Chapter Four
Disclaimer; All characters except OCs belong to Marvel.
Natasha was making her way to the gym, having decided to join Clint for some sparring. She enjoyed chatting with Pepper, but she was feeling restless, the way she often did while waiting idly for something during a mission. It had been more than an hour and it appeared the fugitives hadn't stirred. Clint came racing down a flight of stairs and ran straight into her. She almost attacked until she realised it was her partner who had barrelled into her.
"Clint? Where are you going?" She frowned- he seemed angry for some reason, and he rarely showed his emotions in the middle of an assignment.
Clint spoke through gritted teeth. "I got bored of hanging about waiting, so I asked Jarvis to check on the prisoners. I figured they must be awake by now. I was right. Stark and Banner are already having a cosy little chat with them."
"What?! " The Black Widow's voice was livid.
"My sentiments exactly. I was heading down there to tell them to cut it out..."
Natasha unholstered one of her guns. "Lead on." Ice in midwinter was warmer than her voice now- Stark had gone too far. Interrogating prisoners that were in Shield's custody was in no way civilian business, no matter how rich and intelligent said civilian was. She followed Clint down to the medical facility.
Tony and Bruce had been questioing the twins for a few minutes now, but Pietro only answered their questions with evasions, and Wanda hadn't spoken at all, though Bruce privately thought that was because her brother wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. It was almost as if he were afraid to let her speak...
Tony sighed in exasperation, frowning at Pietro. "Look, Speedy, if you refuse to tell us anything, then there is no way we can help get Shield off your backs, do you get that?"
"We did not ask for, and do not need your help!" Pietro practically snarled.
"Oh, right, because you were obviously doing so well on your own. If it hadn't been for Bruce, you two would be in a Shield holding cell right now." Tony smirked, and Pietro almost lunged at him- he hated admitting that this smug know-it-all had a point.
Wanda, who had been watching Bruce intently for the last few minutes, stood up slowly and took a deep breath. She turned her gaze to Tony.
"If I tell you our story, can you guarantee that this 'Shield' will leave us alone?"
Pietro shook his head vehemently at her, but she pretended she hadn't noticed.
Tony looked sheepish. "Well, I can't exactly promise that Shield will back off, I don't control them, but this is my home, and none of their agents are going to get in here and threaten you if I have anything to say about it."
Natasha and Clint came storming into the room.
Tony facepalmed. "Seriously, could you two possibly have worse timing?!"
Natasha ignored him. "What do you two think you're playing at, interfering in Shield business?" Her voice was sharp as a razor as she glared from Tony to Bruce.
Pietro immediately moved so he was standing between his sister and the newcomers. Clint took a step towards them, preparing himself to restrain them if they tried to run. Pietro's fists clenched, but the two men were distracted when Tony and Natasha began arguing.
Tony had raised his hands defensively. "Bruce and I just wanted to hear their version of events before deciding whether or not to hand them over to Shield."
"Deciding whether or not- Stark, that is not your decision to make!" Natasha was getting increasingly frustrated with Tony's attitude.
"Maybe it isn't, but I'm not going to stand about idly while Shield may be falsely accusing innocent people of murder!"
"Stark, there are eyewitnesses that claim she," Natasha gestured at Wanda, "killed someone!" Wanda flinched at her words and loked at the ground, not meeting the redhead's gaze.
"And of course there are never extenuating circumstances in a situation like that!" Tony retorted. "Besides, you and Legolas are hardly the ones to suddenly grow a conscience and think that killing people is wrong!"
Clint and Natasha both took threatening steps towards Tony, so Bruce- who had been watching this like it was a tennis match- quickly moved in front of Tony.
"Alright, everyone, let's just calm down! I don't think any of you want the other guy to get involved here." His skin was beginning to tinge green, so he paused for a minute to calm himself. He looked at Clint and Natasha, letting his irritation show on his face.
"Wanda here was actually about to tell her story when you two burst in. Can you at least agree to hear her out before making any judgements about her?"
The two assasins exchanged glances. Clint nodded in Natasha's direction, leaving it up to her.
She sighed. "We'll listen...but that doesn't guarantee anything will change. Coulson and Fury will still want answers."
Bruce nodded, accepting that, and everyone's gaze turned to Wanda, who met Bruce's eyes for a few minutes before nodding reluctantly. Natasha, unseen by the others, subtly pressed a few buttons on her cellphone, allowing Coulson to listen in.
Wanda took a deep breath, and - ignoring Pietro's munitious glare- began to talk.
"My name is Wanda Maximoff. My twin here is Pietro. We were born in Eastern Europe, in a country called Transia. Our parents were Roma- gypsies."
"Were?" Bruce's voice was gentle.
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears before continuing. "When we were ten...I found out that I had a strange ability. When I become angry or scared, things happen that can't be explained. People get hurt. I can't control it." She paused, deep in thought.
"Our parents and a large number of townspeople died not long after I found this out." She hoped no-one would realise that she was editing this story- the whole truth was too frightening, and too unbelievable.
"My brother soon found out that he was gifted too- able to move at speeds faster than anyone else. We travelled on our own for years, stealing food if we could not buy it somehow. My abilities are still unpredictable, so we've never been able to stay in one place for very long. We've only recently come to America."
"So you cause accidents without meaning to whenever you feel threatened?" Clint's gaze was softer now. He remembered all too well how it felt to not be in control of yourself. He still had nightmares of Loki and that damn sceptre... Bruce was empathising, too, remembering all the trouble he'd originally had with the other guy.
Wanda nodded, her eyes glistening. "I've never worked out how to stop it."
"As touching as this story is, can we get back to the murder issue?" Natasha's voice was cutting. Her eyes met Wanda's. "Did these powers of yours cause Andrew McAllister's death?"
Wanda nodded miserably. "He was trying to make me go with him and...well, he assumed I was a prostitute, so you can imagine. He had hit Pietro, and he was unconscious. Andy was dragging me away, and I panicked. I knew what was happening when my powers flared up, and tried to get away, but he wouldn't let go. I couldn't stop it. I never can." The last sentence was barely audible, and a single tear trickled down her face.
Natasha nodded, accepting that. Andrew McAllister's history showed that behaviour like that was his usual M.O. and honestly? No-one would miss the man.
Bruce was eying both twins curiously. "It's strange that both of you have powers you can't explain..." He mused. "I wonder if it's genetic, you being twins and all..."
Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances. Pietro's ability might be a genetic inheritance, but they both knew Wanda's wasn't. However, there was no way any of these people would believe the story of the entity within Wundagore Mountain that haunted Wanda's dreams.
Tony meanwhile, had heard enough. He raised an eyebrow at Natasha. "Stil think she's a cold-blooded murderer?"
"No." The voice was Coulson's, originating from Natasha's phone. Everyone jumped at the unexpected voice. The lights above them flickered. Wanda bit her lip, and looked at the floor, knowing that, yet again, this was her doing.
Tony shook his head in disbelief, scowling at Natasha. "Is there no such thing as a private conversation anymore?"
"Shut up, Stark." Natasha pulled her phone from her pocket into her hand. "Coulson?"
"Director Fury and I both heard the story. For now, we agree that no harm was intended, so the matter is being dropped. That said, Shield can't allow two... enhanced humans to just vanish. They'll be staying at Stark Tower indefinitely. Natasha and Clint will check on them periodically."
"Whoa, wait, back up a second. Don't I get a say in who lives in my own home?"
"Mr Stark, you have already intefered with a Shield operation, and hacked into our secure files yet again. Consider this your community service. Unless you'd rather be arrested?" Coulson's voice actually sounded amused.
Tony threw his hands up in exasperation. "Alright, fine. They're probably safer here than with Shield anyway."
Pietro frowned. "Excuse me? Don't we have a choice in this matter?"
"Yes, Mr Maximoff, you have a choice." Coulson now sounded condescending. "You and your sister can stay at Stark Tower as free citizens, or you can go on the run again as fugitives. It's entirely up to you."
Pietro fumed silently. Wanda, on the other hand, was relieved to finally have a home, at least for the time being.
"If there are no further objections?" Coulson waited for an answer. "Good. Barton, Romanoff, I need you two back at base, so I can debrief you. Have a pleasant day, everyone." Coulson disconnected the call, leaving the room in silence.
~ Aboard the Shield Helicarrier ~
"Did they agree to stay at the tower?"
"Yes, Director. Mr Maximoff didn't seem too happy about it, though."
"And his sister?"
"She didn't say much after telling her story. Director..." Coulson trailed off.
"What?"
"Are we sure this is a good idea? If her abilities are as dangerous as she claimed..."
"If Banner can learn to control the Hulk, I'm sure he can teach her to control whatever it is she does."
"Yes sir. If Stark or Rogers find out that we wanted them to recruit these two, though..."
"They won't. I guarantee Stark will invite them to join the Avengers, thinking it's some brilliant act of defiance against Shield. We have nothing to worry about. Speaking of Rogers, is he back from England yet?"
"Our surveillance showed him getting on a plane at Gatwick last night. He should be back in America tonight." Coulson paused. "It must be rough on him...visiting the woman he used to date, when she's an old woman and he hasn't aged..."
"Have someone shadow Rogers once he lands, until he's back in Stark Tower, as a precaution."
"Yes, Director." Coulson walked away, leaving Fury alone on the bridge.
Fury sighed. "And so begins the Avengers Initiative: Phase Two."
~ Stark Tower, later that night ~
After a very tiring day, in which she and Pietro had been given their own rooms, had a tour of Stark Tower, been taken shopping by Pepper Potts, (Pietro had complained about accepting charity the entire time) and had dinner with their new housemates, (Wanda still found it unnerving to hear Jarvis speaking to her) they had been allowed to go to sleep. Naturally, Wanda had to have another nightmare.
She was standing in Wundagore Valley, the mountain looming ominously behind her. The moon shone overhead. She glanced around, uneasy. She didn't want to be here! She began walking quickly to get away from this horrible place. Yet someohow, instead of leaving the valley completely, her feet were carrying her towards Wundagore Mountain.
"No!" She protested, irrationally scared, but she couldn't change her course. She ended up in the pitch-black caves that riddled the mountainside. Gradually, the reddish glow that she hated filled the cavern. She looked down...
The bodies of her parents and the townspeople carpeted the floor, but something had changed. There were more bodies than she usually saw in these dreams. Pietro lay among them, deathly white and unmoving. Recoiling with horror, she stumbled over another corpse, this one Tony's. Glancing around wildly, she recognised Clint, Natasha and Bruce. All dead.
She screamed.
An enormous shadow filled the cave, getting closer and closer to her. She backed away, terrified. The grasping fingers of the shadow seemed to be searching for her, and she was trembling uncontrollably.
"Soon, I will claim you." A hideous voice rumbled. "And this world will be mine once again." The voice was emenating from the formless shadow, and Wanda wanted to run, but was paralysed with fear.
"I am not yours!" She screamed defiantly at the thing. Feeling returned to her limbs, and she ran, stumbling as she went, but too afraid to stop. The being's mocking laughter echoed behind her.
"Soon..." It was a threat. Wanda scrambled down the mountainside, not stopping til she was miles from the cursed mountain. She ran headlong into another figure that appered out of nowhere, and screamed in disbelief when she got a clear look at the person.
It looked like her, but her doppelganger's skin was white as marble. Her lips were bloodless, and her red clothing seemed almost black in the darkness. Her eyes were utterly white, yet gave off a red glow, as if someone was shining a red torch behind white paper.
The doppelganger's mouth opened. "Soon..." It was the creature's voice!
Wanda sat bolt upright, clapping her hands over her mouth to stifle her scream. She was covered in perspiration, and shaking. It took her several minutes to remember where she was.
"That wasn't real." She muttered to herself. "It was just a dream." Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 2.37am. Knowing she'd never dare go back to sleep now, she got up and pulled her newly-bought red silk dressing gown around herself. She decided to head to the kitchen and make some tea. Maybe that would help her to relax.
Jarvis helpfully told her where to find teabags and milk. She imagined that was one of the benefits of having an AI run the house- he never needed sleep. She stifled a yawn as she sipped her drink.
"Who are you?" An unfamiliar male voice came from right behind her.
Wanda whirled around, startled. A muscular man with short blond hair and blue eyes stood there, holding a battered suitcase.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just didn't realise Tony had guests."
Wanda nodded mutely, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat. She had no idea who this was, and Tony hadn't mentioned anyone else living here besides himself, Bruce and Pepper.
The man stepped closer, and Wanda tensed. "Why are you up so late?" He sounded honestly curious. "I just got back from the airport, and I thought everyone would be sound asleep."
"Who are you?" It came out more harshly than Wanda had intended, but she knew it was a fair question.
"Oh, sorry! I'm Steve Rogers. I live here sometimes." He extended his hand, then lowered it, clearing his throat awkwardly. "And you are...?" He stepped closer to her again, and she backed up involuntarily. She had always been wary of strangers, and the incident with Andy hadn't helped.
It wasn't til Steve glanced at her hands in amazement that she realised they were glowing again.
'Oh, no...' She closed her eyes, concentrating hard and willing the glow to disappear. Steve put his hand on her shoulder, probably trying to find out what was going on, but the contact startled her. Her eyes flew open and she lost her concentration. A pulse of red energy flared out towards Steve, and he flew backwards into the refrigerator. There was a resounding thud, and Steve crumpled to the floor, motionless.
Wanda's face went completely ashen, and she just sank to her knees. She hardly heard Jarvis speaking. One night, and she had already ruined her chance at a home. What was wrong with her, that she kept hurting people, even though she never meant to? What had she done to Steve? Tony would never let her stay here now... Maybe being imprisoned by Shield was the best thing for her. At least then she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else. Footsteps could be heard just outside the kitchen. Wanda didn't care who it was. She couldn't find the will to move. She deserved whatever happened now...
To be continued...