Completely exhausted and emotionally spent, Freya ends up sleeping through the night and late into the next evening. Most of her rest is completely peaceful. But, in the remaining hours of her slumber, she tosses and turns restlessly when she begins to dream.
Freya sees Wanda standing before her in her Avengers uniform with some sort of barrier behind her. She has a clear expression of anger on her face. Freya can see a mysterious mass of green dots scattered across Wanda's chest over her heart. And she's holding an orb of her scarlet energy in her right hand. But, she's not focused on Freya.
"Wanda, please..." Freya softly begs. Wanda's eyes avert to her and her expression softens. "Please, just talk to me. Let me help you. Tell me what you want."
"I have what I want," Wanda quietly replies. She looks past Freya and an expression of pure hatred adorns her face. "And no one... will ever take it from me, again," she informs the person behind Freya venomously.
The dream seems to glitch. Wanda's expression becomes neutral and she freezes in place. The the orb in her hand extinguishes and she shifts her attention back to Freya again. Suddenly, all of the color drains from everything. Leaving the dream in only black and white. Wanda's eyes begin to glow, now the only color visible. She tilts her head at Freya. But it's not threatening. She looks... curious.
"Stay away, Freya," Wanda warns. Her eyes glow brighter before a wave of her scarlet energy rushes out toward Freya.
Freya sits up in bed with a gasp. She places a hand over her heart and takes a deep, calming breath to slow its beating.
"Doll?" Steve asks as he mentally reaches out to her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she sighs back. "Just a bad dream."
"...A bad dream or the other thing?" he asks hesitantly.
"I think the other thing..."
"I'll be right there."
Freya sighs and looks around at her and Steve's bedroom while she waits for him to come upstairs. Her eyes pause at the window. She notices no light seeping through the partially closed curtains. Grabbing her cellphone off the nightstand to check the time, her eyes widen when she sees how long she actually slept. She looks up when the bedroom door opens and finds Steve standing in the doorway.
"Why'd you let me sleep for so long?" Freya asks while she rubs the sleep out of her eyes.
"Because you needed it. You were absolutely exhausted, Frey," Steve tells her. He makes his way over to the bed and sits next to her. "How do you feel?"
"Better, actually," she nods after a moment and lets out a relieved sigh. "You're right, I did need that. Thank you, Spangles."
"Of course, Doll," he smiles. He leans down and presses a sweet kiss to her lips with a content hum. "I love you," he whispers against her lips. She presses a gentle peck to his lips in response.
"And I love you," she smiles up at him. He notices a small crease between her eyebrows and studies her. Gently brushing a strand of hair out of her face he tucks it behind her ear.
"What'd you see?" he asks softly.
Freya lets out a tired groan and flops back on the bed. Her face disappears when she pulls the covers over her head and lets out a muffled "ugh". Steve chuckles and kicks off his shoes before climbing under the covers next to her. When he pulls the covers away from her face, she turns on her side to face him. He reaches out and easily pulls her to him. She rests her forehead against his chest and sighs.
"I saw Wanda," Freya reveals.
"What was she doing?" Steve asks.
"I'm not sure. But she was so angry. It wasn't directed towards me, though," Freya states as she looks up at him.
"May I see?" Steve requests. Freya lets out a quiet "mhm" and projects the dream into his mind. His eyes gain a far away look as he watches it. When it ends, they widen and focus on Freya again. "Why'd it go black and white except for her eyes?"
"I have no idea," Freya chuckles humorlessly. "Speaking of her eyes, did you notice anything else about them?"
"Yeah... they looked different," he nods.
"Only her irises used to glow. But now, it's like this swirling, scarlet mass that doesn't only consume them, but it seems to originate from her pupils now," Freya assesses in confusion.
"I saw that, too," Steve sighs. "And what was behind her. Was it some sort of barrier?"
"I'm not sure. But, maybe that's what's dampening the energy I'm sensing," Freya thinks out loud. She glances at the south facing window and studies the energy signature. "It doesn't feel any different from yesterday. I can still feel her out there. The darkness, too." Her eyebrows furrow together and she looks up at Steve. "The dream started to feel different at the end, though. My connection to Wanda seemed to strengthen for a moment. When she told me to stay away... I think that was actually her."
"You really think that was her speaking to you?" Steve asks in surprise.
"Yeah," Freya nods. "Maybe she felt me trying to reach out and opened herself up to our connection for a moment. It still wasn't a normal dream though."
"The way Wanda was acting, I think there were other people with you," Steve tells her. "And those green dots on her... those were laser sights. A lot of them. Those had to have been soldiers."
"Then, that means someone or some organization is going after Wanda," Freya frowns. "It definitely wouldn't be S.H.I.E.L.D... so, S.W.O.R.D.?" she questions. He hums as he thinks for a moment before nodding.
"That makes sense," he agrees.
"I think it's time we track down Wanda and-"
Freya's interrupted when her cellphone starts to ring in her hand. Causing her and Steve to jump in surprise. Her face scrunches up in confusion when she sees the caller ID.
DR. MEW MEW
"Darcy?" Steve mumbles and sits up. Freya shrugs as she sits up, too. She answers the phone and puts it on speaker.
"Darcy, hey," Freya greets her. "I've got you on speaker. Steve's here, too."
"Hey, superhero besties! How've you been?" Darcy replies excitedly.
"Uh, good, I guess," Freya shrugs and looks at Steve.
"Hey, Darcy. We're doing well. How are you?" Steve replies politely.
"I'm great! I got dragged into something for S.W.O.R.D., though. Which is why I'm calling you, Frey," Darcy informs Freya, her tone now serious.
"S.W.O.R.D.?" Freya and Steve ask at the same time.
"Yep. These people are such dou-"
"Is Wanda involved?" Freya interrupts her in a clipped tone. She's silently praying for a "no", but her gut feeling is telling her otherwise.
"Uh, yeah... How'd you know?"
"Call it a hunch," Freya sighs defeatedly. "Hey, Darcy, hold on for a sec."
Darcy replies with a muffled noise that sounds like "okay". You can obviously tell she's eating something. Freya glances at Steve and nods toward the door. He instantly understands and climbs out of bed. Turning back to her, he takes her hand and gently helps her out of bed. They quickly make their way downstairs to the kitchen where Bucky and Sam are sharing a huge plate of nachos. Freya places her phone on the counter between everyone when she approaches. Finally realizing how hungry she is, she snatches a chip, scoops as much toppings as she can onto it and crams it into her mouth with a satisfied hum.
"Hey, nuh-uh! These are our nachos!" Sam scolds her.
"I'll share my half with you, Frey," Bucky rolls his eyes at Sam.
"Ow bow I eeah aah meheey aah I wun hoo?" Freya replies through the mouthful of food. She finally swallows it and grins at them. Steve and Bucky chuckle while Sam scoffs and playfully pulls the plate of food toward him protectively.
"Who else is there?" Darcy asks Freya excitedly. "Was that Sam?"
"Hey, Doc!" Sam greets her.
"Bucky's here, too," Freya adds. "So, what's goin' on, Darce?"
"So, basically, S.W.O.R.D. pulled me into whatever this is and I have no idea what's going on. But, Wanda is somehow involved. There's this giant anomaly around an entire town and no one is able to contact the citizens. If you can, you should get out here ASAP, Freya. I think you're the only one who might understand what's going on."
"An entire town?" Sam asks in shock.
"Yep. It's kinda awesome, yet terrifying at the same time. Director Hayward has a forward operating base set up just outside the anomaly."
"Tyler Hayward?" Steve asks.
"That would be him. Director of S.W.O.R.D."
"Acting Director," Freya corrects Darcy. Now scowling at the mention of the man. "That job shouldn't even be his."
"Agreed. But, unfortunately, I don't think there was anyone else that could take the job after Monica got blipped and Maria died."
"Yeah, I know," Freya sighs. "I've tried to reach out to her multiple times since she came back, but she's ghosting me."
"About that..." Darcy says slowly. "She has a really good reason if you've tried contacting her recently."
"Okay...?" Freya raises an eyebrow in confusion. "And what would that be?"
"She kinda got sucked into the anomaly and now she's missing..."
"WHAT?!" Freya screeches. The three men around her flinch and wince at the high-pitched volume of her voice.
"Damn, Frey," Sam chuckles. "You've got some lungs."
"No kidding," Bucky grumbles as he fiercely rubs his left ear to get the ringing to stop.
"Oh, stop whining," Freya rolls her eyes, causing Steve to let out a snort of amusement. She looks down at her phone and sighs. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"Uh, yeah. Tons. It'd be a lot easier to explain if you were here, though," Darcy admits. "We could really use your help. I pitched the idea of calling you to Hayward, but he instantly got all pissy and shot me down. So, I just called you anyway as soon as he left for HQ."
"That's my girl," Freya chuckles. Her smile slowly falls into a frown and she sighs. "I'll see you within the hour."
"Need me to text you the coordinates?"
"No," Freya declines with a frown. "I won't have any trouble finding it."
"See ya soon," Darcy acknowledges before hanging up.
Freya silently eats another mouthful of nachos before looking up at everyone. Steve, Sam and Bucky are all looking at her expectantly for orders. Taken aback, she blinks a few times when she realizes they're waiting for her to lead.
"You guys don't have to come with me," Freya tells them.
"We know," Bucky replies while Sam nods in agreement.
"Where you go, I go," Steve smiles. Freya sends him a loving smile before looking around at everyone. Her face falls when she thinks about what Darcy said.
"So, what's the plan, Merc?" Sam asks. Her heart swells with pride at the nickname.
"We find Monica, we figure out what's going on with the town and help the civilians, and we bring Wanda home," Freya nods before focusing on Bucky and Sam. "Go grab your duffels. Be on the quinjet in ten."
"Which duffel?" Bucky asks.
"The emergency one or the mission one?" Sam nods in agreement. Freya pauses and glances up at Steve. He looks down at her curiously as he waits for her answer.
"Both," she finally answers. "And suit up. We're either helping Wanda or..." She clears her throat and tucks her hair behind her ears. "Or we have to stop her if she's really the cause of everything."
"Understood," Sam nods as he frowns. Bucky's face is steely as he nods too. The two of them head upstairs to change and grab their bags.
"Doll..." Steve quietly calls out. Freya turns to look up at him and sees him looking down at her with a worried expression. "You know you can't put yourself in any danger, right?"
"I know," Freya nods. "It's not just me anymore. Don't worry, I'll be fine," she smiles up at him.
Once the four of them change into their Avengers uniforms and grab their duffels, they meet at the quinjet that Secretary Ross had generously donated to them. An obvious apology for how things played out over the years between himself and the Avengers. Specifically, Steve and Freya. Of course, Freya had gone over the entire jet from tip to tail for any tracking or listening devices. She'd been pleasantly surprised to find the quinjet completely free of any intrusive tech. Sam walks up next to Freya and drops his bags next to hers. The star that contains her nano-tech vibranium uniform sits on her chest. She's wearing black, insulated Under Armour pants with the matching long-sleeved shirt. Her long, naturally wavy, blonde hair hangs freely down her back. Sam watches her while she makes sure they have all the needed supplies for their mission.
"I caught a glimpse of the caller ID when Darcy was on the phone. She's listed as 'Dr. Mew Mew' in your contacts?" Sam chuckles.
"Yep," Freya grins. "She can't pronounce Mjölnir. So she calls it 'Mew Mew' instead."
"Oooh, I get it," Sam laughs. "What's Steve listed as?"
"Spangles. Duh," Freya snorts.
"Cmon, that one's a given, Sam," Steve laughs as he walks up to them.
"Of course, I should've known," Sam rolls his eyes. "What about me?"
"Pigeon," Freya smirks.
"Rude!" Sam gasps playfully. He gestures to Bucky, who walks up next to them and drops his bags. "What about Buck?"
"Uh," Freya hesitates as she starts to laugh a little. Bucky tilts his head curiously when he sees Steve trying to hold in his laughter too.
"What am I listed as?" Bucky presses.
"Wiener Soldier," Freya cringes as she tries not to laugh.
Steve has a clenched fist held to his mouth as he attempts to stay serious. But he's failing miserably. Sam bursts into hysterics and holds his stomach.
"Wiiiiiiiieeeeener Soldier!" Sam yells dramatically, making himself laugh harder.
Freya chokes back a laugh and looks up at Bucky apologetically. She's surprised to see the corners of his mouth start to twitch into a smile. She raises an eyebrow at him in amusement, causing him to finally crack.
"Wiener Soldier," Bucky repeats with a small grin.
"Wiiiiiiieeeeeeener Soldier!" Sam screeches. This causes Bucky to fall into genuine laughter. Freya's shoulders relax in relief at his reaction.
"I'm sorry, I really wasn't trying to be mean. Clint called you that one time and it kinda became an inside joke," Freya apologizes.
"No need to apologize," Bucky grins. "I honestly think it's hilarious. Plus, that's not me anymore," he shrugs.
"We're proud of you, Buck," Steve smiles. Bucky nods in thanks.
Silence settles over them, causing an air of unease to envelop the cabin of the quinjet. Freya sighs and walks over to the tech locker. She grabs one of the comms and places it in her left ear. Igniting her aura and eyes, which completely glow like they had the day before, she walks down the ramp of the jet into the late night air.
"I can feel where to go," she informs the others. She double taps the star on her chest and her uniform quickly envelops her. Looking over her shoulder, she smirks. "So, just follow me and try to keep up."