Memories
Marital Discord
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Curt stood with the Young Avengers and Magneto.
"Look, Maman will be fine. She beats Dr Doom loads."
"Yes. When she's with the X-Men. It's suicide to take on Doom alone."
"Apparently Maman spat in his eye once."
Everyone turned to look at him.
"Really? She was that stupid?"
Magneto shrugged.
"We're talking about a woman who once told me that my costume made me look like a, and I quote here, 'an escapee from an Ancient Greek freak show'. No one is above her contempt."
Speed grinned.
"Your mom is awesome."
"Well, nice to know she was considered a role model to the younger generations."
Wiccan groaned as he touched his head.
"Oww…"
"Be still boy."
"What are you doing to me?"
"Healing you."
"No offence, but I'd much rather have Dragon heal me…"
"I have no grudge against you Wiccan. Or against Dragon, despite our rather…confrontational past. You both want what's best for Wanda. Tora is safe, alive and awake. She will be my next visit. Normally I would have had her locked away safely but she revealed a little too much when you were unconscious. Did she turn against Wolverine to help you on your search?"
"She…she hit him, then attacked Ms Marvel and then yelled at me to get us all out of there as fast as possible? Why don't you want the Scarlet Witch to get her memories back?"
"Because her mind has suppressed her memories and her powers to allow itself to heal."
"How did you find her?"
"I didn't. She found me."
"Wait, Doom actually didn't try and kill Tora?"
"Yes, it was rather surprising."
"Dragon."
Tora stood up.
"Explain. Everything."
"My, my. You aren't wasting words today."
"Explain everything to me Doom. Prove you haven't done something to Wanda and I won't hurt you."
"Such…protectiveness. But you were never on the same team. Why the sudden kinship?"
"Because I need Wanda more than you know. Where's Wiccan?"
"Safe and in one of the guest rooms, albeit locked in, for security measures. The same offer I gave him applies to you."
"What 'offer'?"
"I know what power you wield. I know one day the Avengers will turn on you like they did Wanda. I can offer you protection. Come to the wedding as a guest –of mine as well as Wanda's– And remain here as long as you wish. I can shelter you from the wrath of those who will seek to destroy you."
"And let me guess. If I refuse, I'll remain here as your prisoner."
"Yes."
"I want two conditions."
"I will hear them."
"First, I want to find out why Wanda is here and why her memories and powers are both gone as well as meet with her. Second, I want to be with Wiccan until the wedding."
"I will tell you about Wanda and am more than willing to allow you to stay with the boy, but I am not prepared to let you talk to Wanda."
Tora stood silently for a second, face not giving anything away. Then…
"I accept."
"She didn't…"
"You'll end up saying that quite a lot over the next few sessions Phoenix. Please desist."
Tora paced back and forth, kicked a wall then stormed back.
"Stupid inhibitor spell. I can heal, but only just and that stupid spell has blocked me from Dragon. I kinda miss the scaly reptile."
Wiccan was sitting cross-legged on his chair, fingers touching.
"Iwantmypowersback, Iwantmypowersback, Iwantmypowersback, Iwantmy- Whoa…"
"You like it?"
Tora whipped around and nodded.
"Definite improvement on the last one."
"It's…perfect."
"It is, isn't it? It's all been perfect. Meeting Victor—falling in love—the king proposing to the gypsy girl. It's all been too perfect…until you show up and suddenly Victor becomes someone I don't recognise. So before I walk down the aisle with him, I need you to tell me everything. Please… Tell me about this Scarlet Witch."
Wiccan stared up.
"On one condition. You have to get us out of here."
She nodded and led them into a tunnel. Wiccan started.
"The Scarlet Witch was one of the most powerful members of a team of heroes called the Avengers."
Tora coughed slightly.
"I'd say most powerful. Reality warping on the scale the Witch was capable of was only ever surpassed by cosmic entities and the Reality Gem."
"Excuse me, am I telling this or you?"
"You."
"Thank you. She fell in love with –and married—another Avenger, the Vision, with whom she had twin boys—Thomas and William."
"The boys were born about five months before my first child. We were both off active duty and were so bored we actually started our own vigilante operations for a while."
"Ahem."
"Sorry."
"From what I've heard, they were a happy family."
"Very happy."
"DRAGON!"
"Sorry again."
"Then… the twins' souls were captured by a criminal named Master Pandemonium for his master, the demon Mephisto. But the Scarlet Witch blamed the Avengers for the loss of her kids and killed three of her teammates, destroying the team. Or so it seemed."
"Er, you forgot to mention M-Day."
"Oh… I'll let you talk about that."
"Part of the Witch's breakdown was a planet-wide reality warp that changed the mutant-human status quo and gave her personal friends their greatest wish. Mutants were the higher class and the Witch's father, Magneto, was almost supreme ruler of the world. A group of heroes regained awareness of the warp and attacked. The fight ended when the Witch spoke three words. "No more mutants". The world returned to normal only almost all the millions of mutants around the world had been depowered, with only 198 mutants left. Magneto was found depowered, as was the Witch's brother, Quicksilver. Of the Witch, no sign."
Wiccan nodded.
"The mutants ended up in a refugee camp in New York and the Avengers were gone. Until a young hero called Iron Lad began recruiting a new generation of Avengers. A group of kids with deeply personal connections to the Avengers, even if those connections weren't immediately apparent. In fact, it wasn't until I met a speedster named Thomas –who happened to look just like my identical twin- that I realised… oh no…"
"What? What did you realise?!
Tora sighed, obviously used to fights between Avengers and Doombots as Wiccan gulped.
"What have I done?"
"Everything we told you not to, kid."
Tora whipped around and shoved Wanda out of the way as Wolverine lunged. Logan stepped backwards.
"And you! You've teamed up with Magneto. Started a war with Doom. And I'll be damned if I know how but you actually found the Scarlet Witch, which makes my job so much easier."
He sighed then hit Tora's face, knocking her to one side. Wiccan reached out a hand.
"Wolverine, stop! What are you doing?!"
"What does it look like kid? I'm saving the world…as usual."
Wanda stared up at him, her green eyes frightened.
"Why are you doing this?"
"It's not personal Wanda, believe me. If our situations were reversed –if I were as big a threat as you- I'd expect you to do the same thing to me."
"And what if I were the threat, like we both know I am? What if I were the one who said 'no more mutants'? What if it was me Logan? Would you be prepared to kill me?"
Tora stood up and spat out a tooth.
"I'm a greater threat than the Scarlet Witch ever was and infinitely greater than Wanda Maximoff is. She's not the Witch Logan! She's just Wanda. My friend!"
"Thanks for telling me that. Without her powers she'll be easier to kill."
Wiccan stared at him.
"What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be one of the good guys."
"So was she. Until she slaughtered her friends and wiped out an entire species with three little words. "No more mutants." Right Wanda? Well you got your wish sweetheart. Thanks to you, there's only a few of us left. And now thanks to me, there's a about to be one less. Uhnn-!"
"Not if I can help it."
Tora didn't turn to see Iron Lad, instead pulling up Wanda, who stared at her.
"Is that your husband?"
"He's normally a lot more restrained than that. I think he's been holding that grudge for far too long."
"Well, he did stop trying to kill her when she-"
"Spoilers, Death. Spoilers."