Aoi Dragon: There is a scene in this chapter that is perhaps a little more mature than what's been shown so far. There will be an extra warning when this scene comes up.
Also, a note on Wanda's powers - Diana came from a time before WandaVision and so has no clue that Wanda's chaos magic is natural and not created by the Mind Stone. Just thought I'd bring that up before any reviewers point that out.
Enjoy!
*FMttM*
A few days later, back in New York, Diana strolled through the hall going through her mental checklist of responsibilities. Tony had already informed her that the Ultron-bot sent after her family had crashed and that everyone was safe. He had been about to tell her more, but she said she hadn't wanted to go into more depth about this universe's version of her family.
She had too many other things to think about anyway. First, she had to get Wanda a teacher at the Sanctum. The sorceress hoped that she could get the Ancient One to look after the Scarlet Witch, but the Celtic woman was in charge of the entirety of Kamar Taj and may be too busy. It would be interesting to find out who Wanda's teacher would be. Diana hoped she'd get Master Hamir, the sorcerer who had taught Bucky to organize his memories and block the HYDRA programming.
Speaking of Bucky, she'd also promised him some time with just the two of them - no Avengers, no sorcerers, no Asgardians, no interruptions. Life as a superhero certainly hampered one's romantic relationships and entanglements. She thought of how it had taken Steve two years between the second and third Captain America movies to have even a hint at a romantic relationship with Sharon (other than the Stucky or Stony undercurrent that so many fans seemed to love).
Diana found the White Wolf sparring with War Machine in partial armor while Captain America fought Falcon. On the other side of the room, red and blue light shot back and forth as Wanda's magic met with cold bursts from Donnie. Pietro watched from the sidelines with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
It was obvious that Bucky was pulling his punches, as was Steve, and the two super soldiers were going at a slower pace. It was training after all. She stood next to Pietro and watched.
"I wish that Wanda could spar with Miss Romanoff." Quicksilver muttered.
Diana looked over at the young man, "Why's that?"
His eyes narrowed and followed Donnie's movements, "I don't think her current sparring partner is appropriate."
"Their powers have similarities. Natasha is solely melee and firearms."
Pietro turned to the sorceress, "And why can she not spar with you?"
Diana set her jaw, "I don't want to spar with the Scarlet Witch."
The speedster's gaze darted around her face, and he frowned, "You will not forgive her?"
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive her." Diana rubbed her temple with her fore and middle fingers, "Everyone was dead, Pietro. Their corpses strewn around all bloodied and maimed. I was forced to watch Bucky being ripped apart, like he was being drawn and quartered. Those screams will echo in my mind forever."
"She could probably erase that memory if you asked." Pietro's voice was tentative and hopeful.
The sorceress shook her head, "No. It reminds me what I'm fighting for. Even through the hurt and pain… it gives me purpose and focus. I'm going to do everything in my power to save you guys or die trying." She paused, "But I don't know if I can forgive Wanda for putting that vision in my head. Seeing people turn to ash was motivation enough. I didn't need to see their corpses."
"I'm sorry."
Diana brushed off the apology, "The only thing I can do is get her properly trained. It's on my to do list."
Steve called for a stop and all three sparring sessions halted.
Sam wiped his forehead, "Man, if this is you going easy, Cap, I never want to fight you at full strength."
"Well, it gave me a pretty good idea of how to train you. Looks like Tae Kwon Do and maybe Savate would be the best martial arts for you," Steve answered, "With your wings, you have to focus mostly on kicks if you get into combat, but Tae Kwon Do can cover any punches you might need when grounded."
Bucky was speaking quietly to Colonel Rhodes making punching motions with the metal left arm, "With your armor on, you need to more closely measure your strength. It depends on whether you want to knock out or kill your target. Does your computer in your suit do that for you?"
"Nah, I don't have anything like Tony does in my suit, not an AI anyway that can monitor stuff like that," Rhodes replied, "There is a computer, but nothing more complicated than that. I kind of just punch like I would normally do. But you bring up a good point; I'll have to watch for that if I have to get into a fist fight in my suit."
The Wolf nodded and looked over to where Diana was standing and smiled, "Excuse me, sir." The Sergeant fell back into army protocol before he approached the sorceress, "Hey dollface."
"Hey stupid face." She could help but smile at him, "What's all this about?"
"Steve 'n' I've been talking," Bucky's Brooklyn drawl came out a little, "about teaching the newer Avengers to fight as a unit. Steve leads the original seven, so he thought I could lead these guys."
"Which 'guys' are we talking about?"
"The Maximoffs, the Colonel, Wilson, and Donnie would be under my command."
"And what'd you say?"
Bucky frowned, "I said I'd think about it. I still have the HYDRA codes in my head, and it's not like I have training to deal with enhanced people like the Maximoffs or Donnie."
"Steve didn't either. He just took things as they came."
"You'd probably be better at leading the enhanced kids than me, though, what with your magic."
"Don't sell yourself short, Buck. The army gave you command of a company of guys-"
"And look how that turned out…" He grumbled.
"Not your fault, stupid."
"Still, not the most shining example of a leader."
Diana sighed, "You'll make a fine team leader. I'll probably be bouncing back and forth anyway."
"Good, then I guess we can work with that." He nodded before his body language shifted a little to being more relaxed and a sly smile flickered across his face, "So, did you just come down here to watch or did you have something special in mind?"
"I was thinking that I really need a break when we're done here, but I have a laundry list of stuff I need to do," she looked over at Wanda. "I know you guys want to train these newbies together, but the Scarlet Witch needs guidance in her magic first and foremost so she knows her capabilities and her limitations." Diana's gaze turned back to Bucky, "In the comics in my world, Wanda is a mutant with the capabilities of chaos magic and reality warping powers. Here, since her abilities came from the Mind Infinity Stone, they're probably a lot more limited, but still we don't know exactly what she can do, and-"
"Would you have to stay with her after bringing her to Kamar Taj for evaluation?" Bucky asked.
The sorceress considered for a few moments before replying, "No. Once she has a master who could teach her, I'd probably be able to go, but that's the biggest thing." She said, "I also talked to Thor about getting Loki off the throne of Asgard and trying to bring Odin back, but I don't know if they'd be able to do that since we don't know exactly where Odin is, and there's also the fact that someone needs to protect the Infinity Stones and/or find the Guardians of the Galaxy to let them know that Thanos is on the hunt. Plus, we should probably try to contact Captain Marvel and keep her abreast of what's going on and-"
Suddenly Bucky kissed her. She sighed and melted into his lips. When he drew back he huffed a laugh, "You worry too much, doll. I'm sure Thor can do the space stuff just fine. I don't know much about Loki, only what I've heard from Steve, but I'm sure Thor can handle his little brother."
Diana blinked up at him, "Yeah…"
The White Wolf leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "What do you say we ditch these guys and get out of here?"
"I like the sound of that," She smirked.
"Buck!" Steve called to his best friend.
"Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck." Bucky growled before composing himself and turning toward the Captain, "Yeah Steve?"
"I'd like to switch partners for a bit, you versus Sam and me versus Rhodes." Steve saw Diana and smiled, "Hey, Diana."
"Hey Steve." Diana gave him a strained smile.
"Think you could give us a hand? Donnie and Wanda haven't been able to fight all out, and I'd like them to get experience with that before sending them out into the field again as teammates."
"Sure, Steve." It was so hard to resist his puppy eyes. She turned back to Bucky, "And once again our plans are interrupted by our duty."
"Mai târziu." He ran a hand along her cheek as he promised they would continue later.
Diana nodded, "We'll make our escape, even if it has to be in the middle of the night when we're supposed to be sleeping."
The White Wolf gave a toothy grin, "I'll hold you to that." Then he turned toward Sam, "Okay, Wilson, let's do this."
With an exasperated sigh, Diana turned to the two young people, "Okay, first thing's first: We're going to the Mirror Dimension so you two can go all out and not worry about destroying things. If things get stuck or someone gets badly hurt, we stop."
"You are not going to also fight?" Wanda asked.
"I'd rather see how the two of you fight when you don't have to worry about hurting one another." Diana answered.
The Scarlet Witch exchanged a glance with Blizzard, "We can do it."
Despite Diana's reservations about Wanda's powers, the Witch actually had decent control over them. The young woman used specific hand movements to designate certain actions; however, she could not manifest anything like the sorceress's shield or weaponry. Wanda could throw her magic like an anime character throwing ki, and she could shield only herself from other attacks. With a little practice, Wanda would easily be able to defeat Donnie's ice powers.
Donnie, on the other hand, was creative. He already knew that the Scarlet Witch would quickly surpass him in strength, but he made up for that in strategy. He would turn the floor into an ice skating rink. He would use blasts of cold air with tiny ice particles in them as weapons. He was clever, the brains to the Witch's brawn.
*FMttM*
(Warning: Steamy, sexy scene coming up. You don't want to read? Skip to the next *FMttM* break)
That evening, when Diana opened the door to her room to head out to make herself supper, she nearly ran into Bucky. "Buck-"
He pushed her back through the threshold, "Shh." He hushed her and shut the door behind him. Then he pressed his ear against the door and waited.
The sorceress watched him in amusement, waiting for him to relax. When he did, she quietly asked, "What's going on?"
"Steve just keeps heaping on more and more stuff for me to do," Bucky told her, "and all I want is to get away from here for a while and relax."
"So you thought you'd come to my room?" She said, "You realize that this is one of the first places Steve will look for you if he can't find you or me."
"I know, but I thought," he brought out his baby blue puppy eyes, "you could use your Sling ring and get us out of here, to our spot."
Diana couldn't help but laugh, "Shirking your responsibilities to spend time with your girlfriend, huh Buck?"
"Now what gave you the idea that I'm ditching my responsibilities?" The Wolf gave her an innocent look. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her towards him and lowered his lips to her ear, "Let's just get out of here."
Her sigh came out more as a moan as his hot breath caressed her neck, "You make a good argument."
"I know I do." He kissed her throat before moving away a step, "Then let's go."
She gave heated stare before turning and pulling her Sling Ring from her pocket, "Insula?"
"Yeah."
A moment later, they stepped through the golden circle onto their island on Lake Insula, and Diana closed the portal behind them. She barely had time to slip her ring back into her pocket before the Wolf pounced on her.
The only reason they stayed upright was because of Bucky's impeccable balance. He held her up with his vibranium arm as his flesh hand combed through her hair. "Alone at last," he said against her lips and kissed her again. "God," he moaned against her lips, "I've been wanting to have you like this since I saw you let loose against those Ultron robots." He pressed his hips against hers and she could feel his arousal.
"You liked that?" She smiled at him.
"You never cease to amaze me," he kissed her neck. His flesh hand moved down to the hem of her shirt, and he tucked his fingers underneath, brushing the skin of her waist. Bucky looked up at her, "Is this alright?"
"Yes. Oh yes." Then she stared at him through half lidded eyes, "I think we're wearing too many clothes." He flushed instantly, and she couldn't help but grin. His 1930s propriety was showing. She laughed, "I'm not even going to pretend to protest." She then pulled at his shirt and whispered into his ear, "If you want me, you got me."
His vibranium hand clenched the shirt at the small of her back, and his blue eyes burned. His flesh fingers wandered higher under her shirt until they brushed the underside of her bra-covered breast. He licked his lips and glanced at her again. Then he used both his hands to lift the shirt over her head. He took a half step back to just look at her.
There were still some pale, puckered scar lines from Strucker making a lightning strike across her skin, and when Bucky stepped forward again, he gently trailed his lips along each scar. He soon captured her lips again, and Diana's hands tugged at his shirt.
He paused for a moment, so she spoke, "Hey," she brushed her fingers along his cheek, "if you will bear my scars, I will bear yours." With a nod, he let her take off his shirt. She trailed her fingers along the scar tissue next to his vibranium arm. It looked less angry than the last time she'd seen it in Avengers Tower. Tony must have made adjustments that helped. Diana leaned forward and kissed his shoulder.
Bucky shuddered and pulled her to him, kissing her. Hot and cold hands stroked her spine and she moaned into his mouth. He trust in his tongue and pressed his hips forward. Her fingers dug into his caramel colored hair, thoroughly messing it up.
His hands moved down over her ass and to the back of her thighs, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed close to get pressure in just the right spot. He groaned as she caused friction with her hip movements.
Her hands moved from his hair down to his pants, "These need to come off." With that decision, she let herself stand again and fumbled with the button of his jeans only to have him stop her movements with his hand.
"Are you sure?" He asked, "Is it... "
Diana smiled at him, "A lot's changed in the last seventy years, Buck," she moved her free hand down and rubbed at his erection, "including how acceptable sex is."
He let go and sucked in a breath through his teeth, closing his eyes and tipping his head back, "You know, I haven't-"
"I know." She answered as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, "Me neither."
"Oh…" Before she could move further, he surged forward and kissed her. His hands stroked her sides and ran over both her breasts. His pants fell to the ground, and he kicked them away before pulling her to him, pressing himself flush against her. His fingers explored the clasp of her bra for longer than he apparently liked because he drew back and scowled at the offending garment, "How the hell do you get this thing off?"
Diana smiled, "Here, let me." She reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She let the straps fall from her shoulders and gave Bucky the pleasure of removing it.
He stared at her, "Ești frumoasă, dragostea mea."
She blushed at being called beautiful, and his usual Romanian epithet - darling - had just become something more. Words neither of them had said in their native tongue, but had expressed - were expressing - through their actions.
"Thanks," she barely managed to speak with her heart in her throat.
Bucky glanced down at her jeans and then up at her as if to ask permission. Diana gave him a nod and he, in his eagerness, ripped the button off and made the zipper unusable. He looked abashed, "Sorry."
"Don't be. They're just jeans. I'll get new ones." She kicked the ruined pants away and then reclined in the grass. "Come here, " the sorceress beckoned.
He didn't need to be told twice, and he placed his strong arms on either side of her, hovering over her like he was about to do push ups. Diana raised her head and kissed him to distract him from his old school rules and pulled him down against her.
She moved her hands down to his boxer briefs and stroked his erection again. He moaned and his hips moved into her hand. She repeated the motion, and he hissed through his teeth, "I can't-" His entire body tensed and his underwear became damp and sticky. He relaxed with a sigh and pressed his forehead against hers, "Sorry. I-"
Diana caught his lips in a quick kiss, "Don't worry about it. We have all day." Although she was a bit disappointed, it wasn't surprising that their first attempt at sex had ended prematurely. She ran her hand through the hair on the back of his head, and he simply breathed her in.
He raised himself off her and sat down in the grass, "That didn't turn out the way I wanted." He looked away from her, his face a bit red.
"Hey, Buck, it's okay." Diana sat up and moved closer to him. She touched his arm, "We can always try again another time."
The Wolf let out a slow breath, "Yeah."
They fell into a silence that was awkward and tense. Diana fiddled with some of the grass, not really knowing what to do. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat as the sorceress looked at the forlorn soldier. He stared off into the thicket surrounding the island, his expression unreadable.
Diana looked down at the grass that she was picking at and plucked one of the blades. She twirled it around in her fingers a little, wondering if she should try to make that reedy squeak by putting it between her thumbs and blowing. She shook her head and tore the blade of grass in half before letting it float back down to the ground.
She listened to the water lapping against the rocks not far away and wondered if the water was cold like it had been when she was a kid.
After a few more moments of tense silence, Diana got fed up and decided to speak up. "Hey, are you gonna look at me?" She asked, her tone more forlorn than she meant it.
Bucky's shoulders tensed for a moment and he cleared his throat, "I thought that after… that… you'd want to just go home."
"Back to our responsibilities? No, not yet. We deserve a short-lived vacation away from everyone after Ultron!" Diana watched his profile as he nodded in agreement. "Are you gonna look at me?"
He shifted and turned toward her. His eyes met hers, and he held her gaze for a moment before his eyes wandered. Diana preened under his examination and waited. After a moment, Bucky took hold of her arm and tugged her toward him.
She responded by straddling him. He looked up at her, surprised, "Maybe try again?" She gave him a sultry look and pressed her hips downward. He groaned at the pressure on his groin before he kissed her. Diana smiled into his kiss, taking that as a yes, and rubbed at his slowly re-hardening penis, undulating her hips so she could feel the pressure and friction on her sex.
They moved together. Bucky's hands explored her body, and Diana dug her fingers into his soft hair as she fervently kissed him. A heated wetness settled between her thighs, and she drew back to stare at the man she thought she would never ever meet in her wildest dreams. She wanted him.
His pupils were blow wide, making his blue iris seem almost nonexistent. He looked worried, "Is something wrong?" His voice was ragged.
Diana flushed, "No. Nothing's wrong. I-" She ducked her head and buried her face in his shoulder.
"Diana?" Bucky's fingers ran through her hair.
Gathering her courage, she turned her head so her lips were right against the shell of his ear, "I want you inside me."
His grip tightened in her hair as he gasped. He lifted her head from his shoulder so he could look her in the eyes, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." She whispered, "Oh, yes, yes."
Bucky kissed her and shifted both their positions to take off his underwear and so Diana could remove hers. They sat before one another completely naked and exposed.
Her eyes travelled from Bucky's chest, which had a light dusting of dark hair, down to his erect penis. Her face warmed, and she licked her lips before forcing her eyes to return to his face. He was staring at her in a similar fashion, desire etched in his features.
He reached for her; she took his hand and leaned back in the grass, making him follow her. He lowered himself over her and kissed her. She felt the pressure of his tip on her vagina and spread her legs as wide as she could get them. She felt his hips lift and then thrust forward.
She let out a squeak of pain as he broke through her hymen, and Bucky paused. He broke the kiss and stared worriedly at her, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… Just…" Diana panted a little as she adjusted to him, "I'm fine. It's fine. We're fine." She lifted her head and kissed him.
He started to move within her, and she brought her knees up so he could get even closer. He plunged the entire length of his penis into her, and she threw her head back, arching. Her fingers dug into the ground as her core muscles tightened. She panted and felt his hot breath on her neck.
He lowered his head and kissed her pulse point, sucking on the skin a little. She let out a sigh as he grunted with his next thrust. His hand turned her head, and he attacked her lips, nibbling on her lower one before plunging his tongue into her mouth. She pressed forward, entangling her tongue with his.
She let out a moan into his mouth, and his pace quickened. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, her fingernails digging into his back. She pulled him as close as she could get him, and the pressure against her sent electric pleasure through her body.
Then her entire body tensed with a cascade of pleasure. Stars danced behind her eyelids, and she felt light-headed for a moment. Then her muscles relaxed; a sigh escaped her lips. He thrust faster for a few more moments before he too tensed on a thrust and released. He lowered himself on top of her as all of his muscles relaxed for the second time. He languidly kissed her neck from the base up to her jawline before raising himself up and unsheathing himself.
Lowering his head, Bucky kissed Diana long and slow, "Te iubesc." He murmured and kissed her again.
She didn't know what that phrase meant. She hadn't learned it yet, but she could guess and repeated the phrase, "Te iubesc." Someday those words would be said in English someday.
His smile was gentle but dazzling, and he kissed her a few more times in quick succession before he moved to one side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Bucky buried his face in her hair and simply held her.
Both fell asleep in bliss.
*FMttM*
When they returned, Steve was in a panic that his two best friends had disappeared. Tony had returned from one of his excursions and watched as the Captain lectured the both of them about leaving without letting anyone know where they were going. The billionaire looked ready to burst out laughing, but he was holding it in well.
"You have to tell someone where you're going!" Steve repeated for the tenth time, "You can't just disappear like that!"
Instead of looking sheepish or ashamed, Bucky looked amused, "Yes, Captain, but I did." Then he turned to Diana, smirking, "I told Diana."
The blonde man gaped at his best friend, "Wh- That's not what I meant!"
Tony couldn't help but guffaw, "Oh come on, Capsicle. You saw how smiley and glowy they were when they came back. I'd put all my money on their alone time being some…" Stark's smile became wicked, "fondue-ing."
"Fon-" Steve's ears turned red and his eyes darted among his friends. He swallowed and squared his shoulders, "I don't wanna know." Then he turned and walked away.
The billionaire whistled, "Well, he's got a stick up his ass. Maybe he needs to find some fondue-ing himself." He looked to Bucky and Diana, "Am I right?"
"Steve's never been good with women." Bucky replied, "Every date he ever went on was one I'd set up. And Peggy… they were close, but I don't think it got past more than looks of longing."
"A kiss." Diana put in, "Right before he crashed himself into the arctic."
"And that was seventy years ago!" Tony said.
"Four years ago for him." Diana said, "You never forget your first anything."
"I don't remember my first kiss."
"I bet it was because you were drunk, Stark." Bucky snarked back.
The billionaire grinned, "You know, the more you get your memories and old personality back, the more I like you."
The Wolf rolled his eyes, "Thanks."
"Now, I hope I don't have to give you guys the Talk." Tony teased with a wagging finger.
Bucky and Diana both flushed and said, "No," in near unison.
The genius engineer looked fake relieved, "Oh thank god. Then we're all good."
But it was not all good. With Tony mentioning "the Talk" Diana's brain had frozen on the fact that she had just had unprotected sex. She absently crossed her arms over her stomach and tried to look impassive as Tony continued.
"Well, then, maybe you'd like to hear the news from outside this illustious Tower." They nodded and Stark continued, "We're officially dismissed from post-op duties at the end of the day. All refugees are accounted for by the SRF and are being relocated to family or to their homes in the residential areas of Novigrad that weren't destroyed."
"Thanks for the update, Stark." Bucky said, "I think I have to go explain some things to Steve."
"You do that," Tony gave a nod. "Although I need to speak with Diana." The Wolf paused to glance at her and Stark rolled his eyes, "I'll send her along in a minute. Shoo."
Bucky kissed her temple, "Come find me before you go," and left through the door.
"Well, now that your boyfriend is gone we can discuss why you went ghostly pale after I mentioned the Talk," Stark moved toward the table in the room. "Sit down before you fall over, kid."
She did just that, although her arms remained crossed over her stomach, which was already feeling a bit upset by her train of thought.
Tony sat across from her, "You know, I've had my fair share of rendezvous that ended with a woman in my bed, and I didn't always do things right. Now, I already know that you and Barnes went to your special spot in the north woods - yes, I know about that place, so don't look so surprised. I also know that you probably didn't take what you needed, and your medical records never indicated that you were on any kind of birth control, and Barnes probably doesn't know what a condom is... So, I can only assume that your inner panic attack came about because you had no protection. Am I right?"
"Yeah." Diana said in a faint voice.
"Well, you're in luck." He stood and walked over to a bag on a chair not far away, "I brought this when I caught the Quinjet's last flight back here. I saw the look Barnes gave you during the battle when you went all out - which was scary awesome, by the way. I knew that you guys would do the horizontal mambo sooner or later." He took out a small box, "So, I took the liberty of getting this for you." He tossed it at her.
Diana stared at the box, "A… morning after pill?"
"Yup!" Stark looked proud of himself, "Clint owes me a hundred bucks too. He said you guys wouldn't bump uglies until after we got release from out SHIELD duties."
"Thanks… I-" She opened the packaging surrounding the pill, "I was really dumb not to think of this."
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly the most shining example of protected sex, now am I?" Tony gave a sideways smile, "I got birth control pills for you on order too. You'll have to break the news to Barnes that you'll have to wait a month to do it again. Or, since Clint snuck some condoms in Barnes's room at the mansion, maybe not a month if you're a risk-taker."
"You're such a dad, Tony," She popped the pill in her mouth and swallowed without needing any water. Not the best way to take it, but better sooner than later.
The genius billionaire scrunched up his face, "Now I feel old."
"Buck, Steve, and I are in our late twenties, physically and/or mentally speaking. Out of the three of us, Bucky's probably the oldest, especially mentally speaking."
"Speaking of, you should get along to lover-boy before he comes back a-searching." Tony flapped his hand to shoo her out the door, "And remember, this stays between us."
"Thanks again, Tony. You're the best."
"I know I am."
*FMttM*
A day later, the Avengers said goodbye to Thor as he took the Bifrost back to Asgard to confront Loki. After dealing with the god of mischeif, the thunder god had decided to find the Infinity Stone locations first and warn their protectors as long as the Earth-bound Avengers promised to find Odin as soon as possible.
Diana took Wanda to Kamar Taj. Bucky decided to tag along as he wanted to have Master Hamir check his mental shields to make sure the HYDRA codes were still locked away.
The three of them crossed into Kamar Taj where Master Karl Mordo greeted them, "Miss Larson and Sergeant Barnes, welcome back to Kamar Taj." The dark-skinned man examined the newcomer, "And who is this?"
"This is Wanda Maximoff," Diana introduced the girl. "Do you know where the Ancient One is? I'd like to talk to her as soon as possible."
"I don't know where she is," Mordo said, "but I suspect she is at the training grounds. Follow me." They started walking, "Another newcomer, a man from the United States, came here for healing." The mystic arts master looked to Wanda, "What has brought you to Kamar Taj, young lady?"
The Scarlet Witch hesitated, glancing at the woman beside her before replying, "I came here to learn to control my powers."
"You already have access to magic?" He asked, surprised.
"It's not really magic. Not like you have, anyway." Her fingers ignited in red wisps, "It is a part of me and not something you can learn."
"Fascinating. I am sure that the Ancient One will be able to help you," Mordo said with conviction.
They passed the gardens and Bucky took Diana's hand and kissed it, "I'll find you after I talk with Master Hamir."
"Okay." Diana nodded and paused to watch the Wolf make his way into the gardens.
Mordo sent her a melancholy smile, "Ah to be young and in love again."
The sorceress blushed and ducked her head as they continued toward the training grounds.
Novice sorcerers were practicing hand to hand combat with Kaecilius looking after them, shouting orders to change stances. Diana spotted the Ancient One on the opposite side of the grounds watching the trainees. The Ancient One saw Diana and gave her a warm smile before heading in their direction.
"Diana Larson, it is very good to see you," the Ancient One said when she arrived. Her piercing gaze turned to Wanda, "I see you have brought company."
"This is Wanda Maximoff." Diana introduced the girl, "She recently came into some powers similar to the magic we use, and I was hoping that someone at Kamar Taj might be able to help her."
The Ancient One looked thoughtful as she stared at the Scarlet Witch, "Hmmm… You are very red, my dear. One might say that your aura is scarlet."
The girl lifted her hand and swirls of red curled about her fingers, "It's the color of my magic."
"That would make sense," the Ancient One reached out a hand and Wanda jerked back. Her magic vanished. "It's alright, my dear," the older woman assured the girl, "I am certain that your magic will do no harm to me unless you will it so."
Wanda nodded and lifted her hand again to show her magic. The Ancient One's fingers sifted through the translucent crimson flames, and she gave a nod. The girl stared at the woman, "What is it?"
"Your magic is fascinating."
"I only received my powers a year ago."
"Hmmm… I have seen a magic similar to this before."
"She gained her powers from the Mind Stone," Diana said.
"Did she now?" The Ancient One's gaze flicked to the blonde before returning to Wanda, "We shall see."
"You know how to help me with my powers?" Wanda asked hopefully.
"Perhaps. I will have to do some research, but I have a perfect mentor for you," the Ancient One turned to one of her attendants, "Retrieve Master Minoru if you please."
The attendant bowed and hurried away.
"Who is Master Minoru?" Wanda asked.
"Walk with me, ladies," the Ancient One said. "We will meet Master Minoru when she arrives in the Portal Room. Tina Minoru is the Master of the Hong Kong Sanctum."
"Sanctum?"
The Ancient One smiled, "You have a lot to learn, my dear." They passed by the gardens just as Bucky was exiting looking relaxed, almost serene, "Sergeant Barnes, you are looking well."
"Thank you," Bucky bowed a little. "Speaking with Master Hamir always helps."
"I am glad." The Ancient One said, "We are going to the Portal Room to meet with Miss Maximoff's new mentor should you want to join us."
"Of course." The Wolf went to Diana's side and the group continued their walk.
When they got to the Portal Room, it didn't take long for the Japanese Master of the Mystic Arts to step through.
"Master Minoru, welcome back to Kamar Taj," the Ancient One addressed her.
"Your attendant implied that your request was quite urgent."
"I would like you to meet Miss Wanda Maximoff."
"Hello," Master Minoru bowed her head.
"And of course you remember Miss Diana Larson and Sergeant James Barnes."
"Of course. It is good to see you again."
"Master Minoru, I would like you to mentor Miss Maximoff in discovering the extent of her intrinsic magic. With your specialties in ki manipulation, I knew you would be the best mentor for her."
The Japanese woman looked at Wanda and the Master's eyes glowed. After a moment, Master Minoru blinked, the glow disappearing, "You, Miss Maximoff, are on fire, but your ki is erratic and uncontrolled, almost chaotic. I can help you with smoothing that out to help you gain better control over your gifts."
"Thank you, Master Minoru," Wanda said. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"We shall have to train in Hong Kong. I cannot leave my Sanctum unattended."
The Scarlet Witch glanced at Diana and Bucky, "What about my brother?"
"He can either run to see you, or he can go through a portal," Diana replied.
"We have never been apart for very long." Wanda said, "I think I would miss him too much if I didn't get to see him."
"We'll tell him where you are," Bucky assured the girl.
"Thank you, both of you for helping me. I know neither of you like me very much because of what I did, but I really appreciate this."
"Come, gakusei." Master Minoru motioned to the portal that was still connected to the Hong Kong Sanctum, "We have much to do."
The Scarlet Witch gave one last nod of thanks to her fellow Avengers before following her new mentor through the portal.