She just wanted to be happy.
Was that too much to ask for?
For her, it was never anything permanent. Nothing she ever got to keep, a concept she only got to see in slivers throughout her life, each never lasting long.
When she was a child, she had her family. Her brother, her mom, her father. But they were ripped from her. That family, that happiness was gone. Her parents went first to the bombing that occurred in their country and trying to do the right thing in protest for what had been dropped upon them, her and Pietro volunteered. Something that lead to them joining Ultron. It was a mistake. One they tried to make right by being heroes and one that in the end, got her brother killed.
She tried being a hero after that. Doing the right thing and getting her happiness from those around her and from those she helped save. But again, she made a mistake. One that both haunted and confused her because she watched the others do them all the time. How many buildings had they collapsed in the heat of the battle? How many people has their ignorance killed? Why was hers the only one they focused on? Why was she the one made out to be a villain despite her kill count being far less than most her teammates around her? How many people have Barton and Romanoff slaughtered up close and personal? How many people’s lives did Stark’s weapons destroy?
But they didn’t care about them, they only cared about her and her mistake. One which she was called unstable for. Untrustworthy. One that led to her getting betrayed by the one she thought she could maybe come to love. She thought she was doing the right thing then. Leaving Vision behind and following Clint out of that building, following the Captain America but she should have known.
Nothing she ever did was the right thing.
She was thrown into a cell for it and would have been left to rot if not for, in perhaps the one stroke of luck in her life, she’d been freed. Not only that, but her Vision came back to her.
For a while, they were happy. Despite being on the run they were together. She missed those years. The ones she hadn’t been forced to focus on what was right or wrong. Only him and their time together.
But she had been forced to give it up, come back to fight and what had it gotten her? The only person she loved a corpse. One she created first herself, crying as she ripped the stone from his being and then one she watched be created a second time as, powerless to stop it, the alien crushed her love’s head in in order to grasp the stone set within it. The corpse that was then tossed aside as if it meant nothing, as if it wasn’t her entire world and reason for living. Something that then lay there motionless full of unfulfilled promises and unlived dreams. Promises they were supposed to fulfil together and dreams they should have been allowed to live. If it were anyone else, they would have got to. Anyone who was not named Wanda Maximoff.
Her lover was gone and once again, so was her happiness.
The last thing she remembered then was overwhelming grief before she became nothing but dust for five years. Dust she wished she would have stayed as her return only left her dealing with the same grief and emptiness she left with.
It was too much. Her mom, her father, her brother, her Vision.
She was alone. None of here and none of them coming back.
Unless they did.
If she could not find existing happiness in this world, she would simply create it in one of hers.
It worked for a while in West View. It was the happiest she’d been in a long time. Her Vision, her now husband was here. Her brother was there. Her children… she had children. Two who she loved with all her heart and that gave her the greatest happiness she ever experienced.
But it wasn’t before long that they tried taking it from her. The people from outside.
Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? Her and her little bubble of happiness?
She already lost so much. Sacrificed so much. Her happiness wasn’t even real anymore. Was nothing but a fabrication of her own mind because that was the only place it existed for her. Why couldn’t they let her have even that?
But of course, she was forced to give it up. Lift the spell keeping all that mattered to her here and make it disappear. Make her heart split once again. She’s not even sure there’s anything left. Fragments if that.
She told herself it was okay. She was doing the right thing, letting all those people go. She could try, be a hero again.
But she grieved. Without them there with her it was all she could do anymore. Had all she had been doing since the start of her life and she was done with it. The only thing she wanted now was to find that happiness back even if it was false. The false happiness was better than the current emptiness tearing her apart from the inside.
And she had a way now. To find them all again. The Darkhold. It was the answer she’s been looking for all these years. The way for her to find her happiness again. It was only a few universes away after all.
But they would never let her have that would they?
They would try and stop her before that. Before she could get there. For the steps she needed to do weren’t the right ones in their eyes, but she was done with it. Doing the right thing. Trying to match her steps to theirs and hoping they’d praise her for it.
Doing the right thing never worked out for her, only those around her. Them and their happiness.
Her brother died, but Sokovia was saved? She couldn’t remember his face.
Her lover was dead, but the half the universe was back? She no longer got to feel his gentle caresses on her skin.
Her children were gone, but the people of West View were free? The feeling of hugging her sons still lingered on her arms every day upon waking up as the only place she got to see them now was in her dreams.
How many times has she fallen to her knees as tears streamed down her face as they stood and cheered at a problem now solved?
Doing the right thing never brought her anything but grief. Why was she the one always forced to give something up? Why couldn’t others give up their happiness for a change? Let her keep hers for once.
But that would never happen.
And she’s done waiting for people to allow her to have it.
They wouldn’t let her keep it?
She’d steal it. Take it back from one of those universes out there and force it to be hers no matter who got in the way. She would have her family one way or another. She was done making the sacrifice. Done doing the right thing. It was her turn. She would have her happiness and get to keep it this time.
For too long she’s tried to be the hero. That got her nowhere.
Perhaps for her to have her chance, she would have to try something different.
Maybe, it was time for her to become the villain.