Chapter 6
Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, Romania
The plane from Wakanda had landed an hour ago. Despite the importance of the cargo, it was not large, only four containers, each holding a separate rock. Wakanda sold Vibranium to it’s trade partners for $10,000 a gram. Romania was a preferred trade partner in a European trading coalition that was quickly standing out and making the rest of the world jealous, especially the superpowers. Within this coalition, Sokovia, Romania, Sweden, Germany and Denmark received a discounted rate. In Sokovia’s case, they traded directly with Sokovia for rare minerals, turning both countries into economic and technological powerhouses.
Romania was blending small amounts of vibranium with other metal alloys to develop shields for tanks and other weapons. Germany was doing the same but also like Sweden and Denmark, using it to develop new treatments for diseases.
Wakanda’s massive amount of vibranium and Sokovia’s massive amount of rare minerals had made them and their trading partners powerful. The superpowers of the world were becoming less super and the power in Europe was giving way to parity.
Because of Sokovia’s disdain if not outright hatred of the United States and the Russian Government’s support of the Red Room for decades going back to pre-Soviet era, the countries refused to sell any rare minerals including vibranium to them. China was buying vibranium at the massive price of $10,000 a gram but they could only afford enough for scientific research.
For the first time in the modern era the world’s superpowers were falling behind in the technological race.
Russia needed vibranium. Even if Wakanda would sell to them, they couldn’t afford it with the state of the economy.
In the past year six shipments had been hijacked on the ground, and once the trucks left the airport, a team of professional mercenaries took the vibranium and left no witnesses. The countries were always different, they never followed a pattern and were in and out. Russian soldiers, the best of Russia’s best, stealing for their country. They always knew where the shipments would be thanks to a program the Russians called Ultron, likely named after Tony Stark’s creation that nearly destroyed the world.
This was the largest shipment ever made. The four containers had enough vibranium to complete the work on six more cyborgs and create three more superpowered Russian heroes according to Ultron. Despite the small size, only four, glowing tubes a foot long, the armored truck used to transport them was very large.
Two operatives in unremarkable cars followed the truck at a distance. The drivers were always armed and there were always multiple people in the back of the armored truck. There was also a rear police unit that followed the truck.
Once the truck and the trailing car entered a dimly lit stretch of road, an RPG struck the police car turning it into a ball of flames. A man in front of the moving man fired an EMP disk into the underside of the vehicle, shorting out all controls and killing the engines. Dozens of mercenaries descended on the armored van, rifles at the ready. The back doors were blown open and tear gas shot inside the cargo area. Others descended on the drivers, opening the door and preparing to kill them quickly.
“There is no one in the back.” One of the Russian mercs said.
“No drivers or guards in front.” One at the head called out.
The team leader became very nervous. “Check the vibranium!”
A soldier wearing a gas mask and holding a monitor jumped in the back.
“Granite rock!”
A set up. He looked around for Romanian authorities, expecting to see red and blue lights and sirens. Nothing.
That meant…
One of the men in front screamed and disappeared, a black figure emerging from the darkness and took him into the night.
He didn’t hear the shots, but he saw three of his men go down. That meant silencers. Police didn’t use silencers.
“Red Widows!”
His warning came too late. Dozens of Red Widows emerged from the darkness, mowing down his men except for one black figure who was obviously taking prisoners. The dark figure was slowly becoming clearer.
It was the Black Panther, the king of Wakanda.
He didn’t call for help and shouldn’t have to. They were supposed to be watching. That was their job, to only step in if necessary. Right now, felt very necessary.
“Hands up or join your friends who are becoming very cold right now.” Yelena told him. “You are one of the fortunate who have questions to answer. Be grateful.”
Then the sky lit up. Yelena, T’Challa and the widows looked up at the glowing sky, prepared for a drone attack or some other strange occurrence. The man who had been waiting for help laughed and Yelena shot him in the head, ending any relief he felt at the newcomers arrival.
When they landed and the glow was less pronounced, Yelena recognized them immediately. She had never seen either dressed like this but remembered their faces and names from the Russian press conference.
Laynia Petrovna and Nikolia Krylenko.
The female was dressed in a tight black suit and a star figure was glowing on her chest. Her hands were also glowing.
The male was also dressed in black and was surrounded by a barely visible field that occasionally flashed around him. It was obviously a force field of some sort. Yelena had read the reports and knew these were the ones codenamed Darkstar and Vanguard and they were very powerful.
“We will be taking that vibranium. There is no need for violence. I have no desire to kill any Red Widows, but I will if necessary.” The female said in heavily accented English.
T’Challa dropped his mask.
“You are in Romania, in a NATO country and attempting to steal vibranium. Police are on their way. You are also being recorded by our satellites. Do you truly wish to start a world war? Right now, we are not releasing this footage to the world. Leave or we fight, you die, and the world will know Russia’s superheroes have attacked a NATO country while committing robbery.”
Yelena shook her head. “You do not truly think the Russian Government can get away with this. I know all about you, Darkstar. We have fought a war against creatures far stronger than you. We will not hesitate to fight another. Do not make us kill you.”
The two looked at each other uncertainly. They had been ordered to make sure things went smoothly. They had not expected this, and Nikolia realized this was an obvious set up and there was no vibranium in the armored truck. He doubted there had been a driver in the police car that had been blown up. They were both shocked that Yelena Belova knew their code names, meaning she likely knew their powers. If that was the case, she would not be making idle threats about killing them.
Hundreds of police officers had descended on the scene and were surrounding them now.
Then the news vans arrived.
“This can no longer be hidden. Do not make this worse. Surrender.” T’Challa said. “The world is now watching you.”
“We need the vibranium to finish the cyborgs.” Laynia whispered to her brother, beginning to panic. She could feel the cameras on her. Her brother stepped near her, covering his sister in his shield. Unlike the Widows who appeared calm and collected, the Bucharest police appeared eager to shoot.
“There is no vibranium. This is a set up.” He told his sister.
A red light appeared in thin air and the Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier stepped out, followed by over thirty more Red Widows, with guns aimed at them, no doubt filled with ammunition said to be infused with vibranium and magic.
“They are going to attack us.” Laynia told her brother her fear rising at the appearance of the Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier. Russian Intelligence did not believe Maximoff was as strong as she once was but being in her presence, Laynia knew that was a lie. She had always considered herself powerful, perhaps able to take on Carol Danvers since their powers were similar. This was different.
This was the damn Scarlet Witch, dressed in the eerie costume she fought Thanos in with red glowing eyes.
“Whatever powers you think you have, they aren’t enough. This was my night off. I am not happy to be here. Surrender before you find out just how unhappy I am.” Wanda told them.
Laynia panicked, grabbed her brother and closed her eyes.
They were gone in a brief flash of light.
Yelena looked to Wanda.
“Did you disintegrate them?” she asked.
Wanda rolled her eyes. “You know their powers. One has an energy shield, the other can channel some sort of energy that looked like Carol Danvers cosmic energy powers. It appears she can teleport more easily than the reports led us to believe. Neither are very smart. Look around. They just put Russia in the world’s crosshairs as if it weren’t already.”
The news crews were begging the Widows for an interview, but a police line had circled the heroes to keep the press away.
“I told the Romanians it would be an easy take down. No explosions, just a lot of bodies.” Yelena admitted. “Oops.”
Wanda shrugged. “Let’s go home. T’Challa, want to stop by the Mansion?”
The man nodded, needing a moment to take this in. There had been no real fight. Just him and the widows taking down mercenaries. Yet the appearance of the two Russian enhanced had caused chaos. Not a blow was thrown in the standoff, but he knew this was the moment that a fuse that had just been lit.
Red Widow Mansion Dr. Imi’s office, the next day
Wanda sat across from Imi waiting for the report as she did almost every day since Imi had come into all their lives. The first part of her day always involved her and Bucky, at least one of them, sitting with the twins in therapy, then the girls having alone sessions and Imi discussing the sessions with Wanda or Bucky or both. Today Bucky was building a greenhouse with the twins for Nela to begin learning to grow her own flowers.
“The last twenty-four hours have been interesting.” Imi started. “It is a good thing Sokovia and Wakanda aren’t in the United Nations any longer or you would be stuck in session all day and night.”
Wanda shrugged. “Not me. I am not a representative of my country.”
Imi smirked, knowing Wanda Maximoff was the symbol of Sokovia and the most important person in the country. Nadeja had mentioned Wanda was on the phone with her president friend all morning and looked like she had a headache.
“According to the news, Russia is saying the hijackers were rogue mercenaries from an independent group and they sent two of their so-called super soldiers to stop them. The prisoners are giving up Russia, Romania is furious, as well as Germany. Sweden and Denmark just requested Silver Sable contingents to shore up their borders. By the end of the day all four countries might be gone from the United Nations.” Imi told her.
“Yes, that is what Nikoli tells me. He is very happy about this. Russia did something stupid. They showed the world they are willing to use enhanced across the borders the same as the United States has done. Not very heroic.”
Imi grinned. “You girls go across borders every day.”
“We don’t claim to be heroes.” Wanda countered. “Enough international politics talk.”
Imi nodded. “Great. Before we stop though let me say how proud I was to see you all on the news.”
Wanda nodded. “It was a great body count. Many bodies on ground, we showed what happens to those who cross Red Widows. I was proud as well.”
Imi stared at her for a moment. “I meant the restraint you showed. T’Challa didn’t need to calm anyone down. The girls were confronted by unknown enhanced threatening them and they showed restraint. You showed restraint. You could have killed them in a second and been well within your rights considering the Romanians gave the Widows permission to protect the fake shipment. Why didn’t you?”
Wanda thought for a moment. “There was no need to kill them. They were in a bind. They were scared. They thought they could just intimidate others by flying in. They didn’t see me and T’Challa was moving too quickly to see in the dark. By the time they reached the ground and realized how many widows were there, Yelena was there personally, T’Challa… they panicked. They couldn’t back down, but they weren’t sure if they could win. If they did win a fight the world would find out they killed the king of Wakanda. We didn’t need to kill them. We just needed to make them flinch first.”
“And you are tired of killing.” Imi added.
Wanda slowly nodded. “I am very tired of killing. I wanted to hold my girls, brush their hair, feed my baby, give her a bath… I didn’t want to do that with hands that had killed less than an hour before.”
Wanda was silent for a moment.
“They were siblings. They weren’t twins but the report we downloaded from Dran said they were siblings. He was protecting her when the police came. They… they volunteered for experimentation… I don’t know why but… they must have had their reasons. We all have our reasons. Now another set of siblings is possibly being manipulated by Ultron. There was absolutely no way I was killing either of them.”
“I can’t believe you are still only twenty-one. You have grown so much since I met you.” Imi said.
“I’m twenty-one but I have lived a few different lives in my head. The night Yelena and I met Kate Bishop for the first time, we had gone dancing. Before those men tried to kidnap Kate, me and Yelena had been dancing. We had been dancing for over an hour, taking five minutes breaks for shots and going back to dancing.
“Then we rescued Kate, met Oksana, tracked down the Red Room… but that night, that hour before I met Kate Bishop, it was the last time I felt young. The last time I felt like a teenage girl who could forget everything and just let loose. It feels like decades ago. You know I still have dreams about the war.”
Imi was taken back. Wanda had not spoken of her dreams in a very long time.
“Thanos?”
“Hitler.” Wanda said. “Bucky’s memories and mine are so intertwined…it is nice, but it is the same as living two lives in a way. It bonded us, made our love stronger but it isn’t always easy to live with. I don’t just remember Pietro dying. I don’t just remember my parents dying or my sisters on Titan. I remember many people dying. I remember Jimmy dying.”
Imi had never heard of Jimmy.
“He was a kid from Mobile Alabama. James Thorne, but Bucky called him little Jimmy. He was eighteen and scared. So scared of dying. Bucky tried to keep him close but in the second engagement on the Italian Front Jimmy left with his unit to flank the enemy. The kid…I mean Jimmy did his job. He got hit by shrapnel, took most of his face off. Bucky found him after the battle. Only knew it was him by a birth mark on his arm and his dog tags.”
Imi watched her closely, aware that at times, Wanda would fall back on another’s memories as if she lived them. Even now her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and her voice took on a vernacular similar to Bucky when speaking of his memories in her head. Her Sokovian accent would lessen and at times she sounded as if she were from Brooklyn. It was a fascinating part of the mystery of Wanda Maximoff.
Wanda laughed and wiped her eyes. “Okay… let’s talk about my girls. How did the sessions go?”
Imi noted Wanda’s accent was back. It had become thicker as of late due to her speaking her native language much more. She had been working with the twins in the Sokovian language and Bucky was learning as well. She spent much time on the phone with the President of Sokovia and the country’s top spy chief, speaking her native language.
“We talked about their future dreams. Nela wants to be a florist. She already has several spots in Sokovia where she could open a flower shop but she may want to use a cart and sell from the street. Nadeja…”
“Yes?” Wanda asked, pleased that Nela had such a wholesome love.
“Nadeja wants to be a Red Widow or a Motocross rider. I would suggest letting Bucky teach her to ride a dirt bike. It’s safer than being a Red Widow.”
Wanda shook her head. “She will learn neither! I will not have her breaking her neck on some damn bike, nor will she ever … I tell her all the time, she is not to fight! She never has to fight! I fight for her and she can be happy!”
“She doesn’t want to fight, she wants to be a hero like her mother and father and all the men and women in her life. She sees being a Red Widow as being a hero and she is right. What did you expect? You surround her with good, strong women who are brave, who are heroes and expect her not to want to be them?”
Wanda leaned back and closed her eyes. Then she sat up and focused on Imi.
“You are the psychiatrist. You talk her into something else. You know she would never be ready for something like that. Why did you say nothing to her?”
Imi waited. Wanda knew that was not how this worked.
“Motocross.” Wanda decided. “I see. I shall see if Shuri can make a vibranium suit that will protect her neck and absorb the impact when she falls. If I am near I can catch her when she is tossed into the air because she hits a hole too fast. So long as she does not ride without me next to her that will be fine.”
Imi laughed.
“Give it time. Tanya wants to be a nurse. Claudia wants to be an artist. Sierra loves to read. Billie is determined she will either be a brain surgeon or a hot air ballon pilot. They are getting their own interests. Nadeja’s just align more with more intense action. She has always been the most intense of children. That brings up another issue I wished to discuss today.”
“Nadeja? We have been discussing Nadeja.”
“I meant their own interests. I think it is time that their sessions become between the two of us. Nadeja and me and Nela and me.”
“You are already doing that.”
“And I will continue. What won’t continue is us discussing their sessions together.”
Wanda tilted her head and Imi hoped it was because she was confused.
“If we do not talk how will I know what happened?”
Imi took a deep breath and smiled brightly, hoping she wouldn’t take this too badly. “Wanda, you understand how therapy works. What you say in your sessions is never spoken about to anyone. Complete confidentiality. This is standard procedure. In cases where children are involved, of course parents are going to be involved in group settings like we do when we meet for our family sessions. However, as the twins grow, I need them to open up about things they may not want you knowing about.”
“What would they not want me to know about?” Wanda asked defensively. “They tell me everything. They are my angels.”
“They are about to be teenage girls. There are a lot of things, complicated emotions… jealousy, anger, things they would never say to me because they don’t want you knowing.”
Wanda scoffed. “My girls have no secrets from me. They do not want secrets from me. Have you asked them about this?”
“No.” Imi admitted. “I wanted to talk to you about it first. Wanda, do you know if they are jealous of Becca?”
Wanda tensed. It had been one of her worst fears while pregnant, but the girls had always been supportive and excited. They still were. They adored Becca.
“Has one of them said anything?” she asked quietly.
“No, and they never will if they think I am reporting their every word back to you. I don’t believe they are jealous now but what about as they grow? What if there are other things they want to keep to themselves as they grow? They should see therapy as a safe place where they can say the things they don’t say to anyone else.”
“Like what?”
“Like maybe how angry Nadeja was when she found out Agatha died saving you because you had died first.”
Wanda frowned. “You never told me she was angry.”
“Because she asked me not to. She didn’t want to hurt your feelings. We spoke and she came to peace with it. That is how our relationship has to work. I gave her my word and she talked to me about it. Do you see what this is important?”
Wanda hated it. She hated not knowing her girls were alright or what they were thinking. Yet they had changed for the better. They no longer clung to her and followed her everywhere. They ran around the mansion and outdoors with their friends, they played sports or picked flowers or watched cartoons and played with toys on their own. Nela had stopped sucking her thumb and wetting the bed at times.
They were becoming their own wonderful little people. They still flinched at loud noises and Wanda had to be very careful about what they watched on television. Any hint of violence in a show could give them nightmares for weeks. Nadeja was still easily scared, and she hid it behind anger but it was getting better. There had been the issue with Denise when Nadeja tried to bite her and kick her toy poodle Mitsy after Mitsy chased Fanny and Storm, but Bucky had resolved the situation while Wanda recovered from birth.
“Okay. Whatever you say. I’ve always trusted you with my girls, Imi. You will tell me if they are in danger.”
“Of course. Do you still want to have our session tonight? I think we have some things to talk about, don’t you?”
Wanda hesitated. Of course Imi knew about Ultron. “Yes. Perhaps want isn’t the right word. I need to have a session.”
Central Park New York
Kate Bishop walked Central Park, holding Yelena’s hand. It was something they often did, a way for Kate to face her fears. They didn’t talk about the trauma Kate had faced here. They simply enjoyed the area, held hands, visited the Zoo often and learned to love the area that had been such a joyful part of Kate’s life, as well as the site of their first date in New York. They never walked near the area where Kate had been left for dead. There was no need. Just being here, facing her fear was enough.
“Mom is going to tell Wanda about Jack this weekend.”
Yelena laughed. “You should warn her she is walking into a trap. She still doesn’t know you told the widows or that Wanda knows?”
Kate shook her head. “No, we will just act like operation Swordsman didn’t happen. I’m just not sure if Wanda will act surprised. I told Mom that I told you and I’m hoping if Mom finds out Wanda already knows then maybe she will assume you told her.”
“Wanda is not happy. Has your mother not noticed Wanda hasn’t talked to her in days?”
Kate shrugged. “I told her Wanda had been exhausted with the babies and this Ultron business and Stannic and Nat living on a magically hidden farm which sounds ridiculous every time I say that. Do you think this is a good day to be in New York? The United Nations building could blow up from the arguments inside, you were all on television in a standoff with two glowing Russian supervillains and I can’t believe you didn’t bring me along by the way…”
“You were having dinner with your Mom and her new boyfriend. You were making nice. Considering we ran a honeytrap operation on the man you probably owed them a nice time. From this point on Kate, you can only be involved in covert missions. If there is a chance we can be seen by the public you will either mask up in a widow suit or stay out of it. Your college already knows too much about you. I’m sure the admissions counselor would have loved to seen you on CNN standing with the bad girls of Europe who were surrounded by dead mercs. By the way you know we have been followed for past thirty minutes?”
“Thirty five minutes. We picked her up two blocks from my building. She has stayed a block behind us changing sides of the street and now is circling us in the park. Light leather jacket too warm for this weather so she is carrying. Hair under cap, trying to look like a local, hunching a little to appear less noticeable, probably five ten. The Russians are playing damage control but the U.S. Government is always my biggest stalker. SHIELD or FBI?”
“Very good, my love.” Yelena told her proudly. “Shall we say hello or ignore her and enjoy our day?”
Kate shrugged. “She isn’t FBI. FBI work with partners. SHIELD agents often work alone. She is a SHIELD agent but she isn’t watching us to observe. She is waiting for a chance to get us alone. No one in SHIELD is dumb enough to attack the two of us together so she must want to talk. Judging by her height, hair color, and her wanting a conversation I am thinking we should say hello to Agent Mockingbird.”
Yelena sighed. “Oh how I love you more every day. Let’s say hello.”
Kate and Yelena abruptly turned and began walking towards Bobbi Morse. Seeing she had been made, Morse shrugged and waited for them to approach.
“How long did I last until you picked me up?” Bobbi asked.
Yelena chuckled. “We picked you up as soon as you left the building. Sharon Carter has no better success either. No worries. We know you aren’t observing us on SHIELD’s account. At least I hope they won’t send someone of your importance to spy on us. You want to talk, so talk.”
Bobbi grinned sheepishly. “I had hoped you two would sit down and I could make an impressive entrance catching you by surprise. I suppose I never had a chance.”
“Be grateful. Catching a Red Widow by surprise is not a good thing. Do you want a hot dog?” Yelena asked. “There is great vendor nearby.”
Bobbi shook her head. “I just wanted to ask a question.”
Kate and Yelena waited.
“Why didn’t any of you kill the siblings last night? Not one Red Widow fired. Not Wanda, not Bucky, no one took a shot. You could have given the order anytime. Why didn’t you?”
Yelena shrugged. “You want all the reasons?”
“Just the main ones. I want to know how you think.”
Yelena nodded. “We weren’t prepared for them. The hijackers we had prepared for. We knew their patterns, how they attacked, what they would do. We led them into a mostly deserted part of the city that police had cleared beforehand. We had locks on them and when they acted, we were able to kill immediately. No chance of collateral damage. T’Challa took the prisoners we needed for questioning, we took out the rest. When they showed up the situation was no longer under control. We didn’t control the scene. That meant innocents could be harmed.
“We had read the reports on their powers but had no idea how strong or weak they were. We could have started a fight that spilled over into populated parts of the city. She uses some sort of light constructs as weapons. If she missed who knew where they would have ended up. Maybe halfway across the city through a building. Maybe they start a fire in a crowded club or an apartment building where people get trapped in the fire.”
Bobbi nodded. “Wanda?”
“What about her?” Kate asked.
“Wanda could have killed them in seconds. They wouldn’t have had a chance to fight back.”
Yelena nodded. “Yes, she could have, but she didn’t have to. You want a reason? That’s the reason. We didn’t kill them because we didn’t have to. We don’t take chances with innocent lives. They could be innocent, just following orders. We don’t know and it was not the time to have a discussion with them. If they had engaged, we would have fought. They made the right decision.”
Bobbi had heard what she wanted to hear.
“You still want me? I resigned from SHIELD this morning. I’m job hunting.”
Yelena nodded. “Welcome. Work with Sharon. She said you could stay with her while you learn the tricks of our work. She has plenty of room as you know.”
“A million five.” Bobbi said with a grin.
“A million.”
“Million four.” Bobbi counted.
“A million two and a million five if you can find me people who are not innocent and in desperate need of killing sooner than later.”
“Done.”
The two shook hands and Bobbi Morse walked away. She called Sharon and she was not surprised to find Sharon already had a Sable jet at LaGuardia waiting for her.
Widow Mansion, two nights later
Wanda woke to the sound of whining. Becca wasn’t crying but she was awake. She had become so accustomed to her daughter’s breathing that she even through the monitor she could tell Becca’s eyes were open. Wanda slid off the bed, leaving Nadeja cuddling closer to Nela who was pressed into Bucky.
She walked through the bathroom into the next room where the twins seldom used bunk beds were and Becca’s bed.
The night before she had a nightmare about her daughters. Luckily, she could tell the difference between nightmares and visions, but it still shook her. She looked down on Becca who was indeed up, but not crying. Instead, she was looking at the mobile above her bed.
“Hello, my little miracle.” She whispered in Sokovian. Wanda reached down and picked her tiny daughter up in her arms, singing lullabies her mother had sung to her when she was younger.
She sat down and took her daughter in. She was still amazed this little bundle had survived inside her despite what Thanos had done to her. Becca was incredibly strong. It was a trait shared by the Maximoff Barnes girls. Nadeja and Nela had been through hell, but still loved each other and others with a passion. Nela was obsessed with everything on Earth that was beautiful. She loved beauty and happiness. She was the personification of it. Nadeja was a protector. She always had been. Despite going through hell she always puts a loved one’s safety above her own. That made Wanda both terrified and proud.
Her thoughts drifted to Eleanor.
Eleanor would be visiting tonight. She had told Wanda she had something to discuss with her. Wanda said nothing. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say. The idea that she had not been told hurt. Eleanor had always insisted on acting like Wanda’s mother even when Wanda strongly told her not to. Eleanor had made it her mission to find out about her and Bucky’s relationship and commenting on it often as if it were her business. She had been part of the problem that nearly caused the Red Widows to implode but Wanda ignored that and mostly blamed Romanoff.
Eleanor acted like Wanda’s mother and Wanda liked it. She claimed to hate it but truly didn’t. If she did, she would have never let the twins call her grandma. She thought Eleanor considered her a daughter.
Yet not only had she kept a big part of her life secret from Wanda, but she had also told Kate and left Wanda in the dark.
She was angry.
Yet when she held her girls and looked at her husband holding her girls it was hard to stay angry. Anger was something that drove her most of her short adult life. Ultron still existed and she wanted to be furious, she wanted to feel the need for revenge but it wasn’t there. She was frightened of the machine, because she didn’t want to lose any family, especially her girls to that damn computer program. In the past Wanda would have invaded Russia to find the server and disintegrate it, but that was the past. It was time to move on.
Nadeja wanted to be a hero. That thought would not leave her mind. How did she tell her daughter she didn’t want her to be a hero.
She couldn’t. She could only hope in the future that she would be safe, impart knowledge and hope for the best.
Wanda sighed and kissed Becca’s forehead. The infant had gone back to sleep and Wanda laid her back in her bed.
All a mother could do was hope for the best.
An hour later she woke up Bucky, told him she would be back and woke Yelena.
Then she made a call to Phil Coulson and asked for Carol Danvers’s number.
Washington D.C.
Wanda and Yelena approached the house of Maria Rambeau. Carol Danvers was waiting on them along with Maria.
“Is she asleep?” Wanda asked.
Maria nodded. “Yes. She has to take pills every night to sleep. She still has nightmares but for the most part she rests well.”
Wanda sighed. “Can you tell me why?”
“You know why. You saw it in her head…my head. We couldn’t stop you physically, so we needed…”
Wanda raised her hand to stop her. “I mean why did you let her follow in your footsteps. Why did you let her become involved in this life at all? Why send her to find information about someone like me?”
Maria and Carol walked inside and Yelena and Wanda followed. She poured herself a drink and offered the girls one.
“We don’t drink.” Yelena told her.
Maria was surprised but did her best to hide it. The woman took a seat and offered the girls the couch.
“I couldn’t stop her from following in my footsteps. She was never going to be happy in a career unless it involved action. I thought if I had her in my department, at least I could keep an eye on her. She begged me for the assignment. She had even studied the language in college, convinced Sokovia would be a hot spot for international clashes between NATO and the East. I suppose it was. I thought it would be safe. I wasn’t asking her to fight you. She was to ask questions and report back. I told myself it was no different than any journalist who asked questions about you and wrote a report.”
Yelena snorted. “You were trying to develop a psychological profile on her to determine the best way to manipulate her.”
Maria nodded. “Yes. I could say it was my job and it was but it was also wrong. I came to see that.”
The room was silent as the four women seemed lost in thought.
“I had a nightmare the other night.” Wanda told her. “Sometimes I have visions in my sleep. Sometimes I see the future or possible futures and other times I can see across the universe. Sometimes I dream of my childhood or other happy memories. Two nights ago I had a terrifying nightmare. I saw my daughters, all three of them.”
Wanda paused.
“My children had grown. My precious twins were wearing Red Widow suits and my youngest was dressed in a blood red gown with a red cape and a red crown on her head. They stood together, my baby’s hands and eyes glowing red and my little angels with guns in their hands. I was standing in front of them. I begged them to stop, to put the guns down, for Becca to just stop, but they didn’t. They ran towards me and passed me like I wasn’t there. I turned to see them go into battle. I couldn’t see what or against whom…
“I woke up screaming. I scared my twins and my husband. I do not usually scream. That was a relief. When I see a vision of a possible future I am never scared. It is only when I have nightmares that are simply bad dreams that I scream. My mind wasn’t showing me the future. It was manifesting my worst fears like I have done to others so many times.”
Yelena laid a hand on Wanda’s shoulder as she started to shiver at the memory.
“One of my twins wants to be a botanist. She loves flowers. The other’s biggest dream right now is to learn to ride a dirt bike so she can race motocross. She has Uncle Pietro whispering in her ear sometimes, I think. My little Becca works hard every day to be able to turn over by herself. She will be there soon.
“My worst fear is my children becoming me and my sisters.”
Yelena nodded. “Yet they grow around us, they grow surrounded by strong men and women and see us as heroes. I never wanted Kate in this life, but I could not control her. Neither could her mother.”
Wanda stood. “The failures of mothers, the bad decisions we make should not cause our children to suffer. I have done much in my life. Some I am proud of, some I regret. Some things I did because of grief. Some I did out of anger. Anger has driven me for years. Sending her to investigate me was not her fault. She thought she was making a difference and she wanted to make you proud. I should not have frightened her as I did, ripped into her head, but I was angry. What is done is done, but I can help her if you will allow it.”
Maria looked toward Carol who nodded.
“How?”
“Her panic attacks, her nightmares, they all stem from her encounter with me. I will remove that memory. She will know that she was in Sokovia and then she was with you. She will remember nothing between those two moments. I often say that the sufferings we go through make us who we are. It is why I do not remove horrible memories from loved ones as much as I wish I could. If I did though, it would change who they are.
“In this case I do not believe it will. You can tell her what happened. She will not forget her panic attacks in the past, but she will no longer feel the crippling anxiety. I can heal the emotional wound I left behind. The choice is yours.”
Maria nodded. “Please.”
Wanda stood and followed the two women into Monica’s bedroom. The girl was sleeping but tossing and turning, mumbling unintelligibly.
Wanda placed her glowing red hand on Monica’s cheek. Monica’s eyes glowed behind her lids and her restlessness stopped. Her eyes remained closed and she actually smiled.
Wanda walked away with Yelena following. When she entered the living room she waved a hand, opening a doorway.
“Why? Why did you do this?” Maria asked.
“Motherhood has made her soft.” Yelena answered for her.
Wanda met Maria’s eyes. “I hope that children do not have to pay for their mother’s mistakes. I hope my children never have to pay for mine and I don’t want Monica to pay for yours. Some things I have done in my life I cannot fix no matter how much I wish I could. This is something I may be able to fix a bit. Goodbye Maria. I’m sure this isn’t the last time we cross paths. Next time, I hope we aren’t enemies. We all have enough of those, don’t we?”
The two walked into the thin red light and were gone.
Back in the mansion, Wanda went to her bedroom. Bucky was inside with the twins having woken early when Wanda left. Becca was on her back on a blanket on the floor and they were trying to get her to smile.
Yelena picked the little bundle of girls up. “Come with me Wonder Twins. We take Becca to see little Erik.”
Bucky stood and watched Yelena walk off with his three daughters.
“Okay, I was just having a moment with my girls…”
“Are you sure?”
Bucky looked at her questioningly.
“Are you sure you want me to try to fix your arm?”
“Yes.” he answered immediately. “How do we do it? Do we need to go to Wakanda, or should I just take this thing off here?”
“Take it off.”
Bucky began the complicated set of actions to disconnect his arm. Then it dropped to the floor with a thud.
Wanda pulled his shirt off.
“I love you.” She told him then kissed him.
While she kissed him, she placed her hand on his left shoulder and her magic covered his body. Bucky stiffened and gasped but Wanda continued kissing him.
The contact with the man she loved was becoming more intense as her magic flooded his body. She recognized it similar to healing Tanya’s brain damage, or purging the poison from Aino, even pulling the mind control drug from Yelena’s body and repairing the Widows bodies from chemical sterilization. She was intimately acquainted with every part of Bucky’s mind but she connected to him physically in the same way she healed others, only much more intensely. This time she wasn’t repairing. This was making life, not just flowers for Nela or changing dirt into rare minerals. This was pure creation.
When she pulled back from Bucky, his eyes opened.
“Wow. That was a great start. What is next…” Bucky stopped speaking when he realized he had two arms around Wanda.
He lifted up his new arm and flexed his hand. The muscles, the skin texture, even the tanning matched his right arm perfectly.
“Next we see if it is as strong as your right arm.”
Bucky fell to his knees and cried, wrapping both arms around Wanda’s waist and pulling her tightly to him. She held his head while he let his emotions out.
“Thank you.” He told her again and again. Wanda knelt on the ground and wrapped her arms around him.
“You have given me more than I have ever given you.” She told him. “Let’s go get your arm checked out by Oksana. We need her to do all kinds of medical stuff. If everything works and no surgery is needed, then I need to visit Natasha. It is time to give back what has been taken.”