In most universe, the Maximoff came as a pair, sometimes joined with a younger or older sibling. But this, was not most universe. In this one, the Maximoff came to be as triplets.
Magda definitely wasn’t ready to take care of three newborn, especially alone. But looking at their three little faces, peacefully sleeping after all the screaming they had done when they came into the world, it didn’t matter. She’d do what she’d always done, figure it out.
The triplets grew up to be quite the trouble markers. Most people assumed that Peter and Pietro were the tricksters and while that definitely was a part of the truth, Wanda was just as mischievous. Though, you’d never guessed what she was about to do, her face innocent as she would approach her victim, unlike the boys who couldn’t keep their giggling to themselves. When they started high school, their mom had warned them about pranks, though her little smile couldn’t be ignored. “I think it freaks people out that there's not one, but three Maximoffs roaming your school, so... please, try not to cause any more trouble, alright?”
They had all nodded and promised to be on their best behavior. The first day had been going well, they all had been able to keep themselves fairly out of trouble. Of course, there was a little teasing of classmates when Peter got bored halfway through math class, but a glare from both Pietro and Wanda kept him in line. He did pull his tongue at them, though, before he drummed his fingers on his desk for the rest of the period. Finally, they were back home and spent their night playing games and unfortunately doing homework. Still, all things considered, they had each other and together, they could get through anything.
...
A few weeks after their fourteen birthdays, Wanda had knocked on the bathroom door, urging Peter to hurry since they were going to be late. No answer came, so she knocked again, this time a little harder.
“Peter Maximoff, I swear, if you don’t let me take a shower, I will drag you out of there and dip your toothbrush in the toilet!”
“What’s going on?” asked Pietro, who had just woken up a couple minutes ago.
“Peter’s not sharing,” said Wanda as she rolled her eyes.
A sob made them freeze and forget all the anger they had. They called out his name, asking him if everything was alright. Another sob was heard, and Pietro got up, a worried look on his face.
“I’m getting in,” he said to Wanda before turning to the door. “Peter, open up please, I don’t want to break down the door, but I will if I have to. You know I would, I did it before when you took an hour-long shower and used all the hot water.”
A little laugh echoed behind the door and movement was finally heard. The lock clicked and the doorknob twisted, revealing a very puffy eyed Peter. It was obvious he had been crying, his eyes were still watery.
“Frate, what’s wrong?” Questioned Wanda as she looked at her sibling with worry about his state and guilt about screaming at him.
The teenager didn’t speak, he sniffled before lifting his messy head of brown curls to reveal the roots.
Pietro frowned in confusion, “what- why are your hair turning silver?”
Peter shut his eyes and let out a quiet sob, bringing his hands to his face. “I don’t know,” he cried, “I just woke up and I have an inch root of grey hair.”
Pietro and Wanda shared a look, silently agreeing to do whatever it took to cheer up their brother. The shower forgotten, Wanda proceeded to make waffles, Peter’s favorite. Pietro didn’t complain about the amount of sugar his brother put on his breakfast. The ridiculous amount of sirup mixed with sprinkles and chocolate sauce definitely wasn’t healthy, but it was obvious he needed to find comfort, both in food and in the company of others. They all agreed to keep quiet about this, it was only an inch. Maybe it was due to stress, maybe it would go away on its own. It was probably nothing.
...
The one-inch-long root was now fully set in, the brown curls had turned silver in less than a week. It didn’t really make sense; it was like the hair itself was losing pigment. There was no way that it could be explained logically. The hair change wasn’t the only thing that manifested, for three entire days, Peter had had trouble moving. His muscles were sore even though he hadn’t been exercising any more than usual.
“Am I turning into an old man at fourteen!?” He complained sometimes between two naps.
That remark had greatly amused his siblings, who suggested that they should get him a cane or a walker. Their mother had seemed worried. Though, she insisted that taking him to the hospital wasn’t necessary. The triplets had wondered many times what she was hiding, she obviously knew what was going on, but didn’t want to believe it. They finally got their answers when she sat them down on the old couch in the living room.
“Dragă,” she started, instantly catching the trios’ attention. Romani wasn’t often used in the household, not since she had insisted, they all learned English. Their native language meant business; they all knew it. “I haven’t been honest with you, all of you. I think I know what’s going on, but I did not want to believe it.” She sighed and turned her gaze to Peter. “I think that the sudden changes in you is your mutation manifesting.”
The triplets looked at each other with wide eyes. They had wondered the same thing but had dismissed it since their mother wasn’t a mutant. Though the recent developments could only mean one thing.
“Your father was a mutant,” confessed Magda. “We were married and had another child before you three. Her name was Anya.” Their mother’s eyes were quickly filling up with tears, something they hadn’t seen often in the strong-willed woman. “She died when a bomb struck our house. Your father tried to get her out, but it was already too late. He went on a rampage to make him pay.”
“Him?” Questioned Pietro.
“Tony Stark, the bomb was manufactured by Stark Industry. Your father left on his quest for revenge, and I discovered I was pregnant. He didn’t come back, and I didn’t go look for him. You know the rest.”
They had been silent for a few minutes, trying to take in all this information. The three had, of course, wondered about their father, who wouldn’t? But their mother had never really said anything other than the fact that he left one day and never came back. Any further questions had been shoved away with a serious glare that meant that it was a sensitive subject. Neither of them had pushed further. But now, the teenagers were finally able to question further, and they used it to their full advantage. They learned that their father was called Erik Lehnsherr, they had met when they were both living in the streets and trying to survive. They were only sixteen years old. They stuck close together afterwards, him being great help since he could control metal. Locks and gates were easy. They had stuck together for five years before getting married, Anya being born a year after. The little girl had died at only six years old. That left a 28-year-old Magda Lehnsherr alone and soon to be an expecting mother. She had gone back to her maiden name, Maximoff, deciding to erase Erik from her life and spare the pain to her children. She informed them that she had heard of their father being somewhere in America still on his manhunt and hadn’t bothered to learn anymore since.
After the long talk, Magda left her children alone, knowing that they needed to talk together to better make sense of the situation. It’s what they’d been doing ever since they learned how to talk. The triplets shared a look of amazement. They finally knew who their father was, and even though they didn’t have a face to associate him with, it didn’t matter. Erik Lehnsherr, a mutant who could control metal, was their father.
...
Just a week after the revelation, Peter’s mutation manifested. On the contrary to the trio’s belief, it wasn’t metallokinesis, but speed. It was the strangest thing to ever have happened, one moment they were instructed to sprint by the PE teacher and the next Peter was running while everything around him stopped. He slowed down to try to understand what was happening. Upon closer examination, he could see excruciatingly slow movements from birds and a few of his peers. He observed his siblings’ faces, they were determined and a little red from the sport the teacher had made them do. He pulled on Wanda’s hair to try to make her react, but nothing happened so he poked Pietro on the cheek. There was a ripple on his skin but nothing else changed. Peter sat on the ground, his breath caught in his throat and his heart beating fast. He began to wonder if he was stuck like this, forever stuck in the moment. He buried his face in his knees and tried to get his breathing back under control.
Sounds made him look up, just in time to see Wanda falling to the ground and Pietro being flung to the side, both landing painfully. The pair seemed a little pissed as they looked up, trying to find the culprit. When their eyes landed on the form of their brother, all anger was forgotten, and they rushed to his side.
“Freak!” A student said, passing in front of them.
The teacher shooed the teenager away as he approached the triplets. “Mr. Maximoff, what just happened?”
“I- I don’t know, one minute I was running like everyone and then everything slowed down, and I was still going, and no one was moving, and it was super quiet. I tried to get someone’s attention, but no one reacted, and I couldn’t do anything.”
“It’s alright,” interrupted Mr. Smith. “I can see you are quite shaken, and you two are hurt. Perhaps it would be best if you all went home for the day.”
The trio agreed and after a quick visit to the principal office to explain the situation, Magda was on her way to pick them up. They explained the best they could as Peter felt exhausted. Pietro suggested that it might have been due to the amount of energy he had used. No matter the explanation, the silver haired teen was asleep by the time they arrived home and had stumbled back into the house and in his bed as soon as they had arrived.
...
The next few weeks, Peter struggled even more at school. The hour-long classes were too slow for him. He had sneaked our quite a few times, he was too quick to be caught anyway.
When they weren’t at school, the triplets were experimenting with his mutation. The many holes in the walls from the occasion where Peter couldn’t turn the corner in time. They also figured that he had to support someone’s head if he were to move them in superspeed; Wanda’s head crick was the proof of it. Peter was glad he hadn’t been going full speed, he’d rather not think about what could have happened.
While the three found his mutation amazing, the students didn’t feel the same. They picked on the group, calling them ‘freaks’ and ‘mutant scum’. Peter tried to defend his siblings, telling people they were normal, but it didn’t really help. The Maximoff name slowly grew to be one you’d whisper about and judge the mutant child and his weird silver hair.
Peter barely left the basement; he didn’t see the point since he’d be looked at every time, he’d even take one step outside. He did find a liking to stealing stuff he wanted. That way, no one was seeing him, and he was staying entertained. Magda kept telling him to stop, but they were both aware he couldn’t be stopped. The police showed up at their doorstep a few times to try to arrest him, but they never had a proof of their accusation, so the speedster always walked free.
Peter didn’t go to school much anymore, to Magda’s dismay. He just didn’t really see the point of sitting on a chair for hours to then graduate and go to college to learn a job when he could just steal what he needed. Plus, he kept being teased by everyone. His hair didn’t exactly make it easy to hide his mutation. Wanda and Pietro always defended him, but it only made them victims too. After a while, it was settled between Magda and the school that it would be best if the teenage mutant were homeschooled. They claimed it was for his safety, but Wanda was quick to point out that mutants weren’t the best to put in a brochure.
At that, the triplets looked at each other. At least there was only one freak in the family.
***
Two years later, the trio having freshly turned sixteen, Peter was still the only one with a mutation. Wanda and Pietro were pretty bummed about it since they were so used to be doing everything together. Nevertheless, they still went out and did stuff together, Peter wearing a hat or a hood to cover his hair. The stealing had become a daily thing for the mutant, he couldn’t help himself. Their mom had sighed one day after he had stolen an entire tv, promptly diagnosing him with kleptomania.
Looking back, it was most definitely the reason why he accepted the offer from three strange men to go break out someone from the Pentagon. Pietro and Wanda had been in school when a knock at the door sounded through the house. It was Magda’s day off, so she was the one to go answer the door. That gave Peter enough time to check out their car and registration. When they came to him, he was playing ping pong by himself. How they managed to have heard of him, he didn’t know, but their mission was a serious one.
“What’s in it for me?” He smugly asked.
“Because you, you kleptomaniac gets to break into the Pentagon,” tiredly said the hippie. Though thinking back, he might have been high.
He accepted the job; it was way too good of an opportunity to pass up. They piled up in the small rental car and were on their way. The men explained the plan quickly and thoroughly. They’d get in, disable the cameras, which left Peter time to infiltrate the kitchen elevator where a guard would be on his way to bring the food to their friend. The speedster would only have to switch places, break the man out and meet them in the kitchen where they’d make a quick exit. It was planned out enough to be a potentially good plan, so the teenager had faith. Plus, he’d be quick enough to save their asses if they encountered trouble.
After the deed had been done and Peter was at the airport with the now four men, the hippie guy thanked him. They had, in the end, needed his skills to save them from the guards.
“Now Peter, do me a favor and go bring back the car,” he told him, throwing him the keys. He was about to walk away when he turned to him. “And take it slow.”
The teenager laughed, “sure man.” The long-haired guy started walking away, but Peter cleared his throat. “The man I saved, he said he was in there because he killed people.”
“Yes, I’m afraid he did.”
“Yeah, sure, that’s fine. But like, I don’t even know who I saved, could I get a name at least?” The similarities were there, the man could control metal and the people he had murdered were probably rich people, which explained his imprisonment. He had to know.
The guy removed his sunglasses to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Erik Lehnsherr.”
That took Peter by surprise and gave the men enough time to gear up and leave. The teenager was frozen in place as he watched the jet make its way across the sky. His father leaving for somewhere in Paris. Probably another sixteen years before he would see him again.
When he came home Wanda and Pietro, were all over him asking questions.
“I- I met our tată,” he answered to the surprise of both his siblings.
They spent the rest of the day talking to each other and asking every detail the silver haired teen could remember. He told them about the way he broke the glass and sped his way through the kitchen to save them from bullets. Because apparently, he was faster than bullets now. Peter then explained how he learned his father’s name and how he totally hadn’t crashed the car on his way back because come on, who actually goes that slow in the streets?
They re-enacted from Peter’s memory the even of that day, him being both himself and the hippie that just punched his friend out of nowhere.
“Lovers, definitely,” declared Pietro with a pensive nod.
“You don’t know that! You weren’t even there,” replied Wanda.
“It’s all about the tension, a kiss or a punch is all the same. Haven’t you watched movies before?”
They continued talking until the stars were bright in the sky. They talked about the Pentagon, about Erik and how much Peter’s powers had grown in the last two years. Magda watched them from the kitchen, them being in the living room. She had a worried look on her face at the mention of her ex-husband. Bad things always happened around him, she hoped that habit hadn’t rubbed off onto her children.
***
The very next day, on a Saturday, the news showed a brand-new discovery. One that couldn’t be covered up anymore: mutants. There were, of course, enhanced people. The Avengers were proof of that. But the government had been very secretive about people born with mutation. Though with Erik, or Magneto as he called himself, interrupting an official ceremony and literally showing the world the power of mutants, there was no denying it anymore. The triplets watched worryingly as he declared war on mankind. He took care of the Avengers easily, though it was to be expected with people that called themselves Iron Man, War Machine and Captain America. Their outfit were basically metal. Thankfully, Black Widow had stopped him before he could do any more damages to the mutant world. Peter shared a look of horror with his family.
“I- I didn’t know. I never would have done it if I did.”
Magda put a comforting hand on his shoulder before pulling him in a hug. The teenager started letting out small sobs about the possibility of what had just happened and the consequences following his actions. Mutants would definitely take the blame for everything now. His siblings very soon joined them; their game of cards abandoned ever since the emergency news had turned on. They held each other for a few moments before letting go. Magda took in each of her children, they all looked worried. She gave them a small smile.
“Now, we still have each other. Your father just did a horrible thing, yes, but you have to stick together. Thing might be rough for awhile, but they will get better eventually.”
At that moment, their mother’s speech calmed them down. Though, they would soon look back at this moment and wonder how they could have been so wrong.
Only a week after the Magneto incident, another knock echoed through the house. Magda ordered the triplets to go in the basement and stay there until the coast was clear. She opened the door to reveal four official looking men in suits and sunglasses. They were all different shades of skin and hair, but each of their posture were imposing and meant business.
“Mrs. Maximoff?” One of them said with a serious voice.
“Yes,” she nodded, “how can I help you?”
He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the woman.
“We are members of SHIELD, and we have permission here to talk to your son, Peter Maximoff. Is he currently in the house?”
“Uh, yes, but I don’t see-“
“Your son is a mutant, is he not?” Interrupted the man, clearly trying to hurry things along. Magda nodded, he continued. “From our record, I believe he has the ability to go faster than any recorded human?”
Magda didn’t deny anything. She knew they were confirming information they were already aware were right. There was no point in denying. They all knew why they were there and what was going to happen.
The men demanded to see the teenager, who promptly appeared next to his mom with a worried look on his face. It was obvious he was trying to look strong, but anxiety was eating him from the inside.
“What’s going on?”
“Could you please tell us where you were a week ago, on Friday?” The teen stared at the group with a blank look, the agent continued. “We have reasons to believe you were involved with the breakout of Erik Lehnsherr. While the cameras were disabled, we have an eyewitness account telling a very accurate description of you.”
Peter’s body seized up with fear as his eyes widened. They hadn’t even thought about the guard that witnessed the whole event. They had foolishly assumed he wouldn’t talk. The man repeated his accusations, already knowing he was right. There weren’t many teenagers with silver hair.
“Can I at least say goodbye?” Whispered the teen, resigned to his situation.
“Actually, Mr. Maximoff, our orders are to bring all the Maximoff children.”
Magda gasped, “you can’t do this! These are my children; I will not let you take them away!”
The man took out the paper once again, “you’ll see that we can. Since, one of your children carry an active mutant gene, it is only logical that they do too.”
The woman took the document and carefully read it. Her eyes grew as it confirmed them the right to take her family away for what they deemed to be national security. She handed back the paper and negotiated that she would go get them. It would be better if they talked to their mother. As she walked down the basement stairs, she heard Wanda’s voice.
“Mama, what’s going on?” Her daughter’s eyes were wide with fear, as well as Pietro’s.
She gave them a small smile. “I’m sorry. The men upstairs are people from the government, they suspect Peter of being involved with what happened in Paris.”
“But they can’t just make him disappear!” Cried out Pietro, already partly clued in on the situation.
Magda shut her eyes, “not just him.”
They both protested when they realized what their mother meant. But in the end, there was no real choice. They all walked up the stairs to see the men cuffing the speedster’s feet together. His hands were already behind his back.
“Is this really necessary?” Spat Magda.
“Afraid so, ma’am. We know what your son is capable of and will not take a chance of losing him.”
His voice carried no fear, no anger, and no judgement. It was said just as if it was a usual thing for him. To them, Peter was just another mild threat to deal with. The man let the family say their goodbyes before bringing the triplets to a black car with tinted windows. They thankfully didn’t restrain Wanda and Pietro. They noticed a few neighbors looking through their curtains with a suspicious look on their faces. As the doors shut, Magda watched powerlessly as her world was taken from her.
***
They drove for what seemed hours, then switched to another car that brought them to an isolated airport. From there, they were moved to a private plane and Peter’s cuffs were removed once they were in the air. Each of their questions fell on deaf ears.
The triplets realized halfway through their twelve-hour flight, according to the screen in the pilot’s cabin, that there truly was no going back home. Wanda and Pietro looked at their sibling with increasing worry. He seemed catatonic. Peter had barely moved since they had boarded the plane; it was worrisome behavior since he’d never been able to stay still for long, even before his mutation. They huddled together on one of the small couches and held each other in fear that they would be separated as well.
“I’m sorry,” whispered Peter, “I never should have gone, maybe if I hadn’t, we’d still be with mama.”
They dozed out a few times, they were all exhausted from the amount of stress they experienced in the past 24 hours. When they finally caught a glimpse of the land, they realized that they were in Romania, their birthplace. It was an ironic twist of fate, really. Magda had always wanted to take them there and show them where she had grown up and where she would have brought them had they been raised there. That realization only strengthened the heartbreak they all felt at the possibility of never seeing their mother again. When they landed, the triplets were surrounded by a group of armed men, they dispersed themselves when a tall man with glasses approached. Though, glasses weren’t really the right term. It looked more like a monocle. He had a serious look on his face as he greeted them.
“Welcome, I am Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. I will be in charge of you three.”
They were then led to another car that brought them to a big building surrounded by guarding towers. The sight of it sent chills down Wanda’s back. The hallways of the institutions were dark and cold, the grey cement kept the suffocating air inside. They seemed to be going on forever with their twists and turn. The triplets were each given a grey hospital gown and ordered to leave their clothes in the room. The thin fabric helped very little against the persistent chill in the air.
Strucker soon entered the room and took in his new acquisitions with a grin. “As I am sure you are aware, mutant kind was revealed to the world just a week ago, thanks to the maniac you boy helped release,” he said, eyeing Peter. “We were aware of its existence since the early forties, the first super soldier serum was actually derived from the DNA of a mutant.”
“Why are you telling us all this?” questioned Pietro. Had the man really expected them to even care about the past when the government just took away their future?
“Because,” uttered Strucker, turning to him with a dark gaze. “The mutant gene is usually carried in the family. While it is possible for siblings of different ages to only have one developing abilities, we have yet to see twins follow this rule.” The man paused to observe the Maximoffs siblings. “Do imagine our delight when we discovered you. Triplets, all carrying an active mutant gene.”
“But we don’t, it never developed”
That remark from Wanda made the man curl his lips in an ugly smile. “Oh, but you do miss Maximoff. Usually, we wouldn’t bother because the process of activating a gene carries a high risk of mortality since we’re not sure what exactly causes it to develop. But using the DNA of your brother is relatively safe and guaranteed to work.”
The triplets shared a look of panic and horror as the true reason they were taken was revealed to them. They wouldn’t be prisoners, like they had expected, but a much more worrisome position: lab rats. The man briefly stepped outside only to re-enter the room with soldiers that made sure they would follow the scientist. They were led to another plain room with a few doctors in white coats carefully eyeing their arrival. The trio barely had time to register what was happening before they were each approached by a doctor.
The teenagers were given no choice as they were each brought to a separate room where a basic medical examination took place. Pietro was the first to go back in the cell they called the common room. They hadn’t given him food in the last eight hours and his body hadn’t taken the blood sampling well because of it. He felt sore as he sat on the small bench, the exhaustion was pulling at his eyelids, but he wanted to be there when his siblings would arrive. After what seemed like an eternity due to the lack of clocks, Wanda appeared.
“You look awful,” remarked the brunette.
Pietro pulled his tongue at her, “you don’t look all that amazing either, soră mai mică.”
She smacked his shoulder as she sat down next to him. “I’m not your little sister, we’re literally the same age.”
“Still twelve minutes older than you.”
***
It hadn’t taken long for the scientists to get on with their experimentation. They used any method that held the slightest potential, from radiation, to blood transfer, to electroshock therapy. Pietro and Wanda, who didn’t have increased metabolism showed the effect of the isolation and rationing of food way quicker. Their eyes had sunken in and dark bags circled them. Tiredness was a constant state for the triplets since a goodnight’s sleep was a rare thing in a facility eager to run tests whenever they wanted.
It was obvious that the doctors were getting worried about the lack of progress. The closest they had been to succeeding was when they nearly killed Peter by taking too much of his blood and giving it to Wanda and Pietro. From what the teenagers understood, their DNA had slightly altered, but not enough to unlock any mutation. The scientists had gotten slightly carried away and taken even more blood, nearly two third of the speedster’s blood. He went into shock and whispers among the facilities suggested that his heightened metabolism was the only thing that saved him.
They gave Peter, and by extension his siblings, a few days to recover. The silver haired teen spent the first two days sleeping and complaining about being hungry. Surprisingly, the guards complied and gave as much food as they could provide. They were probably worried about losing the only hope at having new mutants. Still, the few days of peace were definitely appreciated, and needed. Those rare moment of quiet were spent playing dice and cards provided by the facility. They also used their time to talk about home and their mother.
“What do you think mama did after we were gone?” asked Pietro during one of their card games.
“Nu știu,” sighed Peter, “but mama was always a strong woman, I’m sure she managed.”
“And I’m certain she didn’t mind the fact that she didn’t have any more random holes in her walls. You made what, half a dozen holes in less than a year? Not to mention our poor rug and floor,” joked Wanda, trying to ease the depressing feeling in the air.
The speedster pulled his tongue at her and put down a 2 of spades. “Draw four cards.”
“No, I should only draw two!” protested the brunette.
“Afraid not, soră. This is the spades, that means you have to draw double.”
Wanda grumbled under her breath as her brothers chuckled, before picking the cards. She groaned as her deck was filled with four useless cards that only made her victory further away. After a few turns, it was Pietro who won. They hadn’t even seen it coming, he had kept quiet and played his game skillfully and swooped his triumph.
After the eighth day, the doctors deemed Peter back to his full health. Which surprised the scientists since a normal human would need nearly a month to recover. They wanted to try a new method: bone marrow transplant. Why they hadn’t thought of that in the entirety of the two months they had been there, the triplets couldn’t figure it out. Maybe the promises of new mutants they could control had blinded them to the obvious way. Peter groaned when he realized he’d need more days to recover. Though, he did find comfort in knowing that, based on his increased metabolism, he’d only need a day or two; compared to the month and a half Wanda and Pietro would require.
They wasted no time and brought him in the surgery room. Peter was worried about sedation; he was very well aware that anaesthetic didn’t work on him. At least not with a normal dosage. And he didn’t exactly want to feel the doctor digging into his hipbone. The nurse assured him that they had acquired the patent of the sedation necessary to knock out Captain America himself. It had been developed years ago in case he’d ever need surgery of any kind, though Peter doubted that it was the only reason. They informed him that the procedure would take about twenty minutes, but he would be out for approximately an hour in case anything was to delay the operation. They made him lay on the operating table and put an IV in his left arm. The teen watched as the solution slowly entered his arm and for the first time in two years, he felt the sedation take over and he was out like a light.
Wanda and Pietro were anxiously waiting in their room ever since Peter had left. They were well aware that the doctors would do everything to not lose their test subject, but the last slipup had proved that everything was possible. Nearly forty-five minutes later, the doctors brought them to two separate operation room and showed them the small container containing the bone marrow of their brother. They were both put to sleep and the operation began.
When they woke up, they were both feeling like one of the first time Peter had used his superspeed without any support. Wanda felt nauseous and her head felt heavy. Pietro was sore, sorer than he had ever been before in his life. They looked up as a crunching sound was heard in the room. Peter was munching on whatever the facility had given him as he watched disinterestedly the flickering in the neon lights.
“You awake, slow pokes?” he said between two bites. “I’ve been here for like hours. Thought you might not have been able to handle my awesome DNA, so your body gave up.”
“Taci,” replied Pietro. He groaned as he slowly sat up, dizziness was making the whole world turn around him. He felt his brother’s hand on his back, steadying him. “Thanks.”
Peter pulled an offended face. “Oh, so now I get a thank you, but just a minute ago you told me to shut up!”
“And I’ll say it again if you continue,” he chuckled.
The three of them laughed before the silver haired teenager gave each of them a hug. He sat on Wanda’s bed before smiling at them. “I’m glad you two are okay. You are not leaving me alone in this place where the food isn’t even good. Can’t wait to see what your mutations are!”
***
A few weeks later, both Wanda and Pietro were back to their full health. The scientists had followed the development of their cells and were satisfied to see their mutant gene activating. Pietro was the first one to show signs of change. His hair slowly went from a dark brown to a pale blond and his brown eyes changed to a light shade of blue. After a few days of sore muscles, he predicably developed superspeed.
“So, I get that copying is the greatest form of flattery,” whined Peter, “but why do you get blue eyes? That doesn’t even make sense!”
Wanda herself had taken an additional week and a half to show her mutation. The first manifestation of her powers was when she sneezed and red energy accidentally knocked her brothers out of their chairs. Their faces went from surprise to excitement as they quickly got up and demanded that she do it again. Strucker soon entered the room, probably having been alerted by one of the guards.
“What happened?”
“I uh, I sneezed and knocked them out of their chair,” answered Wanda with hesitation. She looked at the man and was attacked by emotions.
Satisfaction.
Ambition.
Greed.
Strucker raised an eyebrow in satisfaction. “Telekinesis, good. Very useful.” He glanced at the triplets, his eyes gleaming with aspiration. “ Two speedsters and a telekinetic, you will become very valuable assets to us. But you require training, all of you.”
The very next day, they were given proper clothes and brought in a large room they hadn’t been in before. The ceilings were high, and the light were reinforced, there were a few mannequins adorned with a target in one of the corners. Strucker instructed Peter to show Pietro the basics before turning to Wanda.
“Now, I want you to move one of those mannequins, it doesn’t have to be big, but I want to see a shift.”
The brunette nodded as she brought her hands in front of her in concentration. Her brow creased in focus as she tried to manifest the red energy once again. Trouble was, she didn’t even know how she managed to do it in the first place. The man urged her to try harder and she had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t talk back. Couldn’t he see that she was doing her best? A satisfied chuckle from Strucker made her look at her targets. There strewn across the floor like bowling pins. Her hands were still glowing red, so he demanded that she made the mannequins float. She focused on the middle one, red mist coiling around it like a snake. The figure slowly rose in the air, inch by inch. After it was about 10 inches off the ground, Wanda began to struggle. She strained as the prop began to tremble out of her control, the brunette could feel herself losing control. Strucker told her to continue, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it for much longer, she could feel the energy dangerously building up.
“I can’t!” She screamed, “I can’t hold it!”
True to her words, the mannequin suddenly blew up, rendered into ashes by her loss of control. She stared at the falling ashes with wide eyes as she fell to her knees, out of breath. Peter was at her side first, soon joined by Pietro.
“Te simți bine?” Asked the silver haired teen as Pietro helped her get to her feet.
She nodded her head, “yes, I’m alright. Just lost control for a second.”
Strucker looked at the trio with narrowed eyes, annoyed at the sudden interruption. It was certain that the girl held great powers and if they could harness the destruction into something she could control, she would definitely be their most valuable asset.
***
A month later, there still wasn’t much progress made concerning Wanda’s powers. The boys had been a good team, learning and improving together. The guards had eventually admitted that it would be best if they trained outside since the flat terrain of the training room definitely wasn’t a realistic fighting location. Though, the running conditions were mainly an excuse they found to finally get some fresh air. After nearly a year stuck in a cold facility an ocean away from home, feeling the wet earth and refreshing wind on their faces was the greatest thing in the world.
While Strucker refused at first, they were able to negotiate two outings a week with tracking bracelets so they wouldn’t try to escape. Though Pietro found the precaution unnecessary; they had nowhere to go, and they made sure to remind them that Wanda was still in the base. They occasionally let her join them, but they were always accompanied by guards with special weapons to stun them if they tried anything. It was during one of those exterior training with Wanda, where Strucker insisted that she practice on various targets such as trees and small animals that the doctor had suggested a new training. He had called the triplets to him before revealing his newest idea.
“We will train all you three in both offense and defense. I want you boys to try to dodge and stop your sister as she tries to catch you with her powers.”
The triplets stood in place hesitantly for a few moments. They looked at each other with wide eyes, wondering if the man really had just asked that out of them. Strucker clenched his jaw and glared at them before repeating himself. Wanda raised her hands in front of her and nodded to the speedsters who started running. Red energy tore down trees and made holes in the ground, but the girl had difficulty even getting close to the blue and silver blur of her brothers. Her lack of precision greatly frustrated Strucker, his angry tone echoed through the valley.
“Focus!”
“Don’t hold back!”
“Dammit, girl, if you can’t hit your targets, you won’t last long in battle!”
Wanda’s heart was pounding in her chest, her blood deafening in her ears. The man’s yelling kept breaking her concentration. She manifested a shield on her right, just in time to stop one of her brothers from attacking. The brunette could feel herself losing control, like the time with the mannequin. The red mist around her hands grew into a big angry cloud that nearly surrounded her completely. Wanda screamed as the energy released, knocking Pietro and Peter to the ground, sending them rolling into trees and some bushes. She stared around her with horror as she realized what she had done. She was still for a few seconds, save from her hitched breathing before collapsing to the ground.
Strucker barked at the guards, ordering them to bring the teenagers back into the facility. They were all unconscious and even paler than usual. They didn’t react at all when they were picked up, which only worried the man even more. He couldn’t afford losing all three of his best weapons, not with the Avengers so close to uncovering the truth behind SHIELD. Once they were back inside, the triplets were laid on stretchers as the doctors quickly took their vitals. Even though there were no apparent injuries, they didn’t seem to stabilize. Strucker met with a few other scientists and observed through a glass window as the doctors did their best to try to save the young mutants.
“It was foolish to think we could create such abominations,” said one of the scientists, an anxious hand fiddling with his wristwatch.
“On the contrary, doctor Thredson, our experimentations were successful. And will continue to thrive if we can find a way to save them.”
The black-haired doctor sighed as he looked at the teenagers. “What about the sceptre?”
Strucker swiftly turned his head towards the man, surprised by his sudden change of opinion. Nevertheless, the man was most definitely right. He ordered the teenagers to be moved in an isolated room, along with the sceptre. They watched anxiously through the glass panel as the staff was carefully placed between Wanda and Pietro. Nothing happened for a few seconds and he was about to admit defeat when the room was bathed in a bright blue glow. It lasted for about fifteen second, slowly morphing from a blue glow to a bright golden glow and suddenly disappeared.
The team observed the teenagers uncertainly, they had regained a bit of colors in their faces, but they still weren’t moving. Dr Thredson walked a little closer to the window.
“Did it work?”
***
As it turned out, it did work. The triplets had recovered in record time and were back into action. Their powers had become even more powerful, which required them to relearn the basics since what previously worked now didn’t work. Peter was especially annoyed at finding himself crashing into walls again after spending two years without doing so. Another surprising discovery was the unlocking of a secondary mutation: metallokinesis. It had come as a completely unexpected thing; they were running, and he had gotten frustrated and had accidentally crushed Strucker’s glasses right on his face. The trio had also developed a sort of telepathic bond thanks to Wanda’s telepathic powers. The only downside of this ability was the fact that they felt sympathy pain whenever one of them was injured.
Some time later, Strucker had done some digging and made one of the most promising discovery ever since they had found the triplets in the first place.
“I did some research about you three,” he told them, one day after training. “I was aware of your mother, but never found much about your father. Until I found a marriage certificate. You children never told me that Magneto himself was your father.”
They hadn’t had much time to explore whatever Strucker had in mind when alarm blared through the facility. After checking some screens and yelling at guards, he turned to the trio with malice.
“We have intruders. Defend the base, that’s what you were trained for.”
They had indeed defended the base and defended it well. Though they did not expect the intruders to be the Avengers themselves. The only thing was that they had lost the sceptre that had saved their lives a few months before. According to Wanda, it had been the right thing to do, and the boys didn’t question it; they trusted their sister. After they used the attack as an opportunity to leave, the triplets weren’t sure where to go. Pietro felt drawn to the West, like something was calling to him. Though, his siblings weren’t completely sold on the idea of following a weird voice in a country they’d never been in outside of Strucker’s experiments.
The lack of options eventually made them give in to his instinct. The speedsters had run for a whole hour without pause, Peter holding Wanda, who wasn’t much affected by the superspeed anymore, and Pietro was guiding them. When they finally stopped, they found themselves at the foot of Wundagore Mountain. The landscape radiated a feeling of warmth that they hadn’t felt since they had last seen Magda. They had set up camp and had been staying in the mountain for a few days when a strange looking robot approached them.
“I do not come to bring you trouble, but an opportunity,” started the robot with his strange electronic voice. “I am Ultron. I know who you are, the Maximoff triplets. Taken from their home and mother after a foolish mistake and experimented on and used as weapons by cruel men.”
“How did you find us?” asked Wanda, her eyes glowing red as a warning.
“My drones have been scouring the world, your fire and the stealing was easy to assume your position, especially considering the proximity of this place to the base.” Ultron electronic eyes scanned the teenagers, noting how their body language still showed distrust. “I understand your reluctance to trust me. But I assure you, I am here to help. While returning to your mother might not be possible at the moment, I might be able to reunite you with your father, Erik Lehnsherr.”
That caught Peter’s attention. “You know where he is?”
The robot nodded his head as he turned to the young man. “Yes, ever since Paris, he has been held in a secure cell in the Avengers tower. Though, why they did not take him to the raft, I cannot understand.”
The trio didn’t care much about what this ‘raft’ was and demanded more information. Ultron assured them that they would be updated in due time, but they first had to go in South Africa to get vibranium. They hesitantly agreed, still unsure of the robot’s plan, but eventually followed. Once they arrived, they were cornered by the Avengers.
“You distract them,” said Wanda to her brothers as she manifested her magic. “I’ll take them out one by one.”
The two turned into a blur and were off, Pietro knocked into Thor, sending him tumbling a few steps back. He continued running, dodging plasma blasts from Iron Man before landing a good punch on Captain America’s jaw. He continued running as Peter slowed down next to him with a mischievous grin.
“I bet you can’t steal Thor’s hammer!”
The blonde man took up the challenge and looked smugly at his brother as his hand closed around the weapon’s handle. Instead of complying, the tool sent him flying down into a pile of crates. Peter was quickly at his side, mocking his mistake.
“You should have seen yourself! I totally spotted the moment you realized you made a grave mistake’” he laughed, mimicking his previous expression.
“Shut up,” Pietro told him, trying to get the world back into focus. “At least, I hit both Thor and Captain America, you didn’t do anything.”
“Hey,” Peter said, rising his hands in front of him, “I got a punch on Black Widow. You know, the one that stopped, dad? I count that as a win.”
Pietro slowly sat up and stared at his brother’s hand as he extended it toward him. He was about to pull him up when a presence appeared beside him. A strong hit on Peter’s lower back cut his breath and sent him crashing on the ground. Captain America then pushed the already dizzy speedster on the ground and glared at them.
“Stay down,” he ordered.
The boys watched him walk away, both in various degree of pain.
“That guy’s got problems,” breathed out Peter.
“No kidding,” answered Pietro, rolling his eyes. “Not a word of this to Wanda.”
The silver haired teen snorted, “no promises.” He touched his hip and hissed as he felt the sore spot where he’d been hit. “Seriously, that shield is gonna kill somebody eventually, he’s not even considering the damages it can do.”
They watched from afar as Wanda subdued the Asgardian god. Seeing as Captain America was the closest, Pietro took the opportunity. That man wouldn’t even get a chance to lay a finger on his sister. He knocked the super soldier off balance and sent him crashing into the metal stairs. He watched satisfyingly as the brunette sent him into his personal hell.
Wanda quickly ran up the stairs and hid in the shadows. Natasha Romanoff was still, she didn’t seem to realize that she wasn’t alone, but the mutant knew not to trust appearances with that woman.
“How can I help?” Echoed Peter’s voice through their telepathic bond.
“Distract her.”
The speedster nodded to his sister and casually walked up into the light at normal speed, instantly catching the woman’s attention. She raised a curious eyebrow as he leaned on the wall with a smug smile.
“Coming for more?” Asked the redhead.
“Actually, I got the hit, if I remember well,” nonchalantly answered Peter. He examined his hand before looking at the woman. “But I’m not here to hurt you, she is.”
Before the spy had time to react, Wanda put her under her spell. The teen smirked as the woman’s eyes became filled with red and slowly unfocused.
“I love your red wiggly woos, have I ever told you that?”
Wanda cracked a smile as she rolled her eyes. She told him to go join Pietro as she would take care of Hawkeye. Peter joined his brother, who was at Ultron’s side. A sudden shot of migraine made both speedsters wince and hold their forehead.
“Wanda’s in trouble,” realized the silver haired teen. He turned to the taller man, “go get her.”
Pietro disappeared and left the young mutant alone with the robot revolutionary. Ultron had stopped moving, his eyes examining the teenager with curiosity.
“You three have a very efficient relationship. You work surprisingly well, for humans.”
Peter raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Forgive me if it sounds pejorative, but such a level of understanding and cooperation without conflict is rare. Especially with powerful people.”
“We’ve always worked together when we pranked people, nothing has changed since.”
The conversation was cut short by Wanda and Pietro appearing next to them. The brunette seemed nauseous and disoriented as the man lowered her to the ground. After making sure she was fine, Ultron declared they’d be going to Seoul to go get an actual flesh body.
“After this, we’ll go get your father.”
***
Well, that definitely hadn’t gone according to plan.
Wanda had read the robot’s mind and discovered that he never wanted to save the world, but rather wanted to end it. The triplets had never signed up for genocide, so they decided to join the Avengers. While the superhero team didn’t exactly align with their point of view, at least they had no desire to end the world.
Also, Ultron’s body, the Vision as the scientists called him, was now alive, though activated might have been the more accurate term. The android had lifted Thor’s hammer without any problem, something that made the Avengers trust him. Which was a little stupid if that was really the only test. The team were getting ready to leave, but the trio interrupted their packing by requesting to see their father.
“You want to see the terrorist that wanted to start a war between humans and mutant?” Tiredly asked Tony Stark.
“Yes,” answered Wanda with one of her signature intimidating look.
The man had eventually agreed to their request and led them down a long corridor that gradually became devoid of metal as they approached the prison cell. The trio held their breath as they spotted their father sitting on the floor, reading a book. He looked up as he sensed the visitors approaching. He watched the newcomers with narrowed eyes until he spotted Peter.
“It’s you,” Erik said, slowly getting up. “The mutant who broke me out of the Pentagon.”
The teenagers didn’t miss the billionaire’s unimpressed stare, but they were all to focused on the metal wielder to care about it. Tony sighed loudly as he started walking away.
“You children have fun with your old man, cameras are all around so don’t try anything,” he casually said the man before closing the door.
The triplets froze as they realized what the billionaire had said. They hadn’t planned on telling Erik of their relation until they had at least known the man a little. But it was too late now, the metal wielder stared at them with wide eyes and a thousand questions running through his head.
“What he said,” started Erik, now looking at the ground in disbelief, “is it true?” He snapped his head up, his eyes teary. “Are you my children?”
Peter didn’t say anything, he did want to tell the man, but he couldn’t find the courage to confirm it. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for Pietro.
“Yes, we are.”
Erik looked at each other them with an unreadable expression on his face.
“He wasn’t ready,” echoed Wanda’s voice through their bond.
“Give him some time, soră,” answered Pietro. “It’s not every day you discover you’re a father to seventeen years old triplets.”
“Not only that, he’s also got to deal with the fact that he’s already met me.”
Their personal conversation was interrupted by Captain America entering the room. The triplets turned to him with narrowed eyes, the super soldier raised his hands in a way to show he didn’t mean any harm.
“Tony wanted me to let you know that we were leaving soon.”
“Take me with you.”
They all turned to Erik, stunned about his suggestion. Steve took a few step forwards, observing the man for a few seconds. The men stared at each other before the veteran cleared his throat.
“Why should we trust you? You tried to kill us barely a year ago.”
Erik glanced at Pietro, Wanda, and Peter. “I didn’t have much to live for back then. I do now.”
The super soldier followed his gaze to the teenagers, picking up on the man’s insinuation. He sighed before shaking his head. “Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”
Soon after the Captain had left to talk to the team, Erik and the triplets continued their conversation. The older man had asked about their mother and their life before Peter had been recruited to break him out. He barely talked as each teenager answered his questions, taking in the fact that he could have had a family with Magda had he never gone on his quest of revenge in the first place. He then asked about their mutations, to which the triplets shared a hesitant look, wondering if they should tell him of the circumstances of their origins. They told him of their powers, and tried to leave it at that, but the man saw right through their coverup.
“What are you not telling me?”
The siblings wondered for a moment who would tell him, and ultimately decided that Peter should be the one to tell the man. The silver haired teen took a breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say.
“Freeing you… Didn’t come without consequences. Government officials came to our house, we were told they were from SHIELD, but they’re definitely more Hydra. They took us to Romania, in a private facility and… experimented on us.” Erik clenched his hands in anger at the mention of the experiments. “Wanda and Pietro didn’t develop any mutation, that’s what Strucker, the guy in charge of us, wanted to do. Have three trained weapons he could use whenever he needed them. We were there for about a year and a half, according to today’s date.”
Erik nodded understandingly, “anything else?”
“Tell him about your metallokinesis,” Wanda’s voice echoed through his head.
“I can’t even control it. I’ve hardly ever used it before.”
“He could show you,” replied Pietro.
“Why don’t you trust him? He’s our father.”
“Last time I trusted someone, we got taken away and experimented on.”
His siblings didn’t argue, so Peter turned back to Erik. “No, that’s it.”
***
The Avengers tracked Ultron to a small town in Romania and didn’t lose time before embarking the private plane. The team watched warily when Erik was brought on board and kept a suspicious eye on him the whole time. The air was tense, probably due to Black Widow’s disappearance. Steve was biting his lips as the miles slowly passed.
“So…” said Peter, speeding to the pilot’s seat, “is there a plan?”
Tony rolled his eyes, already done with the teenager. “Look goggles, we’ll assess the situation when we get there. Go back in your seat, we’re not babysitters.”
“Geez man, you can just say no and leave it be,” replied the teenager, a little offended by the man’s tone.
The billionaire sighed loudly, fully intent on ignoring the boy, but a flick on the back of his head made him turn in anger. “Who did that?”
“Wasn’t me,” shrugged Peter as his siblings giggled and shared a high five.
After awhile, everyone was in their seats, no sound around them save for the fidgeting of the two speedsters that drummed their fingers and bounced their legs. Wanda’s focus was sometimes on the android, something her siblings caught on quickly.
“Wanda don’t tell me you’re crushing on him,” thought Peter with a judging tone.
“No, I’m not!” replied the brunette.
“Oh my god, you totally do,” realized Pietro. “Come on sis, he’s literally nothing more than a glorified toaster.”
When they finally arrived, Tony had been the victim of the triplet’s teasing twelve times, Steve eight times and Clint six times (he had threatened them with his arrow, but the speedsters had laughed at his ‘pointy sticks’). They tasked the teenagers with evacuating the city while the heroes intercepted Ultron. Erik was in the fire of the battle, crushing dozens of robots at once. Never in a million years he would have guessed that he’d help the very people that imprisoned him, but here he was, fighting at their side.
The triplets were separated, Peter and Pietro were zooming through the city and saving people from certain deaths. Wanda was with Clint and they were working together in taking out Ultron’s robots. The woman could feel her powers building up inside of her. She did her best to keep it under control, but she was constantly overwhelmed by the time she had nearly killed her and her brothers. Wanda was very well aware that her powers reflected her state of mind, and right now it was chaotic.
“How could we let this happen?” she cried out, looking around. “We joined Ultron, we had no idea, we caused this.”
Clint brought her into a small house and grabbed her shoulder. “Hey, fine it’s your fault, it’s Ultron’s fault, it’s Tony’s fault. Hell, it’s everybody’s fault, alright? But right now, that’s not what’s important. The city’s flying and will rip apart the planet if we don’t stop it, that’s what’s important. This is our fight, but you’re still a kid, and your powers are unstable. If you go out there, you fight, and you fight to kill. But you can also choose to stay here, and I’ll send one of your brothers to come get you, no hard feelings.” Clint paused in case the girl wanted to say something. She didn’t talk, so he continued. “But if you get out of that door, you’re an Avenger, and we can really use all the help we can get.”
Wanda didn’t answer, so the archer got up and resumed the fight, a little disappointed that his speech hadn’t done much. An explosion behind Clint made him turn around. He smiled as he spotted the teen joining the fight. Thanks to her powers, the robots around them were quickly taken care of.
“Alright, we’re all clear here,” he said in his earpiece. He turned to Wanda, “thank you, you did good work.”
The brunette gave him a nod just as Pietro appeared and picked up his sister. “Try to keep up, old man!” he mocked as the pair disappeared in a blue blur.
The archer raised his bow on the general direction of the speedster. “Nobody would know. Nobody.” He started jogging towards the action. "The last I saw him, when Ultron was sitting on him. Uh...yeah, he'll be missed, that quick little bastard. I miss him already."
Pietro and Wanda joined Peter and the rest of the Avengers, who were defending the vibranium core. They settled into a defensive circle, covering all sides as the robots attacked them. They each used their abilities in unison with Peter and Pietro making sure to grab the few robots that tried to sneak in by the air and the sides.
“Why do they have to crawl?!” Exclaimed Peter.
“Dramatic effect,” replied Pietro, punching one of the robots and sending it crumbling into pieces. He pulled a disgusted face as he looked at the slowed down form of the Hulk. “Is he… is he biting off one of the robot’s head?”
The silver haired teen shrugged his shoulders. “At this point, whatever works, am I right?”
The battle suddenly took a turn for the better when the Vision blasted a laser beam at Ultron and sent him tumbling away. Though, the beam didn’t do much else, that is, until Erik stepped out into the light and concentrated onto Ultron. He flexed his hands and made a ripping motion with them. Ultron’s vibranium body slowly creaked and ripped apart, giving Vision enough space to damage the robot, along with the help of Iron Man and Thor.
Hulk punched away Ultron, sending him flying in the air. A group of robots scattered away in fear because, apparently, robots could fear stuff. Tony warned the team that they couldn’t let a single one reach the outskirts of the city.
“We gotta move out. Even I can tell the air is getting thin,” said Steve. “You guys get to the boats, I'll sweep for stragglers, be right behind you.”
“What about the core?” Questioned Clint.
“I’ll protect it,” declared Wanda. She watched the Avengers leave before turning to Pietro, “get the people on the boat. Peter will stay around and keep an eye out.”
The blonde man scoffed, “I’m not leaving you here.”
“What’s the matter, frate, you don’t trust me?” teased Peter.
The three looked at each other, all a little out of breath from the fighting. Finally, Pietro rolled his eyes, “fine, but I’m coming back as soon as I’m done.”
Wanda smirked at him. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything else.” She nodded her head, “go.”
The blonde man was about to leave but stopped after his sister’s order and seeing his brother biting his lips in an effort to suppress his laughing. “You know, I’m older than both of you.”
The triplets shared a laugh and Pietro left, leaving Peter and Wanda to defend the core that was holding the city together.
***
The citizens kept coming, all panicking as the city rose higher in the air. Pietro had been going back and forth for more time than he could count, but there was always more. Still, he continued, there was no other option, he had a job to do. When one of the last groups finally got onto the air carrier, the speedster let himself take a breath.
Pietro spotted Clint with a child, and the upcoming trail of bullets that were headed towards them. He quickly calculated the distance and pressed his lips in hesitation as he realized there was no way he could be there on time. Peter was nowhere close, and the danger was imminent. He quickly made up his mind and pushed Clint and the child out of the way, gasping as he felt the bullets tear holes through his torso. The archer watched with a dumbfounded face as Pietro struggled to breathe.
“You didn’t see that coming?” He teased the man with a pained smile on his lips.
The speedster used his last strength to focus on their telepathic bond and project his thoughts to wherever his siblings were. “Frate, soră, forgive me.”
There was so much more he wanted to say, to let them know, but the ground collided with his body and his vision faded to black as he let out his last breath.
Far away on the battlefield, Wanda was fighting off more than she thought possible. But no matter how many robots she destroyed, four more would take its place. A shockwave behind her revealed Peter, who had just knocked down one she hadn’t noticed. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and she saw the silver haired teen grab at his chest. They shared a look and understood what was happening.
Pietro was in trouble.
An even greater wave of pain coursed through both of them, and something was seemingly ripped from their very soul. Wanda let out a gut-wrenching scream and her powers flared out, dismantling every robot around them. Peter collapsed on the ground and she ran to his side, trying to feel his pulse. She panicked as she found none. She didn’t want to be alone; she couldn’t be alone.
Thankfully, his pulse came back soon enough, but that didn’t fix the emptiness inside her. There was still a gaping hole in her chest. Peter and Wanda were momentarily relived when they heard their brother through their bond.
“Frate, soră, forgive me.”
They shared a horrified look as they realized what had happened. They didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be happening. There was no danger at the moment since the Ultron robots had been destroyed by Wanda’s wave of destructive magic, the coast was clear. Peter took Wanda and sped them over to where the bond led them to. The brunette screamed once again and fell to her knees before grasping Pietro’s head and running her hand through his hair. Peter, too, fell to his knees, crying at the sight of his brother’s lifeless eyes. They were interrupted in their crying by Clint and Erik who tried to get them on their feet.
“No! No, please! I can’t leave him!” cried out Wanda.
The adults tried to reason with the pair, telling them how the city would fall at any moment and there would be no chance of survival.
“Good, leave us here,” sobbed Peter. “We’ve always been together; we can’t continue without him.”
The men didn’t say anything, but Erik cradled Pietro in his arms despite Wanda and Peter’s protest about moving him. Nevertheless, the metal wielder continued his walk towards the air carrier and gently laid the speedster’s body onto the ground. Erik brushed a hand on Pietro’s face as he mourned his child that he would never get to know properly. The teenagers soon sat on each side of their father, staring in disbelief at their sibling.
“I could have saved him,” choked out Peter.
“Don’t blame yourself,” reasoned Erik. “The distance was too big, even for you.”
The speedster shook his head. “I have metallokinesis, I could have stopped those bullets! But I wasn’t there, and now he’s dead! Because I was too late.”
Erik pushed away his shock at knowing his son shared his mutation and instead wrapped an arm around him, his other arm finding Wanda. “Peter, have you got full control of your mutation? Have you ever practiced?”
The speedster shook his head again, his eyes not leaving his brother’s form. “No, but I could have done something! I could have taken his place.”
Erik tried to think of something that might help. “When you’ll be ready, I could teach you.”
“No,” refused Peter. “I’ll never use it. I don’t deserve to.”
***
After the dust had settled, the Avengers offered them a place amongst their team. Perhaps out of guilt, pity or because they saw an opportunity. No matter the reason, they were done being somebody’s weapon. Erik also offered to be a permanent addition to their lives, though Wanda and Peter doubted that the Avengers would accept having the ex-terrorist around. Though, the first thing they did was visit their mother. Magda was holding back tears when she saw them approaching the front door. They both looked sick with their red rimmed eyes full of sorrow. They all burst into tears and held each other for a long time. It felt strange being home after everything that had happened. Especially, now that they were missing a piece of themselves. Magda asked them how it happened, and cried again, knowing her son’s protective nature was the thing that got him in the end.
Wanda and Peter wanted to stay at their house, they truly did. But staying in their childhood home where each room held memories of Pietro quickly became too much. After a long discussion with their mother, they packed two suitcases before heading off to the airport. Neither of them felt like using their powers at the moment, not with a part of them missing.
After a long flight, they finally arrived. Peter had surprised them both by his lack of crankiness despite the long hours of stillness. Though, being immobile for such an extended period of time made him very fidgety. They agreed that running to their destination would be the better option. They skillfully arranged their luggage so it wouldn’t get blown away when Peter broke the sound barrier. Wanda’s magic helped a little.
The duo arrived at dawn and they sucked in a painful breath as Wundagore Mountain stood tall and ancient before them. They rented a room in a nearby hotel, but they climbed up the mountain just as the sun gave its last glow. Peter gathered some wood to start a fire. The teenagers sat in silence as the flames danced in front of their eyes, Pietro’s presence mockingly hanging in the air.
“You can feel him too, right?” questioned Wanda. Her voice showed no emotion, but they both knew it was only a façade.
“Yeah,” whispered Peter.
Later, they would go back to their hotel room. Later, they would call their mother, and their father, they had to tell them where they were. Later, they would accept the Avengers offer. Later, they would bury the small lock of Pietro’s hair, along with his fingerless gloves he loved so much. Later they would return to the real world.
But right now, Peter and Wanda sat huddled together in a warm wool blanket, staring at the fire burning in front of them. The stars shone brightly in the sky, sometimes adorned by a shooting star. The world would never be the same after what had happened, but for this moment at least, Wanda and Peter pretended that it could be.
In most universe, the Maximoff came as a pair, sometimes joined with a younger or older sibling. While this rule was sometimes ignored, there was always one constant. One Maximoff always died. This universe was no different.