listen. "You would have done the same as I did to get me back," she whispered, not adding the and I wouldn't be worth it, either that still flitted through her head.
"Yeah, I would. But I do not already feel like I deserve hurt like you do. I can feel it. I see your eyes. So that is different," Pietro pointed out. If Wanda could not fix her hand herself, it would never be back to normal at all, and this bothered him.
The taller of those two sorcerer men Stephen had seemed weirdly pissed that Wanda had badly injured her hand intentionally and didn't care, and then snapped at Pietro upon being asked why he was angry.
Wanda stayed silent. I have no defense for that. Pietro might be the same older teenage boy he had been years ago, but he was still strangely perceptive when it came to her.
“Kid, he's glued to you like a barnacle. He'll be right here when you wake up," Clint assured her. "Get some rest."
"I'm not a kid," Wanda said automatically, but she was smiling. She felt Pietro very carefully trying to settle her back against the pillows, and instinctively tried to be closer to her twin instead. “Where’s Mia…?”
Pietro stopped what he was doing and hugged her close again. If hugging Wanda would make her go to sleep, then he would hug her as much as possible. He glanced at Clint for an explanation regarding Mia.
“Mia is with Tasha at a hotel nearby right now. We can definitely bring Mia here. It’ll just be a little while for Tasha to bring her,” Clint explained. “I’ll call her burner phone she’s using right now.”
“Okay. Thank you. ...Can you also call Vis and tell him I’m okay and Pietro is here?” Wanda asked hopefully. I promised Vis I would tell him when I came back, and I didn’t.
“I already told him. That boyfriend of yours was blowing up my phone because you weren’t answering yours and left it behind.” Clint looked more amused than annoyed. “He couldn’t wait a bit. Oh no.”
Pietro’s ears instantly perked up at this and he promptly began rambling at Wanda in Sokovian again. “You have a boyfriend and you didn’t say anything! Ol’ Hawkeye didn’t say anything about him either! Rude. What kind of dumb name is that? Wait, is it the weird red guy you were so curious about in the fancy tower place? I bet it is. Vis could be a nickname for Vision...Wanda, you’d better spill . Spill everything!”
“Well...yes, but-“
“I knew it! I told you so then !” Pietro sounded so gleeful about it that Wanda’s cheeks grew pink and she hugged pesky, noisy Pietro herself as tightly as she could. He glanced at Clint and switched to English. “Can we have more snack machine snacks? We like chocolate.”
Clint laughed. He had a very good idea of what Pietro’s happy ramble was all about even though he hadn’t understood it. “You literally ate five full-size Snickers bars in minutes before your sister woke up. You need more ?”
“Pietro!” Wanda scolded. “Don’t be greedy.”
“He said I can have as many as I want,” Pietro protested. “I can eat many more than five. And you did not eat any. Please can we have more? I would like Wanda to have food too.”
“Wanda, it’s fine. I don’t mind getting him more snacks. The least I can do is feed him if he wants chocolate,” Clint assured her, and left the little room.
The second he was gone, Wanda slid tired legs off the bed, leaning on Pietro, who immediately tried to make her lie down again. “I’m all right, really. Forgetting my hand, I just feel drained, like I told Christine. My head doesn’t hurt at all, and I don’t feel sick or anything.” That’s the truth. I know Pietro is probably just thinking about Hydra. I know it. “We need to get out of here.”
Pietro studied her for a second but then nodded. Wanda did not look sickly like she used to after a bad testing day, and she didn’t seem to be pretending to be okay. And she wasn’t quite as skinny as he remembered, either. Wanda seemed mostly healthy, which was a relief. He could tell Wanda’s hand genuinely still hurt, but otherwise...he did believe her. “Okay. Don’t pull that IV out. Ol’ Hawkeye said that’s giving you pain medicine. I believe him because you said he was trustworthy.”
Wanda did carefully stand up with Pietro’s help, but her legs were shaky under her and she almost immediately collapsed against him. “I got you back and I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I am supposed to be this thing with unfathomable power and I can barely stand right now,” she murmured ruefully. But I also didn’t affect anyone except me. I did a good job. I kept it contained and I didn’t let it backfire on anyone.
“You’re not a thing. Don’t say that. Whoever told you that is stupid and wrong. I don’t care what enhancements you have or don’t have, you’re still just normal ol’ Wanda to me.” Pietro did not like seeing Wanda collapse like that one bit, but she was there and she was awake and there was none of the constant sense of fear coming from her anymore, either. Before there was usually an undercurrent of anxiety or something even when his little sister was mostly happy.
Pietro could tell something had hurt her though; he didn’t think Wanda would even be able to tell him what it was, but still. Something that had crushed her so badly inside that she was still surprised she could be genuinely happy now. Something that made her terrified of being alone. Instead of questioning his twin instincts that were definitely not just because of their passive telepathic connection, Pietro just stuck close to Wanda as he helped her walk to the door and back over to the bed, the IV pole trailing behind them. He made her sit again and then studied her arm closely. “I don’t want you to be hurting. And I don’t like it here. The snacks are good but it smells like the Hydra lab and it will be really bad if someone finds out you brought me back.”
“Maybe we can just say you were missing and in a coma,” Wanda said softly. “That we just thought you were dead. Nobody would question it after everything that’s happened. It’s easier to explain you than what I did to myself, honestly. There...there was a memorial service for you, but it was the team only. Not public...event. So that explanation would be okay, I think.” She glanced down at the bad arm resting in its sling and sighed. As long as people don’t know I’m me, it’s fine.
Pietro realized Wanda was blinking in the particular way that she often did when she was falling asleep, so he pulled the covers back over her. “We’ll figure it out. I hate that you hurt you, but you already did, so now we just need to make sure you’re as okay as possible.”
The twins both jumped when Clint returned with the promised chocolate...and a very clean Mia. “Tasha gave Mia a bath, evidently,” Clint explained. Mia’s dark fur shone and she looked rather pleased with herself.
Pietro was so excited about the chocolate candy that it made Wanda smile. I always thought Pietro would immediately gobble up snacks we didn’t have access to back in Sokovia. And now he is. She nibbled at the KitKat Pietro opened for her, but mostly she lay quietly watching him eat his chocolate and feeling grateful to have Mia with her again. Now Pietro can do what he likes without worrying about me. I don’t think Mia will have to do much with him here. Mia did not lick her, but she did curl up eagerly next to her once given permission.
“Clint, I think you made Pietro’s day,” Wanda told Clint. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
“You did say he would gobble up a crap ton of snacks if he was here. He’s exactly like you made us see him with your descriptions.” Clint found watching Pietro surreal, but he was glad the twins were happy. Older or not, it appeared Pietro had immediately folded his quieter sibling under his wing again and that Wanda didn’t mind one bit.
Wanda’s eyes slowly fluttered shut, but she was still peaceful, her expression all smiles. I have Pietro back and he’s not scared of being here in the United States like I was, either.
Notes:
There will, of course, be more explanations of the resurrection spell itself soon, but hopefully this chapter explained enough that it makes sense, at least!
I do not think I will get another chapter up before the new year, so happy Hanukkah, merry Christmas, happy new year, happy whatever winter holiday(s) you celebrate! Or if you don’t celebrate anything, then I hope you have a happy rest of December anyways:)
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 29: Chapter 29
Summary:
In which Wanda tries to explain what she did to get Pietro back. Wong and Stephen both know Pietro himself is okay, but try to explain why what Wanda did could have turned out very wrong for everyone, including her.
...And an eccentric visitor surprises the twins.
Notes:
Here we go, more information revealed, a tense discussion, and some fluff:)
I hope you enjoy it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda woke to someone shaking her by the shoulders. "What are you-"
“You have no idea what you've done. Resurrecting the dead is forbidden."
"I don't care," Wanda hissed. "I do not care in the slightest, Stephen. That harmed no one except for me, and that is my business, not yours. So you shut up and leave me and Pietro alone." In a second, she felt an unsettling mystical yank, and she found herself floating in her astral form above their physical bodies. Wait a second....
"You destroyed your hand and you don't care."
The astral Wanda shoved the sorcerer away and pinned him against the wall. I think he is sad and upset about something- In the physical dimension, she studied his angry but hurt expression closely; there he held her by the shoulders, his hands shaking. The two views simultaneously was oddly disorienting to her, even though she had used her astral form many times while she was in that lonely cabin on her own. Now it made her skin crawl, in a strange manner that reminded her of her little kid self who certainly thought she was magicless (though Wanda knew her child self would have been mostly excited about magic and just a bit nervous, not scared). "My power has nothing to do with yours. Your eyes don't look right. They look...red. Like mine can," she whispered cautiously. "That isn't...right-"
Pietro lay on the floor seemingly asleep, Clint was no longer in the room now, and Mia was nudging at her insistently. Mia. Mia knows something is wrong.
Danger. Danger. Stop. Hurt scared human, Mia’s gaze seemed to say. This prodded Wanda to actually pull full control back to her, at least as well as she knew how, and in a second, both she and Strange were back in their physical forms, both of them trembling all over. Wanda collapsed to her knees leaning on her good hand, knowing she needed to pull herself together but still unsure what was actually happening. She knew she was still too weak to actually fight properly, and a horrible smothering thing seemed to be shadowing the little hospital room, pressing at her temples.
Mia’s tail tucked worriedly even as her ears stood straight up at attention. She planted herself in front of Wanda and pawed gently at her good arm.
I don’t understand, Mia! Wanda knew Mia was trying to tell her something, but whatever it was seemed unclear. Mia stared at her until she glanced over at Pietro, and then the dog gently tugged at her dress. Mia thinks Pietro is in trouble but that she needs to stay with me. She scrambled over to Pietro instantly to kneel beside him; and Mia seemed to relax, though she also rested her head on Wanda’s shoulder, hoping the contact would make her human feel better. “Good dog, Mia,” Wanda whispered.
A few feet away Strange stood up, his hands on his own head. "Wanda, you do...feel this, right?" he asked in a strained voice. "What are you doing?" Stephen sounded more worried than suspicious, and then Wanda was all the more confused when that irritating sorcerer knelt next to her. He scanned the room as if looking for a threat, but Wanda thought he knew already that the problem was not her, not this time. An odd sense of stifled fear from him made Wanda tense. Usually she did not sense such a thing from him, especially not so strongly.
“I...I’m not doing anything. Why is Pietro knocked out?” Wanda asked shakily. “Did you do it? I want to make sure he is okay. Please, I need him to be okay, I don’t understand, I just-“
“Wanda, be quiet,” Stephen interrupted firmly. “You are not helping. Go hold your dog.”
“You aren’t helping either!” Wanda snapped, but she immediately bit her lip. I think I hurt his feelings. I don’t understand why though, I know Stephen doesn’t care that I don’t like him much and vice versa. It just...is. That is okay. We don’t have to.
Something her father had told her long, long ago as a child flitted through her head. “You don’t have to like someone to be polite and kind to them. Some people just don’t mesh together well. Doesn’t make you or the other person automatically rude.” At the time, this was regarding a classmate that annoyed her.
Now, Mia’s soft fur beneath her fingers did help a little. Pietro appeared unhurt, but he also still wasn’t waking up. Wanda, think for a minute. Carefully. "It...wants our heads," Wanda said suddenly. Stephen might be angry with me, but he didn't actually want to attack me like that, and he is trying to help Pietro. Chthon wants to get at us. "This is not me or you at all.”
Strange quickly laid Pietro on the bed before whipping around to study Wanda. “Your brother didn’t have magic, right? Hey, just...sit. Sit here.” He could tell Wanda was still terrified, and she also looked shaky, but she was thinking clearly at least, even if she was clinging to Mia a lot. Maybe she didn’t have any idea what was going on, but he did trust that she would tell the truth of what she did know.
Don’t tell me what to do , Wanda thought peevishly, but she did sit in the chair Pietro had been in before, clutching a puzzled Mia with her good arm and trying to concentrate on Mia’s weight on her lap. My head hurts. I’m...me, I do not feel weird, but… “I...I don’t know if I should talk to you or you talk to me. It’s there and pushing and I think it is very, very angry it can’t get me.” Is it after Pietro too? Is he okay? “Screaming. It hurts. I don’t know how to make it leave right but it can’t ruin me anymore.” Wanda blinked several times, unsure how to even explain herself in a way that made sense, let alone a way that the sorcerers would believe. I sound ridiculous. I can tell that much.
“Wanda, get your protection spell down. You've weakened yourself already anyway. Your spell nerfs me too somewhat. We need all the power we can get."
"No. My protection spell stays. And don’t touch me. I think Pietro is hurt or...something. I don’t know." Wanda buried her face in Mia’s fur, ignoring the jolting pain in her hand from squishing it too much. I don't know what to do! Wong. We need Wong. She reached out mentally, searching for Clint- there! seemingly nearby in another part of Metro General- and sent a frantic telepathic message, "Clint, don't come back to my room. Please get Wong up here. Tell him I think Chthon is trying to get in our heads. He will understand. If it isn't that creature, it's something else similar. I think all of us need to get away from the hospital so civilians are safe.”
The awful smothering sensation weighed down more heavily. "You cast that spell with no practice whatsoever and yet I studied my ass off for years and still can't heal my own hands. Never had any hope to bring my sister Donna back in the first place." Then, " How dare you purify one of my Darkhold spells. You are mine. You were meant to be merely a vessel, just for me. You have- "
Wanda felt a sharp excruciating pain flash across her head and yelped. I don't know what to do!
Pietro let out a pained yelp himself at the same moment Wanda did, and bolted to his feet. Wanda was shaking, but she spat out an indignant, "I am not yours! I will never be yours. Get out of Stephen right now. Leave him alone. Yes, I know it's you. Go. You are not welcome here. We do not want you."
" YOU HAVE LOCKED ME OUT. What have you done? "
“Wanda, what the hell is happening?" Pietro asked in horror. "My head hurts really bad." He edged in front of Wanda.
“ The other half. The twin. You broke my vessel purifying my spell. This- "
“Wanda, read my mind. Will help. Doesn't require much power for you." That, Wanda recognized as Stephen's normal voice, if strained, and she shuddered, realizing what he meant. Strange meant that he was silently fighting mentally, probably genuinely was angry with her, but didn't want to hurt Pietro or her because of it. His eyes flickered to their normal blue-green to red and back again.
Wanda clutched Pietro's hand tightly as she mentally reached out towards Stephen. Thankfully Mia stayed put, a warm blanket on her. The horrible crushing pain pulsed across her mind again, trying and failing to crush the scarlet barrier inside, but she bit her lip and pushed harder. I do not know what I'm doing.
Chthon is enraged he cannot get at Wanda her ridiculous resurrection spell was originally from the Darkhold and she twisted it to be safe to use and has no idea I think she just forced the rebound onto herself we need to get Wong he needs to lock both of us down for now I'm not meant to be a vessel like her but I'm still a link of sorts to our dimension I have a plan
“Wanda, he's got an extra eye now," Pietro whispered shakily.
yes, her irritating twin is right. Can see what is happening. Got invisible maggoty demons pressing against the spell barrier. Safe in here but people outside of it won't be
Wanda was aware more awful things were being spewed out verbally, but Stephen's organized clutter of thoughts was remaining entirely calm, and he did not attempt yanking her into the astral dimension again nor grab at her. Even with the little understanding she had, she was sure the sorcerer was simply allowing the words that weren't his own to verbalize aloud to make it easier to control his own thoughts and physical behavior. That made sense to her. Remembering how she had been able to purposely open a mental channel to communicate telepathically with someone besides Pietro even years ago, she hesitantly did that now. "I don't know what to do. Can you hear me?"
”About time! Why didn't you open it immediately? You are so ill equipped for this."
Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. That was a normal Stephen reaction, and she struggled to her feet, leaning against Pietro tiredly. Mia stayed very close, just sitting at Wanda’s feet politely. "Can that...thing hear us right now?"
"I believe he can hear...part of it, but he cannot truly get at you mentally any longer. That twin of yours is incompatible entirely, so he is safe from possession as well. I suspect that may be why he was unconscious in the first place. I'm not entirely compatible either, but using the Darkhold previously still left a channel open. That is why he's so enraged. I've done my best to shut him out, but... Wanda, do you have any clue at all of what you really did?"
“I got my other half back," Wanda whispered aloud with no regrets whatsoever, drooping against Pietro. Though her heart was racing, part of her was inexplicably calm. Pietro’s emotions were confused and anxious, but he just wrapped his arms around her and held on.
” You are ignorant. You didn't just recreate Pietro, though I imagine you would have been able to. He just wouldn't have been the same- that would've been a new being that just happened to look and act like your brother. You used forbidden, corrupted necromancy, but purified it. You placed a piece of your own soul to restore him safely. You absorbed the cost to get the exact same brother you knew back instead of letting a ripple effect spread to everything else around you two. Wanda, by splitting pieces of yourself away to help restore your 'other half', you did break his vessel. Chthon believes you did all of it intentionally to hinder him. I know that much." Stephen's mental voice was exhausted and scolding. Then, out loud, " How dare you tell the Scarlet Witch anything. You are a peon, same as the rest of your kind. Cease strengthening that one further."
Wong was right. Chthon wants me ignorant and a...mess. I can't be controlled as easily otherwise. Wanda found it unnerving to hear that other voice sounding faintly scared, but that was also reassuring in an odd sort of way. Maybe she didn't know much about her magic objectively, but that creature was scared of Strange offering her information. That must mean the two of them must be capable of defeating him.
“If my sister and that sorcerer Doctor Strange are peons, why you so scared of them?" Pietro sounded frightened himself, but he did not move. Though he had been angry at the man for attacking his sister, Pietro could tell enough that this was not him at all. Stephen might not like Wanda, but Pietro also knew he didn’t want to hurt her, either.
"I will tell her whatever I damn well please. You chose to intrude here. Didn't expect us to be able to identify you. Didn't expect us to use your book and come to our senses." Strange looked at Wanda, his expression understanding rather than angry now. "She's ignorant, not weak. You just hate that she used that same ignorance to her advantage wielding a spell she didn’t know much about. You’re certainly not going to get to her now. Give up for now.”
There was a horrible unearthly screech and Wanda thought she heard something crack as Stephen stumbled forward and then appeared to be completely back to normal. "What...just happened?" she whispered.
"He's gone completely. For now, at least," Stephen said, rubbing his forehead and then eyeing the twins. "You two did a good job just now," he added reluctantly.
Wanda and Pietro traded glances. "But we did not do anything," Pietro muttered.
"You didn't panic."
Three heads swiveled to the door when it burst open. "No fighting. That's a good sign," Wong deadpanned.
"You better restrain all three of us temporarily," Stephen told him calmly. “And send those twins and me somewhere else away from the hospital.”
Pietro scowled. "I did not do anything," he protested. "They did not do anything, really, either. Why are we not catching the monster instead? There was a monster attacking their heads. And that doctor lady Christine said Wanda needs to rest more. So.”
“You're connected to me, Pietro. Wong won't hurt us, and he isn't going to tie us down anywhere." Wanda knew Pietro was scared of being restrained somehow, just like her; for him, that awful time with Hydra was still fresh. “Christine also said she couldn’t do anything else for me anyway. I don’t want to put other people in danger.”
“We have to prevent 'the monster' from affecting them and you," Wong said, quickly locking the correct magic nullifying cuffs on the trio. "Until we figure out how to do that permanently, we need to close off the link to magic."
Wanda watched Pietro fondly; Wong had just locked the rune protection spelled silver bracer on her right wrist, the uninjured one, and fastened the matching one on Pietro's left arm. Pietro tapped his wrist and then studied hers, his expression baffled, though she could tell he was mostly just relieved that this 'restraining' thing did not mean they were going to be chained or strapped down somewhere.
"I do not feel different," Pietro said finally, zooming from one corner of the room to the other in a blur. "And why do his look different? These look like delicate armor pieces or jewelry. He has weird magic green sand in his."
This made Stephen laugh. "Sands of Nisanti," he explained. "These will not work on your sister since she's a witch, not a sorcerer. What Wong put on her won't work correctly on me. Different magic, different magic nullifier."
"But I do not have magic."
"You are quite literally linked to your sister now. We don't know precisely what that means yet, so we will be safe and put a nullifier on you too, since at worst it does nothing at all," Wong told him tiredly. "I've never heard of someone successfully performing a resurrection spell like that without it going horribly wrong. She didn't even have your body as a starting point. She started from scratch."
Pietro looked mildly disturbed, pinched his own arm hard, and then just hugged Wanda again. Then he abruptly let go of her, kicked off a sneaker, and glared at his foot. "I think you are wrong. I still have my same old scar on my foot. I am same old me." Pietro looked at Wanda, his blue eyes glistening with tears. "Wanda, I...do you have yours any more? I do not want to not match anymore."
Wanda closed her eyes and nodded. Though she had known she could erase all of those old scars from her own skin, she had left them alone all the same. I didn't even know why, I just...I couldn't. I couldn't get rid of them. It was like I just still wanted some remnant of the past to stay, because at least I had something left to prove it was all real. I didn't just imagine things, it wasn't a dream, I wasn't always all alone. Once I had family. Friends. It could not make me believe I never did have anyone. There were no marks left from escaping the mirror dimension; no marks from the suicide attempt in the other universe. But the old scars, the ones from Hydra and Avengers missions...those she had inexplicably left alone even if she could not process why exactly. "It's still there, Pietro. Still there," she whispered, and showed Pietro the scar that did match his. In some mixed-up way, those things were a link to things that were real, things that once hurt but also meant she had someone that cared once upon a time. That she was still a person, not just some lonely mythical thing from a prophecy she hated.
Wanda wondered if more time had passed, she would eventually have believed those lies too along with the rest, that none of it was ever real and she had always been alone so why did it matter what she did at all. I don’t even know how to explain.
Wong and Stephen traded glances. "What exactly did you do to get your brother back?" Wong asked. "Barton said you and Pietro had...talked about being cremated before Pietro died; you did, in fact, carry out those wishes for him; and then you and the team scattered the ashes in that lake together in Sokovia. Right after Ultron."
"We did." Wanda sounded choked, and she clutched at Pietro desperately, her hand shaking. I don't want to talk about this. "Why does it matter? He isn't a weird eldritch monster. I didn't hurt anyone to bring him back. I didn't use some corrupted Darkhold spell. You can see he is just normal Pietro."
Mia nudged at Pietro to get his attention, which made him simply hold Wanda close. This made Mia sit back on her haunches looking pleased with herself and hoping for a treat. “I know Wanda is upset, Mia-dog,” he muttered. “Can you leave? You are making Wanda upset more. Not less.”
“She’s the only one with information about the spell,” Wong told him. “It cannot wait. I’ll leave her be if she can’t function or is falling asleep, but otherwise, I do need to talk to her.”
Pietro scowled. “If anyone hurts her they are very very dead.”
“I see where your sister got her ‘touch them and you die’ mindset from.”
“Don’t care if that is bad,” Pietro shot back.
“It isn’t bad in moderation. The problem is it seems you two jump to that point far too fast.” Wong sounded absolutely exhausted, and Wanda realized she really did not feel like making further input on that topic to agree or disagree with either of them.
“What you did was derived from forbidden, corrupted necromancy. You remember the resurrection spell from the Darkhold, the one you told Wong about? A much-altered, purified version of that." Stephen still didn't sound angry with her, just exhausted.
"Maybe the Darkhold ruined the safe version," Wanda said quietly. "Maybe that was the altered version. That was not the same one. I can remember that. That's why I trusted it was okay to cast this one. And when I see corrupted ones I can feel it. This felt different. Difficult, but safe.” I just had to trust myself that I could do it, that’s all.
"What you did was not safe," Strange told her firmly. "I don't mean because casting yours would have corrupted you, because clearly it didn't. But if you'd botched that? Then you probably die. Then you leave the target in limbo. It could take more from you than you had to give. If you weren’t...you, it would have. That could have severely backfired on you much worse than knocking you out for a day and wrecking your hand." He paused, studying both twins closely. "Do you genuinely...not care at all?”
Wanda’s expression scrunched up in distaste, but she felt safe with Pietro supporting her, and so she did not mind answering. “Of course I would rather not have hurt my hand, but he’s my brother . Wouldn’t you do the same if you knew you could do what I did and get your sister back?” she asked softly. “I thought you did sacrifice fixing your own hands to protect others.”
“Hardly the same thing.”
“Well, I disagree. Leave me alone about that spell. I do not care about your magic rules one bit. You break them yourself when it suits you.” Wanda glanced at Pietro and then back at Stephen. “Maybe, those rules should be altered. Maybe, my magic does not follow those rules anyway because it’s a different kind.”
“What if you had drawn the runes incorrectly? It's not like you were ever taught how to use them or what all of them mean."
Wanda gazed back at him steadily. "I just copied them. I didn't need to know what all of them meant to copy them. Thurisaz is, in fact, a good base. You just have to be very, very careful with it and what you put with it. And I already knew I’m a walking infinity gauntlet. So, I thought I should be able to absorb whatever the spell cost without…” she paused, searching for proper words, “...without wrecking our timeline for everyone or getting a not-Pietro back. I just had to consciously know I was choosing to absorb the consequences regardless of what they might be.”
"You just...copied them."
"Yes. I wouldn’t be able to construct another complicated rune spell like that on my own safely, because I don’t know how, but copying the already existing one was fine. If you gave me another to copy, I could use it fine also, but depending on what it was, I...I would probably rather not use it and just create what I wanted without one. And I did not hurt anyone to cast that spell to get Pietro back, I know I didn’t, so stop asking about it like I did something wrong. What do you care if I used me as payment or nerfed myself? You should be pleased." Wanda’s eyes blazed fire at them even though she wasn’t using her magic in any way. An odd instinct that her chaos magic could have saved Pietro in a much, much messier but easier way that didn’t hurt her but changed everything else in a nasty butterfly effect poked at her.
Dead Clint.
Dead little boy.
Laura and the Barton children losing their loved one instead.
That was not better. That was not better at all.
"Wanda, you did hurt someone to bring him back. You ," Wong said patiently. "Yes, I can see he is normal Pietro. The point is you've somehow restored someone turned to scattered ashes in a lake ten years ago back to his original self, with the only evidence left behind being a burned floor in that cabin and injuring yourself. You did not trade a life for a life. You didn't ruin the balance of space-time, either; you didn't change the flow of time to retrieve your brother from the moment he passed. No one went back and changed history."
Strange studied Wanda closer and just said, "No, she didn't trade a life for a life, but she was willing to trade herself for him. Therein lies why it worked, probably. I'll bet she doesn't even know what exactly she sacrificed of herself to do it. America mentioned a rainbow of magic all being visible while Wanda cast that spell...colors that matched the infinity stones, and that Pietro didn't look right at first, not until she injured herself further. Walking infinity gauntlet indeed. She probably could have literally gone back and changed things. She just didn't, and used herself instead. Perhaps she retrieved all the...ashes from wherever they had dissolved to by now, and turned back time for her brother only..." Stephen trailed off, clearly still trying to find some sort of logic in the whole thing. "Yes, I think that's the most reasonable explanation for the tangible matter part. She just used a bit of herself as a catalyst. The intangible soul part that makes us...us, I don't know."
Wanda stared straight back at him, her expression quite satisfied. That’s what I just said. I told you so.
“She is not your experiment to study," Pietro spat, holding Wanda protectively close. "Do not look at her like that." The idea that Wanda had been able to literally reconstruct all of him was weird and disconcerting, but he decided he would mull over this existential thing that disturbed him later. Right now he was more concerned about keeping Wanda safe. It did not make sense that a simple bracelet of sorts would prevent her from using her enhancements- her ridiculously powerful magic, he corrected himself- but she abruptly seemed even more exhausted than she had been a few minutes ago, and he could tell the injured arm and hand were paining her.
Strange watched the twins, intrigued at their behavior. Pietro was obviously still disturbed at everything he had seen, but he was just calmly holding his sister. Wanda looked a bit paler than normal and had her eyes half closed, leaning against her twin, but she was clearly quite content otherwise. He had never seen that peaceful look from her before. "You two remind me of Donna," he said quietly, and walked out without further explanation.
"Hmm." Wong did not attempt chasing him down immediately. "Well, that explains quite a bit, why he was so upset."
"I do not want you to try, but...could you get his Donna sister back too?" Pietro asked.
Wanda shook her head. "Not...properly. I could create someone that looked like her, but that's it. That wouldn't help. You worked only because we're twins. Before I cast that spell, Tasha said she thought it had something to do with DNA. I really don't know. To me I was just getting my other half back." She glanced at Pietro shyly and smiled a bit. "For once I did something good not knowing what I was doing." I am so tired .
"You two can't share all your DNA though," Wong pointed out. "You're not identical."
“Then I don't know. But Pietro is here and I'm glad I did it. I don't care if I wasn't supposed to or that it hurt me." Wanda blinked, putting her good hand over her heart. "It does not hurt here any longer," she whispered. Pietro seemed to be studying his own chest now, looking confused and intrigued. "Pietro, are you okay?"
Pietro flinched and re-smoothed his shirt, his blue eyes questioning. "I want you go away now. Wanda is fine. She needs sleep," he said to Wong in a weird, flat, not very Pietro-like tone.
Wong sighed. It was all too clear he was not going to get any helpful information out of the twins, because they simply didn't know. “I’ll leave you be in a minute. I just have one question for you,” he said, looking straight at Wanda. “Did you know about that stunt Loki and his partner- Sylvie, I believe- pulled to keep Strange and me occupied while you used that spell on another continent? So that you were not technically breaking your promise not to meddle with your ankle monitor?”
Wanda answered instantly, eyes glinting sharply. “No, but I also do not care one bit what they did if they were not hurting innocent people,” she stated. I am not sorry at all.
Wong could tell easily that stubborn Wanda was telling the truth. “Thank you for being honest. I suspect those two are manipulating all of us. You need to be careful. Loki told Strange things he shouldn’t know.”
A particular phrase Loki had told her back at the farm poked at Wanda. “I think Loki has seen possible futures for all of us somehow and he’s trying to force...happy endings. He said I should write my own story and ‘live long enough as a villain, die as a hero...except we shall not be doing that’ .” She closed her eyes tiredly, not upset with Wong but wishing he would go away all the same.
Pietro held Wanda closer. “Happy endings are good, not bad,” he pointed out. “Maybe Loki is good guy now,” he suggested hopefully.
“‘Happy endings’ at what cost, though?” Wong seemed reluctant to say that, but Wanda understood that concern as much as she wished she didn’t.
Wanda bit her lip. “I know I’m not exactly...a trusted source of information, but whatever he is doing, good or bad, he is not corrupted, he hasn’t meddled with the Darkhold, and at worst he believes he is helping us. I know what corrupted magic feels like, and his is not.” She lifted her head from Pietro’s shoulder to glance at him, and Pietro promptly pushed her down.
“You lay still. You are s’posed to sleep, anyway,” Pietro ordered.
Wong didn’t press Wanda for more information. “All right, I’m going to alert Dr. Palmer we will all get out of her hair shortly. This discussion is not over,” he told them, and retreated into the hall.
The second he was gone, Pietro began fidgeting nervously and switched back to Sokovian to talk to Wanda. "Wanda, why is the burned rune thing I saw on the floor in that cabin on me? It doesn't hurt or anything, I just...I don't know. Am I really real? What if I'm not here and I'm some weird thing and you can't tell because you just wanted me back so much?"
I don't understand. Did I hurt Pietro casting that spell? What did I do to him? He sounds scared. On a sudden instinct, Wanda turned away for a minute to look down her dress at her own chest. There was, in fact, a new mark of sorts there almost directly over her heart that was clearly the resurrection spell, as if it had been tattooed or burned into her skin somehow. Strangely it didn't hurt at all, which matched Pietro's scared description. Unlike her arm and hand, this appeared completely healed, as if it had always been there instead of just happening a mere day or two ago. "Um...I have it on me too," she said softly. "I think maybe it is just the...the only literal mark left from me using...me to do the spell right. A link, I guess..."
"I don't care if your magic linked me to you more, we were always two halves, but I'm scared something hurt you so badly you just imagined me and convinced yourself it's real." Pietro knew Wanda had always been the more fragile one of the two of them; he had seen her try to hurt herself, he had seen her panic, and he had seen her shut down and retreat off in her own head. He could still remember that first time that had happened, trapped hiding under their parents' bed at ten together.
“Maybe it's not real. Maybe it's really just a bad dream."
"I'm scared. I want my duckie."
“Mama and Papa are not either dead. The sofa is just all gone. I don’t want to believe they are dead.”
“Thirsty. Pietro if no one comes for us you will be okay. You are very brave. I will be all gone anyway. Bad dream. Very bad dream." And then little Wanda would not talk anymore and just clung to him like all hope had drained out of her. She was silent all while they were rescued, even when pieces of rubble shifted and they were terrified something would crush them before the rescuer people could help them get out. Pietro remembered the silence scaring him and trying to get Wanda to talk, but his little sister had kept her face buried in his shoulder and wouldn’t say anything. She’d been silent even while their rescuers tended the minor cuts and scrapes on both of them...all the way until the matron lady at the orphanage separated them. Then she screamed and screamed and lashed out like a frightened cat. Pietro remembered crying and being terrified himself (and also fighting to get back to his sibling, same as Wanda), but he hadn't reacted like Wanda had, either. At the time he remembered hearing that lady trying to make Wanda stop 'throwing a tantrum' and some part of him just viscerally knowing his little sister had not just been 'throwing a tantrum'. Little Wanda hadn’t been able to control that outburst, she was terrified and overwhelmed, and she couldn’t express herself verbally.
“I love you, but I don't know whether to trust you about this or not," Pietro said finally, hoping Wanda would not be too upset hearing that. "You were not okay even when we were little. And you know it."
Wanda could not be upset with him for saying that; she closed her eyes and sighed, unsure how to explain that she really didn't trust herself about many things, but this...this she was confident she had done correctly. I should just say that. "This is one thing I do trust. Pietro, you...you don't have to stay with me," she forced out. "I did not get you back just so I could make you stay close for always. I don't know for sure, but I don't think you have to stay within ten feet of me or anything weird like that. You can do your own things."
Pietro scowled. "That's not what I'm worried about at all. I'm worried about you . I guess I know I have to be real, because other people can see and hear me too. But you aren't okay, I can feel that, and I don't know how to help you. What if that new mark on us is dangerous or something? What happens if someone sees it and realizes what it is? Why did you risk casting the spell for me when you didn't really know all the details?"
"Because I knew it wouldn't hurt anyone else and even the chance that I might really be able to get you back was worth it to me. What would it matter if I hurt myself and it didn't work? Not...not any worse than before." Wanda could feel Pietro hugging her close again and she clutched a fistful of his shirt in her good hand. "I know that...that thing thinks I cast the spell that way to hinder him, but I just wanted you and I didn't care what of me it cost to do that. In my head I had decided I would do anything to complete casting that spell as long as it wasn’t killing me, because I knew you wouldn’t want me to. I...I’d be more than willing to trade me for you, but I didn’t want to break my promise again, either. I don’t think those runes on us are dangerous at all, but you are probably right that we shouldn’t let people see them.”
"Okay. Okay, I mean it's not okay, but I understand. You probably protected me when we got experimented on too, didn't you." It wasn't even a question; some deep instinct told Pietro that much. "You got unlocked, maybe amped, by the sample stone thing. Not given anything you didn't already have. That's why you always read people instinctively when we were little and stuff. And probably part of why too much sensory stuff always bothered you. Because you're sort of a telepath naturally. You just didn't have any training or something to unlock it."
Wanda didn't answer immediately, but she sighed. He's probably right. "Mama and Papa must have thought I just had sensory issues, but I can't remember them ever...specifically saying that to me. They just accommodated me as best they knew how when things bothered me. I wish I knew if one of them had magic and didn't know or didn't tell us."
"It doesn't matter. If they didn't know, then they couldn't have told us. And if they did, then they must have been trying to protect us from...everything that's happened." Pietro knew Wanda wished the same: that they could just ask. That they had thought to do so when they were small. Certainly their parents would have told them the truth if Wanda had asked, hey, mama, papa, I think I have weird powers, why is that? But no, the closest thing Pietro could remember was Wanda happily dressing up as a witch for Halloween in a lovely princess-like homemade costume their mother had made for her from old thrifted sheets of all things, and saying she felt like a special version of herself in it. Pietro wondered if Wanda remembered that; her mind and thoughts were all jumbled now and he wished he could help her more.
And Mia bothered him. Mia herself was sweet, and he understood why Wanda had Mia and he was very glad her fuzzy companion clearly helped, but Wanda needing her at all worried him. Did that mean Wanda was not going to get better? Or did Mia make her better? Pietro looked at Wanda now; her eyes were closed and she had already fallen asleep with Mia lying calmly across her stomach, her good hand clutching his arm. No, Wanda would be okay; he would make sure.
Mia blinked calmly at him. Pietro had the strangest idea that the dog thought he was connected to Wanda. Mia seemed to be laser focused on Wanda and only Wanda...except for him. Was that bad for Wanda? What if Mia didn’t understand that she was just supposed to help his sister?
An unfamiliar figure in the doorway made Pietro jump. “Who are you?” he demanded. The noise made Wanda jerk awake, and she instantly scrambled to her feet, trying to use herself to block Pietro.
Pietro was not having this; he planted himself between Wanda and the stranger, keeping one arm around her shoulders. He would scoop her up and dart away in a blur if he had to.
“My, my, I don’t wish to hurt either of you. What an unnecessary fuss.”
"I do not wish to have visitors at this time," Wanda heard herself say, her voice sounding much calmer than she felt. “Please leave immediately.”
"Oh, that's such a shame. Look what you've come to. I thought I must be mistaken, but evidently not."
Wanda stared in surprise at her unexpected visitor, realizing she knew exactly who the person was. Agatha Harkness. "What are you doing here?"
Agatha raised an eyebrow and smiled strangely at her. "I could ask the same."
"You could, but I won't answer." The protection spell. Get her inside the room and don't let her leave, instinct warned Wanda abruptly.
"How could you ever give those sorcerers the idea for that?" Agatha asked accusingly, pointing at Wanda's wrist. "They have no right to use our rune spell of protection against us. Traitor." She sounded more hurt than angry, and Wanda realized the older witch was so focused on the protection-spelled bracelet that she had indeed crossed the threshold of the little room into the protection spell barrier Wanda had cast before.
"...Me? I'm a traitor because I meddled with the Darkhold?" Wanda asked cautiously. "If that's true, then so are you."
Blue eyes sparked angrily and Agatha snatched at Wanda's wrist. Wanda jerked her hand back and Pietro backed up, pulling Wanda with him. Mia seemed entirely unbothered and simply followed them. "The Darkhold. It just used you instead of you using it. No, little chaos witch, not because of the Darkhold. Why would you give those sorcerers that protection spell? They have no appreciation for runes- they're prejudiced bigots for no reason at all."
Wanda dearly hoped one of the others would come back soon. There was no way she could make Agatha stay put by force with her arm out of commission and no magic access when she still felt so drained, and she worried Pietro would end up hurt attempting to protect her. Nat could. Agatha isn't trained to fight with no magic. "Leave it alone. You warned me I had no idea what I'd done becoming...me. Do you really want to give the Scarlet Witch her power back right now?"
Agatha stared at her until Wanda blinked uncomfortably. "Not the point, you-"
"Hey! Hey, whoever you are, leave my sister alone!" Pietro's angry big brother voice interrupted. In a silvery blue blur, he had Agatha's arms pinned behind her back instead, and Mia sat by Wanda calmly, as if nothing were wrong. "What is going on?! Wanda, you know who this lady is. Lady, you know Wanda, and you are mad with her. Why?”
Mia was nonplussed; she nuzzled Wanda's hand and then just calmly lay down in front of her, eyeing Agatha suspiciously for a moment before focusing back on Wanda.
Agatha seemed more curious than disturbed now as she stared at Wanda. "You really did cast a resurrection spell. A successful resurrection spell. You retrieved that loud twin of yours.” She studied Wanda closer, as if just realizing Wanda had hurt herself, and added, "I see. Someone used herself to make the payment, tore her soul in half, and survived to tell the tale. Perhaps... more payment than she thinks.”
Wanda didn't answer; she sank to the floor tiredly and hugged Mia.
"Is this lady Agatha Harkness?" Pietro asked suspiciously.
"At your service. Clearly she needs some service." Agatha glared at Wanda and tried unsuccessfully to pull away from Pietro. "I suppose she learned one thing. You also protection-spelled the damn room, Wanda. You do know I don't wish you harm, you idiot girl."
"Pietro, let go of her and just guard the door, please," Wanda said quietly. I believe that much. I don't know why she's here and not in Westview, and I don't know what she really wants, but...I believe her. I don’t think she cares about me, but she doesn’t actively wish me ill, either.
Pietro was reluctant to release some stranger that had appeared to be harming Wanda, but he decided to trust her. “You lay one finger on my sister and I'll kill you," Pietro threatened, not much caring whether that was a nice thing to say or not.
“Natural dark streak, same as her. Or is it from her?"
Pietro flinched but didn't move from his spot in the doorway. “Don't care. Nobody is hurting her any more."
Agatha practically snorted derisively at this, but Wanda thought she saw a bit of lonely sadness underneath, no magic involved at all. "What did you ever do to get such a knight in shining armor? A dog. This obnoxious brother of yours. Those ordinary ignorant humans that brought you here. You convinced those sorcerers not to kill you. You got your robot back too.”
I don't know. I don't deserve any of them, but here they are anyway. Wanda shook her head. "Don’t call Vision that. And I didn't...do anything. I just..." she blinked, not wanting to cry. Pietro seeing her cry was one thing; she didn't want Agatha getting any more peeks into her feelings than Agatha had seen back in Westview. "I tried to tell the truth."
"You told the truth. Well, if that's all." Agatha started for the door, not particularly caring that a very defensive Pietro was still standing in front of it. Then she turned back toward Wanda. "You should visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art."
“Why you not in Westview?" Pietro asked suspiciously. "You are s’posed be there. I heard. Why would she trust you?"
“Oh, she won't, but she should go to that museum. Such interesting artifacts in the Viking exhibit. Such interesting people visiting there.”
Wanda held onto Mia’s harness tightly and edged backwards. “You know something else. Something important,” she whispered.
Agatha glanced from one twin to the other. “Let me go and I’ll tell you.”
“No,” Pietro said huffily, “not unless Wanda says. I do not know you. I do not think I like you.”
Agatha ignored him and stared directly at Wanda. “I will not tell those sorcerers one thing, Wanda Maximoff. What are you two planning on doing? Giving the other witch that has any experience with the Darkhold to them and neutralize her too?” She paused, matching Wanda’s frustrated tired glare. “Do you not find it unfair that you successfully used your resurrection spell and they still find you untrustworthy?”
Wanda’s expression scrunched in confusion. “Pietro, shut the door please.” The second the door was shut, she added, “I think that you don’t know what I did before, Agatha. They shouldn’t trust me.”
Agatha laughed, much to Wanda’s surprise. “Precise details, of course not. I’m not dense enough to wish to antagonize you when you’re corrupted. I’ll keep my head, thanks. But really, you are plain frustrating. Even when you were fully corrupted, you never tried to rule anything at all. All I spied from you was a childish tantrum because you wanted those damn kids.” She crossed the room and stared Wanda directly in the eyes. “Kids that were not truly yours. Kids that you certainly originally knew were not truly yours. You let the Darkhold convince you otherwise at some point.”
“Were you ever trapped in Westview?” Wanda asked, more than a little bothered by this. Mia looked up at Wanda curiously, sensing that she was nervous, but Wanda was not doing anything either, so Mia just moved closer.
“Of course. You forced me to act- be- one way in public; you made me unable to leave that dinky little town. You did not erase my basement.” Agatha’s smirk seemed more lonely than anything else, and Wanda tilted her head in that don’t mess with me manner that Pietro recognized easily from before.
“Talk or I will ask Pietro to go get backup,” Wanda said quietly.
“So antagonistic. We are not on different sides, you know. Forget it. That other green Asgardian magic user has a sword from the Viking exhibit. You need that relic. Goodbye, stubborn pesky twins.” Agatha strode to the door. “I shall be exactly where you expect when you do change your mind. Kindly move.”
Pietro only moved once Wanda nodded, since she seemed to be fine at the moment, just exhausted. The second confusing Agatha was gone, Wanda dropped into the chair Pietro had been sitting in before. “Let’s go find ol’ Hawkeye and get us out of here,” Pietro said quickly.
“Okay.”
Notes:
Obviously Agatha will be back, and obviously Wanda probably shouldn’t have chosen to let her go...but we will see...
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated:)
Chapter 30: Chapter 30
Summary:
In which the twins eventually make it back to the farm safely...
Notes:
I am so sorry for the delay. There’s been a lot of stuff going on (both irl and some unfair unwarranted ridiculous online mess) and I feel like I’ve been writing slower unfortunately, even though what I want is to write faster >_<
ANYWAYS. As always I’m excited to share this chapter and I hope you enjoy it.:) We’re getting closer to some more major action/reveal things happening and I can’t wait!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The twins headed into the hospital hallway, but now neither of them were sure where to go next to find Clint. Pietro knew he could carry Wanda if he needed to, but Hawkeye’s warning not to use his enhancements in public unless absolutely necessary poked at him. Zooming about with Mia and an injured Wanda was neither discreet nor blending in. If he simply opened his mouth and spoke to someone, he wouldn’t blend in either. And he was tired. Pietro clutched Wanda closer, more because she made him feel better than because she seemed half asleep on her feet. Wanda was holding Mia’s harness with her good hand and leaning on Pietro a bit. Pietro didn’t think she was frightened or upset, really, but he was still concerned.
“Let’s go ask for Claire. That’s who Christine said would help us,” Wanda said tiredly.
Pietro thought this was a good plan, so he agreed, except then it turned out they didn’t have to find Claire at all, because she saw the twins in the hallway before they could get any further.
“Hey, you two don’t know me, but I’m Claire,” the woman said quickly. “Christine told me about you. Are you trying to leave the hospital entirely?”
“Yes. She say she cannot fix Wanda more. We are looking for ol’ Hawkeye,” Pietro explained.
Claire nodded. “Go back to your hospital room and wait there. Either Christine or I will be back with him, okay? We’ll make your leaving appear official so you won’t stand out.”
Wanda didn’t protest when Pietro suggested she lie down until it was time to leave. “Pietro, what’s bothering you? You seem awfully jumpy and nervous, for you.”
“I just realized you speak really good English now,” Pietro muttered, feeling a bit ridiculous. “And that if I talked to someone here I won’t let us blend in at all.”
Wanda blinked in surprise, because that was not something she’d thought would bother Pietro at all. Pietro is far more outgoing than me, but little things like that bother him anyway. “There are a lot of people from Sokovia here, same as us. Your powers and mine would give us away instantly. Accent is different. Lots of people have ours, so while yes, it’s a hint, it isn’t an instant giveaway either.” She gave Pietro a small smile.
“ Your accent is barely noticeable now when you speak English. You do sound different than your Avengers friends, but still.” Pietro flumped into the chair and scowled, but he also reached for Wanda’s good hand and gave her a squeeze. “It reminds me that you were here all that time and I wasn’t. I’m not upset with you, obviously. Just frustrated and jumpy.” Privately he decided he would ask Wanda later when she felt better if he could practice English on her, but for now he was happy to stick to Sokovian with Wanda, especially since she had specifically mentioned that it was something she missed being able to do.
“Well, if I can do anything, please tell me. Please.”
“Don’t hurt yourself anymore,” Pietro said instantly.
I won’t on purpose, Wanda thought, and squeezed his hand back.
_________________
Clint appeared with Claire minutes later, and they calmly managed to get their little group down to the main entrance lobby without attracting any undue attention. Wanda really did not want to ride in any wheelchair and felt ridiculous, but she decided not to make a fuss since she did still feel weak and sleepy. At least they would be out of that hospital.
“I would get both of them away from the area entirely quickly,” Claire told Clint quietly. “I have helped hide stubborn heroes before and I know when people I don’t want to mess with are sniffing around looking for them.”
Clint frowned and sent the twins with Mia to Vision’s car parked right by the door. “You two go to the car. Vision will help you. I’ll be along soon.” Then to Claire, “What do you mean? Who’s looking for the twins or even knows who they are at this point?”
“A well-dressed dark-haired woman slightly shorter than her, in a plaid midi skirt and blouse. She seemed annoyed, frustrated...not malicious though. A man in expensive business attire that didn’t fit him well. He was...hungry. I wouldn’t want those enhanced twins in a hundred miles of him. The two were not together,” Claire said quickly.
“Okay, that’s...something to go on. We’re very grateful to both you and Christine Palmer for what you’ve done.” Clint thought for a second before adding, “Any odd specific things about these people that would help identify them?”
“Lady had an interesting brooch on her blouse collar. It looked like an antique. The man...I’m not sure. Other than the ill intentions he was giving off, I probably see a hundred of him every day. Average height and build, short light brown hair, light skin.”
Clint sighed. “Thank you. I suspect Wanda might know the lady, at least. We’ll get out of your hair.”
______________
In the parking lot, Vision immediately grew concerned when he saw sleepy, exhausted Wanda, especially because of her injured arm, but he could also tell she was happy. And messy-haired Pietro stared at him curiously for a moment, though Pietro promptly turned his attention back to his sister. “Wanda, may I help you with anything? I already knew you were hurt, so there are pillows in the backseat for you,” Vision told her.
Wanda did not care if Pietro saw her hug Vision, so she whispered to Pietro to let go for a moment and hugged Vision as tightly as she could with her good arm. “I know I still need sleep, but I’m fine. Really,” she assured Vision. “I got Pietro back, and he’s not hurt at all. And, well...I suppose this sounds odd, but it’s nice to feel this kind of tired. This tired doesn’t hurt me inside.”
“Quite understandable. I am relieved to see you.” Vision hugged Wanda close before helping her into the back seat.
Pietro’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he scrambled in next to her. “What are intentions toward my baby sister?” he demanded.
“Pietro! I had babies. I’m not a baby anything ,” Wanda muttered sadly, but Pietro was undeterred. What he did do was simply hug her and continue staring at Vision as he settled back in the driver’s seat. Then Pietro fluffed one of the pillows Vision had left in the backseat for them and tucked it under Wanda’s arm.
Vision was thoroughly unbothered. “At present, my intentions are to keep both Wanda and you safe.”
“This obnoxious person is, as you know, Pietro,” Wanda deadpanned, drooping against Pietro’s shoulder.
“Rude.” Pietro did not care if Wanda called him obnoxious one bit; that was normal Wanda behavior. She wouldn’t put up with others insulting him, but she would most certainly tease him herself. His happy expression immediately faded though. Where were Wanda’s ‘babies’ now? Could he help her get them back? And what if she couldn’t get them because she had decided to get him first? “Are these missing babies also yours?” he asked Vision curiously.
Vision blinked, not quite sure how to answer that logically. After a minute he just said, “They are if I can help Wanda locate them,” which felt truthful. Wanda’s eyes were closed now, but she did not appear pained or frightened.
Pietro didn’t answer immediately, preoccupied with trying to make sure Wanda was comfortable. Mia sniffed at her arm resting in its sling, but didn’t appear particularly concerned, either, just curious. The dog seemed to know that Wanda was okay and merely exhausted. “Where are we going?” Pietro asked, smoothing the blanket Vision handed him around Wanda.
“I am uncertain what we should do next ultimately, so I shall take us to the hotel Ms. Tasha is staying in for now. You will be safe there until Mr. Barton brings Wanda’s little portal-making friend or alerts us to do otherwise.” Vision felt awkward having Pietro there too; he wasn’t sure if Wanda wanted him to express affection with her twin present, and he did not wish to make protective Pietro dislike him, either.
“Do you love her?” Pietro asked pointedly, ignoring the tired annoyed glare Wanda gave him before she closed her eyes again.
“I do.” Vision glanced at the twins in the rear view mirror again. Seeing Wanda and Pietro was odd, but in a good way. Memories from years before, during and immediately after Ultron, flooded through his head. Pietro looked exactly as he had back then, which of course, he should, since Wanda had simply retrieved him from then. “I love her very much, and while I cannot promise I will keep her safe, I can promise I will do my absolute best to do that. I will protect her and take care of her, unless she does not wish to have me any longer. Wanda knows these things.”
I do know. I just...I have trouble believing it. I don’t understand. Wanda drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and content.
“She loves you very much. So, do not hurt her,” Pietro said firmly. “If you hurt my sister we will have issues. If you make her happy I wish to be friends.”
________________
Pietro peered out the car windows while Vision drove to the high-rise hotel, and then he scowled when Vision entered the dimly lit parking garage.
“I do not like this under-the-ground place,” Pietro announced.
“It is merely a parking garage. No one will hurt us,” Vision assured him.
“Do I carry Wanda? She is sleeping.” Pietro was confused by Wanda still sleeping; usually she jerked awake at the slightest provocation, but right now she was fast asleep resting against his shoulder.
“No, we do not need extra questions for why she is clearly injured and so exhausted. Wake her up just long enough for us to make it inside,” Vision said quietly. “If Wanda genuinely cannot, however, then yes, carry her.”
Pietro frowned but nodded. Wanda did wake up when he gently shook her shoulder, and she was able to walk to the elevator with a bit of help. She promptly collapsed against him inside the shiny-smooth elevator, and Pietro easily picked her up. Mia blinked worriedly but did not interfere; Wanda was tired, not upset, and Mia thought humans were supposed to get tired sometimes. Vision saw no one in the hallway, so he decided Pietro carrying Wanda was safe. The second they were all inside Tasha’s hotel room, Pietro simply plopped onto one of the beds, still holding Wanda.
“Pietro, you can put me down. I’m okay,” Wanda told him. Being here feels weird. Nice, but weird. Too good to be true. Same as before. Only more weird-but-also-right because I have Pietro with me.
Pietro set Wanda down amongst the pillows and immediately tucked the fleece blanket Tasha handed him around her before settling himself next to her. “This hotel is fancy,” Pietro announced. “We like this soft carpet and nice huge beds. Hello again,” he added, gazing at Tasha curiously. “Are you really Wanda’s friend?”
“I’m not the Black Widow your sister knew before, but yes, I was friends with the variant of her from my universe and I’ll be her friend too if she’s willing.” Tasha glanced at sleepy Wanda with a mixed expression.
Wanda had a distinct sense despite the bracelet cuff on her wrist, that Tasha was lonely and felt like a fish out of water but would never, ever say so. “I would love to,” she said quietly. “Not the same, but…” she trailed off, because she could instantly tell that Tasha thought the same thing she did: nothing would replace their variant of their friend, but giving this new-to-them version of their friend a chance was a little something.
“Do we have pain medicine from Christine lady?” Pietro asked.
Vision shook his head. “Mr. Barton has any medicine prescribed specifically for Wanda. We do have Advil and Tylenol in the kitchenette, but that is all.” Previous experience told him that Wanda most certainly would not ask for anything, even if she didn’t feel well, but those two over-the-counter things were ones she was willing to take without fuss. “Wanda, please tell us if you would like anything, anything at all.”
I don’t need anything. “I think I really do just need to rest a little longer. I still don’t feel sick or anything like that. Please don’t worry.” Wanda’s arm and hand really did still hurt quite a bit, but that wasn’t really bothering her, either. It was just...there. She did accept the water and Tylenol Vision offered her, which made him quite sure she was just happy enough that the hurt arm simply was not troubling her.
Pietro decided to just let Wanda rest; she quickly fell back to sleep resting against his shoulder, so Pietro gently moved her so she could stretch out more comfortably. Teasing Wanda some more could wait for now, and besides, he wanted to get to know the person that had captured his sister’s attention. In Sokovia Wanda never had crushes; she was happy for him if he had any, but she didn’t seem to really understand, either.
Well. She had been oddly attached to Beast in Beauty and the Beast when they had seen that movie at Olia’s house when they were small. Little seven-year-old Wanda loved Beast’s eyes and complained about him transforming back into human form at the end...and pointed out his eyes stayed the same. She had been laser focused on Belle recognizing Beast because of his eyes after transforming into his human self. Maybe that was Wanda’s idea of a little-kid crush.
Pietro decided grownup Wanda probably liked Vision’s eyes. This seemed logical to him. Wanda noticed eyes often, for various reasons. Strücker’s eyes bothered her; she called them beady shark eyes. The scientists’ eyes bothered her; she said they were cold dark pit eyes. Aleksandra’s eyes were warm teddy bear eyes. His own eyes were ‘warm protective hugs’ to her. In the Before that Pietro remembered, he recalled Wanda saying in passing that Vision must be human because of his eyes. At the time, Pietro hadn’t thought much of it other than more reason to tease his little sister, but still.
“Why should I trust you love Wanda?” Pietro asked Vision abruptly, not meanly, just in a blunt, direct manner.
Vision blinked at him thoughtfully. “I am uncertain how to prove these feelings to you. Will you be willing to give me a chance?”
“Yes. Because she loves you.” Pietro frowned, eyes flitting to Wanda sleeping peacefully with Mia curled up right by the bed. “It feels weird knowing she knows you, and has for years. I do not think Wanda likes any bad man. She would sense it, I think. You were weird but kind before. But I don’t know you. That, is also bothersome.”
“I understand.” Vision still didn’t know how to reassure Pietro that he would not hurt Wanda. “Is there anything you would like to know?”
“Why was she alone for so long?” Pietro knew the basics of what had happened by now from Clint, of course, but he didn’t understand that at all. Not when he was quite sure Wanda had had friends still alive that genuinely cared about her. “Wanda, um...isolates herself when she is hurting. But being alone hurts her. This is not secret. You all should know.”
“I believe the simplest explanation is multiple poor decisions from everyone involved compounding upon one another,” Vision said quietly. “I am deeply sorry.”
“And why no Avengers knew she has magic? We were dumb, trusting that man Strücker. You all were around special people already.” Pietro knew he and Wanda hadn’t been around any enhanced people before, so they couldn’t have known any better. Wanda’s new Avenger friends had people like Captain America, Vision, and Thor in their circle. It was very obvious Wanda stuck out even in that group; she was ‘squishy’ (unlike her friends) and had weird powers that couldn’t be measured or described easily. The more Pietro had thought about it, the less it made sense.
Vision considered this to be a reasonable question also, but also was surprised Pietro was asking that and not grilling him directly about himself. “Thor in particular did suspect she had magic. I...do not think Wanda ever wanted to entertain the idea, to be quite honest, and so she trained as if she were simply an enhanced, like Steve Rogers. She preferred believing her enhancements really were merely the results of being experimented on, because she wanted to fit in so badly. I cannot say I blame her.” He hesitated, disliking the way Pietro looked rather droopy all of a sudden. “Are you all right?”
“Don’t know.” Pietro stared at his worn sneakers, that also suspiciously looked exactly as he remembered. Even the frayed spots on the laces were the same. “Hydra definitely did not think Wanda could make dead people live,” he muttered.
“Only you,” Vision corrected.
Pietro found this observation disconcerting; he glanced at sleeping Wanda again and squeezed her good hand. “I hate that she hurt herself. This is unfair.”
Vision blinked slowly. “It is the course of things for humans to live and then die. Losing you happened due to circumstances unfair to everyone. Retrieving you broke natural laws. This does not mean what Wanda did was wrong. She just had enough power to bend said laws. I do not wish for her to be hurt either, but having a tired, injured Wanda as consequences for resurrecting a whole person is, if anything, lucky, as horrible as that sounds.”
Pietro scowled. “I know. I still do not want my sister hurt. And, what if she does not get better?”
“She will,” Tasha interjected quietly but firmly. “Most likely she will heal very quickly but have scars left behind. I really don’t think she should be wearing that magic nullifying bracelet except for when she is sleeping, just have it within reach as a precaution. It’s going to keep her magic from accessing any passive healing factor it might give her, even if she’s not consciously choosing to attempt healing it herself.” She glanced at sleeping Wanda, who appeared entirely unbothered. “If her other self I knew was right, she just needs to be taught properly.”
Pietro frowned. “Taught properly what?”
“How to use her magic to its fullest potential, by someone with magic at least somewhat similar to hers. What Vision just said supports my Wanda’s ideas. Your sister has a huge reserve of power that she has barely delved into at all. She doesn’t know how it works, really. The Darkhold information can’t be trusted, so she still doesn’t have any proper magic-based training.” Tasha’s voice remained quiet but firm.
Vision studied sleeping Wanda for a few seconds before saying, “That is a significant portion of the problem, however. There simply is not anyone with magic like hers.”
Tasha looked skeptical but didn’t press. Pietro yawned and just curled up next to Wanda. “This place seems safe. I will sleep now,” Pietro announced, because he was tired.
________________
Pietro jerked awake when Clint arrived, which made Wanda wake up too. She quickly relaxed when she realized the new arrival was just Clint though. Pietro was still right there, an impossible dream made real to her. There was Vision in his usual human disguise as ‘Victor’. And there was Tasha, the not-Nat willing to treat her exactly the same as her lost friend once did. Wanda slowly sat up, which still made the room dip unpleasantly, but she did feel a little stronger than before, not so much like limp spaghetti left out too long. I wish I could check what my magic feels like right now. I can’t really tell with that wristband on.
“Where will we all go?” Pietro asked.
“Wanda, where do you want to go?”
“I...I live at Clint's house now, with his family," Wanda whispered. "I am not sure, but I think you saw my room there already before all of you brought me here. And I’d like to go back there if it’s safe." Much to her surprise, Pietro immediately looked very pleased and squished her closer, saying okay, he wanted to go there, then.
“I am still tired. I do feel better though,” Wanda said, blinking sleepily.
Clint frowned; Wanda still looked happy, but she was also clearly not paying much attention to her surroundings, either. Having Pietro with her seemed to have made Wanda let her natural defenses down completely; he suspected she would willingly follow Pietro anywhere he decided to go without questioning it right now. “I don’t think we are safe here, so we do need to leave soon,” Clint explained calmly. “Wanda, one more thing. What does this Agatha Harkness woman want with you now? I had Claire telling me a description of someone looking for you and Pietro at the hospital that sounded very much like the description of her you and Vision gave me.”
“I’m not sure. She visited the hospital room actually, so I’m not even sure why she bothered Claire. She clearly didn’t need to.” Wanda sighed, sticking close to Pietro as she reached for Mia to pet her head. Mia looked quite pleased. “I know she was angry I gave the rune protection spell to Wong. She called me a traitor. I thought she meant because of the Darkhold, but it wasn’t. Honestly? I don’t think she really cares about any of us, but she also doesn’t actively wish any of us harm, either. She also specifically said we were not on different sides, and that Sylvie has some sword relic from the Viking exhibit at the museum. That we all needed it. I don’t know how accurate that is, but she definitely believed it was.” And I should have asked her if she knew where the boys were. Even if she doesn’t, I’ll bet she knows something.
Clint’s shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly, and Wanda knew he was exhausted too. “Guess we need to check the museum before we leave the city. Vision, your Victor alias works there. Can you check?”
“Of course, but we probably need Wanda herself to see,” Vision said carefully. “She is not an expert on magic, but her instincts are good, and she senses things the rest of us do not.”
Pietro scowled. “But Wanda is hurt, and tired.”
Vision looked so upset all of a sudden that Wanda quickly reached for him with her good hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “But I’m fine,” she said quickly. “If we wanted to check the museum and me...be there, then we just wait a little longer before leaving the city. I feel better than before. Pietro, I don’t need my arm and hand completely fixed to go to that museum. I just can’t be so tired I might collapse on you.”
Pietro nodded reluctantly, though the whole idea still worried him. “What if that Agatha Harkness just wants Wanda go there? She knows Wanda is hurt. Might be trap or something.”
“Don’t worry, Pietro, we are not having you two go to that museum right now,” Clint said firmly. “Wanda, I know darn well you want to help, but I’m also responsible for you right now. The sorcerers may consider that to just mean Laura and I are supposed to keep an eye on you, but to us that means protect you. So no, you are not doing that, I’m sorry.” He gave Vision a scolding look. “And you, stop encouraging risky behavior. She does that enough herself.”
Vision slowly blinked, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “I do not wish to put Wanda in danger. I merely thought she could assist with this better than the rest of us. However, I shall investigate alone instead if necessary.”
Wanda glanced at Tasha and tilted her head curiously; she didn’t need access to her magic to be able to tell that Tasha had something important to say. “If- and I’m saying if- the Agatha here is anything remotely similar to the Agatha I knew personality-wise, she called Wanda a traitor simply because she considers rune spells to belong only to witches and their covens, not the sorcerers or their society,” Tasha explained. “Wanda gave the protection spell to someone Agatha considers a bigot against witches in general. She would’ve most likely been less upset if you had given the spell to Loki, or Sylvie, for that matter,” she finished, directing the last bit directly at Wanda. “Maybe none of us go to the museum. Contact Sylvie instead. I’m certain she really does have that relic. I knew she was hiding something when I saw her; this confirms that.”
Wanda wished she didn’t understand that sentiment as much as she did, because it seemed wrong to her. “Do we know if the missing enhanced people like Kamala have been found?”
Clint shook his head. “No, and frankly I don’t want you or Pietro trying to help with that right now either. Not until you’re okay. And don’t tell me you’re fine. I know you’re happy right now, but that doesn’t make you not tired or heal your hand. So you just chill and rest.”
“But-“ Wanda started.
“No buts. You are not putting yourself in any further danger right now. Selfishly, I don’t want you two hurt, and as ugly as it sounds, we cannot risk having these culprits getting ahold of you. It’s too dangerous and you know it.” Clint tried his best to sound gentle, but he saw no point in lying or withholding information from her. That would just make things worse. “What you can do is see what research you can translate from that magic book of Wong’s while you’re resting. Anything that might help, something Wong could have missed interpretation-wise, anything at all. Show it to America, too.”
This seemed reasonable to Wanda; she understood exactly what he meant. I can do that. I’d feel useful and it wouldn’t hurt anything. She nodded.
“How long to your farm?” Pietro asked eagerly.
Clint sighed in a somewhat exasperated manner. “That...depends. If your sister teleported, or the sorcerers open a portal, instantly. By car, about seventeen hours give or take a bit. In a plane, about two and a half hours, but again, that can vary.”
Pietro blinked in surprise, feeling a little overwhelmed. “That is very big.” Instead of engaging further, which was what Wanda thought he would do, Pietro muttered a ‘thanks for the information’ and skittered into the hotel room’s bathroom...after again confirming that Wanda was okay.
Wanda sighed and hugged fuzzy Mia close. “I don’t know how to help him,” she whispered. I know Pietro is nervous and jumpy. He might like it here, but dumping him back in this world and finding everything all different is bothering him. “And I think I’m making it worse for him, even if he says otherwise. It wouldn’t bother him if we were both...new, here. I’m not...the same any more.” Wanda felt hot tears burning her eyes, and she buried her face in Mia’s fur. There was nothing she could do to fix that, or if there was, it certainly wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
What if she had dragged poor Pietro back to this world just to make him end up hurt all over again? She’d been so sure Pietro would be perfectly fine, that he would not mind the culture shock of all the new things that had horribly overwhelmed her at first years ago. Pietro didn’t mind crowds and such like she did, but he still felt all disoriented and out of place anyway. Discovering he was still an older teenager whilst his little sister was now years older didn’t help, either.
Laura was right. She even warned me. Wanda lifted her head at the warm arm around her shoulders. Vision was not smiling, but he seemed to understand.
“I believe having you about will make settling in much easier for him than it was for you without him,” Vision said quietly in her ear. “You merely seem to have convinced yourself he does not have any issues of his own, because you love him and have rather set him up on a pedestal in your head in the meantime. He is still just a person, just like you.”
Wanda nodded. I know. I just...I don’t know. I don’t want him to feel like he doesn’t fit in like I do. I don’t want him to feel anxious or overwhelmed like I do often either.
Pietro returned in a minute; he gave Vision a suspicious look because he had his arm around Wanda, but he decided to ignore this. For now. If Vision made his little-but-not-really sister feel better then he would give the eccentric synthezoid a chance. He would just keep a very close eye on them, just in case. “I have considered. I am good to go now,” Pietro announced, because that seemed truthful to him. Yes, everything was different, too different; but Wanda was there, and she would help explain things without making him feel silly.
_____________________
Their group settled on the twins and Clint heading back to the farm, while Vision and Tasha would remain in the city for now. Before they could head down to the hotel parking garage to hopefully meet America there, since the garage was a larger target for her to open a portal to than a specific hotel room, a quiet knock sounded on the door. “Well, that is not Stephen,” Wanda deadpanned. “He never knocks.” She sounded more amused than annoyed.
Clint answered the door; a frustrated, exhausted Wong stood there frowning. “Any new updates? We were about to go home,” Clint said simply.
“One, I’ll portal your group back to Iowa,” Wong offered, stepping into the hotel room in his particular prim matter of fact manner that Wanda genuinely liked about him. Wong did not pretend things around her and this was something important to her. He did not really like her, but he wanted to help. He was still scared of her, but he wanted to help.
Wanda wished very much that she could get Sara back for Wong somehow. Her stomach squirmed uncomfortably. I have Pietro, but I couldn’t get Sara. Or Donna. Or anyone else’s lost people. That isn’t fair either.
“Wanda, he is talking to you,” Pietro was saying, gently shaking Wanda a bit.
Wanda blinked and shook her head hard. Mia nudged her leg, also trying to get her attention. Stop zoning out, she ordered herself sharply. “I’m sorry. I am listening now.”
“Can you remember anything about any sword relic mentioned in the Darkhold?” Wong repeated the question again. “I’ve got Stephen saying he thinks we need the relic missing from the museum.”
Wanda bit her lip. “No, but Sylvie has it. Is...is Stephen okay?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because he was not okay at the hospital. He’s hurting and I...I think he’s not safe either.” I don’t even know how to explain, as usual. Why should Wong believe me? Wanda glanced at the bracelet cuff locked on her wrist. “If he is still wearing his own magic nullifying bracelet, he won’t be able to protect himself. And…”
“We are listening, Wanda. You can say whatever it is,” Vision encouraged quietly.
“I don’t have any proof of this, but I feel like that...creature leaving Strange and me alone so quickly was too easy. Too simple. And Agatha thought I would turn her over to you and you’d neutralize her too. It just came to me that maybe it, or something or someone else, wanted all three of us unable to use magic.” I sound ridiculous. That is so far fetched. Why would a demon or other magical entity want three magic users that are unable to use their magic? Wanda knew Wong would be displeased he hadn’t given Agatha to him, but this suspicion seemed important. She would share it.
Wong stared at her. “I suppose you couldn’t have forced Agatha Harkness to stay put since you were, admittedly, indisposed. That’s...very likely, considering the three of you are all Darkhold victims. Do you know where she went?”
Before Wanda could answer, Tasha spoke up. “That woman may be selfish, but she is not our enemy, if she’s anything like the Agatha I knew. She’s probably in Westview. Should you choose to go find her, you be certain to say Wanda isn’t the one that spilled that information to you. You can blame me.”
__________________
IOWA
Wong opened a portal directly to the Barton farm to let Clint and the twins- and Mia- go home easily without America attempting to open a star portal and risk it opening in the wrong place. Wanda hugged Vision tightly before stepping through. I don’t want to leave him behind in New York, but I think maybe that will be good for Pietro too. He’s all upset over that too, thinking he should protect me. Vision tucked a stray wisp of dark hair behind Wanda’s ear lovingly and squeezed her back.
Tasha did not initiate a hug, but she did give Wanda’s shoulder a squeeze.
Seeing the house made her smile just a little. Unlike the lonely cabin back across the ocean, the Barton house still looked warm and welcoming like always. Here the lit windows were glowing smiles instead of the stark crying eyes at the cabin.
An excited Nate streaked across the yard and flung himself into Clint’s arms. “Daddy! You’re back! And you got Wanda too!” Nate peered at Pietro, who instinctively stuck close to Wanda. “Are you Wanda’s big brother? Like Cooper?”
Wanda knew Pietro was all flustered, because he was clutching her good arm so tightly it almost hurt. “Pietro, this is Nate,” she said softly. “And yes, Nate, this is my big brother Pietro. You’ve heard me talk about him, remember?” I don’t even care if that’s technically not true anymore. I hated being the ‘baby’ sibling so much, but Pietro is still my big brother to me too.
“Yeah.” Nate was unbothered; he liked having yet another person at home. “Daddy, is he a guest? Or stay-staying like Wanda?”
“He ‘stay-stays’ unless he decides he doesn’t want to,” Clint told the little boy firmly, both for Nate’s benefit and for Pietro’s. “This is home as long as they want it to be; permanently if they like.”
This startled Pietro, who had known, logically, that he was going to get to stay in Hawkeye’s house with Wanda. But he had not assumed for a second that Clint Barton would want them around permanently. That man just casually dropped this information as if it were completely normal. Wanda couldn’t hold Mia’s harness and Pietro’s hand at the moment with one arm out of commission, but her content tired smile told him enough. “Why you want to keep us? You have your own kids, and we are not even kids.”
Clint sighed. “How about because we care about you, and you two deserve to have a place to call home, small kids or not? Nate, run and find your mama, please.”
Nate agreed and trotted off.
I think I’m going to collapse soon. Why am I so tired still? Wanda still didn’t feel ill or anything, but she was abruptly very aware that being back at the farm seemed to reignite the ongoing fatigue for some reason. Not in a way that disturbed her...just a fact. A pleasant breeze ruffled her hair, and she dropped into one of the lawn chairs near the outdoor fire pit before Pietro or Clint could say anything else.
“You good?” Clint asked, frowning.
“Just tired. Not sick or hurt,” Wanda answered hurriedly. Mia lay down politely by her feet, which made Wanda smile a bit. “Need a minute. I...I want to show Pietro around.”
“I know you do, but you need more than a minute. You’d best speak up if you feel shitty in any way other than being tired. Let’s get you two inside and you can lie down in your room instead.”
Wanda did not add that her hand still hurt too, since that seemed like a normal thing to her. “Okay.”
A string of warm hellos followed them upstairs but did not chase them down to talk further at the moment,..other than Lila giving Wanda a hug and telling her a quiet, “See, you should believe in yourself more. I think Pietro is proof.” Then she gave Pietro a smile before disappearing down the hall. Once they were in the bedroom that was the guest-room-now-hers, Wanda did let Pietro convince her to take the medicine Christine had given Clint for her and lie down with her bad arm resting on an extra pillow. I feel spoiled. So spoiled. I have Pietro back. I am in a warm house full of people that care about both of us.
“Your friends are nice. There is so much extra...stuff,” Pietro told her, staring at the air mattress set up on the floor between the beds. “Multiple pillows. Piles of blankets. We will never be cold again.” Though the Barton house was much bigger than their childhood apartment, Pietro couldn’t shake the feeling that this place held the same sense of cozy warmth and care. Like Wanda, he had very fond memories of that tiny apartment. Certainly he would have liked it if they’d had a big fancy place like Wanda’s childhood friend Olia had instead of a tiny scuffed apartment, but their apartment was home. Theirs. A safe space. A place where you knew you could have a nasty frustrating day and there would be loving parents around to listen and a pesky sibling to hang out with.
America was perched cross-legged on the other bed, her round face all smiles. “I know you guys probably just want to chill, so I shall let you be, but I’m so glad you’re back. Mrs. B- Laura made everybody else not pounce on you right when you got here, but they’re all happy you’re back safe. I’m not staying here for good, so this bed is what’s really yours, Pietro.”
Pietro did not particularly want to not sleep on the air mattress, because he liked that spot because it was closer to his twin. “This is fine,” he said hurriedly, plopping onto the air mattress, “and you are a good Wanda-friend. Thank you for being kind to her. It...sounded like you helped get me , also. And offered help when nobody else was.”
“She did,” Wanda said softly, scooting herself over a little so she could invite Mia on the bed too. Mia instantly curled up politely once invited. “She gave me another chance and she had no reason to do that, either.”
America shrugged and flopped on her back. “Maybe not, but I’d want me to give you another chance. I told you before, I like normal you. And being lonely sucks.” To Pietro she added, sounding rather older than fourteen, “Your sister did hurt me, but I also know she never, ever would have without the Darkhold. She doesn’t deserve to be judged on the corrupted version of herself. I have more right to say that than anybody.”
Wanda texted Vision a quick message saying they were safe at the farm again before setting her phone on the nightstand. Pietro was pacing about the room now, not in a nervous manner, just his usual fidgety self investigating things. He paid special attention to the photos back on the nightstand, his blue eyes pensive. A tiny Wanda and Pietro beamed back at him, happily posing with their parents in their long-lost family apartment back home in Sokovia. From another, there was a red-haired Wanda with Vision and two children that looked around the same age as he and Wanda did in their own family picture. “Wanda, are these really your missing babies? They look like...ten. How...” I don’t understand. “Did you adopt them?”
“Magic,” Wanda said simply, her voice soft. “I...I made them real. I don’t know. Didn’t Clint tell you?”
“That you had two enhanced children in Westview? With the mistake thing? Yes. Not…” Pietro studied the pictures further. Billy and Tommy. Little Wanda and Pietro. A disconcerting hunch that Pietro adamantly disliked settled in his chest. Switching back to Sokovian because he didn’t particularly want America to hear it even though she was nice, he continued, “I think you sort of made a tiny us. And you wanted to give them what we didn’t have. Why else would you have magical twins like the same age we were when we lost everything? Twins. Enhanced. But not enhanced from being experimented on, just because. You wanted you and Vision to care for them like our parents did for us.”
I don’t think Pietro is wrong. Not one bit , Wanda thought, but she didn’t answer.
Later.
Later she would find them. If she could get Pietro back safely, Lila’s belief that she really could find the boys again somehow was reasonable too. I’ll rest for now, because I’d be useless at the moment, but the second I feel better, I will keep looking. Properly this time.
Notes:
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated!<3
As a side note, I am still working on the next Aftermath chapter! Hopefully I shall have that finished soon as well:)
Chapter 31: Chapter 31
Summary:
In which the twins settle in back at the Barton farm...
Notes:
I HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER READY FINALLY! Yay! I hope you enjoy it:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda quickly fell asleep, but she woke up an uncertain amount of time later to the room being dimly lit with America missing and Pietro sleeping peacefully sprawled on the air mattress. He appeared relaxed and content. Mia was curled up politely next to her like usual. I don’t feel well at all, she thought, more in annoyance than any kind of concern for herself. Like I’m going to be sick or something. Just in case, she silently slipped out and bolted to the bathroom with Mia at her heels.
Pietro jerked awake abruptly, thinking that something was not quite right. Wanda. She’s gone. And Mia. Well, maybe she’s fine if Mia’s with her. Happy voices from downstairs briefly made him think that maybe Wanda had gone downstairs too, but that didn’t seem right either. The clock said 10:30PM, so they must have slept for a few hours. Pietro rubbed his eyes and padded into the hall in search of Wanda; if he didn’t find his sister soon, he would go ask for help looking for her. Light shone a bit under a door that he thought was the bathroom. Instinct said he should check there first. “...Wanda? Are you in there?” he asked cautiously.
“I’m...fine,” a clearly not-fine voice answered immediately. More quiet disconcerting noises made him quite certain Wanda was sick or something similar, but at least he had found her easily, and she opened the door halfway after a minute. “I think maybe those iron supplement pills make me throw up,” she admitted by way of explanation. “The ones Christine gave us because I’m anemic or whatever.” Please don’t ask further. It’s okay.
Pietro frowned at her. “Is that normal?”
“It’s in the ‘possible side effects’ on the bottle, so I...I don’t think it’s anything...weird, at least.” Wanda still deeply hated taking any sort of medicinal anything and this sort of thing felt like more reason to not to her. Still, she did not believe for a second that Christine wanted to hurt her; Christine had been nothing but kind to her, and she had been willing to help even when another magic-related problem was dumped on her.
Pietro decided not to push for any more information since Wanda clearly didn’t know more. “Don’t lock me out. I’ll be right back.” He darted back to Wanda’s room, snatched a hair tie and mostly full water bottle from the desk, and reappeared before his sister could say anything. “Here. Drink some water. Maybe that’ll help a little. Do you want a dumb ponytail?”
Wanda’s tired green eyes sparkled at that. “Okay.” Pietro still wasn’t very good with doing hair, same as before, of course, but she didn’t mind him trying to help with her hair one bit. “I didn’t make you feel sick, did I?”
“No. I just woke up and felt like something might be wrong, and you and Mia were gone. You were easy to find. Something was wrong, just not a dangerous something.” Pietro successfully tied Wanda’s hair in a simple ponytail. “There. You can’t do ponytails with one hand anyway. Don’t try to do anything with the hurt one. Please. I can feel you’re okay here right now” he put his hand over his heart, “but you aren’t okay physically. And I can’t help fix that.” Pietro could tell his sister’s arm was bothering her too; she was holding the bandaged hand awkwardly with her free one and she seemed droopy, just not in that depressed anxious way at the moment, the one that always scared him. Right now, she just felt physically sick.
Wanda didn’t answer, and neither of them even tried to say anything until the fresh wave of nausea had faded. Pietro settled on the floor and pulled Wanda closer. He would stay awake in here all night with me if I didn’t feel any better. I know so. “I’m okay, you know. I’m not pretending. Really. You don’t have to stay. I have Mia.”
Pietro nodded. “Yep.” He did not move.
“And if you’re tired, it’s safe to sleep here.”
Pietro nodded again. “I know it’s safe here. You are being dumb. I’m not leaving you alone when you feel sick. I wouldn’t anyway, but that’s an extra reason not to.” After a minute, Pietro added, “I’m going to ask ol’ Hawkeye to get that wristband off you.”
Wanda tensed. “I don’t think that is safe,” she murmured before an odd instinct poked at her, except that creature cannot get at me easily anymore. The problem is me directly, only. And that is something I can deal with as long as I’m not alone.
“We can just keep it within easy reach or something, like your Tasha friend suggested. Also, she has cool hair, like Aleksandra did.” Pietro did understand why Wanda was scared; the incident with the weird demon creature thing at the hospital said enough. Weird mystical things none of them understood seemed very far away when he was inside a warm loving house sitting on a tiled bathroom floor hoping Wanda’s stomach would feel better soon. “If you don’t let your magic help you, it’s going to take a really long time to get better. I don’t like that. And if weird monsters are after us, not being able to defend yourself properly is dangerous. Those are just facts.”
Wanda let herself lean against Pietro’s shoulder. Next to her Mia blinked at them calmly, just staying close by. I know Pietro is right, but me losing control is more dangerous than me not being able to fight properly. “I feel a little better already.”
“Only because you barfed and then drank water! Your powers will help you feel better faster. Do you want to go back to bed for now?” Pietro immediately just scooped his sister up and deposited her back on the bed carefully once Wanda nodded. “You stay here with Mia. I’ll go find Hawkeye.”
Pietro easily located Clint, because he was downstairs helping Laura clean up in the kitchen. This just made Pietro like Clint more; he might still be very tempted to tease the archer, and most certainly would some other time, but he liked seeing that very much. The twins’ father also helped clean up in the kitchen whenever he was able.
“Have you and Wanda slept okay?” Laura asked. “If you’d like something to eat, you can have whatever you like from the refrigerator. Anytime you want. Only rule is if you finish something, you need to tell Clint or me so that item can be replaced.”
“That is good rule. We slept fine, only Wanda woke up. She, um, she threw up. She thinks her medicine made her feel weird. Can you get bracelet off her wrist? Please?” Pietro realized he still had not asked Wanda if he could practice his English on her, but the Bartons clearly didn’t care what he sounded like. Laura did not just randomly hug him, but she did give him a warm smile and squeeze his arm. He usually did not want strangers touching him, but he didn’t mind this.
“Of course. Neither of us ever liked her wearing those anyway.” Laura handed the key on its string to Clint. “If Wanda decides she wants it back though, please don’t keep it from her, Pietro,” she added gently.
Pietro didn’t really understand this. “Why? Those are bad for her.”
“Because it’s still healthier than being constantly terrified of herself making another mistake. She’s explained to me before that she does not want those nullifier things removed unless she knows she can trust someone to give it back if she says she needs it.”
Pietro glanced around the kitchen curiously and eyed the chocolate cake on the counter, which made Laura smile.
“Do you want a piece of cake?” Laura asked, already cutting a decent-sized piece.
Pietro nodded emphatically, gave Laura a hurried but genuine thank-you, and streaked back upstairs in a blur with the cake. He would share it with his little sister, even if Wanda was not technically the younger one anymore.
_________________
Pietro found Wanda looking far more chipper. She was just standing looking out the window now with Clint nearby but not supporting her in any way. “Do you feel better?” he asked hopefully.
Wanda nodded. “Better,” she agreed. Not great, but much better. And I can...sense things properly. Pietro is happy here, but he feels out of place and worried anyway.
“It was like she perked up almost immediately,” Clint said, frowning. “I can tell she’s not a hundred percent, but still. Wanda, are you sure you want that thing back on your wrist if you fall asleep? It looks like it’s making you feel worse, not better.”
“I’m sure. I can’t trust myself not to lose control while I’m sleeping.” And I would rather my hand hurt and me feel tired than risk hurting everyone here. Wanda found watching Pietro eat his chocolate cake amusing along with being reassuring; he seemed happy again. I’m not going to worry him if I can help it.
“Here, eat some,” Pietro ordered, offering the cake hopefully.
Wanda accepted one small bite but told Pietro he could have the rest. “I’m going to study a bit before I go back to sleep. Tired but I want to do something .”
Pietro peered over Wanda’s shoulder at Wong’s book on the desk. “That isn’t English or Sokovian,” he pointed out grumpily. “I can’t help with that.”
“You can read my notes though,” Wanda offered, unsurprised when Pietro took one look at them and asked why she was writing so neatly if they were just notes. But he also gave her a hug and perched on the edge of the chair, still a bit fidgety, which made Wanda smile.
Even if he made it more difficult to focus.
Wanda did not stay up long; in minutes she decided she was tired enough that she’d prefer to go back to sleep. Clint offered to take Mia outside to do her business if Wanda didn’t mind, and she nodded. If Pietro was with her, then she wouldn’t mind not having Mia for a few minutes. Mia probably would like a break also.
“You have to give proper introductions of everyone to me tomorrow,” Pietro ordered in his bossy big brother manner, which was both endearing and annoying. He did give Wanda the bracelet cuff back, but made it clear he did not like that one bit.
“Didn’t you meet all of them while I was knocked out or sleeping?” Wanda asked, scooting over so there was room for Pietro too. Predictably he promptly flopped next to her.
“I sort of shouted at them to help you…” Pietro sounded sheepish but not at all sorry. “I guess I know who they are, but I wanted you to introduce all your friends anyway.”
“Okay.”
Pietro hesitated before asking, "What does Mia do exactly? I don't really understand what she does. I just know she helps you.”
"She makes it much easier to...do things by myself, like I told you before," Wanda said quietly, not minding explaining details to Pietro of all people. "Like interrupting nightmares or panic attacks, telling her 'circle' in a crowded space so I can have a little bit more room, alerting me if I hurt myself, those sort of things. Also I...I think Mia can sense the...the corruption remnants if it's...affecting me. Obviously Kate's friend's uncle couldn’t possibly have trained her for that, but Mia has already alerted me several times about it anyway. I think she just knows something isn’t right, even if she doesn’t know what." She picked at a loose thread on the sheets and then just held the injured arm close. I don’t think Mia would have even let me cast that spell. She would have made me stop . "I didn't want her to get hurt if the spell did go wrong, so I left her at the farm before I went to the cabin. I’d decided any potential collateral damage was an acceptable risk only if it affected me and not anyone else, and only if it wasn’t going to kill me. Anything else and I’d force it to shut down as well as I could and figure something else out. I...thought that was what you would want me to do.”
Pietro scowled at the ceiling, even though he knew exactly what Wanda meant. Wanda had understood that her spell had some sort of inherent risk in attempting to cast it, but she’d been thoroughly confident it wasn’t a corrupted spell from that evil book, which was correct. That was what she meant by adamantly insisting it was ‘safe’, nothing more and nothing less. What bothered him was that she had seemingly confirmed that aspect of safety that concerned her and then hopped headlong into using the spell with no inkling of what it would do to her at all.
Because she didn’t care.
Because the only reason she hadn’t simply traded herself for him was because of an old promise she did not want to break (again).
Pietro knew his sister wasn’t actively suicidal- he sensed that much easily from her, that she was very happy to have him back, and that she was mostly at peace for now- but something still bothered him. Not caring what happened to her was also not good. Still, at least she seemed content at the moment. “Mia hasn’t really had to do much, has she? No scary zoning out panicky episodes?” Pietro sounded so hopeful that Wanda felt she couldn’t be upset.
“I’m better with you with me. You know that. Mia has to task more if I’m not with you, or at least some other friend. It’s...I don’t know how to explain. Any friend nearby helps, but you read me so easily that you tend to help make me calmer, stop doing...small destructive things. So Mia does not have to do as much. And I sleep better when I’m not alone, too. I don’t want to rely on you like that. It’s not fair to you. Mia has a special job and gets paid in attention and treats for it.” Wanda wasn’t looking at him anymore, her gaze focused on the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. I think I explained properly. I know Pietro understands anyway, but still.
Pietro knew Wanda meant things like picking at her nails and scratching at her arms when she was particularly upset or scared. Instead of questioning her about Mia further, he just nodded. “Okay. I guess maybe I just don’t want you to need Mia. But I like her. She’s really cool. I want you to take care of yourself, so since Mia helps you, I’m glad you have her.”
Wanda didn’t answer until after Clint had brought Mia back and they’d turned the lamp off. “I’m trying to ‘take care of myself’,” she whispered into the dark. “I think…” I think I’m scared to because when I have chosen to put me first, I hurt people. I don’t want to let that happen anymore. “I don’t know how safely,” Wanda amended after a moment. “And I don’t want to hurt everyone around me again to let me do that.” Mia lay quietly by Wanda’s other side, and she relished that comforting warmth around her, even if it seemed selfish to feel that way. Pietro would tell me it isn’t, that it’s okay because he already knows I like not feeling alone.
Pietro wished he could undo everything that had ever happened that made Wanda think that taking care of herself meant she would hurt everyone else around her. “But, you’re taking care of yourself right now, and nothing bad is happening. Resting in a nice warm house with Mia and me because you're hurt and tired is safe.” Shaky fingers clutched Pietro’s arm, and he squeezed her back. “Why do you think that?”
It might just go away again. Nothing good ever lasts. Never ever. It’s there and then it’s gone and it hurts all the more. “I’m scared me...existing might hurt all of you, just because of my magic. I’m scared to trust the good, safe part will last,” Wanda whispered, but Pietro still didn’t move. He was entirely nonplussed and unsurprised. And sometimes I feel like admitting things like that out loud makes it real.
“But Wanda, you don’t have to. The good safe things are here now. Right now. Can’t this moment be good and let’s just worry about bad things happening later, if they actually happen at all? You are not going to hurt the rest of us by existing,” Pietro said firmly. “Bad guys wanting your magical enhancements isn’t your fault. You killed people because of that book, and it’s gone now. If you are feeling not-yourself in a dangerous bad way, you aren’t alone. I’ll help you deal with it, I promise. I think your friends will too. And the rest of us protecting you from people that want to use you for something because of your powers is our choice. Not yours. People being cruel unfeeling weirdos is not our fault, you included. I think that weird book put a bunch of weird fears in your head, ones that maybe bothered you before but not as much. And I don’t know all the details about what happened in Westview, but it sounded like that also happened because you were on your own. And you aren’t alone now.”
Pietro talks a lot. I love hearing his voice. His chattering all by itself helps. Wanda squeezed her eyes shut. This room was real now, warm and not lonely and isolated like her little bedroom back in that cabin. Somehow no matter what she changed the bed to with her magic back there, it was never quite right, no matter how soft or literally warm the covers were. The walls closed in on her and knotholes in the wood morphed to terrifying inhuman faces in dim light and the Darkhold sat thrown in that box in the corner when she hadn’t been meddling with it. I should have known something was wrong. All the times I thought I imagined horrible nasty shadowy things floating near it. What if it wasn’t me being paranoid for once? It could have been literal demons like whatever Stephen can see sometimes for all I knew, or visible signs that the Darkhold was full of corrupted dark magic and my own magic trying to warn me about it, and I just assumed it was me imagining things that weren’t really there.
That thing probably wanted me to think that, a logical thought poked at her. It wanted me to distrust my own instincts.
And cold. Those icy fingers squeezing her all over, something crushing her chest inside. “Not there. Not there now. I am not hurting anything now. Not alone-“
Mia nudged at Wanda’s good hand pointedly, sensing Wanda was not okay at the moment. Pietro wrapped his arms around Wanda and hugged her tightly, being careful not to squeeze her injured arm and hand. “‘S all right, Wanda. We’re safe now. Go to sleep. I won’t leave. I’ll be right here.”
Wanda did not answer right away, but she finally just whispered, “Okay.” I believe you. I’m trying.
_________________
Wanda woke again so early the next morning that it was barely dawn. For a moment she worried something else was wrong, but Pietro and America were both sleeping peacefully. America must have padded to bed quietly enough not to wake her up late the night before. Loyal patient Mia was awake, but Wanda rather thought the sweet big dog had simply woken up right along with her. Mia had to sleep too after all.
No, the only thing ‘wrong’ was that her hand hurt quite a bit, which was unpleasant but not distressing. Wanda didn’t want to wake Pietro up, so she stayed put for now. In a few minutes Pietro bolted awake himself looking startled, but he quickly relaxed once he saw Wanda and Mia. “Weird new place but good weird,” he murmured to Wanda, who understood that sentiment perfectly. “Do you feel better today?”
“Less tired. Still sore,” Wanda said truthfully. “And not...stuck somewhere else. I’m sorry I made you deal with that again.” She stroked Mia’s soft fur lightly.
Pietro was very sure Wanda meant whatever she had been remembering last night that made her scared and zoned out in that unsettling manner. Still, that was not really new behavior to Pietro. He had seen that plenty of times before. What was new was just that it seemed to happen more easily and more often, which he hated but understood. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t apologize for that. I know you can’t really help it when that happens.”
“I know I’m not...the same any more. I don’t want to stick you with dealing with that.”
“Wanda, you know quite well I have seen you get like that loads of times. I hate seeing it happen, but it’s not new. I think…” Pietro paced silently while he was thinking, socked feet tracing circles in the carpet every so often. “I think it happened when we were little once in awhile, at least something similar. It just got worse as we got older, which is reasonable, I think. Everything sucked and it just went on sucking for years. We were always tired, always watching for something or someone nasty to hurt us. How were you supposed to get better at dealing with whatever makes brains do that when you were just stressed all the time? Then more horrible things happened after I was gone.”
Hearing optimistic Pietro say that so matter-of-factly made Wanda feel better in an odd sort of way instead of worse. Pietro is saying he knows darn well there was always something inherently ‘wrong’ with me in my head but that circumstances made it much, much worse. That sounds like what Antonia told me, that you can have issues without repeated traumatic things happening, but that those things can and usually make existing things worse. “I still don’t want you to have to deal with me.”
“I’m not dealing with you! You are so stupid sometimes. Stubborn and stupid. Quit assuming your friends don’t really want you just because you need help.” Pietro scowled, but he also stopped pacing to give Wanda another hug. “It’s all right. Really. I don’t think your friends would let us stay in their house and not expect anything from us if they didn’t want you. Or me. Actually I think they feel responsible for us but really do want us, problems and all.” This was another thing Pietro noticed that had most certainly not changed about Wanda: she loved hugs and when he did hug her, she seemed to feel better. He was quite sure she still wouldn’t want hugs from just anyone, but still.
When Wanda read the text Vision had sent her a few minutes earlier, ‘Good morning, Wanda. I miss you already. I shall come visit as soon as I can if you do not mind. How are you feeling?’, Pietro immediately zeroed in on the soft smile that appeared on Wanda’s face. “...What?”
“You’re messaging your boyfriend. I can tell,” Pietro teased gleefully, and tried to peek over Wanda’s shoulder while she typed a reply. He expected her to hide the phone and push him away, but instead Wanda tilted the device so he could see, her cheeks tinged pink.
‘I’m fine. I just feel like everything is too good to be real, still. Even though I know it is. I love you,’ said Wanda’s reply.
“Wanda, you don’t really have to show me, you know,” Pietro assured her, all signs of teasing vanished. “Those messages are for you. I know that, even if I like teasing you.”
Wanda’s smile grew bigger. I know. “I hated your teasing before, but then after, I...I wished you were there to do it again,” she admitted.
“I will tease you more to make up for lost time,” Pietro deadpanned, “but only when you aren’t upset. You really do love Vision. I can tell.”
“I really do,” Wanda said softly. Her cheeks were still pink, but she didn’t hesitate to agree, either. “He is kind and funny and his eyes make me feel warm and fluttery inside. And he...he never looks at me like I have scared him, even if maybe he should be. I-“
“He would be acting shitty if he made you think he was scared of you. That is the least he can do,” Pietro interrupted, though there was no bite behind it at all.
Wanda pulled a plain black dress out of a drawer, her shoulders tense. I know Pietro knows why I said that. “I mean that he looks at me like I’m special, but in the normal ordinary way someone would look at the person they like. Not special as in that enhanced thing might be useful. He sees me. I like that he kisses my hands even though he knows they’re dangerous. And he would care for me whether I was enhanced or not.”
“Well, if you really, really love him, I promise to give him a chance. He seemed weird but nice before and he seems the same now. I just don’t want you to be hurt. When you care about someone, you really really do.” Pietro couldn’t help wondering if Vision really loved Wanda as much as she loved him. A random crush was one thing to Pietro; loving someone romantically enough for a permanent relationship and wanting- having - children with that someone was something else. “Wanda, can I ask you something kind of weird?”
Wanda nodded immediately. Of course.
“How do you know he’s the one-and-only Special Person meant for you? And not a crush you might eventually get over?”
Whatever Wanda had thought Pietro was going to ask, it wasn’t that. “...I don’t know. I…” she trailed off, trying to think. I have no idea how to explain. I felt like it happened naturally? I didn’t like Vis as more than a friend for a long time, or else, I thought that was all, at least. It was different later on.
The twins were all too used to helping each other if one of them was hurt without intruding on the other one’s privacy, and Pietro instinctively turned his back on Wanda until she wordlessly tapped him on the shoulder to say, okay I want help now. Pietro easily helped her get the injured arm through the other dress sleeve. Wanda’s eyes filled with tears, not because her hand hurt but because this reminded her of what was years before for her, before the Ultron battle had happened at all.
The twins didn’t bother saying anything about it; Pietro was sure Wanda was remembering the Before and Wanda was sure Pietro already knew. Wanda grabbed the argyle sweater Vision had given her, which Pietro found entertaining because it was not remotely something his sister would choose to wear under any other circumstances.
“I think,” Wanda started carefully, her thoughts now organized a bit better, “that I don’t process crushes or romantic interest the same way you do. I think you already know that. And that part doesn’t have anything to do with me having issues at all. You can know you like someone without knowing them first at all, and you like both girls and boys but mostly girls. I know I need to know the person first, but I’m not sure otherwise. I think that Vis and I did instantly connect literally because of the mind stone- you saw that happen before, really- but that some inanimate power thing like that is not a thing to make a relationship on. Or a friendship.” She blinked, clutching the sweater Vision had given her tightly. Vis, how do I explain to Pietro something I don’t know how to explain to myself? I’m rambling and I don’t know if anything I’m saying makes any sense or not. “I know that infinity stone did not mean anything, because he hasn’t got it anymore and I still feel the same about him. And he has told me directly that he does not care if I have magic or not.”
Pietro thought this was sweet and made perfectly good sense. “You like to say otherwise, but you are a big romantic and cynical. All the time. Maybe you like that Vision does sweet things like giving you his butt-ugly sweater and kissing your hands, but also seems to see things more realistically and logically than you.” He was absolutely delighted when this produced an immediate nod of agreement from Wanda.
“I do. I really do. And you sound like Nate! He picked on my sweater too.”
“Wanda, you wouldn’t like that sweater if Vision hadn’t given it to you,” Pietro pointed out gleefully.
_______________
They quietly ventured downstairs, where Wanda led Pietro and Mia out the back door into the yard.
“Morning,” Bucky called.
“What’s he doing?” Pietro asked in Wanda’s ear, but Bucky could still hear and looked at Pietro.
Wanda shushed him.
Bucky found this amusing and shook his head. “Rest of us are taking shifts to watch the house, especially during the night,” he explained. “You are up early.”
“You understand Sokovian,” Pietro announced in English, pleased, “and that makes us happy.”
Bucky looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Learned enough to understand loud whispers asking what I’m doing.” He glanced at Wanda, his blue eyes pensive again.
“I can’t read your mind with this on,” Wanda told him, holding up her wrist with the bracelet cuff on it. “But I still know you are worried for us about something.”
“It’s too quiet. Nothing happening since the incident when you helped save Lila and Nate? You more or less safely getting your brother back without anyone or anything making a serious attempt to get to him? Something isn’t right.” Bucky sighed, staring out at the dew-dappled grassy yard. “I heard what happened in New York. Sounded like a human witch and an inhuman creature wanting to see for themselves what you did.”
Wanda glanced down at her arm, thinking about the rune spell seemingly etched onto her own skin and Pietro’s, hidden out of sight beneath their clothes. No one knew about that part and she hoped they could keep it that way. While they could trust the others here not to purposely share that information with strangers, it would be safer for the twins not to tell anyone so nothing could get that information from any of their friends. I know it won’t hurt us, so I think keeping it to ourselves is okay.
“Your arm is cool,” Pietro said to Bucky in English, in his blunt cheery manner. He stayed stuck close to Wanda, scuffing worn sneaker toes around in the grass. “We heard about you, before,” he added abruptly. “Hydra wanted us learn to fight like you. I am glad you not stuck there any more, also.”
“Pietro! Why is that the first thing you tell him?” Wanda scolded, somewhat mortified.
“It was not first thing!” Pietro protested. “And, it is true. We were scared of this Winter Soldier ‘ asset’ they boasted about. I am glad he is free.”
Bucky’s gaze was soft, even though he was scowling. “He’s fine, Wanda. I don’t want to discuss Hydra, but it...isn’t unpleasant to hear that from him, considering both of you were used by those terrorists too.”
Pietro tilted his head exactly the way Bucky had seen Wanda do before. “But, we were dumb. We volunteered. We chose being there. They took you, I think.”
“You were naïve and didn’t really know what you were volunteering for. You were still experimented on and mistreated,” Bucky told him firmly. “I told Steve this years ago about your sister. You were kids being taken advantage of; you were lied to. Hydra spread its poison so easily because its members were lying, posing as SHIELD and telling ignorant homeless people- many of them teenagers like you or even younger- they would have food, shelter, and clothing if they volunteered to help their country.” Bucky looked Pietro straight in the eyes. “I did not trust Wanda immediately, because I didn’t think she had been taught how to use her enhancements confidently, not because of how she ended up with those abilities, what she had done, or what those abilities are. But I never disliked or begrudged her for any of it. The same goes for you.” He walked off before either twin could answer.
Wanda wished with all her heart that she had been able to spend more time with Bucky before. He was often brooding and quiet- like her- but if he had something to say then that was different- like her. She watched Bucky striding about the yard, clearly watching for anything potentially out of the ordinary on the property. Pietro’s familiar fingers found hers, and she squeezed his hand as hard as she could.
“He need someone to make him laugh,” Pietro said, and then added, “Can I practice English on you?”
“Of course. You can speak whatever language you want. I...I like just hearing your voice.” Wanda sank onto one of the plastic chairs Clint kept outside, not feeling sick like the night before, just tired. “Bucky is right though. Something’s odd. Are they planning something larger? Waiting for us to let down our guards and assume it’s safe?” She glanced down at the bracelet cuff on her wrist and bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m safer this way or with it off, even forgetting that I don’t trust myself or that I’m hurt.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wong doesn’t know how my magic works, really, and neither do I. He’s trying to protect us. We know that for sure, I trust that much. What I don’t know is whether that thing wants me powerless for whatever reason, to make it easier to get to me, or if blocking my magic access is helping keep me hidden.” Wanda still did not like how ‘easily’ that creature had left both Stephen and her alone back at the hospital. They had not forced him- it - to leave; it had chosen to, and it was infuriated that it couldn’t get to her easily anymore. And that part had to do with me using...me, to get Pietro back. He’s in danger too. “It could be manipulating Wong’s reaction for all we know. Making him think Strange and I are more dangerous than we actually are.”
Pietro instinctively edged closer to Wanda, an uneasy chill snaking down his back. “How can we know? That is like what I ask you last night.”
“We can’t. But I do know that Stephen is...not like me? He’s very stressed, he isn’t seeking out help like he should, he still misses his sister, but he was okay before he used the Darkhold.” Wanda hesitated, unsure how to explain what she was thinking, her eyes focused on the dewy blades of grass. Pietro already knows what I mean, I think. Maybe it doesn’t matter.
“Are you saying the creepy Darkhold book likes victims that have mental illness better?” Pietro asked matter-of-factly. “Or at least more obvious. I don’t know if he doesn’t have any. And you think you fit its preferred victim profile and Doctor Strange doesn’t?”
“Well...yes. I’m not saying he is completely okay, because I don’t think he is, but he’s not... unstable , either.” Wanda relaxed; Pietro clearly understood, even if he didn’t like that she had said that. “And there are no magic users here besides me,” Wanda added quietly. “No one here at the farm is equipped to deal with magic, period. We’re stuck with a team of knowledgeable but non-magical fighters plus me, the wild card we can’t trust.” Mia seemed to know that Wanda was worried but not in trouble; she rested her head calmly against Wanda’s leg.
Pietro glanced back toward the door, his blue eyes thoughtful. He still felt Wanda could fight just fine so long as she wasn’t by herself, but he also didn’t think telling her that would help, and he didn’t want her to anyway. “So who is here?”
Wanda could tell Pietro was already trying to help plan. She quickly gave Pietro the list: Bucky, Sam, Scott, Kate, America, Clint, Laura, Cooper, Lila, Nate, Pietro, and herself. “And we could call New York or New Asgard if we wanted to.”
“That is twelve people. We should be fine.”
“Nate is four .”
“And any bad guys will think he can’t help. So they will not expect anything,” Pietro pointed out. “Wanda, I think I have ideas.”
Back inside a little while later, Pietro smoothed the papers he had fished out of the Bartons’ recycling bin in the garage (which Wanda had shown him) out on the dining room table...and grabbed two pens from the kitchen counter. “We need list of all the heroes you know. Ones that aren’t here, also,” Pietro told Wanda. “Any you think will help. Ol’ Hawkeye said there are many more enhanced people- like us- than before. Must be more to help, then. And another list, with people like Dr. Palmer and Claire. Helpful normal people.” Pietro’s blue eyes sparkled; he seemed quite pleased with himself.
Wanda frowned even as Pietro started to scribble down names in his sloppy but still easy to read handwriting. “What are you planning?”
“Fixing things,” Pietro said quietly. “We need to be getting rid of bad monster creature, yes? And find your babies, and missing enhanced people I hear about. And protect all us enhanced from people that hate us.” The second Wanda nodded, Pietro added, “So, make own team. More than one. Cover all problems. Maybe connecting everyone you and your friends know is helpful. Also, I know you said you won’t try healing yourself now, unless you got proof it not hurt me or anyone else. Can you…” Pietro trailed off, unsure of the correct explanation details in English, so he switched back to Sokovian. “Can you at least research potential consequences of attempting to undo results of using a big complicated rune spell like you used?”
“I don’t want to undo it! I might hurt you all over again and-“
“I said research , not actually do anything,” Pietro interrupted quickly. “You can’t possibly be the only person to ever successfully use a big complicated rune spell that also ends up harming its user somehow. Most people aren’t going to just resign themselves to waiting weeks or months to heal the ordinary way. You are stubborn, you don’t care about yourself enough, and you’re used to being in pain so you aren’t bothered so much by it.” Pietro scowled at her, clearly frustrated. “I wish neither one of us were, but it’s just the truth.”
Wanda didn’t answer right away, but she nodded. I know he isn’t wrong, but I also don’t know how to research something like that. I doubt Wong has any books on such a thing. “Maybe Loki knows something. I can look in that book Wong lent me, but I doubt there’s anything in there about fixing the payment portion after casting a spell. That wouldn’t be something the sorcerers believe can or should be fixed, because it isn’t following the rules.”
Wanda couldn’t help thinking that Stephen absolutely would research and then do such a thing if he wanted to and believed himself that it wouldn’t hurt anyone. A sliver of her wanted to ask him, but she would not do that. The mucky sense of dark angry frustration bubbled in her chest and she scrunched her eyes shut.
I should just do it. I have more raw power than he does, I could easily try it.
I will not. I do not have to ask him a thing, especially since I know he will just dismiss me entirely, but I will not risk doing anything not knowing if it’s safe. I can be bitter and angry without falling for stupid lies again-
“-whatever’s bothering you, I’ll listen,” Pietro was saying. “Look, Mia told me to help you. She tugged my shirt until I sat next to you instead of across the table. You were, like, disassociating or something, I don’t know.”
Now Mia was resting her head firmly across Wanda’s lap, her big brown eyes blinking in concern slowly. Wanda didn’t answer right away, unsure what to say. I told Pietro I didn’t want to make him deal with this anymore, and I’ve done it again already. I know Mia went to Pietro because he was the closest person nearby but still.
Wanda also rather thought the dog somehow knew Pietro was connected to her, but that was another story altogether. “I promise I’m trying,” she whispered finally. “I’m here. I’m listening again.”
“I know. It’s all right. We don’t have to pretend we’re fine all the time. Not here, anyway. Here is safe.” Pietro glanced around the warmly lit dining room and adjoining kitchen. On impulse he tugged Wanda to her feet, put Mia’s harness in her hand, and then took his sister into the kitchen. “Look. Ol’ Hawkeye has all kinds of food in here, and his family is willing to share it with us.”
This made Wanda smile. Of course Pietro had decided that the Bartons’ kitchen was a safe zone. He went on to say that Laura had said he could have whatever he wanted to eat, so he was sure the same instructions applied to Wanda also. “We could surprise Laura and make everyone breakfast,” Wanda suggested after a minute. It was still very early, but soft rays of morning sunlight shone indoors all the same, and she was sure the others would get up soon.
“Let’s. Good plan.”
Notes:
The cozy downtime will be interrupted shortly...of course...
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated<3
Chapter 32: Chapter 32
Summary:
In which the twins go on a small outing with friends and run into someone who remembers Wanda and Kate. Wanda is able to fulfill the request made of her, but after things don’t quite go as planned, she and the rest of the team get a piece of information from Wong that might be concerning.
Notes:
I HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER READY FINALLY YAY
There is, of course, the usual friendship and family fluffy bits in this chapter, but I am so excited to be setting up the next part of the plot event stuff lol! I have everything all planned out in my head- I just need to get it written out and I am picky, heh. I hope you enjoy:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The twins were still in the kitchen when Scott poked his head in. “You two are up so early. Did something else happen?”
“Not yet,” Wanda told him. It just feels like something should soon. “We decided to make everyone breakfast so Laura wouldn’t have to. She’s done so much for us. I can at least help do this. Pietro, you probably met already, but this is Scott, hero name Ant-Man. He has a little girl, Cassie, but Cassie isn’t here.”
“Well, Cassie isn’t so little anymore,” Scott said, a hint of sadness and regret in his voice. Glancing at Pietro, he added, “Actually, I think Cassie is only a little younger than you, really. She’s sixteen now and her birthday is in July.”
Pietro fidgeted a bit and edged closer to Wanda. “I hate being younger than Wanda,” he muttered. “But, I would like meeting Cassie.”
Wanda realized Cassie must not have been dusted and that was why she was a teenager now and not somewhere between ten and twelve like she’d thought. Everyone’s ages feel all mixed up, not just Pietro’s and mine. She could tell Pietro didn’t like having Cassie’s age compared to his when he knew Wanda was older, but there wasn’t anything any of them could do to fix that.
“Definitely Wanda’s brother. You sound just like her,” Scott told Pietro with a grin. “I don’t know her anywhere near as well as Hawkeye does, but she used to say she’d like meeting Cassie too. Unfortunately she’s only met Cassie over a video call.”
Pietro glanced at Wanda, not perturbed with her, just perturbed in general. This, he decided, was a very bad thing about being the younger one. People would call you Sibling Name’s Sibling automatically. Then he wondered if that was precisely why Wanda had always insisted she wasn’t the baby sibling before. It probably both was and wasn’t, depending on the context. Little Wanda preened when counted as the all-together entity of just the Maximoff twins, but she didn’t like being labeled Pietro’s baby sister. Being stuffed into one Thing was okay. Being the little one was not.
Still, Scott did seem nice, and he was not making nervous Wanda jumpy, so Pietro decided he was fine. “Why is Cassie not here?” Pietro asked.
“Because we’re worried if I go home to California, it’ll end up dragging Cassie into the magic problems too. America and the three Hawkeye kids are involved by default. Cassie doesn’t have to be. You two are making...hero lists?” Scott eyed the table and sat down, looking over the papers. The twins followed him. “What does this say?”
“Lists of everyone we know and their basic skill sets. And defense plans,” Wanda told him, knowing Pietro had been scribbling his ideas down in Sokovian and Scott couldn’t read them. “Pietro noticed the barn and thought it could be a fortress of sorts…” Except, nothing will do any good without something to counter any potential magic attack. I don’t want to dismiss any of Pietro’s ideas, but…
“Wanda can’t fight herself now. So, I think she help make stuff for others to fight better,” Pietro said, uncharacteristically quiet about it. “I was writing magic-item ideas. But I do not want her more tired.”
Scott privately did not think ‘making stuff’ was going to hurt Wanda further, but he didn’t say that. “Sounds like a good plan. We do need some way to counter any other weird magic attacks like before. Nobody could do anything.” Thinking of some of the video games he had played so much during house arrest before, Scott went on, “Maybe Wanda can just infuse our ordinary weapons with magic, sort of like those green cylinders were.”
“What is ‘infuse’?” Pietro asked.
“Like...adding a thing to something all over it, so it soaks through? I guess that’s a good definition. I just mean that maybe Wanda can make our regular weapons stronger. Or less likely to get affected by other magic.”
Pietro liked that Scott chattered away and didn’t mind questions.
Wanda suddenly wished her hand wasn’t hurt simply because she wanted to fiddle with her rings or twist her fingers together. Instead she squeezed the plate she was holding so tightly it left marks on her palm. Mia nudged at Wanda’s good arm until she set it down and stroked Mia’s head instead. Thank you, Mia. I...don’t know how to do that with my magic though. Can I really just do it on instinct? I know I could trust myself not to hurt any of them while trying, but I also don’t trust whatever results we might end up with to actually work. And what good is that?
“-trust her. I know it,” Pietro was saying firmly. “She’s better at her enhancements than she thinks.”
Pietro has always thought that. Why does he still think that now even after everything I told him? Wanda glanced at Scott, who was nodding sagely in clear agreement with Pietro. “I don’t understand.”
“You were the OP inexperienced one of the rogue Avengers team before, and it seemed like your main weakness was that you didn’t really trust yourself, especially after...you know. After we were in that shit underwater prison hole. I think you’re still the same- you just know how to use more of your powers now. I told you that already when you explained what happened all that time before you were able to come back here.” Scott’s pleasant earnest expression made Wanda certain he truly believed that and wasn’t just trying to make her feel better. “Nobody’s going to be pissed if you feel you can’t help fight with your powers, but I think we all trust you enough to. You are the one that doesn’t trust yourself. You think the rest of us think the same of you as you think of yourself.”
Pietro was frowning and tapping his fingers ridiculously fast on the back of one of the chairs now, his other arm flung around Wanda’s shoulders. “I don’t want her to fight. She is hurt.”
Scott looked at them curiously, obviously puzzled. “Of course you don’t want her to, but why shouldn’t she if it wouldn’t risk her arm healing wrong or whatever? She can move stuff with her mind. Change stuff. Make new things. Fix old ones. Bring her best friend back.” He paused only for a moment before adding, “Here, the Bartons have been welcoming enough to have a house full of guests, I’ll help you finish making the breakfast. We’ll come up with a plan too.” Scott knew he was no expert cook, but certainly he could help the twins finish some simple scrambled eggs and sizzling bacon strips.
“Scott is right,” Wanda said softly. “Me tiring easily makes it risky, and me not trusting myself is unsafe. But I definitely don’t need my hand to be okay to fight properly. I could have lost my arm and still fight if I had to.” I know that . It feels wrong to say so, but I’m sure of it.
Pietro stared at her, somewhat befuddled. “You are confusing. You say that but you want that wristband on.”
“That is exactly why I want it,” Wanda muttered, “because there isn’t any other safe way to neutralize me and make sure I don’t hurt the rest of you.”
“You will not hurt us.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” Pietro insisted. “You told what happened. I don’t think hurt, corrupted Wanda is person that hurts us either.”
Wanda stared at him, her eyes bright with tears. “You weren’t here, you didn’t see what I did,” she whispered. I hurt people. I killed them. And Pietro just assumes it was all okay? Does he understand what happened at all?
“But that is exactly it. You were alone. You had no help. I think…” Pietro trailed off, uncharacteristically quiet for a minute. “I think you wanted- needed- help. There was no help. That, does not make what you did fine. What you did was very bad. But…” Pietro hesitated again, taking Wanda’s good hand and just giving her a gentle squeeze. “Maybe, if someone listened …”
Wanda knew, logically, as much as she hated it, that poor Wong and Stephen had not had much of any reason to want to listen to her before. Why would they? Would she have been able to think clearly and realize what she was doing if Strange didn’t repeatedly dismiss her entirely and insist the boys weren’t real? I don’t even know. I have no idea at all. Certainly he was making things worse than they were already, but…I also don’t think I would have believed him if he tried to understand. I’d have thought he was patronizing me or something.
The one thing Wanda did believe would have actually helped was if Strange had decided to go fetch Clint- or even Sam or Bucky, really- the second he had gone to visit her in that hexed apple orchard outside the isolated cabin and realized what she’d been up to, meddling with the Darkhold. Clint in particular knew her; he wouldn’t have dismissed her entirely even if he did think she sounded illogical and ridiculous. I can just hear him now. “Wanda, I don’t know what happened to you, but let’s sit and figure something else out. You know you shouldn’t do this. You’ve got help now; you need to stop this. Let’s look for them a different way. I will help you. You aren’t alone. Don’t do this.” Or something.
Scott glanced from one twin to the other, unsurprised. “Wanda, you do realize that our team here needs some kind of magic. Yours is probably the safest source, actually. Nobody else’s is like it. Which means even the magic experts probably can’t really know how to counter you, not properly. Whoever or whatever sent those intruders here before didn’t want to deal with you at all.”
“How can mine be the safest source when we know where it’s from?” Wanda sounded more frustrated than frightened.
“What, that you were born with a unique kind of magic that you never knew you had even after you got experimented on as a teenager and ‘unlocked’ it? You told us yourself that you destroyed the evil book and that Wonder-whatever-ore place. It doesn’t matter where your magic was originally from- it’s yours to use as you please.” Scott gave her the same smile she remembered from years before when he had first met her before that unfortunate airport fight.
I know you! You’re great too!
“Only bad thing about your skill set is it seems like you quite literally obtain powerups from being traumatized and hurt over and over. In a game you’d be like a character that increases their DPS the more HP they lose,” Scott went on, and then, “God, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Cassie would say I put my foot in my mouth and-“
“No,” Wanda interrupted firmly, laughing. It feels good to laugh. It sounds ridiculous and I know those terms from Cooper, actually. “I don’t mind hearing that. It isn’t even wrong, really. I...knew that.”
“We need to make something to protect you,” Pietro told Wanda, lining up the finished bacon strips on a paper towel to cool off. He could tell their breakfast-making venture was already making Wanda more tired than she was already even though they hadn’t been up for long, but he also knew she loved cooking things. Trying to make her stop would probably make her all upset and frustrated. And she was happy. Tired Wanda was better than upset Wanda in his opinion, and he loved doing something so mundane together as cooking breakfast. The fact that there was plenty of food was a big deal to him, but he did not wish to bring attention to that, not right now.
“I can easily protect myself if I’m not wearing that wristband,” Wanda said, which was true. I just don’t trust myself and forgetting me, I don’t know if it’s safe.
“No, we need something else, something that still helps anyway. Then it not matter if you feel you need that thing.” Pietro also wondered if there was also some way to protect Mia. “We also need to protect Mia.” I think bad people might go after her to hurt Wanda.
Scott studied Wanda’s wrist thoughtfully. “You know...it might be as simple as you making more protection spell bracelets. You said this one works on you because you didn’t make it. Maybe if you make more yourself…”
Wanda did not think that was going to help her, but she did wonder if it might protect any outside magic from affecting her friends again. “I can try. We can’t prove it works though.”
“Not at the moment, but it wouldn’t hurt anything. At worst it just doesn’t do anything at all, and that leaves us all exactly the same as we are now,” Scott pointed out. “And at best you’d have instantly defended everyone in a passive, harmless way that no one could reasonably get mad about, not even haters.”
“Haters are by default not reasonable,” Pietro muttered.
By the time Laura came in, breakfast was already on the table, much to her surprise. “I didn’t expect any of you to cook, but thank you,” Laura told them. “I certainly don’t mind cooking for all of us, but a break is nice.”
Pietro looked exceedingly pleased with himself. “My mother would want me and Wanda help. You, are like her.”
Wanda nodded; she agreed with Pietro’s assessment of Laura completely. Laura did not look surprised, but she smiled warmly at the twins and offered them hugs. Wanda willingly accepted, but Pietro instinctively hung back until he realized Wanda had included Laura in her ‘safe to hug’ category. If cautious Wanda considered Laura a safe person to allow to hug her, then it was okay. It was still odd and unsettling to him that Wanda really did have a whole group of people she knew now, ones that he didn’t. And it still didn’t make sense that Wanda had still somehow ended up alone for so long, even considering the ‘multiple poor decisions from everyone involved’ explanation that Vision has given him. Still, they were together now, and whatever danger waited for them behind the scenes could not truly separate them again. Not really.
______________
Breakfast was entirely uneventful, just the now-usual and very much welcomed crowded, and Wanda slipped back upstairs with Pietro once they were finished eating, though she did carry out the bracelets idea before doing so, creating one for each of her friends. Certainly there was no way to prove they would work at the moment, but it wouldn’t hurt anything, at least. She had to pause a couple times to rest on the stairs, which made Pietro want to carry her, but he respected Wanda’s wishes that he just stay close instead of picking her up. “You should lie down again,” Pietro told her once the stairs were done, and then grew more worried when Wanda didn’t protest. Not that he wanted her to, but Wanda not insisting she was fine and did not either need to lie down bothered him.
“Why do I feel like you would be less worried if I did insist I didn’t need to?” Wanda teased, her expression all smiles as she collapsed on her bed. “Pietro, you are ridiculous. And I love hearing you talk and just you...being there.”
Pietro threw one of the many pillows in the room at her, carefully aimed so he wouldn’t hit the hurt arm. Mia looked puzzled, but Wanda was very obviously happy at the moment, so she just settled at the foot of the bed to keep an eye on her once Wanda allowed her onto the bed.
“And should I warn Kate you are thinking about asking her out?” Wanda asked, eyes twinkling. “She’s older than you, you know.”
“Rude. Very rude! I do not think she is too old,” Pietro said loftily, and then, in a distinctly bossy sibling tone, “Don’t tell her any dumb embarrassing stuff.”
Wanda closed her eyes, pretending she had fallen asleep.
“I know you are not sleeping!”
_______________________
Later in the afternoon, Wanda ventured out to the grocery store with Pietro (of course), America, and Kate. “Laura, he doesn’t know how to drive properly,” Wanda said hurriedly when Laura was about to just let Pietro drive. Laura must have just assumed he can since I know how now, but I didn’t when I first came here years ago. Nat taught me.
Not letting Pietro drive was not a matter of not having a driver’s license, something Wanda could technically remedy; she knew quite well Pietro didn’t know how to drive at all. She would have to help teach him how later.
Pietro huffed but didn’t argue. He whispered a halfhearted, “Tattletale, I could drive,” in Wanda’s ear, but that was it, and he stuck close to her, scooting in the backseat, leaving the front passenger seat for America so Kate could drive. Mia tucked herself in on the floor politely.
“Do you know how to drive at all?” America asked curiously.
“Well, no. But it cannot be hard,” Pietro said, shrugging. “I would be careful, because Wanda is hurt.”
“So you were only going to be careful because she’s also in the car?” Kate found this logic quite entertaining.
“No, but that is extra reason for to be careful,” Pietro explained reasonably. After a moment he added, “I could run faster than this, anyway.”
Kate laughed, but it was clearly with Pietro and not at him, which made Wanda smile. They were not “safe”, perhaps, but certainly they were not in any immediate danger, and they were together with friends with a warm place to live. Danger currently seemed very far away. She closed her eyes, and when Pietro nudged her to lean on him, she rested her head on his shoulder. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do next to deal with whatever outside threat is happening, but I still feel...okay. I’m happy.
Pietro quickly realized Wanda was simply falling asleep, and he wondered if he should have suggested that she stay resting in that cozy bedroom back at the Barton house. “I will sit with Wanda while you go in,” he offered.
Wanda gave him a no you won’t look.
“You stop that.”
“I didn’t say anything!”
“You did, it is all over you,” Pietro insisted.
“Then you should know I am going to tell you I can sit by myself, and anyway I...think I’d like to go in.” I can handle that fine. Wanda did not look very sorry; she was clearly still tired and her arm hurt, but she was smiling and obviously relaxed.
America twisted around in her seat to look at the twins. “You made Wanda, like, instantly happier. I knew she liked being at the farm way better than the sanctum, but still. It’s like she’s...whole. Even if she isn’t ‘okay’ all the time.” It was something about her eyes. That and the cadence of her voice. Wanda’s eyes were what had caught America’s attention even before, that the problem wasn’t so simple as everyone else seemed to assume. A window of sorts to the all too normal person behind the angry desperate force of nature.
Pietro frowned, but he didn’t correct Wanda’s younger friend, either. “That sounds weird. She is literally hurt, now.”
“I know, but I think I’m right. I saw Wanda before, remember? You didn’t, Pietro. She just told you about it. I’m younger than you guys, not stupid. It’s not the same kind of hurt. And especially not the horrible destructive hurt.” America was looking out the car window now, her dark eyes thoughtful. “ Now there is you, and you help just by existing, I think.”
Wanda didn’t say anything; she didn’t mind America talking about her and really, even if she did mind she knew she wouldn’t tell the girl to be quiet and stop. Not now. Certainly America had more rights than anyone to talk about her as she pleased. And America is right. I don’t want to stress Pietro out any more than he already is, but he absolutely helps just by existing.
It did not take long for their little group to arrive at the grocery store Laura had sent them to, and Kate easily found a parking place decently close to the entrance. Wanda could tell Pietro was still worried about her, but he didn’t fuss; he just stuck close to her. She also noticed he was staring at everything intently, soaking in all the New Things to see. “The shelves are so full,” Pietro whispered to Wanda once they were inside. “And things cost a lot. Are you sure ol’ Hawkeye’s family can feed all of us?”
Wanda nodded. “Yes. They are not rich. They do have money to buy extra food,” she told him truthfully, knowing she was right.
“Still weird that food costs money in this universe at all,” America muttered, thinking of the free food she had gotten in other universes before.
Kate and the twins all looked puzzled. “You must have been really lucky,” Kate said after a moment. “To be stuck on your own and end up in worlds where you could get free food.”
“Or you guys are all really un lucky,” America countered.
Wanda quickly realized someone was watching them, mostly her but clearly eyeing all four of them. The odd thing was that the woman’s stare, while making Wanda herself uncomfortable, wasn’t a bad stare. Instinct said this woman was either 1) debating where or if she had seen them before, 2) debating whether to approach them, or 3) a mixture of both, but that she didn’t mean any harm either. Do I say something? I probably shouldn’t draw attention to us, right?
It turned out Wanda did not need to decide, because blunt Pietro just marched right over as they walked past the staring woman and said, “Hi. Why you watching us? You do not seem like bad person. But you are staring.”
America yanked Pietro by the arm and firmly set him back next to Wanda, which made him look very offended. “Hey, we’re sorry lady. Have a nice day!” she said cheerfully.
“Guys, all of you quit being weird,” Kate hissed.
The woman blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. “I just...I was sure I recognized you and your friend with the dog,” she explained.
Wanda realized she recognized the woman too- she was the mother of the little boy she and Kate had helped rescue from that burning car before. “I remember,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry we didn’t recognize you.”
The woman laughed. “Oh, it’s fine, of course. I suppose I was staring at you all, trying to confirm to myself who you were, and if you were, should I ask what I was thinking…”
“I mean, we won’t promise to answer, but of course you can ask,” Kate said quickly.
“Well...if you are sure. Do...do you suppose it would be possible to help my son’s friend? He met another little girl at the hospital who’d been burned and-“
“Yes,” Wanda interrupted without considering further. “I don’t know if I can, but I will try.” I have no idea if I can do that right now, but I can do my best.
“I didn’t tell the girl or her family about you, of course. I just...couldn’t stop thinking about what you and your friend did for us. But I didn’t know where you might be or who you were or...anything. And I did know you didn’t want us telling anyone about you, so...wasn’t sure how to look. But then there you were, here.”
Kate and Wanda traded glances. “Just a minute please,” Kate said quickly, and tugged Wanda a few feet away. Mia stayed at Wanda’s side as usual. “You need to talk to Clint first. We don’t know if you trying to help this other little kid is going to drag them into the magic trouble we don’t know much about.”
Wanda did understand this and knew Kate was right. They needed to be very careful, and she should have remembered that herself. Nat would be disappointed I didn’t. The second they rejoined the others, Wanda spoke up herself. “I’m genuinely not sure if I can help your son’s little friend, but I do want to try. But, me being associated with this child right now might put both her family and yours in danger, worse than her injuries might hurt her. I need to make sure that won’t be a problem first. Could we have your phone number? We’ll let you know by tomorrow.” There. I spoke up clearly and I think that sounded reasonable without pouring dangerous information on this lady.
Thankfully the woman understood and didn’t question Wanda or her companions further. Instead she gave Wanda the phone number and then impulsively hugged both her and Kate. “My son and I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for the two of you.”
Wanda instinctively tensed at a stranger touching her, but the woman did not seem remotely offended. She immediately let go of them and apologized for invading their space, adding that she would wait patiently to hear from them. Just like that, she was gone, and Wanda stared at Kate. “That woman has no idea who we are at all, just that we helped her. It feels...good.” I really don’t want public recognition. I never did. I just...I do like knowing I was able to help someone. Even after everything.
Pietro did not really understand what had just happened, but he could certainly tell that Wanda was happy. He stuck close to her while they found the grocery items Laura had requested, along with the chocolate bars Kate noticed Pietro eyeing. “Will you tell about the lady? On the way back?” he asked hopefully.
“Of course.”
Pietro’s immediate reaction once hearing the story about the burning car incident was to give Wanda a proud smile and hug her. “I did not know you could do all that with out using your enhancements or magic or whatever, Wanda. Very, very good job.” He wasn’t sure he approved of Wanda letting herself knowingly get hurt like that, but he had to admit there were definitely no marks on her- or Kate- whatsoever from this event. They were just fine because his twin had healed them. Between that and hearing Wanda’s tone as she told the story, Pietro knew that she had thought through the options before acting, not simply...not cared if she was hurt.
Wanda couldn’t help enjoying hearing Pietro’s praise. She closed her eyes and squeezed Pietro’s arm tightly. Thank you for understanding.
Once they had arrived back at the farm and explained everything to Clint, he immediately frowned. “Frankly I would absolutely support you trying this if and only if you don’t let these people know who you are, Wanda. I don’t want more strangers seeing you in action right now, nor do we want them sniffing around here either.”
“But Wanda needs good publicity too. I mean, I literally told her she should talk to you first, but still.” Kate plopped onto the living room sofa before glancing at Pietro. “Pietro thinks so too.”
“I do? I mean. Yes, yes I do,” Pietro said hurriedly, giving Wanda an I don’t think I get it look.
Wanda shrugged slightly. The publicity thing was not really a priority to her; she did not think any of her friends could do anything to ‘fix’ that completely, regardless of recent events. The general public didn’t know about the Darkhold and related...horrible things anyway, and while she didn’t trust Agatha, she was sure that woman would not share any of what she knew, simply because she did not wish to share her magic knowledge with random people. “I can’t honestly say I don’t care that I have never, um...done well with media things, but it just is. Nobody can fix that. I don’t like publicity. I didn’t before and I definitely don’t...more now.” I sound awkward. Am I even explaining that correctly? I don’t think that is bad.
...You hated Stephen’s comment about the lunchboxes. That was you, and that was okay. The nasty reactions to those feelings were what was not okay. Though the words weren’t from Pietro, who looked worried again and stayed right next to her, Wanda felt as if they were from him all the same.
Mia nudged at her hand gently but firmly. Her big brown eyes seemed to understand that Wanda had indeed retreated off in her own thoughts again, but that she should just be reminded that the other nice humans were talking to her. Mia blinked at her.
Pietro was not shaking her, but Wanda could tell that he was nervous and upset that she hadn’t answered whatever it was he had said, because he was holding onto her tightly, much like how Wanda remembered holding onto him when they were small. She did not tell him he was sort of hurting her arm. I’ve made him so jumpy. I don’t want Pietro to feel all insecure and anxious. “Pietro, I’m okay,” Wanda said firmly.
“Then why you not answering? I don’t like that. I don’t like it one bit.”
“Kid, let go of your sister a little. She’s not going anywhere,” Clint said quietly.
“No,” Pietro said stubbornly. “And I am not ‘kid’.”
Clint decided to let Pietro be for now, because he was already scowling and clearly would make a stink if anyone tried to separate him from Wanda. “Okay...well, the point is I don’t feel comfortable letting you go into whatever hospital ward this child is in and attempting this in public. You are still hurt yourself, which puts you in danger; it might not work; and the kid will be in danger if the wrong people see you with her. Is there any way you could try from a picture of the kid or something like that?”
I’m not sure. And I like that Clint is willing to be blunt enough to tell me the truth. “Maybe? I really don’t know.” Not for the first time Wanda wished she had more magic knowledge she could actually trust, instead of instincts and untrustworthy knowledge from that corrupted book. “I could definitely try without hurting myself further, at least.”
“Then here’s what we’ll try for now as a compromise…”
_______________
“Pietro was very, very upset that you made him stay home while we went to try this,” Wanda told Clint while they were sitting in the car in the hospital parking lot the next day, where they were supposed to meet the lady. “What for, anyway? She already saw him.”
“Because I don’t trust him not to make a scene if he so much as gets a whiff that someone might be looking at you the wrong way, even though we’re staying outside here in the car.” Clint could tell Wanda was extra jumpy without her twin stuck to her like glue, but he was not willing to risk their safety with a potential avoidable incident. “Look. I know you understand why I told that boy to stay at the farm, because you were willing to talk to him and convince him to stay put. Pietro doesn’t listen well. He’s loud. He also doesn’t have the old training you do, unfortunately. I feel like we’re all technically in over our heads even though no one is directly attacking us every two seconds. We need to keep you two safe as well as we can. Risking Pietro making a scene is not keeping the two of you safe.”
“I know.” While Wanda hated being separated from Pietro, even for just a little while, she understood and knew Clint was right. If they wanted to keep everything under wraps, they needed to blend in, and Pietro’s often obnoxious, noisy manner was just the opposite.
“Also, yes, Kate is right- you should get credit for the good things you do with your powers to help other people. You’ve always ended up with the shitty side of publicity and maybe we can change that. Right now I just don’t know how we can do so, and still keep you and any random civilians you help safe.”
Wanda shrugged, unbothered about that. “I still don’t even know if I can help now, because I got Pietro back. I just feel like I have the responsibility to try,” she said softly. I do not regret what I did to get him back one bit, but I’m not ignorant enough to think my magic is all okay either. I’m...me, and I know those corruption remnants disapproved of what I did, and that’s enough for me to trust that I didn’t do anything ‘bad’, but….
Clint studied Wanda for a moment. “You sure you’re up to trying this? How’s your hand and arm feeling?”
“I don’t need that to be okay to try healing someone else,” Wanda said firmly. “I told you before. And you saw it earlier anyway when Laura helped me change the bandages on it.”
“Kid, it did look like it was healing properly, sure, but the fact is you’ve been lethargic since you cast the spell and we don’t know how to help you with that. Even if you don’t need to use that arm at all to help this child, you’d certainly expend more energy doing so.” Clint knew Wanda didn’t want anyone fussing over her, but the whole thing bothered him more than he wanted to admit, mostly because he didn’t trust Wanda to let anyone know if there was something else wrong.
Wanda didn’t answer right away, but she finally just said, “I didn’t do anything with my magic that I should have been doing, for so long. It’s mine and I want to use it to help someone else instead of hurting them. Not let weird horrible things control me anymore.” She looked down at Mia curled up politely on the floor. “I don’t care about credit or being recognized. I like helping people, and it felt so good to have that lady be happy and grateful for what Kate and I did, but I just…” I should be quiet. It won’t make sense.
No. Pietro would tell me to say what I want and that it doesn’t matter if it ‘made sense’ or not. “I just want...normal. I like when no one recognizes me and just see a random person they might know is from Sokovia, but that’s it. I like being around people like your family and Vision that treat me like a normal person. Maybe that is bad and selfish. I don’t know.”
Clint looked sideways at her before simply reaching to give her a hug. “Do you really think you’re the only Avenger that doesn’t care about- or even particularly like- being recognized and pounced on in public? That’s not selfish or bad. Good grief, Wanda. You’re fine. There is nothing wrong with what you just said.”
“I suppose.” Wanda was rather relieved she finally saw the lady; she didn’t want to discuss any of that further at the moment. “There she is.”
Once the lady handed them the requested tangible picture of the child she had asked for help for, Clint immediately just told her thank you and shooed her away politely. “We’ll try from here. This way she’s close by but not visible to everyone inside.”
Wanda tried to look as if she were confident this whole plan would work properly, but mostly she decided to just let Clint talk while she tried to focus. If Pietro was here he would think I could do it. I know so. The protection-spelled wristband sat in Clint’s pocket now, and her magic stirred about in her chest impatiently as if just knowing she was planning to Do Something with it. It’s okay. It doesn’t feel all horrible and weird, but it’s...jumpy. She let a tiny bit of scarlet twirl around her fingers before dispersing it again and reaching for Mia, who rested her head firmly on Wanda’s lap.
Mia appearing thoroughly unbothered made Wanda feel a bit better in of itself; she seemed to recognize that Wanda was nervous about something but...mostly okay.
Clint climbed back in the car with the picture. “Here you go. Don’t forget, Pietro’s not far away, he’s just back at the farm. You can do your telepathic talking thing to him if it helps too.”
Wanda blinked and took a deep breath. Nodded. That was true. Pietro’s presence was right there and it was easy to talk to him. “We’re outside at the hospital, Pietro. I’m going to try now.”
Instantly Pietro’s familiar voice pinged back, “You can do it. I can’t start talking to you this way unless you’re the one to initiate it since we left the other bracelet thing on me, but I’m here.”
“Okay. Thank you. You...help.” Wanda was still uncertain she could actually carry out the plan, but the fear that she would actively mess things up was gone. The worst outcome was just...failing and then the little girl would still be hurt, same as she was already. No. I can do this. She studied the picture for a few seconds before closing her eyes and attempting to ‘find’ the little girl inside. There. That was...too easy, really.
Are you the magical enhanced girl my friend said was gonna try to help? I can’t see you really but I think you’re outside in a car.
I’m going to try. I wanted to come in but it’s not safe for you if I do.
Okay. I like your dog. She’s cute. Is your arm hurt?
Yes, but I can try to heal you anyway. Is that all right?
I’d like that lots.
Wanda realized that for whatever reason, connecting with the little girl telepathically in this particular manner had made the child able to see through her eyes temporarily, if she could see Mia. That and the little girl was not remotely scared; her mind and feelings were completely open and relaxed. Wanda could sense that the little girl was in pain and very tired, but she wasn’t frightened at all (and currently wanted ice cream).
Before she could think further, Wanda’s eyes blazed red and a wave of scarlet exploded from both her and an upper floor of the hospital before streaking over the entire building parallel to the ground all in a split second.
….Something is wrong. You’re not hurting me and I feel better but I also feel a bad black thing, the little girl’s mental voice shouted. Will we get rid of it?
Yes, absolutely. I’m sorry, I think I might have to try again another time, I- Wanda yanked herself away from the child entirely before even finishing the thought, her hand shaking as she reached for Clint, who was staring at her with this worried fearful look that made her skin crawl.
There. You think you stopped the prophecy? Only the beginning. You can’t stop your instincts even if you broke the vessel, you know. “What- what did I just-“ That cuff bracelet that part of her hated so much suddenly locked back around her wrist, which made her want to scream, but then Mia was nudging her cold wet nose against her wrist and there were familiar hands on her shoulders, shaking her hard. “You...you’re hurting me. I don’t- I don’t understand-“
“Wanda, stop it. You need to focus. I don’t know what the hell just happened, but that was not discreet! What on earth did you do?” Clint looked back at the hospital building, eyes wide. People inside were screaming and windows opened. Several confused small groups of family members or friends poured out of the ER entrance. A college-age boy shook out a blood-soaked towel he’d been holding against a friend’s arm and then peered at the friend in befuddlement because he was clearly fine. An old lady hugged a small toddler kicking her clearly uninjured legs. More people were shouting about what in the world could have happened.
Wanda blinked slowly, trying to clear her head. “Did I hurt someone?” she whispered, even as the truth of what she’d done poked at her. I didn’t just heal the little girl. It was...a lot more people.
“Kid, I think you just healed a lot more than one little girl,” Clint muttered, pulling out of the parking space without further explanation. “We need to get out of here before there’s utter chaos.”
Chaos. Me. Wanda twisted in her seat to look back at the hospital and then felt strangely dizzy, so she closed her eyes, putting her good hand to her own head. What have I done? “I think I messed up.”
Clint sighed. “You didn’t ‘mess up’, per se. You didn’t hurt anyone. I’m just worried you drew too much attention, that’s all.”
“But we don’t know for sure that I didn’t hurt anyone. I could’ve healed some people and hurt others to do it or something,” Wanda said quietly, but even that fear was dissipating now. Instinct. That thing made it sound like whatever I did was some base instinct of mine. “That creature said I couldn’t stop my instincts even if I had broken its vessel. Something that I hadn’t stopped the prophecy and things were only beginning.”
“Why would a powerful demon thing want you to heal a whole bunch of people?” Clint asked quietly. “Because I think we both know that’s exactly what you did.”
I don’t know. I don’t know at all and I want us to get back soon and I want Pietro. Wanda stayed quiet for nearly a full minute, gently stroking Mia’s head. It’s okay. I hope. Maybe… “I think maybe it wanted me to cause chaos, literally. That since it can’t force me to do anything horrible anymore because I got Pietro back, it somehow poked at my normal instincts instead? I’m not sure.”
Clint sighed again. “Honestly, that makes sense. You’re saying you really did want to help all of those people despite logically knowing we were trying to be practical and only help the one child for now.” He glanced at her for a moment before returning his attention to the road. Other than looking exhausted, Wanda was clearly fine. She hadn’t hurt herself all over again, at least.
“Yes, I...I suppose I did. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose, though I know that doesn’t help fix anything.”
“It happened so fast that I doubt anyone saw more than a bright red flash, if that. Those people aren’t our problem. We just have to hope this Dian person, or anyone connected to them, doesn’t track the incident to you specifically,” Clint pointed out reasonably.
A text came through on Wanda’s phone from the lady that said, ‘We won’t say anything, but I think that flash of red just healed every child in the children’s ward, if not more. Please let us know if we can do anything.’ Wanda blinked at the screen, somewhat surprised even though that lady had specifically said she would help keep the secret if she could. “Clint, the lady just messaged me this,” she said, and read him the text.
“Now we have confirmation for sure.”
________________
Once they finally arrived back home at the farm, Pietro came streaking out of the house, flung the car door open, and practically dragged his twin out. “Are you okay? Are you really okay? I could feel you and then there was kid talking and then she was gone and then there was odd black thing and I couldn’t talk to you more. What happened?”
Before Wanda could answer, Pietro scooped her up himself and darted back into the house with Mia following behind him. Clint groaned and trudged inside pinching his forehead. Of course Pietro didn’t wait for any explanation; he’d just snatched up his little-but-not-really sister and run off. And because Wanda was both tired and trusted her brother, she let him. “I love the twins, but they are exhausting,” he told Laura when she asked him what was wrong. “Certainly don’t tell them that.”
Laura motioned for them to go outside to the barn where no one else could hear. “What even happened?” she asked quietly.
“That girl healed what was probably the whole damn hospital instead of the one kid! I know she didn’t do it on purpose, but how the hell are we supposed to protect her- or the rest of us- from anyone that might end up tracking her here? Laura, I practically shook the crap out of her. I hurt her and I didn’t even apologize, I just-“
“Clint. Listen to yourself,” Laura interrupted. “You know Wanda’s powers don’t always react as expected. It was like that even before anyone knew she had actual magic or any of that Darkhold business. I’m sure she knows you were trying to help, not hurt her.”
“Still shouldn’t have shaken her like that.”
“Maybe not. For all your talk of forgiving a lot more serious mistakes others have made, you’re not giving yourself the same grace for simply shaking a friend,” Laura scolded. She hugged Clint tightly. He was tense but slowly relaxed. The breeze from the open barn doors ruffled their hair and blew a few stray pieces of hay out into the yard.
“Then we get back finally and Pietro just grabs her and runs off,” Clint muttered after a minute.
Now Laura pulled away, looking mildly amused. “Did you think he wouldn’t run off with her? Pietro acted like he had ants in his pants the whole time you were gone. He kept running outside to see if you’d come back yet or not. When he finally saw the car, he yelled an announcement about it before careening out the door. But he did follow instructions; he didn’t follow you and Wanda to the hospital.”
“He’s a lovable menace.”
“Very true.”
“He’s also exactly like Wanda always described him.”
A shimmering orange portal appeared in the yard outside the barn and a frustrated-looking Wong stepped through. “Where is she?”
“Wanda is just in the house. She’s probably just resting in her room with Pietro hanging out with her,” Clint said flatly.
Wong could tell Hawkeye was not lying but also intentionally being vague. “What exactly did you knowingly let her do? There was nothing amiss on the ankle monitor location like she’d teleported somewhere, but there was also a large magic-based signature from somewhere suspiciously near here, and then I see utter chaos on news sites about an incident at the hospital.”
“We went there so she could attempt healing one little girl whose friend’s mom remembered Wanda and Kate helping rescue them from a burning car,” Clint explained, figuring there was no point in attempting to conceal the truth further and that maybe Wong had an idea to help. He did decide to withhold the part that Wanda thought the mysterious demon creature had actually wanted her to do precisely what she’d done.
“Clint Barton, I suspect your untrained teammate unleashed so much magic that every injured person in that hospital is either partially or completely healed. I’ve already been to the hospital and talked to a few of the staff.” Wong sounded more puzzled than anything else. “It’s strange. No one had concrete information yet, but it seems she helped all of the injured patients, but not the sick ones. Maybe she couldn’t, I don’t know. Did Miss Maximoff tell you anything?”
Laura glanced at Clint, who looked grumpy now. “I haven’t spoken to her since the incident yet, but I don’t think she meant any harm, or caused any, really. Is it really so bad if she healed people?”
“Of course not, but you are supposed to be keeping an eye on her! Keeping her safely hidden without access to her magic for now.” Wong sighed deeply as he looked back toward the house. “I would be less concerned if I believed she’d done all of it purposely, but I know she didn’t. She doesn’t know what she’s doing and that is dangerous, both for her and everyone else. To be quite blunt, I really don’t want her at the sanctum, but one more incident like this and I will have to take her back until further notice.”
Laura put one hand on an angry Clint’s arm firmly. “If you do take Wanda back there, you are going to undo a good deal of progress. She’s happy here and doesn’t cause trouble; she hasn’t broken any rules set for her. Let her stay. I can understand why what she did today could potentially cause problems, but I’m also not sure I understand why it’s that much of a problem that she healed people, even if doing so unexpectedly like that caused confusion. Surely this Dian person or some demon could find her regardless if they really wanted to.”
“Can we please not make it easier? Not using her magic makes it much harder to find her. I am very concerned that they already know exactly where she is. I’ve already got Stephen missing and I can’t locate him, and the other witch, Agatha Harkness, isn’t in Westview any longer either. I assumed Harkness had simply lied to the twins and so they gave inaccurate information to Vision and other universe’s Black Widow, but now that Stephen is missing, I think that may be connected.”
The Bartons exchanged worried glances. “That would mean this Dian person or someone connected to them may potentially have two of the three Darkhold users they’d need for that weird spell array. And Wanda would be the third if they got her,” Clint said finally.
“Correct. Hopefully that isn’t the case, but it’s not like Stephen to ignore calls and texts on top of being impossible to locate. He does go off and do his own things often and text terse replies, but he doesn’t just vanish like this.” Wong studied the interior walls of the barn where Wanda had cast the protection spell inside and then looked back toward the house. “This, I actually like. Very good decision. Is the house protection-spelled also?”
“Yes,” Clint told him. “We figured it was a passive sort of defense just in case.”
Notes:
I actually have a good bit of the next chapter prewritten, so hopefully I won’t take so long to post another chapter. I love writing this fic so much and I can’t wait til I’ve finished it lol. I won’t spoil things other than to say Vision and Loki will make another appearance next chapter.
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 33: Chapter 33
Summary:
In which the twins hang out at the farm, Agatha has a rather interesting conversation with someone, and Vision video calls Wanda for help on Karen’s behalf.
Notes:
Heheh new reveals this chapter! Loki actually does not show up in this one like I thought he was- that will be next chapter. I have planssss and I’m looking forward to some certain someones finally showing up soon.
I hope you enjoy!<3
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Aren’t we just sitting ducks, in a way?” Scott asked once Clint and Laura came back inside and relayed what Wong had told them.
“I don’t know. He seems convinced Wanda is safest if she doesn’t use her magic right now, but…” Clint scratched his head, frowning. “How is she supposed to learn anything about using it properly if she doesn’t try? Clearly if Strange is missing now, shutting off magic access didn’t keep him safe, and he absolutely knows much more about his magic than Wanda does about hers, or America about her powers for that matter. I don’t even know if America has magic at all. She might just be a particularly unique enhanced person.”
Sam looked toward the stairs where the twins had disappeared off to their room along with Kate, America, and the three Barton kids. “Actually, Wanda is probably safer without her magic than Strange would be. She isn’t as experienced as some of us, but she does know how to handle herself in a fight without using her powers. I’m sure any traditionally trained magic user out there would be the same, though I’ll bet Strange is more creative with his fighting skills than most sorcerers. He just seems the type. Wanda’s little friend seems scrappy too honestly. Their inexperience might help them.”
“Not going to be much help if anyone with magic comes for them,” Bucky pointed out.
“Must you be such a downer?”
“Yes, because it’s a fact, Wilson. No one here is prepared for that. I think I’ll take my chances with a defensive pissed-off Wanda than have no magical defenses at all. She isn’t a danger to us,” Bucky paused to nod toward Clint, “and he said she thought this Chthon demon wanted her to heal all those people because it couldn’t make her do anything bad to cause chaos. Why should we care if it wants her to do that?” Bucky found the whole thing ridiculous. If this powerful demon creature literally could not force Wanda into doing anything else horrible and was resorting to causing chaos via objectively innocent means like healing a bunch of injured people, then he felt like every single one of them must be missing something incredibly obvious about how to get rid of it entirely.
“The demon thing probably is using bad people to carry out its wishes and manipulate them,” Scott pointed out. “If we can’t get to the creature, maybe we can get rid of the bad guys at least. Remember how Wanda said those intruder guys that were here after Lila and Nate before thought they were working for Ross? Maybe he’s what we need to get rid of. He sucks anyway.”
Sam’s expression went dark. “Kidnapping ordinary human children to do who knows what with them isn’t Ross’s MO. If Lila and Nate were enhanced, then yeah, I’d believe it. Not that I want to have anything complimentary to say about that man, but I really think he wouldn’t approve of that, even knowing what he did to us, especially Wanda, before in the Raft.”
“Then the Dian magic guy is controlling him somehow, maybe,” Bucky suggested. He too agreed with Sam; as much as he loathed Ross, he didn’t believe Ross would sanction going after the Barton kids. America, yes. Wanda’s lost enhanced kids, yes. Not ordinary ones.
“Maybe it would be safer for Wanda and America to be back at the New York sanctum?” Scott ventured.
Clint sighed. “Except, we know Wanda doesn’t want to stay there and that the sorcerers, including Wong, understandably don’t want her there either. I’m sure Wanda would be unhappy about it but...okay, so long as Pietro went along too, but personally I don’t feel comfortable with sending her away. The fact that Wong didn’t insist on taking her back with him now makes me think she wouldn’t be safe there. America, maybe. She liked being at the sanctum.”
“...Are you trying to send my sister away?” Pietro asked in a rather uncharacteristically small voice. He had appeared rather suddenly and was now shifting his weight from foot to foot next to the sofa. “Not fair! We did not do anything. ...Did we?” Pietro glanced back toward the stairs. I left Wanda in the room and she thinks we’re safe here and that everyone really does want us here. What if she’s wrong?
Pietro absolutely would grab his sister and run off entirely with her if he deemed it necessary. They could just figure something out on their own if they had to.
“No,” Clint told him firmly. “No one is sending Wanda or you away. What I said was that Wong didn’t insist on taking Wanda back to the New York sanctum where the sorcerers live, and that the sorcerers don’t want her there, so I don’t think she would be safe there. Do you understand?”
“No.” Pietro was still scowling and looking rather defensive. “Wanda thinks you want her. It sounds like you not want her, because her enhancements did something big and she meant not to.”
Laura very gently took Pietro by the arm and outside onto the porch. Pietro decided to let her, because Laura reminded him of their mother. “Pietro, I think you are used to either being on your own or people around you just wanting to use you and Wanda for something. That if you two aren’t so-called ‘useful’ or if you’re too much ‘trouble’, you’ll be left on your own again. Am I thinking correctly?”
Pietro squirmed nervously and didn’t answer even though he wanted to squawk an indignant NO, which he decided was too childish. After a minute of Laura just standing there quietly with that caring look on her face waiting for a reply, he muttered, “Wanda trusts you. But I am not sure I trust her judgement, because she is hurt.” Part of me thinks I should trust her, because she doesn’t trust people easily, but also she does dumb self-destructive things.
“Do you feel safe here?”
“I did, until I hear talk about sending my sister away!”
“I don’t think you heard the whole conversation,” Laura said carefully. “What Wanda did today helping those people might cause issues, even though it was a good thing. We’re trying to figure out what we can do to keep all of us, including her, safe.”
“And, sending Wanda and her friend America away to New York was talked about.”
“Pietro, do you understand that no one here has any way to protect them from any magic attacks, and if someone bad does get ahold of either of them, they absolutely will use them for destructive purposes that will probably put the whole world in danger?” Laura asked quietly. “No one is taking Wanda to the sanctum in New York, but the reason that idea was mentioned at all is because at least the people there can use magic themselves, even if it’s a different kind. It would be temporary and we would make sure you went with her. America likes being there, so perhaps she will go. Maybe.”
“Oh.” Pietro could understand that, even if he didn’t like it. “I think Wanda likes here better, even if there is safer. Can we...heal her faster? Then maybe Wanda can protect self. She always had stronger enhancements than me. She just…” he tried to think of a good English explanation. “We were both very scared in Hydra base often. But Wanda would get...stuck, like she couldn’t think. The enhancements made those scared episodes worse. The scared episodes made her powers act up. I tried to help. She got much, much better. It feels like she is worse now, than on Ultron battle day. She is still same old Wanda though.”
Laura was glad she’d at least calmed Pietro down from upset defensive mode. “Well, all of that sounds very normal. She probably had anxiety issues anyway and her powers then just made it worse. I’m not sure there’s anything we can do to physically heal her faster, but resting as much as possible would be good for her. She seems more willing to rest with you around, honestly. Can you promise to at the very least listen carefully before deciding you should just grab your sister and run off alone?”
Pietro looked a bit sheepish and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. I came downstairs for food. That cute baby Nate said he was hungry. I did not hear everything. Also, can I take thing off Wanda’s ankle? It not bothering her but that is not fair.”
“ No. Leave that ankle monitor alone. You’ll get Wanda into trouble with Wong. You know she messed up badly before. That and the wristband are the only reasons he is letting her stay here and do as she pleases otherwise.” Laura could tell that this information made Pietro very mad. He rather looked like he wanted to hit something. “When you were little, did your parents ever say you could only do a certain thing with supervision because you’d lost their trust to do it alone?”
Pietro nodded reluctantly. “That is not the same. That creepy book hurt her. And she’s not five! And why has Wong got any right to tell her what to do?” He wrinkled his nose in disgust, noting that nice Laura wasn’t just instantly disagreeing or agreeing with him.
“He was understanding enough not to report her in any way, but he’s still responsible for protecting others. Can you at least think of it as something that makes Wong, who is someone Wanda hurt badly even if she wouldn’t have done so without the Darkhold, feel better to keep track of her and know that she’s not doing anything else bad?” Laura asked after a moment.
Pietro tilted his head thoughtfully. “Well...yes.” He didn’t trust Wong, but he didn’t think that Wong wanted to hurt his twin, either. This reasoning was acceptable to him.
“All right, now go grab whatever food you and Nate and the others want.”
“Okay.”
__________________
“No, I do not know where the Scarlet Witch is, and if I did, I certainly wouldn’t tell you,” Agatha snapped. “Why would I help you?”
“Perhaps I may kill you if you refuse to talk.”
Agatha raised an eyebrow. “Mmhmm. I don’t believe you. You need me; I clearly infuriate you and you have a short fuse, so you would have killed me already if you were going to at all.” Though she could not decipher much of her surroundings beyond uncomfortably but not painfully tied up somewhere that smelled suspiciously like a garage , Agatha knew she must be inside a protection spell simply because her own magic was not working at all, not even in the subdued manner it had since being able to leave Westview.
“The sorcerer then. Where is he?”
“Which one? There are far too many of those rats.” Agatha thought the man probably meant Strange, and she did not much care what happened to him, but she also didn’t particularly wish to help her captor either.
“Stephen Strange, the ex-surgeon.”
“Collecting readers of the Darkhold, are we?” Agatha asked sharply.
A lightbulb suddenly lit up overhead and the man clasped his hands behind his back, peering at Agatha curiously. Agatha made a private note to herself that yes, the place was definitely a garage, albeit a fancy one; there were quite a few average garage items such as gardening tools and the like, along with pool toys, mysterious magic-infused objects, and some ancient-looking tomes. Whatever this place was, was likely a mansion or large house of some kind in an isolated surrounding area. “ Readers. You think of the Darkhold differently than the sorcerer or that...that frustrating chaos magic user,” he said.
“Of course. It is possible to use it without losing your senses entirely, so long as you do not mind a bit of darkness, yes?” Agatha’s eyes glinted in the dim light. “If you are so inclined as to inconvenience me so much, you could at least have the decency to explain where we are.”
A brief, tense silence followed, but then the man said, “About an hour outside DC,” much to Agatha’s surprise, because she hadn’t really expected a reply. “...Perhaps you have enough memorized to help reproduce the book since the Scarlet Witch chose to destroy all of the existing Darkholds. Infuriating girl.”
Agatha considered this only briefly before shaking her head. “I think not, even if you released and paid me. Too risky for my tastes without an existing Darkhold copy to use to make another. You know better than that.”
“It wouldn’t be too risky with enough power in reserve, and you know that. ”
Agatha let out a genuinely amused chuckle. “That may be true, but you do not have that and neither do I.” She gave the man a slight smile. “I do not care what you do with the sorcerer. I do, however, care a good deal about what happens to me, and I care a little about what happens to that untrained witch. No, I do not think I will give you any information unless you explain further and prove you will release us witches and pay me nicely for my trouble of being kidnapped. Wanda Maximoff may like to insist on forcing herself to be as mundane as possible, but she is still one of us, unfortunately. I do not choose to do to her what my coven did to me.”
The man pulled a chair to himself with green wisps and sat down slowly, tapping his fingers together. “I seem to recall via my research that you, Agatha Harkness, attempted to drain her of magic.”
“Certainly, and let her live in her dumpy little mind-controlled town she loved so much. She would have been happy. Erase her memory of the Westview incident and leave her there with her robot and the two brats. Done.” Mostly Agatha remembered how infuriating it was to see Wanda using her magic on instinct, huge, ridiculous amounts of it...just to create this mundane happy sitcom life she wanted so badly.
Wanda had the loving family Agatha wished she had.
Wanda had had that as a child and then lost it, but not because that family had turned on her; she was just horribly unlucky.
You lost yours because of the Darkhold, a little voice poked at her, and she realized the face she imagined saying that thought was that redheaded girl Makenzie Reid, who had been the one to bring those lousy half-burnt homemade cookies to ‘Agnes’ after the hex came down.
“Hey, I dunno if you remember the other you, but my family forgives both you and Wanda, okay? And if you don’t understand what I’m saying for whatever reason and think I sound crazy, that’s cool too. Welcome to Westview, then.” And then the Reid girl had left, saying she and her aunt and uncle would be happy to have her visit sometime. ‘Agnes’ had taken Makenzie and her family up on this on occasion; they were a welcome distraction and Agatha secretly enjoyed their company as much as ‘Agnes’ did, even if she wouldn’t have behaved the same way.
“Why wouldn’t you have killed her?” The man appeared genuinely puzzled and no longer snappish. “I do need her now, but back then, you wouldn’t have had any use for her afterwards at all. I do have every intention of letting all three of you go once I’ve done what I need you for. Now, where is she?”
“I’d be more inclined to answer that if you actually proved you would, in fact, release me and pay us handsomely for cooperating. We could work together instead.” Agatha studied him closely; he still didn’t look angry any longer, more desperate, and she noted that he had stopped asking where Stephen Strange was. “I am rather inclined to help that girl and her ridiculous friends than you. I don’t have to like them to know that they’re at least not going to destroy the world as we know it. If you are, in fact, planning what I think you are, you are going to get far more than you think you’ve bargained for. A human cannot handle it, period. Not even you, Dian. Not even an entire coven. You know the history.”
He abruptly stood up and turned his back, body tense all over. “The Scarlet Witch is more than capable of destroying the world and more entirely on her own. You can’t throw that on me. I’ll use her power myself to handle it.”
Agatha let out a wry laugh. “Except that she has no desire to and is actively attempting to defy her own prophecy at this point. Impossible, but still. If you do touch her, I suggest you expect to be thrown out immediately. Touch anyone she cares for and you just might end up dead. I can respect that impulse.”
“You genuinely believe she can and would do that now? You claim she’s still attempting to live as mundanely as possible, as you put it.”
Agatha’s eyes sparkled and she smirked. “Oh, I absolutely do. Do remember you are, in fact, after another reader of the Darkhold, one who knew nothing of how to handle the book properly. You will poke a wounded bear and I should so love to see you try. Have you ever actually met her yourself rather than just taught the legends or researched her?”
When there was no reply, Agatha continued, clearly quite pleased with herself and choosing to leave out the existence of those protection-spelled cuff bracelets she disapproved of so much, “Do let me know how you felt when you borrowed the Darkhold from me once upon a time. Did you feel complete? Powerful? That your eyes had just been opened? Then imagine how it would feel if you had chaos magic instead and didn’t know how the Darkhold could corrupt its user at all.”
Dian appeared microscopically chastened and much baffled. “Then everything should be obliterated by now.”
“Ah, but you forget she is horrendously stubborn along with being infuriatingly ignorant. Remember, all she wanted was exactly what she created in Westview. In essence the Darkhold loves power, but it can only warp and twist desires already present.” Agatha paused, considering. “I suspect it liked being with her far more than either of us. She had been taught nothing; she has its favorite type of magic. Lucky duck.”
“No one can use those spells anymore because of her. Without it, the spells from the Book of the Damned cannot be cast safely. There is far too little margin for error.”
“So you admit we can’t recreate the book safely.” Agatha decided not to share that she was quite certain Stephen Strange had plenty of those corrupted spells memorized, even if he didn’t wish to. Heck, she recalled plenty of them. The only one of the trio this man wanted who probably didn’t remember much of it was, ironically, Wanda herself. “The Darkhold’s spells are perfectly safe for the user to cast without the book itself so long as they possess enough magic to do so and the runes are recalled correctly with zero error,” she countered calmly. “You know that.”
“Then how do you explain why the Scarlet Witch hasn’t used them at all since she ruined everything, tearing down Mount Wundagore and obliterating all the Darkholds?”
“...Why would she? The book used her instead of the other way around and she never did find those brats of hers.” Agatha sighed deeply. “Are we finished here yet?”
Dian strode to double check the locks on his garage doors before abruptly freeing Agatha from the chair. “You know where those children are now. If you could produce William, I should like to release you right now.”
Agatha stood up, knowing quite well the only reason Dian had untied her was because he knew she could not use magic within his protection spell. Magic or not, she actually did believe him. “Why do you want one of those brats of Wanda’s?”
“Do stop acting the maggot. I believe William Maximoff is destined to be the Demiurge, and you well know it.”
“The boy is a child! Even if our current suspicions are correct, he won’t be for decades, if not longer. His mother is useless as a teacher, so even if Wanda finds him, he won’t be taught anything because she doesn’t know to do so.” Agatha scowled and helped herself to a cup of water from the water machine in the corner next to a treadmill. Dian did not seem to care and even got himself a cup as well. “I will willingly share this much: I have no idea where they are for sure, but those brats are not dead, and I highly suspect that they are simply trapped in a hellish dimension in our universe, most likely either with Chthon or another entity under his control. Not another universe, and certainly not in this dimension.”
Dian took a sip of his water, narrowing his eyes at Agatha. “You are being suspiciously helpful all of a sudden.”
“Not particularly. I think you suspect the same. Now, how about some hors d’oeuvres? I am a guest, if an unwilling one.”
________________
IOWA
During the night, Wanda jerked awake from an all too familiar bad dream. It's not real. It's not real. She could still feel herself shaking and hot tears burning her eyes, but she could also feel Mia's soft fur under her fingers and warm breaths on her neck. Mia was real and Mia was not scared of her. I don't want to hurt her. I don't think I should have- Mia couldn't talk, obviously, but she seemed to understand anyway, settling closer and nudging Wanda's injured hand away from her face. Wanda closed her eyes and whispered, "Hug, please," even though Mia had already decided doing deep pressure therapy was the correct response anyway. I don't want to wake Pietro up. I'm not on the Raft and there is no demon here trying to do anything to me, and if there is, it still doesn't matter because it can't get me anymore. And I should be grateful reality is better enough that I am not automatically always thinking my dreams are better. "I'm scared," she whispered in Mia's ear. "I know this is safe. I'm glad you are here."
Mia snuffled a bit and lay very still. Wanda was not her old trainer, who Mia still rather missed, but she loved Wanda all the same. "Good girl," Wanda whispered again shakily, and wrapped her good arm around the dog. Mia is real, Mia is here. And I am not alone. Safe now. She squeezed her eyes shut again and tried to focus on Mia instead of her own racing thoughts or the very real pain in her arm and hand that had probably made that nightmare feel more real in the first place. I don't want to wake Pietro or America up either. Quiet, quiet. I'm okay. I am safe in Clint's house and Mia is real. I did not imagine her. She is not all dead like poor Sparky. Mia's soft fur. Mia's weight on her that was not all restricting and terrifying, just warm and comforting. Mia's whiskers tickling her chin.
I'm not alone any more. And here is warm. Not cold, hurting, empty. Warm. Safe.
Pietro had jerked awake on his air mattress on the floor, half wondering if the horrible dream had been real, and then realizing that it probably had indeed been real, just not now and not for him. It was real for Wanda. Did that really happen to her? Where is that man Ross now? I hope he got in trouble for...torturing her like that. He heard Wanda's muffled crying and then her quiet words to Mia. Was he supposed to talk to her? Laura had specifically told him he needed to let his twin attempt to deal with any nightmares or anything else similar herself with Mia's help first before interfering, which he didn't like one bit. Pietro did not want to just let Wanda continue crying; he could sense fear and pain from her across their passive mental connection, even with that connection muted with both of them wearing those dumb bracelets. Besides, he was scared himself. He wanted to give Wanda a hug and be close to her.
Before he could think better of it, he scrambled off the air mattress. "Wanda, are you really okay?" he whispered in Sokovian to her. Moonlight shone through the window, so he could see both Wanda and Mia fairly clearly. Mia's large ears twitched at his voice, but she stayed put. Wanda really is okay , Pietro realized. Not happy, but she's all right. Wanda's cheeks were wet with tears, but she wasn't tense. She was just laying there on her back clutching Mia close, her fingers smoothing Mia's soft fur and her still-bandaged arm and hand flopped over her head across the pillow. Her tired gaze moved to him instantly.
"Yes...Sorry I woke you. I tried to be quiet," Wanda whispered.
"You didn't, actually. Bad dream too and then I heard you. I was worried. I know Mia's supposed to get help if she has to, but-"
Now Wanda did tense. "What bad dream?" Did he see mine?
Pietro perched himself on the bed next to Wanda and hesitated, reaching to pet Mia before remembering he was not supposed to distract Mia when she was working, not just being a cuddly pet, so he pulled his hand back. Mia licked him, but then pointedly turned her head away and settled back down, her head still resting on Wanda's chest. "I forgot. I won't touch her any more. Promise."
Wanda was very sure Pietro would probably forget again, but she didn't tell him that. I still think Mia knows Pietro is linked to me. That's why she licked him. She ignores strangers entirely, and she has paid no attention when little kids shouted happily at her. "Are you okay? You're upset."
“Yeah, I just..." Pietro trailed off, unsure if asking what was actually bothering him would hurt Wanda further. If that nightmare really was something that happened to her, what if talking about it made her more upset? Then she would be sad because he had had to experience it in a dream. "Can I just stay with you? Please?" he blurted.
Wanda nodded, and Pietro quickly grabbed his blanket and flopped down next to her, hugging her tightly. With Mia still half laying on her and Pietro holding her close, she suddenly felt like crying again, this time because she was safe and there was nothing to be scared of anymore. "I am eight years old again," she whispered, "safe and warm and I don't care that it hurts any more. No Raft prison. No evil books or anything like that here."
Pietro knew exactly what Wanda meant; after little eight-year-old Wanda had broken her wrist, he could remember hugging her close after a bad dream in their tiny shared bedroom in their old family apartment. He was quite sure her current injuries probably pained her worse than her wrist had back then, but he would much rather Wanda be remembering that instead of being tortured in some creepy prison. That passing comment about 'no Raft prison' confirmed to him that the nightmare had not just been a bad dream or a peek into another universe. "Baby sister sandwich," he teased, not particularly caring at the moment that he wasn't the older twin anymore. Before, Wanda would have insisted she wasn't a 'baby sister', but now she said nothing about it. Pietro rather wished she would make a fuss, just because it was a normal little sister thing to do, but he knew she would not, not right now. "I hate how you got me back, but I'm glad to be here, okay? I just wanted you to know."
"I love you, Pietro. I'm glad you're here too." Tell him the truth. Wanda closed her eyes and considered how to express herself clearly before adding, "What you said back in New York at the hospital about me hurting myself because I felt I deserved it wasn't wrong, exactly, but I...I want to be clear that I would have risked me to cast that spell and done it the same way anyway whether I felt like I mattered or not, whether I felt I deserved to be hurt or not. This, I know."
“I believe you. It’s just...I still don’t think you had to do it like that. You wanted me back so much you didn’t for two seconds think maybe you didn’t have to literally cut a finger off. I know you didn’t plan exactly what you did to yourself, because then why would what you did to cast that spell be so messy?” Pietro didn’t really want to grill Wanda about that again because he worried it would make her upset further, but she only moved a bit closer.
I’m not sure how to answer that. “I couldn’t risk the spell affecting anyone else. It was my decision, my power...I don’t know how to describe it, but I knew the blood I’d gotten from the first cut was not enough, and that I needed to fix that, fast, or we would all be in trouble.” Wanda blinked into the warm shadows uncertainly. “So I just...reacted on instinct. There wasn’t any time to try to stop it entirely or start over or anything like that. I think trying to would have been much more dangerous than what I did.”
Pietro still didn’t quite understand how not having enough blood turned into an amputated pinkie and badly broken finger, but he didn’t push further. Wanda was clearly telling him the truth and didn’t have any more information to share. And he didn’t want her to be upset about it, either. "You should at least try using your magic to heal it," Pietro suggested finally.
Wanda's voice sounded a bit amused. "You do realize I can't use my magic as long as I'm wearing that bracelet, right?"
"Well, yeah, but you could be like 'Hey I just want to try healing my literal severed finger and the broken one because it hurts like hell'. Nobody here would say no to that.”
“I know, but I won’t. I told you that I won't. Not unless I know for absolutely certain it won't hurt you. I have no idea if consciously trying to fix what I did to myself would negate the sacrifice that spell needed." Wanda's instincts said it was most likely perfectly fine to just speed up natural healing on purpose at least, but she did not know for sure, and risking Pietro's safety was not an option to her.
“I just don't want you in pain anymore, that's all. I know why you won't. I just hate it. That is a really dumb spell if it won't let you heal yourself after you've already successfully used it and gone through the pain to actually, you know...cast it or whatever. I think that should count as a sacrifice, so there." Pietro did not know anything about magic, but this seemed very stupid to him. “And if your magic helps you heal faster even when you aren’t consciously making it do it, you shouldn’t have that bracelet on at all. Tasha said that too.”
Wanda stayed silent for a minute or two, stroking Mia over and over and feeling safe with Pietro's arm flung around her. I don't know how to explain, but I can try, right? Pietro won't mind. "I’m not sure I should. If I could confirm it wouldn't hurt you, I would fix it as best I could immediately. But the broken part of me inside where you were missing doesn't hurt anymore. I would much rather this pain than the heart inside no one can fix."
"I'm so sorry, Wanda. I know me dying hurt you and I...I guess I knew saving ol' Hawkeye and that kid might kill me, but I really did think I could make it. Saving them was the right thing to do. I know it. But I'm still so, so sorry I left you behind anyway. I don't want you to be hurting. Maybe it will all go away now. Are you okay?"
Tell the truth. I should tell him the truth. "I'm just...just so, so tired. I am okay right now, but I'm always drowning and I try and I try and then just as I think I’m doing okay, something else horrible happens. I’m scared of losing everyone again, still scared of hurting someone else. Night sometimes makes that worse, that’s all. I don't understand why any of you still care about broken me, even though I want the people I love close so badly. I'm sorry. I am so sorry, I don't- I don't know how to explain right, I-"
"Wanda. Wanda, it's all right," Pietro interrupted. Mia was nudging her nose at Wanda repeatedly, because at this point Wanda was shaking, but she finally relaxed and hugged Mia close after the dog licked her face, scooting closer to Pietro. Pietro held onto her tightly, hoping that might make both of them feel better. “I won't bug you anymore. Please, I just want you to be happy. You're safe. You're safe, and you have cute fuzzy Mia even if I wish she was a cat instead, and I'm here, and there's a whole houseful of friends here in this big old house. You're safe, okay?"
“Know. Don't understand, still," Wanda mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut. I'm fine. Why did I react like that? I just wanted to tell Pietro the truth. I went off on a tangent rambling and scared and I probably made him worry more instead of less.
"Don't have to understand, just believe. You never have to be alone again. We literally can't. Supposedly if one of us dies now, then we both do. So we really can't get separated again even if something else horrible did happen. We’ll be together anyway." Pietro was surprised to hear a quiet laugh from Wanda; she seemed much happier upon hearing that morbid information. It was comforting in a strange sort of way; he wasn't worried about Wanda trying to kill herself or something if she knew that, because he knew she wouldn't if it was going to hurt him too.
Thank you, Pietro. That actually really does help. Wanda did not say anything about that, but squished between Mia and Pietro, she really did feel better. "I wanted to comfort you, because I could tell you were upset, and then you started trying to help me instead."
"That's okay. Hugging you is plenty. I'm pretty sure the bad dream was the same one you were having before anyway. I'm fine." Pietro did feel fine safe and warm with his twin; knowing she was safe was enough for him. Except, now Wanda was all tense again, and he wished he hadn't said anything. "Wanda, I mean it. I'm okay. I was scared, but I saw you, and I can see you're safe and not trapped somewhere being hurt, and that's good enough for me."
“I don't want you stuck with my dream-memories. That's not fair to you. You saw the Raft, didn't you." Wanda didn't even sound like she was asking a question, just resigned and sad.
“There was some crusty old man named Ross. You hated him with a great loathing passion but he also scared you. There...there was a shock collar and horrible restraints and your arm hurt really bad, the same one you cut up now. You were pretending to talk to me in your head to help stay calm, which felt really weird because it was like I was you in the dream. If those were real memories, I think you were very brave."
...What? Whatever Wanda had thought Pietro would say, it wasn't that, to say the terrified, much weaker girl she had been years ago was brave, of all things.
Maybe that girl really had been the stronger one. At least that Wanda hadn't been warped and stomped to dusty shards from some horrid evil book she had been ignorant and dumb enough to read.
she hadn't seen Vis die three times or lost her twins or Nat or Steve either- "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to see that." This me has Pietro, though. He's right here, and he doesn't care that I am all broken to pieces inside. And Vision is alive, and he still loves me even though neither of us are the same anymore.
"It's all right, Wanda. I don't mind. Maybe it's a good thing, so's I can understand you better and know stuff that happened to you all the time I wasn't here." Pietro squeezed Wanda tighter until it made her squeak in surprised pain. "Oh no. Now I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
“Pietro. Don't you apologize either. What a mess. Um...if you do need to ask me anything, I don't mind. I think I just dreamed about the Raft because my arm and hand still really do hurt, to be honest. It was horrible there, but I don't think about that all the time anymore. It’s not...fresh. Mia woke me up, and I knew you were in here. I think I really would have been okay even if you didn't check on me. Not without Mia's help, but she would have been enough." Wanda closed her eyes and sighed. I have to get better, if anything so I don't hurt Pietro because of that link. Not fair to him.
“I know that now. I'll trust Mia next time. I guess I just wanted to be close myself. I don't like being separated either," Pietro admitted reluctantly.
Wanda sounded happier now. "Well, you could always just tell me that. You don't have to always be the strong one. Maybe you're not...messed up like me, but I know you were always hurting too, and you always took care of me anyway. Coming back a whole ten years later must feel weird. Five years was weird enough for me."
"You're not messed up," Pietro informed her, but he could tell Wanda found this quite funny, and he scowled, hugging her a bit closer. Mia made a quiet snuffly noise and snuggled closer herself, seeming quite satisfied that her handler was content again.
"Pietro, do not lie to me. You know quite well that is true. I wouldn't get to have Mia if I wasn't and you know it."
"Okay, fair, but you say it so dismissive of yourself somehow and I hate that. Ol' Hawkeye said you have C-PTSD and anxiety. And that he knew you’ve been badly depressed before but thought that part wasn't so bad right now. You could have just said those things instead. That's why you got Mia. Those are normal things. Lots of people must have that."
“Well, I don't like to think about it. You know me already, so I don’t have to say everything." Wanda trailed off, knowing Pietro would understand what she meant.
“Well, I don't think you need to answer stupid people at all if they ever bug you, but you shouldn't be embarrassed to explain what Mia is for if you want to, either. Those, are very normal issues. And even if they weren’t, it’s nobody else’s business unless you want to explain.”
Wanda made a noncommittal humming noise, clearly half asleep. She seemed completely relaxed again. Safe here.
_____________________
When Laura came to check on the twins in the morning because only America trotted downstairs for breakfast while Wanda and Pietro were nowhere to be seen, she found them both still fast asleep. Pietro had his arm around his sister holding her close, and Wanda had her own arm wrapped around Mia, who blinked at Laura calmly and gave her a happy doggie smile. Of course making sure Pietro had his own space to sleep in hadn't lasted long. She sighed, hoping this had just been a matter of Pietro wanting to be close to his twin rather than him not listening and not giving Wanda a chance to handle things on her own safely. Laura nudged Pietro's shoulder gently, and he immediately bolted awake, keeping an arm thrown protectively in front of Wanda. "Hey, you two are safe here. No one is going to hurt you."
Pietro glanced at still-sleeping Wanda and then at Mia before sheepishly staring at Laura. "I...forgot. I think. I do not want to remember the horrible things any more. I know it has been long, long time for everyone since 2015. Even Wanda. She is just unlucky. More bad things piled on her. I was scared also, now, so I check on her and she is fine. I am sorry," he muttered in English. "Mia is a good dog."
Mia's tail thumped lightly hearing that.
"Pietro, it's okay if you want to squeeze in with Wanda. You two must have stayed close together all the time before simply to stay warm. I just want you to give her a chance to be able to calm down on her own with Mia's help. You're not in trouble." Laura was not sure what to tell Pietro to help him, especially when he was far more talkative than Wanda had been when she’d first come to the farm after Ultron. He was jumpy and distrustful, but in general he was much happier than Wanda had been, which made sense since he hadn’t lost his twin, at least.
Pietro's blue eyes welled with tears and he immediately swiped them away. "We like being here. I do not understand why you not mind us here. You gave my sister home . And let me stay too. And you say you do not want anything from us."
Laura didn't tell him she wished she and Clint had taken Wanda in much, much sooner. "Because we love both of you very much. You don't have to be her sole protector anymore, understand? The rest of us might not be speedsters or have magic, but you two aren't on your own. You can live here as long as you want, and if or when either of you do want your own place, we will help you figure out how to do that. Do you want anything?"
"I want Wanda's head healed," Pietro muttered, staring at still-asleep Wanda next to him. "We were not stupid. I knew she was not okay before, either. Just...more hurt now. Ol' Hawkeye called it illness back in New York when I asked him." Pietro carefully brushed a bit of loose hair out of Wanda's face; she smiled slightly and didn't react otherwise.
"Come out in the hall so we don't risk waking her up," Laura suggested.
Pietro reluctantly followed her but glanced back at his sleeping sibling. Mia watched him go but stayed where she was. "So...?"
"Clint told you all of what he knew of what's so-called 'wrong' with her, right?"
“Yes. I do not like it." Pietro fidgeted with his shirt and then twisted the protection spell bracelet around on his wrist, which was another thing he still found stupid, because he could still access his own enhancements easily regardless. "I still want to make her all better. I told you.”
"She's not going to be 'all better', but that doesn't mean she can't have happiness too." Laura spoke slowly, trying to make sure Pietro was listening, because he seemed distracted and very, very fidgety again. He was exactly like Wanda had described him long ago. "Pietro, listen to me. I've seen her on and off pretty much since she lost you years ago. Give her a chance. Yes, her symptoms are severe enough that having Mia was an option. We also know meddling with the Darkhold made everything worse for her. But I also know simply having the rest of us nearby, especially you now, helps. She'll be fine."
"She cut her own finger off and made mess of her arm just 'cause of me! And she refuses to fix it."
Pietro thought he was probably making Laura tired, because she rubbed her forehead before answering him. "Honey, I'm not getting into that with you. I can't honestly tell you I wouldn't do the same in her place if I had her power set. She doesn't have the information to make sure you won't be hurt if she tries to heal herself, so she won't. I can understand that. How do you think she would feel if she healed herself and it somehow transferred the injuries to you or worse?"
"Awful. Worse than the injuries hurt her," Pietro admitted reluctantly. He privately decided he would find confirmation himself then, because while he did believe Wanda when she said she would have cast the spell regardless and now Laura was saying the same thing, he still didn't want her hurt, either. "Stubborn," he muttered, peeking back in the bedroom. Wanda was still asleep, though she had curled up in a ball now, hugging Mia.
“Same as you," Laura told him, only half teasing. "See, she's all right. Try not to worry so much."
Pietro did not want to leave Wanda alone, because he was still scared that creepy demon monster thing was going to try to get her. It seemed like something out of a nightmarish horror movie or something, that some weird creature would be after his sister just because she had magic and had done something stupid, reading a corrupted book. "What if that creature does come here?”
"I suspect the creature and any other magic-based person isn't going to want her much the more she's surrounded by people that care for her, the more she’s able to...heal. No criminals, demons or otherwise, should want to lay a finger on her if she's feeling better. She's easier to take advantage of if she doesn't feel well, or if she’s isolated from others.”
"So make Wanda happy and then no bad things will want her." Pietro studied sleeping Wanda thoughtfully. This seemed almost too simple to him. “I will stay with her.”
Laura decided not to point out that this was exactly what Pietro had been doing anyway.
____________________
“You want me and Nate here?” Pietro asked Wanda shortly after breakfast, half puzzled and half not. The twins had brought little Nate outside in the yard with them, and the little boy was absolutely thrilled with getting speedy piggyback rides from Pietro, who was rather enjoying himself if he didn’t consider being concerned about his sister. “You don’t feel good. You threw up again. I do not like this iron medicine. This happens every time you take it.”
“Well, the bad effects are not...lasting as long every time. I hate it, but I’m all right, and I know Christine is trying to help,” Wanda reasoned, settling back on the big old sheet Nate had dragged out of the garage. (“Mom said it’s too yucky for beds. But good for playing outside!” Nate had explained happily.)
Wanda was quite certain Laura had not used that exact phrasing of words.
“And yes, please stay.” She picked up the FaceTime call on her phone without waiting for Pietro to reply. Vision was clearly in his New York apartment, standing in his little neatly organized kitchen. “Hi, Vis. Thank you for calling me...I miss you too...what? What’s wrong?”
Pietro did not care for the way Wanda tensed all over and then quietly told Nate to please go back inside. He plopped next to his twin, put one arm around her, and began yanking up blades of grass with his other hand and lining up the pulled blades all in a row.
“I do not know for certain, but I have Karen Page here. She claims she needs help,” Vision explained.
Mia appeared puzzled by the grass-blades, but she just stayed lying there calmly next to Wanda, her head resting on her legs.
Wanda frowned, an unpleasant suspicion that Frank must have realized something was wrong with him from being exposed to corrupted magic somehow and that Karen didn’t know how to help him. “I don’t mind trying, but I’m sure I won’t be able to if you can’t.”
“Wanda says she will try. I knew she would,” Vision was saying to someone off-screen, and then a clearly tired Karen Page appeared on the video call.
“I can’t find Frank and he’s been missing for three days. It’s more or less normal for him to vanish unexpectedly and then come back, but…” Karen looked as if she were trying to figure out how to explain something aloud that didn’t make sense to her. “I don’t know. It just feels like something is very wrong. I remembered Vision saying I needed to keep a very close eye on him. He hasn’t been acting like his normal self at all. Things like shouting at me about something small and then immediately apologizing ten minutes later, saying he didn’t understand why he had snapped. He locked up all his weapons except the non-lethal tranqs and tasers, and then destroyed his own key, claiming I had the duplicate to get any out if necessary. He was sleeping on the sofa because he was worried about attacking me in his sleep. Things like that.” Karen hesitated and ran a hand through her blonde hair tiredly. “But the reason I went to Vision now was because Max the dog is missing. I’m worried someone stole him, hoping Frank would go searching, doing exactly what whoever is out there wants him to do.”
“And you want me to locate them?” Wanda asked quietly. I can try, but I don’t know if that’s also exactly what our enemies want. The one thing that made Wanda think it might be okay to find Frank Castle and his dog was that their enemies most likely did not think she had regular communication with them.
“Vision thought you could. I don’t know what to do.”
Of course Vis thought that, Wanda thought fondly. “I’m not supposed to be using any more magic right now, but I can tell Wong what is going on and he can locate Frank for you?” she offered hesitantly. “If you bring him something that belongs to Frank, he will be able to find him. I...I don’t really have any ideas otherwise, for the other things, other than just...staying nearby. I still don’t understand why bad corrupted magic affected Frank at all since he’s not magic.” Wanda felt Pietro scooting closer to her and then giving her a hug.
“You probably helping him by staying close,” Pietro put in, not particularly caring that he didn’t know these people. “If he is like Wanda the bad magic likes him because he is hurting inside.”
Notes:
Is Agatha on Dian’s side or our MCs’ or up to something else entirely? We shall see...LOL
I wish to reiterate again that I am not directly following the comics backstory for Billy and Tommy (or Dian...), just taking bits of inspiration. And obviously this fic won’t be canon compliant with Agatha’s show, I can tell that already from the trailer haha.
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated<3
Chapter 34: Chapter 34
Summary:
In which Madisynn reappears via an unlikely helper with a message, Wong takes Wanda to practice using her magic a bit, and things predictably go awry, but not necessarily in a bad way...
Notes:
Guess what? I realized I’ve now been working on this fic for over two years! I hope I’ll have finished it by September next year lol. I love it so much and I’m excited to finish it, heh.
I hope you enjoy this chapter and I’m sorry for the wait. Loki showing up again will be next chapter, as it made more sense to end this chapter where I did.:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda was able to easily contact Wong, who sounded mildly annoyed at yet another thing he needed to be responsible for, but also very relieved she had chosen to ask him to help Karen and Frank instead of proceeding to meddle herself. “Thank you for deciding to call instead of trying to help yourself. I didn’t know you knew them,” he added.
“I don’t know them well, just as acquaintances,” Wanda explained, which seemed simple enough. Not wanting to get Frank Castle into trouble, she went on carefully, “I think he somehow got affected by corrupted magic too, even though he’s a normal human.”
There was a brief silence that Wanda did not care for before Wong said stiffly, “All right. Thank you for letting me know. Is there a particular reason you suspect that?”
Wanda glanced at Pietro, who didn’t butt in, much to her surprise, but did give her a squeeze. “He saw that bad array in the warehouse basement and from what Karen Page said, he’s been acting funny since then. Also, when I met him, he...he felt a tiny bit off to me. If I’m wrong, he does definitely still need help anyway, but I don’t think I am. I think he is a good victim for it like...like me.” There. I think that’s enough. I tried.
“I believe you.”
“You...do?” Wanda blurted that before she could rethink it, because Wong sounded perfectly calm and not at all like he was just saying that, which Wanda didn’t think he would do anyway.
“Yes. You wouldn’t have even mentioned it if you weren’t absolutely certain.” Wong sighed audibly before adding, “You haven’t heard anything from Stephen, have you?”
Wanda frowned. “No. Why would he contact me? We don’t exactly get along well.” Why would Wong ask me that? He must be desperate.
“What about Madisynn? She seemed to quite like you and your friend Miss Belova. I know she believed it was unsafe for any of us to attempt contacting her, but I suppose I was hoping she decided to go bother you or one of your other teammates.” Wong was clearly upset about his eccentric friend not being around to ‘bother’ him.
“No,” Wanda said quietly. “Wong, you...you do know I can locate them myself if you wanted me to, right? I don’t know if I should or not, but I am fairly certain I could.”
There was a long silence before Wong answered. “Can you break through a corrupted magic barrier without falling for it all over again or having a panic attack?”
“...What?” Wanda glanced at Pietro, who just squeezed her closer but surprisingly didn’t interrupt. I don’t know. I really don’t know. “I’m not sure. It can’t...force me to do anything horrible any more, but the...second thing…” Probably not. I think I absolutely would freak out, badly. I don’t want to risk hurting more people again.
...you don’t really care if you hurt someone that hurts your friends and family, though.
Mia poked her cold nose at Wanda’s good hand, and Pietro just held her closer. Neither of them seemed remotely bothered, merely concerned. It’s...really fine. Is it even bad that I thought that at all?
“Then no, you cannot help locate them.” Wong sounded gentle but firm, which reminded Wanda of Nat years before. “We can’t risk it. If you did successfully teleport to wherever they are, someone else may end up capturing you too simply because you aren’t able to defend yourself properly. That being said, if you can honestly say otherwise at some point, then I might say differently.”
Now Pietro did pipe up. “Isn’t this...same reason no one’s found missing enhanced people? No one willing to risk poking evil magic barriers?” Wanda tried to shush Pietro even though she agreed with him, but he would not be shushed. “It is true! Wanda, you know it.”
“I know, but I understand why he says we can’t risk it! You weren’t here, you didn’t see what a horrible mess I-“
“Will you two please listen?” Wong interrupted loudly, exasperated. “Two ridiculously stubborn peas in a pod. Look, you are both right. I’m trying to figure something else out. The problem is that we need someone with enough power to brute force through it- yes, like you- but if it goes wrong and we lose that person to the other side, then we are worse off than before. No one is immune to becoming corrupted, myself included. While I believe you that it can’t fully get to you again, you are still connected because of the corruption remnants, same as Stephen. You also make mistakes naturally if you are angry, hurt, panicked, or otherwise upset. Risking our enemies getting ahold of you and purposely instigating a bad reaction from you is too dangerous.”
Wanda pushed the phone at Pietro and stroked Mia, who blinked calmly at her, enjoying the attention. Pietro took the phone and kept his other arm wrapped around his little-but-not-really sister. “Can we use me as a sort of battery for someone else to channel the power instead?” Wanda asked hesitantly. “We probably could as long as I consciously chose to let someone do so.”
Pietro shot her a disapproving look. “I do not know what Wanda means, but I do not like it.”
“We don’t really know what resurrecting your brother did to you, either, and I have no precedent to go by to attempt researching that. No, at least not now. Look, both of you just...stay there and lay low, please. I’ll do my best to find your acquaintances.”
Once Wanda had tucked her phone back in her pocket (after texting Vision to let him know what Wong had said), she just stretched out flat on her back on the ‘picnic blanket’. “I feel safe here, but I also feel useless all the same, even though I’m being told I am not even supposed to do anything else,” she said quietly, staring up at the partly cloudy sky.
Pietro flopped next to her. “You are still hurt though, so resting is good for you. I think maybe we should just...enjoy not having to do much for now. It’s so nice to have a comfortable, warm place for us to sleep and plenty of food to eat.” For once Pietro was very still other than absently tapping his fingers. He had decided all of this conversation was easier in Sokovian for now, so he stuck with that, especially since he knew Wanda liked being able to communicate in their native language very much. “I really think we just need to find you a magic teacher. I know you said nobody on the hero list we made has magic like yours, but...I don’t know. Wouldn’t you feel better if you trusted yourself more?” They had sent the list to Darcy, who promised to talk to Thor, who in turn could contact the old Guardians team. Darcy had mentioned that she thought there were new Guardians also, but she didn’t know details, so the twins couldn’t add any more information to their list.
Wanda sighed deeply. “Yes, but there’s no one with magic exactly like mine,” she muttered.
“But it doesn’t have to be exactly like yours,” Pietro pointed out. “Just more like yours than the sorcerers’ magic is. Aren’t there more witches out there besides Agatha Harkness? There has to be. Besides, that woman was mad at you, but I sort of think she would be willing to teach you, just on principle.” He rolled over on his side, propping himself up on one elbow. “Also, the New Asgard people. Thor thought you had magic right from the start, right? And he just wasn’t around much? Maybe he can help. Or the alien girl with the antenna you mentioned, Mantis. You said she was some kind of telepath too, but not magic? Maybe she can help too.”
Wanda stroked Mia some more, who was currently resting all stretched out right next to her. “I like that idea, but you know Wong doesn’t want me to use any magic right now. And why should Mantis want to help me? She doesn’t know me at all, really.”
Pietro groaned, feeling like the whole conversation just kept going in a circle. He tried very hard not to look annoyed with Wanda, who he thought absolutely would feel hurt if she knew he was annoyed with her. What he did say was just, “One, I think it’s very likely that Mantis might like that there is another girl with mind powers out there and want to help you. Two, I think you don’t care that much that Wong told you that. You want to do stuff but you also like having an outside reason to leave that stupid wristband on.”
Wanda gave him a sharp glance. “I will not hurt people again. I won’t. I don’t trust myself not to accidentally use magic- even if it’s something harmless- without that bracelet cuff on.” She could tell Pietro was annoyed, but she had no intention of budging on that. “You will just have to stay mad. You quit encouraging me to not do what I’m supposed to!”
Pietro liked that Wanda was using her irritated exasperated sibling voice instead of being hurt or upset about it. He would just continue doing the same thing, then. “I shan’t, not unless I’m hurting your feelings. Then I’ll stop.”
Wanda rolled her eyes, but she also gave pesky Pietro a hug. Pietro is being a pest on purpose, but...it’s so nice to hear him do that all the same.
“Also, I don’t want you to think I think you have to do big hero stuff with your magic. But I do think you have to be comfortable enough with your magic to trust yourself with it, that’s all.” Pietro liked the idea of using his powers to do ‘big hero stuff’, but he knew quite well that all Wanda really wanted was a nice, quiet, safe place to live with her family. She liked helping others, yes, but that desire had very little to do with her powers. “Maybe just learn how so you feel more confident, even if you don’t really want to do big things with it.”
Wanda didn’t say anything, but she nodded. I know he’s right.
“Do you think we are both lucky and unlucky? I think so,” Pietro said now.
Of course Pietro thinks that. “Yes,” Wanda whispered, realizing she really did agree with Pietro on that.
“I think we just got all the bad luck over with first. Now we’ll have all the good luck, maybe,” Pietro suggested brightly. He was quite happy to be flopped on an old sheet in some grass outdoors under that partly cloudy sky with his twin right there with him, knowing they could go inside and grab a snack or talk to a friend whenever they wanted. And Mia would alert him if Wanda really, really needed help and he didn’t realize it for whatever reason.
“I hope so. I really, really hope so.”
Nate finally came running back, this time with Cooper. “Want to go down to the creek?” Cooper offered. “Nate wants to, but he’s not allowed to do that by himself. Obviously.”
Wanda could tell Cooper really wanted Pietro in particular to come with him and was trying very hard to be cool about it. I’m glad Cooper likes Pietro. Maybe Pietro wasn’t technically the older sibling anymore, but Cooper mostly knew Pietro from Wanda’s descriptions of him, and Cooper was the oldest Barton kid. He absolutely should want to hang out with Pietro, in Wanda’s opinion. “Of course.” She poked Pietro, who immediately gave her a Look but also nodded.
Pietro knew Wanda was happy right now, but he also did not want to make her tired by taking walks down to some creek, either. Still, she appeared genuinely all right at the moment, so he hopped up. “Okay.”
“Wanda doesn’t really talk much often, but she’s always made you sound like the best brother ever,” Cooper said to Pietro. He eyed four-year-old Nate, who was happily alternating between running ahead and coming back to walk next to the others. “What did you guys like to do when you were our ages?”
Pietro looked at Wanda, but all she did was shrug and tell him to answer Cooper, which was not helpful. “Well...you are more older than Lila and Nate, than Wanda and me are apart. Twelve minutes. Even if that is wrong, now. I guess.” Pietro sounded frustrated and annoyed, but he continued, studying Nate, “When we were your age, Cooper, we were on our own. So there was not very much...fun things to do. Mostly we were just trying to live. But before that, when we were littler, we liked drawing on scrap paper. Once, we drew on a door and got in trouble. We liked walking to library too. Also, I had a blue toy car, and Wanda had this stuffed duck she carried around. She liked pretending it was her baby. Also, watching television with parents. We loved our family’s apartment. But it was much smaller than your big house. We shared room way smaller than room your parents gave Wanda. Probably half it, maybe, if that.”
“I don’t think I’d like sharing a room with Lila or Nate,” Cooper commented quietly. “Lila’s a girl and Nate is a baby. Not that that is a bad thing to do or anything, it just sounds hard. Especially one that small.”
“I am not a baby!” Nate said indignantly. “Wanda, tell him I’m not a baby.”
Wanda knelt to Nate’s height and the four-year-old huffily flung himself against her. “You aren’t a baby, Nate. Cooper just likes having his own room,” she soothed.
Nate was still scowling at Cooper, but he didn’t make any further fuss.
Pietro shrugged. “It was what we knew. We were fine. It was only not fine after bomb. Before that we were happy.” He paused and gave Wanda a sideways glance. “I thought she was a pest sometimes, but I liked her being close by. You get built-in best friend if you are twins. I definitely teased her because she likes girl stuff, like fancy dresses and things like that. But sharing room was no big deal.”
“Didn’t not having enough privacy bug you guys?” Cooper asked hesitantly, unsure if that question counted as rude or pushy, which was what Clint had told him not to do to the twins.
Nate stopped hanging onto Wanda and began stirring a stick around in the creek, contentedly watching the ripples.
Pietro shrugged. “I do not remember that. Wanda hugged too much sometimes. We fought over stupid things sometimes. But it was really not any big deal to share room.”
Cooper still looked visibly puzzled, but he didn’t press.
“Cooper, honestly, if you just mean privacy changing and things like that, we just turned our backs or went to get dressed in the bathroom if we really wanted to. Actually,” Wanda paused, remembering something silly that amused her whilst trying not to laugh, “I think I mostly went in the bathroom for privacy when I wanted to try to do my own hair. Some of us teased and pulled their sister’s braids and hid hair ribbons. But he would also hit anyone else that picked on me.”
Pietro did not look all that sorry, and Cooper appeared rather intrigued. “ You pulled Wanda’s hair?”
“Not hard, but...yeah. I did. I did not want to hurt her. Just tease.” Pietro looked at Wanda sheepishly and added, “But, that does not mean pull Lila’s hair! We were much littler than you then.”
“I’m not going to pull Lila’s hair, but it just sounds funny because Wanda always made you sound so perfect, that’s all,” Cooper told him. “Hey, did you come over here before I came out with Nate?” Cooper asked suddenly, staring at the ground.
“No, why?” Wanda asked, going over to Cooper to see what had caught his attention. “...That’s a footprint.”
“A girl. Or guy with very small foot,” Pietro added.
Nate looked a bit insulted, because his little four-year-old foot was clearly much smaller than the print.
Mia studied the footprint for a second and gave it a sniff before looking directly at Wanda and making one singular woof. Then her tail drooped a bit and she calmly moved directly behind Wanda and lay down. Wanda tensed on instinct and traded glances with Pietro. She had the strange feeling that there was someone else nearby, watching them from somewhere they couldn’t see, even though she couldn’t access her magic at the moment. I don’t think I’m being paranoid, magic or not. I really don’t.
Without either of them saying a word to each other aloud, the twins seemed to reach a mutual agreement. “Let’s go see if there is any more cake inside,” Wanda said aloud.
“Yeah, let’s go in,” Pietro added.
Cooper frowned and snatched up little Nate, understanding that something was wrong and the twins felt they shouldn’t be alone out here just in case.
“Cake is good,” Nate said agreeably.
The four of them- five including Mia- quickly headed straight back to the house. “Does the footprint really mean anything?” Cooper asked. “I thought I might be worrying for no reason, but…”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think Mia would have reacted like that if it was nothing,” Wanda said, looking at Mia, who was just walking right by her side like she should. Mia did not seem bothered anymore other than her tail still looking rather droopy. “Maybe one of the others has been down to the creek, but I still think something else is not right.”
“Well, it’s gotta be Mom, Kate, America, or Lila, unless somebody else has a weirdly small foot or one of them has a weirdly big foot,” Cooper pointed out. “Nate, nope, I’m not putting you down until we’re inside,” he added, because little Nate was wiggling and wanted to walk himself.
All of them sighed in relief once they had slipped back indoors safely. Sam looked at them with not a little suspicion, a mug of hot tea in his hand. “Everything okay? The whole lot of you look like you saw a ghost. I thought Cooper was taking Nate down to the creek.”
“Yeah, I was, but there’s a footprint over there we didn’t recognize and we just all felt kinda weird. So we came straight back.” Cooper shrugged and set little Nate down. “I know Wanda can’t use her magic when she’s wearing that bracelet thing, but still. It did sort of feel like something was watching us, so it definitely wasn’t just her imagining stuff or something tricking her or whatever. And Mia seemed to think something was wrong too, and she’s just a regular dog. Even if she’s a smart well trained one.”
Laura quickly locked the door behind them. “Clint’s on watch duty at the moment and hasn’t alerted any of us,” she said quietly. “Coop, please take Nate upstairs. Ask one of the girls to watch him and then come back down.”
“Okay.” Cooper rather liked being included in the discussion.
“Thank you.” Laura made the twins sit on the living room sofa, which they did willingly. Then she called Clint and told him what had happened. Clint sounded unsurprised but assured her nothing seemed amiss where he was currently and that he was perfectly fine.
“I’ll go down to the creek with Buck and we’ll investigate,” Sam offered. “Lang, you go find Hawkeye and stay with him.”
Scott glanced at Laura and the twins. “What about them?”
“We’ll all stay here,” Laura said firmly, before either Pietro or Wanda could say anything. “ No, both of you are staying right where you are. I don’t care how old you are,” she added when Pietro started to protest. “The same goes for you,” Laura went on when Cooper trotted back downstairs and tried to follow Scott out the door.
Cooper sighed but didn’t complain. “Nate’s watching Bluey with Lila,” he reported. He plopped on the sofa next to the twins. “Mom, seriously, this is getting dumb. We’ve got to do something else. I know Dad doesn’t mind rotating watching stuff outside, but we’re at home. Home is supposed to mean safe and nobody having to do hero stuff.” Cooper frowned, giving Pietro and Wanda a sideways glance. “What if whatever is out there wants to mess up Wanda’s spell?”
Laura sighed and went to look out the window blinds. As expected, nothing visibly appeared amiss. “Which spell?”
“How Pietro got here. It’s weird that Wanda got him back safely, right?” Cooper didn’t even wait for a reply before continuing, “Somebody is gonna want Wanda to use more resurrection spells. Or get the spell from her to use themselves. Or get Pietro to see if he’s actually normal, even though it’s obvious he is. Or something.”
Wanda could tell Cooper felt more than a bit protective over her and Pietro now, even though he wasn’t even America’s age. “That spell won’t work right on anyone else. Just Pietro.”
“Do you really think bad guys are going to believe that? Wanda, I don’t care if you’re a grownup. That’s dumb. Why would that matter? I bet you can too use that spell again. And it would just make a big mess.” Cooper was frowning now, studying both twins closely. “And, if you used, you know, you to get Pietro, why are you the only one that’s so tired all the time? Wouldn’t he be tired too because you’re sharing energy or something? You healed Nate before, too. Why can’t you heal yourself? Is the spell making it impossible or are you not trying because you think it’ll hurt Pietro?”
I know Cooper is just trying to make sense of everything, but I hate these questions. “I don’t... know,” Wanda told him, which was true.
“Coop, let’s drop that,” Laura said firmly. “Did any of the three of you hear anything strange?”
They looked at each other and all shook their heads. Before anyone could say anything, Kate came running downstairs with her phone in hand. “Hey, Wanda, do you know somebody named Clea? Because Clint just called me, saying they found some tall magic user dressed in purple in the barn. She had brought Madisynn with her, left her resting in some hay, and immediately exited the barn and left. By ripping a hole into...somewhere else with some kind of magic device. Madisynn’s hurt. Not badly, but definitely hurt.”
Wanda blinked at Kate in confusion and shook her head. “No, and why is Madisynn here? Wong was looking for her.”
“I think maybe you’d better talk to Clint and Madisynn,” Kate told her. “Come on.”
Wanda and Mia followed Kate out to the barn. Pietro predictably stuck like glue to his sister, despite Laura suggesting that he stay inside. “You are already tired. I do not want to leave you one bit,” Pietro insisted.
They found Clint and Scott in the barn with Madisynn, all three of whom looked relieved to see them. Madisynn immediately shoved the carefully folded note Clea had left with her at Wanda. “Clea said I should give you this when I saw you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Wanda fumbled to open the note. “Scarlet Witch- I have information for you regarding the future Demiurge should you desire, which I believe you do. I require your help retrieving my partner. Perhaps we could trade assistance.
Please make sure this human pawn is safe. Depositing her with you and your teammates seemed the safest option. She cannot tell you much of anything helpful, but she also cannot help Jake, the demon she made the pact with, if someone keeps an eye on her, either. I do not believe Jake is the real issue regardless- he is being used himself.
I will return in three days’ time. I hope you will consider. Thank you, Clea.” Wanda frowned and glanced at Clint, who just shook his head silently. Pietro peered over her shoulder trying to read the note and grumbled that he couldn’t read the fancy handwriting in English. She didn’t bother addressing Pietro’s complaint, just quietly read the note aloud. “Madisynn, why did this Clea person think I could help her? I have no idea who she even is.”
Madisynn buried her face in her hands and cried, which seemed very un-Madisynn-ish, but Wanda also suspected something awful had happened to her and that Madisynn hadn’t been tipsy or otherwise out of it whenever it had happened, and that she remembered all of it clearly. “I’m tired of this and I want to help and I can’t,” she wailed, “and it hurts!” Wanda couldn’t see anything on Madisynn that warranted such a dramatic reaction in her opinion, just some bruises on her arms and legs, but she also 1)knew very well that some hurt couldn’t be seen and 2)Madisynn was not used to being hurt, either.
Pietro’s expression scrunched up in confusion. The twins traded glances. Wanda handed the note to Pietro and knelt next to Madisynn on the strange purple blanket Madisynn had with her. Then she quietly gave Mia her ‘go play’ command before asking Madisynn, “Would you like to pet Mia?”
“You’re not supposed to pet people’s service dogs,” Madisynn said tearfully, and then, “A girl I know back in Florida has a service dog. Hers is a golden retriever. She has a TikTok. You should make a TikTok for Mia.”
Mia, delighted with permission to do as she pleased but also happy to stay nearby, went straight for Pietro, slurped him, and then snuffled at Madisynn’s blanket before flopping on her side next to Wanda with her eyes half closed.
The only reason Wanda even knew what TikTok was at all was because of Kate and America. Lila was not allowed, because she was too little. Wanda liked watching the few things her friends had shown her, but she had no desire to make her own, not one bit. “I’m not making a social media anything,” she said softly, unsure what dog videos online had to do with anything, “but I told Mia she could relax for a bit, so you can pet her.”
“Okay.” Madisynn seemed strangely subdued for her, but she stroked Mia and gave Wanda a slight smile. “Thanks. You seem happier than before. And detoxed from the bad magic. ...Is that guy your brother? He is fine.”
“Yeah, I am fine, why would I not be?” Pietro said, looking somewhat puzzled.
Madisynn also looked confused. “...Why are you confused?”
“I think you made an English slang compliment and I missed it.”
“She means she thinks you look good,” Wanda told him quietly, looking from Madisynn to Pietro and back again suspiciously. “Madisynn, you can’t have my brother.”
“I don’t want him, he just looks fine as hell, just saying,” Madisynn protested.
Pietro looked rather offended.
Clint made a strange choked laughing noise. “Okay then. Madisynn, did this Clea person tell you anything useful besides what she put in the note for Wanda?”
Madisynn chewed her lip nervously. “She didn’t say much. Just that I would be safe here and assured me Jake cannot do anything to the people I love if I had people watching me, since he’s bound to the same deal and can’t hurt them if I don’t break it. And her ‘partner’ is most, most definitely Phenn.”
“Who the heck is Phenn?” Scott asked curiously.
“That, is Strange. Madisynn likes to call him that, short for Stephen.” Wanda was tense all over, but she stayed quiet besides that. She did not particularly want to discuss demon deals at all, but she also knew they...needed to.
Scott found this hilarious but decided to keep that to himself for now.
“Who’s Jake exactly?” Clint asked.
“Ummmm. Nobody. Nobody at all,” Madisynn said all in a rush, pulling her knees to her chest.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know we know Jake is the demon you made a pact with, because of the note. You are not stupid. You can tell us about Jake without telling us anything about the specific deal you made.” Clint paused before adding, “Go in the house with the girls and get yourself cleaned up and into some fresh clothes. If you don’t have any in that backpack of yours, ask Laura if you can borrow something. Then we’ll figure out what to do next. Kate, keep an eye on Madisynn. Pietro, you keep an eye on Wanda. Wanda, I want you to take a nap until Madisynn is ready to participate in the discussion.”
Madisynn blinked at him, rather surprised by that reaction. Clint Barton seemed exhausted to her, but he was not snappish and he was not dismissing any of them. “He doesn’t treat Wanda and me like we don’t have anything useful to add,” Madisynn said quietly to Kate on the way inside. “Even though we did something dumb before.”
“Because he doesn’t do that sort of thing. Even if he thinks you are full of crap he’ll hear you out first and explain why he disagrees,” Kate told her.
Once Madisynn and Kate were out of earshot, Clint looked straight at Wanda. “That girl seems nice. Is she a safety hazard?” he asked quietly.
“...What? No, definitely not. Madisynn doesn’t have any powers at all. She’s normal,” Wanda said quickly, frowning. Why is he asking that but thinks it’s okay that I’m here? “You have me and Pietro here…”
Clint crossed his arms and shook his head. “You two aren’t strangers I don’t know. The question has nothing to do with being enhanced or not. Perhaps ‘security issue’ is a better phrase. Wanda, is Madisynn going to obey if someone tells her not to do something? Is she going to post private information like her location on TikTok or any other social media?”
Wanda hesitated and wished that she wasn’t. Madisynn was kind and friendly, but she was also naive and not that used to magic anything. “I don’t...know. I would trust her to obey if the reasons for whatever it was were explained to her. Madisynn was kind to me back at the sanctum, but I really don’t know her well. And I think she sort of...plays up her natural silly behavior sometimes, because she’s used to people not taking her seriously anyways.” She stroked Mia before adding, “I think we should tell Wong that Madisynn is here and let Madisynn decide if she wants to stay.”
“What about the note thing? Purple Clea left her here, not in New York at the sanctum,” Scott pointed out. “There has to be a reason for that.”
Wanda’s eyes went flinty. “Yes. I think it’s because she was doing something with Stephen that was not bad, but definitely not something traditionally approved by the sorcerers’ rules.”
“I think it’s got something to do with you, magical girl,” Scott replied instantly. Somehow it did not sound like an insult to her coming from Scott; his expression was serious, but his eyes were smiling somehow. “The note was for you. She could’ve taken Madisynn to the sanctum and then brought the note here for you.”
“Well, I am telling Wong that his friend is here. If I was him, I would want to know,” Wanda said stubbornly. No one stopped her from texting him, and almost instantly a reply came back. “He says thank you and that he will come for Madisynn as soon as he can. That’s it. I didn’t mention Clea.” Maybe I should? I just...don’t know.
Pietro dragged his sister back inside without further discussion, leaving Scott and Clint outside. They seemed unbothered, so Wanda didn’t protest. “Are you going to tell Wong about Clea?” he asked finally, content that making Wanda lie down was enough resting and that it was okay to talk to her.
“I don’t know. I feel like I should, but I also feel like if she wanted him to know about her, she would have simply contacted him herself. Why would she want me to help her and not Wong?” Wanda hugged Mia close, and Mia was quite content to let her. Something was obviously missing, something important that none of them had put their finger on yet.
Pietro flopped on his air mattress on his back. “Maybe because you have more power than him.”
“I think I’d rather have someone trained properly,” Wanda muttered. “...I am going to tell him.” She quickly added the small bit of information she had about Clea in another text; Wong did not answer her immediately, but at least she had told.
“You asked Wong if we could use you as a battery power-wise. I think your idea sounds terrible, but maybe it really is possible to do that safely?” Pietro suggested, running his fingers over the rune marks on his own chest. “Wanda, Cooper reminded me of something else, too. You used...you...to get me back. I sort of think you are tired all the time because you don’t have enough energy to run both of us and you give me too much of your own.”
“...What?”
“I think you’re somehow running both of us, bracelet or not, and it’s hurting you. I don’t know if it’s because you’re wearing that thing, maybe, but having me alive is bad for you physically.” Pietro was making this nervous uncomfortable face that made Wanda want to hug him close and never let go. She moved over to make room for him and he immediately curled up next to her, Mia lying between them. “I want you to ask ol’ Hawkeye to take that thing off your wrist so you can fix that, whether you’re ‘supposed’ to or not.”
I don’t know how. Wanda didn’t argue that he was wrong, because really, she agreed with Pietro’s theory and just didn’t care. “I won’t risk hurting you,” she whispered instead.
Pietro’s brow grew more furrowed at that. “Well, I would rather us both be a little tired than have you feeling like collapsing every time you’re standing or walking for any length of time. You can just undo whatever you try to do if it’s not working like we want.” He hesitated, staring at Wanda suspiciously. “You know I’m not really supposed to be here at all. I feel like the same old me, but I was, you know, dead. I’m worried that you might be slowly draining life from yourself or something because of me. And I don’t want you doing anything like that.”
Wanda tensed all over, but she instantly shook her head. “I don’t think so. I feel much better than right after I cast the resurrection spell,” she said softly. “I should feel worse if that was the case, not better. Have you been worrying about that this whole time?”
“I guess so, yeah. You do stuff that hurts you too often to not worry you’d do something like that. I do believe you, I’m just...worried about you anyway.”
Madisynn poked her head in the room a little while later with her damp hair piled into a messy bun. She seemed much more relaxed than before. “Where’s Wongers? I was hoping he would come by now,” she said hopefully.
“Wongers?” Pietro whispered in Wanda’s ear.
Wanda shushed him. “Madisynn calls people silly nicknames,” she told Pietro, and then to Madisynn, “I don’t know, but he said he would come as soon as he could.”
Madisynn swished a fuzzy-socked foot back and forth on the carpet. “Okay.” She went over to America’s bed and perched on the edge. “I was talking to Kate. I know this doesn’t help the weird demon magic parts, but we were thinking we could use social media ourselves to skew things in you and your teammates’ favor.”
Pietro perked up curiously. “What does that mean?”
“It means Wands has gotten dragged online in the news over and over no matter what good or bad she’s caused. Look at this.” Madisynn pulled up a short news clip, clearly from recently at the hospital. “Here is a negative bit.” This clip was obviously edited in such a way to make the incident appear in a negative light; the interviewed people were ones Wanda hadn’t healed by accident and focused on the chaotic mess that followed- a gridlocked parking lot, a couple minor fender benders, confused shouting people, and hospital employees happy some patients had been healed but worried they might lose their jobs. “You aren’t mentioned by name, but the reporter and a lot of the randos do mention that they think an enhanced did it and that they’re worried why. Now watch this one.”
Madisynn pulled up another news clip; this one sounded completely different: the bad parts were glossed over or unmentioned entirely, and all the interviews were delighted happy people, one of whom Wanda recognized as the little girl she’d gone to help in the first place and a crying relieved woman she assumed was the girl’s mom. “If there is a new enhanced with a secret identity scared of revealing themselves because of certain people in office, I hope you are watching. There is support out here. Thank you.”
Kate also poked her head in. “You guys are supposed to come downstairs. Madisynn, did you tell them? About the news clips and the other stuff?”
“Work in progress!” Madisynn seemed more like her usual perky self now, and she quickly pulled up a few Instagram posts. “Okay. These are pictures in Westview from pretty recently. They’ll suck but-“
“Madisynn, don’t show her anything from there,” Kate interrupted, snatching the phone. “It won’t help anything. She gets it. News and social media can be bent to fit whatever narrative somebody wants. We need better branding for heroes in general, not even just for her.”
Wanda tensed all over, but she just sighed and said nothing. I can imagine what might be in Westview and I don’t blame those people one bit. But I don’t want to see it either. “Let’s just...go downstairs.”
________________
Wong knocked on the Bartons’ front door before any of them could actually discuss anything at all as a group. Wanda still quite liked that Wong did not just barge in places without asking first. And she liked that he let a very relieved Madisynn hug him. “Wongers! You came!” Madisynn squealed, and then, “I guess I shouldn’t have left. I didn’t know having somebody keep an eye on me would protect everyone else.” Madisynn went on chattering about liking Hawkeye’s house and meeting everyone else and that she was okay but her bruises hurt and could she have a drink?
Wong sighed, but he was smiling a little. “Madisynn, it’s good to know you’re safe. Your obnoxious chattering and spoiling of The Sopranos were missed. Can you please be serious for a minute? You can come back to the sanctum if you want, but I do want you to stay here for a little while I take her somewhere to practice,” he finished, nodding toward Wanda.
Me? “You want me to practice?” Wanda asked quietly. Next to her Pietro was clinging to her, much like she often did herself before.
“Yes. Not here, but yes.”
Wong reluctantly allowed Pietro to come too, making specific instructions that he was not to make a fuss even if he didn’t like what was going on.
Pietro did not answer.
“Pietro, you listen,” Wanda ordered, not wanting Wong to say that Pietro couldn’t come or something. She followed Wong through the orange sparkling portal only to see the same isolated cabin from before in the near distance. I don’t want to be here. Why here? Pietro squeezed her close and she clutched Mia’s harness in her fist.
“We’re practicing here because it’s remote and there are already residual traces of your magic nearby,” Wong explained calmly. “It will be difficult to impossible to track since I brought you here, not your own magic.”
The second Wong unlocked the bracelet cuff from her wrist, Wanda sensed a strange eagerness from her chaos magic, delighted at being freed from its muted, blocked, sleepy state. It doesn’t feel wrong, but… “You are sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“What am I even supposed to be doing?”
“Whatever you please that is not using a rune spell, reality warping anything, or affecting anything outside the immediate vicinity. Stick to the basics for now, perhaps whatever your Avenger friends taught you to practice with years ago, just to get used to what you already know how to do again.” Wong paused, expression serious but clearly trying to help. “Maybe spar with your brother or me. Whatever you like.”
“This does not feel like a lesson,” Wanda muttered, but she nodded. I don’t think he knows what to do with me at all.
Wong sighed deeply. “We don’t have a proper teacher for you. Trying to give you sorcery lessons is pointless. What we are trying to accomplish is you feeling comfortable with actively using your magic in small doses, at the very least. You know I genuinely do not wish to be around you, but I do want to help.”
He just wants to “help” keep it contained because he doesn’t trust me. Wanda was not sure if that cynical thought was all hers or not. The only thing she knew for certain was that Pietro and Tasha were right- she felt better physically without the rune bracelet on. My hand hurts, but it feels better too. When she closed her eyes, she could sense the bits of her own magic left behind in the area more easily. The residual bits felt pained and all mixed up to her, as if something had poisoned it, which she supposed was true, though above that was an odd satisfied, warm, messy thing Wanda recognized as having to be nothing else but the resurrection spell, which was all hers. “I don’t know what to do,” she told Pietro silently.
“That’s all right. Sit and hold Mia. Just do something boring first, like making some loose branches or leaves float around. What we’re doing now counts too.” Pietro’s telepathic reply made her relax; he was right. Letting their passive connection behave like normal felt...pleasant. Safe. Wanda sat down right where she was and rested her bad hand on Mia, who seemed content and unconcerned at the moment.
“Couldn’t Wanda heal her hand?” Pietro asked aloud. “Because that is on her only, not anyone or anything else.”
“Honestly, I suspect she can, but it’s too risky to attempt because we don’t know what type of backlash that spell may release if she does,” Wong said quietly. “It could backfire on one or both of you or worse. Better to let it heal naturally unless we find confirmation otherwise. I have been looking. I know you two have some sort of passive telepathic connection. Talk to her, even if it’s only about something unimportant.”
“Okay.” Pietro didn’t mind that assignment one bit. “Wong says talk to you some more so I’m just talking to you.”
Wanda laughed and let a few tiny red wisps haze her fingers, sending a swirl of pine needles and fallen leaves around all of them. “I don’t feel all wrong here anymore. I can feel the poisoned corruption remnants from before, but they’re dissipating and not on me so much.”
She didn’t do anything spectacular or otherwise dramatic, just levitated herself and more leaves and branches, and caught a speeding Pietro several times easily while they talked. Wanda asked if Wong had helped Frank Castle, but his evasive, it’s a work in progress answer told her that he hadn’t located him yet.
She decided not to press.
Wong didn’t instruct her to do anything other than offering a simple, “Think how to use as little energy as possible to produce the results you want. You tend to use much more physical energy than necessary, especially when you fight. You technically did that even under the Darkhold’s influence, ‘holding back’ or not.”
Wanda tensed and studied her boots for a minute, inwardly cringing at that comment. But he’s right. Nat used to tell me the same thing. “You sound like Nat,” she whispered.
“She was right.” Wong moved to stand directly across from Wanda. “I suspect this simply doesn’t matter as much for you, but normally you don’t want to yank too much from your magic reservoir too quickly or you’ll be drained and unable to do anything until you’ve let yourself rest.”
Pietro crossed his arms. “I think Wanda is tired because of me. Not her magic.”
“Unfortunately, if she really is tired because of you, that is her magic,” Wong explained. “Therefore, if she’s functioning on a decreased reservoir- at least temporarily- then she should practice using as little energy as possible to accomplish what she wants.”
“Well...okay.” Pietro was still scowling, but he did understand that logic, and like Wanda, he liked that Wong was being honest. He plopped under a tree and watched Wanda practice. To him she seemed more energetic rather than less the more she used her magic. Pietro could also tell Wong was wary of being close to her, which he knew Wanda could most certainly feel herself more than he did, but Wong also wasn’t treating her strangely either. Wong suggested she keep a shield around her bad arm and hand whilst fighting; he suggested she use her mind control to fight less destructively if she was ever dealing with multiple assailants again.
Wanda stared at him. “You want me to do what? I hurt people doing that before. Even without that evil book.” I don’t understand.
Wong’s expression was impassive. “You hurt people doing that because you didn’t know what you were doing, and you unloaded your own negative emotions on them. There is also a difference between mind-controlling innocent people and someone meaning you or someone else harm. I see nothing wrong with using that skill in self-defense, whether on your behalf or someone else’s.” He shook his head. “Now, if you are fighting any well-trained magic user, they’ll shield their minds and you need to go past that. Try on me.”
Wanda flinched and backed up, her eyes glassy with tears. “I don’t want to hurt you. I already did that and also I can tell you are scared of me doing that, even without any poking at your head.” Mia nudged her good hand a bit to get her attention. I don’t understand. I don’t understand at all.
Wong’s expression softened. “That is my business, not yours at this point. There isn’t anyone else available to help you, and while I suspect your brother wouldn’t care, he’s not a magic user and he’s already connected to you too much. The fact that you’ve not made one mistake while we’ve been here nor had to deal with any corruption remnants makes me trust you more.”
“I’m scared I’ll hurt him. Or you or Mia. I want to go home. And-“
Come back for me, Mom. Please. I don’t think you can help yet. You gotta go.
Wanda abruptly whipped around to face Pietro, her eyes glowing red. “The bracelet get the bracelet something’s wrong I thought I felt Billy just now and I know he’s not here and-“ In a split second Pietro was back at Wanda’s side, sitting right there on the dead grass clutching her tightly before Mia could react beyond pawing at her leg.
“Get stupid bracelet thing! Wanda thinks something’s wrong,” Pietro shouted. “Wanda, it’s all right. I can feel the bad thing too. It can’t get us,” he told her, ignoring the fact that both of them- and Mia- were floating now about a foot off the ground.
The next thing Pietro knew, he had landed on the ground with a thump still clutching his twin tightly. And there was a startled, frightened America plopped on a pile of leaves a few feet away. Mia shook herself all over, confused but unhurt. “Pietro, I think-“ Wanda started, but then shut up as Wong lifted them with his own magic and gently tossed them through a portal...into the redone sanctum courtyard her corrupted self had destroyed before, thankfully empty at the moment. I don’t know what’s going on. I knew something was wrong, but...I know know know Billy was not here. I looked so many times before. He’s not. The magic-nullifying bracelet was back on her wrist thank goodness; she had sensed enough to know something wasn’t right, but she had no idea what beyond sensing that her chaos magic had wanted to do much more than simply summon America Chavez. Billy. I felt something and I wish I knew what it was. And why Billy only? Where’s Tommy? “I felt like I heard Billy again,” she whispered. “It was...different,” she told Pietro . “‘Come back for me, Mom. Please. I don’t think you can help yet. You gotta go.’ Not calling for help, just…”
America scrambled to her feet. “What’s going on? And why are we here? Wanda didn’t hurt me, but I don’t…” she studied Wanda, who looked awfully worried and guilty...and tired. “I don’t think you meant to teleport me, did you.” It wasn’t a question.
Wanda shook her head hard. Wong was trying to help me, he specifically said not to do anything outside the immediate vicinity, and I literally pulled America across the ocean.
I am so tired. Disoriented. Not...right. She didn’t bother trying to protest when Wong sent her off to dreamland via his own magic again, like when she’d been in with Vision at the little New York apartment. Pietro was there and she trusted that he wouldn’t leave her.
Pietro immediately began squawking protests himself. “What you do to her? I do not understand. Why is she sleeping now? You knocked her out like bad Hydra lab people from-“
“Mr. Maximoff, please be quiet. I don’t know what just happened,” Wong interrupted him before he could make any further fuss. “Your sister is trying her best- I can see that much. Certainly she knew something wasn’t right, and she was...herself enough to warn us, but…” He studied unconscious Wanda lying in Pietro’s arms. “Did she tell either of you anything?”
America shook her head, but Pietro chewed his lip. “She thought she felt Billy, but that she knew he was not actually here,” Pietro said quietly. “He hugged Wanda closer, his eyes filled with tears. “Don’t understand. Wanda tries very hard. Not fair.”
America knelt right there on the cobblestone courtyard. “It’s all right. We’re all okay. I mean, she probably teleported me because inside she thinks I can help find Billy, right? That’s not a bad thing, really.” She remembered corrupted Wanda yanking her around all too well. What Wanda had done now, randomly ripping her from Iowa and plopping her down on a crunchy, soft leaf pile had not felt violent at all, just very, very weird and disorienting. “Pietro, I saw Wanda before. She’s okay now, I know so. She’s just…” America looked to Wong for help.
“She’s unstable and her connection to Chthon and the Darkhold makes it worse, that’s what,” Wong finished, not mincing words. “Frankly I don’t know what to do with her. I agree with Clint Barton that leaving that wristband on her constantly isn’t healthy, but then if she does try to practice, we risk things like this happening, or that incident at the hospital. If anyone else gets ahold of her…”
“Mr. Wong, if somebody bad does get ahold of Wanda, they’d be in way more danger than us,” America pointed out, twisting a bit of hair around her finger. “Like those bad guys she disintegrated at the farm because they were after Lila and Nate.” She looked down at the little silver stars on her wrists. “Maybe if everyone else gets rid of the Dian problems first, it would be okay for her to practice. Because the problem with her mistakes now isn’t that they are bad ones, really. They might be big ones, like healing all those people or randomly teleporting me thousands of miles across the ocean, but they’re not bad, like the Westview incident or all the stuff she did because of the Darkhold.”
Wong finally decided to just take the twins back to Iowa and let America stay at the sanctum, since he suspected that Wanda thinking she felt Billy- whether that was true or not- might mean some other entity was trying to manipulate her into getting America to go somewhere with her to ‘help look’. Pietro refused to let go of his sister even when they were back in Clint’s house; he carried her upstairs and plopped on the floor in a corner holding her. Mia curled up next to them, her ears all perky and alert again.
Wong assured Pietro his sister would wake up within an hour, if not sooner. “We’ll come up with a new, safe way for her to practice. Perhaps being near that cabin affected the corruption remnants too much, along with the area helping conceal her magic in the first place.”
“I think it is me,” Pietro said quietly. “Me being here probably got her magic all confused and extra messy. Even Mia is confused.” He looked away, unsure if he trusted Wong at all after he had put her to sleep, but...the man had not taken Wanda away from him, and Wanda herself wasn’t frightened or anything. She seemed quite peaceful, actually.
Wong sighed deeply. “You are probably correct on that, especially since the normal way for someone to attempt a resurrection spell involves trading someone else’s life for the person you want back, and even then it will usually go very badly. That is one reason attempting it is forbidden in the first place, that and it tears up the natural order of the universe.”
Pietro scowled, suddenly wanting the patient sorcerer to go away. “You probably wish I was still dead, dead, dead. Maybe, it would be better. Thanks so much. I knew...me, was not supposed to be here already.” He shrugged Wong’s hand off his shoulder and darted to the opposite side of the room, still clutching Wanda. “She hurt herself to get me, and you still judge her for it. Not fair. I don’t care who you are. Or what she did to you before! That is not fair!” Pietro was yelling now, and a disapproving Clint appeared in the doorway.
“What is going on now?”
“HE SAID WANDA WASN’T SUPPOSED TO GET ME BACK BECAUSE OF STUPID MAGIC RULES! HE THINKS BOTH OF US ARE BAD.”
“No, he doesn’t. Pietro, be quiet.” Clint quickly shushed him and made him go into the hall. “He’s trying to help and you know it. That was rude and uncalled for. You go to Cooper’s room and hang out there with him, you understand? You may take Wanda and Mia with you. There will be no more of this yelling.”
Pietro didn’t feel very sorry. He huffed and stomped out of the room.
“Want to play a video game?” Cooper offered. “You were so loud I know exactly what you said.”
“No. I do not want to leave Wanda,” Pietro said saltily, and sat on Cooper’s carpet.
“Who said anything about leaving her? You can put her on my bed.” Cooper swept a pile of clean clothes and blankets onto the floor. “See, just let Wanda rest here ‘til she wakes up. Now there’s room. We can play a game or watch TV while you wait.”
Pietro hesitated, but then decided to listen. Cooper reminded him of an older version of some of his little friends at school before he and Wanda didn’t get to go anymore. He did not want to push Cooper away or be rude to him. Cooper hadn’t done anything. “Can I borrow blanket? Wanda might be cold.”
Cooper shrugged. “You guys can borrow multiple blankets. And I don’t care if Mia is on my bed, if it’s better for them.” He tossed a fluffy Star Wars blanket at Pietro, which Pietro promptly tucked around Wanda. “Well. I want to play Mario Kart, but if you wanna play too, I’ll show you how.”
Pietro nodded, but he just fidgeted and paced while Cooper played his game. Cooper having his own TV also still seemed weird, but he’d known that already. Wanda would be upset if she found out he’d yelled at Wong. “I do not want to say sorry. I should.”
Cooper kept his eyes on his game. “Yeah, maybe. Why’d you yell all that at the nice sorcerer guy anyway?”
“He say resurrection spells tear up ‘the natural order of the universe’.” Pietro repeated what Wong had told him more or less, inserting his own defensive complaints in between.
Cooper paused his game, eyeing the twins curiously. “I don’t think that means Wong wants you dead or to lock Wanda up. It kind of just sounds like he’s puzzled that her resurrection spell worked, because she didn’t do it the normal, kinda disturbing way. Like he’s trying to reason it all out. Besides, Wanda has chaos magic. Maybe it likes tearing up natural order or whatever and that’s fine.” He watched Pietro pace some more. “And I know Lila is closer to her than me, which is totally fine. But I do know her plenty to say that I think it would still be really hard for her to just...be, even if she hadn’t got any powers.”
Pietro sat next to the younger boy and began messing with a fidget spinner Cooper had left half under his bed. “What you mean by that?”
“Just what I said! Wanda is a nice person. She cares for her friends a lot. She’s also super stubborn and wishes she was ‘normal’. But…” Cooper did not really have all the vocabulary he wanted to explain what he was thinking, but he figured maybe that was good, because then maybe Pietro would understand better. “I didn’t really understand why Dad told Lila and me not to question Wanda about certain things years ago when me and Lila were littler. But I do now. Her head is hurt.”
“What has that got to do with anything?” Pietro asked defensively.
“Just that it makes it extra hard to handle her particular powers, I think, and that hers are connected to her feelings anyway. She’s not Captain America. A not-mentally-ill person would prob’ly still have trouble with hers. I mean, Wanda can literally change reality with a thought. That’s very cool but also kinda scary.” Cooper offered Pietro his extra game controller. “Here. You don’t have to play, but you can if you want. And you can keep that fidget spinner if you like. I have more.”
Pietro still felt sort of defensive over Cooper’s ‘kinda scary’ comment, but the boy appeared thoroughly relaxed, so he didn’t say anything about it. “Your family is weird. You treat me and Wanda like...like…”
“Like you’re family? You guys are,” Cooper told him. “Nate’s named after you too, you know. His middle name is Pietro.”
“Yeah, I knew. Wanda told me.” Pietro rearranged the blanket over Wanda. She smiled a bit but didn’t react otherwise and remained asleep. “It feels weird but very cool.”
When Clint came to check on them, Pietro was indeed playing Mario Kart with Cooper, a sleepy Wanda now half awake and watching them play. Mia lay next to Wanda, blinking calmly. “Everything good in here?”
“Yeah, Dad, no problem. I showed Pietro how to play Mario Kart. He sucked at first but he’s really good now actually.” Cooper was delighted to have a new friend to play his game with; Lila did play sometimes, but she preferred Animal Crossing on her Switch, and Nate was not fun to play with because he was too little and would squawk when he lost.
“Please stop the game just for a minute,” Clint told them. “Cooper, stay with Wanda. I want to talk to Pietro.”
Pietro reluctantly obeyed. He still didn’t feel all that sorry for yelling, but he knew he had been rude. “Do I get lecture now?”
Clint sighed and shook his head. “Only a little. Yelling at Wong was way out of line.”
“You want me apologize.”
“Well, you should, but no one’s making you. Wong went home and took Madisynn with him. He’s not upset with you- he understands why you yelled,” Clint said. “Pietro, what I need to ask you about is little Billy. Wong said you told him that Wanda thought she felt him but that something was wrong, and that all of you were pretty near that remote cabin Wanda holed up in alone before. Was there anything there that made you think she might have really felt him and not been tricked into thinking it?”
I don’t know how to answer that. “I do not know. Maybe the creepy demon creature has him?” Pietro suggested. He chewed his lip in a way that very much reminded Clint of Wanda. “There was definitely a bad...thing...there. But…”
“But you didn’t feel any little boy with similar powers as Wanda.”
Pietro shook his head. “It all happened really fast. Wanda looked happy practicing. For a while, actually. Then she freaked. Then America was there. Wanda said what she heard, to me. ‘Come back for me, Mom. Please. I don’t think you can help yet. You gotta go.’ Wong put bracelet back on her. No more Wanda-magic.” He smiled just a tiny bit. “I know Wanda’s enhancements are messy. But I like seeing her happy using them.”
“Well, don’t get Wanda’s hopes up just yet, but I’m going to get in contact with Darcy Lewis and tell her to comb that area with whatever tech she’s got if possible. Wong said he would see what he could find over there too. Maybe between him and Darcy they’ll find something. Seems odd that would happen now all of a sudden when nothing like that did when Wanda used her powers around here, even when she did ‘mess up’. It must mean something.” Clint knew none of them could know for sure, but he had promised to help Wanda look for her lost babies, and this seemed like the first real lead to, well, anything. “Besides, what Wanda told you sounds...different than what she described the Darkhold ‘telling’ her about those lost babies.”
“Like...Billy tried warning her. Or something.”
“Exactly. If- and I say if- that’s accurate, that means it’s likely it’s not a manner of needing to resurrect the children like she did with you and not knowing how. They are quite literally out there somewhere waiting for her, that woman Clea knows, and Billy at least, knows she’s out there wanting them back and something is keeping them apart.”
Notes:
If it’s not clear enough already, I just want to say that yeah, Wanda kinda made things both more and less difficult for herself by getting Pietro back. She’s still a bit of a mess but we love her anyways lol
Obviously Pietro shouldn’t have yelled at Wong (omg Wong is REALLY PATIENT honestly, poor guy lol), but I felt like that was something Pietro probably would do at this point. He knows he shouldn’t have XD
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 35: Chapter 35
Summary:
In which Darcy and Wong attempt to look for the boys; Yelena, Madisynn, and Peter form an unlikely team-up in NYC; and Loki pays a visit to the Barton farm.
Notes:
Well, this chapter is going up later than I had hoped, but here it is finally! We are getting very close to finding Tommy, but one more Big Thing has to happen first, so he’ll probably be showing up in...two more chapters I think? I have the next chapter about 2/3 done already, so there shouldn’t be as long of a wait for the next one.
I hope you enjoy!:)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“What are we looking for exactly around here?” Darcy asked cheerfully, and then shivered. “Ugh, why’d she decide to stay here alone for so long? Cool vacation spot. Also weirdly creepy even though it’s pretty.”
“One of Miss Maximoff’s little kids may be hidden somewhere nearby. We don’t know how old he should be since the children grew oddly quickly inside the Westview hex. They were ten when she saw them last. The one with magic somewhat similar to hers, Billy, is the one that might be here. We are looking for either the little boy, or any clues as to where he might be. If you can tell on your equipment, look for any power signatures similar to hers.” Wong calmly opened and closed several different dimension portals, making Darcy yelp when a few small flying creatures or odd-looking carnivorous otherworldly plants popped out and Wong threw them back in. “Is any of your equipment picking up anything?”
“I’m not sure why you brought me. I have been trying to look for the little boys for quite awhile, and I’ve told the Guardians to keep an eye out for them too. Nothing so far. Thor said Rocket and Cosmo thought maybe one of the little kids like Phyla would be one of the Maximoff kids- like if they accidentally got teleported someplace outside Westview or something- but they definitely aren’t.”
“Are Rocket and Cosmo off-world?”
“Yep. On Knowhere. They’re rebuilding and all,” Darcy told him.
Wong nodded. “Would you be able to ask Cosmo and Mantis to come to Earth anytime soon?” he asked. He had one new idea that might help.
Darcy beamed. “Not directly, but I can ask Thor to contact Knowhere and ask. Their old team is all split up more or less too though, same as the old Avengers team is for us. I’m not sure they know where Mantis is at the moment.”
“Well, let’s try that next. The talking telekinetic space dog and the telepathic alien girl certainly don’t have chaos magic either, but I would think between them, her friends, and me, we can get her some semblance of safe control, even if her magic is unique to her and her only. She also might like being around them, I suspect.” Wong still didn’t feel particularly confident with that plan either, but it was something, at least.
“All my stuff is picking up are our own heat signatures, your power signature, and, like, residue from Wanda herself? Most of the residue comes from over there,” Darcy said now, pointing at the cabin. “I bet you can sense Wanda’s magic yourself since you’ve got magic too, without any tech at all. All those weird portals you opened just make my stuff go nuts and not actually...read anything accurately. If we could leave one open and actually go in, or give me time to recalibrate or something then maybe.”
“We’ll let dangerous beings that don’t belong in our dimension in if we do.” Wong led them into the cabin. “And I won’t risk your safety dragging you into one.”
Darcy stared at the runes etched into the floor, dragging her equipment in on a dolley. “Uh, aren’t these leftover from Wanda’s resurrection spell? Loki and Sylvie would say using something this complicated isn’t something you just toss out on a whim. Like something that’s theoretically possible to do, but only with a crap ton of magic and a lot of experience. She sure as heck hasn’t got a ‘lot of experience’.”
“Well, considering she’s the Scarlet Witch from that prophecy and the legends, I dare say she has more than enough magic,” Wong said matter-of-factly, and cast a simple obfuscation spell over the floor to conceal the runes. “I should have hidden this before. Certainly don’t want anyone else waltzing through here and memorizing the spell.”
Darcy sighed and plopped down on a dusty chair. “Do you want me to just ask one of the Asgardians to help us? I think the magic Loki uses is closer to Wanda’s than yours or Stephen’s.”
“Do you really think Loki of all people is trustworthy?”
“No, but not in a malicious sort of way. He causes...mischief. And he’s purposely poking at, well, our present in little ways to manipulate our future? I sort of think he saw something horrible and is trying to fix it without ruining anything. But he has different rules in his head over what’s ethical, like what I let them convince me to do to give Wanda a chance to get her brother back without you guys interfering. I’m sorry I lied to you, but I’m...not sure if we did wrong either, because I don’t think you would have let her try and I don’t think what she did to get Pietro was bad.”
“No, I wouldn’t have let her try. You do know that could have gone horrifically wrong, right? By all previous records, it should have. She didn’t have a body to start with. She didn’t have a second person to trade. She didn’t have any knowledge of what she was attempting or how it works- she just memorized the rune layout and nothing else.”
Darcy chewed her lip thoughtfully. “I think because Wanda’s magic is different than literally everyone else’s, maybe it just...bends widely held magic guidelines. I mean, she doesn’t normally use runes or any other memorized spells at all. She thought she was just a successful enhanced experiment for years. That’s how her Avengers teammates trained her. You told me you tried to help her practice and she just does random stuff on instinct.”
“She really does. All of it comes naturally to her. She certainly never needed any literal book to tell her anything, corrupted or not. No one needs to teach her spells to memorize; she just needs practice so she’s not using Olympic-sized pool amounts of magic when a teacup of it would do. Watching her actively use her magic now, her normal self, did tell me one other new thing,” Wong said quietly. “I do not think what we call ‘chaos magic’ is inherently destructive. Even when Miss Chavez abruptly appeared here, it never felt destructive . More...messy and disorganized. I almost suspect nothing was actually wrong beyond Billy’s warning that she shouldn’t try to get him right now, and she simply scared herself badly because of it.”
“Um, why would Wanda’s magic be inherently destructive anyways? You said how Wanda fulfills that prophecy was up to her.”
“I did, but I also thought it might be something she had to change via brute force, and I don’t think that’s right either. If we can sever her ties to Chthon and the Darkhold entirely, all of us would be safer.” Wong looked rather droopy to Darcy all of a sudden. “If you believe Loki would genuinely help, I would not stop you from enlisting his assistance along with Cosmo and Mantis if possible. I will not have what happened to Sara or the others happen again. If that means finding help elsewhere that I normally should not, then so be it.”
“He would help.” Darcy frowned and adjusted her black beanie. “He also definitely loves Sylvie and won’t say so. Loki also seems to like talking to Viv, because she’s nice to him and doesn’t automatically snip at him when he hasn’t actually done anything deserving of being snipped at. He doesn’t care when he knows he’s purposely been causing trouble. Viv just...asks questions. She’s a cool houseguest.”
Wong could picture that easily. While he had only spoken to the pink synthezoid girl a little, she struck him as a kind, curious person that absolutely would give Loki a chance simply because she wanted to decide logically for herself about him. “You really believe that Loki has reformed.”
“He’s...different than the Loki everyone remembers from like a decade ago. I think he’s an ol’ mean wet cat that acts nasty but would be nicer if people gave him the chance.” Darcy shrugged and traced a finger around a knothole on the table. “How come you believe Wanda and not Loki?”
Wong looked mildly amused even as he continued scouring the small cabin. “Loki was not corrupted by the Darkhold. Loki enjoys causing a mess. Loki is power-hungry, and he’s also not a young untrained human. I don’t not believe him, but he hasn’t done anything to earn any trust in my eyes.”
“But you trust Wanda.”
“Look, Dr. Lewis, my personal feelings do not matter. I don’t personally want to be around her. Every time I see her I think of Sara. But I do want to give her the chance to have a happy life, just...away from me. I trust that she’s genuinely trying to do better, and is doing better. I can’t very well hate her for meddling with that damn book when she didn’t know any better. It wouldn’t be fair and, really, what good would that do? Nothing is going to bring Sara back.” Wong sounded mad now, so Darcy decided to stop questioning him.
What Darcy did say was, “Maybe Wanda can get Sara back too, like she did with Pietro.”
Wong’s usually calm expression went entirely stormy. “No, she can’t, not without casting it the traditional way at least, which I will not attempt nor ask anyone else to do. She’s lucky she retrieved her brother successfully. I can’t condone killing someone else to get my friend back. Sara definitely wouldn’t want that.”
Darcy frowned. “Well, that does sound really creepy, but also we all know Wanda’s magic doesn’t follow normal magic rules. Maybe she can and doesn’t know how. And gosh, just find somebody that goes around murdering kittens for funzies or a serial rapist or something. A deplorable person. Who cares then? How would that be bad to do?”
Wong rubbed his forehead tiredly. He did not like how reasonable Darcy’s logic sounded; she sounded disturbed but sure of herself about that. “Let’s not...tempt ourselves. I’d like to drop that thought, please. I can’t help suspecting if the little boy has magic that functions anything like his mother’s and the warning was real, it might not actually mean he is near here at all. Distances don’t always have a one-to-one corresponding location across dimensions, either.”
Darcy stayed quiet for a minute, sipping her coffee. It was obvious to her that Wong was purposely changing the subject. “Maybe Wanda would have better luck looking for Billy. If you help her, maybe it would be safe to let her look.”
Wong sank into another chair by the table tiredly. “If we really do find that child trapped somewhere dangerous, I think we both know she would- understandably- unleash hell to rescue him, heedless of any potential consequences. I can’t let her look knowing that that likely is indeed the case. She doesn’t trust me beyond believing that I don’t want to hurt her, and she definitely wouldn’t trust anyone else from the sanctum even if I did enlist more magic-based help.”
Darcy sort of wondered why Wong was choosing to confide in her, but she just said, “I’ve talked to her on the phone. She respects you and it means a lot to her that you’ve chosen to help her even after everything that happened.” She got up and peered in the corner. “Hey, there’s weird traces of power over here in this box. It’s like Wanda’s but not the same,” she said, holding her handheld detecting device near it. “And creepy. I don’t think-“ She yelped when Wong quickly yanked her back from the corner entirely. “What? The trunk is empty except for that black stuff and a folder. Looks like mold. A lot of mold! Gross.”
The interior of the box looked like something rectangular had been stored in there for a long time, as if a piece of cake or bread had been left in it long enough to spoil and rot. But whatever had been in there was gone now. All that remained was a fresh-looking folder of papers that didn’t match its surroundings at all.
“Don’t touch it. The Darkhold was in there before,” Wong said quietly. “It shouldn’t matter at this point, but I don’t want you touching that. Can you record the readings at least?”
“Yeah.” Darcy nodded and quickly saved the information into her computer. “If we come across that stuff elsewhere again, I’ll be able to match it up. Wong, why would the Darkhold have been in an old box if Wanda was using it before?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she stored it in there when she wasn’t messing with it. Maybe part of her thought something felt ‘off’ about it, she threw it in there out of sight, and it convinced her to pull it back out.” Wong studied the interior of the container without touching it, debating where to check next. He summoned the folder out and laid that out on the table. The papers were not contaminated at all, so Wong carefully spread those out on the table, half worried what he might find, but the organized list that devolved into dark scribbles made him sigh tiredly. “These are literally just search logs for the children. Miss Chavez had mentioned something about this, but I thought they’d been destroyed.”
“Do you think both boys are together?” Darcy asked quietly. “I don’t think they are. Loki acts like it’d be dangerous to get Billy even if we found him, but that Tommy should be easy to find.” Maybe they should look for Tommy first instead of Billy, even though Billy was the one who’d given the warning.
Wong looked at Darcy thoughtfully. “In a hell dimension perhaps.”
“It’s just I think Wanda would have found them herself already if they were in ours. She hasn’t got any idea how to look anywhere else properly on her own. And frankly, I don’t think they are in another universe. All these papers say is where they aren’t.”
“Because the Darkhold wanted her to look in that way, so she would never find them and subsequently considered ditching the book if she hadn’t meddled with it for long,” Wong mused aloud. Unfortunately, that seemed like an all too logical explanation. Wanda did not have any experience or knowledge about any of it beforehand. Chthon probably had Billy all along and they had no safe way to retrieve a little boy with powers similar to Wanda’s from that creature. “Do you know if anything in this cabin belonged to the children? I suppose I was hoping you might know since you were in Westview during the incident.”
Darcy shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean, obviously we could ask Wanda herself, but I doubt it would do any good. I wasn’t...in Wanda’s Westview house or anything- I got cast in the circus thing just outside of town, not in the town, which all sucked and was all weird as hell- but all of the things on that property reverted to the old empty lot it was before once she took the hex down. There would be no toys, no clothing or anything there in the first place.” She chewed her lip, studying the few knickknacks on the mantel and peeking into the little bedroom. “Why does it matter?”
“Because if I had something that belonged to Billy or Tommy, I could potentially use that to locate them. At least Tommy, I suspect.”
Darcy nodded. “I’ll ask someone to go check the lot in Westview, but I really think it’s a waste of time. Someone else can do that much while you’re working on the other stuff.”
“Let’s get you home to New Asgard. I think poring over the sanctum library will be more useful than spending any further time here. That contaminated container worries me considering all the plants outside are healing to normal and the animals have returned to the area.”
__________________
NEW YORK
“Why am I stuck babysitting you?” Yelena asked Madisynn, sounding more puzzled than irritated, because Madisynn was not a bad guest in her opinion. “I do not mind you around, especially since Kate Bishop isn’t here right now. Just seems quite odd.”
Madisynn shrugged. “Wongers said he had to work on something with Darcy. He thought I would get along with you, that’s all.” Now that she knew that being near her friends wasn’t putting them in danger, she felt much, much better.
“Who was smacking you around, and why?” Yelena asked bluntly. “You aren’t badly hurt, but those bruises are not just from falling. A person or person-shaped thing did it.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Madisynn said quietly.
Yelena considered this for only a moment before answering. “If you were not sexually assaulted, I will leave you be, but if you were, I need to get us help to make sure you are not going to be sick.”
Madisynn smiled just a tiny bit. “No, not that. Thanks, ‘Lena. I don’t think I can tell you right now, at least I’m not sure if I can without getting us hurt. But it’s not anything like that, honest.” She proceeded to give Yelena the same spiel about utilizing social media that she’d started to give Wanda back at the farm, this time including her idea to include Zoe in the project. “What do you think?”
Yelena grabbed a bag of spicy hot Cheetos and a couple sodas from the small kitchen. “Here’s one for you,” she announced, handing one of the sodas to Madisynn. “I think if you and your friend Zoe Zimmer already have large follower counts, it would help a lot. You could interview current heroes and have...ah, I can’t remember...oh yes, a gimmick. Gimmick where each person you interview is masked like Spider-Man. I can tell you now someone like Thor would love interviews mask or no. But most will not.”
“Wanda definitely wouldn’t. She doesn’t have any social media and won’t make any.” Madisynn nibbled a Cheeto, mulling it over. “Zoe’s friend Kenzie lives in Westview. Zoe already said Kenzie would participate if we wanted her to. We’ve been pouring lots of stuff about Ms. Marvel all over online hoping someone will have seen a clue to help find her. All we’ve gotten so far is a ton of well wishes- which is nice but not helpful- a few false leads, and a few nasty threats.”
Yelena leaned forward with interest. “Threats? Have you tried tracking IPs or whatever?”
“Oh yes. Zoe lets Kenzie know about any accounts that have left nasty comments and she takes care of those.” Madisynn sounded quite satisfied.
“Takes care of them how?” Yelena’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
Madisynn laughed. “It depends how bad the original hate comment was. But most often she just hacks their profile and deletes any gross things that have been said that she finds, or posts a bunch of cat pictures all over their page just to. If they seem genuinely dangerous and not just some internet troll flapping their mouth or something, she reports it to this FBI guy, Jimmy Woo. He seems nice, but I don’t really know him. Kenzie knows him because he helped with stuff during and after the whole hex thing in Westview.”
Yelena stuffed another Cheeto in her mouth. “These actual dangerous threats. Do you have any details on people involved? Because if you do, that might help us figure out who killed girl we found awhile back.”
Madisynn looked more than a bit disturbed, but she nodded. “Kenzie told Zoe that she thought some- not all, mind, but some- of the nasty commenters were all members of a weird creepy group on the dark web. Something for buying and selling enhanced. That and there were some odd relic-type items. Museum-y stuff. I think…” she trailed off, picking at chipped pink nail polish. Then she looked Yelena right in the eyes. “I think I can’t tell you any more myself.”
“Then give me Kenzie’s contact info. We need to get help, Madisynn. Now. I wish Wong had brought you here sooner!” Yelena quickly put the snacks away and washed her hands. “Come on. Put on some practical shoes and we will go.” She texted Peter what was going on and told him to meet them outside a particular subway stop.
Peter eyed Madisynn warily when he saw Yelena with her right where Yelena had said they should meet. “Does Madisynn...know?”
“God you suck at secrets! Madisynn King, this is Peter Parker. He has a big secret you do not know. Peter Parker, this is Madisynn King. She has information her friend gave she cannot share. We will work together temporarily,” Yelena said firmly. She started to usher them into the waiting ride Madisynn had requested, but Peter stopped short, shoulders tense. “What?”
“I dunno, I don’t think we should,” Peter whispered, trying to be casual. Something about the driver had set off his Spidey-senses and it made him uneasy.
Unfortunately Madisynn had already hopped in. “Westview, New Jersey. The library there. Fast please,” she chirped.
The Uber driver eyed his passengers suspiciously, two of whom were not in the vehicle yet. “Westview?”
“Yes. What you accept pickup for if you don’t want to drive there?” Yelena asked. Suddenly she knew exactly what was bothering Peter. “Hey Madisynn, out. I forgot something. Sorry for the trouble sir.” She hauled Madisynn out by an arm before the other girl could protest.
“Are you enhanced?” the driver demanded.
“Nope,” Yelena shot back smoothly, which was true. “Why?”
“Because I ain’t driving no enhanced,” the man said in a particular judgy tone Yelena despised. “Why defend those people?”
In a second Yelena had a knife to the man’s throat. Madisynn yelped. Peter stared. “Say those people in that tone again and you will not live to regret it,” she hissed. “I do not need to be enhanced to know that attitude is disgusting. Understand?”
Peter looked horrified and Madisynn scrunched down behind him. Yelena didn’t back down until the man nodded. “Great. Then we leave.” The knife disappeared back up a sleeve; she pulled Madisynn with her, and gestured for Peter to come along.
“She’s sorry, she didn’t mean to-“ Peter started to call over his shoulder.
“I most certainly did,” Yelena snapped. “Asshole. Probably voted for Ross. Probably does not understand enhanced people are no more or less assholeish than ordinary ones.” She did not sound remotely sorry.
The man shouted something else rude before gunning his engine and driving off. No one in view on the sidewalk paid any attention. Madisynn crossed her arms. “‘Lena, why did you do that? How does that help?”
“They do not change their minds. I do not care about that man, and I will not not speak up now when I can if I want.”
“We want to make enhanced people look better ! Not worse!” Madisynn squawked indignantly. “We don’t want creepy bigots thinking people that support enhanced are violent on a dime like that!”
“People like that will not change mind because we are ‘nice’!”
“But-“
“Stop it! Please.” Peter looked from one of his companions to the other. “Guys, arguing won’t fix anything. Come on, let’s just forget all that stuff for now. At least we didn’t all get in the car with that creepy guy. Yelena, can you please not threaten to kill weirdos that haven’t actually tried to attack us? That guy was definitely an asshole, but Madisynn is right. We’re lucky this is now and not before the blip. Because most likely nobody will investigate even if that creep files a report or whatever. Too much else going on. I mean, he probably won’t because you are a girl and he’s the kind of person that wouldn’t want to admit you scared him. But still. Do you even have a real green card or ID or anything? I don’t care, but I don’t want you hurt or getting in trouble either.”
Madisynn looked at Yelena worriedly. Yelena sighed but answered seriously- and more calmly- this time. “I have Russia passport. Plenty other papers about if necessary. You do not need to worry for that.”
Peter nodded. “Okay. That’s good. I know you’ve probably got a zillion fake IDs and all but I’m glad you also have legitimate stuff,” he said with a great sigh of relief.
Yelena laughed and decided not to clarify that the ‘plenty other papers’ were not all what Peter thought they were, only some of them. “You are good friend. Did you go talk to your old ones yet?”
“...No.” Peter looked very uncomfortable and stared at his sneakers. “I was going to! I thought I shouldn’t until all this is fixed, to keep them safe.”
“Can Wanda’s boyfriend help us? He’s here in the city, right?” Madisynn suggested hopefully.
“That’s a super good idea,” Peter agreed, nodding very fast, and glad to have gotten off the topic of Ned and MJ. “ And, he can probably erase any evidence on the app of Madisynn calling for that ride if we ask.”
Instead of hailing a cab or calling another rideshare, the three of them hopped on the subway after Yelena texted Wanda asking for Vision’s phone number. “She did give me his number. But she says Vision is at museum job right now.”
Madisynn frowned. “Should we bother him at all then? It sounds like he’s busy! Interrupting people at work is rude.”
“Yes, because he can at least erase any record of what Yelena did threatening that creep,” Peter said quickly. “You do not want that somehow saved on your account thing. It might make it hard to get rides later. And dangerous for you and us too.”
“Okay.” Madisynn twirled a bit of hair around her finger, feeling antsy. She retied her sneakers and scrolled around on her phone absently.
When they finally made their way to the museum and inside, they found ‘Victor’ easily. He was a little surprised to see them at first, even though Wanda had texted him that she thought Yelena might be contacting him, but he greeted them warmly, if extra politely. “You are all Wanda’s friends,” he said firmly. “Therefore, I shall do my best to listen and help.”
Vision, like Madisynn, disapproved of what Yelena had done, but he did willingly get rid of any record of the ride request, making an excuse that he needed to use the restroom, so that he could be out of sight whilst doing so. When he returned with Madisynn’s phone, he suggested that he drive all of them to Westview after his shift ended that evening. “I believe I understand why you did what you did,” he told Yelena quietly, “because you remind me of Wanda a bit, becoming angry when you are hurt or frightened. That being said, your friend is correct. Threatening that man was not helpful.”
Yelena was not sure she liked that comparison very much, but...it was also nice to know she was not automatically being read as a mind-controlled killing machine any longer. This confused her and she wished it didn’t. Maybe that was exactly why Wanda’s eccentric boyfriend had said such a thing, because he knew that Wanda would think the exact same thing. She sighed deeply. “I think I can get us ride sooner, but thank you for fixing that. We will be back if next idea does not work.”
“Very well.” Vision nodded and gave them a smile.
Outside the museum, Yelena called the NYPD cop that Kate trusted to help them if necessary. “...Wendy Conrad? You are Kate Bishop’s friend, yes? I believe you can help us with something.”
____________________
IOWA
Loki appeared wearing a sleek dignified black suit and dark green tie at the Bartons the very next afternoon, his eyes sparkling with great satisfaction. “It is nearly time,” he announced to the entire group having their picnic in Clint’s backyard. “You succeeded,” he added, staring directly at Wanda and nodding at Pietro. “I wish to speak with you. You only. You can bring the familiar, however. None of those other human friends of yours.” Then Loki minced over to the plate of watermelon pieces and casually swiped one, ignoring all the protests.
Nate laughed and clapped his hands, thinking this was quite entertaining.
Mia isn’t a ‘familiar’ and I told him that before, Wanda thought in irritation, but despite Loki’s predictably theatrical entrance and self-satisfied fruit-stealing, she didn’t believe he would hurt them...or have shown up at the farm again at all without good reason. “All right,” Wanda agreed.
Pietro, of course, tried to follow her.
“That includes your brother,” Loki said, eyeing Pietro suspiciously. “You did not literally tether him to yourself so you two cannot be physically separated, did you?”
“No,” Wanda said softly. “That wouldn’t be fair to Pietro.” And I wouldn’t even know how anyway, really. “It will be fine. Loki won’t hurt me; he’s harmless,” she assured Pietro. I think.
“Then why does he look offended?” Pietro demanded, pointing at Loki, who did, in fact, look rather offended at being called harmless.
“Because he likes people thinking he’s not harmless and always up to something,” Wanda said, very sure she was correct. “He likes being dramatic.”
“Oh. That’s why you get on okay with him,” Pietro teased, still eyeing Loki suspiciously, but he let Wanda be. After she had woken up fully the day before, Wanda had seemed genuinely okay, other than being a bit mopey and wanting to look for Billy herself, convinced that something was very wrong. In a strange sort of way, he thought it made sense that Wanda might be more willing to talk to Loki than anyone else here was. He did have magic, same as Wanda, and he was the younger sibling too. Well, she wasn’t technically the younger one anymore, but Pietro couldn’t help thinking of her as his little sister anyway. Loki was definitely far more outgoing than Wanda, but the dramatic streak and preference for nice clothes certainly matched. Besides, maybe Loki would teach Wanda something about magic that she didn’t know yet.
“You stay where the rest of us can see you,” Clint ordered. “You want to talk to Wanda alone, go over on the porch or something.”
Loki did not care for being ordered about, so he made a big show of pointedly ignoring Clint, but then he did saunter over to the porch and settle himself against the railing casually. “That ordinary human friend of yours is quite bossy. Why do you obey him? You deserve more authority than this .”
Wanda did not answer immediately, a small smile on her face as she watched her friends all sprawled around the picnic blanket. “I really, truly don’t. And I trust Clint,” she said finally.
“Are you so dense as to believe he is thoroughly comfortable with what you are capable of?” Loki peered at her curiously, tapping his fingers together. “I should wager that he was frightened when you innocently caused chaos at that hospital.”
“I think Clint wouldn’t let me stay here if he was scared of me.” That’s the truth. I think if Clint was scared of me or didn’t trust me, he would continue being kind to me but not let me stay. He might have even helped me find somewhere else to stay and still checked on me, just not let me stay here with his family. Wanda realized she truly believed that, which was a warm reassuring thing to her. That means I am better than before. I didn’t just automatically think the worst. Except…
Wanda also remembered the worried, fearful expression on Clint’s face, and Clint shaking her in the car after the healing plan went awry. He was just concerned about things going wrong, that’s all.
Loki continued staring, his gaze more thoughtful than scolding or dismissive. “And what have you done to yourself then? You do not reek of magic as you normally do.” When Wanda didn’t answer, he poked at the bracelet cuff on her wrist curiously until she smacked his hand away, eyes glinting with annoyance. “Interesting jewelry. A secret to be kept, perhaps.”
“Touch her again and I’ll let Pietro come over there, and you won’t like it,” Clint shouted.
Wanda shook her head lightly at him to say she was fine. Clint nodded and went quiet, but she could tell he was still suspicious. Pietro was scowling and stirring potato chip crumbs around on his paper plate. “Loki. Stop playing around. Why on earth are you here? I do not believe for one second that you came here to ask me nonsense about Clint.”
“No.” Loki tilted his head, as if debating how to proceed. “Your friend Darcy Lewis asked me to help you. Therefore, I shall meddle a bit. You did not trade another life for your brother. You did not physically tether him to yourself, so both of you are free to behave as you please. You’ve even locked up your magic somehow and yet he is functioning normally.”
“That isn’t news to me. Don’t you dare tell me I did anything wrong getting Pietro back,” Wanda shot back, not caring that Loki had access to his magic and she couldn’t access hers at the moment. “What do you want? Why would Darcy ask you to come?”
“Oh, relax. So touchy. She asked because she knows my magic is closer to yours than the sorcerers’ magic is. The only thing you did wrong was slicing yourself up for the spell for no reason. What does your other human helper in Florida think of this?” Loki did not care if Wanda snapped at him; he rather liked being around her even if he would not say so. She was a breath of strange fresh air to him compared to the rest of the heroes she liked associating with, because she was the weird misfit magic one and tended to do her own thing that did not necessarily follow any stupid ‘rules’ either. And he rather wished infuriating, annoying Thor was as close to him as the twins were to each other. Those siblings were spoiled as far as that went. They might have been horribly unlucky in the past otherwise, but not with that. “Did she approve?”
Wanda tensed, not liking that Loki clearly somehow knew about Antonia, which wasn’t embarrassing to her but was also private, and probably that she had just had a session with her earlier that day. “Not that people’s therapy sessions are any of your business, but I did tell her the truth. I didn’t want her to think I’d…” Done it for no reason at all, that’s what. Wanda’s expression scrunched up a bit. “Actually, she definitely understood. She just told me I shouldn’t try it again.”
What Antonia had actually done was ask if she was absolutely certain she and Pietro were safe. Then she’d added, “Maybe don’t use another spell like that one. It sounds like you could only confirm it was safe for everyone else around you and not yourself. If you wouldn’t risk it on others, you probably shouldn’t risk it on yourself. But I’m glad you got your brother back successfully.” Antonia had clearly been concerned about why she had done it, but she had most certainly understood, at least.
Loki still looked intrigued. “Why did you not just sacrifice some idiotic human the world would be better off without?”
“...What? Why would I have been willing to kill someone so…” Wanda trailed off, her stomach twisting uncomfortably. But I would have been willing to do that. I know so. Is that bad? If I thought some random horrible person like a child trafficker or something could be traded for-
“You do not wish to admit it,” Loki interrupted Wanda’s thoughts, his eyes sparkling. “You heard me. You could have traded anyone you wanted, as long as you had both bodies, and gotten your noisy twin back. That, is the usual way, if you have the power to fuel the spell. Which you do, of course. But even if that was unthinkable to you, you could have simply drawn blood- neatly- and sliced only a fingertip or something, as he’s a twin. Not...whatever this is you did,” Loki told her, waving at Wanda’s injured arm and hand dismissively. “Ah, but I remember now. You did not have his body. Very intriguing that you made it work regardless…”
“I also don’t believe you came here to lecture me about how I got Pietro back,” Wanda shot back immediately, her gaze sharp. “And I certainly don’t believe you care if I broke some ridiculous ‘rule’ about how magic is or is not supposed to work. You like breaking rules and relish in it.”
Loki stared right back. “No,” he agreed smoothly, “I do not care in the least. It pleases me that you ignore these ridiculous so-called rules, actually. You are far more interesting than the other magical humans. But you’ve made it more difficult to do what you are meant to do, because you did not know how to use that spell properly.” He paused, hand to his chin as if thinking deeply. “Though, you also have made it more difficult for your enemies to succeed. Do you understand?”
If he means that stupid prophecy, I don’t care. “No. If you think I care one single bit about that prophecy, you are wrong. I would have traded all my magic for Pietro immediately.” Wanda realized that while Loki did irritate her, she liked that he talked about magic so casually in a manner completely different from Agatha or the sorcerers.
“ Not that prophecy, not in the manner you think. Sod that.” Loki nodded toward the group still sitting mere yards away and pointed at Pietro. “You did not tether him to yourself in such a way that you two cannot function a physical distance apart, but you are linked. You know it. He knows it. You will need to take advantage of that very soon, most likely. Your little universe-hopping friend staying elsewhere was a good decision. Then, she cannot be taken.”
Wanda watched Pietro staring at Loki whilst stuffing his face with more picnic snacks. He seemed wary but content to let her be since he could tell she wasn’t unsafe or upset. “I’m...not sure I understand.” Taken? I suppose it’s true that anyone like those intruders that were after Nate and Lila can’t get America if she’s not here...
“I told you, change just enough for our happy endings. If I am correct, we must allow a particular... someone to come closer to his goal before altering the outcome entirely.” Loki studied his painted-black nails nonchalantly and added, “You should touch up yours. Even if your amateur stunt already did.”
Wanda scowled and glanced down at her hands. Oddly she noticed the remaining nails on her left hand looked almost...back to normal from what she could see, while her right one still carried the messy black as before, though it did look much better. She knew that Loki knew quite well those marks were not from chipped nail polish, but that was also exactly what it looked like. Why did Loki even say that? “I don’t think you said that for no reason either,” she muttered finally. “Why do you know America isn’t here, and why does it matter if she’s here or not?”
Loki tilted his head at her.
Wanda raised an eyebrow, unconsciously tilting her head back at him.
Pietro was still watching and found this greatly entertaining. Loki clearly did not know what he was doing if he was making Wanda do that; he would piss her off enough to trounce him, magic or no.
“Haven’t you figured that much out already? Your new little friend is...unique. There is only one of her. There is also only one you that is also the Scarlet Witch. Never mind. I shall leave you with this: Do not tell that warlock Dian what you did. Let him think you merely did a sloppy job with the resurrection spell. You are untrained, not stupid.” Loki paused, as if waiting for Wanda to answer him, but she just stared at him, her eyes pensive. “I do not believe you really were specifically after that girl before, even under the Darkhold’s influence, were you? At least not at first, I suppose.”
Wanda did not like Loki’s searching gaze; something about the question unsettled her. “No,” she said quietly. I can’t even remember everything clearly now, but I know that much.
“First you gave those sorcerers time to potentially give her to you, though they declined. Then you did not drain her power immediately. Why did you not simply mind-control her into staying with you?”
“I don’t know.” Wanda’s eyes glistened with tears and she wished Loki would go away. His matter-of-fact question bothered her and it bothered her that she couldn’t answer and it bothered her that she couldn’t remember everything properly. I should feel guilty. I know that. But I also don’t understand what Loki is really asking me. “Can you please just tell me whatever it is you are trying to say without bouncing around it?”
Loki scowled. “Oh, cease this ridiculous behavior. You don’t want to remember. The girl. Think. There was a sliver of yourself left back then, or America Chavez would be dead right now and you would have wanted much more than those variants that were not yours. Meddling with the Darkhold was a stupid thing to do, but notice Agatha Harkness had it for much, much longer than you and she was not nearly as different from her natural self as you were. Why is that?”
“I don’t know! Why are you acting like you think I know answers to those things? I have no idea. I didn’t know before, and I still don’t. Is that what you wanted to hear, that I know I did something dangerously stupid and it hurt people?” Wanda squeezed Mia’s harness in her fist tighter, wishing Pietro would interfere but also pleased that he wasn’t for some reason. Loki was infuriating, but his obnoxious casual manner seemed oddly refreshing somehow.
Loki wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms. “Of course not. Why must you automatically assume I do not like you? I find you much more agreeable than your irritating fellow humans you insist on associating with. But you think I dislike you.”
“Why must you automatically assume I do not like you then?” Wanda countered. “Most people don’t,” Loki said carelessly, though Wanda thought he most definitely did care and pretended not to. “The point is you would have done better handling that book if you had known more about it, but your magic synchronizes with its creator’s magic too easily also, and-“ he peered at Wanda, green eyes glinting somewhat, “most certainly people lucky enough to acquire Mias are also unlucky enough to be much easier Darkhold victims. So you never stood a chance in the first place once you opened it. Did you not find an object called the book of the damned suspicious?”
Wanda did not want to answer him one bit, but also...Loki not treating her like fragile glass that would explode to bits if touched was oddly nice. I should just answer. “I did. I just...I didn’t know simply reading it corrupted a person. It was a book. Who thinks a book is going to do that just by looking at it? There was a chapter about me in it and I thought it would help me learn to control my powers properly. And even once I did open and read it, I...I thought all of the horrible, disturbing spells in there were harmless unless actually used and it was fine to just...ignore them. I’m not sure what happened after…”
Much to Wanda’s surprise, Loki started laughing, but not meanly. “I absolutely would have used it also with that information. I would have if anyone except my mother had taught me about it, too,” he said flatly. “So do not think I am judging you. It is quite, quite interesting that Chthon’s vessel is not an empty shell after meddling with the Darkhold for an extended period of time for a human. As I said. Write your own story. You do not owe anyone a certain you. You owe yourself. You cannot make yourself not a vessel, but you can also use that to your own advantage rather than have it work against you.”
Wanda’s first instinct was to be offended, but something about Loki’s delivery made her stay quiet. The eccentric trickster was not looking at her like some science experiment that interested him, and she didn’t think he was lying, either. Loki thinks we are the same somehow. I can tell that much.
“My mother would have liked to teach you also,” Loki added, his eyes twinkling. “I like to believe she would wish me to impart a bit of her knowledge to you. You are both exactly like her and not like her at all, somehow. I did not wish to offend you this time. Only that I believe your problems with your chaos magic are more due to lack of proper training, not whatever is wrong with you.” Loki didn’t smile; he was staring at her again, not meanly, but his mischievous manner had vanished. “I believe you would have liked her. She used to say when I was a child that I would meet you one day. Not you, I suppose, you certainly did not exist yet, but the Scarlet Witch of legend. She described her as the goddess of chaos with dark hair and green eyes.”
Wanda’s hand flew to her hair in surprise. Of course there would have been literally millions of dark-haired females with green eyes alive since Loki had been a child...and coincidentally those features also matched Loki himself. Maybe his mother had been trying to tell her adopted kid that didn’t know he was adopted a story that made him a bit happier. “That seems a bit too coincidental to me.”
“I thought it was merely a bedtime story she told me, but yes, I agree with you.” Loki looked very pleased with himself. “You were not a harbinger of destruction in her stories, Scarlet Witch. You were a mysterious lonely figure that wished for a place she fit in. The ruling portion was very specifically in order to create that desire.”
Wanda did not think Loki was lying about that, but it also puzzled her. Why on earth would Frigga have told Loki such a thing? And did little kid Thor also get to hear that story? Maybe that was why Thor had initially thought she had magic all those years ago. “Why are you telling me all this now, specifically?” What an odd story. Loki’s mother...knew about the Darkhold and me? Or not me, but the me I would be.
“You need a bit of fresh information to consider as you make your own choices, especially now.” Loki looked as if he would like to say more, but then all he added was, “I do not care for prewritten stories set in stone. I will change them if I so desire and I do not care if that makes me the villain. It seems you are the same.”
“I don’t want to be the villain,” Wanda said quietly. “Not again.”
Loki smirked in this I don’t believe you sort of way. “Really.”
“I don’t! I don’t want to hurt more people. I won’t.”
“Who said anything about hurting people? We are all a villain to someone. Perhaps you are the villain to someone like…” Loki trailed off and walked a few steps away; then turned back to Wanda with a flourish, snapping his fingers. “That American president many asinine peons elected. Thaddeus Ross. Do you care if you are a villain to him?”
Not even slightly. “No. I think he is a nasty bigot and I do not care what he thinks of me at all.” Wanda sounded more angry than she wanted to admit; Loki had, again, poked at something about her that made her uncomfortable.
…I would have disintegrated him before like the Ultron bots if he had come anywhere near that cabin.
Wanda was not sure what to think about that now, especially because she knew even now she would not feel very sorry for that if it just happened by accident. It would not have taken all that much nudging from the Darkhold to make her do such a thing, after all, because she hated him. Is that bad? What does that make me?
“Mm. I do not think you would feel any too guilty if you hurt someone that either if, say...they had those horrible gremlin creatures of yours, either.”
“...What? Do you know where Billy and Tommy are?” Wanda asked sharply, standing up straight and staring Loki right in the eyes and sort of wishing she was taller.
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I am the God of Mischief. And Lies.”
Wanda shoved him hard against the porch railing with her good arm, her eyes glinting angrily. “You tell me what you know and don’t play games with me. I will ask Pietro to get that bracelet off me and I know he will, too,” she hissed. “I know my babies are out there somewhere and I am going to get them back. The correct way. Without hurting any more innocent people.”
Loki grinned infuriatingly and didn’t even bother pushing her away. “Oh yes. No more innocent ones. There she is. I like you when you are angry. Very entertaining. Very deadly. Very... protective.” Then he added, “I think you will find you do not need me to help you locate those brats. Almost time...almost time. That Darcy Lewis was right. You would tear anything apart to get them. Including-“
“Hey, you need to shut up.” Clint gently but firmly pulled a very angry Wanda away from Loki. “Loki, get out of here, will you? You’re stirring up trouble on purpose.”
Loki did not look very bothered at all. “I shall leave when I see fit and not before, archer human. Your friend is not receiving any training because all of you think she will muck things up. I do not see any of you ordinary Midgardians helping find those children of hers. I see a ridiculous picnic and no preparations for battle at all except for-“ he put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, “oh yes, the protection spells on these buildings that she made. You are all purposely keeping your strongest line of defense under lock and key!” Loki sounded disgusted now. “The way all of you Midgard peons treat magic is appalling. I shall go harass the sorcerers now, thank you very much. At least the one that hangs out with the strange party-loving human is acceptable.” He huffed and shimmered away, but almost immediately reappeared, eyes glued to Wanda. “I am easily reached. If you do not hear from me and you wish otherwise, call Darcy Lewis. That, is a good human. I like that one. One thing more. You already fully paid for your resurrection spell, and you will not need another for those brats.” Then Loki vanished again.
Wanda was still so angry she was shaking all over, but Clint didn’t seem to be worried; he just walked her over to the picnic blanket next to Pietro and made her sit. Mia immediately lay down across her lap, and Wanda hugged the big fluffy dog close. I don’t understand. What am I missing? “He knows where Billy and Tommy are,” she muttered, “and I am going to make him tell me.”
Clint was suddenly very sure that was exactly the reaction Loki had wanted out of her. “Kid, you know he was poking your buttons on purpose. You can’t just confront him directly. You’ll get hurt.”
Wanda’s shoulders tensed. “I don’t care. I don’t care one bit.”
Bucky studied Wanda closely. “But you do care if others are hurt. If he won’t tell you willingly, you and Loki will cause too much damage fighting,” he said quietly.
Lila chomped another chip calmly. “Wanda, weren’t you lis tening?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Loki is trying not to derail, like...all of us, right? So none of us get hurt? He’s weird, but I think he was dropping a bunch of hints. Like needing to use the twin-connection between you and Pietro soon. And that you don’t need another resurrection spell to get Billy and Tommy.” Lila sounded very pleased with herself. “They’re alive, then. You really did hear Billy. And he thinks Darcy can help you. And he kept going on about stories. I think that’s important.” She scrambled over to Wanda and hugged her tightly. “You gotta find a spell that pokes through the dimensions stuff or whatever. And then we will find Billy and Tommy. I want to meet them.”
Notes:
Loki was great fun to write talking to Wanda lol. He might be (purposely) annoying her, but I think it’s good for them to talk tbh.:)
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Summary:
In which Thor returns to New Asgard with two of the Guardians and talks to Darcy, and Pietro and Wanda discover a new thing that might help them gain more information later on.
Notes:
Well, it took MUCH longer than I’d hoped, but here is the new chapter finally! Thank you for being patient. First post in 2025! Hopefully I’ll actually finish this project this year:) I love this fic so much lol
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
While Loki visited the Barton farm, Thor returned to New Asgard again, this time with Cosmo and Rocket in tow. “Where is the human you brought me to help?” Cosmo asked, her fluffy golden tail thumping against Thor’s leg. She looked incredibly pleased with herself. “I like to be asked to help a human. Will I get a treat? I would like a treat very much. Treats are good.”
“A DOG! DADDY, YOU BROUGHT A DOG HOME!” Elle shouted excitedly, twirling Stormbreaker around. “Good doggie,” she announced, patting Cosmo on the head gently. “And she talks!” Elle was entranced at meeting a talking dog, since she hadn’t met Cosmo before, just knew she existed.
Cosmo’s tail thumped some more. “This small humanoid girl is nice. She called me a good dog. Kraglin kept calling me ‘bad dog’! But he finally said ‘good dog’.” Cosmo snuffled at Elle’s hand and then happily let Elle hug her. “You said the human I am to help has a dog. I would like seeing the dog.”
Darcy traded glances with Thor over both dog’s and girl’s heads, but Thor just shrugged, which made Darcy roll her eyes and sigh very deeply. “Cosmo, you are not to distract Mia. You may talk to or play with her only if she’s off-duty. Wanda does have a dog, but she’s not just a pet or roommate or whatever, she’s a service dog.” Darcy was not sure if Cosmo could ‘talk’ to ordinary dogs or not, but she was not going to have Cosmo thinking distracting Earth service dogs was an okay thing to do.
Cosmo looked a little bit disappointed, but she just slurped Elle and proceeded to sit on her when the little girl plopped on the grass and hugged her. “This is acceptable. I will be a very good dog,” Cosmo informed Darcy.
Elle giggled. “Daddy, are you going to help too?”
Thor’s expression grew troubled. “I am attempting to do so. Elle, please go inside with Cosmo.”
Elle tilted her head, recognizing that something must be serious. She really, really wanted to hear what was going on, but she hopped up and nodded. “Okay. Cosmo, I will show you MY room! And you can meet Viv. She’s cool.”
The second they were gone, Rocket crossed his small furry arms grumpily. “And what does a human Earth girl need with me anyway? We were very busy!”
Thor shook his head firmly. “You know precisely why. It was even your idea! You just didn’t like it.”
“Yeah, well.” Rocket did not sound the least bit sorry.
“Um, why is Rocket here?” Darcy asked carefully. “I thought we all agreed it was Cosmo and Mantis that were coming.”
“Because,” Thor announced patiently, “we cannot find Mantis at the moment, which is rather suspicious, and Rocket can help just as well. Tell Darcy why you chose to assist.”
Rocket still looked very grumpy, his ears twitchy. “Those twins used to be experiments themselves, even if it was just because they were stupid enough to volunteer for it, not born in one. Same difference. I guess.” He huffed and pushed past Darcy onto the porch before sitting on the steps. “I don’t think,” he went on, peering at Thor, “that this big moron would waltz into Knowhere asking for help at all if it wasn’t something serious. He’d just do it on his own. So where are they? I see no enhanced human twins.”
Darcy privately suspected that the little grumpy raccoon was much, much more interested in meeting the Maximoff twins than he wanted to admit, and that he was not just there because he thought he should help. He liked the idea of meeting more experiment victims like him. “They’re across the ocean and kind of in the middle of the United States. In Iowa.”
“Oh.” Rocket sounded very disappointed, but then perked up. “They can talk to Quill. He’s in some place near there. Unless he moved on and didn’t tell us. Which he might, the big lug.”
Thor ignored this. “I do not know what Wong has told you, but the twins appear to be half of an old legend. I believe either my brother or Sylvie is hiding a relic we need. They’re useless to talk to and refuse to share anything they don’t want to share.” Thor paused, wondering how to explain further. “We need the relic and the twins, Loki, and myself to fix things. The four of us plus that young human girl with the star portals, America Chavez, I believe.”
Darcy mulled that over briefly, adjusting her ever-present beanie hat. “What is that relic for? I keep hearing about it, and I can tell you Sylvie’s got it, but they won’t talk about it.”
“Binding. You bind unsavory beings with it. Anyone can use it for smaller creatures, but I think it is how we destroy that-“
“Um, I might not have powers, but binding is not the same as destroying, Thor,” Darcy interrupted.
“Of course not. But the chaos demon is partially loose, yes? This is how we get rid of it. We just have to be able to trust Loki and Wanda enough to handle it.” Thor looked oddly pensive for him as he went on, “I do not think either of them, especially my brother, need practice, exactly. Their issue is their magic making them easier targets in their heads. They are both very good candidates to fall for corrupted lies, unfortunately. As far as I can tell, the little speedy human warrior and I simply must help ground them when it is time. They will be fine. They just need backup.
“And I told Wanda i thought she was not only the results of some evil humans’ experiments years ago. She understandably did not believe me. I didn’t think she was the Scarlet Witch, of course, but I did think she already had latent powers of some kind that were magic in nature or at least connected to magic somehow.”
Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Hold up. You knew Wanda had magic all the time, since you met her a decade ago? What the hell?! Why didn’t you teach her yourself or at least tell the other Avengers?”
Thor looked a little offended. “I didn’t say I knew she was some ridiculously powerful witch, I said I thought she already had latent magic-based abilities of some kind before she ever touched that infinity stone. The Midgard heroes didn’t wish to believe Wanda had magic either. They told me to let her be. I let her be since she wasn’t any danger to us any longer. It is her business how she chooses to utilize her powers, no one else’s, so long as she is not choosing to harm innocents with them. How would I teach her magic? My mother could have though, yes. There were some bedtime stories Loki was obsessed with as a kid our mother told us. They were evidently not just stories.”
“…Stories. What is all this talk about stories? You sound like Loki and Sylvie now,” Darcy said, her eyes sparkling. It was odd to her to hear both Thor and Loki expressing similar things, but it did make sense. She just wanted more details. “Can you tell us more than they did? Which would be easy as they don’t explain much of anything.”
“Midgardians have stories about real humans that turned into legends and the like. You have stories about Asgard. Asgardians have stories also. I do not understand why Midgardian magic users think the Scarlet Witch is automatically some harbinger of doom and destruction. My mother’s stories were not like that. If Wanda is the real version of the legend, she is just…neutral. Chaos swings in all directions. She has the freedom to choose. That is why her power set bothers people. They don’t know what she will choose to do.” Thor stared at Darcy, who was one of the humans Jane had loved working with and spending free time with. “Jane talked about you often, you know. I am glad you are helping now, even after everything.”
Darcy’s frustrated gaze softened. “Maybe Wanda can get Jane back also,” she suggested quietly.
“Darcy, necromancy is horribly dangerous. I do not know enough about it to help attempt a resurrection spell, and most certainly Wanda has already made it more difficult for herself to try another since she already cast a successful one to get her brother back, with no body and no one to trade for him either. She must have paid a great deal to do such a thing. I do not find it bad, but it was objectively a very risky thing to do.” Thor shook his head hard and went on, “I will not ask her to try unless we are all a hundred percent certain exactly what it would cost her and that it is an acceptable price to her brother, not Wanda only. I do not think she cares enough for her own safety to trust any judgement of hers. And that it would work and that Jane would want us to. It would not be fair to Jane or Wanda any other way.”
“But you can’t ask Jane in the first place!”
Thor’s blue eyes twinkled at that, “That, yes we can. At least, Wanda can, same as any witch with enough power to cast a temporary summoning. She just hasn’t been taught how yet. I would be quite baffled otherwise…where did Rocket go?”
The little raccoon was now scowling at Thor and Darcy from the roof. “This is all stupid. You said Wanda got her twin back exactly as he was before. You get Jane back exactly as she was before and she’ll still be sick. What is the point of that? Can anybody fix that? You act like you’re being all selfless and thoughtful and the whole idea is selfish. Just own it, sheesh. Be selfish then. If I could get Lylla, Teefs, and Floor I would in a second. We all have dead friends!” Rocket snapped. “Her risking shit happening to get her twin back makes sense to me. If somebody says otherwise they’re stupid.” Then he vanished over the edge of the roof, saying he didn’t care to hear more and would come back later.
Thor sighed deeply. “He’s not wrong, I suppose. About any of it.”
“I think that’s all right,” Darcy said softly. “I’d like to see Jane again too, after all. Rocket has lost friends too. Being selfish is normal. I just think that we should get everything straightened out for all of us that remain first, and then investigate any potential safe resurrection spells. For anyone. Now some people in New Asgard do have magic stuff. So we’ll just get Wanda here to practice in a day or two if she’s feeling up to it. At the very least she can just spend some time with you, Cosmo, and Rocket. You guys can go up where Sif has the fighting lessons for the kids and practice there.”
_______________________
IOWA
Late that night Pietro jerked awake, again thinking something was wrong. Wanda. I think something’s hurting her. He bolted off his air mattress bed, knocking blankets to the floor. It was still completely dark outside, and now raining hard besides, so he couldn’t see much, but he did see Wanda lying on her bed, and felt Mia’s fluffy tail brush his own leg. Laura’s reminder that he should let Wanda deal with things on her own with Mia’s help rather than immediately interfering poked at him.
Pietro still did not want to let Wanda cry. He was very sure she was crying, even if she wasn’t making any noise. This seemed different than the last time to him.
He decided he would wait one minute and then if Mia did not come get him he would try to help anyway, whether he was supposed to or not. At least Wanda was right there and not missing, but something still seemed off to him, as if some cold shadow was lurking nearby. This was unsettling and off-putting, and Pietro wondered if he was sensing some odd magic-based thing that had nothing to do with Wanda’s abilities or his. The pouring rain beating against the roof and windows did not help, though Pietro did enjoy knowing they were warm and dry indoors, not cold and wet outside somewhere. I don’t like this though. Not one bit. Pietro perched on the edge of his bed, squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands over his ears, and started counting out sixty seconds.
At twenty-seven he felt Mia’s cold wet nose on his arm. Immediately he bolted for the nightstand lamp, not even thinking about the fact that the light might wake Kate up, who had taken over America’s bed since she’d returned to the sanctum. Luckily Kate appeared to be burrowed under her covers, and all he could see was a bit of her dark wavy ponytail. Kate didn’t even move.
Mia tugged at the hem of Pietro’s t-shirt a bit. Need help. Now. Hurry up, her big brown eyes seemed to say.
The rain continued pattering loudly on the roof.
Pietro took one glance at Wanda lying squeezed in a ball with her good hand digging nails into her neck, half laying on the healing arm, and just picked her up entirely. Tears streaked her cheeks and she was clearly still crying, just without making any noise. What on earth is going on? I don’t understand. Certainly he had seen Wanda cry before, but this seemed...different to him. The yucky shadowy feeling poked him more, and Pietro decided some bad magic thing was after his sister or something. “Wanda, it’ll be all right. Mia came to get help. I’m here,” he whispered to her in Sokovian.
Not wanting to wake Wanda’s friend up, he silently darted into the hallway, gently set an unprotesting Wanda down on the carpet, darted back into the room for a blanket, and then turned out the light before returning to his sister. She was holding the hurt arm now and biting her lip, her glassy eyes clearly not really seeing him. Pietro wrapped the blanket around her and just hugged her close. “It’s all right to talk here, remember? We’re safe,” he whispered. “What happened?”
Wanda shook her head and didn’t answer.
Pietro scowled at the wall and continued holding her. She doesn’t know. Mia stayed close by, relieved that she had found one of her human’s safe people easily. “I wish you could talk,” Pietro told Mia, who peered at him curiously but didn’t answer, of course. “I don’t know what’s wrong, so I’m just going to talk to you, Wanda. That always helped before. There’s a warm blanket, and we’re sitting on soft carpet in the hall. It’s pouring outside, and we are warm and safe inside. Your friend is sleeping in your room. There are more friends in this house. If we went downstairs, we could get something to eat…” Pietro went on talking about little things, like the cake they’d eaten before, and the ugly sweater Vision had given Wanda, and playing games with the Barton children.
Wanda seemed to relax somewhat after a bit, but she still didn’t say anything. Pietro sounded rather far away, but his familiar chatter was comforting anyway. Iowa. The farm. I got Pietro back, and he is okay.
“...and maybe we can get new shoes. I want new sneakers,” Pietro was saying.
“It hurts,” she whispered finally.
“You were laying on it,” Pietro reminded her, still scowling. “And you were scratching up your neck. Bad of you.”
“...Oh.” Wanda considered this information. I don’t know what happened. I can’t even remember what was going on clearly. The last thing she remembered with any clarity was simply climbing into bed and falling asleep. Mia’s whiskers had been tickly and she’d found that mildly amusing, and Pietro had been snoring nearby on his comfy air mattress. Then...something had terrified her and it really hurt. And now she was in the hallway with a very concerned Pietro and Mia, but she could tell they were all okay. Whatever had hurt her either wasn’t real at all or wasn’t after them now, at least.
“There is no creepy freezing cell block. You are not tied up. And there is no shock collar either,” Pietro added, suddenly realizing what might have set his sister off and why she wouldn’t talk. “And, I’m really here. You aren’t imagining me.”
Wanda didn’t answer, but she relaxed further. Pietro did feel real; he was holding her and talking to her, and she couldn’t use her magic right now, so she could not be just mind-controlling herself into believing he was there chattering on about who knew what. I’m not alone anymore, I’m not in that cabin. Some dark distasteful thing tried to swim about at the edges of her consciousness trying to poke its way in again, but the whatever-it-was seemed frustrated and disconnected from her, like some small parasite chewing and trying to find a way in but failing. I don’t understand what happened though. The...content of what scared me was normal, I think, but I know I don’t usually react like that, either. Not about that, not anymore. Why would I be thinking about the Raft again? Was it even that? I could rip that place to shreds now if I wanted to, if I didn’t have that bracelet on. I probably could have then and didn’t know it.
Told you it wasn’t over. You will never be free. Accept it and this will stop. You are meant for more.
“Pietro, that...thing is hurting me,” she blurted, clutching at the blanket and then burying her face in Pietro’s shoulder. “Or trying to. I don’t know exactly. It feels weird. I hate it.”
“What thing? The creepy Chthon demon thing?” Pietro asked cautiously. Wanda nodded, so Pietro added, “Whatever that thing is can’t get you. You are safe. You got rid of the evil book, and if it’s purposely trying to give you horrible flashbacks to make you collapse and let it in or something, I’ll help you deal with it. It can’t have you.”
“I just...don’t understand. I don’t remember anything like this happening before. Not even back in that cabin,” Wanda told him, trying to concentrate on the Now that was warm, safe, and not horribly lonely, not the Then from before...any of the Thens from before. I am safe. I am not alone. I have Pietro. I have Mia.
...I’m not good enough. I will never be good enough.
I don’t have to be, because my friends will accept me anyway. Wanda knew those thoughts were her own, at least; they might still bother her but those were her own all too normal fears talking.
“I’m not sure you would remember it happening,” Pietro said quietly. “You didn’t seem like you were really...here. I think it’s possible it did happen and you’d have just felt tired and hurt after, maybe confused too, not knowing why.” He frowned when Wanda lifted her head and he could see her neck. “You scratched up your neck a lot. Why would that creature want you to do that?”
Wanda sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. “It probably didn’t. It just doesn’t care if I do, either.”
“Wait here with Mia,” Pietro ordered. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Wanda didn’t really feel like protesting, and she did trust Pietro to return quickly. “Good girl, Mia. Thank you for helping and thank you for getting Pietro,” she said softly, giving Mia a gentle scratch behind the ears.
Mia blinked at her and snuffled at the hurt arm, clearly concerned. She seemed tired herself, as if she too was not getting enough sleep. Wanda bit her lip, wondering if her own fear had hurt Mia somehow. The dog clearly wasn’t unhappy, but still.
Pietro returned momentarily with an ice pack from downstairs wrapped in a soft towel, the Bartons’ first-aid kit from the bathroom, and a warm, damp washcloth. “Here. Put the hurt hand on this. Maybe ice will help a bit.” He gently reached for Wanda’s bandaged hand and was immediately relieved that she let him. “And I know we got scratched or scraped up loads of times before, and you can just fix these nail marks with your magic soon if you take your dumb bracelet off, but until you do let’s fix it the boring way.” Pietro genuinely didn’t think any of it was that bad, but he knew Wanda wouldn’t fix it with her magic right now, and he didn’t want her to hurt herself further by picking at it. He was surprised Wanda let him take care of all the scratches without complaining that she was fine and didn’t need anything, but she did seem a little happier, at least. More like her normal self.
“I’m sorry I woke you up again,” Wanda muttered finally, her fingers flitting to her neck. “None of the others are like this. I wish I could make it stop. I wish I could destroy that...thing for good.”
“‘S all right. And really, getting rid of the creepy demon creature isn’t going to randomly make you ‘all better’, either. I think you’d be sort of better though, yeah.” Pietro squeezed her tightly, half because he knew Wanda wanted to be close and half because holding onto her made him feel better. “Anyways, I don’t mind helping you. Should I do anything different if this happens again?”
Wanda sighed again, picking at a bit of loose thread on the blanket. “I don’t know. You helped. How long was I...you know.”
“I don’t know. Too long,” Pietro said huffily, and then added all in a rush, “I’m not upset with you, just so you know.” Wanda stayed quiet, but she still seemed like her normal self and not tense, so Pietro didn’t feel quite as concerned as he might have otherwise. “Wanda, you said the thing was hurting you. It sort of seems like it’s trying to scare you, maybe with bits and pieces of actual stuff that happened.”
Wanda nodded. Yes, that seemed right, even if she couldn’t recall details properly. “It doesn’t matter. Maybe I deserve it. I can’t even find the boys, because if I do look myself I will likely hurt someone else by accident, especially America,” she muttered. “Maybe I should just be satisfied knowing it can’t make me do anything else horrible, at least.”
“That’s stupid. And I don’t see why a powerful demon creature would just be mentally torturing you for no actual purpose. It must want something. Either that or you are way too close to finding out something it doesn’t want you to know. Something about yourself or the children, maybe.” Pietro shivered and clutched Wanda closer. “Weird old Loki implied that much, that something bad was going to happen before we could all fix it, but that the bad something had to happen first to keep something even worse from happening. I don’t know anything about magic or this evil thing you got tangled up with. But it seems awfully odd. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s a chaos demon. Why would anything about it make sense?” Wanda said softly. “Maybe my head is just broken and all of it is just me.” No it’s not. Not all of it. I know that much.
Pietro gave her a sibling Look that clearly said he did not believe her. “It’s not and you know it. Don’t be dumb. Normal you has nightmares. Normal you has horrible panicky episodes. Normal you self-harms sometimes. Normal you disassociates sometimes and stuff. I have seen it and it’s happened since you brought me back, too. What just happened was not normal, even if the way to help you was the same. The normal part was just that you were lying on your arm and made it hurt more, and I think that scared you because you already weren’t thinking clearly.” He hesitated, studying his little sister. Well, she wasn’t technically his little sister anymore, which normally bothered him, but Pietro did not care at the moment. “That thing is also where the evil book came from. Maybe it’s just mad you destroyed the Darkhold, so it’s hurting you however it can even if it’s pointless. That seems like a petty sort of thing a chaos creature would like to do. Wanda, what would happen if you...purposely tried to talk to it instead of pushing it away?”
“Are you crazy?! I don’t want anything to do with it. I’m scared of-“
“I know,” Pietro interrupted, before Wanda could continue her indignant reaction. “But it knows you’re scared, right? So maybe you can scare it by doing something else. Maybe we would learn something about what it wants besides just, you know...harassing you. Maybe Billy could tell us something that would help find him. Maybe you’d at least startle it enough that it would leave you alone.”
Wanda ran her fingers over the bandages on her arm thoughtfully. Her hand still hurt, but not so much now, and she was sure she had already ruined whatever that creature initially wanted by successfully getting Pietro back. He had a good point- most certainly she would at the very least disturb the creature by purposely poking at it. “It felt like it talked to me. But I can’t use my magic right now,” she murmured slowly.
“Right. So it cannot make you wreck stuff with it. But if it can talk to you without you having access to your magic, maybe you can talk to it too.” Pietro sounded pleased with himself, which made Wanda smile a bit.
“You sound so sure about it. What if it...does the same thing to me again?”
“Then Mia and I will pull you back. I really don’t think it will though. It won’t expect you to try, I don’t think.” Pietro looked her right in the eyes. He seemed so confident about it that Wanda thought maybe she should listen to him. “I won’t leave you to deal with handling it alone. So it will be all right. And you literally can’t make another magic mistake right now.”
Wanda closed her eyes, concentrating on Mia’s weight across her legs and Pietro holding her. I am safe. At absolute worst, if it yanks me under or something, I will not be alone. She wondered if Wong would approve of Pietro’s idea. Probably not. But this wasn’t using magic, so therefore she was not breaking any rules, and she knew Pietro was right, that she could not make another odd inexplicable mistake like teleporting America or something. Loki’s insistence that she ‘write her own story’ poked at her. No one was expecting her to try this. “...Okay. Don’t...don’t let go. Please.” I’m scared. I don’t understand why Pietro believes in me so much, but I don’t want to disappoint him either.
“I won’t. I’m right here.”
Tentatively she purposely reached for one of the tiny goopy black mental threads she usually could not even feel any longer. They seemed much, much harder to find now than when Wong had shown her how to identify corruption remnants back at the sanctum before.
There. There were all the darkest bits of her, the bad impulses she would not indulge, the nasty things that popped into her head.
Everyone abandoned me and it’s not fair. Why am I blamed for my mistakes when others get forgiven easily? That doesn’t seem fair.
I hate that bracelet. I could tell Pietro to take it off so I could do as I please. He would do anything if he thought it would help me.
Wong doesn’t have any right to monitor me with that stupid ankle monitor.
Ross should die. Horrible excuse of a person and he has no excuse for being such a bigot. Why is he president?
The Darkhold made me feel stronger.
I just wanted my children back.
You failed. You’re resting in that house that isn’t yours and you never found-
There you are. Found you, Wanda thought, glad she didn’t have to wade through any more weird negative bad thoughts that disturbed her. She could feel herself shaking, but she kept her good hand resting on Mia’s warm back. Pietro tugged the blanket around her shoulders and held her tightly. He didn’t seem disturbed at all. Grounded. I am grounded. It’s okay.
“What are you doing? You can’t-“
”I can. What good does hurting me do you? I don’t understand. Give Billy and Tommy back.” Wanda did not tell it that the only reason she had tried this at all was because of Pietro. Her chest burned, and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. ”I am not the same broken person you used before.”
Wanda felt her hand twitch without her own input and immediately sat up straight, staring at Pietro. “I think it’s trying to control me and it’s mad it can’t,” she blurted aloud herself. “This doesn’t make sense. You are not even using our chaos magic and yet you are still in control. What is this? What are you doing?”
Wanda thought that it sounded oddly panicked and confused. That was good. Mia’s lack of reaction beyond staying lying across her legs assured her that nothing was really wrong, too; she could tell Mia was a little tense, but that was all.
“That magic is not ‘our’ anything. It’s mine, not yours,” Wanda spat, and then, looking at Pietro guiltily, “I’m not fussing at you. I promise.”
“It’s all right, Wanda. I know. You are doing good,” Pietro said firmly. He adjusted the blanket around her shoulders again and just hugged her closer, ignoring the other voice that he knew was not his little sister at all. Struck by sudden inspiration, he added, “Why do you want my sister, you creepy old thing? You don’t want her. She’s stubborn. And likes helping people. And being an ordinary not-enhanced person. Tell us where the children are.”
“A broken vessel is better than none. Those human children already attempted to trick me. They failed, even if I have lost one.”
Lost one? Does that mean both Billy and Tommy were together but now they aren’t? Wanda first thought she should poke further, but a tiny something made her hesitate, almost as if her own magic might be warning her not to, which didn’t make any sense. No, that’s not mine. I don’t think so anyways. I think it’s-
An exhausted-looking Clint was staring at the twins in confusion, arms crossed and looking concerned and suspicious. “What the hell are you two doing? That’s-“
“Greetings, Hawkeye. Well then, Scarlet Witch, enjoy explaining yourself,” not-Wanda said, and then an unpleasant chill snaked down Wanda’s back and she slumped against Pietro. It’s gone. I didn’t ask what that meant! I didn’t lose control, but… A very normal fear that was all hers poked at her uncomfortably, that Clint would be angry and decide she and Pietro needed to leave the farm.
“We tried to get information from creepy Chthon demon thing,” Pietro explained in English, as if that were an entirely everyday thing to do. “My idea! Not Wanda’s,” he said hurriedly, holding Wanda protectively. “Don’t scold her. I think, maybe Wanda can make it tell her stuff instead of other way round. It hurt her in dream somehow. Mia and I help her. Then I got idea. I made her try. Don’t be mad with her.”
“I’m all right now,” Wanda said softly, feeling exhausted but okay otherwise. It’s gone. I don’t know what we did, but we must have startled it enough that it wanted to go away. If she wanted to pull it back again, she would have to find a murky muddy thread again and pull it and wade through the bad thoughts again which was too much at the moment. But ‘they already tricked me and failed’? What does that mean? Where are they?
“Pietro, what the hell?! What were you thinking, encouraging your sister to attempt such a thing? Why would you…” Clint rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply. Pietro looked somewhat frightened and Clint worried he would just run off with Wanda, even though he had promised Laura he wouldn’t. “All right. Let’s start over. Where is that cuff bracelet? Wanda, if you want it off, I understand and that’s fine with me, but you can’t break it. We can’t make another and I don’t want Wong taking you back to-“
“We didn’t break not one thing,” Pietro interrupted defensively. “Show him, Wanda,” he commanded, still clutching his twin close.
“Quit being mean,” Wanda ordered her brother, but she did show Clint that they hadn’t broken the wristband off. It was just there, locked around her right wrist like usual. “I didn’t...use any magic. At least I don’t think so. It felt like...like mine was still sleepy and inaccessible but...warned me not to push any further. I don’t know. Then I thought maybe it was Billy again, because his is sort of like mine, but...I’m not sure.”
Clint sat down across from them, obviously still worried, but not quite so much. “Can you two explain what you were doing then? That weird other voice certainly wasn’t either of you.”
“I suspect anyone who’s had any contact with the Darkhold or corrupted magic might be able to do what I just did. If they thought of it,” Wanda explained slowly, petting Mia’s head because Mia’s soft fur was nice against her fingers and she didn’t want Mia to be worried either. “Pietro thought I could contact the...darkness on purpose instead of it poking horrible things at me?” She bit her lip, unsure how to explain herself without sounding crazy. “After I got Pietro back, the corruption remnants felt...locked behind some sort of scarlet barrier inside. I felt more like...me. It didn’t erase what was left, I just felt better. Poking at my own dark impulses made the thing react. It feels disconnected from me now, like a parasite or something. Very obviously not me. We were hoping startling it might make it tell us something useful about defeating it and finding the boys. I know that must sound ridiculous, but…”
Pietro could tell Wanda didn’t know how to explain and was awfully uncomfortable, so he jumped in himself. “I think using herself to get me back weakened her on outside, but inside it is easier for Wanda to know creature and corruption stuff is not her. She locked it out. And it is very, very mad about it. Because she still has same issues and power it liked about her before, and no proper magic lessons, but now it can’t make her do bad stuff with no Darkhold and no way to worm in her head enough otherwise.” He glanced down at Wanda, still exhausted and slumped in his arms, before continuing on some more, “I do not know but I think it mentally hurt her while she tried to sleep. That was not normal Wanda issue this time. She has problems sometimes, yeah. This was not same thing.”
Clint sighed deeply and leaned against the wall, trying to think. “Pietro, did you feel anything being...off, for lack of a better word, before Mia fetched you for help?”
“Yeah. Weird cold shadowy...thing. It was bad. And not us being scared. I have woken up before when something was wrong about Wanda. Like normal nightmare, or when she threw up. I sort of assumed it was same as always, but it just...was not.” Pietro didn’t know how to explain, but he would do his best. Thankfully Hawkeye wasn’t angry with either of them, but he still seemed somewhat disturbed and Pietro couldn’t blame him.
“Okay. Thank you for explaining. I’m just trying to make sense of this. You two are clearly linked somehow, but I don’t know if that’s just how you were in sync all the time before or if Wanda’s spell did something to both of you.” Clint knew quite well that the twins were deeply attached to one another, but this seemed like more than just a normal twin connection to him, even considering they were both enhanced. “And you cast a protection spell on the house, Wanda, so I don’t quite understand how that thing could get in at all.”
Wanda’s stomach squirmed uncomfortably. “Because of me. Like Pietro said, we weren’t using magic, so I assume pulling at it that way doesn’t break the way the protection spell works,” Wanda said softly. “That and my protection spell doesn’t keep magic users out, really, since it doesn’t hurt anyone if they cross it. It just neutralizes any other witches’ magic besides mine if they cross the barrier. Other magic like Stephen’s is just weakened, not neutralized entirely. And Pietro absolutely knew when something was wrong before, but it’s amplified now. And I think I’m quite literally not...whole anymore, even though normal me feels much better now. That thing is angry because Pietro is no good as a vessel- he’s not corrupted, doesn’t have magic- and then there is me, the ‘broken’ vessel it can’t possess properly or whatever, because I used myself to get him back. Loki said as much too, that I’d both weakened myself and made it more difficult for the thing to get me. Stephen said he wasn’t a proper vessel too. I’ll bet Agatha isn’t either.” She scrunched closer to Pietro, who just squeezed her tightly and didn’t let go at all. I’m so tired but I don’t feel weird or sick, either. I feel like I’m talking too much. But Clint and Pietro are listening to me. “That thing had the boys, at the very least. It claims they attempted to trick it and failed, and that it lost one.”
“Wanda, that does not mean it has Billy or Tommy now. It means it wants you to think it had- or has- them,” Clint said carefully. “Because we know the actual evil book contained partial truths in it, I would think the creature is the same, correct?”
I don’t want to answer that. “I don’t know. Probably,” Wanda muttered reluctantly.
“Then you have no idea what that meant. It could very well mean the boys failed to trick it but both still got away even if it knows where one of them is, and it doesn’t want you to know that. We don’t know. Wanda, I don’t want you doing whatever you just did again, do you understand? I’m not saying you did anything wrong, per se, because I understand why you and Pietro thought it was a good idea, but that was very dangerous.” Clint was gentle but stern on that. “Don’t do it. We don’t know what that thing can do to you at this point, if anything, and we don’t know if repeatedly engaging with it can pull it into our dimension somehow, either. No one here knows how to counter some ancient magical chaos demon, you included. I will not have that thing using you two to get into our house and then slither off to attack all of us or someone else. A demon from another dimension isn’t a witch, even if it’s got magic it claims is the same as yours. If it gets in the house, I don’t think your spell is going to neutralize it.”
The twins traded glances. “We are sorry,” Pietro said, “but it is not her fault. It was MY idea. Don’t scold her.”
“This is not an issue of whose fault it is. I’m scolding both of you for purposely sticking your noses further into something you know damn well is extremely dangerous without asking for more help.” Clint paused, looking from one twin to the other to make sure both of them were listening. “Frankly I’m worried about both of you. I don’t want to treat you with kid gloves or anything, but-“
“What does that mean?” Pietro interrupted.
“Treating you two like you’re fragile,” Clint explained. “You both need to be very careful. Like it or not, there is that prophecy out there that none of us really know the real meaning of. I assume at this point that it being fulfilled is unavoidable, but that the how is up to Wanda.”
“I will not. I won’t, I don’t care what that creature wants,” Wanda insisted adamantly.
“Wanda, come on, think. You aren’t stupid. All the evidence we do have points to the prophecy itself being real, but that it’s not meant to automatically mean you are supposed to destroy everything. Look at what happened at the hospital. Look at you and Pietro. You can change reality at will. You healed a bunch of people by accident. You resurrected a whole person from literally nothing. Those are good things. Those good things still required a shit ton of power, and you did them instinctively.”
Wanda made a very familiar I don’t want to hear it face, and Pietro fidgeted nervously, clutching his sister tightly. “I don’t like that much power. I just want a little bit of it, enough that I don’t feel helpless, but not all of that,” she muttered, which was...true. That desire had nothing to do with the Darkhold or anything else, just her own neutral wish. I don’t think that desire is bad or good. Just kind of...there. “I wish I hadn’t disintegrated my crystal necklace when I helped Lila and Cooper before. And I wish getting Pietro back had eaten up more of it, actually. Why couldn’t it have used up more of my magic itself instead of making me so tired all the time? I am not one bit sorry, but that is very annoying.”
Pietro decided he liked hearing Wanda say that, even if it made him feel guilty, because it at least meant she cared enough about herself to want to feel better.
Clint stared at her, unsurprised but also unsure how to react to that, and suspicious that was exactly why the ‘cost’ wasn’t what Wanda wished it was, because this ‘cost’ thing was supposed to be something that bothered her. “Well, I think you are stuck with it, kid. The rest of us can help you as best we can, but it’s still yours. There is nothing wrong with your power set.”
Wanda wasn’t sure she believed him, but she didn’t say anything about that. What she did say was, “Then why can’t I control it properly? Even just to find the boys. That Loki knows where they are and I’m not supposed to make him tell me because I’ll mess up.” They are out there somewhere and I can’t do anything about it. Thinking about that made her angry. If she saw Loki again and she didn’t have that bracelet on, she would force him to tell her.
Except, she sort of thought the ridiculous God of Mischief would probably like if she was pissed at him and tried to make him tell her. Loki’s infuriating grin and his lack of reaction beyond claiming he liked her better when she was angry said that much.
Wanda was very sure Loki would have behaved exactly the same even if she hadn’t been wearing that wristband.
That part she did like. Because she knew damn well Loki knew what chaos magic meant and he did not care what chaos magic meant.
“I’m more concerned what Loki might do than you. You can’t make him tell you because we don’t know what will happen if you do. Go back to bed, both of you. I can’t promise I personally will find the boys, Wanda, but I can promise you still have people looking. Pietro, tomorrow we’ll go get you your own phone and some new clothes. I don’t mind you borrowing things, but you need more stuff of your own. Honestly, I think we should pick up some new things for Wanda, too.”
“...Sneakers?” Pietro asked hopefully, and then, “No sneakers is okay. But I would very much like new sneakers.”
Clint smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, you may definitely have new sneakers. You can pick out whatever ones you like that aren’t, say...over $200. I suspect you’ll ruin cheap ones very quickly with all your running.”
Pietro thought two hundred dollars was an awful lot of money for sneakers, and he could tell Wanda thought the same. The twins traded glances again. “Clint, we don’t need two hundred dollar sneakers. We don’t need any sneakers. I could maybe make Pietro new ones or fix his old ones if I’m allowed to practice again,” Wanda suggested.
Clint shrugged. “I’m sure you can, but let’s just get him some nice shoes with ordinary money in the meantime. It really is okay, Wanda. Let Laura and me spoil you two. We’re not going to be broke by spoiling both of you a little.”
“You treat us like kids. Like we are your kids also,” Pietro muttered, but he just sounded confused, not offended. “We are not kids.”
Especially me, Wanda thought, but she didn’t feel like saying that aloud, because it would make Pietro sad and it still was weird to think because Pietro was still his same old self to her. He treated her exactly the same as before. She wasn’t a teenager any longer, unlike Pietro, but he was still just doing his best to take care of her and comfort her, same as always.
“I don’t care how old you are, blip or resurrection spell or anything else. Neither of you have had a chance to be a kid since you were very little. Maybe if I’d made you and your sister get away from that battle in Novi Grad way back when-“
“No,” Pietro interrupted firmly. “No, then you be very dead, and that little boy. And I know Wanda helped lots. She is, how you say? Lots of power but easily hurt. Squishy, I think. We did not do wrong helping fight Ultron bots. We did good. We are not sorry one bit. I am sad I left my sister all alone. But I did not do wrong thing, and Wanda knows. I know she does.” He squeezed Wanda tighter, sounding very sure of himself.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t catch you, Wanda thought, but she also knew nothing she said would change Pietro’s convictions on that. And...he was right.
Before she could say a word, Pietro went on, “And Wanda-enhancements were not like now. So, she could not have just turned bullets to butterflies or something then. I do not think just Wanda being next to me is instant fix of what happened, which I know she still thinks because she’s dumb and blames self for everything. She could have been hit too. Or different bots gotten to her battle spot and made whole team lose.” Pietro shook his head hard, his blue eyes bright with tears. “Just bad, bad luck. Not your fault. Not mine. Not Wanda’s.”
Mia glanced at Pietro, decided he was upset but fine, and rested her head back on Wanda’s legs. She still found Pietro a little confusing; he was not her human but something about him was Different all the same.
Clint hugged both twins tightly. “Go back to sleep, yeah? We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
__________________
“I do not want to go without her,” Pietro said firmly in the morning, when Clint suggested to take just him shopping for the promised sneakers and let Wanda stay home at the farm.
Wanda suspected Clint was worried about taking both of them out in public at the same time at this point, at least for now. “Pietro, it’s fine. I could also come and just stay in the car, maybe. The shoes are for you, not me. And-“
“But I want you there also,” Pietro interrupted. “If you are not there I don’t want any.”
“Let’s go outside for a minute,” Wanda said firmly, and tugged her brother out the door, out of earshot. “There is something else bothering you,” she told him quietly.
Pietro scowled at her but didn’t deny it, either. “We did not buy expensive brand-new sneakers at home. Not ever. I want you there, because it is new and nice.” He continued scowling and proceeded to cross his arms stubbornly. “I am sure you got new shoes here long ago with no me. But I do not have to, and I want you included. Maybe it would make you happy also.”
I can understand that perfectly. Besides, Wanda liked knowing that while yes, Pietro was right that she’d had plenty of New Experiences without him, they didn’t have to repeat that again now. Pietro could enjoy good new things with her. “I think Clint doesn’t want to risk having both of us out in public any more right now, just in case. What if you picked some out online, from somewhere with easy returns in case they don’t fit? Then I can look with you,” Wanda suggested.
Pietro instantly brightened. “That is okay. I just want you there.”
When the twins slipped back inside, Laura suggested the same idea Wanda had. They smiled and exchanged glances. “We like that idea,” Pietro agreed. “Wanda said it outside.”
Notes:
I am greatly looking forward to Rocket and Pietro interacting in particular lol. And yes, they’ll locate Mantis shortly!
Comments/kudos are much appreciated!
Chapter 37: Chapter 37
Summary:
In which a particular unlikely reluctant trio must work together…
Notes:
I am so sorry for how late this chapter is. I hope it’s worth the wait- I’ve been greatly looking forward to this section lol!
If you are reading this and I owe you a comment- I promise I didn’t forget about you! Hopefully my brain will be more cooperative asap.
On to the story!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Pietro was not particularly fussy about shoes- he just wanted sturdy comfortable ones- but now that he was able to choose whichever ones he wanted, he thought there were too many options. “Wanda, how do you pick things then? Ol’ Hawkeye said any were okay if they were not ridiculous amounts of money.” He stared at Wanda’s laptop screen scowling.
“I think maybe ask Cooper what sneakers he likes,” Wanda suggested quietly. “You like spending time with him and he would love if you asked him, even if he pretended to be all cool about it.” She still didn’t quite get why Pietro was so adamant that she ‘help’ pick out his shoes when she knew quite well if he hated her suggestions he most certainly wouldn’t listen. But she loved doing something so mundane as scrolling around online looking at sneakers together. That was a normal, ordinary thing to do. Normal, ordinary things were good.
“Cooper is good friend,” Pietro said, and then, “He does not seem very different, really. Just not…like we were before, either.”
“What do you mean?” But I think I do know. I think Pietro means the Barton children are like we would have been if we didn’t lose our parents and home.
“You know we did not grow up right. Some things we probably seemed older. Some things we probably seemed younger. It was not our fault. Just unlucky. I mean Cooper and Lila are like us, if we…were not all alone when we were same ages.” Pietro didn’t sound bitter, just resigned. He scuffed his toes back and forth on the carpet, and then abruptly gave his sister a hug. “I am sorry.”
I knew it. Wanda didn’t answer immediately, unsure what exactly Pietro wanted from her. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, and-“
“I don’t want to make you upset!”
“I told you to say so if something was bothering you,” Wanda told him firmly. “It sort of sounds like being here is bothering you even though you told me before you were glad to be here. Those, can both be true. I…I should know.” That was me before, after Ultron. That is me now too. It feels confusing.
“New shoes is a normal thing. I like getting new normal things,” Pietro pointed out, clearly frustrated. Then he switched back to Sokovian, because that felt better to do, “I do like being here with you, and I like all of your friends. But I feel like I shouldn’t trust them completely, because I don’t really know them and also you should never, ever, ever have been left all alone for however long it was. It makes me suspicious. Then I’m still thinking, well neither of us are any of theirs, they don’t owe us anything anyway. I don’t know. I sort of hate how good your English is, Wanda, I’m sorry. I don’t like not being the same anymore and I don’t like feeling like I don’t fit right even if I also think I shouldn’t care at all, because we are safe and together, and we never have to be cold or hungry here either. And waking up in that cabin really sucked, that was weird and disorienting and I hated not knowing what the hell was going on and realizing you were hurt and why you were.”
Laura told me she thought that was exactly how Pietro would feel and I insisted on not believing her. “Can I…do anything to help you feel better?” Wanda asked quietly.
“No, I think it will be better once it’s been longer. I like all the new things, it’s just a lot all at once. I don’t want to make you upset, and there isn’t anything for you to do. You mull over things a lot. So don’t be thinking because I finally told you all that, that it’s somehow your fault, because it’s not.” Pietro shrugged and paced the room until Wanda gave him a hug. “Well. It’s your fault you hurt yourself and won’t fix it. But I do understand why you won’t, and I know there really wasn’t any way for you to explain what was going to happen before you got me back.” Pietro sounded a bit sheepish, just a little. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you any of that?”
Wanda squeezed him closer and Pietro did not mind one bit. “I know you said I couldn’t do anything to help, but I can listen. I can at least do that,” she whispered. “And talking to Clint or Laura is safe. They will not get rid of us. I…I know so.”
“Why are you telling me that now when you were saying you were scared they won’t want you here anymore before?” Pietro asked suspiciously.
“Because it’s true. They wouldn’t have invited us to stay if they didn’t want us. I do think Clint feels responsible for us because of everything that’s happened, but that isn’t why he is letting us live here. If all he felt was some sense of duty, I think he would have just given us a bit of money and sent us away or something.” Wanda plopped on her bed and stroked Mia thoughtfully. “I think I am better enough to know that being scared of that particular thing is irrational. I can’t make that fear go away, but knowing it’s logically inaccurate helps make it…less.” Mia blinked at her, big brown eyes seemingly understanding. I think if I didn’t have that bracelet on and I tried to use my magic right now, it would do exactly what I wanted. Not a bit more and not a bit less. “Especially when I’m not alone. You don’t like being alone either.”
“No, but I didn’t have to feel you die, either. I think your enhancements make it harder for you to deal with things in general. Actually I don’t think that, I know it.” Pietro scowled, but he went back to the computer and scrolled absently. “Get Cooper and then I still want you to stay while he looks at the sneakers.”
“Okay.”
_____________________
WESTVIEW
“These things are real magical relics, not just stolen antiques?” Wendy asked, studying the pictures Makenzie Reid had printed out from online on the dining room table in her aunt and uncle’s house in Westview. She’d made the trek out to the little town again after needing to return to work the first time when she had driven the others there before much detailed discussion could be had beyond the basics. Yelena, Madisynn, Peter, and Zoe all sat around the table. “You have pictures of clearly abused humans here too. That’s…” she trailed off.
Kenzie sighed, staring at the photos. “Zoe and I think they’re actually connected to real magic, yes, like Madisynn inferred to Peter and Yelena but wouldn’t say. Which made them contact you in the first place. That and some of these sellers seem to be involved with trafficking enhanced. There are nasty listings on basically an illegal eBay or forum sort of thing, I guess. There hasn’t been any sign of Zoe’s friend being…listed or mentioned, but I think if we find these people, we might find her too.”
“Why not just give these pictures to Wanda?” Peter asked suddenly. “I bet she can find these people easily. She helped find me.”
Yelena gave him a withering but oddly fond look, thinking that Peter was absolutely going to give away his superhero identity sooner or later even if no one who knew now said anything, though none of their companions seemed to find his comment odd. “I think that she should just stay exactly where she is. Safe somewhere she can be watched and be not alone, same as Madisynn King,” Yelena said firmly. “We do not want these people somehow also getting her. That would be even worse.”
Zoe twirled a strand of pink-streaked hair around her finger, eyeing Yelena. “You sound very protective of somebody that made such a mess here. I mean, I don’t live here but Kenzie does.”
“If you met her you will know exactly why. We are not here to talk about her.” Yelena did not add that she knew she felt rather protective of Wanda because she was a connection to Natasha.
Kenzie shrugged. “It really, really sucked, but Zoe, I knew her before. Not for long, sure, but still. She’s not what a lot of people think she is. Her powers are weird, hard to handle, and probably the very worst kind for a traumatized person to have. I say give her a break even though it was really horrible.” She tapped her fingers on the table, staring at the unpleasant photos. “And,” Kenzie scowled, “I’d rather be trapped in the hex than under Red Room mind control. At least I knew nobody was going to assault me or something. Heck, even if someone wanted to do something like that, they wouldn’t be able to. It was just…” she mulled over how to describe it. “I don’t know. For me it was like being forced to hear a friend unloading on you constantly until you’re overwhelmed and feeling really, really shitty yourself…but on the outside you are putting on a happy sitcom show. I didn’t mind the funny clothes part. Anyways, never mind her. I want to get this fixed for these people.”
“I wasn’t trying to pick on her, really,” Zoe protested in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. “It just seemed weird.”
“It was weird. And awful. I just know I still don’t want her, or any other enhanced people, getting judged for stuff they can’t control. She’s not the only enhanced that’s messed up. Like, at all. But anyway, like I said, never mind that. These,” Kenzie pushed one copy of a list of usernames- some linked with real names and photos and some not- toward Wendy and another toward Yelena, “are what we found. I sent all this to Jimmy Woo already too.”
Peter frowned, still thinking that fetching Wanda and asking her to track these people would be the simplest and fastest thing to do. “Maybe get Doctor Strange to help Wanda find them,” he suggested.
“She does not like him and if this is all linked to magic issues, involving them is likely bad,” Yelena pointed out.
“And Wongers doesn’t know where he is,” Madisynn put in.
Yelena studied Madisynn for a moment. “The sorcerers really lost one of their best ones?”
Madisynn looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know details. Just that Wongers can’t find him. He was hoping I had seen him, and I haven’t. I don’t think any magic people should look for the missing enhanced people. I can’t, um…say more. That’s why I said Kenzie and Zoe knew stuff.” She hesitated before adding, staring directly at Yelena, “We should have a party in DC. To find new friends.”
“She’s not wrong, if she means ‘find enhanced that are maybe in danger’,” Kenzie said quietly. “I have no idea where any missing enhanced are being taken, but something’s funny about DC, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Orlando. Which isn’t surprising, really. Anyway I have copies for you guys. Zoe and I gave all this to, uh, Victor Maxwell at the museum too.”
Wendy’s expression looked more amused than anything else. “Well, I suspect that explains why we have had a very strong posh British gentleman deposit criminals at the station or hand them over to the nearest cop car. He always claims he was ‘just passing by’ and provides video footage of whatever happened as proof that he justifiably caught these people. Honestly I’ve assumed he was moonlighting as a vigilante for awhile and just preferred staying under the radar not in some hero suit or whatever.”
Yelena found this quite funny, but she kept Vision’s real identity to herself. “Kenzie, you mentioned five cities. Why?”
“Because they’re activity hubs. I could tell that immediately. And-“
“Five. Yelena, you said you thought this Dian person you mentioned needed magic users for whatever he was planning. Kenzie is saying five cities. Five means you could draw a pentagram or something between them, just in a lopsided way.” Wendy tapped her fingers together, studying the photos. “I could be completely wrong since I know nothing about real life magic, but I’d bet the enhanced trafficking and relic selling is concealing something worse. Something supernatural. Something to do with the sorcerers or witches or wizards or whatever actually does exist outside tabletop games.”
Madisynn leaned forward in her seat, chewing her lip. “And….?” she prompted hopefully. “Please figure it out. Please, please, please.”
“I think I’d better work on derailing the non-magical part and let the superheroes deal with the magic.” Wendy sounded reluctant but resigned. “I know none of you are telling me everything, especially about what’s happened to Madisynn here or Wanda Maximoff. I get there are a lot- a lot- of shitty cops, especially in New York it seems, but I can’t get anyone at the precinct to help with no information.”
Yelena scowled at her. “I came to you because Kate Bishop said you would help, and that we can trust you. I do not trust NYPD one bit, even if ‘Victor Maxwell’ chooses to.” She hesitated, fiddling with one of her earrings. “You have got to know people like Wanda and me- or especially Zoe Zimmer’s friend because she’s both brown and enhanced- will never be treated same as Madisynn King or Peter Parker. You likely are not treated same at work.” Yelena decided not to share Kenzie’s origins at all since she wasn’t sure the younger girl wanted people to know she was originally from the Red Room or not.
Wendy did not answer immediately, but the silence was only a bit tense. “I do know that,” Wendy finally said quietly. “I think you know I know that. I’m not going to tell anyone about any of you. I’ll take this information and claim Victor Maxwell provided it if I absolutely have to. I’ll just ask him first.”
“That may put him in danger,” Peter piped up.
“I don’t think so, not from the NYPD at least. He’s a bit weird, but I swear, he makes a good impression on everyone. I can probably get everyone to believe it was an anonymous tip that delivered all this information though. We’ll get this fixed soon, hopefully.”
“We better!” Zoe responded, sighing deeply. “I’ll tell Bruno what we’ve done too once I get home.”
_______________________
IOWA
After lying in her room unable to sleep for seemingly ages that night, Wanda finally just silently slipped out of bed, tiptoeing through the quiet house with a puzzled Mia at her side. Both Pietro and Kate stayed fast asleep; she figured getting up wouldn’t wake Kate up anyways, but thankfully jumpy Pietro didn’t wake up either. Pietro feels safe, that’s why. And he knew I was safe too.
The second she tried the back door, quiet footsteps behind her made her jump. Bucky didn’t turn on another light besides the small nightlight plugged in near the floor. “Wanda, I know that’s you. Do you want help with anything, or are you good?”
Wanda quite liked that he wasn’t automatically assuming something was horribly wrong, and just wanted to know what was going on. “I’m all right. I just felt restless and couldn’t sleep. I was going to go outside for a bit.” She ran her fingers along the doorframe absently.
“Scott is out there and so is Wilson. Just...be careful, okay?”
“Because of what Loki told us?” Wanda asked quietly.
“Because you are like me and very unlucky,” Bucky said, his eyes twinkling a bit in the dim light. “Loki is just a theatrical nuisance to me. But he seems to genuinely like you. I don’t think the guy was lying to you, just purposely being obnoxious to be irritating. Go ahead. I’m not trying to make you stay in. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything.”
Wanda smiled a little at that. “You...your kindness and understanding means a lot to me,” she murmured softly. “It did before too. It just does much more, now.”
Bucky shrugged as if it was no big deal, but even without access to her magic, Wanda knew it was too a big deal, as much to him as it was to her. Steve’s friend liked knowing that he was helping simply by being there. “Well, like I told you, you can talk whenever if you feel like it.”
“Okay.”
Outside in the yard, Wanda quickly ran into Scott, who was very obviously surprised to see her and Mia, but asked if she wanted to patrol the property perimeter with him. “You seem sort of jumpy,” Scott pointed out.
“I couldn’t sleep. I thought maybe coming outside would help,” Wanda explained, “and I think I just want to sit and look at the stars for a bit. You don’t want me watching things with you.”
Scott’s expression immediately scrunched up in genuine confusion. “You always assume any of us don’t really want you around and we’re just being nice, or worse, only want to use your enhancements for something. And I’ve noticed your brother thinks the exact same way you do. It’s not true, and I know it doesn’t have anything to do with the Darkhold, because you were like that years ago and Pietro never looked at that old thing. You both like living here, but you don’t trust it to stay for long. Pietro is just happy to live in the moment, while you mull it over too much.” He started walking and gestured for her and Mia to come too. “Come on. You can sit and stare at the stars in a bit. If something does happen and you don’t feel up to engaging, I’ll make Ant-ony big and he’ll take you and Mia right back to the house, and you can just wake everyone else up. No judgement here.”
“Well...all right.” I don’t understand, but I do believe him. Wanda didn’t say anything else, but she did follow Scott, who continued ambling about scanning the yard for anything unusual.
Scott continued chattering, clearly not expecting her to engage much. “You’re just a person, Wanda. And you still treat yourself like if you can’t be ‘fine’, then you’re useless and a bother. You’re not useless, whether you use your powers or not.”
“You talk a lot, like Pietro,” Wanda said quietly, “and you sound like him too. What is it you think I am good for right now? I appreciate the nice words, but-“
“But you don’t believe them?”
Wanda shook her head hard. “The only useful thing I did was get Pietro back, and he shouldn’t have been dead at all,” she whispered.
Scott frowned and glanced at her for a moment. “The helping around the house doesn’t count? Entertaining the Barton children? They love having you and Pietro around. Did you forget you helped Kate get that mom and kid out of a burning car? Without using your magic, too! Or that you healed a lot of hurt people at the hospital? That, yeah, you used your magic, but you didn’t for the rest.”
I don’t feel like those things are enough to make up for everything I’ve done before, or for my friends having to deal with me in the first place. I don’t know. “Those things don’t make up for everything else. You are dealing with me feeling...mopey again, right now,” Wanda pointed out.
“...I literally told you to come! There was no ‘ugh I have to deal with that annoying person again. What a drag’.” Scott’s usually jokey lighthearted tone was gone now and he gently squeezed her shoulder. “Nobody here expects you to just be fine. You know that. You just need to ask for help when you feel shitty instead of doing things like reading a weird evil book alone. You can’t be blamed for what you did after, but even I know you should’ve called somebody before.”
Wanda tensed. “You sound like Vis. He is utterly convinced everything after I meddled with the Darkhold isn’t my fault. But that it is my fault I didn’t call for help before that, even if he also understands why I didn’t.” She chewed her lip nervously, finding hearing yet another repeat of that logic strange. Scott did not have any reason to lie to her and he’d known her the least of their old team, so she should believe that he was telling her what he truly believed, whether it was accurate or not.
“I think,” Scott said slowly, “that you thinking nobody really wants you around is exactly why you didn’t call anybody for help though. You also thought nobody was going to want you on the team anymore after the four of us that ended up trapped in the Raft got rescued, just because you were badly hurt and couldn’t do much yet.” He wondered if he should have brought that up at all, but Wanda looked more relaxed rather than less. “You don’t have to do anything. Really. You’re our friend.”
“Friends take care of friends,” Wanda murmured, more to herself than to Scott. They tried to look for me before. It really was just horrible luck. I can believe that. I do not need to listen to my own self insisting otherwise or any corruption remnants. She gave Mia a soft scratch behind the ears and then impulsively hugged Scott. “Thank you for, you know...being you. And helping look for me before. Clint told me when I first came back here.”
“We didn’t even find you!”
“No, but it feels so good now to know I wasn’t...forgotten or intentionally abandoned all the same, because that is what I thought before. Now I think, no all of it was wrong, I didn’t have to be all alone. It doesn’t fix the before, but it helps the now.” Wanda was first surprised Scott just squeezed her tightly and then entirely unsurprised, because he was always a huggy sort of person if he knew the other person didn’t mind.
“We’ll find the little boys,” Scott said suddenly. “If they’re like you and Pietro, they’ll be okay. They know you didn’t forget about them. I’m sure of it.”
Wanda tensed all over, but she just nodded. Of course Scott did not have her mind-reading powers, but she had been thinking about the boys, wondering what was happening to them right now and wishing she could Do Something instead of just letting Darcy and Wong look for them. “Thinking about them is why I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted. “I think I am letting them down by not looking myself.”
They continued walking a bit, the only sounds crickets chirping and the grass rustling. “You do know you could ask Hawkeye to unlock that bracelet so you can go with Darcy and look together, right?” Scott said carefully.
“But I’m not supposed to.”
“I know. I’m saying I know no one here would stop you. You promised to cooperate and not meddle with your ankle monitor, not...not ask for permission for things. That lead sorcerer dude Wong isn’t dumb. I don’t think he would have left the keys to your wristband if he thought you’d never take it off. You just aren’t supposed to mess with the ankle monitor.” Scott hesitated, studying Wanda and Mia in the dim moonlight. “It’s just that you already don’t have the kids. Looking yourself and failing to find them doesn’t change anything, and frankly I think your magic went haywire near that cabin when you tried to practice with Wong because you were near that cabin. Even then you really didn’t louse anything up.”
“I teleported America without her permission across the ocean,” Wanda protested.
“The point is that it wasn’t anything destructive. You didn’t hurt her. Billy just warned you not to try coming to find him yet, which also means he knows you are trying to get to him and that he hasn’t been abandoned. So, assuming he’s right, then maybe you look for Tommy first. He can help find his brother. Yeah, your magic will probably do something else you didn’t plan on at some point if you do try to help look yourself, but the something won’t be anything horrible. You’re supposed to go hang out in New Asgard for a few hours tomorrow to practice anyway before that purple Clea lady comes here. Get Rocket Raccoon and Cosmo to help you look. I’ll bet they will and they’re fresh heads to the situation.” Scott eyed Wanda, hoping she was genuinely listening. “Maybe Billy and Tommy are worth that risk. Making a harmless mess isn’t the same thing as hurting a bunch of innocent people. You know that. You could keep the wristband in your pocket and put it back on if whatever harmless mess your magic makes is something that freaks you out. Then when you’ve calmed down...you can undo the mess.”
This logic was different than everyone else’s that Wanda had heard recently, acknowledging that yes she likely would make a big mess, but that the mess wasn’t a big deal. “What if it makes that...thing find me?” Wanda asked quietly.
“The chaos demon thing is supposed to have magic like yours, and you don’t need physical magic traces to track anything. I bet the creature is the same,” Scott said reasonably. “If that’s true, then practicing should be okay and-“ Scott cut himself off abruptly and stopped walking, because an odd rustling noise had startled him. He pushed Wanda behind him, feeling like he was overreacting but wanting to be safe.
Mia’s ears were extra perky, but she just stayed by Wanda’s side. “Oh brother, it’s just a possum. Sorry.”
That made Wanda smile. “I think I will go back inside now anyways, just in case. Thanks for, you know...being so understanding. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem at all. We like having you around, Scarlet Shadow.”
The name drop of the alias people online had called her years before, mostly during those two years she’d officially been a fugitive, made Wanda freeze. That name didn’t bother her one bit. “Thank you, Scott,” she said softly, and headed back toward the house with Mia.
________________________
About five yards from the house, someone seemingly appeared from nowhere beside her, a slight breeze ruffling her messy ponytail. Something isn’t right. That is not Loki. Or his friend Sylvie. Well, not unless they shapeshifted. Mia’s ears flattened and she pressed herself against Wanda’s leg. “...Who are you?” Wanda asked in her best authoritative tone. A sinking pit of fear settled in her stomach. This person was not just an ordinary intruder; she knew that even without magic access. A sense of chilling dread seeped into her chest and her ‘asleep’ inaccessible magic seemed to want to wake up and couldn’t, not with the bracelet cuff still locked on her good wrist.
She didn’t think he was alone, either. There was no proof of that; she just...didn’t think so. A gut feeling was what Nat would have called it, something that had nothing to do with her enhancements. And it bothered her that she and Scott had seen that possum- which was definitely a possum, they had seen it and Mia had been unbothered- and now there was some stranger she didn’t know on the property so close to the house, someone she either hadn’t noticed without access to her magic or had teleported themself here.
Nat would have noticed, the thought inexplicably poked at her instead of any panicked response. Wanda edged closer to the porch steps, unsure if she should yell and risk getting the others in trouble or simply stay quiet and try to slip inside and then get help.
“I’d be insulted, but of course you wouldn’t know. No one else is going to react. Backup isn’t coming. But you wouldn’t need it if you wanted to fight.” The man’s voice had a slight accent Wanda couldn’t place, but he didn’t sound angry. Instead he sounded oddly calm and a little relieved. “This has taken far too long. With you, I’ll finally be ready.”
“Ready for what? Why are you claiming everyone else won’t react?” Wanda took another couple steps toward the house.
“Because they won’t. They’re unharmed. I don’t need any of them, just you. Stop. You stay put. I don’t know why you’ve not fixed that, but I’ll use it if I need to.”
A sudden pressure on her bandaged arm made her stifle a yelp. Magic. No one is touching me, but- “Don’t touch any of them,” Wanda snapped, edging in front of the porch stairs even though she didn’t know what she could possibly do without having access to her own magic. Not against some unfamiliar magic she didn’t recognize. If I can just get inside, I’d be fine. I need to warn the others.
“Cooperate and your precious friends will be just fine. I told you, I don’t need any of them. Write a note. Something convincing so that they won’t look for you.”
“It won’t work,” Wanda shot back, her voice soft. “Nothing I could write would convince them I’d just disappear in the middle of the night. Not now.” They know I want to be here, now. And where is Scott? He was patrolling out here and I know he would have alerted everyone else. Wanda did not like the glint in this man’s eyes. Something about him disturbed her to the core, something she viscerally wished she could unsee. Wanda was suddenly absolutely certain that he didn’t ‘just’ want her chaos magic like Agatha had back in Westview. He wanted something else, something he needed her for, and that something had to do with the Darkhold. His relief at ‘finding’ her made Clint’s warnings that she and Pietro needed to be careful poke at her sharply. I shouldn’t let him know about Pietro at all. He might not know about Pietro. I would read his mind immediately if I had magic access right now.
“You disappeared before and no one found you. Make it happen again,” the man said calmly, conspiratorially. “I know you more than you think. Do you really believe that you can just ignore your destiny and live as a normal human? Why would you want to? Do you really believe any of these normal people can understand us? That they want you here? You would be doing both them and you a favor. Help me and I will let you be afterward if you want, though I do wish you would reconsider.”
Us? Wanda tensed. I’m missing something. I still don’t know what it is, but- The unsettling something poked at her again, almost as if her magic was trying to tell her something, which didn’t make any sense.
You need to get inside, Wanda. The protection spell cannot help you out here. Go inside and get help. You can fight if you get that bracelet off. Think. She edged up one stair, then another. Mia gazed at her intently, as if waiting for instructions. Then she calmly lay down directly in front of Wanda in her block task position.
“I won’t hurt your familiar, either.” The man’s face was shadowy in the dim light, but his body language was odd to her, almost as if he were trying to reason with a skittish horse.
The realization that he must not know she didn’t have access to her magic at the moment came to Wanda in an instant even as she flinched. Why is he saying that? That’s the same thing Loki said. “She’s not a familiar.” He just thought she was untrained and unstable, and so he was trying to make conversation with her instead of jumping to fighting, because he didn’t want to engage directly with her. Go inside. If he’s worried what I might do, then I might have a split second to make it inside before he reacts.
The man tilted his head. “An ordinary service dog? Interesting. Perhaps your chaos magic makes her particularly attuned to you, very creative and-“
Wanda tried to go for the door, didn’t quite make it to the doorknob, and interrupted whatever the man was saying, yelling, “Get help, Mia!” as loudly as she could. I don’t want the others to come out, but they need to know what-
Seconds later, a dazed-looking Scott dashed toward the house, searching for Wanda. When it was obvious she was neither in the backyard nor in the barn and Mia had not, in fact, come looking for help, he ran inside yelling for everyone to wake up. In the living room, Bucky scowled. “Now what?”
“I think someone just...took Wanda and Mia. Quietly. They’re both missing. I knew she was outside with Mia- she was just feeling restless and felt like going outdoors. Heck, you probably saw her go out. I told her if she wanted to watch things outside with me, she could, and we walked around awhile. Nothing happened other than some little possum startling us. After a bit she said she was ready to go back inside, so I said okay and gave her a hug. She really did seem fine other than being restless, so I let her be.” Scott hesitated, wondering how to explain. “I never saw anything at all, but I felt this odd wave of...something. Like a heavy blanket trying to knock me out, but not violently. Next thing I knew a shadowy figure whacked me on the head before I could activate the suit. Woke up with a headache and something seemed wrong, so I went to look for Wanda. But she was gone.”
Scott looked so upset that Bucky didn’t think he was overreacting. Besides, he had heard some loud noise outside that sounded like shouting awhile after he’d seen Wanda go outside, but when he’d peeked outdoors a moment later, nothing was there.
Pietro thundered inside in a blur and skidded to a stop in the living room. “Wanda is not here. I can’t feel her properly,” he said a bit too loudly. “What is happening? Where is she? I went out of the window. I looked. She is not here at all.”
“...You looked all over the yard outside already?” Bucky asked sharply. “When?”
“Like...now. I went out bedroom window to look. She’s not here. I know so.” Pietro sounded both angry and frightened, and he darted back outside and circled the house again. “I looked again. Only around house. No Wanda. No Mia.”
Sam nodded. “Okay. It hasn’t been more than a couple minutes, if that. I heard a shout too- I’m guessing it was Wanda trying to alert the rest of us. The faster we look, the better. Pietro, go ask Clint to take that bracelet cuff off you. Might make it easier for you to sense her, hopefully. Buck, you and tic-tac look for anything out of place in the yard. We’ll start there.”
___________________
Clint’s immediate reaction was to plant Pietro on the couch in the living room and forbid him to leave the house. “I’m sorry, kid, no. You have to stay put. We absolutely cannot risk having you outside the protection spell. You can let us know if you sense anything from her, but you’ve got to stay inside.”
Pietro absently put a hand to his chest where the runes were hidden under his shirt. “What if the person…hurts her? I have to help. Have to!”
“They might, yes, but she’s no good to them dead. That’s good, means we just need to find her and get her back. Can you-“
“I do not mean like that!” Pietro snapped. He stared daggers at Laura, willing her to understand instead.
Almost immediately Laura breathed in sharply and shook her head lightly at Clint. “Pietro, I don’t know, obviously, but if all this person wants is her magic, which I suspect is the case, likely they wouldn’t be interested in assaulting her like you’re worried about.”
“Well…okay.” Pietro thought that did make sense, so he went quiet. He tapped his foot and fiddled with the little spinner Cooper had given him, squeezed his eyes shut, and tried his very best to sense anything, anything at all about where his sister might be or what was happening to her. There was the ever so slight trace of just existing, the thing that meant his other half was alive and there, but no details or location. Unlike Wanda, Pietro didn’t know how to tug at the connection to pull it closer in more detail, or if he even could in the first place. Between that and Wanda definitely still wearing her spelled bracelet, their passive connection was somewhat muted. “Wanda still has stupid bracelet on, so I cannot feel her right,” Pietro muttered. “I can feel she is there. But no…more.”
“Can you talk to her at all?” Sam asked matter-of-factly.
Pietro shook his head and balled his hands into fists. “I will know if she is hurt badly, I think. Usually I can tell more, but…” He rubbed his left arm, frowning and staring at his hand. “I think her hand hurts, but maybe just…I knew that already. It’s not new hurt.” Pietro scowled and began pacing, not in speedster mode, but much faster than an ordinary person might. “I don’t know! I do not like any not knowing. I am supposed to know.” He kicked at the coffee table, which went skidding across the floor and banged into a wall and left a dent. Pietro froze and looked at Clint guiltily. “Sorry. Very sorry.”
“It’s fine. No big deal,” Clint assured him. “Just…let’s not do it again.”
“I think I should look for her. That is my job.”
“No. You have to stay put. We’re going to call Wong and he can just track her by the ankle monitor, hopefully. In theory that should be very simple unless the culprit found it and broke it off her. In fact…Laura, can you please watch him? I think everyone should come inside. There’s no way she’s on the property at all. It makes no sense.”
Pietro watched Clint go outside and tensed all over. Wanda probably would tell him to stay inside and listen to Clint, but he didn’t care, he wanted his little sister back, he wanted to Do Something, he wanted to shake Wanda for wandering outside alone for no reason in the first place. If she’d woken him up then he would know where she was now. He hopped up and darted upstairs before anyone could protest. Pietro could hear Laura asking him to please not leave the house and he shouted, “I KNOW!” without pausing.
_______________________
When Wanda came to, she immediately wished she hadn’t. She blinked and tried to focus. It’s all right. Nightmare. No this is real. A real nightmare. I am fine. I’m used to outside pain. I can think clearly with that, she reminded herself firmly. Wanda’s shoulders ached, and she couldn’t help wondering how long she’d been stuck trapped with her arms tied behind her back. This was not Clint’s yard, and she couldn’t hear or sense the others. The last thing she remembered was yelling for Mia to get help, hoping the noise would alert everyone even if she couldn’t help herself...after that, everything was blank. That man must have knocked her out somehow and taken her somewhere else.
And what was the weird etched thing she was sitting on? Runes. I don’t know all of them but those are runes.
“Don’t bother attempting magic, girlie,” a familiar deadpan voice came from the shadows at an angle across from her. “There is no point. The Emerald Warlock has precisely what he wanted. Not to be confused with anyone…else.”
“...Agatha?”
“The one and only.”
Wanda’s stomach sank. Agatha sounded disgusted, yes, but not with her, at least not entirely. “What do you mean?”
“What do you think?” Agatha spat back. “Now Dian has three magic users that used the Darkhold. Now he can use that summoning spell. You should have come back to Westview when you had the chance. You should have been practicing yourself. And I should have dragged you from that farm myself before.”
A summoning spell to summon Chthon? Wanda’s hand and arm pulsed with pain- the normal kind that had already been there before Dian had taken her- and she tried to ignore it. She was somewhat used to the dim light now, and she could make out Agatha and Stephen at two points across from her and each other, the three of them creating a perfectly symmetrical equilateral triangle. Strangely, Dian had left Mia with her, and Wanda wondered why he had bothered. While Mia was technically tied up, some industrial-looking cord fastening her to the same pole Wanda herself was trapped against, there was plenty of slack in the cord and Wanda could tell Mia was not hurt in any way. There was even a bowl of water and some dog kibble within range that Mia could get to easily. don’t get it. Why knock me out but also take the trouble to kidnap Mia and feed her?
Maybe he thought Mia would keep her calm. Maybe he worried Mia would track her and help her friends find her too easily, so he thought bringing Mia along was safer for him. Maybe he really did have some delusional idea that she would stay with him, and thought bringing Mia would garner goodwill.
Or, a niggling thought poked at her again, he doesn’t know about the rune bracelet and assumes I’ll lose control without her. The mulling around in the yard back at the farm until she’d actually tried to alert everyone else made her believe he had been wary of what she might do if provoked too much. It seemed dumb to her since she would have instantly used her magic to protect herself if she’d been able to, but if that man thought she was unstable and untrained, it was certainly possible that he’d assumed she simply didn’t know what to do at all. I hope I’m right. Because if I am, that could help us.
Stephen was watching her now, his gaze obviously tired. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days and there was a nasty-looking cut and bruise on his temple that Wanda found herself wanting to fix because she knew those hurt. “Wanda, could you get Mia to free us, maybe?”
“He was attempting to distract your dog,” Agatha said, a bit too gleefully.
“That dog,” Stephen corrected irritably, “was trying to get to us hoping we would help her handler. You are purposely trying to instigate trouble.”
“You kept talking even after that dog gave up and stayed laying next to her. You are a sorcerer, you don’t belong here at all. This would not be an issue, period, if your cult had either done what they claim to and kept an eye on potential magical threats, or not put that cuff on her,” Agatha snapped back.
“Yet you are here too. What’s your excuse? Seems you attempted to play double agent and got double crossed yourself.”
“You know nothing about me or my motives,” Agatha replied hotly. “I do not give a shit what you think of me, but you can just get off that high horse of yours. Stuck with an arrogant trained seal and a stubborn little girl who’d rather play house than use her power to do anything interesting. Lovely.” She sounded utterly pissed. “I have better things to do than deal with either of you!”
“Like what, kill another coven?”
“Maybe I’ll switch it up next time. You are extremely tiresome.”
“Will you both shut up? I can’t think.” Wanda bit her lip and took a deep breath. Calm. I am not alone, I just need to think. I may not like Stephen or Agatha, but they clearly don’t want to be here any more than I do. And that man has clearly hurt Stephen more than he did Agatha or me. The odd realization that technically she probably had better training to come up with an escape plan than the others simply because of Nat and Steve years ago startled her. Stephen’s idea that maybe Mia could help them was good, but then she needed to somehow 1) free Mia and 2) make sure anyone Mia tried to fetch knew it would be dangerous to come back alone, because while she realized she trusted Mia to choose a trustworthy person and not a goon of Dian’s, she didn’t want Mia to lead some hapless civilian back to her and drag a fourth person into this. “Do either of you know how long we’ve been here? He might come back.”
“You have been here at least an hour, but I don’t know how long I’ve been here, let alone her. Harkness was already here when I woke up. It feels like it’s been a very long time.” Stephen watched Wanda curiously; no wonder Mia had quickly given up attempting to fetch help. Wanda didn’t look frightened at all and appeared strangely calm, just angry.
Okay. An hour. Wanda eyed the cord connecting Mia to her and the pole. It looked like a normal dog leash more or less; maybe Mia could chew through it if she could get Mia to understand that they needed help. She closed her eyes, trying to figure out how exactly she was restrained. Certainly she had no chance of picking at knots without being able to use her damaged hand properly, but if they were regular handcuffs, then Nat had taught her how to free herself once upon a time. Except, I don’t have access to any bobby pins or paper clips right now anyway. And it feels like both regular handcuffs and rope, not one or the other. She began awkwardly attempting to pick at the rope portion at least with her good hand and immediately winced when her efforts made her damaged hand throb worse.
Mia might be able to chew her free too, at least partially so she’d have better chances fiddling with stupidly simple handcuffs, if she could get Mia to understand what she wanted.
Agatha was staring at her, dark eyes judging and intrigued. “Why are you still injured anyway? Dian didn’t do that to you. He was puzzled why you were. He kept asking me about it for some inexplicable reason. Of course, I could not tell him a thing.”
“You know why,” Wanda snapped. “I am not one bit sorry, either.”
“I know you decided to sloppily cast a powerful resurrection spell for that obnoxious noisy brother of yours, which you had power for but no training, and that you chose to use yourself as payment and catalyst instead of the traditional trade. Risky but successful. Might cause…others to come after you potentially. Still doesn’t explain why you’re still a mess now, not with your magic reserves.” Agatha sounded more puzzled than pissed now. “You would have needed some time to recharge your energy before fixing it, yes, but that’s all. Someone with your power level should have been perfectly fine by now. You didn’t need to drain anyone else’s power to survive or use yours.”
Wanda decided to answer truthfully since she did not care if they knew her reasoning. “I won’t risk that cost leaking to anyone or anything else. I won’t.”
“You already paid for it, you idiot,” Agatha said disdainfully. “I don’t know why you care a fig about that, but you already paid for your messy successful attempt. You don’t attempt reversing what you already cast. That, yes- could be destructive. You just start over from scratch with a new spell. You don’t even need traditional spells because you have chaos magic! Why wouldn’t you just instinctively heal it?”
“Why are you encouraging her to cause more potential trouble?” Stephen snapped back.
“Don’t listen to the sorcerer rat. He doesn’t know anything about it,” Agatha said, ignoring Stephen entirely, her sharp gaze glued to puzzling, infuriating Wanda. “Couldn’t you have killed this one too before so we wouldn’t have to listen to this?”
“Are you certain you don’t still have a Darkhold copy Wanda missed, perhaps? Or do you just hate sorcerers?”
“A complete one…? Of course not. Of course, I do recall plenty of spells from it,” Agatha said, sounding entirely unbothered and pleased about it. Then she added, very satisfied, “So do you. You don’t tell your cult leader everything you do because you know he won’t approve. You have a girlfriend from the Dark Dimension. You are not better than her. Perhaps you are better than me. I just can’t bring myself to care.”
Wanda very much wished that they would both shut up. Stephen was trying to explain that Christine was an ex, now married, and a normal human besides; and then Agatha just sat there smirking and saying, “Suit yourself, you know quite well I do not mean Christine Palmer, who I hope married someone less aggravating than you. It wouldn’t take much.”
Mia was sitting curled up beside Wanda calmly, and her warm presence helped a bit. Dark Dimension. The Clea person maybe? She called Stephen her ‘partner’ in that note. Clea will be coming back to the farm trying to talk to me soon, likely in hours. I’ll bet the timing isn’t a coincidence either. Wanda figured it was very likely that Agatha was talking about Clea, and calling her his girlfriend just to be irritating, whether Stephen liked her that way or not.
Wanda rather suspected that he did.
Her mind raced, trying to think how they could escape on their own and also what could be connecting the timing of Clea saying that, Dian kidnapping her, and Loki’s recent visit dropping odd hints about what was to come. “Can we please just think how to get out? This is not helping at all.”
Strange mostly just looked exhausted, and a distasteful instinct made Wanda think they needed to get him in particular far, far away from here and back safe with Wong and his fellow sorcerers before any captors returned. Agatha’s couldn’t you have killed this one too before comment bothered her. The fact that Dian or whoever else had kidnapped Agatha and her- and hadn’t separated her from Mia or hurt Mia!- hadn’t really harmed either of them but obviously had knocked Stephen around was disturbing too. “Wanda, did your Avenger friends teach you how to escape restraints or something without your magic? Because frankly if not, all three of us are trapped unless Mia is able to get help. Believe me, I’ve already tried.”
“Some, especially Nat. I was never anywhere near as good at it as she was, but still. I know how. I just can’t with my hand messed up.” Wanda chewed her lip, trying to think. “Are the locks on the Sands of Nisanti cuffs like normal ordinary handcuffs?”
“Why are you trying to help him? He’s just going to leave us here,” Agatha said, glowering.
“No he won’t. I don’t like Stephen, but he wouldn’t do that. The rune protection spell doesn’t work on him properly,” Wanda pointed out flatly. “If he gets his own magic-based cuffs off, he can fight even if we can’t get outside the perimeter of this protection spell.” Besides, even if he retreats, he can go get us backup. Having all three of us here is bad, bad, bad.
“They aren’t complicated, but not the same. Are you thinking of picking locks with a paper clip or something similar?”
“Yes. And I think Agatha has bobby pins in her hair. I don’t know if she’ll understand, but Mia might be able to get one. Maybe.” Wanda did not feel particularly scared at the moment now that she had some sort of plan. I might be useless for this right now, but they aren’t, and maybe I can explain how to do it like Nat did for me.
“I am not ruining my hair with dog drool so that man can use my pins.”
Wanda gave Agatha an irritated really? glance. “That is ridiculous. Do you think Mia is going to slurp all over your precious curls? You are lucky I can’t use my magic right now.”
“I like you much better when you aren’t pretending to be this little innocent ordinary flower,” Agatha said, “and you are even tilting your head like you always do when pissed off.”
Wanda rather felt like screaming in frustration, but she didn’t. She squeezed her good hand into a fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm. Ignore her. Ignore her right now. If she isn’t going to help then I need to think of something else. Mia nudged at her arm pointedly.
“Wanda, my hands won’t be anywhere nearly steady enough to attempt picking a lock, even if you did explain how and your instructions Black Widow taught you also work on these locks.” Stephen sounded resigned, but Wanda noticed he also didn’t sound dismissive of her ideas, either, which was nice. “If you can get Mia to understand about the pins, explain how to Harkness. At least Dian won’t have three people that used the Darkhold anymore, even if she leaves both of us here.”
“He’ll have one,” Agatha said, “because I’ll get her out of here.” She did not want Dian having access to Wanda’s magic one bit.
Wanda decided to keep to herself that she had no intentions of leaving Stephen behind. Let Agatha think whatever she liked. I don’t like Stephen, but I don’t want him hurt, either. That isn’t fair. Mia lapped up some of her water and returned to lying peacefully beside Wanda. Her ears were awfully twitchy and her tail drooped, but she seemed okay otherwise. Wanda ignored the others and began attempting to get Mia to understand what she wanted. Unfortunately pulling pins out of someone’s hair was not in Mia’s toolkit in the first place, and Wanda wasn’t sure how to explain the problem to a very confused Mia when she didn’t have any pins or clips in her own hair, which was still just in the messy ponytail from when she had gone to bed originally.
Mia did, however, begin chewing on the rope restraints at least, which was something. Wanda made sure to praise her profusely. Clearly pleased with herself, Mia continued her behavior and then curled up next to Wanda calmly.
Agatha was eyeing her again, her gaze sharp but curious. “You actually have a plan.”
“I do if you genuinely know the way out. And I want to know if crossing the magical barriers of whatever this place is, is going to hurt any of us, in case they are connected to any of those corrupted spells from the Darkhold.” Because if they are, then I’ll be useless at best or a danger to them at worst. Though Wanda couldn’t use her magic with the bracelet on her wrist, there was something off about this place that she didn’t like. The air made her feel all shivery, and it wasn’t because she was cold. There was something sticky and off-putting about it, as if it were horribly humid and damp and chilly all at the same time. And if Dian had brought her here via teleportation magic or something similar, Wong should have easily located her already, because she’d noticed the ankle monitor was still on her. The only reason he wouldn’t be here now was that he couldn’t get in…or hadn’t investigated why she’d moved locations again so quickly, which she didn’t believe for a second, no matter what time it was. ”I don’t know, but I think we are inside of the same thing Wong didn’t want to poke further at from the outside because it was dangerous.”
“Mmm, now you are thinking like a witch,” Agatha said, pleased. “A smarter one than most of the idiots I’ve drained over the years, too.”
Wanda ignored that. No, I’m trying to think like Nat would have, that’s all.
“Just how many of your own kind did you kill?” Stephen asked, sounding unsurprised but a bit horrified.
Agatha did not look very sorry. “They were gullible.”
“So you murdered them for being stupid?”
“I will not apologize for surviving when others didn’t. You survived a corrupted Scarlet Witch’s attack by letting others face her directly. You knew nobody could defeat her and you were holding back.” Agatha sounded far too pleased with herself. Then she turned her attention back on Wanda. “And you. You had the Darkhold and never even got what you wanted out of it, even though you certainly didn’t need it in the first place to get it.”
“Leave her alone,” Stephen said in an oddly softer tone. “Sounds like you were going around killing people before you even had that damn thing.”
“I killed people before too,” Wanda said quietly. And I can’t use my magic right now, but something’s not right about Agatha Harkness too. Something has hurt her and made her sad too. She just pretends not to be. Same as me. Same as Stephen. Same as so many people.
Agatha scoffed at this. “What, some ordinary traffickers while you were on some Avengers mission or something else similar? Surely you don’t mean that incident in Lagos from years ago that was never even your fault to begin with.”
Wanda decided she would not respond to that; there was no point. “Agatha, do you really know how to get out of here safely without tripping any dangerous…anything?”
“Of course.”
“And I…I can really fix me without hurting anything or anyone else?” Whatever other nonsense Agatha had said, Wanda didn’t believe she’d lied about that- Agatha had sounded far too matter-of-factly insulting and puzzled. Nat would tell me not to trust her, but do listen carefully because some information might be useful.
Agatha frowned at her, obviously confused. “Why did you ever think you couldn’t? Of course you can. I told you that already. I suppose you might have done something odd to yourself that would make doing so more difficult, but it still wouldn’t hurt to just try. You’ll know if your magic won’t do it- it’ll feel confused inside and nothing will happen.”
Wanda was quiet for a minute or two, considering this. She’s not lying. I think, in a weird sort of way, she is trying to be helpful. “Okay. I have decided I believe you.”
Notes:
Let’s just say I find making Strange, Agatha, and Wanda interact very very entertaining LOL. And they’ll have to some more too heheheh.
I do have the next chapter partially written already, so hopefully it won’t take my picky self months to update again lol.
Any kudos/comments are much appreciated <3
Chapter 38: Chapter 38
Summary:
In which Wanda, Stephen, and Agatha cooperate together to escape. Back in Iowa, an anxious frustrated Pietro hangs out with Cooper. In New Asgard, a small clue to Billy’s whereabouts is revealed by accident.
Notes:
Gosh I’m slow, but here is another chapter finally! I hope it is worth the wait.:) This was fun to write, but I was feeling dissatisfied with the final scene and I wanted it to feel right before I shared the chapter. I like having the reluctant magic trio interact because they’re so entertaining together lol!
I don’t think this chapter needs any specific trigger warnings beyond the normal vibes for this fic in general honestly.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
IOWA
“Why have you not got my sister back yet?” Pietro demanded minutes after Wong showed up asking what had happened. “You promised.”
Wong sighed deeply. “We will. We need to figure out how to do so safely. Assuming she still has her ankle monitor on, which I think she does, and I can’t simply cast a location spell on her right now successfully, she’s inside that barrier, and it is in a rural area in northern Virginia just below DC, which is information we didn’t know before. It also matches Madisynn’s odd comments about DC she’s said before. You are going to have to wait until we find a safe way to cross the barrier from this side. I’m sorry.”
“I will cross it myself then,” Pietro proclaimed saltily, “I do not have magic anyway. So I will be fine.”
“No, you won’t,” Bucky ordered, holding onto a struggling Pietro’s arm. “You also know you shouldn’t or you’d be trying harder to just drag me along too instead of trying to wiggle free.”
Pietro looked rather offended at being read so easily. He knew Bucky was stronger anyways, but it was true that he wasn’t trying as hard as he possibly could to drag the super soldier along. “Well. I want to help get her.”
“You are linked to her and there’s no way for us to know what that means magic-wise. Crossing that barrier likely isn’t safe for you either,” Wong said patiently.
“I want my sister back! And we know where she is and you say ‘wait this wait that’! Not fair! She will think we left her.”
Sam shook his head. “No, she won’t, not now, even if she might have awhile ago. We’ll get your sister back. She’s not helpless without her magic, but this magic dude doesn’t know that. I bet if she’s awake she’s absolutely working on escaping on her own already. Give us a chance to figure out how to get to her safely. Wong might not know how Wanda’s magic functions exactly, but he’s familiar with magic in general at least. We aren’t, so we’re going to listen to him.”
“And Wanda will not think we left her, Pietro,” Lila piped up quietly, rubbing sleepy eyes. “She prob’ly has Mia with her. She’s not dumb. The creepy book isn’t here anymore. So I think she’s okay.” Lila felt quite confident that if anything, whoever had taken her older friend away was in danger, not Wanda herself.
“But she does not like being by herself,” Pietro told Lila, scowling.
Lila crossed her arms. “Well, I don’t think she cares what happens to some creepy person that took her. So I think she’s mad. And maybe scared. But not freaking out. Which means the bad people shouldn’t bug her.” She poked Pietro’s arm, still frowning. “You are like Cooper. You big brothers always think we can’t do stuff by ourselves. Wanda isn’t a baby. She’s OLDER than you now, too!”
“I hate her being older!” Pietro shouted. “It does not feel right.”
Lila stared at him unblinking. “I’m sorry I made you sad. But you ARE being a fussy big brother, which is not fair to you guys.”
Laura quietly suggested that Pietro go upstairs with Lila to relieve Cooper of babysitting Nate. “You don’t have to, but maybe helping watch Nate would be a nice distraction.”
“Well…okay.” Pietro had to admit he liked little Nate very much. Besides, Nate was four and thought he was a cool almost-grownup, which was fun. He did not mind Hawkeye thinking of him as a kid, exactly, especially because he had noticed Clint treated Wanda the same too (even if his ‘little’ sister was older now). He didn’t mind being compared to Cooper either, because he sort of thought Cooper was cool, even if he was a good bit younger than Pietro. But being younger than his sister still deeply bothered him and Lila pointing it out made him mad but also Lila also said he was being a fussy big brother which did not make him mad for some reason and all of that confused him. Why should he care what Lila said about it one way or the other? She was an actual kid. She was not an expert on all things about him.
But she knows Wanda, Pietro thought, following Lila upstairs. Wanda said Lila has always been nice to her. Before and now.
_________________
They found Cooper in Nate’s room, reading a book while Nate played with some Legos. “Hey! Did you get banished from the discussion?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah. I was not very nice I guess,” Pietro said, not sounding very sorry.
“Hi hi hi! Play with me,” Nate demanded, leaping into Pietro’s arms. “I want a piggyback ride. Please.”
Pietro obliged and ran around the bedroom in circles until Nate squealed happily saying he was dizzy.
“I will watch Nate by myself if you guys want to play more Mario Kart or whatever even though it’s, like, three a.m.,” Lila suggested. “I am plenty big enough. Mom won’t care. And Kate’s in Wanda’s room looking at the magic book. She can help me.” She knew quite well that Pietro had sort of latched onto Cooper, which was understandable to her. She wondered if Pietro had had any friends anywhere near his own age before besides his twin, when he and Wanda still lived in Sokovia. That seemed unlikely, at least not since they were littler than Lila was now. Having Cooper around was probably a big deal to him, even though Cooper was younger.
The older boys went back to Cooper’s room. “Video games, books, a more complicated Lego set? What do you wanna do?” Cooper asked. “Or try to go back to sleep, I guess. I just don’t feel sleepy anymore.”
“I do not know. I just want to find Wanda. I understand why I am not supposed to leave and look. But I hate that.” Logically Pietro knew the others hadn’t been purposely excluding him from any plans, but it was still frustrating. Maybe he should see if Kate wanted help digging through Wong’s magic book, but he knew he couldn’t read it anyways so that felt dumb to him.
“You guys are linked though. Can’t you just…ask her where she is?”
“Not while she has bracelet on. That man is going to think me yelling as proof I am not supposed to be here.”
Cooper was puzzled, but he offered Pietro one of the controllers and just sat on the carpet. “What man? Nobody here is going to think you’re not supposed to be here just because you yelled.”
Pietro sat. “Wong. The sorcerer guy. I think he is nice, actually. But he thinks Wanda did bad getting me back. He will think I made proof of it. Because I said her being older does not feel right.”
“There are, like, a zillion people with mixed-up ages now because of the blip. You and Wanda aren’t the only ones. You guys are even about the same amount of mixed up as any random twins where one got blipped and the other one didn’t,” Cooper pointed out. “Since Wanda did get dusted and she only just got you back now. The only reason Lila and Nate and me aren’t mixed up is because all three of us got dusted. So even if Wong does think Wanda messed up getting you back, it’s not going to be because you were shouting about it feeling wrong that you’re not really the same age anymore.”
“He does. He scolded her before. At that hospital.”
Cooper was suspicious this ‘scolding’ was not that bad. “Are you sure it wasn’t just him thinking that trying was dangerous?”
“Well…”
“Because that’s not the same thing as saying she messed up, or did anything bad. It means it was risky. Dad would say you were just worth the risk, that’s all.” Cooper could tell Pietro was at least listening, even if he was still upset and jumpy. Unlike his sister, he was just much…noisier and obnoxious about it. And fidgety. “Sometimes doing a risky thing is okay. Dad says to weigh all your options first. I think a brother or sister is very worth doing something risky. I mean I always call Lila and Nate pests but I still care about them.”
Pietro agreed with Cooper’s assessment that siblings were pests but they still cared about them. “Maybe. I just sort of think we make him uncomfortable. We did not do anything!”
Cooper shrugged. “That’s not your problem. You guys live here. He doesn’t.” Cooper decided not to point out that he was pretty sure Wanda had hurt Wong before; she just hadn’t been her normal self then. “If he’s uncomfortable he can go home. My parents will pick you guys over him any day.”
“But…he has reason to be uncomfy. Doesn’t he?” Pietro looked both angry and upset now. “We did not do anything now. But I am not dumb, I know Wanda did hurt him. It was just…not her choice to do, I think. I do not like people not liking Wanda. That makes her sad. I do not care if he doesn’t like me.”
Cooper was not sure what he was supposed to do; Pietro was older, but he clearly wanted Cooper’s input anyway, like he had about the sneakers. “I don’t know for sure, but I really don’t think Wong dislikes you guys. Uncomfy doesn’t mean dislike. And usually Wanda seems like she just wants, you know…somebody. Around, I mean, that doesn’t treat her funny. She was like that before too, when me and Lila were littler. It sort of seemed like she was always surprised we liked her, but we really did, we weren’t just being polite to a guest Dad brought home. Anyways, I mean I think she just needs someone around that treats her like a normal person. She doesn’t need Wong to be comfortable around her. He doesn’t owe her friendship. He’s not mean to her.”
Pietro sighed very deeply and picked at carpet tufts. “But she did not mean to hurt him.”
“That creepy old book meant to hurt. Maybe seeing Wanda now hurts him even though he knows it’s gone and can’t make her hurt anybody again. I really really like having you guys here. But she has scared me before when she’s all freaked out. Not because I thought she’d hurt me, I just…didn’t know how to help. I had to go find Dad.” Cooper shrugged and offered Pietro his half-done Lego building set up on a big sheet of cardboard since it didn’t seem like Pietro was interested in concentrating on a video game at the moment. “Lila’s right. Whoever took her is going to be sorry. Mostly she freaks out because she thinks she’s going to hurt somebody she cares about. A bad guy is being really stupid taking her away from here. Lila told me what she did when those other guys came here trying to get her and Nate.”
Pietro stirred Lego pieces around and began sticking random blocks together, which made Cooper sigh, but since Pietro wasn’t messing up what he’d already built, Cooper didn’t say anything about it. “What does that have to do with now?”
“Pietro, she disintegrated one of those guys. Literally. Remember? I know she’s told you. Like, to dusty ashes disintegrated from existing all in a second. They pissed her off because they hurt Nate. Lila said she felt safe with her but that she knew those bad guys most certainly weren’t. She would have nuked more of them if Lila hadn’t been talking to her. Whoever took Wanda took her away from anyone that would help make her not explode. They’re stupid.”
“But she’s got her dumb bracelet on.”
“Yeah, and if this person pisses her off enough, she is gonna find a way to get it off and they’ll be very sorry. There is no friend there to tell her not to. Whatever’s still wrong with her from messing with the evil book seems like it likes trying to convince her to take the bracelet off since it can’t convince her of anything horrible anymore. Which is probably why when she’s thinking clearly she’s scared to have it off.” Cooper appeared entirely unbothered.
Pietro wondered if Wanda realized just how much Cooper- and Lila- knew about her, and decided she probably did. Wanda was not exactly difficult to read even when she did attempt to hide her feelings. “How long are we supposed to just sit and wait? Waiting is horrible. Something else could happen while we wait.”
“I really, really think it’ll be okay. Bad stuff happens to Dad all the time and Mom always says we have to be patient. Which sucks. But he always comes back and Wanda will too.” Cooper yawned, but he was glad Pietro didn’t look quite as tense. He was still messing with the Lego blocks and scowling, but that was all.
Pietro abruptly dropped the pieces he was holding a minute later and bolted to his feet, one arm clutched to his chest. “Something is wrong. I think she’s hurt. Her arm is hurting more.”
Cooper frowned. “What do you mean? Should we go tell Dad?”
“Our link is still messed up because she hasn’t got rid of bracelet. I knew her hand already hurt, but this feels…different. Like she broke it or something, and it just happened.” Pietro darted downstairs, blurted this information to Clint and Laura, and darted back upstairs before Cooper had even made it to the stairs. “I told them! But Wong is not there now. Ant-Man is not there.”
“What are they doing?”
“They left to try to get Wanda already.” Pietro looked a bit sheepish. “I think they had new idea. And, I do not know, but I feel like whatever thing hurting her arm is not making her upset, anyway. I think she is irritated, actually.”
“See, told you it’d be fine. Maybe she hurt it escaping by herself or something,” Cooper suggested.
Pietro quite liked this idea. He did not want his sister hurt further, but Cooper’s idea was far preferable to some nasty person harming her. “Maybe. Maybe she will fix it after if it is new hurt.”
___________________
MEANWHILE…
“What did you do that for?” Agatha was watching Wanda with great interest.
Wanda bit her lip hard and held her bad arm close against her chest, shaking all over even though she did not regret what she’d just done to get herself free. “Because I didn’t know what...else to do. We can’t stay here. You claim I can fix it...and I don’t think you are lying. So I need to help get you two free…and then I have to trust you’ll get me outside the barrier so’s I can fix it.” Okay, get a pin. Explain how to pick the lock. Be clear and concise. Try to help Stephen myself. Hurry. Wanda gave herself simple instructions to follow, trying unsuccessfully not to pay attention to the now-much-worse mess she had made of the injured arm and hand to break free.
They needed to be quick; the amount of time they’d been left alone bothered her. Any moment they might be caught attempting to escape and she didn’t want to find out what might be done to them if caught. Wanda awkwardly took off her hoodie and wrapped that around the broken wrist and hand.
“Take care of yourself before helping others. You are no good to anyone else if you don’t,” Nat’s words poked at her. There. That wasn’t a great fix, but it was something. Then she stumbled straight to Agatha and swiped two of the bobby pins out of her dark curls. “I don’t want to hear it. I will get you a whole other pack,” Wanda muttered before the older witch could say a word. “Take this one and unbend it. I’m going to try helping Stephen since you won’t.” She blinked a few times, trying to focus. “Okay. Okay,” Wanda muttered, mostly to herself.
you could just leave them. “No. No, I won’t leave them, we are all getting out. All.”
Agatha grinned at her. “Interesting. Very interesting. She has learned how to tell which dark thoughts are hers.”
“Shut up unless what I try to explain doesn’t make sense. You are not helping. If I want your input I will ask for it.” Wanda stumbled back over to Stephen with the bobby pin. The dim room tilted a bit, and Mia stayed close, letting a very tired Wanda lean on her. I need to get it together. I’m going to be useless soon if I can’t get out of the perimeter of whatever protection spells are in here.
“Do you really know what you’re doing?” Stephen asked quietly.
No. “I think I can get these off, even the magic-based ones. They’re not exactly like...what I practiced on with Nat years ago, but similar enough. And I haven’t...done this in a very long time. I don’t want to trust you, but I’m trusting you to help me get out of here anyway,” she whispered. “That feels like it’s the right thing to do, and…it…doesn’t want me to. So it must be.” I think. Wanda sighed again and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. I need to stay calm and focused. Mia rested her head against Wanda’s leg, which helped a little. Mia is warm. Mia is going to help us get out.
I don’t like this place. It feels very wrong.
Between her own hand starting to shake and feeling dizzy and her arm distracting her, it was taking far too long to explain how to use the bobby pin to get the normal handcuffs off to Agatha while attempting to help Stephen herself. Stephen was able to help himself once he understood what Wanda was trying to do. “There’s a phone and a pocketknife in my pockets. Get those,” Strange told her. “You can see if a call can go through and then work on the ropes while I keep trying...this. I suspect Mia won’t chew up ropes on anyone else besides you. Not like she’s been taught to do that- she just knew to help you.”
For once his bossy tone didn’t bother Wanda at all. “Okay. I can do that.” Stephen was right; Mia was simply sticking close to Wanda and making no moves to help him or Agatha at all. Her person was free and that was where her untrained skills ended. Besides, Mia was preoccupied with Wanda not seeming quite right to her, not in a distressed way, certainly, but her human was clearly not okay right now.
Mia’s big brown eyes were oddly worried and she looked a bit unsettled compared to her usual self.
Rather than call Clint or Laura, which was her first instinct, Wanda called Wong, half expecting him not to pick up at all. But Wong picked up immediately. “Strange? Where have you been? I can’t even track you and now I’ve got Wanda missing too, and-“
“This is Wanda,” Wanda said quickly. “I...I’m with both Agatha and Stephen. Maybe get Vision. I don’t think he would get affected by magic as much, so he can help us. And tell him to contact Tasha. Maybe Darcy too. We are...okay. Banged up a bit but fine.” Wanda gave Wong as much information as she could to describe the room, which wasn’t much, ignoring Agatha complaining about her choosing to contact the Sorcerer Supreme rather than ‘literally anyone else’.
“Why do you have his phone?” Wong asked sharply.
“Because he asked me to call for help. You need to get to him before that Dian person returns. I’m...scared he will hurt him,” Wanda said quietly. “Here he is.” She held the phone to Stephen’s ear, figuring then he could prove he was indeed there to Wong.
“Unfortunately she’s right. Hope you figure how to get to us soon,” was all Strange said.
There was a short silence before Wong answered. “We’re coming. I promise. We will not leave either of you trapped. Scott Lang and I are working on getting in there.”
“We’re trying to get out ourselves but-“ Wanda nearly dropped the phone at a quiet scraping noise and whispered, “I need to go,” before hanging up. More on instinct than any real plan, Wanda scrambled back to where she had been restrained before and forced herself to put the bad arm back behind her back. Ignore it. It’s okay if it hurts, just please don’t notice anything amiss. “Stop any escape efforts,” she hissed.
Agatha rolled her eyes dramatically but appeared to listen.
Some average-looking man she’d never seen before did indeed stick his head in. He walked straight over to Mia’s now-empty water bowl and simply refilled it from a bottle. The man didn’t spare any of them a second glance, just walked right back out, talking on the phone. “They’re all still right where you wanted and I gave the dog more bottled water like you asked,” he said into the phone. “Why did you bring her dog?”
There was a short pause and then, “You are not paying me to deal with anything like that. That’s risky. If you ever try to take that ticking bomb outside the barrier, she’s likely to kill us! You think the dog is going to prevent that?! Or she’s just going to run off at best, and you sure as heck won’t have another chance to get her, so…” The voice faded away behind a closed door.
Didn’t even check at all, Wanda noted, surprised that her slapdash effort at appearing restrained had worked at all. Droplets of blood from her arm dotted the floor where she’d been walking and she wasn’t even wearing her hoodie anymore. Before any of them could say or do anything more, the door opened again, a hopeful-looking Dian striding in and stopping directly in the center of the triangle facing Wanda.
The runes crackled green and immediately faded again, some primal dark thing failing to ignite. A faint glow flickered at Wanda’s corner of the triangle only, as if signaling where whatever spell Dian had just attempted went wrong and fizzled out.
Wanda shivered. Mia curled up closer to her, ears flat against her head. Something isn’t right. I can feel that…that thing poking at my head but it’s not…saying anything I can understand, either. It just hurts.
Dian began pacing about looking desperate, muttering about knowing nothing would fully work without the center, but he should have been able to start it to confirm everything was correct, and that what he had so far was also clearly wrong somehow and that was puzzling because he was certain everything else was indeed correct. Abruptly he stared at Wanda over his shoulder, eyes suspicious. “It’s you, I know it’s something to do with you. He says his vessel is ill. What did you do? What did you do?!”
“I don’t know,” Wanda said honestly, because she was very sure whatever had agitated Dian had nothing to do with her non-magical attempts to escape at all, no matter what he was claiming he had been told about a ‘vessel being ill’. Leave. Please just leave. I don’t want to be here and I want Pietro. I’m not sick anyway. I know that much, at least.
“Are you even fully here?” Dian asked, continuing to stare at her in an unsettling manner that seemed more curious and appraising than anything else.
Before Wanda could answer, Agatha snapped, “Of course she’s here. Are you dense? Maybe you should double check your runes before blaming her. She doesn’t know anything. Infuriating, but accurate.”
Dian’s eyes darted to Agatha. “You said she was a perfect vessel and now she somehow isn’t good enough to fuel her role at all. This is-“
“I told you she was a perfect vessel for Chthon. Not for you. Not that she would work as fuel for your nonsensical idea,” Agatha interrupted, scowling. She looked absolutely pissed. “Nor did I give you any indication that I believed she knew anything useful. She’s annoyingly ignorant. You shouldn’t have brought her here.”
“I need her! I wasn’t going to give her to Chthon to keep. She was supposed to help after I am through with her. It makes no sense that she chooses to live with those ordinary humans.”
“You think kidnapping her will make her want to stay? Delusional.”
“I made sure to bring her dog and not hurt it!” Dian shouted.
Wanda still felt like something else was very, very wrong, something that none of them were quite aware of, not even Dian. Mia’s odd countenance seemed like confirmation; she had draped herself across Wanda’s legs and her eyes kept flicking to Dian briefly and then back to Wanda. And her head hurt. If she was back safe in her nice cozy room in the Barton house, she would curl up on her bed with an ice pack and the sweater Vision had given her and tell Pietro she was fine but she needed quiet for a bit.
“You are meddling beyond your means,” Agatha warned again. “Unfortunately I do believe that you don’t plan to intentionally give that stupid girl to it to keep, but you are not going to be able to control that thing, and it knows.”
That thing really, truly cannot get at me though. That’s why it hurts, Wanda thought abruptly. There was an odd, but I could handle the Darkhold better now because I’m not alone thought that flitted through her head that made her shudder, because she genuinely wasn’t sure if it was her own or not. What if it was both?
Agatha and Dian were still fussing, and Stephen seemed to have decided to just stare at them in disgust instead of joining the argument.
Dian finally left in a big huff seemingly ages later, slamming the door behind him.
“Unobservant,” Stephen commented now.
“You were a big help,” Agatha snipped.
“You wanted more attention on Wanda or me? Wanda has been sitting there pretending nothing is wrong for who knows how long because you kept flapping your mouth at that man.”
“Oh, look who’s talking.”
“You have no idea what he would do to her if he found out she wrecked her hand further to free herself!” Stephen sounded far too upset in Wanda’s opinion, and she stared at him in confusion, a bit baffled.
Agatha rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter what she did to her hand because she can fix it the second she’s outside the barrier. Like I told her before.”
“What if your assumption is wrong?”
“It’s not. You know nothing about her chaos magic. She already paid for her spell. She is capable of healing herself. Therefore she can fix herself; at worst she can mostly fix the sloppy mess she made since we don’t know exactly what she paid.” Agatha paused briefly before adding, “And what do you care? Don’t you realize what just happened even means?”
Wanda sighed deeply and returned to helping Stephen, struggling with the ropes even with the pocketknife.
Agatha went on, “Didn’t either of you notice? She is no good for fueling this spell anymore.”
“Clearly,” Strange muttered grumpily, and then to Wanda, “Go help Agatha instead. If you free her first, her hands will be steadier than mine or yours.” Strange whispered, “You’re going to pass out if we can’t get you outside the protection spell soon.” Plenty of previous experience seeing injuries told him that what Wanda had done to free herself was dangerous if she didn’t get proper help soon, whether that help was from her own magic or the slow ordinary way.
Agatha clearly did not want to help ‘that sorcerer rat’, but she did trust that stubborn Wanda wouldn’t leave either of her unlikely temporary teammates behind voluntarily. “I suppose I’ll cut him free. But once we’re out of here, no promises.”
Tired green eyes sparkled a bit at that. “I do not like either of you. I do not want to...to leave either of you behind.” Wanda still rather thought Agatha was up to something, all the more so when she eagerly offered to show the way out.
“You want something,” Stephen muttered, disillusioned with the whole situation.
“I’ll never tell,” Agatha said, looking quite unbothered. Wanda suspected Agatha was just pleased she and Stephen had to listen to her at the moment.
“Don’t even think about trying to drain her along with your other victims,” Stephen said now.
Agatha looked at him scornfully. “Wishy washy, much? You didn’t care about her before, but now you are all hot and bothered that she hurt herself and that I might decide I wish to siphon hers.”
“Agatha. Need I remind you he’s the one whose magic at least…sort of works in here?” Wanda didn’t even exactly disagree with that assessment, but she did not want to hear them snipping any longer. “Show us how to get out, or I will tell him everything I know about you. I know I don’t know much about how any of our magic works, but…I do know how you recharge yours.” And you can’t get any of mine unless I purposely blast you with it first.
Stephen gave her an odd look, obviously more wondering why she would say that than wondering what it was she knew about Agatha.
“His magic is how he got caught in the first place!”
“I don’t care what he did or didn’t do right now. Show us how to get out. I don’t know what you are up to, but I do know you do not want to be trapped in here either. So-“
“Actually, you show us how to get out,” Agatha interrupted, staring intently at her.
“…What? I have no idea how this place is laid out. I thought you wanted to show us anyway.” Wanda knew she sounded more short and terse than she meant to; both Agatha and Stephen were irritating, her arm and hand hurt badly, and she still rather wanted to just curl up and go to sleep back in the Barton house in Iowa where her friends were. Keep it together. Don’t be childish.
Agatha gave a nonchalant shrug. “I’ve changed my mind. You’re going to show us instead. You even get a hint.” She took Wanda by the shoulders and spun her around to face what appeared to be a plain concrete wall. “Start here. Think of a mouse in a maze with sticky walls it shouldn’t touch. You are the mouse. Don’t get your fur torn off.”
Stephen sighed deeply. “We’re wasting time so you can lord over us that you know how to get out safely and we don’t. She can’t use her magic in here, so she’s not going to be able to sense anything.”
“Wrong. She read the Darkhold and is behaving of her own free will. She can sense corruption correctly now if she chooses. It’ll even be extra easy for her because of what she is, access to her magic or not. It’s still there, after all, access or not.” Agatha sounded personally offended about this, as if Wanda was purposely depriving her of her particular magic. She was pacing about, peering at the array on the stone floor with great interest; a few of the runes appeared visibly damaged exactly where the test had failed to ignite properly at all. “Mmm. Too bad she doesn’t understand her chaos magic. The vessel might use that to help herself then.”
“Don’t call me that,” Wanda snapped. “I will not be a vessel for that thing.”
“Well, you are whether you like it or not. You should take advantage of it as much as possible. It will take advantage of you if you let it, so do the same,” Agatha shot back.
“Don’t trust her, Wanda,” Strange warned tiredly.
“Why would I lie about that? You should know already I’m not lying. Not about that anyway. Also, I don’t trust you. Do not try opening one of your orange portals here.”
“Of course not.”
Wanda ignored both of them, edging cautiously along the wall towards the door. She wondered why both Agatha and Stephen clearly agreed that attempting to open a normal sorcery portal was not an option even if that seemed like the simplest thing to do to her, but decided not to ask. If they agreed on that so easily when they clearly despised each other, likely it was accurate. The nasty unnatural dampness seemed stronger to her in one area of the wall, and she glanced back at Agatha curiously. “Why does it feel particularly…wrong here?”
Agatha’s dark eyes twinkled oddly. “Why do you think it feels particularly wrong there?”
I don’t know. “Because it’s actually the right spot and whatever it is…is trying to chase us away?” Wanda said, unsure if she was overthinking that or not.
“Wonderful. The student gets a sticker.” Agatha was clearly pleased. She reached past Wanda and simply stepped into the wall, vanishing from sight. They could hear Agatha’s voice from the other side, saying to hurry up.
Wanda glanced at Stephen, who looked annoyed but nodded. They stepped through what appeared to be a solid wall into the room beyond, which quite frankly just looked like an empty walk-in closet with no doors. Ordinary-looking men’s clothing hung along the walls and Wanda sighed. She glanced at Strange, but he only shrugged slightly. Agatha pushed Wanda forward, trying to get her to locate the safe exit. “Agatha, I might appreciate your terrible lessons more if I did not think we were all going to be dead if I mess it up,” Wanda deadpanned all in a rush. “And, you don’t want that man to have me, for whatever reason, and if I do collapse in here you will have to get me out yourself if you don’t want him having me.”
”Oh, he won’t kill us. The sorcerer rat, perhaps, but not even him, because he’s more useful alive. He has some of the Darkhold memorized correctly.” Agatha’s eyes were twinkling again, but she shrugged. “You are infuriating, Wanda Maximoff, but yes, you are correct. I don’t want Dian having you.” She led them through a short but disorienting series of turns quickly enough that Stephen pointed out that she must have been in and out of this place many times before. “Hmm, you assume that but I also presume that now you could lead us back to the main array if you chose,” she said pointedly. “She couldn’t, not unless I made her practice using her magic as she should be able to do. Your memory is better than hers. Her magic is better than yours, obviously. That protection spell bracelet should never have been put on her in the first place,” Agatha groused the second they were outside the perimeter of the layers of protection spells. “You’ve all made her think locking up part of herself is the only way to control her power. And you never should have had that rune spell or the idea at all. She’s a traitor.”
“She’s the one that initiated the escape plan. Untrained and dangerous, yes. Traitor, no. Leave her be.”
“Well, ta-ta for now. Wanda, you do know your admittedly creative way of locking up your magic like that only works so long as the runes are touching your skin.” Agatha sauntered off, saying she had no desire to be present when the Sorcerer Supreme came for them and that she would easily find Wanda later when she pleased. “Your goody two-shoes friend and the buggy one will be around for you soon, probably.” She seemed to rethink something and turned back to add, “I don’t think your sloppy resurrection spell only hurt your arm. You genuinely weren’t ‘fully here’ inside the runes, because you split your own life force to retrieve your noisy twin without touching anyone or anything else. Very curious someone I know hasn’t come after either of you yet, but now I know why.”
Wanda blinked tiredly and didn’t say anything. If Agatha wanted to leave then so be it. None of that sounded surprising to her, more like a mystical explanation of what she’d sort of assumed. She stayed right where she was, sitting on the grass that looked suspiciously green beneath a pine tree. Mia stayed close, clearly worried but understanding that Wanda wasn’t in any further danger, at least not at the moment.
“What are you talking about now? Who was supposed to come after the twins?” Stephen asked sharply.
Agatha scoffed. “As if you didn’t know, Mr. You Must Obey Natural Law.”
“Agatha, please wait,” Wanda spoke up suddenly. She was a bit surprised the older witch actually did so, though Agatha also looked suspicious of both of her reluctant companions.
“I will not hang around here so those sorcerers can try putting cuffs on me too,” Agatha snapped, but then added, “You will be able to find me later if you must, Wanda Maximoff. I do not need to stay here now.” Then she vanished from sight with a flourish of her long black coat.
“Good riddance,” Stephen said, not very quietly. He had decided he much preferred stubborn, grudge-holding Wanda over unpredictable, grudge-holding Agatha.
“You should have made her stay,” Wanda muttered tiredly. She did not particularly wish to converse with Agatha any further, but instinct told her they needed to. Agatha at the very least had been pretending to help Dian and been caught; at worst she had been pretending to have been trapped in that place at all. Something in between, I think.
Strange sighed but shook his head. “She dropped an earring and I took it. We can find her again easily enough with that, and she probably is indeed telling the truth that you’ll be able to find her regardless. That woman isn’t going to help if Wong or I neutralize her.”
Wanda decided not to press about it, because Strange was right and that irrationally irritated her. Touching my skin. If I slide something between my wrist and the bracelet… She was studying her wrist now, thinking. Before she could mull it over further, there was a small flash of orange sparks as Strange snapped the whole bracelet off her wrist. “Stephen, why would you…” she trailed off. Even after Wanda felt her chaos magic stir awake and sigh in relief, she still didn’t immediately try healing her arm. “‘S really okay? I thought you didn’t want me to…use my magic at-“
“Do it. You don’t want that mess left unattended when you don’t have to,” Stephen interrupted. “Believe me, I know. Wong can make another power nullifier. I could make another one. So we break the damn thing for now and do whatever you can to heal all that damage. I’d rather have you free than risk that madman attempting to summon an elder demon have access to your magic. Then we go find Wong ourselves if he hasn’t shown up yet.”
That’s a switch. Wanda still might not like Stephen much, but she did trust him on that. “I can probably heal you also,” she said begrudgingly, letting her magic swirl around her hand.
“You can try if you like.”
Wanda glanced at Stephen, sending more magic wisps toward him, but something did not feel quite right to her and she quickly yanked it back. “I…something’s not right,” she admitted, frowning. I think it’s pulling that damage onto me. I don’t care exactly but I don’t understand, either.
Mia nudged at her leg pointedly, her eyes worried.
Do you regret it yet? You don’t want to do that. “Yes, I do,” Wanda snapped aloud, and returned to her original task, which made Strange abruptly grab her by the good arm and pull both of them and a baffled Mia into the all too familiar disorienting silver that was the mirror dimension. “You wanted me to try!” she protested angrily, shoving him away from her.
“Not if it was just going to move the injuries to you and make that creature start harassing you again! What the hell are you thinking?!”
“That I’m trying to do the right thing!” Wanda shouted. “What did you drag me and Mia here for? My magic still works here in case you forgot.” He’s right though. My head hurts and I feel like I used to if I got knocked about on a mission with Nat or something.
“You won’t leave Mia here and I don’t think you know how to get her out safely, just yourself.” Stephen hesitated, having no desire to set Wanda off all over again; she was very clearly pissed and glaring at him, her eyes tinged red. “Never mind, I can see and feel you’ve already finished what you were doing trying to help me. Why on earth would you do that?”
Wanda’s shoulders drooped slightly and she returned to letting the little scarlet wisps swirl around her arm and hand. “It didn’t want me to help you, so I decided it must be the right thing to keep doing so,” she said quietly. Then she said to Pietro over their passive connection, which did not feel loused up by being in the mirror dimension at all, “I’m all right, don’t worry. I miss you.”
Instantly Pietro said, ”WHERE ARE YOU? Nobody will let me look! Are you sure you’re okay? It feels like your arm hurts, but it doesn’t as much now? Why does your head hurt a little bit now? What’s happening?”
”I’m okay. Really. I’m trying to fix it right now. Don’t worry about it.” Wanda felt an odd, insistent vibe from her chaos magic that seemed to whisper, just heal all you can it’ll be okay you’re not going to be normal again, not ever, but it’ll be much much better. “I think...I think I can make my hand mostly better but not all of it,” she blurted. “That’s what feels right. Me, not…anything else telling me so.” I could have fixed this faster too. I’m just being very careful.
“Then do that, because whatever you don’t fix will take months to heal otherwise and likely still wouldn’t function normally. God, you are so cavalier about all of it. How do you just not care? Knowing you, I don’t think it’s because you’re a reality warper either. You just...don’t care.” Stephen was staring at her now, sounding more sad and confused than mad. “You’re talking to your brother right now, aren’t you?”
“Okay. I’m glad. I can tell you feel better and whatever you’re doing isn’t hurting me, just so you know,” Pietro was saying.
”Good. I don’t know what happens next, but I’ll tell you as soon as I do know.” Wanda didn’t answer Stephen right away, and she still held her arm close even though it didn’t hurt anymore. “My hands were never my job I loved and then lost,” she said finally, her voice soft. “I’m not you. I know you loved working at the hospital.” Wanda stroked Mia over and over, Mia’s soft fur against her fingers making it easier to think. “I am not trying to shrug it off and not care if I get hurt. I just don’t usually feel bothered by it much unless it’s particular very bad contexts of how it happened.” I’m more scared of being left all alone again. Of losing Pietro. My friends. Me. Why am I even telling him the truth? I don’t like him.
Maybe because he’s not dismissing me and treating me like I’m not worth listening to anymore. “And yes, I was talking to Pietro. I thought maybe being here would mess up our connection, but it doesn’t.”
“Do you still feel like that creature is attempting to converse with you or influence you in any way?”
I don’t know. “It’s…there but it can’t make me do anything, which it finds very frustrating. Inside the protection spell especially, my head hurt because of it, but I still just felt like…me. Whatever my magic did when I healed you was just me, nothing else.” Wanda decided not to attempt explaining further, because not knowing how irked her even though she could tell Strange was only concerned at this point, not dismissing her.
“Why did you heal me by moving those injuries to yourself? You didn’t heal the other sorcerers you hurt before that way.” Stephen studied her closely, but while Wanda did look annoyed, she was not really doing anything…just standing there holding Mia’s harness and frowning at him.
Wanda’s eyes went flinty. “Does it matter? I am okay. You were not seriously hurt, really. I had worse many times on missions with Nat and the others years ago. You just rest with some ice and Advil and you are okay in a bit. Not a big deal.” She did not want to say that she genuinely thought her magic was just behaving oddly because she had gotten Pietro back.
“Wanda, I am not angry with you. You are so defensive all the time. I just-“
“Well, you are so dismissive all the time. You probably think there is something wrong with me and I did it that way on purpose. And I didn’t. I won’t try to help you again then,” Wanda interrupted, her fist crackling scarlet. Stop it, Wanda, she ordered herself silently, you aren’t helping anything.
Strange sighed deeply but didn’t argue about the matter further, either. “I believe you, but I’m not sure why your magic would make you do it that way. Maybe you need to do it slightly differently now so that it won’t backfire on you anymore. Don’t try to heal anybody else until we figure out why that would happen.“
“I’m not going to promise that,” Wanda told him quietly. “It wasn’t dangerous to do, Stephen. I think you know that too. I didn’t hurt anyone else or make another destructive mess.”
“You did hurt someone else, same as your resurrection spell. You hurt yourself. I will not condone your self-harm, Wanda. And-“
Wong and Scott appeared rather abruptly in the silvery spiky maze, and Stephen cut himself off. “There you two are. I gather it seemed safer to you to wait here?” Wong directed his question to Strange, who nodded.
Scott hugged Wanda tightly without even asking; he did not care if Wanda no longer had her bracelet on. “I’m glad you’re at least mostly okay. Wong said we could have figured out how to get inside all the way, but that it would have taken awhile longer and once he realized you guys had got out on your own, it was safer to meet you out here.”
Wong portaled their entire group out to a very pretty cliff overlooking a fjord, which puzzled Wanda a bit, but she decided to keep quiet. She stuck close to Scott, who looked very intrigued at the new location. Magic or not, she did not like not knowing what was going on, though she realized she was certain this was New Asgard.
“Why’d you guys bring Wanda and me here?” Scott asked curiously. “This is cool, but you can take us back to Hawkeye’s house or whatever.”
“Because we need to talk somewhere safe,” Wong said simply, “and frankly we know there are more magic users here, and Thor wants to help, even if his confusing brother doesn’t. I told you we were coming here temporarily before we met back up with them.”
Wanda impulsively transformed into her suit without thinking any further about it because she did not want to be here in her messy, dirty lounge clothes, no matter how silly that was logically. The only different thing she added was covering her bad hand with a black velvet glove, which was probably an odd thing to do, she supposed, but she did not feel like looking at it and she knew quite well that she’d mostly fixed it but that it wasn’t back to normal either.
Strange eyed her suspiciously but didn’t say anything about it.
“Even if she does that,” Wong added, frowning.
Scott shrugged. “She just put her hero suit back on, same as us. Who cares if she changes clothes with her weird chaos magic? I really don’t think her outfit is going to make the Chthon creature get her any more or less than it could anyway.” He sounded entirely unbothered.
Wong’s expression softened. Instead of answering Scott, he ordered the trio to stay put for a moment and vanished through a new orange sparkling portal.
“You feel defensive of her, like Barton,” Stephen said quietly.
“He knows Wanda better, but yeah, I do,” Scott told him without hesitation. “Besides, whatever happened to you guys made you trust her more, because I don’t see you in a big hurry flurry to get those cuff bracelets back on her. If Wanda really wanted to, she could just leave by herself. But she’s not, even though she’s obviously annoyed with you, and you trust that she won’t.”
Wanda was perched on the edge of a large boulder just quietly petting Mia. Mia sniffed at her healed hand a bit, but otherwise appeared unbothered. “I’m okay, Mia,” she whispered to the dog. I just don’t want to look at it right now. Not here. I’m okay and it’s not hurting like it did before anymore, so it’s fine. She let Pietro know what was going on briefly and where she was, and while Pietro was very displeased she was not back yet, he ‘sounded’ happy and relieved to get another update.
Mom? I think you are really close to us but it’s still not time yet. I just really really wish it was. Just come back later. Billy’s nervous little-kid mental voice made her jump. Wanda kept one hand on Mia’s soft fur to help ground her, but she also immediately mentally tried to poke toward the faraway source of the voice, her eyes glowing red.
“Mom, stop it right now. Please. Not yet. I know you’re trying to help but-“
“Wanda, quit that, okay?” Scott was shaking her gently now, still unbothered but sounding rather firm, for him. “Hey. You got this. You, shoo,” he added, directing the final bit at Stephen, who clearly wanted to intervene.
Wanda blinked at Scott in confusion. “It was Billy- I heard him,” she said quietly. “He was saying I was close but quit trying for now. I can’t just leave him!”
“Yeah, he probably told you that because of this! Look at the ground.” Scott pointed at an eerie blackened crack like a fault line streaking across the rocky ground. Nothing was coming out of it, but it did not look like a normal crevasse either. “That doesn’t look right. It’s like some creepy abyss. I don’t think that’s normal!”
Wanda tensed all over, her fingers crackling scarlet. ”What if he’s in there?” she whispered.
“Then I think as shitty as it feels, you gotta listen to him and don’t try to reach him right now.” Scott studied her closely, ignoring the unnerving…thing nearby.
“It won’t close!” Stephen exclaimed, frustrated. “We don’t know what else could come out of it.” An odd black sludge that looked an awful lot like sticky tar was oozing out now, slowly but surely gaining speed. “Wanda, that is not a normal dimensional portal. Why would you open this, and how?”
“I don’t know! I didn’t mean to!”
“Then close it yourself!”
Wanda ignored him and turned back to Scott, who shook his head. “I think you’d better for now. I don’t think we want evil ooze on us. Billy’s got magic like yours and he told you quit trying for now. He’s little, not dumb. He probably knows that stuff shouldn’t be here.”
Wong reappeared through a new orange portal, but he was smiling now instead of looking stressed…which immediately faded the second he saw the mess. “What did you do?” he asked sharply. Wong looked right at Wanda and pointed at the crack. “You, get rid of this right now. I can tell just seeing you that you didn’t do this on purpose, but that…shouldn’t be here. You have to be the one to get rid of it.”
Wanda blinked, still feeling strangely off kilter and worried she could get to Billy right now somehow and was doing something horrible by not going after him, never mind that the blackened crevasse was not a good thing at all. Scott’s reasoning made the most sense to her. You could try anyway. They can’t prevent you from doing so. Mia’s cold nose on her hand made her focus better. No. No, I should close it. Close it now.
An unearthly screech emitted from the gaping crack as Wanda instinctively stamped her foot and a red haze slammed it shut a moment later. The remaining black sludge slithered directly to her, which made Wanda attempt to back away in disgust because she didn’t want that stuff anywhere near her, but the second it touched the exposed skin on her right hand, it immediately sizzled and crackled to dust before vanishing. “I- I don’t understand what-“
“Wanda, you just touched something very bad,” Pietro’s familiar voice warned. “It burned. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think that weird monster creature is trying to get to you. Do you need me to keep talking? Because I will. I promise.” Pietro ‘sounded’ frightened but determined; she knew he understood even less than she did, but he wouldn’t leave her alone, either. His familiar mental presence was reassuring, and she could tell he was frustrated there was nothing for him to actually physically do to help.
Loki shimmered into view a moment later, his eyes dancing with mirth. “A fine show from someone with no proper magic knowledge they trust. Did these humans bring you here for a real lesson finally?” he asked Wanda. “My irritating brother also wishes to see you.”
Notes:
There will most certainly be more Agatha shortly! What is she up to? We shall see.
Any kudos/comments are muchhhh appreciated<3
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DDLover on Chapter 1 Mon 12 Sep 2022 03:56PM UTC
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