because I will never tire of writing these two.

enjoy.

"Wanda. Wanda, it's me, Clint. We're gonna get that off of you, okay?"

"No, don't just pull it. Looks like it's wired here," she heard Sam say quietly.

"Aw shit."

"Oh, hang on, I grabbed the thing to unlock it. Or, at least I think it unlocks it."

"Okay, yeah, I think this is it, Cap. Looks like it fits right here," Clint said as he fiddled with something mechanical sounding. There was a clicking sound and suddenly the vice around her neck loosened and the metal fell away, leaving her neck free. "Yeah, yeah, there we go. Okay, let's get this off you, alright? Wanda. Wanda, look at me."

She blinked a few times as she tried to clear the fuzziness of her mind. She could feel her magic flowing through her once more, and slowly she started to become somewhat aware of her surroundings again.

"Clint, we gotta move. We've got incoming."

"I know, Cap, but I'm not gonna force her. You don't know what they did."

"Is she okay?" a new voice asked.

"Just peachy, Scott," Clint snapped.

"Clint-" she heard Steve say again before Clint cut him off.

"Alright! Wanda, hey, hey, look at me." Wanda shifted her head a little and slid her gaze over to him. "Good, that's good. I'm gonna get this thing off you, alright?" he asked, gesturing to the straightjacket.

She nodded once and tried to relax as he undid the straps and buckles. It was an agonizing wait, but finally her arms were freed.

"Okay, kid. We gotta move. You okay to walk? Otherwise, Cap can carry you."

She shook her head. "I'm okay," she said hoarsely, her voice rough from disuse and probably whatever had been emitting from the collar.

"Okay, Cap, lead on," Clint said as he helped her stand up.

Her legs were a bit wobbly, but she managed to keep up with the slight jog that Steve had them moving at as he led them through a maze of hallways.

"Three minutes out," she heard him murmur into his comm and she absently wondered who he was speaking to. His friend, perhaps? "Yeah, they're okay. No immediate medical required. Just be ready for takeoff."

Thankfully, the only guards they ran into on their way back to the quinjet were already unconscious, likely from Steve's entry into the prison. Clint helped her up the ramp and ushered her over to a seat to get strapped in. "I'm gonna help get this thing in the air, alright? Sam's here if you need anything," he said, gesturing to where Sam was seated across from her.

Her eyes followed his gesture and Sam smiled warmly when Wanda met his gaze. She nodded and then watched as Clint made his way into the cockpit, which was just out of view. She managed to stay calm as she buckled herself into the seat, fighting off the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her at the feeling of being strapped in.

"You doin' okay, Wanda?" Sam's voice cut through the panic.

"I'm alright," she replied, voice still rough. It was a lie and she knew that he knew it, but he let it go and instead opted to finish getting himself strapped in.

Her body jolted with sudden movement of the quinjet taking off and then sharply turning, but soon enough she felt the familiar hum of its flight. It came as a comfort, knowing that it meant they were moving away from the hell that was her cell and the confinement it brought.

Steve appeared a couple minutes later with a bottle of water and a granola bar. She took the bottle gratefully but eyed the bar warily. Her throat was sore enough that she didn't even want to think about trying to eat anything until things had healed a bit. "Sorry," he apologized, apparently realizing the source of her discomfort, "I can see if we have something else."

She shook her head. "The water is fine, thank you."

He nodded and then sat down next to Sam and quickly began talking quietly after handing the man a bottle of water and a bar as well.

Clint appeared shortly after and sat down next to her. "How you doing, kid?"

"Better now that we're out of there," she answered honestly with a small forced smile.

He smiled back, but she suspected he had seen right through hers. "Amen to that. Any injuries?"

She shook her head but he immediately countered it with a tilt of his head. The meaning of it was clear: "Wanna try that again?"

"My throat," she amended while reaching up to rub at it. She stopped just short of touching it, realizing suddenly that it was far more tender than she had realized at first.

"Can I take a look?" She nodded and tried her hardest not to flinch at the idea of something on her neck again. But his touch was feather light as he checked one side and then the other. "Looks a bit irritated, but I don't think it's infected. What exactly did that thing do?"

She shrugged. "I could feel something coming from it. Like a buzzing."

"To inhibit your powers," he finished with a nod. "But other than that, nothing else?" he asked, fixing her with a firm stare. She shook her head. "Okay," he said with a nod.

"Where are we going?"

"Safehouse. We can lie low there while we figure out our next move."

She nodded because anywhere was better than the cell, but the uncertainty of their situation was unsettling. She'd grown used to the comfort and familiarity of having a home at the Compound. She thought of Vision and wondered what he thought of how things had ended at the airport. Her gaze dropped to her lap where her fingers were picking at a thread of the blue jumpsuit. They had fought, but the animosity between them had melted away at the end as he came to check on her. She already missed him. Far more than she'd expected she would.

"Nat might have some clothes on board if you want to change. I can ask," he offered. Her gaze hardened as she looked up quickly, feeling her magic flare at the mention of Natasha. "Hey, she's with us," Clint said, clearly having noticed her reaction.

"She wasn't with us at the airport," Wanda replied darkly. "She fought against us."

"Water under the bridge, Wanda. Who do you think engineered this whole breakout? You really think Cap coulda pulled this off alone?" Clint glanced over at Steve and Sam who were, by nature of their close quarters in the quinjet, privy to their conversation. Steve offered a small, sheepish smile, confirming Clint's assumption.

"She let me and Bucky go at the airport when she didn't have to," Steve added. "She's a fugitive as much as all of us now. Maybe even more so. We never signed the Accords, but she did, and she broke them for us. She's breaking them for us."

"She signed and enforced the Accords that put us in that prison," Wanda countered stubbornly. It was not in her nature to be so quick to forgive. Years of hurt and pain had fortified her defences, and once they were broken, it took a lot to allow the person who broke them back in.

"She was trying to keep us together," Steve replied evenly. "It was Ross who engineered you being put in the Raft. She's the only reason I was even able to break you all outta there."

Wanda remained silent as she tried to reconcile their opinions with what she'd experienced. Natasha landing on the side of the Accords had been a surprise. It had left Wanda unsettled because it simply hadn't made sense to her, and seeing her on the opposing side at the airport had caused a great deal of anger to surface. She'd taken it out on the redhead when she'd noticed Clint was pulling his punches, sending her flying into some metal loading machine with no remorse.

"I trust her," Steve offered solemnly when she didn't say anything. She trusted that he did, but wasn't entirely convinced that he wasn't being manipulated. Natasha was, after all, the Black Widow.

She slid her gaze to Clint, who for some reason hadn't felt betrayed by his best friend's decision to side against them. "You already know I trust her, Wanda. She did what she did to try and keep the Avengers together. It was a messy issue to begin with," he said with a shrug. "You accused me of pulling my punches. You really think she wasn't too? I'd be in a lot worse shape if she'd been going all out, believe me."

She looked over at Sam. "She's a complicated woman," he offered. "Always has been. I trust Steve, and I trust that Nat wouldn't betray us. But I'm gonna, uh, leave you guys to it," he said a little awkwardly as he got up and headed to the cockpit to give them some privacy.

Her gaze drifted over to Scott, who was blissfully unaware of the heaviness of the conversation, having fallen asleep nearly as soon as they'd taken off.

"I understand your hesitation," Steve said. "I really do. And if you want to leave when we land at the safehouse, that's fine. But I hope you'll stay."

"I'll make sure you're set either way," Clint promised.

"Just think on it," Steve said as he got up to head to the cockpit again. It was all she could think about as she watched him head toward the woman who'd sided against them all.

"Hey."

Wanda looked up to find Natasha in the doorway holding some clothes and a small first aid kit. "Hi."

"I brought you some clothes, and something for your neck," she said as she took one step into the room and put the stuff onto the bed before stepping back into the doorway. Her expression was neutral, but her gaze was soft and almost hesitant. Wanda knew it was a tell Natasha was allowing to be seen and briefly wondered if it was merely a tactic.

"Thank you," Wanda said, tone clipped and a bit sharper than she'd intended. They'd flown for a few hours after Steve had given her the water, and Wanda still hadn't figured out how she was supposed to feel about Natasha being with them.

Natasha sighed. "We gonna have this conversation or are we doomed to prolonged awkward silences?"

Wanda scowled. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"Oh, I don't think that's true," Nat replied with an arched brow as she leaned against the door frame casually. "I think you've got a lot to say to me. And it's probably not particularly nice."

"Guess the spy hasn't lost her touch," Wanda quipped bitterly. Natasha didn't look phased by the comment, but then Wanda already knew it wouldn't have pierced the protective wall that guarded her emotions. It took a lot more to rattle the Black Widow.

"Don't hold back on my account," Nat egged her on with a gesture of her hand. "I've already gotten an earful from Tony's perspective; you may as well get to say your bit too."

Wanda's eyes widened fractionally at the mention of Stark. If what Steve had said was true - that she'd let him and Bucky go at the airport - then Stark was likely even more pissed at Natasha than Wanda was.

"Look," Nat continued, "I get it. This was...messy, and I didn't want-"

"I trusted you," Wanda interrupted sharply.

"It wasn't misplaced," Natasha replied calmly. "You being locked up there was never part of the plan. It's not like they told us they were planning on putting you in the Raft. If I'd known, I-"

"You what?" Wanda interrupted again brusquely. "You wouldn't have sided against us?" Her tone was laced with bitterness and doubt, which she couldn't have held back if she'd tried.

"I wouldn't have caved so easily to letting sides be chosen in the first place," Natasha countered swiftly as she pushed off the door frame and stood up straight. "We got played by scared politicians and now it's torn apart this team."

"I trusted you," Wanda repeated stubbornly. How could she not understand? How could she, the woman who trusted so few, who always chided them to always be looking over their shoulder, who had spent years deceiving people as a spy and agent, not understand that breaking the trust the two of them had forged was a massive blow?

Natasha's gaze hardened. "And I forgave you after Ultron."

Wanda's eyes widened at the mention of the low point in her history with the Avengers. She hadn't understood at the time what it was she'd seen in Natasha's mind, but had seen and felt enough to understand it was traumatic. She still didn't quite know everything, but had learned enough to understand that it had brought up a lot of dark and painful thoughts for the redhead.

"I accepted that you'd been doing what you thought was right at the time." Wanda's anger deflated at her words. Okay...maybe she had a point. "I never agreed with the Accords. I have too much experience with questionable regimes asserting control to have trusted them blindly. But I thought we could steer things, amend the Accords to suit what we needed, stay together and keep doing good."

"Seems optimistic." Too optimistic for someone as practical as Natasha.

"Maybe in hindsight, yeah," Nat conceded and then paused for a moment, as though to let Wanda respond. When she met only silence, she sighed lightly and continued. "I have to go meet up with some contacts to get some tech that'll be helpful for avoiding Ross and his goon squad so I'll be gone for a bit. If you want to leave while I'm gone, Clint knows where my supplies are in this place and he'll get you sorted. But…" she trailed off and her expression softened considerably. "I hope you stay. I know you might not trust me now, and you probably don't understand my reasoning, but I did what I thought was going to keep our team intact. I never wanted it to end this way."

Wanda grappled with how to respond. She could tell, as best as she was able without looking into Nat's head (because even though she was frustrated with the redhead, that was a line she wasn't willing to cross; not anymore), that she was telling the truth, but the betrayal from the Accords was still too fresh.

"You should clean your neck before you put the ointment on," Nat said after a few beats of awkward silence. "Clint said it wasn't infected, but still wouldn't hurt to-"

"Can you look at it?" Wanda blurted out suddenly. It took her mind a moment to catch up with what she'd asked, and she immediately began wondering why she'd asked. All that talk of a lack of trust, and here she was offering herself up to the woman who'd betrayed them.

Natasha's eyes widened slightly and her gaze softened as she murmured, "Sure."

Wanda willed herself to stay relaxed as Nat approached and took a seat next to her on the bed. She held up her hands to move Wanda's hair out of the way but stopped and held her gaze, silently seeking permission to proceed. Wanda gave the barest of nods and then Natasha began to examine the wound on her neck. Her touch was practiced and gentle, and just as featherlight as Clint's had been, something for which Wanda was incredibly grateful.

It was a familiar ritual, as Natasha had always been the one to check on Wanda's injuries after their missions. They shared a distrust of medical staff, so it was an unspoken agreement that Nat would evaluate if actual medical attention was needed or if it could be dealt with on their own. Wanda had been pleasantly surprised by how much Natasha deemed appropriate to handle without any doctors, and quickly found out that she was quite accomplished in first aid.

"Clint was right, it doesn't look infected. This part here is a bit more irritated though, probably where the clasp was?" she guessed. Wanda nodded. "I don't think it will scar. Clean it gently when you shower, then put on some of that ointment." Nat paused for a beat before she offered, "I can help if you need."

Wanda blinked once, twice, and then nodded near imperceptibly.

"You hungry?" Wanda hesitated, but Nat, true to form, seemed to figure out the source of her trepidation before she could voice it. "I picked up some fresh fruit earlier, including some bananas. That probably won't bother your throat too much."

Wanda nodded. "That sounds good."

"Okay," Nat said as she rose to her feet. "Take your time, the guys are using the other bathroom. There's shampoo and conditioner in there, but try to avoid getting the shampoo on your neck. There's some scent-free soap in there that should be better for it."

Wanda had taken a long shower, all too happy to be able to wash off the smell of her imprisonment and run a brush through her tangled hair. By the time she'd dressed and stepped back out into the room, Natasha was waiting with a glass of juice, a banana and some oatmeal, and a well stocked first aid kit.

"Still want some help?" Nat asked. Wanda nodded and took a seat on the bed next to her. "Looks better already," she said after a moment of gentle prodding and examination. "I think just some ointment and leave it open to the air. Don't need to wrap it."

Wanda let out a soft sigh of relief, she had dared to hope that wrapping anything around her neck wouldn't be necessary. Nat held her gaze for a second and Wanda saw understanding flicker in her eyes. She wondered if, in her years on the job, Nat had been forced to deal with a similar injury. She'd bet money, if she had any, that Nat had.

"Okay for me to put this on?"

Wanda nodded again and then breathed out a sigh of relief at the coolness that spread once Nat began to apply the ointment gently.

"Feel okay?"

"Yeah," Wanda replied softly. "It feels nice."

"Any other injuries I need to know about?" she asked once she finished.

Wanda shook her head. "Just sore."

Nat scrutinized her for a beat and then nodded once she apparently decided Wanda was telling the truth. "Try to stretch the muscles a little. They can cramp up and ache a bit from being stuck in the same position."

Wanda nodded, knowing this time that Nat was speaking from experience.

"I brought you a banana and some oatmeal," she added, gesturing to the plate and bowl behind them. "There's more food in the kitchen, so help yourself. Sam's threatening to make some chili for dinner."

"Thank you."

Nat stood up to leave but hesitated a second. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Wanda. I never wanted it to turn out this way."

"I know," Wanda said after a moment. "I just-"

"Yeah," Nat interrupted. "I know. Trust is hard."

A few hours later Wanda glanced up at the sound of a knock at the door of the bedroom she'd been assigned.

"Hey," Nat said. "I'm heading out. Clint's got the details for supplies if-"

"I'm staying," Wanda said firmly, interrupting Nat's instructions. She isn't sure exactly when she'd decided that she would stay, but she supposed it was likely around when Nat had been checking on her neck.

"Oh, okay. Good," Nat replied with a small smile.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure. A week, maybe two. Could be three." Wanda frowned at the wishy-washy answer. "I'm not sure what exactly I'm walking into," Nat added with a half shrug.

"That doesn't sound safe."

Nat smiled gently at her words of worry. "Maybe not. But it's necessary. The tech I'm going to get will make our lives a hell of a lot easier. Ross is gunning for us for sure."

Wanda licked her lips. "And Stark?" she asked. The man certainly had the means to try and track them, so it wasn't unwarranted that he was a source of worry for them all, Natasha in particular.

Nat looked conflicted as she chose her words. "I don't think he'll actively seek us out."

"You're sure?"

"Don't worry," Nat assured, "even if he was, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." Wanda smiled at the quip. "I wanted to give you this," she continued as she tossed a cell phone to Wanda. It was older than the one she'd had before, and more akin to the ones she remembered from her time in Sokovia before joining up with Hydra. "I figured you might want to get in touch with Vision."

Wanda blushed at the insinuation and Nat grinned. "It's safe?" she asked the redhead.

Nat nodded. "As long as you keep the call short, it can't be traced." Wanda smiled gratefully. She had wanted to touch base with Vision. "When I get back, I can walk you through some ways you guys can talk for longer while staying under the radar about it."

"Natasha," Wanda said, voice quaking a little with gratitude, "thank you."

She waved it off. "Least I could do," she argued. "Well, I guess I'll see you when I get back."

"Stay safe," Wanda replied with a nod, watching as she walked away. She heard Cap and Sam wish her well, and then she heard Clint try one last time to convince her to let him go with her. She refused, citing his family and the fact that he was long overdue for sticking around with them without any interruptions. He sighed and then reminded her that if she needed him, all she had to do was call.

Wanda got up to stand in the doorway and watch as she opened the front door to leave. Nat looked back at her and offered a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back before you know it," she said with a nod of her head before turning on her heel and heading out the door, bag slung over her shoulder.

Wanda's gut twisted with anxiety as she watched her mentor and friend disappear through the door. She knew Natasha was experienced in staying under the radar and avoiding detection, far more than any of them, including Clint, but the circumstances meant that there were a ton of people gunning for her. Probably more than she was used to.

"She'll be okay, kid," Clint reassured her as he clasped a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "She's been doing this stuff since she was a kid."

"I know," Wanda replied softly. But it doesn't stop me from worrying she added silently.

I know this update's been beyond late, and I'm sorry. turn out, this pandemic's not great for fostering a solid writing headspace. apologies.

thoughts? comments? feedback? suggestions? as always, love to see what y'all think.

more to come.