Chapter 8
Yelena, Bucky, Kate, Oksana and Gabby rushed through the door Wanda created that led from Novi Grad into the Widow’s bunker. While Meg handled the kids including Becca upstairs, Yelena called for a report. She was proud to see every Widow in the Mansion was suited up.
“Update.” Yelena called out while swiftly changing in the middle of the bunker into her suit while Bucky, Kate and Gabby did the same, checking weapons and loading up with what Yelena called Hex ammo, bullets made from Vibranium, enchanted by the same spell Agatha first used in Germany.
Rachel pointed at the camera that showed a satellite feed of the battle.
“It looks like from what we can tell that the Raft was put in some self-destruct code maybe. We don’t have good imaging from it. Somehow Dr. Strange, Wanda and Carol Danvers appeared over the land surrounding the Avengers compound with a giant, crumbling prison being held together by Wanda. We have videos from Avengers compound now. SHIELD agents are trying to control prisoners who are escaping the Raft or I should probably say evacuating. Wanda and Stephen are fighting a guy with a star shaped hole in the middle of his torso and some sort of monsters for arms and legs. Carol Danvers is helping but Wanda and Stephen’s magic seem to be having the most affect. Still, he hasn’t been knocked down”.
Yelena shook her head. “I’m sorry… did you say… I’m not even surprised anymore. Okay, are we ready? Contact Wanda to open the door. Widows break into teams, and we go into Titan formations. Any SHIELD agents could take a shot at her right now, taking an opportunity to take her out.”
Rachel shrugged. “I can’t talk to her. She doesn’t have a com and she teleported and changed clothes.”
“She had a com in Novi Grad!”
Maria shrugged. “She moved thousands of miles over the ocean to hold an exploding prison together long enough for Stephen to portal it to Avenger’s Compound. We are picking up her com location from over the ocean. The only reason we know she is at Avenger’s Compound is because Sable keeps an eye on the place and called us asking what the hell is going on.”
Yelena crossed her arms and began pacing, watching Wanda trade blows with a man…possibly. She wasn’t sure what he was, but he could hang Wanda in a magical fight and that spelt trouble.
“We need to get to her side.” Ava complained. “We should fly.”
Yelena shook her head. “It would take hours. Has anyone called the Master of the Mystic Arts?”
“I talked to one of the assholes.” Ava grumbled. “They won’t get involved unless the Head of the Order calls for their help. Most of them would throw a party if Wanda was taken out, the bastards. Strange is blocking shots of dark magic from hitting Wanda while she is throwing chaos magic. This thing must be demonic. Look at those arms and legs. They have mouths. Must be demonic.”
“Mephisto.” several Widows said.
Rachel shook her head. “I thought he was busy saving his realm from the sink hole Wanda put in the middle of it. Besides this guy was in the Raft already and Ultron is the one who caused this.”
Yelena sighed. “Of course this thing can stand up to Wanda and Strange. If it is a demon or composed of demons… Wanda is a witch. Demons respond the worst to exorcists. Exorcists. Priests…other demons. The Book of Vishanti has spells that can keep him at bay but to truly kill it…”
Yelena saw every Widow staring at her.
“Who do you think helped her study magic while you were all complaining about being accidentally put in hexes from the set of Friends?” Yelena asked. “Ahh… Hex! Hex with… I’ll figure it out. Right now she needs light to fight the darkness and darkness to equal the darkness. I have our ride. Get ready ladies and Bucky. We have work to do. Titan formation. Treat SHIELD agents as possible hostiles but do not fire unless there is a direct threat. Keep tight, teams of ten, don’t fire unless fired upon. If an inmate attacks, drop him or her.”
Avenger’s Compound
Wanda, Strange and Carol Danvers threw simultaneous blasts of energy at Preston. His demons absorbed the power with no problems and threw back demonic energy which was easily blocked by Stephen and Wanda.
Stephen had stepped in front of Wanda again and guarded her.
“I can block demonic magic, Stephen.” She complained.
“As your physician I can tell you it is not a good idea to breastfeed after being struck with demonic magic. We have four demons to get rid of. Any ideas?”
“The last portal to a demonic realm was opened by Mephisto inside Electra. It allowed me to attack from outside the dimension but opening up a portal into the dimension these are from… it smells like Mephisto but I’ve only met two demons. I’m not sure how different the magic feels.”
Stephan threw another spell at the man, having no effect. Wanda teleported behind him and blasted him in the back of the head from point blank range, sending him flying. He rolled and returned to his feet raising his monstrous arm. Before he could fire at her a giant axe cut the arm off.
Thor was by her side.
“Can you take them one by one if I cut them off?” he asked her.
Wanda wrapped the demonic limb in chaos magic and tied to cleanse it. She had no luck.
“I can keep it held. Were you there when he was first imprisoned?”
Thor nodded and threw a bolt of lightning at the monster. Then he was shot.
Wanda turned and saw a prisoner had taken a weapon from a SHIELD agent and fired.
“You alright?”
Thor brushed the spot off where he had been hit. “A bee sting. The man who fired is a rogue Asgardian who murdered one of our own. He should have known better. So, this monster?”
“Take him. We got this.” Wanda told him.
Wanda teleported back to Stephen and Carol’s side. All over the land between the Raft and the Avenger’s Compound, fights were breaking out as the Raft crumbled. SHIELD agents and Avengers were fighting prisoners, many of whom had superpowers. Not all the prisoners were fighting for freedom. Some were just trying to avoid the fire and not be shot or crushed in the collapsing prison. On the other side of the Raft many were fleeing into the forest.
“Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to bring the Raft here.” Wanda said, taking the demonic energy in a shield of her own making and turning it back on Preston.
Carol disagreed. “This is what we are paid to do. Those guys who we helped capture them, one of them was an exorcist.”
Stephen wasn’t surprised. “That makes sense. He must have been a very powerful priest. That would be the easiest way to take him down. Wanda, we need that cage he was kept in.”
Wanda teleported into the Raft and held up the ceiling above her. She followed the path of destruction Preston had made on his way out, feeling the demonic energy traces until she came before a cell with a thick steel door on the ground. The walls inside the cell were covered in Latin words and religious symbols. She pulled them together and flow outside with the walls and the door, dropping them on the ground behind Preston and grabbing him with her telekinesis. He saw the doors and panicked. The arm Thor had severed was reattached to him. The arms grew large, and the legs detached, turning into hell hounds that attacked her.
Two large daggers of light struck the beasts, causing them to drop and scream.
Wanda saw Tandy Bowen behind her. Next to her was Tyrone. His form was mostly shadow, the black smoke rolling everywhere, darkening the area.
From the smoke ran over one hundred Red Widows onto the field of battle.
“Tandy, can you pierce the darkness and give me a ride into his head?” Wanda asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you sure? Can you protect yourself from the darkness?”
Tyrone stepped up beside her. “We can.”
The two held hands and a column of blackness grabbed Preston then Tandy sent a ball of light, causing him to scream as well as the demons attached to him.
Wanda entered Tandy’s head and stood by her in his mental landscape.
Ty was behind them, holding off a wall of darkness with his own. Tandy saw a man curled up on the floor of a white room.
“I wanted an arm. He told me I could have an arm if I did him a favor.”
Wanda stepped up to him.
“Who? Who was going to give you an arm?”
He looked up at her with tears in his eyes. “Mephisto. Mephisto took all my limbs and gave me those demons. He took my soul and divided it into five pieces. I have to do what he says if he is ever going to give my soul back. I have to find the pieces.”
Tandy stepped forward and touched his shoulder. They were surrounded by a vision showing his greatest hope. He was an actor on the red carpet, thousands of photos being taken of him.
“I remember this guy. I saw him in a movie once. It was a horrible movie.” Tandy commented.
“Tandy, take over.” Tyrone shouted. Tandy jumped in front of him and Tyrone flew towards the man, grabbing his head. Wanda closed her eyes and saw a car crash, Mephisto, limbs lost and replaced with demons, the portal in his chest, a gateway to Mephisto’s hell dimension, the demon bragging about taking his soul, ordering him to commit mass murder to draw out the Scarlet Witch. Being taken down by an exorcist and a man that had a flaming skull for a head.
“I remember when I was the weirdest magical thing on the planet.” Wanda grumbled.
“You still are.” Tyrone told her. “Seen enough?”
“Let’s get out of here.”
Tyrone, Tandy and Wanda were surrounding the man who had dropped to his knees. Tandy took a light dagger and prepared to cut his head off.
“It will do no good.” Wanda told her. “We need to rebuild this…”
Demons erupted from the now star shaped black hole in his midsection. They flew around, searching for hosts.
“This is getting out of hand.” Yelena said.
Wanda looked around and froze.
She saw the Widows surrounding her but not looking at her. They were only looking around her with guns drawn, watching the battle around them.
They were protecting her.
Wanda’s mind flashed back to Titan.
She felt Antonia die. She felt Antha… Widow after Widow dropping, crushed… protecting her.
Anastasia… she had been in the same spot Staci was now fighting in. She had been crushed while Wanda fought.
Wanda began breathing heavily and the world became fuzzy. The sounds of battle increased. She heard the Hulk roaring from somewhere, lightning striking the ground, filling the air with a tingle, guns firing… Osborn’s laugh. She heard Osborn out there. Somewhere Ross was hiding. Zemo was trying to escape. She knew it but could do nothing because once again the Widows were protecting her from being overran by an army while she fought a villain she should easily defeat…
“No…” she gasped, grasping at her chest.
Then she was struck.
Another blow struck her face, followed by another.
“Wake up!”
Yelena. Yelena’s voice. Yelena was slapping her.
“Get it together.” Yelena said close to her ear. “This isn’t Titan. Listen to me, you see the markings on that door on the ground and the words and markings on the walls?”
Wanda nodded.
“Copy and paste. Look at them, absorb them then place this area in your own hex. A new reality. Just like you did with Fisk. Do it now. Focus Wanda.”
“They shouldn’t be here…”
“This isn’t Titan. He is down, but there are demons flying around like dementors in a Harry Potter movie. Do it! Follow my instructions and we will get through this. Hex now!”
Wanda cried out and red magic burst from her body spreading out for miles.
The sky above the area was tinged in red. Lit up in red were runes as well as holy symbols and some exorcist’s equivalent of a spell.
Struck by the symbols, the demons cried out and rushed back into Preston. His limbs began screaming in pain and changed into what appeared to be normal limbs but were just demons that had lost a significant amount of power and would suffer unimaginable pain if they tried to use any.
Bucky rushed towards Preston and hit him in the jaw knocking him unconscious.
Wanda looked around the area. No guns were fired.
“Osborn. You have no power here.” She told him.
Osborn’s eyes widened then his shin bones cracked, sending him to the ground. The other inmates of the Raft were frozen in place seeing what she had done now that she was no longer focused on Preston.
Wanda looked at the remains of the cell and waved her hand, pulling them back together. Bucky lifted the man and placed him inside. Wanda lifted the cell and placed it back inside the Raft.
SHIELD agents began taking prisoners back into custody. Many did not resist. Those like Jessica Jones’ sister, even Thaddeus Ross waited to be taken back in. Others were forced to their knees and taken back into custody with the likes of the Hulk and Thor standing watch. The Widows had seen Jessica Drew battling with a man who had four mechanical arms attached to his body. Her power had been impressive.
Many were regular high profile prisoners. They recognized Cortez who was frightened when he saw them and was on his knees with his hands in the air.
“You okay?” Yelena asked her.
Wanda would have blushed from what had occurred but her face was already red from Yelena slapping her.
“Yeah.”
“I saw your face, you were about to pass out. I didn’t think about the formation… Titan was the only formation we had to protect you while you fought. I am sorry but I had no other choice”.
Wanda shook her head. “I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have had…”
“A panic attack? It just shows the Scarlet Witch is human. I normally would have talked to you gently but it was a bad time for you to lose your shit. We ran into a scene right out of a horror movie.”
Coulson walked up to the two.
“Wanda… thank you for the help… and saving the Raft… not sure what the hell is going on. Why Ultron wanted it gone but thank you. I just have to ask… of all the places you could have dumped it…”
“I told… asked her to put it here.” Danvers said walking up. “We needed all hands on deck to handle the prisoner evacuation or in this case those who were taking advantage of the chaos to escape. If Preston would have escaped… you saved a lot of lives, Wanda. All of you did. Good idea about doing whatever this is.”
“It wasn’t my…” Wanda started before Yelena cut in.
“It is called a Hex. She can make her own small pocket of reality and control everything in it. She can carve it with runes and spells around the borders if she ever needs to use it to capture a witch or sorcerer. I didn’t know she could use it as an exorcism box. Fast thinking, Wanda.”
Coulson nodded and looked to the red sky. “Are you okay, Wanda? You looked out of breath and was Yelena slapping you?”
“I took a strong blast.” Wanda said.
“Coulson, is this time for an after action report? Just thank her for saving our asses and a lot of prisoners and guards and let’s get this cleared up. I’m sure they have other places to be.” Carol pointed out.
Coulson smiled and thanked her then walked off to begin giving orders.
“If you have everything under control we need to go. Wanda why don’t you open a door for us. Stephen, could you come to the base, make sure everyone is alright?”
“Of course.”
Wanda brought down the hex and the skies became bright again. The repair to the Raft seemed stable for now. She slashed her hand through the air and a doorway opened up. She walked through with the Widows following her.
Inside the bunker the Widows began taking off their suits. Tandy and Tyrone, one of the few who had earned the right to know where Widow Compound was, had entered with the Widows. Stephen was also there and was watching Wanda very closely.
Wanda saw Meg and approached her.
“My babies?”
“Watching cartoons on the big monitor. I gave Becca a bottle and brought her crib to the bunker so we could all be together.”
Wanda nodded. “Thank you.” she whispered.
The room was silent watching Wanda, ensuring she was alright.
Then Wanda exploded.
“Never again! Never take that formation again! Never! There was no need to become involved! I had it under control! That thing was out of control and demonic!”
Ingrid stepped up. “We were watching your back. You put yourself in a situation where you were surrounded by possible hostiles who could have taken you out. I’m not just talking about the inmates either. That was the only formation we had to protect you while you fought the big bad.”
Wanda shook her head and practically growled. “I don’t want you to watch my back! Stay out of it next time!”
Ingrid stepped up to her inches from her face. “Where the Scarlet Witch goes, the Red Widows go. Where Wanda Maximoff goes, I go. We all go. Get over it and calm down.”
Wanda’s eyes widened. “Calm down? Calm down?!”
“Yes,” Ava responded, “calm down and don’t say they shouldn’t have died for you. They made that decision. We all did. We knew the costs on Titan and we still know the costs and we are still going to back you up. That’s never going to change, Wanda. If you didn’t want us there, then you shouldn’t have gone. We are your coven. We go where you go.”
Wanda looked at her in disbelief, then turned back to Ingrid who was inches from her face.
“Back off.” Wanda growled, not about to back away.
Ingrid stood her ground.
Wanda screamed. “All of you go home! Zarola, why aren’t you in Wakanda?! Michiko, why aren’t you with your grandmother?! Helena, why aren’t you with your older sister?! Staci and Aino, don’t even get me started! We saved you all so you could have lives, not so you could die following me! Don’t you get it?! People die around me! They always have! Anyone who goes into a fight with me eventually dies. Ingrid, you and Kristina were supposed to try living in London! Yelena, Kate… damn it! What is wrong with you people?! Do you all want to be in our graveyard? Go to the cemetery in Novi Grad and look at Pietro’s grave! That is what happened to people who follow me! You idiots! I was fighting a demon! More than one demon and none of you were equipped!”
Yelena pulled Ingrid back. “Wanda, calm down. It was okay. It took you, Strange, Tandy and Tyrone to take that man out. No one was protecting you from Osborn, or any other asshole that may have grabbed a gun in the confusion and wanted you dead. There was no one to protect you from any SHIELD agent or Avenger that decided you were too much of a threat.”
Wanda grinned and shook her head. “My life is worth more than theirs? It was more than Agatha’s?! It was more than every Widow who died, protecting me because I couldn’t kill Thanos fast enough?! Now this! Ultron! The monster who killed my brother and I am supposed to just bring you all to the fight?!”
“Yes.” Ingrid answered sharply. “That is what we do.”
Wanda snapped. “No! I deal with Ultron! He was my fault! It was all my fault and I have to deal with him. Everyone he kills is on me! I have enough damn blood on my hands! None of you… no, you are all going somewhere. If you have a home somewhere else then go and stay! Escape!”
“We aren’t going anywhere.” Lerato told her.
Wanda met her eyes and saw the loss of Antonia. Lerato’s eyes were understanding, supportive but Wanda remembered the devastation on her face as she held Antonia’s body on the battlefield.
She started breathing heavily. Her heart started racing… she was dizzy… the floor seemed to be vibrating.
She heard someone say sedate her, it sounded like Ava but she couldn’t be sure because of the sound like a wind tunnel. Everything sounded far away. Though her vision was blurring she saw Yelena with a syringe and screamed.
Wanda teleported to the edge of the valley and collapsed on the ground. The panic attack was unrelenting, and she would have been grateful if she were capable of passing out so she could escape the visions of those who had been killed, just because they knew her.
She woke not long after but didn’t open her eyes. She was in Bucky’s arms. He was carrying her. She felt the tingle of Stephen’s magic, telling her Bucky was taking her through a portal. Then she felt the cool air of the Mansion. She heard Nadeja’s sniffles. She could practically feel Nela’s tears. Becca was nearby crying.
Then she was in the bunker. She still wouldn’t open her eyes. Her head felt like it was splitting.
She was surrounded by life forces. Yelena was the closest. Ingrid and Ava… over one hundred life forces she was familiar with emitting concern.
She was lying on a cot and an IV was placed in her arm. Stephen… Oksana, Charlize was taking her blood pressure.
“Don’t.” Wanda mumbled.
She was ignored but she still did not open her eyes or resist.
“Relax.” Bucky told her. “I’ve got you. You had a panic attack and did some spontaneous teleporting. You are going to be okay.”
“No…” Wanda mumbled. “Pietro, I want Pietro… where is Yelena?”
“I’m here, Wanda. Hold my hand.”
Wanda felt sleepy, not knowing that Stephen had put a sedative in her IV. She passed out quickly.
She woke up hours later. Though she didn’t know it, it was the longest she had slept uninterrupted since she had Becca.
Imi was at her bedside. She saw the Widows standing outside the glass walls begin to disband as Wanda awoke.
“Where is Stephen?” Wanda asked, knowing he did something to her. “Yelena, Stephen, they cannot just sedate me when you all want to. I have children to take care of. Where are my children?”
Imi sighed. “With their father. As far as sedating you, if there is one person in the Universe that needs to be sedated when she is losing control of her emotions, it is you and you know it. Its why the girls carry sedatives for you. What happened? You have never had a panic attack before. What set it off? You had one in the field. You are lucky Yelena was there.”
“If Yelena hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have happened.” Wanda grumbled. “None of them should have been there. I probably shouldn’t have been there but I was and they followed. They always follow.”
Imi nodded. “Flashbacks?”
Wanda nodded.
Imi took her hand.
“That must have been horrible. Seeing them surrounding you like that again. It brought back memories that triggered the attack. They hadn’t done that since Titan have they?”
Wanda shook her head.
“Wanda, you told me once that Clint Barton told you Pietro shouldn’t have died for him and you told him not to dishonor his sacrifice by saying Pietro shouldn’t have done it. You can’t dishonor their choices.”
“Imi?”
“Yes?”
“Shut up. I’m not in the mood for a therapy session. I have daughters and a newborn to take care of and a husband that can barely dress himself, much less take care of our girls.”
Imi patted her hand. “Bucky is a great father. Anger, spitefulness, saying things you don’t mean to push people away. You are no good to any of them until you get this worked out. Yelena snapped you out of your panic attack on the ground. I should say she slapped you out of it. Not the best method but it was an intense situation. Eleanor hurt you and you ignored it then you exploded on her. You are worried about Becca possibly having the same power you do. Now Ultron is back or some version of him and he is screwing with you on a personal level. He’s playing mind games with you. Are you going to let him?”
Wanda slid out of bed. “I need to check on my girls. I probably owe some… a lot of apologies.”
“You need to work this out. Check on your girls then find me.”
Wanda shook her head but Imi would not hear it.
“How many universes have you told me that Wanda Maximoff is insane, that she has destroyed all life, that she has escaped or altered all reality?”
Wanda sighed. “A lot. If my dreams are real…then most.”
Imi nodded. “This Wanda Maximoff will not go insane on my watch. This Wanda Maximoff is strong no matter what life has thrown at her. She is going to take care of her girls, kiss her husband, apologize to sisters who gladly follow her into battle to protect her from others and herself then she is going to find me, and we are going to talk all night if we must. You got it?”
Wanda nodded. “Yes.”
SHIELD Avengers Compound
“We know what Ultron’s game was.” Maria Hill told the assembled Avengers and higher ranking SHIELD agents. She pulled up a satellite image on the monitor.
“A remote and classified island inhabited by a Japanese mining company for the past five years was attacked while we were dealing with the prison outside of our doors. The company has been working in conjunction with the United States under the table.”
“How do we know it was Ultron?” Coulson asked.
“Survivors report flying robots and drones. Men with superstrength on the ground. He has already developed cyborgs and he just got a brand new material. Adamantium. A versatile, indestructible metal with possible uses in medicine and technology when it’s in liquid form.” Maria told them. “Unlike vibranium, once this metal is melted it can never be remelted. To be used in other applications raw sources must be obtained. About two tons was lifted by an army of robots and flown away.”
Coulson groaned. “Flown in the direction of Russia?”
Hill shrugged. “I would put significant money on it. There were only a few people on Earth that could have answered a distress call from an island in the middle of the Pacific far from land, immediately arrived and had a chance at taking out an army of little Ultrons. He took Wanda out of play, betting she would save the Raft, knowing Carol would help and suspecting if Strange didn’t show up to help Wanda, he wasn’t going to bother with a little island in the Pacific.”
Joaquin Torres chuckled. “I give you credit, Bruce. When you and Stark make a murderbot you make them smart.”
The room went silent.
Banner finally looked back at the screen. “Can we talk about Maximoff? I heard what was going on. We all saw it. We have been worried about what to do about the Scarlet Witch but it’s pretty damn evident Belova is the one with the power. She didn’t just protect her, she told her what damn spells to use. Then Maximoff nearly had a panic attack… is no one worried about this? Yelena Belova is deadly with a blade. Now we know she has been using a nexus being…”
“Shut the hell up, Bruce.”
Bruce stopped speaking. The entire room did.
Scott Lang had spoken. Scott Lang had just told the Hulk to shut up.
“She saw the Widows surrounding her… you weren’t there. You weren’t on Titan. Yeah, you may know what it was like to get your ass kicked by Thanos and Thor, I’m sorry you lost your brother to him, I mean he was Loki so not really, but neither of you were there.”
Scott looked towards Coulson and Daisy.
“Daisy and I were on the front lines. I was the big guy. Only I couldn’t hold it and when I had to shrink, I thought I was dead. Daisy saved my ass over and over. I looked around, searching for Hope, searching… just looking. I nearly got ran over. Then this five foot tall girl in a Red Widow suit with a Wakandan spear jumped on top of the beast and shoved the spear into his head. It was loud and people were screaming and the biggest guy on that field was Thanos. You know who was in front of Thanos?”
The room remained quiet.
“It wasn’t the incredible Hulk or the God of Thunder. It was Wanda Maximoff, a skinny twenty year old orphan who was matching him blow for blow while girls she loved were dying around her, just so she could fight a battle she wasn’t sure she could win.
“I saw it when they came out today. Those girls took the same positions, moved the same way, circled her, ready to die for her while she fought another big bad none of us could handle.”
Scott paused and Hope took his hand.
“I nearly had a panic attack seeing them like that.” He continued. “I can imagine what she thought. It makes sense that Yelena would give her an idea. Yelena is like her twin sister. You think Yelena doesn’t know as much about magic as Wanda does? They don’t know how to fight together, know one another’s moves? They probably know each other better than me and Hope.”
Banner crossed his arms.
“I get where you are coming from but don’t fall under her spell. She can do some things that… she just takes…”
“Get over it!” Scott yelled, standing up. “I’ll let you in on a little secret we all know, Bruce. The Avengers never should have taken you on that mission much less left you in that jet alone. The Avengers came to fight and Ultron and Wanda beat them! You came along to a fight and you all got made fools of. Maybe take some personal responsibility. Then you come back and refuse to let her see what happened between your big green alter ego and Thanos, so she has to take it from you? You should have let her in your head but that’s the thing, isn’t it? The fate of the universe at stake and you didn’t want her in your head because she beat you and all the others in a fight you shouldn’t have been in.”
Scott began to walk away. Hope stood up and followed. He turned around one last time.
“You think you have the Hulk under control but if one of those demons possessed you, Carol and Thor would still be fighting you while you destroyed New York City. Get it together, man. People think I’m the funny guy who never takes things serious but right now, you are a joke.”
The room was stunned. Joaquin Torres stood up and walked out followed by Jessica Drew.
Bruce sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“I guess maybe I had that coming.” he muttered.
Carol waved it away. “It doesn’t matter if you think she is a threat or not. She saved lives. She could have let those guards, those prisoners like Trish Walker who wanted to keep themselves away from others, Thadeus Ross who killed her parents, she could have let them die.
“I’m not planning for her anymore. I’m not going to think of contingencies in case she goes crazy, or what to do if she attacks us. I’m going to do something I should have done before.”
Carol stood up and began to walk out.
“What are you going to do?” Coulson asked.
“Keep finding out what you can about this new metal. I’m going to apologize to Wanda Maximoff.”
Sokovian State Security Building, Novi Grad, Sokovia
Carol Danvers sat on the steps of the building that housed the Sokovian equivalent of SHIELD, the KGB, the FBI, the CIA and every other intelligence agency in the world. Sokovia had one, ran by a man named Nikolas Zenger who was close friends and some said a mentor to Wanda Maximoff. The Intelligence community believed he would be the next president of Sokovia and Bucky Barnes would take his place while Wanda prepared to lead Sokovia when he was done.
Carol had landed and asked the guards out front if one could get in touch with Wanda Maximoff. They told her to wait.
A few moments later, Wanda Maximoff walked out. She had her sleeping baby in her arms and her twins were by Bucky’s side wearing matching short sets and ice cream cones in their hands and ice cream on their faces.
In the heat of battle, she hadn’t noticed Bucky now had two arms made of flesh.
“The officers want to see your passport. Sokovia has very tight border control.” Wanda told her. “We have a long history of people showing up and taking what they want or at least trying to. What is wrong?”
“What makes you think something is wrong?”
Wanda smirked. “Why else would you be here? We aren’t best friends. We aren’t friends at all.”
Carol laughed. “No, I suppose we aren’t. Of course you wanted Tony Stark dead once.”
“Why does everyone think I still don’t? Even Tony thinks I don’t want to kill him. It is very annoying.”
“Can we take a walk?”
Wanda looked around and met the eyes of several people in the crowd that had gathered. Carol had made somewhat of an entrance and gathered attention but since Wanda stepped out the crowd had intensified. Carol knew Wanda was looking at agents dressed as civilians who were watching her. Carol glanced around and saw girls in the crowd who were watching her intently. Whatever signal Wanda gave them they all seemed to loosen up.
“If I walk the crowd will follow us. Come inside.”
Carol followed Wanda into the security building.
“I’m surprised you brought your baby. She is adorable.” Carol said.
The baby disappeared. It had been an illusion.
“Yes, she is but I would never bring her. My twins weren’t with Bucky either.”
Carol’s eyes widened. They had looked so real, and she could hear their footsteps.
“Children have a way of making other people think they have an edge. You see me with my baby, you think I am not threat.”
Carol shook her head. Wanda Maximoff was deadly. Not just her power but her mind.
“How many Red Widows were out in the crowd?”
Wanda chuckled. “Twenty, all with vibranium ammo magically altered to break the laws of physics and crack even the strongest metals, or skulls. Not to be rude but you dropping in from the sky seemed suspicious.”
Carol followed her into what she guessed was an interrogation room and had a seat at one end of the desk. Carol took a seat on the other.
“I’m going to have Coulson send a report to your… the Sokovian Security Service, Wakanda and Sable. We know what Ultron was after, why he forced us to deal with the Raft. It was a distraction…”
“He was after a metal the United States had been mining though a Japanese company, a possible competitor to Vibranium. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to handle and it always will be. Sable has been watching the operation for years. She keeps us apprised.”
Carol shook her head. They really had to stop underestimating the Widows classified intelligence. Not only were Widows very good spies they also had a network of intelligence assets all over the world.
Wanda stared at her for a moment. “You didn’t fly this way to tell me this.”
Carol took a breath.
“I owe you an apology. It won’t make me feel better and I know you won’t forget it. I just have to do it. I owe it to you. I should have been there. I let Fury talk me out of it and that was wrong. I was angry at what went down between you and Monica, but… I should have been there. Maybe if I had… there is no maybe. If I had been there, we could have defeated him quicker together. I could have saved lives. I could have saved Red Widow lives, Wakandans, brave soldiers from Symkaria, ninjas from so called Crime Rings, SHIELD agents… I could have saved lives. I should have been there.”
Wanda was quiet for a few moments. She didn’t look at Danvers, her face remained blank, emotionless. When she spoke it was soft and just above a whisper.
“I miss them. The ones I knew and loved the longest and the ones I barely got to know and love. I try to take good memories and focus on them. The one Christmas we all had together. The birthdays and the trips to Disney. I miss them and you are right, if you had been there, you probably could have saved them.”
They were both quiet.
“You also could have gotten us killed. You don’t know if you being there would have made a difference. That’s the thing about reality. The slightest change could affect so much and not always for the better. I sit up at night and think about all the things I could change if I could go back, but then I think of what else might have changed as a result. It’s a game I play over and over in my head until I pass out.
You don’t owe me an apology, Carol. What happened was meant to happen. I have difficulty accepting that but… I’m working on it.”
Carol sighed. “Everyone is so afraid of the Scarlet Witch. She has the power to destroy the Earth with a thought. Want to know a secret? I destroyed a planet. Hundreds of thousands of deaths were on me. A world died because of me. I was angry and thought I was doing what was right. I had been lied to and destroyed the creature that lied to me, never thinking about what could happen.
“That was another thought that ran through my mind. When Fury was telling me to stay out of it I could have told him to go to hell but so many doubts… I thought if I went, I could have made things worse. I’ve got a tendency to do that.”
Wanda stood up.
“Like I said, no need to apologize. What happened was meant to be, I guess. I’m tired of second guessing myself. I’m tired of so much. You want to make it up to me then take out Ultron. I don’t want my girls in danger from that monster. Any of my girls.”
Carol reached her hand across the table.
“Thanks for seeing me.”
Wanda shook her hand.
“See you around, Danvers."
Carol began to walk out.
“Danvers?”
“Yes?”
“Next time, bring your passport.”