AN – This is the first work for the Avengers I've published on this site. Most of my works published here are works of the DC TV shows on the CW. Hopefully you'll consider checking them out. I'm hoping you'll enjoy this one too!

Fair warning, though. I have several health issues that prevent me from keeping a regular schedule of updates. I'll try to update as often as I can, but there may be some more lengthy gaps at times. I hope you'll like taking this ride with me.

Avengers: Don't Get in My Way

Chapter 1

The wind blowing over the lake was chilled, moist and winsome. It was as if Nature itself had been saddened by all the loss the Earth had suffered over the past few years, and wept along with the other attendees of the funeral that had just concluded. A lingering hope hovered over the congregation of friends, family and acquaintances that stood in small clusters, talking and comforting each other. Yet, beneath that hope was also a sense of profound sadness and loss. Thanos' insane mission to bring "balance" by destroying half of all life in the universe caused catastrophic loss and was an enormous waste.

Uncounted trillions in the universe had suffered the same bitter, senseless loss that these people had, the same bitter, senseless loss that she had suffered. Unfortunately, that knowledge did nothing to assuage the gaping holes left in Wanda Maximoff's heart and soul. The trillions upon trillions of those that died after the reversal of the Snap were tragic, of course. The open wounds of her own losses were personal, however. She felt them, sharply and keenly, every single second since the first insane stroke the Mad Titan had taken.

Whatever else she was, Wanda Maximoff was merely human, and she was painfully aware of the tragic flaws that went along with that fact. Despite the knowledge that her plight wasn't unique, she couldn't help being selfish in mourning her own losses more than those of the universe at large. No, this was personal, very personal. It was personal for everyone gathered here outside Tony and Pepper's cabin on the lake. Even then, she still had a more personal grief that cast a shadow over the grief that everyone else was feeling, even if she didn't wish it so, or thought that it was unfair to them. What was fair about losing the only person in the universe that she loved beyond everything else?

The people gathered here were her friends, her family, and she loved them all dearly, even Tony. Though she had hated him for years when they first met, she had come to see him as somewhat of a father figure in an odd sense. Then again, very little made sense where Tony Stark was concerned.

No matter how much she loved this strange and unusual group of friends and family, and was thankful that she still had them, Vision had been her heart and soul. She hadn't truly realized and understood that until he had asked her to see what she could sense from the jewel embedded in his forehead. Sure, she knew she loved him well before then, but that moment truly brought home the depth of those feelings when her mind touched his mind as well as the stone. It was in that briefest of moments that her heart broke down the last wall in her heart that kept her from being able to truly feel love, and allowed herself to be lost in that rapture that true love was.

When he asked what it was that she felt, she had replied, "I just feel you." That had been the truth, as far as what she sensed from his mind and the stone. What she felt from his heart was something else entirely. She could feel the warmth and undeniable truth of his feelings for her as well. She could feel the love that radiated from every fiber of his being. It didn't matter what those fibers were comprised of.

Most called Vision an android, a robot, a machine rather than a man more often than not. He was so much more than that. None of these terms could even begin to describe who and what he was. He was what Tony and Bruce had called him, a synthezoid. Vision was a "synthetic humanoid," a special kind of android that was a replica of the human body.

He had organs, such as a brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and so on that functioned exactly as human organs did. They were simply synthetic rather than organic. Where humans ate food to fuel their bodies, Vision synthesized solar energy to provide the sustenance his body required. He was stronger, faster, and more durable than humans were, and could do things that humans could not, but for all that, he was still a man, a man with a heart, capable of feeling and expressing love, compassion, and so much more.

Vision could be very computer like at times. He was often logical, unfettered by the things that often clouded the judgment of humans, and unbiased in his thinking, but there was another side to him, a side that Wanda saw so clearly, and others seemed to always miss. He could also be extremely passionate, loving, caring and possessed of qualities that humans were supposed to embody, yet rarely ever demonstrated. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that Vision loved her as fiercely and completely as she loved him. His heart was true and beat for her, it didn't matter what his heart was made of, whether it was flesh, or synthetic compounds. It was a heart, and it had been hers, just as she had given her own to him. And now…now he was gone, and there was an enormous crater in Wanda where once her heart had lived.

Clint had drifted over to his family, and was talking with a group of their friends once their conversation had drifted into a comfortable silence. Each had consoled the other on their personal losses. Natasha had been more than simply a friend to Clint. She had been a sister to him, and true family to the rest of them. Natasha had been very close to her as well, even if they hadn't always agreed on everything, and her loss was another that Wanda felt all too vividly.

She allowed her gaze to wander over the many faces that surrounded her, until her eyes fell upon little Morgan, Tony and Pepper's daughter. Wanda studied her face for long moments, almost as if time itself stood still for that moment. Her eyes moved upward to Pepper's face, and she recognized the expression she wore, as well as the incredible self control it must have taken to stay as collected as she was. The young woman was convinced that the battle that raged inside the woman to maintain that outward appearance must have been inconceivable.

Wanda moved towards them, and once she was close enough, she knelt down to Morgan's level, and offered her a smile she hoped wasn't too colored with sadness. "You must be Morgan," she said softly as her eyes threatened to spill over with the tears that welled there. She knew what it was like to lose her parents while still a child. Wanda wished so strongly that Morgan didn't have to endure what she had felt herself first hand. Morgan was so young, and so innocent, and it wasn't right for her to have the father that had loved her so deeply and completely taken from her so harshly. None of this was right.

The little girl studied her for a long moment, and then nodded solemnly. "That's right, I'm Morgan," the child replied as her eyes moved over Wanda's face. The eyes of a child more often than not see things that the grown cannot see, and Wanda was aware of that appraisal going on behind the girl's eyes as she looked at her.

"Morgan, honey," said Pepper, looking down at her daughter, and at the kneeling form of Wanda. "This is Wanda. She was a friend of your daddy's. More than a friend, actually. Can you say hi to her?"

Morgan regarded Wanda a moment, and then returned her gaze to the woman kneeling in front of her. She smiled a soft, sad little smile and extended her hand. "Hi. Pleased to meet you, Wanda," she said in very articulated words. Her small voice sounded so strange to Wanda's ears speaking so formally. "You're really pretty. I like your hair."

Wanda blushed at the innocent remark, and the struggle to keep her emotions in check grew suddenly more intense. Her smile returned, however, though she couldn't be sure of how much control she had it under. "Thank you. You're very pretty too. Your father often told me how much he loved you and how proud of you he was. He told all of us," she said finally. The young Sokovian waved her hand around to indicate the friends and family that had gathered for the somber event.

While they were talking, Pepper had caught sight of Happy, and waved him over. Once he was close enough, she tried her best to smile, and asked, "Happy, would you please take Morgan to the porch or inside, and keep her occupied for a while?"

The pleasant but large man gave a knowing nod, and patted the wife of his best friend on the shoulder. "Sure thing, Pepper. I'd be glad to," he answered, then he knelt down beside Wanda, and tugged the little girl to him as he stood once more. "Come on, Little Bit. Let's go see what we can find while Mommy and Wanda talk, what do you think?"

Once they were gone, Pepper rubbed and gripped her hands nervously in front of her, and fought back the tears ready to flood from her eyes. "Thank you for coming, Wanda, and for being so nice with Morgan. I know Tony could be difficult, even infuriating at times, but he truly thought the world of you. You know that, right?"

Wanda nodded softly, and let her eyes follow Happy and Morgan for a moment before meeting Pepper's eyes with her own once more. "It was my honor and privilege, Pepper. I'm so sorry for your loss, for Morgan's loss," she spoke with a rasp to her voice more pronounced than usual. "I know. Tony and I…our relationship didn't start out the best. There were many things that made me feel as I did, but I learned the kind of man that he was. He treated me fairly, even kindly, despite everything that happened. He became a true friend, even though, as you say, he could be difficult at times. That was what made him special, in an odd way, I think. He was certainly unique."

Pepper laughed softly, a sad laugh, but a laugh all the same. "He was special, all right," she said with a wan smile lingering on her lips. "But like you said, that's what made him Tony. There was a side to Tony that I don't think anyone else ever got to see, except for Morgan and me. Not even Happy and Rhodey actually saw much of it, I don't think."

Pepper wiped a tear from her cheek, and sniffed, "But I'm not the only one that lost someone. I know everyone did, but I'm told that you lost someone you loved very deeply as well. Vision?" She paused, and hoped that she hadn't just ripped open a wound that was just starting to heal. "I'm so sorry, Wanda. I only met him a couple of times, but he seemed very special too, very unique. I can only imagine the pain you feel."

"Vision was special, and unique. He was…he was everything to me. Everyone else is important to me, but he…," she quietly spoke as she wiped away tears of her own. It felt like a dam was bursting inside her, and all her feelings were about to come blasting out through the cracks.

"He was your heart," finished Pepper softly as her hand came to rest on Wanda's shoulder. The young woman shuddered at her touch, and the strong façade she had put on was very rapidly deteriorating. Wanda's pain mirrored her own. Sympathy washed over her in a huge wave. Wanda was too young to have to experience losing someone that meant so much to her in such a violent and senseless way.

Wanda nodded rapidly as she choked back further tears, "He was, yes. He was my home." She embraced Pepper suddenly for a couple of heartbeats and then released her. Pepper reciprocated, and she hoped that maybe their grief would feel lessened a little if they shared that burden together.

"I'm sorry, Pepper. Please excuse me. I…I can't…," Wanda said as she wiped more tears from her cheek. Without another word, red energy flowed from her hands, and she shot high into the air, and then arced through the sky away from the funeral until she was out of sight beyond the thick trees on the other side of the lake.

Steve Rogers stood talking with Clint and his family, as well as Bucky and Sam, remembering their fallen friends in sad but fond conversation. There were good times and bad times alike that filled the conversation, and the occasional laugh. Suddenly, Steve looked up as he raised his lemonade to take a drink and followed something with his eyes.

The others noticed, and Clint looked at his wife Laura and the others, then back to the super soldier. "What's up, Cap?" he asked. He wasn't sure what would capture and keep Steve's attention, but whatever it was, it was doing just that.

Steve pointed upwards and nodded in the same direction. "It's Wanda," he replied pensively. "She just left. I'm not sure why, but it doesn't look like it's just being tired and heading home. She looked upset."

Clint groaned and followed Steve's finger and saw Wanda just as she passed out of sight. "Goddamnit," he groaned in a whisper, and then handed his drink to Laura. He kissed her on the cheek, and sighed, "I'm sorry, I'll be back in a few, babe."

Laura smiled wanly as she took his drink, and returned his kiss on the cheek. "Its okay, Clint. She's obviously in a bad place, and could use someone to talk to. She'll listen to you, I think," she called after him as she jogged away from the gathering.

X

Clint brushed aside branches, and stepped across a wooded floor of soft grass, leaves and twigs. His sharp eyes were on the lookout for the young Sokovian woman, as he hoped he'd correctly guessed where she would have gone. He didn't think she would have gone far, really. Where would she have gone, anyway?

The Avengers compound was deserted at that moment, with everyone at the funeral. It would take too long to book a flight and go back to the apartment she and Vision had in Scotland. As far as he knew, she didn't know anyone in Georgia, and he was sure she wouldn't just wander around aimlessly. Where did that leave for her to go? Somewhere deep in the woods next to the lake by Tony and Pepper's house was the only place he could come up with. He hoped he was right.

Clint finally spotted her after several moments of looking around and calling out her name. She was sitting on an old log, far from the edge of the tree line, holding herself and looking down at the ground around her feet. She had no visible reaction to his calls, or his presence from what he could see. "Wanda?" he asked as he sat beside her on the rough log. All around them smelled of soil and leaves.

When she didn't respond, he placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave it a light squeeze. "Hey, kid, I know you're upset, you've got plenty of reason to be. I thought we sort of got each other to a good place, where we could see at least some positive result of all this shit, you know? Come on, talk to me, Wanda," he said with a gentle prod.

Wanda didn't move or speak for a very long few moments. She sat as if she were a stone statue, sitting in a place she didn't belong. Finally, she exhaled long and slow, "What's there to talk about, Clint? No matter how many silver linings you find, they're still inside a cloud." She sniffed loudly, and wiped her nose on a cloth she pulled from her jacket pocket. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make a scene or cause a disruption. Pepper and I, we talked…talked about Tony, about Vision…and I just couldn't, not anymore. She did nothing wrong, it just hurts so fucking much. If we'd continued talking much longer, I would have lost it completely, I think. It's better to get myself under control first."

Clint wrapped his arm around the young woman's shoulders and gave her a light squeeze. "You don't look like you're having much luck in the getting yourself under control department," he said quietly. "It looks like you need a friend to help you pull it back together, and you've got lots of friends waiting back there to help you. You've got lots of family waiting to help you. We've all suffered ridiculous amounts of loss and grief, and we all help keep each other together. That means you, too."

Wanda nodded lightly as she drew her arms tighter around herself. "I know. This isn't an attention getting attempt, or being some sort of prima donna, Clint. I'm trying so hard to be strong enough to stand there and talk about it, to remember it, to be thankful for the fact that at least this many of us survived, but I can't. I just can't. Not right now," her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I know others have lost just as much as I have, I know Pepper and Morgan have lost as much as I have…"

"But your grief and loss is harder for you to bear because its yours. I get it, Wanda, I really do. When the Snap happened, and Laura, Lila, Cooper and Nathaniel were suddenly just gone, my whole family gone like they were never there at all, I lost it. I did things…things too horrible to think about, let alone talk about," he said as he tried to catch her gaze.

"Everybody lost somebody close to them, and yeah, it definitely sucks ass. It's tragic. But even though I knew that, I couldn't see past my own pain and loss to help anybody else out with theirs. Instead, I became a murderer, a savage that destroyed people in as painful a way as possible, using my own grief as fuel. I became a monster. That's all part of being human, though. If you were calm and able to process all this shit rationally while the wounds are this raw, you wouldn't be human," he finished as he gave her shoulders another squeeze.

A long silence fell over them as Wanda appeared to be absorbing his words. A deeply thoughtful expression came to her face, and finally, she looked up at him for the first time, "I think maybe I am becoming a monster too. When I came back after the Snap was reversed, something was different. Something had changed inside me, something primal."

Clint frowned at her, trying to understand whatever it was that she was trying to tell him. "What do you mean 'changed' Wanda?" he asked as he turned to better meet her gaze with his own. "What changed?"

She thought about the question for long moments, and then spoke, as she appeared to be looking through him, instead of at him, "I felt…strong. I felt more powerful. It was like I was a phone that was almost dead, and then suddenly completely recharged. I was able to do things that I wasn't before. I hurt Thanos, directly and by myself. I had affected him before, but this…this was something else entirely. He looked at me, and where once there had been contempt, it had been replaced with genuine fear. I hurt him worse than I realized, and it frightened him."

"Yeah, you really did a number on him. That was when the tide turned, Wanda. That's when we really started gaining ground back," the archer said as he gave Wanda's shoulder another squeeze.

"It's more than just that, though," she continued, keeping her gaze leveled at him. "Right now, I can almost…feel Viz, but its more than just that. I know it's crazy, but I think…maybe…maybe I can feel the stones. The stones from this time that Thanos destroyed. It may be something else, but I can feel Viz, like I could feel him before Thanos' goons attacked us in Scotland. The way I felt him when he asked me to see what I could sense about the stone. I felt it, I felt its energy and power, but I felt him more. I can feel that…somehow…right now."

Clint blinked at her a few times, unable to immediately speak. He knew she was powerful, and that she had powers he couldn't even begin to understand, not even compared to guys like Thor and the Hulk. Finally, he decided that he should try and get her to mellow out a little, and to keep a close eye on her. Wanda could be impulsive, even to the point of being brash and reckless, when she was emotional, and right now she was very emotional. Right now, she was hurt, but she was also pissed off. That wasn't a good way to be for her, not right now.

"Hey, we can talk about this later, okay? It's too important to talk about it out here. We need to relax, take it easy for a while, and then tackle it with a fresh mind," he stated as he stood, and offered her a hand to help her stand. "Come on back with me. You can come out to the house with Laura, the kids and me. You're welcome to stay as long as you want or need to."

She regarded him in silence a moment, as if she were reading his very soul. She took his hand finally, and stood up, then dusted her clothes off. "Okay," she answered simply. It was like she was exhausted, and didn't know how to keep fighting the battle that had been raging inside her all that time.

Hawkeye breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With her in tow, he blazed the trail for them to return to Tony and Pepper's house, and a quiet discussion between himself and his wife.