{Author's Note: This will be the final chapter for the summer. I don't know when I'll have time to write more for this story again, but I'll try to update when I can. Thanks for following this story, and I hope you're intrigued and patient enough to stick around.
To the Aug. 4 guest reviewer: I just want to give you a heads up, so you're not too disappointed by this update. I included another scene from the movie, so this chapter doesn't quite get to where you thought it would be, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.}
X-MEN WANDA POV
After they'd stopped for coffee and donuts—much to Peter's pleasure—Clint had instructed the twins to remain in the van when they reached the rendezvous point. He wanted to try to smooth things over with Cap before unveiling that he had two minors with him. He knew Cap. wouldn't be pleased about their presence. Honestly, Wanda wasn't too happy about it either.
They were just a minute or two out from the rendezvous point now. Wanda looked over at her brother who was happily shoving the last bite of the remaining donut into his mouth, leaving a smear of chocolate on the side of his lips. Noticing his sister watching him he looked at her apologetically and said, "Oh. Did you want the last donut? Sorry. Maybe I could convince Legolas to get us some more?"
"That's alright Pete." Said Wanda giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm good. I didn't want it."
No. The last donut was not what she wanted. What she really wanted was for her brother to be far away from whatever danger they were approaching. When Pietro had woken her up not so long ago at the Avengers' compound, she'd only agreed to go with him on this 'quest' because he had seemed so excited to be doing something, and Wanda hadn't really been awake enough to think things through, beyond knowing that she also wanted to help fight for the rights of people who were different like them.
Why oh why, Pietro, do you and danger seek each other out so often?
But now she had had plenty of time to think. Her brother was still recovering. He probably thought she hadn't noticed, but when they'd zipped onto the plane back in the U.S., she had seen him clutch at his ankle for a moment. He was still getting around better than she would've thought possible only a week ago, but he was still hurt. Whatever super speed buzzing about he'd done before waking her up, had started to wear on his injured leg.
God she hoped Clint and the Captain could come up with a way to keep them from getting involved in a fight. Wanda desperately wanted to be involved, but she couldn't be, not if it meant dragging her brother into it. Even if he possessed an amazing power and he wasn't currently in recover, Pietro was still not a fighter, at least not when it came to physical combat. That had always been her job.
She was the one who used to bite and scratch at Bryan in an attempt to get him away from her brother, until the man forcibly picked her up and locked her in a closet while he did whatever he pleased to Pietro. She was the one who stood up to the kids that teased her brother for having odd hair or being too skinny or too pale, even if it meant no one would be her friend either.
Not that Pietro wasn't brave or powerful. It was just…he was too innocent and too kind-hearted to stomach what might need to be done in a fight. He'd rather take the pain, then lash out at someone, and that quality, though beautiful, could one day cost him his life, and that was what Wanda lived in fear of everyday.
Wanda's heart wasn't that pure. She didn't possess that intrinsic goodness. She didn't know if she ever had, not in the way that Pietro did. At 15 she already had one kill under her belt and the thing was, she didn't regret it. It had been hard to deal with at first, but not anymore. Now she realized she would stop anyone who was a threat to her brother, even if it meant killing them. Maybe that meant Wanda was dysfunctional, even insane, but again, Wanda couldn't find it in herself to care. Anyone who tried to hurt or snuff out her brother's life didn't deserve a life of their own.
Other people might not understand that—well maybe Erik could—but no one else had grown up with Pietro from birth. No one else had shared almost every moment of his or her life with Pietro, until of course Wanda had chosen to walk away because she thought it was the right thing to do. The best thing for Pietro. She thought she was protecting him from herself by leaving, but then she had to find out the hard way that there were people a lot worse than her in the world. And Wanda would have to live with that every day.
Clint's voice pulled Wanda from her self-debasing thoughts, and she turned away from her brother, who thankfully appeared to be completely oblivious to her thoughts.
"Alright, so remember, Wanda, Peter, stay in the van. Cap. won't be able to see through the tinted windows, but stay quiet because he might hear you if you talk too loudly. I'll introduce Scott to him and smooth things over. Capisce?" said Clint as they pulled into a parking ramp.
Scott was awake now but still lying down on the middle row of seats apparently not awake enough to be vocal. Through the back window of the van, Wanda could see Captain Rogers, Sam Wilson, along with another man who had to be the Winter Soldier already waiting outside in the ramp.
"Yep yep. No problem. Can do. We'll just sit here confined in this vehicle for a few more minutes. Nobigdeal. Easy-peasy. Cando." Pietro answered his uninjured leg bouncy up and down. Being stuck in a car had never been easy for Pietro, and now after what he'd been through it was probably harder to endure than ever. And he'd already done remarkably well with being on a plane for an extended period of time, though he'd been asleep for most of the flight.
"I'm right here with you, Pete." Wanda said quietly to her brother so only he could hear, and gave his hand a squeeze.
"Thanks Wands." Pietro replied just as quietly giving her a half smile and squeezing her hand in return before quickly letting go, as if he wanted to appear completely unfazed by Clint's request.
"Okay then." Said Clint not having heard any of their conversation. "Here goes nothing."
Clint put the van in park and he and the elder Wanda exited the vehicle, closing the van doors behind them.
"Cap." Wanda heard Clint say as he nodded at the Steve Rogers. He was right; they did have to be quiet. If Wanda could hear Clint, then Captain Rogers would probably be able to hear Pietro and herself if they spoke, but right now her brother was just as silent and focused on the outside conversation as she was, so maybe being stuck in the van wouldn't be as difficult for him as she'd first thought. Though the reason Pietro was probably concentrating so hard on the conversation outside was to distract himself from their confinement.
"You know I wouldn't have called if I had any other choice." Steve said to Clint looking apologetic.
"Hey man, you're doing me a favor. Besides…I'm on your team." Answered Clint nonchalantly shrugging.
"Thanks for having my back." Said Steve giving him an appreciative smile.
"It was time to get off my ass anyway." Replied Clint bluntly.
"How about our other recruit?" asked Steve. Small talk appeared to be over. It seemed the Captain wanted to get straight to the point.
"He's rearing to go." Said Clint turning back toward the van and opening the door. Wanda put her arm out and pulled her brother back. Clint had warned them he would be opening the door to retrieve Scott, and he didn't think they would be seen when the door slid. But she thought it was better to be cautious. Not that Wanda really cared if they were seen now or later, but they'd agreed to give Clint the chance to talk it out with Captain Rogers first, so she felt obligated to give him that opportunity.
"I had to put a little coffee in him, but…he should be good." Said Clint stepping aside to reveal Scott who jumped a little at the sound of the door opening. Wanda glanced over at Pietro and saw that he had put a hand to his mouth to hold back a snicker, and Wanda found a smile forming on her own face in response to her brother's momentary amusement.
In front of them, Scott sat up and crawled out of the van looking disgruntled, "What time zone is this?"
Clint didn't respond to the man's question. Instead he just said, "Come on. Come on." As he gave Scott a shove forward. Wanda was thankful that the van was long enough that the open door didn't cover the back window, and it was nice to be able to hear the conversation a little more clearly now that the door was open.
Wanda watched as Scott stumbled forward, finally noticing Rogers. "Ca—Captain America." Said Scott in awe shaking Steve's hand enthusiastically.
"Mr. Lang." Steve replied professionally allowing his hand to be shaken up and down almost comically.
"It's an honor. I'm shaking your hand to long." Said Scott finally releasing his grip on the Captain's hand and turning back around toward Clint and the other Wanda. "Wow! This is awesome. Captain America!" said Scott pointing at Steve as if he couldn't quite believe this was real life. Then he pointed at the elder Wanda and said with a large smile on his face as if he was just now comprehending that the other Avenger was with them as well. "I know you too. You're great!"
"Jeez." Said Scott turning back around and clasping both his hands around Steve's shoulder's in amazement. Wanda understood his awe. The Captain did have an impressive build.
"Ah, look I want to say." Scott continued clapping his hands together nervously. "I know you know a lot of super people, so…thanks for thanking of me."
Wanda was pretty sure Scott had meant to say thinking, instead of thanking, but she guessed the guy was pretty star struck, so he wasn't quite managing to be supremely articulate. Though it seemed that Scott might just be sort of a spaz in general, so it could be that was just how he was all the time. But his demeanor didn't bother Wanda. It actually reminded her of Pietro in a way, so she found it enduring rather than annoying.
"Hey man." Scott said turning and pointing at Sam.
He's really doing a lot of pointing. I wonder if that's a nervous tick.
"What's up tic-tac?" Sam answered serious faced and arms crossed.
Scott's face also became a little more serious as he replied. "Uh good to see you. Look. What happened last time was—"
"It was a great audition." Said Sam cutting Scott off and giving a smile and a shrug, shaking his head a little. "But it'll…it'll never happen again."
Scott looked a little confused by this response, and admittedly, Wanda was confused too. Obviously the two had met before, which made sense if they'd recruited him, but couldn't this conversation be continued at a different time? Clint needed to hurry up and explain that she and Pietro were there. She could tell her brother was getting antsy again, especially now that the van door was open and the path to freedom was just a few short steps away.
"Did he tell you what we're up against?" Steve asked Scott ending the other conversation.
Hopefully they'll get back on track now.
Wanda glanced over at her brother again. He was fidgeting with something she had noticed shortly after Pietro had woken her up back at the Avengers' compound: an ace-bandage wrapped around his wrist. Wanda wanted to reach over and stop him, but she knew if she did that, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from questioning him about it and now was not the time for that, not when everyone's attention would shortly be drawn to them.
Wanda tore her eyes away from her brother and listened to Scott answer Steve's question hesitantly. "Something about psycho-assassins?"
Steve nodded then replied very seriously. "We're outside the law on this one. So if you come with us, you're a wanted man."
Scott just shrugged answered in a resigned tone, "Yea well. What else is new?"
Steve gave another nod, then said. "We should get moving." As he turned toward another vehicle, presumably ready to head out.
"Yea we should. But there's something I need to run by you first." Said Clint causing Steve to stop and turn back around. "We had uh…a complication. Well…two complications."
Suddenly, there was a whoosh and Pietro was no longer beside her, instead he was outside of the van standing by Clint. Wanda followed as quickly as she could.
"Kid, what happened to staying in the van?" Clint asked Pietro in exasperation as Wanda also emerged from the vehicle and went to stand by her brother.
"Oh. Sorry. I thought that was our cue. Your guys' introductions were taking foreveeeeer, and then Cap's like 'we should get going,' so I thought, okay better speed things along."
Steve opened and closed his mouth for a moment before finally speaking. "What the hell Clint! Why did you bring the kids?" asked Steve his voice rising in anger as he directed his gaze at Clint.
"Hey! You try getting two super-powered teenagers to listen to you when you're on a time crunch. Then we'll talk." Replied Clint defensively.
"Hey squirts." Said Sam giving Wanda and Pietro a nod, which they returned, though Wanda didn't appreciate being called a squirt, and she doubted Pietro—ever sensitive of his size, especially now—did either. The Winter-soldier remained silent, just looking at them curiously.
Scott turned and looked over at them baffled, while also pointing in their direction. "Were they with us the whole time?" he asked in mild confusion.
"Yes, Scott. They were. I'm not sure if you were though." Answered the elder Wanda.
Scott made a face that seemed to say he realized she had a point, but he also shrugged unashamedly.
Steve drew one hand down across his face in frustration. "We don't have time for this. Wanda, Peter, I appreciate that you want to help, but this isn't a situation for children. Here's what's going to happen. Because there's not a better alternative right now, you two are going to wait here, while we go to the airport, and whoever is left in Germany after we inevitably run into Tony and the others, will come and get you. Then whoever that may be will let your father know where you are. He must be worried sick about you."
Wanda and Pietro had the decency to look guilty at the thought of worrying their father, "Wait. Wasn't he after you?" Peter asked pointing at Barnes. "So shouldn't he be here still? He's not really one to just back off once he sets his mind on something, and we can help! You can't leave us behind! We're not kids! We're almost old enough to have a license! I bet Wanda can drive already, and I actually can too. It's remarkably easy because everybody drives soooo slow. When I broke my dad out of prison this one time, he and his frenemies totally let me return their rental car. So—"
"You're really not helping your case kid." Clint said to Pietro.
"I'm sorry, but this is not up for discussion." Said Steve stone-faced. "I'm not dragging children into what could potentially turn into an all-out civil war."
"But—" Peter started to say, but this time his sister cut him off.
"'Tro. I don't want to fight." Wanda said quietly grabbing his arm gently with one hand.
"You—you don't?" asked Pietro turning to face his twin. His face a picture of confusion.
Wanda let his question hang in the air for a moment. She hated lying to her brother. Of course she wanted to fight. She wanted to fight for the rights of people who were different like her and Erik and her wonderful brother, but what she wanted more than to fight was for her brother to be safe. And she knew the only way he wouldn't fight was if she didn't want to. Wanda would do anything for her brother, but sometimes she forgot that he would do anything for her too.
Wanda took a deep breath and then answered Pietro, "I don't want to hurt anyone accidently, Pietro. I—I still can't control my powers all that well, and the last time they got out of control I brought us to a different universe. What if something like that happens again and we leave Erik behind, or I send someone on our side to a terrible death? I couldn't live with that." It wasn't a complete lie. Just because she was willing to kill for her brother didn't mean she wanted to kill someone who didn't deserve, or that she felt like she would ever be in complete control of her powers. Her fears were real. They just weren't her utmost fear.
Pietro looked at her with wide understanding eyes. "You're sure?"
Wanda nodded, afraid that if she spoke Pietro would be able to see right through her to the real reason she didn't want to get involved.
"It's okay, Wanda. Really it is. We'll wait here. We don't have to fight." Said Pietro, as if it didn't matter anymore and sitting on the sidelines wasn't a big deal.
Her brother was so selfless. So willing to put others needs before his own. It brought a true smile to her face and tears to her eyes, but her feeling of happiness was clouded by the added guilt she now carried for lying to him. And she had to work to make her voice sound normal. "Thanks, Pete."
Wanda couldn't help but notice that the other elder Wanda also looked relieved that they would stay behind. And it made her wonder what the young woman was holding back from them. Why didn't she tell her that her real name was the same as her own, and why did their powers seem so similar? Wanda hoped she get the chance to find out, but for now she just took in the reassuring image of her brother who was returning her smile with one of his own.
"No big deal, sis. Hangin' out with you is better than fighting baddies anyway."
"Al—alright." Said Steve sounding surprised by the twins' sudden change of heart and quick agreement to stay behind.
"Okay, so just stay here, and someone will come back for you. Use this to call Maria Hill if for some reason you don't hear from anyone in a few hours. The phone's not mine so her number isn't programmed in it, but here" Steve added handing them a cell phone, then tearing a piece of paper out of small black notepad and handing that over as well. "Her number is on that…and umm stay safe."
"Can do, buckaroo." Replied Pietro giving him the okay sign.
The other Wanda looked like she wanted to say something to them, but then everyone was moving and before they knew it, all of the adults were loaded up into the van and headed off, leaving the twins alone…Well, they weren't alone. They had each other.
After the adults departed, Wanda and Pietro plopped themselves up on the hood of the old Volkswagen beetle the Captain had left behind. They'd stretched out side by side facing out toward the view of the landscape below. They weren't actually that far from the airport. They were too far away to see anyone, but Wanda could make out the shape of airplanes parked in the terminal.
Pietro gave a sigh beside Wanda, causing her to tear her gaze away from the view before them and look over at her brother. "What's wrong?" she asked concerned.
"Nothing. This is just boring. They should've left us with books our something. Cap. didn't even tell me the passcode to his phone, so we can only make emergency calls. I can't even look to see if he has those game app thingies. Sorry! Not that hanging out with you isn't awesome!It' —"
"Pete it's okay." Said Wanda cutting him off, happily noting she was still able to decipher what he said when started rambling, at least better than anyone else could. It was a good to see that a year apart hadn't changed that. "It's nice to just be here with you too. You don't have to apologize. I grew up with you remember? I know no one could ever really understand what it's like to be you, but if anyone could come close, it's me."
"Yea, I guess you're right about that." Said Pietro giving his sister a sheepish smile and leaning back all the way against the car while raising his hands up behind him to rest his head on them.
It was at that point that Wanda could no longer ignore the bandage around Pietro's wrist, and now that they were alone, she had to ask him about it. "Pete…what happened to your arm?" Wanda coaxed gently.
Pietro stiffened and didn't answer right away. He wouldn't look at her, but eventually he sighed and said quietly just above a whisper, "I think you already know Wands."
And she did know, but she had hoped that she was dead wrong. She had hoped he would offer a different explanation. One that was entirely plausible…but he hadn't. Because there wasn't another explanation. Pietro had gotten hurt by the one person Wanda may never be able to protect him from…himself.
"Pietro why?" asked Wanda her voice teeming with emotion.
"I don't know Wanda, okay?! I just needed to! Can we not have this conversation? I already had it with the other Wanda. All I know is I'm messed up okay. I'm sorry." Replied Pietro his voice cracking with emotion, and Wanda saw a single tear trail down his face.
"Pie…" said Wanda using his old nickname from when they were little that in recent years only Mila had still been allowed to call him by, at the same time she spun around, so that she was facing Pietro, sitting cross legged so that he would have to look at her. "How many times am I going to have to tell you, you don't have anything to be sorry about. The things that you've been through are messed up, but you are not messed up. And nothing that's happened to you has been your fault."
Though some of it has been my fault…for never being able to protect you from our uncle…for leaving you and letting those monsters get you…for not being the sister you deserve.
"But you understand that hurting yourself isn't going to change anything, right?" Wanda continued. Pietro was finally looking at her; his eyes dark pools of pain.
"I know…Idoknowthat. I just…it did make it all go away…for a moment. But I won't…" Pietro paused for a second considering then seeming to come to the conclusion that he needed to be more honest with his sister. "I'll really try not to do again, Wanda. I swear I'll try. I know it won't make the memories go away forever. It'll—" and then he stopped. A new emotion crossed his face: one of hope.
The next thing Wanda knew he shot up into a sitting position so fast that only years of experience with her brother kept Wanda from tumbling back off the car in surprise, as he exclaimed in excitement, "But you could make the memories go away forever! Right Wands?! I know you could do it! You can do such crazy powerful stuff. I bet you could just wave your little energy sparkles at my head and make it all disappear! AmIrightWanda? Rightrightright?!"
Pietro was kneeling on the car's hood now. His face full of confidence, trust, and optimism, but Wanda knew she could never do what her brother asked. It was too dangerous. She didn't really understand her powers, but she'd never done anything remotely like that before. What if she took away too much? Took away what made Pietro, Pietro? And even if she was positive she could take away all of his painful memories with absolute certainty, it still wouldn't be right. Memories are an essential part of who a person is. That's why it's so depressing to watch someone with Alzheimer's deteriorate.
"Pietro…I can't do that. You know I can't. That's not how you get better." Said Wanda, begging her brother to understand.
Wanda watched her brother's face fall at her words. All of the hope was gone now and back was the sadness, if as if had never left. His chin fell to his chest and his silver bangs that had been sticking up due to his new haircut, flopped onto his forehead.
"I know…you're right…it was…it was just a thought." He replied quietly.
Wanda spun back around, so that she was facing the same way as her brother again. She put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a side hug. "We'll get through this together, Pete. Just like we always have…well like we used to."
Pietro only nodded his head as a few more tears made their way down his face, and he wiped them away hastily. Wanda tried to reassure him again. "I know it's not okay, Pietro. I know nothing feels okay right now, and I might not be able to fix that. But I'm not going anywhere this time. I promise."
At her final words, Pietro lifted one arm and returned his sister's hug. "I know."
Then Pietro unlashed himself from his sister and shot up again unexpectedly jumping off the car onto his feet. Wanda noticed he winced slightly when he landed on his injured foot.
"Holy shit! Is that a person! That's a person! There's a giant person down there!" said Pietro practically shouting as he pointed out toward the airport, momentarily distracted from his internal pain.
Wanda jumped down off the car now too, looking out where her brother was indicating, seeing what indeed appeared to be the outline giant human figure, bigger than any planes she could make out from the distance they were at.
"We have to go down there, Wanda! We have to help them! This shit is getting crazy! What if the Cap is losing?! I know you don't want to fight because you don't want to hurt anyone, but I'll make sure you don't. Like you just told me, I'm not going anywhere. I know I'm not up to tip-top shape, but I'm good enough. And this will help me too. I know it might not make a lot of sense, but I think, if I can fight stuff on the outside, then I can fight what's going on…on the inside. PleaseWanda? Pleaseohpleaseohplease!Canwehelpthem?"
Pietro was virtually begging now, and Wanda didn't know what to do. She could practically feel his pull to help, and she felt it too. But she still didn't want to endanger her brother. She knew one day she might not be able to stop him from joining in a fight, but she didn't want that day to have to be today. Nevertheless, when she looked into her brother's eyes, she felt her resolve failing.
She had already refused to try to take away Pietro's painful memories. How could she refuse him again? The answer: she couldn't.
The truth was, Pietro had her wrapped around his little finger from the moment they were born, probably even before then. Their Aunt Marya always said that Wanda would've been much too young to remember, but Wanda swears the memory is real. She remembers Pietro's first word, and it wasn't Mama or Tante Marya—it certainly wasn't Papa—no, it was Wanda. And that memory is also the first moment Wanda was indubitably aware of the fact that she would do anything for her brother, even to a fault.
With a sigh, Wanda looked into her brother's eyes that were so like her own, and said "Okay." But that was all she got out, before she felt the world flying by in a familiar blur.
{Author's Note: Sorry to leave you hanging!…There won't be regular/frequent updates anymore, but I will happily update this story when I have free time.}