Of Scarlet Hands and Iron Men
There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met. -William Butler Yeats
Wanda Maximoff needed help. Tony noticed it, no matter how much Steve insisted that she was fine. She wasn't, at nineteen years old the girl has been through a lot. He knew that he should have run by this with the others but the last thing Tony wanted was someone getting hurt again. They didn't know how to help Wanda with her powers let alone teach her.
Tony Stark walked into the Avengers Compound with a taller man behind him wearing a red cloak. It may have looked odd for outsiders but Dr. Strange seemed to be unfazed by the looks the Avengers were giving him when they met them in the foyer. Wanda was among them, her dark hair framing her face like a curtain as if she was trying to hide. Tony gave her a small smile which she weakly returned.
He introduced Stephen to the others and told them why he was here.
"He's here to take Wanda away?" Steve said. He was stubborn, his whole body language screamed it, but Tony explained adamantly that Strange was the best option for Wanda. "He can help her with her powers. Teach her things that we can't."
Steve opened his mouth to argue when Wanda cut him off. "I want to go." Her dark eyes bore into Tony's, too serious on such a small girl. He wondered what horror's Hydra really did on this girl, even if she and her twin brother willingly participated.
She nodded at the Avengers as if telling them that it was okay. "I want to do this."
Stephen seemed pleased. "Pack your things and I'll be able to take you to the Sanctuary soon." Wanda nodded and left the room to go pack. Steve glared at Tony but he stood his ground.
"She needs a teacher, someone who knows about her powers better and Strange is probably the only person that can help her. I'm only thinking about Wanda's best interests and this is what she needs right now."
Tony was determined to get this kid some help, so if it was with her powers, so be it. He was glad, as his teammates left, that Wanda had the same understanding.
She did not know why Tony Stark was being generous to her. He helped her but why?
Someone cleared her throat. She looked at Strange who did not seem pleased at Wanda being distracted. "Well Miss Maximoff, since you seemed to be in another dimension in your head at the moment. Do tell me what you were thinking that captivated your train of thought instead of the lesson of magical control?"
"I-I was thinking Doctor," She started to get flustered. "About Chaos Magic. How you said that I have that ability?" Wanda wasn't wrong about that. Besides Tony's generosity, it was also the ability that she had, Chaos Magic. Doctor Strange, after asking her questions about her abilities it seemed that she had that type of magic. It didn't help that the questions she asked about Chaos Magic and she got the answers.
Strange closed the book he was reciting from, directing his full attention onto her.
"As I told you, Chaos Magic is powerful. It can warp reality and cause, well, chaos. But that is why you are here, to learn and control this ability you have." Strange gave her a nod. Wanda blew air out of her teeth.
"Now that we discussed Chaos Magic onto your lesson."
It was tough learning magic, her frustration and her powers bubbling under her skin, begging to be released. But she tried and had to listen to Doctor Strange always tell her to, "Concentrate Wanda."
But she was concentrating. She really was!
Until one day she wasn't concentrating and a glass window broke.
"Wanda, concentrate!"
"I am Pietro!" It took her only a split second to realize what hs just said. She fell to her knees as everything overwhelmed her and the window broke behind her. She could feel Strange's cloak fly towards her, protecting her from the shards of glass that exploded behind her. Strange crouched in front of her and hugged her.
"Hey Maximoff!" Jericho Drumm's boyish antics never seized to remind her of how much she wished there would be another female around the Sanctuary. She and Jericho were around the same age, only older by two months for Jericho.
He was being taught by Wong, ever since the Sanctuary of Haiti where he and his brother lived in was no more. Jericho was taken in by Strange and Wong, being taught the mystic arts months before Wanda was enrolled. It was hard for him to adjust considering his brother passed away during the attack on each sanctuary from a "Rouge student" as Strange explained. Drumm seemed to be chipper, an easy-going fellow, he liked being in New York.
Jericho towered over her, whether it be standing next to him or sitting down. He always carried a stick, he called it his staff, Wanda called it a "magic stick".
"You insult me Maximoff." He said cheekily. He always wanted to get to know her and Wanda found herself wanting to ask why? Why would she interest this guy?
They both seemed to be doing well as the first students of the New York sanctuary. Wanda, with Dr. Strange's permission, let her go visit the Avenger's compound. She went there one day to find it practically empty, the only person that was there was Tony. He seemed lost in his work, talking animatedly with FRIDAY. He acknowledged her when the AI announced her presence.
"Hey, Wanda."
"Hello"
Silence enveloped them, the only sound was the blowtorch that Tony had in his hand, lit and ready to fix something. She didn't know him that well, granted she barely any of the other adults. The closest person besides her twin brother at the moment was Jericho.
"What are you making?" She asked him. He looked at her for a few minutes as if trying to analyze her before answering. "Fixing the suit. Needs new repair and I thought I'd visit Rhodey over for the weekend but apparently, the Avengers were called out for a mission."
He stretched his arms out wide, a grin that Wanda could only describe as one that rivaled that of the Mad Hatter. "I was left alone here, so this kingdom is mine." He let out overly dramatic cackle which made Wanda grin at the display that the older man was doing. "But enough about me, what are you doing? Thought you were back with Doctor Dumbledore at American Hogwarts? Being taught magic and how to ride a broom."
Wanda snorted, imagining the outrage that Strange would get if he heard Tony talk about the Sanctuary. Then again, they were similar in that arrogance, 'my plan or nothing' type way that Strange reminded her of. They could even be sort of twins with their facial hairs but she wasn't about to get Tony feeling insulted.
"It isn't Hogwarts, whatever that is." She said, levitating the empty plastic cup and making it sail into the waste bin. Tony's eyes widened in surprise, looking at the nineteen-year-old girl. "You've never heard of Harry Potter? Like the movies and books?"
Wanda shrugged, she heard about them but never actually read or watched them, as she told Tony. That apparently was not good in his book, having her sit down and start watching the movies. "I have the books somewhere back in my apartment. I'll let you have them, I already read them." He told her after she started to protest.
So that's how they spent the entire weekend, watching the movies, eating takeout food and occasionally helping Tony fix his suite. Wanda could never understand Tony Stark and he could never understand her, but at that moment they sort of did.
That was okay for both of them.
"So, who's Jericho?" He asked her over dinner. He had a big grin, his tone teasing like a father towards his daughter.
Tony told her the next day over breakfast, that Clint would come by to have dinner with them. She was excited to tell Clint everything that had happened to her. She wanted to make dinner, deciding on lasagna with a salad. They went bought the ingredients and attempted to make lasagna when Clint came over. He helped, making sure the kitchen didn't catch on fire. The succeeded with the dinner.
"Jericho?" Clint looked at Wanda with an amused smile. She shot a glare at Tony.
"How do you know that?" Wanda asked. Tony smirked. "Strange gives me updated about how you've been doing, as he thinks that you're my ward."
Clint snorted into his beer. "Well, who's the kid?"
"He's a friend of mine from the Sanctuary. He's another sorcerer-in-training like me." She told them. "We're just friends. Partners, like Steve and Natasha."
Tony's smirk grew and Wanda wondered if she could wipe it off by flinging a piece of lasagna at his face. Probably not.
"Kid, Steve and Nat's relationship grew out of "partnership" a while ago." Tony pointed out with his glass of water. Clint shook his head, his grin visible. Wanda rolled her eyes at the two Avengers in front of her.
Maybe they were right? As Jericho kissed her, on the roof of the Sanctuary one afternoon when their classes were canceled.
"I like you a lot Wanda." He told her.
Her heart was beating loud in her ears as the kiss continued. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, his arms around her waist pulling her close. This was what it felt like to be a regular person, kissing the guy she liked at the top of a building. Not entirely normal but for her, it felt like it.
Things would change, but for now, Wanda was living and that was okay for her.
"You want to train Wanda?" Tony asked skeptically at the man in front of him.
"She has magic that is untapped, uncontrolled. She needs a teacher that can teach her how to control it, I'll be the one doing so." Doctor Strange informed him. "It's for her benefit, her own good Mister Stark."
"Tony?"
He snapped out of his memory, looking at the young woman in front of him. She was looking at him, silently asking him 'Are you going to move your piece yet?', as she drummed her fingers on the coffee table next to the chess board. He moved the rookie piece.
"I'm sorry." She said it softly as if not know how he would react and she was right. He felt this turmoil inside and he wondered if Wanda felt it as well. She probably did consider she lost a twin brother mere months ago. She continued. "I'm sorry about what I did, to you and the team. I was angry and just wanted other's to feel the pain that I had. Doc has been helping me talk about it whenever we train. It helps."
Tony nodded at her words. He was glad that she was letting go of the past, glad that she was moving forward. They needed to move forward to survive, at least that's what his aunt Peggy used to tell him after his parent's death.
"Tony?" She called his name again. "It's your move."
She knew why he was here, trying to distract her and himself from the in-fighting between the Avengers over the Accords. She came home during the time when the Lagos bombing took place, Secretary Ross talking and supporting the Accords. Not only that but then Tony had to leave, his aunt passing away. A day later, he came back for a bit, visiting Wanda in the Sanctuary. At least that was one thing that she could do was distract him with a game of chess before he left.
"Kid, I want you to do something for me," Tony said as he moved a piece. "I need you to stay here. I know your an adult now, I get it but I can't let you get dragged down in the middle of this conflict. It's between me and Steve, so promise me you'll stay here, in Hogwarts."
"You know Doctor Strange doesn't like it when you call the Sanctuary "Hogwarts", Tony." SHe pointed at him with the white piece that she stole from him. He gave her a serious look, one that wiped the smile on her face. So, this was serious.
"Okay," She told him. "I promise."
Later on, in the week, news broke that the Avengers had a fight in the Berlin Airport. Steve and his side were either sent to prison or in Steve's case, on the run. They all were and the Avengers were torn apart. Wanda left during the events to help Doctor Strange and Jericho with finding more artifacts from the Sanctuary that were attacked by another rouge sorcerer. Both him and Wong tightened the security and had made the two young adults in their care get a curfew.
Dangerous times, she remembered Wong utter.
It was two months, just recently returning a week before and the compound that she once called home was empty, no Steve, Sam, it was an echo of who was left.
"Wanda?" She turned around to see Vision. The android floated a few inches above the ground, he looked tired for an android. Wanda wondered how much the battle in Berlin took a toll on them. She awkwardly tightened her grip on the bouquet of flowers she got for Rhodey. She heard that he got injured and wanted to bring him something, so she bought flowers and a few other things that she thought might cheer him up, along with Tony.
Vision led her to where Tony and Rhodey were before leaving to fly a bit around the Compound.
"Well if it isn't our favorite magician." Tony greeted her, a cheerful tone even after the months with the Avengers in shambles. Rhodey smiled at her, resting on the couch, his legs were held together by metal. She tore her eyes away.
"I brought gifts." She smiled at them, giving the bouquet of flowers to Rhodey who was grateful for them. She handed a blanket from Puerto Rico, that she bought when she was there a month ago. For Tony, a red and gold blanket, like Rhodey's.
"Thank you, Wanda. I love it." Rhodey said as he laid the blue and grey blanket on his lap.
"So," She started. They knew why she was here besides visiting Rhodey. "Are you doing okay?"
She looked at them both. They gave her a small smile that indicated to her that everything would be okay, considering the events in the last two months.
"We're doing a-okay. Now I want to hear all about what you've been up at Hogwarts." She groaned at the nickname that Tony stuck to her school. She sat down next to Rhodey and recounted her adventure with Strange.
By the time five thirty rolled around, she had to go. "I'm going to see a movie with Jericho." She told them, putting her burgundy coat on. Tony grinned at her.
"I want to know if you need another Avenger?" She looked directly at Tony. He seemed surprised at her offer. "You guys are short-staffed and I have been working much better at control. But you are the leader at the moment, so it is your call."
Tony sighed and for a moment, Wanda wondered if he would say no.
"When can you start Maximoff?"
"Call me Scarlet Witch. That's what I go by, after all, I do study at a magical school."
She grinned at him, which made him smile. Maybe the Avengers would survive the outcome of Civil War, maybe Wanda Maximoff and Tony Stark could be allies. It never too late to start, at least that's what Wanda always told herself.
NOTES: This is an AU of Captain America Civil War. Just a, What If Strange asked Tony if he could help Wanda with her powers story! Don't own the quote or the characters.
Hope you guys like it! Leave a comment and kudos! :)