Plans fruition
A certain helicarrier far above a certain version of Earth
Kate Bishop jerked awake in her bed and frantically checked herself, but nothing was out of place. Nothing felt odd or wrong. She wasn't pregnant. Just a dream. The memory of the nightmare faded as they usually did but her minder was eyeing her.
"Kate?" Natasha asked, her eyes worried.
"Bad dream." Kate took a moment to calm her racing heart before she looked at her fellow Avenger and nodded. "It is gone now, but it felt so real." Natasha was still looking at her and Kate sighed. "Just a dream, Widow."
"We have all had weird dreams recently." Natasha Romanoff said after a moment. "I know I had one last night and I think the others did too. We better check for mental attacks." The former assassin looked at a monitor that was set into one wall and Kate nodded, sinking back to her bed. "Bruce is on his way and he says he has news."
"I know better than to hope for good news." Kate said weakly and Natasha nodded. "But nothing I found in the texts I studied says what might have caused me to collapse."
"Tony and others have been looking as well." Natasha offered. "It isn't their area of focus, but it was worrying." The black garbed Avenger paused as Kate looked at the floor. "Kate?"
"Widow… If I have to stop using the teleport tech, I won't be able to keep up with you guys. I am not fast or strong or skilled enough. If I can't-" Kate broke off as Natasha shook her head. "Widow… I…"
"You would find a way." For the first time in quite a while, Natasha Romanoff AKA 'The Black Widow' smiled widely and naturally as Kate's jaw tried to hit the floor. "Kate, you are one of us. No one can take that from you. You would find a way."
"She doesn't have to." Both women stiffened as the door to Kate's compartment opened and Doctor Bruce Banner walked in. So much had been said about the man and his alter ego, but he had never been less than kind to Kate. The Hulk was dangerous, to be sure, but so were Kate's arrows! "Kate, I ran the readings I got and had Tony do the same. Then we cross referenced with what little SHIELD would tell us about what they know about quantum stuff." He smiled as he leaned up against a wall. Natasha started to get up, but Bruce shook his head. "This won't take long. There is a long winded physics explanation, but in the end, it boils down to some kind of quantum anomaly that hit you on your last jump. We don't know if it was directed at you or random, so we will be on guard, but there are no signs of anything else wrong. Your tech is untouched. You haven't been hurt or tampered with." He paused and then grimaced. "That we can detect, anyway."
"Well, that is good, I guess." Kate managed as she forced herself to relax. "Anything else?"
"You have a holocall coming in a few minutes." Bruce said slowly. "I don't know how or why, but somehow, Cap got hold of Wanda."
At that, both of the female Avengers stilled. Wanda Maximoff, AKA The Scarlet Witch had been both a hero and villain in her time around the Avengers. She was incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous, but she knew that. She wasn't entirely sane as a result of many things that had happened, but she was a good person. Even those who had been hurt the worst by her bouts of madness knew that Wanda tried to be a good person. She had recused herself from society as a whole after A-Day, after the Avengers had fallen apart and AIM had taken over. AIM had tried to find her and failed miserably every time.
"Wanda?" Kate asked after a moment. "She wants to talk to me?"
"Private." Bruce looked at Natasha who looked mulish. "It was the only way she would do it. Come on, Natasha. You have a bed calling you."
"Have you been up this whole time, Widow?" Kate asked when Natasha sagged in her chair. Kate stared at her wall clock and it had been almost 20 hours since she had collapsed!
"I wasn't going to make Kamala do it and the boys…" Natasha shrugged at Bruce who nodded with a small smile. "Well. No."
"Thank you." Bruce smiled wide as Kate and Natasha snickered. "I had enough on my plate without Tony making an ass of himself again and getting shot in the butt outside his armor. Cap and T'Challa would be gentlemen, but Clint or Tony? No. Just… No." He all but begged.
"Clint could do it." Kate was drawn it instant defense of her mentor but then she smirked. "Just the thought of Tony Stark in an actual nurse's uniform is horrifying enough that he cwuld run far and fast."
"The uniform, he might find amusing." Natasha scoffed, but then rose with no trace of tiredness. "Actual nurse's work? No. Too mundane for his high and mightiness."
"So very true." Bruce started for the door but paused as Kate coughed. "Kate?"
"Am I off sick leave then?" Kate asked.
"You might want to take a few minutes." Bruce was grinning wide now. "Clint is doing something to celebrate with Lucky in the mess hall." Bruce warned and Natasha actually looked worried for a moment. "You might want to stay here for a bit." Kate eyed him and Bruce shook his head. "I haven't been in there, but whatever it is… You know Clint. He probably thinks it is subtle."
"I do." Kate allowed and sank back to the bed. 'Subtle' for the former carnie turned Avenger often got loud and messy. Or at the least, very humiliating. "Will you be watching? In case something else happens with me?"
"Everyone will. If it is an attack, we will respond." Bruce promised and Natsaha nodded. "You are one of us, Kate. Never doubt that." The mild mannered doctor who had such awesome rage issues was kind as he left the room. Natasha gave Kate a smile and then she too was gone.
Kate shook her head and moved to the small desk that served her for most of her needs. Any civilian would look at it and probably sniff at its almost plebeian appearance, but it served many function. Study alcove, computer monitor with TV and/or streaming access (Secure of course on a SHIELD helicarrier) as well as an integrated com including holographic capability far beyond anything a civilian would have access to. It looked beat up and almost useless, but that was the point. It was far less expensive than all of the bits that made it up would have been. The Avengers had learned not to have lots of expensive, breakable stuff around. Superhuman battles got very expensive even before the insurance companies got involved. Kate didn't have to wait long. The com light went off and she answered.
"Bishop here." Kate said quietly and fought not to react as a hologram of Wanda appeared over her desk. She had mixed feeling about the mutant magic user. Wanda was a genuinely nice person most of the time. The Scarlet Witch had gone through several versions of hell in her life, at least twice that Kate knew, literally. That said? She had also caused a lot of messes that the Avengers had been forced to clean up. Try to clean up anyway. Some… Well… Some couldn't be. Kate shook her head. Wanda was in civilian attire, her signature hair hidden by a baseball cap and her face was hooded. Grief? "Wanda?"
"I know what happened, Kate. I have been briefed." Wanda said without preamble. "It wasn't me and it wasn't you. It was someone else meddling." Kate inhaled, but Wanda wasn't done. "They were stopped. It won't happen again." Kate went utterly still and Wanda nodded. "I can't reveal my sources, for many reasons, but it wasn't you and it won't happen again." She repeated.
"Are you all right?" Kate asked, suddenly worried for Wanda. The Scarlet Witch was not a bad person. She was broken in many ways. Far too many. Kate liked her. Trusting her might be foolish, but Kate did like her. Most of the Avengers did. Carefully, warily, but almost everyone liked her.
"No." Wanda allowed. "No, I am not. A friend just passed away and it made a hell of a mess. Nothing that should impact your fights with AIM, but I am watching and so are many others." Oh dear. If there was one thing Kate knew, it was that Wanda already had enough grief on her shoulders. So much that it had driven her mad on at least two occasions. "The anomaly that hit you came from her and she… Well…" Wanda looked away, her eyes glistening. "She had be stopped. She was."
"I am sorry." Kate said with feeling. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but you are my friend, Wanda."
"Am I?" Wanda asked, suddenly looking small. "I hurt you all. I didn't mean to. Or, I don't think I did. It is so hard to know now." She shook her head. "I have given you my message. Feel free to tell the others. It wasn't just me who was watching. Check with Strange or anyone else connected to the magic realms. They know."
"Thank you." Kate said softly. "Are you alone?" Wanda looked at her funny and Kate smiled at her. "I am being serious, Wanda."
"Yes?" The sometime villain asked carefully. When Kate got moods, sane people ran. Her pranks and jokes were legendary. But when Kate opened her mouth again, it wasn't a joke. Or a trick or anything. Wanda stared at Kate as Kate sang softly. She wasn't a professional singer, with years of training in how to hold notes or carry specific tunes. For this though? It didn't matter.
'Tis the gift be simple, tis the gift to be free…'
Simple Gifts, an old Shaker tune from the 19th century given a new life in the 20th and then altered into 'The Lord of the Dance'. Kate wasn't very religious and she knew Wanda wasn't either but it didn't matter. Here? Kate was just singing to a grief stricken friend. Wanda stared at her, eyes huge and then the terrifyingly powerful Scarlet Witch was singing with Kate. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't always in tune. It didn't matter.
"...'till by turning, turning, we come round right."
The was utter silence in the compartment and Kate bowed her head. Wanda choked off a sob but Kate nodded.
"Sadness is part of life, Wanda." Kate said very quietly. "Happiness and sadness are part of what make us who we are. Mutant or human. Super or not. We are all the same when grief strikes. You are not alone."
"I have to be." Wanda said weakly. "I am too dangerous, Kate. I… I don't even know if I can be killed now."
"You are not alone right now. Simple gifts. Simple solutions to world shattering problems." Kate smiled at Wanda sudden stunned expression. "I haven't gone through all the heartbreaks you have, but I do know grief. Even if we find ourselves facing each other in battle again, know that I am your friend and even if I have to try and stop you, I will regret it."
"Me too." Wanda said very quietly as a tear feel. Only one. Her iron control wouldn't let her show too much emotion. Such displays got bad with her power. "I um… Thank you." She said with feeling.
"Fare the well, Wanda Maximoff." Kate said formally. Wanda nodded and the com call ended. Kate shook her head as the com lit up again. She spoke before the other could. "Please tell me nobody tried to trace that!" She said with feeling. Trying to track Wanda rarely ended well.
"Nobody did this time." Steve Rogers, Captain America, had a nod in his voice. "Well done, Kate."
"I want to help her and I can't." Kate sank back into her chair, tears starting to fall. "Can anyone?"
"I don't know." Captain America said softly. From his tone, he too was fighting tears. Then again, he had fought beside Wanda for many years. Her descents into insanity and subsequent betrayals had rocked the team many times. Everyone knew it wasn't really her fault, but it was hard not to blame her. "I just don't know."
"I do trust her, Cap." Kate was thinking hard. "Even with everything else? She wouldn't lie about that. We do need conformation, but I think…" The newest Hawk-Eye shook her head. "No, she wasn't lying."
"I think so too. We are looking into options for your teleport tech. Less quantum disruptive options." Cap offered. "Tony thinks he can make it better, smaller, maybe squeeze a few more power cells into it?" He sounded bit dubious and who could blame him? Tony Stark was a genius with tech, but that didn't always make him smart.
"We will talk." Kate took a deep breath and then rose. "So… I am ready to go, Cap. Say the word.'
"Well, we have a mission that just popped." Cap was all business now. "Another AIM force just set up shop in Jersey City, hunting Inhumans."
"Then by all means, lets got show the science fools and their racist attack dogs that they are not welcome." Kate grabbed her jacket, quiver, bow and sword in one swift move. She was out the door in seconds. "Say the word."
"Yes, Ma'am." Cap had a smile in his voice as Kate ran towards the War Room. His next words rang over the ship's intercom.
"Avengers. Assemble."
A very different ship in a very different reality
"Well, that is that." Oracle Janet sat up form her very comfortable couch and stretched just a little. She shook her head as her minder started to glow. "I am fine. Tired, but fine." She grimaced as a scan beam swept over her, "Marlena, I am fine!"
"Begging your pardon, Oracle, but Mother ordered me to make sure." The green Sentient looked nothing like a human being. "The last thing we want is you exhausting yourself again. Especially now." Sadness warred with worry in her tone and Janet unbent a little.
"Yeah. No one has any idea what will happen now. Not even me." Janet agreed. "This was totally out of the blue. None of the visions I saw had any of this. Ballas and Erra going to war, yes. But the rest? It doesn't make any sense!"
"No, it doesn't. The small green sentient said sadly. "Um… I shouldn't ask this of you but it is eating me up." The Sentient paused as Janet took two steps to stand beside it. ""I… No. No, don't. It is better I don't ask such things!"
"Natah is alive, Marlena." Janet said very quietly and Marlena's energy stilled on its endless track across her biometal form. Not that 'her' was an accurate descriptor, but it seemed closest. "I cannot feel anything more than that. I know the Zarimon children went after her. To try and save her from Erra and Ballas, but there has been no word and I could rarely see them at the best of times. I can sense Natah in the probabilities, but she is dimmed, somehow. I do not know how or why or how she survived if half of what we were told happened was true."
"If Ballas did stab the Zarimon children and toss them all with Natah into the Void…" Marlena's tone her fear now. "What can we do?" The Void was lethal to Sentient forms, of which Natah was one.
"I don't know." Janet shook her head and slowly laid a hand on the closest piece of biometal Marlena jerked back and Janet sighed. "You can't hurt me, Marlena. Not now with Iriana and Mother working their magic."
"You are one of the single most important beings in this solar system, Janet." Marlena said sternly. "I am not going to take any chances at all!"
"Don't forget your own needs." Janet was stern now. "You have two buds to care for now. Speaking of: How is Mishka?"
"Asleep." Marlena said after a moment. Then the sentient chuckled. "She likes the idea of a little brother, but thinks 'Elliot' is a bit plebeian. She was thinking of other names."
"That might keep her busy and out of trouble for a bit." Janet smiled and Marlena made a soft noise of mirth. Janet waved for Marlena to come close and the green sentient did. When Marlena was close, Janet scrutinized the two tiny biometal buds that hung off her carapace. Both of them held minds that had not started as Sentient.
"Not nearly long enough." Marlena griped, but it was good-natured enough that Janet smiled again.
"It seems that being a parent is lots of work no matter the species. Lots of work." Janet sighed in fond memory.
"Do you miss it?" Marlena sounded almost shy now.
"Sometimes." The preeminent Oracle said heavily. "But most of the time? I have distractions." She smiled again but it fell. "Ric and Cecelia are talking and I don't dare pry. Lorinos is not enjoying his incarceration. Since he is immortal, the Inquisition is thinking to make him a scribe."
"Even if they destroy his mind in interrogation, isn't that dangerous?" Marlena inquired. "Or is that something I shouldn't know?"
"He is immortal, so they don't have to worry about feeding him or housing him. And just so you know, Imperium scribes? Take the most mind- numbing boring task you have ever heard of and then, stuff the person doing that into a tiny cubicle in a smelly, dirty, dark place." Janet's smile was grim now. "Data entry was never a fun job for humans because it is so repetitive. There is a reason they invented machines to do it, but the Imperium in that reality has always had more people than machines, ergo…"
"They use what they have!" Marlena said in sudden understanding. "And I assume he won't be able to get loose?"
"Oh, he has tried and he will." Now, Janet's face held rage. "But he still has the Fulgurite in his system that Kate shot him with, so he is little stronger than a regular human. The Imperium has all kinds of nasty ways to keep regular humans in line. Even those with odd powers. Add the Inquisition to it and he is going nowhere."
"Good riddance!" Marlena heaved a sigh. "And… Ric? I like Cecelia." She said a little weakly.
"Most people do. Cecelia is still hurt by what Elizabeth did to her." Janet said softly. "She will likely stay with us for a time, recovering. Ric thinks he can't and no one can change his mind. I saw some of what he did, in service to Lorinos, trying to stop Elizabeth and it was bad, Marlena. You and I both know about bad, but Ric was, is, a knight. He was sworn not to do such things and he did them anyway. Trying to obey Elizabeth's last sane command to him."
"After all the messes I have made, I am hardly one to judge another, Janet." Marlena's voice held old regret, old pain. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't think so." Janet said heavily. "So much bad and so many fallen. I don't see this ending well even if Ballas just goes the way of the regular Orokin. If he does something else? Something worse?" She shivered. "I don't think the Zarimon children are gone. Every vision of the future I see has them in it, but I just can't get a reading on them. The other Tenno were stymied by the Orphix…" She broke off as a chime sounded. "Adiinah? Problem?"
"Um… You need to see this… Everyone needs to see this!" The Sentient mind that controlled the wormship that was Janet's home was scared now. More than usual for her. That was saying something. Adiinah had been abused, hurt so many times that she was terrified by even the smallest things. She was coming along in her Mother's and Iriana's care, but she was was still easily frightened.
One wall dimmed and then shifted to show a scene out of the ancient past. No, that was Erra to one side as Ballas strode into view, his Orokin body changed by exposure to Sentient tech. Present day. But… Janet stared at the screen as Ballas smiled. Just before the Orokin started talking, Janet jerked as a premonition hit her.
"ADIINAH! RUN! NOW!"
Marlena could do nothing as Oracle Janet, the single most powerful psi in the Origin system, collapsed, clutching her head as an odd, golden thing simply appeared on her face. Her mouth went slack and then she fell to lie still. Marlena's energy tried to grab it, but she was thrown back.
"MOTHER!" Marlena screamed and she prayed even as Adiinah's engines roared but somehow, she knew, this would not be a simple thing to heal. To fix. To bring back hope.
Simple Gifts is credited to Elder Joseph Brackett and is in no way my work.