The light of morning awoke Wanda the next day. She raised her head groggily, looking for him, but he wasn't there, as she had hoped
With a start, she realized she hadn't been looking for her brother. She'd been looking for Vision. She shook her head hard, trying to clear her thoughts. She didn't need that right now.
Wanda got out of bed. She planned on using the shower. When she and Pietro had lived in Sokovia, they rarely had access to hot water, so her showers were nearly always freezing. H.Y.D.R.A. did not make their personal comfort a priority, as they were simple weapons. So her first experience with a shower had been a few days ago when she turned it on and was greeted by steaming water. It was amazing, and she had been thinking about it ever since. She turned on the hot water and climbed in.
After her shower, she got dressed, putting on a pair of soft black pants and a dark red workout t-shirt. She was training with the Black Widow today, might as well be prepared.
She glanced around her room, determined to keep it tidy. She walked over to the wall and used her powers to pick up the shards of lamp from last night. She picked up the book she had hurled at Vision, and put it back on her nightstand.
Wanda eyed her bed wearily. After their parent had died, she and Pietro had been homeless for a long time. The softness of the bed was unusual, and she wasn't used to such comforts, but it brought back memories of a better time, a time when her family was alive and happy.
With difficulty, she tore her eyes from her bed. She took a deep breath and opened up the door to her room and headed down the hallway, past the rooms of the others, and to the kitchen. When she entered, she checked the time, 6:45. Her lesson with Natasha began in an hour.
She sighed and opened the refrigerator and grabbed out some ingredients. She quickly scrambled some eggs on rye bread and made herself a cup of black tea. When she sat down to eat, she was surprised to see Vision wander in.
"What are you doing up? You are not training until noon," she said, keeping her tone cool. She didn't want him to see how much gratitude she felt towards him for helping her.
"I do not sleep like you do. However, I was - resting when I heard you leave your room. Did you sleep well?" he asked. His voice was normal, but she quirked a small smile at it's sound.
"Yes. Thank you." she said, beginning on her food. Meanwhile, Vision busied himself pouring himself some tea as well. He sat down opposite her.
"Can you taste that?" she said curiously, motioning to the tea.
He shrugged. "I am testing my senses. I have tasted a good amount of foods so far. I particularly enjoy popcorn," he said.
Wanda smiled and finished her food. "I do not think I have ever had popcorn," she said, and began to wash her plate. Natasha walked in a few moments later and eyed the scene.
"You almost good for training?" she asked Wanda, who nodded and finished cleaning. She dried her hands and looked at Natasha.
"Come on," she said and left the kitchen. Wanda smiled at Vision before she left and he raised his hand in farewell.
They arrived metal spiral staircase overlooking a large room with an entire wall of glass that overlooked a track and a ring of targets. The room itself had punching bags, mats all over the floor and a large rope hanging from the ceiling. There was also a large table with an assortment of things, half of which were completely useless to Wanda.
"Okay. First, of all, you should go run a quick two laps to warm up, and when you get back, we'll practice sparring."
Wanda nodded, and with a pained expression, headed outside to the track. She ran her laps at a brisk jog. She was reminded of her brother, and how he'd speed through his laps with the most arrogant look on his face. Lost in thought, her laps were over quicker than she had thought. She jogged lightly back to the building to see Natasha already covered in a light sheen of sweat. Wanda shrugged and realized she had probably been climbing the rope or doing laps in the room. But Natasha quickly got her back on track.
"Having magic to fight your enemies is just fine. Great even. But you should be able to fight hand-to-hand just in case. So, get in a stance like mine," she said, getting into a stance with her arms up defensively and her knees slightly bent. Wanda mimicked her perfectly.
Natasha raised an eyebrow in prompt, and Wanda swung with her right, hitting her hard like Pietro had taught her.
Natasha smiled. "Did your brother teach you to hit like that?" she asked.
Wanda nodded tentatively. "I was bullied after our parents…died. He taught me how to hit so they wouldn't bother me anymore."
"Well, I'm glad you know what you're doing. This makes my job easier." She got into a stance. "Let's go."
They sparred until lunch, when they ate some sandwiches, then continued until it was dark. By then Wanda could hardly lift her arms to swing. Natasha still looked like she had barely run a few laps, still elegantly and fiercely composed.
"Well, it's a work in progress. But I am impressed. Tomorrow you're with Steve," she said, wiping her brow. Wanda simply nodded, still breathing heavily.
"Go get cleaned up. We're getting Chinese tonight," Natasha said, smiling slightly.
Wanda moved to leave, but Natasha made her pause. "Wanda. You did great. If you ever need anything, tell me," she said, and Wanda nodded slowly before heading back up to her room.
She took a quick shower, this one not nearly as long as the one she had taken that morning. When she was clean, she put on a black dress and headed out to the kitchen.
She paused in the doorway, watching the Falcon, Sam Wilson, whom she had been introduced to but never really talked with. He was talking to Steve about the other man, Rhodey.
"He left last night to check up on Stark. He hasn't seen him since Sokovia, and he wanted to check up on him," Wilson was saying.
Steve nodded. "He's a seasoned soldier. He knows what he's doing, so I'd say he can drop out from training for a while." He opened his mouth to continue, but he spotted Wanda in the shadows.
"Hello Wanda. Are you hungry? We have Chinese," he said, stepping aside so she could see the boxes of takeout on the table.
She stepped forward, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Thank you," she said quietly and grabbed a plate as Vision walked in, closely followed by Natasha.
Steve smiled. "Now everyone's here. We can eat," he said, grabbing a plate and opening a box. Immediately, delicious-smelling steam rose and made Wanda's mouth water.
Steve scooped some rice onto his plate and moved on to the next box, this one with chicken in brown sauce. He scooped some of that onto her plate as well.
Wanda quickly got the idea and copied him. When everyone had what they wanted, they sat down around the table and ate.
Wanda could barely remember a time when she felt safe, let alone happy. But here, surrounded by near strangers, she felt both, and in that moment, she didn't feel as broken.
