Chapter Two

"Go Pietro!" Wanda shouts, standing up from her seat in excitement. Ms. Aberdien shouts her own words as the boy runs past, sprinting the last leg with the baton in his hand. "A little more, Pietro! Come on, you can do this!"

Her brother strains as he leans forward and pushes off the ground harder but-

"Third place in the entire city," Wanda cheers and claps and supports the rest of his team. She rushes over and they all know her by now, giving the wisp of a girl pats and hugs as she makes gross noises about touching their sweat. "That's amazing! Congratulations!"

The relay group her brother was placed on is also one of the youngest completing groups, which makes it especially exciting. Though she worries about what it could mean, seeing her twin run makes her smile. He loves the breeze, and sometimes jokes he'd one day like to run over water. Only slightly does Wanda feel bad for taking that away from him.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Bentley?" one of the kids asks. Wanda glances over to see their normally composed teacher looking off into the distance with a frown.

"No, no," the woman shakes her head and offers a kind smile to the kids. "I was just listening for the announcements. We should get to the podium soon, they'll be handing out metals any second now."

The kids race off, but Wanda stands there frowning. Ms. Bentley takes one last, long glance towards the rooftops far away before following them all. When Wanda looks, she sees something flitter out of sight.

Don't be aliens, Wanda thinks darkly as she keeps a close eye on her teacher for the week. Don't be magic users. Don't be a danger.

But the week passes, and the world stays as calm as it usually is. Wanda doesn't pass it off, but she doesn't focus on it anymore.

Summer is coming. Lots to do.

;;;

["You are… blocking me? How?"]

(This-is-) "-inside-my-head.-" (-GET-OUT!)

;;;

Linda Aberdien takes the bus to work near everyday and that's how she meets a one, Grant Carter. He always asks the person sitting next to him a question about the day's word search he thinks they can answer. He struck out three times with Linda until she finally made an annoyed noise and complained, "Go to a library if you're having this much trouble," before striding off the bus and continuing her way to work.

That was months ago. A few more meetings and a couple bus rides and then he's invited over for dinner. Wanda is still not impressed with her guardian's almost-boyfriend, but the guy does try. If she didn't know who his mother is, then maybe she'd even open up a bit and accept he's now Ms. Aberdien's best friend. His ever-watchful gaze gets annoying. Not to mention he's definitely realized Wanda's got something wrong in her head.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Wanda snaps like a wire with a smooth and easy smile. Grant's face is more expressive than the wall she was staring at.

"Come now, it must have been something." His smile is as easy and full of I keep secrets, I don't judge. "You were quite out of it for some time."

"I'm thinking about getting glow stars," Wanda says like she's not spewing lies. "I want to make constellations." A pause and a rush before he can speak. "Do you think I can get planet stickers to move every day until the Convergence?"

"The convergence?"

She nods and hurries to pull out her phone. "When all the planets align and stuff. It's happening this year. See?"

"She's very into it," Pietro says as he comes from helping make dinner. He gives his sister a knowing look, which of course Grant Carter catches. However, he doesn't know it's about the talks of aliens and reality-bending holes in the universes. "Has a countdown and everything set up in our room."

"It's very exciting," Wanda nods with her soft voice. "Very exciting things happen this year."

Mr. Carter may not pick up on her fortune-telling, but he smiles and buys her a book on astronomy when they finish school for the year. Before rolls eyes while Wanda smiles, book in hand. The man tries. She won't dissuade the relationship, but it would take a lot to endear him to her.

Life isn't fair, and neither is holding her bias against Captain America also against a man named after him.

;;;

["I've never met a creature"]

(-GET-OUT-) "-GET-OUT-" (-GET-OUT-) "-GET-OUT-" (-GET-OUT-)

["who could stop me once we are connected."]

;;;

Wanda's face splits into a large smile that's matched on her brother. She hurries over, "Thank you for picking me up."

"Of course, sister." Pietro is still breathless from whatever adventure he and his friends were up to today. He hands over a water bottle, watching her drink as they walk home. "And how was your day?"

She waves a hand and chugs back the last of the water.

"Mine was great," Pietro tells her with a blinding smile. "I got to play outside. See all my friends. Play at an arcade."

Wanda groans and shoves the water bottle in her chest. "The air-conditioning was broken."

"You poor thing," he mocks.

(The next few seconds get blurry.)

;;;

["Why are you so different?"]

(-GET-) "-OUT-" (-OF-) "-MY-" (-HEAD!)

;;;

There are noises.

Loud and screeching. Puffs and popping.

Pain.

And fire. It is a hot day but the fire burns.

;;;

["You…"]

(-GET-) "-OUT-" (-AND-) "-SAVE-" (-US!)

;;;

"PIETRO!" Wanda screams a name while the others scream in pain. The back of her head is bleeding from where it cracked on the sidewalk. She crawls through smolder and concrete bits to her brother. He's grey from dust and agony of the metal shard sticking out from his leg. A shard from the van which blew up. "Pietro!"

"I'm okay," he's gasping and clutching her hand as a lifeline. It will bruise, she knows it will, but Wanda can barely feel the crushing force as she strips her shirt to cut off the blood flow of his injury. "Sis- sis no. Wanda. Put your shirt on your head. You're bleeding."

"So are you," Wanda chokes out and everything is blurry. Tears and smoke aren't helpful to the situation. Neither are the ringing or the whispers-

(What whispers?)

Her brother babbles while Wanda slowly blinks and raises her head. The people on the street scream or groan from where the blast put them down. And the place where the blast came-

"I am going to save you," Wanda cuts in, eyes blank on the object surrounded by dead Hydra members. Pietro panics at the trance his sister appears to go into, assuring her the paramedics are going to get to them in time and whoa stay here-

(They aren't going to make it because the heads are already growing back. Hydra and Shield want their alien artifact back.)

Wanda stumbles her way through the fire and smolder. She ignores the bits of burning flesh and concrete and broken car – broken glass – crunching under foot. She may not be the fastest in the city, may be injured and dizzy and worried about her dying brother as the people scream around her, but Wanda is small and has kept up with Pietro all her life. She reaches the scepter before any government or secret agrency member could even be alerted to the accident.

"I need the Mind Stone."

The whispers are like mutters. No words, yet all around and trying to distract her. Too bad Before and Now are who Wanda is, else she would have forgotten about her brother. She would have forgotten the world and reached out to grasp the scepter.

"No.

"I need only the Mind Stone."

There is a wave before a silence falls between them. The environment crackles with flames and gravel while the people of the city attempt to help the fallen. Some are helping her brother, but she doesn't trust anyone with him, they could be Hydra, she needs the Mind Stone now!

"Come out from the encasing," Wanda growls, face feral as her fingers curl like claws, "or I'm breaking you out myself."

A single flash. A smug, come get me.

She screams, loud and desperate – Wanda and the Mind Stone lead to Pietro's dead once upon a time – and squeezes both hands around the blue gem of the scepter. Lifting-

It-

Up.

["Hold the scepter."]

And swinging it down.

["And I will give you power."]

And the encasing shatters as Wanda uses the strength is gives her against it.

Then she curses and strips off her training bra to pick up the yellow stone. With a single-minded focus, Wanda rushes back to where her brother is being assured by strangers that help will be there soon. He's the only one to see her move about through the panic and she's the only one he reaches out for when she returns.

"Wanda," his greeting is a weak gasp.

He's not going to make it.

"You are going to live," Wanda spits, blood dripping down her chin. Eyes unfocused, she tries to assure the strangers that she is fine as they drape a coat on her. She grabs her brother's hands, and he shakes at every moment. Or maybe she's shaking. The clasped hands get guided to her bra, not that Pietro can notice much as he's losing consciousness. "You're going to live."

The plot wants Maximoffs as the Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch?

"We're going to live."

Pietro's eyes snap open again at the implication she isn't going to make it. Then they are gripping the Mind Stone between their hands.

(And that's the last she remembers of the real world that day.)

;;;

"Save him?" asks the yellow shape on the fringes of her mind. It wants to claw into her mind like it believes it has her brother, she knows this like she knows Pietro is still alive, and yet it can't because-

(-GET-OUT-)

"-GET-OUT-" circles in Before and Now. Wanda is of two lifetimes, and one does not play by the rules of this universe. "Save my brother."

The Mind Stone is silent as it drifts, curiously poking at the mind it cannot completely interact with. She lets it, feeling the traces of power it can't help but leave behind after interacting with another.

"Who are you?" it asks again.

"I am Wanda," she replies again.

It doesn't know whether to be amused or not.

Wanda smiles, sleek and oily as it tosses more power on her. She pokes back with thoughts alone. "Do you want to learn about Earth's lord and saviour: Tony Stark?"

The Mind Stone hisses and rebels, pulling back before throwing everything it has at her.

W(a)n(d)a (l)a(u)g(h)s.

"I am prepared to die," Wanda tells it. The sentience of the Mind Stone panics as the power it's left on her is absorbed and used into Before and Now. It tries to pull back as she slides the power along it's thread – along the bond it formed between her and Pietro – and finishes stitching together her brother. It jerks at the realization that they aren't alone. There is another mind here. It's been so curious with her – she's been so protective and shielding her brother – that it can only register a split second of its power enhancing someone else before-

(Her hand curls.)

-Wanda's the only one holding the stone. "Are you? Before your plans are complete?"

Before is proud of the bluff when the Mind Stone recoils. "Who are you?"

"I am Wanda," she says. Deep-rooted sadness echoes through her entire being now she can't affect her brother. "I want to say it's nice to meet you, but you've planned my death."

(And in a movie's universe, she killed it.)

The Mind Stone reaches out a hand-like touch on her mind, inquiring the sadness. "Do not be upset. I plan to kill everyone who stands in my way. I plan to destroy all who resist me."

"With a snap of your fingers," intones a voice that is hers and not, "that could wipeout half the universe."

"And how would a young human such as yourself know about Thanos' plan?"

"Why would a stone of ultimate power trick the Mad Titan into thinking it is just a powerful scepter?"

It hums and removes the hand. "Wanda, how do you know these things?"

She smiles, the powers of the strongest Avengers behind her teeth and Apathy in every breath. "Get. Out. Of. My. Head."

;;;

Once upon a time, there was a day she realized if reincarnation existed, no one would ever know.

"She's awake!"

The brain holds memory and starting again as a baby means a new brain. New neurons. New connects to make and fire, and no way to remember everything of who she once was.

"Ms. Maximoff, can you follow the pen with your eyes for me?"

It would have to be the soul that remembers.

"That's good. You're doing very well, dear."

Once upon a time, that theory went out the window and she continues to remember Before.

"Three days?" Wanda asks, aghast. Her brother nods, clutching her hand hard. "And are you alright?"

"Of course you'd ask that," Ms. Aberdien sighs and pats the girl's unhurt leg. Though, both are actually unhurt. She is relatively unscathed for all the blood of hers that was dripping in the paramedic's bed when they were brought unconscious to the hospital.

"I'm fine," Pietro assures her. "A bit stiff, and doctors testing me too much, but fine."

"Testing?" Wanda asks, sitting stiffer in her hospital bed. Pietro and Ms. Aberdien share grim looks. "What? What has happened?"

They give her a mirror, and a familiar stranger stares back.

;;;

Once upon a time, Tony Stark was the only one to ever be unaffected by the Mind Stone. And so it hated him for it.

Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are no longer the small kids at thirteen. Now they look closer to young adults. It's freaky and terrifying for everyone involved, but they pass it off as a growth spirt to their friends and colleagues. They see doctors every week for a month before it's finally declared there isn't anything wrong with them. "No enhancement found."

Ms. Aberdien does not correct them that Pietro is too strong, too fast, or that Wanda can now make things float in the air with a little tint of red. No, the woman takes one look at the agents who question her charges and bares her teeth in a smile, threatening charges if they upset them.

When they hint at deportment, she does bring charges down on their heads. Wanda eagerly hands over her extra cash for very good lawyers and cries extra prettily in front of a court. No more is asked, the charges are dropped when suddenly the agents disappear into obscurity, and summer proceeds as close to normal as it can for two kids having gone through a traumatic experience.

On one of the nights she's up late, staring into the dark, Wanda finally caves into her curiosity and uses a thick glove to withdraw the yellow gem she has hidden in the back of a drawer. Of all the scars, that of the Mind Stone is etched into her and Pietro's fingers. The stone tries to draw her closer, to get flesh contact, but Wanda isn't ready to attempt that yet. Instead she twirls it around and wonders if it hates her for stealing some powers and repelling it from her mind.

Probably.

Once upon a time, the Mind Stone could always take over even those with more personalities or minds than available bodies. However, even the oldest mind in the universe is no match for the will of two in perfect sync.

;;;

"This is the place?" Ms. Aberdien says with a sneer.

Wanda isn't impressed either. "Yep."

With a sigh the woman knocks.

Ms. Bentley, Wanda's old teacher, answers the door. The little girl hides her shock with a sparkling smile while Ms. Aberdien looks dryly at the younger woman. "So you're one of these mystic arts people. At least I know she'll be in good hands."

Ms. Bentley finishes gaping to go, "What? How do you know about the Order?"

"Hi Ms. Bentley," Wanda greets with an adorable head tilt that worked way better when she was small and unassuming. Her eyes look wide and eager. "I was hoping the Order could help me control my new powers."

The teacher snaps to attention at the thought. "W- first, Wanda, how did you learn about the Order?"

"I haven't been able to stop hearing thoughts," Wanda lies. She's gotten good at shutting others out as long as she focuses on one person. "So I heard you guys when I was passing by and thought 'what's the harm in asking'?"

And that, is how easy it is to spend the rest of the summer training with the magicians while her brother works out in a gym to learn the limits of his powers. Mind control, since she's so scared of using it, is not Wanda's strong suit in the end. Lifting trucks and recreating shields like Violet from the Incredibles movie, is.

;;;

Between school, work, and lessons in the London Sanctum, Wanda rarely has free time and has taken to getting a small hot chocolate in the café beside her temp job when she's feeling dead on her feet. It's near the end of September, during the ten minutes she's allotted herself before running to her practice session at the Sanctum, that the Queen enters the shop with all the grace and poise of a young hipster.

Not the Queen of England.

Wanda's queen. The young girl chokes over her table as Darcy Lewis orders a slew of caffeinated drinks and a cream cheese bagel. If this universe were an anime, there would be literal hearts in Wanda's eyes as she watches the woman lean against the counter and eye the shop.

Of course Darcy notices the teenager watching her. She raises an unimpressed eyebrow like what are you looking at?

Wanda scrambles to her feet, clutching her drink like a lifeline, and quickly walks over asking, "Are you Darcy Lewis?"

"Yah?" the woman pops her gum. "What's it to you?"

"I read your articles," Wanda says with reverence. "Your political- well all your articles. I love your political science research pages. You're very good at leaving references to uncommon words and you cover all the interesting parts of government people forget or put off and it's really great. I'm sorry, I just wanted to say thank you for just, well, being you."

Darcy quickly switches from taken aback to smug to indulgence. "I do try to be me everyday."

"I'm Wanda," the girl says quickly, face heating up because oooh, yikes this is embarrassing. "Sorry for taking up your time. I hope you have a great day." And practically runs out the door.

(How was she to know a little appreciation makes all the difference in the world?)

Darcy watches with a smile that turns small and flattered.

;;;

Wanda is good at going unnoticed. Not in the creepy mind-altering way. No, the mystic arts teachers actually pulled Sol Rama away from his Master of the London Sanctum duties in order to stare at her for a few minutes to try to deduce why she's such a failure at the Jedi mind trick. He then gave her teachers a dry look. "She does not enjoy mind arts, so of course she won't succeed when holding back. Leave it be and go back to juggling. That was more fun to watch."

Ms. Aberdien likes him, no surprise there. They've talked a total of ten minutes and half of that was subtly insulting each other. More commonly, he comes down at the end of Wanda's lessons and sits with the woman, both tossing things for Wanda to stay afloat. It's a silent affair. Great times.

But yes, Wanda gets around unnoticed just by being herself. It was an adjustment after her growth spirt, but things settle easily. People naturally pass their eyes over her, no mind tricks needed.

"You," the man accuses. Wanda keeps her face blank and on his upper body. Mind Stone side-effects also seem to include finding others affected. Doctor Erik Selvig stands almost completely naked on the steps to the London Sanctum and nobody even blinks. "Whatever you're doing, you need to stop. All my equipment goes haywire this time of day and it's all your fault."

…It's a good thing he's odd because she just can't even.

"Well?"

"Wanda?" Victoria Beverley opens the door and does a doubletake. "Is there a problem here?"

"Yes!" Dr. Selvig shouts and points an accusing finger at the woman. "You people need to stop tampering with my equipment. The convergence happens in twenty-eight days and I will not have this scientific breakthrough ruined because you people are throwing around magnetic fields!"

"Doctor," Wanda finally says low and calming. She honestly can't remember his name he was such a side character. The only reason Before ever saw the Thor movies was because of Darcy. The Queen saved a bunch of animals. This guy put a kill-switch on a portal. Priorities. "I apologize if we have caused any issues. Would you like to come in and get a blanket. It's not warm out."

"I… would appreciate that." He nods and waits for Ms. Bentley to move before following another person into the living area.

"Explain," the teacher demands.

"He's the man who built the portal over New York," Wanda stands at attention and lists off. "The scepter loosened a few screws and he hasn't seen any professional help long enough to tighten them." A pause. "I don't think he has, anyways."

Her teacher looks to want to groan but holds it back in the face of her student. "Do you know who we can contact to collect him?"

"Jane Foster, but I don't know where she is at the moment."

"No matter. Keep him calm until Ms. Foster collects him."

"Dr. Foster." It's always important to mention the years of schooling. "She makes rainbow bridges and dates Thor."

"Of course she does."

;;;

"They said you found Erik," Darcy smirks as she sits across from Wanda. The girl squeaks and looses focus for a second, making her castle of cards almost fall without the red mist to support it. "Thanks for that."

"Hi," Wanda squeaks, mortified. "Yes- I mean, well, it's- he found me. Apparently practicing my powers sort-of," flailing hand signals, "drew him here."

"Enhanced?"

"Goodness no," Wanda grimaces. "I went through all the tests and there's nothing. I've just got powers, but no biological markers to prove it. My brother's the same."

Darcy appraises her. "Brother?"

"He should be here any-" a flash of wind, "that's him."

"Pietro Maximoff," the speedster says charmingly, holding out a hand with a smile that sparkles. He doesn't know the situation but acts lady-killer anyway. Wanda's so proud. "Stronger, faster, and with all the stamina in the world."

"We're also thirteen," Wanda cuts off whatever dry reply Darcy was going to throw out.

"Thirteen?" the young woman whistles. "Wow, you've got good genes."

"That's a long story," Wanda grimaces again before using her sparkling smile. "But hey, if you're single or in an open relationship in eight-ish years, I'm just a phone call away."

"You're brother's smoother," Darcy snorts. Wanda clutches her chest playfully. "Sorry kids, stick to your age group."

"I'd treat you like a queen," Wanda promises with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Nope."

"Darn," Wanda sighs and leans into her brother when he sits down. "So, did you run ahead of Linda?"

"She's talking with Dr. Foster," he throws a sheepish smile and answers before Darcy can ask. "Our guardian is a nurse. She knows the good places around here to help Dr. Selvig."

"Wow," Darcy laughs in disbelief. "We're really lucky Erik ran into you."

Wanda makes a face before perking up. "I like astronomy and you've written a few articles…"

"Sure, kid. Ask away."

And if Wanda leaves a few hints about realms converging, that's just the way it is.

"Who was she?" Pietro asks as they wait for the adults to finish saying their goodbyes via portal.

Wanda blinks. "Dr. Foster?"

"Darcy."

"The Queen."

Her brother smiles. "Well, there could be worse people in your religion. So, who's the Goddess?"

"She has millions of worshippers world-wide-"

"Fine," he sighs at her smile. Wanda doesn't give names, and he doesn't mention he's jealous of her promise to protect the Smol. "We will meet her eventually."

"I don't know," Wanda hunches in on herself. "The Goddess does not have much time for mortals."

Pietro chuckles lowly. "But we are not just mortals anymore, are we?"

"We aren't immortal, and that's good. Living forever would suck."

With that in mind, she juggles the Mind Stone into her bare hand that night.

;;;

"I've never been ignored before," it tells her, a shadowy figure hovering at the edges of her red-shielded mind. Like she hadn't spent three days ignoring it before the stone finally left her skin and let her awaken in the hospital. It tried this tactic early: looking human. A skinny shadow of yellow energy. It tilts its head. "Wanda?"

She hates how its voice picked velvety male. It would be a great voiceover. Screaming got it shut out with her screaming power back at it. Silence and she dozes. With a voice, she can brush it off as background, yet it also pinches her to listen. Its voice is a beautiful background that she can't help but eavesdrop on.

"Wanda?"

She breathes in, breathes out. Waits for the moment of releasing the stone.

It curiously tries to get her attention. "Wanda?"

It tries. She meditates.

;;;

The stone is released, soars up, and then lands in a thickly gloved hand. An easy, single juggle. Back outside her mind, Wanda isn't even breathing hard. It hasn't tried attacking her since it kept her three days in a coma. Even now it mutters and whispers wordlessly in her hand, but doesn't push. It is not the angry, evil stone she expected it to be. That would bother her, but apathy is strong. She doesn't care about a rock. She does want to make sure no one can track down others affected by the power, as proven that Dr. Selvig remembers S.H.I.E.L.D. agents being the ones to lock him away from proper mental health. The energy they can track is for the scepter and the tesseract. Space rocks are different entities entirely. Literally.

"Why do you not hurt me?" Wanda wonders out loud in a whisper. The Mind Stone stirs at her voice, but without touching her mind it cannot know what she says. Between Before, Now, and the powers she's obtained, no one can ever crack into her head. That security is frightening. "Why do you not scorn me?"

Because it has proven it can leave her incapacitated. Can distract her into forgetting to let go. Yet, it does not venture to do anything more than talk through a door.

"I do not trust you," she says with a glance to her own bedroom door. "But I do trust my brother."

He knows what to do in case of Infinity Stone possession. He rolls his eyes at her backup plans for the future, but he knows what to do to keep them alive if his little sister can't.

"Well," Wanda hums and tosses the stone a few times, much to its displeasure. "I wasn't going to sleep anyway."

She juggles it once more.

;;;

"Well," it sounds surprised and a bit eager, "hello again, Wanda."

"Why do you access people's minds?" She says from her crossed-legged position in the middle of her red dome.

It 'blinks' at the question. A tendril of pleasure that she's talking. "Why do you?"

"Validation," she answers immediately. She realized this personal answer a long time ago. "When I see their minds, I acknowledge them as people. I am not the only thinking being. I am not dreaming nor am I dead. Everything is real, and my actions effect the world with consequences."

It is surprised by her answer.

"I do not care for those who are not mine." Hers to protect, to look up to, or to favourite. She leaves it at that, as any further explanation would be throwing salt or revealing how hard it was to care for a world that could have all been a dream.

She will not be movie-Wanda, no matter how easy it would be to slip.

"You are scared?" It questions, reaching out and tapping on the red dome of the powers it unintentionally gave her. It sends an attempt at comfort that has her raising eyebrows. "What did you think of?"

"Does it kill you not to be able to read my thoughts, Mind Stone?"

An impression of a frustrated chuckle. "I look into minds because I can. Because that is who I am. I am conscious, I am thought. I wish to be reunited with my siblings more than anything. So yes, it frustrates me to know I am not as all-powerful as I thought."

Wanda feels no pity or remorse for it. "You have already started the universe down the path. Maybe if you're good I'll let you see the Power Stone."

It jerks away like her words were a cattle prod. "You know where-"

;;;

She lets go and watches the rock fly through the air. Wanda feels rather light in the suddenly dense room. She catches it with ease and rises from the bed. The silence is more telling than the whispers. It notices when she tosses it back in the drawer and it flings out desperate mental powers.

Wanda closes and laces the drawer in red mist. The power it throws at the drawer just rebounds and strengthens the lattice network. Maybe it will realize what's happening, but already there is enough power to hold for a whole day.

"I am not them," she whispers and goes to sit back on the center of her bed, legs tucked to her chest. She is not the Wanda Before hated so much. She is not stupid, and that makes her more dangerous. Politics, science, the future, are all plusses in her column. An alive brother, also a plus. Trained powers, check.

She feels no need to save the world. No remorse for harming those in her way. Definitely minuses.

Wanda sighs. Accepts the fact she'll need to… try to be better. Tomorrow. She'll… try to make friends with the Mind Stone tomorrow.

Ugh. Being a morally good person is really trying.

;;;

"Why?" Pietro scoffs when she tells him her plan of being nice to the Mind Stone and wanting him to spot her. "You're always going on about how much trouble it is. Why not just toss it into the Thames?"

Why hadn't she thought of that before now? Grr. To throw or not to throw? "If it annoys me after we've had a discussion tonight, I'll hand it over to Sol."

Pietro makes a face and stirs the rice pot. "You know they're probably going to keep it rather than toss it through a portal."

"I know," she groans and bangs her head on the table, careful of the cut-up fruits. "But then it doesn't risk contaminating the water. And it's a them problem and not an us problem."

"I still think throwing it away would be better. It either hive-minds everyone but us or gives everyone powers."

"Ugh," Wanda agrees. Still, she's the one mentally older than thirteen. She has to be the responsible one. Then her brother's phone buzzes and he get irritated at the message. "What is it?"

"We're going to have left overs," he seethes. "Mr. Carter is taking Linda on a date rather then them coming here."

Wanda rolls her eyes. "About time." What a waste of food though. His planning could have been better.

"I thought you didn't like him."

"On a principal I don't. Still, it's very lucky they will be out most of the night. As long as you agree to spot me, I can chat with Mindy after dinner."

Pietro cracks a smile. "A stone of unimaginable powers, brought down to a mere child's toy."

When he puts it that way… Wanda smiles too.

;;;

Pietro knows enough not to hate people he's never met. Wanda made sure he understands not to hate. "It's ugly," she'll tell him as her face twists into something that would scare kittens. "See?" He's the only one to see it. He's not afraid of this side of her, just like she's never been afraid of his temper. Both are ugly things, their ugly secrets.

Pietro doesn't hate because his sister has so much. He gets angry because she never does. Though, maybe it's not all true. He hates their parents almost never see them grow up and he hates his sister has seen them die over and over. None of it's fair.

He watches her meditating while he copies her homework. The yellow stone in her one hand lights up every now and then. He doesn't particularly like the stone, but it did save their lives. He'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Though, he ponders the secret he will never tell his sister, maybe saving me now don't make up for all the times it leads to my death.

That, Wanda hasn't forgiven the stone for. Knowing his sister has the thing on a leash means he doesn't have the time or energy to care about a possible future that likely won't happen. Eighty-seven percent of his deaths were lead to by the scepter. Wanda destroyed it, so no worries about that anymore.

Pietro's secret, one he'll never tell Wanda, is that he loathes Thanos. Thanos has killed them both, but he's killed Wanda in more universes than a bomb dropped on their parents. And what kind of big brother would he be if he didn't help build up a resistance against that threat?

"Good talk?" Pietro asks lazily after he's poked the stone away from his sister with a stick.

Wanda blinks like the hour hasn't gone by. "Meh. We're keeping it, at least. It promised not to cause trouble."

Pietro hums blandly and helps her up. He waits until she's busy.

"Hello," he smirks at the stone, feeling it creepy into his mind like Wanda's done. It hits the barrier she made for him, but doesn't pull away. Good thing Wanda takes long showers, this is going to be a long talk. "My sister's told me a lot about you. All I can tell by now is that you like her, or at least think she's interesting."

There's a confirming, wordless whisper.

"Then I want your help to make sure Thanos doesn't kill her."

It's whispers swirl in surprise and something worried. Because it doesn't care about Pietro beyond keeping him alive for the girl. It is, however, now very worried it made have inadvertently lead death to Wanda.

All sharp and pleased with his results, Pietro smiles.


A/N: Thanks for reading. A really big thank you to Color o life, Hi, and Anemone Iris Sidera for reviewing! The support means a lot.

I hope the chapter was enjoyable. Have a fantastic day