Chapter 7
The sound of your office door slamming was enough to startle some of the other employees working. You were relatively good at keeping your cool, but your skin felt like it was on fire. Your fists keep clenching and unclenching, trying to find some outlet for the anger.
Pietro and Wanda watch carefully from outside your door as you try to subdue your anger. Wanda wants to go in and comfort you, but Pietro stops her.
“She doesn’t need you to go in there and coddle her,” he speaks to his sister.
“Well, I’m not planning to just watch her like this,” Wanda tries again, but Pietro’s grip on her becomes firmer.
“Wanda she’s not the same- “
Wanda cuts him off, “Y/n told me, that anything I want to know about her can come directly from her. So, if you want to stand out here and watch her suffer, that’s on you. However, I’m checking on our friend.”
Wanda softly raps on the door before entering your office. You don’t move, it’s like she’s not even there. Not until she’s kneeling on the floor next to you. Her hand rests gently on your knee.
“Talk to me little krolik,” it’s soft, merely a suggestion. Wanda is content with the silence, but she wanted to give you the option to talk.
“Wanda she’s not in the mood to-”
Pietro is cut off, by your eyes locking on his. The gaze is harsh enough to shut him up immediately. Even though tears are building behind your eyes, anger seems to be the primary emotion coursing through your body.
“I can’t believe he’s doing this,” you speak not looking at either sibling. “It’s reckless, it’s careless, it’s naïve. Why would he put himself in danger like this? Does he not know that we need him?”
“Papa is doing what he thinks is best to avoid war,” Pietro states, though he barely believes his own words.
“Or he’s giving Kingpin the opportunity to start it with a bang,” you counter.
Wanda takes a sharp breath, “All we can do is prepare for the worst.”
“Wanda, you don’t think that papa will be, okay?” There’s something in Pietro’s tone that sounds fragile. He sounds like a scared little boy. You had almost forgotten that he could sound that way.
“We all think he’s making a mistake. There will be consequences and fallout regardless of the outcome. Papa seems to think he’s preventing a war, but the true war has already started. Kingpin is flipping our associates, encroaching on our properties, and trying to make us a non-factor. The war is here. If he does anything stupid during this meeting, we could end up without a leader.”
“Vulnerable to attacks, we could lose everything,” you add, rubbing your temples.
“What are we going to do?”
Your hand absent-mindedly finds Wanda’s that rests on your knee. You play with her digits as you speak, “If anything happens to Dragos we can’t afford to fall back or lay low. Kingpin and everyone else will assume we are weak and that would be the end of us. We’d have to make a power play, something to show that we are and always will be on top.”
Wanda takes in your features as you speak. Your eyes are hard, and your jaws clenched. There’s a vein along your neck that’s pulsing with your words. As tense as you look, there’s something so calm around you. The hand that’s playing with Wanda’s fingers moves delicately across her knuckles, a complete contrast to the rest of your body language. Wanda thinks you look like a leader.
“We can make an example out of someone?” Pietro hypothesizes.
Wanda adds in her thoughts, “Or something.”
“The docks. We’re getting out shipments primarily through planes and trains, but everyone else uses the docks,” you begin to explain.
“If we target the docks, which means people would have no choice but to come through us for their goods,” Wanda finishes your thoughts.
Pietro is in disbelief, “You guys want to blow up the docks?”
“We could blow them up or we could just make them unable to be used,” Wanda offers a different option.
“Oil spill; stopped the ports for months in California a few years back. No materials could be sent through and the stuff at the docks had to be thrown out because of contamination,” you try to suggest, but it sounds like you made up your mind.
Wanda nods, “I could send Natasha some resources and she could make this concrete enough to put into motion.”
“She’d need to have this ready in potentially 2 to 3 days. If something happens at that meeting, we will need to have this ready quickly.” You begin typing on your computer, to see if you can locate any ships transporting oil passing through in the next few days.
“What can I do?” Pietro asks.
“You need to support Natasha. Wanda’s going to be sending her a lot of information and if you’re there to go over the nuisances it’ll make things easier for everyone.”
“I can head over now,” he says, and you give him a curt nod. He leaves the room once again leaving just you and Wanda.
Wanda breaks the silence, “You’re a natural leader, little krolik.”
You blush at her words and shake your head, “I’m just trying to make sure this empire that your family built doesn’t fall apart. It’s the least I could do after all that you’ve done for me.”
“Our family; you are a part of it,” Wanda corrects you.
“Flora and Dragos are the parents that mine couldn’t be. I know they’re your actual parents and that maybe it's selfish of me to worry, but if anything were to happen to either of them; I don’t know what I’d do,” your hands shoot up to cover your eyes.
You don’t want your tears to fall in front of her. Wanda had seen you cry a lot when you were younger, softer, but this version of yourself; she didn’t cry. She was supposed to be able to hold her emotions. However, the thought of losing the man that had given her everything in this world, was terrifying to her.
Wanda is gentle as she runs a hand through your hair, “It’s a scary thought, losing mama or papa. I’ve thought about it a lot, and it never becomes less scary. The only thing that helps is that I know I won’t have to feel this way on my own.”
“I hate that we have to talk about him like he’s already dead,” your hands stay over your eyes.
“Me too.”
Wanda’s hand in your hair is the only thing keeping you from breaking down. The speaker in your office breaks the building silence.
“Y/n, I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Maximoff has just left,” you hear Kate’s voice announce.
“Thanks for letting me know Katie,” you answer her, as you feel the gravity of the situation set in.
“Y/n… there’s a car in the parking garage with his destination programmed into the GPS,” Kate gives you the information and your ears perk up.
“Kate, did you-”
“Perks of setting up a meeting is knowing exactly where it is. If you go now, you can tail him at a respectable distance just to make sure he’s safe.”
You waste no time getting out of your seat, “God Katie, you’re the best.”
“Anything for you Y/nn and anything for the family of course.”
With Pietro already out of the office, it would be just Wanda and yourself tailing Dragos. When you got to the car Kate had ready for you, Wanda offers to drive. You let her and take the passenger seat quickly texting Pietro the location of the meeting but telling him to stay put unless you message him again.
Your leg bounces recklessly as Wanda drives. The nerves you worked hard to tame seem to be back in full force. The ride feels uncharacteristically quiet, but there isn’t much to say.
“So, you and Kate?” Wanda breaks the silence.
If you weren’t so stressed maybe you’d laugh, “You sound just like your wife. Kate is just my friend, that’s all.”
“I’m just curious. You’ve grown into quite the young women, I’m sure you’ve had a long line of lovers,” Wanda speaks nonchalantly.
You can feel your ears heat at her comment, “I’ve been on some dates, but they don’t usually stick around.”
Wanda’s eyebrows raise as she keeps eye focus on the road, “My little krolik is a player then?”
You sputter, “I am not.”
“It sounds to me like you go on few dates, get what you want, and move on to the next,” Wanda’s eyes cut briefly to you.
“You need to stop getting information about me from Pietro, he’s delusional,” you shake your head, face nearly red with embarrassment.
“Then enlighten me.”
You sigh, “I go on the date, it’s just fine, and then I go another date. It’s just that simple.”
“You sound rather unhappy with that.”
You shrug, “This line of work, it’s dangerous. Anything can happen to me, and I have to date someone that I think could handle that. If I don’t think they can, then dating them would be a waste of both of our time. Not all of us can find a hot Russian spy.”
Wanda’s hand rests on your knee, “I suppose not, but I know there’s someone out there for you. You’ve always been a catch Y/n, anyone would be lucky to have you.”
It was easier to run with the narrative that there were other fish in the sea when Wanda wasn’t around. Having her back here was stirring up emotions inside of you. You thought that your liking to Wanda was simply teenage hormones, but you aren’t a teenager anymore. It’s been two days of having Wanda back and you can feel your feelings for her returning in full force.
“Less on my love life, and more on protecting Dragos,” you refocus on the task at hand.
When you’re close to the location, you recognize it as an abandoned construction site. You can see two other cars parked side by side further ahead.
“Park there,” you point out a secluded area where the car won’t be spotted.
Wanda does as you say. As soon as the car stops, you’re exiting it. In your heart you want to run to search for Dragos, but professionally you know that’s not the call.
You and Wanda walk cautiously though the site, the sand around made the walking a more difficult than solid concrete.
You went to take a step, but Wanda’s hand on your shoulder pulls you down into a crouching position. Following her line of sight, you see Dragos and Kingpin talking. You can’t necessarily hear them, but you can tell it’s not a pleasant conversation.
You look around hoping to find a spot close enough to hear, but not close enough to draw attention to yourself. Before you can find anything, Wanda’s hand slips in yours and she’s tugging you along.
She finds a spot with the criteria you were looking for. You two can now hear the conversation between the two men.
“Wilson, I’m telling you, you don’t want this war,” Dragos tries to reason with the man.
“Why not, Maximoff? I ain’t got nothing to lose, but I’ve got everything to gain,” his laugh makes your hand twitch.
You could pull out your gun right now and shoot Fisk in the head. Your hand goes to grab your gun, but Wanda stops you. She’s not even looking at you. Her eyes are scanning around, to make sure you are the only other people here.
“Fisk, I will put you down if you step out of line again.”
“With what army old man? I’ve been taking your allies and gathering your enemies. Step down gracefully and maybe I’ll let you keep some of your business,” Fisk takes a step towards Dragos.
“You’re not taking the empire that I built.”
He sticks out his pinky, showing off his big ring, “It’s time to kiss the ring, Maximoff. It’s time for the kingpin to take his rightful spot at the head of the table.”
“Over my dead body,” Dragos doesn’t back down.
“I knew you would say something like that.”
It happens fast. The gun goes off and instinctively your hand goes over Wanda’s mouth. The cry that was leaving her lips died in it’s spot. Fisk aims his gun again at Dragos’s head but before he can pull the trigger, your other hand starts to shoot at him.
Your hands are shaking, but the shots are enough to cause Kingpin to run away.
“Call the police, go check on him. I’m chasing the bastard,” you don’t give her a chance to protest.
By the time you get back to where the cars were parked, Kingpin’s car is gone. You can’t help it but slam your fist against the nearest pole. You run back to where Wanda is.
Once your next to Wanda and Dragos you take a knee. The man is struggling to breathe with a bullet lodged into his sternum. Wanda shakes as she runs her fingers through his hair and tells him he will be ok.
You’re trying to stay strong, but the tears have already begun to fall. Dragos hand reaches for yours and you let him take it. His grip is weak, and it causes you to lose your composure.
“Papa, I’m sorry- I should’ve shot faster,” you speak what could possibly be your last words to the man who had given you a better life.
He looks at Wanda and then at you. It’s mangled, but he says, “T-take care o-of each other."
“Papa these are not your final words, stop acting like they are. The paramedics are coming, you are going to leave. You have to live,” Wanda snaps at the man.
“You’re m-mother will ne-ver forgive me f-for this,” he wheezes.
“As long as you're breathing, she will forgive you,” you respond.
He laughs but ends up coughing up his own blood. Dragos squeezes your hand, “I’m proud- of both of y-you. Wanda, moye serdtse I- have always believed in y-you. Y/n, moye ditya, I loved b-being your Papa.”
You see his eyes fluttering and you make eye contact with Wanda, “How long did they say Wanda?”
“30 minutes.”
You shake you head, “That’s not fast enough. We have to go now.”
“Y/n-"
“We don’t have time to argue, Wanda. Help me lift him,” you say steeling your nerves.
“Y/n we-”
“HELP ME LIFT HIM.” You weren’t asking anymore.
You start to lift the older man hearing him groan slightly. It’s a good sign, he’s still living. Wanda helps reluctantly. Once you’re at the car, you’re sweating, but you keep moving. You lay him across the back seat.
“You stay in the back with him,” you tell Wanda, getting in the driver’s seat.
As soon as she’s in the car you step on the gas. It’s something akin to the high-speed chase but the stakes are higher. You swerve through traffic and backstreets as much as you can. Adrenaline was pumping through your veins. All you could think about was saving Dragos.
“Wanda, how is he?” You call back to her knowing you had about 5 minutes until the hospital.
“His breaths are shallow Y/n. His eyes are closing,” she updates you with a shaky voice.
“Papa, Wanda’s going to squeeze your hand, squeeze back if you can. Keep squeezing until we get you there,” Your voice is raised but you aren’t yelling.
Wanda puts her hand in her father’s. He squeezes it gently, the pressure is weak, but it’s there.
You continue to swerve around traffic but each minute his grasp grows weaker. You pull into the emergency parking section at the hospital and start to scream for help.
People start to crowd around your car, and everything seems like it’s moving too fast. People are getting Dragos from your car. Wanda is in hysterics as it seems like dozens of people start wheeling her father away. You sit at the wheel of the car unable to move, unable to think.
You make the calls, so Wanda doesn’t have to. It doesn’t take long for the family to get to the hospital. They’re all wrecks. The Maximoff’s all have identical puffy red eyes as they hope to hear something from the doctor.
“You aren’t going to sit with them,” It’s Natasha who takes a seat next to you.
You shake your head, “I can’t, not right now. They need their space.”
“You’ve shed just as many tears as them lisichka,” Natasha cautiously brings her finger to your face wiping a stray tear.
“You should be comforting your wife, not me,” you say to her.
“She’s not the one sitting away from her family mourning alone when it isn’t necessary,” Natasha stands and extends her hand to you.
For awhile you just stare, but she’s unrelenting. You sigh taking her hand, it’s not soft like you expected it to be. It’s a little rough and warm, but it brings you comfort all the same.
Natasha sits next to Wanda, and you take a seat next to Pietro. Instantly his arm wraps around your shoulder pulling you close. The action breaks you as you bury your head into his chest and begin to silently sob.
He places a kiss on the top of your head and rubs your back. It makes you feel like a kid again. It had been so long since you needed something like this. The adrenaline was wearing off and all you were left with was an empty feeling.
You start to mumble that you’re sorry against your friend as your body softly shakes.
“Sweetheart, look at me,” Flora calls to you from her seat next to Pietro.
You do as she says, “This isn't your fault. There's nothing you could've done.”
You open your mouth to protest, but the woman gives you a stern look. It quiets you, but you continue to feel guilty.
“Stop thinking so much. We don't know anything until the doctors tell us,” You wipe your tears at her words.
“Yes, mama,” you say it without realizing and when you do, your face heats up.
Flora opens her arms for you, and you switch from Pietro to her. Her hug is warm and strong. She wipes the tears from your face and looks at you with caring eyes.
“Everything will be ok moye ditya,” her words bring you great comfort.
“Family of Dragos Maximoff,” the doctor calls out and you all stand swiftly.
This is the moment of truth. You pray that you acted fast enough; that he would be ok. The somber look on the doctor’s face crushes those dreams instantly.