Chapter 3

sorry for not updating in ages! i have been so busy! to make up for it this chapter is extra long!

They hadn't gone back to school, if they had been anyone else the teachers would have phoned home but, they didn't care. Pietro chucked a snowball at Wanda, she looked up as it landed next to her, smiled at Pietro, then went back to work. He sighed and moved to sit next to her.

It had been two months since the explosion. Obviously they couldn't track it back to Wanda, but people talked, and when six different kids claimed Wanda caused the explosion, well there was a reason they hadn't been back to school. No official action had been taken but when they walked down the street people would stare, and whisper, and move to avoid them. Wanda held her head up so it didn't look like it bothered her but Pietro had noticed how little she wanted to leave the house.

People followed them sometimes. Adults with cameras, other kids (who would throw rocks or call them freaks), and although he wasn't sure Pietro could have sworn he had seen this guy in black cargo pants and a black jacket watching them, irritatingly he only ever saw him in the corner of his eye, whenever he went to get a better look or did a double take he was gone. Wanda wouldn't say anything but he had noticed that whenever he looked Wanda was already glancing in that direction. Next time he saw the guy he would run over there and catch him before the guy could run.

"Pietro, earth to Pietro… good you're back"

"What?"

"I got lost on a question and went to ask you but you were staring off into the distance and not reacting"

"Oh, sorry, I was thinking, what the question on?"

Even though they weren't at school their mum and dad got extra work in for them, they didn't have to do it but it was there if they did, it was usually stuff that 12-13 year olds were given but Wanda and Pietro could usually manage. Wanda was currently doing it as she wasn't at school, he himself couldn't care less about the work, and he had more important issues. Like where the hell was Marco?

"Maths, algebraic equations. 4(2y-3) = 3(y+6). What is y?"

Pietro paused to think. Expand the brackets, 8y-12 = 3y+18. Then it got more complicated and he couldn't do that in his head.

"Hand us that paper, so you expand the brackets, oh you've done that, then you take 3y from 8y, 5y-12=18, 18+12=30, 5y=30, y=6." He rattled out scribbling notes on the paper. "Done".

Wanda took back the work and read over it nodding.

"Thanks, I'd forgotten how you go after expanding the brackets. You're pretty good at maths, you should do it more."

Pietro snorted. "You're the academic one, anyway it's boring, and I'd rather be running or doing anything else."

Wanda sighed and went onto the next question. Pietro got up to stretch.

"Any word on Marco?"

"Yeah, he reappeared yesterday, apparently after the 'explosion' he got carted off to another hospital where he was in a delirious state and they couldn't find his parents, so he stayed there for 8 weeks"

"I might pay him a visit" he said icily

Wanda glared at him. "No you won't"

"He was going to stab you!"

"I don't care!"

"Fine, but don't expect me to play nice." He sighed and jogged round the bench. "Want to go for a run?"

"Go yourself, I'm working"

"Fine, time me." he huffed and sped off. He'd just go round the district edge, it'd take him 10 minutes if he pushed it. He was going for a new record though.

He got back and collapsed on the bench panting and clutching his chest. Wanda didn't look up.

"9 minutes 29 seconds. New record." She said nonchalantly, "Impressive"

"Everything hurts" he moaned.

"Then don't run so fast"

"But it wouldn't be fun then" he complained, flashing a grin at her.

She looked at him and saw the grin, giggling she shoved his shoulder.

"Ow"

"Don't be such a baby" she laughed at him. "We should get home soon, it's getting colder, and we have to be home by 4"

"Fine, but no rush"

"Come on, let's walk the long way"

"Can I just a few more minutes to catch my breath?" he said, he was still out of breath. "Anyway who made you boss, I'm oldest"

"By 12 minutes"

"Exactly"

"Fine, I'll give you 5 minutes, while you're catching your breath I'll be over there, grandpa" she cast him a grin and folded up her work shoving it in her pocket before walking over to a cluster of trees.

Pietro sighed and leaned back on the bench knowing he was going to have snowballs flying at him in 2 minutes. Apparently manipulating the snow with your powers then chucking it over 100m wasn't cheating. He waited for the onslaught to begin.

The asset watched the pair from his position in a building overlooking the small park. He could understand why the children were as carefree with their powers in a place as uncovered as this one, all but the elderly were at work or school. No one would be outside in this harsh weather unless they were healthy.

He could now confirm that they had powers, he had had no clear evidence before so he couldn't report it. Now he had clear video of the boy running and of the girl using her power to make figures out of the snow, which she had only done when her brother wasn't there.

His orders were to watch them and confirm the powers. He had now confirmed the powers. He simply had to watch them until he was told otherwise. This assignment was so simple and out of his usual duty that it confused him. He would understand if he had been to kill the children. But watch them… he had no idea. But it wasn't his place to question. So he did his mission.

He watched as snowballs began pummelling the boy. Who yelled something back at his sister who was hiding in the trees about 100m away.

"Pietro put me down!" yelled Wanda trying not to laugh

"What, you didn't see that coming?"

"Didn't see that coming" she mocked under her breath, he brothers catchphrase was kind of cool but really annoying when you heard it at least once a day.

"I don't sound that high" muttered Pietro irritated at her play of his voice

"Yes you do, now put me down" she said playfully whacking his arms which he had wrapped round her waist.

She had been expecting Pietro but not for him to hoist her up from behind, which is why she and her twin where stumbling round (we he was) in the snow trying not to fall over, although the snow layer was so thick it wouldn't have mattered if they had.

"Fine, now home" he carefully put her down and started walking in the direction of home "You know if dad got us any sweets"

"Probably not, you know they're expensive"

Pietro had a thing about sweets, they only really got them every few months if they were lucky, even though papa was a doctor they were practically living in poverty, he was rarely employed as people disliked the family name or didn't have money, so he usually spent his days volunteering at the orphanage with mama. They didn't judge on family, they were just happy to have help. The numbers there had swelled over the last few years.

Their parents tried to hide it but the troubles were getting closer. They didn't like to talk about it but shell strikes in other districts were getting nearer, the whole area had been on edge waiting for it to happen. She and Pietro had been hurried off the street by strangers many times with warnings of a riot, they always heard the death toll off the radio that evening, and providing mum or dad didn't turn it off they would hear who had been put in charge of 'controlling' it, sokovian forces or foreign 'peace' forces. It was hard to know whose side the foreigners were on, some helped the citizens, some provided the shells and guns to the government. Mama and papa had been involved in the riots quite a few times, but they wouldn't even consider letting Pietro and Wanda come to the peaceful ones after the control forces had shot an eleven year old by 'accident'.

The disputes had begun as peaceful protests, but that had been 6 years ago, the government attacked the peaceful protesters, ever since then there had been what could be considered a civil war. Where there were the rebels, the rioters, the pacifists, and the loyalists. The rebel fighting happened outside of the cities, unless they were trying to take a district, 3 out of the 20 districts here in the capitol belonged to them. But no one but soldiers lived there as a result of the shells. Whenever a rebel presence was rumoured the government shelled them, there were rumours of their district having a rebel presence.

"Wanda" Pietro slowed to a stop

"Yeah"

He pointed at a group of 7 down the street about 100m away, she looked at them, all but one of them was older then Pietro and her, and that one was Marco.

"I'm going to kill him" hissed Pietro tensing as he began to walk at the group

"No!" she grabbed his arm, he looked at her and made an effort to calm down. "We keep walking, I don't want to cause a fuss, and mama and papa have enough to worry about."

Pietro scowled again at Marco before nodding "Okay"

"And keep your head down, Marco may not go for us but that one at the back looks like he could be Marco's older brother. He's 14, and so are his friends, you wouldn't stand a chance, come on, lets cross the street" as they crossed both pulled their hoods up, Wanda tucked her long hair up underneath her red beanie.

They walked in silence as they passed the group, Wanda silently hoped they wouldn't be seen, it wouldn't take much to set Pietro off taking current events.

They almost made it.

"Hey, aren't you those Maximoff kids?" yelled Marcos older brother

Pietro looked at her through the corner of his eye, she motioned for him to keep walking.

She heard people start to jog after them

"Hey, I was talking to you, I asked you a question. Or are you deaf as well as freaks"

Pietro spun to face them, she cursed, so close to making it.

"Oh hello, aren't you just adorable" mocked Marco's older brother, Antone? Anatol?

"Piss off Anatol" spat Pietro

He laughed and looked back at his friends before leaning down to Pietro, he was a good 8 inches taller "did you just try insult me kid"

"Ant, leave it, I don't care." Called Marco. In all this tense atmosphere Wanda hadn't noticed Marco who was standing behind his brother staring in fear at her.

"No, that creep of a girl hurt my baby brother, and she's going to pay" Anatol hissed icily grabbing Pietro's sweater and throwing him out of the way, glaring at her. Pietro fell to the ground but was up and standing infront of Wanda in an instant

"You touch her and I will kill you" snarled Pietro.

Anatole stared down at Pietro as if he were an annoying gnat. "So you'd rather it be you? Fine, we'll beat you to a pulp then get your sister" he grinned sadistically at Pietro before grabbing him again and punching him square in the face.

Pietro wriggled in his grip and bit hard on Anatol's arm "you little dick!" yelled Anatole dropping Pietro. Pietro stumbled, still unsteady from the hard punch to the face.

"Marco, Pyotr, Sandor, grab the girl, I need to teach this little punk a lesson. Misha, help me get this punk into that alley, bring Wanda." Wanda had no chance against her attackers, but that didn't make her go without a fight, they had to smash her on the head before she would come, and even then she only came because she was too dazed to do anything else.

Wanda sobbed as Anatol attacked her brother, fists pummelled his stomach as Misha held him up. After what seemed like eternity Misha dropped Pietro. Instantly Pietro collapsed, spitting out blood before retching up the contents of his stomach.

"You're fucking disgusting kid" sneered Anatol

Wanda wanted to scream at Pietro when he started getting up again, but she was terrified. Anatol shoved him into a wall and Pietro fell back onto a wall.

"Stay down kid" he sneered, "Now where was I? oh yeah your turn" he moved sadistically towards her, she struggled against the people holding her, her head hurt too much to use her powers, there was no way Pietro was getting up anytime soon. She was trapped.

He grabbed her jumper and slammed her into a wall. "You know I was going easy on your brother? I mean, you're the one I wanted this whole time" he hissed into her ear, she watched as he pulled something out of his pocked, a razor. She struggled. He laughed. "You ever heard of a Chelsea grin? Probably not. Well you're going to find out taking you'll have one. Basically, I put this in your mouth" he paused to force the razor in-between her lips, " then all I have to do is push it and… what the fuck is wrong with your eyes?!" she panicked.

At that moment a lot happened. A pulse of energy left her into Anatol, he screamed and stumbled back clutching his head, someone dropped out from the roof's above and grabbed her from where she was frozen pulling the razor from her mouth.

"Run" he commanded

She didn't look back, Pietro was on his feet, and apparently he had got up sometime when Anatol had been hurting her and had to be held back by some guys. He grabbed her hand and they bolted home. Only stopping when they reached home.

"Are you ok?" he said through wheezes leaning against the wall of the corridor leading to their apartment. "Wanda?"

"I'm fine… are you ok?" she looked worriedly at him, he had taken a huge beating.

"I'm good, look its healing" he pulled up his shirt, his ribs were practically purple but he was right. As she watched the bruises seemed to be fading. "They were broken but now just bruised" he poked at them, wincing. That was new, Pietro didn't heal fast, he only moved fast. "What did you do to Anatol?" he wheezed

"I don't know" she croaked

"He looked terrified"

"I don't know" she repeated sitting on the floor now.

He followed her action and sat next to her putting his arm round her shoulder and pulling her into him, pressing his lips into the top of her head. "Did you see that man?"

"I didn't stop to look, I just ran"

"Yeah, he had a mask on, like a muzzle, and goggles covering his eyes, he grabbed Misha, Marco, and Pyotr, left them unconscious. Sandor just ran. Don't know what he did to Anatol."

"Can we just hope he was a Good Samaritan?"

"Maybe he was a rebel assassin"

"What?!" she stared at him

"You know, there are rumours, the rebels are training assassins to take out the government. I heard that the sjajan otac isn't ill, but they got him"

Wanda laughed at her brother. "and where did you get that?"

"Just heard it" he murmured, anxiously he looked around before turning back to her excitedly, "I found a rebel information centre!"

"What?!" she looked at him amazed, an information post.

"I know! I'll take you there tomorrow." He giggled and poked her. She returned the action.

"What are you to talking about" came the deep jokey voice of their father.

Both spun to face the man

"Nothing" they said in unison

"And that's how I know you're lying. Come on, sorry I'm late home I must have forgotten to give you the key. Mama's staying late at the orphanage, they've got new kids from shells in the next district and they need all the help, I would have stayed but I've got you two to look after." He scruffed Pietro's hair. "Come on you two."

Once inside the twins went to their room, their apartment was made up of a bathroom, one bedroom, and a main room which contained: a really small seating area, a dining room/kitchen, and their parent's bed. Their bedroom only consisted of a bunkbed, wardrobe, and bookcase.

"How was school?" called their father from the kitchen

"Good" they yelled in unison

"You know I'd prefer it if you just told me you weren't going to school"

Pietro froze and stared at Wanda. They peaked out of their room to look at their father, who hadn't looked up from cooking.

"Sorry Papa?" asked Pietro slowly

"I know you're not going to school and haven't for the last week at least."

"Bu…"

"Don't worry, your mother noticed first. And today I got my conformation."

"How?" there was no point denying now

"Wanda and Pietro. You both have leaves on your clothes. The only place in this district that has evergreens is the park. And there's no way you could have gone there and got here in the time after school."

"Oh"

"Don't worry, I'm not mad. You must have a good reason, neither of you would skive for the heck of it. By the way Pietro, the pictures we took last week have been processed. They're on your bed."

"Thanks." Pietro stared at Wanda confused. What had just happened? He went and grabbed the photos, putting his favourite in his pocket. It was one of the whole family. Wanda was sat on his shoulders grinning while their parents stood behind them, his father holding mother close to him and looking lovingly at her while she nestled into his body, smiling at the camera. It was taken in the park. Father had got one of the orphanage workers to take it.

"Pietro, why didn't he yell at us?" asked Wanda silently, staring worriedly at him.

"You heard him, he doesn't think we deserve it." Murmured Pietro flopping onto his bunk.

Wanda gave him a disbelieving look before climbing up to her bunk. "Well you can believe that, I'm reading"

Pietro grunted in response at her. Grabbing a rubber ball from under the bed he began to bounce it against the bunk above him. Something was wrong with his father's attitude, but he didn't know what.

##

Branka watched as Wanda flicked a pea at Pietro, laughing at the squeal of indignation he made.

"Wanda, don't flick food at your brother." She said sternly, forcing herself to hide a grin, which her husband had already failed at.

She hoped these moments would last forever. But they wouldn't. That was obvious now. They were due an air strike any day now, which was the word off the street. And it was rarely wrong.

Dobrilo had heard the same from his sources. Branka was thankful she didn't live near the rebel base. Living about a mile away was inconvenient when she helped run operations but it was safer for her family. Mirjana understood that, she had had children of her own. Although the youngest was early twenties. Obrad, being the sullen old man he was, had been harder to win over. But Mir had sorted him out. Making him meet the five year old twins had helped as well. Even if Pietro had knocked him into a snow drift.

Those were good times. Before the rebellion was centralised and became a full time job.

She had manged to keep her family safe. Only Dobrilo knew. But he didn't want to be involved. After all, he preferred the more pacifistic protesting. She could only wish that the twins' innocence would last forever.

##

Pietro had heard a mild buzzing. And ignored it. The explosion that had followed 30 seconds later was harder to ignore.

A hole ripped open the floor, he didn't even see his parents go. They were gone, like the table, the chairs, the stove…

Swallowed whole by the monster in the floor.

Buzzing filled his ears, heat washed over him, the world seemed to blur, he had rolled back off his chair when the monster had roared, saving himself from being swallowed with his parents. He watched his chair teetering on the edge of its mouth, the only one not yet sucked into the gaping mouth. Wanda.

His head snapped back to perspective, where was his sister. She screamed.

He could see her wiggling form through the dust, leg trapped by a piece of concrete. Slowly being sucked into the monsters mouth. In a blur he had grabbed her, rolling under their parent's bed he clutched her tight, she was sobbing. Performing the one action his head was screaming at him to do. To mourn. To break down. To do something. But he couldn't, his head was filled with a stillness, a panic. In shock from what had just happened.

The buzz came again, he crushed himself into Wanda. It was close. Landing with a loud clunk in the rubble of their home. Sitting 3ft from their faces. A slender metal object.

Wanda stopped, echoing the silence. There was no slow of tears, just a jolted shock of quiet after the clunk of the metal. Neither of the pair dared move. Barely breathing.

The dust began to clear, they could see more than the outline. Pietro saw the yellow streak, almost like an arrow cut in half underneath the writing. The writing that spelled out one word in such a way it seemed like the weapon was proud of its inventor, the inventor was proud of the death they had caused. One word, painted in thick yellow writing, which imprinted into Pietro's mind until the day he died. Stark.

"We're going to die." Murmured Wanda. The same shock that had overtaken Pietro now infecting her. "We're going to die."

Pietro barely comprehended what his sister had said. The same thoughts ran over and over in his head.

They were just having dinner. The four of them. Wanda had flicked a pea at him. There was a buzz. He ignored it. His parents where dead.

Stark killed them

They were just having dinner. The four of them. Wanda had flicked a pea at him. There was a buzz. He ignored it. His parents where dead.

Stark killed them

They were just having dinner. The four of them. Wanda had flicked a pea at him. There was a buzz. He ignored it. His parents where dead.

Stark killed them

They were going to die too.

The soldier watched from his post. Only moving back as the dust cloud swamped the street. He had been warned of this shell strike. But it was wrong for it to be this side of the district. His handler had been assured it would be by the rebel headquarters. Therefore shelling the warehousing, park, orphanage, upper school, lower school, housing centres 11-40, and district centre. The nearest plane shouldn't have come within ½ a mile of this housing centre. Or surely he would have been ordered to acquire the twins as part of his protection order.

'Soldier, report status of the assets'

His handler's voice came through on his earpiece, the voice was worried.

"Sir, shelling to assets house was not direct, but no conformation on condition of twins, sir"

'Twins?' the voice sounded cold, the soldier shivered. He would be punished back at base.

"Assets, sir"

'Discover condition, if alive acquire the assets, use force if necessary, but no permanent damage, if alive leave no evidence that assets survived. If any other signs of life, eliminate. If detected or seen, eliminate person. Understood?'

"Understood Sir"

The soldiers com's went quiet.

Silently he moved to the apartment building, scaling the side of the unstable structure. He had a clear period of approximately 5 minutes before people realised the stray plane had moved off and began leaving the 'safety' of their homes.

Grunting he pulled himself through the window of the assets' apartment. He was in the twins bedroom, the wardrobe doors now lay in splinters round the room. Some clothes had survived the bombardment. Quickly he grabbed a change of clothes for each twin. Choosing the least dirty from the selection and placing them in his backpack. As he went to move into the main room of the apartment something squashed under his boot. Crouching he picked up the object. A small teddy bear. It was approximately the same size as his hand. Dust covered its light brown pelt. Tenderly the soldier brushed off some dirt, revealing that on the left side of the chest embroidered on there was a small blue heart. He rubbed his thumb over the inanimate thing.

His moment was interrupted by a slight ruffling in the next room along. Silently he tucked the bear into his backpack before tiptoeing into the next room.

There was a huge hole in the floor, scoping the area he could see that the rocks had slightly been pushed aside by the double bed on the opposite side of the room.

Skilfully he stalked round the outside of the hole. Not kicking a stone out of place. Once round the hole he crouched to see if there was anyone under the bed. From underneath the ruined structure she could see a pair of small bodies cramped together, fearful eyes staring at him. Not something he was unfamiliar with. He strode toward the bed.

"No!" came the voice of the girl.

He paused mid stride, watching as she pointed at something he had mistaken for a rock. A shell. His brain darted for a solution. Which was an easy one. He pulled out his gun and shot precisely where he needed to aim, disabling the shell from exploding by making it impossible for the explosive material to be activated.

Again he strode towards the bed, using his arm to pull it up the twins darted out. He grabbed the boy with his free arm as he dropped the bed.

"Let me go!" the boy struggled against his grip.

"Let him go!" cried the girl shrilly, the soldier stared at her intimidatingly. But she would not back down.

Her eyes had changed to a blood red and ribbons of energy of the same colour weaved through her fingers. In a blink the soldier darted her. Resulting in a cry from her brother as she collapsed. Sadly the soldier only had one dart. So, knowing there was no way this boy would come quietly he grabbed the boy into a choke hold. He remained stoic as the boy chocked under his grasp, his body screaming for air which the soldier was withholding. After about a minute the boy went slack.

Silently the soldier slung the boy over his shoulder before picking up the girl bridal style. As quietly as he entered he left. Darting through the alleys to his hide out where he'd await further orders.

ta da! now you just have to wait another few months for the next chapter! sorry. i will try update more often though