Chapter 24
And I'll rise up
High like the waves
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you
-"Rise Up" by Andra Day
Wanda opened her eyes. The dust was thick and the crushing weight on her legs was heavy. She tried to take shallow breaths. Don't panic. Pietro would be scared if she-
Her gaze froze on the spot where Pietro should be. There was no one there. Nothing but fallen rock.
Her recent memories seemed to filter in slow and thick like the dust coating her skin. This was not her families' apartment complex. She was at the Compound. She'd been talking to Steve. James-
A burst of panic cut through the murky haze in her mind. Where was James?
James?! She tried calling to his mind frantically.
There was no answer.
Steve?! Nat?! Sam?! Dr. Strange?!
No one answered her.
She tried to shift and a sharp pain shot through her leg. It was the same leg she'd broken as a child and the deja vu combined with the pain made her nauseous. She was laying on her back and she couldn't move her legs. Slowly she moved her arms and planted them on the ground, ready to push herself up, but her mind stuttered to a stop when she realized another body was beneath her fingers.
She half twisted, ignoring the pain. She immediately recognized the fabric beneath her fingers. It was Dr. Strange's shirt. She couldn't turn enough to see his face, but he was breathing shallowly.
"Dr. Strange?!" She said hoarsely. "Dr. Strange!?"
He didn't answer. He was pinned beneath her and her legs were pinned beneath what looked like some of the compound's metal scaffolding. She held out her shaking hands, calling her power to lift the metal beam off of her, but nothing happened.
Her heart seized in panic. She tried again, but there was nothing. The last time she'd felt like this had been when Agatha had cast that spell in Canada. But Agatha couldn't have done this. She was locked up. She had the collar. She-
The piece of metal suddenly groaned and moved like it was being lifted up. Wanda lay frozen, her heart pounding as a silhouette appeared in the dust. The figure hefted the giant metal beam over their head and tossed it aside like it was nothing. Hope started to creep in. It had to be James. Or Steve. No one else was strong enough to lift-
The figure strode towards her and their face came into view.
"Hello again, Wanda." The American said with a cruel smirk.
Bile was choking her. She stared at Agent John Kyle, uncomprehending, as she began to scramble backwards. Her injured leg was screaming in pain, but it didn't seem to be broken again. She managed to pull herself over Dr. Strange's body, risking a glance down at the Sorcerer. He looked unconscious but not hurt. Panic was bursting like fireworks behind her eyeballs.
"Did you miss me?" He grinned, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on her.
Wanda shook Dr. Strange, hard. "Wake up!" She pleaded, but his head just lolled to the side.
"He can't save you." Kyle said, his voice sickly sweet. He strolled towards her, casually stepping over Dr. Strange's body so he could crouch beside her. "While I enjoyed our sessions, they weren't all fun and games. We have an entire arsenal of weapons against magic wielders now, thanks to you."
He reached out towards her face like he was going to gently brush her tangled hair out of her eyes. She slapped his hand away as hard as she could. His smile widened.
"Oh Wanda." He said softly. "Did you finally grow some claws in our time apart?"
"Don't touch me." Wanda spit at him, fury crackling down her spine.
His hand snaked out, grabbing her arm and yanking her towards him, but a new voice cut through the dust like a gunshot.
"Lass sie gehen, Kyle. [Let her go, Kyle.]"
Both Wanda and Kyle turned to see Werner step out from the dust. He was leaning heavily on an armored Hydra soldier, but his face was tight with anger.
"Ich mag es nicht, wenn andere meine Sachen anfassen. [I don't like it when other people touch my things.]" Werner's voice was low and dangerous.
Kyle smirked, but dropped Wanda's arm.
"Sie wird nicht mehr lange Ihnen gehören, Baron. Oder haben Sie Ihren Deal mit Karpov vergessen? [She won't be yours much longer, Baron. Or did you forget your deal with Karpov?]"
"Sobald ich das Serum habe, Wanda gehöre zu Karpov. Nicht du. Ihr Amerikaner seid so gierige Kinder. [As soon as I have the serum, Wanda belongs to Karpov. Not you. You Americans are such greedy children.]" Werner sneered.
Behind him Wanda saw Frau Koch, no, what had James said? Her name was Elfriede, Werner's mother. Elfriede stepped out of the dust, her fingers twisting anxiously in her skirt.
"Hol Wanda und los geht's. [Get Wanda and let's go.]" Werner ordered and more Hydra soldiers bled out of the dust. "Kyle, mitbringen den Zauberer Höchste. Er kann nützlich sein. [Kyle, bring the Sorcerer Supreme. He may be useful.]"
Wanda was not going to go easily. She fought the soldiers in a sort of feral desperation. She managed to pull one of their masks down enough to leave deep scratches on the man's face with her fingernails. He swore at her in German and swung the butt of his gun at her head. The blow didn't knock her out, but it stunned her enough for them to gain the upper hand. Her hands were zip tied behind her back and one of them unceremoniously slung her over his shoulder. They strode through the rubble and out into the grass towards a sleek black plane in the field. More Hydra soldiers were guarding it. Wanda managed to raise her head enough to see Kyle carrying Dr. Strange over his shoulder behind them. The cape fluttered weakly. Whatever they were using to suppress her magic seemed to be affecting the cape as well.
As they neared the plane she tried to kick and struggle. No. This can't be happening. James! James!
The Hydra soldier swore again as she managed to kick him in the gut. She barely caught a glimpse of the other soldier approaching before he slammed the butt of his gun into her head again and darkness swallowed her.
Tony landed hard in the crushed grass beside the Compound. As soon as he'd received FRIDAY's garbled message, he'd suited up. He hadn't even waited for the quinjet to land before he'd bailed out, flying as fast as he could towards the smoking remains of the Compound.
"Rhodes, I need you and Vision here NOW. " He finished the message he was leaving on Rhodey's voicemail. He'd already messaged Vision. They would come as fast as they could. He only hoped it would be fast enough.
A big chunk of the middle of the Compound had exploded. All three floors had collapsed, including Wanda's room. And he didn't think it was a coincidence that the blast happened close to the stairway to the detainment rooms.
He strode through the rubble, his heart pounding, towards where Wanda's room had been. He saw a giant slab of the concrete room beginning to move and started to run. He grabbed an edge and put all of the suit's strength into lifting. As the slab raised above his waist, he met the eyes of Steve and felt lightheaded with relief.
"FYI holding down the fort usually means keeping it in one piece." He snarked.
Steve was half crouched, the concrete slab resting on his back. Natasha was lying unconscious at his feet. Beside him Bucky was bent over Sam like he'd shielded him with his body.
"Do you see Wanda?" Steve gasped.
"Get the fuck out of there and then we can look." Tony snapped.
Bucky was moving, grabbing both Sam and Natasha by the arm and towing them out from under the concrete. He was bleeding from the back of his head, but his eyes were sharp. As soon as Nat and Sam were clear, he came over and grabbed the concrete with his metal arm, helping Tony brace the thing up so that Steve could slide out. Once Steve was clear, Tony met Bucky's eyes.
"On three?" He said, panting slightly. The suit was doing the majority of the work, but the strain was making sweat trickle down his neck.
Bucky nodded and Tony counted, both of them letting go and stepping back on three. Bucky was gone before the slab even crashed to the ground with a loud boom.
"Wanda!" Bucky was yelling. "Wanda!"
Tony sent an emergency page to the team of doctors that lived offsite. They'd be here in less than two minutes. Steve was checking both Natasha and Sam.
"The doctors?" Steve asked without even looking up.
"On their way." Tony confirmed.
Bucky came to a sliding stop in front of them. "Wanda's not here." He said sharply, eyes wide with panic.
"Fuck." Steve hissed.
"Ok, let's check one more time." Tony said quickly, trying to ignore the icy claws of his own panic. He went to the detention rooms first. The way was clear, almost as though someone had already cleared a path. His fears were confirmed when he saw Werner's empty cell. He was, however, very surprised to see Agatha still sitting in hers.
"Let me guess." She drawled as her eyes met his through the glass. "Werner escaped?"
Wanda woke in a haze of pain. She was laying on a hard surface that was vibrating beneath her cheek. A short distance away, Dr. Strange lay, his eyes still closed. His cape wasn't moving. Wanda wished she could reach out and touch him, but her hands were still zip tied behind her back.
She heard footsteps approaching and closed her eyes again, trying to keep her breaths deep and even. She sensed a body stop near her feet and crouch down. A cold hand touched her ankle and she had to fight to keep from jumping. When the hand started to run up her leg, she cracked her eyes open just enough to see the smug face of Kyle. His hand had reached her knee and was traveling slowly up her thigh.
Wanda lashed out with her feet, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction when her foot connected with his face. She heard his nose crack and blood spurted from his face. He swore furiously, grabbing her foot and jerking her towards him. She tried to kick him again, but he was ready. He caught both her feet, pinning them under his knees.
"Kyle if you cannot control yourself, I will have you restrained."
Werner appeared in the doorway, his face dark. Kyle smiled down at Wanda, blood running over his teeth, and a chill ran down her spine.
"Don't worry, I'll get you soon." He murmured.
He rolled off, and got to his feet, sauntering past Werner with a smirk. Werner stood there for a while, leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. Wanda glared at him, trying to calm her breathing and swallow past the urge to be sick. She struggled up to a sitting position, feeling slightly less vulnerable now that she wasn't lying down.
"It didn't have to be this way." Werner finally said, his voice cold. "We could have been partners."
"I will not help you hurt people." Wanda spit out furiously.
"They will not be hurt if they obey." He said calmly. "Which you can make them do. So really, you're ensuring that they do get hurt.
Wanda swore at him in Slovak and got a tiny bit of satisfaction at the annoyance that crossed his face.
"I would advise you to behave yourself around Karpov." He said tightly. "He is considerably less patient than I am."
Wanda scoffed loudly and then tensed as he suddenly strode forward. He crouched down, his jaw tight. "Despite what you think of me, I am trying to help you. If you do not cooperate, Karpov will give you to Kyle." His eyes flashed. "If you thought the Raft was bad, you should see Kyle when he has no restraints."
"Do not pretend you care about me." Wanda hissed at him, trying to hide how terrified she was. " You're giving me to him."
"Why do you think I spent so much time and effort getting Agatha to alter your memories." He said quietly. "Hate me if you must, but I was trying to spare you from this. "
"Fuck you." Wanda snarled. "I would rather die than be Hydra's pawn."
He stared down at her and then sighed heavily as he got to his feet. "I hope you do not care for Dr. Strange then, because he will be tortured until you obey."
He turned and left, shutting the sliding door behind him. Wanda took a ragged gasping breath and then another. Hot tears slid down her face. Her entire body was shaking. The feel of Kyle's hands seemed to linger on her skin and the panic was crawling up her throat and-
"Wanda."
She glanced at Dr. Strange and startled when she met his open eyes.
"Breathe with me, ok?" His voice was hoarse, but gentle. "I'm here with you. You're not alone."
Wanda closed her eyes and tried to copy his breathing. It took a monumental effort and a long time, but finally she managed to breathe a little slower.
"Are you hurt?" He asked.
"Are you hurt?" She asked frantically, scooting over closer to him. "Oh my god, Dr. Strange, I am so sorry-"
"Wanda." He sounded slightly exasperated. "I'm fine." He sat up, wincing slightly. His hands were also zip tied behind his back. "Alright, I have a terrible fucking headache, but other than that I am fine. Now please answer my question."
"My leg is hurt." Wanda whispered miserably. "And my head doesn't feel great either." She winced at the sharp pain pounding in her temple. It felt like she had a huge bump from where they'd hit her with the gun.
He looked up at her head, his eyes sharp and assessing. "Did they hit you in the head?" When she nodded he frowned. He made her look at him so he could examine her pupils. "I don't think you have a concussion, but I cannot be certain." He finally said. "What happened to your leg?"
"A giant metal beam landed on it. I was afraid it was broken, but I don't think it is."
"Is this Hydra?"
He sounded so calm. How could he be so calm?
"Yes." Her voice trembled. "I'm so-"
"Wanda. This is not your fault." He interrupted sternly. "Now how are they blocking our magic?"
"I don't know." Wanda confessed. "But they said they had a whole arsenal of weapons against magic wielders from studying my powers on the Raft. The…the agent who hurt me…he's here with Hydra."
Anger flashed through his eyes.
"Has he touched you?" His voice was a dangerous growl that reminded her of James.
"He tried." She whispered, her hands shaking. "I think I broke his nose."
He grinned. "Good."
"Werner has been telling him to back off, but I think the…agent works for Alexei Karpov. And I think they're taking us to him." She swallowed hard. "Werner said if I don't cooperate with Karpov he'll give me to…to the agent . And that they'll torture you." She choked on a sob.
"Don't worry about me." Dr. Strange said sharply.
"Of course I'm going to worry about you!" Wanda snapped shakily. "You're my friend."
His eyes softened and he took a breath. "I know. I'm sorry."
She sniffled, trying to swallow down the rest of the panicky sobs in her throat. Dr. Strange took a deep breath, his eyes growing unfocused. She'd trained with him enough to recognize when he was lost in thought. She forced herself to wait quietly. Finally he blinked and looked at her, a gleam in his eyes.
"You need to destroy the rest of the seal." He said, so softly that she had to lean forward to hear him. "Whatever weapons they've created will be no match for the full might of the Scarlet Witch."
The surge of fear made her feel dizzy. "Dr. Strange-"
He interrupted suddenly. "Stephen. My friends call me Stephen."
She stared at him for a few breaths, her eyes welling up again. "Stephen. What if she takes over and you aren't able to stop her because they're blocking your magic?"
He smiled softly. "Wanda, I am not afraid that you will lose control nor am I afraid that the Scarlet Witch will take over. I believe in you."
Wanda was grateful that her hands were tied behind her back so he couldn't see how they were shaking.
"We are in a plane I assume?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Ok. I want you to focus on breaking the seal, but do not make a move until we land on solid ground." He smiled wryly. "I would rather not fall out of the sky."
They scooted back against the cold wall of the plane, sitting shoulder to shoulder. The warm weight of him pressing against her helped steady her nerves.
"You can do this." He murmured.
Wanda closed her eyes and breathed. In and out. In and out. Until finally she felt herself sinking into that meditative state. When she opened her eyes, she found her inner self waiting, glowing eyes wide with what looked like concern.
Wanda let me help.
Wanda took a deep breath and stared into those glowing red pools. She was tired of being scared, tired of hiding, tired of not fighting back. Everyone had been fighting so hard for her. It was time she took this final step and fought for herself. She wanted to watch Steve and Natasha's relationship grow, she wanted to cook with Sam, she wanted to visit Clint and get to know his family, she wanted to know Tony better and ask him about his dreams, she wanted to visit Scott and meet his daughter, and she wanted to tell James…she wanted to tell James that she loved him. They believed in her. She would do this. She would save herself and Stephen. She would get them home.
"Please help me." She whispered, and she reached out, offering her hand.
Those red glowing fingers closed around hers and it was like grabbing an electric fence. It didn't hurt, but the strength of the power that surged through her made her body jerk and her teeth clench. She clutched that glowing hand until suddenly it was gone, as though it had absorbed into her skin. Slowly the shock began to wear off, and she realized it felt…warm. She took a shaky breath. It felt good. It…It felt like coming home after a long day. It felt like her mother's arms around her. It felt like her father's smile. It felt like Pietro's laugh. The rightness of it took her breath away. It was like a piece of herself had been missing and she hadn't noticed until it slipped back in with a quiet click.
It was hard to contain it. Not because it was trying to escape to destroy, but because of her own joy. She wanted to let it out, to let it flow around her, to feel every bit of that warm red magic that was singing in her veins.
And then the memories began to pour in. Some of them were horrible like razor blades slicing into her skin and dropping a handful of dirt over Pietro's wooden coffin. Some of them were mundane like baking in Beatrice's kitchen and watching sitcoms in the Compound. But so many of them were beautiful. She saw all the moments where she was drowning in her own head and her friends had reached out and firmly grasped her hand. She saw the way they refused to let her give up. She saw the hugs and teasing smiles. She saw every terrifyingly vulnerable conversation. She saw her own growth through the pain, and the way her heart healed and opened like a flower in bloom. She saw the strength in every small, seemingly insignificant step forward that she took. She saw her fragmented memories slipping into place, until all the broken pieces were one whole. She saw everything and she was smiling through the sobs because she was so loved .
She slowly became aware of Stephen murmuring her name, his tone growing increasingly concerned as she sobbed. It took half a thought to make the zip ties on their hands vanish. He immediately grasped her shoulders and she opened her eyes to meet his worried gaze. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He responded slightly hesitantly.
"Wanda, are you ok?"
"I'm ok." She breathed, smiling so hard it made her face hurt. "I'm ok."
He pulled back and examined her face carefully.
"You remember everything, don't you?" He asked quietly, hope sparking in his eyes.
"Yes." She whispered, still beaming despite the tears rolling down her face.
He smiled then, and the warmth of it washed over her.
"Welcome home."
It took her just seconds to track down the device that was blocking Stephen's magic. It was a small box inside Kyle's pocket. The mechanism felt like a clock, tiny gears turning slowly, powered by a stone that was so cold to the touch. Her tendrils of magic slipped inside. The stone crumbled into ash and the gears ground to a halt. Kyle didn't even notice.
Some of the color returned to Stephen's face as his magic returned. Wanda peered through the pilot's head.
Russia. She said inside Stephen's mind. They're taking us to Russia. To the Siberian bunker where Steve and James fought with Tony.
A shower of tiny orange sparks quickly vanished as Stephen sent a message to Wong.
Wanda hunted out every single weapon inside the plane that targeted magic. One by one those strange cold stones that powered them slowly crumbled to ash. The pilot's instruments said they had several more hours, so she rested her head against the wall of the plane and let her eyes close. Her powers hummed, keeping her warm. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt so safe , despite being in the belly of a Hydra plane.
Let's make a plan. We wait until they've brought us to Karpov. I will open a portal to the Compound for the others to come through. You immobilize everyone. Stephen's voice whispered inside her head. She'd left their connection open so they could communicate, the way she had with Steve, Sam, and James. They might have more of those weapons at the bunker.
Not for long. Wanda couldn't help smiling again.
Not for long. He repeated, matching her grin. You ready to kick some ass?
More than ready.
They created a plan and a backup and a backup of the backup. When they finally landed, Wanda quickly conjured zip ties back onto their hands before the soldiers came to drag them out of the plane. The walk to the bunker was freezing, an icy wind whipping snow around at a blinding speed. Wanda was limping, but she was able to walk. Werner led the way, Elfriede followed behind, then Kyle, and finally the soldiers with Stephen and Wanda in the middle.
The hallways of the bunker weren't much warmer than it was outside, but it did keep the wind out. As they marched down endless gray hallways, Wanda tried to memorize that path to make a crude mental map of the way out.
We have to wait until they bring us to Karpov. Stephen reminded her. We have to take him out too.
The thought of the son of the man who had tortured James made the blood roar in her ears.
Easy. Stephen murmured.
She kept her eyes fixed on the back of Kyle's head. She could feel the darker shadows of her powers whispering all the things she could do to the man who had hurt and terrorized her, the ways she could hurt him in return. She was trying to push those thoughts down, but it was hard. She could still feel his hands on her body, the cruel smirk on his face as she cried and begged him to stop.
It would be so easy to reach into his brain and make him scream in agony. It would be so easy to peel back the layers and make his worst nightmares come to life-
No. She told herself sternly. He is the monster, not me.
It felt like they were walking into the heart of the earth. Wanda tried not to focus on how many thick steel doors were between them and freedom.
I can feel my magic going out. Stephen said suddenly. There must be more weapons here.
I will try to target those first. Wanda replied, falling back on the backup plan they'd created.
Finally they entered a large room that was substantially warmer. Soldiers in camo with red berets prowled the edges of the room, armed with large guns. They stared distrustfully at Werner and his soldiers in all black.
"Привет Карпов [Greetings Karpov.]" Werner said in Russian.
The soldiers in black parted, ushering Stephen and Wanda up to the front where a man was standing. He was about Wanda's age. His blond hair was cropped close to his head and his jaw was square. His red beret had a golden insignia on it, marking him as the leader.
"Вернер. Я вижу, ты, наконец, сдержал свое обещание. [Werner. I see you finally kept your promise.]" Alexei Karpov said in a gravelly voice. His hooded gaze flicked to Wanda and he smiled in a way that made Wanda feel nauseous.
"Я всегда сдерживаю свои обещания. [I always keep my promises.]" Werner smiled, but it looked slightly strained. "Теперь твоя очередь. [Now it's your turn.]"
"Ты прав. [You're right.]" Karpov smiled and Wanda had to suppress a shiver. "Кайл, отдай этому человеку его зарплату. [Kyle, give the man his payment.]"
It felt like it happened in slow motion. Wanda saw Kyle move, the glint of the gun in his hand, but then Elfriede was there, throwing herself in front of Werner. The gun must have had a silencer because the sound was soft, but Wanda saw the blood spray the concrete floor. The Russian soldiers had their guns raised, pointing at the Hydra soldiers in black who were also beginning to raise their weapons.
"Wanda, now!" Stephen yelled.
Wanda unleashed her power. The wave of blinding red light exploded out with Wanda at the epicenter. It skirted around Stephen and Elfriede and Werner, but every other person it touched fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Wanda's breath caught, stunned at the ease at which she'd taken out an entire room of soldiers. In the sudden silence the only sound was Elfriede's ragged breathing.
Werner had fallen to his knees, his mother in his arms. He was staring down at her with a mixture of fury and horror. Wanda made the zip ties disappear and Stephen immediately ran to the fallen woman's side. He pulled her hands aside to reveal the large, bloody wound in her stomach and swore under his breath as he applied pressure.
"Mein lieber Junge. [My darling boy.]" Elfriede raised a trembling, bloody hand to cup Werner's cheek.
"What can I do?" Wanda asked, hovering at Stephen's side.
When Stephen looked up at her, Wanda's heart sank. She knew before he silently shook his head that there was nothing they could do. She looked back at Werner who still looked frozen in shock, staring down at his mother. Elfriede, though, was gazing up at her son with a soft smile, even as a tear rolled down her face.
"Mein lieber Junge. [My darling boy.]" She said again.
"Warum- [Why-]" Werner choked out.
"Du bist mein Sohn. [You are my son.]" Elfriede whispered.
She choked slightly, gasping, and Werner glanced up at Stephen, his eyes wide and panicked.
"Do something!" He hissed frantically.
"I'm sorry. There is nothing we can do." Stephen said quietly.
Werner began to shake his head, but Elfriede managed to raise her other hand up to weakly grasp his face.
"Verschwende es nicht. [Do not waste it.]" She sounded suddenly fierce, gasping in a wet sounding breath. "Du gehörst mir, nicht ihm. Versprechen. Versprich mir. [You are mine, not his. Promise. Promise me.]" When he just stared at her, wide-eyed, she grew more frantic. "Versprich es mir, Werner! [Promise me, Werner!]"
Her hands slipped off his face like she no longer had the strength to hold them up, leaving bloody streaks on his pale cheeks. He leaned down, speaking something in her ear. Whatever he said must have satisfied her as the fear faded from her face. She was still smiling when she exhaled a breath and didn't breathe again. Werner stayed crouched over her body for a long moment. Stephen stood and took a step back and Wanda followed, both of them attempting to give him a little privacy. Werner didn't make a sound, but she could feel the pain and grief and fury rolling off of him like waves. She looked up at Stephen, unsure of what to do, but then the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence.
Wanda threw up a red shield around herself and Stephen, but Werner's gun was pointing towards Kyle's unconscious body. His body jerked, blood spraying as the second bullet went through his skull. Werner was still crouched over his mother, but he swung his arm quickly and fired two shots into Karpov's unconscious body. Then he brought the gun up, moving it towards his own head and Wanda finally came unfrozen. She threw her powers out and wrenched the gun from his hand. It clattered to the floor across the room. Werner was rising to his feet, a terrifying snarl etched on his face as he met her gaze, but she sent out another red wave and he crumpled to the floor.
Wanda took a slightly shaky breath, still trying to process what had just happened. Stephen was moving to the bodies bleeding on the floor. He felt for a pulse on Kyle, glanced at Wanda and shook his head. The viciously pleased jolt that went through Wanda made her feel slightly guilty. Stephen moved to Karpov and then finally to Werner with a sigh.
"They're both dead." He said quietly. "At least Werner is still alive."
The glowing circle of orange sparks made both of them jump. They turned to see Wong stepping through, closely followed by James, Steve, Natasha, Sam, Tony, Rhodey, and Vision. James sprinted to Wanda's side, throwing his arms around her. She clung to him tightly, feeling his heart racing and the way his human hand trembled.
"I'm ok." She said. "I'm ok."
"Fuck, I thought I lost you again." He whispered hoarsely into her hair and tears filled her eyes at the devastation in his voice.
"You didn't lose me. I'm here. I'm not hurt. Look." She moved her hands to his face so she could get him to look at her. His eyes were still slightly panicked. "James, I'm ok."
He finally took a shuddering breath and some of that panic faded. He pulled her into his arms again and she wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his scent. As they stood there, she reached out, searching for other devices that targeted magic. There were two in the room. One in Karpov's pocket and one near the door. There were four more in the bunker that she could sense from where they stood. All of them turned to ash.
Stephen was telling the Avengers what happened as they spread out, slowly walking around the fallen bodies.
"Buck, why don't you take Wanda back?" Steve said, approaching to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. He was carefully scanning her, assessing for injuries.
"I'm ok." She assured him and he nodded, relief in his eyes.
"Come on, doll." James said, his voice still rough. "Let's get the fuck outta this hellhole."
They stepped through the glowing circle and onto the trampled grass of the Compound. Emergency vehicles were surrounding the building. Firefighters were spraying water at a small blaze. As soon as they appeared, the Compound doctors were rushing over with concern on their faces. They were ushered to the side of the Compound that was still standing and into an empty conference room to be checked over in the makeshift medical setup. The doctor, Dr. York according to the embroidered name on her white coat, examining Wanda grasped her hands, turning them palms up.
"Are you bleeding?" Dr. York asked urgently.
"No." Wanda said wearily. "My leg hurts-"
She glanced down at her hands where the doctor was holding them and abruptly stopped talking as she stared at the blood coating her hands.
"S'ok." James said from where he had slumped into a chair. "S' just my blood."
"What!" Wanda stood up in a panic, but another doctor, Dr. Ling, was already there, examining the back of James' head.
"Well that is what happens when you take off before we can staple up your head wound." Dr. Ling said sternly.
"Had more important things to do." James mumbled.
Wanda pushed around Dr. York who was trying to examine her to also look at the back of James' head. He had an ugly gash under his hair that was bleeding sluggishly.
"James." She said fiercely. "You-"
He tugged her down into his lap. "Gonna need something to distract me." He nuzzled into her neck. "You up for the challenge, doll?"
Wanda rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile curling around her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting his head rest on her shoulder.
Dr. Ling was still grumbling but began to work with Dr. York assisting. "We'll have to cut your hair."
"Go ahead." James mumbled.
Wanda watched quietly as they cut locks of his long hair off, clearing the back of his head for the staples. He refused the pain medication they offered without an explanation, but Wanda knew it was because it wouldn't work on him. His grip around her waist tightened slightly as they began stapling the gash closed and Wanda closed her eyes.
She wasn't trying to look at his thoughts but she kept getting flashes of white coats and the feel of restraints around his arms and legs and the agony of a blade cutting deep into his skin while a voice harshly told him to be quiet and be still.
Hey. She whispered into his head.
Hey. He said back, pain and fear flitting around the edges of his words.
I need to tell you something important.
Ok. She felt him tense, but the horrors of his past faded away a little as he focused on her.
I love you.
The flood of emotion that crashed into her was enough to bring her to tears. She opened her eyes as he raised his head to meet her gaze, ignoring Dr. Ling snapping at him to hold still. His steel blue eyes searched hers almost desperately like he wasn't quite sure he heard her right.
I love you, James. She repeated softly.
I love you too, Wanda. His words were thick with emotion. Been meaning to tell you that for a while. Can't believe you beat me to it.
She grinned. You said you wanted to be distracted.
Heat sparked in his eyes. I want you to tell me that again when there's not a doctor putting staples in my skull.
I'll tell you every day. She promised softly.
He leaned in and kissed her, slow and sweet.
"Sir. I need you to hold still or you're going to end up with a staple in your ear." Dr. Ling sounded exasperated.
"Sorry Doc." James' said, that crooked smile lifting one side of his lips and not sounding sorry in the slightest. "My girl just saved all our asses so I gotta celebrate a little bit."
Dr. Ling grumbled something, but Wanda was too busy replaying his words to hear.
My girl.
The words made her feel warm inside, like her powers, like home.
Hey. James got her attention. Say it again. He asked, still smiling that crooked smile that she loved.
I love you, James.