After flying over seemingly endless farmland and pine forest - no wonder it was called the Pine Tree State - the tiny lights of their destination crested the horizon.
They had flown in over New York first before turning north east. Up they went flying over Vermont and New Hampshire, until finally they were flying above the snowy pines of Maine. There were scatterings of city lights, but they really became fewer and fewer the further they flew until it was merely wilderness spliced with in with a few crops and fields. Soon, the only lights came from tiny farmhouses and solar-panelled lamps offering a tiny shedding of light on rural backroads.
It was an excellent place to hide, Vision noted - after all, Maine was one of the lowest-populated states, and it was almost entirely covered by forest. Clearly Siren chose their hiding spots better than who they chose to work alongside with. Vision's chest was heavy with regret, as he imagined how terrified they must have all been when they heard Josephine lock the door.
What would actually happen when they finally cornered Josephine at last, when she had no more weapons? He wanted to believe Wanda when she said she would think about sparing Josephine's life, but he just couldn't. Wanda avoided eye contact every time she lied, and her eyes had been firmly on the ground when she made that promise to him. He knew Wanda had a little bit of darkness inside her, a vengeful side - but would she really outright murder Josephine? Could he stop her? Should he?
Behind him, Wanda murmured under her breath as they hit some turbulence. He looked back at her, dark strands of her hair framing her face. He remembered how it had been in his memory, that fiery ginger. This new memory was branded into his lids whenever he closed his eyes.
That little memory of being with her was intoxicating. The feeling of her warmth and weight above his body, the light in her eyes - it filled him with an unexplainable joy and sense of peace. With the new memory came more emotion, more feelings for her. He had been spent the whole flight wondering on whether he should tell her how he felt about her. This could be his last chance to tell her how he felt.
At first, he had been hurt that Wanda was keeping even more from him than he initially thought, before he rationalised and tried to understand. It was easier for both of them the simpler their relationship was - both their heads were all over the place when they'd met in Edinburgh. She was running away from her own demons, and Vision probably would have run a mile if he had known his friendship with the woman he had started out terrified of was actually more intimate than that of a confidant.
We were a couple. She's been keeping that from me all along, but she has only done that to protect me. You can't just tell someone with no memory that they are supposed to love you. But now... I love her. And I think she still loves me. Vision thought, comforted for a moment, before remembering where they were and what they were about to do. Have you got a wire loose? Telling her now? This isn't the time to confess your feelings - we both need a clear head.
"Wanda?" Her eyes fluttered open. "We're almost here."
Wanda sat up straight in her seat, holding onto the blanket he had draped across her. She tilted her head to get a better look outside; they were flying over some pines. "Maine?" She asked for confirmation, and he nodded. A few silent minutes went by, and Wanda picked up on the fact that something felt different - Vision was strangely tense. She glanced about the jet, suddenly remembering the bench; maybe that was bothering him. She flicked her wrist, and the bloodstains began to magically lift away.
She waited, hoping this weird, unspoken atmosphere would go away, but it didn't. His face was etched with concern, red hands tightly gripping the controls, not looking her directly in the eye. "Vizh. Is something wrong?"
"Wrong? Not at all. Why?"
"You're... quiet." Even his mind was quiet, as if he were actively trying to close it off to her. Out of respect she didn't dare pry into it. The atmosphere between them wasn't bad or awkward - he appeared to have forgiven her for her attempt to leave him behind - had he? "Are you still mad at me?"
"Of course I'm not mad at you." He assured her, looking her in the eye at last. "I'm just dreading seeing Josephine again."
"Me too." She wrung her wrists; her sleep hadn't been uninterrupted. Josephine's face flashed in from time to time like someone peering out at her from around a corner; she looked angry, but in the background, Wanda could hear her cries of grief. She understood now that there had been heartbreak underneath the mask all along, and the ice-cold thing that had possessed Wanda only last night had significantly grown quieter. She didn't want to kill Josephine... Her experiences aren't an excuse. Have you forgotten what she's done to him?
Wanda forced down the slowly rising wave of fire. "What time is it?"
"About ten at night. It'll be quiet."
"It's already quiet." Wanda looked out into the city-lightless darkness. They really were in the middle of nowhere.
"Did you know that Maine is the thirteenth least densely populated state in America?"
"I missed your statistics." She grinned, as they tried to find a 'parking spot'. Ideally they would have hidden it in the forest somewhere, but the thick trees made that impossible. They ultimately settled on a field with one single pine tree standing in the centre. The jet had a built in invisibility feature that could be switched on and off, so they couldn't risk losing it in the dozens of identical fields.
As Vision began the landing process, she wandered about the jet, opening drawers and searching cupboards. "Looking for something?" He asked.
"I'm kind of hungry." She pulled open a drawer, only to discover a pile of wrappers. "Oh, damn you, Bucky."
"How can you be sure it was Bucky?"
Wanda turned over the wrappers. "They were chocolate brownie flavour, so Bucky for sure. But I'm betting Sam ate the strawberry ones. Nevermind, maybe I'll be able to magic food out of thin air someday." She joked, tossing the wrappers into the trash.
They stepped onto the grass, frost crunching underfoot. A few cows looked at Wanda and Vision, grass hanging out of their mouths. Their jaws moved mechanically, their mild eyes barely blinking, before their heads dipped back to continue grazing. A thought came to the both of them as they looked out at the field, the endless, dark forest fringing all directions.
"Does any of this feel familiar to you?" She asked, hopefully.
"Well... no." Vision did not have the usual sense of de ja vu, despite being confident he had been to this Siren base before. "Can you feel her?"
Wanda reached out, but it was strangely silent. That wasn't right - how was she able to find Josephine all the way from Wakanda? "Nothing. Maybe she put her suit back on." She started in one direction and hesitated. "We could head into the town centre. If you've been here before, maybe something will come back to you - and if not, if this town is as tiny as I think, someone's bound to have seen something suspicious."
"What about..." Vision gestured to her suit.
"What? Am I overdressed?" Wanda smiled mischievously. Vision gave a low, genuine chuckle. "Hang on. I have an emergency cover up." Her glowing hand raised, and an long, wrap-around black coat glided down the jet ramp as if it were being worn by an invisible person. She threw it on, belting it shut. Her boots were visible, but the coat wrapped high across her corset, and it was long enough to conceal the tail ends of her jacket. Vision phased into his human form and what was initially a black trench; then he changed his mind, switching to dark blue.
"Navy looks good on you."
"Thank you." Vision thought about his sweater with the frayed sleeve once again.
Wanda hit a button on the outside of the ship, and it turned invisible. They flew over the field and to the main road, where they started walking as the town lights began to emerge. Rapidly, Wanda began to feel how bitterly cold it was. The ankle-length coat wasn't thick enough; she had a couple of spare suits, and the latest one, the one with the built-in heater, was hanging in her wardrobe back at the compound. Her loose hand accidentally brushed Vision's, and he jumped, shocked by how cold it was.
"You're frozen, Wanda."
"A little." Her teeth clacked together. "Can I walk closer to you? You're always warm -" Immediately, Vision wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders, and Wanda gratefully sank into his side, sighing softly at his warmth. "You're a lifesaver." She murmured.
Wanda stayed tucked into Vision's side for the entire walk as they passed the blue road sign and entered Whistledownton. It was a classic small town that they had both seen portrayed in countless American-set movies, the kind of a run-down town in a Stephen King book that might hide a dark secret. At this hour it was dark, dimly lit by sparse streetlights. Many buildings were vacant, windows smashed, scrawled with graffiti. Flyers were stuck to the walls here and there, fluttering in the wind, ink running until it was unclear what the page said anymore. A lost football rolled across the path in front of them, rolling to a stop by a stormdrain.
"I wonder if it was like this before the first snap." Vision wondered, aloud.
"A lot of places across the country look like this now. It's sad..."
There were signs of life up ahead - a motel, a bar, and a diner. The motel was dimly lit with a couple of trucks and cars in the parking lot. The bar was brightly lit and busy, a cluster of people inside, maybe because it was one of the few places let to socialise in, while the diner was strangely empty. A single waiter sat in one of the booths, reading a magazine, occasionally glancing at the door.
"Maybe everyone lives in the farms." Wanda glanced at the diner, trying to ignore the empty pit in her stomach. Vision slowed a bit.
"Do you want to make a stop? You need energy."
"We don't have time for -" Vision rose his projected eyebrow, prompting her to remember her promise about self-care. "I wouldn't mind a coffee... but what about Josephine?"
"She's been very patient so far. I'm sure she can wait a few more minutes."
"Seven dollar fifty."
Wanda dug into her pocket, knowing full well that she had no money. The air behind the waiter's head momentarily turned red, but before she could even try to get into his mind, she felt Vision push a piece of paper into her hand. She looked down and saw that he had handed her a ten dollar bill, his hand still faintly translucent from phasing into the cash register. "I had that." She tried not to laugh. "I think I'm a bad influence on you." God, she had to stop flirting with him.
"I've certainly committed worse crimes. You know, falsifying identity, assisting a fugitive of the law..."
Wanda looked sideways at him, and his eyes were on the floor, but he was smirking. She barely noticed that the waiter was trying to hand her a receipt. "Oh, sorry, thanks..."
"Hey, you two look so familiar, I just can't place where." The waiter said, smiling as he pushed the cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin towards them. "Have you been on tv or something?"
Wanda chuckled nervously, pulling a little hair over her face and forcing the most American accent she could muster. "We get that a lot - we have those faces, I guess. Come on, Vi- Victor."
They sat on the same side of a booth, their ankles brushed under the table; the seat on the other side had a questionable looking stain on it. Wanda was breaking the muffin into small-bite size pieces with her delicate fingers, trying to save the bit with the most blueberry in it for the end. Vision quite happily sat beside her, chin propped on his hand. He caught himself staring at her a couple of times and he had to look away, but from her faint smile, he was sure she noticed.
"I apologise if I am acting strangely. Nerves."
"I get it." Wanda's eyes clouded with worry; this normal, casual moment felt so bizarre. They could have been on a date, almost, if it weren't for the alien - and the human - monster hiding somewhere in the nearby hills. "This reminds me of Europe." She added some sugar to her coffee. "You'd get funny looks because you would never order anything. You had to order a small dish or something and poke it with a fork a couple of times to make it look a little less weird."
Her words seemed to unlock a slideshow of new, minor memories; coffee shops with fogged-up windows, dimly lit restaurants late at night, and Wanda laughing over a stove top, eyes filled with sparks.
"We must have wasted a lot of food." Vision joked.
"No, we didn't." Wanda grinned. "At the end of the night I'd ask for a little box and I'd take it back to the room to have myself later. It was great, if I couldn't decide which dessert I wanted. If I couldn't decide between a brownie or ice cream, it worked out well for me, because I got to have the cake later..." Her cheeks tinged pink, a little embarrassed. Vision found it absolutely adorable. "I just got carried away, didn't I?"
"No, please. I like hearing about our old life. I like hearing you speak so fondly."
Her chin lifted and she gave him a relaxed half-smile. Her warm green eyes suddenly widened as she spotted the tv in the corner of the diner. She lightly touched his forearm and pointed at the screen. "Look."
It was the same news channel they regularly tuned into at the compound, the familiar reporter on screen, sitting behind her desk. "We have breaking news just moments ago. Some bomb remains have been discovered in the debris left behind by the explosion on Friday, suggesting, as many have been, that this was a premeditated attack by unknown perpetrators - and not Wanda Maximoff at all. This adds to the growing evidence that the missing Avenger was merely trying to contain the explosion before it happened. More is to follow, but at the moment it's unclear whether the authorities will call off their search for her, James Buchanan Barnes, and Samuel Wilson."
"They'd better." Wanda grumbled.
"That's good news, though." Vision said, optimistically. "The tides are turning."
"I hope you're right." She replied, anxiously. "I hope it's enough to..."
The door to the diner suddenly swung open, and a freezing gush of air swept into the diner. A man stepped inside - based on his clothing, he was some kind of forest ranger. The waiter immediately greeted him. "Oscar, how's it going? How was your shift?"
"My shift isn't over... four coffees to take away please, Jim. I've got a long night ahead." The ranger looked at Vision and Wanda, who were the only people in the entire diner in their little booth. "Sorry Jim, I'm in a shitty mood... it's just we're all working over time tonight, and it's not looking good in the preserve. It's happened for the second night in a row." Jim visibly whitened.
"More dead -?"
Wanda paused, coffee halfway to her lips, while Vision automatically glanced at the two men in curiosity. "Ssh!" The ranger looked quickly at them once more; they continued to stare at the t.v., pretending not to notice. "Come over here, I'll tell you all about it."
Wanda whispered into his mind. "That sounds..."
"Suspect. I agree." Vision sharpened his superhuman hearing to overhear the conversation as the waiter ushered the ranger to the bar, out of normal earshot.
"We found five yesterday, as you know. Of course we get dead animals left right and centre but not - shredded to pieces. An hour ago I got a call from Michael - something killed one of his horses, in the same manner."
"A horse? No way."
"Yep. The other rangers are saying wolves or coyotes, but it doesn't even eat any of them - maybe it takes a chunk of two - then it leaves. It's the seventh mutilated body in the last two days."
"More deer?"
"Grizzly." Jim poured coffee all over the bar, mouth hanging open in shock. Wanda's hand, lightly resting on Vision's forearm, suddenly tightened. "Just before I left, some hikers came in, scared out of their wits. They said they saw something and heard strange noises, but honestly, I think they might have been on something, they were going on being stalked by a skinwalker or wendigo."
"That's ridiculous..."
"Yeah, I know. A lot of crazy things have happened lately but that's just too crazy. Angela thinks it's a rabid grizzly or something, and I think the same - I mean what else could kill a horse and another bear?"
"Oh, you don't wanna know," Wanda muttered under her breath.
"Anyway, whatever it is, bear, wendigo or maniac with a knife, it's killed a horse now, so we can't just let it go. We're thinking of heading out in the morning with some arms, see what we can find. I'm going to head back up there now and see if they've finished talking to the hikers. Until then, spread the word for everyone to stay indoors and out of the forest." Oscar picked up the coffees. "Take care, Jim. I'll text you updates."
"Be careful, Oscar!" Jim called after, before swiping up his phone and beginning to text frantically. The ranger trudged out, the door slamming behind him.
Vision looked at Wanda and she nodded in agreement, quickly downing the rest of her coffee. They left the diner in time to see the smoke from the exhaust pipe fill the air as the truck rolled out into the street and up the road, headed toward the treeline. "Come on, we can't lose him." With a quick look about, they stepped into the air. The entire way, Vision was analysing every word of the conversation.
"Josephine has been here less than three days and she's just letting it roam the forest on a killing spree? She doesn't care about begin secretive anymore. It's like she wants to be found."
"She loves drama. She's probably the most dramatic person I've ever met. She's waiting for us."
The truck struggled uphill into the forest and pulled into a tiny forest parking lot. As silent as owls, they dropped to the forest floor, peering out from behind the trees to witness as Oscar climbed out of the truck, the four coffees in hand. A small ranger cabin glowed up ahead, several trucks parked out front and a few figures shadowing the porch.
"Let's get closer." They quietly weaved through the foliage, closer to the cabin. Oscar trudged through the mud and up the rickety wooden steps of the cabin. Under the porch stood five figures; three other rangers in identical uniforms, looking impatient and tired; and two young men sitting on barrels in reflective hiking gear. One of the rangers, a short woman with pale blonde hair, had a notepad in hand.
"Sir, I get you're upset, and when you're scared and in the dark your mind can run away with you. Let's go inside the lodge, get you something warm to drink, and calm you down. You're sure it wasn't just an underfed -"
"I know a bear when I see one!" The two hikers were both pale and clammy looking, voices high pitched with distress. "It was huge - no hair and freakishly skinny. We heard it, it stalked us, snarling and howling - it's just not natural -"
"Howling? We get coyotes and wolves around here. You're sure it wasn't -"
"It was either a skinwalker or a wendigo! You hear stories all the time." The rangers exchanged exasperated looks.
"Yes, stories."
"But I saw it! In the dark, I saw something huge and skinny up there!" The hiker swept on. "It stared at me from the dark with it's one big green eye! You don't believe me? It was up there!" The hiker pointed up. "Right up there, it was, in the trees! Go see for yourself, you'll see it alongside the other dead animals!"
They looked at each other, and then up toward the dark hills. "Up there." Vision said, in a small voice. The stone twitched fiercely in his forehead, as if agreeing with him.
"Come on." Wanda said, softly.
An electric fence stood between them and the dark forest. They stood side by side, staring into the darkness. Every voice inside their heads were screaming at them to turn around and fly away as far and fast as possible. Wanda took off her coat with trembling fingers, her magic lifting it high into a tree, draping over a fork in the branches. Vision phased back into his regular form, and the cold wind pulled at his cape.
"I'm not ready for this." Wanda was glad they'd stopped at the diner, to have one last normal moment. Because now, she wasn't so sure they'd ever have another normal moment again. "Whatever happens in here..." She began, trailing into nothingness. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, just in case... "If things turn south, don't wait for me. Just go. Get yourself out."
"It's not going to come to that, I promise." Vision looked at her face. It was a mask of forced calm, her lips in a mild line, but her jaw was clenched. Her eyes revealed how truly terrified she was. All he wanted to do was hug her and tell her it was going to be alright.
"But if it does..." She began.
"I won't leave you." He reached for her hand, and she met him halfway, intertwining their fingers. "Just stay close to me."