Chapter 19
There you are, there you are in my head
Don't fill me up, fill me up with regret
Crawling through the vastness of space
If there's a will, there's a way, there's a way
-"Bones" by Wens
Warnings for torture and child abuse.
James hadn't really planned breaking into Werner's cell, but Tony and Steve being gone was an opportunity he couldn't resist. It was the Soldier's muscle memory that uploaded a nasty virus into FRIDAY. He was sure it wouldn't take the AI very long to squash it, but he only needed a few minutes. It was easy to slip unseen down the stairs and jam the door knob leading to the detainment rooms. It was barely a challenge to pick the lock on Werner's cell. When the door slid open, Werner looked up with a scowl and it was so damn satisfying to see the man's face go white at the sight of him.
James stepped into the room. The door slid shut behind him as he stood in front of it, arms crossed over his chest. He felt more like the Soldier than he had in a long time as he stared expressionless at Werner. The rage inside his chest seemed ice over into something cold and deadly. Werner had jumped up from the bunk he'd been sitting on. The man was trying hard to school his face into bored disinterest, but the fear was still easy to read in his eyes.
"Is this the part where the Avengers send you in to do the dirty work?" Werner sneered.
James let a small, terrifying smile curl around his lips, but he remained silent. Werner fidgeted nervously, his eyes darting between James, the camera, and the door.
"What the fuck do you want, Soldat?" Werner finally snapped.
"What's the matter Werner?" James asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Seemed like you wanted me to come visit since you kept bringin my name up."
Two bright red spots appeared on Werner's pale cheeks.
"So now that I'm here, you're gonna tell me everything, and maybe I won't take you apart piece by piece." James grin widened, showing his teeth.
If possible, Werner paled even further, but he tilted his chin up defiantly. "Am I supposed to believe that the Avengers approve of torture?"
"Probably not." James shrugged, pulling out a knife and flipping it casually in his hand. Werner's eyes tracked the blade anxiously. "Good thing they don't know I'm here."
He flipped the knife one more time before throwing it fast and hard. The blade went through Werner's right shoulder and he stumbled back into the wall, his eyes widening. Before he could even react, James was on him. He grabbed the handle of the knife in one hand and pinned Werner to the wall by the throat with his metal hand. Werner was trying to shove him off, but it wasn't hard to make himself unmovable against the man's feeble attempts. He slowly twisted the knife in Werner's shoulder as blood began to drip onto the floor. Werner grabbed at his hand and let out an agonized scream.
"Don't worry." James said calmly. "I didn't hit anything too vital, but I'd start talkin if I were you."
Werner snarled at him, his eyes bright with pain and fury.
"You want to keep going? Fine by me."
Werner was still holding onto his wrist with both hands. In one fluid motion, James let go of the knife, flipped his wrist to grab hold of Werner's right hand, and broke the man's pointer finger. Werner let out a shout of pain.
"Wanda had how many broken fingers?" He mused like he didn't have every single one of her injuries imprinted in his brain.
He struck again quickly. Werner's middle finger broke with an audible crack. A groan of pain escaped through Werner's gritted teeth. Before Werner could catch his breath, he broke his ring and little finger too. Werner shrieked.
"That's right. Four. You feel like talking yet?"
Werner swore at him in German. James stared him down, his gaze flat and hard. He yanked the knife out of Werner's shoulder, eliciting another pained scream from the man.
"Good. I could do this all day."
When Strange created a portal into Werner's cell, Steve wasn't sure what to expect. He was the first to leap through, followed by Tony in his suit and Nat with her gun drawn. He quickly scanned the small room, his heart pounding. Werner was slumped on the floor against the wall. He had a large wound in his shoulder that was bleeding and his right hand was cradled against his chest. His face was battered and streaked with blood and tears. Bucky was leaning casually against the wall, cleaning his knife. He glanced up as the portal appeared and met Steve's eyes with a cold, blank expression.
"Buck?" Steve asked cautiously, moving slowly towards him.
Bucky casually raised an eyebrow like none of this was fucked up and he hadn't just been torturing a man.
"Who are we talking to right now?" Nat asked calmly from where she was standing with her gun pointing down.
"Not the Soldier if that's what you mean." Bucky said flatly.
"Help me." Werner moaned weakly from the floor.
Steve glanced at Tony. "You want to get him to medical?"
Tony had his visor down, so Steve couldn't see his face. But the blank Iron Man helmet stared at him for a moment before silently turning and hauling Werner up by the arm that didn't look broken. Werner let out a pained gasp, but Iron Man simply dragged him back through the portal.
"What'd you do, Buck?" Steve asked softly.
"Got more information." Bucky said, sheathing his knife.
He met Steve's gaze again, and Steve felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He looked more like the Soldier than Steve had seen in a long time. There was absolutely no repentance anywhere in his expression.
"What'd you learn?" Nat asked, holstering her gun. Her tone matched Bucky's, expressionless and calm.
"Alexei Karpov has re-created the super soldier serum. He was on his way to meet Werner in Germany. He promised Werner a dose of the serum in exchange for Wanda." Something dark flashed across Bucky's face.
"Shit." Steve breathed.
"They don't have a chair anymore, so without Wanda they can't mind-wipe anyone. But they can make more super soldiers."
"What happened to the chair?" Nat asked.
One corner of Bucky's mouth turned up, but the half smile didn't reach his eyes. "You think I was just sightseeing during those couple years I was on the run by myself?"
"You destroyed it by yourself?" Steve asked, his heart lurching at the thought of Bucky going anywhere near Hydra alone.
"Hydra started running when you guys began hitting their bases, so it was practically abandoned when I got there." Bucky's mouth pressed into a hard line. "I made sure the chair and every plan for building it was destroyed."
Steve sat with that for a moment, feeling torn between anger and relief.
"What about Wanda?" Nat asked gently. "Did you learn anything new about her?"
Bucky's expression darkened again. "Werner tortured her trying to get her to wake up. Not himself. He didn't want to get his hands dirty, and Agatha refused to do anything besides try to find Wanda in her head. So he let some of his soldiers hurt her. Practically gave them free reign to do what they wanted so long as they didn't kill her." His metal hand curled into a fist. "He was getting desperate. He was afraid of Karpov arriving before he got Wanda to comply. "
Steve had to breathe deeply through the anger. "What about-"
A circle of spitting orange sparks startled all of them. It widened enough for a head to stick through.
"We need to talk." Strange said soberly.
They all gathered in the conference room. The atmosphere was tense. James didn't need Wanda's telepathic powers to feel the discomfort radiating off almost all of them. Oddly enough, it was Romanoff that he felt the most comfortable around at the moment. He wouldn't claim to know if she approved of what he'd done, but he knew that she at least understood. In Werner's cell he'd watched her see him and recognize a part of herself.
"I was able to take a look in Miss Harkness' mind."
James focused on the wizard standing at the head of the table.
"You already saw Agatha?" Steve asked sharply.
"Well, you all seemed to have the other situation well at hand." Dr. Strange said dismissively.
"I went with him." Sam said. "He said some kinda spell to read her mind."
Dr. Strange scowled. "Yes, as Mr. Wilson so eloquently said, I used 'some kinda spell' and saw the pages of the Darkhold that talked about the Scarlet Witch. I also saw that Miss Harkness has chased Miss Maximoff deep into her mind. So deep, in fact, that I am afraid your friend might be unable to find her way back on her own." He cleared his throat and seemed to steel himself. "For these two reasons, I believe it is imperative that I take Miss Maximoff back to the Sanctum Sanctorum."
"What?" Steve said sharply.
The arm of James' chair groaned and he realized belatedly that he'd crumpled the metal like tissue paper in his vibranium hand.
"This prophecy is an ancient dark magic." Dr. Strange said impatiently. "I need to research and consult with my colleagues at Kamar-Taj. If the prophecy is true, Miss Maximoff could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of."
"Did you seriously just say 'hitherto undreamt of'?" Tony scoffed.
Dr. Strange turned towards Tony with a scowl, but before he could reply, James cut in.
"You're not taking Wanda." He said in the cold, dangerous tone of the Soldier.
Everyone looked at him.
"She will be well cared for." The wizard said tightly. "I am not proposing throwing her in a cell."
"No." James said.
"Why can't you care for her here?" Tony asked. "Lots of people commute to work."
Dr. Strange looked at him with disdain. "You do not have any of the vital resources I will need in this endeavor. You are all clearly out of your depth. This is a matter for the Masters of the Mystic Arts." His voice seemed to grow and echo around the room like a warning. "I am only telling you as a courtesy."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"You would take her by force?" Romanoff asked coldly.
"Fuck that." Sam snapped. "She's our teammate. You can't just take her."
"Dr. Strange-" Steve tried.
But Dr. Strange simply gave a long suffering sigh and vanished through a portal he'd apparently cast on the floor. All of them fell silent in shock, but then James was on his feet so quickly that the chair went spinning backwards into the glass wall.
"Wanda." He gasped and then he ran.
He could hear all of them following. Steve was quickly at his side, the two of them out-pacing the others. They sprinted for Wanda's hospital room, feet pounding down the hallways.
Please don't be too late. Please. Please. James found himself repeating in his head like a desperate mantra. I just got her back.
"Wanda!" James shouted as they crashed through the door to Wanda's hospital room.
Dr. Strange was standing there, holding Wanda's limp body in his arms. A sparking orange portal was open behind him. Strange met their gaze with a determined and slightly regretful expression and began to step backwards into the portal.
"No!" James shouted, dashing forward. "Wanda!"
One second he was reaching desperately for Wanda and the next he was flying backwards in the air, blinded by an explosion. He crashed into Steve, both of them hitting the floor hard. His ears were ringing painfully, but he dimly heard Steve groan. He managed to haul himself to his knees and squinted through the dust, dazed. There was a giant hole in the wall of the Compound. Bits of rubble from the ceiling were dropping onto the floor. Sunshine was pouring into the room, cutting beams through the dust. He blinked again. No, not the sun. It was…it was Wanda.
She was floating in the air, her arms outstretched. Her eyes were open and glowing and red power was pouring off of her, shining into the room like a goddamn beacon. He struggled to his feet, rubbing his gritty eyes. Red light hovered in spikes at her temples, almost like a crown. Her short dark hair was floating eerily around her face as though she were underwater. She was staring straight ahead, her expression blank.
A cough distracted him. He glanced down to see Dr. Strange climbing to his feet, his eyes narrowed on Wanda. Vaguely he heard feet pounding in the hallway towards them.
"What the fuck?" He heard Tony yell.
Wanda's red eyes snapped to where Tony had appeared in the doorway. She raised an arm towards him, red light crackling menacingly. James darted forward, trying to catch her attention.
"Wanda!" He called, his voice thick with emotion.
She turned towards him, dropping her arm and tilting her head as she regarded him. Her expression was so empty.
"Wanda." He said again, softer.
She stared at him silently, and then floated down until her bare feet touched the floor. She didn't move towards him. She just stood there, staring at him. Her scarlet powers seemed to wrap around her protectively, almost like they had in that Sokovian house after Vision had broken her heart. His flesh hand twitched, the memory of the burning pain flashing through his mind.
"Wanda?" He kept his eyes fixed on hers, unease crawling up his spine.
"That's not Wanda." Dr. Strange said tightly. "That's the Scarlet Witch."
"What do you mean?" Steve demanded sharply, his heart in his throat. He couldn't look away from Wanda. She looked like a painting of an ancient goddess with her powers swirling around her. She looked like a being that would be called the Scarlet Witch.
"Wanda is still not present." Strange said, keeping his voice low and steady. "The Scarlet Witch powers are the only host in her body."
Bucky was still standing frozen, staring at Wanda who was staring at him. Steve glanced at his friend's face and felt his heart ache at the pain on Bucky's face.
"But what does that mean?" Steve pressed, trying to match Strange's tone.
"I would theorize it's like the Scarlet Witch is acting as a sentinel, protecting Wanda's body."
Steve stared at the Sorcerer Supreme, his mind spinning. He couldn't help remembering what Agatha had said. She has the Scarlet Witch locked up tight because she's scared. So if Wanda wasn't present to keep the Scarlet Witch powers contained, who was in charge? Raw instincts?
"So we need to be careful not to be perceived as a threat." Steve said, meeting Strange's eyes with a questioning look.
Strange nodded, confirming Steve's fear. Behind him he heard Tony and Sam swear quietly. Nat was steady at his side, but a glance at her face revealed her unease.
"So, Strange, you still want to take her?" Tony kept his voice mostly calm.
Steve sensed every muscle tense in Bucky's body.
"I don't think she'll let me." Strange said carefully.
"I think everyone but Bucky, Steve, and Sam should leave this room." Nat said quietly. "Maybe if she's only around people she knows really well, she won't feel threatened."
Slowly everyone else backed away. The diciest moment was when Strange had to slip around Wanda and Bucky to get to the door. Wanda's red eyes tracked him the entire time, but she didn't move. Finally, everyone was gone. Steve could hear them retreating down the hall, arguing in hushed tones. Sam carefully moved to stand next to Steve.
"Now what, Cap?" Sam asked.
Steve took a deep breath and thought back to their time in Wakanda. He remembered how she'd been in those first few days after she woke up, the way she curled into herself like she was trying to be as small as possible and how she flinched when anyone made any sudden movements. He'd felt so lost in how to help her, but Sam's advice had been to just be there.
"Wanda." Her red eyes met his. There was no warmth there, no recognition, just swirling power. "We're just gonna hang out, ok?"
He moved slowly, trying to keep his movements unthreatening as he walked to a nearby chair that was laying on its side amid the rubble from the ceiling. He picked it up, set it straight, and sat down, keeping his body language open. Wanda was still watching him carefully. He fished the StarkPhone Tony had given him out of his pocket and pulled up a game of Solitaire. Sam followed suit, carefully picking up another fallen chair and settling into it.
"You know, with all the money Stark has, you'd think he'd put more comfortable chairs in here." Sam complained lightly.
Steve watched Bucky and Wanda out of his peripheral as he stared at his phone. Bucky seemed like he was hesitating. Finally he began to move carefully to the bed, walking sideways to keep from turning his back on Wanda. Bucky brushed some of the larger pieces of rubble from the blankets and then settled himself on the mattress, sitting so his back was against the wall and fishing a small book from his pocket.
"I can always make room for two." Bucky said, even managing a crooked smile at Wanda who was watching him carefully.
"You were talking to me, right?" Sam said, grinning.
Bucky huffed a soft laugh. "Nah I've had more than enough of your snoring."
Sam snickered quietly. As silence fell, Steve forced himself to keep his eyes on his phone. He heard Bucky turning pages in his book, though he doubted Bucky was actually reading anything. A text from Sam appeared silently on his phone.
This is a good plan. Make things feel normal. It read.
Steve smiled slightly and texted him back. Thank you. -Steve
Sam grinned and shook his head slightly as he texted back. Dude you don't need to sign your name. I know it's you.
A text from Nat appeared next. Strange is leaving but will check back tonight. We have eyes on you.
Steve resisted the urge to glance at the security camera in the corner. Wanda hadn't moved from where she was standing, her scarlet powers still swirling around her. Steve switched back to Solitaire, readying himself for a long wait.
Hours went by. The room grew chillier as the afternoon passed. Through the large hole in the wall they could see and hear birds chirping in the dreary and gray fall day outside. Thankfully it wasn't raining. Steve didn't feel uncomfortably cold, but he couldn't help worrying about Wanda who was standing there in a thin hospital gown and bare feet. Sam must have been fine since he dozed off in his chair. Bucky continued to turn pages like he was reading. Nat texted a few more times with small updates about Werner and Tony. FRIDAY was back online, but muted in the room they were in so not to startle Wanda. Steve was beginning to plan out how they could get some food when suddenly Wanda's powers just winked out and she collapsed. Bucky was out of the bed and caught her before she hit the floor. Sam jerked awake as Steve jumped to his feet. All three of them stared quietly at Wanda who was laying limp in Bucky's arms. Her eyes were closed again and her face seemed deathly pale.
"Wanda?" Bucky called in a soft voice.
There was no response. Bucky seemed to deflate. Steve gently grasped his shoulder, trying to convey a little comfort. Sam let out a long sigh.
"Well, I guess she needs a new room." Sam said in a tired voice.
They moved her back to her old bedroom in the Compound. One of the doctors came back to check her out. The doctor made it very clear she was not happy that Wanda had been moved without clearance, but thankfully it didn't seem like any of her injuries had been aggravated. They moved a portable IV into the room and hooked her back up as a precaution even though it appeared that her magic was keeping her body in a sort of stasis.
After the doctor left, Tony, Nat, Sam, Bucky, and Steve all looked at Wanda laying peacefully in her bed in silence.
"Well." Tony finally said with a grin. "I gotta say the Scarlet Witch is a pretty good judge of character."
"She almost blasted you." Nat reminded him.
"But she didn't." Tony grinned. "Strange on the other hand…"
Nat rolled her eyes and looked at Steve. "Please never make me babysit the two of them again."
"So we're not letting Strange try that again, right?" Sam asked.
"No." Bucky growled.
"I'm with Barnes." Tony said. "One hole in the building is enough."
"More than enough." Steve agreed.
"Vision should stay in New York." Bucky said suddenly.
They all looked at him. Bucky was sitting on the bed at Wanda's side. Steve noted how close Bucky's hand was to Wanda's limp one resting on the blanket, but not touching. He wondered if Bucky was holding back showing affection to Wanda because Tony was in the room.
"Why?" Tony asked curiously.
Vision had left with Rhodey to do some work in the city. As far as Steve knew, the android was supposed to return in a couple days.
"If the Scarlet Witch can be triggered by someone Wanda might see as a threat, Vision should stay away."
"Why would Wanda see Vision as a threat?" Tony asked, folding his arms. "Vision is the one who found all the footage on the Raft and brought it to me. He and Wanda were really close when she was staying here."
"Did Vision ever say why he started looking for footage?" Steve asked carefully.
Tony looked at him, his brow furrowed. "He wanted to check on Wanda."
"He said that?" Steve pushed.
"Well, no, I guess not. But it seemed pretty clear to me."
Steve exchanged a look with Bucky who did not look willing to say any more. He didn't know a ton of details about the interaction Wanda and Bucky had with Vision while in Wanda's head. He wasn't sure he understood how it could have possibly been real, but weirder things had certainly happened.
"We don't exactly know all the details." Steve said finally. "But Wanda is not a big fan of Vision right now."
"What's with all the mystery?" Tony snapped, looking frustrated.
"Wanda saw Vision in, well, kind of a dream. And it didn't go well." Steve tried to explain.
If he hadn't been watching Tony so carefully, he might have missed the way the man's breath caught for a moment. Tony's eyes were focused on Wanda now, his fingers tapping a quick rhythm on his leg. He was about to ask Tony if something was wrong, but then the man spoke again.
"Wanda can show up in people's dreams?"
"Maybe." Steve said, wincing slightly. "Sorry. I know this is all super vague, but we just don't really know for sure."
Tony hummed thoughtfully, still focused on Wanda.
"Why do you ask, Tony?" Nat asked.
Tony looked at her, and then at Steve. "Cause Wanda was in my dream last night."
"Wanda? Or the Scarlet Witch?" Sam asked.
Steve glanced at Bucky to see that his eyes were sharply narrowed on Tony.
"Wanda. Definitely Wanda." Tony said.
"What happened?" Steve asked gently.
Tony shifted slightly like he was uncomfortable, but if he was, it didn't show on his face. He shrugged casually. "Just a bad dream I have sometimes. But Wanda showed up and kinda pulled me out of it."
"Did she speak to you?" Sam asked.
"Uh yeah." Tony's fingers started tapping on his leg again. "I said her name and she got kinda freaked out. She said that 'she' was coming. I asked if she meant Agatha and told her we had rescued her, but she got angry like she thought I was trying to trick her. I uh, wasn't sure if it was a dream so I asked how we got where we were, and she just said something about how she didn't want to leave me there."
"Where were you?" Steve asked curiously.
"Miami." Tony said a little stiffly. "Where my mansion used to be."
Steve caught the confusion on Bucky's face and explained. "It got blown up by a terrorist."
"While Tony and Pepper were in it." Nat added gently.
"Yep." Tony said shortly. "0/10 stars. Would not recommend."
"Sorry to hear that." Bucky said softly, surprising Steve.
Tony looked surprised too. "Yeah well, what are you gonna do?"
"Maybe not publicly taunt a terrorist and give them your home address next time." Nat said, but she tempered it with a smile and nudged Tony playfully.
"Ok, mom. " Tony muttered, but his eyes were light.
"So, I guess everybody should watch for Wanda in their dreams. Maybe we can communicate with her there and convince her she's safe to wake up." Steve said, feeling a slight stir of hope in his chest.
"Well hopefully she goes to someone she actually trusts next time." Tony said and his tone was even, but Steve thought he saw a flash of hurt in his eyes. "Cause she sure as hell did not believe me."
Tony locked himself in his workshop when Strange and his fellow Master of the Mystic Arts Wong showed up that evening. He didn't feel like dealing with the wizard again. Plus his workshop had the nice whiskey and no judgey super soldier eyes on him while he drank it. FRIDAY kept him updated on the conversation the others were having upstairs. Wong seemed to be on their side about keeping Wanda at the compound which made Tony almos t wish he was up there to see the look on Strange's face.
When someone knocked lightly on the door, Tony assumed it was Steve. He grimaced at the nearly empty bottle of whiskey on the desk and steeled himself for Steve's disappointment as he told FRIDAY to unlock the door. He was not expecting Barnes to walk in.
The man walked like a big cat. He fucking prowled. Tony had to admit it was a good walk. Intimidating in a sexy way. DUM-E made a chirping whistle sound at Barnes like he agreed and Tony scowled.
"No. You don't get to like him. I will take you apart for scraps." Tony snapped at the robot who lowered itself down and whined pitifully.
Barnes had stopped a few paces inside the door, his eyebrows slightly raised as he looked between Tony and the robot.
"That's DUM-E. Ignore him." Tony said, taking another drink. "What's up?"
"They agreed to keep Wanda here." Barnes paused and looked like he was wrestling with himself for a moment. "I wanted to ask you about your dream."
Tony's eyebrows raised, thinking fast. "Ok, tell you what. I'll trade you for answers cause I got a few questions of my own."
Barnes frowned. "What if I don't want to answer?"
Tony raised the whiskey bottle at him. "You drink."
Barnes paused and then smirked slightly. "You do realize I can't get drunk, right?"
Tony grinned at him. "Oh you're not drinking this . You'd be drinking this. "
He kicked open the cabinet under his desk and pulled out a slightly dusty bottle. The contents were clear, but Tony knew exactly how potent they were. He'd formulated it himself after Steve once made a comment about being unable to get drunk. It'd been sitting in the cabinet for years now, but if his calculations were correct even a super soldier's metabolism wouldn't be able to keep up.
"Do I wanna know what that is?" Barnes asked doubtfully.
"Probably not. And it most likely tastes like pure gasoline, but I am confident this would get even you drunk."
Barnes eyed him for a moment longer before shrugging and pulling up a chair. "Alright."
Tony grinned, his mind racing as he tried to pick his first question. "So what's going on between you and Glinda the Good Witch?"
Barnes furrowed his brow.
"Wanda." Tony clarified, exasperated.
Barnes gave him a deadpan stare and then reached for the bottle. Tony smirked. Well, by not answering, he'd sort of answered. Barnes took a swig and then coughed, his eyes watering.
" Is this pure gasoline?" He asked hoarsely.
"Not pure." Tony said breezily. "Your turn."
Barnes fidgeted slightly. "How did Wanda look in your dream?" He finally asked in a low voice.
Tony tried to hide his smug smile, but he knew he wasn't successful when Barnes glared. "Uh, she looked like herself? Her hair was red again."
"She wasn't injured?"
"Technically a second question but I'll allow it. No she wasn't injured. Ok my turn. Can I see the new arm?"
Barnes hesitated, but then slowly shrugged out of his jacket and sweatshirt until he was only in a t-shirt. Tony's fingers twitched, desperately wanting to reach out and touch, but he kept his hands to himself. The arm was a metal that looked almost black and he would bet money it was pure vibranium. Which also answered some questions about where on earth Barnes and Steve had disappeared to after Siberia. Barnes moved his arm like he was demonstrating, opening and closing his hand. The silver arm had been impressive, but this arm was a work of art. It moved so smoothly and so quietly that when covered up, there was no way anyone would know it was a prosthetic.
"I, uh, I'm sorry about your old arm." Tony found himself saying. He glared at the whiskey bottle in his hand. How much had he drunk?
"S'alright." Barnes said in a low voice.
He moved like he was going to put his sweatshirt and jacket back on, but then stopped, putting his hands on his knees instead. Tony recognized the gesture of trust, and was oddly touched that Barnes was willing to keep his metal arm out.
"Did Wanda know you?"
Tony was about to say yes, but then he stopped to think about it. "She never said my name." He realized out loud. "I don't actually know if she did."
Something like pain flashed across Barnes' face. Tony studied him, quietly taking another drink of whiskey. Several questions kept trying to push their way to the front of his mind and he kept shoving them back. He wasn't that drunk.
"Did you want to torture Strucker Jr?" He asked instead.
Barnes sat for a moment and then took another swig of the bottle. Tony drank with him. He wasn't sure he could really blame the man. He'd wanted to rip Killian into little pieces after he hurt Pepper.
"What was your nightmare about?"
Tony choked slightly, caught off guard. He debated drinking to avoid answering, but what the hell.
"Drowning." He said tightly. "Suffocating in space. Being waterboarded by terrorists."
Barnes learned forward, his eyes sharp. "When did Wanda show up?"
"No, my turn." Tony snapped and then realized he didn't really have a question in mind so what came out of his mouth was, "Do you ever dream about them?"
Pain flashed across Barnes face. "Almost every night."
Tony didn't bother asking him to clarify if he was talking about Tony's parents or just his victims in general. He supposed it didn't really matter. He blinked furiously, hating the dampness in his eyes.
"When did Wanda show up?" Barnes pressed.
"She pulled me out of the ocean where I was drowning, trapped under a piece of metal. Then she towed me back to shore and asked if I was alright."
Something warm settled in Barnes' eyes. "That sounds like her."
"Guess it's probably good she didn't know who I was." Tony couldn't stop himself from saying bitterly. "Since she's hated me for most of her life."
Barnes studied him. "I don't think she's hated you for a long time." He finally said. "Wanda cares about people. It's just who she is. Even after everything she's been through."
Images from the footage on the Raft flashed through Tony's mind and he felt ill. This drinking game was veering into dangerous territory.
"Was Steve Rogers a virgin when he went into the ice?" His mind seized the first ridiculous question he could come up with.
Barnes blinked and then actually grinned. "Nope."
"Oooooh!" Tony exclaimed, his mood lifting instantly. "Clint owes me $50!"
"Did you take bets?" Barnes asked, looking amused.
"Sure did." Tony took another swig. "I knew he couldn't be that innocent."
"You have no idea." Barnes said slyly, taking another swig of his bottle. Then he made a face and coughed. "God, this is awful."
"You're feeling it though aren't you?" Tony asked, noting the slight color on Barnes' cheeks.
"Feeling somethin." Barnes admitted. "More than I have in a long time at least."
"Ok we need to get Steve to try this." Tony grinned deviously. "I want to see Captain America drunk."
"Just don't play cards with him." Barnes warned with an answering grin. "Cause Captain America is a cheating cheater."
Tony almost fell off his chair laughing.
Tony pulled on the collar of his stiff white button up for the hundredth time, trying to get a deep breath. The goddamn shirt was choking him. Beside him, Jarvis was dabbing his eyes with a white handkerchief. He could hear Ana softly sobbing on the other side of Jarvis. The sound of other people crying echoed off the stupidly tall ceilings in the cathedral. Besides the Jarvises, it was all as fake as the smile he'd pasted on his face as he greeted random CEO's and billionaires and politicians. Everyone who was anyone had showed up to pay their respects to Howard Stark and tell Tony how amazing his father had been. Every time he had to bite his tongue to keep from asking, "What about my mom?"
Technically it was Maria Stark's funeral too, but the name that came out of everyone's mouth seemed to be "Howard."
Tony stood up abruptly. He felt hundreds of eyes on him as he strode out, still yanking on his shirt collar. He made it into the bathroom before he collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. He popped several buttons off his shirt as he ripped it open, but removing the tight collar gave him no relief. He squeezed his eyes shut and then lights suddenly flashed around him.
"Mr. Stark!? Mr. Stark, can we get a statement?"
His eyes popped open to see he was suddenly surrounded by cameras and reporters and flashing bulbs. He brought his hand up, trying to shield his eyes from the bright lights. God, if he could just breathe. He was half sitting, half laying on a sidewalk and the crowd of paparazzi pressed in, making his skin crawl.
"How do you feel about your parents being assassinated by Steve Roger's best friend?"
"Where's Pepper, Tony? Are you still together?"
"Have you seen the footage of Wanda Maximoff?"
"You killed my son!"
"Merchant of Death!"
"You could have saved us."
Tony focused on the choking words of the last sentence. He lunged to his feet, pushing people aside as they screamed at him. Finally through the crowd of people he saw him. He crashed to his knees next to the battered body of Steve Rogers. The man's eyes stared unseeing at the sky, blood trickling slowly from his nose.
"No." Tony gasped, fumbling for Steve's pulse. "Steve!"
Steve's body was cold and stiff. Dead. He was dead. Tony fell back on his heels, his eyes burning. Above him, he heard the groan of metal. The chitauri leviathan flew through the portal over his head and into the New York sky. People screamed, but there was no one left to save them. Beyond Steve he could see Natasha's dead, blank eyes, a bloody hole in the center of her forehead. Clint was hunched over, a giant metal spear through his gut. Thor lay face down in a puddle of blood, mjolnir shattered beside him. The Hulk was laying beyond them, stiff and unmoving. They were dead. They were all dead.
A warm hand touched his shoulder and he flinched, turning so quickly he half fell into Steve's cold body. Wanda knelt in front of him, tears in her eyes. He stared at her, realizing he was gasping for air again, choking on the panic that was paralyzing him.
"Breathe." She murmured, reaching out and gently taking his hands. "Just breathe."
Tony gasped in a few more ragged breaths and yanked his hands away from her. "Why are you here? " He snarled.
Pain flashed across her face. "I think this was my fault." She whispered.
"Why do you care?" Tony shot back at her. "Isn't this what I deserve?"
Wanda looked confused and miserable. "I don't know." She whispered. "I don't-"
"Do you know who I am?" Tony was on his feet now, towering over her. "Don't you remember what I've done?"
Wanda cringed back, staring at his face almost desperately.
"Go find someone else to convince you to wake up." Tony shouted. "I can't do it! You hate me!"
"Why?" She whispered it so quietly, he almost missed it.
"Because I'm Tony Stark." His face twisted in self-hatred.
Her eyes widened in horror and she froze. Her mouth opened to say-
"Tony."
Someone was shaking him. He cracked his eyes open to see Steve peering down at him. Tony lifted his head, glancing around his workshop in confusion.
"Hey, you ok?" Steve was asking.
"M' fine." He muttered.
He must have fallen asleep down here after Barnes left. His head was pounding.
"You should come upstairs and go to bed." Steve was saying gently.
"Is that an invitation?" Tony mumbled.
Steve's eyebrows raised, but he looked amused. He glanced down at the empty whiskey bottle on the desk. "How much of that did you drink?"
Tony tried desperately not to think about Wanda's anguished face. "Not enough."
Steve frowned, but he simply pulled Tony's arm up around his shoulder and hauled him to his feet. "C'mon." He said gently. "Let's get you to bed."
Tony leaned heavily on Steve as they made their way down the dark hallways. It looked like it was the middle of the night. Why was Steve even awake?
"Couldn't sleep." Steve said quietly and Tony realized he must have asked that out loud. "I asked FRIDAY if everyone was ok and she told me you were still in the workshop."
"You're more of a mother hen than Rhodey." Tony slurred.
Steve chuckled. "I'm alright with that."
Before Tony even realized it, they were in his room. Steve deposited him onto the bed and tucked him in. Tony desperately hoped he remembered this in the morning because at the moment his head was pounding too hard to comment on it.
"Night Tony." Steve said, his dark shadow moving towards the door.
"M' glad you're back." Tony mumbled, already half asleep again.
As he drifted off he heard Steve say quietly, "Me too."
It was always the hand with that damn ring.
Tony picked himself up from where he'd sprawled on the floor, tasting blood in his mouth. His lip burned and he knew without looking that his father's ring had sliced it open when he'd backhanded him. He tried to glare up at his father, hating the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.
"You are a Stark ." Howard was saying in that cold, dangerous voice.
"I don't care!" Tony cried defiantly.
"You will do as you are told." Howard bellowed, raising his hand and striking Tony again.
The blow caught Tony in the temple, knocking him several steps back, but somehow he managed to stay on his feet. He gasped in a breath as he heard his father's shoes approaching and braced himself for another blow. His father leaned down, his breath stinking of vodka. Howard's eyes glinted in fury as he grabbed Tony by his small shoulder and shook him hard.
"You listen here, you little shit-"
That was as far as he got before he was suddenly ripped away from Tony and thrown bodily across the room. Tony stumbled and fell, but a body moved in front of him protectively.
"Don't you dare touch him again." A furious voice hissed.
The room rippled and his father vanished. Tony stared from where he sat in a heap on the floor as Wanda turned around and knelt beside him. She gently touched his swollen face, her eyes flashing.
"Are you alright, miláčik?" Her tone was surprisingly soft compared to the rage in her eyes.
"Why do you keep doing this?" Tony asked wearily.
She blinked at him. "Your father should not hurt you."
"But why do you care?" Tony felt a tear escape down his small face.
She looked confused. Tony wondered if she'd already forgotten who he was. If she just saw a small child getting abused instead of a monster getting what he deserved.
"Tony." She said gently and he flinched, startled. "You do not deserve this."
He broke, ugly sobs ripping out of him. She gathered him into her arms and held him gently, stroking his hair. It reminded him of the times his mom or Jarvis would do the same after one of his father's drunken rages.
"You are not a monster, miláčik." She murmured.
"It's my fault you ended up on the Raft." He choked out and he felt her stiffen.
"I do not blame you for the things Ross did." She said, though her voice shook slightly.
They sat there in silence for a while until Tony's sobs slowly quieted. Wanda hummed something softly as she held him and Tony felt his body slowly relax. He almost felt like he was falling asleep when suddenly he remembered with a jolt.
"You're safe now, did you know that?" Tony pulled back to look at her. "We rescued you from Hydra."
She looked at him, her brow furrowed, fear in her eyes. "What?"
"You're safe." He repeated. "I swear, Wanda. We got you out. You're back at the Compound."
She shuddered and gently slid him out of her lap. "I…I shouldn't be here."
"Agatha and Werner can't hurt you anymore." He insisted, clambering to his feet as she stood. "You're safe."
"I have to go." She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
"Wanda, please. Please come back." He said desperately, but she was already gone.
Tony woke up with tears glimmering in his eyes. He lay there in his bed for a while, staring at the dark ceiling. No one had ever intervened like that for him. He wasn't sure if it was because Howard was good at being secretive or if his mom and Jarvis were too afraid to challenge him outright. Sometimes he wondered if they thought he deserved the punishment. Complicated emotions were overwhelming him and making his chest ache. Finally he gave up on sleep and dragged himself up out of bed.
The hallways were dark and quiet. When he slipped quietly into Wanda's room, he wasn't surprised to see Barnes sitting quietly beside her in the bed, holding a worn novel in his lap. The man raised an eyebrow, questioning.
"I, uh, can I talk to Wanda for a minute?" Tony asked, his voice hoarse.
"Did you see her again?" Barnes asked with quiet intensity.
"Yeah." Tony dragged a hand through his hair. "She still didn't believe me."
He thought he saw a glimpse of grief in Barnes' expression but the man quietly closed his book and nodded.
"I'll give you a few minutes."
Tony pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and leaned forward, studying Wanda's blank expression. He heard the door close softly behind Barnes and let out a shaky sigh.
"I don't blame you for not trusting me." He said quietly. "But Wanda, I swear, you are safe now."
He gently took her limp hand and squeezed it. His throat felt tight.
"Thank you." He said hoarsely.
He wanted to say more, but he couldn't seem to get the words past his lips. So after a few minutes, he just squeezed her hand again and left.
Wanda slipped through memories, casting shadows of herself that sped down opposite paths out of habit. She felt thin, worn like the heel in a pair of old socks. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up before she began to fray. She was already beginning to struggle with identifying when she'd accidentally slipped into someone else's mind. If that was even what was happening. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was like a dream within a dream. If she could create an entire world in her head, who's to say she couldn't also create other people's dreams? Agatha certainly could.
She paused to create three stairways running in different directions and then slipped carefully into the small cupboard door under one of the stairs. In the darkness she let herself curl into a ball and rest. Just for a moment. She was so tired. How long had she been running? It was impossible to tell. It felt like years, but maybe it had only been days. She couldn't afford to stop now. The threat of Agatha was ever-present.
Still, it was strange that Agatha would start trying to use Tony Stark's memories as bait.
James, Steve, and Sam were obvious traps. She'd fallen for that once and nearly been caught. But Tony Stark's pain had been so unexpected that she couldn't help drifting nearer. His nightmares were so raw and surprising. She never would have imagined that he held so much pain under that cocky exterior. Pain that appeared to be life-long. Her fingers curled into fists at the memory of seeing the man, his father, striking Tony as a child.
She took a deep breath. It was such a risk, going into his memories and trying to help ease that pain. She knew it had to be luck that so far she hadn't sensed Agatha drawing near like a spider on an intricate web. If she kept doing this, she would get caught. And Hydra would win.
You're safe. Please come back.
The longing tasted bitter in her mouth. She couldn't trust those precious words. No matter who said them.
Come back.
Wanda forced herself to get up, to keep moving. There was no going back. Even if it were true, she had woven a labyrinth and she couldn't remember the way home.
