55 A Brave New World
It's been too long since I've posted. I feel bad. I'm sorry. School started and work schedules changed... and I planned out chapters 61-70.
Thanks too all the favorites and follows. I would list you all like normal but I there were quite a few of you and I feel like passing out right know I love every single one of you and I will make up for it next week. Okay?
Thanks for the reviews: Daughter of Ironman06 (Don't panic. I have a fire extinguisher. Civil War is not near.), WhoPotterAvenge-X Kane (Again with the Civil War thing...), Princess of Paris ('Language' is the best part of AOU. I will not comment on Civil War. And technically Steve just surrendered in Civil War. He was 'assassinated' in his own series as a result of civil war. As for the movie isnt Chris Evans signed on for Infinity Wars? They cant kill him in Civil War.), Dreamer558750 (I'm not saying nothing good happens in this story ever again. I actually have lots of happy/fluffy moments planned.), Sapphire Roz (Go ahead. Slap Steve as much as you feel is appropriate.), Person D (I. Yeah, you'd think someone would call... II/III. I think Bucky says that to Steve a lot actually. IV/V. The Jimmy fan club lives! VI. I Always try. and VII. Shrugs dramatically.) and LokittySupreme (Dont cry... yet.)
People still keep talking about Civil War. It's not like I have the Civil War comic collection just lying on my coffee table as we speak. (Little Author: She Does.) SO in the words of Jeremy Renner in Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation or my Dad who keeps quoting this line. I CANNOT CONFORM OT DENY ANY DETAILS OF AN OPERATION [story planning] WITHOUT THE OPROVAL OF THE SECRETARY. I also cannot conform ore deny the future appearances of [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted.]
Okay... one of the redacted characters are mentioned largely in this chapter.
I had officially been living in New York for a week when I actually got to meet the new Avengers team. Sure, I had met Vision, he had looked for me, and I knew Sam and Rhodey from before.
But I hadn't seen them as Avengers yet. And I was yet to meet Wanda Maximoff.
Steve and Natasha had often praised the girl's work in becoming an avenger, and Vision seemed fascinated with her power. But I had never personally met her.
Meaning, I clearly had to hunt her down.
Surprisingly it was not that difficult.
I found her in an empty room, curled up in a fuzzy red blanket and staring blankly at the window. She seemed sad. Then I remembered that Clint had told what happened to her twin. Her sadness was justified.
"Are you okay there?" I ask gently to the girl who looked about the same age as me.
She looked at me startled. "I'm fine. And you are?" she said in her lovely Sokovian accent.
"Alyssa Rogers. You are Wanda, correct? Steve and Natasha have told me a lot about you." I offer a hand for her to shake. She takes it timidly. She looked like a baby deer. Wide-eyed and nervous. I felt like I should be scared of frightening her off.
"That is correct. Captain Rogers speaks highly of you."
"He better by now. How are you adjusting here?"
"A-alright I suppose…"
"You miss him a lot don't you?"
Wanda looked at me surprised at my words.
"You don't need to be a mind reader to figure out what is going on in your head. I know that look. When you lose everything, that look just happens."
"He was all I had left of my family…"
"I know. I know what that's like. During the battle of New York I lost my parents. They were all I had too. I know I'll never replace them, but I found more family with time. And if you let it happen, you will too." I sat down beside her.
"It hurts. Everything… I wish he were here. It never stops." Wanda let out a little sob.
"It never will. You just have to learn to live with the pain. Eventually you will remember happy things more than sad things. Eventually, fewer things will remind you of him. One day everything you feel now will fade into the background noise of your head. At least… that's what grief counselors told me."
Wanda let out a shaky laugh. "Do grief counselors work?"
"I don't know. I never once took their advice."
"Then why go?"
"I had a therapist for a while. I had social issues and well… issues in general. He suggested it would be good for me. I went the once and never went back."
Wanda let out a yawn and I then took notice to the time.
"Well… it's getting late. I should go, and you should head home too." I get up and head to the door.
"Alyssa?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For not saying that you are sorry for my loss."
"You looked like you heard it too many times."
It was an early afternoon on a Friday when I saw Sam Wilson in his Falcon gear, exhausted, confused and frustrated.
"You come back from a mission or something?" I asked in confusion.
"I wish. I have seen some strange things today Alyssa." Sam shook his head.
"We live with a sentient android and a witch. How weird can it be?"
"How about a fully grown man… shrinking to insect size?"
"I don't think science is that far…"
"Then… how did an ANT SIZED MAN BEAT ME?"
"You got beat up by an ant?" I snickered.
"He put up quite the fight and vanished! Is that even possible?"
"I suppose so, I mean… witch, android, AIs, aliens, gods. Why not shrinking men?" I shrug it off.
"You seem surprisingly okay with this."
"I'm impressed. Not surprised. I've tried to build a shrink ray before. Theoretically it is possible."
"But not… practical, right? Like… this is magic?"
"Well, I don't know about magic… I could research the matter. That is if you really got beat up by an ant."
"An ant sized man! Not an ant! He called himself Antman!"
"Antman? He couldn't think of something better?"
"Not my problem! Just… I need to clear my head. Alyssa, don't tell Cap this, we cool?"
"You're asking me to lie to Mr. Truth, Justice and the American way?" I raise my eyebrows.
"Is that a no?" Sam groaned.
"It's a yes. Don't worry. I wont tell Cap you got beat up by an ant."
"Ant sized man." Sam corrected.
"Whatever. But you should be worried about the one in the vents spilling your secret." I walk away from the second bird of the group.
"Wait… Alyssa… what do you mean in the vents?"
"OH CAP! I have something fun to tell you!" Clint skipped into Steve's work area. Yes, Clint actually skipped.
"I don't wanna hear what Lucky did in the park today Clint. As fascinating as playing fetch is…"
"We play fetch with tennis ball tipped arrows, so it is fascinating. But no, that's not what I was going to say. This involves an avenger."
"Um… okay. What is it?" Steve asked the archer curiously.
"Sam got beat up by…" Clint started before Sam came in and tackled him to the ground.
"Don't you say a word Hawk boy!" Sam exclaimed.
Steve watched as the two bird themed avengers brawl on the floor in front of him. He rose out of his sitting position and pulled Sam off Clint.
"Guys! You are adults! Not children! I do not want to feel like a school principal today!" Steve glared at both grown men.
"Oohh… you guys are in trouble…" Alyssa came by and leaned on the door with Natasha.
"Cap has his 'I'm too old for this shit' face on." Natasha smirked.
Both of them tried to argue, but Steve ended it quickly.
"Both of you leave. You can come back and say or not say whatever it was later. When you both stop acting like children!" Steve said in his Captain America voice.
Both men left and Natasha followed out with Clint, leaving Alyssa to watch Steve shake his head.
"You are kind of like the school principal." Alyssa mentioned as she stared at the blonde. "If you are the school principal, does that make Natasha vice principal?"
"Probably." Steve laughed. "Would that make Tony like the school's benefactor?"
"Not sure that's the right word, but it would makes sense. He does the whole money thing."
"Then where does that put you?" Steve asked curiously.
"I don't know… kinda feel like a naughty student right now…" I wink at Steve with a joking smile. The whole thing flies right over his head.
"The what now?" Steve looked at me confused.
"Never mind. It was a joke. You didn't get it. I forgot you're all innocent and stuff." I ruffle his hair.
Steve just frowns at me. "Please don't tell me it was a…"
"Lets not dwell on it. Now come on. Lets go check out that new team of yours!"
Meanwhile with Coulson…
"Sir, we got two more." Skye or… the formerly known as Skye, Daisy announced as she entered Coulson's office.
"Where is it?" Coulson asked.
The younger agent brought up a map on a tablet. "Rural China. Word has it she can control the pressure of everything around her. And in Chicago, a blogger got feathers and other bird qualities and is blogging about it."
"Alright, alert Lincoln and Fitz tell them we're bringing in some new people."
"Coulson, are we sure about Fitz? Since what happened with Simmons and that Kree liquid rock thing… he's a mess."
"I appreciate your concern, but Fitz can handle it."
"It's been over a month. The odds of Simmons being alive are…"
"Improbable. I know. But give him time. He needs to get back into the routine of things again. Like my prosthetic hand and me. It will take time. To figure it out again."
"Didn't Barnes offer to help you out? After Stark and Alyssa outfitted you with that?" Skye, no Daisy, pointed out.
"He did. But I'm doing okay. See?" Coulson said as he demonstrated his left hand and a pen.
"Sure. Great, anyway… I also have the reports for the newest and so far only recruits of project caterpillar." Skye/Daisy handed Coulson the files.
"Thank you Skye. I'll take a look at them."
"No problem DC. Joining the welcome wagon with me?"
"I'll be down there in ten."
"Alright." The young agent walked out of the office.
Coulson then turned to the three files and scanned them quickly before getting ready for the next mission.
I was on the balcony with Amelia watching everyone train from above. The baby was sitting on a blanket with some cushions around her right beside me. Her giggles echoed through the room along with the sound of one of her music toys. Luckily she was occupied by the toys rather then my laptop. Half of the emails are from Bruce's cousin Jennifer, wondering what happened to him and the other half is Coulson, asking random crap about his prosthetic hand and me asking about why people keep dying by fish and seafood products by turning into stone.
Coulson always replies: "We are working on getting that under control. Stay away from the Tuna Melt until advised otherwise."
Jerk.
"Am I interrupting?" a feminine accent that could only belong to one Wanda Maximoff asked.
"No, not at all. Is everyone done down there?"
"No, just me." Wanda sat down near Amelia. The baby looked at this new human with curiosity.
"You've never met Amelia have you?"
Wanda shook her head the negative. "The captain speaks of her often."
"Not at all surprising. Well, Wanda this is Amelia. Amelia this is Wanda. She is a friend."
Wanda waved to Amelia and Amelia took to her surprisingly quickly.
Amelia gave her a big smile and attempted to grab Wanda's hand. Wanda smiled back at her.
"You're very cute Amelia." Wanda cooed at the tiny human. She continued to converse to the infant and I stopped paying attention. Until I heard…
"That is very interesting Amelia, what makes you think that?"
My head snapped up to look at the pair. Amelia was in Wanda's lap and playing with her bracelets. Amelia was giggling in response.
"I think your mommy knows that." Wanda continued.
"Uh… what is happening here?" I ask Wanda.
"Amelia and me are conversing." Wanda shrugged.
"I see that." I laugh lightly. "What's she saying?"
"She's telling me how her toy works. She doesn't like the noise that the bears left paw makes."
"Really? You speak baby or something?"
"Sort of, I am reading her mind." Wanda explained.
"Ah. That makes sense."
"She is very smart. You and the captain must use lots of words around her. The vocabulary of her thoughts is impressive for her age."
"I'll take your word for it."
"She thinks her dad works too much." Wanda added.
"Well then tell her to cry and give puppy eyes every time he leaves the house. He might feel guilty. That's what I used to do. Mind you I also used to offer up an activity I hope my daughter never learns of." I laugh.
"Melia prefers the grab and never let go method."
"It is a sound method."
"Alyssa, she wants to know why you sometimes call her Pond." Wanda asked on Amelia's behalf.
"Its from a TV show. I'll show it to her and explain it when she's older and can watch TV. And because it is adorable."
So Wanda speaks 'baby'. I feel like that makes sense.
But Next Chapter: I was bored at two in the morning. Nothing good happens after two AM. This is indeed a warning. If you need an example I suggest Chapter 31 of the first story. The story this story is a sequel of. Same writing enviroment.
