Warning! there are moments of bullying in this chapter as well as a graphic dream sequence. Read at your own discretion. As always enjoy!
Later that day, after dealing with an insufferable amount of classes that always managed to make Xander unhappy, he was finally going to re meet with Lynn. He definitely needed it, because he was not feeling his best at the moment. As per usual he had his art class (his most favorite and if to be quite honest best class) and he had a tough time with it. If it wasn't that the work was tough (which honestly wasn't the problem, he was a good student) it was forever dealing with people looking at him. In this case it wasn't the fact he was mute, it was just how good he was in his art classes. He wasn't the best student, but he was easily able to create some of the best-designed art that the school had ever seen. He didn't mind the praise, but he hated the envy he got from people. It was almost as bad as the pity that he received. It made him feel like even more of an outcast than he already was. Why did people have such a problem with him?
The worst part? The reason people were looking at him with envy was not because of the fact what he drew happened to be good, but it was what (or a better description would be who he drew). He drew a life like portrait of Wanda. The woman who had stolen his heart and one of the Avengers. They knew she was one because that's what happened when social media catches wind of one of them after a city falls into the ocean! They asked him how he was even able to create a portrait of one of the Avengers, let alone one that was rarely seen in public (or noticed considering that she was one of the newest Avengers). So he told them. and just like that, everyone gave him dirty looks. It wasn't his fault that they had met (ok maybe it was considering that he had given her the strawberry drink, but he honestly had no idea she was an Avenger! He was never on Social Media! But alas that's what remained. Most of the men were giving him glares, did believing that some mute kid was able to score not only on one of the new girls, but an Avenger as well.
Why should it matter to them? It was his life. Besides most people who met the Avengers, or at least saw them were most likely going to end up being in danger. He wasn't going to argue that meeting them would be cool, but it would be pretty unlikely to run into them in a normal situation.
Unfortunately the worst of his day had yet to start. As he made his way to the front door of the hallway to the court yard where Lynn was waiting for him, he felt someone tug on his backpack, lifting him off of his feet. He just hung there, but he felt his bones chill and his blood freeze when he heard the voice that addressed him. It was James Creed, one of the football players of the high school. Unfortunately for Xander, he was also one of the biggest problems for him. Ever since Freshman year, the football star had found Xander to be a favorite past time and play thing. Whatever you want to call it, he was a bully. "Hello Xandy… lets talk about the girls…"
Xander attempted to fight his way out of his bullies grip, but one of Creeds cronies Tyler, suddenly punched him in the stomach, causing Xander top open his mouth in what would have been a groan. It didn't stop there; Creed threw him to the floor, causing Xander to land on his injured arm. Xander attemted to turn over and crawl away, but Creed kicked him in the stomach, turning him on his back. Creed then stomped heavily on the wound, causing the wound to reopen, blood spilling over Xander's shirt.
Xander started to cry, tears of pain streaming down his face.
"aww is poor Xandy crying? Need his girls to save him? Tell me… how's a artistic freak like you meet someone like them?"
Xander just gritted his teeth, giving Creed a red-eyed glare that really wasn't intimidating, before rearing his head back and spitting at him. it managed to smack Creeds cheek, causing him to recoil in disgust. He took a few steps back, rubbing his cheek, before glaring at Xander
"That's it Wayne!" he reached down and grabbed Xander by his shirt, but before he could do anything rash, a fist suddenly collided with creeds face, causing him to drop Xander and slam into the lockers nearby. His head hit them quite hard and he slumped to the floor, unconscious. His cronies, quite shocked at what just happened, looked at the attacker, before turning and fleeing. They would never admit to being scared, but they certainly weren't going to fight a girl.
Xander looked up at his Savior. It was Lynn! She was breathing heavily, giving Creed the look of nightmares, before turning to Xander, a look of concern in her green eyes "Xander are you ok?" she asked, looking at his bloodstained shirt. Xander just stood up, ignoring the question. What was he supposed to tell her? She was new and he didn't want to rope her into this mess. She deserved more than that. He held his side, where Creed had kicked him. He turned around and went into the nearest bathroom. He went to a mirror, where he lifted up his shirt. Sure enough, there was a purple bruise beginning to form on his abdomen. Damn it. How was he going to explain this? Then again, he would have to change his shirt since there was blood on it. He exited the bathroom, where he found Lynn looking at him. She was folding her arms, giving him a glare of contempt. Clearly she wasn't happy that she had found that her new friend was being bullied. "Xander, how long has this been going on with you?" she asked, barely concealed anger trailing her usually sweet voice. Xander frowned, looking at the ground. It had been going on since his freshman year, so since he was 14. He never said anything because, well he couldn't. not to mention Creeds father was good friends with the principal and one of the schools biggest contributors. In short Creed was a wealthy jock who got his way because his father could sweep things under the rug.
So what else was there to do about the situation? Lynn shook her head "Xander you can't just let that guy continue to do that to you! People like him don't stop! He clearly hasn't stopped tormenting you right?"
Xander just didn't look at the girl. He was far too embarrassed to even argue with her. What could he tell her? Yeah bullies were the worst, but when the entire male population was already against him anyway, partially because of Lynn her self, what was he supposed to do? He hobbled over to her, trying to give her a reassuring smile, but she wasn't having it. Instead, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away "come on Xander, we are getting you home. We need to make sure you don't have any broken ribs or something like that?"
She took him to the parking lot "where is your car?" she asked him. Xander pulled Lynn to his car, and unlocked the car. He was about to get in the drivers seat, when Lynn stopped him "no… your hurt, get in the passenger seat. I'll drive." Xander just looked at her, but relented. He handed her his keys, before getting into the passenger seat, while the blond got into the drivers seat.
"So where to?" she asked.
Wanda awoke gasping for breath, feeling cold sweat drip down her forehead as she clutched the blanket that she had been under. That nightmare. It was too real. And the worst part was that she had lived it before… only what she had seen was not what had happened not exactly.
Wanda trudged towards the body of her dead brother. With a soundless choke she fell to her knees, staring at Pietro's still face. He could almost look like he was sleeping, if not for the many bullet holes that littered his torso. A tear escaped her eye as she lifted her brother's torso into her lap, pulling him close to her. She gently kissed his eyes and his cheeks, before burying her face into the crook of his neck, gently sobbing. He was gone. The brother that she had loved and cherished. Gone.
She didn't know what to do without him. There had never been a single moment where they had been apart. Yet now here she was, clutching what was left of him, crying into his shoulder. It didn't matter that his killer was dead; it wasn't going to do anything to bring him back. She was all alone now.
She pulled away and that's when she realized she wasn't staring at her brother's dead face. No she was staring at Xander's. There was a hole in his chest as if someone had quite literally ripped out his heart. His mouth opened in shock, his eyes wide with terror
Wanda dropped his corpse in shock, before standing up and backing away. her gaze was fixed on the gaping hole where his heart was. What had happened? why was he here? He wasn't supposed to be here! He was supposed to be at home! They hadn't even met yet!
She backed up into a wall, before realizing something was wrong. She was standing not on the Helicarrier, but inside a bedroom. And Xander was on that bed. What was going on? Wanda looked down, gasping. Her cloths were covered in blood, soaked to the point that there was not even a hint of any dryness; it was all done recently. And clutched in her hand was Xander's still beating heart.
Wanda shivered, unable to shake off the image. She had visions before in the past; it was a side effect of her telekinesis, but never had they been so graphic. Never before had she seen her self kill someone. Let alone someone that she cared about. But why did her vision show both Pietro and Xander? The two had never met. What did it mean?
Wanda made her way to her adjoining bathroom. She turned on the sink, quickly gathering water into her palms, before splashing her face with the cool liquid. Though it did little to calm her nerves, she at least felt cleaner after wars. She gripped the edges of her sink, staring at her reflection. Her brown hair was messy and her green eyes were still filled with fear and confusion.
"What am I going to do?" she whispered
"You can't save him, Wanda…" a voice said behind her. An achingly familiar voice. She turned around before gripping the sink again, this time in shock and terror. Pietro… it was Pietro, standing there, looking much paler and decayed slightly. His eyes were white and he looked at her in a menacing manner. "You couldn't save me." He rasped.
Wanda just stood there unsure whether to attack or listen to her brother. "Pietro… I'm sorry…." She said, chocking back a sob.
Pietro just shook his head "I'm dead Wanda… you killed me!"
Wanda shook her head, feeling tears fall down her face "Pietro, please!" she whispered
"No Wanda! You killed me!" he lunged towards her forcing Wanda to raise her hand and fire a blast of red light which hit her brother and mad him explode in a flash of light.
Wanda fell to her knees still hearing her brothers voice "you can't save him... you couldn't save me!"
Wanda clutched her head "Pietro… Xander…." She whispered
She sat there crying. What was she going to do?
I'm terrible with Wanda aren't I? I'm sorry to say though its going to get worse from here for her. This is only the beginning of it all.
Also, does anyone mind if I keep Xander silent? I was considering giving him sign language dialog, but I personally want to keep him silent. I think it adds to the uniqueness of the story.
