Chapter 2
Wanda had never been on a plane before and had no intention of ever doing so again. Fury had a modern quinjet but it was too silent and she was very aware that they were above the ocean. There was probably no land anywhere near them and the further they went, the more distance she was putting between herself and Pietro. They had never been separated for more than a few days max in Strucker’s lab, but they’d certainly never been on opposite continents.
It was just Fury, a pilot, and Wanda. They left her alone and she sat stiff in her chair the first hour before stretching out and closing her eyes. She never let her guard down but she did let her muscles ease. A little too much, she nearly lashed out when Fury sat a blanket and pillow on the seat next to her. “Just try to relax. We’ll be in New York soon.”
Wanda perked up. She’d always been curious about the famous city, but never imagined she’d actually see it herself. She sat back and pulled the blanket over to her, covering her legs and slouching back into her seat. “Do you know where you will send me?”
He actually squatted in front of her like she was a child he was trying to comfort. “I’m still working on that. I’ll stay long enough to get you settled before I return to Europe. What should I tell Pietro so that he knows you’re alright?”
Ignoring that he was treating her so much younger than she was, they were finally onto a topic she was interested in. “Tell him…”
She raked her brain trying to think of what would make her brother at least give Fury a chance to reunite them. “Here,” she took off one of her rings and handed it over to Fury. “We were born twelve minutes apart. He’s older than me and won’t let me forget it. That should at least let him know we’ve met. Then get us on the phone together and I’ll tell him everything.”
Fury looked down at her black and red ring and nodded before pocketing it. “You thought Strucker was SHIELD?”
“I thought he was going to make the world better.” And that had meant a world without the Avengers.
“We may be able to still do that.”
He got up and went to sit beside the pilot before she could ask what he meant. Didn’t matter, she was tired and nervous for what was to come. Wanda let herself slide down her padded bench. Drawing the blanket up and using the pillow he brought, she had just enough sense to know she couldn’t let her guard down before falling asleep.
Doctor List and Strucker were looking down at her when the pain finally faded away. She was still to weak to lift herself off the gurney. Would have been pointless, she was still strapped down. She could smell the vomit in her hair and the copper from her nose bleed.
“How do you feel?” List asked.
“Still me.” She whispered, “where’s Pietro?”
“The room over. His metabolism was much faster than you. He woke up about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Oh.”
“You two will go to recovery together, and we will observe your vitals.”
It was the strangest thing, but she swore that despite his unmoving mouth, she heard Doctor List cry “they lived!”
The quinjet didn’t land like planes did. It descended straight to the ground to her relief. There was just a small bump and then the engines were powering down. When the ramp opened up, Wanda did her best to fold up her blanket and stack it with the pillow where she had been sitting.
After an inhale of fresh, unfiltered air, and getting her feet onto some solid ground, Wanda could only stare at the buildings in the distance. They were taller than any she had seen before and touched the sky.
“Follow me, Miss. Maximoff. This is a private landing pad but I am technically dead and don’t need anyone spotting me.”
She kept up with Fury’s long strides, following him into the hanger not far from where they landed. It was a little warmer in the States than it had been in Sokovia, and that in combination with her nerves and Fury’s fast walk made her sweaty. Perfect, considering she’d been in the same clothes for at least two days now.
“There’s a compound still under renovation in upper New York State that I’ve arranged for you to stay. It’s still relatively private but you’ll be safe, courtesy of Tony Stark.”
Wanda froze and it didn’t take Fury long to realize he was walking alone. When he turned she saw him flinch. Her eyes must have been red, linked to her emotions that she struggled to regain control over. Props to him, he didn’t reach for his gun even if that’s all his thoughts consisted of in that moment.
“Tony Stark? The Iron Man?”
“Yes... is that a problem?”
“Not him! Not his house and never his, his help.”
“Wanda, this is the safest option for you. Please consider it.”
She kept her feet firmly planted and shook her head violently while her greasy hair got in the way. “Not. Stark.”
She pushed her violent impulses down and tried to remember that not everybody had watched their parents fall down a hole in the floor. “I can’t.”
“Okay. Okay, I get it. I’ll look for something else.”
She took a deep breath until her lungs were full and then released it. Pietro would pat her on the back or hold her hand while she regained control, but it was just her for now.
“Not Stark?”
“No. Just give me some time. Come on, we’ll find a place for you to clean up while I make some calls.”
She was still too tense when they made it inside the hanger. She hadn’t even thought about Stark living in New York, but now it felt so obvious. When Strucker had first found her and Pietro and promised them a better world, her vision included one without Stark in it.
There was a small room meant for pilots to sleep in while their planes were fueled up or repaired. “I’ll see about getting you some fresh clothes but for now I think you’re stuck with what you’ve got. Take a shower and I’ll see what I can do.” Fury told her, pointing to a closed door.
Wanda watched him wander off, already pulling out his phone. She eyed him for a bit but then went into the bathroom. The shower was a bit different than the ones back home, mostly for its consistently hot water.
But it was a relief to finally get under the hot water and clean up. The small shampoo and conditioner bottles smelled spicy and the soap fell apart pretty quickly, but she stayed in much longer than she ordinarily would. With her muscles soothing and her mind clear, it was easy to reach out and get into Fury’s head. She felt guilty, but in many ways she didn’t. It was coming naturally to her to read thoughts now, and she was in a foreign place, alone for the first time in her life.
She listened to his conversation as if she were in the same room as him, though he was on the other side of the hanger now.
“She doesn’t want to go to Stark’s compound, sounds personal.”
“Well what other choice does she have?” A woman said over the phone.
“We have options but I need something fast. She’s been through enough and I’d like her taken care of before I start the search for the scepter.”
“What about Rogers?”
“The Captain? Come on Hill, do you really think he’s up for this?”
“I don’t know Nick. He’s out of the hospital and nearly recovered. He’s taken a leave of absence until we work things out, and he’s looking for leads on the Soldier from home still. I don’t think he’d mind company and he’d be able to take her down if necessary.”
“I don’t know about that, she’s pretty strong.”
“Hey, if anybody had a chance it would be him. It couldn’t hurt to just ask him.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Out.”
Wanda turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, still listening as she dried off and reluctantly put on her dirty clothes.
“Rogers, how’ve you been?”
“Fury? How’s Europe?”
“It’s going good, that’s actually why I’m calling. I have a lead on Loki’s scepter that I’m going to follow but somethings come up.”
There was only a small hesitation on the line, “what do you need?”
“I found a girl in Europe who’s been experimented on and enhanced. Her brother’s still missing but he may be with the scepter. I don’t know the extent of either of their powers but they are something else. They could make powerful allies, something I’d much rather have than enemies.” Wanda smiled to herself as she pulled her pants on. So that’s why he was so intent on being kind. “Stark was going to house her but she’s very opposed to that. You up for a house guest?”
“The government have any idea?”
“None and I’d like to keep it that way.”
“What about when I have to leave?”
“You planning on going on safari?”
“If I can find a solid lead on Bucky I’ll need to follow it.”
Fury hesitated and the spoke carefully, “Agent Thirteen still lives next door. I can have her supervise when you leave.”
“She’s still living next door? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“Then she’s still doing her job.”
There was tension there, Wanda decided as she took her time towel drying her hair.
“Alright, she can have the spare bedroom,” he said but the words were slow and hesitant. He may have respected Fury, something Wanda could understand, and that was probably the only reason he was agreeing.
“There’s a pull out couch in there but not much else.”
“It’s fine. We’ll be there in a few hours. Thank you, Rogers.”
Wanda pulled away from the conversation when she exited the bathroom. Captain Rogers… the name didn’t sound familiar but anything would be better than Stark.
She didn’t have to go far to find Fury. He might have even been coming to get her.
“Found you a place, ready to get going?”
She nodded and played oblivious. All in due time he’d tell her what she already knew.
Not much later, they were in a black car going to Washington D.C. Fury told her that much. Just the other day she was waking up in a Sokovian research facility, a door away from her brother, and today she was alone on her way to the capital of an enemy country.
“Have you heard of Captain America?” Fury asked.
“Of course,” she answered slowly, having a bad feeling where this was going, “he’s an Avenger.”
“Yes. He’s actually the leader of the Avengers when needed. Right now, though, he’s on leave. He’s agreed to take you in after I leave. I think you two will get along.”
She’d heard him on the phone and he did sound nice, but her powers spiked just a bit when she realized she was being sent to live with an Avenger. Before she might protest, Fury jumped in. “He’ll give you your space and you might just like D.C. it’s a nice area. Use this time to figure out what you want to do once we find Pietro.”
Damn Fury, he knew just what to say to dissipate her growing frustration.
She sighed and looked out the car window as they made their way out of the city. “Okay, I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I ask.”
She couldn’t stop help her snort. He was a strange man, but he’d grown on her.
“Here,” he passed her his phone, “pick out things you think you’ll need. We can have them delivered around the time we arrive.”
She perked up, curious she took a look at his phone and felt floored, “clothes?”
“Yes, get enough to last you a while. I’ve already had the basics taken care of and delivered but you’ll need to blend in. It wouldn’t suit any of us if people figured out I was alive or that you were successfully enhanced.”
Wanda swallowed and scrolled through the pages of different articles of clothing, “I don’t have any money…”
“It’s on the SHIELD account. Take your time and get as much as you want, this is going to be a long drive.”
A little weary, but equally intrigued, she began to scroll through the hundreds of images.
Washington was big like New York, but it didn’t have the large number of skyscrapers that made the other city so intriguing. It was getting dark out when they pulled up to a row of quaint buildings. They were well maintained and close to the city while also being tucked away in their own neighborhood.
Wanda only got a minute to take it all in before Fury was rushing her in. He was taking a little more precaution than he had earlier, having ditched his long coat for a shorter jacket and once again donning the dark glasses.
She was much more careful when she read his thoughts this time, and knew he was worried about being spotted. He had a lot of enemies in this city.
Up the elevator and down the long haul, Wanda couldn’t spot any real security measures. If she wanted too, if Fury couldn’t find Pietro fast enough, it would be pretty easy to just walk on out. At the end of the hall he knocked on the last door.
It opened not long after that. He was tall and blond, that was the first thing she noticed. His shoulders were broad enough that they nearly filled out the doorway. He radiated warmness, and when she took a quick peak into his mind she found genuine kindness in there. There was sadness too, but a whole lot of kindness.
“Nick, good to see you,” they shook hands quickly before the Captain was ushering them inside. Wanda hesitated, feeling very out of place again. His head tilted just a bit and an obvious curiosity radiating from his person when he finally got a good look at her. He offered her a small smile before reaching out his hand, “I’m Steve Rogers.”
She eyed him and then tentatively reached out, “Wanda Maximoff.”
The apartment was nice. There were tons of shelves, most of which were filled with books. When she took a good look at the place though, it seemed pretty standard. Blank, really. There were seating areas but very little wear and tear. It all looked like a magazine catalog to her, advertising an apartment that wasn’t quite a home yet. She could remember her own apartment with the pictures on the walls, the scuff marks on the floor and bottom of the door frames. Wanda decided that he must have just moved in.
She stayed close to the walls, her hands clasped behind her back while Rogers and Fury did a quick catch up.
“Thank you, I really do appreciate this.”
“It’s no trouble. How long are you in town for?”
“Not long the quinjet is on the way now. I have to get back to Europe tonight. I just want to get Wanda settled and then I’ll be going.”
Steve nodded to a room just past the kitchen, “They brought her stuff by earlier. It’s in the spare bedroom.”
“Wanda?” Fury motioned for her to follow him and she did. A little unsure of herself and how she should behave in an American home, she left her shoes on for now.
The bedroom was spacious and besides a few boxes and a couch, there wasn’t much else. The closet was empty and the blinds on the only window dusty. The carpet was clean and the walls a plain cream color, all in all it was like the rest of the apartment: boring and uninhabited.
Fury handed her a phone that had been in one of the smaller boxes in the room. “Keep it charged and with you at all times. When I find your brother, I will call you as soon as I can and I’ll need you to answer and reassure him you’re okay. There are three numbers in there besides mine. Steve’s, and two agents you can trust, Carter and Romanoff. Carter lives next door."
She took the phone in her hands and flipped through the screens.
"I've had you classified as a witness under SHIELD protection but the federal government will have no record of you. Don't get in trouble with the law. As a witness, you will get a small monthly stipend to spend as you like. It will go directly into a checking account that you'll see there on your phone. There's a card in one of these boxes that you can find when you have the time. Any questions?"
So many questions but Wanda wasn't even sure where to start. "What should I be doing until you find Pietro?"
At this Fury smiled and despite his internal hesitancy, he actually reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, “take it easy Maximoff. Get familiar with the country, hit the museums and try some of the food. Don’t worry about anything outside what you’ll do with yourself after I find your brother.”
“I… thank you,” she looked down at her shoes and did feel gratitude to this odd man who had gone so far out of his way to bring her here. It would have been so easy to lock her up back home until he knew what to do with her.
“I have to go now. There haven’t been any signs of Strucker in the last two days but I’m willing to bet he’s still in Europe.”
She nodded again and took a deep breath, “okay. I’ll keep this close,” she waived the phone at him but did not feel nearly as confident as she tried to convey. Despite all that he had done for her, Wanda longed to go back to Europe and find Pietro herself. They could run away together and never have to worry about SHIELD or HYDRA ever again.
She’d thought about it a few times when the experiments were at their worst and she needed anything besides what she had been living. There had never been a particular destination, but she’d wanted to do good in some way. Pietro would be there, of course, and they would find their own way to make the world a better place. In a lot of ways that fantasy seemed gone and in others, like it was so much closer to actually happening. Fury was right, she needed to figure out what to do once he found Pietro and got rid of Strucker.
He was heading to the door and she watched him go, her hands clenching around the phone when she realized she was actually going to miss him. He held up her ring and asked, “twelve minutes, right?”
“Yes, please keep him safe when you find him, as you have done for me.”
He gave one definite nod and she listened to the low conversation outside and then the main door closing. Wanda exhaled when she realized she’d been holding her breath.
She stood there for a long time, her hand still gripping the phone she sat it down when she realized she might actually break it. The boxes were tempting to go through, and even though they contained everything Fury said she would need, it still didn’t feel right to go through them. The room was far too bare to really find a distraction.
She steeled her nerves and tucked the phone into her dress pocket.
Might as well get to know her host.