Vision looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he tied his cape around his neck. This Halloween he'd chosen a costume that would allow him to be seen with his true face. He wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps he was tired of hiding.
He was in the living room in time to see Wanda descend the stairs in her sorceress ensemble: red leotard, red crown, tights. Even after all these years of marriage, he was still frequently struck by her beauty. Today, the sight of her looking so uncannily beautiful caused him to feel even more lost and conflicted. How was he ever supposed to confront her about her secrets when he couldn't bear the thought of upsetting her?
"You look wonderful," she said to him.
"So do you," he replied, hoping she would misconstrue the tightness in his voice.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Shouldn't you bring a jacket?" he asked.
"It's not too chilly today. And if it's cold on the walk home tonight, you can wrap me up in your cape," she added suggestively.
He couldn't help but chuckle and wrap an arm around her.
"Boys, are you ready?" Wanda called.
Tommy and Billy came out of their rooms, both in their costumes. They looked so grown up, Tommy in particular. They were only a couple of years away from graduating high school, after which they would perhaps go off to college. It was bittersweet to be faced with the reminder that their children weren't children anymore.
"You both look amazing!" Billy said.
"Mom, don't you think you're a little old to be dressed like that? It's embarrassing," said Tommy.
"Don't listen to him; I think you look beautiful," Billy argued.
Wanda smiled. "Thank you. Let's get going. We want to get to the party before they run out of doughnuts."
Agnes waved to them from her yard as they passed.
"You going to the party?" Wanda asked.
"In a bit. Your costumes look great!"
It was warm for an autumn evening. All their neighbors seemed to be out and about, heading to the party or getting an early start on trick-or-treating. The twins soon ran ahead to join up with some friends.
"You're being quiet today," Wanda noted.
"I'm sorry. I'm just thinking," Vision said evasively.
"I have always loved how thoughtful you are." When he didn't laugh, she asked, "Is it anything you want to talk about?"
"Not just yet." It was a night to socialize and enjoy themselves; he didn't want to bring down the mood. Besides, if she could keep secrets, so could he.
"Okay." After a minutes, she said, "I think I'm going to dart back home and change into some flats. These shoes are killing me."
"Would you like me to go with you?"
"No. Go on ahead. I'll meet you at the party."
Normally he might have insisted on accompanying her, but Vision didn't mind a few minutes alone to think and Pietro has taken off watching the twins.
Several people he passed wished him Happy Halloween. Some greeted him by name. Rather, by his alias. Everyone in Westview was always so friendly. Neighbors were always eager to help each other, the twins had never been bullied in school, they had never been made to feel unwelcome in any way. Everything about it seemed perfect.
He kept thinking about what Agnes said yesterday: something that seemed too good to be true probably wasn't true.
"I think something's wrong here," he muttered aloud to himself.
No one had ever asked him why he didn't eat. No one who shook his hand had ever commented on his skin being harder than typical human skin. It was as if they were incapable of noticing anything odd about him.
Suddenly feeling like he needed to get away, he floated up into the air, wondering if anyone would spot him and point him out. No one did.
He flew higher, getting a bird's-eye view of their idyllic town.
There was something there, a layer of some kind of energetic static. He flew through it curiously, trying to figure out what it was.
And then suddenly the sky changed from early evening twilight to star-studded black. The air was colder. All was quiet.
He looked around.
Beyond the edges of town he could see razor-wire fences and floodlights. Beyond those, he saw a car parked on a road in the woods with its headlights on.
He flew closer to investigate. He saw someone in the car, apparently asleep at the wheel.
It was Agnes, wearing the witch costume he'd seen her in a few minutes ago.
He flew to her. The driver's side window was open.
"Agnes?"
She didn't wake up.
He reached toward her to rouse her. Something like electricity zapped from his fingertip to her head.
She jolted awake with a gasp. She stared at him, eyes wild.
"Am I dead?" she asked.
"No," he assured her. "Why would you think that?"
She looked at him pensively. "Because you are."
The way she said that—both authoritative and amazed—convinced him she knew something he didn't.
It terrified him.
"What do you mean?"
"What are you doing here?" She asked him instead of answering. "How did you get out here?"
"I flew," he answered without thinking about it. This all seemed so surreal he was staying to wonder if he was having some kind of nightmare.
"You flew?" she repeated.
He realized how strange that must sound. Agnes didn't know about his powers.
But she just started laughing, like that was the funniest joke she'd heard in years.
"You just flew out? You mean you could have left Westview any time you wanted this whole time?"
"It seems so," he answered. "Can't anyone?"
"Almost no one has been able to enter or leave Westview ," Agnes said.
"But...how did you get out? I saw you only a few minutes ago."
"I've never set foot in Westview in my life, Vision."
Agnes took a deep breath. "Okay. You must be so confused. You want to know what's really going on in Westview?"
"Yes. Very much," he answered.
"I'm not the best person to answer that. But I know who is." She took out her phone and made a call. "Hey, sorry to call you this late. I mean, this early, but I need to meet up with you right now. You are not going to believe this."
She got out of her car, put her wrists together, and circled her hands in a way that reminded him of Wanda when she worked her powers.
A circle of light appeared in the air in front of her. Through it, Vision could see a room containing what looked to be advanced scientific equipment.
"Come with me," Agnes said as she stepped through it.
Vision did. He was uncertain if it was a good idea, but he needed answers.
The room they emerged in was some kind of lab. Vision was trying to figure out what they could be studying in this room when a door opened. It occurred to him too late that he should perhaps assume his normal human disguise.
But he found himself facing someone just as conspicuous as he was. It was Doctor Strange wearing pajamas.
"Oh my God," he said. "Vision?"
"I told you you weren't going to believe it," Agnes said.
"Doctor Strange?" Vision said, desperately trying to figure out what was going on.
"You can call me Stephen. How did you get out of Westview?"
"He flew," Agnes answered for him. "Apparently, he can go right through the energy barrier."
"Your appearance has changed since last I saw you," Vision noted.
"That's not important right now. Vision, how much do you know about what Wanda is doing?"
He shook his head. The question didn't make sense. "Wanda is not doing anything."
"Do you know how you got to Westview in the first place?" Agnes asked.
He was about to answer with a simple 'Of course', but realized he didn't. It was a long time ago, and he hadn't thought about it for a long time, but he remembered the just appearing in the house he dreamed off with Wanda.
Vision's head was swirling. "The people of Westview are trapped there. They deserve the freedom to leave, the freedom to remember what's outside their town, the freedom to know what's real," Agnes added.
Vision considered that point. He felt a lump in his throat, and something cold and poisonous in the pit of his stomach. " I need to get back " Vision said, Doctor Strange nodded and opened a portal, Vision stepped through, however it was outside of Westview. As soon as Vision touched the ground. He cried out in pain, the S.W.O.R.D. Agents and the TVA minutemen, Ravonna and Mobius hiding near by all watched as Vision began to burst into particles.
Inside the Hex Wanda felt Vision slowly die, she cried out in pain as she tried to save him but wasnt able to reach him in time.
