Happy New Year! It's been a really long time since I've updated or published anything, so I'm surprised that I actually managed to finish this.
Anyway, you can find this story on AO3 as well, if you prefer reading it there or want to bookmark it or something.
Please leave a review and have fun.
"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way."
― Tony Stark
I.
Wanda was ten years old when Tony Stark touched her life for the first time.
It would take her many years to find out how inadvertent his involvement was. How unwanted.
Hidden underneath her parents' bed, with her mother's torn off leg in front of her face and a mortar shell only a few feet farther, neither Maximoff twin cared about the inadvertence of Tony Stark's involvement.
The only thing they saw was death and the name 'Stark' stamped right atop it.
II.
They became orphans in a war-torn country. It was the two of them against the rest of the world.
III.
Growing up, Wanda was faced with many hurdles.
The one thing she remembered the most wasn't the gunshots in the streets. It wasn't the explosions all over the city or the mortar shells that could be found laying inside as well as outside of buildings.
The one thing Wanda remembered the most was being ten years old and hungry, so very hungry. Her stomach twisting itself so much that she had been willing to steal food from those even less fortunate than her.
Willing to do anything at all, really.
IV.
Sokovia was a lost country.
V.
As they grew, the twins took part in various riots against the foreign invaders as well as their own government.
VI.
Wanda and Pietro were fourteen when HYDRA offered them a place among its ranks.
Faced with a group of heavily armed soldiers and presented with the opportunity to not only change their country, but also take revenge on the man who in their minds had killed their parents, the twins made a choice.
It was Pietro, with his sunken cheeks and the dark shadows underneath his eyes that ultimately sealed their fate by saying 'yes'.
VII.
When they first joined them, the twins had no idea what HYDRA actually stood for. They did not even know it was HYDRA that they were joining.
By the time they found out, it was already too late.
VIII.
The experiments started only two weeks after Doctor List recruited them.
They weren't the only volunteers.
No one but them survived.
IX.
She would never forget her brother's agonized screams.
X.
Three years passed.
Neither Wanda nor Pietro were allowed to leave the base.
Instead they were carted from one lab to another, their powers tested and prodded.
Over time HYDRA turned her into the Scarlet Witch.
XI.
At seventeen they finally met the Avengers. Finally met Tony Stark.
It was also at seventeen, that she almost caused the end of the world.
XII.
Time seemed to pass her by in a blink.
One moment they were fighting for HYDRA, then Ultron and just as suddenly they joined the Avengers.
XIII.
Hatred, Wanda was forced to learn, brought nothing but pain. It blinded her enough to join an organization such as HYDRA. Made her ignorant to the pain of others so much so she released the Hulk on a helpless city.
But her biggest mistake, well, her biggest mistake constituted of invading the mind of Tony Stark, a man who with her help almost managed to turn his biggest nightmare into their reality.
XIV.
The other Avengers, the media and the world at large may say what they want. It wasn't Tony Stark who started Ultron.
It was Wanda who was the beginning of everything.
And at the end, she payed a most fitting price for her involvement; her twin.
XV.
Pietro's death felt as if it was her own. The bullets piercing her skin just as they did his.
Wanda felt the exact moment her twin's mind shut down and his soul left his body.
XVI.
Redemption was not something Wanda ever thought she would seek.
After watching Sokovia falling from the sky, the girl did not think it was something she would ever deserve.
XVII.
Still, she tried. She really did.
It's just that sometimes trying was not enough.
XVIII.
Vision was a miracle who came to her in the hardest time of her life.
XIX.
Lagos happened.
People all over the world began to fear her.
XX.
Throughout it all, a flame a kindled between Vision and her. What she begun to feel for him, it was so very different from anything she had ever felt before.
And yet, none of the love she felt for Vision managed to stop her from betraying him.
XXI.
It was at this point in her life, as she watched Vision crumble to his knees before her, that Wanda realized that she had become far worse than anything she had ever accused Stark of being.
They called her a monster in the streets and they were absolutely right.
XXII.
Her regrets kept on pilling.
XXIII.
In her life Wanda had been a daughter and sister, a friend and a lover. She had been a terrorist and an Anvenger.
And now she had also been classified as a criminal by the entire world.
XXIV.
She didn't deserve Vision. That became all the clearer when instead of condemning Wanda for her actions, he chose to forgive.
XXV.
Wanda would like to claim that she changed then. That she truly managed to work on whom she was and do better.
It would take take her many more years to reach that point.
XXVI.
Thanos came and murdered Vision. Then he proceeded to snap half of the universe out of existence.
And as Wanda watched her body change into dust, one last thought entered her mind.
Tony Stark was right.
XXVII.
She was brought back to life by a man whom she had damaged irreversibly.
One moment she was gone, and then just as suddenly she was back again.
XXVIII.
They were all saved by the man she had hated for most of her life.
XXIX.
Tony Stark was the savior of the entire universe.
How did one hate someone like that?
XXX.
Until now there was a Before and After Ultron.
This changed into a Before and After Thanos.
XXXI.
After the battlefield was cleared and dead were buried, Wanda found herself adrift.
She spend seven years that way.
XXXII.
Stephen Strange offered her a chance to learn.
He became her teacher and then her mentor.
He also gave her the opportunity to come up with her worst idea yet.
XXXIII.
Time Travel.
XXXIV.
It was crazy. Unfathomable.
It had already been done before.
XXXV.
A whispered spell.
A wish gone wrong.
Wanda wanted to go back to where it had all begun. She just hadn't realized how far that would end up being.
XXXVI.
She ended up in the middle of a desert, her powers drained to an extent that they were practically non-existent.
There was just enough time for her to take in the starry night sky and the freezing wind caressing her skin before the woman fell unconscious.
XXXVII.
When the Ten Rings found her near their camp, she was still out.
XXXVIII.
Awakening to foreign surroundings was almost as frightening as the fact that her powers seemed to be gone.
XXXIX.
It was not him she noticed at first, but the man who would become the catalyst of everything without anyone ever truly knowing.
XL.
''Easy.'' There was a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back onto a ratty mattress. ''Don't move. I don't know what exactly happened, but you've hurt your head.''
It took her a while to manage opening her eyes. It took her even longer to focus them on her surroundings.
A stranger was the first thing she saw. Then her gaze focused on Tony Stark.
XLI.
Afghanistan, of course.
XLII.
Blinking once and then twice, Wanda let her gaze wander from one man to the other until it finally settled on the man she had watched die seven years ago.
''Stark,'' she finally said.
He looked tired as he responded, ''You know me?''
XLIII.
In one universe, Tony Stark was forty-five years old when he first met Wanda Maximoff.
In this one fate brought them together much sooner.
XLIV.
''So, what did you do to get here?'' was the second question he asked her.
Laughing probably wasn't an appropriate answer, but she didn't really have anything else to give. ''You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you.''
XLV.
Fuck.
XLVI.
Contrary to popular belief, Wanda did know how think things through.
When it came to this whole time heist of hers, she had created an entire plan before she had jumped.
None of her plans applied anymore.
XLVII.
Desert nights were cold, freezing really. To stay warm they directed her in front of the fire pit where they huddled together and hoped that all three of them would survive until sunrise.
XLVIII.
''When they come, raise your hands, stay calm and let me do the talking,'' Yinsen instructed the next day.
It was easier said than done. Especially when she was grabbed by the hair and dragged out of the room.
XLIX.
''How did you get here? How did you find our base?'' they asked over and over again.
In between, the Ten Rings taught her how to appreciate one of the most important yet easily overlooked aspects of life; breathing.
L.
They dunked her head in a water barrel over and over again and no matter how much she tried, Wanda could not stop them.
One lie after another left her mouth. Then the truth followed.
Without her magic, she could do nothing to free herself
LI.
Powerless, that's what she was.
LII.
Drenched and breathless she was returned to her previous cell.
Stark only had to take one look at her to understand.
LIII.
The days continued as if she were stuck in a loop.
LIV.
''Not even the truth stopped them,'' she said one night, her voice easily betraying her desperation.
Stark took a moment to answer. ''If we don't stop them, nothing will.''
LV.
Wanda had heard of Iron Man's beginning.
It wasn't until she was forced to witness his origins that something within her cracked.
LVI.
''Too slow,'' they said as they dunked his head in the barrel.
Once Stark was almost unconscious due to the lack of air, they ordered, ''Work faster.''
LVII.
Once she wanted nothing more than to see him suffer like this.
Now, she would give anything for it to stop.
LVIII.
She wouldn't wish this even upon her worst enemy.
LIX.
''What do you live for?'' Yinsen asked her once they have settled in front of the fire for the night.
Wanda smiled sadly. She wasn't sure, not anymore.
LX.
It was about half an hour later, when Wanda was already on the cusp of falling asleep, that she heard Stark respond: ''The future. I live for the future.''
LXI.
If she had turned around at that moment, Wanda thought, she might have seen the universe reflected within his eyes.
LXII.
After almost two weeks of captivity, she started helping them build the Mark I.
LXIII.
The interrogators got bored with her answers within three weeks.
A change of pace was in order.
It was as one of them started trailing his hand down her body after beating the woman's face into a bloody pulp, that a small red spark finally flared across her fingers.
The man shot himself before anyone could stop him.
LXIV.
Wanda was returned back to their cell with her interrogators blood on her face and his brain matter tangled in her hair.
She was unconscious before her knees even hit the ground.
LXV.
The next day, their captors were angry.
They had no idea what had happened, but they were certainly happy to blame them for it.
Both Yinsen and Stark paid the price.
LXVI.
As always, she wasn't strong enough to save anyone but herself.
LXVII.
Wanda hadn't hated Tony Stark for a long time now.
It was hard to hate a man who single-handedly saved the entire universe.
That didn't mean that she saw him as a friend.
She wondered when that began to change.
LXVIII.
Her powers started to truly come back around the fourth week.
She was still too weak to do anything of real import.
LXIX.
A flicker magic.
A stray thought implanted into a guard's head.
In the week leading up to their escape, three of their guards and one of their interrogators committed suicide.
LXX.
The armor was clunky and unrefined and nothing she was used to of Stark.
It was the birth of a legend.
LXXI.
Wanda learned many things inside that Afghan cave.
The importance of oxygen.
The coldness of a desert at night.
Wanda learned the sound of Tony Stark's breathing and the way it stuttered every so often.
She was taught about Gulmira, a village plagued by war.
One of the most important things she learned, though, was Ho Yinsen's kindness.
LXXII.
Five weeks had passed like a lifetime.
It was now or never.
LXXIII.
Yinsen had lied.
LXXIX.
She tried to stop him. To run after him.
One guard, then two fell at her hands.
A bullet went through her arm.
If Stark had not chosen that moment to appear, another one would have gone straight through her head.
LXXX.
''Don't waste it. Don't waste your life, Stark.'' Those were Yinsen's final words.
And that, Wanda now knew, was the true beginning of Tony Stark's legend.
LXXXI.
They escaped into the Afghan desert, one man down and many miles to go.
LXXXII.
There was a hole in her arm.
Somewhere along their way she had managed to get some sand into her wound.
An infection was imminent.
LXXXIII.
It took her about three hours to start hearing Pietro's voice. Another one or so passed before he started walking next to her.
LXXXIV.
''We've gotta keep walking, Wanda. We can't stop now.'' There was a hand on her arm, shacking her ever so slightly.
For a second her eyes focused on Stark, then they slid back to her brother. ''Pietro, I don...please, Pietro.''
A harsh slap to her face forced her to put her attention on Stark once again. He looked frantic. ''Come on. Stand up. Stand the fuck up.''
LXXXV.
They kept on walking.
LXXXVI.
The world blurred together.
At some point, she was only peripherally aware that she was still in the desert.
The helicopter, their rescue, Rhodes. They all seemed like a hallucination to her.
LXXXVII.
She woke up a week later in a hospital, alone and utterly terrified.
LXXXVIII.
She was out of the room and running before she could actually realize that she hadn't been truly alone. A scalpel somehow found its way into her hand and soon she was standing with her back to the wall and a nurse held as a hostage against her chest.
''Wanda!'' Her gaze immediately snapped to the side and settled on Stark. Some of the tension left her body. ''It's alright. You're safe. Everything's gonna be alright.''
His hands were raised in a placating manner as he slowly moved towards her.
(...People were screaming...)
''Come on, put the scalpel down. You're safe. We're not there anymore.'' His voice was soft, softer than she had ever heard it being before. ''Just stay calm. You're safe.''
A hand closed itself around her own. The scalpel was pulled slowly away and the nurse immediately ripped herself away from her.
Before she could concentrate on anything else, Stark pulled her against his chest. His arms held her close but not restrictively as he continued to murmur, ''It's alright, everything's gonna be alright.''
LXXXIX.
Once both of their hearts managed to calm down considerably, Stark led her back to the private room he had most likely organized for her. There she was settled down on the bed and looked over by a nurse.
It was only once they were alone that Stark chose to speak up again. ''You've been here for a week and a half. I tried to find someone to contact, but...'' He looked lost for a moment. ''I don't know where you came from, but if you don't have anywhere else to go, you can stay with me. If you want, that is.''
This wasn't the first time this man had offered her a home, yet it still managed to stun her. Wanda had had a plan when she came here. A carefully constructed plan that was meant to reunite her with her love within a few weeks.
That plan was meaningless now. Vision was years away, her brother sequestered in a HYDRA lab with her past self, and her teammates far from the people they would become in the future.
She was alone and yet not because Tony Stark had once again opened his home to her.
Her smile was wobbly and her cheeks wet when she answered, ''Thank you, Stark.''
''Now, now,'' he begun, looking supremely uncomfortable. ''I think we're well past that. Call me Tony.''
XC.
She spend another week in the hospital, receiving the best care money could buy.
By the time Wanda was discharged, the world still couldn't talk about anything but Tony Stark's miraculous return and the changes that followed.
XCI.
''And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.''
XCII.
They exited the hospital together in the middle of the day.
Wanda breathed a sight of relief when she realized that there was no press waiting for them.
There was only a man Wanda hadn't ever truly met but heard enough about to know exactly who he was.
''Wanda, this is Happy. Happy this Wanda.'' Tony introduced them before entering the car. ''Now let's get out of here before someone alerts the press.''
XCIII.
Happy was the exact opposite of the definition of his name.
Wanda thought that it was quite fitting.
XCIV.
A car and plane ride later, Wanda found herself entering a mansion in Malibu. It was very open, with light coming in from all around her. Tony, Wanda had learned a long while ago, liked wide and open spaces. It was something she could appreciate and easily understand nowadays.
Turning her head to her companion, Wanda was just about to ask where she could find the bathroom, when a very familiar voice interrupted her.
''Welcome back, Sir.''
XCV.
Vision was there. He right in front of her, crumpled on the ground with a giant hole where his forehead once used to be.
XCVI.
''Hey, hey, Wanda, you need to breathe.'' The voice was familiar, but it had no place within her worst nightmare. ''Just follow example and breathe.''
XCVII.
''I'm sorry. I should have warned you about JARVIS.''
XCVIII.
JARVIS. This was JARVIS.
XCIX.
Vision was gone.
C.
That night, as Wanda laid in her too soft bed, she found herself quite restless.
Her room was too silent and the walls seemed to be closing in on her each time she closed her eyes.
With reluctance, she raised herself from the soft mattress and laid down on the floor.
She laid there for many hours without falling asleep.
CI.
In the hospital she had been pumped with enough drugs that sleep was not something she could escape.
It was different now.
CII.
At about five in the morning, Wanda gave up on her current endeavor and decided to take a shower instead.
It was a mistake.
CIII.
The whole thing was innocuous, really.
Wanda stepped into the shower, chose one of the countless knobs before her and pushed.
Water hit her face and suddenly she couldn't breathe.
CIV.
''Your...twenty-sev...August...California.''
CV.
''...name is...-seven years...Wednesday, the...you reside in Malibu.''
CVI.
''Your name is Wanda...years old...the 12th of August 2009...you reside in Malibu, California.''
CVII.
''Your name is Wanda and you're twenty-seven years old. It's Wednesday, the 12th of August 2009. Currently, you reside in Malibu, California.''
CVII.
She was on the tiled floor, her hands flickering with dying sparks of magic. Wet strings of hair were glued to her naked skin and there was an open bottle of shampoo near her left leg, its content slowly spilling across the ground.
Shallow breaths spilled from her lips as she slowly regained her senses.
One of her elbows hurt and upon closer inspection Wanda noticed that it was bleeding. Her breathing still wasn't anywhere near alright and she forced herself to focus on JARVIS' voice before she got worked up again.
''...you reside in Malibu, California.''
In and out, she breathed. In and out.
At some point, she must have gotten visibly better because JARVIS stopped his mantra to inquire, ''Would you like me to call Mr. Stark, Miss Wanda?''
The woman tried to answer once and then another time. It was on her third attempt that she finally managed. ''N..no, don't.'' She paused, taking in a large gulp of air. ''Could...could you just keep...keep talking. It doesn't matter about what.''
There was a short moment of hesitation. ''Of course, if that's what you wish, Miss Wanda. Did you know that there are three...''
And as she forced herself to listen, Wanda closed her eyes, gripped her arms tightly and almost managed to convince herself that it was Vision who was talking to her.
CVIII.
Her hands trembled terribly once she finally managed to gather herself off the bathroom floor.
The trembling did not stop even after she dressed herself and went to the kitchen to join Tony.
Once he saw her, the man quickly overtook her attempt at making breakfast and presented her with a half-burned omelet almost an hour later.
CIX.
It was two days later that she finally met Pepper Potts.
CX.
''You must be Wanda,'' the future widow of Tony Stark said. ''It's a pleasure to meet you.''
The last time Wanda had seen her was at the yearly Avengers meeting. After everything that had happened, the group of ragtag heroes decided to keep contact by organizing at least one big meeting a year.
To their last one, Pepper had come with a by then ten years old Morgan Stark. Wanda remembered thinking that the child seemed to have inherited only the best of her father.
She also remembered thinking that it wasn't fair that she got to see the girl at this stage of her life, while Tony Stark barely had four years with her.
Despite her morose thoughts, Wanda forced a smile onto her face. ''The pleasure is all mine, Miss Potts.''
CXI.
Her powers started to grow stronger by the day.
CXII.
Five days, that was how long she managed to hold on with only one or two hours of sleep a day.
It was as she was once again laying on floor of her room, incapable of closing her eyes without feeling as if the walls were closing in on her, that Wanda decided that something needed to change.
''JARVIS?'' she finally asked.
''How can I help you, Miss Wanda?''
Swallowing heavily, the woman wondered if she should turn back. She shook her head to dispel that thought. ''Is Tony asleep?''
''No, Sir is currently in the workshop,'' the A.I. answered easily.
Wanda bit her lip nervously. ''Could you perhaps ask him if I could maybe join him?''
CXIII.
Half an hour later, Wanda laid down on the couch in Tony Stark's workshop, the familiar sound of his irregular breathing easily lulling her to sleep
CXIV.
She needed a plan and needed it now.
CXV.
''I've got a party to get to. You wanna come?''
That was not a question Wanda expected to be asked as she sat on the couch of the living room in a comfy pair of sweats and with a hot cup of tea in her hand. ''I don't think I've got anything appropriate to wear.''
Tony blinked, a slightly confused look appearing on his face. ''You haven't really looked through your closet yet, have you?''
CXVI.
Somehow Wanda ended up in the middle of a charity event. There were people mingling all around her as she drunk one flute of champagne after another.
A few tried to converse with her, but quickly gave up when they realized that she was no one of real importance.
She regretted coming and decided to remove herself from the situation before her mood soured even more.
Drinking the last sip of her champagne, Wanda managed to find Tony just in time to hear Christine Everhart tell him about Gulmira.
CXVII.
''Are you going to stop them?''
He looked haunted. ''If I don't, nothing will.''
CXVIII.
Wanda itched to go with him, but her powers, while growing stronger with each passing day, still weren't at the level she was used to.
Besides, she did not doubt that this had happened once before already and Tony had managed then without her just fine.
CXIX.
After Iron Man had left on his first mission, Wanda went to the beach to clear her head.
It became a habit from there on.
CXX.
One day she came home to Tony crawling towards the elevator, the arc reactor stolen from his chest.
CXXI.
Obediah Stane.
Obediah Stane was the one who made it possible for those mortar shells to kill her parents.
CXXII.
Tony left before she could stop him.
This time Wanda did not hesitate to follow.
CXXIII.
She stayed out of the brawl and waited for the perfect moment to interfere. It came atop the Stark Industries building as Stane prepared himself to shoot at a downed Iron Man.
Red danced across her hands as it hadn't done since she had come to the past. It surrounded Stane and threw him to the other side of the roof.
''What the hell...'' The man muttered as he tried to straighten up.
Wanda did not give him a chance. Perspiration gathered on her face as she lowered one hand onto his head. Her eyes gleamed a deep red as she said. ''You killed my parents.''
Obediah Stane screamed.
CXXIV.
When she was finished, there was nothing left but a hollow and broken shell of what had once been a man.
She collapsed to her knees.
CXXV.
''Woah, are you, fuck, are you alright?'' Tony was at her side within seconds, looking concerned and more than a little confused.
Wanda waved her hand in a careless manner. ''I'm alright.''
''I don't think so.'' He looked down at the body, something akin to satisfaction gleaming within his eyes. ''It's clear that we've got some things to talk about. But for now, you have to leave before anyone sees you.''
And that was exactly what she did.
CXXVI.
As she was walking towards the edge of the roof, Wanda saw Tony blast Obediah's head into an unrecognizable mess.
One thing was certain, no one would question how that monster had died.
CXXVII.
''You've got some explaining to do,'' was the first thing Tony uttered once he came home.
Wanda looked at her lap nervously, though her gaze quickly snapped up again when she felt him sitting down next to her. ''Yeah.''
''Look, I tried giving you time. I didn't want to push you too much.'' He sighed. ''It's just that I can't afford to continue doing that when you reveal yourself like that.''
''I don't know where to start,'' she admitted.
Tony smiled wryly. ''The beginning, I think, would be a good place.''
CXXVIII.
She had been trying to come up with a good plan for months now.
Perhaps the time had truly come for Wanda to seek help.
CXXIX
''My name is Wanda Maximoff and I am from twenty-one years in the future.''
CXXX.
''Alright.''
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ''What?''
''Alright,'' Tony repeated. ''I believe you.''
''Just like that?'' Her tone betrayed her bewilderment.
Wanda's companion just smiled wryly. ''I think you're forgetting everything I saw tonight. And let's not forget all the guards that had somehow started committing suicide in Afghanistan.'' He ran a hand through his hair. ''Whatever it is you're capable of doing, it's clear that the laws of physics don't apply to you. Besides, proving that you're either right or wrong won't be all that hard. Either your predictions will come true which will prove that you're really from the future, or they won't and I'll be forced to find you a nice psychiatrist.''
''So, it's more like you're giving me the benefit of the doubt?''
''Sure.'' A nod. ''You can see it like that.''
CXXXI.
There was no going back now, so Wanda began to tell her tale.
(...and if she left out some of the things concerning herself, then no one could blame her for wanting to keep this peace for a little while longer...)
CXXXII.
The world kept on moving. Time passed.
Natasha Romanov entered their life and just like that the first of her predictions became reality.
CXXXIII.
This was the woman who had given her life for the Soul of the Universe.
CXXXIV.
Natasha was nothing like remembered her being. She was even less of the person everyone had told her of after five years of Wanda's absence.
Clint would have still given anything to see her one last time, even if it was only this past version of her.
CXXXV.
Instead of Natasha acquiring the position, Wanda somehow got roped into becoming Tony's assistant.
CXXXVI.
They went to Monaco.
Ivan Vanko attacked.
A flicker of magic later he was down.
CXXXVII.
''That's a neat trick,'' Tony commented after Vanko lost his consciousness.
Wanda smiled and looked the Iron Man armor up and down. ''Yours is not too bad either.''
CXXXVIII.
They decided not to change too much of the present, and instead to focus on the graver problems of the future.
CXXXIX.
The thing was, Wanda didn't know everything.
CXL.
Tony Stark's birthday was one giant disaster.
It were the news that followed that truly broke her heart.
CXLI.
''Come on, let's get you out of that suit.''
Leaning heavily against the bar and holding a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, Tony Stark looked rather pitiful. The black eye he was slowly starting get and his split lip did little to help that image.
Sighing, Wanda knelled next to him. ''JARVIS, how do I get the suit off him?''
''There is a latch at the left side.'' His voice echoed through the destroyed living-room. ''You need to push it open and let your thumb be scanned. Your finger print has been keyed into the suit.''
Surprised at the clearance she had been given, Wanda followed JARVIS' instructions. The suit opened and showed that the filtration system Tony had previously boasted of might still need some work.
''To the bathroom it is, hmm?'' She murmured before taking the bottle out of his hand, raising his body slowly out of the suit with her magic and then proceeding to steer him towards the bathroom.
Clearly not entirely in control of his movements, Tony tried to move away from her. ''Just leave me here.''
Wanda chose to ignore that comment, entering the bathroom instead. More than a little aware of her own problems with water nowadays, Wanda picked up the shower-head and made sure to angle it away from Tony's face. ''Can you take your clothes off by yourself or do you need help?''
The only answer she got was a hissed, ''I'm not a kid.''
''You sure are behaving like one,'' Wanda said and quickly started helping him get out of his clothes.
She did not expect to see the patchwork of poison all across his chest.
A little desperately, Wanda realized that this was going to be a long night.
CXLII.
Forty minutes later, Wanda found herself on the living-room couch, forcing a glass of water into Tony's hand. ''What's going on, Tony?''
Silence followed her question. It lasted long enough that the woman did not expect to get an answer anymore.
When it did come, she wished it hadn't. ''I'm dying and I don't know how to stop it.''
CXLIII.
She didn't know if this had happened before. She didn't know how to solve this.
Truthfully, Wanda didn't know anything.
CXLIV.
''Ok, let's just calm down tonight and tomorrow we'll solve this together.''
CXLV.
In the end it took one Nick Fury, a message from Howard Stark and Tony's considerable genius to come up with a cure for his illness.
CXLVI.
Plagued by insomnia, they started regularly eating late night dinners together.
CXLVII.
''Pizza again, really?''
Tony's head turned in her direction, the expression on his face completely scandalized. ''What do you mean? Pizza is always a good choice.''
Wanda's lips curled up in amusement. ''Really? Even at 5 a.m.?''
''Especially then.''
CXLVIII.
Despite the extra security measures they took, Ivan Vanko still managed to team up with Justin Hammer.
War Machine was born.
Some more time passed by.
Then Loki came.
CXLIX.
Their plan was as easy as it was complicated.
CL.
Wanda was meant to intercept Selvig and perhaps even Loki at the Stark Tower.
With her powers and knowledge it should have been a easy task.
Unfortunately, in life very few things were ever actually easy.
CLI.
Her predictions came true.
Selvig came to the tower and started preparing the Tessaract.
Wanda had the chance to stop him and yet...and yet she hesitated. She hesitated and that was all it took for them to activate the portal.
CLII.
In the future, when Tony spoke of a upcoming danger, no one believed him.
No one believed him despite the very real alien invasion that had happened only a few years prior.
What would the world say to them without the Battle of New York?
CLIII.
Regret, she came to learn, existed in many forms.
CLIV.
The sight of the first Leviathan stole the breath straight out of her lungs. For a moment Wanda wasn't in New York anymore. For a moment she was stood before Thanos again, powerless against the might of the Infinity Stones.
Vision's last words echoed in her ears, ''It's alright. I love you.''
CLV.
''Wanda! Wanda?!'' The earpiece went silent for a moment as Tony seemed to focus on fighting off an enemy. ''What the hell happened?!''
''I...'' She swallowed audibly. ''I failed.''
CLVI.
She might have had no idea how the Avengers had previously closed the portal, but Wanda knew exactly what she could do. With a flicker of her wrists she fired all the power she had at the Tessaract.
And, if for a second, she saw the Mind Stone before her instead, saw Vision dying, Wanda could not afford to dwell on it.
CLVII.
For all of her failure, the portal was closed much quicker than it had once been. This meant less opponents, less destruction and less casualties.
Somehow, Wanda still could not count this as a win.
CLVIII
She joined the Avengers in their fight against the Chitauri.
The Leviathans did not stand a chance against the combined might of the Hulk and herself.
CLIX.
''Who the fuck is that?''
CLX.
Tony sounded panicked as he shouted through the coms, ''Don't shoot, Legolas, she's a friend!''
CLXI.
Was she really?
CLXII.
With the portal closed, the World Security Council never ordered the launch of the nuclear missile.
At that time, Wanda had no idea how far reaching the consequences of this change would be.
CLXIII.
Loki, as it turned out, never managed to escape the Helicarrier.
He was bound in chains and dragged along by his brother, mouth hidden by a muzzle.
His eyes shone a bright blue.
CLXIV.
There was no fear within her as Wanda stepped towards the God of Mischief. Her pointer and middle fingers found his temples, magic sparking across her skin.
And before Thor could stop her, the woman pushed.
CLXV.
''As a being of magic, your brother can't be easily controlled,'' Wanda explained once the Avengers managed to calm down and stop their loud inquiries. ''His magic makes it almost impossible to chain him like that. Instead Thanos implanted a feeling, a compulsion so to speak. It was driven by Loki's already existing emotions, heightening them.''
Thor pursed his lips, clearly unhappy. ''So he would have done this anyway.''
''He might have. Or he might have killed your girlfriend.'' Wanda's lips tilted up wryly. ''He might have also sent your father down to earth, put him into a retirement home and then proceeded to impersonate him on Asgard. We're talking about What-ifs and What-could-have-beens. So, really, I've got no idea what Loki might have done without the influence of the Mind Stone.''
CLXVI.
They met up with SHIELD and proceeded to give their reports.
CLXVII.
They took the Mind Stone. Wanda did not stop them.
As much as she hated the person she had been in the past, Wanda knew that they would need any help they could get against Thanos.
And fact was, there were very few people she knew that were as powerful let alone more powerful than her.
(...Carol Danvers, Vision, and her...
…
…they were all children of Infinity...)
CLXVIII.
''Before you ask any questions, you should tell Fury that he's got a slight pest infestation,'' Tony said, turning around to look at Natasha as she followed them towards his half-destroyed bar.
Natasha blinked. It was the only sign of surprise she allowed herself. ''And what is that supposed to mean?''
''A pest infestation. A Trojan horse? You know, all that cut off one head and two more will grow shtick? So, before your little organization begins to question me, it should first interrogate its own members. ''
CLXIX.
''Where did you come upon this info?'' Fury narrowed his one visible eye. ''Why should we trust you?''
Deciding that the right moment to interfere had come, Wanda answered, ''Because there are much worse things awaiting us in the future than HYDRA hiding in plain sight among S.H.I.E.L.D.''
''I'm sorry, but who the fuck are you even?'' Clint questioned from his place at the meeting table.
Resigned, the woman retaliated calmly, ''I'm Wanda Maximoff, and I'm from eighteen years in the future.''
Fury scoffed. ''Now I know you're fucking with us.''
She sighted, looked around the room and then proceeded to meet his gaze. ''In the 1990s you met a woman called Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel. You fought together against the Kree.'' Her eyes moved to Clint. ''Your name is Clinton Francis Barton. Your wife's name is Laura and together you've got two children, Cooper and Lila. Your third child will be named Nathaniel after your dear friend, Natalia Alianovna Romanoff.''
''What the...?'' His chair scrapped loudly across the floor as he stood up abruptly. ''How do you know that? Did you fuck with my mind!?''
Wanda rolled her eyes and continued a little vengefully, ''I didn't. About three years from now you're gonna take the Avengers to their safe-house in Missouri.'' A pause. ''But, I guess, as you've so eloquently put it, I could have found out all that by fucking with your minds, so Thor?''
The god raised one eyebrow, though he did not seem as skeptical as the rest of his teammates. ''Your father has hidden quite a secret from you. I've never met the Allfather, but I do know that his choices on how to deal with his oldest child will one day lead to the destruction of Asgard.''
That seemed to anger the Asgardian prince abruptly. ''Are you implying that I would betray my own people?!''
Thunder rumbled outside. Wanda smiled. It was a cool and calculating expression. ''No, I'm talking about your sister, Hela. You should really ask your father about her.''
CLXX.
Chained to a chair next to Thor, Loki looked delighted.
CLXXI.
''I don't really care if you believe me, because you can't actually afford to ignore me. In 2018 a intergalactic warlord called Thanos, otherwise known as the Mad Titan, will come to earth. We'll fight him and we'll lose and as a consequence he's gonna wipe out half of all life in the entire universe.''
CLXXII.
Silence greeted her proclamation, until Bruce decided to voice everyone thoughts. ''That's impossible.''
''Nothing is impossible.''
CLXXIII.
It took them until late into the night to convince the other Avengers to even just tentatively believe them.
They talked well into the early morning and Wanda told them everything she thought was safe to be said.
Dropping the real name of the Winter Soldier seemed to be enough to make Steve trust in their story. Or at least want to trust it.
When all was said and done, the Avengers scattered.
CLXXIV.
''That went much better than I thought it would.''
Wanda chuckled and took a bite of her shwarama. Her feet dangled off the destroyed penthouse terrace. ''Really? I thought it was quite a disaster.''
''Thor will most likely believe us once he's spoken with his father.'' Tony looked down at his own food, admiring it in a exaggerated manner. ''The rest of them think we're mad rather than foreign spies, which is the preferable outcome.''
The woman groaned.
CLXXV.
''Why are we watching Indiana Jones?'' Wanda inquired, inspecting the TV a little skeptically.
Tony looked affronted. ''It's a classic.''
''Some might just call it old.'' She had to bite her lips to stop herself from grinning as a scowl formed on the man's face.
''You're not much younger than it,'' he grumbled.
Wanda smirked. ''Technically, I was born in 1998.''
Like the man-child that he was, Tony just stuck out his tongue in answer.
CLXXVI.
They started hunting HYDRA.
CLXXVII.
Wanda had just wanted to get something to drink from the kitchen. It was so early in the morning that she had not expected to find anyone else there. She had certainly not expected to see Pepper and Tony trying and failing to organize some breakfast, laughing all the while.
CLXXVIII.
She knew that Tony and Pepper Potts would get closer. Knew that this was the woman who would one day become his wife.
And yet, at some point, watching all that happen, started to hurt Wanda in a way she had not expected it to.
CLXXIX.
Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist.
The Savior of the Universe.
Tony Stark was all that and more.
CLXXX.
Somewhere along the way, without even realizing it, Wanda had fallen in love with Tony Stark.
CLXXXI.
When did Vision's memory stop hurting as much as it used to?
CLXXXII.
Needing space and time to think, Wanda decided to join Steve on his constant hunt for HYDRA and Bucky Barnes.
While both Tony and her had helped in this endeavor before, they had also other matters to take care of. So, while she did meet Tony from time to time one their missions, he mostly stayed away.
It was exactly what she needed.
CLXXXIII.
Fighting once again as a team, Wanda noticed a few startling differences.
The team while still close, wasn't a family.
At this point, Bruce and Natasha were supposed to start developing feelings towards each other, but that did not happen. Instead, the scientist stayed at the Stark research facilities to help prepare the world for what was coming in the future.
There was also the problem of Steve and Tony. Both of them seemed to rub each other the wrong way, but not like they used to. There was no hidden fondness behind their barbs, no trust beyond what was truly necessary. At most they were acquaintances.
Some of these differences were easy enough to explain. Others, like the sudden shift in Tony's and Steve's relationship, were harder. And yet, after much deliberation, Wanda still managed to come to a conclusion. Due to her interference, the nuclear missile was never launched. Steve never saw Tony sacrificing himself for the greater good. Wanda didn't know why such a impossible gesture was needed for Steve to develop even an ounce of respect for Tony, but it was clear that without it those two wouldn't be getting along any time soon.
CLXXXIV.
The Mandarin came and left.
CLXXXV.
''How are you?'' Wanda asked hesitantly. ''How is Pepper?''
Tony sounded incredibly tired when he answered over the phone, ''We're fine. Everything is fine.''
CLXXXVI.
Things were changing faster than Wanda could anticipate.
This became all the clearer when they found her twin and past-self two months too early.
CLXXXVII.
Just as she herself had in the past, Wanda's younger self targeted Tony the moment an opening became clear.
It was all too easy to stop that mistake from happening again.
CLXXXVIII.
Their magic clashed.
As similar as it was to each other, only one could win.
CLXXXVIX.
''Who are you?'' It was Pietro who asked this question, his feet bound in place by her magic.
Tears trailed down her cheeks as she reached out to him with a trembling hand and glowing strands of her magic. ''You know who I am.''
His breath stuttered as their minds touched. ''Impossible.''
Watching her once dead twin, Wanda knew that very few things in the universe were actually truly impossible.
CXC.
They carted the scepter away to one of the Stark facilities, where everyone knew of the consequences of playing with such a powerful relic.
And as Wanda watched the Mind Stone disappear from her sight, she finally allowed herself to think about the one truth she had ignored up until now.
Vision wasn't coming back.
CXCI.
She bound Pietro and her past self with her magic. Afterwards the team knocked them out and put them into the Hulk's containment chamber.
Almost bitterly, Wanda couldn't help thinking that this was exactly what the team should have done with her the first time around.
CXCII.
''When they wake up, let me talk to them by myself.'' She met Fury's gaze head on, her lips pressed into a thin line. ''I need to talk to them alone.''
CXCIII.
She sat down on the floor outside the chamber and waited. That was all she could do.
CXCIV.
Pietro's brows furrowed in his sleep. She could feel his distress echoing throughout her mind.
Even after all the time that had passed since the death of her brother, it was still second nature for her to reach out and soothe his dreams.
Their connection, Wanda realized, was something that neither time nor death could truly erase.
CXCV.
She had never even considered the possibility of saving Pietro. It was too dangerous, too much of a gamble.
Ultimately, Wanda knew of her own limits. She knew that while she had once been willing to sacrifice Vision for the universe, she could have never done the same with Pietro.
And that was the crux of the problem. If it came down to saving either the universe or her twin, Wanda did not trust herself to make the right choice.
CXCVI.
They woke up at the same time, her younger self pushing their brother unwittingly into wakefulness.
As their eyes finally clashed and eyebrows furrowed in an identical manner, the younger Wanda asked, ''Who the hell are you?''
The woman's lips quirked upwards ever so slightly. ''Haven't you figured it out yet?''
''You...'' A pause. ''I don't believe you.''
This prompted a short snort from the older Scarlet Witch. ''I haven't really even said anything so far.''
''You didn't need to.'' Red flickered across young hands. ''I saw what's inside your head.''
Leaning forward, the time traveler rested her hands on her knees. ''You haven't seen anything yet.''
CXCVII.
For years now Wanda had wondered how she should best deal with her younger self.
At the end she decided that showing the girl the consequences of her own actions might be the only way to save her.
CXCVIII.
It was after a moment of careful deliberation that Wanda chose to ignore the orders given to her by Fury. ''JARVIS, open the cell.''
The sound of the locking system being operated echoed throughout the wide space surrounding them. A few sparks of magic flickered across her hands, a visible warning that managed to keep Pietro from doing anything stupid.
Then Wanda entered the cell. Once she was inside, the door clicked shut.
Before she could even begin regretting her current course of action, the woman took a step forward and then another. She did not stop until she stood right in front of her younger self. There she reached out with her hand and softly pressed it to girls's cheek. ''I've made many mistakes throughout my life. Countless people have been hurt by me, both intentionally and not. My actions, whether they were good or bad, had always one thing in common.'' At this she allowed their gazes to meet, her thumb softly caressing the teen's skin. ''No one could stop me.''
It was a whisper, an exhalation, a secret shared between the both of them. Wanda's hand slid across her younger self's face, until it was buried deeply within her scarlet hair. Her fingers clenched tightly as they took a hold of the locks, pulling on them in a painful and unforgiving way. ''Unlike me, you've got a second chance here. But if you keep following down the same path that I once have, things will not end the way they have for me. Because while there might have been no one strong enough to stop me, I will certainly be enough to stop you.''
And then, with all the power she could find within herself, Wanda pushed. She pushed her magic into her past-self's body and with it the memories of all the atrocities she could remember committing.
CXCIX.
Pietro's grip on her arm was tight and bruising. With all his strength he tried pulling her away from his twin, but despite the innate speed he possessed, he was too late.
Her younger self was blinking in confusion as a trail of tears slid down her cheeks. The moment she fully regained control of her own mind again, the girl's eyes immediately sought out their brother. Wanda could see the way relief spread throughout the teen's body the moment she realized that her twin wasn't dead yet.
It made her feel unspeakably bitter, so much so that she actually had to turn away from them.
CC.
With a heavy weight pressing down on her shoulders, Wanda turned around and started to walk out of the cell. However, before she even managed to reach the door, a delicate hand took a hold of her wrist.
''Wait,'' her younger self said. It took her a few seconds to continue hesitantly, ''You...you loved Vision so much, and yet you gave up on him. How?''
Knowing herself as well as she did, the woman could easily read between the lines of what her past self had inquired; How do you give up on the dead?
Sighing, she turned around to meet the teen's gaze. ''You do not give up on the dead, Wanda. You learn how to let go of them.''
CCI.
It was while later that Tony sat down next to her on the couch of his living room and thrust a cup of tea into her hands. Then he murmured unusually gently, ''You never told me that you loved him.''
Wanda just shrugged listlessly. ''It didn't seem important.''
''Not important?''His eyebrows furrowed. ''Isn't he the reason why you came back?''
''He was.'' For a moment she turns her head too look at him intently. It takes her a few seconds to consider whether she should continue or not. ''I wasn't quite honest when I told about this part of the future. Vision wasn't just made by Ultron and the Mind Stone. It was JARVIS whom was used to create him. So, even if I somehow could ignore Sokovia's fall, for me to get Vision back, you'd still have to lose your child. And that's something I could never bear to do to you.''
CCII.
Letting go of Vision was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.
CCIII.
''Miss Maximoff?'' JARVIS spoke to her that night before she fully fell asleep. ''I...I wanted thank you and offer you my sincerest apologies. What you did for Sir is truly admirable.''
''There was no other choice.'' Wanda squeezed her eyes shut tightly, her voice wavering ever so slightly. ''He had your voice, you know.''
CCIV.
They managed to find the Winter Soldier a few months later.
CCV.
James 'Bucky' Barnes had always been a mystery to her.
Due to her former affiliations, the man never quite managed to built any trust towards her. It were also these affiliations that kept her from letting down her guard around him in return.
After all, there were many horrors within HYDRA, but none of them were quite as infamous as the Winter Soldier.
CCVI.
Tony took it upon himself to help their newest member with his recovery.
He managed to make contact with Wakanda and secure their support.
It would take him a while to find out whom he was actually helping.
CCVII.
She had stopped Sokovia, she had stopped Lagos.
No word about the Accords had been uttered.
And yet, the Civil War still commenced.
CCVIII.
They were all at the Compound when it started.
There was the sound of glass shattering and the whirl of a repulsor charging. Then the shouting started.
All air left Wanda's lungs when she heard Tony's heartbreaking words. ''I don't care! He killed my mom!''
CCIX.
It had never been about the Accords.
CCX.
''Did you know?'' Tony asked once they managed to break him and Steve apart, his gaze focused on Natasha. ''Did you know!?''
Silence followed his question and it was an answer they all understood.
CCXI.
''Man, this is fucked up.'' Sam shook his head, the disappointment clear on his face. ''This is so fucked up.''
No one denied it.
CCXII.
And that, just like it had been once before, was the end of the Avengers.
CCXIII.
''Get out! Everyone get the fuck out of here!''
CCXIV.
Very few people in the world knew what true devastation felt like. Or least very few people of this world knew; the future had been quite different in that regard.
After witnessing half of the universe turn into dust, future's society had a quite a peculiar outlook on life. Especially those who had survived ceased taking anything for granted.
Looking at Tony now, Wanda could see something tragically similar on his face.
CCXV.
There was nothing she could do to make it better.
CCXVI.
No one heard anything from Tony Stark for over two weeks.
CCXVII.
It was only by chance that Wanda came upon Tony in the kitchen at three in the morning, a mug of black coffee in one hand and a tablet held perilously close to the edge of the counter. He seemed incredibly focused on whatever new project he had undertaken and it was only once Wanda saw what it was that she understood.
Watching a video of Spider-Man swinging between buildings, Tony asked, ''You know him?''
''Yeah, I do.'' Wanda paused for a second, hesitating, wondering if this was the right time. She had not seen the man in weeks, ever since the truth about his parents' death had been revealed. The woman didn't know whether she should tell him the truth or not, but at the end Wanda decided that she had no right to keep this from him. ''And so should you.''
A frown appeared on his face. ''Why?''
''Because in the future you invented time travel for him.'' Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she continued with a much softer voice, ''Because in the future you died, so that he could live.''
CCXVIII.
Despite all her powers, Wanda's body wasn't actually enhanced in the way that Steve Rogers' was.
That did not stop her from smashing her fist in his face at first opportunity.
CCXIX.
Life moved on as it was prone to do. The public never found out the truth, but the Avengers were still divided into two teams.
In contrary to what things had once been, the team now sided with Tony. Even those who preferred Steve, could not easily continue to trust a man who would keep secrets like that.
The whole initiative was overhauled.
Overall, Wanda had to admit, that things ended up being better than what they once used to be.
CCXX.
Stephen Strange was someone she had been waiting seven years for.
He was also a perfect candidate for the new Avengers Initiative.
CCXXI.
Seeking out the man who had once been her mentor, the man whose teachings she had dishonored in the worst possible way, wasn't easy.
It was also something she had been awaiting for years.
CCXXII.
Very few people had known Stephen Strange the way she had.
He was a man who had borne the burden of millions of futures and the deaths of all those he could not save.
Despite only truly knowing him for a few hours, Tony Stark had been a man the Sorcerer Supreme had come to love in countless of possibilities that had never happened. It might not have been something the man had ever admitted to out loud, but Wanda had known.
And now, many years later, she also understood.
CCXXIII.
There were two things that defined their relationship nowadays.
First, Stephen Strange was no stranger to sacrifice.
Second, what Wanda had so selfishly chosen to do, it had rendered all his sacrifices meaningless.
CCXXIV.
''You don't belong here.''
Hearing those words from her mentor, hurt just as much as she had expected them to.
CCXXV.
''You want me to do what?''
''You've seen what's out there, Stephen, you've seen some of the worst of it.'' If she could not get him to agree soon, Wanda would have to resort to begging ''With the Infinity Stones' involvement, it's half of the universe that's at stake. We need all the help we can get.''
CCXXVI.
It was as she was leaving, that Wanda decided to utter the words that had weighted down on her ever since she had chosen her path: ''For what little it's worth to you, Stephen, I truly am sorry for betraying you.''
CCXXVII.
During the next Avengers meeting, they were joined by the Sorcerer Supreme.
CCXXVIII.
Wanda had mostly managed to stay out of her younger self's way. It was by an unspoken mutual agreement that they interacted as little as possible with each other.
It was after she witnessed a fight between the girl and their twin that Wanda decided to have a few words with the other.
CCXXIX.
Autumn was upon them. The brownish leaves crumbled underneath her feet as she crossed the yard . Wryly, Wanda regarded the trepidation that seemed to enter her younger self's eyes once she finally noticed her. It was a familiar sight.
''What do you want?'' The girl questioned. ''I'm not in the mood for a lecture.''
Sighing, the woman lowered herself onto the bench next to the other female Maximoff. ''That's too bad because you'll be getting one.'' Tipping her head backwards, Wanda regarded the vast night sky and the galaxy she knew existed beyond her sight. ''Despite everything I've shown you, you still keep repeating all of my mistakes. It makes me wonder if we were doomed from the get go.''
Pursing her lips, the younger Wanda regarded her almost angrily. ''That's a little unfair, don't you think? You judge me for your mistakes.''
''They could very easily become yours.'' For a second, both of them stayed silent. Then the woman continued, ''Just like I used to, you blame your selfishness on our childhood. What you need to realize is that, at some point, your selfishness stopped being a necessity and became a choice instead.''
CCXXX.
Days and then months passed.
The dynamics within the team changed. Some people grew closer, while others strayed away from the team.
Another significant change pertained to Tony and Pepper, though Wanda did not allow her mind to linger too long on that thought.
CCXXXI.
She had a chance here, Wanda knew that.
Tony and Pepper were going through a rough patch in their relationship. They were on a break.
And Wanda, well, Wanda wasn't entirely blind to the way Tony sometimes looked at her. There was potential there.
But then she thought about the future. About Tony's and Pepper's long friendship that turned into the happiness she had seen within their wedding pictures. She thought about a cabin by a lake and about Pepper Stark who even after seven years had passed still hadn't quite managed to move on.
And most of all, the woman thought about Morgan Stark and she knew that out of all the things in the world, that little girl was something Wanda would never dare to take away from this man.
Wanda might have never been selfless before, but for Tony, well, for Tony she would try.
CCXXXII.
In preparation for the upcoming battle, the brightest minds on earth gathered to create what could be only described as weapons of mass destruction.
Carol was contacted and managed to find and win over the Guardians of Galaxy onto their side. Asgard and its allies promised their support.
Their most surprising allies, though, ended up being those who up until then had been classified as villains.
CCXXXIII.
With the entire world at stake, alliances no one could have imagined before came into existence.
CCXXXIV.
If there was one thing Wanda had never actually expected to happen when she started this entire time heist, then it was to end up eating breakfast at a table with the X-Men on one side and Magneto on the other.
CCXXXV.
A few weeks before the final battle, Pepper approached her on one of the balconies of Stark Tower. Her voice was gentle as she said: ''You're in love with him.''
At first Wanda did not understand what the other woman meant. But then her eyes followed Pepper's gaze until they landed on Tony. Her mouth went dry and she visibly startled.
The other woman just smiled. It was a melancholic little thing. ''Don't look so surprised. I know exactly what loving Tony Stark looks like.''
CCXXXVI.
Time, Wanda realized as she aged, was the one thing no one had enough of.
CCXXXVII.
''I need your help, Stephen.''
CCXXXVIII.
A week before the battle, the Sorcerer Supreme handed her a bracelet made specifically to bear the Infinity Stones.
''It's just a precaution,'' she whispered to him as she clasped the thing around her wrist.
It felt like the end.
CCXXXIX.
Wakanda was truly beautiful. As the last preparations for Thanos' arrival were taken care of, Wanda took her time to wander across the streets of this country and to get lost within them. She watched the people living their day to day life, tried some of the foreign cuisine and bought a few trinkets from a vendor.
By the time she got back to the palace, that evening's dinner had already started. She was easily and warmly welcomed into the midst of her fellow Avengers.
CCXL.
The stars were countless above their heads as she approached Tony on the terrace. It had taken her a long time to choose whether they should have this talk or not, but at the end Wanda decided that she had enough regrets as it was.
''Tomorrow everything might end,'' Tony stated, his eyes fixed on grounds below.
Wanda swallowed the bout of panic these words caused, her heart hammering within her chest. Then she agreed, ''It might.''
He did not say anything further, and Wanda knew that both of them would not be uncomfortable if they were to spent the rest of their remaining time together in silence. That was the thing about them. Nowadays, they did not need words to understand each other.
And yet, just this once, Wanda decided that there might be a better course of action. And so she opened her mouth and let the gentle breeze carry her words towards her friend. ''You know, I once hated you more than anyone else in the world, really.'' Their eyes met and Wanda laughed. She sounded tired and brittle as she resumed talking. ''Nowadays I look at you and your eyes steal all my words away.''
Tony opened his mouth and started to say something, but the woman did not let him finish. ''Don't. Just...I just.'' She stopped, searching for the right words, but they kept eluding her. Wanda sighed heavily and continued knowing all the while that no words could truly encompass all that she wanted to say. ''I guess I just wanted you to know the truth.''
And then, just this once, Wanda allowed herself to step towards Tony, one hand reaching out to stroke his left cheek while she pressed a gentle kiss to other. This was all she would ever have of this man. ''Thank you, Tony. Thank you for everything.''
CCXLI.
The next day, the Chitauri attacked.
CCXLII.
Thanos.
She recognized him even from the other side of the battlefield
CCXLIII.
She remembered being barely twenty years old, standing before this monster and losing.
Wanda was thirty-six now and still afraid.
CCXLIV.
If possible, the scale of this battle was even larger than the original fight for the universe.
Avengers, Asgardians, mutants and aliens from all corners of the universe streamed across the battlefield, all of them gathered under one cause.
And yet history still seemed to repeat itself as both Tony Stark and Thanos faced each other.
CCXLV.
Wanda knew exactly what she had to do.
CCXLVI.
Her eyes gleamed brightly as the Infinity Stones settled within her bracelet.
With the power of the universe coursing through her veins, Wanda Maximoff made her wish.
CCXLVII.
She had come back to save one man. At the end, she managed to save half of the universe.