Chapter Six
Disclaimer: All belongs to Marvel.
Wanda wasn't handling her brother's absence well. Yes, he'd only been gone for a few hours, but she couldn't help worrying. From what Jarvis had told her about these Chitauri, Pietro and the others were in a dangerous situation. Pepper had kept her company for a while, claiming she'd had enough of paperwork. They had talked about a few of the romance novels that Pepper enjoyed, though Wanda had to admit she'd never heard of most of them. Still, it was fun, spending time with a woman near her own age. Pietro had been her only company for so long...
Unfortunately, some sort of problem had apparently come up at Stark Industries, so Pepper had to leave, apologising several times for leaving her alone. So now Wanda was pacing up and down the library, trying to find something to read. Nothing really seemed interesting enough, though, so she went back to her scheduled worrying.
Steve had been in the gym for hours, and had spent time on every single piece of equipment by now. This was actually getting boring...
"Jarvis, where's everyone else?" He panted, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Miss Potts left for a meeting at Stark Industries an hour ago. Master Stark, Mr Maximoff and Dr Banner have not yet returned. Miss Maximoff is currently in the library."
Steve unwound the protective bandages from his hands, deciding to go and keep the newest Avenger company. It wasn't good to brood about things alone, and he knew she was probably worried about her brother. Besides, if she was going to be part of the team, then he should make an effort to make her feel at home.
Wanda jumped when Steve came in. He smiled at her, but she didn't return the gesture this time. She was still feeling guilty about last night's incident, and despite Steve's earlier words, she couldn't really believe that he wasn't angry.
"How're you doing?" Steve walked over and stood next to her, examining the nearest bookshelf. "You like reading?"
Wanda shrugged, uneasy. "I do enjoy it, but Tony doesn't really have much that interests me."
Steve laughed. "I know. I honestly think Tony only has this library to look good. He's not the type to read. He'd rather be messing with his gadgets. Or drinking. Or both."
"But you enjoy reading?" Wanda ventured. "You don't strike me as the type of person who would stay in with a book. I assumed you preferred outdoor activities, being a soldier and all..."
"Oh...hasn't anyone told you my story?"
Wanda shook her head.
"And you're not from America, so you probably haven't heard of my alter ego..." Steve frowned. "Well, I can tell you if you're interested, but I don't think it's that exciting. Everyone else seems to disagree though..."
"I would like to hear it, but not if you're uncomfortable." Wanda assured him quickly.
"No, no, its fine." Steve sat down in one of the soft chairs in the corner, gesturing at Wanda to do the same. "To start with, I was born in 1918."
"What? But you look... I mean..." Wanda went red, afraid she'd just offended him. But what he'd just said was impossible!
He laughed again at her expression. He explained about Dr Erksine, the super-soldier project and becoming Captain America. He left out details about the battles with Hydra, as his 1940s mentality insisted that stories like that were too unpleasant for a young woman. He told her about his final act in WWII, and waking up seventy years later.
Her expression was sympathetic. "It must be difficult for you, knowing that so much time has passed you by like that."
"I've gotten used to it. Some things still suprise me though... I still have trouble working a cellphone! Where I'm from, phones were things that stayed in houses, not got carried around in pockets. And that's without all these other inventions, ipads and ipods and who knows what else."
That got a laugh out of Wanda. "I know! I've seen all these sorts of things, and all I ever think is 'what's the point?' Back home in Transia, almost all technology was unheard of!"
"Really?" Steve looked surprised. "I know some countries in Eastern Europe are considered behind the times, but I didn't realise it was to that extent." That said, he mused, he'd never even heard of Transia before...
Wanda nodded. "Among my people, people who didn't work passed the time reading, or carving, or sewing. We had no televisions or computers. We didn't even have electricity!"
"Sounds like Transia got left behind in time." Steve noted.
"In a lot of ways, it did. Pietro and I lived with our parents in a caravan! I mean a horse-drawn one, not the ones you can attatch to cars. Our father was a carpenter," Wanda smiled, getting immersed in her story, enjoying the few memories she had of a happier time. "We moved around a lot, though we never went very far from Wundagore- a valley that was well known to our people. Pietro and I used to love exploring, though we tried not to go near the mountain." She only realised what she'd said after it was too late. Steve was easy to talk to, but she didn't want to discuss that place...
Steve had noticed her sudden freeze, but decided not to comment on it. "Do you miss it there?"
"No. I mean, obviously I miss my parents, but I'm never going to go back there." She suppressed a shiver- going back there would mean facing the being from Wundagore Mountain again.
"I miss my parents too. Even though they died before I turned eighteen..."
"I'm sorry." Wanda's voice was sad.
"I made my peace with that a long time ago. How old were you when you lost your parents?"
"Ten." Wanda's voice was a whisper now. She wasn't comfortable discussing this.
"And you and your brother have been on your own ever since? That's harsh... If you don't mind my asking, what happened?"
Wanda bit her lip, hesitating. She had no real answers for that- she really didn't understand what had happened, and telling Steve the whole story would no doubt get her labelled as insane. Possession? A haunted mountain? No-one would ever believe that.
Thankfully, Pepper came in at that moment, distracting Steve from the conversation. He smiled warmly at her.
"Hey, Pepper, you're back earlier than I thought-"
A loud thumping noise from somewhere above them made them all jump.
"Jarvis, what was that?" Pepper's voice was wary. She'd had enough unexplained visits during that whole mess with Killian...
"A portal appears to have just opened and quickly closed on the roof, Miss Potts." Jarvis was silent for a moment. "Mr Odinson and his brother appear to be paying us a surprise visit."
Steve stood up in alarm, and Pepper tensed.
"Why has Thor brought Loki back here?!" Steve demanded. "Hasn't he caused enough trouble?"
Wanda looked from Steve to Pepper, not understanding what the problem was. Who were Thor and Loki? She thought she recognised the names from a book on mythology that she'd read once, but Steve and Jarvis seemed to be referring to real people...
Footsteps could soon be heard on the stairs, heading towards them. Steve muttered something under his breath, and moved protectively in front of Wanda and Pepper. Wanda kept her eyes on the library door, tensing in anticipation.
A huge man with long blond hair and a short beard came in first. He was wearing old fashioned armour and a flowing red cape, and he held an enormous hammer in his right hand. She'd never seen anyone so intimidating! He was followed by an equally tall, but slender man with sleek black hair. He too was wearing armour, but his cape was green, and he carried no weapon. Wanda couldn't work out why Steve was glaring at him so fiercely. The two newcomers stared at them for a minute. The blond man spoke first.
"Steven Rogers. Lady Pepper. It is good to see you again." He frowned in confusion when his eyes fell on Wanda, but he didn't ask any questions.
"Thor." Steve nodded a greeting. "Would you mind explaining what he's doing here?" He gestured towards the dark-haired man.
"Loki has come here to aid earth against the Chitauri. We know there was a sighting of them very recently, and have reason to believe that they will strike again."
Steve turned to Loki, his voice dripping scorn. "You want to help us against the Chitauri? Excuse me if I find that hard to believe."
Loki smirked arrogantly. "Believe what you wish, mortal. It is true that I care little for Earth, but I have recently discovered that the Chitauri are a grave threat to the whole universe. I have no desire to see them ruling the galaxy, so rest assured, I will do whatever is necessary to stop them."
Steve folded his arms. "They wouldn't even know about Earth if it weren't for you."
Loki actually looked worried. "I wish that were the case, Rogers, but it is not. Their leader has had plans of conquest for Earth for a very long time." 'At least, he has if my suspicions are true...' Loki quashed the thought. He couldn't let fear keep him from doing what was necessary.
Thor broke into the conversation. "Where is Stark? I had intended to ask him if he would allow Loki and I to stay here while on Earth."
Pepper glanced uneasily at Loki before speaking. "Tony isn't here right now. I can give you permission, I suppose...but I'd prefer it if he," she looked at Loki, "was staying in one of our secure rooms. I don't think Tony will want him wandering around anywhere he likes."
Thor inclined his head, accepting her words and ignoring Loki's scowl. "Thank you for being so accommodating, Lady Pepper." He glanced at Wanda again, who had been standing there feeling very confused for the last ten minutes. "I do not believe I have met your other guest..."
Steve and Pepper both looked startled- they had almost completely forgotten Wanda was there! Pepper recovered first.
"Yes, of course, I'm sorry. Thor, this is Wanda Maximoff. She and her brother are staying here for a while. Tony's asked them both to join the Avengers." Pepper turned to Wanda. "And this is Thor. He's one of the original members of the team. That's his brother Loki." She waved a hand in Loki's direction dismissively. Loki grimaced in annoyance. How dare this mortal treat him as though he were unimportant?
Wanda managed to smile at Thor. "Pleased to meet you." She said softly. His size made her uneasy, but if Steve and Pepper trusted him...
"And you." Thor smiled. "So you seek to join the Avengers? A worthy endeavour. May I meet your brother as well?"
Steve stepped in, seeing that Wanda was nervous again. "Her brother's actually gone with Tony and Bruce. They've gone to deal with the Chitauri you mentioned. They should be back soon."
"Of course. Could someone show Loki and I to our chambers then? We will settle in, and I will converse with my friends when they return."
"Um, sure. Jarvis?"
"Yes, Miss Potts?"
"Could you show Thor and Loki where they'll be staying? Thor can have the spare room on Steve's floor. Loki is going to stay in the room next to Bruce's."
"Of course." Jarvis agreed. "If you and your brother would go to the stairs, Mr Odinson, I will tell you both where to go."
Thor led Loki out of the room, both of them looking a bit nonplussed about listening to a computer. Wanda wasn't sure if they even knew what Jarvis was. She turned back to Pepper and Steve.
"So is one of you going to tell me more about them now?" Her eyes were twinkling, and she, Pepper and Steve all burst out laughing.
"Care to share the joke?" Natasha's voice came from the doorway. Clint stood right behind her.
"What- How did you two get in here?" Pepper was stunned.
"Jarvis let us in. Fury sent us here as soon as we detected the portal. We were already in New York, waiting for Stark and Banner to get back, so it wasn't hard to get here. We've been waiting for you to finish talking to our resident god for about ten minutes. What's Thor doing here anyway?" Clint gazed at Steve expectantly, wanting an answer.
"Er..." Steve really didn't want to be the one to tell Clint that Loki was back on Earth, even if it was (supposedly) for a good reason. "Well, apparently the Asgardians know about the Chitauri showing up again. They think there might be more than one troop of the things so Thor's come to help. And, uh... well, don't get mad, but he brought Loki with him."
"What?!" Clint sounded outraged. "Why the hell did you even let that psycho in the building?!"
"Clint, he claims he wants to help." Steve spoke calmly, trying to make the assasin keep his temper.
"Right. Loki wants to help us. And you just buy this?"
"Clint." Natasha's voice was firm. "I think you of all people should believe in giving second chances. Don't let your personal feelings get in the way of that. I don't trust Loki either, but at least if he's here, we can keep an eye on him. Fury will be hearing about this though." She warned, glancing at Steve and Pepper.
Clint scowled. "Fine, I'll let it go...for now. But if he puts one foot out of line..." He smiled menacingly.
Any further discussion came to an abrupt end when the Quinjet came into view.
"Finally." Steve muttered. Tony, Bruce and Pietro had been gone for far longer than he'd imagined. He, Pepper, Wanda, Clint, Thor (who had come to investigate the noise of the jet) and Natasha made their way to the roof eagerly.
Natasha glanced at them all. "Just to warn you in advance, I'm going to be ripping them a new one when they land. Fury's orders, because they went and did exactly what he told them not to."
Steve sighed. Arguments between Tony and Natasha were all too frequent...
The jet landed on the roof, and Wanda was the first one to make her way over to it. Tony and Bruce climbed out slowly, both of them looking grieved.
Something twisted in Wanda's stomach.
Tony and Bruce both had their eyes on the ground, and so didn't immediately notice the group waiting for them. They were obviously alone.
Wanda began unconsciously shaking her head. No, no, no...he promised he'd come back!
Steve glanced at her worriedly before walking over to Tony. The billionaire said something too quiet for the others to hear, and Steve went white.
Bruce made his way over to Wanda, reluctantly meeting her eyes. He took a deep breath.
"Wanda...I'm so sorry. Pietro didn't make it." He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to show some support. She was alone in the world now...
She pushed him off, her eyes full of tears. All the blood had drained from her face. Steve led the others away, to give her some privacy. None of them spoke.
Wanda's knees gave out, and she collapsed on the rough concrete surface. Her hands were shaking. She began sobbing. The sound increased until it became a scream. Red light flowed from her hands and she realised her powers were active again, Right now it didn't seem important though. Nothing mattered anymore.
The Avengers watched in horrified fascination as the strange light expanded outwards. The ground nearest to Wanda seemed to be bubbling like hot tar, and the effect was spreading towards them. Thor noted with shock that Mjolnir was vibrating, something it was only meant to do if there was danger nearby. The crimson light surrounded the Quinjet, and Tony yelled in protest as parts of it began to smoke. It was giving off noxious fumes as the smoke became fire, and in a matter of minutes, the entire jet would explode.
Bruce tried shouting to Wanda, knowing she was causing this, but she didn't respond. Her face was pressed to her knees now and she was crying silently. Her hands still glowed.
Storm clouds appeared over Stark Tower, and rain poured down, courtesy of Thor, in an attempt to extinguish the flames. It worked, but Wanda's powers were still causing havoc. The jet began falling to pieces for no apparent reason, and the generators that supplied the tower's energy flickered and went out. The roof still appeared to be boiling, every window that overlooked the roof had shattered and now the whole structure was trembling.
Thor looked at Wanda in amazement. "I had no idea mortals could use magic to this extent..."
"This isn't exactly a 'magical' situation, Thor!" Clint snapped. He tried shooting an arrow topped with a tranq dart at Wanda, but it veered off course before it got within two feet of her, embedding itself in one of the remaining windows.
Clint was stunned. He had never missed a stationary target! He took aim again, but Natasha beat him to it. She leapt over the melting concrete, landing gracefully on the 'safe' zone surrounding Wanda and promptly used a sleeper hold on the hysterical young woman. As soon as she was unconscious, the effects of her power stopped spreading. The Avengers surveyed the wreckage in shock.
"Unbelievable..." Tony muttered. "How can one person have power like that," glancing at Thor, "even if it is magic?"
No-one had an answer. Steve lifted Wanda's limp form and carried her to her room. He hesitated before leaving, unsure if she should be left alone. Pepper solved that problem for him.
"I'll stay with her, Steve. I think she might need someone to be there for her when she wakes up." Pepper wiped her eyes. "Losing your only family...no wonder she reacted like that. And having power like that to keep in check all the time... I wouldn't want to be in her shoes."
"I know." Steve said feelingly. "She's had a lot to deal with. but she's a fighter. She'll be ok." He sighed heavily as he left the room. 'She'll have to be ok...or I don't know what Shield might decide to do with her...'
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Loki was pacing in his room, trying to think of stategies of what to do if, or more likely when, the Chitauri's true master made an appearance. After all, there was only so much he could do against a being like that... Thor had left some time ago, first going to find his own quarters, then rushing off to the roof, saying something about his mortal friends returning. Loki rolled his eyes. Mortal friends...Thor was so hopeless!
A sudden powerful surge of magical energy almost knocked Loki off his feet. When the tower stopped shaking a few minutes later, and the lights came back on, he struggled to stand upright. Where had that come from? He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind, trying to see what the source of the power was. His eyes flew open a second later, and he gasped, looking around fearfully.
It couldn't be...the power that had just wreaked havoc felt the same as the energy used by the being who controlled the Chitauri in all but name...but He could not be on Earth already, surely? If he was here, however, Loki knew he had far less time to act than he feared. This being could not have its way, or there would be nothing left of the universe. Loki had to stop him before that happened. And he did not care how he did it. Nothing mattered more than halting the evil being's plans. Nothing.
To be continued...