"Pietro...?"Freya whispers. Her eyes are still fixated on the "Please Stand By" message as she sits there, completely frozen.
"Freya?" Darcy asks cautiously when Freya continues to stare.
Freya ignores her and instead reaches her mind out to the barrier. Even with Wanda's new upgrade to it, Freya can still barely feel the minds of the people inside. She looks for one that resembles Pietro, but finds nothing.
"Doll?" Steve asks as he gently shakes her. Freya quickly blinks and brings herself back to the current situation.
"That's not Pietro," Freya states confidently.
"What if she ressurected him into a different body or something?" Darcy asks.
"No," Freya shakes her head. "I can't find a mind that matches his. That's not our Pietro. Plus, did you see the look on Wanda's face? She wasn't expecting him. I don't think she did that."
"What are you saying?" Steve asks.
"I'm saying, the presence I sense in there that I can't read, I think it's purposely blocking me," Freya elaborates. "And I think they're responsible for the Fake Pietro."
"Fietro," Darcy snorts, earning a scolding, yet somewhat amused glare from Freya. Darcy resorts to turning back to the TV and rewinding to check the part of the episode they missed while outside.
"So you really do think we're being third-partied?" Steve asks.
"At this point, yeah," Freya nods. "And I'm highly suspicious of that 'neighbor', Agnes."
"Hey, guys..." Darcy calls out uneasily. "Take a look at this."
Freya and Steve turn to the TV and watch the replay of Wanda and her sons finding Agnes with Sparky. The twins try to age up before Wanda is able to convince them otherwise. But they soon try to convince their mother to resurrect their dog. Wanda gives them a similar speech to the one that Freya gave her after Pietro died. Then, Vision soon walks up to them as he returns from work and consoles his sons when he realizes what happened. He leaves to bury the dog while Wanda puts the twins to bed. The episode moves to the kitchen where Wanda is cleaning up. Vision walks in from burying Sparky and goes to wash his hands.
"How are the boys?" Vision asks.
"A little heartbroken, but they'll be alright," Wanda nods.
"Well, it's not often you get a dog and bury it in the same day," Vision sighs.
"Well, life moves pretty fast out in the suburbs," Wanda tries to say nonchalantly. She picks up the basket of toys in front of her and carries it over to the cabinets nearby.
"I spoke with Norm," Vision says suddenly.
"Oh?" Wanda hums as she continues to clean up toys.
"I unearthed the man's suppressed personality," Vision admits. "And I spoke to him free of your oversight."
"Holy shit!" Darcy gasps.
"Ok, we're gonna have to go back and watch that later," Freya says with wide eyes.
Wanda looks absolutely shocked as she stares at her husband.
"He was in pain, Wanda," Vision frowns.
"Vision," Wanda chuckles. "Listen, can we just...-"
"What?" Vision interrupts. "Watch TV? Turn in for the night so that you can change everything over again? No, Wanda. You can't control me the way you do them."
"Can't I?" Wanda tilts her head.
"Oh, shit," Freya mumbles. " Vision, don't push her."
The credits suddenly begin to roll and Vision hangs his head in frustration.
"I'm going to bed," Wanda says as she begins to leave.
"No!" Vision protests. "We're not done here." Wanda turns around and sends him a polite smile. "What is the 'Maximoff Anomaly'?" he asks.
"The what?" Wanda asks cluelessly.
"I have to believe that this, whatever this is, was subconscious at first and that you only recently became aware of it," Vision tries to reason.
"Aware of what?" Wanda asks as she tries to leave again.
"That makes sense," Freya nods. "Wanda did seem confused in the earlier episodes."
"Yeah, you're right," Steve agrees.
The credits suddenly break and stop rolling when Vision chases after her.
"Norm has a family, Wanda!" Vision yells. When he passes through the door to the living room, he changes out of his human form to his original one. "He has a family, and he can't reach them because you won't let him reach them!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Wanda turns and yells back.
"Stop lying to me!" Vision screams. He's so angry he floats into the air above her. Wanda challenges him back as her energy ignites in her hands and she floats into the air to be level with him.
"This, all of this, is for us," Wanda says as she attempts to maintain control of her anger. "So let me handle it."
"What is outside of Westview?" Vision questions.
"You don't wanna know, I promise you," she answers.
"You don't get to make that choice for me, Wanda!" Vision points.
"You've never talked to me like this before," Wanda says in shock.
"Before what?" Vision asks before yelling again. "Before what?! I can't remember my life before Westview. I don't know who I am. I'm scared..." he admits. "And there's someone out there, Wanda. I feel like they're trying to speak to me, but I can't understand them. It's like they're someone I know, but I can't remember. Why can't I remember who I am?"
Freya gasps and covers her mouth. Vision's been feeling her attempts to mentally reach him. She suddenly tilts her head in thought.
"If she resurrected him, wouldn't he be able to remember. He's a machine, she can't take that from him. Unless she were someone like Shuri," Freya says. "So what if she never resurrected him? What if she created her own version?" she asks.
"Whoa..." Darcy gasps. "You really think she's powerful enough to do that?"
"Yeah," Freya nods. " I really do."
"So, would that make him real?" Steve asks.
"Technically, yes," Freya nods. "But the real question is, can he survive outside of the Hex? Can the twins?"
The three look at each other in silence, no one knowing the answer. They turn back to the TV and see that Wanda had been able to calm Vision down a bit as she tells him she doesn't know how any of it happened. Vision questions her honesty before the doorbell rings to reveal the Fake Pietro. Darcy pauses it there and frowns.
"So, Vision is definitely becoming aware," Darcy states.
"And he can sense my presence out here," Freya adds.
"You two were connected through the Mind Stone. So does that mean Wanda somehow recreated it?" Steve asks.
"Recreated what?" Monica asks as her and Jimmy approach. Darcy rewinds the footage and lets it play out again for them. When it's paused once more, Monica has her eyebrows furrowed in thought before looking over at Freya. "So what's your thoughts?"
Freya initiates a mental connection with all of them to privately converse.
"Darcy, replay the footage. Everyone pretend like you're watching the TV," Freya directs as Darcy follows the order. Once the footage begins, Freya continues. "I don't think Wanda resurrected him. I think she recreated him as her... vision of Vision I guess," Freya answers.
"So what about her stealing his body?" Jimmy asks.
"I don't think she did," Freya instantly responds. "The tapes never show her actually stealing the body. We just have to take Hayward's word for it. And I think he's a lying sack of shit."
"Amen," Darcy adds.
"Okay, so why would he lie?" Monica asks.
"A cover up," Steve frowns.
"I think he was trying to provoke Wanda into actually resurrecting Vision," Freya nods in agreement. "He was one hundred percent lying when he said he was trying to dismantle Vision. I believe he was looking into a way to weaponize him. It's the only thing that makes sense with a man like him."
"I really think you're right, Doll," Steve says as his frown deepens.
"That would mean he still has Vision's body," Darcy adds.
"We should keep this to ourselves for right now," Jimmy tells them.
"Play it close to the chest," Monica agrees.
Their mental conversation is interrupted when Hayward makes his way back inside behind two soldiers that are carrying the drone. Which is still pulsating with Wanda's aura. Freya frowns when she looks at it. A bad feeling settles in her stomach, but her attention is pulled back to Hayward as he walks by them.
"I wanna see a full work-up inside the hour," Hayward directs one of the soldiers.
"Yes, sir!" comes a muffled response.
"Hayward," Monica calls after him as he walks into the middle of the room. He ignores her, so she keeps pushing. "Hayward! You cut us off at the knees, sending in that missile."
"Now we know who we're dealing with," Hayward responds.
"You always knew who you were dealing with," Freya snaps. Hayward ignores her with a roll of his eyes.
"Hey, there he is," Darcy smiles. "The guy who almost got murdered by his own murder squad if it weren't for Freya."
"You work for me?" Hayward questions in annoyance.
"I actually don't know," Darcy says honestly.
"She's with me," Monica answers.
"I see. And which one of you is the sassy best friend?" Hayward smirks. Freya responds by stepping forward as her eyes glow angrily.
"There's no time for you to diminish your colleagues when you're about to start a war you can't win," Jimmy says.
"Maximoff was never gonna negotiate with us," Hayward snaps.
"I wonder why," Freya narrows her still glowing eyes. She's on the brink of losing her temper. She's so close to snapping on Hayward.
"Are you implying something, Rogers?" Hayward asks.
"I don't know, am I?" Freya responds through her clenched teeth.
"Look, if we take her out, the whole nightmare ends," Hayward tries to reason.
"We don't know that," Monica interjects. "We actually have no idea what will happen in there or out here if Wanda dies."
"So, what? We just surrender to... that?" Hayward asks as he gestures to the Hex. "Not happening."
Freya only needs one more push and she's going to snap. Steve can feel her anger, and at this point, he's not interfering with her again.
"We can't outgun her," Monica tries to reason. "And clearly antagonizing her is only making things worse. If Wanda is the problem, she has to be our solution."
"Captain Rambeau, you have become an impediment to this mission," Hayward says, making Monica roll her eyes. "Constantly advocating on behalf of super-powered individuals. Yes, I know your history with Carol Danvers and her daughter, your 'cousin', Freya," he smirks. "You know, you people who left still have the luxury of optimism. You have no idea what it was like. What it took to keep the lights on."
"Don't use the last five years as an excuse to be a coward," Monica scolds him.
"Maybe it's a good thing you weren't here when your mother died," Hayward smirks. "Because clearly you don't have the stomach for this job."
That's when it happens.
There's a sudden surge of blinding light. When it dims, it reveals Freya, her aura fully ignited, with her right hand around Hayward's throat as she lifts him into the air above her. There's an echo of guns cocking around the room as all of the agents point their weapons at her. Jimmy steps in front of Monica and Darcy. While Steve steps in front of him, reaches his hand out and opens it. It only takes a few moments for Mjölnir to come rocketing into the building and land in Steve's hand. He drops into a defensive stance and watches his wife. His eyes suddenly go wide and his heart drops.
Hayward had pulled his gun and has it pressed to Freya's stomach. Freya's glowing eyes glance down at the gun before looking up at Hayward, who smirks.
"You thought I didn't know," Hayward taunts in a strained voice as he attempts to breathe. Freya watches him, completely expressionless, before smirking.
"You really think you can pull that trigger faster than me?" Freya asks, her voice distorted. Hayward's smirk falls and she chuckles. "I dare you to try."
Like she's given him permission, a gunshot echoes in response around the room. Freya's left hand is suddenly in front of the gun muzzle. She pulls it away and produces a crumpled bullet. Her eyes do a double-take when she notices something about it. She quickly examines the bullet before tossing it to the ground and looking up at Hayward once more.
"As I was saying," she smirks.
"Your friends aren't as fast," Hayward responds.
"Neither are yours," Freya retorts.
Freya's eyes narrow and her head slightly tilts. All of the agents' eyes around the room suddenly begin to glow the same color as hers. They all methodically turn the safeties on on their weapons, eject the cartridge and clear the chamber before placing everything down on the nearest table. Freya releases Hayward, but he remains floating in the air as her aura engulfs him and keeps him in place. She snatches the gun from his hand and crushes it into pieces before tossing them to the floor. She releases her hold on him and he drops to the floor with a thump and lands on his back. Her hold on all of the other agents dissipates and they all stare at each other in shock.
"Get off my base," Hayward coughs out.
"Gladly," Freya smirks as she powers down her eyes and aura.
"Escort them out of here," Hayward orders his agents. But no one moves. "Now! All of them!" he yells. A few agents reload their guns before following Freya, Steve and the others outside.
"Hayward is way overstepping his provisional authority," Jimmy says as they walk.
"He was looking for a reason to sideline us," Monica tells him.
"He was also looking for a reason to get me angry," Freya frowns as the realization dawns on her. "I played right into his hands."
"It's okay, Doll," Steve consoles her. He hands her Mjölnir and she makes it disappear into thin air.
"Thanks for defending me though," Monica smiles.
"Always," Freya nods before sighing. "Well, we know Hayward's definitely up to something."
Freya glances around at the guards that are nervously escorting them. Steve sees this and nods when he catches her eye. She's about to elbow her guard in the stomach when Jimmy suddenly takes the initiative. He stops and punches his guard in the face. Everything dissolves into a mini brawl as Darcy squeaks in surprise. Freya hits her guard in the stomach with a right before throwing him over her shoulder and punching him in the face to knock him out. She's trying to hold back so she doesn't hurt anyone. These men and women working for S.W.O.R.D. are just following orders. Steve and Monica take care of their guards while Freya knocks the guard on Darcy into a Humvee with a telekinetic blast. Monica knees one of the guards in the face when he tries to get up and knocks him out. She had stolen her guard's gun in the process as well.
"Why didn't anyone tell me the plan?" Darcy hisses. Freya just shrugs at her before looking up at Steve.
"Oh, um, you know when Hayward tried to shoot me and I stopped the bullet?" she asks him.
"Uh, yeah," Steve says in confusion.
"It was armor piercing," Freya admits.
"Wait... you're..." Steve's eyes go wide and Freya nods.
"I think I'm actually bullet proof now."