Wanda smoothed her hands over the worn comforter before sitting down stiffly on the bed. She tucked her legs up and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging herself. It was very generous of Reed Richards to allow Wanda to visit her old room in what was formerly Avengers Tower. He had apologized for not being of assistance during The Incident, stating that his team had been "off world at the time," whatever that meant.
"Feel free to stay as long as you like," Richards had offered. "We likely won't get around to renovating this wing for a few months at least."
Wanda was simply glad to be back in a familiar space. Weeks of being locked in a superhero prison hadn't exactly been cozy. The days of being on the run hadn't been much fun either. It would have all been worth it just to be with him. Vision, the miracle, the enigma. The world had color when he was with her.
That world was all in shades of grey now. Vision had seemed untouchable, immortal, until a monster from outer space stole the magical gem from his head. Now he was no more than a pile of powdered vibranium left to scatter in the wind.
Wanda took a breath and let it out with a strangled sob. She threw a bolt of energy and the open door slammed shut. She looked at her outstretched hand and wondered how she thought her parlour trick could ever be enough to stop the gods. She closed her eyes and saw the horrible sight in her mind, as clear as if it were happening at that very moment.
It had seemed a trivial night. They were shopping and enjoying the anonymity of their disguises. With Vision morphed into the perfect visage of a slightly-more-attractive-than-average mortal and Wanda's freshly bleached and dyed hair, they looked like any normal honeymooning couple. Vision had discovered for the first time that although he could affect every aspect of his physical body, be it appearance or density, he could not hide the gleaming Mind Stone in his forehead. Wanda had been the one to come up with a solution. A simple baseball hat was all that was required to hide the glowing gem.
Wanda had turned to show Vision a particularly lovely scarf when she realized he wasn't beside her. She saw him a few meters away, following a hooded figure into an alley as if in a trance. She called to him, but he seemed not to hear her. She rushed to follow but her legs were swept out from under her. Her head struck the ground, sparks of light danced before her eyes.
When she shook her head clear, she saw Vision on his back, shouting. The cloaked figure held him down with one cloven hoof on his chest. His clever human disguise had faded into his true form. She struggled to her feet, remembering too late that there had to be a second attacker. A single blow knocked her across the street, cracking a rib or two in the process.
Wanda struck back, shooting burning energy at her attacker. The figure backed off but it was too late. Vision's shouting had turned to a scream of pain. Wanda watched in horror as the one standing over him jabbed at the Mind Gem with a staff.
With a crack of light, the stone broke free. Vision lay still and silent. The figures bent over him and pocketed the stone then disappeared.
Wanda ran to Vision, falling hard on her knees on the cobblestones. She touched his face, his chest, his hands, looking for signs of movement. He was cold. His eyes were open, staring blankly at the sky but there was no life left there, only clouded glass. The tiny clockwork of gears that normally spun behind his pupils had rusted in place; unmoving.
Wanda tried to call for help but the words stuck in her throat. She watched in horror as Vision's body crumbled under her hands. Between one blink and the next he disintegrated into a formless pile of dust and metallic threads.
"Stay as long as you like…" Richards' words echoed in her head.
As long as it takes, she supposed he meant but how long would that be? How long does it take to get over losing the love of your life?
Wanda was cold suddenly. She rubbed her arms trying to warm herself but it wasn't the kind of cold a blanket or cup of cocoa could solve. She felt chilled down to her very soul.
As her fingers moved over her skin she imagined it was Vision touching her instead. She recalled the electrical buzzing she had felt when they touched, soft velvety skin brushing hers.
An unexpected shock ran through her as she remembered how good it had felt to finally be close to Vision. He had always seemed a wondrous miracle, but when he hovered over her, shuddering with his own pleasure, she knew he was simply a man. His body might be made of vibranium and circuitry and light, but he had the soul of a mortal inside. And now that soul was dead and gone and not even the circuitry remained.
Wanda sobbed freely, not caring who, if anyone, heard her.
Wanda. The ghost of a whisper called her, sounding both right next to her and miles away at the same time. It almost sounded like…
"Vision?" Wanda whispered back.
Silence.
"Vision!" Wanda called into the stillness.
Wanda. The whisper came again.
This time Wanda was struck with a twinge deep in her belly. She placed her hand there and listened. Her eyes went wide as she heard not one but two primitive consciousnesses whispering wordlessly to each other even as their tiny cells multiplied and split within her womb.
"If you want to come by again, just give me a call," Richards called to Wanda as she walked through the lobby toward the street. "You're welcome anytime."
Wanda smiled sweetly at him. "I think we're going to be okay."