Chapter 6
Steve Rogers was too old for this shit. The thirties had their own problems but they were at least grounded and easy to understand. Nothing in his over century long life (despite being frozen for well over half of it) could prepare him for mutants. The Avengers had a complex relationship with the X-Men. Several of their members were part of both teams but it was by the law they were separated. Many of the mutants felt that the Avengers didn’t do enough to protect the Earth while many avengers felt that the X-Men crossed the line all too often.
“Is that all you can do, Stark!” the powerful voice of Magneto roared in fury.
“Please, Erik” Professor X begged besides the former supervillain. “Mr. Stark is trying his utmost hardest to find your children.”
“Trying his hardest? Don’t make me laugh, Charles” Magneto snarled, “This man claims to have the most advanced technology on the planet but cannot find a girl that has the energy output of a grenade.”
“Correction, I do have the most advanced technology on the planet” Tony agitated the caped man.
The sound of metal straining tormented the occupants’ ears and Tony quickly became silent.
“I warn you, Stark,” Marneto growled, pushing the billionaire against the wall. “I am far from patient at the moment and have no opposition to killing the man that supplied those terrorists with their weapons.”
Tony felt the guilt snake its way into him but promptly pushed it down.
“Look” he said in a more serious tone. “I’ve gone through records, recordings, and every possible system that has connections with the Sokovian refugees and there is no sign of your children. I’ve even sent drones out to survey and find anything that has been missed and nothing. Perhaps you need to accept that they are…”
Tony’s computer exploded as it was compressed in on itself. The man let out a yelp before ordering JARVIS to put the fire out.
“Now you listen to me right now” Magneto snarled, “You will find…”
“Erik, that is enough!” Professor X yelled.
Magneto’s body froze, no doubt due to the professor using his telepath.
“We cannot expect mutants to be accepted if we resort to violence so quickly, especially to our allies.”
“Allies? This man is no ally of mine” Magneto broke free from his mental restraints. “He willfully gave weapons to terrorists, funded various organizations that have publicly oppressed mutants, and his company was a cesspool full of HYDRA agents.”
“All of which I have repentance for, condemned, pulled funding from, and exterminated” Tony defended himself, “Meanwhile, what have you done to all those you have hurt?”
The tense in the air tightened to an unbelievable level.
“Tony” Steven decided to step in. “That’s enough.”
“But he…”
“That’s enough”
“I’m going to get another computer” the inventor grumbled, “Try to get stuff done while I’m gone.”
The room fell into complete silence but the atmosphere felt less like a powder keg ready to explode.
“Do you have any idea of what could have happened to them?” Steven asked, “Anywhere where they would go or anyone who would want to kidnap them.”
Magneto scuffed.
“Mutants are often viewed as either a menace or resource, especially in poorer countries” Professor X explained, “The list of those who would desire them is so immense that I would not even know where to start.”
“And that’s not counting those who wish to use them to get to me” Magneto sighed, “It is why I left them to begin with and later sent them to Magda’s sister.”
Steve tried to hide his shock as Magneto continued. The super soldier had fought the man and his brotherhood multiple times and would never once think of him as a loving or domestic type.
“Stark is right though” Magneto said in defeat.
“You don’t know that, Erik,” Professor X protested.
“It’s the most logical explanation is it not? If not by evidence then by fate. My mother, my father, my wife, my family are doomed to die and I am doomed to walk this Earth alone with anger and bitterness. I promised Magda that I would no longer follow the path of vengeance but I see no reason if each time I try to push peace is met with death. When I had the world trembling at my feet, mutants were safer.”
“Out of fear not acceptance, Erik. They were still ostracized and resented, just not publically.”
“That is better than being dead”
“You and I both know that that is not the right way to make Earth a safe haven for all those who inhabit this planet. I do believe that our dear captain would agree as well.”
The two men looked at the super soldier who felt his nerves rise far more than a seasoned warrior like himself should have allowed.
“The professor is right,” he answered after a moment of hesitation. “I have only seen what you had gone through Erik but I understand enough to know that genocide is not the way.”
“Okay, guys” Tony burst into the room. “I may have found something.”
Magneto and Steven went to Tony’s side and looked over his shoulder at the tablet he had in his hands.
“There was a massive explosion in a base in west Russia” he reported, pointing to a point and pulling up various television reports. “They said that the resonance of a mysterious red energy is covering the entire area that they believe was the cause of the destruction.”
“Do we have clearance?” Steve asked.
“Yes”
“Alright” he said, grabbing his shield and putting his figure to his ear. “Avengers Assemble”
Pietro dashed through the debris. The rumble cut through the souls of his bare feet and the fumes and smoke burned his lungs but did not prevent him from calling out for his sister. While his eyes told him there was no way she could have survived, his instincts said otherwise. The red energy that had destroyed the prison had ripped the collar off his neck, no doubt it was an extension of her will.
“Wanda” he spread around the area, “Wanda.”
“There’s a survivor” he heard a voice say.
It was odd to say the least. Not that there was someone looking for survivors but someone with an American accent, though Pietro had no idea where he had been so maybe they had been taken to the states. If that was the case, then maybe they would have a place to live. Their mother, aunt, and uncle all said that that’s where their father was.
“Hey, kid, are you okay?” the voice asked again.
Pietro turned to see a woman with flaming red hair dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with various instruments on her felt and gauntlets.
“Vam nuzhna pomoshch'?” she asked.
“I’m looking for my sister,” Pietro said quickly, “Ya ishchu svoyu sestru.”
The woman’s face felted into an unidentifiable expression before her eyes gleamed with pity. It was warm for a person so obviously a deadly warrior and such a contrast to the cold and hungry eyes he and Wanda had been subjected to.
“Do you prefer English or Russian?” the woman asked.
“English is fine”
The woman knelt down, allowing Pietro to approach her and took his hand. She began to lead him away when Pietro stopped.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My sister” Pietro replied, “She’s here, she needs help.”
“There’s a search and rescue team out” the woman assured him, trying to get him to move but he refused.
“No, you don’t understand,” Pietro shook his head. “She was in labor.”
The woman’s eyes widened in shock before being replaced by fury. Pietro coiled into himself and prepared to bolt from the woman but to his surprise she gave him a look of sympathy.
“I’m so sorry” she apologized, “You two didn’t deserve any of this.”
“I need to find her,” Pietro whimpered, “She’s all I have left.”
The red haired woman knelt down and looked up at Pietro.
“My name is Natasha Romanoff” she introduced herself, “You’re really injured and need medical attention immediately. My sister is also on search and rescue. I promise she will not leave until we find her, okay?”
Pietro nodded and attempted to follow Natasha but fell. His legs and feet were searing with pain forcing sharp hisses to escape his lip.
“Here” Natasha said, putting her arms underneath him and lifting him up. “Let me help you.”