{Author's Note: And here's chapter 25. 25! Holy cow when did that happen? I remember when I was just going to make this story a couple of chapters long…whoops. Thanks for reading!}
PIETRO POV
The next couple of days went by in a blur, which is a surprising phenomenon for a speedster. Maybe it had a lot to do with Dr. Cho's positive assessment of Pietro's physical recovery, or maybe it was just because he was with his sister and his dad, even if they weren't home, being together was certainly better than being alone. But what was home really, if not family. He didn't have a physical home anymore. If only Mila were here too, his home would be complete.
Dr. Cho's physical examination had of course been stressful and awkward, since the last time he'd been in the presence of doctors they seemed to have forgotten their oath to 'first, do no harm.' Thank God, no one had yet forced Pietro to have a psyche evaluation—though maybe he just didn't know he was being evaluated in such a manner—along with his physical one because that would have been depressing, infinitely more awkward and uncomfortable, and probably not nearly as optimistic.
For better or worse—Pietro couldn't decide if his presence increased his embarrassment or not—Erik had stuck with Pietro through the entire process, giving the Avengers' doctor a death glare just in case she decided to go crazy and attempt to dissect him or something. Fortunately, and maybe because Erik's presence actually did a lot to calm him, Pietro only had one panic attack during the Dr. Cho's examination.
It happened while he was undergoing an X-Ray to check on his leg. It was stupid really. It wasn't like he was getting an MRI or a CAT scan, which would have actually partially confined him and thus it would have made some semblance of sense for him to freak out. But nope, he had to freak out about a simple X-Ray. It was soooo embarrassing because it was just his leg, and he really shouldn't have had an anxiety attack about something so simple. But there was something about lying there with a lead vest heavy on his chest that made him feel as though he were back on the examination table under Dr. Marshall's cold probing gaze.
The attack only lasted about a minute, but it felt much longer to Pietro. When he finally regained his presence of mind, the first thing he saw was Erik's worried face looking down at him as he spoke reassurances softly in German. Pietro could tell by the look on his father's face that even though Erik wasn't a speedster, the minute had felt much longer to him too though probably not as humiliating.
When he had recovered, Dr. Cho didn't address the incident beyond giving him a sympathetic look, which caused heat to rise to Pietro's face, and asking him if it was alright to continue. Pietro had said yes he was fine because really, what else was he going to say? But other than being beyond embarrassed, once he realized he wasn't back to being a test subject, he really was okay, even though he could tell Erik thought otherwise. If getting an update on Pietro's health wasn't so important, Pietro figured his dad would have dragged him from the room. But as it was actually pretty important to know how Pietro's recovery was going, Erik had allowed Dr. Cho to continue, and happily enough things improved from there.
Dr. Cho informed Pietro and Erik that the results of the X-Ray were quite extraordinary bearing in mind the recentness of Pietro's injury. His leg was healing well considering the severity of the break, and it was no longer necessary for him to keep wearing his make-shift cast or any cast for that matter. Huzzah!
Yet, sadly his leg was still not completely healed. Therefore, Dr. Cho insisted that Pietro wear a medical boot for three days during which time she told him—more like commanded—he was under no circumstances to run, as it may hinder his recovery. As agonizing as Pietro knew it would be to refrain from running, it was only three days, which yea could be a long time for the speedster, but he'd endured three months—so he'd been told, he would've believed them if they said it had been thirty years, but obviously that wasn't the case—of hell, he could last three days without running, besides he hadn't really used his super speed when he'd been at Al's, so really he could just allow himself to sink back into despair and the days would fly by. He was joking of course, but it was a good thing he kept that particular joke to himself because he was pretty sure Erik would not have found it funny.
But after the third day, following a check up with Dr. Cho, he would more or less in the clear. He would just have to wear an ankle brace until his leg completely recovered, which Dr. Cho guessed might take another two weeks after that but to be safe, she was adamant that he wear the brace for at least a month. And he wasn't supposed to overwork his leg during that time, which meant no running long distances in super speed or otherwise for the first two weeks of wearing the brace and he had to be careful during the following two weeks.
So that announcement had been a bit of a buzzkill for Pietro, but at least in just three days he would be able to zip around a room pretty easily. After that Dr. Cho had gotten all serious again. Sure she was nice enough, but she could really lighten up a bit. Perhaps she'd been in Erik's proximity for too long. Erik was serious enough for everyone within a 10-mile radius, especially when she shared the rest of her prognosis.
Pietro's recent cuts and bruises did not seem to have any long lasting side effects, and were almost completely healed. And though the scars would likely fade more with time, they would still always be there….another constant reminder of how messed up Pietro was. But what made Erik more serious and elevated his dad mode was her prognosis that Pietro was still dangerously malnourished, which duh, Pietro could have told her that. He had always been skinny but normally it wasn't quite so easy to count his ribs.
So Dr. Cho had asked Pietro to estimate what he would consider his normal diet and insisted that he increase that by 1/3 of his usual caloric intake, as his usual amount of calories would only maintain his weight and not increase it. She had then lectured Erik on the importance of following this new dietary routine, as if Pietro wasn't in the room and didn't recognize the importance of food, sure he hadn't always felt like eating recently but he had just downed a bunch of PB&Js and Oreos! Give him some credit!
Dr. Cho had then given Erik a box full of Ensure Shakes that she stated would be an easy and healthy way for Pietro to increase his number of calories. So a good portion of Pietro's time over the past few days had been spent drinking a variety of flavors of Ensure shakes under the watchful eye of Erik. Pietro didn't mind the constant hovering too much, the guy did have 15 years to make up for, plus it was nice to not be alone—when he was alone, he had too much time to think—, but it certainly did make Pietro glad he was Erik's son and not some average Joe. He was pretty sure anyone else would have keeled over in fright at being under the relentless gaze of the terrifying Magneto.
Besides, he was really doing Erik a favor, letting the man tail him around. (He could totally stop him if he wanted to). Pietro thought it kept his dad's mind off of the fact that they were staying with people who Erik did not completely trust.
After Wanda's failed attempt to take them back to their own universe, Erik had let his daughter have her space, before trying to get Wanda to agree to return to Al's farm, but Wanda had witnessed 'Wilma's' powers and that was a stone she couldn't leave unturned, insisting that 'Wilma' could help her control her own abilities and quite possibly make give Wanda the control she needed to get them home.
'Wilma' had been reluctant to teach Wanda at first, stating that she didn't think their father would like her spending so much time with one of their 'captors,' but Wanda, still a little angry at Erik for pressuring her to return them to their own universe had replied, 'He might be my father, but I have been making my own decisions for years. I don't need his permission.' So 'Wilma' had given in, even though she still seemed conflicted, especially when Pietro came to watch their training sessions, which Pietro did quite frequently over the next few days.
Pietro made sure to spend most of his time in the presence of other people, even if they were watching him with at times an annoyingly protective gaze—'cough' Erik—but even though Pietro joked that he was distracting Erik by letting him follow him around, he still didn't want to be a nuisance to anyone, so he tried to rotate his time with different people.
Pietro did spend a lot of time watching 'Wilma' help Wanda control her powers. 'Wilma's' powers apparently allowed her to fly or at least levitate for short distances, which was freaking awesome, was everyone in his family gonna be able to fly/levitate except him? Unfair. So anywho, they'd been working on that a lot.
'Wilma' was right about Erik not being happy about number 1: staying at the Avengers' compound, and number 2: Wanda getting training from an Avenger, but he had to admit that it seemed to be helpful and make his daughter happy, so he'd given in, not that he probably would've been able to stop Wanda from doing what she wanted anyway. Nobody could stop Wanda. His sister was a total badass, not that he would tell her that, at least, he wouldn't phrase it exactly like that. She already took her big sister responsibility waaaay to seriously.
Pietro spent most of the rest of his time just talking with Erik. He wanted to know more about what Erik had done in his 15-year absence from Wanda's and his life. Erik had been hesitant to share—he'd already seen his dad drop a stadium around the White House and do some other shady things on live television, so it was pretty funny that his Dad thought anything else in his past would scare Pietro away—but after some coaxing, Erik had given up some details about that time, like how he and other young mutants—one of who was Alex, which was cool—trained at the stoner guy's aka Charles Xavier's mansion (word to the wise: don't refer to him as a stoner in Erik's presence, apparently he's normally a 'very respectable individual') when they were first honing their abilities. But Pietro could tell Erik wasn't ready to share or maybe he didn't think Pietro was ready to hear some details of his life, so Erik had steered most of the conversations back to Pietro's life growing up.
Erik, Pietro noticed, also spent a lot of his time reading something Steve had given him before making apologies that he had to leave to attend a friend's funeral in London. He'd handed Erik the document with no explanation other than the cryptic message, 'You better read this, because if you stay here, you, and most likely your children as well will be forced to make a decision to sign or to resist.'
Erik poured over the document whenever Pietro was distracted watching Wanda and 'Wilma' and in the early hours of the morning when Pietro was still sleeping. Pietro knew this because even though they'd all been given their own room, which Pietro had to argue with Wanda and Erik about for the longest time,—he didn't want them listening to his nightmares and yea it was nice to be with other people during the day he didn't need 24-hour surveillance anymore—every morning, he still found Erik sitting in the lounge chair in his room, drinking a coffee and reading the document Steve had given him.
Pietro wasn't sure if Erik slept at all. Maybe that was part of his mutation? Okay probably not, but seriously the guy had to get up super early because Pietro had woken up from a nightmare one night just as the sun was rising and Erik had already been at his post.
Pietro had glanced at the document too, and found out it was called the Sokovia Accords. Though government documents were usually not his preferred reading material, he sped read through it anyway, figuring if his dad was obsessed with it, it was probably important. Also, he just wanted to connect with his father more. You know, share their interests, maybe get some mutual hobbies…like shopping for capes, hijacking giant metal robots, threatening presidents…hmm, maybe it's healthy to have different interests.
The Accords were just as boring as he thought it would be, and a lot of it was so garbled with political talk that it went way over his head, but what he did understand was a little frightening. Not that he expected it to be an uplifting read. Even before he'd gone through it himself, he'd been able to guess that it wasn't going to be anything good, based solely on the pronounced vein in Erik's forehead whenever he was reading the thing.
Basically the gist of it was that the Avengers would no longer be a private organization, but would instead be under the supervision of a United Nations panel. The part that affected him, his sister, and Erik the most though was a little tid bit in the Accords about the registration of all 'undocumented enhanced assets' and certain restrictions on enhanced individuals.
No wonder reading the tome that was the Accords caused the vein in Erik's head to nearly burst. Erik and the government/military didn't have a great history and if the stipulations in the accords seemed troublesome to Pietro then they undoubtedly sounded down right dire to Erik. Pietro just hoped Erik wasn't concocting a plan to murder this universe's president. There are three branches to the government after all and you can't blame everything on one guy. Who knows, the guy might not be for the Accords at all…but some people were.
Pietro had also learned from Erik who had found out from Vision that Steve, Wanda, and Sam had chosen not to sign the accords whereas, Tony—Pietro could tell by Erik's tone of voice when he listed the name that his father wasn't surprised by this—Vision, Natasha, and James Rhodes, another Avenger they hadn't met, had signed.
The whole thing sounded unbelievable honestly, if not at least impractical. And also, who the hell knew Sokovia was an actual country? It sounded made up to Pietro. Maybe it only existed in this world. He'd have to check a map or a globe, or maybe just take a trip around the planet when they got back home. But it obviously wasn't fake here, because three days after his first meeting with Dr. Cho, Vision, 'Wilma'—the rest of the Avengers' had been AWOL after the first night they arrived—Wanda, Erik, and Pietro were watching the news that was showing live coverage of the ratification of the accords in Vienna, when a large portion of the building became engulfed in an explosion of flames.
"HolyShit!" said Pietro falling backward off the edge of the sofa where he'd been sitting. Thanks to Dr. Cho's clearance and a brand spankin' new ankle brace, he'd just returned from flitting across the room to the kitchen for a Twinkie. Quick as he managed that, he'd still been distracted for a moment by the deliciousness of the Twinkie, so when he'd looked back to the news to see the explosion, his reaction was timed with the others in the room.
His sister just looked shocked and 'Wilma'—he was growing curious about her real name, especially since she had a habit of hoarding the TV remote and changing the channel whenever the news started talking a bit too much about the Avengers—had one hand over her mouth in disbelief. Erik remained unchanged, but his eyes were narrowed and the vein in his forehead had made another appearance. Vision, however, rose with uncharacteristic urgency, "I need to call Tony and Ms. Romanoff. She was there."
Vision made a swift exit from the room, already pulling out his cell phone. 'Wilma' spoke next, "It never ends, the fighting. One day humans will destroy themselves."
"Humans perhaps." Said Erik, "But not us. Men have tried to wipe out 'inferior' races before. They didn't succeed then, and they won't succeed now. I hope your friend is unharmed, but perhaps this is what comes from trying to control people like us." Finished Erik who had risen to his feet and spoke as if he were adorned with his helmet and cape addressing the nation as he had in D.C.
Bet he'd totally get an A in speech class. For some reason my speech teacher never thought I was worthy of an A as my mouth ran as 'rapid as a racecar.'
"That doesn't give someone the right to blow up a building full innocent people!" argued 'Wilma' also rising to her feet.
Oh no. She's going to start an argument with Erik. This is not going to go well…but I sort of want to go get popcorn…
"Most of the individuals there were leaders of nations who supported the Sokovia Accords. Were they not? I wouldn't say they are very innocent." Replied Erik in a tone that implied the conversation was over, though 'Wilma' wasn't having that.
"You just pointed out that Natasha is there. She could be dead. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" asked 'Wilma' in disbelief.
Pietro and Wanda shared a look across the room both silently conveying to other a question as to whether they should leave the room before the sparks—there could quite literally be sparks if psionic energy and metal collided—started flying, but they remained, both wanting to see out the 'conversation.'
"Do not twist my words. As I said, I do hope your friend is alright, though I do not know her, she seems like a formidable and reputable person, though I question why she chose to sign the Accords. I'm not saying what just happened was the right course of action, to take human lives should never be done lightly, but action should be taken against these Accords. If I were remaining in this universe, I would be concerned. You should be concerned." Said Erik coolly.
"The action you are talking about will own make them hate and fear us more." Replied 'Wilma' bitterly but surprisingly her voice also remained calm.
"You can't control their fear, only your own." Answered Erik simply.
"Hey! Heyheyhey guys! News people are saying important things!" interjected Pietro. 'Wilma' and Erik's discussion was getting real depressing real fast, so Pietro decided to nip that in the bud. He already had a basket full of depressing thoughts without adding more to the mix.
At Pietro's words, everyone directed their attention back to the news where security footage of a suspect in the Vienna bombing was being shown as a woman's voice narrated.
"Oh no…" said 'Wilma' quietly
"What is it?" asked Wanda concerned.
"It's Bucky." Replied 'Wilma'
"Who's Bucky?" asked Pietro curiously. "Is he the bomber? Do you know the bomber? Bucky the Bomber. That's a lot of beeeees."
Though the bombing of a building and quite possible deaths of many was no laughing matter, Pietro thought he saw 'Wilma' holding back a hint of a smile. He was glad she got that he wasn't trying to be insensitive. It was just how he was and being his old witty humorous self was how he dealt with…well with life.
"He's Steve's friend, and yes. I'm sure that's him in the security footage, so it appears at least that he is the bomber." Answered 'Wilma'
"I know Captain Rogers did not support the Accords either, but he doesn't seem like the sort of man who would have a friendship with someone willing to take such a radical approach to prevent its ratification." Said Erik before his eyes seemed to glaze over as if he were thinking of something, perhaps another friendship that didn't quite makes sense.
"They were friends as kids, and they fought in World War II together." Clarified 'Wilma' "They were on a mission and Bucky fell from a moving train into a canyon. Steve thought he died, but recently he resurfaced. Hydra, a group worse than Nazis, had captured and brainwashed him. They gave him a metal arm and turned him into a cold blooded assassin. Steve's been looking for him ever since he found out he was alive."
There was silence in the room. Everyone there had horrors in their past, but at least they weren't brainwashed. They kept their own mind.
Well mostly…Two weeks of being a mute vegetable isn't exactly keeping one's own mind.
"That's really sucky." Commented Pietro after a while, but trying to lift the mood again, he added, "But he has a metal arm?! That is so freakin' rad, man. I wish I had a metal arm!"
"Really? You do, Pietro?" asked Wanda skeptically as her eyes went from Pietro to Erik. Erik just raised an eyebrow at his son.
"Oh…ya know, on second thought, I'm totally good with just my plain old flesh and bone arms." Said Pietro flapping his arms out a bit rapidly at his sides. "Yep. All good."
"Why do they call him the Winter Solder?" asked Wanda all serious again.
Everyone is making it really difficult to be happy right now.
"I don't actually know…" replied 'Wilma' "But it doesn't really matter why. What matters is that Steve finds him and helps him remember who he really is…James Buchanan Barnes."
Getting back on track Erik spoke once more, "I take it Captain Rogers will not be too happy that his friend may be involved in this bombing then?"
"No…he won't." said 'Wilma' "But maybe now that he's shown his face, Steve will finally be able to find him."
Just as 'Wilma' finished speaking, Vision returned to the room.
"I just got off the phone with Natasha. She's uninjured though the Wakanda king was killed in the blast. I spoke with Tony as well. A task force is being organized to find and detain Mr. Barnes." Said Vision.
"Thank goodness Natasha is okay. Have you spoken to Steve? Is he going to be involved in bringing Bucky in?" asked 'Wilma'
"I have not heard from him…I have no doubt he will be involved, though the nature of that involvement I surmise may not be ideal." Said Vision addressing Wilma before turning his gaze to Erik. "Mr. Lensherr, Secretary Thaddeus Ross also contacted me. He would like to meet with you immediately. He's in a conference room in the Avengers' facility."
Before Erik could respond, Pietro butted in again. "Secretary? Thaddeaus? That's a guy's name. It's cool that he's a guy because people shouldn't think all secretaries are girls. Guys can be secretaries and girls can do other things too. Am I right? And Secretary of what?The Avengers? DoesHeLikeAnswerYourPhonesAndStuff?"
I wonder how he answers the phones, like 'you've reached the Avengers, how may I help you? Assist you? Avenge you?...
"No…" replied Vision a little perplexed by the boy's rapid way of speaking. "He is the United States Secretary of State."
"Ooooh that Secretary. I guess people probably answer his phones…" said Pietro feeling a tad embarrassed at his lack of knowledge. Embarrassment seemed to be a common theme for him nowadays, but really it was hard enough to keep track of who's who in government in his own time and universe. How was he supposed to know who the Secretary of State was in this time/universe?
"Why does he want to meet with Erik?" asked Wanda, suspicion in her voice.
"Yes, why indeed?" added Erik with matching suspicion.
"I do not know. I was not informed, but the way to find out would be to meet with him. He is not a bad man, Mr. Lensherr." Answered Vision.
"No. People in a position of power never are." Replied Erik with just a touch of sarcasm. "I suppose I better see what he wants from me, or I have a feeling he will come here anyway."
"Maybe he doesn't want anything from you. Perhaps he just wants to introduce himself, and welcome you to our universe." Said Vision optimistically.
"Trust me. He wants something. They always want something." Replied Erik as he followed Vision from the room.
{Author's note: I apologize. Unfortunately, I've only seen Captain America Civil War once, so I can't remember exact details about the news report, and if they announce publicly that it is Bucky or not. Also, the time between events may be squished or stretched for the purposes of this fic, and I can't really remember the time frame between different things happening anyway, so there's that.}