It's not every day that the dead walk among us with a new lease of life, or a new face, but on this particular day, the universe would give such things its blessing.
"She recast Pietro" Darcy Lewis spoke aloud as she monitored the close of Wanda's last sitcom escapade.
"Recast? What do you mean by recast?" her colleague Jimmy Woo probed as more eyes on the S.W.O.R.D staff focused sharply on the surprise appearance of Wanda's brother, now portrayed by a different person
"Happens all the time in sitcoms, or shows in general. Actor availability" Darcy rationalised.
"But they're not actors, they're people, innocents" Jimmy pointed out.
"All the world's a stage" Darcy remarked.
"So what now? We put a pic of him on the chart, find out who he is?"
"I think we ought to wait until he starts demonstrating Pietro's abilities" Darcy proposed.
"But he and Wanda are one of a kind, their powers came from otherworldly means, there's no way they can be replicated in another person"
"And you're basing this off...what? Has anyone really been able to fully analyse Wanda Maximoff's abilities? Ever sat down with her for brunch and asked her all those tantalising questions? I mean, do it in the least socially awkward way imaginable for you of course, but try to be discreet, not just cut her open to see what makes that time bomb tick"
"My best guess is that's exactly what S.W.O.R.D were trying to do with Vision, since he was also created through the use of an Infinity Gem" Monica Rambeau said, interrupting the two.
"Why don't you ask our local Dick-tater about that?" Darcy sarcastically retorted in reference to Director Hayward, who was still reeling from his own encounter with Maximoff, all too ready to defend the territory she had so aggressively marked.
"I would, but I think he'd rather keep his feet off the grass at the moment, otherwise I'd leave him in exactly the same spot I was when Wanda cast me out" Monica replied.
"Like it or not, whoever is portraying Pietro here is the X in the equation, we have to find the set of values for which X is the one constant, that it's the truth"
"I agree, it depends on how he acts" Monic argued, "He seems to have taken Wanda by complete surprise, she may not be in as much control as we thought, her hold over Vision is already loosening judging by that spat they had"
"Or is Darcy trying to sell us goods on a wilder theory?" Jimmy asked.
"Wasn't sure I was that good a pitcher" Darcy replied, welcoming the implication.
Jimmy smiled.
"It's always the same sort of oil to rev up the engine"
"Yeah, well, that's only if you don't mind driving straight off the road and down an endlessly branching cliff face into an oblivion of outcomes"
"Endlessly branching?" Monica asked
"Ok, ok, enough cryptic road and car analogies" Darcy said, sighing.
"I drive a jeep" Jimmy pointed out.
"Jeep whatever, it's more than a theory, it's an experience the Avengers had when they set out to undo the blip, there's an endlessly branching sequence of universes, a multiverse of sorts, and the slightest alteration to them can create a thousand twisted dark realities, take out a key event, a key person, and the whole thing can unravel unless it's put back there"
"You think this version of Pietro is from another universe?" Monica uttered, almost in disbelief. There was still so much she hadn't been briefed on since emerging from the blip herself.
"Yeah, and if what I've heard is right, Wanda might want to start plugging the holes in her little ship before it sinks like a real life Titanic"
"Titanic was a real ship" Jimmy corrected her.
"Oh, of course it was" Darcy replied.
"Great movie though" she continued.
"Oh yeah" Jimmy replied.
Monica needed to sit down.
"Crazy, a whole other universe, this guy might be from one of them, Wanda going crazy, Vision getting wise to it all, feels like there's so much under the volcano and we're waiting to see what causes it to erupt"
"I have odds on Vision by tomorrow's episode" Jimmy revealed
"I raise my stake on this recast, all I'm looking for is one big sprint" Darcy added.
"What about you Captain? You like to gamble?" asked Jimmy.
"It's Friday right?" she said.
Jimmy and Darcy nodded.
"I'd rather bet on a slow weekend" joked Monica
