The next day, Pietro woke up with shooting pains running through his body. Naturally, he didn't say anything, and kept on going about his usual business. He desperately tried to hide the wincing as he carried a plate full of food - apparently, he was wincing at the weight of a plate of food - when Clint came up to him and asked him if he was okay. Pietro felt like he'd had a vision; everything sprung into crystal clarity, the gentle hues of green, grey and hazel that composed Clint's eyes, the way his eyebrows arched when he spoke, and how his lips moved. Oh, how they moved, in gentle rhythm with the noise hitting his ears.
"Pietro?" Clint's expression was one usually given when someone said something crazy.
"Wha?" Pietro's response made Clint's eyebrows climb even higher. "Sorry, I didn't hear."
"I asked if you were okay," Clint gestured to his hands, where the plate of microwaved food resided. "You just seem a little quiet and subdued. Everything alright?"
Pietro chuckled, shaking his head. "It's just.. this. It's getting to me, you know? We could be in here for god knows how long."
Clint nodded. "It needs a name, any ideas?"
Pietro shrugged. "The last one was nicknamed the FAYZ, let's just go with that for now."
Clint agreed, passing Pietro a bottle of water. "Keep hydrated, it'll help with whatever pain you're in. Don't ask, I have a sixth sense for these things. Just if you have a cut, you need to get that bandaged before it gets infected. And I think that we have some general antibiotics and painkillers in the basement - you'll need to check."
Pietro grinned. "Thanks Clint, but I think I'm just going to rest."
Clint turned away to walk off when he heard something rushing towards him. He swung around and caught the carrot midair.
Pietro winked. "Bet you didn't see that coming!"
Clint swore revenge on him.
Pietro was sitting out in the woods near the house when he heard it. They were beautiful woods, with a stream and waterfalls, with deer tracks crisscrossing through on gentle paths.
An earsplitting, horribly recognisable scream echoed through him, and without thinking, Pietro was running, sprinting, not paying attention to how fast he was going or where his feet landed, just the fact that Wanda was in trouble, and not for long if he could help it.
He found her in the yard, cupping her in his arms - as they had for years - kneeling in the worn grass, screaming as if being tortured.
Her voice trailed away as he reassured her, shrinking into sobs. "Wanda?" He asked, his voice panicky. "Wanda, what's wrong?"
"I- I heard everyone's voices," Her voice was shaky. "They were in my head."
"When was the last time you slept, ate, drank?" Pietro searched for a reason, an explanation, but found none. Meanwhile, Steve vaulted over the half-rotten wooden fence.
"What on earth happened here?" He asked, a mix of terror and wonder on his face. "There was something too fast to see, and Wanda, were you screaming?"
"I - I saw something. I don't feel well, I'm going to sleep." Wanda padded inside, Pietro's jacked slung over her shoulders.
Pietro noticed Steve staring at him oddly. "When did that happen?"
"What?" Pietro was plain confused now.
"Your hair." Steve gestured to the questionable colour choice.
"Nothing's up with my hair." Pietro ran a hand through it; his short curls felt the same in his hands, if in need of a wash.
"Check your reflection," Steve gestured to the nearest window, in which Pietro scrutinised his hairline. He found that a few millimetres of his originally dark auburn hair had now turned bright white.
"What the fuck?" He shouted. "Did someone do this as a prank?"
"Pietro, calm down-"
"Fuck this weird shit! I'm out of here!" Pietro started running, again not aware of the speed he was running at.
Steve was left in an awestruck silence.
Tony had no shortage of problems to solve.
For a first, the kids from the lower-class school, HYDRA, had forbidden any Xavier's kids from entering the town and built a perimeter around it. Along with that, the food and medicine the school had had before the "Blip" had long run out.
That was why he had called the meeting.
"Bruce, how long will the current medical supplies last us?" Tony gestured to the boy in question.
"Only a few days; less for our diabetics. The town's cut off so we're either going to have to raid it or send out search parties looking for nearby towns." Bruce put his head in his hands.
"Reed, how far is Stonebridge?" Tony asked. Stonebridge was the nearest town to Tamworth, the small town where the two schools resided. "I'm talking on foot here."
Reed sighed. "A few days at best, but there's rivers and fields of bulls and things. Plus, we don't know where the border of this "New FAYZ" is. For all we know, we could do all that walking and come to a blank wall."
"I'll take a few people up and scout out the Bunker through the forest. We'll be back pretty soon." Bruce suggested.
"No, Brucey, you're staying here. These kids need a doctor, even if you haven't got many supplies. The only person not needed in this room is me, and I'll go. Pepper's in charge and that is final." The room broke into nervous conversation.
"Tony, you sure about this?" Rhodey asked, eyes large. "Can't I come, just to make sure you're safe?"
"No, Rhodes, you're staying here. I could use some help packing though." Tony grinned.
He set off later that night with two bags filled with survival tools and a knife strapped to his ankle, no idea what danger lay in the dark, unnaturally still town air.